Chapter 12 - Medicine

"Team One, proceed."

Nikita cast a quick glance over her shoulder to Eve, the operative she was paired up with, and winced inwardly. Eve was new, and she was scared. Her panic was almost tangible. Nikita could see the drops of sweat on her forehead and the fear in the younger girl's eyes.

Looking around the corner and seeing nobody, Nikita nodded and started to run. Eve followed her and they reached the secured area without problems. Finally she found a door that could only be opened by a retina scan.

"Ok Birkoff, we're there."

Nikita took out the lens and inserted it carefully into her right eye. As she looked into the scanner she silently prayed for the door to open. Five… four... three... two… the door clicked.

"We're in."

"Be careful. I don't have you on the screen anymore, and your com unit won't work when you're too far down. Get Ryan. He should be unguarded."

After the door came a long, dark staircase, then another door which was unlocked. Nikita kicked it open and raised her gun. She could hear Eve's uneven breathing behind her.

The laboratory was empty.

It was a relatively big room with enough space for some desks, computers, and a bed. One laptop was…

Fear Confusion

God how did I get here and where's- I didn't deserve it don't matter it's- where is he?... Apprehension, check the room, helphelpHelp!, somebody

Panic-

And silence.

Nikita heard the shot before it was fired, but it was too late to warn Eve. Acting purely on instinct, she ducked and rolled behind the next desk, making herself as small as possible. She slowly looked around the corner. Eve was lying on the floor, dead, and above her stood a man with snow white hair and a gun in his hand.

"Dr. Ryan?" she asked tentatively, distrusting.

His head snapped up and he backed off from the body, raising the gun again. The whispers, cut off after Eve's death, advanced again and created a new kaleidoscope of a personality for Nikita.

Coldness Anger Mistrust

Is she the one, blue as the ocean did it work I miss Myriam sometimes but they, she Yes, I'm saved her- killedkilledkilledblackand light. It's bright and I can't see her face

"Yes? I - I mean, that's - that's me, I'm Dr. Ryan. And please don't hurt me… it - it was a mistake, a terrible mistake… you're f-from Section One, aren't you?" He sounded genuinely disconcerted, slightly panicked. "I swear, I didn't want to k-kill her, I just waited for a chance to escape and I ... I..." he trailed off, at a loss for words. The weapon fell to the ground with a metallic, cold clatter. "I didn't want to kill her."

Excitement

did I conYou killed a man! she was pretty.. Regret, can never againI don't care!... Madeline- frightened, I never-vince her... tense and it's over there- deep blue like the ocean Aim... and fire

like her eyes

Nikita frowned. This was indeed Nicolas Ryan, the man she was supposed to get out of this complex alive at any cost. So far everything fit: his looks, the defiance, the voice - he sounded shocked. Yet his thoughts... his thoughts spoke another language. Didn't they? Aim... and fire. How did he know Madeline?

Standing up slowly and aiming her gun directly at his heart - there was something she should know. She stepped closer. "Why do you think I'm from Section One?"

does she believe me, hope so, next step and another (she was pretty, my wife, wasn't she- I'm doing this for her)... Section One and their methods- play! Act! Breathinbreathoutonetwoone

The scientist spread out his hands, apparently afraid of the gun. "I - I had some contact with them over the last few years. Sometimes I work f-for them, inventing things. They, they promised to keep me safe."

She nodded. That sounded plausible, except that something was wrong, something she should know. "We've got very little time to get out of here. Destroy everything that's important. Hurry."

Relief

I knew it- she does and she's the oneI doDad, could you look at this? Destroy everything.... yes yes I want to - slowly, got to take it with me over thereI'm afraid I've got bad news for you. C'mon, move!

He almost jumped and rushed to the laptop. He explained hastily, as if speaking to himself, "I didn't save much. Most of it is in my head so they don't have anything in case I.... in case I die."

Die... such a painful wordFLASH she didn't get old, did she, they taught me well - concentrate, just concentrate destroy destroy - what was her name? Black hair - oh how I miss her -

Nikita couldn't keep her eyes off Eve's body... blood began to pool around her, soaking her hair and cheek. Nikita felt nauseous. She mustn't think of that now. Aim... and fire.

Her head snapped up. She could almost hear Walter, teaching her how to hold a gun, how to use it. She gingerly stepped closer to the body and kneeled down. The girl had died immediately... because she'd been shot directly in the heart. A perfect aim. Had Ryan had perfect training, like her? Or was he simply a gun freak? Improbable.

Swallowing, Nikita stood up and turned around. She noticed some syringes lying on a table. They were filled with a deep, purely blue liquid, just like her eyes. She stepped closer.

"What's that?"

Ryan looked up.

Did she...? No, no, impossibleCuriosity killed the cat Truth or lie? Do you know it, little girl? Nic!! Stick to the planI told you! Stop it-

"That? Those are the t-temporary results. It's... they forced me to develop something that would allow them to... you could say it's something to read thoughts."

Read thoughts

Read thoughts

Read-

-Feel them?

Nikta managed to keep calm, her voice slightly disinterested.

"Really. And it works?"

It better does but you should know!

She looked into his open, friendly eyes.

"Not yet. They... they tested it. On real people. It was... I'll feel forever guilty for that. It was terrible."

"What happened?"

"They all went insane."

At first she didn't even understand what that meant. But then..."Oh." She watched him while he was busy elsewhere. She ever so slowly took one of the syringes and pocketed it.

"Yeah. Oh."

She could hear his steps. "I'm finished. Please, let's go."

Flashes, fast as lightning, too bright, too loud.

I'm not- secondary mission profile?Confirmed Myriam? Myriam! Freefreefree... relief, finally.... she looked so beautiful... little and water - like drowning. I don't wanna be forced... light tall blue eyes what a pity - they all went insane... white, have to prepare for next stepdid it hurry, he'll come, whiteGood morning, Dr. Ryan

Nikita blinked.

Good morning, Dr. Ryan.

Good morning.

Good morning. I'm not going to hurt you.

She whirled around, gun again trained on him.

He shrank back and gasped. "What - what are you doing? I'm, I'm not…"

"You work for Section One."

A statement, not a question. Ryan looked at her with a sudden calmness that astounded her. "Yes." His voice sounded different, professional, detached. Like an operative would sound. "You work... for Section?"

Nikita couldn't belive it. It didn't make sense. If Ryan was a Section operative, why weren't they told? Why weren't they briefed about the project?

Fear

Do I have a choiceYou don't have one. Is that a threat? and I miss her every single day - but concentrate on your work - you'll see her again Won't you?

A mix of nausea and headache flooded her system and her vision blurred momentarily. "They use... your wife... so you work for us, right?"

His eyes seemed to pierce her through. "So it worked after all. I guess you can read my thoughts - but you feel the side effects, too. If I'd known that, all this wouldn't have been necessary."

Triumph Excitement Stress

necessary... drown in the coldness and swallow me up... twenty nineteen eighteen - no time left, secondary mission, took one?George mustn't know. This is highly classified hurry... a sky so wide and open - her face.... Can you hear me, little girl?

"Necessary… what?"

He smirked at her. "Your second 'capture', of course. I'll have to give you another dose of the serum... but now we really have to go."

Two, one, now!

Faster than Nikita would have anticipated, he lunged at her. She barely blocked his first move. He tried to punch her in the stomach but she grabbed his hand and twisted. Her vision blurred again as he struggled to get free, but she used his momentum to turn him around so that his back faced her. Her arm went around his neck and cut off his air supply. She pressed the muzzle of her gun against his temple. He stilled.

She panted, and with each breath the pain seemed to double. Before her eyes she could see her purse with an empty, brown glass bottle in it. She'd used up all of the pills.

"Why did they do this?"

Ryan stayed mute. Nikita's finger on the trigger began to tremble and she almost screamed: "Why did they do this to me?"

No answer. Her finger flexed slowly, until -

"Nikita, let him go."

Michael. She glanced over her shoulder but didn't release her grip. "But…"

"Let him go. We've been detected."

She wanted to say something, anything to defend herself, but he'd already turned around and run up the stairs. She gave Ryan a hard push and snorted. "Let's go." On her way out, Nikita touched the syringe in her pocket. The headache was almost gone now.

***