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418. Toys in the Basement
Written by: Lawrence Hertzog
Directed by: Rene Bonniere
Edited by: Richard Wells
US airdate: August 6, 2000
Transcribed by Jean
ALLEY
A dun-camouflaged truck pulls up, stops. A man exits the vehicle, drawn to a dumpster where an abandoned cat meows. It’s been wrapped in a white towel; blood is evident.
HENRY: Baby, baby. Oh dear, it's okay, it's okay. Oh, you're frightened. I'll take very good care of you.
He carefully lifts the cat, easing the lid of the dumpster with his shoulder, then places the cat tenderly in the back of the truck. A black SUV trundles across the mouth of the alley, there and gone in a moment.
HENRY: Don't be frightened. I'll take care of you.
Cut to the black SUV as it pulls up in front of a small, second-hand bookstore. The Section team, including Michael and Nikita, disembark and then enter the bookstore. A man flips through a book, presumably a customer; he watches the team. Nikita penetrates to the back of the store, while Michael and the others remain at the front, guns drawn. In the back, a woman works on a computer
WOMAN: Excuse me? Can I help you?
NIKITA: I want your database.
She puts a disk in the computer drive.
WOMAN: Look I don't know what you think you'll find here. We're just a…
NIKITA: (points her weapon at the woman) I wasn't asking.
WOMAN: Okay, all right.
In the front, the customer draws out a gun. Michael shoots him.
Flash to Comm; a monitor shows the bookstore.
JASON: Looks like we've got a problem.
QUINN: What? (she briefly studies the situation) Michael, hostile converging from the south quadrant.
Flash back to the bookstore. Michael looks around, then cut to Nikita in the back.
WOMAN: Listen, please.
Gunfire barks in an intense firefight. When the woman attempts to retrieve something, Nikita shoots her, point-blank.
NIKITA: Michael go!
The team leaves by the front door. With bullets flying all around, Nikita attempts to exit through the back entrance of the store, but it’s locked. In the alley behind, Henry’s truck passes by. Nikita goes up and emerges on the roof and leads a merry chase over the rooftops.
MICHAEL: (to Quinn) I need a location on Nikita.
QUINN: She's just behind you, Michael. I'm getting an elevation reading.
On the roof, the chase continues. The hostile chasing Nikita draws a bead on her; she fires back but his shot hits her. She crumples and falls off the edge of the building, landing on plastic garbage cans before tumbling to the ground, injured. Michael shoots the hostile on the roof.
MICHAEL: Nikita's location?
QUINN: She's on the ground, Michael. Sixteen meters, SSE. You're going to have to make a ground approach. She should be right in front of you Michael.
Michael runs around the grounds, looking vainly for Nikita.
QUINN: Michael do you have her? Michael?
Michael says nothing as he continues the search. When he reaches the alley, he finds a viscous glob of blood on the ground -- but no Nikita.
QUINN: Michael report. Michael can you hear me? Michael? Michael?
SECTION: COMM
QUINN: Housekeeping found this. It's a thermal block. We knew that Bright Star had the technology to block our RNR block scans… but not this. This is why we couldn't see them until they left the room.
MICHAEL: What's the status on Nikita?
OPERATIONS: Nikita's implant went off a few minutes after we lost our visual on her.
MICHAEL: Last known location?
QUINN: Two blocks from where she fell. She's off the board.
OPERATIONS: Quinn isolated another Bright Star substation in Romaine. Now since they mirror their database information, of course the network will assemble a storm team and attempt to acquire the personnel database we lost. It is essential that we obtain this information in the next 72 hours. There will be severe repercussions if we can't.
MICHAEL: Nikita has the disk.
OPERATIONS: Your mission is now listed as aborted Michael. We consider the database information you acquired on premises unobtainable. We've had no contact with her for six hours. Per procedure, she'll be listed as killed in action.
BASEMENT
Nikita regains consciousness and finds herself in a cellar. A bloody bandage wraps her abdomen, an ugly laceration decorates her brow. She is chained to a bed. A cat wails in the background; there are multiple cages, all filled with hurt animals.
Ladder-like stairs fold down from the upper floor and Henry walks down. He approaches Nikita, who appears asleep, and reaches out to touch her. She suddenly grabs his hand.
HENRY: You're alive.
NIKITA: (her voice is raspy) Where am I?
HENRY: You know you wouldn't be if it weren't for me. Alive that is. It wasn't easy getting that bullet out of you.
NIKITA: Thank you.
HENRY: Mother always said that if you're going to be good at anything you better resolve yourself to practice.
NIKITA: Who are you?
HENRY: I'm a doctor. (he leans close and briefly smells her) You smell a lot nicer than most of my patients.
NIKITA: Do you think you can take these handcuffs off of me?
HENRY: (laughs) I like that. The patient telling the doctor what to do. Um, I'll make those decisions if it's all right with you.
NIKITA: I appreciate everything you've done for me.
HENRY: I will take very good care of you. (draws an unknown drug into a syringe) Very safe here.
NIKITA: What's your name?
HENRY: Henry Paul Collins. What's yours?
NIKITA: Nikita.
HENRY: Nikita. Very pretty name, Nikita. You want to know a secret? Besides my mother, you're the first girl I've ever well, uh um, been able to talk to. (Nikita moans as he injects her) No one as smart and pretty like you.
Nikita fades into unconsciousness. Henry caresses her, then leans down and strokes her bare stomach with his tongue.
BRIEFING TABLE
Jason, Walter, Davenport, and Quinn sit ready at the table. Operations looks around, irritated.
OPERATIONS: Where's Michael?
DAVENPORT: He's in his office.
OPERATIONS: Was he informed of the briefing?
DAVENPORT: Yes sir.
OPERATIONS: This briefing will be rescheduled one half hour from now.
Operations stalks off to confront Michael in his office.
OPERATIONS: You're aware of the procedure Michael. Did you expect we would make an exception for Nikita?
MICHAEL: No.
OPERATIONS: Then you know you have a job to do and you are expected to do it. If you have to grieve, then do it on your own time.
MICHAEL: You owe me fifteen days. (pause) For helping your friend.
OPERATIONS: Yes, I did promise you that.
MICHAEL: I'd like to take them now.
OPERATIONS: All right Michael. You do what you've got to do but you're on your own. If I find out you employed any section resources, put a drain on our manpower, I will act accordingly.
MICHAEL: I understand.
BASEMENT
Henry descends the stairs holding half a cake festooned with burning candles. He sets it on the table next to Nikita’s bed, leans over and blows the candles out.
HENRY: You know what I wished for?
NIKITA: What did you wish for Henry?
HENRY: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I finally think I've got everything I've always wanted. Right here.
NIKITA: You care about me?
HENRY: Oh, you're very special Nikita. Haven't I proven that by saving your life?
He removes the candles from the cake.
NIKITA: But I don't understand why you're keeping me down here with handcuffs. You don't want me to feel like a prisoner do you?
HENRY: No, you're not nearly well enough to get out of bed and start running around. You'll catch your death.
NIKITA: I'll take your advice Henry and even if you took the handcuffs off I…if you said I should stay in bed I will stay.
HENRY: It doesn't really matter that much does it? You know mother baked this cake herself. (he cuts a piece of cake) I think she is getting rather jealous that I brought the rest of it down here. She thinks I spend too much time down here.
NIKITA: Does she know about me? Does she know I'm down here?
HENRY: Truth is, I think she is getting a little too attached to me. Oh well, I suppose it's better than not being loved at all. (he feeds her a bite of cake)
NIKITA: (takes a nibble) She sounds like she's really very nice, your mother. I'd like to meet her.
HENRY: I'm sure you would. You see, I knew you were smart.
NIKITA: Henry I need something to drink. Some water.
HENRY: Mother, one of these days she's going to push me too far. Be a good girl and drink your milk.
He trots upstairs and pulls the ladder after him, leaving Nikita alone. She casts all around; looking at what resources lay at hand. The dripping of water from a pipe attracts her attention, as does the fork that Henry left on the cake plate.
NIKITA: (whispers) Thank you, Henry.
She used the fork to remove the handcuffs, then shakily staggers to the pipe, laying down and allowing the drip of water to fall into her mouth. When she hears Henry returning, she climbs back into the bed, feigning sleep.
HENRY: Forgive me for being rude. I forgot to say goodnight. Mother said you might need this.
He leaves a bucket by her bedside, and then leaves.
ALLEY
Michael sits astride his motercycle, surveying the area. On the ground at his feet is the now-faded bloodstain left by Nikita. Michael spies a security camera across the way, mounted on the outside of the building across the way. Cut to Michael entering the building, home of Braemar Insurance. An attractive receptionist approaches him, a friendly smile on her face.
WOMAN: Oh hi. Can I help you?
MICHAEL: Hi.
Michael casually grabs her by the juncture of neck and shoulder, and renders her unconscious. He relieves her of her security access card, and infiltrates the security office. He settles in and soon brings up the relevant tape.
BASEMENT
Nikita lights the candles from the cake, then a larger candle in a holder. She examines her prison, finding a blocked up window. With a few jabs of the end of the candleholder, she yanks down the board over the cellar window. A huge, black dog fiercely barks at her; Henry holds its leash. He bends down and looks at her.
HENRY: (chidingly) Nikita…
COMM
QUINN: If you're going to recycle a sim, always check the balances. You've got to clear your sub-net mask and make sure your gateways line up.
JASON: Oh, you're just saying that to get me excited aren't you?
QUINN: Your loins must be a sad and primitive place Mr. Crawford.
JASON: They're just lacking for company is all darlin'.
QUINN: Uh-huh, and tact apparently.
JASON: Tact is for the boardroom, not the bedroom.
QUINN: Or in your case…just bored in the bedroom.
JASON: You're too good for me darlin' (he walks behind her) Smarter, faster with the one-liners. I'll bet that moat around your thighs has kept most every human male standing at the drawbridge, trying to figure out why he wanted to come over in the first place.
Michael enters Comm.
MICHAEL: (to Quinn) I need a DMV trace.
QUINN: No can do, Michael. You know the drill.
Jason motions for Michael to follow him.
JASON: Trust me pal, I've been there, done that. Forget it. You know the iceberg that sunk the Titanic? An amateur. Really. What do you need?
BASEMENT
Henry fills in the window opening with bricks and mortar.
HENRY: No good deed goes unpunished. Always trying to pound that into me but I always resisted. I guess Mother knows best, Nikita. You and I are friends now and we should treat each other like friends.
Henry pours milk through a funnel into an IV bag.
HENRY: You really do need your milk. (he swabs her arm) You are so beautiful Nikita, so very beautiful.
Nikita moans as he inserts the needle into her arm. He reaches up and starts the milk flowing into her vein.
HENRY: Won't mother be happy when she learns of our surprise.
SECTION: HALLWAY
JASON: I spliced off Quinn's network bus and stuck a node terminal on the line. She won't even know we were here.
MICHAEL: That's good there.
They look at a picture of Henry’s truck, taken from the insurance building’s surveillance tape.
JASON: I can enlarge and enhance. (he does; the license plate number pops up)
MICHAEL: That's good.
JASON: Now all we got to do is run this puppy though the DMV database. That means Quinn.
Flash to Madeline in her office. She watches the entire exchange on her monitor through Section’s security system.
MICHAEL: Half an hour.
BASEMENT
Nikita slowly wakes only to find herself swathed in white mesh. It’s a veil that covers her like a shroud; she’s wearing a wedding dress as well.
NIKITA: Oh my God.
Henry soon arrives, and decorates the cellar, hanging doily hearts and stringing lights on the beams above.
HENRY: It's going to be small but it doesn't mean we can't do it right. I think it really does something for the room don't you?
NIKITA: Henry. Henry? Come here. Sit down. Sit down.
He sits.
HENRY: Very excited about all this.
NIKITA: Haven't you forgotten something?
HENRY: Forgotten something? Well uh… I've got the decorations, the uh, the wedding cake. We're both here. No, no I don't uh, no I don't think I left anything out.
NIKITA: You never asked me how I feel about all this.
HENRY: I saved your life Nikita. I've taken excellent care of you. I can't think of any reason why…
NIKITA: (sighs) Then you really don't know anything about women then do you Henry? Even if a girl is going to say yes, she likes to be asked.
HENRY: (worried) If I ask, you promise to say yes?
NIKITA: That's cheating.
Henry paces, and puts his back to Nikita.
HENRY: (facing a beam) Nikita will you marry me?
NIKITA: Henry look at me. Look at me, come back and sit down.
HENRY: (turns around) You promised.
NIKITA: Henry, take the handcuffs off.
HENRY: You know I can't do that.
NIKITA: If you cared about me…
HENRY: Oh Nikita please… That's a broken record… ‘If you cared about me’? If I unlock those handcuffs now you're going to try and run for the road.
NIKITA: Henry, I'm sorry. You're right but that was before you asked me to marry you. It's different now.
HENRY: What? What's so... What's so different now?
NIKITA: I'm all tied up like this. I can't even touch you. (reaches her fingertips out as if trying to hold him) Henry I want to know what you feel like.
HENRY: (agitated) You sound like a whore Nikita. I’d never marry a whore!
MADELINE’S OFFICE
MADELINE: You utilized Section's facilities and manpower to assist an off profile operation.
JASON: I thought Michael worked here.
MADELINE: You know very well what I mean.
JASON: All right, so I helped the guy out. It took ten minutes. You're not going to climb out of your skirt about that are you?
MADELINE: Why did you do it?
JASON: They guy's okay. Doesn't talk much. He plays straight. I like that. Besides, all he's doing is helping out someone he cares for. I don't really see the harm in that.
MADELINE: and despite the rules, you believe it all comes down to how you see it?
JASON: (sits down) I get the point. So what now? (taunts) You gonna cut my head off?
MADELINE: No. I'm actually quite pleased with your progress. It seems the more time you spend with us, the more like your brother you become. You're doing quite well Jason. Quite well.
COLLINS’ HOUSE
A service van pulls up into the driveway. A man gets out and approaches the front door just as Henry comes out, leading a dog on a leash.
MAN: Mr. Collins?
HENRY: That's right.
MAN: I'm here to read your meter.
HENRY: My meter? Right. This is really a bad time. I'd have to clear a path for you. Maybe you could come back next week?
MAN: I'm sorry. According to our records, you're already overdue.
HENRY: If you could just give me a couple of days.
MAN: I wish I could. (smiles ruefully) Rules.
Henry reluctantly nods and opens the front door. Before he enters the house, the man looks up over his shoulder at the clear sky.
MAN: Beautiful day.
They enter the house.
Some time later, Henry reemerges alone, goes to his car and drives away. Cut to the basement where Nikita struggles to free herself from the bed, yanking repeatedly on a supporting strut of the bed until it flaps loose enough for her to slide the chain free. The fork serves again to pop the locks on her handcuffs; thus freed, Nikita makes her painful way to the stairs, grimacing at the dead meter-reader as he stares glassily at her from his seat on the floor.
With determination, Nikita pulls down the stairs despite her weakened state, and drags herself up each rung, finally pushing up the cover with what seems to be her last strength. As the cover hits home, a grandmotherly woman looks down at her in surprise: Mrs. Collins.
MRS. COLLINS: What are you doing down there?
NIKITA: Mrs. Collins? Can you help me?
Henry’s mother smiles brightly, then sets her foot on Nikita’s shoulder and pushes hard. Nikita tumbles back down her hard-won stairs and sprawls on the floor.
BASEMENT
Mrs. Collins and Nikita sit on the bed, the dead man bearing witness to the madness. .
MRS. COLLINS: Talk about bad timing. Henry pleaded with him to come back next week but he wouldn't have it. Anyway, it will be nice to have another guest hmmm? (she looks intently at Nikita's face) I'd say you were autumn, earthy, rosy. (she applies a brush-full of makeup to Nikita’s cheek) Henry is so excited about all of this. You've made him happier than I've seen him in years. I believe that a boy inevitably reaches a certain age when his mother's attentions just aren't enough anymore. It's funny, you tend to think of them as babes and then one day you open your eyes and you realize they're all grown up. That your hugs and kisses are not what they're looking for. Sad isn't it?
NIKITA: There are people looking for me Mrs. Collins. Very dangerous people. They won't hesitate to hurt your son.
MRS. COLLINS: See…you have to understand about Henry. His father died just after he was born and I've tried to be both mother and father to him. I expect that you'll do everything in your power to make him happy.
NIKITA: Mrs. Collins, if you keep me here, you and Henry will be in jeopardy.
MRS. COLLINS: Oh look at you -- you've got butterflies. I remember I had such a case of humpy jumpies before my wedding. It's perfectly normal you know. You are going to be just fine.
Henry’s mother leaves Nikita on the bed to attend to the dead man’s grooming, using the same brush she just painted Nikita with.
SECTION: MICHAEL’S OFFICE
JASON: I got it. Ran satellite survey on the four likely's I told you about and looky here: that's the same truck you were looking at in those security tapes.
MICHAEL: You have an address?
JASON: I got more than an address. Look at this. Thought maybe I could pick up some faces for you. Couldn't get much more than the top of the head on this little guy here, but the gas man, just as he looks up…here. I ran an indent scan on the guy. His name is Craig Burrow. We have him listed in our database as a third level operative for Bright Star. He never left the house. Could be we stumbled on a Bright Star sub-station. I thought you might want to know.
MICHAEL: Thank you.
JASON: Anytime. Soon as they got wind that I was helping you out, old Mata Hari with the shape to die for. She was all over me with the compliments. I think she likes it when I take my own initiative.
Michael says nothing in response, but Jason seems nonplussed. Michael leaves.
MUNITIONS
Walter gathers weapons together for Michael.
WALTER: You really think she's still alive?
MICHAEL: Yes.
WALTER: You think or you wanna think? You know you got enough to go to Operations on this. You've got a location; you ID'd a Bright Star operative. If she is in that house and if she's still alive, he might reconsider.
MICHAEL: He won't.
WALTER: You don't know what you're walking into. This is a Bright Star operation… you might find a very big welcoming committee.
MICHAEL: I'll get her out.
BASEMENT
Mrs. Collins, dressed for the occasion, carefully sets the needle of a record player on the spinning disk and strains of The Wedding March fill the air. Henry descends the stairs, wearing a maroon tux.
MRS. COLLINS: Henry, you look just like your father.
HENRY: (to Nikita) You look beautiful.
MRS. COLLINS: Shhhh. Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to witness the bonding of these two young people in holy matrimony. Do you have the rings? (Henry presents them in the palm of his hand) One at a time Henry; yours first. Do you Henry Paul Collins take this woman Nikita to be your lawfully wedded wife; in sickness and in health, for richer, poorer, forsaking all others until death do you part?
HENRY: I do.
A small, perfectly round, charred circle suddenly appears in the very center of Henry’s forehead. He’s been shot, and is transfixed by joy and death before he falls.
MRS. COLLINS: (turning around) You've got no business…
Her tirade is abruptly cut short as more bullets take her. The cellar fills with men: members of Bright Star. One approaches Nikita.
MAN: Where's the disk?
NIKITA: I don't know what you're talking about.
The man strikes her, then shoots the handcuffs; they fall off. Outside, other men guard the house. Inside, the man who spoke throws a noose over an exposed beam, then puts it around Nikita’s neck, first shoving the veil off her head.
MAN: Where is it?
NIKITA: I don't know what you're talking about.
Nikita’s feet leave the ground as she’s suspended in the air by her neck.
Cut to Michael. He rides on his motorcycle, pacing a cement truck and using it as cover to approach the Collins’ house. The men guarding the house stir, unsettled, but all they see is the cement truck. Suddenly, Michael guns the engine; the front wheel of his cycle leaps up, and he cuts in front of the truck and attacks the house, spraying bullets like a shield and mowing down the exterior guards.
The exterior secured, Michael penetrates the house, going into the basement where he sees the terrible view. Nikita dangles, mouthing without air the words ‘I don’t know’. Michael doesn’t hesitate and opens fire with two handguns, killing all the Bright Star operatives. Nikita collapses to the ground now that her string has been released. Michael removes the noose.
NIKITA: Oh you should have had backup. You had no way of knowing if I was going to be all right. What if this had been a Bright Star sub-station? Hm? You wouldn't have made it out of here.
MICHAEL: If you weren't alive, it wouldn't have mattered.
As the last stanzas of the Wedding March follow them, Michael carries Nikita up the stairs and out of the cellar full of insanity and death. They ride away, Nikita slumped on the back of Michael’s motorcycle, wedding dress streaming behind.
MUNITIONS
WALTER: Been here a couple of weeks now, Jason and already you're checking anomalies in the inventory.
JASON: What can I tell you? They don't have cable and I gotta keep busy.
WALTER: Hmph.
JASON: What do you say Walter? Got a couple of Beretta 92F's, Glock 9mm, Mac10 all unaccounted for. They seemed to go missing around the time Michael showed up.
WALTER: You know, maybe you should check your figures one more time.
JASON: Four times. All right, be that way, if you're the kind of guy that just doesn’t want a pat on the back.
WALTER: (surprised) What do you mean by that?
JASON: Between you and me pal, we seem to be the only two in this place to want to help that guy. That really seemed to impress the brass.
WALTER: Impress them?
JASON: Hell, yeah. I thought I was going to get a promotion on the spot.
WALTER: (sarcastic) Wow.
JASON: I'll put in a good word for you.
WALTER: (emphatically) Don't.
JASON: All right. Have it your way. I like you Walter. I really do. You're my kind of people.
Jason leaves Munitions, spies an attractive woman as she walks across the way, intent on her panel. He intersects her path, draping an arm around her shoulders.
JASON: Excuse me… I don't think you should be pressing those buttons while you're walking.
COMM
QUINN: I'm just finishing the download now. It's the entire Bright Star database from Nikita's disk. It's complete.
OPERATIONS: Do you have a location and an ETA on Michael and Nikita?
QUINN: No sir. The download was set automatically on a timer. I got only one contact from Michael giving me the channel and frequency.
OPERATIONS: Well, where the hell are they?
QUINN: There was a message on the file letter. It seemed encrypted to me. Code maybe? All it said was 'It took me four days to find Nikita. That leaves eleven.' (pause) Does that make sense to you?
Operations does not deign to answer, rather smiles faintly and walks away.
The scene fades to a peaceful tableau in the woods. Michael’s motorcycle stands guard over a small tent and a crackling fire. Michael and Nikita are nowhere to be seen, hidden from all prying eyes for eleven precious days.
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