Mandatory Refusal

By Dana

TEASER - MADELINE'S OFFICE

Madeline and Operations are talking about an upcoming mission.
Operations: Where are we on Anquist?
Madeline: Michael's en route.
Operations: Do we have it up?
Madeline: That's right here. Anquist will be here. (she points at the screen)
Operations: (comes quite close to her) It should be over soon.
Madeline: I'm not quite convinced yet we're doing the right thing.
Operations: You think we should kill him.
Madeline: Yes. He's dangerous.
Operations: What could he do?
Madeline: I don't know, that's what worries me.
Operations: Don't worry.
Madeline: (quiet laugh) Isn't it why I'm here?
Operations: Armed, aren't we?
Madeline: I'll just feel better when this material is off the street.
Operations: Let me know when over. (he's right next to her head, scenting her perfume, probably, obvious foreplaying).
Madeline: (cold) You'd better go now.
Operations leaves and Madeline looks quite thoughtful.

MISSION

Michael is on a motorcycle. He stops in a parking lot beside a car. The window slides down and inside the car is Anquist.
Michael: Do you have it?
Anquist: You Section people are all the same. Right to the business, never "hello, how's the time". Come on, Michael, give us a hello.
Michael: (insists) Do you have it?
Anquist: I'm afraid you may have come for nothing.
Michael: What's the problem?
Anquist: No problem. Just had a higher bidder. If you want the material, the price is going up.
Michael: (points a gun at his head) We don't negotiate.
Anquist: Michael, don't forget, I'm green-listed. As much as you'd love to, you know you can't squeeze.
Michael: How much do you want?
Anquist: Times two.
Michael: I've gotta get it cleared.
Anquist: Don't hurdle. You've got 12 hours.
Michael takes off.

BRIEFING

Operations: Dorian Anquist is a French member of a terrorist community. Supplier, fixer, informant, whatever needs to get done, he'll do it. He's been on green-list for years, because of his ability playing on both sides. Recently we asked him to acquire a large quantity of Semtex, an untraceable plastique used widely in Europe. However, it appears he's having second thoughts, it may land in the wrong hands. Birkoff, have you come up with anything?
Birkoff: I'm tracing the groups he's done business with in the past. If he's got a new buyer, I'll find him.
Operations: We have less than 6 hours. Let's get to work.

Michael is planning a mission with a fellow operative. He notices Nikita leaving.
Michael: I'll be right back.
He follows her.
Michael: Nikita.
Nikita: Hello, Michael.
Michael: We haven't talked in awhile.
Nikita: What's up?
Michael: We should go out, have dinner.
Nikita: I would love to know how your mind works. Are really that arrogant to think that you can turn me on and off at will?
Michael: Of course not. I am just being careful.
Nikita: Careful?
The conversation is interrupted by Operations, who is above them on a catwalk.
Operations: Michael, can we talk?
Michael: Yes.
Operations might have heard part of the conversation.
Operations: Birkoff found something. Anquist has already received partial payment for the material. A group out of Senegal.
Michael: He has no intention of selling it to us at any price.
Operations: My guess is that he's going to try to have a show up somewhere with the money. Apparently he thinks he can rip us off. Tell him we agree to pay his price.
Michael: Kill him?
Operations: Yes. But first, make sure you acquire control of the material, that's our priority here.

Michael is again on the motorcycle. Two operatives from section are sitting in a car close by, watching.
Michael: Birkoff, there's nobody here.
Birkoff: Perimeter team A, any sight of our target?
Somewhere nearby, Anquist and some other terrorist are processing Birkoff's voice through a computer.
Terrorist: Right.
Anquist: Send him.
Birkoff: (synthesized voice from Anquist) Target has changed position. In the harbor down the alley between 43rd and 44th.
Unaware of the trap, Michael takes off according to the indications.
Birkoff: Michael left his position.
Operations: Why?
Birkoff: Michael, why are you off mark? Michael, are you there? Michael…
Obviously, Michael can't hear him anymore.
Birkoff: I've lost him.
Operations: Get him back.
Birkoff: (to one of the operatives in the car) Stillman, why has Michael broken position?
Stillman: I don't know.
Birkoff: Can you call him back?
On Stillman's PDA there's a message, "COMMUNICATION FAILURE".
Stillman: I've tried. His comm. is down.
Birkoff tracks Michael by satellite.
Birkoff: Michael's downlink has been compromised. He must be getting commands from someone else.
Operations: Get him out of there.
Birkoff: All teams, we've been breached. Michael's exposed, get to him.
The two operatives in the car (team A) start going after Michael but he's already far away. He arrives in the alley and realizes something's wrong. A car wait for him at one end.
Stillman: (they caught up with him) We've got him in visual.
Birkoff: Get him out.
Stillman: (gets out of the car and yells) Michael!
Michael looks at him. The camera shows a guy with a missile launcher on a balcony above the alley The car explodes and Michael shoots the guy who launched the missile. He falls from the balcony. Michael drives away while more people are shooting at him, missing.

SECTION ONE - BRIEFING

Operations: As you must know by now, we've suffered a strike this evening. Michael survived. He was tracked several hundred meters out of the incineration zone before he shed his transmitters and communication devices. He's now in mandatory refusal. He'll assume that Section has been breached and won't resume communication until the mission is complete. The next time he contacts us, it will be to tell us that the mission has been completed. However, there's a further complication. We've downloaded the mpeg 15 minutes ago.
He starts a video showing Anquist.
Anquist: We had a beautiful relationship. I'm sorry it has to end on such a downer. I'm a businessman, don't blame me for misrepresenting myself. I was just trying to make the best deal I could. Now it's time for me to disappear. I'm going to take off in a few days. I can't be distracted by further attempts on my life. So, call off your assassins, let me go about my business, and when I'm done, I'll return my hostage.
He moves out of the way to show Madeline in a chair behind him, very calm. Nikita has been watching the whole thing very closely, shifting from worry to relief that Michael is alive, then to concern again seeing the video. Operations shuts the screen off.
Operations:
He informs Section that he wants to disappear, but he cannot do it with Section assassins trying to kill him. So to stop Sect 1, he has kidnapped Madeline. The video shows Madeline sitting in a chair, as calmly as ever. If Sect 1 tries to kill him, he will kill Madeline.
Operations: From now on, our mission profile has changed, I want all resources deployed towards one end. We must STOP Michael.

Later, at the briefing table again.
Birkoff: We've found a link to Anquist, Sonia Martine. She's his mistress. He keeps her in a residence, 400 kilometers from where Michael was last seen.
Mowen: How does that help us?
Birkoff: She's our only link to Anquist in the area. Michael will stop there first.
Mowen: How's Michael going to find her?
Birkoff: He already has. Michael tunneled into out database under an anonymous ID. He insulated his location, but I was able to track the files he's accessed. One of them was Martine's.
Operations: Let's get to Martine before him. When he arrives, take him out of play.
Birkoff looks at Operations with misscontempt for the order. He knows what "take him out of play" means.
Mowen: Sir.
Operations: Yes.
Mowen: How far should we go to stop Michael?
Operations: He cannot be allowed to go through with this hit.

WALTER'S TOY STORE

Nikita: Operations is sending in a team to kill Michael, isn't he? Why? Why don't they just disable him?
Walter: They'll do that first but it won't work, not with Michael.
Nikita: What if they send in someone he knew, someone he trusted?
Walter: When you go into mandatory refusal, you don't trust ANYONE.
Mowen shows up.
Mowen: Walter.
Walter: Yeah, what you need?
Mowen: We're on our way. Check the screen, it's got our inventory.
Walter exchanges a look with Nikita.
Walter: Coming up. Ok.
Walter leaves to get the inventory. Nikita sneaks some device under her vest, then takes Mowen aside,
Nikita: (sympathetically) Mowen, you guys are gonna get Michael.
Mowen: Yeah, we are.
Nikita: Could you do me a favor? Could you bring him back alive?
Mowen: The guy saved my life twice. I'll do everything I can.
Nikita pats him in the shoulder, and plants a tracker on him.

ANQUIST'S PLACE

Anquist: I must say, you're much different than I thought you'd be. Whenever I do with your subordinates, they always depict you as the iron maiden but you are nothing of the sort. You're a beautiful young woman...
Madeline looks down, showing no emotion or reaction of any kind.
Anquist: .... and I want you to know that what I am about to do to you gives me no pleasure.
She finally looks up at him, almost defiantly. Someone comes in with a rough-looking device, wires all over the place.
Madeline: Why don't you just ask me what you wanna know.
Anquist: Please.
Madeline: I thought I was just a hostage.
Anquist: Yes and no. What I told Operations is the truth. I plan to disappear after I complete this deal. It would be of immeasurable benefit for me if I could know what you know, all the infinitely delightful ways you'll try to pursue me.
Madeline coldly looks at the device.
Madeline: An RT unit. A little archaic, but effective. I think they still use them in a few third world countries. You must have gotten it for a good price.
Anquist: (smiling) Hurry up.
His subordinate is planning some needles in her back.
Madeline: You're a little low. It should go on the C2 vertebrae, not C3.
Anquist looks highly amused by her show of cold blood.

A SHOPPING MALL

Sonia Martine is shopping with a friend. They are speaking in German, apparently complaining about prices or other shopping miseries. They step into the elevator, the door almost closes before a gloved hand stops it. Michael looks at them calmly, and asks in German, which of them is Sonia Martine.
Michael: Werche ist die Sonia Martine?
As he's coming out of the mall, Mowen is waiting for him around the corner.
Mowen: He's crossing the street. Hit him with the drugs.
Another operative shoots him from the roof with a tranquilizing dart. Michael gets it out and sucks the blood from the wound to get the drug out (people do the same when bit by a snake).
Mowen: Michael! It's Mowen. This is a recall. Madeline's been kidnapped, the mission's called off, you'll be killed.
Michael starts to see fuzzy.
Mowen: Don't make me do this, Michael!
Michael shoots at them and misses, probably on purpose.
Mowen: Comm. We've hit him with the tranqs, he's not responding. Have an op down.
Birkoff: Can you proceed?
Mowen: We're switching to hard amno.
Nikita approaches the scene from another direction.
Michael shoots an operative in the knee and turns the other way. Nikita yells at him "Michael" and he drifts into a doorway. Nikita knocks Mowen down. Michael gets on his motorcycle.
Nikita: Michael, he's telling the truth, the hit's off!
Michael shoots in her direction and misses. He probably didn't intend to kill anybody, especially not her. He takes off.
Nikita: Michael!

SECTION ONE

Injured operatives are being brought in. Operations comes to meet Mowen.
Operations: What happened?
Mowen: Ah, we hit him with the tranq, he went down.
Operations: Why didn't you get him?
Mowen: I had him in my sight, someone blind-sighted me....
Operations: Who?
Mowen: Couldn't see.

Birkoff and Operations are coming into the briefing area.
Operations: Was there anything else from the site?
Birkoff: Just the girls.
Operations: Their status?
Birkoff: They're out. Michael injected them with a pentazol compound. It has an affect of 48 hours.
Operations: Damn it.
Birkoff: There's something. We had another anonymous login.
Operations: Meaning?
Birkoff: Michael's tracking Anquist through his next meet. Must have found out about it through signing Martine. (the screen shows some guy)
Operations: Tomos Bocci.
Birkoff: He's a member of a separatist group from northern Spain.
Operations: Print the final location of the meet. We'll never succeed as long as we're behind Michael. We need to get in front of him.
Birkoff looks at Operations disapprovingly.
Michael is shown on his motorcycle gong fast on a highway. Nikita is following him in her convertible.

ANQUIST'S QUARTERS

A charming big European style house on the border of a lake, near a forest. Madeline is still on the chair, looking far worse than before. Her traits are accentuated, showing fatigue and pain. A monitor is beeping the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Anquist: So, how is our guest today? Not quite as collected as she was earlier, I suspect.
Madeline: Get me some Demerol.
Anquist: You know the deal. Give me what I want, I'll give you what you want. (she looks up at him, he smiles) I didn't think so. I really hate to see you in such pain. You are a strong woman and I admire you. (don't you just love compassionate bad guys) I wish you wouldn't force my hand, it is so unnecessary. Now I have to show your people you are alive and well.
The camera starts filming her.
Anquist: As you can see, we have taken very good care of her. Well, relatively good care. I'm sure she would rather be back behind her desk in section.
Madeline closes her eyes and her head falls to the side. The guy filming her gets up and looks alarmed. Anquist check the monitor for her heart; it is flat.
Anquist: She's dead! How could it happen? Help me revive her.
Some other guy rushes in. They give her some medicine. The monitor starts beeping again and she wakes up.
Madeline: Mr. Anquist, please unhook your equipment, I've had enough. If you don't, the next time I go flat I won't come back, then you'll be unprotected. The Demerol please.
Anquist: Of course.

SECTION ONE

Operations: (to Birkoff) I understand we've made some progress.
Birkoff: We've picked up a man named Arcolar. He works with Bocci.
Operations: Anquist's buyer?
Birkoff: (nods) Arcolar should be here within the hour.
Operations: Compromising a mission in response to extortion goes against everything I believe in, everything we do here. Even if we succeed in stopping Michael, there's no guarantee we'll prevent Anquist from taking her life. (he looks at her face on the screen, very thoughtful, almost in tears)
Voice: (on the comm.) Birkoff, are you there?
Birkoff: Yeah.
Voice: Arcolar's arrived.
Operations leaves and goes straight to the white room. Two operatives a re in there, plus the hostage strapped to the chair, mouth covered in duck tape.
Operations: Move (yells) OUT!
The operatives leave. He throws his jacked into the corner of the room. He withdraws what looked like a letter opener or an ice pick, and stabs it into Arcola's arm. Arcolar jerks in pain, and fear.
Operations: (hisses) I'm not going to ask you twice, so listen carefully. Anquist is meeting Bocci, where and when?

Nikita follows Michael through town into an abandoned warehouse/factory. She takes out her gun, preparing herself for any unseen enemy.
Michael: Drop your gun.
Nikita: Michael.
Michael: If you been briefed, you know that I'll kill you if I have to. Drop it.
Nikita: It's me. You know I won't deceive you. I just don't want them to kill you. (She drops her gun onto the floor.)
Michael: Over here.
Nikita: They sent Mowen. (She kicks her gun toward him.) They'll send others.
Michael: Did they send you?
Nikita: No. Please just come back in, please.
Michael slides a metal wire gate between them, and locks it.
Michael: I can't.
Nikita: You don't have to go through with the hit.
Michael: I will go through with it.
Nikita: Then Madeline will die.
Michael: You shouldn't have come.
Michael leaves. Nikita picks up a metal bar, and attempt to open the metal gate. No luck. Out of frustration, she hits the bar against the wall. She realizes that the wall is hollow, and starts to make holes in the wall.

BRIEFING

Birkoff: I've put together a layer of n clayed of the surrounding area. Used satellite and ground level surveillance to pick up their security. He's got an infrared barrier inside, and video on the sur campus.
Operations: Where's Madeline?
Birkoff: My guess is she'll be in this part of the house. He'll wanna keep her close to the deal.
Walter: Bocci's got to come in from the west. Maybe we can piggy back our way in....
Operations: No. I don't wanna take any chances. All we are there to do is to stop Michael.
Walter: What about retrieving the material?
Operations: All we are there to do is to stop Michael. Where are we on Michael's tactical?
Birkoff: If he executes a standard sequence, he'll start to contaminate the area 6 hours prior to the meeting then he'll approach on a diffusion pattern.
Operations: Michael will not follow the standard course.
Birkoff: Agreed. But he still has to approach.
Operations: I want a grid through out the wooded area 5km by 5km. I don't care how much personnel it takes. I don't want a hole within 10m wide. Don't let anyone communicate with him, just take him out.
Walter: With all of this man power, we should be able to do this with out killing him.
Operations: That's enough, Walter! Just do you job!

ANQUIST'S QUARTERS

Anquist is talking to Madeline.
Anquist: I've been thinking, as soon as it's over I'm going to have to kill you. You've known that from the beginning. Unless you'd like to join me.
Madeline: Thank you anyway, Dorian.
Anquist comes closer to her.
Anquist: It looks major romantic, but in a very short time I've grown quite fond of you. I could take very good care of you, Madeline.
Madeline: I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but you have to admit.... (she laughs faintly with pain)
Anquist kisses her on the lips. She doesn't make a move.
Anquist: As you wish. Your death will be painless. (Madeline closes her eyes instead of thank you) It's the least I can do.

WALTER'S OFFICE

Walter can hear someone calling him.
Nikita: Walter, are you there? Walter. Walter, are you there? Walter, are you there?
Walter tries to figure out which comm. unit it is, there's many of them. He finds it.
Walter: Who is this?
Nikita: Walter, it's Nikita. I need your help.
Walter: Where are you?
Nikita: Michael, where is he?
Walter: You won't stand a chance. Operations is sending in half of Section to get him.
Nikita: Sending them where?
Walter: You'll get yourself killed.
Nikita: Come on, Walter, I am his only chance.

ANQUIST'S QUARTERS

Operatives are spread throughout the woods around Anquist's mansion.
Birkoff: All right, team 17 I've got you on mark, we're all set. Six and a half hour till the meet. I want a standard B & A every 15 minutes.
Anquist checks the material in a briefcase then closes it.
Anquits: Ok, tight them up. Let's go.
Operatives crawling in the tall grass outside. Nikita sneaks in, watching her PDA. Some operative turns around and spots her.
Nikita: Hey, Kane.
Kane: Nikita. What are you doing here?
Nikita: Birkoff sent me up to check an anomaly.
He lets her go. A car approaches the house.
Birkoff: This looks like Bocci. Michael should be close behind.
Kane: There's nobody following.
Bocci is at the gate. He turn the window down.
Bocci: (into the speaker) Hey, Dorian, it's me.
Anquist: Is everything all right? You've got the money?
Bocci: Yeah. Let's do it.
Bocci's car gets inside the yard.
Driver: So, what do I do now?
Michael gets in and knocks him out cold. He comes out of the car wearing a chauffer outfit. He knocks on the door.
Anquist's guard: Who are you?
Michael: (strong accent) Bocci's driver.
Guard: What do you want?
Michael: To check out the material.
Anquist is watching this via video camera, he cannot see Michael's face because he is wearing a hat.
Anquist: OK.
Michael is let in a searched for weapons.

Meanwhile outside of the mansion. Nikita plants charges on the power box outside of the house.

Michael checks out the plastique. Anquist shows up, he sees the back of Michael.
Anquist: Hey, turn around, let me see your face.
Michael turns around slowly, some guy just beside him watching closely. Anquist recognizes him.
Anquist: Shoot him!
Michael knocks the guy and takes his gun. At that moment Nikita's charges explode, leaving the house in the dark. Back in Section Operations storms into Birkoff's area.
Operations: Damn it Birkoff, what's the matter?
Birkoff: Power's gone out in the house.
Operations: Did we hear from Michael?
Birkoff: Not yet.
Nikita gets in with night vision googles. Someone working for Anquist gives instructions.
Guy: You two, get the emergency generator and kill the hostage. You, help me get this stuff out of here.
Nikita follows the guys who are going to kill the hostage. She knocks off a hostile. A section team passes behind them, in another direction.
Operative: Come on!
Nikita gets into the room where Madeline is kept. One hostile turns the power back on, the other one has a gun to her head and is about to shoot.
Nikita: Hey!
She kills both of them, then takes off her googles. Madeline looks at her, inquisitive.
Nikita: Birkoff, can you hear me? Hello.
Birkoff: Who is that?
Nikita: It's me, Nikita.
Operations: Nikita.
Birkoff: Nikita, what are you doing? Get off that channel.
Nikita: I'm on site. Madeline's safe. Call off the hit on Michael, now.
Outside, Kane is about to shoot Michael. Birkoff looks at Operations who nods.
Birkoff: Ascend orders on Michael. Hostiles only.
Kane lowers his gun. Nikita puts a jacket around Madeline and helps her out of the chair. Michael finds Anquist.
Anquist: You kill me, she dies.
Michael blinks and kills him.
Michael hears sounds from behind him, he swings around ready to shoot. It's just Nikita with Madeline.
Michael walks up to Nikita, and takes the com. unit out of her ear. He speaks into it,
Michael: Target terminated, material secured.

MED LAB

Operations: You had quite a sleep.
Madeline: I will be fine.
Operations: I want you to take sometime off.
Madeline: No, it's the last thing I need to do. I just want to get out here and back to work.
Operations: How bad was it?
Madeline: Could have been worse.
Operations: What did he do to you? This is my fault, I should have listened to you.
Madeline: No.
Operations: I should have protected you.
Madeline: It doesn't matter now.
Operations: I'm sorry. (He takes her hand.)
Madeline: This is who we are.
Operations: Yeah. (he has tears in his eyes.)

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Madeline: Do you know why you are here Nikita?
Nikita: I acted autonomously, I broke regulations.
Madeline: I thought we've been through this enough times. We serve a greater entity. We are not here for each other. In no scenario do we put ourselves before the unprotected public.
Nikita: You got it backwards, had Michael been allowed to proceed, none of this would have happened. Anquist would have been killed, and so would you. It was Operations who acted on emotion. Because of you he tried to stop Michael.
Madeline: His mistake doesn't justify yours.
Nikita: His mistake?
Madeline: That's all, Nikita.

Nikita leaves Madeline's office, and runs into Michael.
Michael: I hope you understand why I did what I did.
Nikita: Going home now?
Michael: After I debrief, yes.
Nikita: Looks like we both might have some down time.
Michael: (silence)
Nikita: Two days ago you asked me out for dinner, Michael. Obviously you've changed your mind.
Michael: If it were anyone else that came after me, I would have killed them. I cannot allow you to become my weakness.
Nikita place her hand on his shoulder.
Nikita: Of course not.
She looks up, Operations is looking down from his observation deck. This is referring to the fact Madeline is Operations' weakness. It's ironic how Nikita is the only one acting rationally in the whole story and saving the day, and all she gets is being lectured by everybody. It doesn't seem fair somehow.

THE END

Back to Season 2 Episodes