Disclaimers in previous chapters.
I want to thank all those that reviewed, it means alot to me. I am always up for some constructive critisism so please let me know what it is about the story that makes it work for you and what you dont like. I have most of the story written but my wonderful sister/beta is being slow betaing them, seeing as how she is writing her own story at the moment, of course i am betaing that so we end up holding each others stories hostage, it generally gets us nowhere fast. But I will try to post them as quick as I can.
I am now accepting anonymous reviews, thanks to the reviewer that pointed that error out to me.
This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter, but dont worry, it does serve a purpose that will later be revealed. Sometime you gotta explain how you got from point A to point B, even if its not real exciting. The fun part of the story is on its way, not that these parts haven't been fun, but you know what I mean.
Chapter 3: A Time to Gather Stones Together
January 2010
Malone slipped the key into the lock and pushed open the door to his apartment. With a practiced efficiency, he punched in the code to disarm his security system. Dropping his keys on the table positioned conveniently in the entry, he walked straight for his bedroom closet and pulled out his luggage.
Mentally, he reviewed what he had learned in the past XXX weeks about Vaughn Snr.'s Organization. He had just gotten off of work. He was spending a huge amount of time there as the disk that Mountaineer had retrieved had proven an invaluable resource about the organization run by Agent Vaughn's father, a man that everyone referred to simply as "Vaughn senior". It seems that Irina Derevko had not killed him as had been suspected; She was working with him and carrying on an affair while his family thought he was dead. They had started a network of arms dealers that had grown in power but not really in size. They believed that the larger the organization the easier it was to infiltrate. Irina Derevko had been sent to infiltrate the CIA and garner whatever information she could on the Agencies knowledge of the organization.
The disk told of their contacts and assets throughout the world, but most importantly, it identified their main holdings in Morocco. Malone had dedicated all his time to deciphering the disk and the codes that were on it. The techs would break a code and send it to Weiss and Malone and the two would work through the mountains of paperwork. All the while Malone had been given the responsibility of over seeing a few operations.
All the time spent at work had Malone mentally and physically exhausted. He knew that in joining the CIA he would be exposed to some messed up stuff, but the intrigue and betrayal surrounding Irina Derevko and the Vaughns was more screwed up then even he could comprehend at times. 'Are there really people like this in the world. I guess so' malone knew he wasn't to only one putting in long hours and working to exhaustion. Weiss had been at the office before him veryday that week and was still there each night when he left. For that matter so was Sydney Bristow. He had seen her more in the last 2 weeks then he had in all his short time at the Agency.
Malone was still intrigued by Agent Bristow. He had thought she retired a year after the Alliance fell. She was a legend within the Agency and most people talked about her and her work in hushed and awe inspired tones. Malone learned that she joined the Agency after the head of SD-6 murdered her fiancÈe, a med student. She had quickly become one of the most valuable assets the CIA had. It was as if whatever Bristow wanted she got. There was even a rumor that she had gotten someone a promotion so that they could work together. He wasn't sure this was true or not but it did lend to the air of mystrey that surrounded her. Who could she have cared that much about that she would demand something like that just so they could work together?
Malone had looked up what he could in her file, he was anxious to learn all he could about her, maybe then he would figure out why she was back at the CIA, back out on Ops when everything said she had retired to be a teacher. He found very few useful things in her file, most of it was blacked out due to security issues, and even the name of her handler had been blacked out. Malone assumed it was because the Agent was on assignment and the CIA wanted no ties to one of their most famous spies.
There was no personal information about her at all, not even an address or family information, the only thing he could find out was that her father was also one of the most respected and decorated agents, Jack Bristow and her mother was the infamous Irina Derevko.
Malone knew that he would never be able to find out all he wanted to. He asked Weiss once, and nearly had his head bitten off. He learned that Weiss had a huge soft spot for Sydney Bristow but he could never figure out why. There was nothing romantic about them but a huge sense of intimacy. Malone noticed that Weiss was the only person Bristow would talk to when she happened to come to the office. They would go to lunch occasionally and a few times Malone had heard them on the phone together. Once he had called Weiss at home and Sydney had answered the phone. It seemed to him that there was a great deal of love between the two but there was an undertone of something he couldn't pinpoint. The conversations he had witnessed between the two always seemed to be about more than what they actually spoke. He could never tell what it was they were communicating to each other but it seemed to tighten the bond that was so obvious between the two of them. Malone realized he did not have the time to contemplate Weiss and Bristows relationship any more. He was home for one reason only, to pack for his first mission as a field agent.
The alarm on his wrist chirped. Malone glanced down and realized it was after two pm, he need to get a move on, he had to be at Dulles and on a transport in just under an hour. He was off to try and gather more information on Vaughn Srs. organization. He was only trying to make some contacts of his own in the region; there would be no recon or surveillance of the actual organization on this mission.
Malone had never been to Morocco and all he could think right now was "of all the gin joints in the world and she had to walk into mine". Cheesy he knew, but he did like that movie, Bogie was always so confidant and stole every scene he was in. He was the epitome of manliness, until a girl came in a ruined it all for him. 'Seems to be the way the world works' Malone thought to himself.
If this mission went as expected Malone was told that he would be sent on more field missions and he was thrilled, this is what he wanted, to be on the front line, to see the action first hand, not just hear it though a comm. Malone grabbed his bag and turned out the light after he turned down his heat, he wasn't going to be there for a while so why pay the money to heat the place.
Malone took one last look around and headed to the airport. His plane left in an hour.
I want to thank all those that reviewed, it means alot to me. I am always up for some constructive critisism so please let me know what it is about the story that makes it work for you and what you dont like. I have most of the story written but my wonderful sister/beta is being slow betaing them, seeing as how she is writing her own story at the moment, of course i am betaing that so we end up holding each others stories hostage, it generally gets us nowhere fast. But I will try to post them as quick as I can.
I am now accepting anonymous reviews, thanks to the reviewer that pointed that error out to me.
This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter, but dont worry, it does serve a purpose that will later be revealed. Sometime you gotta explain how you got from point A to point B, even if its not real exciting. The fun part of the story is on its way, not that these parts haven't been fun, but you know what I mean.
Chapter 3: A Time to Gather Stones Together
January 2010
Malone slipped the key into the lock and pushed open the door to his apartment. With a practiced efficiency, he punched in the code to disarm his security system. Dropping his keys on the table positioned conveniently in the entry, he walked straight for his bedroom closet and pulled out his luggage.
Mentally, he reviewed what he had learned in the past XXX weeks about Vaughn Snr.'s Organization. He had just gotten off of work. He was spending a huge amount of time there as the disk that Mountaineer had retrieved had proven an invaluable resource about the organization run by Agent Vaughn's father, a man that everyone referred to simply as "Vaughn senior". It seems that Irina Derevko had not killed him as had been suspected; She was working with him and carrying on an affair while his family thought he was dead. They had started a network of arms dealers that had grown in power but not really in size. They believed that the larger the organization the easier it was to infiltrate. Irina Derevko had been sent to infiltrate the CIA and garner whatever information she could on the Agencies knowledge of the organization.
The disk told of their contacts and assets throughout the world, but most importantly, it identified their main holdings in Morocco. Malone had dedicated all his time to deciphering the disk and the codes that were on it. The techs would break a code and send it to Weiss and Malone and the two would work through the mountains of paperwork. All the while Malone had been given the responsibility of over seeing a few operations.
All the time spent at work had Malone mentally and physically exhausted. He knew that in joining the CIA he would be exposed to some messed up stuff, but the intrigue and betrayal surrounding Irina Derevko and the Vaughns was more screwed up then even he could comprehend at times. 'Are there really people like this in the world. I guess so' malone knew he wasn't to only one putting in long hours and working to exhaustion. Weiss had been at the office before him veryday that week and was still there each night when he left. For that matter so was Sydney Bristow. He had seen her more in the last 2 weeks then he had in all his short time at the Agency.
Malone was still intrigued by Agent Bristow. He had thought she retired a year after the Alliance fell. She was a legend within the Agency and most people talked about her and her work in hushed and awe inspired tones. Malone learned that she joined the Agency after the head of SD-6 murdered her fiancÈe, a med student. She had quickly become one of the most valuable assets the CIA had. It was as if whatever Bristow wanted she got. There was even a rumor that she had gotten someone a promotion so that they could work together. He wasn't sure this was true or not but it did lend to the air of mystrey that surrounded her. Who could she have cared that much about that she would demand something like that just so they could work together?
Malone had looked up what he could in her file, he was anxious to learn all he could about her, maybe then he would figure out why she was back at the CIA, back out on Ops when everything said she had retired to be a teacher. He found very few useful things in her file, most of it was blacked out due to security issues, and even the name of her handler had been blacked out. Malone assumed it was because the Agent was on assignment and the CIA wanted no ties to one of their most famous spies.
There was no personal information about her at all, not even an address or family information, the only thing he could find out was that her father was also one of the most respected and decorated agents, Jack Bristow and her mother was the infamous Irina Derevko.
Malone knew that he would never be able to find out all he wanted to. He asked Weiss once, and nearly had his head bitten off. He learned that Weiss had a huge soft spot for Sydney Bristow but he could never figure out why. There was nothing romantic about them but a huge sense of intimacy. Malone noticed that Weiss was the only person Bristow would talk to when she happened to come to the office. They would go to lunch occasionally and a few times Malone had heard them on the phone together. Once he had called Weiss at home and Sydney had answered the phone. It seemed to him that there was a great deal of love between the two but there was an undertone of something he couldn't pinpoint. The conversations he had witnessed between the two always seemed to be about more than what they actually spoke. He could never tell what it was they were communicating to each other but it seemed to tighten the bond that was so obvious between the two of them. Malone realized he did not have the time to contemplate Weiss and Bristows relationship any more. He was home for one reason only, to pack for his first mission as a field agent.
The alarm on his wrist chirped. Malone glanced down and realized it was after two pm, he need to get a move on, he had to be at Dulles and on a transport in just under an hour. He was off to try and gather more information on Vaughn Srs. organization. He was only trying to make some contacts of his own in the region; there would be no recon or surveillance of the actual organization on this mission.
Malone had never been to Morocco and all he could think right now was "of all the gin joints in the world and she had to walk into mine". Cheesy he knew, but he did like that movie, Bogie was always so confidant and stole every scene he was in. He was the epitome of manliness, until a girl came in a ruined it all for him. 'Seems to be the way the world works' Malone thought to himself.
If this mission went as expected Malone was told that he would be sent on more field missions and he was thrilled, this is what he wanted, to be on the front line, to see the action first hand, not just hear it though a comm. Malone grabbed his bag and turned out the light after he turned down his heat, he wasn't going to be there for a while so why pay the money to heat the place.
Malone took one last look around and headed to the airport. His plane left in an hour.