CHAPTER 26
Shidak showed them into a large room off the main corridor. The lighting was better, Reed saw, taking in the dark paneling and heavy wooden furniture. There were no windows, and he hadn't seen any in the hall, either. But there were several tapestries hanging down, and they could provide a convenient cover for doors or other things.
Hoshi sauntered into the room as if she lived there and sat down in a chair at the head of a long table in the middle of the room. Her eyes reflected the glitter of the flames from a large candelabrum centered on the table. At Shidak's amused chuckle, she gestured magnanimously toward the chair next to her, and he seated himself.
Kleth had followed Hoshi, remaining at her left side and a little behind her as she sat down, just as if they were on the bridge of the Falcon. Reed stopped just inside and to one side of the door, intending to watch the proceedings from a distance. Besides, it would be best not to be grouped together. That would only make it easier to subdue all of them, if that was what Shidak had in mind.
One of Shidak's men stood across the doorway from Reed, and another moved into the room to stand a few feet behind his boss.
A servant carrying a tray hurried in through the door. A large decanter was balanced in the middle of the tray, and two glasses were on one side.
"Very good," Shidak said as the servant put the glasses and the decanter on the table. "You may leave. I will call if we need anything else."
With a quick bow, the servant turned and left. Reed took a good look at the man as he scurried out, the tray tucked under his arm. Floppy jowls, long earlobes, heavy eyebrows. Not a species he recognized.
At the table, Shidak was taking the stopper out of the decanter as he talked to Hoshi, and Reed shifted his attention back to them.
"I must say you are the loveliest captain who has ever come to visit me," Shidak said.
Hoshi gave him an unpleasant smile. "I did not come here to discuss my appearance."
"I'm sure you didn't," he replied, handing her one of the glasses into which he poured a generous amount of the liquid. "It is an added bonus for me."
He filled his glass, then held it toward her as if to clink their glasses together, but Hoshi pulled hers back.
"You don't like me," he said in mock hurt.
"Should I?" she countered.
"I think we could become good friends eventually."
Reed saw Hoshi's chest rise as she drew in a deep breath, and knew it must be taking all her control not to reach over and throttle the man. Her murderous glare was visible all the way across the room.
"Really, my dear," Shidak purred, not put off by her demeanor. "We should be able to help each other." As he leaned back in his chair, his voice took on a businesslike tone. "I understand you have something for me."
"That depends. What do you have to offer me?" she asked.
"You know what I have to offer, otherwise you wouldn't be here," he shot back. "Information. All the information you could ever possibly want or even need."
Hoshi inclined her head toward him slightly, conceding the point to him. Setting down her glass, she leaned back in her chair, emulating his relaxed attitude.
"What I have will make you the most powerful man in the quadrant," she said.
"And what exactly is that?"
"A Starfleet ship that can reach unheard of speeds," she replied evenly.
Reed watched as the two locked gazes, and felt both jealousy and protectiveness recklessly urging him to step in. What he wanted most, and it didn't matter whether it was out of jealousy or protectiveness, was to wipe the floor with Shidak.
He wished she'd be a little less forward, less forceful, less...sexy. Damn it! Now Shidak was reaching out to touch her hand where it lay on the armrest of her chair.
"I would be very interested in that," Shidak said softly as he stroked the back of Hoshi's hand. "What would you expect in return?"
"The same as the rest of your pirate captains," she said coldly, withdrawing her hand. "Information about shipping schedules, such as when and where valuable cargo will be coming through."
She paused for a long moment as they continued to gaze at each other. Hoshi finally looked away, as if what she was about to say was a great disappointment to her. "I cannot fully utilize the engine. One ship, eventually, would be caught, no matter how fast it can fly. Besides, my engineers are not quite certain how it works. That is why I offer it to you."
A noise distracted Reed, and he saw the servant scurry back into the room and hurry to Shidak's side. He passed a piece of paper to the pirate leader, bowed quickly, and left again.
Shidak opened the note, holding it close to his chest, and read it. No discernible change came over his features, but his next words indicated that something had come up that required his immediate attention.
"I must go," he said, crumpling up the piece of paper.
Hoshi raised an eyebrow in response, and Shidak favored her with a smile.
"Don't worry, my dear. Our negotiations haven't finished. It would be best if you returned to your ship until I have taken care of this matter."
He waved his men to the door. "They will take you back to the transporter."
Reed saw Hoshi shoot him a glance. She didn't want to leave, not when she was this close to her objective, but she had no say in the matter. Shidak's men were lined up, ready to escort them out of the room, their hands on the handles of their holstered weapons.
Hoshi rose from her chair, and Shidak did the same.
She gave him an insolent stare. "Don't keep me waiting too long," she warned him.
"This won't take long at all," he assured her.
Hoshi turned and marched to the door, Kleth on her heels. She didn't glance at Reed as she passed him. He fell in behind the big Klingon, and the group walked at a quick pace back to the transporter, leaving Shidak alone in the room.
Tucker and Garef were already on the platform when they entered, and Tucker gave him a worried look. "Something's goin' on," he whispered as Reed climbed up onto the platform.
Reed only had time to look back over his shoulder at the engineer before he heard the familiar sound of the transporter.
Something was wrong. As he watched, Kleth, Tucker and Garef dematerialized, but he and Hoshi were still on the pad. As he brought his hand to the disruptor at his hip, Shidak's men rushed the platform, their guns out and pointed at them. He carefully moved his hand away from his own gun.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hoshi demanded angrily.
She was answered by Shidak, who walked into the chamber. "Just the first of my many services for you, Captain Sato," he said.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
Shidak strolled toward them as if he had all the time in the world. "I'm attending to a problem that came up, as well as arranging for you and I to negotiate without your watchdogs around."
Reed shifted uneasily on the platform. There was no way to get Hoshi safely out of this situation. If Kleth had still been there, it might have been possible.
And why had he been left behind with her? His unvoiced question was answered by Shidak's next words.
"You have a spy in your crew. This man," the pirate leader said, pointing at Reed, "works for Starfleet. In the anti-piracy division, to be exact."
Reed looked to Hoshi, who was looking back at him with wide eyes. She turned to glare down at Shidak. "Can you prove this?" she asked.
Reed silently gave thanks that she was taking that angle. She should be suspicious of Shidak, yet act as if it could be a possibility that he was a spy, if she wanted to remain somewhat free to move about. If Shidak knew he was an undercover agent, Hoshi had to distance herself from him.
"I have inside sources at Starfleet," Shidak said. "Suffice it to say, I can get you all the proof you desire."
"I wish to see this evidence," she said haughtily, stepping down from the platform.
"Come with me and you will," Shidak said. He glanced at one of his men and ordered, "Lock this imposter up."
Reed's last sight as he was dragged away was of Hoshi lightly laying her arm on Shidak's, giving him a sultry smile. That's when he began to resist his captors. One of them hit him on the head with the butt of his gun, and he saw no more.