The Mark

The Mark

Operations stood with his arms crossed as Madeline spoke. Nikita thought she recognized a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. Madeline though was the one pacing in front of the briefing table. Along with Nikita, there were three other operatives in the room. All female. Madeline was going on and on about the last several weeks of testing. After the war with Red Cell the operatives were being tested and retested. Madeline was looking to see what damage had been wrecked upon the psyches and Ops was looking, as always, for weaknesses in them. From the look on Ops face Nikita knew she wasn't going to like this test.

"In the past you have all been called upon to use your rather substantial powers of female persuasion to lure or distract someone on a mission. The next phase in out testing will focus on this." Madeline's eyes swept the women. "Your part, place a tracker on your target. Easy? At the same time he will be attempting to retrieve a microchip from you and place his own tracker." She smiled at the various reactions to the test. "You will be under close surveillance, and you will not know the identity of the operative you will be working with. Go see Walter for your gear, we will meet in the gym in thirty minutes."

Nikita rolled her eyes. This was the first test she'd been included in since she being released from the medlab after being shot. Not that she hadn't enjoyed the time to herself, but she had been bored to tears. Literally, to tears. The cause of her grief stood beside Birkoff. She did her best to ignore him.

"They finally including you in the tests Nikita?" Birkoff asked.

"Guess so." She smiled for him but avoided eye contact with the man next to him. She turned her back on them and followed the others.

Birkoff released a sigh. "She really is mad at you this time."

"Leave it alone." Michael whispered resting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Operations wants to see you." Birkoff relayed.

In the gym Annette, Corrie, Lynn, and Nikita waited. They were dressed to the teeth, ready to do battle. They giggled and laughed and compared notes on what they had in mind for their "mark". When the door at the far end of the room opened silence descended. Madeline entered. She handed each woman a blind fold.

"To make this game more fun," Madeline smiled, "You will have an abundance." A crowd filed into the gym. Amy, Birkoff, Chris, Walter, John, Michael, a large handful of others.

Nikita's eyes locked on Michael. Shit! Now what? She forced herself to look away. His betrayal in the Red Cell cage still warred within her. There had to be 25 people in the room now. The other women with Nikita seemed to be a bit nervous as well.

Madeline continued. "They will be watching to see if they can spot a tracker being placed or the microchip being lifted. Do not remove the blind fold. It will cause your elimination from the test, and it will be viewed as a failure." Madeline swept the faces of her subjects. "I‘m glad you understand. To make this a bit more fun we have music. Consider yourselves to be on a dance floor. You have your mission. Blind folds on." Nikita and the others did so without hesitation.

Nikita's senses started to compensate for her loss of sight. She listened. The door to the gym opened again. Several more people entered, then the music started. Someone... no, Madeline, checked her blind fold. "Don't fail Nikita." Nikita wondered if this was a warning or a threat.

The slow sounds of foot steps told her that her mark was approaching. Nikita new the men were being tested as well. This, though, was one time where she was going to win. Her mark walked around her and she turned with him following his foot steps. He slipped her hand into his. It was warm and dry, his other hand went to the curve of her hip. His touch feather light. *Nikita, get a grip.* She thought as the heat from his hand penetrated her dress. Madeline had once again chosen their attire for the “mission”. This once Nikita wasn’t going to complain about that. Madeline had a keen sense of a woman’s sexuality

She forced herself to block out the murmurs of the crowd and focus on her mission. As the dance began he held her away from him. He seemed stiff to her. It must be Michael she thought. He‘s worried about making Michael mad. Well lets see if I can use that against him. Nikita slid closer inside the half circle of his arms. Her hand sliding slowly up his arm to his shoulder she brought her hip to meet his. Again he stiffened then relaxed. She turned herself so that she could lean into his chest. The hand resting on her hip started to wander, he would be searching for the microchip.

`Have to distract him.` She set another plan into motion. Cautiously she brought her lips to the curve of his neck and barely touching him drew a line to his ear. He ceased his movements and gripped her tightly. Nikita smiled and blew lightly into his ear. He shifted noticeably away from her.

“Where are you going?” She whispered into his ear following his body with hers. “You’re not afraid of me are you?” She knew the men of Section were not afraid of women so it served more as a challenge to him. Daring him to keep up with her. For a second she thought it had failed as he kept the space between them. Nikita looked towards his face and offered her unseen partner a sensual pout. She was rewarded with a mirth filled exhalation, that he directed upon her neck as he pulled her close again. “Mmmmm.” She mumbled into his chest. She then realized he had used the distance to change their position. Now he had both his hands on her hips and one of her hands was trapped against his chest, the other still on his shoulder.

Nikita giggled like a young girl. This test was becoming fun. She could feel him looking down at her so she offered up her face, lightly gliding her tong across her lips. His lips met hers instantly. The touch was so light and then the kiss was broken.

“Not everything I said was a lie.”

Those words froze her for an instant. They hadn’t been spoken by the man she was with but somewhere in the past. Thoughts of Michael came unbidden. *Focus!* Nikita scolded herself. But she had made a mistake and her mark knew it. His hands were dangerously close to the microchip.

There was some commotion to Nikita’s left and she heard Corrie curse.

“Corrie you are confined to quarters until you are debriefed.” Operations said.

Nikita shuddered. Time to pull out the heavy artillery. She drew lazy circles at the base of his neck with her free hand. He had shoulder length hair that brought another flash of Michael’s face. Pushing it aside she went for a button on the front of his shirt. And to make matters worse she slipped one leg between his with the next step in the dance. He caught his breath. Score, Nikita thought. Time to over overwhelm him. Her right hand, having dealt with the button slipped inside his shirt and began an intense exploration of his chest. While with her left hand she entwined her fingers in his hair and pulled him down to meet her. This time she took control. Kissing him with increasing pressure, sliding her tong into his mouth. Just as he started to respond the kiss she shifted her weight, caressing his thighs and crotch with her thigh.

He froze. Nikita could feel the battle inside him. She switched from the deep kiss to light kisses on his lips and down the side of his neck she halted at the hollow in his neck just above the collar bone and started to suck. He gave a low moan, almost inaudible. She kept at him. Her leg offering him another distraction. His response was undeniable. She never let up even as she felt his hand slip inside her dress. She redoubled her efforts on his neck and nipped him softly. His whole body shook. She planted the tracker.

Before she could stop him she realized he had the microchip.

“Arigatoo.” He whispered in her ear. Then he was gone.

“Nikita.” Madeline turned her around. She realized there were hoots and cat calls filling the room. Madline removed her blind fold. She blinked back the bright lights.

“Damn.”

“I’ll be with you shortly to debrief you.” Madeline told her. As Nikita left she caught Walter’s ear to ear smile. Birkoff was blushing. Behind them Michael glared at her. Her mood darkened.

Nikita paced waiting for Madeline. She had placed the tracker, but she had lost the chip. She was only a bit nervous, since her mind kept dragging her back into the gym. It had been an interesting game.

Madeline entered the room without knocking. “Nikita. We have confirmed that the tracker is in place.” She smiled. “But... it seems you lost the microchip.” Her smile faded. “We need closure on this Nikita. You have to retrieve the chip. The operative who took it has it on him. Find him and recover the chip. You have 24 hours. In the mean time Section is on close quarters stand by. There is a briefing in thirty minutes.”

“Madeline have I been returned to active duty?” Nikita was confused.

“That remains to be seen.” And she left. Nikita stood dumbly in the middle of the room.

“Walter?” Nikita entered his office.

“Hey Sugar! That was quite a display earlier.”

Nikita blushed. She leaned in to see what Walter was working on. “What have you got there?”

“New stuff for the coming mission.” He pushed it aside. “What can I do for you?” He winked at her.

“I need a scanner, a small one. Like the kind we used on the Bolivian thing last month.” Walter shook his head at her. “Why not?”

“I’m out.” He stated. “Had two other takers before you. Pretty things they were. But not as pretty as you Sugar.”

“Oh.” Her grin faltered.

“Don’t look so sad. Here.” He bent below the counter and came up with a small box. Opening it up he took out a watch. “This is a damn good scanner, can hit just about any frequency there is and all the ones we use here.” He winked again.

“Cool.” Her eyes lit up. “Walter?”

“Oh no! Don’t go dragging me into this. Do what you have to do, but don’t drag your family into this.” Walter tried to smile. “Nikita, one thing with the tracker, you will need to be in close range.” He was about to say something more but stopped.

“Walter. Nikita. You are both late for the briefing.” Michael looked Nikita over before heading off the briefing room.

“Come on.” Walter took her elbow and escorted her to the meeting.

An hour later Nikita and the others cleared out of the briefing room. Lynn tapped Nikita on the shoulder. “Guess we know what this is all about now.” She smiled mischievously. They both had endured the `looks` through out the briefing.

“Yeah, guess so. But I thought Annette had also gotten this far?” Nikita said.

“No, she never placed her tracker.” Lynn smiled. “Well I do have a dance partner to find.” She hustled off.

Nikita inserted herself into the group of operatives around Birkoff’s station. “Hey, anything good on?” Birkoff groaned. She thought for an instant that Michael smiled. She looked away. Arthur, Jim and Sean were going over the plans to the office complex the team would be hitting. Michael pointed out the security measures.

Nikita thought that now was as good a time as any and she activated the watch. The tiny red light told her that the man she wanted was within twenty feet of her, that included Michael and his team, Birkoff, Walter, and four men working on something behind Michael. Work with what you know. Shoulder length hair. Not many men in Section allowed their hair to reach that length, but here in front of her were several. Nikita figured it had to do with the cover of the mission but only Arthur had short hair. Jim on the other hand was no taller then Nikita, if anything she was taller then him so he too was out. Of those closest to her Sean and Michael fit the profile so far. Behind them Nikita included Jammie and Ted. Nikita wanted to discount Sean because he seemed so at ease with Michael. She remembered his first reaction when she pressed herself into him.

"Nikita? Hello?” Michael was staring at her. “Can you pay attention here?” His lips were set in a hard line.

“Sure . Sorry. I was thinking about something else.”

“Really?” He said investigating her eyes. Suddenly he looked back down and continued with the floor plans.

From above Ops and Madeline watched.

“Well?”

“She’ll manage.” Madeline offered Ops her most charming smile.

“Why I let you talk me into this... “

“It has already done wonders for the moral of Section. And we need that right now. Don't you agree?"

Operations didn't answer.

“Shit.” Birkoff stammered. Everyone looked up at the computer whiz. “Uh, sorry.” He went back to work, offering no explanation for his sudden outburst.

Nikita made her next move. She walked away from the groups of men giving just enough ground to separate Sean and Michael from the others. She checked the scanner again. Nothing. No red lights. No green lights. Just a simple watch. She motioned to Walter and he met her in his office. She handed over the watch.

“What’s with this? A just had a reading.”

“It’s been jammed Sweetness.” He tried not to smile. This was going to be fun.

“WHAT!” The operatives turned to stare. Nikita’s face was flushed. This wasn’t fair. He knew who she was and could easily watch for her. Both Michael and Sean were staring at her intently. Then Michael said something and Sean laughed. Nikita turned redder.

“Sugar, listen to your uncle Walter. You made an impression out there on the gym floor. Don’t stop now. If it worked once, it might work again.”

“And if I miss my mark?”

“They are all fair game Sugar. Make’em reckless."

Nikita sighed deeply. “Okay, Walter I get it. The test isn’t over. Is it?” She winked back at him.

Nikita rejoined the men. This time she inserted herself between Sean and Michael. They both looked at her. She avoided looking at either of them. Instead she leaned forward onto the table looking over the maps. On one side her hip pressed against Sean’s and on the other side her shoulder met Michael’s. The neck of her blouse dropping open only enough to ensure that both men could peek. She hadn’t planned on that little event but the effect was worth it.

Sean adjusted his position immediately. His eyes stealing a look at Michael before he excused himself for a moment. Nikita watched him go.

“Nikita.” Michael’s voice was low and cold. “What are you doing?”

“My job dear Michael. My job.” As she straightened she trailed a hand across the back of his neck. She had her man. Now all she needed to do was secure the chip.

Michael didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Nikita, swaying her hips seductively, rounded a corner and left his sight.

Nikita retreated to her room. She was so pissed she didn’t trust herself outside the confines of her small haven. Now she had to figure a way to get the chip off him. Several ideas came to mind. An hour later she was ready to go.

She waited until later in the evening when most of the ops were working at distracting themselves from the upcoming mission. She had seen him going about his business in the halls of the Section and she was ready for him. In one hand she had a bowl of cream of wheat, in her other hand she had a large cup of hot coco. Her timing was perfect. As he came around a corner she stepped out of a door way and dumped both the bowl and the cup all over him.

“What the!” He stared at her his jaw open slightly.

“Oh god. I am so sorry. I didn’t see you. Really, I can’t believe this.” It took an act of God to keep her from loosing it. His expression was worth the chewing out she knew she was about to get.

He merely turned away dripping goo. Nikita chuckled, it was even in his hair.

The locks to his room were not easy but Nikita stayed with it until she heard the snick and she eased the door open a crack. The room was dark but she could hear the shower and see light coming from the bathroom. She didn’t have much time. Stealing across the room she peered into the bathroom. The steam made it hard to see through the glass doors to the shower, but he was in there and not hiding in the room. On the floor, the cloths she had soiled were carelessly piled. It took only a moment to search the pile to find the chip. She knew her mark well and as she suspected the chip was there.

She turned to leave and a flash of inspiration hit her. She scribbled in the mirror, and was barely out of the room before the water went off. She high tailed it off to Madeline with her prize.

Michael stepped out of the shower and noticed two things instantly. His cloths had been messed with. Damn her! And the message in the mirror. A true smile escaped him followed by a small laugh. Nikita might not have forgiven him but at least she was acting more herself. He erased the words from the mirror but not from his mind.

“Love the hickey.”

END

written by Dawn Ziegler