-1Chapter 2
Sydney left the CIA offices not knowing where to go, she had no home, her friends were gone. She felt hopeless and lost, her life was gone. A wave of panic threatened to consume her, interrupted by a ringing coming from the cell phone given to her by the CIA had given to her on her return. She fought to calm her emotions before answering the phone.
"Sydney."
"Hello Sydney." A female voice answered.
She almost dropped her phone in shock, the voice on the end of the line was one she had never expected to here. "Mom?"
"I need to meet you somewhere, its important." Irina responded.
Sydney let out a cynical laugh "And why the hell would I do that? What are you plotting now?"
"If you want answers Sydney, if you want to help you father you'll meet me at the construction site for the new highway its half an hour. If your not there then I'll leave and will not offer my assistance again." with that her mother hung up the phone, her daughter left in shock.
It took Sydney all of a few minutes to decide she was going, if the CIA wasn't going to help her then she's just have to accept outside help. She didn't trust her mother, but she was all she had for now. She collected her new car, courtesy of the CIA, from the parking lot. It was a new, shiny, black SUV. 'Typical' she thought.
Half an hour later she pulled up to the empty construction site to see her mother stood with her arms folded, an emotionless face. Sydney's guard automatically went up. She got out of the car and cautiously walked over to Irina, with each step she took Irina's face seemed to become less blank, unidentified emotions paying out on the older woman's face. If Sydney didn't know better she would have said that her mother was fighting back tears. Once Sydney was stood in front of her mother she was shocked again as she was pulled fiercely into a hug.
"Sydney." Her mother cried. She pulled away, holding her daughters face in her hands looking her over. "Your ok."
And that was it, the floodgates opened. Sydney burst into tears, finally letting out all the pain and anger she had been holding in since Vaughn had broken the truth to her. Irina instantly pulled her daughter into her arms and they collapsed onto the dust. She held tightly to her daughter, rocking her gently. Eventually Sydney's sobs began to subside. She pulled away slightly and looked at Irina. Never had she expected to be held like this by her mother again after she had learned the truth, but she couldn't be more grateful for it now. Sydney's anger at her had taken a back seat to the recent events in her life.
"Mom… I've lost everything. I don't know what to do. My friends are gone. Vaughn's married and dads in prison and they won't let me see him. I need him. I can't remember the last two years, just a few flashes."
"Sydney I know." Sydney looked at her mother questioningly, suddenly wondering if this new found trust in her mother was a mistake. "Your father is in prison as he was discovered to be working with known enemies of this country." Irina said knowingly.
"He was working with you?"
"Yes. After your death, your father and I shared a common obsession, getting revenge on those who'd killed you. The CIA's investigation turned up nothing and was quickly abandoned. Your father was furious. He discovered that I was looking into it and we managed to put the past behind us and decided to work together. Jack and I, together with Sark."
"Sark?" Sydney interrupted. "Why would he help? He's tried to kill me many times."
"This may come as a surprise to you Sydney but Sark always held a deep respect for you, you challenged him, and he's also loyal to no one but me." Irina answered proudly, but Sydney chose not to question that relationship and merely nodded. "We were able to succeed where the CIA failed. No we weren't able to discover who kidnapped you." She said quickly before Sydney could interrupt again. "But shortly before our partnership was discovered, we stumbled across some startling information. We discovered you were still alive. After that your father was arrested. As was Sark. Robert Lindsey head of NSC made an example of your father. And Sark is in CIA custody. I tried o find out your whereabouts, but it was as if you dropped off the map after that. That's all I know."
Sydney looked at her mother in shock, she had been working with her father, they new she was alive, and Sark was helping. Surprisingly that was what shocked her most. "We have to help dad."
"I know." Irina nodded. "Sydney I need you to help me get Sark out as well. I know you both have a history but, I want him back." Irina wore a blank face while requesting Sark's release. Sydney could not help but wonder at her mother's motives. "Then we can work on what's happened to you over the past 2 years."
"Do you have a plan?"
"I do." She smiled.
The next day Sydney was ready. She left her hotel room filled with a sense of purpose. Her mother had devised a plan to rescue both Sark and her father, then they would all work together, but first she had to win back the trust of the CIA. Irina had already left the country, explaining how dangerous it was for her to be there, they had shared a tearful farewell. She felt able to trust her mother a little now that she new her father had. And if the man who had been betrayed more than anyone else by Irina Derevko could trust her then so could she.
When she arrived at the CIA she was immediately called into a briefing held by Dixon, also attended by Weiss, Marshall, Vaughn and that despicable women from the NSC Lauren Reed. She took a seat in between Marshall and Weiss and waited for Dixon to begin.
"As most of you know, Sark has been in CIA custody for a while." Sydney managed to remember to look shocked at the news. "Yes I know this is news to you Sydney, but if you could bear with me. One of Mr Sark's contacts, Christian Logan a bombs expert, has acquired 3 uranium bombs capable of levelling half of Los Angeles." An audible gasp resounded through the room. "Now we have intercepted a transmission meant for Sark and his 'employer', who is unknown at this time. We assumed his employer was Irina Derevko, your mother Sydney, but we believe now that this may not be the case. No one outside of the CIA and NSC knows Sark is in our custody. Logan has given Sark a period in which to respond before he give a demonstration of its power, he will then have 24 hours more to respond before it goes on the black market. The only way to retrieve this bomb before the demonstration is to pretend we are in Sark's employment and make an exchange."
"The only way we are going to be able to do that is with Sark's help. How willing is he to do that?" Sydney inquired, mentally congratulating her mother's brilliance, so far so good.
"We were under the impression that Mr Sark had given us all the information he had, he was interrogated for months." Lauren answered. Sydney inwardly flinched, not sure whether at Laurens voice or the that she had a feeling what that 'interrogation' entailed. "But apparently we have been mislead."
"Wow Sark lied, there's a surprise." Weiss added sarcastically.
"Sark is refusing to cooperate other than with one person. You Sydney." everyone looked at her.
Remembering again to keep up the act she dutifully responded with "What? Why me? We hate each other."
"It seems he has somehow discovered that you are back, overheard someone talking about it and now refuses to speak to anyone other than you. I believe he's intrigued how you managed to survive the explosion. You've always been a challenge to him Syd." Dixons words echoed Irina's a little closely sending a shiver down Sydney's spine. "I hate to ask this of you Sydney, but this needs to be contained before the demonstration."
Sydney looked thoughtful for a few minutes. "Doesn't look like I have much choice does it."
Dixon sighed in relief. "Sydney you'll be taken to meet with Sark immediately, once we have the information, you, Weiss and Vaughn will need to go over op tech with Marshall."
With that everyone left the briefing room and Sydney was escorted to Sark, she found it rather ironic that he now occupied the cell her mother once did. When she caught sight of him, she had to hold in a gasp, she'd always found him attractive but now… she'd forgotten. His hair was shorter now but apart from that he looked just as she remembered him. He was giving her that same cocky smirk he always did, she felt herself responding with a smile of her own but fought it down. 'God its Sark' she thought angry at her reaction. She looked at the guards who took there cue and left.
"Miss Bristow, now this is a pleasant surprise."
"Cut the crap Sark. You new I was back, and you knew I'd come." he continued to smirk that infuriating smirk in response. It was in no way sexy she told herself. "You know why I'm here what information can you give me?"
"Christian Logan is a paranoid man with access to lots of explosives. He hates governments more than anything, convinced of thousands of conspiracies. A few years ago he told me he was working on a plan that would cripple the worlds governments, and that when it was ready for action he'd give me the chance to an exclusive deal ."
"But he made it seem in his transmission as if he was selling bombs." Sydney inquired.
"In a way he is, think of it as shares Miss Bristow. You buy into his plan and once it has happened your investment will increase ten fold. That has always been the kind of deals he has offered. He does not just sell his designs." he spoke as if talking to a child, which earned him a glare that if looks could kill he'd be six feet under, from Sydney.
"Ok that presents a problem."
"The only way to stop detonation is through sabotage." Sark added.
"I need details on how you make contact and meets." Sydney demanded.
Sark chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't give you that. Logan will meet with only me."
Once again Sydney had to marvel at the brilliance of Irina's plan, in order to stop a disaster of unprecedented scale Sark would have to come on the mission. A minute later she was joined by Dixon.
"We've been monitoring your conversation on the screens upstairs." Just as they'd know would happen. "Sark we all know that the only way to stop this man is to let you out, and I'm here to tell you that if you even think of double crossing us, this cell will seem like a palace in comparison to what will await you on you return is that clear?"
"Crystal Director Dixon." Sark responded with a smirk. "And may I say it will be a pleasure to work with you Miss Bristow."
Dixon ignores Sark and addresses the guards. "I want the prisoner blindfolded and brought up to the briefing room immediately."
Dixon and Sydney made there way up. "If we are right in our suspicions Logan will detonate a bomb in Washington, somewhere in the middle east, and Russia. If he does the world will be at war. Each government blaming the attack on other and will attempt to respond in kind, countries will take sides and it will escalate. We cannot allow this to happen. I hate that we're depending on Sark to save us from this." Dixon said with a sigh.
"It'll work out Dixon, we'll do our jobs and save the day." She said giving him a reassuring smile, hating that she was having to deceive him in this way. She just had to keep telling herself it was for the best.
Next the briefing and mission. Finally I can get this baby started. Let me know what you think. Reviews please. The more reviews the quicker I'll update.
