Chapter Text
December 2025
“I don’t need this pizdets chair.” Irina complained. “Being rolled through the halls of the CIA like an old woman makes me look weak and leaves us at a disadvantage.”
Jack, who had been pushing her wheel chair, told her. “You aren’t supposed to walk more than a few yards yet. We’re only here as witnesses so there’s no advantage to be gained and you are an old woman.”
The young woman who was acting as their escort hid a smile. Irina bristled. But at that point the elevator doors opened revealing their daughter. After greeting both her parents she said, “Great. You’re a few minutes early, but the sooner we get going the sooner we can all get back to our days. The conference room we’ll be using is just here.”
Irina turned around to frown at Jack. “You told me we were supposed to start twenty minutes ago.”
“I told you half an hour early so we’d still have enough time when you insisted on changing outfits twice and walking to the car yourself.” Jack responded.
“Well if you didn’t drive like an old woman…”
Sydney broke in. “Would you like something to drink? Dad, coffee?”
“Has it improved any since I retired?” Not waiting for an answer Jack told her. “Water is fine.”
“Your father has become such a coffee snob. I’d love a coffee.” Irina put in.
“She’ll have herbal tea.” Jack said.
As Irina pouted, Sydney sided with her father. “The doctor said you shouldn’t have caffeine, Mom. Dad’s right about the coffee. And the Decaf is worse. I’ve got some very nice Orange Rooibos that I think you’ll enjoy.”
She started toward the door then turned back. “Do me a favor and don’t wander off and steal any classified information? I’ve got enough trouble with this new oversight board without having to explain that my parents broke into our database and made off with our latest codes.”
“Why we wouldn’t think of it, dear.” Irina smiled sweetly.
“Besides from what I’ve heard, your oversight board has probably already passed that intel to the FSB anyway.” Jack put in.
Sydney sighed deeply.
The escort trailed Sydney to the kitchen. “I can get this for you, Director. Tea for you as well?”
“Thank you, Robin. That would be very helpful.” Sydney said. “I don’t like leaving them unsupervised for too long. God only knows what they’ll get up to.”
Robin laughed clearly not realizing Sydney was serious. “Your parents are such an adorable old married couple; bickering like that.”
“Believe me they are the most divorce couple who have ever divorced.” Sidney shook her head, then paused as she added some packages of healthy snacks to the tray, thinking. And frowned. “At least I think they're divorced. They’ve never actually said. But as often as they’ve tried to kill each other over the years so they surely did the paperwork?”
Robin laughed, “Based on my Dad and Step=mother, threatening to kill each other is no sure sign they’re divorcing,”
“In the Bristow family, threatening to kill each other involves knives, guns and bombs rather than words.” Sydney said dryly.
As Robin chatted with her mother as she passed around the refreshments, Sydney kept her voice low so no one else could hear and asked her father. “How is Mom actually doing?”
“Much better.” Jack told her. “Since she’s moved into my building I’ve been able to make sure she stays on her diet and controlling her blood sugar and that’s really helped her recovery from the knee replacement.”
Sydney had not been surprised to find out her father had organized an extraction of her mother from the Russian prison she had ended up in due to spying for Ukraine. What had surprised her is that he had moved her into a condo in his building and was nursing her back to health. They still fought. But Sydney had begun to suspect they enjoyed it.
Once Robin left them, Jack asked, “So why does your oversight board want to look into Najib Barakzai . The man’s had a green card for more than a decade and his wife and children are citizens.”
“Apparently they are reviewing all S Visas issued to everyone from Afghanistan and the orders that came down didn’t specify a time period.” Sydney sighed. “So I need to convince this guy from the board, who has no background in espionage, that the Barakzai family earned the right to stay here.
“So how did Najib Barakzai come to work with the CIA?”