Chapter 6
After he left, she was restless. She needed to talk to Vaughn. 'Damn,' She thought, 'It was stupid to leave the necklace on.' It had made her feel safe somehow. She could only hope she could get it back before he examined it more closely. Now she'd have to find some other way to signal Vaughn. It was risky, but she'd have to use the in-room surveillance camera.
****************
Vaughn - back at the CIA safe house.~
Vaughn was sitting by the monitor keeping one eye out for Sydney and another on a report he'd just received from one of their local sources. When he first saw her form flash across the screen, he could see immediately something was up. She looked agitated and was pacing back and forth glancing upwards every five seconds or so. He counted, yes, every five seconds. 'Why wasn't she using the transmitter?' he asked himself. When she put her hand to her neck he knew immediately. The transmitter was gone. He panicked. 'I should never have used something so obvious.' He blamed himself. What was she trying to tell him? He watched her move back and forth. She was pacing and rubbing her neck as if she had a headache. Then he noticed her fingers. 4-1-1, 4-1-1, 4-1-1 over and over. She was signaling him in code. 'Information.' He thought. 'Thank God, she only needs to pass information.'
"I need to go back in." Vaughn informed the COM agent seated next to him.
"Okay, I'll reroute the cameras and send you the signal..,"
"I know the drill." Vaughn called over his shoulder as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.
****************
Back with Sydney ~
"What's going on? What's happened to your transmitter?" He asked, breathless, after Sydney had pulled him quickly into the room.
"Sark took it."
Vaughn panicked. "We've been made?"
"No, I think it's okay. I told him it was mine. I don't think he suspects anything yet."
"You're sure?"
"If he did, I wouldn't be standing here. You saw my signal?" She smiled, relieved.
He smiled back and nodded. "I was watching for you."
"Listen, Sark has a meeting with Korin this evening. I don't have all the details but he's planning on making a move against one of Korin's associates, a General."
"A General? Really? Interesting." He thought back to the report he'd just finished reading. "Okay, listen," he hurried, "I've been able to find a few things out myself. Sark's definitely on the move. He's initiated contact with several of his associates in the area. There's also another player here. We hadn't been able to gauge his significance until maybe now.
"Who is it?"
"General Slovak. Russian Army. Very high up."
"General Slovak? That's the General?
"Why, do you know him?"
"Only from the SD-6 database. He's been suspected of illegal arms dealings. Doesn't he have a brother in politics?"
"His brother's a rising star in the Russian political arena. Left wing. He's been steadily building in popularity due in no small part to us. The U.S. has been quietly backing him since the clash of our governments over the Iraqi dispute. I find it hard to believe Sark extending the mission while Slovak is here is a coincidence."
"I'd say you're right. He wants to go after the General specifically."
"Did he say that?"
"Yep. So what do you think he's after? Information?"
"We have no idea, but with the effort we've been putting into getting his brother elected, we're concerned."
"We'll be accessing Korin's database later this evening. We're going to make a video of us 'interacting' to use as a decoy. He plans to run it through a looping cycle to give us time to infiltrate Korin's system somehow."
"Wait, what?" He stammered.
"Don't worry, Sark's promised to be a good boy." Sydney assured him.
Vaughn wasn't so sure, but he knew better than to challenge her judgment.
"Sydney, there's something else I need to tell you." He began nervously. "It turns out there may be a child here after all."
"Son of a bitch! He was telling the truth?"
"Well, half the truth. His plan for the General couldn't possibly have anything to do with her. He could just be thinking of her as a means to an end."
"What are you saying?"
"You're still here, helping him." He pointed out.
"Not that I have a choice." She reminded him. "Damn! I knew he wasn't really interested in the welfare of a little girl, but to profit off her misfortune to manipulate me into helping him... I'm so gonna get that Son of a Bitch." She swore. "When are you taking her out?"
Vaughn looked embarrassed. "We aren't. We haven't been given clearance to do that yet. Apparently it would interfere with an ongoing parallel operation of the Austrian government. For the moment there's nothing we can do."
"Where is she?" She demanded.
"I think it's best if you don't know."
Sydney shook her head in disbelief.
"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."
"It's not that."
"Than what is it?"
"Sark said no one would help her. He knew."
"Syd," he said, grabbing her by the shoulders, "You need to focus. You can't fall in with his lies. It is more imperative than ever that you convince Sark you're working with him. Devlin has made it clear we need that information. As soon as this is over I promise you we'll look into the situation with the girl."
After he left she sank heavily into a chair. She was shaking, she felt so angry. Angry at Sark, angry with Vaughn. She'd known all along there was more to this than Sark claimed but now she just felt used and manipulated. Sark was manipulating her to get whatever he was after and the CIA was using her to steal it back for them.
****************
After he left, she was restless. She needed to talk to Vaughn. 'Damn,' She thought, 'It was stupid to leave the necklace on.' It had made her feel safe somehow. She could only hope she could get it back before he examined it more closely. Now she'd have to find some other way to signal Vaughn. It was risky, but she'd have to use the in-room surveillance camera.
****************
Vaughn - back at the CIA safe house.~
Vaughn was sitting by the monitor keeping one eye out for Sydney and another on a report he'd just received from one of their local sources. When he first saw her form flash across the screen, he could see immediately something was up. She looked agitated and was pacing back and forth glancing upwards every five seconds or so. He counted, yes, every five seconds. 'Why wasn't she using the transmitter?' he asked himself. When she put her hand to her neck he knew immediately. The transmitter was gone. He panicked. 'I should never have used something so obvious.' He blamed himself. What was she trying to tell him? He watched her move back and forth. She was pacing and rubbing her neck as if she had a headache. Then he noticed her fingers. 4-1-1, 4-1-1, 4-1-1 over and over. She was signaling him in code. 'Information.' He thought. 'Thank God, she only needs to pass information.'
"I need to go back in." Vaughn informed the COM agent seated next to him.
"Okay, I'll reroute the cameras and send you the signal..,"
"I know the drill." Vaughn called over his shoulder as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.
****************
Back with Sydney ~
"What's going on? What's happened to your transmitter?" He asked, breathless, after Sydney had pulled him quickly into the room.
"Sark took it."
Vaughn panicked. "We've been made?"
"No, I think it's okay. I told him it was mine. I don't think he suspects anything yet."
"You're sure?"
"If he did, I wouldn't be standing here. You saw my signal?" She smiled, relieved.
He smiled back and nodded. "I was watching for you."
"Listen, Sark has a meeting with Korin this evening. I don't have all the details but he's planning on making a move against one of Korin's associates, a General."
"A General? Really? Interesting." He thought back to the report he'd just finished reading. "Okay, listen," he hurried, "I've been able to find a few things out myself. Sark's definitely on the move. He's initiated contact with several of his associates in the area. There's also another player here. We hadn't been able to gauge his significance until maybe now.
"Who is it?"
"General Slovak. Russian Army. Very high up."
"General Slovak? That's the General?
"Why, do you know him?"
"Only from the SD-6 database. He's been suspected of illegal arms dealings. Doesn't he have a brother in politics?"
"His brother's a rising star in the Russian political arena. Left wing. He's been steadily building in popularity due in no small part to us. The U.S. has been quietly backing him since the clash of our governments over the Iraqi dispute. I find it hard to believe Sark extending the mission while Slovak is here is a coincidence."
"I'd say you're right. He wants to go after the General specifically."
"Did he say that?"
"Yep. So what do you think he's after? Information?"
"We have no idea, but with the effort we've been putting into getting his brother elected, we're concerned."
"We'll be accessing Korin's database later this evening. We're going to make a video of us 'interacting' to use as a decoy. He plans to run it through a looping cycle to give us time to infiltrate Korin's system somehow."
"Wait, what?" He stammered.
"Don't worry, Sark's promised to be a good boy." Sydney assured him.
Vaughn wasn't so sure, but he knew better than to challenge her judgment.
"Sydney, there's something else I need to tell you." He began nervously. "It turns out there may be a child here after all."
"Son of a bitch! He was telling the truth?"
"Well, half the truth. His plan for the General couldn't possibly have anything to do with her. He could just be thinking of her as a means to an end."
"What are you saying?"
"You're still here, helping him." He pointed out.
"Not that I have a choice." She reminded him. "Damn! I knew he wasn't really interested in the welfare of a little girl, but to profit off her misfortune to manipulate me into helping him... I'm so gonna get that Son of a Bitch." She swore. "When are you taking her out?"
Vaughn looked embarrassed. "We aren't. We haven't been given clearance to do that yet. Apparently it would interfere with an ongoing parallel operation of the Austrian government. For the moment there's nothing we can do."
"Where is she?" She demanded.
"I think it's best if you don't know."
Sydney shook her head in disbelief.
"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."
"It's not that."
"Than what is it?"
"Sark said no one would help her. He knew."
"Syd," he said, grabbing her by the shoulders, "You need to focus. You can't fall in with his lies. It is more imperative than ever that you convince Sark you're working with him. Devlin has made it clear we need that information. As soon as this is over I promise you we'll look into the situation with the girl."
After he left she sank heavily into a chair. She was shaking, she felt so angry. Angry at Sark, angry with Vaughn. She'd known all along there was more to this than Sark claimed but now she just felt used and manipulated. Sark was manipulating her to get whatever he was after and the CIA was using her to steal it back for them.
****************