As I promised here is Part 1 of the story below. After A Dark Turn, I thought of two possible scenarios. Opus 1 was the first and then came this one. The beginning is slightly different than the previous story, but not much. It gets better when our characters arrive in Zurich. Hope you enjoy this. If you read it on the other sites, I did make a little change here and there, but not much. Lenafan

GOTCHA!
Opus 2

Part 1
Panama
Jack opened the door, letting Irina go in first. He tossed the key on the dresser. Irina was in the bathroom. Jack surveyed the room. He took out a small box from his duffle bag. It was something he had gotten from Marshall before he left. It was an electronic spotter. If the room had been bugged, the box would beep and show where it was located. And, Marshall continued, if desired could disable it. All he had to do was push a button. Jack noted the beeps and the places. Sloane was making sure he heard whatever went on in the room, including plans and deceits. Well, Jack thought, he won’t be disappointed.

He turned as Irina came out, looking refreshed. It had been a long flight from Los Angeles. He looked at her for a moment and then he went into the bathroom himself.

When he came out, he asked, “Do you want some dinner?”

“I would love some. Eating with you would be a pleasure.” She smiled. “I’ve not had the opportunity to have a meal with someone.” She was, of course, alluding to her stay in the cellblock.

“Then let’s go.” He pushed her out of the room, locking the door.

A few minutes later, they entered a restaurant in the hotel. Jack did not want to stray far from the room. He ordered wine and their choices. He had remembered quite well, Irina’s likes and dislikes.

She had smiled at him fondly. “That was nice, Jack. You’re the perfect husband!”

The wine came and they waited for the sommelier to pour it. When he left, Irina raised her glass. “To Sydney! And may she get her fondest wish.”

Jack smiled, “To our daughter, who doesn’t need us anymore.” He sighed, putting down his glass.

“Will everything go as planned?”

“It should. But let’s not talk about that now.” He reached for her hand; then turned it over. “You have extraordinary hands, Irina.”

She stared at him. What was he saying? She looked at him oddly. “What brought this on, my hands?”

Now he was gently rubbing her hand with his. She flushed. She looked at him then down where now he was stroking her fingers individually. This was not Jack. What in the world was he up to?

An hour later, they were back in the room. Jack was going over the plans they had made. “There should be no problems.”

She looked at him, “Jack.” She paused, studying his face, which had always been one of her favorite things about him.

“You want me to take out the tracking device.” He had anticipated that.

She nodded. “If Sloane finds I’ve been tagged…”

“It will hurt, I don’t have the right equipment. I have only a knife and small pliers from my kit.”

“Go ahead.” Irina blanched as he removed the tracker. That did hurt.

“You O.K.?” He put a small bandage over the wound.

They locked eyes for a moment. “We should get to bed,” she said softly.

“Yeah. We should get some rest.”

Irene leaned forward a bit. Jack moved in and kissed her passionately. Irina’s hand guided Jack’s head forward and they fell onto the bed. Jack turned her onto her back. He took her hands in his, and gazed into her face. “It’s been a long time.”

She looked him with a hunger she had not herself felt for many years. He was after all her Jack. She pulled a hand away and reached up touching his face. He leaned down and kissed her again. Then he moved down to her throat, gently kissing it. She moaned. There was nothing so important but this moment, not even Rambaldi. She forced his head back to hers and kissed him, hard and long.

“Jack, take off my clothes.” She pleaded softly. She’d always had him to do this when they made love. It was their ritual.

“In time, my dear, when I’m ready.” He lost himself in the heat of their passion. It was obvious that Irina was still his.


The next morning, they went downstairs, hand in hand to meet the two Delta Force men who were to act as her bodyguards.

“Be careful, Irina,” Jack admonished as they drove up to the meeting point. “You are in great danger if you can’t pull this off. Have you everything?”

She nodded. “Thank you, for last night.”

He touched her face. “Just take care of yourself. I won’t be too far behind.
You’d better get out.” Jack opened the door. She turned after stepping out on the ground and looked at him with just a touch of a smile. He returned it.

That was the last time he saw her for forty-eight hours.

He missed her already.


Los Angeles
Sydney and Vaughn came out of their meeting with Yeager to find the center in visual disarray. People were running back and forth. Employees were not all at their desks. A lot of talking was going on until she entered the room. Then there was quiet. People looked at her, staring.

Sydney looked around. “What?”

Rick looked at her apologetically. Then Dixon came up to them. “Sorry, Syd.”

“About what; what’s happened?” Then her heart gave a leap and she was afraid to hear.

Vaughn put his hands on her shoulders to give her support. “Go ahead, tell us.”

“Your mother and father are missing.”

“Missing?”

Kendall came up, his whole body shaking, his face angry and accusing. “Agent Bristow!”

“Oh, oh,” thought Vaughn, “this is not going to be pleasant.”

Sydney looked at him, “My parents are missing?”

“When a top agent and his ex-wife, a known killer, disappear during an operation…”

“They’re still married,” said Sydney.

“What??” Kendall roared.

Sydney nodded, “Dad never had her declared dead and neither divorced the other. I thought the CIA knew.”

Vaughn stepped in quickly, as he saw Kendall was about to explode. “Look, can we go to a conference room.”

Kendall saw that everyone around them was taking in the conversation. “Yes!”
He turned around and ordered the staff to continue searching for the Bristows.

Vaughn helped Sydney into a chair and sat next to her. “Tell us what has happened?”

Kendall explained about the manuscript, Sloane, and Jack’s plan. Then he told them about what went wrong.

“So, Derevko was to meet with Sloane ostensibly to sell the manuscript?” Vaughn said.

“Yes. However, our KH11 satellite tracking them was hacked into and the feedback disrupted. We couldn’t see a thing. I called in Delta force, but that went wrong too!” He explained.

“My God, that’s the oldest trick in the world,” said Vaughn.

“Well sometimes in the heat of the chase,” Kendall sighed. “But the two men who were your mother’s guards were gunned down inside the limo. We don’t know what happened to her. We don’t even know if Sloane was in the car.”

Sydney shivered, “Where was Dad?”

“In the van. He disappeared after telling us about the switch.”

Vaughn looked at Syd, who now was showing signs of coming apart. After all, they were her parents. He put his hand on one of hers, “So what is the problem? You must be trying to find them.”

“The manuscript is missing. Your mother,” he said accusingly, “took it with her to the meeting and that was not a part of the plan.”

Sydney looked at him, “I haven’t talked with her for awhile and I saw her to say goodbye and good luck. I’m sure you have it all on tape. You know I haven’t done anything to make you angry with me.”

“You’re a Bristow!” He retorted.

“Just a minute,” Vaughn interrupted. “We don’t know all that happened and you can’t accuse Sydney – or her parents unless you do.”

“I can do just about anything,” snorted Kendall, but then relented a little. “I know that you’ve been investigated,” he looked at Vaughn, “for some irregularities in recent activities. What was that about?” He shifted his anger to the young man.

“Check with Yeager. I’ve been cleared.”

“Of what? I don’t have time for interoffice memos.”

Vaughn told him. “And the bottom line, nothing. Irina Derevko turned herself into the CIA, evidently to do as she said she wanted to do. Help us bring the Alliance and SD-6 to an end.”

Jamaica

Jack sat at the bar drinking a club soda. He pulled a box out of his pocket. The light on the LED screen blinked. He pushed a button, then turned it off, a grin on his face. He took out his cell and punched in a number. He waited for an answer.

Los Angeles

“Hello,” it was Francie. “No, she’s not a home right now. Can I take a message?” She listened for a moment, “All right, I’ll tell her.”

The connection was broken. Francie punched in another number. She paused while the phone rang at the other end.

“Hey, it’s me,” she said, “some guy just called and said the CD you ordered came in. I thought you might want to pick it up on your way home.”


Jamaica

Jack was frowning thoughtfully when his cell rang. “Hello!” He smiled. “Glad you called. Are you safe?”

He listened. “I know, but I think you should be aware. Remember the bugs Vaughn found at your house? Well, when I called you a few minutes ago, your best friend didn’t recognize my voice, that’s why I told her about the CD.”

Jack realized there was silence at the other end, “Sydney, be careful. No, don’t worry about me and don’t worry about your mother, she can take care of herself. You’d better find out what happened – especially since the KH11 satellite feed was disrupted so conveniently.”

“No, I’m not coming back, I’m going to find your mother.”

OMG i so know i'll love this, I haven't read it yet(i know, punish me)but i'm printing it and reading it before I go to bed. Always a good bedtime story, especially when it's one of lenafan's, sweet dreams to me!

Oooh! Me likes alot!!!! :reallyexcited:
Can't wait for more!!! :innocent:
Thanx for the PM!! :rolleyes:
Colly E. :bunny:

Very good job. Well done.

That was a great start. I can't wait to read more.

Thanks for the pm.

Great job! very interesting take on ADT. . . which, I might add, is MY FAVORTIE EPISODE OF ALL TIME! bet you can't guess why! ;) Anyway, looking forward to reading more of this (there is more, right?? please?). thanks for the PM!

Hi Lenafan,
Loved your stuff. How about a date?
:redhair:

Dear :redhair:
Glad you've become my #5 fan. I appreciate it. By the way, I'm spoken for and I would never date over the internet. :) Of course, I'm not sure whether you're male or female so lets let it go at that. :huh:
Just read my stories. :reallyexcited:
B)

Another great ending for ADT . . .

PART 2
Gotcha! Opus 2
Los Angeles

Vaughn, Sydney, and Dixon sat at a conference table. Using the startling information Jack had provided, they were trying to pinpoint exactly what had happened and how. Sydney wanted Dixon to hear the discussion. She knew he could be a disinterested third party and his input would be valuable as such and he wouldn’t betray them, especially since Sydney did not tell Kendall about Jack’s call.

“So your father said Francie didn’t recognize his voice?” Dixon said.

“Right!” She was visibly upset. “If what he said is true and in this case I don’t disbelieve him, that means Francie is not Francie.”

Vaughn thought a moment, “A double, but how?”

“Plastic surgery!” said Dixon.

“Maybe,” Vaughn said, “still where’s Francie?”

“Dead,” said Sydney whose lips quivered. She was just short of breaking out into tears. “She’s definitely not alive. It wouldn’t serve any purpose to keep her so.” She bit her lip. “Sloane had her killed so he could put the double in her place.”

Dixon put his hand on her shoulder, “Sydney, I’m sorry. How come you didn’t notice anything out of place?”

Sydney shook her head, “I’ve been so busy lately. I just haven’t been home much. We only saw each other briefly in and out,”

“So you really didn’t exchange enough information for her to know about the KH11 satellite. How did she pass on the Intel to Sloane?” Dixon put it out
.
“Will.” Vaughn told Sydney about the dream Will had told him about. “Either it’s still him or another double.”

Now Sydney was upset. “He was hypnotized? Or he’s dead?” She stood up. “I am going home.”

“Sydney, not a good idea.” Dixon knew she wanted to confront the Francie double. “It’s obvious either Will or Francie or both are involved with Sloane. Wouldn’t it be better to catch them and interrogate for information?”

“My parents are missing: Mom is either dead or with Sloane. Dad is going after them. I have no time to waste.”

Vaughn was about to say something when his pager went off. “Oh, oh, its Yeager.”

“Better see what he wants,” said Sydney. “Don’t jeopardize anything.”

“You wait here,” he said.


Jamaica
Jack waited in the bar for a phone call. When it came, he left, taking a taxi to an address of an old friend. He entered the building and closed the door behind him. He locked it when the man behind the counter nodded to him.

“Bill,” Jack said, “did you get everything?”

“Yes!” The black man heaved a duffle bag up onto the counter. “Some of it will cost you a little more than we agreed upon. I think you’ll find it’s worth every penny.”

Jack inspected the contents of the bag. “The gun?”

“It will easily pass through security. No metal parts. Here’s the ankle holster.” He handed Jack one from a shelf. No metal in it either.”

Jack counted out some bills from his wallet. “Passports?”

Bill handed it to him. “Excellent work if I do say so myself. Here’s the other one.” He pulled it out from a manila envelope. “Drivers’ licenses, U.S. social security numbers, and birth certificates and credit cards – all here and in perfect order.”

Jack threw the envelope into the bag after double-checking the contents. “Did you get me a reservation?”

“Yeah. From here you fly to the Bahamas and then take a connecting flight to your destination.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“Another thousand should do it.”

Jack paid him. “If anyone should nose around, you know what to tell them?”

“Don’t worry, my friend. I am if nothing but discreet.”

Los Angeles
Sydney walked jauntily up the steps, put her key in the lock, and opened the front door. “Hey!” She called.

“In here,” Francie responded from the kitchen
.
Sydney had a smile on her face when she walked toward Francie. “Whatcha’ doing?” She sniffed. “Whatever it is, it smells good.”

“Yeah, I’m trying something new for the menu.” Francie turned to the stove, stirred what was in the double boiler.

She turned back to stare into the barrel of Sydney’s gun. “Don’t move,” hissed Sydney
.
Francie froze. The look on Sydney’s face was enough. She was caught totally off guard. Sydney motioned with the left hand for her to move from the stove. As she moved, Sydney followed, turning the gas off. They were walking into the living room, when a door opened down the hall. Sydney was disconcerted by the appearance of Will. Francie took that loss of focus, to kick Sydney in the leg. The gun went off. Francie grabbed for it. Sydney pushed her as hard as she could, still holding onto the gun. Francie crashed into the wall.

“Hey!!” shouted Will. “What the hell???”

“Stay out of this!” Sydney was on Francie before she could regain her balance. She hit her with a hard left fist to the side of the head. Francie reeled in the direction of Will who was rooted to the floor, not believing what he was seeing.

“Syd!” He yelled. “What’s the matter with you?”

As Francie moved toward him, he reached out to hold her and to protect her from Syd’s rage. Without warning, though, Francie grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind him and pushed him at Sydney. He fell into his friend, who dropped the gun. Taking advantage of the change in positions, Francie jumped for the gun. Sydney pushed Will to the ground and leaped on top of Francie, pulling her back away from it. Will made a grab for Sydney and was surprised when she kicked him hard. She did not let go of Francie.

“You, whoever you are,” she hissed, “have killed my friend and now I’m going to take you apart.”

“You’re crazy, Syd,” cried the other woman, but her voice was low and as deadly sounding as Sydney’s. She tried to wrench out of her grasp, but Sydney’s strength came from the knowledge that the real Francie was dead. Her arm tightened across Francie’s throat.

“I’m going to let you go only if you tell me what I want to know.” Syd applied the pressure. If she applied enough, it would cut off Francie’s ability to breath. ”Did Sloane order you to kill my friend?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sydney tightened the pressure. Francie shook her head, but it was clear she was beginning to lose consciousness. Syd was relentless, “Tell me the truth.”

Finally, Francie nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Did you get the KH11 codes for him?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Syd looked at Will, who was staring at them. “Did you get them from Will?”
She didn’t let up the pressure. Francie nodded choking, trying to free herself from Sydney’s grasp. “Did you hypnotize him?” Francie nodded again.

Suddenly, Sydney took the gun and hit the faux Francie hard enough to knock her out. Sydney sat back and began to cry. “Son of a bitch, son of a bitch, I’ll kill him!” She thought about Sloane cold-bloodily ordering her sweet, wonderful friend killed.

Will had been sitting, watching with increasing horror as Francie had confessed to the evil she had done. He couldn’t speak; he couldn’t breath. He looked from Sydney to Francie and back again. Then tears began to trickle down his cheeks as the enormity of what he had witnessed and heard struck him hard. Oh my God, he thought, what has she done?

“Sydney,” he said, “what just happened here?”

“She killed our Francie and assumed her identity. Who she really is I don’t care about, only that she confessed. I--,” she moved to his side. “Will, please believe me. That is not our Francie. It’s a double.” She knew it had to be the helix that Sloane created.

Bahamas
Jack assumed his new identity and went through customs without a problem. The gun rested in its holster where he had put it. He sat down in the seat, buckled up and relaxed. Maybe he could catch some shut-eye before they landed. He wondered what she was doing just now.

Zurich
The Mercedes drove through the gates up to the door. Sark got out and opened the car door. Irina and Sloane stepped out. Sloane had his hand on her arm in a most familiar way. Sark stared at them, wondering what was going on between the two. He was uncomfortable with the camaraderie they shared on the plane and in the car on the trip here. His eyes narrowed as they walked up the steps into the house. He was supposed to be an equal partner with Sloane and now it seemed Irina had assumed that role. Sydney was right; he was dog serving not only one master, but also now two. He would have to do something to right the ship.

Los Angeles
The sweep team from the op center came back to Sydney’s apartment. The ensuing check had revealed no bugs. Vaughn had come out with them and was decidedly angry with Sydney. She didn’t care. She had gotten Francie’s killer and that was all that mattered for the moment. At least there wouldn’t be any more leaks. Will went back with her and Vaughn. He was going to be hypnotized to find out how much he had leaked to Sloane’s organization. Whether or not he would continue as an analyst would depend on what he revealed.

As Sydney and Vaughn entered the op center’s hub, Kendall came up. “Good work, Agent Bristow. It looks like the leak has been plugged.”

“Any word about my parents?”

Kendall shook his head, “Nothing, but we’re looking. Field agents are checking every place they are stationed and we’ve instituted a computer search of all private plane destinations from Panama to any place in the world.”

“That’s useless,” snapped Sydney. “Sloane wouldn’t file a correct flight plan if his life depended on it.

“We know that, but we’re downloading satellite images from any that were passing over.” He grinned, “including the KH11. It was photographing everything. It was only the feed that was interrupted.”

Sydney felt better. Maybe there was a chance they’d find Jack and Irina sooner, rather than later. She was trying to remember their last words to her. Mom had told her she loved her and that if everything didn’t work out she at least had said that. Sydney, touched by the words of a woman who had dropped back into her life, had insisted all would go well and she would return. Sydney frowned. Something was buzzing in her head. What was Irina doing when she came to the window? She visualized the scene. Irina had been at the little desk looking at something and writing. She squinted, her mind drifting back to that moment. Post it notes! Why? More importantly, what? Then the connection!

She sat down at her desk, stunned. What had her father said, “I’m not coming back. I’m going to find your mother.” She had taken the words at face value – that he wouldn’t be back until he found Irina. She assumed the obvious, but things were never as they seemed, especially in the world she lived.

Vaughn came up behind her, putting his strong hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? You look sad.”

“I was thinking about Francie,” she answered, lying to him. Keeping her real thoughts secret seemed right. She had to be sure before she said anything to anyone.

Zurich
It was night. It was cool. Sloane’s house was quiet. Dinner had been difficult because of Sark. Irina and Sloane had been in the office all day working on the two manuscripts. They had been obsessed with Rambaldi’s words, his meanings. Sloane commented and showed Irina where the missing page should have been. What was on Page 47? He muttered something about her daughter and she had laughed inside at his discomfort. It was obvious that Sydney had been a good double agent. It still bothered Sloane though. He wanted the entire manuscript, but it wasn’t possible with a page missing.

Sark had confronted them at dinner. His remarks made it clear he was not about to be supplanted by someone who had been in CIA custody for several months and could be still working for them. Sloane had slyly waited for Irina to respond. He was not above a little slicing and dicing from his cohorts.

“I work for the CIA?” Irina gave a short laugh. “If I work for anyone, it’s me. What I do, I choose to do.”

“And your daughter would approve, no doubt.” Sark said.

“My daughter,” answered Irina, “is a CIA agent and a good one. We have chosen different paths and we don’t need each other’s approval.” Her voice was low and sounded quite deadly.

Sark probed. “And Jack? It seems you have betrayed him again. He must really hate you now.”

Irina’s dark eyes were as cold as her voice deadly, “You are beginning to get too personal and it could be extremely dangerous for you to continue.”

“Interesting!” he shot back, looking at Sloane.

Sloane put up a hand stopping the conversation. “She’s right, Sark. It is getting personal. Do you offer any real evidence, or is this a petty attempt to stop her from joining our cadre of Rambaldi researchers?” He poured some wine into Sark’s glass. “Irina brought me the Rambaldi manuscript and, she tells me, she still controls the artifacts she acquired over a period time. You told me you had assumed her assets, but now it seems you didn’t.”

“Sir, I thought I knew where they were.” He said. “I was the one who told you about Sydney and Jack.”

“And I appreciated that. It helped me a great deal in setting up the end of the Alliance and their SD’s. But you didn’t give me her artifacts.”

That had been the end of the conversation. Sark was not happy, but said nothing more. They had gone back to the office to go over the manuscript Irina had brought. There was a formula, but Rambaldi had not said what it was for – long life, everlasting life, what? They had wrestled with the problem for three hours. Then Sloane put the books back into his safe.

“We’ll start fresh in the morning.”

Irina stretched and smiled at him, “Tell me, Arvin, where is Emily?”

“What makes you think she’s alive? Sydney delivered her eulogy for me herself.”

Irina leaned forward a little, looking down at him with a knowing smile. “Jack told me something a couple of weeks ago – he said you and he shared ‘a similar sentimental patriotism…and a devotion to our wives.’ I don’t see you letting the Alliance getting away with making you kill her.”

He laughed, “How very perceptive. No, Emily is alive in Tuscany. I bought her a villa.” He loved how he had foiled the Alliance’s plans. She was the love of his life. He turned out the light, locking the study door.

Irina smiled at him behind his back, “If you don’t mind I think I’ll take a breath of this mountain air. Sitting for months in a cell makes one appreciate certain freedoms.”

Arvin nodded and pointed to a double door. “That leads to a small balcony. There are a few chairs. It will get colder. You might want a jacket. Goodnight.”

Irina paused a moment, then went to the closet near the front door and removed a heavy leather jacket she found hanging up. It fit a little loose, but she didn’t plan to meet anyone she knew.

At the top of the stairs, Arvin paused, then gestured with his thumb toward the balcony. Then he turned and went to his room, closing the door securely behind him. He had no regrets. He could do without this new partner in spite of the promise of new Rambaldi material. She was too dangerous. The other one would go one day too, but for now, he had use for him.

Irina sat for a while, watching the stars in the sky, wondering about Milo Rambaldi and his manuscripts, drawings and formulas. If ever there was a puzzle, it was he. The man lived in the 1500s and was a much superior inventor than Da Vinci. Why had he spent so much time inventing and utilizing puzzles to mask his work, his genius? What was everlasting life in his mind? The flower they had brought back from Kashmir supposedly represented his promise of that quest to live forever, to be immortal. She shivered. It was getting colder.

Suddenly the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She had lived too long on the edge not to know someone was close by. Sark? Arvin? She had no illusions about her status with him. He used her to get the manuscript and he would try to get rid of her as soon as it was prudent – after she gave him the artifacts. He was smart, yet he had no idea who he was dealing with in Irina Derevko. No one had any idea, not even Jack or Sydney.

She listened. There was a slight breeze rustling through the pine trees. It sounded like water sliding over rocks in a rushing brook. It was a beautiful sound unless you happened to be stalked and she had the feeling she was. Was Arvin so foolish so soon? She smiled in the darkness, waiting. Well, that suited her just fine if he did. No more niceties. Nice knowing where one stood in the scheme of things. She moved to her right silently. She had left the door slightly ajar, but in the dim starlight, she saw it was closed. Someone was on the balcony with her.

Irina took a deep breath. The large strong hands that Jack thought were extraordinary flexed and flexed again. She tightened them into fists, feeling the muscles in her biceps. She had strength and now, purpose. She could outwait her adversary if necessary. The longer she waited, the more nervous he would be wondering what she was up to.

She took another step to the right, and her foot connected with a leg of a chair, making a sound that seemed to roar through the night’s quiet. “Hell,” she thought. There was movement at her left elbow. A hand gripped the arm while another pushed at her back with force, staggering her forward. The hand at her back moved. She sensed it was about to do something besides push. She ducked, dropping to her knees. She sensed rather than felt the air above her move. She lashed back with her right elbow, feeling it connect with a body. She stood. Whirling to her right, she wrapped her arms around Sark’s body.

Sark tried to break her hold, but she was too strong, much stronger than he anticipated. She had his arms pinned. “You fool,” she hissed. Sark lashed back with a foot, hitting her in the shin. She loosened her hold enough for him to break free. He clipped her across the chin. She fell back. He gripped her jacket, hitting her again. She was dazed. Sark thought he had the upper hand. Without warning, he pushed her against the balcony railing hard, Irina reached out and grabbed his coat collar, and they both went over, falling into blackness. The screaming echoed throughout the forest and into the night.

Los Angeles
Sydney sat up, sweating. Her heart was racing. What? She looked around. Vaughn was asleep. What had she heard? She slowly fell back on her pillow, frightened.

***
part 3 in a couple of days B)

great another brilliant update, I'm really really interested to find out what happens next. and thanks for the pm.

A couple of days?!??! :wacko: Are you insane??!!! :blink:
Your killin' me here!!!! :( Update update!! I'm begging you!!! :huh: :rolleyes:
Please!!!!! :innocent:
Great chapter!! LOVE :wub: that Sydney got to kick evil Francie's a**!! :ph43r:
Can't wait for more!!!! :reallyexcited:
Colly E. :bunny:

you are making me wait

argghhhh


part 3 soon please please please


pretty please

LOL

Brenda

PART 3
ZURICH

The screaming stopped abruptly. Silence once again filled the night. A light moving through the forest cast shadows on trees and bushes as it came closer and closer to the cliff. Finally it stopped. A man held a flashlight, sweeping it back and forth. The light stopped moving, focusing on something.

Jack stood frozen, looking at the body lying on a ledge. He couldn’t quite make it out. He climbed down a few steps. There was a ledge, an extension of the one the body was on. It was narrow, but definitely passable. He kept the light in front of him. He glanced once at the house above. There was no light. He knew if Sloane were interested, he would have been on the balcony looking. Jack kept his eyes now on where he was going. The body was lying, feet towards him, dressed in pants and shirt. He incongruously thought it was foolish for anyone to be out this time of night without a jacket.

He kept the flashlight on the ledge. Then when he was about twenty feet away he saw the hair. It was Irina. His heart raced unevenly. Was she dead?

As if in answer, he heard a soft moan. “Irina!” he called softly to her.

No response. He got closer. The ledge was a little narrower and if he were not careful, he would join whomever it was down below. He kneeled and gently shook her left foot, the one closer to the cliff wall.

Again, there was no movement. He shook it again, saying, “Irina! It’s Jack!” This time, she moved her foot.

“Don’t move. You’re on the ledge of a cliff. Looks like you fell about fifty feet from the top of the cliff. Do you know what I’m saying?” Jack hoped she did.

“Yes.” She said quietly.

“Are you in any pain?”

“My chest hurts.”

He nodded, at least, thinking her legs were good enough to stand up on. “Can you move your arms and legs?” He watched as she accomplished what he had asked.

“You are on a ledge that is not too wide, but I think you can stand up. Look above you and see if you can find a crack in the rock…something you can hold.”

Irina slowly drew herself up on her knees. She looked up to the left and reached up. She grunted in pain, stopping for a moment, then reached again. The pain was sharp, like a knife slicing through her chest into her back. Sweat broke out on her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking shallow breaths, but even those hurt.

Jack watched her carefully. She did have courage, with all the bad things she had done and was, he had to give her that. She was only a year younger than he and must sometimes feel as he did when involved in the physical stress. He took a step closer to her.

“Reach out with your hand,” he called. She put her hand out. He tried to reach it. “Another step and I’ll have you.”

Irina leaned in against the cliff, biting her lip, as the pain knifed through her. She took another step and felt Jack’s strong hand grip her by the wrist. She closed her eyes, feeling his strength, and slid closer to the end of the ledge where he was waiting.

As she took the last step, he pulled her into his arms. Irina gasped, “Jack!”

“Sorry,” he leaned down and kissed her. “We have about four hundred feet to get to my car. Can you make it?”

“I’ll try,” she gasped.

Twenty minutes later, they were in the car. Jack had put her in the front seat and, after putting a bag in the trunk, drove down an old road. She was in pain the entire time. He made a decision.

“We’re going to find a hospital.”

“Jack, that’s –“ she couldn’t finish.

An hour later, Jack helped her back into the car. The emergency room at the hospital had ascertained by fluoroscopy that she had broken two ribs on her right side. The doctor strapped her with tape. He told Jack she would have to wear this for several days and that it would be best if he made arrangements to see a doctor when he got to their destination.

Jack had explained they had been hiking when she fell. Of course, the doctor suggested he had been foolish bringing her in instead getting help. Jack had placated him, and assured him he would have Irina seen.

”Where are we going?”

“Some place I just learned about a couple of weeks ago, Cortona, Italy.”

Los Angeles
Sydney awakened, uneasy and cold. What was that dream she had last night? It was almost like a nightmare. She thought a moment and realized she had been under so much stress that her senses seemed on end, stretched and almost vibrating. She took a deep breath. Where were they? Together? Apart? What had happened? She hated Arvin Sloane passionately and wanted him dead. First Danny, now Francie! A tear ran down her cheek as she thought of her dead friend. Damn Sloane.

She looked over at Michael. He was peacefully sleeping unaware of her. She slipped out of bed, walking into the kitchen. She fixed herself some coffee and rubbed her eyes. Why had she been so frightened? She couldn’t even remember the dream, only the scream.

She was on her second cup, when Michael came into the kitchen, hair tousled and a sleepy expression on his face. Syd smiled at him. “Hey!”

He leaned in and kissed her. “What got you up?” He glanced at the clock. It was seven.

“Dreams!” She took another sip. “Going to work?”

“Yes, I’m supposed to help design a trace program for Echelon.” He yawned. “It was something your father thought of, the last time your mother disappeared.”

Something in her eyes caused him to hesitate. “What?”

“My parents have disappeared without a trace. Isn’t this a little late?”

“Not my idea,” he said uncomfortably.

“We’ve never talked.” She stared at him.

He swallowed. “No, and I’m not sure I want to yet.”

Sydney put her cup down. “You know, I’ve never seen the proof that my Mom killed your Dad. You’ve said it. Kendall and Devlin said it. Dad said it. But no one has ever shown me any proof that she did this to your family.”

“She told me several months ago. She said, “How do you say thank-you to the woman who killed your father?” He swallowed. “What about that?”

“In what context did she say it?” Sydney persisted. “The way I see it, things have been said that don’t make sense. I want her to tell me and then I’ll believe it.” She touched Vaughn on the face. “I love you.” She kissed him. “I’m going to shower and dress. I’m taking Will in to speak with Yeager. I told him I’d give him moral support. Yeager can be tough.”

Zurich
Arvin slept in, secure in the knowledge he had one less partner. He didn’t like being encumbered with too many people. Of course, he would have preferred Irina since her knowledge of Rambaldi almost matched his own. However, Sydney was her daughter and he knew if he killed the daughter, the mother would most certainly find a way to kill him. So, get rid of Irina and he could take care of Sydney without worrying.

He walked downstairs. The house was empty. Sark wasn’t up yet evidently. He checked in with the housekeeper-cook about breakfast. She told him it would be ready shortly. Arvin walked to his office, opened the door and stood stunned in front of the safe. It was open and it was empty. He had been robbed of his most precious possession, the Rambaldi manuscripts! He raced back up to Sark’s room. It too was empty; in fact, the bed had not been slept in. He went out to the balcony, picking up a pair of binoculars. It was hard to see, but he thought he saw something at the foot of the cliff. Sark? Irina? Both?

Who took the manuscripts? He felt his rage growing. Someone was going to pay for this.

Lucerne

Jack pulled up to the hospitals ER. He looked at Irina. She smiled wanly feeling the pain in her chest. He got out and then helped her.

“Maybe we can get more pain medication?”

She nodded hopefully. He helped her out of the car. They walked inside past an old man who was nodding on a seat in the sun. The man saw them and got up, walking out toward the car. He looked at the license plate and then walked out to the street and onto a bus that had just pulled up.

Irina was taken to an exam room, Jack following. He handed the doctor the notes from Zurich. After reading them over, the doctor examined her and checked the taping. He looked at Jack. “How far is your next stop?”

“Italy. I would think we should have some pain medication.”

“Definitely and take those curves carefully. Too much bouncing around will cause unnecessary damage and more pain.”

Jack helped her down. Irina leaned into him, thankful for his strong arms. He settled her into the car. She had taken a pain pill inside. Jack had more in his pocket, probably enough to last four days.

Los Angeles
Marshall saw Sydney enter the office and waved her over. “Hey!” He said. “How are things?”

She sighed, “They could be better if I knew where my parents are.”

He looked somewhat uncomfortable, fidgeting with the item he held in his hand. “Ummm, I’ve thought about this, but you’re my idol.” He grinned foolishly, then handed her the little box. “Please don’t tell anyone, or your Dad. He’ll kill me.”

“What are you talking about?”

He handed her the box. “Here. It’s a GPS tracker for the point I put into your Mom.”


Florence, Italy

It had taken another three days of careful driving to reach their destination. He and Irina had spent the night in Lucerne after she had seen the doctor, then in Milan, then this night in Florence where they paid another visit to a hospital. The ribs were on the mend. Irina seemed better every day. At night, they lie in each other’s arms, talking about her, about him, and mostly about Sydney. Jack told Irina he understood completely her desire to get Sydney to leave the CIA.

“You know,” he said quietly that night in Florence, “I’ve been thinking about doing the same.”

She turned into him, wincing as pain warned her to be careful. “Jack, the CIA has been your whole life.” She looked into his face and eyes. He was serious.

He rose up a little to kiss her. “And what has it gotten me?” He sighed. “You, on the other hand, are an ongoing adventure. Sydney is grown up. She’s old enough to make her own decisions. If she wants out, she’ll go. I think it’s time for us to do something for us.”

“Maybe,” answered Irina, looking at his strong face. “What did you have in mind?”

“Rambaldi. It’s your passion and you, my dear, are mine.” He put his hand behind her head, pulling it to him and kissed her.

“Jack, you don’t know about me. We married, we had Sydney, and I left you. For twenty years and you, know nothing about those years. How can you give up all that you’ve worked for just to be with me?”

He laughed. “Nothing you tell me about yourself would surprise me. As I see you, you are ruthless, deceitful, and relentless in your pursuit of these Rambaldi artifacts. You probably care nothing about anyone including me,” he paused, “and Sydney. But you happen to be my wife and I have never stopped loving you even after learning the truth.”

“Oh Jack,” she said, “I do care about you, Sydney and my father.” She stopped as if realizing she’d said too much.

“Your father?? I thought he was dead.” Now that surprised him.

She was silent for a moment, and then sighed, “Well he isn’t. He’s still very much alive and living in Moscow. Before this happened, I was hoping to get Sydney to go there to see him. She’s his only grandchild.”


***
Final part will be posted in a couple of days. B)

I loved your ending . . . I can rarely imagine Jack being that surprised.

Thanks for the PM.

Really good. Dun dun dun! Irina has a daddy.

Yep! I had to give her a relative.
B)

As promised, final part of GOTCHA! Opus 2

Part 4
Los Angeles

Sydney took the GPS tracker and looked at it. Irina was in Italy. Why was she there? She saw that Vaughn was away from his desk. She needed time off. Kendall was in his office. She knocked on his door and entered.

“Yes, Sydney?” She was now on a first name basis with him. Her value to the CIA was incalculable. She had been the brightest part and the fieriest. Her passion to get Sloane had translated itself into new purpose at the op center.

“Any word on my parents?”

He shook his head. “Sorry.”

“I need some time off. I can’t think or work while there’s no word about them.”

“How much?” He couldn’t deny her this.

“A week?”

He nodded. “Very well, Sydney. We’ll keep you posted if we learn anything.”

She left the office and saw that Michael was at his desk. She walked over. “Michael, I’m taking time off. I’m useless here. Kendall authorized it.”

He stood up and looked at her. “Sydney, I have some news, but I don’t want anyone but you to know.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “You found them?”

“The men I talked too, looking for some sign your mother lied to us. Well, I also told them if they ever saw her to let me know. Of course, I was looking for her prior to her giving herself up.

“But,” he continued quietly, “someone called on my private cell. She was seen, in Lucerne, Switzerland with a man whose description fits Jack.”

“They’re in Florence, Italy now,” she answered. “I’m going to find them. I want to know what the hell is going on!”

“I’m coming with you!”

Cortona, Italy

Neither had spoken since breakfast, each deep in their own thoughts. Jack concentrated on his driving. They were approaching the exit for Cortona, which was south of the autostrada. The countryside was typical of Tuscany, probably the most beautiful part of Italy, and the most romantic. Golden fields, rolling hills with farms and villas perched here and there. Small family vineyards, and acres of olive trees all lent themselves to enhancing the glorious scenery.

Irina stared out of the window of the car. Where was Jack going? And why? She tried compartmentalizing her thoughts. Something was standing outside of her mind. She knew whom but couldn’t quite…then it hit her. She turned her head toward Jack.

“You’ve found Emily!” She exclaimed.

He looked at her, “Yes!”

“Sloane could be there by now,” she advised.

“Perhaps! But I think he’s too busy trying to find you. By this time, he knows it was Sark at the bottom of the cliff.”

“Why Emily?” She shifted uncomfortably in the seat.

“I want to know if she knew what Sloane has been doing all these years.”

“And then what?” She hadn’t seen Emily for over twenty years.

“We’ll see when we get there.”

He checked the map he had. They finally came to a narrow dirt road. Jack stopped and looked at her. “You all right?” She seemed nervous and apprehensive. That was not like her. Irina was always in control.

“Yes. Fine.” She lied.

Jack drove for about a half mile, then turned left into a circular driveway and parked. “Ready?”

She was silent, then opened the car door and stepped out. This was going to be interesting. Jack took her left arm and walked to the door. There was a bell hanging on the wall next to it. He pulled the cord.

The door opened and Emily stared at them in shock. She blinked as though to make sure she was seeing whom she was seeing.

“Hello Emily,” said Jack. “I believe you remember Laura.”

Her eyes flicked to Irina, who had an enigmatic smile on her face. “Hello, Emily. It’s been a long time.”

Emily was still staring.

“You know,” said Jack, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek, “I am glad that you are still alive. Can we come inside?”

“Y-yes!” She stood to one side while Jack, his arm around Irina, walked inside the restored villa. She shut the door her heart racing, perspiration breaking out on her forehead. “Come out to the terrace.”

They sat down, Emily on Jack’s left. She looked scared. “Wh-what are you doing here? How did you find the villa?”

“Arvin is the reason we’re here. How I found it, doesn’t matter.” He said. We’ve known each other for over 30 years and I need to know the answer to a question.” He paused. “Are you aware of what he has done the last few weeks? Did you know he ordered the device that burned dozens of people alive in Mexico City and that by doing so, is being labeled a terrorist?”

Emily glanced at Irina who was watching Jack through narrowed eyes. Her dark eyes swung to look at Emily without any emotion showing on her face. Jack sensed an undercurrent between the two women, but wasn’t sure if it was because Irina was here, or something else. He had felt Irina’s discomfiture when she knew they were coming to see Emily. What was going on?

Emily said nothing. She did not answer and that was answer enough for Jack, who looked at Irina. She looked pale.

“Are you feeling O.K.?” he asked Irina.

“Yes, for now.”

“What’s wrong with you?” said Emily.

“Arvin ordered Sark to kill her. She survived, he didn’t!” Jack’s statement was harsh and unforgiving.

Emily went white. Now she thought she knew why they were here. They were going to wait for Arvin to come. She glanced at Irina who stared back. The three of them stared out across the silent valley. They could see headlights in the distance, heading towards them.

“Could I get you something to drink,” she asked, breaking the silence. She disappeared inside the villa, returning moments later with a tray, three glasses and a bottle of red wine.

Jack was lifting his glass of wine when he saw someone move toward them from the corner of the house. He reached inside his jacket pocket.

“Mom! Dad! How nice to find you.”

Irina jumped up, her eyes widening in astonishment. “Sydney!”

Their daughter came in closer. She was not smiling as she looked at her mother. “You lied to me. You’ve done nothing but lie ever since you came back. You betrayed me again!”

“Sydney, please,” Irina took a step toward her. Sydney slapped her hard.

Her mother reeled, stumbled and fell, gasping, “Jack!”

He immediately jumped up and kneeled beside her. “Don’t move.”

Sydney stared. Her mother was in genuine pain. She’d only slapped her. She took two steps toward her parents.

“Don’t any of you move.” Emily held a gun on them. Jack looked at her in surprise. Syd’s eyes widened with the sight of her friend holding a gun on them.

Irina was trying not to gasp or take deep breaths. The pain was excruciating. She felt nauseated. She barely heard what was going on between the other three. She didn’t even want to think about them. She tried to calm herself, to concentrate on taking shallow breaths now.

“Looks like I’ve got the Bristows,” said Emily. “Arvin will be pleased.”

Sydney stared down at Irina and then at her father, “What’s wrong with Mom?”

“Sark threw her off a balcony. She broke two ribs on her right side.” Jack put his hand on Irina’s shoulder.

Sydney felt terrible.

Jack looked at his daughter’s stricken face. “It’s all right, honey,” he tried to reassure her. “If it’s any consolation to you, your mother took Sark with her, but he wasn’t as lucky. You’ll never have to worry about him again.”

“She killed Sark,” Emily laughed. “Arvin probably underestimated Irina again. I don’t know why after all these years.”

Jack looked at her and then at Irina. She had called Irina by her real name. He wasn’t sure if Arvin ever discussed SD-6 business at home, but he doubted Emily had been informed of anything, especially Irina Derevko’s name. He looked at Irina who seemed to be focusing on trying to gather herself together. Sydney was still at odds with herself.

“When do you expect Arvin?” he asked.

“Not for several hours.” She waved the gun at him. “Pick her up.”

“No,” Irina said, “I’ll try getting up on my own.” She held out her right hand to Sydney, who took it.

Before anyone could react, Irina pushed Sydney into Emily. She dropped the gun. Irina closed her eyes as pain as sharp as knives ripped through her right side. Jack hurried to her. “Sit down.” He ordered. “That was foolish. Sydney could have been shot.”

She shook her head, “Emily doesn’t like guns. She doesn’t know too much about them. The safety was on.”

Sydney looked at the gun. The safety was on as her mother said. A moment later, Vaughn appeared. Sydney had said to give her five minutes then show up just in case there was a problem. They were going to take Irina and Jack back.

Irina looked at Emily. “You know, I think I’d take her too! She’ll call Arvin as soon as we leave. We can let her go at the airport.”

“You devil,” screeched Emily.

Sydney and Jack looked at her then at Irina. “Why would she?” said Jack.

“Sydney, Jack, I’d like to introduce you to Katerina Derevko. She is a cousin. Your second cousin, Sydney, and Arvin Sloane’s own KGB wife!” She gave a short laugh.

Los Angeles
The cellblock doors opened and closed as the marshals led the prisoner to her room. Because of her injury, her wrists were cuffed in front of her. They released her. Irina stood a moment, taking small breaths still. Deep ones punished. She looked around. Jack stood at the window, grinning.

“Give me the book.”

Irina walked to her bunk, lifted up the mattress and brought it to the pass through drawer. “Jack, thanks for the adventure. I could say it was rib-tickling, but I would have to laugh and I can’t do that yet.”

He smiled. He put his hand on the window. She placed hers against the pane on her side. They looked at each other. The promise, a future they did not know. At this moment, they had the past ten days. They would remember how each other felt in the other’s arms, how they felt being held. It would be these memories that would sustain them.

FINI

Next up, THE DOCTOR AND THE SPY...

Oh wow. So beautiful. That was amazing. I will be waiting.

cool B) great writing

Celtic Jedi posted 10-16-03

I love this! As the #1 technically challenged geek I am constantly amazed at some of the stuff I see. Not only amazed, but constantly laughing.
How's the writers block? Are you perking?
B)

Bravo lenafan!!! :reallyexcited: That was great!!! :lol:
What a shocker at the end with Emily being Irina's cousin and part of the KGB!!! :blink: My jaw hit the keyboard!!! :reallyexcited:
Can't wait for the new fic!!! :innocent:
Colly E. :bunny:

oh lenafan

I loved this

katerina derevko can we learn more about her??

interesting twist

keep me posted on your writing

brenda

Thanks for the kudos...
Sorry, but the Gotcha stories came as ADT idea. :lol: I didn't carry it any further. It's a done deal. Other stories kept popping up in my fertile mind. I love to do twists and turns and cliffhangers, so that's why that ending. :rolleyes:
B)
Don't forget to watch for THE DOCTOR AND THE SPY. I've got to go somewhere Sunday, but hope to post it when I get back late afternoon.
Hope you find the Alias Magazine Brenda.

Yay the last brilliant chapter, which i loved of course. :wub: and be sure to pm me when you post any story or colum as always.

I just caught up with this story. It's great. You are a really talented writer.

Thanks for all the pm's.

Exactly my sentiments. We've never been shown any PROOF! Ok, I might just be in denial . . .

:D Mmm-hmmm, that she is! :)

:omg: WHAT???????

Wow, that was interesting! Great job! sorry it took me so long to catch up - life is insane. Physics is insane. But this was really good! Off to read "The Doctor and the Spy". :D

I was just having fun with the characters. I have a What If mentality and it takes me to the strangest places sometimes...and, along with my readers.

B)

Interesting twist

*backs slowly away from lenafan*

This is another good story.