Subject:  Re: THE THREAD THAT BINDS - Part II |
Author:
Kitkat
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Date Posted: 18:44:36 04/07/01 Sat
In reply to:
Kitkat
's message, "THE THREAD THAT BINDS" on 18:35:17 04/07/01 Sat
THE THREAD THAT BINDS - Part II
Two days later I get to meet the new operative who is to play Michael’s wife in the upcoming mission. When I come in early to attend a briefing, I am in time to observe Michael giving the her the grand tour. His left hand is nestled in the small of her back, and his right hand is pointing out people and areas, Michael appears almost solicitous.
She is of medium height and very petite. Her strawberry blonde hair falls in waves well beyond her waist. I can just picture how it will look fanned out over Michael’s arm when they make love. When she happens to glance in my direction I see that her lips are full and heart shaped, and I cannot help but wonder if the flirtatious pout is a permanent expression or expressly for Michael’s benefit. Her gaze flickers over me and moves on.
I make my way to the briefing table and turn on the hologram. When Michael approaches I pretend not to notice.
"Nikita," he says.
I turn toward him, my eyes reluctantly leaving the screen.
"Nikita, this is Marnie. She will be joining our team." Up close I can see the smattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose. They make her peaches and creme complexion seem even more delicate. "Marnie, this is Nikita, one or our top operatives." I force myself to smile and extend my hand. I am spared further interaction as the table fills and the briefing begins.
Operations seems to be in an unusually good mood as he outlines our next mission. I learn that Michael’s angry words were not a bluff and that Marnie will play Michael’s wife. When the story line is revealed, Madeline watches me closely to gauge my reaction. I struggle not to have one.
The following day I join Birkoff at the com to monitor Michael and Marnie and download information pertinent to the mission. All day I watch Michael and Marnie pretending to be newlyweds and pretending to be lovers. I pretend to be indifferent. I know that the acting has to look real because we know that the other side is, also, watching. Knowing this doesn’t help.
I watch Michael smile at Marnie and laugh at some clever remark that she has made. I watch his kiss her tenderly on the forehead and brush her lips with his. Coming up behind her he massages her neck, and I watch him gently move her hair and plant moist kisses where his hands have previously been.
Later that evening, I watch them dance, slowly and sensuously, their bodies seeming to melt into one. I watch him kiss her full on the mouth. I watch as her lips part when his hands endeavor to bring her closer. I listen to her sighs of pleasure as his hands move to private, unexplored places, and I watch as she yields completely to his determined assault on her senses.
When they move into the bedroom, I leave. I have endured all that I can. The punishment that Michael has inflicted upon me is much greater than any small crime which I may have committed.
Back in my apartment I grab a book and a bottle of white wine to face the long night ahead. My mind is filled with pictures of Michael and Marnie making love. Two hours later, the book is unopened, and the bottle is empty. I turn out the light and slip into that nether world where dreams are real, and life is just an illusion.
I haven’t been there long when the door to my apartment opens, and Michael comes to stand beside my bed. He tells me that he is sorry, and that Marnie means nothing to him. She is just another assignment. When I ask if he made love to her, he tells me no. I believe him. When I wake up I wonder why my love for Remy seems to pale beside the depth of feelings that I have for Michael.
When I walk into Section two hours later, I know immediately that something is wrong. The room is alive with activity. Operations is demanding explanations, and Birkoff seems frantic. I join Walter at his worktable.
"What’s going on?" I ask.
"Now, Sugar, there’s no reason to get yourself all worked up."
"What’s going on?" I persist.
Walter avoids my eyes as he explains, "Michael and Marnie have disappeared."
"How could that happen?" I ask in disbelief.
"Well, from what I understand, the tape shows Michael and Marnie sleeping one minute and then, they just disappear from the tape."
"You mean that the tape stops or that they leave the bedroom?" I ask.
Walter shakes his head. "No, I mean that in one frame they are asleep in the bed, and in the next frame, they are gone."
I head to the small tech room where Operations, Madeline, and Birkoff are watching the tapes from last night. I stand in the doorway and wait. Frame after frame passes across the viewer depicting Michael and Marnie sleeping.
"What happened Birkoff?" Operations asks. "How did they pull it off?"
"Someone with access to our main frame feed us a dead feed, overriding our live camera imput data."
Madeline leans in closer. "How is that possible? They would have had to have filmed Michael and Marnie sleeping, and then, feed that into our computer, while in real time, Michael and Marnie leave the bed."
Birkoff looks up at Madeline. "That’s right. That’s exactly what they did. Then, with that in place, the rest was simple. Michael and Marnie just left or were taken away."
Operations folds his arms across his chest. "So, we’ve been compromised. Is that what you’re telling me?"
Birkoff shifts uncomfortably. "Maybe," he says.
Operations strokes his chin, thoughtfully and walks to the window to look out over systems. He no longer looks confused, just deep in thought.
I cross the room to stand beside him. "You know something," I accuse. "What are you not telling us?"
Operations turns to light a cigar he has pulled from his front pocket. "Michael will be the fifth "valentine op" to turn up missing or dead in the past year, and if our postulations are correct, this will not be the first attempt on his life."
"What do you mean "not the first attempt"? "Has something like this happened before?" I reach for a chair to brace myself.
Madeline answers my question. "Well, not exactly, but we think that your kidnapping a few months ago was not about you, but about Michael. While its true that you were both supposed to die, we feel that Michael was the actual target."
I shake my head. "Even if that’s true, Chester Wakefield is dead. He couldn’t possibly be doing this."
"Yes, he is dead," Operations affirms, but we always knew that he had help from the inside. How else could he have known so much about Section? How else could he have known about your grave and the picture taken of your funeral? How else could he have known about your and Michael’s ‘relationship’?"
"Although we’ve known for some time that a mole existed," Madeline continues, "we have always assumed that the action against Michael was instigated by Wakefield. We, now, believe that it was the mole who wanted Michael dead and that Wakefield was just the pawn."
Feeling the beginnings of a massive headache coming on, I reach up to massage my temples. "But that doesn’t make sense. Wakefield had genuine reasons to want revenge against Michael and Section."
Madeline places her hand on my shoulder. "Yes, he did have a grudge against Michael and against us, but would never have acted on those feelings without help and encouragement. Even when Wakefield had Michael at his mercy and could have killed him, he freed Michael and allowed him and finish the game."
My headache is getting worse. "Then, who is the mole?" Even as the words leave my mouth, I begin to realize the truth. I look up to find three pair of eyes starring down at me. "Marnie," I voice in disbelief. "Marnie is the mole, isn’t she? This was all a plan to trap Marnie. Did Michael know?"
Operations answers my question. "Not at first, no. We didn’t tell him until after the profile had been set."
"You mean until after Michael had removed me from the mission as a sort of punishment and replaced me with Marnie," I exclaim, feeling the full weight of my actions which have precipitated this event.
It is Madeline’s turn to answer. "You behavior aided in our plans, it is true, but if Michael had not replaced you, we would have."
I nod, my guilt somewhat assuaged. "Assuming that Marnie is the cause of her and Michael’s disappearance, how much danger is he in?"
For a moment no one speaks. Operations turns back to the window and Birkoff becomes very interested in his computer film, leaving Madeline to answer my question. "Three of the other valentine ops were found dead. Parts of their bodies had been removed. The fourth op has not been found."
The End of Part II
Kitkat
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