Chapter 36
"What hand dream?" Sydney asked, confused. There was no response for a moment.
Tatiana broke the silence. "I'm hungry. Anybody want to go have breakfast? It would give you two a cover. I know the perfect place." Everyone agreed that that sounded like a good idea, so Tatiana directed Jack to a small Russian restaurant. As they traveled, she said, "The owner is extremely friendly, and won't let anyone who speaks Russian leave without hearing their life story. So I made something up which turned out to be amazingly similar to the truth. I told him my mother had immigrated to the US as a teenager, married an American, and had two daughters. When the Soviet Union fell in '91, we all moved to Russia, but my sister didn't like it there, came back to LA for school, and stayed. I stop by here every time I'm in LA and tell him I'm visiting my sister; he'll be so excited to meet the whole family."
Sydney blinked. "That's weird."
Tatiana shrugged. "Maybe I'm psychic," she said with a grin, prompting chuckles. "Anyway, my name's Alexandra, and my previously hypothetical sister's name is Regina."
They arrived at the restaurant; as soon as they entered, a smiling man approached. "Alexandra! You've finally brought your family!" he said in Russian.
Tatiana smiled. "Yes, Nicolae, my parents decided to come over for a visit."
"Ah, so nice to meet you all," Nicolae said. He moved to shake Sydney's hand. "You must be Regina; I've been telling your sister for years that she should bring you in." Then he turned to Jack and Irina. "And you two have produced two lovely daughters. And hopefully one day beautiful grandchildren?" He turned back to Tatiana. "Speaking of which, where is that charming husband of yours?"
Tatiana looked very uncomfortable, while the rest of them tried not to appear too shocked. "We're...well, we're not together any more."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Nicolae said, shaking his head. "The two of you seemed so in love. Well. Would you like your usual booth?" Tatiana nodded, and Nicolae showed them to a booth in the back, right by the kitchen door and hidden from the entrance. He handed them menus. "I'm sure Alexandra can make some excellent recommendations, so I won't bother. Just wave when you're ready." He disappeared into the kitchen.
"Your husband?" Sydney asked in English.
Tatiana shrugged. "My partner, Sergei. We used to come here together; it was easiest to just say we were married. The syrniki are fabulous, and so is the simenukha. They have good bliny here, too," she said, quickly changing the subject.
"Um...I usually eat at McDonald's when I'm in Russia," Sydney said, looking a bit embarrassed.
Irina smiled. "Syrniki are like fried cottage cheese balls, simenukha is buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and onions, and bliny are like pancakes."
"I'm not too into mushrooms, but I guess I could try the syrniki," Sydney said.
Nicolae soon reappeared and took their orders. When he was gone, Irina pulled out her cell phone. "I'll just arrange to have us picked up here," she said. She placed the call and gave the address of the restaurant. "He'll be here in forty-five minutes."
Campbell frowned at the news that Irina Derevko had been sighted. "I wonder if she might be here to pay some people a little visit." He turned to Lauren. "The NSC has an infrared satellite over LA right now; go find out how many people are in Jack Bristow's house. I'll get in touch with the surveillance teams watching the Bristows and see what they're doing right now."
Ten minutes later, they met in the conference room again; Lauren reported that Agent Bristow's house was empty.
"Apparently Sydney Bristow stayed at her father's house last night," Campbell said, "and they drove off in Jack Bristow's car about half an hour ago and lost their tail. They're up to something."
"Maybe they just went out to breakfast," Lauren suggested. "They are father and daughter; it makes sense that they'd spend some time together."
"Yes, and Irina Derevko and Sydney Bristow are mother and daughter. I think I'd better give one of the Bristows a call and see what they're up to."
"What hand dream?" Sydney asked, confused. There was no response for a moment.
Tatiana broke the silence. "I'm hungry. Anybody want to go have breakfast? It would give you two a cover. I know the perfect place." Everyone agreed that that sounded like a good idea, so Tatiana directed Jack to a small Russian restaurant. As they traveled, she said, "The owner is extremely friendly, and won't let anyone who speaks Russian leave without hearing their life story. So I made something up which turned out to be amazingly similar to the truth. I told him my mother had immigrated to the US as a teenager, married an American, and had two daughters. When the Soviet Union fell in '91, we all moved to Russia, but my sister didn't like it there, came back to LA for school, and stayed. I stop by here every time I'm in LA and tell him I'm visiting my sister; he'll be so excited to meet the whole family."
Sydney blinked. "That's weird."
Tatiana shrugged. "Maybe I'm psychic," she said with a grin, prompting chuckles. "Anyway, my name's Alexandra, and my previously hypothetical sister's name is Regina."
They arrived at the restaurant; as soon as they entered, a smiling man approached. "Alexandra! You've finally brought your family!" he said in Russian.
Tatiana smiled. "Yes, Nicolae, my parents decided to come over for a visit."
"Ah, so nice to meet you all," Nicolae said. He moved to shake Sydney's hand. "You must be Regina; I've been telling your sister for years that she should bring you in." Then he turned to Jack and Irina. "And you two have produced two lovely daughters. And hopefully one day beautiful grandchildren?" He turned back to Tatiana. "Speaking of which, where is that charming husband of yours?"
Tatiana looked very uncomfortable, while the rest of them tried not to appear too shocked. "We're...well, we're not together any more."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Nicolae said, shaking his head. "The two of you seemed so in love. Well. Would you like your usual booth?" Tatiana nodded, and Nicolae showed them to a booth in the back, right by the kitchen door and hidden from the entrance. He handed them menus. "I'm sure Alexandra can make some excellent recommendations, so I won't bother. Just wave when you're ready." He disappeared into the kitchen.
"Your husband?" Sydney asked in English.
Tatiana shrugged. "My partner, Sergei. We used to come here together; it was easiest to just say we were married. The syrniki are fabulous, and so is the simenukha. They have good bliny here, too," she said, quickly changing the subject.
"Um...I usually eat at McDonald's when I'm in Russia," Sydney said, looking a bit embarrassed.
Irina smiled. "Syrniki are like fried cottage cheese balls, simenukha is buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and onions, and bliny are like pancakes."
"I'm not too into mushrooms, but I guess I could try the syrniki," Sydney said.
Nicolae soon reappeared and took their orders. When he was gone, Irina pulled out her cell phone. "I'll just arrange to have us picked up here," she said. She placed the call and gave the address of the restaurant. "He'll be here in forty-five minutes."
Campbell frowned at the news that Irina Derevko had been sighted. "I wonder if she might be here to pay some people a little visit." He turned to Lauren. "The NSC has an infrared satellite over LA right now; go find out how many people are in Jack Bristow's house. I'll get in touch with the surveillance teams watching the Bristows and see what they're doing right now."
Ten minutes later, they met in the conference room again; Lauren reported that Agent Bristow's house was empty.
"Apparently Sydney Bristow stayed at her father's house last night," Campbell said, "and they drove off in Jack Bristow's car about half an hour ago and lost their tail. They're up to something."
"Maybe they just went out to breakfast," Lauren suggested. "They are father and daughter; it makes sense that they'd spend some time together."
"Yes, and Irina Derevko and Sydney Bristow are mother and daughter. I think I'd better give one of the Bristows a call and see what they're up to."