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Here's the next part.
They got into the car Zara giving them directions to the other end of town. Once they arrived Zara quickly briefed them.
"Right I will go in first and if I don't come out within an hour leave just go because it probably means someone's waiting for me. When I come out I will put some money in that parking meter" she pointed at the one two spaces ahead "If there is 10 cents come in ten minutes 5 then five. Get the pattern" they both nodded "If I put a dollar in there drive down the street until you come to a small supermarket go inside and mill around. I'll meet you in there"
"What does that mean?" asked Vaughn "And we are not going to leave you Zara"
"You have to" she breathed out calming herself down "Do you want to be tortured and killed? To have everything taken from you?" she asked and they shook their heads slowly "Then do as I tell you. I will find a way back and the dollar means that they don't want you to come in so I'll get the stuff and leave"
"Are you sure this will work?" asked Sydney
"No but now is the time to find out" she went to open the door then stopped again "And by the way when you come pretend to be tourists. What language can you both speak?"
"French" said Vaughn
"Good ok they speak French just speak that ok?" they nodded "See you in a bit"
"Good luck" they said together.
She got out of the car pulled the hat down further over her eyes and walked over the road plaiting her hair as she went. She walked into a small bar with the legend "Jokers Bar for all you loonies" written across a large sign.
They waited for about twenty minutes listening to the radio quietly and pretending to be reading. Sydney put a hand on Vaughn's arm and he looked up. They saw Zara jogging across the road and put some money in the parking meter, she didn't even look in their direction but walked back across the road and walked into the bar.
Vaughn got out of the car after she was safely inside and went to the meter. When he got back in the car he showed her the coin.
"Five minutes then" she said and he nodded. He looked at her.
"Are you alright with this?"
"Yeah I suppose. She really has given us no reason not to trust her and you can't fake reactions like that"
"I know" he said stretching his arms "I just don't want to go in there unarmed it seems like a rough place"
"Yeah" she looked at the clock "Shall we go mon amie?"
"Oui, nous allons maintenant" (Yes we go now) he got out and she followed him. He locked the car then walked over to where she was standing on the other side of the road.
"Ok?" he whispered
"Yeah I think so"
They walked inside Vaughn put a hand on her lower back to make sure they stayed close together. It took several seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dimmer light inside. They both scanned the room for Zara, they saw her at the bar sitting on a tall stool talking quietly to the barman who seemed to know her.
The barman himself couldn't have been more than a few years younger than Sydney but seemed older. He was tall with short black hair and almost black eyes he had a scar running from his hairline to just above his left eyebrow and then it curved back to his hairline. He looked at them as they walked over and sat at the bar near to Zara.
"What can I get you?"
"Je ne comprend pas, nous sommes français" said Vaughn smiling (I don't understand, we are French.)
"Ah ok" he said turned to Zara who took the mat on the bar and turned it round 180 degrees "Well Little you are the linguist can you talk to these customers?" he asked Zara who nodded.
"Course Boom" she turned to them and something flickered in the depth of her eyes
"Salut. Voulez vous une boisson?" (Hello would you like a drink?)
"Oh svp" (Oh please) said Sydney "Nous voyagions pour 3 heures. Peut-être un jus d'orange?" (We have been travelling for 3 hours. Maybe an orange juice?)
"Je peux avoir une limonade svp?" said Vaughn (Can I have a lemonade please?)
"A lemonade and an orange juice" said Zara to the bartender seemingly called Boom.
Zara continued to talk to them as Boom disappeared to find the drinks.
"Es tu ok?" said Sydney (Are you ok?)
"Oui" she said "Ils veulent parler avec vos, dans 5 minutes. Nous allons aller dans la salle dernier. Vous pouvez parler anglais la." (They want to talk with you, in 5 minutes. We are going to go into the back room. You can talk English there)
"Ok" said Vaughn "As-tu tes affaires?" (Do you have your things?)
"Non" she said "Je les récupérerais après" (No. I'll get them after)
"Ok"
They talked for five more minutes in which Boom came back with their drinks. Zara led them to the back of the bar as Boom shooed the other customer out and shut up. As the customer left Zara started to talk in English.
"You have a French parent don't you?" she asked Vaughn.
"Yes, my mother. How could you tell?"
"You always can; they, we speak differently with an accent. She's from…Normandy isn't she?"
"Yes, you speak like a Parisian"
"Mum lived in Paris growing up"
Sydney listened to them talk about France as they waited for the door to open. She couldn't help thinking about their failed dinner date. They fell silent as the door opened. Zara gave them an encouraging smile as she walked in. She wasn't frisked for weapons but they were by the man who stood by the door.
After being cleared they followed Zara through another door and into a large well lit room. There were 6 people sitting round the table ages ranging from about 18 to 50.
The youngest was a girl with bobbed red hair then Boom the bartender then another of about the same age but he had brown dreadlocks. The next was a woman in who looked about the same age as the bartender. She looked like a business woman in a suit with black hair and eyes.
The two furthest away were the oldest. Both men were in their late fifties one already had white hair and piercing blue eyes. The other's hair only had a few streaks of grey. Zara bowed to them with a smile on her face. They got up to greet her all six hugging her and speaking words of welcome.
Zara was seated between the two old men and they spoke to her of a minute before they looked at Sydney and Vaughn. They stood to attention as all six looked them over then the man sitting on Zara's right spoke up (the one with white hair.)
"Wy jesteście jego córka" Sydney and Vaughn looked at Zara to translate.
"One nie rozumieją Pa" said Zara (They don't understand you Pa)
"Wy tłumaczycie potem, Zara" he said and she nodded. (You translate then Zara)
"I'm going to translate for you" she said "Pa says 'You are Jack Bristow's daughter'" the old man was looking at Sydney then said something else "He is honoured to meet the daughter who has helped to try and bring them down and" she paused to listen "The two of you have caused quite an impression on them"
The man's gaze fixed on Vaughn and he was taken aback to find compassion there and he started to speak
"He says he is sorry that you were a mission if…if he had know she was here he would have made sure she was…taken care of. He says he knows what it like to be used by someone you think loves you" Vaughn smiled
"Thank you" he said looking at the man who nodded his understanding. The man on Zara's right spoke up.
"We are all grateful to you for keeping our Little safe" he had a thick Russian accent. He got up and started to walk around the table
"We would like to help you. May I introduce you to Jackie Killian" he put his hands on the shoulders of the youngest nodded her head to them "She is the best at strategies I have ever seen no mission that she has planned has failed."
The young girl blushed at the compliment and frowned at him he smiled. He moved onto the next man
"This is Jacob Filipov normally know as Boomerang, Boom for short. He gathers information also a bit of a tech wizard and my son" he moved on to the man with dreadlocks "This is our weapons expert, Thomas Jackson and this" he put his hands affectionately on the young woman's shoulders "is my daughter Anna Filipov she takes care of the general running of things from money to discipline even is she is a bit hard on her brother"
The woman narrowed her eyes at her father who just carried on around the table
"And last but not least is Yann Kowal he is our contact and another informant. I am Ivan Filipov."
Sydney and Vaughn shared a glance at the name they could tell from the other's face that it was familiar
"I know you are Sydney Bristow but I do not know your friend's name."
"My name is Michael Vaughn" he said "We are very pleased that you agreed to see us Mr Filipov"
Vaughn was about to say something else when he saw Mr Kowal's expression. He started to talk quickly in polish. Zara quickly translated.
"He says he recognised you when you walked in but he couldn't place it. You look very like your father"
"You knew my father?" asked Vaughn and the man nodded.
"He worked with him on many occasions. He said he was a good man and he often talked about you and your mother and showed him pictures. It was a shame about his death" Sydney stiffened at that and Vaughn noticed and put a hand on her arm. "He apologises" said Zara "He had forgotten she was your mother" Sydney smiled at the old man.
"It is ok. I shouldn't care"
"He says he knows what it is like and it was not your fault"
"Can Mr. Kowal understand English Zara?" asked Sydney
"Oh yes. Pa just hates speaking it" she smiled at the old man.
"I understand from Zara that she has to go back to the CIA" said Filipov
"Yes until this is all over it is the safest place for her" said Vaughn
"Trust me Agent Vaughn she can take care of herself easily" said Boom "She has been beating me at sparring for three years now"
"Jake" said Zara warningly he just smiled at her.
"We can help you capture her" said Filipov.
"You will have to talk to the CIA about that" said Sydney warily. Kowal started to speak.
"He says that they will need their help setting it up and as long as they can overlook a few things they will help bring the them down." Zara translated then said
"Syd, Vaughn these people you see here have kept me alive for the best part of 6 years and they are big names in there. They have the power to get the intelligence you need and the power to set you free from all this." She looked at the people round the table eyes settling on Filipov "A lot of these people have done things that they would be killed for but it was for the Covenant when they didn't know what it was"
"We are trying to turn more agents over all the time some come over and some don't but they will never tell" said Anna "My brother can get anybody to listen to him and he has turned many agents"
"We will have to have you talk to my father and Dixon" said Sydney.
"That is ok" said Anna "We will have to work out the best way we can help you"
Kowal started to speak again and Zara translated
"He said we should go now and come back in three days with everyone needed to make this work they will send word of where to meet and when using the usual procedures. I know them don't worry."
"Ok we'll go now and meet in three days then" said Filipov the rest sitting at the table nodded "Is that alright with you two?" Sydney and Vaughn looked at each other then nodded. "Jake give Zee the key to her room"
Everybody got up and walked out the door.
Once they were in the bar Boom walked behind the bar and picked up a key throwing to Zara who caught it neatly throwing him a coin back. He looked at it and mimed throwing it back at her with force. She didn't flinch just stick her tongue out at him.
"You English and your measly tips" he grinned at her.
"But I'm not really that English am I?"
"Then the blame passes onto the French and Russian's too"
"You're Russian you idiot"
"I know and I know we are tight fisted bastards apart from when drunk"
"Oh shut up" she said "I'll see you in three days"
"Ok Zee. See you" Zara turned to Sydney and Vaughn.
"Do you want to go?"
"Where is your room?" asked Sydney
"Across the street right by where we're parked actually" she smiled at them "Come on"
TBC
Hope you like.