Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 31 (d)

The sound of feet running away could be heard. Volks was still looking in shock at the debris on the floor when he thought he'd be seeing the crumpled body of the girl Orion.

"She's safe," said Marshal Cole. He was trying to rise but his arms were shaking. "Probably holed up somewhere."

"Yeah," replied Volks. He looked over to see Diaz running down a side corridor.

"If he could apparate, he'd probably have done so," Cole observed. "He's trapped in Central Plaza."

"He's a danger wherever he is," said Volks grimly.

"Be careful," Cole said.

"I'll do what I need to do to save the ship," replied Volks.

Cole gave a slight nod of his head. It was all that needed to be said. Volks acknowledged with an even slighter nod and then dashed off.

The corridor that Diaz had run down had no exit out of Central Plaza not even for crew. Since the state of emergency and the fire repairs, access to the three decks was limited to allow the carbon scrubbers to effectively clean the air and not contaminate the ship. Entrance and exit to the recreation area had been restricted to the first deck center corridor which was usually called downtown as it extended the full length of the ship. The port and starboard corridors remained closed. The only place the side corridor ran to was... the lifeboats. Damn. Volks picked up the pace in his pursuit of Diaz.

He tapped his comm for an open channel of his headset. "This is Volks to the captain. I'm in pursuit of Roberto Diaz down Gold Corridor 15."

"What the hell is happening down there?" Captain Cutler shouted from the bridge. The sound of many voices talking could be heard in the background and made him wince as it sounded in earpiece. "Most of the cameras are shorted out."

"Probably some sort of psi energy burning them out, Captain," replied. "The marshal is injured near the pressure doors. I saw Miguel and the suspect Goroshenko down as well before the doors closed."

"Miguel is being attended to," the captain answered. "Someone will be with Cole in a minute,"

Volks slowed his pace. The corridor was at night lighting setting. He shook his head thinking how the last thing he thought he'd be doing was chasing someone down dark corridor. A word to the bridge and the lights could be put at day settings. He dismissed that because from what he had seen from Diaz, it was better to be in the dark.

"Where was the security team on this side of the pressure doors?" asked Volks. "We were in one hell of a firefight."

"Two of your security team have gunshot wounds," said Cutler. "They were trying to reach you."

It was a gut punch for Volks and the air went out of his lungs. Diaz hadn't been randomly firing. When he and Boz were were prone on the floor, the shots whizzing over their heads were likely aimed at his team trying to rescue him. Volks stopped and slowed his breathing, feeling dizzy.

"He no longer has the gun," said Volks. "It is lying in Centre Plaza, a smoking ruin. But this man is even more dangerous with his psi powers. He can't be allowed to do more harm."

"Chief, this is Commander Chung. We're blind here. Cameras and internal sensors just went offline," said Chung who sounded like she was on the bridge. Various alarms and voices were going off in the background. "Some kind of surge."

"Psi energy from the suspect and the girl Orion," whispered Volks. He was no longer moving swiftly. His pace was measured and he scanned ahead left and right with his weapon. He reached the junction for the port corridor. The big pressure doors were closed on the right. The doors on the left were section doors leading to the service areas for Central Plaza as well conference and meeting rooms. It was quiet and dark. Nighttime light settings made it difficult to see further ahead. "Are there any other malfunctions in this section?"

"Lighting and doors are shielded from EM fields," said Chung. "However, it appears some of them appear jammed because of a concussive force."

"That would be the suspect and kid as well," answered Volks, his voice low. "How long is back-up?"

Captain Cutler's voice cut in. "About 10 minutes. A detail is coming to the starboard pressure doors now."

Volks frowned and looked at port pressure doors. He'd hoped for his team to join him here. "No chance Champion meeting me at the port doors?"

There was a sound of conversation muffled in the background: alarms and shouting. "Your deputy is having security issues of his own on the other side of the bulkhead."

The sound of something crashing farther down the darkened corridor made him crouch low. That and the news that Champion was up against something as well made him more determined. The ship was in danger and waiting any longer wasn't going to make it less so.

"Captain, this suspect poses a real danger to the safety of the whole ship," Volks said with quiet urgency. "If there are any security cameras telling what lays ahead now would be the time to tell me."

"They're all out, Gunter," replied the captain. "If you could wait, we could have back up and maybe video."

Volks shook his head to himself. "No time, Captain," he said. He began to walk on cat feet at a steady pace beyond the port juncture. "I don't like where this suspect is headed to. He must be near the lifeboat and emergency corridor hatch."

"Hold your position then. We can seal him off outside those doors," said Cutler. "Wait till the team arrives and we can flush him out."

"He could launch a lifeboat if he gets inside," whispered Volks as he continued walking in the dim corridor.

"Dear God. He wouldn't," Cutler gasped. "It would rip the ship apart at this speed. Could he get past the hatch?"

"The power we've seen..." began Volks, "anything is possible. We can't take a chance."

Distant sounds at the end of the corridor could be heard. Volks hugged the wall.

"This Commander Chung, chief," said the first officer in his ear. "We have someone trying to access the hatch controls of the end of your corridor."

"How many large airlocks are there in lifeboat corridor?" asked Volks desperately.

Commander Chung hesitated and responded. "There are four large ones, six smaller service ones. They are roughly between each of the lifeboat alcoves."

"Quickly open the inner doors on all large airlocks," said Volks. "Leave the smaller locks alone. Disable opening alarms for doors. Prepare to shut all but every third light in that compartment. Set random steam purge and trigger emergency strobes."

"Initiating now," said Chung. "Inner doors now open, lights cut by two thirds. No alarms. Purge and strobe begin now."

"What are you thinking, chief?" Captain Cutler questioned.

"I'm going to drive the suspect into one of the airlocks," said Volks.

"What?" asked the captain incredulously.

"Chief," the captain began to say. "The outer locks only open if the inner locks are closed."

"Except in case of fire," said Volks. "They they both open same time. We'll only get the one chance. Promise me, Captain."