Chapter 11 - Another Argument...
I hang up the phone and return to my desk. I pick up all the files and move them into the conference room, placing one at each chair. I sit at the head of the table and lay my head in my hands. What is going on? I've never been so clueless about Sloane my whole life, and what about Irina? Is she in this too? There's no sign of her yet, except for the fact that they want Sark back. My head is spinning, I hear movement outside the door, and straighten up and hide my confusion. It's Eric. Good, I was hoping he would be here first.
I clear my throat. "Eric, what are your thoughts on Zanna?" He jerks his head up and meets my eyes. He's conflicted on how to respond.
"Well sir, to take words from Frank Herbert, 'knowing there is a trap is the first step in evading it.' Yet, I don't think she is the trap. I think she is simply a piece that Sloane is playing to set us up. I think we have yet to see the trap."
I rub my temple, I may regret doing this but what other choices do I have, "Eric . . . " I stop and look up at the door. Vaughn walks in, he's about to close the door, when Sydney pulls it open and she and Zanna enter. They all sit down at the table.
I take a deep breath, and stand up. "I called you all in this morning because it seems that Sloane has left us another clue." I pause and motion to the folders on the table. They all grab them and open them up. I fix my stare on Zanna, she opens the folder and flinches, exactly what I was expecting.
She quickly looks up at me, "When did you receive these." He voice is a mixture of panic and anger.
"They were sent to our server around 4am. The broadcasting point has been located as their home in Virginia." I turn away from Zanna, "The woman in the photos, in Cassandra Trager; the wife of one of the officers killed in Libya. Soon after these photos were received, we dispatched teams to take up watch on the remaining close ones to those who were killed in Libya. No other attempts of kidnaping have been reported."
"Why weren't teams dispatched right when their bodies were received? What are the plans of retrieving Cassie? Do we know where she is? What are you doing about this Jack? What?" Zanna starts to get out of her chair, but Eric pulls her back down. Zanna's voice fills with bitterness, "You are just going to let them keep her, aren't you?"
I stand silent, "Miss Adurea, do I need to remind you that any moment I deem necessary I can have you pulled off this case." She doesn't move. "May I continue?" She still doesn't move. "Okay then, we have increased security surrounding Sark." I'm interrupted.
"Who's Sark?" Zanna asks.
"I don't think that concerns you right now."
Zanna backs down. "You do know eventually you are going to have to trust me. I can't help you if I only know half the information." I ignore her.
"We do have a lead in Mexico that says Cassandra could be in captive there. We have satellites on surveillance, but until we get a better clue as to what is happening, that is all there is going to be." I look at Zanna. She is staring at the table very intensely. "Now, Sydney, I need you to get in contact with Will. I need him to pull up background information on this compound in Mexico." Sydney won't look at me either. She keeps her eyes on Zanna, but nods in agreement to talk to Will. "Okay then. Eric will you please escort Miss Adurea to your office. I need a moment with Sydney and Vaughn." Eric gets up and walks to the door. Zanna pauses for a moment about to fight this, then clenches her jaw and walks out also.
Sydney reluctantly speaks up, "Dad, I agree with Zanna. Something more needs to be done with the kidnaping of Cassie. If it had been Will, I would have been there in a heartbeat."
"Do you think she is a double?" Sydney's eyes widen in astonishment with my frankness.
"No, I don't think so."
I turn my back to them. What am I going to do? "Sydney, I want you and Vaughn to head to Virginia. Don't speak of this to anyone. I want you to go to the Trager's house, and see what you can find there." I raise my voice, "But if anything seems wrong, any inkling that something is going to go bad, head back here immediately. I want you to leave in less than two hours." I walk back to the head of the table and pull a second folder from under the first. "Here are maps and plans of the house and the area." With that I walk out of the room and head toward Eric's Office.
*****
She's pissed. She won't talk to me. She just follows me out of the conference room and then to my office. She sits in one of the two chairs on the opposite side of my desk. I take a seat in the other seat, and just stare at her. Tears begin to glaze over her eyes. She takes a deep breath of air and swallows.
"I'm very impressed." She turns to me with a look of confusion on her face. "Do you have any idea of how many people have the guts to fight Jack Bristow and live to tell the tale?" She shrugs her shoulders and stares back at the desk. "I about crap myself every time I have to talk to Jack." She lets out a short breath of laughter. "I'm serious." She gives a half smile and then turns back toward me.
"Eric, have you ever been in love?" Her expression is solemn.
I'm shocked and embarrassed, "No." I can't look her in the eyes now.
"I don't mean in love as in lust love, but have you ever cared so much for someone that you would give your life just for theirs?" I nod my head. She turns back toward the desk, "That's what Calvin and I had." She stops, as a tear finally falls down her cheek. She looks so beautiful. I reach over and grab her hands and turn her toward me. She looks up at me and closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. "I don't know how to just sit and wait for answers. I'm not that kind of girl." I know what she is hinting toward.
"If you leave here, you will be hunted down. You will be marked as a traitor." She nods her head
"I know that."
"Don't go then. Not yet. Please."
She turns her gaze from me and another tear falls. "What am I meant to do then?" Her voice is starting to crack with pain.
"Stay here." I reach up for her cheek and wipe away the tear. "With me."
She pulls her hands back and turns away from me. "Don't Eric." I exhale, calming all the hurt that's inside. I feel like I just had a huge slap in the face. I'm pulling myself back together when Jack enters.
I hang up the phone and return to my desk. I pick up all the files and move them into the conference room, placing one at each chair. I sit at the head of the table and lay my head in my hands. What is going on? I've never been so clueless about Sloane my whole life, and what about Irina? Is she in this too? There's no sign of her yet, except for the fact that they want Sark back. My head is spinning, I hear movement outside the door, and straighten up and hide my confusion. It's Eric. Good, I was hoping he would be here first.
I clear my throat. "Eric, what are your thoughts on Zanna?" He jerks his head up and meets my eyes. He's conflicted on how to respond.
"Well sir, to take words from Frank Herbert, 'knowing there is a trap is the first step in evading it.' Yet, I don't think she is the trap. I think she is simply a piece that Sloane is playing to set us up. I think we have yet to see the trap."
I rub my temple, I may regret doing this but what other choices do I have, "Eric . . . " I stop and look up at the door. Vaughn walks in, he's about to close the door, when Sydney pulls it open and she and Zanna enter. They all sit down at the table.
I take a deep breath, and stand up. "I called you all in this morning because it seems that Sloane has left us another clue." I pause and motion to the folders on the table. They all grab them and open them up. I fix my stare on Zanna, she opens the folder and flinches, exactly what I was expecting.
She quickly looks up at me, "When did you receive these." He voice is a mixture of panic and anger.
"They were sent to our server around 4am. The broadcasting point has been located as their home in Virginia." I turn away from Zanna, "The woman in the photos, in Cassandra Trager; the wife of one of the officers killed in Libya. Soon after these photos were received, we dispatched teams to take up watch on the remaining close ones to those who were killed in Libya. No other attempts of kidnaping have been reported."
"Why weren't teams dispatched right when their bodies were received? What are the plans of retrieving Cassie? Do we know where she is? What are you doing about this Jack? What?" Zanna starts to get out of her chair, but Eric pulls her back down. Zanna's voice fills with bitterness, "You are just going to let them keep her, aren't you?"
I stand silent, "Miss Adurea, do I need to remind you that any moment I deem necessary I can have you pulled off this case." She doesn't move. "May I continue?" She still doesn't move. "Okay then, we have increased security surrounding Sark." I'm interrupted.
"Who's Sark?" Zanna asks.
"I don't think that concerns you right now."
Zanna backs down. "You do know eventually you are going to have to trust me. I can't help you if I only know half the information." I ignore her.
"We do have a lead in Mexico that says Cassandra could be in captive there. We have satellites on surveillance, but until we get a better clue as to what is happening, that is all there is going to be." I look at Zanna. She is staring at the table very intensely. "Now, Sydney, I need you to get in contact with Will. I need him to pull up background information on this compound in Mexico." Sydney won't look at me either. She keeps her eyes on Zanna, but nods in agreement to talk to Will. "Okay then. Eric will you please escort Miss Adurea to your office. I need a moment with Sydney and Vaughn." Eric gets up and walks to the door. Zanna pauses for a moment about to fight this, then clenches her jaw and walks out also.
Sydney reluctantly speaks up, "Dad, I agree with Zanna. Something more needs to be done with the kidnaping of Cassie. If it had been Will, I would have been there in a heartbeat."
"Do you think she is a double?" Sydney's eyes widen in astonishment with my frankness.
"No, I don't think so."
I turn my back to them. What am I going to do? "Sydney, I want you and Vaughn to head to Virginia. Don't speak of this to anyone. I want you to go to the Trager's house, and see what you can find there." I raise my voice, "But if anything seems wrong, any inkling that something is going to go bad, head back here immediately. I want you to leave in less than two hours." I walk back to the head of the table and pull a second folder from under the first. "Here are maps and plans of the house and the area." With that I walk out of the room and head toward Eric's Office.
*****
She's pissed. She won't talk to me. She just follows me out of the conference room and then to my office. She sits in one of the two chairs on the opposite side of my desk. I take a seat in the other seat, and just stare at her. Tears begin to glaze over her eyes. She takes a deep breath of air and swallows.
"I'm very impressed." She turns to me with a look of confusion on her face. "Do you have any idea of how many people have the guts to fight Jack Bristow and live to tell the tale?" She shrugs her shoulders and stares back at the desk. "I about crap myself every time I have to talk to Jack." She lets out a short breath of laughter. "I'm serious." She gives a half smile and then turns back toward me.
"Eric, have you ever been in love?" Her expression is solemn.
I'm shocked and embarrassed, "No." I can't look her in the eyes now.
"I don't mean in love as in lust love, but have you ever cared so much for someone that you would give your life just for theirs?" I nod my head. She turns back toward the desk, "That's what Calvin and I had." She stops, as a tear finally falls down her cheek. She looks so beautiful. I reach over and grab her hands and turn her toward me. She looks up at me and closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. "I don't know how to just sit and wait for answers. I'm not that kind of girl." I know what she is hinting toward.
"If you leave here, you will be hunted down. You will be marked as a traitor." She nods her head
"I know that."
"Don't go then. Not yet. Please."
She turns her gaze from me and another tear falls. "What am I meant to do then?" Her voice is starting to crack with pain.
"Stay here." I reach up for her cheek and wipe away the tear. "With me."
She pulls her hands back and turns away from me. "Don't Eric." I exhale, calming all the hurt that's inside. I feel like I just had a huge slap in the face. I'm pulling myself back together when Jack enters.