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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 20:43:30 -0500
Subject: [ASCEM-S] NEW: 4/8 A Slight Case of Blackmail (DS9-G/B-NC17)
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Title:   A Slight Case of Blackmail
Author:  Kathryn Ramage
Series:  DS9
Codes:   G/B  
Rating:  NC17 
Part:    4/8

See Part 1 for summary, disclaimer, etc.

|~*~|

Once the last of the injured had been taken care of, Bashir went 
out onto the Promenade to search of Commander Sisko.  He found the 
commander on the upper level, showing a group of vedeks the worm- 
hole, and dashed upstairs.  

Sisko had only to take one look at the flushed and breathless 
young man, and he left the group at the window.

"What's happened?" he whispered as he took Bashir by the arm to 
lead him a discreet distance away.
  
"It's Dukat, sir!  He was just in the Infirmary."

"Where was Odo?"

"Odo?"

"I asked him to keep an eye on you."  Sisko quickly located the 
Constable on the lower level, looking up at them with open 
puzzlement.

"Oh."  The doctor turned to follow his gaze.  "Odo was busy 
with the protestors.  He might not have seen Dukat, or 
if he did, he probably didn't observe anything to worry him.  
Gul Dukat was requesting medical attention.  He had a cut on 
his hand.  A superficial injury--I wouldn't be surprised if 
he did it deliberately as an excuse to come and see me."

"So you think he was 'sniffing around'?"

Bashir gave him a small, nervous smile.  "You should have heard 
some of the things he said: 'You know just how to handle us 
Cardassians'.  I was afraid that if my nurses hadn't been right 
there, he would've thrown me across the nearest biobed and had his 
way with me."

Sisko scowled.  "I _knew_ I shouldn't have let you do this!  I 
can't watch over you all the time."

"You shouldn't have to, sir.  I'll be safe enough as long as I'm 
out in public--in the Infirmary, Quark's, anywhere here on the 
Promenade.  I doubt even Dukat would dare to make an obvious move 
when dozens of people can see him."

"Probably," he agreed reluctantly, "but it'd be better if you're 
not alone at night."

Julian grinned.  "I'm certain Garak will see to that."

"That's not what I meant," the commander answered quickly, a 
little embarrassed.  While he was able to cope with the fact that 
his doctor and the Cardassian were lovers, the last thing he 
wanted to be reminded of was that video scene he had witnessed.  
"I want you where I know you'll be safe.  Why don't you come and 
stay with me until this conference is over?  I can put you up in 
Jake's room."  Jake was visiting his grandfather on Earth and 
wouldn't be back for more than a week.  "If Dukat has any ideas 
about following up with you in private, it won't occur to him to 
look for you there."

~*~

Julian acceded to the commander's wishes and spent an uneventful 
night in Jake's room.  He had no chance to speak to Garak that 
evening about moving to more protected quarters, but when he told 
him about it over lunch the next day, Julian was surprised; the 
tailor grudgingly accepted the move as a reasonable precaution.  
Even more surprising was Garak's lack of response to the identity 
of their supposed blackmailer. 

"You haven't confronted Dukat over this, have you?" he asked once 
he'd heard the entire story of Bashir's encounter with the Gul.

"Uh- no."

"Don't.  Not yet."

"Why?"  Julian puzzled over this tepid reaction to his news; he 
had expected Garak to be furious when he learned that Dukat was 
responsible.  Unless... "Don't you think Dukat's the one?"

"He may be, or he may not," the tailor replied.  "We don't want to 
act precipitously, and thwart our investigation before we even 
begin.  If I may say, dear Doctor, you are inclined to jump to the 
wrong conclusion far too often."

"Well, what else can I conclude?  Dukat's never paid the slightest 
attention to me before and suddenly, there he is, crowding me into 
corners, making suggestive remarks about my `experience'.  He 
visits DS9 more regularly than any other Cardassian, which gives 
him plenty of opportunities to spy on us.  Plus, he's one of your 
worst enemies, or so I've been led to believe." 

"Yes," Garak agreed, "but those same points can also explain why 
Dukat might seek you out even if he knows nothing about that video 
file.  He knows that we are friends and certainly suspects we 
are...more.  If he believes he can strike at me through you, he 
wouldn't hesitate to do it.  Dukat is one of our primary suspects, 
but there are many others. You mustn't forget them because of this 
one incident.  How many of our Cardassian visitors have you met?"

"Not many," Bashir admitted.  "I'm not really involved in the 
conference proceedings.  I expect I'll have a chance to meet more 
of them tonight at the reception."  

"Then what harm can it do to wait and see what happens tonight?"  

"None, I suppose."

Garak's gaze flickered; his eyes left Bashir's to look over the 
doctor's shoulder.  Julian turned in his chair to see a Cardassian 
male in civilian clothes advancing toward their table, smiling 
broadly.

"I wondered if he'd dare to acknowledge my existence here," 
Garak murmured, then raised his voice as the other Cardassian 
approached:  "Pridem, this _is_ a surprise!"

"Elim!" came the cheerful reply.  "I've been looking all over 
for you since I arrived.  It's good to see you again, even under 
_these_ circumstances.  Do you know how alarmed I was when I 
learned that you'd been sent to Terek Nor?  Exile among the 
Bajorans?  Outright execution would have been more merciful."

"And yet you said nothing."

"What good would it have done for me to speak out?  It wouldn't 
have saved _you_, dear Elim, and almost certainly would have been 
the ruin of my career as well.  Surely you can see that?"

"Yes, I see. It's exactly what I would have done in your place."

"But I'm relieved to find that your punishment hasn't been as 
awful as I had imagined."  He glanced at Bashir.  "Aren't you 
going to introduce me to your...interesting companion?"

"Certainly.  Pridem, this is Dr. Julian Bashir, Deep Space Nine's 
medical officer.  Doctor, Pridem Amat is one my oldest and dearest 
friends."

"How do you do?"  Bashir extended a hand, palm outward in the 
gesture of formal Cardassian greeting that Garak had taught him.  

Instead of pressing a palm to his, however, Amat took his hand 
and gave it a brief squeeze.  "What a great pleasure to meet you, 
Doctor."  His fingers trailed over the back of Bashir's hand in 
what felt like a deliberate caress; Julian pulled away, startled 
and perplexed.  Had he been wrong about Dukat after all?

"I have a meeting I must attend, but I hope to see more of you 
while I'm here," Amat continued smoothly.  "And you too, of 
course, Elim.  You must tell me everything you've been up to."

After Amat had gone, Bashir leaned on the table and hissed, "Could 
it be him?" 

"What makes you think so?" Garak asked back.

"He seemed to know we were lovers."

"In this case, it's a natural assumption."

Julian understood.  "You mean, he knows you that- um- well?  You, 
and he-?"

"It was a long time ago," the tailor answered simply.  "You have 
no reason to be jealous.  Pridem Amat is nothing to me now."

"I'm not jealous," Bashir responded, "but maybe you ought to be.  
Didn't you notice the way he touched my hand?"

"I noticed."

"He _was_ flirting, wasn't he?"

"Oh, yes," Garak confirmed.  "He probably intends to make me an 
offer-"

"Make _you_ an offer-?"  

"Since we're old friends, Amat would consider it only proper to 
speak to me first, to come to some arrangement about sharing you 
during his visit."  He smiled as the doctor's eyes went wide.  
"Don't worry--I'll tell him that I wouldn't dream of it.  I happen 
to be very selfish about my human."

"I'm glad to hear it," Bashir replied dryly.  "And how far does 
that selfishness go, Elim?  Are you going to be at the reception 
tonight to see if anyone else makes a play for me?"

"I wasn't invited," said Garak.  "However, I'm sure that Commander 
Sisko wouldn't object if I were to make an appearance.  Do you 
really think I'd leave you alone at so crucial a time?"


|~to be cont'd...~|


Kathryn Ramage                           kramage@erols.com
/~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~/ 
"It's about Garak...I'm afraid this relationship has gotten 
a little out of hand."
                                - Dr. Bashir, Past Prologue



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 
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