most serious look of authority, aiming his finger at all of their faces. "All of you turn around and put your hands behind your backs."
Vic stared back at him but did not move, "What's the charge?"
"Breaking and entering into a police station. Trying to intimidate a public official! Tampering with the custody of a prisoner. Kidnapping!"
"Tell you what," Vic said. He unsnapped a small metallic card from the back of his badge and passed it to the Sergeant. It had his name, rank and serial number. In small letters printed across the bottom, it read: Please forward all comments, questions or concerns to General L. Milner, Unification Operations. "You go ahead and file a complaint with him if you want. He's probably getting concerned because it's been three whole days and he hasn't gotten any new ones. Must think we're on vacation or something." He leaned back to see the cell area. "How we making out, Bob?"
"Just another minute."
"Sooner the better."
"They've got an old system, Captain. D oing the best I can. Unless you want Monster to come punch a hole through the wall."
"Sounds good to me," the Mantipor said just before lumbering down the corridor to the cells, out of their sight.
Vic sighed and looked back at the last man, "Don't let them break anything."
Lieutenant Frank Kelly had a black medical bag strapped across his chest, a red cross stitched across its front was barely visible in the light. "I'll see what I can do."
Moments later, Pern heard something smash from the rear of the station and the Cryndian's microphone suddenly came back on. "I'm staying right here! You heard the Sergeant. I'm in his custody."
"Get off your fins, you slippery piece of trash. You double-crossed us, and you're lucky we don't drag you out back and shoot you."
The Mantipor snarled, "I'm getting hungry. It's been awhile since I ate some fish."
Something else broke and the lights in the office flickered, a sudden drain on the station's power supply. "What are they doing to my station?"
"Nothing too bad, I hope," Vic said, looking up at the ceiling. "Hey, I said not to break anything!"
"The door's open, Captain," Buehl shouted back. "This knucklehead won't come out, though."
"Get out or I'm going to put a hook through your face and drag you out," Monster growled.
"Let go of me!" the Cryndian cried out. "Stop! I'm dried out from these hot lights, you'll −" S'bal's voice broke into a horrific shriek, all of his gills now wide open and singing in agony.
S ergeant Pern pushed past Vic to get back to the cellblock and reared back suddenly, his face twisting in disbelief.
Captain Cojo came up behind him and stopped short at the sight of the mewling Cryndian being held up by two of his men, while Monster looked down at the Cryndian's severed arm in his paws. He looked up at Vic, his snout twisted in shame and said, "It just snapped off, Captain. All I did was give it a little pull."
Vic lowered his head into his hand, "Just get the prisoner. That's all I said to do."
"It's not my fault," Monster said.
Vic looked at his Lieutenant, "Can you fix it?"
Frank paused long enough to reveal his real answer, but then he nodded and said, "Sure. No problem. It's first year medical school stuff."
" Well, let's get him on the ship then. I think the sooner we leave the good Sergeant to his duties, the better."
Buehl looked up at the ceiling with concern and said, "Looks like they've got this whole place wired for video and audio, Cap."
"Not surprising," Vic said.
Buehl looked over his tablet at Pern, "Is it a two-two-four surveillance system?"
Sergeant Pern stared dumbly at the Mantipor as he carried the twitching severed arm past him. "I think so," he finally managed.
Buehl raised his tablet and punched in a few keys, typing until he heard a corresponding series of beeps. The surveillance console on Pern's desk popped and showered the floor with sparks inside
Vic stared back at him but did not move, "What's the charge?"
"Breaking and entering into a police station. Trying to intimidate a public official! Tampering with the custody of a prisoner. Kidnapping!"
"Tell you what," Vic said. He unsnapped a small metallic card from the back of his badge and passed it to the Sergeant. It had his name, rank and serial number. In small letters printed across the bottom, it read: Please forward all comments, questions or concerns to General L. Milner, Unification Operations. "You go ahead and file a complaint with him if you want. He's probably getting concerned because it's been three whole days and he hasn't gotten any new ones. Must think we're on vacation or something." He leaned back to see the cell area. "How we making out, Bob?"
"Just another minute."
"Sooner the better."
"They've got an old system, Captain. D oing the best I can. Unless you want Monster to come punch a hole through the wall."
"Sounds good to me," the Mantipor said just before lumbering down the corridor to the cells, out of their sight.
Vic sighed and looked back at the last man, "Don't let them break anything."
Lieutenant Frank Kelly had a black medical bag strapped across his chest, a red cross stitched across its front was barely visible in the light. "I'll see what I can do."
Moments later, Pern heard something smash from the rear of the station and the Cryndian's microphone suddenly came back on. "I'm staying right here! You heard the Sergeant. I'm in his custody."
"Get off your fins, you slippery piece of trash. You double-crossed us, and you're lucky we don't drag you out back and shoot you."
The Mantipor snarled, "I'm getting hungry. It's been awhile since I ate some fish."
Something else broke and the lights in the office flickered, a sudden drain on the station's power supply. "What are they doing to my station?"
"Nothing too bad, I hope," Vic said, looking up at the ceiling. "Hey, I said not to break anything!"
"The door's open, Captain," Buehl shouted back. "This knucklehead won't come out, though."
"Get out or I'm going to put a hook through your face and drag you out," Monster growled.
"Let go of me!" the Cryndian cried out. "Stop! I'm dried out from these hot lights, you'll −" S'bal's voice broke into a horrific shriek, all of his gills now wide open and singing in agony.
S ergeant Pern pushed past Vic to get back to the cellblock and reared back suddenly, his face twisting in disbelief.
Captain Cojo came up behind him and stopped short at the sight of the mewling Cryndian being held up by two of his men, while Monster looked down at the Cryndian's severed arm in his paws. He looked up at Vic, his snout twisted in shame and said, "It just snapped off, Captain. All I did was give it a little pull."
Vic lowered his head into his hand, "Just get the prisoner. That's all I said to do."
"It's not my fault," Monster said.
Vic looked at his Lieutenant, "Can you fix it?"
Frank paused long enough to reveal his real answer, but then he nodded and said, "Sure. No problem. It's first year medical school stuff."
" Well, let's get him on the ship then. I think the sooner we leave the good Sergeant to his duties, the better."
Buehl looked up at the ceiling with concern and said, "Looks like they've got this whole place wired for video and audio, Cap."
"Not surprising," Vic said.
Buehl looked over his tablet at Pern, "Is it a two-two-four surveillance system?"
Sergeant Pern stared dumbly at the Mantipor as he carried the twitching severed arm past him. "I think so," he finally managed.
Buehl raised his tablet and punched in a few keys, typing until he heard a corresponding series of beeps. The surveillance console on Pern's desk popped and showered the floor with sparks inside
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