Chapter Nine

Sydney

The beeping of an alarm is intruding on my first night of real sleep in a real bed with real sheets. I was so deeply gone that I'm struggling to remember why I set the damn thing in the first place. Finally it dawns on me that I wanted to go in early to my briefing. I groggily get out of bed and into the shower, replaying everything from yesterday over in my mind again.

Dixon did call me and give me all the information on the bank accounts. As soon as we hung up, I transferred everything into new accounts that only I'll have access too. And then I went shopping with Carrie. That was fun and the most normal experience I've had since waking up. I bought a lot of new clothes although I'm nowhere near having a full wardrobe yet.

And I have a new memory. I walked with my shopping bags and I saw Will standing at the counter with a glass of milk in his hand. And I remembered sitting at that outside table, opposite Sark, both eating milk and cookies while the sun beat down. We weren't talking but there was definitely a feeling of camaraderie.

Finally awake, I get out of the shower before the water turns cold. My new khaki pants fit perfectly and the black tank top completes the simple look. I dry my hair and pull it back in a clip at the back of my head.

I'm carrying my high heels when I walk out of my room and toss them on the mat by the front door as I greet a still sleepy eyed Will with his head buried in the refrigerator.

"Have anything around here that's suitable to eat?" I ask him. The fridge rattles and then his head pops out with a hand over the spot where it met a tray. Will displays a grimace at me.

"Ok, you evidentially haven't forgotten how to sneak around!" He now grins and rubs at the back of his head. "But you need to work on getting more observant."

I look down at the counter and see what I'd overlooked. A bag of bagels is sitting out along with a tub of cream cheese. A bowl of peaches, bananas, and apples is by them. I smile at Will as he turns back to the fridge and retrieves the carton of orange juice he was after. I watch him moving around the kitchen and think that I'll never take sharing a meal with another person for granted again.

I pop a bagel in the toaster and when it's done the click of the handle brings back another memory.

I am standing behind a sofa. To my right is the porch and beyond that the ocean. To my left is the kitchen where the click of the toast finishing is heard. I hear my mother busying herself, making breakfast. Sitting on the sofa in front of me is my sister.

I cannot hear the words but I know we are talking about the papers and folders spread before us on the coffee table. A few other objects are there. Mini tape recorder, a pen. She turns around to look at me and her expression is tense.

I just stare at the toaster and at my browned bagel until Will shakes my shoulder and says, "Sydney? Sydney are you ok?"

I shake myself mentally and make myself smile at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

He looks at me strangely, "You've been staring at your bagel for like a minute."

"Oh," I say and grab it out to put the cream cheese on.

"I guess I was just thinking. I'm going to go in early today. I'll see you when you get there, k?" I give him a peck on the cheek, grab a napkin for my bagel, snatch a banana, and pick up my car keys and phone off the bar.

Wriggling my feet into the high heels, I wave at Will and rush out. I have the sudden urge to get to the JTF, but it doesn't make sense. It's not like I'm going to tell Dad he has another daughter. A small smile creases my lips as I slide behind the wheel and balance my food. Another thing that should surprise me but hasn't. I have a sister. And I have the feeling she will be very instrumental in taking Sloane down.

Walking back into the CIA building unchained gives me a little thrill. For so many years I walked through these halls with out a second thought and now I know just how imposing this place can be. There are not a lot of people around at this hour. I decide to walk slowly around the building just reacquainting myself with it. It feels a thousand times removed from my experience a few days ago.

Finally, I head to the main room. I round a corner and there I see what has to be my desk. A small smile lights up my face because there is a big banner over it that says "WELCOME BACK!" There are a few balloons as well. Still smiling, I go over and sit down in my chair and lean back. Then I see Vaughn walk into the room.

His nose is buried in a folder and he's carrying a cup of coffee. I let myself watch as he sits down at his desk. The same one I remember him having; the one across an aisle and down one from mine. He is obviously completely focused on whatever he is working on and he logs on to his computer and is now intent on the screen. Suddenly, I'm having another memory.

I roll over in the bed and open my eyes. Sunlight and breezes are coming through the open window and linen curtains flutter. I'm very disoriented, but soon focus my eyes and glance around the strange room. Startled, I see I'm not alone. In a chair, at the foot of the bed sits a blonde haired man staring at his laptop screen. I rise up on my elbows to get a better look at him.

He looks up at the noise of my movements and his crooked smirk reflects the humor I see in his blue eyes.

"Good morning, Miss Bristow."

I snap back to the present with a gulp. That was the morning I woke up after the fight and my world was changed. Evidently, Sark was around a lot while I was with my mother. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on that right now, so I think it's time to take Marshall up on his offer for new equipment. I stand up and walk past Vaughn on my way to the Technical Lab. He looks up and does a double take, surprised to see me.

"Oh. Hi, Sydney. You're, uh, here early." He doesn't meet my eyes and minimizes whatever was on his screen.

I pause and smile at him. "Hi. Yeah, I decided to come look around a bit before, you know…everything got back to normal."

He fidgets when he looks back up at me and tries to smile. "There've been some changes but it's all basically the same building."

I nod, and there is an awkward pause.

"Um, look...I was just going to go in search of Marshall. Is the lab in the same place?"

"Actually, that was one of the departments that got moved around. Let me walk you there." He looks nervous offering this, but we both know we're going have to learn to be around each other sooner or later. I hope my smile looks genuine as I agree.

We walk side by side in silence down the corridors. But now it's not an awkward silence, it's a shy one. Our footsteps are echoing in time together and the squeezing in my chest is coming back again. I hope the lab was moved closer.

We turn the corner and are greeted by glass panels. Vaughn puts his hand on the black door handle and opens it for me. I say thank you and start to go in, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

"Sydney," he says and pauses, looking into the room. He takes a breath and looks straight into my eyes. "I'm still your ally." He gives me a somewhat apologetic and hopeful half-smile. My breath catches in my throat and I can't say anything.

Vaughn gives my arm a light squeeze then lets go of my arm and walks away. I watch him for a second, regaining my poise. It seems his heart still lies with me, and I don't know if I can handle that. He's married. He might have been happy if I hadn't returned. But I can't think about the "if only's" right now.

I turn into the room and wander around tables with wires and gadgets in various stages of completion. Marshal is sitting at one of the four computer consuls. He's got headphones on and is singing totally out of tune. I smile, walk over to him and tap his shoulder.

"WHOA! Syd!" He exclaims, jumping up out of the seat and pushing his headphones off.

"You're back! Well, I already knew that, remember, I went and saw you, yeah…" He looks at me for recognition, I nod and he continues. "but...I mean... you're really back. Here. On the job again!" Marshall has a huge grin on his face and just looks at me for a second before he suddenly sits back down. "I guess this means you'll be here for your stuff. Right?" He barely acknowledges my nod and keeps talking. "Right well... Um... let me just finish this...very delicate work... complicated equations... for.. um...yeah...this thing I'm working on. but you... wouldn't... understand it... so!"

He starts muttering while he's clicking and typing then turns the screen off. He gets up and gestures to me.

"Come right this way, step right up! Your stuff's in this bag. Swank shoes by the way! I think Carrie has them..."

He pulls out a black purse and hangs it over his arm. "See? Normal purse right? One you'd take to the mall and get your wallet out of...Here sir! Just ring it up!" He imitates a high voice. I stifle a smile. I've missed hearing him go on so much. He coughs and then stutters through showing me the hidden knife that is released by pressing one of the decorative metal divots.

Marshall also puts in a bug-killer lipstick, two-way communicator compact, knockout gas perfume bottle, a tazer keychain, and a silencer pen.

"Thank you so much, Marshall," I say as I gather my new gear together and prepare to go back to my desk. He blushes a little.

"No problem, and uh, it's good to have you back." He smiles and turns to get back to his work at the computer. As I close the door behind me I overhear him singing out of tune again.

I smile as I walk back through the corridors to my desk. Maybe it is good to be back.

The briefing room is exactly the same. I just walked in to find Kendall and my dad seated at the long black table. The screens are blank. I go to one far from the door and as soon as I sit Kendall closes the door.

"Good Morning, Agent Bristow, let's get started shall we?"

I nod as my father starts speaking.

"After the SD-6 takedown, Sloane disappeared for a long time. Around the same time, Benefit International was founded. It was seemed to be simply a society of major businesses and companies who give financial aid to various humanitarian efforts. It quickly became well-known and prestigious. What we didn't know was that Sloane was behind it and using it as a cover for his operations."

Kendall cut in, "We only learned when Sloane came out of hiding. He cornered Jack here in LA, revealed his connection with Benefit International, and told him confidently that they would work together again."

This all sounds vaguely familiar and I hear echoes of early conversations with my mother. But I can't let them know that.

"So, what's being done?" I ask.

"Well, it's been slow going, but we have some double agents in some of the minor corporations, and have a contact close to what appears to be a high ranking operative for Sloane himself." Kendall replies.

My dad jumps in with, "Progress may not sound like much, but believe me, we're in a good position right now."

I just nod. I'm willing to do whatever they need to help take Sloane down, whatever they need while I wait for my full memory to be restored and then maybe things will be clearer.

"Alright," Kendal presses a button on his remote and a picture of a man going through airport security is brought up on the screen.

"This is Eduardo Milan. He owns quite a few gold mines in central Peru. These mines also produce some silver, copper, and iron oxide. He recently became a member of Benefit International and since then we have been monitoring his activities. We had an agent retrieve all his invoices for the past eight months, and we've found some discrepancies between the production amounts and the shipped amounts. Some 3 million dollars worth of ore is missing at this point."

Kendall pauses and presses the button to bring up a new picture of a modest looking building.

"This is his office. We believe his safe is here as well. What we need to find if he is keeps records of where the unreported profits are going. Agent Bristow, you will be going in at midnight when the guard changes for the late night shift. More detailed mission specs will be on the plane, along with your op-tech. You leave tomorrow morning."

Alice

I'm getting worried. I haven't been on a mission or heard from Sloane in three months, since the day I got word he'd received my last mission report. True, I'm never contacted unless necessary, but this is the longest time I've gone without contact. It feels unsettling.

I get up off the sofa where I've been ignoring the book I'm supposed to be editing and walk out the front door. I should just check the mail instead of wondering what it might or might not hold.

The day is slightly cloudy, but warm with a small breeze. It's beautiful and I know Michael and I would have at least gone on a walk together this afternoon, but he was called in earlier than normal this morning.

I wish he would just tell me the truth about where he works, it would be so much easier. The little red flag is up on the box at the end of our drive. Pulling out the stack of mail, I start sorting it as I walk back inside. A junk mail ad for this little Hawaiian Shave Ice stand near the park falls to the ground and I squat down to pick it up. I smile. Finally, the silence has been broken.

I've walked past the little shave ice stand and I glance at my watch. I'm a little early, so I sit on a bench across the way, pretending to read but also watching the people for anything suspicious and double checking for tails. I'm a little glad Michael wasn't home when I left, it spared me having to make an excuse for taking a walk alone. At precisely six-thirty I get up and walk over to place my order for a small cherry in the little paper cone.

The attendant makes it for me quickly and then I slip around to the back, between the wall and the tall bushes and tree trunks. The door handle shakes as it unlocks. I step inside and grin at Danny sitting in chair by a little water cooler. We are in the storage room and the agent posing out front has orders not to come in the room for twenty minutes.

I take the other chair and begin eating my ice. Danny shakes his blond-brown head at me and starts talking.

"We don't have another mission yet, I hope I didn't get your hopes up," he says, slightly teasing. He knows I don't enjoy going months without any action.

I raise my eyebrows at him. "Then why are we meeting?"

"Headquarters is finished and we're both to come in."

"Really? When?" I ask, a smile forming.

"In three days. Here are your plane tickets." Danny reaches into his jacket pocket and then hands me a round trip ticket to and from an airport in Chile.

"Under your seat will be a key. After you land, go to the storage lockers and use the key to open number 147. Our next instructions will be inside. I'm on a different flight, and I'll be there before you. We'll meet in the rental car area ten minutes after you arrive."

"That's it?" I ask. Going to see the new building is all well and good, but there has to be something else going on here. Sloane wouldn't just risk two of his top agent's covers for an open house.

Danny shrugs. "I know it seems odd. But Sloane must have something he wants us to see or something he wants to tell us in person."

I throw my empty paper cone away, tap the tickets against my palm and ponder this development.

"Ok, well, see you later then." I give him a hug and leave the little building. The plane tickets go in the secret pocket in my jacket and I head back towards my house, trying not to hypothesize too much about why Sloane would need to see us in person.