Part 7   -   One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Eric Weiss and Michael Vaughn did not speak much for the rest of the boat ride, nor for the quick plane ride back to Seattle after that.  It was obvious that Vaughn needed some time to sort things through and his friend realized that friendly banter was not in order.  However, once they began the two and a half hour drive from Seattle to Yakima, enough time had elapsed since their departure from the island that Eric Weiss was able to coax a conversation out of his friend.

Keeping his eyes on the highway in front of him, Eric asked, "So Mike, who's this contact that we're going to meet?"

"Probably the only person doing cartwheels over this relocation," Vaughn quipped.

Weiss gave his friend a quizzical look, "What?"

Vaughn shook his head and chuckled.  "His name is Brad Mueller.  He's a US Marshal undercover at the school as one of the campus security guards."

"They have a US Marshal guarding you?"

"Apparently they don't believe that a broken-down former CIA agent can take care of himself."

"You're far from broken-down.  He knows your ex-CIA?"

"No.  I was talking about his superiors.  He thinks that I'm a witness to some big drug cartel whacking back in LA.  Lone, innocent-bystander sort of thing.  I think his placement was only supposed to be temporary though, until they were sure that we hadn't been traced somehow.  He's been going insane.  I think he was anticipating a little more action when he decided to become a marshal.  He's in his late twenties and chomping at the bit to get into the thick of things.  A sleepy little boarding school in Yakima isn't doing it for him."

Weiss started laughing, trying to imagine a US Marshal scoping out the kids at the school, trying to determine which were a threat.  "Poor guy, I don't imagine he's got much of a social life out there in the boonies either."

It was Vaughn's turn to laugh.  "No, but that doesn't keep Alice from trying.  She likes having him around.  He's one of the few people at the school allowed to keep a firearm.  We both have panic buttons, but she likes to keep him as close as possible."  He paused shaking his head before continuing, "She doesn't even think that I can take care of us.  Consequently, she's always inviting him over to dinner, trying to fix him up with whatever eligible female that she can find.  It's pretty funny actually.  I don't think he minds though.  At least he gets a decent meal out of the deal."

"So Evan, what's your wife's name these days?"

"It's still Alice.  After meeting her, I think the folks in Justice realized that there was just no way that she wasn't going to screw up and let her real name slip.  She's such a horrible liar.  Anyway, it's me that they'd be looking for.  There's no reason to believe that she was compromised in any way.  Unfortunately, I think that might change now.  I can't see them letting her have the same first name twice in a row."

Vaughn paused for a moment, rubbing his temples.  "God, she's going to freak when she finds out.  She was finally settling in, relaxing, and making some friends.  She's even started working on the baby's room.  Now, I get to tell her that she gets to start all over again.  I knew she wasn't cut out for this kind of life.  I still can't believe that I messed up her life so badly."

"Mike, you didn't pull her into this.  Will, I, and the JTF did.  Don't blame yourself for things over which you hand no control."

"You might have brought her into this, but you didn't get her pregnant."  Vaughn shook his head, still unable to believe how he had drawn the one untainted individual in his life into this horrible mess.  

"You know that she wanted to go with you before that.  On some level, she knew what she was getting into when you guys hooked up again.  I just can't believe the luck of it all.  I mean, one night, what are the chances?  What was she thinking, going unprotected?"

Vaughn started to get agitated with his friend's flippant tone, "Eric, please remember that this is my wife we're talking about...  She wasn't the only one who wasn't thinking.  Plus, it's not like there was a drugstore around the corner that night.  I think we need to change the subject."

"Okay, buddy, okay", Eric countered soothingly, "I didn't mean any disrespect.  I just hate to see you blame yourself for something you had so little control over.  We all own a piece of this".

Vaughn nodded a silent acceptance of his friend's apology.

It was late afternoon when they pulled up to a scenic overlook by the Yakima River where they were met Brad Mueller driving a Jeep with a Cascades Academy logo on it.  When Vaughn and Weiss exited the car, he came over to them and shook Vaughn's hand.  "Hey Evan, how did the trial go?  Are you done testifying?"

"Yeah, it's all over.  They told me that they're relocating us again though, just to be sure that we're safe."

Brad Mueller nodded, "Yeah, I got a call on that, but I didn't tell Alice.  They specifically told me to let you tell her.  She's been going out of her mind.  She must have called me twenty times over the past few days.  I still can't believe that they just pulled you out with no warning like that and didn't even let you say good-bye to her.  By the way, the cover story for the school is that your dad is real sick back home.  You're being given Family Leave starting at the end of the week."

Vaughn nodded and then turned to Eric Weiss.  "Brad, this is John Coulter.  He is one of the DEA agents that was working on the case".  Then, he turned to his best friend somberly saying, " Well, John, thank you for everything.  You'll never know how much your support has meant to me during all of this." 

With that, he went to shake Weiss' hand, but the larger man pulled him into a bear hug.  In a strained voice, Weiss stated, "We couldn't have done any of it without you.  Go and have a good life.  Enjoy being a dad."  After a few moments, he let his friend go while a confused Brad Mueller looked on.

"I guess the two of you must have gotten pretty close during the investigation" was all the marshal could say.

Then, Evan Markham and Brad Mueller both said farewell, hopped into the school's Jeep and headed back to Cascades Academy.

Alice Markham bolted out the front door as soon as she heard the Jeep come up the gravel drive to the Tudor-style residence hall.  She may have been almost six months pregnant, but she had been holding her breath for over four days, ever since she found the note on the kitchen counter.  She ran down the steps and into her husband's arms as soon as he exited the car.  She was near tears as she cried, "Oh Thank God, Michael!  I was so worried.  Where were you?  They wouldn't tell me anything!"

She felt her husband stiffen in her arms at the use of his given name and she realized her mistake.  "Oh my God, I'm sorry.  I forgot…", she whispered.  She looked over at Brad Mueller who had also caught her gaffe. 

"Ssshhh, it's all right.  Let's go inside and I'll tell you what I can," he whispered in return as he led her inside.  Before entering the house, he turned to Brad and thanked him for the ride.

"No problem, Evan.  I'll talk to you tomorrow about Saturday."  Then, Mueller got into his truck and drove away.

Once inside, Michael guided them to the sofa in the living room.  Alice was a flurry of questions and concern.  Why had they called him back?  Where had he been?  Hadn't they promised that something like this would never happen?  Was he all right?  He looked exhausted.  Did he remember to take his medication?  Why didn't he call?!

Michael tried to soothe her and answer her questions the best he could.  It was a one-time thing.  An old contact had resurfaced and needed to be extracted, one that would only come in with him.  There were no other such contacts.  He was fine, just a bit tired.  Yes, he had taken his medication.  There had been no safe way to call her.

"Are you absolutely sure that they won't bother us again, Michael?"

He paused, knowing the answer, but half-hoped that it wasn't true.  "Yes.  They don't need me any more.  They have exactly what they want."

"Good.  I never want to hear about the CIA or the JTF again."

He knew that he had to tell her.  He braced himself for her reaction. "There's one catch.  To make sure that I can't be traced, we have to move again."

"What?!  We've finally just settled.  This can't be happening!  When?"

"Saturday."

Alice was stupefied.  "Saturday!  There's no way that we can move by Saturday.  Just think of all the packing that needs to be done."

Michael Vaughn shook his head, realizing that she just didn't get it.  "We won't be packing anything except for a suitcase.  We're supposed to be going home to be with my sick father.  We have to start over, just like when we came here."

"Damn it!  Not again!  Is this really necessary?  Is there any reason to believe that there's a problem?"

"No, they just want to make sure that the two of us and the baby are safe", he said as he gently touched Alice's burgeoning belly and looked into her face with the creases of concern evident in his.

That took the wind out of the argurment.  Alice quickly removed her husband's hand from her stomach, taking it between her own, and quickly said, "Of course, I…I'm sorry.  I just can't believe that we have to go through this again!"

"I know.  I'm sorry too.  Look on the bright side, maybe we'll end up in a city next time.  You won't feel so isolated."

She nodded and took Michael's face in her hands, touching her forehead to his.  "I don't know what I was thinking.  The past few days I've done nothing but worry sick about you and then the first thing I do when you come home is to argue with you over keeping us safe.  Why don't you stretch out on the couch and I'll go work on dinner."  Then, she pulled him into a quick kiss before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

Michael Vaughn sat back on the sofa, pondering the events of the last few days.  He tried to convince himself that he should be happy.  She had been found safe and sound and was now in a secure location.  He had gotten to be with her, talk to her, and hold her.  He had gotten the goodbye that he'd been deprived of two years ago.  Then why was it that it felt like someone had ripped a hole in his chest?  It hurt almost as much now as it did when he had at last convinced himself she was dead. He finally allowed exhaustion overwhelm him.  He laid back on the sofa, closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning after Alice Markham sent her husband off to work, she settled down with a cup of tea at the dining table in their small faculty apartment.  She originally had intended to make a list of items which she wanted from this life that would fit into a suitcase.  It was hard to believe how much they had accumulated in just five months and how attached she had become to it.  However, her mind kept drifting to the previous evening and her husband's return.

She had come back when dinner was ready to find him crashed out on the couch.  It had taken quite an effort to rouse him and she felt a little bit guilty for doing so.  It was obvious that he was exhausted.  They ate dinner in relative silence.  He barely spoke two words.  So, she updated him on everything that had gone on while he was away.  After dinner, she reminded him, as she always did, to take his medication.  Then, she told him to head to bed while she cleaned up.  He nodded his appreciation, kissed her on the forehead, and headed off to their room.  He was out like a light by the time she finished the dishes.

This morning, when she woke up, she found him staring at the picture of the two of them in the only wedding present which they had received, an antique silver picture frame.  Their wedding had been a hurried affair.  A justice of the peace had done the honors right there on the island right before they were whisked into protection.  Jack Bristow had taken care of the paperwork for them.  She had been amazed that Will Tippin and Eric Weiss had been able to come up from LA so quickly.  After the ceremony, while she was helping Michael pack, she had found the frame peeking out from his bag.  When she had asked him about it, he had said that it had been a gift from Will.  She was delighted.  He seemed less so, but she had chalked it up to all the changes of the past few days.

He had originally decided to leave the CIA, but not go into protection.  She was to have returned to her life in L.A..  However, when he had found out that she was pregnant and adamant about having the child, he changed his mind about protection and asked her to marry him.

This morning, he had sat in the armchair in the corner of their room, staring at the photo and fingering the frame.  She had pretended to continue sleeping.  He looked so forlorn.  She supposed that he felt guilty about moving them once again. 

He had warned her what this life would be like, and he had been right.  She had offered to go with him into protection, before they had gotten back together and then found out about her pregnancy.  He had told her no, that he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but that he did not want that kind of life for her.  She had sacrificed too much for him already.  However, she couldn't stand the thought of him going into protection alone with no friends and no past.  What scared her even more though was the thought of him not going into protection at all.  She hadn't been sure, but she had had the feeling that he and Jack Bristow were contemplating some vengeful odyssey, one that would surely get him killed.

She didn't regret her decisions.  She loved him with all her heart, even though she knew his would never completely be hers.  However, watching him with that picture, she didn't doubt the depth of his emotion for her. 

Although the first few months had been awkward between them given the circumstances surrounding their marriage, the last couple of months had been great.  They had both relaxed a little and were starting to enjoy their new life together.  She had finally adjusted to the quiet life of a small academic community, having made several friends among the female teachers and wives of the other male faculty.  He loved his new job, sports, all day every day, and had ended up being surprisingly good at interacting with teenagers.  They went for long walks in the evening when the weather allowed and had started talking about the future with their child. 

Even their romantic life had taken a turn for the better; what there was of it.  She had been horribly sick during the first trimester.  That, combined with the stress of relocation, had made it virtually impossible for her to have thoughts of that nature.  He didn't seem to mind though.  She supposed that he was still reeling from the situation himself.  However, when she had started feeling better, there had been moments of true affection between the two of them.  She almost felt like she had the old Michael back, the pre-Rita/Sydney Michael.  They had found each other again and life was good.

She knew the relocation didn't have to change anything, that it was just another hurdle.  After seeing him there in the chair, tearing himself up over it, she had decided that she would do whatever she could to make it easier for him.

After dinner that night, the two of them went for a long stroll around the campus, taking in the sites one last time.  Tomorrow would be consumed with getting things in order at work, packing, and saying casual goodbyes.  The night was clear and the brisk fall air felt good.  When they came home, they found Brad Mueller on their doorstep.

"Hey, Evan.  Hey, Alice.  I've been looking for you two everywhere.  I'm afraid that I've got some bad news.  Your relocation has been moved up."

"What?  They said that we had till Saturday.  Why?" Vaughn queried.

"I don't know.  They didn't say.  They just said they want you out of here as soon as possible."

"So, we're leaving in the morning?"

"No, now."

Vaughn's pulse started to race a little.  If they were jumping the gun like this, there had to be a reason, not just Kendall's vindictiveness.  Either he had been traced or something had happened at the enclave.  Either way, it wasn't good.  He decided to play it down for Alice's benefit.

Alice started panicking.  "But why, I haven't packed anything yet!  I haven't even picked up my records from the doctor.  What's wrong?"

"It's okay, honey", Vaughn said as he stroked his wife's back.  "It's probably just some paperwork SNAFU.  Brad, can we at least have an hour or so to pack or do we need to move this minute."

Brad Mueller carefully contemplated his friend's request.  "Make it a half an hour and you've got a deal."

Vaughn was packed within ten minutes.  As Alice scurried around the apartment, he pulled Brad over to the side.  "Is there any reason to believe that we've been blown?"

"Evan, I honestly don't know.  They just said that they wanted you out of here tonight.  They didn't send up anybody else so I'm assuming that there was probably just some minor security breach and they're playing it safe."

Vaughn nodded.  He had a point.  They would have sent back up if they were expecting a confrontation.  He still had a knot in the pit of his stomach though and decided to ask Brad a favor.  "You're probably right, but to be on the safe side, why don't you go get an additional gun for me."

Brad Mueller looked at Evan Markham in disbelief.  "Listen, I know you're spooked, but everything's going to be fine.  Do you even know how to use one?"

Vaughn hesitated, not sure how much he should reveal.  "Come into the kitchen for a second."

When both men were in the kitchen, away from Alice, he turned back to Mueller and asked, "Please let me see you're gun for a second.  I promise that I'll give it back to you in a minute."

Brad Mueller looked skeptical, but actually let Evan have the gun.  To his amazement, he watched as his friend dismantled and then reassembled it in less than two minutes.  When he was done, he returned the gun to Mueller and said, "I'm no innocent bystander.  I was law enforcement and I know how to use one of these.  I just want to make sure that you have backup."

After he shut his mouth, Mueller considered his request.  "Listen Evan, I'd love to get you one, but there's only two over at the office.  If I go in to get one, it's just going to raise all sorts of flags.  I'm not even supposed to be on tonight.  If you want, you can ride shotgun next to me.  If we get into any trouble, which I doubt, I can hand you my gun and keep driving."

Vaughn was less than pleased, but nodded his assent.

A half an hour later, their bags loaded in the back of the Jeep, Mueller and the Markhams headed out.  Vaughn had tried to ride shotgun, but Alice's pleading forced him into the back seat with her.  She was rattled and he was doing everything he could to keep her calm.  Brad Mueller started the car and they left the campus behind them.  By the route he was following, Vaughn could tell that they were wending their way towards the interstate.  There were five miles of back road between here and there.  If anything were going to happen, it would likely be on these roads.  While he held Alice's hand and whispered comforting words to her, he continuously scanned the darkness looking for anything out of the ordinary.

They were less than two miles from the interstate and had yet to encounter another vehicle.  Vaughn was just starting to relax a little when they came to a stop sign at the bottom of a T-shaped intersection.  As soon as Mueller brought the car to halt, a single shot rang out, shattering the driver's side window.  Vaughn immediately pushed Alice to the floor and covered her body with his.  Then, he called out to Mueller, "Brad, are you all right!  Do you see anything?!"

 Silence.

Alice began crying and Vaughn knew he had to do something quickly before whoever it was advanced on the car.  He whispered to his wife to stay down, no matter what, and then quickly sat up to check on Mueller in the front seat.  He looked over the to see Brad Mueller slumped over the steering wheel.  The left side of his skull had been blown away by a single shot from a high-powered rifle.  He reached over and pulled Mueller back so that he could better access the gun in his shoulder holster.  As he raised himself to lean over the seat and grab the weapon, another shot rang out, hitting his side of the car.  He immediately dove for cover.

Alice started screaming and Vaughn assured her that he was okay, that she should continue to stay down.  Then, without raising his head above the seat, he fumbled with his left arm around Brad Mueller's body.  Within a few moments, he had gotten a hold of the gun. 

By the direction of the sound and the impact of the shots, it appeared that there might only be a single gunmen on the left side of the car.  Vaughn came up with a plan, praying that he could get his wife to cooperate.  She was sobbing hysterically beneath him and, if they were going to get out of this alive, she was going to have to pull it together.

"Alice!  Alice, listen to me!",  he shouted.  Then, softly he continued,  "We have a chance to get out of this, but only if you do exactly as I say!  On the count of three, I'm going to open your door.  You run straight for the woods keeping your head down.  I'll be right behind you.  Once in the woods, run parallel to the road on the right.  It's a pretty busy road and we may have a chance to flag someone, but you have to move now!  On the count of three, one…two…Three!"

With that, Michael Vaughn threw open the door, got up off his wife, pulled her up and then pushed her out the door with all of his might.  She was still sobbing, but had enough of her wits about her to prevent herself from sprawling on the pavement.  She heard Michael scramble out and shoot off two rounds into the woods on the opposite side of the road.  She was still frozen, but then felt her husband turn behind her, pushing her saying,  "Run, just run, Dammit!  Keep your head down!"

She moved as fast as she could, but it wasn't very fast given her new bulk.  She had never been a very good runner to start with and her burgeoning belly and new found terror weren't helping any.  She felt her husband grab her left hand and drag her into the woods.  He relentlessly pulled her forward, gun at the ready in his other hand, checking behind them every few seconds and then scanning the road to their left for any signs of traffic.  Suddenly, she could see a car coming in the opposite direction through the trees and she felt her husband yank her out of the woods and onto the pavement.

"Don't say anything until we're in the car!  Let me do all the talking", her husband implored her.  With that, he let go of her hand to flag the car down, pushing her slightly in front of him to shield her and keep the hand with the gun hidden between his body and hers. 

The sedan slowed down for the young couple who looked as though their car had broken down at the intersection ahead.  The elderly gentleman who was driving rolled down his window to speak to Vaughn.  Just then, Vaughn heard a twig snap behind him.  He whirled around, pulling the gun up to fire, but it was too late.  As he got a round off, he was hit in the neck and shoulder and fell to the ground.  The last thing he heard was his wife's screams and the squeal of the tires on the sedan as the driver gunned it to get out of harm's way.

Michael Vaughn woke up in the back of what appeared to be a camper van cruising down the interstate.  He was sprawled on the long bench seat that lined one side and his head was being cradled in what was left of his wife's lap.  She was gently stroking his features, trying to get him to come to.  When he finally stirred, she uttered a gasp of relief and whispered, "Thank goodness".  He couldn't make out who was driving, but the passenger who was riding shotgun came back.

"Hello, Vaughn.  How are you doing?"

"Jack?!  What the hell is going on?"  He tried to sit up, but was still a bit woozy.  He pulled himself up to sit, bracing himself against Alice's shoulder.

Jack Bristow was dressed completely in black from head to toe, which always gave him an ominous appearance, even when he was supposed to be your friend.  "I'm sorry about tranqu-ing you, but you'd gotten yourself a bit pumped up, protecting your wife and all.  You nearly blew my head off."

"Christ, Jack!  You killed a US Marshal!  Couldn't you have found another way to talk to me!"

"I had no choice.  He wasn't who you thought he was.  He was a Triad mole and he was about to deliver you back to Sloane.  That's why your relocation had been moved up.  I only found out about him yesterday when I paid a former colleague of mine at Justice a visit."

By the way he was talking, Vaughn got the sinking feeling that Brad Mueller wasn't the only dead body on the trail that Jack Bristow had blazed to him.  His head was still swirling with this new information, but he knew that he had more important things to discuss with Jack at the moment.  "Jack, you need to go in right now.  There are things that you should know that we can't discuss here", he said giving Alice a sideways glance."

"That's not possible.  I can't let the JTF know that I'm back.  They might try to use me to get Irina.  I can't let that happen.  Right now, she's still our best bet at getting Sloane."

"Jack, you don 't understand.  They have something very important that belongs to you."

Jack just shook his head at Vaughn's attempt to keep his wife out of this.  "I know that!  I would like to retrieve it from them and I need your help.  I have reason to believe that its location may be compromised and that their intentions towards it are less than honorable."

Vaughn sat there stunned.  "What do you mean, you know?!  Sydney's been alive this whole time and you knew!"

"What? She's alive!" Alice shrieked.

"The two of you just calm down!  Vaughn, I didn't know until three months ago that she was alive!  I immediately tried to get in touch with you through my contact at Justice.  Unfortunately, he wouldn't tell me where you were.  He said that he could get a message to you, but I couldn't risk the JTF finding out.  I should have known then that something was off.  He was working with Sloane the whole time.  We had both worked with him years ago at the Agency.  I can't believe how stupid I was not to have seen it sooner!  I also tried to reach you through Weiss, hoping that the two of you had left a back channel of communication open.  I should have known that you'd play by the rules."

The Vaughns sat quietly, trying to adsorb everything Jack Bristow had said.  Michael Vaughn was the first to speak.  "You said that your contact was with Sloane the whole time.  If so, why didn't they come after me?"

"According to my former colleague, they were going to right about the time I tried to contact you.  They held off hoping that I would change my mind and try and send you a message.  They didn't know what it was about, but they were curious enough, and wanted Irina badly enough, that they've held off until now.  You're little field trip and sudden relocation peaked their interest though.  So, here we sit."

"Jack, may I assume that your former colleague has gone the way of Haladki?"  Vaughn asked, not wanting to get more specific for the sake of his wife.

Jack merely cocked his head and eyebrow, smiling slightly.  Vaughn found that it didn't particularly bother him.

Alice finally spoke, "So she was the reason that they pulled you back in?  You were with her the entire time you were away!"

Michael Vaughn bent over and started rubbing his temples.  "You don't understand.  She woke up without any memory of the past two years.  I had to help bring her in.  We didn't know where Jack was and I was one of the few people she trusted…"

Alice interrupted, "So off you went on another crusade for Saint Sydney, even though the last one almost got you killed!  When will it be enough!  When you're dead!  How do you know for sure that she doesn't remember?  How do you know that she wasn't just deceiving you!"  She had gotten up off the seat and was ranting hysterically at her husband.

That was it.  Jack Bristow had had enough.  "Quiet!" he boomed while staring at Alice.  Then, without removing his gaze from her, in a much quieter voice he started, "Vaughn, you haven't asked me how I found you.  After all, Justice wouldn't and Weiss couldn't tell me where you were.  It turns out that there was another mole.  One that was even closer than Brad Mueller.  I only went back to my former associate in Justice after I had found out that you had been placed here and had then been pulled out.  I went to see if he knew where they might have taken you."

Vaughn looked over at his wife, who was wearing a terrified expression as Jack Bristow continued to inch closer to her, barely controlled rage in his eyes.  Vaughn pulled himself up and wedged himself between his wife and Jack.  "You have no idea what you're talking about!  What do you think you are doing?  I know what you're capable of, but not this – not even for Sydney."

"You're right, Vaughn, but in many ways what I'm about to do is much worse".  He turned once again toward Alice.  "Mrs. Vaughn, there is something you should know.  Barbara Carlisle is not now, nor has she ever been, an officer of the CIA. You need to tell your husband the truth about the child.  Tell him or I will."