Hunting Grounds

Chapter 6

Rick had his old weapon over his shoulder while he carried his new one at the ready. He had already worked out where the safety was and that it was capable of single shot, multi-shot, and full auto. He was even a little surprised, though very pleased, that it didn't weigh more than his weapon. However, he hadn't yet worked out if the grenade launcher was loaded so that might add a little more weight.

"If I was a kitchen where would I be?" Rick said to himself as they reached the stairs to decide whether to go up or go down.

"I didn't see it on the way up and I would want it close to all the bunks," Kate commented.

"So up it is then." Rick headed up the stairs noticing that all the lights, at least those inside the ship, were indeed on so they could see everything.

Before they found the dining hall and the kitchen they came upon sleeping bunk rooms for the crew and they could still go up the stairs let alone out into the two lances.

They'd found more dead bodies. A few were still in their bunks and a couple were in the dining hall. Amazingly, Kate noticed, was the fact that the smell of death didn't seem to linger.

"Food or keep looking?" Rick was willing to let Kate have a say even if he was used to giving the orders.

"I am hungry but I also don't want to be surprised. I say we go up," Kate said.

"Sound thinking." Rick liked it since that was what he wanted to do before finding out if there was anything to eat. This place was clearly old so the food had probably gone bad long ago.

They found Medical that had a few dead bodies but none of them were on beds. Also everyone in here was wearing a different type of uniform and a different color.

"Whatever hit them hit them fast. Fast enough to not need medical help. We can search this place more thoroughly later. Let's keep going." Rick left the room with Kate right behind him.

On the very top floor at the top of the stairs they found a door and a short hallway to each side. Each side ended in a door.

"This door looks like trouble." Rick saw what to him looked like a card swipe device. "It needs a key card. My money is on this being the Bridge."

Kate looked it over and while she wasn't going to say Bridge it did make sense. "Now we get to search dead bodies to find a card that will unlock it."

"If I was designing this ship, one door would be the captain's cabin while the other door would be the first officer's. RHIP – Rank Hath Its Privileges," Rick offered.

"Maybe one or the other wasn't on the Bridge when it happened," Kate suggested.

"Let's hope so or getting on the Bridge is going to be a challenge." He didn't have any plastic explosives on him to blow the door. He was traveling and not yet fully outfitted.

Rick studied each door and simply chose one since it really didn't matter. They were going to search both of them eventually.

[_] /\ [_]

Roy heard a knock on his door. He looked up and saw both Esposito and Ryan. "Enter." He was betting they were here to give him an update.

Espo began the report. "We found her car and the trunk was still open. Everything but her spare clips and her vest were still in it. So Beckett was planning to join us."

"We pinged her phone and got nothing. It's either off, or damaged, or both. We did get her cell phone to ping off the closest tower just prior to our arrival so she had it and it was working when she arrived," Ryan reported.

"We still have officers out searching the surrounding area. It's a lot of area to cover. So far nothing," Espo added.

"We've pulled every surveillance camera footage in the entire area and have detectives watching all of it to see if they can spot her. She's on foot since Beckett's car was left behind. So unless she got a new ride she can't have gone far." Espo was running out of ideas.

"Tunnels, sewers, the works. Even if both of you have to get suited up and go down there personally. I want her found." Roy was interrupted by his desk phone ringing.

He answered and just listened before saying, "Send him up." He hung up the phone and looked at these two.

"Try to think. Anything that's outside the box. Jim Beckett is on his way up." Roy was not looking forward to this conversation.

"Yes, sir." Both Ryan and Espo made a hasty retreat before Jim showed up. They both saw him make a beeline for Captain Montgomery's office and watched the door close.

"Remind me never to make captain," Espo said since he didn't want the job Captain Montgomery was doing now.

"Maybe it was aliens," Ryan suggested and saw the look his partner was giving him. "I'm trying to think outside of the box," Ryan said defensively

They were still at their desks after each got off the phone when Ryan got his attention and nodded. It was about to get worse. Espo turned to look and saw the mayor walk from the elevator to Captain Montgomery's office.

"I think I'll go check on how the video footage is going." Espo wanted to be farther away from that office.

"I need coffee," Ryan stated and also got up. However, neither of them made it very far.

"You two, my office, now!" They hadn't seen Roy open his door but they did hear him.

Now it was two dejected detectives that had nothing who were walking to Captain Montgomery's office that held the two single most important people to what was going on on this planet. About the only thing that could make it worse was if the Commissioner himself showed up demanding information that they didn't have.

[_] /\ [_]

Everyone but Roy was now out of his office. Jim was sitting at Kate's desk going through it, looking for something, anything that might help.

Roy had only just gotten off the phone with the Commissioner who demanded an update. If, or more when, word got out that the NYPD had just lost a detective it was going to spell disaster for the NYPD. The press was going to have a field day at their expense. This arrest was a high profile arrest.

Roy heard a knock and could only hope it was good news for a change. Instead he saw Dr. Parish. "No, we haven't found her yet," Roy told her and watched her enter his office.

"Autopsy results." Lanie personally handed them to Roy who took them. "He took four rounds to the chest. Two of them struck the heart. Either of them was enough to kill him. Ballistics has the bullets to determine just who fired them."

It was pretty much what Roy was expecting. One or more of the SWAT team had killed him. Given that he was armed and he had used his weapon and had hit one of the SWAT team, who now had a bruise he was going to get to keep for a little while, what Dr. Parish had found was not unexpected.

An additional problem was that with their guy dead they could rule out that he had Beckett. He already had detectives going over some of Beckett's more recent cases to see if anyone might be involved. What he couldn't figure out was how had anyone gotten their hands on her and gotten her out of the area sight unseen. There had been officers nearly everywhere.

"Something else, Dr. Parish?" Roy questioned since she was still standing there.

"How can I help? Kate is my very best friend, Captain." She felt she needed to be doing something.

But both of them were interrupted when there was another knock on his door.

"Captain Montgomery, Dr. Parish. I received a phone call ordering me and my team to New York City. Something about a missing homicide detective." Jordan Shaw didn't see why the FBI should be involved. Let alone her team since she was based out of Chicago. Surely the New York office could handle this. So Jordan was betting this was a test for her and her team. Jordan knew she was being groomed for a higher position.

[_] /\ [_]

"Sergeant?" Colonel Holmes was interested in an update. SEAL team 12 had a job to do and they were down a man. Not just any man, they were missing their team leader.

"We have confirmed that Captain Rodgers arrived with his team as planned. They all deplaned with their equipment and duffle bags. According to his team he ordered them to report to the Administration Building.

"We found Captain Rodgers' duffle bag inside a nearby latrine still fully packed. Neither of the gates report that he has signed out and left the base. He should still be here. His team can't think of any reason why he would leave.

"They all agree that he is more than qualified to fight off anyone or even several someones that might want to kidnap him. Keeping this in mind no service trucks or other trucks have left the base. The only ones that have were thoroughly searched after we got word that Captain Rodgers was missing.

"We presently have teams searching the perimeter to determine if there is a gap. As of 15 minutes ago they report that there are so far no gaps in our security. A second team is reviewing the recordings we have of the security fence. As of 30 minutes ago they had nothing," Sergeant McDonell reported.

"Captain Rodgers and his team arrived armed. You found no casings indicating that there was a fire fight?" Colonel Holmes asked him.

"I have no reports any were found. I will double check that report, Sir." The sergeant kicked himself for not even thinking of that. "I will add questions about hearing any firing outside of shots fired on the firing range.

"I also have a team reviewing the recordings we have of any radar returns. We do have Stealth fighters stationed on the base, however, all of them are one man crafts and none of them are missing." It meant he hadn't left that way even if he was capable of flying one according to Captain Rodgers' records.

"Helicopters? Hang gliders? Any other silent options? Balloons maybe?" Colonel Holmes questioned him and watched him shake his head.

"Already thought of that, Sir. Plus our perimeter cameras should be able to spot any of those in case no one saw one or is lying to us. He really should be here somewhere, Sir." The sergeant really didn't get it.

"So if Captain Rodgers was physically overcome where would they hide him before they could get him off the base? I'm already digging into his past to determine who, if there's anyone, that would want him." Colonel Holmes didn't like this. It reflected badly on his command of this base. A decorated SEAL team member had up and disappeared off his base. Things like that just didn't happen.

"Keep me informed, Sergeant. Dismissed." He had another phone call to make himself and he had other base items to be taken care off. Plus he needed to determine if SEAL Team 12 needed a replacement since their mission couldn't be canceled.

"Sir!" The sergeant saluted smartly, got one in return, then pivoted and left his office. Frustrated, the colonel growled. He was trying to find a person that was skilled at hiding or getting off this base unnoticed if he really wanted to.

[_] /\ [_]

"Well the door opens." So far everyone was dead and the computer had been down so he wasn't too worried about running across anyone. But someone was hunting them so he was concerned about that.

"Maybe I was expecting something bigger," Rick mused as they walked inside and the lights came on automatically. "I'll take the desk. You can have the closet and we can meet in the middle. We want an access card and anything else that looks useful." And they split up.

What they didn't find was a dead body. Rick found a pad that didn't come to life so he was thinking the battery was long dead. What he didn't find was anything that looked like a key card that would open that door.

"I found a few of these and the clothes, or what's left of them, all have two bars if that means anything," Kate showed him.

"A uniform in a vacuum sealed pouch. It means the air hasn't gotten to it and ruined it so this and any others we can use. As for two bars, it does to me, but what did it mean to them is the question." Rick took the bag. "Are there others?"

"A few. About three more, I think. Any chance it was a woman?" Kate was thinking tampons, pads, bras, panties, almost anything.

"I'm not sure I can tell the difference with these guys," Rick admitted. "BUT, we have a lot of rooms to search. Crew quarters come to mind. Maybe separated. Just don't hold your breath.

"We need to find laundry and pray sheets are like this uniform. What's on this bed is shot." He would sleep on the floor but not if he had a choice. "Next room." Rick was ready to move on.

The next room looked a lot like the other one. It didn't look any bigger though it did look better. Meaning a little more decorated. Once again Rick took the desk while Kate took the closet. Except this room had a dead body on the bed.

He picked up what looked like once had been a photo of someone. "Wife or kid, maybe. Sorry whoever you are but he or she isn't coming home." Rick put it back down. "BINGO!" He picked up what he was sure was a key card and turned to look for Kate.

She in turn seemed to be gathering items. Again what she was holding looked vacuum sealed. "Find something?" Rick asked her.

"It's a woman and her underwear is vacuum sealed as is some of her uniforms. Her uniforms have a star instead of two bars." Kate was smiling widely and she turned to face him.

"Female captain, interesting. For what you want I would try the bathroom," he said.

"Good point." Kate headed for what should be the bathroom. Rick meanwhile checked the dead body on the bed and looked her over. If she had breasts she didn't now. She was dressed for bed though.

"Whatever happened happened really fast. She never even made it out of bed." Rick was still looking her over when he noted Kate was back and looked at her.

"It's all ruined. Too old. Only what's vacuum sealed is useful. Except it will have a hole where my ass is." Kate was thinking that maybe the laundry area would have a way to sew something over the hole for the tail.

Rick grinned at her. "And a lovely ass it is, too."

"Jackass." Kate initially was not amused. Yet she did like that he had at least noticed her ass.

"That's my name." Rick smiled at her. "I have a card; let's go see if this thing will allow us past that door." He really wanted to see what he was locked out of.

The only thing Rick didn't see was a numbered key pad meaning he would also need a code number. It looked like all he needed was a card key. So he inserted the key, took it out, and just like that the door opened.

This had both of them lifting their new weapons up, ready to shoot anything they didn't like on the other side. Except nothing they could see moved so Rick went first.

It certainly looked like a Bridge to him. Not that he had seen many spaceship Bridges except in movies. There were four chairs and each had a dead body. In addition there was a dead body on the floor. "Definitely happened pretty fast. How the hell did this ship even land a little? One would think it would have crashed hard and even if it didn't blow up it should have caught fire." Rick was mostly talking to himself and saw Kate go past him and look at the first chair on the right.

The chairs on the side didn't have glass in front of them. The two up front did. "It's still written in Klingon. Even if we had power, which we don't, we couldn't begin to fly this thing," Kate pointed out. While she had wanted to see the Bridge she didn't see what being here was going to get them.

"I don't want to fly it. I want to learn from it. There are only a few dead people. So how did the others get away? Did they even come to look for this ship? Why didn't they come to look? What did they learn that we haven't?" Rick was full of questions.

"And the biggest question of all: Where the fuck are we? Where is Earth and this is a space ship. How do we get home if we don't even know where we are?" Rick tried to reason his way through staying here.

"Learn Klingon?" Kate figured that was the only way.

"We learned Russian and it's technically not Klingon, you know," Rick reminded her and saw her glare at him for that. "Fine, do you have a better idea?"

Unfortunately Kate didn't. "Can we at least get rid of the bodies? Just because I deal with dead bodies doesn't mean I like seeing them."

"We can dump them just down the hall with the dead captain. But first we need to search these guys. Find another key card to gain access to this room. Maybe we can learn what the hell happened to this ship."