He stormed across the Ops Center. A man on a mission, with little else on
his mind. A few people noticed him as he made his way through the crowded
area, but most went about their business as usual.
"Dixon," Kendall said, pushing through his office door without hesitation.
"Kendall," Dixon said looking up, and inclining his head.
"We need to talk about project White Tiger." Kendall said arching an eyebrow.
"Of course." Dixon said, before turning to his intercom box, and instating his secretary that he be left undisturbed. "Go ahead." He said turning back to Kendall.
"She's missed two check-ins. I hate to say it but, I'm worried Dixon. She's never done this before. She was supposed to meet me in Nevada. She changed the plan a few times and then...." He trailed off, hoping that his concern was coming across as he'd needed.
"I see," Dixon nodded. "Are you aware that Michael Vaughn has left the country?"
"Not I was not aware. The former Agent Vaughn does not concern me." Kendall said dismissively.
"We know where he is. Irina Derevko was spotted there yesterday." Dixon said knowingly.
"Do they know?" Kendall said, suddenly realizing Dixon's implications.
"For the sake of the project I hope not. But for Her sake, as well as those who love her, part of me hopes that they do." Dixon sighed. He'd felt guilty for so long over this. He just wanted it to be over.
"For the sake of the Project they had better not know." Kendall said, voice raised. "And one more thing. Dixon, we all decided that this was the best course of action. I know she was your partner. But stay focused here, we have an objective to accomplish." Kendall said, as he stood up.
"She was more than my partner. She was my friend. She is my friend. And as for our objective," Dixon said, pausing momentarily to pull himself together. "Our objective is secondary to her safety. Do not forget that." Dixon said finally, before standing politely.
Kendall paused, trying to read Dixon's face. "Don't forget, she chose this." He said, not really sure himself if he believed what he was saying. "Keep my updated." He said before turning and leaving. Dixon stood, watching him leave.
'None of us chose this.' He thought to himself.
..............................................
"I found him." Sark said into the phone.
"Good," Lauren replied quickly. "Where is he?"
"At a small hotel. It looks as though he'll be leaving momentarily, however." Sark said, repressing a laugh.
"Why do you say that?" Lauren laughed, things were going better now.
"He's ordered a car, to take him to the airport." Sark lied.
"He's coming back to LA?" Lauren said in disbelief, realizing that this would be a problem.
"Indeed. He should be there by tomorrow morning." Sark replied, sensing the exasperation in her voice. "Is anything the matter?"
"No, not at all why would you say that?" She said, masking her tone.
"No reason, I'll contact you again, once I confirm he's in the air."
"Brilliant." Lauren said brightly, with a frown. This was no good at all.
...............
"I was told to inform you of some rather disturbing information." Sark said, sitting down across from where Sydney and Vaughn sat on the couch.
"About what?" Vaughn said taking hold of Sydney's hand.
"Your," Sark started before clearing his throat, "girlfriend Lauren Reed." Sark finished watching as Vaughn's expressions changed dramatically.
There was a long and pregnant pause. Sark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as he watched Sydney and Vaughn stare into space, contemplating.
"She must be worried about you." Sydney said, her eyes not daring to leave the spot they were affixed to.
Vaughn didn't say anything, but instead glanced at Sydney.
"Actually, she knows you're here." Sark said, a smirk crossing his face as he broke the dramatic silence.
"What?" Vaughn said, lifting his eyes to meet Sark's.
"Lauren Reed isn't an NSA Agent." Sark glanced at Sydney as she looked up.
"She's Covenant." Sydney remembered and said aloud.
"What, No." Vaughn said looking between Sark and Sydney.
"I remember where I'd heard that name before. She's been working undercover at the NSA for years." Sydney recited still in shock about what she was saying.
"No, this is impossible." Vaughn said standing. "Lauren isn't Covenant." He said rather loudly, turning to Sark. "Where's your proof?"
"She contacted me to follow you. She was suspicious when you left town." Sark said matter-of-factly.
"What, Why you? I thought you were working for Jack? But you're really working for the Covenant aren't you, you sonofabitch." Vaughn pulled the gun from his coat.
"Vaughn," Sydney stood immediately.
"Sydney, he's lying to us." Vaughn said holding his gun on Sark.
"Vaughn let him explain." Sydney said reaching out and putting her hand on Vaughn's shoulder.
"The Covenant had me broken out of the CIA so that I could bankroll their operation. Ms. Reed first contacted me a few days ago." Sark said sitting calmly.
"Vaughn he's telling the truth. Remember when you found me in the Lexington Building. Sark was there, he helped me. My father verified it, he's on our side. Vaughn!" Sydney said holding her hand firmly on his shoulder.
Vaughn took a moment, glaring at Sark. After a beat he lowered his gun.
"Vaughn," Sydney sighed taking the gun from his hand.
"Lauren's Covenant?" Vaughn said in disbelief sitting down in a slump.
Sydney looked to Sark, a sort of "Leave Now" glint in her eye. Sark got the hint immediately and stood to leave.
"She had you follow me." Vaughn said, running through the logic in his head. "Was she, was I her target?" He said lifting his head to look at Sark.
"Ms. Reed was sent to LA with you as her target, yes." Sark said softly before stepping toward the door. Before he stepped through he paused. "If I knew why I'd tell you." He said before leaving and closing the door behind himself.
............................................................................
Lauren made her way up the stairs of the apartment building slowly. She was contemplating her plan of attack. She couldn't come on too strong, but she also couldn't let this go, it was too important. She thanked her good sense for being able to roll with the punches. It made her a good agent, and kept her from getting hurt.
She knocked at the door. Waiting impatiently as ever, she knocked again, not thirty seconds later. After a moment she was relieved to hear something moving behind the door.
"One second." She heard a muffled yell from the apartment.
She sighed impatiently and tapped her toe. A few seconds later the sound of locks unlocking was prevalent. The door opened suddenly.
Lauren put on her "sad-helpless" face, and let a tear fall from her eye. "Are you Will Tippin?"
......................................................
"Dixon," Kendall said, pushing through his office door without hesitation.
"Kendall," Dixon said looking up, and inclining his head.
"We need to talk about project White Tiger." Kendall said arching an eyebrow.
"Of course." Dixon said, before turning to his intercom box, and instating his secretary that he be left undisturbed. "Go ahead." He said turning back to Kendall.
"She's missed two check-ins. I hate to say it but, I'm worried Dixon. She's never done this before. She was supposed to meet me in Nevada. She changed the plan a few times and then...." He trailed off, hoping that his concern was coming across as he'd needed.
"I see," Dixon nodded. "Are you aware that Michael Vaughn has left the country?"
"Not I was not aware. The former Agent Vaughn does not concern me." Kendall said dismissively.
"We know where he is. Irina Derevko was spotted there yesterday." Dixon said knowingly.
"Do they know?" Kendall said, suddenly realizing Dixon's implications.
"For the sake of the project I hope not. But for Her sake, as well as those who love her, part of me hopes that they do." Dixon sighed. He'd felt guilty for so long over this. He just wanted it to be over.
"For the sake of the Project they had better not know." Kendall said, voice raised. "And one more thing. Dixon, we all decided that this was the best course of action. I know she was your partner. But stay focused here, we have an objective to accomplish." Kendall said, as he stood up.
"She was more than my partner. She was my friend. She is my friend. And as for our objective," Dixon said, pausing momentarily to pull himself together. "Our objective is secondary to her safety. Do not forget that." Dixon said finally, before standing politely.
Kendall paused, trying to read Dixon's face. "Don't forget, she chose this." He said, not really sure himself if he believed what he was saying. "Keep my updated." He said before turning and leaving. Dixon stood, watching him leave.
'None of us chose this.' He thought to himself.
..............................................
"I found him." Sark said into the phone.
"Good," Lauren replied quickly. "Where is he?"
"At a small hotel. It looks as though he'll be leaving momentarily, however." Sark said, repressing a laugh.
"Why do you say that?" Lauren laughed, things were going better now.
"He's ordered a car, to take him to the airport." Sark lied.
"He's coming back to LA?" Lauren said in disbelief, realizing that this would be a problem.
"Indeed. He should be there by tomorrow morning." Sark replied, sensing the exasperation in her voice. "Is anything the matter?"
"No, not at all why would you say that?" She said, masking her tone.
"No reason, I'll contact you again, once I confirm he's in the air."
"Brilliant." Lauren said brightly, with a frown. This was no good at all.
...............
"I was told to inform you of some rather disturbing information." Sark said, sitting down across from where Sydney and Vaughn sat on the couch.
"About what?" Vaughn said taking hold of Sydney's hand.
"Your," Sark started before clearing his throat, "girlfriend Lauren Reed." Sark finished watching as Vaughn's expressions changed dramatically.
There was a long and pregnant pause. Sark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as he watched Sydney and Vaughn stare into space, contemplating.
"She must be worried about you." Sydney said, her eyes not daring to leave the spot they were affixed to.
Vaughn didn't say anything, but instead glanced at Sydney.
"Actually, she knows you're here." Sark said, a smirk crossing his face as he broke the dramatic silence.
"What?" Vaughn said, lifting his eyes to meet Sark's.
"Lauren Reed isn't an NSA Agent." Sark glanced at Sydney as she looked up.
"She's Covenant." Sydney remembered and said aloud.
"What, No." Vaughn said looking between Sark and Sydney.
"I remember where I'd heard that name before. She's been working undercover at the NSA for years." Sydney recited still in shock about what she was saying.
"No, this is impossible." Vaughn said standing. "Lauren isn't Covenant." He said rather loudly, turning to Sark. "Where's your proof?"
"She contacted me to follow you. She was suspicious when you left town." Sark said matter-of-factly.
"What, Why you? I thought you were working for Jack? But you're really working for the Covenant aren't you, you sonofabitch." Vaughn pulled the gun from his coat.
"Vaughn," Sydney stood immediately.
"Sydney, he's lying to us." Vaughn said holding his gun on Sark.
"Vaughn let him explain." Sydney said reaching out and putting her hand on Vaughn's shoulder.
"The Covenant had me broken out of the CIA so that I could bankroll their operation. Ms. Reed first contacted me a few days ago." Sark said sitting calmly.
"Vaughn he's telling the truth. Remember when you found me in the Lexington Building. Sark was there, he helped me. My father verified it, he's on our side. Vaughn!" Sydney said holding her hand firmly on his shoulder.
Vaughn took a moment, glaring at Sark. After a beat he lowered his gun.
"Vaughn," Sydney sighed taking the gun from his hand.
"Lauren's Covenant?" Vaughn said in disbelief sitting down in a slump.
Sydney looked to Sark, a sort of "Leave Now" glint in her eye. Sark got the hint immediately and stood to leave.
"She had you follow me." Vaughn said, running through the logic in his head. "Was she, was I her target?" He said lifting his head to look at Sark.
"Ms. Reed was sent to LA with you as her target, yes." Sark said softly before stepping toward the door. Before he stepped through he paused. "If I knew why I'd tell you." He said before leaving and closing the door behind himself.
............................................................................
Lauren made her way up the stairs of the apartment building slowly. She was contemplating her plan of attack. She couldn't come on too strong, but she also couldn't let this go, it was too important. She thanked her good sense for being able to roll with the punches. It made her a good agent, and kept her from getting hurt.
She knocked at the door. Waiting impatiently as ever, she knocked again, not thirty seconds later. After a moment she was relieved to hear something moving behind the door.
"One second." She heard a muffled yell from the apartment.
She sighed impatiently and tapped her toe. A few seconds later the sound of locks unlocking was prevalent. The door opened suddenly.
Lauren put on her "sad-helpless" face, and let a tear fall from her eye. "Are you Will Tippin?"
......................................................