Chapter 15
Chapter 15
The Following Takes Place Between 8:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M.
"I'm well aware of what this man has done," Jack told the Chinese envoy in as respectful a voice as he could manage, "but don't you understand that there are larger issues in play here?"
The representative of the Chinese, a stone-faced looking man named Cheng Zhi, fixed Jack Bauer with a cold look. "Mr. Bauer, the threat this man represents is only to your country. He is responsible for the murder of the Chinese premier. As far as I am concerned, there is no larger issue."
"You know as well as I do that Wang has not acted alone," Jack reminded Cheng. "His conspirators are still at large, and may well take the opportunity to strike against your nation."
"We have every intention of giving Wang a thorough interrogation." Cheng spoke with the confidence that came with thinking your country truly was the center of the world. "Whatever information we obtain regarding his co-conspirator we shall be certain to pass on to your nation's leaders...in due time. Now you gave your word that you would hand this man over to us within the hour. Your time is up."
On other occasions, the President might well be willing to back him, but right now, Palmer was dealing with deadlines that were even more pressing than Jack's.
Still he would have argued the point more, if his phone hadn't rang. "Bauer," he said sharply.
"Jack, drop whatever you're doing. We need you now," Vaughn told him without any screwing around.
He walked a few steps away from Cheng and Wang. "What have you found?" he asked in a quieter tone.
"The mother lode," Vaughn said bluntly.
"Meaning?"
"While going through the disk she got from the airport, Sydney found a separate data file that mentioned a meeting at our house at 8:00."
Jack wasn't sure he'd heard right before a horrible feeling overcame him. "Are you telling me that somebody went after Isabelle?" he asked.
"Someone almost got her, too," Vaughn paused. "Irina Derevko."
A horrible coldness-- half horror, half rage-- pervaded Jack's body. "You have her in custody?"
"Surrounded by every agent I could get my hands on," Vaughn said grimly. "but now that we know that she's involved, it's only a matter of time before every Division head with a pulse starts sticking their nose in." He swallowed. "We need to activate Operation Ice Maiden."
"Is Sydney there?" Jack asked bluntly.
"She knew about this meeting place before I did," Vaughn reminded him. "When she heard her daughter's life was danger, she broke all land-speed records to get there. Right now, she making sure that Isabelle is completely all right," Vaughn said. "I took the opportunity to make sure that Irina was loaded into a CTU vehicle, we're pulling out of our neighborhood now"
"Have you called Tony?" Jack asked.
"He's my next phone call," Vaughn told him. "How far out are you?"
"I'm the one with a helicopter," he reminded Vaughn. "I can be at CTU in ten minutes if I hand off Wang to the Chinese."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Do you need to ask?"
Vaughn winced inwardly. After working with Jack for almost two years, he knew that once Jack had his teeth into something, or someone, it was hard for him, or anyone else, to pry him loose. "It's not like the Chinese are going to send him to the Bahamas. Besides, if we get what we need out of Irina, we'll get the entire rat's nest."
Jack didn't need to argue this was a big 'if'. He also knew that this was, after all, his plan. "How long will it take you to get her to CTU?"
"We should be there in fifteen minutes."
He took one last look at the inscrutable Asian faces a few feet from. "All right," he said reluctantly. "But make sure Tony has everything prepared. We're only going to get one shot at this. We can't make any mistakes."
8:07:09/8:07:10/8:07:11
Despite everything that had happened to her over the past seven years, Sydney had never been able to understand how men like Jack Bauer and her own father could bury their own emotions so deep even when dealing with their own families. Now that she was a mother herself, she was beginning to understand the challenges they had to put themselves through. Because right now, her primary urge was to seriously hurt the person who had put Isabelle's life in jeopardy-- even though that person was her own mother.
Because she didn't trust the color of her soul right now, she had spent the last five minutes trying to reduce her daughter's anxiety. She knew that she'd have to face Irina very soon, and ask her a couple of the hardest questions she'd ever had to ask anyone, but right now, all she could handle was trying to rock Isabelle back to sleep.
"Is she all right?" Sydney looked up to see Kim had reentered the nursery.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Sydney said, only partially trying to make light of what had just happened.
"It's bruises and muscles pulls," Kim told her. "I'll be fine."
"I can see you've inherited your father's ability to make light of horrible situations, too." Sydney said, only half in jest.
A mournful look appeared on Kim's face. "It wasn't all him. M—mom was good at it, too."
Sydney knew that this was entering into territory Kim still wasn't comfortable with, so she modified her tone. "You fought one of the deadliest women in the world to at least a draw," she told her. "When your dad finds out that this happened, he's going to be more pissed at my mother than I am."
Kim Bauer had gone through so much in her short life that she had managed to build a pretty good game face. However, now that face was gone, and she seemed much younger than actually was. "I can't imagine what you must be going through right now," she told Sydney sadly.
"I've heard of the horrible things that my mother did during her life," Sydney said, determinedly focusing her attention on Isabelle, "God knows that I've seen more than a few. But even given all the horrible things that she's done, I didn't think she would have in her to-- hurt her own granddaughter."
"I was there, Syd," Kim told her, "and even having gone through it, I'm having a hard time dealing with it myself. This has to do with more Rimbaldi shit again?"
"Hell if I know," Syd admitted. "For some reason I'm still not sure that I can fathom, Rimbaldi seems to be embedded into my DNA. Me, Nadia, Irina-- somehow we've got some genetic link to this technology. Academically, I can believe that it's possible Isabelle has something to do with it, too, but still…"
She finally put her baby back in the crib. "If Sloane were still alive, I could see him going after my daughter. The man considered his own flesh and blood little more than a science experiment, even after he got to know her. But Irina-- Irina was willing to give up her freedom to help protect her daughters from these prophecies. I find it difficult to believe--"
"Harder than the evidence of your own eyes?' Kim countered "She killed Louise, she tried to kill me. What further evidence do you need?"
"There's definitely more to this. Irina was always a proponent of two things: the bigger picture and her own self-interest." Sydney shook her head "I don't suppose that she's said anything either to you or Michael."
For the first time, Kim seemed a little uncomfortable. "That's one of the reasons I came to check up on you, " she told her friend. " A few minutes ago, Vaughn took your mother into custody for interrogation"
"Where?"
"That's just it. When I asked him why, he refused to tell me, and ordered me not to tell you."
"Great," Sydney said sarcastically. "Now someone at Division knows and wants to make sure no one named Bristow is anywhere near the woman."
"They've found out awfully quick.," Kim pointed out
"Then maybe Vaughn's more pissed off, and wants to handle this without APO getting dirty," Sydney looked at her watch. "CTU's less than fifteen minutes out. If they're serious about going after Irina hard, that's where'd they do it."
She very gently picked up Isabelle. "I think this is one of those occasions where bringing your daughter to work might be acceptable," she told her. "Would you mind holding on to her until we get there? I know, it's pretty lame regulating you to babysitting duty after what you just did, but…."
"If I were in your place, I'm probably be doing the same thing," Kim said. "...Actually, I'd be giving her to someone who owns a tank. But are you sure it's safe to be taking Isabelle to the same place they're holding Irina?"
"Right now, the last thing Irina needs to be concerned about is getting anywhere my daughter again."
8:15:39/8:15:40/8:15:41/8:15:41/8:15:42
"The outlook is overall very positive," the CTU doctor was telling Dixon. "And given who her sister is, I imagine she's going to be making all kinds of noise as to what she can do to help you. Do everything you can to urge Nadia not to."
"I'll try, but you're right about her psychological makeup," Dixon reminded him. "Bristow women have a really stubborn streak. But I'll do my best."
As Dixon walked into the medical care center, he didn't even have to look that hard to find Nadia. She was arguing with an orderly about the placement of her IV.
"You need to be careful with your fluid intake right now, Miss Santos," the unfortunate medico was saying.
"Fine," Nadia said in a somewhat raspy voice. "Then get me a goddamn glass of water. I don't want another goddamn tube stuck anywhere near me."
Dixon's initial sense of amusement at the scene faded as he recollected that one of Nadia's most unpleasant experiences in intelligence had been being dosed to the gills with some kind of Rimbaldi fluid. "Doctor, doesn't the fact that she's speaking indicate she could probably handle fluids by mouth?" he asked quietly
"She shouldn't really be exercising her vocal--" A look at Nadia's expression told the doctor it was best not to argue. "Rick, could you get Miss Santos some ice chips?" The orderly nodded gratefully and walked off. He looked at his patient. "I was going to remind Dixon not to agitate you, but I can tell right now that's going to be a fait accompli. Just keep in mind you got out of surgery less ninety minutes ago."
"Trust me, doctor, I've had problems with sickbeds long before I became a patient," Nadia told him.
Rick the orderly came back with a plastic cups. "Can I be trusted to put these in my mouth of my own volition?" Nadia asked, only half in jest.
As the medical staff walked off, Nadia put a modest amount of ice in her mouth. "Please tell me that Anna's is in custody," she asked.
Dixon nodded. "We have Anna, we have Wang. At the moment, Wang's being handed over to the Chinese."
Nadia did not do a spit take, but it was clear that she was pretty pissed. She finished the ice, took a breath, and surprisingly, smiled. "Good...we're not allowed to do the things to him that they'll do in China. And unlike Anna, he probably won't be allowed to live long enough to escape."
"True. I'm pretty sure China's not going to throw a parade in Tianemmen Square for what's he done...Unfortunately, that qualifies as the good news."
"We didn't have to give Anna a deal, did we?" Nadia was started to get worked up.
"No, we found evidence on Anna that led us to a computer disk. On this data file were a series of readings and projections that referred to--"
Dixon stopped because Nadia's already pale face was starting to whiten. "Nadia, should I call the doctor back?"
"I'm okay," Nadia told him. "It's just I have a pretty good idea what you're going to tell me. Given our luck, the virus has to be a Rimbaldi device again."
"I'm not crazy about it either," he admitted.
"What did you find on it? Another doomsday prophecy?" Nadia asked, trying to keep it light.
"Marshall's still translating it," Dixon admitted. "That's actually one of the reasons I'm here. He's managed to translate bits and pieces of the document, but he says he's going to take him more time, which as you well know, we don't have. We need an expert in Rimbaldi to go through this document. And since at one point, you supposedly had his soul flowing through you, or some bullshit like that--"
"It's not bullshit, Marcus," Nadia said wearily. "And even that was a long time ago. You must be pretty desperate if you're turning to me for help."
"I'd prefer the term expediency, but yeah, that's what were asking" Dixon hesitated. "We may have another lead, but we'd prefer not to use it unless we absolutely have to."
"What lead?"
Dixon chose not answer that question. "If you think you can handle it, Chloe will set you up with another server from APO.," he said instead.
Nadia's eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me?"
Dixon sighed. "Something else was on the hard drive. Sydney's address and a certain time. Half an hour ago, Vaughn and Kim captured a suspect who was attempting to abduct Isabelle."
Nadia, who was just starting to stand up, sat back down on her bed. "Is Isabelle all right?" she asked breathlessly.
"She's fine."
"Great. I guess my hopes that my niece would be able to live in a world without this kind of shit were worthless," Nadia muttered. "Did we catch whoever this?"
Once again, Dixon deliberately hesitated. "That individual's now in custody."
Nadia hadn't thought it was possible to get more upset. "Individual?" she said angrily. "Why aren't you just telling me? Is it my mother? Another aunt? Or has my father returned from the grave."
Just then, Dixon's phone rang. "Dixon."
"We're bringing her in now," Vaughn told him. "Jack's getting the room prepped."
Dixon walked a few steps away. "He knows that Nadia's in the building?"
"He admits it's not the ideal situation, but he doesn't think we can spare any more time handholding," Vaughn countered. " With anyone."
"He still wants to handle it this way?"
"His exact words were: 'I'm done playing footsie with this bitch.'"
"All right."
When Dixon hung up, Nadia had managed to walk right into his face. "Marcus, stop the cloak and dagger bullshit, and tell me who the fuck tried to hurt Isabelle?"
Dixon knew the plan, but he didn't like lying to his friend. So he told a partial truth. "You have a good idea who it is."
8:24:54/8:24:55/8:24:56
Because of the major efforts the unit was leading with domestic response throughout the city, CTU didn't come close to a stop when Irina Derevko was brought in, surrounded by what appeared to be a small army around her. Still, when the most dangerous woman on the watch-list walked past people's desks, there were more than a few people who stood at their desks to see the woman walk past.
Waiting at interrogation room 1 were Tony and Jack Bauer, who had arrived a few minutes earlier.
"Has she said anything?' he asked Vaughn, as he came up behind the entourage.
"She said that she would explain, but only to her daughters," Vaughn said grimly.
"Get her in there, and make sure she's properly restrained," Jack ordered. "Nobody lays a finger on her until I'm in there."
"You've explained to Division what's going to happen?" Vaughn asked, as the guards followed their orders.
"They're pissed as hell, but given who approved this little venture, they aren't going raise any objections, on or off the record," Tony told them. "Still, right now, their reactions aren't the ones that trouble me."
Jack follows Vaughn's gaze to see literally the last person he had wanted to talk to before he did what he was going to do: Nadia , barely dressed, pale as a ghost, but shaking with anger.
"You want me to handle this?' Vaughn asked. "I'm already going to be taking brickbats from Sydney when she pops up; I don't mind taking yours too."
"Thanks but no," Jack said grimly. "I authorized this; I'm the one who has to explain it to Nadia."
As he walked forward, he silently cursed Irina again. He was laying eyes on his future wife for the first time since her injury, and he couldn't celebrate that she was up and as feisty as ever. Hell, this would have been easier if she was still unconscious.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?' Nadia demanded as she walked up to Jack. "You bring my mother here, and you order me barred from the interrogation?"
Nadia was being blunt; Jack decided not to mince words. "I take it Dixon told you that your mother went to your sisters house, killed their babysitter, and tried to kidnap your niece?"
This did slow Nadia down a little. "I realize that she's done something unforgivable," she tried again "Unforgivable things are what Derevkos do, but it doesn't change the fact that you are not adequately prepare to interrogate Irina."
"Why? Because I'm not related to her by blood?" Jack asked. "I've dealt with this woman before; I've read the transcripts from her earlier jaunts in captivity. Irina Derevko is one of the most manipulative hostiles in history. We know this, and yet somehow every time, she inspires the people who should know this best-- people like your sister, or Jack Bristow-- into giving her what she wants. The government can not afford to make any more deals with Irina, no matter what the stakes are. And that means that you or Sydney can't be allowed anywhere near her."
Nadia was starting to breathe hard-- whether in anger or in pain, Jack wasn't sure. "So you and Vaughn and the higher ups at CTU go behind our backs, and you arrange the equivalent of an agency –wide restraining order against us, instead of telling us outright?" she asked angrily.
"Right now, you are living proof that we were absolutely right to have that order issued," Jack countered. "You haven't even laid eyes on her, and she's already playing her head games on you."
Nadia still couldn't accept this. "I don't want to go over your head, Jack, but if I have to go to those assholes with Division--"
"This project has been authorized by President Palmer," Jack told her gently. "You have no other recourse for appeals."
That finally shut up Nadia.
Jack turned to Tony. "Make sure the observation room is sealed off, and armed guards are posted outside," he told him. "After I go in, nobody else does shit until you hear from me."
Tony nodded.
"I can't believe it's come to this," Vaughn almost whispered.
"As long as that woman was running free, this moment was inevitable," Jack told his friend.
"Then you had fucking better get what we need."
Jack didn't answer; he just walked into the room.
8:32:26/8:32:27/8:32:28/8:32:29
Jack looked at the three men who were still watching Irina., who was chained to a chair that was bolted to the floor. "Are the cameras off?" he asked one of the guards. After getting a nod of acknowledgment, he said: "Leave us."
"Sir, are you—" one guard started.
"Go," Jack said in a tone that left no room for refusal.
The instant the guard was gone, Irina faced Jack. "So now it's down to me and thee," she began. "I must say I'm a little disappointed."
"Why?"
"I figured before we got started, you'd begin by showing me where my sister died," Irina said quietly.
"Since she died in the infirmary, you just might. But it wouldn't matter," Jack said in a deliberately neutral tone. "For that to work, that would mean you'd have to care for someone else, and you don't."
"So you're pissed at me, Jack," Irina told him. "Was it going after my granddaughter or the fact that I beat up your own flesh and blood that has made you so cold?"
Jack smiled evilly. "From what I heard, Kim was the one who did the beating." He made a deliberate study of a folder in front of him. "I knew that it was a mistake to let you walk away the last time we met," he told her, still not looking at her.
"You needed my help, Jack, and I'm practically family now," Irina reminded him.
"We had just saved you after being held in the ground for almost a year. Helping us because we saved you isn't compassion, and it doesn't negate a lifetime of bloodshed and treason," he said slowly. "The man you called your husband and the children you gave birth to should have known that better than anyone else, and yet you managed to pull the wool over all of their eyes again and again."
"We don't have a great deal of time, Mr. Bauer, you really want to waste it on the past?" Irina pointed out.
"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it," Jack said. "A dull cliché, but one appropriate for our situation." He closed the file and faced Irina for the first time. "The United States government has realized now that it has completely mishandled your custody. What has happened today is literally the final nail in your coffin. From this point on, there will be no further negotiations with you."
Irina considered this. "So you're going to bring out the rack and the chemicals to try and find out what I know?" she said.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation," Jack told her. 'You're right, we don't have time to play games, but we also don't have time to waste dealing with you one way or another. There's no time for a deal, no time for intensive interrogation. Simply put, there's no time. We need this now."
"So how do you intend to find out what I know, Jack?" Irina asked. "Because, believe me, it's important."
Jack didn't answer directly. " Irina Derveko, you have committed multiple acts of treason and murder against the United States. For these crimes, the sentence of death is to be carried out against you today."
Before she could even begin to react, Jack drew his weapon and fired into Irina's stomach. For the first time since he had known her, a look of genuine shock crossed her face. She gaped for a moment before the chair she was in tilted backwards, her with it.
Jack stood, calmly walked over to her, and put his foot on her stomach to put pressure on it. He dug in with his toe as he went down on now need beside her. He leaned in close and said in a deadly whisper, "Now, listen very carefully, because you don't have much time left. Based on the angle of the bullet, you've probably been hit in the renal vein, which means you've got at most ten minutes left to live. The deal is very simple: you tell me exactly what is behind today's attacks, who's controlling Sark, Anna Espinoza, and whoever else; you also tell me what exactly is on that data file you were supposed to pick up from the airport. You do that, I call in the doctors, they save your life."
"A shot -- like that -- I could die -- on the table…" Irina said, breathing very hard.
"Yes, you could," Jack said coldly..
"What about Nadia…." Irina argued. "You think she'll-- forgive you-- for killing me--"
"She forgave me for killing her father," Jack pointed out.
A smile Jack couldn't read appeared on Irina's face. "Wouldn't be-- too sure-- of that," she said.
There were two ways to read that statement; Jack decided not to waste time on either. "You've destroyed a lot of people in your life," he told her frankly. "This is collateral damage. If I have to weigh the love of your daughter against the good of the world, she knows which one I'd choose."
"Always the good soldier," Irina muttered. "You-- honestly telling me-- that you've got no problem—just letting me-- bleed to death-- knowing what I must know?"
Jack maintained a perfect poker face. "You're a monster, Irina. For more than thirty years, you've destroyed thousands of lives, showing loyalty to no one except yourself. You're a parasite, a shriveling little germ, and I have no problem inoculating the world against your disease."
A small trail of blood was forming outside Irina's mouth. "I'd tell you to go--to hell," she told him, "but I have-- a feeling-- I'll be seeing-- you there-- soon enough."
"That your final response?" Jack asked. Irina didn't answer. "So be it."
He walked towards the door, and had his hand on the knob, when Irina finally whispered "The virus isn't just a virus."
Jack turned to see Irina's whitening face "What does that mean?"
"The level that it was developed--at were to-- be used as-- a weapon, but if properly modified, and-- if it interact-- with the right-- combination-- of chemicals-- one out of every ten thousand people-- will develop -- a virtual immortality."
Jack didn't like the sound of this. "What kind of the chemicals?" he demanded
"The same kind-- that Arvin Sloane-- used to seed the-- water when he was-- in control-- of his foundation-- six years ago," Irina told him
"What are you telling me? That Sloane is plotting this from beyond the grave?"
Again that smile that Jack couldn't read. "In a manner-- of speaking--" Irina told him. "Sark and Espinoza -- have known -- about this -- project for years. They've been--positioned-- to help pull it off. If it works-- they obtain—eternal life."
This was bullshit that Jack was having a great deal of trouble believing. "How do you know all this?" he said in as level a tone as he could manage.
"The-- data file-- on the computer-- lists a series of instructions-- from Rimbaldi-- as to how-- to properly bring about-- his final solution."
"Where do I find Sark?"
"Scheduled -- rendezvous with him-- Stone Canyon Reservoir--9:30."
"One last thing" , Jack thought he knew the answer to this question, but he needed confirmation. " Whose genetic code is on the data file- that we found on the disk?"
"Don't know-- who exactly-- but it's someone with-- my gene pool. Could be Isabelle-- or Sydney -- or me," Irina's breathing was becoming even more labored.. "In any case, we-- had to have-- one of them-- to make-- sure it-- would work. The last passage of Rimbaldi-- calls for-- the sacrifice-- of the Passenger."
A very ugly but plausible idea was starting to go through Jack's mind. "What are you trying to say?" he demanded.
"That you might-- well-- have helped-- carry out-- what needed to be --done." Now there was a faint smile on Irina's face. "Thanks."
And even though Jack didn't believe for a second that this was true, he knew how he had no choice but to play this out. He got on the radio. "This is Bauer. I need a medical team to get Irina to the--'
Before he could even finish the sentence, the door burst open and Sydney and Nadia rushed in, with the medics running behind her.
"Mom! Mom!" Sydney was yelling, apparently having forgotten what had taken place less than an hour ago "Goddamn it, Jack! Uncuff her!"
Numbly Jack did, watching as Irina collapsed in a heap.
"I've got a weak femoral pulse," one of the medics said. "Pressure's barely there. We need to get her to the med unit now!"
As the medics lifted the traitor, and began carrying her out of the room, Jack found himself trying to find his beloved's eye.
"I don't want to hear it," Nadia said in an icy tone eerily similar to her mother's.
She and Sydney walked out without even looking at him.
8:48:16/8:48:17/8:48:18/8:48:19
Sydney and Nadia just outside the medical center when Kim walked in with Isabelle cradled in her arms.
"How's your mother doing?" she asked.
Nadia turned around first. "They got her pulse back, but she lost a lot of blood.," she said dully. "Plus there was no exit wound. They think it may have hit one of her ribs."
"Did your father send you in here to test our mood?" Sydney asked icily. "See if we'd be ready to go back to catch Sark"
"Actually, I came of my own volition," Kim told them both firmly. "And I brought Isabelle to remind you that the woman whose sickbed you seem to be staking out was willing to kill your daughter, and probably would have killed me had it not been for sheer luck."
"We're well aware of that," Sydney admitted, "but that doesn't change the fact--"
"Honestly, what has you pissed off more," Kim asked. "The fact that my father shot your mother, or that he went over your head to do it?"
For a long moment, no one spoke. "This job comes down to trust, Kim," Nadia finally said. "and your father should understand this better than anyone. Jack and Vaughn and half the people in this government seem to have conspired to handle a woman that Nadia and I may understand better than anyone else. And if the primary argument has been that we are too emotionally involved to keep from doing our jobs, might I remind you that's true about a lot of the people we've dealt with."
Kim considered this for a few seconds, then moved forward. "The government would have killed your mother anyway," she finally said.
"What are you talking about?" Sydney demanded
"I had a conversation with Vaughn a few minutes ago. Everything my dad said on that recording was true," Kim told them. "The government has had a termination order out on your mother since the last time she escaped their custody. Under any other circumstances, even I would have been authorized to shoot to kill "
'Then why are they working so hard to save her?"
"In case any of the information she has turns out to be more bullshit," Kim said. "The second that today's threat is averted, Irina will be transferred to Guantanamo. By boat." She paused for a moment. "There are sharks in those waters. When she 'accidentally' falls off, there probably won't even be a body. She'll never be seen again."
There was another long pause. "I don't understand how she has this hold over me," Sydney said. "She's tried to destroy everything in my life that I've held dear, hell, I wanted to kill her myself less than an hour ago, but the second I saw her on the floor all I could think was, 'He's killed my mother.'" She looked at Kim. "My father's put up this façade of indifference all my life, and most of the time, I've hated it, but there are times like this I wish I had his stoicism."
"All I ever wanted was to have parents who loved me. Instead…' Nadia trailed off. "Neither was better than a cold-heart killer, and I still wanted their love. I've known something like this was coming for years, and I just couldn't deal with it. I'm still not sure I can."
Kim considered this. "I wish we lived in a world where you could get your head wrapped around this," she told them. "But the truth is, we don't have the time. If Irina was telling the truth, which I realize is a big if, then we may be facing a crisis worse than the one we put down over a year ago. And right now, we need you to help stop it."
Sydney took her daughter from Kim. "Isabelle may still be in danger," she asked.
"They're going to need help coordinating tech support between here and APO," Kim told them. "I can keep an eye on her from here."
"And what if our mother makes another try at her?" Sydney managed a melancholy smile. "You really don't know what she's capable of."
"She's under anesthesia, in a secured operating room," Kim reminded her. "If all else fails, I'll shoot her again...and this time, she doesn't have Kevlar."
8:55:09/8:55:10/8:55:11
"Based on what I've managed to translate so far, Irina was only telling half the truth when she said that the Passenger had to be sacrificed," Marshall told them over the speakerphone.
"Half-truths are the only kinds this woman knows," Vaughn said bitterly.
"Which part?' Jack asked.
"There is definitely something in the data file about a blood sacrifice of the Passenger, and I'm sorry, but even with all the piggybacking I've been doing it's going to be at least another hour or two before I have the identity of the Passenger."
"In case you're all suffering from retroactive amnesia," Nadia said, as she and Sydney entered the room where the brain trust of both agencies had gathered, "I was the passenger, at least according to another batch of Rimbaldi documents."
"Nadia--"
"Not now, Jack," Nadia said coldly.
"You're assuming that the person whose genetics this match is called the passenger," Marshall continued. "I've finally gotten through about half this document, and I see no use of the word 'passenger'. 'Sacrifice', yes, not passenger."
"Then what part of what she told Jack was Irina lying about?" Tony demanded.
"There is talk of a sacrifice in order for this formula to be carried out, but it calls for 'the flowing of twin streams of water and blood." Now granted I'm not a Rimbaldi scholar, but it sounds like whoever's doing this needs to make this sacrifice over some body of water like the Pacific or the Harbor or--"
"Or Stone Canyon Reservoir," Jack finished grimly.
"Maybe," Sydney admitted. "But if Irina really was supposed to be a sacrifice, I have extreme doubt that she would just march off there, if there was a possibility that she'd have to die."
"What do you think she was bringing Isabelle for?" Vaughn countered. "A Grandmother-granddaughter bonding trip?"
"Right now, I don't think it matters who or if there was going to be some kind of blood-spilling," Jack argued. "Irina said she was going to meet with Sark there in a little more than half an hour."
"So now you're convinced of her veracity?" Nadia countered with some bitterness. "If she was lying about the sacrifice, there's no reason to assume anything else she said was anything other than bullshit."
"Maybe, but right now, this meeting is our only lead on Sark," Mr. Bristow reminded them over the speakerphone, "and we've barely got enough time to work out a scenario for it."
"Wang didn't give you anything on Sark?" Sydney asked Jack.
"The most that I managed to get from him was that Scarlet Circle got promises of a 'bonus' beyond money or power if they managed to pull off this operation," Jack told them. "Damned if I know what that offer could be, but it was enough to keep Wang's mouth shut."
On a freighter bearing Chinese flags just outside the Los Angeles Harbor, Cheng was finishing his conversation with his masters.
"Has he told you or the Americans anything yet?" one asked over the phone.
"Not so far," Cheng admitted, "but we've only begun our work. If we don't get the information out of him, our people in Siberia surely will."
"The Americans didn't work him hard enough?"
"They don't have the will to dispense justice properly," Cheng told them disdainfully.
Cheng might not have sounded so arrogant if he had gotten a good look at Li Chen Wang at the moment. Otherwise, he might have observed that the scars and bruises that Jack had managed to leave over his bodies were slowly beginning to fade and scab over. Or that cuts and scars they'd delivered to him weren't bleeding nearly as fast as they should of.
Or the inappropriate predatory grin that was forming on Wang's face.
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