The room was mildly lit, as he entered it. The dim light emanated from a
small lamp, and a few candles. The aura of the room baffled his
expectations. On top of this there was a soft music playing. Classical, but
nondescript. He hadn't imagined it this way, when he'd decided to come. As
he slowly and quietly made his way further into the mid-size apartment, he
realized that its owner was in fact home. The clink of glass, alerted him
to the presence of someone in the living room. He couldn't see who it was,
as he crept along the wall. A soft laughter emerged from around the corner.
It was female.
Sark turned to corner suddenly, and regretting it as he did. Through the candle light he could make out his father on the couch, struggling to stand up. Two wine glasses sat on the coffee table, along with two half eaten dinner. And there on the couch, Irina maneuvered to gain her composure as well...
"Ryan. What are you doing here?" Jack demanded, in a strong but mild way.
"I.Forgive me. I didn't realize. that you wouldn't be alone." Sark half stuttered.
"It's alright." Irina said standing as well, using her thumb to correct her lipstick.
"What is it you need?" Jack said motioning to the chair across from the couch. He reached to turn the light dimmer up, before sitting himself.
"I wanted to talk to you. Well actually both of you. You're apartment was the only place I knew I could find you." Sark said, his eyes adjusting to the light.
"You've come quite a long way." Irina said softly.
"Yes, well it's important. It's about Sydney."
"What is it?" Jack said immediately, worry filling his voice.
"I began having dreams. Well memories actually." Sark said, before being cut off my his mother.
"Having to do with The Prophesy?" It was actually more of a statement than a question.
"Indeed. I remember reading it to Sloane. He wasn't very happy about what I had to say."
"Do you remember what you read?" Jack said impatiently.
"Not exactly. Bits and pieces maybe." Sark said shaking his head. He didn't like it one bit, that Sloane had used him to do this.
"And now you want to know what we know." Irina said, again stating not questioning.
"Well... I was hoping you could fill in some of the gaps." Sark said hesitantly. Truthfully, he was unsure if he wanted to know the truth.
"It's a very long story." Jack said, looking toward Irina.
"Would you like to continue our conversation later? Tomorrow perhaps?" Sark said knowingly.
Irina looked toward Jack with an expression only he could read.
"I'm fine." He said to Irina, forcing a smile.
"I don't mean to.interrupt." Sark said trying to control his smile.
"Not at all." Irina said quickly, and without embarrassment.
Jack sighed before beginning the story. "The Prophesy is a complex and almost layered puzzle.." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Do you want blueberry or strawberry?" Damien asked standing in the doorway.
"Dame, I can get it myself it's no big deal." Sydney said lying on the couch, and attempting to get up.
"Don't move a muscle, that's an order." Damien said firmly. He turned into the kitchen, "Strawberry it is." He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a pre-made strawberry milkshake. Milkshakes had been a staple of Sydney's pregnancy, and they had always made bunches of them to keep the fridge stocked. He pulled off the top of the container and threw it in the sink, as he walked back toward the family room. "Here we are." He said handing to her, before taking a seat next to her on the couch.
"Thanks." Sydney said, beginning to eat it right away, as Damien flipped through the channels. He flipped right past CNN. "Wait go back, just a sec." Sydney said. He did so. The screen was showing footage of dozens of men in uniform entering a large warehouse.
"A massive raid was conducted today in warehouse outside of Rome today. A joint US-Italian force searched for clues connecting known terrorists to several high publicity crimes in recent months." The reported stated, over the picture of the raid. Suddenly the screen flashed to an enlarged picture of none other than Arvin Sloane. "This man, whose identity is being kept secret, if wanted in connection with these crime. Both US and Italian intelligence warns the public to be on the look out for him, he's on Interpol's Most Wanted List, as well as being a dangerous criminal."
Sydney almost dropped her milkshake. Thoughts ran like mad through her head. 'Why would the CIA leak Sloane's picture? Are they that desperate? What was in the warehouse in Italy? What the hell is going on?'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ten minutes later Sydney was on the phone.
"Will Tippen please." Sydney said impatiently.
"Mr. Tippen is unavailable at the moment can I direct you to his voice mail?" The operator said politely.
"My clearance code is 896023. I need to speak with him immediately." Sydney said, rather impolitely. She hoped that the code still worked.
"Right away." The operator said before the line went dead. It was only a few seconds before Will picked up.
"Tippen."
"Will, it's Sydney."
"What, hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Look I'm sorry to be so rushed but I have a question I need answered."
"Okay, shoot."
"I just Arvin Sloane on CNN. What was that all about? Why had the CIA leaked info about him to the press?"
"Okay Syd. I shouldn't be telling you this. But the raid in Italy was done because of recent intel the CIA has obtained about Sloane. We thought he might still be there, but apparently he moved."
"What was he doing there in the first place? Does the CIA think that he had the Rambaldi device in the Warehouse?"
"The CIA doesn't think that, Sydney they knew he was keeping it there. On top of that they think they have a lead on where he went."
"They knew it? What is their lead?"
"I shouldn't tell you this. It's so classified, I have to go into a little white room to review the file. It's not in the computers, because they can be hacked. It's top priority clearance. Like me and two other guys know anything about it. The CIA isn't even willing to move on this yet, they say it's too dangerous."
"That's great Will, but this involves me in a very big way. I know about Sloane's new theory. And this affects more than me, of the CIA, or any of it. It's my baby Will."
"I know. Look there isn't much more I can say. Oh but Amy, my sister, you remember her. She got a new passport recently."
"What?" Sydney said unsure of what Will was trying to tell her.
"You know, she was just disappointed because all of the stamps she'd gotten in the old one weren't going to transfer to the new one. She likes to keep track of all the places she's used it to go."
"Yeah, I think I understand how she feels." Sydney said catching on to what Will was saying.
"So yeah, she was mostly disappointed about that trip she took, right after Danny died. The stamp from there was a really cool one she said, but she barely even remembered getting it."
"Right." Sydney said firmly. "I have to go, thanks for everything. I'll see you soon!"
"Yeah Syd. I love you be careful."
"You too."
The line went dead. 'Taipei it is.' Sydney shivered at the thought of everything that had happened there. 'Sloane's and idiot for going there. It's the first place my father or I would look.' She thought shaking her head. She didn't realize that that was exactly what he wanted. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sark turned to corner suddenly, and regretting it as he did. Through the candle light he could make out his father on the couch, struggling to stand up. Two wine glasses sat on the coffee table, along with two half eaten dinner. And there on the couch, Irina maneuvered to gain her composure as well...
"Ryan. What are you doing here?" Jack demanded, in a strong but mild way.
"I.Forgive me. I didn't realize. that you wouldn't be alone." Sark half stuttered.
"It's alright." Irina said standing as well, using her thumb to correct her lipstick.
"What is it you need?" Jack said motioning to the chair across from the couch. He reached to turn the light dimmer up, before sitting himself.
"I wanted to talk to you. Well actually both of you. You're apartment was the only place I knew I could find you." Sark said, his eyes adjusting to the light.
"You've come quite a long way." Irina said softly.
"Yes, well it's important. It's about Sydney."
"What is it?" Jack said immediately, worry filling his voice.
"I began having dreams. Well memories actually." Sark said, before being cut off my his mother.
"Having to do with The Prophesy?" It was actually more of a statement than a question.
"Indeed. I remember reading it to Sloane. He wasn't very happy about what I had to say."
"Do you remember what you read?" Jack said impatiently.
"Not exactly. Bits and pieces maybe." Sark said shaking his head. He didn't like it one bit, that Sloane had used him to do this.
"And now you want to know what we know." Irina said, again stating not questioning.
"Well... I was hoping you could fill in some of the gaps." Sark said hesitantly. Truthfully, he was unsure if he wanted to know the truth.
"It's a very long story." Jack said, looking toward Irina.
"Would you like to continue our conversation later? Tomorrow perhaps?" Sark said knowingly.
Irina looked toward Jack with an expression only he could read.
"I'm fine." He said to Irina, forcing a smile.
"I don't mean to.interrupt." Sark said trying to control his smile.
"Not at all." Irina said quickly, and without embarrassment.
Jack sighed before beginning the story. "The Prophesy is a complex and almost layered puzzle.." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Do you want blueberry or strawberry?" Damien asked standing in the doorway.
"Dame, I can get it myself it's no big deal." Sydney said lying on the couch, and attempting to get up.
"Don't move a muscle, that's an order." Damien said firmly. He turned into the kitchen, "Strawberry it is." He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a pre-made strawberry milkshake. Milkshakes had been a staple of Sydney's pregnancy, and they had always made bunches of them to keep the fridge stocked. He pulled off the top of the container and threw it in the sink, as he walked back toward the family room. "Here we are." He said handing to her, before taking a seat next to her on the couch.
"Thanks." Sydney said, beginning to eat it right away, as Damien flipped through the channels. He flipped right past CNN. "Wait go back, just a sec." Sydney said. He did so. The screen was showing footage of dozens of men in uniform entering a large warehouse.
"A massive raid was conducted today in warehouse outside of Rome today. A joint US-Italian force searched for clues connecting known terrorists to several high publicity crimes in recent months." The reported stated, over the picture of the raid. Suddenly the screen flashed to an enlarged picture of none other than Arvin Sloane. "This man, whose identity is being kept secret, if wanted in connection with these crime. Both US and Italian intelligence warns the public to be on the look out for him, he's on Interpol's Most Wanted List, as well as being a dangerous criminal."
Sydney almost dropped her milkshake. Thoughts ran like mad through her head. 'Why would the CIA leak Sloane's picture? Are they that desperate? What was in the warehouse in Italy? What the hell is going on?'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ten minutes later Sydney was on the phone.
"Will Tippen please." Sydney said impatiently.
"Mr. Tippen is unavailable at the moment can I direct you to his voice mail?" The operator said politely.
"My clearance code is 896023. I need to speak with him immediately." Sydney said, rather impolitely. She hoped that the code still worked.
"Right away." The operator said before the line went dead. It was only a few seconds before Will picked up.
"Tippen."
"Will, it's Sydney."
"What, hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Look I'm sorry to be so rushed but I have a question I need answered."
"Okay, shoot."
"I just Arvin Sloane on CNN. What was that all about? Why had the CIA leaked info about him to the press?"
"Okay Syd. I shouldn't be telling you this. But the raid in Italy was done because of recent intel the CIA has obtained about Sloane. We thought he might still be there, but apparently he moved."
"What was he doing there in the first place? Does the CIA think that he had the Rambaldi device in the Warehouse?"
"The CIA doesn't think that, Sydney they knew he was keeping it there. On top of that they think they have a lead on where he went."
"They knew it? What is their lead?"
"I shouldn't tell you this. It's so classified, I have to go into a little white room to review the file. It's not in the computers, because they can be hacked. It's top priority clearance. Like me and two other guys know anything about it. The CIA isn't even willing to move on this yet, they say it's too dangerous."
"That's great Will, but this involves me in a very big way. I know about Sloane's new theory. And this affects more than me, of the CIA, or any of it. It's my baby Will."
"I know. Look there isn't much more I can say. Oh but Amy, my sister, you remember her. She got a new passport recently."
"What?" Sydney said unsure of what Will was trying to tell her.
"You know, she was just disappointed because all of the stamps she'd gotten in the old one weren't going to transfer to the new one. She likes to keep track of all the places she's used it to go."
"Yeah, I think I understand how she feels." Sydney said catching on to what Will was saying.
"So yeah, she was mostly disappointed about that trip she took, right after Danny died. The stamp from there was a really cool one she said, but she barely even remembered getting it."
"Right." Sydney said firmly. "I have to go, thanks for everything. I'll see you soon!"
"Yeah Syd. I love you be careful."
"You too."
The line went dead. 'Taipei it is.' Sydney shivered at the thought of everything that had happened there. 'Sloane's and idiot for going there. It's the first place my father or I would look.' She thought shaking her head. She didn't realize that that was exactly what he wanted. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++