~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sloane sat impatiently in the back of a Rolls Royce limousine. He was just about to instruct his driver to leave, when another vehicle pulled up beside his. Sloane rolled his window down to reveal a thin, pale man on the other side.
"Alan, I started to suspect that you weren't going to show."
"I'm sorry. I had to handle some personal matters."
"Personal? Do you mind me asking what that may be?"
"Lets just say that I don't have to worry about my wife's wandering eye anymore."
This comment sent a look of surprise over Sloane's face, a look that he quickly shook off.
"So, how's your son?" he asked, looking uninterested.
For a moment Alan remained silent, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully. After that long pause, he finally spoke up in a low but clear voice. "He died…apparently the cancer could not be treated."
Sloane did his best to place a sympathetic look on his face, but really he did not care what happened to Alan's family. In fact, he took pleasure in Alan's misery. He was, after all, the one who had given Sloane that awful ultimatum. The ultimatum that took Emily's life.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Alan. If there's anything I can do…"
"No, there's nothing," he interrupted. "Anyway, on to business." Alan handed Sloane a metallic briefcase filled with files. "This is the latest project that I have requested the Alliance to work on."
Sloane had a look of confusion on his face. "And what is the purpose of us purchasing pharmaceutical companies?" he asked as he read the files.
"That, my friend, is our cover. Our main goal is to develop a new type of performance enhancer. To create a better, faster, and smarter solider." For a moment, Alan stopped, as if to admire his brilliant idea. "Can you imagine how profitable this would be?"
"I can only imagine," he said sarcastically. "But nothing is perfect, Alan. Surely this brilliant invention of yours must have a side-effect," Sloane paused a moment to study Alan's face. "And from that look on your face, I believe you have just proved my theory correct."
Alan clenched his jaw, and was quite annoyed with Sloane's persistence. He had only been a member of the Alliance for two months and he was already trying to one up him.
"Maybe there is one side-effect…but it's only a minor problem. Nothing life threatening, I can assure you. Anymore questions…or are we done with this little interrogation?"
Sloane raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, Alan. I didn't mean to question your ethics. Call me paranoid, but you can never be too careful when it comes down to these things. We wouldn't want any accidents."
"No, of course not," he said, giving Sloane an expressionless look. "Well, I guess our meeting is over then."
As Alan was about to instruct his driver to leave, Sloane spoke one more time, "Oh, and I see your daughter will be joining us."
"Yes, she will leave for LA tomorrow morning."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack was alone inside the gym. He was doing every exercise you could imagine in order to forget about the past few days. To him, this was all a bad dream, and he would soon wake up. But that was farthest from the truth. Jack took a quick break and then headed off to a bench. He did a few bench-presses, until he caught sight of Bartnett's shadow. Jack ignored Bartnett and placed the weights back.
"Fancy seeing you here."
"Oh, you're actually speaking to me as a person now?"
"You can give me all the grief you want, Jack. I won't apologize for doing my job."
Jack paused for a moment before answering her. "I'll give you that, and I apologize for causing you any grief. I'm just not the kind of person that talks about….feelings," he said, as if he were mocking her.
"We were surprised to find you here. When the guard told us you were here I thought…"
"Well, to make it clear, I wasn't hiding."
"Yes, I get that now."
Bartnett watched Jack walk to his duffel bag, and then followed him.
"Do you mind if I…" Jack said pointing to his shirt.
"No, not at all."
Bartnett watched Jack tug off his shirt and how neatly his hair stayed in place after it went over his head. Jack was surprised to see Bartnett watch him take his shirt off; he had thought that she had turned around, but apparently he had been wrong. In fact, he felt a bit awkward.
"I know what you are thinking, and trust me my job is just to observe."
Jack let out a short laugh before putting on a clean shirt, "That was an unexpected comeback."
"Excuse you, Mr. Bristow, but I can be just as witty as you can. And trust me I have plenty more."
"Alright then. So I assume we'll be having another session, huh?"
She smiled and pushed her hair back, "You assumed right."
"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to go home and change first."
"Why not change here?"
"Not possible. I hate using public showers and I really wouldn't want you to observe that."
Was it me or was Jack Bristow making a joke?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*FLASHBACK*
He was being dragged by four men. Paralyzed, he did nothing but wait, wait for whatever was to come next. He didn't know why this was happening, or why it was happening to him. To him, this wasn't real, this was just another nightmare that he had to face. But reality soon set in, as he was thrown on a chair and was strapped in securely. As his captors left, he studied his surroundings. In the far-left corner of the room was a table filled with surgical equipment; needles, and syringes, and in the right was a transparent window revealing another room. He sat there wondering what was to become of him. The doors then opened, revealing two men and a woman accompanying them. They slowly walked to where their equipment was placed and took their time assembling it.
"W-What are you doing to me? When my father finds out what you've done to me, you'll all…"
He was soon interrupted by one of the men there, " I don't think that'll be a problem. After this you'll be one mouth less to feed. Your father will thank us." The doctor then left to join his colleagues, and soon returned to him, fully prepared.
He struggled but there was little that he could do; he was still too numb and weak to fight them off. "No, please don't." But it was too late. One by one, needles punctured into his skin and clear liquid was emptied from each syringe.
After five, maybe even ten minutes the pain started to kick in. It was so unbearable that he even loss consciousness from time to time. He soon felt nauseated, and heaved all over himself. Finally he blacked out and the pain stopped.
*END FLASHBACK*
He was soon awakened by the sound of the phone. He immediately turned to his side and answered it, "What is it?"
"Sir, the men are in position. We're awaiting confirmation."
He answered in a clear and firm tone, "kill them."
"Yes, sir."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Eric, check out the babe." Eric Weiss immediately set the donut that he was holding down, to take a quick glance at a beautiful blonde woman. A quick glance was all it took for him to be attracted to her. As he walked over to her, he prepped himself on what to say. Although all that came to mind were tacky pickup lines. He finally tapped her shoulder and caught a full glance of her face. "Alice?"
She turned around, taken by surprise as how Weiss came to know her, "Hi…have we met?"
"No, I'm Eric Weiss….Michael's friend," he said, raising both eyebrows.
"Oh yes, I remember hearing about you. It's very nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand.
Weiss graciously accepted it, "Likewise."
"So, how's Michael? I was meaning to tell him I work here now, but I hardly ever get to leave this floor. And the only time I do, he's not there."
"Oh, well…I'll let him know for you," he said eagerly.
Alice smiled, "Thanks, that's sweet of you."
"Oh, its' nothing…and trust me he'll just freak when he sees you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sloane was sitting at his desk, when one of his employees walked through the door, "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but a Miss. Angela Christophe is here to see you."
"Please, send her in," he said, gesturing at him to retrieve her.
He quickly came back with Angela in tow, and as he left, the two engaged in conversation.
"Angela, you're early," Sloane said, trying to look surprised.
"Yes, a bit unexpected I know, but if I'm going to evaluate this office…"
"Evaluate?" Sloane said, looking dumbfounded. "I know your father didn't describe what your purpose for working with us would be, but I didn't expect this."
Angela showed absolutely no expression. In fact, her poker face was remarkable.
"Yes, well, now you do. And first things first, I would like to see all your senior officers."
Sloane raised an eyebrow, "Of course I'll give you a list of all their names," he said, trying to sound gracious.
"Won't be necessary. I already have them, and the first name on my list is a certain Jack Bristow."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is the purpose of this evaluation, really?" he asked, giving her a questioning look. Sloane knew better. There was certainly more to this story, and he was determined to find out what it is.
She returned the look with a cold stare, "That, you'll have to bring up with the Alliance, and…"
"I am part of the Alliance," he said, cutting her off.
"If you would kindly let me finish, you would know that I have been requested by the Alliance to give you this evaluation. And if you have anymore questions, I can not and will not answer them for you, as I am under strict orders to keep this confidential…that is, until you speak with the board."
Sloane clenched his jaw, "Well then, proceed with your evaluation."
As Angela turned away and was about to leave, Sloane called out to her, "Oh, and Angela?"
"Yes?"
"Have fun with Jack," he said sarcastically.