The Hand of Wrath, chapter 6 [PG-13, seaQuest, Bridger/Westphalen, WIP]
and here's the latest chapter! enjoy!
index post
A/N: There is some physical violence in this chapter. It is not graphic or gory, but it may be triggering to some, so I am placing this warning here just in case.
Translation for the Portuguese words:
amada - beloved
Chapter 6 ~ Storm the Sorrow
"Len....don't have much time....being pursued....that damn Bridger got....upper hand. Thought I was going to make it, but....getting shot at. They've already hit one of my engines....closing in on me. Never thought...end like this. Sorry that I can't....home, but I want you to know....best part of my life. I love you...."
Len opened her eyes and sighed. She didn't even have to replay the message to her to hear it: every word, every crackle of interference was etched into her memory. That final burst of static that had lasted for an eternal moment before the connection had been severed was akin to a death knell.
Her nightmares had brought about more vivid imagery. She had tried everything but hardcore drugs to blot out their existence once she slipped into the realms of sleep. Nothing had worked. She could still picture Mari trying to plug leaks with her hands as more burst in, see her struggle for air as the unforgiving waters wrapped her in their suffocating embrace. Suffering would have been inescapable. Her beautiful lover had endured too much for one person in life; it was a cruel irony that she should have to die a horrible death.
And it was all Nathan Bridger's fault. But she would show him the true meaning of suffering, and she would do it by the exact same means he'd inflicted upon her.
"Walt."
"Yeah, boss?"
"Meet me below. And bring her with you."
(*)
"Miss Barrett." Chief Shan gestured Charli into the security office. "Please, have a seat."
Charli sat in the chair he indicated, one hand fiddling nervously with the end of her braid. "Do...do I have the right to know why I've been called in here?"
Shan raised an eyebrow at the question. "Of course you do," he replied as he sat down across from her. "I just need to ask you a few questions. You're not in any trouble." He watched her relax visibly and made a mental note of it. Keying in his passcode on the console, he began entering information while keeping his eyes on the young intern. "Did you leave the ship while we were docked in Anchorage?"
"Yes, for a few hours. I stayed down on sea deck until about 1100 because I had to let Darwin out to feed. I was working on my thesis outline. After he went out, I decided to take a break and go into the city for the afternoon."
"What did you do while you were in the city?"
"I have a friend who lives in the area. I sent her a quick communication and since she was available, we met for lunch. After lunch, I just walked around for a while."
"And what time did you return?"
"It was around 1700, I think? Maybe a little after."
"Do you recall if you spoke to anyone when you were returning?"
Charli nodded. "I ran into Alisha...Ensign Williams. She checked in right behind me and we left the docking bay together."
"Did you happen to see Doctor Westphalen in the docking bay?" Shan had shifted his gaze to the console screen, but was closely watching Charli out of the corner of his eye.
"No. The only person I saw that I knew was Ensign Williams."
"Did you see Doctor Westphalen at all yesterday?"
"Only in the morning. Since I originally did not plan to go topside, she asked me to let Darwin out to feed and to check his tail bandages when he returned. Then she left to go topside herself."
"And what time was that?"
"Around 0930, I believe."
She had started fiddling with her hair again. Shan thought to himself how the gesture would have been distracting to someone with less patience. He keyed in a save command on his console and nodded to Charli. "All right, Miss Barrett. I appreciate your time. I'll let you know if we have any further questions." He watched her leave, raising an eyebrow at how she seemed to hurry out. But was it uneasiness or something more?
(*)
Cynthia Westphalen's fingers were shaking as she keyed in the contact code she needed and waited for a response. She tried to take deep, calming breaths but her mounting anxiety prevented that usual calming technique. A blinking icon appeared on her screen, indicating that her transmission had connected and was on standby. After a tense five minute wait, Nathan Bridger's face appeared on her screen.
"Captain Bridger, I just got off the link with an Agent Brickey from the NCIS office in Anchorage. They're telling me Mom has been taken hostage, and refuse to tell me anything else."
She watched him close his eyes and sigh momentarily before he met her gaze again. "What they're telling you is true. And unfortunately, there really isn't much else that I can tell you."
"Captain, please. Don't brush me off. I've already gotten that treatment from the NCIS people." Realizing she sounded snappish, Cynthia forced herself to pause and take a couple deep breaths before continuing. "Why would anyone have a reason to kidnap Mom? I want to know and I have the right to know what the hell is going on."
"I apologize if you think I'm withholding information from you, Cynthia. The simple fact is that, right now, we know very little. The person who has taken your mother has not even told us what it is she wants in order to ensure her release."
"She?" Cynthia repeated in disbelief. "Another woman is the kidnapper??" When he nodded, she shook her head in frustration and disbelief. "I'm surprised that agent didn't question me further; does Mom have any enemies I know about, et cetera."
"That will likely be what they ask you when they call again," Nathan replied. "Special Agent Moonin has already asked me all of those questions and more. Her team is also canvassing the city, while Chief Crocker and his people have been talking to the crewmembers who last saw or talked to your mother."
Cynthia watched him rub a hand across his brow and was struck by the fact that the simple gesture suddenly made him seem ten years older. "We're doing everything we can right now. I'm hoping that, with the help of the NCIS team, we can find her soon. I'm as worried about her as you are."
I can tell. "I appreciate you filling me in, Captain. Even though it's not much, at least I have an idea of what's going on."
"If and when I find out more, I'll let you know."
After the transmission had ended, Cynthia buried her face in her hands with a shaky sigh. Warm hands settled on her shoulders and she instinctively leaned back into them. "How could this have happened?" It was a pointless question, but she voiced it nonetheless.
"The most important thing is that they will not stop until they find her." Malique began to massage her shoulders, instinctively finding the knot of tension at the base of her neck and working on it with his thumbs.
"What if...if they can't?"
"They will. Have faith."
"I do, Malique. I just...I'm scared for Mom." Her last words came out in a rush and she blinked frantically in a futile attempt to hold back tears.
"Whoever this woman is, she has made a grave mistake," Malique remarked. "Captain Bridger is a determined man. We both saw that when he helped us rescue the boys from the favela months ago, and we were all technically strangers to him. But your mother, she is his amada. His resolve will be even stronger because of this."
"True." Cynthia sighed again and swiped a hand across her eyes. "I just hope...he can find her."
"He will, Cynthia. I know he will."
(*)
A hard kick in the hip jerked Kristin out of the fitful doze she'd fallen into. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up warily at Walt, who had his pistol pointed at her. He used it to gesture for her to stand up. She had barely gotten to her feet when she was immediately shoved against the wall; she winced when Walt grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her. The binding of her wrists didn't surprise her, but heading deeper into the undersea section of the labs did. She cast furtive glances around, trying to see landmarks through the dimness that she could use should the opportunity to escape present itself. There were several more closed doors, but most of the signing was either badly faded or removed entirely.
The corridor finally dead-ended in a large, circular chamber. It felt even colder than her cell, and Kristin surmised that it was built at the lowest depth. A light rumble under their feet caused Walt to curse and she paused, bracing herself in case the tremor decided to grow in intensity. But it faded almost instantly, leaving only a faraway sound she couldn't put her finger on. It sounded a little like water lightly sloshing and she found herself eyeing the ceiling and curves of the walls, looking for any structural weakening.
"I assure you, there are no leaks anywhere in this structure." Len's voice made her turn to see the other woman lounging across the room against what looked like a section of shelving. "I made sure of that before I chose this location."
"I hope you took into account all the seismic activity as well."
"I'm not stupid, Doctor. It would take a decent quake to cause any damage to this building, above or below the water line. The only thing affected by the seismic activity around here brought you to this room." Len snickered and rose lazily to her feet. Pacing in a wide circle, she stopped in front of Kristin. For a very long moment, blue eyes stared into sable-brown ones. Then Len grabbed Kristin's chin roughly, turning her head to look at her profile. Letting out a disgusted snort, she released her grip a moment later. "I can't imagine what the hell Bridger sees in you, but then there's no accounting for taste."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not in the mood for games, Kristin. The two of you may think your affair is a secret, but it's quite obvious to anyone with eyes. You could at least be honest and admit it."
How was it that this complete stranger could know anything about her feelings for Nathan? The thought chilled her a little, making her wonder what else this woman knew. But she forced herself to keep her expression calm. "You don't appear to be under the influence of any hallucinogenic substance." She watched the brunette's eyes narrow dangerously as she continued. "But regardless of whether you are or not, whatever is 'obvious to anyone with eyes' is completely lost on me."
Len glared at her for a long moment before suddenly smiling coldly. "Nice try. Two can play that game, however. I wonder what the UEO higher-ups would have to say about your fraternizing with the captain of their prized flagship."
"I'm technically a civilian scientist, so your wild conjecture doesn't fall under fraternization. Besides, are you telling me that two adults can't just be friends?"
Len smirked. "Of course, two adults can 'just be friends'. But don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that label applies to you and Bridger."
"One of the reporters who attended the UEO summit was quite generous with the information they provided." Kristin turned at the sound of Kamik's voice to see the young man stepping into the room. When Len glanced his way, he nodded to her. She returned the nod and then smirked again.
"Extremely generous, as a matter of fact. Not only was the Wolenczak brat all over Noyce's niece, but apparently you and Bridger disappeared for quite a while at one point." A hint of satisfaction flickered in Len's icy blue eyes at the slight paling of Kristin's face. "Did you really think no one would notice? Sneaking off for a tryst with half the world watching? I thought you were smarter than that. But that was your first mistake. Unfortunately for you, you won't get the chance to repeat it."
Glancing over at Walt, Len flicked her hand. Kristin didn't have time to think about the gesture before Walt gave her a brutal shove. She stumbled back, trying and failing to throw herself forward in order to regain her balance. When one foot suddenly made contact with empty air, she couldn't suppress the scream that burst out. The sudden shock of hitting icy seawater was even more terrifying. For a long moment, she panicked, sinking further into the water. Without being able to use her arms, the panic worsened before her common sense rose up and reminded her she could still kick. Opening her eyes, she detected a faint glimmer above and kicked herself in that direction.
Breaking to the surface, she sucked in a deep breath and tried to shake her hair out of her eyes. It was all she got before she was shoved back underwater. True terror sank in as she tried to get her head above water and was pushed back down with every attempt. When she tried to move out of reach, the hand twined into her hair and held her under. Her chest tightened from the lack of oxygen and her head began to pound. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the grip on her hair was suddenly gone.
Kicking frantically, she burst to the surface, gasping and coughing while trying to get enough air in. Hands latched onto her arms, dragging her out of the water and onto her feet. But her trembling legs wouldn't hold her upright and she collapsed to her knees, shaking both from the cold and the effort to breathe.
Len's mocking laughter echoed through the chamber. "You look like the proverbial drowned rat. What a pretty picture this will make for your darling Nathan."
Walt and Kamik snickered for a long minute.
"Get her out of here. I'm through....for now."
She was jerked back to her feet. The first couple steps, she almost fell, but she eventually gained her footing. Walt kept the pistol barrel against her chin the whole way back to her cell. Not even when he pushed her inside and followed her in did he put it away. A new shiver of fear went down her spine, and it had nothing to do with the chill of her wet clothes. Would he kill her now? Or was the torture going to continue at his hands?
"Now, I think it's time I taught you that lesson in respect." Before Kristin could move, his fist slammed into her stomach. Gasping, she doubled over and then crumpled to the ground when her balance once more failed her. He kicked her in the hip and laughed when she yelped in pain.
"So you can dish it out, but you can't take it?" When he lifted his foot to kick her again, she managed to deliver a glancing kick of her own to his other foot. He swore and hopped back a few steps.
"I've about had enough of that out of you..." A slightly stronger seismic tremor rocked the floor and Walt stumbled, almost falling down himself. He started to advance on Kristin once more, and she braced herself, ready to kick him again if needed. Both were suddenly distracted by the sound of applause from the doorway and turned to see Kamik leaning against the closed door, clapping slowly.
"Nicely done, Walt. Very nice." He crossed the room to Kristin and she tensed, but he merely took her by the arm and helped her to her feet. "Now how about you untie her and see how you would measure up against her in an even fight?"
"I'm not that stupid."
"You mean you know you would lose."
Walt snorted contemptuously. "That's the problem with you kids. You don't know how to have a little fun."
Kamik smirked. "Not much fun beating on an opponent who cannot provide a challenge by fighting you back."
"You thinking to tell Len about this? She won't give a damn."
"I know," Kamik replied evenly. He was obviously unruffled by the older man's challenging tone. "Bridger killed her woman, and that is why we have taken his. But I still find her methods much more...shall we say, interesting to observe. Pure physical punishment is for amateurs. Len's little experiment is the kind that brings out all the emotional and psychological demons one keeps locked away, never to be acknowledged until they are forced to surface." His gaze slid to Kristin. "Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"
Kristin glared at him, but remained silent. There was no way she was going to dignify that with an answer. Raising an eyebrow at her silent glower, he shrugged and looked back to Walt. "However, I do remember Len telling you to keep your hands to yourself."
Kristin watched the two men stare one another down. She didn't trust either of them and, despite the strong shivers that were distracting her, knew she couldn't afford to let down her guard. Walt's gaze was defiant, while Kamik's remained almost detached. Walt shifted his feet and, unconsciously, Kristin inched back a step. He caught the flicker of movement and his eyes slid to her, narrowing slightly. A moment later, his gaze returned to Kamik before he suddenly spun around and headed for the door. The metallic bang was punctuated by another brief quaking of the floor. Not prepared for it, Kristin stumbled and sat down hard, biting back another yelp of pain.
Kamik moved to her side, withdrawing a thin-bladed knife from his boot. She cringed away from him, but he merely shook his head in bemusement and, circling behind her, sliced through the rope binding her wrists. Glad to have her arms finally free, Kristin sighed in relief. She rubbed her wrists and eyed the young Aleut warily. He was casually tossing the knife in the air, catching it by the hilt each time. "It's probably pointless to ask you this, but what did you mean by saying that Nath...Captain Bridger...killed someone?"
"As I reminded Walt, that is why you are here."
Kristin shook her head in disbelief. "Then you must be mistaken. I know him; he would never do such a thing."
Kamik shrugged one shoulder and moved towards the door. "Then obviously, you do not know him as well as you think, Doctor."
"Who exactly is it that he is supposed to have killed?" Kristin demanded.
"I'm afraid that information is Len's to divulge, not mine." The door banged shut behind him.
Kristin sighed in exasperation and then shivered again. Reluctantly, she peeled off her drenched sweater. Being down to her t-shirt was both a blessing and a curse; despite the weight of it, the long sleeves had kept her skin protected from the chill in the air. It was pointless to lay the sweater out in hopes that it would dry, but she did it anyway. Sinking down onto the cot, she rubbed her bare arms, trying to ignore the shudders wracking her from head to toe. If she didn't find some way to warm herself, hypothermia would quickly set in. Although the cold was a distraction, her mind was still focused on Kamik's cryptic remarks.
Bridger killed her woman.... The turn of phrase seemed to imply murder. But the very idea was inconceivable. Nathan was a man of science; he valued life. The only times he had been responsible for taking lives had been during battle, and only then when circumstance deemed it necessary. She knew that those times onboard seaQuest had been few and far between; there was the incident with Max Scully mere months ago, and the year before that, the attack and sabotage orchestrated by...
Marilyn Stark. Kristin remembered the momentary glimpse she'd gotten of seaQuest's disgraced ex-captain--a ruthless blonde whose only goal was revenge, regardless of who else might be harmed in the process. She knew in that instant that Stark had to be Len's woman.
But that still did not explain the implication regarding Nathan. When the seaQuest crew had rescued survivors from the downed enemy sub, they discovered that the mini-sub was missing--as were a dozen or so of the Delta-4's crew, Stark included. Everyone had therefore assumed that she had safely escaped. Obviously, that was not the case.
Which left only one question: if Stark was indeed dead, why did Len assume Nathan was responsible?
(*)
"Thank you, Ensign. If I need any more information, I'll let you know." Crocker said to Alisha Williams as she got to her feet.
"Happy to help, sir," Alisha replied and departed the security office, nodding to Chief Shan as he waited for her to exit before entering.
"You got the statement from the Barrett girl?"
"Yes, Chief. It's been uploaded to the database."
"All right." Crocker glanced over the information on the screen. "Crenshaw talked to Phillips and he didn't see the doc at all. He checked in and went straight to his quarters." Closing the file, he found Shan's interview with Charli and opened the new file. He gave it a quick read, then frowned and reread slowly. "Now that's odd."
"What is?" Shan asked curiously.
"Well, Williams mentioned that Barrett had a bit of trouble with the scanner. Something about grabbing her school ID by mistake. But doesn't look like she told you that."
"No, she did not." Shan leaned over Crocker's shoulder as the security chief brought up Alisha's statement next to Charli's; he slowly scrolled through them both so Shan could read them side by side. "It is also interesting that she mentioned Miss Barrett being jumpy. As you can see by my notes, she seemed rather apprehensive. Her first words to me were to ask if she had a right to know why she was being questioned."
Crocker's frown graduated to a scowl. "Rather odd thing to be askin' if you're innocent."
"I thought so, too...." The chirp of the audio link interrupted Shan and he tapped the on key. "This is Shan."
"Chief Crocker has an incoming transmission from the NCIS office at Elmendorf-Richardson."
"Patch it through, please," Crocker ordered, quickly closing the interview files.
A thin-faced, dark-haired young man's image soon appeared on the screen. "Chief Crocker? I'm Special Agent Matt Sovalik. I'm sending a transmission over to you now, containing the information from our initial canvass. Our team gathered quite a few helpful witness statements, but you might want to look at the ones I have flagged first. There's also some security camera footage from one of the shops that shows Doctor Westphalen speaking to a man who we feel is a person of interest."
"Have you talked to this guy yet?" Crocker asked.
"We have not yet identified him. When we do, we will begin searching for him."
"Understood." After Sovalik had signed off, Crocker waited for the transmitted files to finish loading before opening the witness statements and going immediately to the ones marked as top priority. Shan continued to read over Crocker's shoulder and both officers were silent for several long minutes before Crocker spoke again. "Looks like this Native girl was one of the last people to talk to the doc. Sovalik's note says that the security footage is from the cameras in her shop."
Ignoring the rest of the flagged witness statements, Crocker closed the interviews file and opened up the file containing the security footage. The camera's angle appeared to be alongside the counter, pointing towards the shop's front window. Kristin and Katya were visible in the foreground, the latter behind the counter. The two women were talking animatedly while Katya was working the register and boxing up a small item after wrapping it in paper.
"That must be the man Agent Sovalik mentioned." Shan indicated a dark-haired man who had stepped into the shop. His expression was one of agitation, but when Shan followed his gaze, it was obvious who he was looking at.
"I don't like the way he's lookin' at the doc," Crocker muttered as the man approached Kristin, and after a short conversation, led the way out of the shop with her on his heels. They headed to the left and disappeared off camera a minute later. Grumbling to himself, the security chief brought up the file list to see if there was any additional footage, sighing when he found none. "Looks like that's the only camera there was. Pity there wasn't one outside the...."
"Wait a minute. Bring that back up and rewind it," Shan interrupted.
The playback had ended, so Crocker restarted it. "You see somethin', Shan?"
"I might have. Can you start it from the moment the doctor leaves the shop?" Crocker tapped in the necessary commands. "Stop. Rewind about ten seconds. There." Shan pointed at the upper left hand side of the screen.
Knowing what Shan wanted without asking, Crocker punched in another command and zoomed in on the frozen frame. They had to wait a few moments for the pixilation to clear; when it did, Crocker's eyes widened, then narrowed in surprise. "Is that..."
"I believe it is, sir." Shan's tone was grim.
index post
A/N: There is some physical violence in this chapter. It is not graphic or gory, but it may be triggering to some, so I am placing this warning here just in case.
Translation for the Portuguese words:
amada - beloved
Chapter 6 ~ Storm the Sorrow
"Len....don't have much time....being pursued....that damn Bridger got....upper hand. Thought I was going to make it, but....getting shot at. They've already hit one of my engines....closing in on me. Never thought...end like this. Sorry that I can't....home, but I want you to know....best part of my life. I love you...."
Len opened her eyes and sighed. She didn't even have to replay the message to her to hear it: every word, every crackle of interference was etched into her memory. That final burst of static that had lasted for an eternal moment before the connection had been severed was akin to a death knell.
Her nightmares had brought about more vivid imagery. She had tried everything but hardcore drugs to blot out their existence once she slipped into the realms of sleep. Nothing had worked. She could still picture Mari trying to plug leaks with her hands as more burst in, see her struggle for air as the unforgiving waters wrapped her in their suffocating embrace. Suffering would have been inescapable. Her beautiful lover had endured too much for one person in life; it was a cruel irony that she should have to die a horrible death.
And it was all Nathan Bridger's fault. But she would show him the true meaning of suffering, and she would do it by the exact same means he'd inflicted upon her.
"Walt."
"Yeah, boss?"
"Meet me below. And bring her with you."
(*)
"Miss Barrett." Chief Shan gestured Charli into the security office. "Please, have a seat."
Charli sat in the chair he indicated, one hand fiddling nervously with the end of her braid. "Do...do I have the right to know why I've been called in here?"
Shan raised an eyebrow at the question. "Of course you do," he replied as he sat down across from her. "I just need to ask you a few questions. You're not in any trouble." He watched her relax visibly and made a mental note of it. Keying in his passcode on the console, he began entering information while keeping his eyes on the young intern. "Did you leave the ship while we were docked in Anchorage?"
"Yes, for a few hours. I stayed down on sea deck until about 1100 because I had to let Darwin out to feed. I was working on my thesis outline. After he went out, I decided to take a break and go into the city for the afternoon."
"What did you do while you were in the city?"
"I have a friend who lives in the area. I sent her a quick communication and since she was available, we met for lunch. After lunch, I just walked around for a while."
"And what time did you return?"
"It was around 1700, I think? Maybe a little after."
"Do you recall if you spoke to anyone when you were returning?"
Charli nodded. "I ran into Alisha...Ensign Williams. She checked in right behind me and we left the docking bay together."
"Did you happen to see Doctor Westphalen in the docking bay?" Shan had shifted his gaze to the console screen, but was closely watching Charli out of the corner of his eye.
"No. The only person I saw that I knew was Ensign Williams."
"Did you see Doctor Westphalen at all yesterday?"
"Only in the morning. Since I originally did not plan to go topside, she asked me to let Darwin out to feed and to check his tail bandages when he returned. Then she left to go topside herself."
"And what time was that?"
"Around 0930, I believe."
She had started fiddling with her hair again. Shan thought to himself how the gesture would have been distracting to someone with less patience. He keyed in a save command on his console and nodded to Charli. "All right, Miss Barrett. I appreciate your time. I'll let you know if we have any further questions." He watched her leave, raising an eyebrow at how she seemed to hurry out. But was it uneasiness or something more?
(*)
Cynthia Westphalen's fingers were shaking as she keyed in the contact code she needed and waited for a response. She tried to take deep, calming breaths but her mounting anxiety prevented that usual calming technique. A blinking icon appeared on her screen, indicating that her transmission had connected and was on standby. After a tense five minute wait, Nathan Bridger's face appeared on her screen.
"Captain Bridger, I just got off the link with an Agent Brickey from the NCIS office in Anchorage. They're telling me Mom has been taken hostage, and refuse to tell me anything else."
She watched him close his eyes and sigh momentarily before he met her gaze again. "What they're telling you is true. And unfortunately, there really isn't much else that I can tell you."
"Captain, please. Don't brush me off. I've already gotten that treatment from the NCIS people." Realizing she sounded snappish, Cynthia forced herself to pause and take a couple deep breaths before continuing. "Why would anyone have a reason to kidnap Mom? I want to know and I have the right to know what the hell is going on."
"I apologize if you think I'm withholding information from you, Cynthia. The simple fact is that, right now, we know very little. The person who has taken your mother has not even told us what it is she wants in order to ensure her release."
"She?" Cynthia repeated in disbelief. "Another woman is the kidnapper??" When he nodded, she shook her head in frustration and disbelief. "I'm surprised that agent didn't question me further; does Mom have any enemies I know about, et cetera."
"That will likely be what they ask you when they call again," Nathan replied. "Special Agent Moonin has already asked me all of those questions and more. Her team is also canvassing the city, while Chief Crocker and his people have been talking to the crewmembers who last saw or talked to your mother."
Cynthia watched him rub a hand across his brow and was struck by the fact that the simple gesture suddenly made him seem ten years older. "We're doing everything we can right now. I'm hoping that, with the help of the NCIS team, we can find her soon. I'm as worried about her as you are."
I can tell. "I appreciate you filling me in, Captain. Even though it's not much, at least I have an idea of what's going on."
"If and when I find out more, I'll let you know."
After the transmission had ended, Cynthia buried her face in her hands with a shaky sigh. Warm hands settled on her shoulders and she instinctively leaned back into them. "How could this have happened?" It was a pointless question, but she voiced it nonetheless.
"The most important thing is that they will not stop until they find her." Malique began to massage her shoulders, instinctively finding the knot of tension at the base of her neck and working on it with his thumbs.
"What if...if they can't?"
"They will. Have faith."
"I do, Malique. I just...I'm scared for Mom." Her last words came out in a rush and she blinked frantically in a futile attempt to hold back tears.
"Whoever this woman is, she has made a grave mistake," Malique remarked. "Captain Bridger is a determined man. We both saw that when he helped us rescue the boys from the favela months ago, and we were all technically strangers to him. But your mother, she is his amada. His resolve will be even stronger because of this."
"True." Cynthia sighed again and swiped a hand across her eyes. "I just hope...he can find her."
"He will, Cynthia. I know he will."
(*)
A hard kick in the hip jerked Kristin out of the fitful doze she'd fallen into. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up warily at Walt, who had his pistol pointed at her. He used it to gesture for her to stand up. She had barely gotten to her feet when she was immediately shoved against the wall; she winced when Walt grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her. The binding of her wrists didn't surprise her, but heading deeper into the undersea section of the labs did. She cast furtive glances around, trying to see landmarks through the dimness that she could use should the opportunity to escape present itself. There were several more closed doors, but most of the signing was either badly faded or removed entirely.
The corridor finally dead-ended in a large, circular chamber. It felt even colder than her cell, and Kristin surmised that it was built at the lowest depth. A light rumble under their feet caused Walt to curse and she paused, bracing herself in case the tremor decided to grow in intensity. But it faded almost instantly, leaving only a faraway sound she couldn't put her finger on. It sounded a little like water lightly sloshing and she found herself eyeing the ceiling and curves of the walls, looking for any structural weakening.
"I assure you, there are no leaks anywhere in this structure." Len's voice made her turn to see the other woman lounging across the room against what looked like a section of shelving. "I made sure of that before I chose this location."
"I hope you took into account all the seismic activity as well."
"I'm not stupid, Doctor. It would take a decent quake to cause any damage to this building, above or below the water line. The only thing affected by the seismic activity around here brought you to this room." Len snickered and rose lazily to her feet. Pacing in a wide circle, she stopped in front of Kristin. For a very long moment, blue eyes stared into sable-brown ones. Then Len grabbed Kristin's chin roughly, turning her head to look at her profile. Letting out a disgusted snort, she released her grip a moment later. "I can't imagine what the hell Bridger sees in you, but then there's no accounting for taste."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not in the mood for games, Kristin. The two of you may think your affair is a secret, but it's quite obvious to anyone with eyes. You could at least be honest and admit it."
How was it that this complete stranger could know anything about her feelings for Nathan? The thought chilled her a little, making her wonder what else this woman knew. But she forced herself to keep her expression calm. "You don't appear to be under the influence of any hallucinogenic substance." She watched the brunette's eyes narrow dangerously as she continued. "But regardless of whether you are or not, whatever is 'obvious to anyone with eyes' is completely lost on me."
Len glared at her for a long moment before suddenly smiling coldly. "Nice try. Two can play that game, however. I wonder what the UEO higher-ups would have to say about your fraternizing with the captain of their prized flagship."
"I'm technically a civilian scientist, so your wild conjecture doesn't fall under fraternization. Besides, are you telling me that two adults can't just be friends?"
Len smirked. "Of course, two adults can 'just be friends'. But don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that label applies to you and Bridger."
"One of the reporters who attended the UEO summit was quite generous with the information they provided." Kristin turned at the sound of Kamik's voice to see the young man stepping into the room. When Len glanced his way, he nodded to her. She returned the nod and then smirked again.
"Extremely generous, as a matter of fact. Not only was the Wolenczak brat all over Noyce's niece, but apparently you and Bridger disappeared for quite a while at one point." A hint of satisfaction flickered in Len's icy blue eyes at the slight paling of Kristin's face. "Did you really think no one would notice? Sneaking off for a tryst with half the world watching? I thought you were smarter than that. But that was your first mistake. Unfortunately for you, you won't get the chance to repeat it."
Glancing over at Walt, Len flicked her hand. Kristin didn't have time to think about the gesture before Walt gave her a brutal shove. She stumbled back, trying and failing to throw herself forward in order to regain her balance. When one foot suddenly made contact with empty air, she couldn't suppress the scream that burst out. The sudden shock of hitting icy seawater was even more terrifying. For a long moment, she panicked, sinking further into the water. Without being able to use her arms, the panic worsened before her common sense rose up and reminded her she could still kick. Opening her eyes, she detected a faint glimmer above and kicked herself in that direction.
Breaking to the surface, she sucked in a deep breath and tried to shake her hair out of her eyes. It was all she got before she was shoved back underwater. True terror sank in as she tried to get her head above water and was pushed back down with every attempt. When she tried to move out of reach, the hand twined into her hair and held her under. Her chest tightened from the lack of oxygen and her head began to pound. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the grip on her hair was suddenly gone.
Kicking frantically, she burst to the surface, gasping and coughing while trying to get enough air in. Hands latched onto her arms, dragging her out of the water and onto her feet. But her trembling legs wouldn't hold her upright and she collapsed to her knees, shaking both from the cold and the effort to breathe.
Len's mocking laughter echoed through the chamber. "You look like the proverbial drowned rat. What a pretty picture this will make for your darling Nathan."
Walt and Kamik snickered for a long minute.
"Get her out of here. I'm through....for now."
She was jerked back to her feet. The first couple steps, she almost fell, but she eventually gained her footing. Walt kept the pistol barrel against her chin the whole way back to her cell. Not even when he pushed her inside and followed her in did he put it away. A new shiver of fear went down her spine, and it had nothing to do with the chill of her wet clothes. Would he kill her now? Or was the torture going to continue at his hands?
"Now, I think it's time I taught you that lesson in respect." Before Kristin could move, his fist slammed into her stomach. Gasping, she doubled over and then crumpled to the ground when her balance once more failed her. He kicked her in the hip and laughed when she yelped in pain.
"So you can dish it out, but you can't take it?" When he lifted his foot to kick her again, she managed to deliver a glancing kick of her own to his other foot. He swore and hopped back a few steps.
"I've about had enough of that out of you..." A slightly stronger seismic tremor rocked the floor and Walt stumbled, almost falling down himself. He started to advance on Kristin once more, and she braced herself, ready to kick him again if needed. Both were suddenly distracted by the sound of applause from the doorway and turned to see Kamik leaning against the closed door, clapping slowly.
"Nicely done, Walt. Very nice." He crossed the room to Kristin and she tensed, but he merely took her by the arm and helped her to her feet. "Now how about you untie her and see how you would measure up against her in an even fight?"
"I'm not that stupid."
"You mean you know you would lose."
Walt snorted contemptuously. "That's the problem with you kids. You don't know how to have a little fun."
Kamik smirked. "Not much fun beating on an opponent who cannot provide a challenge by fighting you back."
"You thinking to tell Len about this? She won't give a damn."
"I know," Kamik replied evenly. He was obviously unruffled by the older man's challenging tone. "Bridger killed her woman, and that is why we have taken his. But I still find her methods much more...shall we say, interesting to observe. Pure physical punishment is for amateurs. Len's little experiment is the kind that brings out all the emotional and psychological demons one keeps locked away, never to be acknowledged until they are forced to surface." His gaze slid to Kristin. "Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"
Kristin glared at him, but remained silent. There was no way she was going to dignify that with an answer. Raising an eyebrow at her silent glower, he shrugged and looked back to Walt. "However, I do remember Len telling you to keep your hands to yourself."
Kristin watched the two men stare one another down. She didn't trust either of them and, despite the strong shivers that were distracting her, knew she couldn't afford to let down her guard. Walt's gaze was defiant, while Kamik's remained almost detached. Walt shifted his feet and, unconsciously, Kristin inched back a step. He caught the flicker of movement and his eyes slid to her, narrowing slightly. A moment later, his gaze returned to Kamik before he suddenly spun around and headed for the door. The metallic bang was punctuated by another brief quaking of the floor. Not prepared for it, Kristin stumbled and sat down hard, biting back another yelp of pain.
Kamik moved to her side, withdrawing a thin-bladed knife from his boot. She cringed away from him, but he merely shook his head in bemusement and, circling behind her, sliced through the rope binding her wrists. Glad to have her arms finally free, Kristin sighed in relief. She rubbed her wrists and eyed the young Aleut warily. He was casually tossing the knife in the air, catching it by the hilt each time. "It's probably pointless to ask you this, but what did you mean by saying that Nath...Captain Bridger...killed someone?"
"As I reminded Walt, that is why you are here."
Kristin shook her head in disbelief. "Then you must be mistaken. I know him; he would never do such a thing."
Kamik shrugged one shoulder and moved towards the door. "Then obviously, you do not know him as well as you think, Doctor."
"Who exactly is it that he is supposed to have killed?" Kristin demanded.
"I'm afraid that information is Len's to divulge, not mine." The door banged shut behind him.
Kristin sighed in exasperation and then shivered again. Reluctantly, she peeled off her drenched sweater. Being down to her t-shirt was both a blessing and a curse; despite the weight of it, the long sleeves had kept her skin protected from the chill in the air. It was pointless to lay the sweater out in hopes that it would dry, but she did it anyway. Sinking down onto the cot, she rubbed her bare arms, trying to ignore the shudders wracking her from head to toe. If she didn't find some way to warm herself, hypothermia would quickly set in. Although the cold was a distraction, her mind was still focused on Kamik's cryptic remarks.
Bridger killed her woman.... The turn of phrase seemed to imply murder. But the very idea was inconceivable. Nathan was a man of science; he valued life. The only times he had been responsible for taking lives had been during battle, and only then when circumstance deemed it necessary. She knew that those times onboard seaQuest had been few and far between; there was the incident with Max Scully mere months ago, and the year before that, the attack and sabotage orchestrated by...
Marilyn Stark. Kristin remembered the momentary glimpse she'd gotten of seaQuest's disgraced ex-captain--a ruthless blonde whose only goal was revenge, regardless of who else might be harmed in the process. She knew in that instant that Stark had to be Len's woman.
But that still did not explain the implication regarding Nathan. When the seaQuest crew had rescued survivors from the downed enemy sub, they discovered that the mini-sub was missing--as were a dozen or so of the Delta-4's crew, Stark included. Everyone had therefore assumed that she had safely escaped. Obviously, that was not the case.
Which left only one question: if Stark was indeed dead, why did Len assume Nathan was responsible?
(*)
"Thank you, Ensign. If I need any more information, I'll let you know." Crocker said to Alisha Williams as she got to her feet.
"Happy to help, sir," Alisha replied and departed the security office, nodding to Chief Shan as he waited for her to exit before entering.
"You got the statement from the Barrett girl?"
"Yes, Chief. It's been uploaded to the database."
"All right." Crocker glanced over the information on the screen. "Crenshaw talked to Phillips and he didn't see the doc at all. He checked in and went straight to his quarters." Closing the file, he found Shan's interview with Charli and opened the new file. He gave it a quick read, then frowned and reread slowly. "Now that's odd."
"What is?" Shan asked curiously.
"Well, Williams mentioned that Barrett had a bit of trouble with the scanner. Something about grabbing her school ID by mistake. But doesn't look like she told you that."
"No, she did not." Shan leaned over Crocker's shoulder as the security chief brought up Alisha's statement next to Charli's; he slowly scrolled through them both so Shan could read them side by side. "It is also interesting that she mentioned Miss Barrett being jumpy. As you can see by my notes, she seemed rather apprehensive. Her first words to me were to ask if she had a right to know why she was being questioned."
Crocker's frown graduated to a scowl. "Rather odd thing to be askin' if you're innocent."
"I thought so, too...." The chirp of the audio link interrupted Shan and he tapped the on key. "This is Shan."
"Chief Crocker has an incoming transmission from the NCIS office at Elmendorf-Richardson."
"Patch it through, please," Crocker ordered, quickly closing the interview files.
A thin-faced, dark-haired young man's image soon appeared on the screen. "Chief Crocker? I'm Special Agent Matt Sovalik. I'm sending a transmission over to you now, containing the information from our initial canvass. Our team gathered quite a few helpful witness statements, but you might want to look at the ones I have flagged first. There's also some security camera footage from one of the shops that shows Doctor Westphalen speaking to a man who we feel is a person of interest."
"Have you talked to this guy yet?" Crocker asked.
"We have not yet identified him. When we do, we will begin searching for him."
"Understood." After Sovalik had signed off, Crocker waited for the transmitted files to finish loading before opening the witness statements and going immediately to the ones marked as top priority. Shan continued to read over Crocker's shoulder and both officers were silent for several long minutes before Crocker spoke again. "Looks like this Native girl was one of the last people to talk to the doc. Sovalik's note says that the security footage is from the cameras in her shop."
Ignoring the rest of the flagged witness statements, Crocker closed the interviews file and opened up the file containing the security footage. The camera's angle appeared to be alongside the counter, pointing towards the shop's front window. Kristin and Katya were visible in the foreground, the latter behind the counter. The two women were talking animatedly while Katya was working the register and boxing up a small item after wrapping it in paper.
"That must be the man Agent Sovalik mentioned." Shan indicated a dark-haired man who had stepped into the shop. His expression was one of agitation, but when Shan followed his gaze, it was obvious who he was looking at.
"I don't like the way he's lookin' at the doc," Crocker muttered as the man approached Kristin, and after a short conversation, led the way out of the shop with her on his heels. They headed to the left and disappeared off camera a minute later. Grumbling to himself, the security chief brought up the file list to see if there was any additional footage, sighing when he found none. "Looks like that's the only camera there was. Pity there wasn't one outside the...."
"Wait a minute. Bring that back up and rewind it," Shan interrupted.
The playback had ended, so Crocker restarted it. "You see somethin', Shan?"
"I might have. Can you start it from the moment the doctor leaves the shop?" Crocker tapped in the necessary commands. "Stop. Rewind about ten seconds. There." Shan pointed at the upper left hand side of the screen.
Knowing what Shan wanted without asking, Crocker punched in another command and zoomed in on the frozen frame. They had to wait a few moments for the pixilation to clear; when it did, Crocker's eyes widened, then narrowed in surprise. "Is that..."
"I believe it is, sir." Shan's tone was grim.