CHAPTER 1:
brDarkness. Images flashing. My mind wondered, not sure what was happening. I was falling. Plummeting from some high summit; unable see the ground, my body limp, powerless to move or even scream. I tried to gasp for air, but I couldn't breathe, it was helpless, I was falling too fast and there was nothing there to catch me, nothing to break my fall.br * * *br br My?name is Sydney Bristow. I may look like the average American girl. Sure I'm an LA girl and things are the slightest bit different here, but for the most part, I appear like your typical all around American girl. But, as they say, looks can be deceiving. The one, most important thing I've learned thus far in my life is that nothing is as it seems.br brYou may have seen me jogging in the park or walking the campus of UCLA and, though I may appear to have absolutely no care in the world, I have so much more on my mind than anyone could possibly imagine... especially today. brbr On this particular day, I found myself feeling the slightest bit uneasy, but I had a job to do and I was going to do it. I walked into CIA headquarters, glad to be able to walk through the front door. brbr Although it had been a couple months since we had brought down SD-6 and the rest of the Alliance cells, I found myself, while on my morning jog, wanting to request entry into the facility through the backdoor, but then quickly realized I no longer had a need to. brbr Passing Michael's desk, I gave him a slight smile and, smiling back, he quickly got up to greet me. As he approached all I could think of was how much I wanted to wrap my arms around him and press my lips to his. While outside of the CIA, we were an item, in the CIA we were strictly handler and asset and it tore me apart every time I couldn't acknowledge our relationship. brbr As he neared me, I kept walking. Gently, he put his hand on my back as we talked. brbr "Kendall has scheduled a meeting and said he wants to see us both beforehand. He told me to inform you as soon as you got here." brbr "Yeah, you two may want to hurry," I heard Weiss whisper from behind, "Kendall has had a stick up his @$$ all morning." brbr "What's he so mad about?" I asked, a little concerned. brbr "That's what we've been trying to figure out." brbr "Do you think maybe he knows?" Vaughn whispered again after a few seconds. "I mean it's possible he's found out somehow." brbr "About us?" brbr I wondered how he would know, we'd been extremely careful to make sure we weren't being followed or watched whenever we went out. brbr "How could he possibly know?" I demanded, stepping in front of the two men to face them both. I looked into Michael's eyes; my heart melted. "I mean it's not like we've been careless about..." I started, snapping out of it. brbr Just then I noticed Vaughn abruptly looking up at something past my head and spun back around to see what it was that he was looking at. Kendall smiled down at me with a kind of pleased grin on his face. brbr
brDarkness. Images flashing. My mind wondered, not sure what was happening. I was falling. Plummeting from some high summit; unable see the ground, my body limp, powerless to move or even scream. I tried to gasp for air, but I couldn't breathe, it was helpless, I was falling too fast and there was nothing there to catch me, nothing to break my fall.br * * *br br My?name is Sydney Bristow. I may look like the average American girl. Sure I'm an LA girl and things are the slightest bit different here, but for the most part, I appear like your typical all around American girl. But, as they say, looks can be deceiving. The one, most important thing I've learned thus far in my life is that nothing is as it seems.br brYou may have seen me jogging in the park or walking the campus of UCLA and, though I may appear to have absolutely no care in the world, I have so much more on my mind than anyone could possibly imagine... especially today. brbr On this particular day, I found myself feeling the slightest bit uneasy, but I had a job to do and I was going to do it. I walked into CIA headquarters, glad to be able to walk through the front door. brbr Although it had been a couple months since we had brought down SD-6 and the rest of the Alliance cells, I found myself, while on my morning jog, wanting to request entry into the facility through the backdoor, but then quickly realized I no longer had a need to. brbr Passing Michael's desk, I gave him a slight smile and, smiling back, he quickly got up to greet me. As he approached all I could think of was how much I wanted to wrap my arms around him and press my lips to his. While outside of the CIA, we were an item, in the CIA we were strictly handler and asset and it tore me apart every time I couldn't acknowledge our relationship. brbr As he neared me, I kept walking. Gently, he put his hand on my back as we talked. brbr "Kendall has scheduled a meeting and said he wants to see us both beforehand. He told me to inform you as soon as you got here." brbr "Yeah, you two may want to hurry," I heard Weiss whisper from behind, "Kendall has had a stick up his @$$ all morning." brbr "What's he so mad about?" I asked, a little concerned. brbr "That's what we've been trying to figure out." brbr "Do you think maybe he knows?" Vaughn whispered again after a few seconds. "I mean it's possible he's found out somehow." brbr "About us?" brbr I wondered how he would know, we'd been extremely careful to make sure we weren't being followed or watched whenever we went out. brbr "How could he possibly know?" I demanded, stepping in front of the two men to face them both. I looked into Michael's eyes; my heart melted. "I mean it's not like we've been careless about..." I started, snapping out of it. brbr Just then I noticed Vaughn abruptly looking up at something past my head and spun back around to see what it was that he was looking at. Kendall smiled down at me with a kind of pleased grin on his face. brbr