Sorry it took me so long to get back to this story. I'm going without a beta reader, so hopefully it not too bad.
"This is just great," John scowled through the darkness at Todd. "I told you this was a bad idea," Todd hiss, John wasn't sure if it was directed at him or out of frustration.
"What are we going to do now?" Molly asked.
"We will have to make our way to the shaft and come back for you," Teyla said. John was already shaking his head no. Waiting wasn't one of his strong points, and his mind was already coming up with half a dozen problems. If they didn't run into trouble, which was a big if, it be a four-day trip. Maybe three if they hauled ass. Once on the surface Teyla and Todd would be under heavy fire just getting to the stargate. Then "if" any rescue mission was authorized the men coming back would be again under heavy fire. Sheppard could already imagine the teams getting trapped on the surface, or in the tunnels and being slaughtered by the wraith. The truth was the risk and danger was far too high for a return trip. Not to mention his supplies were going to be awfully thin by then.
"John, we do not have a choice." Teyla clearly realized how bad her idea sounded.
"There has to be another way out of the cave, other tunnels beside the shaft," John asked.
"These exits are being heavily guarded." Todd said.
"We will be fine. Our best option is to head to the central minding facility, the tracks we were following earlier go there," Molly said.
"See that doesn't sound so bad," John said.
"It most likely has been turned into the wraith base of operations," Todd said. "That is why I chose this rout; your chances of making it through would be slim at best. Teyla is right, waiting may be the better choice at least for you." The statement was directed at Molly causing Teyla to shoot daggers into Todd's back.
"Don't be stupid, you'll have the wraith on you the entire time and if you get to the gateway, what do you plan to do? Ask the humans to come and save me, getting word to the Keepers would take too long. Do you really think the human's will be inclined to mount a rescue mission if they believe there is a strong chance Colonel Sheppard may have expired from dehydration? Beside once the light is gone I'm sure we will be devoured by the cave beasts,"
"Not helpful." John frowned at her and she gave him a sly smile. John didn't know what to make of it.
"We may have one other choice. The map indicated there were supply rooms ahead. It would call for a detour form our intended route but we might find something we could use to help you cross the gap." Todd said and Teyla clearly was considering the idea.
"What if they don't have anything you can use to make this bridge? Besided how long will it take? That is looking awfully dim," Molly's eyes were fixed on the P-90 light beam; John had to agree they were pushing their luck already.
"How do you plan to get by the wraith?" Todd didn't hide the worry in his voice for once.
"I'm sure we'll figure out something." Molly answered. John didn't like any of his choices. What he really wanted was his team to swoop in and get them out of this mess. That was just wishful thinking.
"Molly is right. You two head to the shaft, don't wait for us. Just get out and we will go to the facility and make our way top side. You do know how to get to this building and out?" John glanced at Molly.
"I can." Either Todd had shared the map with Molly mentally or she had seen it earlier. He still didn't know how they knew where they were going without at least checking it on occasion. Perhaps wraith simply had better recall skills then humans.
"John this is a bad idea." Teyla didn't hide her fear, he could see the desperate look on her face pleading him not to go alone.
"Teyla, it'll be fine,"
"But John."
"I'm ordering you to get home." If he didn't make it out he could live with that. John would be dam if Teyla was going to die in this cave. She had a husband and a kid waiting for her back in Atlantis. "Oh and Todd if you leave her behind or touch a hair on her head I-,"
"You'll hunt me down and kill me, you better not be alone either." Todd added as John felt a sharp stinging in the back of his mind. "I will teach you the meaning of pain if you are,"
"If you boys are done threatening each other, can we go," Molly asked.
"Teyla we've gotten out of worse," John forced one of his cocky grins on, hiding any and all fear from her. True he couldn't think of many situations that were worse than right now but he needed her to go.
"John wait," Teyla drop the pack she had off and dug through it, pulling out a few things, which she tucked into a bundle, before stepping out on the bridge.
"Careful." John said as she crept closer to the gaping hole.
"I'll catch it." Molly said eyeing John's arm. "Better make it a good throw." Teyla tossed the bundle. The throw cleared the gap and Molly caught it.
"Some ammo clips and some ration bars," Teyla said as Molly tucked it into one of the large jacket pockets. John would have protest but he didn't really have any means to carry it himself.
"Please be careful." Teyla said and John simply nodded before turning away from her. John pull the flashlight off his belt. Taking a deep breath, he followed Molly who had already turned heading back the way they had come.
John listen to Teyla footsteps until they vanished, then he periodically glances back; watching as the light grew fainter and smaller. Looking back once again he saw nothing but darkness. He fought the urge to tap his radio, the chances of it working seem slim but still he wanted to know she was ok.
"Do not fear, she will be fine Colonel," Molly added as they weaved their way back through the hot springs.
"She better be."
"She will be, you are very protective of her. Yet if I'm not mistaken she is not kin or your mate."
"She's a member of my team and a friend, not that you would understand that,"
"I do and I admire it,"
"Really, I didn't think the wraith admired anything about humans,"
"Were not all the same, as humans are not all the same,"
"So are all Keepers as-," she held up a hand ending John's question.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, can you flash the light more to our left." she indicated with her head and John slowly moved the light left. Something fairly large scurried out of sight. John's body went rigid, he went for his gun but he couldn't hold the side arm and the light with one hand. Molly drew her weapon taking aim as her eyes rapidly scan the dark.
"Give me the light." John looked at her, but realized he might need his weapon.
John reluctantly passed the light to her and drew his own side arm. A strange noise emanated from the dark. Both fell back, trying not to fall on the slick and uneven ground as they did so. The moss made it tricky to move fast and nearly impossible to hear the creature's movement. Again the light passed over the creature, but it vanished once again into the inky blackness surrounding them. Sheppard cursed as he almost tripped over a stone but managed to catch himself.
"Careful," Molly warned, a bizarre cry caught John by surprise. It came from his left, not where he thought the animal had been. Molly once again drove the creature away, as more and more of the strange calls could be heard and John realized this wasn't one creature. All John had been able to make out was that the creatures had thick grayish skin, black spines, four legs, and tusk or horns, he couldn't be sure.
"What are they?"
"Akuralle I believe." John only half looked at Molly. That was it, caves were officially the worst places in the galaxy.
"Are they meat-eaters?"
"No. Nesting grounds," Molly focus the light for a moment on what he first thought to be some grey stone but realize were eggs. As Molly move the light about he saw more of the nest scatter around them. They must have walked right into the creatures nesting ground, wonderful.
"You know queens." Molly said as another charged and she fired three rounds in various directions attempting to scare them off.
"I was going to say mothers." John said. A second much deeper grunt cause Molly to snap the light right. A larger creature burst out of the darkness. The beast didn't retreat as the light shone on it and John fired two rounds into the creature. His gun shots rang out as the sound bounce off the stone wall. The creature let out a howl, thrashing about before retreating back into the darkness. Molly turned the light driving off two more of the smaller creatures.
"We need to get out of here now. Why didn't you take us back the way Todd did? There weren't any nesting grounds when we came in." John spat as one came within a few feet of his right leg.
"I thought I did."
"Don't matter where you go women can't read a bloody map."
"Don't go there, Sheppard," she said, firing two more rounds to keep the creatures back. A voice crackled over the radio.
"John?" Molly scan the area one more time before turning and flashing the light for a moment behind them. Giving John a quick chance to see where they were going.
"Up the incline, "John ordered Molly. The two move as fast as they could up the embankment and hopefully out of the nesting grounds. Slowly the creatures die down and John felt a little more at ease.
"That was fun." he muttered.
"You have a strange sense of fun Sheppard" His radio crackled again but it was very weak.
"John?" he heard. He put his side arm away before answering. He had thought the gun shots would have been drowned out by the river.
"Just meeting some of the local wildlife, nothing to worry about, were fine. You know what they make the wraith almost look cute." he teased. Molly actually smiled but he saw pain etched on her face he'd almost forgotten she was hurt. "You get out of here." he repeated his earlier order, but this time static was all he heard. "Teyla?" nothing.
"Todd sends a warning that our gun fire will have alerted any wraith in the area to our whereabouts. If our incident at the bridge didn't already." Molly said.
"Yeah, well keep your eyes open for those wraith lights and tell me if you sense any close by."
"I will." the two pressed on through the hot springs and finally the rail tracks appeared out of the darkness. John remained vigilant as they headed along the track through the cave as fast as they dare.
"So, are you two still head talking?"
"No not now. We have to hide our minds from the others, we can't do that when we're talking long range."
"Alright, so were on our own."
"Very much so."
"You sure you know the cave's layout. Because back there,"
"Yes. I only guided us a little off from Todd's original path. That cavern was wide but we were going in the right direction. "
"So what do you know about combat?" John didn't think female wraith fought many battles, beside the mental kind. Not that it made them any less dangerous.
"I can handle myself if that is what you're worried about."
"Let's hope so." He didn't want to count on a wraith. He had done it with Todd, but he never felt easy working with him and he didn't feel easy that Teyla was alone with him either. Still John was down an arm and had little choice. If they encountered the wraith he wanted his side arm over the light. He let Molly keep it and hope that he wouldn't end up regretting his choice down the road.
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