Evan's conscious mind returned slowly and painfully, with a splitting headache and Sheppard's voice in his ear. He tried to move his arms to reach his com but his body wasn't responding. He forced his eyes to open yet could see nothing but dirt.

Dark. Wet. Dirt.

He blinked again.

Damn it Sheppard, just give me a minute.

With a deep groan he rolled onto his right side, the answering pounding in his skull kicking up the drum beat. Several deep breaths and he could now remember where he was and why his skull was cracking. Gillis. Gate. Ambush. Jennifer.

Shit.

"Doc?" He croaked, splitting the silence of the forest.

No answer.

"Doc?" He struggled to sit up, the last few minutes of his memory returning in chunks.

They'd continued on for a good hour before the increased rain turned the pathways to mud-slick slides and they'd tumbled down an embankment. Jennifer had landed hard on her side against a tree stump, clutching her ribs in pain. He'd bent to help her up. She squeaked out a warning. The world exploded.

Evan had no idea how long he'd been out. He was completely soaked, and lying in one hell of a wet pile of mud, but thankfully the rain wasn't plastering him with a cold shower at the moment. The front of his body ached and he realized the painful tingling in his right arm was due to the fact that he'd been lying on his arm… and his P90. Odd that he'd been left with his weapon. He glanced down at his still-there sidearm. Weapons. Plural. And the weight on his back told him he still had her knapsack.

He did his best to look around, but could see no sign of her.

A few more deep breaths and he willed his right arm to move. He connected with his ear and managed to croak out a response.

"Major? Major Lorne? Is that you? Evan? Do you copy?"

"Ouch." Evan muttered, wincing as his fingers touched a very sore, very raw lump over his ear.

"Ouch?" Sheppard responded.

"Yeah." Evan croaked. "Ouch."

"Talk to me, Major."

"Ambushed." Evan muttered. "I think they got Dr. Keller."

Sheppard cursed. "We were afraid of something like that. Your transmitters are several clicks apart."

Evan groaned and tried to sit up, taking several deep breaths before he made it upright. The world spun left, then right, then settled into a steady pulse. He was really quite glad it was dark out because light right about now would really, really hurt. He cursed.

"You don't sound very healthy, Major."

"I'm okay." Evan muttered. "I think someone tried to decapitate me with a tree branch."

"Vivid."

"Painful." Evan answered. "I'll live. Find the Doc."

"Are you alone, Major?"

Evan glanced slowly around. "As far as I know."

"Then I guess you're first up. Dr. Keller's signal is surrounded by a host of others. That means we're right above your position."

Evan looked up just as the survey lights from the bottom of the uncloaking jumper blasted through the leaves.

"Ow." He squinted and squeezed his eyes shut. "A little warning next time?"

The lights flickered off. "Hang in their, Major, we're just going to go find ourselves a parking space."

Evan fumbled with one of his vest pockets, and managed, with some work, to rip open a blister pack of painkillers and dry swallow the small pills. He slumped back down onto the ground. "No worries, sir." He muttered, closing his eyes again. "I'll just kick back and enjoy the sunshine."

"You do that. Oh, and Major?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for the memo."

Evan laughed, winced, then groaned.

Ronon stood back while Teyla bent to check the major. The minute her hand touched his chest Evan jerked up, his service revolver aimed directly at Teyla's chest.

"Whoa, whoa." Sheppard squatted besid him. "Easy Major."

Evan dropped the gun, and his head back onto the ground. "Sorry."

"It is all right, Major." Teyla nodded, helping Evan sit up.

Ronon searched the trees, but he knew without looking she wasn't here. It wasn't just her transmitter… it was her essence. He couldn't feel her. Damn it, he couldn't feel her. He shifted his weight, his agitation growing. He worked to calm it. To keep himself on target.

McKay and Teyla helped Evan to his feet and they moved quickly back to their landing site. By the time they reached the cloaked ship, Evan was walking on his own, although with a few crooked steps.

The Major filled them in on the ambush, the group of farmers following them, the pair that intercepted, Jennifer's fall and his head wound.

Ronon's gut twisted knowing she was out there somewhere... held captive... alone... unprotected... and injured. They moved quickly, returning to the cloaked jumper. Ronon stood between the two sections, too tense to sit. Sheppard had the jumper in the air before the back half of the hatch finished closing.

"How's Davidson and Zeeman?" Evan asked, wincing as Teyla attempted to clean the blood off the side of his head.

"Stable." John answered. "Both should make a full recovery."

"Good." Evan nodded his thanks to Teyla, who folded a instant ice pack and placed it on the side of his head. Reaching up, he held the cold pack to the lump behind his ear and stood, moving towards the front of the jumper.

Ronon stepped aside to allow the Major to slide into the co-pilot's seat.

"Were either of them able to say anything more about what happened?" Evan asked Sheppard.

"No, nothing."

"Damn." Evan muttered.

"There." Rodney activated the HUD and pointed to the clusters dots. "Transmitter." One blinked a brighter red against the dull blue.

Ronon felt his body tense at the location of the red dot, fully surrounded by various clusters of blue.

Sheppard lowered the cloaked jumper, skimming over the top of the trees, then holding them in a low hover over a small village. Buildings were two and three levels high, various sizes and shapes. Torches threw pools of light and long shadows across a stone square in the middle of the town. There were roughly two dozen buildings, and well over fifty life-signs.

A few sentries, rifles slung over their shoulders or cradled in their arms, moved through the town. Some were visible along the edge of the houses, but for the most part, the village seemed to be quieted down for the night. Most of the life signs were stationary, including Jennifer's.

Several other life-signs moved in pairs through the forest, at spaced intervals circling the town.

"Sentries?" Evan nodded.

"Most likely." John agreed.

John hovered over a large copse of trees, a two story building visible through the branches. Scanners showed Jennifer was inside somewhere near the middle of the second floor. Several sentries guarded the outside, and several life-signs were also present inside the building.

Ronon memorized her placement, the layout of the sentries, and as much of the layout of the town as he could see in the darkness. She wasn't moving – but neither were the others.

He held to that.

Sheppard expanded the scanners, and a small cluster appeared to their right, the direction and motion moving them towards the village.

"Your friends?" Sheppard asked Lorne.

"Could be." Evan nodded. "The blob of dots looks vaguely familiar."

"Maybe you'd like to ask them a few questions?"

Evan smiled. "I'd love too."

John raised the jumper, and moved to find them a safe landing spot.

Ronon breathed, slowly in, then out. He centered himself and concentrated on his task.

Getting Jennifer back.