They weren't expecting Alex to call again. That should've been the end of it, and they could enjoy what was left of their night. Well, enjoy things as much as they could with their enemies still out there and Carla's information to deal with. The team just needed a moment to rest and relax- reset before they continued forward. Sean had rejoined them after making certain that Alex would be safe. To maintain her cover, it was better for her to stay at the hotel that night. They were still watching after her with the security feed, though. The computers would alert them if anything was seriously amiss. For the meantime, they could consider what to grab for dinner that night.
Carla had disappeared to her room once again, continuing to not feel comfortable with the team. No one tried to stop her. Maybe it was a jerk move by Nikita; she was her former friend. But she honestly didn't care how she felt. The rogue had her own feelings to sort through and figure out. While Birkhoff, Ryan, and Sean argued over what to eat, she could zone out and try to process everything. Alex was putting herself in the limelight and in the crosshairs by revealing herself as Alexandra. Carla appeared loyal to an organization that had caused so much harm. And Amanda and Ari were working together. They might have been successful in their war as of late. But the amount of information they were taking in was mind numbing. Nikita almost didn't notice Michael approach her while she was lost in thought, "Whatcha thinking?"
"Either too much, or nothing at all," Nikita admitted with a deep sigh. Michael chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. They seriously needed a way to better take in all that intel. A substantial break to let everything settle wasn't an option for them; the team unfortunately didn't have the time to take in every single thing and breathe until their anxieties melted. They simply had to find a moment of peace between missions. Food and sleep always helped in those matters. And so did each other.
"Do you wanna break out of here and go out to eat?" Wrapping his arms around her waist, Michael placed a kiss on Nikita's temple. She nestled against her fiancé, a contented hum escaping her. Whether it was a mixture of living in too close of spaces with their team, or years of not being able to be public in their relationship, the couple didn't care for things like PDA. If someone saw them having a moment together, then so be it. They found comfort in one another's arms. That was all that mattered at times.
Sean, Birkhoff, and Ryan loudly coming to the conclusion that they'd order their usual for dinner, broke the engaged couple from their reprieve. Although brown and green eyes rolled, the two didn't separate. They just had to return to the reality of a shared safehouse; intimate moments where couples could simply be were rare to come by. Nikita had become excellent at creating those moments between her and Michael, however. She smiled brilliantly at him, pulling his arms tighter around her, "How bout just grab our share of the take-out and eat on the beach?"
"Done and done," Michael didn't even have to think about it. He smiled as he kissed his grinning fiancée. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her to make food demands to the other men. Nikita couldn't stop smiling after him and chuckling at her team. Despite initial awkwardness and tensions, each member fit in well with the craziness. Even when Michael met Birkhoff and Ryan for the first time after years of being the mysterious rogue working with Nikita, they quickly fell into an easy friendship. It was as though they were all meant to find each other.
A ringing cell phone snapped Nikita from her dreamy thoughts. She reached for her burner, discovering it was Alex calling once again. She probably missed the team or, more accurately, Sean. The rogue couldn't tease her too much for that, not with her fiancé in her life. But the young woman had also talked about how great it was that they had met each other- they had all saved each other's lives enough. Joking comments about all of that were going to fly out of Nikita as she answered the phone. Yet Alex stopped her. Something was going on in that hotel suite. Ari's stern voice was the horrible confirmation to that worry, "That's right. And we have a deal for you, Alexandra."
"Cancel our dinner plans. We've got Ari and Amanda," Immediately, Nikita called for the men's attention. All discussions about food and who was paying for it ceased when she marched over to them. The call played through the burner's speaker. Birkhoff connected it to the safehouse's stereo system, allowing them to hear the conversation more clearly. They would also all be able to talk to Alex if they needed to. Attention was focused on Ari, however. He was admitting to working with Amanda, and wanting to assist Alex instead of killing her. No one was quite sure how to take that. There was no possible way those two would extend a simple olive branch.
Of course it wasn't simple. It all came down to Semak and Zetrov. Division was supposed to have control over the Russian company years ago. That was the reason Oversight initiated the mission. But both Percy's and Semak's grab for power ruined everything. Then could be Amanda's and Ari's chance, if Alex decided to help them. Although she had no interest in her father's company, she couldn't let the bad guys have that kind of access and pull. Who knew what kind of evil the two would do with Zetrov's mass resources.
Except Alex couldn't reply with a resounding 'no' right away. Yuri wasn't the only Gogol agent Semak had dispatched to kill her (and make it look like she couldn't take the sudden press and overdosed on drugs). Her hotel suite was going to be swarmed if she didn't escape immediately. Ari and Amanda promised to help her clear the hotel, but she was wary to trust them. The team was as well. Assuming a commanding role, Nikita sent Sean and Ryan to the hotel and got Birkhoff hacking. If the couple from hell even thought about harming Alex, they'd attack. The young woman made sure of it, "Nikita, did you get all that?"
"We got your back here. Sean and Ryan are on their way. And I swear to God, if anything happens to her," The last bit was meant for Ari. Nikita didn't need to finish her threat for him to understand it. They had dealt with each other enough times for him to know just how much she was capable of. And with the full force of her team behind her- well- it was a good thing they were in separate rooms. Alex slipped her burner cell in her pocket, and placed a com she had brought with her in her ear. Her hands were free to hold the walkie-talkie tapped into Gogol's system, and potentially fight any enemy agents. She figured revealing her identity would have dire consequences; she just didn't think it'd be so soon.
She had to prepare for the worst, however. Her team was protecting her as best they could, and they'd be there to help. But it was all on Alex for the time being. She'd have to trust Ari to lead her past Gogol and out of the building. With the amazing set of skills she had learned over the past few months, she knew she could handle her own. She could survive the onslaught. The first attempt on her life had been survivable, after all. Suddenly remembering him, Alex glanced over at Yuri. He was still tied to the chair, and he seemed confused as hell. Unease washed over her, "What are you going to do with Yuri?"
"Don't you worry about him," Shrugging, Ari didn't seem all too bothered by Yuri's presence. In fact, Alex would say he had completely forgotten he was even there. That hardly put her at ease. Her worry and anxiety only spiked higher. But it was time for her to go. She couldn't interrogate Ari or demand Yuri's safety. She had to think about her own life and mission. If she died, who would save her mom. And who would be there for Sean and her team. Sparing one more glance at her childhood friend and a warning glare towards her enemy, Alex sprinted out of the suite.
Birkhoff had control of the hotel's cameras already, but he worked on trying to hack into Gogol's servers as well. Michael and Nikita, on the other hand, were mapping a route for Sean and Ryan with the hotel's blueprints they acquired. Ari could direct Alex, yet they'd follow his instructions and feed them to their team. Despite doing everything they could to save Alex, Nikita felt as though they could do more in regards to Amanda and Ari. Those two would only respond to true threats on their command and power. Her words needed an action to support them. Studying all of the nerd's equipment, she had an idea of what to do, "Did you get a recording of Ari and Amanda?"
"Who do you think I am? It's on the tablet," Birkhoff was on the same page as Nikita. They could threaten to play the audio of the couple from hell conspiring over the hotel's system. Once Gogol and Division heard their leaders working so closely with the enemy, they'd turn on them. All the team had to do was press a button and watch the organizations burn. But only after Alex was safe. They couldn't risk her life just for revenge; she was far more important than that. They had to wait for the right moment to strike. Hopefully, that would've been soon.
"Uh. Guys," However, as Michael reached for the tablet, he discovered it was missing. During the chaos and confusion, no one noticed Carla slip back into the room. She had heard everything that had occurred, and decided to contribute to the mission. Her contribution, though, went against the team's motives. She clutched the tablet tightly, finger hovering over the button that would end Amanda and Ari. When Nikita caught sight of her old friend, all she could do was stare in shock. Since when had she become so single minded, she didn't care about the loss of life. But that question wasn't going to be answered anytime soon. Not with the gun Birkhoff aimed at Carla in play.