"Oh hell," Laura exhaled, glancing at Evan. "Anti-climatic? You just had to say it, didn't you." Laura cursed. Davidson wasn't a lackie, and now he had Jennifer. They should have seen it coming. But no, they'd all fallen for the blackmail routine and the woe-is-me geeky white coat.

John sighed and turned towards Ronon. "Chewey?"

"On it." Ronon took off at a run.

"McKay," John pointed towards the disabled jumper, "get this thing in the air. Cadman will fly it," he added when Rodney opened his mouth to protest. "Sanchez, Ellis, if it's not up in five minutes, take jumper three and get airborne. The rest of you are with me," the Colonel finished and took off in the direction Ronon had headed.

"Okay what did you mean Davidson isn't Davidson," Evan asked as they ran into the tree-line. "Who is he?"

"No idea," John called over his shoulder. "The body of the real Davidson was found in a washout a couple miles outside Cheyenne Mountain."

"How the hell did some faker get past security protocols?" Rodney asked. "Nevermind," he scowled. "It is the IOA we're talking about."

"I swear they have the mental foresight of a gnat." Browne muttered. "What ever happened to fingerprint scans? DNA checks? Hell any kind of check?"

Ronon stopped abruptly and everyone came to a halt. He squatted for a closer look at the ground, glanced over his shoulder at the way they'd come, then cursed and headed back towards the campsite.

A quick glance at the others showed a shared understanding. Davidson had turned back to the clearing.

"Okay this guy is really starting to piss me off," John cursed.

"Only starting to?" Rodney exclaimed, watching as Ronon left them all behind. "How the hell can he move that fast?" he huffed.

"Motivation," Teyla answered.

"First one there gets the first shot," John added.

They hit the clearing at a full run and slid to a stop. Davidson was backing up the ramp of Sheppard's jumper, using Jennifer as a shield. Jennifer's back arched awkwardly, telegraphing to everyone that she had a weapon pointed at her spine.

Standing in the corner of the tailgate, Laura stood with her palms out, her P90 at her feet. Sanchez and Ellis were outside the jumper, weapons trained on Davidson and the Doc.

Sanchez shot a quick glance to the Colonel. "Sorry, Sir. He came around the back with her. We couldn't make a move without hurting the Doc."

John ignored Jennifer's obvious fear and concentrated on the crazy scientist. The man was no longer hunched and cowering with worry and embarrassment. He seemed almost taller now, holding himself with a cocky assurance. Even his smile was different—cold and maniacal.

Ronon edged forward, his blaster aimed at Jennifer and Davidson.

"Uh, uh, uh…" Davidson spoke, his voice now carrying a hint of a British accent. He jabbed his weapon further against Jennifer's spine, making her hiss. He dragged her back a step. "Careful Mr. Dex. We wouldn't want my trigger finger to twitch, now would we?"

John stepped forward and motioned for the others to lower their weapons. "Okay Davidson, or whatever your name is… There's no way this is going to work, so why don't you just let the Doc go, and we'll call it a day."

Davidson smirked. "Of course it's going to work, Colonel. You see I'm nothing if not efficient when it comes to back up plans for the back up plans. Although I have to admit, you knowing I'm not Doctor Davidson has me at a bit of a disadvantage."

"The raccoons dug up the real Doctor Davidson," John replied with a shrug. "Perhaps you should have rethought that particular back up plan."

Davidson laughed—it was a cold, harsh bark. "Point taken, Colonel. Point taken."

Jen let out a little squeak when Davidson dragged her further up the ramp and into the jumper. "Now if you don't mind, my dear Colonel, I believe it's time for me to make a few adjustments to my luck, which seems to be rather spotty of late." The scientist glared at Laura. "If you wouldn't mind closing the hatch, my dear?"

Laura glanced at the Colonel.

"Davidson…" John warned.

"Now, Lieutenant," Davidson barked, dragging Jen further into the cargo area of the jumper.

Laura reached up and slapped her palm over the hatch control. The look she shot Evan was calm and controlled. Right before the hatch closed completely she flashed him a grin and winked.

"Aww crap," Evan exhaled. "She's up to something."

The jumper lifted off the ground and shot into the cloudless sky.

John ran up the ramp of the second jumper and into the cockpit.

Rodney grabbed the scattered crystals and quickly sorted them. "You know things would run much more efficiently if people would stop playing lego-builder with Ancient technology," he muttered, squatting under the console. He glanced at each crystal in turn before carefully slotting it into a spot in the exposed tray beneath the console.

"Any time now, McKay…" John urged, glaring at the lifeless controls in front of him.

"Working on it…" Rodney replied, swapping the position of two crystals.

Lights flaired on the console and he closed the tray. "I can get you flight control but no communication," he commented, standing and wiggling two broken pieces of a control crystal.

"Communication can wait," John lifted the jumper into the air. "We can't." He glanced at the HUD and the position of the other jumper. "Fasten your seatbelts kiddies," he scowled, noting the second ship had turned and was now headed back in their direction. "I think Davidson wants to play chicken."

"Um…" Rodney leaned into the aisle between the seats. The other jumper was now screaming straight at them. "Just how good a pilot is Cadman?"

"She's good," John retorted. "Lucky for you I'm better." He piloted the jumper straight up at the sky.

"She's firing," Evan commented as the HUD lit up with red warning lights.

"Seriously?" Rodney squawked.

"Then let's give her something to shoot at besides us," John replied, twisting the jumper and dropping them straight down at the tree-tops.

"What!" Rodney yelped.

"Relax, McKay," John made a face, twisting the jumper as they plummeted towards the planet. "Cadman's not trying to kill us…well…you maybe." The jumper snapped to a level course, snapping the tops off several trees before righting itself. Behind them, several explosions sounded. The blinking warning lights on the HUD flickered out.

"Show off," Rodney muttered.

The second jumper banked sharply and took off to the south, headed straight for the ocean.

"Now what?" Ronon growled from his position between the bulkhead doors.

"Now we follow," John adjusted their course. "If I'm right…we're about to go for a swim."


Jennifer was having a hard time deciding who she was more upset at; Dr. What's-his-name for his multiple attempts at trying to kill her, or Laura for her current attempt at trying to kill the others.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jen gaped as Laura obeyed Davidson's order to fire on the other jumper.

"Saving your life," Laura glanced behind Jen at the scientist. If he even was a scientist, Jen thought.

Davidson had tied Jen to the co-pilots seat, and had seated himself directly behind her. He still had his weapon trained at the back of her head. She knew without having to look because Laura's repeated gaze at something just behind her told her everything she needed to know. She clenched the sides of the seat, letting out a strangled gasp when the explosions sent huge chunks of tree and debris into the air. Jen sent praises to whatever gods protected pilots, because John Sheppard was certainly sitting on a halo.

"You missed," Davidson said.

"Yes well I'm also chasing the man who trains our flight crews," Laura spat.

"Loose them," Davidson commanded. "Or she dies."

Jen didn't need to look to know that she was the 'she' in question.

"You are aware we're traveling in identical jumpers," Laura scowled. "And reinforcements are on their way."

"No…but I am aware I disabled communications in that jumper," Davidson retorted.

"How did you do it?" Laura glanced at him then quickly turned back to the console. "Was any of it real? The blackmail? The comments to Bryant? The way you were acting, Bryant was the master planner and you were just some poor victim."

Davidson laughed. "Ah yes... such a gullible fop. It was really rather easy to make him think he was in charge. A turn of a phrase, a suggestion, a 'what do you think'? Everything else was just...well...good acting if I do say myself. You know it's quite funny how predictable these scientist types are. Fame and money. It's a great motivator. Bryant thought of himself as a genius worth his weight in gold. Give him a problem and tell him he couldn't solve it, set him up with an unlimited cash flow and he was an addict looking for his next fix. Unfortunately for him..."

"...he's dead," Jen finished.

Davidson laughed. "Yes, yes he is. And so will you be if you don't do exactly as I say. The Hesianian Trench is 200 miles off the coast. I am aware that these jumpers make very capable submarines. If you're as good as you say you are, Lieutenant, you should be able to sink them there."

"You'll never get away with this," Jen craned her neck to glare at the monster seated in the seat behind her.

"Well yes but you see Doctor Keller, as I have mentioned before, I am nothing if not efficient on keeping a Plan B? You are likely wondering how I think I am going to get away with having the three of us return to the city and still be allowed to return to Earth on the Daedalus when it comes back?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Jen answered, glancing at Laura.

Laura frowned, piloting the jumper past the last vestige of land and out over the white-caped ocean. "Okay smart-guy, how are you planning to have the three of us return to the city and still be allowed to return to Earth?"

"Quite easily, in fact. You see the two of you will return to your duties, saddened by the unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of your friends, but relieved that you were spared. And you will do this," he added with a hard edged bite, "because of what I know. And what I know is that you, Dr. Keller, are quite fond of your father…"

"My Dad?" Jen squirmed in her chair, trying to see the man behind her.

"—your only living direct relative…" Davidson continued, unfazed by her reaction. "…and you Lieutenant, come from a rather large extended family, all of whom you dote on…especially your beautiful newborn niece Callie Jane."

"Why you arrogant son-of-a-bitch," Laura spat, moving to stand.

Davidson tisked and jabbed the barrel of his sidearm against Jennifer's temple. "Careful Lieutenant…we wouldn't want to have one of those unfortunate accidents in here, now would we."

"If you've hurt them I swear I'm going to tear every inch of skin off your body with my bare hands…" Laura hissed, her eyes filled with fury. She slowly lowered herself back into the pilots seat and buckled herself in.

"Your relatives are fine," Davidson said firmly. "For now. As long as you both cooperate they will continue to remain healthy and in one piece."

"What kind of horrible man could possibly think of hurting a baby?" Jen whispered.

"One who is very, very good at his job," he said coldly. "So what will it be ladies? Friends or family because I assure you—it will definitely have to be one or the other."

Laura glanced sideways at Jen, raw emotion lying naked across her face. Jen stared at her friend, knowing in her heart they truly had only one option. They couldn't choose between one or the other…no matter what the deal was on the table. She knew Laura would never intentionally harm any innocent person... or the man she loved. They couldn't communicate with the other jumper, couldn't warn them, couldn't have Rodney draft up some crazy, psychotic plan.

Laura glanced quickly at Davidson, who was sitting stiffly behind Jen. Then she shifted her attention to Jen, staring hard with a slightly quizzical look as though waiting for Jen to choose who lived and who died.

Jen knew what Laura was silently asking, because the same question was strangling the life out of her own heart. Life above all else. They couldn't shoot the others down, and they couldn't let Davidson harm their families.

After a moment Jen realized with surprise that Laura wasn't worried. No, when Laura was worried about something...truly worried...she blinked more than normal. It was a bizarre twitch, but a dead giveaway to anyone who knew her. No Laura was staring at her with open eyes. A solid stare. And no blinking. In fact she looked as though she'd already made a decision, and was just waiting for a sign from Jen to proceed.

Jen blinked.

Laura blinked. Once.

Jen's heart beat added a few extra staccato beats. Laura was trying to tell her something, but Jen had no idea what the plan was. She only hoped it was a good one that wasn't going to involve shooting down Sheppard's jumper.

"Well Ladies?" Davidson leaned closer to Jen, the barrel once again appearing near her head. "What will it be? Family or friends? Is the bond of blood stronger than the bond of friendship? Shall we put money on it?"

Sending up a silent prayer to the all gods, devils and demons who might be listening, Jen begged for absolution from all her bad-luck. She sent Laura her best 'you'd better know what you're doing' glare and dipped her chin, nodding once. "Fine."

Laura turned slowly around to face Davidson as the jumper headed further out to sea. "We'll play your twisted game, but our families remain out of it, you heartless bastard."

"You get rid of that jumper," Davidson replied, settling back in his chair behind Jen, "and we have a deal."

Jen felt a slightly nauseating shift in momentum when Laura switched off the internal dampeners. Jen wouldn't have noticed if not for the many near-misses and crippled jumper rides she'd had over the years. Jen bit the inside of her cheek, willing herself not to speak, not to look at Laura, and not to give anything away. Without the dampeners to combat the drastic change in speed, they'd be tossed about like rag-dolls when the jumper broke the surface of the water. Without the dampeners…they'd likely be killed.

Without the dampeners, they had nothing to keep their bodies stable as Laura commanded the jumper to slam full force onto the cresting tops of the angry sea.

Before she blacked out Jen was pretty sure she was screaming.


Water.

It was the first thing Laura realized.

She was in the water… and damn it was cold. Icy. Ocean. It licked quickly up her body with its icy tongue.

She tried to open her eyes but the command wasn't obeyed. She struggled to reach out with her hands, but her right arm was heavier than it should be. Pain speared her shoulder when she tugged with her left arm instead. She cried out, barely recognizing the hoarse croak as her own.

She could hear pounding…metallic almost…no…sharper. High pitched. It made her think of the sound of ice snapping out of the metallic ice cube tray her nana had. Sharp and crisp with a tinny scrape that always made her shiver uncontrollably. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.

She shuddered violently, hissing as the stabbing pain in her right shoulder reminded her she shouldn't move. She could feel the edges of the darkness tugging her back to sleep…where it would be warm. Painless. Comfortable.

Someone called her name.

God-damn, it Red.

Evan? Wow he sounded mad. Really mad.

Dangerously sexy kind of mad.

She wondered what she'd done to send him over the edge this time… whatever it was it had to be good. She started to laugh but the giggle turned into a cough that made it hard to breathe.

A huge blast of icy water splashed across her chest, shocking her. She tried to inhale and was rewarded with a mouthful of ocean. She choked back a scream, panic now overriding the fear of the pain exploding across her upper body as her arms moved without warning.

Spots swirled behind her eyelids, dancing in a flurry of sparkling white.

Then blessed nothingness.