OK, I know this chapter's not very good but I've been struggling with what
to write in it for a few days so I figured I'd just start writing and see
what happened. Anyways, I have some ideas for what's going to happen in
future chapters and I really want to write it but I had to deal with the
stuff in this chapter first.
Thanks for the reviews, in answer to someone's question: no, as far as Francie is concerned, Sydney used to work in a bank.
Here it is, enjoy. . .
"What. . . why? I don't understand. . ." Sydney managed weakly before sinking down into a chair. "What the hell do they want to see me for?"
"Sydney, they don't just want to see you," Vaughn said gently. "They want you to work for them - I mean us - again" Somehow, it felt wrong to be referring to himself as a part of the organization that wanted to ruin Sydney's life again, but it also felt weird to refer to the CIA as "them". Actually, it felt weird to be referring to the CIA at all. Since Sydney had left to pursue a career in teaching, the CIA was rarely mentioned between them. It wasn't that Sydney wasn't interested in her husband's work - she was, she was interested in absolutely everything about him - it was just that she'd rather forget about her previous life, when almost everything had been a lie.
By now, Sydney had calmed down enough to make a coherent response, although she could only manage a stunned "But why? Why now? It doesn't make sense!"
"I don't know why, sweetie. I wish I could answer all your questions but I just can't. I was simply told to tell you this." Vaughn regarded Sydney sadly. They had been so happy these last few years, and now the CIA was going to make everything complicated again. Of course, that would only happen if Sydney decided to work there again. He knew she would refuse, at first. But he also thought that there must be something really huge happening for them to ask her back after all this time. She had been so adamant that she never wanted to go back there after they had taken down SD- 6. Vaughn was surprised that the CIA would dare to ask her to come back after what she had said to a room full of self-satisfied directors and senior operatives ("The day I never have to see this place or any of you again will be the best day of my life, so don't even think about asking me to do anything for you now, after all the misery and lies I've suffered because of working for you").
"When do they want me to go in?" Sydney said, with a sigh. As much as she didn't want to know, she knew that she needed answers and that the only way she was going to get them would be asking Kendall herself. While she was there, Sydney decided, she would reinforce the fact that she was not just a tool, to be used as and when they decided they needed her, she was a person and a person who did not work for the CIA in any way, shape or form.
"Now," Vaughn said quietly.
Ten minutes later, Sydney and Vaughn were sitting in silence while Vaughn drove them to CIA headquarters. As they drove along the all-too-familiar route, Sydney grew more and more quiet. She stared vacantly out of the window, watching children playing in the street in the fading light of day. It made her sad to see them. They were all so happy, none of them realised the kind of things that happened, that organizations like SD-6 really did exist. Vaughn glanced over at her. He reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Sydney smiled at him weakly. "Why am I so worried about this?" she thought, "CIA does not automatically equal bad" She was trying to reassure herself but she did not know why. She knew that her response to any pleading, begging or even threatening (although, this being the CIA, she did not think threatening was too likely to happen) would be a flat refusal.
Eventually, Vaughn parked the car and looked over at his wife. "You ready for this?" he asked. Sydney sighed inwardly and nodded. She got out of the car and together they walked into the building. Vaughn took Sydney's hand and led her to Kendall's office.
"Ah, Mrs Vaughn," he said, with a smile, as Sydney and Vaughn approached his desk. Sydney returned his smile with a cold stare and folded her arms across her chest.
"I gather your husband has informed you of our request?"
"Yes," she replied icily.
"But he didn't tell you why?"
"No,"
"Are all your answers going to be monosyllabic?"
"Well, that depends," she said, in the same frosty tone. "Are you going to tell me what's going on and why the hell you think you can just break into my life when it suits you?"
"Fair enough. You're entitled to your anger, I suppose," Kendall replied smoothly, in a voice that said 'You may think you're in control here, but you will do what I want' and this only served to increase Sydney's indignation. "But I think you may be interested in what I have to say," he continued, this time in a more friendly tone, which was not heard very often, if ever. There was a few seconds pause while Sydney considered the situation.
"Go ahead," she conceded. Kendall took a deep breath and regarded Sydney seriously.
"As you know, all documents related to the Alliance were destroyed along with the Alliance itself three years ago." He paused, as if waiting for a response, but Sydney decided not to give him to satisfaction of appearing to be 'on the edge of her seat' and remained silent. "We have gained intel which leads us to believe that not all the information regarding a particular branch of the Alliance, SD-1, was destroyed. When the Alliance was being formed, there was an extra member. His name was Henry Lloyd. There was a dispute among the members, it seems that Lloyd was opposed to some of their proposed actions. He was 'dealt with' to quote Arvin Sloane," Kendall inflicted the name of the former SD-6 Director with as much contempt as was humanly possible "but it seems that whatever method of 'dealing' with him they used was not effective enough. All this happened years ago, of course, and as there have been no reported sightings of him, nothing involving him whatsoever since then, in time he was forgotten about. But now, money deposited in an account known only to the original members has gone missing. Sloane believes that Lloyd may be involved."
Sydney's eyes grew wider as she listened to her world being turned upside down all over again.
To be continued. . .
Thanks for the reviews, in answer to someone's question: no, as far as Francie is concerned, Sydney used to work in a bank.
Here it is, enjoy. . .
"What. . . why? I don't understand. . ." Sydney managed weakly before sinking down into a chair. "What the hell do they want to see me for?"
"Sydney, they don't just want to see you," Vaughn said gently. "They want you to work for them - I mean us - again" Somehow, it felt wrong to be referring to himself as a part of the organization that wanted to ruin Sydney's life again, but it also felt weird to refer to the CIA as "them". Actually, it felt weird to be referring to the CIA at all. Since Sydney had left to pursue a career in teaching, the CIA was rarely mentioned between them. It wasn't that Sydney wasn't interested in her husband's work - she was, she was interested in absolutely everything about him - it was just that she'd rather forget about her previous life, when almost everything had been a lie.
By now, Sydney had calmed down enough to make a coherent response, although she could only manage a stunned "But why? Why now? It doesn't make sense!"
"I don't know why, sweetie. I wish I could answer all your questions but I just can't. I was simply told to tell you this." Vaughn regarded Sydney sadly. They had been so happy these last few years, and now the CIA was going to make everything complicated again. Of course, that would only happen if Sydney decided to work there again. He knew she would refuse, at first. But he also thought that there must be something really huge happening for them to ask her back after all this time. She had been so adamant that she never wanted to go back there after they had taken down SD- 6. Vaughn was surprised that the CIA would dare to ask her to come back after what she had said to a room full of self-satisfied directors and senior operatives ("The day I never have to see this place or any of you again will be the best day of my life, so don't even think about asking me to do anything for you now, after all the misery and lies I've suffered because of working for you").
"When do they want me to go in?" Sydney said, with a sigh. As much as she didn't want to know, she knew that she needed answers and that the only way she was going to get them would be asking Kendall herself. While she was there, Sydney decided, she would reinforce the fact that she was not just a tool, to be used as and when they decided they needed her, she was a person and a person who did not work for the CIA in any way, shape or form.
"Now," Vaughn said quietly.
Ten minutes later, Sydney and Vaughn were sitting in silence while Vaughn drove them to CIA headquarters. As they drove along the all-too-familiar route, Sydney grew more and more quiet. She stared vacantly out of the window, watching children playing in the street in the fading light of day. It made her sad to see them. They were all so happy, none of them realised the kind of things that happened, that organizations like SD-6 really did exist. Vaughn glanced over at her. He reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Sydney smiled at him weakly. "Why am I so worried about this?" she thought, "CIA does not automatically equal bad" She was trying to reassure herself but she did not know why. She knew that her response to any pleading, begging or even threatening (although, this being the CIA, she did not think threatening was too likely to happen) would be a flat refusal.
Eventually, Vaughn parked the car and looked over at his wife. "You ready for this?" he asked. Sydney sighed inwardly and nodded. She got out of the car and together they walked into the building. Vaughn took Sydney's hand and led her to Kendall's office.
"Ah, Mrs Vaughn," he said, with a smile, as Sydney and Vaughn approached his desk. Sydney returned his smile with a cold stare and folded her arms across her chest.
"I gather your husband has informed you of our request?"
"Yes," she replied icily.
"But he didn't tell you why?"
"No,"
"Are all your answers going to be monosyllabic?"
"Well, that depends," she said, in the same frosty tone. "Are you going to tell me what's going on and why the hell you think you can just break into my life when it suits you?"
"Fair enough. You're entitled to your anger, I suppose," Kendall replied smoothly, in a voice that said 'You may think you're in control here, but you will do what I want' and this only served to increase Sydney's indignation. "But I think you may be interested in what I have to say," he continued, this time in a more friendly tone, which was not heard very often, if ever. There was a few seconds pause while Sydney considered the situation.
"Go ahead," she conceded. Kendall took a deep breath and regarded Sydney seriously.
"As you know, all documents related to the Alliance were destroyed along with the Alliance itself three years ago." He paused, as if waiting for a response, but Sydney decided not to give him to satisfaction of appearing to be 'on the edge of her seat' and remained silent. "We have gained intel which leads us to believe that not all the information regarding a particular branch of the Alliance, SD-1, was destroyed. When the Alliance was being formed, there was an extra member. His name was Henry Lloyd. There was a dispute among the members, it seems that Lloyd was opposed to some of their proposed actions. He was 'dealt with' to quote Arvin Sloane," Kendall inflicted the name of the former SD-6 Director with as much contempt as was humanly possible "but it seems that whatever method of 'dealing' with him they used was not effective enough. All this happened years ago, of course, and as there have been no reported sightings of him, nothing involving him whatsoever since then, in time he was forgotten about. But now, money deposited in an account known only to the original members has gone missing. Sloane believes that Lloyd may be involved."
Sydney's eyes grew wider as she listened to her world being turned upside down all over again.
To be continued. . .