Chapter Two
Sydney grabbed her cell phone and called a cab. She fought back the urge to kiss him again, and they rode silently back to her house.
They reached the door and Sydney got out her key.
"Hold it," said Vaughn.
"What?"
"We're not going in here to make out like a bunch of mindless teenagers, are we?"
"While I have no objections to that, Dad and Kendall would flip out at seeing me in this.ensemble," she gestured to her dress "when I take you back to the CIA."
"I can get there myself."
Sydney unlocked the door and let Vaughn in. "My mission was to save you and bring you back to Kendall. After that, I say that we come back here and, as you so nicely put it 'make out like a bunch of teenagers.'"
"You know that Kendall will come up with something for me to do."
"Yeah. Do you want anything to drink?"
"Got any coke?"
"Fridge, top shelf. I'm going to go change."
She went into her bedroom and quickly put on a black skirt and a purple sweater, but left her hair the way it was.
"I'm back," she called, opening the door to find Vaughn sitting on the couch with the TV on and a coke in his hand. She smiled and said, "Made yourself at home, didn't you?"
He smiled back and she heard the microwave go off in the kitchen. "Popcorn's ready," he said with a grin.
"Get it to go. I need to get you back before Dad goes back to SD-6 and discovers that neither Sloane nor I are there. Then he's bound to come looking for me.
"And it'd look absolutely fantastic to find is making out on your couch," he grinned wickedly and grabbed the bag of popcorn from her. He kissed her and then bolted for the car.
She ran after him and got into the car. He was sitting in the passenger seat with his feet up, eating the popcorn.
"You'd better share that," she said, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth.
She drove them to the CIA headquarters and brought Vaughn in, but not before kissing him.
"Nice work, Agent Bristow," Kendall complemented her.
"Thanks," she smiled at Vaughn.
"Sydney!" Jack entered the room. "Oh, Agent Vaughn. Welcome back." He turned to Sydney. "Sloane is looking for you."
Sydney looked at her watch. "He shouldn't be back for another hour.
"He called. He wants you to be in his office in an hour."
"Why?"
"I have no idea. You'd better go, though."
"You're right," she agreed.
"Syd," Vaughn said and she turned to leave. He pressed a small white envelope into her hand. "Call me and hang up after it rings once if you want to," he whispered. She gave him a confused look, but shrugged and headed for her car.
***
Sark headed for the Control Room. Sloane had ordered him out as soon as Sydney had arrived, and he wanted to know why.
He used his key and found the monitor for Sloane's office. He saw Sydney standing in front of Sloane's desk.
"Agent Bristow I'm so glad that you came so quickly."
"My father said that you had called me."
"I did. Sydney, I have a mission for you. Your latest assignment is to tail Sark, find out what he's up to. Be my eyes and ears, won't you?"
Sydney looked at him. "All right," she finally said.
Sark clenched his fists. Sloane really didn't trust him! He stormed out of the control room and ran into Sydney.
"Agent Bristow," he said, nodding.
"Mr. Sark," she replied.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her into a nearby room.
"You and I both know that Sloane wants you to tail me. If you say anything to him about my plans, your cover as a double agent is blown as is your secret with Agent Vaughn."
"How do you know about Vaughn and I?"
"I saw him kiss you tonight. The rest I've figured out from your face."
"How did you find out about the CIA?"
"Irina."
Sydney fumed. She was going to kill her mother.
"Fine," she said. "My assignment is to tail you. I'm still going to do it."
"Feel free. You're just wasting your time."
She turned and opened the door, but felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't forget, Sydney."
She hurried for her car and opened the envelope that Vaughn had given her. It was a ticket to a hockey game. The note inside read: "Syd,
Do you want to go to this game with me?
Remember,
Vaughn."
She pulled out her cell phone as she headed back to the CIA. She let it ring once and just as she was about to hang up, she heard, "Vaughn."
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," she could just picture him smiling on the other end.
"I was getting ready to hang up."
"I know, but Kendall needs us for a meeting, so I waited for you to call."
"I'm pulling into the parking lot now."
"I know," she looked up and saw Vaughn, standing in the parking lot. She smiled and got out of her car. She hugged him and they walked into the CIA headquarters.
"Good, you're both here," said Kendall, and led them to a conference room.
They sat down, Sydney in between Jack and Vaughn, and Kendall at the head of the table. A few more agents that Sydney didn't recognize walked in, followed by Irina, who was being escorted by two security guards. She sat down across from Sydney and gave her a smile.
Kendall began to speak. "It has come to my attention through Jack Bristow that Russian Intelligences have acquired about five million doses of Anthrax and Smallpox that SD-6 is going to retrieve.
"Since Ms. Derevko knows the location of the viruses, she has offered to work with us to acquire and destroy the viruses and the center. Jack, Sydney, I want you to go with her."
"You're out of your mind," said Jack. "I am not entrusting both mine and my daughter's life with her."
"She will be tracked on a tracer and like the last time, will be wearing something layered with C-4 and that is able to be detonated." Jack sat back in his chair and Irina silently nodded.
"I can't go. I'm on assignment for SD-6," Sydney said.
"It's been taken care of," Jack said shortly.
"It's settled then. Sydney, Jack will brief you on the plane. Agent Vaughn, you will be her contact. If anything goes wrong, she will contact you."
"Agent Kendall, I'd rather that Agent Vaughn go with me," Sydney said.
Jack, Kendall, and Vaughn's heads all turned to look at her.
"I don't have any objections," said Jack, shooting Sydney a suspicious look.
"I'll go," Vaughn answered.
"I don't mind," Irina said with a look in her eyes like she had just won the lottery.
"You are a prisoner. Your opinion doesn't count," Jack said coldly.
Sydney looked at Vaughn and he nodded. "Meeting adjourned. See you in an hour," she said quickly, knowing that the conference room was about to become a battlefield.
"Agent Bristow, do you need a ride?"
"Sure," replied Sydney, and they left the room.
They all but danced out to the car and drove to Sydney's house.
"Don't you have to pack?" she asked.
"I packed before we left. Your dad told me about the mission, and I knew that I'd want to go."
"What do you think I'll need?"
"A bomb shelter for when your parents go at it again?" Vaughn laughed. Sydney laughed along with him.
She picked up the phone and dialed the number for Francie's restaurant.
"Hello?" asked Francie.
"Hey! I've got a business trip coming up and I need to know what to pack."
Francie rattled off a bunch of items that Sydney stuffed into her suitcase, and then hung up.
She tossed a few other things into the suitcase and picked up her carry-on bag.
"Did you pack the dress that you wore for Sark?" asked Vaughn, taking her bag from her. Sydney felt herself flush red.
"Yes, why?"
"Just wondering. It looks good on you, and.parent's permitting, I might just take you out to dinner while we're there."
Sydney laughed as they got into Vaughn's car- to the airport, and Russia.
Sydney grabbed her cell phone and called a cab. She fought back the urge to kiss him again, and they rode silently back to her house.
They reached the door and Sydney got out her key.
"Hold it," said Vaughn.
"What?"
"We're not going in here to make out like a bunch of mindless teenagers, are we?"
"While I have no objections to that, Dad and Kendall would flip out at seeing me in this.ensemble," she gestured to her dress "when I take you back to the CIA."
"I can get there myself."
Sydney unlocked the door and let Vaughn in. "My mission was to save you and bring you back to Kendall. After that, I say that we come back here and, as you so nicely put it 'make out like a bunch of teenagers.'"
"You know that Kendall will come up with something for me to do."
"Yeah. Do you want anything to drink?"
"Got any coke?"
"Fridge, top shelf. I'm going to go change."
She went into her bedroom and quickly put on a black skirt and a purple sweater, but left her hair the way it was.
"I'm back," she called, opening the door to find Vaughn sitting on the couch with the TV on and a coke in his hand. She smiled and said, "Made yourself at home, didn't you?"
He smiled back and she heard the microwave go off in the kitchen. "Popcorn's ready," he said with a grin.
"Get it to go. I need to get you back before Dad goes back to SD-6 and discovers that neither Sloane nor I are there. Then he's bound to come looking for me.
"And it'd look absolutely fantastic to find is making out on your couch," he grinned wickedly and grabbed the bag of popcorn from her. He kissed her and then bolted for the car.
She ran after him and got into the car. He was sitting in the passenger seat with his feet up, eating the popcorn.
"You'd better share that," she said, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth.
She drove them to the CIA headquarters and brought Vaughn in, but not before kissing him.
"Nice work, Agent Bristow," Kendall complemented her.
"Thanks," she smiled at Vaughn.
"Sydney!" Jack entered the room. "Oh, Agent Vaughn. Welcome back." He turned to Sydney. "Sloane is looking for you."
Sydney looked at her watch. "He shouldn't be back for another hour.
"He called. He wants you to be in his office in an hour."
"Why?"
"I have no idea. You'd better go, though."
"You're right," she agreed.
"Syd," Vaughn said and she turned to leave. He pressed a small white envelope into her hand. "Call me and hang up after it rings once if you want to," he whispered. She gave him a confused look, but shrugged and headed for her car.
***
Sark headed for the Control Room. Sloane had ordered him out as soon as Sydney had arrived, and he wanted to know why.
He used his key and found the monitor for Sloane's office. He saw Sydney standing in front of Sloane's desk.
"Agent Bristow I'm so glad that you came so quickly."
"My father said that you had called me."
"I did. Sydney, I have a mission for you. Your latest assignment is to tail Sark, find out what he's up to. Be my eyes and ears, won't you?"
Sydney looked at him. "All right," she finally said.
Sark clenched his fists. Sloane really didn't trust him! He stormed out of the control room and ran into Sydney.
"Agent Bristow," he said, nodding.
"Mr. Sark," she replied.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her into a nearby room.
"You and I both know that Sloane wants you to tail me. If you say anything to him about my plans, your cover as a double agent is blown as is your secret with Agent Vaughn."
"How do you know about Vaughn and I?"
"I saw him kiss you tonight. The rest I've figured out from your face."
"How did you find out about the CIA?"
"Irina."
Sydney fumed. She was going to kill her mother.
"Fine," she said. "My assignment is to tail you. I'm still going to do it."
"Feel free. You're just wasting your time."
She turned and opened the door, but felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't forget, Sydney."
She hurried for her car and opened the envelope that Vaughn had given her. It was a ticket to a hockey game. The note inside read: "Syd,
Do you want to go to this game with me?
Remember,
Vaughn."
She pulled out her cell phone as she headed back to the CIA. She let it ring once and just as she was about to hang up, she heard, "Vaughn."
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," she could just picture him smiling on the other end.
"I was getting ready to hang up."
"I know, but Kendall needs us for a meeting, so I waited for you to call."
"I'm pulling into the parking lot now."
"I know," she looked up and saw Vaughn, standing in the parking lot. She smiled and got out of her car. She hugged him and they walked into the CIA headquarters.
"Good, you're both here," said Kendall, and led them to a conference room.
They sat down, Sydney in between Jack and Vaughn, and Kendall at the head of the table. A few more agents that Sydney didn't recognize walked in, followed by Irina, who was being escorted by two security guards. She sat down across from Sydney and gave her a smile.
Kendall began to speak. "It has come to my attention through Jack Bristow that Russian Intelligences have acquired about five million doses of Anthrax and Smallpox that SD-6 is going to retrieve.
"Since Ms. Derevko knows the location of the viruses, she has offered to work with us to acquire and destroy the viruses and the center. Jack, Sydney, I want you to go with her."
"You're out of your mind," said Jack. "I am not entrusting both mine and my daughter's life with her."
"She will be tracked on a tracer and like the last time, will be wearing something layered with C-4 and that is able to be detonated." Jack sat back in his chair and Irina silently nodded.
"I can't go. I'm on assignment for SD-6," Sydney said.
"It's been taken care of," Jack said shortly.
"It's settled then. Sydney, Jack will brief you on the plane. Agent Vaughn, you will be her contact. If anything goes wrong, she will contact you."
"Agent Kendall, I'd rather that Agent Vaughn go with me," Sydney said.
Jack, Kendall, and Vaughn's heads all turned to look at her.
"I don't have any objections," said Jack, shooting Sydney a suspicious look.
"I'll go," Vaughn answered.
"I don't mind," Irina said with a look in her eyes like she had just won the lottery.
"You are a prisoner. Your opinion doesn't count," Jack said coldly.
Sydney looked at Vaughn and he nodded. "Meeting adjourned. See you in an hour," she said quickly, knowing that the conference room was about to become a battlefield.
"Agent Bristow, do you need a ride?"
"Sure," replied Sydney, and they left the room.
They all but danced out to the car and drove to Sydney's house.
"Don't you have to pack?" she asked.
"I packed before we left. Your dad told me about the mission, and I knew that I'd want to go."
"What do you think I'll need?"
"A bomb shelter for when your parents go at it again?" Vaughn laughed. Sydney laughed along with him.
She picked up the phone and dialed the number for Francie's restaurant.
"Hello?" asked Francie.
"Hey! I've got a business trip coming up and I need to know what to pack."
Francie rattled off a bunch of items that Sydney stuffed into her suitcase, and then hung up.
She tossed a few other things into the suitcase and picked up her carry-on bag.
"Did you pack the dress that you wore for Sark?" asked Vaughn, taking her bag from her. Sydney felt herself flush red.
"Yes, why?"
"Just wondering. It looks good on you, and.parent's permitting, I might just take you out to dinner while we're there."
Sydney laughed as they got into Vaughn's car- to the airport, and Russia.