This is my favorite story.
The characters belong to JJ Abrams.
Those of you, who haven’t read it, enjoy. Those that have read it, read again. It gets better.
I’VE GOT TO SEE YOU AGAIN
Late in the night when I’m all alone
And I look at the clock and I know you’re not home
I can’t help myself
I’ve got to see you again
Jesse Harris from “Come Away With Me,” Norah Jones’ Grammy Award Winning Album
JACK
Jack walked into his apartment and stood gazing about him without really seeing anything. It was as sterile as a surgery suite. It was basic furniture without style or comfort. There was a sofa, a couple of chairs, small TV barely used, and a coffee table, which still looked new. No drapes, only mini blinds covered the windows. There was an almost new colorless carpet on the floor. A look into the bedroom would have produced the same perception: Jack Bristow was a man with relative few comforts. He stiffly avoided anything that smacked of a comfortable home life.
He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was some milk, a half loaf of bread, some jam, and a suspect piece of cheese. He trimmed the cheese and half-heartedly ate a small chunk. His mind was somewhere else.
They were sending her from Langley today. They would fly her into Burbank, and then take her by van to the center. The Director, Ben Devlin, had called to tell the center to expect her. She would be handcuffed and shackled as befitted a prisoner of her magnitude: a spy, assassin, and his wife.
Why had she come back into his life?
She would be so close.
He undressed and dropped into bed, mentally exhausted. He wondered if he would sleep tonight. His mind was racing back in time to those years of their marriage.
That week in Hawaii after they had been married for three years had significantly changed everything. It was a promised vacation for them both: she from her job as an Assistant Professor of English Literature at UCLA and he from his work with the CIA and the Christmas Project.
He moaned in his sleep. He remembered her so well. She was 24 and so beautiful. Sometimes he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be married to her! They had stayed at the Moana Loa Hotel right on the beach in one of the small cabanas that gave them the privacy they wanted. It was the promised honeymoon and it was that.
They had taken walks along the main street in Waikiki, sometimes hand in hand, sometimes with his arm around her slender waist. It had been obvious to everyone they were honeymooners. They didn’t care. They kissed in public without shame.
Finally, it was nearing the end of their week. It was stifling, almost steamy in the cabana. There was no wind and the skies were black with an impending storm. She had felt a little sad that their vacation was almost over. They put on their robes to walk outside the cabana to the beach, only a few steps away.
“Jack?” She had said wickedly. “Let’s make love out here on the sand.”
Surprised by the suggestion, he took her in his arms, kissing her hard. Then slowly, carefully lowered her to the ground. He undid the belt that held her robe together. She was naked, of course. He ran his fingers lightly over her body. He loved touching her skin. He kissed her again.
They made love on the beach. The storm broke. The rain came down in torrents…
Jack sat up in bed. His body was drenched in sweat.
He glanced at the clock, two in the morning! Was she there?
He dressed and left the apartment.
IRINA
The van came to a stop. She sat quietly, unable to move. Her ankles were shackled to bolts in the floor. Each wrist handcuffed to the wall of the van. The door opened. It was raining still. One of the marshals jumped up into the van and unlocked her. Another man joined the first. They handcuffed her wrists together with a tether chain leading to the shackles around her ankles. They helped her down and started to the building a few steps away. She refused to look like she was a prisoner. She kept her head up in an almost defiant manner. Still, she hadn’t expected anything else, even after she offered to help the CIA to bring down SD-6 and The Alliance.
The cell doors opened and closed until they came to her cell. They took her inside, unlocking the shackles and handcuffs. They left her and disappeared in the direction they had come. She wondered what was next, and then heard the cell doors open again. Someone was at the window. She turned, looking at a balding man.
“I understand you want to co-operate.”
“I told Director Devlin, I would only debrief with my daughter, Sydney Bristow.”
“Now look here!”
She stared at him. “That is the agreement. I suggest you check with Mr. Devlin.”
He stared at her. Saw the resolution in her face. He turned and left.
Irina looked around, rubbing her wrists. She was tired. The bunk had only mattress, but that didn’t matter right now. She was tired. She wondered if they turned the lights off, or if they stayed on all the time. That was not new. She had gone through similar times, especially in the Kashmir prison. As though reading her mind, the lights dimmed, but didn’t go completely off. She closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately. She could smell something even dreaming. What was that fragrance and where had she been? It might be ginger. Mists swirled and finally parted.
Hawaii in ’74! She and Jack were on vacation in Hawaii where warm tropical breezes and nights were the constant. They stayed in the cabana on the beach. She turned in her sleep. She wanted to wake up, but couldn’t as the dream held her fast in its grip.
They had seven days to act as if they had just been married when in truth it had been three years. They held hands; he had kissed her in public, and they walked with their arms about each other. They had been so happy during the week. She knew it had been that last night, the rainy night, when Sydney was conceived.
She had suggested going outside. It had been her wild idea to make love on the beach. No one would be around with an impending rainstorm about to happen. He had taken her suggestion without saying a word. His strong hands had lowered her to the ground. He kneeled next to her, untying the sash holding her robe together. She was naked beneath. He had run his fingers over her skin, then leaned over and kissed her thoroughly.
Irina sat up, sweating. She shook her head as though trying to clear it from the implications of the dream.
JACK
He entered the op center. It was quiet with only a skeleton crew at work. He walked over to the security desk. No one was there. He punched in his operating code and password, and then accessed the tape of her arrival at the Center. He watched them bring Laura into the cellblock…no, he shook his head, no…Irina Derevko. She walked in a fettered criminal, but kept her head up not acknowledging any sense of guilt.
He turned off the screen, walking over to the stairs that would lead to the cellblock.
At the guard door, he asked to be allowed inside to the guardroom, identifying himself.
“Is there any way I can see the prisoner?”
“You can look through the one-way mirror,” said the Marshal on duty. “I can’t give you access to the cell. She’s asleep.”
Jack nodded and stepped to the window. He looked down. Laura, no, Irina, was below him asleep. He assessed the room. It was as sterile as his apartment. There was a toilet, washbasin, desk and chair and the bunk, which didn’t even have a blanket or a pillow. He looked again at her.
“My God,” he thought, “she’s still a beautiful woman.” He swallowed. He bit his lip and was about to leave, when there was movement in the other room.
IRINA
They were on the beach, the rain was pouring….
Suddenly she finally broke through the painful mists of the dream and sat up. She was sweating. Her heart was pounding. She stood up and turned to the one-way mirror. Was he there?
Irina could feel his presence. Only Jack had the advantage.
The characters belong to JJ Abrams.
Those of you, who haven’t read it, enjoy. Those that have read it, read again. It gets better.
I’VE GOT TO SEE YOU AGAIN
Late in the night when I’m all alone
And I look at the clock and I know you’re not home
I can’t help myself
I’ve got to see you again
Jesse Harris from “Come Away With Me,” Norah Jones’ Grammy Award Winning Album
JACK
Jack walked into his apartment and stood gazing about him without really seeing anything. It was as sterile as a surgery suite. It was basic furniture without style or comfort. There was a sofa, a couple of chairs, small TV barely used, and a coffee table, which still looked new. No drapes, only mini blinds covered the windows. There was an almost new colorless carpet on the floor. A look into the bedroom would have produced the same perception: Jack Bristow was a man with relative few comforts. He stiffly avoided anything that smacked of a comfortable home life.
He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was some milk, a half loaf of bread, some jam, and a suspect piece of cheese. He trimmed the cheese and half-heartedly ate a small chunk. His mind was somewhere else.
They were sending her from Langley today. They would fly her into Burbank, and then take her by van to the center. The Director, Ben Devlin, had called to tell the center to expect her. She would be handcuffed and shackled as befitted a prisoner of her magnitude: a spy, assassin, and his wife.
Why had she come back into his life?
She would be so close.
He undressed and dropped into bed, mentally exhausted. He wondered if he would sleep tonight. His mind was racing back in time to those years of their marriage.
That week in Hawaii after they had been married for three years had significantly changed everything. It was a promised vacation for them both: she from her job as an Assistant Professor of English Literature at UCLA and he from his work with the CIA and the Christmas Project.
He moaned in his sleep. He remembered her so well. She was 24 and so beautiful. Sometimes he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be married to her! They had stayed at the Moana Loa Hotel right on the beach in one of the small cabanas that gave them the privacy they wanted. It was the promised honeymoon and it was that.
They had taken walks along the main street in Waikiki, sometimes hand in hand, sometimes with his arm around her slender waist. It had been obvious to everyone they were honeymooners. They didn’t care. They kissed in public without shame.
Finally, it was nearing the end of their week. It was stifling, almost steamy in the cabana. There was no wind and the skies were black with an impending storm. She had felt a little sad that their vacation was almost over. They put on their robes to walk outside the cabana to the beach, only a few steps away.
“Jack?” She had said wickedly. “Let’s make love out here on the sand.”
Surprised by the suggestion, he took her in his arms, kissing her hard. Then slowly, carefully lowered her to the ground. He undid the belt that held her robe together. She was naked, of course. He ran his fingers lightly over her body. He loved touching her skin. He kissed her again.
They made love on the beach. The storm broke. The rain came down in torrents…
Jack sat up in bed. His body was drenched in sweat.
He glanced at the clock, two in the morning! Was she there?
He dressed and left the apartment.
IRINA
The van came to a stop. She sat quietly, unable to move. Her ankles were shackled to bolts in the floor. Each wrist handcuffed to the wall of the van. The door opened. It was raining still. One of the marshals jumped up into the van and unlocked her. Another man joined the first. They handcuffed her wrists together with a tether chain leading to the shackles around her ankles. They helped her down and started to the building a few steps away. She refused to look like she was a prisoner. She kept her head up in an almost defiant manner. Still, she hadn’t expected anything else, even after she offered to help the CIA to bring down SD-6 and The Alliance.
The cell doors opened and closed until they came to her cell. They took her inside, unlocking the shackles and handcuffs. They left her and disappeared in the direction they had come. She wondered what was next, and then heard the cell doors open again. Someone was at the window. She turned, looking at a balding man.
“I understand you want to co-operate.”
“I told Director Devlin, I would only debrief with my daughter, Sydney Bristow.”
“Now look here!”
She stared at him. “That is the agreement. I suggest you check with Mr. Devlin.”
He stared at her. Saw the resolution in her face. He turned and left.
Irina looked around, rubbing her wrists. She was tired. The bunk had only mattress, but that didn’t matter right now. She was tired. She wondered if they turned the lights off, or if they stayed on all the time. That was not new. She had gone through similar times, especially in the Kashmir prison. As though reading her mind, the lights dimmed, but didn’t go completely off. She closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately. She could smell something even dreaming. What was that fragrance and where had she been? It might be ginger. Mists swirled and finally parted.
Hawaii in ’74! She and Jack were on vacation in Hawaii where warm tropical breezes and nights were the constant. They stayed in the cabana on the beach. She turned in her sleep. She wanted to wake up, but couldn’t as the dream held her fast in its grip.
They had seven days to act as if they had just been married when in truth it had been three years. They held hands; he had kissed her in public, and they walked with their arms about each other. They had been so happy during the week. She knew it had been that last night, the rainy night, when Sydney was conceived.
She had suggested going outside. It had been her wild idea to make love on the beach. No one would be around with an impending rainstorm about to happen. He had taken her suggestion without saying a word. His strong hands had lowered her to the ground. He kneeled next to her, untying the sash holding her robe together. She was naked beneath. He had run his fingers over her skin, then leaned over and kissed her thoroughly.
Irina sat up, sweating. She shook her head as though trying to clear it from the implications of the dream.
JACK
He entered the op center. It was quiet with only a skeleton crew at work. He walked over to the security desk. No one was there. He punched in his operating code and password, and then accessed the tape of her arrival at the Center. He watched them bring Laura into the cellblock…no, he shook his head, no…Irina Derevko. She walked in a fettered criminal, but kept her head up not acknowledging any sense of guilt.
He turned off the screen, walking over to the stairs that would lead to the cellblock.
At the guard door, he asked to be allowed inside to the guardroom, identifying himself.
“Is there any way I can see the prisoner?”
“You can look through the one-way mirror,” said the Marshal on duty. “I can’t give you access to the cell. She’s asleep.”
Jack nodded and stepped to the window. He looked down. Laura, no, Irina, was below him asleep. He assessed the room. It was as sterile as his apartment. There was a toilet, washbasin, desk and chair and the bunk, which didn’t even have a blanket or a pillow. He looked again at her.
“My God,” he thought, “she’s still a beautiful woman.” He swallowed. He bit his lip and was about to leave, when there was movement in the other room.
IRINA
They were on the beach, the rain was pouring….
Suddenly she finally broke through the painful mists of the dream and sat up. She was sweating. Her heart was pounding. She stood up and turned to the one-way mirror. Was he there?
Irina could feel his presence. Only Jack had the advantage.
keep it up!!