This is a full, complete story which I am posting in three parts since I don't know if my clipboard will carry it all.
Anyway, I hope those who haven't read this at another site will enjoy it. One of my earlier efforts. B)
Feedback is always appreciated.
JJ Abrams owns the characters, but are loved by the fans. :wub:
AT LIBERTY
A SEASON OPENING EPISODE
PROLOGUE
Jack was talking to Sydney. Irina had been transferred back to Langley. She had agreed to listen and identify anyone she heard on some voice tapes. In exchange, he said, she would be allowed to attend Sydney’s graduation at UCLA with her Ph.D.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Jack mused.
“Why?”
“Sloane wants to come and has indicated he will ask you about it.”
“I can say no.”
He looked at her, ‘Do you think that’s wise?”
“Dad! I could just not go then.”
“Well, maybe that’s the best option.” He answered.
She sighed, “Then there’s Mom!’
“She wants to see you get that degree.”
UCLA’s campus and Royce Hall where the Masters and Ph.D. candidates would receive their robe adornments was being set up for the ceremony. The CIA had made arrangements with the Chancellor about getting Laura Bristow, also a Ph.D. and former professor at UCLA, an opportunity to watch her daughter graduate. The appropriate cap and gowns were sent to the Federal Building in Westwood. Laura Bristow would be allowed into the sanctified robing room along with four others agents. She would not have to wear leg shackles, but would wear handcuffs. She was warned to be discreet. She agreed.
“I won’t spoil Sydney’s moment,” she told Jack.
A few miles away, Sloane was getting ready to go to the University. He was looking forward to seeing Syd get her degree. He felt as close to her as Jack, having been around since the time of her birth. He and Emily had served as her Godparents. He was almost as proud as Jack was, but not as apprehensive.
“Where are you going?” said Sark, entering his office.
“Syd’s graduation.” Sloane answered with a smile.
“Can I come?”
Jack looked at him, “I doubt Sydney would have invited you.”
He shrugged. “When will you be back?”
“Probably around five. Graduation begins at two.” Sloane put on his jacket and walked out of the room, Jack following.
Francie helped Sydney on with her cap and gown. Her face was beaming with joy for her friend. Will stood watching. He too, was proud. She had prevailed after so much tragedy. She had gotten this higher degree. He smiled and wanted to kiss her, but didn’t. Her heart belonged to someone else.
Sydney asked, “Francie, do you and Will have seats? If not, you’d better go get a couple. I want to talk to Will for a second.”
“Sure, no problem.” She looked at Will. “I’ll get them on the left side. You did say that was the aisle?”
Syd nodded. “Will, hold me for a second.” He put his arms around her comfortingly. “I hope things go all right.”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“My mother is coming.”
Will’s eyes got bigger and he was a little frightened. “Your Mother?”
She nodded. “And Dad is coming with Sloane.”
“Won’t your Mother have guards?”
“Yes, but I don’t know where she’ll be in the audience. If Sloane sees her?” She looked at him. “I wanted you to know because if anything starts you are to see to it Francie gets home. I don’t want either of you to get hurt!” She turned and walked out to join the other graduates.
The ceremony began at 2:00 p.m. with the graduates marching down the left aisle to seats facing the stage. The professors and teachers came down the right aisle. The teachers and professors marched up to the stage and sat down. The music stopped. The graduates sat down. The Chancellor spoke for a few minutes, and then one of the candidates, Mary Valentine, gave a quick speech. Two more speeches followed and were received politely. Then the Chancellor introduced a Dean of a particular school who approached the podium and started handing out the diplomas to the graduates of his department.
Jack wished this were over. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and into his collar. He yawned for effect, glancing around. Suddenly he went cold. Sark! The man had sweet-talked his way into the auditorium. He sat just a few rows away, behind them. If he saw Irina what would he do?
Suddenly Arvin gripped Jack’s arm hard. “Jack!” He hissed.
“What?” Jack looked toward the stage. Sydney was walking up to get her degree. She looked great.
“She’s here?”
‘Who?”
“Derevko!”
“What?” Jack stood up, looking around. “Where?”
“Sit down,” Arvin hissed.
Jack did quickly, but he knew from a pre-arranged signal that he had planned with Vaughn, that his standing up had warned them Irina’s presence had been made by Arvin Sloane. “Where?”
“There, on the stage, near the podium on the left.”
Jack looked. Sure enough. He had never guessed they would be so blatant about where to put her. Jack made as if he were going to leave his seat. Arvin grabbed him. “Sit down, don’t move!”
In the meantime, Sydney had gotten her degree. She had nearly fainted when she saw her Mother sitting on the stage with all the other teachers and professors. Then she saw Vaughn at the end of the stage looking strangely agitated. She followed the row of graduates back to the seats. Vaughn suddenly was gone. She looked back at the stage. Four people including her mother had gotten up and moved to the rear, leaving.
At the bottom of the stairway, Vaughn met Irina and the three agents. He unlocked the handcuffs. ‘Take the robe off quickly.”
“What’s wrong,” she said.
“Arvin Sloane spotted you.”
“If he suspects you are in custody, he may try to either rescue or kill you.”
Irina saw he was serious and knew he was right. She thought Arvin would as soon kill her as try to rescue her. She handed one of the agents her cap and gown. Vaughn snapped the handcuffs back on and took her by the arm. “Let’s get to the car now.”
Sloane made a quick decision. He knew Sark was behind him. He motioned him forward. “Derevko was here. She just left with her men two minutes ago. They went out the rear entrance of the Hall.” Sark nodded and took off.
Jack was furious and acted as though he could strangle Sloane. “Where is she! How dare she come here!” His voice was getting loud.
“Quiet, Jack. We’ll locate her. Don’t make a scene. I think it’s over anyway.” He nodded toward the graduates who seemed to be getting up and moving toward the aisle. He saw Sydney and waved.
“Hey,” she said with a nervous smile.
“You look great in that cap and gown,” muttered Jack. “Was it worth all the hard work?”
She noticed his tense voice and posture. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Sydney,” interjected Sloane smoothly. “We have to go to a meeting and I think he’d rather spend the time with you.”
Syd looked at him, “Well, we already talked about it. Will and Francie are taking me to dinner and then a party. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hugged her Dad.
Sloane pulled Jack hurriedly down the aisle, almost making it before being bogged down by people hurrying out to meet their son or daughter who were among the grads. When they finally made it thru the doors of the hall, Sloane pulled out his cell phone and made a call. Sark answered.
“Have you spotted her?”
“No, not yet!”
“Who were those men with her?” Sloane asked him.
“I didn’t see them clearly. She led the way out.” Sark said.
“Her men, or maybe agents guarding her?”
“Send a group of men to each Federal Building, there’s one here in Westwood. Let’s see if she goes there. Send teams to the airport, bus terminals and Union Station just in case.”
Sark said, “I’ll check the Federal Building myself. Have the office watch for helicopters taking off from either building.”
“Good idea!” Sloane motioned Jack to make the call as they climbed into the car.
“Boot camp, boot camp,” shouted Vaughn into his phone.
“Yes?” It was Weiss.
‘We’re incoming on a 201 alarm.”
Irina sat between Vaughn and another agent. She kept quiet and still. She didn’t want to interfere. Her safety lay in their hands. If anything bad happened it would be her fault for insisting she get to see Sydney graduate.
“How far out are you?”
“We just left UCLA and are heading for the 405. We’ll take it to the Ventura to the 134 and the 5. If traffic cooperates, we should be home in 35 minutes. We’ll come back door.”
“You sure you got away unseen?”
“Don’t know for sure. But Bristow stood up and that was our pre-arranged signal she had been spotted.” Vaughn hung up. He turned and checked out the rear window. There didn’t seem to be anyone suspicious following the car.
He decided to come thru the entrance Sydney used when she came to see her Mother. He and Derevko would enter at that point and the car would quickly proceed away to the Federal Building in L. A. Vaughn helped Irina out of the car, running to a spot under the bridge. The phone was ringing. He punched in the code. He pulled her around to the back of the freight carrier and the door opened. They stepped inside.
Jack and Sloane arrived at SD-6. The office was humming, but not as though anything special was happening. Jack followed Sloane into his office, shutting the door behind them.
“What are you going to do?” Jack asked, his mind reeling with all the possibilities.
“Try to locate her immediately.” He flipped the switch on the intercom. “I had Sark start by checking the Federal Building. Three strike force teams are covering it, the Federal building downtown and their operational center.”
“Operational center? I didn’t know they had one?” Jack was suddenly very frightened.
“Yes, an informant told us Wednesday that an intelligence team of CIA and FBI agents were working together in a building in the industrial part of L. A. near the 5 freeway. I put a team on it today.”
“Is she there?”
Sloane shook his head. “No, Derevko’s been out of sight for nearly two months. I don’t even know if she’s there.” He smiled. “Look Jack, I was going to tell you at the meeting this evening. I just didn’t want you to get upset. You’ve hated her for so long.”
Jack dropped into the chair in front of Sloane, looking at him with cold intent. “If and when you find her, I want to talk to her first!”
“We’ll see.”
Sydney’s cell phone rang. “Yes?”
“The center’s been made. Someone told Sloane about the CIA and FBI intelligence center. Don’t go there.”
“Mom?”
“Your Mother would not want you to reveal your double-agent status. Kendall has assured me he will see to it she is removed to the federal prison for her safety.”
Two blocks from the Center, two trucks pulled up on a deserted street. They off loaded twenty men, dressed in black and carrying weapons of varying degrees. “We’re here.” One man said into the mike on his collar.
“How close?’
“Two blocks.”
“Move into position and wait, just let me know when you are ready.” The men jogged off into the night.
Inside the center, Kendall was getting the last of the staff out thru the rear entrance. He had already ascertained it had not been discovered.
He looked at his watch. They were going to get Derevko to the Federal Prison as soon as possible and a helicopter was on its way.
Sydney entered the Center from the rear entrance. She passed the staff as they quickly made their way to waiting cars. All were carrying files and books. She saw that her Mother was not with them. She stopped one man she had seen before.
“Where’s Derevko?”
“Still in her cell. There’s a helicopter coming to pick her up.”
Sydney ran toward the cellblock. She got to the cell doors, but they were still in place. She looked at the office where all the operational equipment was kept. It was empty. “What the hell--?”
She went inside and began raising the doors using the panel on the desk. She could hear them going up. She ran out down to the cell where her Mother was being kept. Irina was waiting at the doorway still wearing the handcuffs. She looked apprehensive.
“Mom, we’ve got a helicopter coming.” Sydney pulled at the door. It didn’t open. Then she remembered to press her thumb to the light sensor. The door opened immediately. Irina ran with her down the hall, heading for the stairway, which was outside the cellblock. She had gone up and down it twice a week, for a 15-minute exercise period. She hurried up with Syd behind her.
“Where’s Michael?” Sydney asked.
“I don’t know. He left me here when Kendall called.”
“How long ago?”
“An hour.”
They burst out onto the roof. Sydney looked around. Then in the distance she heard the helicopter. “It’s coming.”
“Stay down!” Cautioned Irina. She shivered in the night air. She wore only the prison garb they had given her.
The helicopter began making its approach. It would land on the upper roof. Suddenly there were lights in the front of the building. The sound of guns firing. Irina and Syd looked up. The helicopter was taking hits. The pilot was trying to maneuver closer. There was someone standing in its doorway.
Syd tried to see if it were Michael. Irina held onto her.
“Stay down!” She shouted.
“We’re here,” yelled Sydney waving.
Suddenly there was another burst of gunfire and then what looked like a small rocket hit the tail section. It exploded. Sydney leaped to her feet, but was instantly thrown to the ground. Irina rolled over, covering her daughter’s body with her own as the helicopter exploded.
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Part 2
AT LIBERTY
“Michael!” Screamed Sydney. She rolled her mother’s body off her, trying to get to her feet. Tears were running down her face.
A hand with the strength of steel kept her on her knees. “Don’t be foolish.” Irina pulled her down to face her. “We have very little time. We have to go.”
“But—“
“That wasn’t him,” Irina hoped, but made it sound positive. “It will do him no good if you get caught here with me. You’ve been taught to think, so think!”
Sydney realized her mother was right. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
They ran back down the stairway. “I want a gun,” Irina shouted. “Where do they keep them?”
“Look in the Marshals office. They were always armed.”
Moments later, both women now armed, ran to the rear entrance of the center. They had heard noises from the front of the building and figured the strike force from SD-6, was getting ready to bust in the doors.
Sydney led the way to the rear door, pushing a button, releasing the lock. The door opened and both slipped out, disappearing into the chilly black night. Minutes later, they heard a huge explosion.
Jack was almost beside himself. He and Sloane were watching the action on his monitor. He saw the helicopter crash and burn. Men ran up to the building, setting a small C4 charge at the lock. The doors slammed open when the C4 went off.
The building was black and it was empty. Sloane cursed as they showed room after room, empty of people and files. “What about Derevko?” he snarled.
“Not here!”
Jack saw the men were not in the cellblock. “Did you think she was there?”
“Yes!”
“Well if she was, she would have been removed,” Jack said thoughtfully. “The helicopter could have been a decoy.”
“Expensive decoy,” was Sloane’s response? “Destroy the building,”
“We’ve got to get far from here. When they find the place empty they may check the area for stragglers or anyone who might have seen us.” Sydney jogged along the empty street, Irina right beside her.
They went on a zigzag course that led them away from the center toward the downtown area. They slipped by groups of homeless people, whores and an occasional drunk. Neither said anything to the other, lost in thought. Syd was agonizing the possibility Michael had been in the helicopter. Irina was thinking about the direction they were going and where they were in the city.
“How far away do you live?”
“Miles!”
“Do you have any money?”
Sydney nodded, “but not enough for a taxi!”
“No, how about metro, bus?” Irina said.
“Yes, but you want to go to my apartment?”
“Yes. You have to be there in case Sloane calls. He must not suspect you know anything.” She gripped Syd’s arm. “You have to go to work as though nothing happened.”
“Do you suppose he’ll have my apartment watched?” Sydney said thoughtfully.
“Possibly, but not right away.” She smiled. “I need to get rid of these,” she said holding up her handcuffed wrists. “I need to get a good night’s sleep.
Sydney chuckled. “Well, I have some very good burglary picks at home. I’ll do it when we get there.”
Two hours later, Sydney led her mother into the alley behind her home. The rooms were dark, which meant Francie and Will were still out at the party. Once they were inside, she went to her bedroom and returned with a small black kit.
“Let me take those handcuffs off. Then I’ve got to call them.”
“Be careful what you say,” admonished Irina rubbing her wrists. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Sydney smiled, “Down the hall.”
When Irina returned, Sydney said, “There’s some coffee,” she indicated the kitchen. “I made you a turkey sandwich. I hope you’ll like it.”
The cell phone rang. Irina went to the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee before picking up the sandwich. Syd took a deep breath and answered, “Sydney!”
“Hey!” It was Vaughn.
‘Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe.” The relief in her voice was audible.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She could see the grin on his face.
“Where are you?”
“At the CIA office in L. A.”
Suddenly Syd realized that he didn’t know where Irina was. “Where’s Mom?”
There was sudden silence on the other end. “Why I thought Kendall was seeing to her transfer.”
“I haven’t heard. Dad called and told me not to go anywhere near the center.”
“I’ll call you back,” and he was gone.
Irina finished the sandwich. She had been starving. She picked up the coffee cup and sipped, watching her daughter. She had a smile on her lips, unseen in the dark
“I need some sleep.” She looked at Sydney. “Where can I?”
“In my room, it’s safer than on the couch. I could give you a nightgown if you’d like.”
Her mother shook her head, “No.” She removed the gun from her waistband and walked into the other room.
A few minutes later, Sydney went to her bedroom and found Irina fast asleep. It had been quite a day.
It was shortly after two when someone sobbing awakened Sydney. “Papa, why? Why am I here?” It was Irina who was in a deep but troubled sleep and talking Russian. She moaned. Sydney placed her hand gently on her shoulder. “Mom? It’s O. K.” She kept her voice low in case Francie and Will were home.
Irina turned to find Sydney leaning over her. “You were dreaming.” Sydney touched her again.
Irina pulled her daughter to her, holding her. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up.” For a moment it was as if the last 20 years had not happened. Irina was a mother holding her daughter comfortingly. Both were quiet with their thoughts thinking about the last few months. Finally, they both fell asleep.
When Sydney awoke, her mother was gone. She put on a robe and hurried out to the kitchen. She wasn’t there. Any evidence that she had been there was gone. Sydney guessed that there were no fingerprints anywhere either. She re-entered her bedroom and looked around. Sydney looked on her dresser and found a piece of paper.
“I am leaving, but I promise to return to CIA custody. Your grandfather is at (she had written a number) this number. Memorize and destroy this. Call him only if I am dead or in prison here. He will know what to do.” The note continued. “Memorize the following number. It is my account in the Swiss General Bank located in Zurich. The contents are yours only in the case of my death. Love, Mom.”
Sydney went to work at SD-6 later in the morning. She was doing some analysis work, when Jack, looking extremely haggard, walked into the room and to her desk. “Morning, Dad!” She had to pretend she had not seen Irina since early yesterday.
“Did you see her?”
“Who?”
“Your mother was at your graduation!” He replied.
“WHAT!” Sydney was shocked.
“Yes, Arvin spotted her. She was on stage, wearing her doctorate cap and gown.”
“I didn’t see her,” Syd said emphatically.
Jack was about to continue the discussion, when his pager went off, as did Sydney’s. He grimaced and turned around to head for the conference room. Sydney followed.
Dixon and Sark were in the room, along with Marshall, the tech guy. Their Intel screens were on and were showing a picture of a building. Syd thought she had seen it before.
“You’re looking at The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, probably the richest art museum in the world. Sark has found information that leads us to believe one of the Rambaldi artifacts is in the museum.
“Your mother,” started Sark, “has a penchant for hiding things in plain sight.” He moved the mouse that seemed to pan the inside of one particular room. “We had an agent visit the museum and he was told to film all the rooms, especially those that were visited by tour groups.” He paused as the camera focused on a pedestal. “On this is a beautifully carved box done in the sixteenth century. It is reputed to have belonged to one of the Dukes of Florence, a Medici, but it is, in fact, one of Rambaldi’s puzzles.”
“A puzzle for what?”
“We don’t know until we open the box. According to the report we received, it has never been opened because no one knows where to start. Your assignment is to bring the box back and replace it with this.” Sark handed her a box that looked identical to the one on the pedestal.
“Isn’t the museum well guarded, a watchman in every room?”
St. Petersburg
It was cold, black and windy. Sydney dressed all in black was hiding in a building nearby. Dixon had been given the job to kill the lights for a ten-block radius. Sydney would then climb up the outer wall to the roof, make her way to the right skylight and lower herself into the room. Everyone agreed that when the lights went out, the guards would probably move to their break room where they had candles. Lights going out seemed to happen a lot in their country.
“Dixon, I’m here, “ she said in the mike located on her shirt. “Okay. Be careful. You should have about twenty minutes to locate the artifact and return. As soon as you are on the ground, let me know. I’ll get their lights back up again.”
“Copy that.” She dropped a rope thru the skylight and then followed it swiftly to the floor below. She took out a small pencil flash. According to the Intel, the box should be to her left only a few feet. She turned on the flashlight. It caught the pedestal and box immediately. She turned off the light. Syd took three steps to the pedestal, checked to be sure the box was the right one. She opened the small carrier she had looped to her belt, took out the duplicate one, putting the artifact inside.
She was about to turn back, when a hand gripped her shirt and the microphone. Another hand went around her mouth so she couldn’t yell or say anything. The hand at the miniaturized microphone ripped it off. Then a moment later, the tiny hearing aid was taken out of her ear. She was out of Dixon’s care.
“Don’t make a sound. Move straight ahead.” The voice was muffled, low and very menacing. Sydney did as she was told. She heard something slide open, like a wooden door panel. She was shoved through it. The panel slid shut. Now she was cut off from her partner.
A small flashlight went on, catching her in the face. Sydney blinked, then squinted. “Don’t you know it’s not nice to steal from your Mother?”
Sydney gasped, as Irina turned the flash on herself so Sydney could see her. “Mom?”
Los Angeles
Sloane, Jack and Sark were listening intently to Dixon who was talking to them from St. Petersburg.
“You don’t know what happened to her?”
“No Sir. One minute she was talking about being in the room, the next no sound at all. I don’t even know if she could hear anything I said.”
“Have the police taken her away?” asked Sark, thinking she had been caught.
“Not yet.” Dixon paused.
“Could they be interrogating her. They might want to know what she was after before taking her to jail.”
“How long can you stay to observe,” said Jack really worried.
“Not too long, sir. It’s beginning to get light.”
“Stay as long as you can,” said Sloane. “Call us back when you have to leave the area. We’ll have some decision for you when you do.”
The three men looked at each other. “What happened to her?”
St. Petersburg
Irina leaned forward and shook her daughter who seemed in shock.
“Sydney!”
Sydney blinked. “Mom? Where, where did you come from? What are you doing here?”
Irina smiled thinly, “Protecting my assets! Come with me.” She pulled Sydney to the other side of the room. She pulled a decorative panel to one side and stepped through. Sydney followed. Irina put on the flashlight to full strength. They went down a narrow stairway, through two long passages and down some more stairs. Sydney had no idea where they were going.
“ How did you get here?” Sydney’s mind was bursting with questions.
“That’s only for me to know.” She answered. “Are you on a SD-6 mission?”
“Yes.”
“Sark?”
Sydney nodded, then said, “Yes, he received Intel that the box on the pedestal was a Rambaldi artifact.”
Irina grunted, pushing through another secret door. She led Sydney across what seemed to be a large ballroom. She stopped at another panel, pushed on it and pulled Sydney through. Again there were more stairs and another long passage.
“Where are we going?”
“To safety,” she answered. “Is your partner Dixon outside?”
“Yes, but he’s going to be worried when he doesn’t hear from me. He’ll contact Dad and Sloane.”
“That’s fine.” Irina chuckled. “I’m sure they think you’ve been arrested.”
Sydney considered the remark. “Won’t they be checking soon?”
“You’ll be held incommunicado. No one will find out anything for the simple reason you won’t be there, yet.”
They went through another door that led out into a large courtyard. Sydney blinked. Looking across the immense space, she saw the Hermitage. She looked at her mother. “How, how did you--?”
“Sydney, this is my country. I know more secrets than some give me credit for.” Irina took her arm. “You have the box?”
Sydney nodded and opened the carrier on her belt, looking at the box. In the dim light, the box was magnificent. The pictures did it no justice. The carvings were pure simple but intricate. She studied it for a moment, then almost in a trance, she moved, pushed and pulled at certain pieces, and the box opened. She looked up at her Mother. “How did I do that?”
Irina took the box from Sydney and closed it. “Now, only two people have been able to open this puzzle, you and I.”
AT LIBERTY – Part 3
Los Angeles
Asst. Director Kendall was not happy. There was the possibility that Derevko had been on the helicopter when it was shot down. Vaughn was distraught. Sydney had been all right, but then had disappeared.
“I thought you talked to her?”
“I did. She was the one who asked how her Mother was.” He swallowed. “I cut off communication because even I didn’t know.”
“Did she indicate she had seen her mother when she got to the center?”
“No sir!”
“Someone told me they spoke to her when they were leaving.” Kendall was suspicious. “I know you like the girl, Vaughn, but remember your job! Tell me, do you think she might know where Derevko is?”
“Anything’s possible,” Vaughn was unhappy. “Have they found any evidence?” He was thinking about Derevko being dead. Somehow he didn’t think she was.
“The blast and crash pretty much blew everything to smithereens and that, unfortunately, included those on board.” Kendall grimaced. “We’ll know in a day or so.”
St. Petersburg
Irina led Sydney to an apartment building a couple of miles from The Hermitage. They walked up two flights of stairs. Sydney shivered a little. She was cold. She had not expected this to happen and one did not wear a heavy coat while doing some breaking and entering. She waited as Irina inserted a key and opened the door for her.
“My apartment in St. Petersburg.”
Sydney stood inside as her mother closed the door. “My gosh, it’s beautiful.”
Irina had simple tastes, but she liked nice things. As The Man, she owned many apartments all over the world and was not ashamed of any of them. It did not matter what the building looked like. She nodded to the table and one of the chairs. “Sit there. Would you like some tea?”
Sydney looked around, nodding. “It really is very nice.” Irina put on the water and stood in the doorway. She enjoyed looking at this young woman who was so much like her.
“What next?” asked Sydney, looking back at Irina.
“Humm! I could call the police and have you arrested.” She saw the look in Sydney’s eyes. “Well, we won’t think about that now.” The kettle whistled. Moments later a cup of hot, steaming tea was put in front of Sydney. Irina sipped from hers. “No, I’m glad we can talk to each other without a pane of glass between us.”
“Yes, I like that too!” She had another thought. “Are you as bad as they’ve said?”
Irina smiled, “Yes and no. However, I do not want to talk about my past, yet.” She sat down at the opposite end of the table.
Sydney looked at her. “Ummm, well, okay, but you know, as a Mom, you are unique!”
Now Irina laughed out loud. “That I’ll agree with. Now, how about getting some sleep. I’ve a few things to sort out, then tomorrow, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
“Okay.”
Irina got up and walked to a door and opened it. “Bedroom and bath. Sorry, but we’ll have to share the bed. Do use the shower. I’ll be in shortly.”
Sydney entered the bedroom. She sat down on the bed, yawning. She was tired. Then she noticed two pictures on the bedside table. Her heart stopped. It was the same picture she had: the one with Mom and Dad. The other? She looked closely. “Oh my God,” she thought, “it’s me outside Credit Dauphine!” She stared thinking about the implications. She looked at the closed door then back at the pictures. Tears in her eyes, Sydney fell back onto the pillow and was asleep almost instantly.
Irina closed her eyes for a moment, then she turned on the laptop computer, entered a password, and opened her financial files. She read from the entries, made some notes, processed payments to her creditors, then thought about Sydney and what she was going to do with her. Sighing, she stood up and walked to the bedroom. Sydney had fallen onto the bed; her clothes still on her, too tired to undress.
Sydney woke up the next morning to find herself under the covers, naked. She felt comfy. Irina had evidently undressed her and put her there. She sat up, looking around. Her clothes lay on a chair. They looked freshly cleaned and pressed. There was a robe lying across the foot of the bed. She pulled it to her, stood up and put it on. There was an open door next to the bed. She walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
A few minutes later, she returned, toweling her hair dry. Dressing quickly, Sydney decided her clothes had definitely been freshly laundered and ironed. She opened the bedroom door and stepped out. Irina sat at her computer working.
Her mother smiled. “Tea in the pot. Toast in the oven.” She nodded toward the kitchen.
When Sydney had her food, she sat down opposite the woman she was becoming closer to than she knew her father wanted. She couldn’t help it. She sighed.
“From now on,” Irina said in Russian, “you are to speak only Russian.”
“Da!”
“We are going on a trip to see some men and women I want you to meet. They are NOT to know you are American. I will introduce you as my daughter, Annya Derevko!”
“Why?”
“You will see.”
An hour later, Irina maneuvered a black Mercedes into a parking lot at a small airfield. A Lear jet sat on the tarmac. Sydney recognized it as one of the new faster models. Her eyes caught her Mother’s. “Yours?”
“Among others! Come on, we’re going to Helsinki.”
Stockholm
Not only did they go to Finland; they finished the day in Stockholm. Sydney had said very little, but was astounded when her Mother told the two men who headed up her organization in those two cities that they would extend any help she would need at anytime she asked for it. They looked at Sydney with new respect. She was dressed in black like her mother and there was a strong resemblance.
That night as they got ready for bed, Sydney asked, “Mom, why are you telling your men to give me help if I ever need it?”
“These men and women you will meet the next few days are the core group of my organization. They have known me since the beginning and they trust me more than anyone else, including Khasinau and Sark. You will be able to count on them if ever you need too!”
“When do I go to jail?” Sydney knew she couldn’t stay free.
“When we finish our trip. Don’t worry, Sydney, the men at the jail are in my pay and will do as I say. No one knows about them, not even Sark.”
“How is SD-6 to know I’m still alive?”
“Don’t worry. Not only will they know, but the CIA will also.”
Langley, Virginia
Communications agent Sam Marsden entered his office to find the red light blinking on his special ops phone. A message was waiting for him. He punched in a special code on the keypad. The digital read out started across the screen. He quickly made notes. He erased the tape. Then hurried to the office of the Director.
Entering the office, he waved the paper in his hand. “Black Falcon.”
The director took the paper. “Sydney Bristow is in jail in St. Petersburg for burglary at the Hermitage.”
“Lets get the information to Jack on the secure phone.”
Los Angeles
Sloane sat at his desk wondering what to make of the message from The Alliance. He looked up as Jack came into the room. “I just got this from the Alliance headquarters.”
Jack looked at it, and suddenly seemed to relax. The past two weeks had been hell for him, not knowing where Sydney was and not knowing what had happened to Irina. She had not been found. Nor had there been any DNA evidence of her death in the helicopter.
“The Alliance wants us to get her out of jail?” Jack looked at Sloane.
“Yes! They say she’s too valuable to waste. We’re to put a plan together see to it.”
“I’m going!” Jack said.
A few miles away, Vaughn was called over to Kendall who was reading what his computer screen pulled up. Kendall turned and told him Sidney was alive but was a prisoner. “Are we going to get her out?”
“No, we can’t! We have to hope Jack will see to it.”
Vaughn had a thought. “Send him a signal to meet me at the pier.”
It was dark when Jack arrived at the pier where Sydney usually met her handler, Michael Vaughn. Now it was he who was meeting Vaughn. The younger man was waiting almost impatiently. He brightened when he saw Jack.
“Sir, do you know about Sydney?”
“Yes. I’m going St. Petersburg to get her.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? I mean you might get caught too.”
“You have a better suggestion?”
Vaughn stared at him. “We could use an expert!”
Jack stared back. “Do you know where Irina is, because she isn’t at SD-6. Sark is going nuts trying to find her. I’m worried.”
Irina Derevko had disappeared. Vaughn had hoped, then he sighed. “We have no idea what happened to her. I left her in the care of two Marshals when Kendall called me into operations that day.”
Jack rubbed his forehead, then started as he had an epiphany. “You don’t suppose….” He frowned, thinking harder. “Vaughn, have they really searched the center?”
“Well, I thought they had. Should I check?”
“No, we’re going to look now.”
Across town, near the park, Jack and Vaughn, walked quickly to the underpass, found the phone and the abandoned shipping carrier. They went to the back where a secret door had been built. Jack had a jack handle with him. There was a slight crack in the door. Fitting the handle in it, he and Vaughn pushed hard. Moments later, they were inside. Vaughn took out his flash. They made their way to the cellblock. It was still and almost spooky. Their shoes stepped on broken glass. The sound made them check to see if anyone heard. They knew no one could hear from the front of the building.
“The cellblock doors are open,” whispered Vaughn. He waved the flashlight which showed them to be up and not down.
Jack glanced into the Marshals’ office as they passed. They continued down the corridor. They stopped in front of the cell itself. Jack tried the door. It was locked. He nodded at Vaughn, who turned the flashlight inside the square room that had been his wife’s prison the past six months.
Suddenly, without warning, a body dropped from the ceiling. Facing them was Irina. “Jack?”
Vaughn audibly gasped in shock, almost dropping the flashlight. Jack blinked and his heart beat faster as he looked at his wife. “Irina!” He smiled just a little.
“Sorry about scaring you, but I would like to get out of here.”
“Why didn’t you try to break out,” said Vaughn, then realized why.
“Everything is bolted down and, “ she held up her wrists that were still manacled, “your Marshals didn’t leave me the key.”
Vaughn looked at her guiltily. Jack put his hand on Vaughn’s arm. “Go back to the Marshal’s office and open the door.”
Seconds later, Jack pulled her through the door. “We have a problem. Sydney’s in jail in St. Petersburg and we’ve got to get her out.”
St. Petersburg
Jack was driving through the St. Petersburg in a Mercedes sedan Irina had arranged for him to pick up. He stopped a block from the jail where Sydney was being held. Sloane and Sark had no idea Jack was hooked up to a special CIA line. Irina was on the other end.
Los Angeles
She was brought to the downtown FBI office through a secret entrance in a parking garage two blocks away. They knew SD-6 had men watching for her. Kendall had been almost emotional when they brought her into the main office. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch. She looked none to worse for the two weeks she had supposedly spent hiding at the Center.
“How come you didn’t yell or something when our men were checking the Center a couple of days after the bombing?” His tone was accusatory. He did not want to admit the FBI had forgotten her in the excitement of the raid.
“I didn’t want my head blown off if they weren’t your men.” She stared him down. “Immunity and protection was what I was promised, and, once again, you failed.”
Kendall was about to make some retort, when Jack intervened. “What matters is Sydney.” He looked at Irina. “We need to know if you are familiar with the jail in St. Petersburg.”
Now Irina was sitting at a view computer with earphones and mike. The camera that Jack wore on the frame of his glasses showed the street and its occupants, as well as the buildings. She recognized the jail where she had left Sydney to a week ago.
“The jail is the building on your left. Go inside, up three steps, to a desk where an uniformed man is sitting. He’s the one in charge on this shift, usually a sergeant for the night shifts.
Jack muttered, “ If I’m lucky, I will be out with her in a half-hour or less.” He was wearing a uniform of a Captain. Irina had told him where to call to get one. Remembering, he shook his head.
Los Angeles
“The uniform will be one of the Russian intelligence service, FSB. You will find papers in the inside coat pocket that will explain why you are picking up the prisoner. She is suspected of being a Chechnyan terrorist and FSB has first call on her.”
St. Petersburg
Jack came up the stairs walking briskly toward the Sergeant. “Good evening, Sergeant.” His Russian was perfect. He pulled the papers out of his pocket. “I understand you have this prisoner here?”
“Da!” The sergeant took the papers from him.
“I need to get her to headquarters in Moscow by tomorrow morning and it’s a long way to drive.” Jack looked officious.
“Standard travel procedure?”
Jack nodded.
Minutes later, Sydney was led out wearing leg irons and handcuffs. She didn’t blink when she saw her father. She tried to look non-committal.
Jack thanked the Sergeant, taking the keys to the irons from him. Then helped his daughter down the stairs.
“You O.K.?” Jack looked at Syd’s face. It looked tired.
“Yes, thanks.”
He smiled and passed the keys over so she could unlock the handcuffs and leg irons.
Los Angeles
The new facility for the U.S. Joint Intelligence Op Center had been relocated underneath an apartment building about two miles from the other center, now destroyed. The building had been gutted. Equipment had been moved in overnight so that no one knew what was going on inside. The under-ground garage had been sealed. The door was plastered over and shrubs planted so that in a few days no one would even think there had been cars going in an out. Of course, this had been done to create another cellblock where Irina Derevko would be held. Super-computers, much smaller now, were installed. Communications were even better. On the roof was what looked like a dish to receive cable TV but which, in reality, was the most sophisticated of electronic listening and radio signal devices on this side of the country.
Two nights later around 3:00 a.m., a car drove up. Two men and a woman got out, the car pulled away. The three proceeded into the building. Moments later, Irina was led down some stairs and thru the cellblock doors that seemed all too familiar. At least she wasn’t shackled. One of the Marshals opened the cell door. She stood just inside as he unlocked the handcuffs. The door shut behind him, the cellblock doors dropped down.
AT LIBERTY- Part 4
Moscow
Sydney stood in front of the apartment door and quickly knocked. The hallway was not well lighted. The door opened. A tall, broad-shouldered man looked down at her. He must have been six foot five at least. In the dim light she saw that his hair was beginning to turn gray.
“Grandpa, I’m Sydney Annya Derevko-Bristow.”
He stared at her a brief moment, then gripping her arm, pulled her inside and shut the door. It was brighter in the room. He pulled her over to the kitchen where he had been when she knocked, and looked her over. “Sydney! You look like my Annya!” Then he hugged her tightly.
Los Angeles – 24 hours earlier
Sydney sat facing her mother. They were talking quietly and in Russian.
“Do you trust me!” Irina had opened the conversation with those words.
Sydney had closed her eyes for a moment, “Yes, I trust you.”
“I want you to do something for me. It shouldn’t be dangerous, but it will be most productive for the CIA.”
“What?”
“The question is can you leave town?” Irina studied her daughter.
“I think so, I can say I’m getting ready for my orals on my dissertation.”
“Good! Now pay attention to what I’m about to tell you.”
(An earlier scene at the cell) Jack is standing talking to Irina. “So you don’t know where Richter hid your Bible?”
She nodded. “He never got back to me.” She looked at him carefully. “Did SD-6 capture him?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“He’s dead?”
Sloane had him killed after he gave erroneous information.”
“I don’t suppose you’d tell me what that was?”
He shrugged, “He was being sentimental. Sloane wanted the location of the Bible. Richter said “Smeela” Of course we went there and there was no bible anywhere to be found. He had meant Smeela, his wife.”
“Poor man!” Irina said softly.
Moscow
Sydney looked at the man who was her grandfather. He had the biggest smile on his face. He poured her some tea and asked if she wanted anything to eat. She shook her head.
“Your Mother, she is well?”
“You know where she is now?”
“Da,” he took her hands in his, “are you worried for her?”
Sydney nodded. “She’s under a death warrant.”
“Da, I know.” He paused, “but you see her and you talk? What you think of my girl, your Mother?”
Sydney smiled, “She seems so kind and sometimes not so nice. I am puzzled by her.”
Mikhail Alexandrovich laughed. “Your Mother has had a very hard life. She told me not so long ago that the ten years in America had been her happiest.” He looked at Sydney’s surprised expression. “Ah, well, ummm, suppose you tell me why she wanted you to see me?”
“I need a Russian passport and necessary papers, as well as airplane tickets to Prague, Budapest and Vienna.”
“Done.” He smiled. “Now sit with your granpapa and tell him all about America and you.”
Prague
Sydney walked up some stairs. It was very late. There were not many people about at this hour. She stopped at a door and knocked. “Who’s there?”
“I have a message.” Sydney spoke in Russian as her mother instructed.
“Who sends a message at this hour?”
“The Man!”
The door flew open. A woman, about 50 pounds heavier than she should be, stood in front of Sydney. She had her hair up in a French roll. It was graying. She had dark suspicious eyes. “The Man has not been heard from for six months!”
“Let me in,” hissed Sydney and she pushed by the other woman.
The door shut behind her. Now there was a gun in her hand and she was not smiling. “Who are you?”
“Klaus Richter’s wife, Smeela, has died.”
“Follow me,” the woman walked down a hallway.
Sydney entered a room that looked like it could be an office. The woman left her without another word. Sydney pulled the fire alarm next to a picture. Then looking in the closet found a briefcase. She opened lower drawer on the left side of the desk. There was the keypad. She punched in the numbers, turned and watched as a sliding panel opened to reveal a safe.
Minutes later, she returned to the front room where the woman was waiting. “Did you find everything?”
Sydney nodded. “In the desk is an envelope for you. Irina says it is time to retire and go home. The game is too dangerous.”
Los Angeles
“The most dangerous is Grigor Stoly in Budapest. He is rough, coarse and very, very suspicious. Can you handle a man like that!” She looked at Sydney without any emotion.
“What’s his background?”
“KGB prison guard!”
Now Sydney studied her mother. “And you used him why?”
“He was reliable and is in love with me.”
Sydney grinned, then nodded.
Budapest
It was night again. The city was quiet in this sector of working class people, stores and shops; most of them were closed. The dark figure entered the bar. It too was nearly empty, though there were still some men sitting at a table drinking. They looked up when the door opened. They stared at the woman, dressed in black, including the Russian winter hat.
“Is Grigor Stoly here?”
One man pointed to a door.
She said nothing, but went to the door and opened it. “Grigor?”
And stepped inside.
When the door closed behind her, Sydney saw that Grigor was not alone. She walked toward the desk. “I have a message.”
“Who are you?” His voice was grating, rough. He had all the signs of a man who had lived a rough life and was not going to stop now. His eyes shifted to the two men and he gave a slight nod. They started toward the woman, who without warning, pulled a gun from her waistband underneath the black coat. She fired twice; the first bullet went into the shoulder of the man on her right and the other bullet into the shoulder of the other man. Both dropped. Her gun swung around and pointed at Grigor Stoly’s left eye. He had been in the process of drawing his gun when hers stopped any more movement.
“The message is from The Man.”
He smiled, “why didn’t you say so?”
“You don’t give a lady time.” She stared him down. “The message is Klaus Richter’s wife, Smeela, is dead.”
“This way,” Grigor turned and led the way to a room behind his. “In here.”
Sydney paused at the doorway. The office was as her mother had described it. “I will be only a few minutes. When I leave, return to the desk. There is an envelope under one of the drawers. The Man suggests you sell the bar and return to the Motherland. You are in great danger, dear Grigor.”
Los Angeles
“The third one is Helmut Rostoff in Vienna. He was a prisoner at that prison in Kashmir when I was. He survived, but was not happy, so he joined my organization. He might be the hardest to persuade to go home. He married a Viennese woman.”
“What danger?”
“Sark and, of course, Sloane.” Irina put her hand up against the window. Sydney matched it. “I am not sure, but I think Sark knows about Helmut. He may think him insignificant now, but, “ she hesitated, “I did not have time to change the destination. Klaus was going to bring a portion of the book to Helmut before I knew about Sark. Sydney, you must be very careful. He could be watched.”
Vienna
Sydney left hand gripped the briefcase tighter than before. One more stop. It was scary, being out here without backup or someone to talk to her as she completed a mission. Yet she knew this was the biggest mission she had ever been given. Her Mother, with 86 counts of espionage and a death warrant, had given herself up to the CIA saying she would help them destroy SD-6 and the Alliance. Now she was in a cell by herself waiting for her daughter to bring home a piece of her life, her “bible” in which, was detailed all the information the FBI and CIA needed to bring down these two monstrous organizations.
She left the car in a parking garage. She would walk to Helmut Rostoff’s office. It was daylight and there were a lot of people about. He had an insurance agency in one of the buildings close by. She glanced at herself as she walked past a window. She had changed to a nice suit, blouse, heels and a blond wig. She looked like an employee of any office in the building. Sydney stood with a group of office workers, waiting for the elevator. Glancing to her left she saw Sark! He did not look at her or really paid attention to anything other than the elevator.
Suddenly the doors opened. Sydney stepped inside, only to see Sark come around the corner to enter also. He stood with his back to her. She saw him reach over and punch the button for the 20th floor. It was the floor that Rostoff had his offices located. Sydney did not get off when Sark did, instead she went up to the next floor.
She thought a moment, then walked down a corridor to where she saw the stairway exit. A minute later, she had her cell phone out and dialing CIA headquarters. She had a plan, but wanted to know the layout of Rostoff’s office. Only Irina could tell her.
Los Angeles
“Agent Weiss.”
“This is mountaineer, voice code Alpha Charlie, 710. I need to speak to Derevko.”
“Let me check!”
“Don’t check, get this phone to her immediately.”
Weiss looked around. Kendall wasn’t here and neither was Vaughn. He knew they were looking for Sydney. “Where are you?”
“Vienna. Don’t waste time”.
“All right!” Weiss made an executive decision he was sure would be approved.
Running with the cell phone, he approached the cellblock. “I need to talk to Derevko. Get the doors up.” He waited impatiently as they lifted.
Finally, the last one went up. A buzzer sounded which warned the prisoner someone was coming.
He stopped in front of the cell, waving the cell phone. “It’s Sydney.”
Irina came up to the window. “Pass me the phone.”
“No I can’t.” He spoke into the phone. “I have to relay…” he listened. Glancing about he noticed the guard was probably around the corner. He passed the phone thru the drawer.
Irina grabbed it, “Yes?” She listened. “There is another door. A door to the storeroom where the janitor supplies are kept. Go to the back of the storeroom. There is a clothes hook. Pull it. The panel will open. Go inside. You will be in the wall behind Rostoff’s desk. You can hear everything. If you need to get into the room, there is a button on the right that will admit you inside.”
Vienna
Sydney got to the storeroom and in three strides, was at the rear. She pulled the clothes hook and the panel opened. She stepped inside. There was a passageway. She could hear voices. She felt her way to the point where she could hear.
“I don’t know what you are talking about?”
“Don’t be foolish. Irina Derevko is gone. Why be loyal to someone who doesn’t care about you?” Sark snarled. “You can work for me and be paid better than she can pay you.”
“Get out. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you crazy? Who is Irina Derevko?”
“You stupid little man,” shouted Sark. ‘You will tell me what I want to know. Where is the book?”
There was movement and then the sound of a fist hitting flesh, hard.
Rostoff cried out. Then another cry that was cut off as though someone were being strangled. Sydney hit the button gently so the door slid a crack. She looked. Sark had come to the desk, his back to her, and was in the process of choking Helmut Rostoff. Dark fury made him look as evil as he was.
Sydney pulled out her gun, opened the door, took one step inside the room and swung the gun, striking Sark hard. He slumped to the floor. Helmut staggered away, looking at her in astonishment.
“Klaus Richter’s wife Smeela is dead.” She said in Russian.
“Oh God,” he whispered horrified, “I destroyed the contents. When I saw him and before he entered, I knew I didn’t have much time.”
“Then we must get you out of here. No time at all to spare. Irina wanted you to have this. Can you leave?”
“My business!”
“Or your life?”
Los Angeles
Jack, Vaughn and Kendall stood in front of Irina’s cell and all three were angry. She stood facing them defiantly.
“Who do you think you are, sending her on a mission?” Jack roared.
“Her Mother!” she snapped.
“You’re a prisoner,” yelled Kendall. “You have no rights, Mother or not.
I’ve a mind to put you in solitary for a couple of weeks.”
“I am in solitary every day when no one comes to talk to me.” She raged back at him.
Vaughn was as distraught, but he was also interested in finding out where Sydney had gone and why. He stepped forward, shouldering Kendall out of the way.
“Where did Sydney go and why?” He asked calmly.
Irina stopped and looked at him, seeing his concern. “She’s in Vienna, picking up my ‘bible.’” All three gaped at her. “She’s bringing it to you, Jack.”
