Chapter 4
The Approaching Curve
As she wound her way back through the ship, she stepped into a storeroom and locked the door. Certain she was alone she slid to the floor and burst into tears, hugging her knees and sobbing as if her heart would break.
It all came flooding back - every stab of pain and evil laugh. It had been hidden for so long she had hoped she would never have to remember it again.
Pike scrolled through the security cameras to see where she had disappeared to, watching the figure of Bones pacing through the corridors looking for her. Finally finding her, a tear slid down his face as he watched her crying. He wished he had known before, he never would've made her come back if he had.
'Anya?' he asked softly into the comms. She started and looked around for the source of the voice.
'Leave me alone,' she snapped, seeing the camera moving above her.
'Anya please we need to talk about this,' he begged. She stood and looked into the camera, her cheeks covered with streaks of mascara.
'Fuck off'
A shadow passed the lens, and then the picture cut out as she snapped it from the wall and tossed it angrily to the floor.
Pike sighed, but left her to it.
Anya remained undisturbed as she remained curled up in the storeroom, falling asleep to a nightmare that had once been reality...
Six hours later Anya woke with a start, sitting up sharply. She was back in her room.
'Are you ok? You've been shouting in your sleep,' asked Bones, holding a beeping white instrument over her chest.
'Why am I here?'
'Pike didn't see you leave the storeroom after a few hours and he guessed you were asleep, so I came and brought you back to your room,' he said.
'Oh. Thanks'
'Are you ok?' he asked again.
'I'll be fine,' she lied. 'Please tell the Admiral that I'll be leaving on the first shuttle that's returning to Earth'
'You're in shock, you can't go anywhere,' Bones insisted.
'Are you going to stop me?' she hissed. He went to push her back into bed, but she shoved him away easily and he skidded across the floor like a rag doll and slammed into the wall.
'I'm not a little girl anymore,' she snapped as she pulled on her jacket. Bones rubbed his hip and stood up.
'Please Anya, our crew is our family,' he begged. 'We need your help to get them back'
She looked at him. 'Wait, what?'
'I said we need your help,' repeated Bones.
'No, about family...' she said, everything finally clicking into place. 'Holy shit!'
She dropped her bag and raced out of the room.
'Wait, what?' asked Bones.
Anya raced into Pike's quarters without knocking, and Kirk and Spock stood as she ran past them.
'It's not random at all, I knew I was missing something!' She said to Pike. 'What were the names of the soldiers who found you once you'd escaped? And who found me after?'
'What? Um, Leonne, Parkinson and... Scott,' replied Pike. 'Oh my god why didn't we see this before?'
'Sir what is she talking about?' asked Kirk. Pike pulled out the list of the 15 missing crew members.
'Family! He's targeting the families of the people who rescued Pike when he escaped!' she explained.
'What?' asked Bones, who had finally caught up.
'Sulu's mother was Gloria Parkinson at the time and she changed her back to her maiden name after she got divorced. Griggs took his husband's name when they got married. And Clarence Scott was Scotty's father,' Pike said. 'They're targeting everyone involved in the escape, that's why the others have been taken too, they must've been relatives of the rescue crews'
'Wait there were four people that day,' continued Pike. 'We haven't counted the pilot – her name was Maria Andreievich. Find her and we'll find Constantine'
Spock nodded and ran out of the room to go and look into it.
'There you go,' Anya said. 'I've helped and now I'm leaving'
'What, no you can't go now!' Kirk standing in front of her.
'Um Jim I wouldn't do that,' said Bones still rubbing his bruised hip.
'No, she's right,' said Pike sadly. 'You've made the connection and we can take it from here'
'But sir she can still help us,' Kirk protested. 'That's only 4 of the 15, what about the other prisoners?'
'You promised me, Chris,' she said to Pike.
He tapped the comms. 'Mr Chekov please prepare a shuttle for departure to earth, Miss Petrov will be ready to leave in ten minutes'
'Yes Admiral'
'Thank you'
She turned and left the office and returned to her room with Bones on her heels.
'Are you really going to leave? Now?' he asked.
'I've done what was asked of me, I have no reason to stay,' she replied as she finished packing her bag and slung it around her shoulders.
He followed as she made her way to the shuttle bay.
'Look An-'
'Oh my god, enough!' she snapped at him. 'I'm leaving, just give up'
He looked around and pushed her into the corner away from everyone, his hand on her cheek. 'I don't want you to go'
She let him kiss her and didn't struggle as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him.
'Why don't you come on the shuttle with me?' she whispered as they pulled apart.
'Alright'
The young navigator was waiting for them as they arrived.
'Doctor McCoy will be joining me Mr Chekov, I hope that's alright,' she said as they boarded. She didn't notice Chekov pale as he nodded and sealed the door.
'Of course ma'am,' he answered in his thick accent as he sat in the pilot's seat. 'The more the merrier'
'Wait Chekov why are you driving?' asked Bones as they took off.
'There are no other pilots free at the moment, and the trip won't take long,' he replied. 'I'm happy to help'
'Thanks,' said Anya.
'You're very welcome'
After twenty minutes Chekov put the ship on autopilot and returned to the cabin with a tray.
'Tea?'
Bones gave him a weird look, but accepted the cup as Anya sipped hers. There was a beat and the Gyas fell to the floor unconscious.
'Anya!' Bones knelt beside her and checked her pulse. She was alive, but barely. He heard a click and looked up as the teenager pointed a phaser at him, his arm shaking with fear.
'I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry! You weren't supposed to be here!' he whispered.
'What the hell do you think you're you doing?' demanded Bones.
'The Caspians, they have my aunt, sir, and if I don't bring Miss Petrov to them then they'll kill her and go after the rest of my family,' explained Chekov.
'You're the mole? Chekov, please don't do this. Take us back and we'll talk to the captain and we can fix this,' said Bones.
'I'm sorry!'
Chekov pulled the trigger.
