Kathryn could feel the blood draining from her body and in the middle of her struggle with this man, her limbs went hopelessly limp.
Cold, he was cold, and he was stealing her warmth, only to replace it with airy ice.
Captain Janeway tried to pull her neck from the alien's fangs, but it only tore her skin from her body before he returned to his task. She'd tried to call out for help, but her attempts only came out as muffled gargles, through the blood leaking into her throat.
Chakotay was supposed to be here. She'd been waiting for him in fact when her attacker had come. They were to take dinner at the café down the street, then walk beneath the two purplish moons of this beautiful world.
Kathryn felt her body spasm and seize. All of her muscles tensed, and she lost control of her breathing. Her chest and throat burned. Her eyes stung. She felt numb and chilled where her skin had torn.
The man stopped his ministrations for a moment and Kathryn's head lulled back. He let his gaze rest on her shuddering chest, then run up to her neck, and blood spattered face.
Though he had her pinned to a wall she was slipping faster than he could readjust his hold on her. To him, Kathryn's eyes were strange. He'd never seen blue in someone's eyes. Purple and green, yes, but a pure blue…Her eyes were clouded, half closed to the outside world. He'd remember those eyes forever.
Behind him, footsteps approached- heavy footfalls, perhaps of a large man, maybe two. The creature cursed the woman he held and her heavy, labored breathing, the only sound in the abandoned alley. He dragged her and her companion quickly through the shadows.
ooOOoo
"You did what?" Excuse me Commander, but that wasn't the brightest of moves in this city. Where was it you planned to meet her?"
The delegate's eyes had become as wide as saucers, his fidgeting more frantic.
"We'd planned to meet downtown for dinner, but not for another ten minutes at least. I'll just call the ship to make sure Captain Janeway doesn't beam down alone"
"Then do so Commander. There are night walking creatures in the city that thirst for murder. Only in the dark can they shed the shame and hunger of their daily lives. No person, especially a female should walk alone at night. I suggest you make sure the two of you stay together all night."
ooOOoo
Kathryn glanced across the ally to the poor ensign who'd beamed down with her.
Chakotay had called fifteen minutes ago to make sure Kathryn had an escort. He'd asked Lieutenant Ayala to come with her, and she'd agreed, but at the last minute Ayala had remembered a dinner date he'd arranged for the evening.
Instead, Ensign Johnson had come to Ayala's rescue, offering to take his place in escorting the captain.
Now Oliver lay unconscious across from his captain. The creature had come up on the two from behind, grabbing at Kathryn and ramming the ensign into a brick wall.
ooOOoo
As the man dragged them into another side street behind one of the shuttered buildings, Kathryn realized it was getting harder to breath. He hauled Johnson under one arm, and then threw him to the ground.
She tried to scream then, but his arm was well around her throat; crushing her.
The man flipped Kathryn so her face and chest were pressed into the ally wall. He found a fresh, untouched patch of skin on her neck and bit down hard. He moved again holding her tightly as she jerked in his grasp. Her body struggled like a fish on a line out of water.
The foot steps had faded, otherwise he wouldn't have continued, but the same footfalls were fast approaching again.
He was pulled violently by his hair from his victim, but still refused to release his teeth. He took with him one last strip of skin before she fell then he felt an incredible pain as four booted feet kicked him away. Soon he was laying flat on the ground, staring into the glassy eyes of his victim as he felt the sizzle of a phaser strike his back.
"Chakotay to Voyager"
"Paris here, what can I do for you?"
"Beam the Captain and Ensign Johnson to sickbay immediately."
Chakotay glanced only once to Kathryn then forced himself to look away. Tuvok called for an emergency transport for he and Kathryn to sickbay.
How did she always find trouble?
He wiped the blood from his hands onto his trousers, then arranged for the creature's detainment. He kicked it hard one more time for good measure.
As soon as he was able, he called for a beam-out directly to sickbay.