Chapter 6
For the 20th time in 10 minutes, Jack peered out the window in Sydney's kitchen, hoping to see his daughter dropped off. Absently he rubbed his wrists. He had had to virtually destroy the headboard to free himself. He hoped they charged it to Irina's tab.
He could not make sense of their last meeting. It was clear that Irina was still actively working with and protecting Sloane. And yet her primary concern had been Sydney's return. He thought she had planned her escape. And yet she thought he had set the whole thing up by removing the tracker. She had arranged for the drop in a hotel room, as if to taunt him about Panama. And yet when he called her on it . his hand moved to his cheek, where he thought he could still feel her handprint. He had been so surprised by the stricken look in her eyes, quickly masked, that he had taken the full force of her blow.
And yet. And yet. Jack sighed with frustration. In what was becoming an all too common pattern, Irina Derevko had left him once more, without any explanation.
He looked up as he heard a car pull to a stop outside her house. He was at the front door in three strides, in time to see Sydney being pushed out of the car before it sped away. She looked dazed and disoriented. Tenderly, Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder and herded her inside.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"Dad? What.where.?"
"Sit down. Let me get you some coffee. You've been sedated, it will take a little while for the drug to wear off."
Jack bustled around the kitchen, competently fixing coffee for them both. By the time it was ready, Sydney's expression was slowly clearing.
"OK, let me try again. What's today?" Sydney asked.
"Thursday, the 24th. It's 1:30pm."
"What happened?"
"Sloane kidnapped you," responded Jack flatly.
"Why?"
"He.thought it might influence me to help him."
"Dad! What did he want?"
"Information," responded Jack shortly.
"And I'm here now," concluded Sydney slowly, "because you gave it to him?"
Jack nodded.
Sydney reached over and put her hand on her father's. She knew what aiding Sloane must have cost him. "Thanks," she said simply.
"You're welcome, sweetheart." Jack smiled briefly, then frowned as he wondered how he'd introduce the next part of the conversation. "Sydney, we need to talk. Sloane's latest tactics have put me in an untenable position. I'm directing the hunt for him. I can't be looking over my shoulder all the time to make sure you're safe." Jack paused and unconsciously ran his hand through his hair. "Sloane made it clear that he was looking forward to my long-term assistance. He won't hesitate to use you to achieve his objectives."
"I can take care of myself, Dad. It won't happen again."
"No, it won't," Jack agreed. "I want you to enter Witness Protection until we've caught Sloane."
Sydney's head snapped up. "No way. You want me to go work as a bank teller somewhere while Sloane is still out there? Not a chance." She glared at Jack.
"Sydney, you have to!" said Jack with exasperation. "Sloane's likely to come back looking for you." Sooner than you think, thought Jack to himself.
"Or what? You'll ground me? I'm 28, Dad. I can make my own decisions."
"Sydney, please," Jack pleaded.
"The discussion's over, Dad," said Sydney angrily. "Nothing you say will change my mind."
Jack recognized the set of Sydney's jaw; he had seen it countless times during her teenage years. "I'm sorry to hear that Sydney," said Jack with resignation, as he discretely depressed a button on his cell phone. A knock sounded at the front door. Sydney opened the door to 3 US Marshals.
"Agent Bristow? We have a detention order in your name."
Sydney looked over at her father, shocked. His face was impassive. "Who signed the order?" she asked the Marshals.
"Director Jonathan D. Bristow."
For the 20th time in 10 minutes, Jack peered out the window in Sydney's kitchen, hoping to see his daughter dropped off. Absently he rubbed his wrists. He had had to virtually destroy the headboard to free himself. He hoped they charged it to Irina's tab.
He could not make sense of their last meeting. It was clear that Irina was still actively working with and protecting Sloane. And yet her primary concern had been Sydney's return. He thought she had planned her escape. And yet she thought he had set the whole thing up by removing the tracker. She had arranged for the drop in a hotel room, as if to taunt him about Panama. And yet when he called her on it . his hand moved to his cheek, where he thought he could still feel her handprint. He had been so surprised by the stricken look in her eyes, quickly masked, that he had taken the full force of her blow.
And yet. And yet. Jack sighed with frustration. In what was becoming an all too common pattern, Irina Derevko had left him once more, without any explanation.
He looked up as he heard a car pull to a stop outside her house. He was at the front door in three strides, in time to see Sydney being pushed out of the car before it sped away. She looked dazed and disoriented. Tenderly, Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder and herded her inside.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"Dad? What.where.?"
"Sit down. Let me get you some coffee. You've been sedated, it will take a little while for the drug to wear off."
Jack bustled around the kitchen, competently fixing coffee for them both. By the time it was ready, Sydney's expression was slowly clearing.
"OK, let me try again. What's today?" Sydney asked.
"Thursday, the 24th. It's 1:30pm."
"What happened?"
"Sloane kidnapped you," responded Jack flatly.
"Why?"
"He.thought it might influence me to help him."
"Dad! What did he want?"
"Information," responded Jack shortly.
"And I'm here now," concluded Sydney slowly, "because you gave it to him?"
Jack nodded.
Sydney reached over and put her hand on her father's. She knew what aiding Sloane must have cost him. "Thanks," she said simply.
"You're welcome, sweetheart." Jack smiled briefly, then frowned as he wondered how he'd introduce the next part of the conversation. "Sydney, we need to talk. Sloane's latest tactics have put me in an untenable position. I'm directing the hunt for him. I can't be looking over my shoulder all the time to make sure you're safe." Jack paused and unconsciously ran his hand through his hair. "Sloane made it clear that he was looking forward to my long-term assistance. He won't hesitate to use you to achieve his objectives."
"I can take care of myself, Dad. It won't happen again."
"No, it won't," Jack agreed. "I want you to enter Witness Protection until we've caught Sloane."
Sydney's head snapped up. "No way. You want me to go work as a bank teller somewhere while Sloane is still out there? Not a chance." She glared at Jack.
"Sydney, you have to!" said Jack with exasperation. "Sloane's likely to come back looking for you." Sooner than you think, thought Jack to himself.
"Or what? You'll ground me? I'm 28, Dad. I can make my own decisions."
"Sydney, please," Jack pleaded.
"The discussion's over, Dad," said Sydney angrily. "Nothing you say will change my mind."
Jack recognized the set of Sydney's jaw; he had seen it countless times during her teenage years. "I'm sorry to hear that Sydney," said Jack with resignation, as he discretely depressed a button on his cell phone. A knock sounded at the front door. Sydney opened the door to 3 US Marshals.
"Agent Bristow? We have a detention order in your name."
Sydney looked over at her father, shocked. His face was impassive. "Who signed the order?" she asked the Marshals.
"Director Jonathan D. Bristow."
