Chapter 29

Vaughn looked at both guards as he took the phone and started dialling. Knowing that if he identified himself as an agent, his life would be over. He listened as the automated voice came on saying that the number he dialled was unavailable. Confused, he dialled Jack's number. After two rings, he heard Jack answer, "Bristow."

"I need to speak with Irina Derevko right now," he said bluntly.

"Agent Vaughn, is that you?"

"Yes, I can wait."

"Are you being monitored."

"Correct, that Irina."

"Do you really need to talk with her?"

"Yes."

"Hang on a bit. Let me go get her."

"Great."

Vaughn smiled at the guards as he waited for Irina to come on the other line.

"What is it?"

"Ms. Derevko," Vaughn started, "There is a person who requests a meeting with you."

"Who is it?"

"What's your employer's name?"

"Masa Raidon," the guard replied, and Vaughn repeated the answer.

"What does he want?"

"A meeting," Vaughn said. "That's all that he told me."

"I'm willing if the CIA will let me out of custody," Irina started, "but you can probably guess what Jack's doing right now."

"Yeah, I probably can," Vaughn said.

Jack came on the line. "Set up the meet. We can apprehend them without releasing her."

"I don't think that will work. Mr. Raidon was clear. He wants you there, or the deal's off, Ms. Derevko."

That statement was met with silence. "We're not letting her out of custody."

"Understood, but the agreement was clear. You must be there in person, otherwise you won't be given access to The Hourglass."

Silence again. "Set up the deal, on the condition that Irina is allowed to bring backup, and that Mr. Raidon is at the meet instead of sending a representative."

Turning to the guards, Vaughn recited the conditions which were agreed to quickly.

After Sydney had been assured that J. D. was fine, she took him out to the car, secured him in the car seat, and followed the convoy of cars to the JTF building.

As Sark and Lauren were each escorted to their private cells, Sydney noticed that a couple of people were congregated outside Irina's cell. Wondering what the commotion was, Sydney took J. D. and walked over to the cell as the session disbursed.

"What was that?"

"Agent Vaughn called," Irina said, and smiled as Sydney's face changed to that of curiosity.

"Is he alright?"

"He sounded good. Apparently he was able to convince them to let him go if he set up a meeting between Mr. Raidon and I."

"Is the CIA complying?"

"It sounds like it."

Sydney nodded.

"Is that my grandson?" Irina asked looking at J. D. through the glass.

"Yeah," Sydney stated, a smile appearing on her face.

"What's his name?"

"Jonathan Donohue William Bristow-Vaughn, with the last name only being that way until Vaughn and I officially tie the knot."

"Hey, Jonathan," Irina said with a smile. Becoming serious again, she looked up at Sydney. "How's the issue we talked about?"

"His safety?"

"Yeah."

"We've had two people try to get him earlier. That was the first attempt. Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"When I was in the hospital after the accident, I had a dream."

"What was it?"

"It was a page from a Rambaldi manuscript. There was a lot more written than you told us at first."

"What happened next."

"It was weird. J. D. was born, turned to me and said something, I couldn't make it out, and then I saw a man, aiming a gun at me, and I was watching this kid, I think it was J. D. when he's older, and he completely vanished. I heard a gunshot, and that's when I woke up.

"What did that dream mean?"

"There was more to the prophecy," Irina started. "Stuff that you'd be better off not knowing."

"What's that mean."

"Your son's going to play an major role in events."

"What? What type of role?"

"I can't tell you too much. Things must be revealed over time. I can tell you, however, that the fact that you found out I was alive happened for a reason."

"What reason?"

"Do you remember all the times I saved your life this past year with my information?"

"Yeah…"

"What would have happened if you had never realized I was alive? Think about that for a bit."

Sydney considered what Irina said carefully.

"Would the Alliance ever have been taken down if I hadn't assigned Sark to infiltrate SD-6? Would you have ever ended up with Vaughn if I hadn't been there? Would you have been able to keep your cover after Sloane managed to access Echelon?"

"Sloane wouldn't have been able to access Echelon. Cuvee thought Sark had betrayed him and that's when he moved Echelon. If Sark never joined SD-6 we wouldn't have received that intel."

"Granted," Irina said, "but trust me when I tell you that sometimes, Rambaldi's work has a second purpose. The Prophecy," Irina reminded Sydney, "it served to warn the government about your growing anger, which, if I hadn't turned myself in to the CIA and helped bring down the Alliance, would have escalated until you gunned Sloane down in a fit of rage and would thereby have been killed."

"How do you know that?"

"Some things happen, even though they don't."

"What's that mean? What does this all have to do with J. D?"

"I'll answer both of those things if you give me some time."

"Okay."

"The second part of The Prophecy, that bit about Mount Subasio, really served one purpose."

"What?"

"It was there to get you out of government custody, and to make you realize that I was alive."

"Which led to the destruction of the Alliance, leading to me being with Vaughn, and subsequently having J. D."

"Exactly. That's how it deals with J. D."

"Okay, but what about that 'things happening that don't' bit?"

"Do some research on parallel universes and it'll make sense," came Irina's reply. "Things happen for a reason. The birth of J. D. is going to affect millions."

"How?"

"Truth takes time, Sydney. Truth takes time."

…TBC…