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Chapter 17
Operations opened his eyes to look into grey ones. A groan escaped him as CC got him into a sitting position and managed to get a suit jacket on over the Medlab garb. "What are you doing?"
"Getting you out of here. When I said a sacrifice Oscar, I meant some self respect or pride, not your life. You're going to get out of the bed now. Come on." Her last words were strained as she almost pulled him out of bed dead weight. He couldn't find the strength to stand up straight. "Oscar please try to stand. If you don't we're both dead. And it won't be long before Michael and Nikita are too and the baby is gone."
"No, not them."
"Then come on. I got intel that says they're moving in force on Greg sometime today. I don't have enough yet to fully hang George and he's getting antsy. Let's get you safe. Who do you have that will trust you and who they'll trust too?"
Oscar's voice was getting stronger as they eased down the hall. "Maybe not trust me but to save those two, I can count on them."
CC looked carefully down the hallway as they came to an intersection. Operations shook his head to try and clear some of the cobwebs. "CC, you've got to find Simon. He might hate me right now, Might even be helping Madeline. But he'll be the first one to protect Michael and Nikita. The other is my CMO."
CC raised both eyebrows at him. "Christine, you're CMO? Listen, Oscar...."
He grabbed her arm. "No you listen to me." He took a deep breath. "Tell her what's going on. They have a special connection. She'll go for the same reasons as Simon."
CC took a deep breath. "Your people...you know them best.
"Where are you taking me?" They were moving rapidly now. Cars and light loomed up ahead. She grabbed the door of a dark grey sedan and it popped open. Carefully she got him in.
CC looked at Operations with impassive cold stone grey eyes. He looked ashen against the maroon leather of the car seat. "What's the one place they would never think to look for you? That's where we're going. How much did you tell Madeline about what's going on?"
"I told her everything." Operations closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly in pain as CC slammed the door closed on her side.
"Obviously, she didn't believe you."
"No, I think she did in some way. I'm not dead."
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Reaching out she felt the other side of the bed. It was empty. Slowly she opened her eyes. It was still dark and silent. Looking towards the door, she could see a faint glow. The air was chilled and it was still windy by the sounds of the branches scrapping against the outside walls and the roof. Yawning she sat up. The sleep had felt good, especially falling asleep curled around each other as they had. She wondered what he was doing awake; she didn't remember him waking her with a dream or anything like that.
Opening the right hand door she almost fell over him. "What are you doing?" she whispered. He was leaning against the other door on the floor and half sleep.
Softly, he replied, "Watching him sleep. Hoping I'm doing the right thing for us."
Nikita put her foot down between his knees and fit in between his legs, her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head back against his shoulder. "What do you mean?" she asked as she kissed him on the side of his jaw.
He laid his chin against the top of her head. "Would you disappear with me if I could make it happen?" His voice was soft and blurred, sleep was not far away.
"Would they come with us?" She was sleepy herself. Being with him like this was comforting. It made her feel as close to happy as she knew she could get. The only problem with it was that it was an illusion. She knew it wouldn't last. And when it was gone, the sensations would leave her aching for more. Wasn't that always the way though? Something that was better than it had a right to be was always fleeting?
"Yes, both of them. I wouldn't do it otherwise." A brief image of them sitting around the table in the dining room at his cabin flashed in his head. It would never be so, he knew that. If he was able to even pull this off, they would never have a real home again. The risk of being found was too high that way. Doubt began to quiver strongly in his stomach. Maybe it was wrong to do this. Wasn't he just moving them from one life sentence to another?
"Just tell me when." Nikita answered back softly. She sounded sleepy to his ears too. He actually hoped they both didn't fall asleep like this. He didn't want to imagine the stiffness when he woke up. A smile broke out on his face and he breathed a small laugh across the top of her head as he rubbed his jaw against it. What a normal thought! Anybody could think about that. He felt proud of himself that he still knew how to have a thought that was not Section induced or Section related.
"What's so funny?" She had felt the soft laugh and wondered what had provoked it. Usually his laughs were bitter or sarcastic. This one had sounded happy.
"Just a normal thought. Nothing important. "
*No normal is important. Very important. Keep having them. If this works with Claude then you'll need them for someday.* She snuggled in closer, interlacing her fingers with his. "He looks so peaceful. You do when you sleep, too."
"When I sleep." He was silent for a moment, debating between giving into the need for sleep and the need to know what happened while she had been away from. The need to know won. " Can we talk about a couple of things?"
Michael felt her start to pull away and tightened his arms around her. She was going to stay and talk to him whether or not she was in the mood. She settled back almost immediately, almost as if she knew she wasn't going to get out if it. "What?" The sleepiness was out of her voice, too.
"Did Greg hurt you?"
"No, he's sleeping it off." Nikita adjusted the way she was leaning against him.
"What do you mean by 'sleeping it off'?"
"I gave him kind of a mickey. I didn't want to sleep with him. He was supposed to wake up thinking he did but when he wakes up now he'll think we were attacked again and they took me and Reese. He has the phone with the number activated. It may take him a while to wake up. I gave him a little more than I was supposed to. I wanted things to stop as quickly as they could."
"Where did you get the drug?"
"Where else? And she knew what it was for too. She's worried about you."
Michael adjusted his position against the wall. His back was starting to ache from the doorjamb pressing against his spine but he didn't want to get up and lose the closeness they were sharing.
"She probably talked to Simon. I know I broke his nose when we were fighting. He knew my ribs were injured again. Christine is just being a doctoring mother hen."
Nikita closed her eyes and gave a little sigh. He and Christine needed to sit and talk soon. She didn't want to hold on to this secret anymore. She didn't want any secrets between her and Michael anymore. They only hurt and caused problems. "I talked to Claude."
"He'll take care of Reese if we need him to."
"You talked to him too then?"
"No, what you did was right, just in case."
Nikita turned herself around so she was on her knees now facing him. "What do you mean just in case?"
He took a deep breath as he looked at her. "I don't want to take anything for granted. I just want to keep everything covered." Reaching out, he drew her head closer so he could kiss her. The sensation of her hands sliding down his thighs as he pulled her into him more changed his mind from just a kiss to making love to her. Gently he moved, never breaking their kiss, until he had her back to the floor. Slowly he pulled away. "Do you want me to stop? I don't want to push you."
She looked up into his shadowed face. The thought occurred to her that no matter how much light she pulled him into, he would still be partially in the shadows. It was just what he was. Nikita didn't think he could ever be any different, too much had happened in his life to allow anything else.
There was also the disturbing feeling that the emotional man she had been getting closer to and getting used to dealing with was going to disappear and the 'original' Michael would be back.
Nikita didn't voice any of those dark thoughts. His question had been a request for assurance about her feelings towards him as well as what he had learned about earlier. "I don't know how to explain it and a psychologist would probably have a field day with it and me ......when I'm with you it's about love....not physical satisfaction or dominance....there no fear with you....I know that sounds inane maybe even like a cop out or denial.....but that's what my head says and that's what I feel too."
Looking into her eyes he saw love and trust. It was going to be all right. He didn't care where Fate was going to lead them next because as long as they were all together they were home. Damn a house. It made him think of a song from one of her albums which all were slowly finding their way to his stereo and his coffee table back at the cabin. *.....thank you for bringing me here...for showing me home...for singing these tears....finally I've found I belong here.*
They started to kiss again. Nikita slid her hands down his arms to his waist and tugged the shirt free of his pants. Gently and slowly she moved up hands back up his back. Some fingers dragged their nails while others pushed the shirt. As it got to his shoulders, Michael reached back and pulled it off. He lowered his mouth to hers again and just as she had done to him, tugged her shirt from the waist band of her skirt. Both hands slip under the material of her blouse. With a moan, she pulled her mouth away. He continued to kiss her moving from her mouth to her chin and then down to the hollow of her throat back to the side of her neck. Nikita stretched her neck allowing him move room as she tangled her fingers in his hair. With another small moan, she turned her head towards the crib and opened her eyes as Michael pulled her shirt away from her shoulder. Somehow he had gotten a few buttons undone and was now slowly moving his tongue across the skin bared by the material....
Reese was wide awake and watching them with wary eyes, almost to the point of being fearful. Nikita started pushing Michael's head up. "Stop...Michael, stop."
He pulled back sharply. "What's wrong?" His tone was worried.
With a hand on his chin, she turned his head so it pointed towards the crib. "We have an audience." She watched his worried expression change into a broad grin.
Michael looked back at her and as soon as they made eye contact, they both started to laugh. He rolled over on to his back looking back towards Reese. "I guess I will have learn not to be so spontaneous or at least more aware of where I am when she looks at me like that, right bud?"
Reese didn't response to Michael but instead turned his attention to Nikita who was now sitting up and had finished buttoning her shirt. "Ba, Mama."
"I'll get it." Michael got to his feet and began to dig through the bags that Nikita has tossed by the door. "Did you grab anything?"
"Should be in the blue duffle bag with his clothes..." she answered back as she picked Reese up from the crib. "And grab me a diaper too." She carried the baby into the bedroom and was undressing him by the time Michael came in. He had the diaper and bottle in one hand. The other held the folders and other assorted papers she had grabbed from Greg's dresser.
"Where did these come from?"
"I found them when I went looking for my keys. He took them and hid them so I would lay low. I thought those might be important." He started to walk away, going through them as he did. "There was a video too" She called after him.
"Uh-huh...ok." His voice came from the other room, indicating he was obviously engrossed in what he was reading."Nikita, come out here now." She came out holding Reese, who was holding a bottle in his mouth. Michael looked up at her and strode over, taking the baby from her. He sat down on the couch and studied the boy. "You are trouble, nounours."
"Michael, what are you talking about?"
"Do you know who Jon Jae Min is?"
"Isn't he the head of Red Cell's Asian Ops?"
"Yes." He was silent for a moment and then took a deep breath. Then, " Meet his son." Michael leaned back against the couch cushions, still studying Reese. He took the bottle the little boy offered him and laid in down beside him. Giving a large yawn, Reese leaned forward and put his head against Michael's chest. He curled his fingers into the material of Michael's t-shirt and started to suck his thumb. In the silence that followed his announcement, Reese fell asleep.
"It never ends. I am never going to be able get rid of him. No matter where I go or what I do. He is always going to find a way to be there."
"Michael, who are you talking about?" Nikita sat down in the chair opposite the couch. "And how in the world could Reese be Jon's son?"
With a sigh, Michael looked down at the child sleeping against him. "There was a letter in one of the folders. It was from Margeaux to Jon. Telling him about her being pregnant and that the child was his. She told him that she knew his family would not accept the child so he didn't have to worry about it. She would take care of things. Obviously she had second thoughts. There is also a birth record from a hospital in Rome. It shows him as the father."
"Now who's the other 'him' that you were mumbling about?" She was expecting to hear him name Operations but instead...
"L' Araigne. He won't stay away."
"How does he figure in here?"
"Who do you think was responsible for the creation of Jon Jae Min? Made him into the image he was trying to create in me. Jon never fought back, he accepted everything with 'quiet dignity' as I always had pounded into my head. Sometimes quite literally."
Michael was silent for a moment as he lightly stroked the curls on Reese's head. "And so we come to the present. I hold here a child who could be our death or our freedom.. I was sent into this because of my past. Because he knew I'd do the job no matter what. Because he knew our emotions would play into this. Make us that much more pliable and accepting. "
"The trick was to keep us busy. Like with the gaslighting that's going on. He knew I'd be unable to hold up my part. We both had to do the same thing....protect the baby and pick each other up when we crumbled. This is a perfect set up Michael."
"I know we run either it's cancellation or getting caught by Jon. We stay, we're hung out to dry."
"What about MR? How long has somebody been on that?"
"For the rest of our lives? I don't want to live like that and I don't want that for you or the children."
Nikita gave a bitter laugh and slid down in the chair. "You make it sound like they're both ours."
Michael got up cradling Reese and walked over to her. She straightened up as he set Reese down against her shoulder. "He seems to think so. Do you want to argue with him?"
"Who said I wanted to argue with anyone? The question is still the same though, what are we going to do?"
Michael sighed. "He makes one hell of a great bargaining chip, doesn't he? An innocent child who hasn't even had a chance to live and already he's marked for death. Death of his childhood and his innocence. I can't let it happen. I've got to figure a way out of this Nikita. Or I swear, I'll die trying." He watched as Nikita placed Reese back in his crib and stood up.
She walked over to him and they stood face to face, neither knowing what to say to the other.
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Chapter 16
Slowly, the world began to lighten and with the light came pain. With a groan of abject misery, Greg rolled onto his stomach and with great reluctance opened one eye. Sunlight stabbed in and he quickly shut it. Licking parched lips and trying to swallow passed an equally dry throat, he reached out a hand and touched a phone. Confused he forced himself to his knees and then sat in the middle of the bed. Pieces of the bedside lamp littered the bed around him.
His head throbbed with rhythm of a hundred kettle drums. With blurry eyes, he looked around at the appearance of the bedroom. "JO!!!" he bellowed as he stumbled off the bed and out the door. "JO!!! REE...." he stopped as he saw the mess in Reese's room as well. Shocked he half ran, half fell down the stairs. The media room was in shambles, Reese's hockey stick in the remains. Panic was closing up his throat now instead of dryness.
"JO!!!!" he screamed as he crawled back up the stairs to the bedrooms. "REESE!!!" he cried. The only reply was silence. Using the wall for support he made it back to her room. It was in shambles as well. Almost everything from the dresser was on the floor, the nightstand was dumped, the lamps were broken. He turned again disoriented and frantic. Confused and worried, he began to mumble. "Jo, my God, where are you and Reese? What happened? Who did this?"
He swung out of the room again and went back to his. He surveyed it, sweeping his eyes across it. Then he finally noticed the phone. He grabbed it and read the LCD. Hoping against hope, he hit 'send'.
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Michael laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Nikita laid on her side, by the sound of her slow easy breathing, asleep. Reese was snuggled in against her, asleep as well. He cast a quick glance to the window. Dawn had broken hours ago and still the phone hadn't rung. He refused to give into his impatience. Nikita had drugged as well as hit the man over the head with a lamp. It had been extreme but she had been torn apart by her emotions and memories when it happened. Eventually he would have to work on her tendency to go to extremes.
The ring of the phone startled him and it woke Nikita. He saw her body stiffen and the defensive way she moved her arm over the baby. On the third ring, he answered it. "Yes?"
Recognizing who answered, Greg's voice screamed through the phone at him. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! WHERE ARE THEY?"
Michael wasn't going to lie to him. "Here with me."
"BRING THEM BACK HERE!!!!"
"That depends on you, Greg." Michael kept his voice low, steady and cool.
Greg was extremely agitated. Nikita rolled onto her back to watch him talk. She could hear Greg screaming over the phone at him.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?"
"All the information you have on Margeaux's contacts. Names, locations, dates....everything. I get that. You can have them back."
"You're a sorry excuse for a human being Michael. I thought you were a friend. I allowed you in my home. I trusted you. You used me. You used my son."
Nikita watched as Michael lowered his head and closed his eyes. Greg had talked in a normal tone of voice so she was unable to hear what he said to him. Whatever it had been, it had hurt Michael. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his upper thigh. His head came back up an he opened his eyes. Slowly the Section look that he wore to hide from the world slid into place. Nikita tried to slow the sudden racing of her heart when she saw his eyes change as the light in them dimmed. *Don't leave me so quickly Michael....I want a warning first!*
"I did what I had to do."
"You're a bastard, Michael. Tell me how much of what you told me was a lie. All of it, wasn't it? Simone and your son never existed. They were just lies....just like you!"
Michael sat forward. Nikita could feel the sudden fury radiating off him. His expression hadn't changed at all but she could see it in his body and the timbre of his voice. "Simone and Merle were real. They lived and they were taken FROM ME! THEY ARE NOT A LIE!!" His movement on the bed woke Reese and the loud harshness frightened him. He started crying loudly.
Motioning to her to get Reese quieted down, Michael got off the bed at the same time as Nikita. She had Reese in her arms and was trying to comfort him. Obviously waking up in a strange place with the loud noise of Michael's voice had triggered the baby's reaction. He refused to calm down, seemingly crying louder.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?" Greg's voice started to get shrill. He was on the verge of complete hysteria. Then Michael heard a muffled sound from the other end and then the thud as Greg's phone hit the floor. "Get off....what do....MICHAEL!!!!! I GET MY HANDS ON YOU ... I'LL KILL YOU." The sounds of a struggle came over the phone line clearly.
"GREG!!!" Michael barked into the phone. All he could hear was the noise of a fight and a blur of voices. There were pieces of words and phrases. They were looking for Reese and the both of them.
"What is going on?" Nikita mouthed at him. He made a sharp gesture through the air with his hand and across his throat. Then he pointed at Reese and out towards the other room. She flashed a look of worry at him but she lowered her head she could kiss Reese in an attempt to calm and settle him. So far her efforts had been futile. Quickly she exited with him; the crying didn't stop but at least it was slightly fainter and he wasn't being watched.
It was all he could do not to start shaking in front of Nikita from fear. Fear as to what was happening to Greg. Fear was to what this was going to mean for their futures and for Reese's. The people with Greg weren't Section. They were either Red Cell themselves or for-hires from Operations and George. Was this pointing the way for them to be on the run for the rest of their lives? Hadn't he and Nikita had enough of that? He'd been running from his past 14 years now and Nikita from her own for almost as long. When was the chase going to end? And how? With them dead and Reese in Jon's possession? Michael wasn't going to allow any of that to happen. At least he hoped so.
Suddenly Greg's voice was back in his ear. It was shaky and hoarse. "Too cowardly to kill me your...." There was another thud and then the sound of something being dragged across the floor accompanied by muffled voices. Then silence, the line was still open. Then Michael heard the shot. The phone was tossed on the bed still on and he flew out of the bedroom.
Nikita had just put Reese down in the crib. Intent on getting an answer out of Michael, she was just standing up when he grabbed both her upper arms in a vise like grip. His eyes were cold, hard and he was breathing heavy. "Get everything together and in your car! Go to Claude's! I will meet you there!"
His words were commands and they demanded compliance without question. He was out the door and already the car was driving away before she slid to a stop on the gravel outside the door. She didn't know what was going on but the volcano she kept seeing in her mind's eye had lost its top and fire roared from the top.
She tore open the driver's side door on the other car and yanked the phone from its charger on the gear shift between the seats. Her fingers flew over the numbers. It rang 2 times; then 3 and then four. "Answer the phone....come on...damn it Claude!"
"Oui?" Finally he had answered. She could hear the sounds of tires on macadam. He was already on the move.
"It's going down! I'll met you there! Do you have everything?"
"Yes."
"Did you get a hold of Simon?"
"No, no one knew where he was. No on Christine either."
"OK....I talked to her yesterday. Either she convinced him or it's just us. Say a prayer. We're going to need it." She threw the phone across the seat and ran back into the house. Reese still whimpered and she could hear the faint beep of a phone left off the hook, the connection broken.
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Chapter 18
Simon heaved the weapon at Christine who caught it with one hand. "When was the last time you handled a subgun?"
"Last week...... CCI Blazer....you trust me with it?"
Simon looked over his shoulder to see her sighting along the barrel. He let his eyes slide from the short wavy brownish red hair passed the broad shoulders to her narrow hips and down the long legs. She was built and moved like Nikita which was strange. The girl never went in the field. She was the head doc, wasn't she? That lead to another question. Was she as fast, accurate and strong? She had better be. They were going to need all the help they could get.
He watched her eyes for a moment. There was an intensity there that reminded him of Michael. In flashes she reminded him a little of the man. And every once in a while, she had an accent that sounded very much like his, only with certain words though. Christine tucked some ear behind her ear. That was the other thing Simon thought as he turned back to the jeep. She and Michael had that same gesture in common too. It was a habit that revealed nervousness. Christine didn't look scared or nervous though. She was in complete control and looked good in the mission outfit. Maybe it was time for him to get to know her a little bit better....if they survived this.
The brush behind them rustled and both turned weapons drawn and ready. Claude put up a hand. "Simon....Christine, I'm Claude."
Simon quietly closed the door of the vehicle and cast a look at his partner. Christine was like a statue. There was no fear in her stance, only defense. She went up a few more steps in his estimation. Maybe being a doctor and seeing the mess some of the operatives came back in gave a person a hell of a backbone. Or she was just a good actress.... But before he could say anything, Christine spoke first. "And...." Her voice was hard, controlled and left no question as to the fact she wanted more information out of the man. Both Simon and Claude raised an eyebrow. A smile broke across Claude's face.
"I was told that Simon was going to be the difficult one but I do believe you were underestimated Christine."
"Really?" came Simon's question.
Claude nodded, never taking his eyes from Christine. From somewhere he knew the girl but couldn't place her. Or was it she reminded him of someone, standing there holding a gun on him with those intensely dark brown eyes. The signals were subtle and could easily be dismissed as imagination. But could she be the sister....he would find out. "Yes, Nikita made that quite clear."
"And what did she tell you?"
"Well that you would be difficult to convince of my .... shall we call it the right to be here. I am here to make sure we get Michael, Nikita and Reese out of here in one piece. I intend to get them out as unscathed as possible. No matter who I have to go through. I have assured Nikita that this will happen. I am only one person and I need to protect three. Do I have your promise to assist me?"
"How do we know you're really Claude? We never got a description of you. Only to wait and you'd find us." Claude smiled at Simon.
"Well I have found you. But I...."
Christine gave a short laugh. "That ain't good enough, pal."
"As I was going to say.....I didn't think that would suffice. You need something that would be very convincing as to my identity. I could say that I have known Michael for a very long time. Even before he was 'taken' by Section One from Red Cell but that is now common fact within the Section. I could tell you how he spared my life when we were young and foolish but you have no way to substantiate that or the fact that not long after he went to Section, I was recruited by Madeline. Perhaps a fact about Michael that only one close to him would know. Perhaps one about his sister, Paige. Like the time when she dyed a cat?
Christine lowered her weapon and glared at Claude. "He's legit, Simon."
"You're gonna go on that statement. Who the hell is Paige? Michael doesn't have any...."
She whipped her head towards him and snapped, "Take my word on it, all right!!??" *There's only one way for him to know that and it's not from Section or from Oscar. That would only come from Michael. He got in so much trouble for me...*
Claude smiled, satisfaction was good sometimes. So she was Paige, her reaction had been enough to confirm it for him. Michael had not told him about finding his sister. That only meant one thing, he didn't know. He felt bad about excluding Simon. He would fix that later. There were more important things to worry about. "I am glad we did not have to have a long discussion. We do not have the time. Michael should have been here by now. Nikita is not far behind with the baby. Have you seen any activity?"
Simon had watched the eye play between Claude and Christine. Neither had invited him in and that annoyed him. He was the odd man out and he hated that. His attitude showed in his tone of voice. "No, if there had been where do you think we would be?"
Looking straight at the man who knew had protected his friend on many occasions, he shook his head. "I'm not challenging your place Simon. I'm asking that we work together. If we can't, we will lose them."
Christine's voice had a hard edge to it. "Well then gentlemen what's the plan?"
For a few seconds there was silence. Then Simon spoke up. "There's three of us, three of them. Let's split it up. Who wants Michael?"
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The door opened easily and Michael slipped silently into the garden room of Greg's house. He stood still as he listened carefully for any noise to tell him that someone had remained behind. There was nothing. He held his gun, ready as his side. Stealthily he moved to the hallway, the gun leading the way for him. He knew that Greg was probably not upstairs. It had sounded as if they had dragged him from the room he was in. Besides the shot had come from downstairs by the rising echo it had over the phone.
He passed the desk which laid with its legs in the air and was just about to round the stairs when he saw Greg propped against the wall. His eyes were closed, more due to swelling from the beating than being just shut. Blood had clotted on the side of his head but still slowly oozed from the wounds to his chest and stomach. Michael dropped to his knees beside him. "Greg..."
"You." he whispered as he got his eyes open as far as a slit. He made a gurgling sound as he tried to breathe. "You're with the gov....." He coughed and groaned. "Spy."
"In a way." Michael whispered back. "Let's get you....." In a surprisingly strong grip, Greg grabbed his hand as he touched his arm.
"Jo's..... Nikita?" He gave up on trying to see through the slits and just decided to leave it dark.
"Yes." Michael answered simply. What else could he say? He knew Greg was dying and there was absolutely no reason to hide the truth.
"Heard them say......not you... this is from...Reese....father."
"Yes, this is because of Reese's father."
"You...N...Nikita?" Greg knew he was dying. He just wanted to make sure that someone was going to be by her side. Reese wanted her as his mommy. Greg knew he had a good father picked out but they had to be together. Michael hung his head. Greg tried to laugh or so it seemed. It came out more as a moan. "So...k...want... that way." His voice trailed off and he was silent for a minute. " Margeaux...spy too..both ways....."
His mind was racing. What is the world had they been thrown into? Margeaux was one of them too? Was Greg trying to say she was a double agent."Greg, did they say Margeaux was a double agent?" All he got as a response was a sound of pain from Greg. He had to get Greg out of here. He needed medical attention desperately. "I'm going to try and get you to your feet. So we can get out of here. Get back to Reese and J....Nikita. Work with me." Getting a grip under Greg's arm, he started to lift.
"ARGGGGHHH!!!" Greg screamed and Michael helped him to slide down the wall again. He could see the mark the slide left. He wasn't going to get him out of there alive. The man's breathing was more shallow and rapid than it had been before. Greg lifted his hand again and this time dug his nails into Michael's bare forearm. "No...you......protect... her...him...your... family... now..." His hand fell off to his lap. He held Michael's eyes for a minute before he smiled slightly and then his eyes closed.
He laid fingers against Greg's neck and waited. Nothing. With a loud hissing exhale, Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. Tears threatened and he didn't have time for them. His past had gotten another person he had dared to care for killed. Nothing was worth.... his head snapped up. In his mind's eye, he saw himself throwing the cell phone on the bed. He had left the connection open. It was a direct pathway to Nikita and Reese. "I keep my promises, Greg."
He stood to turn and found himself face to face with Nikita. She laid her hand against his mouth. She pointed to Greg to which Michael shook his head. He saw the pain flick through her eyes and the slight glimmer of a few tears. He raised a hand to touch her cheek but she stopped him with the other hand. A finger pointed up this time and then she held 2 fingers up. Michael understood the message clearly. Like a fool, he'd come in here, guard down and unfocused. More concentrated on his emotions than the situation.
Nikita latched onto his arm and pulled. He resisted for a moment but she tugged again and mouthed "now" at him. They slipped out the door together. But as they got outside, he went in the lead. The decision to come here had been a bad one. Doing it had put her and the baby at grave risk. Especially the idiotic move of throwing the phone on the bed still connected. Fortunately she had the time to get them out of there before anything happened.
Lacing his fingers with hers, they moved along the wall of the porch. Nikita had pointed to the end which was closest to a large grove of trees about 75 feet away. As they got the edge, Michael swung himself over the railing and dropped to the ground, Nikita right behind him. Once there, he put an arm around her shoulders and leaned in close to her ear.
"Where is Reese? Why aren't you on your way to Claude's?"
Leaning so she could whisper in his, she replied, "Hidden and because I knew you were going to need help. Remember we're in this together." She stood at that and moved past him slightly. Stopping beneath the windows facing out from the second floor, she looked up. Motioning forward with her gun at him, she looked back up to the windows. He watched her for a second, refusing to go. She motioned again, this time angrily. First of all he wanted to know what she meant by hidden and why he was moving first. He should have been covering her. Their eyes locked and he knew she meant it.
Moving as one, they sprinted across the field towards the trees. Shots rang out. He spun to fire and saw she was down. They were in the open with no hope of cover except to the trees or back to the side of the house. Nikita was already on her feet and moving but not as fast as she had before. Firing, he got a hand on her arm and started to pull her behind him. Shielding her with his body as well as gunfire, he was unable to avoid getting hit himself. The shell slammed into his shoulder, staggering him.
Weakened by the hits she had taken in the back, she somehow managed to help him keep his balance as he got hit again, This time in the leg. Supporting each other, they crashed into the trees. Michael collapsed to one knee, his leg on fire. The arm and shoulder were numb. Dropping his gun, he reached up to feel the wound. As he had feared there were actually two fairly close together. And they went all the way through to his back, he could feel the dampness from there too. And as soaked with blood as the material of his shirt was, he knew he was going to need a doctor soon.
Pushing himself to his feet, he swayed as dizziness hit. Looking for Nikita he found her leaning face first against a tree, nails dug in to hold herself up. He could see the dark stain on the back of her shirt near the small of her back and another near her shoulder blade. He staggered over to her.
"Where's Reese and the car? We've got to get out of here." He went to touch her and she pushed away from the tree. Slowly she moved deeper into the trees. "What are you doing?"
Nikita knew she was moving a lot slower than she wanted to. Every move of her legs sent a ripple of pain up her spine. At the back of her head was a definite fear of where the bullet had hit. The idea of being paralyzed flitted around in her mind along with a bit of anger at Michael for thinking she would....* leave Reese alone in the woods in a car while I go get him away from a group of agency thugs. Where the hell is his head? Does he think I'm that stupid?"
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. "Do you think I'm that stupid?" she hissed.
Michael looked at her pale face and flashing eyes in bewilderment. "What?"
"Do you think I would leave that baby alone in a car in the woods with animals who have guns running around? Are you out of your god damn mind?"
Now he was totally confused. "What did you do with Reese?" Something was pricking at him. Something telling him that the lately absent black hole that used to open under his feet was coming back with a vengeance.. It was going to swallow him whole and he was never getting out of it. Nikita started to turn away from him. He reached out and succeeded in getting a hold of her hand this time. With a pull, he had her against him. "Nikita, where is Reese? What is going on? Tell me now." Then he saw the movement behind her. Christine rose up out of the brush. She had a gun which she pointed directly at him.
"I'm here Nikita. Michael, Reese is safe. Come with us to get to him." Her voice was calm, cool and doctor like. She looked steadily into his eyes, not blinking or wavering. It was unsettling. As he watched her he saw his mother in a picture Papa had kept in the bedroom. Mama had her chin resting against her shoulder as she looked over at the picture taker. She was serene and in her eyes was not only love but as he knew now from seeing that look from women, desire. But it wasn't the emotions that held his attention. It was the stare. The way she stood. *Why does she remind me so much of my mother?*
He shook his head pulling himself back to reality. Then the hole opened as he brought his gaze back to Nikita. She looked pleadingly at him. Fury rose up in him as he shoved her away from him. Things has suddenly become very clear. Nikita had committed the ultimate act against him. All her love and trust and...."BITCH!" Shock hit him like a MAC truck. He backed up, feeling pain in every fiber of his body. It was physical and emotional.
"Listen to me...please.." She reached for him. He was supposed to be upset. But not like this. He wasn't supposed to be so furious. If he would just listen, he would understand. He would know exactly what she had done and how it was going to work to give them a life. She hadn't expected the second shove and was unable to catch her balance. Fire flared up her back as she hit the dirt.
Michael heard the roaring of a wind through the trees that wasn't there. *SHE BETRAYED ME!!* his head screamed. She had gone to Section and they were going to take Reese away from him. He looked at her on the ground trying to get up. She had made it to her knees and hands, her head hung down. "YOU BETRAYED ME!"
"No..."
"YOU'VE CONDEMNED THAT CHILD!"
"No...Mich...."
"YOU BETRAYED US!"
Nikita had made it to her feet. She was now getting angry herself. The stubborn streak he had at times was going to get them killed one of these days. And it was beginning to look like today. "Listen to me. Christine is here to help. There was no way to do this alone."
He fixed dark angry eyes on her and started to move past her. His emotions were giving him strength to stay on his feet. Just as they were Nikita. She blocked his path towards Christine. There was silence as they glared at each.
Christine experienced fear as she watched them. This was not what Nikita had intended to happen. Detached but always there was her medical mindset which was analyzing their injuries from afar. It was telling her quite insistently that both of them needed help now. Her head was working in a completely different manner now though. She wasn't the doctor here. She was an operative on a mission and she had been given orders to follow. Reluctantly Christine stayed where she was but she didn't know how much longer that was going to be
The trees offered protection from additional attacks as they confronted each other but also made all of them more vulnerable. From cover Simon and Claude kept watch. Not only on the trio in the small clearing ahead but also if the gunmen from the house decided to try out their luck in the grove of trees. Claude stole a quick look at the van. Yes he had the alarm set but he still needed the reassurance of a look. Fortunately the child remained silent as well. Secreted deep within the van, it would have been difficult to hear him anyway.
Nikita pushed Michael back and brought her weapon up to level it at him. "Just come with me so this can be over with."
His own gun joined hers. "How could you do this to us?"
She shook her head. "You don't understand."
Michael sounded bitter and hurt. "I don't want to either. You're a liar. You betrayed me and you disgust me."
"I had a job to do."
"Te braise!" he hissed at her. He saw her flinch and the pained look in her eyes. His heart registered it but his head didn't. He kept his eyes on Nikita but his words were for Christine. "If you've taken another child from me, I'll kill you here and now."
"I didn't take Merle. If anyone took him, it was Simone! Face the facts about it Michael! You and I weren't to blame!"
"Just shut up! I know the facts! I've lived them everyday for 4 years now!" He wanted so much to retaliate with more than words but didn't take the chance with two guns held on him.
"You talk about living. Then stop fighting with us so we can start living. Just come with me. I 'll make you understand later." He looked into Nikita's pleading eyes but saw only lies.
"You mean Madeline will make me understand later."
"She doesn't know..." *He thinks this is all a set up. What did I do wrong? Why won't he listen to me? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TRUST ME!!!*
" LIAR!!!!YOU TALKED TO HER!!! HOW LONG BEFORE SHE CONVINCED YOU?"
"We talked about this Michael. You said you didn't want us on the run. That we couldn't live that way. Now you want to run, doesn't make you the liar? I can get us out of this! I promise!
" You promise!?" He pointed with his other hand. "Is she part of that promise? She's SECTION! Or did you FORGET THAT? I made a promise. And you know what I do with a promise, I keep it. Because it means something to me! I don't throw it away because it gets inconvenient or difficult."
"I don't do that...." Nikita's voice was getting strained and Christine could hear the note of hysteria that was beginning to creep in.
"Liar! He wanted me to love Reese as if he was my own. To be a father to him if anything happened. To protect him like..."
"STOP CALLING ME A LIAR!!! I NEVER LIED TO YOU!!" Nikita could feel him slipping .The mistrust he used to have for her was back. He had been lied to so much in the past that it seems to make sense for it to be back now. Histories and songs repeated themselves, didn't they?
"This is going to get us killed!"
"I made the same promise to you. I knew I could die for doing it. Did that stop me then, no, so why should I now?"
"I don't want to lose you......." Nikita began to feel lightheaded and there was a buzzing in her ears. Christine could see the slight quiver in Nikita's legs. The doctor took over and she started forward. A hard hand clamped down on Christine's shoulder and a voice whispered breathlessly in her ear
"Wanna watch 'em die before you do?" Her fingers went numb as a black garbed figure slipped a weapon under her arm and pointed it at them. "You Section people always are out to make us look bad. Won't it look great if they find out your illustrious Section leader was really an murderer of his own kind? The field day they are going to have with this one." He flicked the safety off.
"You should have thought of that before." Michael and Nikita were so intent on each other that they didn't see the situation Christine was in.
"That why I did this. To keep you alive."
"I don't believe you. The only thing I care about right now is Reese. You don't matter anymore."
"Even you can't shut it off that quick."
"Watch me." He had the gun ready. Neither of them were as fast as he was. Right? But he couldn't do it. He wanted to believe her. To hold onto the trust he knew he had for her. But his head kept pointing out the facts of the matter to him.
Michael couldn't believe that this was happening to him. Nikita had fallen into their ways completely . The only thing that in his life for so long that had been right was dead. It hurt to breathe because it was so full of pain inside. He wanted to scream at her and demand she tell him why. What had been so important to her that she would betray him and Reese?
"I love you. I did this because I love you. Don't make me hurt you Michael." Her vision was now getting blurry.
Michael wasn't going to stay where he was much longer. And he still wasn't listening to her. She didn't have a choice anymore. She had to bring him down to get him away from here. Maybe send Christine and Simon back with the story they killed each other. She let a bullet slid into the chamber. The dull roar was getting louder and sharper. It matched the agony that was beginning to ripple up and down her spine whether she moved or not. It was agony to even breathe now. It contrasted viciously with the numbness in her legs.
"You love me so you're going to kill me."
Blackness was creeping in from the trees and she knew that soon she was going to hit the ground. "Isn't that why you just flipped off your safety? To kill me to get to Reese. No, I couldn't kill you but I will stop you from killing yourself." she ground out through gritted teeth.
Claude started to aim. Simon looked at him in shock. "What are you doing?" he growled.
"Getting them out of here alive. He isn't going to come willingly. Check out Christine. Get her taken of." Claude sighted on Michael's chest and settled himself. The damn gun he held had a whale of a kick back. It had to so it could do its job. He prayed the pick off the can practice with the boys and the bb guns was going to pay off.
Simon's head swung towards Christine and he saw the intruder. He aimed and fired. Claude did at the same time. Christine snapped back into focus and attacked the man behind her but not before he got off a couple of shots.
Though injured he was more than a match for her and she struggled to protect what was left of her family. "Not going to kill my broth..." He cut her words with a slap to the face. She went ballistic. No one hit her and got away with it. She was a child of street gang life, she knew how to get even. Old instincts from the streets kicked in.
Michael had to get to Reese. Nothing else mattered. Then he saw the man with Christine. Who was she fighting with? Did she just say 'brother'? Was that what she was trying to say? Had Nikita been telling the truth? Was Christine here to help? Did she look like Mama so much because..? Then he felt the impact on his chest. It was like getting hit with a battering ram. He went down. Everything went numb and he knew what was next.
Nikita struggled to stay on her feet. Who was shooting? This wasn't the plan. Michael staggered back as a large red splotch appeared in the center of his chest along another smaller one. He dropped soundless to his knees, all feeling gone from his body. Shock evident on his face. *dead...Katie...Reese...Nikita...no..* He heard Nikita scream as blackness crashed down.
Nikita's own scream echoed in her ears as she saw the hits he took. The red stain that appeared was huge. He had dropped like a stone. Where was Claude and Simon? What was Christine doing? Were they firing? Had she been wrong about all three? "MICHAEL!!!"
She had to get to him. She had only slightly before a spasm raked her body and threw her to the ground. She felt herself convulse as flames ran over her back. Then no feeling at all. The second reality stayed for stretched on forever. Everything was numb but she could still hear the shouts and angry voices around her start to turn frantic. *So this is what is feels like.... Katie.. Reese.. love.. you...Mi...* The world exploded in every bright intense color of the rainbow and then everything faded to black........
THE END
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