"So what do you suggest we do?" Michael was ready to jump onto Nikita's plan. He knew the team could fight and think their way out of any situation. He simply needed something more concrete to hold onto. Saying there was another option besides running was one thing. After all, he had been arguing that the whole time. The thing that would actually make that true would be a specific plan. Nothing unattainable could be floating around just out of grasp. They had to take something and- just like Nikita had said- run it into the ground.
"I don't know," Nikita admitted. She wished she had come running back into Ryan's office with a solid plan. She wished she had answers for all the things plaguing her team's minds. Except, all she had was conviction. It wasn't enough. She could see it in her team's expressions; they needed so much more to survive. Hope could get them there, though. Above all else, it had to, "But I just witnessed the proof that we can change. We are better than the people we were when we came here. We have to prove that to the President. We aren't the criminals she thinks we are, not when we're trying so hard to help others."
Nikita explained herself further, informing the others what she had witnessed in the interrogation room with Alex and Owen. They took a moment to adjust to the development. As he did, Birkhoff considered the cryptograph on Ryan's desk. When the hacker wasn't running diagnostics on it, the device was kept locked away. It wasn't wise to keep dangerous tech out in the open with Amanda's mole running around. Though, that didn't mean the team couldn't use it. Then would be a great time to put the tech to use, "The cryptograph could help me delete the video without it being released. It'd just take a lot of time."
"So we can't go through with the switch," Sighing, Michael began to think of new options for the team. Their window to replace Markov immediately was closed. They couldn't pull it off with the threat of the video still out there. They'd have to wait until Birkhoff was able to delete it. The hacker couldn't be rushed, so Division's rogue had to be let go. They'd have to wait for another opportunity to grab him- if one was even possible. Michael doubted it. Unless the team could think of something else to save the day.
Unable to stay still, fidgeting with everything she could touch from her ring and her hair to her clothes and her nails, Nikita attempted to create a solid plan. She was always able to think of something. She could fight her way out of so many different situations- the danger level hardly mattered. However, she was having trouble finding Division's saving grace. Maybe it was her stress and anxiety. Or maybe she was simply afraid to voice the ideas she had that she knew were dangerous. She didn't want to throw her team through more hell, even if it could be the best play, "Right now we can't make the switch."
"Do I want to know what you're thinking?" Usually, the answer was no. Nikita had the annoying ability to come up with the worst plans. At least, Ryan wanted to convince himself of that. He wanted to believe that her half-baked schemes were terrible. It'd be so much easier if her wild ideas didn't work out. However, they almost always did. She was smart and creative. Of course whatever she thought up would work. Ryan simply didn't like the danger aspect to them. He wanted everything to be perfectly controlled. That just wasn't possible with Nikita's plans.
"What if we make the switch when Markov's already in the Whitehouse? When Birkhoff gets what he can from the cryptograph, you can give it to the President. You have a direct route to her, don't you? I mean, how else can she meet a dead man. You can distract her enough from what we're doing. No one would ever know," Pacing the room and playing with her engagement ring, Nikita shared the loose thoughts in her head. She didn't have everything figured out just yet. But her suggestion could work once they planned. It was crazy and insane and dangerous, but so what. That was how they were going to get things done.
"No. Absolutely not," Ryan adamantly refused. There was no way Division was going to perform a mission in the Whitehouse. Nevermind if they got caught- they were well aware of the stakes there- but what if Markov wasn't handled quietly. Destruction, disaster, conflict, chaos, it was all imminent. More pressing than being rogue, Markov was the president of Uzbekistan. Kidnapping him from his hotel was an issue, but not as great as taking him from the Whitehouse. They could deal with fallout from his security. But an international insistent, that'd kill them all.
"Why not?" Nikita already knew the answer. As she expressed her idea, she knew Ryan would instantly veto it. The reason the team was so frantic was because anything they did could get them killed. They wanted to think of something that'd let them handle Markov and let them live. Breaking into the Whitehouse was the opposite of the solution they needed. Division could still wind up destroyed, and all the agents would be dead. However, the big risk was how they were going to reach their big reward. Nikita was willing to take the chance. She just had to convince Ryan that her plan- though insane- was only for the best.
"Because it's dangerous," That was all Ryan had to say. He didn't need a full argument to shut Nikita's idea down. Everyone knew how dangerous it was. Division was supposed to be secret and hidden. They could barely manage to be quiet on regular Dirty Thirty missions. How could they be even sneakier when they were creeping around one of the most heavily secured buildings on the planet. Division might've been able to pull reckless stunts before, but not that time. The risk was far greater than the reward.
While Nikita and Ryan argued, Birkhoff had begun to use the cryptograph on Markov's computer. He'd start working on deleting the damning video once the key and his network merged together. For the time being, he wanted to dig through the Dirty Thirty's laptop for any other information he could discover. Birkhoff was glad he had decided to do that. Not long into his poking around, he found another video. The hacker barely had to skim through it to know it was worse than the recording of Division's secrets, "Dangerous for who? Us? Or the President?"
Birkhoff instantly stopped the discussion with his questions. Ryan, Nikita, and Michael glanced at him, puzzled. He didn't waste time in showing them the new video. It was a pre-recorded confession made by Markov. When he met the president of the United States, he was going to kill her- just because she had killed Percy. Panic instantly shot through the room. The team had suspected something terrible from Markov, but not that; they could've never imagined that catastrophe. They desperately needed a way to stop it. Frantic, Michael turned to Nikita and demanded her crazy idea, "Step by step, what do you have planned so far?"
Collecting herself- mostly her wild thoughts- Nikita shared her ideas with the team. They couldn't replace Markov right that instant. They were nowhere near ready, and the window of opportunity where his security wouldn't notice he was missing was gone. Their entire mission had to take place inside the Whitehouse. It wasn't ideal, but the team seriously didn't have any other option. They had to handle Markov before he could meet and kill the President, all without the Secret Service knowing. Secret and dangerous missions like that had been pulled off by Division before. Yet they had had outside help. That time, they were on their own.
Fortunately, the team of former rogues was used to doing things on their own. Maybe that wasn't necessarily a good thing, but it'd serve them on their mission. Nikita was right in assuming Ryan used a secret entrance to meet with the President; it was attached to the same tunnels Alex and Sean had chased Roan in months ago. Division could use it then to sneak into the Whitehouse and drag Markov away. They had their infil and exfil point. Everything else they planned for wasn't going to be that simple, however.
After placing the agent who had attacked Owen in a holding cell, and seeing Owen to Medical, Alex joined the team in Ryan's office. As soon as she was caught up on everything, she immediately helped plan. It was decided that Ryan would distract the President from what Division was doing with the cryptograph. Birkhoff was able to integrate the device into Shadownet, allowing him to work on deleting Markov's video- and also continue decrypting the mole's communications. The key could be passed off without problem. Which not only worked for the team's deception, but also helped put Division in a favorable light for the President.
Hopefully, it would stay that way. With Michael still set to replace Markov, Division could continue to be safe. Figuring out the details of the switch was where all the struggle came in, however. The team would have to get Markov alone first. They also had to erase their presence from the Whitehouse's extensive security cameras. The cryptographic key came in hand again there. Birkhoff could access the system and hide their activities. He shouldn't stay in it for long, though. Eventually, someone would discover something was amiss. Whatever the agents were going to do, it had to be quick.
In order to get Markov alone, Nikita suggested the team find a way to trick him and the Secret Service. Since Michael was going to disguise himself as Markov anyway, he thought he should walk around the Whitehouse already dressed as him; it'd certainly cause confusion, and the team worked well when others were confused. Alex built off the idea with a suggestion that Birkhoff play tricks with the camera feed as well so the Secret Service would scatter. When their theories were shaped into concrete ideas, Ryan agreed that it was something the team could pull off. They'd be able to save the President and themselves.
Using the schedule they had already stolen from Markov, the team managed to plan their operation down to the second. Ryan would enter the Whitehouse first, distracting the President with the cryptograph. Nikita and Michael would follow and handle Markov. As he controlled the camera feeds, Birkhoff would observe the whole mission and lend support over coms. Although Alex had helped plan, there wasn't much for her to do out in the field or in Ops. They couldn't have too many agents in the Whitehouse. And she didn't understand the cryptographic key like the hacker did. She'd have to sit the mission out.
Yet Alex wouldn't remain idle. She still had a mole to find. Hers and Owen's investigation into Medical didn't yield any results. She needed to keep digging. Sleep would do her good before she continued her investigation. But the rest of the team weren't going to rest long before their mission in the Whitehouse. Alex should keep working with them. She'd worry about the mole for the moment, so they could focus their anxieties elsewhere. If she began to feel too worn out, then she could just take more performance enhancers. They allowed her to help.
Ryan, Michael, and Nikita raced to the Whitehouse once they were ready. Yet before the engaged couple followed Ryan through the secret entrance, they paused in the doorway. It was to give Michael enough time to put on the hyper-realistic Markov mask and adjust his disguise. Yet Nikita also used the opportunity to say goodbye to her fiancé. They wouldn't have the chance once inside. Their only focus had to be extracting Markov and planting Michael. That was Nikita's last chance to talk to and hold her fiancé for weeks. She pulled him in for a tight embrace with no intentions of letting go. He held her just as securely, kissing her temple.
Eventually, the engaged couple separated, steeled themselves, and snuck into the Whitehouse. The operation proceeded as the team had planned. They caused confusion, resulting in Markov alone and at their mercy. It should've been easy for Michael and Nikita to complete the mission from there. Except, their Dirty Thirty had expected Division was up to something and refused to go down without a fight. Birkhoff and Ryan worked hard to keep the Secret Service and the President away from the agents. But there was only so much they could do. Nikita and Michael had to get a hold of the situation immediately and silently.
The two managed to before it was too late. Markov was rendered unconscious, letting Nikita drag him away. Michael wanted to help at least bring him to the tunnel, but he had to go. If a Markov wasn't found by the Whitehouse staff, the whole mission would've been for nothing. The engaged couple cast one another a long look. They silently promised a way to stay in touch, or a way to bring him home early. Once they shared small nods and even smaller grins, he slipped undercover, and she brought their Dirty Thirty to Division.
Soon, Ryan broke away from the President and helped Nikita with the unconscious Markov. They dragged him to the tunnel in no time. Birkhoff dumped his hack on the Whitehouse the instant they did. A sigh of relief echoed through the team's coms. They had managed the impossible. All that was left from there was Markov's staged death and the deletion of videos. That was something the team could handle without problem. After all, they had just done worse. Even Amanda's mole didn't seem as terrible anymore. The world might have been against them, yet the team could fight back.
