Well, here's chapter 23. Sorry I didn't update over the weekend. It was kind of busy around here!! Hope you guys like this chapter. I've got the next few pretty well planned out, and I just need to sit down and write them. Enjoy!
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Chapter 23
When I arrived in Los Angeles, I was immediately escorted to yet another safehouse—one that I'd hoped I would never have to use. It was a safehouse built for one purpose, and one purpose only. To isolate a double agent whose cover had been blown.
Whose life was at risk.
Who had nowhere else to go.
It was funny. Since everything had fallen apart with Vaughn in Istanbul, I hadn't given a second thought to my own situation. Sloane knew I was a double. My life was in serious danger.
But, at the same time, I felt a flicker of hope—that this ordeal, these last seven years of my life, Danny's death—might finally be put behind me.
But I couldn't risk hoping. I couldn't let myself start thinking about a life outside of SD-6, outside of the CIA. Not until it was guaranteed.
I couldn't help but feel relieved when I was led into the safehouse, the two guards following me in and locking the door behind me. I always acted strong, and I've always tried to be brave, but I knew that Sloane would be out there looking for me. And until I had formulated a plan, I appreciated any protection I could get. I was scared.
I walked slowly towards the bedroom of the old house, frowning as my thoughts returned to Vaughn.
My father thought Vaughn was a double agent. He hadn't used those words, hadn't come right out and said it like I wished he would, but I knew that he was thinking it.
I sighed. It would be one thing if it had just been my father's suspicions, but the CIA believed it as well.
But it couldn't be.
It couldn't.
Because it was Vaughn. And despite the suspicion that was beginning to tug at the back of my mind, I had to trust him.
I had to.
I needed to.
If he betrayed me, I wouldn't be able to go on. I couldn't handle it if another person in my life lied to me.
With new determination, I pushed away any suspicions, any doubts that had been forming about Vaughn.
I loved him.
I had faith in him.
Grabbing the phone, I dialed my father's number, hoping to at least get all the facts on the situation. The phone rang several times before he picked up.
"Dad?" I asked.
"Sydney." He said. I'm glad you called. I need to explain what happened."
"You're damn right you do," I snapped, my anger resurfacing against my will. I took a few deep breaths, calming myself down a little before speaking again. "I'm sorry." I said finally. "But please, just tell me the truth about what's going on."
"As you know, we intercepted a transmission from SD-6 to…kill you." My father hesitated at these last words, clearing his throat before continuing. "I didn't tell you that we intercepted an additional transmission—an electronic tracking signal coming from the safehouse. At first, we thought a trace had been planted at the original safehouse. But when the signal followed you across Istanbul, we got suspicious, and sent in a team."
"But that could have been planted by anyone," I interjected. "There's no way to know how long Sloane has known I'm a double. He could have planted it on me at work. Why suspect Vaughn?" I asked.
"Because the signal was first picked up when Vaughn returned to the safehouse after his kidnapping."
I hesitated at this information.
"Sydney," my father continued, his own voice hesitant. "We examined Vaughn's injuries after you left. The tracking device was implanted underneath the skin of his left forearm. It was disguised as a cut—nothing that would have been noticed without our tracking equipment."
I remained silent, shocked at the information. Vaughn had been carrying a tracking device. They knew he had been with me. They were using him to find me. And it made me mad.
"That doesn't mean that Vaughn is a double," I replied defiantly. "He was kidnapped. He told me he was beaten—that he was unconscious at least twice. That device could have been planted without his knowledge." I tried unsuccessfully to hold back my mounting anger. "How can you automatically assume that he's a traitor?"
"I'm not assuming anything. I don't believe that Agent Vaughn is a traitor."
"You don't?" I asked, my father's statement taking me off guard.
"No. But the same circumstances remain. He is a security risk, whether he planned to be or not. And that situation needs to be handled."
I remained silent, realizing that he was right.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more in Istanbul," he continued. "We needed to get you off the premises, and I couldn't risk Vaughn overhearing anything. At this point, his best and quickest chance at proving his innocence is a lie detector test. And I want him to answer with complete honesty. His memory of what happened can't be tainted by your version of events, or mine."
I couldn't believe it. All this time I had been blaming my father for what had happened, when he was the one trying to help Vaughn.
"Dad…" I said, my voice almost a whisper. "Thank you."
"I'm not doing this for you," he replied. "I'm doing it for Agent Vaughn."
Which meant more than anything he could ever have done for me.
"Still," I replied. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied uncomfortably.
"When does he take the lie detector test?" I asked, the worry returning to the pit of my stomach.
"He just got out of surgery, so—"
"What?" I asked. "Surgery?"
"To remove the tracking device," my father responded. "They used local anesthesia, but the doctors want to give him a few hours of recovery time, so than nothing influences the test. He should take it within the next four hours."
"Could you call me with the results?" I asked.
"Of course," he said. "As soon as I have them."
"Thanks. And Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Could you tell him that I—that I'm thinking of him?"
There was silence at the other end of the line.
"You know I can't do that," he finally responded.
"Please." I said simply. He paused.
"I'll try," he said, and the line went dead.
I hung up slowly, still processing everything I had been told.
It made sense for Sloane to use someone close to me—to use someone that meant everything to me. Vaughn was the perfect choice. I wouldn't suspect a thing, and when the CIA found out, they would just accuse him of being a traitor. It was a win-win situation for SD-6.
Except Sloane hadn't planned on my father finding out. He hadn't expected that he would believe Vaughn. Neither had I.
And I was more grateful than I could ever say.
But questions remained. How had Sloane found out about me? How had he discovered that Vaughn was my handler? Did he know that my father was a double as well?
And how, now that we had been found out, would it be possible to bring an end to SD-6?
The questions were exhausting, and I knew that there was no way I could answer them alone.
I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above me.
I wished that Vaughn were here with me.
I wished that I could give him a huge, tight hug.
He had told me that he couldn't sleep when I was away on missions, and for the first time I understood what he meant.
Because I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink until he was with me again.
* * * * *
Well, everyone needs to send Vaughn some good test-taking vibes. Those darned lie detector tests. Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter. Please read and review. Thanks for ALL the reviews you sent on the last chapter… it was by far the most reviewed of all 22 chapters so far!! YAY!!
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Chapter 23
When I arrived in Los Angeles, I was immediately escorted to yet another safehouse—one that I'd hoped I would never have to use. It was a safehouse built for one purpose, and one purpose only. To isolate a double agent whose cover had been blown.
Whose life was at risk.
Who had nowhere else to go.
It was funny. Since everything had fallen apart with Vaughn in Istanbul, I hadn't given a second thought to my own situation. Sloane knew I was a double. My life was in serious danger.
But, at the same time, I felt a flicker of hope—that this ordeal, these last seven years of my life, Danny's death—might finally be put behind me.
But I couldn't risk hoping. I couldn't let myself start thinking about a life outside of SD-6, outside of the CIA. Not until it was guaranteed.
I couldn't help but feel relieved when I was led into the safehouse, the two guards following me in and locking the door behind me. I always acted strong, and I've always tried to be brave, but I knew that Sloane would be out there looking for me. And until I had formulated a plan, I appreciated any protection I could get. I was scared.
I walked slowly towards the bedroom of the old house, frowning as my thoughts returned to Vaughn.
My father thought Vaughn was a double agent. He hadn't used those words, hadn't come right out and said it like I wished he would, but I knew that he was thinking it.
I sighed. It would be one thing if it had just been my father's suspicions, but the CIA believed it as well.
But it couldn't be.
It couldn't.
Because it was Vaughn. And despite the suspicion that was beginning to tug at the back of my mind, I had to trust him.
I had to.
I needed to.
If he betrayed me, I wouldn't be able to go on. I couldn't handle it if another person in my life lied to me.
With new determination, I pushed away any suspicions, any doubts that had been forming about Vaughn.
I loved him.
I had faith in him.
Grabbing the phone, I dialed my father's number, hoping to at least get all the facts on the situation. The phone rang several times before he picked up.
"Dad?" I asked.
"Sydney." He said. I'm glad you called. I need to explain what happened."
"You're damn right you do," I snapped, my anger resurfacing against my will. I took a few deep breaths, calming myself down a little before speaking again. "I'm sorry." I said finally. "But please, just tell me the truth about what's going on."
"As you know, we intercepted a transmission from SD-6 to…kill you." My father hesitated at these last words, clearing his throat before continuing. "I didn't tell you that we intercepted an additional transmission—an electronic tracking signal coming from the safehouse. At first, we thought a trace had been planted at the original safehouse. But when the signal followed you across Istanbul, we got suspicious, and sent in a team."
"But that could have been planted by anyone," I interjected. "There's no way to know how long Sloane has known I'm a double. He could have planted it on me at work. Why suspect Vaughn?" I asked.
"Because the signal was first picked up when Vaughn returned to the safehouse after his kidnapping."
I hesitated at this information.
"Sydney," my father continued, his own voice hesitant. "We examined Vaughn's injuries after you left. The tracking device was implanted underneath the skin of his left forearm. It was disguised as a cut—nothing that would have been noticed without our tracking equipment."
I remained silent, shocked at the information. Vaughn had been carrying a tracking device. They knew he had been with me. They were using him to find me. And it made me mad.
"That doesn't mean that Vaughn is a double," I replied defiantly. "He was kidnapped. He told me he was beaten—that he was unconscious at least twice. That device could have been planted without his knowledge." I tried unsuccessfully to hold back my mounting anger. "How can you automatically assume that he's a traitor?"
"I'm not assuming anything. I don't believe that Agent Vaughn is a traitor."
"You don't?" I asked, my father's statement taking me off guard.
"No. But the same circumstances remain. He is a security risk, whether he planned to be or not. And that situation needs to be handled."
I remained silent, realizing that he was right.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more in Istanbul," he continued. "We needed to get you off the premises, and I couldn't risk Vaughn overhearing anything. At this point, his best and quickest chance at proving his innocence is a lie detector test. And I want him to answer with complete honesty. His memory of what happened can't be tainted by your version of events, or mine."
I couldn't believe it. All this time I had been blaming my father for what had happened, when he was the one trying to help Vaughn.
"Dad…" I said, my voice almost a whisper. "Thank you."
"I'm not doing this for you," he replied. "I'm doing it for Agent Vaughn."
Which meant more than anything he could ever have done for me.
"Still," I replied. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied uncomfortably.
"When does he take the lie detector test?" I asked, the worry returning to the pit of my stomach.
"He just got out of surgery, so—"
"What?" I asked. "Surgery?"
"To remove the tracking device," my father responded. "They used local anesthesia, but the doctors want to give him a few hours of recovery time, so than nothing influences the test. He should take it within the next four hours."
"Could you call me with the results?" I asked.
"Of course," he said. "As soon as I have them."
"Thanks. And Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Could you tell him that I—that I'm thinking of him?"
There was silence at the other end of the line.
"You know I can't do that," he finally responded.
"Please." I said simply. He paused.
"I'll try," he said, and the line went dead.
I hung up slowly, still processing everything I had been told.
It made sense for Sloane to use someone close to me—to use someone that meant everything to me. Vaughn was the perfect choice. I wouldn't suspect a thing, and when the CIA found out, they would just accuse him of being a traitor. It was a win-win situation for SD-6.
Except Sloane hadn't planned on my father finding out. He hadn't expected that he would believe Vaughn. Neither had I.
And I was more grateful than I could ever say.
But questions remained. How had Sloane found out about me? How had he discovered that Vaughn was my handler? Did he know that my father was a double as well?
And how, now that we had been found out, would it be possible to bring an end to SD-6?
The questions were exhausting, and I knew that there was no way I could answer them alone.
I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above me.
I wished that Vaughn were here with me.
I wished that I could give him a huge, tight hug.
He had told me that he couldn't sleep when I was away on missions, and for the first time I understood what he meant.
Because I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink until he was with me again.
* * * * *
Well, everyone needs to send Vaughn some good test-taking vibes. Those darned lie detector tests. Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter. Please read and review. Thanks for ALL the reviews you sent on the last chapter… it was by far the most reviewed of all 22 chapters so far!! YAY!!