Chapter 14
Jack drove back from his meeting with Irina, thinking hard. The vindictiveness of Sloane's latest move left him breathless. Sloane, more than anyone else, understood that Jack would rather die than go back to prison. And Sloane would certainly have been thorough. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that additional paper and phone trails had been laid which led back to him.
The timing was important, Jack knew. Sloane must believe he was close. With Jack out of the way, and the Joint Ops Task Force in disarray, or worse yet, misdirected by Kendall, Sloane would have free rein for whatever he planned next.
After several minutes, Jack dialed a number. "It's Jack. I've been compromised. I need," he thought rapidly, "3 passports, $100,000 in cash, and a flight out. And some help with the escape."
**
'Going through channels' usually took time. Jack strode into the Joint Ops center, needing several pieces of information before he left.
He looked up in chagrin just 20 minutes later to see Kendall, a smug expression on his face, standing in his doorway. With 5 armed FBI agents. Jack got to his feet quickly, then stilled as all 5 agents drew their weapons. "What's going on here?" he said coldly. "Kendall, get these men out of my office."
"'Director' Bristow," smirked Kendall, "you're under arrest for treason and theft of classified government secrets. You have the right to remain silent..."
And Jack did. As they handcuffed his hands behind his back. As he watched them search his office, pulling files out of his drawer that he knew he had not placed there. As they perp walked him through the Joint Ops center. As he saw the stunned and disappointed faces - Dixon, Marshall, Weiss, Vaughn. As he was placed in the van and transported to the FBI processing facility where he was fingerprinted and strip searched. As he was escorted to the holding cell.
Jack had been this way before. He had the right to remain silent. And there was nothing to say.
**
"Sloane."
"It went as you expected, Mr. Sloane. Actually, given his past record, even faster. They found the files as well. He's on his way to prison."
"Excellent. I hope he rots there."
**
Sydney heard the guards murmuring outside her door. She was bored, and hoped that Vaughn was coming to visit. To her delight, the door swung open and Vaughn stood there without, she was pleased to see, additional books.
"Is it over?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes, you're officially released," replied Vaughn.
Her pleasure was short-lived as she read the expression on her face.
"Vaughn? What's wrong?"
Vaughn shut the door behind him. "Sit down."
"Dad?" asked Sydney, her heart in her mouth.
Vaughn looked uncomfortable. "Syd, your dad's been arrested and charged with treason."
"That's ridiculous."
Vaughn looked, if anything, more uncomfortable. "The information he traded for your release from Sloane. It was highly classified."
"But he was being blackmailed...," her voice trailed off. She knew the CIA's position on that. As had her father. "He knew the risk he was taking when he handed over the information, didn't he?" she said sadly.
Vaughn nodded. "I think he deliberately didn't tell us what it was so that we wouldn't be implicated."
"I need to see him."
"Sydney, you can't. He's...he's...," Vaughn paused, not sure how to tell her.
"In solitary confinement?" Sydney asked fearfully. "Oh my God, Vaughn. It almost killed him last time."
Jack drove back from his meeting with Irina, thinking hard. The vindictiveness of Sloane's latest move left him breathless. Sloane, more than anyone else, understood that Jack would rather die than go back to prison. And Sloane would certainly have been thorough. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that additional paper and phone trails had been laid which led back to him.
The timing was important, Jack knew. Sloane must believe he was close. With Jack out of the way, and the Joint Ops Task Force in disarray, or worse yet, misdirected by Kendall, Sloane would have free rein for whatever he planned next.
After several minutes, Jack dialed a number. "It's Jack. I've been compromised. I need," he thought rapidly, "3 passports, $100,000 in cash, and a flight out. And some help with the escape."
**
'Going through channels' usually took time. Jack strode into the Joint Ops center, needing several pieces of information before he left.
He looked up in chagrin just 20 minutes later to see Kendall, a smug expression on his face, standing in his doorway. With 5 armed FBI agents. Jack got to his feet quickly, then stilled as all 5 agents drew their weapons. "What's going on here?" he said coldly. "Kendall, get these men out of my office."
"'Director' Bristow," smirked Kendall, "you're under arrest for treason and theft of classified government secrets. You have the right to remain silent..."
And Jack did. As they handcuffed his hands behind his back. As he watched them search his office, pulling files out of his drawer that he knew he had not placed there. As they perp walked him through the Joint Ops center. As he saw the stunned and disappointed faces - Dixon, Marshall, Weiss, Vaughn. As he was placed in the van and transported to the FBI processing facility where he was fingerprinted and strip searched. As he was escorted to the holding cell.
Jack had been this way before. He had the right to remain silent. And there was nothing to say.
**
"Sloane."
"It went as you expected, Mr. Sloane. Actually, given his past record, even faster. They found the files as well. He's on his way to prison."
"Excellent. I hope he rots there."
**
Sydney heard the guards murmuring outside her door. She was bored, and hoped that Vaughn was coming to visit. To her delight, the door swung open and Vaughn stood there without, she was pleased to see, additional books.
"Is it over?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes, you're officially released," replied Vaughn.
Her pleasure was short-lived as she read the expression on her face.
"Vaughn? What's wrong?"
Vaughn shut the door behind him. "Sit down."
"Dad?" asked Sydney, her heart in her mouth.
Vaughn looked uncomfortable. "Syd, your dad's been arrested and charged with treason."
"That's ridiculous."
Vaughn looked, if anything, more uncomfortable. "The information he traded for your release from Sloane. It was highly classified."
"But he was being blackmailed...," her voice trailed off. She knew the CIA's position on that. As had her father. "He knew the risk he was taking when he handed over the information, didn't he?" she said sadly.
Vaughn nodded. "I think he deliberately didn't tell us what it was so that we wouldn't be implicated."
"I need to see him."
"Sydney, you can't. He's...he's...," Vaughn paused, not sure how to tell her.
"In solitary confinement?" Sydney asked fearfully. "Oh my God, Vaughn. It almost killed him last time."
