Hide and Seek.
Chapter Seven.
"What are they waiting for? They could have taken us at any time already, several times over:" Tom asked out aloud.
"It's not like we prove much of a challenge against their superior ship and fire power."
"They want no witnesses" Chakotay responded wearily.
"They are waiting for the freighter to get out of range."
"We are out here like sitting ducks Chakotay."
"Not for much longer, head for that Nebula, it will buy us some time and get us away from the on-coming storm to.
The stalker ship had come into view, and was not trying to play cat and mouse any longer. It was closing in faster than the Cruiser. Realizing that the shuttle was trying to make a run for it, the Destroyer increased it's speed to catch up before it tried to disappear from sensors delaying their job of destroying it, they only had so much time for the Cruiser to get into place before the Ion storm passed.
Chakotay and Tom were relieved to see that they would reach the Nebula before their hunters reached them, but they could not hide indefinitely. It was only a matter of time before they would be flushed out, one way or another.
"They could shoot us down before we get there, but they don't, what gives.?" Tom asked puzzled.
"My guess, they want to make it look like an accident to avoid an interplanetary incident. It's no coincidence that they waited until we got to this point, close to the Ion storm, the Cruiser can survive, but this shuttle will crumple within minutes". Chakptay replied.
"Great, can it get much worse? No don't answer that, let them surprise me." Tom retorted with contempt towards the adversary.
"Let's just get into the Nebula Tom, that will give us breathing space, it stretches beyond sensor range and will take them some time to find us, I still have a few Maquis tricks up my sleeve to keep this game of hide and seek interesting." Said Chakotay, giving his best man with a plan self confident smile.
"I did not doubt it for a minute Chakotay, we will give them a good run for their money thats for sure, especially with my imaginative piloting skills." Tom laughed.
The Destroyer Captain cursed out loud at the Shuttle's move towards the Nebula. It would make his job harder, but not impossible. One way or another that ship would be pulled into the Ion storm or the magnetic gravitational pull of the planet and crash without survivors. He prided himself on never failing to deliver on a contract, and was not about to start now, or be outsmarted by some strange alien species from the Alpha quadrant. This was his turf and he was going to show them what the Krühlen do to unwanted meddlesome uninvited visitors, and ordered his ship on a full speed intercept course with the Flyer. If he could just get close enough to lock on with his tractor beam, he could hold them long enough for the Cruiser to arrive and finish the job.
Kathryn looked around listening, apart from the low hum of generators and the labour force hard at work, nothing else stirred. There was no day shift comings and goings, Scientists and Engineers beaming in and out. She wondered how B'Elanna was getting on and hoped that her Klingon temperament was under control and she was safe.
The cavern was dimly lit, shadows seemed darker and larger than normal, it was eirily spooky and sinister as Tula described it, excusing her over imagination for her jumpyness.
They headed towards a narrow passageway. The walls were roughly hewn, jagged and warm to the touch, as they felt their way along rather than rely on sight, the tunnel was unlit, listening intently for any guard that might be in the vicinity.
Security seemed lax when the Tagorains were not about, the gurads knowing that there was no way out, the prisoners could not escape, left only a couple in charge, watching over the work force and one to monitor the communications channel with the surface, the rest slept, ate gambled or found someone willing to share their bed for the night.
Kathryn and Tula inched along slowly, not wishing to get knocked or cut by the rock, nor alert any guard to their presence by tripping on uneven floor. They were ten feet away from the passage opening, when a figure blocked what little light came their way.
"Come out or I will fire." Said a gruff voice. To run back the way they had come would be pointless, the tunnel was so narrow that any shots fired would hit them before they got out and also alert the other guards. With the element of suprise gone, the only course of action was to do as they were told, Kathryn thought, and see what kind of chance presented itself.
She wanted a look at the machinery, this might be her one and only chance of finding a way out to the surface, getting hold of B'Elanna and contacting the ship.
"We are coming, don't shoot." Kathryn said.
"Going for a midnight stroll are we?" The guard asked sarcastically, as Tula and Kathryn emerged from the passage.
"You two ladies looking for company? As he pulled Kathryn roughly towards him.
"I will make it worth your while, extra food, less work, you just have to give me what I want, when I want and how I want. That's a fair deal I would say." The guard said ruthefully.
"I can find a partner for your friend to." He said looking towards Tula.
"No thanks. I'd rather die than shack up with a murdering criminal like you." Tula spat angrily.
The guard laughed. "That can be arranged. I could shoot you now for being here , no questions asked. Another dead body for the lava pit, but that would be such a waste of some fun. Let me finish with your friend here, pulling Kathryn closer , then I'll come and show you a good time."
The guard called out and another appeared.
"Take hold of her." He nodded towards Tula, she needs some of my personal attention. When I have finished with this one you can have her." The seconed guard sniggered and cuffed Tula.
"Ok come on my beauty, let's see what you can do to make me happy. The first guard pulled Kathryn towards a smaller room that was used by the Engineers for equipment storage and pushed her down onto a make-shift bed. Kathryn's eyes were darting all around, looking for something to use against this monster. The guard sat astride her, fumbling to undo his pants while fondling Kathryn's breasts. She struggled underneath him, but he was too heavy for her to topple.
"Get off me. I will scream for help." She said in desperation, playing for time.
"Go ahead, no-one cares. The Tagorians are all up top in bed asleep or shagging their own women. I just want some fun, don't your species know what fun is? I will give you a good time, so lay back and shut up, you never know, you might even enjoy me." He laughed coldly.
Kathryn pushed his wandering hands away from her body in disgust, which angered him, he slapped her hard accross the face.
"I can play hard and rough if you want it that way you little whore. You wanted this or why else would you be wandering about instead of sleeping like all the other dumb prisoners."
"I was looking for a way out." Kathryn retorted angrily.
"Don't make me laugh, you don't look that stupid, there is no way out unless you're transported and that can only be activated from up above, or you dig your way out. Now shut it, I don't like mouthy women unless they are making appreciative noises when I screw them.
He took out a knife and began to cut away Kathryn's tunic.
"If you think i'm going to lie here quietly while you rape me, you've got another thing coming." She grabbed for the knife with both hands before he had time to reply, putting every ounce of strength she had to dislodge him , pressing her feet down hard to the ground, she managed to lift her hips enough to upset his balance.
The guard was taken by surprise from such ferocity that he was not used to seeing in his victims, but only for a moment, he had the strength and upper hand, he punched Kathryn's face so hard it split her lip, she felt she was going to lose consciousness, her hold weakened and the knife sliced into her shoulder, she cried out in pain.
Her mind was racing, fight or flight, the adrenalin must be at peak levels she thought, but the fight had been knocked out of her, she tried to focus above the ringing in her ears and the nausea that welled up from the pit of her stomach, flight seemed impossible while this brute sat on top of her. She closed her eyes, wishing to drift away into oblivion if only for a few moments of respite from this nightmare, she thought to herself.
Would she survive this ordeal, to see Voyager and her crew get home? What about Chakotay, he would be devastated, just as she would be to lose him. There were so many feelings left unspoken between them, had she been right to keep him at arms length, adhering to the protocols of rank, denying her needs as a woman, suppressing her love for him so as to not encourage the love she knew he felt for her.
He had always been there for her when she needed him and even when she thought she did not, her ever present shadow, helpful supportive guiding friend and would be lover if she allowed it. Oh to be in his arms now she thought with sorrow, at what she had missed.