DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, except for the original ones, so don't sue. They volunteered to help me with my physics. Thank you and have a nice day.
A/N- Elo… thanks to those who reviewed, esp. to Cole. I am currently trying to figure out how to do what you suggested, but thanks for the tip :D. I hope all of you will like this chapter. :D (The poll is still ongoing… hehe :D)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The fire is high and the water is simmering. This is her signal to put the vegetables in the pot. She glanced at the cookbook and sprinkled a small amount of pepper. Staying in her warm, comfortable kitchen calms her down. Cooking calms her down.
And she definitely needs a lot of calming down.
Her mother warned her of the Covenant activities around her location. Irina told her that she will be sending some men to scour for any danger.
'Mom… so protective…' Nadia mused as she stirred the pot. She had believed for a long time that her mother abandoned her, when all this time, she was looking for her.
A crash from the second floor distracted her from her concentration. Nadia looked up to the ceiling.
'Something's wrong.' She thought and turned off the stove. If someone hostile is here, she'd rather that her house be riddled with bullets than burn to the ground.
Nadia reached up to the pantry and took the gun hidden in the cookie jar. She then cautiously walked towards the direction of the stairs.
She saw five people with AK-47's roaming around. They seem to be looking for her.
"Find her. Mr. Sloane needs her."
Nadia recognizes the voice as Lauren's. She tried to leave without being noticed but a small creak by the floor ruined that way of departure.
"She's here!"
Gunshots followed that shout. Nadia nimbly evaded the flying bullets and returned fire.
The exchange of bullets seemed endless and it wasn't until she was able to shoot one of the men when she snapped out of the hypnotizing gunfight.
'Get out now! Stop this insanity!' her thoughts screamed as she ran towards the kitchen. She stopped when she passed by the pantry and retrieved a few magazines for her gun, just in case, and exited through the kitchen door.
Enrique Perez can help you if you get in trouble.
Lauren's men tried to run after her but had to go back to Lauren since they weren't able to catch up with Nadia.
"Augh! Can't you make anything right?!" Lauren disgustedly said and took her cell phone. "Yes, this Lauren Reed. Get me Enrique Perez on the phone, right now!"
-x-x-x-
"Jakey, this bottle is not yours. It's Mitchell's." Ana said as she gently pried Mitchell's robot-shaped baby bottle from Jacob's hands. The babies have different formulas and Carrie informed her that Mitchell's allergic to some baby formulas.
She's baby-sitting Jacob and Mitchell for the whole morning of Saturday because something came up in the Operations Center which everybody who's with CIA should attend.
"Pa-pa…"
Ana smiled. "Papa's not here, Mitchell." Ana replied and handed the robot-shaped baby bottle to the baby. "Here's yours Jake." Ana said and gave her brother his baby bottle.
She watched as the babies suckle their milk bottles like there's no tomorrow. She laughed a bit when Mitchell, who's a few months older than Jacob, reached for her brother's nose.
'They're very nice babies.' Ana mused as she gently wiped Mitchell's mouth with a soft towel. 'Very cooperative'.
Just as then, she heard a digitized tune of Allegro non Motto. The cell phone her father gave her is ringing.
"Hello, good morning?" She greeted after she received the call.
"Ana, there will be several agents on their way to the house. Go with them, its really important."
"But who'll watch over Jacob and Mitchell?" Ana asked. Did her father forget all about the babies?
"Agents Weiss and Michelson will watch over them."
-x-x-x-
"Ms. Derevko, we understand that you have encountered Daniel Ryan when you were freelancing for the Covenant." Dixon stated. They are inside the conference room.
"Yes." Ana answered. "But what does that encounter be related to your emergency?"
"Enrique Perez, a known Covenant affiliate, was killed twelve hours ago after delivering several crates of implantable bombs to his superiors. Daniel Ryan designed those bombs." Jack said.
Ana looked at them, confused.
"Daniel Ryan was transported here from Camp Harris. We thought that it's best for him not to know that he's not in his cell. Thus, the CIA has made a replica of his chamber for this purpose. We've sedated him during the transportation. He hasn't woken up yet." Dixon explained.
"And I'm here because…?"
"Daniel Ryan has encountered every agent inside this room. I doubt if he'd want to speak to us." Jack answered. Everyone is looking at Ana. Part of this operation depends on her.
"So you want me to talk to him, ask him how to stop his bombs?"
"Yes."
"And I can do anything to get that information?" Ana asked.
The agents looked at each other. The tone is serious.
"Yes, you can do anything, provided that he will not die." Sydney answered. She saw a small smile tugging Ana's lips. She can definitely see Ana's intense detestation towards the bomb maker.
"Okay." Ana said, shrugging her shoulders. She doesn't really like Daniel Ryan. The sheer mention of his name curls her lips downwards.
"Come then, we need to dress you up." Sydney said and stood up from her chair.
"Huh? What for?" Ana asked, baffled with her sister's statement.
Sydney smiled. "For intimidation."
-x0x-x0x-x0x-
Daniel Ryan paced around his 'cell'. The awful metal bars, the steel bed and the mirror are in the right place. But it feels different. It smells different. Is it possible that he's not really in his cell?
'Impossible, Ryan. Don't be too paranoid.'
Camp Harris has been his home for almost a year. It isn't too bad nor is it too good.
'Well, at least you don't have to make bombs explode.' He thought. Then, he stopped pacing around when he heard the rhythmic clicks of high-heeled shoes.
He repressed his curiosity. But then again, he rarely gets visitors.
After a few seconds, a young woman, wearing eyeglasses, a short black skirt, a crisp, white blouse and three-inch high, stiletto-heeled, black shoes appeared in front of him. Her brown hair is tied up in a bun and looks intimidating like hell.
The metal doors automatically opened and she went in. She looked at Daniel Ryan with a 'hi-I'm-an-evil-bitch' stare and a distasteful smile.
Ana spent an enjoyable hour with Sydney, full of teasing and chatting until they were informed that Daniel Ryan has regained consciousness from the sedatives. It was Sydney who dressed her up and prepped her with what she's going to do.
Daniel Ryan scrutinized his visitor. She looks familiar but he can't quite put a finger on where he saw her. But she looks awfully bitchy.
"Good day Mr. Ryan. You might be wondering what I'm doing here before you, all dressed up and everything." Ana started. "I'm here in the interest of the United States Government because of-"
"Excuse me, but I didn't get your name." He interrupted.
"I didn't give it to you." Ana replied snobbishly.
Daniel Ryan smirked at her. "I'm assuming you're here about my bombs?"
"No, Mr. Ryan, I'm here because of your nude photographs that have been circulating around the Internet." Ana sarcastically replied. "Of course I'm talking about your bombs. Your implantable bombs."
Daniel Ryan looked at her, amused. "I don't like talking to little girls. Go home and play with you dolls."
The comment lighted the short fuse of her temper. She looked at the cameras. She's bugged and they're being watched. Her revelation will shock.
"Mr. Ryan, this little girl was part of the team that kidnapped your brother. This little girl was also the one who killed your handler. Svetlana, was it?"
He stared at her.
"Oh, by the way, I don't work for the CIA, I just represent them. That means I can do anything to get what they want. So, I suggest that you answer my question before somebody gets hurt." Ana continued and looked at him. Her face is unreadable.
"Go to hell!" He said angrily. "You can't do anything here!"
A feral smile escaped Ana's lips. She reached for her pockets and showed him her Glock and a small dagger.
"I can use either. It depends on my mood." Ana said in an impassive tone. "I'm asking you nicely. Those are your bombs. How do you stop it from working?" She asked and unconsciously tilted her head to the right. She's taunting him.
Daniel Ryan looked at her face. "What will you do if you don't get what you want?"
The feral smile lighted up her face once again. "You'll die a slow, painful death."
He probed her gray eye again and made a mistake of telling her that she's just bluffing. After all, the girl can't do anything. The CIA is just executing some sort of reverse psychology on him.
"Bluffing. You're just posing as a tough, crazy bitch."
The temper flashed in her eyes and her self-control snapped. Without thinking, Ana stabbed him in his thigh. She watched as his face contorted in shock.
Daniel Ryan screamed in excruciating pain as he clutched his thigh. Blood painfully trickled his leg. And he can't bring himself to pull out the knife from his leg.
"I don't bluff Mr. Ryan, nor do I act like a tough, crazy bitch. Because I'm already a tough, crazy bitch. Now tell us, how do you stop those frigging bombs without detonating it? And don't you dare lie to me because I still have twelve rounds of bullets in my gun. Your. Balls. Are. Next!"
Dixon and the rest of the agents watched in amazement as Daniel Ryan fearfully hid his 'privates' and gave Ana the technique to handle his bombs. Ana, after hearing his answer, jerked the knife from his thigh. This elicited a string of curses after another pained yell.
Ana ignored him and left the 'cell' with the same demeanor when she entered.
"Wow… that was a total Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde transformation." Marshall remarked, gaping at the screen. Everybody seemed to have the same thing in their minds.
A few minutes later, Ana emerged from the 'cell', a bit pale but still fierce. A few employees split in the center, as if Moses parted the red sea once again, and gave way to her. Vaughn, Dixon, Jack and Marshall just stayed where they are, while Sydney rushed towards her.
"Are you okay?" Sydney asked when she reached her sister. Ana was so much like their mother back there and it was a bit frightening. Even to the way they tilt their heads.
Ana weakly nodded her head.
"I'm sorry if I did that, and I'm sorry if you just found out about that thing with Christopher Ryan, but he was challenging me and I can't resist proving him wrong."
"Have a seat and don't worry about that. Yet." Sydney said and assisted her sister. Ana's hands are shaking a bit. "Deep breaths. You're okay."
"In behalf of the CIA, we would like to thank you for your help, albeit a bit drastic." Dixon said in a formal tone. "Are you okay?" He asked in a more comforting way and placed a hand on Ana's shoulder.
Ana nodded her head again. Dixon hovered around for a while and then left Sydney and Ana alone.
A few minutes later, Jack went to them with a plastic cup of water with him. "Here." He said and handed the cup to Ana. "Are you sure you're okay? You're still shaking."
"Yes, I'm fine, dad." Ana answered, a bit exasperated, and looked up at him. She smiled at her father and drank the water. "Thank you." she said and stood up to throw the plastic cup in the trashcan.
Jack gaped at Ana, surprised. She called him dad. She has never called him dad. Not even father. This is another first.
Sydney smiled at his reaction. Ana didn't seem to notice what she said. Ana told her before that she's a bit reluctant to call their father 'dad'. She said she doesn't know what his reaction might be.
Jack looked uncomfortably at Sydney. "You'll be coming to dinner later?" He asked.
"Of course." Sydney answered.
This time, Jack smiled.
"Don't be late."
-x-x-x-
Nadia walked along the neighborhood of LA, each step giving way to excruciating pain. Stopping to rest will elicit a lot of curious looks and she doesn't want that. The wounds on her face, alone, trigger a lot of probing eyes.
Enrique Perez injected her with… something before pushing her out of the house. That something is affecting her system rapidly. 'I should have called mom. But the Covenant might trace her through me… I can't do that…' she thought, inwardly wincing. And after a few seconds when she was pushed out, the house exploded.
A flash of pain tore her side. Nadia gingerly touched that part and discovered that it's bleeding.
'What the hell did he do to me?!'
-x-x-x-
"Is it really okay with you if I call you dad?" Ana asked Jack as she placed her brother in his seat. They had passed by the grocery store to buy ingredients for their dinner.
"That's a very silly question, Arriana. Of course I don't mind you calling me dad. You've already called me a bunch of names before, I think its time that you call me that." Jack answered, remembering that she once called him "asshole", "Agent Bristow", "Mr. Bristow", "Sydney's dad", "Jacob's dad", "her mom's ex-husband" and "that man".
"Sure you're sure?" Ana asked, looking at him. Her father is putting the grocery bag in the kitchen counter. She first thought that if she pushes her father away from her, he'll disappear, thus protecting her from the aches and pains of loving people who take no notice of you. And then she discovers that her father ignores her because of the very same reason.
Jack sighed and looked at his youngest daughter. "Yes, I'm sure." He said and smiled at her. Ana isn't really the angry, angst-y, rebellious teenager he thought her to be. It was like a 'protective' layer against strangers.
"Na-na"
Ana looked at Jacob and gave him a big smile. She gently rubbed his cheek with her knuckles and affectionately ruffled his hair. Jacob laughed and puckered his lips, asking for a kiss.
Ana leaned forward and gave her brother a loud kiss. Just as then, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Ana said and hurriedly left the kitchen. She crossed the hall, passing by her father's study and then the living room before finally arriving at the front door.
When she opened it, a body slumped forward and fell on her.
"Dad?! I need help!"