Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and even if I do, what will I do with them? I also do not profit when I write these fictions. Thank you and have a nice day.
CHAPTER 10
They arrived at the safe house exactly ten minutes later. Upon arriving, they saw some of the agents trying to get indoors.
"Sir, there are others inside but the safe house went to automatic lockdown. Nobody can get in and nobody can get out." One of the agents said to Jack. Together with him were Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and six more men.
"Marshall, can you get us in?" Jack asked to his com link.
"You can get in by shutting down the security system in the basement. But then again, you need someone from the inside to do that." Marshall replied, the clicking of the keyboards could be heard in the com link. He was in the office tracking down their movements. "But there are two hidden entrances that are not affected by the automatic lockdown. One is in the kitchen and the other... in the gym."
Sydney looked at her father. "Dad, I know where the entrance to the kitchen is. Agent Westfield and I entered there once."
"Okay, take Vaughn and Weiss with you and half of the agents. I'll lead the rest to the gym." Jack ordered.
They moved as quickly as possible. Sydney led her team to the bushes near the garage and reached the door she had entered a few weeks ago. She tried to open it and found it unlocked.
They went in quietly and immediately got drenched.
"Dad, we're in." Sydney whispered as she looked up. The sprinklers were turned on. Apparently, someone tried to burn something inside the house.
"Copy that." Her father replied.
Except for Sydney, who went to the basement, all headed to the other rooms. Bodies of CIA agents and the attackers were sprawled around. They checked their vital statistics.
"They're alive." Vaughn said after he checked for pulse. "Cuff them." He ordered as he tied one of the unknown men.
"Have you seen the girl?" Weiss asked the men. All of them replied negative. They then heard simultaneous clicks. Sydney had successfully shut down the security system. She also stopped the sprinklers.
"I found her." A voice in their com link said. It was Jack. "She's in the pool, I need paramedics."
x-x-x
"Is she going to be okay?" Sydney asked the doctors. Jack and Vaughn were with her in the hospital covering for the CIA. Jack found Paris at the bottom of the pool, stiff as a board. Jack thought she was dead."Yes. But the tranquilizer they used originated from a snake whose venom paralyses its victims. It seems that she had two big doses of it."
"Will it have any negative effects?" Jack asked.
"Not really. But we have to see these following days. We're still trying to flush it out of her system."
"Can we see her?" Jack asked. Sydney looked her father while Vaughn's phone suddenly rang. He excused himself to take the call.
"No, not at this moment. She's still in critical condition. The wounds she had acquired in your past mission opened up. But we will call you if it's okay to see her."
"Those men tried to take her and now, you don't want me to see my daughter?" Jack said in a low, feral tone. Sydney looked at him, surprised that Jack had actually acknowledged, in front of them, that Paris is his daughter.
"Agent Bristow, I understand your concern, but there's nothing we can do but wait." The doctor said and sighed. "I have to go now." He said and turned to walk away.
"Dad, she's going to be okay." Sydney said to Jack.
"Your mother will kill me if she has the chance. She warned of me this."
"But you'll have to tell her. She might wonder why nobody's asking her questions, weird or not." Sydney replied. Whenever Paris wants to see Irina, she always gives the excuse that she's going to ask some questions.
Jack didn't reply. Instead, he sat down on one of the seats. Sydney sighed then sat down beside him.
Vaughn appeared a few minutes later.
"Dixon called me. He said that your phone's off." He said to Jack. "One of the men confessed. He said it was Agent Marlowe who led them."
When Jack heard those words, he stood up. Vaughn saw a glint of murder in his eyes.
"Where is he?" Jack asked. Sydney looked at Vaughn. He didn't answer.
"Agent Vaughn, where is Dean Marlowe being held?" Jack asked again, this time in a menacing tone.
"In the interrogation room in the ops center." Vaughn answered.
Without saying a word, Jack left. Vaughn and Sydney were left in the hallway.
"Vaughn, Dad's going to kill him." Sydney said.
Vaughn looked at her "That is what Dixon wants to happen. Marlowe isn't talking."
Sydney sighed then sat down again. Vaughn sat down beside her.
"Are you going to stay?" Vaughn asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll stay with you."
x-x-x
Jack was seething in mad rage when he reached the ops center. The employees in the office seem to sense it because they all tried to keep out of his way.
"Agent Bristow, Agent Dixon's..." One of the girls said.
"Where is Dean Marlowe?" Jack asked, ignoring the girl.
"He's upstairs, sir."
Jack walked hurriedly up the stairs. When he reached the floor, he headed straight to the interrogation rooms.
He kicked the door open. Dixon was inside, talking to their suspect.
"Jack..." Dixon started. But he was cut off.
"Leave us." Jack said. Dixon didn't move. "I said leave us!" Jack growled.
Dixon left the room. But he will monitor the interrogation from the outside.
Jack looked at Dean Marlowe. His eyes were unreadable. The head of security in the safe house looked up at him. He was beaten up badly.
"Here for revenge, Agent Bristow?" He asked. His hands were cuffed behind him.
Jack didn't say anything. Instead he paced around in front of the agent.
"But maybe not. Paris told me that her father doesn't really notice her. Are you here to make me say who I work for?" He asked.
Still no answer.
"You might be wondering who beat me up like this. Well, it's not one of your agents. It was your bitch daughter."
Suddenly, Jack lunged towards him and slammed Agent Marlowe to the wall. Jack's left arm was pinned across Agent Marlowe's neck.
"Well then, it seems that you're lucky my daughter let you live." Jack hissed.
The man started to choke. Jack pressed his arm even tighter.
"Now, tell me who you are working for. You very well know that heads will roll. You don't want yours to be the first one, would you?" Jack said. Agent Marlowe spat at him.
Jack reached for his gun then pushed the into Agent Marlowe's mouth.
"Tell me or you head will get blown off.
Agent Marlowe started to mumble something. Jack took of the gun off his mouth.
"You can't shoot me in the mouth or I can't say anything." He said smugly. Jack took step back and lowered the gun to his side.
"You're right." He said then shot him in the left leg.
The man in front of him screamed in pain. Blood sputtered out of his leg.
"Goddamit! Goddamit!" he screamed. Dixon rushed inside.
"Jack! What the hell are you doing?"
"Now, Dean Marlowe, who are you working for? Or do you want me to shoot your other leg?"
"Goddamit! I'm under Sark but Sloane ordered me to take her!!!"
"Sark works for the Covenant." Dixon said.
"Sark is under Sloane. Sloane is one of the heads of the Covenant." Marlowe sputtered. The pain was getting unbearable. He looked at Jack and Dixon. Jack was aiming his gun at him again.
"What the f are you doing?! You've got your answers!"
"You ordered people to storm in a safe house you're supposed to defend. You were willing to sacrifice everybody to get what you want. But that didn't happen."
"She incapacitated all of us! Westfield tried to help her but he went down. She doesn't need a fing safe house! She doesn't need to be protected!" Marlowe screamed.
Jack glared at him, his gun still aimed at the man.
"Jack." Dixon said. "Put the gun down. Leave him to us."
Jack looked at Dixon, then to Agent Marlowe. He lowered his gun, but his eyes seem to say, 'You won't be so lucky next time.'
He left the room. He's going to inform Irina with what happened.
[Seventy-two hours later]
Sydney was inside Paris' room. She was watching over her sister, who hasn't woken up yet.
The door opened. Sydney looked behind her. It was Jack.
"How is she?" Jack asked in a soft voice.
"Still the same." Sydney replied. Jack took the chair beside her.
"It's nearing dinnertime. Why don't you get something to eat? Vaughn's outside." Jack said. Sydney looked at her father.
"Why? Are you too tired to have dinner with him?" Jack asked.
"No, I'm not tired." Sydney answered.
"Go on. I'll stay with her." Jack said. Sydney looked at him, as if deciding to believe what he's saying.
"Are you sure its okay with you?"
"Yes." Jack answered.
"No, I mean me and Vaughn."
Jack looked at Sydney, and then raised his right brow. "Its just dinner."
"Uh... okay. Thanks, dad." Sydney said, kissed him in the cheek and left.
[An hour later]
"Yes, I'm Michael Vaughn, I called in a while ago for a table for two?" Vaughn said to the maître d'. Even if the restaurant was new, it was full of people. The food, apparently, was very good.
"This way sir." The maître d' said and led to their table. It was in the corner, near the windows. They thanked him as he took their orders and left.
"I can't believe it. Your dad?" Vaughn said.
"Yeah. I mean, he was like, 'go and have dinner with Vaughn.'"
"Your father has these personality changes. I don't understand it." Vaughn said. Sydney smiled.
"You know, after this incident with the safe house, it seems that he can't pretend apathy around Paris anymore."
"Your sister's amazing. She's like... your clone. You know, all those moves?" Vaughn said. He had watched the surveillance video and witnessed how Paris incapacitated all her kidnappers.
"Not really. I think she's better."
"Nobody's better than you." Vaughn replied.
"Oh, please. For you, maybe." Sydney said.
Silence.
"You know, your father's the first one who noticed that Lauren was acting weirdly. I didn't listen to him." Vaughn said.
"She was your wife. How can you listen to another person?" Sydney asked as she sipped her wine.
"You know, she acted a lot like you. Well, that was when we first met. So I guess, that was ruse to get to me."
"Vaughn, let's turn a new leaf." Sydney said.
"It's okay with you? I mean, with me again?" Vaughn asked.
"If you want to."
"Of course I want to." Vaughn replied.
Sydney smiled, exposing her deep dimples. Vaughn smiled back.
"Wait, what about my mom?" Sydney asked.
"Your mom? What about her?" Vaughn replied.
"My mom. What she did to your father."
"Syd, it's the past. And look at it this way. If it wasn't your mother who had been with your dad, I will not have met you."
Sydney, after processing what he had just said, nodded her head. Vaughn smiled.
A few minutes later, the food arrived. They had a pleasant dinner, their work, not interrupting them. They talked about everything. Hockey, the neighbors, Marshall's new gadgets etc.
They finished their dinner, split the bill and decided to take a walk.
"Thank you for a wonderful dinner." Sydney said as the cool wind kissed their faces.
"Thank you for a wonderful dinner." Vaughn replied.
Sydney laughed. "Let's get dad something to eat. He's still in the hospital."
"Sure." Vaughn said and went with her to the Chinese restaurant. 'Jack's really lucky to have two wonderful daughters.'