Alex considered calling Sean. Although she didn't want to disturb him while he was with his family, he should know that Nikita was in danger. There wasn't anything he could've done. The Division Alpha team was already in the air, and he really shouldn't have to leave his other sisters. Telling him about the disaster when he couldn't do anything to stop it would just torture him. But he should know what his rogue sister had gotten herself into. Sean shouldn't have to find out later. If something happened to Nikita, her brother shouldn't be the last to know.
However, as she glanced at Michael, Alex decided to wait a little longer to call Sean. Despite being on his way to rescue Nikita, Michael was not fine. He couldn't sit still. He paced the plane, flexed his prosthetic, and muttered to himself. It was a long flight to Kosovo. Anything could happen to Nikita in those ten hours, and none of them sat well with her fiancé. He was panicking. And he was torturing himself for never knowing that she had been missing. Alex couldn't make Sean feel the same way by telling him about his sister. He deserved peace and comfort. God knew it'd take Alex forever just to comfort Michael.
Nikita wisely stayed silent as Bechiraj waved a gun in front of her face. She almost made a quip or two, yet he was far too crazed to even remotely mess with. She just had to bide her time. For some reason, Heidecker helped her with that. He had saved her. He made certain she stayed alive and by his side. Nikita couldn't figure out why. She studied him as they were dragged to and locked inside a tiger cage. Yet he didn't reveal anything to her. She was hopelessly confused while he seemed unfazed, "Well, we haven't been formally introduced."
"I know who you are. What I want to know is why you saved me back there," Getting right to the point, Nikita snapped. The guards had left them alone in the tiger cage. Even if they could escape the lock, the two wouldn't be able to get past the armed men stationed outside the building. They were alone to suffer- and talk. Which meant Nikita was free to question just what the hell was going on. She had tried to kidnap Heidecker at gunpoint. Why would he ever want to save her. Was he playing some sort of game. Did he have some ulterior motive in mind. Who was the bigger threat then, Bechiraj or Heidecker.
"Shameless self-interest. Bechiraj is going to kill me. Based on the skills you possess, courtesy of your Division training, I decided that you afforded me the greatest chance of escape," Shrugging, Heidecker confessed simply. There was no way he could escape Bechiraj's compound on his own. But if he had a former Division agent by his side, he could live to see another day. It didn't matter what her original intentions were. She'd ensure they both made it out of Kosovo alive. Since he had saved her, she'd try to save him.
She'd simply have to get over her shock first. Nikita had made certain to not reveal her identity to either Heidecker or Bechiraj; she couldn't have the disastrous fallout from her actions land on her team. However, the scientist had discovered who she was. She had never seen him before, even when he'd used to visit Percy in the bunker. But he knew she was Division, and he knew exactly what she could do. That couldn't have been a good sign, "How do you know that? How do you know who I am?"
"I know every agent in Division. Not personally, of course. Statistically. Blood type, body mass, response time. Things of that nature," Heidecker explained. Nikita rolled her eyes. Of course he would remember those things about her. Division agents were just lab rats for him- tools to get what he wanted. He was still using her as a tool so he could escape. Though, that wasn't exactly all there was to it. There was more to why Heidecker was so interested in Nikita. She wished it was just Division, yet that was hardly ever the case, "I was also made aware of a few of Oversight's activities, such as hiding a special daughter."
Nikita blinked. A part of her had always wondered when she'd run into someone who'd recognize her as a Peirce. Percy had known what she and Sean looked like before he had met them. Another one of their enemies could've as well. She was surprised that it had taken that long. And she was shocked that Heidecker had always known who she was, even in Division. Was that really why he had saved her. He didn't just want her as an asset; he knew she was special, "We can't have the body of Senator Madeline Pierce's daughter show up in Kosovo."
"Of course," Nikita scoffed. Ryan had pulled her and Sean aside once to discuss the dangers of anyone discovering who they really were. Sean had argued that he had spent plenty of time in the Seals without any issues. Hardly anyone knew who his parents were, and if they did, they didn't care. However, being in the military was far different than being a rogue agent. The military was actually sanctioned by the government. A soldier served the country. A rogue agent would be killed at any second; they were liabilities, a walking conspiracy. The children of a corrupt US senator should be careful. They might cause the world to burn.
"Now, you went to a great deal of trouble to find me. I must have something that you need. Well, I subscribe to the principle of fair exchange. If you help me, I would be happy to return the favor. Assuming you tell me what that favor might be," Heidecker quickly moved the conversation along. Nikita could spend forever thinking over the fact that he knew who she was, so it was best just to move on. He really wanted to escape the tiger cage and Bechiraj. If Nikita got him safely out of Kosovo, he'd give her whatever she wished.
"One of our own was wounded in combat. He lost his right hand. You made Bechiraj a new leg. I thought you could make us a new hand," Nikita instantly jumped at the chance to explain her situation. She probably shouldn't have expressed how desperate she really was. However, Heidecker had offered to help her; she had to take the chance. She kept Michael's identity a secret, though. Heidecker didn't need to know more than the basics of the problem and what she was looking for. She could protect her fiancé from him as best she could.
"Well, I didn't make the leg. The men I work for did. I merely applied the technology and occasionally returned to service it and collect data. Same as I used to do at Division," Heidecker clarified. Nikita was confused for a moment. Birkhoff had told her that he had been the one to supply Division with its tech. He had to have been the one to make it. However, Heidecker continued to explain that he was just a salesperson. He was the middleman for the organization he worked for. They made, people bought, and he collected data. He could still help Nikita get what she wanted, though. He'd pass the information along for her.
For a brief second, Nikita wondered if the men Heidecker worked for also knew who she was; she wondered if the reason he considered her special was because they had a special purpose for her. Yet she quickly dismissed the idea. It wasn't worth considering at the moment. She could've just been paranoid after what Percy had done to her. She needed to force those thoughts away and remain on topic. A hand for Michael was the greater concern. He needed a prosthetic like the one Bechiraj had. Especially since it had seemed so real. It wasn't just a replacement. It was the real deal, "I saw that leg. The skin was real. It was real."
"Yes, most of it is. The bone is carbon fiber, of course, but the tissue- the tissue was regrown from Bechiraj's own DNA," Although Heidecker didn't know the exact science behind how the leg was constructed, he did know what it was made of. He knew how it functioned and the effects it had on the recipient. And he knew what problems to look out for. It truly was a marvelous achievement in science. Though it was only a scratch on the surface of everything the scientists he worked with could achieve.
"That's not possible," Nikita shook her head. A prosthetic made out of carbon fiber she could believe. But regrowing tissue had to have been a lie. If it was some sort of realistic fake skin, like those masks Division used, then that'd make sense. But human flesh couldn't have been regrown. That was far more fiction than fact. Scientists might've been able to study how some animals could regrow limbs- like salamanders and starfish. But they couldn't replicate it. Even with human DNA. It wasn't in their genetic code.
"You've worked with some of our prototypes. I would hope that your perspective on what's possible might have been expanded by now," Heidecker tried to remind Nikita of the technology supplied to Division. It might have become commonplace after years of working for the black ops unit of the government. Yet even simple things like their coms and trackers were made of advanced technology. Nothing was impossible anymore. Science advanced every single day. How that was applied advanced as well. Something that seemed like science fiction couldn't be scoffed out. The mysteries of the world were disappearing, replaced by real wonders.
"I'm sorry if gadgets like the killchip don't fill me with a sense of wonder," Nikita glared. Heidecker did have a point. After everything she had seen in Division, she shouldn't have been surprised by the fact that scientists had discovered how to regrow human tissue. However, she wouldn't marvel in the wonders produced by the organization he worked for. Any place that created killchips was as horrific as the place that had used them. She was only willing to work with them for Michael's benefit. Otherwise, she'd spit on all their efforts.
Rather than fall into a debate about how vital government funded science could be- such as the creation of the internet and GPS- Heidecker moved the conversation along again. Who knew how much time they had before Bechiraj decided to kill them instead of keeping them locked in the tiger cage. The two should work on their terms of escape. Heidecker was prepared to meet Nikita's request for a new hand. It could be accomplished with the right information, then they could get out of Kosovo without looking back, "The answer is 'yes'. We can make your friend a new hand, one indistinguishable from the one he lost."
"Do you know how much something like this costs? I mean, I don't know if you got the memo, but Division lost most of its government funding," Nikita finally got around to asking the important question. If it came down to it, she could scrounge up enough cash to pay Heidecker. Although it would've been nice, she didn't have to solely rely on Division's funds. She had gotten that far on her own. She could go even farther. After all, she had sworn that she'd do whatever it took to help Michael. Money wouldn't be able to stop her.
"Our organization isn't interested in money. We're very well funded. What we need is data. The kind that comes from clinical trials, real world testing," Waving away the idea of payment, Heidecker assured Nikita. The organization would simply collect data from her friend. It was a done deal. As long as the man was viable to receive a new hand, of course. There was a criteria he had to match, "How did your friend lose his hand? It would help me figure out if he's a good candidate for the regeneration process."
Lowering her gaze, Nikita took almost too long responding to Heidecker. He had asked her a valid question. He needed to know so they could both help him. She simply didn't want to revisit the accident. She had only talked about it twice; once to Alex immediately after it had happened, then to Sean after a horrific nightmare. She didn't believe she could do it again. Revisiting those events was too much. It still hurt so incredibly bad. Yet she had to push through. She had to say something. It was for Michael. She could do anything for him, "He was pinned under a burning car. It was either cut off his hand or watch him die."
"A clean cut. Not a crush injury. That's good, that's good. I assume the amputation took place in the field, yes? A great deal of blood loss?" Nikita knew that Heidecker was only doing what he did best, collecting data. However, his response made her feel worse. That was why she didn't want to revisit the crash. Despite saving his life, what she had done to Michael was unforgivable. She had made him scream. She had hurt him so much, and she couldn't bear the fact. Making him scream like that, and making him lose so much blood, was one of the worst things she had ever done. It was why he wouldn't come home. And why she had to help him.
The images still burned in Nikita's head. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw blood pooling on the street and staining their clothes. She remembered how warm and dark it was against her hands. She feared it'd never stop. Even months later, she was terrified he was going to bleed out. He almost had that night. She had almost killed him, "There was a lot of blood. Too much. Medical support was an hour away, and- uh- fortunately, there was a sharp blade and a burning car. It only took a- a few tries to cauterize the wound."
"I'm sorry. It must have been very difficult for you to do what you did," The first hint of emotion appeared in Heidecker's voice. He expressed genuine concern for what Nikita had to go through. She shook her head. It wasn't to negate what he had said, but to battle her tears. She was only sharing information. She didn't need to break down crying over the fears she still harbored. Michael had moved on, and so could she. She'd make up for her sins with a new hand. Everything could be better with the better prosthetic.
"I don't think I'll ever get the sound of his screams out of my head," Muttering mostly to herself, Nikita admitted. She shouldn't have been sharing that much information with Heidecker. He only needed to know the most basic of facts. However, after not talking about what happened for so long, the words came tumbling out. Her fears needed to be expressed. Keeping them locked away only made them eat her alive. She had to address them. But she'd never tell Michael, nor would she drag her brother and her friends into her trauma. All she was left venting to was a stranger, who wouldn't judge her or what happened.
While she fought to calm herself, Heidecker nodded. He understood her desperate need for the organization he worked for to make a new hand. After such a traumatic event, a miracle solution was needed to vanish guilt and ill feelings. Fortunately, that could be given to her. It'd be quite simple. The two just needed to escape the tiger cage first. That remained the highest priority, "We can make him a new hand. But it can't be built from inside this cage. So, what do you say we get out of here?"
"That I can do," Pulling herself together, Nikita nodded. She could easily work with Heidecker. Not only to escape the tiger cage, but to also give Michael a new hand. The back of her mind warned her to listen to Birkhoff and not make a deal with Heidecker- it could be like making a deal with the devil. But she had to do it. She was more determined then than ever. That was a real chance for her to make up for causing her fiancé so much pain. She could make things right. She could give him something better that'd lead him home. She could stop the screams.
