Gates Of Hell
Transcript by Cathy

The episode starts with flashbacks from the first three episodes.

MICHAEL'S APARTMENT

Michael is watching the videotape of himself and his son on a monitor as he loads a gun. He looks to be in a mostly empty loft apartment. He is unshaven and looks in great distress. He puts the gun up to his head as he watches the videotape. Then he extends the gun at his smiling face on the screen, and then he breaks down crying and falls on the floor. He crawls across the room to the screen and places his hand on the image of his son's smiling face. Then he lays down completely, arms crossed across himself and rocks slowly back and forth on the hardwood floor.

BRIEFING ROOM

Operations: This is Mihai Brevich, the man responsible for the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the Ukraine. He's affiliated with Red Cell but he runs an extremely competent organization in his own right. He's been recently joined by his son Laszlo.
Operative #1: He's just a kid
Operations: A kid, who's already showing signs of being even more talented than his father. One of their colleagues is currently in Warsaw. His laptop contains the location of the group's current safe house in the Balkans. (Operations notices Michael is not paying attention) Michael, are you getting this?
Michael: No.
Operations: (unhappy) We'll acquire the laptop and the entire team will mount an assault on the safe house. Pick up the profile from Birkoff. There'll be a delay; I'm making some changes. Michael, my office. (Nikita watches, concerned).

THE PERCH

Operations and Michael are talking. Nikita watches from bellow.
Operations: I'm pulling you and Nikita out of phase one. Substituting Vanhaven and Cuellar. I want you to assist Birkoff with tactical. That way I can keep an eye on you in case you drop the ball.
Michael: Fine.
Michael goes to leave but Operations speaks again.
Operations: Michael. I know you've been through a difficult time, but Adam and Elena are being well-provided for. You need to get past it.
Michael: Get past losing my son?
Operations: Yes.
Michael: How?
Operations: However you can. I didn't see my son grow up either because I was in a P.O.W. camp in Vietnam. It wasn't pleasant but life goes on.
Michael: Really?
Operations: Yes really. Get over it.
Michael leaves the Perch. He comes downstairs and meets Nikita.
Nikita: Everything all right?
Michael: We've been taken off phase one.
Nikita: Did we do something wrong?
Michael: Not we, me. I'll be on tactical here. You're free to go if you wish.
Nikita: I'll stay, you know, just to observe.
Michael: Well, suit yourself.

COMM CENTER

The mission has begun. Operations, on the main floor, watches Michael and Nikita who are also in Comm.
Birkoff: Vanhaven, you're in the clear. Proceed to break point.
Vanhaven: Okay, we're here.
Birkoff: Hold your position. There's an anomaly in the east corridor.
Vanhaven: How serious?
Birkoff: Two hostiles, they may have backup.
Gunshots are heard and the voices of men who are on the mission. Michael is startled by the gunshot.
Operative: Vanhaven, cover me! I've got a link down the hall!
Vanhaven: This wasn't in the profile.
Birkoff: I know.
Vanhaven: Do we abort?
Birkoff: Michael?
Michael doesn't answer, he's not paying attention.
Vanhaven: Birkoff, do we abort?
Michael still says nothing.
Nikita: (In a harsh whisper, taking over) Proceed.
Birkoff: Proceed.
Nikita: Vanhaven stays in the hall. Cuellar gets the laptop.
Birkoff: Vanhaven, stay put. Send Cuellar for the laptop.
Vanhaven: He's got it.
Birkoff: Pull back, quickly.
Vanhaven: Lost all contact.
Sounds of men screaming, gunfire, can be heard on his end.
Birkoff: Use the fallback route.
Vanhaven: Fallback is blocked. Birkoff?
Nikita: Change the pickup point; use the van as a shield.
Birkoff: New pickup. A hundred meters, north-northeast.
Vanhaven: Two down. We're on our way.
Nikita closes her eyes; Operations looks angry and walks away. Michael is still out.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Michael comes around the corner and Nikita is there.
Nikita: Michael. I can't imagine what it must be like knowing that you're not going to see Adam again. You can't be like this. Not here. If there's anything that I can do.
Michael: There's not.
Nikita: It might help to talk. You can't keep this inside you forever.
Michael: Talking won't help.
Nikita: If you change your mind, I'm here.
Michael: Thank you.

COMM CENTER

Birkoff is working at his computer. Operations is in the loft. Birkoff puts a tape into the computer and types some things. Operations watches. Birkoff gets up and goes to Munitions.
Birkoff: Walter, I got to talk to you.
Walter: Yeah, I've just got to make a run-
Birkoff: I was using Operations' access code to filter the mission. When I went to log off the directory wasn't empty.
Walter: Yeah?
Birkoff: I think it's an umbrella file.
Walter: What did you do? (Birkoff raises a PDA, Walter slaps his hand down) Are you nuts???
Birkoff: Walter, you've got to see this. It's huge.
Walter: Not here and not now.
Birkoff: When?
Walter: I'll let you know. I'll get back to you.
Walter pulls down his screen. Operations watches Birkoff walk across the floor.

THE PERCH

Operations and Madeline are talking.
Madeline: I noticed that you altered the Brevich profile. (She is not amused.)
Operations: You don't approve?
Madeline: It's premature.
Operations: You saw what happened in phase one.
Madeline: Michael's on the edge right now, we have to be careful. Perhaps he needs some more time alone. A chance to pull back.
Operations: There's no such thing as pulling back in our line of work. You know that as well as I do.
Madeline: Perhaps better.
Operations: (he nods) Then what's your point?
Madeline: My point is, if we push Michael too hard we may destroy him and that would be a pity.
Operations: Would it? He's behaved erratically lately.
Madeline: You know his potential.
Operations: Yes but managing him is not without difficulty.
Madeline: In my judgment, he's worth it.
Operations: I miss the cold war too, Madeline. It had clarity and a structure. We could bring our people along in a sane manner. Nowadays we don't have that luxury. Michael keeps up or otherwise he falls by the wayside like everyone else. We'll proceed as planned. If Michael can't cut it we might as well find out now.
Madeline turns and leaves; she still disagrees with his approach.

THE MISSION

Operatives are seen lying in the grass with guns. Michael and Nikita are among them. They're watching a structure that has rooftop guards.
Nikita: Okay Birkoff, there's two on the perimeter. How many inside?
Birkoff: Eight. Focus on Brevich and his son. We need them alive. The others are incidental.
Nikita: Go.
Operatives crawl through the grass; gunfire erupts. Operations watches from within Section.
Man: (in a jeep, shooting as another man drives; others are with him) Gun it!
Operatives shoot at them; they yell in a foreign language.
Nikita: Hold it! That's Laszlo. (She comes up to Laszlo, who is being restrained by two operatives) Where's your father?
Laszlo: You'll be hearing from him soon enough.
Nikita: (roughs Laszlo up; throws him against the car) Just tell me where your father is and save yourself a lot of extra pain. All units, any sign of Brevich?
Operative 1: (on radio) No, nothing here.
Operative 2: (on radio) Negative.
Nikita: Birkoff, is this intel certain?
Birkoff: Top of the grid. He should be there.
Nikita: All right.
Nikita walks along dragging Laszlo by the collar. An older man pokes his head out from behind the building.
Older man: Laszlo!
Laszlo: Father! (The older man shoots him)
Nikita: He shot his own son.
Michael stands up - he was still in the grass - and walks toward the building past Nikita.
Operative: (looking at Laszlo) He's gone.
Nikita: Michael! Michael! (She runs to catch up with him) I'm with you.
Michael corners the older man who looks like Brevich.
Brevich: Don't shoot!
Michael shoots him; Nikita jogs out to the body.
Nikita: Latex. Michael, this isn't Brevich. (She peels away the mask) Vanhaven?
Michael: Section wanted me to believe that Brevich killed his own son.
Michael walks away.

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Operations enters.
Operations: You wanted to show me something?
Madeline: I assume you've reviewed the phase two playbacks?
Operations: Yes. Vanhaven's incompetence was mind-boggling.
Madeline: It's possible the plan itself left something to be desired.
Operations: (irritated) We needed to get Brevich. And to restore Michael to his normal capability level. It was an attempt to do both that didn't work. We move on. I've already made the necessary adjustments.
Madeline: Before you finalize those adjustments, here's a secondary tape you may not have seen. (She goes over and pulls up video on a monitor) One of Brevich's men had the presence of mind to perform surveillance during the fighting. I had the lab do a reverse angle generation. This is what the camera picked up.
It's a shooting of Michael walking out of the woods.
Operations: So they know what Michael looks like. Doesn't mean they can find him.
Madeline: We find people with far less intel than this.
Operations: What are you getting at?
Madeline: What I've said all along. We're pushing the envelope too hard. Trying to do too much.
Operations: (faintly incredulous) You of all people aren't going to warn me against playing God?
Madeline: No. (smiles) Provided we do a decent job of it. God doesn't make clumsy mistakes.
Operations: Nonsense. Scientists say 90% of the species ever created on this planet are now extinct. That's a ten percent success rate. Ours are much higher than that. End of discussion. (He leaves)

OUTDOORS

Nighttime. Looks like the outside of an apartment building or motel.
Walter: (walks up to the door where Birkoff is standing) So, show me. (Birkoff shows him the PDA he had earlier) Whoa. He was spying on Oversight?
Birkoff: It has to do with Adrian. Operations was cleaning up. He must have forgotten about this file.
Walter: If George knew about this, Operations would be stuffed and mounted in about ten seconds.
Birkoff: (nods) That's what I figured. What do you think?
Walter: When you have an ace, you gotta play it.
Birkoff: Meaning?
Walter: We won't ask for the moon and the stars. Just a planet or two.
Walter smiles, Birkoff nods gravely.

COMM CENTER

Nikita is leaning back in a chair, looking tired. Birkoff approaches.
Nikita: Where have you been?
Birkoff: What do you mean? (defensive)
Nikita: I've been looking for you.
Birkoff: Oh, I had something to do on level four.
Nikita: I heard Brevich had a recon photo of Michael.
Birkoff: Yeah, that's why I ran a sim. The chance of Brevich locating Michael from a recon photo's less than one percent.
Nikita: Well with all due respect to your sim, how would he go about trying?
Birkoff: He'd have to cross-ref against other databases. Most of the threads would dry up in a hurry. I really wouldn't worry too much.
Nikita: Where's Michael's new location?
Birkoff: You know I can't tell you that.
Nikita: (leans very close to Birkoff and whispers) Where does Michael live?
(Birkoff types; Nikita looks down at the screen) There it is.

MICHAEL'S APARTMENT

We see an old fashioned elevator with a wire mesh. Nikita proceeds down a hall and hears a cello being played. She comes around the corner. The loft is very sparsely furnished. The video screen of Adam is still up. She comes in and sits next to Michael; he doesn't even look up for a second. Then he stops playing. She smiles.
Nikita: So what are you doing?
Michael: I'm playing the cello.
Nikita: Your security isn't engaged.
Michael: Sometimes he couldn't go to sleep at night unless I played it for him. It's his birthday today. I bought him a present.
Nikita: That you can never give him?
Michael: Yes. That I can never give him.
Nikita: You're not well.
Michael: Who is?
Nikita: Brevich has a recon photo.
Michael: If he comes, (Michael plucks a string a few times) he comes. (He starts to play again but Nikita grabs the cello) You shouldn’t have done that.
Nikita: Do you want to die?
Michael: What's it to you?
Nikita: I'm your friend.
Michael: That would be a big mistake.
Nikita: Why?
Michael: (He walks around swinging the cello bow) Because people who care about me end up dead or hurt. Simone. Elena. Adam. Don't follow their path.
Nikita: I follow the path of my own choosing, just as they did Michael.
Michael: What choice did Adam have? I've caused you enough pain already. Go while you still can. (voice breaking)
Nikita: Michael, I understand what they've done to you. (She rises and takes his arm in her hand) You have to find a reason to live.
Michael: Where?
Nikita: Wherever you can. (A bullet flies through the window; Nikita throws Michael against the wall, shielding him with her body. She looks outside but sees nothing.) Well, Brevich found you.
Michael: I was an easy target. Would Brevich have missed? Maybe Section's playing some more games.
He sits down; Nikita comes over and crouches down by him.
Nikita: I don't know. Michael. You have to do something. Please. (She has her hand on his arm again)
Michael: All right.
He walks over, picks up his cello, sits down and starts to play again. Nikita stands there for a moment and then strides out. Michael is no longer wearing his ring. She pauses outdoors, still listening to the music then she closes the gate, draws her gun and prepares to guard him.

SECTION ONE

Walter hurries down the stairs. Nikita is downstairs at a computer.
Nikita: Morning, Walter.
Walter: You still worried about Michael?
Nikita: Yeah, I am.
Walter: Well I'm worried about you.
Nikita: Well, there's no need to worry about me.
Walter: Oh, I think there is! For example, it's not morning, it's 6:00 in the evening.
Nikita: (puts her head in her hands, coughs) Oh. Well there's going to be a briefing in a few minutes so I'd better get this finished.
Walter: You've been guarding him, haven't you?
Nikita: From time to time.
Walter: Does he know? (Nikita looks down, says nothing) And when do you get your sleep?
Nikita: Walter, when I can.
Walter: How long do you plan to keep this up?
Nikita: 'Til he starts caring about his life again.
Walter: And if he doesn't?
Nikita: He will. I'll make him.
Walter: Wrong answer, Sugar. If I was a little younger I'd probably follow you around and protect you. But as it is, all I can do is give you a little advice. You can't give him a reason to live. He has to find that for himself. (Walter walks away)

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Walter and Birkoff meet.
Walter: Birkoff. You, uh, you thought about, uh -
Birkoff: Yeah, that's all I've been able to think about.
Operative: (comes up suddenly, Walter almost jumps) Walter? (He hands him something)
Walter: Thank you, uh, I'll get it right to you. (other Operative leaves) (to Birkoff) Tonight.
Birkoff: Yeah, we'll talk about it.
Walter: No, we'll do it. Tonight, right after the briefing. (Walter nods. Birkoff looks like he has misgivings)

BRIEFING ROOM

Michael is absent.
Operations: You're sure he knows about the briefing?
Birkoff: Yes, I talked to him myself.
Michael comes in slowly, sits next to Nikita.
Operations: (Fixes him) Nice of you to join us. (sarcastic)
Michael: Thank you. (ignoring the sarcasm)
Operations: This is a warehouse outside N'Kar. It's used for the storage of toxic chemicals. Brevich is going to be there tonight to pick up a shipment of Biothalmide. (Sees that Michael is zoning out again) Michael! (Michael looks up) This is Brevich's staging area. It's about 20 kilometers to the northeast. It's not the target, but an alternative egress route passes close by, so familiarize yourself with the outer features. The mission leaves in about one hour. (Everyone gets up) Michael. (Michael turns to look at Operations; Nikita gets up and walks away) I don't have to tell you that your performance of late is unacceptable. This might be your last chance to rectify that situation.

THE MISSION

A truck arrives escorting by several men on motorcycles. Michael and Nikita are in the grass waiting.
Nikita: Birkoff the truck's here.
Birkoff: Confirmed.
We see a truck driving along.
Nikita: Birkoff, hostile positions?
Birkoff: Five, counting Brevich.
Nikita: Any in reserve?
Birkoff: No.
Nikita: Michael, should we attack? (Michael blinks but says nothing) Michael, should we attack?
Michael: Why not?
Nikita: All units, now.
Everybody moves except Michael. Nikita is again running the mission. They start shooting and take out most of the visible men but more appear.
Nikita: Birkoff you said there were no reserves!
Birkoff: That's the intel. What's the problem?
Nikita: They're all over us!
A man holds a gun on her and two of them force her into a truck.
Michael: They have Nikita.
Operations: Do nothing without instructions. We need a snap profile.
Birkoff: We're not set up for an assault.
Operations: Do what you can, now. Michael, stand by until I contact you. Hold your position until we work up a profile. Brevich is the target, not Nikita. (to Birkoff) How does it look?
Birkoff: Given our current configuration, the loss of surprise, our best bet is to set a twelve hour shelf.
Operations: (who has not turned off the transmitter so Michael is listening to every word) Nikita might be dead in 12 hours.
Birkoff: It's the best we can do. Even then, our chance of success is less than thirty percent.
Operations: It's not worth it. We'll have to write her off. Tell the team to abort. (Birkoff hesitates) Tell them.
Birkoff: The mission is aborted. Return to base.
Michael: No.
Operations: Michael, it's a direct order. The mission is over.
Michael speeds off on a motorcycle, ignoring him.

BREVICH'S COMPOUND

Brevich, his men and Nikita.
Brevich: My men said a woman was on the raid which killed my won. Was it you?
Nikita: I don't know what you're talking about.
Brevich: Which one of your operatives killed him?
She says nothing; one of Brevich's men starts to hit her with a pistol. Michael arrives on the motorcycle. A semi truck has been parked in his way so he flips the motorcycle on its side and slides under the truck all the while still shooting at Brevich's men.
Michael: (Grabs one of the wounded men) Where's the prisoner?
Man: In the hut.
Michael: Move!
At gunpoint Michael forces the man towards the hut. Back inside, they're still beating on Nikita.
Brevich: Tell me what I ask and it stops.
Nikita: I told you... I don't even know who you are. (gunshots... Michael breaks in, shoots everybody except Brevich.)
Michael: (to Brevich) The man who killed your son is dead.
Brevich nods in appreciation. Michael shoots Brevich and then goes over to Nikita and unties her. Her face is bruised.

THE TRUCK

Michael is driving the truck; Nikita in the passenger seat.
Michael: (to the radio) Birkoff, I have Nikita. We will rejoin the rest of the team in nineteen minutes. Change egress to route three.
Birkoff: Check. Do you need a support team?
Michael: Not unless the zone is dirty. Scan until we've crossed the perimeter.
Michael is back to his old self, totally in charge.
Birkoff: Will do.
Operations, who has been standing behind Birkoff, walks briskly away without comment.

THE PERCH

Walter and Birkoff enter.
Walter: We came across something you might be interested in.
Operations turns to face them. He's prepared. I think he saw them coming on his monitor.
Birkoff: An umbrella file. You called it G-4.
Operations: When did you come across it?
Walter: We thought you might like to have it back. But we'd like a little something in return.
Operations: In other words, you're blackmailing me.
Walter: No, just want to make a trade.
Birkoff: That's right, a trade. (sounding confident)
Operations: Keep it. In the first place, the file was planted 72 hours ago. You should have detected it at least 12 hours before you did.
Walter: It's a test. (Shaking his head, disgusted)
Birkoff: That's impossible. It was layered in a Z-cubed function.
Operations: So it was made to appear. It wouldn't be much of a test if you could see it coming, would it?
Walter: Listen, this trade idea, it was all mine. He didn't want to go along with it. (Birkoff  looks scared)
Operations: But he did go along with it. You should have come straight to me the second you found it, and you should have told him that when he came to you for advice.
Walter: There was... another alternative. We could have taken that directly to Oversight.
Operations: You would have been intercepted long before you made contact. Down time is cancelled for both of you for the next six months. Understood?
Birkoff: Absolutely. Thank you. (very scared)
Walter: Yeah. (they leave) Birkoff, I'm sorry.
Birkoff: I think it would be better if we didn't talk to each other for a while. Like the rest of our lives.
Walter: Yeah. I heard you.
Operations looks unsettled, as if he didn't expect this. Birkoff puts the disk away in a case. Later, Operations enters where Birkoff put the disk and calmly removes it. Birkoff watches him. He goes and sees what's missing. He realizes Operations has just taken back the disk; that he was bluffing all along and it worked. He stares in shock.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Michael and Nikita meet.
Michael: You okay?
Nikita: Yeah. You?
Michael: Better.
Nikita: Good. Care for coffee?
Michael: Why not?
Nikita: Good.
She smiles, they walk out together. Madeline and Operations watch from the Perch.
Madeline: Brevich dead, Michael back in the fold. Congratulations.
Operations: (cocky) Thank you.
Madeline: It was a huge risk. Could have ended very badly.
Operations: But it didn't.
Madeline: I doubt if it's going to be that simple. There's nothing keeping them apart now.
Operations: When I was a boy, my father and I were hunters. We had two retrievers. Good dogs, very fond of each other. Being close kept them content and efficient, but occasionally it interfered with the hunt.
Madeline: How did you deal with it?
Operations: A system of rewards and punishments, as with any living creature.
Madeline: Did it work?
Operations: For a while. Eventually, we had to put one of them to sleep.
Cut to Michael and Nikita walking out of Section.

THE END

Edited by Dana
 
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