Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG1 or it's wonderful characters.


7 - Search

"This is where I left them with Captain Baker while we scouted the stretch of path we just came through," Colonel Reynolds explained as the teams came to a halt on the path.

Reynolds wandered off the path to the spot he knew the Captain and his charges had all stood to wait for his all clear signal. The Atlantis men had fanned out and begun searching the woods for clues, while the SGC men were searching along the original path. He knew in his head it wasn't his fault Keller was missing. His senses had pricked up and he'd known something was wrong… that they were no longer alone. That was the whole reason he'd had the Captain stay while the rest of his team checked out the path ahead. He'd played right into the enemy's hands and now Jennifer and Raimor were at their mercy.

Reynolds nearly jumped a foot when he heard Mitchell's low voice.

"It's not your fault, you know," Cameron began, knowing that the Colonel would be beating himself up over his decisions. "You left them here in an attempt to keep them safe." Cameron stopped looking around the matted down area and looked Colonel Reynolds' in the eye. "Just like she was trying to protect the boy. It's what we all do, attempt to protect the weak."

Reynold's nodded as they were joined by Colonel Sheppard.

"Sheppard," the Colonels heard Ronon bark over the radios.

"Hold on, buddy," Sheppard radioed back to the Satedan, wishing the man had just an ounce of patience sometimes. "He's picked up their trail," John relayed with a smirk knowing that Ronon's implied demand was heard by both Colonels.

Mitchell turned back to the path. "Colonel Reynolds, take Daniel, Vala and Capt. Jacobs and head to the town. Meet up with their local security and scour the town for information. Report anything you find immediately. Hopefully one of the locals knows something useful. Sheppard, your team and Major Lorne are with me. We'll try to track them through the woods and report anything we find. Move out."


Fifteen minutes passed for the men following the trail through the woods. Mitchell was grateful to have the Satedan with them knowing he had wicked tracking skills. He'd had to laugh though because at the moment he thought even Daniel would be able to track Jenn. True to her word she'd left a path that was easy to follow. Branches were bent back, the ground scuffed up and plant life trampled like a cow got loose in his momma's flower bed.

Cam noticed that Ronon had come to a stop ahead of him and was fingering something he'd found on the ground.

Sheppard plucked it from Ronon's hand and smirked at Mitchell, "Seems our doctor has become a litter bug of sorts."

Mitchell looked down at the wrapper Sheppard handed him. It was indeed litter from a lollipop. Cam knew she carried them in her medical bags for the kids she encountered off-world. "Living up to the true Gretel name," he said with a smile, "glad to know the situation wasn't too bad if she was able to unwrap lollipops.

"Gretel?" Rodney asked as he peered at the wrapper.

"That's right," Mitchell answered, "you all weren't at the briefing. Jenn told her captor that her name was Gretel and that the…,"

"The boy's name was Hansel?" Lorne finished with a laugh when Cameron nodded his head. "Good girl," the Major praised aloud as he and the rest of the Atlantis team shared looks of pride. It was a little disconcerting to see the grin on the Satedan's face before he turned back around and began walking. Cameron shoved the wrapper into his pocket and fell into step in front of Major Lorne who was taking up their six.

From behind him Lorne spoke up, "So have you attempted to ban her from missions yet?"

Mitchell threw a glance over his shoulder at the Major before facing forward and nodding his head in accent. "It's one thing to read about her missions in reports from Atlantis," Cam spoke aloud, "where I already know she'd made it back safe and sound. It's completely another to be pacing in the gateroom, waiting for the 'safe and sound' part."

"Tell me about it," Lorne laughed. "How'd that go over?" When Mitchell didn't answer him he spoke up again, "She threaten to leave you?"

"Not exactly," the Colonel hedged, then shook his head without turning around. "She informed me that Atlantis had its own Stargate and that maybe she'd get a transfer back. She could still see me some weekends or vacations." Mitchell heard the laughter behind him and a couple snickers ahead of him. He turned and glared at Lorne.

Lorne held up his hands in front of himself, "Hey, only laughing because we've been there." Cam continued to glare at him while walking backwards so Lorne spoke up again, although the laughter wouldn't leave his voice, "Not the moving and continuing to date part. For us it was a threat of a few uncomfortable additions to the post-mission physicals." Lorne shuddered briefly before grinning again, "We all shut up pretty damn quick."

Cameron couldn't help but grin as he turned back around and faced forward only to find Rodney facing him with a grin. He gave the scientist a glare, but then looked down at Rodney's proffered hand. In it were two more wrappers and three small, white sticks. McKay cleared his throat, "Looks like their captor has a sweet tooth too."


Reynolds led his team to the government building in town and through it to the wing that served as living quarters for the governing family of Darsam. They were met there by the local lead security officer, Granthum. The Colonel quickly brought the man up to speed on what had occurred in the last three hours, both on their way to the gate and their current search and rescue efforts.

"Have you discovered anything useful?" Reynolds asked.

Granthum motioned for them to follow him over to the bodies, he pulled back a sheet that was covering them, pointing at each of the dead men. "This one on the left only had a knife on him, and the one on the right was carrying the gun," he said as he nodded toward the weapons near the body.

He continued, "The local barkeep in town recognized the more ragged looking man as one of two off-worlders that worked for a local man during the harvest season. My officers have gone to collect the farmer to see what he knows of these men."

Dr. Jackson watched Vala walk an arc around the bodies and knew that she'd be speaking her mind shortly. Daniel looked over at Reynolds and watched the Colonel raise his eyebrows with a slight cringe to his features. Daniel refrained from smirking by focusing on the dead bodies at their feet.

"So… nothing else in their pockets or on their person?" Jackson asked.

"I'm afraid only the weapons," Granthum assured him.

"Well," Vala began her assessment, "my guess would be either regular, run of the mill mercenaries, or regular, run of the mill mercenaries trying to buy their way into the Lucian alliance."

Granthum looked at Vala quizzically, "Alliance?"

"Yes, um… they're an organized group of thugs who prey on those weaker for territorial and financial gain," she began, hands on hips as she explained. She turned toward Capt. Jacobs, "much like what I've read about the gangs on Earth."

Reynolds watched Vala slide into full lecture mode. He looked at Daniel and saw a look of concentrated patience and almost grinned. The woman could be a bit much to handle even if she was right a lot of the time. His glance slid to Capt. Jacobs and Granthum and saw that both were immersed in her explanation and tuned back in himself.

"The alliance has grown to such a size they can be picky about who they let into their little club." Her eyes drifted down to the two on the floor, "I would say that this group of mercenaries pulled this job in hopes of earning their way into the Lucian alliance."

Vala glanced around the room and after a periphery look wandered away from the group to take a closer look about the room.

"Whatcha doin'?" Daniel asked as he slid up along side Vala, blocking her progression around the room.

Vala cast a glance back at the security officer, Reynolds and Capt. Jacobs before leaning in towards Daniel and lowering her voice. "Obviously the men who have the boy and Jennifer think these people have some kind of treasure that would be of value to the Lucian alliance. I'm just wondering what it might be."

"Vala," Daniel admonished.

"What, I'm not touching anything. I'm just looking," she insisted in a hushed tone. "I need something to keep me busy until that farmer gets here."

Daniel let out an exasperated breath and wished for the farmer to hurry.


Jennifer and Raimor sat at a crude looking picnic table in the mercenaries camp. Jenn quickly assessed their surroundings. It looked temporary and she'd been quite relieved when they weren't ushered onto a ship. She figured the chances of being found and rescued were the highest the longer they stayed on the planet.

Jennifer looked over at the tall man that had been keeping an eye on them since they'd arrived at the camp. He'd been one of the three that had recaptured them in the woods. He was several yards away sitting upon a log whittling with his knife, seemingly uninterested in their conversation.

Jennifer had only seen one other man besides the three they'd arrived with, but the leader had sent him off on an errand almost right away upon their arrival. That put their numbers to at least 4 at the moment.

"Raimy, you have any idea where we are?" the doctor whispered, hoping he wasn't as turned around as she was.

"Certainly. I have been by this way with my father many times for hunt season," the boy relayed excitedly.

"Try not to let them realize you know where we are." Jennifer looked about the camp but found no one paying any attention to them. "If we get a chance to get free, we need to be ready to run. I want them to feel like they don't have to watch us like a hawk." Raimy looked like he was sorting out her words so she quickly added "it means closely."

Raimor caught sight of a man exiting a tent behind healer Jenn's back and walking toward them. He gently kicked at her leg under the table to alert her to their approaching visitor.

The second of the two taller men that had startled them in the woods dropped two plates onto the table. "Eat," he ordered them.

"Our hands are bound," Jennifer reminded him, holding her hands up toward him.

"Figure it out," he replied before making his way back into the tent.

They had to try several techniques before finding a way to eat with bound hands, but were eventually successful. As they were just finishing their meals a man came running into the camp yelling for Pharon over and over. Jennifer mentally added another bad guy to her list bringing the number to 5, so far.

The leader came out of one of the tents and called for calm. The runner gave Jennifer a long glance before turning back to Pharon and relaying something in a hushed voice. Whatever it was seemed to have him slightly panicked. The leader growled loudly before turning and glaring at Jennifer.

Pharon angrily barked orders to the runner and the whittler, "Put the boy in the cage we constructed, then bring her to me."