SHADES OF GREY V

Chapter 25

"What do you mean you can't get in contact with either of them?" Operations hissed the question at Birkhoff who stood stiffly in front of his desk. Madeline stood silently to the side.

"I've tried both of their phones. Neither of them is answering."

Operations stood, leaning against his arms which were held straight by his knuckles. "Why?"

"Unknown."

"Are the phones operating?"

"Yes."

"Perfect. I've got two missing agents who are involved with each other." He turned to Madeline, pointing his finger at her. "I warned you this was going to happen!"

Madeline tilted her head back slightly, thrusting out her chin in a defiant gesture. "First perhaps we should investigate this further before we jump to conclusions. How do we know that we don't have a compromise situation on our hands? There is that development we were discussing the other day. It is possible what we feared with that has come to fruition. Besides, I'm surprised you would assume behaviour such as this from Michael."

"With her involved, I assume everything! Especially with the way he's been acting lately!" He paused, her words sinking in a bit. "All right you might have a point." Operations swung his attention back to Birkhoff. "I want two teams. 3 people each. Check out her apartment and his cabin. If they're found in either place, I want them here! In my office!"

Birkhoff watched him for a minute, debating of whether or not he should mention the altercation he saw between Michael and Nikita in Strategics. There was no question at all about the information he had obtained for Michael. He'd take that to grave, as the saying went.

Operations threw his open hand in the direction of the door. "Now, Mr. Birkhoff!" Birkhoff scrambled out of the loft, slamming the door behind him.

Operations stalked over to where Madeline stood. His chest brushed her crossed arms. She leaned her head back to gaze into his explosive expression without flinching.

"So you don't think they're AWOL?"

In her usual calmly modulated tones she spoke, "No Oscar I don't. I witnessed the discussion you had with Nikita. She wouldn't jeopardize her child's life."

"Just continue to make my day all that much brighter, Madeline. I appreciate it ever so much." Pivoting on his heel, he practically stomped to the glass to gaze down on Systems. "It was supposed to be private. I was making a point."

"Points are not made on the lives of innocent children. Especially those unaware of their parents and what those parents may be like."

Operations started to laugh. "Oh that's a good one my dear. When did you begin to believe that? About the time you gave up the fantasies about Santa Claus or the knight in shining armour coming to rescue you on his white stallion?"

Madeline took a deep breathe and slowly but silently exhaled. She was trying to keep herself as relaxed as possible. "In the course of our jobs, no, I don't believe in it. But in the lives and well being of our operatives, yes. Especially where these two are concerned."

"I've had enough of the special arrangements, exceptions and considerations for these two!"

"The child is worth more to us alive and in the open instead of dead or held close. Don't kid yourself into thinking either that Michael doesn't know about this by now. There are more eyes and ears here than the ones we've placed. He couldn't protect his son. With the way he feels about Nikita, don't you think his first action is going to be to find that child and keep him or her under wraps. Promise of protection will carry more weight with Nikita than a show of force. Think about it!"

"I.." Operations was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" he snapped.

Cautiously, Caroline entered. Sheepishly she placed a PDA on his desk. "Here's the intel you were looking for." She backed up and was about to bolt out the door when Operations sharply called out to her.

"Confidentiality is the key here, Caroline!"

"Understood, sir. Is there anything else?"

"No, dismissed!" This time Caroline did bolt out the door.

Operations snatched the PDA from the desk and quickly scrolled through the information on it. "God damn it! Well Madeline, our control factor just turned stone cold!"

Knitting her brows together, she looked with confusion at Operations, "What do you mean?"

"Caroline has been looking up information for me." He threw the PDA across his desk. "Nikita's child has been dead for the past 8 years along with her adoptive parents." He turned from her again to stare out the window.

Madeline took this as a cue to exit his office. As she closed the door behind her, a mysterious smile curved her lips. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. All of that depends on Michael."

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Gently Simon pushed the door to Nikita's apartment open. It creaked slightly as it swung on its hinges. He turned to raise an eyebrow at the operative behind him. An open door was not a good sign.

"Well?" Operations barked over Simon's com unit.

Simon rolled his eyes over the tone in Operations' voice. Man you need to relax! One of these days we're going to find Madeline taping your body back together! "Entering now." Cautiously he and the other two operatives entered the apartment. The scene shocked Simon. Michael teased Nikita on occasion about being messy but this was beyond that. The place had been ransacked. Before he even motioned the other two forward he knew they wouldn't find anything.

"It doesn't look good. Apartment's been ransacked. Do you want visual?"

"Yes!"

Simon pulled out a pair of glasses and slip them on. Back at the Section the scene Simon was looking at in the main room of Nikita's apartment was played back to them. Operations and Madeline both stiffened and looked at each other. Worry flickered through Madeline's eyes, but otherwise her face remained neutral. Operations' jaw tightened. He gave Madeline's suspicions regarding a compromise new weight. Things were taking a turn in that direction. AWOL he could deal with, compromise was something entirely different.

"Birkhoff, what's the ETA for the other team?"

"About 10 more minutes."

"Alright call Simon and his team back in. I want constant visual on the other team."

"Gotcha."

Operations paced, waiting for the signal from Birkhoff that the second team had arrived at Michael's. Seeing the ransacked apartment had bothered him. He was even more disturbed by it in light of the resurfacing of L'Araigne. Nikita would be the perfect control for him over Michael. Though he doubted L'Araigne would be so direct and messy about things. He was much more subtle.

Madeline was deep in her own thoughts. Though it didn't show, she was very worried. Had the trigger for L'Araigne had been the recent killing of his daughter, Elouette? It had been a direct consequence of Nikita rescuing Michael from her. Simon had shot her to keep Nikita and Michael alive. That had been a little over 5 months ago. Several weeks ago L' Araigne had shed his deep cover role. They had placed him in a profile that made him indispensable and carefully watched. Then he was gone. Could he have come back for Michael? What would Michael's reaction be when he found out that L'Araigne was alive and well? Madeline didn't even want to consider the repercussions. They would be immense.

"They've arrived." Birkhoff's voice brought both Madeline's and Operation's attention back to the vid screens.

The second team first inched along the deck. Operations took notice that Mullen had armed the team. Birkhoff must have informed them of what had been found at Nikita's apartment. He heard a crunching noise as the team walked.

"What's the noise, Mullen?"

"Broken glass." The scene shifted upwards as Mullen looked to the window of Michael's bedroom. The curtains fluttered in the late morning breeze. A piece of wood dangled from the casing. Operations cast a quick glance at Madeline. Her attention was riveted on the screen. Lips tightly compressed together.

The team came to the bay window. The glass still laid on top of the man who Nikita had thrown through it.

"Get housekeeping out there, Birkhoff," Madeline said tightly. They were definitely dealing with a compromise now.

The question remained though as to whether or not Michael and perhaps Nikita had survived it.

They entered the eerily quiet cabin through the open sliding glass in the kitchen. It was a mess. Another body laid in a pool of drying blood near the island. A second one slumped against some cabinets, his face bloodied and eyes staring out at nothing. Slowly they entered the dining room and then through the living room to the alcove. The couch was overturned. The pool table top laid partially on the floor. Two more bodies laid on the floor. One laid on his back, no visible injuries except for an odd angle to his head. The other laid with a cue stick...Who ever was wearing the camera pulled away from it to focus elsewhere.

Operations heard Madeline hissing intake of breath. "Upstairs, now!" he barked. The scene was disturbing to him too. A tremendous struggle had taken place here. Michael had been fighting for his life and maybe Nikita's too.

He watched as they encountered another body on the stairs. The bedroom was next. Mullen stepped over the body that laid halfway on the bed. He picked up a phone that laid under the drawer of the nightstand.

"I've got Michael's phone. There were two cars out front. Should we search them?"

"No!" Madeline spoke before Operations could. "Get back here!" She turned to Operations. "Call George. Now!" Operations opened his mouth to protest when they heard Mullen.

"Noise from below. Going to investigate." The team slipped down stairs. A figure could be seen pulling itself up from an overturned chair in the dining room. The clothes were torn and mud covered. The figure's hair hung down in its face. The bare skin showed dirt, blood, cuts, and scrapes. Madeline knew who it was before Mullen said it.

"God, it's Michael."

Mullen reached him first, followed by the other two operatives. On visual, Michael looked horrible. Operations and Madeline both knew in person he looked worse. A cut somewhere on his head had bled down to his cheek, drying there and catching some of his hair to it. His nose had been bleeding it but that appeared to have stopped. An angry red burn ran from his jawline to just under his temple on the left side of his face. A vivid bruise showed under the red that reached from his cheekbone to his temple. His right eye was almost swollen shut.

Michael's clothes were torn, wet and mud streaked. The left sleeve of his shirt had slid down to his wrist. The same type of burn as on his face ran the length of his arm along with a myriad of cuts, scratches and scrapes. His leg pant leg was tattered and Madeline was positive he had the burn on his leg as well. The hissing sound he made as he tried to take deep breaths came in clear on the audio system.

In agony, both physically and emotionally, he shoved at Mullen. He didn't want anybody touching him. His first attempt had been weak. Gathering the strength that was rapidly deserting him, he shoved Mullen away again. Catching himself on the table, he looked at them through the hair that fell into his eyes. Things were still blurry and had a dreamlike quality to them. Squeezing his eyes tightly closed for a minute, he opened them again. Things weren't much better.

Licking his dry lips with an equally dry tongue, he hoarsely said, "Don't touch me. Gun..car keys."

"Michael, the only place you're going to see Christine."

Michael gritted his teeth. He didn't have time to go see Christine. Foggily he thought, God how long was I out? How far did they get? He raised a fist to Mullen's chin.

"Gun...Keys..NOW!"

Mullen lowered his eyes and shook his head. With a sound of disgust, he staggered away from them.

"You don't understand. They took her. Got to find her. Too dangerous for her own good."

"Who? What are you talking about?" Mullen asked. He had a feeling he knew though. He was positive the second car was the one Nikita had taken to calling hers.

His legs gave out on him half way into the living room. Dropping to his knees and then his hands too, Michael let loose a cry of rage. As he did, Operations ran a hand over his face. It hurt him to see and hear Michael in this condition. He knew the younger man had to be in agony.

All Michael could concentrate on was the last image he had of Nikita as he fell from the van. She laid sprawled on the metal floor, unconscious. Frustration over the condition he was in, rage over what had happened and fear of what might happen started to spill over what little control Michael had left. He couldn't hold it together anymore. He tried to get to his feet. His murmurs grew stronger. He couldn't get up, couldn't find the strength to get to her. Have to send the message. Got to get Katie safe. Got to find Nikita. His body wouldn't obey him. He couldn't control it.

Suddenly Michael screamed, venting agony and anger. He moaned her name as lowered his forehead to the floor. Mullen exchanged looks with the other two operatives. There was something major happening here. They had better get him back to the Section. Though everyone played ignorant, they all knew that Michael and Nikita were involved. The undercurrents ran too strong between the two of them. And now Mullen knew just how involved. He had gotten a good picture of it when Nikita had challenged Operations to rescue Michael from Red Cell. Now seeing the way Michael was acting completed the picture in vivid colors.

Mullen placed a supporting arm around Michael's waist and Michael's right arm around his neck. Slowly he pulled upwards. He could feel the man who had always appeared so invincible quiver in response to what he had felt and was still feeling. The guy's human afterall he thought grimly.

"Come on Michael. We're going to go back to the Section. After we get you fixed up, we'll take care of things." The only response he got was a soft moan before Michael lost consciousness.

Chapter 26

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With a slight sigh, Christine tucked a lock of hair behind Michael's ear. Though badly banged up, his life was not in any danger. He just looked a lot worse than he really was. Although he had not yet regained consciousness, she had a good idea of what had happened. Michael had first been in some kind of fight then put thrown or dropped from a vehicle moving at a fairly good speed. It was the only possible scenario to account for his injuries.

Had it been L' Araigne? God she hoped not. If it was, this would not be the first attempt. She had seen the file Madeline had. He would be back for more and Michael would be much worse off than he was now.

Ribs on both sides were bruised. Cement burns covered his left side from his head to just below his knees. He'd been kicked on the side of the face and punched several times there too. The rest of his body was covered with cuts, bruises and scrapes. His disorientation on disembarking had worried her. Her first suspicion had been a head injury but after running tests she had discovered the powerful tranquilizer they had used on him. Only his perpetual stubbornness had allowed him to overcome it. Judging by the amount that had still been in his system, he'd gotten almost two full doses. He was still sleeping it off.

Groggily he had come to several times over the past few hours, asking alternately for Nikita and for some strange reason, Birkhoff. He was stirring again. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up at her. They were clear this time, the glazed effect was gone. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and winced a bit as he moved his legs. Looking around, she noticed his expression harden and anger start to shine in his eyes.

"Christine, get me Birkhoff." His voice was strong and with his usual air of command.

Not the tone to use with her though. She turned from him and made a notation into the PDA she had on the stand next to the door. "Later."

She heard a rustle from behind. Spinning, she found him struggling to get off the bed. With a disgusted sound, she tried to push him back. He pushed back. He was determined to get out of the bed. "Don't do it," she said warningly.

"Don't do this, Christine. You don't realize what's at stake."

"Tell me then. Maybe it will convince me to let you up."

Inhaling deeply, Michael shoved her backwards and got up. He swayed slightly on his feet. He knew he wasn't ready to be out of bed but he didn't have the time to wait till then. First he had to get Katie hidden then....I'm thinking of her as if I know her. He started to the door only to find Christine there with her arms folded in front of her.

"I said later." She wasn't about to move under her own volition. If he wanted her to move, he'd have to physically do it.

"I don't have time for this! I have to figure out who's behind this. I can't do it from Medlab. Please, if you care about your friendship with her, you'll get out of my way."

"She was with you when they attacked you?"

"Yes, she went down to the kitchen, we were having a minor disagreement. They hit there first. She tried to warn me. It wasn't soon enough. There were at least 10 of them. Two managed to knock her out in the kitchen. I saw them carrying her out and got distracted. That's when they got me. I fought them once we got in the van. I lost my grip when the van was on the move. I fell and hit the road. Last thing I remember was hitting the road and rolling off. I woke up and it was light out. I managed to get back to the cabin and found Mullen there with Willis and Curtis. Then I woke up here.

"I need to get Katie safe first. Then figure out where Nikita is and who took her. Right now she a huge danger to us. But I can't do it from here."

The words had tumbled out of him like a loosened dam. That worried her. It was not typical behaviour for Michael. He was genuinely afraid. And tremendously worried, she could see it around his eyes.

Christine relaxed her stance. " A danger? Katie? What are you talking about?"

Michael took a deep breath. "I know about the baby. Nikita told me. Her name is Katrina and I found her. I need to make sure that whoever did this doesn't do the same thing. And Nikita is dangerous because of me. Because of what I did and what she doesn't know she has."

"What does she have, Michael? What did you do?" Fear was creeping into her voice. The quiet hint of desperation in Michael's tone was unnerving. It was unusual to hear him like this.

"I can't..." He rolled his eyes and looked upwards. He had to tell somebody. Who better to trust than a doctor? There was such a thing as doctor and patient confidentiality wasn't there? "For now until you hear me tell it, this is just between us. Absolutely no one else can find out about it. Out in the hallway though, I have doubts as to the sterility of this room."

He looked around trying to see if they were on camera. He chided himself for the action. It was useless and he knew it.

Christine listened carefully as he lowered his voice. They were alone in the corridor.

"You've heard of the directory that has all the operative names in it?" She nodded. It had been missing for a while. "Good, hmmm... I've had it since it disappeared. I keep it updated. It's an insurance policy of sorts. Like an idiot I hid it as a microchip in some wedding rings Nikita and I wore for a mission last year. The same ring she's been wearing."

Christine pulled back to look wide eyed at him. "Jesus, Michael! Why are you letting this happen? You could have taken it back."

"I didn't have the courage. Because of what it means to her. What am I suppose to tell her? Not to? That last year, I had the means to stop her 'cancellation' by another means. Yeah, I can see that working. She would be ever so grateful to me then. How accomplished are you about sewing a head back on? "

"You could tell her the truth."

"No, there's a whole other mess attached to that. I can't. She might take it the wrong way. I can't risk that. Besides our history together shows the problem we've had with the truth."

"But you'll risk her life instead? Just so you had a chance at pursuing your relationship."

"No, that's not it. It wasn't suppose to happen like this."

She frowned at him. For the first time since she had been reunited with him, she actually thought of his actions as careless. And his excuse was even worse. His human side was showing. It needed practice.

"Not a good enough excuse."

"And how many times do you think I've told myself the same thing? How many times do you think I've kicked myself for doing this?" He leaned against the door frame, folding his arms across his chest. He looked at his feet, making sure the floor was still in one piece beneath him. It looked that way but it felt pretty shaky to him. "There something else too."

"Oh the first thing wasn't enough? You made it worse?" Her tone was sarcastic and he heard it. He shifted his eyes back to her face. Studying her face, a strange thought occurred to him. For the first time, he really looked at her. She looks just like my mom did at her age. Only different colored eyes and hair. And her eyes flash just like Mama's too when she would get angry at Pappa. Michael inhaled deeply, wincing a little bit and brushing the thought away.

Christine noticed the flicker in his eyes. The look of recognition and then it was gone. What did you just think you saw Michael? What did I just remind you of? Or who?

"Are you going to continue or do I guess?" She regretted the continued tone of sarcasm in her voice. It had slipped out.

He shook his head. "Forget it. I was wrong to say anything. Never mind. I'll take care of it."

He tried to brush past her. How could I have expected her to understand? Hell I don't understand why I let Nikita continue to wear the ring. It's not as if we're married or have that kind of commitment to each other. His inner voice decided to speak up at that point. Actually there is more commitment between the two of you than many marriages have. Michael repressed the frown and worked to keep his face neutral. It was something that for the first time in a very long while he found difficult to accomplish.

Christine reached out as he went by. He already had so much guilt inside and here she was adding more. Unbidden, she whispered, "Cabot."

Michael's head snapped around to look at her. His eyes wide, he demanded, "What did you call me?" He heard the name ringing in his ears. As a child, Paige had called him cabot. It was a French slang term for a mutt. She was always accusing him of following her like a puppy. He could still hear her whining Le petit cabot. Toujours m'ensuives! Gross bambin!

Christine knew she had slipped and needed to cover quickly. "I said 'just about' ."

"That wasn't what I heard."

"You weren't listening then. Maybe I need to check your ears." Worry was cutting deep circles under his eyes. Divert his attention idiot! "Do you think Operations had a hand in this? Could the Section be involved somehow?"

She moved away from the door. It wasn't what she wanted to do as a doctor. But as a sister and friend, she had to do it. What she had said to him had not been what she wanted to say to him either. But now wasn't the time or place. In an unconscious imitation of him, she pushed some hair behind her ear. Her words had been calculated to divert his attention. Christine hadn't meant them to pierce him the way they seemed to. Heart beats head but mouth beats them both up.

Michael closed his eyes at her words. He had been trying to keep that thought at bay. It wasn't something he truly wanted to consider. But actions in the past made it a real possibility.

"It wouldn't be the first time," he said grimly. He started to move again.

As they walked together, she studied him. The amount of control he exerted over himself both physically and emotionally was almost inhuman. The effect on the boy she had known was suffocating. Christine saw glimpses of what he was once when he was with Nikita. She had seen him tease and give the rare lopsided grin that could easily became a smirk. The perpetually cheerful kid was gone. Besides her now was a serious man in deep pain. Feeling things he refused to admit he felt. Especially for Nikita. She'd heard him whisper 'mon coeur' and 'mon ame' to her in Medlab. His heart and soul...and right now he didn't know where she was.

His pain threshold was close to being reached too. He was still not 100% from the ambush at the amusement park. He healed fast but he'd been through too much lately. She half expected him to drop before they reached Systems. Though he moved slowly, Michael refused to show another sign of weakness. He didn't have the luxury to pay attention to the screams of his body. They would have to wait.

Systems grew quiet as he approached. He leaned down to whisper into Birkhoff's ear. "Access my system at home. The file is marked NKM. Codeword is KATIE. Send the message."

Birkhoff nodded. Michael looked up to the loft. It was dark.

Birkhoff noticed his look. "They're not here. Been gone since this morning. They made sure you were alright and then Operations took off. Madeline left about 4 hours after he did."

"Why?"

"George."

"O.K. What did you find on the dead hostiles?"

"Nothing. Not one thing to identify who they were with."

Straightening up, he muttered under his breath, "Zut!" Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, "What about the cabin? Anything there?"

Birkhoff sadly shook his head. "No, Michael. Housekeeping picked up throughout, nothing. Did you recognize anything from something they may have said."

It was Michael's turn to shake his head. A weight was beginning to press down on his shoulders. He grabbed the edge of the console as a wave of dizziness hit him. Shaking his head, he forced himself to stand straight. He had to fight the effects of the drug still in his system.

Christine rested a hand on his upper arm. "Either sit down or you're going back." Reluctantly he sat and rested his face in his hands.

The other people in Systems exchanged looks. Michael's actions almost had a sense of defeat to it. From behind his hands, he said quietly,

"Birkhoff, give me a run down of all active groups in the area. Locations and activities of each one for the past 72 hours. See if any have recently come in. We'll do this the hard way."

Birkhoff glanced over his shoulder and saw the tautness in Michael's upper arms and across his shoulders. He caught Christine's eye. She walked over. He pointed to the screen. Is he alright? was spelled out in a grey box across the top. She frowned a little and rolled her eyes, shaking her head a bit. Birkhoff frowned with her.

"This is going to take a while Michael. Why don't you go back with Christine or to your quarters. I'll call you when I've got the stuff loaded."

"Worry about getting the intel, not me. Understand?" Birkhoff lowered his head to the screen, he didn't need to be told to butt out twice.

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Operations and Madeline spoke quietly in one of the relatively unused hallways, heads bent close together. "This compromises us in ways I never dreamed possible, Madeline."

"I know. We need to recover it as quickly as possible."

"Start to slowly allocate as many operatives as is prudent from other missions. Downgrade what you can. But quietly. I don't want to send any warning flags up that will catch Michael's attention. As we've discussed, if he becomes aware of certain information on that disk..."

"I am not in any way eager for him to know about this. We will need to have a reason though Oscar. He will be suspicious especially in light of recent events. He will be looking for her. We'll have to pull from that search."

"I know that. This is more important though."

"George warned you. She is not acceptable collateral. You set up this profile, Oscar. It can not be changed via your actions now. It's set."

"I'm aware of that Madeline. There is no need to remind me."

"We have to continue to look. Michael will not let you stop either. He will break off to do it himself if he has to. He warned you before."

"I remember his comments well enough. I'll deal with it. You start the moves." Nodding, they split up and moved away in opposite directions.

Chapter 27

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The fall was going on and on. There seemed to be no end. Suddenly the free fall ended and threw her into consciousness. Nikita came out of the effects of the tranquilizer with a bang. She fell from where she was laying onto a carpeted floor. Fighting the agony of the hammer on the top of her skull and the threat of her stomach to react to the room she knew was going to be spinning, she opened her eyes. Good it's not spinning. But I'm still going to be sick. Looking quickly around her, she saw a waste basket and grabbed it. Fortunately it was only the dry heaves. Somehow she found the strength to pull herself back up to the bed. She fell back onto it. She blinked several times working the blurriness out of her eyes. She tried to moisten her lips but she was too dehydrated. Alternately she felt hot then cold. Like running a fever. She lifted a hand to her forehead. It felt a little cool but that was it

Nikita looked down on what she was wearing. It was a short plain navy blue satin nightgown. Her legs were bare and so were her feet. She looked around the room but didn't see her clothes or a robe. Not that the room was cold but her attire made her feel a little vulnerable. She studied the room a little more as she looked around again.

The walls were a golden yellow. The furniture which consisted of the bed she laid on, a night-stand, a dresser and a vanity were all in a dark walnut color with simple straight lines to it. It all looked new and unused. It smelled that way too. Maybe freshly painted too she thought as she sniffed and wrinkled her nose slightly. The bed clothes and the curtains were a plain slate blue, no patterns. Photographs of various birds covered the walls. A chaise lounge angled out from a corner. This was done in a rich floral pattern with a blue background that matched the other material in the room and the floral design in almost the same gold as the walls. The carpet was the same blue. Nothing sat on top of any of the furniture except for the light on the nightstand and a brush set on the vanity.

The silence was so complete it was painful. Matches the pain in my head. She closed her eyes and an image of Michael popped into her head. She whimpered and rolled over onto her stomach. To fight the nausea that rippled through her, she tried to concentrate on what happened. All she could remember was the attack in the kitchen after she had walked downstairs from the bedroom. She had felt a prick in her side then nothing until a few minutes ago.

Snippets of sounds played in her head of the struggle she had heard in the other room. Had he survived? Was he here somewhere too? Or had he managed to get away? The pounding in her head became worse. Now it seemed to be stabbing at both her temples and a ring of pain surrounded her skull. She could hear her own voice followed by Michael's in her head dancing with the agonizing throb.

The words echoed and repeated.

Would you come for me?

Yes

Opening her eyes, the images of the room was blurred with the tears from the pain and memories that ran through her. There were two doors to the left. Slowly Nikita maneuvered herself off the bed and breathing rapidly and shallowly, went over to the doors. She grabbed the wall as the room this time did spin wildly out of control. Her body went cold and numb except for her head and the intense pain suddenly in her stomach. This time she knew she was really going to vomit. Praying the one on the left was the bathroom, she fumbled with the knob, unable to get her fingers to respond to her commands. Somehow she turned the handle and pushed at the door. It was and she slammed the door shut behind her.

Sometime later the other door opened and a woman cautiously and slowly entered. She was fairly tall and thin with curly dark blonde hair piled up on her head. She was dressed in a simple beige and rust pantsuit. She looked to the bed and frowning saw it empty. The woman walked in and closed the door behind her, holding on till a sound like a bolt sliding into place could be heard. A check on the floor on the other side of the bed revealed no one. That left the bathroom.

She knocked once and then opened it. "Nikita?" Pushing the door into the room, she found Nikita leaning against the far wall, shaking. Turning her head in the direction of the voice, Nikita fought to focus her eyes. She couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop the beating in her head. She recognized the woman though who was kneeling beside her. It was the woman who had been with Perry Bauer last year, Stephanie. The reality of the situation slowly oozed into Nikita's head. She whimpered in response to this as tears started to fall from her eyes.

Stephanie grabbed Nikita's chin and forced her to look at her. Her eyes were glazed and tears fell from them. Her skin was dry but very cool to the touch. Concern rose up quickly in Stephanie. Nikita was in some kind of shock. Obviously what ever Perry had them knock her out with was causing a reaction. The girl had been out for 4 days as it was. This didn't look good to her.

"Nikita, can you understand me? Are you in pain?"

"Hmmm...need to h.h.help M.Michael." Nikita groaned in response to the spasm that quickly ran through her. Though it would have seemed impossible, the pounding in her head got worse. Then things went black. She slumped forward unto Stephanie who was now more than concerned. She was scared. Perry you're an ass! Gently she lowered Nikita to the tile floor and scrambled to her feet. Perry had to get the girl medical attention quickly. She had a real bad feeling that Nikita wouldn't survive without it.

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"I told you that you were overreacting." Bauer sneered at Stephanie as she straightened the comforter around a now peaceful Nikita.

She cast a baleful look at him. "Remember what the doctor said though. She needs rest, water and food. He also said you could've killed her with the dose you gave her. What the hell were you thinking?"

He reached and ran a finger along the side of Nikita's face. She stirred a little, moving a hand upwards to brush his finger away.

"You can leave now Stephanie." She stood up straight and started to protest. "I said now."

Stephanie slammed out of the room. He turned his attention back to Nikita. Briefly he thought about taking advantage of her condition but decided he wanted the challenge she would undoubtedly put up. No, now was the time to take care of business. He brushed her cheek again.

Slowly Nikita opened her eyes and seemed to look around. She opened her mouth several times as if trying to speak but nothing intelligible came out.

He turned her face to his and studied her glassy eyed expression. He knew she had some vague idea of where she was and what was going on.

"Nikita, can you hear me?" She blinked slowly and opened then closed her mouth again.

"Hmmm..", she answered.

"I need you to tell me something."

"Wha..." She rolled towards him, curling into a ball. "...eep" she whispered softly.

"Nikita, you have something I need. Did the woman in Israel give you anything?"

She blinked several times as she rolled back onto her back. "...uumm, Michael."

Bauer gave a sigh. She seemed pretty out of it. He tried a different track. He took hold of her chin and brought her face back around. What was the name Phil had used? He wasn't able to bring it to mind, so he used something he thought she would respond to.

"Michael needs what you got in Israel, Nikita. Where is it?"

"Home" was all she mumbled before she rolled away again.

Either she's just saying whatever's popping into her head cause of the tranq or she really is answering me. Wish I could tell. He picked up the hand that drooped behind her back. The diamond cutting on the ring caught the light as he studied it. He dropped it down from where he had gotten it. It was the same ring she had been wearing when he had met her as Sage. Nothing special there. She was, however, missing the necklace he had seen her wearing at the Section. Maybe it was in that. It had looked pretty flat though. With a sound of disgust, he stood and walked out of the room. So maybe he didn't have the Directory, he'd gotten her. Now he just had to wait for Phil to show up and convince him not to take her away.

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Several hours later, Nikita came to again. She slowly opened her eyes again. The room was fairly dim. Stephanie sat on the chaise lounge, reading a book. She heard Nikita stir and brought her attention to the young woman on the bed.

"Feeling better?"

Nikita turned her head to look at Stephanie. She fought down any effects of the tranq. She had to be able to get herself out of here. Her blue eyes burned with anger and it was evident in her voice.

"Get my clothes. Now." She pushed herself up on the bed. Stephanie got up, shaking her head sadly and walked closer to the bed.

"I'll get your clothes but I'd give up any thought of getting out of here. This place is 10 times more secured than the other one." She sighed. "At least now I have someone to share my gilded cage with." She smiled, trying to create some kind of link with the blonde who now sat on the edge of the bed. Nikita still seemed shaky. Stephanie felt sorry for her but there was really nothing she could do about it.

Skirting the bed, she bent to the dresser and pulled out some clothes. After handing them to Nikita, she sat on the edge of the bed. She was curious about Nikita. She seemed hard and soft at the same time. Tame but still wild too, not unlike a lioness in the circus. There was no denying she was gorgeous. I'd kill to look like her. No wonder Perry's obsessed with her. She's got it all rolled into one package.

Nikita sat on the bed for a few seconds. She chewed over Stephanie words. Share her gilded cage. Get a grasp on reality bitch! She needed to figure out what she was going to do here. The first time was determining where here was. Somehow she knew she was entirely on her own in this. No one knew where she was. She started to put her fingers through her hair and felt the grittiness of it.

"Can I take a shower before I put the clothes on ?"

"Sure go ahead."

Slowly Nikita stood, testing her balance and found it was ok. She went to the bathroom door. Placing her hand around the knob she paused before turning it. Remembering how she felt the last time she was in there, she closed her eyes briefly.

"What was wrong with me?"

"It was a reaction to the combination of lack of food, water and the heavy dose of the tranquilizer he gave you."

Nikita moved so she could see Stephanie's face but didn't let go of the knob. Right now it was a lifeline of sorts. Especially in light of her next question. She had to know how long she had been held. She had to know about Michael. But she dreaded the answers. "How long have I been here"

"Almost 5 days. You were out for 4 of them."

"Where's Michael? Did Bauer's goons..." She stopped as she watched Stephanie shrug. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"From what Perry told me you both were suppose to be brought back. They only showed up with you. I overhead him bawling them out. Michael fell from the van and down an embankment; they couldn't find him in the dark. They went back to find him after it was light but couldn't find him then either. There were people at his place when they got there so it was left at that."

The Section was looking for him. He didn't show up when they called. They know something went down. Please God let him be o.k. Her fingers held the handle in a death grip. She turned the handle behind her back and pushed the door. It swung open gently. Stepping inside she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "Damn." Silently she repeated it to herself again and again. What the hell am I going to do now? Nikita you're completely on your own on this one, girl. Time to see what you're really made of.

Nikita didn't take long in the bathroom. But by the time she came out, the room was empty. Except for the tray on the vanity and the wonderful smells it was giving off. Her stomach growled loudly in respond to them. She tried to think of her last meal. She couldn't remember it.

Walking over to the vanity, she sat down and examined the contents of the containers on it. There was a bowl of broth with bits of rice and vegetables. A plate held pieces of what looked like burchetta. There was a glass of milk and a mug of hot tea.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror. It wasn't her that stared back. Her face was pale, dark circles under both eyes which were red rimmed. The face that looked back at her was drawn and emotionless. The clothes weren't her either. The top was a button up mandarin collar vest that ended at midpoint of the hip. The pants were simple, straight but slightly full. It was silk and the red was almost the color of blood. Nikita generally would not have chosen the color or the design. It wasn't her. The shade of red only make her skin look paler and her eyes more intensely red.

She lifted the mug of tea to her lips and then stopped. What if the tea or the rest of the food on the tray was drugged? Maybe poisoned? Only one way to find out. She took a sip and waited. Nothing. She took a longer drink. Still nothing. Several spoonfuls of soup. Still nothing. A piece of bread and then before she realized it, the tray was empty. She felt full and could feel some strength returning to her body. She was going to need it. But nothing to indicate anything to hurt her. She got up and sat down on the chaise lounge. It was time to plan what to do.

Chapter 28

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The door of the apartment creaked just as it had when Simon has pushed it open several days ago. Michael entered Nikita's apartment and closed the door behind him. The tapes hadn't done the job of destruction justice. Bit by bit, he started righting things and putting things back in drawers. Seeing her home wrecked like this bothered him.

This was more than a compromise. It had been an invasion of their private lives. The Section had enough of their lives, couldn't it just stay out of this small part of it. Just a small material thing that would be theirs, aside from their thoughts. He set the coffee table up on its legs and set the candles on it again. A large crack ran up the middle of it. I'll have to see if I can get it replaced for her. The candles must have been still burning when they hit the rug. Not only were there burn marks but the wax had sunk deeply into the pile of the carpet. They're not going to come out. This is a new rug too. She's going to have a fit. Standing, he grabbed the couch cushions and arranged them in their proper places.

He knelt down again, picking up some shards of glass from under the edge of the couch. His thoughts were far. I can't find anything. Who did this? Why? They wanted both of us but why? His fingers felt metal. He curled them and pulled out his hand. From them dangled the necklace Martina had given Nikita. His jaw dropped and he tightened his hand around the chain. He closed his eyes in momentary relief. One small part of the problem solved. Placing the piece of jewelry on the glass table top, he grabbed a candle and slammed it down on the silver disk. The crack in the table lengthened and then the glass dipped in the middle. Michael shook his head and sat down on the couch. Now he really needed to replace the glass.

True to her word, just as Martina described, the vale popped out. Carefully Michael pulled on it. It slid out easily and attached to the bottom was a microchip. He brought it up closer so he could look at it.

"Well now you can't hurt her. Can I use you to protect her instead?"

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Section One seemed emptier than normal when he arrived back. He checked with Birkhoff who reported that nothing new had been found. With a sigh saying increasing frustration, Michael said more sharply than he intended, "I'll be in my office."

He strode away from Systems, Birkhoff staring anxiously at his back. Caroline set a PDA down next to him. "This is going to go down bad, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I think so. Got a place to hide?" he asked her grimly.

When Michael saw the changes to his search he was going to go wild. Birkhoff just hoped he wasn't caught in the firing range.

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Nikita sat on the chaise lounge, an elbow on each knee. Her fingers were laced together and she stared through them to the loops of material that made up the rug. She'd been sitting there a while, trying to determine her best course of action. Her first move had been to figure out the door. It had a locking mechanism and a knob but it didn't turn. Obviously it had an electronic release. Jimmying it wouldn't work. There had to be a way for whoever controlled the release to know when the proper person wanted to leave. So that only meant one thing, monitors. For the amount of time I'm on camera, I ought to be an actress. With a big deep intake of air through her nose, she stood. She wavered a little before she caught her balance. Her strength was not yet totally back yet. Slowly she looked around the room, turning her body with the circuit of the room her eyes were making.

"I figured out you're using monitors for the door, Bauer. Since I'm on camera so much, when do I get my SAG card?" There was no response but then she didn't expect one. Slowly she began to inspect each object in the room, carefully and methodically.

Bauer had to grin at her sarcastic comment. The man sitting in the chair in front of him smirked and snorted. "Bitch has a mouth on her."

Bauer only laughed at the words. "Yes she does."

"Getting nervous about me yet, Bauer?" Nikita's voice came through the speaker again. "Think I won't figure out how to escape? Don't be too sure. I'm good at my job. Besides, you let Michael get away. How long before he knows it's you? You'll be one sorry bastard then. You don't attack Section operatives. It has a tendency to piss off the higher ups."

He watched her as she left the vanity and went over to the dresser, her back to the door. He licked his lips. His eyelids were droopy and he looked about ready to drool. "When you see me drop the lock. Make sure it catches good after I go in. She's damn quick." He winked at the man watching the monitor. "Make a tape. It's time for the diamond in the rough to go for a tumble."

Nikita set down the second drawer of the dresser and started to pull out the third when she heard the door open. Not bothering to turn around, she noted sarcastically "Hey Steph, not many clothes in here. Am I not staying long?"

Fingers curled in her hair and dragged her head backwards. Nikita shot out her hand to grab the offender when it was twisted against her back and she was shove into the wall next to the dresser. Bauer pressed up close to her whispering harshly in her ear, "Yes, but I plan to keep you naked for a while. Clothes get in the way during sex."

"Get your hands off of me before I start to break things." Nikita felt physically ill as well as disgusted. The pig was touching her with only one thing in mind. She had to admit to being a little scared at the moment too. She knew she was not as strong as she usually was. Fighting him off was going to be easy, if not impossible. And there would be no help coming from anyone here. She thought briefly of Michael. And then shut him out of her mind.

"Hopefully, it's the furniture underneath us, babe." He left go of her hair only to attempt to slide his hand between her body and the wall. "You feel and smell so good. Ready for a little noise?"

As he groped and pushed against her, Nikita began to struggle in earnest. She stomped down hard on what she discovered were his bare feet. He ignored her at first but then reacted to the next even harder stomp. Grabbing her hair again, he banged her head against the wall. For a second Nikita saw stars before she hauled back with her elbow, nailing him in the ribcage. He pulled back a bit, she snapped her elbow back again, connecting with the same spot.

This time he left go completely. Turning to face Bauer and perhaps gain an advantage with a frontal attack, she was instead greeted with a punch in the mouth. Nikita felt her lower lip split as it hit her teeth. Red tinted fury and black spots flashed across her eyes. With a noise of rage coming from her throat, she went at him. She was fighting in anger and pain at this point. Her reactions were off and slowed by her emotions as well as the drug still in her system.

Bauer backhanded her as she grabbed his shirt front and brought up her knee. The slap knocked her down to the chaise lounge. The exertion and hits to the head started to take their toll on her. She was dazed and her body was beginning to feel like lead. Nikita, GET UP! DON"T LET HIM DO THIS!! Her hands dug into the edge of the cording on the upholstered side.

She tried to get her legs under her as she felt his fingers catch the material on the front of the vest. She let him lift her a little and then she struck. Her palm thrust forward and slammed into his cheekbone. He released his hold on her vest and back away. It was her turn to backhand him, only she did it with an open fist. Breathing rapidly and swallow, she balanced on the balls of her feet. Her fists were raised in a defensive gesture. But she had to shake her head to try to keep her focus. The lids of her eyes were heavy. She felt like a boxer who'd been knocked down to the canvas a few too many times.

As Bauer backed up, he watched her. He had expected her reactions to be off and to give in without too much of a fight. He had assumed wrong. She was primed to keep him from getting what he wanted. He looked down towards her feet to see whether or not he could unbalance her that way.

Watching the direction his eyes were moving she saw them start to drift down her body. She spun, aiming for the side of his head with her foot. She only slightly connected only with his open hand, he had backed up a bit after she had started to spin. He brought his other hand down in a slicing motion to the back of her knee. The same knee that had almost been shattered in the explosion at the warehouse. Pain shot up her leg and her back. She pitched sideways to the floor.

Bauer grabbed the front of the vest again to drag her to her feet. The thin material of the outfit was not made to the stress her weight caused to the seams. Nikita heard the material start to rip as he threw her on the bed. Feeling the mattress under her back, she smacked and punched at him. He easily fended her off and managed to finish ripping open the vest. She curled her fingers into claws and ripped them down both arms. He ignored her action and instead fought through the slaps to his face to her neck.

"NO! STOP IT!" she screamed. Tears were starting to form. She was definitely scared now. She was losing the battle now as well as her strength. The tranquilizer was starting to kick in again from her exertions. There was still weakness from the reaction to the drug too. He went for the pants next. She went wild at that, almost managing to knock him away. He grabbed both arms and pinned her down to the bed with her arms above and tight against her head. His body covered hers and pushed her into the mattress. His face right above hers was smiling. God, she wanted to spit in that leering face of his but her throat and mouth were dry from fear. She twisted and arched her back trying to roll him off. It only made him smile more and laugh.

"That's right. Tease me more. You'll be begging for it soon. I'll make you feel better than Mikey ever has." He managed to snag her mouth and roughly forced his tongue between her lips. Twisting violently she was able to break the physical assault on her mouth.

"I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch!" she spat the words in his face.

"Do you know I stood and watched the two of you one night? I must say he's got good taste in clothes and women. The gown was very sexy Nikita. I saved it. You know what I did with it? I had it made into a shirt to wear. It looks great. I feel very close to you when I wear it. Maybe I should wear it to see Operations and model it for Michael. I don't think he like it as much on me as you but then you never know. Maybe it might do something for him." He kissed her again as before but this time she bit him hard. He snapped his head up. "You little ....!"

Jamming his knee between her legs just above the knees, he tried to separate them. Now the tears trickled out a little. The one knee still throbbed with terrific pain and the action with his knee as she struggled against it only increased the pain. Bauer let go of her one hand and dug at the waist band of her pants. Nikita tried to rake her nails down his face and dig at his eyes. He started to yank down and had a hip and half way around the back exposed when...

"Bauer!"

Perry stopped and shouted back, "Later!"

"No he said now!"

"Who the fuck is he?"

"That Phil guy. He wants you downstairs now!"

"Sh....Damn it! I'll be right down." With a sound of exasperation he thrust himself up off Nikita and the bed. She rolled to her feet and grabbed the lamp off the nightstand. Holding it like a weapon, she backed up to the wall, facing him. She tried to maintain what bravado and composure she could. Her shaking belied that but otherwise she held together. He smiled at her and tried to come closer. She swung the lamp at him, "I'll shove it down your god damn throat if you come any closer!!"

Laughing, Bauer wiped a knuckle across the edge of his nose to discover it bleeding. He knew there were other cuts on his face too. Casually, he wiped his hand on his pants . He blew a kiss at her.

"I'll be back later my love. Try not to miss me too much." He turned and left. Nikita started to set down the lamp but sagged against the wall instead. Slowly she slipped down to the floor. Things had gone from bad to more than worse. She clutched the side of the nightstand with one hand and drew in a shaky breath. He'd be back for more. How long could she fight then?

Chapter 29

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Taking a healthy swallow from the steaming mug, Michael sat down in the chair at his desk. Digging in his jacket pocket, he pulled out the thin silver chain with its charm and laid it carefully in the middle of the desk. For several moments he studied it, trying to determine the best course of action. Reaching under the desk, he pulled out the surveillance pad and automatically starting punching in numbers. For a few minutes, he had to have all prying eyes and eager ears kept out.

Michael grabbed a paperweight from the corner of the desk and brought it down sharply on the charm. The vale popped out as before. With the utmost care, he pulled it out. The tiny chip's minute metal findings reflected the light as he brought it closer.

"I'd love to read your secrets but for now I will stay in the dark." Holding the microchip/vale in one hand, he flipped the laptop over with the other. He scrapped at a rubber leg stopper with his thumbnail until he could catch the edge. That accomplished, he wiggled it free and insert the chip down beneath the capseat of the stopper. Replacing the stopper, he righted the laptop.

Taking another swallow of the hot coffee, a slight smirk played across Michael's mouth. Part one and two done. Now to get Nikita back. At that thought, the smirk disappeared. It had been almost 6 days since they'd been attacked and she'd been taken. As yet there were no leads. Unable to place anyone near the cabin, the perpetrators had to be either from a new group or God forbid someone from inside. He didn't want to consider that a possibility but the past made that a likelihood.

Michael could feel the weariness starting to creep up his spine and under his eyelids. By right he should probably still be in bed but he couldn't afford that luxury and probably wouldn't enjoy it either. He'd been pushing for days and saw no end in sight unless she walked through his office door right now. He took a third long swallow of coffee, hoping that soon the caffeine would kick in. Then he powered on the laptop.

Never would he say that he didn't trust what Birkhoff had said, but Michael had to see the reports himself. He needed to check everything, he couldn't help it. Finding Nikita was too important to him. Almost 6 days. Nikita, who took you? Where are you? Granted, it was not as long as he had been held captive but for most of the time, he had been thought dead. He stared out the window of his office. Replaying some of the events in his head. They bothered him a great deal. Some had come back to haunt his dreams. Especially those comments Elouette had made about his being a failure. Echoing those words that he heard so much while growing up, words from her father.

In a lot of ways that was the truth. At least he felt that way. Nikita said it wasn't. When they had last sat and really talked she had pointed out to him everything she could think of that he had accomplished. He had been grateful to her for that. It showed him how much she really cared for him. He had teasing accused her of having a little book in which she wrote down things about him. She had smiled wickedly and coyly at his comment. She had propped her chin up on her hands and added mysteriously wouldn't he like to know everything she had written in her 'book'. As his gaze drifted around his darken office, he wished she was there to ask.

As he thought about all the mistakes he had made in the past it seemed that Elouette was more accurate than Nikita. She was her father's daughter through and through. She had access to the truth and to the past. She knew it all. All the painful, bitter and sordid details. He had failed his sister, his parents, his wife and child and now once again Nikita too. The only way to make up for some of it was to find her and bring her back home. Then show her that her child was safe from the touch of the Section. That was, he hoped she was.

A debate was going on inside. Should he take Nikita to see Katie or let her just be content with the knowledge that she was safe and sound? He knew the first option endangered the child but he wanted to make Nikita feel good about her decision. That letting the baby go had been the right and best thing to do. Michael doubted he could have made the same choice. He hadn't where Nikita had been concerned. He couldn't let her go even though it would have been the right and best thing for her. He had wanted her to come home, to be near him. He had held on and finally pulled her back to...

A frown crossed his face at that word home that hung on the tip of his thoughts. This wasn't home and he had forced her back to it. It was hell on earth and he'd condemned her to a life sentence here. The judge and jury were Operations and Madeline. Did that make him the jailer or the executioner? Or was he both? He'd done enough over the years to be, that was for certain.

Bringing his focus back to the laptop he booted up the latest results of the search. He wanted to see where people were positioned. He was thinking he needed to be out in the field doing his own reconnaissance but was worried. Worried that he would get the info he needed from someone else and not be in contact or unable to get there in time.

He lifted the mug to drink from it as he read the screen off the rim. He brought it away from his mouth never taking the swallow. He blinked quickly and gave his head a shake. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were no positions, there were no operatives. Michael slammed the mug down on his desk, the only sign of him losing control. He reloaded his information but the screen only flickered; it never changed. Fingers flying over keys he pulled up the allocations file. His codeword wouldn't open it, he tried to override. It didn't work.

With knitted eyebrows, Michael went to active operatives and then to a positional file. Lock out again. He tried allocations again. Nothing. The pit that constantly threatened to swallow him in his nightmares was opening beneath his chair. He stood, the chair sliding back to the wall with a soft thud. He smacked the cover down on the laptop, the force rocking the coffee mug.

Would you come for me?

Yes.

He had promised her. He thought it was being done. God damn him!!! Michael stalked out of his office and breezed through Systems. His face was like stone, the jaw line taut. His boots resounded about the area. His back was straight and stiff, both arms hung loose at his side and swung with his steps.

As he passed, Birkhoff and Caroline exchanged glances. Caroline jerked a thumb upwards at Operations's loft. Her question clear to Birkhoff. He indicated no to her with a nod. Let Operations deal with his own mess.

Without ceremony, Michael strode into Operations' office. Ignoring the conversation he was interrupting between Operations and Madeline as they leaned over the laptop together. He spun it on its base, punched up what he wanted and whipped it back around.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Later, Michael. We're busy." Operations said shortly and cleared the screen. Michael's hand flashed out and he slammed the top half down, just barely missing the older man's fingers.

"Now. What am I locked out? Where are the operatives who are suppose to be looking for Nikita?"

"I've allocated them to other areas. The search has been downgraded. It no longer has priority status." Madeline said calmly.

Michael flashed his eyes to her. "I wasn't speaking to you." He returned now flaming angry eyes to Operations. "I was talking to him." Madeline blinked, she looked stunned.

With a sigh, Operations stood up straight and walked to the glass to peer out over Systems. "For the time being, the window on the search for Nikita is closed. If resources permit at the end of this profile then we can look at the feasibility of reopening it." His tone was measured and indicated that he expected no responses. But it also came out sounding scripted.

Michael wanted to tear into the man at that response but he attempted to keep the shreds of his self control in hand for the moment. He knew he wasn't going to had them long.

"Why wasn't I consulted? Why wasn't I informed?"

"You're not in play."

"What the hell is going on? What are you doing?" He paused. "Wait a minute here." Michael had begun to pace around the loft, making rapid hand movements. Madeline could see that he was rapidly losing all control. His emotions were riding as close to the surface as she had feared. Some effects of his torture by Elouette would never go completely away. The way he reacted to situations like this now, where he felt he was being controlled or kept in the dark was a textbook display of them. She looked over to Operations' reflection in the glass. His eyes were locked on her reflection in the glass. They said only one thing to her. Everything was on the line here. They had to keep Michael from finding out the secret on the disk. As Nikita referred to Madeline's manipulations, the house of cards was in grave danger. One puff of wind was all it needed.

Michael pointed at Operations' back. "You had something to do with all this! This is all your doing. Were we not 'working' for you anymore? You had to make good on your threat to make one of us be gone? What the hell did you do with her? Wouldn't it have been easier to cancel the both of us? End all your damn problems, that's for sure. You think you had problems before, just wait..."

Madeline grabbed his forearm. "Listen to us, Michael. We had nothing to do with this. But we are dealing with a major situation that has to be contained. The repercussions have massive implications!"

Michael threw off her hand and snorted in disgust and disbelief. "If it's so big, so important, why is your second in command out of the loop? Completely uninformed and unaware." As he got more upset, his accent got thicker and his voice hardened but increased in volume.

"Currently you are not in play or for that matter ready for a mission at the moment." Operations spoke calmly.

"Tell me what is going on!! I demand to know. Does George have a god damn hangnail that needs to be cut and you're all looking for clippers? Hang on! I'm sure Walter has some that will fit the bill!"

"The sarcasm is uncalled for Michael. Get control of yourself." Madeline spoke with a tone of command. It had little effect on him.

"Control of myself? You seem to forget what happens when I lose control. This is nothing!!!"

"The long term deep cover Directory is in the open. Recover is paramount." Madeline locked eyes with Michael. Pleading for his understanding, cooperation and his self composure. However he wasn't interested in giving her any of them. That was quite easy to determine.

"The recovery of the deep cover directory is more important than the recovery of one operative. Martina was the custodian. However, on a sweep of that location , they were unable to recover it. It is absolutely imperative we locate it before it can be sold to the highest bidder or piecemeal to many bidders." Operations maintained his calm even tone. Hoping it would prompt Michael to do the same.

Michael looked incredulously at him. Why didn't they use their heads? Could they see what was obviously in front of them. He stabbed at his temple with two fingers. "Use your heads!! What do you think Martina did with it? Where do you think she would feel was a safe place for it? Who do you think she would have had trust in at that point?"

"We don't..." She started but Michael cut her off.

"Think Madeline! Think real hard!! Who just came back from there? Who did Martina form a close bond to in just the short time she was there? Well, got any answers?"

Operations turned to look at Michael with narrowed eyes. "Are you trying to say Nikita has the directory? Why wasn't it turned over to us?"

Michael threw his hands in the air. "Do I have to write it down on a piece of paper for you? Yes Nikita has it but she doesn't know that. It's in the charm that Martina gave her. I'm not looking for her just because I want her back here with me. We have to find her because she's a death sentence for all of us out there like she is! "

"How did you find out this information?" Madeline asked. Her eyes riveted on Michael.

"I was cleaning up some files from Martina. There were frags everywhere. I ran a defrag program. It put them into one file that was coded. I deciphered the code. It was meant for me to find and open. She wrote to me, telling me what she'd done. We have to find Nikita. Give me back my access and my operatives. She's been out too long. I can't lose her again. If I do, you lose me. And any chance at recovering that Directory. Plain and simple."

Madeline's eyes narrowed at his statement. He was too calm over the Directory issue. Too damn calm. He had it or at least he had it in a safe spot. She would stake the safety of the Section on it, that was how sure she was. She was both proud of and furious at him. How could she place any blame on him though. He was only playing the game the way he had been taught. And he was one man who learned his lessons well.

"Give him what he wants Madeline. I give you 72 hours. Find her or else. You fail, you're cancelled. No exceptions."

Michael slapped his hand against the glass next to Operations. "I fail. You're coming with me. No exceptions." He pivoted on the ball of his foot and strode out of the office the same way he had come in.

Madeline watched his departure. "Either he has it or he knows exactly where it is. It's not on Nikita."

Operations rubbed his face with both hands and slowly slid them over his head to his neck. "Right and this whole time, he's had the Section Directory, too. Love your imagination, Madeline!" He remarked sarcastically.

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Feeling the swelling bruise on his cheek, Bauer stomped down the stairs. He'd been so close upstairs to fulfilling at least part of his fantasies and to be interrupted by this arrogant...

"You've failed me again." It wasn't a question that L' Araigne asked. It was a simple statement of fact. He had been a fool to believe he could count on one such as Bauer to complete such a delicate request. His dark angel was too well trained and too intelligent to be taken by the looks of the bumbling idiot before him. Though the training was his fault and now he was paying the price, Michael was defeatable. The fool just wasn't smart enough to do it. Myself on the other hand...

As L' Araigne looked at the disheveled individual in front of him, he had to wonder what he had been thinking when he approached Bauer to do the job. L' Araigne, tu es un grand connard! Ou est ton cervelle? Evidemment, tu ne pouvais pas juger! Tu es trop vieux pour le jeu! "I feel safe in assuming Nikita is upstairs." L' Araigne kept his thoughts to himself, tucked carefully behind his eyes.

Bauer smiled salaciously. "Yeah, she's a little upset with me at the moment."

L' Araigne gave a nod replying, "Perhaps she is not interested in what you have to offered her?"

Straightening the collar of his shirt, Bauer shrugged. "She'll learn. You see I'm an excellent teacher. I have a wide range of experience to draw upon."

"I think you might believe too highly in yourself, Mr. Bauer. Obviously you were unable to handle the job I asked you to do. What makes you think you can handle Nikita? By your current appearance, I would say that she has made her distaste for your lesson plans quite clear."

"Sometimes a woman needs a little breaking in. I'm only starting."

"But will you be able to finish? You didn't for me. I'm still waiting for my delivery."

Bauer had intended to let the first insult go by but the second time through, it was not possible. Twice Michael had bested him. He didn't want to challenge the Section operative again. But the temptation to flaunt in front of those piercing green eyes his newest possession..... He looked L' Araigne carefully in the eye. The man's next statement would either allow him to live after the front door closed behind him or die.

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Nikita stood as her anger over the past few minutes grew. She was upset with herself for letting down her guard and allowing Bauer to get close enough to touch let alone what he had done. She was furious at the creep for what he had attempted and what his intentions were. Worse than that was that he had hurt Michael in the process of getting to her. She started to set down the glass lamp when the last thought occurred to her.

"BASTARD!!!" she yelled as she flung the lamp at the window. It struck and shattered in pieces. Her heart was racing in her chest. How dare he...and the Section let him live. How...

The desire to escape was fighting with the need for revenge in her head. She went to the dresser and pulled out the last two drawers, dumping the contents on the floor. Flinging clothing around, she was able to find a pair of black knit pants and a long sleeve white knit shirt. She ripped off the pieces of the vest and the matching pants replacing them with the new selections. She found a pair of socks in the jumble and yanked them on too. Ripping a long piece of material from the vest, she tied her hair up in ponytail.

A weapon of any sort was what she needed next. Glancing around the room, her eyes came to rest on the shattered glass of the lamp. Nodding is satisfaction, she grabbed the largest of the jagged pieces. Purposely she went over to the side of the bed and sat facing the door. When the next person came in, she was going out.

Stephanie waited until they were occupied with their conversation before she made her way to Nikita's room. She had heard the other woman's screams and wanted to know if she was o.k. She admitted to herself that there was also a jealous feeling flowing through her. Perry had been obsessed with the blonde for over a year now. He talked about her, dreamt about her and even told Stephanie he fantasized about her when they were in bed together. She had to know how far he had gotten with her.

Smiling sweetly at the man down the hall from the room, she pointed at the door. He shrugged and released the latch, at the same time turning up the music he had playing. The words ran up the hallway with their pulsing beats

Loud cry from the shallows

Lust feeds on the fear

Walls crack under pressure

I think the end is getting near

As she pushed the door open, Nikita launched herself from the bed. She grabbed Stephanie and pushed her back out into the hallway to the wall opposite the bedroom. Quickly looking around, Nikita saw the man down the hall rushing at them, armed. Pulling Stephanie in front of her, she held the glass to her throat, pushing in just enough to draw a trickle of blood.

Paralyzed with terror, Stephanie stared at him with huge eyes as he stopped in front of them. He aimed the gun at Nikita's forehead.

The was no display of fear from Nikita. She was in her own version of 'machine mode'. Her eyes were like bits of burning blue ice. Her body was taut with power and there was an air of total command of the situation about her. Her voice growling with fury only carried to the man in front of her, the loud music prevented it from going any further.

"Put it on the floor and back away or I slice her throat."

He smirked at her. "Yeah, right."

With the precision of a surgeon and just the right pressure to look bad but be non life threat-ening, she pulled the glass across Stephanie's throat.

Stephanie gave a small groan and sunk to her knees, hands to her throat. For a split second the man stared at her and then up at Nikita. The second was all she needed. She moved around the other woman and grabbed the gun. Pulling it from his stunned fingers, she thrust the butt of it into his face. His head popped backwards and blood exploded from his nose. As his hands flew to his face, she hit him in the stomach and then as he doubled over, across the back of the head. He crashed to the floor, rolling onto his back.

Standing over him, Nikita sneered down into his damaged face. "I don't play games." At that moment, a shot plowed into the wall ahead of Nikita. She looked quickly behind her and saw the pair of Bauer's men who were there. Squeezing off several rounds, she sprinted down the hall and turned the corner. Seeing a staircase, she tore down them, dodging the shots behind her. She refused to listen to the fear welling up inside. She was determined to keep her focus and get out of there. One way or another.

The gunfire could be heard throughout the house. The intercom system blared into the room where Bauer and L' Araigne were.

"She's loose! She's cut Stephanie and downed Maxwell!"

"Damn idiots!" Bauer spat out as he grabbed a small handgun. "Damn worthless no good slut!" He pointed at L' Araigne. "You stay here. I don't need you in the way." He hurried out the door.

By the sounds of the shouts and the gunfire and knowing who had trained the young woman, L' Araigne knew where Nikita would be coming down. She would make for the front entrance. He opened the door and went out in the foyer. He looked up the staircase judging the height from not only the landing but the first few steps from the top. Not she won't jump from the landing. Too easy to miscalculate from there. Not enough time to figure the jump. Plus she's been recently injured. Might still be hurting. From the first four or five steps down, yes. Then sprint to the front door.

He moved closer to the front door as he heard the pounding of feet on the floor above him. Then he saw her. She threw herself to the landing as shoots were fired over her head. Rolling she came back up to one knee and fired in the direction she had come from. He watched her steady aim and coolness under the stress of the situation. She was up on her feet and to the stairs. She hit the third step, saw another pursuer coming up the steps.

In a split second decision, Nikita decided to jump. She grabbed the railing and vaulted over. Hitting the tile floor below sent a ripple of pain through her still healing knee. L' Araigne saw the momentary grimace of pain on her face. Then the slight limp as she started forward. Nikita stomped her bad leg in frustration and ran in the direction of the door. As her hand closed over the handle, L' Araigne reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Nikita screamed as she felt herself fly backwards. He slammed her against the wall and held her there by a hand to the neck. With a free hand, she grabbed at his hand, digging in and trying to tear at the skin with her fingers. She swung the gun at his head with her other hand. L' Araigne had already figured she would try the move and was ready. He caught it in mid swing and ripped it away from her. He flung it behind him and smiled into her snarling face and eyes that spit blue flames. Bauer stopped in the middle of the stairs. Torn between making Phil back off from Nikita and her getting away, he merely watched, unable to decide.

"I see what my dark angel sees in you. You have a fire that makes his blackness turn to grey."

Nikita looked at him through narrowed eyes and stopped struggling. Her head was screaming out a warning. My dark angel.....Elouette called Michael that. Her father called him that...

"What are you talking about?"

"Nikita, my dear child..." he stepped closer to her, bending his arm but not releasing her, so that his nose was scant inches from hers and his eyes bore into hers... "do not play stupid with me. It is very unbecoming. Say my name. You know who I am."

She tried to look away but he forced her eyes back to him with his other hand.

"Who am I Nikita?"

She closed her eyes turning to blot out the ones that seemed to burn into hers. In a voice just above a whisper she answered him. "L' Araigne."

"It is nice to meet you." He let go of her chin and pointed a finger up at Bauer. His eyes never left hers. His voice was harsh and had an accent in it now that was similar to Michael's. "You moron go and finish the job you were given to do. I want Michel with me by the day after to-morrow. Do whatever you have to do. Tell him he will be able to find us where he used to play as a child. He will know where that is. I will leave Nikita there for you. Do not fail me this time Bauer. If you do, you will receive her back in pieces." He finally turned his head in Bauer's direction. "And I do not make empty promises. Are I completely understood?"

Silently Bauer nodded and went back up the stairs. L' Araigne let go of Nikita. She didn't move. For the first time in a very long time, she was frozen in fear. Michael's hellish nightmare had just become her own.

End of Part Five

written by Tammy

continue on to Shades of Grey VI

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