CHAPTER 21 – CONTACT IS MADE

She fumbled a little as she came out of the bathroom. That wine had indeed snuck up on her and curled it's insistent fingers around her balance, knocking her just a little off her axis. She giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Woops, she thought. Should have listened to John. That stuff is lethal, and yeah... I'm drunk... oh crap.

She didn't get to finish her thought. Her arm was grabbed roughly and a hand clamped over her mouth. Her reflexes had not been totally decimated by the alcohol and she bit down hard on the hand, feeling a moment's satisfaction when someone swore softly behind her. The elation was shortlived as she was dragged against a hard body and a painful grip taken on her sprained wrist. Tears sprung to her eyes as the pain erupted along her arm and into the already bruised muscles of her shoulder and she attempted to kick backwards to do what damage she could.

"Stop it, Nicole. I'm not going to hurt you. Damn it, I only want to talk to you. There are things I need to explain to you and I need your help in getting them done. That's the reason we brought you here... sshhhh."

She instantly stilled knowing that contact had been made, and struggled to shift the alcoholic fog that slid over her senses. He felt her struggles cease and lessened his grip slightly, murmuring in her ear when she did not attempt to escape.

"Good girl. Now, we're just going to go for a little stroll, two friends, talking and enjoying the festivities, ok? Your security detail will be looking for you soon, so I need to get you away from the crowd and somewhere private."

She didn't speak, trying instead to commit his voice to memory in case she did not get a good look at his face. Her reporter's skills were kicking in on auto pilot and she filed away her direction also, in case she was left to find her own way back. His hands hand gentled once she had stopped struggling and he simply grasped her upper arm, her good arm and for that she was grateful.

"Do I get to at least see who the hell I'm talking to?" She tried to sound petulant, then her voice was stilled momentarily as she was pushed behind a tree and a blindfold was tied around her eyes.

"I guess that answers that question..." she muttered to herself, and felt the disorientation of being dragged off into the darkness with only her captor for company.

They didn't walk for long, and she felt the occasional scrape of bushes and branches against her arms which indicated that it was not a well travelled path that they were on. He didn't speak again, and although she tried several times to engage him in conversation she eventually stopped, worried that she would be gagged.

She begin to feel slightly ill from the wine and taking deep breaths he must have realised her imminent distress, because he stopped suddenly and pushed her relatively gently to the ground, allowing her to take shuddering breaths in order to quell the nausea. A hand reached for her hair to pull it back from her face and she felt something cool on her neck. Water Whoever it was meant her no harm and was even solicitious enough to provide some measure of comfort.

She heaved once but nothing came up and feeling a little better from the lack of movement, she dropped her head so that it rested on her knees and she felt the weight of another body dropping down beside her.

"We can talk here as well as anywhere. I don't know that you can go much further... first time on Ruus wine, eh? You'll suffer tomorrow, I'll tell you that now."

She wanted to laugh. Here, in the middle of god knows where with a man who had kidnapped her to do god knows what, and he was concerned about the state of her head tomorrow after drinking too much wine.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather discuss your reasons for dragging me out here..."

"I want the stargate programme exposed. I want the world, our world... to know what they are doing out here, what they are spending the public's money on. Do you have any idea how much it costs to operate that stargate? The city in Atlantis? How many millions it costs each time that stargate is activated? And for what purpose? To keep the enemy from the door...? I'll let you in on a little secret, Nicole. The people who hired me, the ones whose message I pass on to you... they let me in on a little secret. That enemy at the door? Wouldn't give earth a second look if this lot hadn't poked their rather pompous noses into their affairs in the first place. The wraith? They knew nothing of earth... until this lot stepped foot on Atlantis and set all the bells and whistles off. That's arrogance, sweetheart and it needs to be stopped."

She didn't interupt, simply let him have his say and followed the nuances in his voice. It wasn't his battle, she knew that now. He was a voice, a mouthpiece – sent to deliver a message. Idly she wondered how much he was getting paid to do this job, and where that money was coming from... likely the public, if he had bothered to think about it. Funnelled from the black government departments that she had spent her life trying to bring down.

"You're a reporter Nicole, and a damn good one. That's why you were chosen for his job. This needs to end and the only way anyone will believe what happens out here, is pictures. Your pictures, taken by an accredited photographer and published in an accredited magazine. This will be the story of your life, Nicole. Handle it right, and this will set you up for life..."

She raised her head, feeling him behind her and wondered what he was doing. "You want me to focus on the bad out here... I get that, but think about it. They are doing good as well... I have seen it. I get that you want the public to have the right to decide, but perhaps they're not ready for this yet. Hell, I don't know that I'm ready."

"You don't get a choice in the matter Nicole. I was sent to ask you politely, and that is what I am doing now. You don't do this, the group I work for? They'll kill you. And they won't stop there. Your family will be next, your friends. You don't want to make an enemy of these people, trust me on that. They are far reaching and more powerful that anything you can imagine."

She felt a water container pressed against her lips and she took a grateful sip. The wine had made her mouth dry and uncomfortable. He continued once she had taken her drink.

"You need to keep this to yourself. I know you have a security detail and I see that you're getting...close...to Colonel Sheppard. I'll kill him if I have to. This fight is yours, he has his own agenda and can't be party to this one."

Her shoulders slumped slightly and she felt a startlingly powerful moment of defeat. Her voice was soft. "What do you want me to do.? How do you want me to do it?"

"Good girl... take as many pictures as you can. This is going to be an exclusive photo essay. You have the contract with a magazine, it's all set up. They don't know yet the title, but your name was enough to secure a good section of a reputable magazine and for now? I'll not give you those details. When you've got your pictures... and I need as many as I can get. Not just of Atlantis, but the Wraith..."

Her head jerked up. "Are you serious? We're talking soul sucking vampire type monsters here... and you want bloody pictures? I've been shot at, nearly drowned, fallen into holes... and that's just on this assignment. And now you want me to shake hands and play nice with soul sucking demons?"

Her voice had risen several octaves and her outrage brought a dry chuckle from the man behind her. "Long range lens will be fine... I don't need a photo of you actually shaking a Wraith hand..."

"Oh good... that is so much better..."

"You've got a month Nicole... and they're only giving you that much time because they want the photos to be believable, the best that you can take. This shadow group... they've got eyes everywhere, so don't trust anyone... but me."

She heard something in his voice and paused. "And you? What do they have on you, to make you do this? Hmmm?"

"Me? I do this for the money... I have no allegiance to anyone other than the highest bidder..."

Her laugh held no mirth. "Then I pity you."

His voice sounded further away and she realised that he had left her side and was moving away. "Don't waste your pity on me Nicole. I am beyond redemption. I have done more terrible things in my life than I can ever attone for, so no point in trying. Do what I ask and you'll come out a queen. That is a promise. Refuse? You'll know misery like no other..."

There was silence in the clearing now and she realised that he had gone. She struggled with the blindfold and leaned forward, retching now into the grass – the combination of wine and fear and something else... hopelessness.