| Sydney had been walking for about a half an hour. She stopped and looked at the paper once more. It read: �Bicentennial Park - Treillage Tower - 9:00� She then approached a taxi which was parked down the road. She opened the door and got in. �Bicentennial Park.� She told the driver. �Aye mate.� The young man replied. When she got in he glanced back. �You look like you a been through the ringa.� He said. �Thanks.� She replied flatly. �Ah...so you�re a seppo.� �Excuse me?� She asked. �An american...they aren�t usually oll that nice �round here...think the heat gets to �em.� He replied cheerfully. �Uh...yeah.� She responded, faking interest. He nodded, then started driving. They were driving for perhaps twenty minutes when he reached a hand back. �Chewie?� He asked suddenly. Sydney looked up at him. He held a pack of gum in his hand �Oh...um...no...thanks.� She replied. �So....why you headin to the park? S�closed this time o� yea.� She paused. �I�m meeting someone there.� She responded rather flatly. �You sure ain�t no earbasher are ya mate?� He asked after several minutes of silence. �I�m sorry?� Sydney asked confused. �Um...a talka....you don�t speak much do ya mate?� He asked, smiling into the rear-view mirror. Sydney just looked at him. �Eh.� He replied to her non-responsiveness. �Sorry if I am....I just gotta do somethin while I makes a quid o� driven all ova oll day.� Sydney knew she�d regret asking her next question. �A quid?� She said finally. �Yeah...you know...like...a job...a livin....what do you do mate? �I work for a bank.� She responded after a minute. �Right....that�s gotta be noice...gettin to hold oll that green?� Sydney just nodded along. �Don�t mind if I have a durry do ya?� He asked. She looked at him. He held up a cigarette. �Um...no.� She told responded. She shifted in her seat, anxious to get out of this taxi as soon as possible. �So...how far away is the park?� She asked him. �Not within cooee....take awhile mate.� She figured he meant its quite a ways off, so she sighed and closed her eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~ Sydney handed the driver the money and was glad to be rid of him. She entered walked to the entrance, but it was closed so she climbed carefully over the fence, which wasn�t easy with only one good hand, and began walking over to a marquee. It gave directions as to which walkway to take to reach Treillage Tower. When she had left the cab it was nearly eight thiry. She hoped it wasn�t a far walk. Ten minutes later she arrived at the extraction point. She sat down on a bench and waited. It only took minutes for the helicopter to arrive. It landed several yards away. Sydney ducked as she apprached the chopper. She squinted to avoid the dirt which was hovering all about due to the the propellers. She reached the helicopter and was helped in by a halping hand. Once inside, she looked up. It was her father. When he saw the condition she was in, his eyes looked half angry and half full of pity. She averted his gaze and buckled up as the chopper took off. �What now?� She asked him suddenly. �We�re heading for Kingsford Smith airport. From there you�ll head to Adelaide about 500 miles west of Sydney. There�s a local hospital there I�ll take you to.� He said after glancing at her severly bruised and clearly broken hand. �From there you�ll be put immediately on the next flight to Los Angeles.� He finished. Sydney looked at him. �What about Vaughn?� Her father seemed bothered by this question. �There�s team on its way.� He simple replied. �What? No...no I�m going back for him.� She said firmly. �Sydney its imperitive that you seek medical treatment and return to America immediately....you have to worry about SD...� But before he finished she cut him off. �I don�t care about SD-6...everytime I have been in trouble Vaughn stops at nothing to help me....I owe him the same.� She said angrily. �Sydney!� He paused. �Your lucky that Sloane has been gone with Emily for the past few days so he can�t ask questions as to our whereabouts. But Sydney, Dixon has been asking questions. Your roomate has called me nearly every day asking if I knew where you were, if I have spoken to you. Too many people are asking questions Sydney....and Sloane will be back in a couple days....if we both aren�t back by then.....Sydney....you think Vaughn would want you to blow your cover? After everything he has struggled to help you protect....your willing to sacrifice that?� �Dad...� Sydney tried angrily, but Jack cut her off, his voice rising. �No Sydney....I know you have an attachment to Agent Vaughn but... �I owe him...� �You owe him nothing!� Jack was now louder than ever. �You have worked hard to bring down SD-6....you cannot be willing to expose yourself....to expose all of us just so you can say you repaid your debt to this man!� Sydney didn�t speak. Jack forced himself to calm down. �You are injured Sydney....you wouldn�t be of any use anyway.� Sydney glared at him. �When you were being held in Cuba....I asked Vaughn to help me get to you and he did. Without question he allowed me to come after you. Vaughn didn�t care about expos...� �Agent Vaughn is wreckless!� He was riled again. �He does things based solely upon impulse and emotion.� He told her. �Sydney I know you know what is right here. Let the team extract him. If he is alive....they will bring him back to America. Let them do your job Sydney and you do yours in the meantime. And your job....your job is to protect your cover.� He calmed down as he finished. Though Sydney was furious with her father, deep down she knew he was right. As much as she felt she owed it to him to be the one to save him, she knew she would do more harm than good. She could barely even move, let alone go back there and fight. She would go back home...to her friends...to her job....and she would wait for him. She closed her eyes, then reopened them and looked at her father. �What�s my cover story....when people ask....� �I�ve already considered that....so, I�ve had Will held in another safe house until you returned...you told Francie you were going to New York correct?� Sydney nodded. �Good. Tell her that Will too had flown to New York...that he had been given an assignment for which he needed to meet with someone from New York. That he didn�t have a chance to call her and let her know because his boss wanted him to keep the story a secret, that it was some sort of scoop. You and Will met up at your hotel the day you were had planned to leave....he road with you to the airport but on the way you were in a serious accident.� Sydney looked at him confused. �Sydney he was tortured while being held in Taipei. You can image the shape he is in....you can�t possibly account for both of your injuries and absences during the past several days in any other way.� Sydney looked down, tears in her eyes as she thought about her friend having been pulled into all of this. �Right.� She finally said, looking back up at him. �Good....you and Will can go over it more thoroughly when you arrive.� Sydney nodded. She and Jack sat there for several minutes without saying anything more. After a long while, Sydney suddenly lifted her head and looked at Jack. �I know you want to know about her. About...what happened...what she...� But before she could finish Jack spoke quietly. �When the time is right Sydney....and that time is not now.� He said glancing down. Sydney just sat still and watched the pained look on her father�s face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ PART 5 �Sydney!� Her friend said loudly as she pulled her into an immediate firm embrace. �Hey Francie.� Sydney smiled as she hugged her back. �My God Syd when you called me this morning and told me about the accident I nearly ahd a heartattack....are you ok?� She said, pulling back to examine her friend. Sydney smiled and nodded the way she awlays did when she tried to convince her she was fine. �Yeah...I�m good.� She told her lightly. �Oh...you face...� She said looking at the bruise on her cheek and cut above her eye and on her lip. She then looked down. �And your hand....what happened?� She asked emphatically with genuine concern. Sydney waved her hand a bit as she talked about it as if it had been no big deal. �Oh...um....when we hit I reached forward trying to barce and...you know.� She shrugged slightly, still smiling at her concerned friend. Francie�s frown turned to sudden awareness. �Oh God, how�s Will? You said it was pretty bad.� She now asked. �Yeah...he uh...didn�t fare as well as I did, his face got pretty messed up...� She was about to continue but she saw the look on her freinds face. �But he�s fine. He�s at his place...resting...he�s going to be fine.� She said quickly, taking Francie�s hand in her own. Francie sighed. �Thank God.� She breathed heavily as she went to hug Sydney once more. After a few moments she pulled out of the hug and looked at Sydney again. �You look exhausted....here...sit.� She pulled Sydney over to the couch and sat her down. She then turned and walked towards the kitchen. �I�m gonna get you some tea.� She rushed towards the kitchen quickly. Sydney turned around where she sat and looked at her friend who was bustling about in the kitchen. �Francie...I�m fine really...y...you don�t have to....� She shook her head. Her friend ignored her and kept on getting the tea ready. Sydney got up and walked slowly over into the kitchen. �Francie....Francie.� She said, the second one a bit louder, as she tried to get her attention. She touched her arm. �It�s ok.� She said softly. Francie just looked at her with sad eyes. The two stood still for a moment. �I was so worried.� She told Sydney as she hugged her once more. �I know.� Sydney whispered as she and her nest friend stood, embracing eachother. ~~~~~~~~ Sydney rolled over....she had slept for several hours...but was now tossing and turning. Finally, she reached over and turned on the lamp. Sydney pushed herself up into a sitting position and ran both hands through her hair, tucking both sides behind her ears. She sat there for several moment...looking straight ahead. She glanced at the clock. It read 2:36 a.m. She sighed. Her eyes then trailed a few inches to the left and she saw a photo. It was a photo of she, Will and Francie. The photo was held by a beautiful antique picture frame. Sydney looked back forward. She reached over quickly and picked up her cell from off the desk. She hit speed-dial and waited. �Dad?� She whispered when he finally picked up. �Sydney? Its late....is something wrong?� He asked quickly. �Vaugh....� She lowered her voice even more. �Did they find him?� She asked. �Sydney...� He tried, but she interrupted. �Dad...did they find him?� She demanded a bit harsher this time. There was a paused. �No.� Sydney sat there for several moments before speaking again. �What about mom....w...� She began, but this time he interrupted her. �They found no one. The place was abandoned.� �That can�t be...I...� �Sydney...they�re going to keep looking. They�re searching all of Sydney....they will find him...if he�s alive.� He tried to sound comforting, however it came out more cold than anything else. Sydney closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them and spoke. �Thanks.� She replied and hung up. She sighed heavily and slumped back down and snuggled into the covers. She leaned over and turned off the light, then settled down once more. She lay there with her eyes open in the dark. She thought about how strange it was that they would have left Sydney. She could have sworn she knew her mother would be waiting for her to return. She paused, then asked herself one question. Where would she have gone if she were her mother? Its something she hated to even think about, but she knew she had to....where could she be holding him now? Where would she have run to? Suddenly, it hit her. Taipei. The last place anyone would suspect her to return is to the city where the circumference had been destroyed. Sydney flung the covers off of her. ~~~~~~~~ Backpack on her shoulder, she reached for the doorknob. She stood still for a moment, then turned around looking towards the kitchen. She paused. She dropped her bag to the floor and went to the counter. She took a piece of paper from the desk next to it and a pen and jotted down a quick message. She then placed it on the counter and rushed back towards the door, picking up her backpack once again and headed out the door. |
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