Chapter four
"Do you think that Elena is still alive?"
She asked that question the next morning when she noticed that he woke slowly from his dreams. He didn´t sat up at once nor did he pretend to be still asleep. Instead he just looked at her, still lyingon the ground, then took her hand and kissed her palm. His eyes glanced sadly towards the bed where Adam´s head was visible under the sheets.
"I hope so."
* * *
She told Section as he had wanted to, leaving out only their first encounter in the woods. Operations and Madeline listened with great interest to her story. Finally Madeline smiled at her.
"And that happened only last night? He just came to you?"
Nikita returned her gaze. "Yes. He asked me to tell you."
"Indeed. And where is he now?" Operations walked up and down in front of her, his mind already working on the mission profile.
"I don´t know where Adam is.", nervously Nikita tried to figure out how Madeline would react. "But I know where Michael is"; she added, trying to forget how she betrayed him by giving him the transmitter. Operations gave her a long look.
"Wonderful. Go to Birkoff and start working."
Relieved, she nodded. "Yes, sir."
*
The mission seemed to be very simple but Nikita was worried. The blackmailers would die soon, but what would happen to Michael? His behaviour couldn´t be ignored, he had left Section on purpose, following what he thought was his own mission. But maybe, if he was lucky, it would become a matter of Section now, leaving him at least alive.
They were too late. Michael had been faster. Corpses were lying along the floors in the old house that was the base of "Black Wing", drawing a picture of the fight that had happened not long before. Carefully they followed the cruel trail that marked Michael´s anger. The sounds audible in the upper floors when they arrived had stopped. Cautiously they stepped forward. The lights didn´t work, and nobody knew whether it was a trap they just entered.
"Birkoff, where is he?" She glanced along the floors and corners, listening to the tiny voice in her ear. Another agent, Luke, covered her back.
"On the upper floor, just right from the stairs. Five people around him, all unmoving."
Relieved, she signaled to her partner, and ran towards the stairs when a cry held her back.
"Stay away!"
Turning, she saw Luke falling down, and while Michael´s voice still echoed in her ear, she tried to escape from the gun fire that had suddenly started and hid behind a corner. Reloading her gun and ignoring the fast beat of her heart that had started when she saw how Michael was wrestled down, she tried to find out what had gone wrong.
"Birkoff?"
"Stay where you are. They know now it was a trap."
"What about Elena, and Michael? You told me he was upstairs!" Still angry she tried to find a bit of sense in it.
"Wait a minute."
She knew he was listening to the reports of the other agents and cautiously glanced around the corner. Four men were still guarding Michael who stood in the midst of them, hands above his head.
"Nikita?"
"Yes?" Silently she prayed for good news and held her breath.
"We have her. She was where Michael told us she would be. She is alright, only a bit bruised. What about you?"
Again she held her breath before answering.
"I´m alone. They got Luke. And they have Michael. Where are the other teams? I need."
A sudden noise and loud screams interupted her calculations, and then she heard Michael´s voice again, strangled and hoarse.
".the Collective."
* * *
"How is he?"
Michael had freed himself from his guards, starting a sudden attack and running from the men lying on the ground, when a man, whom she thought she had seen before, appeared right behind him. She had shot him, but not after his bullet had hit its original target. Like in slow motion she watched Michael falling down and only when he hit the floor she started hearing the sounds around her again.
She didn´t know how he did it, but Operations and Madeline forgave him. It was only when Birkoff started to tell her about the Collective when she started to understand.
"I only know what Operations said", he reluctantly began his report, recognizing that he would only get back to work when her curiousity was satisfied. "He was lucky to discover that it was the Collective who was responsible. Otherwise he would be dead now." Noticing her frown he shrugged and turned back to his computers. That´s all I know."
She sat by his side and watched him. A week was gone since they had met, and the lines of his face had softened a bit. He was paler than she had ever seen him, and all the wires and needles disturbed her, but the doctors reassured her that he would recover. He hadn´t been awake yet, so all that was left for her to do was to sit and watch and stroke his hand.
Walter entered the med-lab, looking concerned, but not worried. She sighed.
"They say he´ll soon be better. Some news?" Interested she stood up and took a few steps around the room, stretching her back. Walter watched her amused.
"Nothing in particular. Some wars, some terrorists, the usual things. Oh, and, um, Operations want to talk to you."
She glared at him and he lifted his hands in played confusion.
"Maybe an invitation for dinner?"
She laughed. "Certainly not."
*
She met Operations on the perch and watched him pacing silently before she adressed him. As always he didn´t lose time.
"What did Michael say when he was in your flat?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did he mention the Collective?"
Surprised she stared at him. She didn´t understand why that was important.
"No." Her irritation must have shown on her face, for after a short glance in her direction, Operations told her what she wanted to know.
"The Collective is the worst enemy Section ever had. Sometimes they have the luck to discover disks about our agents, stolen disks, copied disks, most important disks. They try to eliminate us, but until now we manage to hold them back- if we know who they are. They are the best in hiding themselves.
Michael called them by their name -The Collective- shortly before he was shot. That helped us to discover a new base and we could destroy it, but where got he the knowledge from? Why didn´t he say so before?"
"You don´t think that he worked with them?" She was almost sure but wanted to hear it from Operations himself.
"He certainly wouldn´t work for someone who killed his parents, now would he?" He was back to cynism.
Taken aback she just stared at him.
"Oh, you didn´t know that?" He smiled his foxlike smile. "You can go now."
*
"Hey, welcome back."
Holding his hand, she bent over him when he opened his eyes. She saw him frown in concentration as he tried to remember what had happened and smiled when he finally looked at her.
"You´re alive", she said.
His mouth twitched. "More or less. And why?"
"I don´t know", she answered honestly, trying to avoid his eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with the Collective? Operations seems to be very glad of your telling him."
He pressed her hand in return, making her look at him again.
"It was only a game. They knew I was the only one who could recognize their leader for I have seen him once before. So they wanted me out of the way and took Elena to make me do as they liked. They were sure I wouldn´t tell Section."
"But you did."
"What I did was telling you." His lucent green eyes held hers in a tight grip. She couldn´t look away. To cover her embaressment she tried to change the topic.
"When did you know that it was the Collective and not Black Wing? Where did you get to know him?"
It worked. Immediately he closed his eyes and turned away his head. When he opened them again he stared at the wall and sighed.
"It was your transmitter. When they discovered it in the hall, they didn´t know what to do with me, so they had to ask for advice. It was the first time they communicated with their leader in front of me- and they called him by his name. When I knew they were from the Collective I finished them off and tried to get down to warn you, but they got me. You know what happened then."
She said nothing for a while but just looked at him, still holding his hand.
"Where´s Adam?" she finally asked, not daring to think what the answer might be.
He didn´t answer. He didn´t do anything. He watched her face, taking in every breath she took, and she knew from the set line of his jaw that whatever happened he would keep silent about the whereabouts of his son until all dangers were averted, and not care about the consequences.
She just opened her mouth when Operations suddenly entered the room. They let go of their hands at once, but he didn´t seem to notice, just adressed Michael without delay.
"You know it was Henderson?"
"Yes, without doubt. I heard them call him, and I saw him behind me. It was Henderson." His voice sounded clear and strong again she noticed with mixed feelings.
"Good." He turned to leave but stopped halfway, facing Michael once more, ignoring Nikita completely.
"I give you my word that Elena and Adam will be well cared for."
Michael bent his head in a short acknowledgement, both men graciously overlooking the fact that he was still lying in bed, until Operations had left.
"What did you say?"
Confused, Michael looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"´I saw him behind me.´? Can you please explain that to me?" She had the feeling that he would have shrugged had he been able to. Instead he looked at her with his unnerving stare.
"He was upstairs, right behind me as I said."
"Where did he know from that you suddenly would change sides? So that he was able to be there in time to shoot you?"
"I don´t know what you mean."
"No?" She returned his gaze unblinking. "It was you who freed Elena, so you could tell Section where to find her. When she was gone it was clear for the Collective that you were a traitor." She shivered. "You had already freed her when you came to me and nonetheless you went back to let them shoot you?"
She looked at him and found the answer herself. "Of course, Section would have cancelled you otherwise."
Unconsciously, she softly stroked the line of his brow. "You managed to escape nine men, Michael. You could have died. Did you do it for Adam? You must try to stay alive. One day he´ll need you."
Her voice was nearly gone. Tears dropped on the white linen sheet as he lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek.
"I know. I´ll try."
*
She visited Elena in her new home, not telling Michael that she did although she was almost sure that he didn´t want to know, as a matter of safety for all of them. Adam couldn´t remember anything, as Michael had said. Mischieviously he ran around, knocking everyone flat who was in his way. Elena did remember, but she didn´t understand. It almost broke Nikita´s heart to see her like this, absent-mindedly watching Adam, thinking, shivering.
Nikita hugged her tight, trying to give her a bit of comfort. They drank tea, saying nothing, but Nikita could see that her gaze went more than once towards the fireside where Michael´s picture stood on the mantelpiece.
"I dreamt about him last night", she said unexpectedly, making Nikita sat up in watchfulness. "Adam did, too." She sighed and faced Nikita once more, smiling slightly, remembering how often they had already spoken of him. They didn´t need it anymore.
"He was wonderful", she simply said.
*
Cautiously she entered med-lab but he had fallen asleep, exhausted by the events of the day. She sat down on a chair next to him, watching him as she had done so often. Right now he looked like the child that he once might have been, innocent and vulnerable. But the lines on his face drew a picture of his life, and in seconds he became again the man she knew, mysterious, ruthless, hard and uncontrollable, unassessable.
He moved suddenly, opening his eyes. She held her breath and tried to figure out what had betrayed her presence, but he just looked at her and then, all of a sudden, smiled before he went back to sleep.
She let out her breath and stood up. Looking down on him, she felt she would never know all the sides of his character. The man in front of her was different from the man in the picture, pale and worn out by the life he led, but he was alive. Maybe more alive than he had ever been.
Softly she stroked his cheek and then turned to leave.
-end-
"Do you think that Elena is still alive?"
She asked that question the next morning when she noticed that he woke slowly from his dreams. He didn´t sat up at once nor did he pretend to be still asleep. Instead he just looked at her, still lyingon the ground, then took her hand and kissed her palm. His eyes glanced sadly towards the bed where Adam´s head was visible under the sheets.
"I hope so."
* * *
She told Section as he had wanted to, leaving out only their first encounter in the woods. Operations and Madeline listened with great interest to her story. Finally Madeline smiled at her.
"And that happened only last night? He just came to you?"
Nikita returned her gaze. "Yes. He asked me to tell you."
"Indeed. And where is he now?" Operations walked up and down in front of her, his mind already working on the mission profile.
"I don´t know where Adam is.", nervously Nikita tried to figure out how Madeline would react. "But I know where Michael is"; she added, trying to forget how she betrayed him by giving him the transmitter. Operations gave her a long look.
"Wonderful. Go to Birkoff and start working."
Relieved, she nodded. "Yes, sir."
*
The mission seemed to be very simple but Nikita was worried. The blackmailers would die soon, but what would happen to Michael? His behaviour couldn´t be ignored, he had left Section on purpose, following what he thought was his own mission. But maybe, if he was lucky, it would become a matter of Section now, leaving him at least alive.
They were too late. Michael had been faster. Corpses were lying along the floors in the old house that was the base of "Black Wing", drawing a picture of the fight that had happened not long before. Carefully they followed the cruel trail that marked Michael´s anger. The sounds audible in the upper floors when they arrived had stopped. Cautiously they stepped forward. The lights didn´t work, and nobody knew whether it was a trap they just entered.
"Birkoff, where is he?" She glanced along the floors and corners, listening to the tiny voice in her ear. Another agent, Luke, covered her back.
"On the upper floor, just right from the stairs. Five people around him, all unmoving."
Relieved, she signaled to her partner, and ran towards the stairs when a cry held her back.
"Stay away!"
Turning, she saw Luke falling down, and while Michael´s voice still echoed in her ear, she tried to escape from the gun fire that had suddenly started and hid behind a corner. Reloading her gun and ignoring the fast beat of her heart that had started when she saw how Michael was wrestled down, she tried to find out what had gone wrong.
"Birkoff?"
"Stay where you are. They know now it was a trap."
"What about Elena, and Michael? You told me he was upstairs!" Still angry she tried to find a bit of sense in it.
"Wait a minute."
She knew he was listening to the reports of the other agents and cautiously glanced around the corner. Four men were still guarding Michael who stood in the midst of them, hands above his head.
"Nikita?"
"Yes?" Silently she prayed for good news and held her breath.
"We have her. She was where Michael told us she would be. She is alright, only a bit bruised. What about you?"
Again she held her breath before answering.
"I´m alone. They got Luke. And they have Michael. Where are the other teams? I need."
A sudden noise and loud screams interupted her calculations, and then she heard Michael´s voice again, strangled and hoarse.
".the Collective."
* * *
"How is he?"
Michael had freed himself from his guards, starting a sudden attack and running from the men lying on the ground, when a man, whom she thought she had seen before, appeared right behind him. She had shot him, but not after his bullet had hit its original target. Like in slow motion she watched Michael falling down and only when he hit the floor she started hearing the sounds around her again.
She didn´t know how he did it, but Operations and Madeline forgave him. It was only when Birkoff started to tell her about the Collective when she started to understand.
"I only know what Operations said", he reluctantly began his report, recognizing that he would only get back to work when her curiousity was satisfied. "He was lucky to discover that it was the Collective who was responsible. Otherwise he would be dead now." Noticing her frown he shrugged and turned back to his computers. That´s all I know."
She sat by his side and watched him. A week was gone since they had met, and the lines of his face had softened a bit. He was paler than she had ever seen him, and all the wires and needles disturbed her, but the doctors reassured her that he would recover. He hadn´t been awake yet, so all that was left for her to do was to sit and watch and stroke his hand.
Walter entered the med-lab, looking concerned, but not worried. She sighed.
"They say he´ll soon be better. Some news?" Interested she stood up and took a few steps around the room, stretching her back. Walter watched her amused.
"Nothing in particular. Some wars, some terrorists, the usual things. Oh, and, um, Operations want to talk to you."
She glared at him and he lifted his hands in played confusion.
"Maybe an invitation for dinner?"
She laughed. "Certainly not."
*
She met Operations on the perch and watched him pacing silently before she adressed him. As always he didn´t lose time.
"What did Michael say when he was in your flat?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did he mention the Collective?"
Surprised she stared at him. She didn´t understand why that was important.
"No." Her irritation must have shown on her face, for after a short glance in her direction, Operations told her what she wanted to know.
"The Collective is the worst enemy Section ever had. Sometimes they have the luck to discover disks about our agents, stolen disks, copied disks, most important disks. They try to eliminate us, but until now we manage to hold them back- if we know who they are. They are the best in hiding themselves.
Michael called them by their name -The Collective- shortly before he was shot. That helped us to discover a new base and we could destroy it, but where got he the knowledge from? Why didn´t he say so before?"
"You don´t think that he worked with them?" She was almost sure but wanted to hear it from Operations himself.
"He certainly wouldn´t work for someone who killed his parents, now would he?" He was back to cynism.
Taken aback she just stared at him.
"Oh, you didn´t know that?" He smiled his foxlike smile. "You can go now."
*
"Hey, welcome back."
Holding his hand, she bent over him when he opened his eyes. She saw him frown in concentration as he tried to remember what had happened and smiled when he finally looked at her.
"You´re alive", she said.
His mouth twitched. "More or less. And why?"
"I don´t know", she answered honestly, trying to avoid his eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with the Collective? Operations seems to be very glad of your telling him."
He pressed her hand in return, making her look at him again.
"It was only a game. They knew I was the only one who could recognize their leader for I have seen him once before. So they wanted me out of the way and took Elena to make me do as they liked. They were sure I wouldn´t tell Section."
"But you did."
"What I did was telling you." His lucent green eyes held hers in a tight grip. She couldn´t look away. To cover her embaressment she tried to change the topic.
"When did you know that it was the Collective and not Black Wing? Where did you get to know him?"
It worked. Immediately he closed his eyes and turned away his head. When he opened them again he stared at the wall and sighed.
"It was your transmitter. When they discovered it in the hall, they didn´t know what to do with me, so they had to ask for advice. It was the first time they communicated with their leader in front of me- and they called him by his name. When I knew they were from the Collective I finished them off and tried to get down to warn you, but they got me. You know what happened then."
She said nothing for a while but just looked at him, still holding his hand.
"Where´s Adam?" she finally asked, not daring to think what the answer might be.
He didn´t answer. He didn´t do anything. He watched her face, taking in every breath she took, and she knew from the set line of his jaw that whatever happened he would keep silent about the whereabouts of his son until all dangers were averted, and not care about the consequences.
She just opened her mouth when Operations suddenly entered the room. They let go of their hands at once, but he didn´t seem to notice, just adressed Michael without delay.
"You know it was Henderson?"
"Yes, without doubt. I heard them call him, and I saw him behind me. It was Henderson." His voice sounded clear and strong again she noticed with mixed feelings.
"Good." He turned to leave but stopped halfway, facing Michael once more, ignoring Nikita completely.
"I give you my word that Elena and Adam will be well cared for."
Michael bent his head in a short acknowledgement, both men graciously overlooking the fact that he was still lying in bed, until Operations had left.
"What did you say?"
Confused, Michael looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"´I saw him behind me.´? Can you please explain that to me?" She had the feeling that he would have shrugged had he been able to. Instead he looked at her with his unnerving stare.
"He was upstairs, right behind me as I said."
"Where did he know from that you suddenly would change sides? So that he was able to be there in time to shoot you?"
"I don´t know what you mean."
"No?" She returned his gaze unblinking. "It was you who freed Elena, so you could tell Section where to find her. When she was gone it was clear for the Collective that you were a traitor." She shivered. "You had already freed her when you came to me and nonetheless you went back to let them shoot you?"
She looked at him and found the answer herself. "Of course, Section would have cancelled you otherwise."
Unconsciously, she softly stroked the line of his brow. "You managed to escape nine men, Michael. You could have died. Did you do it for Adam? You must try to stay alive. One day he´ll need you."
Her voice was nearly gone. Tears dropped on the white linen sheet as he lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek.
"I know. I´ll try."
*
She visited Elena in her new home, not telling Michael that she did although she was almost sure that he didn´t want to know, as a matter of safety for all of them. Adam couldn´t remember anything, as Michael had said. Mischieviously he ran around, knocking everyone flat who was in his way. Elena did remember, but she didn´t understand. It almost broke Nikita´s heart to see her like this, absent-mindedly watching Adam, thinking, shivering.
Nikita hugged her tight, trying to give her a bit of comfort. They drank tea, saying nothing, but Nikita could see that her gaze went more than once towards the fireside where Michael´s picture stood on the mantelpiece.
"I dreamt about him last night", she said unexpectedly, making Nikita sat up in watchfulness. "Adam did, too." She sighed and faced Nikita once more, smiling slightly, remembering how often they had already spoken of him. They didn´t need it anymore.
"He was wonderful", she simply said.
*
Cautiously she entered med-lab but he had fallen asleep, exhausted by the events of the day. She sat down on a chair next to him, watching him as she had done so often. Right now he looked like the child that he once might have been, innocent and vulnerable. But the lines on his face drew a picture of his life, and in seconds he became again the man she knew, mysterious, ruthless, hard and uncontrollable, unassessable.
He moved suddenly, opening his eyes. She held her breath and tried to figure out what had betrayed her presence, but he just looked at her and then, all of a sudden, smiled before he went back to sleep.
She let out her breath and stood up. Looking down on him, she felt she would never know all the sides of his character. The man in front of her was different from the man in the picture, pale and worn out by the life he led, but he was alive. Maybe more alive than he had ever been.
Softly she stroked his cheek and then turned to leave.
-end-