Roan awoke to the sounds of the passenger in front of him screaming. He suppressed the urge to permanently silence him when he started to claim that there was a bomb on the plane. The US Air Marshal immediately apprehended the man and brought him to the galley to meet with the captain. Moments later the pilot announced over the PA system that they were going to land in Portugal following bomb threat procedure.
As the passengers groaned and protested, Roan began formulating a new route to Paris. Nothing was going to stop him from sabotaging Michael's mission.
A large smile spread across Alex's face the instant she saw Thom fix his tuxedo's bow tie. Before she stepped out of the bathroom she took once last look at her appearance. Her chocolate locks were held back with a jewel encrusted butterfly clip. The Valentino gown she wore matched the color of her eyes; its satin fabric hugged her toned body. Its hem ended at the bottom of her ankles, she felt sexy yet ladylike for the first time in her life. One of the reasons why she felt this way was standing just a few feet away from her.
"Alex, are you ready?" Thom asked walking over to the bathroom.
"I am now." She stepped out and felt her smile widen once she saw his eyes full of adoration.
"Beautiful," his hand grazed her face.
"You look like James Bond except better," she brushed his shoulder with his fingers.
"The name's Bond, Thomas Bond," he joked.
With a little laugh she told him, "You are such a dork."
"Well you're with me, that says a lot about you."
"I guess it does," her arms wrapped around him. In pleasant silence she watched his head lean down towards her until a knock at the door interrupted them.
A disappointed sigh came from her, Thom kissed her cheek, "We have time."
"I hope so," she opened the door, "Hey guys. Why aren't you dressed?"
Nikita glanced at Michael before answering her, "It's just you, Thom and Birkhoff for tonight."
"Really?" Thom asked.
"Yes," Michael nodded, "we're pushing you out of the nest."
"Seriously?" Alex asked him remembering their conversation in her apartment.
"We are." He grinned.
"Make us proud," Nikita added.
Alex hugged Nikita then Michael, "Thanks and we will."
Michael's embrace lingered, he imagined how it would be like to hug Haley.
Nikita was touched to see how much he cared for Alex, "Come on you two, Birkhoff's waiting."
"Don't stay out too late, we have a long day tomorrow," he told them as they entered the hallway.
"What is this prom?" Alex joked.
"Well, you're both going to a formal event with people your age, there'll be food and dancing, sounds like it," Nikita calmly stated.
Thom spoke to him, "I promise we'll be back by curfew."
"Good because I'd hate to kill you if you don't," he said to the young agent.
Thom laughed until he saw that Michael wasn't.
"He's joking," Nikita told him.
"Am I?" He teased.
Rolling her eyes she said to their friends, "Go on, you don't want Birkhoff to become more annoying than he usually is."
"Be safe," Michael told them both.
"We will. Have a goodnight." Thom placed his hand on Alex's back as they walked over to the elevators.
Once the elevator doors closed Michael turned to her, "We have the night to ourselves."
"We do," her arms went around his neck, "And I have an idea on how we should spend it."
Interested and thankful that the hotel didn't have security cameras, he embraced her, "Which is?"
"You, me.."
"Sounds good.."
"And Owen."
The playful expression on his face disappeared, "You lost me."
"Come on Michael, he's alone and we're here."
"So?"
"So, he's not like us. Emily was all he had," her grip on him tighten as she looked at him with pleading eyes, "Do it for me?"
With a hesitant sigh he told her, "Fine. What did you have in mind?"
A sweet smile was on her lips.
"Ok Kiddies," Birkhoff said through Thom and Alex's earbuds, "You both know what to do. In and out. I got episodes of Doctor Who that I need to catch up on."
"Really?" Thom asked.
"Uh, yeah. Unlike that Hannah Montana crap your generation watches today, Doctor Who is a quality show that's underappreciated."
"That's not what I meant." The young agent answered.
"Oh.."
Alex chimed in, "We think it's code for your cyber girlfriends."
The couple quietly laughed trying not to catch the attention of nearby party guests.
Embarrassed and angry, the hacker asked, "Who the hell told you?"
In unison they answered, "Michael."
"Really, well karma's about bite him in the ass," he furiously typed on his laptop opening a series of windows before sending a file to Nikita, Alex, and Thom's phones.
The agents looked at their phones and immediately laughed; Alex held onto Thom's forearm and turned her face into his shoulder.
In the living room of their suite, Nikita, Michael and Owen sat in front of the television deciding what movie to order off the menu. She picked up her mobile phone.
"Who is it?" Michael asked her.
"It's a message from Birkhoff," she opened it and chuckled, "Oh my God"
"What?"
"It's the greatest picture ever!" She turned her phone around showing both men Michael's eighth grade yearbook photo. Coke bottle sized glasses and acne covered his barely teenage face.
Owen covered his mouth trying to contain the urge to laugh.
His green eyes grew large with shame and irritation, "I..I am going to kill him, SLOWLY." He received a text from the hacker.
Never cross the ShadowWalker, EVER.
The guardian's hand left his mouth when he finally fell into laughter. It was first time he had truly felt happy since Emily's passing.
Nikita smiled at the sight of Owen enjoying the moment.
"He's going…he's beyond screwed," Michael shook his head as Owen and Nikita's laughter finally died down.
"Aw come on, you look cute." She cupped her lover's face as she pecked his lips.
In dubious tone he stated, "Nikita.."
She handed him the remote, "You pick the movie then."
From the dance floor Alex and Thom spotted Marcheline and Christelle arguing in the sitting room across the main foyer.
Alex spoke quietly to Thom, "I already have Marcheline's thumb print…"
"Here's your chance to get Christelle's," he finished her sentence.
"Try not to miss me," she teased him.
He smiled, "You took my line."
She turned back to smile at him as she walked away.
"Enough already, you two sound like you're about break into a sappy pop ballad." Birkhoff said.
An irritated sigh left Thom's mouth, "I'm approaching the target."
Much to Birkhoff's surprise Thom had charmed Marcheline then arrived at Christelle's office before Alex, "Not too bad kiddies. Alex?"
"I'm heading up the stairs." She answered him.
The hacker looked at the body heat sensor window on his desktop, "Make it quick, there's a guard coming out of the kitchen."
"Ok," she quickened her pace and immediately turned right once she made it to the top.
The guard walked up to the stairs barely missing Alex and turned towards the dance floor.
"Ladies first," Thom opened the office door for her.
"Thanks," she smiled at him entering the office.
"We're in." Thom told Birkhoff.
"You two know what to do."
Alex removed the framed painting before placing small plastic molds of Marcheline and Christelle's thumb prints over her own. Pressing her thumbs against the scanner she green line of light run down.
"Access granted," an automated voice spoke from the safe before its door opened.
"Got it," she reached taking out the flash drives.
Thom removed his black framed glasses and held the right lens against the computer's retinal scanner. He smiled when he saw the computer turn on; he synced his phone with the hard drive.
"Is it synced?" Bikrhoff asked.
"Yes."
"Ok, I'll tell you when I'm done," he began typing away on his computer bypassing the security measures Christelle had put in place.
Alex placed all four flash drives in her clutch purse, "Thom?"
"Yeah?"
"This party was lame."
"I know and the food was awful."
"It was so small and weird looking, it made me miss home."
"I saw a McDonald's on the drive here."
"Nikita just sent me a text; her, Michael and Owen are watching a movie in their suite. Owen is out getting burgers, she wants to know what we want."
"Quarter pounder with fries and a Dr. Pepper. What are you getting?"
"Chicken sandwich, fries, Sprite, apple pie and chocolate chip cookies. Wanna share a McFlurry with Oreos?"
He looked at her with big eyes then smiled, "You're my kind of girl."
A quick but sweet chuckle came from her mouth.
"I'm done and damn."
"What?" Both agents asked.
"I'm listening to their comms there's a guard heading for the office. So you two better hide your High School Musical asses right now!"
"Where?" She looked around the room.
"The desk is glass and there's nowhere to hide, Birkhoff!" Thom said.
"Hold on," he looked at the x-ray vision window on his laptop, "Ok, there are hidden passageways within the house. There's one behind the bookshelf which I know is cliché but who cares it's your way out!"
The two agents began moving the books until one caused the bookshelf to pull to the right. They immediately entered the passageway.
Thom tapped on the button on the wall and just as the bookshelf returned to its original position the guard opened the door completely unaware of what just happened.
"Where do we go?" Thom whispered.
"Down the left hallway then after the flight of stairs talk a right, it leads into the downstairs bathroom."
"Ok..thanks, Birkhoff." Alex said as she took Thom's hand letting him lead the way.
"Just doing my job Lil' Niki." He smirked.
"Don't call me that."
"Whatever Lil' Niki."
"Nikita's right, you make it hard to like you."
"She knows she loves me."
"In your dreams."
"Every night and she knows."
"Gross."
"We're here," Thom placed his hand on the entrance wall about to push it open.
"Wait!"
"What?" He removed his hand.
"There's someone inside and outside of the bathroom."
"Who?" Alex asked.
"It looks like a woman touching up her makeup and maybe…her date waiting outside for her? I'll give you the green light when they're gone."
"So much for this being our prom," she said to Thom.
He shrugged, "It always seemed overrated but being you with never is."
She smiled at him then touched his face.
Birkhoff rolled his eyes before saying, "It's clear, GO!"
Thom pushed the wall allowing Alex to enter the bathroom first. Together, they made a swift and discreet exit from the manor.
Nikita lightly slapped Owen's hand when he reached for his box of fries.
"What?" The guardian asked her.
"Not until everyone is here."
"It's called manners," Michael told him.
"Fine.." He leaned back in his chair thinking of how Emily used to make dinner for him. Waiting was a new concept for him.
"Coming!" Nikita went to the door and opened it after she spotted Alex, Thom and Birkhoff in the peephole.
"Niki, did you get my order right?" Birkhoff asked her.
"Nice to see you too, nerd. The food's over there," she said to him gesturing to the living room with her head.
"I am so hungry the food at the party sucked!" Alex told her.
"That's too bad. You two didn't change?"
Thom answered her as he undid his bow tie, "We will later, we're starving."
"Besides," Alex kicked off her heels by the door, "this is all on Division's dime, might as well enjoy while it lasts."
Nikita was half way through her salad before she set it down to take a sip from her juice; she kept listening to their conversation. Owen was telling them about one of his earliest sessions with Amanda.
"Amanda told me that I should trust and believe in her. I told her that I did but then she tried to convince me that there was a pool on the roof and that I should go check if the gate was secured," he shook his head.
"Seriously?" Thom asked him.
"I swear. I wasn't buying it and it was pissing her off."
"Did she break you?" Alex questioned him before reaching for a fry.
"No and she HATED it. She actually put me on room confinement for a week."
"Wait, she actually grounded you?" Nikita chuckled, "wow, you must have really gotten to her."
Michael's eye brows creased, "When was this?"
Owen shrugged, "I don't know, maybe before Christmas of '05, why?"
"Around that time I went to her office to talk about one of the recruits and I walked in on her slamming a vase on the floor. When she saw me she tried to pass it off as an accident but I could see that she was furious. Now I know why," he scoffed.
The guardian proudly smirked.
Birkhoff was impressed but tried not to show it, "You must the only agent the broke Amanda and lived to talk about it."
"So far so good," Owen replied before he took a bite from his burger.
"All I have is one less molar and a body search that I'm trying to burn out of my mind. Thanks Niki," Bikrhoff stared at her with accusing eyes.
With a sweet yet taunting smile she answered, "You're welcome, nerd."
Everyone but him laughed, he held back a smile and threw a small pillow at her.
Her quick reflexes responded and caught the pillow.
From the Escalade outside of the Grand Hotel, Nikita spoke through Michael's earbud, "Can you hear me?"
"Perfectly," he quietly whispered.
"Christelle's in the lobby, she's heading for the bar," she watched the hotel's security camera feed on the laptop.
"I see her."
"Good, I hope you still remember how to be a perfect honey trap."
He imagined her lips pulling into a grin, "Of course not."
"Cutesy banter that makes me wanna gag, just like old times," Birkhoff commented as he stepped off the elevator.
"Shut up," they told him.
"Some things never change." He walked past Michael and Christelle heading for the bar.
"I think it's just you." Alex stated while closing in on Christelle from behind.
"No one asked you Lil' Niki."
"Whatever nerd." The young agent briefly smirked.
"I've taught her well," Nikita smiled.
"Yes you did sensei."
"Oh please, you're only a bad influence." Birkhoff shot back.
"Children..stop your fighting or.." Michael began to say.
"You'll abort this mission, we know," Birkhoff and Nikita in unison.
Pretending to talk on his mobile phone Michael bumped into Christelle causing her purse to fall down. Almost all of her belongings spilled out onto the hard marble floor.
"I'm so sorry!" Michael bent down began to her help her.
"It's ok, it was a mistake." Christelle smiled at him as she reached for her things.
Alex kneeled behind Christelle and switched her mobile phone. She put the real one in her coat pocket.
Christelle turned and saw Alex, "Petra! What are you doing here?"
In a thick Russia accent Alex answered, "I'm just checking out. Is this your phone?"
"Yes, thank you," Christelle put the phone in her purse, "I was just here for drinks, would you like to join me?"
"I would but my flight leaves in a few minutes but it was nice seeing you again. Goodbye Christelle," she smiled and touched her forearm.
"All right. If you come back to Paris you're welcome to stay with me. Au revoir!"
Alex graciously nodded answering her phone as she headed for the front desk.
"I think that's all of it," Michael stood up and handed Christelle the last of her belongings.
"Thank you so much. Would you like to join me for a drink? A kind gentleman like you deserves one."
"It would be a pleasure." He smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her to the bar.
Once she saw them enter the bar Alex turned away from the front doors and headed for the ladies room.
"Are you alone?" Nikita asked her.
"Yes, I'm putting the chip in Christelle's phone," she removed chip from her bracelet and placed it in the phone, "done."
"Good work, Alex."
She stepped out of the bathroom, "Thanks sensei. Thom I'm coming your way."
"I'm ready," Thom opened the door to the bar's back room and discreetly accepted the phone from her as she passed by him.
Meanwhile, Christelle laughed at one of Michael's jokes. She took a sip from her glass of chardonnay.
"So Christelle, what does a bright and beautiful woman like you do for a living?" He asked her.
"I'm in charge of my family's investment firm. You?"
"Well, I'm here on business. I'm a personal consultant."
She began stroking his forearm, "I can turn this business trip into one of pleasure..."
Just then Birkhoff approached Christelle wearing sunglasses and a dark designer suit, "Hey Sweet Face! Would you like a drink?"
Posing as a bartender, Thom appeared behind the bar watching their con unfold.
"I'm flattered but as you can see I'm already with this gentleman." Christelle politely explained.
Birkhoff looked at Michael with condescending eyes, "What, this loser? Come on, drop him for me and you won't regret it," he took a hold of her arm causing her turn in his direction.
"Let go of me!" Christelle began to pull away.
Michael gave Birkhoff a hard slap to the face, "A true gentleman NEVER lays a hand on a lady without invitation!"
Thom winced then swiftly placed her phone into her purse and removed the decoy.
Alex and Nikita sat in the Escalade wearing the same pained expression.
"That sounded like it hurt," Alex said.
"Oh it did," Nikita replied.
Cupping his throbbing cheek Birkhoff cried out, "Damnit M-You maggot! Go ahead and have her!" He quickly walked away.
Michael turned to a stunned looking Christelle, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to.."
"No really, there is no need..what is your room number?" She suggestively raised her eyebrow.
"Actually, I need to speak with my girlfriend first. She'd love you..unless that's a problem?"
A large smile was on her lips, "Not at all. What does she look like?"
"Dark hair and eyes, long legs, exotic..VERY sexy," he smirked.
Alex chuckled and bumped her shoulder into Nikita's.
Her mentor turned the enormous smile that pulled at her lips into a proud grin.
"She sounds lovely. I can't wait to meet her. Call me once you find her," she said while she handed him her business card.
"I will." He touched her face before leaving her.
Birkhoff held an ice pack to his cheek and turned to Michael after he got into the driver's seat, "What the hell was that?"
"I had to sell the part, Birkhoff," he lied.
"So you scar me for life? You and Niki are made for each other!"
"Stop being so dramatic, it's just a little redness. Besides, after the crap you pulled last night you're lucky that I decided to open my hand."
Nikita spoke into the mobile phone while Birkhoff and Michael continued to argue, "Owen, how are you making time?"
"Right on schedule," Owen spoke as he drove on the country road.
The drive had been longer than Roan originally expected. After the horrendous flight to Spain, flying wasn't an option. He took an express train into France. There was only one consolation; he had arrived before Michael at the Contrelle's chateau where they were set to meet Kasim.
Perched on top of a small hill, the cleaner looked through his sniper rifle's scope. A black sedan pulled up to the iron gates, he recognized it from the file it was the Contrelle sisters' car. He immediately began shooting at the vehicle knowing it was bullet proof. Guards appeared at the gates shooting at his direction but their distance made their attempts futile. He watched the guards quickly surround the car as it drove onto the estate. A small sense of victory overcame him with he each step he took towards the car.
"Roan, what's your status?" Percy asked sitting down at his desk.
"The Contrelle sisters believe there's a threat to their lives, they fled the scene," he told him.
"And Kasim?"
"He wasn't there, neither was Michael according to his tracker." He placed his sniper rifle case in the trunk of the car.
"Excellent. There is another matter that I need you to handle."
"What?" He got into his car.
"Riley is an INTERPOL inspector; I've had my suspicions of him ever since they raided Senator Holmes's estate. You're objective is to find out if they're unfounded or not. I've sent you the file and. Tomorrow morning you'll contact the strike team."
"I will," he waited until the call ended to remove the keys from his pocket.
From the darkness of the backseat Owen sat up and wrapped the fiber wire around Roan's neck. It took every fiber of his being to apply enough pressure to not kill him. Seconds after Roan passed out Owen returned the wire to his pocket and called Nikita.
"How'd it go?" She asked him.
"I got him. I'll see you at the house."
"Ok and remember what I told you, we need him alive."
"Believe me, he is." He hanged up and stared at the man who killed Emily.
Michael answered his mobile phone walking down the stairs of the country home, "Percy?"
"Michael, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but INTERPOL somehow received the same intel that we did and they interfered with Kasim and the Contrelle's meeting," Percy said.
"WHAT? What happened?"
"They attempted to take the Contrelle sisters into custody. But since Kasim didn't appear they have nothing to hold the sisters on. However, there's no doubt that Kasim got wind of this and he.."
"He's slipped away…again."
"For now, you will get him Michael. I'll make sure of it."
"I know and there's one more issue that's come up."
"What?"
"Birkhoff, Thom and Alex have requested to take the rest of the week off. They want to spend it here, with me," he went into the living room where the hacker and the agents sat watching a movie.
"What do you think?"
"They've been successful on their past missions, they've earned it."
"I agree. Although Amanda has her concerns about Thom and Alex. I trust that you'll keep a watchful eye on them."
His eyes went to the young couple, they held each other while watching television, "I definitely will."
"Good..it's unfortunate that things didn't turn out the way you intended."
"It is…." He walked into the kitchen and opened the basement door.
"Just try to enjoy your vacation."
"I will. I'll see when I get back." He listened to the line cutting off and walked down the stairs.
Nikita looked at him, "What did he say?"
"He bought it." He stood next to her staring at an unconscious and bound Kasim.