Will sat nervously in the cold room, occasionally rubbing his hands on his
thighs. Vaughn had brought him to this room, and asked to write down
everything he knew, and then he'd been left alone. It had taken him a
couple of hours to get through all the details. Of course, having to write
the statement manually had been the biggest pain. He was used to typing
things out on his processor.
Behind the Plexiglas, Vaughn stood with Weiss, Will's statement in his hands, his brow wrinkled in thought.
"Look on the bright side. At least this one's not too long," Weiss said.
"Yeah," Vaughn sighed heavily. "Can you wait in my office? I'll bring him there," Vaughn waited until Weiss left the room, headed towards his office then entered the interrogation room. Will looked up at him, and Vaughn simply indicated to him to follow him, leading him towards his office.
"I think you've already met Eric Weiss," he said as he walked into his office, Will following behind.
"You're… you're the guy at Arrowhead. We met last week. Was I under surveillance?" Will asked looking between Vaughn and Weiss.
"No. I was supposed to make friends with you. Make it easier on Sydney when she needs help," Weiss answered.
Will could only nod, dumbfounded. Vaughn cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Do you have your notes of your conversation with David McNeil? And the list of the companies that use his software?" Vaughn asked.
"Yeah, they are in my drawer at work," Will replied, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't get rid of them, even after being threatened. I guess I wanted someone to find it, and go after the truth or some shit like that," he scratched his jaw, smiling.
Vaughn returned his smile. "We'll send someone to retrieve those notes from your desk. Agent Weiss is going to brief you on your custody detail. We will put you in a hotel for the night, with an agent there for your protection."
"Actually, I'd like to go home," Will stated simply, leaving Weiss to shake his head, and Vaughn to look up.
"I don't think that'll be advisable. If you're worried about change of clothes, we can take care of that," Vaughn said.
"No, that's not what I meant," Will said more forcefully this time. He exhaled out, pushing air through his teeth. "I mean, I'm not going into protective custody. I'm not hiding from these bastards, not when Sydney is out there risking her life."
"She can't do what she has to if she has to worry about you," Vaughn interjected.
"Not to mention the fact that you could get killed," Weiss spoke up quietly.
"I know.. I know. I was there when they beat the crap out of me, and threatened my family. I'm not hiding. If something happens, then I'll come to you, but not right now. I want to be there for Sydney, a friend on the outside," he looked at Vaughn intently.
Vaughn stared at Will a while before he nodded, closing the file. "If that's what you want." He pulled out a card, and gave it to Will. "Memorize this number. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, anything at all, call this number."
Will took the card, and looked at the number, mouthing the numbers silently, before putting it in his wallet.
"I'll arrange safe transport out of here for him," Weiss said, standing up, waiting for Will to join him.
Will stood up and walked to the door with Weiss, but stopped short of leaving. "I need to speak to him for a moment please," he said to Weiss. Weiss nodded leaving the office, and closing the door, but standing outside while talking on the phone. Vaughn looked expectantly at Will.
"When you see Sydney, can you tell her that I'm sorry for being jerk at the warehouse, please?" he asked. Vaughn silently nodded, and smiling gently at Will. "And, if you love her, tell her now, before it's too late," Will smiled back at Vaughn.
"Speaking from experience?" Vaughn inquired gently. Will just shrugged his shoulder, opening his palms up, before leaving the room. Vaughn sat there, in his big leather chair, staring after the man who'd just left his office.
Weiss knocked on Vaughn's office before entering. He looked from the file he'd been reading.
"Will Tippin is on his way home," Weiss said. "What do you think, about his statement?"
"He connected Alain Christophe to a bunch of companies here," Vaughn said. "He only had a chance to investigate 18 of the 42 companies that uses this encryption software. I bet if we look at the Board of Directors of the other companies, we may be able to identify a few more members of the Alliance."
"So, we have Edward Poole, Jean Briault, and Alain Christophe. Nine more to go, and some 30 companies that we know of to search through. Needle in hay stack, my friend," Weiss sighed.
"Yeah, I know," Vaughn sighed. "I wonder whose been giving him the tips though. Cross check to see if any of these members have been in the same city together in the past year. Maybe that'll narrow it down a little. And, oh… oh.. check if anyone's been to Sao Paulo when UCO conference was going on," Vaughn gave out his list of tasks, as he picked up his coat, shrugging into it.
"Arrowhead bound?" Weiss asked. "Good luck."
Jack Bristow stood outside on the porch, wrapping his arms around him tighter to keep the chilly air at bay. He liked coming here. It was peaceful and quiet, the lake shimmering in the distance, the air caressing his cheeks. They had come here many times as a family, before he knew the truth. Before he found out that he still couldn't hate the woman who had betrayed him, lied to him, used him, even when he knew what she had done.
1 Laura…
She had been confident and beautiful, coy and intelligent. He couldn't have resisted even if he'd tried. The truth is he was enchanted the minute he'd laid eyes on her, laughing and sipping champagne. He'd abided his time, waiting for the right moment to approach her. He wondered would he have approached her at all, had he known that it was all designed to capture his attention.
Jack sighed heavily, scanning the horizon. Sydney had been quiet on the way over, and he hadn't been able to phrase all the emotions churning through him. As usual, he'd shut down and focused on the task at hand: getting to this cottage, this place of haunted memories.
The sound of gravel crunching under rolling tires had Jack scanning the horizon. He looked down at the loaded weapon carefully hidden under a magazine on the table, and sat impassively, waiting patiently. He relaxed once he spotted the familiar dark sedan, still waiting.
Vaughn got out of the vehicle, went to his trunk, and grabbed two heavy bags before walking up the steps to the porch. "Is Sydney ok?" he asked.
"She's inside," Jack got up from his chair, pulled the magazine away, took the gun and tucked it in his back.
Vaughn raised his eyebrows slightly at the gun, but followed Jack inside, dropping the bags beside the couch in the living room. Sydney sat curled in one of the single chairs, freshly scrubbed from a bath, a foaming cup of coffee in her hands. The haunted look, however was still in place.
"How is Will?" she asked immediately.
"He's fine." Vaughn chose to lie to her, not wanting to tell her that he had chosen to be out on his own. He caught Jack's look, and gently shook his head, but otherwise he chose not to elaborate. "Sydney, we need to focus right now. Are you good to go?"
She took a deep breath and exhaled out. "I've been sitting here, thinking about a lot of things. Sloane's been playing with my life, twisting and turning it to his fancy," she paused for a brief second, thinking of Noah at the Masquerade ball. "I am sick of it. I am done with his manipulations. I want this over Vaughn. Soon."
Vaughn listened to her carefully, without interruption. "Can you focus?" he repeated.
She raised her eyes quickly, locking her gaze with his, silently answering his challenge. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Jack, will Sloane wonder about you two visiting this place often?" Vaughn asked Jack.
"I booked us on a flight to Switzerland. Sloane won't be looking for us here. We're safe for the moment."
"Good. There is a jet waiting for us about two hours from here. It'll get us to Barcelona, and pick us up at a pre-arranged time. If for whatever reason, we miss it, they won't be back for us for another 10 hours, so we have to make sure everything goes according to plan," Vaughn explained.
"We'll leave as soon as the sun sets," Jack said. "Minimize the chances of anyone trying to follow us."
"What are we going to do with Rambaldi's device when we find it?" Sydney asked.
"Our orders are to destroy it," Vaughn replied relieved that finally Sydney was showing some interest in the mission. "The CIA feels this weapon, whatever it is.. is too powerful. Too destructive."
Sydney nodded her head, her eyes showing her steely reserve.
Behind the Plexiglas, Vaughn stood with Weiss, Will's statement in his hands, his brow wrinkled in thought.
"Look on the bright side. At least this one's not too long," Weiss said.
"Yeah," Vaughn sighed heavily. "Can you wait in my office? I'll bring him there," Vaughn waited until Weiss left the room, headed towards his office then entered the interrogation room. Will looked up at him, and Vaughn simply indicated to him to follow him, leading him towards his office.
"I think you've already met Eric Weiss," he said as he walked into his office, Will following behind.
"You're… you're the guy at Arrowhead. We met last week. Was I under surveillance?" Will asked looking between Vaughn and Weiss.
"No. I was supposed to make friends with you. Make it easier on Sydney when she needs help," Weiss answered.
Will could only nod, dumbfounded. Vaughn cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Do you have your notes of your conversation with David McNeil? And the list of the companies that use his software?" Vaughn asked.
"Yeah, they are in my drawer at work," Will replied, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't get rid of them, even after being threatened. I guess I wanted someone to find it, and go after the truth or some shit like that," he scratched his jaw, smiling.
Vaughn returned his smile. "We'll send someone to retrieve those notes from your desk. Agent Weiss is going to brief you on your custody detail. We will put you in a hotel for the night, with an agent there for your protection."
"Actually, I'd like to go home," Will stated simply, leaving Weiss to shake his head, and Vaughn to look up.
"I don't think that'll be advisable. If you're worried about change of clothes, we can take care of that," Vaughn said.
"No, that's not what I meant," Will said more forcefully this time. He exhaled out, pushing air through his teeth. "I mean, I'm not going into protective custody. I'm not hiding from these bastards, not when Sydney is out there risking her life."
"She can't do what she has to if she has to worry about you," Vaughn interjected.
"Not to mention the fact that you could get killed," Weiss spoke up quietly.
"I know.. I know. I was there when they beat the crap out of me, and threatened my family. I'm not hiding. If something happens, then I'll come to you, but not right now. I want to be there for Sydney, a friend on the outside," he looked at Vaughn intently.
Vaughn stared at Will a while before he nodded, closing the file. "If that's what you want." He pulled out a card, and gave it to Will. "Memorize this number. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, anything at all, call this number."
Will took the card, and looked at the number, mouthing the numbers silently, before putting it in his wallet.
"I'll arrange safe transport out of here for him," Weiss said, standing up, waiting for Will to join him.
Will stood up and walked to the door with Weiss, but stopped short of leaving. "I need to speak to him for a moment please," he said to Weiss. Weiss nodded leaving the office, and closing the door, but standing outside while talking on the phone. Vaughn looked expectantly at Will.
"When you see Sydney, can you tell her that I'm sorry for being jerk at the warehouse, please?" he asked. Vaughn silently nodded, and smiling gently at Will. "And, if you love her, tell her now, before it's too late," Will smiled back at Vaughn.
"Speaking from experience?" Vaughn inquired gently. Will just shrugged his shoulder, opening his palms up, before leaving the room. Vaughn sat there, in his big leather chair, staring after the man who'd just left his office.
Weiss knocked on Vaughn's office before entering. He looked from the file he'd been reading.
"Will Tippin is on his way home," Weiss said. "What do you think, about his statement?"
"He connected Alain Christophe to a bunch of companies here," Vaughn said. "He only had a chance to investigate 18 of the 42 companies that uses this encryption software. I bet if we look at the Board of Directors of the other companies, we may be able to identify a few more members of the Alliance."
"So, we have Edward Poole, Jean Briault, and Alain Christophe. Nine more to go, and some 30 companies that we know of to search through. Needle in hay stack, my friend," Weiss sighed.
"Yeah, I know," Vaughn sighed. "I wonder whose been giving him the tips though. Cross check to see if any of these members have been in the same city together in the past year. Maybe that'll narrow it down a little. And, oh… oh.. check if anyone's been to Sao Paulo when UCO conference was going on," Vaughn gave out his list of tasks, as he picked up his coat, shrugging into it.
"Arrowhead bound?" Weiss asked. "Good luck."
Jack Bristow stood outside on the porch, wrapping his arms around him tighter to keep the chilly air at bay. He liked coming here. It was peaceful and quiet, the lake shimmering in the distance, the air caressing his cheeks. They had come here many times as a family, before he knew the truth. Before he found out that he still couldn't hate the woman who had betrayed him, lied to him, used him, even when he knew what she had done.
1 Laura…
She had been confident and beautiful, coy and intelligent. He couldn't have resisted even if he'd tried. The truth is he was enchanted the minute he'd laid eyes on her, laughing and sipping champagne. He'd abided his time, waiting for the right moment to approach her. He wondered would he have approached her at all, had he known that it was all designed to capture his attention.
Jack sighed heavily, scanning the horizon. Sydney had been quiet on the way over, and he hadn't been able to phrase all the emotions churning through him. As usual, he'd shut down and focused on the task at hand: getting to this cottage, this place of haunted memories.
The sound of gravel crunching under rolling tires had Jack scanning the horizon. He looked down at the loaded weapon carefully hidden under a magazine on the table, and sat impassively, waiting patiently. He relaxed once he spotted the familiar dark sedan, still waiting.
Vaughn got out of the vehicle, went to his trunk, and grabbed two heavy bags before walking up the steps to the porch. "Is Sydney ok?" he asked.
"She's inside," Jack got up from his chair, pulled the magazine away, took the gun and tucked it in his back.
Vaughn raised his eyebrows slightly at the gun, but followed Jack inside, dropping the bags beside the couch in the living room. Sydney sat curled in one of the single chairs, freshly scrubbed from a bath, a foaming cup of coffee in her hands. The haunted look, however was still in place.
"How is Will?" she asked immediately.
"He's fine." Vaughn chose to lie to her, not wanting to tell her that he had chosen to be out on his own. He caught Jack's look, and gently shook his head, but otherwise he chose not to elaborate. "Sydney, we need to focus right now. Are you good to go?"
She took a deep breath and exhaled out. "I've been sitting here, thinking about a lot of things. Sloane's been playing with my life, twisting and turning it to his fancy," she paused for a brief second, thinking of Noah at the Masquerade ball. "I am sick of it. I am done with his manipulations. I want this over Vaughn. Soon."
Vaughn listened to her carefully, without interruption. "Can you focus?" he repeated.
She raised her eyes quickly, locking her gaze with his, silently answering his challenge. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Jack, will Sloane wonder about you two visiting this place often?" Vaughn asked Jack.
"I booked us on a flight to Switzerland. Sloane won't be looking for us here. We're safe for the moment."
"Good. There is a jet waiting for us about two hours from here. It'll get us to Barcelona, and pick us up at a pre-arranged time. If for whatever reason, we miss it, they won't be back for us for another 10 hours, so we have to make sure everything goes according to plan," Vaughn explained.
"We'll leave as soon as the sun sets," Jack said. "Minimize the chances of anyone trying to follow us."
"What are we going to do with Rambaldi's device when we find it?" Sydney asked.
"Our orders are to destroy it," Vaughn replied relieved that finally Sydney was showing some interest in the mission. "The CIA feels this weapon, whatever it is.. is too powerful. Too destructive."
Sydney nodded her head, her eyes showing her steely reserve.