This takes place during episode 3.19 "Hourglass," after Vaughn reveals that Lauren is the Covenant mole. Immediately afterwards, he and Sydney are sent on this little mission, before the rest of the events of the episode.
And something to add to the standard disclaimer: The song "Little Lies," belongs to Fleetwood Mac and can be found on the albums "Tango in the Night," "The Very Best of...," and "Greatest Hits."
If you're just giving this fic a chance, please read the first three parts. They're short, and make more sense when they're read all at once. Thank you.
Part One: IntroSyd threw down the safe-opening device in disgust, then touched her fingertip to an earpiece hidden behind her blonde and red wig.
"Boy Scout, we're too late. The safe is empty."
In a crowded nightclub one floor up, Vaughn touched his own earpiece.
"Copy, Mountaineer. I knew this was too easy. Let's get out of here."
Syd closed the distressingly empty safe, and retrieved the device on the floor. She examined it for damage, and hoped she hadn't broken any of the circuitry inside. Marshall would be bummed if she had. He was the only truly happy person she knew anymore, and she didn't want to see him frown, if only for a minor reason.
She checked the office she broke into for any evidence of her presence there. Finding none, she peeked out the door, confirmed the basement hall was empty, and then slipped out, locking the door like it had never been picked.
She walked a couple doors down to a bathroom, and stepped inside. The bartender (and anyone watching, incidentally) was supposed to think this was where she went. She asked him for directions as a pretense for going down into the basement. She already knew the location of the bathroom, of course. It was two doors down from an office belonging to a Follower of Rambaldi.
Intel had informed them that this man kept in his office a short Rambaldi manuscript detailing how the Passenger could be found. So of course, Dixon sent Sydney and Vaughn to retrieve the manuscript. And of course, as was the case all too often lately, the Covenant beat them there. Syd dismally wondered if they'd ever get the upper hand on the Covenant.
In the bathroom, Syd checked her disguise. A shoulder-length blonde wig, liberally streaked with red, covered her long brown hair. The wig went well with the short, red, strapless dress she wore. She leaned into the mirror to check her makeup, and looked again at the strange color of the contact lenses in her eyes. It was what most would call "hazel," a color not brown, blue, or green.
She and Vaughn both were equipped with contacts. They replicated retinal scans of the man whose office she raided. But as it turned out, all she needed was the simple code-breaking device Marshall gave her "just in case". Like Vaughn stated, "too easy". But then again, they should've realized that by the lack of guards in the basement.
Syd reapplied her lipstick, a "hooker red," as Francie would've called it. Lipstick Sydney Bristow would never wear.
Poor Francie, Sydney thought sadly.