Chapter 2
Rome
Sydney slipped on her cream colored leather boots and looked in the mirror. One last sweep of lipstick on her bottom lip, a pucker to blot and she was ready. She was a vision to behold in her sleeveless cream leather cropped top and matching skintight leather pants. She had on a short black wig and her long brown hair was clipped up tightly underneath.
When she arrived at the gallery she presented her invitation and falshed a smile at the guard. He waved her in and watched her walk inside. Sydney spoke quietly, "I'm in," and knew that both Dixon and Vaughn were listening back home, though certainly not together. Sydney watched the guards closely as she walkied around the room. She waited until the gallery owner commanded everyone's attention to welcome them and then she took her chance to climb the marble staircase. She slipped into the office, planted the two phone bugs and confirmed the feed was working with Dixon.
"Enjoiy yourself now, Sydney. You have the whole night to yourself. Have a gelato for me, okay?"
"Thanks Dixon. See you back home," and Syd ended her comm link with SD-6.
"Vaughn, you there?" she asked.
"I've got you loud and clear. The bug sounds good and we've got SD-6 on time delay."
"I'm going out the back exit. See you back home," Syd said.
"See you soon, " Vaughn replied.
Sydney walked out of the gallery into the back alley and retrieved her small overnight bag from where she had hidden it earlier. She had taken a few steps toward the main street when she heard a familiar voice behind her speaking in Italian.
"What's a beautiful lady like you doing alone at night in such a beautiful city?"
Sydney calmly turned around, ready to fight if necessary, to see who had spoken to her. A man stepped out of the shadows. He had long blonde hair, a close cropped blonde beard and dazzling green eyes. She recognized those eyes.
"Would you like some company tonight?" he continued in Italian as he walked toward her and held out a hand.
Her eyes widened as she stepped closer to him. "Vaughn??"
He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "Hey, Syd," he said switching back to English.
"What are you doing here? How?..." she was in shock.
"Last time we were in Rome I wanted to take you to my favorite retaurant. I didn't want to miss that chance a second time." They were standing face to face.
"Tartoria De Nardi," she said looking at him.
"You remember." He was clearly pleased that she recalled the name he had told her a year earlier when they broke into the Vatican together.
"Can we really do this?" she asked hopefully.
"We can and we will if you'll just follow me, " Vaughn said leading her toward his black rental car.