A/N: Aren't you guys proud? I wrote this chapter on the plane to London because my TV didn't work. It just took me a little while to type it up, and of course, get back into my time zone. My trip however was fantastic. If any of you ever have the opportunity to go on Ambassador of Music programs, take it. You'll be exhausted, but you'll have a blast! Thank you all for your reviews! I even got to read some of them in a Cyber Café in Switzerland! Anyway, so on with the show!

SPOILER ALERT: Once again I've made only slight references to the Alias Prequel series of Infiltration. And if anyone hasn't read any books from the series, you should at least read that one.

Kiki: Oh no, someone get some smelling salts! Or a new update? Hehehehe…

Neptunestar: Sorry 'bout that little mistake with Donovan. I'll go back in fix it later. And you're right, I don't update enough, but I'll see what I can do about that. Intrigued?

Fair Cate: Thank you!

Chapter 19

            "Hendriki is dead," Dixon announced to the group of agents that included the five people who had been on the unsuccessful Poland mission. Vaughn still couldn't get out of his mind the sight of the black helicopter floating away with Sydney inside. They had been so close.

            "He was found dead in one of the rooms in Poland. Obvious signs of torture were evident. We are to assume that whatever Hendriki knew about the Passenger the Covenant now knows too. Unfortunately we can't be sure how much they do know, but our research has provided little in uncovering this particular Rambaldi mystery. As a result, every available man will focus on the Passenger."

            Vaughn's eyebrows narrowed angrily as the creases on his forehead deepened. "What about Sydney? We can't just forget about her! We need to track her down."

            Dixon sighed. "Believe me, Sydney is a top priority, but the Covenant isn't looking for information from the CIA. They're looking for something that only Sydney can provide. My guess is that Sydney may know what the Passenger is and how to find it. If that's the case, the two missions will coincide."

            "That's a pretty big assumption," Vaughn said standing. "But okay, let's say that Sydney does know something about the Passenger. Why should we wait for the Covenant to torture her so that they find the Passenger first only to leave Sydney for dead when they've got what they want?"

            "Because," Dixon said sternly, "we have no other choice." Dixon stepped close to Vaughn so that they were only a few inches apart. "I know what happens to agents in the field, Agent Vaughn. Not only have I seen it, but I've been through it myself. I am one of the last people who ever wants to even imagine Sydney going through any of that. But because Poland was a bust, we now have to wait for Sark and Lauren to resurface before we can track down Sydney. It sucks, but in this life, when we need time, it isn't there, and we don't it drives us crazy."

            Vaughn stared back into Dixon's eyes and fell back into his seat quietly. Every word Dixon had said was correct, he just hated every moment of it.

19191919

            Anna Espinosa was pissed. They had spent three days digging in the coordinates that Sydney had given them and had found nothing. Anna should have known that even under a truth serum, Sydney Bristow would not give up the coordinates so easily.

            Anna couldn't help but smile as she thought of her arch nemesis. They had been through so much together, and both had numerous opportunities to kill the other, but surprisingly, neither had done so. Anna couldn't really explain why that was. Here she had Sydney in her custody, and she had already led Anna astray. Under normal circumstance, Anna would have killed her hostage and begun looking for another source for her information. Sydney however, was different. Not only did she and Anna have a history, but she was also leverage against the CIA. If Anna had to resort to a ransom situation she would, but she was hoping that another method would arise since ransoming was not only time consuming, but deadly for both sides.

            She suddenly looked down as the LCD screen of her cell phone illuminated and vibrated silently.

            "Yes?" Anna inquired, keeping her tone slightly irritated.

            "I've got a lead that may interest you," Sark responded in his attractive British accent. Anna never understood how he had even gotten involved with the Russians to begin with, but his loyalties, though flexible under life-threatening situations, were as strong as one could possibly get in a business where people are taught to trust no one.

            "I'm listening."

            "Agent Bristow murmured a name during a period of unconsciousness," Sark said slightly smug but slightly perplexed as well.

            "What name?"

            "Nadia." Anna leaned forward in her chair, invisibly to Sark.

            "Neither myself nor Lauren have heard of Nadia before," Sark continued.

            "Did she say anything else?" Anna asked urgently. This may turn out to be the lead she needed.

            "Unfortunately, no, but during whatever dream she seemed to be having, she was shouting it quite urgently."

            "I want you to research this Nadia and get back to me when you find something useful." Anna let the word hand there. In this line of work "useful" could be anything from a sort of bargaining tool to the source of information in itself.

            "There's one other thing," Sark said somewhat hesitantly. "There was a CIA raid on our Poland facility."

            "And?" Anna demanded sharply.

            "We're heading to Moscow."

            "So am I to assume that Sydney is still in your custody?" Anna asked.

            "Yes."

            "Good. Then I'll see you in Moscow when I have finished here. And Sark," Anna said as an after thought. "I want you to identify our leak and plug it up."
            "It's already been taken care of."

19191919

            Vaughn shivered slightly as he paced in a damp alley in downtown Los Angeles. He had contacted Nadia through the e-mail account that she had given him and she had replied back with a simple address and the word "alone" immediately following. Vaughn wasn't looking forward to telling Nadia that Sydney had not come home and that the CIA's main concern right now was finding the Passenger. Not to mention that Vaughn got no gratification in finding Hendriki dead, because in the end, Lauren had still gotten away unharmed and Sydney was still in her custody. Not to mention that Hendiki was becoming a good source of information on Covenant activities.

            Vaughn had pondered on what he would do when he met his "wife" face-to-face after finding out her secret. In fact, he had had no problem returning the fire that was being thrown so mercilessly onto him. Vaughn didn't think at that moment he would have any greater enjoyment than seeing one of his bullets darken Lauren's chest as she fell to her knees pleading for her pathetic life. But not only had the woman he wanted to see die by his own hands get away, but so did the woman he wanted to embrace in his arms. This only increased his rage.

            "Hey," a voice said quietly form the darkness. Vaughn looked up startled as his eyes focused on the shadowed figure blurred by the falling dusk.

            "Hi," Vaughn responded awkwardly. There was a moment of silence, as neither of them knew what to say like two friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.

            "Nice place," Vaughn said with a small smile.

            "I figured we could handle anyone who crossed our path if such an event were to occur," Nadia said smiling back. Another moment passed and all traces of smiles and laughter disappeared.

            "Sydney didn't come back, did she?" Nadia asked suddenly.

            "No, Lauren and Sark got away and our source that had been inquiring about the passenger was killed." Vaughn answered. The moment he said those words however, something passed across her eyes, and to his surprise it looked like relief, but in the darkness it was too difficult to be certain.

            "What's the CIA's next move?" Nadia inquired.

            "It's not Sydney," Vaughn muttered bitterly. They're focused on the Passenger."

            Nadia was silent. Vaughn had a feeling that Nadia knew something about the passenger that he didn't, but he had no reason not to trust her at this point, but of course, he had no reason to trust her either.

            "So what's our next move?" Vaughn coaxed ignoring his desire to ask her what she was hiding.

            "I'll ask some of my contacts who have dealings with the Covenant to see if they've detected any movements. I recommend that you focus on the Passenger."

            "What? Why?" Vaughn asked, the disbelief apparent on his face.

            "First of all, we want you to remain active at the CIA. We can't let your position be compromised whether it's by you getting killed, capture, fired, or put on suspension for a rogue mission. Second of all, the Covenant now knows that we're onto them. They're going to be watching the CIA more closely. I don't want them scared into hiding. Sydney is safer if the CIA focuses on the Passenger."

            "And what makes you think that you can get around without the Covenant knowing?" Vaughn shot back childishly, but he was angry that he was being forced to sit behind a desk and do nothing.

            Nadia's eyes narrowed. "Because the Covenant doesn't know about me, and my sources are more…discreet than the CIA's at times. Look Agent Vaughn, I know you're frustrated, but we're going to have to trust each other if this is going to work."

            Vaughn sighed. "You're right. I just…I just want all this to end."

            "It will," Nadia said, her voice softening. "But until then, we will have to work with caution. I'll contact you within a few days. Hopefully with news."

            "Hopefully."

19191919

            There was no one that Sydney had ever wanted to kill in her life more than Lauren Reed. Not only had she taken Vaughn from her, hurt him emotionally, and Sydney physically, but she was standing in front of Sydney now with an overly confident smile on her face that made any happy thoughts about the CIA discovering Lauren's secret go away. Not to mention that she was waking up with a splitting headache. However, as she looked around, she saw that her setting was quite different from her previous one, though in some ways it was the same.

            The white walls were gone, and in their place was a sickly green colored layer of paint that no person in their right mind would even decorate a room with. The floor was concrete, and lacking the distinguished white tile that had made the previous room feel somewhat sanitary. Cabinets decorated the left wall in the same grotesque color as the wall, and a sink that was once white had been dyed a light beige color.

            "Glad to see you're awake, Agent Bristow," Lauren said standing up from a worn brown chair.

            "You know, when I heard that I would be working next to the famous Sydney Bristow who almost single-handedly took down the Alliance, I thought I would be in for a challenge. Unfortunately, I'm finding your abilities to be less developed than I expected. In fact," Lauren said standing by Sydney's restrained feet. "You have three major weaknesses as an agent. Your love for your friends, especially Michael Vaughn, your stubbornness, and the fact that you talk in your sleep." Sydney froze. She knew that talking in her sleep had been one of her major weaknesses, but only once before did she remember it ever compromising her position, and oddly enough it was during the time that she was working undercover with K-Directorate. While sleeping in the medical wing after having passed out on her first and only mission while working at K-Directorate she had inadvertently said her real name and K-Directorate's tech guy had overheard. Thankfully however, he was willing to help her escape.

            The only other time she could recall talking in her sleep was actually one of Sydney's fonder memories. When both she and Vaughn were quarantined to the CIA's medical wing while being tested for a disease they may have caught in Taipei, she had awoken to find Vaughn staring at her. He then told her that while she had been sleeping she had murmured the words "Don't frost the pie," over and over again. Unfortunately, Sydney couldn't remember that dream well enough to comprehend how "Don't frost the pie" fit in.

            However, after her experience with K-Directorate, Sydney had specifically requested the CIA to help her in techniques to avoid revelations during periods of sub- consciousness, so when Lauren had said that was one of her weaknesses, Sydney had no choice but to agree.

            Lauren seemed to be enjoying Sydney's unsettled discomfort, but she soon raised Sydney's anxiety level a few more notches.

            "Who is Nadia?" Lauren remained at Sydney's feet but she crossed her arms in satisfaction as if she had cornered Sydney into a trap.

            "I have no idea," Sydney answered honestly, but she knew that all the honesty in the world wasn't going to make Lauren Reed believe her.

            "I was hoping you'd say that," Lauren said as she turned her back on Sydney and opened one of the cabinets. This time she didn't remover any taser or any other crude form of torture. In her hand was a simple headset that was hooked up to a machine. The two circles that completely covered the ears were blue and padded. The long band that conned the two earpieces was black and looked to be made out of some sort of hard plastic.

            "Since you're so good at avoiding the truth serum, I think it's time we tried out this new toy. It will put you to sleep with low sounding tones that will help us tune into your subconscious. You could call it an electrical truth serum from the technology generation."

            Sydney filled with dread. Not only had they figured out she had give the wrong coordinated, but they had decided to target her most uncontrollable weakness.