LA FEMME NIKITA
Gray

#109 "Gray"
Written by: Robert Cochran
Directed by: Ken Girotti
Edited by: David B. Thompson
Transcript archived at TWIZ TV.COM
Originally posted at Flash Mission
Transcribed by: Christine

 

MUNITIONS

Dressed in a black bolero-type outfit and pony-tailed beneath a black fedora, Nikita carries equipment in both hands, which she deposits onto Walter’s worktable.

NIKITA:  Hi, Walter.

WALTER:  Hey, Baby!  Well, how’d it go?

NIKITA:  Guy never showed!

Walter goes to the table and begins checking over her returned equipment.

WALTER:  Then, you didn’t use the beta unit?

NIKITA:  Nope.

She stands beside him, unloading her gun.

WALTER:  Oh, that’s too bad.  I was really hoping to field test this baby.

She steps close behind Walter, handing her comm piece over his shoulder.

NIKITA:  Oh, Walter, don’t worry.  There’ll be other days, other living things to kill.

WALTER:  Yeah, I guess you are right.

She leans closer and presses a kiss to his cheek.

NIKITA:  Goodnight.

She walks off, leaving Munitions and heading into the Main Area.

WALTER:  Goodnight.

MAIN AREA

As Nikita walks across the area, Madeline enters from the hallway door, walking toward Nikita.

MADELINE:  We just got confirmation.  He never left Athens.  We’ll try again next week.

They both continue walking in opposite directions.

NIKITA:  Whenever.

Nikita suddenly stops and looks back.

NIKITA:  Madeline?

Madeline turns back, and Nikita saunters up to her.

NIKITA:  Where do you go when you leave here?

Madeline smiles.

MADELINE:  Very good.  It usually takes the new ones several years to ask me that question.

NIKITA:  So, how many years does it take to get an question?

MADELINE:  I don’t know.  I haven’t yet.

Madeline moves to step away, when suddenly a loud beeping sound is heard throughout the area.  She stops and turns toward the sound of Birkoff’s raised voice in Comm.  From his loft, Ops hears the sound and looks up.

COMM

BIRKOFF:  No!  Kill all the nonessential processes now!

Birkoff moves quickly about his area, directing several operatives.

BIRKOFF:  Unmount everything but the system volume.

From his loft, Operations calls to Birkoff.

OPERATIONS:  Birkoff!  What’s happening down there!

From the Main Area, Madeline heads toward Comm, and Operations leaves his loft at a run.

MADELINE:  What are you saying?  The system’s been breached?

She watches as Birkoff types at his keyboard.

BIRKOFF:  I don’t see how.  We’ve been totally offline.  I’ve been running in stand-alone mode.

He moves away to another computer, troubleshooting the problem.  He glances at an overhead monitor and freezes.

BIRKOFF:  What the…  Oh, no.

From the Main Area, Nikita has been observing.  Operations rushes into Comm.

OPERATIONS:  There’s someone tunneling in.

BIRKOFF:  It can’t be.  We’re not connected.

OPERATIONS:  All right, Birkoff, then what is the problem?

Suddenly, the power is shut off, and they are all left standing in the dark.  In shock, Birkoff suddenly straightens from where he’d been hunched over his laptop.  Operations looks around him; Nikita in the Main Area spins in a slow circle, removing her fedora, while Madeline merely allows her eyes to take in the situation.  Within moments, the loud whirring sound of the power reactivating emits.  The lights and equipment power up.  For a moment, they all stand in stunned silence.

NIKITA:  Are we okay?

Birkoff takes a seat at his workstation, tapping keys and checking for a breach.  No one else moves.  He can’t see that anything is amiss.

BIRKOFF:  It must have been a runaway process.

OPERATIONS:  But, we’re okay, right?  You weren’t online.

BIRKOFF:  No.  It was contained.

OPERATIONS:  Nikita, call the agency.  See if there’s any similar activity in their computer.

Nikita immediately steps into Comm, taking up a phone, and tapping the phone keys as she dials.

BIRKOFF:  Nikita, don’t!

Birkoff stands from his chair, while Nikita looks to him in confusion.  We hear the sound of a modem connection, then on the overhead monitor see data scroll quickly on the screen.

BIRKOFF:  Oh, no.

Birkoff looks shocked and retakes his seat.

OPERATIONS:  Damn it, Birkoff, what is this?

BIRKOFF:  It was a drone program.  A few minutes ago when I was offline, it was collecting data.  When Nikita dialed out, it used the digital telephone to send.

OPERATIONS:  Send what!

Birkoff calls up some information on his computer.

BIRKOFF:  The Directory.

Madeline inclines her glance upward to the overhead monitor.  Her lips part with shock, even as Operations takes in the news.

OPERATIONS:  Oh my God.

Nikita looks to them, confused.

WAR ROOM

Operations paces as he briefs the operatives seated at the long table.

OPERATIONS:  The Directory is a file containing the identity and cover of everyone in the Section.  If we don’t get it back, each of us becomes an unprotected target.  We’ve switched operatives to alternate cover wherever possible.

OPERATIVE:  Why don’t we bring all the operatives in?

OPERATIONS:  Because they have a job to do, and if they stop doing it, it leaves the civilian population unprotected.

Madeline sits at the far end of the table.  Operations walks over to stand in front of her location.

OPERATIONS:  Have all our people been contacted?

MADELINE:  We’ve reached everyone, but Porter and Lange.

OPERATIONS:  Could they be implicated in this?

MADELINE:  We’re looking into it.

Operations looks down the length of the table to where Birkoff is seated.

OPERATIONS:  What do you have?

BIRKOFF:  Whoever broke in knew our system.  Probably someone we’ve communicated with in the past.  He left us a message.

Operations clicks his remote and activates the halo-screen.  It shows: THANKS.  I’ll be in touch.

OPERATIONS:  Leave all communicational channels open to incoming only.  We’re on close quarters standby until we receive.

From a chair back, he takes his draped jacket, and moves off.  Everyone else remains seated at the table.

COMM

Birkoff sits at his workstation, with Michael standing behind him, watching the monitor.  A modem connection sounds loudly.

BIRKOFF:  It’s incoming.

Birkoff immediately stands and steps away from the area to notify Operations, who stands nearby.

BIRKOFF:  Sir, this is it.

Operations heads over to Comm, taking a seat at Birkoff’s desk, as they wait for the connection to complete.  Arms crossed, Michael stands behind Operations, also watching the monitor.  Suddenly, a man’s face appears on the screen.

OPERATIONS:  Hardin.

HARDIN:  Sorry to cause so much trouble.  The small flaw in your security system came to my attention, and I, uh… I just couldn’t resist.

OPERATIONS:  The file’s encrypted.

HARDIN:  I’ve broken your code.

OPERATIONS:  Prove it.

HARDIN:  You’re missing two operatives named Porter and Lange.  You’ll find Porter’s body at the bottom of the canal off Broad Street.  I’ve turned Lange over to Ilya Benko.

OPERATIONS:  Who?

Hardin laughs shortly.

HARDIN:  Don’t pretend to be unaware of one of the most vicious terrorists on the planet.  Especially since he regards Section One as being the chief impediment to the spread of his ideology.

OPERATIONS:  Why did you give Lange to him?

HARDIN:  I knew he’d require proof, just as you do.  After all, you know, fair is fair.  Shall we get down to business?

OPERATIONS:  What do you want?

HARDIN:  An auction.  Two bidders – The Section and Benko.  Send an operative to Prague immediately.  Instructions will follow.  If you try to sabotage me in any way, the Directory goes straight to Benko.

The connection is terminated.  Operations remains seated, taking a drag off a cigarette he’d been smoking.  He turns to Birkoff.

OPERATIONS:  Trace?

BIRKOFF:  The signal’s scrambled.

Operations swivels the chair around and stands before Michael.

OPERATIONS:  Verify the body in the canal.  You’ll leave for Prague tonight.

Operations steps away to leave.

MICHAEL:  How much am I authorized to bid?

Operations pauses a moment, not bothering to turn and look at Michael.

OPERATIONS:  Whatever it takes, Michael.

He continues his departure.  Michael removes the comm piece from his ear.

PRAGUE AUCTION

A taxi pulls up to a large stone building with a high-column front.  Michael exits the taxi, pausing to look about the area, before quickly walking toward the building.  As he reaches the door, it is swung open for him by a guard of Hardin’s.  Michael steps inside and past the guard.  The guard, speaking in a foreign language, clearly inquires as to Michael’s purpose.  Responding in the guard’s language, Michael tells him why he’s there.  The man then asks Michael to turn over any weapons.  After a moment, Michael hands over his gun, before he is escorted at gunpoint to the meeting with Hardin and Benko.

He is shown to a large, ornate room, in which a long, large table takes up most of the area.  As he passes through the door, however, an alarm goes off.  A gun is pressed to him, as the guards wait for Michael to hand over a gun he had tucked at his back waistband.

Hardin ambles over to greet him.  Benko is already seated on one side of the table.

HARDIN:  Have you met Mr. Benko?

Michael and Benko regard each other.

MICHAEL:  I know him by reputation.

BENKO:  And, I went to all the trouble of bringing you a present.

Benko reaches down to his side and lifts from the floor a large, square box, setting on top of the table, and sliding it toward Michael.

BENKO:  Knowing how concerned you are about your operatives, I took the opportunity of returning Mr. Lange.  What’s left of him…

Benko waits for Michael’s reaction, who merely glances briefly at the box.

MICHAEL:  Thank you.

HARDIN:  Oops!  Well, shall we begin?

Hardin walks to the head of the table, while Michael takes a chair opposite Benko, his eyes never leaving Benko as he does so.

HARDIN:  The procedure is simple.  Each of you writes a figure on the sheet of paper in front of you.  The winner gets the prize.

First Michael, then Benko slowly incline their gaze to Hardin, as it they can’t believe he was serious.  Hardin chuckles, pleased with himself.

HARDIN:  Interesting problem, isn’t it?  You don’t want to overbid… yet, if you underbid…  Well, the consequences could be drastic.  I suggest pulling out all the stops.

Michael and Benko again eye each other, before Benko picks up his pen and flips up the leather pad cover to write on the sheet of paper.  After a moment, Michael follows suit, writing “$30,000,000” on his sheet of paper.  As Michael and Benko slowly place down their pens, they regard each other with same blank, deadly gazes.  One of Hardin’s men take the pads over to Hardin, who flips up the cover of first one pad, then the other to see what each man has bid for the Directory.

HARDIN:  Gentlemen… we have a winner.

He removes the two sheets.

BENKO:  Who is it?

HARDIN:  Let’s not risk any unpleasantness discussing that now.  I’ll be in touch.

He stands.

HARDIN:  The winner will wire my account, and the Directory will be delivered.

MICHAEL:  If the Directory ends up in his hands, we’ll hunt you down.  There’s not enough money in the world to protect you.

HARDIN:  If he get the Directory, you’ll be too busy running for your lives to hunt anything down.  Besides, never underestimate the power of money.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some arrangements to make.

COMM

OPERATIONS:  Thirty million was too low.

MICHAEL:  He knows we have limits.  A higher bid wouldn’t have been credible.

OPERATIONS:  We should have heard from him by now.

MADELINE:  Doesn’t mean we’ve lost.  The Directory is valuable.  He has to be cautious.

Just then, a modem connection is heard.  Michael, Nikita, and Operations step over to a monitor, as Hardin’s face appears.

HARDIN:  Congratulations!  The streets won’t be littered with Section One bodies after all.

OPERATIONS:  Where’s the Directory?

HARDIN:  I’ve downloaded account numbers to your Comm Division.  I want the money divided equally among them.  As soon as I have confirmation, I will be leaving Prague and bringing the Directory to you personally.

OPERATIONS:  How do we know the file hasn’t been copied?

HARDIN:  Oh, come on!  Why would I jeopardize such a rewarding relationship by double crossing you?

OPERATIONS:  You’ll have the money within an hour.

Hardin blows them a kiss, and the connection is terminated.  Operations looks to Birkoff, hoping he has been able to trace the connection.

OPERATIONS:  Anything?

BIRKOFF:  Nothing.

Operations sighs heavily and turns away.

DIRECTORY RETRIEVAL  MEETING

Hardin walks along a snowy road, passing a high cyclone fence.  Glancing to his left, he spies a black van slowly driving in the distance, parallel to his position.  The van picks up speed, coming to a stop at a street corner.  As Hardin gets to the opposite corner and turns, he sees the van and stops in his tracks, as Benko and two of his men get out of the van and start toward Hardin.  Hardin immediately turns and begins running, with Benko and his men in pursuit.  Hardin rushes across a street just as a city bus pulls to a stop.  When the bus pulls away, Benko can no longer see Hardin, who has boarded the bus.  Benko and his men run after it anyway.

Inside the bus, Hardin makes his way down the aisle toward the back of the bus, glancing at the passengers as he does so.  He takes a seat near the rear, looking out the window for Benko.

At a nearby location, a car pulls into an alley-type area, from which Michael and another operative emerge.  Michael looks about the area, then moves toward the street.  He steps onto a wooden gangway, while the other operative takes the opposite side of the alley.

As the bus prepares to make its next stop, Hardin rises to exit.  Across the street from the bus stop, Michael waits for Hardin, who alights from the bus, and begins crossing the street, where he has seen Michael waiting.  Michael watches him approach.

From behind Hardin, Benko and his men appear.  Benko guns down Hardin in the middle of the street, and Michael pulls his gun, as Benko now fires at him and misses.  As Michael motions for the other Section operative to cover him, Michael tries to get closer to Hardin, who presumably has the Directory on his person.  Benko is also trying to get to Hardin’s body.  Benko’s men are killed, and unprotected Benko retreats, finally turning and running off quickly.

With the operative covering him, Michael strides over to Hardin’s body, rolling it over so he can go through Hardin’s pockets.  He comes up empty-handed.

MICHAEL:  He doesn’t have the disk.

WAR ROOM

The table is full of operatives, including Madeline, Michael, and Nikita, who listen to Operations as he paces before them.

OPERATIONS:  Hardin had the Directory when he called.  A few minutes later, it was gone.  What about the bus?

MICHAEL:  It has been reduced to a pile of molecules.  We found nothing.

OPERATIONS:  And, the passengers?

MICHAEL:  There were eighteen.  We think Hardin may have planted the disk on one of them, hoping to retrieve it later.

OPERATIVE:  Are you saying he had a partner on the bus?

MICHAEL:  No.  Most likely, he chose someone at random.

NIKITA:  So, are we going to pull all eighteen people off the street?

MICHAEL:  No, we’ll work them covertly.

MADELINE:  We’ve had little time to prepare profiles.

As she speaks, we see the faces of the eighteen passengers appear one followed by the next on the halo-screen.

MADELINE:  We did what we could.  An approach has been tailored for each passenger.

GRAY WELLMAN’S APARTMENT

A Section operative dressed as a cop and accompanied by another operative rings Wellman’s front door.  A blonde-haired man answers the door.

OPERATIVE:   Gray Wellman?

GRAY:  That’s right.

OPERATIVE:  I’m Officer Dennis Larsen.  I wonder if I could ask you to come down to the station?

GRAY:  Why?

OPERATIVE:  We need to ask you a few questions.

GRAY:  My daughter…  Did something happen to my daughter?

OPERATIVE:  No, no, no.  Nothing’s wrong with anyone you know, and you’re not under suspicion.  We just need your assistance.

Gray nods.

GRAY:  I’ll grab my coat.

POLICE STATION

We see a tape recorder sitting on a desk.

MADELINE:  (voice) Thank you for coming down to the station.

GRAY:  No problem.

MADELINE:  You were on a bus yesterday on 9th Street.

GRAY:  Uh, that’s right.

MADELINE:  A man boarded at Alden, right by the museum.

We see a picture of Hardin lying on the desk, which Madeline pushes toward Gray to take a look at.

MADELINE:  Do you know him?

GRAY:  Uh, no.  I saw him get on though.

MADELINE:  What did he do after he boarded?

Flash to Comm

Birkoff is listening and monitoring Gray’s responses for evidence of lying.

GRAY:  (voice) Is he some kind of criminal?

MADELINE:  (voice) Yes, he is.

Beside Birkoff, Operations stands, also paying close attention.

Back to the Police Station

MADELINE:  I need details, Mr. Wellman.  Anything you can remember.

GRAY’S APARTMENT

While Gray is being questioned at the Police Station, Michael leads in a team of operatives, including Nikita, into Gray’s tidy apartment.

MICHAEL:  Wellman will be with Madeline for no more than an hour.

At a table in the center of the room, a model of a building sets.  Nikita goes over to it.

NIKITA:  Oh, he’s an architect.

MICHAEL:  The Directory may no longer be in a conventional disk form.  It may be on a micro-disk…

He holds up an inch size disk.

MICHAEL:  … easy to hide and the data can be transferred to disk in seconds.  It might even be in print.  Ignore no possibilities, however remote.

They get to work searching the apartment.

POLICE STATION

MADELINE:  Did he sit with anyone?

GRAY:  No.  He sat alone.  He stayed on for a stop or two, and then he got off.

Flash to Comm

OPERATIONS:  Any sign of stress?

BIRKOFF:  No more than you’d expect.

Flash to Gray’s Apartment

They are in the process of completely ransacking the apartment as they search for the disk.  Wearing plastic gloves, Michael flips up a lampshade, inspecting the underside.

Flash to Police Station

GRAY:  On his way out, he did brush against one of the passengers.

MADELINE:  Who?

GRAY:  Me.

MADELINE:  Did he try and give you anything?

GRAY:  No.

MADELINE:  Do you think he could have slipped something in a pocket?

GRAY:  I would have noticed.

MADELINE:  We’re you carrying a bag or briefcase of any sort?

GRAY:  No.

Flash to Gray’s Apartment

The apartment’s interior has been reduced to shambles.  Nikita picks up a framed picture of Gray, a woman, and little girl from a table, and studies it.

MICHAEL:  I’ve checked the pictures.

NIKITA:  I was just wondering what we’d do if his wife came home.

MICHAEL:  She’s dead, and the daughter’s spending the weekend with her grandparents.

Flash to Comm

MADELINE:  (voice) Just one more question, Mr. Wellman.  You’re a fairly successful man.  Why were you taking the bus?

GRAY:  (voice) Gives me a chance to look at old buildings.  I’m an architect.

Operations looks to Birkoff.

OPERATIONS:  What do you think?

BIRKOFF:  I think he’s an architect who like to ride the bus.

OPERATIONS:  Great.

Flash to Gray’s Apartment

Michael’s phone rings.  He answers it, and we see that the apartment looks like a hurricane passed through it.  Michael hangs up and turns to the operatives.

MICHAEL:  He’s on his way.  Let’s put it back together.

NIKITA:  How much time we got?

MICHAEL:  Fifteen minutes.

She turns away to get started with the other operatives, while Michael removes his plastic gloves and walks off.

GRAY’S APARTMENT

We see Gray approach his front door and enter.  The interior is all put back together.  As he sets his coat aside, he glances over at his building model, noticing a tree on the floor beneath.  Bending, he picks it up and places it in its proper location.

MADELINE’S OFFICE

Operations, Madeline and Michael are in the loft in Madeline’s office, walking single file toward the stairs to descend below.

OPERATIONS:  We canvassed the passengers, tore the bus apart… the Directory has to be somewhere.

MADELINE:  Unless Benko’s already found it.

OPERATIONS:  Doubtful.  Our people haven’t started dying yet, but they sure damn well will if he gets to it first.

MICHAEL:  The only one on the bus who had any contact with Hardin at all is the architect, Wellman.

OPERATIONS:  You think he’s a player?

MADELINE:  No.  We checked him out; he’s clean.

MICHAEL:  Yes, but maybe we can use him.

Operations and Madeline had been heading toward the door.  Now they stop and look back at Michael.

MICHAEL:  Benko has his own intelligence network.  By now, he knows as much about the passengers as we do.  We’ll make him think Wellman has the Directory.  If we can’t get the Directory, let’s at least bring down Benko.

OPERATIONS:  How do we get the information to Benko?

MICHAEL:  We know someone he does business with – Mick Schtoppel.

This sounds like a great idea to them.

MADELINE:  Call Nikita.

LIBRARY

Gray stands between two long rows of bookshelves, when Nikita comes up pretending to look for a specific book.  As Gray tries to pass by her, Nikita bumps into him, dropping her books.  He immediately bends to help picking up her books.

NIKITA:  I’m so sorry.  Excuse me.

He hands her a book, glancing at it as he does so.
NIKITA:  Thank you.

GRAY:  They’re still using Kicklighter’s book for Design 101?

NIKITA:  Uh, yeah, I guess so.  I just started like a week ago.

GRAY:  You go to City?

NIKITA:  Yeah.

GRAY:  Well, a word of warning… keep away from Professor Zaylor.  She’s vicious.

NIKITA:  Thanks.

Gray turns to leave.

NIKITA:  You went to City?

GRAY:  Uh, yeah.  For two years, and then I went to Poly.

NIKITA:  (impressed)  Really?  Poly.  Wow!  I’d like to go to Poly.

GRAY:  Yeah.  Actually, that’s a great book on the history of postmodern architecture.  The white one.

He points to a white book on the shelf.  Nikita pulls it out a bit.

NIKITA:  Oh, this one?

GRAY:  This one isn’t bad either.  I mean…

BENKO’S HEADQUARTERS

We see a laptop with a man’s face on the screen.

BENKO’S MAN:  Benko, we’ve got Mick Schtoppel on the line.

BENKO:  Coming.

Benko emerges from a hall and goes over to the laptop.

BENKO:  What’s up, Mick?

MICK:  Well, I just received an interesting phone call.

BENKO:  From whom?

MICK:  A woman.  She says she a friend of Gray Wellman’s.

Benko looks over a wall, where photos of all the bus passengers are hung, including one of Gray Wellman.

BENKO:  A passenger on the bus.

MICK:  She claims to have the Directory.

BENKO:  How much does she want?

MICK:  She wouldn’t talk price on the phone, but she did say she’d like to meet you in person.

OUTSIDE

It is evening.  We see a large ornate exterior of a church.

GRAY:  This church is one of the finest examples of what they were doing in the turn of the century.

NIKITA:  It’s beautiful.

GRAY:  I bring my daughter by here every once in awhile.

NIKITA:  What?  Hoping she’ll get bitten by the bug?

GRAY:  No.  The only architecture that she’s into is Barbie’s dollhouse.

Nikita laughs.

NIKITA:  I should really get going.

GRAY:  I’m sorry if I kept you.

NIKITA:  No, not at all.  Actually, if you don’t mind walking with me, I’d really like to hear some more.

GRAY:  I’m not boring you?

NIKITA:  No!

GRAY:  Sure?

She slips her arm through his and they begin walking down the street.  They pass a building and Nikita looks down the alleyway, seeing a man standing at the far end of the building in the shadows.

NIKITA:  Oh, my!  I don’t believe it!

She turns to Gray, acting delighted.

NIKITA:  This is an old friend of mine I haven’t seen for years.  Could you just wait once second?  I’ll be right back.

Before Gray can react, she hurries down the dark alley and over to the man, who is Mick Schtoppel.

NIKITA:  Where’s Benko?

MICK: How did you know to contact us?

NIKITA:  We were partners with the late Mr. Hardin.

MICK:  Oh, really?  I didn’t think Hardin had any partners.

NIKITA:  Really.  Well, there’s a lot you don’t know.

Mick glances over her shoulder and sees Gray in the distance.

MICK:  Does this Wellman always let a woman do the talking for him?

NIKITA:  Look, you’re dealing with me.  Did you want to play Twenty Questions, or do you want the Directory?

MICK:  Okay…

He reaches into his coat and shows her his gun.

MICK:  Here’s the offer.  You give us the Directory, and we let you live.

Nikita just smiles.  Michael is positioned atop of an adjacent rooftop.  He fires a single shot over Mick’s head that ricochets off the building’s brick.  Mick ducks, then looks over and sees Michael standing on the roof, with a rifle pointed at Mick.  Shaken, Mick puts his gun away.

NIKITA:  I told you I wanted to meet Benko.

MICK:  That’s not possible.

NIKITA:  I’ll bet it is.  You tell him that when he’s ready to meet me to give me a call.

She hands Mick a piece of paper with her number, then runs back to where Gray has been waiting.  She smiles broadly.

NIKITA:  How hysterical!  Let’s go and eat.

She again takes Mick’s arm and leads him off, while Mick watches stunned.

WAR ROOM

Nikita sits alone at the far end of the conference table, waiting for Benko’s call.  Her cell phone rests on the tabletop.  From his loft directly above, Operations paces and watches.  The cell phone rings.

NIKITA:  Hello?

MALE VOICE:  Tomorrow at noon.  City Center Park.

NIKITA:  It’s a big park.

MALE VOICE:  We’ll find you.  Bring your friend.

NIKITA:  You leave him out…

The connection goes dead.  Nikita hangs up the phone and throws a glance to Operations area above.

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Operations, Madeline, and Michael are listening to the play-back of Nikita’s conversation regarding the Park meeting.

OPERATIONS:  She was about to say leave him out of it.

MADELINE:  Yes, she was.

Operations turns to Michael.

OPERATIONS:  Why are we still at this point with her?

MICHAEL:  It’s a civilian.  He’s done nothing wrong.

OPERATIONS:  It’s completely irrelevant, and you know it!  Doesn’t she understand what’s at stake here!

MICHAEL:  She understands.

OPERATIONS:  I know Wellman is a widower with a young child, but I don’t want any sentimentality on Nikita’s part getting in the way of this mission.  Is that clear?

MICHAEL:  Of course.

Operations heads out of the office.  Michael also moves to leave.

MADELINE:  You’ve done a good job with Nikita.  She still lacks perspective, that’s all.

Michael stops and presents his profile to her.

MADELINE:  You don’t think she’s forming any attachment to Wellman?

He slowly turns and faces her.

MICHAEL:  They’ve only seen each other a couple of times.

MADELINE:  That’s not what I asked.

MICHAEL:  I don’t think she has.

MADELINE:  Good.  But, sooner or later, she will… whether it’s with Wellman or someone else?  And, when that situation happens, will you be able to handle it?

MICHAEL:  Why wouldn’t I be?

MADELINE:  That’s a question only you can answer.

Michael thinks about this a moment, then smiles for Madeline’s benefit, before turning and walking out, without answering her.

CITY CENTER PARK

It is a cold, crisp day in the park center.  People are ice skating on an outdoor rink, as Gray and Nikita walk by talking.

GRAY:  Well, the first year was the toughest.  Casey kept asking ‘when’s mommy coming home’ and it’s a little tricky to explain death to a three year old.

NIKITA:  So, how’s she doing now?

GRAY:  She’s good.  Of course, I think she misses having a mother, but…

As they walk, Nikita notices several Section operatives in various disguises planted around the area.

NIKITA:  I’m sure you’re doing a great job.

GRAY:  Mr. Mom.  That’s me.

In the distance, we see the mission van parked.  Birkoff is inside monitoring Gray and Nikita’s movements.

BIRKOFF:  They’re leaving the rink… heading south across the square.

Michael, from his position in the park, spot them.

MICHAEL:  Got’em.

Gray and Nikita continue strolling casually together.

GRAY:  Not that smooth, am I?  Carrying on about my wife.

NIKITA:  You’re not carrying on about your wife, you’re carrying on about your daughter.  It’s charming.

Michael sees Nikita is getting off course of Section’s protection.

MICHAEL:  Stay in the grid, Nikita.  A few degrees south.

In response, Nikita takes Gray’s arm and pulls him in the right direction.

GRAY:  Who’s idea was it to take a walk in subzero temperatures?

NIKITA:  It was mine.

GRAY:  Good idea.

NIKITA:  I thought so.

Michael spies someone in the distance.

MICHAEL:  Nikita, check out the blue windbreaker to your left.  See if it’s Benko.

Nikita turns her head to her left, as Gray continues to chat at her.

GRAY:  You know it’s weird.  I haven’t been to that library in months.  Funny how people meet.

Nikita isn’t listening.  She’s busy checking on the man in the blue windbreaker.

NIKITA:  Sorry?  Sorry?  What did you say?

GRAY:  Nothing.  I’m just babbling.

In the mission van, Birkoff checks his watch.

BIRKOFF:  Michael, he’s over an hour late.  When do you want to call it?

Michael decides Benko isn’t going to show.

MICHAEL:  Okay, everyone in; we’re terminating.

Nikita looks in the direction where Michael is positioned.  Michael looks to her.

MICHAEL:  Nikita, I’ll see you back at the Section.

Nikita stops walking.

NIKITA:  Uh, listen, Gray, I’ve gotta go.  Believe it or not, I’ve got homework tonight.

GRAY:  You need help?  I’ve got a house.

NIKITA:  Not tonight.  Thanks.

GRAY:  Listen, Nikita, I don’t mean to scare you, but…

NIKITA:  What?

GRAY:  I like being with you.

NIKITA:  It takes a lot more than that to scare me.

Gray leans in and places a kiss on her lips.  When he pulls away, Nikita smiles.

NIKITA:  Now I’m scared.

GRAY:  Come on.

MISSION VAN

Operative being piling into the mission van.  Michael enters last, standing beside Birkoff’s seat.

MICHAEL:  No sign of Benko on the perimeter?

BIRKOFF:  Nope.

MICHAEL:  Okay, let’s go.

Michael removes his ear piece, and the van heads back to Section.

CITY PARK

Gray and Nikita continue walking casually through the park.

GRAY:  Well, I just sort of fell into architecture.  There’s lots of stuff I wanted to study.  I mean, I studied dance for awhile… and…

He does a quick dance step and Nikita chuckles.

GRAY:  You know… it’s been working out.

Approaching a street corner, Nikita spies a black van in the distance and instinctively knows it is Benko.  Her face registers that something is wrong.

GRAY:  What’s wrong?

NIKITA:  Nothing.  Do you mind if we take a cab?

She immediately lifts a hand to wave over a nearby taxi.

NIKITA:  Taxi!

GRAY:  Sure.

Nikita sees that black van come to a stop and the rear doors open for a man to get out.  As he heads toward Nikita and Gray, the taxi pulls up and Nikita immediately positions Gray so he has to get into the cab first.

NIKITA:  Listen, do you mind if I take a rain check?  I’ve got some stuff to do, things to pick up.

GRAY:  Is there something wrong?

Nikita can’t help but continue to glance at the approaching men in the distance.

NIKITA:  No.  Nothing’s wrong.  Not at all.  Just, uh, girl stuff.

GRAY:  Okay, so dinner later, and I’ve got your number.

He sits inside the cab.

NIKITA:  Absolutely, it’d be fantastic, I’d love it, thanks.

She closes the cab door on him and looks to see Mick Schtoppel and another man nearing her.  The taxi pulls away.  Nikita drops her head and turns away from the approaching men, so they can’t see her trying to talk to Michael.

NIKITA:  Michael, are you with me?  Michael?

Mick comes up behind her and takes her shoulders.

MICK:  Hello, darling, how are you?  Just remember, okay, you asked for this.

The black van pull up and the rears open.  Benko sits inside.

BENKO:  Hello.  Do you have the disk?

NIKITA:  No, not on me.

BIRKOFF:  Why did Wellman leave?

NIKITA:  Well, we thought it might be a little safer to separate.  By the way, I never thanked you for killing Hardin.  You increased our profit by a third.

BIRKOFF:  That’s all you care about, isn’t it?  Profit.  You people disgust me.

NIKITA:  Oh, I can live with that.  Shall we talk price?

BENKO:  Yeah.  The price is your life.  Take me to the Directory now.

NIKITA:  I can’t do that.

MICK:  And, why’s that?

NIKITA:  Well, because there’s been instructions set that if I don’t return to Wellman on my own, the Directory gets destroyed.

BENKO:  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  You were right, Mick; she’s a real live wire.  Get her in the van.

NIKITA:  Killing me is not going to get you’re the Directory.  Fifty million dollars will.

Benko slides over, so Mick and the other man can shove Nikita inside.  When Nikita is seated beside Benko, he hands her a square, black case.

BENKO:  Open it.

Nikita opens the case and lying on red velvet lining is a bronze collar-type necklace.  She picks it up to at it, but Benko yanks it away from her and immediately moves to place it about her neck.  Nikita instinctively jerks away from him and tries to fight him off.

NIKITA:  What are you doing?

A gun is held to her to stop her struggle.  Once the necklace is on her neck, Benko grabs her and directs her attention toward the van’s windshield.

BENKO:  See that statue?

Through the windshield, Nikita sees a statue in the distance.

BENKO:  It’s wearing a necklace just like yours.  How far away from here in the Directory?

NIKITA:  What?

Nikita tries to face him, but Benko has her by the shoulders and forces her to continue facing the statue in the distance.

BENKO:  Miles!  How many miles!

NIKITA:  Three, maybe four.

BENKO:  The necklace is equipped with a microphone.  Everything you say or do, including any efforts you might make to remove it will be heard.  If, for any reason, we don’t like what we hear…

He pulls out a small remote and presses the button.  In the distance, the statue’s head explodes into smithereens.

BENKO:  Now, I will see you in the center of the Square.  You be there in two hours.  Get out!

They shove her out the door, and the van takes off.  Nikita touches her necklace gingerly.

MICHAEL’S OFFICE

Michael stands in his office, with his back to the open door.  Nikita enters quietly, going to him and touching his shoulder.  As he turns quickly around, Nikita places a hand over his mouth and a finger to her lips.  She lifts her head and points to her necklace.  She moves to his desk and types on his laptop: BENKO WIRED ME.  Then she lifts her hair away, so Michael can get a better look at the necklace.  Michael nods in understanding, raises a finger for her to wait in his office, and then he leaves.

OPERATIONS' LOFT

Michael has explained the situation to Operations.  As Operations paces, Michael leans against the long table, worrying his chin with his fingertips.

OPERATIONS:  Can Walter diffuse the plastique?

MICHAEL:  He says it’s too risky.  Benko might hear it.  We have to give Benko a scenario that he’s comfortable with.

OPERATIONS:  How do we do that without involving Wellman?

RECORDING ROOM

In response to Operations’ question…

MICHAEL:  (voice)  We don’t have Wellman, but we do have his voice from the interrogation.  Birkoff says we can simulate a conversation.

We hear Michael’s response as he walks quickly down a corridor.  He enters a room where Birkoff is setting up to simulate the conversation between Gray and Nikita.

MICHAEL:  How much longer?

BIRKOFF:  The sonogram’s training the voice program now.

MICHAEL:  (impatient)  How much longer!

BIRKOFF:  Two minutes.  We should be able to generate short sentences.

MICHAEL:  And, the other effects?

BIRKOFF:  They’re all ready.  We’re just waiting on this.

Michael leaves the room and Birkoff continues to work on the voice simulation.

BENKO’S HEADQUARTERS

Mick Schtoppel sits, wearing headphones, and adjusts some control knobs, as he monitors any actions or words of Nikita.  Benko stands beside him, waiting impatiently.

BENKO:  What the hell is she doing!  Why aren’t we hearing anything?

MICK:  It’s sending, and we’re receiving.

RECORDING ROOM

Nikita sits inside the recording booth, waiting to do her part of the recording made for Benko’s benefit.

GRAY’S VOICE:  Where have you been?  Did you have the meeting?

NIKITA:  Yeah, I had the meeting.  Where’s the Directory?

GRAY’S VOICE:  What about the money?

NIKITA:  Forget the money!  I’m gonna die!

We see her reading her dialogue from a monitor.

GRAY’S VOICE:  What are you talking about?

NIKITA:  See this thing around my neck?  It’s plastique.

We see Benko listening in from his headquarters.

NIKITA: (voice)  Benko pushes a button, I’m history.  Give me the disk.

GRAY’S VOICE:  Let’s think for a minute.

We see Nikita again reading her dialogue.

NIKITA:  We don’t have a minute.  I have to meet Benko in less than an hour, and he’s listening to every word we say.

Benko, still listening, smiles as he hears Gray’s voice say…

GRAY’S VOICE:  It’s in the top left drawer.

NIKITA:  Stay here ‘til I get back.

We hear her fake footsteps walk across the floor and a door opening.  Birkoff, from the recording controls, gives Nikita a high sign to go silent, as he cuts off the recording.

CITY PARK

We see black panted legs cross the street.  It is Benko with Mick Schtoppel and another man, as they head to the park meeting.  Benko carries a black case.  As they walk, Benko looks about the area, looking for Nikita.  Across the street, he spies her.  He stops and Mick looks to him.

BENKO:  There she is.  Go get the disk.  One of you stay with her until I’ve checked it out.

Mick and the man head across the wide street.  Nikita, on the opposite side, sits on a stone ledge, seemingly oblivious to Benko and Mick approaching.  She bows her head and waits, as a Section operative deliberately bumps into Mick, stalling him and the other man for a second, as a large truck drives by, blocking Mick’s view of Nikita.  When the truck moves away, Mick and the other man continue on toward Nikita, Mick reaching for his gun.  Just as they draw near, Nikita’s figures suddenly explodes before their eyes, throwing Mick and the man backward to the street.

From the other side of the street, Benko looks on in shock.  He looks at the remote in his hand, thinking he must have accidentally pushed the button.  He turns to leave, only to see Michael is standing there with gun drawn.

MICHAEL:  You lost again, Benko.

BENKO:  Section One.  What are you waiting for?  Why don’t you shoot me?

MICHAEL:  You might be worth something to us alive.

Benko looks over at what used to be Nikita and senses that something is not right.

BENKO:  Your girl… she’s still alive.

NIKITA:  Oh, yeah.  Very much alive.

Nikita comes up behind Benko and presses to him, so that whatever happens to her, also happens to him.  Michael raises his gun to Benko, in case Benko tries to make a move for the remote.

NIKITA:  Go on, Benko.  Push the button.

MICHAEL:  Nikita.

Nikita glances over to Michael, then back to Benko.

NIKITA:  Neither one of us has much to lose.  Go on.

Benko fingers the remote a moment, before handing it over to Nikita.

NIKITA:  Thank you.

Operatives move in to lead Benko away, while Nikita walks over to Michael.

NIKITA:  I knew he didn’t have the guts.

She starts to hand the remote over to Michael’s open hand, then thinks better of it, putting it in her pocket then walking away.

HALLWAY

Nikita walks down a corridor, preparing to leave Section.  She is applying lipstick with a compact mirror.  She smiles, pleased with the results.  From a catwalk above, Madeline calls to her.

MADELINE:  I see you lost your necklace.

Nikita stops and looks up at Madeline.

NIKITA:  Well, I prefer my own jewelry.

She touches her neck, where she wears a black choker.

NIKITA:  So, the Directory is still at large?

MADELINE:  I’m afraid so.  Some of us continue to walk around with the Sword of Damocles over our head.

Nikita smiles, then turns to leave again.

MADELINE:  Where are you going?

Nikita again looks back.

NIKITA:  To dinner.

MADELINE:  With Mr. Wellman?

NIKITA:  Yes, is that a problem?

MADELINE:  That depends.  Is it about dinner, or something more?

NIKITA:  (smiles coyly) I don’t know yet.

MADELINE:  Your relationship with us is the only real relationship you’ll ever have.

Hearing this and not liking it, Nikita looks down.

MADELINE:  If knowing that, you still want to proceed, I just hope he’s a good cook.

Nikita looks back up and smiles.

NIKITA:  I’m sure he’s a fabulous cook.

Madeline smiles.

GRAY’S APARTMENT

Gray in preparing dinner.  The interior of the apartment looks warm and inviting.  Candles flicker on the table, and Gray takes a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, setting it on the table.  The doorbell rings, and he looks over, before going to answer it.  Nikita stands on the doorstep.

GRAY:  Hi.

NIKITA:  Hi.

She steps inside the vestibule area.

GRAY:  Take your coat?

NIKITA:  Thank you.

Gray assists Nikita, as she shrugs out of her coat.  She moves into the apartment, as Gray closes the front door.

Across the street, Michael stands in the shadows watching.  As the door closes, he turns away and walks off.

END OF EPISODE