| Subject: chapter 4 |
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sb
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Date Posted: Wednesday, July 14, 04:45:39pm
In reply to:
S.B.
's message, "The Progeny of Four" on Tuesday, June 29, 02:58:59am
Chapter 4:
Michael returned to his office and uploaded the file Madeline had forwarded. The photo of the young woman she showed him earlier appeared on the screen. He stared at the picture, reconciling it with the memory he had of the young girl he’d worked with years earlier.
It seemed a lifetime ago. Was it really her? After studying the photo for several more minutes he decided that there was a very real possibility it was the same girl. It was the look in her eyes that convinced him, that odd mixture of mistrust and innocence that he recalled vividly.
She’d been eleven or twelve then, a young girl from Section Four he’d been told. He had learned enough during training to know that Section was unlike any other government organization he’d ever heard of, but to learn that they even used children in their work had come as a surprise to him. Nikita was almost the same age as Monique, causing Michael to wonder if his assignment to work with the young girl had been Section’s not-so-subtle way of letting him know they were aware of his younger sister’s existence. He’d never mentioned Monique to anyone after his arrest for fear that the government would take her and place her in an orphanage. Instead Rene had promised to care for Monique and Michael felt forever indebted to his friend from the university.
In the early days, once he’d awakened to find himself in Section One, Michael absorbed all that happened around him, watching and learning. He vowed to survive Section’s training and use what he learned to escape and return to Monique. But as his training progressed Michael came to recognize that there was no escape from Section. Section had eyes and ears everywhere and they didn’t think twice about killing its operatives.
It intrigued him then to meet Nikita, this young girl who was owned by Section. He thought at first that she was born there, perhaps the child of an operative, but if that were true then why was she induced with cerebral inhibitors each time she was brought in and again before she left? Section only did that to civilians who were accidentally exposed to Section or its activities, and even then that option was a last resort. Section preferred to manipulate circumstances surrounding the individual to make them believe what it wanted rather than alter their memories.
Section obviously didn’t want Nikita recalling her training sessions or anything else that took place in Section, which made sense… She would be an easy target for information if she was ever exposed. But why was she even put at that risk? If she was living on the outside, who was her family and why didn’t they notice her disappearance every week? Was she a runaway, and if yes, what circumstances led her to the streets? Michael turned away from the screen and stared out the blinds of his office into Section. Obviously there was more here than he was being told.
His assignment back then had been to train her in physical combat, a notion he felt was futile considering how thin and small the girl was. Nonetheless he had obeyed his orders. He’d wanted to question her but had been unable to because there were always cameras on them, those silent Section eyes that reported everything.
Nikita turned out to be a difficult student. Even under the influence of the inhibitors, which was supposed to make her more susceptible to the training, Nikita was wary and untrusting. Madeline explained that a subject’s personality, even when the subject was induced, could still manifest itself. Nikita had mood swings that ranged from silent and sullen to avid curiosity. Around Michael she was always the former but around other people, like Walter, whom she worked with on a few occasions, she became a completely different person, even laughing on occasion.
Michael wondered if Walter knew yet that Nikita was alive and had been recruited. The old man had really liked Nikita. Mercifully Section had not told him the same story that they’d told Michael of her being killed. Instead they’d told him that she had moved on to another part of her training and would no longer be coming to Section.
Michael lowered his eyes. How ironic now in hindsight to see that it was he who had been lied to and Walter who had received the truth.
**
It was evening when Philip received the call he was waiting for.
Michelle watched her father from across the dinner table, disapproving of the interruption but resigned to the fact that with her father work would always come first. When she was younger she had resented the time his work took from her. Though they lived in the same house she usually only saw him at tea or dinner. All of the other times he remained in the north wing of the house where his office was and which was off limits to her.
There were many things strange about her life that she hadn’t realized until she was well into her teens. It began with her noticing during her trips abroad, or even just out shopping, that other people didn’t have the type of entourage she did. She had eight bodyguards that always accompanied her; two remained within ten feet of her at all times, the other two at a secondary location further out, and the remaining four were parameter guards.
If she wanted to shop at a certain place the store was contacted beforehand and an appointment made so that when Michelle arrived there would be no one but the store owner or representative in attendance. She would walk through, choosing what she wanted, and then the guards would whisk her back to the waiting car while the store owner would arrange for the items to be delivered.
Growing up she had private tutors and everything that money could buy but now that she was older, twenty one in December, what Michelle wanted most was normalcy in her life. She wanted friends, love, a father she could talk to and most important of all was news -any news- about who her mother was.
Her father had never answered her questions regarding that subject. Instead like all other matters he didn’t want to deal with he would dismiss her question with a wave of his hand and change the subject. Once she had asked him if she were adopted and he had gave her a look so piercing it had frightened her. “You are my flesh and blood,” he said to her, and from that day on Michelle had never raised the question again.
Philip nodded as he listened, a frown upon his face, but Michelle knew by the way that he did not move that what he was hearing pleased him. When he finally did speak it was -as always was the case where her father was concerned- brief and to the point. “I want a video feed immediately.”
Michelle suppressed the urge to sigh. This meant dinner was over and he was going back to his office. Before he could speak Michelle quickly interjected what she’d been thinking of over the past several weeks. “Father, I’d like to work.”
Philip paused, his eyes focused on her as he considered what she said. Then he nodded and stood. “Very well. See James about it.” James was Philip’s personal secretary.
“You’ll let me work?” she asked, surprised at how easy he had consented.
“Within certain circumstances,” Philip replied, picking up his cane, and Michelle’s spirits sank. She knew what that meant; he would choose the job for her.
“Goodnight my dear,” Philip said, as he came around and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
“Goodnight Father,” Michelle answered.
She waited till he had left the room before she pushed away from the table and went to stand at the window overlooking the gardens. Well at least it was a start, she thought as she drew a deep breath and raised her chin. She was determined to look at it from a positive point of view. He’d consented that she could work, now all she had to do was decide what kind of work it was she wanted to do… and hope that he would approve of it.
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