"Dad, I don't understand." Sydney held his gaze, refusing to look away. "We have the location. For once, Sloane's plan made sense. Why do we have to change it?"

The elder Bristow looked at his daughter, poker-faced. "Sydney," he said flatly, "I don't have to defend my decisions to you."

"Maybe not to me, but what about the team?" Sydney pointed out. "Full disclosure, right?"

"Syd, it makes sense," Weiss said calmly. "Sloane isn't supposed to have anything to do with this mission, so we probably shouldn't follow his plan. Besides, I'm sure even Jack would agree it's best not to trust Sloane in a matter like this."

"Whether I trust him or not is not the issue, Mr. Weiss." Jack was clearly annoyed by the liberty Weiss had taken in guessing his thoughts. "It is protocol. Yes, we have the location Sark was looking for, but there is obviously more to this than a simple location."

Vaughn blinked. "I … what do you mean, more to it? Isn't that-"

"The transcription of Rambaldi's notebook have been digitally stored and made available on the museum website," Jack interrupted him without hesitation. "One can assume that if the location was all that Sark wanted, he could have gotten it there. So the question is – why does he need the original?"

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone considered what the reason might be.

"Do you think the website might not have posted all of the notebook's contents?" Dixon suggested cautiously.

"Rambaldi was notorious for hiding messages in the least expected places," Sydney added. "Think of the prophecy on Page 47. Do you think that it might be something like that?"

Marshall put up his hand, jerked it down, then raised it again, timidly. "Uh – Mr. Bristow, if I – may –"

"What is it, Marshall?"

"Thank you – I – uh …" He cleared his throat. "Look, I don't wanna – you know – tell you how to do your business, but, uh, you know, Syd's idea of another blank page, and the, uh –"

"Spit. It. Out."

Marshall flinched, then blurted, "If that's the case, sir, then Sark will need the ampule of Rambaldi fluid, and if I'm not mistaken, we still have the only one in existence."

Jack nodded. "Yes. It's being held at the DSR. They have some of the best security in the world, though, so I'm sure it's safe."

"No offense, Dad, but we've broken in there ourselves before," Sydney pointed out. "It's difficult, sure, but it's not impossible."

Jack paused for the space of a heartbeat, then turned to Dixon. "Get on the phone. Use your contacts within the DSR to double check the security on the Rambaldi ampule."

"Yes, sir." Dixon left the room quickly.

"Now," Jack continued, looking around at the rest of them, "we are going to spec out the location the notebook indicated, but we are going to do it carefully. Sark will likely already have decrypted the location as well, so we're going to have to expect him or a team of his to be there."

"Where is it?" Vaughn asked, looking up at Jack.

"Reykjavik. Specifically, just off the coast. Marshall, I want you to find complete topographical maps for the area, both above water and below. Weiss, resources in the area. Sydney, Nadia, you two are most familiar with Rambaldi's work. I want each of you to come up with thoughts – other than a blank page – of what might be in that notebook that would be so important to Sark."

"What about me?" Vaughn asked.

Jack looked down at him. "You are going to have a different task," he said bluntly.

Vaughn wasn't sure he liked the sound of that.