| Subject: chapter 10 |
Author:
s.b.
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: Tuesday, October 05, 06:06:48am
In reply to:
s.b.
's message, "The Progeny of Four" on Sunday, September 19, 09:33:38pm
Michael paused briefly outside of the white room before entering. For the past two hours he’d kept busy reviewing reports, poring over profiles, checking his team’s schedule… Anything to keep his mind off of this meeting he had with his once former trainee. He wanted to distance himself from her file for a little while, give himself a little thinking room before actually meeting her.
He’d studied everything that Madeline had given him access to. He’d even done a little searching of his own. But he was still feeling suspicious of the circumstance surrounding the reappearance of Nikita Wirth in Section and in his life.
Experience had taught him to always be wary of Section’s motives. Michael had been the deliverer of Section sanctioned manipulations enough times to know that they wouldn’t hesitate to lie to any of their operatives, including him. And he couldn't help but feel that there were a lot of untold truths surrounding this lates assignment.
Michael stopped just inside of the door to the white room. His gaze was drawn immediately to the examining table where upon Nikita Wirth lay in a drug induced sleep. She was dressed now in standard med-lab issue of white drawstring pants and tank-top.
Her wrists were restrained. Michael wondered if she had woken and put up a fight while being examined by Section’s medical team. The thought piqued his interest as he wondered how much of her earlier training, if any, she remembered. He wondered too if she would remember him.
Advancing slowly he circled round to the far side of the table, his eyes taking in freely now the details of her face. She was beautiful. Good bone structure, thick lashes, appealing mouth. He wondered what her eyes were like open. There was a certain long forgotten image he had of Nikita when she was young. She’d been grinning at something Walter had said to her. Michael recalled how her whole face had lit up, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness. She’d looked like a normal child in that moment, impish and innocent, and so very alive. She’d reminded him so much of his little sister’s spirit that Michael had felt sorrow that her life, young as it was, was so tainted by Section.
Approaching the table he took a moment to look her over. He compared the memory he had of her as a young girl to the woman that now lay before him. He was distinctly aware that there was very good chance the woman before him was an imposter. He’d considered that possibility earlier. He wouldn’t put it past Madeline to design such a profile; bring in another operative and have her pose as Nikita in the hopes that he would form an emotional bond with her. Now that Simone was gone Section would feel they needed to find someone to replace her. Someone who would anchor his loyalty to Section.
Michael stared at down at the sleeping woman with mixed feelings. It angered him to think that Section would think they could control him so easily, or that they could question his ability to stay focused on the Vachek mission. Madeline wanted him to test Nikita and make his recommendation on whether she was Section material or not. Michael planned on putting her to the test alright, he wasn’t about to go easy on her.
**
Operations frowned as he watched the video feed. Beside him Madeline stood silently, arms folded, watching with intense interest the interaction between Michael and their latest recruit.
Nikita had backed off into a corner, eyes frightened as she gazed around the room and then over to Michael. There was no recognition whatsoever on her part of Michael.
Madeline also watched Michael. From the moment he had walked into the room she had sensed the wariness in him. He wasn’t convinced the woman before him was truly the same girl he’d trained years earlier.
“Why is she acting that way?” Operations snapped, as he watched tears roll down Nikita’s face and the clear show of emotions in her eyes and the trembling of her lips. He didn’t like emotions. Ever. It was a sign of weakness, and in his assessment this girl Madeline had recruited was weak. There was no way she was Section material.
Madeline remained silent. This was one of the parts of her job that she truly enjoyed was watching how people acted when under duress. Actually she enjoyed watching people under any situation, humans are fascinating in that way, but she especially liked watching them in less then favorable situations and seeing what they would do. You could tell a lot about a person by the way they behaved in these situations.
For instance, it fascinated her that Nikita asked if her mother hadn’t attended her funeral. Despite the abuse that Roberta Wirth had put her daughter through, including kicking her out into the streets, Nikita still loved her mother. That was most interesting...
Operations made a sound of disgust as he watched Nikita deny vehemently through tears that she hadn’t killed anyone. “She’s too emotional,” he said, crossing his arms tightly and shaking his head. Madeline found Paul’s comment amusing considering that he himself was emanating vast amounts of emotions himself at that moment. He was practically glaring at the monitor. But still she didn’t say anything as she waited and watched.
Then, it happened. Michael turned his back to Nikita, preparing to leave the room, and Nikita attacked. She launched herself away from the wall where she had been cowering and raised her arms to strike. It happened so fast and with such intensity that Madeline nearly smiled with glee. Michael easily subdued Nikita. He threw her down on the floor and pinned her arms down, whispering something to her that Madeline couldn’t quite hear. But it didn’t matter because she was more interested in Nikita’s reaction at this point. Gone were the tears and the fear she’d shown and in their place was a fierce anger. It was the same fierceness that she’d seen on the video feed of the night when they’d set her up for the murder that landed her in jail. Her technique needed polishing but Madeline knew for certain now that not all of the things she’d been taught years earlier had disappeared. The instinct to fight and kill was still there buried deep within the recesses of Nikita’s mind. They just needed to bring it back to the surface now.
She glanced over to Paul and saw that he was not quite as impressed as she was by Nikita’s attempt to attack Michael. If anything Paul was more convinced then ever that Nikita’s recruitment was a mistake. But Madeline didn’t mind. She could bring him around to see her point of view.
**
Back in the white room Michael stood up and straightened his jacket. He’d almost been convinced that this was not the same girl he’d trained nine years earlier, but then she had attacked and he had felt a surge of energy in him. He couldn’t explain it as he turned and threw her down on the ground. At that moment something had happened and he knew, he knew it was her.
He’d stared down into those brilliant blue eyes of hers and saw the same fire he’d witnessed in her younger version. ‘My god,’ he’d thought, ‘it really is you.’ Aloud he had instructed her, just as he had during the first time he’d trained her, “When you attack someone from behind, go for the kidneys. It disables and they can’t fight back.”
“I don’t want – I don’t want lessons!” she’d shouted back, and Michael had nearly laughed inside. Those were almost the same identical words she’d said the first time he’d given her that advice. And the look she had on her face… It really was Nikita.
“We start tomorrow at 5 a.m.”
“And if I don’t want to?” she challenged. Michael watched her a moment. The words, the actions, the attitude was all Nikita but the face and body were different. She wasn’t a child anymore. Nikita really was back in Section and she was all grown up. The thought brought unexplainable pleasure to him, like seeing an old friend who you never expected to see again.
Turning one last time to look at her Michael answered her question, “Row 8, Plot 30”. He nearly smiled though at the murderous look she cast him as he turned and left.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 