AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sydney's POV. I've seen every ep faithfully but this is my very first Alias fanfic. TIMELINE: Nothing particular but it occurs before The Coup/Vegas ep.
SPOILERS: Truth Be Told/Pilot and The Confession
ARCHIVING: Only with previous authorization by me.:)
Copyright 2002
by Leah
I'm used to looking for tails. Detecting has become like a sixth sense to me. It's what made me check my cell phone in the parking garage after seeing a lone man standing there, presumably talking away on his cell phone. When I discovered there was no service in the area, there was no doubt in my mind that he was following me. And then my mind flashed backwards, just like rewinding and playing a video tape, and I remembered I had seen the same guy in other places throughout the week. Three times in the last two days. Too many times, too many places, for it to be simply a coincidence. He was definitely following me and I got angry. I slipped out of his line of sight between two of the parked cars. He quickly moved to keep up with me, but kept yakking away to his imaginary caller. That only made it easier for me. In the next moment, my unwanted tail found himself prone flat on his back, disarmed, and me, leaning over him demanding to know who he was and who had given him his assignment.
The tails I'm used to seeing couldn't have prepared me for this though.
That feeling of being watched, being followed, assailed me as I was about to go across the crosswalk. I glanced sideways, trying to catch any signs of movement in my peripheral vision, and then walked across the street. When I reached the other side, I turned a direction opposite the one I'd originally intended on going. I paused when I reached a huge glass window and pretended to be looking at the window display. In reality, I was watching the reflections in the glass, the effect was as if I'd eyes in the back of my head, and it allowed me to get a look at the view behind me.
So, I looked and I looked again.
Then, I closed my eyes, counted to five, and opened them again, this time focusing on my own reflection in the window. Brown eyes stared back at me, mirroring the surprise I felt as a current of shock ran through me because I recognized my tails.
Francie and Will?
Francie and Will were following me? My two closest friends were following me?
It was as if I'd fallen into one of those weird, Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass type dreams where the world had turned upside-down and everything was backwards.
I heartily hoped this was some kind of joke. I even remained at the window longer than I had first intended, hoping my friends would try to catch up with me. Alert me of their presence with a cheerful 'Hey, Syd. Fancy meeting you here.' Or wave even. But none of those things happened.
I left the window and started walking again.
SD-6. K-Directorate. And total strangers I expected. But not this. Not my friends.
As far as covert surveillance went, they were both amateurs. I could lose them easily if I'd wanted to. Only I didn't want to. I wanted to know what they were up to. What they thought they were doing. If there was something they wanted to know about me, why didn't they ask me? I always gave them an answer when they asked. When I could.
I glanced at my watch. The time was growing closer to my meeting with Agent Vaughn. I had to hurry up and make some sort of decision. I rounded a corner and stopped outside the doorway of a shop as an inspiration struck me. I pulled out my Nokia and dialed. In only a moment, my best friend's voice answered, "Hello?"
I made my voice sound easy and chatty. "Hey, Francie. It's Syd. Whatcha doing?" I waited and felt my lips forming into a smile. I wondered how she would answer the question.
"Oh, Sydney. Not much." Not a quite a lie, but not quite the truth either. I heard Will's voice in the background grumbling about falling behind. He spoke a little too loudly and apparently Francie thought so too. "Just visiting with Will," she said with a stern note of reproof in her voice as she said his name. "So Syd, what's up?"
"Just checking in," I replied and started into a brisk walk, comfortable in the knowledge that this call was delaying the two of them. Since the corner I'd rounded hid me from her immediate line of sight, I was certain Francie would stay put. She wouldn't be sure whether I'd stopped to make the call or gone on walking. Francie liked to be sure of things. "What are your plans for today?" I questioned.
"Actually, we were just about to ask you the same question. To see if you were free this evening. Weren't we, Will?" There was a tone in Francie's voice I knew well. It meant she had just come up with a brilliant idea.
"Oh, yeah. This evening. Yeah!" Will's voice was loud enough so I could hear it this time. I listened to the timbre of his voice, even as he assented, and could imagine the look of puzzlement spreading across his face. He didn't have a clue what Francie was talking about.
I pretended not to notice. "Really?" I asked, curiously. "Why? Has Charlie invited us to one of his gigs?"
"No. Charlie's working tonight. But Will and I were thinking about trying out that new place that just opened up. I've heard its good. We wanted to talk with you, so it'll be just the three of us."
"Just the three of us. Sounds good," I said, lightly. I wondered what Francie and Will wanted to talk with me about. But I'd take talking over being tailed by them anyday. My ground-covering stride had put distance between me and my unexpected tails. It would take a miracle for them to catch up with me now. "What time?"
I heard Francie echoing my question to Will and his reply. "Seven?" she asked.
"Seven it is. See you then." I pulled the phone away from my ear, closed it, and placed it back in my bag. If I hurried, I'd just make my meeting with Agent Vaughn.