OPENING
France 12:30 am
A woman with long knotted hair and a dark full length coat stumbles out of an alley. She sways, then slowly walks unsteadily down the street. Her face is dirty and pale. She is wearing dark gloves. Her left hand is swinging freely, occasionally pushing herself upright against a wall or post. Her right hand is in her coat, pressed to her left side. As she reels back and forth, she trips over a split in the concrete and falls to the ground. She makes no sound except for a slight gasp as she hits the ground. There she lies for a moment unmoving. Slowly she gets up. She uses her right hand to aid her in pushing herself up. Barely upright, she continues walking, stooped over, slowly straightening herself. Back where she fell there is a smudged, bloody hand print, and another smudge, a large reddish smudge slightly south of it. She stumbles into an all night cleaners. There is only one man there. An attendant that the owner had put there so that the people could feel safe in this part of the neighborhood. He is alramed at the sight of this unkempt woman. There she whispers something too soft to hear and pulls out a paper. As she reaches for the paper, she opens her coat revealing a large dark stain running down the left side of her body. She collapses, and the alarmed attendant runs towards her.
Section One headquarters.
A door slides open and Nikita walks in. Micheal is tediously typing a report in his office and Birkoff is what else, on the computer.
'What is this?' Birkoff says sitting up a little straighter in his chair. He reads the computer screen and reaches for the phone. 'Tell Operations that I have something he might like to see.'
Nikita goes over along with several other operatives. She looks at the screen, at Birkoff, and back to the screen.
'What's going on?' Nikita asks Birkoff.
'I can't say just yet. I'll wait until Operations gets here. Sorry Nikita.' Birkoff responds never taking his eyes off the screen as he scrolls down perusing the screen.
'What is it Birkoff?' Operations says as the operatives clear path for him.
Madeline, unobtrusively joins the edges of the crowd. Her eyes watchful, judging, gaging reactions.
'A deep cover agent is down. However, there is a sketchy report here and it doesn't look good. We got some information, but the agent was too weak to say much. They are at the hospital now. If we want a full report we had better get there and get it personally. They don't know if the agent is going to survive.' Birkoff replies glancing at Operations and then intently reading the screen.
'Who is the agent?' Operations asks in his normal curt voice.
'Uh, it says right here,' Birkoff scrolls back up the page to a coded phrase. After a moments pause to decode it, he says, 'Nickel.'
Operations ponders a moment and looks at the operatives gathered around.
'Nikita and Madeline. Go get the report.' Almost as an afterthought he casually adds, 'If the agent survives, I'll expect the three of you to return.' Operations orders.
'I'll go too.' Micheal speaks up, not looking at Nikita.
'No. Nikita and Madeline.' Operations turns and leaves.
During the exchange between Micheal and Operations, no one saw the glance at Operations by Madeline.
A loud hum fills the room following Operations exit. An irate Micheal looks at Nikita and goes into his office.
Nikita watches silently. Her head slightly bowed but her eyes on Micheal.
'Let's go Nikita.' Madeline says already heading for a door across the room.
Nikita follows Madeline.
'Why couldn't Micheal go with us?' Nikita asks Madeline as they walk down a hallway.
'Nikita, that is no concern of yours.' Madeline replies curtly.
The hospital
Madeline and Nikita go to a hidden hospital. After showing identification they walk down a white hallway and through glass doors that open upon their approach. Then they are in the hospitals' front office. The nurse behind the desk looks up alertly as they walk in.
'Wait here.' Madeline tells Nikita. Madeline then goes to a nurse and talks with her.
Nikita looks around. White. White floor, walls, decorations, couches. The only color is the doors. A pale yellow.
'This way Nikita,' Madeline calls out, gesturing to another hallway. 'Follow me.' Madeline turns and walks down the hallway leaving Nikita to follow along behind her.
They go into a room three doors down. A small white sterile room that has a curtain in the middle enclosing its inhabitant. Madeline strolls forward and opens the curtain.
Nikita is surprised to see a woman lying there. Her face is pale and there are bruises marring her face. She is hooked up to machines and the steady rhythm of the machines sounds loud in the tiny room.
'Nickel. Nickel, wake up.' Madeline calls out.
'Maybe we should wait until she wakes up.' Nikita says hesitantly.
'No. Nickel!' Madeline says sharply.
The girl on the bed, Nickel groans and rouses herself. She open one eye slowly and smiles.
'What took you so long Madeline.' She says casually as though renewing and old conversation.
'You didn't let us know where you were sooner.' Madeline responds casually.
Nikita is surprised at the casual way the talk to each other. Niktia looks closer at the young woman. She has to be around the same age as Nikita, if not younger, but Niktia could never speak with such offhandedness as this woman appears to. But then again. Nickel should have done something in order to get a deep cover job so young. Nikita drwas back to the conversation.
'Sorry.' Nickel says, not a bit sorry at all, if her grin is anything to go on.
'Are you okay?' Madeline asks quietly, more serious.
'Yeah, I am going to live. Unfortunately.' She also grows serious. A slight grimace accompanies the last word.
'Unfortunately? Why?'
'The pain I am in is making me wish I were dead.' Nickel laughs and winces as a sharp pain rips through her bruised and sewn body.
'What happened?' Nikita asks.
'I got found out. Need I say more.' Nickel responds. She glances at Madeline then to Nikita.
'Nikita, Nickel. Nickel, Nikita.' Madeline makes the introduction with a slight frown on her face.
'Hi. So when can I blow this pop stand?' Nickel asks trying to smile, but a grimace is the best she can come up with.
'Can you leave?' Madeline asks frowning slightly with worry.
'I'm well enough. So when?' Nickel replies curtly.
'Tomorrow. You get some more rest and we'll come back tomorrow to get you back to headquarters.' Madeline informs her.
'For debriefing. Joy' Nickels voice is bland and flat. She looks at Nikita and smiles conspiratorially, 'I think I'd rather stay here and be in pain.'
'Operations wants to see you.' Madeline says.
'Great. I get the dubious honor of being debriefed by Opsy-wopsy himself. Another joy.' She sighs and closes her eyes. 'Can I get some medication. I am really in pain here.'
'Okay. Come on Nikita.' Madeline walks out to talk to a nurse.
Nikita turns around and walks towards the door. She pauses and looks back at the bed one last time before walking out the door.
Headquarters
Operations is in Micheal’s office.
'Micheal. I want your team ready to go when the report comes in. If it isn't ready, then I want you guys to be ready to go at a moments notice. Got that?' Operations orders Micheal.
'What about Nikita?' Micheal asks.
Operations looks at Micheal steadily. Micheal looks at Operations, seeing no response, he looks briefly away, then back at Operations.
'We'll be ready.' Micheal says.
'Good.' Operations turns and leaves.
Micheal looks at the empty doorway before continuing to type.
Landing Bay at Headquarters
Nikita, Madeline and Nickel deboard the plane. Operations is there to meet them.
'Are you guys alright?' Operations asks.
'Fine. Nickel needs some rest though. The flight was a little hard on her.' Madeline has her arm around Nickels shoulders.
'I'm fine. Really.' Nickel says quietly, despite her pale face and the slight sheen of sweat that getting out of the helicopter caused her.
'No. Nikita, take her to a room and get her to rest. Then report to me in my office.' Operations turns with Madeline at his side.
'Come with me.' Nikita replaces Madeline's arm with hers around Nickels shoulders.
******************************
'What are you going to do?' Madeline asks Operations as they walk down a hallway towards Operations' office.
Operations waits until they are in his office.
'I'll deal with it Madeline.' Operations says as he sits behind his desk. 'I'll deal with it.'
Operations office.
Nikita, Operations, Madeline and Nickel. Nickel has just finished giving her report.
'So all hells going to break loose all at once. Great. I have to get in contact with the Pentagon to see what we can do to head this off.' Operations stands up and walks towards the door. 'Come on. I want places and all the coordinates you can remember.' He tells Nickel.
'Yes, sir.' Nickel stands up straight and mockingly salutes Operations.
'Nickel.' Madeline warns.
Nickel sends Madeline and Nikita a bashful smile before falling beside Nikita. As they walk through a maze of corridors to the main room, Nickel looks around.
'Place hasn't changed since I was last here.' Nickel comments idly.
'When was the last time you were here? I don't recall you being here before.' Nikita asks in a low voice. Her eyes on Operations and Madeline's backs. Something tells her that if they knew what they were talking about, they would put a stop to it.
'Over 5 years ago.' Nickel says quietly. She seems preoccupied and lost in a slight thought of someplace Nikita can't see. 'Five long years ago.' She whispers to herself.
'5 years ago?' Nikita glances up at the backs of Operations and Madeline to see if they heard her. Nikita is shocked. This woman can only be in her mid-twenties. 'When were you recruited?' Nikita knows that there is something here. Something that doesn't fit right. Something important that Madeline and Operations obviously know.
'A long time ago. Another life time ago. What does it really matter?' Nickel sighs. 'We can never go back you know.'
'Yeah I know.' Nikita's voice is slightly resentful and slightly resigned.
Nickel looks at Nikita.
'Do you still remember the days before you were recruited? The days before the Section was you life giving blood? Before it was your life?' Nickel asks Nikita sincerely.
'To tell you the truth, my life wasn't so hot before the Section. I lived on the streets.' Nikita replies truthfully. 'But yeah I remember being free.' She smiles ruefully. 'You?'
'My life before I was recruited', Nickel pauses, she puts a wealth of resentment into the last word. Still bitterly reminiscing, 'they were some of the greatest times of my life. I was in love with some one I couldn't have. My father was from the old country and believed in arranged marriages.' A wistful smile appears on Nickels face. 'My father, mother and my sister were my life. Along with my love of course.'
*************************** Ahead of Nikita and Nickel
'Should they be talking?' Madeline asks Operations looking slightly over her shoulder at the two women deep in conversation.
'If we interrupt Nikita will know that something is wrong. Not yet. It can't hurt anything.' Operations says with a slight frown. Behind him he can hear the murmuring of their voices.
Operations and Madeline stroll into the main room. Operations goes to the conference table where he puts a call into the Pentagon to report and to request a meeting.
Madeline waits for Nikita and Nickel.
Nikita, Nickel and Madeline walk past Micheal’s office into the room.
'So what happens now Madeline?' Nikita asks.
Micheal, hearing Nikita's voice looks up and stares. He stands up and walks slowly to the door. He watches the three women walking towards Operations. Slowly he walks towards Operations too.
'So that's what's happening. What can you do?' Operations says to the glowing picture of a member of the Pentagon. He glances up at the women and then says, 'Work on a plan. I'll contact you in two hours with a plan after I have talked with my men.' Operations signs off and turns to the ladies. However, he sees Micheal first and signals discreetly to Madeline.
Madeline turns slightly and blanches ever so slightly.
Nikita and Nickel are still talking about feminine things. When Nikita notices how quiet and tense things have gotten between Operations and Madeline.
'What is it? What's wrong?' Nikita says abruptly, looking up in alarm. Nikita notices that Madeline is watching Micheal and so for that matter is Operations. 'What's going on here?' Nikita demands. But is greeted with silence. She looks briefly over at Micheal, who is slowly walking towards them, and back to Madeline to demand an answer. Then she suddenly looks at Micheal again.
Micheal is pale. His normally tanned handsome face is now strained and pale. He is walking as though in a dream. His steps are unsteady. He looks as though he had just seen a ghost. He also has his eyes riveted on Nickel.
Nickel hearing Nikita's question waits for an answer. When Nikita too falls silent, Nickel looks up and sees that everyone is focused behind her. She turns and stops.
'Monique?' Micheal whispers stopping as soon as she turned around.
'Dominic,' Nickel whispers in disbelief. 'Dom.' She runs toward him.
Micheal grabs her and lifts her off the ground. He holds her tightly to him. They cling tightly to each other as though they never want to let go.
Nikita watches this in shock. She looks at Madeline and Operations to see matching looks of blank masks. Madeline’s eyes however are slightly misty. Nikita turns to Micheal and Nickel again, numb.
Micheal has lowered Nickel to the ground, but is still holding her close. They are looking deeply into each others eyes like lovers.
Nikita begins to feel slightly sick. She is relieved when Operations interrupts.
'Ahem. If we may continue.' His voice bland, absent of any emotion.
Micheal and Nickel pull apart, but their hands clasp tightly together, fingers entwined. They walk together to the table. Their steps are together and simultaneous.
Nikita looks away, seemingly uncaring.
Micheal and Nickel sit side by side. Nikita sits next to Operations and Madeline. Madeline, seems to understand Nikita and squeezes her hand in a brief comforting gesture.
'Okay Nickel. Tell us everything from how you were found out to when you ended up at our secret location.' Operations starts the meeting.
'I was sending my coded messages for a while. They apparently had run across one in a random scan of frequencies. Usually I transmit right after a scan, but they did two. One right after the other. With all the foiled plans, they knew that something was up. They knew then that someone was inside, but not who.' Nickel's voice is automatic. The hand linked with Micheal's is on the table.
'How do you know this?' Madeline asks.
'When they caught me, they gloated.' A rueful, dry chuckle. 'In between the punches and the knife, they gloated about how foolish I was.' Another dry laugh. 'I wasn't the one who spent 25 million dollars on foiled plans for four years before they caught on.'
'After they first knew,' Operations prompts impatiently.
'Sorry,' she glances around the table. 'They didn't let on at all that I was discovered. Instead they dedicated a computer to continually scanning all frequencies. After that it was just simply a process of elimination over a period of time. Certain people were accounted for various times during the transmissions. One day five were eliminated, the next seven. I was the only one that showed up after and just before the transmissions were sent. I should have been glad that they were so stupid that they couldn't come up with a quicker way to catch me.' Nickel falls silent.
'Then.' Operations prompts.
'Then,' Nickel says with a sigh. 'Then they dragged me out of bed. Tortured me. They had figured that I was working for a US agency and wanted to know which one. When I wouldn't talk, they used knives and electrolysis. They tortured me until they were sure I would die without treatment. Then they drove me to the city. A bad, dirty part and dropped me in a drainage ditch for me to die.' Nickel winces as she talks, remembering.
Micheal's face is outraged. The hand holding Nickels is white with anger.
Nickel doesn't feel Micheal's death grip on her hand. She is mentally reliving the past. 'Luckily for me, there were some people there that were against them and were out to foil their plans as were we. A maid and her husband picked me up and tended to my wounds as best they could. I told them where I needed to go and they did their best to get me there. I still had to walk several miles because of military detachments, no doubt looking for me. I knew I was close to the emergency sight, so I waited for nightfall. I fell asleep and almost didn't wake up. I barely made it to my feet and into the station.' Nickel falls silent again. Her face is lined with fatigue. She is tired and exhausted.
'Madeline, take Nickel to her room.' Operations says after glancing at Micheal, Nikita and Nickel.
'No. I'll do it.' Nikita says firmly.
Micheal looks up surprised. He shakes his head slightly and looks at Nikita and Nickel. His normal blank face falls into place. He nods to Nikita.
'Come on.' Nikita gently helps Nickel to her feet. She supports a weakened Nickel back down the walkway.
The bedroom
A small utilitarian room. Gray walls, a small bed, small dresser, small closet and no windows.
Nikita is helping Nickel on to the bed.
'You okay?' Nikita asks.
'Yeah thanks, just a bit tired from my injuries.' Nickel replies as she lies down on the bed.
'Nickel,' Nikita says hesitantly. 'Can I ask you something?' Nikita sits on the edge of the bed.
'It depends on what it is.' Nickel jokes.
'How do you know Micheal?' Nikita asks calmly.
'Dominic, I mean Micheal, was my next door neighbor.' Nickel says. Reading the look of surprise on Nikita's face, 'Yes. My neighbor.' Nickel sighs and says 'That's all I can tell you now. I need permission to tell you anymore. Please don't tell Micheal anything. Please.' Nickel pleads grabbing Nikita's hand. 'Please.'
'Okay.' Nikita say reluctantly.
'Thank you. Do you mind? I hate to sound rude, but I am really tired.' Nickel pleads.
'Sorry. I'll be on my way.' Nikita gets up and leaves turning out the light and closing the door.
Nikita is back at the conference table with Micheal, Madeline and Ops.
Micheal is demanding answers.
'What is Monique doing here?' Micheal demands from Ops outraged.
'If you haven't guessed, she's a member of the Section.' Ops replies calmly.
'You are crazy! She isn't like that!' Micheal rages. He is gaining some attention from others, but a curt gesture from Ops and they disappear. Even Birkoff is off across the room to another computer. 'I want answers now.'
'Micheal, calm down.' Madeline says soothingly.
'She has been a member of the Section longer than you have Micheal. She was when you met her.' Operatives says baldly.
'What?' Micheal asks in disbelief. 'I don't understand.'
'Micheal, it's classified information. We can't tell you any more just yet. Neither of you can go into detail about your lives. That's an order Micheal. Do you understand?' Ops orders. 'Micheal!'
'When can I find out?' Micheal asks tightly, sensing that now isn't the time to push. 'I will get my answers.'
'Yes, but not now.' Ops says calmly.
Micheal looks at Operations and Madeline, hoping for some more information, but they remain silent. Micheal gets up, looks toward the hallway Nikita and Nickel disappeared down and goes into his office calmly closing the door.
Operations and Madeline look at the closed door, the hallway at each other and then at Nikita.
'Well,' Madeline says.
Startled Nikita looks around and asks, 'Well what?'
Madeline looks steadily at Nikita.
'We heard your conversation with Nickel coming into this room.' Madeline states.
'He's the one she was talking about wasn't she? But what about Simone?' Nikita asks confused.
'This was long before Simone. I know you won't like it, but you are going to be responsible for Nickel.' Holding a hand up to stem Nikita's protest. Madeline says, 'No Nikita. That's what will happen like it or not.'
'Fine.' Nikita replies rising and walks away.
'Are you sure?' Madeline asks Operations very quietly.
Operations leans forward. His elbows braced on the table, his fingers steepled in contemplation.
'I hope so.' He says. 'I hope so.'
Nikita enters Madeline's quarters.
'Madeline', Nikita pauses. 'What's going on? Can you tell me anything?'
'No Nikita.' Madeline looks Nikita in the eyes. 'No, I can't.' Madeline turns and leaves.
Nikita watches Madeline leave with an unreadable expression on her face.
Operations and Madeline in Operations office. Operations is looking at a screen. On the screen, there is Nickels face and her statistics. His back is to the door.
'Everything is going to come out. You know her. She'll demand the truth be brought out.' Madeline tells Operations. 'Are you ready for the repercussions?' Madeline walks over to Ops and looks down at the screen. 'Can the Section handle the resulting effects?'
'I said I'll handle it Madeline.' Ops voice is flat and final.
A knock at the door. Madeline and Operations turns simultaneously. Petrosian appears.
'Am I interrupting?' Petrosian asks mildly.
'No we're finished.' Operations says and leaves.
Petrosian and Madeline are alone. They walk out side by side.
'I take it I've missed something fairly big?' Petrosian asks mildly.
'Yeah. An operative from overseas is here. She knows Micheal. She's from his past.' Madeline says gravely.
Scene fades as Madeline fills Petrosian in.