Chapter 3
Thank you for all
the reviews! They were great! What I said about the relationships being
depicted in the next two chapters might not happen or be hard to pick out.
I wrote the chapters out in my head already and I just recently realized
that it might be hard to see the relationships. Though I might change it
while I'm writing. Enjoy the story!!
************************************************************************ Vaughn's POV
It's 9:30 when I walk into the center that day. I think that's the latest it's ever been since I've been assigned to Syd's case but I stayed up till 2:30 trying to read Cassie's file. It was a waste of time. It gave me no information of value anyway. As I reach my desk Weiss comes up to me. "Hey man! You don't look to good." " Yeah well I had some trouble sleeping" " I guess that means you heard about Cassie." " How do you know about her?"
" This is crazy Mike. I mean, I gotta tell you, when Kendall told me to set up a safe house for Cassandra Vaughn my eyes poped out of their sockets." " What? She was here yesterday! What time? Why didn't anyone tell me? How is she? What safe house is she staying at? Did you meet her?" " Whoa! Mike breath. Yes, her plane landed yesterday night or this morning depending how you look at it. As for your other questions, I have no idea. "Somebody better qualified" got the task of setting up the safe house. I do, however, know that she will be here at 11:00 to attend the meeting. That's it, Mike, the well has dried up. Sorry." " It's okay. Sorry about earlier." " Don't worry about it. If I was in your situation I would be reacting the same." " Thanks for understanding. Um, do you know were Sydney is?" " Yeah, she's in the coffee room." " Thanks again. Can you come and get me when it's time for the meeting? Also wipe that grin off your face. I'm going to just talk to her." " Really I though you two were going to give it another round of tousle hockey." Why did I ever tell him about the kiss in France? " Shut up!" I yell as I go find Syd.
It takes me about 10 seconds to find her. She's pouring coffee into a cup. " You know that's crap right"
The cup shakes a bit. Apparently, I've startled her. Walking further into the room I say, " Can you pour me a cup?" She looks up and smiles. " I thought you said it was crap." " After the night I had anything will do." She hands me a cup. " So you had a rough night, huh? " Yeah, I stayed up till 2:30 reading Cassie's file over and over again" " What'd you find out?"
" Nothing." She looks at me quizzically, " Your sister's file said nothing about her?" " Well, it says stuff about her but it's just her appearance and skills. She can change her appearance and her skills don't matter here. Wait, that's wrong, her skills do matter. You should see it, Syd. Never in a million years would I have thought my sister was capable of the things her file says she are." " So you just spent the whole night reading and rereading that?" " No, I spent half the night trying to call favors of all the hackers I know. You see that's another surprise, all of the information that's not there, the words not available are in its place." " You mean confidential, right?" " No, Syd, It's not available." Sydney's eyes widen in disbelief and I don't blame her. You see this whole not available and confidential thing is a very big difference and deal in the CIA. If something is confidential then some where that information exists. On a computer chip or in a file it doesn't matter. Somebody can find it and prove that the information exists. Where as if it is not available then the information could just be a figment of someone's imagination. Nobody could ever prove that those facts exist. Most of the time those facts only exist in someone's mind. Agents whose information's are not available are mirages most of the time.
Syd looks me straight in the eye and says " Vaughn, how are you dealing with this." That one look breaks down the wall I've build up to keep that thought out of my mind. " Honestly, this is all a dream to me. This can't be the Cassandra Vaughn that's my sister. My sister is a normal person. She doesn't know how to kill anybody and would never even think about it. What kind of a person would deceive their family like this? For so many years. Who would live life were they could never show who they are?" Syd looks away from my eyes and I realize what I've done. Those words that I just said could also apply to her. Only they don't and I've got to make her see that. " Syd, what I just said. I didn't mean it about you. I never thought that of you. Never. You're not like that. I know you would tell people if you could, if their lives didn't depend on it."
" I know. I really do. It just makes you wonder you know."
I nod my head and take a sip of my coffee. As soon as I swallow I wince. Sydney looks me in the eye again, dimples showing, " It's really that bad, huh?"
Matching my smile with hers I say, " You have know idea."
Her smile grows " Actually I do. I had five cups before you came."
I chuckle at that statement and before we realize it we're doing it again. We're standing to close and looking at each other too long. Then I get the nerve to do it. I'm going to bring up France.
Leaning in closer I say, " Syd, what happen in France I don't." I never get to finish my sentence because Weiss comes in. " Hey, guys it's time for the meeting. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.'' He makes the last part sound so sweet I almost want to vomit. I scowl at him then we make our way into the briefing room
As soon as enter that room my good mood vanishes. Looking around the room I see Irina Derevko and Sark but not Cassie or Kendall.
" Where's Cassandra?" " Your sister will be here shortly." Jack answers me. Irina looks at me in surprise. " What does your sister have to do with this mission, Agent Vaughn?" I clench my teeth and answer, " Why don't you ask your dog. He's the one that said she was so crucial to this mission." Irina looks utterly confused but asks Sark any ways. " Sark, you never told me you knew Agent Vaughn's sister." " You never asked." Sark answers from his place against the wall. That one little smug comment makes me finally snap. Finally makes the worrying, confusion, anger and sleepless night get to me. In three steps I come right up to Sark's face and asks him, " How the hell do you know my sister?!"
The basterd looks at me and says in that annoying, cocky British voice, " I really do think that it should be your sister who address that question. I grab him by his suit's collar and shove him in to the wall. It was just one smug comment too many. " Answer the question or I'm going to skin you alive." " You know being over protective of me was cute when I was 15 but now its annoying. Besides don't you think skinning someone alive is a bit drastic?" a familiar female voice says.
All the heads in the room turn to the doorway. Standing there in a form fitting black pantsuit was Cassandra Vaughn striking as ever.
****************************************************************** I hope you enjoyed the story!! I think most of you might have an idea of the relationships now but just in case. I'll tell you in the 5th or 6th chapter.I have no idea how long this story will be yet! Please review and tell me if you liked it!!
************************************************************************ Vaughn's POV
It's 9:30 when I walk into the center that day. I think that's the latest it's ever been since I've been assigned to Syd's case but I stayed up till 2:30 trying to read Cassie's file. It was a waste of time. It gave me no information of value anyway. As I reach my desk Weiss comes up to me. "Hey man! You don't look to good." " Yeah well I had some trouble sleeping" " I guess that means you heard about Cassie." " How do you know about her?"
" This is crazy Mike. I mean, I gotta tell you, when Kendall told me to set up a safe house for Cassandra Vaughn my eyes poped out of their sockets." " What? She was here yesterday! What time? Why didn't anyone tell me? How is she? What safe house is she staying at? Did you meet her?" " Whoa! Mike breath. Yes, her plane landed yesterday night or this morning depending how you look at it. As for your other questions, I have no idea. "Somebody better qualified" got the task of setting up the safe house. I do, however, know that she will be here at 11:00 to attend the meeting. That's it, Mike, the well has dried up. Sorry." " It's okay. Sorry about earlier." " Don't worry about it. If I was in your situation I would be reacting the same." " Thanks for understanding. Um, do you know were Sydney is?" " Yeah, she's in the coffee room." " Thanks again. Can you come and get me when it's time for the meeting? Also wipe that grin off your face. I'm going to just talk to her." " Really I though you two were going to give it another round of tousle hockey." Why did I ever tell him about the kiss in France? " Shut up!" I yell as I go find Syd.
It takes me about 10 seconds to find her. She's pouring coffee into a cup. " You know that's crap right"
The cup shakes a bit. Apparently, I've startled her. Walking further into the room I say, " Can you pour me a cup?" She looks up and smiles. " I thought you said it was crap." " After the night I had anything will do." She hands me a cup. " So you had a rough night, huh? " Yeah, I stayed up till 2:30 reading Cassie's file over and over again" " What'd you find out?"
" Nothing." She looks at me quizzically, " Your sister's file said nothing about her?" " Well, it says stuff about her but it's just her appearance and skills. She can change her appearance and her skills don't matter here. Wait, that's wrong, her skills do matter. You should see it, Syd. Never in a million years would I have thought my sister was capable of the things her file says she are." " So you just spent the whole night reading and rereading that?" " No, I spent half the night trying to call favors of all the hackers I know. You see that's another surprise, all of the information that's not there, the words not available are in its place." " You mean confidential, right?" " No, Syd, It's not available." Sydney's eyes widen in disbelief and I don't blame her. You see this whole not available and confidential thing is a very big difference and deal in the CIA. If something is confidential then some where that information exists. On a computer chip or in a file it doesn't matter. Somebody can find it and prove that the information exists. Where as if it is not available then the information could just be a figment of someone's imagination. Nobody could ever prove that those facts exist. Most of the time those facts only exist in someone's mind. Agents whose information's are not available are mirages most of the time.
Syd looks me straight in the eye and says " Vaughn, how are you dealing with this." That one look breaks down the wall I've build up to keep that thought out of my mind. " Honestly, this is all a dream to me. This can't be the Cassandra Vaughn that's my sister. My sister is a normal person. She doesn't know how to kill anybody and would never even think about it. What kind of a person would deceive their family like this? For so many years. Who would live life were they could never show who they are?" Syd looks away from my eyes and I realize what I've done. Those words that I just said could also apply to her. Only they don't and I've got to make her see that. " Syd, what I just said. I didn't mean it about you. I never thought that of you. Never. You're not like that. I know you would tell people if you could, if their lives didn't depend on it."
" I know. I really do. It just makes you wonder you know."
I nod my head and take a sip of my coffee. As soon as I swallow I wince. Sydney looks me in the eye again, dimples showing, " It's really that bad, huh?"
Matching my smile with hers I say, " You have know idea."
Her smile grows " Actually I do. I had five cups before you came."
I chuckle at that statement and before we realize it we're doing it again. We're standing to close and looking at each other too long. Then I get the nerve to do it. I'm going to bring up France.
Leaning in closer I say, " Syd, what happen in France I don't." I never get to finish my sentence because Weiss comes in. " Hey, guys it's time for the meeting. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.'' He makes the last part sound so sweet I almost want to vomit. I scowl at him then we make our way into the briefing room
As soon as enter that room my good mood vanishes. Looking around the room I see Irina Derevko and Sark but not Cassie or Kendall.
" Where's Cassandra?" " Your sister will be here shortly." Jack answers me. Irina looks at me in surprise. " What does your sister have to do with this mission, Agent Vaughn?" I clench my teeth and answer, " Why don't you ask your dog. He's the one that said she was so crucial to this mission." Irina looks utterly confused but asks Sark any ways. " Sark, you never told me you knew Agent Vaughn's sister." " You never asked." Sark answers from his place against the wall. That one little smug comment makes me finally snap. Finally makes the worrying, confusion, anger and sleepless night get to me. In three steps I come right up to Sark's face and asks him, " How the hell do you know my sister?!"
The basterd looks at me and says in that annoying, cocky British voice, " I really do think that it should be your sister who address that question. I grab him by his suit's collar and shove him in to the wall. It was just one smug comment too many. " Answer the question or I'm going to skin you alive." " You know being over protective of me was cute when I was 15 but now its annoying. Besides don't you think skinning someone alive is a bit drastic?" a familiar female voice says.
All the heads in the room turn to the doorway. Standing there in a form fitting black pantsuit was Cassandra Vaughn striking as ever.
****************************************************************** I hope you enjoyed the story!! I think most of you might have an idea of the relationships now but just in case. I'll tell you in the 5th or 6th chapter.I have no idea how long this story will be yet! Please review and tell me if you liked it!!