She could run these sims and profiles with her eyes closed. As she kept typing away with mindless precision she let her eyes slide over to where she could see the operatives gathered around the briefing table preparing for the next mission. How she would love to get in on that action!! She smiled to herself... *If I can just get Nikita and Birkoff out of the way...* She turned in her chair slowly and observed Birkoff as he watched the flashing reports cross his screen. He didn't even blink.

*Doesn't he ever get TIRED of this??*... she wondered. Turning back to her station, she knew it was time for her plan.

************

Michael and Nikita walked away from the table and went their separate ways. Nikita stopped suddenly and watched as Michael approached the ComCenter to address Birkoff. With mild curiosity, she noticed Gail immediately slide her chair over to the two men and wheedle her way into their conversation. Michael smiled at her distractedly before thanking Birkoff and walking on towards his office.

*Strange...* thought Nikita. She hesitated a moment longer and was about to continue towards her quarters to prepare when she caught sight of something unusual out of the corner of her eye. Glancing around quickly to see if anyone else had seen what she just witnessed she noticed the eerie vacancy of Section all of the sudden.

Turning back quickly towards the Com Center, she saw Birkoff slump and fall out of his chair. Gail was standing over him with a syringe and an odd smile on her face.

Nikita hurried over to the fallen young man. "Gail!! What on earth have you done to him?" Nikita felt his neck for a pulse and found one, faint and thready. She looked up at Gail and her intentions registered with Nikita a fraction of a second too late... just as she felt a needle enter her arm.

"What tha....." Nikita blacked out at Gail's feet.

Gail looked around quickly and placed the two syringes back into their hiding place before pressing the intercom connection to alert the staff.

Michael was the first on the scene. Noticing Nikita and Birkoff both lying on the floor he checked Nikita's neck for a pulse and found one. Noticing Gail hovering over the younger man, he addressed her sharply, "What has happened here?"

Gail turned to look at the handsome Operative. As her eyes shone with unshed tears she answered, voice quavering, "I.... I... Don't know!! He... he.. was fine. Just working... and... and... Nikita...she..." Gail let her voice trail off and began to cry with large wracking sobs.

Michael moved over to where Birkoff was stretched out and he leaned down to listen for breathing sounds. Hearing the regular cadence of air moving in and out of the fallen man's lungs, he drew back just as the Medical team rushed in. Moving back out of their way he kept his eyes on Gail as the technicians moved Nikita and Birkoff to the medlab.

He watched Gail. *Something was wrong here...* he thought to himself. As if she felt his eyes upon her she turned towards him slowly. With the tears still fresh on her ckeeks, she reached a hand up to brush them away. At that same moment, she smiled at Michael, and returned to her station.

The doors to Madeline's office slid open soundlessly and Michael stepped in and stood quietly as he waited for her to acknowledge his presence. Looking up from her monitor she motioned for him to take a seat in one of the chairs, and he moved to do her bidding.

Once he was situated comfortably, she raised an eyebrow and waited. Michael was full aware that she had been briefed on all the goings-ons and was up to speed on Nikita and Birkoff's medical status. They had encountered some sort of virus, a very rare sort that was not easily treated. How or when they came into contact with it was still open for debate.

Michael finally spoke. "The mission profile has been altered in view of the recent... accident. We will still need a technician along to run the profile from the Van. We can carry off the mission with the team already selected."

Madeline ingested this information slowly, already knowing where he was going with this discourse. "And have you selected a technician that will meet with your approval?"

"Yes. I feel Gail is ready for a field mission. Do you agree?" Michael waited... knowing that she would, but allowing her the courtesy of answering herself.

"Yes. Gail is a good choice" Madeline agreed.

The two seasoned veterans of Section One exchanged a look that both understood instinctively. Michael rose from his position, buttoned his coat, and left her office without a backward glance.

Madeline watched the straight line of his back as he made his retreat. When the doors slid closed behind him she punched up the profile on Gail to review once again. Rubbing her hand beneath her chin, she read the information compiled there... and wondered how they had overlooked this side to her personality.

Gail was preparing for the mission. She could hardly believe it!! She was truly going out on a mission... and Michael was leading the team! Her heart sped up a few beats as she thought on this. Sure, she liked Seymor and all, but Michael.... Wow!! He was all Man!! Just thinking of being so close with him in the Van and on the mission was making her mouth go dry and her palms sweat.

*Okay Gail. Get a grip here girl!!* she thought to herself with a smile. *At least I got Nikita out of the way...*. Feeling a small twinge of guilt over her methods she turned and caught sight of her own image in her mirror. What she saw there was a stranger looking back at her. Her eyes were ablaze with ill-concealed excitement, her cheeks flushed with anticipation.

Her hair was ruffled and looked as though she had been running her fingers through it impatiently, which she had, in fact, been doing. Her lips were dry and she licked them quickly with the tip of her tongue. Once they had their pinkish hue re-established she gave herself the once-over and deemed herself fit to join the rest of the team.

She walked through the door of her room and turned to pull the it shut behind her. Turning to proceed down the hallway she came up short in shock at the sight of Madeline standing at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, watching her.

Gail hesitated for a very brief moment, hoping that the older woman had not noticed her surprised confusion. Madeline, of course, HAD noticed. She just watched the play of emotions cross the young technician's face and thought to herself... * That's right, Gail. It is exactly what you are thinking...*. Offering a small smile to Gail, she turned and was gone, without a single word.

*Woah!!...That was strange!!*... Gail thought. She tried to shake off the weird sense of foreboding that suddenly enveloped her in its grasp. Taking her laptop and slinging it across her shoulder, she took a deep breath and went to Van Access.

Michael stood at the door watching his team load up. He was already dressed for the mission in his tight-fitting mission pants complete with black pull-over and flack-jacket. As the last Op boarded he turned and saw her approaching. She looked... different. He let his eyes roam over her from head to toe and noticed that she had opted to wear a black skin tight cat-suit for this outing, that molded to her like a second skin.

She practically purred when she walked by him and she let her eyes wander appreciatively over his body as well. The look in her eyes gave him but a moment's pause, and then he turned and followed her into the access dock while the doors slid closed behind them.

Madeline was watching from her office, via closed-circuit TV. She turned the monitor off and rose from her chair. Crossing over to her beloved trees she began pruning them... and waited.

The team was blessedly silent on the short journey to the site. Gail was busy booting up the system and running it through the necessary security checks before setting the profile in play. She performed her duties quickly and efficiently.

Michael was riding at the front of the van and standing in the threshold of the doorway. He was watching Gail. He knew that when she placed the disk in for the profile that she would be shocked... and frightened.

He tried to look on this as any other mission... no more... no less. He knew that her penchant for control and perfection coupled with her drive for power and success, and peppered throughout with vengence and cut-throat determination, was indeed a very deadly mixture. He knew that he had to perform his part of the profile, like it or not.

He turned away from watching her and tried to focus on the mission. Gail was amazingly cool and calm for this, her first mission. She was even surprising herself with her efficience. She reached into the case to retrieve the CD and she slipped it into the drive and waited while the mission profile loaded. Looking away from her laptop momentarily she let her eyes wander over to where Michael was standing. She was taken aback to find him watching her as well. Smiling seductively she took pride in the fact that he seemed to find her attractive. Holding his gaze for a few moments more she allowed her eyes to once again roam over him suggestively. Michael only regarded her with his impersonal blankstare.

Feeling a touch disconcerted at his impassiveness, she ran her hand through her short hair and licked her lips nervously. At that, he looked away. Turning to see if any of the team had noticed this exchange she was relieved to find them talking quietly among themselves. Hearing the buzzing of the laptop she determined that the CD was finally installed and she direected her gave back to the matter at hand.

What she saw outlined in the profile caused all blood to drain from her face and she looked up at Michael with fear and horror. The van came to an abrupt stop.

Gail was frozen to her seat in fear and anxiety. Watching the operatives file out of the van without looking at her, she knew her fears would soon be realized.

The only ones remaining in the van were Michael and herself. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. *Maybe it was just a test. Sure...that was it.. a Test!!* Opening her eyes once again she composed herself and looked at Michael. He only stared back at her.

He was trying to steel himself for the inevitable. He turned to look out the door and then back towards Gail. Reaching into his waistband he pulled out his gun and took a steady aim at the suddenly wide-eyed young woman. Before she could even choke out a scream her breath was knocked out of her by the shots fired. Michael watched her fall out from behind the computer station and into a crumpled heap on the floor of the van.

He unscrewed the silencer from his gun and placed the two pieces of hardware into the side cabinet and locked the door. He gave his comm unit one quick pulse and reported, "Done."

Moving quickly and quietly he picked her body up and lifted the trapdoor in the floor of the van. Placing her inside he refastened the door and took her position behind the laptop in order to execute the mission as planned.

************

......One Week Later

Madeline and Michael walked side by side down the corridor towards the medlab in order to check in on Nikita and Birkoff. Madeline knew how the mission had affected Michael but she felt the need to discuss it with him nonetheless. "I know you found that quite uncomfortable. Yet, you performed as requested, and without hesitation." She smiled a slow sad smile and turned her eyes to look at him, marveling as she always did in the rugged good looks worn so casually by this man.

He replied to her unasked question without even breaking stride "I just did the job."

She came to a stop and waited for him to turn. He slowed and then stopped a few paces before her and turned to her, regarding her with classic lack of emotion. She sighed and decided it was not worth the effort to ease his pain... if he even felt pain.

The two resumed their passage towards the medlab to see Nikita and Birkoff, who had both recovered and were to be released within the hour. Madeline decided it was best to keep her knowledge of Gail and her whereabouts confidential... for now.

Gail awoke with a start.

Not fully understanding what had happened to her, she tried to clear the fog from her brain and re-think the events that had brought her here.

Then she remembered. As she sat bolt upright she looked around in anguished realization. Abeyance. She had been discovered. Her plan had been uncovered and she had been eliminated... or so they thought. Unbeknownst to Michael, his clip had been one of tranq darts, and she had not been killed as he had believed.

Bringing her body back to Section for disposal was not uncommon. They always did so, when able. Never leaving bodies or evidence behind was once of the main reasons Section could stay almost invisible.

Gail ran to the door and clawed at the latch frantically. She knew what would happen now. She knew...

Hearing footsteps in the hallway she raised her hand to her mouth in horror... the door opened and the two entered and placed their bags on the floor, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Her screams split the stillness of the night.

Madeline covered her ears so she would not hear.