He really needed to stop going on missions with Sheppard's team.
Weapons fire flew past his ear as he ran towards the gate; he saw McKay duck as the bullets hit the tree next to the scientist. Lorne twisted around to fire back at their attackers, letting out a short burst from his P-90 before he stumbled on a root. Sergeant Wilks grabbed his tac vest and steadied him before firing his own gun.
"Adler!" Lorne yelled into his radio, "We're under fire, dial the gate!"
"Yes sir". Came the reply.
Doctor Michaels, an archaeologist, had remained at the gate to study some of the ruins there, the Staff Sergeant Adler had stayed with him, whilst Lorne and Wilks went with Colonel Sheppard and his team to search for an anomalous energy reading. Unfortunately, the artefact emitting the reading came with a village of protective natives. Hence the running.
A mixture of weapons were being fired at them. Not only were bullets flying past their heads, but the villagers also had energy weapons similar to Ronon's, which made a horrid screaming noise as they went past.
They burst into the clearing where the gate was situated, Adler and Michaels were waiting by the gate, Adler crouched by the DHD with his weapon ready. McKay, Wilks and Teyla reached the gate first, Wilks grabbing Michaels by the front of his tac vest and dragging him through as he passed.
Ronon was at the gate when he took a bullet in the shoulder, the force of the impact sending him spinning through the event horizon. Sheppard had been slightly behind Ronon and had turned when his teammate had been hit, bringing his gun upwards. He was hit in the chest by an energy weapon, collapsing on the steps leading to the gate.
Lorne swore loudly as he saw Adler get hit as well, hitting the ground half way between the DHD and the gate. He changed course to grab Adler, firing behind him as he went. He yelled as a bullet sliced across the top of his shoulder, and then he collapsed as an energy weapon hit him in the back, sending him into darkness.
…………………………………………….
Lorne groaned quietly as he came too. A combination of the predicament he found himself in (again), the pain coming from various places across his body and the strange pins-and-needles feeling he had all over his body.
He really needed to stop going on missions with Sheppard and his team.
He was currently lying on a stone floor with his eyes closed. He had been stripped to the waist, his shoes and socks had also been removed and he was missing his tac vest, thigh holster and the knife that he kept strapped to his ankle. Apart from the gunshot wound across his shoulder, his back felt like one huge bruise and he could feel small abrasions across his face and chest.
He also had a metal collar around his neck, which was worrying.
Lorne cracked open his eyelids. He was in a stone cell, about 10 feet square, light was filtering in through a small window, covered in metal bars, at the top of the cell. Lorne was lying alongside the wall opposite the heavy looking wooden door; two figures were sitting by the other sides of the cell. He swore quietly as he turned his head and saw that the collar around his neck was attached to the wall by a thick chain.
"Good morning, Major", Colonel Sheppard's voice came from the figure to his left.
"Sir." Lorne looked towards the other figure. "Sergeant?"
"Yes sir" Adler's German accented tones echoed slightly in the small space. "How are you feeling sir?"
"Weird and sore. Ow!" Lorne gasped as he tried to sit up and pulled at the wound on his shoulder. "What happened?"
Sheppard frowned at him, "We're not exactly sure, we woke up in here. Don't worry, the pins-and-needles feeling should wear off soon. How is your shoulder, looks painful".
"It is." Lorne ground out. "I almost wish the pins-and-needles would stay". Lorne managed to lift himself up and lean against the wall, Sheppard watching him closely. "I'm fine sir, just sore".
The three of them sat in silence for a while, Sheppard and Adler testing the collars around their necks for weaknesses, Lorne sitting with his eyes closed, trying to quell the throbbing that had started in his shoulder and down his bruised back.
His eyes snapped open again as a clicking noise indicated that the door was being unlocked. Sheppard and Adler stood and moved towards the centre of the cell as far as the chains would allow, as the door swung open.
Three men stepped into the cell. All three were dressed in the same manner as the villagers had been, but unlike the villagers, all had stunner weapons at their hips. The first two also had rifle-like weapons pointed at Sheppard and Adler, prompting the two to step back. The third man carried a two flasks and a plate of bread, his rifle was slung over his shoulder. He placed the items on the floor, and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a key.
Sheppard tensed as the man approached Lorne, but he did nothing more than unlock the collar. Lorne rubbed his neck as the man released the other two and the three men backed out of the cell. Adler grabbed the plate and flasks and brought them over to where Sheppard was checking out Lorne's wound.
Adler unscrewed the top of one of the flasks and sniffed the contents, "Water, I think".
Sheppard nodded, his attention on Lorne's shoulder, "I'm not a medic, but this doesn't look too bad. It's stopped bleeding at least. What hit you?"
"A bullet. I saw you both go down, and I tried to grab the Sergeant and got hit in the shoulder. I must have got hit by one of the energy weapons straight after. What about you two, you okay?"
Adler nodded, "Fine sir, just bruised".
Sheppard sat back on his haunches and accepted a flask from Adler. "Same here. I'm going to say that we're in the village that was protecting the Ancient doo-hickey. I'm wondering why they haven't killed us," Sheppard paused as the other two glared at him, "not that them not killing us isn't a good thing, but they were shooting at us earlier".
"I'm sure that whatever the reason is, it won't mean anything good for us. We need to try to get out of here". Lorne took a swig from the flask that Adler passed him, wincing when the movement pulled at his shoulder.
Sheppard stood up and walked towards the door, "I don't think we're going to be able to break out of this room without help." He banged his fist on the door, "Hey! Anyone there? Hello!"
A panel slid open at about head height. The man who had brought in the food and drink peered through. He was a young man, in his early 20s, and looked at each of the three prisoners nervously.
"Hi," said Sheppard brightly, "I'm Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne and Sergeant Adler. Who are you?"
The young man stuttered slightly as he replied, "I am Baros, son of Edwin, brother of the leader of our village".
"Nice to meet you Baros. I was just wondering, why are we here?"
"You do not know?
Sheppard glanced back at Lorne and Adler before shaking his head. "Nope, sorry".
"You are charged with trying to steal the Gift of the Ancestors".
"Ah, I see". Sheppard leant closer to the door, "But we weren't actually trying to steal anything. We just wanted to look at it, study it, learn more about it. We weren't going to take it anywhere".
Baros looked unconvinced, "One of your men attached several things to the Gift".
Sheppard shook his head, "That was Doctor McKay, those things he, attached, were pieces of our technology, they allow us to see inside the, uh, the Gift, without damaging it. Trust me, we would never do anything to hurt your village".
The sceptical look still remained on Baros' face, but he relaxed minutely. "I will take you to see my father and my uncle, they will decide whether you are telling the truth or not, and what to do with you".
Adler helped Lorne to stand and Sheppard stood back as the panel in the door was closed and the door unlocked.
"Sir?" Lorne questioned, he was standing by himself, but his entire torso felt stiff and sore.
"We need to get back to the gate before they send retrieval teams, Major".
The door swung open and Baros stepped inside, his rifle at his side. He gestured for the three of them to exit the cell. Sheppard walked into the corridor outside the cell first, he glanced up and down the corridor before turning back to the young villager.
"Baros, thank you for this opportunity. I'm really sorry I have to do this". Sheppard swung his fist, knocking the man out.
Adler caught Baros and dragged him to a corner of the cell as Sheppard shook his fist, trying to shake off the pain of punching someone out. Adler grabbed Baros' weapons, giving the stunner to Lorne and keeping the rifle for himself. The three of them stepped back into the corridor.
"This way." Said Sheppard, heading left to where a door was visible at the end of the corridor.
Their boots and jackets were just inside the door, their radios, GDOs and PDAs were there as well, although all their weaponry was missing. They slipped on their gear, and Sheppard activated his PDA.
"All clear this way, the Stargate's about a klick to the North. We must be right on the edge of the village".
The Sheppard opened the door to reveal the forest on the outskirts of the village less than 50 yards away. After checking the PDA again, they darted into the trees.
…………………………………………….
An hour later, Lorne was sitting on a bed in Atlantis' infirmary, having his shoulder patched up by Dr Beckett. Colonel Sheppard and Sergeant Adler had been checked out and dismissed already, Adler back to his platoon, and Sheppard to debrief with Dr Weir.
They had managed to get through the forest without incident. There had been two guards at the gate, but the stunner had taken care of them, and Lorne, Sheppard and Adler had arrived back in the city a few minutes before a rescue team had been due to leave. They had been ushered straight into the infirmary by Beckett and his minions.
"There you are Major, you'll be as good as new. But I'm going to keep you in overnight just in case. You and Ronon can keep each other company".
Beckett grinned and gestured at Ronon who was occupying the bed opposite Lorne.
"He's sedated at the moment, he kept trying to leave and join the search team, with a bullet hole in his shoulder". Beckett shook his head and patted Lorne on his good shoulder before walking away.
Lorne sunk into his pillows. He really needed to stop going on missions with Sheppard's team.