Ok, as promised I got the second part done and am posting it. Can't promise when I'll get the final part done, but look for it.Oh yes, these characters all belong to JJ Abrams.
Part Two
GOTCHA – Opus 1
Los Angeles
Marshall had just left the conference room after talking to Sydney and Vaughn. The KH11 satellite had been accessed by a number of CIA operatives and analysts. He had provided them with a list of names. Syd looked at the list, then handed it to Vaughn looking worried.
“Will?” He looked at Sydney. “He could have done as a part of his assignment,” he explained.
“The problem is,” said Sydney, “it’s all about family close and extended. I am definitely having weird feelings.”
Vaughn frowned, suddenly remembering, “Will told me about a strange dream he had the other night.” He told her. “I just told him the dreams would go away after he had worked for the CIA for awhile.” He looked at her. “I think we’d better check this out.”
A cell phone rang. It was Sydney’s. “Hello.” She listened for a moment. “Yeah, thanks.”
He looked at her as she put the phone on her belt. “Something wrong?”
“That was Francie. She said some guy called to tell me to pick up the CD I’d ordered.” She looked at him. “I didn’t order one.”
“Your father!” He guessed. “Why didn’t she tell you it was Jack?”
She frowned. “Yes, she should have, but…” she stared off into space thinking about two seemingly unrelated events. She kept her face calm, but she was scared and her body felt cold. The probability she was right was high and that she was being foolish extremely low. She had been working SD-6 and CIA long enough to put facts together to make the scenario work.
Sydney put her hand on his, facing him. “Vaughn, I think something might be terribly wrong at home. I’m not sure I want to continue living there.”
“What is it?”
“I’m scared that Francie, the real Francie, is dead and that Will may too!”
“Sydney, that’s crazy!”
She turned away, looking at the wall ahead of her. It was a crazy thought, but what other answer did she have. Will had accessed the KH11 satellite and that meant he had the guidance codes. Francie had been weird ever since she and Vaughn had been together. It couldn’t be jealousy. It was something else. The helix! Of course, there was a second double out there somewhere. She had to find Jack.
“I’m going home to pack.”
“For what?”
“I’m moving in with you for the time being. It’s safer. Will you come with me?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Jamaica
It was nearing midnight. Jack sat at the bar drinking a coke. He had thought about having some heavy stuff. But the bout he had with alcoholism had been enough to deter his drinking. He checked his watch. Sydney could be out of the office. He punched in her number on the satellite phone.
“Dad?” She answered almost immediately.
“Sydney, you heard about your mother?”
“Yes! Where are you?”
‘At Mitchell’s Bar. I’ll wait until twelve tomorrow for you.” Then he told her what to bring with her. “We’re going after her.”
Switzerland
Irina stared out the window. Her eyes seemingly saw nothing. In her mind, however, she was thinking about the last time she saw her daughter. She did love her. She leaned against the windowpane sucking her breath in, fighting back the feelings that were surging, raging inside her. To talk to Sydney for the first time in twenty years had been worth every moment in the cellblock. To be with her on assignment, to talk to her, to tell her some of herself, had been worth every moment she had spent in handcuffs and shackles. There had been so few times she had been able to touch her, to hold her. Irina bit her lips.
Jack, what he must be thinking…the worst, no doubt, and she didn’t blame him. Betrayed twice! Damn it, she wanted him to be obsessed as she was with the Rambaldi mystique and he, saying with wisdom, he had something she and Arvin didn’t have. She wondered if Jack had ever told Sydney about the Christmas Project and what he had done to her. Probably not, but she had never received an answer from him.
She walked over to the bed, remembering the passion they had shared last night. It had been a long time and there was no denying neither had lost the ability to give the other sexual pleasure. Her heart skipped a beat. Damn it! She picked up the jacket Arvin had purchased with the rest of the clothes she had needed. She put it on, admitting he had taste.
There was a knock at the door and Sark’s voice called out, “Time for dinner.”
Jamaica
Sydney, carrying a duffle bag, walked into the dingy bar in Kingston. Her father was sitting at one of the few booths. There were a few patrons, most of whom stared at the pretty girl who had entered. They seemed to have momentary hope, but it was dashed when she slid into the booth next to the older man.
“How did you get away?” Jack said.
“I left Vaughn with the idea I was going to visit a friend in San Dimas, 50 to 60 miles from his home. He had to work. He expects me back this evening. By the way, why didn’t you tell Francie who you were instead of the story about the CD?”
“She didn’t recognize my voice. She always recognizes it.”
The waiter came to the booth. Sydney looked up and asked for a beer. Then she turned to Jack. “There is something weird going on at home. I’ve moved out for the time being in with Michael.”
Jack thought a moment, “Probably was a good idea. The KH11 satellite went down in the midst of the meeting. We lost all contact visually.”
She stared at him. He took the tracker out of his pocket. The light was flashing. She looked at it carefully. “Zurich!”
He touched a switch. The light flashed as a locator homed in on Irina. “They must be at Arvin’s secret hideout. Did you bring everything?”
She nodded. “Have you a plan?”
“First we get to Zurich.”
Zurich
Arvin looked at Irina and smiled. Twenty years later and she was still good looking. She towered over him at six feet, but he could appreciate the charisma of the woman who had always been an enigma for him. Even the years before when she was Laura, he had felt drawn to her, not loving her as he did Emily, but loving the power she seemed to exude every time she entered a room. There was not another woman like her, he thought. Now she was here having brought him the pages of the Rambaldi manuscript. He was hoping that between the two of them they could figure out Rambaldi’s puzzle about everlasting life. He wondered what it would take to get the artifacts she owned.
“Sit down,” he motioned to the chair across from him. It was a small table, big enough for four, but large enough to hold several serving dishes.
”Help yourself.” His plate was filled, so he started eating.
“Arvin,” she said, putting food on the plate, “are we safe here?
“Of course! No one has been here except my men, Sark, and a certain Dr. Caplan. No one knows where we are.”
She shrugged, “Just thought I’d ask. I do not want to be surprised.”
He laughed. “The CIA never, until I want them to find it.”
“Can we look at the manuscripts tonight?”
“Of course, right after dinner.”
New York
Jack and Sidney took their seats on the plane. Sydney’s duffle sat between her feet and under the seat in front of her. They were settling in, fastening their seat belts, when someone sat down. Sydney glanced to her left and almost cried out.
“Michael!”
“I really like it when you say my first name.” He grinned at her. Then nodded at Jack.
“What are you doing here?” asked Syd, her eyes beaming with pleasure.
“I’m not about to let you two have all the fun. You need as much help as possible and, although Sydney, you and I are going to be in the deepest pit of CIA anger for leaving Los Angeles, I’m hoping it will be worth it. What did you have in mind, where, when and most importantly WHO.”
“Mom,” answered Sydney. “She’s with Sloane and they’re in Zurich.”
Vaughn frowned. “How do you know?”
Jack answered, “Irina suggested I remove the tracker in order to preserve her safety. However, I deemed it prudent not to do so. I showed her an extra one I had with me, courtesy of Marshall, after cutting open her shoulder ostensibly to remove it.”
“Wasn’t that risky? He could have checked.”
Jack smiled. “I gave the one I had to her. If there was any question, I’m betting she showed it to him.
Vaughn chuckled. “You were covering all bases I take it.”
“I hope so.” His eyes were cold. “Now, since you dealt yourself into the game, let’s get the plan set.”
Los Angeles
Francie stood looking at Syd’s bedroom. Everything seemed in place, but there was something missing. She took at the cell phone and dialed Sydney. The message indicated the phone was off. She shut the cell down for a moment, still looking at the room. Then bingo, the missing item was her makeup. Francie walked to the closet, looked inside. Some familiar clothes were missing and the duffle bag she used.
Where had she gone? She walked out to the kitchen. There was a note propped up against a canister. Opening it, she read, “Am spending a few days at Vaughn’s. He’s just given me a key and I want to use it.”
Francie smiled. Then she turned on the cell again, punching in the number for her employer. “This is me. Sydney’s moved out for a few days. Going to live with her boyfriend.”
Zurich
Arvin glanced at Irina, holding his hand over the phone. “Sydney’s moved in with her boyfriend.”
Irina smiled. “She needs to get married and have children.”
“Yes, don’t worry. Continue with the hypnotism. Get as much intel as you can from him.” He nodded. “Report on time, as usual. He snapped the phone shut. “I take it you approve.”
“Anything that makes her happy.” She said. “And I think that would include your death.”
Arvin laughed. “Yes, probably, but that won’t happen. I’ve told her if she gets in my way, I’ll kill her.” This was said in a manner challenging Irina’s roll as Sydney’s mother.
Her eyes caught his and held. “Then, I would have to kill you.” She didn’t smile.
They finished and walked to his large office. There, he went to the safe and punched in a combination. The large doors clanked, creaked and then swung open. Behind it was another combination to run. He waited as the numbers came up on the grid and when they all matched, the door swung open silently. He pulled out some manuscript papers and handing them to her, closed the safe doors, both of them.
Irina had taken the papers and turned to the desk, spreading them out. Milo Rambaldi had written them in Italian and fortunately they both could read the language. She had a knack for languages and it didn’t take much reading and talking to know what Rambaldi was describing.
By two in the morning, however, both of them still couldn’t figure what Rambaldi was planning. The actual biological formula didn’t make sense. Finally Arvin suggested they take a break.
“I’m going to see Emily for a couple of days.”
“Should I continue to work on this?” Irina said.
Arvin looked at her. “No, we do it together or not at all. You have our notes, go over them, see what we missed. But no manuscript!”
“What’s the matter? I brought it to you.”
“My dear, I don’t trust anyone.” He smiled, putting the books back into the safe.
The next day Irina sat at the desk pouring over the notes she and Arvin had gathered. Sark was in and out of the room, checking on her. However, she did not even go near the safe. She knew exactly what he was thinking. If he caught her at the safe, Sark probably had orders to dispose of her.
At dinner that night they ate in silence. Irina pushed the plate away and looked at Sark.
“How do you like working for your new boss?”
“He’s not my boss,” he snarled, “we’re partners.”
“Ummm!” She stared unwavering at him. “So far, I’ve seen nothing to indicate that. You done nothing but fetch for him.” She stood up. “I’m going to the library to read. Please check on me as often as you wish.”
He watched her go, eyes narrowed, his face angry. “B---h,” he thought. “When Sloane is through with you, he’ll toss you away like a piece of crumpled paper.”
It was two in the morning, when someone entered the office. Heat sensors that helped secure the site did not trigger any alarms. The figure, dressed in black and wearing a head and face cover, walked over to the safe. Taking a piece of equipment out of a duffle bag he carried, the masked figure stood for a few moments looking at the meter reading. Two safes! That was unexpected. Now what? The figure kneeled reaching into the bag again for something else.
Without warning, a gun was cocked, hammer pulled back. The kneeling figure turned toward the sound and saw the barrel of a .45 automatic pointing directly at his head mere inches away.
