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Chapter 7
I steal a look at Vaughn's face, he is angry. He had told Kendall that he did not think I was ready or in any fit state to go on a mission. However, Kendall had won this time but not after a huge sparring match in the briefing room.
We are about half an hour into our flight to Hong Kong, and Vaughn is still fuming. Weiss gave up a couple of minutes ago trying to lighten the mood with his jokes- I just think he made him more angry. I have been sitting here reading the report about Sloane reappearance and his associate Christopher MacKay- he seems so familiar.
Vaughn gets up and begins to walk to the front of plane to the next cabin, announcing, "I going to see if they have got any food."
Weiss comes and sits next to me, "So, you and Mike are back to.." He is always so curious.
"What did he tell you?" I say raising my eyebrows.
"Oh, just that he has left that weird wife of his."
I laugh, "You know, you don't have to say that for my benefit."
"I'm not, she's weird. So, are you and Mike back.."
"Sort of, yes." But not for long, until Sloane is dead and buried, I cannot risk anyone hurting Vaughn to get to me, I have to....
"Sort of?" Weiss interrupted my thoughts, "What the hell does that mean?"
"Things have changed, we are taking things slow, things can never be how they were."
Weiss then turns very serious, "Look, Syd don't mess him around he has been through enough in the past two years without you.." I cut him off.
"What was he like... I mean how did he cope when I was gone?" I whispered. Now I had asked the question, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer.
"Short answer, he didn't." Weiss said, I thought that was all he was going to say until I saw him opening his mouth ready to speak, I quickly changed the subject.
"Vaughn's been gone along time for..." I trailed off.
"He'll probably be chatting to the other agents." Weiss says seeming taking no notice of my attempts to change the subject.
"Anyway, where was I?" He paused recalling, "Yeah, well he coped at the beginning he was at the JTF all time, searching for leads. I mean day and night, I don't think he went home. Kendall had to order him get some rest, because he was literally falling on his feet because of the lack of sleep. After they shelved your case," he pauses searching my face, I gesture for him to continue, "Mike, well he fought hard, we all did for your case not be shelved. And then...." He stopped.
"Then what?" I was curious now.
"Well, he carried on searching for you, he went on a unsanctioned mission, he didn't find anything but it was enough for Kendall to suspend for a month."
"What?" I shouted, "I thought he left the CIA of his own...."
"He did, after the suspension he just sort of just gave up. I mean he loves you Syd, he started believe you were dead when all the leads dried up. After his suspension, he was stuck in his apartment all the time... drinking, just being depressed. When I went round there to see how he was the place just stank of booze, it...." We were interrupted, it was Vaughn with a whole load of sandwiches, drinks and crisps bundled in his arms.
"Hey I got some food," he seemed to have cheered up a bit, "why do you two look so serious?"
"No reason." I say. Thankfully, he does not question any further.
"Hey, is that a double BLT sandwich I see," Weiss exclaims, "Give me that!" He grabs the sandwich off Vaughn.
We sit there and just chatting about random stuff. The plane lands in Hong Kong and we get all our gear on to before we had out to check the place that we believe is Sloane's hideout.
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As we drive to the suspected hideout, I notice that Sydney has been rather quiet since we landed. I reach over and squeeze her hand with mine, "Don't worry Syd, we'll find him and find out where you have been for the past two years."
She just smiles back, squeezing my hand back. We arrive at the location, the building appears to be a warehouse, we enter at the back entrance. The ground floor of the warehouse is nearly completely empty except for random packing boxes to one side of the room. We head for the stairs.
Myself, Sydney and Weiss take the first floor while the other agents continue up the stairs to the second floor. We exit the stairwell to the first floor and we enter what appears to be a corridor leading to apartments.
"Which door?" Weiss asks.
"Er, maybe we should...." I say
"That one," Sydney says pointing, "number two."
"How do you know?" Weiss asks. She shrugs her shoulders, it is a good enough bet as any other of the doors.
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The apartment is drawing me to it. It is so familiar. We enter the apartment, the place is fully furnished, however the apartment is devoid of personal touches and any personal belongings. All the tables, cabinets tops are empty and all the drawers and cupboards are empty. However:
It all feels so familiar.
I wander through the apartment to the bedroom, I open random drawers and the wardrobe, knowing what was suppose to be there. What was there.
It all feels so familiar.
I sit down on the bed, and stare out the window, I feel like I have done this so many times. The view out the window is what I excepted, nothing new.
It all feels so familiar.
"There is nothing here except furniture." I hear Weiss shout.
"I agree," Vaughn says, "Sydney, where are..." He is interrupted by Weiss.
"The agents upstairs say they have found something, we should..." I don't seem to hear the rest, I become mesmerised by this room, I know it so well, I stand up and walk towards the window continuing to look out at the skyline. I begin to feel dizzy, I feel a vale of darkness coming over me, the odd thing is this feels so familiar as well, the feeling continues until there is blackness.
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I feel myself being gently shaken and voices calling my name, "Syd?"
The voices continue to get louder, and I stop being shaken when I start to feel my head move. I slowly open my eyes and the light is to much as I wince.
My eyes still adjusting to the light, I hear Vaughn before I see him. "Thank God, Syd, you had us worried for a time there." I can hear the relief in his voice.
As my sight comes back into focus, I notice that we are back on the plane, I try to speak but my mouth is so dry, Weiss realises this and hands me some water.
"What happened? Why are we back on the plane?" I ask.
"You passed out at the apartment. We brought you back once we recovered all the information we could from the second floor computer." Vaughn explains.
Just then, one of the agents comes into this cabin, "She's awake I see." The onboard medic.
"Why did I blackout?" I ask.
He replies, "I am not sure, it can be for a number of reasons. But Agent Vaughn tells me that you were not up to going on this mission in the first place and the stress may have caused you to blackout. But you should check in with the medical services when we get back."
The trip back to LA, is uneventful except for Vaughn fretting over me the whole back. We arrive back the JTF centre. Kendall is waiting for as Weiss gives the computer information gathered to Marshall for analysis.
"Agent Bristow, you have an appointment with hypo-regression therapy people, I believe."
"Now?" He wants me to have a session straight after a long haul flight?
"Yes, now Agent Bristow!" I glance at Vaughn who hasn't said a word and walk off to Medical Services.
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As Sydney walks off to medical services, Kendall gestures towards the briefing room, where Jack is already sat down. Weiss and I take our seats and I say, "Shouldn't we wait for Sydney?"
"You can tell her later." Kendall says.
"We acquired new intel only around 3 hours ago concerning the whereabouts of Sloane and his associates." Kendall pauses. He switches on the screens in front of us to show some pictures of Sloane and his associates.
"Where?" I ask.
"He has come back to LA."
"Why haven't we detained him?" Weiss asks.
Knowing the answer, I answer sarcastically, "Because he's disappeared."
"That is correct." Kendall continues, "The information that you obtained in Hong Kong could be useful to this mission once it is analysed."
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TBC..................................