Blood Binds – But Betrayal Blinds

TWO – Business As Usual

Rating: PG/PG-13

Setting: Prague, LA, Unknown Location in Eastern Europe

Characters: Sydney Bristow, Jack Bristow, Eric Weiss, Marshall Flinkman, Will Tippin, Michael Vaughn, Carrie Bowman, Sark, Abigail Michaelis (Jessica Alba), Marianske Kafka (Naomi Watts), Tomas Lazne (undecided), Emmy (Julie Andrews) and Gerhardt (Anthony Hopkins) Novotna, Dr. Heyrovsky (undecided), Stephania Mariani (Eliza Dushku), Aiden Ivanov (Hugh Dancy or James Franco), Allison Doren, Marcus Dixon

Length: 2,590 Words

Sydney accepts the glass of expensive champagne, graciously thanking the waiter in a soft Russian accent. "Alright," She hears Will's voice in her ear and smiles. He's the only shining beacon of comfort and hope in her life anymore, and she's thankful to have him in her ear right now. "I see Heyrovsky and the Novotnas - to your left Syd." Sydney then turns slightly, glancing in the direction of the three individuals. Aside from the images of the lab, the CIA wants to retrieve of the laboratories, they are looking to gain some kind of substantial proof from the scientists themselves. Hoping to get video of the scientists admitting their affiliation with the illegal research at hand.

She approaches the group of people, father quick to her side, and they begin a conversation, in German. "Hallo Doktoren" Her words are flawless, getting the attention of the suspected. "Es überrascht, Sie zu treffen, habe ich auf Ihrer Forschung studiert und habe Ihre Arbeit bewundert." She listens as her father pipes in, quickly introducing them with their Aliases - Wilhelm and Ekaterina Friedrich. "Ich habe gehört, daß Sie Beförderungen in beiden Stämmenzellen und neurologischer Forschung machen."

Emmy Novotna nods with a quaint smile. "Ja sind wir sehr stolz auf die Bewegungen innerhalb der medizinischen Gemeinschaft wir haben gemacht, durch die Beiträge von IVAX." Jack frowns at the vague answer. She hasn't quite acknowledged the statements Sydney made about their medical advancements, but she also hasn't denied them. He personally wants to have more concrete proof. The room seems to bustle with noise, though he's not listening to a bit of it. He takes a deep breath, watching as his daughter prolongs the conversation. Jack then turns away from the four people, listening as Sydney continues.

"Lanze is about five feet in front of you Jack." Will states suddenly. Jack squeezes Sydney's arm lightly, before walking in the direction of the scientist. "Tell him you recently read about him in the Euro Medi Research newsletter - mention neurological research." Will dictates. Vaughn adds a few suggestions, and Jack quickly starts the conversation with such.

"Ja! Ich war sehr stolz auf jenen Artikel. Kürzlich meine Forschungsmannschaft und ich, hat entdeckt, daß ein Weg vorübergehend einen Teil vom Gehirn lähmt, das den Patienten von Verarbeitungslügen aufhält." The scientist gushes about his most recent discovery. "Ein Wahrheitserum." Jack smiles at the last words, a truth serum. And he can hear a positive response in his ear, coming from Weiss. Sydney is quickly at his side once more as they walk away from Lanze.

"You got it?" She whispers. And all Jack does in response is smile at her. They quickly receive the 'OK' from Weiss to slip out of the party. Once in the stark white corridor, both Jack and Sydney rush down the hall. They enter the elevator, and Jack hurriedly pulls a screwdriver from his Tux jacket. He removes the elevator panel, just as Marshall directed before, and Sydney pulls the tiny transmitting device from her purse, clamping it on to two of the wires at once - green and black.

Immediately they hear Weiss boldly reciting a code to them. Jack punches it in: 194-7855-63-259-6102-03. The instant following, the elevator starts up and the two make their descent to the sub-basement. On the way, Sydney glances at her father, sighing, as he slips the 7 inch Phillips Screw-driver into the pocket on the inside of his jacket.
Sark looks up, watching the way Allison crosses the room, her hips are a seductive sashay. She smiles at him, wearing tight black pants and a black leather jacket. God, how he used to be able to love her endlessly. She pours herself a drink at the bar on the opposite of the large dining room, before reproaching the large ebony table. She sits down, continuing to watch Sark as he stands feet from her. "Hello Allison." He smiles. And she returns the gesture, taking a slow, long sip on her Scotch neat. He always loved how she could drink anything straight.

Before Allison responds, the woman from before - whom Sark calls Abigail - walks into the room. Her frame is solid and muscular, hair up in a tight messy bun, and she wears a white tank top with black pants - her red bra showing from underneath. "Allison." She smiles, instantly causing a looming sense of tension in the room. Allison doesn't like this woman, at all.

She walks up to Sark and presses her body into his, making him bend down only slightly to retrieve her kiss. She goes by Abs, and joined Sark's team a matter of weeks prior - probably closer to a month and a half. She has, however, worked for the covenant for over 18 months. She's one of the most deadly women that Sark has ever met - and that's just the way he likes it. He loves making love to a deadly, dangerous woman, not knowing if she's going to snap. It's pure adrenaline.

Abs quietly slips into a chair across from Allison. Sark can feel the palpable trepidation dressing the room in dark tones. A few candelabra's illuminate various areas, reflecting on the shiny wood flow, but none light the entire room; leaving a mysterious tone. The essence is filled of glows with flaxen shades, caramel hues coating dark dispositions. He turns from the two women, inciting the invariable glaring match. They don't like each other. But why would they? He doesn't know why it is that he does this - but bottom line he gets sick of women and moves on. He's gotten sick of Allison, he's gotten sick of Lauren. And soon he'll be sick of -

Another woman walks in the room, this one with a hurried pace. She wears a plain light gray trench coat. Her legs are bare, shiny and silky smooth, and she wears black four inch Manolo Blahniks. She opens the trench once she's before the table, revealing a seductive black Spanish dress which ends scandalously around her milky white thighs. Sark watches as she folds the coat, instantly pulling four concealed weapons from it and setting them on the table. They're an assortment of guns and knives.

He looks into her eyes, and right before the other women, leans in and presses his lips to her collarbone. He pulls away and looks into his eyes, licking her lips slightly. She turns, walking away from him. She then sits down at the table, not near Allison or Abs. Sark presses his lips together - no, he's not tired of Steph yet either. "Who the fuck are we waiting for?" He hears her voice, boldly ordering him to answer from the end of the table.

"Stephania, love, be patient." Sark responds. He watches the three women, knowing each of their bodies better than he knows his own. The looks being exchanged between the three women are intimidating, arctic icy chills shooting from eyes to pierce souls. He knows that if he leaves the room and the conditions are right, they'll all kill one another. Which of course he does not want, otherwise Lauren Reed will be the only one left. He does not want Lauren Reed to be the only one left. Period. And so his harem shall stay as it is, awaiting the arrival of the final member of the team. A member to which Sark does not make love to once a week - the only member that Sark feels he can predict his every move, based on blood.

They turn at the sound of feet walking down the hall. And all watch as the man dressed in black on black enters the room. "Yeah I'm here, carry on." The Russian accent slowly exits the tall man's lips as he crosses the room, sitting at the end of the table, next to Steph. She looks up at him giving him a seductive and suggestive grin. He looks at her, then back to the table as he pulls a small plastic bag from his dark pea coat pocket, before removing the piece of clothing and dropping it to the floor. He wears black pants with a matching black oxford shirt and an expensive dark charcoal tie - the only bit of color aside from onyx in his attire.

"Aiden, so lovely you could join us." Sark grumbles slightly, rolling his eyes. He means to be sarcastic, for he is moderately irritated with him. And the man with dark curly locks resting around his head looks up, his dark brown eyes staring at Sark. He is the antithesis of Sark. He is the Julian Lazeray Sark will never be. He embodies the characteristics of a Romonav. He is Russian by blood and by duty. Sark watches as the man empties the bag onto the table - rolling papers, a lighter, and a small bag of dried tobacco.

Instantly Abs growls. "You're not smoking in here." Her words rip through the room, meant to tear at Aiden's flesh. And the man who is currently rolling his own cigarettes looks up, nodding. He's charming and manipulative.

"Sure," He stands, to leave the table.

"Sit down." Sark snaps, and he then turns to Abs who has an irritated look on her face. "He won't smoke in here."
Vaughn watches as Dixon finally grabs his head set, and the four men all observe the screen, seeing the views from both Jack and Sydney. They've finally reached the laboratories, and Sydney is taking pictures while Jack searches for the serum. They both work quickly, though it seems, not quick enough. "Oh... no no no." They all look at Marshall, then to the surveillance video on a separate computer. A woman in a military uniform is running down a corridor in the direction of the lab. Will squints at the screen, and quickly starts sifting through photographs on the table.

"It's Kafka!" He loudly states.

"You've got to get out of there." Vaughn adds. "She has a weapon drawn already." All hold their breath as Marianske enters the room, watching the events in black and white. Immediately she and Sydney are engaged in a fight, both attempting to over power the other. Sydney kicks the woman's gun out of her hand, the weapon landing in front of her father. And Jack retrieves it. He spots the serum prototype and grabs it, slipping the small bottle into his pants pocket.

Kafka punches Sydney, beginning to over power her. And she suddenly pulls a knife from a strap at her ankle. Sydney feels the sting as the woman slices into the flesh on her upper arm, clearly missing her neck. They struggle for the knife, before some how the CIA agent gets the other woman to drop it. Sydney then throws Marianske across a table of glass beakers, the woman landing on the floor. Before she has the opportunity to stand and continue to fight, she hears the click as her gun is cocked. Jack holds the weapon, aimed at the woman who's on the floor. He and Sydney then slip out of the room, locking it on their way out.

Simultaneously all four men watching let out a sigh of relief. Marshall continues to watch the lab surveillance, as Marianske commences trying to escape from the lab. She even throws a chair at the door in a blatant display of rage and fury.

"Weiss, get the car around the back!" Jack yells as he and his daughter run to the elevator. The elevator doesn't open and immediately Marshall tells them exactly how to get to a stairwell. Sydney and her father then begin the ascension of the three flights of stairs. Through Jack's camera, they see the blood practically pouring from Sydney's left arm. Will bites his lip as they all watch Marianske get out of the laboratory, running to the elevator.

Will leans in, squinting again. "What was that?" he asks. And All four men heard the same thing he did in their head sets, none very sure of what it was - metal bouncing and clanging on the stairs. Eyes then divert back to the surveillance footage of Marianske at the elevator. She also gives up waiting and runs to the stairs.

"Kafka is in the stairs too!" Dixon warns. Sydney and her father both exit and lock the door, before heading to the back exit. It is then that they realize the only way to the back exit is to go back to through the banquet. Jack quickly takes his jacket off, slipping it on to his daughter, before they re-enter the extravagant room. Sydney walks in front of her father by a few feet, brushing past people. And all gasp, as someone suddenly grabs her, a gun instantly drawn and held to her head.

Jack halts his movements, reaching for Kafka's gun, realizing that it dropped in the stairwell.
A plain manila folder falls in front of each person sitting at the table, as Sark walks back to the front. They're all in one of the many villa's owned by the Covenant all over Europe and the rest of the world. This one is Dresden, Germany, a town known for expensive art and beautiful music. As he goes back to the head of the table, he doesn't sit in the chair, only moves it out of the way to stand before the four people. He observes as they all resist flipping through their folders. Sark then proceeds to open his folder.

"Alright." He begins. "Right now, in Prague, IVAX Pharmaceuticals is having a banquet. As you all know, the K Directorate has a team of scientists working for them. And they have created a prototype for a new truth serum, which causes temporary paralysis." Sark pulls a small bottle from his pocket and places it on the table. Steph quickly snatches it up, reading the words on the label. "Now why would we want this, when we have Steph?" He questions, nodding at the dark haired woman. And all stay silent. Abs pulls the first paper from her folder and reads through it - all information on the serum.

"I suppose because we're getting rid of Steph?" Allison suddenly states. And Aiden lets a low laugh leave his lips, then turns back to the woman next to him, who has rage growing from behind her eyes.

Sark shakes his head, "No. Because this can be used as regular paralysis inducer - It's very local, working only in small areas of the body, so if we were to inject it into someone's leg, arm, whatever it may be - the desired area would be paralyzed. Also, it's a trade commodity, especially with other organizations." Allison nods, while Aiden just stares at Sark, expectantly. "But that's beside the point - the CIA sent Agents Bristow and Bristow to the banquet to retrieve this. They think we have agents there as well, and they're getting the prototype before us. Obviously not, if I have it right here. The importance of this, however, is to retrieve an even more important trade commodity." Sark finishes his words, and pulls another paper from his file - it's an image. "Sydney Bristow."

Abs raises her eyebrows, listening. Sark lets a sly smile spread across his face, exhaling. "Simon Walker - whom Jack Bristow believes he killed - has just entered the IVAX Pharmaceuticals banquet, and taken Sydney Bristow as a hostage."