Trust

If I owned Alias then I'd own Michael Vartan and there'd be clones of him walking around (But that wouldn't be my fault! You should know who you are.) So, until the day you look out your window and Michael Vartan #576 is mowing your lawn, I don't own Alias.

Thank you everyone for your reviews, that's what keeps me writing!

Chapter 4

:: The Next Day ::

Sydney entered the Ops center with two goals, find Eric, talk to him, then find Marshall and get some "advice" then leave without bumping into anyone that may take up her time. She glanced at her watch and figured that Eric would most likely be in his office or in the cafeteria at this time. She decided the office was her best bet for not being seen and that he'd eventually have to return. She knocked on the door and was pleasantly surprised to find him there.

"Sydney, what can I do for you? How are you holding up?" Eric stood and hugged her.

When they parted she sat down and got straight to business, "Is this room bugged?"

"No. It's not really standard CIA protocol to bug agent's offices. What is this about?" Eric sat down and surveyed Sydney suspiciously.

"I'm leaving." She saw his surprise; "I got a tip from a source that my father and Michael were being held overseas. I have to go check it out. I thought I'd let you know where I was in case something went wrong. If anyone goes looking for me tell them that I went to France to see Vaughn's mother."

"Are you sure they'll buy that?"

"They know that Michael and I were close. It's a logical lie that they won't bother checking it out." Sydney checked her watch, "I need to go and talk to Marshall. Can I trust you to do this?"

"Anything for you and Mike." Eric smiled.

"Thank you." She smiled as she left.

"I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into." He sighed.

Sydney smiled triumphantly as she found Marshall on her first try, "Marshall, can I speak to you for a moment?" She asked, pulling him away from some other Tech geeks.

"Sydney, I didn't think that I'd see you around here anymore. I mean not anymore, just like today. You were in a big rush when you left this morning. I mean, I wasn't sure if you would be coming back to work anytime soon. I thought you'd still be reeling from your father and Agent Vaughn disappearing. What am I talking about? You must still be upset and here I am rubbing it in your face. I'm a bad friend, not that I presume to call myself your friend it's just that we've,"

"Marshall." Sydney broke his train of thought.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I just wanted some supplies. They're sending me out and I wanted to be prepared. It's standard breaking and entering. Nothing big, a few safes and guards." She felt bad about lying, but knew that this was the only way she could have the very best without letting on too much and it somehow getting back to Devlin or Kendall.

"Oh, I have plenty to choose from. Come with me." Marshall led her to a storeroom full of things that any decent cat burglar would love to get their hands on.

"Wow, this is amazing."

"Well, thank you. You know that this is my specialty. What did you need exactly?"

Sydney thought for a moment, "Whatever you think is best."

Sydney left 20 minutes later with two briefcases loaded with anything and everything she'd need to break into 12 houses, "Thank you so much Marshall." She smiled, "By the way, you are my friend, a good one too."

As Sydney walked away she didn't see the happiness that passed over Marshall's face.
~*~

She knew that more then likely she'd be kicked out of the CIA after this, her little stunt would also cost her some jail time, but it was worth it for them. The two men in her life that meant the most to her. Sure, she loved Will, but it was different with her father and Michael.

She exited the care with care; three suitcases and a duffle bag were piled onto a cart as she made her way through the airport into luggage check-in. That's where she saw her. Standing to the side, reading a magazine with her normally light-brown hair dyed blond, glasses, and jeans. It was odd to see her looking so casual, but also sort of a comfort.

"I wasn't sure you'd get out." Sydney said as she walked up to her. Looking through her purse for her passport, so she appeared busy.

"I got in, didn't I?" Irina said simply.

"Where do we go from here?"

"I have a helicopter waiting for us on a landing strip. Meet me at gate 4 in forty-five minutes." Irina glanced at her watch then walked away.

Sydney pulled her passport out and made her way to the baggage drop off.

"Hello ma'am. Can I please see your tickets?" The overly cheerful clerk asked.

Sydney smiled, "Sure, they're right here." Sydney went into her jacket pocket and gasped, "Or they should've been." Smiling weakly she pretended for about fifteen minutes that she'd lost her tickets, until the clerk asked her to step to the side and come back when she'd found them. She grabbed her suitcases and called, "Must've left them in the car!" as she rushed off out the doors.

Sydney checked her watch and calculated the amount of time it would take her to get to gate 4. About ten minutes to do what ever she needed to do before she left. She threw two of her suitcases back in the car and locked it. She dragged the smallest one back, with her duffle bag on her shoulder. Making her way to through the terminal she pulled out her cell phone. Speed- dial. . .

"Hello?"

"Hey Will."

"Where are you going? Or are you already there?" Will inquired.

"On my way. I'm in the airport. I'm really sorry Will, but this is a big deal." Sydney stopped in front of gate four and found it deserted. Perfect, "Will--"

"You have to go. I'll talk to you soon. You'd better keep me up to speed." He warned.

"I will. You'll tell Francie?" She heard the hesitation in his voice, ever since he and Francie had gotten more serious he felt bad about the lies, "It's ok Will. I'll call her and let her know."

"No, don't bother. It's alright. I just think that she knows something is going on. She's been acting really weird lately."

Sydney was about to speak when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Agents. CIA, and lots of them; not good, "I have to go. If anyone calls or stops by looking for me say nothing. Bye." She hung the phone up and made her way through the doors, down the stairs and onto the tarmac.

The wind swept past her and she ran towards the helicopter. It was running and she swore she'd seen something like this in a movie before. She'd reach the copter just in time and get the guy. This was no movie, not at all. The chopper had started and she climbed in with minutes to spare.

"What's wrong?" So calm, so cool, she acted like she hadn't just broken out of custody.

"There are CIA agents swarming the airport. We need to leave." Sydney explained.

"We should be off the ground and in the air in a matter of moments." As she spoke the chopper rose in the air, "see?"

Sydney nodded, "Thank you."

"Well, they wouldn't be swarming the airport if I hadn't of left CIA custody. You know that as well as I do. I just don't understand how this could've happened so quickly. We should've had an hour before someone noticed we were missing. Someone must have come to see me. I wonder who." Irina sat silently thinking.

"Where are we going exactly? I mean we can't really take a helicopter to Europe." Sydney pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Don't be silly. We're heading to a private airstrip where my jet is fueled and ready to take off as soon as we arrive. CIA won't have anytime to secure the airstrip either. It's a private location. I had everything arranged myself." Irina looked out the window and continued thinking.

Sydney decided that it would be best to be silent and to let her mother think. Her thoughts wandered, as they often did, to Michael. She wondered if he was ok, she wondered if he missed her and the one thing she didn't want to wonder about, but the only thing she could even think about was if he was alive. A lone tear dropped down her face as her heart clenched, the idea of loosing him and her father at the same time was sick and more then a little painful.