I hope you are enjoying this story so far. Leave a review if you'd like. Miss37

After six more hours, Jim and Bones finished their work. "I have to go and check on Solan," Bones said.

"When you do that, you come to the barracks," Jim replied. "You and I are gonna get some rest."

"Yes, Sir."

Jim wondered why Bones always had to say that with sarcasm. He got out of the coveralls he had worn for that job and was glad his own clothes were not dirty. He went back to the same bunk he had slept on before and lay down. He was soon startled out of his sleep by Bones waking him up. "What do you want?" Jim asked.

"Solan wanted you to come and see him," Bones said.

"I'll go see him later. Is he alright?"

"Yeah. He's improving. I don't think he's gonna die."

"Well, if you don't think he's gonna die, I guess that's a good prognosis."

"Thanks a lot. Move over."

"What?"

"I'm getting on the other side there."

"Bones, get your own bunk."

"Don't worry. I'll turn my back to you."

"What's with you today?"

Bones sighed and sat down on the side of the bed. "Jim, I'm really worried," he said. "We can't get out of here until the Enterprise arrives. What if that admiral decides to hold me in the brig for a trial?"

"Bones, you worry too much," Jim said.

"I have a wife now…plus, my daughter is living with me."

Jim frowned. He certainly knew the differences that made. "You're scared?" he asked.

Bones was silent a moment. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," he said. "He meant it, Jim."

"Well, hiding over here behind me isn't exactly the best place. I'm the number one target on his list. Just get some rest, Bones. Take that bunk right there."

Bones nodded and lay down on the bunk across from Jim. Maybe he did just need rest. But he was truly worried…and just a little scared. If Admiral Winston would not do anything, they were sunk. Bones lay awake. He looked at Jim who slept with his arms over his head. He did not know how he could sleep so soundly with all the trouble they were in.

During the night, Bones woke up when he heard something in the area between the bunks. He realized someone was sneaking…or they seemed to be sneaking…along the way. He could not see who it was from where he was lying, but he noticed they had a phaser in their hand. Why would someone be there like that?

Bones did not move a muscle, and then the person stopped beside Jim's bunk and aimed the phaser at him. "Jim!" Bones yelled and jumped out of his own bunk, tripping the man in between the bunks. They landed in the floor in a struggle, but the newcomer hit Bones in the face with the phaser and then fired a stun bolt at him.

Jim was coming toward him, but he aimed the phaser at him. "Don't move, Kirk," he said quietly.

Jim stopped. "Who are you and…" Realization came to him all at once.

Admiral Simmons stood up. "Yes, it's me, Kirk," he said.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I could use seventy-five thousand and get off this miserable space station."

"You're out of your mind! You can't possibly think you can get away with this!"

"You forget, Kirk, I'm in charge of the station, and in charge of keeping everyone busy. Now, move that way."

Jim hesitated for a moment, but Simmons aimed the blaster at him. "It does say dead or alive, Kirk," he said. "I think they prefer alive."

Jim looked at Bones lying in the floor unconscious as he stepped over him. He did not know why they were going deeper into the barracks and living quarters, but he soon found out as there was a hatch in the back. "Get in there, Kirk," Simmons said.

Jim opened the hatch and crawled in followed by Simmons. "Get moving," Simmons said.

Jim crawled down the access tube until they came to an intersection. "Right," Simmons said.

Jim crawled on wondering how he could get out of this, but at the moment, he did not see a way. They finally came to another hatch and got out of the access tube. Jim looked around him and realized he was in Admiral Simmons's private shuttle bay. Simmons closed the hatch. "Over to that ship over there," he said.

"Please don't do this," Jim said as he walked slowly. "How can you turn me over to the Klingons? You're a Starfleet officer!"

Simmons shoved Jim forward. "Shut up! No one will ever know what happened to you!"

Jim stopped and faced him. "Yes they will! Spock will be arriving here in the morning, and he won't stop until he finds out!"

"Captain Spock has no authority on my station!"

"Admiral Winston does!"

"Get moving, Kirk!"

Jim just glared at him but he started walking again. He could hardly believe this was happening. However, it was not the first time he had a run-in with a rogue admiral. He would simply have to think of something.

They came to the ship, and Simmons lowered the boarding ramp. Jim walked into the ship and stopped when he saw what was inside…a cryotube? He started to back up, but Simmons was behind him. "Just keep walking, Kirk," he said.

"No!" Jim replied and elbowed Simmons in the face, knocking him to the floor.

Jim started to try and get the phaser, but Simmons was not beaten. He aimed and fired a stun bolt almost point blank range. Jim hit the floor hard on his back. He was not out, but he was definitely stunned. Simmons stood over him. "Give it up, Kirk," he said. "You won't be getting out of it this time." He dragged Jim over to the cryotube and got him into it.

Jim wanted to resist, but he could not. He had been in a cryotube before, but he did not know it the last time. He tried to cry out but he could not because of the stun bolt. "Just relax, Kirk," Simmons said. "It's much easier that way."

Jim watched helplessly as Simmons closed the top of the cryotube over him. Then he felt the cold coming over him and saw the window above him frost over. At first, he shivered, but then…

Bones was waking up to a terrible headache in the barracks. He stood up, stumbling backward, but he remembered what happened. He knew Jim had been taken, but he did not see the face of the one who had taken him because he had jumped them and then was hit and stunned. He hurried for the entrance of the barracks. He saw no one around…but he knew one officer on this station that he could trust.

Bones ran down to the maintenance area where he found Lieutenant Griggs. "Lieutenant!" Bones exclaimed out of breath.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Griggs asked.

"Have you seen Admiral Kirk?"

"No. Not since you guys left. Is something wrong?"

"I think he's been kidnapped! Someone must be trying to turn him over to the Klingons for that bounty! How can we see if a ship has left this station?"

"We'd have to go to traffic control."

"Show me!"

Bones followed Griggs as they hurried to the front area of the station. "Have any ships left this station in the last few minutes?" Bones asked. "Or are any scheduled to leave in the next few minutes?"

The technician looked at his schedule. "None have left in the last few minutes," he said. "But Admiral Simmons's ship is about to depart."

Bones and Griggs just stood there stunned for a moment. "Admiral Simmons?" Bones asked. "Where is he going?"

"It just says personal business."

Bones looked at Griggs. "We have to stop him," Bones said.

"He's the admiral," Griggs replied. "We have to have a good reason."

"We have a good reason! This is Admiral Kirk! That admiral has had it in for him ever since he got here!"

Griggs could not deny that. He looked at the technician. "Stall him some way," he said.

"How?" the young ensign asked.

"Tell him there's an incoming ship. Tell him, some debris has to be moved."

Just then, there was a transmission from the Enterprise requesting to dock with the station. "Uhura!" Bones exclaimed.

"Doctor McCoy?" Uhura said.

"Yes! I need to talk to Spock!"

"I am here, Doctor," Spock said as he sat in the captain's chair aboard the Enterprise. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes! There's a big problem. Jim has been kidnapped by someone on this station. Admiral Simmons is about to leave in his own private ship…Spock…"

"Doctor, we must be certain."

"Spock, we can't take the chance!"

Spock considered that. He knew if they were wrong, he himself would most likely face court martial…but did he dare not check? "I will contact you soon," he said.

Spock ended the transmission. "Uhura, hail Admiral Simmons's ship," he said.

Uhura sent the hail, and they received an answer promptly. "Captain Spock," Admiral Simmons said. "I assume you're here for your friends."

"Yes, Admiral," Spock replied. "I have just been in contact with Doctor McCoy who says Admiral Kirk has been kidnapped."

"By whom?"

"I am not certain. However, I do not believe it is proper protocol for you, as an Admiral, to leave your post when a crime has been committed."

Admiral Simmons glared at Spock. "I see you are just as annoying as your friend," he said.

"I was not attempting to be annoying, Admiral. I am simply stating facts. As you know, Admiral Kirk arrived here after being kidnapped by a bounty hunter who was attempting to take him to the Klingons. I would think you should be concerned about this fact that someone aboard your space station is obviously trying the same thing."

Spock could see the anger and annoyance on Simmons's face. "I will be right in, Captain Spock," Admiral Simmons said. "How long before you arrive?"

"Approximately fifteen minutes."

"Good. That'll give me time to get started with a search. Simmons out."

Spock just sat there as the transmission ended. "Uhura, send a transmission to Admiral Winston advising him of this situation," he said. "I will be ready to go into the space station when we arrive there. Lieutenant Jarvis, you have the con."

Spock left the Bridge. He was not sure what sort of mission this would be. It was not supposed to be a mission at all but simply picking up his friends. He was concerned about Doctor McCoy as well as Solan, and he would feel better once he arrived there.

Bones hurried down to the medical bay where Solan still lay on a bed. "Solan," he whispered. "Wake up."

Solan opened his eyes. "Doctor, what's going on?" he asked, sounding very groggy.

"Wake up. I have to get you out of here."

"What's going on?"

"You'll be alright. Just come on."

Bones got Solan off the bed, and he almost fell. "Wake up, Solan," Bones said. "We have to get out of here."

Solan was trying to wake up. He shook his head as they started to walk. "What's happening?"

"I'll tell you in a little bit."

Bones got Solan down to the maintenance area where Lieutenant Griggs was. "We need a place to hide," Bones said.

Griggs was stunned for a moment. "Right this way," he replied.

He showed them to a maintenance closet, but it was empty. "No one uses this closet," Griggs said. "So no one should find you here."

Bones and Solan went into the closet. Solan grimaced as Bones set him down. "Now, tell me what's going on?" Solan asked as he lay down on the floor.

Bones put a pillow under Solan's head and put a blanket over him. "You need to stay warm," he said.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on!"

"Jim has been kidnapped."

Solan would have sat up if Bones had not stopped him. "By who!?" he asked.

"I think it's the admiral who was over this station!"

"What?"

"Admiral Simmons. He attacked us during the night. Spock's on his way here. He should be here soon, but I wanted you hid so that admiral can't find you."

"Where is Jim?"

"I don't know. I think he's taken him to his own ship."

"What are we gonna do about it?"

"I don't know right now. We have to stay out of his way until Spock gets here."

"We can't just hide here while he gets away with Jim."

"He's not going yet."

Solan held the blanket around him. He felt cold. "If he's left his ship, why don't we sneak aboard and see if we can find Jim?" he asked.

Bones considered that. "That might be a good idea," he said.

"Am I gonna die if I get up?"

"Probably not but you could pass out. You're not fully recovered yet."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. We have to get him out of there if we can."

"We need to wait until Spock gets here. He'll find out something."

Admiral Simmons was angry that he had to leave his ship. He intended to wait until the Enterprise was fully docked and could not just rocket away before he made his move. Right now, he had to tie up two loose ends: Doctor McCoy and Solan. They would cause him even more trouble before he could get away if they were not incapacitated. He first went to the medical bay…but he stopped when he realized Solan was not even in his bed. He went over to one of the nurses. "Where is that patient?" he asked.

"Solan?" the nurse asked. "I don't know, Sir. I believe Doctor McCoy moved him."

"Moved him where?"

"I don't know, Sir."

Simmons stared at the medical bed. He knew Doctor McCoy was aware of what was happening, and he had moved Solan to keep him safe. He did not want to do a search with the computer terminal because there would be a record of it. Where would Doctor McCoy take Solan to hide him? He had found them twice in the barracks, so he went there. However, he did not find them there, of course. He was not aware that Doctor McCoy knew so much about this station that he would know how to hide. He supposed he would have to do that computer search anyway. He went to a computer terminal. "Computer, where is Doctor Leonard McCoy?" he asked.

Doctor Leonard McCoy is not detectable.

"Why?"

Unclear.

"What was his last known location?"

The maintenance deck.

Simmons stood there a moment. McCoy had been down there when Kirk was cleaning those exhaust vents. He hurried to the maintenance deck and found Lieutenant Griggs. "Griggs," he said. "Have you seen Doctor McCoy?"

"Yes, Sir, I have," Griggs answered. "He's not in here right now."

"Do you know where he went? Did he hide somewhere here?"

Griggs was feeling very nervous about lying to Admiral Simmons, but he knew about the situation. "Not that I know of, Sir," he said. "Is there a problem? Why would he be hiding?"

"So he won't have to face court martial! Did he bring Solan down here with him?"

"I believe Solan was with him."

"Then where did they go?"

"I'm not sure where they are, Sir."

Simmons was even angrier now. "I don't have time for this," he said. He headed back to his own ship. It would not be long now before the Enterprise would arrive. When he reached the ship, he was alerted that the Enterprise was about to dock. "Good," he answered. "Tell Captain Spock I'll be there shortly." He ended that transmission and boarded his own ship.

Bones and Solan saw Simmons go into the ship. "He's gonna make a run for it," Bones whispered.

Solan leaned on the wall wishing he had all his strength, but he felt weak. "We have to get aboard," he said. "It's the only way we can help Jim."

Bones knew that was true. "We better get moving before the ramp closes." He paused a moment. "Better yet, why don't you let me get aboard, and you stay here. Go and tell Spock what's happening."

"You can't go alone."

Bones opened a weapons locker and strapped on a blaster, and he also took a phaser rifle along with a long-bladed knife. Solan knew he could not go or he would hinder rescuing Jim. "Be careful," Solan said. "He might kill you…or hand you over to the Klingons too."

"Well, like you said, it's a risk I'm willing to take," Bones replied.

Solan watched Bones hurry into the ship just as the boarding ramp was closing. Solan grimaced as he got up and headed for the docking bay. He had to stop along the way to get his breath, but he kept going. By the time he got there, the Enterprise was docked. Spock soon came into the station.

"Spock!" Solan exclaimed.

Spock saw Solan and came over to him. "Have you located Admiral Kirk?"

"No! Admiral Simmons is about to take off in his own ship, and we're sure he has Jim aboard. He was waiting for the Enterprise to dock so you couldn't just come after him. Doctor McCoy went aboard the ship!"

"Are you certain Jim is not on this station?"

"I'm positive. That admiral is going to turn him over to the Klingons to get that bounty!"

Just then, they saw Admiral Simmons's ship leaving the station through the viewport. "There he goes!" Solan said.

"Come with me," Spock replied.

They hurried to the Enterprise and boarded. "Lieutenant Jarvis, take us out," Spock said when he was on the Bridge. "We must follow that ship."

Simmons was already to the point to go to warp. Bones knew when they were at warp. He was aboard this ship with a traitorous admiral, and he had no one else to help him unless he could find Jim and free him. He moved along the corridor in the center of the ship. He was sure Simmons had hidden Jim somewhere and would not have him right out in the open.

Bones stopped as he heard Simmons making a transmission. "I have him," Simmons said.

"I want to see him," someone replied.

"You will. Where should I bring him?"

"Bring him to Kronos. We will create a distraction so you can bring him to me. I will give you coordinates within the forest."

"I want that bounty."

"Do not worry. You will get it. If he's alive, you get seventy-five. If he's dead, you get twenty-five."

"Oh, he's alive alright. I have him frozen in a cryotube. He's not going anywhere."

Bones was shocked at that revelation. A cryotube? Where would this admiral get a cryotube? He had not seen anything like that on this ship so far. He turned to go back and look for a place where one could hide a cryotube. He figured there must be a hold in this ship. He soon found a room in the ship, and inside was the cryotube. Bones looked into the cryotube at his friend who looked like he had been terrified when he was suddenly frozen. "Jim," he whispered. "I'm gonna get you outa here."

"I wouldn't count on that," someone said.

Bones whirled around, drawing his blaster as he did. He faced Admiral Simmons who stood in the doorway with his phaser rifle aimed at him. "I'd put that blaster down if I were you, Doctor McCoy," he said.

"You can't do this!" Bones declared. "You're an admiral in Starfleet!"

"I don't care. I'm gonna get that bounty on Kirk. Everyone's been trying to get it, and now I'm going to be successful."

"You're insane!"

"Put down that blaster…and don't think I won't shoot you."

Bones swallowed hard as he knew this admiral would be all too happy to shoot him. He dropped the blaster. "Good choice," Simmons said. "Now kick it away from you, and drop that phaser rifle too. I'm surprised you're so well-prepared, Doctor."

Bones dropped the weapons and kicked them away from him. "Since I don't have another cryotube, I suppose I'll just have to keep you in stun cuffs," Simmons said.

Bones frowned. "Please, don't turn him over to the Klingons!"

"Sit down over there, Doctor."

Bones sat down on the cot in the room. Simmons put stun cuffs on him and activated them. Bones thought about drawing the knife he had brought and putting this admiral out of his misery, but it was not an option after the cuffs were on him. He immediately felt their effects because his arms and hands began feeling rather tingly.

"Don't try anything," Simmons said. "I don't really have any use for you, although I think the Klingons would pay a little extra for you."

Bones just sat there as Simmons left the room. He had not helped Jim, but at least he would not have to go through this alone.

The Enterprise was leaving Jupiter Station in pursuit of Admiral Simmons. Uhura had sent a message to Admiral Winston, informing him of what was happening. Solan knew for sure now that Simmons had kidnapped Jim. They all just hoped they could catch up with them before he handed Jim over to those Klingons.