Unable to get a word out of Ari, Michael eventually left the room and joined Nikita in the hallway. She was pacing back and forth, attempting to think of some way- any way- that'd make Ari break. The update from Alex in the field wasn't helpful. They might have been able to stop one potential terrorist attack, yet they still didn't have any information. Division's only chance to learn anything was to force Ari to talk. Unfortunately, they continued to get nowhere, and Michael was losing hope, "The attacks will keep coming if we don't break him."
"He should have broken by now. Maybe he's greedier than we thought," Continuing to pace, Nikita huffed. There was no way that fifty million dollars was worth taking a whole day's worth of beating. Even someone like Ari would have succumbed to the beating and given his captors what they wanted. That money must've been more important to him than his life.
"He's not gonna take more of this abuse. Doesn't matter how much money he thinks he's gonna make," Michael disagreed. It couldn't have been just about the money for Ari. No schemes or plans of his could've seemed worth it after all he had been through. Also, he wouldn't have stayed silent while a terrorist took innocent lives if it was just about money. Ari had never been that cruel. He was holding out for something else- something he deemed far more important than the people who had been killed.
"What is he holding out for?" Nikita asked on the verge of desperation. If money wasn't the former head of Gogol's motivator, then what possible could it be. Nothing in the world was worth his silence. Nothing in the world was worth anyone's silence. That was at least how Nikita saw it. But maybe men thought differently- maybe their pride and stubbornness was that detrimental, "What would you hold out for?"
"You," Michael instantly answered his wife's question. He didn't have any answers for why Ari wouldn't break or who the terrorists were. But he could answer who he'd withstand torture for. It was a no brainer. The only person worth staying silent for through that much pain was Nikita. He'd do anything to keep her safe.
Despite her husband's sincerity, Nikita rolled her eyes and scoffed. Then wasn't the time for romantic overtures. She needed to know how she could break Ari, not what Michael would do for her, "Seriously."
"I am serious. The only reason to hold out is for someone you love," Michael continued to argue. Love was more powerful than any kind of pain. Even torture was bearable if you were doing it in the name of love. So maybe the money Ari was asking for was for a loved one. He wouldn't talk unless he knew they were safe and well taken care of.
"Saying he loved Amanda is a stretch. And she left him anyway, so who does he have that…" Shaking her head, Nikita couldn't think of anyone that Ari could've loved. It definitely couldn't have been Amanda. He had turned to Division to stop her after she had left him. So who else in his life did he have to hold out for. Who did anyone really have that'd encourage them to withstand torture. The answer came to her so clearly, she couldn't finish her original thought. She simply burst back into the room, leaving a confused Michael behind, and rushed to Ari, "It's for Stefan. That's who the money's for. You're holding out for your son."
Through a bloody, beaten gaze, Ari glanced up at Nikita. He didn't seem surprised that she had finally figured out that he had stayed silent for his son. If anything, he was disappointed that it took her that long to realize it. She had spared his life once because of Stefan. His son was everything to him. He was the only thing Ari had left to fight for. Nikita and Michael should've known that, "I'm trying to give my son a life. A real life, away from all of this. Isn't that what you tried to do for your child?"
"Yeah but, fifty million? That's quite a golden ticket," Nikita fought the quiver in her voice and just pushed forward. Of course once she knew about the miscarriage, Amanda would've gathered as much intel as she could on Nikita's failed pregnancy. And of course she would've told Ari all about it. Nikita shouldn't be surprised that it came up then. She should just focus on Stefan and Ari. There were still innocent people to save. They were more important than her twisted up feelings.
"The money is for a trust, and for his caretaker. An elite operative who will protect him from the likes of you or Amanda," Ari explained his need for so much money. Nikita had been right that no single person needed fifty million dollars. That much money wasn't only for Stefan, but also for an operative turned nanny. The teenage boy would be as safe as possible and set for life. Nikita could understand the want and need for that for a child. Even as the world burned and collapsed into chaos, Ari just wanted his son to be happy.
"You should have told us. We would have protected him," Speaking more gently, Nikita replied. Although a small part of herself deep within her enjoyed beating the shit out of Ari, it was ultimately unnecessary. If he had only told her about Stefan earlier, she would have ensured that he was safe. He was just a kid. He didn't deserve to be caught up in their games.
"So you could use him against me? Or use us both as a lure to catch Amanda?" Scoffing, Ari couldn't believe that Nikita wouldn't have hurt Stefan as well. In their war, everyone and everything was fair game. Whatever it took to stay a step ahead of the enemy was worth it; the end always justified the means. After spending so long in Division, Nikita should've known that. Especially since some of her plans revolved around that very thought process.
"I wouldn't have done that," Even in thought, Nikita refused to steep that low. If she hadn't been able to kill his father in front of him, then of course she couldn't use the teenager as Amanda bait. Again, Stefan was just a kid. Her only concern was protecting him.
"You're my sworn enemy, Nikita. Forgive me if I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt," Ari was right; he had no reason to trust Nikita or Division with his son's life. The only person he could rely on to keep Stefan safe was himself.
That was to be expected and normal in any other circumstance. However, more lives than just Stefan's was at stake. Ari had to trust Division to help him with more than just money. It was the only way they could stop the terrorist and put an end to Amanda's schemes. He wanted that; he wanted a world his son could actually live in. Which meant that he had to talk, he had to help Division save people, not help lead to their destruction, "Right, so instead, you traded on innocent lives, like your son's."
"He didn't ask for any of this. He certainly didn't choose his birthright," Ari snapped. It wasn't as though he was protecting Amanda or a former Gogol agent. Stefan had no role in that war- in that life. He was just as innocent as the people the terrorists targeted, which meant Ari had to fight just as hard as Nikita was to save the world to protect him. Who cared if it wasn't fair to put one life above another. Stefan was his son.
Sighing, Nikita realized that she needed to change course. Arguing with Ari wouldn't get her the name of the terrorist. She needed to reason with him, make him understand that she and Division were the only ones who could protect Stefan. It wasn't just up to him and his operative. Though, Nikita was beginning to think that Ari wasn't planning to be in his son's life forever. He was so determined to keep him safe because he wasn't going to be there for him. The former head of Gogol knew his time was up. There was no escape for him that time, "You didn't have a plan to get out of here, did you?"
"You ask me what I call my future existence in a seven by twelve foot box? I call it my fate. And I accept it," Ari sank down in his chair, defeated. The consequences to his actions had finally caught up to him. He was out of moves, so the only thing he could focus on was his son. As long as Stefan had a better life than his, then he was content living in a dungeon until he died.
"Alright. Then accept this: we're not funded by the government anymore. I don't have that kind of money. And if your caretaker is not paid, the only thing standing between your son and Amanda's retribution is me," There was no use in hiding the truth from Ari anymore. Nikita knew his true motivations for the money, so it was only fair that he should know that she could never deliver. The only way either of them were going to get what they wanted was if they worked together. He'd talk, and she'd protect Stefan.
Ari stared at Nikita for a long moment. She stared back at him. She wasn't going to back down. His only hope was in trusting her. With a sigh, he finally did, "The terrorist's name is Saalim Nassar. A Yemeni-born American citizen. He was visiting his home country when a stray bullet from an American raid struck and killed his only daughter. I don't have his location, but I have his personal phone number. Division should be able to trace it."
Once she heard the terrorist's phone number, Nikita sprinted to Ops. Michael, who had remained in the hallway, hurried after her. She didn't slow down to explain herself or how she had finally gotten a name. She simply passed the information off to the team and had them do their thing. It didn't take Birkhoff long to locate the cell number to a specific location. The terrorist had remained in one spot for a long time- probably his staging area. Division had him, "We got him in an apartment on the Upper West Side. Alex and Owen were choppering here. They've diverted and are close."
Ryan's news was met with relieved sighs. Alex and Owen would be able to defeat the terrorist before the next attack. All that was left then was Amanda. But Nikita had plans to go after the bitch. She'd get Ari medical attention, then she'd have him tell her everything. That had to wait until after the Crimson Resistance was completely destroyed, though. She had to be alert and focused incase something happened. Which it soon did. Before anyone's hopes could get too high, Birkhoff got an alert on his computer, "News outlets are receiving another live broadcast."
"Some people say we should stop. We will not," The terrorist, Saalim, began another diatribe. It was possible that his latest video was in response to Owen and Alex attacking his operatives in the field. He was going to make Division pay for what they had done by hurting more people. They couldn't afford to waste time in figuring out who he was going to target next. The agents just had to focus on stopping him. Fortunately, they had his identity and location. With their hackers, they could work wonders with that intel.
Pacing Ops, Ryan attempted to think of the best way they could use their knowledge. Obviously, they had to tip off the local authorities and the feds. The terrorist had to be caught publicly for everyone to be at peace. But unless they had a handle on the situation, they shouldn't add to the chaos. It had to just be the team until they neutralized the threat. The best way they could do that was with information. Since they knew where Saalim was, they could get a readout of his location- blueprints, security measures, anything to prepare Alex and Owen for an assault, "Birkhoff, now that we know where he is…"
"I know. I know. Tapping the local wi-fi," As soon as he had received the alert of the video feed, Birkhoff began breaking into the network. He could use the local wi-fi to hack into the video or whatever other systems the terrorist had. Division was going to own every piece of tech in that apartment. From there, they could strip Saalim of his terrifying power and do what they did best- save the world without anyone knowing.
"As I speak, another attack is being prepared. When I am finished, I will signal them to continue," Continuing, the terrorist leveled a threat that threw a wrench in Division's forming plans. Unless they did something immediately, more people would be killed. There was no chance to counter it. And there might not be any chance to stop it.
"Owen and Alex won't make it. Can we shut him off?" Michael anxiously wondered. Even in a helicopter, Alex and Owen were still too far from the apartment. They wouldn't be able to stop Saalim before he ordered the next attack. But maybe they could delay him by shutting off his feed. It wouldn't do much in the long run, yet it'd give Division time; that was the one thing they were lacking with their plan.
"I got a better idea. Birkhoff, let's hack into this guy's software," Smirking, Nikita gave Birkhoff her best idea of the day. Division didn't need to stop the terrorist or alert authorities. All they had to do was expose him, and Amanda would kill him for them. She had always despised exposure to her operations. To her, a compromised agent was no better than a dead agent. The second they pulled the curtain on her latest assist, he wouldn't be of use to her anymore. She'd have no chance but to end it.
"Copy that. Time for Toto to pull the curtain back on the Wizard," Copying Nikita's smirk, Birkhoff got to work. Saalim's video disguised his face and his voice from the press. However, once Birkhoff was in the system, he was easily able to clear that away. The terrorist's real voice and face was revealed to the whole world. He couldn't hide anymore.
"Only then will your voice be the one your leaders hear. We will not stop until this policy is changed, until we put an end to random, indiscriminate murder…" By the time Saalim realized he had lost his cover, it was too late. His real face and voice appeared, and then he was shot. Although Nikita had suspected that would happen, she didn't think Amanda would kill him while he was still filming. The evidence of her crime was everywhere. Everyone could see her hand as she turned off the video, and the gun she had used to kill Saalim. A gun that looked a lot like the ones Division agents used.
"Michael, this is the frame-up Ari was talking about," Whirling around to face her husband, Nikita struggled to contain her panic. Ari had claimed that the equipment and weapons the terrorists had used would link back to Division. Even though she had to kill her asset, Amanda was still going to frame them. She could still win.
Michael wasn't going to let that happen. Alex and Owen were still on their way to Saalim's apartment. They could clean it out and erase all traces of Division. Ryan updated to two on what was occurring, and Birkhoff sent a code to their phones that they could upload onto the computers. Hopefully, that should do it. As long as they cleared out before the feds arrived. Removing the curtain from Saalim also helped the FBI track him down. They were going to crash the scene soon and discover Division. Then all of their frantic cleaning would be for nothing, "You'd better get cracking. FBI's on the way."
"Are you sure this is gonna erase every trace of Division off this computer?" Using her phone to hack the terrorist's bloody computer, Alex asked Birkhoff. She trusted his skills and tech; she did. She just really didn't want Division exposed after all of that shit.
"Super clean, baby. Just like you like it," Birkhoff replied confidently. Everything should be erased off the computer with his code. He didn't leave any room for mistakes or fate or whatever. Division was going to remain in the shadows, the agents would be safe, and they could keep going strong. At least until they wrangle up the last of the Dirty Thirties and Amanda. Then they'd shut down. But it'd be on their terms, with pardons in hand instead of cancellations.
"I'll clean the rest. It's still the one thing I know I'm good at," Grinning proudly, Owen informed Alex while she dealt with the computer. He could completely cover Division's tracks and make the scene look like an internal dispute (which it kind of was). Alex returned his grin. They had actually been successful. They had stopped Amanda and saved lives. Sure, it wasn't perfect. They could've helped more people. Yet it was the best victory they had had in a while. They could feel good about it, at least for a moment. That good feeling would help them immensely as they continued forward.