Chapter 21
Vaughn quickly got dressed, trying his best not to wake Syd. But that didn't work. He looked over at the bed to find Sydney laying there wide awake, wondering what on earth he was doing.
"Vaughn, what's going on?" She asked sitting up in the bed. She pulled the quilt tighter around her, trying to block out the breeze which was coming through the window.
"Nothing, go back to sleep hunny." He started to put on his shoes, and looked around for his jacket. His mind was full of thoughts about what could have happened to Lauren. He knew that even though she was no longer a part of his life, he still cared about her. Since that night when he told her that he wanted a divorce, they hadn't seen a lot of each other, except for the occasional cold glare, which he received when he walked past her at the office.
"Vaughn, I'm not stupid, tell me what's going on. Who was on the phone?" She looked at him questioningly waiting for an explanation. He came and sat next to her on the bed.
"It was Dixon. He called to ask me to come in right away." He stopped wondering whether or not he should tell her. He didn't feel comfortable talking about Lauren infront of her, it made him feel guilty about the pain he had put her through by getting married.
"Vaughn you're keeping something from me, and I don't like it." The tone of her voice changed, and she began to sound angry. "What could be so important that he needs you to go in early?"
"It's about Lauren. He didn't go into detail, so I don't know what's happened. I've gotta go Syd, I'll talk to you later." He got up to go, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"I'll come with you Vaughn." He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him with a kiss. "I want to be there for you. So no more complaining." She got out of the bed, and quickly changed.
At the operations centre
Sydney and Vaughn entered the building hand in hand. She had agreed that whatever the problem with Lauren might be, that she would stick with him. She had already lost him once she wasn't ready to lose him again. They made their way to Dixon's office, and Vaughn knocked loudly before entering.
"Agent Vaughn. Thank you for coming in." He smiled at Sydney, not expecting to see her with Vaughn.
"What's happened?" Vaughn's voice quivered slightly, as he waited for news about Lauren.
Dixon looked down at his desk, and then back at Vaughn. "Agent Bristow could you please give us a minute." He asked politely. Sydney hesitated before turning to leave.
"NO! Whatever you have to say to me, you can say infront of Sydney." He took hold of her hand so that she was standing next to him. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"Very well. Early this morning we received new Intel. It appears that Sark has resurfaced again." He paused registering their looks of surprise.
Vaughn cleared his throat. "Don't get me wrong, that's bad and everything, but what has it got to do with Lauren?" His forehead wrinkled with concern and confusion. Dixon picked up a yellow file of his desk and handed it to him. "It seems that Mr. Sark has found himself a new partner..." Vaughn opened the file, and found various pictures of Lauren with Sark. Vaughn just stared down at the pictures, not believing what he was seeing. Sydney looked over his shoulder at the pictures, shocked at the news.
"How did this happen? Surely the CIA or NSC would have known that she was working with him." Sydney began asking the questions that were secretly running through Vaughn's mind.
"Lauren Reed hasn't been working for us or the NSC for some months now. She went rogue about a month after you were all released for quarantine." Vaughn placed the folder back on the desk, and walked over to stand by the window. He was silent for a few minutes, whilst he tried to process the news he had just received. "Why wasn't I told, that my ex-wife had gone rogue?" He asked turning to face Dixon.
"It was simply on a need to know basis. At first the situation wasn't so dire. But that's changed now." He said looking down at the floor.
"Why, what has changed?" Sydney asked, glancing at Vaughn. She wanted so badly just to walk over to him, and tell him that everything would be ok, but she wasn't sure if it would be.
"Our Intel has confirmed that she is now an enemy of the United States. This is the reason why I wanted you here. I needed to tell you that she is now on the shoot to kill list. Both the NSC and CIA have decided that with all the intelligence your ex-wife knows, her and Sark could do tremendous damage to this country, and that's something which we cannot allow to happen." He felt sorry for Vaughn, he knew that that was something, which he didn't need to hear.
Vaughn quickly got dressed, trying his best not to wake Syd. But that didn't work. He looked over at the bed to find Sydney laying there wide awake, wondering what on earth he was doing.
"Vaughn, what's going on?" She asked sitting up in the bed. She pulled the quilt tighter around her, trying to block out the breeze which was coming through the window.
"Nothing, go back to sleep hunny." He started to put on his shoes, and looked around for his jacket. His mind was full of thoughts about what could have happened to Lauren. He knew that even though she was no longer a part of his life, he still cared about her. Since that night when he told her that he wanted a divorce, they hadn't seen a lot of each other, except for the occasional cold glare, which he received when he walked past her at the office.
"Vaughn, I'm not stupid, tell me what's going on. Who was on the phone?" She looked at him questioningly waiting for an explanation. He came and sat next to her on the bed.
"It was Dixon. He called to ask me to come in right away." He stopped wondering whether or not he should tell her. He didn't feel comfortable talking about Lauren infront of her, it made him feel guilty about the pain he had put her through by getting married.
"Vaughn you're keeping something from me, and I don't like it." The tone of her voice changed, and she began to sound angry. "What could be so important that he needs you to go in early?"
"It's about Lauren. He didn't go into detail, so I don't know what's happened. I've gotta go Syd, I'll talk to you later." He got up to go, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"I'll come with you Vaughn." He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him with a kiss. "I want to be there for you. So no more complaining." She got out of the bed, and quickly changed.
At the operations centre
Sydney and Vaughn entered the building hand in hand. She had agreed that whatever the problem with Lauren might be, that she would stick with him. She had already lost him once she wasn't ready to lose him again. They made their way to Dixon's office, and Vaughn knocked loudly before entering.
"Agent Vaughn. Thank you for coming in." He smiled at Sydney, not expecting to see her with Vaughn.
"What's happened?" Vaughn's voice quivered slightly, as he waited for news about Lauren.
Dixon looked down at his desk, and then back at Vaughn. "Agent Bristow could you please give us a minute." He asked politely. Sydney hesitated before turning to leave.
"NO! Whatever you have to say to me, you can say infront of Sydney." He took hold of her hand so that she was standing next to him. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"Very well. Early this morning we received new Intel. It appears that Sark has resurfaced again." He paused registering their looks of surprise.
Vaughn cleared his throat. "Don't get me wrong, that's bad and everything, but what has it got to do with Lauren?" His forehead wrinkled with concern and confusion. Dixon picked up a yellow file of his desk and handed it to him. "It seems that Mr. Sark has found himself a new partner..." Vaughn opened the file, and found various pictures of Lauren with Sark. Vaughn just stared down at the pictures, not believing what he was seeing. Sydney looked over his shoulder at the pictures, shocked at the news.
"How did this happen? Surely the CIA or NSC would have known that she was working with him." Sydney began asking the questions that were secretly running through Vaughn's mind.
"Lauren Reed hasn't been working for us or the NSC for some months now. She went rogue about a month after you were all released for quarantine." Vaughn placed the folder back on the desk, and walked over to stand by the window. He was silent for a few minutes, whilst he tried to process the news he had just received. "Why wasn't I told, that my ex-wife had gone rogue?" He asked turning to face Dixon.
"It was simply on a need to know basis. At first the situation wasn't so dire. But that's changed now." He said looking down at the floor.
"Why, what has changed?" Sydney asked, glancing at Vaughn. She wanted so badly just to walk over to him, and tell him that everything would be ok, but she wasn't sure if it would be.
"Our Intel has confirmed that she is now an enemy of the United States. This is the reason why I wanted you here. I needed to tell you that she is now on the shoot to kill list. Both the NSC and CIA have decided that with all the intelligence your ex-wife knows, her and Sark could do tremendous damage to this country, and that's something which we cannot allow to happen." He felt sorry for Vaughn, he knew that that was something, which he didn't need to hear.