Kaylee cringed at the sound of her mother screaming at the guards. Irina very rarely lost her cool, but when she did, you didn't want to be within a ten-mile radius. She was starting to think that the same thing held true for Sark. He was sitting across the room from her, switching from mumbling to yelling to himself about the stolen book. She searched the room for any sign that the thief may have left behind but couldn't come up with any.

Absentmindedly, she mumbled, "Must have been Sydney."

"What did you say?" Sark asked even though he had heard her completely.

"Well I was just thinking that whoever stole this book left behind no trace of having been here. Therefore, it must have been someone who's really good at the whole stealth thing. It would only make sense if it were Sydney. Isn't she always the one to foil your well thought out plans?"

"True," Sark admitted. "But how would Sydney have known that I retrieved that book? And did she really know how important it was?"

Kaylee didn't have time to answer because her mother chose that moment to reenter her office. As soon as the door shut, Irina's face switched from an angry one to an exhausted one. Sark and Kaylee waited patiently for her to explain the damage.

"I'd like to say that this isn't a major setback, but it is," Irina began. "That book probably contained the biggest clue to Rambaldi and his true prophecy. I did read it over so I vaguely have an idea of what it's about, but I don't want to move on what it says without properly checking it at least a few more times."

"So, that leaves us with nothing," Sark commented.

"Why don't we just steal it back?" Kaylee suggested. Sark gave her an annoyed look. "What?"

"We can't just waltz into CIA headquarters in L.A. and take the book back. Security's too great, and I don't think we have enough strength to confront Sydney if we ran into her."

"I can't help it if she beat you up." Kaylee smiled at Sark. "But I really think that I could get the book away from her."

"No," Irina said, putting an end to the discussion. "I don't want you encountering Sydney unless it's been a meeting that I set up. It's already bad enough that you saw her in Madrid."

"Why does it have to be so sectioned off?" Kaylee asked. "I mean, I have a right to see my sister."

Irina gazed calmly at her daughter. "Don't play games with me, darling. You are not attached to Sydney in any way, and you know it. You couldn't give a shit about her." Irina stood up and made her way to the door. "I can't just sit around waiting. I'm going to try to organize some countermove if that's even possible."

"What now?" Kaylee asked Sark as soon as her mother had left the room.

"I think the ball is in the CIA's court. We're going to have to wait for them to make a move." Sark paused. There was something he clearly didn't want to say to her.

"Say it," she demanded.

"The move they make will probably be on you."

"I can handle them."

"That's what you think now. Just be prepared."

"I promise." Kaylee grinned at his concern. "Why are you so worried?"

Sark stiffened up. This was a subject he did not want to breach at this moment. "I think your mother needs my help. I'll see you later." With that, he was out the door.

"Yeah. I guess." Kaylee flopped into a chair in frustration. "He is such a hard egg to crack."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sydney returned with Vaughn to headquarters fully intended to brief everyone on her suggested plan of action. She had no idea how her father did it, but he managed to assemble every single person and thing she needed.

"Agent Bristow, can you explain why we're all here?" Director Kendall asked. It was against protocol for an agent to call a meeting between themselves, their colleagues, and their superiors.

"We're getting nowhere with the Rambaldi investigation," Sydney began. She saw Marshall's face droop a little. "Except for Marshall's work on deciphering Rambaldi's diary." She smiled to herself when he quickly perked back up. "I think that we need to stop tip toeing around the issue. My sister is the woman in Rambaldi's prophecy. Let's treat her like any other Rambaldi artifact. Send me in and I'll steal her."

"And how do you propose successfully doing that?" Kendall asked.

"I don't think my mother and Sark have let her into the full truth about their investigation. She told me that she knew exactly the people they were, but I either don't believe that's completely true or I think that she does know who they are and has nowhere to turn to."

"So, you're just going to walk in and say come with me and she's supposed to just go?"

"I understand, Director Kendall, that it's not going to be easy. But I really think I can persuade my sister. I don't think she wants to be a part of the game she got flung into." Sydney paused. "Having her in CIA custody will be a great asset to our cause."

"Let me think about it." Kendall got up and left the briefing room.

Sydney groaned. That whole thing did not go as well as she had planned.

"Come on, Syd." Vaughn placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Let's go over some of the new developments with the Rambaldi diary."


"I know this is just a cleverly disguised distraction rather than a necessary task, but right now, I'm game for anything."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sydney and Vaughn were trying to list and brainstorm meanings of the word 'render' when Director Kendall approached with his decision. He looked agitated.

"I want you to find her and try to convince her to join us. I don't want this happening against her will. At least not yet. If she doesn't want to come with you, don't force it. I think you'll have plenty of chances to convince her if this one fails."

Sydney thanked the Director as he turned to leave. "Oh my god. I never thought he'd actually listen to me and he'd go for the idea."

"You learn something new everyday," Vaughn said. Even though he had suggested this mission to Sydney in the first place, he still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of her running after her sister. The way he rationalized it if it was easy enough to get her sister to come over to the CIA's side, what's keeping Kaylee from persuading Sydney to join her mother's organization?

"I'm going to get down to the mission set-up area. See if they can't drag up some of my old wigs. I don't want Kaylee to know I'm coming," Sydney said.

"You know, it's almost an official rule that if you were something bright and attention grabbing, your target is less likely to notice you."

"I am not wearing that blue plastic pillowcase that they try to pass of as a dress." Sydney threw her hands up. "No way. No matter what you tell me."

Vaughn laughed. "I wasn't referring to that absolutely fabulous dress. I was actually thinking that maybe you should wear the bright red wig you wore the first day we met."

"You're so damn thoughtful." Sydney looked around the room and realized that no one was watching. She gave Vaughn a quick kiss. "Wish me luck."

"Luck." As much as he believed in her, he knew that she would need it.