Chapter 4 – Revelations
'There is no such thing as darkness; only a failure to see. '
Malcolm Muggeridge
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As Teyla was informing Atlantis of the situation, Ronon and Sheppard were scouting an area further from the village. They had ventured out separately from McKay's last known location. Sheppard thought to himself surely he wouldn't have ventured this far out? Not even for a toilet break? The terrain was ordinary. Lots of trees. Green, leafy and harmless. So where was Rodney then?
"Sheppard." Radioed Ronon. "You should come and see this."
"Okay what's your position?"
"I'm just half a mile north of McKay's last known position."
"I'll be there in ten."
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Sheppard approached Ronon's position cautiously. Not because of Ronon's lack of details; Ronon never said more than necessary. It was because he was being followed. Seeing Ronon, Sheppard raised his hand and signaled he was not alone.
Ronon nodded and Sheppard asked. "So what do we have here?"
"I have found McKay's pack."
"Great he can't be far away then. You go that way…" Ronon strode off in the direction Sheppard indicated. "…and I'll look over there."
Sheppard paused, counted to three then turned around gun raised. "Come out. I know you're there." Nothing happened. He didn't move.
Then the old woman from the village appeared to his right. She moved from behind a large tree trunk with Ronon right behind her, his weapon pointed at her back. Sheppard was surprised the woman could even manoeuvre around the wooded area. He glanced at Ronon who seemed amused at his astonishment. It was as if he saw this kind of thing every day.
She stepped forward with her hands out in front of her, palms up. "I bear you no ill will. I have come with information." Sheppard was silent as she continued. "I had hoped to spare you from the political machinations of the village. But alas things are progressing faster then anticipated."
Well, what could you say in response to that. "I can help you find your missing man."
Ronon backed off and holstered his weapon as the woman spoke. "How?"
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He had fallen asleep and lost the boy. He glanced at his watch. He'd only dozed off ten minutes ago. Rodney's muscles protested as he stood up from the ground. As he moved about in a circle the illumination from his watch didn't reveal the child's position. He thought of calling out to him but paused when he remembered he didn't even know his name.
"Yoo hoo." He ventured timidly. Silence. "Where are you?" He persisted.
A giggling child could he heard from behind the rocks. Rodney shuffled over and peered behind the obstructions. The area glowed green from his watch. The boy wasn't there. He was missing something. There was no way that he could have vanished into thin air. He couldn't trust his eyes they were obviously playing tricks on him. He moved behind the rocks, knelt on the ground and moved his hands out from his body. His hands patted the ground searching for the boy.
The gigging started again. "That's it. Where are you?" He was getting more and more frustrated. If his eyes and ears were betraying him, was his mind also? He shuddered at that thought.
He couldn't suppress a shocked gasp when a child's hand appeared from the black, barren wall and grabbed onto his.