"Anything Rodney?" Sheppard asked as he entered McKay's lab.
"No."
"Isn't there a way you can use the doc's tracker?" Sheppard asked.
"No. The signal does not have anywhere near the range." McKay explained as he typed away.
"Can't you fix a detector to pick it out?"
"No chance. They have been designed to prevent that from happening. If we could do that so could the Wraith and they would know exactly where we are." McKay explained. "As it is, if we were in the same solar system as them, there might, and I stress might, it is highly unlikely, be something I can do."
"When you say no chance, you don't mean no chance, but wait I am so great I have done it do you?" Sheppard asked hopefully.
"No, I mean no chance. I wish I could, but the tracker is useless."
"Ok." Sheppard accepted. "Don't suppose you have picked up any hive ships mysteriously blowing up on long range scanners?"
"No. It is all quite quiet." McKay responded. "You think it is the Wraith that took them?"
"I really don't know." Sheppard answered as he looked at the screen showing the long range scans. "Come on buddy. It has nearly been a week, where are you?" He asked no one in particular. McKay looked on sympathetically feeling as lost as Sheppard. Not knowing what to say Rodney remained silent until their radios burst to life.
"Colonel Sheppard, Dr McKay please report to the control room." Chuck requested over the radio. Sheppard and Rodney looked at each other before running out of the control room, hoping they were about to get the break they needed.
"You have something?" Sheppard almost pleaded as he bounded into the briefing room, closely followed by McKay. SGA2, Woolsey and Teyla were already seated.
"Possibly Sir." Lorne replied.
"Possibly?" Sheppard questioned.
"Well Sir, we ran into an old friend who says they have intel about Dr Keller."
"That sounds more than possibly." Sheppard said.
"The problem is they don't have the best track record and will only give more information to you personally." Lorne explained.
"Do I even want to know who it is offering the intel?" Sheppard asked.
"Probably not, but it is Todd." Lorne said pulling a face.
"Todd? As in Todd the Wraith?" Sheppard asked, when Lorne nodded he added, "I thought he was dead?"
"Apparently not Sir."
"Ok then. Lets go." The Colonel said spinning on his heels towards the door.
"Need I remind you Colonel that Todd always has a hidden agenda?" Woolsey questioned.
"I know, but right now he is our only lead and unless you have any intel he is currently our only chance of getting our people back." Sheppard commented over his shoulder.
"I know and I am not saying don't go, I am merely requesting that you approach the situation cautiously. He may try to take advantage of the situation." Woolsey replied.
"With Todd I am always careful." Sheppard answered.
"Very well. Lorne accompany Colonel Sheppard's team. You may go as soon as you are ready." Woolsey said. Sheppard nodded and ordered.
"We leave in ten minutes."
When the two teams finally crossed the event horizon and set foot on the planet they found Todd sitting alone near the gate.
"Set up a perimeter and keep your eyes open." Sheppard ordered Lorne as he approached Todd.
"There is no need Sheppard, I am alone." Todd commented bemused.
"No offence but your track record of deceiving us suggests caution is a good thing." Sheppard retorted.
"None taken. But this time I assure you I need your help as much as you need mine."
"How so?" Sheppard asked.
"Where as I can help you save your Dr Keller, you can help save my entire faction."
"Start talking."
"Dr Keller's research has become common knowledge amongst the Wraith. Its potential as a weapon against other hives is more than appealing. Not only for reducing the competition for scarce resources, but also for generating a new food supply." Todd explained. "There are also rumours of reverse engineering it to produce Wraith from humans."
"Did Michael not already attempt that?" Teyla asked.
"Indeed, but the new plans involve turning all those on planets where we can not feed, due to the virus, into loyal Wraith drones, who themselves only eat normal food, so not to put a strain on supplies whilst boosting numbers." Todd continued as Sheppard and McKay pulled faces of disgust. "I admit that I am not in possession of all the details of the plan, but I have learnt enough to not want my enemies to have access to Dr Keller's research."
"So you know where Keller is?" Sheppard asked.
"I have a tracking device in the Hive that she is on."
"Of course you do." Sheppard exclaimed, unable to hide his suspicion.
"I would prefer not to come to you Sheppard, but I have no choice. Since our last encounter I have been unable to gather much support. Destroying the Hive ship would help my standing."
"What about Ronon?" Sheppard asked.
"Ronon?" Todd questioned.
"Yeah, the big hairy guy, doesn't like you." Sheppard said. On seeing, what he assumed was the Wraith equivalent of, a blank look on Todd's face he added. "He was captured with Keller."
"I did not know." Todd replied. "It is possible that he is on the Hive, but I warn you it is unlikely."
"But you are sure about Keller?" Sheppard asked.
"I am."
"If you are lying or hiding anything I will kill you." Sheppard said.
"Of that I have no doubt." Todd replied, tilting his head slightly.
"So where is this Hive?" Sheppard questioned, causing Todd to pull out a previously concealed device.
"This is what is needed to track it." He explained holding it towards Sheppard. Carefully the Colonel took the device and handed it to McKay saying.
"Rodney?"
"Give me a minute." He said distractedly as he ran a scanner over the device. After a few moments he said. "If it is what he says it is I will need to combine it with our systems back at Atlantis to get a fix."
"Could it be a tracker?" Sheppard asked.
"I already know where Atlantis is. What good would it do me to place a tracker there?" Todd asked.
"Good question. McKay?"
"None that I can think of. I am just testing to see if it is an explosive, if not I think we can take it back." After another pause he said. "It seems safe."
"As I said." Todd commented.
Sheppard threw an unimpressed glance at the Wraith then turned to McKay. "Scan him. Make sure he is not hiding anything then we all go back to Atlantis."
"Woolsey is going to love that." McKay muttered as he ran the scan, whilst Teyla looked surprised by John's decision.
Finally McKay called. "All clear."