Read Online Vectors by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online

the surface, but they would not send help. It would be too dangerous to send help.
    Dukat sighed and opened his eyes. "All right," he said. "Send for the woman. But do it unofficially, as a family emergency, just as you suggested." "Can she bring assistants?" Kellec asked.
    Dukat glared at him. Kellec was never satisfied, always wanting more. Always wanting too much.
    "Assistants would be a doctor's first request," Narat said. "It would be yet another guarantee."
    Dukat was being manipulated and he knew it. But he couldn't see any way out of this. He couldn't see any way at all. At least, not a way he liked. Not a way that ended in success. This felt like one of his only chances.
    "I want no more than five Federation people here, less if possible," he said. "Good," Narat said.
    "You may not say 'good' after a moment," Dukat said, "because I have conditions."
    Kellec tilted his head back. Narat held his position, waiting, like the good Cardassian that he was.
    "First," Dukat said, "they will have access only to our medical files. Second, they shall be restricted to the medical areas of Terok Nor only. Third-"
    "That's not possible," Kellec said. "What if the illness spreads so fast that we can't get the patients here?" "We'll deal with it then," Narat said.
    "Third," Dukat said as if he hadn't been interrupted, "they shall have no contact with the outside while they're here."
    "But what if they need information they didn't bring?" Kellec asked.
    Dukat glared at him. "I will not negotiate these terms."
    "We can deal with special requests on a case-by-case basis, I assume," Narat said, more to Kellec than Dukat. "Am I right?"
    Dukat wasn't even willing to make that promise, although he knew it was probably sensible. "Fourth, if I suspect even one of them is spying for the Federation, none of them will leave here alive. Is that clear?" "Very," Kellec said.
    "If your ex-wife is willing to come here under those conditions, then we will be happy to have her," Dukat said. "But I do not want a Federation ship docking at Terok Nor. I do not want one in Cardassian space."
    "Then how will she get here?" Kellec asked. "You've just quarantined the station, so no ships can come here." Good question. The man was always thinking. 'I'll have one of the freighter pilots trapped here on Terok Nor take his ship to meet the Federation vessel at the border. I'll send a few of my men along to make sure nothing untoward happens." "Make sure they're all pilots," Narat said softly. Dukat felt himself go cold. Narat was right. There was no guarantee the pilot would live long enough to ferry their Federation passengers back to Terok Nor.
    "Tell your ex-wife to get here as quickly as possible," Dukat said. "I'11 handle the travel arrangements personally. And Kellec?" "Yes?" Kellec said.
    "Don't see this as a victory for the Bajoran people. I meant what I said about spies. Your Federation help had better be on their best behavior. I will give no second chances."
    Kellec had the good sense to only nod.
    Chapter Eight FOR THE SECOND TIME in a few days, Katherine Pulaski was packing her bags. She was in her quarters on Deep Space Five. All of her possessions were scattered about. She had just unpacked, and hadn't had time to hang her favorite paintings or to place her few sculptures. Her hardcopy books stood on a single shelf, including the first edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories that Data had given her upon her departure. It was a sentimental gift, and it had surprised her coming from Data. Apparently that surprise had shown on her face because he had tilted his head in that slightly robotic way he had, and asked, "Is the giving of parting gifts not a human custom, especially when the recipient will be missed?"
    "It is, Data," she had said, and then hugged him, to his surprise and (she had to admit) to her own.
    She stared at that book for a moment, but it would only add weight. Better to keep it here until she returned.
    If she