Sorry it took so long to get this up! I've been sick, and then working on another story with a friend, and hanging out with friends, and all the usual birthday/holiday crap… but whatever. This isn't the big, long chapter; actually, it's probably going to be kinda short, I just wanted to get back into this since it's been so long. But I promise a long one is coming, cuz school starts in 4 days, and since they're gonna lock me in that place for 4 hours a day, that's plenty of time to do something useful! Maybe I'll even make time to do work this semester.. unique idea, isn't it? Enough rambling, I'm picking up with the last few lines of the last chapter, since it's been so long.
The phone was already ringing as I passed the theater on Kevintod St. I flew into the booth and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" I gasped, more than a little out of breath. An all too familiar voice came across.
"Agent Vaughn. I'm glad you made it."
I could barely breathe, and not just because of the running.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He laughed slightly, more of a smirk than anything. I looked around, trying to see if he was anywhere in sight. Naturally, he wasn't.
"I told you I'd be in touch, didn't I?" He had a point, but still… that was more than a little unexpected.
"Yeah, you did. But you haven't done so in almost 3 weeks, when you were in Nairobi. And I didn't expect that, the next time I heard from you, it would be when I was in New Zealand on Irina's suggestion!"
"That's certainly understandable. However, this isn't the best place for us to be discussing this. Turn around and head into the theater you flew by a few moments ago. We'll talk there." I would have replied, but he had already hung up. So I dropped the phone back into place and walked out of the booth, attempting to regain my composure. At least my breathing had finally steadied.
A moment later, I walked into the theater. It was definitely more private than the phone booth. I wondered when the last play had been performed here. It didn't look like it had seen much usage.
"It's been almost a year. Last February, actually," Jack said, almost as if he read my mind. I nodded to him and ran a hand over my jaw, noting that it had been 3 days since I shaved. But that wasn't important; Jack's presence in Auckland was. I looked at him, waiting for the explanation. He didn't disappoint.
"Surely, Agent Vaughn, you didn't expect that you were the only person I would be in touch with? Before I left, after I had spoken with you at the safehouse, I visited Irina. She gave me the names of a number of old contacts who owed her and would possibly be able to assist me. But she also knew that some of them would refuse to do business with anyone but her. So we agreed that she would stay in CIA custody until christmas. She would continue to assist you in efforts to bring down SD-6, and also in your search for Sydney. And we agreed that if Sydney was back on Christmas, Irina would remain in CIA custody. If, however, Sydney hadn't been found by then, we would meet in a neutral zone: New Zealand." It was a lot to take in, and I wasn't too happy about a lot of it.
"So I had to fly 12 hours in order to find this out?" Jack gave me a look.
"What would you have preferred? That Irina tell you this while she was being monitored by a dozen CIA cameras? Or would you rather I show up on your doorstep and let you know in person that way?" That calmed me down, for the most part. That was certainly understandable.
"Ok, you're right. I'm sorry. But Syd hasn't been found yet, has she?" Jack shook his head, and I sighed.
"So what next? Irina breaks herself out of the Joint Task Forces center and just hops a plane to New Zealand and we all catch up over a cup of coffee?" Jack gave me another look, and I knew I was pushing my luck. But I didn't appreciate being left in the dark. Besides, I didn't see how she would manage to get out of that place. The woman was impressive, sure, but still just one woman. Jack obviously anticipated my doubts, and launched into an explanation before I had even asked any questions.
"Sark is going to help get her out." That stumped me. Sark was in on it too? I wasn't sure how to react to that one; didn't he not know they were double agents? Or had Irina lied to Sydney about that?
"He found out about our double agent status, but not through Irina. She told Sydney the truth. Sark came to me a week after Sydney's disappearance. He told me that Sloane was suspicious, and that if I didn't answer his questions, he would provide ample evidence to confirm Sloane's paranoia." I had to interrupt.
"Like what? If he didn't know, how could he possibly confirm it?" I knew I should've had a second cup of coffee that morning.
"He had pictures. Of you with Sydney, me with Will, me at the warehouse. He said that if I didn't tell him what he wanted to know, he would see to it that Sloane came into possession of all of those."
"So what? That wouldn't prove anything, not about you anyway." I was starting to think I should've taken the whole pot of coffee when I left the restaurant.
"Under normal circumstances, you're right. Sloane would have brushed them away as Sark being paranoid. However, between the thing with Emily's non-death, and my frequent absences from SD-6, he would more than likely have bought into it this time, if only to give the Alliance something tangible, proof of a mole within. Something that would help his standing, which had been taking a beating in light of the numerous failed missions. Sark knew that just as well as I did. So I agreed to answer some questions, on the grounds that they didn't put Sydney in any more danger. I admitted that we were double agents, and that Irina had turned herself in to the CIA, which he had suspected given Sydney's knowledge of things that only 'The Man' had known. That was all he wanted to know. He then offered his assistance if the need arose." I had to cut him off again.
"How do you know Sark didn't give the photos to Sloane anyway?"
"That's what I thought he would do as well. However, I was still with SD-6 for almost 2 more months before the CIA decided to yank me out. In that time, Sark covered for me on more than a few occasions, even giving me credit on some of his missions. And he encouraged Sloane to continue the search for Sydney with a full SD-6 team. I may not like the guy, but he's proven himself, just as Irina has." Ignoring my shock at his admission of trust, I moved on to the next question.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this before? I don't like the guy either, but if Sark and I had combined our efforts, things may have been different. If the three of us, and Irina, were all working together, we may have found Syd." Jack shook his head.
"The intel Irina and Sark have is very similar, if not identical. It would have been a waste of time, for the most part. Besides, you needed to concentrate on keeping your job so you could continue using CIA resources."
"Yeah, because those have obviously been so useful," I noted sarcastically.
"Actually, they have, somewhat." I waited for him to continue, knowing that there had to be more to the statement.
"The info you pulled up at the CIA, the stuff that sent me to Nairobi? I found something there. Someone, I should say. A man named Shannon Haas. He was able to get me in touch with one of Matthew Jericho's former associates, Jeffrey Copeland. Jeff had also worked with Irina and Sark in the past. He was in Battle Creek the night Sydney disappeared." Jack paused, as if searching for the words. I almost didn't want him to continue- what if he was about to tell me that Jeff Copeland had seen Sydney die? But something about his demeanor that morning, I knew that couldn't be it. He had almost seemed happy. I held my breath, not wanting to get my hopes up, but knowing they already were. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was really only 5 seconds, Jack spoke again.
"Jeff was in the car that picked Sydney up. They removed her earpiece and left it at Jericho's house. I don't know what happened to it, but you'll recall it wasn't there when we searched. At any rate, Sydney was knocked out and transported to a helicopter. That was the last Jeff saw of her, and he hasn't been in touch with them in the past few months. But he promised me something, Agent Vaughn: Sydney was alive when she left Battle Creek. And she still is."
Ok, it was a little longer than I thought it would be, but still, it wasn't Plath long. Not that Sylvia Plath wrote really long stuff, but whatever. The Bell Jar was a good book, just wanted to point that out. Anyway, can I get some reviews? Pretty please? The last 2 chapters combined haven't gotten what each of the first 3 got individually… did that make sense? Cuz I kinda just confuzed myself… hope this chapter didn't totally suck! And to everyone who's reviewed: thanks! You reek of so much awesomeness!