Double Helix 03_ Red Sector - Diane Carey [75]
“How is it possible that nobody else knew?” McCoy asked “Ten years ago when I pulled you out of there, Starfleet debriefed you thoroughly-” “Eleven years.” “Ten, eleven, twenty, what’s the difference?”
“I was debriefed for weeks,” Stiles agreed. “I told them I had a Romulan cellmate and they notified the Romulans. At the time there weren’t any formal relations, no exchange of ambassadors …. I made sure the message got through to the precinct governor, who would have to report directly to the Senate, and they’d have to report to the-well, back then it was the emperor. So I thought the royal family would take it from there.
Spock had listened to these words with growing trepidation, but certainly also with a rising sensation of possibility. “This is a profound blessing in disguise, both for Zevon and for the Romulan Empire. If he is indeed still in Red Sector, isolated, still alive, then he presents a distinct ray of hope.”
McCoy pointed a crooked finger. ‘I’ll send Dr. Crusher to the Romulan royal family to treat them and try to keep them alive. In the meantime, I need to get to this Zevon and synthesize a vaccine from his blood, before anybody else gets to him.”
“Who else could get to him?” Stiles asked. “Why would anybody want to?”
“Whoever’s inflicted this biological attack, that’s who. You don’t think this is accidental, do you?” “I thought it was just a plague! Something natural!” “Nope.”
His face a pattern of fears and troubles, Stiles frowned with consternation. “That’s just what Hashley tried to tell us… all his talk about viral terrorism and mass-assassination… I thought he was exaggerating.”
At that name, Spock felt his back muscles tighten. He glanced at McCoy, who, if possible, was more pale than usual at the casual mention of a key figure. Stiles clearly did not understand the full ramifications of how the puzzle pieces fit into place.
“Hashley again,” McCoy complained. “He’s as bad as the infection.” Stiles squinted. “Huh? What’s that mean?” “Ansue Hashley” Spock said, “is important to maintaining stable relations between the Federation and the Romulan Empire, Commander. How recently did you speak to him?”
Stiles’s eyes widened, and he swiveled his gaze between them. “You mean the same Hashley I’m talking about? An age broker? That guy?” “Yes, that guy.”
“You’ve got to be kidding! He didn’t seem capable of being part of a mass-assassination scheme. Starfleet captains had been tossing him from ship to ship like a hot potato to keep the Romulans from knowing where he was. I couldn’t figure why he’d be so important. I thought they just didn’t want to bother with him!”
McCoy explained, “The Romulans tracked the royal infection back to his cargo. That’s why they think the Federation started it. The Romulans wanted him so they could have a scapegoat and tell their people they’d caught the culprit, that the Federation was definitely to blame for the deaths of their royal family.” “Where is Hensley now?” Spock asked. “Aboard Saskatoon ?”
Stiles shrugged hopelessly. “No, I don’t have him. I didn’t want him. He’s safe, though. We remanded him to the custody of the first Starfleet law-enforcement ship we found.” “Which ship?” “The Ranger.”
Spock immediately turned and depressed the keypad of the bridge comm unit. “Captain Picard, do you know the name of the passenger who was kidnapped from the Ranger this morning?” ‘I’ll pull the report, ambassador. One moment.”
“I’ll put Dr. Crusher on it,” McCoy said. “They want her help. They’ll treat Hashley well.”
“It’s my fault,” Stiles said. He had left the conversation they were having and was having one with himself. “I never checked… never confirmed that Zevon had been rescued. He was so sure his family would get him out-he made me sure too. Until five days ago I was completely convinced that he was back home. Now I find out he never… they just didn’t bother to go get him. All these years he’s been trapped