Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter Twenty-Five

Say Something

Division Headquarters, Interrogations. 5:00 PM.

"I have vorked for you. I have vorked for Gogol. Now I vork for no one."

Amanda watched the woman across from her, Katia's state growing more and more vulnerable as she lost more blood. She was going to die in that chair. To Amanda's surprise, Katia returned the hard gaze. If looks could kiss, Amanda would be the dead one. "Are you just going to sit there or are you going to do your job?" her words taunted Amanda, a small smile forming on her lips. "You're running out of time. I'll be dead before you know it."

Katherine's words caused Michael's skin to crawl. She is dying and there is nothing he can do to stop it. Nervous tremors take over his hands only to conceal them in his pockets, hiding them from the hands of his superior. Percy cannot know that she is his weakness.

"You say you worked for Gogol?" Amanda sounds after a moment of silence.

"Yes, that is correct," Katia confirmed her head cocking to the side, "I assume you want to know vhy? Ari – Amanda you know Ari – He thought it was a brilliant idea to get someone inside. That lucky person vas me. My father the one vho gave you funding, his real name vas Dmitri Romanov. He got me in. I had vaited so long for that moment, to finally kill him. Michael found me there and you took me in. Birkhoff didn't even find my record; he's not as good as you think he is. I contacted Gogol on a regular, right under your noses. We were taking you down until..." Katherine's mind fell on Michael. He had changed everything. She loved him.

"Until?" Amanda pressed her eyes growing in an in intensity.

"Until my eyes vere opened to how corrupt Gogol is. That is vhy both of you vill be taken down. Maybe not by me but it will be done because you are veak. You are breaking from the inside out."

"She's crazy," Percy muttered over to Michael whose hands clenched into fists, "And I blame you Michael." Percy's words caught the trainer off guard. How could he possibly have any fault in her being an enemy agent? Percy had been the one to recruit Katherine, but he was never one to put the blame on himself. "She was your recruit, your responsibility."

Percy did have that much right. Michael had trained her, and should have caught the warning signs but he was blinded. Blinded by her stubborn act to repel anything to do with her training. Blinded by beauty and ability to make you empathise in all that she had faced. Blinded by her physical and psychological training. Michael had seen nothing because it was always right in front of him. She had been trained to show him everything but nothing. She was the perfect spy.

Percy reached into his coat, removing Michael's gun that had been confiscated for the duration of his own little interrogation. Now Percy needs him to use it; "Your mess to clean up."

"We can still use her." Michael sounded but hid the panic that coursed through the remainder of his body at the sight of the gun. He couldn't bear to watch her die, never mind be the one who ended it. Though, it would be an act of mercy as Katherine would only bleed out otherwise. Division would offer no medical attention to an enemy agent even if she was willing to talk.

"No," Percy shook his head, his voice cold and distant, "She doesn't want to be turned. She'd rather die."

"Sir-"

"Am I going to have a problem with you now?" Percy's voice was sharp as he continued to hold out the gun for Michael to take. They had a problem early in the day, if this were to result in another Percy would now know the trigger. Katherine. Had Michael developed feels for who he believed was just a young agent? Percy wouldn't doubt it; Michael had done the same with Nikita. If he had, the problem would soon be dealt with.

Percy hid the expression of shock on his face when Michael took the gun from his hand, "No," Michael responded to Percy's question. A gun was exactly what he needed. Not bothering to tuck it away Michael moved into the interrogation room earning a scared glance from the Russian spy at the sight of the gun. "Let me talk to her," He ordered Amanda his hardened eyes never leaving Katherine.

Amanda looked back at back Michael and nodded, "Be my guest."

Michael and lethal red-head traded places, leaving him alone in the room with Katherine. "I don't think these are necessary, do you?" Michael questioned knowing that the sight of the gun alone would keep her in place. Reaching forward, Michael freed her hands from the tight cuffs around her weakening wrists. "You're not going anywhere."

"Vouldn't dream of it," Katherine breathes out, a small smile on her lips to hide the fear she carried. Was he out for revenge? She didn't doubt it, she had lied to him. "Vhat are you going to do to me now? Hang me from the ceiling vait until my shoulders dislocate? Lock me in a room with no heat and wait for me to die of hypothermia? Or maybe you'll just shoot me between the eyes – no, that would be too merciful for Division."

"I'm not going to do anything but let you bleed. Anything else would be a waste of resources; Stephen already took care of you for us. Now we just have to wait, you can have too much blood left..." Michael trialed off waiting for an estimate of just how much blood she had left. He needed to know how much time he had with her, how much time he had left to get her out.

"You're getting fuzzy; I'd say I have about a half a pint left before I pass out, two more after that and I'm dead." Katherine breathed her bright eyes looking over Michael. He wasn't going to kill her. She could not see it in his eyes. The flicker of hope that she would live through this was evident. Michael was going to get her out. In her mind it was a lost cause. He should just let her die.

"I need you to do one last thing," Michael requested forcing a pen into her hand, "Write down the name of every Gogol spy on American soil." The pen met the page, the ink dragged out over it in two simple words; Fuck You.

Michael was humored by the message scribbled across the page, he almost laughed. Instead he cracked a smile, stood up and approached the paling blonde. "Creative, like I haven't heard – read that one before." Katherine smiled up at him, her head cocked to the side. "Something funny?" Michael's question was quickly answered when his face impacted the table in front of him. The gentle caress of her fingers held him down weakly as the other hand reached for his gun but her movements were too slow. Michael was out of her grasp and had Katherine pinned against the wall before Division guards could move for the door. He was no longer smiling. He was scared. Desperate.

"Take my gun," Michael whispered out, his hot breath washing over her ear and neck, "and get out of here. Don't turn around. Don't stop running. Get somewhere safe. Get cleaned up and keep running."

"I don't think I can," Katherine whispered blood dripping down the wall.

"If you thought that, you wouldn't have smashed my face into the table," Michael pointed out, the redness from the impact now visible. Michael's dark green eyes looked down at her blue as she seemed to struggle against his grasp. It was silent between them with the exceptions of her gasps and groans. The silence made his chest hurt and his stomach feel sick. He was giving up on her. "Katherine say something," He begged gently his thumb stroking her cheek out of the sight of his superiors.

"Okay," Katherine whispered out, her bright eyes nearing tears. He was the one that she loved, and she was now saying goodbye. He hand slipped into his jacket, gripping his gun before removing it from his hip. The struggle was short, Michael's arm dislocated from his shoulder in one swift movement before his mass was pushed back against the metal table. The door flew open drawing her attention to the guards that threatened entry. Bullets flew out of the barrel striking the guards before they could make their own move. Katherine then moved for the door, firing shots towards Amanda and Percy but did not waste too many. She would need all the shots she had to get out of there.

Stumbling out of the room, tripping over the bodies of the fallen came Michael and bruise setting in over his face. "We have to go after her," He spoke strongly but knew it was the exact course of action he wanted them to take," She knows who we are, where we are. Division is at risk as long as she is alive."

Percy shook his head in disagreement as he tried to wipe the blood from his crisp white shirt only to smudge it. "Ms. Romanov has face life threatening injuries and has severed her ties with both Division and Gogol. She has no one to go to, no one to help her. She will bleed out by morning." Michael nodded knowing not to go against his orders any further. He would already be on Percy's radar due to the day's events. Michael then departed with a clear her head knowing Katherine would be okay. She knew very well how to take care of herself and she wasn't alone. She had Nikita.