Chapter 2: Strange Behavior
"I'm really not a big fan of torture," the young woman said, "so it would really be easier if you would just answer my questions. What's your name?" Sydney was still gagged; she couldn't answer even if she had wanted to. What was going on? "All right, we'll do this the hard way," the woman said.
Sydney closed her eyes as the young woman approached, waiting for the blow...and then she felt the knife slice through the ropes holding her hands together. She opened her eyes and looked at the other woman in shock. The woman held a finger to her lips, then began severing the rest of the ropes holding Sydney to the chair. Once free, Sydney began to move slowly, numb from being in one position for so long. Her arms were useless, but she thought she could probably walk.
Suddenly the young woman let out a scream of agony, making Sydney jump. Then she said, "Why don't you just think for a little while about whether silence is really worth it. I think that knife in your gut might change your mind soon," while helping Sydney out of the chair and toward the door. "I'll be back in a little while." They left the room, and the girl slammed the door behind them. "Hurry," she whispered.
Still not knowing what was going on, Sydney followed her down the hall and onto a fire escape. They went up to the roof and walked across a plank to what was apparently another building. They stepped onto the other roof just in time; Sydney turned back to see the building they had just left suddenly implode.
The woman sat down, pulling Sydney with her. "They'll be watching just in case I got out," she whispered. "You can take off the gag now, but I wouldn't recommend making much noise unless you want Kresniev to interrogate you himself."
Sydney wasted no time in removing the gag. "How...why..."
"Kresniev-that's the leader of my division of the Covenant, you saw him earlier-has been trying to kill me for a couple of years now," the girl said softly. "I knew when he left me alone to interrogate you that he was going to try again tonight; he normally likes to have at least two people on an interrogation.
"But he would have killed me before he got any information," Sydney whispered.
"He already knows who you work for. That's all he really needs to know."
"So why did you bother saving me?"
The girl shrugged. "Just another way to spite Kresniev. You all right? Ready to get going?"
Sydney nodded. "I'm Agent Bristow, by the way," she said.
"Call me Kate," the girl answered as they moved away from the imploded building.
"Have you ever seen me before?"
Kate stopped and looked at her, then shrugged. "Don't think so."
Sydney took a deep breath. Protocol said that she shouldn't say anything to this enemy agent, but then, the woman had just saved her life for no apparent reason. Besides, Sydney's instincts were saying to trust her. "I don't remember the past two years, but the Covenant had something to do with it."
They had made their way to a parking garage by now, and Kate unlocked the doors of a car that seemed to be waiting for her. She opened the driver's door, then looked at Sydney. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Covenant was responsible," she said, "but I'm afraid I don't know anything about what happened to you."
Sydney sighed inwardly. "Well, thanks anyway," she said.
"I can, however, drive you to the airport, if that's all right," Kate said. Sydney nodded. They got into the car and Kate started to drive.
"Do you have someplace to go? You could come to Los Angeles with me, the CIA would help you out..." Sydney said after a few minutes.
Kate waved her hand in denial. "I've got things set up. It's better not to reappear anywhere just yet."
"Where are we?" Sydney asked as Kate got onto a highway, realizing that they weren't in Madrid where the mission had taken place.
"Munich," Kate answered. "You can get home okay from the airport, right?"
Sydney nodded. A few minutes later they pulled up to the international terminal at the airport. "Thanks for saving my life," Sydney said, still confused by the events of the last few hours.
Kate smiled. As Sydney got out of the car, she said, "You'll be seeing me again soon." She then pulled away, leaving Sydney on the curb contemplating her words.
Next: Sydney does, indeed, see Kate again soon.
"I'm really not a big fan of torture," the young woman said, "so it would really be easier if you would just answer my questions. What's your name?" Sydney was still gagged; she couldn't answer even if she had wanted to. What was going on? "All right, we'll do this the hard way," the woman said.
Sydney closed her eyes as the young woman approached, waiting for the blow...and then she felt the knife slice through the ropes holding her hands together. She opened her eyes and looked at the other woman in shock. The woman held a finger to her lips, then began severing the rest of the ropes holding Sydney to the chair. Once free, Sydney began to move slowly, numb from being in one position for so long. Her arms were useless, but she thought she could probably walk.
Suddenly the young woman let out a scream of agony, making Sydney jump. Then she said, "Why don't you just think for a little while about whether silence is really worth it. I think that knife in your gut might change your mind soon," while helping Sydney out of the chair and toward the door. "I'll be back in a little while." They left the room, and the girl slammed the door behind them. "Hurry," she whispered.
Still not knowing what was going on, Sydney followed her down the hall and onto a fire escape. They went up to the roof and walked across a plank to what was apparently another building. They stepped onto the other roof just in time; Sydney turned back to see the building they had just left suddenly implode.
The woman sat down, pulling Sydney with her. "They'll be watching just in case I got out," she whispered. "You can take off the gag now, but I wouldn't recommend making much noise unless you want Kresniev to interrogate you himself."
Sydney wasted no time in removing the gag. "How...why..."
"Kresniev-that's the leader of my division of the Covenant, you saw him earlier-has been trying to kill me for a couple of years now," the girl said softly. "I knew when he left me alone to interrogate you that he was going to try again tonight; he normally likes to have at least two people on an interrogation.
"But he would have killed me before he got any information," Sydney whispered.
"He already knows who you work for. That's all he really needs to know."
"So why did you bother saving me?"
The girl shrugged. "Just another way to spite Kresniev. You all right? Ready to get going?"
Sydney nodded. "I'm Agent Bristow, by the way," she said.
"Call me Kate," the girl answered as they moved away from the imploded building.
"Have you ever seen me before?"
Kate stopped and looked at her, then shrugged. "Don't think so."
Sydney took a deep breath. Protocol said that she shouldn't say anything to this enemy agent, but then, the woman had just saved her life for no apparent reason. Besides, Sydney's instincts were saying to trust her. "I don't remember the past two years, but the Covenant had something to do with it."
They had made their way to a parking garage by now, and Kate unlocked the doors of a car that seemed to be waiting for her. She opened the driver's door, then looked at Sydney. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Covenant was responsible," she said, "but I'm afraid I don't know anything about what happened to you."
Sydney sighed inwardly. "Well, thanks anyway," she said.
"I can, however, drive you to the airport, if that's all right," Kate said. Sydney nodded. They got into the car and Kate started to drive.
"Do you have someplace to go? You could come to Los Angeles with me, the CIA would help you out..." Sydney said after a few minutes.
Kate waved her hand in denial. "I've got things set up. It's better not to reappear anywhere just yet."
"Where are we?" Sydney asked as Kate got onto a highway, realizing that they weren't in Madrid where the mission had taken place.
"Munich," Kate answered. "You can get home okay from the airport, right?"
Sydney nodded. A few minutes later they pulled up to the international terminal at the airport. "Thanks for saving my life," Sydney said, still confused by the events of the last few hours.
Kate smiled. As Sydney got out of the car, she said, "You'll be seeing me again soon." She then pulled away, leaving Sydney on the curb contemplating her words.
Next: Sydney does, indeed, see Kate again soon.