Calleigh Duquesne sat on her bed, her mind made up. "Hey Torros! I assume
my room is bugged. I've decided!"
A few seconds later her door chimed.
"Yeh, come on in." She stood, grabbing an empty mug of coffee from her
bedside table and replicating another. "You want something, sir?" She asked
pausing by the machine.
"No, thank you, Ensign. Have you decided?"
"Yes. I have. I will join you."
"How can I trust you?"
Her eyes glittered dangerously. "You will not doubt me, Torros. Never
suggest it again."
Vincent looked at her. "You almost have me convinced. But that's alright.
There'll be plenty of time for that later. Firstly though we have a small
mission for you."
"Of course."
"All we need you to do is just watch the doctor."
"You mean Julian, right?"
Torros smiled. "Of course. Who else would I be talking about?"
"Never mind. Just wanted to be sure on the facts."
"Understandable. Yes, Julian Bashir. We need you to watch him."
"That's all?"
"Yes, for now. Is that a problem?"
"No, not at all. May I ask something?" Without waiting for a reply she
continued, "you've been trying to recruit Julian, haven't you?"
"How did you guess that one?" Torros asked with a lopsided smirk.
"Lucky guess. And that twitch again. You might want to have that one looked
at, sir."
"I'll be sure to. We need you to keep track of his incoming and outgoing
transmissions, as well as who he associates with in person."
"Yes sir." Calleigh replied quickly.
He watched her eyes for a moment, then nodded. "We will be in contact. If
you need me, just call. Like you did last time."
Duquesne smiled slightly at the small joke, as if she was simply amusing
him, then looked pointedly at the door.
---
"Officers log, Horatio Caine. I believe Luther has tried to 'dispose' of me. It took him long enough to realize that while I was on the Federation's side I wasn't on his. I don't know what he'll do when I get back, though I received a transmission from Torros telling me to prepare for a promotion. Hmm. Commander Caine. Sounds good to me. Though I know I'm just fooling myself. The only promotion I'm getting is one from this life into the next. Just like my brother. Now I'm feeling sorry for myself. That won't help anything. Computer end the log." He was tempted to add at least I have Speed watching my back, but knew they had full access to his logs, and left it at that. When it came down to the crunch he knew Tim Speedle would pull through for him. No, that wasn't what he was worried about. It was the doctor that was on his mind. Tim had 'overheard' Luther discuss 'solutions' with Torros, and had reported back to Horatio. And now with their new operative, Calleigh, Horatio wasn't sure what to do.
---
"Delko!" Eric turned. "Hey man, what's been happening?" Odo frowned. "That's Constable Odo to you, Lieutenant." "Of course, Constable." Eric replied, grinning. He would get the security chief to loosen up, not matter what it took. "What can I help you with?" Odo handed the younger man a padd gruffly. "What does that look like to you?" Eric looked at the padd and whistled. "Another of Quark's little meetings, sir?" The Constable shook his head. "Look again." "That's right. none of the patterns match his voice. Have you listened to it yet, sir?" Eric asked, still studying the padd. Odo frowned. "No. That's where you come in. I understand you have experience with this kind of thing." "Yes, I do, sir." Delko replied, surprised. "When I was, uh, younger, my father thought it was important for me to learn a few decryption codes." Odo snorted. "And I suppose in your old line of work it came in handy too."
"Hey, Constable. We all have our pasts. You don't see me insulting you because you happen to be a changeling, I'd rather you left my past out of all this." Eric said harshly, looking up from the padd for a moment before he returned his attention back to it. "I think it would be best for me to study this in my quarters." He said after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Odo frowned slightly, but caught the implication. "Yes, I think you look a bit flushed, Lieutenant. Perhaps completing your work there today would be advisable." Eric nodded absently, walking away with the padd, muttering incoherently to himself. "Oh, Lieutenant!" Odo called. Eric turned. "Yes, sir?" He asked. "I found it in the upper levels." "Of course. Thank you, sir. I'll give you a report first thing in the morning." Delko turned back again and stepped into the turbolift, still scanning the padd. He walked into his quarters distracted, and as soon as he got there he snapped on his console. Glancing at the screen the padd clattered to the floor. Do not turn around, was on the screen, and he heard a noise behind him. "Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in my quarters?" He demanded, starting to turn. A hand gripped his shoulder. "If I were you I would do as it says." A husky voice replied. Eric pushed against the hand and quickly spun to face his invader. The person was wearing a cloak which partially covered their face. Impatient, the person flipped the hood back, letting it fall back over her shoulder. Eric raised a defensive hand, then stopped in shock as seventy centimetres of straight black hair fell out of her hood. "You're female!" He exclaimed in surprise. The woman delivered a sharp blow to Delko's stomach, and stepped out of the way as he crumpled forward. Twisting him so he faced her she leaned closer to him. "I suppose you were expecting a male?" She snapped. She placed a hand on his neck and squeezed surprisingly gently. For a Vulcan she had quite a temper, he thought as he lost consciousness.
---
He woke a few minutes later on the floor with one arm still twisted behind his back. Wincing, he tried to sit up, but failed when his vision turned grey. He shook his head, clearing it, and saw the padd on the floor next to him. Eric grimaced as he stretched his hand for the padd. Gripping it as tightly as he could he brought his hand back. Activating it carefully he clutched the corner of his workstation and pulled himself up, favouring his right leg. Sitting heavily at his desk he cleared the message the Vulcan had left him and accessed one of the first programs he'd put on his file when he'd first arrived. "Clearance codes required." "Delko-resistance-alpha." He replied, speaking the code that only he knew. His father had told him the code seconds before he was killed by a war- crazy Cardassian seeking blood. "Thank you, Eric. You have been most helpful." The same woman's voice said from behind the young man. "What? Oh, you have to be kidding. Today is so not my day." He groaned, not even bothering to fight her as she approached. Quickly he slammed his hand to his chest, fingers searching for his COM badge. "Looking for this?" The woman asked, holding up his badge. Delko let his hand drop. "I was." He admitted. Suddenly the doors opened. "Eric?" A male voice called. "Yeh, I'm in here!" He called back quickly, hoping the two of them could overpower the Vulcan. The woman crossed the room with quick efficacy and, digging her nails into the man's neck and shoulder, twisted his neck viciously. There was a snap, and the Vulcan smiled slightly. Delko stared at her in shock. "But-" The female let the body hit the floor, and it made a particular thudding sound that Eric knew he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Eric felt the world spin slowly, then faster. Gripping the edge of his desk for support he sat back down. Cassara, the Vulcan grabbed his arm. "Cassara to Luther. Two to beam up."
---
"Officers log, Horatio Caine. I believe Luther has tried to 'dispose' of me. It took him long enough to realize that while I was on the Federation's side I wasn't on his. I don't know what he'll do when I get back, though I received a transmission from Torros telling me to prepare for a promotion. Hmm. Commander Caine. Sounds good to me. Though I know I'm just fooling myself. The only promotion I'm getting is one from this life into the next. Just like my brother. Now I'm feeling sorry for myself. That won't help anything. Computer end the log." He was tempted to add at least I have Speed watching my back, but knew they had full access to his logs, and left it at that. When it came down to the crunch he knew Tim Speedle would pull through for him. No, that wasn't what he was worried about. It was the doctor that was on his mind. Tim had 'overheard' Luther discuss 'solutions' with Torros, and had reported back to Horatio. And now with their new operative, Calleigh, Horatio wasn't sure what to do.
---
"Delko!" Eric turned. "Hey man, what's been happening?" Odo frowned. "That's Constable Odo to you, Lieutenant." "Of course, Constable." Eric replied, grinning. He would get the security chief to loosen up, not matter what it took. "What can I help you with?" Odo handed the younger man a padd gruffly. "What does that look like to you?" Eric looked at the padd and whistled. "Another of Quark's little meetings, sir?" The Constable shook his head. "Look again." "That's right. none of the patterns match his voice. Have you listened to it yet, sir?" Eric asked, still studying the padd. Odo frowned. "No. That's where you come in. I understand you have experience with this kind of thing." "Yes, I do, sir." Delko replied, surprised. "When I was, uh, younger, my father thought it was important for me to learn a few decryption codes." Odo snorted. "And I suppose in your old line of work it came in handy too."
"Hey, Constable. We all have our pasts. You don't see me insulting you because you happen to be a changeling, I'd rather you left my past out of all this." Eric said harshly, looking up from the padd for a moment before he returned his attention back to it. "I think it would be best for me to study this in my quarters." He said after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Odo frowned slightly, but caught the implication. "Yes, I think you look a bit flushed, Lieutenant. Perhaps completing your work there today would be advisable." Eric nodded absently, walking away with the padd, muttering incoherently to himself. "Oh, Lieutenant!" Odo called. Eric turned. "Yes, sir?" He asked. "I found it in the upper levels." "Of course. Thank you, sir. I'll give you a report first thing in the morning." Delko turned back again and stepped into the turbolift, still scanning the padd. He walked into his quarters distracted, and as soon as he got there he snapped on his console. Glancing at the screen the padd clattered to the floor. Do not turn around, was on the screen, and he heard a noise behind him. "Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in my quarters?" He demanded, starting to turn. A hand gripped his shoulder. "If I were you I would do as it says." A husky voice replied. Eric pushed against the hand and quickly spun to face his invader. The person was wearing a cloak which partially covered their face. Impatient, the person flipped the hood back, letting it fall back over her shoulder. Eric raised a defensive hand, then stopped in shock as seventy centimetres of straight black hair fell out of her hood. "You're female!" He exclaimed in surprise. The woman delivered a sharp blow to Delko's stomach, and stepped out of the way as he crumpled forward. Twisting him so he faced her she leaned closer to him. "I suppose you were expecting a male?" She snapped. She placed a hand on his neck and squeezed surprisingly gently. For a Vulcan she had quite a temper, he thought as he lost consciousness.
---
He woke a few minutes later on the floor with one arm still twisted behind his back. Wincing, he tried to sit up, but failed when his vision turned grey. He shook his head, clearing it, and saw the padd on the floor next to him. Eric grimaced as he stretched his hand for the padd. Gripping it as tightly as he could he brought his hand back. Activating it carefully he clutched the corner of his workstation and pulled himself up, favouring his right leg. Sitting heavily at his desk he cleared the message the Vulcan had left him and accessed one of the first programs he'd put on his file when he'd first arrived. "Clearance codes required." "Delko-resistance-alpha." He replied, speaking the code that only he knew. His father had told him the code seconds before he was killed by a war- crazy Cardassian seeking blood. "Thank you, Eric. You have been most helpful." The same woman's voice said from behind the young man. "What? Oh, you have to be kidding. Today is so not my day." He groaned, not even bothering to fight her as she approached. Quickly he slammed his hand to his chest, fingers searching for his COM badge. "Looking for this?" The woman asked, holding up his badge. Delko let his hand drop. "I was." He admitted. Suddenly the doors opened. "Eric?" A male voice called. "Yeh, I'm in here!" He called back quickly, hoping the two of them could overpower the Vulcan. The woman crossed the room with quick efficacy and, digging her nails into the man's neck and shoulder, twisted his neck viciously. There was a snap, and the Vulcan smiled slightly. Delko stared at her in shock. "But-" The female let the body hit the floor, and it made a particular thudding sound that Eric knew he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Eric felt the world spin slowly, then faster. Gripping the edge of his desk for support he sat back down. Cassara, the Vulcan grabbed his arm. "Cassara to Luther. Two to beam up."