Chapter 15
"You must decide now, Jack. Take it or leave it." Irina looked relaxed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed across her chest. Sark stood next to her, fiddling with his gun which, Jack noted, was not pointed in his direction. It didn't really matter. Even if he hadn't been handcuffed, there was nowhere for him to go.
Jack shook his head in frustration. There must be another way. He needed time, dammit. But there was no time left.
"Sark, why don't you go out and wait for us outside?" Irina suggested. Sark raised an eyebrow at her but headed out the door.
Irina watched him go and then went to kneel by Jack. "Jack," she said softly. "There is no choice. You can't protect Sydney from prison. You can help protect her if you're with me." Jack swallowed. Even after 20 years, she still knew where he was vulnerable.
"Why?" he started, then paused. Too many whys. "Why did you decide to leave now?"
"Because with you in prison, my reason for sitting in that damn cell had disappeared."
Jack looked at her quizzically. He was not sure he understood her answer, but was afraid to follow it up.
He tried again. "Why are you taking me with you? You've got a large organization already."
Irina just looked at him steadily, one eyebrow arched. Jack broke eye contact first. Another answer he'd have to think about.
"Jack, you need to decide. Now."
Jack closed his eyes. The dark side. He would be going over to the dark side. Everything he had fought for for 35 years would change. Sydney's and Laura/Irina's faces floated by. Maybe not everything he had fought for would change.
He opened his eyes. There wasn't a choice. "I trust you more than the CIA. Let's go."
"You must decide now, Jack. Take it or leave it." Irina looked relaxed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed across her chest. Sark stood next to her, fiddling with his gun which, Jack noted, was not pointed in his direction. It didn't really matter. Even if he hadn't been handcuffed, there was nowhere for him to go.
Jack shook his head in frustration. There must be another way. He needed time, dammit. But there was no time left.
"Sark, why don't you go out and wait for us outside?" Irina suggested. Sark raised an eyebrow at her but headed out the door.
Irina watched him go and then went to kneel by Jack. "Jack," she said softly. "There is no choice. You can't protect Sydney from prison. You can help protect her if you're with me." Jack swallowed. Even after 20 years, she still knew where he was vulnerable.
"Why?" he started, then paused. Too many whys. "Why did you decide to leave now?"
"Because with you in prison, my reason for sitting in that damn cell had disappeared."
Jack looked at her quizzically. He was not sure he understood her answer, but was afraid to follow it up.
He tried again. "Why are you taking me with you? You've got a large organization already."
Irina just looked at him steadily, one eyebrow arched. Jack broke eye contact first. Another answer he'd have to think about.
"Jack, you need to decide. Now."
Jack closed his eyes. The dark side. He would be going over to the dark side. Everything he had fought for for 35 years would change. Sydney's and Laura/Irina's faces floated by. Maybe not everything he had fought for would change.
He opened his eyes. There wasn't a choice. "I trust you more than the CIA. Let's go."
