Chapter Fifteen
"Let me out of here!"
"We're working on the problem, Ma'am."
"Don't you dare 'Ma'am' me!" Joanna snarled. "Just open this door."
"There is something wrong with the door programing on this whole floor."
"The whole floor?" Joanna asked surprised.
"Yes, Ma'am, I assure you we are working as fast as we can to get you and the others out."
Joanna knit her brow at the news that she wasn't the only one locked in her room. When Security had taken Salen she had every intention of following them. However by the time she'd thrown some more appropriate clothing on to go after them she found the door wouldn't open. She was going to accuse Security of false imprisonment for locking her in her room, but with the whole floor acting up they could easily deny any charges.
"Bastards." Joanna grumbled under her breath.
It was another two hours before the door slid open. Without a word of thanks to the technician who had reprogramed the doors Joanna stormed out and went directly to the Security building. Marching up to the front desk she glared challengingly at the man behind the desk.
"Can I help you?"
"I want to see Salen."
"Salen?" The front desk man tapped at his computer. "Last name?"
"Pike."
"Sorry, Ma'am, no 'Pike' in the computer. However, we don't book for first offenses of D and D."
"D and D?"
"Drunk and Disorderly. We let the guys out of the drunk tank at noon, I'm sure he's still just sleeping it off."
"What?"
"We just hold the Cadets taken in for public intoxication until they sober up."
"He wasn't drinking, he's Vulcan. He was arrested this morning out of my room!"
"Vulcan? Oh...right, the guy with the white hair. He's not here."
"What do you mean he's not here? Where is he?"
"I don't know." The man shrugged. "He's in my physics class, it's in about two hours. I'm sure he'll be there."
"He was arrested."
"Not by us."
"Who else has authority to arrest someone on Academy property?"
"No one."
"I need to talk to someone in authority."
The guy shrugged and got up from his desk to disappear into the back. He brought back a Senior Security Officer. The older man smiled at Joanna.
"How can I help you?"
"Salen Pike was arrested, or possibly kidnapped, from my room about two hours ago."
"Admiral Pike's adopted son?"
"Yes, that's right." Joanna nodded.
"I will look into it personally, Cadet...."
"McCoy, Joanna McCoy."
"Did the men who arrested him say that they were with Starfleet?"
"Yes...I...I think so. I can't really remember exactly what was said." Joanna admitted. "It all happened so fast. We were going to come to Security today anyway, but these men got to him first, they said he was under arrest. They would only talk to Salen, but he can't hear, and then one of them got aggressive and Salen sort of attacked him..."
"Wait, slow down. Can you describe the events that led up to the arrest in a little more detail for me?"
"I..." Joanna hesitated. "I think I'd rather not."
"Excuse me?"
"I want to know where he is and what he's been charged with. Just...just find him for me."
"Miss if you have information..."
"That's the problem, I don't, I don't understand anything that's going on."
"Like I said, I'll get right on it. Don't leave campus."
Joanna took a step back at the threatening tone in the Officer's voice. Worried that she'd gone to the wrong people about Salen she thanked them and backed away. On her way out she noticed a young woman in tears talking to one of the other Security Officers.
"What was his name again, Ma'am?"
"Trevor, Trevor Langin." She sniffled. "He...he said he was about to fall into some money...we...we were going to leave the planet with it..."
"How long has he been missing?"
"Since last night."
Joanna's skin crawled at the mention of Langin's name, and to find that he was unaccounted for terrified her even more. Trying to look calm she walked out of the building and then ran across campus to Salen's dorm. During daylight hours the door were unlocked and she rushed up to Salen's room and banged on the door. Douglas opened the door with a confused look on his face.
"Joan..."
Barging into the room Joanna started rummaging through Salen's side of the room. After a moment of not finding what she was after Joanna turned on Douglas.
"Where is Salen's address book? I have to speak to Admiral Pike."
"I don't think he has an address book." Douglas shrugged. "He's a Vulcan, he just remembers stuff like that."
"Damn it!" Joanna raked her hands through her hair in frustration.
"What's going on? Where's Salen?"
"I let them take him." Joanna whimpered. "I was afraid, I didn't know what to do, and now they have him, and they are going hurt him..."
"Woah, hurt him? Who would hurt Salen?"
"I don't know!"
Breaking down into tears Joanna sought the comfort of Douglas' shoulder. Looking shocked Douglas tensed up and remained motionless as she cried against his uniform. Still confused he awkwardly put his arms around her. Suddenly annoyed by his clumsy attempt to comfort her Joanna pushed him away.
"I'm sorry, Douglas." Joanna rubbed her tears away. "I shouldn't have come here."
"I still don't understand. What is going on?"
"I'm not sure...but I am going to find out, and I am going to get him back."
"How can I help?"
"You can't. My father, I will talk to my father. He, Captain Kirk, and Commander Spock will not allow them to keep Salen."
"Um...okay...well, uh... Good luck, I guess."
Joanna forced a smile and turned to leave. Once outside she was surprised to see how late in the day it was becoming. Everyone on campus was going about their day as if nothing was wrong. Trying to keep herself together Joanna forced herself to walk normal across the Campus towards her dorm.
When she came to the same stretch of sidewalk where Langin had first attacked Salen she felt a sudden chill. She wasn't alone here, but there were certainly far less students on this side of the grounds. Feeling vulnerable Joanna began walking faster. Appearing like wolves out of the woods there were suddenly two uniformed men that stepped into her path. Joanna automatically turned around, only to find two more had blocked off her escape in that direction.
"Joanna Meredith McCoy?" One of the men asked solemnly.
"I don't have to answer that." Joanna said evasively.
"No, you do not. Your biometrics already let us know who you are."
"Shit." Joanna muttered. "What do you want?"
"We have orders to bring you in."
"Orders? From who?"
"Starfleet Internal Affairs."
"On what charges?" Joanna demanded.
"Practicing medicine without a license for one."
"And the other?"
"Ma'am, this is not the place to discuss this."
"I want to see some ID, right now."
"Of course."
Joanna reached out and took the holographic ID that the man offered. She recognized the official Starfleet ID card, something hard if not impossible to fake. Realizing that she was cornered Joanna handed the card back and nodded. She tried to jerk back as he took her wrist but he was too quick.
"Hey!" Joanna protested as they roughly cuffed her wrists behind her back. "You can't trea..."
Joanna was cut off as they suddenly beamed away. They were now in a featureless room that had the feel of being underground. Before she could make any further demands for an explanation one of the men who had brought her here took her by the upper arm and lead her away. Feeling a little unbalanced Joanna allowed herself to be dragged along until they came to a cell.
"Wait, what is going on here? Where am I? What are you doing?"
Before Joanna could get any useful information she was shoved forward into the small cell. The ion cuffs were released and she rubbed at her sore wrists. She turned around as the bars slammed closed. She glared spitefully at the man as he left her. Once alone she allowed herself to show a touch of the fear she felt inside.
"Pull yourself together, McCoy." Joanna growled at herself.
Looking around her new situation she sighed heavily. After about ten minutes of waiting Joanna gave up and went to sit down on the small bed. She listened to the silence around her in hopes that she could figure out if Salen was near. She wasn't sure how long she waited before hearing footsteps. The man who came up to the bars was in plain clothes, but his every motion spoke of the confidence of a high ranking officer. Joanna got up and walked up to the bars. She looked her visitor over and narrowed her steel blue eyes.
"Who are you?"
"The name's Beckett." He smiled.
"Are you the one who is going to be telling me what the hell is going on here?"
"Sort of. What can you tell me about Salen Pike?"
"I am not answering any questions until I get a chance to talk to my father and possibly a lawyer."
"I'm the closest thing to a lawyer that you're likely to talk to, Hon. But don't worry, I'm here to help you, and Salen."
"Why do we need your help? Langin's the one who should be caged up like the animal that he is!"
"Langin is dead."
"Dead?" Joanna repeated in surprise. "You...you don't think Salen..."
"Murdered him?" Beckett finished. "Honestly the thought has crossed our minds."
"No, no, not murder, not Salen. He's not a criminal..."
"Well with Langin it certainly was murder, I'm still iffy on whether or not it was a crime." Beckett smiled.
"Wha...what?"
"You and I both know that Langin was little better than a junk yard dog."
"Are you...joking?" Joanna asked incredulously.
"You're right, I need to be more serious. After all the charges against you are very serious indeed."
"What exactly are these 'charges'?"
"Beyond practicing without a license there is the touchy subject of aiding and abetting a murderer."
"I had to help him, he was going to die if I didn't do something!"
"So you admit to helping him of your free will?"
"Of course! But I'm telling you, Salen didn't murder Langin! He told me that he didn't, he's a Vulcan, he can't lie!"
"Oh I doubt that. He told us that he forced you to help him. So either he's lying or you are."
"He's just trying to protect me..."
"But that means that he can lie." Beckett pointed out. "Besides you and I both know that Salen isn't exactly your average Vulcan, he has a lot of trouble with those emotions of his."
"He's not a murderer!"
"I want to believe that, but the fact of the matter is that Langin was found dead with Salen's blood on his body."
"Langin attacked him!" Joanna cried.
"And yet he's the one who is currently decomposing down in the morgue. Joanna the fact of the matter is that Salen is in big trouble, and if you don't turn evidence against him you are going to be in just as much hot water."
"We haven't done anything wrong."
"Then why didn't you report this 'attack' when it happened. Forensics place Langin's death somewhere just after midnight, and yet at nine am the next morning Salen was in your bed."
"Salen and I were going to go to campus Security..."
"Why didn't you?"
"Salen was so weak, he'd lost so much blood..."
"All the more reason for him to go to the Emergency Room."
"He was frightened..."
"Why?" Beckett interrupted harshly. "Joanna, why was Salen afraid to go the authorities?"
"I don't know...he was delusional at that point."
"So you concede that it was possible that he was frightened that someone would find out that he had Langin's blood on his hands?"
"Salen didn't kill Langin!"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I just am!" Joanna snapped. "Is he here? I want to see him."
"So you two can get your stories straight?"
"No, I just want to know that he's alright."
"He's not." Beckett assured. "The evidence against him is piling up."
"He didn't kill Langin." Joanna repeated firmly.
"Then who did? You have to admit that it sound kinda fishy that Langin would supposedly attack Salen, and then some third party stepped in and killed him."
"Wait...wait, Langin's girlfriend, she said something about Langin getting a lot of money. Salen was afraid that Langin had captured him to sell him..."
"Who would want to buy a Vulcan?
"Whoever it was he's your guy, the buyer must have killed Langin when Salen got away."
"Sounds far fetched. Do you have a name of this mysterious 'buyer'? A name could really help this case."
"I don't have a name!" Joanna snapped. "Damn it, I'm a doctor not a detective!"
"Technically you're neither...and I doubt you ever will be."
"What?"
"If Salen is found guilty you will most certainly be charged as an accomplice."
"No...I...we..." Joanna's heart was racing. "I...I...I need to call my father, please."
"At some point you kids are going to learn that your famous daddies can't get you out of trouble. Besides I'm not sure how understanding your father is going to be about all of this."
"I couldn't just let Salen bleed to death!"
"It's not the fact that you brought Salen into your clinic that is going to make your innocents difficult to prove."
"Then what it is?"
"It's the fact that you brought him into your bed..."
