Chapter 28 – 28 months post-The Telling
15…Why?..16…Why?…17…Why?…18…Why?…
Jack's breath was coming in loud pants now. His chest and shoulders were on fire. His scar throbbed painfully.
19……Why?………20……………Why?…………21…………………..Why?………….
With a gasp Jack dropped down to the floor. 21 pathetic pushups and he was trembling like a baby, he thought with disgust. He heaved himself to his feet and wiped down his face with a towel. He'd try again later. If he could fit it into his busy calendar, he added to himself sarcastically.
Why? The question continued to echo in his mind. Why had Irina let him be arrested? Out of all the extraction choices she had, why this one? When he had asked her to take action if warranted, this was not what he had envisioned.
He looked around and mentally inventoried his cell. Bed. Desk. Sink. John. 5 cameras, watching every move he made. Oh, and one glass wall. Positively plush compared to some of the prisons he'd stayed in. Certainly better than the one he'd be transferred to later.
Of course, he thought, it would be nice if they'd give him a belt and some shoelaces to go with his stylish prison jumpsuit. He snorted. Surely they realized that, if he had chosen suicide, he would have resisted arrest 3 days earlier. He had considered it, of course. But he still had things to do. One of which was to make sure Sydney was okay.
Jack's jaw tightened. Three days. No word. The helicopter flight from the hospital had been a nightmare. Sandwiched between the two agents, eavesdropping on the radio crackling in the background.
"This is Robinson, on the 3rd floor. No sight of Agent Sydney Bristow. Repeat. Sydney Bristow is not here."
"This is Dixon. Perimeter is secure. No sight of Agent Sydney Bristow."
"Robinson," had come Irina's voice. "Finish the sweep of the building then fan out on the hospital grounds. Dixon – expand the perimeter to the main gates. Kendall," this transmission apparently to the Ops Center, where Kendall was monitoring the channel, "we have a report that Sydney Bristow was recently housed at this facility. A search is underway. Alert your contacts that she may attempt to contact the Ops Center herself."
"*What* did you say?" exploded Kendall.
"Repeat. Sydney Bristow is apparently alive, but now missing…"
and so it had gone. Had they found her? Was she all right?
His analytical side recognized the strategy they were using on him. Isolation. The guards had been instructed not to interact with him; he had had no visitors. God, he had written these protocols himself. Did Kendall know that? No interaction for at least 72 hours; begin breaking down the prisoner's will.
Jack laughed cynically to himself. This was nothing. Or at least, nothing compared to his past two years.
If only they would tell him about Sydney.
**
Steps. Not the steady, measured steps of the guards He had memorized almost all of their steps. Their schedule, too. A habit picked up over 35 years.
No, these were impatient. Irritated.
He looked up and scowled.
Kendall. His first visitor and it had to be Kendall.
"Bristow." Kendall's voice was dripping with contempt.
Jack gazed back through the glass, his face stony.
"Your interrogation will begin tomorrow. You will provide complete and thorough answers to every question that is asked of you. Do you understand?"
Jack ignored Kendall's question. "Where is Sydney? Is she okay?"
Kendall glared at Jack. "I don't think you understand the gravity of your position, Bristow," he sneered. "The crimes you committed have you facing the death penalty. You don't get to ask the questions anymore. I do."
Jack's lips tightened in fury. "She's my daughter, Kendall."
"She's an undercover operative of the CIA. It's not our policy to give out information about our agents to the criminals they are sworn to apprehend."
"Fine," spat Jack. "You don't have to answer questions; neither do I." He turned on his heel and headed for his bunk.
"Derevko guaranteed your full cooperation."
Jack spun around in surprise. "What?"
"It's the only reason you're here and not at Camp Harris. You mean to tell me that Derevko negotiated without telling you?"
"What do you think?" asked Jack with asperity. "Oh, right," he said sarcastically, "no questions. No she didn't tell me."
"Interesting, that," said Kendall maliciously. "Then she probably also neglected to mention that she only got permanent immunity if she handed you over in addition to Sloane."
A cold knot formed in Jack's stomach.
"You'll be happy to know," smirked Kendall, "that she'll be visiting later. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."
"Apparently so," said Jack shortly.
A long silence followed, which neither man attempted to break.
"When did you start working for Sloane?" Kendall asked at last.
Jack looked up at him, startled. Surely that was obvious. "Three days after Sydney had gone missing. Shortly after he took me to her."
Kendall nodded, satisfied. "There had been some speculation that you had actually been working for him the whole time you were at SD-6; that you never stopped working for him."
A dull flush covered Jack's face. People had thought he was actually capable of – "I see," he said tightly.
Another long silence stretched out between them.
"You remember Marshall?" Kendall began again.
Jack's face was still.
"He resigned from the CIA, you know. The week after you burned him. Thought of you as a father figure. Said he didn't know who to trust anymore."
The flush on Jack's face deepened.
"I just wanted you to understand that there's not a lot of sympathy around here for you. You won't get cut any breaks. You either cooperate or you'll be in Camp Harris faster than you can say - traitor."
Jack nodded curtly.
"Tomorrow then." Kendall turned on his heel and left. Jack looked away from the glass, schooling his face for the cameras.
"Bristow."
Jack turned back to see that Kendall had stopped.
"I'm sorry about Sydney. If it had been my daughter…I don't know what I would have done," Kendall said abruptly.
Blood began pounding in Jack's ears. Kendall was sorry. Sydney was missing. Sydney was dead. Sydney was in a coma again. Sydney was…
"She's okay, Jack. Sydney's okay."
Feeling suddenly weak, Jack leaned forward against the glass, eyes closed, fighting to maintain control. When he looked up, Kendall was gone.