Chapter 4 : Phase One
8 days later, above the Atlantic Ocean
Sydney and Vaughn are sitting together aboard a Boeing which is bringing them to South Africa. The past few days allowed them to restore a fragile harmony between them. Vaughn is sweet, attentive and conciliating; he wants above all to have Sydney forget his awful behaviour with Dr Lee.
Sydney remembers these past few days almost happily. Their compatibility is coming back again. The only shadow remaining in her life is her father... or rather Jack... the mystery of her life: a friend, a foe, or an ally? What is he? She had avoided him during the past days.
This man is very strange, very complex. She can't tell with certainty where his loyalties lie. It was the first time she thought of him in this way... as a man. Sydney was disturbed to see him appear a week ago with slightly swollen lips and on his neck... she had not been certain at that moment but once she had to look at him several times, she had confirmed... yes... a hickey! He had even blushed slightly when he realized his nocturnal activities were known by her and even by many of their colleagues.
Sydney had never thought her father lived like a monk, but she hadn't ever thought about this side of him after her mother's "death". Certainly, because she had never faced it until now. She was abruptly forced to confront this reality, and she couldn't explain why she was disturbed. Of course, Jack owed Irina nothing, he is free, but yet... which woman could have found favour with Jack while he only sees the agent in his own daughter? She felt a twinge of sorrow and jealousy.
She sighs and looks at her companion. He is reading the latest issue of TIME, and seems to be engrossed by a particular article. She takes tenderly his hand and he tilts his head up and stares at her. They smile at each other and exchange a long gaze. Then, Vaughn bends over the armrest and gives her a sweet kiss.
Warmbath district, Pretoria
They had been in Pretoria for several days. The University of the South Africa, the UNISA, found them a nice house in the surrounding neighbourhood of the city, near the university in which Sydney will teach English and American literature.
Sydney and Vaughn settled in. Their house looks like the colonial houses of the district. It's a two-story white mansion with enormous, well-lit rooms. On the second floor, they have connecting bedrooms, and also a vast and beautiful bathroom and a guest room. The first floor is pleasant too, with kitchen, a large office and living room. The house is in a posh area where all the buildings are surrounded with well-kept green lawns and trees.
The start of the new academic year will be soon, and Sydney has twenty days left in order to prepare herself. She is very excited about teaching -- it's a profession she would have liked so much if the circumstances were different.
However, she will be given the opportunity to experience life as a professor with this mission during a year, and perhaps longer. It's a good test. Once all this story over, she intends to be the only one to choose her future life and she is attracted to teaching.
She already had made the acquaintance of the Dean of the UNISA, a delightful, courteous, and cultured man who is very happy to get a new professor. The meeting went very well; they talked about the program, schedule, syllabus and the education politics of the university. He explained to her the difficulties that have to do with a multi-ethnic and polyglot country. Sydney had taken advantage of this meeting to hide bugs and camera in his office as well as in the secretariat and the library as well.
The goal of this mission mustn't be forgotten, and it's time to go to Johannesburg in the south-west. They have a plane to catch...
Johannesburg Airport
Sydney and Vaughn are waiting outside of a hangar, a guard with a dog just walked past them. They have to wait to avoid drawing the dog's attention.
Sydney unlocks the door and they walk in the hangar. They approach the twenty-seat plane which is their target. Vaughn rummages through in his bag and extracts C4 bars, its detonator and a green device which will lead tomorrow the aircraft to its destiny.
Sydney remembers with a slight smile the briefing with Marshall who got mixed up between his tech-specifications and his pride to talk about his little Mitchell and his progress.
"... You'll have to put it just underneath the pilot's console, to plug the green wire in the blue connector and... Did already I tell you that Mitch... Mitch is my little boy... Oh! You have to see him. He smiles all the day... he babbles... ga ga... and with his little hands... they are very little..." Marshall imitates his son with his own mouth and hands.
"Marshall, the plane!" says Jack sharply.
"Oh! Yes... Of course, Sir! Where I was? Oh! Yes! The green wire in the bleu connector and the brown one on the metal structure of the cockpit. And this marvel of technology will fly the plane alone and it'll short the evasive action of the automatic anti-collision system."
Marshall mimics sounds with his words, "The other plane is equipped with the same device. They'll search each other... find both... and at last hit, and... above the Atlantic ocean : BOOM! And..."HELP! HELP!"... Everybody will be thrown into a panic... It's a disaster!... They'll send planes and ships to search... Oh my God! They are all dead!..."
Marshall stops. "...Huh! Except that there won't be any dead bodies... because there won't be anybody on the planes... Our guys will have jumped with parachutes!...Did I tell you my little boy turns on his side by himself?...Ah! He's a great boy!"
Sydney follows all of Marshall's directions. As she lights herself with a flashlight, she unscrews the panel, connects the wires together, switches the device on and closes the panel.
Vaughn places the C4 on the plane. The craft will have to be blown to pieces so not to leave evidence.
Once their tasks completed, they leave discreetly to return home, leaving the plane behind without a trace of their presence.
Phase Two of the operation can begin.
TBC
THe other chapter, it's short.