He woke up quickly, blinking at the harsh white light.  Being constantly on the run, he was used to waking quickly at the smallest sound.  This time, he was not alone.

 

“Good morning,” said the tall blonde sitting in the chair that was next to his bed. “Welcome to Section One, the most covert anti-terrorist organization on the planet. As far as the rest of the world is concerned you committed suicide in your jail cell.  Row 21, plot 29”  Nikita paused, showing him a picture of his funeral and grave.  “We are giving you a second chance.  This is where you will train, where you will learn.  If everything goes well, after two years you will work for us.” Nikita finished in a monotone, after all she was the perfect operative now. It was not only her love for Michael that was lost but her compassion and humanity too.  She was now more Section, more cold blooded and ruthless than Michael ever was.  In that aspect she surpassed her former trainer.

 

“So, let me get this straight,” said the man who was now sitting up on the bed. “Everyone thinks that I am dead but in reality, I’m basically imprisoned here for the next two years.”

 

“Wrong,” replied Nikita, “you’re in Section for life. There is no going back.  This is your new home for the rest of your life, however long that is.” she added ominously.

 

“Well that sure sounds familiar.” muttered the man softly.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Nothing, just thinking out loud.”

 

“You’d best be careful around here, a loose tongue can get you into a lot of trouble.” Nikita admonished.

 

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.  So what happens if things don’t go well?” he asked.

 

“Row 21, plot 29.” Nikita answered on her way out the door. “Training starts tomorrow at 5 AM.” She finished, closing the door behind her.

 

‘Talk about out of the frying pan and into the oven,’ thought Jarod as Nikita left his room. This pretend was going to be easier than he originally thought.  Through his extensive research, he found that Section One didn’t seem to be much different from The Centre. Both places were dark and oppressive and did not take volunteers, but rather indentured their ‘employees.’ 

 

Oh well, he had promised his now deceased friend, Steven Wolf, that he would find his father.  Jarod knew what it was like to be alone, without family and how important it was to be able to find that family.  He had just recently reunited with his father only to lose him again because of who else, but the Centre.  At least he was able to free his father and his own teenage clone.  Hopefully, his father could give his clone the life he had wished he had growing up.  Maybe he’d even be able to find them again along with his mother and sister.  For now, he would content himself with keeping his promise to Steven.  He would find his late friend’s father and give him the letter Steven left for him.

 

Jarod had realized that Steven was wrong about at least one thing, the Nikita he’d just met certainly did not fit the description Steven gave him or the profile he’d read in her file.  If she was supposed to be one of the good guys in this place, he sure didn’t want to meet the bad guys. Well, Nikita was just another puzzle he’d have to figure out.  He figured his next step should be to find the man that was called Michael. He was the only other person Steven had met from Section One.  Steven had told Jarod that Michael had seemed to be the boss of the two.  Unfortunately, thanks to Jarod’s temporary re-capture by The Centre, by the time Jarod had dug deep enough to find out who the two were that had Steven and his friends set up and where they were from, Steven had already been killed. Jarod knew that Steven wasn’t exactly one of the good guys he usually helped along the way, but he did understand how Steven got into the things he did, after all he knew how desperate one can be to find his family.  Steven had just never drawn the proverbial line in the sand and did things to find his father that Jarod could never do.

 

Jarod tested the door and found it open.  He figured that if ‘they’ left it open, then they wouldn’t mind if he went exploring.  He also figured, and rightly so, that he was being watched to see what he would do so that they could start working on a psyche profile on him.  One of the things Jarod had found out about Section One was that they liked having *very* extensive files on their recruits and operatives.  He did enough research to know what Section wanted from their recruits so he decided to give them a show, let them see what they wanted to see.  He would be a model recruit for the time being, for as long as it served his purpose.  He had leads to follow for finding Steven’s father and he would start quietly, wait for his computer training to begin so he could tunnel into the mainframe but the first thing he needed to find was a bathroom and the cafeteria, in that order.

 

********

 

Three weeks had passed since Jarod had been in Section One.  He found out what he needed to know, Operations was Steven’s father.  It had actually turned out pretty easy to find him.  Steven had given Jarod an old picture of his father and Jarod had used his computer to simulate what Paul Wolfe would look like today. Now Jarod knew why he couldn’t find him on his initial search of Section One’s database.  The only files kept on the two in charge, Operations and Madeline, were on site.  There was no way to access the files from the outside, otherwise he could have finished this pretend without even setting foot in this hell hole.  He had spent the better part of his ‘downtime’ the last three weeks ostensibly sharpening his computer skills (that kid in charge of  Comm, Birkoff, was actually pretty good.  He was probably better than his favorite Centre computer genius, Broots).  What he was really doing was checking the databases for Steven’s father because when he didn’t find him the first time he figured that the man had died ‘in action.’ It wasn’t until Jarod, literally, almost bumped into Operations yesterday that he realized his mistake.  All he had to do now, was leave the letter for Operations and get out. 

 

Even though he had his escape plan all worked out, something was keeping him here.  The computer training he was receiving was eerily familiar.  They had him working on scenario simulations.  He was given mission objectives and told to plan the strategy needed to obtain the objective.  It was a test all recruits went through and Jarod purposely did well on this test.  It reminded him too much of what he was made to do at the Centre before he escaped.  He wanted to dig deeper.  He knew that the Centre had over the years sold his simulations for considerable money to various organizations both legitimate and shadowy.  While searching for Paul Wolfe, Jarod had come across several sims used by Section One that he himself had actually created.  Granted they were some of his old ones, but still he felt uneasy.  He didn’t believe in coincidences and before he left he wanted to find out just what kind of a connection the two shadowy organizations, Section and Centre, had.

 

His second priority was Nikita.  In his short time here he had befriended Walter, the weapons ‘chief.’   He’d gleaned from him that Walter was worried about Nikita, Jarod’s trainer/mentor.  She wasn’t the same and the older man was afraid that Section One tampered with her.  From what Jarod had seen from this place, that was not out of the realm of possibility.  In fact, Jarod had to agree with Walter, the woman he had been training under did not match what he’d heard and read about her at all. As long as he was here, Jarod figured he might as well do some good, see maybe if he could help Nikita, after all she did save Steven’s life once and tried to get him back on the right track. He had started digging for more information and was just about ready to break Madeline’s access codes to her personal files.  He couldn’t find anything about Nikita’s re-programming in the mainframe so he figured Madeline kept that under a special lock and key.

 

Speaking of Madeline, Jarod was on his way to a meeting with the infamous woman herself.  The things he heard about her was enough to make him cautious and wary.  He knew she was a master at mind games, but Jarod was prepared.  Over the years, he had, by necessity, learned how to play mind games with the best of them.  It helped stay one step ahead of his pursuers.

He was early for his meeting with the second in command and as he turned a corner he heard Madeline talking to someone.  He was about to walk into their line of vision when the voice of Madeline’s companion stopped him cold.  He quickly found a spot in the dim lit corridor and hid, listening intently to the conversation.

 

“Until you find your missing pretender, we have nothing to discuss.” Jarod heard Madeline say. “If you’d like our help retrieving the package, we would be more than happy to assist.  All we need is a name and/or description.” Madeline finished with her patent Mona Lisa smile.

 

“That won’t be necessary,”  replied Bobby Lyle, the Centre’s newest boss/puppet. “We’d rather keep it an internal matter.  We have multiple teams out, it’s only a matter of time until he is found.”  Mr. Lyle finished.  He didn’t need Section One sniffing around.  Knowing them they would come in to ‘help’ and then take over themselves.  No, he wanted to find Jarod himself, he had to, otherwise he’d have to face the wrath of the triumvirate again and that was something he would only wish on his worst enemy.  As soon as Jarod was found, they would re-program him, just like Madeline had done to that operative, make sure he’d always do his job and never want out of the Centre again.  Lyle figured that once he found Jarod he’d use Madeline’s re-programming formula on him, make him obedient and get him to give up the clone’s location too. ‘Come to think of it, they’d probably have to re-program the clone as well as God only knew what Jarod’s father had put in the boy’s head by now.’  Lyle mused.

 

“Fine.  Upon his retrieval, we’ll exchange intel. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that it’s imperative that both subjects are available during the procedures, in case anything goes wrong.” Madeline said, interrupting Lyle’s thoughts.  “I’ll see you out, I’m expecting a new recruit shortly.” Madeline continued, leading the way to the elevators and out of Jarod’s earshot.

 

Unbeknownst to either of them they had made a fatal mistake by talking in the corridor, something they both should’ve known better about.  They had just incurred the wrath of the Pretender.

 

********

 

Jarod’s priorities had changed.  He continued to wait in hiding for Madeline to return to her office.  He was again thankful that he had studied and memorized the schematics of Section One before he got here.  He had found spots that were one way or another cut off from surveillance.  That’s what had enabled him to hide and overhear Madeline and Lyle’s conversation. 

 

While he waited the several minutes to his appointed time with his meeting with Madeline, he cleared his mind from the tumultuous thoughts that were racing over the conversation he had just overheard.  Madeline was a master of mind games and he knew he had to push all other thoughts aside in order to get through this meeting unscathed.  It was a weekly ritual now, he would ‘visit’ with Madeline for a few minutes, ostensibly to check his progress in Section.  He knew that this was something she did only with recruits who had potential to advance in Section’s hierarchy down the road.  It was one of the reasons he had wanted to test so high in his scores.  Beating Madeline at her own mind games was something he looked forward to in his weekly meetings.  Madeline’s quest for power was insatiable.  She needed to be taken down a notch or two subtly, and subtlety was one of his strong points.  Jarod made sure that after every meeting, Madeline was left guessing as to Jarod’s intent as far as Section and his intended role here went.

When enough time had elapsed, Jarod pushed everything else to the back of his mind and prepared to enter the lion’s den.

 

“Good morning, Jarod.” Madeline intoned with her Mona Lisa smile as Jarod entered her office.

 

“Morning.”

 

“I trust your daily computer and weapons training went well?”

 

“I’m sure you’ve already watched the feed and read the reports.” Jarod replied, noting her surprise at Jarod’s knowledge of her activities.

 

“What makes you think your sessions are under surveillance? Is there a reason they should be?” Madeline continued, hoping to gain some insight into Jarod’s way of thinking.

 

“No special reason, I just assumed every one was always under surveillance here.”

 

“Assumptions make for mistakes, Jarod.  Never assume, only use what is tangible.  It will help you go a long way in here.”

 

“Now who’s assuming?” Jarod answered with a small smile.

 

“What do you mean?” Madeline replied rather sharply, well sharply for her anyway.

 

“You’re assuming I’ll eventually want to advance.”

 

“I had thought that you’d realize by now that in Section One as in any organization if you do not move up, you’ll be moved out.  Since you are already believed to be dead, if you do not perform and advance to our expectations, it would be easy for us to move you out.  I don’t need to remind that in here, moving out is permanent, I’m sure you’ve heard the term cancellation by now?” Madeline queried.

 

“Of course, I’ll just have to keep that in mind next time I’m feeling complacent.” Jarod returned.

 

“Good.  We wouldn’t want to lose a recruit with your potential.” Madeline continued. “Your scores are excellent so far, especially in computers.  Mr. Birkoff is impressed, and that’s not an easy feat.  If you continue as expected, we may have you in comm rather than as a cold op.”

 

“Actually, I think that I would like that, from what I understand, the survival rate for technicians is significantly higher than for cold ops.” Jarod interrupted.

 

“Yes, well you should keep that in mind the next time you’re feeling complacent.” Madeline replied, feeling back in control of the conversation.

 

“I’ll do just that.  Is that all?” Jarod asked.

 

“Yes, you may go.  The sensei is expecting you in class shortly.” Madeline finished as Jarod got up to leave.

 

“Until next week then, Madeline.” Jarod said on his way out.

 

As soon as Jarod left, Madeline made some notations in his psyche file and sat back.  ‘I’ll have to watch this one closely, he has a lot of potential.  The question is will it be to our benefit or detriment to help him realize it.’  Madeline thought to herself before she put Jarod out of her mind and moved on to the current mission on pad.

 

********

 

As Jarod sat down to dinner in the cafeteria after his daily martial arts lesson he thought about his situation.  He figured that Lyle wanted to use the brainwashing program Madeline had used on Nikita. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who Lyle wanted to use the formula on.  If not for a very tight self control, Jarod might have strangled Lyle right there in the corridor.  He owed him that much for killing his brother Kyle alone.  Jarod was thankful for the fortuitous timing that had him overhear as much of Lyle and Madeline’s conversation as he did.  He assumed that in exchange for Madeline’s formula, Lyle would give her the Centre’s clone data. It would stand to reason that the Section would be interested in it.  Jarod wondered if the triumvirate was aware of Lyle’s extracurricular activities.  If not, perhaps he could eventually leak the information to them and knock Lyle down a peg or two.  In the meantime, Jarod had to find an antidote to the programming, de-program Nikita and then destroy the data so that it couldn’t be used on anyone else. After that he could concentrate on destroying Lyle’s copy of the clone data. 

 

Unfortunately, Jarod realized that he shouldn’t do this alone.  He wanted inside help.  From what he’d seen so far of Section, it wasn’t a place conducive to fostering trust.  He’d have to take his chances.  Walter, the weapons wiz, sprang to mind.  Walter reminded Jarod of Sydney, his only real ally in the Centre.  Sydney had helped Jarod in the past, most recently when he had aided Jarod in getting his clone and his father away from the Centre.  Jarod had seen the way Walter looked at and interacted with Nikita.  He treated her as if she was his daughter, not that Nikita responded in kind.  He believed that de-programming Nikita would be enough incentive for the older man to help, or at the very least not give him away.  Jarod could only hope that he wasn’t making a big mistake by asking Walter for his help. 

 

‘Well, no time like the present to find out.’ Jarod thought to himself as he finished his dinner and got up to go look for the weapons wiz.

 

Jarod slowly made his way to Walter’s station. He waited until the operatives around left and the area cleared out.

 

“Hey, Walter.” Jarod said. AYou got a minute?” He continued, surreptitiously passing him a note.

 

“Hang on a minute, I’ll be right back.” Walter answered, taking the note to the back where there was no surveillance.  He quickly read the note and called back to Jarod. “Why don’t you come on back and help me inventory the returned weapons.”

 

Jarod followed Walter’s voice to the back of the weapons arsenal and waited for Walter to speak.

 

“Who are you and what do you think you know about Nikita’s programming?” Walter asked without preamble.

 

“I don’t have much time right now, but suffice it to say I can help you de-program Nikita.”

 

“Why should I trust you?” Walter interrupted. “For all I know Operations or Madeline sent you in here for one of their little tests.  You’ve barely been here a month.  How else could you know so much about this place so soon?”

 

“Meet me somewhere secure tonight and give me five minutes, I’ll explain everything.”

 

“Five minutes. If you’re lying you’ll regret it.” Walter replied and added the meeting place and time for tonight.

 

********

 

As the appointed hour for his meeting with Jarod approached, Walter was feeling more uneasy.  He liked Jarod enough, but could he trust him?  Something was telling him to trust Jarod but Walter figured he should bring backup with him anyway. When he looked up from his musings, he realized he was standing in front of Michael’s office.  ‘Well, if I’m trying to help Sugar and I want back up, I’m standing in front of the right door.’ Walter thought to himself as he quickly knocked on Michael’s door, before he could change his mind.

 

“Come in.” Michael called, looking up from his laptop, when he heard the knock on his office door.

 

“Hey, Michael.” Walter greeted as he came into the office and looked pointedly at the side of Michael’s desk where he kept his scrambler.

 

Michael took the hint, quickly opening the drawer and activating his scrambler.

 

“Yes?” Michael queried, patent blank stare in place, once the office was secure.

 

“It’s about Nikita. I got a strange request from one of the recruits, her new material, actually.” Walter replied undaunted by Michael’s blank look.  “Somehow he knows about her programming and claims that he wants to de-program her and needs help.”

 

“You’re talking about Jarod?”

 

“Yeah, I told him I’d meet him tonight.”  Walter replied.  AI figured you’d be interested, maybe do some untraceable digging into the guy.  You’re a lot better at it than I am. I liked him and all, he seemed like a good guy but this sure seems strange coming from a recruit who’s only been here a month. I don’t know, you think he’s Operations’ or Madeline’s plant? “

 

“Have you told anyone else?”  Michael interrupted.

 

“No, I figure the less people that know about it the better.”

 

“Good, keep it that way.  I’ll take care of it.”  Michael paused.  “Where and when are you meeting?”

 

********

 

At the appointed time, Walter stood in the alcove waiting.  He had gotten Birkoff to disable the surveillance in the surrounding area.   He hadn’t told the kid why and was grateful that Birkoff hadn’t asked.  It gladdened Walter to know that Birkoff could be counted on, besides he agreed with Michael, the less people that knew the better.  If anything went wrong, at least Birkoff wouldn’t be implicated with him and Michael.  He almost regretted even getting Michael involved, the man had enough on his plate as it is and Nikita acting the way she was surely was hurting Michael even more than himself.  But Walter knew that if Jarod was for real and could de-program Nikita, then Michael would move heaven and earth to make it happen.

 

As if the mere thought of the man had conjured him up, Michael appeared behind Walter startling the older man.

 

“Damn, Michael.” Walter muttered, “you could give a man a heart attack.  Don’t you make any sound when you walk? Maybe we should put a bell on you.” He finished jokingly trying to get his breathing back to normal.

 

Before Michael could reply (not that he would have anyway) he turned left, gun out and pointed already at the shadow emerging from the hallway.

 

“Jarod,” Michael acknowledged, lowering his weapon.

 

“Can’t say that I’m surprised.”  Jarod returned, coming to stand by the two men.  He figured Walter would bring either Birkoff or Michael and he was betting on Michael anyway.

 

“You said five minutes.” Walter stated, his impatience showing.  “Start talking.”

 

“As I said I can de-program Nikita as well as destroy the data and prevent its future use, but I can’t do it alone. I need ceratin outside materials and sources that I don’t have access to.”

 

“Before this goes any further, how the hell do you know as much as you do and what’s in it for you? Assuming you’re on the level, nobody here does anything without a price.”  Walter interrupted.  “Let me guess, you want your freedom in exchange.”

 

“No, that I can do that on my own.”

 

“Yeah right, nobody gets away from the Section, not for very long anyway.”  Walter replied.

 

While Walter and Jarod were talking Michael was watching them, gauging Jarod’s sincerity.  Now that he had made up his mind, he decided to join the conversation.

 

“I didn’t believe anyone could get away from the Centre either, but you’ve proven that theory wrong, haven’t you, Jarod?”  Michael quietly but forcefully interrupted.

 

Michael had known who Jarod was even before the pretender had been ‘recruited.’  Two years ago the Centre had come to him personally, not through Section.  They had wanted his help in finding the wayward pretender.  Michael had agreed to ‘see what he could do’ mainly because he wanted his contact to owe him.  The more favors owed to him the better.  One never knew when those favors would come in handy, besides from what he’d read about Jarod in his file, Jarod would make an excellent Section asset, if that’s the path Michael chose. Just as Michael found substantial leads, he received a strange request from one of the Centre’s ‘employees.’  Sydney had come to him and asked him to forego the search, as a personal favor.  Sydney knew a lot about the workings of Section One, almost as much as Michael knew about the Centre’s. He had heard of Sydney and his work over the years and held a certain professional respect for the man, so when Sydney had asked to talk, Michael had agreed.  Sydney had made a compelling argument on the pretender’s behalf.  By the time their discussion was over, Michael had agreed to let the ‘case’ go.  He agreed to tell the Centre that he had reached a dead end in the search for Jarod.  In exchange, Sydney now owed Michael, big time.  As of yet, Michael had no occasion to collect.

 

When Jarod showed up in Section, under an assumed (last) name, Michael knew he was up to something.  He was biding his time, waiting to see if the pretender revealed his intentions.  He monitored Jarod from afar, making sure he didn’t do anything too damaging to the Section.  He knew the time would come when he’d have to confront the other man regarding his motives for coming into Section.  In fact, Michael was thinking about asking the pretender for help in de-programming Nikita in exchange for his silence regarding Jarod’s agenda and whereabouts. Holding him back was the question of Jarod’s intentions in Section. Michael was very controlling in nature, always was, even before his recruitment.  He needed to know all the details and plan all contingencies before approaching any situation.  It helped keep him alive in Section all these years.  It was after Walter’s visit earlier that Michael finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

 

Jarod was taken aback by Michael’s question, actually he was shocked.  How did a level five operative in Section One know about him?  He knew that the Centre and Section sometimes did business together, but from what he was able to gleam from Centre records, his escape and subsequent chase were kept strictly internal.  In fact his entire file was supposed to be locked up.  The Centre did not want other agencies to know where they got their ‘employees’ from.  If only the heads of these agencies knew that many of their profiles were based on the sims of a child.  If Operations or Madeline didn’t recognize him, how the hell did Michael?

 

“You know me?” Jarod asked Michael.

 

“Of course.  You’re a pretender. You ‘left’ the Centre four years ago to look for your family.  You sometimes like to help people along the way.” Michael replied. “The question is why help Nikita?”

 

“Wait a minute.” Walter interjected, finally finding his voice.  “Since when does Section recruit from the Centre? And since when does anyone from the Centre ever help unless under strict orders to do so?”

 

“We still don’t cross-recruit. It seems Jarod is here voluntarily with his own agenda.” Michael answered him.

 

“Here’s the deal.” Jarod turned to Michael. AI know you’ve been digging for information about the programming Madeline’s come up with.  I’ve already accessed the necessary files and I can create an ‘antidote’ then destroy the entire formula and make sure it can’t be recreated for a very long time.  What I need from you is surveillance free time in one of the labs to create it. I need two to three hours a day for about a week.  I need cover, I can’t disappear for that long in here.” 

 

“So what’s in it for you?” Walter still wary, wanted to know.

 

“He gets to make sure the formula is never used on him. It would be in the Centre’s best interest to keep Jarod more obedient in the future, once he was re-captured.”  Michael supplied.  “But that doesn’t explain why you want to help Nikita. You could have destroyed the formula by now

and left.” Michael paused. “What does Section get in return for the data? Madeline and Operations do not believe in gratuitous sharing.”

 

“It’s a long story, do you want to hear it or do you want my help?”

 

“We want your help.” Michael answered before Walter could ask any more questions.  “We can exchange information later. When can you start?” Michael, unfortunately, was used to not getting the whole story.  He didn’t care about the pretender’s agenda right now. There would be time for explanations tomorrow.  The important thing was to get started immediately, the sooner they got Nikita back to normal the better.

 

“I need to make a phone call first. Get us some more help.” Jarod replied, not trusting the two Section men to tell them about his Centre ally.

 

“Sydney?” Michael guessed.

 

“Damn.  We really do need to talk.” Jarod answered, surprised once again at Michael’s insight.  Jarod was suddenly very glad that Michael seemed to be on his side.  He would make a very formidable opponent.

 

“Yes, tomorrow 9 AM.  I’ve already scheduled your second ‘evaluation.’“ Michael replied. “You’ll be able to place your call and then we’ll discuss details.”

 

“In your office? Shouldn’t an evaluation be under surveillance?” Jarod asked.

 

“I’ll take care of it.” Michael replied succinctly, in effect ending the discussion and the meeting.

 

As the three men went their separate ways, Jarod and Michael felt relieved to have found help for their respective problems while Walter was confused and upset at having been left out of whatever it was that seemed to be going on with the two men.  Walter would wait until after Jarod and Michael’s meeting in the morning and then corner Michael and find out just what the hell was going on.

 

********

 

As Jarod came to Michael’s door, he prepared himself to enter the lion’s den.  He wasn’t really sure what to expect.  He knew Michael wanted the ‘old’ Nikita back, but other than that he wasn’t too sure about anything else regarding the level five operative.  That in itself was rather unusual, Jarod knew how to read people *very* well.  Even Madeline proved to be less of a challenge than he thought she would be.  Michael, however was still a question mark.  ‘Well, no time like the present to lay the cards on the table.’ Jarod thought, finally knocking on Michael’s door.

 

“Yes.”  Came Michael’s economic one word reply. “We’re surveillance free for the next 20 minutes.” Michael continued, tossing a cellular phone to Jarod with a rectangular device attached to it. “It’s untraceable.”

 

Jarod was already dialing the number as he thanked Michael.

 

“Sydney,” Jarod spoke into the phone when it was picked up.

 

“Jarod, it’s been a while.  Where have you been? It’s not like you to forego the wild goose chases for this long.  Miss Parker and Mr. Lyle seem to actually be looking forward to the next chase.” Sydney replied, glad that he was currently out of the Centre and out of earshot of any would be listeners.

 

“Sydney, I don’t have much time. I need your help. I need you find out how deep Lyle’s connection to Section One goes.  And if the triumvirate or anyone at the Centre knows about it.”

 

“Section One, Jarod? That’s not a good idea.  They’re possibly even more ruthless than the Centre.”

 

“It’s too late for that.” Jarod muttered.  “Can you have Broots track this quietly? If what I suspect is true, your bosses won’t be too happy with Lyle, trading classified information and all.  I’ll call back in 24 hours.” Jarod finished, looking at Michael for confirmation of the time frame.

 

“Classified information? What classified information? Jarod, are you still there?”  Sydney asked anxiously.

 

“24 hours, Sydney.” Jarod reiterated and hung up before Sydney could argue any further.

 

“Well now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business, shall we?” Jarod looked at Michael, still not quite trusting the man. I’ll tell you my motives and you tell me yours.” Jarod continued knowing Michael would not make the first move so he had to if they had any hope of trusting each other, at least enough to attain their objectives.

 

“As you already know, I escaped the Centre four years ago but they haven’t as yet given up the search.  They’re rather stubborn that way.”  Jarod started.

 

“Let’s save some time.” Michael interrupted. AI know who you are.  I know you want to destroy the re-programming formula before Madeline can make a deal with the Centre, more specifically Bobby Lyle, for it. I also know that you could have done so by now.  What I want to know from you is what Section gets out of the deal and why help de-program Nikita first? What do you have to gain from it?” Michael paused.  After all these years spent in Section, Michael honestly could not understand someone, other than Nikita (the way she used to be) putting themselves on the line for somebody else, without *something* to gain.  Michael needed to understand Jarod’s motives before he could trust him enough to work with him.

 

“I want to help because I can.  If you know who I am, then you know that’s what I do in between following leads on my family - I help people.” Jarod relied.  He saw no reason to tell anyone why he came to Section originally.  When all this was over, he’d leave Steven Wolfe’s letter with his father, as promised, without anyone being the wiser.  “As for Section’s motives, I believe that what they get in return for sharing their data, is the Centre’s data on cloning.”

 

“Cloning?  Section abandoned that project six months ago.” Michael interrupted.

 

“Yes, I know.  But the Centre was more advanced in their experiments. Coincidentally, six months ago was also the time that *my* clone, developed by the Centre, was supposed to be moved.   Now I’m wondering if the Centre was moving him temporarily to Section One so they could further their tests without interference.”

 

“The Centre had you cloned? How old is the clone?”

 

“He’s a teenager now.”  Jarod replied.  “My guess is that Lyle was willing to trade the Centre’s clone data for Section One’s re-programming data.  Lyle figured he’d be able to re-program me and then use me to find my clone and my father.  With me back in the Centre, he’d be able to talk the triumvirate into giving Section the clone to complete the deal, after all they’d then be able to clone me again, as many times as they wanted to.”

 

“Why didn’t you destroy the cloning formula before you escaped them again?” Michael interrupted.

 

“Again? How did you know the Centre had recaptured me?” Jarod demanded. “I never told you that.”

 

“After our talk last night I tunneled into Centre’s mainframe from outside, of course.” Michael replied.  “It seems that Mr. Lyle avoided punishment by placing the blame of your re-escape on his subordinates.”

 

“Yes. That *is* his specialty, escaping blame.” Jarod replied bitterly.  “He’d blow up his sister and father for the right motivation.  Anyway, I did destroy the formula but Lyle must have made a copy for himself somewhere along the line.  Otherwise, without the data the clone would be useless to Section.  I can’t see Lyle trying to bluff Madeline, he has to have that data somewhere, but that’s my problem, not yours.”

 

“Why did you bring Sydney into this?” Michael interrupted Jarod’s musings.  He was curious as to the relationship Jarod had with the older man.  It was Sydney, in fact, who had begged Michael off looking for the pretender two years ago.  Of course, Michael’s acquiescence did not come without a price.  The fact that Sydney willingly and without hesitation accepted that price spoke volumes for the man’s feelings towards Jarod.  Perhaps Sydney was trying to repay Jarod for the years he had helped keep him prisoner in the Centre for.  Of course, Sydney’s altruism would not keep Michael from collecting his debt if the need arose.

 

“I’m glad you brought that up.” Jarod returned. “How *did* you know about Sydney? How much do you really know about the Centre?”

 

“The Centre, through a contact of mine, asked for my help in your retrieval.  Sydney convinced me to fail in the endeavor.”

 

“And the price Sydney paid for that ‘failure’ was?”

 

“As yet to be determined.” Michael replied, surprised at himself for divulging even this much information to Jarod.  “We have approximately ten minutes of blackout left, perhaps we should stop questioning motives for the time being.  Tell me how I can help.”

 

“Well, now that you mention it, I need both you and Birkoff to stop digging through Madeline’s files.  I could have gotten everything I needed from them by now If I hadn’t had to stop and erase the electronic fingerprints the two of you have been leaving.  Lucky for both of you I found them first.”

 

“You already erased all traces?” Michael asked, surprised and annoyed that he’d been caught.  He and Birkoff would have to shore up their computer skills before their next foray into the system.

 

“Don’t feel *too* bad.” Jarod couldn’t resist the dig, finally able to take the level five op by surprise. “It probably wouldn’t have been found anyway.  I just made sure of it.”

 

“Thank you.” Michael replied, with some difficulty.  It wasn’t often that he was put in his place. He would have to be more careful around this one in the future.

 

“Look, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Jarod said, somewhat surprised at himself for making the dig in the first place.  Perhaps he had finally found a worthy opponent in Michael and it was bothering him a little.  “Nobody would’ve been able to find it.  It’s just that when you spend over half your life with computers as your main friends, you pick things up.” He finished, trying to forestall further argument. 

 

“No offense taken,” Michael replied.  “Perhaps you’ll show me how to ‘dig’ without leaving *any* fingerprints.”  Michael was a pragmatist.  His ego was one thing that Section One had literally and figuratively beaten out of him in his decade of service to them.  If Jarod knew how to circumvent the system better than him, then Michael wanted to learn how, regardless of who would do the teaching.

 

“Perhaps.” Jarod returned, noting Michael’s interest.  If things went well and Jarod decided he could trust Michael, then before he made his escape from Section perhaps he would show Michael a trick or two about unearthing information without leaving any calling cards.

 

“Now then,” Jarod continued.  “I’ve accelerated the timetable, all I need now is an hour or so on the computer and a couple of hours in one of the labs, unmonitored of course to finish the ‘antidote’.  That I could handle today.  In the meantime, I have a list of supplies we’re going to need once I’ve completed the formula.  You’ll also need a secure facility for 48 to 72 hours while the antidote takes effect.  It won’t be pleasant or quiet for the patient and she’s going to need constant surveillance.” Jarod paused, handing Michael a micro disk with the necessary supplies list.

 

“I have a location in mind.” Michael replied, already scanning the disk on his secured laptop. “There’s only one hot mission right now.  I’ll make sure it stays that way.  If you’re ready, by tomorrow night I’ll be able to arrange enough down time between myself and Walter to cover the 72 hours needed.”

 

“Fine.  But I’ll need to monitor progress every couple of hours and you’ll need to stay in real time contact in case anything goes wrong.  I can continue feeding loops to surveillance about my whereabouts in Section, but only a couple of hours at a time, otherwise too many suspicions arise.”

 

“We’ll maintain contact through Birkoff.  He’ll keep you updated and notify you of any problems.  I’ll request your transfer to Comm temporarily after our meeting and make sure that Birkoff agrees.  That will give you a bit more freedom to move around.”

 

“What about Nikita?” Jarod asked. “How are you going to get her out for 72 hours without any raised eyebrows?”

 

“I’ll schedule her down for five days and keep Madeline and Operations too busy to keep watch.” Michael replied.

 

“Need any help with that?” Jarod asked.  “Sending Maddy and Ops on wild goose chases sounds like fun.”

 

“No, thank you.  I’ll handle it.”

 

“Ok. Until tomorrow then?”

 

“Yes.  You’ll be working in Comm by then.  Keep the phone and scrambler, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a ‘quiet’ spot to use it in.” Michael replied, ready to key surveillance of his office back in.  “We’ll talk again tomorrow at 11 AM.”

 

“What’s at 11 AM?” Jarod asked.

 

“Martial arts training.” Michael replied once surveillance was re-established.

 

“And who’ll be training me?” Jarod inquired, instantly regretting the question.

 

“Me.” Michael replied, the corners of his mouth twitching with the ghost of a smile.

 

********

 

After his meeting with Jarod Michael got to work.  He knew that between his regular duties and Nikita’s de-programming he would have a very long day and night ahead of him.  Michael didn’t mind.  He would do whatever it took to get Nikita back.  Once that was accomplished he could start on achieving his end game.

 

Michael realized he was running out of time.  He originally thought that he would have a few more years before he needed to make his move.  Now he needed a new time frame.  Operations’ and Madeline’s constant manipulation of him never fazed him before.  Michael was a patient man.  He kept a tally of everything that had been done to him and those he cared about. 

 

Operations thought he was after his job.  Obviously, the man did not know him as well as he thought he did.  Michael did not want Operations’ job, he didn’t even want George’s.  Michael’s end game was the Agency.  He wanted to run the whole show.  It wasn’t about ambition.  It was about control.  Michael thrived on it.  He was at his best when he was his own boss.  Oh, he knew he couldn’t do it by himself, he wasn’t that egotistical. 

 

Michael had always envisioned running the Agency, Oversight’s ‘boss’, with Nikita, the woman he loved, by his side. Section Ones’ rulers were jeopardizing his goals.  In order to run the Agency, he needed the old Nikita, the one with the light, compassion, heart and soul.  All these years in Section almost made Michael lose track of his.  As he once told her, Nikita had brought him back.  She helped him re-discover himself.  Just as he had finally found and started to believe in himself again, Section took his future away.

 

Michael realized long ago that life in the anti-terrorist world could never be a bed of roses.  However,  it should not be the hell that it was either.  He still believed in the good of the organization.  He just felt that the leaders had lost sight of the right path towards protecting the innocents.

 

Running Section One was not enough.  Michael would still have to answer to those higher up in the food chain.  The only way to effectively change the way things were done was to sit on top of that chain.  Restoring Nikita to her former self was the first step.

 

Michael already had George’s confidence.  It wouldn’t take much to get Michael out of Section and into Oversight.  Once there, he would be able to quietly and subtly gain more allies to aid his transition into the Agency.  George was getting older, Michael wanted to make sure that he was in and out of Oversight before the man retired.  If he stayed too long, he was afraid the Agency would be more inclined to have him replace George rather than move him into their fold. 

 

All his plans included Nikita.  She was the other half of his soul, the truly alive part.  He needed her to balance him and keep him in check. The way she was now defeated that purpose.  He didn’t need a robot, he needed the person she used to be.  The old Nikita would keep him alive and in line, make sure he didn’t lose track of his humanity and compassion.  She’d keep him from turning into Operations or Madeline - ruthlessness and detachment personified.

 

With the pretender’s help he would get Nikita back.  He trusted him enough to do that.  If Jarod could accomplish what he promised - free Nikita from Madeline’s control, then Michael would be able to go forward with the rest of his plans. 

 

If he had to, Michael would blackmail George to get into oversight.  Once Nikita was restored, she and Michael would need to get out fast.  Section’s keepers would not let them be for long.  He’d have to make sure that once Nikita was restored, she’d act the same as she had been since her adjustment.  They couldn’t afford for Ops and Maddy to find out that the old Nikita was back before Michael secured their transfer to Oversight.  They would cancel the two of them and anybody who had helped.

 

Michael wasn’t worried about Jarod.  He had a feeling that the pretender would always land on his feet, no matter the circumstances.  Michael was sure the pretender would escape the Section as effectively as he had escaped the Centre as soon as Nikita’s adjustment was undone.

 

The two people Michael was concerned about were Walter and Birkoff.  He’d have to make sure that the two would in no way be connected to his schemes.  He couldn’t have their deaths on his head.  They were the only two people, besides Nikita of course, that he felt close to in Section.

He’d do everything in his power to make sure they stayed safe.  Hopefully he’d be able to convince Jarod to shoulder the blame for Nikita’s ‘return.’  Jarod had, after all, implied that making Operations and Madeline squirm was something he enjoyed doing. 

 

If Michael and Jarod left their calling cards, then once the pair realized Nikita was her old self, they’d blame Michael and Jarod and no one else.  By then the three would be out of firing range.  Jarod would be long gone, looking for his family and staying one step ahead of the Centre and Michael and Nikita would be entrenched in Oversight.

 

With all of these thoughts and problems weighing on his mind and shoulders, Michael set to work on the most important profile he’d ever worked on: keep Madeline and Operations busy for 72 hours, while at the same time keeping high level missions at bay so that he, Walter and Birkoff could help Jarod de-program Nikita. 

 

********

 

Morning came and with it a sense of at once anxiousness and excitement. 

 

Michael was anxious, although you could not tell by his demeanor.  In a few short hours he would meet Jarod after the pretender’s martial arts class.  Michael still didn’t fully understand why he told Jarod he would be training him.  He never trained recruits this early unless they were his material.  Even though Nikita had been away on a mission for a week, Jarod’s training did not fall upon Michael while she was away.  Michael’s only responsibility was the weekly evaluations all high potential recruits went through with him.  He admitted to himself that the main reason he told Jarod what he did was to even the score.  As much as he appreciated the man’s help, Michael did not like to be ‘put in his place’, no matter how subtly.  Jarod’s remark about cleaning up after him did not sit well with Michael.  His ego had to be appeased, and it was.  The look of apprehension on Jarod’s face when Michael told him he’d be training him was enough to tilt the scales back into balance.

 

As he got up to leave his office, which he hadn’t been out of all night except to grab a shower and a meal, he went over his plans and what he would say to Birkoff and Walter when he met them in the café.

 

Walter was sitting at back booth of the café by ten thirty, a full half hour before the scheduled clandestine meeting with Michael and Birkoff.  He was anxious too and you could tell.  He wasn’t the best actor in Section, to say the least.  He was glad to be meeting with Michael, but was worried as to the effectiveness of the meeting.  It was never easy to fool Section, whether in a big or small way.  This was certainly a big way.  When he cornered Michael in Section last night, the younger man told him he was busy and couldn’t talk.  Walter, too upset at that point to back off of the dangerous operative, demanded a few answers.  All he got in return was a short, Meet me and Birkoff at the café tomorrow morning at eleven. As soon as you inventory Nikita’s teams returned weapons today, you’re down for five days. We’ll deprogram her then.”   That was it.  Before Walter could process the statement, Michael was already walking away.

 

By ten forty five, Birkoff was strolling to the café.  He was excited.  When Michael told the computer genius what he needed and why, Birkoff was more than happy to help and not because Michael scared him.  ‘Well,’ Birkoff ruefully admitted to himself, ‘Michael *does* still scare me some of the time.’  This time though, Birkoff was doing this to help his friends. He had been selfish and afraid for too long.  Selfish to stay alive and afraid of the repercussions from the top - Operations and Madeline.   Now however, since Nikita’s brainwashing he’d begun to realize that life, whether in Section or the outside, was not worth living by yourself.  He’d rather be canceled for trying to help his best friends (Walter, Nikita and yes even Michael) than live without anyone caring about him and vice versa.   Birkoff’s only question was what was Jarod’s role in all of this.  How, and just as importantly, why was the very wet behind the ears recruit helping them? ‘Oh, well,’ Birkoff thought, ‘Michael always knows what he’s doing.’

 

********

 

Madeline and Operations were oblivious to all the planning going on around them.  Thanks to Michael’s meticulous planning, they were so busy they barely had enough time to think.  While there weren’t any new high level missions on pad, Section Two and Five had requested their help in several low level missions.  Ordinarily, helping the other Sections was something Operations and Madeline loathed to do.  However, now that Operations was going full steam ahead in his plans to move to Oversight, the more allies in the other Sections he and Madeline had, whether through favors or through threats, the more solid their future positions would be. 

 

Add to this the request of several different high ranking Oversight personnel to meet with the two heads of Section in the next couple of days, you have a pretty busy schedule for the heads of Section One.  The two had agreed that this was probably a test orchestrated by various Oversight members to see how well Operations could get along with and oversee the other Sections.  Perhaps George was losing his iron hold on Oversight and they were testing the waters to see if Paul Wolfe could fill George’s shoes.  The upcoming meetings were probably Oversight’s way of observing Operations’ capabilities and interactions with the other Sections for the next few days.

 

Luckily for Michael and his co-conspirators, Michael’s methodical planning and profiling made it look just like Operation and Madeline believed.  In reality, it was Michael who, through personal and professional contacts in and out of Section, the Agency and Oversight, called in many of his markers to make things appear the way they currently did in Section One.  If at the end of this mini whirlwind, when they had a chance to breathe, the two Section One heads thought about the coincidental timing of these events, Michael (even more careful now after Jarod’s scolding) covered his tracks well enough that none of this would ever come back to him.

 

********

 

As Jarod was busy with his daily martial arts instruction Michael, Birkoff and Walter were plotting.  Walter finally got some answers, not all, as this was Michael he was asking. 

 

At the conclusion of their meeting they had agreed upon a course of action.  Birkoff would be in Comm tonight and for the next 72 hours with a few hours of break time in between (something he was more used to than he would care to be) and keep and open channel to Walter, who would be monitoring Nikita during her de-programming.  Thanks to Michael, Walter was scheduled for down time for the next five days. 

 

Birkoff had already completed preparations for phase one of their plans.  He created a phony surveillance tape to feed Section when they grabbed Nikita from her apartment after her debrief from the Stanton mission this afternoon.  He’d feed it to the Section watchdogs in pieces, with Nikita seeming to go out for long stretches of time.

 

Michael knew that various drugs would have to be administered to Nikita in the first twenty four hours.  As much as he knew Walter and Birkoff would be careful with dosage, he didn’t trust anyone but himself to carry out that particular aspect of de-programming.  He’d already made sure he would be down tonight and all day tomorrow.

 

The hardest part of the plan so far, had been convincing Walter and Birkoff that Jarod could be trusted without revealing any of the ‘personal’ information the pretender had revealed to Michael in confidence.  Michael understood Jarod’s need for confidentiality and his reluctance to reveal himself to anyone.  After all, Michael was even more introverted than Jarod. 

 

The only person he had really trusted in the last five years was essentially gone.  Michael knew that if Nikita’s de-programming failed and Nikita was rendered a ‘robot’ permanently then he would end up getting himself killed on a mission.  He wasn’t strong enough, or perhaps weak enough, to do it himself.  On the other hand, he wasn’t afraid to die, hadn’t been for the last six years, since Simone was taken away from him the first time.  Even Nikita couldn’t change that. 

 

Michael had been battling with himself for the last five months, ever since Nikita’s adjustment.  At first he had almost convinced himself that Nikita was better off the way she was, no feelings, no emotions to make her weak and vulnerable - whether to the enemy or to the Section.  He had quickly abandoned those thoughts as he had realized that the ‘real’ Nikita would rather die than be confined to the so-called life she was now living.

 

Michael’s next internal battle had been with guilt.  He had blamed himself for Nikita’s brainwashing.  He had finally seen those musings for the lies that they were.  Michael had sacrificed a lot for Section, more than anyone should have ever had to.  In ‘reward’ for his loyalty all he had gotten over the years was one test after another. 

 

Michael had long ago realized that Section needed to ‘trust’ their employees as well as maintain order and prevent usurpers.  He believed in testing operative’s loyalties and skills, but only up to a point.  The current head duo’s manipulations had gone too far.  It had been Nikita’s programming that had pushed Michael over the edge.  Up until that point, regardless of past disagreements and conflicts, Michael’s loyalty lay with Operations, not just Section One. 

 

Contrary to Section One’s leaders beliefs, Michael and Nikita had not been plotting a coup.  While the Agency had been Michael’s ambition for a while now, he had had no intentions of going against the duo.  Ironically, Operations and Madeline believed Michael wanted to take over Section with Nikita as his second in command.  Due in part to Michael’s careful planning over the last five years, they couldn’t fathom that his ambition would be so high.  Had the situation not been so grave, Michael would have been amused that his bosses had so completely misunderstood him.  Operations’ thirst for power and independence, Madeline’s paranoia and their combined ruthlessness is what pushed them to do what they did to Nikita.  Michael wanted control over his own destiny, while Operations, with Madeline’s help, wanted control over the world.  

 

George was right, the two were like Siamese twins, sometimes fighting, but never separating.  What one wanted, the other made sure was gotten.  It was time to put a stop to their plans.  While revenge was certainly a motivating factor for Michael, it was only one factor.  Michael still believed in the goals and greater good of Section.  He just didn’t believe that its leaders were capable of achieving those goals anymore.  They were too power hungry to see and do what was right anymore.  They did what they did to secure their positions, no more, no less.  Michael lost track of how many missions over the last few years had served solely to consolidated the duo’s power base.  Section’s ‘keepers’ had stepped over the line long ago, but now Michael was motivated to not just move up and away from them but to stomp on them too. 

 

********

 

As Jarod was ‘cleaning up’ after Master O’Neill’s martial arts class, he contemplated the events of the last 24 hours and thought about the ‘mission’ ahead.

 

He had already spoken to Sydney.  With Broots’ help the older man had found that Mr. Lyle was indeed plotting without the triumvirate’s knowledge.  Sydney had even managed to convince Miss Parker to help get Lyle’s copy of the cloning formula.  Sydney had informed Jarod that while Miss Parker was still actively pursuing him, she would still be more than happy to help bring Lyle down a notch or two.  Even though he is her brother, he did recently try to blow up a building with her still in it.  That wasn’t exactly an endearing brotherly gesture.  With the three of them working together, they had found Lyle’s copy of the formula.  They had even completed a dummy formula to replace the real one so Lyle wouldn’t notice it was gone until it was too late.

 

Jarod had, in the meantime, found the surveillance footage of Lyle’s forays into Section One and his meetings with Madeline.  Obviously, neither one wanted the contents of their meetings revealed.  Madeline was trading the Section’s brainwashing formula without permission and Lyle was doing the same with the Centre’s cloning formula.  Truth be told, Madeline really should have learned to either delete surveillance tapes when she was done or at least ‘hide’ them better.  Actually, the woman’s meticulousness is probably what kept her from deleting the tapes.  She probably had surveillance tapes going back to when she first became a psych op even though at least half the people in them were undoubtedly dead.  The woman’s paranoia and over attention to detail was going to get her into trouble.  While Jarod relished the thought of bringing Madeline down, he figured that he should stand in line for that behind Michael.  Jarod was a fair man, the level five op had more ‘claim’ to Madeline than he did.  He would keep a copy of the incriminating evidence to use against Lyle and leave a copy for Michael to use against Madeline, sort of as a going away present for helping him.

 

Soon, he would meet with Michael, Walter and Birkoff to finalize their plans for the next four days.  Nikita was already back from the Stanton mission.  The mission was a success, Stanton and his assistant Cone were safe and sound.  Debrief shouldn’t take too much longer and then Nikita was scheduled for down time.  As soon as she was home, they’d nab her and take her to the safe-house where Michael had already set everything up.  Jarod had to hand it to the man in black - he was good, damn good.  When he set his mind to a task, whatever it was, like Jarod, he made sure he completed it, as best as he could.  Michael actually reminded Jarod of the fictional spy James Bond, albeit  without the humor, just the gadgets.

 

As soon as de-programming was complete and he confirmed that it had worked, Jarod would escape the Section.  Michael had offered to help and while  Jarod had appreciated the offer, it wasn’t necessary.  The pretender had gotten out of tougher spots before and would probably have to do so again in the future.  Jarod had his escape all planned out already.  He’d need 20 minutes to get out and then 15 minutes after that all traces of Jarod’s short stay in Section One would be erased (from the mainframe and all back up systems).

 

Finished with his shower and dressing, Jarod looked at his watch and slowly made his way to the appointed meeting place.  The phrase ‘let the games begin’ entered his mind as he walked down the corridor and into the three Section operatives’ line of sight.

 

********

 

At 9 PM that evening Michael, on downtime for the next 36 hours, was waiting patiently outside Nikita’s door.  It had been agreed upon that he would ‘kidnap’ Nikita alone.  Walter was already waiting in the safe house preparing the drugs they’d be using.

 

“Section’s watching our feed.  They think Nikita’s gone to bed.  You’re clear.” Birkoff spoke into Michael’s ear, just like it was any other mission. The young cyber genius was in his Section quarters (surveillance free thanks to Walter) speaking to Michael through one of Walters’s new toys - a new and improved comm unit.  The units were so new, that Section One wasn’t even aware of them yet.  They were even smaller and almost impossible to see with the naked eye. 

 

Michael, as usual, didn’t even bother to respond.  He knew Birkoff could see what he was doing anyway.  Birkoff was monitoring until Michael came out with Nikita just in case anything went wrong.  Michael rang the doorbell to apartment 412 and waited.

 

Nikita went to her surveillance camera and was surprised to see Michael standing there.  He hadn’t been by in a while and she had assumed that he had given up on trying to ‘deprogram’ her.  He hadn’t been seeking her out for the last few weeks and she had taken it as a sign that he finally accepted her new self.  She liked herself better this way, at least that’s what she’d been telling herself.   No emotions, no desires, no fears. 

 

She’d told Michael that she didn’t believe him about the brainwashing, that she had just grown up.  She told him that he just couldn’t accept the fact that she didn’t love him anymore.  Ironically, even though she hurt him, hurting Michael wasn’t her intention.  Quite honestly, she didn’t care about him enough to even try.  He didn’t mean anything to her.  Correction, he meant as much to her as anyone else in Section One (Walter, Birkoff, Madeline and Operations included) - fodder for Section.  They were all there to serve the greater good.  Whatever Section demanded they had to accept willingly.  Nikita couldn’t understand how anyone could feel differently.  It didn’t bother her either that operatives and recruits alike steered clear of her or gave her at times sympathetic and at times repulsed looks.  She didn’t care, she did her job and that’s all she needed.

 

Nikita, annoyed at the interruption to her solitude, hoped that the only reason Michael had come by to talk to her about her new material Jarod.  She’d noticed them talking with Birkoff at Comm on her way to debriefing with Madeline.  Perhaps since she’d been away, Michael was checking up on her recruit and now wanted to give her a progress report.  Nikita’s brainwashed mind couldn’t fathom talking to anyone anymore unless it was strictly Section related.

 

“I’m exhausted, Michael.” Nikita lied as she opened her door.  “Could we talk tomorrow?  I’m down for the next few days.”

 

“I know.” Michael replied then quickly brought his arm up and shot Nikita with a tranq dart.  Nikita was unconscious before she had even processed what had happened. 

 

********

 

Walter had just finished setting up all the equipment he’d brought over to the abandoned warehouse for Nikita’s de-programming.  Birkoff had already called in to tell him that Michael was on his way with Nikita.  He was now pacing, waiting for them to show up.

 

“Relax, Walter. You’ll tear a hole through the floor if you keep it up.” Said a voice to his right.

 

“Jarod? I must be getting old if people can keep sneaking up on me like this.  Michael didn’t tell me you’d be here. Wait a minute.  How the hell did you get out of Section?” Walter asked suspiciously.

 

“I have my ways.” Jarod replied cryptically.

 

“You’ve been hanging around Michael too long, you’re starting to sound like him.” Walter muttered. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Just making sure things go smoothly.”

 

“You know, Michael never really explained why you’re doing this.  What’s in it for you anyway?”

 

“Insurance.”  Jarod replied.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Jarod was saved from having to respond when the door opened and Michael walked in carrying an unconscious Nikita.

 

“Never leave anything to chance?” Michael addressed Jarod as he walked over to the hospital bed in the center of the one-story warehouse and laid Nikita gently unto it.

 

“I just wanted to make sure everything was going according to plan. I tend to get compulsive about things like that.”

 

“I understand.” Michael appreciated Jarod’s philosophy. He shared the same one.  Even now, it was difficult asking for help.  Even though he knew everyone in this room as well as Birkoff back in Comm could be trusted and wanted to help Nikita almost as much as he did, it was still difficult for Michael to allow and accept their help.

 

“How long has she been out?” Jarod inquired, getting down to business.

 

“Half an hour.” Michael answered.

 

“Good, she should be out another hour.  Put the restraints on and we’ll go over the meds she’ll need for the next twenty four hours.” Jarod said, already setting up the various drugs for the IV’s. “I’ll do the first batch while you watch.  In an hour, I’ll watch you do the second batch.”

 

“How long are you covered out of Section?” Michael queried.

 

“It’ll be another hour and a half before I’m missed.”

 

“Cutting it close.” Michael returned.

 

“Nah, not really.  I’ve been in tighter spots before.  But thanks for the concern.” Jarod smiled.  “I’m sure it’s my safety rather than Nikita’s recovery that you’re worried about.” 

 

“I’m *concerned* about both.” Michael didn’t take offense at Jarod’s comment.  He could understand the pretender’s apprehension. He’d feel the same in his position.  It seemed that neither man was very trusting.  And that was certainly understandable given their backgrounds.  Neither Section One nor the Centre were very conducive to fostering trust or any other constructive emotion.

 

“Thank you.” Jarod replied, understanding and believing Michael’s reply for what it was, genuine concern for perhaps not a friend, but at the very least an ally.  “Let’s get started, I want you to watch closely, you’ll need to repeat what I’m about to do for the next nine hours, at one hour intervals.”  Jarod continued filling up variously labeled syringes with the different chemicals needed to break Nikita from her brainwashing.

 

“Will she be conscious?” Michael asked, forestalling Walter who was standing right next to him watching as intently as Michael.

 

“No.  The combination of the drugs will keep her under.  She should wake up approximately two hours after the last dose.  That’s when the real battle begins.”  Jarod replied as he finished injecting his ‘concoction’ into the IV line.  “When she does wake, Nikita will be going through withdrawal.  The maintenance program they were using on her was particularly nasty and designed to ensure that the adjustment was permanent.  Another few weeks and it would have been irreversible.  You’ll have to keep her restrained for the first day, no matter what.  She’ll do or say anything to get you to release her.   The first twenty four hours will be the worst.  I can’t be sure as to Nikita’s precise reactions as I’ve never come across this exact combination of drugs and therapy before.  I *can* assure you that it won’t be pretty.  Once Nikita can get past the first twenty four hours, she should improve and slowly come out of it.   It’ll take another 48 hours or so for her to revert back to some semblance of her old self.”

 

“And that’s it?  She’ll be completely de-programmed in 72 hours?” Walter eagerly interrupted.

 

“Nothing is ever that simple, is it?” Michael countered, answering Walter’s question while inserting one of his own.

 

“No.” Jarod confirmed, sadly.  “Nikita won’t be back to ‘normal’ in three days. She’ll just be starting her recovery then.  It’s going to take some time before everything is completely out of her system.” Jarod continued.  “The chemicals I’ve had to use aren’t pleasant either.  There are better and easier ways, but they would take time.  Time that we don’t have.  You’ll have to cover for her for a while.”

 

“Could you be any more vague?” Walter interjected, sarcastically.

 

“As I said,” Jarod continued calmly, knowing that Walter’s impatience was out of concern for Nikita.  “Nikita will be out for another twelve hours, while her system saturates the ‘antidote.’   Once it’s saturated, her emotions, *all of them,* will start to resurface.  That’s when it will get ugly.  She’ll be disoriented and angry at first. She’ll lash out at the nearest target. That’s why you’ll need to keep her restrained.  Also, don’t give her anything to eat or drink besides the juices I left on the table.  They’ve got chemicals that should speed her recovery.  Nikita should be able to get her emotions back under some control within twenty four hours. To make sure I’ll need to test her blood again.”

 

“And then?”  Michael questioned succinctly, getting to the heart of the matter.

 

“Then recovery starts.” Jarod replied. “She’ll probably have periods of extreme emotional release for a couple of weeks.”

 

“What kind of emotions?” Michael asked already planning contingencies for covering up any of Nikita’s possible emotional outbursts.

 

“The whole gamut.  Fear and anger, joy and sorrow and everything in between.  You should have a little bit of warning ahead of time. You’ll see her eyes glaze over before it starts.  You won’t know ahead of time what’s bursting forth, so you’ll need to prepare for anything.  Nikita should also be able to feel an attack coming on.  With her acting skills, she should be able to hide them.”

 

“You keep saying should, not will.” Michael interrupted.

 

“I know.  I’ve analyzed the chemicals and procedures used in the adjustment.  I know what each can do.  However, as I’ve said, I’ve never seen this combination.  Even with analysis and several dozen simulations I can only give an educated guess as to treatment and results.”

 

“We understand.” Michael replied, speaking for himself, Nikita, Walter and Birkoff. AIt’s still a better chance than we had previously thought.”  Michael finished, knowing that the pretender’s educated guess was better than most people’s facts.

 

“So what now?” Walter asked, his thoughts turning away from contemplation of the difficult weeks ahead and back to the present.

 

“Now we wait.” Jarod replied, sitting down on one of the straight back chairs, finding a comfortable position to sit in while waiting the hour until the next dose of ‘medicine’ was due.

 

********

 

Twenty minutes had passed since Jarod had injected Nikita’s IV.  Walter had taken the opportunity to get some rest.  He figured that this would be his last opportunity to do so for the next three days.  He knew Michael would be here when Nikita regained consciousness and remain through the worst of the ‘withdrawal’, but he figured Michael would need all the help he could get with Nikita once she woke up.  She could be a hell cat as it was, now with Jarod explaining the after affects of the de-programming, he figured he best be well rested for when the withdrawal started.

 

“So,” Jarod inquired, breaking the ensuing silence Walter’s departure created. “What are your plans for the future?”

 

“Plans?” Michael asked, blandly, watching the sleeping Nikita from a nearby chair.

 

“Yes.  Operations and Madeline will find out what’s happened eventually.  Whether by their own observations or from Lyle...”

 

“Why Lyle?” Michael interrupted.

 

“Well, that inside help at the Centre I was telling you about.”  Jarod paused.  “They altered Lyle’s copy of the cloning formula, it’s useless now.  Lyle will find out about it soon. Unfortunately, Lyle isn’t an idiot, once he realizes it’s a fake, I’m sure one of his first calls, will be to Madeline.  It won’t take long for her start questioning things on her end.”

 

‘I have contingencies in place.”

 

‘I hope so, I wouldn’t want any of you canceled after all the hard work I’ve done.” Jarod smiled, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

 

“And your future plans?” Michael questioned, changing the subject.

 

“Same as they have been for the last four years - find my family...”

 

“While offering aid to those in need along the way.” Michael finished for him.

 

“Yeah, well I wouldn’t be me otherwise.”

 

“I don’t suppose you’d care to give away your Section egress and ingress secrets?” Michael smiled sardonically after several minutes of silence, attempting to lighten the mood himself.

 

“Check your office after I leave, you’ll find some interesting micro discs.” Jarod replied cryptically. “In case your contingency plans fall through.” Not that Jarod expected that to be the case.  Michael was a planner, perhaps even more so than himself.  Jarod was sure that Michael’s ‘contingencies’ were already well in place.

 

Both men once again lapsed into silence, busy with their own thoughts.  Jarod began contemplating his next move once he was out of Section.  He thought he had a lead on his father from an old military buddy of Major Charles that Jarod found had kept in touch with the major over the years.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have any leads on his mother and sister.  So far, he had reached nothing but dead ends.

 

Michael contemplated how he could repay Jarod for his kindness.  Michael realized that whatever Jarod’s initial motives for coming into Section in the first place, he didn’t have to help Nikita.  He could have been selfish - done what he had to do and left with no one the wiser.  Although Michael would have liked to believe otherwise (the old Nikita’s influence he was sure), he knew that he himself would have done just that - came in, did what was necessary and left not caring whether or not he could help anybody along the way. 

 

Michael had built up many resources and connections while in Section One over the last ten years, some that Section didn’t even know about.  Perhaps he could find a solid lead on his family for Jarod.  After all, if he had been able to find the pretender’s trail two years ago, finding the family *should* be easier.  Messier or Brosius might know something, they’d given him solid information regarding the Centre’s dealings in the past, information that had allowed Michael (and the Section) to stay one step ahead of their friendly competitors at the Centre.

 

Michael knew he’d have only a couple of days to dig up information for Jarod on his father.  The two men had agreed that it would be best for Jarod to leave as soon as de-programming was complete.  No sense in leaving now and setting unwanted alarms.  As soon as Jarod examined Nikita at the end of their self-imposed seventy two hour deadline and confirmed her ‘return,’ he’d take his leave.  

 

Michael had already made sure that any upcoming missions he’d be needed for did not require him on site.  He’d be overseeing tactical for three missions from Comm once he returned from his down time.  In between he’d see what he could dig up for Jarod. So Michael wouldn’t be getting any sleep for the next few days, it was something he was used to in his long tenure at Section.

 

********

 

Another hour had passed.

 

Jarod had watched Michael administer the ‘cocktail’ Jarod had concocted for Nikita’s de-programming.  Satisfied with what he observed, Jarod had left for Section with explicit instructions for Michael to contact him through Birkoff if Nikita’s reactions were outside of the parameters Jarod had outlined.

 

********

 

“Jarod?” Sydney questioned anxiously, picking up his cell phone on the very first ring. 

 

“Is everything ready?” Jarod returned without preamble, knowing that he didn’t even have to ask if they were on a secured line away from prying eyes and ears.

 

“Yes, Lyle’s copy of the cloning formula has been altered and is useless.” Sydney paused.  “What are you planning Jarod?”

 

“You altered Lyle’s formula, you didn’t destroy it?”

 

“Broots thought it would be better.  No alarms set off, at least not until the formula was found to be useless.  I must say that I agree.” Sydney explained, not telling the pretender that it was actually Miss Parker’s idea, not Broots.  He knew that Jarod did not trust Miss Parker even though she abhorred the idea of cloning and was herself relieved when Jarod kidnaped his clone and took him away from the Centre.

 

“You’re right Sydney, that was a better idea.” Jarod conceded, already changing his plans for Lyle based on this new information.  “Don’t worry Syd, by the time I’m through with him, Lyle won’t be causing any of us any trouble.”  Jarod finished, hanging up the phone and preparing to sneak back into Section One undetected.

 

“Well?” Miss Parker asked succinctly after Sydney had hung up with the wayward pretender.

 

“He said not to worry, he’d take care of Lyle.” Sydney briefly looked up at Miss Parker and Broots, contemplating what Jarod might have in store for Lyle.  ‘Interesting that Jarod specified that Bobby Lyle would no longer be a threat to not just anyone, but rather to them personally.  ‘Blackmail perhaps?’ Sydney mused while Miss Parker continued to pace with Broots following her every step.

 

********

 

Once Jarod left, Michael set to work.  He had ten hours.  Walter was in the back of the warehouse, resting up for the long struggle ahead. 

 

“Birkoff.” Michael spoke softly into Walter’s specially made comm unit, waiting for the computer wiz to acknowledge him when Comm was sufficiently clear.

 

“Go ahead, I’ve got a two minute window.” Birkoff returned a few minutes later.

 

“I need intel on The Centre.”

 

“What kind of intel?”

 

“All of it.” Michael replied patiently.

 

“Of course all of it, why did I even bother asking.”  Birkoff muttered, expecting Michael to ignore his sarcasm as he usually did.  “Anything in particular I should be looking for?”

 

“References to cloning as well as Major Charles and his family.”

 

“Major Charles?”

 

“Yes.” Michael confirmed.  “I’ll contact you in six hours.”  Michael finished, giving Birkoff ample time to gather all the information he could.  In the meantime, he’d use the next six hours to further his plans regarding Oversight and Section.  Once he had Birkoff’s intel he’d read it himself and contact his own sources before he returned to Section for the upcoming missions. 

 

“Gee, Michael, thanks. A whole six hours, in between everything else going on around here.” Birkoff replied.

 

“No fingerprints, their cybergeek is as good as you are if not better.” Michael returned with a slight smile (taking his comm unit off before Birkoff mouthed off again), knowing this would provoke the younger man to be even more careful about leaving electronic fingerprints than he normally was.

 

********

 

“Birkoff, report.” Michael spoke softly into his comm unit six hours later and once again sat patiently, waiting for the computer wiz to respond.  He’d done all he could to further his own agenda from the confines of the abandoned warehouse.  He’d have to make a few stops on the way back to the Section, after he made sure that Nikita was on her way to recovery.  He’d told his co-conspirators that he had to be back in Section in thirty hours, but one of the things that Michael had done over the last few hours, had been to change the profile and parameters on his next mission so as to give him a few extra hours before he had to show up for briefing.  

 

The tricky part was to increase the POS significantly with the new profile, enough to warrant the changes and alleviate any suspicion regarding tampering.  Michael, though, was a master strategist and tactician and successfully pulled it off.  He’d given himself a few extra hours leeway for any contingencies, including gleaning information from various contacts to help him track down Jarod’s family. 

 

Working from the warehouse had an added bonus: while Section wouldn’t be able to trace his signal, they *would* see that he was ‘working’.  They would believe that he was, as usual, busy with his Section duties, even on downtime.  Too busy, in fact to try anything regarding Nikita.

 

Remembering his parting comment to Birkoff the last time they spoke, Michael almost smiled. He knew that Birkoff would take his earlier remark as the challenge that it was meant to be.  He *knew* that Birkoff would not let himself be caught ‘snooping’.  Besides Michael had a feeling that Jarod would ‘sanitize’ the Centre’s mainframe much the same way he had sanitized the Section’s mainframe after the last round of digging he and Birkoff had attempted.  Jarod was as cautious as he himself was. 

 

Michael had surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, begun to find more and more similarities between himself and the pretender.  He attributed it to the fact that both of them had spent the better part of their lives in similar hells.  As he found out more  about the Centre, Michael realized that it was no better and as much a prison as Section was.

 

Michael’s respect for the pretender had grown over the last few days.  How the man had managed to keep, among other things, his sanity and soul in the Centre was a mystery.  At least Michael had a childhood, at least had the chance to grow up in a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional (whose wasn’t) family.  Jarod, on the other hand, whose only ‘crime’ was being a prodigy, was kidnaped as a child and had to spend his childhood and adulthood in a living hell. 

 

Michael supposed that it had been Sydney, Jarod’s Centre contact and informant, who had tried to instill some quality of life into Jarod’s existence in that oppressive environment, simultaneously testing, teaching and mentoring the genius pretender.  He supposed that Sydney was probably most responsible for Jarod’s fortitude and strength of character.  If not for the older man, Jarod would have probably become as cynical, bitter and ruthless as the Centre’s hierarchy and Michael himself had been before Nikita entered his life.

 

His musings at an end, he waited patiently for Birkoff’s report.

 

********

 

“Walter.” Michael called, gently tugging on the man’s arm and stepping away, knowing that an operative’s reflexes always stayed sharp, no matter how old they were.  “I administered the last dose.  Nikita will be up soon.”  He finished, already on the way back to Nikita’s bedside before the statement was out of his mouth.

 

“Give me ten minutes, I’ll be right there.” Walter replied, the last remnants of sleep disappearing upon mention of his ‘Sugar.’

 

Walter knew that the next twenty-four hours would be hell.  He again cursed Section for what they’d done to Nikita.  The more years he spent in the Section, the more disgusted he grew with the place.  ‘No, not the place,’ Walter amended, ‘but the leaders.’   Walter knew Section could never be paradise, but it seemed to him lately that it had become a living hell for most of its inhabitants. 

 

Operations and Madeline became more and more ruthless as the years went by, certainly more ruthless than was necessary.  Did they really believe that Michael and Nikita would plot a coup d’état behind their backs?  Were they that paranoid? Were they that blind and stupid?  Madeline prided herself on her psych ops abilities, how could she have been so wrong?  Did the Philo mission scare them?  Were the operatives too loyal to Michael?  Walter didn’t think so.  It seemed to Walter that they’d waited as long as they could before the so-called mutiny.  Besides if that was the case, they would have done something to Michael as a lesson to the others.  And with their level of paranoia they would have done it a lot sooner.

 

No, it had to be something else.  Whatever it was, it didn’t matter, Walter finished his musings, that duo had gone too far.  When all of this was over, Walter would convince Michael to do something, for their sake as well as Section’s.  He was sure the younger man had revenge on his mind anyway.  He could see it in his eyes.  The camel’s back had broken.  The irony of the situation did not escape Walter.  Nikita’s re-programming, the maneuver that the duo thought would finally make Michael submit to them completely, was probably the beginning of the end for them.  Walter had no doubt in his mind that Michael would not let them get away with this.

 

********

 

Walter came to Nikita’s bedside a few minutes later and sat down on her left, opposite of Michael.

 

“Get any sleep since Jarod left?”  Walter asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“No.” Michael replied.

 

“And you won’t in the next twenty four hours, will you?” Walter continued without waiting for a reply, hurrying to finish his speech before Michael stopped him.  “Hell, knowing you, you won’t be getting *any* rest for the next three days.  Contrary to most of Section personnel’s belief, yourself included I might add, you’re not The Terminator.  Even *you* need a respite once in a while.”

 

“I’ll be fine.” Michael stubbornly replied, as Walter mentally mouthed the words at the same time.

 

“Of course you will.” Walter grumbled sarcastically before the two men lapsed into silence waiting for Nikita to wake up.

 

Both men had instructions to call Jarod if anything outside of the parameters he’d outlined happened.  Michael was confident that wouldn’t happen.  As he’d realized earlier, Jarod was as meticulous a planner as he himself was.  Besides, Michael had gone over all the materials that Jarod had and while he was not in the pretender’s league when it came to medicine and chemistry - in Michael’s opinion no one came close to Jarod in several disciplines - he understood enough to know that there shouldn’t be any problems. 

 

Michael once again reflected that he’d owe the pretender quite a bit once this was over.  As thorough as Michael always was, he had to admire Jarod’s thoroughness as well.  The pretender had gone over every contingency that could possibly happen over the next few days, including scenarios in which certain Section personnel could get too close to the truth and planned around it.  Not surprisingly, Michael had had to make very few adjustments in Jarod’s ‘work.’  As good as the pretender was, Michael’s skills in strategy and profiling were surpassed by none, especially when it came to something he *really* wanted.

 

Nikita’s slight stirring, signaling her eminent return to consciousness, brought both Michael and Walter out of their individual musings and into the present as both men waited for the inevitable explosion.

 

Nikita’s ascent into consciousness was faster than anyone in the abandoned warehouse would have liked.  When she awoke, her first sensation was blinding pain and it showed.  The two men, one on either side of the hospital bed she was lying in, prepared for the onslaught.

 

As soon as the pain decreased to a tolerable level and coherent thought was possible, Nikita immediately looked around, surveying her surroundings and noted that she was in restraints.

 

“What have you done?” Nikita questioned sharply, encompassing in those four words all the ‘w’s’ - who, what, where, when and why?

 

“You’re safe.” Michael replied, readying himself for the questions ahead, while Walter stood up and quietly moved away, knowing that Michael would want to do this part on his own. 

 

“Safe from what?”

 

“From Section.” Michael paused. “From yourself.”  Michael concluded, explaining the restraints in his customary succinct speech.

 

“I have nothing to hide from Section.” Nikita replied, a hint of frustration already coloring her voice.

 

“You will.”

 

“Look, Michael.” Nikita interrupted. AI want out of here. Whatever you’re attempting is not going to work.  I haven’t been ‘adjusted’ and even if I had, *I* don’t care, so why do you?”

 

“You don’t care?” Michael echoed.

 

“No.” Nikita replied with more surety than she was feeling at the moment, beginning her tirade. “I like myself better this way. No emotions, no fears, no desires to color my judgement.  I would have thought that you of all people would understand.  It’s the way you’ve been living, isn’t it? Good enough for you, but not for me?” Nikita questioned hoping Michael would see her ‘logic.’

 

“You told me that it wasn’t living or don’t you remember?”

 

“I remember *everything* Michael.  Including all your deceptions, lies and half truths.  They don’t bother me anymore. I don’t care about *you* or the past anymore.” Nikita added, intending to hurt.  “Why can’t you accept that and let me move on?”

 

“Because it’s not who you are.” Michael replied, swallowing his pain at her words and purposely echoing the words she’d spoken to him after he’d lost his memory at the hands of a Red Cell interrogator, noting the brief flicker in Nikita’s eyes as she struggled not to react.

 

“It’s who I am now.”

 

“It doesn’t have to be.”

 

“Even though it’s what I want?” Nikita interrupted, again lashing out at her favorite target over the past five years.  “But then, it’s always been about what *you* wanted, what *you* were willing to give.  Maybe I got tired of it and welcomed my supposed adjustment?”

 

“Why?” Michael questioned Nikita, refusing to succumb to the pain of her words while knowing they were true.  The fact that Nikita was using this tactic actually heartened him even more than it pained him.  He knew that they had gotten past all this in their brief relationship.  Had they not been able to and had Nikita not finally trusted Michael with more than just her life, they would never have had *any* kind of meaningful relationship.  And however brief, thanks to Section One, their relationship was, it *was* very meaningful.  Nikita emoting and using past insecurities to goad him at least showed Michael that Nikita’s emotions were surfacing and that was a good sign.

 

“Why what?” Nikita questioned, confusion and exasperation clearly showing in her eyes.

 

“Why welcome it?”

 

“I told you already.”  Nikita stated angrily.

 

“What about life?” Michael interrupted.  “You don’t miss it?”

 

“I have a life.” Nikita replied.

 

“Section.”

 

“Yes, Section. It’s all I need. It used to be all you ever needed.”

 

“Is that what you want? To be like me?” Michael questioned, neither admitting nor denying the truth of that statement. It *had* been all he needed, until Nikita came along.  This was his chance to repay Nikita for bringing him back to life when those around him, himself included, thought that *he* was dead, on the inside at least.

 

“I’m better than you, Michael.  You’re weak, you pretend not to feel, not to hurt.  I don’t have to pretend, I *don’t* feel, I *don’t* hurt”

 

“You don’t live either.” Michael replied, knowing that if Nikita’s emotions were truly surfacing, a life inside and outside of Section, their rules be damned, would be a priority and therefore a good first step in bringing her back.  A ‘life’ was something that she’d been fighting for since her recruitment. If she could be made to remember that, then she could be made to remember that she *had* achieved her own corner of peace and relative happiness inside this hell and that that peace and happiness were worth regaining.

 

********

 

Twelve hours had passed since Nikita had woken up.  Unfortunately for Michael and Walter they were not peaceful hours.  She had finally fallen into an exhausted albeit fitful sleep a few minutes ago. 

 

Walter was pacing already, the adrenaline rush from keeping up with Nikita the last half day preventing him from resting and preparing for the next round.  As much pain as Nikita had caused Walter with some of her antics, that had been nothing compared to the amount of pain Michael had patiently and stoically withstood.

 

Walter was sometimes amazed by the depth of Michael’s devotion to Nikita.  He always knew the younger man had an infinite amount of patience, but this devotion to Nikita was almost surprising.  He didn’t want to listen in on their conversation, but he couldn’t help it.  The abandoned warehouse carried every sound and voice.  Every biting remark, every hateful word that came out of Nikita’s mouth carried throughout the warehouse.

 

Jarod had said that it wouldn’t be pretty and that fear and anger would be driving Nikita when she awoke, but Walter had not expected this much venom from ‘his Sugar.’  Every one of Nikita’s negative feelings towards Michael over the years came pouring out.  And Michael, in typical fashion, took it stoically, believing it was well deserved.

 

Walter was surprised that Michael had not asked him to leave so that his pain would remain private.  Walter supposed that this was just more evidence to suggest that the dam had finally broken.  Michael had finally had enough and sat back no longer.  It had taken a direct attack on Nikita, but Michael was finally taking back his life.  Michael had taken much abuse in his climb up the food chain in Section One.  He’d always kept everything inside, rarely did he externalize *any* emotions.  Had the top duo left Nikita alone and continued ‘abusing’ Michael, Walter honestly believed that Michael would accept any ‘punishment’ as his due, his penance.

 

********

 

Walter smiled as his thoughts turned to Michael’s tenure in Section One.  He remembered the then twenty five year old level two transfer from Section Three.  He’d already reached level two faster than anyone else.  That fact combined with him being a prison recruit had some in Section Three wary.  Michael was transferred to Section One to alleviate the tension in Three.  Of course, given his already impressive skills in the field, strategy and tactical, it was only a matter of time before he was transferred into One anyway.  After all, it was where the ‘best of the best’ were.

 

Walter’s smile faded as he remembered the trials Section One had put Michael through when he had arrived.  Since his first moments in One, Michael had been constantly tested.  Even though Michael was a damn good level two operative already when he arrived, Operations and Madeline decided to ‘re-train’ him.

 

Michael’s first hurdle had been Jurgen, who even back then had been a high level special op.  It wasn’t Michael’s skills that were in question but rather his psyche.  Madeline and Operations had been worried that Michael was too good, even at the relatively tender age of twenty five.  Madeline had decided that the best course of action as far as Section One was concerned was to break Michael and then build him back up to her specifications.  She used Jurgen and his sometimes brutal methods to that end. 

 

 

Jurgen was at first ‘gentle’ with Michael, building trust and friendship.  As good and intelligent as Michael was, he was easy prey for Jurgen who had spent the better part of his years in service to Section breaking operatives, re-building them the way Section wanted them and then judging whether they were fit for duty or cancellation.  Michael took to Jurgen, believing he had found a friend in the more seasoned operative and suffered the consequences.

 

Walter had liked Michael well enough in the beginning.  But Michael had always been rather reserved.  Nothing like he was now, but not exactly extroverted either.  As he had once told Nikita, he was never sure whether or not Michael was part of his five percent club.  There were moments of pure ruthlessness on Michael’s part as far back as Walter could remember.  Those moments were prevalent in Michael’s early years.

 

Knowing what he knew about Michael now, Walter sadly realized that Michael had just done what he needed to do to advance.  Michael knew from the beginning that in Section One advancement was the only way to stay alive.  Had he taken the time to really ‘study’ the younger man, Walter would have long ago realized that Michael did indeed belong to his club. 

 

As much as Walter liked to believe otherwise, he knew that no matter his impressions of Michael in his early days, there was nothing he could have done to help him.  Warning Michael about Jurgen’s deceptions would have only gotten himself into trouble.

 

Walter’s thoughts once again turned to the distant past.  When Simone had come into his life, Michael had changed.  The change was subtle, but enough to increase Madeline’s worrying enough that she was prepared to use her trump card - Jurgen.  Michael had begun to configure his profiles with more attention to saving lives - operatives and innocents alike.  This did not sit well with Section’s top dogs.

 

When Michael and Simone had married, they tried to hide it.  Walter had always been fond of Simone, almost as much as Nikita.  The only person they had told about their marriage besides Walter had been Jurgen.  Simone had always had reservations about the man, but Michael had managed to convince her that Jurgen was trustworthy.  That misconception had turned the tide in Section’s favor.

 

Within hours of telling Jurgen the good news, the newlyweds were called into Operations’ aerie.  When they came out they weren’t the same.  Simone was sent out on an undercover mission that had lasted for over six months.  By the time she came back, Michael was already ‘dating’ Elena.  Both knew that to question their assignments would at the very least mean a permanent transfer for one or the other or at the very worst cancellation. 

 

Michael had immediately realized that Jurgen betrayed them, but it was too late.  Michael, the ‘machine man’ was already born.  Other than Simone, he distanced himself from everyone in Section.  The last straw had been Simone’s ‘death’. It was Jurgen who had convinced Michael that he and Simone did not need back up on their mission against Glass Curtain.  It was after that fateful mission that both Michael and Jurgen had changed.  One for the better and one for the worse.   

 

After his wife’s death, Michael truly had become a machine.  As Walter had once told Nikita, Michael shut down completely.  He continued to play the loving husband to Elena, but only because that’s what the mission required.  Other than giving orders, Michael never talked to anyone anymore.  Walter had tried, but could not get through Michael’s shields.  Operations and Madeline were, of course, pleased.  Thank god Nikita had quickly managed to burrow under Michael’s defenses and bring him somewhat back to life.

 

Jurgen, on the other hand, had changed for the better.  Jurgen was never a ‘bad guy’ per say.  His part in Michael’s ‘training’ was orchestrated by Madeline.  Jurgen followed her profile in order to survive - he did what he had to, what he was ordered to.  Guilt is what turned Jurgen around - guilt in his role in Simone’s ‘death’ and Michael’s subsequent shut down.  It was then that Jurgen had started blackmailing the Section.  He had become sick and tired of their games and had decided to have as much a life for himself as was possible in the hell known as Section One. Blackmail was the only way to do it.  Ironically, Walter drew closer to Jurgen and farther from Michael.

 

Jurgen had tried to make amends with Michael, but Michael never really forgave him.  Nikita’s return to Section after everyone had thought she was dead was almost a curse as much as a blessing.  Walter had blamed Michael for what he thought was Nikita’s death.

 

It had been Jurgen who had finally told Walter the truth about Nikita’s six month absence, but by then the dye had been cast.  Section’s plans to bring Jurgen in line had already begun, with Michael a willing participant.  Nikita had already picked Jurgen over Michael, partly as payback and partly because of Jurgen’s openness versus Michael’s silence.  Scant days later Jurgen was dead.

 

At the time, Walter had believed that the bond Section’s top operative had had with his former material was irrevocably broken.  It took a long time for the wounds to heal, Michael’s blood cover certainly not helping the situation, but heal they did.

 

Just when the two operatives had found some semblance of peace and happiness, Section One had to interfere again.

 

********

 

As distracted as Walter had been with his memories, he hadn’t realized how quiet it had gotten in the abandoned warehouse.  Pulling out of his reverie, he walked quietly over to Michael who was sitting beside Nikita’s bed once again, watching her sleep.

 

Michael silently motioned to Walter to be quiet, lest they wake up Nikita.  The two men walked over to the far corner of the warehouse where they quietly conversed.

 

“What happened?” Walter asked.

 

“She’s asleep.”

 

“I can see that.” Walter nearly shouted out of frustration. 

 

‘She’s exhausted.” Michael elaborated for Walter’s benefit, trying to keep his pain hidden.

 

‘Look Michael,” Walter began gently. “I’m not gonna lie to you and tell you I didn’t hear or see anything.  I know that you understand that Nikita isn’t being herself, hasn’t been herself for months.  But I also know, that no matter what you know in your head, some of the things Nikita has said and done lately, especially today, have hurt a lot of people.  Especially you.” Walter paused, watching Michael’s mask start to crumble. 

 

“You know you can trust me Michael, if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” Walter went on, his own eyes misting over at the pain that even Michael’s formidable mask couldn’t hide now. AI know you’ve always had doubts about yourself.  Hell, I’ve had doubts about you myself.  But now’s not the time for ‘em.  You two have gotten past everything, you’ve buried the hatchet and the skeletons.  Don’t let doubt dig ‘em up again. Nikita loves you, Michael, she came to terms with your past and so called dark side a long time ago.  Don’t beat yourself up over anything she said.  Nikita forgave you a long time ago.  What you heard today was fear talking.  She’s coming out of the programming and she’s scared.  You can’t let her see your pain.  You can’t let her think that she caused it.  If Nikita believes that you’re in pain and she was the cause of it, she won’t be able to forgive herself for it, let alone for anything else she’d done over the last few months.

 

“I know you know all of this, Michael.  I’m just reminding you.” Walter continued, heartened to see the pain receding from the younger man’s eyes, knowing he was helping Michael come to terms with the distant and recent past. “Besides, if you two don’t ‘kiss and make up,’ the top dogs will have won.  They’ve done all this crap to keep you two unbalanced and distracted cuz they’re afraid of you.  Maybe, now’s the time to show ‘em they were right to be scared.” Walter finished, hoping for a reaction.

 

For once in his long association with the level five operative, Walter actually correctly predicted Michael’s behavior.   The pain that had been emanating from Michael’s eyes and posture was no more.  It had been replaced by a hint of anger and more importantly, steely resolve.  It seemed that Section’s top dogs had finally succeeded in breaking Michael the operative.  What they’d miscalculated were the consequences. 

 

Before his features had returned to his usual blank mask, Walter glimpsed revenge and death in Michael’s changeable gray-green gaze. ‘Guess the dam finally broke and Michael is ready for war’. Walter thought to himself. 

 

Now that Michael was back on the right track, Walter breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.  Now, it was Nikita’s turn.  She’d need all their help, but especially Michael’s if she were to truly heal. Walter could only hope that once the drugs were out of her system, his Sugar wouldn’t remember the pain she had caused her friends the last few months and more importantly, the pain she had caused Michael these last few hours because while he himself, Michael and Birkoff would forgive her in a minute, it was far from certain that Nikita would forgive herself.  She would not use the programming as an excuse for her actions.  She’d lay enough of the blame on herself to

feel guilty for a long while, even if everyone, including god himself, told her otherwise.

 

********

 

“Michael?” Nikita asked softly, waking up from a fitful sleep.  Her blue-eyed gaze immediately fell to the man lightly dozing in the chair at the side of her bed.

 

“How do you feel?” Michael returned, quickly coming awake.

 

“I don’t know.  Where are we?  Why am I in restraints?”

 

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

 

“I don’t...” Nikita paused, trying to sort out elusive memories.  “I remember a mission, the Genefex building...Operations ordering a side mission.”  She continued haltingly, the pieces falling together slowly.  “I went upstairs and Madeline was waiting for me...Oh my god, they know Michael, they know we’re together.”  Nikita almost screamed in alarm.

 

“It’s okay, Nikita.” Michael tried to reassure the distraught blonde.  “You’ve been out of it for a while.”  Michael continued, trying to delay the inevitable explanation until Nikita was calmer. Jarod had recently explained to Michael in an e-mail that he’d been able to run a few more tests. If they were lucky and Nikita was the fighter he imagined her to be, then when she woke up after the initial saturation period she would be back to her normal self.  And if they were *really* lucky, she wouldn’t remember anything past the initial adjustment, even the event itself blurred.

 

For once, it seemed, that luck was on the side of the small group of operatives.  Nikita had no memory of her post programming behavior.  Now the three concerned operatives, Michael especially, would be able to break things to Nikita gently, perhaps even sparing her the worst of her actions and behavior of the last couple of months.

 

Knowing that he was limited in time, Michael began telling Nikita about her adjustment and its repercussions especially for the people closest to her.  Michael could only hope that he’d be able to explain things quickly enough and have some time with Nikita afterwards to help her readjust before he had to return to Section.

 

********

 

As Michael was explaining to Nikita all that had transpired over the last few months, at least all that had been agreed upon by Michael, Walter and Birkoff, Walter decided to take a walk.  As soon as he heard the two young operatives talking and reassured himself that his Sugar was really back, he left the warehouse and took a long walk around the neighborhood.  He’d told the two inside that he was checking the perimeter but they all knew that he was just giving them their privacy.

 

Walter thought about their precarious situation again.  He knew that Michael and Nikita’s discussion would be painful for them.  He also knew that Michael would spare as much of the pain as he could for Nikita - after all he’d been doing that ever sincce the blonde operative had been recruited into Section. 

 

As much as both Walter and Michael would have liked to believe that they could spare Nikita the worst of her recent behavior and its repercussions, they also realized deep down that they were just deluding themselves.  One of Nikita’s best and most annoying qualities was her tenaciousness, she would not let go until all her questions were answered and everything was out in the open.

 

Furthermore, if they had any hope of fooling the head honchos for any length of time, Nikita had to act as though nothing had changed, as though she was still ‘adjusted’.  In order for her to do that she’d have to be aware of her recent behavior.  And once that dam was opened, there was no going back, the truth - all of it - would have to come out.  Walter knew that Nikita would keep the worst of her guilt and pain from Michael - not wanting to add to the already fragile level five operative’s emotions.  Walter could only hope that once Michael returned to Section he’d be able to help Nikita through her guilt and pain in the few days they had away from Section. At least help her enough so that when they did have to return, she’d be strong enough to face Operations and Madeline.

 

********

 

Time had run away from the three operatives inside the warehouse.  The last day had been spent healing from the physical and emotional turmoil induced by Operations and Madeline’s paranoia.  Walter was doing the best out of all them.  He’d been in Section the longest.  He was used to their atrocities - more used to it than he was comfortable with, but used to it nonetheless. 

 

While not completely healed, Michael and Nikita were well on their way.  Enough so that Michael, while not happy having to return to Section shortly, was at least confident that Nikita, with Walter’s help, would be sufficiently recovered in the next forty eight hours and be ready to return to Section.  He had confidence in her ability as an actress to fool the head duo long enough for his plans to start coming together.  By then it would be too late for Operations and Madeline to do anything to either of them - or so he hoped.

 

Michael had not gotten any sleep since Nikita awoke.  They had spent the last twenty four hours going over the past, both the recent and the distant.  They once again came to terms with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, their ‘light’ and ‘dark’ sides.  While far from grateful for the reasons behind this renewed understanding, they each realized that, ironically, their bond was now even stronger.

 

While Nikita dozed due to the remnants of the drugs still coursing through her system, Michael worked.  He had known from the beginning that he wouldn’t get any sleep for the better part of a week.  He didn’t mind, on the contrary, he almost relished it.  He certainly thrived on it at least.  His plans for the immediate as well as distant future were almost complete.  A few more cogs in the wheel and they would never have to worry about Madeline or Operations interfering with their lives again.

 

“Michael?” Nikita called immediately upon awakening.

 

“Yes?” Michael turned, his eyes softening and his facial features relaxing as he looked at her love filled gaze.

 

“How long?”

 

“Half an hour at most, probably less. Birkoff confirmed Jarod’s already on his way.” Michael replied knowing Nikita was asking how long they had left before he had to leave.

 

“I still don’t understand why Jarod did this.  I mean I’m grateful but...”

 

“The same reason you’ve always done things the way you have - compassion and humanity.”  Michael returned, trying to keep Jarod’s motives as secret as possible, knowing that’s the way the pretender wanted it.

 

********

 

As Michael and Nikita were sharing their final thoughts before their temporary separation, Jarod was completing his end of the masquerade.  Lyle had been contacted by private e-mail, untraceable of course.  He’d been made aware of the situation as it affected him.  The cloning formula was now useless.  Since he was currently in charge, if the Centre found out how gravely security had been breached, it would be Lyle’s head that would roll - the triumvirate not stopping at removing a thumb this time.  That and the added insurance of his surveillance tapes of Lyle trading Centre secrets (Jarod’s sims included) with Madeline without the triumvirate’s knowledge, authorization or approval, would be enough to keep Lyle off Jarod’s back for quite some time.  After all, the formula would not be needed or its uselessness discovered until Jarod was recaptured.  Lyle now had the best reason of all to make sure the Centre failed to recapture the pretender - his own survival. 

 

As a final ‘request’ for Lyle, Jarod intimated that if anything happened to Sydney, Broots, Angelo, their families or even Miss Parker, Lyle would not enjoy the consequences.  Jarod had a feeling that his staying one step ahead of the Centre would continue for some time without Lyle’s interference.  Jarod would continue to send his pursuers on wild goose chases while in the meantime reminding them of their pasts and hoping their conscience would one day catch up to them enough to let him be.

 

********

 

At the sound of his specialized perimeter’s surveillance insistent whine, Michael turned to the door, his gun out and ready.  Walter had gone for some take out and fresh air.  He had just left so it had to have been Jarod, but Michael as usual, wasn’t taking any chances.

 

“Hello again.” Jarod smiled in greeting, coming into the warehouse with a medical bag.

 

‘It’s okay, Nikita.” Michael reassured the blonde operative, reading her questioning gaze correctly. “You can trust him.”

 

While Michael had told Nikita of the ‘recruit’s’ help these last few days, she was still finding it hard to trust the man.  She’d finally realized not too long ago, that *very* few people, inside of Section or out, could be trusted.  The irony of Michael trusting someone before she could come to that same conclusion was not lost on her.  While it was true that there was something about Jarod and his sometimes almost childlike enthusiasm that reminded her of her early optimism, it was Michael’s implicit trust in the man that enabled her to relax enough for Jarod to examine her.

 

“Well, I have to say that my little concoction worked better than I had hoped.” Jarod stated as he finished examining Nikita.

 

“Thank you.” Nikita turned to the pretender once he was finished, gratitude for her ‘return’ shining in her eyes.

 

“Don’t thank me for that.” Jarod replied, purposely misunderstanding.  “Your quick recovery had more to do with your inner strength and your friends’ dedication than my chemistry.”

 

“I meant thank you for everything.  I can’t even begin to think how to repay for giving me my life back.”

 

“Just do the same for someone else one day, that’s the best way you can repay me.”  Jarod answered with a melancholy smile, remembering the man who had given him similar advise four years ago after helping the pretender escape the Centre the first time around.

 

********

 

Before taking their separate routes back to Section the level five operative and the pretender finalized their plans and solidified their temporary partnership. Both men had similar backgrounds and were trying to break free of that forced background.  Michael was still a prisoner.  Fifteen years of unwavering loyalty; losing two wives and a son, betraying his best friend, submitting repeatedly to torture and enduring countless other hardships just wasn’t enough.  ‘They’ wanted more.  Well, ‘they’ were about to learn that there was nothing more to give.  It was now time to take. 

 

Jarod, while having escaped his forced imprisonment, still wasn’t free.  His life was still overshadowed by the Centre’s darkness.  He was still, like Michael, a prisoner of his circumstances.  While Michael may not have been as innocent as Jarod had been before his ‘incarceration’, Michael had more than paid his dues for past deeds in his fifteen years of service in Section.

 

While these similarities alone did not a friendship make, the two men also realized that personality wise they were also similar.  A fact that they both also attributed to their unfortunate pasts.  One could remain only so much intact after living in hell for most of his life.   Jarod wanted to make sure that no one, not just his clone, had to endure what he had. 

 

Michael, on the other hand, who thanks to Section was more repressed and disillusioned than Jarod, only wanted to make sure that those he cared about stayed safe.  Perhaps if Michael had had a true ally from the start as Jarod had found in Sydney, he’d be more willing to help strangers now.

 

********

 

When Michael walked into Section a few hours later, he found Jarod sitting in Comm and listening intently to his latest computer lesson.

 

Michael, monitoring from afar for a few minutes, noted with amusement that whenever his instructor looked away for a few seconds, thanks to Birkoff’s purposeful distraction, Jarod would screw up the sim on screen.  Whenever the instructor turned to the computer, frowning in consternation, Jarod and Birkoff would exchange a knowing smile or smirk.  Growing up in the Centre had isolated Jarod even more than growing up in Section had isolated Birkoff. It was no wonder the two had bonded, Michael smiled inwardly,  socially the two were on almost the same level - just recently coming out of their protective shells. Michael was glad to see that the pretender had seemingly found another person to call friend. 

 

Turning away from the amusing scene in front of him, Michael walked purposefully towards his customary destination upon returning from down time - Operations’ aerie. To, as always, discuss ‘current events’ and the standard and unavoidable questions Operations and his partner in crime, Madeline, would have concerning his recent down time.

 

Michael entered the aerie and stood at attention, hands clasped loosely in front him, waiting for the interrogation to begin. 

 

To his mild surprise (not that it showed in his blank features), neither Operations nor Madeline asked him any probing questions.  They were so busy with the combined influx of work from the other Sections and Oversight visits that they just updated him on current missions on pad, told him he’d be needed in tactical within the hour for the Rivera mission and to make sure he checked his laptop for up to date intel on that mission before heading to tactical. 

 

Upon exiting the aerie, Michael breathed an inaudible sight of relief.  His plan was working - the head duo were too busy with mundane missions and bureaucratic red tape to pay any attention or ask any of their usual questions upon his return from down time.  He just hoped that it would stay that way for another forty eight hours.

 

Michael headed for his office, closing the door on his way in and securing the room from any surveillance.  He wanted to finalize the intel he had gathered on Jarod’s father, Major Charles, without anyone being the wiser.  Michael had several solid leads and just needed a few more pieces to the puzzle to track down the elusive major.

 

Twenty minutes later, once he was done, Michael de-activated his scrambler and set to work on finalizing the tactical for the Rivera mission.  He’d familiarized himself with the mission ahead of time and needed only fifteen minutes of work before the profile was revised to his satisfaction.

 

********

 

Jarod finished toying with his computer instructor and went off to one the myriad of surveillance free alcoves he had discovered in his time in Section to finalize his plans for the immediate future.

 

“Sydney.” He spoke into the sanitized phone once he reached his destination and the other party picked up from his end.

 

“Jarod.  Still in Section One?” Sydney replied, sitting on a park bench far enough away from the Centre to fend off prying eyes and ears.

 

“Unfortunately.” Jarod replied.  “Not much longer though.”

 

“Good, it’s not a place one wants to remain in for any substantial length of time.” Sydney warned.

 

“I know.  This place actually gives me the creeps, as much as the Centre did.”

 

“May I assume that whatever you’re there for has to do with the cloning data Broots and I altered?”

 

“Yes.” Jarod smiled at his former instructor’s insight.  “It seems that the Centre is not the only organization interested in cloning.”

 

“May I also assume that you’re making sure that Section One loses its copies of that data.”

 

“Something like that.” Jarod answered cryptically, not wanting to divulge too much and possibly somehow get his newfound friends into trouble.

 

“How much longer do you need?” Sydney asked.

 

“A couple of days.  I’ll call you when it’s done.” Jarod ended the conversation not wanting to be late for his martial arts class.

 

After hanging up with Jarod, Sydney hoped and prayed that the pretender knew what he was doing and wouldn’t find himself in trouble with the shadowy anti-terrorist organization.  ‘But then again, when was the last time Jarod had gotten himself into trouble he couldn’t get out of?’ Sydney mused to himself, walking out of the park and back into his own hell, also known as the Centre.  He *almost* felt sorry for Section One for incurring the pretender’s wrath.  But then again, they assuredly deserved it.

 

********

 

As Michael and Jarod were finalizing their plans, Nikita and Walter were ‘talking.’  With Walter’s help, Nikita had finally gotten rid of her misplaced guilt.   She had finally accepted that the responsible parties for her behavior these last few months were Operations and Madeline.

 

Nikita remembered that before Michael returned to Section she had asked him what he was going to do about Madeline and Operations.  She had seen the dangerous glint in his eyes when they talked about her return to Section in two days.  She knew that he had been pushed too far.  Nikita saw that her reprogramming was the last straw.  Michael’s loyalty to Section was no more.  Nikita knew that she wasn’t supposed to ever come out of her adjustment.  She was the alpha test.  Had her adjustment stuck, it would have only been a matter of time before it was attempted all throughout the Section.  She was sure that the top duo had counted on Michael being too distracted looking for an ‘antidote’ to do anything before it was too late.  They were right.  If not for Jarod’s help, Michael, Walter and Birkoff would still be looking for an antidote.  As good as they were, Jarod’s talents in chemistry were unsurpassed.  He had found the solution long before anyone else would have.

 

Nikita was again thankful for the pretender’s help.  She still didn’t know what his true motivations were but she didn’t care right now.  All that mattered was that she was ‘back’ to her old self.  Her only concern now was being able to play the role of a lifetime - fooling Operations and Madeline long enough for Michael’s plans to come to fruition. 

 

Nikita knew she would not fail.  She wouldn’t let herself fail.  It was not only her life at stake but the lives of her friends, especially the life of the man she loved more than life itself.

 

********

 

As the appointed time to Nikita’s re-entrance into Section neared the small group of operatives gathered in the old abandoned warehouse one more time before the curtain rose on their once in a lifetime performance. 

 

Nikita and Walter had had the most time to prepare as they had essentially been ‘down’ for the last forty eight hours.  The two had talked quite a bit while cooped up.  Nikita found out more about the man she often thought of as a father figure. 

 

The time spent together brought them closer.  It even brought her a better understanding of Michael.  Walter had spent over thirty years in Section.  He was one of the lucky ones - he survived.  In a way, things had been easier for Walter in the last several years.  He hadn’t been a field op in quite a long while.  But the stories he had told Nikita were full of horrors, professional and personal. 

 

Through Walter’s stories Nikita learned even more about what it took to survive in Section.  She always knew how difficult it was - through Michael alone she had seen enough pain and sacrifice to bring most to suicide.  She had foolishly believed that somewhere down the line things had to get better.  She had conveniently forgotten the trials and tribulations Walter and Birkoff had been through fairly recently.  Being out of the field did not necessarily prolong your life span or even make it any better for that matter.  She thought back to all she had seen in her five years in Section - the good (what little of it there was) and the bad.  But rather than depress her, her reminiscing strengthened her.

 

She didn’t know for sure if they could fool Operations and Madeline for any length of time, let alone long enough to guarantee an escape from their hell.  They were very good at what they did and they had been doing it for a very long time.  They were not easy to fool, certainly not for any prolonged period of time.  They had far too many skills and resources for that. 

 

One thing though she was sure of now, more than ever, was that no matter how much time she had left, she would spend it with her friends.  And she would spend it with Michael, the man who she knew she loved more than anything - her own life included, the man who riskeed everything to keep her alive physically and emotionally, sometimes against her own will.  She vowed to remain by his side, covering his back for as long as she was able.  She only hoped that it would be for a very long time to come, that their future wouldn’t be cut short by the duo currently in power.

 

********

 

As his time in Section drew to a close Jarod thought about his plans for the Section.  As much as he wanted to bring down Operations and Madeline, he also knew that it wasn’t his place.  The handful of operatives he’d come to know in the last few weeks deserved that honor.  They had been here, surviving in this hell for a long, long time.  Justice was their reward, not his.

 

Jarod was sure that Michael already had a plan in place to bring down those responsible for their current predicament.  The man was a master profiler and tactician, as good as the pretender himself.  Not for the first time, Jarod was glad that they were on the same side.  He was also grateful to Sydney for convincing Michael to give up the search for the escaped pretender two years ago.  Knowing what he now knew about the operative, Jarod was certain that he would, at the very least, had a hard time keeping even one step ahead of the man in black if Michael *had* decided to continue his pursuit.

 

If asked, he would help Michael with whatever plans he knew the level five operative was making.  He knew, however, that Michael would not ask.  Partly because he didn’t need to, but mostly because he was the type of man who didn’t want to involve anyone unless absolutely necessary.  It wasn’t out of selfishness he wanted it that way, but rather out of selflessness.  He wouldn’t allow anyone but himself to take the fall.  He would take the secrets of his co-conspirators to his grave if that’s what it took.

 

Jarod figured that Michael would use the same approach to bringing down his enemies as he himself would take - lull them into a false sense of security and then take them down *hard.* He’d leave the details to Michael, who he was sure was more than capable of the job.

 

Bringing down the Centre was another matter.  They were safe until Jarod found his family.  Until then, the pretender didn’t want to take any chances.  They were looking for his family too - to use them for leverage so he’d come back in and be their puppet again.  At this point the Centre was his only link to his family.  Once Jarod had found his *entire* family and got them, Sydney and a handful of other ‘friends’ away from the Centre permanently, then he would get his revenge.  He had the means and knowhow to do it.  The Centre’s days were numbered, they just didn’t know it yet.

 

Jarod’s musings came to a halt as he neared the aerie.  It was well past midnight and Section was nearly deserted.  Things had finally quieted down and Operations and Madeline had taken advantage of the brief respite. They had left for the tower over an hour ago, Birkoff confirming their location.  The fortuitous timing of the ‘busy work’ Section One, their leaders most notably, had been involved in these last few days did not escape the pretender’s attention.  He smiled at the thought, thoroughly convinced that Michael had a huge hand in the coincidental timing.

 

As he carefully laid the letter Stephen Wolfe had written to his father on Paul Wolfe’s desk, Jarod felt a momentary stab of guilt. After all Steven had been a friend and now Jarod was going to help destroy his late friend’s father, or at the very least do nothing to prevent it. 

 

Walking out of the aerie and through the halls one last time on his way out the guilt receded.  As he thought about all the lives the ‘top dogs’ had needlessly destroyed over the years and the further destruction they had tried to cause his newfound friends, claiming all of it was ‘for the greater good’ while in reality it was to secure and further their positions,  his resolve hardened. Section One’s leaders deserved anything and everything that was coming to them.

 

********

 

Unbeknownst to the pretender, Michael had found part of his family.  He’d had to call in many of his markers to do it, but he felt it was worth it.  He owed the pretender at least that much for helping Nikita.  Besides, he had genuinely grown to like the pretender in the short time he had gotten to know him.  Michael wasn’t sure if he’d ever reunite with any of *his* family, but at least he was able to help someone else reunite with theirs.

 

As Michael waited for his final meeting with Jarod, two blocks away from the Section, he thought about his  recent meeting with Major Charles. 

 

It was after ten when he’d broken in to the apartment the Major was sharing with the pretender’s clone.  Their home was, ironically, fairly close by.  Neither family member had realized how close the other was.  Upon entering, he had found the young clone asleep in his bedroom and the Major dozing on the couch in the living room.  Years of Section training and his own natural skills enabled him to sneak up on the unsuspecting former military man.

 

When he was close enough, he trained his gun on the Major and turned on the light.

 

“What the...” The Major began, instantly awake and noting the intruder and the gun pointed at him at close range.

 

“I’m here on Jarod’s behalf.” Michael interrupted.

 

“Who are you?” The Major returned, not believing the dangerous man in black in front of him.

 

“A friend. There isn’t much time.  Meet Jarod at this location at six AM.”  Michael replied, handing the Major a manilla envelope with an address on the front of it as he turned to leave.

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

“If I was working for the Centre all three of you would have been brought in by now.”  Michael stated, correctly guessing the older man’s question. 

 

“How did you find us?” The Major asked before Michael had a chance to leave.

 

“Friends.”  Michael returned in his usual cryptic manner on his way out the door.

 

As soon as the man in black left, the Major went upstairs to check on his young charge.  Once he was sure the boy was all right, sleeping through their mysterious guest’s appearance, he went back downstairs and retrieved the envelope now laying on the couch.

 

Tearing into it, he found not only an address and meeting time, but leads on his wife and daughter as well.   The ‘mysterious stranger’ was right, there wasn’t much time until this supposed meeting - less than eight hours.  Rather than spending his time worrying about whether or not this was a Centre trap, he decided to do something about it.

 

The first thing he needed to find out was the identity of his nocturnal visitor.  Whoever he was, one thing was for sure - he was well trained.  He had to be to in order catch as an experienced soldier as the Major so off guard.   Whatever side the young man was on, he had to be in some sort of intelligence organization.  And the intelligence field was something the Major was familiar with.  He had many connections all over the world and although these connections hadn’t helped him find his son yet, they did still have their uses.

 

Smiling to himself at being caught with ‘his pants down’ by a James Bond wannabe [ :) - I had to put that in there for Mr. Lazenby], the Major dialed a number he had memorized a long time ago.

 

“Oversight.” Spoke a voice at the other end.

 

********

 

On their way to the abandoned warehouse for one last time, Michael decided to ask Jarod one final question. “Why ask for help?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You didn’t need any help.”

 

“No, not really.”  Jarod confirmed.

 

“Then why ask?” Michael returned.

 

“I figured it’d be better for all involved.  Like I told you before, I could have destroyed the formula and left but I wanted to help.  Nobody’s mind should ever be controlled in any way, by any one.  Yeah, I could’ve done it on my own.” Jarod continued, without any hint of ego.  “The reason I asked for help - yours, Walter’s and Birkoff’s - is because you needed to help Nikita and Nikita needed you to help her.  It was the only way for any of you to heal and come through this ‘ordeal’ intact. Even I could see that.”  Jarod finished, regretting giving this much information, unsure of how Michael would take it.

 

“Thank you.” Michael replied and opened the warehouse door, leaving a mildly surprised Jarod staring after him.

 

********

 

As Jarod finished up his final examination of Nikita, Birkoff, on a dinner break as far Section One was concerned, joined them.

 

“You won’t be missed until morning.”  Birkoff informed Jarod with a smile.  “The loop’s got you working on sims for another hour and then beddy bye.”

 

“Thanks, Birkoff.”  Jarod replied distractedly, concentrating on the blood work in front of him.

 

“You’re doing fine, Nikita.  Your levels are almost back to normal.”  Jarod stated, his examination complete.  “All that’s left I guess, is the performance of a lifetime.”  Jarod continued, echoing Nikita’s earlier thoughts and sobering the little group gathered.

 

“We haven’t got much time left.”  Birkoff reported.  “Nikita’s loop ends in an hour, Michael’s in two.  I gotta be back in soon.”

 

“So that’s it then.  What do we do now?” Walter turned to Michael, knowing the level five operative undoubtedly already had a plan in mind.

 

“Nothing’s changed as far as Section is concerned.  Jarod’s escape will pull attention away from us long enough.  Until then we all act the same as for the last few months.”

 

“Long enough for what, Michael?  You still haven’t told us anything about your so called plans.” Nikita interrupted.

 

“Trust me.” Michael beseeched Nikita, knowing how difficult it had been for her to trust him in the past but hoping she would acquiesce this time.

 

“All right, Michael.”  Nikita replied, somewhat surprising herself and all those assembled.

 

“That’s good enough for me then.”  Walter interjected, getting ready to leave and giving Birkoff a meaningful look. He was finally bestowing his uncompromising trust on the younger operative. As far as Walter was concerned, he’d follow Michael to hell and back, especially now, after all that he had done and been through these last few days.  Besides, if Nikita could let it go, then so could he.  It certainly wasn’t the first time he had been kept in the dark, this time at least it was for a good cause.

 

“Fine with me, I’ve always said the less I know the better.”  Birkoff stated, already on his way out the door, adhering to Walter’s unspoken plea/threat.

 

Both men reiterated their thanks to the pretender on their way out, knowing how invaluable his help was.

 

“Nikita, would you like me to take you home?”  Michael asked politely, refusing to make it an order but rather hoping that she would accept on her own.

 

“I thought you’d never ask.”  Nikita beamed.  As tired and emotionally drained as she was, she needed to talk to Michael before they headed in to Section tomorrow.  She would keep her promise and trust Michael’s plan to keep their little group out of harm’s way.  That didn’t mean however, that they didn’t have anything to discuss.  She knew they would be fine professionally but she needed to reassure herself that they would be all right personally.

 

“Good.” Michael smiled.  “Just give me a moment with Jarod?”

 

“Of course.”  Nikita replied turning, with unshed tears, to Jarod and thanking him once again, before she went outside to give the two men their privacy.

 

Before Michael had a chance to say anything, Jarod, while putting on his coat, pulled a small manilla envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Michael.

 

“What’s this for?”

 

“Extra insurance, just in case.”  Jarod replied, with a small smile, knowing that Michael had undoubtedly gathered insurance of his own.  He was merely supplying the operative with an extra bonus - surveillance tapes of first Mr. Raines and then more recently Lyle exchanging Jarod’s sims for Section intel and favors without the triumvirate’s or Oversight’s knowledge.  He’d kept a copy for himself to keep Lyle and Raines in check and he was giving Michael a copy to keep the ‘Siamese Twins’ in check.

 

Jarod, as planned, was going to leave Section One’s destiny in Michael’s capable hands.  Anything the level five op had planned was certainly well deserved.  He figured whatever he did have planned, would take a while to come into fruition.  Much as Jarod would do, Michael would ‘lull’ Operations and Madeline into believing they had escaped unscathed.  Only when they were once again completely secure in their position would he drop the bomb, figuratively, if not literally.

 

Taking the proffered envelope, Michael pulled out one of his own.  “The address inside, at six AM.  A friend needs to see you.”  Michael stated.

 

Taking the small envelope with his left hand, Jarod stuck his right arm out.  Michael, in a rare gesture, peeled off his gloves and shook Jarod’s outstretched hand, the two men exchanging a wordless but meaningful goodbye.

 

********

 

The night had passed uneventfully as far most of the world, Section One and The Centre were concerned.  Only a select group of individual knew better.

 

Nikita and Michael had talked on the way back to her apartment.  They had come to a new understanding.  Neither was exactly the same as before the programming, but each was once again their self.  And together they were whole.

 

Nikita had returned to her apartment with no one outside their little group the wiser of her disappearance, fortified after her talk with Michael and once again ready to do battle with their superiors. 

 

Michael returned to his apartment, feeling better than he had in a long time, ever since the fateful Genefex mission.  He knew their little group would hold together for as long as it took for his plans to come to pass.  Once again, he had Jarod to thank for this.  The pretender was right, by helping each other and Nikita, they had all grown closer and for the first time since each had entered section, they had three people they trusted implicitly.  ‘Make that four.’ Michael thought to himself, including Jarod in the mix.

 

Walter had returned to Section already, knowing a mission was returning and he’d be expected at his station.  He’d made sure that the happiness and relief he was feeling did not show in his outward appearance.  Unfortunately for the older man, he’d had lots of practice in this and other areas of deception over his many years of servitude to Section One.

 

Birkoff was back in his Section quarters again, being the first to return from the ‘meeting.’  He’d done much growing up recently and with his friends behind him he wasn’t as worried about fooling the bosses as is in the past.  He realized that his fear of Operations and Madeline had waned the same time as his respect for them had.

 

********

 

Jarod had passed the night waiting anxiously for six AM, not really sure why.  He was surprised at his reaction.  Jarod knew Michael wouldn’t betray him as surely as he knew he himself would never betray the level five operative.  Why he felt this way after knowing the man for such a short time was still somewhat of a mystery to him.  Perhaps it was a kinship he felt towards the other man.  Jarod had always come to care about the people he had helped these last four years.  But for some reason he had yet to truly understand he felt like his four new friends were almost family.

 

As sure as Jarod was that whatever Michael had in store for him held no danger, he was equally unsure as to who would be waiting for him at six AM.  He thought perhaps that it would be Sydney, or someone with a lead on his family. 

 

As the clock struck six, Jarod heard a voice calling him that he did not expect to hear anytime soon.

 

“Dad.”  Jarod turned and almost ran to the man standing not ten feet away.  After father and son embraced and Jarod was reassured of his clone’s safety, Major Charles introduced him to the older gray haired man beside him.

 

“Jarod, I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine.”

 

“Old friend indeed,” replied the other man in an accented voice.  “Your father here saved my life a few times back in the old days.”

 

“From what I've heard, my father did that a lot back ‘in the old days.’”  Jarod returned with a smile.

 

“And from what *I’ve* heard, you’ve continued that tradition quite admirably.”  The gray haired gentleman paused.  “So Jarod, anything you’d like to tell me about your recent sojourn into Section One?”

 

********

 

It was just past nine AM, Paris time.  Dawn had broken three hours ago, but events in Section One as well as the Centre across the sea were just starting to unfold.

 

Michael, Nikita, Birkoff, Walter and a few other select operatives had been in Section since 7 AM.  The briefing for the Clemens mission had lasted all of ten minutes, but as the mission would be departing at noon, all those involved had been on close quarter standby.

 

As in the last few months, the aforementioned operatives’ routines hadn’t changed.  Once the briefing was over, Michael had retreated to his office, Birkoff to his station in Comm, Nikita to her station in Systems and Walter to munitions.  Each knew they had to act as if nothing was different today than it had been a week ago.

 

Unfortunately for the little group, Operations and Madeline had had a few hours to discuss recent events and their paranoia was kicking in with a vengeance.

 

Operations had found his son’s letter immediately upon entering his aerie just past six this morning.  He’d read the letter and after a few minutes of controlled grief he’d called in Madeline, who’d been in Section even earlier that morning than him.  After several minutes of contemplation and discussion they’d checked the status of those personnel they thought could be responsible.

 

They’d found that Jarod was missing.  Not knowing enough facts yet they decided that rather than set an alarm, they’d send out a select few housekeeping teams to search for the wayward recruit.  Of course, suspicions also inevitably turned to Michael and his ‘friends’ as well, especially Nikita as she was Jarod’s trainer.  Knowing they had a briefing scheduled shortly they agreed to delay further actions until after the Clemens briefing.  They had also agreed to watch the four key members of this mission very closely at the briefing and beyond, to look for any telltale signs of ‘suspicious behavior.’

 

********

 

Following the briefing, Madeline and Operations returned to the aerie to discuss matters once more.  Operations did not darken the window overlooking his domain, as he and Madeline had agreed.  They both felt that it was better to maintain the appearance of business as usual while discussing their ‘internal problems.’

 

“Your analysis?”  Operations asked without preamble, his usual style.

 

“Jarod hasn’t been found yet, I suspect he may be the Centre’s missing pretender.  As far as his agenda and actions while in Section, that is still being investigated.”  Madeline replied succinctly, getting the ‘easier’ part of their discussion out of the way.

 

“And the rest?”  Operations broke in impatiently.

 

“Nikita denies knowledge of any of Jarod’s activities, as do all those he’d been in relatively close contact with during his stay.  The adjustment seems to be holding as well.  Remember, however, she is a very skilled actor, as are her usual cohorts.”  Madeline paused waiting for Operations to impart his musings.

 

“Intel suggests that our rather busy schedule was genuine.  It will take a while to prove one way or another whether or not it was manipulated.”

 

“You suspect Jarod, a cover for his escape?”

 

“Yes, but I want Michael’s recent activities investigated as well.”

 

“Of course.  It will take some time, he covers his tracks well, regardless of his activities.”  Madeline returned.  “I’m not convinced that the ‘fab four’ are entirely innocent in Jarod’s activities either.  We’ll need to tread carefully until we’re sure Nikita’s adjustment is still holding.  The timing of these events is too coincidental.”

 

“How much time?”

 

“Several weeks, probably.  Of course, with the right manipulation of intel, we can use whatever information we find to rid ourselves of key personnel permanently and without repercussion.”  Madeline returned.  “Until then, I suggest watchers and twenty four surveillance on all four operatives.”

 

“Agreed.”  Operations replied, as his cell phone rang.  “Yes?”  Operations answered right away, knowing only two people had access to that number and one of them was standing in front of him.

 

“Hello Paul.”

 

“Who is this?” Operations asked, caught off guard at not hearing George’s voice.

 

“Jarod, of course.  I’m disappointed you had to ask.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Just making sure you found the letter.”

 

“You *will* be caught.  This isn’t the Centre.”  Operations finally responded, finding his voice after a few seconds.

 

Operations’ pause was enough confirmation for Jarod.  “No, Section One is worse, but don’t worry, we’re not finished.”  Jarod warned, hanging up before the older man could respond, his conscience appeased.  His intentions were twofold.  He’d given the duo enough for them to, at least temporarily, believe he had been working alone, thereby giving a long enough reprieve to his new friends in case things didn’t move as quickly as his father’s friend had promised.  Jarod had also wanted to give his late friend’s father another chance.  He knew Michael had plans for Section One.  By leaving Operations with a warning, he thought that maybe the man would change his ways and therefore not need to be removed.  Jarod doubted it would be enough, but he had to try, for Steven’s sake.

 

********

 

“Well, you were right about Jarod.”  Operations told Madeline, hanging up his phone.  “It seems we have yet another enemy to deal with.”  He continued tiredly.  “He left a warning, along the lines of ‘I’ll be back and it won’t be pleasant.’”

 

“I’m not surprised.”

 

“He gave the impression that he was working alone, but of course that doesn’t mean anything.”

 

“Of course...” Madeline was interrupted by the intercom.

 

“Sir?”  Operations’ assistant asked, with trepidation, looking up at the man standing over him.

 

“Yes.”

 

“George is here, he’d like to meet in Committee.”

 

“He’s in Section already?”

 

“Yes sir.  They’re on the way to Committee.”

 

“They?”

 

“Now, Paul.  Please.  And bring Madeline with you.”  George interrupted, standing near the trembling assistant, effectively ending the conversation.

 

Leaving the aerie together, Madeline and Operations exchanged a look, both feeling as though the other shoe was about to drop.

 

********

 

As Operations and Madeline made their way to Committee, across the sea in Baltimore, Maryland, events were also unfolding in the Centre.

 

Bobby Lyle sat at his desk pouring over budget reports when his computer screen flashed with an incoming e-mail.

 

As he opened the e-mail, sent from his long time nemesis, he froze.   He read his mail slowly as realization dawned.  Jarod had gotten the upper hand, this time apparently for good.  He didn’t need to confirm what he was reading.  He was certain the pretender had done as outlined.  His scheming had come to a head.  Jarod effectively had him in a corner.  Until he figured a way around this mess, he was stymied. 

 

In the meantime, he’d look for a way to restore the lost formula - there had to be a way and somehow he was going to find it.  It was his only ace against the Centre.  He only hoped that he found the formula before Jarod got tired of toying with him and tattled to the triumvirate.

 

Lyle promised himself he would find Jarod with outside sources, and this time the pretender would not get away.  He’d take care of him personally, come hell or high water.  He also promised himself that if he went down, he would not go alone - he’d take Jarod and his Centre cohorts with him.  Until then, he’d tread carefully.  Oh, he would leave Sydney, Miss Parker, Broots and Angelo alone, for the time being anyway.  But once he caught Jarod, regardless of the personal cost to himself , he’d kill him and anyone who got in his way, his own sister included, even if it was the last thing he did.

 

********

 

As Operations and Madeline walked into Committee, they hid their surprise at seeing George’s companions admirably.  Exactly who they thought would be here was still open to debate, but it certainly wasn’t the people standing there.

 

“Paul, Madeline.”  George greeted.

 

“George.”  Operations returned neutrally, showing none of the trepidation he was feeling.

 

“I’d like you to meet some new personnel I’ve taken the liberty of transferring over to One.” George paused, turning to his companions.  AMr. Hillinger you’re already familiar with.  Next to him is Mr. MacLeod, a level five operative from Section Three, highly skilled in the field as well as strategy and tactical.  Finally, Mr. Benedict, weapons wizard.  Mr. Benedict is a permanent transfer, the other two temporary, until suitable replacements can be found.”

 

“I didn’t realize we were short personnel in those areas.”  Operations responded.

 

“You would have been as of now.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I’m sorry, I thought you’d realize by now that these three operatives are replacements for the personnel being transferred to Oversight, effective immediately.”  George replied in a voice that brooked no argument.

 

“And who, precisely are you transferring?”  Operations queried needlessly, already knowing and dreading the answer.

 

“Ah, well here they come now.”  George returned, watching the doorway as Michael, Nikita, Walter and Birkoff entered Committee.

 

 

 

THE END?