"So we won't be able to meet." "Not enough time to form a plan." "If the posting happens soon, there's still a chance." "Why the delay?" "There could be a hundred reasons." "Or it could be about us." "They don't know enough, or they would've stopped us." "Maybe we should pull back for a while." "We'll be together soon." "I'll make it happen." "Go now." "I've been over the tapes a dozen times." "Nothing." "Michael knows the system as well as we do." "Better, apparently." "Still, we know what's happening." "We're under no obligation to prove it." "The point is they're meeting under our noses and we can't stop them." "That means there's a hole in the system." "If they can find it, others can, too." "Not necessarily." "Michael and Nikita are unique." "Our priority should be to stop them... before their efficiency levels are permanently harmed." "Maybe you're right." "Are we ready to move?" "Yes, if there's an appropriate mission." "Genefex?" "That will do very nicely." "Then, let's proceed." "Six months ago... during a bioengineering convention in Prague... the chemical breakdown for Gandium 4... a Grade One bio-weapon was stolen." "Three months later... the hard product was used during an attack in Cyprus." "Genefex is a pharmaceutical lab... and a producer of over-the-counter drugs." "Two days ago, we monitored a wire transfer to an account... held by a company which fronts for Red Cell." "Satellite surveillance confirms increased productivity in the last three months." "But distribution of their key product remains the same." "They're making something under the table." "Michael, you and Nikita will penetrate, retrieve the product... and find out who, besides Red Cell, they're selling to." "Then you'll destroy the lab." "The details are in your panels." "That's all." "You wanted to see me?" "Yes." "Michael and Nikita deceived us." "You helped them." "Okay, spare me the excerpts from the owner's manual." "Do whatever you're gonna do and just get on with it." "Walter, you've served Section long... and for the most part well." "But I'm afraid your work here has come to an end." "You're going to Retirement." "I deserve better than that." " I could have had you cancelled." " Then do it." "I know I violated protocol." "I knew the risks." "Save it." "Shame on you." "I need to verify something." "May I check your panel?" "Of course." "I'll synchronize them." "Your schematic is a bit different to mine." " That's a glitch." "I'll talk to Birkoff." " Which is more current?" "Mine." "How can you tell?" "The vents in the northwest corner." "Perhaps you're right." "Definitely." "Thanks." "We'll work separately, avoid establishing a predictable pattern." "The functional overlay had several gaps." "We can compensate." "Damon Aral, plant manager." "Sorry for the wait." "Not a problem." "ID?" "You guys are new." "What happened to McRae?" "He was promoted." "He now handles the southern region." "Welcome to Genefex." "They're in." "Just so you know, in 20 years of inspections... we've never been hit with a single citation." "Good for you." "Well, here it is." "This is RD." "Best place to start, really." "If you need me, I'll be in my office." "You make the environmental check." "I'll examine the safety procedures." " We'll meet back here in an hour." " All right." "Sorry." "Didn't hear you coming." "No problem." "Birkoff." "Room 11." "Loop the cameras." "Okay." "I'm tapping in now." "Flip the page." "You've got 60 seconds." "Okay, Michael. 40 seconds." "South wall." "Small room." "Bypassed in a renovation two years ago." "That must be where they store the Gandium." "You need to retrieve it before we take out the lab." "I'll need 10 hours." "Why so long?" "I can work up a profile for eight." "I'll handle the profile." "I need 10." "Whatever you say." "Loop is over." "I found it." " Is Birkoff building a profile?" " No, I am." "Why don't you write up what we've found so far?" " I'm in the process." " I'll start with Level B." "Walter, I need the revised specs on the Libya mission as soon as you..." "Walter, are you okay?" "They're sending me to Retirement." "Operations just told me himself." "Why?" "I guess I just pushed the envelope once too often." "This is my fault." "It's because I told them you were helping Nikita and Michael." "If you hadn't told them, they would've found out some other way." "You can't beat Section." "But you can choose your own way out." "You can't do that." "Do you know what Retirement is, Birkoff?" "I've heard rumors, but nobody's ever actually come back." "You know why?" "Because it's all medical experiments, and pain tolerance... and harvested body parts." "I'm not going that way." "Walter, listen." "I'm going to get you out of this." "It'll never happen." "I'll get you out of this, somehow." "I swear it." "Sorry to bother you." "Do you have a minute?" "That's all I have." "It's about Walter." "I just hope you won't do anything drastic." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I think we should keep him functional... until we're sure the new guy is going to work out." "Do you have any reason to think he won't?" "No." "I haven't even met him yet." " It's just that..." " His name is Giles." "He's been training as Walter's replacement for five years." "I'm sure he'll do fine." "It's just that we're in play on a dozen missions." "Walter and I have worked together for years." "There's a shorthand to the way we do things." "If you could just not do anything irreversible... for a few days, just in case we need him." "I'll take it under advisement." "Thank you." "Yeah." "Did you get the profile on this?" "Birkoff." "I'm here." "I need to go dark for 10 minutes." "Why?" "I'm going to the Quality Control." "They have sub-scanners built into the walls." "Okay." "Dark for 10." "Birkoff, we have to get the buyers list and retrieve the Gandium 4." "Where's Michael?" "He went dark." "He'll be back any second." "He's in Quality Control." "Where are you?" "I'm in Applications." "Aral's on the other side of the building." "Go to his office now and retrieve the buyers list." "Hello?" "I have the list." "Download directly to me." "It's encrypted." "It won't transmit without decoding." "You have the decrypt disk?" "Yeah." "I got it." "I've decoded." "Standby to transmit." "You're to be congratulated." "Why is that?" "Your perfect record looks safe." "Glad to hear it." " Mind if I ask you a question?" " Not at all." "You and Nikita, does your relationship go beyond work?" "No." "She's available." "I wasn't asking about her." "I have it." "Go." "I'm straight." "Sorry." "Don't be." "I sent the list." "Now we have to retrieve the Gandium." "Birkoff, right?" "Dennis Giles." " Welcome aboard." " Thanks." "I understand you and Walter were pretty good friends." "Yes, we were." "I just want you to know I'm not here to replace him." "I'm just here to do my job." "We all know what this place is like." "I don't hold it against you." "I appreciate that." "You know where I am, if you need any help with the transition." "Fair enough." "Actually... there is something you can do for me, if you're not too swamped." "Name it." "What do you know about the Cameroon mission?" "Lots of variables." "Expected casualties are high." "Exactly." "They're going to need something special." " Walter and I were working on this." " A wall punch." "Nifty." "I've never seen one that small before." "I designed the chip, Walter designed the hardware." "Do you think you could add a second frequency?" "Yeah." "I'll get right on it." "Okay." " I better get going." " Okay." "Nikita." " What is it?" " You have to go off profile." "Bad timing." "I'm standing watch while Michael gets the Gandium." "It can't be helped." "It's direct from the top." "And your comm is being restricted to primary channel." "Okay." "Are you on the top floor?" "Yes, I am." "What am I doing?" "Operations says there's a secondary buyers list." "Hard copy." "Should be in the room at the end of the hall." "Madeline?" "Hello, Nikita." "Have you had your meeting with Michael yet?" "Or were you on your way to it?" "Whenever your last meeting with Michael was..." "I hope you made the most of it." "It's the last one you'll ever have." "Genefex is a front for Section?" "No." "We've infiltrated, but we don't control it." "Are you gonna kill me?" "If we wanted to kill you... we could have done so easily, any time we wished." "Then why didn't you?" "We've asked that question many times." "Perhaps, in the end, we value what you have." "What is it that you value that I have?" "Your determination to live life to the fullest." "In some ways, I envy you." "But now the time has come to pay the price." "You're going to be adjusted." "Adjusted?" "Afterwards, you'll still be a formidable operative... but not subject to certain distractions... which have hindered your performance in the past." "You've done this before." "It doesn't last." "This procedure is quite different than anything you've previously experienced." "It involves chemical stimuli combined with electro." "I'm a human being." "I can't be erased... like a computer program." "We'll see." "All right, I get this." " Good luck." " Let's get out of here." "I asked for an S-3." "Not an N-3!" "Problem?" "He says he asked for an S-3, but he said N-3." "I know he did." "Don't worry about it." "They're just testing you." "The truth is everybody misses Walter." "You're the only one who's been decent, and you were his best friend." "I appreciate it, Birkoff." "Thanks." "I won't forget this." "Don't mention it." "Actually, an S-3 would work just as well, but I want to give them what they ask for." "Sure." "Maybe that was a mistake." "I should give them what they need, not what they ask for." "Birkoff, what could have happened?" "I don't know." "The wall punch." "Something must have been on the same frequency." " What happened here?" " A wall punch, it blew." "By itself?" "Probably triggered by a compatible frequency." "Those things are tricky." "It could happen to anybody." "It didn't happen to Walter in 35 years." "What are you doing here?" "What do you mean?" "I work here." " You're Section." " Section?" "What's Section?" "I've trained a thousand operatives." "You smell of Section." "Listen, get your hands off..." "You still have one good arm." "If you want to keep it, talk." " All right." " Why are you here?" "Back-up team." " Why wasn't I told?" " Preserve security in case of capture." " You're lying." " That's what they told me, I swear." "They also told you to keep an eye on me and Nikita." "Yes." " Where is she?" " I'm not sure." "There was a shadow profile on my panel." "It showed activity on the top floor." " When?" " Right about now." "If you're lying, I'll kill you." " Are you all right?" " I'm fine." "Operations sent me on a branch mission." "There's been a change in the main mission profile." "We have to return to Section." "Nikita." "Are you sure you're all right?" "Positive." "Birkoff." "Ramon Khasa." "Middleman to a dozen terrorist groups in the Southern Hemisphere... and the reason we've delayed destruction of the Genefex plant." "The buyers list Nikita retrieved from the Genefex mainframe... also listed near-term transactions." "Khasa will be making a pickup in 24 hours." "It's the weekend, so collateral damage will be minimal." "We'll take Khasa alive." "Then destroy the lab as originally planned." "The new profiles will be in your panels." "Good luck." "I'm not as confident as you are that the procedure worked." "Why do you say that?" "They didn't seem any different at the briefing." "I was watching on the monitor, and I disagree." "Nikita was more focused on the mission, while Michael was repressing tension." "In the past, it's been the reverse." "You didn't notice?" "No, I didn't." "Perhaps, I'm slipping." "It's possible I'm reaching, though I doubt it." "I propose we use the next Khasa mission as a beta test." "If we change the profile... they may suspect something and alter their behavior." "Then we'll improvise." "Let's see if she's willing to kill Michael." "Khasa just entered the building." "Red team, hold your position." "The exchange is complete." "Blue team, set the charges." "Go!" "We have the target." "The building is hot." "All teams exit." "Did Michael get clear?" "Yes, but Nikita doesn't know it." "Birkoff, tell Nikita to destroy the plant." " Nikita, push the button." " Is Michael out?" " He should be." " Is he or isn't he?" "Press the button." "That's a direct order." "Nikita, press the button." " She obeyed." " She hesitated." "Not for long." "She's still processing." "Next time she won't hesitate at all." "Walter." "Welcome back." "Yeah." "Thanks." "You okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "They didn't remove anything too vital?" "I told you, I'm fine." "The guy they replaced you with was a real loser." "I set off a wall punch in here and made it look like it was his fault." "Why didn't you just stay out of it?" "What are you talking about?" "I saved you." "Who asked you to?" " What are you saying?" " I'm saying it was fantastic." " It wasn't that bad?" " No, it was heaven." "It was better than that." "All the dreams I ever had came to life." "It was a trick." "It had to be." "All I know is I wish I was there right now, instead of here." "Oh, my." "I've got a lot of catching up to do." "So I will talk with you later." "Yeah." "Fine." "There." "Michael was out before she pushed the detonator." "But it wasn't clear to Nikita." "Her field of vision stopped one degree to the north." " With what certainty?" " Over 90%." "It's inconclusive." "Certainty will come with time." "Meanwhile, we have to read the signs." "For instance, Nikita left Section an hour ago... even though Michael was looking for her." "Play-acting." "They've done that before, and kept right on seeing each other." "Hello." "Hi." "What are you doing here?" "I wanted to see you." "Yeah?" "They're watching the apartment you know." "I know." "What did they do to you?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "Tell me." "I don't know." "Don't remember." "Don't." "Doesn't work." "I don't love you anymore." "I won't let them do this."