(no subject)
"Is it -- is it a personal problem?" Director Paige looked at her, his brow wrinkled with confusion.
Chris considered lying to him, giving him any answer might be better than nothing. It could get him off her back long enough so she could leave his office.
"No, sir." She didn't have the energy to lie, she'd be doing enough of that in the upcoming weeks. If she weren't worried that work and, more importantly, her family would think she'd gone missing, Chris never would have come in at all.
"I just need to extend my vacation for the next two weeks," she continued, her voice almost monotone.
Her boss sighed, shook his head and looked down at the papers in front of him like the answer for how to deal with this situation was written there. As he always did when thinking, he smacked his lips in that way that made Chris want to scream and she wondered if he was going to say anything. Every second this dragged on wasted time that she didn't have.
And with a start Chris realized he was speaking to her. "...took seven days off when you asked for five. When you finally did come back, you were distracted and now you're telling me you're going to be gone another two weeks and you can't say why?"
"Yes."
Paige blinked and she wondered if he was going to laugh or yell at her. He didn't do either, stunned into silence once again.
Chris rose from her seat, this conversation was going in circles. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll understand if my job isn't waiting for me when I return."
Nothing left to be said, she walked out of the office and left the befuddled Director behind her. She had crossed so many lines, walking away from her career was the least of them. These past few weeks she had broken so many rules, regulations and laws to find Jack, she wasn't sure she should have a job at CTU.
The only thing worse was that she didn't regret any of it.
Geology wasn't her forte. She loved science, could talk on about computers or the solar system or even dinosaurs but not geology. Aside from the basics that she could remember from school, she didn't know anything about the field.
Normally, she wouldn't care but part of her cover was that she was a geologist. According to her passport, her name was Chris Alvarro. She and her husband, Tony, were geologists. They worked for an "independent" environmental group that was monitoring the building of a new pipeline connecting China's Xinjiang region to the Kazakhastan. Chloe was a representative from the oil corporation and would be monitoring their investigation.
It was a great cover, it would allow them to have the satphone, maps and other equipment without anyone batting an eye. No one would wonder why they were out in the middle of Nowhere, China, poking around. It was their job.
She'd still feel better if she knew more about geology. Tony said no one would ask but what if they did?
At least she had time before they went to China. They were in staying in southern Russia now, deciding it safer to keep out of the watchful eyes of the Chinese government. She and Tony were sharing a hotel room, Chloe was two doors down.
Tony had fought her for the couch but she'd won, pointing out that not only was she smaller but that she might not sleep anyway. The lone bed should go to someone who would use it.
True to her word, it was a little after midnight and Chris was wide awake, nerves and jetlag making sleep impossible. Instead of sleeping, she was out on the balcony of their hotel room. From here she could see most of the town and it was dark enough that she could see hundered of stars in the sky. Words from an old song came to mind and she wondered if Jack had seen the sky at all since he'd been captured. Had he seen the stars and did he know that they were looking for him?
Were they too late?
Chris considered lying to him, giving him any answer might be better than nothing. It could get him off her back long enough so she could leave his office.
"No, sir." She didn't have the energy to lie, she'd be doing enough of that in the upcoming weeks. If she weren't worried that work and, more importantly, her family would think she'd gone missing, Chris never would have come in at all.
"I just need to extend my vacation for the next two weeks," she continued, her voice almost monotone.
Her boss sighed, shook his head and looked down at the papers in front of him like the answer for how to deal with this situation was written there. As he always did when thinking, he smacked his lips in that way that made Chris want to scream and she wondered if he was going to say anything. Every second this dragged on wasted time that she didn't have.
And with a start Chris realized he was speaking to her. "...took seven days off when you asked for five. When you finally did come back, you were distracted and now you're telling me you're going to be gone another two weeks and you can't say why?"
"Yes."
Paige blinked and she wondered if he was going to laugh or yell at her. He didn't do either, stunned into silence once again.
Chris rose from her seat, this conversation was going in circles. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll understand if my job isn't waiting for me when I return."
Nothing left to be said, she walked out of the office and left the befuddled Director behind her. She had crossed so many lines, walking away from her career was the least of them. These past few weeks she had broken so many rules, regulations and laws to find Jack, she wasn't sure she should have a job at CTU.
The only thing worse was that she didn't regret any of it.
Geology wasn't her forte. She loved science, could talk on about computers or the solar system or even dinosaurs but not geology. Aside from the basics that she could remember from school, she didn't know anything about the field.
Normally, she wouldn't care but part of her cover was that she was a geologist. According to her passport, her name was Chris Alvarro. She and her husband, Tony, were geologists. They worked for an "independent" environmental group that was monitoring the building of a new pipeline connecting China's Xinjiang region to the Kazakhastan. Chloe was a representative from the oil corporation and would be monitoring their investigation.
It was a great cover, it would allow them to have the satphone, maps and other equipment without anyone batting an eye. No one would wonder why they were out in the middle of Nowhere, China, poking around. It was their job.
She'd still feel better if she knew more about geology. Tony said no one would ask but what if they did?
At least she had time before they went to China. They were in staying in southern Russia now, deciding it safer to keep out of the watchful eyes of the Chinese government. She and Tony were sharing a hotel room, Chloe was two doors down.
Tony had fought her for the couch but she'd won, pointing out that not only was she smaller but that she might not sleep anyway. The lone bed should go to someone who would use it.
True to her word, it was a little after midnight and Chris was wide awake, nerves and jetlag making sleep impossible. Instead of sleeping, she was out on the balcony of their hotel room. From here she could see most of the town and it was dark enough that she could see hundered of stars in the sky. Words from an old song came to mind and she wondered if Jack had seen the sky at all since he'd been captured. Had he seen the stars and did he know that they were looking for him?
Were they too late?