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"Doppelgänger" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 4 Trip sat back in his chair with a sigh of contentment. He stretched before placing his hands on his full stomach. “Mrs. Parker..that was delicious,” Trip complimented. She glanced at him with a warm smile. “The fact that you and my husband both love pan fried catfish is strange.” “Strange, but still delicious,” Kolin said. “I’m going up top for a swim.” Amaly walked over Kolin and kissed him . Kolin watched her leave before turning back to the men. He smiled, reached out and snapped his fingers in front of Malcolm, who had watched Amaly go above deck. Malcolm blinked, looking at him. “Amaly has a fine chassis, doesn’t she?” Kolin asked Malcolm. “Chassis?” “Body. Curves.” “She does,” Malcolm smiled, “however I’m rather biased to my own wife’s chassis.” “You’re married?” Kolin asked. “Yes.” “She with you up there?” Kolin picked up his glass of beer and motioned toward the sky before drinking some. “Yes. Her and my twins.” “Amaly and I can’t wait to have a couple curtain crawlers ourselves. How long have you two been married?” “Eight months.” Kolin raised his glass of beer. “Congratulations, Malcolm. The first year is amazing. After that, they either get worse or even more amazing.” Malcolm laughed. “And your’s has..” Trip trailed off to let Kolin reply. “Gotten more amazing. I’d still be running guns if it weren’t for Amaly.” Kolin looked at the door. “For two years she’s kept me on somewhat of a straight and narrow.” Trip’s communicator beeped and he froze. Kolin swallowed a drink of beer without commenting. The communicator beeped again. Kolin swallowed another drink, looking at Trip when it beeped a third time. “You gonna answer that or just let it ring all night?” Kolin asked him. Trip pulled his communicator out of his work shirt pocket and flipped it open. “Trip here,” he said. “Have you found anything?” T’Pol asked. “Not..exactly.” Trip glanced at Kolin. “Explain, Commander.” “Mmmm,” Kolin mused quietly, looking at Trip. “Commander?” he whispered. “Commander,” T’Pol said. “The ladie’s gabbin’, Trip,” Kolin teased, “and she sounds pretty insistent too.” “I ran into myself,” Trip told T’Pol. Kolin and Malcolm both chuckled. “How did you run into yourself?” “I have a twin too. He’s sitting right here. He knows about Enterprise and he found us when we transported down.” “Did you misunderstand that you were to make minimal contact with these people?” “I am not a people,” Kolin protested loud and angrily. “You are. We are,” Malcolm said. “I’m a Parishal. People are Vignand’s type.” Malcolm leaned forward. “What exactly does people mean?” Kolin thought. “Feces.” “Oh,” Malcolm sat back, looking at Trip. “That would make us not people.” Trip laughed. “Commander, reply.” “She always such a bearcat?” Kolin asked. Trip started to answer but Kolin yanked the communicator away from him. Kolin held the communicator up to his mouth, leaning back in his chair, “Listen, sister, we have some things to gab about here. See, I know that Haeri Two Scars is dead because I know the supplier that gave the grieving widow the package that she used to blow the building, and consequently Haeri Two Scars, to pieces. So this fella they’re saying is him, ain’t him. And after running into myself, I know that there’s some alien bushwa going on here. So let’s talk shop and exchanging of goods, darlin’. That is assuming that you’re in charge up there, sweetness.” “My name is T’Pol, not sister, darling nor sweetness,” T’Pol stated in a flat voice. “Testy, ain’t she?” Kolin looked at Trip. “She’s my girlfriend,” Trip whispered. “My condolences, Commander Trip” “Commander Tucker.” Trip corrected him. “Whatever. Okay, T’Pol, so here’s the skinny on how this is going down. I’m coming up there with these two fellas and I’ll bring the blueprints of the Haeri Two Scars pad. I’ll also send out some of my men out to see what dirt they can dig up on these missing ladies your Commander told me about.” “And what do you desire in exchange?” T’Pol asked. “We’ll talk about it before you send me back. I trust myself.” Kolin winked at Trip. “I must know what you want to exchange before I can agree. There are certain items I am not permitted to exchange nor would I be willing to exchange. State your terms.” “Sister, your captain is currently in a really big house with a high voltage fence surrounding it with a dame that killed his twin and now thinks he’s that very alive twin. You really think a dame that’s off her nuts like that is going to buy into the whole aliens visiting us just to look around when one looks exactly like her recently deceased beloved?” There was silence. “We have a lock on your position. Prepare to transport.” “No. Wai--” Kolin disappeared with Trip and Malcolm. “Kolin, ca--” Amaly stopped at the bottom of the steps when she found the galley empty. # Kolin slowly unfolded to a standing position, staring at T’Pol, Sista and two security guards standing in front of them on in the Diedra’s transporter room. Trip snatched his communicator from Kolin’s hand. “This is T’Pol,” Trip said, motioning to her. Kolin smiled, extending his hand to T’Pol. When she didn’t extend her hand he grabbed it and shook it anyway. He stopped suddenly, noticing her ears. “You have pointed ears.” “All Vulcans do.” “Damn! You really are an alien.” “You amused by aliens?” Sista asked. “Yeah.” “Perhaps we should introduce him to Doctor Phlox,” Sista suggested, “or bats.” “Vardee, be nice,” Malcolm said, walking up to her. He turned to Kolin, “My wife can be ornery.” “Mrs. Reed.” Kolin held his hand out to her. Sista extended her hand to be shaken. Instead Kolin covered it with both hands and lifted it to his lips, lightly kissing her fingers. He winked at her as he stood up straight. “I had to get even with your husband,” Kolin said and then let her hand go. Sista glanced up at Malcolm. ”I sure he deserve it.” “You don’t speak Iola real swell, do ya?” Kolin asked her. “I no speak Iola at all.” “You’re speaking it now.” Sista smiled. “Ah. We call it English.” “English.” Kolin smiled. “I like that name better, I think.” “Did you find any useful information while visiting with your twin, Commander Tucker?” T’Pol asked Trip. “No. But you also transported us before Kolin could get the blue prints of the house. They were sitting on the table behind us.” “Those blue prints?” T’Pol motioned to the transporter pad. Trip turned, seeing a set of blue prints on the pad. He looked at her. “How did..never mind.” Trip retrieved the blueprints and followed her and Malcolm. # Archer stared at the itinerary in his hand. He looked up at the faces watching him and then back down at the itinerary, his little voice repeating over and over that this was real and this itinerary was real. These men were expecting him to issue orders based on the list of murders, thefts, hustling, racketeering, pimping and other points of business on it the list. “So what’s the first order of business today, Boss?” Arlo asked. Archer looked at the speaker. He had struggled yesterday to remember names more to keep himself from being confused than anything. He counted twelve men that lived in the house, but when he had left with them to get ‘collections’ from their ‘clients’ they had met nearly thirty more in a warehouse across town. Turned out the clients were businessmen, mostly, that paid the Haeri Two Scars mob money to ensure that in the event of a shootout in the neighborhood, they would avoid shooting up the place if possible, or grant the business owner a lump sum to repair any damages. A lump sum that was due at the end of two years in full and with twelve percent interest. And anyone who didn’t pay it, they would repeatedly smash up the place. “Well, uhm..” Archer looked down at the itinerary. ‘Kill Sergeant Tariok is the first thing on this list?’ Archer thought to himself. ‘Isn’t there anything on this list where someone won’t die?’ Archer continued out loud, “The, uhm..arms shipment is coming in tonight,” Archer started, seeing it at the bottom of the list. “We should probably talk about that.” “It’s a heavy sugar job, Boss. This score will have us sitting pretty for the next year, easy.” “Boss, you know..we’ve all been thinking..” Darik started, looking nervously at each of the men as he continued, “and to level wi’ch’ya, we all feel you’ve been acting a bit off since you were on the lam a few days back. Me and the boys’ve been talking and maybe, just this once, you should let Jisyca handle the deal.” Archer looked up from the paper to Darik, watching the man’s nervousness grow as he continued to speak. “I mean, Colburt ain’t no easy man to deal with in the first place, but you go in there acting all balled up like you have been, and the deal’s gonna go sour fast, Boss. I’m not trying to say you don’t know how to do your job, Boss, ‘cause we all know you know your onions, but maybe give this a few more days until you can sorta straighten things out up top and then we can be back in business and as usual.” Archer stared at Darik. The room had become tense with silence. Even Nathan looked worried. Archer looked down at the paper. “Did Jisyca put you up to this Darik?” Archer asked. “No, Boss. Honest. We boys have been talkin’ about this and we really think this score you should let her and us hand it. It’s to big to get futzed up by a little smack on the head, Boss.” “How big is this shipment?” “Really big. You shook down Admiral Vignand to make him give you half of all the business he does in our territory and this is going to give us a nice lump of scratch cuz of that, Boss.” “Just how big of a lump?” “Big enough to put us on easy street really nice for the next two or three years, Boss.” Chainy, a sandy blond haired man to Archer’s left, answered. “Where are these arms coming from and who’s the buyer? I can’t seem to remember.” “They’re coming from Province north. Military issue. We’re selling them to Vignand’s troops and he’s offering top scratch for ‘em. You set this whole thing up personally before you got that bump on the head scrambled your noggin’.” Archer was starting to formulate a plan. “Did I agree to meet with..who’s Colburt?” “The guy brining in the shipment.” “Did I agree to meet with him?” “Yes.” “How long has this Colburt been supplying arms to or through us?” “We’ve had a decent trade for about two years with him, Boss. First time we had Vignand as a buyer though.” “Sorry I can’t remember any of this boys. Maybe you’re right, Darik. I think Jisyca should handle this one. Remind me again, boys, who’s the buyer? Vignand himself or a third party buyer.” “Vignand’s sending his own personal buyer.” Archer red the information on the paper out loud, pretending to read the information in thought rather than confirm it. “Pier nineteen, the boat Acquilus.” “Yeah. That’s right, Boss. So..who should go with her?” “Who do you think?” Archer asked, looking at Darik. “We can send Cevin and Arlo with her.” Archer looked at Cevin’s young face. “Cevin shouldn’t go. He doesn’t have the experience.” “What a better way to get it, Boss.” Archer almost argued but the sound of someone clearing his or her throat stopped him. He looked back to find Jisyca standing in the doorway. “I’ll take Cevin, Haeri. He’s my right hand man. Always has been, haven’t you Cevin?” Cevin looked nervously from her to Archer and back. Archer suspected there was more going on here, but right now he wasn’t going to worry about it. “Fine. Take ‘im. I don’t think he’s gotta enough experience for this though, Jisyca. He’s still new at it. He could ruin the whole deal.” “I can handle it, Boss. I’ll protect Mrs. Swank,” Cevin promised. Archer forced a smile on his lips. He didn’t want Cevin protecting Mrs. Swank. He wanted Cevin as far from this deal as he could get but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. “Fine. But send two more men. They can decide who’s going to wait in the car and who’s going in with Jisyca when they get there.” “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let you down,” Jisyca crooned, smiling her cold, emotionless smile. Archer flashed her a reflecting smile that quickly erased her own. She turned and walked out of the room. “What about the rest of today, Boss?” Cevin asked. “I’m not feeling up to anything today.” Archer looked at the men. “We can carry out the rest of the itinerary,” Darik offered. “And make me miss all the fun? Not a chance.” Archer stood. “Put everything on today’s list on tomorrows. Nathan, we have matters to discuss don’t we?” “Yes, Boss,” Nathan said, looking up at Archer. Archer and Nathan left the room together, heading for the garden at the back of the house. They walked out to two benches and sat down. Archer turned so he could watch the door while they spoke. “The communicator. Please tell me you have it almost done.” “Almost, Boss, I mean, sir.” Archer smiled. “You’re going to go around the ship calling me Boss when we get back, aren’t you?” Nathan smiled. “Most decidedly yes, sir. I think it may be a side effect of all this.” Archer laughed, looking at the house when the door opened. Darik was walking in their direction. Archer leaned back on the bench, stretching his arm across the top of the bench. He glanced at Nathan to make sure his crewman was acting natural too. “Boss?” Darik asked. “Yes?” “We need to bump off Sergeant Tariok today, Boss. Informants say he’s skipping town on an a.m. train tomorrow right after he testifies against you in court.” “Remind me again what he did.” “Ratted us out, Boss. Told the fuzz we were moving hop and the fuzz confiscated five kilograms of smoke.” “Why’d he rat on us?” “We didn’t pay him what he wanted.” Archer looked away, trying to think of a way out of this. “Boss, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Darik asked. “Yes. Why?” “Well, every time we’ve asked about killin’ someone you look, well, a bit pale. Like you don’t have the stomach for it anymore.” “Don’t kill ‘im. Just..remind him he doesn’t want to cross me again. We may need him sometime in the future and he won’t be much use dead.” “What if he talks, Boss?” “Put the fear of Go..scare him a whole lot so he doesn’t do it again, but don’t kill him, got it, Darik?” Darik’s frown spoke of his disapproval with Archer’s decision, but he replied, “Yeah, Boss,” and walked away. Archer let out a slow breath as soon as Darik was out of earshot. “Of all the roles you’ve fallen into, I’d say you aren’t handling this one very well, sir,” Nathan commented. “Oh thanks.” Archer said. “What I mean is you don’t look like you have the stomach for filling this Haeri Two Scar guy’s shoes, sir.” “I’m just filling them long enough for you to get that damned communicator fixed and get us out of here, Nathan. Hurry. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. And after tonight, we really need to be out of here.” “Why? What are you going to do?” “Just hurry, Nathan. I’m going to break my rule about interfering with alien cultures today.” Nathan got up and went back into the house. Archer slumped down on the bench, resting his head on the back of the bench. He looked up through the leaves of the trees above him, wondering where up there was his ship and crew. Archer closed his eyes, fighting back the wave of homesickness. # Hoshi watched Jacque bind her wrists to the arms of a chair. Jacque made sure the wire was tight and cutting into Hoshi’s skin before walking away. Hoshi looked down when four bright lights was switched on around her. “Hoshi, is it?” she heard a man ask. Hoshi said nothing. “Answer me,” the man hissed, a hand coming out from behind the light and grabbing Hoshi’s chin in a vice grip. Hoshi clamped her jaw tighter. The man’s hand snapped away, his nails scratching Hoshi’s chin. “So you work for Haeri Two Scars. That could prove profitable.” “His name is not Haeri Two Scars,” Hoshi growled. “So I’ve been told. Changed it to Jonathan Archer. At least he’s getting original.” Hoshi looked down at her arms. She tried to flatten her wrists against the arms of the chair to keep the wire from cutting into her skin any further. “Cuts hurt?” the man asked. “I could tend to them if you told me what I wanted to know, Hoshi.” Hoshi closed her eyes. She heard someone move behind the light and then a chair was sat down in front of her. There was a soft swish of cloth and then a moment of silence. “Interesting piece of hardware. Is this standard for Tribual spies?” Hoshi looked up. His appearance said the man sitting in front of her was Malcolm, but her friend Malcolm wouldn’t do this to her. She guessed that, like Orela and Jacque, he was another twin on this planet. He was dressed in army-type fatigues and had a goatee that was neatly trimmed and combed. On his belt, resting against his right hip, was a holstered handgun, it’s black matte metal reflecting the bright lights around them with a dull glow. He held up Hoshi’s communicator. The man leaned forward, meeting Hoshi’s eyes when she looked up at him. “How did they find you? I’ve heard the saying everyone has a twin, but the chances of finding one that looks identical to Orela and speaks the same language is amazing. Perhaps there’s more to the Tribual government than even their most trusted know?” Hoshi didn’t answer him. Malcolm sat back, turning the communicator over. He looked up at Hoshi. “Do you think if I activated it someone would be waiting for you?” A chilling smile began to creep across the man’s lips Hoshi looked down at the silver communicator in his hand. “We did figure out how to activate the device so let’s test my theory, shall we?” He flipped it open and Hoshi’s heart leapt. Her hope fought horror that someone on Enterprise would try to communicate with her now that it was active again. “Interesting device. How does it work, Hoshi?” “You have someone that belongs to me,” Trip’s voice said across the communicator. Malcolm’s twin winked at Hoshi before replying. “And you would be?” he asked Trip. “Someone who wants his friend back,” Trip snarled. “Who are you?” “Oh. We went from someone who belongs to you to your friend. Which is it?” Malcolm’s twin watched Hoshi closely. “Both and neither,” Trip came back. The twin Malcolm stood, pulled his side arm from the holster on his hip, cocked it and shot past Hoshi. She let out a yelp, cringing at the loud explosion. “That was a warning shot. The next one goes right between her eyes.” He pressed the end of the gun barrel against Hoshi’s forehead between her eyes. “So let’s not be too stubborn about this, shall we?” Hoshi closed her breath, having to mentally remind herself to breath instead of hold her breath. Trip didn’t reply right away. “What do you want?” Trip asked. “Who are you?” There was a pause. “Trip,” Trip replied. “Trip what?” “That’s not really important.” “Do you know who you’re talking to?” “No. But I bet you’re gonna to tell me.” “Admiral Luc Vignand, and I am not a patient man. Would you like to hear something?” Trip didn’t reply. Vignand held the communicator next to the gun barrel as he slowly cocked it until the hammer clicked. Vignand held the communicator back up to his mouth. “What do you think the next sound will be, Trip?” “My name is Charles Tucker. The woman you have is my friend and she works for me. We were at the parade together when everything went to hell and became separated.” “What kind of work do you do, Trip?” “Trade.” “Trade? That’s a risky business during a war.” “Very.” “So why were you and she and the other pretty thing I have with a mob boss that is supposed to dead?” “We weren’t with Haeri Two Scars,” Trip answered. “That isn’t what my employee reported.” “We were watching the parade with everyone else.” “My patience is spent,” Vignand looked down at Hoshi. “Bid Hoshi farewell.” “WAIT!” Trip yelled. “For five seconds.” “What do you want?” “I want to know why you were talking with a dead man, I want to know where this device we’re talking on came from, and I want to know who you really are.” There was a long pause. “Time’s up!” Vignand said. “He escaped the bombing,” Trip lied, “I helped him escape the bombing. My employees and me were paid a lot to do it. I don’t know by who. I have a communications genius that works with me. He invented the communicator. And I work for the highest bidder. My real name is Trip Tucker and I run a trade business.” Vignand smiled, but it was cold and heartless. “Well, Mr. Tucker, we have something for trade. I want the schematics on this communicator; you want your lovely ladies. Are you up for a trade?” Trip hesitated. “Yes.” “Good. Meet us in the deli on Yardken. You will find someone who looks just like Hoshi and she will take the schematics.” “No deal.” “You’re bartering with a gun to your employees head? How brass!” “You will bring Hoshi and Elizabeth. If I don’t see them in the deli when I walk in, I’ll light up the deli.” “And kill you employees?” “I have no love for either side, but if you think you’re going to hang this over my head and that I’m going to trust you, think again. I have information on you, Admiral Vignand. And I’ve already faked one man’s death and brought him back to life. I can make yours real.” Vignand smiled. “You have style, Kolin.” “Mr. Tucker to you,” Trip growled. “I can agree to your conditions, Mr. Tucker. The women will be there when you arrive. One o’clock. Don’t be late.” Vignand snapped the communicator close. Hoshi leaned back when Vignand leaned close to her, meeting her terrified gaze. “You’re employer pissed me off. If you pray, now would be the time to start saying penance.” Vignand’s smile was cold and heartless. “But I don’t want you to think I’m completely unfeeling,” He grabbed her chin and pressed his lips against Hoshi’s. Hoshi yanked her head away as soon as his grip relaxed, glare askance at him. “Burn in hell,” Hoshi hissed, “You’re no match for him.” “We’ll see,” Vignand turned and disappeared into the darkness. Jacque appeared and cut the wire. She grabbed Hoshi’s arm and pulled her up, leading her out of the bright-lit area. Hoshi stumbled in her momentarily blindness, sensing she was being led into a room. She felt a handcuff snap around her wrist and then Jacque was gone. Hoshi closed her eyes tight to let them adjust to the low light she was in. “What happened?” Hoshi heard Elizabeth ask. Hoshi opened her eyes. She was in a room with no windows and a single high light bulb that shed very little light. Hoshi looked across the room finding Elizabeth sitting on a bed with her one wrist handcuffed to the headboard. Hoshi looked down at her wrist. She was handcuffed in the same manner. “This General Vignand out there contacted Trip. Trip arranged a meeting. Us in exchange for schematics on the communicators.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “He’s exchanging schematics?” “Yes.” “I see. Well, at least I’ll get to see my husband Malcolm.” Hoshi’s brown furrowed. “What?” Elizabeth shook her head, looking down. Hoshi suddenly realized why Elizabeth had said that. She was testing to see if she was herself or Orela. “But Vardee would have a problem with that, don’t you think?” Hoshi asked Elizabeth. She smiled, “I’m anxious to see Porthos. Do you think Navta ignored the captain and gave him cheese anyway? Doctor Phlox told him not to but he always does.” Elizabeth smiled at Hoshi. “It is you!” Hoshi nodded. The door was thrown open and Jacque came in with trays of food. Elizabeth and Hoshi watched her drop the trays on the chairs next to the beds. “What is that supposed to be?” Elizabeth asked. “You’re last meal. Enjoy,” Jacque replied, walking back out of the room. Hoshi and Elizabeth looked at each other. “I can’t wait to get a dish of French vanilla with fudge syrup,” Elizabeth said. “I second that choice.” Hoshi looked down at the food. |
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