It had been ten hours since Kathryn had been taken; seven since Chakotay had called in his team; four hours since Owen had given him a 50% chance of getting to Kathryn before they killed her; and 10 minutes since Owen had called to tell him that the Blackbird was on its way. He tapped his combadge "Rangers, prepare for transport in 10" His team would go in with him and extract her even if it meant going into the bowels of hell they would get her back alive. He would not and could not let himself believe in the alternative.
His team, one of many elite extraction teams in the Maquis, was compromised of five men including himself. His team had been extremely successful in the extraction of many prisoners being held by the Cardassians. His team had been one of the most successful and one of the deadliest. The men he had called in to help him had served with him for many years before the caretaker had taken him.
Each man had his own reasons for not trusting Starfleet and each one of them had an all consuming hatred for the Cardassians. They had been the best of the best and had been willing to do things that none of them were proud of but someone had to do. Only the top brass of the Federation, Cardassians and Maquis had know of their existence but no one had been able to verify who the members of the teams were.
Brothers in arms and brothers in war. They had done whatever was necessary to protect and save the people who had been taken by the Cardassians. Chakotay had been a master at retrieval of prisoners. He would be the first to go into the most dangerous parts of Cardasia and scout the location to find the safest way o get the prisoners out. He had been able to go in undetected and kill with no remorse. He looked down at his hands as he remembered the blood that would cover his hands and body as he carried a multitude of bruised and bloody bodies out of caves and underground bunkers they were held in. Getting them into the open so that they could be transported out.
Chakotay had heard the stories of the men he fought with side by side. Not from them, never had any of them ever unburden themselves with each other. Chakotay thought now it had been because they knew that if they talked about what had happened to them the anger that had consumed would slowly start to leave them and they would lose the edge that the anger gave them while out in the field. But Chakotay ever the tactician had kept his ears open needing to know who the men he was fighting with were. And so he had pieced together little bits of information he had gotten here and there and had learned of the tragedies each man who stood strong, brave and deadly with him at the front lines of their war with Starfleet and the Cardassians.
Baylut, his four year old daughter tied and beaten, his wife raped and murdered as he was forced to watch before they beat him unconscious leaving him for dead. The house had been set on fire before they left. The screams of terror coming from his daughter had brought out of his haze and he began to work at getting free. Baylut had been force to tear his thumb off in order to get the handcuffs off so that he could get to his little girl and get them out. His daughter as far as Chakotay knew was now a young women married and with a child of her own.
Lang, his parents an older sweet couple had been unable to have children after they had married. When they had found him as a little boy begging for scraps on the streets they had taken him in and given him all the love they had as if he were their own child. Lang had been working in the fields when he had seen the hut where his parents lived blazing. He had ran to them trying to help only to be thrown back by a strong fireball when a grenade exploded. When he had finally come to weeks later in agonizing pain he discovered that he had third degree burns all over his body and his parents had both died.
Scott, had been so in love with his sweetheart. Their parents had been friends since they were kids and Savannah and he had played together all the time when they were little. As they grew into teenagers their puppy love had grown into love and he had asked her to marry him as soon as they had graduated. It had been their wedding day, Scott had been at the church waiting for her with all their families and guests when they had heard the sirens. The torpedoes could be felt as they hit each and every one of their targets. Even worst they had felt the ground rumble as the Cardassians ships landed. They all knew the horror stories and he had been terrified of what they would do to Savannah. He ran hard and had been forced to dodge and weave trying to avoid the Cardassians soldiers. He had reached Savannah's house just as she was stumbling out. Her beautiful wedding gown in tatters evidence of what those animals had done to her in her broken gaze. He had seen the lifeless bodies of her family lying where they had been butchered. He had carried her to their hiding place and had done his best to care for her injuries. Finally, after help arrived she had gotten medical attention. Scott had stayed by her side trying to convince her he loved her no matter what had happened. Weeks of telling her he still loved her she had finally started to believe him and began to smile again. Two weeks later Scott had walked in and found her on the floor. The knife she had used to cut her wrist lying next to her. He had found out that night after reading her diary that she was pregnant and she couldn't handle the reminder of what those animals had done to her.
Finally there had been Ayala, who like him had left Dorvan for the academy and had been disillusioned when he had heard that the Federation had made a deal with Cardassians. He had immediately resigned his commission and had taken cargo ship to his Dorvan. Before he could make it back the Captain had made a ship wide announcement. Dorvan had been destroyed in an unprovoked attack all lives had been lost. The Federation was sending ships to look for survivors but it didn't look promising. Ayala had left the ship as soon as it landed and looked for the first terrorist cell to join.
He was brought out of his memories when he heard his comm beep with an incoming message. He quickly ran over to the comm and initiated it. Rage rolled over him in waves as he heard a voice from his past that ought to have been dead.
"Hello Chakotay," the man on screen attempted what was meant to be a friendly smile but looked more like a baring of teeth. "We gave you a chance to do the right thing." he paused and looked as he regretted what he was about to do "And what did you do instead you put an innocent women in the middle of a war between you and me. How easy it was for you to go back to being the Starfleet lap dg. Just because you made peace does not mean the war is over Chakotay.
"Where is Kathryn!"
"Before we get to that, I am sure you want to know what you have to do to get her back" He started pacing as if in gaving it some deep thought as to what he was about to ask for.
"Marin, I will kill you!" Chakotay shouted enraged at the man's cavalier attitude "If you hurt her so help me God"
Marin turned and shouted all semblance of calm gone "I will not be the one that cause her to be hurt Chakotay it will be you. You know what we want Chakotay."
Chakotay paled at the implications of what he would have do to get Kathryn back safely.
" Yes Chakotay, we want the war heads in Storage container 24. You and your team will go in and get them."
Chakotay saw the burly man suddenly reach out of screen for something and was not prepare for what he saw. It was Kathryn her beautiful hair falling in damp wisps around her face which was marred with cuts and bruises, her uniform was torn and her wrist likely broken. He took in everything about her appearance trying to see any hidden wounds that could kill her. When he finished scanning and once again met her eyes he saw that she was concerned and very angry. Marin had not broken her yet. He had always admired her fearlessness but against Marin he would just take it as a challenge.
"You have 24 hours Chakotay otherwise we will kill her and trust us you don't want to make us wait for your answer. Your Maquis whore is quite beautiful" he reached and caressed her face tightening his hold on her jaw when she tried to jerk away "I'm not sure I can keep my men from having fun with her if you don't get me what I need"
"Keep your men off of her." He said through gritted teeth "I will get you what you need." in less than a second and before Chakotay knew what was happening all hell broke loose. Kathryn had stepped forward and told him not to do it and Marin had slapped her across the face knocking her to the ground. For terrify moments the two of them disappeared from the screen "Marin" he shouted "Dammit leave her alone, I'll do it" Marvin stood again so that Chakotay could see him.
"You have 24 hours but I would be fast about it Chakotay" he looked down where Kathryn was laying unconscious. "Your little Dove is quite the wildcat and I can't promise not to have to teach her a lesson from now until you get me what I need"
"I will find you and kill all of you if you touch her" he said in a deadly voice that made the man working the controls behind Marin look up.
"Make sure this connection is secure. I will send the link to where you can contact me when you have my container and are ready to make the exchange" he looked up and smiled at Chakotay "Until then old friend" the screen went dark before Chakotay could say anymore.
Chakotay felt the veil anger overtaking him. For the last few years he had been able to keep his anger at bay and under control with Kathryn by his side he had felt a peace he had never known before. The anger had always been there, simmering under his calm exterior, glowing red hot each and every time Kathryn had been taken from the ship or targeted by one of their many enemies in the Delta Quadrant. But no one had ever been stupid enough to taunt him by threatening to hurt Kathryn and or send him images of her in pain with the threat of more to come. He looked at their bed where he had held her in his arms this mornings. He felt as his anger begin to take over and this time he let it consume him. He put aside all thoughts except how to find Marin where he would make each and every person who had a part in taking Kathryn suffer unimaginable pain.
His combadge chirped "Chakotay we found the trail we are three hours away. Prepare for transport"
He grabbed his duffel and tapped his combadge." Marin's got her" he managed to tell his crew before he was engulfed by the Blackbird's transporter.