"Where do we begin?" Sydney asked.
"Irina, Sark, and I have been discussing it," Jack said. "We believe Anna Espinosa to be working for the Covenant. Sark received an offer of employment from them a few weeks ago."
"You didn't mention that to me," Sydney said narrowing her eyes.
"I didn't think it was important," Sark replied. "I would have told you eventually, Sydney. You know that."
"He mentions things to her?" Weiss whispered to Vaughn. "When did that happen?"
Weiss obviously wasn't whispering soft enough because Sydney could hear him clearly. "Eric, Sark's first name is Andrew." She almost laughed at the shocked look on his face as his mouth dropped open. "He's the man I've been running off to see for the past few months. And no, he's not my boyfriend. Though that was a good guess on your part."
Weiss's mouth began to open and close as he struggled to form a reaction.
"Can we move on?" Irina asked impatiently.
"I received a job offer from the Covenant. I always intended to turn them down. I've gotten close to Sydney these past few months. Together, she and I deduced what they had done to her for the two years she was missing. I would never have accepted their offer of employment if it weren't in both of our best interests. I may look and act like a monster in most of your opinions, but I could never stoop to such lows as the Covenant does. Believe that."
"So how is this going to help us?" Vaughn asked.
"Sark is going to get in contact with the Covenant and accept their invitation. He is going to explain to them that he knows they have Kaylee and Grayson," Jack informed them.
"I'm going to tell them that I'll do whatever they say as long as they let me see Kaylee and my son."
"Grayson is your kid?" Marshall practically shrieked. He noticed that no one else was having the same reaction. "And I was the only one who didn't know about this. Typical. Leave the lowly tech guy out of all the important classified information."
"Hey, I didn't know about it before today either," Sark said.
"It was all in Gray's best interest," Will said softly. "Kaylee wanted to decide if she was going to let you back into her life before she told you that he was your son. She didn't want to have to go through all of that if she wasn't even going to allow you to see him."
"Understandable." Sark did, in fact, understand the logic behind it, but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt to know that he might have never realized Grayson was his son. His child may have grown up without even knowing that his father was alive.
"She made her decision, though. Right before Anna interrupted us at the house. She was going to let you back in," Will continued.
Sark nodded his appreciation for Will's confession. He knew that it was hard for Will to be so civil towards him after their past history.
"Back to the plan," Sydney said. "I don't think that the whole Sark joining the Covenant thing is going to work. They won't believe that he would change his loyalties that easily. Even if he can use his skills at lying to convince them, it would take him forever to learn the layouts of the building. I honestly think we don't have that long a time to get Kaylee and Grayson out of there. Besides, we could be sacrificing one of the best assets we have, and I refuse to do that."
"What other options do we have, Sydney?" Irina asked.
"I used to be the best agent the Covenant had ever seen. That's why they wanted me so bad. They went to enormous lengths just to bring me to their side. Who's to say that I don't still have that agent somewhere inside me? I think that I have knowledge of the facilities the Covenant has. The brainwashing I had performed on myself doesn't seem to be as solid as I would have liked it to have been at one time."
"How is this going to help us?" Jack asked.
"I think they're holding Kaylee at their facility in Rome. I was based there for the majority of the time I worked for the Covenant. The floor plans are running through my brain as we speak. I can see the corridors and all the possible exits. I can tell you who works in what office. Their whole operation in Rome is like an open book to me. This whole time, the CIA has had an inside source to the Covenant, but because of the strength and determination most of you present, they haven't utilized me."
"It would have destroyed you if the CIA had pushed you for information," Vaughn reminded her. "We all knew that."
"And I'm glad they didn't. Because I avoided the trauma of that, I can remember things a lot clearer than I would have ever expected."
"So you're proposing what exactly?" Sark asked.
"I'm proposing we treat this like a normal mission. You, me, my mother, and my father go in. We're four of the best agents out there. There's no way that the Covenant can outsmart and outfight all four of us if we work together. And we have two of the best handlers the CIA has to offer, who both happen to be field trained." Sydney smiled at Vaughn and Weiss. "They can serve as our back-up. Marshall here will stay with them wherever I have our base set up. He can do some on spot tech work if we need him to. Will, as long as the hospital gives you leave, you can come with us to Rome. I don't know how much help you'll be, but I know you want to be there."
"Thank you, Sydney." Will smiled at her.
"How can you be so sure that Kaylee is in Rome?" Irina asked. "I don't really doubt your instinct, but if you're wrong… If she isn't there, we've wasted probably the only window of opportunity we have."
"She's in Rome. Trust me. Simon Walker would never have given up the location of my sister to the other organizations. It's a known fact that he is a member of the Covenant. The Covenant would never let another organization get the upper hand on them." Sydney looked at her father. "That is why I also know that Anna Espinosa is working with the Covenant. The purpose of Simon Walker's gathering was to make every organization think that the Covenant had nothing to do with Kaylee and Grayson's kidnapping. He was there to give them a solid alibi. To keep the CIA from focusing on them when they realized that the two of them had gone missing. But the Covenant had absolutely everything to do with it. I saw Walker's face when Anna burst through the window and snatched the paper out of his hands."
"He was expecting it," Sark said as realization dawned on his face. "He knew she was going to be there. He knew that she was going to get to him before we did."
"He turned the lights off in the building to help her escape," Sydney added. "Simon Walker is in Rome as we speak, I know it. It was his base of operations just as it was mine. Since he is so deep in this whole situation, they wouldn't take Kaylee to another facility. She's in Rome. So are Simon and Anna."
"Sounds convincing enough," Weiss said. "When do we leave?"
"Now," Will said. "The doctor told me that I could check myself out of the hospital as soon as I wanted. I asked him. He said he didn't recommend it, but he couldn't keep me here. I just need to sign the papers and we're gone."
"Good," Sydney said standing up. She walked over to Will. "Will you do me a favor?"
"Anything, Syd."
She slipped the engagement ring off of her finger. "Hold this for me until I come back with my sister and nephew."
"Sure thing," Will said taking the ring. He looked over at Sark. "I've been holding another engagement ring for over two years now. Kaylee couldn't stand the sight of it, and she told me to get rid of it. But I couldn't. I knew someday she'd regret losing the one thing she cherished the most besides her son." He paused and then corrected himself. "Besides her son and you. I'll hold that ring until you come back. Then I think you should give it to her. She wants it back."
Sark nodded at Will. "Thank you."
"Let's go," Sydney said as she pushed Will's wheelchair towards the door. "We have two people who are counting on us to find them."