Waiting In The Wings

Posted on Tue Nov 4th, 2014 @ 3:11am by Lieutenant Commander Nicolao & Petty Officer 1st Class Drusilla Dupree

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: The Cherry Pit

* * * Somewhere Below The Equator * * *

The room was still semi-dark, bathed in shadows. The temperature, previously overly warm as the Cardassian preferred, was now far more comfortable. At some point Drusilla had dozed off, perhaps an hour after the Cardassian left her in a heap on the floor. Now, deep within a dream, she heard a voice. A female voice, urging her to wake up.

She stirred, her head swimming from the small bits of sleep she had been getting off and on. Finally, her eyes opened and she took in the room around her. She couldn’t find the female to whom the voice belonged.

“That’s better. I was beginning to think I’d have to douse you with cold water.” The lights in the room came up just a little and now Drusilla could see a woman leaning against the open door that led to the kitchen. She was thin and wiry, with long medium brown hair shot with gold highlights, and dressed in a short skirt and sleeveless shirt. She was what most would describe as cute, almost innocent, but her tone of voice belied that impression. “How are you?”

“I’m a prisoner, how do you think I am?” she responded tersely.

The answer got a laugh from the woman. “Figures. He didn’t feed you did he? What an asshole. Make that a stupid asshole. Then again, you get what you pay for I suppose. Go clean up and then you can eat.” She motioned towards the bedroom. “Bathroom is that way.”

Dru slowly stood with help from the wall. She wasn’t sure what was going on but the promise of food and getting to clean up sounded better than anything she’d heard lately. Looking back at the woman she ducked into the bathroom where she found clean clothes hanging beside the sonic shower. She would have preferred real water but this would do for now.

As she dressed, something suddenly struck her. She seemed to know the Cardassian. Get what you pay for? Now she looked around the room for a weapon but there was nothing.

Making sure to keep an eye on the woman as she exited the bathroom she had to ask, “So, are you actually the one who has kidnapped me? From what you said, it sounds that way.”

“Well, there’s a distinction here,” the woman answered. “Has kidnapped? Or had kidnapped? There’s a difference, but to answer the question, it would be the latter. I just used a musclehead to do it. One with an axe to grind - in fact the same axe. He was useful up to a point.”

Dru’s eyes furrowed at being schooled in grammar during a time like this. “May I ask why you chose me? I don’t know you or your asshole musclehead friend.” It was then that she noticed a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and ice water on the table.

“Sit down.” She watched as Dru moved to the table, then continued. “My name is Anar.”

Dru sat and was about to dip into the spaghetti when she stopped and stared blankly at her. “Okay. You’re Anar. I would say that it’s nice to make your acquaintance but the jury is still out on that. By the way, you still haven’t answered my question. Who am I to you?”

“A tool only.” Anar shrugged. “Daro was one of Nico’s former guards. Elmspur. Has he told you that story?”

“Bits and pieces,” Dru said between bites. “I know it was bad on him, someone betrayed him and he finally escaped somehow. But that’s about it.” She gulped at the water afraid that she may not get more anytime soon.

“You might want to slow down before you choke.” Anar smiled briefly. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. Nico’s not usually that forthcoming with anyone. Long years of training I suppose, but I think he’d be that way even without it. You must have touched him somehow. I’m impressed.”

Dru didn’t bother answering and focused on eating. She had touched him several times but nothing that was shared had much to do with his incarceration. She only remembered him talking with Robin and the off-hand remark he’d made about it.

“Anyhow, Daro served his purpose and now you are here. And because of that, Nico will soon be here as well. He’s my one loose end and I have to fix it. We all report to someone you know.”

“I’m bait,” Dru mumbled through a bite of garlic bread. “Great…”

“In a word, yes. Though you’ll be dealing with me from now on.” Anar rose, took Drusilla’s glass to refill. “And in case you haven’t connected the dots, I am the one who betrayed him. He was worth a lot at the time.” She placed the glass before Dru. “And worth a lot more now, once I return him.”

Looking at the glass in front of her, Dru was suddenly worried about eating anything further. “Why would you betray him? I thought you two were friends, or at least allies?”

“We were far more than that, Miss Dupree. But that’s another story for another time. You have to understand life as it was for those of us left stranded in the Demilitarized Zone. We were stuck - all but deserted by the Federation, and barely tolerated by the Cardassians. It was no life to speak of but they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Life was much better after that, plus I stayed alive. It was a win-win situation. Nico was too good a prize to resist.”

She had suddenly lost her appetite. Pushing the mostly-finished plate of food away from her, she looked to Anar and asked, “So...are you going to kill me? Have the Cardassian throw me around more?”

“You are no good to me dead. And with Nico in his current state, as I understand it, if you turned up dead, there’s no telling what he might do. You are just right where you are and he will come find you. Then you are no longer my concern. But for now, you are and I intend to see to you myself. The Cardassian idiot is out of the picture where you are concerned.” Anar stood and removed the plate. “Besides, I don’t like damaged merchandise...at least not in your case.”

Dru was silent for a moment before replying. She’d never really heard of a kidnapping going this way. “I, for one, don’t like to be damaged, so at least we agree on that much. And despite the fact that you are holding me against my will….” she looked at Anar and actually meant what she was about to say, “thank you for the food and the shower.”

“No problem.” Anar turned and leaned back against the counter, watching Dru. “Don’t get the wrong idea here. The only thing I want with Nico is his presence so I can return him to where he is supposed to be, to where he was before his crazy brother broke him out. After that, he’s no longer my concern. They can do with him whatever they want.”

“And what if he doesn’t want to go back to that Cardassian prison?” Dru replied. “Why does he even need to be there?”

“Because they weren’t finished with him yet.” Anar moved towards the door of the quarters, then stopped. “For what it’s worth, I removed that little device that was making you untrackable by him. Now that I’ve arrived, it’s time to get this show on the road. I expect it won’t take him long.I’d get some rest if I were you. In case you have to travel.”

Travel? “Anar, you realize that I can’t just let him walk into a trap. I have to warn him. Somehow. I’ll tell him you’re here and what you want with him. I just hope it won’t be too late.”

Finally, Anar smiled. “But that’s just it. It’s already too late. He’ll come anyway.” She turned and departed, locking the door from the outside and leaving Dru alone in the silent quarters.

*************
Anar
Puppetmaster

&

PO2 Drusilla Dupree
Well-fed Bait