Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, they mean a lot!
The sigh that emitted from Major Lorne was drowned out by the constant hum of the propeller that spun above him. Ronon sat beside him in the copilot's seat. The sides of the helicopter were open, leaving the wind to add to the roar. The Satedan's hair was tied back and he had the protective headphones balanced awkwardly over his ears, the thick dreads not allowing the band to sit properly. Glancing down at the dashboard, examining their coordinates. They only had two more quadrants to search, having scanned the other half of the area the day before, but had found nothing except a few abandon shacks. With each one they had scanned for life signs before moving on. The time seemed to drag with each passing mile as it speed past beneath them. While Evan was paying close attention to piloting the craft Ronon was scanning the horizon in all directions, his eyes open and alert for any signs of his missing team members.
The land seemed to go on forever, broken in the far distance by the tall peaks of the mountains. Emptiness for as far as the eye could see. If he was to be honest with himself, Ronon could only hope that once this was all over to never see a grain of sand again. Turning to look past Lorne, the Satedan scanned the land to his left. A glint along the skyline caught his eye and he had to take a second look, just to be sure it was not a mirage induced by the surrounding desert. The shine was still there, almost acting like a strobe light in the bright sun.
"Major." Ronon said gruffly, speaking in the microphone on his headset while nudging the man beside him. "Over there. I see something."
Evan nodded, guiding the helicopter in the new direction.
...
"John!" Teyla's voice was urgent as she shook the unconscious pilot. "Colonel Sheppard. Please, wake up. There is a helicopter."
The giant metal aircraft was still a fair distance away, far enough that Teyla could not yet hear the usual rumble of the propellers but the black outline was growing larger and more distinct each minute.
"John, you must wake up!" She encouraged Sheppard without removing her gaze from the flying hunk of metal, afraid it might simply disappear. Her efforts were rewarded with a small moan and nothing more.
Teyla watched in earnest as the helicopter grew closer, her heart climbing each second only for it to drop as the aircraft continued on it's course...away from them.
"No!" Teyla yelled in frustration. Looking around him, searching for anything to use to draw attention to themselves but she found nothing. Sighing, she turned back to Sheppard, a small tear falling from her right eye. A bitter smile, however, tugged at the corners of her mouth when her gaze found John dog-tags, still embedded in his flesh. They were shining in the sunlight which gave her a desperate idea. Using her fingernails, Teyla eased up the edge of the melted clump of metal, wincing as she pulled in from John's skin. Blood bubbled around her fingers where it tore but it was soon free. Holding it up, she angled the metallic fragment so it caught the sun, hoping to attract the craft's attention. She bit her tongue in anticipation, eyes never straying from the helicopter
"Yes!" Teyla exclaimed as the chopper turned, heading back towards their position. "There are coming back John!"
A relieved smile broke through her lips, finally seeing their freedom in sight once again. The bright rays of the sun reflected brightly off the metal sides of the craft causing her to squint, but the Athosian still did not look away, afraid that if she did it would disappear. A mirage created by her thirst and heat delirium. Teyla blinked quickly, sighing as it was still indeed there once she opened her eyes.
Grinning, she continued to shift the small melted clump of metal in the sun with one hand after ripping a strip of fabric from the bottom of her shirt to press into John's chest, hoping the compression would stop the sluggish flow of blood. So intent upon the coming rescue, Teyla was unaware of the squeal of the gate or the footsteps that stopped behind her. She did however notice the sudden blow, that caught the side of her head and sent her to the hard-packed earth. Despite her dehydrated and weakened state, Teyla quickly rolled to her feet and into a defensive stance. Sora stood tall, the Genii pride which she had once possessed shining once again within her eyes. She stood uncomfortably close to the Colonel with only the chain link fence as a barrier. Her contemplative gaze fell on the approaching helicopter for a few moments before turning back towards Teyla and for a brief second the Athosian saw a flicker of peace and resignation in her brown eyes before cold determination consumed the woman's features.
"Sora, please." Teyla's voice was near a whisper, praying that their captor show a small mercy. Images of Sora burying the knife that hung on her belt through the chain links and into the Colonel's back as a last effort towards revenge flashed within Teyla's mind. It was not her father's knife, but that did not change it's potential to harm. "It's over."
Sora's snarl and sudden leap towards her caught Teyla by surprise but she quickly overcame it, parrying the Genii's first thrust to her shoulder. The knife's metal blade gleamed in the sunlight as Sora and Teyla fought, exchanging blow for blow. Fueled by her rage, Sora managed to deliver a number a harsh kicks and punches to Teyla's abdomen but never landed a hit with the weapon. The two continued to fight, fairly equally matched, their movements slowing as exhaustion set in.
"No!" Sora wailed throughout her movements, venting her anger to the world. "You killed them! They're dead!"
Tears streamed down her face as her emotions overwhelmed her but she continued to fight, her motions becoming sloppy and uncoordinated. "Kill me! Just kill me!" She screamed, wishing for Teyla to finally end her hurt, end her pain. "Do it now!"
The helicopter now hung almost overhead, the wind kicking up the sand and sending both woman's hair in every direction. The Colonel lay still, not even roused by the huge gusts assaulting his body.
"No, Sora!" Teyla had to shout to be heard over the rumble of the blades, still deflecting the woman's weak assaults. "We can help you!"
"NOO!" The Genii soldier gave a final wail as she lunged towards the Athosian, arm upraised and knife pointed to her heart.
Pivoting on her foot, Teyla spun, knowing her movement was not quick enough and that the blade was sure to hit her shoulder at least. Both of them were surprised when a bright red light hit Sora in the center of her back, dropping her like a stone. Her hand loosened around the knife which fell harmlessly to the ground, missing Teyla's foot by an inch. She stood there in shock, taking a moment to process each event as she stared down at the red head. A woman she had know most of her life and once loved as a true friend. She had landed on her stomach, arms outstretched and her head cocked to the side allowing Teyla to see her face. Tear tracks stained her face. Teyla watched as her lips parted in a small smile before the glimmer of life left her soft brown eyes.
"Goodbye, Sora. I hope you find the peace you never had." Teyla whispered, before turning to run out of the gate which Sora had left open and dropping to her knees in front of Sheppard.
"Colonel? John!" She spoke loudly, attempting to urge the pilot to wake as she patted him on the cheek. Teyla scrambled to tug on the zip-ties that bound him to the fence, digging harshly into his skin. Nearly as quickly as she had arrived Teyla ran back over to Sora's body, grabbed the knife and returned. She carefully cut the plastic, lowering his arms gently to his lap, mindful not to set the open wounds into the sand but considering the amount of dirt still flying through the air, Teyla doubted it would make much of a difference. The lacerations themselves barely bleed, hinting at how severely dehydrated the Air Force pilot truly was.
Heavy footsteps came up behind her and Teyla immediately knew who they belonged to.
"Helps on it's way." Ronon grunted, as he knelt down beside them.
"Dr. Jackson." Teyla said urgently, taking the box of medical supplies that the Satedan carried. "He is inside. Only two civilians, but they may be armed."
"Right." Nodding towards Lorne, he and the Major approached the building, keeping low and watching each others backs. Taking shelter along the external wall, Lorne peered through the window into an empty and sparse living room. He gave Ronon the clear sign before he kicked the door down and rushed inside. Two sets of eyes scanned the entire room, looking for any signs of a threat before moving on to the next room, then the next. Forcing open the last door, Ronon and Lorne walked into a small bedroom. Papers and books lay strewn everywhere and in the far corner sat an over turned mattress that seemed to shake on it's own accord.
"Step out of there!" Lorne ordered. Timidly, with arms raised high overhead, two men appeared from behind the bedding.
"Where's Dr. Jackson!" The Major asked, smirking slightly as the two men flinched before one raised a shaking finger towards the closet door. It was then that Ronon noticed the steady thumping against the barrier. Trusting Ronon to have his back, Evan walked over to the closet, after lifting the key that sat on the nearby desk, and opened the door.
"It's about time." Daniel grumbled as he sat in the shadows, leaning forward to allow Evan to free him from the chair. "Glad to see you guys decided to show up."
"Are you alright, Dr. Jackson?" Lorne asked, His gun trained once again on the geeks.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You got this Lorne?" Ronon suddenly asked, shifting from foot to foot. Needing to get back and help Teyla and John. The guy had looked like death and Ronon wasn't so sure he wasn't dead now. The sound of a second chopper roared overhead, making all five occupants in the room look up out of habit.
"Go." Evan replied, handing his second fire arm to the archeologist. Ronon nodded before running back outside. Already the medics had John on a stretcher and were rushing him into the newly arrived aircraft, it's motor still running and prepped for a quick take off. The fact that they were in such a hurry came as a comfort for Ronon, telling him that the Colonel was indeed alive at the moment. Another paramedic was fussing over Teyla as she waved him off, her eyes focused on John even as she climbed into a seat in the helicopter. "Ronon!" She exclaimed as he came rushing up. Grinning, Ronon slipped up beside her seconds before they took off, thankful for the fact that the craft was able to hold Teyla, two medical staff, himself and John, cot and all comfortably.
"Your shooting was very impressive back there and I thank you for it." Teyla said, laying a hand over Ronon's own much larger one. The shot had indeed been impressive, having been taken from a moving vehicle which had yet to land from several yards away.
"No problem." Ronon replied, before reaching over to grab some medical supplies. "Now, let's patch you up." He said, before casting another glance at the Colonel who was already receiving a large bag of saline and had both medics hovering over him. Teyla had given them the full but extremely short version of his injuries and they were doing all they could do for the time being, already planning what would be required when they touched down again. An I.V had already been placed in the crook of her arm and Ronon began to carefully clean the dirt away from the cuts on her face, his large fingers surprisingly gently against her burned skin.
The flight to the nearest hospital was near an hour, during which time Teyla explained in detail each wound John had received and, the first thing on her list, the bleach.
Please keep reviewing! Merry Christmas everyone!
