Sloane had Allison and Sark tie up Jack and Sydney in separate rooms. Sark
was surprised that Sloane actually made an effort with Irina, instead of
leaving her to die. He had her taken to a doctor, who was to make sure
that she would not escape. Sloane had given Jack a tranq also, so neither
he nor Sydney would be waking up any time soon. Sark figured that Sydney
would be safe enough for now.
Sloane motioned for Sark to follow him. When they entered another room that was set up as an office, he gestured for Sark to sit. Allison had followed them in and took a seat by Sark. Sloane coldly observed the two before he spoke. "Mr. Sark, I'm not sure that I quite trust you, but I do trust that you have your best interests in mind, so I know you won't try to double-cross me. That would be bad for you. Therefore, I'm going to share with you what has happened in the past two years. I know that you will find it highly interesting."
So there it was. Sark was finally going to find out about Sydney and where she had been. "Mr. Sloane, I assure you that you've always had a worry as to whether or not I am trustworthy. I think I have proved myself many times, so I don't choose to begin this conversation in this way. You either trust me or you don't." Sark couldn't help but think that if the man in front of him knew how much he would like to tear him limb from limb, he would run away in fear. Instead, he plastered an indifferent smirk on his face and held his silence.
Sloane started speaking. "True enough. As you know, before you were captured, I was working on finding all the Rambaldi artifacts and assembling them in order to make Il Dire. I mistakenly thought that it would be as simple as building a machine, then using it. I knew that I would need Sydney, because she was the woman in the prophecy. It was easy to put Allison in place. Unbeknownst to you, she was already working for me." At this, Sloane stopped to stare at Sark, who masked his emotions well.
"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. Allie has always been one to try to further her position." Sark couldn't resist the dig to Allison, who looked at him with something akin to contempt in her eyes. He scoffed at himself for having felt remorse putting her into a situation that she was already shoulder deep in.
Sloane continued, still surveying Sark as he spoke. "You had been captured by the CIA, so Allison contacted me and told me that she had been compromised. Will Tippin had realized who she really was, so I ordered her to kill him. Unfortunately, he survived. He is of little consequence now, though. After Sydney's fight with Allison, my men and myself went in. Allison was almost dead, and Sydney was unconscious. We left Francie Calfo's body there, and took Sydney and Allison, and set the place on fire. The CIA arrived shortly after we left, called in by Michael Vaughn, who had arrived there first. He managed to save Mr. Tippin, but the rest of the place was burned inside. They could only use DNA to identify Miss Calfo, which they took to be Allison. They found no indication of Sydney."
Sark's mind whirled. So, the CIA had believed it Allison due to the DNA. Of course Allison's DNA would match Francie's because of the genetic resequencing. The burning would have covered up any other indication that it wasn't really her. He measured his words before he spoke. "They told me while I was in custody that Miss Bristow was dead. They found DNA matching hers in a building that had exploded in Mexico."
"Yes, that is true. I arranged that so that they would stop looking for her. It's rather complicated, but I had one of her organs removed for the DNA identification. It wasn't hard to come up with charred remains and plant the DNA on it. So, for all purposes, Sydney Bristow was dead." Sloane allowed a slight smile to appear on his face, which made him look rather like a mad scientist.
Allison had been quiet through all of this, but now she spoke. "It's too bad that she wasn't really dead, but Sloane had this idea that he needed her in order for Il Dire to work. I would have gladly finished her off given half an opportunity." She looked at Sark, wondering what he was thinking with all of this. After all, she knew he wasn't one to take betrayal lightly. He seemed to have expected it from her though, because he didn't seem surprised. But of course, trust no one was one of the first things that Irina had taught them.
Sloane flashed a glance at Allison before he brought his eyes back to Sark. "Yes, Allison is quite bloodthirsty where Sydney is concerned. For almost two years, I kept Sydney. I had test after test ran on her to try to figure out what to do. What she has been through would have killed someone with less strength," Sloane was almost admiring in his tone. "It finally occurred to me that she was the missing piece of Il Dire. With her, it would be complete. Much to my dismay thought, when hooked up to the machine, it did not work. Sydney was still too strong and was fighting it. What I didn't realize then was that she had to want to be part of it." Sloane stopped at this point, thinking about the past two years.
Sark was trying to comprehend everything. "So, if I am to understand you correctly, Miss Bristow has to have a desire to be part of the prophecy or part of the machine, in order for it to work?" That was easy enough. Sark knew that Sydney would never want to have anything to do with it. Just as he never wanted anything to do with it.
Sloane regarded Sark coolly. "Yes, in a manner of speaking, that is correct. So, I let her go after memory modification. There had been so much time pass that her old life was gone. I knew that if she went back, there would be nothing left for her. Her friends had moved on, her father was missing, and her love was married to another."
Sark inwardly grimaced at Sloane's remarks. He felt sympathy with Sydney, knowing how hard it must have been for her to lose everything she had. After all, he too was gone for two years, in a manner of speaking. He thought Allison was dead and no one came for him. Then he found out he was part of the prophecy and Allison had been betraying him all along. "I see. So, now, you think she might be more cooperative now?" Sloane didn't know Sydney as well as he thought. The Sydney Bristow he knew would never back down.
Sloane looked at Sark with a gleam in his eye. "Oh, I think she will be much more cooperative now. After all, I hold the lives of her parents in my very hands. They are all that she really has left. I would think that she would do almost anything to save them. Wouldn't you agree?"
Sark measured his words carefully. "Your deviousness impresses even me, Mr. Sloane. But, judging from past experience with Miss Bristow, I wonder just how much confidence you really have in your plan." He let his words linger in the air before he spoke again. "Might I suggest something else?"
Sloane appeared to be little taken aback by Sark's question. "Oh, do proceed, Mr. Sark. I'm very interested in what you might have to say." He leaned forward and gazed at Sark.
There was a plan formulating in Sark's head. He only hoped that Sloane would buy into it. "What if you were to convince Sydney that you did not have her for the past two years? Maybe convince her that it was the CIA all along and that her parents knew about it also? She will need to feel sufficiently betrayed by her own in order to be convinced that you are on her side. You must admit, she doesn't have the utmost trust in you right now. She's convinced that you've had her for the past two years, and with good reason, after what you've just told me." He stopped at this point, looking to Sloane to judge his reaction.
Sloane appeared to be thinking about what Sark had said. He poured himself a glass of water and after he took a sip, he spoke again. "Mr. Sark, I think you might have a valid point. I would like you and Allison to start working on providing evidence to Sydney that she was indeed held by the CIA for the past two years. I trust that you have enough contacts to help you with this. I'm sure that you can manipulate the existing video tapes and recordings."
At this Allison spoke up. "Why should we do all of this? Just make Sydney do what you want. It shouldn't be that difficult." She didn't understand why Sloane always made such a fuss over Sydney. Allison had given up her whole life working for Sloane, and he cared more about some do-good little bitch than for her. And if she didn't know better, she would swear that Sark also had some feelings for Sydney. She had always had her suspicions of that anyway. He was always mentioning her after their infamous meetings on missions with a tinge of respect and awe. She hated Sydney Bristow and she hated Sark for putting her in the position she was in. Even though she had worked for Sloane, Sark hadn't been aware of it. And, he had willingly sacrificed her to Sloane anyway. She had mistakenly trusted him and thought that he had cared. She did however, have something else up her sleeve for him. Neither he nor Sloane were aware of just what she knew. And paybacks were a bitch.
Sloane laughed at Allison's rage. "Allison, my dear, all in good time. Mr. Sark does have a point. I think it would be in all of our best interests if Sydney felt that she was working with us. It's been proven already that the machine will not work unless she is willing. Well, lets just make sure that she is willing. Report back to me when you two have the necessaries covered." Sloane pushed his chair back and got up, leaving the room.
Allison and Sark eyed each other. Sark couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust at the thought of actually having to work with Allison again. It would be all he could do not to throttle her for betraying him. He had trusted her before, but he wasn't about to make the same mistake again. He warned himself not to turn his back on her. That could be a dangerous mistake.
Sloane motioned for Sark to follow him. When they entered another room that was set up as an office, he gestured for Sark to sit. Allison had followed them in and took a seat by Sark. Sloane coldly observed the two before he spoke. "Mr. Sark, I'm not sure that I quite trust you, but I do trust that you have your best interests in mind, so I know you won't try to double-cross me. That would be bad for you. Therefore, I'm going to share with you what has happened in the past two years. I know that you will find it highly interesting."
So there it was. Sark was finally going to find out about Sydney and where she had been. "Mr. Sloane, I assure you that you've always had a worry as to whether or not I am trustworthy. I think I have proved myself many times, so I don't choose to begin this conversation in this way. You either trust me or you don't." Sark couldn't help but think that if the man in front of him knew how much he would like to tear him limb from limb, he would run away in fear. Instead, he plastered an indifferent smirk on his face and held his silence.
Sloane started speaking. "True enough. As you know, before you were captured, I was working on finding all the Rambaldi artifacts and assembling them in order to make Il Dire. I mistakenly thought that it would be as simple as building a machine, then using it. I knew that I would need Sydney, because she was the woman in the prophecy. It was easy to put Allison in place. Unbeknownst to you, she was already working for me." At this, Sloane stopped to stare at Sark, who masked his emotions well.
"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. Allie has always been one to try to further her position." Sark couldn't resist the dig to Allison, who looked at him with something akin to contempt in her eyes. He scoffed at himself for having felt remorse putting her into a situation that she was already shoulder deep in.
Sloane continued, still surveying Sark as he spoke. "You had been captured by the CIA, so Allison contacted me and told me that she had been compromised. Will Tippin had realized who she really was, so I ordered her to kill him. Unfortunately, he survived. He is of little consequence now, though. After Sydney's fight with Allison, my men and myself went in. Allison was almost dead, and Sydney was unconscious. We left Francie Calfo's body there, and took Sydney and Allison, and set the place on fire. The CIA arrived shortly after we left, called in by Michael Vaughn, who had arrived there first. He managed to save Mr. Tippin, but the rest of the place was burned inside. They could only use DNA to identify Miss Calfo, which they took to be Allison. They found no indication of Sydney."
Sark's mind whirled. So, the CIA had believed it Allison due to the DNA. Of course Allison's DNA would match Francie's because of the genetic resequencing. The burning would have covered up any other indication that it wasn't really her. He measured his words before he spoke. "They told me while I was in custody that Miss Bristow was dead. They found DNA matching hers in a building that had exploded in Mexico."
"Yes, that is true. I arranged that so that they would stop looking for her. It's rather complicated, but I had one of her organs removed for the DNA identification. It wasn't hard to come up with charred remains and plant the DNA on it. So, for all purposes, Sydney Bristow was dead." Sloane allowed a slight smile to appear on his face, which made him look rather like a mad scientist.
Allison had been quiet through all of this, but now she spoke. "It's too bad that she wasn't really dead, but Sloane had this idea that he needed her in order for Il Dire to work. I would have gladly finished her off given half an opportunity." She looked at Sark, wondering what he was thinking with all of this. After all, she knew he wasn't one to take betrayal lightly. He seemed to have expected it from her though, because he didn't seem surprised. But of course, trust no one was one of the first things that Irina had taught them.
Sloane flashed a glance at Allison before he brought his eyes back to Sark. "Yes, Allison is quite bloodthirsty where Sydney is concerned. For almost two years, I kept Sydney. I had test after test ran on her to try to figure out what to do. What she has been through would have killed someone with less strength," Sloane was almost admiring in his tone. "It finally occurred to me that she was the missing piece of Il Dire. With her, it would be complete. Much to my dismay thought, when hooked up to the machine, it did not work. Sydney was still too strong and was fighting it. What I didn't realize then was that she had to want to be part of it." Sloane stopped at this point, thinking about the past two years.
Sark was trying to comprehend everything. "So, if I am to understand you correctly, Miss Bristow has to have a desire to be part of the prophecy or part of the machine, in order for it to work?" That was easy enough. Sark knew that Sydney would never want to have anything to do with it. Just as he never wanted anything to do with it.
Sloane regarded Sark coolly. "Yes, in a manner of speaking, that is correct. So, I let her go after memory modification. There had been so much time pass that her old life was gone. I knew that if she went back, there would be nothing left for her. Her friends had moved on, her father was missing, and her love was married to another."
Sark inwardly grimaced at Sloane's remarks. He felt sympathy with Sydney, knowing how hard it must have been for her to lose everything she had. After all, he too was gone for two years, in a manner of speaking. He thought Allison was dead and no one came for him. Then he found out he was part of the prophecy and Allison had been betraying him all along. "I see. So, now, you think she might be more cooperative now?" Sloane didn't know Sydney as well as he thought. The Sydney Bristow he knew would never back down.
Sloane looked at Sark with a gleam in his eye. "Oh, I think she will be much more cooperative now. After all, I hold the lives of her parents in my very hands. They are all that she really has left. I would think that she would do almost anything to save them. Wouldn't you agree?"
Sark measured his words carefully. "Your deviousness impresses even me, Mr. Sloane. But, judging from past experience with Miss Bristow, I wonder just how much confidence you really have in your plan." He let his words linger in the air before he spoke again. "Might I suggest something else?"
Sloane appeared to be little taken aback by Sark's question. "Oh, do proceed, Mr. Sark. I'm very interested in what you might have to say." He leaned forward and gazed at Sark.
There was a plan formulating in Sark's head. He only hoped that Sloane would buy into it. "What if you were to convince Sydney that you did not have her for the past two years? Maybe convince her that it was the CIA all along and that her parents knew about it also? She will need to feel sufficiently betrayed by her own in order to be convinced that you are on her side. You must admit, she doesn't have the utmost trust in you right now. She's convinced that you've had her for the past two years, and with good reason, after what you've just told me." He stopped at this point, looking to Sloane to judge his reaction.
Sloane appeared to be thinking about what Sark had said. He poured himself a glass of water and after he took a sip, he spoke again. "Mr. Sark, I think you might have a valid point. I would like you and Allison to start working on providing evidence to Sydney that she was indeed held by the CIA for the past two years. I trust that you have enough contacts to help you with this. I'm sure that you can manipulate the existing video tapes and recordings."
At this Allison spoke up. "Why should we do all of this? Just make Sydney do what you want. It shouldn't be that difficult." She didn't understand why Sloane always made such a fuss over Sydney. Allison had given up her whole life working for Sloane, and he cared more about some do-good little bitch than for her. And if she didn't know better, she would swear that Sark also had some feelings for Sydney. She had always had her suspicions of that anyway. He was always mentioning her after their infamous meetings on missions with a tinge of respect and awe. She hated Sydney Bristow and she hated Sark for putting her in the position she was in. Even though she had worked for Sloane, Sark hadn't been aware of it. And, he had willingly sacrificed her to Sloane anyway. She had mistakenly trusted him and thought that he had cared. She did however, have something else up her sleeve for him. Neither he nor Sloane were aware of just what she knew. And paybacks were a bitch.
Sloane laughed at Allison's rage. "Allison, my dear, all in good time. Mr. Sark does have a point. I think it would be in all of our best interests if Sydney felt that she was working with us. It's been proven already that the machine will not work unless she is willing. Well, lets just make sure that she is willing. Report back to me when you two have the necessaries covered." Sloane pushed his chair back and got up, leaving the room.
Allison and Sark eyed each other. Sark couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust at the thought of actually having to work with Allison again. It would be all he could do not to throttle her for betraying him. He had trusted her before, but he wasn't about to make the same mistake again. He warned himself not to turn his back on her. That could be a dangerous mistake.