"He will see you now." The receptionist motioned toward the door.
Irina stood and nonchalantly made her way forward. Pulling the door, she stepped through into the spacious, sterile room.
"I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again." He said turning in his swiveling chair to face her.
"Arvin, you must have been sure that this day would come." She said taking a seat across the desk from him.
"Truthfully, I hoped that it would. But as you well know, I don't hold much stock in hope anymore." He said smiling a knowing grin.
"Shall we?" Irina prompted, an eyebrow arching heavily.
"We shall. Unfortunately I have no good news to relay about Sydney. When you contacted me a year ago, I had many leads, but as it stands now, I have exhausted every last one of them."
"What do you know of The Covenant?" Irina asked, her expression unchanging.
"The Covenant." Sloane said out loud as if pondering its meaning. "I have heard only bits and pieces about their organization. My capacity here at Omnifam does not lend widely to the acquisition of in depth intelligence. However, I do know that they are followers of Rambaldi. They are what I assume to be a new alliance, or compilation of followers of the Order of Rambaldi. But as you know, I have very little to do with that type of thing any more." Sloane said a strange grin sweeping over his face.
"This I know. My question is, however, whether or not they have acquired the necessary artifacts to rebuild it." She said her head tilting questioningly.
"It is not possible. I scattered the pieces of Il Dire across the globe. It would take another ten years to assemble them all once again." Sloane smiled, pouring himself a glass of water.
"This is true. However, that isn't the only means by which The Covenant could acquire their goal. In fact there is another route that would take far less time." Irina sat back and smiled.
"And that is?" Sloane asked confidently.
"They could take it from you." She said with drawing her gun from her coat.
They'd driven for almost an hour in silence. He held her hand as he drove, she watched the beauty of the passing scenery. The harsh tone of a cell phone ring broke the silence.
"Hello." Sydney answered immediately.
"Where the hell are you?" Kendall's voice roared so loud even Vaughn recognized it.
"There's been a change of plans." Sydney said disdainfully
"When did you start changing plans without informing me?" Kendall's voice was ringing with anger.
"It was a matter of necessity. I have to go, I'll contact you when I am able." She said, not wanting to continue the conversation, in the least.
"Wait a minute. Are you safe? What is your plan?" Kendall said, his tone softening slightly.
"I'm safe. Everything is fine. I'll call you in 48 hours." She said, her aggravation lessening as well.
"Alright, but if I don't hear from you, I'll send people looking."
"Understood." She said hanging up the phone." She took a deep breath and glanced over at Vaughn. "He's still the jackass he always was. But he cares." She said with an ironic smile.
"How long have you worked with him?" Vaughn asked quietly.
"Only a few months." Sydney said, choosing her words carefully. "He's been my only contact. He's actually been really helpful." She said, looking back out the window.
"Who ever thought Kendall could be anywhere remotely near helpful. I thought it was his mission in life to make everything difficult." Vaughn laughed.
"I thought it was too. But after I found out that he was DSR, things made more sense. Sometimes I just have to show him who's boss." Sydney smiled, leaning her had back against the headrest.
"You know Sydney, in some ways you haven't changed a bit." Vaughn said tentatively.
She paused for a moment before speaking. "In some way's it's easier to forget all that has happened, and to just slip back into this. It's scary." She sighed, the weight of reality settling in.
"We've always worked well together." He smiled. Sydney smiled, but took a long beat before speaking. "This feels so surreal." She sighed.
"It does. It is." Vaughn smiled, glancing at Sydney.
"My contact says that He boarded a plane for France last night." He said softly over the phone.
"There is no reason for him to do that. Do we have confirmation that it was him?" She questioned impatiently.
"No just the flight log. But it does appear to be the only possibility. His car was found at the airport." Sark's accent seemed to intensify over the phone.
"He didn't pack a thing. It doesn't make sense." Lauren protested vigorously. "Look, I cannot leave the country right now. Go to France, find him." She ordered.
"I may be new to this organization, but I am almost positive that you are not the one who gives me orders. In fact I believe it is the other way around." Sark's indignant tone echoed.
"Mr. Sark, is it? I am imploring your help. I," Lauren pulled out her most innocent and helpless tone, "I think I might be in danger, if my mission fails. Please, I'll do anything." She pleaded.
"Alright, France it is then. But from now on, I give the orders. I may be new to this organization Ms. Reed, and despite how it may appear I am its primary backer. I will call you from Marseilles." With that he hung up the phone.
Irina stood and nonchalantly made her way forward. Pulling the door, she stepped through into the spacious, sterile room.
"I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again." He said turning in his swiveling chair to face her.
"Arvin, you must have been sure that this day would come." She said taking a seat across the desk from him.
"Truthfully, I hoped that it would. But as you well know, I don't hold much stock in hope anymore." He said smiling a knowing grin.
"Shall we?" Irina prompted, an eyebrow arching heavily.
"We shall. Unfortunately I have no good news to relay about Sydney. When you contacted me a year ago, I had many leads, but as it stands now, I have exhausted every last one of them."
"What do you know of The Covenant?" Irina asked, her expression unchanging.
"The Covenant." Sloane said out loud as if pondering its meaning. "I have heard only bits and pieces about their organization. My capacity here at Omnifam does not lend widely to the acquisition of in depth intelligence. However, I do know that they are followers of Rambaldi. They are what I assume to be a new alliance, or compilation of followers of the Order of Rambaldi. But as you know, I have very little to do with that type of thing any more." Sloane said a strange grin sweeping over his face.
"This I know. My question is, however, whether or not they have acquired the necessary artifacts to rebuild it." She said her head tilting questioningly.
"It is not possible. I scattered the pieces of Il Dire across the globe. It would take another ten years to assemble them all once again." Sloane smiled, pouring himself a glass of water.
"This is true. However, that isn't the only means by which The Covenant could acquire their goal. In fact there is another route that would take far less time." Irina sat back and smiled.
"And that is?" Sloane asked confidently.
"They could take it from you." She said with drawing her gun from her coat.
They'd driven for almost an hour in silence. He held her hand as he drove, she watched the beauty of the passing scenery. The harsh tone of a cell phone ring broke the silence.
"Hello." Sydney answered immediately.
"Where the hell are you?" Kendall's voice roared so loud even Vaughn recognized it.
"There's been a change of plans." Sydney said disdainfully
"When did you start changing plans without informing me?" Kendall's voice was ringing with anger.
"It was a matter of necessity. I have to go, I'll contact you when I am able." She said, not wanting to continue the conversation, in the least.
"Wait a minute. Are you safe? What is your plan?" Kendall said, his tone softening slightly.
"I'm safe. Everything is fine. I'll call you in 48 hours." She said, her aggravation lessening as well.
"Alright, but if I don't hear from you, I'll send people looking."
"Understood." She said hanging up the phone." She took a deep breath and glanced over at Vaughn. "He's still the jackass he always was. But he cares." She said with an ironic smile.
"How long have you worked with him?" Vaughn asked quietly.
"Only a few months." Sydney said, choosing her words carefully. "He's been my only contact. He's actually been really helpful." She said, looking back out the window.
"Who ever thought Kendall could be anywhere remotely near helpful. I thought it was his mission in life to make everything difficult." Vaughn laughed.
"I thought it was too. But after I found out that he was DSR, things made more sense. Sometimes I just have to show him who's boss." Sydney smiled, leaning her had back against the headrest.
"You know Sydney, in some ways you haven't changed a bit." Vaughn said tentatively.
She paused for a moment before speaking. "In some way's it's easier to forget all that has happened, and to just slip back into this. It's scary." She sighed, the weight of reality settling in.
"We've always worked well together." He smiled. Sydney smiled, but took a long beat before speaking. "This feels so surreal." She sighed.
"It does. It is." Vaughn smiled, glancing at Sydney.
"My contact says that He boarded a plane for France last night." He said softly over the phone.
"There is no reason for him to do that. Do we have confirmation that it was him?" She questioned impatiently.
"No just the flight log. But it does appear to be the only possibility. His car was found at the airport." Sark's accent seemed to intensify over the phone.
"He didn't pack a thing. It doesn't make sense." Lauren protested vigorously. "Look, I cannot leave the country right now. Go to France, find him." She ordered.
"I may be new to this organization, but I am almost positive that you are not the one who gives me orders. In fact I believe it is the other way around." Sark's indignant tone echoed.
"Mr. Sark, is it? I am imploring your help. I," Lauren pulled out her most innocent and helpless tone, "I think I might be in danger, if my mission fails. Please, I'll do anything." She pleaded.
"Alright, France it is then. But from now on, I give the orders. I may be new to this organization Ms. Reed, and despite how it may appear I am its primary backer. I will call you from Marseilles." With that he hung up the phone.