Same Disclaimers Apply. A/N: Sorry, there is kind of a lull in the
action. Promise within the next two chapters to give you some REAL
excitement. I've fallen off the chocolate wagon, and am hyped up. I need
reviews to get by back on. HAHAHA!!! Enjoy!
CIA Task Force Headquarters - L.A.
Everyone had been assembled around the briefing room table for over two hours. Kendall and a few other superior investigative agents had listen to Jacqui's story, while William merely nodded in confirmation. As the meeting continued to be drawn out, William remembered why this had been his least favorite part of his career in the CIA.
"I'm still a little confused on how exactly Irina Derevko came to help you fake your death." One of the aging agents asked.
William was ripped from his revere, realizing the agent was speaking to him. "I had been on a mission in Poland to gather Intel on a KGB compound there. I was captured and taken to the facility in Kashmir; Irina was brought to the facility not long after. When Irina came up with the idea of a decoy to make it appear as though I was dead, we were both able to escape and I adopted a new identity."
"And why were you willing to come out of hiding now?" Another agent asked.
"I received a phone call from Jacquelyn Bristow explaining that my cover had been blown and that my son was aware that I was alive. Naturally I wanted to return to the States and see my family again. If I can help to clear up any misunderstandings while I'm here, all the better." William replied, fatigue evident in his voice. Jack barely concealed a flinch at hearing William attach Bristow to the end of Jacquelyn's name.
"The CIA does not consider Irina Derevko's alleged murder of twenty CIA agents a 'misunderstanding'." Kendall spoke harshly.
"Everyone in this room is aware that in our business, any weakness you portray will be your undoing. Irina is not responsible for the killings of any CIA agents, but she did play the power game and she won. She was able to gain optimum power, without making apparent her vulnerabilities. And I didn't realize that while I was living in France, the CIA had begun allowing FBI agents to speak for them." William was successful in quieting Kendall.
"Mmmm- I don't - uh-mean to interrupt, but -uh isn't anyone else worried about what Mr. Sloane and Ms. Derevko are doing- I mean- they disappeared in Brunei, and haven't been heard form since - and uh- Mr. Sark- is uh - not talking." Marshall had been sitting wide eyed during the entire explanation, but ended up being the first to voice the thoughts of most everyone in the room.
"That remains a serious issue." One of the unknown agents stated. "Mr. Vaughn, you will be brought in for a more extensive debriefing tomorrow. It will most likely continue for much of the week; however, tonight is yours. As for you, Miss-" The agent trailed off, unsure how to address her.
"Jacquelyn will do, Sir." She told him simply.
"Yes, well, the safe-houses in the vicinity of L.A. are not available at the moment, so you will be staying in a holding cell." Jacqui looked down sadly at the table and sign quietly. She hated enclosed spaces and was not looking forward to sleeping in cell. She knew that when she had told them who she was and who she worked for, they would treat her as a criminal, but that still didn't prepare her to spend the night and possibly more in a jail cell.
"Agent Bristow, what do you see as the next step for your team?" One of the superior agents asked Jack.
"We know what Sloane was after in Brunei, and we know that he will stop at nothing to get it. I believe Sloane and Derevko will be inactive for a short period of time while they regroup, and adjust to the lost of Sark. Therefore, it give us time to uncover where the Rambaldi pieces have been taken and by whom." Jack had always hated dealing with his superiors, causing his tone to become slightly more clipped.
"Actually, I don't think an investigation will be necessary. I can assure you that all the pieces are safely out of Sloane's reach." Jacqui added to their conversation, sheepishly.
"You were the one that took all the artifacts." Sydney's surprise was evident.
"You really can't tell me that you're that surprised." Jacqui said with a smirk.
"I had a lot of close calls during those missions, but I always seem to get out of them mysteriously." Sydney continued.
"Yeah, you kept me on my toes. I didn't realize any person could come close to certain death as many times as you. It's impressive really." Jacqui tried to maintain an innocent mask but it dissolved into a smile which Sydney tentatively returned.
"Jacquelyn, I would suggest that you cooperate with the CIA due to your affiliation with a known terrorist. You will be expected to help Agent Bristow and give him any information you possess." Superior Agent said tightly.
"If you are Hell-bent on believing that Irina Derevko is a terrorist, I'm not going to try to change your mind, but I believe a court of law may find flaw with your idea of affiliation. Nine months in the womb of someone and you tend to have an instant 'affiliation'. But I will assure you that I fully intend to aid the CIA in their hunt for Sloane." Jacqui stressed his name and the obvious lack of her mother's.
The older agents looked at her sharply. "That will be all for today." One of them said.
Weiss, Marshall, Dixon all left the room as quickly as they could manage eager to get up and move around. Vaughn approached his father carefully as though he thought the man may disappear.
"Dad," The word felt foreign on his tongue. "what are you planning on doing until tomorrow morning?"
"How is your mother Michael?" William asked. His questioned was filled with fear, regret and weariness.
"She is good." He paused and looked uncomfortable. "Would you like to go and see her?"
"I would." His father answered. Vaughn looked up and caught Sydney's stare. He nodded his head, indicating he would be taking his father to see his mother and received an encouraging smile in return.
Across the room, Jacqui watched the other agents pack up their things with precision. She felt eyes on her but did not turn her head to see who's. Her shoulders had remained slumped after learning that she would be spending the night in a cell. She should feel indignant and angered but instead all she felt was tired.
"If you will allow it, I would like Jacquelyn to be released into my custody tonight." Jack broke through the uneven silence of the room with his comment.
He had eight sets of disbelieving eyes rest on him but he stood his ground. "You can't honestly believe you would be given permission to take her out of this facility." Kendall spoke incredulously.
"We are not holding her here as a prisoner. She has not given any indication that she would attempt to escape, if anything, she has provided us with vital information over the last two weeks. Without her, we would not have Sark in our custody and it is quite likely that Sloane would have the Rambaldi pieces in his possession. I see no grounds for keeping her here and feel that she will be just as secure with me." Jack paused and saw the undecided looks on the faces before him. "You can post additional guards at my home, to ensure she does not leave." Each of the agents vacillated over the idea for a few more seconds then glanced at each other.
"Guards will be posted, surrounding the house. She is your responsibility; anything happens and it will be on your head." One of the agents said gravely.
Jacqui appear completely taken by surprise. She had not been expecting her father to make such a request, let alone have it granted.
Sydney was having difficulty keeping her own shock hidden. And so it begins she thought. Her foreboding thoughts of events to come had obviously already begun to transpire, and she was unlikely to be able to stop them.
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CIA Task Force Headquarters - L.A.
Everyone had been assembled around the briefing room table for over two hours. Kendall and a few other superior investigative agents had listen to Jacqui's story, while William merely nodded in confirmation. As the meeting continued to be drawn out, William remembered why this had been his least favorite part of his career in the CIA.
"I'm still a little confused on how exactly Irina Derevko came to help you fake your death." One of the aging agents asked.
William was ripped from his revere, realizing the agent was speaking to him. "I had been on a mission in Poland to gather Intel on a KGB compound there. I was captured and taken to the facility in Kashmir; Irina was brought to the facility not long after. When Irina came up with the idea of a decoy to make it appear as though I was dead, we were both able to escape and I adopted a new identity."
"And why were you willing to come out of hiding now?" Another agent asked.
"I received a phone call from Jacquelyn Bristow explaining that my cover had been blown and that my son was aware that I was alive. Naturally I wanted to return to the States and see my family again. If I can help to clear up any misunderstandings while I'm here, all the better." William replied, fatigue evident in his voice. Jack barely concealed a flinch at hearing William attach Bristow to the end of Jacquelyn's name.
"The CIA does not consider Irina Derevko's alleged murder of twenty CIA agents a 'misunderstanding'." Kendall spoke harshly.
"Everyone in this room is aware that in our business, any weakness you portray will be your undoing. Irina is not responsible for the killings of any CIA agents, but she did play the power game and she won. She was able to gain optimum power, without making apparent her vulnerabilities. And I didn't realize that while I was living in France, the CIA had begun allowing FBI agents to speak for them." William was successful in quieting Kendall.
"Mmmm- I don't - uh-mean to interrupt, but -uh isn't anyone else worried about what Mr. Sloane and Ms. Derevko are doing- I mean- they disappeared in Brunei, and haven't been heard form since - and uh- Mr. Sark- is uh - not talking." Marshall had been sitting wide eyed during the entire explanation, but ended up being the first to voice the thoughts of most everyone in the room.
"That remains a serious issue." One of the unknown agents stated. "Mr. Vaughn, you will be brought in for a more extensive debriefing tomorrow. It will most likely continue for much of the week; however, tonight is yours. As for you, Miss-" The agent trailed off, unsure how to address her.
"Jacquelyn will do, Sir." She told him simply.
"Yes, well, the safe-houses in the vicinity of L.A. are not available at the moment, so you will be staying in a holding cell." Jacqui looked down sadly at the table and sign quietly. She hated enclosed spaces and was not looking forward to sleeping in cell. She knew that when she had told them who she was and who she worked for, they would treat her as a criminal, but that still didn't prepare her to spend the night and possibly more in a jail cell.
"Agent Bristow, what do you see as the next step for your team?" One of the superior agents asked Jack.
"We know what Sloane was after in Brunei, and we know that he will stop at nothing to get it. I believe Sloane and Derevko will be inactive for a short period of time while they regroup, and adjust to the lost of Sark. Therefore, it give us time to uncover where the Rambaldi pieces have been taken and by whom." Jack had always hated dealing with his superiors, causing his tone to become slightly more clipped.
"Actually, I don't think an investigation will be necessary. I can assure you that all the pieces are safely out of Sloane's reach." Jacqui added to their conversation, sheepishly.
"You were the one that took all the artifacts." Sydney's surprise was evident.
"You really can't tell me that you're that surprised." Jacqui said with a smirk.
"I had a lot of close calls during those missions, but I always seem to get out of them mysteriously." Sydney continued.
"Yeah, you kept me on my toes. I didn't realize any person could come close to certain death as many times as you. It's impressive really." Jacqui tried to maintain an innocent mask but it dissolved into a smile which Sydney tentatively returned.
"Jacquelyn, I would suggest that you cooperate with the CIA due to your affiliation with a known terrorist. You will be expected to help Agent Bristow and give him any information you possess." Superior Agent said tightly.
"If you are Hell-bent on believing that Irina Derevko is a terrorist, I'm not going to try to change your mind, but I believe a court of law may find flaw with your idea of affiliation. Nine months in the womb of someone and you tend to have an instant 'affiliation'. But I will assure you that I fully intend to aid the CIA in their hunt for Sloane." Jacqui stressed his name and the obvious lack of her mother's.
The older agents looked at her sharply. "That will be all for today." One of them said.
Weiss, Marshall, Dixon all left the room as quickly as they could manage eager to get up and move around. Vaughn approached his father carefully as though he thought the man may disappear.
"Dad," The word felt foreign on his tongue. "what are you planning on doing until tomorrow morning?"
"How is your mother Michael?" William asked. His questioned was filled with fear, regret and weariness.
"She is good." He paused and looked uncomfortable. "Would you like to go and see her?"
"I would." His father answered. Vaughn looked up and caught Sydney's stare. He nodded his head, indicating he would be taking his father to see his mother and received an encouraging smile in return.
Across the room, Jacqui watched the other agents pack up their things with precision. She felt eyes on her but did not turn her head to see who's. Her shoulders had remained slumped after learning that she would be spending the night in a cell. She should feel indignant and angered but instead all she felt was tired.
"If you will allow it, I would like Jacquelyn to be released into my custody tonight." Jack broke through the uneven silence of the room with his comment.
He had eight sets of disbelieving eyes rest on him but he stood his ground. "You can't honestly believe you would be given permission to take her out of this facility." Kendall spoke incredulously.
"We are not holding her here as a prisoner. She has not given any indication that she would attempt to escape, if anything, she has provided us with vital information over the last two weeks. Without her, we would not have Sark in our custody and it is quite likely that Sloane would have the Rambaldi pieces in his possession. I see no grounds for keeping her here and feel that she will be just as secure with me." Jack paused and saw the undecided looks on the faces before him. "You can post additional guards at my home, to ensure she does not leave." Each of the agents vacillated over the idea for a few more seconds then glanced at each other.
"Guards will be posted, surrounding the house. She is your responsibility; anything happens and it will be on your head." One of the agents said gravely.
Jacqui appear completely taken by surprise. She had not been expecting her father to make such a request, let alone have it granted.
Sydney was having difficulty keeping her own shock hidden. And so it begins she thought. Her foreboding thoughts of events to come had obviously already begun to transpire, and she was unlikely to be able to stop them.
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