ATTENTION: Stories marked with an * may contain material which would be better appreciated by those over 18. Parental Discretion is advised. This is your responsibility, not ours.


Nikita laid sprawled out on the floor of her apartment, mentally kicking herself for what she had done earlier in Michael's office. However, no matter how long she stayed there, she couldn't just wish the experience away. She really thought by now the longing for him would have gone away. It didn't. It only got worse. Although she really didn't have to tell him how she felt, he knew of course, her feelings just got the better of her and she exploded.

She replayed the scene over in her head for the hundredth time. "Why do we have to keep our feelings locked inside? I can't stand it anymore! I want you to know exactly how I feel. I'm so tired of pretending," she declared emphatically, "whatever you have to offer, I'll take, even if it's just for one night."

Michael stared at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity before finally replying, "It doesn't matter what I have to offer. You know as well as I do that it is just not possible."

"Oh come on Michael, just one night! Who would it hurt, who would know?" Nikita stopped short of getting down on her knees and begging.

"They would know. With just one look at us they would know." Michael walked closer to her, but his tone was as distant as ever. "Let's just both forget this ever happened."

"Oh please, it's not like they don't already know. They know I'm in love with you. If they wanted to put an end to the situation, they would have canceled me by now. I just want ..."

"Nikita," Michael cut her off, "this conversation is finished."

Yeah, sure, like she would ever forget. She had begged, pleaded, and thrown herself at his mercy. How could she have done it. Would he ever respect her again? If he ever did in the first place. She thought back to the times when he had played with her emotions. She believed (at least most of the time) he really felt the same way about her, and he just used those times as a convenient way to express himself, then he could just say it was part of the plan. Nikita had no such luck on her side.

Maybe she could apologize and explain herself. All she wanted was to try and get him out of her system. Just one night and perhaps the fantasy would fade. Then she remembered she actually said she loved him. She did even though she barely admitted it to herself. In the heat of the moment, the truth is not denied.

"Ughhh!!" Nikita screamed out loud. How could she have done this to herself. And to think that Michael probably hadn't even given it a second thought. She thought she might have to scream again when she realized the phone was ringing. No way to avoid it, she had to pick up.

"Josephine, meet me, Area 4 in 30 minutes. No need to bring anything." Michael's voice sounded slightly tense.

Not now she thought, her mind was still reeling. Now she had to meet him at the airport. She had to be perfectly professional and pretend it didn't happen. She had to smile and think business. She had to see his beautiful face and feel nothing.

Nikita approached Area 4 which she thought was a pretty silly name, it's just an airport Michael immediately reached for her and pulled her up into the small airplane. She looked around and saw Madeline seated in one of the four seats. Michael sat down in the seat next to Madeline's. Nikita sat directly across from Michael.

"Is anyone else joining us in the remaining seat," Nikita asked, "or is it just the three of us?"

Nikita was secretly thankful that someone else was there, so she didn't have to be alone with Michael. However it was Madeline who could sense the connection between them more than anyone. She probably had already figured out that something had happened between the two of them earlier.

"It will be just the three of us Nikita." Madeline responded with her I know something is up between the two of you attitude.

The three of them sat quietly as the pilot prepared the plane for take-off. Madeline was trying to figure out just what was up between Michael and Nikita. Michael tried to clear his head, but could only think of what Nikita had said earlier. Nikita felt mostly sad, because she had been so sure that she could break down the walls around Michael. The plane ascended; Nikita's heart only continued to descend.

Madeline broke the silence with details of the mission. "This could very well be the most dangerous mission any of us has ever seen. We will be on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and it will be just the three of us. We wanted very few people for this job, because the man we're after has an uncanny ability to know when something is up or if there are people who don't belong' around. There will be no back-up or clever devices, all we will have to rely on is each other and our own skills. We will be able to keep in contact with Birkoff via our laptops, but other than that, we're on our own."

Michael continued, "The man we are after is Daniel Dailey. He likes to bilk wealthy women out of their fortunes and uses it to finance his drug running. The women he steals from end up being framed and he makes sure his tracks are completely covered, and he lets nothing stand in his way. We are quite concerned with the amount of money he has amassed. That combined with a major superiority complex can only mean trouble."

"So basically this man makes millions of illegal dollars with money he has stolen?" Nikita asked rhetorically and continued, "What a sleaze bag, I can't wait ..."

Madeline interrupted her, "I know you have some strong feelings about this man's actions, Nikita, and I also know you won't let that affect your abilities. Let me go over the plans. These will be basic plans because we believe that having too much of a plan' would tip him off. There is no way we will be able to plant anything on him or monitor him without him finding out. I cannot over emphasize that this man catches everything."

"I don't see how we're gonna catch him if we don't have a plan." Nikita stated questioningly.

"If you will let me continue, Nikita, I will explain what we have in mind. I will pose as a recent widow, a very wealthy widow. You and Michael will be newlyweds. We will be seated together for dinner on the first night. You will take a great interest in taking care of me' by making sure I am not alone. In a few days, I will hope to have caught the attention of Mr. Dailey, and I will turn to him to help me escape from all the attention you two are lavishing on me. Once that works, you two will be on your own. We can, of course, get together occasionally for drinks or dinner." After finishing her statement, Madeline asked, "Any questions?"

"Yeah. If this man is so smart, I don't think Michael and I will fool him as happy newlyweds." Nikita said, unable to resist the sarcasm.

"Very funny." Michael said softly.

"No, it's not funny," Madeline interjected, "you must play the part perfectly. You can almost consider this a vacation. There will be no one looking over your shoulder so you can and must have lots of fun. You are under direct orders to have fun, so enjoy it."

"And what about you Madeline, will you be able to pull off the grieving widow routine?" Nikita asked.

"I will be able to handle it." Madeline assured them. "The cruise starts tomorrow. There will be cars waiting for us at the air strip when we arrive. There will be packed bags in the trunk. There will be indentification as well as a short background profile for each of us. We will go to separate hotels where we will spend the night. In the morning, Michael will call for a taxi to bring you to the dock. We will not be in contact until dinner tomorrow evening. Any last minute comments?"

Michael noticed the glint in Nikita's eyes. "Do you have something to say Nikita?" Michael asked.

"Well," Nikita giggled, "I was just thinking that I hoped they packed something for you other than just black clothes. I mean that's fine for the evening, dear, but it might get kinda hot during the day. I suggest some nice light pastel colors."

"Nagging me already?" Michael retorted. "We may end up divorced before the honeymoon is even over."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, honey." Nikita said pouting. "I was just trying to be sensible. What's wrong with that?"

"You two are going to do just fine." Madeline said smiling, as the plane landed. "Just try to act more like a newly married couple rather than someone who has been married for awhile."

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

Early the next morning, Michael and Nikita arrived at the cruise ship and got themselves situated in their cabin. You could hear the sighs of relief as they noticed the room was equipped with two beds. Still, Nikita thought, it's a fairly small room and they would be spending the nights there together as well as sharing a bathroom for three weeks. This was going to be interesting she thought.

"Are you ready to have some fun Michael?" Nikita asked excitedly, obviously enjoying the sense of freedom she felt. "Why don't we start the day with a jog around the deck or at the gym? A good workout always gets my day off to a good start, don't you think?"

"That sounds fine," Michael replied, sounding fairly tense, "just remember that my name is Tim and your name is Marie Foster."

"Of course I know that." Nikita responded defensively, but then she softened. "Listen, about yesterday . . . "

"It's already forgotten Nikita." Michael jumped in before she could finish.

"Just let me explain." Nikita insisted. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, so let me apologize for the way I acted. I know I must have sounded foolish. For a minute I forgot and thought that I actually had a heart. Now we can forget about it. But, I have to say just one more thing, if I did have a heart, Michael, it would belong to you."

"I know." Michael said softly. "Why don't we go for that jog? We can check things out."

After jogging for a little over an hour, mostly because neither one of them wanted to be the first one to quit, Nikita finally stopped to look out at the magnificent ocean that surrounded them. She took a deep breath and reveled in the way she felt almost normal. She thought she could jump overboard and just disappear into the water and never have to return to the Section again.

Michael moved up close next to Nikita and put his arm around her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Thinking about being a mermaid. Thought it might be nice." Nikita said wistfully and then added, "We're a little hot and sweaty for all this closeness, don't you think?" Nikita was not in the mood for this playacting after what happened and his casual insistence that all is forgotten.

"Not if you're totally crazy about your new wife." Michael gave her a couple of soft kisses on her shoulder.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a shower. I get it first!" Nikita bolted and headed for their cabin. She had to get away from him, but she also knew that it wouldn't always be that easy.

They spent the rest of the day just walking and hanging around the ship, doing a little shopping, just passing the time away. They did a lot of talking, but not about anything too important. Soon it was time to get ready for their arranged dinner with Madeline. She would expect a good performance from them.

Nikita was haphazardly sorting through the clothes obviously getting frustrated. "I don't think we covered cruise ship etiquette in my training. I just don't know what to wear for dinner. Is it formal? Casual? In between?"

"I think it's pretty much anything goes, some people will get all dressed up, others will just be casual." Michael said in a soothing voice that was meant to calm her down. "Don't worry so much. Here, why don't you try this one?" Michael handed her a royal blue velvet dress. "This will bring out your eyes."

"Thanks Madeline," Nikita dead panned, "you always know just what I should wear. What about shoes and accessories?"

Michael gave her a sideways, you've got to be losing it look. He picked out a very expensive looking Italian suit in navy blue and headed for the bathroom. "You can get ready out here. I'll change in the bathroom."

"What's a matter, too shy to change in front of me?" Nikita never missed a chance to goad Michael a little bit.

Michael and Nikita walked down to the dining area hand in hand, laughing and smiling. They looked every bit the beautiful, happy couple. Even the most cynical, skeptical person in the world would have a hard time finding fault in the two of them. They arrived, stated their names and were led to their table. The hostess commented that their dinner companions had not yet arrived.

In just a few minutes, a man was brought to their table and introduced as Mr. Daniel Dailey. "Looks like I will be joining you for dinner this evening." He said with a small bow, somewhat over doing the cordialness.

"Pleased to meet you," Michael replied, "I'm Tim Foster and this is my wife, Marie. I understand there will be one more person joining us tonight."

"I hope she is as attractive as your wife." Dailey replied, leering at Nikita. Like they've never heard that one before. "So what brings you two here? Wait, let me guess, honeymooners?"

"That's right!" Nikita tried to sound surprised that he guessed. "Tim and I couldn't decide where to go, so we settled on a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I can't wait until we dock in Lisbon, I believe that's on Thursday. Then on to Marseille and Athens, I've wanted to visit there since I was like 10 years old."

Nikita was good at the small talk, even more so than Michael. They exchanged the usual information, what they did for a living, where they were from, how they met. When the conversation got around to Dailey, he told them that he was on the cruise as an inspector, but that the crew was not aware of that, what they call a mystery guest. He also mentioned that he didn't usually tell people that, but, they seemed like someone who could keep a secret.

Nikita thought he offered that information a little too readily, she also thought she would have been able to tell immediately that this man was a phony. Every thing about him seemed like a facade. She was unable to believe that he could pull off such large scale scams so easily. He wasn't even that good looking, so that wasn't it. He gave her an all over icky feeling.

"Good evening," a hostess had arrived with their final companion, "I'd like to introduce Mrs. Emily Hartsfield. I will be back in a few minutes for your drink orders. You can go to the buffet table at anytime."

Everyone introduced themselves and it was clear that Dailey was indeed taking notice of Madeline. She was dressed in a fairly casual ensemble, but she was covered in jewels and gold. She was going for the wealthy socialite without a care look. Madeline told her background story and that she was widowed six months ago. She and her husband had planned this cruise for their fifth anniversary before he was killed in a car accident. She decided to go on the cruise anyway, even though her friends and family thought she was crazy, she didn't care what they thought. It was hardly any of their business.

"I agree. You should do what makes you feel good." Nikita offered.

"Thank you, sweetie, I think we all should take that advice a little more often." Madeline responded, sounding more like herself than she had been. She looked deliberately at Michael and then Dailey before adding, "Are we just going to sit here all night or is anyone going to dance?"

After hours of dining, dancing and conversation, the evening was winding down. They had all agreed to meet the next day for lunch, and then possibly get together on the next day to spend the day in Lisbon.

Michael and Nikita slowly started to head back to their cabin, pausing for a few moments to gaze at the full moon in the endless night. Nikita thought of how fate had twisted and fallen to where she ended up standing under the moon next to a man who made her heart ache intensely. A man she would never know, never have, period. This was nothing new, probably just the romantic setting overwhelming her.

When they got back to the room, Nikita commented that it didn't look like they would have too much to worry about as far as Madeline catching Dailey's attention. Not too much later, Michael was asleep. Nikita sat on her bed looking over at him. He looked so innocent when he was sleeping. For some reason, she thought he might have trouble sleeping, but that was apparently not the case. Guess there was nothing on his conscience. Nikita never did sleep much and being in the same room with Michael was not going to make it any easier. She tried so hard to sleep, she tried to clear her mind of thoughts, but every time she laid down, all she could think of was lying next to Michael. This was going to be a long three weeks. At about 3:30 a.m., she moved to a chair on the far side of the cabin, thinking that perhaps some small distance would make it easier for her to forget Michael was there. She turned the chair so that it faced the wall, and eventually, she fell asleep.

At around six o'clock, Michael woke up, looked over at the other bed, and was quite startled when Nikita was not there. He jumped up and then saw her curled up in the chair. He walked over to her and gently brushed the hair from her face. She jolted straight up and almost knocked Michael off balance.

He reached out for her, to steady himself as much as her. "Nikita, are you okay?" Michael asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine, Michael." Nikita turned her head sideways and winced. Her neck was stiff and her head was splitting.

"You don't look so fine." Michael prodded. "Why were you in the chair like that?"

"I was having a little trouble sleeping and I guess I fell asleep in the chair, no big deal, okay?" Nikita was getting irritated. She did not want him to know how much she was thinking of him. She changed the subject by talking business, "This whole mission just seems weird, it doesn't really feel like we're doing anything, I don't like it. I'd rather have a plan and know what I was doing."

"Well then, I guess this is a good time for you to learn that we're not always going to have the luxury of a plan." Michael responded typically. "Why don't we go to the jacuzzi? It might help you relax some of those tense muscles."

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

Ten days later and Nikita still had not gotten a good night's sleep. She quietly slipped out of the room and was stretched out on a chaise in the dark of night, thinking about the day they had spent in Lisbon. Michael always seemed to know just what to do and just where to go no matter what the destination. For instance, she had seen a necklace she thought Carla might like and started to reach for it, but Michael stopped her and told her to ask the shopkeeper. You didn't just pick up the merchandise. It was considered extremely rude. He took her to the cutest little restaurant for lunch. He could even speak a little Portuguese.

They had spent the morning of that day with Madeline and Dailey. Later, Dailey said that he had some business to take care of and invited Madeline to come along, that way they could give the young couple some time alone together.

It was a few days later in Marseille that Nikita began to notice something about Madeline was not quite right. First of all, Madeline and Dailey were usually no where to be found. When they did see them, however, they didn't make any effort to socialize with Michael and Nikita. Madeline would brush them off with some kind of comment like "we've made other plans." When she talked with Michael about it, he said not to worry, he was sure Madeline knew what she was doing. She had just about convinced herself that Michael was right when she thought she heard something.

"Marie." There it was again, a very faint female voice that sounded sort of like Madeline. "I need to speak with you. Can you come to my cabin?" It was Madeline. She said nothing else, she just stood there silently, waiting for Nikita to follow her. Nikita thought the request was odd, but it didn't seem like there was a choice.

"I was too nervous to sleep and was going for a walk when I saw you. I need to tell you something." Madeline said as soon as she had closed the door.

"Nervous?" Nikita replied. She didn't think Madeline got nervous.

"Nikita, I know this is asking a lot of you, but I need to know if I can trust you. Completely that is." Madeline asked her very seriously.

Nikita hesitated for a moment but then assured her. "Of course, Madeline, I would like to think that you can trust me."

"That's good. I need to know if you trust me as well." Madeline's voice became very solemn.

"Well, yes, I trust you, mostly because I have to." Nikita replied honestly. What other choice did she have.

"That is honest." Madeline acknowledged. "Now, I must be as forthright with you as well. I realize this is going to be hard for you to understand. I am risking everything to tell you this, but I have to. I don't think believe that this is fair to you and I know you deserve better."

"Madeline, what are you talking about?" Nikita was getting concerned, but mostly impatient.

"Please Nikita, this is difficult for me." Madeline explained. "This cruise we are on is not a mission, at least not the mission that we told you. Michael seems to think that your feelings for him have gotten to the point where you can no longer be considered a viable operative. You are to be canceled. Michael, however, in all his enigmatic complexity, pleaded to give you a few pleasant weeks, free of the Section, before your cancellation. I am very sorry Nikita. I do not agree with the decision. The reason I am telling you is because I have heard that the Greek Islands can be a great place for someone who wants to get lost and not be found. It's not going to be easy, but if anyone can do it, I know you can."

Nikita was stunned and waited for Madeline to say something else. When she realized that Madeline had nothing else to say, she said, "I don't believe this, Madeline. Why?"

"I'm sorry, Nikita. You need to get back to your cabin now before Michael gets suspicious. Think about what I've said and if there is anything I can do for you." Madeline finished with that useless statement.

Nikita was devastated. She fell to her knees as soon as she closed the door to her cabin. She was too weak to stand anymore. She crawled over to the bed where Michael was sleeping and just stared at him. "Michael." She said his name out loud although she really didn't mean to.

"Nikita, you need to get some sleep." Michael said as he reached for her. She started to pull away, but he caught her arm and pulled her into the bed with him. She did not try to move as she lay there close to him. She felt scared, then she almost felt safe and thought maybe she could just die right then and there. She soon fell asleep and finally got some rest.

In the morning, Michael woke up and gently tried to move, but his movement woke Nikita up. He asked her how she slept. She did not respond. He asked Nikita about what they were going to do in Athens. Nikita still did not say a word.

"Nikita, what is wrong?" Michael asked her. "Are you upset because I pulled you in bed with me? I just wanted you to get some rest, I don't think you've slept since we've been here."

Nikita looked at him with complete disdain. "How would you know, Michael? Besides, that's not the problem, I would have left the bed if I wanted to. Let's just get ready." You could not mistake the anger in her voice.

They left the ship and headed for the Acropolis. They saw Madeline and Dailey briefly and made plans to meet that afternoon. A little while later Michael and Nikita found themselves alone in the small temple of Athena Nike. Nikita had still not said more than a few words to Michael or to anyone.

Nikita walked to the top of some steps and said loudly, almost screaming, "Just do it, Michael. You know the saying."

"Pardon me?" Michael asked, clearly puzzled by her behavior.

"Just get it over with." Nikita's voice lowered and sounded resigned. "If you are going to cancel me, I want you to do it right here, right now. Maybe the ancient gods will take pity on my poor pathetic soul and not damn me eternally." Nikita lifted her eyes toward the heavens. "I have made no other mistake, the simplest of mistakes really, nothing more than being at the wrong place at the wrong time." She stopped for a moment to look at Michael. "Okay, so I made two mistakes. How terrible of me to fall in love and in one foolish moment dare to express it."

"Nikita, what are you talking about?" Michael was now more than a little confused.

Nikita paid no attention to him and continued. "If I had not been so afraid to die, I would not be where I am today. Of course, I would already be dead. It's so funny really."

"What's funny?" Michael was trying to make sense of this whole scene.

"Shut up, Michael." Nikita snapped. "I have listened to you for years. Now it's your turn to listen. I'm only trying to make my peace." Nikita got down on her knees, lowered her head and lightly sobbed. "I ask for mercy, though it may not be deserved. I pray for those who have died at my hands. I lay my life at your feet, my beloved executioner, just as I always have."

"Nikita! That's enough. What are you talking about?" Michael demanded. He was highly irritated, as he always was when he didn't know what was happening.

His demands meant nothing to her and she continued. "I know the real plan, Michael. You're really sick, aren't you? What would you call this? Vacation with a dead person?"

Michael finally understood what she was talking about. He got down on his knees and he took her hands in his. He looked her straight in the eye and in his softly hushed voice said, "I do not know what you are talking about, Nikita. You seem to be under the impression that I am going to cancel you. Although you have no reason to believe me, I am telling you that it is absolutely not true. You must tell me what this is all about."

"Why are you keeping up this sick pretense?" Nikita looked at him with hateful eyes. "Madeline told me you were going to cancel me. Please don't get her in trouble, okay, there's no reason to do that. Just finish the job."

"If Madeline told you this, then she is in trouble and we need to help her now." Michael said urgently. "Let's go."

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

The afternoon was bright and warm with just a touch of a soothing breeze lightly blowing through the open cafe. Madeline sat at a table, glassy-eyed and silent, seemingly oblivious to the beautiful surroundings. Dailey was there as well and he was doing all the talking. "I know you have such a kind and generous nature, Emily, and you don't want to see the bad in people, however, for your own good, I think you should listen to me. There is something about that couple that doesn't seem right. They're just a little too friendly or something, always hanging around. You just can't be too careful these days."

Madeline turned her eyes somewhat, but made no other movement. "They seem okay to me, Daniel." Her voice was flat and emotionless.

"I know they do, but you're not looking at the situation with your eyes wide open. Here, Emily, drink some more of your tea. It will help to calm you down." Dailey urged her as he poured some tea. It was evident that she needed anything but being calmed down.

She drank a few sips of the tea almost mechanically. Her mouth moved slightly, in what appeared to be a smile, but it only lasted for a second. It seemed to make Dailey happy though, he smiled broadly as he said, "That's good, isn't it, Emily? Did you think about what I said? If you just told Marie something that would distract her for a while -- it would be a kind way -- to stop them from always hanging around."

Madeline's eyes flickered with just a touch of recognition. "I did. It didn't seem to make a difference." She felt ashamed by what she had told Nikita.

Dailey instantly picked up on that and knew he was going to have to work harder on her and get her to drink more of the tea. "Don't you think that is strange? Did you tell her that you had seen her husband flirting with another woman?"

"Yes, that is what I told her. She didn't seem too surprised though." Madeline was still able to lie although she was unsure of why. She was in a state that was only halfway in reality. She was confused by what she said and did, yet she still did them.

Dailey did not let up for a moment. "See, again, I find that very strange. Wouldn't a new bride be more concerned, more emotional? You know you can trust me, right Emily? Well, let's just continue to stay away from them. I think it's for the best."

Madeline was about to agree but it was too late. Michael and Nikita had spotted them and walked up to the table. "So there you two are!" Nikita exclaimed. "I see we've made it just in time for lunch." After getting no response, Nikita added, "Is everything okay?"

Dailey was obviously having a hard time controlling his agitation. He spoke hard and slowly. "Everything is fine. Emily just has a headache. If you don't mind, we could use some peace and quiet right now."

Nikita did not like the way Madeline looked. It seemed as if she was looking right at them, but that she was not really seeing them. Michael was thinking the same thing. He turned to Madeline and asked, "Is there anything we can do for you, Emily?" She thanked him for his concern and assured him everything was fine.

Since they were not welcome, Michael and Nikita went to another table. Nikita leaned over and whispered to Michael. "Something is wrong with Madeline. What are we going to do?" She looked over at the table where they were seated and she noticed him serving more tea. "It might be that tea. He could have her drugged or something."

Aware that the situation had gotten critical, Michael had to decide immediately what to do next. "We must not let them out of our sight. We might have to take him out. I know our orders were to capture him so that we could find out more about his dealings and connections, but that may no longer be a valid option."

Nikita nodded her head in agreement. She noticed the waiter bringing the check to their table. "Looks like they're getting ready to leave." Nikita watched as Dailey helped Madeline up. "She looks like a zombie. We need to do something quickly, Michael."

"Yes." Michael said. "We're going to have to maintain some distance, he is going to be on the lookout for us." Just then a waiter walked over to their table. Michael stood up, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but my wife and I are going to have to leave now."

Michael and Nikita hurried after them and watched as Madeline and Dailey boarded the ship. That was a relief, Michael had been worried they might not get back on the ship. They stayed on the dock until the last minute to be sure that they did not get back off. Once the ship departed, they headed back to their cabin to formulate a plan. They needed one fast. Just as they were about to enter an elevator, they heard someone call.

"Tim, Marie, hey, I'm glad I ran into you." It was Dailey, he sounded very friendly, like nothing had happened. "I just wanted to say something about this afternoon. I think that Emily may be having some kind of a delayed grief reaction. She didn't realize how hard it was going to be, seeing so many happy couples. I'm hoping she'll be okay in a day or two."

"There's no need to explain, we understand. I hope Emily feels better soon." Michael smiled and put his arm around Nikita. "We do hope we can get together before the cruise ends though, don't we, honey?"

"I'm sure Emily would like that, let's just give her a day or so. Have a wonderful night." Dailey patted Nikita on the arm and quickly walked away.

Once they were back in their cabin, it was hard for them not to think of what took place the night before and what had transpired that day. It had been quite a day. They sat there quietly for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to say something. Michael finally spoke, it was business, as usual. "Okay, let's start with weaknesses."

Nikita had momentarily lost herself in the silence, but she responded quickly and sharply. "Seems to me that greed and vanity would be up at the top of the list."

"Perhaps we can interest him in a more substantial prize. We'll set up some bait for him to get hooked on. If we can do that successfully he might lose interest in Emily's fortune and go for the bigger catch." Michael was rather distracted, and therefore, only sketching out a theory and not a concrete idea. "Would you like to go get some dinner? We haven't eaten all day." Michael always made every invitation sound so appealing.

"It doesn't seem like we should be worrying about food right now, but I am pretty hungry." Nikita knew better than to think it was anything more than simple nourishment he was talking about. "I have to freshen up some though. Don't you want to take a quick shower and change too? It looks like you could stand a change of clothing, black perhaps?"

"Good idea." Michael agreed. "I'm afraid I don't have anything black to wear, though. Sorry to disappoint you." Michael smiled and reached for a gorgeous greyish-blue shirt that was a near perfect match to his eyes.

Nikita got ready first and then relaxed on the bed while waiting for Michael. She started to think about Michael, but then stopped herself, so that she could think more about the situation and what they were going to do. When Michael walked out of the restroom, Nikita was taken with how positively stunning he looked. "You look wonderful, Michael. You should try that color more often."

"Thank you. Maybe I will." Michael sounded like he meant it. "Are you ready?"

They got something to eat and were enjoying a glass of wine when they were surprised to see Dailey come in and head over to the bar. Dailey was acting extremely nervous as he ordered a drink and then another. Nikita decided this would be a good time to throw him a line.

Michael got up and headed over to the bar, when he was almost there he heard Nikita. She sounded quite drunk and her words were long and drawn out. "Tim, honey, do you love me? I love you so much."

Michael looked around with an embarrassed smile on his face. He observed that Dailey had indeed heard the exchange as he was staring at Nikita. He also noticed Nikita smile and wink at Dailey. It wouldn't take much more than that to interest him. Michael walked past him and said in an exasperated tone, "She gets flirtatious sometimes when she's had some wine." Nikita then looked at Michael and gave him a bratty little pout.

As soon as Michael reached the table, Nikita stood up and said, "I want to dance." Michael did not appear to be pleased by the idea. He looked like he was trying to lead her out of the room. Nikita repeated herself, "I said I want to dance. If you really loved me, you would dance with me. Maybe it's just my millions and millions of dollars that you love." She was being loud enough so that anyone who was trying to hear them could.

They danced for a short time and then left. The scene had left Dailey with just enough of an impression that maybe they were not the perfect couple that they had at first appeared to be, and more importantly, that Marie had major dollars.

When they got back to their cabin Michael demanded to know what that she was doing. "We did not discuss a plan. Why did you set yourself up like that, Nikita?"

Nikita was indignant that Michael did not seem to have enough faith in her to know what she was doing. "We have to do something right away for Madeline's sake, when I saw the opportunity was there, I took it. Wasn't it you who said we're not always going to have the luxury of a plan? Anyway, I think it worked. I think he took the bait. Don't you? Dailey might even be so greedy as to try and get both of our fortunes. For him to do that he is going to have to give up at least some of the attention he's focused on Madeline."

Michael somewhat conceded and said, "Let's hope you're right."

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

FIVE MILLION DOLLARS OR ELSE YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR HUSBAND ALIVE AGAIN

Nikita woke up early and had taken a shower. When she walked out, she was expecting to see Michael still sleeping serenely. Instead, all she found was a piece of paper with a note written in large block letters. No further instructions, just the demand for five million.

Dailey had received a message -- pay up or else -- he was now more desperate than he had ever been. He wouldn't get enough money from Emily, he would need much more than he could get out of her. He didn't have a Plan B, but as luck would have it, one had fallen into his lap. Sure, he knew it was extremely risky, but what other choice did he have. He had never kidnapped anyone before, but he figured it couldn't be that hard.

"So, Tim, do you think your wife will be willing to pay five million for you? That's what you better hope." Dailey said as he injected Michael with yet another dose of his liquid herb potion. "Don't worry, this won't harm you. It will just help you to see things my way, should it be necessary."

Michael was tied quite securely to a chair in a small, unused room near the housekeeping area. It was used mainly for storing broken furniture. No one would go in there, unless they happened to have an old table or something to drop off.

Michael had a strong tolerance for just about anything, and whatever it was that Dailey was injecting him with had not had much of an effect on him. He wasn't about to let on though and he was ready to play. He had already been through all the standard lines like "you're not going to get away with this" and "where would my wife get that kind of money." Dailey had done his research as Michael had sent a message to Birkoff instructing him to add an excessively wealthy family to Marie's history.

Michael's voice got very low and serious, which was actually quite natural for him, but had great effect for Tim's nature. "Five million, huh? Well, as you're aware, she could afford a great deal more. Next time you make contact, why don't you tell her you've decided you want ten million. I'll help you pull of your plan and we'll each get five million. Heck, I figured I'd stick around for a couple of years and get, maybe, a million or two for my trouble." Michael paused for dramatic impact. "This way, I get out of here a lot quicker and maybe Marie doesn't get hurt so much. Everybody wins."

"You're telling me that you're in this strictly for the money?" Dailey did not sound as if he had a hard time believing it.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Michael replied. "I care about Marie, but I'm thinking long term. I'm going to live the good life. I don't want to be tied down, if you know what I mean." He could tell that Dailey was at least thinking about what he was suggesting.

"Are you positive she'd pay that much to get you back?" Dailey was indeed thinking about it or he wouldn't be entertaining such questions.

"Definitely." Michael said with nonchalance. "She's crazy about me. I'm her whole life." Michael's plan was working better and faster than expected, or so he thought. He guessed what was up when he answered the door and Dailey pulled a gun on him while Nikita was in the shower and he allowed himself to be kidnapped.

Back in their cabin, Nikita had an instant of panic. She wondered if she should notify anyone or send a message to Birkoff or get in touch with Madeline. Luckily, these thoughts passed quickly, and she knew she could handle the situation. No, she couldn't possibly notify anyone, she wasn't going to go crying to the Section and Madeline was out of the question at the moment. She wondered why she didn't hear anything while she was in the shower, surely Michael would have put up a good fight. Then it hit her, he must have permitted it. Now, all she had to do was figure out what she was going to do on her end.

She soon noticed a note being slipped under the door. She flung the door open, but it was only a bellhop. She demanded to know where he had received the note from, but he didn't know, it had been left at the message center. Now, the demand was ten million. The note had a phone number, with instructions to call at exactly 11:00 a.m.

Just a few minutes before eleven, there was a knock on the door. Nikita figured it was housekeeping and so she opened the door a little and said, "I'm kind of busy right now, could you come back later?"

"Marie. It's Emily. Can I speak with you for a moment?" Madeline sounded very meek, and was, of course, keeping up the cover.

Nikita remembered the last time Madeline had asked to speak with her, naturally though, she let her come in. "What's up?"

"I have some information I believe will be very useful. I want to transmit this to Birkoff right away." Madeline pulled out a piece of paper and added, "By the way, where's Michael?"

Nikita opened the laptop and said, "He's been kidnapped." She reached for the paper and said, "Are you okay? You were more than a little out of it yesterday."

"I'm fine, Nikita." Madeline did sound as if she was okay. "Did you say kidnapped?"

"Afraid so." Nikita replied as she handed over the notes to Madeline. "I figure it was Dailey and that Michael let him get away with it. I was in the shower and I didn't hear a thing and I don't think Michael would have left without saying something. Do you think we should look for him?"

Madeline looked over the notes. "Why would Daniel do something like that?" It almost sounded like she was defending him until she added, "What's his motive? I also wonder about the increased demand."

"Well, for one thing, he appears to be getting nervous and desperate. Secondly, Michael and I set him up so that he'd believe I had lots of money. It's about time to make the call." Nikita said as she prepared herself to sound panicked. It wouldn't be too hard considering there was still plenty to worry about. She was thankful she at least had Madeline back.

As soon as the other end of the phone was answered, Nikita said, "Where's Tim? What have you done with my husband?" Her voice sounded perfectly frantic.

"Do you have the money? I hope you haven't called any authorities." Dailey's voice was distorted at such a high pitch that it sounded female.

"I haven't called anyone. I want to talk to my husband." Nikita's voice choked.

"I asked about the money. That's what you need to worry about if you want to talk to your husband." The synthesizer didn't cover the tone of desperation in Dailey's voice.

"I'm working on it." Nikita's voice was still shaky and hesitant. She looked over at Madeline who nodded her head in assurance. "Please let me talk to Tim. I'll get you the money, I promise, but you must let me talk to my husband. I have to know he's okay."

"Call back in ten minutes." Dailey hung up and headed to the room where he was holding Michael.

"I have to call back in ten minutes." Nikita said to Madeline. "I'm going to look for Michael after that."

"It couldn't hurt, but be careful. Also, it's not going to be easy to find someone on a ship this size." Madeline did not sound very encouraging.

Precisely ten minutes later Nikita dialed the number again. This time Michael answered, "Hello?" He said it questioningly because Dailey had not told him who was on the phone, he just held it up to his ear. "I'm fine, Marie. Yes, definitely. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. You just need to listen to what you are told. Do whatever they ask, okay, honey. I love you." Michael sounded every bit the strong and reassuring husband, all the while looking at Dailey and making laughing gestures. Dailey pulled the phone away and hung up. Michael then said, "She's very worried. She'll get the money." They both had a good laugh.

"She bought it. That is good news indeed." Dailey continued laughing.

"Do you have to keep me tied up?" Michael was trying to gauge how much Dailey believed the whole scenario.

"Oh yeah." Dailey replied, apparently not trusting him very much. "I think it would be best to play the role out as it should be played, that means you stay tied up."

"Whatever." Michael said, wondering what he meant by playing a role.

The phone rang again, Nikita had called back because she had been surprised by the sudden hang up. She was insistent in wanting to know what to do and how much time she had. Dailey informed her that she had 36 hours to deliver the money and he would call her back one hour before that time and give her instructions. He also informed her that he would no longer be reachable at the number she had been calling.

Dailey moved toward the door and said, "I'm going to get you something to eat. Then I have to take care of some business." He returned with a sandwich and a glass of water. He untied one of Michael's arms and watched him closely as he ate. Dailey got ready to leave again, but before he left, he assured Michael he had taken care of everything. In less than 36 hours they would be leaving the ship as very wealthy men. Michael at least felt relieved that Dailey had gotten him some food, he probably wouldn't bother if he was just going to leave him there.

Nikita spent nearly five hours looking for Michael without success. She returned to the cabin, where Madeline had just received a transmission from Birkoff. He had been able to use the information Madeline had retrieved to gain access to all of Dailey's personal accounts and communications. During the last couple of hours, Dailey had been transferring money from Section resources into various accounts that were not his own. That information led them to suspect that maybe Dailey wasn't self-employed.

Nikita asked Madeline what had happened and she explained. "Once I became aware of the fact I was in some kind of chemical induced state, I was able to distinguish reality from the nightmarish state that Daniel had created for me. It wasn't hard really, as you are well aware of the Section's strong influence. Anyway, I realized it must be the tea he was always making for me, but I didn't let on. He asked me to turn over my financial information, so that he could advise me on some investments, and I gave him Section accounts. While he was working on his computer, I watched and memorized all I could. He left quickly and I wrote down the codes and account numbers I remembered."

Another message from Birkoff arrived. Dailey had sent a message arranging for a helicopter to pick him up at the same time as when the money was to be dropped off. His message had been deleted and a Section helicopter was on its way. Operations had decided, based on the fact that Dailey appeared to be working for someone, to bring him back to headquarters for interrogation. Now, all they had to do was find Michael and make sure that Dailey got on the chopper. He would be flown back to the Section and that would complete another successful mission.

The hours passed, some seemed to take forever to complete the circle around the clock, others zipped by more quickly. Madeline went to get them some food when she ran into Dailey. He had been looking for her. She quickly changed into her hazy, confused expression and said that she had been in her cabin. She did step out a little earlier and ran into Marie, who was terribly upset, because her husband was missing. "I think you were right about them. I wouldn't be too surprised if her husband just up and left her."

"She's sure got the looks, but there's not much else going on." Dailey chuckled.

Early the next morning, Madeline came back and apologized, "I ran into Daniel, so I had to stay with him. Did you ever get something to eat, Nikita?"

"That's what I guessed when you didn't come back. I had some fruit, so I'm okay. Are you going to see him again?" Nikita asked.

"He said he would be rather busy today, but that we should be able to get together." Madeline replied. "In other words, I don't think we have to worry about him until tonight."

A short while later, the money arrived. Nikita looked at it carefully and said jokingly, "This is a test, isn't it? Me and ten million dollars. I bet you could buy a lot of protection with that kind of money."

"Yes, I'm sure you could. But, would it buy you enough?" Madeline loved to answer questions with a challenge.

Nikita would have expected no less from Madeline and she laughed, "I was only joking, Madeline." There was not much else to do the remainder of the day, just wait around and hope that Michael was okay.

The ring of the phone signaled that the time had arrived. "Do you have the money?" Dailey demanded, no longer bothering to disguise his voice.

"Yes, I do. When do I get to see my husband?" Nikita demanded in return.

"The money is to be delivered at exactly 10:45 p.m. If you try to deliver it any earlier or any later, you will be putting your husband's life in jeopardy. Put the money in a suitcase and leave it on the deck near the recreation area. Once you drop off the suitcase, leave immediately."

"You want me to leave the money out in the open like that? What about Tim? When do I get to see him?" Nikita was getting concerned about Michael's safety, maybe she should have looked harder for him. The phone went dead.

Nikita left the suitcase where she was instructed. She hid in a staircase around the corner and waited. The grand finale extravaganza was going strong on the other side of the ship, so there wasn't anyone else around. Dailey appeared and picked up the suitcase, brought it over to a table and looked inside. A smile crossed his face, but it was a smile of relief, not necessarily happiness.

Dailey started to leave and Nikita carefully followed him. He went into a small room and came out holding a gun to Michael's back. "I'm taking you for insurance, but that's all buddy, soon as we're clear of this boat, you'll be taking a dive."

Michael was not all that concerned, but he figured he'd put up a struggle to occupy the next couple of minutes. "Oh yeah, we'll see who takes that swim."

Just then the helicopter arrived and hovered over them. Dailey dropped his aim and motioned for them to throw down the ladder. "I guess I won't be needing you after all, consider yourself lucky." Dailey started to head up the ladder, but something must have made him suspicious and he threw the suitcase down and jumped off. He ran for the suitcase but Michael grabbed it. Dailey pulled out his gun again. "Drop it."

"No, you drop it, mister." Nikita arrived, gun in hand. "I've got a gun aimed at your back, and it's even bigger then the gun you've got."

"Looks like we have ourselves a standoff." Dailey said calmly. "I'd say it's up to you to decide if his life is worth ten million to you or not."

"That is no longer the issue, Mr. Dailey, the only matter of concern now is for you to get on the helicopter." It was Madeline and her matter of fact attitude.

This took Dailey by surprise and it was enough for Michael to kick the gun out of his hand. Madeline picked it up and handed it to Michael who said, "You can climb the ladder yourself or maybe you would like some help."

"Who are you people? Why are you doing this to me?" Dailey had broken down and started to sound like a scared child. "You don't understand what my life is like, it's do or die. I don't have a choice. If you knew what that was like, you wouldn't be doing this to me." He tried to run, but it was a feeble attempt, he was surrounded.

Nikita wasn't going to let those words pass without comment. "Perhaps if we DIDN'T know what that was like we wouldn't be doing this. Now, why don't you just get on the helicopter."

Tomorrow would be the last full day on board the ship. The three of them used that time to get some food, get some sleep and just recuperate in general. It was not an indulgence they were normally afforded and they were not going to let it pass by unused.

The sun was closing fast on the sea. Perfect peace surrounded the moment. Madeline and Nikita were enjoying one last bit of tranquility before they returned. When tomorrow came, they would head back to the Section and back to reality. Michael was standing off by himself, because he realized that Madeline and Nikita needed to talk.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Nikita, for what happened the other day." It was easy to tell that Madeline was sincere and genuinely remorseful.

"It's not your fault, Madeline. You were not in control of your actions and you were just doing what you were trained to do. It's funny how we always seem to be able to do that, no matter what the circumstance." Nikita certainly did understand.

"That still doesn't excuse my behavior. It was not right for me to use your fears against you like that." Madeline still wanted her to know how sorry she was.

Nikita smiled and stole a quick glance at Michael. "You don't really think death is my great fear, do you Madeline?"

The brilliant orange sun descended into the pale purple horizon. . . . Meanwhile . . . back at Section One . . .

Operations had been ordered to secure the premises. All Operatives were to report immediately and remain until further notice. Something was not right. As his last command, Operations issued a directive to Birkoff to remove details of the mission that Michael, Nikita and Madeline were currently on and to relate that all Operatives were present and accounted for. Birkoff then sent an urgent message to the Operatives that they were to remain undercover until further notice. It was the least he felt he could do.

A massive bomb ripped through the underground, shaking the earth for miles around. Similar incidents occurred in 21 different locations across the world. Termination was thorough and complete. Section One had been officially canceled.


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