Chapter 30
Sydney stared at Irina for a moment. "Your half-brother?" she echoed. Irina nodded. "Wait, does that mean that Sark is my cousin?"
"Yes, he is."
"Do we have any more relatives that I should know about?"
Irina smiled. "I have two sisters, Elena and Katya."
"Are they in...um, the intelligence business, too?"
"They were both in the KGB, but they're retired now."
Sydney frowned. "I don't suppose I'll ever get a chance to meet them." Irina looked away from Sydney, a pensive look on her face. "I have met them, haven't I?"
Irina smiled slightly. "I suppose it would be more accurate to say that they've met you."
Sydney had a sudden flash of eating a meal across the table from her mother and a woman with short, dark hair. The woman was talking while gesturing with her fork, but Sydney couldn't remember what she'd been talking about. "Does one of your sisters have really short hair?" she asked.
"Katya does," Irina said. "You remember her?"
"Just...not much, just her face really." Sydney suddenly felt more frustrated than she had since she'd first returned to LA. "These bits and pieces are worse than nothing at all!" She looked at her mother, who was looking at her worriedly. She considered for a moment. "But I suppose you just telling me what happened wouldn't really help either."
Irina reached out and put a hand on Sydney's shoulder. "I think you're right. But you've had two memories now, you're almost certain to recover more. If you remember something else, and you have specific questions, I'll answer them if I can, all right?"
"Okay," Sydney said with a small smile. "Can you tell me how to contact you, in case I have questions after you leave?"
Irina nodded. "As a matter of fact, I brought scrambled cell phones for you and your father."
Sydney smiled. She had never been able to have the simple luxury of picking up the phone and calling her mother—that she could remember, anyway—and the change would be nice. Maybe she could even pretend from time to time that she was actually part of a normal family. "That would be nice." There was silence for a moment. "Well, I suppose we should get back to the manuscript." They returned their attention to Rambaldi.
***
Irina stared at the manuscript, seeing confirmation of what she'd always suspected. It had been the drawing of her, Jack, and Sloane that had gotten her interested in Rambaldi in the first place, but as she'd learned more about him she'd begun to wonder if Rambaldi had written about this particular topic; it was that curiosity that had turned Rambaldi into an obsession. If she'd only known it had been in this manuscript all the time, she'd have found a way to return for it sooner.
Trying not to show anything that would make Sydney curious, Irina slowly turned the pages, deciphering as much as she could in her head, until she reached the end of that section. She knew she would eventually need to share this with both her daughters and with Jack, but she wanted time to become familiar with it herself first.
A few minutes after she started on the next section, Tatiana and Jack came in. Irina and Sydney turned to see that Jack looked a bit annoyed, while Tatiana was looking rather smug. "Did you have a nice game?" Irina asked.
"Ten games," Tatiana said brightly before going over to the refrigerator and pouring herself a glass of milk.
"Who won?" Sydney asked curiously. Irina smirked; she had a pretty good idea who had won, and she knew how much Jack hated to lose. He would be irritated for hours—and she knew just how to turn that irritation into something quite enjoyable.
"She won eight out of ten," Jack said, looking disgruntled. "How's the manuscript coming?"
"Not bad," Irina said. "Still a lot of work to do, of course. I'll have to take it with me—it will probably take a few weeks to finish deciphering it." Jack nodded.
Sydney pushed her chair back. "I need a break." She looked over at Tatiana. "I think there are some old photo albums in the attic. Want to look at them?"
Tatiana smiled. "I would love to." They headed up to the attic.
Sydney stared at Irina for a moment. "Your half-brother?" she echoed. Irina nodded. "Wait, does that mean that Sark is my cousin?"
"Yes, he is."
"Do we have any more relatives that I should know about?"
Irina smiled. "I have two sisters, Elena and Katya."
"Are they in...um, the intelligence business, too?"
"They were both in the KGB, but they're retired now."
Sydney frowned. "I don't suppose I'll ever get a chance to meet them." Irina looked away from Sydney, a pensive look on her face. "I have met them, haven't I?"
Irina smiled slightly. "I suppose it would be more accurate to say that they've met you."
Sydney had a sudden flash of eating a meal across the table from her mother and a woman with short, dark hair. The woman was talking while gesturing with her fork, but Sydney couldn't remember what she'd been talking about. "Does one of your sisters have really short hair?" she asked.
"Katya does," Irina said. "You remember her?"
"Just...not much, just her face really." Sydney suddenly felt more frustrated than she had since she'd first returned to LA. "These bits and pieces are worse than nothing at all!" She looked at her mother, who was looking at her worriedly. She considered for a moment. "But I suppose you just telling me what happened wouldn't really help either."
Irina reached out and put a hand on Sydney's shoulder. "I think you're right. But you've had two memories now, you're almost certain to recover more. If you remember something else, and you have specific questions, I'll answer them if I can, all right?"
"Okay," Sydney said with a small smile. "Can you tell me how to contact you, in case I have questions after you leave?"
Irina nodded. "As a matter of fact, I brought scrambled cell phones for you and your father."
Sydney smiled. She had never been able to have the simple luxury of picking up the phone and calling her mother—that she could remember, anyway—and the change would be nice. Maybe she could even pretend from time to time that she was actually part of a normal family. "That would be nice." There was silence for a moment. "Well, I suppose we should get back to the manuscript." They returned their attention to Rambaldi.
***
Irina stared at the manuscript, seeing confirmation of what she'd always suspected. It had been the drawing of her, Jack, and Sloane that had gotten her interested in Rambaldi in the first place, but as she'd learned more about him she'd begun to wonder if Rambaldi had written about this particular topic; it was that curiosity that had turned Rambaldi into an obsession. If she'd only known it had been in this manuscript all the time, she'd have found a way to return for it sooner.
Trying not to show anything that would make Sydney curious, Irina slowly turned the pages, deciphering as much as she could in her head, until she reached the end of that section. She knew she would eventually need to share this with both her daughters and with Jack, but she wanted time to become familiar with it herself first.
A few minutes after she started on the next section, Tatiana and Jack came in. Irina and Sydney turned to see that Jack looked a bit annoyed, while Tatiana was looking rather smug. "Did you have a nice game?" Irina asked.
"Ten games," Tatiana said brightly before going over to the refrigerator and pouring herself a glass of milk.
"Who won?" Sydney asked curiously. Irina smirked; she had a pretty good idea who had won, and she knew how much Jack hated to lose. He would be irritated for hours—and she knew just how to turn that irritation into something quite enjoyable.
"She won eight out of ten," Jack said, looking disgruntled. "How's the manuscript coming?"
"Not bad," Irina said. "Still a lot of work to do, of course. I'll have to take it with me—it will probably take a few weeks to finish deciphering it." Jack nodded.
Sydney pushed her chair back. "I need a break." She looked over at Tatiana. "I think there are some old photo albums in the attic. Want to look at them?"
Tatiana smiled. "I would love to." They headed up to the attic.