"No, you don't!" she cried, as she grabbed the craftshow tent pole from the pile at her feet. She blocked the knife lunged straight at her, and followed it up with an overhead strike to the guy's shoulder, and the pole's arc continued down to sweep his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a thud as she swung the pole around one more time, ending with the point aimed at his throat.

"Do you want more?" she smiled sweetly. "You have two options - you can get out of here now," she said tightly in bad Italian, "or I can call the police." The guy's scared look indicated that he'd take the first option. She let up on the pole and he scrambled away.

"Whew," she breathed. She was glad he'd taken the first option, she was afraid she'd be the one arrested, since she was doing craftshows without a permit and all. And she could have beaten the wimp senseless but she didn't know how the Italian authorities would take to a mere woman beating a man up. She hadn't seen any Italian police around anyway – they were probably off having dinner or something.

Her body shaking with adrenaline, she leaned on the pole and gratefully reflected on all those hours of bo kata. The Sensei had told her it would come in handy, especially in her line of work. But she was really asking for trouble, traveling all over the place doing these craftshows by herself. She'd always been independent, and had wanted a little bit of adventure. "Besides, I needed something to get over my broken heart," she thought, as she got the rest of her stuff stowed into her van. "But I should really know better than to be the last one packing up – especially after having such a good day with sales," she admonished herself. "Only a few more things and I can get out of this area," she thought, as she carefully placed the carton of delicate glass vases in the van. "There's just too much crime here in Naples – maybe I'll go across the peninsula to the Adriatic region. No money, but it's a lot safer and calmer there. I'll soak up some sun, lie on a few beaches, and relax a little," she promised herself.

With that, she climbed into her van and started on her way.

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

A rooster crowed, breaking the quiet of the morning, and one ice blue eye opened. She rolled over, blonde hair streaming across the pillow, trying to get back into the wonderful dream she was having or, was it a dream roosters didn't usually crow outside her apartment, or in Section, for that matter, she thought sleepily. Then she woke up with a start – she wasn't in Section, or her apartment – she was on vacation! "So that's why the bed feels so good, and my body is so relaxed. Well, a few weeks in Italy sure can refresh a person," she thought, "especially with all expenses paid." This time away from Michael and Section was really giving her a chance to think things through. She had to deal with her feelings about the death of Jurgen, and definitely needed to plan her next steps within Section and with Michael.

"Well," she thought, "time to get up to greet the day. A morning swim would be nice, along with some stretching and a nice run on the pathway along the water." She gathered herself up, threw on her suit, sneakers, and shorts, grabbed her sunglasses and a towel, and trotted off to the sea.

The sun was blindingly bright, the azure sky cloudless and the stucco walls and arches of the small town in southern Italy were glowing in the morning sun. The surf was pounding the rocks and there were a few lonely souls walking along the water. The gulls were crying out for breakfast, and so was her stomach. She swam back to shore, and dripping wet, climbed back up the slippery rocks to her spot on the sand. Promising her stomach a nice espresso and some pastry after she was done, she started stretching in preparation for her run.

She jogged along the path, enjoying the feeling of sun and wind on her face. She finally felt powerful and serene. She really was a fool to think that Michael truly cared for her, it was all just another manipulation to get her back into Section. Her plan to arouse Michael's jealousy had failed, Jurgen was dead, and she was left alone and bitter. All everyone did in Section was manipulate people. Well, she was going to start some deadly manipulations of her own, if people didn't watch out. Suddenly, a shout interrupted her musings. Then she heard another, a long drawn out guttural scream. Quickly she turned her head, and identified the sound as coming from the beach below her. Her own natural concern for others threw her into action, but it was her Section training that gave her the confidence to face the unknown as she raced down the pathway to the beach.

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

As Nikita rushed down to the beach, she heard another scream, this one sounding more like a bellow of frustration. She rounded the rocks and instead of surprising an attacker, discovered a lone figure doing kata movements on the beach! She skidded to a stop, sand spraying the woman who had just completed a lunging front kick and had landed in the sand, arms up in a high block.

The woman looked up,startled, and Nikita grinned, sheepishly.

"Oh, um, sorry," Nikita stammered, "I thought someone needed help," she tried to explain.

The woman looked at her and smiled, "And I thought no one would hear me down here this early in the morning. I'm sorry I made you rush down here. Hi, I'm Samantha, Tam for short," she said, reaching out her hand.

"Nikita," Nikita said. "Sorry I interrupted your exercise," Nikita started to say. "Oh, don't bother, I was just finishing up anyway. Say, are you from Australia? What are you doing all the way up here in Italy? Wow, cool sunglasses, where'd you get them? Oh, were you running?" noticing the sweat starting to trickle down Nikita's neck. "uh, sorry for all the questions, but I haven't spoken to anyone in three days." Tam replied, embarrassed now that she had interrupted Nikita and had started her usual interrogation-style questioning.

Nikita laughed, "you sound like someone I know," thinking of Madeline, "I'm here for a few weeks of vacation. I don't mind the questions, I've been staying pretty much to myself, too." They started walking up the path, chatting of inconsequential things, instantly connecting.

"Hey, have you had breakfast? I know this great espresso place just up the road," Tam said.

"Sure," Nikita replied, glad to meet a regular person, who was her age and all, but, at the same time, she wondered if this was some kind of Section set-up. Were they watching her? Keeping tabs? Well, she'd play this one out and see.

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

"So, why'd you come to Italy?" asked Tam, ask she slowly savored her second espresso. "I mean, doesn't Australia have some beautiful beaches? My cousins were there just a few months ago, and said it was beautiful."

"uhhh, I wanted to find out what all the mystery was about these Italians," Nikita said, thinking quickly. "We don't get many dark haired mystery men from where I come from." "Oh, I understand that – you wanted some adventure. That's partly why I decided to come here, that and to break some hearts of my own," Tam replied. "That bastard -- he doesn't deserve the ground he walks on. He made me do things I wouldn't ordinarily do. Why, I lost my independence because of him!" Tam said heatedly. "Oh, sorry for the temper, but thinking about him just makes me so mad. Major manipulator, you know what I mean?"

Nikita nodded, not sure if she could or would say anything. "This is too weird," she thought, her running into this woman like she did, and especially listening to Tam go on about manipulators. It was just too coincidental, she was starting to think Madelaine had something to do about this. "I, uh, really have to go," Nikita interrupted. Tam looked surprised, and a hurt look quickly passed over her features.

"Oh, I understand," she said quietly. "Well, here's my hotel if you want to get together later. Just look for my van," as she pointed to a garishly painted vehicle parked at the side of the road. "If you see that thing around, you know I'm somewhere near it – it holds my whole life," Tam explained.

Later that evening, Nikita serenely strolled along the oceanway, but her mind was going a mile a minute. That almost rescue she attempted was really bothering her. And the remarks Tam had made about manipulating men were just getting to her. Was it her imagination, or was it just too set up. Maybe Section was getting to her and she was starting to suspect everyone of ulterior motives. Well, maybe she would stop by Tam's hotel and see if she couldn't just find something out on her own.

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

Nikita slowly walked up the road where she had last seen the van. It was nowhere in sight. This was a rather rickety part of town, not at all like where her hotel was. Buildings too close together, streets narrow and winding, not many lightposts, either. Just the right atmosphere to gather some intel on this Tam person.

She spied the hotel, with its one lonely light at the door. It was late, the front door was locked tight for the night. She remembered that at some pensionnes the owners locked the front door and their guests had to use the side entrance to get back in, using a buzzer to notify the front desk person to release the door. She crept to the rear of the building, and saw a rusty fire escape ladder hanging down. "hmmmm, security in this place is really lacking, this should be easy," she thought to herself. She reached up and grabbed the last rung of the ladder, and hoisted herself up.

She climbed to the roof, and swung herself over the top. Luckily, she remembered seeing Tam's room key on the table when they were having breakfast that morning, so she knew which room was hers. She let herself in the rooftop door, and started down the stairway.

"These rooftop gardens were a nice place to have breakfast," she thought, "but also it makes for an easy way to get into the building." There it was - room 8, it was a small pennsione, just a ten rooms total.

Hearing nothing after listening, she tried the door handle. Locked. Well, she could get through that - her skills on the street had prepared her better than any Section training could have. Deftly she picked the lock with the tools she had brought with her.

Silently she let herself in, and she scanned the room. Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed, for there was a laptop computer on the dresser, a PDA at its side. She saw the wireless antennae sticking out the back of the laptop - "looks like section stuff to me," she thought, dismayed, as she turned on the damn thing. She liked the young woman, but now she knew it was just another manipulation.

Suddenly she heard someone coming up the stairway, and Nikita flattened herself alongside the door.

"Ugh, these Italians, can't keep their hands to themselves, can they.." she heard what sounded like Tam's voice muttering to herself. "I know I'm supposed to get along with them -- they're like my family, I am Italian for gawd's sake, but man, sometimes they just don't get the hint." Tam sounded a bit drunk, and fumbled a bit as she tried to stick the key in the lock. Finally, after much rattling, the door opened, and her figure was silhoueted in the doorway. "What the f**k? I didn't leave my laptop on..." she said. "Who's there?"

She ducked into the blackness of the room, crouched down low. As Nikita started to move away from the wall, she was struck in the head by a slashing blow. Nikita was thrown back against the wall, and quickly Tam had her forearm pushed up against Nikita's neck. The hallway's light flashed onto Nikita's hair, as Nikita tried to speak.

"Tam, it's me - you don't have to choke me," Nikita managed to get out.

"What are you doing here?" Tam exclaimed, immediately letting up on the choke hold. "Gosh, I'm sorry...but what's going on?" she said.

"You can drop the act," Nikita replied, drily, rubbing her shoulder and neck, "you know who I am. I thought I was on vacation. Why'd Section send you?"

"Section??" questioned Tam, "what's that? what do you mean, I know who you are...I just met you this morning," Tam was starting to get angry. And so was Nikita.

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

"You're the one who broke into my room!" Tam cried. "Why should I explain myself to you? I can't believe thisI walk into my room and see you rummaging around in my stuff and you want me to explain? You're a f**king con artist, that's what you are – probably out to rob me blind! How stupid I was to think you'd be a possible friend!" Tam roared. She was building herself up into a rage, and Nikita needed to do something quickly, before the whole pensionne was awake.

Realizing that Tam had nothing to do with Section, and that in fact, she was an innocent, Nikita immediately decided on a plan. She couldn't reach for her gun, that would just trigger more suspicions, so she did the next best thing. Nikita sat on the floor and put her head in her hands.

Tam stopped her tirade, surprised Nikita had put herself in such a submissive position.

"I'm sorry, Tam," Nikita said quietly. "I shouldn't have snuck up here, I've just been in some bad situations lately, and have come to find that I can't trust anyone anymore," Nikita said sadly.

"Humpf, you can't trust anyone?!? This situation sure doesn't make me feel like I can trust you," Tam retorted a little less angrily.

"Tam, listen to me, I'm not a con artist, I'm uh, an undercover cop, working on a drug bust, and I heard on the street that some of the drugs have been smuggled out of Italy through the use of crafts artisans. I am originally from Australia, but I live in Canada now, and I'm here working, not on vacation," Nikita lied, hoping that Tam would believe her.

"And 'Section?' What is that?" Tam asked.

"It's the name of my unit. I've been in a little trouble lately, and they've been watching me closely. I thought they had sent someone to keep tabs on me. I'm glad they didn't," Nikita replied.

Tam sighed. Nikita sighed in relief and sadness, realizing that Tam was starting to believe her story and wishing she didn't have to lie to her. She had a flash of insight, "is this what Michael goes through all the time?" she thought, "naaah, he doesn't have any feelings to begin with"

"I shouldn't believe you, but somehow, I do," Tam said slowly. "I've also been in some bad situations lately, and can't seem to trust anyone, or I trust too easily and get burned. Seems like we're soul mates, you and I," Tam continued. "I'm just so tired of fake friends, and manipulators I was really tricked into doing something I shouldn't have done by my so-called lover."

"I know what you mean," commiserated Nikita, "I've been in similar situations," thinking of all that Section and Michael had put her through. "Let's get a drink and share stories," Nikita suggested, "I'm starting to get stiff sitting down here on the floor," Nikita said with a grin.

"Oh, okay," Tam replied, as she reached down with one finely muscled arm to give Nikita a hand. "I know this cool after hours bar a few blocks away, we can talk and drink the night away."

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

"Well, I am a fourth degree black belt, and I was the East Coast Champion back in the states, in my youth," she explained. "But I had an accident, my manager was goading me, telling me that my friend was sleeping with my boyfriend and I slammed her too hard. She was my best friend, and she died in my arms.

"I went through the court system, and I was lucky – I got off light – I got one year suspended, ages of community service, a bad rep in the field, and lots of therapy. My lover ditched me immediately; he got scared, and I don't blame him. Now I just practice to keep in shape and to be able to protect myself, since I travel so much on my own. I tend to stay in the more, um, colorful neighborhoods, so I need to keep my edge. Craftshows don't pay enough to let me stay in the fancy hotels like yours," she said with a laugh.

"But I don't mind it lets me get the feel of the real folk who live here, and I can add that feel to my glasswork. Plus, I get great deals on glass supplies if I do a little barter here and there."

Suddenly, she stopped, "Do you believe me? I-I don't have any smuggler intentions, I promise. I'd just get in more trouble, and believe me I don't want to see the inside of a court or a jail ever again!" she smiles, "I'm just paranoid now."

Nikita laughs, "yeah, well paranoid or not, I do believe you. Friends?" Nikita holds out her hand, waiting.

"Friends," Tam replies, clasping her strong callused hand with Nikita's.

"And so my laptop has this cool wireless modem – it lets me hook into my glass suppliers.I can order stuff, and it gets delivered to wherever I am. Plus, with all the shows around, I can never keep track of things, so I put everything on the PDA, and I can carry that with me all the time. Ain't technology great? If I didn't have all this techie stuff I'd be lost there'd be papers everywhere, little bits and pieces all flying around in my van, it'd make for lots of lost income. There's no way I'd be able to keep my wandering lifestyle and still make a living." Tam was really getting into her story, and was about to launch into how she got into glassworking, when Nikita stifled a yawn. It was really, really late. "Here I go again, talking your ear off, enough already, I'll finish that story another time. Hey, you wanna go shopping tomorrow? Tam's natural enthusiasm bubbled up again. "I know this great little bazaar on the other side of town, and I can get you a great deal on anything," she teased.

Nikita smiles, then quickly agrees; after all, shopping is one of her favorite pastimes.

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

Nikita strolled into Section, looking rested, slightly tanned, and glowing. She had really enjoyed her freedom away from Section's eyes, and it showed. Her face broke into a wide smile as she spied Birkoff at his station, surrounded by oreoes and twizzler wrappers, busily talking to the other operatives around him. She caught his glance and waved, realizing that he was too busy to chat. She glanced up at Ops' office, but the lights were dim, she couldn't tell if there was anyone up there. "Ops is probably there, standing in the dark surveying his little kingdom," she thought. "No, don't even go there," she sternly reminded herself, "try to keep relaxed and flowing at least for a little while." Walter wasn't in his spot, so she started down the hall to visit Michael. She had a few things to say to him, not all of them bad.

But he wasn't there either. "I get back to section after a month away, and no one's around to even greet me!" she muttered to herself, slightly annoyed. "Well," she thought, "might as well go work out in the health center, maybe do a few of those cool katas that Tam showed me. I'll let everyone find me for a change."

She was deep into the second kata, and was starting to pick it apart when she felt Michael's eyes on her. She paused in the midst of the sliding knife hand motion she was concentrating on, and looked up slowly, meeting his gaze. The corners of his mouth turned up a little, and his eyes softened as he nodded.

"Nikita," he said softly. "It's...good to see you back."

She gave him her special quiet smile and he turned to go.

Her eyes followed him out of the room and she sighed. "Back to business," she thought, "in more ways than one."

She was headed out of Section, done for the day, but decided to stop in on Walter. Everyone else had stopped by at the gym, even Ops, which really surprised her, and she was wondering what was up with Walter.

"Hey Sugar!" exclaimed Walter, "Welcome back!" He gave her a big bear hug. "Heard you were down at the gym working out. You finished already? I wanted to see you all sweaty."

Nikita laughed, "Walter, I'll let you know the next time I work out here."

"So, how was Italy?" he asked casually.

"How'd you know I was in Italy?" Nikita started to say. "Heard you picked up a few things some glasswork, and Tam's kata" he slyly mentioned.

Nikita went white. She tried to keep the quaver out of her voice as she said, "Tam? Who's Tam?"

Walter motioned her closer, "You know, the woman glassworker you met? I could tell you met her after you started doing those katas, they're her specialty. Didn't you know? She's a deep cover op based in Italy." Realizing from the shock on Nikita's face that she didn't know, he said, "Awww sugar, you know Section's eyes are always on us"

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