Section captures a mathematician in order to decode a code that is aiding terrorists in their attacks.

A new operative with a photographic memory is brought in to ""remember"" the directory of a terrorist organization. When he is made a permanent recruit, Nikita looks into her own recruitment, wondering if it was planned or not.

After Birkoff chokes in the middle of remotely directing an operation and is then promptly upstaged by arch-nemesis Greg Hillinger who pulls the frying pan out of the fire and saves the mission, Operations promotes Hillinger to Birkoff's job and re-assigns Birkoff to his first field operation. Birkoff's mission is to infiltrate and perform reconnaissance on a mercenary terrorist organization "Soldat de la Liberty" run by a man named Jean-Marc Rousseau who employs brainwashing on young people to fill the ranks of his organization. Birkoff is convinced that Operation's real objective is to set him up with an impossible mission, so that Operations can eliminate Birkoff and permanently replace him with the more obsequious and pliable Hillinger. And sure enough, once inside the group Birkoff discovers ties between Rousseau's organization and the infamous Red Cell, and Operations refuses to extricate Birkoff preferring to leave him in place to gather more information. Can Nikita help Birko

During an operation, Hillinger's goofing off costs an operative his life, and Hillinger pleads with Birkoff to cover for him, which Birkoff inexplicably does. Hillinger doesn't return the favor, however, when Birkoff is sent out to direct a mission from the field, and Hillinger deliberately tries to get his rival Birkoff killed off once and for all. The jokes on Hillinger when Birkoff exposes what Hillinger did. Sure enough, Operations puts him in abeyance and Hillinger's days seem to be numbered. At the same time, Operations is acting more and more viciously toward Madeline. Operations' timing is terrible, as George from Oversight is turning up the pressure on Operations, just as he's acting out with Madeline. Will Madeline get even with Operations by betraying him to George?

Birkoff may have stumbled on Section One's biggest coups yet, a chance to nab a top Red Cell operative by the name of "The Cardinal", who has eluded Section One for more than 15 years. Unfortunately, Birkoff's arch-nemesis Greg Hillinger is convinced that Birkoff is wrong, and Hillinger convinces George that Operations and Section One are walking into a trap. Based on Hillinger's intellect, George moves against Operations on the assumption that the operation against The Cardinal is bogus. Is Birkoff right after all? And if Birkoff is wrong, is this the end of Operations, and Birkoff too?