Chapter Nine
"Sydney!" Sark yelled from the kitchen. She looked up from reading Ambria a story and smelled something burning.
"Coming!" she yelled back. She entered the kitchen and saw him standing over the stove, smoke coming from the pan. She turned off the stove and opened a window. He had successfully managed to burn the pancakes to the pan. She smiled, despite the burning smell in the kitchen and finally laughed.
Sark had a cross expression on his face, "I try cooking and here's what happens. I accidentally burn the food to the pan and my wife laughs at me. I give up." He held up his hands in mock surrender.
It was just like old times in SD-6, on missions: always competing. That was one thing that hadn't changed because of their marriage.
The doorbell rang. Sydney looked at Sark suspiciously, wondering who could be ringing their doorbell at eight in the morning.
"Get Ambria and get into the basement. Hide in the back room. If you hear the doorbell ring a second time after five minutes, you're clear to come up, otherwise, get out through the back door and hide in the woods." He opened the coat closet and gave her their coats. She scooped up Ambria and her book, plus a bottle and a banana and dashed down the stairs. Sark latched the door as a precaution. They had practiced this many times in case something happened.
He slowly opened the door and saw two men standing on the step. "Yes?" he asked.
"We're looking for Mrs. Sarah Ross," the taller one said.
"Sarah Ross?" asked Sark.
"You are Andrew Ross, am I correct?"
"Yes. My wife went to work."
The man flipped through his notes. "According to this, she doesn't have a job and would more than likely stay home with your daughter." Sark raised an eyebrow, amused. Someone was keeping excellent tabs on his family.
"We have a warrant to search your house," said the man, pulling out the sheet of paper and showing it to him. He nodded and stepped back to let them in.
They looked in every room, nodding and stopped at the kitchen. "What happened in here?" asked one of the men.
"I burned my breakfast."
"That's an awful lot of food for one person," said the man suspiciously.
"I'm a big eater." He backed out of the room and went to the coat closet, searching his jacket for his handgun. He still hadn't broken the habit of carrying it around.
The doorbell rang again and Sark jumped. Sydney, he thought. Don't come up, don't come up, he mentally pleaded.
The two men went to the door and answered it. A shorter man wearing sunglasses and with graying hair stepped inside.
"Sark," he said slowly, taking off the sunglasses. "I must say, I am surprised." Sark backed against the basement door as he heard Sydney's approaching footsteps.
"Arvin Sloane," he muttered, as the footsteps got closer.
"Did you search the place?" he asked the men.
"All but this door. Step aside," the tall man commanded.
Sark stayed put.
"Honestly, Mr. Sark, you're perfectly safe, if you have nothing to hide," said Sloane. He pulled out a gun. "I am only going to ask you once. Step aside please."
Sark looked at Sloane. His taller assistant undid the latch and Sark felt the door try and open against his back. Sloane only smiled more wickedly. The taller man pushed Sark aside and the door fell open, revealing Sydney and Ambria. Sloane pulled Sydney up and Sark took Ambria in his arms. Ambria buried her head in Sark's shoulder upon seeing Sloane.
"Miss Bristow, or should I say." his grin widened. "Mrs. Sark." he gave Sydney an amused look. "It's been quite awhile."
"Yes, it has, Arvin," she boldly stared at him.
"Gentlemen, you are free to wait outside," Sloane dismissed the men.
"Mama," Ambria said quietly, reaching for Sydney. For some reason, Sloane gave Sark an amused look as he handed the child to his wife.
"Please," Sydney said with her eyes to the ground. "Sit." The courage that she had had disappeared.
Sloane sat in a chair across from Sark and Sydney, who were seated on the couch with Ambria.
"Sweetie," she began to her daughter, who looked up at her, curiosity in her blue eyes. "Why don't you go upstairs and pick out a new outfit for your dolly. Mommy will be up in a minute." Ambria nodded and toddled up the stairs.
"How touching," said Sloane. Sark put his hand protectively on Sydney's. "I must say, first my two top agents die in a car accident and then what do I hear next, that they're married and have a child? This is very amusing, but I'm afraid," he said, drawing his gun and muttering something into an obvious microphone on his shirt, "That the two- or rather the three of you will have to come with me."
Sydney looked at Sark, fear obvious in her eyes. Why hadn't the CIA brought down SD-6 yet? They should have done that years ago, they had enough information, she thought.
Sark spoke first, "Sydney, go and get Ambria. I'll get our jackets. Mr. Sloane, please wait here for a moment. Sydney nodded and headed up the stairs. Sark grabbed his coat and ran after her. He pinned her against the wall in the guest bedroom where she was gathering a small bag of things.
"You have to go," he said.
"Let go of me," she said calmly.
"You have to get out of here."
"Sark, let go of me," the coldness was back in her voice. He raised an eyebrow. Where had his loving wife gone? She shifted her eyes to her shoulder. He saw a small black circle on her sweater. Sloane had bugged her when he pulled her up. He had heard everything that he had said. She quickly wrote down what she wanted to say on a sheet of paper.
"I can't take it off," he read as she scribbled it down. "He has an alarm set. Why the CIA didn't take SD-6 down two years ago when they had the necessary information and power is beyond me, however we can't worry about that now. We have Ambria. I'm going to go get her and we will go with Sloane. Don't bring a gun- he'll shoot you, thinking that you're going to kill him. Be quiet and do what he says. We're going to find my father."
She went into the next room.
"Ambria, sweetie?" Ambria looked at her. "We're going on a trip. Come on, let's put your coat on." She put on her coat and picked her up. She handed her the doll. She tossed a few more things into the bag, including an extra shirt and jacket of her own and her cell phone, hidden in a pocket of Ambria's diaper bag.
Sark had beaten her downstairs and put an arm around her as Sloane led them out of the house and into the back of a black car.
"Where are you taking us?" asked Sark.
"You'll find out," Sloane said dismissively. "And you'd be wise not to escape." He reached into the back seat from the front and took the bug from Sydney's shoulder and flaunted it in front of Sark. Sydney fought to keep from flinching when he touched her or hitting him when he taunted Sark.
Sark knew that Sloane had heard what he had said, but kept his face expressionless and put his arm protectively around Ambria.
Sydney had thought that they would be taken to SD-6 headquarters, a place that she and Sark were all too familiar with. The car stopped and they were yanked from the back seat. Sark was grabbed and pushed off one way by a team of men, Sydney and Ambria the other.
***
Suddenly as I was stuffed into a cell with my daughter, I knew how my mother had felt when she surrendered to the CIA. I feared more for Ambria's life than my own as Sloane entered the room, with my father.
Dad's eyes widened as he saw my daughter and me standing there. Dad looked like he had aged about ten years since I had last seen him, two years ago. I assumed that it was from the torture- or torturing, plural, if Sloane had continued with it and my so-called death.
Sloane stopped in front of my cell and Ambria hid her face in my jeans.
"Whatever you do, don't hurt my daughter. She hasn't done anything to hurt you," I said. Yet, my mind finished for me. I fought back from laughing at my subconscious. My eyes narrowed at Sloane.
Dad stared blankly at Ambria, looking like he'd seen a ghost or something.
"I won't hurt your daughter," Sloane replied dismissively, as if he truly didn't care about her. I sighed, realizing that he wouldn't hurt her, "If you tell me everything that I want to know," he finished.
"Where is my." my voice trailed off. Asking where Sark was would only make my marriage final to my father.
"Mr. Sark has been taken to a different SD-6 location," Sloane answered. He added quietly, "Tell me what I want to know, Sydney and things can go back to the way that they were."
I looked at him. I was halfway ready to give up and answer all of his questions to save Andrew and Ambria, but part of me didn't want things to go back to the way that they had been two years ago.
"Were you, or are you still a double-agent and betraying SD-6?" I knew he was going to ask that. Somehow, I didn't know how to answer. I debated between saying yes and ending his cat and mouse game, and saying no, and then having to answer the next question: why I ran away.
"No." I took a deep breath. "After telling Danny about SD-6 when we got engaged, when you murdered him, I honestly considered going to the real CIA and turning traitor for what you had done to my fiancé. My father talked me out of it, and convinced me to remain loyal."
Sloane looked at me. "Why do I find myself doubting your loyalty?"
"My intent has always been to help SD-6 in taking over the US government, and eventually the world. That, I swear, is completely true."
"If you are completely loyal to SD-6, then why did you run from us?" "I was afraid of this same scenario, the double-agent accusations. You did it once, and I knew that you'd do it again."
Sloane nodded and unlocked the cell. "You have been excused for this, Sydney, but mark my words, if you screw up again, it will cost you, dearly."
I nodded. Somehow, I knew that this wasn't over. Sloane had another trick up his sleeve, somewhere. Arvin Sloane had never let anyone, not even my father, off the hook that easily. "What about Mr. Sark?" I asked.
"Your husband," began Sloane, knowing that he was touching a nerve as my father flinched, "will be tested on his loyalty as well. If he is found trustworthy, he will resume his job also."
I nodded and followed my father to his car. He was taking me to breakfast.
We stopped at his car and I hugged him. "You have no idea how worried I was that you were actually dead," he said quietly.
When we pulled away, I said, "I'll explain later." He nodded and we got in.
"You have to find Vaughn. He deserves to know why you married Sark," Dad said, staring straight ahead as we drove.
He pulled over in the driveway of a small house just outside of LA. I assumed that we were making a small stop for him to pick something up. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number to the CIA.
I heard someone answer the phone.
"Vaughn," I jumped as I heard his voice.
"Vaughn, it's Jack. I need you to come over to Irina's now," he hung up the phone.
"Irina's?" I asked.
"Come on," he got out of the car. "Your mother was moved to a private residence, about a year ago under twenty-four hour surveillance of course. She has lived here ever since." We stopped in front of the door. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, seeing the hesitant look on my face. "Ring the doorbell."
I took a deep breath as my finger touched the bell. I heard it echo inside the house and the door slowly started to open as my breath caught in my throat.
"Sydney!" Sark yelled from the kitchen. She looked up from reading Ambria a story and smelled something burning.
"Coming!" she yelled back. She entered the kitchen and saw him standing over the stove, smoke coming from the pan. She turned off the stove and opened a window. He had successfully managed to burn the pancakes to the pan. She smiled, despite the burning smell in the kitchen and finally laughed.
Sark had a cross expression on his face, "I try cooking and here's what happens. I accidentally burn the food to the pan and my wife laughs at me. I give up." He held up his hands in mock surrender.
It was just like old times in SD-6, on missions: always competing. That was one thing that hadn't changed because of their marriage.
The doorbell rang. Sydney looked at Sark suspiciously, wondering who could be ringing their doorbell at eight in the morning.
"Get Ambria and get into the basement. Hide in the back room. If you hear the doorbell ring a second time after five minutes, you're clear to come up, otherwise, get out through the back door and hide in the woods." He opened the coat closet and gave her their coats. She scooped up Ambria and her book, plus a bottle and a banana and dashed down the stairs. Sark latched the door as a precaution. They had practiced this many times in case something happened.
He slowly opened the door and saw two men standing on the step. "Yes?" he asked.
"We're looking for Mrs. Sarah Ross," the taller one said.
"Sarah Ross?" asked Sark.
"You are Andrew Ross, am I correct?"
"Yes. My wife went to work."
The man flipped through his notes. "According to this, she doesn't have a job and would more than likely stay home with your daughter." Sark raised an eyebrow, amused. Someone was keeping excellent tabs on his family.
"We have a warrant to search your house," said the man, pulling out the sheet of paper and showing it to him. He nodded and stepped back to let them in.
They looked in every room, nodding and stopped at the kitchen. "What happened in here?" asked one of the men.
"I burned my breakfast."
"That's an awful lot of food for one person," said the man suspiciously.
"I'm a big eater." He backed out of the room and went to the coat closet, searching his jacket for his handgun. He still hadn't broken the habit of carrying it around.
The doorbell rang again and Sark jumped. Sydney, he thought. Don't come up, don't come up, he mentally pleaded.
The two men went to the door and answered it. A shorter man wearing sunglasses and with graying hair stepped inside.
"Sark," he said slowly, taking off the sunglasses. "I must say, I am surprised." Sark backed against the basement door as he heard Sydney's approaching footsteps.
"Arvin Sloane," he muttered, as the footsteps got closer.
"Did you search the place?" he asked the men.
"All but this door. Step aside," the tall man commanded.
Sark stayed put.
"Honestly, Mr. Sark, you're perfectly safe, if you have nothing to hide," said Sloane. He pulled out a gun. "I am only going to ask you once. Step aside please."
Sark looked at Sloane. His taller assistant undid the latch and Sark felt the door try and open against his back. Sloane only smiled more wickedly. The taller man pushed Sark aside and the door fell open, revealing Sydney and Ambria. Sloane pulled Sydney up and Sark took Ambria in his arms. Ambria buried her head in Sark's shoulder upon seeing Sloane.
"Miss Bristow, or should I say." his grin widened. "Mrs. Sark." he gave Sydney an amused look. "It's been quite awhile."
"Yes, it has, Arvin," she boldly stared at him.
"Gentlemen, you are free to wait outside," Sloane dismissed the men.
"Mama," Ambria said quietly, reaching for Sydney. For some reason, Sloane gave Sark an amused look as he handed the child to his wife.
"Please," Sydney said with her eyes to the ground. "Sit." The courage that she had had disappeared.
Sloane sat in a chair across from Sark and Sydney, who were seated on the couch with Ambria.
"Sweetie," she began to her daughter, who looked up at her, curiosity in her blue eyes. "Why don't you go upstairs and pick out a new outfit for your dolly. Mommy will be up in a minute." Ambria nodded and toddled up the stairs.
"How touching," said Sloane. Sark put his hand protectively on Sydney's. "I must say, first my two top agents die in a car accident and then what do I hear next, that they're married and have a child? This is very amusing, but I'm afraid," he said, drawing his gun and muttering something into an obvious microphone on his shirt, "That the two- or rather the three of you will have to come with me."
Sydney looked at Sark, fear obvious in her eyes. Why hadn't the CIA brought down SD-6 yet? They should have done that years ago, they had enough information, she thought.
Sark spoke first, "Sydney, go and get Ambria. I'll get our jackets. Mr. Sloane, please wait here for a moment. Sydney nodded and headed up the stairs. Sark grabbed his coat and ran after her. He pinned her against the wall in the guest bedroom where she was gathering a small bag of things.
"You have to go," he said.
"Let go of me," she said calmly.
"You have to get out of here."
"Sark, let go of me," the coldness was back in her voice. He raised an eyebrow. Where had his loving wife gone? She shifted her eyes to her shoulder. He saw a small black circle on her sweater. Sloane had bugged her when he pulled her up. He had heard everything that he had said. She quickly wrote down what she wanted to say on a sheet of paper.
"I can't take it off," he read as she scribbled it down. "He has an alarm set. Why the CIA didn't take SD-6 down two years ago when they had the necessary information and power is beyond me, however we can't worry about that now. We have Ambria. I'm going to go get her and we will go with Sloane. Don't bring a gun- he'll shoot you, thinking that you're going to kill him. Be quiet and do what he says. We're going to find my father."
She went into the next room.
"Ambria, sweetie?" Ambria looked at her. "We're going on a trip. Come on, let's put your coat on." She put on her coat and picked her up. She handed her the doll. She tossed a few more things into the bag, including an extra shirt and jacket of her own and her cell phone, hidden in a pocket of Ambria's diaper bag.
Sark had beaten her downstairs and put an arm around her as Sloane led them out of the house and into the back of a black car.
"Where are you taking us?" asked Sark.
"You'll find out," Sloane said dismissively. "And you'd be wise not to escape." He reached into the back seat from the front and took the bug from Sydney's shoulder and flaunted it in front of Sark. Sydney fought to keep from flinching when he touched her or hitting him when he taunted Sark.
Sark knew that Sloane had heard what he had said, but kept his face expressionless and put his arm protectively around Ambria.
Sydney had thought that they would be taken to SD-6 headquarters, a place that she and Sark were all too familiar with. The car stopped and they were yanked from the back seat. Sark was grabbed and pushed off one way by a team of men, Sydney and Ambria the other.
***
Suddenly as I was stuffed into a cell with my daughter, I knew how my mother had felt when she surrendered to the CIA. I feared more for Ambria's life than my own as Sloane entered the room, with my father.
Dad's eyes widened as he saw my daughter and me standing there. Dad looked like he had aged about ten years since I had last seen him, two years ago. I assumed that it was from the torture- or torturing, plural, if Sloane had continued with it and my so-called death.
Sloane stopped in front of my cell and Ambria hid her face in my jeans.
"Whatever you do, don't hurt my daughter. She hasn't done anything to hurt you," I said. Yet, my mind finished for me. I fought back from laughing at my subconscious. My eyes narrowed at Sloane.
Dad stared blankly at Ambria, looking like he'd seen a ghost or something.
"I won't hurt your daughter," Sloane replied dismissively, as if he truly didn't care about her. I sighed, realizing that he wouldn't hurt her, "If you tell me everything that I want to know," he finished.
"Where is my." my voice trailed off. Asking where Sark was would only make my marriage final to my father.
"Mr. Sark has been taken to a different SD-6 location," Sloane answered. He added quietly, "Tell me what I want to know, Sydney and things can go back to the way that they were."
I looked at him. I was halfway ready to give up and answer all of his questions to save Andrew and Ambria, but part of me didn't want things to go back to the way that they had been two years ago.
"Were you, or are you still a double-agent and betraying SD-6?" I knew he was going to ask that. Somehow, I didn't know how to answer. I debated between saying yes and ending his cat and mouse game, and saying no, and then having to answer the next question: why I ran away.
"No." I took a deep breath. "After telling Danny about SD-6 when we got engaged, when you murdered him, I honestly considered going to the real CIA and turning traitor for what you had done to my fiancé. My father talked me out of it, and convinced me to remain loyal."
Sloane looked at me. "Why do I find myself doubting your loyalty?"
"My intent has always been to help SD-6 in taking over the US government, and eventually the world. That, I swear, is completely true."
"If you are completely loyal to SD-6, then why did you run from us?" "I was afraid of this same scenario, the double-agent accusations. You did it once, and I knew that you'd do it again."
Sloane nodded and unlocked the cell. "You have been excused for this, Sydney, but mark my words, if you screw up again, it will cost you, dearly."
I nodded. Somehow, I knew that this wasn't over. Sloane had another trick up his sleeve, somewhere. Arvin Sloane had never let anyone, not even my father, off the hook that easily. "What about Mr. Sark?" I asked.
"Your husband," began Sloane, knowing that he was touching a nerve as my father flinched, "will be tested on his loyalty as well. If he is found trustworthy, he will resume his job also."
I nodded and followed my father to his car. He was taking me to breakfast.
We stopped at his car and I hugged him. "You have no idea how worried I was that you were actually dead," he said quietly.
When we pulled away, I said, "I'll explain later." He nodded and we got in.
"You have to find Vaughn. He deserves to know why you married Sark," Dad said, staring straight ahead as we drove.
He pulled over in the driveway of a small house just outside of LA. I assumed that we were making a small stop for him to pick something up. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number to the CIA.
I heard someone answer the phone.
"Vaughn," I jumped as I heard his voice.
"Vaughn, it's Jack. I need you to come over to Irina's now," he hung up the phone.
"Irina's?" I asked.
"Come on," he got out of the car. "Your mother was moved to a private residence, about a year ago under twenty-four hour surveillance of course. She has lived here ever since." We stopped in front of the door. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, seeing the hesitant look on my face. "Ring the doorbell."
I took a deep breath as my finger touched the bell. I heard it echo inside the house and the door slowly started to open as my breath caught in my throat.