This chapter touches on: Looking for Michael
Chapter 1 Betrayal – Part 7
Nikita: "Michael?"
Nikita has been on my mind so much lately I was imagining her every where. This time when I heard the unmistakable husky sound of her voice I thought I was just hallucinating. Then I turned around and time seemed to stop. I saw the shock in her eyes, which she desperately tried to hide from Elena. She couldn't hide her emotions completely and I saw shock, betrayal, devastation, and guilt flash within a heartbeat. I moved toward the door with Adam in my arms like a man walking toward the gallows.
Elena: "Do you know her, Michael?"
I could hear the doubt and suspicion starting to creep into Elena's voice. I have to defuse this situation quickly before the mission was compromised.
Nikita: "Hello."
Michael: "What are you doing here?"
Nikita: "I found out where you were and…"
Found out where I was? She came here without Section authorization? This was worse than I feared. I quickly made up a story about a non-existent aunt to pacify Elena. She was so trusting she believed me when I bring up a person I've never mentioned before in my life. Elena invited her in and we awkwardly embraced. This embrace was light years away from the last physical contact we had inside Section. While the last time I held her in my arms was full of regret and unvoiced dreams, this one was full of suspicion and tension.
It was hard pretending to be the happy husband with her in the room. Even Elena could sense my unease when I sent Adam up to his room. Nikita did a better job of pretending to be happy seeing her long lost cousin, but every time she mentioned Adam the knot of guilt at all the silence and unspoken words between us twisted tighter. Finally Elena left the room to make tea.
Michael: "What are you doing here?"
Nikita: "Is this for real?"
I was not ready to have that discussion with her. In fact I may never be.
"There's something going on in Section. I need your help."
For Nikita to illegally obtained my location and come to me must mean something dire was happening to her.
"What's the problem?"
"Pierce and Dechy are dead. Operations is trying to kill me. He wants to wipe out everyone who witnessed Adrian."
Not quite, I thought to myself since that would mean Operations would come after me as well. If Operations was cleaning house, time had run out on resolving this situation. While I didn't think he would risk this blood cover mission in order to cover up Adrian's failed insurrection, I wouldn't put it past him to cancel me upon completion of the mission.
"Who do you report to?"
"Ferreira."
"Are you working him?"
"Yes."
"When you finish your tea, make an excuse to leave. I'll send you a contact point."
Elena called me into the kitchen to help her carry the tea tray and I was never so happy to escape from her wounded eyes and the devastation I read in them.
The whole way to the meeting point I was dreading the confrontation that surely awaited me. Without the curious eyes of Elena buffering Nikita from her full reaction, I was expecting a full on tantrum of an epic proportion rivaling even the fit she had when she found out about Alec Chandler's real activities. I wouldn't be surprised if Nikita pulled her gun on me again, although this time I wasn't sure she wouldn't pull the trigger. What in fact greeted me shocked me as nothing else has for several years.
"What's going on with the wife and child?"
"We'll talk about it later. What's your status?"
I expected my words to send her into a tailspin and turn her into the glorious Amazon warrior that she was. Instead she dropped the subject completed and focused on the reality of the situation that brought her to my door step. I told her to lure Ferreira to her apartment and to tell Birkoff to re-route a deep channel.
All through the restless night I ran scenarios in my head trying to figure out the best way to prevent her certain death. It was only later I wondered if I misread the emotion in her eyes when Elena answered the door. Why would there be guilt shining there?
We barely managed to pull it off. With the reluctant aid of Ferreira and Birkoff's technical expertise, we managed to send a scrambled message to George confirming the sighting of Adrian in Section and the death of operatives that were present at her last meeting. It was enough to hold the suspicious eyes of Oversight over Operations and Madeline to prevent them from cancelling Nikita outright.
With the immediate danger of cancellation averted, I knew it was only a matter of time before Nikita asked about the blood cover mission.
"Michael….your marriage to Elena. What is it?"
"It's a mission."
"She an operative?"
"No."
"She doesn't know."
"No. We're after her father."
"So you're deceiving her to secure your cover? Is the child yours?"
"Yes."
There was a mix of emotions revealed through her eyes. Disgust and rage at the use of an innocent, disappointment that once again I served as a Section automaton following orders, and condemnation for bringing a child into this sordid mess. Finally Nikita seemed to have made a decision about me. Judging from the disgust showing in her eyes, I'm sure I would not like whatever conclusion she had made.
