The Alliance was breaking up. Not fast and noticeable, but exactly the opposite. A desk agent would be fired now and then and Sloane was off at meetings more often than usual. When he returned he would lock himself in his office and spend hours typing away at his computer. The most noticeable change for Sydney was that she was on far fewer missions. In fact, her last mission was drawing near to a month ago. She had been to the SD-6 offices everyday, but usually ended up leaving early. There never seemed to be much work to do. She would research a topic online or fill out paperwork but then sit at her desk and look off into space.


“Sydney,” Dixon called, walking down the halls of the Los Angeles CIA building. His black suit contrasted with the cream colored walls. She looked up at his welcoming face, slightly chiseled by the many missions they had been on. Sydney could hardly believe he was now in the CIA. She was now able to be completely honest with him. She was finally going to be able to work with him- for America. “Sydney!”

Sydney jumped back from her desk and knocked a mug of coffee of her desk with a low karate chop. The mug fell to the floor and shattered into what seemed like millions of pieces, spreading the freshly brewed substance all over the floor. Sydney looked up at her surroundings, slate grey walls, fluorescent overhead lights, and metal columns. A steel desk sat in front of her and her black chair was tipped over from her jump. It wasn’t the CIA building- only SD-6.

“Sydney. You fell asleep. By the way you woke up; I’d say it was a nightmare.” Dixon’s face seemed to be partially amused, but at the same time generally concerned. He reached out to touch Sydney’s forehead. She was the exact opposite of how he thought she’d feel. Not warm at all. “Are you ok? You’ve been acting like this all week long. Falling asleep and then waking up as if you’re in a fight. I think you should visit a doctor.”

“No,” Sydney replied. Her tight bun had become loose during her sleep and strands of hair were sticking out from all corners. With one quick motion she swiped a strand of hair from her face and placed it safely behind her left ear. Sydney’s hand was cold as she placed it against her cheek. “I’ll be fine. Just a little tired.” Sydney refused his recommendation and turned back to the small stack of papers on her desk.

Ten minutes passed and Sydney’s eyes began to droop lower. The lines of the file in front of her were beginning to blur together. Letters and numbers were no longer visible, just a massive mess- somewhat like her life was becoming. Her eyes closed further and it was black. Complete emptiness. Her head was cleared and her heart was free.

“Sydney, Dixon!” Hearing her name snapped her from her sleep. She looked behind her and saw Sloane standing in the doorway of the conference room. He looked surprisingly happy for all that was going on. His suit was somewhat disheveled though and he looked as if he hadn’t shaved in a week. “I need to see you both in here, please.”

Sydney stood up and immediately placed her hand on her desk. The room spun for a moment, but soon her vision was strait again and she was fine. “Sydney,” Dixon grabbed her shoulder. His face was stern. “Go visit a doctor.”

“I’m fine, honestly.” Sydney stepped a yard or two ahead of him, not really in the mood to talk anymore. She passed by a few desks and smiled warmly at their occupants. Her head pounded as if she was having a hangover, but she ignored it- especially with Dixon behind her.

The conference room’s doors closed behind Dixon as the two entered. Jack, Marshall, and Sloane were already seated around the long table. The screen of each of the computers was blank. Sydney took her usual seat at the front and paid all her attention to Sloane. “Thank you for joining us.” He smiled sincerely. His round glasses gave him a certain look that fell somewhere between a government official and a grandfather. He began handing black leather folders out down the two sides of the table. “I know it’s been a while since your last mission, but I’m sure you won’t mind another.

“A Mexican organization called GL-Transfers has black mail information on the CIA.” As Sloane spoke the black screen transformed into a picture of a group of men. The picture was taken from a surveillance camera so it wasn’t clear. Sydney wasn’t able to make out the faces of any of the men. “The network they use is called QuickNet. All their files are under the name of the group leader- Hose Martinez.” A new image appeared, this time it was a logo of some sort of company. “The QuickNet offices are set up in Nicaragua, Central America.”

“Sydney, you will go in as Elizabeth Bradford. Your husband just passed and your inherited his entire fortune. You are looking at buying stock in the company so you to look at their facilities first.” Jack flipped through the papers in the folder, looking for the page giving background information on Sydney’s alias. He found it and passed it across the table to her. Jack’s eyes were cold- they had been for as long as Sydney could remember. She remembered a time or two when she was very young and Jack had eyes that danced with joy and his voice was peaceful- not the stern tone he used now.

“Thank you, Jack. Now- Marshall.” Sloane nodded at the agency’s gadget man- it was his turn to fulfill his part of the meeting; explaining the devices Sydney would use on her mission. “Hello, well, lady and gentlemen.” Marshall stood up and began fidgeting with something in his hands. He had a goofy grin on his face like always, and Sydney knew this gadget was going to be just like his others. Amazing, but Marshall would somehow find someway to hurt himself with it. He held up a travel brochure and showed it to the group, flipping it open and closed. “My friends, this is a travel map- or is it? No, it is not! When you go to the QuickNet building you will ask to see their server in use. When you get into the lab, place this map on the screen so that the outside faces you,” He demonstrated with the computer screen in front of him. “The map will form a bond with the computer, so anyone looking on will think you’re looking at a hotel in Nicaragua. Cool, huh?”

“And how do I see what’s actually behind the map?” Sydney asked, closing her black folder and resting her arms across it. Marshall had an answer for everything. She doubted he over thought this.

“With these.” Marshall held up a pair of jet black glasses. The frames were more square then rounded and on each side there was a small switch- almost unnoticeable to the naked eye. Marshall held them up, placing them slightly on his nose so that they would stay. “Whoa, that man doesn’t look happy- where’d you take this picture from?” Marshall looked at the screen of the computer and suddenly jumped towards it. The fact that he could see through the paper meant that it was beginning to form a bond with the screen. He clawed at the screen franticly and then stood up nonchalantly. “Yea, well, I can make another.”

“Thank you Marshall. Sydney and Dixon, you leave for Nicaragua at ten.” Sloane stood from his chair. Jack, Sydney and Dixon copied his action. Marshall turned and dashed to the other side of the room, where his lab waited. Sloane ended the meeting and the three agents left.

As Sydney was leaving the room Sloane stopped her. “Syd,” He said her name as if he were her father. As if his concern for her was genuine and not just because if she were hurt the mission would be postponed. Sydney hated this most- she could live with the stealing and the traveling, but deception was something that made her blood boil. “Dixon came to me earlier. He said you fell asleep a few times today. He sounded troubled. Make sure he knows you’re OK before you leave- this mission can not go badly.”

“Ok,” Sydney gave him a reassuring smile, quickly leaving before he could make another comment. She walked past her desk and picked up her briefcase. She needed to get home. She was beginning to feel the strain of the past few nights; the constant nightmares that had kept her up till the wee hours of the morning.


“Sydney,” Will poked his head into the small bedroom. Sydney was lying on the bed, her forehead glistened with sweat. The thing that Will didn’t know was that the sweat wasn’t from the unbearable heat in the room, but from the nightmares that haunted Sydney. He paced to the side of Sydney’s bed and shook her softly. She had trusted him to wake her up at 8:00 and as he looked at his watch he saw that it was 7:55. “Sydney, it’s time to wake up.”

“What” Sydney sat up swiftly, her eyes were larger than usual and her voice cracked. She swiped her hand across her forehead, letting the perspiration soak the back of her hand. It came off in little droplets that formed an attraction with her skin. Tears rested at the bottom of her eyes and her cheeks were rose red. “What do you need?”

“Its 8:00- you wanted me to wake you up- your trip.” Will ran one of his hands through his hair, letting it fall onto his forehead. He sat at the end of her bed and rubbed her leg. “Are you OK? Francie and I think you’ve been acting a little-well- different lately.”

Sydney groaned. She couldn’t even get away from this topic at home. Will got the hint, rubbed her forearm, and left her in peace. Sydney stood up and fixed her white, cotton pajamas. Bunches of purple flowers covered the outfit, giving Sydney an innocent look. She adjusted the messy ponytail she had put in just before her nap. Sydney was in no mood to go anywhere, let alone Nicaragua. Her head was pounding, a long piercing noise rung in her head like a constant bell.

Sydney pulled the white top of her aching body and placed it over the back off a chair. She noticed a large purple bruise covering her shoulder and a portion of her collar bone. The odd thing was Sydney didn’t know where she had gotten it. It was probably from one of her ‘adventures’ after waking from her nightmares. Sydney walked to the bathroom and pulled a bottle of ointment from her closet. She dabbed the ends of her fingers in it and rubbed it softly over the wound. Her room was shadowed in darkness and she had to flip the light switch to see anything. Sydney slipped on a black tank top and a pair of black pants.

The suitcase sat propped up on a chair in the corner- empty. Sydney opened her closet and pulled out a red cashmere sweater and a pair of black pants. She continued pulling outfits out and folding them up nicely. She placed each piece of clothing in a stack on the bed. Shirts would go on the left side of her suitcase and pants on the right. This was the way Sydney always packed her bag- it seemed to be one of the only things in her life that stayed constant. Sydney walked up to her nightstand and placed a bottle of aspirin in a small plastic bag. She followed this up with her toothbrush, toothpaste, a bottle of shampoo, and other bathroom necessities. When her bag was all packed, she walked passed her door side stand and slipped her wallet into the palm of her hand. She was ready with- Sydney looked at her watch- an hour left.

Tears flooded Sydney’s eyes. They streamed down her face, curving over her cheeks, and falling from her chin. She rubbed them away briskly. Why was she crying? She knew her stress level was higher than it usually was, but nothing had happened to her lately that caused her this much pain. Sydney sat in a chair by the window- looking out into the darkening sky. The Summer’s Landing Town Houses had a large central garden and Sydney’s room had a wonderful view of it. She noted that the roses were beginning to die- curling over into black petals. Sydney knew that the time was coming for her to leave and she still had to meet with Vaughn before she left.

“Sydney!” Will observed the red streaks that ran the length of her face. He walked to her side and touched her hair. Sydney seemed to be a mess lately, though he would never say it to her face. He gave her a hug and guided her to the couch. “You’ll be OK…”

“Yes, I’ve been trying to tell everyone that,” Sydney laughed between her cries, making herself sound somewhat pathetic. She rubbed her hands across her face, letting her skin drag into an unusual face. “Now, I just have to convince myself.”

“Oh, call up that Sloane ass and tell him you can’t go.” Will reached his hand around his back and picked up the phone. Sydney held it in her hands, wishing she could call him. Wishing she could tell him that she despised him and would like to do nothing better than to kill him.

“I can’t,” Sydney realized there wasn’t even a hope in the universe of ever doing that. Not even considering it. She stole a peek at her watch, it was 8:45. She stood up and brushed off her shirt. “And, I have to go now.”

“Where to? Where is the wonderful world of espionage taking you tonight?” Will smirked and began walking to the door with his friend.

“Nicaragua.” Sydney stood at the entrance to her home. The streetlights shed brightness onto her face, letting the tear marks become even more visible than before.

“Nicaragua- Central America? What’s there?” Will asked.

“Blackmail mostly.” Sydney replied straightly. She was glad she was finally glad to be able to tell one of her best friends about SD-6, the CIA, and basically, just being a spy. At first Sydney thought Will would be in danger knowing her secret- and he was- but after a while it was just a relief to Sydney.

“And you’re job is to blow up the lab while wearing a red wig and heels?” Will chuckled at his own joke. Sydney shook her head from side to side, a smile spreading across her face.

“Unfortunately- I probably will. I think I’m going to get a rash from all those wigs. I swear.” Sydney usually didn’t mock her job, but when she did it made her feel good. Like a giant weight being lifted off her chest. Maybe the fact that mimicking her life made it seem less serious. “Well, I’ll see you in a week.” Sydney leaned in and gave her friend a hug. Sydney opened the door, stepping out into the night. She walked to her car and got in- getting ready for one of her most unearthing missions yet.