CHAPTER SEVEN - THE COST
"Thank you for this. It means a lot", she said to Heidecker once he'd handed her Michael's new hand.
As she was about to leave the plane, she heard something…a noise or more like cries for help. She turned and frowned. "What was that?"
Heidecker's face was blanked and emotionless. Nikita felt dread coiling within her stomach.
"Business, Ms. Mears. You don't really think we just brew our science and technology out of thin air, do you?" the man responded casually.
Nikita glanced towards the case she's holding.
"Test subjects…" she concluded.
"You really are the smartest. Now, there's one other matter we must discuss before you leave—"
She's torn between dropping the case and rescue those people Heidecker's hiding but…it's Michael. There's that voice in her head again. She's holding what's going to make him whole again. She cannot just give it up. She cannot take it away again from him.
"What is it?" she asked.
Heidecker smiled knowing he got her wrapped around his manipulative fingers now.
"Just a small payment for the anti-rejection drugs your man will need in the following months. Obviously, I cannot ask you to provide me with test subjects like Kosta. I wouldn't do that to you. Besides, I know how to appreciate one's skills and yours is extremely valuable", he answered.
Nikita felt cold. "You want me to kill someone?"
"No, dear. I want you to eliminate certain people that's detrimental to our business. I will provide you with a list and with each success mission, you'll get Michael's anti-rejection drug", Heidecker answered.
She frowned.
"I never told you his name",
"You didn't have to. Percy was a big talker in his day. It's either that or he just liked me very much. I know everything there is to know about you Ms. Mears. I also know how important Michael is to you. My price is simple. One target, one drug for Michael. It shouldn't be too hard for someone as great as you", he explained.
A hit job…no, hit jobs. It's more than one. Michael will need six shots of anti-rejection drugs in the span of six months. Six lives in exchange for Michael's chance to get his life back. Heidecker was right. It shouldn't be too hard, right? But why does she feel like the worst person in the world?
She vows to do anything for him. This is one of those things. She knows she can kill for Michael but along with that, she will also be killing a part of herself.
"I saved your life", she pointed out.
"Hence, you got the new hand. That's the gift, Ms. Mears. The anti-rejection drugs, on the other hand, are not free", Heidecker said.
He got her. Without those medications, the hand will be useless. Threatening him will not do anything. "So, do we have a deal, Ms. Mears?"
The scientist looked at her expectantly. She knows that he already knows her answer even without him asking.
"Give me the list", she replied.
Nikita swallowed the guilt, the remorse, the pain of what she must do to ensure Michael's future. He deserves everything good in the world. She can be the bad guy as long as he'll get to live a full and complete life.
It's hard to keep it away from everyone though. She tries to mingle, be normal, but as she went through the jobs, she feels more and more of a hypocrite. There they are in Division trying to close it down by bringing back the rogue agents, promising them a new and clean life and she's out and about doing what Division has trained them to do: to kill. She feels like a fraud.
When Phillip Hayes' death made the news, she knew it's only a matter of time before it gets into Division's radar.
She did her best to cover by delegating the job to Alex and Sean but she cannot escape Owen's watchful eye. She snapped at him, made his promise to lie for her, but it will be of no use. Owen will crack at some point and the entire team will know what she's doing.
The sooner it's done, the better, she kept on telling herself over and over again.
She needs to get all the drugs Michael needed and she's done. She did the hits fast and clean just like how she used to do it back in the day. With each kill, she finds it more effortless on her part, like it's so natural for her to just take someone's life. She stopped caring. She stopped blinking. She went in and out and she carried on.
What shook her is the last target on the list. The Morrison family. It's no longer a one-man target. It's an entire family she needs to take out. The head of the family George Morrison, his wife Alicia Morrison and their two daughters Michelle and Dana Morrison.
It's the last job. One last mission and she can stop. Michael is going to be fine and there's nothing left for her to worry about. When she got into the house, she ignored the screams and went in and tied them all on the dining chairs. She didn't know why she did that. She could have just killed them off one-by-one. They will not see it coming. She can be done with it and set the house on fire but no, she has taken them hostages. For what reason? She does not know.
She made it a point to blindfold the two girls. That's something she cannot stomach, seeing the look on their eyes when they look at her. Alicia pleaded for the lives of her girls. George offered his life for his family. What is she doing?
All the people on the list are major players in the economy. Heidecker said they're threats to their operation. Some of them might have been a competitor or simply a thorn on the Shop's side. Either way, they all need to go.
"Please…just kill me. They've got nothing to do with anything else. I know they sent you. It's me they want dead", George pleaded once again.
Nikita winced.
"All of you are on the list", she simply said.
She should shoot them now and get it over with but she couldn't. What did those people do to deserve to die by her hands?
"Nikita…" she heard Michael's voice behind her and she knew she's screwed.
She turned around and saw that everyone is there, seeing her for who she really is—a monster.
"I'm sorry", is all she can say.
Sorry for being such a disappointment.
Sorry for ruining everything.
Sorry for being weak.
Sorry for being a monster.
"Nikita, put the gun down. Let's talk. This is not you. I know why you're doing this. We can find another way. You've got enough of the anti-rejection drug. We can try and replicate it. You don't have to go through this", Michael said.
She shook her head. It's just one last job and it's done. No more complications. No more threats to Michael's life.
"I have to do this, Michael. It's the only way", she argued.
Michael stepped closer which prompted her to raise her gun higher, now pointing directly at Dana Morrison. He stopped.
"Nikita…please. You don't want to kill them. I know you don't. We will find another way…together", he pleaded.
Together…will there be a life for the two of them after this? After everything she's done?
"You're not supposed to be here…"
"No. You want us to be here", Alex cut in.
Nikita shook her head.
"Yes. You could've killed them like how you took out the guards outside but instead, you tied them all up. You don't want to kill them, Nikita. You wanted us to find you, to stop you from doing something you'll regret. You never wanted to hurt these people. If you really do, they will be dead already. This is you asking for our help…and you didn't even realize it", the girl explained.
Was she crying for help?
"I killed so many…" she breathed out in horror.
It's crashing down on her. Her hand shook and Michael is there with her in a flash to take her gun from her. He pulled her into his arms and whispered things in her ear to calm her down. She's hyperventilating, she realized. She's having a panic attack.
"You're alright. We're here. You're going to be just fine", he muttered.
The others moved to free the Morrison family reassuring them that it's over. They cradled with each other, grateful to remain breathing. Sean talked to George about making sure his family forgets about ever meeting any of them which the man understood.
'I am truly disappointed, Ms. Mears',
Nikita froze.
Michael released her from his hold and frowned at her sudden stiffness. The alarm on her face must have informed him why.
"It's him?" she can only nod.
'Well, to be fair, asking you to kill them all was a reach. I wouldn't take it against you. Luckily, we take contingencies. As men of science must be prepared, right?'
Nikita turned to look at the family and she knew what's going to happen before it dead. One by one, they all dropped dead, blood dripping from their noses.
"What the hell happened?" Owen exclaimed.
'A little experiment we're currently working on. It's exciting isn't it. Nano toxin…undetectable but super-efficient and could be triggered remotely',
Nikita remained speechless. Of course, they're watching her.
'…though I understood your hesitation, it is still a failure on your part to deliver, Ms. Mears. I am truly sorry to let you go. You've been such a valuable asset to us. I really did hope this would have been prevented…'
She only got time to look back at Michael before she felt it.
Something hot burned within her chest before a feeling of electric jolt ran through her body then to her brain. It knocked her out before she could hit the floor.
"Nikita! Nikita!" Michael yelled as he held her limp body in his arms.
She's unresponsive. Blood is also coming out of her nose but it's minimal compared to the Morrisons.
'Let this be a lesson to all of you', Heidecker's voice rang through all of their comms, 'Never get in our way or you'll suffer the same fate as Agent Mears. She understood the repercussion of failure and you…caused her to fail this mission. Whatever happens to her now is on all of your hands. Good luck and goodbye',Heidecker said before disconnecting.
Michael frantically shook Nikita hoping to wake her up but her eyes remained closed. Owen ran outside to start the van.
"Go! Take her back to Division. Sean and I will deal with all of this. The president cannot know Division has been in her. Go and save her, Michael!" Alex shouted at him.
It gave him the boost to carry Nikita in his arms and bring to the van outside.
"Shit…shit…shit", Owen drove like a maniac. "Birkhoff, get the Medical on standby. It's Nikita…it's bad…"
Michael can only stare at his fiancé in his arms. He wills her back to consciousness though that's not possible. His fingers remained pressed on her neck to keep track of her pulse. As long as he can feel it, she's alive.
When they got back to Division and took her away from him, he felt empty. She's dying and there's nothing he can do about it.
