Chapter 3
Three days after the first briefing, regarding the raid in Stuttgart, Germany, Director Dixon reconvened the meeting.
"Thank you all for coming and being on time," he said, once everyone was seated. "There were some changes made to the mission Ms. Reed present the other day. This report contains the revisions," he said, as he handed out the folders containing the final draft of the operation, to capture Gunnar Lexikon
Dixon allowed everyone a few minutes to review the revisions.
After reviewing the first few pages, Lauren asked inquisitively, "I've never seen this before. Who approved it?"
"The NSC did," Dixon answered, simply
Sounding defensive, for having been kept out of the loop, Lauren questioned him further, "Mr. Lindsey never said anything to me about approving a revised plan."
The one thing Dixon disliked about his new position was the politics of it. He knew the question was coming and he was dreading the moment. "Mr. Lindsey is not the one who approved the revisions," he informed her. "If you look at the last page, you will that his boss gave the final approval."
Everyone quickly flipped to the final page and was properly stunned to see the signature and seal of Condoleezza Rice.
Before Lauren had a chance to recover from the shock of seeing Ms. Rice's approval on the plan, Dixon continued with the meeting. "Jack, will give us a run down on the plan, as it is now written."
Following Dixon's directions, Jack stood up and instructed the room members to open their folders. He then gave them a step-by-step run down of what role each agent would play in the capture of Gunnar Lexikon. He also went over, in detail, what method would be used to have Lexikon transported to a secure location in Oxford, England, where he would be 'debriefed.'
After Jack completed the run through he resumed his seat and Dixon once again took over. "Is this agreeable to everyone," he asked, surveying the room, one agent at a time.
"Yes," Sydney answered, first. "This plan appears to be very well grounded. I have no problem with it."
Agent Vaughn replied next, "It looks good."
"Weiss?" Dixon called, when he was slow to respond.
Weiss had been rereading the plan. He looked up and assured the director, "I'm all for it."
"Marshall, do you think you can create the equipment we will need?"
"Should be simple enough," Marshall confirmed.
Finally he asked the one person with whom he was not looking forward to hearing from. "Ms. Reed, do you have any questions?"
Lauren was still stuck on the question of how the plan was revised without her knowledge. "I don't understand. Who did these revisions?" she demanded to know.
At this point it was obvious to Dixon that everyone in the room, except Lauren Reed, knew who revised the original plan. Dixon decided that there was no point in stalling. "Agent Bristow did," he told her. He then gestured to Jack so that she knew exactly which Bristow he was referring to.
"Oh, I see." Lauren said. Then forgetting the advice that her husband had given her, just three days before, Lauren decided to challenge Jack.
"Before we go, I just want to remind you, Mr. Bristow, that this is supposed to be a joint operation," she said, pompously, "I'd appreciate that the next time you decide to revise a plan that the NSC instituted, that you consult with me first. Before you go over my head."
"She shouldn't have said that," Weiss said under his breath, so that only Sydney could hear.
Jack stood up, prepared to leave the room. Before leaving, he looked at Lauren and informed her calmly, "Ms. Reed, the next time I'm in need of your vast five years of insight, I will consult with you, first. But, I highly doubt I'll ever need advice on how to write an airtight pardon for a mass murderer." He then walked out of the briefing room.
Sydney remained in her seat, with her head down, clearly struggling to suppress a smile.
Feeling humiliated at Jack's comments, Lauren decided that Sydney was a safer target for her ire. "You know, someday you aren't going to have Daddy around to give you what you want."
"I beg your pardon? I don't know what you're talking about," Sydney said, with her smile securely suppressed.
"Lauren, don't," Vaughn said to her, in an attempt to quash the tirade he knew was going to follow.
Ignoring her husband, Lauren told Sydney, "Oh please, don't play innocent with me. It's obvious he rewrote the original plan just because it was produced by the NSC."
Following the direction of her father, Sydney also stood up, prepared to exit the room. On her way out she informed Lauren, "You obviously don't know my father, because if you did, you would know that he is a master strategist and he would never make a decision based on spiteful emotions, especially when the lives of his agents are involved."
Then glancing at Vaughn, who was looking totally frustrated, she said, "I'm sure your husband will confirm that for me. Right, Michael?"
It wasn't the question that took Vaughn by surprise. It was the fact that she addressed him by his first name. "That's right, Lauren. Jack wouldn't revise the plan just to show up the NSC."
Once Vaughn confirmed her statement, Sydney quietly left the room.
Later in the day, Vaughn cornered Sydney and asked her. "What's this 'Michael' thing?"
Sydney suspected he was surprised at the term she used to address him, and she expected him to confront her about it. "Calling you Vaughn was based on our prior relationship. It was an enduring term. It is no longer appropriate to address you in such a personal manner," she informed him.
"Oh, I see," he said, sounding disappointed in her decision.
"You don't have a problem with me calling you by your first name, do you?"
Realizing that Sydney's decision to move on was best for everyone, he said, "No, not at all. You're right. "
"Good. Then I think we have an appointment with Marshall," she said as she walked away from him and head to the lab.
Just before Sydney was ready to leave for the day, she stopped by Jack's office. "Dad, we're headed for the airport."
"Alright, come home safely," he told her.
"I will," she said as she turned and walked out. She quickly returned to his office to deliver one more message. "Before I go, I just wanted you to know that as a strategist you're brilliant. As for your father-knows-best routine.,"
Jack always felt that he had no right to interfere in Sydney's personal life, so he was nervous about her comment. "Yes?" he said, waiting for her to continue.
She gave him a warm smile and said, "You're not bad at that either."
Three days after the first briefing, regarding the raid in Stuttgart, Germany, Director Dixon reconvened the meeting.
"Thank you all for coming and being on time," he said, once everyone was seated. "There were some changes made to the mission Ms. Reed present the other day. This report contains the revisions," he said, as he handed out the folders containing the final draft of the operation, to capture Gunnar Lexikon
Dixon allowed everyone a few minutes to review the revisions.
After reviewing the first few pages, Lauren asked inquisitively, "I've never seen this before. Who approved it?"
"The NSC did," Dixon answered, simply
Sounding defensive, for having been kept out of the loop, Lauren questioned him further, "Mr. Lindsey never said anything to me about approving a revised plan."
The one thing Dixon disliked about his new position was the politics of it. He knew the question was coming and he was dreading the moment. "Mr. Lindsey is not the one who approved the revisions," he informed her. "If you look at the last page, you will that his boss gave the final approval."
Everyone quickly flipped to the final page and was properly stunned to see the signature and seal of Condoleezza Rice.
Before Lauren had a chance to recover from the shock of seeing Ms. Rice's approval on the plan, Dixon continued with the meeting. "Jack, will give us a run down on the plan, as it is now written."
Following Dixon's directions, Jack stood up and instructed the room members to open their folders. He then gave them a step-by-step run down of what role each agent would play in the capture of Gunnar Lexikon. He also went over, in detail, what method would be used to have Lexikon transported to a secure location in Oxford, England, where he would be 'debriefed.'
After Jack completed the run through he resumed his seat and Dixon once again took over. "Is this agreeable to everyone," he asked, surveying the room, one agent at a time.
"Yes," Sydney answered, first. "This plan appears to be very well grounded. I have no problem with it."
Agent Vaughn replied next, "It looks good."
"Weiss?" Dixon called, when he was slow to respond.
Weiss had been rereading the plan. He looked up and assured the director, "I'm all for it."
"Marshall, do you think you can create the equipment we will need?"
"Should be simple enough," Marshall confirmed.
Finally he asked the one person with whom he was not looking forward to hearing from. "Ms. Reed, do you have any questions?"
Lauren was still stuck on the question of how the plan was revised without her knowledge. "I don't understand. Who did these revisions?" she demanded to know.
At this point it was obvious to Dixon that everyone in the room, except Lauren Reed, knew who revised the original plan. Dixon decided that there was no point in stalling. "Agent Bristow did," he told her. He then gestured to Jack so that she knew exactly which Bristow he was referring to.
"Oh, I see." Lauren said. Then forgetting the advice that her husband had given her, just three days before, Lauren decided to challenge Jack.
"Before we go, I just want to remind you, Mr. Bristow, that this is supposed to be a joint operation," she said, pompously, "I'd appreciate that the next time you decide to revise a plan that the NSC instituted, that you consult with me first. Before you go over my head."
"She shouldn't have said that," Weiss said under his breath, so that only Sydney could hear.
Jack stood up, prepared to leave the room. Before leaving, he looked at Lauren and informed her calmly, "Ms. Reed, the next time I'm in need of your vast five years of insight, I will consult with you, first. But, I highly doubt I'll ever need advice on how to write an airtight pardon for a mass murderer." He then walked out of the briefing room.
Sydney remained in her seat, with her head down, clearly struggling to suppress a smile.
Feeling humiliated at Jack's comments, Lauren decided that Sydney was a safer target for her ire. "You know, someday you aren't going to have Daddy around to give you what you want."
"I beg your pardon? I don't know what you're talking about," Sydney said, with her smile securely suppressed.
"Lauren, don't," Vaughn said to her, in an attempt to quash the tirade he knew was going to follow.
Ignoring her husband, Lauren told Sydney, "Oh please, don't play innocent with me. It's obvious he rewrote the original plan just because it was produced by the NSC."
Following the direction of her father, Sydney also stood up, prepared to exit the room. On her way out she informed Lauren, "You obviously don't know my father, because if you did, you would know that he is a master strategist and he would never make a decision based on spiteful emotions, especially when the lives of his agents are involved."
Then glancing at Vaughn, who was looking totally frustrated, she said, "I'm sure your husband will confirm that for me. Right, Michael?"
It wasn't the question that took Vaughn by surprise. It was the fact that she addressed him by his first name. "That's right, Lauren. Jack wouldn't revise the plan just to show up the NSC."
Once Vaughn confirmed her statement, Sydney quietly left the room.
Later in the day, Vaughn cornered Sydney and asked her. "What's this 'Michael' thing?"
Sydney suspected he was surprised at the term she used to address him, and she expected him to confront her about it. "Calling you Vaughn was based on our prior relationship. It was an enduring term. It is no longer appropriate to address you in such a personal manner," she informed him.
"Oh, I see," he said, sounding disappointed in her decision.
"You don't have a problem with me calling you by your first name, do you?"
Realizing that Sydney's decision to move on was best for everyone, he said, "No, not at all. You're right. "
"Good. Then I think we have an appointment with Marshall," she said as she walked away from him and head to the lab.
Just before Sydney was ready to leave for the day, she stopped by Jack's office. "Dad, we're headed for the airport."
"Alright, come home safely," he told her.
"I will," she said as she turned and walked out. She quickly returned to his office to deliver one more message. "Before I go, I just wanted you to know that as a strategist you're brilliant. As for your father-knows-best routine.,"
Jack always felt that he had no right to interfere in Sydney's personal life, so he was nervous about her comment. "Yes?" he said, waiting for her to continue.
She gave him a warm smile and said, "You're not bad at that either."