a criminal organization, but is in fact working for someone or some organization much more powerful. Michael realizes just how committed Burke is to that entity, when he sees him sacrifice himself in an explosion to ensure that Michael frees Sonya—the woman that Burke calls "the key to everything." Sonya Lebedenko Sonya Lebedenko (Alona Tal) is the woman whom Burke calls "the future -- the key to everything." She is a former Russian agent initially revealed to be imprisoned at the behest of her superiors. Burke sacrifices himself to ensure that Michael can free Sonya from her captors. Once freed, Sonya has several assignments for Michael, some of which involve over-the-top and criminal methods, but Michael performs all of them at Agent Strong's prodding. He eventually sleeps with Sonya, even revealing this to Fiona to ensure that she realizes it was necessary for his cover. Sonya then introduces Michael to her boss, James Kendrick, but tricks him by not revealing the methods James uses to ensure his operatives will be loyal. As part of James' organization, Michael continues to work with Sonya, until he reaches a breaking point where he must decide whether the CIA or James' group is the lesser of two evils. Sonya ultimately makes this choice for a tormented Michael by pulling a gun on Fiona, and stating that "she is a threat." But Michael quickly pulls his gun, shooting and killing Sonya. James Kendrick After Michael convinces Sonya that he should meet her boss, she tases him and brings him to James' compound. She does not tell Michael the methods James (John Pyper-Ferguson) uses to ensure his operatives will be loyal. After James uses sensory torture and hallucinogenic drugs to find out all he can about Michael's past and present loyalties, he and Sonya become convinced that Michael will make a great team member. Little is known about James until Jesse is sent to investigate a former Delta Force soldier whose stay at a mental institution is being funded by James. The soldier reveals that James' last name is Kendrick, and that he once wiped out his own Delta Force unit because they were going to continue carrying out a mission in Africa even after discovering that innocent women and children would be harmed. Thus, Michael learns that James and his operatives will do anything to ensure that evil does not prevail in the world. As