Wow!! Finally updating.. :) Maybe I should get sick more often; it gives me time to write. Anyways, Sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoy! BTW, I started writing this before the season final, so, while Irina is still 'the man', Sydney doesn't find out the same what :)

Chapter 2.

It happened so fast, that nobody had time to think. Sydney scanned the room, in search of her handler. Finally, she found him. He was bleeding. It took all of her self-control not to run to his side, to make sure he was OK. While she could see it was his upper arm, and in all likelihood, only a flesh wound, it didn't stop her worrying.

Of her former school peers, many were in shock, many also in tears. That fact the Sydney seemed so calm was a bit of a surprise to a few around her.

Sydney forced herself to take her eyes of Vaughn, in search of, firstly the ringleader of the attack, and how much backup they had, and secondly, a quick an easy escape route. Or, at least a way to contact her father for help if escape was impossible.

Her first matter was quickly solved. The ringleader appeared to be Philip Martyn, one of their high school peers. He was a bit of a loner in school, although was very intelligent. Sydney just prayed that the scene before her had nothing to do with her.

Philip shooting his gun into the air soon silenced the sounds of small murmurs and muffled tears. "Now, I'd appreciate a bit of quite" he spoke, "But I guess you are all wondering why I have done this?" he asked, rhetorically, gun still in hand, "Well, that answer is simple" He paused, scanning the room, "Someone in this room is worth quite a lot of money, if I were to turn them over to the right people"

Sydney's eye's jumped back to Vaughn, where his eyes met hers, both feeling trepidation

"No, you know who you are.." Philip taunted.

Sydney thought she could just play innocent, but if he started killing people, she knew she'd have to drop the façade.

Philip's goons walked round the room, kicking a few people, "Come on. We can do this the easy way. Or we can do it the hard way. Really, it's up to you"

"Come on Phil. If you want money, I can get you money. Just, just let us go" the voice came from Joshua Granger, who was now a top stockbroker.

"Ah, Josh. So naïve, you are" Philip smiled, walking over to him, "But the money I'm going to get from this job? It makes you look like your living on welfare. Plus, watching another person in immense pain, Joshua, money can't buy that joy"

What a sick, twisted bastard. Sydney thought, and made no attempts to hide her abhorrence of this man in question.

"What's wrong, Syd?" He asked, turning to face her, "I bet you have never seen anyone in excruciating pain. Stupid, little girl" he laughed, kicking her in the stomach, "Now! Will the person in question, please come forward. Or, I start killing off your peers"

The room did not move. The goons circled like vultures, ready to attack. "No takers?" Philip asked, pointing the gun at Ross McInnes's head.

"Wait! I'm here, OK. Don't shot" Sydney spun around to see Kathleen, her nemesis from her high school days, standing in the centre of the room.

Philip moved his gun away from Ross's head, and looked in the direction of Kathleen.  "You know, Kathy, when I found out who you worked for, I was surprised to say the least. So, Kath, how long have you been working for K-Directorate?"

"3 years"

"3 Years, huh? Long time. Do you go out on field Op's?"

"What has that go to do with anything?"

"I'll take that as a No. Now, before I hand you over to a lovely little rouge group, run by the infamous 'the man', what happened to the rambaldi manuscript after Tunisia?"

"I..I can't tell you that"

"But you can Kathy. You can, and you will"

Sydney was, of cause, listening intently to the conversation, but trying to not to draw attention to herself.

"Or what?" Sydney could tell that while Kathy may have worked in K-Directorate for 3 years, she was still very naïve. Probably due to the fact she had never run a field Op.

"Well, I have ways of making people talk" he smirked. He pulled out his gun and shot her left kneecap. "Now, what happened to the manuscript?" he asked again.

"SD-6…they, they got it somehow. I don't know how, but they did. It's within SD-6, somewhere" Sydney now saw why she didn't run field Op's. Anyone that could fold so easily was a liability, and she found herself wondering why K-Directorate would want the fact that SD-6 intercepted the book kept a secret.

"Thank You. Now sit. Someone will be here to pick you up soon" He ordered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20 minutes passed before Philip's business associates came to pick up their package. To large, burly men walked into the hall, followed by a shorter, thinner, yet still well built, man, with striking blue eyes, and blonde hair. As soon as Sydney saw his face, she panicked.

"I am Mr Sark, director of Operations for the man" Sark spoke first, "I believe you have something that may be of interest to my employer, Mr Martyn"

"Yes. She is over there." Philip pointed Kathleen out, rather proud of himself.

"She's shot" Sark pointed out the obvious.

"Yes..well, I ah, umm.. I had to keep her under control"

"Mr Martyn, I thought we had an agreement"

"And we do, Sark, we do"

"My employer will not be impressed"

Philip was starting to cower a little. Rumours had spread about what happens to people who 'upset' the man.

Sark motioned for one of his henchmen to tie Kathleen's hands and take her to the van waiting outside. He stepped back, and scanned the room. First he saw Vaughn. His eyes darted around the room, until the fell on Sydney. "Why Miss Bristow, we meet again" he smiled, as he approached her. Sydney jumped to her feet, ready to fight Sark if the need arose.

"What do you want?" she questioned harshly.

"Now, no need to get all snappy." He smirked, "I believe my employer would like to see you"

"What would Khasanio want with me?" she asked sceptically.

"Well, even is Alexander was 'the man', I'm sure I could some up with many reasons for him wanting to, 'speak' with you, holding the positions you do. But Mr Khasanio is not the man, Miss Bristow"

"Then who is?" she asked, getting more confused by the second.

"I believe you already have met her, Miss Bristow" he smirked. The colour drained from Sydney's face. She knew exactly whom he was talking about. "Probably changed a little since you last saw her, mind you"

"I don't believe you" she stated, although it was to convince herself more than anything.

"You don't have to. She will be here shortly. You can see for yourself."

TBC..