A/N: My huge thanks to Firedew for her amazing Beta skills – and patience – as without her I would probably still be tweaking this chapter even now.
Blood of the Heir
Chapter 21
The rifle sat easily in the shooter's hand as he lay hidden in amongst the bushes, only the tip of the weapon protruding, the only part visible.
The sun was beginning to set behind him and the leaves from the bush concealed his position. He was confident the combination would offer protection from whatever retaliation that may follow.
His scope moved across the open ground, registering the silent figures of the other teams as they continued to converge on the property.
It wouldn't take them long to disconnect the supposed bear deterrents, bypass the alarm systems, and disable the trip sensors that would have alerted the lone occupant of their presence.
Once they were done, the primary strike team would move in and the mission could finally begin.
The crosshairs of his sights stopped on the figure within the building and he began to settle in, ready to take the shot.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
John could hear them. Feel them. Close and getting closer. So many heartbeats.
He felt the adrenaline pumping through veins, and the rapid thump of heartbeats were as loud as if they were his own.
Fight or flight: the fundamental psychological reaction to a threat or attack was kicking in.
Was this how every soldier felt on the eve of battle? Did their hands shake and their palms sweat? Did the hair on their arms stand on end as chilled sweat trickled down between their shoulder blades?
Though his brother's thoughts were now a constant yet hushed companion in the back of John's mind, Dave's whispered contemplation bled though to revive buried memories that John couldn't ignore.
So caught up in the moment, Dave seemed to have forgotten about their connection.
Had it been like this for John the first time he'd been about to face the enemy? It was hard to imagine him being anything other than the cool, calm, and focused man he was now.
John sighed inwardly. If only Dave knew.
It was something no soldier ever talked about. Like some taboo subject, fear suggested weakness, a lack of moral fiber. Men skirted around it, using phrases like "that was a close one" or "that wasn't funny" to mask their true feelings. But if you looked hard enough you could see fear everywhere. It struck without warning, not just in the heat of combat but in the quiet reflective moments when there was too much time to think.
John had known fear, felt it, seen it in the eyes of his men and in the faces of his enemies. In Afghanistan there had been a lot to be afraid of: the threat of injury and death, of having seen Nancy for the last time, of letting down friends and colleagues, his team and country. Years later and a new life a galaxy away hadn't changed any of that. The stakes had only gotten bigger.
Thankfully, Dave had never had to experience any of that, but fear was still fear no matter who you were. Did John still feel fear?
Every. Single. Time.
Dave's eyes swept over the vague area in which John now stood, though he couldn't see him.
You do?
John smiled, knowing that his brother would hear it reflected in his voice. Hey, I'm only human. 'Course I do.
Dave returned a smaller smile of his own and then breathed out deeply. His energies became steady.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
His eyelids felt incredibly heavy and it would have been far more preferable if he had just kept them closed. James would have if it weren't for the cold, hard sensation becoming increasingly prominent along his back. His bed had never been this cold or this hard before.
After several failed attempts he finally managed to open his eyes. Why was he on the floor?
Without moving,James quickly assessed himself. Although his head felt thick and it was hard to concentrate, nothing seemed to hurt. He slowly looked around him. Where the hell was he?
The room seemed strangely familiar, though he couldn't for the life of him remember where or why. Come to think of it, he was having a hard time remembering anything.
Unsure of whether the heaviness in his head would suddenly develop into one almighty migraine, he carefully levered himself up into a sitting position with a quiet groan. His vision swum a little, but there was no pain.
With one hand propping him up, he rubbed at his eyes, hoping to bring back some recollection as well as his concentration.
What the hell happened? The last thing he remembered …
His heart skipped a beat and his stomach dropped like a stone.
John.
David.
A mission.
But he was alone. His stomach did a violent flip. Where were they?
Without thinking, he pushed himself to his feet and instantly regretted it as the room shifted violently. He reached out blindly and used the wall to steady himself until everything settled.
His first instinct was to go look for them, but James knew better than to do that. John had put him in the safest room in the house for a reason. His eyes widened with sudden comprehension. He now understood the message David had been trying to convey in his email. How could he have been so blind? But then extended bouts of insomnia wouldn't have made his comprehension any sharper.
Even though James hadn't been in here for years, he knew the setup of this room only too well. A quick appraisal confirmed that there had been some changes, but not many. The control console looked more up to date, but in essence it was the same. The state of his head now forgotten, he quickly slid into the chair. With the amount of surveillance cameras John had had installed, surely he would be able to find out where they'd gone.
It took only a moment of flicking through the internal cameras to discover that the whole place seemed to be deserted. Had the impending conflict already taken place? John had clearly been carrying, so weapons fire was almost assumed, but there was no sign of any damage anywhere.
Maybe it had taken place outside.
James quickly brought up the exterior cameras.
"C'mon, damn it," he growled quietly at the camera, whose panning speed seemed unbelievably slow.
The longer he searched the more his anxiety grew, and he was vaguely aware of his leg jiggling up and down. His adrenaline was kicking into overdrive. "Where are you?"
But there was nothing.
James flung himself back in the chair and exhaled heavily as he ran his hand backwards through his hair. He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he stared at each of the monitors in turn. Wait a second. Where was the kitchen camera? A brief check of the console confirmed that it wasn't even turned on.
The footage appeared on one of the monitors and he shot forward in his chair, peering closely at the screen. Five men carrying serious looking firepower stood around someone in a chair in the middle of the room. James couldn't make out who it was with the soldiers standing in the way, but whoever they had captured was wearing a very familiar black uniform.
Another soldier came into camera shot. Tightly cropped dark hair and dark skinned, the guy walked slowly towards their captive and James' heart was in his mouth. The sudden the glint of steel drew his focus instantly. Brandishing a large knife, he appeared to be the leader as one of the soldier's stepped aside.
"Oh dear God …" he whispered. "David."
His friend was bound, and his bloodied and bruised face confirmed James' worst fears. He had been beaten. Repeatedly.
But where was John? Had he been wounded or had he been captured too?
Frantic, James struggled to remain calm. Losing it was the last thing that would help either of them right now. He clearly remembered John communicating to someone on his radio, therefore he hadn't come alone. But where were his men?
The leader paced purposefully back and forth in front of David, all the while twisting the blade menacingly in his hand and seemed to be speaking. David said something and the leader stopped.
James immediately reached for the volume control and David's voice rang clearly through the speaker.
"… can go to hell."
James winced painfully as his friend's flippant retort earned him a hard punch to the face. As David heaved himself back upright in his chair, he moved his tongue around the inside of his cheek as if inspecting the damage.
David proudly raised his chin as the leader leaned in close.
"So, what's it going to be?"
David's mouth moved as though he was about to say something, but instead he spat in the man's face.
"David, no…" pleaded James, who felt sick to his stomach. David had courage, but what he was doing was unbelievably insane.
The leader very deliberately wiped the bloodied saliva off his face. James braced himself for another punch, but the leader just turned away with a menacing smile.
"Gag him," he ordered and two men step forward.
"Get off me!" David fought hard against his bindings and the rough hands that held him down, but it was futile. He was soon silenced.
James shot out of his chair and began to roam the confines of the room. His breathing was heavy and fast. Where the hell was John? His pacing abruptly stopped as his heart skipped a beat. They must have him too.
What about his men? James had no idea how many there were, either friend or foe, but the odds were clearly stacked against David. And with no sign of rescue, James knew that it was down to him to save his friend.
He rapidly searched the room until his eyes landed on his objective. He rushed forward and placed his thumb on the small scanner panel, which fired up instantly. Within seconds, the electronic sound confirmed that his details were still in the system and the large cabinet unlocked. He yanked open the doors and stepped back.
No panic room of John Sheppard's would be complete without a healthy supply of weapons, though James couldn't recall there being quite this many guns here before.
He was no soldier. He'd taken up self-defense classes at one point, but he'd never been one for martial arts. And although James had grown up with guns and now always kept a gun or two in the house for protection like any successful businessman, the extent of his knowledge lay in shooting rabbits with the Sheppards.
But which one should he take? He recognized the Beretta, but a pistol seemed insignificant next to the powerful machine guns that the intruders all appeared to becarrying. He had to go bigger.
His eyes moved from one mean looking weapon to the next. He needed something that would shoot more rounds in the shortest amount of time, so a shotgun was out of the question. However, the more he considered each gun, the more he realized that he had no real idea of what he was actually looking at.
Then he saw one he did recognize, right at the end of the rack. He'd seen it in Die Hard 2. This one particularly stuck in his mind, and James couldn't help but smile a little at the memory.
As he did with most action movies, John had gone on and on about the fact that an MP5 couldn't switch between blank rounds and live rounds due to the fact that one couldn't just change magazines without removing something or other first, or the live round would blow up the firearm. Or something.
It certainly seemed an appropriate choice, considering the current circumstances.
He took it carefully from the rack. It was lighter than he expected for a gun that size. Ok, ammo next. He checked the shelves underneath the gun racks. Boxes and boxes sat regimentally in their respective groups and he quickly ran his hand over each one as he read the labels until his eyes stopped on one.
Heckler & Koch MP5A3.
That had to be it. He pulled out the box. It certainly had the long magazines that he remembered, and Bruce Willis' character had taped two together, although James had no idea just where he would find some tape. One would have to do.
He grabbed one out and tried to force it into the magazine well, but it wouldn't go in.
"C'mon, James. Get a grip, damn it!"
He turned it around and tried again. Thankfully, it clicked into place. He pulled the charging handle back and another satisfying click confirmed that it was loaded. He was ready.
He glanced back at the monitor, then promptly inhaled sharply and tightened his grip on the gun. The leader now held the knife to David's throat and began to move the tip of the blade very deliberately along his neck. His friend panted hard through his gag but remained silent as the bloody line was drawn into his skin.
"Your brother can't hide forever."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Despite the unrelentingly throb in his jaw and the sting across his neck, David bit down hard on the course material and glared. The gag chafed against the sides of his sore mouth and the taste of blood was making him want to retch, but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of showing anything other than belligerent defiance.
It was, after all, part of the plan.
As he'd waited for the inevitable to happen, his rising anxiety levels had only been tempered by the reassuringly constant connection with John. But his real intervention had been instant the moment they'd stormed the house.
Though John had warned him moments before, everything had happened so quickly. Within seconds, men had come at him from every direction. John had been emphatic that he was only to give the appearance of resisting, but truthfully, given the speed in which he'd been forced to the ground, his arms locked painfully behind him, and a knee rammed deep into the middle of his back, he'd had little time to react.
They'd marched him into the kitchen. Less entry points, better containment, John had quietly whispered in his mind. Then they'd thrown him into a chair and bound his hands tightly to the wooden slats behind him. But he'd finally gotten to see the faces of the perpetrators.
When the inevitable questions - and punches - had begun, John had continued to utter words of encouragement, helping him to keep calm and reminding him that he was close by, that he only had to hold on a little longer. But he'd heard the frustration in John's tone and could only imagine how much he was struggling not to intervene.
But David knew that he had to play his part. They had to bring Strom out into the open, and if that meant taking a few bruises, then so be it. He could take it. His resolve had strengthened with every beating he took.
But then John's words had suddenly stopped.
John?
Still nothing.
This was not part of the plan. Something was wrong.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Bates frowned. Sheppard had to be here somewhere. Watching. But what was he waiting for?
He turned back to face his hostage, but the man merely panted hard and continued to stare antagonistically at him.
"Well, David, it would appear that your brother is need of a little more convincing."
He raised the knife once again as he loomed over him.
"Freeze!"
Bates immediately complied, though he was disappointed that it wasn't the man they'd been waiting for. He glanced down at David Sheppard, whose eyes had grown wide.
"Put your hands on your heads, real slow."
Bates nodded to his men, and they all did as instructed.
"Now move over against the wall. All of you."
Bates raised his eyebrows slightly at the man's serious slip up, but again he nodded and they all complied. As he inched away from David, he glanced at the large mirror in front of him. He could see a barrel of what looked like an MP5 peeking through the doorway. He couldn't quite make out who it was, but he wasn't one of Sheppard's people. They still tended to favor the standard issue P-90s.
"Weapons on the ground."
Bates stopped as he and his five men reached the wall and turned around.
"I said don't move!"
Bates could now see the man behind the gun and smiled. This was no soldier. "No, you actually said 'weapons on the ground'."
"And what part of that did you not understand?"
"Oh, we understood perfectly. We just choose not to comply."
"I will shoot you."
"I don't think so."
"And why is that?"
"You're no soldier. You couldn't live with the guilt."
"Honestly?" He flicked the safety catch down two clicks with his finger. "It wouldn't be a problem."
Even though Bates knew full well that the gun had just been set to full automatic fire mode, he still couldn't stop a small derisory snort. "You rich people are all the same. You seem to think that just because you have money you're above the law. Well, let me tell you something, Mr Coalfield, you're not."
The man was clearly blown away that he knew his name and he lowered his gun for just a moment. It was long enough. David gave a muffled shout, obviously trying to warn Coalfield, but luckily the gag was still firmly in place.
The sudden press of the P-90 barrel in his back made the Vice President of PSI carefully hold out his gun as one of his men stepped in to take it.
As his men tightly secured Coalfield to a chair, Bates began to circle him.
"Who the hell are you?" Coalfield spat angrily as his men secured him to a chair beside David. "You're military, aren't you? Some kind of Special Ops Division, no doubt. I know your kind."
"My kind?"
David gave another indistinct shout and Coalfield gnawed at his lip.
"What makes you think we're military?"
"I know military when I see it."
"You see that's where you're wrong. We aren't military." Bates leaned in close. "We don't even exist. And that's what makes us dangerous."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Ignoring the inevitable glances from certain members of his teams, John strode rapidly away from the house and down towards the stream.
He needed to calm the hell down!
Unfortunately, the usual soothing sound of the babbling brook had little effect on him and John continued to pace up and down a small stretch by the water's edge.
He knew that this was all part of the plan, but how did he think for one second that he could just stand by and watch as his brother was repeatedly beaten?
Because he had to, that's why. John had gone over every other avenue and this was the only way. John knew that Strom would come, but until he arrived, neither he nor his teams could break cover and risk Strom getting away again. Dave knew the risks and was prepared to do whatever it took to keep that from happening.
John's jaw was throbbing, and the hot burn of the knife still seared across his neck. He'd felt everything. Every punch, every bruise, every ache. The nauseating taste of salt and iron coated his mouth. Through their connection, he experienced Dave's brutal interrogation as if he'd been the one tied to the chair, and his brother was handling himself better than anyone could've asked. His responses could've been John's, his reactions tuned to the point where it had been as though John was watching himself through someone else's eyes. John had known Dave would rise to the challenge and he had, with astonishing courage.
But Dave never should've been there. He'd already been through enough, and now he had to suffer more, this time at the hands of a man John thought he knew.
It had pushed his restraint, not to mention his energies, almost to breaking point.
The moment Ronon had asked him if he was ok was the second he knew he had to get out of the house.
Breathe, just breathe …
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Ah crap!" Rodney stared at the burnt out crystals. "What the hell happened?"
"I … I noticed that the power to the cloaking generator was beginning to drop, so I thought if I rerouted power from the …"
"Well, obviously you thought wrong, Esposito!"
"But I know it has worked for you before …"
"But you are not me. You are you." Rodney huffed and continued to speak slowly as if he was talking to a child. "And yes, it would have worked had the generator not been modified."
"I turned it off the moment it started to …"
"Burn out?" he interrupted as he gestured meaningfully at the panel. "You're just lucky that the fail-safes I put in place seem to have activated in time, else the cloaking mechanism would now be totally fried and thejumper would now be in plain sight."
"I'm sorry."
"That's all very well, but sorry won't fix the problem, now will it?" Rodney saw her beginning to tear up, so he quickly plugged his tablet into the console. He didn't have time to massage bruised egos or deal with female theatrics.
Within seconds, he had the systems diagnostics online and running. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long. He'd left James Coalfield alone in the Panic Room. With any luck, he'd still be out cold. But Rodney's first priority were the modifications that he'd gone to all the trouble of making or it would've all have been for nothing. And that just wasn't an option.
His tablet gave a low beep, indicating the scan was complete, and he quickly scrolled through the results.
Just as he thought: the fail-safes had kicked in, and just in time by the looks of it. Good thing he'd followed his instincts.
"Doctor McKay?"
He looked up at Teldy, who sat rigidly in the pilot's chair. "Fail-safes worked."
The Major visibly sagged. "Thank God."
Rodney grimaced hard. "Yeah, well, don't break out the champagne just yet. The damage to the primary systems is minimal, but the modifications are totalled."
"I hate to ask, but is it likely to happen on the others?"
Rodney sighed heavily as he activated his earpiece. "Stackhouse. We may have a problem with the power distribution modifications to the cloaking generator. Do not, I repeat, do not let Dawkins touch it. I'm on my way over to you now."
"Roger that."
He headed towards the exit, but stopped and turned around. "Esposito."
She looked up anxiously. "Sir?"
"The next time you feel the need to try and be clever? Don't. Radio me first. Got it?"
Her bottom lip crumpled and she could only nod.
With that, he took a deep breath and pressed the button on his wristband, then shivered.
Mitchell had described the Sodan Cloaking Devices as 'cool', and that being able to walk through pretty much anything was incredibly handy once you got the hang of it. But Rodney certainly didn't want to spend any more time out of phase than he had to. He still wasn't totally convinced that the Lepton Radiation could be ruled out completely, and he was sure that his skin was beginning to itch. Unfortunately the devices were necessary in order to move around and remain totally undetected.
It just meant that whenever you needed to actually do something you had to keep switching it off. And the times that Rodney needed to do that, to his great annoyance, had just increased.
He gave himself a second to adjust to the rather bizarre monochromatic vision.
"Right. Onwards."
Even though Jumper 4 was still cloaked, he knew exactly where it was located and began to make his way there. But as came around the corner, the sight of a solitary figure stopped him instantly in his tracks. Was it one of Strom's men?
It took him all of three seconds to recognise the familiar stance.
"Oh, what now?" he whined quietly and broke into a jog towards his friend.
"John?" he whispered, not wishing to startle him from whatever it was he was doing.
"Rodney." John's voice was ominously calm, but his eyes remained closed.
"What's going on? I thought you were …"
"I was. Now I'm here."
Rodney hesitated. He'd heard that deliberate, almost sarcastic tone of his so many times before that he knew to tread carefully.
It was never going to be easy for John to standby and do nothing while his brother potentially got a beating, but he knew that the soldier in him would be able to switch off his emotions in order to get the job done. So the fact that John was now out here and not in there with David indicated that it must have been a struggle, even for him.
"Is Ronon …?"
"Yes," John replied bluntly as he turned away and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing out here anyway? You should be in the Panic Room."
"Ah. Yes. There's been a slight problem with the modifications."
John groaned and turned around. "What happened?"
"Whoa!" The look in his eyes almost stopped Rodney's heart and he promptly took an uneasy step back. He didn't think he'd ever seen them look so dark before. They were almost black.
"What?" John asked, confused.
Rodney was about to reply when, like some kind of predator suddenly sensing its prey, John's head jerked in the direction of the house.
"James."
John exploded into a full sprint across the ground, leaving Rodney open mouthed and speechless. His ear comm activated instantly and John's commanding voice made his ears ring.
"All teams, take up your positions and get ready to deactivate your SCD's on my signal!"
SGA SGA SGA SGA
The end of the Beretta pressed hard against his forehead, and James gritted his teeth together so firmly that he bit the side of his tongue. He instantly tasted blood. His breathing was fast and labored, but he refused to let the bastard see just how truly terrified he was.
"I will ask you again. Where is John Sheppard?"
James had dealt with enough bullies in his time to know exactly how to play the game. But this was no board room, and this was no corporate magnate. He was so completely out of his comfort zone that he could only pray that his voice would sound more confident than he felt. "Bite me …"
His head suddenly felt like it had exploded. Reeling from the sudden blow from the butt of the gun to his temple, his vision faltered and James was vaguely aware of hands heaving him back upright. If the pain in his head wasn't excruciating enough, having it yanked backwards by his hair made it even worse. He struggled not to gasp as the leader leaned in close, his voice ominously calm.
"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear. If you don't know where Sheppard is, then you are of no use to me. And you've already seen too much." He moved in so close that James could smell his breath and see his pupils dilate. "Out here, no one will hear you scream…"
"No, no, no. You got that all wrong."
James startled at the simmering, unhurriedvoice, and the leader froze as his eyes slid to one side.
"It's 'In space, no one can hear you scream.'"
James wasn't quite sure if that moment was as surreal as it seemed or if it was a result of the bang on the head, but he didn't think he'd ever been so pleased to hear John's voice in his entire life.
Every soldier swiftly targeted their guns towards the area where John presumably stood. As the leader still stood in front of him, James couldn't actually see him.
"If you're going to quote one of the greatest films ever made," John continued, "you gotta do it right."
The leader released his hold of James' hair and gradually turned around. "Colonel Sheppard. Nice of you to finally join us."
"Can't say the feeling's mutual, Bates."
James was surprised. John actually knew the man?
Bates snorted and glanced at his men, whose raised weapons were still trained on John. The guns carefully tracked John's movement as he wandered into view. James frowned. How could a man look so playful yet intimidating at the same time?
John continued to amble almost nonchalantly across the room, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that five guns were now pointed directly at him. All John had was his Beretta. John may be a good shot, but a small pistol was no match against powerful machine guns.
"So what brings you into my home? Uninvited, I might add."
"Oh," replied Bates, equally as calm. "You."
John had turned his back to them, seeming sidetracked by the kitchen work surface of all things. He appeared to be merely inspecting the worktop for dust. He leaned in close, and as if he'd spotted a mark on the counter, he scrubbed gently at it with his finger.
"Really?" John stood up and turned around. His expression was far from friendly. "You should have called. I would've thrown a few beers in the fridge."
Bates actually smiled.
John continued to wander almost purposelessly around the perimeter of the room, albeit in the general direction of his brother.
"So what can I do for you?"
"You need to come with us, Colonel." All trace of humor had now vanished from his voice.
"And why would I want to do that?"
The expression on Bates' face reflected his icy tone. "You know why."
John cocked an eyebrow at him. "Do I?"
"Cut the crap, Sheppard. Of course, you know why. You've become a threat."
John stiffened. "A threat? To whom? The IOA?" Nonchalant, he leaned against the nearby wall. "What are you now, Bates, a Field Agent?" His tone was condescending and he'd clearly struck a nerve as the man lifted his chin proudly.
"Not for much longer."
John stared intently at him for a moment. "What's he promised you?"
Bates didn't reply, but he maintained their unwavering eye contact.
"What happened to you, Bates?" John sounded almost sad. Almost.
Bates replied very deliberately. "I woke up."
John snorted derisively. "And you actually believe the lies that the IOA are feeding you? You're more gullible than I thought."
John slowly stood up and took another step closer to his brother, but Bates began to move to stand in front of David and James immediately noticed the man still carried his Beretta in his right hand. Though John was armed, it would take him far longer to draw his weapon than it would take Bates to pull the trigger. And then there was the issue of the five guns that were already trained on him.
John was playing a dangerous game.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Beatings had never been Bates' preferred method of extracting information, especially when it had been under false pretences, but in this case it'd had to be done. And it had worked, for their primary target had finally revealed himself. Bates couldn't have been more pleased.
Now they could finally begin the next phase of the mission.
He waited until Sheppard had turned away and then flicked his eyes to his Second in Command. He gave him the tiniest of nods, and he responded likewise. The ex-marine inched his hand across to his radio, which was clipped to his vest, then he depressed the button twice. He quickly looked back at Sheppard. Good, he hadn't noticed.
Now to find out if the scientist would prove their worth.
It was still hard to believe everything that Mr Strom had told him. Although he hadn't always seen eye to eye with his old CO, he had grown to respect him. But all the evidence spoke for itself. The power and utter ruthlessness that the guy now seemed to have appeared to know no bounds. The fact that he'd even brain-washed the President into thinking he was an asset, let alone into giving him a promotion, stirred insurmountable emotions within Bates. He felt betrayed. Sheppard was a traitor that needed to be taken down, and Bates was prepared to do whatever was necessary to ensure that happened.
He smiled a little as he moved to stand in front of David. Did John Sheppard seriously think that he didn't realize what he was trying to do? Had he forgotten that he'd seen the same moves and heard the same flippant responses hundreds of times before? He knew the man's MO, just like he knew how to get under his skin.
"So how's Teyla these days?"
Sheppard's only visible reaction was a slight tightening of his lips, but it was enough.
"Fine," he said. "I'll tell her you said hi."
"Well, you could if you were actually going to see her again. But I have to wonder … would that have been over dinner or later, when you were in bed together?"
Sheppard's very slight intake of breath was enough for Bates, who felt strangely vindicated. But he needed to be sure, so continued to bait him.
"So you two finally did it then? You finally got her into your bed. How was she? As fiery as her temper or completely submissive?"
Again, there was no verbal response, but the slight clenching and unclenching of the man's fists as if he was about to give blood proved that Bates was not only succeeding, but that he was right. He continued to push.
"Or maybe she was completely different. After all, she is technically an alien … Do they make love like humans do?"
Sheppard's chest rose as he inhaled slowly.
"Tell me, Sheppard, was she as good as Nancy?"
Sheppard shot him a hard glare. "That is none of your business."
He grinned victoriously. "I knew it. But then I heard that you never could resist a piece of alien ass over a home grown nobody."
"You bastard! How dare you speak about my sister like that!"
Bates turned around to look at Coalfield. "Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that fact." He glanced at Sheppard and then at his men. "Boys, it appears we have interrupted a bit of a family reunion."
His men dutifully chuckled.
"You leave him out of this, Bates. You hear me?" Sheppard said.
Even though Sheppard's expression was becoming undeniably dangerous, Bates continued on. "This is just so touching. I swear I'm welling up here."
"This is between you and me. No one else."
"On the contrary. This isn't personal. I'm merely following orders."
"Strom." Sheppard's dark expression was unreadable, though Bates had yet to see the famous blue flash of power in the man's eyes.
"That's Mr Strom to you."
Bates smiled as the man himself walked into the room.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Hello, Colonel."
John's head turned, menacingly slow, his voice deliberate as he pinned the man with a predatory gaze.
"Mr Strom."
Though he could feel nothing but his own pain, David knew that John would be carefully managing his powers that were surely fighting to be released. Yet there was no trace of blue in his dark and deadly stare.
When would John give the signal? Now that Strom was here, it could be any second. David cautiously spared a moment to shift his gaze from his brother to look upon the man who'd been responsible for so much.
Though Strom's rather clipped and surprisingly English accent wasn't familiar, his face was. But where had David seen him before?
SGA SGA SGA SGA
James had long since lost the thread of what was going on, but clearly John knew these men and they knew him. But who was this new guy? The way the man called Bates stood back in deference to him, perhaps this was the boss.
The expression on his old friend's face was deeply unsettling. John's intense eyes had become so dark that if looks could kill … James glanced at David, whose face was equally as unreadable.
"Why did you do it?" John's tone was eerily calm.
Strom gave a small derisory chuckle. "Come now, Colonel. Are we seriously going to play that game now?"
"Answer the question."
Strom's eyebrow rose mockingly. But instead of answering, he began to slowly walk around the room, though James didn't miss the brief eye contact he made with Bates as he passed him by. Some silent communication had clearly been made as the latter took a step back and then glanced at one of his men.
James looked back at John, whose focus remained totally fixed on Strom.
"I'm surprised, Colonel. With your abilities, I would have thought you already knew the answer."
John took one very small step towards him, and the five soldiers instantly surged forward, their weapons raised, all targeting his friend. Yet John seemed completely oblivious of the fact. James held his breath.
"Maybe I do. Maybe I just need to hear you say it."
Strom sneered at him. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction."
"Oh yes. You will."
"Really? And how are you going to do that, hmm?" Strom stepped towards him as his calm expression suddenly altered to one of almost pure hatred. "Go on. Do it, Sheppard."
He stopped just in front of John, whose breathing appeared heavier as his lips clenched more tightly together. Strom leaned in closer, his long roman nose merely inches away from John's.
How his old friend could withstand such baiting and not retaliate, James didn't know.
"Do. It."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
David could only imagine what John's energies were doing to him right now. Although his brother's face remained utterly unreadable, only his deepened breathing gave any indication of his heightened state of conflict. But what was he waiting for?
Oh hell. James. Of course, John wouldn't want to use his powers in front of him. But what choice did he have?
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Rodney had been watching this whole thing unfold within the safety of the Panic Room, though he preferred to think of it as the Hub of Operations.
Now, he didn't dare blink.
Would John do it? Even with Coalfield in the room? He'd used his powers before to put the guy to sleep, so surely that couldn't be what was stopping him.
So what was he waiting for?
"C'mon, John."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Powered up and ready, Ronon held his blaster mere inches away from Strom's head. Unfortunately, his Sodan Cloaking Device was still active, so at this point his shot would just go straight through him.
Ronon growled deeply, a finger of his left hand poised over the button of the wristband. "C'mon, Sheppard. Just give the damn signal already!"
SGA SGA SGA SGA
With every breath he took, John's energies grew even more powerful. He was barely holding on, despite only looking to contain, not control.
Just before they'd departed, he'd taken the opportunity to connect with the Rod of Janus one last time. He needed to know how to disguise his energies, how to bury them deep without it becoming painful. Sure enough it had shown him how, though he hadn't expected certain … side effects that were affecting him now.
His vision was clear, but now everything had the same monochrome look as if he was still out of phase. His eyes felt strange.
He didn't need his Sight to see the others, as he could feel their presence and hear their heartbeats. But what was weird was that he could also sense those that were still out of phase.
Ronon was standing so close to Strom that the big guy could probably count the grey whiskers in his beard. John just hoped that his blaster was still set to stun as he'd ordered. The others were all in position waiting for the signal. Everything was ready. That just left James. John heard his heart racing as loudly as his own.
"Do. It."
He had no choice.
John closed his eyes.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Although David still could feel nothing from John, he knew the signs: closed eyes and deepened breathing. He was summoning and channelling his energies.
David suddenly had to smother a hitched breath as his bindings began to loosen all on their own.
This was it.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
James was hopelessly confused. What was John supposed to do?
The low, deep chuckle from Strom sent chills down his spine. "Yes. That's it. Show us what you truly are …"
John's eyes suddenly flew open, and James let out a gasp, and everything happened at lightning speed.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"NOW!" shouted John.
David shot up from his chair, startling James as he quickly heaved both the chair and his friend roughly to the ground. He ducked down low, instantly covering James with his body as a flurry of weapons fire rang out above his head.
"Light it up!" yelled Bates, just as the strangest sound of what could only be Ronon's blaster rang out, quickly followed by the loud crash of someone hitting the dining table at speed.
James struggled to get up, but David pressed him back. "Stay down!"
Without warning, the weapons fire ceased and was replaced by the unmistakable thwacks, thuds and grunts of hand to hand combat. David cautiously raised his head.
Ronon was in the process of taking on two of the men and Colonel Mitchell took on the other two. But where was the fifth?
Movement suddenly caught his eye as the nose of a gun poked around the door frame.
Without thinking, David's energies powered through him and he leaped to his feet. His Zat gun had long since been removed by Bates, but he didn't need a weapon.
With almost lightning speed he grabbed hold of the end of the gun and yanked hard, pulling the soldier off balance and into the room. He used the momentum to swing his opponent around and brought his elbow up and back sharply into the man's chin. The soldier staggered, but still didn't let go of the gun. Using both hands David grabbed the length of gun and rolled his body backwards, instantly taking the man with him. Using both feet, he pushed the soldier's body up and over him, sending him crashing to the ground.
The powerful pulse from Ronon's blaster ensured that the soldier was going to stay down.
"Nice," said Ronon, who stood over him holding one hand out. "You ok?"
For a second, David had forgotten that he must look pretty messed up, and nodded as he was pulled quickly back to his feet. Surprisingly, he could barely feel his cuts and bruises, though he assumed that he'd have to thank John for that mercy.
"Where's Strom?" David asked as he made his way over to James, who was still tied to the chair on the floor.
"He's making a run for it, the coward," said Mitchell, sounding disgusted as he secured the arms and legs of the four downed soldiers with zip ties.
Ronon's smile was menacing. "Just as Sheppard said he would."
"You ok?" David asked James gently as he knelt down to untie his friend's bindings. James seemed to have lost the ability to speak but nodded briefly as he continued to stare open mouthed at him.
David got to his feet and began to search the kitchen surfaces for his Zat gun. Where the hell had Bates put it?
"How about this?" Ronon held out the MP-5 that James had used.
"Thanks."
"David? What are you doing?" James asked.
David gripped the barrel of the gun tightly. "I'm going to help John."
"What? You can't. Apart from the fact that you have just taken a serious beating, they're trained soldiers, David!"
"Watch me."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Rodney quickly switched from camera to camera, following the rapid progress of Strom and Bates as they moved towards the back door of the house. Once they were outside they would head straight towards their first trap. His finger itched as it hovered over the button.
"C'mon. Come to papa …"
But where was John?
SGA SGA SGA SGA
They were almost at the door. Bates suddenly grabbed a hold of Strom's clothing and pulled him back towards the wall. Bates stepped in front of him, raised his Beretta and peered at an angle through the glass.
Ronon was here, as was Colonel Mitchell, but who else had Sheppard brought with him? Even with the supposed powers of the ascended Ancients, Sheppard wasn't arrogant enough not to have brought more men. McKay had to be around here somewhere. Probably Teyla.
But there was no sign of anyone and that just made his instincts even twitchier. He had to get Strom out of the house and into the open, where his teams were lying in wait.
He glanced quickly to Strom and nodded once, raised his gun and pulled open the door.
They darted across the porch and out across the grass.
"Going somewhere?"
Both of them froze.
Sheppard.
Although Bates had yet to see any sign of Sheppard's powers, it was still a dangerous gamble. He knew that his men would be watching them, and that all their scopes would now have their target well and truly fixed. It was now just a matter of playing the waiting game.
Bates took a chance and began to turn on his heel. "What the …?"
There was no sight of Sheppard. Anywhere.
"Bates?" Strom demanded as he looked around them.
For a second, Bates was thrown and he tightened the hold on his gun. "We both heard him, right?"
"Maybe it isn't working."
Bates inwardly shuddered. That wasn't a pleasant thought. "Just give it time. It'll work."
"It better. Or we'll have to go to plan B."
Bates grimaced. Plan B was definitely a last resort, and one that he wanted to avoid if at all possible. Though it would certainly be ironic. The very method that Sheppard had used to destroy the replicator they'd found on Earth a couple of years ago could potentially be his own method of destruction. Not even Sheppard would be able to survive a re-entry fall from space.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Ok, people. Here we go …" murmured Teldy, as she watched her CO instantly disappear into thin air.
Dean stood and zipped up her vest. "He was right."
"Yeah. He usually is."
Rafaela peered through the doorway and Teldy glanced back at her. The Major tried hard not to let her frustrations show, but the fact that Esposito had accidentally fried any chance of them providing one particular form of backup irritated her, though they could still deliver the old fashioned kind. She just hoped that the Doc had managed to fix whatever may have caused the problem in the first place. By the looks of things, they were about to find out.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
With every step he took, the more convinced John was that using the Sodan Cloaking Device did not agree with his rather unique genetic makeup. Just as before, his vision was different, only now the side effects were increasing.
His entire body felt as if every single molecule was vibrating at a million miles an hour. It was making him dizzy and he bent forward to rest his hands on his knees. He tried to focus on his breathing, but he couldn't quite catch his breath.
He needed to turn his SCD off, but he couldn't deactivate it. Not yet.
Ben … What the hell is happening to me?
"Sir?" Two pairs of standard issue boots suddenly appeared in his progressively fuzzy line of sight.
John was too focused on getting some air into his lungs to reply.
"Sir, are you alright?" The wary concern from Lieutenant Reed was unmistakable.
He dug deep and ordered his body to stand up. He cautiously lifted his strange feeling eyes to look at the Lieutenant, and just as Rodney had done before, Reed inhaled sharply but remained where he stood.
John forced the words out without expending too much air. "I'm fine. Report."
As if someone was turning the volume down, the sound of Reed's voice grew more and more distant. But as that faded a chilling noise began to emerge. Like a rapidly approaching drum beat, the visceral thud grew louder and louder until it was the only thing that John could hear. It didn't stop and it was becoming painful.
He struggled to smother a gasp, though a moan escaped his lips. He scrunched his eyes tightly shut and covered his ears, but of course that didn't help. He struggled to raise his mental shield that had worked so many times before, but that didn't work either.
Enough was enough. He had to deactivate the SCD. But not here. They were too exposed, prime targets for the snipers. He tried to settle his energies and took what little air he could into his lungs.
"Jumper …"
No air.
His sight blurred, and he felt the two men duck under each arm just as his legs began to give out.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Evan Lorne watched silently from his pilot seat. Reed and Coughlin had activated their SCDs and were making their way around the perimeter. From the intermittent but very meaningful clicks on his radio, Lorne knew that his other men were successfully neutralizing the threat of snipers that Strom had brought with him.
Part of him wished he could be out there with them, but as the gene carrier of his team, he had to remain in the jumper and wait for his CO to give them the next signal.
"Sir?"
Armstrong sat behind him, monitoring the power levels on his laptop.
"I'm picking up a really strange energy reading."
Lorne frowned and turned around. "Could it be one of ours?"
"I – don't know so, sir. But it certainly wasn't there earlier."
His frown deepened as he turned back to pull up the HUD. Sure enough, a strange dot had appeared.
"Just great," he murmured sarcastically and then activated his ear comm. "Er, Doc? I think we may have a problem."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"You're kidding me, right?" Rodney exclaimed sharply. He was seconds away from activating their first surprise.
"We've just detected a strange energy reading; point 5 north of Strom's current location."
"And you're telling me this NOW?"
"Just picked it up ourselves."
"Why is it that every time …" he grumbled angrily. He went to grab his tablet from the console and a sudden bleep halted his movement. One of the trigger sensors had gone off. "Oh, for goodness sake!"
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"James, please. Just do as I ask, ok?" David didn't have time for this.
"Not a chance in hell. If you can help John without any combat training, then so can I."
David allowed a small smile, touched not only by his friend's bravery but that he would even want to help. But his smile quickly faded. "No, James, it's too dangerous. But. You know the panic room as well as I do."
"And that is supposed to help John how?"
David grinned as he pressed his thumb against the scanner, pulled open the heavy door, and glanced back at his friend. "Let me introduce you to a certain scientist."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Stackhouse, you've got company. Get ready," Rodney said.
"Roger that."
"Doctor McKay. I'd like you to introduce you to …"
David's voice was not unexpected as Rodney had seen them heading his way. He sighed heavily but didn't turn around. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, David, but I'm kinda busy right now."
Another bleep and Rodney's hand flew up to his ear. "Vala. Watch your six."
"Don't get your panties in a twist, McKay, I see them."
Rodney rolled his eyes. Obviously, not even women from another planet were immune from the refined influence of locker room humor.
A sudden thud came from behind him.
"David?" Coalfield's concern made Rodney turn around. "Oh my God, I told you! You need to see a doctor!"
David had slumped up against the wall, head down with one hand shielding his eyes.
Rodney's breath caught in his throat. David's bruising was already looking angry and he was bleeding from a cut lip. Maybe it was just a side effect from the beatings, but Rodney had never been one to assume anything. "You ok?"
David's only response was sharp inhalation of breath.
"Hey!" Rodney didn't have time for pleasantries. If David was experiencing something, then John may very well be too.
David's hand dropped and his head shot up.
"Oh …" was all that Rodney could say as blue eyes stared back at him. Or rather through him.
"John?" David whispered.
Rodney's heart raced. "What is it, what's wrong?"
David just continued to stare through him, a frown deepening in his features. Then the blue eyes snapped toward James, who gasped and took a small step back.
"Stay here. I mean it."
Rodney knew that voice. It wasn't just one of undisputable authority, it was laced with energy. John's energy.
James nodded wordlessly and David activated his own earcomm. "Ronon, I need your help. John's in trouble."
"On my way."
With that, David spun on his heel and strode out of the room.
For a moment, time stood still as Rodney suddenly got lost in a world of worst case scenarios.
When he'd seen John earlier, he'd clearly been highly agitated, but Rodney had just thought that had been as a result of having to watch his brother being beaten. Had he been fighting to control his energies? Rodney knew only too well that it'd caused his friend pain before, but that didn't make any sense. His abilities to wield his powers seemed almost effortless now.
Besides, he'd never seen John's eyes go black before.
Maybe it was the SCDs. After all, John had switched in and out of phase several times now, so maybe that was affecting his very unique DNA.
That hypothesis didn't sit well either. Rodney clearly remembered when they'd taken the city out of phase in order to track down Benedict, and John hadn't been bothered by it then.
His heart suddenly stumbled. "Oh, crap."
The only other time that John had been so severely compromised was when a device had been activated.
"The energy reading …"
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"C'mon guys," murmured Lorne quietly as he switched his gaze from the HUD to the view screen and back again. The multiple groups of dots were converging on them and he would have to activate the device soon, whether or not Coughlin and Reed had returned.
Something was wrong. Their communications had stopped, and unfortunately Lorne wasn't one of the twelve to get an SCD.
"I need your SCD, Armstrong …"
There was a sudden commotion from the back of the jumper. The hatch was still open, ready for their return, but someone was gasping for breath.
"Sir!"
It was Reed. Lorne shot out of his chair. Coughlin and Reed both held Sheppard's arms tightly around their shoulders, supporting his weight. Sheppard's head had dropped to his chest, obscuring his face, but the man was clearly unable to breathe properly.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, sir. We found the Colonel like this," replied Coughlin hurriedly as they carefully moved their gasping CO onto the bench. Lorne quickly grabbed the first aid kit from the cargo nets above his head, though he wasn't quite sure if the contents would be able to help him.
Sheppard's head was still down as he gripped onto the edge of the seat as though his life depended on it. Lorne squatted down in front him, his Combat First Aid training kicking in immediately.
"Sir, can you put your head back? You need to open your airway." Lorne knew full well that Sheppard would already know this, but at this point he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be thinking straight right now.
At first Sheppard didn't move.
"Sir, your head?"
Could he hear him or was he in too much pain?
Lorne moved a little closer just as Sheppard's head gradually began to rise.
His eyes were still closed and he looked incredibly pale. His breathing was seriously noisy and shallow. Though a quick assessment confirmed that there didn't seem to be any signs of injury, Lorne knew that whatever was affecting him wasn't likely to be external anyway. Thankfully, there was no sign of blood anywhere, as the last time he'd seen the Colonel suffer like this was shortly after they'd been trapped in Janus' lab all those months ago. The image of his CO vomiting blood was still as disturbing now as it was then.
"Sir, are you in any pain?"
Again Sheppard didn't reply, but his eyes opened and Lorne's heart almost froze. He'd never seen someone's eyes as dark as that. The pupils were no longer visible, just big black eyes staring back at him like those of a shark: cold and lifeless.
"I'll take that as a yes …"
Lorne fell silent and anxiously stopped counting after 20 breaths in a minute. He had no idea what his blood oxygen saturation levels would be, but didn't dare give him any Oxygen Therapy without knowing at least what the cause was first.
"How long have you been having problems breathing, Colonel?"
Still Sheppard seemed unable to reply, but he gave him a small shake of his head.
Damn it, why hadn't the Colonel wanted to bring a doctor with them or even Benedict for that matter?
"Ok." Lorne's level of concern grew with every struggling breath that Sheppard made. If only Teyla was here. She would know what to do. "Sir, you need to try and slow your breathing down. I know it's hard, but you've gotta try. Focus on me, ok? On my voice. Slow it down."
As the wide and unblinkingly black eyes continued to stare at him, Sheppard's breathing changed in increments. It was now more like a deep, almost guttural growl and Sheppard slammed his eyes shut. Lorne heard the sound of material slowly ripping.
"Oh, not good." Lorne carefully eased himself away as he watched Sheppard's fingers gouging holes into the seat. Whatever he was going through was way beyond anything that he could do to help. And with no Benedict to assist, that only left David.
He activated his comm, praying that the man had been given his earpiece back.
"David," he said quietly. "This is Lorne …"
"I know. Ronon and I are on our way to you now."
He exhaled heavily. "Good to hear. Though you might wanna step on it."
"Almost there." Ronon's abrupt voice was reassuring to say the least.
"Roger that."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Teldy switched from the HUD readings to the view screen and then back again.
They'd all heard the communications. Colonel Sheppard was in trouble, and his brother and Ronon were on their way to him now. But, as the red dots on the HUD confirmed, so were multiple tangos.
"Damn it!" Teldy shot out of her chair and grabbed her P-90, but stopped as she got to Esposito.
"Stay here."
She nodded rapidly.
"I mean it, Rafaela."
"I get it, Major. Just go!"
Satisfied, she headed for the open hatch. Mehra stood to her left, Dean to her right. "Ok, let's go kick some ass."
With that, all three of them hit their SCDs and shot out of the jumper.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Rafaela paced up and down the length of the jumper, rubbing her hands anxiously together. This was all her fault. If only she hadn't been so stubborn! But she had been so sure … Perhaps she no longer deserved to be working with the best of the best. Maybe when this was all over she should resign and move away. Far away.
She could go back to Valencia. Spain had always held a special place in her heart, as she'd spent her happiest years there studying for her degree in Computer Systems Engineering.
Shame her talents weren't as good as she'd thought.
Sudden gun fire startled her. It sounded incredibly close. She crept hesitantly towards the open hatch and peered out but she couldn't see anything but trees. Even knowing that the jumper was still cloaked, it was still extremely disconcerting. Especially now that she was alone.
The rapid splutter of gun shots started again, and it was even closer this time. She backed away from the entrance, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. Perhaps it was the Major and the others, though the chatter in her earpiece confirmed that it wasn't likely to be them.
The familiar discharge of Ronon's powerful blaster came right outside the hatch, and Rafaela didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Within seconds Ronon strode in front of the entrance. With his arm outstretched, he fired repeatedly at something just out of sight. He then glanced slightly over his shoulder. "Get in!"
A figure suddenly appeared from behind him and ran into the jumper. Rafaela darted backwards and Ronon quickly ducked inside, only to turn around and shoot again. Her heart skipped painfully as she took in the beaten and bruised features of David Sheppard as he took up position on the opposite side of Ronon. Yet he seemed completely oblivious to any pain as he raised an MP-5 into the crook of his shoulder, and began to fire.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Lorne very gently signalled for his guys to back away to give the Colonel a little more space.
While his respiration had steadied and his grip on the torn seat had loosened, the strange guttural noise still continued. With each exhale, the Colonel grunted through tightly clenched lips.
Lorne gingerly reached up to activate his earpiece and spoke quietly. "Ronon, do you copy?"
The sound of rapid gunfire sounded in his ears, and Lorne quickly exchanged looks with his men. Reed and Coughlin mutely slid to the rear of the jumper; P-90's raised and ready.
"Got held up. We're in Jumper 2."
Lorne grimaced. Great.
"Espo-sito." The Colonel's deep growl made Lorne start.
"Sir?"
Sheppard carefully raised his black eyes to look at him.
"Can … help … find …" He shuddered and quickly averted his eyes.
"Find what, sir?"
But Sheppard remained silent.
He activated his earpiece once again. "Ronon. The Colonel thinks that Doctor Esposito can help. You think you can still get to us?"
Silence.
"Major, this is David. We're on our way."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
Colonel Mitchell and Vala shot out and took up covering positions either side of the jumper.
"Clear." Mitchell's voice was low and urgent as he continued to scan the area with his P-90.
Ronon took the lead at a steady jog; David was next followed by Rafaela, with Vala and the Colonel bringing up the rear. As they wove through the trees Rafaela heard continued rapid bursts of P-90 fire, which confirmed that they were still being pursued. She thought she saw movement everywhere. If only they had all been given SCDs, this would have been so much easier.
Never in her life had she been so frightened. Even though it wasn't far from their jumper to Major Lorne's, it seemed to take forever getting there. Ronon must've been avoiding the traps they'd laid, and any enemies he might have seen when he'd been out of phase.
Out of nowhere, her foot caught on what felt like a tree root and she tried not to scream as she pitched forward. David was instantly there, his strong hands breaking her fall.
"Ok?"
She nodded gratefully.
"Down!" yelled Mitchell as he suddenly dropped to one knee. He fired rapid bursts just as Vala took cover behind a fallen tree and did the same.
An answering volley of bullets gouged large holes into the wood, sending shards of splinters flying and decimating the undergrowth around them.
Ronon kept ducking in and out from behind another tree, releasing the powerful energy blasts as quickly as the power cell would allow.
She was roughly pulled towards a nearby bush. David was breathing hard as he began to fire his MP5, but his brief touch on her arm was surprisingly reassuring. For a moment, the intensity of their situation seemed a little less scary and she felt strangely calm.
"Ronon!" yelled Mitchell, "I got your six! Go!"
Ronon looked straight at Rafaela and David. "Let's go."
David gave her a reassuring nod, and then they were running again.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Sir, they're here."
Reed had barely gotten the words out before Ronon bounded into the jumper, closely followed by David and Esposito. Ronon stopped almost immediately as he stared at the Colonel, and David almost crashed into the back of him. Esposito, however bumped straight into David, but he didn't seem to hear her words of apology.
David quietly sank down in front of his brother.
"John?"
The Colonel suddenly held his breath and his eyes flashed open.
David inhaled sharply as he gazed into the lifeless black eyes, but he didn't flinch or move away.
The strangest silence fell. Even the sound of gunfire seemed to have stopped. It was as if time stood still as the two brothers stared at one another.
"Sheppard, it's McKay. Come in!"
The spell was broken and distant gunfire sounded out once again.
Lorne touched his earpiece and spoke low. "Doc, I'm afraid we got another problem."
"What?"
"It's the Colonel."
Silence.
"How's he doing?"
Lorne frowned, not moving his gaze away from the Sheppards. "How d'you know?"
"The strange energy reading you picked up? I think it might be a device that Strom brought with him."
Lorne glanced at Ronon, who grimaced and then stared strangely at Esposito.
"Ok. Any idea what kinda device it might be?"
"Well, I can't be sure without the proper …"
"Doc!" he replied, his whisper urgent. "Please. In as few words as possible."
"Fine. The device is emitting a very unique sonic frequency. The readings are slightly different, but I think I know what some of Strom's experiments on David might have been for."
"McKay," Ronon growled, losing patience rapidly.
"I think he's built himself his own version of an Anti-Prior device. Only this one? It's specifically designed to affect the Sheppard gene."
To be continued …
Post Script:
Well, in case you were wondering where I had gone to … here is the reason for my absence.
All the weaponry has been carefully researched, including the MP5 in Die Hard 2. I'm quite sure John would have been quite indignant about the fact that in real life you couldn't switch from blanks to live rounds.
For those of you that aren't sure what the quote was that John so accurately corrected Bates on, it was from the film, Alien.