Collision Course

"Him?" Sydney asked, puzzled as she looked at the now unconscious
Jason lying on the floor. "Vaughn, what the hell is going on?"

Vaughn shook his head. "Syd, I have no idea, but considering it's
Rambaldi, it could be anything." Vaughn wracked his brain, trying in
a few moments to recall everything he had learned about Rambaldi's
prophecies in the last few years, but he kept drawing a
blank. "Maybe he's another follower of Rambaldi? Or holds a piece
of the puzzle, like the man in Mexico?"

Sydney took a deep breath and sighed. She remembered what Vaughn was
talking about. That poor man had been killed in Mexico, and had his
heart removed because it was an essential piece of the Rambaldi
prophecies. "It doesn't really matter, we have to find him, whoever
he is," she said. She leaned down and, with Vaughn's help, lifted
Jason and cuffed him. The two then dragged him back to the van and
returned to the airport to board a plane bound for LA.

Sydney didn't even go home to change. She and Vaughn brought a now
semiconscious Jason to APO, and left him in an interogation room
until he came to. When he did, Sydney was sitting across from him,
her eyes cold and her arms crossed in front of her. "Have a good
nap?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Jason glared at her. "I could think of a few ways it could have been
better... in bed with you perhaps?" he suggested, trying to arouse
some anger in her but not succeeding. Behind the two way glass,
Vaughn and Weiss stood watching the interogation.

"That bastard!" Vaughn yelled, moving as if to go in after Sydney, to
defend her honor. Weiss hand held him gently but firmly in place.

"Dude," he said, trying to keep his friend calm. "Sydney can handle
herself." Vaughn nodded, and watched as Sydney continued.

Sydney's expression did not change in reaction to his comment. "So
who is he, Jason?" she asked, her gaze not moving from Jason for a
single second.

Jason laughed. "Wouldn't you love to know?" he said
mischeivieously. "But really, I can't tell you anything- at least
until I'm sure Mallory has had time to secure him."

Sydney sighed and leaned forward. "Do you really think you are our
only way to find him? Do you really think we don't have other
avenues?"

Jason leaned forward as well. "I know all your tricks, Sydney,
remember we used to work together." He paused, and smiled. "If you
had any other leads, you wouldn't be wasting your time talking to me."

Vaughn sighed. Jason had called their bluff, and he was right- they
were out of leads. 'Sydney,' Vaughn thought. 'Don't lose your
cool. Get him to tell you something- anything.'

Sydney's eyes did not show a single sign that Jason might be right.
Instead, she smiled. "Things change, Jason. Styles change.
Loyalties change. I was just giving you the chance to tell me what
you know right away, to make things easier for you." She leaned back
in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her again. "Call it
professional courtesy."

Jason laughed. "Really, Sydney, you are so transparent," he said,
shaking his head.

"Then why are you sweating, Jason?" she asked, noting the beads of
sweat beginning to form on his brow. "Because if we do find him, and
it's known that you are in custody, you'll be thought of as a
traitor. Your life will be over." Sydney clucked her tongue. "What
a shame that would be."

Jason was good at hiding it, but the truth was she had pinned his
exact fear. Mallory wouldn't hesitate to let him rot in a federal
prison- or worse- if she thought he had betrayed her. Jason rolled
his eyes and for the first time broke eye contact with Sydney.

"She got him," said Vaughn to Weiss. Weiss nodded, since it
certainly looked that way.

Sydney leaned forward, and spoke to Jason in hushed tones. "Tell you
what," she proposed, "If you give me what I'm looking for, I'll
create a paper trail so that the last place they think we got our
intel from is you. Deal?"

Jason didn't speak, just contemplated the offer.

"It's the best offer you'll get from the US government, and you know
it," she said, feeling like she was so close to the truth behind this
Rambaldi mystery.

Jason sighed. He knew she was right. Plus, if Mallory had no idea
the intel came from him, she might be more inclined to try and regain
his freedom. And if anyone could do that.... Mallory could. "You
win, Bristow, but you aren't going to like what I have to say. You
probably won't believe me."

Sydney doubted there was anything Jason could say that she wouldn't
believe- considering they were talking about Rambaldi. "Try me,"
said Sydney, her eyes locked with Jason's.

Jason paused again, then began to speak. "His name is Jan Oramu. He
lives in London with his adoptive parents."

Sydney made a note of the name and location. In the adjoining room,
Weiss turned to Vaughn. "You stay, I'll pull up all the intel we
have on that name." Vaughn nodded, not taking his eyes off the
interogation in progress. Weiss rushed out, as Sydney continued.

"And how is he connected to the prophecies?" she asked, looking back
up from her notes to meet Jason's stare.

"He IS the prophecy," Jason said mysteriously.

"Jason, cut the cryptic crap," said Sydney, growing impatient and
tired of his games.

"Rambaldi's prophecies speak of his second coming- in the form of a
child, born of Rambaldi and the chosen one," he said, Sydney's
confused and shocked gaze prompted him to continue. "He exists,
Sydney. Your child, with Rambaldi." Sydney eyes registered her
shock as what Jason was telling her sunk in. In the adjoining room,
Vaughn shook his head. This couldn't be. Could it?

Jason sat back, a smug grin on his face seeing the effect this
shocking bombshell was having on Sydney. "Congratulations, Agent
Bristow," he said with a slight chuckle. "It's a boy."


*********************END OF PART 5**************************