Chapter Fifteen

Julian dropped gracefully from the cord onto the stone floor of the tunnel. It was a cold place, and dark, except for the flashlights. The doctor moved his own light around. The tunnel was wide enough for four people to walk side by side, and the ceiling was high. This was no hastily constructed little tunnel. This was a very large, very well-constructed underground road.

Julian glanced up. Marina was making her way down the cord. He slipped his phaser and his light into his belt and reached up to help her down. She dropped lightly into his arms. "Nice place for a date, wouldn't you say?"

Marina just smiled at him, so he continued. "Warm, airy, full of light. Just the kind of place we want to be, right, love?"

"Any place is fine as long as I'm with you," Marina whispered.

The couple stepped out of the way for the last person to enter the tunnel, Miles. The Chief quickly pulled the cord down, causing the door to fall in place as well, as he had planned. "Well," he said. "That's that. Shall we go on?"

Dax nodded, grinning crookedly. She waved her light around. "Oooh, it's dark in here."

Miles rolled his eyes. "What are you doing? We have a mission, here."

"Just because it's called a mission doesn't mean that it can't be fun," Dax retorted.

"I've learned to sometimes ignore her, Chief," Worf spoke up, walking alongside his wife as they started down the tunnel.

Dax punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Don't worry, boys. If there was anyone besides Harris in this tunnel, our very own psychogenotron would have told us."

Julian turned his eyes from the couple and looked at Marina. She looked pale, and the blue stone walls cast an eerie bluish light on her face. "Are you all right?" he whispered.

Marina looked up at him, and suddenly, her eyes went wide with horror.

"What is it?" Julian exclaimed.

"Marina, Julian--we need your eyes up here!" Dax called back to them.

"Hang on," Julian replied. He turned back to Marina. "What's the matter?"

Marina took his hand between both of hers. "Julian… I just had this awful… thing…"

"Thing?" Julian took her hands and led her with him as he moved to the front of the line.

"Premonition… vision… I don't know what to call it." She bit her lip.

"What?"

Marina didn't want to tell him. It was about him…

"Is it about me?"

"Yes." Her voice was quiet and intense. "Julian, you need to go back."

Julian laughed lightly. "Where, Marina? The shuttle has surely left by now."

Marina felt like she could cry. "Oh, Julian. You can't go on."

Dax touched Marina's shoulder and signaled for the others to halt. "Marina," she whispered, her voice laced with concern. "What is it?" She took her friend's hand. "Your hands are so cold!"

"Dax, I just had this--this flash, this vision. It was about Julian." She looked up at him, into his soulful dark eyes. "He has to go back. If he goes on…" She took a deep breath.

"What?" Miles asked. "What will happen to him? Will he die?"

"I don't know." Marina sighed. "I just saw him fall. This is the second time I've seen that in a dream… vision." She stamped her foot, frustrated. "He doesn't need to get any closer to Gentanar. All of my visions seem to indicate that no good would come of that… no good for Julian."

Julian put his hands on her shoulders. "Marina, I'm not letting you face him alone."

(LINE)

"I hope he doesn't come with her."

"Of course, sir."

"He had better not. No good will come of it." The tall, blonde man turned from the window. "Not for me, not for him." He smiled. "Of course, if all goes according to plan, nothing good will happen to him anyway."

"You're right, sir, as always."

"She seems to draw some sort of strength from him." The man began pacing back and forth, his handsome face twisted in a sneer. "If he comes with her, we shall have to deal with him…"

(LINE)

Marina and Julian walked in the front of the line, holding hands.

Julian brushed his fingers against her wrist, absently checking her pulse. It was a bit fast. She was scared--and not for herself. No, he was scared for her. And she was scared for him.

"Stop," Marina said suddenly. "Harris is very close by."

Everyone stopped walking.

"Worf, Miles, you two take the lead," Dax whispered. "Everyone, draw your phasers." She nodded to her husband. "Worf, you take the lead from here."

Worf moved ahead of the others, shadowed by Miles. "We will advance slowly. Set your weapons on stun."

They all moved slowly ahead, gripping their phasers. The tunnel suddenly widened, leading into a large, circular room with a very high ceiling. There was a beam of light shining down through a crack in the ceiling--and nothing else. Harris was nowhere in sight.

"Lieutenant, where is he?" Worf whispered to Marina.

"I can't tell." Marina frowned in concentration. "He's in that room somewhere."

"But… there's nowhere for him to hide!" Miles exclaimed.

"He's there. We just have to find him." She started to move past the two men in the front.

"Marina--stay back," Miles hissed.

"Trust me." She looked at Miles and Worf and sent them memories of times in that past when she had acted in a trustworthy and intelligent manner. "Remember? I have mind powers. I'll be okay."

"All right--you can move in," Worf said. "But only if we can stay close to you."

"Fine. Just let me do my thing."

The others nodded in agreement, and Marina led the way into the round room, her friends crowding behind her.

Marina stopped a few feet into the room and closed her eyes, searching for Harris with her mind. She could sense him very close by, but his presence was elusive.

Suddenly, a hand gripped her upper arm, and she jumped, her eyes flying opened.

It was just Julian. He smiled at her and put a finger to his lips. He reached and took her hand. "Take your time. We trust you," he said.

Marina gave him a grateful smile, then closed her eyes again, searching for Harris. Aha! There he was! He was--

"Everyone get down!" Marina screamed. She threw herself to the floor, dragging Julian down with her.

There was a flash of light, then a loud boom, then the smell of smoke. Marina felt Julian's hand rest against her back, then suddenly jerk away.

The young psychogenotron got to her knees, choking on the smoke. "Is everyone all right?"

There was a chorus of yes's.

"What was that?" asked one of Fang's men, a man named Mark Downs.

"It was some sort of flash bomb," Worf said, helping Dax to her feet. "I believe our prey used it to buy time. I suspect he is on the run." He looked to Marina for agreement.

Marina nodded, standing. "He's fleeing." Suddenly, her heart lurched. "Where's Julian?" She was unable to keep the panic from her voice.

Dr. Julian Bashir had vanished into the smoke.

(LINE)

"Return fire, Willis!" Kira called to one of the men from Catronis. Luckily for the Federation, he was an excellent shot.

The small shuttle had very limited weaponry and would be no match for the larger Cardassian ship in open combat. The crew's only hope was to retreat--and perhaps fire a few shots on the way.

The shuttle shuddered as it was hit by a phaser blast.

"How are the shields, West?" Kira asked, gripping the arms of her chair.

"Fine so far, but they won't be for long if we don't get out of here!" the young ensign cried.

"Are we within range of communications with Deep Space Nine?" Kira asked Jake, who had taken the job of sending unfruitful distress signals.

"Not yet--but we will be soon," Jake replied worriedly.

"Can we go any faster than this?" Carlos called from where he sat on the floor.

The woman piloting the shuttle shook her head. "We don't want to risk blowing an engine."

Kira pondered in her mind what to do. She knew she didn't have much time to ponder…

(LINE)

Julian was running faster than he had ever run in his life. He was getting tired of doing nothing. He had to catch this madman Harris. As soon as the flash bomb had gone off, the crazy thought had entered his mind--he had to get Harris. So here he was--running through the tunnel, which was swiftly narrowing, after Ensign Jake Harris. It was up to him now. None of the others had seen Harris--but he had. And he had run after him.

Mad laughter drifted back down the tunnel. Harris's laughter.

Just like in Marina's dream… Julian forced the thought from his mind and kept running. He believed Marina's dreams, believed that perhaps something bad might happen to him, but he knew that he would not fail, could not fail.

Suddenly, the beam of his light revealed another widening ahead. He slowed his pace, coming to a stop in a room that branched off in three directions. Which way to go? If only Marina was here. I should have brought her with me. But… no. This is too dangerous. What am I thinking? I'm willing to let her face Gentanar, but not come with me to chase after Harris? I'm so--

Suddenly, there was a cry of pain, echoing clearly from the path to the left.

Julian did not hesitate. He started down the path, walking quickly, but cautiously.

"Someone! Help me!" It was Harris's voice.

Julian did not like Harris; in fact, he quite nearly despised him. But he knew that the man was at least partially under Gentanar's control. And Julian was a doctor. His first instinct was to help the man, no matter what he had done. He quickened his pace, frightened by the sudden silence. Would he be too late?

The dark path turned sharply to the left, and Julian followed it. It led him into a dead end. And slumped against the far wall was Ensign Jake Harris.

Holding his light and his phaser with one hand, Julian slipped the other hand into the pack on his back for his medical kit. "Jake--are you all right?" he called.

Harris made no sound, no movement. His eyes remained closed.

Julian glanced around quickly. There was nothing else in the room--and no one else either. He advanced forward slowly, setting his flashlight on the ground. He cautiously bent down beside Harris, quickly examining the man.

Harris's bald head was streaked with soot, and there was a large bruise on his cheek. But other than that, he seemed fine.

Julian frowned, confused. He set down his phaser and opened up his medical kit, glancing away from Harris's still form for a split second…

Suddenly, the big ensign sprang to life with a savage yell, throwing himself at Julian.

(LINE)

Marina ran down the tunnels, calling Julian's name. There was no sign of him.

"He's getting farther away from us!" Marina called back to the others. "I can barely feel him." She suddenly stopped running, a terrible realization flooding over her. She turned around. There was no one behind her. And nothing--except for a huge barred door that had seemingly shot up from the ground. She could not go back. Nearly panicking, she frantically sent out her thoughts in search of the others. Their presences were all distant--not only from her, but from each other as well.

Somehow, they had all been separated. And in their zeal to find Julian, to find Harris, they hadn't even realized it.

Marina fought down the sobs that were tightening her throat. She clenched her fists and stood in the middle of the tunnel, breathing heavily. "Gentanar…" she murmured through her teeth. Then she screamed the name. "Gentanar! Where are you? I'm sick of these games, you coward! Come out and face me!"

The only answer was the echo of her voice.

She linked her fingers together in front of her face and closed her eyes. "Oh, God… help us…" Then she sank to her knees and bowed her head, sending her thoughts out strongly, desperately.

(LINE)

Kira and those with her fairly jumped out of the shuttle as soon as they docked at the space station. They had managed to evade the Cardassian ship, but barely. Kira still felt shaky and frightened, but would never show the others, of course.

Sisko and Odo ran to meet the shuttle's crew.

Jake flew into his father's arms, babbling almost incoherently about Catronis and the Cardassian ship and Gentanar.

When the captain managed to pull away from his son, he turned to Kira. "Major, what happened?"

"It's a long story," she replied quickly. "Captain, we need to gather an armada and an army and head for that planet--now!"

(LINE)

Julian may have been genetically enhanced, but he was still no match for the muscular Jake Harris in hand-to-hand combat. He was losing the fight--and badly.

Harris had immediately knocked him to the ground and pinned him, but he had managed to get away. Now, he was backed against the wall and was not succeeding in dodging the larger man's blows. He could taste blood in his mouth and his ribs ached like they were on fire. As he barely dodged another punch, he looked around for his phaser. There! He took a blow to the shoulder, then threw himself to the ground, reaching out for the phaser. As soon as it was in his grasp, Harris kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Julian gasped in a painful breath, dizzy and disoriented.

Harris kicked the phaser from his hand and grabbed the front of his uniform. "Do you give up, freak?" he snarled.

Julian nodded slowly. Of course I don't, he thought.

Harris dropped him to the ground and bent to retrieve the phaser.

This was Julian's last chance. He swiftly got to his knees, ignoring the pain and dizziness, and kicked Harris in the back of the knee. The big man went down, and Julian grabbed up the phaser. He quickly held the weapon to Harris's head.

"All right, Harris. Take me to Gentanar."

Harris sneered at him. "You won't shoot me. You're a doctor, not a soldier."

"I am a Starfleet officer, ensign," Julian managed. He wiped his bloody lips on the back of his sleeve. "I am well-trained in combat. And I will shoot if I have to."

Harris laughed insanely.

"Get up," Julian said, staggering to his feet. He swayed dizzily, then managed to regain his balance. "Get up, I said!"

Harris stood, glaring at the doctor. "Gentanar won't let you get away." He smiled slowly. "Even if you did get away, you wouldn't last for long. I put a heavy beating on you. You're hurt really badly."

"I'm a doctor. I can fix myself. Now march--that way!" Julian motioned with his phaser toward the path.

"Oh, yeah? You can fix yourself?" Harris suddenly lifted up his big foot and brought it down hard on Julian's medical kit, smashing it with all of his weight.

Julian winced at the sound of his equipment shattering. Then winced at the painful cough he felt rising up in his chest.

"Fix yourself now, freak."

Before Harris could start laughing again, Julian shot him with the phaser. Harris went down, stunned. And Julian collapsed as well.