Chapter 11
AT THE SAFE HOUSE:
Sydney grew restless. She had begun to wear a path in the rug from pacing back and forth.
"Sit down. You're making me nervous." Weiss ordered. He looked up at Sydney from behind the newspaper he'd been trying to read.
"Sorry. I can't stand being cooped up for days at time." Sydney said as she plopped down on the couch. A cloud of dust exploded from beneath and caused her to sneeze.
"Gesundheit!" Weiss smiled at her. Sydney smiled back. She got up and started to pace again. Weiss abandoned his attempt at reading the paper. He folded it up and set it down beside the chair he was sitting in and got up. Weiss walked over to Sydney and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a gentle shake.
"You are driving me crazy. Will you please find something to do? How about cards? Want to play cards?" Weiss asked her as he picked up an old deck of playing cards from where they had been lying on the coffee table. Sydney rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"I'm sick of playing cards. Besides, you already owe me $250. I don't think you can afford to lose much more on a G-Man's salary." Sydney replied.
"Come on. Give me a chance to win some back." Weiss begged.
Sydney walked over the to kitchen, opened the small refrigerator, and pulled out a can of soda. She popped the can opened and listened as the tiny bubbles fizzed to the top. She took a long drink and sat the can down on the counter. Weiss had just set the cards back onto the table when they heard the sound of the doorknob being turned. Neither of them had heard a car drive up so the fact that someone was now at the door seemed to catch them both of guard. A rush of adrenaline sped up Sydney's heartbeat as she moved from the kitchen to stand by Weiss. They both signed with relief as Jack came through the door.
"I can tell by look on your faces that I startled you. I'm sorry." Jack said apologetically. Sydney walked over and gave her father a hug.
"Nah, Weiss always has that look on his face." Sydney joked as she walked back to Weiss. He rolled his eyes at her and smiled. Jack moved further into the room and sat down on the couch looking at Sydney and Weiss.
"I came because a piece of intel came through that shouldn't be ignored." Jack began. Sydney moved over to where her father sat on the couch and sat down next to him. The look on her face was pleading for Jack to continue.
"Sydney, it may have to do with the scar on your side." Jack said, pausing as Sydney rubbed at her side.
"It seems that you may not have been the only one who was being held against there will. For whatever reason, they also took a doctor captive." Jack said.
"A doctor? But why? What for?" Sydney questioned.
"We know very little. It was a fluke that we even know about him. We don't know what he was used for, only that whoever had the both of you let him go but now want him back. He is supposedly being held in a warehouse in central L.A. He is to be moved out tonight which is why we need to grab him. Maybe he'll have some answers." Jack finished.
"When do we leave?" Sydney stood up. She stood looking down at Jack.
"Sydney slow down. We have a little time. We need to devise a plan. I've already started to put together a team to go in and extract the doctor." Jack said.
"I want in." Sydney said. The look of determination chiseled in stone across her face. Jack hated when she got this way. There was no reasoning with her when her mind was made up. As much as he wanted her to stay behind and remain safe, he knew that the safest place for her was with him.
"I thought you might." Jack sighed as he stood up to face her. "I just want you to realized how dangerous this is. If this tip turns up legit, we will be facing the same people who took you and stole two years from you."
"I realize that. I just think that maybe something might trigger my memory if I'm a part of this." Sydney said.
"I agree, which is why I'm letting you come." Jack lied. It would only piss Sydney off to know that the reason he was letting her come was to keep an eye on her. She wouldn't see that it was only for her protection.
"So, who all is on the team?" Sydney asked.
"Me, you, Weiss, and Vaughn." Jack replied. He braced himself for Sydney's reaction to Vaughn being a part of this. Her reaction was just what he had anticipated.
"Vaughn!?… Why is Vaughn being pulled into this?" Sydney yelled. She turned on Jack. " I don't think that it is wise to have him involved in any of this. He made it clear that he has moved on…..from this type of work." she added.
"I have my own reasons for pulling Vaughn into this. He is more than willing to help and right now we could use all the help we can get. Besides, it pains me to admit this,…. I trust him." Jack confessed. He looked down avoiding Weiss' stare. His words made him feel a little sick. The last thing Jack wanted was for Vaughn to know that Jack depended on him as much as he did. Jack cleared his throat and barked out orders to Sydney and Weiss. They both followed his orders down to the smallest detail.
NSA PARKING GARAGE:
The sound of Lauren's heels clicking on the cement, echoed throughout the parking garage. She was in a hurry to get home for once. Usually Lauren would take her time to get home, sometimes taking back roads just to draw out having to go home to him. The less time she had to be alone with him the better. It had been increasingly hard to keep up the pretense of a happy marriage since the night she learned a Sydney's return.
Lauren reached her car and it chirped as she disengaged the alarm. She opened the door and climbed in. As she put the key in the ignition she felt a gloved hand slip over her mouth. She stiffened and tried to scream but the leather of the glove muffled the sound. Lauren looked through tears at her rearview mirror to see a pair of familiar eyes peering back at her. She relaxed a bit and the hand moved off her mouth.
"You stupid git! You scared the shit out of me! What are you doing here?" Lauren turned in her seat to face her attacker.
"I'm scaring the shit out of you, like you said." Sark smiled as he sat back, making himself comfortable.
"Why are you risking getting caught?" Lauren asked.
"What can I say? I love the thrill it gives me." Sark replied.
"What do you want?" Lauren whispered as she looked around.
"I have a little problem that only you can help me with, Mrs. Vaughn." Sark said.
"I hate when you call me that." Lauren scoffed. An evil smile spread across Sark's face.
"I'll get to the point then. I plan to get Sydney back tonight." Sark began. "I have it worked out to the last detail. I've even gone as far as having her own father deliver her to me." Sark gloated.
"It's about time. How did you manage this?" Lauren asked.
"It was easier than I thought it was going to be. Jack is so desperate for information about what happened to Sydney, that he will believe anything. A little bluff was all it took for Jack to show his hand." Sark said. He was extremely proud of himself.
"What is this problem that only I can help you with?" Lauren asked as she shifted in her seat. Her neck began to hurt form twisting around to talk to Sark.
"I'm going to have enough trouble getting her away form Jack, that I don't need any surprise guests crashing this little party." Sark said annoyingly.
"Like Michael?" Lauren guessed.
"Yes, like your husband." Sark said. It was obvious how much he hated Vaughn.
"Well, it shouldn't be a problem keeping him occupied tonight. It's our anniversary and I doubt he would risk the suspicion it would raise if he were to all of a sudden have to leave." Lauren said.
"Yes, I imagine you would be a distraction for any man, but I'm not willing to take the chance that he might be able to resist any temptation you throw at him." Sark said smiling. It pleased him to see her squirm at the mention of her having to use sex to distract Vaughn. He continued as he handed her small white envelope. " I want you to use this."
"What is it?" Lauren asked as she examined the package. It felt as if there was sand it.
"It's a sleeping draft." Sark said as if she should have been able to guess. " You mix it in a drink. This is the only way I can be sure he won't be turning up and spoiling my plans." He opened the door to get out of the car but Lauren stopped him.
"Let's say this plan of yours works and you manage to get Sydney out of the country again, how do you know that this time you'll be able to hold her?"
"My dear Lauren, because when I'm done with her, not only will she have no memory of her past life, but she'll have nothing and no one to come back to." And with that Sark stepped out of the car and disappeared.
Lauren sat for a moment and turned the envelope back and forth in her hands. At least with Michael drugged she would have a night to herself. A night where she didn't have to pretend to happily married to a man she normally would have never even give a second glance to. She put the envelope in her purse, started the car and headed home to her eagerly awaiting husband.
End of Chapter 11