Well, I finally finished ch. 7!!! YAY!!!! *does Marshall happy dance* I don't really like the flashback - I don't think I did a very good job on that, but whatever.... Anyway, here it is!
Chapter 7
Marshall POV
I have my eyes closed, taking long, deep breaths. ‘Okay, Jack is going to come and question me…I’ll be fine, no problem.’ I try to calm my nervousness, but it doesn’t seem to be working very well. I hear the door begin to open, and I look up to see Jack entering.
“Um…hello, Mr. Bristow. How are you?” I ask timidly.
“Good morning, Marshall. And I should be asking
you that question.”
I laugh uneasily. “Yes, I suppose that would make more sense. I’m doing…well.” I try to hide my fear and act tough.
“Good. I understand you know why I am here?”
“Yes.” I look down at my hands and inhale deeply. “Let’s get this over with…I guess I might as well start from when we left the airport.”
*FLASHBACK*
As we depart from the airport, I call my mother to tell her how my trip went. I feel so proud, and I know she’s anxious to know that I’m all right. But in the middle of our conversation, the driver slams on the brakes. Our car fishtails and the tires squeal to a halt in the middle of the intersection. I am roughly jerked from the vehicle, handcuffed, blindfolded, and shoved in the back of a van by three men. We screech away and drive for what seems like hours.
“Who are you, where are you taking me?”
I get no reply whatsoever. We finally stop. The men grab me out of the van and push me down a flight of stairs. I try to resist, but one man punches me in the gut – hard. I gasp for air and they easily strap me into a reclined chair. I feel the sharp, heavy pain of a blunt object knocked on my head, and I pass out.
I wake up; it’s dark and I’m still tied to a chair, my eyes still covered with a blindfold. I begin to breathe quickly, shallowly, and consider screaming for help. However, my thoughts are interrupted by the low, mechanical buzzing of a wheelchair. My blindfold is suddenly ripped off, and I am staring face-to-face with an Asian man with glasses. I realize tears are running down my face, and I try to ask, “Where am I?” but all that comes out if a weak gurgling. He looks me over and roughly props my jaws open with a metal tool. Looking to his right, he scrutinizes a tray full of torture devices and settles on a pair of plier-like clamps. Giving me an evil, toothy grin, he moves the clamps to my mouth. In complete terror, I do the only thing I can: scream.
The man inches closer and closer, and I can only continue screaming. I know I don’t want those clamps anywhere near me, but unable to move, I can do nothing. Well, nothing except spit in his face. He calmly puts the pliers down, takes out a handkerchief, and wipes it away. I am silently crying more than ever.
“Well, well, Marshall, is it? Is that your only defense?” He again begins to close the space between his face and mine, smiling a repulsive, crooked grin. “I believe you have some information my employer would like to know.”
I try to stall, asking, “Wh-…who is your employer?” meekly.
He laughs softly. “That is unimportant. What
is important is that I obtain the information you have acquired.”
He then proceeds to rip out three of my teeth, causing me the most pain I have ever, and hopefully will ever, experience.
*END FLASHBACK*
I try to gauge Jack face for a reaction, but he sits stoically, lips pursed, as usual.
Finally, he replies with, “I’m sorry that happened to you, but I really need to know if you picked up any information on the man’s employer, and if you can remember the algorithms for Echelon.”
I am slightly taken aback at his reaction, though I guess I should’ve expected as much. Tears begin to pool in my eyes, and I look away uncomfortably, mumbling, “Yeah, I remember. But I need a computer so I can replicate the program.”
I can’t tell if Jack noticed my misery. He responds abruptly, “I brought a new laptop. I’ll leave it here. How long do you think it will take to program Echelon?”
“I’m not sure. A couple hours maybe. I memorized it in under ten minutes, but recreating it will take much longer.”
“I also need to know if you disclosed anything to your persecutor, the Asian man.”
I pause, reliving my torment for the umpteenth time. “I can’t be sure, but I really don’t think so. Just pulling my teeth wasn’t working, so he gave me a truth serum. Luckily, I must’ve lost a lot of blood because I kept drifting in and out of consciousness. I don’t remember revealing any vital information.”
Jack is visibly relieved, but his countenance quickly turns serious again. “I have something very important to tell you. I need your full attention.”
My eyes find his, and I feel goose bumps all over. “Wha-what is it?” I am suddenly afraid, almost more so than when I was being tortured.
“SD-6 is not a part of the CIA. It is not a ‘black-ops division.’ SD-6 is a rogue organization, one of the twelve in the Alliance, hell-bent on undermining established governments by obtaining information and technology, like Echelon, for its own illegal purposes. Marshall, SD-6 is the very enemy you thought you were fighting against.”
“What?! I don’t know what you’re talking about! Who are you working for? What are you talking about?! This can’t be true!” This information hurts more than the physical pain I endured a day and a half ago.
Jack is silent, letting the information sink in.
My voice becomes weaker, more defeated. “What do I do? SD-6 was my life…” I feel…used.
“You become a double agent. Work for the real CIA in bringing down SD-6. We need your help, Marshall.” Jack is forceful, but his voice is strangely comforting as well.
“Who’s ‘we?’” I am suddenly more alert. “You’re a double agent, but who else is?”
“My daughter, Sydney. She has been a double for about a year and a half now.” He waves his hand, as if this information is unimportant. “I need to know I can count on you. Are you going to cooperate? If not, we can put you in the witness protection program. The CIA cannot allow you to go back to SD-6 with the information you now know – both about the truth, and Echelon. So, you have two choices: become a double and work for the good of your country, or quit this life and run off somewhere.”
The way Jack presents this choice is obviously biased, but even through my pain and anger, I can understand his point. I reply with force and resolve, “I’m in. I want to become a member of the real CIA.”
“Good, I’m glad we have an understanding. I will inform Devlin, the CIA head, and we will get you a handler.” He stands to leave. “I think Sydney will be visiting sometime this afternoon.” Jack pauses at the door and says offhandedly, “I hope you recover quickly,” and departs hastily, leaving me with a huge task to complete – and enough confusion to last the rest of my life.
---
I am in the beginning stages of programming Echelon when I hear a soft knock on the door.
“Come in.” I glance up with interest, hoping it is Sydney.
It is. She looks at me, concern written all over her face. “Hey. How are you doing? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
I close the laptop and, with a smile, say confidently, “I’m doing better. And no, you’re not interrupting anything. I needed a break, anyway.” At least that’s what it sounded like in my head. I think I was actually stuttering and mumbling. She’s a double agent. This is incredible, I’m talking to a double agent. Wait, I’m a double, too.
Syd smiles and sits on the chair next to my bed. “So, how is Echelon coming?”
I try to reply nonchalantly to impress her. “Oh, it’s easy. I remember everything, it’s just time-consuming.” I pause. “So you’re a double agent,” pops out of my mouth. ‘Did I just say that? Oh, jeez.’
“Yeah, I am. And I hear you are now, too. I’m so proud of you.” She gives me a hug, and I decide that this double agent stuff isn’t so bad. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you…I care too much about you…I didn’t want to put you in danger.”
I’m light-headed. ‘Did she just say she cares about me?’ I swallow hard. “Um…yeah, I understand. That’s ok.” Could this conversation get any more awkward?
I change the subject and we make small talk for ten minutes. Finally, she rises. “Um…Marshall?” Now she’s acting uneasily. She smiles, “I really am proud of you. I know we’ll take down SD-6. You just gotta keep believing that. We can do it.”
I give her a goofy grin, “Yeah, I know. Thanks for your support. I better get back to Echelon now…I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye.” Syd leaves, and I, despite all the bad things that have happened in the past two days, feel…lucky.
---
Vaughn POV
I’m breathing heavily and sweating all over, pissed as hell. Instead of calming me down, my run has just augmented my anger by giving me time to think. I know I haven’t been straightforward with my feelings for Syd, but if I don’t come clean soon, I’m going to explode.
‘D*** it, screw protocol!’ I silently scream in my head for the millionth time. I need to find her, right now, she needs to know that Alice and I aren’t together. Syd needs to know how much I care for her, how I can’t sleep when she’s gone, how I look forward to every one of our warehouse meetings just so I can see her, hear her, know that she’s alive. I take off for Mikro Self-Storage with renewed vigor. I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself RIGHT NOW! For once, I’m going to put the ball in
her court.
Hope you liked it!!
I'm going to have our two favorite spies go on a mission using the intel from Echelon....it should be...interesting haha
~Laura