Chapter Eleven
Sydney fell onto the bed in Irina's guest room. Jack looked a little put out when Irina had said that she could stay with her, in Jack's guest room. Sydney had just laughed when her mother had told her that her father sometimes stayed overnight to "make sure that the CIA checks up on her once in awhile."
Ambria was asleep next to her. Sydney was going to go and get an air mattress tomorrow so that she could sleep on that when Sark found them. She was getting worried. She hadn't heard from him since Sloane had found them that morning.
Irina had tried to reassure her, "He's fine, don't worry. Sloane probably wanted to get him started." Sydney wasn't so sure. She sat up, her mind made up for her. She was going back to SD-6 headquarters to find Sark.
Her mother was asleep on the couch with the TV on when she snuck out. She took her mother's car, which probably had a video camera in it somewhere, she later thought as she was driving and headed for SD-6 and Sloane.
***
Vaughn stood from his desk. The alarm that was rigged to Irina's car was going off, meaning that someone other than her was driving it. He flipped on the surveillance camera and saw Sydney driving, a grim expression on her face.
His heart quickened about a hundred beats as he saw her tuck her hair behind her ear. He knew that there was a bug hidden in the car and he could talk to her if he wished, but he just watched her.
Forget her, Vaughn, his mind told him. You lied to her, told her that you and Alice were still together, even though you've broken up three times since your son was born. You didn't tell her about your son.
Finally, he broke down and put the headset on. "Find Kendall," he said to one of his co-workers, who nodded and rushed to find him.
"Syd," he said into the microphone. He saw as she jumped and stopped at the light.
"I don't want to talk to you, Vaughn. If I knew where the camera and bug was, I'd turn them both off," she started looking as the light turned from red to green and she continued driving.
Kendall came to Vaughn's desk. "What is it?" he asked. He saw the surveillance camera. "What is she doing?" he asked.
"She's in Irina's car. I don't know where she's going."
Kendall put on a second headset. "Ms. Bristow, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Leave me alone, Kendall," she said, driving faster. She arrived at her destination and saw the bug on top of the garage door opener.
"Where are you?" Vaughn asked.
"You lost the right to know where I am every second when I faked my death and you and Alice got back together. You lost that right again when you saw my daughter."
Kendall looked at Vaughn suspiciously. "Long story," replied Vaughn, looking down. Sydney ignored the bug and got out of the car. She walked into the building and flashed her old badge.
"Agent Bristow," the woman behind the desk said. "Mr. Sloane wanted me to give you your new badge." She handed it to her. It was a more recent photo of her, but otherwise was the same. He hadn't even bothered to change her last name. Didn't he realize that she was married?
"Thanks," Sydney heard herself saying. She went to the basement and flashed her badge. She was admitted to the torture block of SD-6, somewhere that she wasn't very familiar with. Once through this hallway, she would be in the prison block.
"I'm here to see Mr. Sark," she said, flashing her badge at the guard. She felt like she was at the CIA, questioning her mother all over again.
"Agent Bristow, Mr. Sloane has requested that you not be allowed to see him. You'll have to take it up with him."
"I have to see Mr. Sark," she repeated calmly.
"You will have to talk to Mr. Sloane about that."
She sighed, realizing that this wasn't going anywhere. She nodded and turned. She walked right into Sloane.
"Sydney, how did I know that you'd be here?"
"The guard told me that I'm not allowed to see my husband."
"Did you mention that he's your husband?"
She gave him a funny look. "No, why?"
Sloane smiled. "Try it again, only mention that he is your husband." She sighed. He loved to pull tricks on her.
She tried the guard again, "I'm here to see my husband, Mr. Sark."
The guard nodded and moved aside to let her pass. She saw Sark inside a glass cell that looked like Irina's when she had been a CIA prisoner.
He looked up from sitting on the cot, staring at the floor and saw her. He stood up and smiled. "You didn't bring Ambria?" he asked with a cocky grin. "She would have loved the view."
"Your twisted humor is still intact, I see," she noted. "I'm so glad you're okay," she finally said.
"I'm fine. I'm being held overnight for observation."
"What is this, a hospital?"
"In a way," he said.
"What?"
Sark rolled up his sleeve and she saw a large bandage. "What happened?" she asked.
"Sloane shot me. It was all part of the torture. I wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know."
"He's around the corner," she whispered.
"I know."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm alive, aren't I?"
"You've got to get out of here, get that looked at by a doctor."
"Sydney, it's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow morning."
"Andrew."
"Sydney, I'm fine."
"Andrew."
"Sydney?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember when you told me to tell you if you ever got annoying?"
"Yeah."
"You're getting annoying." He smiled his trademark cocky smile. She smiled back. She wanted to kiss him so bad, but there was that little problem of the glass.
They stood in silence for a moment before he said, "You'd better get back. Where are you staying?"
"With my dad," she didn't bother to add that that she was staying with her dad in her mom's house. Jack was sleeping on the couch tonight, that is if he ever got back and Irina ever woke up. She was in the guest room with Ambria.
"Good. You'll be safe there."
"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'll be back tomorrow to."
"Go to work," he finished.
"Yeah. Work, it sounds so scary."
"It does." He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and went back to the cot and lay down, facing away from Sydney.
She watched him for a few moments, and then turned and left. She ran into Sloane.
"Okay, first, you have to stop sneaking up on me like that and second, why the hell were you listening in on our conversation?"
"First, I didn't sneak up on you, you ran into me. Second, I wasn't listening in, I was.waiting for you to come back so that I didn't interrupt anything."
Sydney snorted and continued walking.
"I shall expect you for work tomorrow, eight AM, Sydney," he called after her.
***
"Go away," she muttered as Jack shook her awake.
"Sydney, you have to get up. Sloane's here."
"What does he want?"
"I didn't ask."
"You should have."
"I think Sark's with him, in the car."
Her eyes shot open. She tossed back the covers. "Tell him to give me ten minutes." She grabbed her clothes and walked to the bathroom. She quickly showered and got dressed. She emerged from the bathroom to see Sloane and her father carrying on a decent conversation. Her mother, she guessed, was hiding somewhere, since as far as Sloane knew, was in hiding.
"You've managed to get a very nice house, Jack."
"Thank you, Arvin. It's not much, but it's enough, considering I'm never here."
Sloane looked up. "Sydney," he nodded, acknowledging her presence. She sat next to Jack.
"What can I help you with," she started and looked at the clock, "at seven- fifteen in the morning when I'll be coming into work in forty-five minutes?"
"Sark is in the car. I figured, why not bring him to you."
"What's the cost?"
"Shipping and handling was free, but it'll cost you fifty bucks."
"Very funny," she said sarcastically, following him out to the car. He unlocked the door and Sydney helped Sark out of the car. She untied his hands and undid his gag.
"I still expect both of you at work in a half hour," Sloane said before driving away.
"That was odd," Sark said, looking at her. She looked up at him and smiled, and kissed him.
"I missed you," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair.
"Andrew?" she asked, lifting her head from his chest.
"Yes?"
"Can we move this inside? The uh.neighbors are staring."
He smiled at her. "Of course." He took her hand and led her inside.
Sydney fell onto the bed in Irina's guest room. Jack looked a little put out when Irina had said that she could stay with her, in Jack's guest room. Sydney had just laughed when her mother had told her that her father sometimes stayed overnight to "make sure that the CIA checks up on her once in awhile."
Ambria was asleep next to her. Sydney was going to go and get an air mattress tomorrow so that she could sleep on that when Sark found them. She was getting worried. She hadn't heard from him since Sloane had found them that morning.
Irina had tried to reassure her, "He's fine, don't worry. Sloane probably wanted to get him started." Sydney wasn't so sure. She sat up, her mind made up for her. She was going back to SD-6 headquarters to find Sark.
Her mother was asleep on the couch with the TV on when she snuck out. She took her mother's car, which probably had a video camera in it somewhere, she later thought as she was driving and headed for SD-6 and Sloane.
***
Vaughn stood from his desk. The alarm that was rigged to Irina's car was going off, meaning that someone other than her was driving it. He flipped on the surveillance camera and saw Sydney driving, a grim expression on her face.
His heart quickened about a hundred beats as he saw her tuck her hair behind her ear. He knew that there was a bug hidden in the car and he could talk to her if he wished, but he just watched her.
Forget her, Vaughn, his mind told him. You lied to her, told her that you and Alice were still together, even though you've broken up three times since your son was born. You didn't tell her about your son.
Finally, he broke down and put the headset on. "Find Kendall," he said to one of his co-workers, who nodded and rushed to find him.
"Syd," he said into the microphone. He saw as she jumped and stopped at the light.
"I don't want to talk to you, Vaughn. If I knew where the camera and bug was, I'd turn them both off," she started looking as the light turned from red to green and she continued driving.
Kendall came to Vaughn's desk. "What is it?" he asked. He saw the surveillance camera. "What is she doing?" he asked.
"She's in Irina's car. I don't know where she's going."
Kendall put on a second headset. "Ms. Bristow, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Leave me alone, Kendall," she said, driving faster. She arrived at her destination and saw the bug on top of the garage door opener.
"Where are you?" Vaughn asked.
"You lost the right to know where I am every second when I faked my death and you and Alice got back together. You lost that right again when you saw my daughter."
Kendall looked at Vaughn suspiciously. "Long story," replied Vaughn, looking down. Sydney ignored the bug and got out of the car. She walked into the building and flashed her old badge.
"Agent Bristow," the woman behind the desk said. "Mr. Sloane wanted me to give you your new badge." She handed it to her. It was a more recent photo of her, but otherwise was the same. He hadn't even bothered to change her last name. Didn't he realize that she was married?
"Thanks," Sydney heard herself saying. She went to the basement and flashed her badge. She was admitted to the torture block of SD-6, somewhere that she wasn't very familiar with. Once through this hallway, she would be in the prison block.
"I'm here to see Mr. Sark," she said, flashing her badge at the guard. She felt like she was at the CIA, questioning her mother all over again.
"Agent Bristow, Mr. Sloane has requested that you not be allowed to see him. You'll have to take it up with him."
"I have to see Mr. Sark," she repeated calmly.
"You will have to talk to Mr. Sloane about that."
She sighed, realizing that this wasn't going anywhere. She nodded and turned. She walked right into Sloane.
"Sydney, how did I know that you'd be here?"
"The guard told me that I'm not allowed to see my husband."
"Did you mention that he's your husband?"
She gave him a funny look. "No, why?"
Sloane smiled. "Try it again, only mention that he is your husband." She sighed. He loved to pull tricks on her.
She tried the guard again, "I'm here to see my husband, Mr. Sark."
The guard nodded and moved aside to let her pass. She saw Sark inside a glass cell that looked like Irina's when she had been a CIA prisoner.
He looked up from sitting on the cot, staring at the floor and saw her. He stood up and smiled. "You didn't bring Ambria?" he asked with a cocky grin. "She would have loved the view."
"Your twisted humor is still intact, I see," she noted. "I'm so glad you're okay," she finally said.
"I'm fine. I'm being held overnight for observation."
"What is this, a hospital?"
"In a way," he said.
"What?"
Sark rolled up his sleeve and she saw a large bandage. "What happened?" she asked.
"Sloane shot me. It was all part of the torture. I wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know."
"He's around the corner," she whispered.
"I know."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm alive, aren't I?"
"You've got to get out of here, get that looked at by a doctor."
"Sydney, it's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow morning."
"Andrew."
"Sydney, I'm fine."
"Andrew."
"Sydney?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember when you told me to tell you if you ever got annoying?"
"Yeah."
"You're getting annoying." He smiled his trademark cocky smile. She smiled back. She wanted to kiss him so bad, but there was that little problem of the glass.
They stood in silence for a moment before he said, "You'd better get back. Where are you staying?"
"With my dad," she didn't bother to add that that she was staying with her dad in her mom's house. Jack was sleeping on the couch tonight, that is if he ever got back and Irina ever woke up. She was in the guest room with Ambria.
"Good. You'll be safe there."
"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'll be back tomorrow to."
"Go to work," he finished.
"Yeah. Work, it sounds so scary."
"It does." He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and went back to the cot and lay down, facing away from Sydney.
She watched him for a few moments, and then turned and left. She ran into Sloane.
"Okay, first, you have to stop sneaking up on me like that and second, why the hell were you listening in on our conversation?"
"First, I didn't sneak up on you, you ran into me. Second, I wasn't listening in, I was.waiting for you to come back so that I didn't interrupt anything."
Sydney snorted and continued walking.
"I shall expect you for work tomorrow, eight AM, Sydney," he called after her.
***
"Go away," she muttered as Jack shook her awake.
"Sydney, you have to get up. Sloane's here."
"What does he want?"
"I didn't ask."
"You should have."
"I think Sark's with him, in the car."
Her eyes shot open. She tossed back the covers. "Tell him to give me ten minutes." She grabbed her clothes and walked to the bathroom. She quickly showered and got dressed. She emerged from the bathroom to see Sloane and her father carrying on a decent conversation. Her mother, she guessed, was hiding somewhere, since as far as Sloane knew, was in hiding.
"You've managed to get a very nice house, Jack."
"Thank you, Arvin. It's not much, but it's enough, considering I'm never here."
Sloane looked up. "Sydney," he nodded, acknowledging her presence. She sat next to Jack.
"What can I help you with," she started and looked at the clock, "at seven- fifteen in the morning when I'll be coming into work in forty-five minutes?"
"Sark is in the car. I figured, why not bring him to you."
"What's the cost?"
"Shipping and handling was free, but it'll cost you fifty bucks."
"Very funny," she said sarcastically, following him out to the car. He unlocked the door and Sydney helped Sark out of the car. She untied his hands and undid his gag.
"I still expect both of you at work in a half hour," Sloane said before driving away.
"That was odd," Sark said, looking at her. She looked up at him and smiled, and kissed him.
"I missed you," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair.
"Andrew?" she asked, lifting her head from his chest.
"Yes?"
"Can we move this inside? The uh.neighbors are staring."
He smiled at her. "Of course." He took her hand and led her inside.