© October 9, 2000
Disclaimer: Voyager belongs to Paramount Pictures. No infringement intended.
Kathryn Janeway was running for her life. Actually, she was running for Chakotay's life. If the Commander caught her, there would be no turning back. Starfleet would hunt him down and take him out for what he had planned to do with her.
Deck twelve was all but deserted, thanks to Tuvok's orders to vacate for the 'required celebration.' But Kathryn, herself, was still trapped, with a madman, on the deck.
'*Some malfunction on Deck twelve, right Kathryn,*' she chastised herself for believing Chakotay's words, especially after the emotional state he had been in during their debriefing at Headquarters.
She rounded the corner and pushed her body into a narrow doorway space, peaking out from across the hall for any sign of movement.
"Kathryn!" the voice startled her, causing her to jump. But then she realized it came from her combadge. "Where are you, Kathryn?! Damnit, don't do this!"
She didn't answer, but instead pushed her tired body from her hiding space to continue running toward the only turbolift that would take her away from deck twelve.
"Answer me!" his voice sounded just as tired and out of breath as she felt. He had been running, too. Running after her.
Kathryn paused, fighting for air, and hit her combadge, "Commander I recommend you find another way -- *any* other way!"
"We've tried negotiations," his voice came through loud and clear. "We've tried stating the facts and we've actually tried protocol . . . and they've all failed! I won't let them do it! Do you hear me?! I won't!"
How couldn't she hear him. His voice was pretty much traveling with her, courtesy of her combadge.
'*The combadge!*' she stumbled with the thought, unclipping it and tossing it across the hallway. He could've tracked her . . . he knew where she was at, of that, Kathryn had no doubt.
Five more steps and she would be at the door. Her left thigh cramped, a weakness she had had since fighting the hirogen when they had played games with her crew, and her lungs burned from lack of even air. She had to push, really push to get herself to that lift. Her crew was in no position to help her -- they were all celebrating the alpha arrival in the Mess Hall. No one knew the cat and mouse game the Captain and the Commander were playing. No one ever had.
The lift loomed in front of her. Freedom. Her hand reached out to tap the button that would lift her away from the madness, to help, but it halted midway as the door sprung open. In that instant, Kathryn Janeway was pulled inside and any chance for a successful escape was gone.