Reunion - Michael Jan Friedman [99]
Worf looked as if he’d swallowed something rancid. But he obeyed, turning and leading his officers back through the crowd. Riker needed the nearby turbolift; the Klingon would find another one. “I’m coming along,” Joseph insisted, falling in behind the security team. He sounded determined.
Nor did Worf protest. Apparently, he was willing to accept all the experienced help he could get.
Riker turned to the lift and freed it with his own clearance code. As the doors opened, he got inside. “Bridge,” he commanded. And tried to figure out what in blazes he was going to say to the Romulans.
One moment, Picard was on the bridge; the next, he was somewhere else. And before he could determine exactly where, he felt something hard smash into his chin. Staggering under the impact, he was hit a second time, even harder. And a third. Finally, he fell, his legs refusing to hold him up any longer. As he lay there fighting o@.” the lurching blackness that was threatening to engulf him, he felt the floor start to slide by. His head felt like a block of stone, but he managed to lift it-to look around. He saw that he was in the
transporter room, being dragged by someone-someone massive, who had a handful of the captain’s tunic in his fist. After a second or two, he realized that it was Carter Greyhorse. They were headed for the transporter controls. Why? Picard had no idea. His brain was too sluggish-he couldn’t seem to pull his thoughts together. But instinctively, he knew that he had to stop the big man from reaching his destination. Grabbing Greyhorse’s wrist and swinging around at the waist, he fought off a black wave of vertigo and wrapped his legs around the man’s ankle. Then he twisted his hips as hard as he could. Caught unawares, the doctor reeled wildly. When Picard twisted a second time, he toppled altogether. With an effort; the captain rolled away, already anticipating retaliation. But-the big man was much faster than he seemed. Betweenbre he could scramble to his feet, Greyhorse whirled and kicked him in the ribs. The pain was excruciating. Somehow, Picardcomweath-ered it and kept his legs underneath him. But it only made him an easier target. Putting all his weight behind the blow, Greyhorse leapt and kicked again. it was like being hit with a phaser set on heavy stun. The captain skidded backward across the deck, the breath knocked out of him. As he wheezed and struggled to fill his lungs, Greyhorse advanced on him purposeful-ly. A second time, Picard rolled in the opposite direction —it was all he could manage. Lights exploded behind his eyes; his pulse thundered in his temples. But he hung on to consciousness, greedily gulping each painful breath.
“You’re as much a fighter as you ever were,” the doctor said. He sounded as if he were speaking to him
from a great distance. “But it won’t help. Your crimes have finally caught up with you.”
And with uncanny ease he lifted Picard’s limp form and flung him across the room. The captain felt himself hit the deck, tumble, and finally come up hard against the base of the console. When it was all over, the taste of blood was strong in his mouth. He spat it out, lifted his head.
The transporter platform was being activated again. Dimly, through the layers of wool in his brain, he realized what Greyhorse might have been up to-and curling his fingers over the lip of the control console, digging his heels into the carpet, he slowly dragged himself to his feet.
Too slow, he told himself. Too slow. With each passing second, Greyhorse was destroying another life.
But as Picard inched up high enough to see his adversary, he knew that he hadn’t been too late after all. Something had gone wrong for Greyhorse.
He could see it in the man’s eyes-trained on him now instead of on the controls. They were fierce and dark, full of unbridled fury. His lower lip trembled savagely.
“Damn you!” Greyhorse rasped. He pounded on the transporter console with his huge right fist; it shuddered beneath the blow. “They’re on to me! They’ve taken off their communicators.”
A wave of