Chapter 15
"Are you ready?"
Francie looked at the mirror one last time, not believing her appearance. I don't even look like myself! I guess that's kind of the point though. She turned around when Syd walked in. "Wow." She was now wearing a strawberry-blond wig, a blue halter-top, and black pants. "What about your arm?"
"It's fine. There's a sling out in the car, for emergencies, that will hide the wound. Ready?"
Francie nodded and walked toward Syd. She stopped when she saw the man that Sydney had shot. "Is he...did you...?"
"Yeah." Francie starred at her in disbelief. Syd walked over and grabbed Francie's hand. "Francie, do me a favor. There's another body out in the hall. Please don't look at it. It isn't pretty, and I really don't want you to have to see. Can you do that for me?" Francie nodded.
As they walked down the hall, Francie's curiosity got the better of her. Syd blocked her view as they passed, so she glanced back at it. She almost threw up. The man was lying in a pool of blood, his eyes were glazed over, and the skin around his neck was hanging loosely. She swung her head back around to face Sydney and found her looking at her practically in tears. "Francie..."
"You?" She watched as Syd nodded.
"I didn't want you to see. I'm not the person you think I am, but you have to understand that I didn't want to kill those men. It makes me just as sick as you, but it was the only way. There was absolutely no way that I could've fought them off with this arm." She held up her bandaged arm for emphasis. "Normally I would've just knocked them out. I couldn't help it. Do you understand?"
"No, but I get the feeling that there's much more that you're not telling me."
"Yes there is. I'll explain it in the car. Let's go."
********
"Syd, this isn't your car!" Sydney looked over the car at Francie. And motioned for her to be quiet. She pulled out her keys, and unlocked the door.
"Get in."
"Syd, can you tell me what's going on now?"
"Yeah. First of all, I don't work for the bank. I work for the CIA. I am...was a double agent for a renegade intelligence agency called SD-6. For the past year, I've been trying to take them down. They found out and now I'm being forced to enter witness protection."
Francie starred blindly out the window. I can't believe this. It's like a bad dream! Sydney CIA? Impossible...isn't it? Well, she did take out those two guys and she does seem to know what's going on...maybe she is. "Syd?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do I have to go? Why would they want me? I didn't do anything!" She looked over at Sydney and could see that she was about to cry.
"I know. They want you, because they don't trust me. They think that after Danny, and Will, that you know too. They can't risk that."
"Danny...Will, what do they have to do with this?"
"They both found out," her voice cracked, "that I was a spy. I told Danny and SD-6 had him killed. Will was investigating his murder and stumbled onto it. He wrote an article that, after he disappeared, was published."
"Do you know where Will was?"
"Yes. He went to Paris to meet someone that was leaking information about SD-6 to him. I happened to be there also, and broke him out. He was put into a CIA safe house, but it was compromised and Will was captured and tortured."
"Tortured!?!"
"Yes. I've seen worse...been worse, but it was still bad."
Francie didn't say another word the rest of the way to the airport. She just starred out the window, occasionally glancing over at the woman beside her.
"Are you ready?"
Francie looked at the mirror one last time, not believing her appearance. I don't even look like myself! I guess that's kind of the point though. She turned around when Syd walked in. "Wow." She was now wearing a strawberry-blond wig, a blue halter-top, and black pants. "What about your arm?"
"It's fine. There's a sling out in the car, for emergencies, that will hide the wound. Ready?"
Francie nodded and walked toward Syd. She stopped when she saw the man that Sydney had shot. "Is he...did you...?"
"Yeah." Francie starred at her in disbelief. Syd walked over and grabbed Francie's hand. "Francie, do me a favor. There's another body out in the hall. Please don't look at it. It isn't pretty, and I really don't want you to have to see. Can you do that for me?" Francie nodded.
As they walked down the hall, Francie's curiosity got the better of her. Syd blocked her view as they passed, so she glanced back at it. She almost threw up. The man was lying in a pool of blood, his eyes were glazed over, and the skin around his neck was hanging loosely. She swung her head back around to face Sydney and found her looking at her practically in tears. "Francie..."
"You?" She watched as Syd nodded.
"I didn't want you to see. I'm not the person you think I am, but you have to understand that I didn't want to kill those men. It makes me just as sick as you, but it was the only way. There was absolutely no way that I could've fought them off with this arm." She held up her bandaged arm for emphasis. "Normally I would've just knocked them out. I couldn't help it. Do you understand?"
"No, but I get the feeling that there's much more that you're not telling me."
"Yes there is. I'll explain it in the car. Let's go."
********
"Syd, this isn't your car!" Sydney looked over the car at Francie. And motioned for her to be quiet. She pulled out her keys, and unlocked the door.
"Get in."
"Syd, can you tell me what's going on now?"
"Yeah. First of all, I don't work for the bank. I work for the CIA. I am...was a double agent for a renegade intelligence agency called SD-6. For the past year, I've been trying to take them down. They found out and now I'm being forced to enter witness protection."
Francie starred blindly out the window. I can't believe this. It's like a bad dream! Sydney CIA? Impossible...isn't it? Well, she did take out those two guys and she does seem to know what's going on...maybe she is. "Syd?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do I have to go? Why would they want me? I didn't do anything!" She looked over at Sydney and could see that she was about to cry.
"I know. They want you, because they don't trust me. They think that after Danny, and Will, that you know too. They can't risk that."
"Danny...Will, what do they have to do with this?"
"They both found out," her voice cracked, "that I was a spy. I told Danny and SD-6 had him killed. Will was investigating his murder and stumbled onto it. He wrote an article that, after he disappeared, was published."
"Do you know where Will was?"
"Yes. He went to Paris to meet someone that was leaking information about SD-6 to him. I happened to be there also, and broke him out. He was put into a CIA safe house, but it was compromised and Will was captured and tortured."
"Tortured!?!"
"Yes. I've seen worse...been worse, but it was still bad."
Francie didn't say another word the rest of the way to the airport. She just starred out the window, occasionally glancing over at the woman beside her.