Part 19 (2/2)
”You're going to kill them, aren't you?” asked Worf.
The guard aimed his phaser rifle at Worf, but Oscaras lowered the barrel with his hand. ”That's all right, Edward, I'll answer his question. Yes, Mister Worf, we intend to hang them. It's more humane than what they've done to so many of our people.”
”Two wrongs don't make a right,” protested Deanna. ”They were turning themselves in to make peace!”
”That will be the end result,” said Oscaras. ”Come, Edward, let's find the rest of them.”
The two men left the quarters, and Deanna heard the door being locked behind them.
”Do'Ha?' ” cursed Worf, struggling in vain against his bindings. ”If they kill them, do you know what that means?”
”What?” asked the Betazoid, unable to hide the fear in her voice.
”It means they'll have to kill us, too. There's only one way they can get away with this-by making sure we're not around to tell Captain Picard what happened.”
Deanna Troi joined Lieutenant Worf in a desperate effort to lossen the ropes that bound her arms and legs.
Data crouched behind a fallen log, watching the main gate of the compound from a safe distance. With his acute hearing he heard the voices and footsteps even before the fortified door opened and at least fifty armed colonists filed out. Raul Oscaras took the lead, dividing his force into smaller groups and pointing them in various directions. That was as much as the android needed to see, and he ran swiftly through the trees toward the tunnel entrance.
Only Ensign Ro remained above ground, waiting for him. ”Have they come out?” she asked.
”Yes,” replied the android. ”We must be quick and efficient.”
Ro lowered herself into the hole first, and Data followed, pulling the camouflaged flap over his head. The halogen lantern illuminated the musty darkness of the tunnel and revealed Gregg Calvert, impatiently gripping one of the phaser rifles stolen by Data during his escape. Louise Drayton remained bound and gagged, leaning against a muddy wall. Myra Calvert stood a few meters away from her, nearly obscured by the darkness. The girl nervously gripped a hand phaser.
”They have left the compound,” Data told Gregg. ”There are approximately fifty of them.”
”Good,” said the man. He turned to his young daughter. ”Myra, I've shown you how to use the phaser. Don't hesitate to stun Doctor Drayton if she tries to escape or does anything to alert Oscaras. And stay down here, out of sight.”
”Yes, Daddy.” She nodded grimly.
”We must go now,” said Data. ”I will lead, because my vision allows me to see in the darkness.”
Ensign Ro grabbed the second phaser rifle and followed the android. Several hours of inactivity had done a great deal to relieve the pain and swelling in her ankle, and she walked with barely a limp. Gregg followed her, gripping his phaser rifle. The tunnel grew darker as they walked, because they had left the lantern behind with Myra and her prisoner. Their voices echoed in the dank chamber.
”Let's go over our plan,” said Ro. ”I'll attack the guard tower by the front gate and keep it closed, in case Oscaras and his people come back early.”
”Right,” answered Gregg. ”Data and I will find the prisoners. We'll release them, and all of us will meet back at the tunnel.”
Data added, ”If possible, I would like to go to the communications room and alert the Enterprise to our situation.”
”But that's secondary,” said Calvert. ”If I know Oscaras, that place is still well guarded.”
”Agreed,” answered Data. ”If necessary, I believe we can elude the colonists in the forest until the Enterprise returns.”
Ro sighed. ”The only problem is, will the Klingons stay peaceful after what's happened to them?”
”That is unknown,” answered Data.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Ro fingered her new comm badge. Data still had a supply of them, after equipping the Klingons. Finally the android stopped, and Ro and Gregg nearly ran up his back. ”I see an opening above us,” he reported. His companions saw only darkness.
”There should be a ladder there, too,” answered Ro, ”and there's only a piece of carpet over the opening.”
”Affirmative,” answered Data. He began to climb. After a few seconds welcome rays of light streaked down the opening, and Ro was relieved to be able to see again. ”You may ascend,” Data called down.
Ro and Gregg strapped their phaser rifles to their backs and climbed the ladder. A moment later they were standing in Louise Drayton's small apartment. Data drew his hand phaser, and the two humanoids leveled their rifles.
”Phasers on stun,” ordered Data. His companions checked their weapons and nodded. Data put his hand on the door latch. ”Ready?”
”Ready,” replied his companions.
The android opened the door, and they stepped into one of the nondescript streets of New Reykjavik. A woman was walking past with two small children, and she immediately shrank back upon seeing the unfamiliar faces and the weapons. She wrapped her arms protectively around her children.
”Valerie,” said Gregg, ”we don't want to hurt you. Where are they keeping the prisoners?”
Ro could see the indecision on the woman's face, but she could also see the determination on Calvert's face. ”All right,” he said, ”let's take the children hostage until they release the prisoners.”
”No!” shrieked the woman.
”Then tell us!”
She pointed a quivering hand toward the second largest building in the compound. ”They converted the dining hall into a holding cell. That's where the Klingons are. The crew people are in Tony and Jan's quarters.”
Gregg ordered, ”Get to your house and stay there.” The woman didn't have to be told twice, and she quickly shepherded her children down the narrow street.
”Signal me when you're ready to leave,” said Ro. ”I'll meet you back here.”
The Bajoran jogged in the direction of the gate and emerged in the broad courtyard with its three forlorn trees. Once again she was glad she was wearing the brown uniform of the colonists, because a number of people had congregated around the open gate and its guard tower. Fortunately, their attention was directed toward the forest. She lowered both her head and her rifle and was able to cover two dozen meters before someone spotted her. A man looked curiously at her.
”Hey,” he said, ”who are-”
The blue beam caught him in the midsection, and he collapsed into the dust. She took aim at the three colonists in the guard tower and stunned them all with one sweeping blast. The colonists on the ground whirled around, only to be zapped by another sweeping arc of blue light. They had barely struck the ground before Ro was climbing the ladder into the guard tower. She grabbed the lever and slammed the gate shut.
The shouts from the main gate had alerted the guards in the dining hall, and two of them ran out, only to be cut down by Data and Gregg Calvert.
”The Klingons know me,” said Data. ”You go release Worf and Troi.”
”Right,” said Gregg, das.h.i.+ng off in another direction.
Data strode to the door and smashed it open with one kick. He was instantly hit by a blue beam, but the stun setting had no effect upon him. Before the two guards inside realized they were dealing with an android, Data dropped them into a deep sleep with his own phaser.
Data saw that several of the larger tables had been overturned, and the young Klingons were tied to the table legs, bound hand and foot. They gaped in awe at their rescuer.
”Data!” screamed Wolm.
”Silence is advisable,” said the android. ”Please obey my instructions, and we will escape unharmed.”
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