Too Close to Home

Posted on Fri Nov 16th, 2012 @ 6:14pm by Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Varies

* * * Somewhere on 900 * * *


A thin stream of smoke curled up, briefly illuminated in the dark room by the embers at the end of a long black cigarette. The room was silent save the faint crackle of the cigarette as the man inhaled. His companion knew better than to interrupt the man’s thoughts, instead waiting until he chose to speak.

“How long?”

“It’s been three hours since the red alert was cancelled. I’ve not spoken to Lazan, but none of the rest, including Seyla, have seen him anywhere. His quarters were raided just before the alarm and the package removed by security.”

The man was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Well, that’s one thing off my list for now, unless she starts singing. What else?”

“The ship he had Lazan get for him and stock hasn’t been touched. We were led to believe he intended to use that to get away for a few days but he never set foot on it.”

“I see.” The end of the cigarette flared to life again, showing his distinctive Hazari features. The companion suppressed a shiver. “So I am to assume, then, that the second thing on my list can be carried out. He was quite clear that it should be done when he was off the station. Seems like the perfect time, wouldn’t you say?”

The companion hastily agreed. He would have agreed even if the man suggested blowing both of them out an airlock. He was far too familiar with the Hazari’s tactics when it came to keeping a contract. He passed over a padd, then tried to withdraw his hand quickly before the man could touch him. The man was faster and his hand clamped around the companion’s wrist.

“That details his usual rounds, with times and places. He’s a creature of habit and varies little. You will note his evening activities, find the one noted there and you will find him.”

“Excellent.” The man pulled the cigarette from his lips and ground it out on the back of the companion’s hand. “You’ve done well. Get out.”

The companion was only too happy to scurry away, his lips trapped between his teeth to prevent a scream.

* * * The Nexus Club * * *

Inside the Club, just inside one of the back storerooms, Chance Conradi, a boy who often took liberties with one of the Club’s young employees, was again doing just that. “Janice’s then? While she’s on stage?”, he whispered against Eli’s neck, trying to entice him into misbehaving in either Jackson’s office or Janice’s dressing room.

“They're both off tonight Chance, and her dressing room is awesome.” Eli’s voice was hushed, finding it hard to breathe or think straight with Chance’s body pressing him to the wall and his lips against Eli’s throat. He wanted to be anywhere but work at the moment. “We’re not doing a live singer second set, just the orchestra tonight.”

“Both of them are off?” Chance was surprised by that. “Must be a really special occasion. Let’s use Jackson’s. I’m less afraid of him than of Janice.” He chuckled and nipped Eli’s neck.

Eli moaned aloud and reached up to untie his bow tie. “Good point.” He yanked the neck of his tuxedo shirt open and let his head fall back against the wall as Chance’s lips moved lower down his throat. “Assuming we make it to his office.”

“Oh, we will,” he straightened and pulled on Eli’s belt, hauling him the short distance to Jackson’s office. Just as they crossed the threshold, though, someone called Eli’s name, cutting short their amorous intentions. “Go on, I’ll wait back here,” Chance winked at him and sent him a mental image of just how he’d be waiting.

Eli stopped him for a quick, hard kiss, then moved back up the hall to see who needed him.

Chance, knowing the layout of Jackson’s office, moved inside without raising the main lights and just snapped on the desk lamp. He took a seat in Jackson’s chair, leaning back and going through a few scenarios of what he’d like to do to Eli in this office... or at home... in a holodeck... anywhere, really.

As he leaned back, the chair seemed to gain a life of its own and kept leaning. Suddenly there was something thin and sharp around his throat, biting into the skin and it was growing tighter. Black spots began to dance before his eyes and the pain was suddenly overwhelming. Despite his efforts to take hold of the thin wire, there was no relief and whoever was back there was pulling tighter. There was no air to be had and suddenly the possibility of dying loomed large.

Struggling to breathe and to gain a grip on something that might help, Chance had a moment of clarity: this was it, he was going to die at the hands of someone he’d never seen. He clawed at the wire, scraping skin from his own neck, causing the bleeding to be even worse, though it was already bad, and reached up to pull at the arms and hands holding the garrotte. Nothing he tried worked to loosen the bite of the wire; instead he managed to spread his own blood on his hands, Jackson’s desk and chair, down his chest and shoulders. The black spots in his vision blossomed into white spots, then turned red, then went black again. Exactly one minute and thirteen seconds later, Chance slumped, lifeless, and the tension on the wire was finally released.

The Hazari slipped across Jackson’s office and out the back entrance that led to the service corridors. One minute, twenty seconds start to finish. He dropped the garotte into an industrial recycler several yards down, eventually reached the service lift and descended back down to the Pit from whence he came.

Back in the club, Eli came back down the hall to Jackson’s office. When he’d arrived out front, no one was waiting for him and none of those close by had called him. Strange. He put it out of his mind, however. Chance was waiting for him and Eli was on fire. When the office doors slid open a strange smell hit Eli full force. It took only a second for his brain to get in gear and recognize the smell: blood. Blood?

“Chance?” There was no answer and as he moved closer to the desk, he could now see dark splotches scattered over the desktop in the glow of the lamp. “Chance? What--?” Now he noticed that the usual objects neatly arranged on Jackson’s desk were in disarray. The fire suddenly went cold and fear rose, thick and metallic, in his throat.

“Computer lights!” The lights came up to reveal absolute horror. Chance was crumpled over the desk, his eyes dull and lifeless, his blood still pumping out. Eli was sure that this had to be some sort of vision, not the real thing. Didn’t it? He’d only been gone for a couple of minutes. It was impossible. Now his mind screamed to life, demanding action. Adrenaline took over, removing logical thought.

He hit the comm panel on the wall. “Ziyad to sickbay! I’m in Jackson’s office. Get someone down here NOW! Oh my god...there’s blood all over and Chance...I think he’s....I have to call Security.” He ended the call and had the computer summon Security. Then he stood frozen, arms wrapped around himself. His gaze was locked on Chance, who was the only thing he could see, while his mind whirled with the panic vibes lingering in the room. He reached out with his mind, searching for the connection to Chance, but it was gone.

* * * Piper Medical Center * * *

The officer on duty in the comm center was just turning back from the replicator with a cup of tea when the call came in. The panel indicated Jackson’s office at The Nexus Club. Then Eli’s panicked voice came and the young ensign dropped his cup, spilling tea over his boots and the carpet, and sprang into action. He passed the call on through to the CMO, given the nature of Eli’s description, then forwarded the message on to Security as a precaution, in case the young man was too out of it to accomplish that. What the hell was going on down there? His throat suddenly dry, he returned to the replicator, requesting water instead.

* * *

The moment the message began to play in Harding’s office, he was on his feet. He grabbed his medkit and yelled for Ophelia at the top of his lungs. She came on the run and when she skidded to a stop at his office door, he was already barking orders.

“Get hold of Kona, get him up here stat. I want OR three prepped and ready and no, I don’t know what the hell’s going on. You can listen to that message on my terminal, it will give you some idea. We’ll be transporting directly to the OR from Jackson’s office.”

She took it all in in an instant. “Understood. Go.”

Harding tapped his comm badge. “Transporter room, this is Harding. Transport me directly to Banning’s office in the Nexus. Now!”

Moments later he vanished in a swirl of blue, leaving Ophelia in his office. Jackson? What had happened? She hurried over to the terminal and replayed the message. Eli’s words hit her like a sledgehammer and she dropped into Harding’s chair, Eli’s fear now wrapping too tight around her. Dear gods, what had happened? She had to shake it off, get moving. Opening another channel on his terminal she began to issue orders of her own, summoning Kona and getting everything ready for the incoming patient. Piper Medical was suddenly in overdrive.

*************
Cadet 4th Class Chance Conradi
Gone Daddy Gone, The Love is Gone Away....

Cadet 4th Class Eli Ziyad
Two Minutes Too Late

Lt. Commander William Harding, CMO
Off And Running

Lt. Ophelia Payne
Getting Everyone Moving

The Man & The Companion
Making A List And Checking It Twice