Believe

Chapter Six

Questions

Sark allowed Rogan to clutch his hand. Rogan was nervous at the prospect of meeting new people, and it took that to see how sheltered Rogan really was. Of course, he was only three and a half, so that was perfectly normal for him to be innocent. Sark almost envied it. But he knew the minute Rogan met Irina Derevko and McKenas Cole that was going to change. Sark's cell phone began to vibrate, so he stopped walking and pulled it out of his blazer pocket. Rogan stared up at him impatiently, his little legs shifting back and forth. Sark glanced at the caller ID and saw Sydney's number. He couldn't answer it. He couldn't talk to her. Not while he held Rogan's hand. He wasn't sure if he wanted to or if he even could lie to her while with her son. The phone stopped vibrating as it picked up to voicemail. He paused, then called his voicemail. He held his hand up as a sign to Rogan that it would be just a minute before they would enter the room. Sydney's worried voice came over the voicemail.

"Sark, why didn't you pick up?" Her voice was shaky and slightly angry. "I need your help. Rogan's been taken by several men. He was abducted at the preschool. I know, I know, you told me not to send him, but I didn't listen to you and I'm regretting it right now. I need you to help me find him."

There was a slight pause before Sydney spoke again.

"The preschool teacher, Ms. Ambrose, she described the men that held the preschool hostage. The one that took Rogan, he had blond hair, blue eyes and a British accent. The CIA thinks it was you. I don't know what to think. Please, Julian, call me."

The message ended and Sark gripped the phone with great strength. He wanted to crush the phone. Hearing Sydney's anguished voice was horrifying. And that teacher, he should kill her. Was that Irina's plan? To set him up for kidnapping Sydney's son? Technically he had kidnapped Rogan, but Irina was the one behind it. He'd been tangled up in Irina's web once again. He wanted to shoot something, but before he did, Rogan tugged on his arm.

"Are you mad, Mr. Sark?"

"Just a bit. I received some disturbing news from that phone call, Rogan."

"Oh. Does that mean we're not meeting the new people now?'
"No. We're going in right now."

He slid the phone back into his pocket and then resumed the walk down the hall, Rogan toddling beside him, unaware of the danger that loomed ahead of him.

Sydney cursed as she reached the voicemail on Sark's phone. His smooth voice ran over Sydney, "Leave a message and I will return your call." Short, simple, no actual identification. It was Sark all over. But why wasn't he answering his phone? Was he on a mission? Or was he avoiding her phone call? She hoped it wasn't the latter, because if he was avoiding her phone call that would make him seem incredibly guilty. And he couldn't be guilty. Except he could. Which was what worried her even more. Sark had seemed odd the last time she had spoken with him. Was this why? Was it because he knew he would be ripping her son away from her in a few days? Or did he even know about Rogan's disappearance. Even if he wasn't behind it, he would probably know about it. Sark knew everything. It was almost as if he were omniscient. But there was one question that burned in Sydney's mind, was Rogan taken because of Rambaldi and his insanity? Even Sark would have trouble resisting Rambaldi's power and secrets. Rambaldi was Sark's weakness. And Rambaldi's prophecies are exactly what would lead Sark to turn on her. Sydney sighed as she dragged herself out of bed. She had to go to the Operations Center. She had to help compile a list of people who would want Rogan. She had to find her baby.

Sark opened the door cautiously. He kept Rogan behind him in a protective gesture. He could never be sure what Irina had planned. That phone message from Sydney proved that. Irina sat at a round table, Cole next to her. There were a couple of guards at the back of the room, but he imagined they would be removed when the meeting started. Irina stood as soon as she saw Sark.

"Sark, I'm so glad to see you again. You were so odd in Canada."

"And you were lying to me in Canada, but I hadn't intended to bring that up."

Irina flashed a sparkling smile not unlike Sydney's. The only difference was that Irina's was calculation and Sydney's wasn't.

"I hope you brought my grandson."

"That was a nice surprise for you to spring on me, Irina. You could have told me what the package was."
"You wouldn't have gone if that were the case. Your loyalties to Sydney are your weakening. I couldn't have that."

"Why didn't you have Rogan taken from the preschool like you had the bint say?"

Irina bit back her smirk. "Rogan would go with you, Sark, without much interruption. That's why I had you pick him up. He already knows you."
Sark noted that she didn't answer his question. "So glad I could be of service."

Sark stepped on into the room and allowed Rogan to enter. He stood timidly in front of them, his eyes downcast, his hands clasped behind him. Irina walked around him, as if trying to see Sydney in the child. Or maybe she was trying to find out if Rogan looked anything like Rambaldi. He couldn't be sure with Irina. Irina knelt in front of Rogan and placed a charming smile on her face. A smile that Sark recognized once again. It was the same one she had used as Irin Dero, English teacher at boarding school.

"Hello, Rogan. My name is Irina."

"How'd you know my name?"

"Well, you're a very special boy. And you know what?"

He shook his head solemnly, his wide brown eyes staring at Irina with boyish fascination. Irina gripped his arms to make sure he was paying attention to her.

"I'm your grandmother."

"My granma?"

"Yes."

"I doan have a granma."

"Yes, you do. Sydney is my daughter, Sweet Boy."

Rogan watched Irina for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out what was happening. He glanced back at Sark, almost wanting him to confirm what the strange woman was telling him. Sark kept his face blank. He didn't know how to help explain this to the little boy. Rogan seemed disappointed that Sark wouldn't tell him what to think. He pulled out of Irina's grip and walked back behind Sark again. Sark wanted to smile. Rogan could resist Irina's charms unlike him as a boy.

"He likes you, Sark. Who would have known you would get along with a child?"

"Maybe he knows better than to trust you, Irina. That would make him a hundred times smarter than me."

"You've never trusted me, Sark."

"Then he knows better than to be pulled in by your charms."

"You're so cruel to me today."

"I'm sure it hurts you terribly. Now you've met Rogan. Can I take him back to the hotel before the meeting starts? Or is he going to have to sit through the meeting?"

"Oh, he'll be staying with me from now on, Julian."

Sark hated it when she used his first name. It was as if she thought that would make him want to go along with her plan. Instead, it angered him more.

"I'm afraid not, Irina. You'll steal away in the middle of the night without telling me where you're taking him."

"You would do the same."

Sark stared at her with a hardness he never had stared at her with before. He would not let her take Rogan away from him. Rogan would stay with him.

"I wanna stay wif Mr. Sark, Granma."

Rogan peeked out from behind Sark's legs, his eyes pleading with her. Irina watched him carefully.

"You like Mr. Sark, Rogan?"

"He's my fren. He's Mommy's fren too. Mommy will be sad I wen away wifout her, but if I was wif Mr. Sark, she might be happier."

"Oh. So this is for Sydney?"
"Yep. And Mr. Sark."

Irina smiled at him again, then reached around Sark to take Rogan's hand.

"If I let you stay with Sark, will you be a good boy for me? And come meet a man for me? And then sit quietly while Sark and I talk some more?"

He nodded. "Okay. You can stay with Sark."

Rogan finally beamed at Irina, a huge smile on his face. Irina watched him and realized that was the way to get to the boy. Sark. And Rogan was the way to get to Sark. She looked Sark in the eyes and Sark felt like he was being seen through. Irina knew now. Irina had found his weaknesses. He didn't stand a chance. He cursed himself. He knew better than to make attachments. But he had, and now it was going to come back to bite him in the arse. Irina walked with Rogan to the table just as Cole stood up excitedly. Sark watched them for a moment, a mixed feeling of excitement and dread deep inside of him. Sark walked over to the table where Cole was now eye level with Rogan.

"My name's McKenas, little man. It's great to meet you. I really adore your father's work."

Rogan stared at him unsure of what that was supposed to mean.

"Kenas is a funny name."

"It's McKenas. You know what, buddy, you can call me Cole."

Rogan shrugged and stared at him for a bit longer. He didn't like the man standing in front of him. He looked nice enough, but he looked kind of scary to. Like he was mean to people. Rogan looked at Sark as if expecting him to stop Cole from talking.

"Sark, I would rather you leave for a moment." Irina requested.
"That's not likely to happen, Irina."

"You're one of us now, Sark. Part of the Council. But Cole and I need to talk to Rogan alone. He seems to look to you for guidance when we speak with him, and I can't have that. Just go out in the hall. We'll call you back in soon."

Sark shook his head again, but he knew Irina was going to force him to. He sighed loudly and moved towards Rogan. He ruffled the boy's hair and then bent down to his ear.

"I'm going to be outside in the hall, Rogan. If they try to make you leave, I want you to scream bloody murder. Loud enough so I can hear. Can you do that for me?"

Rogan nodded sullenly. Sark offered him a small smile before turning warning eyes on Irina.

"You do anything to hurt him-"

"He's my grandson, I wouldn't hurt him."

"You've hurt Sydney and she's your daughter. I mean it, Irina. You hurt him and I will kill you."

"I don't take to idle threats, my boy."

"It isn't idle, Irina. You can test it if you like."

Sark turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Sydney tossed the pen across the room and slid the pad of paper towards Weiss. He was watching her sympathetically and it was annoying her. She didn't want sympathy. She wanted to find Rogan.

"I can't think of anybody else. I've written every person who has ever hated me. Even the ones that haven't been around lately like Ana Espinosa. They didn't take Rogan."

"Why do you think that, Syd?"

"Because they have no reason to, except for the fact that they hate me. Rogan was taken for a reason."

"Why do you think it wasn't just vengeance?"

"You know who Rogan's father is. That is the reason he was taken."

Sydney looked Weiss in the eyes. He was the only one close to her, besides Sark, that knew who Rogan's father was. Most didn't ask, others had waited for her to tell them, only to find she never would. But Weiss knew.

"You think this has to do with all those crock prophecies?"

"Of course it does. Because Rambaldi and his prophecies have to rule my life."

Weiss reached across the table and squeezed her hand. He waited for a moment and then opened his mouth to speak. He shut it again, but not before Sydney noticed that he had something to say.
"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were going to say something."

"You're going to punch me when I ask."

"I won't punch you."
"Fine. I don't try to understand your relationship with Sark. It's weird, but I don't ask you questions about it. But I'm going to have to. Can you say without a doubt that Sark wouldn't take Rogan?"

Sydney pulled her legs up in her chair and stared down at her shoes. She thought for a minute before looking up forlornly.

"I can't. But I'm trying to find out if I ever will be able to."

"What do you mean?"

Sydney glanced around the conference room to make sure it was empty. Jack was out harassing his snitches, Dixon was on the phone with Langley, and Vaughn was-well, doing whatever it was he did.

"I called him before I came here. I got his voicemail. I don't know if he's avoiding my calls or if he was just busy. I'm going to try again soon."

"Go ahead and do it now."

Sydney looked at Weiss, wondering why he wanted her to call now.
"So we'll know, Sydney. We'll know whether he's got Rogan or not, if he's lying to you or not. We'll know whether we need to pursue Sark or someone else."

Sydney bobbed her head once before digging in her purse for her cell phone.

"You're right. We need to know."

She dialed the number for the second time that day and waited as it began to ring. The ringing stopped and a smooth voice answered. "Sydney."