I was asked about doing a sequel/prequel... and here it is.
oOo
Unbelievable.. the things people will tell you.
"Never seen him before."
"He's not here."
John, quietly seething, flashed a look across at Ronon.
Ronon… Well, Ronon just about vibrated with anger.
"Why don't we put all this aside, and you can tell us where he is", John's voice was calm and betrayed nothing of what he really felt.
The watery sunshine of the hazy, warm day spilled across the table where the Lanteans stood facing Aldonar, leader of his people. It had taken time - a long time - to get to this man. The people they had talked to were tight lipped, suspicious. Many had said that only Aldonar could speak for them and knew all that went on. A thin, weasel-faced man with strange yellow-glassed spectacles, he peered intently once more at the now dog-eared photo of the missing scientist.
He fixed Sheppard with a bleary stare, "I did not say I had seen your friend."
John planted his hands firmly and leaned slowly across the table, "You didn't have to".
Aldonar's expression hardened, "We don't want any trouble. Your friend was… unlucky. When I saw him he had already drawn the interest of the Faithful."
Aldonar remembered the day the stranger had been pointed out to him in the market square. He was waving some kind of silvery device, cursing and peering at it. Laughing to himself at the off-comer's stupidity, he had watched as the man had scurried away from the crowds and down an alleyway followed by several men wearing the tell-tale black robes of the Faithful. The captain of the guard had made to go after them, but Aldonar had stopped him with a word; what did one less stranger matter? At least the Faithful would be busy with this one for many months...
"Faithful?"
"We cast them out long ago. Religious fanatics… they believe science to be evil and the pursuit of knowledge a blasphemy. The one you seek is lost to you.", and he removed his glasses, with a sad and obviously false, sigh.
The two Lanteans straightened and exchanged determined looks.
"You're going to show us where these 'Faithful' hang out", John said.
Aldonar narrowed his eyes.
"But I told you, he is lo-"
John raised a finger, lightning fast, and snapped, "Not until I say he is. Now, shall we?" , John motioned towards the door even as Ronon moved to station himself menacingly behind the astonished leader.
Aldonar must have felt the uncomfortable presence behind him as he cringed and started forward stuttering, "Yes, well, follow me..er, gentlemen".
oOo
It had been almost three weeks since Rodney McKay had been declared missing. Three weeks of searching with no sign of the scientist.
McKay had wandered - farther than usual - they hadn't been worried, he'd done it before. They were unable to contact him by radio; again, nothing really new. Only when they watched the sun going down did they feel the first twinges of disquiet. The city was busy; it had been impossible to fathom exactly where the scientist could have gone.
oOo
The path was rocky, in places it had crumbled away to become just bare mountainside. John looked down at his feet. He was tired, but strangely on edge... wound tight like a spring. Finding McKay was all that mattered now. He could hear the footfalls of the company of marines behind him. Ronon was at the rear and John himself was up front with Mahar, their guide.
They had travelled deep into the mountain range, west of the city. The encampment where Rodey was being held could only be reached by a convoluted and treacherous path through the mountains. Also, it was impossible to arrive by jumper because the compound, they were told, was actually within a cavern of massive proportions. He had ordered minimum gear and maximum fire power. That meant no tents, no fire and sleeping with boots on. It reminded John of his days in Afghanistan.
They were now entering a dense forest, a forest which Mahar had told them would bring them right to the camp of the Faithful. The mood of the Lanteans was sombre; these people had taken one of their own, they would do everything necessary to return Dr McKay to his city.
oOo
It turned out that the cave was indeed spectacular. It looked to John like a giant had taken a huge bite from the mountainside, low down enough so that from a distance the overhang looked impossible. Keeping out of sight behind trees at the edge of the forest, Sheppard peered through field glasses. He could make out a large circular building in the centre, probably a meeting hall, and several smaller huts and out buildings huddled around it. There was a wide, empty clearing in front of the camp, allowing the residents a good view of any invading force. Further out to the left, they found what they had been looking for.
The cell block, which was an ugly, gray building, was built into the solid bulk of the mountain, so that only the entrance and first few metres were fabricated. The rest was hewn into the solid rock. There were two tiny, barred windows and smoke curled out of a strange chimney that stuck out from the overhang and ducted the smoke away from the cave. There was some coming and going of men throughout the compound, but the place was hardly bustling. Good, thought John, with any luck McKay was their only captive and security would be lax. He swallowed hard and tried not to think about the condition the scientist could be in...
Rodney was here.
They would get him out.
Failure was not an option.
oOo
They had crept out under cover of darkness, to take up their position. Laying flat on their bellies behind a rise in the land, they had been still for over four hours now, and had watched as the sun had risen; they were close but should not be noticed.
The marines would take care of the main building and he and Ronon would go in to get Rodney. The jumper carrying Carson, Teyla and Lorne was cloaked some distance away, ready to land in the clearing when signalled to do so. They had no way of knowing how many men they could be up against, so speed and surprise would be crucial.
He heard the first sounds of the attack on the main building...an explosive charge went off and vibrated throught the ground. There was shouting and small weapons fire; the people on this planet had simple handguns and some explosives, nothing that could not be dealt with. Mahar had told them that although the Faithful professed to hating most things mechanical, they made an exception with weaponry. How convenient, thought John...
The noise was their signal to move, so he glanced over at Ronon and nodded. Ronon touched his ear piece and spoke briefly.
Then they were up and running towards their objective. John could already see off to his right, a line of men kneeling in the dirt, hands behind their heads, with his own men pointing weapons at them. Several more were stumbling dejectedly from the main building, closely followed by marines. Now he could hear more gunfire... It appeared that not all were coming so quietly.
Ronon and Sheppard burst through the door of the cell block, weapons ready... and found themselves alone in a small guard room. There was a table and two chairs and a grate at one side where a small fire barely smouldered.
It was unguarded.
In the wall facing them there was a huge, iron door, heavily studded and rusted with age. Sheppard scanned it ...
There were no bolts, not even a handle; there was, however, a key hole.
A quick search of the guard room revealed nothing - no key.
John slapped at the wall... and grimaced, "It's rock."
Ronon ran at the door but only succeeded in winding himself.
John let his eyes wander floor to ceiling...
"We'll blast it."
"Are you sure?"
"No, but we can't wait, besides we'll use a small charge.."
Thirty seconds later and John wondered if perhaps they had overestimated the quantity of c4...
The door was gone, and so was a good chunk of the solid rock wall. He and Ronon staggered through the opening, ears ringing and coughing dust from their lungs. They were standing in a chamber where there were doors to four or five individual cells. He stared open mouthed at the remains of one cell wall ...the c4 had taken out this wall too.
As the air slowly cleared, he found himself peering into the damaged cell.
He stood transfixed; a bundle of rags was in the corner, by the far wall. His heart semed to stop in his chest. He couldn't seem to move or speak...
McKay... and it was McKay... was kneeling on the dirty floor hunched over, rocking and rubbing feebly at his right shoulder. John was instantly drawn to the fingers of his left hand; McKay was holding them awkwardly, was really rubbing at his shoulder with his wrist. The fingers were bloody and twisted. His stomach lurched. They had broken his fingers...
The remains of his uniform jacket, tattered and filthy, clung to his bony frame. At first it seemed like he hadn't seen the two men; then he raised his head and looked straight at John.
There was no recognition... The pale face was blank and expressionless.
John was about to speak, when McKay at last reacted ...
He began to shake, his face screwed itself up, John thought McKay was having a seizure, but that wasn't it...
That wasn't it at all...
Rodney McKay was laughing.
oOo
TBC... and thanks for reading.
I'm finding descriptive details very dificult to write. Please bear with me! I hope you liked it... leave a review if you can, they do encourage me to write quicker!