"I have arrived in Marseille, and I have several leads." Sark said softly
into the cell phone as he looked through the window out onto the brightly
lit street.
"Good. Contact me when you find anything." Lauren responded hurriedly.
"Tell me, what are you concerns surrounding your target's spontaneous trip to Europe?" Sark said, hoping to extract valuable information.
Lauren sighed, annoyed. "Mr. Sark, my objective is to use my target and his knowledge to further my mission. If you know nothing else of my mission it is not my place to reveal it to you. You forget that I do not know you and I do not trust you." Lauren said curtly.
"Ms. Reed, I simply wish to know what course of action I should take while here in Marseille. For example, suppose I find the target with another woman, or perhaps involved in some illegal activity..." Sark would have continues but he was cut off.
"Find him, tail him, and contact me. That is all." Lauren said before hanging up.
Sark smiled. She was jealous and he knew it. He laughed slightly as he picked up his espresso and finished it off. He was having entirely too much fun with this.
...................................................
"I've gone over the information you sent me." Lauren said to the driver of the cab.
"Yes, and you are satisfied?" The man said, his Arab accent prevalent.
"Indeed. I need a follow up though." Lauren said catching the driver's eye in the rear view mirror. "An analyst is shown as being the originator of several communications between the CIA and Lazarey. I need to know who W. Tippin is."
..............................................................
"Vaughn, wake up." Sydney said softly as she unbuckled his seat belt. He'd fallen asleep as soon as they'd switched drivers.
"Where are we?" He said sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Just outside of Marseille, I found a little bed and breakfast." Sydney smiled reaching for the door. Before she pulled it open Vaughn grabbed her hand.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Vaughn questioned, his senses returning rapidly.
"Vaughn this is a random location. Neither of us has ever been here before. I know the Covenant outposts in Marseille. This isn't one of them." Sydney reassured as she pushed the door wide open and stepped out.
Vaughn followed suit immediately and stepped out, looking around suspiciously. Maybe it was being near a large city, or being in France, or just being tired, but he felt weird about the whole situation. Taking a deep breath he followed Sydney inside, and decided to chalk it all up to being protective of her.
"A room for two?" The old man said as he opened the front door.
"Merci, Oui." Vaughn replied. The man smiled at Vaughn for a moment, before turning and leading the way inside. Sydney laughed as she listened to Vaughn and the old man converse in perfect French. Her mastery of the language was at a high level, but she wasn't nearly experienced enough to keep up with their fast pace and slang.
When they reached the top of the stairs the old man turned into the first room. With a hearty laugh and many thanks-you's from Vaughn, the man left them alone.
"You're right, this is nice." Vaughn said with a smile as he removed his coat.
Sydney smiled, and arched an eyebrow as she sat on the bed. Yawing is stretched out, kicking off her shoes. "I'm tired." She said still half yawning.
Vaughn sat down on the other side of the bed. "I had a rather nice nap." He laughed turning and lying down next to Sydney.
With another rather large yawn Sydney turned onto her side and poked Vaughn in the ribs.
"Hey!" He laughed turning to face her as well. They smiled at each other.
"Vaughn." Sydney said quietly after a moment.
"Sydney." Vaughn responded with a smile.
"I don't want you to leave me." She said, a half smile forming on her lips.
"If you only knew how much I wish I cold stay."
"I think I might."
"I'm glad to hear it." He said pulling her toward him and wrapping her in a tight embrace. He kissed her forehead lightly, and closed his eyes breathing her in.
..........................................................................
"How much longer will this take?" Sloane's impatience was clearly evident.
"Anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks." The man said, still typing furiously at his computer.
"We do not have a few weeks." Sloane groaned looking over the man's shoulder.
"If perhaps I had another hundred thousand, I think things might move along...more smoothly."
"Do it. Find it in the next two days and name your price. If not, you might not be able to name anything for a very long time." Sloane's threatening tone was clear, and the man looked up with him with a curt, but understanding nod.
.................................................................
"Irina, it's been to long already." Her thickly accented voice warmed as she stood in greeting.
"Katya." Irina acknowledged kissing her cheek and taking a seat at the table. Katya sat as well, waving the waiter over to them.
"What brings you to Marseille?" Irina questioned as the waiter filled her wine glass.
"You do." Katya said quickly, holding her glass in a toast. Irina did the same and the two women clinked glassed.
"Salue," They said in unison.
After a long drink Irina set her glass down. "You must forgive me Katya, I'm short of time. What is it you need from me." Irina said softly.
"Oh Irina, always running from here to there. There is never enough time is there?" Katya said with a laugh and another long drink of wine.
"There is always time for a sister. Tell me." Irina said an eyebrow arched at her sisters playful charade.
"Arvin Sloane is close." Katya revealed, her expression tightening.
"How is it you've come to know this?" Irina said sipping thoughtfully.
"Irina, I know what I know because I know it. It's no concern to you." Katya said her tone edgy.
"Katya, I will not play this game with you. I have fought for too long over this. There are others who are close, too close." She sighed, revealingly. "It is not yet clear who Arvin Sloane's allegiances are to."
"You have always known the driving force behind that man." Katya said with a laugh.
"This is true. And it is why I question your motives in coming to me with this information." Irina said looking fiercely into her sister's eyes.
"Irina," Katya sighed. "Is it my allegiances you are questioning now? Or is this your defense for you lost control of this situation?"
Irina paused for a moment, staring at her sister with a smile. "This situation, has been out of control from the beginning. I don't expect you to understand." Irina said beginning to stand. "Katya," She said turning to face her sister. "In my heart I know that our blood is our allegiance." She sighed. "However my head keeps me questioning that constantly."
"Do you ever trust anyone?" Katya said bitterly.
"I do. Forgive me for offending you. I hope to see you soon." She said before turning and walking away. Katya sat and watched her go, her expression blank. Her head whirling with thoughts.
..................................................................
"Good. Contact me when you find anything." Lauren responded hurriedly.
"Tell me, what are you concerns surrounding your target's spontaneous trip to Europe?" Sark said, hoping to extract valuable information.
Lauren sighed, annoyed. "Mr. Sark, my objective is to use my target and his knowledge to further my mission. If you know nothing else of my mission it is not my place to reveal it to you. You forget that I do not know you and I do not trust you." Lauren said curtly.
"Ms. Reed, I simply wish to know what course of action I should take while here in Marseille. For example, suppose I find the target with another woman, or perhaps involved in some illegal activity..." Sark would have continues but he was cut off.
"Find him, tail him, and contact me. That is all." Lauren said before hanging up.
Sark smiled. She was jealous and he knew it. He laughed slightly as he picked up his espresso and finished it off. He was having entirely too much fun with this.
...................................................
"I've gone over the information you sent me." Lauren said to the driver of the cab.
"Yes, and you are satisfied?" The man said, his Arab accent prevalent.
"Indeed. I need a follow up though." Lauren said catching the driver's eye in the rear view mirror. "An analyst is shown as being the originator of several communications between the CIA and Lazarey. I need to know who W. Tippin is."
..............................................................
"Vaughn, wake up." Sydney said softly as she unbuckled his seat belt. He'd fallen asleep as soon as they'd switched drivers.
"Where are we?" He said sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Just outside of Marseille, I found a little bed and breakfast." Sydney smiled reaching for the door. Before she pulled it open Vaughn grabbed her hand.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Vaughn questioned, his senses returning rapidly.
"Vaughn this is a random location. Neither of us has ever been here before. I know the Covenant outposts in Marseille. This isn't one of them." Sydney reassured as she pushed the door wide open and stepped out.
Vaughn followed suit immediately and stepped out, looking around suspiciously. Maybe it was being near a large city, or being in France, or just being tired, but he felt weird about the whole situation. Taking a deep breath he followed Sydney inside, and decided to chalk it all up to being protective of her.
"A room for two?" The old man said as he opened the front door.
"Merci, Oui." Vaughn replied. The man smiled at Vaughn for a moment, before turning and leading the way inside. Sydney laughed as she listened to Vaughn and the old man converse in perfect French. Her mastery of the language was at a high level, but she wasn't nearly experienced enough to keep up with their fast pace and slang.
When they reached the top of the stairs the old man turned into the first room. With a hearty laugh and many thanks-you's from Vaughn, the man left them alone.
"You're right, this is nice." Vaughn said with a smile as he removed his coat.
Sydney smiled, and arched an eyebrow as she sat on the bed. Yawing is stretched out, kicking off her shoes. "I'm tired." She said still half yawning.
Vaughn sat down on the other side of the bed. "I had a rather nice nap." He laughed turning and lying down next to Sydney.
With another rather large yawn Sydney turned onto her side and poked Vaughn in the ribs.
"Hey!" He laughed turning to face her as well. They smiled at each other.
"Vaughn." Sydney said quietly after a moment.
"Sydney." Vaughn responded with a smile.
"I don't want you to leave me." She said, a half smile forming on her lips.
"If you only knew how much I wish I cold stay."
"I think I might."
"I'm glad to hear it." He said pulling her toward him and wrapping her in a tight embrace. He kissed her forehead lightly, and closed his eyes breathing her in.
..........................................................................
"How much longer will this take?" Sloane's impatience was clearly evident.
"Anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks." The man said, still typing furiously at his computer.
"We do not have a few weeks." Sloane groaned looking over the man's shoulder.
"If perhaps I had another hundred thousand, I think things might move along...more smoothly."
"Do it. Find it in the next two days and name your price. If not, you might not be able to name anything for a very long time." Sloane's threatening tone was clear, and the man looked up with him with a curt, but understanding nod.
.................................................................
"Irina, it's been to long already." Her thickly accented voice warmed as she stood in greeting.
"Katya." Irina acknowledged kissing her cheek and taking a seat at the table. Katya sat as well, waving the waiter over to them.
"What brings you to Marseille?" Irina questioned as the waiter filled her wine glass.
"You do." Katya said quickly, holding her glass in a toast. Irina did the same and the two women clinked glassed.
"Salue," They said in unison.
After a long drink Irina set her glass down. "You must forgive me Katya, I'm short of time. What is it you need from me." Irina said softly.
"Oh Irina, always running from here to there. There is never enough time is there?" Katya said with a laugh and another long drink of wine.
"There is always time for a sister. Tell me." Irina said an eyebrow arched at her sisters playful charade.
"Arvin Sloane is close." Katya revealed, her expression tightening.
"How is it you've come to know this?" Irina said sipping thoughtfully.
"Irina, I know what I know because I know it. It's no concern to you." Katya said her tone edgy.
"Katya, I will not play this game with you. I have fought for too long over this. There are others who are close, too close." She sighed, revealingly. "It is not yet clear who Arvin Sloane's allegiances are to."
"You have always known the driving force behind that man." Katya said with a laugh.
"This is true. And it is why I question your motives in coming to me with this information." Irina said looking fiercely into her sister's eyes.
"Irina," Katya sighed. "Is it my allegiances you are questioning now? Or is this your defense for you lost control of this situation?"
Irina paused for a moment, staring at her sister with a smile. "This situation, has been out of control from the beginning. I don't expect you to understand." Irina said beginning to stand. "Katya," She said turning to face her sister. "In my heart I know that our blood is our allegiance." She sighed. "However my head keeps me questioning that constantly."
"Do you ever trust anyone?" Katya said bitterly.
"I do. Forgive me for offending you. I hope to see you soon." She said before turning and walking away. Katya sat and watched her go, her expression blank. Her head whirling with thoughts.
..................................................................