Nightshade - Laurell K. Hamilton [87]
Troi dropped back and let Worf’s bulk lead the way through the tunnels. How long until full dark? How long did the captain have? She was worried about Audun and Liv, but truthfully, they were strangers. To think that they would fail the captain— No, they would not fail. They could not fail him, not like this.
Once in the main tunnels, with their wall murals and bright colors, Worf broke into a jog, racing toward the prison. The others trailed behind him, fighting to keep up with his longer stride.
Two different guards stood outside the door to the prison. Talanne stopped their group in front of them.
‘Colonel Talanne, what is the matter?” the first guard asked.
‘Have the executions started yet?”
‘Yes, Colonel, as scheduled.”
Worf pushed forward. “We have new information that proves that Ambassador Picard is innocent.” It was a lie, outright. They had no new proof. Worf wanted to fight his way to Picard, but guile was better, quicker. If they had to fight from here to the center of the prison maze, they might arrive too late.
Talanne backed him in the lie. “Yes, we have new proof. Would you keep us outside while an innocent man is being killed?”
‘No, Colonel, of course not.”
‘Escort Ambassador Worf and his party to the prisoners. Obey his orders as you would my own. Is that clear?”
The guard saluted. “Yes, Colonel.”
Talanne touched Worf’s arm. “I will find my husband, since only he has the ability to delay the executions. Keep them all alive until I get back to you. Good luck.”
He gave a curt nod. “And to you.”
And she was gone, running back down the corridor. Worf turned to the guard. He wanted to scream, but he forced calm into his voice. “Escort us to the prisoners, now.”
‘Yes, Ambassador. But no one is allowed weapons during an execution. There have been incidents in the past. Please leave your weapon with the guard.”
He glanced at Troi. “Worf, we’re running out of time.”
He handed his phaser to one of the guards. “Now I am unarmed, lead us to the prisoners.”
The guard saluted him and opened the door. They followed the guard into the shining, white corridors, leaving the second guard at the door.
‘Worf, we must hurry. I feel something, I…” Troi swayed and Worf was forced to catch her arm. “It’s the captain, Worf!”
‘Lead us to the prisoners now, run!” He made it an order, and the guard obeyed, as he’d been told, breaking into a ground-covering trot.
Worf was forced to stay at the man’s heels, when he could have gone faster. But the maze of the prison was too confusing. There was no time to get lost in it. He cursed softly under his breath, a tightness in the center of his stomach that he could not breathe around.
A scream split the white silence. Masculine, familiar even then.
‘Captain!” Worf broke into a full run, leaving the others behind. He broke out into the center of the prison alone. Guards whirled, moving in on either side to form a flesh wall to keep him from the captain. Worf was forced to stand there, panting, frozen.
Picard was bound hand and foot to the ivory frame that they had seen earlier. Shining wires ran down to encircle the ropes that held him in place. Waves of electric blue energy poured down the wires. Blue flame licked down the wires, crawled over his skin, oozed out of his eyes, dripped from his mouth. It looked like Picard was enveloped in cold fire. It did not burn, but it obviously hurt.
The others stumbled in behind him. Troi cried out, “Stop it, stop it!”
The blue flames died abruptly, and Picard slumped only partially conscious. He breathed in short panting gasps as if he could not get enough air.
A masked overseer was at the clean desk, observing, but the person pressing the buttons was General Basha. He stood against a small open panel that had split from the white wall. Inside were the buttons, the levers. His attention was steady on the nearly unconscious Audun. He didn’t turn as they walked in. Perhaps he hadn’t heard; perhaps the horror on the frame was all he could hear.
Liv’s wrists were caught in some shiny silver box that was bolted