A Mole Goes To Ground

Posted on Fri Mar 9th, 2012 @ 10:42pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Jonas Levin & Lieutenant Zachary Chase

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Saturnalia, The Cherry Pit

* * * Saturnalia - The Cherry Pit * * *

Saturnalia was crowded this night, the music tolerably loud, the patrons well into drinks and ignoring anyone not in their immediate groups. Some had given up talking for closer, lip-oriented communication, and none of them gave Jonas a second look as he entered, dressed to fit in. He’d timed it just right so that he could conduct his business and not be noticed or bothered.

A female of some sort approached him, her outfit so sparse that it was mostly imagination, giving him a good view of what he could enjoy if the price was right. She flashed him a smile as she pressed close against him, her lips brushing his ear.

“Back corner table, I saved it for you.” Her hand slipped down his chest, lower, below the belt and stroked him gently. “You owe me.”

Jonas grabbed her hand, breaking her contact with him. “Keep that up and I’d owe you. Not in my plans for the night, Aliza. Save it for the next mark.” His smile was chilly as he held her eyes, then stepped around her. He’d already tossed her from his mind by the time he reached the corner booth.

Minutes later, Aliza tried the same move on another man; this one was blond and gave her a heavy sneer before none-too-kindly pushing her away. He made his way to Jonas’ table and slid into the booth. “Slime like that should be washed from this ‘base,” he complained.

Jonas perked an eyebrow at Chase and when he spoke, his tone was dry. “Some might say the same about you. I suspect your highly celebrated Chief of Security certainly would. If she knew.”

Chase scoffed at the idea his boss might know what he was up to. “As if. She’s too busy screwing the Chief Medic to notice what’s happening with me.”

Jonas shrugged at that. “Jealous? I didn’t think the Chief Medic was your type.”

“Fuck you, Lynch. You want my help or not?”

He grinned back at Chase. “I’m not your type either. Now that one nurse? Ophelia? I’d give her a go in a nanosecond.” He fell silent as two drinks were delivered and once the waitress departed, he continued. “But yes, we do have some business to conduct. You are aware, of course, that they failed to remove that old battle axe Drake?”

“Yeah. I thought she was supposed to be taken care of on Earth or on the way back. Somebody fucked up there,” Chase shifted as took a swallow of the drink set in front of him.

“Indeed. And while I’d love to have the pleasure of correcting that mistake, there are more pressing things for us. Let those who dropped the ball pay for it.” Jonas drained his drink, then motioned for another round.

Waiting till the waitress had brought that second round and disappeared back towards the bar, Chase stayed silent. “At least we have a chance with this situation on the planet. Could arrange for something untoward to happen there. Maybe even kill two birds with one stone.”

“Oh? Planning to take out Oz so you can have the Doc?” Amusement caused his lips to twitch as he reached for his drink.

“If he were down there with her, it’d be three birds, one stone.” Chase wasn’t amused. “I should be in the one in the Chief’s seat, though.”

“So you want her job. What about Gilroy? You’d have to get past him too. He’s no idiot, you know.”

“He’s just a book-quotin’, half-breed tweaker,” Chase sneered. “He’s not the assistant, anyway. Jumping him over me? When the Admiral has been taken out under the Chief’s and his watch? The Fleet’s not likely to do that.”

Jonas studied the man before him for a long moment, noting the hunger in his eyes, the tension that hummed through him. “You are assuming a lot here, buddy boy. Like the fact that they won’t be able to figure out who is responsible.”

He snorted. “We’ll give ‘em someone to blame.”

“Such as? I can think of several I’d like to pin it on, but the truth is, if it appears to be one of the natives down below, so much the better. Our orders are to finish what I started.” Jonas’ attention was caught by a lovely blonde leaning against the bar and he winked at her before looking back to Chase.

“A native sounds good. Could be that those natives just called that party down so they could extract some payback,” Chase nodded at his own reasoning. “I’ve got someone who can make that happen.”

“Care to share?” Jonas focused on Chase now. “I have to make sure we point the finger at the right person after it all blows.”

“Just trust that some of us know how to get a job done correctly, Lynch,” Chase admonished the man and drank down what remained in his glass. “You don’t need to know who’s on my team; and the natives will take the blame.”

A slow smile crossed Jonas’ face finally. “Do you honestly think I’ve gotten where I am now, and am still alive by trusting anyone?” He leaned across the small table, moving into Chase’s personal space. “Listen good and remember who’s running this show. Either you give me details, and all of them, or a certain El-Aurian Admiral in a very nice office a few hundred decks up will suddenly discover he has a mole on this station.”

“And you lose your best inside man,” Chase countered.

“Better that than being blindsided. Your choice. But consider this - those higher up the food chain are watching. Be a good boy in all this and you won’t need this penny-ante assistant chief position.”

“You won’t be blindsided, Lynch.” Frowning, the assistant security chief sighed and relented, “I’ll let you know who I’m relying upon tomorrow.”

“Thank you Chase, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Or something. There’s one small fly in the ointment you need to know about, too.” Jonas frowned into his drink now.

“You gunna make me play twenty questions to find out what that ‘fly’ is?”

“A certain pregnant redhead that is attached to our target. She knows me, or at least knows the old man I was back last year.”

“How is that a problem? Go make nice with her, comfort the new widow.”

Jonas frowned. “We had some business previously that took an unexpected turn. She knows me as Starfleet Intell, high level. It involved a commander who was engaged to our target’s daughter, then tried to kill her. After killing her brother. I just wanted you aware is all. So far I’ve avoided the soon-to-be widow.”

“All right.” Chase failed to see how the redhead was an issue here. He nearly rolled his eyes but decided that might be a bad idea at the moment. “We done? I have things to arrange. And you’re making eyes at the blond over there.”

“We are, for now.” Jonas drained his glass again, then shooed Chase away with a flick of his hand. “Till tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Chase agreed and headed out, slapping Aliza on the ass as he passed her.

“Come back soon, honey!” she called out as he left the bar. Once he was out of sight, she turned, gave Jonas a nod, and followed.

*********
Lt. Jonas Levin / Mr. Lynch
Catching Flies

Lieutenant Chase
Plotting a Fall