Title: The Double Cross
Author: Samantha Greene
Summary: S/S. Sequel to "Shades of Gray," you'll need to read that story or this one won't make since. Alternate future following "Counteragent."
A/N: Thank you to all the faithful reviewers! Sorry for the long wait, but I had a bit of a block. The next chapter should be out shortly, though.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Alias. All belong to JJ Abrams, Bad Robot, ABC, etc.
CHAPTER 3
Sydney's POV
3 Hours Earlier
After securing Sloane in the back of the van, Sark and I retire to the front, Sark driving as we talk softly. After the success of catching Sloane, we turn our attention to the Alliance.
"Dad told me two nights ago that a raid of the Alliance was planned the next morning. With the debriefing and then this mission, it sort of slipped my mind. Do you know why it was postponed?"
"Our information, unfortunately, wasn't as detailed as we thought it would be. There's a larger security system that acts as a failsafe in all the Alliance branches. We have the information to disable the main security, and we have the manpower to disarm the onsite security. But the backup system is computerized, and we don't have any access to the main server. We can only disable that system from the point of origin."
"What does the system do, exactly?"
Sark grimaces, a testament to his disgust with this new challenge we are facing.
"It monitors the main security systems. If it fails to detect a majority of them, it assumes that a major takedown or takeover is in progress. Each branch has equipment that delivers an electromagnetic pulse that effects the entire building."
"That would take out all electronics."
"Precisely. It's long term. We're not just talking about disabling all electronics; we're talking about the hard drives being erased. Devlin wants us to retrieve all the information about the Alliance, so we can't have the pulse going off. Anyway, were the pulse to go off, we would lose communications. Another risk we can't afford to take."
Sark turns to stare back at me, a familiar smirk on his face. He gestures back to Sloane.
"Looks like we just caught our lucky break."
Sloane ignores this comment, glancing down at his watch as if waiting for something important.
"Did you miss your dinnertime?" I sarcastically ask. "I'm sure the CIA will be happy to provide something as soon as you're back in custody."
"Augmented with truth serum," Sark mutters under his breath, and I bite back a grin.
Moments later, we're turning into a dark neighborhood. Worried that Sloane might have another security team waiting at a safe house nearby, Sark and I had decided to take an indirect route to the police station. However, as dark and empty as this route appears to be, I notice to black vans behind us make the exact same turn.
"How long have those vans been back there?" I ask Sark quietly. I can see Sloane straining forward against his restraints in an effort to hear our conversation.
"About ten minutes. However, we've spent the entire time on the only main highway through town. I didn't think they were following us."
To test his theory, Sark cuts the car sharply into a series of three quick turns. To our dismay, the two vans make the exact same turns. I see Sark press his lips sharply together as he draws the same conclusion that I have. Abruptly, he floors the gas and the van rockets forward. Behind us, I see the two vans also put on a burst of speed, but they don't seem to be gaining. Perhaps we can outrun them, I think. Unfortunately, the drivers of the vans seem to realize they can't catch us, because an instant later I see drawn guns emerge from the passenger side of both vans.
"Get down," Sark yells while still driving the curvy narrow streets at much higher a speed than is safe.
"We've got to get back out into a main highway," I tell him. With so many people present, the vans won't have such an easy time following, and hopefully they will think twice about shooting us, too.
A moment later, we're within view of the main highway when by sheer luck, each of the vans manages to take out one of our back wheels. Our van skids out of control and slides across the highway, our bumper smashed by a car not able to brake in time. The last thing I know, we've jumped a shallow embankment and the front of the van crashes face first into an irrigation ditch full of water. Then everything goes black.
To be continued...