As Nikita finished her workout, and turned the music down on her stereo, she heard the all too familiar ringing of her cell phone.
Wiping the sweat from around her face and neck, she walks over to her purse, takes out the small phone, and opens it. After pushing the send button, she says "Yeah..."
On the other end, she hears a familiar voice that replies....” Josephine..."
Nikita answers "Okay...I'm on it." She closes the flip cover on the phone, lays it down, and proceeds to her bedroom to change and head out....
Nikita locked her apartment door and walked down the stairs. She looked to the doorway at the apartment building next to her and looked at the bum sitting there. Nikita passed quickly, knowing that Michael was waiting. Nikita stopped at the corner for a car to pass when she noticed that she was being followed. Nikita turned and found the bum, a woman standing against her back.
"Don't go." The woman says and Nikita turns away and shakes her head. She steps out into the street and a car almost runs Nikita over.
"The man that called you will be in danger." The woman says and disappears.
Nikita turns and finds that the woman has disappeared. Although she doesn't want to believe what she said, and she knows that she shouldn't give it a second thought, she can't help but have a nagging feeling that there may be some truth to what the old woman said.
Shaking her head, and telling herself that she is just being overly paranoid, Nikita crosses the street, gets into her car, and heads to Section. Once she gets to Section, she finds Michael, Operations, and Birkoff all huddled around Birkoff’s computer console. They are discussing the specifics of last minute intel that has come in, when Operations turns to Nikita.
Operations: Make sure you stick close Nikita...we have a briefing in five minutes.... and this mission could go live at any minute. Nikita nods her head in acknowledgment. As she turns to leave, Michael stops her.
Michael: Nikita.... Madeline wants to see you in her office before the briefing.
Nikita: Oh, okay...any idea what about?
Michael: No... She didn't say.
Nikita turns and heads to Madeline’s office...once again experiencing that nagging feeling she had experienced earlier....
"Nikita, what is wrong?” Madeline asks as Nikita enters.
Nikita blinks her eyes and stares at Madeline.
"Nothing. I'm fine.” Nikita says and Madeline internalizes her chuckle at Nikita's bad impression of Michael's blank stare.
"Nikita, I have a firm feeling here that you know something you aren't telling me.” Madeline says and Nikita lifts her chin up. Madeline pushes her button and talks to Operations.
"Push back the briefing... I have an intel problem.” Madeline says and she turns to Nikita.
"Are you going to tell me?” Madeline asks as she stands up. Nikita stares straight at her. Nikita couldn't tell her.
"I am a firm believer in intuition Nikita. This mission will be difficult and dangerous. If there is something that you know... I want to know.” Madeline says.
"I want to talk to Michael.” Nikita says firmly.
"That has been arranged for.” Madeline says.
Nikita: "What do you mean? Why have you arranged for me to talk to Michael?"
Madeline: "I know about the woman who stopped you on your way here Nikita and what she said to you."
Nikita: "How?"
Madeline: "Don't worry about how, now, shall we go and talk to Michael?"
Nikita: "Yes, you're coming with me?"
Madeline: "I'm just going to walk you down there, Operations does not know about all of this, and we don't him to find out do we?"
Nikita: "Why are you doing all of this?"
Madeline: "Don't ask why Nikita, just go along with it."
Nikita is still wondering why Madeline is helping her with this as the two women walk down the long, cold, emotionless corridors of Section towards Michael's office where he is sitting there waiting for them to arrive.
