Part 5 - I've Lost My Keys
Blink.You were sad to leave the taste of true freedom behind in Santa Barbara, but you were definitely ready to move on to your future with Vaughn; of course, the present had to get in the way again.
Another day at work brings another opponent to the forefront. A new faction called the Covenant has entered the playing field through attempted kidnapping of two CIA senior officers stationed in Berlin. Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful, but there is suspicion that another attempt will be made, most likely on different targets. So, your job is to find out what you can about this Covenant group, who the leaders are, what they expect to get out of the kidnapping, what their goals are, anything.
So, it's a long day of research, contacting informants, and paperwork until you really allow yourself to take a breath and discover that you've been at this too long for one day.
Vaughn approaches you just as you push back your chair, deciding that enough's enough for tonight. You quickly stand up to greet him with a hug, not caring what other agents in the office would think since you've immunized yourself to the Ops Center gossip. You figure that you're old news anyway; although, you haven't made your engagement to Vaughn public knowledge yet. In fact, you haven't felt ready to tell anyone – it's just a bit of happiness that you want to keep for yourself a while longer.
Even now, you remember that the time before you announced your marriage to others, both him and you addressing each other more quietly for no reason other than subconsciously feeling more intimate with each other, wanting to keep anyone and everyone away from this private world of yours because that place was just for you two. It wasn't just how you spoke that changed; it was both of your whole demeanors when you were together. There was something more with the way that you looked at each other, how in each glance there was there was a telepathic reminder of love for the other. Even with every caring touch exchanged – him caressing your cheek as he brushed your hair behind your ear, or you taking his hand and letting him lead you to the car – it was as if there were a new electricity in it all, and you reveled in the warmth it gave you.
He suggests that you and he go out to dinner to take your minds off of work for a while. You immediately accept and grab your jacket before you head out.
The dinner is reminiscent of your first date, but the initial awkwardness is gone, unsure and nervous smiles replaced by knowing, excited grins now that you've decided to embark on a journey together that will last for the rest of your lives.
You talk about what you have in mind for the wedding, and you both agree that it shouldn't be extravagant, but simple and charming. This discussion naturally turns into one about when the event should take place, and this being something that you want to follow through with quickly, you settle on a date two months from now. The timing may be a little tight, you realize, especially with unpredictability of your jobs, but you'll keep the plans simple so that in the event that the date will have to be changed, it can be done rather painlessly.
Your talk of wedding plans continues until you reach home and Vaughn remarks that he can't wait to see you in your wedding dress. But, he says, until then, he'll settle for no clothes on you at all. And so, another night of passion ensues.
Blink.
You finally decide to announce your engagement, and figure it's best to start with your father. He's the only real family that you have left, but remembering what he put your first fiancé through, you think it's best to get through with telling him as quickly and smoothly as possible.
But you aren't Danny. You know how to handle business (even a wedding, when it comes to dealing Jack Bristow, is business) when it comes to your father, so you just approach him as you would for anything.
After pulling your father aside from work for a few minutes, not attempting to put up any fronts, you just say what you have to say in a straightforward manner.
"Dad, Vaughn and I are engaged."
You look at him expectantly, although you're not sure what to expect from him.
He looks at you for a moment, then in an emotionless voice he says, "Congratulations." You give him some credit though, because he manages to smile afterwards.
Waiting for a moment, but getting nothing more out of him, you prompt, "The wedding's in September… Would you like a formal invitation?"
"Yes, that'll be fine. Will you need any help financially with it?"
You shake your head. "No, it's not going to be anything big. Vaughn and I can take care of it."
He nods. "Yes… well, if you change your mind…"
A junior agent needing him to overlook a file takes your father's attention away from you, and you almost cringe as you imagine him walking you down the aisle. Yes, that will definitely take some work.
Blink.
You're busier at work than you would have hoped, with everything you have to do outside of the office. While Sloane's and your mother's activities have seemed to cease, the Covenant have taken up their stead with multiple counts of murder and robbery, all related to obtaining pages from another of Rambaldi's ancient texts, The Renaissance.
In the briefing, you figure your job now is to find out what you can relating to the new Rambaldi enigma, but Kendall surprises you when he displays on the monitor a sketch of a pentagonal container, shown at different angles, with a hatch on top, and a shutter-like opening on one of the sides, the circular shutter being in the center of Rambaldi's signature eye. Kendall goes on to explain that this artifact is Rambaldi's Cube, and that The Renaissance is basically the instruction manual for this artifact.
You immediately question where all this information is coming from, but Kendall simply states that you don't have the clearance to know. Before any other questions can be asked, he continues with more information seemingly coming from out of the blue. He says that the vault to The Cube needs twelve keys to open. Then he puts a picture of a man in his sixties on the screen and says that he is Andrian Lazarey, a former Russian diplomat who retired from his work in order to devote all of his time to the study of Rambaldi. From a surveillance operation on Lazarey, it's known that he is in possession of eleven of the keys needed to open the vault. Your job is to find the last key and persuade Lazarey to help you find The Cube.
Kendall then hands everyone in the briefing room a file with all known information on the keys to the vault. You're even more suspicious of Kendall now, but knowing you won't get your questions answered by him, you say nothing for now.
Blink.
You're exhausted after a week of plane rides to remote locations where you've found no sign of the last key. It's likely that you've been searching in places where other keys have already been found by Lazarey, but there was no way to tell which possible location corresponded to the last key.
The thing keeping you sane through all of this is your wedding coming up in a month and a half, even if you haven't had the chance to really get into the planning of it. But at the moment, any relief from work you can get, you'll take.
And did relief ever come – strangely enough, in the form of a plainly marked package. When you open it, you can't believe what's inside.
It's the key. And along with it was a note included… addressed to you. Your eyes widen as you look at your name printed neatly on the envelope, and then cautiously open it. It those three damn words again, their meaning no clearer to you than when you first heard them. You don't need forensics' analysis to tell you that Irina's fingerprints are on the paper. You already know that it was your mother who had given you this key. Truth takes time. She helped you again, wanting nothing in return… But what she didn't know, what you didn't know at that time was what Rambaldi's message to Sloane was.
Thirty years of work resulted in the production of a single sheet of paper, on it, a printed portrait of Sark, and the words, The Disloyal One's blood is the key. The Chosen One will show the way. She will bear this man's child, and the beginning will come again.
Your mother's help would be your downfall.
TBC
