Peyton stopped at her quarters and changed into her Atlantis uniform and zipped the jacket up. She armed herself with her knives and 9mm berretta. She placed the flask in her jacket chest pocket and the polaroid then exited her quarters and made her way to Sheppard's quarters.

She looked around the hallways near Sheppard's quarters, she didn't hear anyone coming she pulled a knife from her hip and pried the door sensor case off. She pulled the crystals and the placed them in a specific sequence. The doors opened and Peyton looked around, the hallways were still clear.

She place the crystals back in and placed the case back on and stepped into the room. She closed the doors and looked around the room. He wasn't here, he was probably on duty, she'd have to wait, she turned to leave when the doors opened.

Ronon and Lorne came in guns raised and pointed at her. "What are you doing here?" Lorne asked

"Waiting for Sheppard" Peyton said "I wanted to thank him, Why? What's with the guns?"

"Sheppard is missing" Lorne told her.

"Missing?" Peyton said as she held her hands up in surrender.

"Yeah no one has seen him since last night he was supposed to go off world this morning" Lorne said

Peyton cursed under her breath "You know something?" Ronon asked

"Yeah I do, so I'd appreciate it if you don't shoot me when I reach in my jacket" Peyton said they didn't lower their guns though they did wait as she pulled a polariod from her pocket "He isn't missing, he's been taken"

Lorne took the polaroid it was of a man tied to a chair he looked like he was beaten to hell covered in blood it was obvious he was dead, written below the picture "You have a choice Peyton xo H."

"This says Peyton" Lorne said "Who's this guy in the photo and H.? what choice" he asked her. Peyton sat down on Sheppard's bed she didn't want to waste energy standing there telling them.

"My name is Peyton, the guy in the photo was my handler and H… is a man named Huerta" Peyton said "Can we arrest me after we get back Sheppard"

"What's the choice?" Lorne asked ignoring her statement about being arrested.

"I don't know" Peyton said "But Huerta is a long story"

"Shorten it" Ronon said. Peyton took a deep breath and ignored the ache of where her appendix used to be and was currently healing.

"Ok, Huerta is a rogue agent… 3 years ago he was undercover in Bolivia, he didn't finish his job. I was sent in to clean up the mess" she said shortening it.

"And?" Ronon prompted

"And I was injured in the process… my handler took over and finished it, he confirmed the hit. Huerta is supposed to be dead"

"Well your handler didn't do a very good job… why is Huerta after you? Why did he take Sheppard?" Lorne asked

"I don't know. Many reasons come to mind" Peyton told him.

"Well?" Lorne replied exhausted with the run around.

"Bossy" Peyton said she sighed "He took Sheppard to use him as a lur-"

Lorne held up his hand "I have chatter for you" he turned on his hand held walkie talky.

Huerta's voice came through "Huerta to Ryder come in senorita" Lorne handed her his walkie talky and she clicked the button.

"Ryder here" Peyton said looking at Ronon and Lorne.

"You get my present?"

"Yeah I did, How is Sheppard H?"

"Alive" he paused "For now he is bleeding all over the floor so there is some time, you ready for your choice… seeing as you gave me a chance 3 yrs ago I want to reciprocate it"

"Go ahead" Peyton said

"Not over the channels we meet, East Pier in the open air 10 minutes" Huerta said

"You know I can't move that fast H, I just had my appendix out" Peyton told him.

"Oh then I shall make it 15, Don't disappoint me" static came over the waves.

Peyton looked at Ronon and Lorne, "It's a trap, he'll kill you" Lorne said "What's the choice?"

"My life or Sheppard's" Peyton said, she looked at her watch "I have 14 minutes to get there, and yes he will kill me, so If you'll excuse me"

Ronon and Lorne stood in her way "I really don't want to hurt you two, but if you don't move you'll lose your friend and commanding officer"

"You can't do it" Lorne said

"I can and I will" Peyton said "There is no choice, I've made my decision now move"

"Forget it" Ronon said.

"Please guys I have to go" Peyton sighed as she stood up she winced in pain.

Lorne stated "We'll come up with a plan, one where no one dies preferably"

Sheppard watched as Huerta positioned his Bravo 51 sniper rifle on its tripod and looked through the scope down at the area of the East Pier waiting for Peyton to step into view.

He tried to move his body knowing it was pointless, the paralytic was still coursing through him, he was barely breathing. He hated that he was so helpless he couldn't even suck in enough air to yell not that he could because he was gagged.

Huerta smiled smugly "Here she comes" he said he placed his finger on the trigger ready.

Peyton stood by the wall leaning she had 3 minutes to spare. She could see Ronon and Lorne and his men all positioned around ready to descend. It wasn't going to work, Huerta had a plan and he had time to think it through, he wasn't going to walk into a trap.

"Ryder you there" her radio crackled,

"Yeah I am, where are you?" she asked "I thought you wanted to kill me"

"So you made your choice" Huerta said over the radio, "But I can't see you"

"This is how it goes, I step out and you tell me where Sheppard is"

"Ok"

Peyton stepped out into the open, gun raised and ready she walked around and found no one around. She clicked her radio "Huerta, I'm out in the open"

"Just a little further" Huerta whispered as she walked into his range, he lined up the shot. He was about the pull the trigger when he saw her hair blow in the wind, he had to recalculate. "Huerta where are you and where is Sheppard?" her voice called over the radio.

Huerta didn't answer after what seemed like 5 seconds, she called again and moved around, a wind blew past her off the ocean.

Peyton looked around at the city, Fisk who lost his patience stepped in front of her "What are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

"He's not her-" Fisk said, he didn't finish the sentence as a bullet tore through his neck, Blood splattered onto her and the bullet grazed Peyton in the side of the head before hitting the ground. Fisk fell down. Peyton pushed Fisk off of her she heard Lorne and Ronon shouting as they pulled her behind a pillar as two more shots ricocheted on the ground missing them.

"Damn it" Peyton cursed, she looked at Fisk's Body he was dead. Blood pooled around his body. Lorne ordered Dallas and Rivers to stay, Peyton saw the radio on the ground near Fisk, and got up and quickly ran for it. three more shots hit the ground and missed her as she picked the radio and ran back to cover with Ronon and Lorne.

"Huerta! Answer me!"

Huerta cursed and reloaded his gun, he had the shot lined up perfect and a soldier stepped in at the last moment. She was now hiding behind a pillar and he couldn't make a clear shot. He picked up his radio.

"I told you to come alone" he said clicking his tongue "Look what you made me do"

"Awwh come on Huerta, you want to kill me you'll have to do better than that… I thought you'd want to look me in the face when you shot me, not down a scope" She was taunting him, he turned and looked at Sheppard. "I want a new deal, you want to kill me, fine I want Sheppard alive… North Pier 20 minutes you come in person I will come with Ronon, you tell him where Sheppard is after you kill me"

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" Huerta asked,

Major Lorne answered this time "You have my word the North Pier will be clear and you will be unharmed"

"And if Sheppard dies, I will come back from the dead and hunt you down myself and trust me when I say it won't be quick or merciful you of all people know what I'm capable of" Peyton said into the radio.

"Oh the Holt I know so well… I accept the terms 30 minutes… since Sheppard isn't looking very healthy" Huerta said, he turned off the radio and tuned to Military radio and listened to the chatter, Major Lorne was keeping to his word, he ordered all military to stand down.

He smiled and turned to Sheppard lifting his head, Sheppard looked barely conscious his breath shallow "Looks like you are going to live my friend"

Peyton, Lorne and Ronon stood in a circle of sorts "You don't have to do this" Lorne said, he watched as Dallas and Rivers picked up Fisk's body.

"Please don't get sentimental on me" Peyton said she cocked her Berretta, in a cool businesslike fashion, he couldn't comprehend how she could be like that. She was nearly killed, Fisk was shot right in front of her and she had his blood on her face and wasn't even phased or shell shocked… her hands didn't even tremble. "It won't stop me from what I have to do" she said

"On the record it's a bad idea and Sheppard would be against it" Major Lorne said

"I thought we went over this… It's my decision, so don't screw up by getting in the way I don't want anyone else dying" Peyton said she holstered her gun and smiled at Lorne "trust me, it will all work out and you'll get Sheppard back… if it will ease your conscious I'm nobody, just a ghost… my death does not matter in the grand scheme of things"

"It does matter" Ronon stated he knew Sheppard would think it mattered. She smiled.

"Thanks Big Fella, shall we?" She gestured to the direction they needed to go "Major, it's been a pleasure working with you, give Sheppard my regards when you get him"