PART 2

"You shouldn’t be late for debriefing, it sets a bad example." Michael said.

"Fine." Nikita said and headed for the door.

"Actually," Michael said. Nikita hated when Michael played these little games.

"What?" Nikita said, trying to let the irritated tone in her voice shine through.

"We had two people bite with our infiltrator scheme." Michael said and watched for Nikita’s reaction. She had been sure that no one would have fallen for the trap. They had gotten someone to approach several operatives and offered them various things to betray Section.

"Who?" Nikita asked.

"Jones." Michael said. "She’s been canceled already."

"And?" Nikita asked.

"Birkhoff."

Nikita sat down. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Michael said, without offering an explanation.

"No," Nikita said weakly.

"I had to wait for the mission to be complete, but he can be canceled now." Michael said reaching for the phone.

"Wait." Nikita said. "Let me do it. I can at least make sure it’s quick."

"So, you do have a little compassion left." Michael said, smirking.

"Only for Birkhoff, he’s been a good friend." Nikita said.

"Fine. But it needs done now." Michael said.

"Doesn’t it always?" Nikita said and stood up.

The door opened to Nikita’s office and she quickly turned the computer screen off. The information she had gotten off of the disk was invaluable in her plan. And no one could know that she had it.

"All taken care of?" Michael asked.

"Yes." Nikita said. "It wasn’t easy, but I did it."

"Well, at least with any future cancellations you won’t have this problem, right? Birkhoff was the last of what you would call your friends." Michael grinned slightly.

Nikita was going to mention that Michael failed to mention himself, but she didn’t. She just nodded her agreement. Walter and Birkhoff had been her only true friends in Section, and now they were both gone.

"The information we got wasn’t as good as I thought it would be." Michael said sitting.

"I agree." Nikita said. "But it’s still good, and worth what we paid for it."

"Oh, so cold-hearted you’ve become." Michael said and leaned forward. "We bought that information with a young man’s life, remember?"

"Like I said, it was worth it." Nikita said.

"I love you when you’re like this." Michael said.

"Don’t start with that, I’m very busy right now." Nikita said, repressing a shudder.

"Fine." Michael said, visibly angered. He stood and walked to the door. "But you will be in my room tonight at 9." He left without waiting for an answer.

Nikita wondered how things had gotten so bad.

Nikita stood looking at the outside of Section. From out here you could pretend that all of the atrocities were not happening. From out here you could pretend that all was okay. But Nikita knew better.

She pulled out the remote control. She had about five minutes before Michael was expecting her. Her finger ran over the button but didn’t linger. One push and Section was finished. But would it live on somehow? She couldn’t allow that to happen.

A car pulled up behind her. Nikita’s hand went reflexively to her gun, but didn’t pull it out.

When the figure got out of the car and walked over, she let go of the gun. "Looking mighty good for a dead man." she said.

"Thanks." Birkhoff said, smiling.

"Is it complete?" Nikita asked.

"Yes, with the information you gave me on that disk I was able to create a program that will erase all existence of Section. Including Oversight’s files." Birkhoff said. He was still smiling, this was the biggest hack he had ever tried and it had worked. Almost. "But what about Oversight?"

"Yes, Nikita, what about Oversight?" a voice asked from the darkness. Nikita turned, pulling her gun. She had recognized the voice.

"Come out, Hillinger." Nikita said.

"Aren’t you going to finish it, before Michael gets suspicious?" Hillinger asked as he walked into view.

"He knows?" Birkhoff asked, confused.

"Yes." Nikita said, not offering anymore. She turned to face Section, and put her finger in the button once more. She had had numerous opportunities to warn Michael, to try and get him out somehow. But he had changed, he wasn’t the same man she had fallen in love with. He was a ruthless killer, worse than Operations had ever been.

But had he been playing the part, like she had? Many people wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her the last years. She had done things that Madeline had only threatened. But she had a reason, a purpose. But did that make it right?

"One more minute and Michael goes looking for you." Hillinger said.

Nikita pushed the button before she could change her mind. The building blew into a million pieces.

"Wow." Birkhoff said, forgetting Hillinger for the moment.

Hillinger hadn’t forgotten about Birkhoff though. He pointed his gun at him. "Now, just a few loose ends and we’re done."

"No." Nikita said. "Birkhoff and I walk, that was the deal."

"The deal changed." Hillinger said. "Birkhoff dies, and you come to work for me."

"No." Nikita said.

Hillinger pulled the trigger and watched as Birkhoff fell to the ground. Luckily, Nikita was still sentimental, for as she turned to Birkhoff, Hillinger ducked behind the car before Nikita could get a lock on him.

"You’re going to be okay, hang on." Nikita told Birkhoff and turned in Hillinger’s direction. "Come out you coward!"

She heard laughing and footsteps, walking away. What was he doing? She edged forward and gasped as an arm wrapped around her throat and her gun was knocked away.

‘I’ve learned a lot these past few years." Hillinger said and yelled to his accomplice who had created the distraction.

"Apparently." Nikita said between breaths.

"So, another change of plans, you both die." Hillinger said.

Nikita braced herself and winced as she heard the shot and felt the blood on the back of her head. The arm around her neck loosened and she started to fall forward and caught her balance. She heard a thud and turned around, wondering when the pain would come slamming into her. Hillinger was laying on the ground, his face blown away. Nikita ran her own hand across the back of her head. She felt blood and gore, but couldn’t find an entry spot.

She was okay. She ran over to Birkhoff and applied pressure to his wound. "You’re going to be fine, we both are."

Birkhoff smiled and then his eyes looked behind her. "You."

Nikita looked behind her. "Thanks.

"No problem." the man said. "You had them figured pretty well."

"Yeah." Nikita said. "Help me get Birkhoff into the car, Jurgen.

Nikita took a deep breath. It was over. Section. Oversight. Michael. All gone, done and over with. She thought she should feel more relieved, but she didn’t.

Maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow, Nikita thought as they drove away, as she drove to the future, a new future.

A future that actually held something to look forward to. Nikita sighed, and let herself smile. It was a small smile, but it was a start.