Dark Matters_ Ghost Dance (Book 2) - Christie Golden [58]
But her mind had been alert, fresh from her meditation; her fingers had automatically formed themselves into the right position to deliver the famous Vulcan nerve pinch. She recalled practicing it at Dammik's, never being able to get it quite right. But when she had needed it, her subconscious had taken over and had literally saved her life.
Maybe those Vulcans were on to something.
She took a deep, steadying breath and went to her closet to search for something with which to bind her prisoner. She was glad that she had used the nerve pinch instead of killing Sharibor outright. Maybe they would be able to get some useful information out of her before they killed her.
She emerged with a sash from a formal dress she seldom wore. Jekri wrinkled her nose at the flimsiness of the material, but it would have to serve. Quickly she trussed up the unconscious Sharibor. Standing over her, the rage and shame at having been duped the same way she had duped others won out over her newly acquired Vulcan calm, and Jekri kicked Sharibor in the belly. Hard.
She touched her communications device with one hand as she removed her own disruptor. "Kaleh to Verrak."
"Here, Chairman."
"Come to my quarters."
"At once, Chairman."
For not the first time, Jekri was glad of the false affair she and Verrak were pretending to have. Now, when they heard this command, her crew would merely exchange knowing glances among them-
selves. Before, Jekri's request would have drawn unwanted attention.
Only a few minutes passed before Jekri heard the chime at her door. Keeping the disruptor trained on Sharibor, she went to the door and touched it. It hissed open and she pulled Verrak inside before he could see what was on the floor in her quarters.
He gasped when he saw the prone figure of Sharibor and turned a questioning face to his commander.
"Family of the Blade," Jekri spat. "I should have realized it years ago, but they trained her well."
"Apparently not as well as they trained you," said Verrak admiringly. He reached to touch her face, as if to reassure himself that she was all right, but Jekri stepped quickly away.
"Is she dead?"
"No, just unconscious. Watch her while I finish reading this." She snorted. "She was a good assassin, but she was also a good code breaker."
She finished reading the message that Sharibor had decoded-or perhaps had not decoded, but had already known about. That would be a useful bit of information.
The glory and final triumph of the Romulan Empire is in jeopardy. Even as we are positioning our warbirds along the Neutral Zone, preparing for the surprise onslaught of a slow-wined Federation, there is a traitor in our midst. We do not wish to startle the populace, so the instructions that follow are highly classified. The chairman of the Tal Shiar, Jekri Kaleh, is to be eliminated as a dangerous element. Care is to be utilized. It must not be done in
a public setting, and there must be no arousal of suspicion. Disposal of the body should be thorough.
Jekri felt the hairs at the back of her neck prickle. She continued reading.
The first to succeed in this mission shall receive a commendation, monetary compensation, and the gratitude of the Empress.
"No," Jekri whispered, then bit her lip hard to keep further sounds from escaping. She could not believe it. Not the Empress. She was bold, fearless, she would not need to send a secret command to assassins with this sly order. If she wanted Jekri dead, the Empress would arrange a public execution and make sure Jekri suffered shame as well as death. She would not merely arrange a knife in the back. This whole thing reeked of Lhiau.
Wordlessly, she handed it to her Second, then strode to stand over the prone figure of Sharibor. She heard the swift intake of breath