"She said she had been trying to stop him, but that I would be successful where she had failed. Michael, it broke my heart. She loves him so much, but she has known since before he was born that 'his heart would be filled with hatred and that the one he loved would destroy him.' Those were her exact words!"
Michael heard her rage about the small room again and he waited for the storm to break.
"Why? Why me?!?! What... in God's name... did I do... that landed me in the hell I'm living in? What sin did I commit? Whatever it was, my penance is going to destroy a good man..." She held her hands up as if to stop Michael from saying anything, paused, then took a shuddering breath and continued quickly. "I know what he's trying to do is evil, but he is, basically, a good man! It's going to devastate Maman... and I'm afraid it may do the same to me."
Her voice broke on the last word and she burst into tears. Michael wanted so much to be with her -- to embrace her and comfort her. Although he knew couldn't be with her in reality, he closed his eyes and concentrated on a mental image of Nikita wrapped in his arms. As if from a great distance, he watched his hands stroke her back... her head... gently rocking her back and forth.
"Shhh, Nikita. It will be alright. I'm here. Shhh."
Over and over again, he whispered to her. Slowly her tears began to subside. She stood still in the middle of the room, her head bowed. Slowly she lifted her head and said, "Michael?"
"Yes? I'm here."
"You were here... I felt your arms around me... I could smell you. You were here! How?" Nikita's eyes were wild, as she searched the room for evidence of cameras or projection devices.
Michael himself was amazed how intensely real it had seemed. He struggled for the words to explain what had happened.
"I don't know 'how'... I am able to do that, but you are... the only one that I can... consciously... reach for. You and I are connected in some way and it's a connection thicker than blood. I never was able to reach Simone... or Adam -- not like I can you."
Nikita was silent for a moment. Then she whispered, "Thank you."
In those two simple words, Nikita managed to pour her gratitude and her love. Michael knew that shortly she'd be ready to move on. But her next question caught him slightly off guard.
"Michael?"
"Yes?"
"Does the Section test for psychic abilities?"
Michael considered for a moment. "Yes, in certain circumstances. But unless we know that there is psychic potential already there, generally a new recruit is not tested." He knew what her next question would be, but he let her ask, rather than forestalling her.
"Was I tested?" she asked, her voice low and intense.
"No. It's only been recently that Madeline and I began to be aware of your psychic potential," he said gently.
"Were you tested when you first came into Section?" Nikita inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Idiot! He won't answer that, she thought. It was one of those personal questions that he usually ignored. She almost missed his reply as she silently berated herself.
"No, I wasn't evaluated until I became a Level Five Operative. Operations couldn't understand how I'd been able to advance so rapidly." He thought for a minute before continuing. "That was just before I married Elena."
Nikita was stunned. Michael was really opening up to her. She closed her eyes and, for the second time that night, dropped the barriers in her mind and heart. She raised her arms, her fingers waving slightly, as if blindly searching for him. Then she said, "You're not in Comm, are you? You're in your office, right?"
Michael grinned slightly. He knew she wasn't guessing... he'd felt her feather-light touch as she reached out to him.
"Yes," he said simply. "When this mission is over, Madeline and I will test you. Depending on how strong your abilities are, you will be trained to use them to your advantage."
Nikita gave a sharp, cynical bark of laughter. "Come on, Michael, let's be honest. You don't mean my advantage -- you mean Section's advantage."
"No... to your advantage. I promise you that, Nikita."
Michael's tone was soft, but intense. Against her own better judgement -- and bitter experience -- she found herself believing him. God help me. I must be a fool to trust him. Her thoughts seemed to circle endlessly. But isn't that what we've been trying to do? Against all odds, we're finally learning to trust each other. Ever since he had to give up Adam, he's revealed so much to me.
Her understanding of who Michael was had altered radically over the weeks following his "death" in Elena's hospital room. It had been Nikita's capture by Brevich that had snapped Michael back into the land of the living. That combined with Operations' decision to abandon her to her fate. When she had reviewed the mission tapes, she'd realized that Operations' had been right to abort the mission. Tactically, there was no way the team could have pulled anything together to effect her rescue.
But Michael had.
And so they had entered a new phase in their relationship. As far as possible, they would be honest with each other. Therefore she had to believe that he was being honest with her now. He would not let Section turn her newfound gifts into a new type of psychological weapon.
Nikita was silent for a long time. Although it was late, Michael knew she was awake by the small sounds she made as she digested their conversation. He knew she hadn't answered her original questions yet.
Finally he heard soft sounds indicating that she was running her fingers through her hair... probably pulling it into a ponytail or loose chignon. He marveled at the detail her subcutaneous microphone transmitted.
"Michael?"
Her voice was soft... barely a whisper.
"Yes?" he answered, just as quietly.
"I have to do this, don't I? I have to bring Veireck down." She sounded resigned but her tone also had an edge of resolve to it.
"Yes, but you must find out why he created the virus in the first place."
Michael's words reinforced the thoughts Nikita had already worked through. "You're going to have to help me with this one. I don't know what's going to happen now. He told me today that he was going to put me in charge of the Y2K division, but it wasn't generally announced. I'm not sure, but I think he meant for it to be a... 'wedding present.'" She paused. "I didn't dare ask him about it... after what happened."
"Don't worry. We'll deal with that tomorrow." Michael hesitated for a moment. "But from the intel we have on Veireck, he's not vindictive. If he believes that you have earned that position, his feelings will not interfere with business."
Nikita smiled slightly and said teasingly, "Not too unlike someone else I know." In her mind's eye, she could see his grin; she actually heard a small snort of smothered laughter.
"Oh, before I forget, I'm meeting Madame Veireck for lunch tomorrow," she added quickly. "She told Josef that no matter what, she still wanted to think of me as a daughter and that he was to send the car for her tomorrow so she could take me to lunch." She gave a slight chuckle. "He wanted to come too, but Maman wouldn't let him. She may be small, but she is a force to be reckoned with."
"I'll let Madeline know," Michael said. "You might want her in the loop."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
"Why does Madame Veireck want to see you again?" he asked.
Nikita thought for a moment before she replied, "She is trying to help me find out why her son wants to bring about a total disruption of communication. She said that she's been trying to stop him for years, but without actual knowledge of what he was doing, she had no way to effectively block him."
"Do you trust her?"
It was the same question Madeline had asked much earlier in the evening. And again, Nikita considered her answer carefully. "Yes... I do trust her. I think you would too, if you ever met her." She gathered her thoughts and explained. "When I look into her eyes, I see the burden she's been carrying all these years... her fear of what Josef is doing." Two images suddenly superimposed themselves on each other in her mind. "Oh my god," she whispered.
"What?" Michael asked.
"She reminds me of... you." Nikita let the words out on a sigh. "You're... not related to her by any chance... are you?"
"No, not to my knowledge," he answered with a small smile.
Nikita breathed a sigh of... what? Relief? Disappointment? She wasn't sure. Absentmindedly she shook her head and she shifted on the sofa to stretch out.
"Well, with Madeline listening in, hopefully she'll pick up on anything I miss." She barely had the words out of her mouth when she yawned.
"You're tired. Go... get some sleep," Michael said gently. "And don't worry. I'll be here if you need me."
Nikita giggled softly. "You're not going to sit there and listen to me snore all night, are you?"
"Yes and no. Yes, I'm going to be here all night, but no, I'll set your mic for voice-activated only, so I won't hear you snore," he explained. Then he added playfully, "That is, I won't unless you snore very loudly."
Nikita scrambled to her feet, grabbed up a pillow and would have thrown it at him if he'd be in the same room with her. "Ohhh, you... wait 'til I get back to Section!" She let the teasing threat hang for a moment, before she added seriously, "Really, Michael. There's no need for you to lose sleep. I'll be okay," she assured him.
"I know, but I'll be here anyway... just in case."
Suddenly Nikita could feel him standing in front of her again... his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. She felt the feather-light touch of his lips on hers as he said, "Goodnight, Nikita. Get some rest."
"You too, Michael. Goodnight."
************
Chapter 11
Nikita was already in the lab the next day when Veireck came in. In fact, she'd been in the office well before 6:00am.
"Nikita, have you had your second cup yet?" he asked. She didn't hear disappointment in his voice, but as she glanced up from her work, she noticed that his usually genial face wasn't as light-hearted as usual.
She smiled at him and said, "Yes, but I'm ready to take a break and fix a fresh one. You will join me, won't you?"
"But of course," he replied, his smile finally reaching his eyes. "I need something stout this morning after last night."
Nikita lead the way into her office, pausing only to fill a carafe from the water cooler. She said, over her shoulder, "Then I suggest something a little different -- Irish Breakfast tea. I discovered it when I was in college. It has enough caffeine in one cup to keep you awake through the dullest lectures."
As she prepared the tea, Veireck settled himself into one of the two occasional chairs, arranged the tea table between them, removed a small velvet-covered box from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of Nikita's chair.
Nikita turned and carefully brought the tray with two steaming mugs of tea, cream, sugar, and lemon wedges to the table. When she saw the small jeweler's case, she almost dropped the tray. But somehow she managed to lower it to table without disgracing herself.
"Oh, Josef... I... can't..." she started.
"Oh, yes you can. I want you to have it. I promise I will not hold last night against you. As much as we both might want to be together, it is not what Allah intends for either of us." He picked up the box and opened it. As he gazed at the object inside, he sighed and said, "I hope you will think of me, years from now, and know that I loved you." With that he turned the case so Nikita could see the ring.
Nestled in the maroon velvet was a round diamond in an antique platinum filigree mounting, surrounded by smaller cut diamonds with three emeralds on each side of the band. Her tea forgotten, for a moment, Nikita was unable to say anything. Finally she managed to get enough breath into her lungs to say reverently, "It's beautiful, Josef. But..."
He interrupted. "But me no buts, Nikita. I see you are wearing the ring my mother gave you last night. So do not say you cannot accept my gift," he said with mock gruffness. Then he added, "We won't consider it an engagement ring -- although that's what I originally had in mind when I chose it. Let's call it a graduation present."
"Thank you, Josef. You are too good to me." Nikita's eyes filled with tears. "I was afraid... after last night that you wouldn't want to see me anymore. I wasn't sure I'd even have a job anymore," she finished quietly.
"Oh, my dear, I meant what I said in the car last night. I need you. You are the one that will help me fulfill my destiny," he declared. "So please, put it on. I want to see how it looks on your hand."
"It looks perfect," she said as she slipped the ring onto her finger.
"I agree," Veireck said quietly. "It's beauty only enhances yours."
"Please, Josef. Don't talk like that anymore. It distresses me more than I could ever tell you," Nikita pleaded, turning tear-filled eyes to his face.
"This is the last time I will speak of it, Nikita. I promise. From now on, it's strictly business between us." With a wry smile, he handed her a tissue from the box on her desk. "No more tears. We must get down to business quickly today."
Nikita grinned and giving him a mock salute as she accepted the tissue. "Whatever you say, boss!"
"Very well. You may have forgotten but yesterday I moved you to the head of the Y2K division. There are things that I must tell you so that you will understand why certain steps have been taken. But first I must have your promise, not to mention anything of what I am about to tell you to anyone except Alex."
MDT Headquarters
The next day
"Okay, here we go... finally!" Birkoff said with considerable feeling. "Promise him the moon... the stars... anything... Nikita, just find out what it is he's trying to do so we can bring him down and get you out of there!"
"Of course, you have my word, Josef," Nikita answered solemnly. Then she tilted her head slightly and asked, "What is so secretive about solving Y2K issues?"
Veireck finished off his tea in one final swallow. As he placed the cup on the tray he looked directly into Nikita's eyes and replied, "Power. Total power and control."
"Power... and control... over what?"
"Communications, my dear. Simply stated, whoever controls the world's communications' lines, controls the world."
Throughout Veireck's declaration, he kept his eyes gazing steadily at her. Nikita knew that whatever she said in the next few minutes could make or break the mission.
Veireck continued. "Over the past few months you and I have discussed many weighty matters. Foremost among them is the total lack of competency in the governments of certain... shall we say... misguided countries. It was partially your fierce denunciation of these puppets of the West, kowtowing to the slightest wishes of Washington and Moscow, that led me to place you in this position." Veireck rose and began pacing back and forth, around Nikita's office.
"Thank you. I knew that whatever I said to you, you would understand. You know, it seems incomprehensible to me that the people of those countries haven't risen up in arms to demand an accounting of their leaders." Nikita shook her head as she began to have the barest glimmer of what Veireck had in mind.
"Incomprehensible -- yes, that's exactly what it is." Veireck stopped his pacing and turned to face Nikita. "And we, my dear, are going to spur the masses onward to overthrow the yoke of Western oppression. We are preparing the way." Veireck paused to take in a deep breath, square his shoulders and pin Nikita with his penetrating gaze. "During the past year, we have been working with many companies and agencies... ostensibly on their Year 2000 compliancies. Actually what we have been doing is laying the groundwork for David to slay Goliath."
"How?" Nikita interjected quietly when he paused again.
"By inserting a virus that will self-activate on January 1, 2000 and effectively burn out any communications chip associated with that computer."
Nikita listened patiently and attentively as he explained... how the virus was already spreading throughout the world... everything she and Birkoff had painfully pieced together since Belgrade. Then she asked, "But we've isolated our systems here, right?"
Veireck noted her use of pronouns and smiled. He had been right about her... her beliefs, her ideologies fitted in so neatly. He couldn't have designed a more perfect replacement for Kamran.
"Yes, of course. But we almost forgot to do that! The virus designer paid dearly for that mistake," he said grimly.
For the first time Nikita saw the ruthlessness hidden so deeply beneath his usual debonair facade. She knew in her gut that the designer was dead and that it hadn't been a swift or painless death. To reinforce Veireck's image of her own ruthlessness, she said with a curt nod, "I should hope so."
"Exactly so, my dear," he replied, his smile growing broader. He resumed his seat and leaned forward to reinforce his next point. "On January 1st, when the rest of the world is celebrating the new millennium, we will be instituting our new world order!" He stood again and began to pace the room.
"The virus we have engineered and implanted will run rampant and communications will be severed world-wide. The black-out will probably only last a week at the most but during that time, our agents in the field will remove and replace the puppet leaders in those misguided nations. By the time communications are restored, our goal will be accomplished. We will denounce Western interference and confiscate their assets! The people will be freed from the contagion of their hedonistic culture... their hearts will turn back to Allah. That is what I pray for each night."
Nikita was stunned. He's planning multiple coup d'etat!
"Find out how many and which countries he's talking about."
Operations' voice grated on her already frayed nerves. Birkoff must have alerted him when Veireck began to unfold his plans.
"As soon as we know that, the profiler can get to work," Operations continued.
"Josef, I'm... amazed... to say the least! To be able to do this... you're sure it will work?" she asked, not even trying to keep the incredulity out of her voice. "Where are the field agents? How will we be able to communicate with them during the black out?"
Raising his eyes towards the ceiling and lifting his hands, palms up in an attitude of thanksgiving, Veireck said reverently, "Thank you, Allah, for sending me this wonderfully astute young woman -- as intelligent as she is beautiful." Looking once again at Nikita, he said, "Once again you disregard all extraneous matters and have hit upon the one, potentially ruinous, aspect of the plan.
Veireck settled again in his chair and regarded her steadily. His face mirrored the delight in his voice as he said, "After much contemplation and prayer, Alex and I realized that there is only one sure way of quickly getting messages through during the black out -- carrier pigeons! Have I not shown you the coops on the roof?" He smiled at Nikita's amazed look. He continued, "It only takes a few hours -- about 24 -- for a pigeon to fly from here to the Middle East. You must admit that that is much quicker than trying to get a message there by land!"
"Incredible!!" Nikita was finally able to get her amazement under control. She continued, earnestly, "I'm not sure I would have thought of carrier pigeons, but you're right. It is the only way. We'll be sending out more than one bird though, right? You have to at least count on some of the birds getting lost or being attacked by larger birds."
"That too, we finally realized. We will release a total of ten birds per field agent... once every half hour. There are 200 birds in the coop upstairs, ready, willing, and able to be the arrows of Allah."
"We have 20 agents in the field? Surely some of them are redundant, aren't they? If you're talking about taking out the leaders of these countries, you have to be talking about controlling the military also, right?"
Veireck was, in his turn, amazed at her immediate grasp of the strategic importance of the military. "My dear Nikita, you are heaven-sent! Not one in a thousand men would understand all the implications you have grasped in mere moments! You astound me!"
"Why? Just because I can see the big picture as well as the fine details?" Nikita asked. "Where are our agents? And what's our chain of command here? Do I report to you or to Alex?"
Veireck's smile broaded as he detailed the five countries targeted. He finished saying, "You will be responsible for introducing the virus into the Y2K contracts we have yet to complete. Most of your direct support staff knows some of the project, but not all, so remember you must not speak to them of the details. They know about the virus, but not why it is being spread. Report to me directly as you finish each contract and if you have any problems."
Nikita was thoughtful for a moment, then she asked, "Josef, if the support staff doesn't know why the virus is being spread, aren't you worried that one of them will try to stop us? I'll be constantly watching them to be sure they aren't trying to sabotage us."
Veireck chuckled. "You needn't worry -- there is only one way to stop us now."
"How?"
"I will tell you since, in everything but name, you are my second self. Even Alex doesn't know how to stop David." He stood and faced Nikita. "Our server has an access panel that can be triggered only by my voice and only in combination with a key that I have in a safe place at Maman's."
Nikita looked up at Veireck. "So, having only part of the combination doesn't work -- it takes both elements. That's good planning."
She knew she could trust Maman to help her get the key, but Nikita's mind was racing trying to figure out a way to get Veireck to tell her the code when he surprised her by doing just that.
"Nikita, the access code is 41219411347141191198."
"Got it!! The profilers will have the mission parameters ready for you before the end of the day. You'll go in tonight."
Nikita almost grinned at the satisfaction she heard in Operations' voice, but she managed to ask Veireck in a level tone, "Why are you telling me the code? It's no good for me to know it."
"Because I trust you. You are the other half of my heart... and of my soul. We were meant to do this great thing!" Veireck began pacing again. "Ah, Nikita! What a team we will be!"
Nikita stood and stepped in front of Veireck, putting her hands out to take his. "Yes, we will be formidable. But, not quite yet... look at the time... I'm having lunch with Maman today. You'd better send for your car, so I can pick her up in good time!" With that she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Veireck laughed, punched a button on her intercom and requested that his car be brought to the door. "Do you want a driver?" he asked looking at Nikita.
"No... I don't think so. I think I'd prefer to drive today. Thank you though," Nikita answered as she began gathering up the debris of their tea.
"Ah, girl talk, eh? Maybe I should go along, just to protect myself!" he said teasingly.
Nikita paused for the barest moment before she grinned and replied saucily, "Sure... come on... that is if you think Maman would welcome you."
Veireck backpedaled quickly, obviously in awe of his mother, "Oh no, no... I'd hate to intrude."
Nikita giggled as she walked with Veireck out of her office.
************
Chapter 12
"Do you know where Josef might be hiding this key he spoke of? He said it was in a safe place at your home."
Nikita and Madame Veireck had finished their lunch and were reviewing Josef's revelations to Nikita.
"There are two possible places he might use," Maman said. "The first is in the attic. He used to hide things in an old steamer trunk he found up there. As a small child, he'd conceal things like buttons and ribbons, skate keys, feathers... things that all little boys collect and keep in safe places." Maman's eyes were misty as she remembered the innocent little boy Josef had been. She sat taller in her chair and her voice got a bit firmer. "Then he got older and started keeping things like letters from girlfriends, papers he'd written in school, sports and theatre programs... the sort of things most young men hold on to."
Nikita leaned forward and touched Maman's hand. "I'm sorry to have to pull you into this, Maman, but I'm running out of time."
Maman grasped Nikita's hand firmly and said briskly, "Don't be sorry, my dear child. I just got sentimetal for a moment. I'll be fine."
Nikita grinned, hearing another's voice use that standard phrase, but continued. "So you think he would have put the key in the steamer trunk?"
"No, I don't believe so," Maman said, shaking her head. "I think he probably has the key hidden in the library."
Nikita's heart sank, thinking she might have to look through hundreds of books too quickly to remain undiscovered. "The library?" she asked.
"Don't worry," Maman said. "There's a safe in the library and I'm sure that's where the key probably is."
Thank god, she thought. Aloud she asked, "Do you know what kind of lock it has, Maman?"
Madame Veireck was thoughtful for a moment, but then replied, "No, I'm sorry but I really don't know. I only know the safe is in the wall behind the second unit on the south wall. Would you like me to find out?"
"No, Maman, it'd be too risky, " Nikita asnwered quickly. "I'm not sure how you could pass me the information in time. I've still got to figure out how to get into your home without Josef knowing I've been there."
"Oh, that's easy," Maman said blythely. "He usually has dinner at his club if he thinks I'm not feeling well. I'll just tell him that this excursion today has tired me and that I'm going to have a tray in my room and go to bed early. He'll have dinner and then probably play bridge until 9:00 or so."
"That's good..." Nikita murmurred. Then she pointed her finger at Maman and said emphatically, "And I want you to do just that. Have a tray sent up and stay in your room. I can get in and out without any trouble and without anyone being the wiser. The only problem I can foresee is if he doesn't stay out... I'm going to have to wait until dark..."
Nikita meditated for a moment and then said, "Well, I'll work that out this afternoon. Now I need to get you home and me back to work before I get fired!"
Both women chuckled and Madame Veireck signaled for the check. They played a polite game of tug-o-war over it, but in the end, Maman won. As she signed the credit slip, Nikita retrieved Maman's wheelchair from the cloakroom and with a gentle strength that surprised Maman, Nikita transferred her into it.
"My dear, how strong you are!" Maman exclaimed.
Nikita's eyes twinkled as she replied saucily, "The better to lift and push you around, Maman!"
They left the Tea Room laughing.
************
Chapter 13
Nikita felt Michael's light touch on her shoulder before she heard his voice.
A quiet Tea Room in the City
That same day
Late afternoon, early evening that same day
"Nikita?"
"Yeah?"
"Birkoff and I are en route. We should be at the rendezvous in 45 minutes," he said. "How are you doing?" he added softly.
Nikita was slightly startled by his question. She still wasn't used to this side of Michael, but she whispered, "I'm okay. What's the profile?"
"We'll have the details for you at the rendezvous, but it's fairly simple. You'll retrieve the key from the library. Birkoff is checking for security measures around the house. He'll have that intel for you by the time we arrive." He paused before continuing, "Then you and I will infiltrate the MDT compound. You'll be on point and I'll be your backup."
"Just the two of us?"
"Yes... our intel shows that there will be minimal risks for a two-man team." Michael replied. "Once inside the compound, you'll locate and access the server, then download the files to Birkoff. When he has the data, you'll destroy the server."
"Seems simple enough,"
"Don't worry. We'll manage," he said.
Nikita began shutting down the lab. "I've got to get a few things from my office but I should be leaving in ten minutes. We should arrive at the same time."
Nikita again felt Michael's feather-light touch as he gently stroked her eyebrow and cheek. I could get used to this, she thought with a wry grin. She stood still a moment and mentally reached out for him. She was almost overwhelmed when she visualized him in the van with Birkoff. In her mind, she reached out and caressed his cheek. She felt the soft stubble of his five o'clock shadow... the underlying strength of his jaw... the tender fullness of his lips. She also felt him place a gentle kiss on her fingertips.
"Good, we'll see you there."
~~~
"Hey, Nikita, long time no see!"
Birkoff's quip drew a rare grin from Michael. It was gone in an instant, but Nikita noticed it and her stomach did flipflops. He has such a beautiful smile... I wished he'd smile more often.
"Hey, Birkoff... Michael." Nikita gave Michael a quick glance to confirm what she'd 'seen.' He needed a shave, but even the day's growth couldn't disguise the strength of character so evident there. She also read a very warm welcome in his silver-green eyes. She looked down in some confusion as she moved further into the van.
"Any new intel on the house?" she asked, trying to regain her equilibrium.
"Here's what we've found," Birkoff said as he punched a button to bring up the 3-D display of the Veireck estate. "He's got video cameras scanning the perimeter of the estate but they're just monitored by one guard in the house... no patrolling units. Inside the house, the only room with any security is the library."
"Figures," Nikita said. "That must be where he has the key."
"Not necessarily," Michael replied. "It could be secured as a decoy."
"Birkoff, did you check the attic?" Nikita asked abruptly.
"The attic? No, why?"
"Maman said that was where Josef hid things when he was young," Nikita answered. "If the key isn't in the library, that's where it'll be." She paused and then said, "I need a route through the house from the library to the attic and egress routes from both."
While Birkoff was plotting the routes, Nikita turned to Michael and asked, "How am I supposed to get the safe open? Do we know what kind of lock it has?"
Michael's expression was set in his usual 'game face' as he gave her the intel on the safe. "We don't know if it's a combination or key lock so you'll have picklocks, a U-key and an electronic combination key pad."
"Okay." Nikita said as she changed into mission pants and a black tank top. After she laced her boots up, she began keying in the intel into her PDA. Then she continued, "Birkoff, what kind of security is in the library and is it active all the time?"
"It's similar to what you had to deal with in John Wick's office a couple of years ago. Random laser beams throughout the room at shin level. From what I can tell, it's usually active when Veireck is not at home. His mother never uses that room and the staff all have strict orders not to enter." Birkoff waited a moment while Nikita studied the schematic. Then he pointed out the location of the security panel and the safe.
"I'll only be able to jam the security signal for about 45 seconds so you'll have to be quick about disengaging it. This time you won't need to remove the cover..."
"Thank goodness!" she muttered as she pulled her hair into her usual mission ponytail.
Both Michael and Birkoff grinned at her reference to the Wick mission where she'd almost been discovered in a place where she wasn't supposed to be, because she'd dropped one of the small screws that fastened the face plate of the security panel. It had been a very close call.
Birkoff continued as Michael went to the back of the van, "It's a fairly straightforward system... only five digits. Just put the dialer against the edge of the panel and press the green button. It should only take a few seconds to scan the combination and find the code. When the code registers, press the center button. That will active the code."
"Green... center... got it," Nikita repeated.
"And keep your glasses on so I can see what you're seeing. That way if something screwy comes up I should be able to bypass it," Birkoff added quickly.
"Ugh... I hate wearing the glasses under a mask... it gives me a headache!"
"Sorry, you'll have to talk Walter about that. That's not my department!" Birkoff said with a wry grin.
"Nikita," Michael called from the back of the van.
Nikita rose and moved to the weapons locker in the back of the van. She knew that although Birkoff wouldn't be able see them he most assuredly would be able hear them, so she smiled at Michael and asked, "What do you have for me?"
"Your usual package," he said quietly as he helped her into the various harnesses and holsters. Michael had helped her with this chore many times but this time she was extremely aware of his fingers lingering on hers every time he handed her a piece of weaponry.
After he tucked her silencer into a pocket of her vest, he proceeded to withdraw it slightly to be sure that it wouldn't snag on anything when she needed it. In doing so, his knuckles tenderly brushed against her breast. Next she felt his hands pushing lightly against her ribs as he settled her supply belt.
Finally Michael knelt in front of her to adjust the thigh strap of her primary holster... his hands gently encircling her. As he stood, his hands inadvertently traced a path from her inner thigh, across her belly and up to her breast. She noticed that even he was affected by the unintentional slip... his lips were parted and his eyes were dark with desire.
Nikita's breath caught in her throat and her knees buckled as his touch sent shock waves through her body. She fought to get enough air in her lungs to say thanks. It came out in a small explosive "--anks!" her voice thin and raspy, barely audible. She coughed and tried again; this time she succeeded in producing a more normal tone of voice. "Thanks."
"Here are the U-key, the picklocks and the electronic key pad," Michael finished, slipping each into specially designed pockets in her vest... again brushing her already sensitized breasts.
"Mi-chael!" she whispered with all the strength she could muster. "Not... now!! Bir..."
Michael stemmed her words with a swift but passionate kiss, leaving Nikita breathless again. Then he whispered into her ear, "Tu m'enivres!" ("You intoxicate me!")
She cleared her throat once more and said again, "Thanks, Michael... I can get the rest."
"Alright," he said, only just loud enough to be heard. Then he moved around the locker into the main part of the van.
Nikita waited a few more seconds, trying to steady her pulse before re-entering the front section of the van. She finished stowing her gear in various pouches and pockets, smoothed her hair from her face and left the locker area.
"I've checked for security in the attic," Birkoff said. "There's nothing overt, but you'll need to scan the trunk. If there's a security lock on the trunk we'll have to figure out how to jam it before you open it."
"Right. Let's just hope I don't have to search the attic!" Nikita said quietly. "What's our time frame on the whole mission?"
Michael checked his PDA and answered, "We will be most vulnerable in the house. There is a 45% chance of discovery there. You will need to get into the library, look for the key, and get out in under ten minutes. If you have to go to the attic, we can stretch the mission parameters for another ten minutes... but obviously, the quicker you can do this, the better."
The van pulled to a stop as Birkoff punched up another 3D schematic of the estate. "We've put together a 20 minute tape to cover your entrance and egress. I'll patch it into the guard's feed as soon as you're in position."
"You'll leave in five minutes," Michael said. "Have you got everything?"
"Yeah. I just hope Maman was right about the key," Nikita answered.
"We'll find out soon enough," Michael replied.
Michael followed Nikita to the van door. "I will remain in the van unless you need me. If you see any anomolies, signal me on B channel and I'll be in as quick as I can. We'll also try to give you plenty of warning if Veireck turns up."
He looked steadily into her eyes, his silver-green meeting and holding her sky blue. "Don't forget, ten minutes in the library, max."
"Ten minutes, plus ten minutes in the attic if necessary," she reaffirmed.
Michael gave her a quick nod. "Go."
Nikita nodded in return, put her glasses on, pulled her mask over her head, and slipped from the van. Michael watched her until she was lost in the darkness.
Inside the van, Birkoff refined the views they were receiving from Nikita's glasses. "You should be close to the section of the perimeter we've taped."
"I think so,"she whispered. "Can you get a fix on me?"
"Gotcha!" Birkoff answered. "You need to move one meter to your left... that's good. Hold on for a sec while I queue up the video feed."
"Holding."
"Ready..." Birkoff's fingers were poised over his keyboard waiting for the sequence to begin. He tapped a key. "Okay, go... they're watching our feed."
"Right," Nikita answered, switching to her subvocal mic.
She sprinted the 3/4 kilometers to the house. Maman had told her exactly which door would bring her to the library with minimal chances of discovery. She had also promised to give most of the staff the night off, which would essentially empty the house of everyone except Maman, her maid and the guard.
Nikita flattened herself against the wall next to the side entrance. Stealthily she attached a small device to the door, then subvocalized,
"No the hallway is clear. The library is to the right in the main hall. The clock has started."
"Got it," Nikita answered.
With that, she used the U-key to unlock the outer door and moved into the dimly lit side hall. She moved cautiously toward the main hall, watching carefully for furniture legs and other potential disasters, her gun down but ready.
As she approached the main hallway, she pulled a small rubber-encased mirror from a thigh pocket. Covertly she edged toward the junction of the two halls and held the mirror out just far enough to give her a view of the main hall. No one was in sight and the normally blazing chandelier had been dimmed.
"I don't show anyone in that part of the house," Birkoff said. "The library is the second door on the right."
Nikita didn't bother to acknowledge the information, she just slipped around the corner to the right and quietly approached the library door. Quickly she removed the electronic key pad from her vest pocket and readied it. She waited for Birkoff's signal to enter the room.
"The panel is to the right of the door at eye level... 45 seconds... Go!"
Nikita pushed down on the door latch and swung the door open. She stepped into the room placing the device against the side of the panel and pressed the green button. While waiting for the dialer to cycle through, she glanced around the room trying to locate the shelving unit hiding the safe. The device emitted a small beep and Nikita immediately punched the center button.
"Time?" she subvocalized.
Michael answered, "6 minutes, 45 seconds."
"The system is off... you're clear," Birkoff told her.
Nikita moved to the bookshelf and pulled out the books that hid the safe, noting any idiosyncracies and taking care to stack them in order. With the shelf about half empty, Nikita discovered the safe. Quickly she removed the rest of the books and checked the lock. It was an old safe, probably installed when the house was built. She could tell that the U-key wouldn't do the job. It was for that very reason that she'd be given the picklocks.
"Birkoff, can you tell if the safe has its own security?" she asked.
"Not from here. Put your electronic key pad against the lock and press the button on the bottom left corner," he replied.
Nikita did as instructed and waited breathlessly for clearance.
"It's clear, Nikita," Birkoff said.
"Time?"
Again, Michael answered her, "5 minutes, 33 seconds."
Nikita selected the appropriate picks and went to work on the lock. Within seconds she heard the distinctive snick of the lock unlocking and grinned, pleased that she hadn't lost her touch.
She stowed her picks and opened the safe. Inside she saw a few papers, a few jeweler's cases, but not much else. Quickly she withdrew and opened the cases. Each contained antique jewels that had to be Maman's, but no key. She flipped through the papers, but still no key. She felt the interior of the safe for a false back or side, but couldn't detect anything.
"It's not here! That means it must be in the attic," she said, even as she started putting things back in the safe.
"Guess so," Birkoff agreed and then reminded her, "Don't forget to re-engage the security before you leave."
Nikita closed the safe and re-shelved the books, putting them back exactly as she'd found them. Then she crossed the room and attached the monitor to the hall door.
"Is it still clear?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'm re-engaging the security... Now!"
And she pressed the center button of the dialer again, and quickly opened the door and slipped out into the hall. She stood for a moment getting her bearings. She saw the stairs at the same moment Birkoff told her where they were.
"The stairs are five and a half meters to your right," he said.
"I see them," she acknowledged. "Time?"
"3 minutes 8 seconds," Michael replied, then added, "New clock... 9 minutes, 59 seconds."
Nikita darted for the stairs and paused before mounting them. She realized that this staircase did not go all the way to the attic. Birkoff's voice interrupted her incipient panic.
"When you get to the top of the stairs, move down the hall to your left. The door to the attic stairs in the third on the left. Be careful, they're very steep," he cautioned.
"Great."
Her disgusted tone drew grins from both men in the van.
Nikita quietly climbed the main staircase and turned to her left. The upstairs hall was even dimmer than downstairs. She had to be very careful not to trip over anything.
She froze when she heard laughter coming from the far end of the hall until she recognized that the sound was a laugh track of a television program. She eased down the hall until she reached the third door. She lightly grasped the handle and turned.
It was locked.
Silently cursing, Nikita pulled the U-key from her pocket. With a twist, the lock opened and she entered the stairwell. She closed the door and removed a small powerful flashlight from another pocket, focusing the beam on the stairs. Stealthily she crept up the stairs.
There was another door at the top but thankfully it wasn't locked. She opened it gently and stepped into what in years gone by would have been called a box room. It was a good sized area running approximately four meters across by six meters long and the ceiling was sloped as it followed the roofline.
The space was organized... sort of. One corner was devoted to disused medical equipment, old wheelchairs, walkers and the like. Across one of the long walls were shelving units with labeled boxes and magazines. In the far corner, Nikita saw the steamer trunk. It was huge, standing almost one and a half meters tall.
She was relieved when she saw the trunk standing wide open. Hide in plain sight, she thought. But I'd better scan just to be sure. She cautiously approached the trunk and subvocalized,
"No, looks clean," he said.
"Time?"
From Michael, "7 minutes, 46 seconds. Hurry Nikita."
Nikita stood in front of the steamer and examined the various drawers. Where would you hide a small key, Josef? Hmmm? Where would you keep it safe? Nikita closed her eyes and lifted her free hand. Her hand drifted to the second drawer on the right side of the trunk.
Nikita opened her eyes and, with a deep breath, opened the drawer. In it she found an old cigar box with playing cards wrapped in a rubber band inside, along with a bright blue feather, and a chain. She carefully removed the chain from the box and found two keys attached to it. One was obviously an old skate key while the other one was much newer than anything else in the trunk.
"That's it!" Birkoff said with excitement. "Now get out of there. You've got six minutes to get back to the van."
Nikita closed the cigar box and replaced it in the drawer. She secured the keys in her pocket and quietly crossed the room and down the stairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs, she placed the monitor on the door again and signalled Birkoff to check for people.
"Still clear," he said.
She turned off her flashlight and stowed it in a pouch, then carefully opened the door, engaging the lock as she slipped through.
She moved to the stairs and waited 'til Birkoff again gave her the "all clear"signal again. As soon as she received it she crept down the stairs and moved across the main hall to the side hall. She moved to the outer door. For the last time she placed the monitor on the door and waited.
"You're clear to go."
Nikita opened the door, slipped out and quietly locked and closed the door. Then she sprinted toward the shadows of the trees ringing the house. As she reached their safety she felt something brush her mind. She stopped and turned back to the house. She scanned the windows and in one of the second floor windows saw Maman watching her escape. Nikita stepped back into the light and acknowledged Maman's wave. Then she was off, running again to cover the remaining 1/2 kilometer in the time allocated.
As she approached the edge of the estate, she asked Birkoff,
Birkoff checked his readouts and monitors. "Yeah, there's another four minutes to go."
Nikita dashed across the perimeter and headed for the van. Michael met her at the door and gave her a quick look.
"She saw you?" he asked quietly.
Nikita looked at him sharply, but figured he had only seen Maman through her glasses. "Yes... I felt her touch my... mind as I got to the trees," Nikita replied between gasps as she brought her breathing back under control. "I didn't... feel her when I was inside but... I'd swear she knew I was there. I think she turned up the volume... on her TV to mask any sound I made."
"I felt her, too," Michael said.
"What?!?" Nikita was startled. She knew the bond between Michael and herself was very tight, but she didn't realize it was that inclusive. She dragged her mask off her head, her hair spilling out of it's messy chignon.
"I was reaching for you when I felt something touch our connection. I knew it had to be her looking for you," he replied evenly. He had been startled too, when he felt the awesome power behind that light touch. He also knew that Madame Veireck had recognized him from Nikita's vision. "You were right to trust her."
They had moved into the main part of the van again and Nikita plopped down on the seat but Michael remained standing. Nikita dropped her mask and glasses on the counter as the van headed toward the second phase of the night's mission.
"So, what's next? Do I have time for a nap?" she asked. She tried to control her voice but it sounded weary, even to her. She'd had a long day in the lab preceeded by a night with very little sleep. And what sleep she'd gotten had been troubled by odd dreams.
Birkoff looked questioningly at Michael, but Michael was looking at Nikita, assessing her exhaustion. He knew how tired she was -- he had heard her muttering and tossing all night --had heard her finally give up on sleep and go in to the lab at 5:30am.
"Yes," Michael said quietly. "Go lie down in back for 20 minutes. I'm sorry but that's all the time we have to spare. We'll have to brief you as soon as we're on site."
Nikita poured all the thanks she could muster into the look she gave him as she shrugged out of the seat and headed for the back of the van. As she stretched out on the floor of the van, with her jacket wadded up to serve as a pillow, she 'felt' Michael's fingers massaging her temples.
That was the last thing she knew for 20 minutes.
************
Chapter 14
Nikita woke to find that the van had stopped swaying. She sat up, rose effortlessly to her feet, then rooted through the lockers until she found a half-filled canteen of water. She tilted her head back and poured the water over her face and neck. With her eyes closed, she was groping for a towel or a tee-shirt or something to dry off with when she whacked Michael across the jaw... hard.
With her eyes still screwed shut, she drew back her hands immediately. Then she tentatively reached out, feeling through the air to find his face again. When she found it, Nikita gently traced his features, letting her fingers learn every curve and angle of the face of her beloved. When her fingers reached his lips, Michael tenderly kissed each one and then turned his face into her palm and kissed it with passion.
That last kiss shot fire from her hand to the very core of her being and sucked all the breath from her lungs. She sagged toward Michael and blindly turned her face to his. His kiss was savage, and to Nikita's mind it was all too short. He broke the contact and tenderly dried Nikita's face with the towel he'd been about to hand her when she hit him.
"Thanks," she whispered, opening her eyes for the first time. Then she saw the welt rising on his chin. "Oh, Michael, I'm sorry!" And she reached out to tenderly touch his jaw. "I didn't mean to..."
"You can apologize later," he said, with significant emphasis on the word 'later.' "Now we have to get prepped and go over the sequence."
Nikita nodded with a small smile and followed him into the main area of the van.
Birkoff took a look a Nikita's damp face and said, "Wet dreams again, huh?" He ducked, but not quite quick enough to avoid the fwap she administered to the back of his head. "Guess not," he muttered, rubbing the spot. He looked up at Michael and quipped, "You know, that's why I've been letting my hair grow -- it cushions the blow and hides the bruise!" Then he noticed Michael's chin and jibed, "Maybe you should grow a beard!"
Nikita tried to swallow her laughter and nearly choked. She buried her face in the towel and let her laughter take over.
Michael grinned at Birkoff's remark and Nikita's reaction. He knew they should begin the briefing but was bouyed by the sense of camaraderie he felt. He was finally learning to let his friends see the man beneath the operative. And he was discovering that he rather liked the man being revealed.
After a moment, he called the other two to order. "We're at alpha point. Let's go over the parameters."
"Right," Birkoff said. He turned to Nikita and said, "Since you know the layout of the compound, once you and Michael have gotten in, it'll be up to you to lead the way. I've plotted a general course, but if you know a better way, just say so." He punched up a 3-D schematic of the MDT complex.
Nikita studied it for a moment, but couldn't see any better way to the target zone. "No, that looks good. Have you been able to locate the server yet?" Her concern was valid, for although she knew the code and had the key to bring MDT down, she didn't know where the server actually was.
"Yeah, it's in the systems room in the sub-basement of your building," he said, rotating the image floating above the table. "You'll enter through here, take these stairs down to the lower level and then follow this hall to the system administrator's office. Go through that office into the lab beyond it. The server is one of the computers in there."
"Which computer?" Michael asked.
"That's what I don't know... yet. You'll need to get in there and let me see what's what." Then he looked at Nikita and said, "You'll access the server with Veireck's key and this." He handed her a tiny gadget about the size of a tube of lipstick.
As she turned it over in her palm, he explained. "You'll insert the key into the lock... it'll probably be on a console beside the server... and then press the blue spot on the player." He indicated with his pen the location of the button.
Nikita tested it and was amazed to hear Veireck's voice coming from the tiny speaker... "41219411347141191198," Josef said.
"Cool!" She grinned, as always, amazed by the inventiveness of Walter's toys and gadgets. Then she turned serious again. "What kind of security is in the room?"
Birkoff sighed. "I've looked at it six different ways but I just can't see into the room itself. Once you're in the room I'll probably lose contact with you, Michael, so I'll funnel everything through Nikita. Her subcutaneous receiver and transmitter are more powerful than what you have." He looked from Michael to Nikita and then back again. "As far as security goes, use the monitor so I can tell you what's beyond the door and the dialer to disengage the security. If it's too sophisticated for the dialer, I'll jam it from here for as long as I can."
"Once you get into the server, you'll need to download the files to me," he continued. "I have a secured satellite pathway ready to go directly to a portion of the mainframe at Section." He saw the concern on the two cold ops faces and hastened to reassure them. "Don't worry. The virus won't cause any problems in Section. It's a secondary mainframe and the section waiting for the virus is isolated from the rest of the drive. The virus won't do any damage."
Birkoff handed Nikita another small device. "This is the explosive to destroy the server once the download is complete. You'll have three minutes to clear the area once it's activated. Walter says it's not a huge explosion but significant enough to bring down a portion of the building if the server is near a load bearing wall."
"Got it. What's our clock on this?" Nikita asked looking at Michael.
"We won't be working against the clock on this part of the mission," he answered. "The guards are remarkably lax in their patrols. They mainly use cameras to alert them to unwanted guests. Birkoff was able to hack into their system and get enough tape to cover us, but we'll use tranq darts for insurance."
"The only camera I haven't taken out," Birkoff said, "is the one near the server. You'll have to do that one when you get there. Michael has the equipment for that."
"Great," Nikita replied. "Anything else?"
"Nope, just get in, download the virus, destroy the server and get out," Birkoff quipped.
"Yeah, right... easy as one, two, three..." she said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
Michael turned to Nikita, his eyes lingering on hers as he said, "It's time to go."
Together they quickly exited the van and closed the door behind them. They waited a moment for their eyes to get used to the darkness. They'd be using night goggles but after the lights inside the van, they needed a moment to readjust.
"Let's go," Michael whispered, touching her shoulder.
Nikita moved through the darkness, stealing silently between the buildings that bordered the MDT complex. Michael followed about a meter behind. She signalled him when they approached the last protection afforded by the buildings.
"It's over 90 meters... very little cover," she whispered. "Wait 'til I reach my second mark before you start."
Michael nodded, acknowledging her instructions with a slight smile. Nikita smiled back and then moved out. She sprinted diagonally across the strip of lawn until she was almost to the fence surrounding the compound.
She'd spent several lunch hours contemplating this fence. It was a simple chain link fence, just over two meters tall capped by rolled razor wire. It wasn't electrified, but it was monitored by cameras in the guard house by the front entrance. Nikita cautiously approached the guard's position, glad to see the screenless windows open to catch the light night breeze. She knew the guard on duty tonight and knew that he had three small children. She was relieved that it was a tranq dart and not a bullet that she aimed at the back of his neck. Her silenced gun produced only the slightest sound as she squeezed the trigger. The guard slumped in his chair.
Nikita advanced quietly. She entered the post and checked the guard's pulse. Satisfied, she moved on. She ran for her second mark, the single tree on the far side of the parking lot. Once she reached the safety of the tree, she signalled Michael with a slight wave.
She watched as he moved quietly toward the guard post. Even in the middle of the mission she could still admire his fluid movements. There wasn't an operative to match him. Even Jurgen wasn't that smooth.
She signalled Michael once more and he approached her position. Once there he crouched beside her, waiting for her to resume the point position.
Nikita raised her head cautiously, testing the slight breeze. In the stygian darkness, her best informants were her ears and her nose. While the new night goggles were a huge improvement over the older version, she still couldn't make out all the fine details. And right now, she needed all the information she could get.
She peered around the edge of the tree and quickly scanned the distance that remained to be covered. The door into the building was approximately 25 meters away with absolutely nothing to provide any protection... coming or going! She glanced at Michael once more before she darted out across the open space. As she reached the side of the building, Michael moved to follow her.
Nikita pulled her building keycard from a vest pocket. She knew that its use would be registered on the lock's entry log, but that the log wouldn't be checked until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, by that time, she would be long gone.
Silently, she led Michael through the maze of corridors. They reached the stairs and quickly descended them. Once they were in the sub-basement, Nikita paused long enough to contact Birkoff.
20 minutes later
At the MDT compound
"Any signs that anyone knows we're here?" she subvocalized.
"No... everything's clear and quiet. I'm not even picking up any comm signals on any frequency." Birkoff sounded amazed. "It's almost too quiet."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Nikita muttered.
Nikita led Michael toward the systems administrator's office. The door was locked and Nikita placed the small device Birkoff had given her against the door to check for occupants inside the room.
"Anyone in there?" she asked.
"I don't see anyone," Birkoff answered. "You're clear to go, but remember there may be some kind of security."
"Can you tell before I open the door?" she inquired.
"Try running the dialer along the wall around the door... about shoulder height..." Birkoff replied. "It's not really designed to do this but it may give off a reading if it's close enough."
"Okay -- the center light is blinking -- can you see anything?"
"Alright! Yeah... it's signature is just like the one at Veireck's house. You should be able to use the same procedure to turn this one off."
If Birkoff was relieved, Nikita was more so.
Michael put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. He pulled a small atomizer from a thigh pouch, gestured for her to hold her breath and quickly enveloped every inch of Nikita's skin and clothes in the mist. Then he handed her the bottle and she returned the favor. Moments later when the fog cleared, she handed the atomizer back to Michael and he stowed it away.
Nikita nodded to Michael and quietly pushed the U-key into the lock. As soon as it clicked open, Nikita turned the knob and quickly entered the room, turning to her left to find the security key pad. She was greatly relieved to find it exactly where Birkoff said it would be. Quickly she placed the dialer on the side of the key pad, pushed the green button and prayed that the dialer was fast enough to decipher the entry code.
She waited anxiously as the seconds ticked off and the dialer raced through the combinations. After what seemed like an eternity, the dialer beeped and Nikita pressed the center button.
"Clear?" she subvocalized to Birkoff.
"All clear! Go!" he answered.
Nikita turned to locate the video camera, only to find Michael already carefully attaching the cables and black box that would feed a thirty second delayed, digitized picture to the guard post monitors. The spray from the atomizer would effectively wash their images out of the picture, giving them the freedom to move about the room. She smiled and moved to the banks of computers.
"Okay, Birkoff, which one is the right server?" she asked.
"Do you see any server with a lock console next to the keyboard?" he replied.
"Two of them have lock consoles," she answered quietly.
"Do they both have microphone attachments?"
"No... only the one farthest from the door has a mic," she said, the relief apparent in her voice.
"Good, that's gotta be it," Birkoff said. "Alright, put the key in the lock console and position the player in front of the mic. You'll need to turn the key first then press the blue button on the device."
"Got it," Nikita said, suiting actions to her words.
Veireck's voice sounded strangely loud in the quiet room. "41219411347141191198"
Immediately, Michael pulled another device about the size of a zip drive from another pocket and proceeded to plug it into the appropriate port of the server. He waited for Nikita to tell Birkoff they were ready to download the virus.
"Ready when you are," she said.
"Do it!" Birkoff replied anxiously.
Nikita nodded to Michael and he began sequencing the download.
The minutes ticked by as the virus was transferred to the mainframe at Section One. Finally Nikita heard Birkoff's voice.
"Got it! Now blow that thing and get out of there!"
Nikita didn't have to be told twice. As soon as Michael's equipment was disconnected from the server, Nikita pulled the explosive from her pocket. She signalled for Michael to head back to the stairs. She would give him a full minute to clear the area before she activated the bomb.
Nikita quickly attached the device to the server and pushed the trigger to begin the countdown.
************
Chapter 15
"Who are you?"
Nikita's heart jumped into her mouth when she heard that voice. Painfully aware of her proximity to the bomb, she turned to face Josef Veireck.
"What the hell? Where did he come from?" Birkoff sputtered in her head. "You've gotta get out of there!"
Slowly Nikita pulled her mask off. Veireck's surprise as he recognized her was palpable.
"Nikita?" Veireck whispered. "What are you doing?"
Nikita raised her chin defiantly and said, "I'm stopping David."
"Why, Nikita? I trusted you -- you were my other self." Veireck was stunned by her perfidy. "I loved you!"
"Two minutes, twenty seconds!"
Birkoff's voice was almost hysterical, but she tuned him out and focused on Veireck and the gun he had aimed at her heart.
"I can't let you do this, Josef."
Veireck took another step into the room, his eyes sweeping past her to the doomed server. "What have you done? You'll ruin everything!" His rage finally overcoming his incredulity.
"Two minutes!"
"It's over, Josef," Nikita said as her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly she felt the faintest brush of Maman's feather-light touch in her mind. "I'm sorry, Maman," she whispered.
With that she raised her gun and fired. Veireck stared at her for a moment, then watched with amazement as the red stain grew on his chest. He took a final step towards Nikita and she fired once more. This time, he fell.
"Get out!!" Birkoff cried frantically.
Nikita hesitated one more moment before she sprinted past the inert body of her former employer and dashed down the hall for the stairs where Michael was waiting for her. She'd barely reached the safety of his arms when the explosion ripped through the silent building.
"Are you hurt?" Michael asked gently.
"No, I'll be fine." Nikita straightened her shoulders and gazed at the face that would always be the center of her universe. "Let's get out of here," she said softly.
For the first time during the mission Michael took the lead. Intuitively he knew that Nikita was near the end of her emotional tether. "Birkoff, is our egress route clear?"
"I've got two figures running toward the building from the east. They're probably the guards. There is also a smaller figure moving very slowly toward your current position. I don't know who it is," Birkoff answered.
"It's Maman," Nikita said quietly. "I have to see her. Michael, please." She turned her tear-filled, pleading eyes to his. "I have to tell her that he didn't suffer."
Michael nodded. He also knew that Nikita had to forgive herself for killing Veireck in cold blood; to forgive herself, she needed absolution from Madame Veireck.
Nikita turned instinctively toward Maman and silently moved to meet her. They met under the tree that had screened Michael and Nikita's approach less than 20 minutes ago. Nikita knelt immediately in front of the tiny woman she had come to respect.
"Oh, Maman, please forgive me! I tried to make it as painless as I could," Nikita sobbed. "He didn't suffer."
Madame Veireck shoved her walker away, sank to the ground and wrapped loving arms around Nikita's heaving shoulders. "Shhh, ma petit... I know... I know," she crooned. "I forgave you the moment I met you, remember? Now don't cry... you were only Allah's instrument."
They remained wrapped in each others arms for several minutes until Michael hastened to the tree. "Nikita," he whispered. "We have to go."
"Yes, Michael, you and Nikita must leave," Maman said as she placed her hands on either side of Nikita's tear-streaked face. "You must go... and live... be happy." For a brief moment there was a faraway look in her eyes, then she smiled at Nikita and said, "Yes, ma petit... live and be happy," she began as comprehension dawned on Nikita's face.
Nikita wrapped Maman in a tender, but grateful, embrace. "Thank you, Maman," she sighed. Suddenly Nikita asked, "How did you get here? Can we take you home?"
"No, my dear," Maman said. "I'm tired. I think I will rest for a few minutes. The guards will eventually find me and I will tell them nothing. They will take me back to my car -- my maid is waiting there."
"Are you sure, Maman?"
Nikita was surprised to hear Michael use the familiar title.
"Yes, my dear, I will be fine. I just want to sit here and enjoy the evening air," she replied with a small smile. She took both their hands in a slight grasp and said, glancing at Michael and then back to Nikita, "You will be together -- he will see to it."
"Come, Nikita," Michael said quietly. He took a small step back from Maman, then stopped to give the tiny woman an intensely tender stare.
Maman nodded slightly. "Au revoir, Michel."
"Adieu, Maman," he replied reverently, his voice a hoarse whipser. Then he watched as Nikita pressed a gentle kiss on Maman's cheek.
"Adieu, Maman." Nikita's voice was thick with emotion. She gave the elder woman a final tender squeeze, and pulled Maman's delicately crocheted shawl back up onto her frail shoulders.
"Au revoir, ma petit," Maman whispered and kissed Nikita's cheek.
Nikita quickly stood and turned to Michael. She nodded and they set off briskly toward the van and safety. As they reached the guard house, Nikita looked back to catch a final glimpse of the frail woman who had come to mean so much to her. Maman lifted her hand and returned Nikita's wave.
They entered the van in silence. Even Birkoff was sensitive to their mood as he helped them stow their equipment in preparation for the long trip back to Section. At the airport the van was loaded onto the plane and the three of them quietly entered the passenger area. Once aboard, each moved to separate consoles to begin the debriefing process.
After an hour or so, Nikita moved to the center of the plane, sat in the seat next to Michael and leaned back wearily.
"Housekeeping has picked up everything from your apartment," Michael said. "They will hold it on level six for a week. If you want to keep anything, you will need to get it before then."
"Thanks... there's not much... but I would like to keep a few things," she said with a small sigh. She was thinking of mainly of the rings Maman and Josef had given her. She hoped against hope that Madeline would let her keep them. Nikita twisted her long limbs into a more comfortable position and tentatively rested her head against the edge of his seat. She closed her eyes and promptly drifted off to sleep.
Michael repositioned his seat so that her head lolled over onto his shoulder. With his free hand he tossed a blanket over her, taking care to cover her completely. Only a nimbus of flaxen hair and a glimpse of cheek and brow were exposed. Michael shifted again to allow her hands to encircle his arm beneath the cover of the blanket. He was filled with a sense of contentment he hadn't known in years, as Nikita snuggled closer.
