Hey, thanks for all your feedback and for not ripping me to shreads when I put the hiatus on the whole Syd/ Vaughn thing. I promise, I will redeem myself...
Emsta: Because the closer you get, the harder it will be to hide it from him was in direct relation to the search for Jack andSloanethat Sydney was conducting herself.
UConn Fan: Thanks for your comments, they were greatly appreciated.
A/N: Just wanted to give a shout out to any fellowfans of The Clash who might be reading this fic. (You'll see why after reading on...)
Chapter Ten:
A Mother's Duty
Sydney's reaction to the news of Sloane's endgame surprised everybody. She seemed to pull back, demanding less and less that she be part of the task force working on finding Jack.
Kendall, glad to have Sydney out of his hair, powered on with the investigation. Dixon, Weiss and others were all relieved that Sydney had been able to understand Kendall's reasons for keeping her out of the field. Everybody that was, except for Vaughn.
Sydney Bristow would never retreat from a problem- no matter how big the risks were to her. If somebody she cared about was in trouble, she would do anything to help them. Vaughn had experienced that first hand when Will had been kidnapped by Sark.
Sydney was up to something. He knew it.
"Sir, I just spoke with Dolour." Sark announced, entering Sloane's office. "He told the CIA everything you ordered him to."
"Good." Sloane smiled as he reclined back in his chair. "They will be salivating over this."
"Are you sure it wasn't too big a risk to let them in on that information?"
"That information is useless to them. Until they know where we are, they cannot act upon it." Sloane replied. "Has Echelon intercepted any of our communiqué's?"
"I believe so. I'll continue releasing them at irregular intervals." Sark grinned. "It'll keep them occupied for months."
"What's going on?" Sydney asked Vaughn. There was an unnatural buzz surrounding the operations centre that day. Given her new passive attitude, Sydney had planned on just lying low. But something big was happening- something too big to ignore.
Vaughn glanced around to see whether Kendall was in earshot. The orders were to tell Sydney nothing.
"We've got a lead," he said, quietly. "There was a burst transmission over Echelon last night. Possible whereabouts of Sloane."
Sydney's eyes widened. "Where?"
"London."
"Do they think he's been keeping dad there all this time? Or is a new place?"
Vaughn shrugged. "They are still trying to verify whether the intel is reliable. Why?"
"No reason." Sydney replied, as she tried to process the thoughts that were running through her mind. London was where the Alliance headquarters had been situated. There was no way Sloane would have risked keeping her father there. And would he risk moving locations when his situation was so precarious?
"Syd?" Vaughn's voice broke through.
"Sorry." Sydney smiled, desperate to get back to her own notes. She would go back to the start- to look for the smallest of clues of a location. She knew Sloane. She would be able to see things in those files that the CIA couldn't. Her mind racing, she looked up at Vaughn. "I'll be at my desk. Let me know if you find out anything."
Sydney started to walk off but was stopped by Vaughn who grabbed her arm. "What are you up to, Syd?"
"Nothing."
"Don't feed me that. Kendall and everybody else may have accepted this little act of yours, but not me."
Sydney's expression hardened as she jerked her arm out of his grip. "I'm not putting on an act. I've just come to realize what exactly is at stake for me in all of this. Maybe I'm not willing to take the risk this time."
"Come on, Syd. Give me a little more credit than that. I know you and I know that you're working on something."
"Just try and prove it." Sydney shot back, her eyes flashing. "You'll come up with absolutely nothing."
Vaughn shook his head slightly. "Don't get angry with me for showing some concern."
"Well, you are concerned over nothing." Sydney replied, her face passive again. "Now, as I said before, if you need me, I will be at my desk."
"Sloane's playing with us." Kendall announced to Vaughn, Weiss and Dixon. Possible information on Sloane's whereabouts had been coming across Echelon all day. "He knows we're searching for him. This is obviously a ploy to distract us from finding his real location."
"So what is our next step?" Weiss inquired.
"We follow every one of these transmissions, every little iota of information we come across."
"But what if they are all dummy transmissions?" Vaughn pointed out. "What if we are just chasing the elusive white rabbit?"
"Then we are at the exact point that we are now." Kendall replied. "There is nothing to lose in doing this."
"Sir, may I suggest something?" Vaughn started tentatively.
"What?" Kendall sighed condescendingly. He knew exactly what Vaughn was going to say next.
"We should get Sy-Agent Bristow's input on this." Vaughn glanced towards Weiss and Dixon, who were nodding with encouragement. "Ideally we need Jack Bristow when it comes to strategizing on Sloane's next move. But since that is not an option, Sydney is the closest thing we have to Jack. We need her on this. These transmissions- there may be something that she can pick up on."
"Need I remind you, Agent Vaughn, about the personal risk that concerns Agent Bristow if she gets close to Sloane." Kendall paused; a small knowing smile crossed his face. "I would thought that you would be doing anything to keep her out of that situation."
It was bait, but Vaughn was smart enough not to take it. "Sir, I wasn't saying we let her search for Jack and Sloane. But if we could just let her look at the transmissions…"
"The answer is no." Kendall replied shortly, his tone telling them all that the subject was now closed.
Sydney's mind, however, was far from the Echelon transmissions. It was on her mother. Sydney knew Irina was hiding something specific this time. Crucial evidence needed to locate Sloane.
Irina's eyes softened when she saw Sydney approach her cell. "Hello Sydney," she smiled.
"Where is Sloane?" Sydney demanded.
"Sydney, I have not been out of this cell since Kashmir. How could I know where Sloane is?"
"You know something."
Irina looked in Sydney's eyes. "And what if I do? Do you think that I would just direct you to him? I know what lies ahead for The Chosen One and whether you want to believe it or not, it is you. Did you think I would just help you risk your life?"
"Yes." Sydney replied bluntly. "Because it is not only me who is at risk. Dad is out there somewhere and I want…need him home." Sydney paused. "And what about your other daughter- my sister. Do you just want to leave her in Sloane's clutches?"
Irina stood silent for a few seconds before speaking. "I do not know where Sloane is." Sydney let out an exasperated sigh and went to retort, but Irina silenced her by holding up her hand. "I do not know where Sloane is, Sydney, but there is an old contact of mine who just might."
"Who?"
"His name is Anton Pollack."
"How will he know where Sloane is?"
"He was freelancer who did a lot of work for Sloane. What Sloane did not realize was that Pollack was reporting back to me. It was he who gave me the information needed to allow Cole to infiltrate SD-6."
"Will he still be operational? What is he was captured during the Alliance take-down?"
Irina shook her head. "Not likely- as I said he was a freelancer."
"How do I make contact?"
"He works out of a club, here in LA and I'm assuming that it is still the case. Go to the club downtown called Hammersmith Palais. Tell the bouncer you want to speak to the White Man. You'll be taken out the back. Pollack should be there."
"That's it? Ask for the White Man at Hammersmith Palais?" Sydney was surprised. "That's how easy it is."
"Well, that was how it was for me. If you have any trouble with the bouncer, just tell him that The Girl Next Door sent you. Pollack will know it was me who sent you."
"And you are sure that he will have intel on Sloane?"
"I am not totally sure, but he is the only chance you have at the moment."
Sydney nodded. "Thank-you," she said, sincerely before walking away.
The line outside Hammersmith Palais was long and Sydney was impatient. Ignoring the cries of protest and indignation she marched up to the bouncer, who looked at her condescendingly.
"Back of the line, little lady."
Sydney smiled up at him, amused by the fact that this guy had no idea she could drop kick him in a second. However, she decided against publicly humiliating him and motioned for him to bend down so she could whisper in his ear.
"I want to speak with the White Man."
The bouncer's eyebrows rose slightly. "Who sent you?"
"The Girl Next Door."
He nodded and then turned and spoke into his walkie-talkie. Seconds later another bouncer showed up and motioned for Sydney to follow him.
As Sydney followed closely behind the bouncer, manoeuvring the mass of people inside, she felt her heart quicken with every step.
Finally they reached a door at the rear of the club and the bouncer opened it. Sydney entered and saw him.
The White Man.
Anton Pollack.
Her link to finding her father…and Sloane.