[justprompts] My tolerance has made me weak. This is bigger than you or me.
justprompts : "Truth Hurts" by The Honeymoon. (Dialogue taken from Alias 3X13: After Six.)
Just the butt of a joke so pull the trigger up in smoke
Escape the noise with whispered tones
Escape the noise with whispered tones
If looks could kill would I take the pain
A thousand breakdowns take their strain
~*~
In the back of his mind, he wondered if allowing Ms. Reed complete access to their prize was the best of ideas. Of course, he had argued the point when he could spare a moment not dedicated to kissing every part of her he could reach that wasn't indecent... Right after he had caught up to her again when she attempted to assert her dominance over the situation by tantalizing him and then leaving him cold and walking away- she had proven rather skilled at that and, to a point, he could find it endearing, but being the down dog in his own plan didn't sit well with him, even if her domineering usurpation of leadership was somewhat appealing to him. He pointed out that it would be prudent for him to have tangible evidence to support his offer, even if it was only three watches. She had responded in kind that it was a lot more threatening to have someone in Los Angeles ready to dead drop all six watches for the CIA to find should the Covenant leaders wish to call their bluff
He found he couldn't argue with that, but that didn't mean he didn't suspect he'd just made a very grave error. After all, mutual disdain may make interesting bedfellows, but he was taking a rather substantial gamble putting his faith in her, an utter stranger who could be far more than what her files told him. Perhaps it was just as well that he had always been a risktaker
His arrival in St. Petersburg was met with little fanfare, which was just as well. No doubt word had gotten back to the Covenant's heads that their cell leaders haven't been reporting in and suspicions were probably running high. He half expected the palpable air of tension to be prevalent throughout the base, but there was nothing but silence and he was left to wait for the man he would be meeting with in the dining room, boredly examining a bottle of wine on the table and assuring himself that he had complete control over the situation. He had more confidence than most people could boast and he had no doubt that this would end in his favor- overly cocksure, perhaps, but he knew how to handle men like whoever just so happened to be running the Covenant. If they were anything like San'ko- fat, rich, overindulged children playing God with their power and never anticipating that someday, someone might hold something over their head that they weren't expecting, least of all the dogs that they'd kicked into the mud- then he was positive that this would be just as simple as taking care of Ivankov had been.
He was tired of being the Covenant's pariah dog, one they kicked and spat at when they weren't giving him orders below his station and trying to find inventive ways to watch him break and crawl, and it was high time they learned that he was capable of biting when kicked at far too often.
"Mr. Sark.
That palpable air of tension that he had been expecting was suddenly very real, but it was emanating from his person, rather than from a group of frustrated Covenant leaders. When his eyes flicked up to see the man who had just entered the dining hall, every muscle in his body tensed inexplicably and every raw nerve that he thought had healed over after so long of no longer being a tormented child screamed in fresh agony. There was a look in his eyes he didn't often show and he especially didn't come here expecting to show it, but, then again, he wasn't quite expecting this strange blast from his past either. This changed every plan in his head, because in all the years that he had known the man, he had never known McKenas Cole to be the sort who responded to any of his plans.
He tried to ignore the sick feeling in his gut as his eyes fell upon the bottle Cole was carrying with him- uncorked champagne, despite the wine on the table. Anyone who had known Cole for longer than a few minutes knew his policy about champagne. "I bring one on every mission." It was his symbol of power, the one sign that signified that you had already lost, because Cole never opened a bottle unless he was positive that he had already won
Something was wrong, but his mind was moving on overdrive now. He shoved the fear and the tension out of his mind and tried to look confident again, wondering if he was ever going to get back to that alpha dog status he had lorded over Lauren Reed back in the dressing room- how quickly did that crumble. He had bowed to her and now he'd bow to Cole, the difference, of course, was that he had a perfectly good excuse to bow to Cole. They had a history that Sark didn't discuss and certainly tried not to give Cole the satisfaction of perceiving just from his obvious body language. Maybe it didn't really matter- Cole could probably see right through him- but he'd take comfort in the attempt
His expression shifted to pleasantly surprised. They were old colleagues, after all, and he had no idea one of Irina's long-standing operatives was even out of prison, much less in charge of the terrorist organization he was actively trying to betray. It seemed he would have been informed of this somehow. "McKenas Cole.
If Sark's expression was pleasantly surprised, Cole dialed it up a few notches as he stepped closer- with him that close, Sark could see that he had an unlit cigar in his hand, as if the champagne wasn't enough indication that the man seemed to be celebrating a victory of some sort. "Your hair," he gesticulated with an impressed smile that looked far more predatory than it had a right to. "That's cool.
Sark's eyes dropped to the champagne bottle again before flicking back to Cole's face, expression dubious. Maybe this wasn't what he thought. After all, what sort of person would leave McKenas Cole in charge of anything, least of all the Covenant? ...Then again, it might explain the rather sloppy nature of the organization. Cole was brilliant, even as he was insane, but he wasn't exactly the sort of person who expected to find in high-ranking leadership roles if you wanted your organization to make any sort of sense. "You're the man behind the Covenant?
Cole seemed to be unperturbed by practically everything, including the skepticism that Sark hadn't been able to keep out of his voice, as he busied himself with pouring the champagne and that was equally worrisome. Cole had been known to lose his mind when he was on the losing side, especially when his own men were getting killed and surely news wouldn't have gotten back by now. "I'm the man in front of the man," he practically sing-songed
So there was someone else- maybe there was hope after all. Sark allowed himself to relax just a bit, despite relaxation being nigh-impossible in a room with a McKenas Cole who might hold all of the cards... Or maybe he held none of them. Sark probably wouldn't know for certain until it was too late. Strange how he could understand so much about Cole and still understand so little
Cole glanced up from his concentrated effort of pouring champagne to meet Sark's eyes again. "When'd you cut your hair?
Of course. Typical Cole. There was a coup right under his nose and all he could talk about was a haircut. It was like he was trying to make him sweat, and knowing Cole, that was probably a completely accurate observation. One more indication that Cole knew something was wrong and he was just waiting for Sark to admit it.
Two could play that game. As much as Cole made him tense and edgy and reminded him of weaker days when being shoved into place by an older agent with little sanity and a lot to prove as far as dominance was concerned, he wasn't going to be bullied. No matter how bad this got, Cole would not have the satisfaction of seeing him crawl on his belly and fall apart. "It wasn't a matter of choice. I was in US custody. As I thought you were." He let the full weight of that sink in, before he added, with the same degree of casual confidence (and God he hoped the fear that lurked behind his eyes that always came out around Cole was well hidden). "When were you released?
Cole snickered, that predatory smile growing even more predatory. "That's a good story." The tone hinted that he might be about to explain it, but instead, he plucked the second of the two champagne flutes he'd just prepared off the table and offered it to him with a bit of a flourish and added, with barely a missed beat, "To your hair.
Even more typical of Cole, toying with his curiosity. The dozens of ways he could have escaped from CIA custody played across Sark's mind- surely he would have heard of this? He brushed the thoughts aside, because they weren't important right now. He accepted the proffered glass and clinked it against Cole's at the toast and sipped his champagne like a man half-wondering if maybe he's willingly drinking poison. The tension was still running high and his fight-or-fight reflex was veering towards flight, but that would be a losing battle of epic proportions.
"I'll be the senior-most Covenant representative that you'll be dealin' with," Cole explained and Sark's stomach dropped even further into his shoes. He had hoped maybe Cole had been an errand boy, one interested in catching up with an old friend and nothing more and that he might be persuaded to escort him to the true Covenant leader, but that hope had went up in flames, as his world where McKenas Cole was concerned tended to do often. "Anything you can say to the big boss, you can say to me... I assume you have somethin' to say.
Cole circled him and Sark followed him with the intense gaze of someone who didn't want to turn their back on someone for a very long time. He swallowed and tried to remember what he came here to do, trying to remember the words he was planning to use- words that would have worked on men like San'ko or Ivankov with a little prompting, but not on men like Cole, who were too unpredictable, too spastic for logic and game theory and anything else to apply to.
Cole's expression briefly became contemplative. "Wouldn't, by chance, have anything to do with the cell leaders that you wiped out?
In one instant, Sark felt his entire world shatter
Cole took a step forward, his tone soft and yet still threatening, his expression, for once, blank, unreadable, and Sark couldn't tell what he was thinking. Cold fury would have been nice- at least it would have given him something to expect. But it wasn't really Cole that he was thinking of right now- it was Lauren. Had she been made? Had she been killed?
Had she sold him out
"What d'you suppose we do about that?" Cole had walked away and now he was turning around to face him again, his expression still unreadable, although growing considerably more threatening. Sark forgot Lauren long enough to wonder if the other man was armed and if he would shoot him right here, right now with no preamble. "The fact that you murdered our cell leaders?
Of course, he'd shoot him right here, right now. It was Cole. When had he ever been the sort to do anything different
Fear forced him to find his voice again, before silence and a lack of explanation forced Cole to find his gun. "...I presume you're smart enough to know that... I was acting in the Covenant's best interests."
And there was the cold fury. Cole rounded on him, taking long strides to bridge the gap between them, although the minute they were mere feet away again, his expression softened just a bit. "Julian, don't do that. I can see right now you're scared, but you don't need to be scared of me." His tone lilted out like a someone speaking to a small child- it was a nice little callback to Cole's gentle cooing and attempts at sweetness on the days when he wasn't finding new and improved methods to torment him. "In fact, I have a present for you.
Cole reached into his jacket pocket and Sark's heart joined his stomach in his shoes, half-expecting a gun. His breath caught in his throat just until Cole produced a single watch, followed by five more in a slow reveal that made everything inside of him twist in knots. Cole was clearly satisfied by the look of abject horror on his face, because his expression was suddenly gleeful, "Did I just blow your mind?
Sark lowered his gaze, expecting the hand of the executioner next, but Cole started walking for the door and it was all he could do but follow his retreating back with his eyes and when Lauren stepped out of the shadows and joined Cole, whatever Sark had left to him that wasn't in pieces all around him shattered anew. Of course, Lauren hadn't been made or killed- that would have been a mercy. It was her all along- Lauren, who he had dared to place his trust in, when he knew he shouldn't have. Lauren, who had seemed so invested in this plan
Lauren, who sold him out at the first opportunity
A woman after my own heart
Even as Cole explained that the plan- his plan, although now it looked more like Lauren's- and confirmed that he had approved the whole thing and even as he relaxed and gave Lauren a look of mixed approval and amusement, he still felt inexplicably small somehow. He'd been led astray as easily as he tended to lead other people astray- the omega dog came out on top, but not to become the alpha, rather to settle somewhere in the middle.
Looking at Lauren with a new sense of awe and respect (for how could he be angry at her for betraying him when he would have done the exact same thing were their roles reversed), knowing that he had gotten what he wanted and a bit more besides, despite the initial setbacks and fears he had encountered since his arrival in St. Petersburg, he had to admit that was probably enough.
Muse: Julian Sark (Alias)
Word Count: 2452