Chapter 3
Jack paled with fury. His muscles bunched involuntarily, then stilled as the gun barrel prodded him again.
"Call her, Jack."
Jack slowly reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quick-dialing Sydney's number. On the first ring it was answered. By a male voice. "Let me speak to my daughter," he snarled, infuriated that he hadn't anticipated Sloane's move.
"Dad?" came a familiar voice.
"Sydney!" Jack said with concern. "Where are -," he paused as the line went dead.
"You know how much I care for Sydney, Jack," said Sloane, his expression betraying his words. "I'd hate to see something happen to her."
Jack swallowed and tried to collect his thoughts. Dixon's wife had been brutally murdered just days earlier. With Emily's death still fresh on Sloane's mind, no one was safe. Particularly not the daughter of the man who had ordered the mission. "What do you want?" he asked bleakly.
"I need the genetic code for the 600 year-old flower you collected in Kashmir."
Jack's heart sank. The analysis had taken months and just been completed. He hadn't even been briefed on the results, which were being held under tight security. "I'll go to prison for that," he said, stalling.
"Kendall didn't go to prison for giving the Rambaldi manuscript to Irina."
"That's not the same," said Jack impatiently. "That was an error in judgement, not an outright theft of classified government property... Wait a minute-," said Jack, thunderstruck, "Kendall *gave* the manuscript to Irina?"
Sloane looked smug. "Photographs," he said simply. "Don't ask."
Jack wasn't remotely tempted to ask.
"I don't want you to go to prison, Jack. You can't be nearly as useful to me there." Jack's stomach twisted as he realized that Sloane was planning to manipulate him on a long-term basis. "Besides, you're a lot smarter than Kendall. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You'll hand it off to Irina tomorrow at 11am. She'll call at 10:45 with the location. Once she returns and we've verified the information, we'll release Sydney."
"Not good enough. You get the disk when I get Sydney."
Sloane's reptilian eyes glittered. "I think you may have overestimated your negotiating position, Jack." He waited, relaxed.
"Fine," Jack ground out after a moment's consideration. Sloane was right. He had no leverage. "11am tomorrow."
"You'll understand if I don't stay longer, Jack," said Sloane casually as he stood up. "My friends will keep you company for another 10 minutes or so. Try not to do anything reckless in the meantime."
"Sloane," Jack growled.
Sloane turned back towards Jack.
"If anything happens to her...,"
Sloane smiled thinly. "But you'll make sure it won't, right Jack?"
Jack swore to himself savagely as Sloane left.
Jimmy approached Jack, a slight trace of concern on his face. "Mr. Bristow, has your friend left? He....forgot to settle his bill."
"What a surprise."
Jack paled with fury. His muscles bunched involuntarily, then stilled as the gun barrel prodded him again.
"Call her, Jack."
Jack slowly reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quick-dialing Sydney's number. On the first ring it was answered. By a male voice. "Let me speak to my daughter," he snarled, infuriated that he hadn't anticipated Sloane's move.
"Dad?" came a familiar voice.
"Sydney!" Jack said with concern. "Where are -," he paused as the line went dead.
"You know how much I care for Sydney, Jack," said Sloane, his expression betraying his words. "I'd hate to see something happen to her."
Jack swallowed and tried to collect his thoughts. Dixon's wife had been brutally murdered just days earlier. With Emily's death still fresh on Sloane's mind, no one was safe. Particularly not the daughter of the man who had ordered the mission. "What do you want?" he asked bleakly.
"I need the genetic code for the 600 year-old flower you collected in Kashmir."
Jack's heart sank. The analysis had taken months and just been completed. He hadn't even been briefed on the results, which were being held under tight security. "I'll go to prison for that," he said, stalling.
"Kendall didn't go to prison for giving the Rambaldi manuscript to Irina."
"That's not the same," said Jack impatiently. "That was an error in judgement, not an outright theft of classified government property... Wait a minute-," said Jack, thunderstruck, "Kendall *gave* the manuscript to Irina?"
Sloane looked smug. "Photographs," he said simply. "Don't ask."
Jack wasn't remotely tempted to ask.
"I don't want you to go to prison, Jack. You can't be nearly as useful to me there." Jack's stomach twisted as he realized that Sloane was planning to manipulate him on a long-term basis. "Besides, you're a lot smarter than Kendall. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You'll hand it off to Irina tomorrow at 11am. She'll call at 10:45 with the location. Once she returns and we've verified the information, we'll release Sydney."
"Not good enough. You get the disk when I get Sydney."
Sloane's reptilian eyes glittered. "I think you may have overestimated your negotiating position, Jack." He waited, relaxed.
"Fine," Jack ground out after a moment's consideration. Sloane was right. He had no leverage. "11am tomorrow."
"You'll understand if I don't stay longer, Jack," said Sloane casually as he stood up. "My friends will keep you company for another 10 minutes or so. Try not to do anything reckless in the meantime."
"Sloane," Jack growled.
Sloane turned back towards Jack.
"If anything happens to her...,"
Sloane smiled thinly. "But you'll make sure it won't, right Jack?"
Jack swore to himself savagely as Sloane left.
Jimmy approached Jack, a slight trace of concern on his face. "Mr. Bristow, has your friend left? He....forgot to settle his bill."
"What a surprise."
