Jack lay with his head in Irina's lap. Her fingers played with his hair as she recounted what she had seen. "Sloane has concentrated everything in one place. It's easier to guard that way, but represents his greatest vulnerability."
"Tell me about the security." Irina detailed everything that she had seen - cameras, biometric and electronic sensors, infrared, guard counts.
Jack thought carefully. "It sounds pretty impregnable," he said reluctantly.
"From the outside," said Irina pensively.
"But from the inside," said Jack, looking up, an idea occurring to him.
"Yes," Irina breathed, the same thought occurring to her. "If we were to give him an artifact for that room -,"
"-which was an explosive, it could destroy everything inside. It might work," Jack said thoughtfully. "Sloane has protected those artifacts from theft. It would never occur to him that someone might just want to destroy them."
"No, Sloane in his wildest dreams wouldn't be able to imagine someone walking away from the power those items represent."
"It will take a little while to get this fabricated." Jack frowned a moment, thinking through his contacts that might have the ability to recreate a 400 year old artifact.
"Actually," Irina said smugly, "that won't be a problem. I already have it."
"You what?"
"Surely you didn't think I had offered everything I had to Sloane?"
Jack snorted. He should have guessed.
"OK, so we just need to seed it with explosive and a timer. A detonator's out, given that the vault is underground. Give me about a week." Jack missed Marshall. He could have turned it around in a day.
"And Jack - lose the harem, if you know what's good for you."
Jack grinned.
***
Irina reported back to Sloane on the success of her negotiations. Within the week, she expected to have the piece she had spoken of. Their relationship had shifted perceptibly. Irina was no longer an adjunct to his plans, but central to them.
"Tell me about the security." Irina detailed everything that she had seen - cameras, biometric and electronic sensors, infrared, guard counts.
Jack thought carefully. "It sounds pretty impregnable," he said reluctantly.
"From the outside," said Irina pensively.
"But from the inside," said Jack, looking up, an idea occurring to him.
"Yes," Irina breathed, the same thought occurring to her. "If we were to give him an artifact for that room -,"
"-which was an explosive, it could destroy everything inside. It might work," Jack said thoughtfully. "Sloane has protected those artifacts from theft. It would never occur to him that someone might just want to destroy them."
"No, Sloane in his wildest dreams wouldn't be able to imagine someone walking away from the power those items represent."
"It will take a little while to get this fabricated." Jack frowned a moment, thinking through his contacts that might have the ability to recreate a 400 year old artifact.
"Actually," Irina said smugly, "that won't be a problem. I already have it."
"You what?"
"Surely you didn't think I had offered everything I had to Sloane?"
Jack snorted. He should have guessed.
"OK, so we just need to seed it with explosive and a timer. A detonator's out, given that the vault is underground. Give me about a week." Jack missed Marshall. He could have turned it around in a day.
"And Jack - lose the harem, if you know what's good for you."
Jack grinned.
***
Irina reported back to Sloane on the success of her negotiations. Within the week, she expected to have the piece she had spoken of. Their relationship had shifted perceptibly. Irina was no longer an adjunct to his plans, but central to them.
