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322. Three Eyed Turtle
Written by Maurice Hurley
Transcribed by Christine
COMM
Birkoff stands at his desk watching an overhead monitor and directing a live mission.
BIRKOFF: All right, Red Team, we’re ready. Knock out your primaries and move up to final.
An operative in the field yells, “Go”!
Birkoff looks at an op assisting in Comm.
BIRKOFF: What’s our coverage?
OPERATIVE: Nothing on the first floor.
Looking to his right, Birkoff gestures a female operative over.
BIRKOFF: Okay, hold.
The female operative comes up to him.
BIRKOFF: Give me scenarios three and five. Make sure they’re synched tight.
She nods and moves off to do as she’s been told. Birkoff turns his attention back to the monitor. The mission has gone bad.
BIRKOFF: Victor, what’s going on?
VICTOR: (on monitor) It’s going to be tight. They’re heavily armed.
BIRKOFF: Blue Team, back up Victor on the north.
We see that Victor is trapped at his onsite position and surrounded by heavy gunfire.
BIRKOFF: We’re ready for the interface.
Turning to see what the delay is, Birkoff sees Hillinger making small talk with a female op.
HILLINGER: So, now this Grand Master’s whining about a rematch because my programs beat him in nineteen moves.
Birkoff stalks over to Greg, who is still flirting with the female op.
HILLINGER: You know you have a great smile…
BIRKOFF: The interface, Greg. We’re in mid-mission!
Hillinger looks at him, as though they have all the time in the world.
HILLINGER: Right. The interface… (unconcerned) Didn’t do it.
He turns back to the female op.
HILLINGER: Do you know you have really nice eyes?
BIRKOFF: (angry) What? I’ve got live ops out there!
HILLINGER: Chill, Seymour!
Now Hillinger puts a hand on the female ops shoulder, than removes her earpiece from her.
HILLINGER: Do you mind? Thank you.
He walks over to the desk, as if he’s now prepared to easily handle a situation gone bad. Birkoff stands beside him.
HILLINGER: What channel are they on? I’m going to walk them through it.
BIRKOFF: How? You haven’t worked up the interface yet!
HILLINGER: (raises voice) Yeah, I haven’t practiced tying my shoes today either!
He ignores Birkoff, and looks at the monitor.
HILLINGER: Victor, where are you?
VICTOR: (on screen) Same place. I’m pinned.
HILLINGER: No problem. Blue Team, I need you split. Three in the east; one in the hole, two stay in the perimeter.
Birkoff is watching him, incredulous at his complete failure to recognize a critical situation.
BIRKOFF: You idiot!
He elbows Hillinger aside to take over the situation.
HILLINGER: Birky, please!
BIRKOFF: I need you to cycle the egress. That’s how it stays protected! That’s why I needed the interface!
Now Hillinger’s face registers that he has made a big mistake. On the monitor, we see that the mission has gone critical, and Section is taking a beating.
OPERATIVE: (on screen) Comm, we’re losing team! Where’s our coordinates?
BIRKOFF: Oh my God! Everybody hold. Victor, we are saturated two clicks over. What’s your call?
At the mission site, Victor looks around from where he is trapped and sees that the situation is hopeless. He makes a quick decision.
VICTOR: Cut me off.
BIRKOFF: You won’t make it out alive.
VICTOR: Can’t be helped. It’s the only way to save the team.
It’s clear that Birkoff would rather not do this, but he understands that there is no other choice.
BIRKOFF: Everyone abort. All teams back to your exit points now.
Hillinger sits are the desk, his face indicating he now realizes the severity of the situation, and his part in it.
At the mission site, Victor is yelling at his team to move out quickly. There is a lot of chaos and gunfire.
In Comm, Birkoff watches as the operatives scatter to escape. On the monitor, he and Hillinger see a red laser directed at Victor’s forehead, then three shots are fired. Birkoff watches in disbelief, while Hillinger removes his earpiece and is seemingly sober.
OPERATIONS' LOFT
Operations stands facing his built in wall monitors. He is speaking with George, whose image is on a monitor.
OPERATIONS: It was an unfortunate incident, but it was only a stutter step. We’ve already begun…
GEORGE: (angry) Since when do you redefine failure as a ‘stutter step’? This mission was critical to the entire Near-East hub.
OPERATIONS: It’ll be take care of, George.
We see that Madeline is standing quietly beside Operations, listening.
GEORGE: You don’t even know why it happened yet!
OPERATIONS: We’re working on it.
George is angry and he leans forward in his chair, so his face looms larger on the monitor.
GEORGE: Not good enough. Stop deflecting and start listening. I am not happy with One, and more to the point, Paul, I am not happy with you. I want all third-column operations sent here for redirect.
OPERATIONS: That’s half our load.
GEORGE: And, I want the remainder piped through my controls. You will not sharpen a pencil without my approval.
He leans back and cuts off the transmission. Operations turns coldly to Madeline.
OPERATIONS: This is your fault.
He steps away from her, but she pivots to face him.
MADELINE: (challenging) I beg your pardon?
OPERATIONS: Tactical falls under your purview. When they screw up, I look bad.
MADELINE: I’ll find the source.
OPERATIONS: Yes, you will. If you paid as much attention to this as you do to your idiotic plants, this wouldn’t be happening.
MADELINE: I don’t think that’s fair.
OPERATIONS: I don’t care what’s fair! And, I don’t care what you think!
He stalks out of his loft. Madeline, angry, turns to stare out the loft window.
SYSTEMS
Birkoff sits at a desk working at a computer. Hillinger walks past the area, sees Birkoff, and heads over to him.
HILLINGER: What are you working on?
BIRKOFF: Just stuff.
He gets up, Hillinger on his tail.
HILLINGER: It’s the mission evaluation, isn’t it?
Birkoff has gone into a small room where the files are stored. Hillinger comes up behind him.
HILLINGER: Birkoff, you’re not going to hang me out, are you? Come on, I didn’t have enough information.
BIRKOFF: (unforgiving) It was on your panel.
HILLINGER: I never read my panel, you know that. I don’t need to.
Birkoff heads back into the Systems area.
BIRKOFF: This time you did.
Hillinger follows, grabbing Birkoff’s arm to stop him.
HILLINGER: Birkoff…
Birkoff looks at Hillinger’s hand on his arm, as if to tell him “get your hands off me”. Hillinger releases him.
HILLINGER: They’ll cancel me.
BIRKOFF: (disappointed) Probably not, with my luck. You’re too valuable.
HILLINGER: Wrong. They just recruited a stats analyst from O.S.I. and a privacy coder from Moscow. Between the two of them, they can cover everything I do.
BIRKOFF: Yeah… but not as fast.
HILLINGER: Faster.
Just then, Madeline enters Systems, standing on the top step with her arms folded across her chest. Birkoff looks up, while Hillinger stands behind him.
MADELINE: I need answers, Birkoff.
BIRKOFF: I’m just finishing it up now.
MADELINE: Tell me.
BIRKOFF: The profile was downgraded onsite, and there was no contingency to cover it. That’s the job of the mission head.
MADELINE: Right.
HILLINGER: (piping in) Yeah, Victor screwed up. But, in a way, it’s poetic justice. You just would have had to cancel him anyways.
Madeline gives him a perturbed look, then looks back to Birkoff.
MADELINE: Send it to me when it’s done.
She exits the area, and Hillinger is thrilled that Birkoff covered for him.
HILLINGER: Some quick thinking, Seymour.
He pats Birkoff on the shoulder.
HILLINGER: I owe you.
He sees the same female op he’d been flirting with during the mission and heads over to her.
HILLINGER: Hey, what are you working on?
He grabs a PDA out of her hand.
HILLINGER: Where’s that smile?
She playfully grabs the PDA back, smiling from ear to ear. Birkoff stands a short distance away, not believing Hillinger’s attitude or that he just lied to Madeline for Hillinger.
HILLINGER: Have you thought about what I said? ‘Cause I was serious, you know… I’m serious.
WAR ROOM
Michael, Nikita, Walter and Birkoff sit at the long conference table as Operations briefs them about their next mission.
OPERATIONS: As you know, two days ago we were closing in on Pierre Brulois when the strike team went down. Brulois is on a Pentagon Red List. He’s a member of a highly placed naval intelligence team who’s gone rogue. All the agencies want him taken out because of the damage he could if his knowledge were peddled to the terrorist community.
BIRKOFF: We’ve been using satellites and broad-spectrum tags to get a position on Brulois. So far, they haven’t yielded up enough data.
OPERATIONS: We’ll go after him by degrees. We’ll start with this woman here – Francine Chu, one of his mistresses.
We see an image of an Asian woman on the halo-screen.
OPERATIONS: Michael will head the team; Nikita will assist Tactical.
BIRKOFF: I’ll initialize the notes and get them over to Walter.
OPERATIONS: It’s already been done.
BIRKOFF: By who?
Now we see that Hillinger is seated beside Birkoff. Hillinger leans forward.
HILLINGER: Me.
BIRKOFF: (incredulous) What?
OPERATIONS: He’s been bumped to active. You’re needed onsite.
BIRKOFF: Wait a minute. He’s not ready to run a mission.
OPERATIONS: Why?
BIRKOFF: He’s just not.
OPERATIONS: (cold) If you have specifics, tell me. If not, get to work.
Michael looks over to Birkoff, waiting to hear what he’ll say, as does Hillinger.
BIRKOFF: I guess he’ll be fine.
OPERATIONS: No mistakes this time.
Birkoff and Hillinger immediately stand and head out. Across the chairs they just vacated, Nikita trades a glance with Michael, who then stands and walks off. Nikita stays behind a moment, and we see Walter also has a concerned look on his face.
HALLWAY
Madeline stands in a hallway conversing with a man named Rueben. Operations walks quickly up to them.
RUEBEN: I’ve got that information on that mission you were asking about earlier. It’s on the computer. I can download it and bring it up to you later.
OPERATIONS: Madeline.
Madeline turns to him a moment, not wanting to be interrupted.
MADELINE: In a minute.
She turns her back to Operations, giving Rueben her attention again.
OPERATIONS: Now!
MADELINE: (to Rueben) Excuse me.
Rueben immediately walks off. Madeline now turns irritably to Operations.
MADELINE: Yes?
OPERATIONS: George called again. He’s not satisfied with the Bucharest debrief.
MADELINE: What is it he objects to?
OPERATIONS: (irritated) I don’t know! Get on with him and take care of it!
He starts walking off, then checks his step and turns back to her.
OPERATIONS: Oh, one other thing.
Madeline now turns back, clearly vexed with him.
MADELINE: Yes.
OPERATIONS: I’d like to see you in the Tower.
MADELINE: (coldly) What is it you want me to be? Your whipping post or your whore?
OPERATIONS: I’ll see you tonight. Eleven o’clock.
He moves off down the hall; Madeline goes the opposite direction.
COMM
Nikita and Hillinger sit in Comm watching their monitors. On screen, we see the mission van parked onsite.
HILLINGER: All right, Seymour, the surveillance loop is in the place…
We see the screen go static.
HILLINGER: … now.
Now the screen shows the area where the mission van had been, only now the mission van is nowhere to be seen.
Flash to Mission Van
BIRKOFF: Michael, hold.
Birkoff sits inside the van orchestrating the mission.
BIRKOFF: There’s two on the north rim coming from behind.
We see Michael and his team running along a building. They come to a stop at a door that has a security keypad.
MICHAEL: See the unit?
BIRKOFF: Yes. N-85, late model.
Flash to Comm
Hillinger is sitting at his laptop completely bored by what he considers child’s play.
BIRKOFF VOICE: You got it, Hillinger?
Hillinger taps a few keys.
HILLINGER: You’re in.
He turns to Nikita, who is standing beside his chair.
HILLINGER: (sarcastic) Big challenge.
Nikita throws him a look, then turns her attention back to an overhead monitor.
BIRKOFF: Michael, we’ve disabled security.
A buzzer sounds and the door opens. Michael leads his team inside. We see the interior of the building. It looks very posh and expensively decorated. At a security booth, two guards monitor screens which show various locations of the building, inside and out. Section has looped into their system, so that the guards cannot see that Section is there, but instead are viewing bogus feeds.
Birkoff continues working in the van, typing at his computer.
BIRKOFF: Okay, Michael, I’ve got it. They’re in the next room.
Flash to Comm
As Nikita is focused on the overhead monitor, Hillinger carefully and without drawing attention to his actions, taps keys on his keyboard. In Comm, the monitor turns static.
NIKITA: What’s this?
HILLINGER: What?
NIKITA: Looks like a sensor’s gone down in the van. Check the base system. Make sure everything’s clean.
Hillinger now taps a few more keys, undoing Section’s loop, so that the security team at the building can now see the mission van parked outside in the alley. Nikita can’t see this though.
GUARD: There’s something in the alley.
The security guard immediately takes off toward the alley, his gun drawn, to check out the van that should not be parked there.
Inside the van, Birkoff is concentrating on the mission, so he doesn’t notice that the security man is heading toward the van. When Birkoff looks over at the monitor, all he sees is static.
BIRKOFF: Hillinger, why don’t I have synch on the external vid?
HILLINGER: Looks like a sensor. I’d get on it. Can you leave the van?
BIRKOFF: Michael, are we clear?
MICHAEL VOICE: Yes.
Birkoff grabs a canvas bag, which holds tools he may need to fix the problem. Just as he’s about to head out the van door, he pauses and thinks to take a gun with him.
BIRKOFF: Okay, Hillinger, I’m going out.
Outside the van now, Birkoff goes to check the gun’s clip. As he does, he sees the security guard heading toward him. Quickly, Birkoff jumps into the shadows, but as he does so, he drops the clip. He can see it not far from him, but to reach for it would expose his position to the approaching security guard.
He heads to the rear of the van, just as the security guard comes to the side of van, nearly stepping on the dropped clip. At the rear of the van, Birkoff tries to make a run for it, but realizes he cannot scale the concrete wall that is blocking the area. He quickly runs back to the rear of the van, then to the driver’s side, just as the guard rounds the corner to the rear. Birkoff, on the driver’s side, tries to run left, only to discover he is trapped on that side as well by an iron gate.
Now Birkoff crouches down, kneeling low so he can look under the van and see the guard’s location. The guard also thinks to do this, but by the time he looks and stands, Birkoff has headed back toward the rear of the van. Slowly the guard also makes his way back to the rear, but when he rounds the corner, expecting to see Birkoff, Birkoff is not there. Confused, the guard turns his back to the van’s rear, looking about for Birkoff, who cannot be far.
We see that Birkoff has climbed on top of the van’s roof. He reaches out and with his gun, smacks the guard across the back of the head. The guard falls, momentarily stunned, but soon gets up and moves to go after Birkoff on the roof. Lying flat on his back, so as not to give away his position, Birkoff slowly inches forward toward the front of the van. The guard’s head appears over the roof, and he aims his gun at Birkoff. As Birkoff waits to be shot, a shot rings out, dropping the guard. Birkoff quickly scrambles to look and see what’s happened. He sees Michael, his gun drawn. Operatives are holding Francine Chu by the upper arms. Michael looks up at Birkoff.
MICHAEL: Let’s go.
SECTION
Operatives lead Francine Chu through Van Access, heading down the hall, while Birkoff storms in the opposite direction. He heads to Comm, anger in his every step and action, going first to a secured area, where he retrieves a tape, then on to Comm, where Hillinger sits.
BIRKOFF: (righteously angry) Nice try!
HILLINGER: (innocent) What? Are you talking to me?
BIRKOFF: (accusing) You’re the one who tried to kill me.
Birkoff is loading the tape into the drive with purpose.
HILLINGER: What are you talking about?
BIRKOFF: (echoes, mocking) What am I talking about?
He shoves the tape in fully with a loud slap, then leans over and gets in Hillinger’s face.
BIRKOFF: It’s called ‘black track’. It shows what you tried to do.
Birkoff storms over to stand beneath an overhead monitor, which scrolls with detailed information, showing each step Hillinger had made while running the mission.
BIRKOFF: Right here, you cut the surveillance loop… gave away my position.
He points as he makes each accusation. Hillinger looks stunned.
BIRKOFF: You knock out my monitor, then you send me out to get killed!
Now Birkoff has moved to get in Hillinger’s face, who is also standing.
BIRKOFF: Didn’t know we could do that, did you, Resident Genius!
Birkoff sees over Hillinger’s shoulder that Operations is standing there. He looks to Operations.
BIRKOFF: (to Operations) He’s the one who screwed up in Bucharest. I covered for him.
Operations looks seriously angry; Birkoff looks fed up and mad, while Hillinger looks worried, knowing he has now gone too far.
TOWER
Madeline stands before a mirror adjusting herself after her interlude with Operations. She has a large hickey on her neck, which she examines. Operations comes up behind her, his shirt front unbuttoned. He fastens his watch on his wrist.
MADELINE: I want this to stop.
OPERATIONS: I don’t.
MADELINE: (bitterly) I’m tried of being needed by you. Need someone else.
OPERATIONS: It doesn’t work that way.
MADELINE: On the outside, this would be sexual harassment.
Now he moves so that he is directly behind her. He is speaking into her ear, his face next to hers.
OPERATIONS: We’re not on the outside.
He walks off, and Madeline continues looking into the mirror. She covers her neck with her hands.
OVERSIGHT
George is talking on the phone via an earpiece, pacing as he speaks.
GEORGE: No, not yet. Give them another forty-eight hours. Yes, if the force doesn’t hold, then we’ll call on NATO. Fine.
Rueben walks up to him.
GEORGE: In an hour.
George ends the call, removing the earpiece, and looking to Rueben.
GEORGE: So, Rueben, how’s the mess at One coming along?
RUEBEN: We’ve assimilated almost sixty percent of their current projects.
GEORGE: Good.
RUEBEN: But, there’s something else. Do you still have an interest in removing Operations?
GEORGE: What have you found?
RUEBEN: A weak link.
COMMITTEE
Madeline stands before Hillinger and Greg, questing Hillinger about his role in trying to have Birkoff killed during the mission.
MADELINE: Continue, Greg.
HILLINGER: Look, I’ll cop to this interface thing. All right, fine. But, the rest of this stuff is completely bogus. Birkoff is just jealous.
Birkoff turns and looks pointedly at Hillinger.
BIRKOFF: Of what?
Now we see that Operations is also present.
OPERATIONS: Are you saying you didn’t intentionally put Birkoff at risk?
HILLINGER: Absolutely not.
MADELINE: What about the black track?
HILLINGER: It was a glitch. You overwrote the bound of the array. You shouldn’t have declared it a char point. It should have been…
OPERATIONS: Shut up!
He’s heard enough from Hillinger; Operations looks to Birkoff.
OPERATIONS: Birkoff?
BIRKOFF: (matter of fact) The transmission was alpha secure.
This is all Operations needs to hear. He is through questioning Hillinger, who can sense this.
HILLINGER: What’s alpha secure?
OPERATIONS: You can go back, Greg.
HILLINGER: No, wait a minute. What are you going to do to me?
OPERATIONS: Nothing, just get back to your post.
HILLINGER: No! Tell me what alpha secure means! I can explain this.
Operations looks at him hard, and Hillinger knows he is in trouble.
OPERATIONS: Now.
Hillinger leaves, and they focus their attention on Birkoff.
MADELINE: We’re running three domestic missions, twenty-seven on the outside. Can we replace Hillinger and not slow that down?
BIRKOFF: Not really. Not unless I can use the new recruits.
Operations looks askance at Madeline, who in turn looks to Operations.
OPERATIONS: What new recruits?
BIRKOFF: The ones from O.S.I. and Moscow.
They both now look at Birkoff. They have no idea what he is talking about.
OPERATIONS: Who?
Birkoff now realizes that Hillinger lied to him and there are no new recruits.
BIRKOFF: Never mind. I’m mixing them up with some of our contacts.
MADELINE: Which contacts would they be?
BIRKOFF: I can cover all the missions. I don’t need Hillinger.
OPERATIONS: Then, get on it.
Birkoff leaves to get to work. Madeline sits on the circular bench.
OPERATIONS: Cancel Hillinger.
MADELINE: We could do that, or…
OPERATIONS: (explodes) Why do I need to hear that every time! Why do I need two alternatives when I give an order!
Madeline continues with what she was trying to say, but keeps her gaze lowered.
MADELINE: … or, we could use him on the Brulois maneuver. He’d make a valuable abeyance operative.
OPERATIONS: Fine. Do it. And, do something about that perfume.
Now Madeline looks up at him.
OPERATIONS: It smells cheap.
Operations storms off, leaving Madeline sitting and stewing.
COMM
Birkoff enters Comm, where Hillinger is waiting for him, pacing nervously.
BIRKOFF: Why’d you lie to me about the new recruits? There aren’t any.
HILLINGER: What do you think? You were going to blow me out of the water. Birkoff, really, what are they going to do with me?
As he walks off, Birkoff shoots a potshot over his shoulder.
BIRKOFF: I wouldn't make any long term plans.
Hillinger seems to think about this a moment, before typing at the keyboard. He pulls up his Section file and sees that he has been put in abeyance. He looks up and smiles.
HILLINGER: Excellent.
OUTSIDE WHITE ROOM
Nikita walks toward the White Room, where Madeline waits for her, just outside the steel doors.
NIKITA: You wanted to see me?
MADELINE: Francine Chu is ready. I’d like you to transfer her.
NIKITA: Is something the matter?
MADELINE: Once we get a location from her, put a team together. Make sure that Hillinger’s on it.
NIKITA: And, if I don’t need him?
MADELINE: Make sure you need him.
Madeline walks off, and the door to the White Room swings open. Nikita walks through.
OPERATIONS' LOFT
When Madeline enters the loft, Operations has his back to her, as he views his built in wall monitors.
MADELINE: Do you have a moment?
He doesn’t bother to turn around.
OPERATIONS: No.
MADELINE: (icy) I will not tolerate this kind of treatment from you. I’m sorry if George is undermining you, but I’m your ally, not your enemy.
OPERATIONS: You’re neither. You obey me and will continue to do so until I’m done with you.
MADELINE: If I’ve done something…
She sighs heavily.
MADELINE: … to upset you, I assure you it was unintentional. Now, let’s talk about it.
Operations spins toward her, getting in her face.
OPERATIONS: It’s bad enough your people aren’t performing up to standard, but to have to stand here and listen to you grovel is totally pathetic. I wish you could see yourself.
He storms out of his office.
MADELINE’S OFFICE
Madeline enters her office having left Operations’ loft. She is clearly perturbed as she steps up to her plant shelf. There is a healthy, pink orchid, which she stares at for a moment. Suddenly, she reaches out and takes the main stem, viciously snapping it in two. She moves over to her desk and picks up her cell phone.
MADELINE: This is Madeline. I’ve considered your offer, and I’m ready to meet you.
PARIS - STREET
We see the Arc ‘D Triumph in the distance. It is day and the streets of Paris are bustling with people going about their business. Madeline walks alone, wearing black sunglasses. She comes to an outdoor café, where George waits for her.
MADELINE: Hello, George.
GEORGE: Madeline.
He kisses both her cheeks.
GEORGE: Good to see you. It sounds like things are deteriorating over there.
MADELINE: It’s a difficult time.
GEORGE: Stressful situations often bring out the true nature of the beast.
MADELINE: He’s been under pressure his entire life, but he’s never been like this.
GEORGE: It happens more often than you’d think - especially with men his age.
As they speak, they never look at each other, but stare forward, watching the people walking past them.
MADELINE: If we don’t do this exactly right…
GEORGE: With my resources and you inside, he won’t know what hit him.
MADELINE: And, when it’s all over, will I run the Section?
GEORGE: When it’s over, you’ll run all the Sections.
Now he turns to look directly at her. They hold a long look.
MICHAEL’S OFFICE
Michael makes his way to his office, and when he enters, he finds that Nikita is sitting, waiting for him. He closes the door and moves to his desk.
MICHAEL: Why are you not in Prep?
NIKITA: I was looking over the mission profile. Is it right?
MICHAEL: Yes, why?
NIKITA: Well, how could Hillinger be in abeyance?
MICHAEL: He made a terminal sequence of mistakes.
Nikita doesn’t respond, and Michael just watches her. She glances at his desk, and he understands that she wants him to secure the room. He punches in the code on the keypad, then waits for her to speak.
NIKITA: Can I change with someone? I don’t feel comfortable ushering him into the black.
MICHAEL: You were selected because of your relationship with him. The profile stands.
Nikita says nothing, then stands and leaves Michael to stare after her.
MISSION
Michael is in Comm with Birkoff, assisting with Tactical. He is speaking to the dispatched team, who has been sent out to retrieve Brulois.
MICHAEL: When you get to the perimeter, go silent. Retrieve Brulois. Nikita and Hillinger will set the charge.
BIRKOFF: Everything within 200 meters will be red-zoned. Make sure you’re out.
We see a large, empty indoor parking lot. Nikita, leads the teams in, including Hillinger.
BIRKOFF VOICE: I’m setting a frequency that will get you to the target. You’ll pick it up when you enter the parking lot.
NIKITA: Got it. Go.
Three male operatives separate from Nikita and Hillinger and head for the building. They come to double doors, blow them open, and enter inside.
Nikita and Hillinger are suppose to set charges.
HILLINGER: Did you double-check the numbers?
NIKITA: Yeah, why?
HILLINGER: When I run this device, it says I have 30 seconds to get out.
NIKITA: So?
They come to a wall and crouch down to set charges.
HILLINGER: So, I just did a calculation in my head. Nikita, this thing’s going to go off as soon as I hit return.
Nikita can’t tell him he’s in abeyance, so she makes something up.
NIKITA: Greg, it’s your first time out. They installed a new delay. There wasn’t time to include it.
Hillinger thinks about this a moment.
NIKITA: When we get to our final mark, just do what I say; you’ll be all right.
HILLINGER: Thanks.
He sets a timer and slides it into position, while Nikita moves off to set another a distance away.
NIKITA: All set. You ready?
Hillinger is working on a device.
HILLINGER: Yeah, just give me a couple of seconds.
He has a wrist-mounted device with a flip-top that he is tapping on.
NIKITA: What’s that?
HILLINGER: It’s nothing. I’m just doing a parity check.
NIKITA: Parity check? Now?
HILLINGER: Yeah, the second part of the frame buffer had some bits that were fragmenting. I didn’t have time to replace them, so I, uh… added a new pathway to the DAC’s.
NIKITA: Don’t try to snow me, Greg. What are you doing?
MICHAEL: (in Comm) Nikita, go.
Nikita moves out, and Hillinger takes up another timing/explosive device. He mounts it on a column.
MICHAEL: (in Comm) Okay, Greg, the south egress is secure. That will be your exit point. Standby to start the clock.
Hillinger taps into a keypad on the device.
We see Birkoff sitting in Comm and Michael standing, both patiently letting things play out.
HILLINGER: Come on, guys.
MICHAEL: Okay, Greg, go.
Hillinger goes to push a button to activate the device, but before he can, Nikita comes up behind him and grabs his arm back.
NIKITA: Wait! The delay… it’s a lie! It’s going to blow five seconds after you enter!
HILLINGER: What about you?
NIKITA: I should be out of here.
HILLINGER: What’s going on?
NIKITA: Greg, you’re in abeyance. Set it a neg-40, now.
HILLINGER: Yeah, I already did. Let’s go!
They both run out, and we see the outside of the building, then the explosion.
COMM
OPERATIONS: Did we get Brulois?
BIRKOFF: No.
OPERATIONS: Why not?
BIRKOFF: He wasn’t onsite, but it wasn’t a loss.
OPERATIONS: Meaning what?
BIRKOFF: When we took out a substation, we picked up a communication from a survivor. It went directly to Brulois.
OPERATIONS: That’s a confirm?
BIRKOFF: Yeah. He’s been tagged. He’s in London.
OPERATIONS: Prepare a team.
BIRKOFF: Actually, everybody’s assigned. Oversight took practically all our people.
OPERATIONS: Use Michael’s team.
BIRKOFF: They’re not prepared for a piggyback.
OPERATIONS: (impatient) Damn it, Birkoff, be a little creative here! Think! Have them reset through Stockholm. Predate it so it looks like Q1. We’re going through some changes. If you can’t keep up, you’re not needed.
Operations storms off, and Birkoff get to work, shaking his head.
OPERATIONS' LOFT
As Operations enters, he finds Madeline sitting on the edge of his long desk, waiting for him.
OPERATIONS: What are you doing here?
MADELINE: I wanted to let you know that Hillinger sustained the mission.
OPERATIONS: That’s all right. I can use him for one more anyway. You didn’t need to come here to tell me that.
He moves to stand beside her, facing Section below.
MADELINE: That’s true.
Now she stands and moves so she is standing behind him at his shoulder.
MADELINE: I thought you might want to relax a little first.
She reaches out and makes the window go dark. He keeps his profile to her.
MADELINE: I realize that I haven’t been as accessible as you need me to be. That’s going to change. You can use me any time, day or night.
She walks to the other side of him, moving close.
MADELINE: If I’m what you need to stay focused on your work, then you can have me.
Operations moves to stand directly in front of her, close. He strokes her face with one hand, pressing two kisses to her lips.
OPERATIONS: Thank you, Madeline.
He lowers his head and begins kissing her neck, while Madeline, with eyes open, stares off, suffering his touch.
OVERSIGHT
George is in his office standing behind his chair when Rueben enters.
GEORGE: What is it?
RUEBEN: You won’t believe what I just got from One.
GEORGE: What?
RUEBEN: A back channel list.
GEORGE: Paul?
RUEBEN: Validated. It came directly from his office. Madeline was able to flush it out.
GEORGE: Did you look at it?
RUEBEN: Yes, it’s perfect. He’s working with Brulois. That’s why the Section’s missed him the last two attempts. Paul’s sending him intel.
GEORGE: That’s not going to be enough.
RUEBEN: What should I do?
GEORGE: Nothing. This one’s mine.
PARIS - STREET
George and Madeline walk together along a busy street.
MADELINE: I can get that information you wanted.
GEORGE: I need it as soon as possible.
MADELINE: I can’t get out again for another thirty-eight hours.
GEORGE: That’s not soon enough.
MADELINE: Then, I’ll messenger it over.
GEORGE: When?
MADELINE: This afternoon.
GEORGE: Is this someone we can trust?
MADELINE: Of course it is.
GEORGE: All right.
Madeline stops walking and stands in front of George, so he also has to stop.
MADELINE: One thing. I want the company key file.
GEORGE: The key file. Why?
MADELINE: I want the visability. It’s too risky any other way.
GEORGE: You know I can’t let that out.
MADELINE: Fine, then let’s call it off. Goodbye, George.
She walks off, cutting off their meeting.
GEORGE: Madeline.
Madeline stops and turns back to him.
BRULOIS MISSION
We see an elevator containing six people, two who are Michael and Nikita. The doors open and Michael and Nikita get out, entering a hallway that leads to offices.
BIRKOFF: (in Comm) Okay, Greg. The unit should be directly in front of you.
Hillinger is situated above the elevator ceiling, tapping into the building’s security.
HILLINGER: Ooh-ah. I got it.
Nikita and Michael wait outside a set of secured glass doors. Nikita hand Michael a documents, which he examines while they wait to be let in. Inside the doors, Nikita watches a man, who is talking on the phone.
HILLINGER: (above elevator) I got to ask myself, Seymour… why did you have to bring me along for this? Even you could have found this out.
BIRKOFF: (in Comm) Just do it.
In the office, the man on the phone sets the phone down and moves to a back section of the office. We see Birkoff waiting for Hillinger to tap into the security to open the glass doors.
HILLINGER: It’s done.
BIRKOFF: Michael, you’ve got entrance.
Michael swipes a keycard over the security device and the doors open. He and Nikita enter. Michael strides into the back area, encountering the man whom had been on the phone, who pulls a gun. Michael shoots him, then goes into an office, where Brulois is standing with his back to the door, looking out the window. When Michael enters, he turns.
BRULOIS: Hey, what are you doing?
Michael advances to him.
BRULOIS: All right, easy, Mac. Easy, easy!
Michael jabs an injection into his neck.
MICHAEL: Target secure.
BIRKOFF: Okay, let’s go to post. Hillinger, go to B Channel.
HILLINGER: B Channel? Well now, that party’s really starting.
As Hillinger begins tapping into a keypad, a loud, high-pitch piercing his ears. He cries out and grabs his ears. This of course has been done, so that he cannot hear what Birkoff has to say next.
BIRKOFF: (in Comm) All teams, exit. Incineration in sixty seconds.
Michael begins to lead a dazed Brulois out of his office. A guard appears from behind and aims a gun at Michael’s back, but Nikita appears and takes the guard out.
BIRKOFF: (in Comm) Comm is down.
On site, Hillinger is still beset with the debilitating piercing sound. It suddenly stops.
HILLINGER: Ow! What was that?
BIRKOFF: (in Comm, deadpan) Sorry. We were jammed.
Michael and Nikita lead Brulois down a flight of stairs. Meanwhile, Hillinger notices on his PDA that a countdown has begun.
HILLINGER: (panicked) Seymour, what are we timing?
Just then, Nikita runs to the elevator doors and begins pounding on them and screaming to Hillinger.
NIKITA: Greg! Greg, if you can hear me… Greg, get out!
HILLINGER: What? No! Nikita! I can’t hear you!
NIKITA: Greg, can you hear me? Get out!
HILLINGER: What?
NIKITA: Get out! Can you hear me? Greg, get out! Greg!
Michael comes up to her, grabbing her by the arm.
MICHAEL: We have to go.
He pulls her away, but she turns to look back to the elevator. Michael pulls her again.
MICHAEL: We have to go!
HILLINGER: What? I can’t hear you! Nikita!
Nikita looks back as Michael leads her away, while Birkoff sits in Comm waiting for Hillinger to be gotten rid of once and for all. Michael stops and looks back at the elevator. The doors explode outward.
WHITE ROOM
The steel door of the White Room swings open and Madeline enters. Brulois sits, restrained in the center chair.
MADELINE: You’re a very lucky man, Mr. Brulois.
BRULOIS: Really. How do you figure that?
MADELINE: You should be dead by now.
BRULOIS: In other words, you’ll keep me alive ‘til you get what you want.
MADELINE: Actually, we know which group you sold your intel to. I have a much better offer for you.
AIRPLANE HANGAR
A silver Mercedes pulls into a aircraft hangar, where we see a shiny, white private jet parked inside. George gets out of the Mercedes and goes over to Brulois, who stands waiting for him, a case in hand.
BRULOIS: How ya doing?
GEORGE: Let’s have it.
BRULOIS: First the key file.
GEORGE: Here.
George hands him a small, round disk, which Brulois inserts into a hand-held drive. A light on it turns green indicating the disk is for real.
BRULOIS: Great. This is for you.
Brulois walks off, leaving the case behind, which George goes and picks up, setting it on the hood of his Mercedes. As he opens it, he sees it is filled with neat stacks of money. Suddenly, a truck squeals into the hangar, and operatives rush in, surrounding George.
GEORGE: What is this?
An operative then lowers the stairs of the parked jet. Madeline steps out and down the steps, followed by Operations.
MADELINE: You’ve just committed high treason against the agencies and your government.
GEORGE: Why are you doing this?
She doesn’t respond to his question, and neither does Operations, who instead gives his own demands, not bothering to look at George.
OPERATIONS: I want my people returned. All my files and resources… released by the end of the day.
GEORGE: It’s going to take a lot longer than…
Operations walks over to George, facing him now.
OPERATIONS: Excuse me, are you interrupting, George?
GEORGE: I’m sorry. Please go on.
OPERATIONS: I want your resignation.
GEORGE: I beg your pardon?
OPERATIONS: Accompanied by your recommendation that I succeed you at Oversight.
GEORGE: (coldly) And, what reason should I give for leaving?
OPERATIONS: Cite failing health.
Madeline gives George a nasty look, then goes over to Brulois and retrieves the key file George had given him.
OPERATIONS: I’ll be by your office first thing in the morning to approve the document before you hand it over to the Board.
GEORGE: It will be done.
OPERATIONS: Good.
He smiles, turning to leave. Madeline and George engage in a lethal stare-down for a long time, before Madeline also turns and follows after Operations.
OVERSIGHT
Operations approaches George, who is sitting at his desk, built on a raised, circular dais.
GEORGE: Paul.
OPERATIONS: George.
George turns in his chair to face Operations.
GEORGE: So, you knew we were watching you all this time?
OPERATIONS: Yes, we did.
GEORGE: It was quite a play. Two years pretending to have a relationship with Madeline, for the sole purpose of advertising a vulnerability that never existed.
OPERATIONS: The document, George.
GEORGE: Just so I’m clear… there was never anything between the two or you?
OPERATIONS: Not that it matters now, but no. There was never anything.
George stands.
GEORGE: Adrian and I often spoke of it. Marveled at it, actually. Your almost super-human ability to detach yourself from feeling… anything.
OPERATIONS: You’re trying my patience, George. Let me see what you’ve written up.
GEORGE: That’s why I became suspicious a few months ago. Wanting someone… needing someone… it wasn’t your style. That’s when I committed to a course of action.
OPERATIONS: What are you saying?
George presses a hand-held intercom.
GEORGE: Send him in.
Operations turns to see who has been summoned. Hillinger walks in, dressed in jacket and slacks, much different from his usual, casual attire. Operations’ face registers surprise to see him alive.
OPERATIONS: Hillinger.
Operations takes a step forward, as he begins to understand what George has pulled.
OPERATIONS: Everything you did was calculated. Even getting Birkoff to put you in abeyance so you could escape.
George has come down from the dais, and now stands behind Operations.
GEORGE: Yes. He’s got quite the makings, hasn’t he, Paul? Young Mr. Hillinger proved his brilliance in extricating the Gemstone File.
George activates an overhead monitor, which scroll information regarding the Gemstone file.
GEORGE: I now know everything that happened. With Adrian, your insatiable quest for power…
OPERATIONS: You have my motivation wrong. But yes. My power base is considerable.
GEORGE: Yes, I know.
OPERATIONS: And, what do you want?
GEORGE: You know what I want - the key file.
OPERATIONS: You know I can’t give you that.
GEORGE: So. Here we are.
The two men exchange a long look, Operations inclining his head ever so slightly.
The End
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