I wish my life was normal, Sydney thought, resentment penetrating her
soul. Then Vaughn would not have died.I would not know Sloane, Danny would
still be alive, my mother.would be someone else.
She walked into the SD-6 headquarters in time to see Sloane walk into
his office. The second person she saw was Dixon. He was a good man, just
working on the wrong side. And he didn't even know it. I wish he'd just
report me soon, she thought morbidly. Sometimes it's better to die than to
live a life like this, she thought. Why the hell am I thinking like this?
Damn, this job has gotten to me.
"Sydney," Dixon started, his eyes hard as slate.
"Not now Dixon," Sydney said, not wanting to start this conversation
at the SD-6 office.
Then she walked towards Sloane's office without waiting for Dixon's
answer. She pushed open the glass door, and walked in.
"Sydney," Sloane greeted, looking away from his computer screen.
"Sloane," Sydney replied.
"Ready for your next assignment?"
"Another one?"
Sloane looked at her, surprised.
"You're serving your country, Sydney. There's no limit," Sloane
responded.
Sydney tried not to roll her eyes or say something back. Instead, she
said, "What's the mission?"
"We'll detail it to you and Dixon after lunch. I'll see you then."
--
"You two are going to Rome. A man named Ludim Manzano, a Spanish immigrant to Rome, has set up a so-called business there. They are posing as a construction company, but in reality, it is a lab. Manzano's trying to imitate a Rambaldi artifact, and from the evidence we have gathered, he has succeeded," Sloane pressed a button on the remote and a picture of the artifact appeared on the screen. "That is the artifact," Sloane said, pointing to the screen. Sydney's eyes widened. "It's called the "circumference," and yes, Sydney, it is exactly like the one you got from Taipei a while back. Apparently, Manzano has duplicated it, and is currently trying to sell it for millions of dollars to K-Directorate." Sydney didn't hear anything after the word "circumference." It brought back a flood of memories that she had tried so hard to suppress. "Sydney, it is your job to destroy the circumference," Sloane said, looking directly at her. "Dixon will cut off the security cameras, and will oversee the operation from the van outside. And after you're done, grab a bite to eat. I think you two have to spend some quality time together," Sloane suggested, knowingly. Sydney glanced sideways at Dixon. He looked as surprised as she was.
--
"They want me to destroy the circumference," Sydney said tonelessly. "The CIA wants it destroyed also," her handler, Peter Lee agreed. "So there's really no counter mission." "Great," Sydney said, standing up. "I can go?" He nodded.
--
Sydney adjusted her leather outfit, cursing Sloane at the same time. She whispered into her microphone, "Dixon, I'm in." "Copy that," Dixon's flat voice replied. Ever since the night he saw Sydney emerge from the water, he had been acting this way. Sydney wanted to tell him all he wanted to know, but she couldn't. She couldn't afford to loose anyone else close to her. Not since Vaughn. Sydney glanced around and saw no guards. The whole building looked deserted to her.or is this after office-hours? She thought sarcastically. The strange part was that she might be right. She punched in the code for the door, and watched as it slid open. This room was smaller than the one she had entered in their last mission to Taipei. Sydney looked around for a red ball, and her eyes widened as she spotted it. It was the size of a shoe.
--
"Do you think Sloane suspects something?" Dixon said, settling into the booth. Sydney was silent. Her mind was floating somewhere else. In a world where Vaughn was alive, and everything was fine. Trattoria de Nardi. The restaurant Vaughn wanted to bring her to. Dixon had asked someone on the streets if they knew of a good restaurant. Trattoria de Nardi, was the answer. But Sydney had refused profusely, saying it was too far away, while in reality, she had only wanted to be in that restaurant with Vaughn. Not Dixon. "Sydney?" Dixon repeated, waving the glass of water in front of her face. "Huh? Oh, uh.I don't know." Dixon stared at her. "What?" "Are you going to tell me what's going on with you? Who are you working for?"
"The government." "Which one?" "Our government Dixon. Which one did you think?" "Then tell me. What were you doing in the water? And why was your codename "Freelancer?" It was supposed to be "Bluebird."" "Dixon, do you trust me?" "I used to, but I'm not sure anymore," Dixon replied honestly. "Well, trust me this once. I'm tell you, I'm not a traitor to the United States," Sydney said firmly. "How can you prove it?" "Just trust me on this one," Sydney replied, frustrated. "That's not good enough Sydney," Dixon responded sadly. "Why not?" Sydney started. "Syd-" Dixon said angrily. "No. Hear me out Dixon. Look me straight in the eye and call me a traitor. If anything, just trust me on this. Nothing else. And of everything you should trust me on, this is the one." "You know I want to." "Then follow your instincts. I swear Dixon, I really want to tell you. But I can't. I can't afford to have another person die because of me, and I won't." "Danny and Noah." And Vaughn.she added silently. Vaughn's death was.a so-called "eye opener" for her. It taught her to take advantage of life, and not to take anyone for granted anymore. But the only person she took for granted was gone. Life was not fair. Dixon thought about this for a while. He stared down at his now lukewarm food, and then back at Sydney. It was as if he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not. "All right Sydney. I'll trust you on this. But you're going to tell me what's going on eventually, right?"
"Right," Sydney smiled.
--
"You two are going to Rome. A man named Ludim Manzano, a Spanish immigrant to Rome, has set up a so-called business there. They are posing as a construction company, but in reality, it is a lab. Manzano's trying to imitate a Rambaldi artifact, and from the evidence we have gathered, he has succeeded," Sloane pressed a button on the remote and a picture of the artifact appeared on the screen. "That is the artifact," Sloane said, pointing to the screen. Sydney's eyes widened. "It's called the "circumference," and yes, Sydney, it is exactly like the one you got from Taipei a while back. Apparently, Manzano has duplicated it, and is currently trying to sell it for millions of dollars to K-Directorate." Sydney didn't hear anything after the word "circumference." It brought back a flood of memories that she had tried so hard to suppress. "Sydney, it is your job to destroy the circumference," Sloane said, looking directly at her. "Dixon will cut off the security cameras, and will oversee the operation from the van outside. And after you're done, grab a bite to eat. I think you two have to spend some quality time together," Sloane suggested, knowingly. Sydney glanced sideways at Dixon. He looked as surprised as she was.
--
"They want me to destroy the circumference," Sydney said tonelessly. "The CIA wants it destroyed also," her handler, Peter Lee agreed. "So there's really no counter mission." "Great," Sydney said, standing up. "I can go?" He nodded.
--
Sydney adjusted her leather outfit, cursing Sloane at the same time. She whispered into her microphone, "Dixon, I'm in." "Copy that," Dixon's flat voice replied. Ever since the night he saw Sydney emerge from the water, he had been acting this way. Sydney wanted to tell him all he wanted to know, but she couldn't. She couldn't afford to loose anyone else close to her. Not since Vaughn. Sydney glanced around and saw no guards. The whole building looked deserted to her.or is this after office-hours? She thought sarcastically. The strange part was that she might be right. She punched in the code for the door, and watched as it slid open. This room was smaller than the one she had entered in their last mission to Taipei. Sydney looked around for a red ball, and her eyes widened as she spotted it. It was the size of a shoe.
--
"Do you think Sloane suspects something?" Dixon said, settling into the booth. Sydney was silent. Her mind was floating somewhere else. In a world where Vaughn was alive, and everything was fine. Trattoria de Nardi. The restaurant Vaughn wanted to bring her to. Dixon had asked someone on the streets if they knew of a good restaurant. Trattoria de Nardi, was the answer. But Sydney had refused profusely, saying it was too far away, while in reality, she had only wanted to be in that restaurant with Vaughn. Not Dixon. "Sydney?" Dixon repeated, waving the glass of water in front of her face. "Huh? Oh, uh.I don't know." Dixon stared at her. "What?" "Are you going to tell me what's going on with you? Who are you working for?"
"The government." "Which one?" "Our government Dixon. Which one did you think?" "Then tell me. What were you doing in the water? And why was your codename "Freelancer?" It was supposed to be "Bluebird."" "Dixon, do you trust me?" "I used to, but I'm not sure anymore," Dixon replied honestly. "Well, trust me this once. I'm tell you, I'm not a traitor to the United States," Sydney said firmly. "How can you prove it?" "Just trust me on this one," Sydney replied, frustrated. "That's not good enough Sydney," Dixon responded sadly. "Why not?" Sydney started. "Syd-" Dixon said angrily. "No. Hear me out Dixon. Look me straight in the eye and call me a traitor. If anything, just trust me on this. Nothing else. And of everything you should trust me on, this is the one." "You know I want to." "Then follow your instincts. I swear Dixon, I really want to tell you. But I can't. I can't afford to have another person die because of me, and I won't." "Danny and Noah." And Vaughn.she added silently. Vaughn's death was.a so-called "eye opener" for her. It taught her to take advantage of life, and not to take anyone for granted anymore. But the only person she took for granted was gone. Life was not fair. Dixon thought about this for a while. He stared down at his now lukewarm food, and then back at Sydney. It was as if he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not. "All right Sydney. I'll trust you on this. But you're going to tell me what's going on eventually, right?"
"Right," Sydney smiled.