Chapter 15: Old Times
“So you believe Irina Derevko is in fact alive?” Kendall asked.
“Yes, sir, I do,” Sydney answered.
After landing in L.A., Sydney and company went back to the CIA headquarters, bringing Lombardi with them, and filled in Kendall and Chase with what they discovered. The first topic of discussion involved Lombardi the most and what he 'needed' to accomplish in regards to finishing piecing together Rambaldi's clues and discovering who Death was. After that was granted to the old man and settled...then came the topic of Irina's status; whether she was in fact alive and kicking and running the Covenant.
Kendall ran his hand over his head and sighed. “Unbelievable.”
Chase leaned forward and folded her hands together. “So what you’re telling us, Agent Bristow, is that a terrorist that we thought was dead is in fact alive and presumably running the terrorist group known as the Covenant?”
Sydney nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
Chase leaned back and looked over at Jennifer who was standing in the far side of the room keeping out of the conversation. Jennifer caught the look the Director was giving her and only shrugged.
“So what exactly do you want to do?” Kendall asked Sydney.
“We could infiltrate the Covenant. Find out once and for all who their boss is, if it is Irina,” she answered.
“And how do you suppose you pull that off?” Chase asked.
Sydney looked at her team, Michael, Nadia, Jack and even Jennifer, then turned back to Chase and offered her a smile. “We’ll pull it off,” she assured her. “Just like old times.”
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Eric slowly buttoned up his shirt careful not to move his should too much as Nadia walked in the hospital room. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he answered. “Just peachy.”
Nadia walked up to Eric and helped him finish buttoning the shirt. “Look, I know you don’t like the assignment that Chase gave you…”
“I asked to come back because I feel fine,” he interrupted. “I can help out and instead she gives me a baby sitting job.”
Nadia offered him a smile. “That’s why I asked to stay behind with you so we can both look after Lombardi.”
Eric rolled his eyes. “This is a rookie’s job.”
“You’re still not entirely healed.”
Eric sighed. “I know.”
“Look…it’s just until Sydney and the others get what they need,” Nadia assured him. “Then you can go back to getting shot out in the field again.”
Eric smiled warmly at her and she wrapped her arms around his chest hugging him.
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Sydney positioned herself in between Michael and Jennifer in the small van as her father gave them the objective once more and reviewed the mission. It was simple; confirm Irina’s status; and the bonus was gathering any Intel the Covenant had that the CIA did not. When Jack was finished, they began to suit up in their commando gear.
“Can I ask a question?” Jennifer piped up.
“Must you?” Sydney retorted.
Jennifer ignored her. “How exactly can we get to Irina Derevko?” When the trio stopped what they were doing, Jennifer noticed their looks and went on. “I mean, if they’re as powerful and resourceful as you all say, then there’s no way we can get to her just storming in there.”
For a moment, no one said a word. They all looked at one another realizing they were rushing this too quickly. “She’s right,” Michael final said.
“How else can we get inside and accomplish this without being compromised?” Jack asked.
“Me,” Sydney spoke up.
Jennifer looked from Sydney, to Michael and Jack, then back to her, clearly confused. “Excuse me?”
“Me,” Sydney repeated. “Irina thinks I’m dead.”
Michael shook his head. “You don’t know that for sure.”
“No…I am sure of it. Irina doesn’t know who Jennifer is which can get us in there and confirm that Irina controls the Covenant operations which will allow you two to gather whatever Intel you possibly can.”
Jack pondered the thought before nodded his head in approval. “Yes…that could work to our benefit.”
“I don’t like it,” Michael responded.
“Maybe not,” Sydney said, “but this is our best shot.”
Jennifer nodded. “And our only,” she finished for Sydney.
Michael reluctantly agreed. “How are you two going to get inside?”
Sydney shrugged. “Well…I could get captured.”
“Jennifer can pose as a guard and ‘catch you’ as you’re trying to sneak in the building,” Jack suggested. “But it has to be convincing.”
“How do you purpose we make it convincing?” Michael asked him.
Before Jack could answer, an idea came to Jennifer. She turned towards Sydney and punched her hard in the jaw, knocking her to the ground and out cold. Jennifer grabbed her hand and rubbed it while catching the looks that Michael and Jack were giving her. “What?” Jennifer asked innocently.
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Irina sat at her desk staring at nothing in particular. She felt a man’s presence behind her and she smiled softly. He was standing behind her at the window looking out on the city below. Even though there was not enough light near the man to reveal his identity, Irina knew who he was.
“My nightmares haven’t gone away,” she told him.
The man muttered something that Irina couldn’t make out. Still, she did not turn around to see his face or his bodily expressions that could so easily gave away his thoughts.
“The nightmares of Sydney drowning,” Irina continued. Still the man said nothing nor did he move. “She survived the explosion, but not the flooding.”
This time the man did move; over to Irina to where now he was standing over her desk, but she did not look up. “You honestly believe Sydney Bristow is dead?” he asked.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because... you are alive.”
Irina smiled and looked up at him. “Rambaldi’s gift’s,” she commented. “You of all people should know that, Arvin.”
Sloane nodded and smiled. “A gift to you perhaps but… for how long?”
Irina stood up standing toe to toe with Arvin Sloane, her eyes flashing in anger. “Rambaldi prophesized that I would control the horizon and become immortal.”
“That was the same thing his text promised myself too and look at me now,” he shot back. To add the effects to his words, he moved his hands towards an object on her desk. Irina watched as his had literally went through the object. “You know what this is Irina,” Sloane said looking back up at her. “This is you doubting yourself because I am dead. And why…?”
Irina swallowed hard finding her mouth to be abnormally dry. “Because it wasn’t meant to be.”
Sloane nodded. “At least… not by Rambaldi.”
Irina slowly nodding remembering what Julian had told her over the phone. That his little spy had informed him that Milo Rambaldi had never existed. There was never anyone named Rambaldi and that meant that his work was never properly claimed. And what that meant to all of Rambaldi’s followers, such as Irina and even Sloane, was that Rambaldi’s visions and works were all just a fake. But...nothing was offically proven right or wrong...yet.
Irina thoughts dissolved as she heard voices coming from outside her office. She blinked several times and finally realized that Sloane had disappeared. I must have been daydreaming the whole conversation, she thought. Just as she thought that, the door burst open and in stepped a blond woman as she threw a brunette on the ground, who was unconscious. Irina wanted to scream at the woman for forcing herself in her office, but her eyes never left the brunette. And the blond woman noticed this.
“She was caught trying to sneak in,” the blond woman informed Irina as the brunette was slowly coming to.
“Who is she?” Irina asked quietly.
The blond woman shrugged and lifted her leg as her foot touched the brunette, turning her over laying on her back to reveal her features.
Irina’s eyes widened in surprise and joy. “Sydney?”
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-No, Death is NOT Vaughn...don't worry about that. However, he IS someone very close and important to Sydney and that will mean something
-No, Julian and Jennifer do NOT have a child together. I personally find that disgusting only because Jennifer CANNOT stand Julian. Julian has something over her head which is causing Jennifer to walk on egg shells
-Not only does Jennifer have one secret involving the secret word 'She' [which for all you know could be a pet, Irina or a code name] Jennifer also has a HUGE secret which will take a huge and DEADLY toll on Sydney and those she cares about the most.
-In the coming chapters, Jennifer will be getting closer and closer to finding out the truth about Sloane's murder [i.e. Sydney is in for some serious trouble]
-'Death' will be revealed and there will be a CHARACTER DEATH.
-This is my LAST Alias fic, so I'm trying to make this one count
that sucks.