Intentions" Part 6

by DTroi57

sixth part of the second story of the "Enemy's Mask" Trilogy

Chapter 32

Commander William Riker awoke with a monster of a headache, and the sensation that he had fallen into the proverbial "rabbit hole". He had no idea where he was, or if the truth be known, when he was. His innate sense of time and place had been obliterated by whatever medication he had been injected with. Will took stock of his physical condition. He was lying on some sort of bed, or cot. His uniform had been removed and replaced with a pair of loose trousers and a baggy shirt. Soft cloth slippers covered his bare feet. The room in which he lay was dim, and from what he could see from this vantage point, wasn't very large. Where in the hell was he? And more importantly, why had he been brought here, and by whom?

Riker found himself unable to rise when he tried to move from the bed. He had been restrained both at his ankles and his wrists. The knowledge that he was being held prisoner, or hostage roared through his thoughts; followed immediately by thoughts of Deanna, and what she must be going through. He shook his head...knowing that in order to know where he was going, he had to know where he had been. He forced himself to concentrate, pushing past the fuzziness in his mind to recall as many details of the last several hours... "Come on Riker! Think! What's the last thing you remember?!" Frowning, Will turned his focus inward, Dinner! That's right, he'd just been brought dinner. It had been fairly late, after 19:30 hours...He'd eaten and tried to contact Deanna, telepathically, when the man monitoring his communications with her, broke into his concentration, breaking the link.

"Commander Riker, it is in your best interests not to try to communicate telepathically with your wife. Now please refrain from doing so, or I shall report it." He remembered that he'd tried everything, argued vehemently , that if they'd let Deanna visit him, they'd have no need for telepathy. And as had happened over the three, or was it four days previously, he'd been promised that when the processing was complete, visiting priveledges would be reinstated. Will recalled feeling strange after dinner, and that he'd fallen asleep early. Sometime after midnight...he'd been dreaming, of Deanna. She'd been crying, her arms outstretched, begging him to come back to her. The sight of her face had brought anguish to his heart. As she watched, in the dream three men came and took him from the cell to another place. It had been windy...and...he frowned...that was all that he could recall, until he'd awakened here...wherever here was. Riker's back was aching, he was thirsty, and needed to use the bathroom.

"Hello! Is anyone there? Please, someone answer me. Hello?" After several moments of silence, Will decided that he was alone...but where?

"Hello! is anyone there?" The echo of his voice sounded hollowly in his ears...it ricochetted off of the surrounding walls, "Anyone there, there, there, there" It was enough to send a chill through Riker's body. The sound of an intercom opening, caught his attention.

"So, Commander Riker, you've decided to grace us with your presence. How wonderful. Are you quite comfortable there?" Will snorted..

"Just perfect. I always did like to wake up handcuffed to my bed." Sarcasm rang clearly in his voice.

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to the one who holds you captive? Afterall you are dependent upon ME for all of your needs, aren't you Commander?" The voice was subtly amused.

"I see your point, may I ask a question?" Will tried to keep his thoughts neutral, just in case this person was a telepath. You never knew who or what you were dealing with.

"Of course."

"Where am I, and why am I being held in restraints?"

"All in good time, Commander. All in good time. Now perhaps you'd like to make yourself at home?" As the words were uttered, the ankle and wrist restraints popped open and fell away from the hands and feet they had bound. The tingling that had driven him insane began to leave as the constriction caused by the restraints was released. Rubbing his hands over his wrists, Will sat up slowly, wincing as a pounding headache erupted in his temples. He sat still trying to relax, centering...trying to reach out and find Deanna. As he felt the subtle brush of her in his thoughts, it was as if a sledgehammer hit him square in the forehead...and a wall slid down, shielding his thoughts.

Ahhhhhhhhh!" The pain was white hot and intense, like knives stabbing into his skull. Will found it hard to breathe, his chest heaving with the strain.

"Please...........please, stop! " The words were barely audible even to him...but apparently his captor had heard...because the pain vanished as quickly as it had come upon him. In the aftermath of the pain, Will Riker sat trembling, perspiration rolling down his forehead and chest. He was dizzy, and chilled, and his stomach was churning.

"No telepathy Commander...We wouldn't want that lovely little wife of yours to come snooping now, would we? She's very fragile these days...with the pregnancy and all. It would be a terrible tragedy if something were to happen to her. There are the twins to consider as well; much too early for the little ones to arrive. Don't you agree?" Will's blood ran cold at the thought of Deanna being harmed. His thoughts ran to what she had been through in the last several months...

"Ahhh yes, her imprisonment. I'd forgotten about that little detail. I can imagine how that bmust have been for her...torture is difficult for anyone to endure, but for a Betazoid, even a half breed, it must have been deeply disturbing." Will stood up, his fists clenching.

"Why are you doing this...tell me dammit...why?" The voice chuckled softly. You'll know soon enough. Be patient. But remember...NO telepathy."

"How did you block me? How did you know so much about me...about us? Explain that!"

"All in good time Commander...it will all become clear. Oh come now, don't look so surprised...I would have to be a telepath to block you the way that I did. You of all people should have at least a working knowledge of psychic abilities." Will's expression changed from one of shock to one of understanding. That was how his captor learned about his and Deanna's life.

Will's shoulders drooped, he was definitely in a tight spot with this one...Deanna was safe as far as he knew....but how could he get word to her? He couldn't send....and he wasn't sure Deanna couldn't receive. Hell, he wasn't sure she'd even be able to find HIM with this shield around his thoughts....How had his captor managed this?? No one knew how to seek out and block telepathic waves...but somehow, someone had done it.

"Commander...This has been pleasant, but I must go. A meal will be brought to you...and of course feel free to use the necessary facilities. I want you to feel at home here. I'll be back...."

Will heard the click of the commlink terminating the transmission. He was alone again...or at least he thought he was alone. He got up, crossed to a screen that was set in the corner opposite from where he sat on the cot. A toilet and sink were behind the screen. After relieving himself, he stripped off his shirt and washed his upper body. Donning the shirt again, he looked down at himself. The clothing he wore was clean but shabby, with frayed cuffs on both the sleeves, and the pants. They were a sickly yellow color, that reminded Will of mustard. The material was rough and scratchy against his skin, especially anywhere the material would bind. His uniform was nowhere in sight, gone...as were his boots, communicator pin (which surprisingly enough the Astraxians hadn't confiscated) and his small picture of Deanna. That picture was the one thing he'd miss the most. He'd spent the last four nights looking at it, trying to keep her close, at least in spirit. Sighing he turned on the water...it was cold...and washed his face. His minds turned outward....slowly, hesitantly, waiting for the paralyzing pain. When it didn't come...he pushed outwards.......

~~~~Imzadi....hear me. I need you to hear me. Speak to me Deanna, let me hear your voice. Imzadi !

Chapter 33

In a room in downtown Andelux, Bastrok turned to the woman who lay beside him.

"So my dearest Sadie, you have managed to spirit the good commander away in the night just as I planned. Were there any problems with our reluctant assistants?" The woman called "Sadie" smiled...

"Of course not, the diavraxin made them as eager as schoolboys when I promised them a night with me in exchange for their assistance in kidnapping the starfleet man, during his transfer. It was such a sacrifice to give myself over to them when we arrived at the agreed upon location." Bastrok's smile disappeared...

"I'd rather not hear about what you indulged in with them. Will there be a problem with planetary officials?" Sadie smiled and shook her head. The Astraxian officials will be trying too hard to avoid an interstellar incident to bother with a full fledged manhunt right away. They'll be too busy trying to prevent the Federation Council and Starfleet Command from finding out that they screwed up. How is the man? Have you injured him? Remember you promised him to me when you have achieved your objective." Sadie's eyes were alight at the thought of bedding the commander. Having seen him nude, she'd been quivering with anticipation ever since.

"Not to worry, my lovely....you'll have your toy. I have no interest in him, it is the Betazoid that I want. I will have her by this time tomorrow, if all goes well with the next step in my plan." Bastrok reached down and gripped Sadie's hair, not too gently pulling her up to lie atop his body. She dared not resist, he could be vicious when provoked.

Later that evening, when she slipped out of the rooming house, Sadie felt a frisson of fear for the Betazoid woman. Bastrok was insane, and bent on revenge, she wasn't sure that she could go through with the evenings plans...then a voice in her head whispered...

~~~~Developing a conscience my love? Just try to imagine the fate that awaits you should you fail to carry out your orders. Sadie shivered, took a deep breath and headed for the campus.

********

Picard stared at the image of the Astraxian magistrate in disbelief...

"What do you mean you can't locate Commander Riker? He's been moved to the Dention Center at Radelis, that is what your officer told his wife just this morning, just before we left to return here to their bungalow! I do not understand what it is that you are trying to explain. Is the commander there or not?" The magistrate looked back at Picard with a conciliatory smile...

"My dear Captain, please understand the conditions under which my people have been working since this conference has begun...double shifts, long hours...surely you understand the logistics of the situation, I..." The man never finished his sentence as Picard's face was replaced with the image of a woman.

Deanna Riker had been drawn from her room by the sound of the man's voice trying to placate Captain Picard. Her self control snapped...she was tired, distraught, and very, very angry. She jerked the viewscreen to face her and vented all of the fear and anger of the past week on the unsuspecting man.

"I have had enough! I have never seen such ineptitude in a police force, and believe me sir, when I say I have seen many in my travels aboard the Enterprise! WHERE is my husband? You will immediately stop prevaricating and explain to me how he disappeared! I have been waiting for your office to process my husband for five days! Five! Duringthat time we were not allowed to speak to one another, not allowed to visit...nothing! This abhorrent treatment will end immediately, or as a Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed, I will invoke my right to a full tribunal to investigate the performance of your office! The Betazed embassy will assume responsibility for the dispensation of my husband's case and you will be sanctioned, as will all of the people involved in this fiasco thus far! Do I make myself clear?" The magistrate nodded, as the woman stared at him, her fists clenched, her face a mask of aristocratic disdain.

"Yes, Mrs. Riker, I understand completely...You see, if I may explain what occurred?" She nodded. The man began to explain the events of the evening before. Out of the range of the screen, Picard sat open mouthed as Deanna ripped into the man. He'd never seen her so angry and so self possessed. It was a revelation into a side of the gentle Betazoid that he had never seen. He listened as the man continued..

"When my deputies were transferring your husband to the Radelis center, they were set upon by a pair of assailants on the road just outside of Radelis. Both were stunned and left bound in the rear of the van. When they failed to arrive at the appointed time...the officials at the center logged the incident with the main office...Unfortunately the woman manning the control desk was new and deleted the transmission. We only received word an hour ago that he didn't arrive, and that the deputies had returned to the Radelis center with the empty van. I am truly sorry for this, and will have it resolved with all expediency." Deanna was shaking, trying hard not to fall apart in front of the man...

"You have NO idea where my husband might be, is that what you're saying?" The man nodded...

"I'm afraid not, not at this time. I have initiated a security sweep of the surrounding 100 kilometers, to trace your husbands biosigns...so far there have been no traces. It will take until the morning to complete the scan. Please give my men that long to redeem themselves...after that I shall abide by your wishes. Also I will be sending a policewoman to brief you with any developments in the morning. " Deanna nodded stiffly...and ended the transmission. She sat before the screen, trembling, her head pounding, nausea making her stomach churn. Picard didn't speak immediately, just waited. allowing Deanna time to compose herself.

"Deanna? Are you all right? That was quite a riot act." Picard's eyes widened when she turned to face him...she looked utterly defeated, completely spent.

"Captain......I can't .....do...this anymore.......this waiting.......not knowing where he is........I have no sense of him....it's as if..........he's dead. I need ........to.......sleep. I'm going to sleep.......just need to sleep.........sleep." Her voice trailed away, along with any animation in her face. Picard watched as Deanna just, withdrew into herself, and shut down.

"Deanna, don't give up! We'll find him, and you'll both go home to the Enterprise, have two beautiful babies and live a long and happy life. Come on now...look at me." She did look up and Jean Luc felt his heart leap...

"No...don't you see? It wasn't meant to be for us. Everytime we are even close to happiness, something happens. No...it's over...I have to face it. Good night sir." Picard watched the small form of the counselor cross the room, enter her bedroom and close the door. He crossed to the terminal and placed an urgent message to Dr. Daison Paxa. When the man appeared on the screen, Picard brought him up to date on the situation. Paxa nodded,

"Deanna has been in contact with me every day, until today. I was about to contact her, when you called. This is a bad sign Captain. Deanna was in a very fragile emotional state when she left for Astrax. I only let her go because her husband has been a calming healing force for her. Now with all that has happened, it was only a matter of time before she was unable to deal with the stress. I will contact you daily. Captain. But to be honest, the best thing for Deanna now is to remain separate from the stress. Let her remain in a meditative state if that is what she wishes. Her body knows how to care for itself, as does her psyche. Be sure that she eats well, sleep should not be a problem. I will contact her mother and fill her in...she will understand. I will contact you in the morning to check in on her. Good night Captain." Picard sat contemplating what had happened since Will had left the ship, was it only what? 2 weeks ago......It was small wonder that Deanna was falling apart. He vowed then and there to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

*******

Will Riker lay on the hardness of his cot, trying to ignore his hunger pangs...so far his captor hadn't returned. He'd no idea how long he/she had been gone, but it seemed like hours. As he lay there he focused his thoughts on Deanna....searching for her mind in his. It was difficult, there was so much confusion to wade through

~~~~Imzadi? Deanna? Where are you? Try to find me, help me find you. I need you. I love you.

Nothing, no response. He tried again......still nothing. He began to worry. She should have been able to pick him up...or was her pregnancy blocking him now? He tried again, and again until he had to stop. His own emotional responses were clouding his ability to focus. Will knew that unless he could find a way out, or at least a way to send a call for help...it was very possible that he could be here, wherever that was, indefinitely. He thought of her out there alone, with no one she knew to help her. He could only hope that the captain would be able to come to assist in his defense. He thought of the babies...their babies.......

"Hello Commander, how are we this evening? Hungry? I'll bet that you are. Your dinner is in the unit behind the comm panel. Just lift the panel to remove your meal." The "man" chuckled, eat hearty my good man, for soon you'll have some entertainment. "I'm having a viewscreen put in for you. The tech will be in shortly, but if you want it, you'll have to lie down on the cot and allow yourself to be restrained."

"Why? I'm not about to assault anyone. Why am I here? What the hell is going on?" Will's patience was wearing thin, worry and fatigue taking their toll as well. "Why a viewscreen why not a room with windows...other people around, some music?" The disembodied voice filled the room with maniacal laughter.

"I had no idea that you were so amusing Commander...really." The laughter that followed was faintly maniacal,

"Thinking about the babies are you? How touching...well we can't worry about that right now." Will walked to the comm panel and lifted it. A hollowed out area in the wall did indeed hold his meal. If you could call it a meal. A bowl of what looked like oatmeal, a hink of bread and a wedge of cheese. A tall glass of water stood beside it. He took the food and sat on the cot, bolting the food down, feeling all the while as if he were being watched.

He was indeed being watched. Watched, by a man who was white faced with jealousy, shaking with rage, living for the time that he would see Will Riker brought to his knees. He was grateful in a way to the bastard that had planned this little caper, crazy as he was. He was giving the man exactly what he had lived for for 22 years...vengeance. He chuckled to himself, wondering if those bumbling Astraxian police had figured out that the Ferengi was nothing but a clone...meaningless, a decoy, used to set this diabolical plan into motion. He doubted it. They were one of the most inept security forces in the quadrant. He almost felt sorry for the Commander....almost. He was about to raise the temperature when the door behind him opened. He watched as the second accomplice strode in with their crazy bastard "leader" on his heels. Both men carried some sort of take out food containers. The smell was tantalising...smelled like "Chinese" food....On Astrax??? How??! It didn't matter to the man, how they'd managed to find the ancient earth cuisine...he loved it. He flipped up the tempaerature in Riker's cell and turned to enjoy the meal.

The three men sat down and began to eat, what was indeed chinese food. As they ate, savoring the exotic foods, they watched the starfleet man eat.

"Hey, wonder if the big guy would enjoy "moo goo gai pan"?" The man who had been watching Riker earlier quipped. Then he laughed nastily and raised the temperature a few more degrees.

"I hope the bastard roasts in there!"

When he'd finished, Riker began to pace the room like a caged animal. He stopped abruptly, and turned in the direction of the door. The tech had arrived to install the viewscreen. He had been expensive and was a liability, one that would have to be dealt with. The three captors watched as, when he entered the room, Riker went to his cot and lay down. One of the men who had brought food pushed the button that activated the restraints, snickering as the bands snapped into place over Riker's wrists and ankles once more. The big man was again incapacitated.

Three pairs of eyes watched as the tech installed the viewscreen. No words were exchanged between the two men in the cell, they didn't make eye contact. The leader of the group realized at that point, the risk of the tech having knowledge of Riker's whereabouts. He was a liability that they could ill afford. He'd have to be dealt with, and soon. When the screen was in place, a collective breath was drawn, soon all would have what they desired most; revenge, vengeance, satisfaction. Soon they would each have what would provide them with happiness.

*******

A knock on the door of the bungalow, brought Picard out of the light doze he'd fallen into on the couch. He sat up, momentarily disoriented, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings as he tried to recall where he was. The second knock brought him to his feet, and across the room to the door. Once opened, it revealed a policewoman on the doorstep. She was fairly tall, with long dark hairheld in a band at the back of her neck, and dark eyes.

"Good evening Captain. I realize the lateness of the hour, but the magistrate sent me to speak with Mrs. Riker about her husband. May I speak with her?" Picard hesitated...

"May I see your identification, please officer?" The woman smiled and nodded... "Of course, I can't say that I blame you for being cautious." She handed Picard a mini vidpadd that contained her badge information and assignment code. "Here you are." He looked at the credentials, and seeing that all was in order, invited the woman inside. When the officer was inside the door, Picard offered her a seat and went to see if Deanna was still awake and willing to speak with the officer. He tapped softly on her door, and waited for her response.

"Please Captain, I don't mean to be rude, but I really would rather be left alone." Deanna's voice was tired and filled with resignation.

"Deanna, I know that you're tired, but there is a policewoman here that wishes to speak to you in private. She insists that she has information concerning Will." Picard heard soft sounds emanating from within...he stepped back, startled as the door slid open. Deanna Riker stood there her face pale, her eyes wide. A spot of hectic color bloomed on each cheek. She was dressed in a hastily donned robe, her hair loose and disheveled...she clutched the loose folds of the robe around her, making the bulge of her pregnancy obvious. To Picard, Deanna Riker looked thin, and ready to collapse. He wondered just how false that impression might be. Deanna had always been much stronger than she appeared, but she had been through more in the last year than anyone should be subjected to. How much more could the petite Betazoid be expected to endure without losing her sanity?

"She has news of Will? What is it? Is he all right?" Picard was pleased to see the animation return to her face, and took a delicate hand in his...it was icy and trembling. Then he looked closer at Deanna's flushed face, and realized that it wasn't animation, it was fear.

"Idon't know, Deanna. She asked to speak with you in private. But you must know, I am uncomfortable with that request. Are you willing to see her alone?"

"Please Captain, she can speak with me here in my room. You'll be just outside. After all, she is a police officer, I'll be perfectly safe." Picard turned back to the officer and agreed reluctantly. He motioned for her towards where he and Deanna stood. He made the introductions between the two women, and stepped back as the officer went into Deanna's room. As he turned to return to the couch, Deanna stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Jean Luc, thank you for your help and concern, but I have to do something to help Will. Please try to understand."

"I do understand Deanna. But I also know that Will would expcet me to do what I feel is right to keep you and your children safe from harm." He smiled and patted her hand.

"Go and speak to the woman, perhaps she'll have good news." Deanna smiled in return and stepped back closing the door.

The door slid shut, but before Deanna could turn to face the woman, she was grabbed from behind. A hand in a black glove covered her mouth, stifling a soft cry. She cast her eyes downward to see a fully charged phaser pointing directly at her abdomen, and the children resting within.

"Don't make a sound, Counselor. I don't wish to harm you. I am taking you with me, quietly and without the captain as an escort. If you wish to protect your children, and your husband, you'll come with me without my having to use force. Do you understand??" Deanna whimpered softly in fear and quickly nodded her head. "Good. Now we're leaving...I'm going to take my hand away...not a sound got that?" Again Deanna nodded. The woman released her, still pointing the phaser. Deanna moved as if to go around her, and was grabbed by the wrist, ending up with her arm drawn up painfully behind her back.

"I said you were going with me alone! Got that." She jerked upwards, causing a gasp of pain to slip from Deanna's lips. "Now MOVE!" She allowed the arm to drop to Deanna's side. Deanna tried to stretch the strained limb, wincing at the pain.

"Hurry up and get into something you can move in...sweats or something." Deanna moved towards her bathroom. "No! Out here where I can see you. Do it! NOW!" The woman's voice was low and harsh, Deanna jumped, and rushed to her closet. She drew out a gray sweatsuit and sneakers, fumbling nervously as she stripped off her robe and nightdress, and pulled on the clothing. She didn't see the pained expression on the officer's face when she saw the obvious bulge of her pregnancy.

"Get a move on!" The voice spat into the silence of the room. When Deanna was dressed and had tied her shoes, the woman grabbed her arm and pulled her to the window.

"Climb out, and stand right at the window, if you run I'll shoot to kill! Understood?" The tone of her voice, triggered a random memory of the camp, and a certain face...Deanna nodded and slipped out of the open window, to stand beside it. The woman followed, pulling Deanna with her to a vehicle just down the block. She opened the door on the passenger's side and threw Deanna inside. Rounding to the opposite side, she powered up the engine, and slipped quietly down the street. Deanna turned to speak, and felt a hypospray at her neck, her last conscious thought was..."My babies............"

Chapter 34

Jean Luc Picard felt like a total idiot when he finally opened Deanna's door 20 minutes later, to find it empty, the curtains blowing in the breeze. Deanna and the officer were gone!

"Merde!" He spat......."I knew something didn't feel right!" Picard was furious with himself for not checking with the magistrate personally. He should have been more cautious, and now Deanna had paid the price. They had a 20 minute head start and he had no idea where to begin to look. He stood in the center of the room, trying to formulate a coherent thought. If only the Enterprise were in orbit he'd contact Data and order a full sensor sweep to find Deanna's unique biosigns. But she wasn't due in for another 24 hours...if Admiral Brackett okayed her return. He contacted, instead, the magistrate and informed him of the situation. The man smiled knowingly...as if to say...

"So, the mighty Federation captain gets duped occasionally." Picard frowned...

"Can you assist in finding BOTH of my officers or not?" He was not in the mood for joking, not when so many lives were at stake, including two unborn. The Magistrate nodded...yes Captain...we will be tracing the vehicle used...to see if any official vehicles are missing. You did say she was in uniform?" At Picard's nod, the man continued...

"Perhaps you should remain there in case Mrs. Riker or the perpetrator tries to contact you. I'll keep you informed." The viewscreen went dark.....

*********

Deanna regained consciousness in a small room. She lay on a hard surface staring up at a water stained, peeling ceiling. A vague feeling of nausea and a slight headache were the only evidence of her journey to get to this place. She gasped and placed a gentle hand on the swell of her abdomen, barely breathing as she waited for her babies to alert her to their presence. As if they sensed her need to be reassured, the babies moved, causing their mother to draw a shuddering breath and a tear to slip from her eye.

"Oh thank the gods!" Deanna whispered aloud. She inhaled and turned her head to the right. The small movement caused her head to swim and her stomach to roll sickeningly. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to allow the nausea to pass. When she reopened them, she took stock of her surroundings. A small table stood beside the cot. A screen stood in the corner. Inhaling again, Deanna turned to her left. The room on that side was empty except for a viewscreen. There was a sense of familiarity to this place, as though she'd been here before. She closed her eyes once more. Centering herself, Deanna tried to get a sense of something, anything nearby. The room was unbearably bright, so much so that the retreat behind her closed lids was a soothing counterpoint to the harsh reality of the room. A sliding sound brought Deanna's eyes open. The room was dark. Completely dark. Totally and completely black. So black that it was like blindness, almost palpable. She sat up, fighting down the nausea as she pushed herself to her feet, swaying in the blackness.

"Hello? Is someone there? Please the light, I need the light on. Can anyone hear me?" Silence filled her ears, as the darkness began to close in. Fear began to claw it's way into her consciousness. Since her captivity, Deanna was literally afraid to be alone in the dark. Too much had happened to her in the confines of a dark room, that she had so far been unable to overcome her fear. Tears welled up in her eyes, as her heart began to pound painfully in her chest. A sheen of cold sweat broke out over her body as the seconds in the dark, turned into panic filled minutes. She could almost hear her own heart beat when she sat up...suddenly alert to another sound in the room. It was sound of breathing. Breathing that at first she thought was her own. Slowly as she tried to take a deep breath, she realized that it wasn't hers at all. Someone else was in the room, someone that she couldn't see. A presence moved soundlessly in the room. There was no sound of movement, but rather the sensation of it. The sort of feeling one gets when someone stands close behind you. Deanna felt her heart rate accelerate, and her breathing become shallow and rapid, as something or someone brushed her sleeve. She gasped sharply and pulled her arm away from the source of the touch.

"Please.............Who's.......there? Is .......there ........someone ......there? Would you .......turn on........... a ..........light?" Deanna's voice was breathy with anxiety, as she began to hyperventilate with fear. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic,as her anxiety increased. "Please......is......... someone............... there?" She was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Please...is someone there?" Deanna uttered a short, sharp scream, as a high pitched voice mimicked her, then laughed lightly.

"Oh, yes. Someone is there." The disembodied voice continued,

" My you are still a lovely creature aren't you Deanna?" Deanna felt a jolt of adrenaline upon hearing her name.

"Who......... are.......... you? How......... do you .........know my name?" Deanna waited shaking, chilled with the fear of the unknown person who knew her name. The sound of breathing drew closer until she could feel the air on her face. A fingertip brushed her cheek, she flinched away.

"Don't! Please turn on a light. We can talk."

"Lights...yes....you don't like the dark do you? Well I think that could be arranged. The lights came up slowly...allowing only the vaguest silouette of the person in the room with her. There was something familiar about him...it was a male...she could sense that and little more. Deanna wasn't sure where to turn, what to do. She drew herself up, standing straight; trying to hide her anxiety.

"Why ..........have I been ............brought.............. here under false pretenses? I was................. told that I would .................see my husband. I want to .............see him." Deanna felt short of breath, finding it difficult to speak, as fear formed a hard knot in her throat. The man chuckled and moved a step towards her...she took a step back.

"Oh and aren't we the aristocratic lady? You my dear are in no position to demand anything. You were misinformed, however. You will not be seeing your husband, but he will be seeing you...oh yes...he will be seeing you. We must get you ready for your first viewing." He turned away heading for the panel on the wall. He murmured quietly into the speaker, his voice too soft for Deanna to hear what he said. When he turned back to face her, Deanna knew a thrill of fear...she still couldn't see his features, but he moved in a way thet made her tremble...there was something...

"Rleax my dear, Deanna. I'll return in just a few moments and we'll talk of my plan for you and your commander." The man slipped out of the door. Left alone Deanna gave in to her anxiety. She collapsed onto the hard surface of the the cot and drew knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She willed frightened tears from her eyes, as the realization that she was once again a captive flowed through her brain. The part of her subconscious that held memories of her time in the camp, slowly allowed those images to seep into her consciousness. Deanna choked down her fear as she willed the images away.

~~~~~Please, imzadi. Wherever you are. I'm here, and frightened. Come to me, get me away from here....please.

***************

Will Riker was still lying in restraints on his bed. His captors had apparently forgotten that he had been bound for over an hour. He didn't know what was going on, what this was all about and it was making him very uneasy. He closed his eyes and began to hum old jazz tunes, trying to pass the time. Will realized after several bars that he was humming "Nightbird", and felt a wave of sadness flow over him.......Deanna.

~~~~~Please, imzadi. Wherever you are. I'm here, and frightened. Come to me, get me away from here....please. Will jumped, startled as Deanna's sweet voice flowed easily into his mind...along with the acid "taste" of her terror. He didn't know if she was close by, close emough for him to send to her, but he had to try.

~~~~~Deanna, can you hear me? Are you listening for me?

Nothing.

~~~~~Imzadi.......try not to be frighened....I'm here........ Pain exploded into Will's skull causing him to wretch with it's intensity....

"Oh my dear commander, we musn't use our telepathy remember?" The voice made a sound of dismay..."I am sorry to cause you discomfort, truly. Now, to make it up to you I have a surprise for you. I've planned some entertainment for you. Watch your viewscreen very carefully. You wouldn't want to miss a thing...and remember, NO telepathy. It can be harmful to your health." The man laughed loudly and activated the viewscreen. Will didn't look at it immediately, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He lay with his eyes closed, not hearing any sound from the screen. He wondered what this nutcase could possibly want with him, or with Deanna. Was she here? God he hoped not! This man was insane, but who was he? Where did he come from? There were no answers floating in the darkness behind his eyelids, so Will finally gave in and looked at the viewscreen.

"No! Oh GOD! NO!!! Deanna!" Will's voice rose from an anguished whisper to a scream of agony when he realized that the figure on the screen was his wife. She sat huddled on a cot identical to his, in a room half the size. She was staring wildly around her, clearly terrified. Her eyes were wide with fear. Will pulled frantically on the restraints that held him pinned to the bed. He couldn't move...transfixed by the delicate figure on the screen above him. She sat facing the screen seemingly unaware that she was being watched. This must be a one way screen, unless reconfigured to allow both parties to view one another. They used screens like these on the Enterprise, in security matters...for questioning people in disciplinary natters.

"Deanna, oh God how did they find you?" he watched paralyzed as the door slid open....and a Romulan entered. "Oh shit! No not a Romulan! Deanna get out of there. Oh baby...Don't touch her you bastard." Will watched as Deanna turned to see who had entered the room. The angle of the viewer was adjusted instantly, so that he saw her face as the Romulan entered and smiled.

Deanna's eyes widened and her face drained of color........

"Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed, scrambling off the cot to stand beside it, moving warily away from the image of her nightmares.

~~~~~Imzadiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii......oh god ohno ohno ohno ohno ohno it's himmmmm!!!!!!!! Will cried out in agony as Deanna raised her hands to her face. Will's eyes widened in horror as he realized what she meant. This was the bastard that had raped and beaten Deanna nearly to death...the man she thought she had killed; the one she had agoinized over. He watched as Deanna backed away, not realizing that she was backing herself into a corner.

"Well, well. We meet again my little dove. You've been very naughty haven't you?" The Romulan moved towards her, Deanna backed away her eyes wide and terrified.

"Nnnno...yyyou're...dddead.....I..I...kkkilled...you! I....saw......you....die."

She was backed into a corner now, gasping for breath. Will could her her harsh respirations as she fought to drag air past the sheer terror clogging her throat. That same fear was causing a similar reaction in the body of her husband, as he watched the Romulan stalk his wife. Will struggled helplessly as the Romulan's height dwarfed Deanna's petite frame.

~~~~~Imzadi....I'm here with you, draw from my...."Argggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Pain again lanced into Will's head, breaking his link to Deanna. She gasped with the intensity of Will's pain, but didn't take her eyes from the man who was still moving closer. She felt her stomach rolling, acid rising in the back of her throat.

He shook his head...

"It really is a pity, you know...I see that you have forgotten all I taught you, haven't you? " He was standing a mere three feet away now, his emerald eyes glittering dangerously. Deanna lowered her gaze, then immediately raised it, looking him in the eye once again. He smiled,

"I can smell your fear, and your scent. You look lovely with your eyes wide, and your lovely breasts rising and falling." He reached out, causing her to flinch.

"Please............don't." Deanna whispered.

She held her breath as he traced a finger down from her collarbone to her chest. Tears welled as Deanna endured his touch. He caressed her tenderly, reverently. She stood trembling, afraid even to breathe. he was so calm, so controlled; not at all like she remembered. That calm was deceptive, as his free hand lashed out and viciously back handed Deanna, twice across the face. She never saw the blows coming, and had no chance to protect herself. Her head snapped first to one side then the other, her cheeks turned bright red with a perfect handprint on each. The Romulan's hideous laugh filled the room, as Deanna stood reeling in the aftermath of the two vicious blows. Her cheeks were on fire, as were her eyes. It had felt as though they would explode, when his hand struck first one cheek then the other. Deanna was too shocked to cry, she stood there small, and silent as the Romulan watched her closely.

"BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Will Riker's voice could be heard clearly in the hallway outside his room. Sadie stood just outside his door, indecision written on her face as she heard the anguish in his voice.

On the viewscreen in Will's cell, Deanna stood in the corner, her hands slowly rising cover her face. She never made a sound, just slipped quietly to her knees to cower before the tall Romulan.

"There, now that's so much better. I like my women submissive. Remember! You are not to speak! You do not look at me! Lower your eyes!" Deanna's arms had risen reflexively to cover her face, and she remained that way on the floor at the Romulan's feet. "How dare you leave me, and lie with that federation dog? He is worse than nothing! Tell me, bitch, does he make you scream with pleasure as I did. Does he take you as I did, making you beg for more?"

Will felt bile rise in his throat as his wife remained silent...trying to make herself as small as possible. She was feeling overwhelming fear, terror, along with memories of what had happened. Waves of fear and pain were flooding into his consciousness, as her shields were overwhelmed, by the trauma of seeing her nemesis alive, overtook her. Will's wrists and ankles were bleeding from his struggles to free himself.

In a room down the hall, two men hunched over a viewscreen watching the split image before them. Riker nearly pulling his hands and feet apart trying to free himself, and his wife cowering before the man who had planned this entire caper. One man was feeling intense satisfaction, the other was nauseous, aching for the drug that would end his pain and bring relief from his craving. Both watched avidly. One man reached for the button that released Riker's bonds, and began to laugh as he saw Riker lunge for the door beginning to pound on it and to scream epithets at the Romulan who was with his wife. He turned back to see the Romulan pull Deanna to her feet.

Chapter 35

"Disrobe and make yourself presentable, you will find proper attire in the drawer of the table beside the cot." She shook her head, avoiding his gaze, and didn't move. The Romulan shoved her towards the table causing her to fall to her knees again.

"MOVE!" Deanna jumped and scrambled to the side of the bed, tears running freely down her cheeks.

~~~~~oh gods...help.......help......someone...help me....imzadiiiii!!!

Will inhaled and sent, not caring what they did to him.

~~~~~Deanna, hold on, I'm here, I love you, take my strength......Pain, white hot and searing ripped into Will's body. he grabbed for his head, dropping to a crouch on the floor.

~~~~I'll come for you...protect yourself and the babies...I'll come for you somehow. The pain and pressure grew to a point almost unbearable, then his nose began to bleed.

On the viewscreen, through slitted eyes, he saw the Romulan pull Deanna to her feet and rip her tunic from her body. She stood stoic, almost catatonic with fear., her hands flailing ineffectively at her sides.

Will pulled himself to his feet and lunged for the screen...

"NO, don't ! Don't touch her. You animal, don't touch her!" The Romulan was running his hands overher skin, his tongue licking his lips. Then an expression of revulsion came over his features as he shoved her away,

"Now, get dressed, or I'll give your husband a real show!" Deanna's head whipped up and turned to the viewscreen, it was blank, but flickering. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she realized that Will had probably seen, and was still watching her humiliation. She pushed back her panic and fear, to give him comfort.

~~~~I'm...so....sorry, imzadi. You're here because of me. Don't send he'll hurt you.

Will watched the Romulan through slitted eyes, gasping for breath, Deanna's soft voice whispering in his mind.

The Romulan dropped his hand from Deanna's chest and turned to sit in the chair beside the door. He watched as his captive slipped the ruined blouse from her body, and dropped it. She slipped out of her leggings, panties, socks and shoes, to stand nude before him. When she began to pull on the shapeless gray dress, the Romulan sat straight.

"Wait! Drop it! I want to look at you." Deanna looked at him, then dropped her eyes. She stood perfectly still, letting the dress slip from her now nerveless fingers.

"Stand straight and proud, as I know you're capable of doing! I want to see the aristocratic bitch I know you to be!" Deanna drew herself up straight, her breasts rising, as her spine straightened. The Romulan stood up and moved towards her. In his cell Will shouted himself, hoarse...as though his pleas would be heard.

"Don't you touch her. Leave her alone! Can't you see? She's pregnant. Don't harm her! I'll kill you. You Romulan bastard! If you harm her I'll kill you!" He watched as the Romulan stopped just in front of his wife.

"Lovely..........simple lovely. Too bad you're breeding. Terrible to ruin such a lovely figure, all to suckle a Federation brat!" He moved his hands down over the swell of her belly. He watched her face as he did so, seeing the flinch of revulsion she tried to hide. He removed the hand and moved behind her, running his hand along the small pearls of her spine.

"Do you like it when that Federation dog, touches you?" Deanna didn't answer. "Answer me!" He jerked her head back, with a hand in her hair.

"I.....please...." Deanna avoided the man's gaze.

"Do YOU!?" Deanna let a tear escape.....

"Yyyes." The Romulan laughed and released her, to stand before her again. He slipped a hand along her waist to her back, pulling her against him, as his free hand roamed her shrinking flesh. He was glad that his brother had kept such detailed accounts of his time with the lovely Betazoid. She would remember these "caresses". Deanna fought back a wave of fear and revulsion as the man's head came down, his mouth covering hers, forcing a brutal kiss upon her. Will gagged with her as he watched silently, tears slipping down his cheeks.

Then Romulan pulled away and moved from Deanna, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I will return to you later. See that you are more responsive...or you will be punished...now get dressed!" He turned to leave, watching to see if she did as ordered. He smiled in satisfaction as she hurriedly grabbed the clothing from the floor and struggled to put on the shapeless gray tunic she'd dropped. The Romulan hit the door release and left. Deanna watched dumbly as he did so, her mind was in chaos, fear pounded at her, revulsion, rage and panic, all combined. But none of these emotions were strong enough to surmount to conditoned response of obedience that she'd learned as a captive. The punishments she had received for noncompliance were fresh in her memory. Also in her memory, in the deepest recesses of her mind, the survival of her children, her maternal instinct still beat strong. Somehow she would protect them..........somehow..........

Will managed to move back to his cot and sit gingerly on the edge. He stared at the viewscreen watching as Deanna turned to sit quietly on the cot. She jumped to her feet as the door reopened and the Romulan stepped back inside, Deanna slipped to the floor and bowed her head. Once there, she realized that she'd done it automatically, just as she'd done for weeks in the camp. Will watched as the man moved close, to look down on Deanna's bowed head.

"Weak little bitch, no fight in you. He said....." He stopped, Deanna tensed...

"I didn't mean to hurt you." she spoke softly, using the soft tone she used in counselling sessions. The man jerked his head up.

"What!? You dare to speak?" Deanna trembled, waiting for the blow she knew would come. It didn't. She held her breath and spoke again.

Will called out,

"NO Dee, don't talk to him, he'll hurt you. Just be quiet. Please!"

Deanna spoke softly,

"I was just trying to stop you from hurting me again. Anyone would defend themselves." The Romulan roared and lashed out, striking the side of Deanna's head. The pain exploded in her head, bringing tears to her eyes. But still she didn't cry out. When she recovered her senses, Deanna continued..

"I can't stop you from hurting me, and I understand why you're doing this. But know that I never meant for you to be harmed." She looked up then, directly into her captors eyes. Black eyes met green, and he backhanded her again, this time splitting her lip. Will gripped the edge of the thin mattress hard enough to cause him pain. Watching Deanna being abused caused him more agony than if he'd been hit himself. Tears slid down his face, as anguish filled his heart. She didn't deserve this, she was supposed to be treated gently and with kindness, especially now. Their babies lives were at stake as was her life. Both Will and Deanna knew that their children's survival depended upon both of them using their wits to get them out of this.

Will closed his eyes, at the sound of the blow. Deanna's cheeks were reddened and beginning to darken with bruises. He wanted to hold her and kiss away her pain... but most of all he wanted to kill that Romulan bastard. Deanna turned slightly,

~~~~~imzadi........please don't watch...I can't bear to know that you're witnessing this. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to stop him this time either. I'm frightened. I want my babies! I don't want to die...but if I must I don't want you to see it. Please don't........watch me die. Know that we love you.......I love you.

Will didn't care what happened to him then.......he had to speak to her.

~~~~~imzadi! Fight him with your mind...not your body. He's weak, you 're strong. Use his mind against him...I love you and the babies...you'll come home..we'll come through this together...I love you. The pain was delayed for some reason, but when it came it was worse than before. White hot knives blasted into his skull....everything went black.

Will Riker opened his eyes, immediately focusing on the viewscreen. How much time had passed? There was no way to know...He looked at the screen trying to ascertain the passage of time. His eyes widened in fear and rage as he looked more closely at the screen, Deanna was curled on a pallet on the floor, sobbing softly...she was alone. Reddened welts crisscrossed her calves and what he could see of her thighs. Will wished that he could speak to her, but the sound only went one way. She couldn't hear him. But the sound of her weeping hurt more than his own aches and pains. . It was obvious that she had been whipped, with a short riding crop, that lay on there floor beside her, forgotten by the Romulan when he left her. Will hadn't seen the whipping or his exit, he'd been unconscious. The door to his cell opened, and a tall figure strode in.

It was the Romulan! Will lunged off of the cot, and threw himself at the man. As he reached him, the Romulan threw a hard right hook that landed on Will's jaw. It slowed his headlong rush and gave the Romulan time to move to the comm panel.

"Activate audio, Riker 1, deactivate Riker 2." He turned to Will...

"Your wife is a very brave young woman, Commander. You should be proud of the way she handled being disciplined. She's a hot little piece, just as he said." The Romulan froze for barely a second. Will did his best to ignore the goading. He only hoped that the man was lying, the thought that Deanna had had to endure this man's physical abuse again was too much to bear. He'd seen what his assault had done to her before, could she possibly recover a second time...IF they got out of here. He felt a strong sense of despair, and resignation. No, dammit they would get out of this mess!

The Romulan, pulled a disruptor from the holster on his belt...sit on the chair, with your hands behind your back. Now!" He gestured with the weapon, Will moved to the chair and sat down. He wrapped his hands around the side of the chair, knowing that the Romulan was no doubt about to beat him senseless. He winced as the Romulan fastened wrist restraints and ankle cuffs to the chair, finally placing Will's hands and feet in their respective places. He fastened the locking mechanisms and then the man smiled...

"Your wife has such interesting thoughts." At Will's surprised glance, he smiled. "Yes, I am a telepath...quite strong actually. Your wife was able to receive from me! Imagine that!" He laughed.

"Now before we go too far here, there are a few things that I feel I should clarify. First...YOU will leave here...but your wife now belongs to me. She will pay...pay for the grief that she has caused me and my family. Her family will be sacrificed for mine. it is simple justice. Oh! By the way? Your bastards will be aborted," Will's head jerked to face the Romulan...

"No, Oh god please no!"

"Yes, I'm afraid so...we have not completed the procedure, but once it has been done, pregnancy will no longer be an issue. She has a tenacity that I didn't expect, and she insisted that you be released. Only then would she cooperate willingly, in my plans for her. You're a lucky man. It is unfortunate that she killed my brother. She would make any man an exceptional wife. Perhaps in time you will adjust to her absence." Will turned to meet the man's gaze.

"I'll see you in hell before I'll let you take her from me. That's a promise, you can count on. Deanna won't be as easy a conquest as you think." The Romulan laughed in his face.

"You think you know people so very well, don't you Commander. I think you'd find it interesting to know just who perpetrated this little adventure for you and your lovely little wife. Would you like to know who they were?" He stood on the balls of his feet, practically fidgeting with excitement. He was enjoying the play of emotions that were crossing the big man's features. The thought of the Klingon weapon he held behind him brought a smile to the Romulan's face. The thought of finally bringing this man to his knees was an intoxicating one. The sound of Deanna voice came over the viewscreen. She screamed a warning, about a pain..what?" Will turned to look up at her, taking in her pale cheeks and wide eyes as she pointed......

The sensation of the pain stick was so intense, so completely overwhelming to Will's human nervous system, that he barely registered it. Not that he didn't feel it, his brain simply couldn't comprehend the idea of such intense pain. The Romulan prodded him again and again, allowing just enough time between the proddings to allow Will to recover his senses. It took over an hour for him to rendered unconscious by the pain. At that point, the Romulan left the room to retire for the night. Riker was strong son of a bitch. The Romulan thought as he walked from the cell. Here he was, underfed, forced to watch his pregnant wife abused, subjected to a Klingon pain stick for over an hour, and still he had the strength to stay alive! Bastrok almost admired the man. Will slowly regained his senses, an hour later. The room was stiflingly hot, the lights bright, his arms and legs, no longer bound They ached from the strain of being tied at such awkward angles to the chair. He raised his eyes to the viewscreen...and to Deanna.

Will Riker looked down at himself. His body was a mass of livid bruises. His Romulan captor had taken great pleasure on beating him mercilessly, careful not to injure him too severely, making sure he survived for another days torture. Deanna had screamed and begged the man to stop. The sound of her tears and her pleas lanced through will's soul, as he endured the Romulan's savagery. Long parallel lines crisscrossed his abdomen, marks left behind by the painstick being used as a club. Deanna had covered her face when the beating with the stick had occurred. She'd tried not to call out to Will but in the end had sat with her face covered, crying...calling his name. The first time Bastrok used the pain stick, she vomited at the sight of Will's body convulsing in the chair, his teeth bared, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. Several areas of skin were burned raw from the voltage passed through his flesh by the pain stick. Most of the injuries were from Will being unable to fend off the blows that had fallen like rain. The Romulan had kept him bound hand and foot while he taunted and tortured him. Will's mind had begun to play tricks on his towards the end...He'd been sure he'd heard Deanna's laughter in his mind, laughter that caused his flesh to crawl, as he realized that she was laughing AT him. Now that his mind was clearer, Will realized that he had hallucinated. Deanna herself was in no condition to laugh.

It had been three days of mind bending torture for both of the Rikers. That was how long Will had estimated they had been held in this place. The Romulan had alternated between their two rooms, allowing them to watch each other being physically and verbally abused. Will had lost all sense of time, since there were no windows in the cells, and by now, he was no longer able to determine day from night. His body ached, from the many beatings he'd endured. He suspected that he might possibly have more severe injuries but it seemed that the minor injuries were the most painful. A shaft of agony snaked from his right wrist to his shoulder as he cradled it against him. It must have been fractured when he'd deflected a blow to his face. The damned Romulan was fast! He inhaled and caught his breath as shards of agony lanced through his chest. At least one or two ribs were broken, and several were badly bruised, making even the smallest movements, exquisitely painful. Will lay quietly for a few long moments, trying to breathe through the worst of the pain. he found that he was unable to breathe freely through his nose. He felt it tenderly, wincing, as even the lightest touch was agony. "Broken." he said aloud. The metallic taste of his own blood filled his mouth...as the pulse in his smashed nose, beat in rhythm with each beat of his heart. It felt hugely swollen and his eyes felt strange. "They must be swollen too." he thought. Looking down he gasped at the sight of an amazing amount of blood covering the remains of his shirt. Then he recalled the blow that had rearranged his features. The Romulan wore a ring, that had laid open a three inch gash along his eyebrows. It didn't really hurt...now...but it had bled profusely, interfering with his vision, and leaving him wide open to the Romulan's vicious assault. He lay there gasping, longing for just one, pain-free breath. It didn't come....

Will knew that he had to find a way out of this mess soon. Deanna wasn't eating, and hadn't for over twenty four hours. He was sure of that since their captors had left the viewscreens activated, and her meals had come and gone untouched. She just lay in the same positin, hour after hour...murmuring to herself, crying softly, and then just staring...her eyes void of emotion. Fear for his wife, drove Will to try and sit up. He struggled, inching his way up the wall, using the edge of the cot with his good arm for leverage. His vision swam as he finally found himself in a sitting position, nearly passing out from the pain. Sweat stung his eyes and the gash on his forehead as he raised his eyes to the screen on the opposite wall. He tried to call out to her, hoping that he'd be able to rouse a response from his wife.

~~~~~Dee? Come on, baby. Answer me.

There was no response at all. She didn't so much as twitch, leaving Will uncertain if she was sleeping or unconscious. She had been lying in nearly the same position for hours, unmoving, eerily silent. Seeing her still and so very small, brought back a torrent of unwanted images of the night before. Will closed his eyes, trying to blot out the sight of the Romulan forcing Deanna to lie with him the night before. Will fought nausea as the effects of his own injuries and the memory of witnessing his wife's rape combined to torment him. Deanna had fought like a tigress, and fought hard! He recalled her kicking and screaming, managing to land several solid blows to the Romulan's face. She had been possessed, striking out blindly, until the Romulan captured both of her flailing hands in one of his, raising them over her head, and holding them there. Then he'd used the weight of his own body to still her legs. Deanna continued to struggle until he injected her with a hypospray. He'd thrown the hypo across the room and began to hit her about the chest and shoulders with his free fist. Will fought down the nausea as he recalled what happened next. Deanna began to feel the effects of whatever she'd been injected with. The Romulan's head lowered and he began to kiss her chest, Deanna responded immediately, beginning to touch the man as though he were a lover, caressing him and allowing him to caress her in return; all the while tears slowly slipping down her face. She had met Will's eyes only once, in mute apology, and then closed them, shutting out his face, and the humiliation of responding once more to the Romulan's touch. Will had cringed, as anger and resentment built within him. He'd realized that Deanna had been given some sort of aphrodisiac and was unable to control what happened. The Romulan had been using subliminal techniques as well, forcing her to regress to the mindless slave she had been nearly a year ago. Will's heart broke at the sight of her face. She had given up, resigned to her fate, knowing that it was out of their control. Will had watched in fury as she stiffened and cried out in release, the Romulan sneered as he raised his head,

"Federation dog, see how she screams with release? She wanted ME!" Will wanted to smash the man's face...hit him...anything to prevent him from brutalizing Deanna any further. Will feared that the both Deanna and the babies would be harmed, if the Romulan was too aggressive. He needn't have worried, Deanna had kicked him with all of her remaining strength directly in the groin, causing him to double over in agony, wretching on the floor. She had scrambled away, to a far corner, pulling her dress over her bruised and naked body, mumbling softly to herself as tears fell slowly down her pale cheeks. The Romulan recovered eventually, to limp over to Deanna and land a vicious kick to her lower back. Deanna bore the blow, once again without a sound, but had slipped down onto the pallet on the floor, in a small ball. Will had tried for over an hour to send to her, but she didn't or couldn't respond to him.

Chapter 36

Chase Matthews sat at a large control panel in a room, one floor above where the Rikers were being held. He sat in the same chair, in practically the same position he'd been since the torture began three days before. He was thoroughly enjoying Will's humiliation. The woman's had no effect on him. He'd long ago lost his feelings of compassion and had no tenderness left, having it all replaced by the bitterness of a man who'd lost all he'd held dear. Matthews had idolized Will Riker for over 20 years. He'd followed his career since graduating with Riker from the Academy. An exceptional pilot himself, Matthews had been passed over time and again in favor of Will Riker. He'd never been offered his own command, though Will had turned down several commissions. The final blow, the one that snapped the frail thread of Matthews' sanity was when he'd discovered that Will had finally married, well and happily, and was going to be a father. The news had come just six months after Matthew's wife had died in chilbirth, trying to give him the son he'd craved for the entire 15 years of their marriage. The tiny boy had died two days after his mother. That was the day that he vowed to bring Riker down, and now he had almost done it.

****** Sadie limped from her room, her belly aching from the blows she'd recieved from Bastrok the last time she'd seen him. He had limped into her room last night, cupping his aching genitals...seems the Betazoid had kicked him solidly when he'd tried to rape her. He wanted Sadie to get him an ice padd. The hell she would. He'd struck her face, and threw her face down on the bed. Shaking with fear, she'd told him that she was leaving...leaving him, this compound, and this planet. She'd had enough. He hadn't upheld his part of their bargain...and was torturing Riker as well as his wife. By the time he finished with the man, he'd be useless to her or anyone else. Bastrok was in too much pain by then to care, and had limped from her room. Sadie looked around her as she left the room...Matthews and the lawyer were nowhere to be seen. Her conscience would be assuaged at last. Slowly ever so slowly, singing nursery rhymes in a litany to block Bas's telepathic sense, she headed for Will Riker's door.

******Erik Pressman lay on the bed in his quarters on the university campus, his head aching, his body screaming for his hypospray. He injected himself, feeling the drug slip sensuously into his system, tension slowly ebbing away. Pressman was addicted to Lopraxine, a powerful pain killer, he'd been given after a shuttle crash eight years previously. He'd returned two hours ago, from the Central Security Office, and a long session with Picard and his officers from the Enterprise. The ship had achieved orbit two days ago, and Picard's crew had been using the sophisticated equipment aborad her to search for the missing members of their crew. They had been searching for Will Riker and his wife for those two days, without a trace being recovered. Pressman was lying there wondering how in the hell his carefully laid plans had become so screwed up! There was no way to save the plan now. That was what the damned Klingon, L'Hartok had told him and hour ago by subspace. He'd told Pressman in no uncertain terms that he was withdrawing from any further involvement with Pressman, Riker, everything. He was going to disappear for a long time, taking with him a large sum of latinum, several federation weapons and half of the spoils of the el'Gian ship.

"Good riddance! " He said aloud... "That man was an animal, but he wasn't crazy like that Romulan bastard, Bastrok!". When the door chimes rang out, startling him completely. He sprang from the bed, and threw on a pair of sweatpants;. He called...

"Come in." The door slid aside to reveal Sadie leaning heavily on the door frame.

Will Riker sat on the floor looking dumbly at the open door to his cell. When or how it had been opened was a mystery. He vaguely recalled trying to stand, then bumping his wrist on the edge of the table. The pain of it, combined with the pain of his ribs had caused him to black out. It must have happened while he was out. Rising by inches, Will stood painfully wretching as at last he stood on his own two feet. The door seemed to be miles away, but he knew he had to try to escape. It was now or never.

He began to shuffle to the door. One thought kept him moving despite the agony of his injuries, and the accompanying nausea....Deanna needed him. Deanna needed him....He reached the door at last and hesitantly looked out...no one was in sight. The corridor was dimly lit, by wall sconces high on the wall, about twenty feet apart, along both walls. Several of the lights were broken. Further down, on the opposite side of the corridor, a door stood open. Light from inside splashed across the floor in front of the door. It drew him like a beacon, somehow he knew, that had to be Deanna's room. Someone had decided to help them...who...wasn't important. He knew he had to get to her...now...before whomever had arranged this changed their mind, or that insane Romulan returned. Will began to walk towards the open door,feeling as though ground glass was rubbing inside his wrist and chest with every step. The corridor was eerily quiet as he approached what he hoped was the door to Deanna's room. He willed himself to take step after agonizing step. He stopped as a thought occurred to him...maybe...

~~~~~Deanna, imzadi...I have been released from my cell. Lead me to you....show me where you are. Come on, hear me...please, DEANNA! His psychic shout somehow penetrated...finally after over 12 hours of silence...she answered.

~~~~~Will? Her voice was weak and hushed in his mind. Oh no, please don't...please stay away...I can't..........he'll hurt you.

~~~~~Are you all right, Dee? Are you badly hurt? Will tensed, awaiting the agony that telepathy usually brought. For some unknown reason, it didn't come.

~~~~~I'm all right, just a backache. Please just go, save yourself. Please!!!!!

Will closed his eyes, trying to find the essence of her, the unique touch of her mind...using it to guide him to her. There! He found the golden warmth of his beloved...she was in the room with the open door. He HAD to get to her, her pain flowed through him, combining with his own. Unconsciously she was drawing him to her. They would try to get out of the building, if they failed then they'd die together...the four of them.

~~~~~Imzadi, your door is also open, come to me. Don't be frightened, no one is out here. I am alone. Please help me.

He heard sounds coming from the room just ahead...it's open door a beacon, pulling him along. Each breath was fire, each step brought shards of intense pain wrist and ribs. At last he'd reached the door, and looked inside.

Deanna was trying to rise from her pallet on the floor, pain had drawn her delicate features onto a wizened mask. She made it as far as her hands and knees, and stopped, frozen by a jagged shaft of pain through her back. Deanna knew that Bastrok had injured her severely when he kicked her last night...it was probably her kidney. The pain was hot, and stabbing just above her right hip...she'd felt a hard knot of pain when she'd touched the spot earlier. She looked up and screamed.........a terrible travesty of a human was trying to make his way into her room...his face........oh gods.....his face.

"Deanna! Shhhhhhh, it's me, love...Will. It's all right...it's me." Deanna stared at the man's face...it couldn't be...could it really be Will? The man had a wide open cut just above his eyebrows. It was about three inches long and open to the bone. His face was covered in dried blood. His eyes were barely open, too swollen to see their color, and the sockets aroung them were colored in vivid shades of blue , red, and purple. This man's nose was hugely swollen and crooked. Fractured was her guess. He cradled his wrist against him, the hand dangling uselessly from a wrist twisted at an odd angle. As the figure neared...he smiled...or tried to.....Something deep inside of her responded to him... her heart had recognized him. IT knew...IT believed that this man was him. It WAS her imzadi, her husband...Will.

Deanna struggled against the pain in her back, and rose unsteadily to her feet. She moved slowly and closed the distance between them, stopping before Will, just an armslength away.

"Imzadi? Is it really you?" She reached out instinctively to cup his bearded cheek, but pulled back before touching him.

"Yes, imzadi, it's me.". Deanna fought back tears at the sight of his face up close. She couldn't speak, couldn't meet his eyes, as the memory of what he had seen flooded through her mind. He'd seen her with him..knew her shame. He had been so badly hurt...because of her. She couldn't......wouldn't let him be hurt again.

"You have to go..leave me before he comes back..he'll kill you."

"Deanna he'll kill the babies if you stay! Then after he's used you, he'll kill you too. Please! We have to go together. Hurry!"

"What did you say? He'll kill the babies???! He promised to let you go if I stayed with him. He said I could keep my babies!"

"No, Deanna. He lied to you. He doesn't want the twins...he wants you...for revenge."

"I know he wants revenge for what I did to him...I nearly killed him.'

"No you didn't. You didn't do anything to him...except kill his twin brother. It was his brother that raped you in the camp Dee. Bastrok is his twin...He won't allow OUR twins to survive, because you killed his twin trying to save your own life...don't you see!" Deanna was crying...Will's pain and anguish finally making her realize the Romulan's treachery. He was right, Bastrok couldn't be trusted...he had impersonated the man she had killed...she had killed.... There she had actually said it...to herself, yes...but the words were the same. The thought of what Will had gone through, was going through reclaimed her attention.

"Let me get a cloth and something to make a sling, then we'll go. You won't get far in your condition, I have to do something to make you more comfortable." Deanna was speaking rapidly, and in a voice that was high and breathy, she was terrified that Bastrok would find them before they could try to get away. Will knew that she had to keep busy, or her fears would return and paralyze her once more. He wanted to refuse, to tell her to forget the first aid...but she was right, he needed some minimal attention if he was going to make it out of there alive. He watched as Deanna moved towards the screen and the sink behind it. She was moving gingerly, favoring her right side. He saw her wince as she turned the corner, and moved behind the screen.

Will moved to sit slowly on the chair....easing his battered body into the seat. Deanna returned with a dingy sheet, and a towel over her shoulder in one hand; a small basin of water in the other, a washcloth floated in the water. Will saw her wince again as she set the basin on the table beside him. Her face was pinched with fear and pain, as she reached into the basin and squeezed the excess water from the cloth.

"We have to hurry,so this will hurt ...a lot. I'm sorry. Deanna's eyes filled, but she stepped in front of Will, standing between his widespread knees. First she pulled off what remained of his shirt, using the cloth to clean the scrapes and scratches the had blossomed over his shoulders and upper chest. She gasped and allowed crystal tears to fall when she got a clear glimpse of his abdomen. His ribs on both sides were a mass of livid blue and purple bruises. Clear outlines of the pain stick had been imprinted into his flesh. One side...the right was blackened more than the left...

"The ribs on the right are fractured...the left ones are just bruised. Please don't cry, Dee. I'll be fine...let's just get me ready to go ok? We''ll have a good cry together when we get back to the ship...deal?" Deanna sniffled loudly and wiped her face...wincing as she rubbed the darkened bruises on her cheekbones...she had the beginnings of a black eye as well. Will got a glimpse of her chest and shoulders when the dress slipped down on one side. Red welts covered her delicate flesh, and dark bruises marred the skin of her neck. She saw where his eyes looked and reached down to cover the wounds...

"I'm all right. Let's clean this cut and cover it then we'll get on our way. I'll bind your ribs and make a sling as we go." Deanna quickly cleaned his face and the cut, then tore off a piece of the sheet and made a pad to cover it. She used long strips torn from it to hold the pad in place, by wrapping them around Will's head . Once the cut was covered, Will leaned forward and carefully placed his cheek against Deanna's chest. He lay there for several seconds, feeling her arms come up and hold him in a gentle embrace. He could hear the steady beating of her heart, and the uneven rhythm of her breathing as she cried quietly. He brought his hands up and rested them on her hips drawing a pained gasp as he squeezed gently. He dropped his hands, and raised his battered face.

"Dee, where does it hurt?"

"Just above my right hip, but it's just a bruise. Come on, let's get moving...we don't have much time." She wiped her cheeks carefully and helped him to his feet. Leaning on one another, Will and Deanna left the cell and walked down the corridor.

Twenty minutes later, Bastrok walked from his room to the control room, with an awkward spread eagled gait. His groi area was swollen and sore this morning, a painful reminder of what that Betazoid had done to him last night. he hoped she was in as much pain from the kick he'd delivered. Thinking back, he was sorry that it had landed in her back and not her belly. If he'd kicked her abdomen, he might have succeeded in causing her to lose the federation brat she carried. Then she'd understand the pain of his loss, her own would have accomplished that. No matter, he'd be sure to pay her back today. She'd know what it meant to be hurt like that. He approached the control room listening for sounds of activity. Matthews was an early riser and had probably been at the control panel for hours by now. Strange, he thought as he approached the door, it was quiet. no voices, no clicks from the surveillance cameras, and no beeping from the various monitors. What in the hell was going on? Parsef had better be at his post as well, or there would be hell to pay. Bastrok opened the door, quietly, all of the monitors were deactivated

"What in the hell is going on here?!" Bastrok's voice caused an immediate and drastic chain reaction. Parsef started violently.

Bastrok stood in the doorway, rage slowly rising to envelope him. He reached out and grabbed Matthews and threw him away from the control panel. He sat in the now vacant chair, and began reactivating the screens. Without turning, he addressed the two men behind him, both of whom were scrambling toresume their posts.

"Get back, both of you. I'll deal with the two of you momentarily." He turned his attention to the monitors in front of him. The corridors in the wing, where the Riker's were being held were darkened and empty, just as they should be. He slowly adjusted the vidcams to scan the areas around the cells wehere Will and Deanna Riker were waiting for his attentions. Everything was just as it should be.

"Lucky for you Matthews! Nothing happened while you were otherwise occupied. From now on, take your perversions elsewhere. Parsef, you are a sorry son-of-a -bitch, to choose Matthews here over a beautiful woman like Sadie. She'd give herself to you for the asking. " Bastrok laughed a cruel laugh..."Now get your perverted ass downstairs and get breakfast for our guests. I'll check on them and see if they're awake. " Bastrok reached for the panel that controlled the vids in the cells. He began to reactivate them humming tunelessly. The humming stopped abruptly when he reached Will Riker's cell...it was empty! Howcould that be?! He'd activated the lock himself! He checked Deanna Riker's cell, it was also empty!

"MATTHEWS!!!!!!!!" Bastrok roared, his voice loud in the confines of the control room. Chase Matthews looked over Bastrok's shoulder. Seeing the empty cells, he swallowed heavily...this was bad...very bad. He turned to look at Parsef, but he had disappeared; on his way to the kitchens no doubt, leaving him alone to face the insane rage of the Romulan. Bastrok turned his emerald gaze on Matthews...

"How long were these monitors down...how LONG!!???" Matthews felt his panic level rise as the Romulan advanced towards him...

"Answer me you coward, or I'll disembowel you where you stand!"

"I...I..don't know for ....sure...maybe....an hour.....an hour and a half...not long."

"It was long enough, they're gone! We have to find them...they can't get far. Riker is in no condition to move rapidly nor is his wife. They won't be difficult to track down. Get on it ...get the vid system up and running. NOW!?" Chase Matthews stood up...

"Look, Bastrok. I made a mistake...I'm sorry, but there's no way I can get the vids up and operational. There's just too much damage to the power grid. We were lucky to have been able to use the ones we have. The Riker's don't know which vids are operational, and they don't know the layout of the place...we do. They won't get far, we'll find them...unless..."

"Unless what???" The Romulan rounded on the human, assessing him as a predator would a small animal.

"Unless they manage to get into "B Block". We haven't any operational vids in the entire wing. Why not use telepathy to find them...you said that you were a strong telepath. " Bastrok smiled...

"Matthews...if I could use telepathy I would...I never had the ability, to send over long distances. I don't have the range to pick them up! It was Sadie that had the gift.....she used it on Riker...did a number on him too. Riker thought it was me...so did his wife. No, you had better hope that they haven't reached an area that we cannot track them. If they escape...it will be your ass that I'll be after." Chase Matthews knew better than to argue or defend himself to the bastard.

"Where is Sadie this morning, Bas? Didn't she sleep with YOU last night?" The barest glint of a smile curved Matthews lips. The pretty Sadie was probably the best lover he'd ever had...too bad she preferred the green blooded nutcase that stood before him.

"Matthews...my relationship with Sadie is none of your business, she had to go out earlier this morning...She left nearly two......." He stopped as the pieces to this little mystery fell into place. She threatened to leave him,and the compound. Apparently he had misjudged her. She had indeed developed a conscience, and decided to release their captives....as well as free herself. Too bad...because now he'd have to kill her."