Sark was awakened at 2:30 that morning by someone whispering his name loudly.
"Julian? Julian?" He opened his eyes and looked down at a pair of brown eyes.
"Yes, Ana?" he said sleepily.
"I'm scared in the big bedroom. Can I sleep with you and Aunt Sydie?"
"Of course you can." Ana crawled up on top of the bed, and then over Sark and on top of Sydney. Sydney woke with a start and looked around.
"Oh, its just you Ana. You scared me."
"Julian said I could sleep with you!"
"Did he now?" she asked with a wry glance in Sark's direction. He just shrugged. All three of them lied back down and slept till morning.
When Sydney woke up, there was no one else in the bed with her. She got up and took a long shower, then headed downstairs. She heard voices in the kitchen, so she headed that way. She stopped in the doorway and almost laughed out loud at what she found.
"Everyone knows that you only leave an Oreo in the milk for seven seconds!" Ana said with conviction.
"I prefer them at eight and a half." Sark answered. The two were sitting at the breakfast table with a package of Oreos and two glasses of milk between them. Sark's back was turned to her, but Ana saw her quickly. Sydney put her finger to her lips, signaling her niece to remain quiet about her presence in the room.
"Ana, what's your mother's name?" Sark asked her quietly.
"Mother?" Ana asked, a little confused. "What's a mother Julian?" Sark was quiet for a moment, not quite sure what to tell her.
"A mother is a woman who loves you and takes care of you."
"That's what a mother is?"
"Yes."
"Then I have two mothers! Grandmama and Aunt Sydie! I must be really lucky!"
"Yes you are, Ana." Sydney walked up quietly and kissed Sark on the cheek. He nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Getting a little rusty, Julian?"
"Rusty, love? Of course not. I prefer deep in thought."
"Ana, why don't you go play. I found some dolls in the closet in your room last night." The little girl squealed with delight and ran off in the direction of the dolls.
"Tatiana is dead, Julian,"
"What?"
"Ana's mother. She's dead." Sark was quiet for a moment.
"How?"
"She was KGB. Sent to infiltrate my mother's organization. She married Alexei and got close to her that way. When Mom discovered her, he killed her himself. I never met her. She'd been dead for six months when I met Alexei. Ana was just two months old when Alexei killed her."
"It takes a strong man to go through all that,"
"Ana is his pride and joy. He'll never forgive me for this."
"He'll forgive you, Sydney. None of this is your fault."
"I'm starting to think we'll never get out of here."
"We'll get out, love. I hardly think your parents will just leave you and Ana here to rot." Sark all the sudden went tense. "Someone else is here." They both looked around and got up stealthily. Sark motioned for her to stay in the kitchen, but she shook her head in refusal and followed out into the hallway. There they came face to face with Dr. Smithson. Both Sydney and Sark breathed a sigh of relief.
"You gave us quite a scare, doctor," Sark said calmly.
"I guess I better thank you for not attacking me," the doctor said with a grin.
"Indeed."
"I just came by with Sydney's shot. Let's go in the kitchen." They all three walked into the kitchen and Sydney sat down at the table and pulled Sark down into the chair next to her, grasping his hand. The doctor pulled out a needle from her bag and quickly filled it with fluid from the bottle. She gently slid it into Sydney's arm. Sydney winced.
"I can't believe after everything you've been through you're scared of a little needle, darling," Sark said with a grin. Sydney glared at him.
"Childhood phobia. Will you go check on Ana for me?"
"Ana?" Dr. Smithson asked.
"My neice. She arrived yesterday."
"Well, Mr. Lazarey, will you stay for a moment. I have something to discuss with both of you." Sark sat back down. "Yesterday, I was approached rather forcefully by a man by the name of Jack. He gave me an envelope and instructed me to give it to you. He told me it was very important. After much deliberation, I've decided to follow through on his instructions." She pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it to Sydney. "Good day to the both of you," she said as she left. Sydney stared at the envelope in her hands. It was white and perfectly ordinary.
"Daddy."
"Why don't you open it love, instead of just staring at it." Sydney snapped out of her trance. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper.
We're coming. Be ready.
J I A S