While Nikita and Alex raced back from the dead body double's apartment, the team scrambled for the evidence Amanda had doctored. Although they eventually retrieved it, there wasn't anything they could do about it. They couldn't turn in Amanda's accomplice or reveal the real evidence; it had all been destroyed. The truth was completely buried. Even if they could dig it up, the team didn't have the time. The feds were going to take the evidence handed to them and hang Sean for Kendrick's death. Just like Amanda wanted.
"How could you let him go to the FBI? That's exactly what Amanda wanted!" Nikita burst into Ryan's office and punched Michael. He nearly crumbled under the force of her fist. Ryan immediately held her back, jerking her roughly away from her fiancé. Yet she wasn't done screaming and cussing. The room turned deathly quiet as she yelled. Alex froze in the doorway behind her, all of her strength and resolve dissolving as she watched Nikita melt down. Recovering from his shock, Michael quickly brushed Ryan aside and grabbed Nikita. She clung to his shirt and cried, "She's gonna kill him. She's gonna kill him."
"Hey. Hey. I know. We know," Michael gently held his fiancée. Although she gripped his shirt harsh enough to tear the fabric, he was so soft as he rubbed her back and even placed a light kiss on her temple. She collapsed her head in the crook of his neck and tried not to sob. Michael secured his hold around Nikita. As he gave her another comforting kiss, he noticed Alex shaking and crying. He reached out a hand to her, yet she shook her head. If someone held her, she was definitely going to break, and she couldn't break until they saved Sean. Fiercely determined, Michael then turned to Birkhoff and demanded, "You have to have something."
It took Birkhoff a moment to compose himself. It was difficult to concentrate while Nikita was falling apart. Stubborn, determined, refused to let anyone else win, Nikita crumbled in defeat. And Alex was close behind. Birkhoff struggled to not give up as well. After all, there was nothing they could do for Sean. Amanda had prepared for their counterattack and completely obliterated it. No truth remained, only her narrative. The team couldn't fight against it, "The doctor's voice-stress levels are off the charts in the recordings. Amanda definitely held a gun to his head. But… It's too late to scrub it. The FBI already has what it needs."
"The gun used to kill the doctor was a socom- a favorite for Seals," Ryan added to the onslaught of information. If they had wanted to interrogate the doctor Amanda had tortured, and forced him to tell the truth, then it was too late. The bitch had killed him as soon as she was done with him. There were no loose ends the team could pull on to unravel Amanda's schemes. It was almost as if she had been planning to set up Sean since the team had ousted her from Division. Everything was thought of, right down to the team's responses. There was no way they could beat her. They didn't have the same amount of time to devote to it.
"So they can charge him now," Alex was surprised she was able to speak. Her tears hadn't stopped since Nikita had yelled at Michael. She had thought she could hold it together. She had thought she could be strong and have hope. But if Nikita was clinging to her fiancé like it was the only thing she could do, then what hope was there for Alex. The one thing that had saved Sean from the full Force of the FBI was that they couldn't charge him; there was no motive. But Amanda had delivered on that. Sean could then be charged and killed. There was no reason for the team to believe otherwise.
"Treason, domestic terrorism," Ryan couldn't stop himself from listing the things Sean could be charged with. The two he had stated were the most threatening, but there were so many other things the FBI could stick to his name. Not even the best lawyer in the world could clear his name. The feds had him dead to rights with all the false evidence they had been fed. It was the perfect fake story for them to swallow, and it allowed them to immediately close a major case. No one was going to look any deeper. That was it for Sean.
"And there's nothing we can do," Alex wasn't asking for hope. She knew there was none. She knew the team and all their resources couldn't do anything to help Sean. Her voice was shallow as she stated the horrendous reality. Her body also continued to shake, and her vision blurred with large tears. She fully believed she was going to collapse. The fact that she was still standing was a miracle. Though, it was probably the only miracle the team would receive. No hero would swoop in to save the day. The best one they had was locked up in the FBI.
After fighting to regain her control wrapped in Michael's secure arms, Nikita finally had the strength to pull away. She didn't just step out of her fiancé's hold and engage in the conversation, though. She began to take off for the door. A somewhat formed idea had sprung to mind, and she was going to act on it. She didn't care that it was dangerous or ill-conceived. She had to do something. Unfortunately, Michael stopped her from going too far. He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back, "Whoa. Hey. Where are you going?"
"I'm not just gonna let him die! I have to save him! Amanda can't kill him," Even if Nikita shared her plan, her team wouldn't let her go. Alex would've joined her. But the others would have argued about how dangerous it was. She didn't need to hear rationality then. She didn't need to keep herself alive and safe. Only her brother's life mattered. Amanda couldn't kill him. If the only way to save him was the most dangerous and idiotic plan she could think of, then so be it. As long as he was safe, it didn't matter.
"You can't break Sean out of the FBI's headquarters," Ryan was able to easily guess Nikita's scheme. He himself had thought about it, after all. But it wasn't an actual option. Breaking Sean out of custody was only a temporary solution. The FBI would be hunting him down for the rest of his life. They'd target everyone in his life- his girlfriend Alex included- just trying to find him. Division couldn't hide him for long, especially if Amanda found out about it. The bitch probably had some contingency planned incase the team broke Sean out of jail, and he'd probably end up dead anyway. They couldn't pull a heist. It was too risky.
"Why not! I've broken people out of prison before. I'm not stopping with Sean," Although Nikita continued to hold her fiancé's hand, squeezing tight as if she was borrowing his strength, she wouldn't back down from her idea. Division had tons of resources that'd help them hide Sean from the feds. They could create a whole new identity for him and help set him up in a non-extradition country. They could even find a way to help him stay in touch with Jill and Sandy. Besides, it'd only be temporary- just until they could clear his name. It wasn't airtight, but it was perfect. They could pull it off.
"If you break Sean out, the whole world will come crashing down on us. The feds will hunt him down for the rest of his life. They'll go after his family and friends. And the President will know we're at fault. Division could be exposed and killed for this," Ryan attempted to reason with Nikita. He spoke sternly and even dared to move back towards her. Yet it was pointless. He hadn't been able to talk sense into her on any other operation- no one had. The mission to save Sean wouldn't be the start. After all, she had recently caused an international incident to help her fiancé. What kind of hell would she then bring to save her brother.
"Who gives a fuck about Division!" Nikita considered punching Ryan next. He definitely deserved it more than Michael did. How could he seriously be concerned about the exposure to Division when Sean's life was on the line. How could he put the threat of the government over the threat of Amanda. Who cared about all of the political stuff. They just needed to save lives. No one else could die because of Division- because of her. If Ryan didn't get that, then Nikita might force him to. The only reason she didn't was because if she attacked anyone else, no one would listen to her, and no one would let her go on the rescue mission.
Michael had had an idea of what to do to save Sean for a while. When it had become clear that there was no legal way to save him, he began to think of illegal ways. Specifically, he thought of one effective way Division could avoid the government and save Sean. He just didn't want to speak the idea aloud; he didn't want it to be their only option. Unfortunately, it was. There was only one way the team could save Sean from the gallows. Except, as Michael expressed the solution, he couldn't meet Nikita's eyes, "What if we fake Sean's death? We can do what Division does best. Take him from the government and recruit him."
"No. No!" Shaking her head, Nikita backed far away from her fiancé. Honestly, that was worse than if she had just punched him again. Michael knew she had only struck him because she was scared and angry and hopeless, and he was the easiest thing she could direct those feelings towards- it was like when Daniel had been killed. But after he mentioned recruiting her brother, he broke her heart. Her trust in him had been shattered, and she looked at him so betrayed. Michael tried to reach out towards Nikita. She pulled further away.
"How are we going to fake his death and move his body while surrounded by the feds?" Ryan actually considered Michael's idea. He wouldn't break Sean out of custody and hide him, but he would kill him and hide him. He'd completely separate Sean from his family, isolate him from those he loved, just to keep Division from dying. Nikita couldn't believe it. She also couldn't be a part of it. She refused to be involved in recruiting her brother. She wouldn't give him the same fate their mother had given her.
"A don't look/ don't touch gag. There's a body in the morgue right now full of radiation. We can slip the tags and bring him out under the guise of the CDC," Birkhoff couldn't look at Nikita either. He kept his eyes glued to his computer screen instead, sharing what he had managed to hack after Nikita had mentioned raiding the FBI. As much as he had wanted her idea to work, Ryan was right. Sean wouldn't live long if they simply broke him out- none of them would. The President, the FBI, Amanda, they'd all have them killed. But if Sean's existence was wiped, their enemies would be satisfied, and Division and the could live.
Whereas Ryan, Michael, and Birkhoff solidified the idea to recruit Sean, Alex gaped in horror. Her tears had stopped as she stood in pure shock. They couldn't seriously be considering recruitment. If they recruited Sean, it would be like he died. He couldn't see his family anymore. He couldn't do his job anymore. He'd be a ghost, stuck wandering the halls of Division. That couldn't be his fate. He deserved more than that, "We can't do this. We'd be taking him from everyone and everything he loves. Recruitment is final. We'd be ruining his life."
"His life's already ruined. This is our last option," Michael finally glanced at Nikita. She was beyond angry, and she was beyond scared. She didn't say anything, however. She didn't even throw more punches (though, Michael could tell she wanted to). She simply stared back at her fiancé, daring him to go through with the plan, daring him to take her brother away from his family and condemn him to Division. Michael really didn't want to. Except, that was how they were going to save her brother. That was how Sean lived.
Glancing at Nikita, Alex silently begged her to come up with another option. If anyone would fight to keep Sean out of Division, it'd be Nikita. However, she didn't say anything. Maybe because deep down she knew Michael was right. Recruitment had been the only thing to save her, so of course it'd be the only way to save her brother. Perhaps Amanda planned it that way. Alex wouldn't think about that, though. She had to force herself to come around to the idea of saving Sean by recruitment. It would work. She just didn't want to do it. At least, not without his consent, "If we do this, then Sean needs to know. He needs to agree to our plan."
Nikita walked out of Ryan's office. That was all she was willing to hear. Michael chased after her. He couldn't let her cool off on her own that time. He needed to keep talking to her; he needed to comfort her. Silence filled the office after the two left. No one was quite sure what they could say next. After a long, awkward moment, Birkhoff decided to continue discussing the plan to recruit Sean. They should take their efforts seriously and try to plan for everything. The team couldn't even think about mistakes, "How do you suppose we tell him? This isn't like Hong Kong, no one can pose as his lawyer. And we definitely can't pass him a note."
"No. But his sisters can. Alex, do you think you can get in touch with them?" Ryan was beginning to form an idea of how the team could notify Sean of their plan and fake his death. They could use a lawyer sent by his sisters to convey a secret message. And from there, work with him to fake his death and sneak him out of the morgue. Alex was all for the plan he had so far and prepared to talk to Jill and Sandy. Ryan just wished Nikita was on board as well. Sean needed all his sisters' help, especially the one who knew how to fool the government.
Stopping her frustrated, desperate trek in the middle of some empty hallway, Nikita slumped against the wall and slammed her head back. She didn't care about the tears marring her cheeks; she didn't care about anything. No matter what she said or did, there was no changing her team's minds. Even Alex was determined to recruit Sean. Nikita couldn't stop them. And if she wanted to ensure her brother stayed safe, she had to join the mission. She bit her lip so she wouldn't scream and draw attention to where she was hiding. Michael found her regardless. Furiously rubbing the tears from her eyes, Nikita tried to keep him away, "No, Michael. No!"
"Nikita. I know. But this is the only way to save Sean," Michael hadn't believed his voice would crack and his eyes would fill with tears. He thought he had a handle on the situation. Sean wasn't going to die; his fiancée wouldn't lose her brother, Alex wouldn't lose her boyfriend, and the team wouldn't lose their friend. But watching Nikita's worst fear come true, watching her break apart at the seams, tore him to shreds. He wished there was any other way to save Sean. He wished the Pierces didn't have to keep suffering. But recruitment was the only option. If he chose it, "It'll be his choice, though. He has to agree to recruitment."
"It's not a choice," Nikita stared at Michael. In a minute, when she was more calm and steady, she'd return to Ryan's office and help the team create the most airtight recruitment in the history of Division. There would be no mistake, there would be no error, and there would be no chance of her brother dying. Because, as Michael had said, recruitment was the only option. Sean didn't have a choice. It was either live in Division, or be killed for something he didn't do. Of course he would choose to live- who wouldn't. The Pierces couldn't actually escape Division.