Chapter Two : Rendezvous.

CIA conference room

The next day, all the agents are gathered in the same conference room before. Jack Bristow, sitting in his usual chair, offers a new strategy which meets the requirements of both the DEA and the theater of operation.

"To sump up, we have to break up the crime syndicate, cut Sherrinford's financial supports, find out for who he works for... either Sloane, the Covenant, someone else... and lastly find and recover the Rambaldi artifact."

"Now, what do you know?" Who is asking this question?

"We have been able to identify some members of the network and some suspected accomplices among the airport maintenance staff. We strongly suspect Sherrinford of being the boss of this large South-African crime organization and Triklhet of being his accountant. Sherrinford belongs to the fashionable circles of South African society where he must have many contacts, and perhaps accomplices whom he would have had no difficulty in bribing.
Our mission, therefore, demands different levels of infiltrations in various networks. The DEA will take care of the traffic section while we have to do the same with the Rambaldi network of activities, the illegal art trade, and the transportation means section.
I suggest agents Bristow and Vaughn for the Rambaldi one. Their covers will respectively be a professor of the University of Pretoria and a professional photographer. They'll be married."

Sydney and Michael look at each other and trade mischievous smiles. Dixon nods his approval while Devlin makes a sign for Jack to continue. No one else dares to say a word.

"The illegal art trade and the transportation issue can be infiltrated during the same operation. It demands an agent in the highest level of South African air security direction. He'll have to be able to access all the files, move in the fashionable society circles and then determine the best option to break up these networks. He will also have to leave himself open to be bribed in order to…"

Sydney interrupts him. "Who do you suggest?" she demands curtly. "It's the most delicate part of the mission. Weiss ?"

Having heard his name, Weiss holds his head up, "Sorry. I don't think I'm the ideal person."

Dixon intervenes, "We all know we only can entrust this mission to Agent Bristow' s care." He turns to Jack and continues, "Your knowledge in aeronautics and your former cover within SD-6 designate you."

Inwardly, Sydney knew it was the obvious solution. Despite herself, she couldn't help admiring once more the unconventional intelligence of this man whom she despised more than anyone at present.
A heavy silence takes hold of the room. After having leafed through Jack's proposal, Devlin surveys the group and finally gives his approval, "OK! Jack, you'll go with Agent Weiss and a newcomer at the Los Angeles office, Agent Van Der Meer. I agree with the others operation phases and the DEA infiltration. You will handle the coordination of the mission in South Africa. I wish you all good luck!"

Devlin leaves the room.

Jack calls out to Marshall who is tinkering with an odd device, "Marshall! You are coming with us!"

Marshall starts, "Ja… Agent Bristow, Sir, I… I don't go in the field."

"Marshall, you'll take care of the technical aspects of the mission."

"Yes, Sir… Sir?"

He is beginning to get on Jack's nerves. "Yes?"

"Carrie, Sir…I want to say... Ms. Flink…"

He interrupts him, "She come with us too." He turns to leave but stops. "Marshall?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Call me Jack!"

"Uh… Of course, Sir…Of course, Jack."

"How do you intend to infiltrate the air security direction?" asks Sydney bluntly.

"A plane accident…"

The room is emptying, and Jack waits for Sydney. When she gets near him, he says, "Sydney, a moment."

Sydney stops before him and stares at him, "Yes?"

Once alone, Jack resumes, obviously ill at ease. "I would like for us to broach the matter of your discoveries in Wittenberg. In fact… In fact, you would have never found this top-secret file…"

"Jack, nothing, absolutely nothing can erase what I read in that file. You won't restore the trust between us either. Your ceaseless lies are more harmful than your actions. I'm tired to hope that perhaps one day you will see me as your daughter. I'm only the illustration of your weakness and the reminder of your fallibility. You are pathetic," Sydney says to this stranger who keeps exasperating her. She has never managed to understand him. And she can control her anger anymore as in Wittenberg, she bends her head and remembers their encounter, her sharp reaction…

All the sadness and distress and rancour that had been building in her since her resurrection suddenly blow up and she gives vent to her limitless burning rage. Jack becomes her only target.
Then she pours out her anger on him, and the intensity grows within as she sees the lack of concern he displays. At last the impulse has been assuaged, she breaks off breathless. They look at each other straight in the eyes. Jack remains silent. They size each other up. Catlike, they are ready to clash. Jack blocks the only available exit. The tension between them is palpable, the atmosphere is full of electricity and anger.

Then Sydney gathers together the files. Determined, she moves forward. "He can do whatever he wishes!" she says to herself, and she ignores him as she gets near him. Hopeful, she walks by him, but his powerful hand grabs her arm as she is about to cross the threshold, throwing her into a state of uncertainty. He grabs the files and roughly brutally snatches them from her hands.

Jack absorbs her harsh words without replying. What could he say or do to ease her distress? The truth burns from the inside and it hurts. "Sydney, you can't really think that…"

She interrupts him again, "Talk to me about SAB 47. Why is my own father the director of the project?"

"No! It's impossible. It's an Omega 17 fi…"

"Have I ever had one moment of liberty in my life? Have you always programmed everything that happened? Weiss, Marshall, Dixon, are they my colleagues or your collaborators?" The anger grows, she must control herself. She has a master game theorist before her, and if she wants to throw him off balance, she'll have to play better. Keep calm! Keep Calm!

"Did you plan my first flirt ? My first kiss? The loss of my…"

"Sydney!"

"What do you know about Rambaldi? How far are you involved with it? What are your links with him?" Couldn't he see that the little girl in her is venting both her distress and her love? She wants to be accepted as Sydney, not as Agent Bristow!

"There are things I can tell you, others I can explain, but everything that has to do with this file is classified." Jack says. "It's no good, it won't work!". This hopeless thought crossed his mind the moment when he had said the words.

Immediately, the answer he so much dreaded bursts out, "Then, don't come to me to play the father! We have nothing else to say to each other. You are my superior, I'll respect that, but you aren't my father any longer!"

"Then, behave properly! Like a professional!" Jack's retort is sharp, cold and final. His glare is so icy that it would freeze Hell itself. Sydney is still standing open-mouthed when he leaves the room, leaving a wave of icy bitterness.

That evening, a parking lot

Jack is sitting in his car, his laptop on his lap. He tries for the umpteenth time to establish a connection with a contact, but his message hasn't been answered yet. Frustrated, he punches the steering wheel, tilts his head back on the headrest and shuts his eyes. He sighs deeply; this is not the time to lose his self-control.
His stare lost far away, he thinks about the conversation he had today with the little girl he loves so much.

Hopeful, she walks by him, but his powerful hand grabs her arm as she is about to cross the threshold, throwing her into a state of uncertainty. He grabs the files roughly from her hands.

She turns to him and she spitefully hurls at him, "Don't touch me! Don't come near me! And don't you ever talk to me! You always were and you always will be a stranger to me!"

Her throat tight with emotion, totally exasperated, she walks out of the room... or more exactly Jack lets her leave.

She called him Jack! She couldn't hurt him more. Straight in the heart. Sydney, couldn't you understand me? Can you imagine how much I loved her? More than my life… more than everything… I would have done anything to keep her…even the worst mistake… the worst pact.

IRINA? DAMN YOU! IRINA! you couldn't hurt me more. Why did you do that? If only he knew the answers, he could find the peace...

Then again, the anger threatens to overcome him, "It's all…"

And, he tries another connection, to Katya this time. He waits a couple of minutes before she comes online.

"Daniels-Jack : Request contact. Need intel."
"Kat-Isis : About?"
"Daniels-Jack : Covenant activities in South Africa."

A moment later, she writes him a clear message, clear in many ways...

" Kat-Isis : rendezvous tomorrow 21:00, Motel Palmrise, room 607."