Chasing Shadows
By Sirap

Part 3: Tricks of the Trade

The Ambassador's home was well guarded. It seemed to Alex and Tom that the excessive security was unnecessary for a modest Ambassador.

Although certainly not unnecessary for one of the leaders in a terrorist organization.

"How will we get in?" Alex asked.

"The mansion has a dampening field so we can't transport in but we can transport to the roof."

"And there's a skylight on the roof," Alex smiled.

"Leading straight to the Ambassadors quarters," Tom said examining the scans he'd taken with his tricorder.

"He's probably sleeping, this should be simple."

Tom nodded, "Transporting us now."

Alex and Tom materialized on the roof, a few feet from the skylight. The two swiftly moved to it, it was a large casement, square in shape. And directly below was the Ambassador's bed.

"This will be easier than I thought," Tom said taking out his phaser.

Alex pulled a Klapper from her pack, it was a simple but useful device. It had an extremely powerful suction cup on one side, a handle on the other.

She slammed the Klapper down in the middle of the square window and Tom used his phaser to cut the glass in a circle around the suction device.

Tom grabbed the handle and pulled the circle of cut glass up, setting it off to the side.

The partners then quickly laced pieces of black rope through their belts and lowered themselves down.

They both dropped to the ground softly, not waking the snoring Ambassador.

"Wake up, Siward," Tom said, aiming his phaser at the chubby man.

Siward's wide eyes flew open, "Who are you? Guard.!"

Alex clamped her hand over the mans mouth, "No yelling, Mister Siward. Now why don't you tell us what you've done with the Voyagers?"

Alex removed her hand and the Ambassador stared at them through terrified purple eyes.

"Well," Tom prompted. "Speak up."

The man coughed, "Who are you?" he rasped as he sat up.

"That's none of your concern," Alex said smoothly. "Now tell us what we want to know or I will make this encounter very unpleasant for you," Alex had taken another hypo from her pack and was filling it with Miratol. "Either you talk, or we make you."

His violet eyes enlarged even wider as he stared at the hypo. "Wait," he said with a slightly hysterical laugh. "Now lets not be hasty. I don't have any idea what happened to those people! I would have already told your Captain!"

"Not if you were the one who took them," Tom said smartly.

Again the hysterical laugh, Tom detected within it a touch of madness, "I didn't take them, why would I have taken them?"

"Alright," Alex said stepping forward. "The hard way it is."

"No, no," Siward began to chant but Tom held the man down and Alex injected the hypo into his neck.

Slowly Siward went limp, his eyelids closing halfway.

"Ambassador Siward," Alex said softly, her voice dripping in honey. "Where are Chakotay and B’Elanna?"

"I. I turned them over to the Second Faction."

"The other faction."

"Yes, the leader requested I turn the Voyagers over to him."

"Who is the leader of the Second Faction?"

"He keeps his identity secret."

"Do you know what he's going to do with them?"

"They've been scheduled for disposer. They will be exterminated on the Day of Odious."

Tom swallowed, recovering from the fact that his two friends had been given a death sentence, "When is the Day of Odious?"

"Tomorrow."

Tom's hands clenched. Only one day to save his friends.

"What is the Day of Odious?" Alex asked calmly.

"The day the true feelings of the Mavaino towards the Dasavions will be revealed. The day that the Dasavion Capital will be obliterated, your two crewman with it."

"What?" Tom gasped.

"The Mavaino must show the Dasavions the greater species."

"But you're Dasavion," Tom cried angrily, Alex gave him a warning look.

"I accept my inferiority."

"How do you plan to get past the Dasavion defenses? I've never seen a system so advanced," Alex asked, keeping her voice soft.

"The ship that will destroy the city will be a light year away. My team and I have been working with Mavaino scientists to find a trajectory, a position so precise that a Mavaino blast pulse could strike the city, passing through all of their shields as if they weren't even there."

"That's not possible," Alex contradicted.

"The Mavaino are superior. They have made it possible."

"Where is the ship, what coordinates are they going to fire from? What's the trajectory?" Tom asked harshly.

"The coordinates are privileged information. The Mavaino would not disclose that information to me or my team."

"Then who would know the coordinates?" Alex asked.

An evil smile played across the face of the half conscious Ambassador, "Your two crewman know."

* * * *

"Nothing's happening," B’Elanna cried in frustration. "We've been here almost 5 hours and we haven't seen anybody!"

Chakotay had to agree. It was strange, usually when held prisoner the captors would make themselves known, if for no other reason than to gloat. "Maybe they don't wish to be seen."

"No, it's more than that. I don't like this, something isn't right. It's like we've been left her to die."

"Well, there isn't really anything we can do about it," Chakotay said.

"Yes, there is!" B’Elanna yelled exasperated. "We can get out of here."

"We've been through this," Chakotay sighed.

"Something's going to happen, Chakotay. I can feel it. It's something bad and somehow we've fallen into the middle of it."

"Well, that's great B’Elanna but again you haven't changed our situation any."

B’Elanna's eyes darted around the room searching for anything that may be useful. Her gaze traveled over many rusted pipes and mildewed puddles.

Then she saw something.

B’Elanna tilted her head, narrowing her eyes she approached the glint of metal that she had seen from the corner of her eye.

Chakotay watched as B’Elanna kneeled near a puddle. It was green and thick, he grimaced when she reached into it.

B’Elanna pulled the small metal object from the ooze, it was a thin needle like object, silver in color.

Though there were differences, it reminded B’Elanna of an old earth tool Tom had once shown her.

A lock pick.
 

TBC