This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.
Find the Button
Michael slammed the lid of the laptop down with anger, he vowed not to drown in his hatred for Amanda, she would not win this game of emotional Russian Roulette. Focus. Saving Emma was the only thing that mattered. Making Amanda pay would come later.
Nikita looked around the room, besides the fan and the canned light fixtures there was no other way into the ceiling. "I need a ladder! Ryan, I need to get up there."
"There's maintenance equipment being stored on this floor. I don't recall the room number but it has..."
"...double doors and used to be a conference room." Birkhoff finished the sentence. "Follow me, I know the one." He and Dr. Keller and Sean sprinted down the hallway.
"Michael, I have to get everyone out. Do you understand?" Ryan looked more than conflicted as Nikita looked up at the ceiling and talked to her daughter who was trapped above their heads.
Michael caught Nikita's eye, his expression hard and grim, hers filled with dread. "We understand, go." He growled.
"I'm not leaving!" Alex announced. "We're a family and we stay together."
No one had a chance to argue with her. Instead they cleared the way for a six foot step ladder to be set up. Sean handed Michael a cordless power drill and Birkhoff handed Nikita a flashlight.
She wasted no time climbing it, Michael was right behind her. She balanced herself on one of the top rungs and he stood on one just below her. She pulled the flashlight out of her pocket and pointed the beam of light toward the fasteners that kept the fan cover on. Michael already had the drill in hand.
"Mah-Mee! Da-Dee! I wanna go home." Nikita recognized Emma's tired and hungry voice and the last thing they needed was a three year old melt down.
"Emma, do you remember the bumble bee song?" Nikita asked her cheerfully. The drill made a whirring sound and Michael dropped one of the bolts onto the floor and went to work on the next one.
"No!" Their little girl said with defiance. "I hay dat song!" She began to sob in frustration and her cries bounced around the metal enclosure.
Another bolt dropped down. "Emma!" Michael grunted working on the next one. "Use your words"
"NOOO!" She cried out.
"Shhhh shhhh, it's going to be okay." Nikita said soothingly. "Daddy is right, you have to stop crying."
Michael continued to struggle with the third bolt, it was stuck and he finally cursed in frustration.
"Dat wazza baaad word." Emma stated incredulously.
Nikita held the cover up with two hands, the pressure caused the third bolt to finally loosen and come out. There was one more to go. "Emma, I'm not angry with you, but it's really important that you do what we say." Michael had unfastened the last bolt, they pulled the cover away from the ceiling and he and Nikita let it fall. It hit the floor with a crash.
"Uh oh, Da-Dee, you bray dat?" Emma had a little attitude in her voice but it didn't last long, she began to howl again.
Nikita flashed the beam of light around, looking at the mechanism and saw the security lock on the fan blade. A red light was blinking back at her, she had seen this before with the black boxes, it meant drawing a drop of blood for the computer chip to read her DNA, before allowing access.
She pressed her thumb against it and the light on the winking light turned green. She crawled down the other side of the ladder allowing Michael better access.
He reached up into the unit, fumbling around until he found the place where the fan was connected "Emma, can you scoot way way back, pretend you're a little snake?"
"Shurrr!" She answered. Distracted by her father's request, her cries of frustration had abruptly turned off.
"Get back as far as you can, and make yourself into a little ball, I'm going to make a big noise, cover your ears with your hands." Emma did as she was told and pushed her knees up, clamped her chubby hands down over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
Michael leaned back and fired his gun at the mechanism. The noise echoed in the room and the fan blades shattered. He pulled what was left down with one hand.
"Nikita, you have to crawl in there to get to her."
She pulled herself up and poked her head into the ceiling reaching out for her daughter. "Emma, come on, we have to hurry."
Emma scooted herself forward and when she reached her mother's outstretched hand, she took it and was pulled into her arms. Nikita hadn't realized how afraid she really was until she felt Emma pressed against her.
"Give her to me." Michael had climbed down the ladder and reached up. Nikita peeled Emma away from her and held her under her arms, dropping her into her father's hands.
Michael hugged her and like Nikita, he felt a flood of relief, but he knew this wasn't over. He set her down on the floor and got down with her and pulled her into his lap. He examined the collar around her neck and saw that there were four minutes and the seconds were ticking by.
"Any of you seen this before?" Nikita asked dropping to her knees and shining the light on the device around Emma's neck.
Michael shook his head, while the others hovered over them.
"No, and I can't see where it connects." Sonya had a hint of defeat in her voice.
"It's not Division made, maybe CIA, or it could be Gogol's." Birkhoff added. The seconds on the clock ticked down.
"Mah-Mee, I gotta go tinkle!" Emma cried out.
Dr. Keller bent down and talked to her kindly. "Emma, I'm glad to see you. Do you remember me?" The doctor looked at Nikita and they both knew he was trying to distract Emma's attention.
"No?" Emma answered in a little voice. "Hoo you?"
"I was there when you were born. You were a very beautiful little baby!"
"I know." Emma answered in a matter of fact manner.
The doctor chuckled.
"Mah-Mee an Da-dee tell me dat all da time!" She answered looking into his face. She rewarded him with a big smile.
"All of you!" Ryan whispered forcefully. "If you think staying will solve this, I can't make you leave, but listen to me, someone has to be left to stop Amanda."
Michael looked up at them. "He's right. Go."
Nikita nodded her head. "We'll do what we can. Alex, don't even say it, don't even argue. We all love you... you know that... so please don't make us responsible."
Sean took hold of Alex's hand. "If anyone can beat this, it's you two. Good Luck!" The distress was evident in his voice as he led her away.
Alex was devastated, this family was her family and leaving seemed wrong and selfish, but she knew she didn't have the answer, so she let Sean pull her away.
She called out over her shoulder. "Emma, see you soon!" I'll help you and your mom make cookies, okay?"
Birkhoff took Sonya's hand, a stoic expression on his face. "Yeah, we'll see you guys later. I love you Emma, we'll play Sims when you get back."
Sonya was equally as upset and her voice quavered. "Bye bye Emma! We'll be at the office waiting for all three of you."
Ryan shook his head. "I wish it hadn't come to this. Nikita, I would do anything for you and your family and if I could save..." He stopped himself. "If I could change things I would."
Nikita nodded. "I know, we both know."
Michael looked like he was in physical pain. "Doc, take Nikita... save her." He murmured to the doctor.
"NO!" She was shocked by Michael's suggestion. "Remember, we stay together, always!" She said watching the clock tick down.
Dr. Keller had taken an oath to save lives, but nothing in his medical training was capable of saving them from this. What they needed was a miracle. "I get it." He said rising to his feet. "You're together and that's what really matters."
They watched their friends and colleagues leave and disappear out of sight. Michael pulled Nikita and Emma into his arms.
They held on to each other with Emma between them. "This is not how it's supposed to end. This is wrong." He said through clenched teeth.
Emma peered up at her parents. "Mandy sez tick tock watch da clock. Ssshhh, is a secret."
"What's a secret?" Nikita looked startled. "Emma please tell me!"
Michael watched as the clock on the device around her neck continued to count down. "It's has to do with the clock..."
Nikita asked her again. "Emma, what's the secret? Please tell us. It's really really important."
Emma looked at her mother and furrowed her brow. "She sez to watch da clock an see da mess-udg. Yu haffa fine da buddon an then yu kin tay it off wen it say tick tock."
"Baby girl, thank you for telling us!" Nikita hugged her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She held her with her head resting on her shoulder. The clock continued to count down.
"Button! We have to find the button!" Michael muttered feeling around the edge of the collar but nothing tripped his fingers up.
Nikita searched again. Still nothing.
"Emma, what else did Amanda tell you?" Michael did his best to keep the panic out of his voice.
"Nu-thing." She answered in a small voice.
"Michael!" Nikita murmured. "I will always love you and Emma."
"And, I love both of you." He answered.
The clock counted down taunting them. It had less than two minutes left on it.