"Olim Idlabmar. It is good to finally meet you." Sydney forced a warm tone to her words as she held out her hand. The man facing her took it with a smile.

"Miss Bristow." He inclined his head. "You are late."

"I apologize. I was delayed by . . . business matters. Do you have what I came for?" Even as she bypassed the formal pleasantries, her heart raced. She didn't dare think of anything save what K-Directorate had told her and how she could thwart them.

- Flashback -

"You will meet with Idlabmar as planned," the man told her. "Give us the sketches and we'll ransom you back to SD-6. Double-cross us, and your life is worth less than nothing. Understood?"

Sydney looked up at him, mind already chewing over his words. "Understood," she answered calmly. Her gaze did not falter as his eyes narrowed, deciding whether to trust her or not. She felt like an insect pinned to an index card for a high school lab experiment, under the scrutiny of a thousand faceless eyes. *But this bug will escape,* she vowed to herself. *And with the Rambaldi journal, no less.*

"We have sent the message to SD-6, asking for the ransom money. Do you think they will pay it?" He maintained a pleasantly interested expression as he queried her. Privately, Sydney wondered why he didn't just dismiss her. Was he trying to glean more information from her, catch her unawares, or did he only make conversation with an apparently harmless prisoner? Whichever it was, she had nothing to lose by talking to him, provided she guarded her tongue-and her life to gain.

"I think they will, but it depends on how much you're asking," she answered truthfully. "They may decide my failure to retrieve the Rambaldi-sketches-" she almost tripped over her previous lie, and could only hope that he hadn't noticed, "-renders me worthless. I can't say, really." She kept her tone light and conversational, but the truth of her words sent nervousness crawling up her spine. *If I get a plan in place to escape, I won't be here to witness SD-6's reply,* she tried to reassure herself. Even in her mind, the words sounded forced and unconvincing.

The man cleared his throat and she snapped her eyes up to his face. "Ana will accompany you to Idlabmar's house," he said. "I will have a team surrounding the area, so I would not suggest trying to escape. At Idlabmar's, we'll designate a location for you to meet Ana once you have the sketches."

"And then?"

Another flash of white teeth, not so friendly as before. "And then we wait for your employer's reply."

Sydney nodded, feeling sick. Vaughn had once told her that the only thing worse than letting SD-6 get a hold of information was if K-Directorate got that information first. Now, here she was, agreeing to bring the enemy the one part of Rambaldi's journal they did not have. She had no choice, she knew that-with or without her involvement, K-Directorate could likely get the journal. She just made it easier. Suddenly a thought struck her and her eyes narrowed.

"Who did you send the ransom message to?" she asked, trying to mask the open interest on her face.

"SD-6."

"I mean, which contact there?"

He smiled, as a teacher would when a struggling student finally responds with the correct answer, and steepled his fingers on the desk. "Jack Bristow. Your father, I believe?" Before Sydney could answer, he went on, "So, you see, I feel very confident that we will receive your ransom money. Your life rests entirely on what you do today."

If K-Directorate had contacted her dad, word would eventually get to the CIA. Sydney couldn't believe that Vaughn would not act once he heard of her capture. But would he even have a choice? If the CIA decided it was too risky to send an extraction team, helping her to cost Vaughn his job. And she knew her dad's dislike of her handler. He would likely do everything in his power to undermine Vaughn's control over the situation.

"You meet with Idlabmar in two hours. You may go." The man shifted his attention away from her and, after a moment, she stood. Escorted by the armed guards, she went back to her room. She had much to think on before her planned meeting with Idlabmar.

- End Flashback -