NOTE: Sorry this took so long. I'm working my way towards the ending. Thank for reading everyone and I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter!
Almost Free
There was an eerie silence once the gunshots stopped. Even the sound of the helicopter hovering above seemed to become muffled. Nikita looked over at Amanda's bullet ridden body and realized that she was gone. The woman who dressed her up and showed her what she could look like. The woman who taught her how to speak with confidence and dignity. The woman who awakened in her something she didn't have before, the will to live. She was more than absent parents, child abuse, drugs, and jail. She was more than what the system tried to restrict her to. She was a fighter but also a lover. She wanted to help Amanda, but there was nothing she could do. She felt numb. Was it all over? Amanda was such a big part of her battle, but now she was gone. So what next? And then it hit her...
"Nikita!" She heard Michael yell from across the field. She looked up and attempted to stand up. She wanted to fall into his arms where she was safe, but when she stood up, she collapsed to the ground. Her wound had gone untreated for too long. She lay on the ground across from Amanda. Everything became faint. She looked over at Amanda, and a feeling of weightlessness overcame her. Then, she passed out.
Michael wanted to run up and grab her. Save her. He stood there handcuffed next to Alex.
"They'll save her Michael," Alex told him. It killed him to watch her passed out in the arms of the solider. She was taken to the ambulance where they were treating President Spencer. He watched as men worked to stop the fire that now consumed the building and watched them surround Amanda's body. Someone behind him pulled on his handcuffs and forced him into the van. They were all transported back to the CIA. All except Nikita.
They were home free, Alex thought. All they had to do was take over the van. They could do that easily. But then she realized she was Alexandra Udinov. She and everyone else now had a reputation to worry about if they wanted to get out of this the right way. No more running... A smile formed on her face and they all stared at her.
"I have a plan."
They made it back to the CIA and were put back in their cells. Even Ryan. They had to wait until the next day to speak to Avet. He was not happy when he saw them.
"What in the hell was that yesterday," Avet asked. They all stood there blankly staring at him from behind the bars.
"Sir," Ryan spoke up. "It didn't work out as we had hoped, but we were still successfully able to save President Spencer from Amanda and save Owen, Alex, and Nikita."
"We all know from much experience that things sometimes work against the plan," Michael added.
"You know you are good when you find ways to still meet your objective," Owen said.
"Breaking out of prison is not a good way to stay on our good side," Avet told them.
"Nikita decided that she had no other choice. Family matters first," Sonya said.
"And if it weren't for her, the president would have never gotten out safely. She took a bullet trying to save the president," Alex said.
"Is she okay?" Michael asked.
Avet sighed.
"She was in critical condition. She lost a lot of blood from her wounds and she inhaled a lot of smoke. She is on bed rest right now and they are nursing her wounds. She should be in good condition in about a week, "Avet said.
"When she is better, we want to finish what we started," Ryan said.
"And what is that?"
"We want to expose the situation we were subjected to. Free our names. Our real names."
"Well, right now the country is in chaos. The president is alive and people are in shock. She hasn't spoke to the public yet, but when she does...before she does, she wants to speak with you all."
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"I spoke with her briefly and told her everything you told me in a nutshell. She believed it. Matter of fact, she confirmed a lot of it. She wants you to be there when she goes public."
"She wants to expose Divison?" Sonya asked.
"That doesn't sound right considering she was involved in it," Birkhoff said.
"I'm not sure yet what she wants to do. Just be ready. She'll want to speak with you."
"I won't speak," Alex said. Avet gave her a look of disapproval. "Not unless We are all released from prison. We did nothing to harm the president and I am a diplomat for the UN. My job is to protect this country."
"You? A diplomat?"
"Alexandra Udinov." Avet stood there baffled. He recognized the name immediately. "Call Maryam Hasan."
The group was released from jail and escorted out of the building. After Avet called Maryam Hasan and confirmed Alex's words and the president agreed to speak with them on the terms that they be released, Avet had no choice but to let them go. They were free. Almost.
HOSPITAL, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Nikita's eyes felt heavy as she opened them after what seemed like an eternity. Everything was a white blur. She instinctively reached up to rub her eyes and realized she was tied down by needles and tubes. An IV. I'm in a hospital. She attempted to sit up but a nurse came in yelling.
"No, no, no! You can't do that you need to rest sweetheart," the older woman said scurrying over to her. She helped Nikita lay back down and propped a pillow under her head to help her sit up.
"What happened to me?" The nurse turned on the television and a video of the burning building shown on the screen. The headline was "PRESIDENT SAVED FROM DAMAGING FIRE." The nurse looked from the screen to Nikita. She didn't say anything about the incident. She couldn't, but she had an idea of what happened and knew that Nikita had been involved.
"When you arrived, you had already lost a lot of blood. We had to patch you up. You had a bullet wound in your lower abdomen that exited through your back. You are lucky you didn't bleed out. Plus, you inhaled a lot of smoke...the fire must have been bad. How are you feeling?"
Nikita paused as memories from the night flooded back to her. She's dead. Amanda.
"Where are they?"
"Who?"
"My friends...they...did you get any more patients?"
"I can't tell you that, but there is someone who wants to speak with you. They are going to come in during visiting hours." Michael...Her heart began to race. The woman looked surprised when she saw her heart rate increase on the monitor.
"Boyfriend?" The nurse giggled.
"Fiancée," Nikita smiled.
"Oh...well we need to get you fixed up then," the nurse said playfully. She checked Nikita's vitals, gave her breakfast and told her to get some sleep. Nikita had no choice but to sleep after the nurse injected medicine into the IV. Come soon...
The group made it back to their safe house. Everything was exactly the way they left it. Birkhoff put his hands up in the air and let out a big sigh of relief.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to be back!" He walked over to his computer and hugged it.
"Seymour," Sonya laughed.
"I'm just happy to be back! Working on those outdated metal boxes the CIA calls computers made me miss Shadow Net even more." He stood there looking down at his computer and then looked at Sonya. He realized they made it, they survived. He and Sonya had the future now. Without a word he pulled her into a hug. The rest of them watched and smiled. It was a good feeling. They finally rid themselves of the woman who caused so much devastation in their lives. Yet, it was almost bittersweet. They had to lost yet another person to reach their nirvana. Amanda, as evil as she had been, was lost. They couldn't save her. Yet, they could only move forward and be grateful for what they had now, and that was each other.
"We still need to get Nikita," Michael reminded them.
"We don't know where she is," Ryan said. Birkhoff gave him a face.
"Give me a sec," Birkhoff booted his computer and tried locate Nikita's com. He got a signal coming from inside of a building. It was a hospital in D.C.
"I'm going to to get her," Michael said walking towards the door.
"Wait-you may not be able to...hospitals don't just let anyone come in and check out a patient." Ryan said.
"Nikita could refuse care and check herself out," Sonya said.
"Unless she needs the care. I'm sure she does. She did get shot, Michael," Alex added. "Just go and talk to her. Tell her the plan. And make sure she is okay. Tell her we are all waiting for her to come home." Alex smiled. Michael returned it with a nod and left for D.C.
Nikita lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. She was drained mentally and physically. The events of the past couple of days came flooding back to her. Amanda was shot...shot down. She shot off her gun so they'd shoot back. She wanted to die. Nikita couldn't fathom the fact that Amanda wanted to die. She wanted to save her. Save her from her past. Save her from division, but she couldn't. "You can't save everyone..."
The sound of the door opening snatched her from her thoughts. The nurse came in smiling.
"You have a visitor," she said. Nikita's heart thumped in her chest. Michael? The nurse opened the door all the way and let Avet step into the room. All of the anticipation disappeared and she laid her head back down on the pillow with disappointment. The nurse left the room and Avet sat in a chair next to her bed. He noticed the disappointment in her face and smirked.
"Excepting someone else?"
"I've done everything you've asked. I helped to save President Spencer from Amanda and Amanda is no longer a threat to this country. I'm hoping we can hold our agreement from both sides." Avet smirked again at her conclusive statement.
"Actually, that was what I wanted to talk to you about." He leaned back in his chair. "I debated whether or not I should arrest you. You broke out of a CIA prison cell, disarmed and unclothed a security officer and then fled after being formally arrested. That's a slap in my face and my orders." Nikita looked over at him for the first time since he entered the room.
"Do you remember when I came into the CIA when you had Ryan and the computer analyst in a room trying to decode a black box?" Avet nodded. "Do you remember when I came to the CIA technically as a rogue agent of a rogue government agency code name Division trying to prevent the people in that room from dying as a result of that box? I was arrested and sat in a room with you and Ryan. You both were still alive. Thankfully. You tried to keep me in captivity but then Ryan did something unexpected. He let me go against your orders." Avet frowned.
"Your point?"
"The point that I am trying to make is: sometimes you have to bend the rules and trust your instincts and your heart. If I had been afraid of the consequences of walking into the CIA, you and Ryan and everyone else in that room would have died. If I didn't go against your orders and stayed in that jail for hours while my friends were being held captive by the woman who had been after us for months...they may have died. I do the things I do because I care even if it means putting myself in danger. I can't let someone I love get hurt and I do nothing to prevent it."
Avet sat quietly, staring at this woman. He was completely bewildered. He never met someone with such dedication to others, such drive and selflessness. There had to be some gain in it for her. Something.
"What do you want Nikita? After all of this is over, the media frenzy, after order has been reestablished in our government, what do you want?"
Nikita stared back up at the ceiling and quietly thought to herself. No one had really asked her that before and that may have been because they had been no where near close to the end of their journey. But maybe now it meant that they were closer than they even expected. It may end.
"I just want my family...those people you have in jail right now are my family. I want them to finally enjoy their lives and make it what they want it to be. They deserve it."
"And what about you?"
"I...never had a family before. I think it is about time that I do," she smiled. A smile shown across Avet's face.
"You are one hell of a person, I hope you know that."
Nikita smiled back.
"Your friends are out of jail. I let them go on President Spencer's orders. She ordered me to release you as well and wants you to meet with her as soon as you are released from the hospital. I told her about my deal with you and I told her everything you all told me. She wants to make some noise about this especially, because she knows that Victor Allen was a part of the plan to fake her death. She needs to make the American people aware of the situation but needs all of your help. It is the last thing we ask. Can you help?"
Before Nikita could answer there was a knock on the door. The nurse stepped in again.
"Sorry to interrupt but you have another visitor."
Michael stepped into the room and Nikita sat up.
"Michael..." She felt tears well up in her eyes. She missed him. He gave her a hug and kiss, a long needed one.
"I'm glad you are okay," he whispered to her. "I was afraid...I had lost you in that fire..."
"No, I told myself I was going to make it out of there. I had to, for us," she smiled and held his hand. Michael noticed Avet and frowned.
"What are you doing here?" Michael asked.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just want to know that we are all on the same page and are going to finish what we started. So what do you say?" She looked up at Michael.
"Are you ready to make this public. Make Division known?"
"We all agreed to speak with the President but only if we all do this together."
She smiled and nodded. She felt more confident than ever in her friends, her family. She knew she could trust all of them and that they could trust her. She looked over at Avet and squeezed Michael's hand for reassurance.
"Yes, I'm ready to end this. For good."