*             *             *             *             *
 
Sydney swore her heart stopped beating.  Vaughn wasn't at the safe house.  "And you've had no communications from him?"
 
Jack shook his head.  "No, I'm sorry sweetie."
 
"I want to be put on the team."
 
"The team has come and gone."
 
"What about the team that is looking for them!  Where's the team that's looking for Vaughn and Weiss!" She yelled.
 
"Sydney, you know the policy."
 
"Dad, I heard a gun shot.  We can't wait around 24 hours before we determine if we're even going to look for them!  We need to look now."
 
"Go home Sydney.  There's nothing left here that you can do."
 
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
 
Jack spun around and looked at his daughter in the eye.  "Sydney, even if there was a team we could send right now, I would not put you on the team.  When Vaughn is concerned, you don't think clearly enough to be on the team."
 
"Dad." Sydney pleaded.  "I have to go."
 
"That's an order Sydney.  Go home."
 
"What about Samantha?"
 
"She's in good hands."  Jack said, indicating Samantha being escorted to medical services.  "They're going to keep her here for a couple more days for observation. She'll have better care here than she did back in Hillside."
 
"She doesn't sleep."  Sydney said, trying to do anything to get Vaughn off her mind for even a minute. "She should see Barnett."
 
"Alright.  I'll make sure that Barnett can squeeze her in tomorrow."
 
"Today.  Sam has been through a lot in the last two weeks.  First the shooting, then her mother trying to kill her, and now today.  She needs to see Barnett now."
 
Jack nodded.  "I understand.  Sydney, go home.  As your father, I'm telling you to go home. As your superior, I'm ordering to go home."
 
"I'll just take my worry home with me."
 
Jack glared at Sydney, with one of his famous do-as-I-tell-you stares.  Sydney, like a wounded puppy left.  But instead of heading out to her car like she was ordered, Sydney went to sit at her desk.  She turned on her computer and attempted to login.  Every time she tried to login, the login was being denied.  Frustrated, she marched into Marshall's office.  "Marshall, the network won't let me log in." She complained.
 
"Candy?"  Marshall asked, guiltily holding up a jar of lollipops.
 
"No.  I need to get onto my computer."
 
"I'm sorry Sydney.  Your father ordered me to keep you out of the network, and I was all like "Why Mr. Bristow?"  And he just grunted something about orders.  He does that a lot.  Grunt I mean.  Your father tends to grunt a lot.  Not, not that it's bad or anything.  It's just a lot of grunting.  So I did it, because he threatened me if I didn't block you out of the system.  Are you in some kind of trouble?"
 
"No.  I'm not in trouble.  My father is trying to get me to go home. Is there anyway you can get me back on to the system?"
 
Marshall scrunched up his face.  "Your father said you might ask to be allowed back on.  I can't Sydney."
 
Sydney sighed, and exited the office.  She took three steps before turning around again.  "Do you have the alias for Samantha Daily?"
 
Marshall put down the lollipop he was opening and ran to a stack of papers.  He pulled out a thick file and handed it to Sydney.  "I think with this one, I out did myself this time.  I really do."
 
"Thanks Marshall."
 
Sydney smiled and left to visit Samantha in the hospital wing.
*             *             *             *             *