From: Shaun Reich <drexelbond@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 11:42:17 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: En Passant by Shaun Reich
Source: direct

str22@drexel.edu

Summary: Mulder is forced to help Section track down Alex Krycek and
the stolen tape.

Timeline: The X-Files - occurs during Season 3 in between 731 and
Piper Maru.  	    
La Femme Nikita - occurs during Season 1 in between
Voices and Mercy.

Spoilers: References to Anasazi, Nisei, 731, Piper Maru, and
Apochrypha

Classification: X-Over/Action/Romance

Rated: R

Special Note: Everybody speaks English for simplicity.

Disclaimer:  The characters and situations of the television program
"The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox
Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without
permission.  No copyright infringements are intended.  This work is
not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup or WWW site
without the permission of the author. I give permission for it to be
put on atxc.

The characters and situations of the television program "La Femme
Nikita" are the property of Fireworks Entertainment, and have been
used without permission.  No copyright infringements are intended. 
This work is not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup or
WWW site without the permission of the author.


******************** 

En Passant

By Shaun Reich 

June 10th, 2001

********************


Syndicate Conference Room
New York City
Thursday June 1st, 1995
4:19 pm

The members of the Syndicate were gathered in the smoke-filled
interior of their regular meeting area. The previous two months had
been a hectic debacle for them. Exposure of their sinister project was
their greatest fear. The past two months had presented a series of
cascading problems for the heinous group.

The most sinister looking man pulled a familiar box of Morley
cigarettes from the breast pocket of his chalky gray suit. After
puffing down a good portion of the first one, he spoke to the
assembled members surrounding the meeting room.

"As you're well aware, the events past few months have been
detrimental to the project. Mulder and Scully intercepted sensitive
material from a Japanese diplomat and discovered one of our 'leper
colonies'. Luckily our misdirection strayed them away from the
truth."

"Those two meddlers. They must be dealt with permanently. We can't
afford to let them get any closer to the truth" spoke the eldest
member of the consortium.

"Killing them will only draw more attention to ourselves. Let's just
let them flounder aimlessly for awhile. We have more serious
matters."

"I agree. How did the Japanese know the location of the craft? That
location was top secret. There must be a mole among us" spoke the
burly well-dressed Sicilian member.

"There is... Alex Krycek."

"Are you saying Alex Krycek is alive?" asked the Well-Manicured Man.

"Yes. Apparently he survived the car-bombing two months ago. He must
have decrypted the data on the digital tape and is now selling the
secrets to other nations. Our informants say he's now planning on
selling to the French" calmly replied the Cigarette-Smoking Man.

"You fool. He must be silenced, now. Who do we have in France that
could finish the job?"

"I've actually devised a plan that will get rid of Fox Mulder and Alex
Krycek. Have you ever heard of Section One?" the odious man suggested
aloud. The members shook their heads in confusion and ignorance at the
question.

"That's no surprise. Section One is the most covert anti-terrist group
in the world. If we feed them intelligence telling them about Krycek's
treason and lead them to believe Mulder is his accomplice. They'll
eliminate both of them for us then."

The members were shocked at the proposal, yet tickled by its
ingenuity. Using a third-party to get rid of their two biggest threats
would leave them virtually unscathed.

"Then its settled. This will be our opening gambit. This meeting is
adjourned" the Cigarette-Smoking Man stated as he extinguished the
remnants of his cigarette.


Section One
Paris, France
Saturday June 3rd, 1995
11:21 am

Section One's four main operatives; Michael, Nikita, Birkoff, and
Walter, were all seated on the same side of the meeting table, looking
up at the ominous man called Operations. The white-haired man was the
brains of all missions carried out all over the world by his group.
Over the past two decades, he had built up Section One to be the most
clandestine mercenary group in the world. Their ends were just, but
their means were ruthless. Anybody who didn't play by their rules
would die.

Nikita had grown to have a fearful respect for the man, the difficult
decisions he had to make everyday. No one dared to defy Operations.
Nikita pushed her luck many times though when it came to the difficult
decisions. Little did she known her upcoming mission would prove to be
one of them.

The conference table lit up as a projection of a dark-haired man was
displayed above the table for all to observe. Operations started the
urgent briefing.

"This is Alex Krycek, former assassin for a covert group of men within
the US government. He recently was targeted by them for cancellation
but managed to escape. In his possession is an encoded tape that
contains the MJ files, whose secrets about UFO's and extra-terrestrial
s could cause mass panic if revealed. Sources indicate that Krycek is
planning on selling to the French government sometime soon."

"What is his location?" the strongly silent Michael asked.

"That's the problem, he went underground over two months ago. However,
our constituent in the States has given us a lead. Recently,
top-secret satellite photos came into the possession of this man, an
FBI agent named Fox Mulder."

The conference table now projected the biopsy of the paranoid FBI
agent. The group surrounding the table nodded at the information,
ready to receive their assignments.

"Agent Mulder was once partnered with Krycek. Both want to expose the
truth about extra-terrestrials. We believe Krycek will contact Mulder
again sometime soon as information from the MJ files is decoded. We
need to get somebody close for when the time comes. Nikita, you will
become an FBI agent and get close to Mulder. Michael will shadow you
for when Krycek makes his appearance. The rest of the profile is on
your panels. Good luck."


FBI Building
Washington, DC
Thursday, June 8th, 1995
9:09 am

"Hi there. I'm Nikita. I'm new here."

Mulder looked up from the coffee machine at the incredibly attractive
blonde holding out her arm for a greeting. He was totally dumb-founded
at first.

"Uh, hi. I'm Mulder, but you can call me Fox." 

"Its nice to meet you... Fox. I like your name."

"I'm glad somebody does. I was never really big on it."

"That's too bad. Hey, would you like to get lunch with me today. I
just moved to DC and don't know a soul around here."

"Yeah sure, I'd love to. Just stop by the basement, that's where my
office is."

"Great. I'll stop by later today then. Nice meeting you Fox..." Nikita
gave him a parting smile as she walked gracefully back through the
maze of cubicles. Mulder's partner, Dana Scully, suddenly emerged from
behind the one panel behind Mulder, with the biggest grin on her face.
She brushed right by her partner and worked at the coffee machine.

"So, why does she get to call you Fox? You barely even know her" mused
Scully. Mulder didn't even acknowledge his partner's comical question,
but just stared at the spot where Nikita had been standing
previously.

"You know Mulder, she's gonna hurt you" the jealous partner tried
again.

"God I hope so!" he finally responded to Scully, to which he received
a jab to the ribs.


DC Deli
Thursday, June 8th, 1995
12:25 pm

Mulder and Nikita sat in one of the booths of the busy luncheon. He
wanted to take her someplace nicer, but they both had to return to
work relatively soon. The whole meal was going great and Nikita was an
absolute pleasure. She laughed heartily to his dry wit, something
Scully rarely did. It was quite an upbeat feeling for him.

"So Fox, tell me more about yourself at the FBI. Have you and Scully
been partners a long time?" Nikita slowly broached the topic of
interest.

"A few years. They separated us for awhile, which was hard for both of
us."

"Who was your partner then?"

"This guy by the name of Alex Krycek. He turned out to be a spy,
planted there to halt my work on the X-Files. He almost succeeded
too."

Nikita was confused now. Her panel had said that Mulder and Krycek
were probably in league to expose the alien cover-up. Mulder almost
seemed to hate the man. Something wasn't right. Nikita would have to
dig deeper.

"So what happened to this guy Alex then?" Nikita continued the
questions.

"I'm not sure really. He turned... Oh crap, look at the time. We need
to start heading back" Mulder stated as he checked his watch. He
didn't particularly like the subject of Krycek, since the man had
murdered his father two months prior.

"I guess you're right. We'd better head back... Do you have any plans
for tomorrow tonight?" Nikita lightly ushered to the attractive
coworker.

Mulder froze again at the statement. He couldn't believe this was
happening. A beautiful woman was asking him out twice in a row in the
same day. It had to be a dream.


FBI Building
Thursday, June 8th, 1995
4:30 pm

"And we're going out again tomorrow night" Mulder finished his
statement to Scully as he pulled his grey trench coat around his body.
She seemed flustered at the idea of another woman invading her turf.
Mulder hardly even knew this woman, and they were already going out to
a restaurant bar. Scully brushed it off quickly though, making sure
she wasn't showing 'green with envy'.

Scully had to admit there was definitely some sexual tension between
her and Mulder, but they both kept their personal feelings at bay to
continue their work on the X-Files. It never really occurred to her
that Mulder was a pretty handsome single guy. Why shouldn't he be
allowed to have 'relations' with other people or coworkers?

The fears kept rolling through her head. Deep down, she didn't want
any other woman to have Mulder. It was jealousy, pure and simple. She
hated herself for being so selfish. To show her support for her
lovelorn partner she simply stated, "Good night, Mulder."


Scully's Apartment
Georgetown, Maryland
Friday, June 9th, 1995
7:30 pm

It had been a long day at work for Dana. Mulder had been
uncharacteristically exuberant earlier, whistling and smiling all day.
It had actually started to become too much for her to bear. Luckily
Mulder left work early to prepare for the big date that night.

Tucked quietly in the sanctuary of her home, Scully was trying
desperately to keep her mind off of Mulder. The thought of another
woman moving in on her territory was eating away at her like an ulcer.
Scully was so annoyed with the pretty young blonde that she was online
trying to find out anything discriminating about her.

However, the computer kept rejecting her attempts with the blatant
warning ACCESS DENIED. This piqued her curiosity now; Nikita had a
secret. Scully was now determined to find out the truth her. Was she
like Alex Krycek, a spy sent to ruin Mulder and the X-Files?

She reached out for her phone on the second line and dialed the phone
number for Mulder's paranoid computer friends, The Lone Gunmen. She
knew they'd be around, figuring the best thing they had to do on a
Friday night was watching Friday night skin flicks on cable.


FBI Building
Washington, DC
Friday, June 9th, 1995
9:09 pm

Michael used Walter's special Lockpick to open the locked door to
Mulder's basement office. He was used to sneaking around and stealing
information. High security government buildings offered little
resistance to Michael's ingenuity. Using a tiny flashlight, the lone
intruder wandered over to the computer and flicked it on.

"Birkoff, I need you to crack his computer code" Michael murmurred
into the tiny microphone on his collar.

Back in France, the young computer genius, Seymour Birkoff typed
endlessly to break the code. His advanced decoding algorhythm easily
displaced the cheesy code.

"The code is TRUSTNO1. I need you to put Mulder's computer on the FBI
mainframe. I can download the data from there" Birkoff relayed over
the communication signal.

Michael did as he was instructed, letting Birkoff steal all the
necessary information. It would later be examined for possible clues
to hunt down Alex Krycek. As the download was occurring, Michael next
wandered over to the large metal bin containing the forgotten
paranormal cases of the X-Files. Opening the top drawer, Michael
discovered it loaded with folders containing photographs and police
reports.

"Birkoff, I need the case file for the satellite photographs."

"Gimme one minute. The computer's searching Mulder's database as we're
downloading it. Okay, here goes. Try X-File 95-4007. That should be
it."

Luckily the drawers were fairly organized. Michael found the thick
case file easily. Inside were the Japanese satellite photographs
Mulder had recently confiscated during an investigation in Allentown,
Pennsylvania. He removed the entire case and tucked it neatly into a
slot inside his trench coat.

"Okay Michael. Download complete. You can evacuate now" Birkoff gave
his final command.

Switching off the computer terminal, Michael exited the room as
stealthly as he had gotten in. No one would ever know he had been
there.


The Lone Gunmen Publishing Company
Friday, June 9th, 1995
10:24 pm

"We're glad you decided to join us Agent Scully. This Nikita puzzle
you've given us is definitely a good one" Frohike greeted her upon
arriving.

"So what'd you guys find out?"

"We finally brought up her file, but it required some mighty fine
hacking. Level eight clearance. She's certainly hiding something, we
haven't figured out what yet though" Byers remarked upon offering
Scully his seat of honor, to which she declined.

"Hey guys, you won't believe this. There's somebody monitoring
Nikita's profile right now" Langly remarked as he punched up keys to
search for more information about the silent online observer.

"According to this IP address, they're staged somewhere in France...
Oh shit, they're tracing us now. They know we're on to them!"

Halfway across the world, Seymour Birkoff discovered an intruder
trying to gain access to the Section One database. Protocol mandated
that all interlopers had to be traced back to their source and
eliminated to protect their interests. His trace would take less than
two minutes to get the full address.

Back in the United States, Langly was typing away madly trying to
sever the online connection. It wasn't working though. Suddenly, he
remembered a new stealth program he had created recently called Spike.
It halted the current trace against him, leaving the attacking
computer completely vulnerable for 30 seconds.

"What'd you do Langly? How'd you stop the trace?" Scully asked in
total shock.

"I Spiked them. Now I can access their server for a tad. Let's see
what's under CURRENT MISSIONS. Hmmm... Let's check out FBI, WASHINGTON
DC. Here we go... I'm gonna print this sucker out, were almost out of
time."

Langly dashed out of his seat to under the table. With one quick yank,
he disconnected the power from his computer. The opposing trace failed
to detect The Lone Gunmen's location. He breathed a sigh of relief as
he stood back up to rejoin his comrades. They were all standing around
the print-out.

"So what'd we get, Scully?" Byers asked inquisitively.

"Its a mission profile. I can't believe this. Whoever this mystery
girl Nikita is, she's using Mulder to get to Krycek" Scully stated
aloud to the group. Her eyes scanned to the very bottom of the sheet
where simple instructions made her heart break in two.

PRIORITY 1	 DIGITAL TAPE	RETRIEVE OR DESTROY
PRIORITY 2	 ALEX KRYCEK	CANCEL
PRIORITY 3	 FOX MULDER		CANCEL


Mulder's Apartment
Alexandria, Virginia
Saturday, June 10th, 1995
12:24 am

This had been the most fun date Mulder had been on in a very long
time. Nikita was the perfect companion, always ready to brighten the
mood. It was refreshing for him considering his line of work always
made him feel alone in a dank basement.

The two of them had been to a popular after-hours bar, downing shots
of Kamikazes while slurring bad jokes and laughing about it. By
midnight, they were both feeling the woozy effects of the alcohol and
took a taxi back to Mulder's apartment. He insisted at first that
Nikita be dropped off first, but she demanded on going back to his
place for a nightcap. Mulder was not disappointed in the slightest.

On the elevator ride up to the fourth floor, they embraced in a series
of sweet kisses. Mulder stroked Nikita's long blonde hair and could
almost hear her moan slightly in between breaths. They goofily
stumbled from the elevator over to the door #42. The passion between
them heated up as Nikita tossed her purse and peacoat onto his sofa.

Both of them were partially naked by the time they finally got to the
bedroom, eagerly anticipating the following events. But to both of
their dismays, a cellular phone in the adjacent living room pulled
Nikita from her trance of ecstasy.

"I'm sorry Fox, I have to answer that. Don't you go anywhere, I'll be
right back."

Mulder gave her a puppy-dog frown of disapproval, but let her get it.
He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes to relax for a few
moments. Suddenly, the phone alongside his bed awoke him from his near
slumber. He gingerly picked up the receiver.

"Go away" was all he said at first, not caring who was on the other
end.

"Jesus Mulder, where have you been all night? Are you alright?" Scully
blurted anxiously.

"Oh hey, Scully. Yeah, I'm fine. I just got in. I can't really talk
right now though. I'll call you tomorrow."

"No Mulder, you don't understand. Its about Nikita, she's not who you
think she is."


Mulder's Apartment
Saturday, June 10th, 1995
12:34 am

Nikita closed the door to Mulder's bedroom behind her as she reached
into her purse. She flipped down the receiver to her cellular phone
and greeted the fellow agent.

"Hello?"

"Josephine?" responded Michael, the lead operative of Section One.

"Yes, its me. What's wrong?"

"You've been exposed. Get out of there now. Go to the rendezvous
point."

Nikita didn't think twice about her orders. She quickly tossed on the
peacoat to cover her the remains of her clothing. Swinging the purse
around her shoulder, Nikita dashed for the door and jolted back to the
elevator.

Mulder ended his conversation with Scully by dropping the phone as
soon as he heard the front door slam shut. Something was definitely
wrong now, and he was determined to find the truth. Mulder dashed
after Nikita bare-chested, not caring about his appearance. The doors
to the elevator had just shut, so he decided to race down the
staircase.

Mulder slammed into the stairdoor exit, ready to race after the
intrepid woman. Before he even reached the first step, a man's strong
arm caught him off balance and slammed him into the wall. He became
disoriented upon the impact, his lip slightly bleeding. The attacker
twisted Mulder's right arm behind his back very tight, making him fall
to his knees in agony. Before he could release a real yell for help,
the mighty attacker gagged his face full of chloroform. He tried to
resist the fumes, but to no avail.

The attacker laid Mulder's motionless form across the cement floor of
the landing. The fight had been no strain to him. They reached into
their overcoat for the cellular phone.

"Its Michael. We need housekeeping in 42."


Mulder's Apartment
Saturday, June 10th, 1995
8:15 am

It was going to be a long hard time for Scully. Once she realized
Mulder hadn't returned her call, she got very worried and raced over
to his apartment. On the drive over, she called Assistant Director
Skinenr to meet her there. Upon discovering Mulder strangely missing,
Skinner and Scully called in the FBI Forensics Unit to try to find any
evidence in Mulder's abandoned apartment. The duo waited outside as
the investigation began.

Skinner could tell from Scully's facial expressions of concern and
urgency that she didn't want to be disturbed. He lightly probed her
for the facts, knowing full well she would give them once her nerves
calmed slightly.

It was nearly 2 pm when the investigation was completed. The agents
looked completely in awe at Scully and Skinner as they exited Mulder's
apartment building.

"So what'd you guys find in his apartment?"

"To tell you the truth sir, nothing. Somebody cleaned out Agent
Mulder's place good. No fingerprints, hair, fiber, nada. However, on a
whim we searched the elevator and stairwell. The only possible clue we
found was a tiny patch of dried blood on the fourth floor stairwell
wall. Judging from the height and force required, it would appear that
a scuffle occurred in there. We should know by tomorrow who's blood it
is."

"Good job guys. Let us know ASAP" Skinner said as the team departed,
disappointed.

Scully simply leaned against her car with her arms crossed. She was
now ready to speak.

"They were professionals, sir. This whole thing was planned."

"How did you know Nikita was a spy?"

"This". Scully held out the print-out from the previous night. "We
managed to hack into this group's files last night. Its a mission
profile. They're after Alex Krycek."

Skinner read the sheet, unable to believe its contents. Especially the
last line. "So according to this, Mulder might already be dead."

"I don't think so sir. They were using Mulder to get to Krycek. Let's
hope, they still need him alive. That'll give us time to continue our
search."

"But where?" Skinner asked her in confusion.

"There's only one place left to go. If we can find Alex Krycek first,
maybe we'll still have a chance. Sir, request permission to go to
France."

Skinner held his breath a moment before answering, "Permission
granted."


Section One
Paris, France
Sunday, June 11th, 1995
10:24 am

The white lights glared in Mulder's weary eyes. He'd been unconscious
for over 24 hours, and felt the grogginess leaving him with a nasty
headache. He was in a white circular room, uncomfortably strapped to a
foreboding metal chair. The room was deserted, except for the large
door in front of him. It opened and revealed a fairly prominent
woman.

"Hello Agent Mulder. I'm Madeline" she said in a soothing voice.

"Where am I?" Mulder demanded as best he could. He was still weak.

"We'll be asking the questions in here. The less you know about us,
the better. Do you understand?" Madeline gave him the basic
groundrules, to which he nodded in agreement.

"Good. Then let us begin. You were assigned a partner named Alex
Krycek awhile back. Tell us everything you can about him, and we'll
consider letting you live."

"All right. Krycek was assigned as my partner when the X-Files were
closed. He later turned out to be a spy and a hitman. He helped kidnap
my previous partner and killed her sister and my father. Now I want to
find him so I can't get my revenge."

"I see. If you despise this man so much, then how did these satellite
photos come into your possession" she said while brandishing the
Japanese images.

"Where'd you get those? I stole them from a Japanese diplomat a month
ago. Krycek never gave me those. Hell, I haven't seen the asshole in
months!" Mulder was getting testy now.

"Do you know what En Passant means, Agent Mulder?" Madeline asked
dryly.

"Yeah, its a French term used in chess. Why?"

"More specifically, its when a pawn is used to capture another pawn. I
want you to compare its irony to your situation. I'll be back later,
Agent Mulder."

Madeline left Mulder alone in the interrogation room to cool off. In
the hallway, Nikita had been watching the whole ordeal through the
opaque window.

"Do you believe him, Nikita?" she asked her young protege.

"He's telling the truth. I've spent time with him. He and Krycek are
sworn enemies."

"If that's true, that means our original intel from the States was
wrong, most likely intentionally. My guess is they wanted us to get
rid of Mulder and Krycek together."

"But Madeline, Mulder's innocent. We can't just cancel him. He can
help us too."

"We'll see Nikita. There's a meeting scheduled for 15:00 hours. Bring
Agent Mulder with. Until then, he's in your custody."


Amore Hotel
Sunday, June 11th, 1995
11:27 am

Alex Krycek emerged from the hotel bathroom, totally refreshed after a
long night of physical endurance. He was never the trusting type, so
Krycek's spurts of passion came in the form of one-night stands with
prostitutes. However, this had been the first time he had ever slept
with a business partner.

Her name was Geraldine Kallenchuk, a salvage broker with offices in
Paris, Beijing, and San Francisco. It was only a front for what her
real business dealt with. She dealt with secrets. Bought from disloyal
associates in high places, Geraldine had amassed a small fortune from
her illegal trades. But then along came Alex Krycek.

He had recently fled America with a fortune in illicit government
secrets concerning UFO activities over the past fifty years. However,
the information was useless to him without her help. She had a contact
in Paris who could reluctantly decipher the encrypted digital tape he
had stolen. It was instant attraction between the two scoundrels.

With a towel wrapped around his torso, Krycek maneuvered around the
room, trying to locate the scattered remains of his clothes from the
previous night. The tired brunette still in his bed awoke with the
mumbled sound of "Hey."

"Hey" Krycek returned her lackluster greeting.

"What's wrong Alex? Are you worried about the trade on Wednesday?"

"Kinda. I don't trust the French" he replied while sitting on the edge
of the bed.

"Don't worry. I've dealt with them before. You'll do fine" Geraldine
said while placing her arms around Krycek's bare chest. He sighed for
a moment before getting up again and pulling a sealed parcel from his
luggage. He handed the light package to her, smiling devilishly. She
looked up at him in confusion.

"Inside is the tape you're friend helped decode. I have all the data
on paper now. The tape's now just a final resort of blackmail against
my former group. If I don't make it back, I need you to use this to
get those sons of bitches."

"I will Alex, but how do I contact them to let them know they're
finished?"

Krycek thought curiously about the question, but then pulled out a
sheet of paper and wrote the Syndicate's phone number on top of the
parcel. Geraldine slipped the paper onto the table next to the bed and
resumed rubbing her man's abdomen.

"Put the package in a safe box somewhere. Make a copy of the key and
mail it to me. That way we can both access the tape if necessary"
Krycek finished the instructions. Geraldine's rubbing had become alot
more playful as the towel surrounding his torso was pulled away.

"Anything else you need?" she whispered into his ear seductively.

"I can probably think of something" Krycek responded and gave into her
desire, yet again.


Section One
Sunday, June 11th, 1995
3:00 pm

In a matter of moments, the core group of Section sat down for the
panel meeting. Operations loomed behind the rectangular table. Nikita
and Mulder sat on the end, eager to hear the next step to stop Alex
Krycek.

"As you've all heard, the intel from our contact was faulty. As a
result, Agent Mulder from the FBI will be temporarily helping us find
Alex Krycek. We've received word through our underground connections
that a date for the deal has been set. Unfortunately, we have no clue
as to who is the buyer is or the specifics of the date or location.
We've determined the most efficient way to get to Krycek is to lure
out his buyer."

"How do you plan to do that?" Mulder spoke, not knowing it was
uncalled for. Operations continued with the details of the next
mission.

"We've placed a deal through our connections. We used Agent Mulder's
satellite photo's as the bargaining chip. We set the price extremely
low to attract the attention of Krycek's buyer. We've already had a
response from a covert group from withing the French consolate. With
any luck, they're the same people Krycek intends to deal with. If they
take the bait, they can lead us to Krycek himself." 

"Agent Mulder and Nikita will be the dealers. Mulder's experience with
UFO's will help convince the buyers of the photo's authenticity.
Walter has already rigged a special briefcase for you with a homing
device. The French consolate have set this impromptu deal for tomorrow
at 9:00 am. Good luck tomorrow morning."

Mulder took a deep breath when he heard his name mentioned in the
mission profile. The whole ordeal of being kidnapped, whisked halfway
around the country, and set up for a deadly meeting was starting to
have an emotional effect on him. 

Everyone except for he and Nikita rose as the meeting adjourned. She
could sense his mixed emotions were starting to take their toll on Fox
Mulder. She placed her hand on top of his and gave him a reaffirming
smile. They both got up together and left.

"Don't worry Fox. You'll do fine tomorrow. I won't let anything bad
happen."

"Thanks, Nikita. So where are we going now? Back to my cell?" he joked
dryly.

"Nope. Madeline said you're in my custody until this is over. That
means your spending the night at my place" she pulled Mulder along
through the corridors to the lift. He smiled grimly at the thought of
spending another night with her.

"On the bright side if I get killed tomorrow, I got to spend my last
night with a beautiful blonde" Mulder blurted out as the elevator
doors closed before them. Nikita couldn't help but smile at the
remark.


Paris Police Headquarters
Sunday, June 11th, 1995
4:15 pm

Scully turned a bunch of heads as she strode confidently by the rows
of cluttered desks inside the police headquarters in Paris. They
weren't used to seeing beautiful women as law enforcement and smiled
grimly as her presence whisked by. She was being led by Francois
Thiesset, their police liason with foreign countries on matters of
utmost importance. Their rushed motions indicated this was one of them
as he led her to his office along the far wall.

"How was your flight, Agent Scully?" Francois broke the ice to ease
the tension.

"Longer than I anticipated. I'm hoping that you were able to make some
headway with the information my assistant director faxed to you."

"We ran those two profiles you gave us against our own database. It
turned up nothing for Agent Mulder or Alex Krycek. However, that girl
Nikita is a piece of work."

"What'd you find out about her?" Scully asked hoping for good news.

"Not much. A few months back, she was implicated in assaulting a
rapist. The detective who followed up on her mysteriously disappeared
without a trace. We found the rapist shot dead in an abandoned
building with his weapon. Poor O'Brien, none of us every believed he
was the trigger man. I wonder if we'll ever know the truth."

"Truth seems to come at such a high cost sometimes" Scully stated
sullenly.

"As per your request, we're also running all three of them on the
news. Maybe somebody will recognize them and give us a lead. I'll
contact you at the first sign of news."

"I guess that's all we can do for now. Do you know any good hotels in
the area?"


Nikita's Apartment
Sunday, June 11th, 1995
10:13 pm

After enjoying an elegant dinner of French cuisine, the unlikely duo
of operative and agent returned to Nikita's cleverly designed
apartment. Its bright arrangement of colors and unorthodox furniture
gave Mulder the impression that Section One had not crushed the young
girl's spirited hopes and dreams.

Nikita retired to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of wine while Mulder
tended to the fireplace. When they were ready, they retired to the
comfortable couch-fit-for-two. They chatted and sipped happily at
their wine while enjoying each other's company. It had been a long for
both of them since either of them had entertained a compatible guest
of the opposite sex. Granted, they both had attractive partners, but
their professionalism prevented them from acting on their feelings.

After an hour of blissful talking and a full bottle of wine, Mulder
and Nikita were both feeling its impairing effects. Nikita picked up
the bottle and attempted to dump its remaining contents into Mulder's
empty glass. Instead, she lost her balance and collapsed on top of her
temporary new partner.

"I'm so sorry. I must've fell" Nikita slurred just inches from
Mulder's adorable face.

"It's quite alright..." and he stopped speaking to look Nikita empty
sky-blue eyes. He could see the need and desire behind them. Mulder
raised his hand to stroke her flawless face gently, and ever so slowly
pulled her to him for a simple kiss. Nikita returned in fervor by
massaging the cloth covering his chest in a seductive manner. The
passion between the lovelorn pair escalated minute by minute,
eventually ending in a trail of clothes leading to Nikita's bedroom.


Hotel della Flora 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
8:45 am

Scully awoke with a jolt to the shrilling sound of the hotel
telephone. She picked it up quickly while rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Scully" she murmurred into the receiver half-asleep.

"Good morning Agent Scully. Sorry if I woke you" Detective Thiesset
greeted her warmly.

"Its alright. Did you guys get anything?"

"Matter of fact, we did. Anonymous call received early this morning.
Woman claims that Alex Krycek is staying at the Amore Hotel. Me and
two other detectives can pick you up so we can make the hit before
this fellow disappears again."

"I can be ready in ten minutes. I'm at the Hotel della Flora. I'll
meet you outside."


Cafe Nervosa 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
9:00 am

Dressed in all black attire, Mulder and Nikita weren't the typical
company to be seen in a cafe at 9:00 on a Monday morning.
Nevertheless, the few patrons of the cafe ignored the duo and sipped
at their lattes. Suddenly, a black sedan pulled up abruptly, and two
bulky yet armed bodyguards escorted a shorter man dressed very
eloquently. Nikita knew right away this was the buyer they were here
to meet.

The man greeted them with a brief smile and insisted they sit at an
outdoor table. They obliged and laid the briefcase in the middle.

"Right down to business. I like your style. I must inspect the
merchandise of course" the buyer stated while turning the suitcase
around to open it. Inside was a manila folder containing satellite
images of a ship. The man looked cautiously at the quiet duo.

"What is this? I wanted information about a UFO, not some stupid
ship."

"That stupid ship you're looking at is called the Talapus. It dredged
up a UFO last month from the bottom of the Pacific" Mulder jumped in
to validate the photos.

"Its still of no value to me. Not without the UFO."

"I investigated this ship personally. I found the UFO in a hangar
nearby. Its on that last satellite image of the port. And guess what,
its still there."

"Hmmm... What is the name of the port this ship is docked in?

"You buy the photos and we'll tell you" Nikita jumped in now.

"And why should I purchase them when I'm meeting with a buyer on
Wednesday for a motherload of US government secrets."

Mulder and Nikita both confirmed the fact that this was Krycek's
future buyer. All they had to do was complete the deal, which would
not be an easy task.

"The man you plan to do business with is a liar. I've dealt with him
before. He can't be trusted. The data he'll sell you is old and
worthless" Mulder soured Krycek's deal.

"Well, sir. I must admit I like your attitude. The price for these
photos is only one million, right? Why so cheap?" the eloquent man
asked.

"We need to sell these photo's soon before the UFO is moved. That's
why" Nikita answered the trick question to Mulder's liking.

"Very well. Its a done deal then" the man snapped his fingers twice,
signalling to his lead bodyguard. The bulky figure flipped open a
second briefcase in front of Nikita, exposing a multitude of French
currency. She nodded to the bulky man, who shut the case and handed it
gingerly to her. The other bodyguard meanwhile picked up the briefcase
containing the photographs and returned to the sedan parked nearby.

"Well then. The site on that satellite photo is Newport News,
Virginia" Mulder filled their end of the bargain by revealing the last
bit of information.

"Its been a pleasure doing business with you two. Good day" the man
gave them a fairwell as he seated himself back in the safety of his
car. Nikita and Mulder watched as the sedan sped away from the
exchange, both relieved to its success.

"You know, we never even learned his name" Mulder noted to her.

"It doesn't matter. He's only a patsy. Not worth learning his name.
We'll find the real buyer tonight when we track them to their
location."


Amore Hotel 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
9:30 am

Alex Krycek awoke to the sound of a siren out in the distance. After
his treason to his superiors back home, he had every right to be
scared. Krycek sat up in his lonesome bed, reaching over to the
cluttered night stand to get the remote. He flicked on the quaint
television to amuse himself with whatever inane shows the French had
to offer. The first channel that popped up was the morning news on 3.
Krycek stumbled out of bed and began to dress as the newscaster
recalled the morning's highlights around Paris.

"The local police need your help in locating this man, named Alex
Krycek" the newscaster started her report while a grainy picture of
Alex Krycek flashed in the upper corner.

Alex burst from the adjoining bathroom, a messy toothbrush dangled
from his mouth, to hear the surprising report about him.

"They report that Krycek is a wanted fugitive, and recent evidence has
suggested that he may very well be somewhere near Paris. If you have
information regarding Alex Krycek's whereabouts, please contact your
local police department" she concluded the brief report.

The odius man's toothbrush fell out of his mouth, still in shock that
somebody knew he was in Paris, France. He had been trained to
disappear like a ghost on a whim. Krycek threw off the towel around
his waist and hastily dressed. He had to flee the city before anybody
spotted him.

He had just finished throwing on a pair of black sneakers when the
sound of another siren very closeby erputed. Krycek looked out from
his balcony perch on the tenth floor hotel to see a police cruiser
come to a sudden halt outside the Amore Hotel.

Krycek knew he had to either run or hide. He had been caught in worse
predicaments before, so he used his sense of deception and
misdirection to his advantage. He guessed he had three minutes until
the police busted down his hotel door. Three minutes would be plenty
of time for him set his ruse.


Amore Hotel 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
9:45 am

Scully tapped her foot nervously as the hotel elevator ascended to the
tenth floor. She was overflowing with a mix of emotions: fear,
revenge, anger. The last time she had seen Alex Krycek was outside
Mulder's apartment. In a blinding instant, she had to choose to either
save her partner's credibility or let him kill Alex Krycek. She chose
the latter and let Krycek slip away into the darkness.

The elevator finally came to a halt on the tenth floor. Detective
Thiesset led the way to Room 1013, followed by two cadets. Scully
brought up the rear, her Sig Sauer drawn and ready for use. She hoped
the element of surprise was still on their side.

Detective Thiesset slipped the skeleton card key through the slot and
waited for the green light to appear. In a flash, the detective burst
into the hotel room, followed by the two cadets. They quickly swept
the area, shouting for Krycek's surrender. There was no sign of
anyone, despite the half-filled suitcase which was apparently hastily
thrown together. Scully wondered how far could Alex Krycek have
gotten.

Thiesset walked over to the balcony door after noticing the drapes
flapping in the morning breeze. The glass door was wide open. Thiesset
looked all around the balcony outside, taking notice how close the
adjacent balconies were. Anyone could easily jump from one to the
next, or possibly even climb down too. The detective rushed back
inside the room and shouted orders to his two followers.

"Come on! He went down the balcony. We still might be able to stop him
at the bottom."

"I'll stay here and search through his belongings. Maybe we can find
out where he's going next" Scully informed the detective of her
choice. He obliged with a nod and hurried out.

Scully got right to work and started searching the hotel room. There
was only one item of interest to her at this point; the digital tape
that Krycek still had in possession. If she found it, she could
possibly use it as a bargaining chip for Mulder's safe return.

The suitcase and drawers turned up nothing. Next up was the closet.
Scully slid the door to the side and began searching a small tote bag.
Little did she realize the presence of a man hiding in the darkness of
the closet.

"Don't you know its rude to go through other people's things, Agent
Scully" the odious voice of the man she had come to despise echoed
through the enclosed space. Scully had no time to react as a swift
blow came to the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. 


Amore Hotel 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
10:00 am

Alex Krycek removed Scully's weapon and turned off her cellular phone.
He next used his belt to tie her hands behind her and covered her
mouth with duct tape. After making sure his captive was secure, he
checked the hallway for people. He spotted the cleaning lady's dirty
linen's cart a few doors down the hall. He quickly snuck the cart down
to his room and buried Scully's limp body near the bottom, covered
under layers of smelly sheets.

The elevator finally arrived to the tenth floor. He pushed the stolen
laundry cart inside the empty metal box and pushed the button for the
basement floor. The lowest floor was deserted. Krycek saw a garage
entrance at the one end and noticed the abandoned laundry truck parked
there. He opened the back doors and pushed Scully's cart inside. He
climbed inside too and secured Scully to a metal post inside the truck
with her handcuffs.

Krycek next hotwired the truck, a skill he had found useful during his
career as a spy. The metal truck roared to life, and Alex Krycek
escaped the Amore Hotel with a surprise he would never have expected
in a million years; the resourceful FBI Agent Dana Scully.


Section One 
Monday, June 12th, 1995
2:00 pm

Madeline and Operations watched the television monitor in
disappointment. No longer was the Krycek Mission a secret. Pasted on
the news reports were stories about how a normal manhunt for a traitor
had escalated to that of missing FBI Agent now. Her picture flashed up
on the screen now, along with a picture of a stolen laundry truck.
Operations flipped off the monitor in disgust. The mission was falling
apart.

The door to the Tower slid open to reveal Mulder and Nikita waiting.

"You wanted to see us, sir."

"Yes. The Krycek Mission has become even more complex. Local PD tried
to apprehend him at a hotel. Turns out he gave them the slip and
managed to kidnap an FBI Agent too.

"An FBI Agent?" Mulder blurted out in confusion.

"Yes, I believe you know her. Agent Scully, your partner" Operations
mocked Agent Mulder. He looked down at the metal floor, stunned to
learn the horrible truth. Sensing Mulder's anguish, Nikita jumped in
to further the conversation.

"What do we do now?"

"We continue as planned. You and Michael will break into the French
consolate tonight and find out the specifics of the deal with Alex
Krycek; date, location, and time. Let's just hope the deal is still
on" Operations outlined the new mission profile.

"What about Agent Scully?" Mulder jumped in the conversation.

"Your partner's fate is of no concern. All that matters is finding
Alex Krycek and retrieving the digital tape."

Mulder's grip tightened, as he wanted to attack the heartless
white-haired man before him. Lucky for him Nikita took his hand in
hers and escorted him from the Tower. They were both quiet until they
reached the lift at the end of the complex.

"Fox, I promise you I'll do everything I can so we can save your
partner. But for now we need to follow the profile. Its the only way
to find Krycek" Nikita reassured the broken-hearted agent as they
boarded the lift.

"Thanks Nikita, for everything." said Mulder as he gave Nikita a
friendly endearing hug.


French Consolate
Tuesday, June 13th, 1995
12:30 am

The French consolate loomed eerily in the darkness, with the towers
from the chateau casting distorted reflections over the adjacent lake.
A heavy gate surrounded the enclosure, with sleepy-eyed guards walking
the perimeter. A single guard shack manned the entrance, to which
every vehicle needed clearance.

Michael and Nikita had intercepted a shipment truck, containing
illegal firearms to be sold to third-world countries. Those smuggling
activities were the least of Section One's concerns this night. They
had bound and gagged the driver several miles up the road, leaving him
alone at the edge of the expansive woods. Michael was in the driver's
seat, while Nikita enjoyed the breezy trip of riding on the roof of
the trailer.

Michael stopped at the guard shack and flashed his credentials and
shipment information. The head guard checked his credentials while two
others entered the trailer to inspect the merchandise. Once they
received clearance, Michael was instructed to drive inside the barn
adjoining the chateau to unload the weapons. Once inside the
lantern-lit barn, he was approached by two more guards ready to unload
the trailer.

Michael delayed them by saying, "Gentlemen, I am in no hurry. Please,
let us go outside for a smoke and some brandy."

The guards watched as Michael pulled a canteen from his seat
containing the alcohol, the perfect way to survive a chilly
nightshift. The readily obliged the driver and exited the barn,
shutting the heavy wooden doors behind them.

Nikita stood ready for action. A rafter was only a foot above her
head, so she easily jumped up to it from the top of the trailer. With
stealth and speed, Nikita walked the narrow beam to a window at the
far end. Using just enough force, she budged the tightly shut window
open just enough to swing her body outside to a narrow railing. She
side-stepped along the outside of the barn to where it joined the roof
of the chateau.

After securing herself on the roof, she gathered her bearings and
crawled her way up to the second-story window overlooking the lake.
She peeked inside the interior to discover an empty parlor. Using a
fine laser, Nikita burned a section of the glass off. It left just
enough room for her to reach in and unlock the window.

Once inside the chateau, Nikita gracefully ascended the dark mansion
with her infrared goggles. The chateau's single occupant was sound
aleep on the third floor overlooking the lake. Once inside his
bedroom, she observed the briefcase Walter had crafted to emit the
homing beacon which had led them here. Now came the fun part.

Nikita jammed her pistol into the sleeping mustached man's temple,
rousing him from his slumber in a panic. He man tried to break free,
but was no match for Nikita's strength.

"If you want to live, you'll tell me what I need. Understand?" she
threatened right away to demonstrate her authority and seriousness of
the matter. He nodded immdiately.

"I want the details of your meeting with Alex Krycek. If you scream
when I remove my hand, you'll die" Nikita released her grip over the
man's dry mouth. The mustached man pointed to his nightstand, where a
sheet of paper had some scribble on it. Nikita reached for the paper
to read it with her infrared goggles. On the sheet was scribbled:

krycek
wed 14
10 am train, paris to brussels 
pickup ticket at window under 'arntzen'
details to follow by phone

It was fairly obvious that Krycek was taking no chances in this deal.
Therefore making the ability to catch him even more difficult. Nikita
was only partially satisfied her in accomplishment, and was now ready
to escape.

"You, personally, are going to meet with Krycek tomorrow and complete
the deal as planned. If you don't give him any advance warning, you'll
live. We're only interested in him. Do you understand?"

The mustached man nodded again. He knew when he was beaten, and
allowed Nikita to maintain control of the situation. Once Nikita was
outside the room, she activated a small button on her electronic
panel. It triggered the suitcase inside the bedroom to release a
knock-out gas, making the mustached man pass out fast asleep. With her
mission accomplished, Nikita spoke into the tiny microphone on her
lapel.

"Michael, mission accomplished. Proceeding to final point now."

Nikita retreated the same way she had come, and made her way to the
tip of the barn over the garage doors. Michael and the guards had just
completed the unloading and were now ready to leave. The truck backed
up slowly from the barn. Nikita jumped down nearly ten feet to the top
of the trailer, landing with a solid thud. She remained very low to
the cold metal surface until they were safely outside the chateau
perimeter.

Michael stopped the truck to let her jump inside. He gave her no
response before driving again. They both knew it was just another
successful mission they could walk away from.


Abandoned Basement
Tuesday, June 13th, 1995
2:00 am

Scully awoke to the sound of a door slam in the middle of the
darkness. She had been left alone in the dark for nearly six hours
without food or drink. After being knocked unconscious back at the
hotel, she awoke to discomfort of being bound and gagged to a clammy
metal pole in an abandoned basement somewhere. Krycek had apparently
gone out as nightfall hit the French capital.

The foul stench of evil once again entered the room. Krycek branded a
flashlight and grocery bag full of supplies. He took a spot on the
floor in front of her.

"I got you some food. Your're in a basement in an abandoned section of
town. If you scream when I take off the gag, forget dinner. Capice?"

Scully nodded her head eager to eat something. It had been over 24
hours since her last meal, and her stomach was starting to ache for
some nourishment. After removing the gag, Krycek hand-fed Scully some
French fries and chicken nuggets. Immdiately afterward, he forcefully
gagged her up again and decided to just talk to her about the
situation.

"Now that your fed, I've got some big questions for you. I found this
print-out in your pocket. Would you care to explain it to me?"

As Krycek expected, Scully was less than forthcoming with an answer.
He proceeded on with the interrogation to learn the truth of her
mission in France.

"I've seen the news reports. Mulder's missing. You think I took him,
don't you?"

Scully was more irritable now, as she tried to kick her protest for
imprisonment. Krycek only smirked at her feistiness and pulled a
camera from the grocery bag.

"Smile" he joked as the flash illuminated her tired-looking face. The
bulge of the gag around her mouth was a necessary evil in order to
keep her quiet. Krycek slowly backed away from his captured prize and
exited through the same creaky door he had entered.

"You'd better hope I don't get killed tomorrow Agent Scully. Wish me
luck."

And then he was gone. Agent Scully was all alone again in the cold
darkness of the basement. For the first time in her life, she was
truly scared.


Section One
Tuesday, June 13th, 1995
10:00 am

Operations stood on the opposite side of the display table.
Illuminated in 2D right in front of the operatives was the layout of
the train tracks that Krycek would be on the next day. Now it was time
for the mission briefing to begin.

"According to this morning's mission, the meeting with Alex Krycek
will take place on the 10 am train from Paris to Brussels at this time
tomorrow. It will be crowded, so I want two operatives per car.
Michael will tail the buyer until Krycek appears. Orders are to cancel
him and retrieve the stolen digital tape. Nikita and Agent Mulder will
follow alongside the train in the SUV in case he should decide to
jump. The rest of the details are on your panels. Good luck
tomorrow."

The meeting was short and to the point. The operatives disbanded
except for Mulder and Nikita. He simply sat in angst, worried dearly
for his partner. No mention of her name was brought up in the mission
profile. Its like they didn't even care.

"Nikita, if they kill Krycek tomorrow, we might never find Scully.
She'll die all alone, probably of starvation. And its all my
fault..."

"Fox, we'll find her. We just need to stay focused for tomorrow. Come
on, let me take you out for brunch. You need some fresh air" Nikita
reassured the man she had come to grow very fond of. She knew she
could never replace Mulder's partner, but she could at least be his
friend in his time of angst. Nikita gently pulled Mulder from his
chair and they walked hand-in-hand to the exit.


Paris Train Station
Wednesday, June 14th, 1995
9:50 am


The mustached man tugged at the collar of his trench coat with his
free hand, uneasy with the whole situation. Since the other night's
encounter with the female intruder, he was constantly checking over
his shoulder, paranoid with fear. The guards felt ashamed  for letting
the intruders get on the chateau grounds. The mustached man was going
to follow the instructions given to him by the intruder. All he had to
do was finish the deal. It was easy enough, he kept telling himself.
The mustached man stepped up to the ticket window, ready to complete
the next part of his mission.

"Ticket for Arntzen" as he flashed his fake credentials to the smiling
lady behind the glass window. She eagerly found his ticket waiting and
wished him well on his trip.

The train to Brussels strode defiantly into the station as hordes of
standing people gathered their belongings to board. Taking one last
look around, the mustached man breathed a sigh, picked up his
suitcase, and hopped aboard the nearest aluminum boxcar. 

Along the far wall, a tall dark-haired man dressed completely in black
with matching shades watched Krycek's buyer board the train to
Brussels. Pulling the collar of his leather jacket upward, the man
reported back to Section.

"The buyer has boarded the train. I'm proceeding to second point."

Birkoff responded from his console back at Section, "Affirmative,
Agent Mulder."


Train to Brussels
Wednesday, June 14th, 1995
10:10 am

The mustached man patted his hands uneasily against his suitcase as it
rested on his lap, unable to maintain a rhythm. Within its leather
exterior was Krycek's payment, twenty-three million American dollars
for the complete set of secrets from the stolen digital tape. In his
mind, the deal was a bargain. The French government which he
represented was willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for such
covert information.

The train was now rolling fairly quickly down the track, as the
nervous man watched the scenic landscape of France pass by before him.
Suddenly, the cellular phone in his breast pocket rang. It was
showtime.

"Yes."

"Do you have the money?" the young voice on the other end asked
bruskly.

"Yes. Twenty-two million."

"Good. Now listen carefully. Under your seat is a folder containing
the information you want. I've also planted a bomb under your seat. If
you betray me, KABOOM. Capice?"

The mustached man froze upon hearing the word 'bomb'. Not wanting to
take a chance, he obliged to the rules his seller had previously set
upon to create.

"I understand. How do I give you your payment?"

"I want you to smash the window alongside you and throw the briefcase
outside."

"You're joking."

"Do it now, or its boom-boom for you."

Not wanting to waste another moment, the mustached man took his
briefcase and used all his force to smash the window of the boxcar.
People all around starting screaming in terror as the man hurled the
briefcase from the train. They jumped up from their seats and dashed
to the exit at the back of the car. Michael was the only calm person
in the boxcar, as he reported the transaction's progress back to
Section.

"The buyer just threw the briefcase out the window. Krycek must not be
on board. Birkoff, how far behind the train is Nikita?"

Back at Section One, Birkoff was typing rapidly as Michael explained
the update. Speaking into his microphone, "Nikita's about two minutes
behind the train. She and Mulder can intercept Krycek. Michael, you
need to stop the buyer in the meantime."

"Affirmative" he concluded. Michael looked back up from his seat to
the buyer's seat up ahead. The mustached man was gone.


French Pasture
Wednesday, June 14th, 1995
10:13 am

A man dressed completely in black rode a motorcycle swiftly alongside
the train on the left side. He had seen the projectile hurled just
moments ago. To his surprise, finding the briefcase amongst the tall
grasses of the pasture he had picked for his pick-up point was much
harder than he thought. Suddenly, the recognizable shape of a
briefcase came into his sight. Everything was working according to
plan. The train continued on down the track. He was now alone with his
prize.

Alex Krycek parked his motorcycle and eagerly opened the briefcase,
ready to confirm the validity of his transaction. As promised, it
contained a motherload of cash. Suddenly, the cellular phone he had
stolen from Agent Scully rang. Krycek pulled it out to check the
caller. It was his buyer calling. That was strange.

"What? You got your goods." Krycek responded irritated.

"Its not that. I want you to set off that bomb under my seat right
now."

"Huh? Why?" Krycek was perplexed by the request.

"There's some guy snooping around my seat right now. Just do it."

Alex Krycek pulled the bomb detonator from his pocket. He hadn't
planned on using it, but if it meant getting rid of those mercenaries
that were hunting him, he was very willing to use it then. Krycek
flipped up the safety to reveal the red detonator button.

Suddenly a black sports utility vehicle bolted across the barren train
tracks, its engine roaring with malicious intent. Mulder was driving
as Nikita was leaned out the passenger window wielding her pistol.
With only a moment to aim, she pulled the trigger intending to only
wound Krycek.

Alex Krycek pulled his arms up to cover his face from the impending
attack. The loud crack of the single bullet echoed throughout the
valley. The bullet destroyed the detonator in his hands and just
missed striking him as well. With the SUV almost upon him, Krycek
dashed back on his motorcycle, leaving behind his newly acquired
briefcase.

The SUV followed in hot pursuit behind the fleeing traitor. The tall
damp grasses were slowing their progress as Krycek headed to a small
wooded area down the sloping hill. Nikita was a crackshot when it came
to moving targets. She pulled the trigger thrice, and managed to
strike the rear tire of the motorcycle.

Krycek lost complete control of his motorcycle when the bullet struck.
He and the bike fell over sideways, skidding along the moist grasses
right into a tree at the top of the embankment. He grabbed at his
right arm in agony, apparently broken by the fall. The SUV was almost
upon him. He had to escape. Without hesitation, Krycek skidded down
the wooded embankment to the small creek below. 


Train to Brussels
Wednesday, June 14th, 1995
10:15 am

Michael was shocked to discover a bomb planted under the buyer's
abandoned seat. He quickly jumped up and turned to race to the front
of the train. Michael pushed against the outer door with all his might
and shut it behind him. He had gotten very lucky.

He turned around slowly and discovered only a single passenger in this
car. It was the mutached buyer, wielding a pistol and pointing it
straight at him. They both stood motionless for a moment before the
quiet man spoke.

"Your lady-friend said if I cooperate, I'll live. Is that still true,
monsieur?"

"It is" Michael gave a simple response.

"I'll take your word for that. Good day, monsieur" the mustached man
finished. He placed the folder from Krycek and the pistol down on the
chair. The man turned around and proceeded to the next boxcar. Michael
breathed a sigh of relief as he picked up the folder and pistol. He
could overhear a rookie Section operative on the train up ahead
speaking to him through the microphone.

"Michael, the buyer just entered my car. How should I proceed?"

"Stand down. I've got the information."

"Good. Let's just hope Nikita and Mulder got Krycek."


Wooded Creek
Wednesday, June 14th, 1995
10:18 am

Krycek stumbled across the muddy creek, panting wildly. He had heard
the SUV stop and two doors slam. His pursuers were now on foot. He was
too frantic to look back, when suddenly he tripped over a slippery
rock and landed in the muddy bank. Alex flipped over onto his back,
only to be greeted by two guns pointed straight at him.

"Checkmate!" Mulder blurted out as he whacked Krycek hard across the
mouth.

"Mulder? What the hell?" he blurted out in exhaustion.

"Where's Scully? What have you done to her?"

"She's safe. If you let me go, I'll tell you where she's at."

"Why should I believe what you say?" Mulder retorted in anger.

"You don't have much choice" Krycek remarked slyly as he handed Mulder
the picture of Scully he had taken the other night while she was bound
and gagged. A tear came to Mulder's eye upon seeing his partner
treated so cruely.

"Where is she?" he repeated his original question again.

"How about this? You let me go now, and I'll call you on Scully's
phone here in five minutes. I don't want to see her die either Mulder.
I like her" Krycek reviewed the deal with Mulder and Nikita as he
handed them the stolen cellular phone.

"Take it or leave it Mulder. Ball's in your court now" Krycek stated
as he stood up and started to walk away. Mulder placed his hand over
Nikita's pistol, signaling for her to let him go. She responded in
earnest and let the traitor escape.

"Do you trust him Fox?" Nikita asked him as Krycek disappeared over
the horizon.

"No. Like he said, we don't have much choice."


Section One
Friday, June 16th, 1995
10:13 am

Operations and Madeline stood outside the locked quarters where two
uninvited guests were being held. On the single cot, Mulder and Scully
slept peacefully in each other's arms. The entire ordeal had nearly
cost them dearly. All they wanted to do was revel in the fact they
were both still alive and well.

Following the mission, Mulder and Nikita had received the coordinates
of Scully's location. They quickly located her and returned to Section
for debriefing. Operations was pissed off about the miserable turnout
of the mission. Alex Krycek had escaped and the digital tape was not
recovered.

"What's on your mind, Paul?" Madeline asked inquisitively.

"I'm looking at these two agents here, and see myself in them when I
was younger. Energetic, ambitious, and foolishly in love. It wouldn't
be fair to keep them here."

"They'd both make good operatives though" Madeline played the devil's
advocate.

"I know. Call me soft-hearted, but I want to see them go back home.
Just so they can bring down that sonuvabitch who hired us for the
whole stupid Krycek fiasco."

Nikita came around the corner at that moment. Operations and Madeline
turned to face her to inform her of the decision.

"Nikita, we've decided to let them go. I'm putting you in charge of
releasing them the proper way and to instruct them about Section's
protocol in regard."

"Thank you, sir. I'll handle it" Nikita responded with a smile of
sadness on her face. 


Paris International Airport
Saturday, June 16th, 1995
2:15 pm

Nikita, Mulder, and Scully watched through the large airport windows
as their 747 plane home pulled up to the gate. For the FBI agents, it
was the end to a week of heartbreak and misfortune. They both felt
grateful to be heading home together now. Scully turned to face her
new friend Nikita.

"I just wanted to say thank you for taking care of Mulder and helping
us through this ordeal. I can't imagine what your life as a mercenary
must be like."

"Its not easy balancing your conscience against protocol. But there's
one thing I still have left that can't be taken away... hope."

Scully felt awkward around Nikita and Mulder together. She could sense
a shared connection between the two, a bond they both had in common.
Scully walked over to Nikita and gave her a hug good-bye before
boarding the airplane by herself. She wanted to give Mulder and Nikita
some privacy for their parting words.

"I'm going to miss you, Nikita."

"Same here. Your the first person I let get close to me. Its going to
be hard to get over you, Fox. But we both know it has to be this
way."

Mulder scooped her in his arms for a final embrace. They rubbed each
other's back's until they shared a final kiss goodbye.

Nikita cried slowly as her lover boarded the plane back to Washington,
DC. She was hopeful though that they would both find love again.
Slipping on a pair of shades, Nikita walked past the airport coffee
shop. She did not see a mustached man who was facing her from his seat
sharing a latte with a middle-aged brunette woman.

"Friend of yours?" she asked her distracted buyer.

"Our path's crossed before. But anyways, as I was saying, Detective
Thiesset and his two cadets were kind enough to give me back my
briefcase. Well, at least after a little bribe to each. So what ever
happened to your partner, Krycek?"

Geraldine Kallenchuk looked up from her latte upon hearing the name.
Wiping a tiny stain from her lip, she replied, "So far's he's alluded
the authorities. He'll contact me when he's ready to come out of
hiding."

"Oh. I see your flight back to the States is boarding now."

"I need to make a stop in DC and go ice skating."

"Well then, let us conclude our business. Here is twenty million
dollars for your copies of the covert documents. Is that a deal
then?"

"Deal. Its been a pleasure doing business with you, monsiuer?"

"With you as well Madame Kallenchuk. Have a safe trip back to the
States."

Geraldine got up from the quaint table and boarded the plane to
Washington, DC. In one hand she carried a briefcase containing the
twenty million dollars. And over the shoulder of her other arm was her
carry-on bag. It contained a sealed package containing the stolen
digital tape, the US government's most covert UFO secrets.

Little did Mulder realize this as he accidentally bumped her on the
plane and politely picked up her dropped carry-on bag. And little did
either of them know that their paths would cross twice more in three
months. And finally, little did either of them know that Geraldine
Kallenchuk would be murdered by French assassins in three months.


The End