Logan stared at Joram incredulously. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I've come for you," he whispered.

"Come for me? What? How did you get past the guards..." she trailed off as it hit her.

He was Kolya's source. As an Athosian, and a regular visitor to Atlantis, he would, of course, be privvy to all sorts of information. How could she have missed that?

He could see that she had guessed his role in recent events as her facial expression turned stony.

"I agreed to help them long before I met you," he informed her.

"Why?" she demanded.

"For the same reason as Kolya, to avenge my brother."

Logan stared at him coldly. "I don't even know your brother!"

"Colonel Sheppard did," he hissed, hate in his eyes.

"What happened to him?" she demanded.

"Colonel Sheppard failed to rescue him along with the other Athosians, when they were taken from Athos shortly after his arrival there," he complained.

"So you blame him?" she barked. "In case you've forgotten, we lost one of our own men that day as well. And it eats away at Colonel Sheppard every. single. day!"

"That's not good enough!" he shouted.

"If it weren't for him, none of those people would still be alive! You have him to thank for bringing back Halling and Teyla and the others!" she reminded him.

"If it weren't for him, my people, including my brother, would not have been taken in the first place! Sheppard brought the Wraith to my world that day, and because of him I lost my brother AND my home!"

"How unfair can you be?!" She was livid now. "That man we lost, that soldier was our Superior. Colonel Sheppard was following orders when he set foot on your planet, how can you blame him?"

"He carries the germ."

"I think you mean 'gene.' And," she arched an eyebrow at him. "... he's not the only one."

"He is responsible," he repeated.

"So you align yourself with the Genii? Who would just as soon take over Atlantis themselves, or worse, see it fall to the Wraith? You think the Genii give a damn about you or your people? They would serve you up to the Wraith to save themselves so fast it would make your head spin. They would kill every person in Atlantis without a second thought...These are the people you choose to align yourself with? Believe me, Joram, you are not honoring your brother by doing this."

"You are wrong," he countered.

He was so calm it infuriated her. "No, YOU'RE wrong, Joram. You are hurting alot of innocent people, and for what?! Revenge? Shame on you."

"The shame is on Sheppard," he hissed.

"NO! YOU did this. Why couldn't you be a man and take it up with Colonel Sheppard, face to face? Instead, you have to sneak around and make foolish alliances with people who will more than likely end up killing YOU when you are of no use to them anymore. They are going to kill my entire team, either before or after they're done with me..."

"No!" his raised voice cut her off.

"No, what?"

"They will not touch you."

"Think again, genius. Kolya told me exactly what they have planned for me," she informed him.

"In the beginning, I agreed with their plan, but..."

"You AGREED?!" she barked. "You have a SISTER, Joram. How would you like someone to use her that way?"

"Don't say that!" he cried out in disgust.

"Why not? Because it's ugly and degrading? Well, that is the fate you had planned for me..." she seethed.

"Only in the beginning...Before I met you...Now I will not allow them to touch you," he asserted.

Logan laughed in spite of herself. This was ridiculous! "And how do you plan to stop them?"

"I've come to get you out of here," he replied.

"How?" she chuckled.

"It can be done," he assured her.

"Well, I'm not going without my team," she told him, her tone brooking no argument.

"I do not care what happens to them!" he said dismissively.

"Well, I DO! And I'm not leaving them, no matter what! Haven't you learned by now that WE DON'T LEAVE OUR PEOPLE BEHIND! It's just one of the things that separates us from the Genii!"

Joram studied her for a moment. He'd expected her to be angry, but he'd also expected her to jump at the chance for freedom.

"I mean it, Joram. I will not leave here without my people," she repeated herself.

"I am saddened to hear you say that you will not come willingly," he murmured.

In a flash, he pulled out a tiny, wooden dart, and jammed the point into her shoulder. She landed one firm blow squarely to his nose. Unfortunately, she sank to the floor right along with him. Whatever had been in that dart, it was powerful enough to render her unconscious within seconds. Joram was only slightly more fortunate. Blood was streaming from his now broken nose. He tore off his sleeve and used it to stem the flow before gathering up the unconscious Logan into his arms. As he turned to leave, the door flew open and Kolya walked into the room.

"Joram, my friend, what are you trying to do?" he asked, knowing precisely what he was doing.

"She was promised to me, Jerud, as payment for my help," Joram reminded him.

Kolya eyed him coldly. "Sheppard has not yet been captured, Joram. We still need her."

Joram's eyes flashed angrily. "I know what you are planning to do to her..."

Kolya held up a hand, cutting him off, "Something you agreed to."

"And you agreed to turn her over to me instead!" he argued.

Kolya smiled, "A mistake on my part, my friend. We go with the original plan."

He studied Logan's face, beautiful and relaxed in her unconscious state. He could hardly blame Joram for becoming enamored with the woman. She had fire as well as beauty, two qualities he admired greatly himself. "What have you done to her, Joram?"

Joram looked down at the woman in his arms. "She would not come...willingly. I had to administer a sleeping draught I concocted."

"Indeed? You must share the formula for this draught with your Genii friends, Joram. But for now, please put the woman down on the cot over there. I assume she will just sleep it off?"

Joram stared at Kolya defiantly. "You must not hurt her, Jerud."

"I have no intention of damaging her, my friend. It is imperative that she remain in good condition, if she is to be used to lure John Sheppard here."

Joram hesitated a moment longer, then finally moved over to the cot in the corner and placed her gently on top. Pulling a blanket up around her, he stared longingly at her beautiful face before turning back to face Kolya. "You must promise me that she will not be hurt."

Kolya smiled again. A smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "You have my word. Now, if you don't mind, my men will show you out." He stepped aside to allow Joram to exit with the three Genii guards he brought with him. After they left, Kolya walked over to the cot to stare down at the sleeping form under the blanket.

"It is a shame really," he whispered. "You are indeed very lovely. But I cannot let that interfere with my plans for Sheppard."

He reached down to brush a strand of hair from her face, and then let his hand trail down her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm and he had to fight the sudden impulse to sample the taste of her lips, then forced himself to leave the room before he could give in to his baser instincts.

Caldwell paced back and forth across the cell floor. His head was pounding ferociously and his anger was nearing the boiling point. He held no illusions about what they had in store for Logan, but he knew he would do anything he could to stop them. His men, too, were becoming more restless by the minute. He'd already warned them to control and focus their increasing anger so they could all make it out of there in one piece. All of them. Together.

They all turned in unison at the sound of the door latch being released. Caldwell's jaw tightened as Kolya entered, along with six other Genii soldiers. He fixed his icy glare on Kolya as he came to stand before him.

"I trust you're feeling better?"

"Peachy," snarled Caldwell.

"Good... I suppose. I'm sure you're wondering about Colonel Devane?" Kolya asked.

"Of course."

"She is well...for now," his tone was taunting.

Caldwell's eyes got even colder. "For now?"

"Yes. You are aware that all of you, but especially Colonel Devane, are simply the bait to lure out our real target?"

Caldwell nodded. "Sheppard."

"Indeed. Colonel Sheppard has been a thorn in our collective sides since he first set foot in this galaxy. Now, it is time for him to pay, and pay dearly," Kolya informed them.

Caldwell snorted. "A real man would have gone after him, face-to-face, instead of hiding behind hostages to lure him out. All you would have had to do is extend the invitation and I'm sure Colonel Sheppard would have met you any time you wanted."

"But, that is precisely what I've done. This IS my invitation to Sheppard. All of you here, with yourself as an exception Colonel Caldwell, will serve as a dagger to his heart as we execute you one by one. And Colonel Devane? She will be the most excruciating blow of all." Kolya signaled to a man out in the hall, who appeared with a clear plastic container.

"I trust you recognize this?" he held out the container for all of them to see.

What they saw sent chills down their spines. The delicate azalea-like blossoms seemed almost to taunt them.

"You have no idea what those are." Caldwell said, unconsciously taking a step backwards.

"On the contrary, I'm perfectly aware of their intoxicating effects. I was going to allow my men to...appreciate those effects, but I do believe, now, that it would be more fitting to let you and your men rediscover their power. Once you have all partaken, you will be reunited with your Colonel Devane, and then, we shall let nature take its course."

MOMENTS LATER

Weir sat at the console trying to digest the information before her. She jumped about a foot when Sheppard burst into the room and flopped down in the chair next to her.

"Colonel?!" she snapped.

"Sorry. Any word from Colonel Caldwell or Colonel Devane?"

Weir checked her watch, then re-checked, her brow furrowing. "No, not a word. They're only ten minutes late..." she trailed off, knowing full well that neither Colonel Caldwell or Devane would report late unless something was wrong.

"We need to go check on them," Sheppard immediately got to his feet.

Weir knew he was right, but if something was wrong, she wanted them to be prepared. "Let's try to establish radio contact first, shall we?"

Sheppard's eyes hardened. "And then we go in," he said, already half way out the door.

Weir nodded affirmatively. She knew better than to try and hold Sheppard back when it came to the safety of their SG Teams, particularly when it came to Logan Devane. She knew that he cared deeply about the others, as well, but Logan was first and foremost among them.

McKay, Teyla and Ronon were already waiting in the control room when she arrived. Weir shot Sheppard a glance as she approached. "You've already gathered your team?"

He shrugged, "No, they came on their own."

Weir motioned to Lt. Goodman, "Lieutenant, dial the gate and try to establish radio contact with Colonels' Caldwell and Devane."

"Yes ma'am."

They waited for the gate to open and Goodman to try and hail them.

"No response, Doctor Weir."

"Open a channel for me," she nodded.

"Ready."

"Colonel Caldwell, Colonel Devane, this is Doctor Weir, please respond?" she called out.

They all waited with growing dread. They knew now that something was horribly wrong, but what they did not and could not know was that Jerud Kolya was listening on the other side. He didn't want Sheppard to know, just yet, what threat it was he was facing. He wanted to see Sheppard's face when he learned who it was that had taken his people. He knew that, though Weir was the one doing the talking, Sheppard would be right there listening.

"That planet was vacant every time we went there, what could possibly have happened to them?" McKay murmured, not quite to himself.

Ronon cleared his throat uneasily, "Wraith?"

"It's always a possibility," Weir replied before shifting her gaze to Sheppard. "Colonel, you have a go. Bring our people home."

"I will," he promised, as much to himself as to Weir.

Kolya tried to refrain from smiling at the unspoken reaction of Caldwell and his team as they listened to Weir's radio call as well as the look of horror at the sight of the beautiful but dangerous blossoms his men held. They clearly did not relish reliving the effects of the blossoms and he couldn't really blame them, no one would enjoy such loss of control over one's own will.

"Your people will be affected as well, Kolya," Caldwell warned.

"We've taken certain precautions."

Caldwell shook his head. "Look, we don't even know for sure exactly how the contagion spreads, how could you possibly take all the necessary precautions. Once this thing gets out, you won't be able to contain it."

"Even if that is true, your Colonel Devane is the ONLY woman on this planet..." he let the implications of that process in Caldwell's mind.

"You sick freak!" Caldwell shouted.

Kolya laughed out loud, more than a little happy about the pain and suffering he was about to inflict.

"What about when your men are completely taken over by this?!" Caldwell demanded. "Do you think you'll be able to keep them from going through the gate to find other women? You won't!"

"You needn't concern yourself with that, Colonel." Kolya turned on his heel and moved toward the door. When all the other men had gone, Caldwell called out to him.

"Kolya!"

Kolya looked over his shoulder at him.

"You're making a huge mistake."

Caldwell watched as Kolya motioned his people out of the room and held up the container holding the fragile blossoms. He waited, giving his men more time to get further away from the door before he reached into his pocket, pulled out a plastic mask, and placed it over his mouth and nose. He smiled grimly as the Lanteans physically braced themselves against the blossoms influence. In one smooth movement, Kolya ripped the lid off the container and tossed the fragrant blossoms toward the Lanteans. For another breathless moment time seemed to stand still.

Suddenly, Caldwell lunged at Kolya, effortlessly tackling him to the floor. He was bigger and stronger than Kolya, with cat-like reflexes, and he easily subdued the man before he could shout for his guards. "Where is she?" Caldwell demanded icily.

"I'll never tell," he chokingly responded.

"I will snap your neck if anything has happened to her!" Caldwell swore.

The sound of approaching footsteps, running, came from down the hall and interrupted them. The Lanteans immediately took up offensive positions and charged down the hall to confront the approaching Genii.

In her room, Logan was waking groggily. She could hear the sounds of a struggle down the hall, but couldn't seem to get her legs to hold her as she tried to stand. Shakily pulling herself up, she weaved her way toward the door, alternately walking and stumbling. She couldn't see anything from the tiny window in the door, and the persistent buzzing in her head was making her dizzy. She stumbled over to the wash basin and splashed cold water on her face, hoping to clear her head a little. She was caught off guard, and off balance, when the door suddenly opened and she wheeled around to see who it was. A single Genii soldier.

Without a word, she lunged at him, using her full body weight to crash him into the wall. He was so stunned by her sudden attack that he didn't have time to react, something she was counting on. The initial blow knocked the wind out of him, allowing her to get the upper hand. She continued to rain blows on him until he slumped, unconscious, to the floor. Wild with fear and anger, Logan grabbed the Genii's gun and stumbled out into the hall. In her diminished state, she took a wrong turn and began moving away from her fellow Lanteans, who were ferociously fighting to get to her.

The Genii turned out to be no match for the enraged Lanteans, and they began to fall, one by one, despite their superior numbers. So ferocious was the fighting, that no one noticed Kolya escaping at the other end of the hall. A hidden door led him up to a passage way to the surface, where he encountered a very off-balance Logan Devane.

Her eyes narrowed as she took in the form that appeared suddenly out of the trap door before her. "Kolya," she seethed.

"Colonel! Aren't you resourceful?" he backed away from her only slightly.

Logan raised her weapon at him, wishing that she could figure out which of the three of him was the real Kolya.

"Where are my men?" she demanded.

"They are still underground, and you are still alone."

"Just me and my little friend here," she quipped, indicating the gun she held.

Kolya's radio blared to life. "Sir, Colonel Sheppard has just come through the gate!"

"Now the fun begins," Kolya chuckled.

"I won't let you hurt him," she seethed.

"How do you plan to stop me?" he taunted.

Before she could answer, the blurry form of Kolya was attacked by another blurry form and driven to the ground.

"NOOOO!"

Logan watched in confusion as a crazed Joram began pummeling the Genii within an inch of his life. Logan looked around to see if any of her people were near yet. Her stomach was getting ever more rebellious, and the dizziness was getting worse. Unable to stand upright any longer, she slumped to her knees and called out. "John!"

Her voice cracked with the effort and all she could manage was a faint squawk. The darkness was threatening to overwhelm her again, and she couldn't fight when Joram, finished now with Kolya, grabbed her and lifted her off her feet. Logan feebly batted at him as he threw her over his shoulder and began to run. Neither of them saw Sheppard and McKay appear over the rise about 50 yards to their rear.

"What the hell?"

Sheppard stopped long enough to make sure that it was, indeed, Logan who was being carried over the fleeing man's shoulder, before giving chase. Both he and McKay gave only fleeting glances to the bloodied man lying on the ground as they passed. Sheppard noted that he looked somewhat familiar, but he was more concerned about catching up to whoever it was that had Logan.

"Why isn't she fighting?" asked McKay breathlessly.

Sheppard shook his head. "She must be unconscious, or she would be fighting," he replied.

McKay finally remembered the others and slowed down to key his mike. "Teyla, Ronon...We're in pursuit of...someone...he's got Colonel Devane... We're approximately 200 yards south of the gate..."

Kolya opened his eyes and forced himself to a sitting position just in time to see Sheppard and McKay disappear over a rise about 30 yards from where he was. He dragged himself to his feet, checked to make sure he still had his weapon and began following them.

Inside the bunker, Caldwell and his men had subdued or killed every last one of the Genii, but they still hadn't found Logan. Caldwell began checking every door until he finally found one that led to the surface.

"Logan!" Sheppard called out, closing the distance between him and his prey.

Joram wheeled around and fired at both McKay and Sheppard, causing them to dive out of the way.

"That was..."

"Joram?" Sheppard finished for McKay. "What the hell does he think he's doing?"

"He's firing a gun at us, that's what he's doing!" snapped McKay.

"I mean with Logan, McKay!" Sheppard snapped back.

"Oh...I have no idea..."

They waited for Joram to turn and begin running again. Sheppard could see that Logan was trying to wriggle free of Joram, but he couldn't tell just what was wrong with her. Fortunately, she landed a random kick squarely to his groin, causing Joram to drop her and fall to his knees. Sheppard winced as Logan landed hard on the ground and lay there, motionless.

He and McKay took cover behind some boulders. "Joram! It's me... Sheppard!" he called.

"I know!" snapped Joram.

"Then what the hell are you doing?!" Sheppard squawked indignantly.

"Avenging my brother!"

Sheppard looked at McKay in confusion, who merely shrugged. "By taking Logan?"

"By making you suffer before I kill you!" Joram wailed angrily.

"I didn't kill your brother, Joram, and Logan has nothing to do with this, so let her go!"

Joram looked down at Logan longingly. "It wasn't supposed to be like this..." he murmured to her before returning his attention to Sheppard. "You can't have her back, Sheppard. She belongs to me now..." his eyes took on a fanatical gleam.

"He's in love with her," observed McKay.

"Ya think?" he rolled his eyes at McKay. "Joram, you need to listen to me. We can settle this between us, just leave her out of it."

"NO! I will spare your life, but only if you leave now!"

Sheppard shook his head. "That's not gonna happen, Joram."

"She belongs to me!" he was becoming increasingly agitated.

"She'll be the first one to tell you that she doesn't BELONG to anyone. And she won't appreciate you treating her like a possession, Joram. She's got a nasty temper when she's provoked..." he trailed off as he saw Joram rise up and point his weapon at Sheppard.

A single shot rang out and everybody froze. McKay and Sheppard stared in stunned silence as Joram crumbled to the ground in a heap, blood gushing from a gunshot wound to his head.

"Wasn't me," McKay held up his hands.

The two men began scanning the area to try and find the source of the shot. All he could see was Logan struggling to sit up and grab the rifle from Joram's hand. He stood up and began moving towards her.

"Logan?"

He stopped as she took aim and fired three rounds, seemingly right at him. He winced as he felt the rounds whiz past his right shoulder. He heard the impact and a voice cry out somewhere behind him. Over his shoulder, he could see the man he and McKay saw lying on the ground a few minutes earlier, grab at his chest and then slump lifelessly to the ground.

A heartbeat later, Caldwell and the others appeared over the rise and began running toward him. He looked back at Logan, who was weaving unsteadily as she lowered the weapon and fell back.

"Logan!" Sheppard called out and raced to her side.

When he reached her, he scooped her up in his arms and cradled her close to his chest. "Logan, what the hell...?" he murmured.

"Hi flyboy..." she turned and buried her face in his chest just as the others caught up to them.