A/N Thank you for reading and I hope you are all enjoying Redemption. I'd
love to know what you think of the story so please reply good or bad and
let me know!
This chapter is dedicated to Kathryn, her help with this chapter was
awesome and I thank her so much
E
Redemption
Chapter Forty Seven
Vaughn groaned turning over. His head felt heavy as he sat up and looked around. Blinking rapidly he attempted to clear his clouded vision and it was then that he saw the dart in his leg and recalled the past events.
Kat had been holding the gun against her mother's temple. Her finger wavering dangerously over the trigger as she fought for control of herself. Irina was incredibly calm but Sydney kept yelling at her sister to stop. Kat wouldn't stop. Her hatred for her mother and the emotions that went along with it were clouding her judgement as she fought an inner battle between what was right and what was wrong. Kat was about to pull the trigger when Irina lunged at her fighting for the gun. It went off several times before Irina claimed it and pulled Kat to her, aiming the gun on her daughter. She commanded the other agents to turn off their comm links and throw down their tranq guns. Irina then pulled a tranq gun of her own and fired four shots rendering the four agents unconscious.
Vaughn crawled over to the others and checked their pulses first to ensure they were steady and then pulled out the tranq darts. "Base Camp this is Boyscout, do you copy? I repeat Base Camp do you copy?"
"Boyscout, this is Base Ops; you're coming through loud and clear. Are you all right? What happened we heard gunfire?" Kendall asked.
"We're fine, it was tranq darts," Vaughn explained. "Scriber, Retriever and Mountaineer are coming around now."
"Where is 'Shiner?" Kendall asked his eyes meeting Jack's cold ones.
"I don't know," he said hesitantly.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jack stood gripping the back of Marshall's chair as tightly as he could
"I mean I don't know. She's not here I don't know where she is!"
~ ~ ~
As Sydney neared her sister, the twisting pain in her stomach got worse. Kat sat handcuffed to a chair, her head hanging limply with her chin to her chest and her hair covering her face. "Katy?" Syd called to her softly dropping to her knees in front of the chair. Catching the younger girls chin in her palm she slowly raised her head and the pain in her stomach dissipated slightly as Sydney realized Kat was alive and seemingly unharmed. She may have been alive but it was clear she was in a lot of emotional pain. Sydney brushed Kat's hair away from her face revealing red eyes and a tear stained face. As soon as Will freed her hands from the cuffs she wrapped them around Sydney's neck silent tears snaking their way down her cheek.
"It's alright," Syd helped her stand. "You're okay Katy. Mom?"
"She's gone," Kat confirmed.
"Did she hurt you?"
Kat just shook her head.
As Sydney looked at her sister it was very clear that something had happened between Kat and Irina. Something that Kat would much rather pretend never happened at all. They all proceeded back to Khasinau's office.
"Sydney is your sister okay?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Sydney said. "She's...... she'll be alright. You want to talk to her?" Sydney eyed Kat who just shook her head. "No, she doesn't want to talk to you Dad. Yeah we'll see you back there." She turned off her com link and looked at the others standing in Khasinau's office. "Let's just double check for the scroll and then go home."
"It's not here," Kat said softly standing in the doorway watching them search. "It was never here, she told me."
"Kat's right," Weiss stood. "It's not here, either it never was or Derevko took it already."
The others nodded in agreement and defeated they left the office. Sydney put her arm around her sister as they walked down the stairs. "How did you know she was here?"
Kat stopped at the bottom of the steps and picked up the remaining flower from the vase on the small table. "I used to live here with Alexander. When she used to come see me, she always brought me daisies." Kat raised the flower to her nose inhaling the sweet fragrance and resisting the urge to crush the petals in her hand. Her eyes traveled to the door across the hall and she went over to it grasping the handle before hesitantly opening the door. She took a few steps inside the darkened room.
Sydney turned the light on and they followed her into the room. Looking around the room, she was surprised to find it painted pink and decorated with ballerina teddy bears.
"This was my room," Kat explained to them walking over to a shelf on the wall and examining the dusty figurines. "I lived here when I was four."
"You remember?" Weiss asked curiously sifting through a stack of children's books on bedside table. It seemed the room had been completely untouched since her departure thirteen years before.
"Not exactly," she shrugged. "Just bits and pieces that Irina's told me. I can't even be sure what she said is the truth and I don't really remember anything." Her eyes spanned the walls looking for some bit of familiarity. "I don't-"
"Yes, do you recognize something?" Will came to stand beside her.
"This wasn't here before," she touched a painting on the wall and Will took it off the hook handing it to her. "I painted it," she touched the name on the right hand corner and crawled up on the bed studying the painting.
"You were good," Weiss grinned sitting down next to her. "I couldn't paint that well till at least high school," he teased. "Kat?" he asked concerned seeing the odd expression on her face. "What is it?"
"Jack and Jill," she tapped the painting. Looking closer the others realized what she meant. It was a painting of a hill, a boy, a girl and a well. The rhyme passed her lips as she turned the painting over and began taking it apart. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling...... The scroll."
"Seriously?" Will lifted the old paper that was hidden behind the frame.
"It looks real," Syd took it from him. "Written in Rambaldi's ever famous invisible ink. You found it Katy, you found scroll 47."
~ ~ ~
Following the discovery of scroll they left the house and drove to the extraction point several miles away where the CIA plane was waiting to take them back to LA. Sydney threw a blanket over Will and Vaughn who had both fallen asleep shortly after takeoff the tranq darts still having their effects. Weiss sat on one of the sofas attempting to read a book and Kat was curled up on the sofa across from him pretending to be asleep.
Syd sat down beside her and touched Kat's shoulder tentatively knowing she wasn't asleep. "Katy?" she called softly. "What happened with mom?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered shaking her head.
"Katy please, you have to," Sydney rubbed her back lightly.
"No," Kat pulled away from her and crossed to the other sofa curling up beside Weiss.
"Katy please-"
"No. Syd please just... don't, I just want to forget."
Weiss set his book aside and lifted his arm putting it around Kat and allowing her to lean against him tucking her head under his chin. I'm sorry, he mouthed to Sydney seeing the pain in her eyes.
It's all right; she mouthed back and shrugged understanding that he was the one that Kat needed. The one who didn't ask questions, who just let her be.
Weiss rubbed Kat's back lightly feeling the small shudders as she tried not to cry. She couldn't not hide it from them and Sydney knelt at her feet when her sister held out her hand to her.
"You know what really gets me," Kat said through hiccuped sobs grasping Sydney's hand tightly. "She says she doesn't regret it, none of it. She'd do it again; she'd leave me again knowing what would happen. She says at least then I'd be alive, but-but Syd, how could she do it, this isn't living. I hate her, I hate her so much."
"I know, I'm so sorry," Sydney stroked her hair and then reached for a blanket laying it over Kat and Weiss. "Why don't you just get some sleep okay, things will seem clearer when you wake."
Kat nodded and minutes later she was fast asleep.
"You okay?" Syd asked Weiss adjusting the blanket over the two.
"Yeah, I'm fine, she's fine," Weiss swallowed hard. "She's not trying to hurt you Sydney. I think, I don't know, I could be wrong but I think she's just trying to protect you."
"I know," Sydney gently wiped the residual tears from Kat's face. "But she shouldn't have to."
~ ~ ~
Jack sat at his desk as he waited for the team to return. They may have found Rambaldi's scroll 47 but it was a sloppy operation, one that could have cost Katarina her life had Irina not been careful or decided to take the girl with her. He'd attempted to begin his report analysis but he was having difficulty concentrating. Truth be told he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until he found out exactly what had happened between Kat and Irina.
He didn't have to talk to her to know what she was feeling. Through the window of his office he saw her clenched fists, cold eyes, and hardened expression. Kat was angry. Angry to the point of losing control and breaking. She refused to speak about what had happened with Irina and while the team was sent to debrief and analysis examined the Ramaldi scroll she sat on the leather couch in Jack's office, her fingernails digging into the skin of her palms until they bled.
Knowing she needed an outlet for her anger Jack took her to the training center. He watched her carefully as he taped up her knuckles and then wound the tape tightly around her fingers ensuring that each was secure and well bandaged before lacing up her gloves. If she had any protests against his unusual behavior she certainly didn't voice them.
Standing there in a shirt and tie, he held the punching bag ordering her to pound it. She was hesitant at first. She began with a few light punches until Jack egged her on. Harder and harder she pounded the bag with her fists and kicked with her legs. There were no words spoken but Jack stood his ground and held the bag in place against her vicious assault.
Her movements began very rhythmic, patterned, calculated and educated as she had learned. She attacked the bag envisioning the face of her mother dedicating each punch to someone she had hurt. Jack, Sydney, Eric, Vaughn, herself, and even Joshua. Sweat dripped from her face and she didn't even stop to wipe it away. Little by little she began to lose control and her punches and kicks grew wilder and harder and reckless until Jack pulled her away from the bag for fear she'd hurt herself and she collapsed on the floor, utterly exhausted.
Kat refused to allow Jack to touch her and she sat against the wall for a good ten minutes her knees pulled to her chest trying to catch her breath and stop crying. With all her pent up frustration released she could do nothing but cry until there was nothing left in her to give and only then did she allow Jack to touch her and remove the gloves and tape from her hands revealing the bruised and battered knuckles underneath.
Kat stared at them in fascination, her fingers tracing the red lines of dried blood, the pigmented skin where bruises had already begun to form. She felt nothing, not hurt or pain or even anger; she felt empty, devoid of anything. Her hands still shook trembling from their battle and she fisted to still them. The skin was broke and the welts red and damaged. It seemed fitting to her. Damaged was what she was, it was what she'd always been. No amount of pretending or wishing; no amount of lies or half-truths could conceal what was. She was now and always would be damaged goods.
The reprieve and escape from the real world did not last long and before she knew it they were back in the briefing room awaiting the results of Rambaldi's scroll 47.
The first thing Kat noticed upon entering the room was the surplus of bodies. It had been expected of course but still she was surprised at the amount of extras in the room. She allowed Sydney to lead her to a chair near the head of the table and took a seat in between her sister and father. She recognized some as higher up agents within the JTF. Others were suits; beaurocratic paper pushers who made the decisions, yet never felt their consequences. There was a small mysterious section seated around Carrie and Marshall whom Kat could only assume to be The Rambaldi Experts from The Department of Special Research. It seemed the scroll must have been a true Rambaldi artifact for all of them to be there. The head of the table screamed authority and Kat was surprised to find Ben Devlin sitting among Dixon, Lindsey and Kendall and some higher ups from outside the op center whom she didn't recognize.
It seemed to take an eternity for all to assemble and for Devlin to call the room to order. She tried to listen to his opening remarks and those of Kendall as he explained the last mission, which had recovered Rambaldi's scroll 47. Despite her best efforts to focus her attention on those speaking, it waned with her mental exhaustion, the dullness of the situation and the blah blah blah, Rambaldi, blah blah blah.
Her eyes began to wander studying the other agents. Judging mannerisms had become a habit for her. Analyzing fidgeting, hand gestures and word choice had become her main sources to determine a person's level confidence. If they were truly confident or merely portraying the aura of confidence. She studied them and it took only a few moments to realize they were studying her back.
She glanced around the table rapidly; they were all studying her. They tried to obscure their glances but it was evident the moment she met eyes with any of them. The Rambaldi experts however lacked the ability to be discrete and the more she glanced at the others in the room the more nervous she became wishing the floor would just swallow her whole. Unfortunately she would not be swallowed any time soon and she reset her focus on Kendall.
"You're all aware of what has become known as The Rambaldi Prophecy detailed on Page 47 of his manuscript. The prophecy is that of a woman who has been identified as Agent Sydney Bristow." Kendall changed the slide on the computer monitor to match that of page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript. "The translation is as follows;
'The woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works...bind them with fury; a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky,
behind Mount Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire.'" Kendall paused his eyes meeting Sydney's and ignoring the death glare she gave him for having read the prophecy aloud.
"Page twelve of The Rambaldi manuscript mentioned that Scroll 47 was the key to The Contessa. The scroll, which was retrieved by Kat Bristow, Agent Bristow and others from an old residence of Alexander Khasianu's in St. Petersburg has since been analyzed and decoded. We have made an important discovery in regards to Rambaldi and our search for The Contessa. Ms. Bowman would you continue?" he asked of Carrie and she nodded and stood.
"The scroll was analyzed and decoded using the same procedure as Page 47. Scroll 47 is in essence another prophecy. It's a companion to The Prophecy of The Chosen One, it's The Countess Prophecy." Carrie's eyes locked with Kat's and she could see the regret in them as a copy of scroll 47 was plastered across all the terminal screens and Kat immediately recognized an illustration of herself.
"My eye has not created a double illusion for The Chosen One. For this child is The Countess and she shall grow to determine the future of many. She bears both the visible and invisible scars of pain, suffering and struggle of experience through a lifetime. She shall be the one to bind the fury of The Chosen One, whom I depicted and prophesized to be the demise of this world. This child will be faced with difficult decisions and she shall be forced to use The Contessa and choose between the path of good and that of evil. For evil she shall release a fury unknown to man. If the path of good is chosen she shall bring peace to many who, unknowing, would never experience otherwise. Her choice will not be an easy one for either path will bring with it a grave sacrifice. For this child I aspire that the path she chooses shall be justified with her forgiveness and the acceptance of her destiny."
Kat glanced around at the others biting her lip nervously. The believed it; the absurdity of the entire situation was near laughable if they didn't seem so serious and silently she wished she had listened to Irina and left the scroll where it was. They all honestly believed that she could have the power to do anything even remotely similar to what Carrie had read. "Get real," she finally burst out laughing. "You all can't tell me that you honestly believe that? He's a 500 year old nut case!"
E
Redemption
Chapter Forty Seven
Vaughn groaned turning over. His head felt heavy as he sat up and looked around. Blinking rapidly he attempted to clear his clouded vision and it was then that he saw the dart in his leg and recalled the past events.
Kat had been holding the gun against her mother's temple. Her finger wavering dangerously over the trigger as she fought for control of herself. Irina was incredibly calm but Sydney kept yelling at her sister to stop. Kat wouldn't stop. Her hatred for her mother and the emotions that went along with it were clouding her judgement as she fought an inner battle between what was right and what was wrong. Kat was about to pull the trigger when Irina lunged at her fighting for the gun. It went off several times before Irina claimed it and pulled Kat to her, aiming the gun on her daughter. She commanded the other agents to turn off their comm links and throw down their tranq guns. Irina then pulled a tranq gun of her own and fired four shots rendering the four agents unconscious.
Vaughn crawled over to the others and checked their pulses first to ensure they were steady and then pulled out the tranq darts. "Base Camp this is Boyscout, do you copy? I repeat Base Camp do you copy?"
"Boyscout, this is Base Ops; you're coming through loud and clear. Are you all right? What happened we heard gunfire?" Kendall asked.
"We're fine, it was tranq darts," Vaughn explained. "Scriber, Retriever and Mountaineer are coming around now."
"Where is 'Shiner?" Kendall asked his eyes meeting Jack's cold ones.
"I don't know," he said hesitantly.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jack stood gripping the back of Marshall's chair as tightly as he could
"I mean I don't know. She's not here I don't know where she is!"
~ ~ ~
As Sydney neared her sister, the twisting pain in her stomach got worse. Kat sat handcuffed to a chair, her head hanging limply with her chin to her chest and her hair covering her face. "Katy?" Syd called to her softly dropping to her knees in front of the chair. Catching the younger girls chin in her palm she slowly raised her head and the pain in her stomach dissipated slightly as Sydney realized Kat was alive and seemingly unharmed. She may have been alive but it was clear she was in a lot of emotional pain. Sydney brushed Kat's hair away from her face revealing red eyes and a tear stained face. As soon as Will freed her hands from the cuffs she wrapped them around Sydney's neck silent tears snaking their way down her cheek.
"It's alright," Syd helped her stand. "You're okay Katy. Mom?"
"She's gone," Kat confirmed.
"Did she hurt you?"
Kat just shook her head.
As Sydney looked at her sister it was very clear that something had happened between Kat and Irina. Something that Kat would much rather pretend never happened at all. They all proceeded back to Khasinau's office.
"Sydney is your sister okay?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Sydney said. "She's...... she'll be alright. You want to talk to her?" Sydney eyed Kat who just shook her head. "No, she doesn't want to talk to you Dad. Yeah we'll see you back there." She turned off her com link and looked at the others standing in Khasinau's office. "Let's just double check for the scroll and then go home."
"It's not here," Kat said softly standing in the doorway watching them search. "It was never here, she told me."
"Kat's right," Weiss stood. "It's not here, either it never was or Derevko took it already."
The others nodded in agreement and defeated they left the office. Sydney put her arm around her sister as they walked down the stairs. "How did you know she was here?"
Kat stopped at the bottom of the steps and picked up the remaining flower from the vase on the small table. "I used to live here with Alexander. When she used to come see me, she always brought me daisies." Kat raised the flower to her nose inhaling the sweet fragrance and resisting the urge to crush the petals in her hand. Her eyes traveled to the door across the hall and she went over to it grasping the handle before hesitantly opening the door. She took a few steps inside the darkened room.
Sydney turned the light on and they followed her into the room. Looking around the room, she was surprised to find it painted pink and decorated with ballerina teddy bears.
"This was my room," Kat explained to them walking over to a shelf on the wall and examining the dusty figurines. "I lived here when I was four."
"You remember?" Weiss asked curiously sifting through a stack of children's books on bedside table. It seemed the room had been completely untouched since her departure thirteen years before.
"Not exactly," she shrugged. "Just bits and pieces that Irina's told me. I can't even be sure what she said is the truth and I don't really remember anything." Her eyes spanned the walls looking for some bit of familiarity. "I don't-"
"Yes, do you recognize something?" Will came to stand beside her.
"This wasn't here before," she touched a painting on the wall and Will took it off the hook handing it to her. "I painted it," she touched the name on the right hand corner and crawled up on the bed studying the painting.
"You were good," Weiss grinned sitting down next to her. "I couldn't paint that well till at least high school," he teased. "Kat?" he asked concerned seeing the odd expression on her face. "What is it?"
"Jack and Jill," she tapped the painting. Looking closer the others realized what she meant. It was a painting of a hill, a boy, a girl and a well. The rhyme passed her lips as she turned the painting over and began taking it apart. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling...... The scroll."
"Seriously?" Will lifted the old paper that was hidden behind the frame.
"It looks real," Syd took it from him. "Written in Rambaldi's ever famous invisible ink. You found it Katy, you found scroll 47."
~ ~ ~
Following the discovery of scroll they left the house and drove to the extraction point several miles away where the CIA plane was waiting to take them back to LA. Sydney threw a blanket over Will and Vaughn who had both fallen asleep shortly after takeoff the tranq darts still having their effects. Weiss sat on one of the sofas attempting to read a book and Kat was curled up on the sofa across from him pretending to be asleep.
Syd sat down beside her and touched Kat's shoulder tentatively knowing she wasn't asleep. "Katy?" she called softly. "What happened with mom?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered shaking her head.
"Katy please, you have to," Sydney rubbed her back lightly.
"No," Kat pulled away from her and crossed to the other sofa curling up beside Weiss.
"Katy please-"
"No. Syd please just... don't, I just want to forget."
Weiss set his book aside and lifted his arm putting it around Kat and allowing her to lean against him tucking her head under his chin. I'm sorry, he mouthed to Sydney seeing the pain in her eyes.
It's all right; she mouthed back and shrugged understanding that he was the one that Kat needed. The one who didn't ask questions, who just let her be.
Weiss rubbed Kat's back lightly feeling the small shudders as she tried not to cry. She couldn't not hide it from them and Sydney knelt at her feet when her sister held out her hand to her.
"You know what really gets me," Kat said through hiccuped sobs grasping Sydney's hand tightly. "She says she doesn't regret it, none of it. She'd do it again; she'd leave me again knowing what would happen. She says at least then I'd be alive, but-but Syd, how could she do it, this isn't living. I hate her, I hate her so much."
"I know, I'm so sorry," Sydney stroked her hair and then reached for a blanket laying it over Kat and Weiss. "Why don't you just get some sleep okay, things will seem clearer when you wake."
Kat nodded and minutes later she was fast asleep.
"You okay?" Syd asked Weiss adjusting the blanket over the two.
"Yeah, I'm fine, she's fine," Weiss swallowed hard. "She's not trying to hurt you Sydney. I think, I don't know, I could be wrong but I think she's just trying to protect you."
"I know," Sydney gently wiped the residual tears from Kat's face. "But she shouldn't have to."
~ ~ ~
Jack sat at his desk as he waited for the team to return. They may have found Rambaldi's scroll 47 but it was a sloppy operation, one that could have cost Katarina her life had Irina not been careful or decided to take the girl with her. He'd attempted to begin his report analysis but he was having difficulty concentrating. Truth be told he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until he found out exactly what had happened between Kat and Irina.
He didn't have to talk to her to know what she was feeling. Through the window of his office he saw her clenched fists, cold eyes, and hardened expression. Kat was angry. Angry to the point of losing control and breaking. She refused to speak about what had happened with Irina and while the team was sent to debrief and analysis examined the Ramaldi scroll she sat on the leather couch in Jack's office, her fingernails digging into the skin of her palms until they bled.
Knowing she needed an outlet for her anger Jack took her to the training center. He watched her carefully as he taped up her knuckles and then wound the tape tightly around her fingers ensuring that each was secure and well bandaged before lacing up her gloves. If she had any protests against his unusual behavior she certainly didn't voice them.
Standing there in a shirt and tie, he held the punching bag ordering her to pound it. She was hesitant at first. She began with a few light punches until Jack egged her on. Harder and harder she pounded the bag with her fists and kicked with her legs. There were no words spoken but Jack stood his ground and held the bag in place against her vicious assault.
Her movements began very rhythmic, patterned, calculated and educated as she had learned. She attacked the bag envisioning the face of her mother dedicating each punch to someone she had hurt. Jack, Sydney, Eric, Vaughn, herself, and even Joshua. Sweat dripped from her face and she didn't even stop to wipe it away. Little by little she began to lose control and her punches and kicks grew wilder and harder and reckless until Jack pulled her away from the bag for fear she'd hurt herself and she collapsed on the floor, utterly exhausted.
Kat refused to allow Jack to touch her and she sat against the wall for a good ten minutes her knees pulled to her chest trying to catch her breath and stop crying. With all her pent up frustration released she could do nothing but cry until there was nothing left in her to give and only then did she allow Jack to touch her and remove the gloves and tape from her hands revealing the bruised and battered knuckles underneath.
Kat stared at them in fascination, her fingers tracing the red lines of dried blood, the pigmented skin where bruises had already begun to form. She felt nothing, not hurt or pain or even anger; she felt empty, devoid of anything. Her hands still shook trembling from their battle and she fisted to still them. The skin was broke and the welts red and damaged. It seemed fitting to her. Damaged was what she was, it was what she'd always been. No amount of pretending or wishing; no amount of lies or half-truths could conceal what was. She was now and always would be damaged goods.
The reprieve and escape from the real world did not last long and before she knew it they were back in the briefing room awaiting the results of Rambaldi's scroll 47.
The first thing Kat noticed upon entering the room was the surplus of bodies. It had been expected of course but still she was surprised at the amount of extras in the room. She allowed Sydney to lead her to a chair near the head of the table and took a seat in between her sister and father. She recognized some as higher up agents within the JTF. Others were suits; beaurocratic paper pushers who made the decisions, yet never felt their consequences. There was a small mysterious section seated around Carrie and Marshall whom Kat could only assume to be The Rambaldi Experts from The Department of Special Research. It seemed the scroll must have been a true Rambaldi artifact for all of them to be there. The head of the table screamed authority and Kat was surprised to find Ben Devlin sitting among Dixon, Lindsey and Kendall and some higher ups from outside the op center whom she didn't recognize.
It seemed to take an eternity for all to assemble and for Devlin to call the room to order. She tried to listen to his opening remarks and those of Kendall as he explained the last mission, which had recovered Rambaldi's scroll 47. Despite her best efforts to focus her attention on those speaking, it waned with her mental exhaustion, the dullness of the situation and the blah blah blah, Rambaldi, blah blah blah.
Her eyes began to wander studying the other agents. Judging mannerisms had become a habit for her. Analyzing fidgeting, hand gestures and word choice had become her main sources to determine a person's level confidence. If they were truly confident or merely portraying the aura of confidence. She studied them and it took only a few moments to realize they were studying her back.
She glanced around the table rapidly; they were all studying her. They tried to obscure their glances but it was evident the moment she met eyes with any of them. The Rambaldi experts however lacked the ability to be discrete and the more she glanced at the others in the room the more nervous she became wishing the floor would just swallow her whole. Unfortunately she would not be swallowed any time soon and she reset her focus on Kendall.
"You're all aware of what has become known as The Rambaldi Prophecy detailed on Page 47 of his manuscript. The prophecy is that of a woman who has been identified as Agent Sydney Bristow." Kendall changed the slide on the computer monitor to match that of page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript. "The translation is as follows;
'The woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works...bind them with fury; a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky,
behind Mount Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire.'" Kendall paused his eyes meeting Sydney's and ignoring the death glare she gave him for having read the prophecy aloud.
"Page twelve of The Rambaldi manuscript mentioned that Scroll 47 was the key to The Contessa. The scroll, which was retrieved by Kat Bristow, Agent Bristow and others from an old residence of Alexander Khasianu's in St. Petersburg has since been analyzed and decoded. We have made an important discovery in regards to Rambaldi and our search for The Contessa. Ms. Bowman would you continue?" he asked of Carrie and she nodded and stood.
"The scroll was analyzed and decoded using the same procedure as Page 47. Scroll 47 is in essence another prophecy. It's a companion to The Prophecy of The Chosen One, it's The Countess Prophecy." Carrie's eyes locked with Kat's and she could see the regret in them as a copy of scroll 47 was plastered across all the terminal screens and Kat immediately recognized an illustration of herself.
"My eye has not created a double illusion for The Chosen One. For this child is The Countess and she shall grow to determine the future of many. She bears both the visible and invisible scars of pain, suffering and struggle of experience through a lifetime. She shall be the one to bind the fury of The Chosen One, whom I depicted and prophesized to be the demise of this world. This child will be faced with difficult decisions and she shall be forced to use The Contessa and choose between the path of good and that of evil. For evil she shall release a fury unknown to man. If the path of good is chosen she shall bring peace to many who, unknowing, would never experience otherwise. Her choice will not be an easy one for either path will bring with it a grave sacrifice. For this child I aspire that the path she chooses shall be justified with her forgiveness and the acceptance of her destiny."
Kat glanced around at the others biting her lip nervously. The believed it; the absurdity of the entire situation was near laughable if they didn't seem so serious and silently she wished she had listened to Irina and left the scroll where it was. They all honestly believed that she could have the power to do anything even remotely similar to what Carrie had read. "Get real," she finally burst out laughing. "You all can't tell me that you honestly believe that? He's a 500 year old nut case!"