AN: TLI, I can't tell you that! If I say who is going to die that spoils all the fun. Hehehehe. Exploded Pen, four people are feeling very tired right now, and very ready to go 'home'! I might be taking pity on them...soon!

Chapter 8

Reunions

Travis guided the shuttle to the landing pad, a soft bump the only indication they had arrived. The security team stood taut and ready in the back, T'Pol next to him watching the sensors scroll by with their information.

Travis punched buttons, the shuttle powered down. He looked to T'Pol for orders.

"Stay here Ensign, if there is any trouble, return to Enterprise."

He nodded. Good luck, he wished silently.

T'Pol gestured the team out the rear hatch, and scrutinized the PADD in her hand. "We lost contact as they arrived at the ministry building. The route they followed is programmed in this PADD. We will back track, on foot." She tweaked a scanner on her hip. "This is programmed to alert us if we detect human biosigns. The ship sensors couldn't detect the difference from orbit, but Doctor Phlox was able to determine our scanners on the planet will."

The six set out following the path T'Pol carried in her hand.

"Where do we go now? We can't stay here." Trip hoped that this butler had an idea.

Archer didn't think it had been possible for Ridney to look any worse, but he did. "You've got to have somewhere we can hide?"

He shook his head.

Hoshi couldn't believe they had escaped only to find themselves in a possibly worse situation, "We can't stay here. I'm not going back for another visit with that crazy doctor."

Ridney was desperately running ideas through his mind, discarding them, and working on something else. After about the fifth thought, he found something that might work. "I've got it. I know where we can go."

Reed indicated for him to lead the way, no one cared to ask where, "Get us out of here."

Veen had evacuated the building with the other ministry employees. The news was reporting an explosion. Speculation about the cause was being tossed around like a Bitz ball, a child's toy, with no one knowing what the real story was.

Veen felt a mixture of panic and anger. He knew what had happened. He couldn't believe he had been so blind; a conspirator, under their very noses. If he got his hands on that imbecile, he'd kill him.

Luvox came storming into his temporary office, "You let them get away!"

"Let them? I didn't let them do anything, you Janx. Ridney was a conspirator."

Luvox paused, "Ridney? That oaf?"

"Not such an oaf after all. Half the building is destroyed, the prisoner's have escaped, and my latest intelligence reports a shuttle from Enterprise is sitting on the landing pad just outside the city." Veen wiped sweat from his forehead, "You must do something!"

"Me?" Luvox laughed, a warped facsimile of the real thing, "You made this mess Veen, you clean it up." He stabbed a finger towards the Prime Minister then stormed out of the room in the same huff of air as when he had arrived moments before.

Veen's face turned purple. He slammed a button on his desk, "Get me the Captain of the Ministry Police!"

The away team struggled to breathe. Ridney had led them down the back alley, and further into the encroaching darkness of nightfall. Street lamps were sparsely hovering over their route, leading Archer to believe this was a rarely used part of the city. "Where...are...we going?"

Ridney shot a look back at Archer, "Not much further Captain, there is a building ahead, it was condemned after..."

Hoshi saw him falter, "After what?"

"It was a conspirator hide-out. We constantly struggle with infiltrators. This group had one who turned them in." Ridney closed his eyes. In that group had been his mother and father. They had never agreed with the Ministry policies. He hadn't been a member of the ministry when this happened, still finishing school. Because of his age, he had been found innocent of any involvement in his parent's activities. He had been spared. "They bombed the building. Everyone was killed."

Reed had to give the alien his due, it wasn't likely those looking for him would look in an old hideout, one bombed and wrecked.

The building began to take shape in front of them, a dark heap of debris. Part of the roof rested precariously on two walls that looked unstable. There were holes, wiring, furniture all piled about haphazardly.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Archer asked.

"No, but I'd rather risk the building than being returned to the ministry. One is possible death, the other is certain death." Ridney pulled a section of metal to the side, opening a hole into an alcove.

Trip hunched over, "This isn't so bad." He scrambled to get off to the side and allow the others somewhere to sit. "A little cramped."

"I don't think this is going to do anything about our smell Trip." Archer joked.

Hoshi wrinkled her nose. You can say that again.

In a short span of time they had all managed to crawl in the hiding space. Cramped had been generous. Their bodies touched; toes, legs, arms. "It's a good thing I like you guys." Trip grinned, his teeth gleaming in the inky blackness.

Smiles spread on everyone's faces. Personal space was not a luxury they could enjoy right now.

Archer thought this was as good of a time as any to try and get some answers, "Ridney..." He shifted his knee from pressing into Trip's side, "What exactly is going on here?"

"I'm sorry Captain, I imagine you want some explanations." Ridney wondered what he should tell. For some reason, he found himself reluctant to tell the entire story. He didn't want this man thinking poorly of his people. Not all Taltaxins were like Veen and his ministry goons.

"Explanations would be nice."

"Veen was elected over forty years ago." Ridney noticed the surprise on their faces, "What?"

"He didn't look any older than forty years to us." Archer explained.

"He's eighty years old Captain, mid-life."

Trip leaned his head back, "Why do all the bad guys get to live long lives?"

Ridney looked confused. Archer figured he had no idea how old they were, "We don't live as long as Taltaxins apparently, fifty years is mid-life for us humans."

He frowned, "I'm sorry Captain, I didn't know. We assumed you were of similar age."

"I can see how this would be a problem. You get someone bad, and they stay in power for a very long time." Reed spoke up.

"Yes, that is it exactly. Veen had very radical beliefs, and he imposed these beliefs on our people. Life has been...unpleasant...under his government."

T'Pol crouched at a corner of a building, hiding in an area of darkness in between streetlights. She checked their progress against the PADD. They were halfway to the Ministry building. She looked ahead, and gestured for the security team to fan out ahead and check for residents. She hoped to avoid encountering any Taltaxins, but surprisingly, there had been no sign of any of the cities occupants. Perhaps there was some type of curfew, she wondered.

She stood to follow the men when her scanner emitted a soft beep. She grabbed it from her hip and studied the read-out. The Captain and the others were near!

"Crewman Sadie." She called to get the leader of the team's attention. He turned his head to look at her. "The scanner has picked up the away team's biosigns."

He nodded, waved for his members to fall back. He approached T'Pol, "How far?"

She directed it towards the strongest signs, "That way, a mile."

"This way men!" He led off in the direction T'Pol indicated. If all went well, they would have the away team and be back to the shuttle, and Enterprise, in a couple of hours.

Ridney had paused in his story, taking a moment to rest. The four humans had also taken advantage of the lull in conversation to close their eyes. He knew they were tired and in need of rest, but now was not the time.

"Is your ship looking for you?"

Archer cracked an eye...he had almost fallen asleep. "I hope so."

"What if they don't?" That was Hoshi.

"Think positively Ensign."

"Yes Sir."

"When we get back to Enterprise, I'm gonna have Chef cook up the biggest steak on board." Trip said. His stomach growled.

Reed thought a steak sounded really good, "And potatoes, don't forget potatoes."

Hoshi figured they were forgetting the best part, "Butter...we'll need lots of butter."

A rustle outside the metal scrap that Ridney had pulled back over their entrance caused the group to fall silent. Archer gestured for Reed to slide near the opening, while he did the same on the opposite side. Trip got ready to pounce behind them. The realization that this may have been a good hiding location, but a lousy spot to defend, sunk in. They were so cramped movement would be next to impossible.

The metal was pulled to the side, and a head poked in, "Captain?"

Archer had his fist cocked back, and was in the process of sending it at the figure, when the voice registered. He dropped his arm, "T'Pol?"

"Yes Captain?" Her head hung in the hole like a ghostly apparition. "Are you all right?"

"I am now."

"Prime Minister, we've located the escapees." The Ministry Captain stood tensely in front of Veen.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Sir, the transponder you had attached to the one human led us to their hideout. Our troops are converging on the location."

Veen smiled, finally, something was going right. He'd have them back in his hands soon, and he'd give them one last chance to admit what they had done with the mutant. Either way, they would not live to see their ship again.

"Get them in position, and have them hold off until I arrive. I want to oversee the capture personally."

The Captain nodded. He had long ago learned to not question Veen's orders. He snapped a salute and went to relay the order to hold off on capture. He entertained a brief thought on what these prisoners could have possibly done, but let it go as soon as it passed by. It wasn't his business.