Chapter 29

High speed chaise:

He had only driven a hand full of times with the aid of Eric to guide him. He knew how to make the machine work. In truth it was simple. The motorcycle had been like a bicycle or horse except for the noise but guiding the large machines was a challenge when his vision was starting to blur and blood was seeping out of the shredded flesh underneath his blood drenched shirt.

The truck swerved to the left then the right and he pressed the accelerator. His mind began to tunnel, a dangerous thing to any one in crises. He knew that and even while trying to keep from crashing he started whispering a prayer, any prayer to keep his mind functioning. Through nothing but will He kept the truck on its wheels as he raced it to the docks.

A gate loomed ahead He didn't slow down. He speed on, BOOM, something shattered in front of him. Had there been a person in front he hadn't noticed. He couldn't afford to take his mind away from his task. "Bless us Oh Lord for These, Thy gifts…" he murmured to himself. His grip on the steering wheel was going slack. "FOR WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE…" he spoke up louder and tightened his grip. I am going to live…I am going to live!

He didn't realize that he had two passengers in the seat behind him. Jeremy was screaming and huddling in his seat, and a shocked solder in the back seat guarding him struggled to get his side-arm out. BANG, BANG…

His back exploded with pain. "AH!" He didn't turn around. He couldn't turn around. The pear was right in front of him. He pushed back into the seat and they went off into the water. SPLASH, the truck floated for all of two seconds before submerging beneath the water.

SG-1:

"What the Heck!" Mitchell sounded off as the truck drove off tires screeching.

"Uh." Daniel stood shocked.

"We need to go after them." Teyla stated.

"Right!" Mitchell agreed. "Sergeant, round everyone up get into the trucks we need to go after that truck."

"Were did Teal'c go?" Daniel questioned Vala as they ran to a truck that just came on the scene.

"He went after the smaller car," Vala answered as they all piled into the truck.

Mitchell got behind the wheel. "Hey, Major, we are pursuing the wraith…I repeat the target is not in the car, the target is not in the car!" Mitchell yelled into his radio.

"Where is he?" Major Black responded.

"He just stole one of our trucks!"

His eyes opened under the water. There was a red tint all around him. His blood was mingling with the water. He needed to get out. Water had filled up the truck and with a shove he got the door open.

He almost made it out when he remembered what he needed. He was getting weaker. He knew it. NO, STAY FOCUSED. GET THAT BOX! He went back into the sinking machine and there it was resting on the seat. He reached for it and started grabbing for it.

Once he had the sealed case in his hands he tried to pull himself out. A hand grabbed for his arm. The solder was wake and stuck in the seat, drowning. The man struggled with the seat belt and was panicking. He couldn't get it untangled from his body-armor.

He saw the man and what needed to be done. Then looking to the left he saw that Jeremy was floating unmoving also strapped in. He was tore free from the hand and started pulling away again but then saw the soldier's face; a boy. He was a boy hardly into his mid twenties. It took less than a moment to decide what to do.

He dropped the case on the front seat and reached for the panicking soldier. The man's squirming made it more difficult but He pinned the fool down with his forearm and untangled the strap. He pulled away and started reaching for Jeremy. He unclipped the buckle and grabbed the body to pull it forward. On the way out he took hold of the case with his free hand. Kicking as hard as he could he dragged both himself and the unconscious Jeremy to the surface. The solder now freed was also making his way up for air.

The three broke through the surface. "HU…HU…" he held Jeremy close and clamped his first around the case's handle. His own claws were digging into his hand. "HEY!" Someone called. A boat was coming towards them. "Hold on well come for you." A man was calling to them.

"Come…on…" He started kicking towards the coming motor boat. It came along side to them and the loud engine cut out. A big man reached over the side and lifted Jeremy from His arm. Then the hand came to take him. With a good heave he was pulled from the water and into the boat. Another man was pulling the solder in as well.

For a moment he gasped in air when he heard the gasp. They were seeing him as he was. No time to think, just action. He grabbed the big man brought his knee into the man's gut. The giant that had pulled him up doubled over. The other man tried to charge over the solder who was lying on the ground but tripped. He fell forward and with a Swing of the Case the wraith hit him in the side of the head.

He took the controls of the boat and started the engine. It came to life and they sped away.

Two trucks pulled into the pear following the signs of the out of control vehicle. It pulled to a halt at the base of the pear that clearly had an object run down it. Everyone got out.

"WOW!" Vala said. "He drove off the pear."

Daniel looked around for any sign of life. "I don't see anyone."

"I don't sense anyone nor see anything, Colonel." Vala confirmed.

"Spread out, see what we can find." Mitchell gave orders to the other troops. "Daniel get on the radio and tell the Major where we are." Mitchell took another look around "Damn!"

It was several miles away from land and he hadn't stopped the boat till the engine went out. He at first couldn't figure out what was wrong then he saw the dial on the control panel. E for empty of fuel. He turned to the passengers. The two men were still out cold. He went to the box that was in the back of the boat. Some sort of tool chest. There he found what he recalled to be duck tape. With long strips he tapped the men up. The big one was starting to come away.

He was tired and his entire body hurt. He knew he had stopped bleeding but it probably had more to do with his body not having enough blood to bleed anymore. He was for all intended purposes dying. With sleepy eyes he said thank you to the big man and turned away.

Who knew how long this had been. He couldn't think about the nature of time or have any care for it. He turned to the solder who had passed out after being brought aboard. He crawled over to the young man and started wrestling his equipment off and taking the weapons. He could hear the man's pulse in his ears. Hungry, his joints burned and his muscles were cramping making every moment an effort.

He had no choice. Just a little, he needed just a little. Tearing the shirt he rested his hand on the man's chest and latched on. It was almost hard to start the feeding process. He was so weak that he almost couldn't start the exchange of chemicals but it started and in moments warmth went through his stiff, cold flesh. STOP. He had to scream to himself before pulling away. He fell back and laid on the boat's deck. He looked down at his mess of a shirt and pulled it free. It was stained with blood and salt and was now just a rag with all the shredding from the bullets. Bullets that were still imbedded in muscles and organs. No matter how much life he took to restore himself he needed the objects out before any real healing could begin. But he was going to live. He could make it.

It was Jeremy's moaning that brought him from his thoughts. "Oh…oah…" He pulled himself up to his knees and moved to look over Jeremy. The young man opened his eyes was immediately panicked.

"Shush," he rested his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "It's alright, it's alright."

Jeremy scrambled up and pressed himself against the boats side. There was nowhere to run. So he just sunk there and remained still.

Alice, Eric…He remembered them. He scrambled over to the boatmen. He ignored their sounds as he searched them. Yes, a cell phone. He flipped it open and dialed Alice's cell. He held it to his ear. "We're sorry, the number you called is no longer in service, please try again or…" he shut it down and tried Eric's. The same message came over the ear piece. Their cells were not working. But that proved nothing…

Major Beck walked around the perimeter. The men had moved away to divert traffic. A cleanup crew was called in. The fire was too hot and they didn't want to risk any more lives.

He remembered what had happened. They had been in the trucks trying to catch the car and had managed to pull along side. With no other option the driver had tried to push the car to the side and get in front to block it. But instead the BMW sped up and hitting the curb at an angel flipped. It smashed itself upside-down. Moments later fire broke out and reached the tank. The explosion that followed had consumed the car and its occupants.

For just one moment the Major had thought he had done it. The wraith had been killed. Then the radio came on and Col. Mitchell's voice came on, "Hey, Major, we are pursuing the wraith…I repeat the target is not in the car, the target is not in the car!" Mitchell yelled into his radio.

"Where is he!" Blake quickly spoke back into the radio.

"He just stole one of our trucks!"

Black got on the radio. "Col. Mitchell, the car is destroyed. All occupants are dead. Any luck catching the wraith?"

"No, Major, we didn't…I just did a head count, is Sergeant Sage with you?"

"NO!" Black answered. "Where is my man?

He listened in dead silence to the radio from the man's equipment. Dead, they are all dead. He closed his eyes. He could hear the soldier coming back to consciousness. He turned and looked at the prostrated man.

The solder looked up and saw the wraith. His yellow eyes stared at him. They might have been bright in color but even with as much pain as he had seen nothing darker or colder in his life. Those eyes turned to the huddling form of the prisoner he had been guarding. They were going to die. He then saw the two men tied up with duck tape.

What had happened? The solder thought to himself.

He wanted to kill them both. That lovely woman was now dead. That promising boy was gone. All those possibilities gone win a fireball. His jaw was set and he was for two seconds ready to grab the young solder that at the moment did not look so young and finish what he had begun. Then he would drain Nickels to death.

But age and the cold of years had stopped his hand. He had once gone down that path and had sworn never to kill in anger. Never let his passions rule him. He might be a monster by man's standards but he was a monster neither ruled by fear or anger or love or joy. He was cold, his heart was harder than any mettle forged by man. He would not have survived ten thousand years otherwise.

"God, give me strength," He whispered.

His eyes closed and he calmed down. Then he made a decision. This was not the time for indecisiveness.

Sergeant Sage heard what was said over the radio. The wraith's men were dead. Nothing to bargain for. He was going to die, he knew it. The creature stared at him and his mouth twisted in a snarl and turned to the prisoner. They were defiantly going to die.

Then the strangest thing happened, the wraith closed its eyes and said a prayer to God of all things for strength. A second later those eyes opened and stared at him. Then at Jeremy and the wraith stood up and towered over the small man.

He reached down and plucked the boy up by the neck and held him on his tip-toes "I was going to let you live. I had thought that your betrayal was partially my fault as a leader. I would have held you for a time then set you free when you no longer knew anything that could hurt me." His voice was soft almost gentile. Then he placed his hand on the man's chest. "But you killed Alice, and Eric, and all the others. That was because of you, and me. I will live with my regrets but you…will not."

The man screamed as right before his eyes the life was drained out of him. The small man's frame caved in on itself. His skin shriveled up and his eyes sunk into the back of his head till they disappeared and the scream went silent. Then he dropped the husk.

And turned to Sage. "I will let you live, Solder." The Wraith addressed him directly and stared down on him. His voice was strong and fierce but also slow making what he said all the more grave. "I before this day had never killed one of your men. Now you laid waste to mine. Go and tell your leaders that they have made a grave mistake. Tell them…tell anyone that you meet when you get back that I will come to pay back this deed. They have now started a war, one where they will regret. Oh, yes…there will be so very much regret after this day."

With that the wraith grabbed a case of some sort and jumped over board and disappeared.

Note: Told you the unexpected was going to happen. I had always planned Alice and Eric to die. I figured it would show how dangerous battle can be but also the humanity in the wraith for how he reacted to their loss. It also separates Him more from SGC because they are now at war with him, or maybe more He is now at war with them, and this guy knows a lot about war. It also opens, I think, room for more characters to come. Finally I wanted my wraith to show a new level of "tough", after all that he is still alive, luck and will and skill got Him through if not everyone else. Hope you liked it.