Chapter 45
Dawson looked at Jack with an incredulous expression. "You want us to let her go back to Russia?"
Jack kept his expression neutral. "I'm passing on her suggestion, sir. By allowing her to be extracted, you would be gaining a valuable source of information within the KGB."
"And how am I going to get my superiors to believe that she actually will contact the CIA?"
"The results from Twilight clearly show that she is sincere when she says she's no longer loyal to the KGB."
"She's not loyal to this country, either; remember that part?" Dawson sighed. "Jack, I actually believe she would be a double, but I doubt I'm going to convince Director Levy and his colleagues of that. Besides, it would be damn dangerous for her. Why do you think she's willing to put herself in that situation?"
"Because she believes it's best for Sydney. If the CIA extract her, Sydney and I will have to go into hiding, and I think she doesn't quite trust the CIA to hide us well enough that the KGB won't find us." Jack didn't mention that he didn't trust the CIA that far, either. If that scenario did play out, Jack thought he'd probably have to do his own disappearing act afterwards.
Dawson nodded. "To be honest, she's probably right. Jack, I'll contact Washington, but I doubt they'll go along with a plan to sit by idly and let the Russians have her. I'm pretty sure, though, that I can convince them we need to set up contact protocols with her in case she's extracted before we have a chance to stop it." He paused. "In fact, why don't you go ahead and talk to her and set some things up within the next few days."
Jack nodded. "I can do that tonight and have the protocols tomorrow for your approval."
"Good. Dismissed."
***
Jack arrived home and found Laura in the living room, reading. He gave her a kiss, then sat down on the couch beside her. "Where's Sydney?"
"At her piano lesson." Laura glanced at the clock. "She'll be back in about half an hour."
Jack frowned. "How did she get there?"
"Jack, her piano teacher lives three houses down," Laura said, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh," was all Jack could reply. He could feel his ears reddening; he should have known that.
"Did you talk to Dawson?"
Jack nodded. "He doesn't think his superiors will agree to let the KGB extract you." Laura sighed. "But he does want us to work out some contact methods just in case."
"That's good. I had some ideas..." They spent the next half hour working out several ways for Laura to make contact with the CIA. Unfortunately, most of them didn't involve Jack directly, since they had to assume that the KGB would maintain surveillance on Jack for some time after the extraction.
They stopped when they heard the front door open, Jack putting away the page he'd been taking notes on. "Hi, sweetheart," he said when Sydney entered the room and put her music books on the piano.
"Hi, Daddy." She looked at her parents curiously before climbing onto the couch between them, forcing Jack to scoot over a bit to make room for her. "What were you doing?"
"Talking," Laura answered, smiling at Jack over Sydney's head.
"About what? Were you talking about me?"
"No, Sydney, it had nothing to do with you," Laura answered, giving her daughter's shoulder a squeeze.
Laura was telling the truth, Jack thought, but at the same time, somehow their conversation had had everything to do with Sydney.
Sydney's stomach rumbled, and Laura's eyes widened. "I completely forgot about dinner. I suppose we can find some leftovers..."
"Mommy, we ate the Chinese food last night, remember?"
"Don't worry about it, Laura. Why don't we go out to eat?"
"Sounds good," Laura answered.
"The spaghetti place!" Sydney said eagerly.
"Micelli's," Laura said. "Let me go upstairs and put some makeup on..."
"You don't need any. You're beautiful," Jack said.
"Don't be silly," Laura replied. Jack forestalled any further response by leaning toward her and kissing her deeply.
They broke the kiss in response to Sydney, who was clearing her throat rather obnoxiously. "Mommy, you're beautiful, and I'm hungry. Let's go." She stood and headed out toward the kitchen.
As Jack helped Laura up, she said, "Well, now we know who's really in charge of this family."
Jack smiled. "You heard the boss, then. Let's go eat."
Dawson looked at Jack with an incredulous expression. "You want us to let her go back to Russia?"
Jack kept his expression neutral. "I'm passing on her suggestion, sir. By allowing her to be extracted, you would be gaining a valuable source of information within the KGB."
"And how am I going to get my superiors to believe that she actually will contact the CIA?"
"The results from Twilight clearly show that she is sincere when she says she's no longer loyal to the KGB."
"She's not loyal to this country, either; remember that part?" Dawson sighed. "Jack, I actually believe she would be a double, but I doubt I'm going to convince Director Levy and his colleagues of that. Besides, it would be damn dangerous for her. Why do you think she's willing to put herself in that situation?"
"Because she believes it's best for Sydney. If the CIA extract her, Sydney and I will have to go into hiding, and I think she doesn't quite trust the CIA to hide us well enough that the KGB won't find us." Jack didn't mention that he didn't trust the CIA that far, either. If that scenario did play out, Jack thought he'd probably have to do his own disappearing act afterwards.
Dawson nodded. "To be honest, she's probably right. Jack, I'll contact Washington, but I doubt they'll go along with a plan to sit by idly and let the Russians have her. I'm pretty sure, though, that I can convince them we need to set up contact protocols with her in case she's extracted before we have a chance to stop it." He paused. "In fact, why don't you go ahead and talk to her and set some things up within the next few days."
Jack nodded. "I can do that tonight and have the protocols tomorrow for your approval."
"Good. Dismissed."
***
Jack arrived home and found Laura in the living room, reading. He gave her a kiss, then sat down on the couch beside her. "Where's Sydney?"
"At her piano lesson." Laura glanced at the clock. "She'll be back in about half an hour."
Jack frowned. "How did she get there?"
"Jack, her piano teacher lives three houses down," Laura said, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh," was all Jack could reply. He could feel his ears reddening; he should have known that.
"Did you talk to Dawson?"
Jack nodded. "He doesn't think his superiors will agree to let the KGB extract you." Laura sighed. "But he does want us to work out some contact methods just in case."
"That's good. I had some ideas..." They spent the next half hour working out several ways for Laura to make contact with the CIA. Unfortunately, most of them didn't involve Jack directly, since they had to assume that the KGB would maintain surveillance on Jack for some time after the extraction.
They stopped when they heard the front door open, Jack putting away the page he'd been taking notes on. "Hi, sweetheart," he said when Sydney entered the room and put her music books on the piano.
"Hi, Daddy." She looked at her parents curiously before climbing onto the couch between them, forcing Jack to scoot over a bit to make room for her. "What were you doing?"
"Talking," Laura answered, smiling at Jack over Sydney's head.
"About what? Were you talking about me?"
"No, Sydney, it had nothing to do with you," Laura answered, giving her daughter's shoulder a squeeze.
Laura was telling the truth, Jack thought, but at the same time, somehow their conversation had had everything to do with Sydney.
Sydney's stomach rumbled, and Laura's eyes widened. "I completely forgot about dinner. I suppose we can find some leftovers..."
"Mommy, we ate the Chinese food last night, remember?"
"Don't worry about it, Laura. Why don't we go out to eat?"
"Sounds good," Laura answered.
"The spaghetti place!" Sydney said eagerly.
"Micelli's," Laura said. "Let me go upstairs and put some makeup on..."
"You don't need any. You're beautiful," Jack said.
"Don't be silly," Laura replied. Jack forestalled any further response by leaning toward her and kissing her deeply.
They broke the kiss in response to Sydney, who was clearing her throat rather obnoxiously. "Mommy, you're beautiful, and I'm hungry. Let's go." She stood and headed out toward the kitchen.
As Jack helped Laura up, she said, "Well, now we know who's really in charge of this family."
Jack smiled. "You heard the boss, then. Let's go eat."
