NC-17

Kristie wanted to blast the hell out of something - preferably Madeline. But that would be a one-way ticket to cancellation land, so she opted for holographic images instead.

She changed into a pair of bike shorts and a sports bra top, applied the tracking tabs and stepped into the room in Section that had been dubbed the "laser tag training room". The person doing an exercise in this room would be given a handgun with similar recoil to a normal handgun. The computer would produce holographic images that you had to shoot before they shot you. You just didn't know where they'd appear. In front of you, behind you, off to the side or from above.

She caught her reflection in the glass separating the control booth from the room. She could still see the outline of bones on her body, but it was getting better. She didn't look like someone who'd been starving for months. She just looked like someone who battled anorexia or something similar.

It still pissed her off though. Especially when she went into the gym - and couldn't help but notice people staring at her.

"Load it up Walter," Kristie said, "Level 9."

Kristie stood ready - listening, looking around. She heard a faint sound, and spun around, sidestepping and firing, finding a hologram behind her.

************

Stephen set his Comm unit down. The team was on the way back. He'd had to take over leading the mission from comm. The operative who had been leading the team was furious - but he wasn't getting the job done. Stephen was just glad the mission had a modicum of success.

He had 45 minutes before the next mission went live. He'd seen Kristie heading for the laser tag training room, so he decided to follow and watch.

When he got there, Walter was standing by, his finger poised over the shut off button. But after just watching for a few moments, Stephen knew Walter was just being cautious. Kristie's vitals looked fine and her scores looked good. She took an occasional hit, but she managed to avoid most of them. While Stephen watched, she threw her body to one side, rolling to avoid a shot and came up firing. Her body was wet with perspiration and Stephen felt his pulse quickening, his mouth going a little dry - just watching her. Even in their current underweight state, she still looked good. Stephen also knew her - knew her heart, her soul. All of it added up made him want her all that much more.

"She must have had a rough morning," Walter commented, not taking his eyes off the room and the operative.

"Yeah," Stephen replied slowly, his attention totally taken up by the woman in the room, "Must have …"

Walter chuckled a little. He hoped for Stephen and for all his friends - love that was so enthralling.

************

Kristie shot at another hologram, all her muscles screaming in protest as she dove out of the way.

"End program!" she yelled or rather gasped out as her body hit the mat, rolling, the world a blur of colors around her.

She came to a stop and lay there for a moment, gasping, panting, the room suddenly ghostly quiet. She pushed herself up to her hands and knees and looked around. It would be just like Walter to turn the program back on when she was on her hands and knee's, gasping for air. She pulled of the tracking tabs off.

But he didn't restart the program and she got to her feet, wiped the perspiration from her face with her arm and walked toward the exit.

**************

"Amazing as always Wild Thing," Walter said, "I'll send your scores to your panel."

Kristie barely heard him though. She was looking at Stephen, watching him watch her.

"Let's get out of here," She said, watching him with the same feral gaze he watched her with.

"Yeah," he said, "But we gotta stop and have a cup of coffee on the way."

Kristie blinked. Coffee - something was up.

************

************

"It all fits," Kristie replied, pushing some still damp hair from her quick shower out of her face, "I don't know why I didn't see it."

"You didn't see it because none of us have time to get together socially, not with how understaffed we were for so long. Now that we absorbed Section 7 it's easier but then there's all those new recruits ..." Nikita sighed, "Some of which I know won't make it."

Stephen sighed and nodded to the waiter making the rounds of the tables with a coffee pot in hand. All three of them fell silent as he approached. Once he was a safe distance away, the conversation resumed.

"So we know they're breaking down the support systems. Do we know if they're planning on springing something else - something they don't want us in top form for?" Stephen asked.

Nikita sighed, "No - not yet at least. We have a mission going on right now that feels wrong. I've got Darren doing some research on it."

"Which mission?" Stephen asked.

"The Onur Mission. Balkans warlord - according to Operations. I seem to remember there being something about a peace negotiation that was stalled, or something along those lines," Nikita explained.

"I'll keep my ears open - not that I'm any more connected now than before," Kristie replied, "I take it you've spoken to Tony and Kim?"

"Yeah - this morning," Nikita replied, "Forewarned is forearmed, right? I wish I knew what they're next move is."

Kristie sighed, "You can bet it will have something to do with building their power base."

************

Darren saved everything he could find on Onur to a disk, pulled it out of the drive, and headed for Nikita's office. He found her sitting back in her chair, rubbing her temples.

"Headache?" Darren asked quietly, closing the door behind him.

Nikita nodded, "Small one."

She typed in the security code, giving them a few moments privacy from surveillance.

"Onur isn't a saint, but he may not be the bad guy that Operations wants to make him out to be," Darren replied, "And the agency had a security detail assigned to one of his aides. The entire team and the aid were taken out. The suspect list is long."

"Damn," Nikita sighed, "We're bringing in someone the agency wants to protect . . . I wonder if this is the assignment that Michael and Alexandra are on …"

"Can you get in touch with them?" Darren asked her.

Nikita shook her head, "They're running this whole scenario dark. I'd bet money their assignment is to keep Onur alive."

************

Alexandra peered out between the blinds and the window frame, "Everyone report."

"Nothing but big boys, big trucks, big hair and big cowboy hats," Kamal commented via the comm unit

"Ditto," Jake replied, "Makes me homesick."

"Nothing exciting here," Sasaki replied, "Our boy still trying to wear out that Garth brooks CD?"

"Oh yeah," Alexandra replied dryly.

She turned away from the window and looked back over to where Michael was sitting by the computer. Michael had put his foot firmly down about the concert. It was too much of a security risk. Onur had been pissed - but he'd relented. Now he and his girlfriend where watching it via satellite link up.

Three other team members were napping in the other room of the hotel suite.

"Find anything?" Alexandra asked.

"A terrorist group out of the Balkans is looking for him," Michael replied.

"No surprise - any reports on his location?" Alexandra asked.

"They know he arrived through New York, but they don't know where he is now," Michael told her, "We can't effectively search for the traitor through the computer networks without giving away our position."

Alexandra nodded, "I've only done a handful of totally dark missions - I'm feeling really vulnerable right now Michael."

"Anonymity is our best weapon right now," Michael said, and signed off the computer, "Don't get too comfortable relying on tactical support. They can make mistakes."

Alexandra nodded. She had dealt with those mistakes in the past. She had scars from some of them.

"Any grand ideas on where to move the meeting?" Alexandra asked.

When Michael had started to strategize with Alexandra, which was part of her training, they'd listed all the possible assassination points. The actual negotiation point was one of them. The problem was they were not doing security for the other meeting attendants. They'd have to break their dark approach to contact them.

"A few," Michael replied, "Have you thought of any?"

"The ranch," Alexandra replied, "We know where it is, a lot of the agencies do, but if we do a data release at the last minute our risk is the same. We know the layout and the terrain and it's gotta be the last place a lot of people would look. It is in everyone's back yard after all. I know that after this, they'll have to relocate the ranch, but when I talked with Margie last week, she told me they were scoping out two possible new sites already."

Michael was silent for a moment, thinking, assessing.

"A strong possibility," he replied.

Alexandra nodded, a small smile playing across her lips. But it was short lived. The music from the room their charges were in suddenly went up about 10 notches in volume. One of their charges favorite songs was being performed.

"You know, I liked that song when it first came out. I still liked it the first 500 times they played it too," Alexandra replied, "But I'm going to start having nightmares about it if this keeps up."

Michael didn't reply. He'd never been a country music fan. Alexandra would probably be surprised at his rather oddly mixed preferences. Classical music was one of them and that wouldn't surprise her, but he was also a fan of the harder alternative style music that had been popular in the recent years. That and the techno dance music that pumped out of the clubs he used to follow Nikita too when she was a new recruit and later on the same clubs he'd gone out with her too. There was something about the hard throbbing pulsating sound that reminded him of something alive, vivacious, something that would never quit, never give up.

"Alex," Kamal's voice came over the comm units that they wore all the time during this job, "I just spotted someone from Section turn down a side street three blocks away."

Alexandra looked over at Michael. Michael's hands were flying over the keyboard, tapping in to sections signal.

"Maintain position," Alexandra replied, already striding towards the second bedroom. She banged on the door to wake the other operatives. Then she strode into the other bedroom, where their two charges were engrossed in the concert, the three operatives standing guard over them looking like they'd been suffering for hours.

"Someone's tracking the feed," Alexandra announced, walking over behind the TV. She started to yank cables, "Get them into the laundry bins. We're moving out."

"You're supposed to protect us!" Onur started to yell.

Alexandra ignored him, walking back out into the other room, "Get moving."

There was no time for modesty. She stripped down to her bra and panties, to put on the housekeeping uniform, stuffing her clothing in on top of the targets. She pulled a dishwater blonde wig on over her hair, and strapped on a thigh holster. Several other operatives would be doing the same thing.

"Their accessing hotel security," Michael informed everyone, his voice even and calm - as if they were discussing the weather.

"15 seconds, out the door!" Alexandra yelled. They'd already tapped into hotel security. Section would initially see a room with a bunch of teenagers in it. Michael had estimated at it would take Birkhoff 15 seconds to figure out it was a loop and not the real thing.

************

"Perimeter teams stand ready. Target is not in the room!" Nikita announced over the comm unit, "Call out when you see them!"

Darren swore under his breath. They'd known how Section would come in after them. If he had any doubts about who was taking care of the targets before, those doubts were gone now. He waited, watched and listened in silence, the tension building. His team was on the perimeter, Nikita's team went in after the targets.

"Birkhoff?" Darren asked after a moment, "Got anything?"

"Hotel staff," Birkhoff replied, "Four patrons, but not our target. Someone cover the utility area in the back, I've got a lot of warm bodies close together back there."

"I've got visual on the utility area now," Jackson announced, "No target in sight."

************

The last of the bins was pushed up the ramp and into the laundry truck. The last cold op climbed into the laundry truck, and pulled the doors closed behind him. The truck pulled out, past Jackson and one other cold op.

Everyone kept their heads down for a few moments, until they were a few blocks away from the hotel.

"We're clear," Michael's voice announced.

Alexandra looked out the back window just as they were rounding the corner. She caught a glimpse of Darren striding out into the alley, looking around. His hair was loose, his body language conveyed the tension she knew he felt. He turned, looking down the alley at them. Alexandra pulled back, thankful for the wig. At this distance, with the glasses and makeup on her skin he wouldn't have made her.

She hoped.

**********

"You get three guesses as to who is doing this guy's security and the first two do not count," Darren announced once the rest of the team was out of earshot.

Nikita nodded, "The laundry van. You knew it, she's done it before. Why didn't you stop her?"

Darren looked over at his mentor, "Because I trust Alex's instincts and Michael's. Chances are we'll get the ass chewing of a lifetime, but they're not canceling us. Not yet at least."

"Ten bucks says that the agency will never know this mission took place," Nikita sighed, "We gotta get word to Michael and Alexandra somehow."

"Good luck, they're dark, right?"

"But they knew we might come. Trust me, Michael is always keeping tabs on me," Nikita told him.

***********

Kristie walked into Madeline's office, all the irritation, anger and resentment buried deep where the other woman would never be able to detect it, let alone use it against her. Kristie hated this temporary assignment. She hated that she was good at it. She hated that it was making her an outsider among the other cold ops.

"Birkhoff just received Intel on Onur," Kristie informed her, "The meeting has been changed. The other attendee's have been told that it will take place in Oregon, but they haven't been given a location, other than they will be given 60 minutes warning. They have to wait in Portland."

Madeline turned to her computer terminal, pulling up a map of Portland, and highlighting everything within 60 minutes of the city.

"Don't bother," Kristie replied, "I'm fairly sure I know where it's taking place."

Madeline turned her chair towards Kristie, "Go on."

"The Ranch," Kristie told her, "And we can't touch him, not without the agency finding out."

Madeline cocked her head to one side, "What makes you so sure the agency is involved?"

Kristie walked over to one of the delicate plants, and traced her fingernail along the delicate edge of one of the flower petals.

"The mission profiles for the Onur mission are all eyes only and they're out of the system the moment after the panels are loaded. The panels are wiped after the mission is completed. Michael and Alexandra have been out of section for 2 weeks, totally dark. The team that evaded us when we closed in on Onur in North Carolina knew how we'd tap into security and they knew how to slip past us. It was as if they knew who we were."

"We're not invisible," Madeline replied, "Other terrorist organizations know how we operate."

"Then you won't mind that the agency suspended us for the next 48 hours," Kristie replied.

Madeline's head tilted to one side, "When did this happen?"

"About two minutes ago," Kristie replied, "George is utilizing all of our surveillance resources to provide security for an important meeting."

Kristie turned on her heel, "George also asked for everything we have on Onur."

Madeline sat very still in her chair, "I see. This is a surprise. I was unaware that the agency had green listed him."

Kristie shrugged, "The unfortunate part is we don't have anything of interest to give them. The last Intel we had, was the concert in Raleigh. There doesn't seem to be anything else in the system regarding Onur for the agency to find. Not even that failed mission."

A small smile played across Madeline's lips, as if she'd just won some major prize.

"You've done well Kristie. Managing a potential political crisis before it occurs-"

"It wasn't for you, Operations or even Section as a whole. I have friends who'd suffer the consequences of your actions if the agency were to find out we've been trying to assassinate Onur," Kristie replied.

She turned and walked calmly through the door out of Madeline's office.

************

Stephen had the table set for dinner. He'd planned a simple meal. Chicken, potatoes, with beer to wash it all down. He knew when Kristie had left Section for the day. So he knew she'd be here any moment. Dinner was keeping warm in the oven.

As if on cue, he heard a key turning in the lock. A moment later, Kristie walked through, pulling pins from her hair.

"I would kill for a chance to go back into the field," She told him, walking towards him. She brushed a kiss across his lips, lingering for a moment, "I hate desk jobs."

Stephen's hands slid down her back, cupping under her butt, "But Baby, you look so good in the whole business dress suit get ups!"

His tone was teasing, and light.

"I thought you liked the way I looked in black. Mission gear is black," Kristie pointed out, sliding her hands up his chest, feeling his body warm beneath the shirt he wore.

"You wear it well - but I personally like the way it comes off . . ."

"HHHHHMMMM…" she sighed into his neck, tracing her tongue along the slight ridge left by a muscle.

Stephen felt something like raw electricity course through his body. He turned her around, bending her over the table. He shoved her skirt up around her waist, and pulled her thongs and pantyhose down. Kristie spread her legs out, arching her hips back and up. Stephen had his slacks open, his now rock hard cock springing out as he pulled his clothing away. He pushed inside her, finding her already wet and ready for him. Both of them moaned, part in relief, part in anticipation. He started to thrust into her, each movement swift, hard, measured - just the way he knew she liked it. He reached around, his fingers stroking and pinching her sensitive clit. He heard her gasp, felt her body buck and spasm, rocking back into him.

He didn't hold his own release back. He came, holding her tight to him, his own body lost for a few precious moments to the intense pleasure.

"I love you," He whispered pulling her body back up against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

"Ditto," she said back, turning her head to kiss him. He felt her lips against his neck.

Slowly, much more gently, they pulled their clothing back in place and sat down to dinner.

"Hey," Stephen said, looking around, "Where is Teddy Bear?"

Kristie groaned, "Out on an assignment. Without me. I'm not happy."

************

Margie closed the door as she walked out of the conference room, a tray of coffee cups balanced on her arm and free hand. Once the door was closed, she looked directly at Michael and Alexandra.

"I'm surprised he turned off the CD player for the meeting," Margie replied.

Alexandra groaned, "Do they actually sound like they're reaching an agreement?"

Margie was silent for a moment. She set the tray down, brushed her hands off on her apron, and then looked back over at Alexandra.

"Alex, I think the fact that they're talking and not shooting is pretty damn good."

Alexandra nodded, "True, very true."

Alexandra picked up her coffee cup, and reached for the coffee pot. Margie gently pressed her hand over Alexandra, "Young lady, you've got darker circles under your eye's than a born again hooker. Why don't you go lay down and get some sleep."

"I will, when Michael wakes up," Alexandra told her.

Margie looked at the clock on the wall, "I thought you were supposed to wake him at 7, it's almost 9 now."

Alexandra smiled, "He's had even less sleep than I have."

Margie shook her head, and gently turned Alexandra's face towards the light, examining it closely.

"A week of long hours doesn't make those circles. What else is going on? I thought you folks absorbed Section 7," Margie commented, "You should at least have time to sleep."

Alexandra managed a smile, "I've never been much of a sleeper."

"I know," Margie replied, "I know my people though. Something else has been going on."

Alexandra shrugged, "Same stuff different week. I just have a hard time telling who the bad guys are, and who the good guys are though. It's all shades of gray, never black and white."

Margie shook her head, "Try again."

Alexandra sighed, "Boyfriend - or I should say - ex boyfriend, problems."

Margie sighed, nodding her head, "What happened."

Alexandra closed her eyes as she spoke, "He doesn't think he loves me. He's not sure he ever did."

"What do you think?" Margie asked her.

Alexandra managed a weak smile, "I think I'm lucky we had the good times we had."

************

Operations walked into Madeline's office. Madeline was pruning one of her plants, carefully choosing which limbs to cut, which to keep. It wasn't unlike her work for Section.

"I've come for a status report on your current project," Operations told her.

Madeline moved on to another plant. She didn't even turn to look at him.

"We're progressing. The signs are subtle, which I expected," Madeline told him, "Our only setback has been the failure of Nikita and Darren's mission. If Michael had failed to keep Onur alive, he and George, would have looked much less capable in the Center's eyes."

"So now what," Operations asked, "George didn't lose face, and neither did Michael. If anything, this helped shore George's position up."

Madeline sighed, "I'm working on another scenario. If George and Michael were responsible for a horribly failed mission, one that cost us an entire team of valuable operatives, the center would have to consider replacing them."

Operations frowned, "How valuable?"

"Not so valuable to us - once we're promoted. Three of them would be operatives we've been working to undermine," Madeline told him, "I'll have the profile for you in a few hours."

************

The next day . . .

Kristie had expected her days work to consist of more profiling and tearing apart of targets and abeyance operatives simply for Madeline's entertainment. That wasn't to be though.

"I have an assignment for you," Madeline announced as Kristie walked into her office, "I have an upgraded training and retraining schedule for recruits and full-ops. I need you go through the database of everyone here, find out what they're behind on, and arrange the training and qualifications tests to be administered. You'll also need to coordinate this around the missions they are currently working on. You have 48 hours to complete this."

Kristie blinked. Two days to complete a full assessment and do scheduling. There was no way in hell she'd be able to pull it off. Madeline had to know that. This had to be a test.

"Fine," Kristie replied, "Where do you want me to work from."

"Take room 43," Madeline told her, "You can start to schedule classes for this Wednesday."

Kristie turned around, and walked out. Madeline smiled as she left. That assignment would keep her busy, and out of Madeline's office for two days. It wouldn't look suspicious until it was too late. And, it did serve a purpose.

************

Walter grinned as Nikita walked into his station.

"Hey sugar, what's shakin?" He asked, setting down the gun he was working on.

"The drums of politics," Nikita told him, "The Onur mission has been completely purged from the system."

"Not surprising," Walter told her, "Amazing how those computer glitches work, isn't it?"

"I always thought so," Nikita replied, "So . . . have you purged all the panels yet?"

Walter nodded, "I always do, right away."

He grinned, and reached into a drawer, and pulled out a disk in a protective sheath, "But you might find what you are looking for here."

Nikita's eyes widened and she smiled, "Not porno I take it?"

"Me? I don't need Porno, I got something better!" Walter replied, his voice full of innuendo.

Brianna must have been working behind one of the racks, because a disparaging snort came from behind the rack.

"I started to back up everything I upload, just in case," Walter told her.

Nikita nodded, "Thanks." She knew that part of that 'just in case' had to do with the woman he was married to for a short 24 hours - Belinda.

************

Michael was still tired. He'd slept little on this mission. Both He and Alex had been on alert the entire time, only spelling each other for short naps. The Van access opened, and they found Madeline waiting for them.

"Michael, there is a mission about to go live in 12 minutes. You'll need to supervise from Comm. Nikita was scheduled, but her mission in Egypt was delayed," Madeline told him, "Alexandra can debrief the mission."

"We already debriefed with George," Michael replied, "He sealed the file."

Sealed meant that it was closed, even to Section One.

Madeline nodded, as if it was just a minor thing.

"Very well, there are other missions that are being profiled, two of which you are scheduled for Alexandra. You may want to review them.

Alexandra nodded, and turned down the hallway. What she really wanted to do was collect Pepe, go home and collapse into a deep restful sleep. But that wasn't to be. Instead, she headed for Walter's station, collected Pepe, and went to the planning center to look over her upcoming missions.

Pepe went insane when he saw her. He squirmed and wiggled, not satisfied until he was in her face and able to lick her face to his heart's content. It was several long minutes before he started to calm down, and he snuggled in close when she sat down at the terminal.

************

"Who's doing tactical oversight?" Darren asked Webster, the comm op assigned to them for this mission, "Nothing is where it's supposed to be out here."

"I am," Michael replied, just then putting the comm unit in place, "You're live in 9 minutes. Update me."

Darren sighed. He knew that window between Nikita's arrival back and his mission had been too tight. But at least with Michael there, they wouldn't be totally on their own.

"The target sight has no obvious guards, we should see some. There are two fences not one, and they're both electrified."

"Are you equipped to handle them?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Darren replied, "There should be some obvious camera's. I don't see any, so they're hidden better than what Intel told us. I'm working with half a team too. Only 5, including myself."

Michael scanned down the operatives listed on the mission manifest, and he'd skimmed through the profile. The manpower did appear thin. The profile looked a little too sketchy, but Michael knew he was overly thorough sometimes.

"Proceed. We'll uplink through satellite surveillance here to provide you with some infrared tactical."

"Don't bother," Darren told him, "This place is full of functional exhaust pipes and smoke stacks - another anomaly. You won't get a thing."

Then why is there a tactical oversight position for this mission?. . . . Michael asked himself.

************

Tony cleared his throat, and Darren looked back at him.

"You fuck anyone in DRV lately?" Tony asked, his tone light, humorous.

Al and Jackson snickered a little. Kim groaned. A number of mission failures had been blamed on Beth providing inadequate and purposely bad Intel. Beth had been a DRV op. She'd been raging jealous and upset when Darren had refused to resume their relationship.

"Not lately," Darren sighed, scanning the target zone with his binoculars.

"Good," Kim replied, "Because it's a real pain in the ass to dispose of bodies without housekeeping helping us."

Darren looked back at her, "You were involved in that?"

"Duh," Kim replied, "Kris gave me a lesson in interrogation 101. Real mind trip if you ask me."

"Alright, we're moving in," Darren replied, "Fan out."

The team moved down through the brush, and up to the fence. They quickly cut through the fence, placing bypass triggers on the fencing edges where they cut through, so security wouldn't be immediately alerted to their presence. They did the same with the second fence, moving through with no indication that they'd been detected. Everyone watched for the hidden surveillance cameras as they sprinted towards the building, but no one saw anything. A small explosive was applied to the door by the lock. It detonated, and they were able to pull the door open.

Once inside, they expected to see one set of stairs going up to an office and one hallway going back between  the machinery. Instead, there were just two hallways extending back between machinery.

"Michael, we've got an extra hallway here," Darren replied, "Do we split up? They gotta know we're here, reinforcements can't be far."

Michael looked at the exterior surveillance screen. There were no radio transmissions going out, no forces mobilizing in.

"Two teams," Michael replied, "Up and down. The down team can check the second hallway. We don't see any exterior forces mobilizing and no radio transmissions."

"This doesn't sound right," Kim commented, "Kinda reminds me of Kosovo."

"Yeah," Darren said, "I know. Kim and Tony upstairs. Al and Jackson with me. We take the right hallway first."

Darren and his two other ops moved down the hallway, watching for any signs of movement.

Kim and Tony moved swiftly up the stairs and into the office. Inside they found another door leading to a backroom. This was where the computer was held.

Kim whipped out a disk, and slid it inside the drive.

"This is almost too easy," she told Tony, "Something is wrong."

"They heard two loud snap-clicks, both of them spun around, but found no one with them. Tony tried the door.

"We're locked in!" He snarled, "Shit!"

Kim reached for the computer, and pulled out the disk, and started to type away, looking for the security schematics.

"Michael?" she asked.

All she got was static.

"Michael, are you there?" more static.

"Darren, buddy we're not getting tactical," Tony snapped.

More static.

"The room is shielded," Kim groaned, "Damn damn damn!. I gotta hack through this . . ."

Her voice trailed off, as she franticly typed away. Tony had his hand on the door handle, just in case they got a momentary release.

But instead of the telltale click, all he heard was a loud THWUMP, followed by Kim's strangled scream.

Tony whirled around, and saw Kim fly back against the wall. A sickening snap sounded. Her body convulsed, and went limp.

"KIM!" Tony screamed, rushing to her side.

She twisted around on the floor, but only the top half of her body moved. Horror showed plainly in her eye's as they looked down to her stomach, and saw twisted metal that had been part of the utility table embedded deep into her body. Blood flowed freely over the jagged edges.

"My legs," she gasped, "I can't move my legs!"

"God damn it!" Tony swore, and turned his machine gun on the door lock. The bullets embedded into the walls. He emptied out two clips, all the while watching Kim bleed to death next to him.

He kicked at the door and it swung open, finally.

Sounds from outside the room started to filter in.

"Self destruct in 15 seconds," the computerized voice announced.

"Go!" Kim begged him, "I won't make it!"

"No!" Tony gasped, his voice cracking, "I won't leave you!

"You'll die!" Kim cried, "Go! Please!"

"Not without you!" Tony snarled back, tears streaming down his face, "Without you, I'd be dead anyway!"

"Tony no!" Kim started to cry, "No, no, please . . ."

"I love you baby," Tony said, gathering her close, "Let's agree to hook up in heaven. We'll move in together on the same cloud. We'll go find ourselves some nice Italian restaurant."

Kim rested her head on his shoulder, "I love you too."

She looked up at him, her vision blurry. She knew she was close to death already.

"It was worth it, Section and all - to know you," she whispered.

Then their world exploded.

************

"No God Damn it! No!" Darren screamed, falling back into the brush and dirt, the concussion from the explosion knocking him and Jackson down. He and Jackson had made it out. Al had been shot in the head, instantly dead. Darren had been shot in thigh, and his hip. Jackson had been shot in his arm, and his shoulder. Michael had called for a mission abort when the shooting began and a self-destruct sequence had been started.

Kim and Tony never came out of the office.

Jackson pulled his team leader up.

"Man, we gotta go, or we're as dead as they are," Jay yelled, "It's only ten more yards to the van!"

Darren pushed himself up with his good leg, and Jackson helped him quickly limp the van. In moments, they were speeding down the road.

"Report," Michael's voice came through, very calm. It pissed Darren off even more.

"Here's your god damn report!" Darren snarled, the van squealing around a corner, "Al, Kim and Tony are dead. They're funeral pyre is a god damn chemical factory who's blueprints were probably switched with a fucking dairy farm! We didn't get the records, we didn't get the chemical sample. I'm shot, Jackson is shot, and we're both bleeding all over the fucking van."

"Return to Section," Michael replied.

Darren shook his head, glancing over at Jackson, "Gee, and I was thinking of going to Disney Land instead."

************

The church was dimly lit, but it was the early morning. The sun hadn't even risen. She was tired, but she knew she wouldn't sleep. She moved silently up the aisle and dropped to her knees in front of the candles. She lit two of them and then bowed her head, tears streaming down her face.

She sat there for a while, letting all her grief flow, feeling safe and concealed, even though she knew it was an illusion. Not even churches were sacred to Section One.

Then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, and looked down at the face. A text message appeared. It was Dr. Marc. All it said was "They're in."

They were Darren and Jackson. Kim and Tony would never be in again.

************

"Oh Red, girl you are a sight for sore eyes," Jackson's voice bellowed out, "I need you to come over here and kiss this to make it better."

Alexandra managed a smile. She pressed a quick kiss to his shoulder.

"Better?" she asked.

"I can feel it already," He told her, "You hear?"

"Yeah," Alexandra said, "I heard - about ten seconds after it happened."

"I'm gonna start rubbing your dog on me before I go out. You really think Chihuahua's are good luck?"

Alexandra smiled a little, "He's worked for me. You can barrow him for a weekly rub if you like."

"I just might do that," he told her, "You ought to go rub him on Darren. He's feeling really bad."

Alexandra nodded, and moved into the back hallway. She found Marc adding something into the computer.

"How is Darren?" She asked.

"Shot twice, one flesh wound, one orthopedic. He's got a chunk of bone nicked off a pelvis. I just gotta debrid and prevent infection. He'll be hopping around on crutches for a few weeks.

Alexandra nodded, "Jackson looks like he'll live."

"Yes," Marc said, "You just missed Michael. He's in with Darren now."

Alexandra nodded and started down the hall. She found the room and walked in.

************

"Not a damn thing was where it should have been!" Darren snapped, "Our Intel sucked and it cost us two good operatives and close friends!"

"I know," Michael replied, "I'm pulling data myself."

"This has set up all over it," Darren told him, "I look like a chump, and so do you. But that's all I can say, cause I don't know who's listening through the walls."

He looked over and saw Alexandra. He looked relieved for a second. Then, as if remembering he didn't care about her anymore, he looked away.

"I just wanted to check on you," Alexandra offered,

Alexandra held her hand in place for a moment longer,  and bent down to brush her lips across his forehead,

Dr. Marc walked in.

"I need to ask the two of you to go. We need to prep him for surgery."

************

"I need to see everything that DRV came up with on the Chak-Chow chemical's mission," Michael told Jack, one of the DRV Ops.

Jack typed in a couple of keys, "That's easy. There's a lot here. I was part of that search. I heard what happened. I feel like an asshole."

"Don't," Michael replied, "You're not being blamed."

Jack nodded, "yeah but . . .whoa, wait a minute here . . ."

"What," Michael asked,

"Someone's been in here, taking out half of what I found," Jack told him, as he started to pull one of the files, "And some of this I know didn't come from me."

He pulled up one of the files, and opened it.

"I know this is crap Michael. I pulled the floor plan. This isn't it. There were two hallways."

"I know," Michael replied, "Can you see who altered it?"

Jack drew in a deep breath, "I . . . I can try, but back hacking is not my field of expertise. You might get what you're looking for a lot faster if someone else did it. It would take me weeks."

"Alright," Michael replied, already thinking about who he could trust and who could do it.

************

Kristie was all barely contained rage, "What the fuck are you trying to tell me Michael? Someone from the inside fucked with the data? And for that Kim and Tony are dead?"

"Yes," Michael replied, "I need to know who."

"You're about to be the dart board of choice, aren't you," Kristie said, realization dawning on her, "I don't even have to do the research to tell you who did it. Madeline and Operations are making sure you're not the golden boy around here."

"I need proof," Michael told her.

Kristie nodded, "Madeline's been monitoring me all day. I need to set up a short relay program, so she thinks I'm in here. Then I'll need to sign on as you to do the search."

"Do it," Michael replied, "Use my office."

************

Nikita sat in her office, with the door closed. Stephen occupied one of the chairs. Alexandra and Pepe occupied the sofa.

There was a short knock, and then Michael slipped in.

Nikita punched in a few numbers, isolating the room from surveillance.

"We're worried Michael," Nikita announced, "How many more stalemates can we pull off. I'm sitting here, unable to believe they haven't just said 'screw  it' and canceled us already."

Michael replied, "Kristie is close to getting done."

"Maybe we shouldn't be using it as insurance. Maybe it's time to play some of these cards we've all been saving up," Stephen told him, "I have to agree with Nikita. We all know what they've been trying to do lately. A stalemate is going to work, not this time."

Michael sighed, shaking his head,

Alexandra handed Michael Pepe.

"Here," Alexandra said, "Rub him all over. You're gonna need all the good luck you can get."

Pepe's tail wagged furiously. Michael gently took the little dog from Alexandra's hands, and held him close to his chest.

"Before we do anything, we need to see what Kristie comes up with," Michael added

Nikita nodded. We . . . as in Nikita, Stephen, Kristie, Alex and Darren. Not just Michael. This would be a team effort. How things had changed . . . she thought to herself.

There was another knock on the door. Kristie walked in, and closed the door behind her. Tension emanated from her.

"Are we dark?" she asked.

Michael nodded.

"Someone pulled out data, and re-inserted data from a different mission. I got the proof here," Kristie replied, handing it to Michael, "Do something worth while with it."