She awoke the next morning to the sound of the TV. The news was on, and on it they were showing the best places to stand to observe the President’s motorcade on Friday. The newsman spoke, “The President’s motorcade will pass through the downtown area at approximately 2:00 pm. tomorrow.” She came over and sat on the bed next to MacDermott. “I wonder if Eddington is watching this?”, she wondered aloud.
“I’m sure he knows.”, he said. “Two oclock tomorrow, that doesn’t give us much time to find them. Luckily we’re not too far from there. Let’s check out the route., right about here” he says pointing to the TV. “This looks like a good place”
On a knoll overlooking the roadway, they were trying to figure out where the best place to be a sniper would be. “Lt. if you were a sniper where would you be for this.”
“Someplace high. The higher the better. The roof of that building over there would be nice.”, Little did she know she was pointing at the roof of the schoolbook depository.
“No good Lt., The Presidents security detail would have forces on all the roofs”
“Then in one of the windows facing this side.”, she guessed.
“Scan for chronoton particles, Lt., they have to be here somewhere doing the same thing we are.”
The sun was beginning to set on them. “Come on Lt., Let’s get something to eat”.
“Where Sir?”
They approached a building with two arches marking the entrance. “MacDonald’s, Sir, maybe this is a Scottish establishment.” Ito said noticing the similarities between their names.
“I don’t think so Lt.”, he said as they walked inside to the hustle and bustle of the fast-food resturant.
“May I help you?”, said the young person behind the counter.
Duncan, who was confused could only say, “Ah, what do you recommend?”
“Man, all we got is hamburgers and fries.”, the kid said thinking: Where is this guy from?
“Ok two hamburgers and two fries.”,
“Do you want a soda?”, the kid said.
“Ah, sure. two of those too.”, Duncan said not quite sure what a soda was.
“That’ll be three dollars and twenty five cents, Man”
Duncan hands the kid a five dollar bill. With their food on a tray, Duncan and Ito head for one of the tables and sat down.
“Sir, let me scan this food first, It doesn’t look very good for us.”
“Very well Lt. Do it descreetly.”
Ito took her tricorder out and held it near the Big Mac in front of her, then the Fries. A few seconds later the beeping stopped. “Sir, there are high levels of chloresterol in both the hamburger and the fries, also high levels of sodium, and both are very high in calories. This stuff could kill us. Sir.”
“Well Lt., These people aren’t dying and I’m starving, so Bon Apatite`”, the Capt. said as he began devouring his hamburger.
Ito sighed and said, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em and began to eat her food also.”
They were just finishing their lunch when Ito almost jumped out of her seat. “Sir, Look!”, she had said too loudly. Just outside the window passed Maquis leader Micheal Eddington.
“Let’s go Lt.”,
They followed Eddington discreetly for blocks. They followed him to the Schoolbook Depository. They watched him go inside, outside they stopped to form a plan of attack. “Ok, Lt. Any ideas on how to proceed?”
“Well, it does appear as if we have suprise on our side for the moment. If come use a two pronged approach maybe we can catch them between us.”
“Good idea, Lt. I’ll come around from the rear you, proceed from here. When I’m in position I’ll beep your communicator.”
“Aye Sir”, she said.
Five minutes later Ito’s comm badge beeped. She drew her phaser and moved in. Stepping through the door slowly, she was in a long hallway. Moving slowly down the hall checking everything for a trap, she was about half way down the hall when she heard something on her left. She turned toward the sound, thinking it was MacDermott, she felt the cool tip of a phaser emitter against her temple. Damn, she thought as she raised her hands in defeat.
As MacDermott was making his way through the building, he saw some movement at the end of the hall. “Damn”, he said quietly as he focused on what happened.
“Who are you?”, Eddington demanded noticing the phaser.
“Lt. Ito, Security U.S.S Missouri.”
“Missouri, That’s MacDermott’s ship. Is he here?”, he wanted to know.
“No. I was sent back alone. We didn’t want to upset the timeline any more than we had to.”, she lied.
“Bull, MACDERMOTT SHOW YOURSELF”, he shouted. “I’LL KILL HER. I KNOW YOU CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT ONE OF YOUR CREW TO LET ONE OF THEM DIE FOR NO REASON. YOU’VE GOT TEN SECONDS TO COME OUT OR SHE DIES.”
MacDermott was working around behind Eddington while he was ranting. He was just about to jump him when, he turned a corner and came face to face with another Starfleet officer turned Maquis Rebel. Ro Laren. “Hand it over.” she commanded.
They walked up to Ito and Eddington. “Eddington you don’t want to do this. It won’t work. If you’ve read the Kirk’s logs and Sisco’s reports, you’ll know that living under the control of the ISS is worst than this treaty could ever be.”, Duncan tried weaving logic into something that Eddington would understand.
“It will work. All I have to do after this is go back in time to before the ISS is founded and kill the people responsible for that. The government of the time will remain. It was a peaceful government. We will have our settlements and our peace.”, Eddington preached.
“What makes you think you can get close enough to the founders of the ISS?”
“Can’t be that hard.”, Eddingtion said.
Duncan felt Laren’s grip on him loosen a little. Eddington still had the phaser on Ito so he had to do whatever he was going to do quickly before he had time to react. He started to cough. Loudly, doubling him over. He finished convulsing and stood back straight. He hoped that Ito figured out what he wanted her to do. He looked into Ito’s eyes, they had a sparkle, she knew.
He started to cough again, louder than the last time. Then suddenly, he threw his head back as hard as he could. Laren was caught completely off guard. The back of MacDermott’s head hit her square in the nose, breaking it. She was bent over in pain.
Just as MacDermott started to throw this head back, Ito simutaneously drove her elbow into Eddington’s stomach and brought her heel down and the arch of his foot.
MacDermott spun and brought his knee up into the Laren’s already broken nose. This put her on the floor unconscience.
Eddington recovered enough to bring his phaser up at MacDermott. Ito kicked the weapon out of his hand. The phaser slid across the tile floor under a heating radiator. MacDermott and Eddington were struggling. While they were rolling around on the floor, Ito made her way to Laren’s body, Laren was moving for her phaser. Ito was too late. A bright light filled the hallway and then Ito’s vision went black.......
MacDermott woke up, his first thought was to make sure Ito was alright. She was laying across the hall. She was also beginning to wake up.
“Oh, my.”, MacDermott growled. “I hate being stunned”
Ito moaned, “Where are they?”
“Who know’s Lt. They’ll be back. This must be the location the sniper uses tomorrow.”
“Captain you’re hurt”, Ito exclaimed noticing the blood in MacDermott’s hair.
Reaching back, feeling the bump on the back of his head, MacDermott remembered what happened. “Bajoran heads are harder that ours”.
“I’ll remember that, Sir”, she said ripping off part of her jacket lining to give him as a bandage.
“Thank you, Lt.”, holding the bandage to his sore head.
She said softly, “Please, you can call me Melora, Captain.”
“Well Melora, I think we should get out of here until tomorrow. They left the Schoolbook Depository and went back the room they had rented.
Once back in their room. Melora tended to MacDermott’s wound. It was not serious. As Duncan sat there contemplating their situation he couldn’t help noticing the touch of this woman, his personal bodyguard, her soft hands, her gentle touch. He asked himself, How did she get this job?. He would have to ask T’Gerran about that if, not if but when, they got out of this. He was beginning to doubt himself. That was not a good feeling he thought.
“All finished, Sir”, she said.
“Melora, I think for the remainder of this mission, I think we should dispense with the formalities of rank.”, Duncan said.
“Yes Si...Duncan”, she responded.
The Capt. thought for a minute and said, “Yes, that’s better, Melora”.
“We should probably get some rest. It’s going to be a busy day, tomorrow.”
“You’re right.”, Duncan rolled over and tried to sleep, but he couldn’t help thinking about the woman laying in the next bed. He did not want to get emotionally involved with someone under his command. He figured it was just the amount of time they had spent together and the stress they were under.