Chapter 6
"This is Aleksi Kovalev, " A tall man with a rather large waistline appeared on the screen. From the angle of the picture you could see he was balding. I smiled inwardly to myself. " He owns the Palace Grand Galleries of Art in St. Petersburg." The screen changed to a picture of a large building with intricate carvings decorating its outer walls and a large golden dome in the center. " In the files you brought back, Sydney, we found something. unexpected. It seems to be some sort of code; a series of numbers, but the second half is missing. In order to decode it we need the second half." I eyed my father, a curious look dwelling on his face.
"Kovalev is holding an event in two days, it will be the grand opening of his prized sculpture collection. On the top floor of the main Gallery building is one of Kovalev's many offices. From the East Wing of the Main Gallery building you will make your way to this office. Inside you will find a silver picture frame containing a large picture of his daughter. We have reason to believe that hidden inside the frame, behind the picture, is the second half of the series. Your mission is quite simple, get into Kovalev's office, retrieve the code, and get out." He handed me a folder and rose from his chair. " Meet with Marshall for the op tech, your plane leaves tomorrow morning"
I got up slowly, making eye contact with my Dad. He lowers his head as if to tell me to stay behind. As the room empties out I stride toward him and take a seat nearby. He pulls out his pen and removes its lid.
"So Sloane isn't keeping from us what it is, but he isn't revealing all of the information either?" He nodded his head.
"It is very important that we retrieve those files. Whatever SD-6 is after must be important."
"So are you going to go in while I go talk to Marshall?"
"Yes, I've already prepared. I'm giving you a comm. link so we can communicate," He took a small bag out of his pocket and handed it to me, " Go meet with Marshall, be sure to have the comm. link on, and I'll get in and retrieve the files."
"Now?"
"Yes, now." His pen emitted a beeping sound and we both stood up to leave the room. " I think that covers it Sydney" I smiled and responded to keep the cover.
"Yeah, thanks Dad" I let him exit the room ahead of me and headed towards my desk. As discreetly as possible I put on the comm. link and switched it so it was on. I sat at my desk; toying with a quarter I had found lying around until I finally heard static on the other end.
"Sydney, are you there?" His voice was barely audible.
"Yes, I'm here"
"I'm going in" I heard him enter a room and call someone over. Rapidly, I headed to Marshall's and knocked on the door. He opened it and greeted me with a smile, inviting me into his office. I stepped in, taking around my surroundings. His office was full of gadgets lying messily on tables all around and papers were scattered everywhere. There was inflatable furniture and what looked like an inflatable candy jar.
"You. came for the op tech?" I nod my head, smiling, as I hear my father inform me that he is about to hack into the system. Perfect, I ought to keep Marshall busy for a while. He pulls one of the gadgets off of a table, a metal contraption. "This looks like a little case, you know, the ones with the cover-up-not that you need it of course - inside, right? Yeah. well, what they don't know is that it's not really makeup, but that it's, " He flipped it open, " a lock descrambler!" His excitement showed through his smile, "I'm really proud of this one - you'll be like whoa, Marshall - yeah, you see it goes, well, it's a lot faster than any of the other's you've used." I kept smiling as Dad told me that the files were almost done downloading. When Marshall didn't continue I felt my forehead furrow in confusion.
"Is that it?"
"Yup! Oh.wait, yeah, there's, uh, just one more thing," He searched through the mess, " uh, just hold on, just a sec." finally, he pulled out a pair of earrings, "The left one's a comm. link." He smiled brightly and placed them in my hands for me to examine them. I handed them back, satisfied.
"Is that all?" He nodded his head and turned quickly. He held up in front of me the inflatable candy jar; I think it was one anyways.
"Want some candy?" I chuckled, shaking my head.
"No thanks, Marshall" I declined his offer just as I heard my fathers voice through the crackling static of the earpiece.
"Got it," he whispered, and I left Marshall's office, a feeling of accomplishment residing inside me.
***
I got home, exhausted. I don't know why I was so tired, I wasn't even returning from a mission, but I still felt that sense of accomplishment now that we had the files back, even though it was Dad who really did most of the work.
I threw myself onto the couch and closed my eyes. It had been a while since I had just lain back and relaxed. I heard a noise and snapped out of my calmness immediately, sitting up rigidly and ready to defend myself. I let out a sigh of relief and fell back onto the couch. Francie had scared me half to death, but then again I hadn't seen her in a while so I had gotten used to being alone.
"Hey Fran!" She sat next to me and I looked up at her from my lying position, "where have you been?" From the goofy grin that made it's way onto her face I could guess. I sat up and turned, brushing the hair out of my face, "You met a guy?" I asked, a smile sneaking onto my face as well. Her grin grew wider and she looked down at the floor.
"How did you know?" She said, meeting my eyes again.
"Just a hunch," I winked at her and continued in a teasing manner, " So. what's his name?" A giggle escaped her before she answered me.
"Tom.Tom Ferris" My face fell, the grin that had once lit it up vanishing instantly. Tom? It couldn't be. could it?
***
"This is Aleksi Kovalev, " A tall man with a rather large waistline appeared on the screen. From the angle of the picture you could see he was balding. I smiled inwardly to myself. " He owns the Palace Grand Galleries of Art in St. Petersburg." The screen changed to a picture of a large building with intricate carvings decorating its outer walls and a large golden dome in the center. " In the files you brought back, Sydney, we found something. unexpected. It seems to be some sort of code; a series of numbers, but the second half is missing. In order to decode it we need the second half." I eyed my father, a curious look dwelling on his face.
"Kovalev is holding an event in two days, it will be the grand opening of his prized sculpture collection. On the top floor of the main Gallery building is one of Kovalev's many offices. From the East Wing of the Main Gallery building you will make your way to this office. Inside you will find a silver picture frame containing a large picture of his daughter. We have reason to believe that hidden inside the frame, behind the picture, is the second half of the series. Your mission is quite simple, get into Kovalev's office, retrieve the code, and get out." He handed me a folder and rose from his chair. " Meet with Marshall for the op tech, your plane leaves tomorrow morning"
I got up slowly, making eye contact with my Dad. He lowers his head as if to tell me to stay behind. As the room empties out I stride toward him and take a seat nearby. He pulls out his pen and removes its lid.
"So Sloane isn't keeping from us what it is, but he isn't revealing all of the information either?" He nodded his head.
"It is very important that we retrieve those files. Whatever SD-6 is after must be important."
"So are you going to go in while I go talk to Marshall?"
"Yes, I've already prepared. I'm giving you a comm. link so we can communicate," He took a small bag out of his pocket and handed it to me, " Go meet with Marshall, be sure to have the comm. link on, and I'll get in and retrieve the files."
"Now?"
"Yes, now." His pen emitted a beeping sound and we both stood up to leave the room. " I think that covers it Sydney" I smiled and responded to keep the cover.
"Yeah, thanks Dad" I let him exit the room ahead of me and headed towards my desk. As discreetly as possible I put on the comm. link and switched it so it was on. I sat at my desk; toying with a quarter I had found lying around until I finally heard static on the other end.
"Sydney, are you there?" His voice was barely audible.
"Yes, I'm here"
"I'm going in" I heard him enter a room and call someone over. Rapidly, I headed to Marshall's and knocked on the door. He opened it and greeted me with a smile, inviting me into his office. I stepped in, taking around my surroundings. His office was full of gadgets lying messily on tables all around and papers were scattered everywhere. There was inflatable furniture and what looked like an inflatable candy jar.
"You. came for the op tech?" I nod my head, smiling, as I hear my father inform me that he is about to hack into the system. Perfect, I ought to keep Marshall busy for a while. He pulls one of the gadgets off of a table, a metal contraption. "This looks like a little case, you know, the ones with the cover-up-not that you need it of course - inside, right? Yeah. well, what they don't know is that it's not really makeup, but that it's, " He flipped it open, " a lock descrambler!" His excitement showed through his smile, "I'm really proud of this one - you'll be like whoa, Marshall - yeah, you see it goes, well, it's a lot faster than any of the other's you've used." I kept smiling as Dad told me that the files were almost done downloading. When Marshall didn't continue I felt my forehead furrow in confusion.
"Is that it?"
"Yup! Oh.wait, yeah, there's, uh, just one more thing," He searched through the mess, " uh, just hold on, just a sec." finally, he pulled out a pair of earrings, "The left one's a comm. link." He smiled brightly and placed them in my hands for me to examine them. I handed them back, satisfied.
"Is that all?" He nodded his head and turned quickly. He held up in front of me the inflatable candy jar; I think it was one anyways.
"Want some candy?" I chuckled, shaking my head.
"No thanks, Marshall" I declined his offer just as I heard my fathers voice through the crackling static of the earpiece.
"Got it," he whispered, and I left Marshall's office, a feeling of accomplishment residing inside me.
***
I got home, exhausted. I don't know why I was so tired, I wasn't even returning from a mission, but I still felt that sense of accomplishment now that we had the files back, even though it was Dad who really did most of the work.
I threw myself onto the couch and closed my eyes. It had been a while since I had just lain back and relaxed. I heard a noise and snapped out of my calmness immediately, sitting up rigidly and ready to defend myself. I let out a sigh of relief and fell back onto the couch. Francie had scared me half to death, but then again I hadn't seen her in a while so I had gotten used to being alone.
"Hey Fran!" She sat next to me and I looked up at her from my lying position, "where have you been?" From the goofy grin that made it's way onto her face I could guess. I sat up and turned, brushing the hair out of my face, "You met a guy?" I asked, a smile sneaking onto my face as well. Her grin grew wider and she looked down at the floor.
"How did you know?" She said, meeting my eyes again.
"Just a hunch," I winked at her and continued in a teasing manner, " So. what's his name?" A giggle escaped her before she answered me.
"Tom.Tom Ferris" My face fell, the grin that had once lit it up vanishing instantly. Tom? It couldn't be. could it?
***