Disclaimer: See all of the previous chapters
Part V
Jack saw the blood before he saw the body.
Still cautious, Jack moved around his couch, his gun still trained on the person. After quickly scrutinizing them, a task made more difficult by the almost total lack of light in the room and confirming that he or she wasn't obviously armed, Jack stepped forward to see who it was. The moment his hand touched the person's shoulder and he had half turned them towards the light, Jack knew who it was. She was probably the last person he had expected to see.
"Irina?" His voice almost shook, as he quickly took in her injuries. He could already see several deep lacerations and at least one place where it looked like she had been grazed by a bullet. "Irina," he questioned again, shaking her sleeping, or more likely, passed out, form.
In response, he saw her eyes flicker open. She even attempted a smile when she realized that it was him. "Merry Christmas, Jack," she said weakly.
He didn't bother to ask her why she was there or even what had happened, at least not yet. He simply looked down at her, his features twisted into a concerned grimace. "Can you stand up," he asked carefully. Irina was injured but he was still willing to bet that she wanted her independence above most everything else.
Her only response was to hold her arm out to him. Without a word he pulled her to her feet. He half-carried, half-dragged her up to the master bedroom, when she refused to let him pick her up, and then laid her gently down on his bed.
As he turned away, walking towards the adjoining bathroom to get the various medical supplies that he would need, he heard her murmur, "It seems like you're always trying to get me into your bed, Jack."
Slightly relieved by the fact that she was still baiting him, Jack responded almost automatically, "You've never seemed to mind before, Irina."
She flashed him a tight smile and watched him in silence as he started examining her wounds. She didn't make a sound or even flinch as he began methodically cleaning her wounds. A moment later, he paused after pulling a jagged sliver of metal out of one of her wounds and shot her a questioning look.
"What did you do, Irina?"
She grimaced, "Someone used a rocket launcher on my car and then ringed the surrounding rooftops with snipers, just in case I survived the explosion."
He injected her with a local anesthetic, as he prepared to stitch up one of the worst grazes, before he responded. "Was it the Covenant?" His voice was cold. The message was clear. The Covenant was already on Jack's most wanted to interrogate and then dispose of list because of their involvement in Sydney's disappearance. Now they would wish they were dead, that is, Jack added silently, If Irina didn't get to them before he did.
No one got away with trying to kill her. In the end, most sane, or even semi sane people wished that they had never even heard of her.
"No," she said, decisively, drawing him out of his murderous thoughts, and even despite her injuries, Jack could hear the icy fury in her voice, "It was Arvin."
The first thoughts that flashed through his mind, made his earlier thoughts look pleasant. Finally he smiled, "Despite the fact that you're hurt, Sydney will be delighted to hear this. She's been aching for a chance to prove that Sloane hasn't changed. His pardon will be immediately revoked." He said the words with the same sense of satisfaction with which he had once felt for getting Irina sent to Camp Harris for unrestricted interrogation, with the death penalty waiting for her when she was done.
Of course, since then his desire to see Irina dead, had changed significantly.
She watched him as he carefully, gently, wrapped a deep cut on her arm with a clean bandage. "Jack," she said softly, "You can't turn Sloane in. The NSC would immediately put you back in custody and for treason, this time."
He nodded, but didn't seem affected by what she had said. "As long as Arvin gets the death penalty and is unable to hurt Sydney anymore, I don't care what happens to me. Besides, Irina, I won't let it get that far. I spent years as a double agent, I can find a way to give them the information without compromising my position."
With surprising forcefulness for a woman with a variety of recently afflicted injuries, Irina pulled herself into a sitting position and said sharply, "Don't do this, Jack. There's no need. I have information on someone else Arvin has had assassinated recently. I'll send you the information, and we can to do this without implicating either of us. Do this my way, for once."
He stared at her for a long moment. Irina met his eyes unflinchingly. It was all a matter of trust now. Could one year of struggling to find their missing daughter and repairing their trust in one another be enough to counter over two decades of deception and soul deep loathing?
After a minute, he nodded sharply and she relaxed imperceptibly. She stared at him a moment longer and then suddenly she noted the unhealthy paleness of his skin and the weight his always trim form had dropped since she had last seen him.
"Jack," she started to say more, but stopped as he pressed a finger gently to her lips. As he bent over to kiss her, she responded without hesitation. She had been separated from Jack for far too long.
Tbc.
Well there it is. Hope you enjoyed it, but please leave a review to let me know what you think, either way.
Part V
Jack saw the blood before he saw the body.
Still cautious, Jack moved around his couch, his gun still trained on the person. After quickly scrutinizing them, a task made more difficult by the almost total lack of light in the room and confirming that he or she wasn't obviously armed, Jack stepped forward to see who it was. The moment his hand touched the person's shoulder and he had half turned them towards the light, Jack knew who it was. She was probably the last person he had expected to see.
"Irina?" His voice almost shook, as he quickly took in her injuries. He could already see several deep lacerations and at least one place where it looked like she had been grazed by a bullet. "Irina," he questioned again, shaking her sleeping, or more likely, passed out, form.
In response, he saw her eyes flicker open. She even attempted a smile when she realized that it was him. "Merry Christmas, Jack," she said weakly.
He didn't bother to ask her why she was there or even what had happened, at least not yet. He simply looked down at her, his features twisted into a concerned grimace. "Can you stand up," he asked carefully. Irina was injured but he was still willing to bet that she wanted her independence above most everything else.
Her only response was to hold her arm out to him. Without a word he pulled her to her feet. He half-carried, half-dragged her up to the master bedroom, when she refused to let him pick her up, and then laid her gently down on his bed.
As he turned away, walking towards the adjoining bathroom to get the various medical supplies that he would need, he heard her murmur, "It seems like you're always trying to get me into your bed, Jack."
Slightly relieved by the fact that she was still baiting him, Jack responded almost automatically, "You've never seemed to mind before, Irina."
She flashed him a tight smile and watched him in silence as he started examining her wounds. She didn't make a sound or even flinch as he began methodically cleaning her wounds. A moment later, he paused after pulling a jagged sliver of metal out of one of her wounds and shot her a questioning look.
"What did you do, Irina?"
She grimaced, "Someone used a rocket launcher on my car and then ringed the surrounding rooftops with snipers, just in case I survived the explosion."
He injected her with a local anesthetic, as he prepared to stitch up one of the worst grazes, before he responded. "Was it the Covenant?" His voice was cold. The message was clear. The Covenant was already on Jack's most wanted to interrogate and then dispose of list because of their involvement in Sydney's disappearance. Now they would wish they were dead, that is, Jack added silently, If Irina didn't get to them before he did.
No one got away with trying to kill her. In the end, most sane, or even semi sane people wished that they had never even heard of her.
"No," she said, decisively, drawing him out of his murderous thoughts, and even despite her injuries, Jack could hear the icy fury in her voice, "It was Arvin."
The first thoughts that flashed through his mind, made his earlier thoughts look pleasant. Finally he smiled, "Despite the fact that you're hurt, Sydney will be delighted to hear this. She's been aching for a chance to prove that Sloane hasn't changed. His pardon will be immediately revoked." He said the words with the same sense of satisfaction with which he had once felt for getting Irina sent to Camp Harris for unrestricted interrogation, with the death penalty waiting for her when she was done.
Of course, since then his desire to see Irina dead, had changed significantly.
She watched him as he carefully, gently, wrapped a deep cut on her arm with a clean bandage. "Jack," she said softly, "You can't turn Sloane in. The NSC would immediately put you back in custody and for treason, this time."
He nodded, but didn't seem affected by what she had said. "As long as Arvin gets the death penalty and is unable to hurt Sydney anymore, I don't care what happens to me. Besides, Irina, I won't let it get that far. I spent years as a double agent, I can find a way to give them the information without compromising my position."
With surprising forcefulness for a woman with a variety of recently afflicted injuries, Irina pulled herself into a sitting position and said sharply, "Don't do this, Jack. There's no need. I have information on someone else Arvin has had assassinated recently. I'll send you the information, and we can to do this without implicating either of us. Do this my way, for once."
He stared at her for a long moment. Irina met his eyes unflinchingly. It was all a matter of trust now. Could one year of struggling to find their missing daughter and repairing their trust in one another be enough to counter over two decades of deception and soul deep loathing?
After a minute, he nodded sharply and she relaxed imperceptibly. She stared at him a moment longer and then suddenly she noted the unhealthy paleness of his skin and the weight his always trim form had dropped since she had last seen him.
"Jack," she started to say more, but stopped as he pressed a finger gently to her lips. As he bent over to kiss her, she responded without hesitation. She had been separated from Jack for far too long.
Tbc.
Well there it is. Hope you enjoyed it, but please leave a review to let me know what you think, either way.