The ski resort rushed around them as Sydney and Jack entered, with Sark close behind, to check in. Sark's hair was now a dark brown to match Sydney's and she reluctantly acknowledged it didn't look half bad. Her dad had now a thick mustache and beard, and had a flannel shirt and baggy jeans on as well. She laughed at how out of character he appeared. She waited comfortably in a sweater and jeans. It was a nice break from the outfits Sloane usually had for her.
"James Clark?" Jack asked, arriving at the desk.
"Good morning Mr. Clark." she said looking up the reservations, "and you are Sarah and Patrick, correct?"
"Yes," they both answered, Sydney rolled her eyes, as she handed her id to the girl.
"Oh your twins," she said, reading their ID's, "that's so cool. Whose older?"
"I am," Sark quickly answered giving Syd a one armed hug, "3 minutes makes all the difference."
"Oh I wish I had a twin, anyways, your rooms are 210 and 211. Enjoy, it snowed last night so you should have an awesome time."
"I'm sure," jack said, taking the keys and walking down the hall with their luggage in tow. "I'll take the first room, Sloane wants you to together so it will run more smoothly," he said giving Syd an apologetic look.
"More smoothly," she thought," that's like missing oil and water and saying it will work.
Before she could protest Sark grabbed their luggage and entered their room. It was larger than she expected and had a small kitchen and living room along with the bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, her heart sank as she saw the one bed. Dropping her coat on the bed, she wondered just what Sloane was thinking. She turned to Sark.
"One of us will have to..." she said, hoping he'd catch her drift.
"Absolutely, I'll sleep on the bed and you can have the floor. You'll thank me in the long run, I've heard the floor does wonders for your back. Now if you'll excuse me," and with that he shut the door and left her standing there, speechless, with a pillow and a blanket in her arms.
"My coats still in there, I want it back!" she yelled stomping off to the living room to unpack.
"Sark, were going down to meet Doble, now! Lets go," she yelled still fuming about having to sleep on the floor. We'll just see what he has to say when he wants to use the shower. Fat chance!
Standing in the lobby, waiting for Doble, Sydney could feel Sark starring at her. He had been for the last 10 minutes. She tried to ignore it by studying the plush red carpet and glowing fireplace. She tried to see if she could hear what the couple next to them was talking about. Giving up, she turned to Sark.
"What" she asked.
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that he's late." Sark replied, ending the short exchange of words for the first time in 20 minutes.
The silence and her nerves driving her nuts she tried small talk again. "You like to ski?"
"Huh? Oh not much really, how 'bout you?"
Taking a chance, she replied, "Oh I don't suppose it can be that hard."
"What do you mean you don't suppose?"
"Well I haven't actually skied before."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I cant imagine why, it couldn't be that I have the most dysfunctional family in the world. Seriously, do us Bristows look like a ski vacation kinda family to you, Sark?"
"No I guess not, you better learn fast."
"I mean even your family cant be that bad compared to mine," she rambled on, glad that they were actually speaking, she couldn't handle silence. Looking at Sark's face though shut her up fast.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Ms.Bristow," he responded glaring and turning the other way. Sydney just stood there. Well there went that short lived conversation. She resorted back to people watching.
"Sark, there's Doble," she whispered, breaking the silence between them.
Sark strolled up to Doble as if they were best friends. "Chris, its been awhile!"
"Excuse me, do I know you?" he asked suspiciously, but Sark continued convincingly.
"Patrick Clark! you don't remember me? Why I hardly think anyone could forget are group from high school. Remember McGoverns's grad party...." and on and on he continued until he had Doble convinced Sark was his long lost friend.
"Well are we going to hit the slopes or what?" she asked anxious to get the whole skiing fiasco over with.
"Yes lets," Sark replied.
"Coming Chris? I could use the change in company."
"I'd love to but if you don't, mind I am starving and need to have lunch."
"Not at all," she smiled, " well meet back here later, sound good,"
"Certainly." and left to go the mess hall.
"Sark?" she asked spinning around. She looked around the room but he was no where to be found.
Walking as fast as she called with out drawing attention to herself, Sydney went towards Doble's room. She got up with Sark quickly. Breaking into a run, she pinned a surprised against the wall.
"Sark, what are you doing? We're supposed to wait till tonight," she stalled, knowing he dad was in the room making the switch now. She tried to be as loud as possible with out drawing attention
"Ms.Bristow this is none of your business. This is my call and I'm going now." Anger replacing the surprise in his eyes. "Now if you'd be so kind to take your hands off me and let me go."
"I'm coming too then." She stood there, waiting for his reply knowing that if he said no then if was all over.
"No, your not. you want to help? Then stay here and guard the door. I don't need any assistance," and he started to walk towards the door. Jumping forward she pinned him against the door. "Who the hell are you working for?"
"Why Sydney, I believe my loyalty to SD-6 are just as clear as yours, wouldn't you agree? Now if you'll excuse me I have an artifact to get for the good of the United States, and I don't plan on coming back empty handed.
"Like hell you don't," she muttered, banging the wall in frustration. He didn't know what to do. She couldn't go in, it would expose both her and her dad. Maybe her dad had already gotten out. She decided to wait at the door. Sark would have to come out sooner or later.
Sark opened the door slowly. He wondered what Sydney was so anxious about. Gun draw, he walked in. No one was there. He went to the suitcase and cracked it open. The artifact was sitting there, almost hurriedly placed. Still suspicious he picked it up and replaced it with the SD-6 fake. He reached into his sweatshirt pocket and took out a small vile of clear liquid. He blotted it onto a small cloth and rubbed It on the mirrored surface of the artifact. Nothing happened, cursing he tried again. Leaping up he searched the room , the closets and the bathroom. No one was in the apartment. Then he noticed the window. Tapping it is swung open slightly to a small porch. It hadn't been shut, just closed by the wind Someone else had beat him to the artifact. Grabbing the fake for Sloane, he silently debated what to do. Sydney knew something and that was certainly to his advantage. But how could he confront her, she didn't have the artifact, she'd been with him all day. The only other person who could have gotten to it was Jack. Still, he would have to play his cards right to get what he wanted and the artifact. He sighed wondering how he'd gotten everything so perfectly set up, had to stand the monkey Sloane for months, and then let Jack slip through his fingers.
Sydney stood there irritable waiting, playing out all the things that could have happened over and over in her head. It had been relatively quiet, she reminder herself, maybe her dad had heard her.
"Lets go," Sark yelled, fuming but trying to no avail to hide it.
Standing in the shower, she battled the notorious ever changing water temperature and trying to find a signal on her cell in the shower. Finally she got it.
"Dad?"
"Sydney."
"Where are you? Did you get the artifact?"
"At the safe house then to the CIA. I heard you out in the hall. I figured Sark would figure it was me so I left, can you cover for me?"
"I'll try."
"Bye see you at home."
"James Clark?" Jack asked, arriving at the desk.
"Good morning Mr. Clark." she said looking up the reservations, "and you are Sarah and Patrick, correct?"
"Yes," they both answered, Sydney rolled her eyes, as she handed her id to the girl.
"Oh your twins," she said, reading their ID's, "that's so cool. Whose older?"
"I am," Sark quickly answered giving Syd a one armed hug, "3 minutes makes all the difference."
"Oh I wish I had a twin, anyways, your rooms are 210 and 211. Enjoy, it snowed last night so you should have an awesome time."
"I'm sure," jack said, taking the keys and walking down the hall with their luggage in tow. "I'll take the first room, Sloane wants you to together so it will run more smoothly," he said giving Syd an apologetic look.
"More smoothly," she thought," that's like missing oil and water and saying it will work.
Before she could protest Sark grabbed their luggage and entered their room. It was larger than she expected and had a small kitchen and living room along with the bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, her heart sank as she saw the one bed. Dropping her coat on the bed, she wondered just what Sloane was thinking. She turned to Sark.
"One of us will have to..." she said, hoping he'd catch her drift.
"Absolutely, I'll sleep on the bed and you can have the floor. You'll thank me in the long run, I've heard the floor does wonders for your back. Now if you'll excuse me," and with that he shut the door and left her standing there, speechless, with a pillow and a blanket in her arms.
"My coats still in there, I want it back!" she yelled stomping off to the living room to unpack.
"Sark, were going down to meet Doble, now! Lets go," she yelled still fuming about having to sleep on the floor. We'll just see what he has to say when he wants to use the shower. Fat chance!
Standing in the lobby, waiting for Doble, Sydney could feel Sark starring at her. He had been for the last 10 minutes. She tried to ignore it by studying the plush red carpet and glowing fireplace. She tried to see if she could hear what the couple next to them was talking about. Giving up, she turned to Sark.
"What" she asked.
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that he's late." Sark replied, ending the short exchange of words for the first time in 20 minutes.
The silence and her nerves driving her nuts she tried small talk again. "You like to ski?"
"Huh? Oh not much really, how 'bout you?"
Taking a chance, she replied, "Oh I don't suppose it can be that hard."
"What do you mean you don't suppose?"
"Well I haven't actually skied before."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I cant imagine why, it couldn't be that I have the most dysfunctional family in the world. Seriously, do us Bristows look like a ski vacation kinda family to you, Sark?"
"No I guess not, you better learn fast."
"I mean even your family cant be that bad compared to mine," she rambled on, glad that they were actually speaking, she couldn't handle silence. Looking at Sark's face though shut her up fast.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Ms.Bristow," he responded glaring and turning the other way. Sydney just stood there. Well there went that short lived conversation. She resorted back to people watching.
"Sark, there's Doble," she whispered, breaking the silence between them.
Sark strolled up to Doble as if they were best friends. "Chris, its been awhile!"
"Excuse me, do I know you?" he asked suspiciously, but Sark continued convincingly.
"Patrick Clark! you don't remember me? Why I hardly think anyone could forget are group from high school. Remember McGoverns's grad party...." and on and on he continued until he had Doble convinced Sark was his long lost friend.
"Well are we going to hit the slopes or what?" she asked anxious to get the whole skiing fiasco over with.
"Yes lets," Sark replied.
"Coming Chris? I could use the change in company."
"I'd love to but if you don't, mind I am starving and need to have lunch."
"Not at all," she smiled, " well meet back here later, sound good,"
"Certainly." and left to go the mess hall.
"Sark?" she asked spinning around. She looked around the room but he was no where to be found.
Walking as fast as she called with out drawing attention to herself, Sydney went towards Doble's room. She got up with Sark quickly. Breaking into a run, she pinned a surprised against the wall.
"Sark, what are you doing? We're supposed to wait till tonight," she stalled, knowing he dad was in the room making the switch now. She tried to be as loud as possible with out drawing attention
"Ms.Bristow this is none of your business. This is my call and I'm going now." Anger replacing the surprise in his eyes. "Now if you'd be so kind to take your hands off me and let me go."
"I'm coming too then." She stood there, waiting for his reply knowing that if he said no then if was all over.
"No, your not. you want to help? Then stay here and guard the door. I don't need any assistance," and he started to walk towards the door. Jumping forward she pinned him against the door. "Who the hell are you working for?"
"Why Sydney, I believe my loyalty to SD-6 are just as clear as yours, wouldn't you agree? Now if you'll excuse me I have an artifact to get for the good of the United States, and I don't plan on coming back empty handed.
"Like hell you don't," she muttered, banging the wall in frustration. He didn't know what to do. She couldn't go in, it would expose both her and her dad. Maybe her dad had already gotten out. She decided to wait at the door. Sark would have to come out sooner or later.
Sark opened the door slowly. He wondered what Sydney was so anxious about. Gun draw, he walked in. No one was there. He went to the suitcase and cracked it open. The artifact was sitting there, almost hurriedly placed. Still suspicious he picked it up and replaced it with the SD-6 fake. He reached into his sweatshirt pocket and took out a small vile of clear liquid. He blotted it onto a small cloth and rubbed It on the mirrored surface of the artifact. Nothing happened, cursing he tried again. Leaping up he searched the room , the closets and the bathroom. No one was in the apartment. Then he noticed the window. Tapping it is swung open slightly to a small porch. It hadn't been shut, just closed by the wind Someone else had beat him to the artifact. Grabbing the fake for Sloane, he silently debated what to do. Sydney knew something and that was certainly to his advantage. But how could he confront her, she didn't have the artifact, she'd been with him all day. The only other person who could have gotten to it was Jack. Still, he would have to play his cards right to get what he wanted and the artifact. He sighed wondering how he'd gotten everything so perfectly set up, had to stand the monkey Sloane for months, and then let Jack slip through his fingers.
Sydney stood there irritable waiting, playing out all the things that could have happened over and over in her head. It had been relatively quiet, she reminder herself, maybe her dad had heard her.
"Lets go," Sark yelled, fuming but trying to no avail to hide it.
Standing in the shower, she battled the notorious ever changing water temperature and trying to find a signal on her cell in the shower. Finally she got it.
"Dad?"
"Sydney."
"Where are you? Did you get the artifact?"
"At the safe house then to the CIA. I heard you out in the hall. I figured Sark would figure it was me so I left, can you cover for me?"
"I'll try."
"Bye see you at home."