I'd just like to say a big thank you to Ryanne because you review every
chapter and it means such a lot to me to know that at least one person is
still reading this!
Thanks to anyone else who's reviewed as well :)
Sorry this is a bit short, it was longer but I decided it would be better to put some of it in the next chapter.
Anyways, here's chapter 8 so read, enjoy, review :)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Wh - what are you doing here?" stammered Marie, once she had recovered from her shock.
"I would have thought that was obvious," retorted the man, who was apparently named Richard. "I work for Henry Lloyd. Or did you forget that? A better question to ask would be what are *you* doing here?"
Marie looked down at the floor and then raised her head to meet his questioning stare, a look of steely determination in her eyes. "I'm working for Lloyd too," she said finally.
* * *
Outside, Sydney held her breath as if the sound of her breathing would make them aware of her presence.
* * *
"No you don't." Richard stated, and he raised the rifle to point it at Marie again, having come to the conclusion that she posed a threat. "You left Lloyd two years ago. Did you think he wouldn't tell me?"
Marie continued to glare defiantly at him. "I know that's what it looked like, but believe me when I tell you that I'm still working for him," she said. "We had to make it seem like I'd left because of the nature of the work I do. I wanted to tell you, Richard. Really, I did. . . but I just couldn't. It would have been too dangerous, for both you and me. The night I left. . . after the argument. I never got to tell you I was sorry and I've regretted that ever since. Lloyd came to see me, but I suppose he told you that." Richard nodded and Marie continued. "I was upset. I told him about our fight. . . I didn't go into details or tell him what it was about, but I told him that I wanted to leave his organization. Hell, I wanted to leave the *country*. He persuaded me to go on working for him but he agreed to move me. He offered me another job he had in mind and I left for China that night. He said I couldn't say goodbye to anyone. . . that no one must know where I was going or what I was doing. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared. I was so afraid of what he would do to me if I didn't obey him," Marie began to cry quietly as she relived her past. "I was so afraid and you weren't there to comfort me like you always did when I was a little girl." As if he was stone before and had now been magically made human, Richard let his weapon fall to the floor and pulled Marie to him. He rocked her gently as she cried against his shoulder.
* * *
Sydney listened intently to what went on behind the door. She was finding it difficult to piece together this strange puzzle. Who was Richard? How did he know Marie and why did they seem to have such a love-hate relationship? What was this secret job Lloyd had given to Marie? She soon found out.
* * *
Once she had regained her self-possession, Marie continued with her story. "I was in China for a year. I did not see Lloyd once during that time so my courage grew and I began to forget what it was that I once feared about him. I was bored with the assignment he had given me so I gave it up. I didn't tell anyone I was moving on; I simply got on a plane to Chicago. Lloyd found out, of course, as I had known he would, and he demanded to meet with me. I complied with this request and informed him that I wanted to do something new. He offered me a new job in Los Angeles. It was a long-term job and would offer me plenty of opportunities I would never have had otherwise. I accepted his offer: I am a double agent at the CIA. That's why I'm here - I'm on a mission to retrieve Disk Two. Now," she said, moving closer to him with her hands on her hips. "Why are you here?"
Richard looked around him uneasily before replying. He wasn't sure what to say. If he said that Lloyd had sent him, Marie would be sure to know that he was lying. But he couldn't tell the truth because it would be the first thing she told their employer as soon as she saw him. After weighing up his options for a few seconds, he opted for the truth.
"I'm holding Disk Three for Lloyd, but I'm sure you already knew that." Marie nodded, waving her hand as an indication for him to continue. "Like you, I'm tired of waiting for Lloyd to tell me what to do. I want to do things my way. I've come here to retrieve Disk Two. I've already got Disk Four. I figured if I can get all the disks, I'd be able to use them just as easily as Lloyd will when he gets them all," Richard paused, unsure whether he should carry on or not. "Listen Marie, you have the first two disks and I have the other two. If we work together we can do this now. No more waiting around for Lloyd. Just us. We'll divide the money between us and leave all this behind."
Marie seemed torn between two opinions, each fighting for control of her. Eventually, she relented. "Okay," she said and led Richard to a desk at the back of the room.
* * *
Hurriedly, Sydney switched on the comm link so she could talk to Vaughn. She could just about hear the conversation now that they had moved away from the door, but they were speaking in hushed voices and in language Sydney did not understand. It sounded like Chinese but Sydney did not recognise many of the words. After a few seconds of ineffectively trying to make sense of their conversation, she backed away from the door a few paces so that they would not hear her speaking.
"What's the matter, Syd?" Vaughn asked frantically. "Why aren't you at the extraction point yet?"
"We got held up," said Sydney vaguely. "Listen, I think Marie's a double agent. I think she's working for Lloyd."
"What?" Vaughn exploded. "Syd, why do you think that?"
"I heard her telling someone. A man she called Richard. . . I didn't get a last name. She knows him. . . I don't know how. Anyway, she told him she was working as a double agent at the CIA."
"Where is she now?" Vaughn asked desperately.
"She's in a room with him. I'm in the corridor outside. I was listening by the door but they're speaking in another language now. It sounds like Chinese or something. Vaughn, what should I do? They're planning to work together, and leave Lloyd behind. He said he had Disks Three and Four and Marie said she can give him Disks One and Two."
Vaughn rubbed his hand across his forehead in panic. "Who's got Disk Two? Syd, please tell me Marie didn't get it."
"No, no. I have it," she assured him.
"Well, whatever you do, *do not* let her get her hands on it."
"Of course I won't. I'm not stupid!"
"Sorry. I know, it's just. . . oh Syd, be careful."
"What am I supposed to do?" she hissed.
"Wait outside until she comes out, but not right near the door. You have to pretend that you didn't hear anything. If she thinks you suspect her she might get dangerous. Syd, please promise me you won't try to do anything until you get back to LA."
"Okay. I won't," she sighed.
"Don't let her leave your sight. We'll have a team to pick you up at the airport and she'll be arrested when you get back."
"Okay. . . Vaughn?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll be careful. I will," she said firmly. "Oh! She's coming out," Sydney walked past the door and continued walking slowly down the corridor when she heard Marie moving towards the door. The door clicked open and Sydney spun around.
"Marie!" she exclaimed. "This place is like a maze. I think I know the way out though." Marie nodded; she seemed somewhat shaken after her encounter with Richard. If she was suspicious that Sydney appeared not to notice that she came out of a room, she did not show it. They wound their way through corridors and eventually exited through a door that brought them mere feet from the car they were getting to the airport. Sydney glanced at Marie from time to time, hoping that Marie's face would betray her. Sydney hated to think that Marie had lied to her, that while Sydney had so easily trusted Marie she was using all their intel to work against them. She wished that she was wrong, that she had misheard the conversation, or that she had made it up completely but she knew that thinking like that was too dangerous. It was better to be aware that Marie was a danger to her than to be blind about it.
A long, uncomfortable flight later, Sydney and Marie were leaving the plane. Marie walked slightly in front of Sydney and Sydney kept a close eye on her. The first person Sydney saw was Vaughn. Behind him stood a few other agents in casual clothes, obviously attempting to blend in. Sydney went straight to Vaughn and he took her in his arms. A wave of relief washed over him as he kissed her hair gently, glad that she was safe.
Meanwhile, two of the other agents sauntered casually over to Marie who stood a few feet away from Sydney and Vaughn. She looked slightly puzzled at this and when she looked questioningly up at the one nearest her she was shocked that he discreetly slipped a handcuff around her wrist. She struggled a bit but he put his face close to hers and warned her not to make a scene. He then handcuffed himself to her and led her away to the car. Sydney watched sadly as her friend was taken away.
"I can't believe this," she whispered softly to Vaughn.
"Me too," he returned. "Marie seemed so. . ." the sentence was left unfinished. They both how deceptive appearances could be.
* * *
Marie was locked in a cell similar to the ones occupied by Arvin Sloane and Irina Derevko. It saddened Sydney to see that she was now seen in the same light as them and she found it difficult to come to terms with the revelation that yet another of her friends was not quite what she seemed. It did not take long for an interrogator to get information from Marie. She insisted that she was not a double agent, she pleaded that she had been lying, but no one believed her. When it came down to Sydney Vaughn's word against Marie Henley's, Marie didn't stand a chance. She was not tortured; it was not necessary. She told her interrogator the exact location of Disks Three and Four and assured them that she had not given away anything about where the first two disks were being kept or about the information on them. When she had nothing left to tell them, she was no longer considered a priority and was left in her cell, alone.
Jack Bristow, predictably, did not trust Marie's intel and told Kendall that they had no reason to believe that it was true. Kendall, predictably, argued that they should go to retrieve the disks anyway. Jack said that it could be a trap; Kendall said they'd have to take that risk, and the argument ended only by the arrival of Sydney. She sided with Kendall and persuaded her father that if Marie really was a double agent, they needed to find the remaining disks as soon as they could. Jack realised the sense in this and agreed that a team should be sent, providing that Sydney was not a part of it. She argued with him for a while and then reluctantly agreed.
Everyone's nerves were on edge the day the team went to find the disks. If Marie had been lying, they would be no closer to finding Lloyd and they would lose many valuable agents if it was a trap. On the other hand, if Marie had been truthful, the intel could be huge. Sydney was torn in half. One half of her, the rational half, understood that Marie was not who Sydney had thought she was. She had used Sydney as a way to get information and if Sydney had not found out, things could have turned out a lot worse. But there was another part of her, the part that refused to give up on her friend, who wanted desperately to wake up and realise she had been dreaming.
Determined to put herself out of her misery, Sydney resolved to talk to Marie, in the hope that if she actually confronted Marie about the situation, she would no longer doubt what she had heard but would accept that she had lost another friend.
TBC. . .
Thanks to anyone else who's reviewed as well :)
Sorry this is a bit short, it was longer but I decided it would be better to put some of it in the next chapter.
Anyways, here's chapter 8 so read, enjoy, review :)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Wh - what are you doing here?" stammered Marie, once she had recovered from her shock.
"I would have thought that was obvious," retorted the man, who was apparently named Richard. "I work for Henry Lloyd. Or did you forget that? A better question to ask would be what are *you* doing here?"
Marie looked down at the floor and then raised her head to meet his questioning stare, a look of steely determination in her eyes. "I'm working for Lloyd too," she said finally.
* * *
Outside, Sydney held her breath as if the sound of her breathing would make them aware of her presence.
* * *
"No you don't." Richard stated, and he raised the rifle to point it at Marie again, having come to the conclusion that she posed a threat. "You left Lloyd two years ago. Did you think he wouldn't tell me?"
Marie continued to glare defiantly at him. "I know that's what it looked like, but believe me when I tell you that I'm still working for him," she said. "We had to make it seem like I'd left because of the nature of the work I do. I wanted to tell you, Richard. Really, I did. . . but I just couldn't. It would have been too dangerous, for both you and me. The night I left. . . after the argument. I never got to tell you I was sorry and I've regretted that ever since. Lloyd came to see me, but I suppose he told you that." Richard nodded and Marie continued. "I was upset. I told him about our fight. . . I didn't go into details or tell him what it was about, but I told him that I wanted to leave his organization. Hell, I wanted to leave the *country*. He persuaded me to go on working for him but he agreed to move me. He offered me another job he had in mind and I left for China that night. He said I couldn't say goodbye to anyone. . . that no one must know where I was going or what I was doing. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared. I was so afraid of what he would do to me if I didn't obey him," Marie began to cry quietly as she relived her past. "I was so afraid and you weren't there to comfort me like you always did when I was a little girl." As if he was stone before and had now been magically made human, Richard let his weapon fall to the floor and pulled Marie to him. He rocked her gently as she cried against his shoulder.
* * *
Sydney listened intently to what went on behind the door. She was finding it difficult to piece together this strange puzzle. Who was Richard? How did he know Marie and why did they seem to have such a love-hate relationship? What was this secret job Lloyd had given to Marie? She soon found out.
* * *
Once she had regained her self-possession, Marie continued with her story. "I was in China for a year. I did not see Lloyd once during that time so my courage grew and I began to forget what it was that I once feared about him. I was bored with the assignment he had given me so I gave it up. I didn't tell anyone I was moving on; I simply got on a plane to Chicago. Lloyd found out, of course, as I had known he would, and he demanded to meet with me. I complied with this request and informed him that I wanted to do something new. He offered me a new job in Los Angeles. It was a long-term job and would offer me plenty of opportunities I would never have had otherwise. I accepted his offer: I am a double agent at the CIA. That's why I'm here - I'm on a mission to retrieve Disk Two. Now," she said, moving closer to him with her hands on her hips. "Why are you here?"
Richard looked around him uneasily before replying. He wasn't sure what to say. If he said that Lloyd had sent him, Marie would be sure to know that he was lying. But he couldn't tell the truth because it would be the first thing she told their employer as soon as she saw him. After weighing up his options for a few seconds, he opted for the truth.
"I'm holding Disk Three for Lloyd, but I'm sure you already knew that." Marie nodded, waving her hand as an indication for him to continue. "Like you, I'm tired of waiting for Lloyd to tell me what to do. I want to do things my way. I've come here to retrieve Disk Two. I've already got Disk Four. I figured if I can get all the disks, I'd be able to use them just as easily as Lloyd will when he gets them all," Richard paused, unsure whether he should carry on or not. "Listen Marie, you have the first two disks and I have the other two. If we work together we can do this now. No more waiting around for Lloyd. Just us. We'll divide the money between us and leave all this behind."
Marie seemed torn between two opinions, each fighting for control of her. Eventually, she relented. "Okay," she said and led Richard to a desk at the back of the room.
* * *
Hurriedly, Sydney switched on the comm link so she could talk to Vaughn. She could just about hear the conversation now that they had moved away from the door, but they were speaking in hushed voices and in language Sydney did not understand. It sounded like Chinese but Sydney did not recognise many of the words. After a few seconds of ineffectively trying to make sense of their conversation, she backed away from the door a few paces so that they would not hear her speaking.
"What's the matter, Syd?" Vaughn asked frantically. "Why aren't you at the extraction point yet?"
"We got held up," said Sydney vaguely. "Listen, I think Marie's a double agent. I think she's working for Lloyd."
"What?" Vaughn exploded. "Syd, why do you think that?"
"I heard her telling someone. A man she called Richard. . . I didn't get a last name. She knows him. . . I don't know how. Anyway, she told him she was working as a double agent at the CIA."
"Where is she now?" Vaughn asked desperately.
"She's in a room with him. I'm in the corridor outside. I was listening by the door but they're speaking in another language now. It sounds like Chinese or something. Vaughn, what should I do? They're planning to work together, and leave Lloyd behind. He said he had Disks Three and Four and Marie said she can give him Disks One and Two."
Vaughn rubbed his hand across his forehead in panic. "Who's got Disk Two? Syd, please tell me Marie didn't get it."
"No, no. I have it," she assured him.
"Well, whatever you do, *do not* let her get her hands on it."
"Of course I won't. I'm not stupid!"
"Sorry. I know, it's just. . . oh Syd, be careful."
"What am I supposed to do?" she hissed.
"Wait outside until she comes out, but not right near the door. You have to pretend that you didn't hear anything. If she thinks you suspect her she might get dangerous. Syd, please promise me you won't try to do anything until you get back to LA."
"Okay. I won't," she sighed.
"Don't let her leave your sight. We'll have a team to pick you up at the airport and she'll be arrested when you get back."
"Okay. . . Vaughn?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll be careful. I will," she said firmly. "Oh! She's coming out," Sydney walked past the door and continued walking slowly down the corridor when she heard Marie moving towards the door. The door clicked open and Sydney spun around.
"Marie!" she exclaimed. "This place is like a maze. I think I know the way out though." Marie nodded; she seemed somewhat shaken after her encounter with Richard. If she was suspicious that Sydney appeared not to notice that she came out of a room, she did not show it. They wound their way through corridors and eventually exited through a door that brought them mere feet from the car they were getting to the airport. Sydney glanced at Marie from time to time, hoping that Marie's face would betray her. Sydney hated to think that Marie had lied to her, that while Sydney had so easily trusted Marie she was using all their intel to work against them. She wished that she was wrong, that she had misheard the conversation, or that she had made it up completely but she knew that thinking like that was too dangerous. It was better to be aware that Marie was a danger to her than to be blind about it.
A long, uncomfortable flight later, Sydney and Marie were leaving the plane. Marie walked slightly in front of Sydney and Sydney kept a close eye on her. The first person Sydney saw was Vaughn. Behind him stood a few other agents in casual clothes, obviously attempting to blend in. Sydney went straight to Vaughn and he took her in his arms. A wave of relief washed over him as he kissed her hair gently, glad that she was safe.
Meanwhile, two of the other agents sauntered casually over to Marie who stood a few feet away from Sydney and Vaughn. She looked slightly puzzled at this and when she looked questioningly up at the one nearest her she was shocked that he discreetly slipped a handcuff around her wrist. She struggled a bit but he put his face close to hers and warned her not to make a scene. He then handcuffed himself to her and led her away to the car. Sydney watched sadly as her friend was taken away.
"I can't believe this," she whispered softly to Vaughn.
"Me too," he returned. "Marie seemed so. . ." the sentence was left unfinished. They both how deceptive appearances could be.
* * *
Marie was locked in a cell similar to the ones occupied by Arvin Sloane and Irina Derevko. It saddened Sydney to see that she was now seen in the same light as them and she found it difficult to come to terms with the revelation that yet another of her friends was not quite what she seemed. It did not take long for an interrogator to get information from Marie. She insisted that she was not a double agent, she pleaded that she had been lying, but no one believed her. When it came down to Sydney Vaughn's word against Marie Henley's, Marie didn't stand a chance. She was not tortured; it was not necessary. She told her interrogator the exact location of Disks Three and Four and assured them that she had not given away anything about where the first two disks were being kept or about the information on them. When she had nothing left to tell them, she was no longer considered a priority and was left in her cell, alone.
Jack Bristow, predictably, did not trust Marie's intel and told Kendall that they had no reason to believe that it was true. Kendall, predictably, argued that they should go to retrieve the disks anyway. Jack said that it could be a trap; Kendall said they'd have to take that risk, and the argument ended only by the arrival of Sydney. She sided with Kendall and persuaded her father that if Marie really was a double agent, they needed to find the remaining disks as soon as they could. Jack realised the sense in this and agreed that a team should be sent, providing that Sydney was not a part of it. She argued with him for a while and then reluctantly agreed.
Everyone's nerves were on edge the day the team went to find the disks. If Marie had been lying, they would be no closer to finding Lloyd and they would lose many valuable agents if it was a trap. On the other hand, if Marie had been truthful, the intel could be huge. Sydney was torn in half. One half of her, the rational half, understood that Marie was not who Sydney had thought she was. She had used Sydney as a way to get information and if Sydney had not found out, things could have turned out a lot worse. But there was another part of her, the part that refused to give up on her friend, who wanted desperately to wake up and realise she had been dreaming.
Determined to put herself out of her misery, Sydney resolved to talk to Marie, in the hope that if she actually confronted Marie about the situation, she would no longer doubt what she had heard but would accept that she had lost another friend.
TBC. . .