1Chapter II.
LOS ANGELES
The phone traced had done nothing. The call was made from a phone booth in Phoenix, Arizona. The investigation of the mysterious call had stopped when a group of detectives hired by the CIA found that the phone booth was gone when they reached Phoenix. Sydney was now paranoid.
No other calls came that night. Sydney had called her father first after she heard the message. He rushed over and set up the phone trace through APO. Sydney didn't remember much. She was in a complete haze of confusion that whole night and she did not sleep.
She now was sitting at her desk at APO practically falling asleep. She at the moment was waiting for information on the search of Mr. Madeira's hotel floor. Mr. Madeira was still in the cell. APO had received no word about what to do with him. They'd probably move him to a different more secure cell and keep him just incase he might be needed later on.
Rachel walked up to Sydney. Sydney looked up as she approached.
"We received some information," said Rachel. "We're having a briefing in five minutes."
Five minutes later, Sydney, Jack, Rachel, Dixon, Grace, Sloane, and Marshall were all in the briefing room. All of them were sitting. Jack began.
"The hotel search has finished. We did not find the artifact in the hotel," announced Jack.
"Was anything found?" asked Sydney.
"Yes," answered Jack. "A location. In a safe found in a backroom there was a folder that had to do with Rambaldi. It unfortunately did not give us any new information but there was a piece of paper with an address on it. The address is of a house in the Azores."
"The Azores are a group of nine islands belonging to Portugal. Emanuel Madeira was born there," informed Sloane.
"Of the nine islands, the house is on the smallest one, called Corvo," said Jack. "We are sending a small team to infiltrate the building but we believe it is deserted. Agent Grace and Agent Dixon, you both will be going with the team. You will be leaving in an hour."
PORTUGAL
Grace and Dixon were the first ones out of the van. They were not heavily armed and neither was the other five men on the team. The group approached the single story house. It was a fairly wealthy house with a large fence surrounding it. The group approached the locked fence. The lock was broken by a tool carried by one of the men on the team.
Dixon entered the yard first followed by Grace. The group walked down the driveway up to the house.
"We are approaching the house," Dixon said into his mouth piece.
"Alright," said Jack who was back in Los Angeles with Sydney, Rachel, and Marshall listening to Dixon's voice. "Proceed."
The group removed their guns. Dixon approached the door. He kicked open the door and the group proceeded into the house. It was dark inside and all the blinds were shut. There was dust on everything yet there was plenty of furniture. The group spread amongst the house.
"Nobody's lived here for years," said Grace to Dixon.
"I hope so," said Dixon. He shut the door. Just as he did so, a fire of bullets were heard.
"What's going on?" asked Jack.
"I don't know," answered Dixon. Dixon and Grace rushed down a long hallway with four members of the team. There were many open doors and at the last door on the right was where the bullets were being fired. As the continued down the hall the bullets stopped and a woman rushed into the hallway. The team stopped and she spotted them. Right away she fired her gun.
The team dived in attempts to dodge the bullet. Dixon went into a room that came off of the hallway. Grace did so as well. He entered a room not far from the one Dixon was in.
"Who's there?" asked Jack.
"It's Kelly Peyton," answered Grace.
Sydney looked briefly at Rachel. Kelly Peyton was Rachel's former friend and co-worker.
"Is she alone?" asked Jack.
"I'm not sure," answered Grace.
One guard was still in the hallway and firing down it. Kelly had hid back into the room. He held his fire as silence filled the house. Then a shot was heard and Grace and Dixon saw him fall to the floor as blood seeped through his shirt.
"Man down," said Dixon.
Grace twisted his body slightly so he didn't expose his whole self into the hallway. He aimed his gun down the hallway and at his first sight of Peyton, he shot. She leaped into another room just dodging the bullet.
"She's carrying something. A large black bag," said Grace. "It might be the artifact."
"Get it from her," ordered Jack.
Another guard traveled down the hallway in attempt to reach the room Peyton had gone in. But she stepped slightly out into the hallway and shot the guard twice. Once in the shoulder, the other in the forehead. He fell to the floor.
"A second man is down," said Dixon.
Grace moved out of the room and into the hallway. Peyton was not seen. Dixon came out of the room as well and then was followed by the last remaining member of the team.
Grace checked the pulse of the first shot agent and Dixon checked the second. Both were dead. The group quietly proceeded down the hallway. There was a total of four rooms further down the hallway. Grace checked the first one on the left. He pushed opened the door and aimed into the room. It was empty except for a table and a few chairs. Dixon checked the first room on the right. He opened the door as widely as possible and aimed his gun. Peyton again was nowhere in sight. All that was there was a couch and two chairs along with a televison. The other agent went to go check the last room on the left as Grace approached the last room on the right. Grace first checked his room. He pointed his gun in. The only person that was in there was the dead body of the other agent. He had been shot a total of five times. Grace checked his pulse expecting not to find one. And he didn't.
Besides the body, the room was completely empty except for a single safe which had been opened.
Just then he heard a gun fire. He quickly went out into the hallway. The other agent had been shot and was lying on the floor but he wasn't dead. Grace saw Kelly Peyton firing down the hall. Grace aimed his gun at her but she caught his movements out of the corner of her eye and she leaped into a room and shut the door. The three bullets Grace shot hit the door. Dixon exited from a room on the right and quickly approached the agent on the floor. Grace went for the door.
"I have a man wounded," said Dixon. "Send for an medic."
"Right away," said Jack.
Grace kicked open the door and as he did so Peyton fired her gun. Grace managed to leap down the hall. Dixon put himself against a wall, out of Peyton's sight. Grace put his back up against the same wall. Both were on either side of the open door. They slowly, with their backs still against the wall, approached the door. A gun was fired a single time from the room. Dixon and Grace saw the bullet hit the last remaining agent. He was now dead. Grace and Dixon slowly approached the door. The two looked at each other. Dixon nodded and the two spun and aimed their guns in the room. But it was empty. Peyton had escaped through the window.
LOS ANGELES
"Christoph, I'm only going to ask you this one more time," said Sydney. "What was in the safe?"
"I'm only going to tell you if you tell me who took it," Christoph Madeira answered.
"We have not been given any permission to do that," said Jack. "We aren't obligated to tell you."
"Well then, I'm not obligated to tell you what was in the safe," said Christoph. He walked away from the glass and turned his back to Jack and Sydney.
"Mr. Madeira," began Jack. "May I inform you that Langley is deciding on what to do with you. Now, if you ask me, I think they'll just kill you if you fail to give them the information that they want. But I would also like to inform you that we have been given the pleasure of torturing you to get the information we need out of you. Now you have two options. You can either tell us the information or be tortured and killed. You decide."
"And what will I get out of it if I tell you?" asked Mr. Madeira.
"I'll make sure Langley will not execute youand in a matter of time I can convince them to let you go but you'll be watched under the eye of the CIA."
Mr. Madeira thought for a moment as he looked at Jack and Sydney.
"Alright," said Mr. Madeira. "I'll tell you what is in the safe."
"You've made the right choice," said Jack.
"My mother referred to it "The Antithesis". It's a Rambaldi artifact. I'm not sure how she got it but it is a chemical, a cure, for the infected Russians who were exposed to the water supply that my mother polluted. She told me to keep guard of it and to never tell anybody about it."
"Does anybody else know about it?" asked Sydney.
"I'm not sure who else my mother told but I never told anyone," answered Christoph.
"So you wouldn't have any idea on who could have taken it and why they would want it?" asked Jack.
"No."
"Our agents identified the one who took it," said Jack. "But we are unsure why this person or the people she works for would need it."
"Who took it?" asked Mr. Madeira.
"I'd like to know why you must know who took it," Jack said.
"Mr. Bristow, my mother guarded that Artifact like it was her life or even another child. After she died I promised myself then and there to guard that chemical. I want to know who took my artifact. I have the right to know."
Jack and Sydney turned to each other. Then the two looked back at Christoph.
"A woman by the name of Kelly Peyton took the artifact," said Jack.
"Kelly Peyton?" asked Mr. Madeira.
"She works for a man by the name of Gordon Dean," said Sydney.
"I have never heard those names before," said Mr. Madeira. "Are they a threat to the CIA?"
"At the moment, yes," answered Sydney. "So you've never heard of either of them?"
"Never."
"Why would they need the artifact?" asked Sydney. She now was back in the briefing room with her father, Rachel, Grace, Sloane, Dixon, and Marshall. "Rachel was this ever mentioned when you worked for Gordon Dean?"
"I never heard it," answered Rachel.
"Where do we go from here?" asked Grace.
"I'm not sure. We wait until we find information on Dean. Until then we'll have to wait. Dixon, Grace, I would like a report on my desk tomorrow."
The group got up and left but Sydney stayed with her father.
"You know you lied to him," said Sydney after everyone left.
"What?" asked Jack.
"Langley never gave us permission to torture Christoph."
"I know. But it did get the information out of him."
"Dad, I have a bad feeling about this."
"Why?"
"Think about it. This artifact is the cure. This could cure Nadia. Sloane will do anything to help Nadia."
"Do you think he's going to act on his own?"
"I'm not sure. Just, Dad, keep an eye on him."
"I will. Sydney I want you to meet up with Rene Rienne. See if she can somehow help tracking down Gordon Dean."
Although Rene was on the CIA's most wanted list, she was proving to be quite helpful. The APO team made contact with her secretly, not telling Director Chase or the rest of the CIA.
"When?"
"Try to set up a meeting as soon as possible. I'd prefer tomorrow if that's alright with her. I'll provide any necessary transportation."
VENICE
Sydney sat in a coffee shop on a bright sunny morning. The coffee shop was quite small and only a few people were in there. It smelt wonderful to Sydney. All the pastries and drinks mixed well together in scent. The coffee was not bad either.
Sydney sat further to the back of the restaurant at a two person table. She watched the door the whole time as she drank her coffee. Venice was a beautiful city and she was happy to find out that Rene was here. There message had been very brief and Sydney did not tell Rene why she needed to meet with her, nor did she ask.
Sydney checked her watch. The time was 12:40. Rene told Sydney to meet her at 12:30. Sydney hoped nothing went wrong. About five minutes after Sydney checked her watch Rene Rienne walked in. She removed her sunglasses and quickly spotted Sydney. She moved to the back of the restaurant where Sydney was sitting.
"Good afternoon," greeted Rene as she sat down at the table.
"How are you?" asked Sydney.
"I'm hanging in there," said Rene. "And you? How's the baby?"
"It's growing," answered Sydney.
"Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?" asked Rene.
"It doesn't matter to me."
"What about Vaughn, did he tell you?"
"Not really. But if it turned out to be a girl, he wanted it to be named Isabelle."
"Isabelle Vaughn. Very pretty."
"It is." Sydney paused and smiled warmly then continued her conversation. "Listen Rene, I need to ask a favor of you."
"Alright, what is it?" asked Rene.
Sydney told Rene about Christoph Madeira, "The Antithesis", Kelly Peyton and how APO believes Gordon Dean has the artifact.
"We need to find the location of Gordon Dean and that's where I was hoping you could help," said Sydney. "If there's anything you could do I would appreciate it."
"I'll see what I can do," said Rene.
"Thank you," said Sydney.
"Is there anything else?"
"No, just that."
"Alright," Rene stood up.
"Wait," said Sydney. "There's one other thing..."
"What is it?" asked Renee.
Sydney told Renee about the message she got from what sounded like Vaughn.
"Do you think he's alive?" asked Sydney. "Has he contacted you?"
"No, " answered Renee. "He hasn't..." She seemed to be in disbelief. "Have there been anymore calls?"
"No," answered Sydney.
"I'm not sure what to say," Renee eventually said after a long pause.
"You don't have to say anything," said Sydney. "I just thought I'd tell you."
"I better get going. I'll see you around." Rene smiled.
"Be safe."
"I always do." Rene walked out of the coffee shop. Sydney finished up her coffee and took a stroll before heading back home.
LOS ANGELES
Arvin Sloane stood in a dark alleyway. It was exactly nine o'clock. He constantly checked both ways down the long alleyway and tried to cover his fear. A message on his cell phone told him to come here. The voice was unrecognizable but it was convincing. In his coat pocket he had a gun for safety.
His cell phone rang making him jump. He quickly talked into the reciever.
"Hello?" he said into it.
"Arvin," said a familiar voice. "How are you?"
"Gordon Dean," said Sloane.
"Yes it is I," said Gordon Dean. "I hear you've been looking for me."
"You're correct. I have been looking for you," said Sloane.
"Well you can stop, because you probably will never find me."
"Oh I have my ways."
"And I have mine. Now Sloane what is it that you want from me?"
"Why do you have the Rambaldi Artifact?"
"What artifact?"
"The Antithesis. Why do you have it?"
"Oh that Rambaldi Artifact. Well let's just say I have a friend who needs it. Why do you care? Oh yes, your daughter is infected. Let me remind you that you did that to her."
Sloane, attempting to keep in his anger, continued with the conversation. "I want the Artifact."
"Oh, do you? Well why don't you write it on your Christmas list because you aren't getting it that easy, Mr. Sloane."
"Name your price."
"Price? I'm not sure if I have a price."
"Stop playing games, Dean. You're wasting our time. I'll give you anything for that Artifact."
"Well, here's the deal, you tell no one about this conversation and in two days I'll have a price and I'll contact you. Do we have an agreement?"
Sloane paused briefly and then answered. "Yes."
"Good. Have a nice night, Arvin."
And then, Gordon Dean hung up.