CHAPTER FOURTEEN – PREPARATIONS

Michael Vaughn was standing in his bathroom, arms pressing the polished marble wall under the showerhead as the scalding water pounded down on his scalp.

The thoughts and emotions that were running rampant through his mind had woken him early.  He had lain for almost an hour in a haze of guilt and apprehension.  Guilt for hurting Sydney and (eventually) Jie… apprehension for his impending meeting with En Kai.  When he finally checked the glowing blue light of the alarm clock next to his pillow, he rose from the bed and silently moved to across to the open bathroom door.  Vaughn did not feel ready to face Jie yet this morning and she would be up soon to prepare for her outing with her mother.

So now he stood like a statue, hoping the water cascading down his rigid body would carry his predicament with it as it swirled down the drain.  He allowed his thoughts to drift only to Sydney, remembering the way her soft lips felt pressed to his, the heat of her smooth skin under his fingertips, and the taste of her mouth.  Her gaze when she promised to wait for him… Vaughn let his head fall back, putting his face directly in the path of the water spray.

As the shower pummeled his face, a new image invaded his inner vision – Jie smiling up at him, completely oblivious to his duplicitous deception.  Her face was always so sweet and innocent; she loved her husband so much.  The only problem was that her husband didn't exist.

Vaughn shook his head, jarring himself from his trance.  He turned the shower knobs tightly to the right and smoothed the water from his hair before stepping out of the stall onto the cold, smooth floor.  He swiftly grabbed a towel, dried himself, and wrapped it around his hips.  For one remaining moment, Vaughn braced himself on the countertop, staring into the mirror.  After a deep breath, he turned, opened the bathroom door, and Vargas moved back into the dark bedroom.

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At six in the morning, Kin En Kai was still soundly entrenched in his study.  He had spent the entire night going over potential scenarios in his mind, and none had ended well.

It all came down to one indisputable fact: the man his daughter had married was lying – to him and to her.  En Kai could accept lies in his work; they were fairly unavoidable since every person in his line of business had secrets they would die – or kill – to protect.  But the work lies had never before touched his daughter… he had never allowed it, and it infuriated him more than words could convey.

He had tried to rationalize Vargas's – or Vaughn's – actions.  His mind had created situations where Vaughn had truly wanted to leave his old CIA life… had truly fallen in love with Jie… and had honestly been living his life as Erik Vargas, but none of those pictures held up under scrutiny.  Vaughn's close relationship with Jack, and especially Sydney, Bristow belied a continuing connection with his old CIA life.

All signs pointed to Vargas as a CIA-assigned mole sent to infiltrate his organization.  The question now plaguing En Kai's mind was how to handle it with the least amount of pain for Jie.

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When Vargas was dressed in his standard black slacks and slate button-down shirt, he walked over to rouse his still-sleeping wife.  After rounding the corner of the king-sized bed, he paused, staring at the striking woman resting on her stomach, jet black hair splaying over the pillow and her face.  He knelt down, supporting himself with a hand on her night-table.

He softly raised his other hand, smoothing the stray locks from her face.  At his touch, her even breathing hitched and her lips stretched into a small smile.  Jie's simple reaction made Vargas grin.  Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she greeted him with a quiet, "Hi."

"Good morning," he replied, leaning forward to drop a kiss on her forehead.  "You need to get up if you're going to be ready when your mother arrives."

As she pushed herself to a sitting position, he stood up and flipped the switch on the bedside lamp.  A gentle chuckle escaped his lips when Jie's arms instantly flew up to shield her eyes from the intruding light.  "I'll go start the shower for you.  Don't hide under there for too long."

After adjusting the water to the perfect temperature, Vargas pulled out a fresh towel and set it on the counter for her.  As he was about to leave, Jie shuffled into the brightly-lit room, eyes squeezed shut.  "Why did we have to put so many lights in this room?" she asked as he pulled her into an embrace.

He laughed again, kissed the top of her head, then moved towards the door.  "How about this," Vargas replied, "I'll make you breakfast before your trip.  Does that sound good?"  He hadn't made breakfast for her in weeks.  It was something he used to do nearly every day when they were first married.

Jie's face brightened and she nodded enthusiastically.  Vargas shut the bathroom door and walked back into the bedroom.  Sitting on the end of the bed, he found his shoes, slid them on and hastily tied them.  They didn't have much time before her mother would arrive for their excursion.

When he reached the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a variety of fresh fruit and berries.  When he spread everything out on the counter, he noticed a courier envelope with his name on it.  The receiving ticket showed that the housekeeper had signed for it while he was in the shower.

Vargas ripped open the top and pulled out a single sheet of paper.  It was only a note from En Kai indicating he would accompany his wife to their house that morning.  He wanted to meet with Vargas there instead of at the office.  The note was quickly replaced in its envelope and hidden in Vargas's pants pocket.

Visibly unshaken, Vargas ducked down to remove a silver platter from the cabinet.  He found a rag, wiped the tray, and set it next to the fruit on the counter.  While he arranged the food into an appetizing visual display, Vargas's mind was digesting and analyzing his employer's message.  En Kai had never before asked to meet at his house.  There had to be something particular that they were going to discuss.  Only one recent anomaly came to mind – Sydney.

While he waited for his wife to join him in the kitchen, Vargas was busy mentally preparing for the upcoming confrontation.  This morning would save him or end him.  He would be ready.

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After Kin En Kai had sent the note to his son-in-law's house, he returned to his bedroom to change and wake his wife.  He had decided that Vargas was best handled in his home, where his defenses were at a minimum.

En Kai also wanted a constant reminder of why the situation was so delicate.  Confronting Vaughn in the place where he had constantly been deceiving his wife would be appropriate, and would keep En Kai's mind on the one most important factor – Jie.

An hour later, as he waited for his wife to finish getting ready, En Kai returned to his study.  He picked up the phone and dialed a number he had also called in the early hours of the morning.

"Good morning.  The preparations have been made?"  His face took on a weary expression as he received an affirmative response through the phone line.  "Good.  Be ready in 45 minutes."

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A/N:  Happy Memorial Day!  I hope everybody likes the update.  Please keep those reviews coming… they totally make my day!