Dangerous Intrigue

It was the end of the working day, but Rashad was still sitting at her console, looking over the available data on Adam Drakara on the Section 31 database. It was rather inconvenient, but until the Drakara affair was over, she would not access the Section 31 database in front of her Intelligence colleagues. She liked James Wright and Stefen Moss, but she felt that her cover should stay intact for now.

She sat there, reading and re-reading all the material, and somehow she could not help feeling that she was missing some clue. But what was it ?

After half an hour T'Kul exited the database, removed the secondary communication lockdown, and was about to head to the mess hall for dinner, when her com badge chirped.

[Taybar to Commander Rashad…..] Came the voice of the Captain. [……Report to my Ready Room on the double !]

"On my way, Captain!" Replied the Romulan-Bajoran, and immediately stepped out of the door of the Intel Office.

Captain's Ready Room.

Upon arriving to the Captain's Ready Room, Rashad was surprised to find a very pale Lieutenant James Wright sitting in one of the chairs right next to the Captain. Lieutenant Commander J'ross , occupied a third chair.

"Have a look at this, Commander." Said Aki Taybar passing Rashad a Padd, with a grave expression on her face.

"YOU WILL DIE." Was the message that presently appeared on the Padd. Rashad's Vulcanoid eyebrows rose.

"This message was sent to Lieutenant Wright about fifteen minutes ago." Continued the Trill Captain upon noticing the expression on Rashad's face. "What do you make of this ?"

"Were you able to trace the message ?" Answered T'Kul with a question of her own.

"We tried, Commander…..." Captain Taybar stated. "…….But we were unable to pinpoint the origin of the message."

Rashad felt very concerned about this matter. Person or persons unknown threatened one of her people and she felt responsible for James Wright's safety. She almost shivered as, in her mind, she wondered whether this threat to the life of Lieutenant Wright had something to do with the secret investigation she was conducting.

"I suggest we try tracing this message again, this time using the resources we have at the Intelligence Office." What the Romulan-Bajoran did not say was that she fully intended running the trace via the Section 31 channels. "In the meantime, we need to take steps to ensure Lieutenant Wright's safety." She turned her head and looked straight into James Wright's eyes.

"I'll talk to Lieutenant McQueen, he'd due to arrive in a few minutes to report on our little plan to get past the Dominion Dreadnought." Aki stated.

Rashad nodded politely. "We may need to take more drastic steps than that, Captain." She turned to her Intelligence colleague again. "With your permission, Lieutenant Wright, I would like to install covert surveillance cameras and data feeds in your quarters as a precaution."

"Thank you, Commander." James Wright sounded a bit confused and frightened. "You may install the data feeds if you think they will help."

"We will find out who is after you, James, I promise." Said T'Kul, trying to reassure her colleague, while at the same time hoping that she was able to discover what was going on before it was too late.

"Well, I'd better let you all get on with this then." Aki stood up and added. "Commander, please notify me as soon as your part of the investigation yields something. Dismissed."

When James left the Captain's ready room, he found two security officers waiting for him. As he walked down the corridor, he passed his colleague Stefen Moss, who was looking rather pale, even for a Vulcan.

James and his security escort continued down the corridor and back to his quarters.