Day of Honor 01_ Ancient Blood - Diane Carey [62]
The rejection sizzled on his skin.
Could he blame Grant, who could see no other course? A chance was a chance. Their last.
A knock at the heavy oak door broke his thoughts, but not his concerns. He limped across the carpet, nearly tripping on the fringe, and opened the door only two inches to see who was there.
“Hi, sir, it’s Ted Stoner.”
“Lieutenant,” Worf said with notable relief. “Come in.” The police officer stepped inside with another officer, then nodded to three other police guards to stay out in the entryway, then removed his hat and unbuttoned his thick maroon jacket.
“This is Officer Zared,” Stoner said.
Worf nodded. “Officer.”
“Sir,” the policeman responded, and clasped his hands as ne stood by the door as formally as a Starfleet yeoman.
“Well,” Stoner began, “we checked out your story and everything clicked. You’re a Starfleet officer from the Enterprise. We’ve got confirmation from a Jean-Luc Picard.”
“Captain Picard,” Worf corrected, more amused than he would have expected to be.
“Oh… sorry.”
“Forgiven.”
Stoner offered an easy shrug. “Anyway, I can’t hold you. You’re being remanded to Starfleet custody. They’ve agreed not to remove you from the sector until the preliminary investigation is wrapped up. But Mr. Grant,” he said, turning, “has to stay here. He’s a Federation operative, but he’s also a civilian, and Sindikash law requires we hold him on the planet for further review of his case.”
“No!” Worf protested. “He will be killed!”
“What d’you care?” Grant moaned.
As his chest tightened, Worf swung to face him. “Never say that again!”
With a sigh and a nod, Stoner said, “I don’t blame you for worrying about that. I know how things are here. I’ll hold him in protective custody under my own recognizance until there are charges filed. By then, I think I can get Starfleet fully involved, and you guys can protect him yourself.”
“You expect me to leave him on this planet?” Worf challenged, stinging with Grant’s loss of faith in him.
The lieutenant’s round face tilted in understanding. “You don’t have a choice. There’s been an injunction issued to evict you from the planet, and, unfortunately, I can’t let Mr. Grant go yet. I think the judge is afraid that if we let you both go, we’ll never see Starfleet again, and some of us really want to see Starfleet again, if you get what I mean. And I’ve got some … well, let’s just say I’ve got some other people to protect. Everything’s a trade-off around here, I’m sorry to say.”
“We were hoping to change that,” Worf commented bitterly, suddenly caught up in the officer’s candidness.
“I got that idea,” Stoner said, careful not to commit. “Officer Zared is here to escort you to the City Spaceport and see that you’re put on a transport out of Sindikash space. I’ve arranged a security passage, so you’ll be safe till you reach your ship, but I can’t authorize any weapons. Meantime, I’ll take care of Mr. Grant. You can count on that.”
As Worf gazed into Ted Stoner’s eyes, he saw the problems of the planet suddenly borne by a young law officer whose burden should not have been so overwhelming. He saw an honest man in the middle of a corrupt web, and he empathized deeply. After all, sooner or later, Worf and Grant would leave this place. Ted Stoner and his other honest comrades would still be here.
Perhaps Worf could arrange for Sindikash to be a better place, if he held the course. Yet his sense of loss was growing heavier by the moment, especially as he looked at the crushed shell of a being who had been his partner and friend.
In every fiber of his posture, Grant communicated a sad slippage of trust between them.
Worf looked at Stoner, desperate for some glimmer of hope, but there was no other course. Not now.
Finally, Worf limped around in front of Grant, but no power on the planet could make Grant look up at him and see the friend he had seen just a day ago.
“Grant,” Worf began, “Lieutenant Stoner will see to your safety. He will protect you. And I’ll be back. Grant? Do you hear me? I will be back.”
Chapter Twelve
“I NEVER IMAGINED THEY