Had some extra time to do some editing so here's the next chapter up…
They didn't find a ZPM.
They didn't find anything.
The contact, a stout and balding man named Corbin, hemmed and hawed and after an hour of traversing through the caverns, finally told them that he wasn't sure of the exact location of any of the treasures that might be found there.
"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Rodney as they exited the cavern; batting at another insect only he could see. "I didn't pick up any energy readings down there, and with the hundreds of tunnels to search it could take forever to find any! It's too vast! The location needs to be narrowed down and we wouldn't even know where to start, because that's what you were here for!"
Teyla stepped forward, her voice low and dangerous. "You have wasted our time!"
Corbin nodded quickly, his eyes to the ground. "I-I'm sure what you're looking for is there! Somewhere…I just don't…I'm not…"
"And what of the items we gave you to show us the way? You have not helped us at all!" Teyla's voice was sharp with anger; the team had needed a win. First, Lucius was nowhere to be found…and now no ZPM.
Corbin's head shot up. "No…you can't have them back! I need them!"
A low growl from Ronon had the man backing up.
"To…to sell, to feed my family! Please!"
John flinched at the man's words, an image of a trembling red-headed man causing his heart to clench.
"You can keep them." he said. "Ronon, put it away." John motioned to the weapon in the Satedan's hand that was pointing directly at the trembling man.
"Teyla…stand down." his voice, a tired order.
Teyla looked back at John, staring at him for a moment, then acquiesced.
"Thank you, thank you!" The man smiled at John, his smile faltering at the cold look in his eyes.
"We need a new guide." John said, his eyes narrowing.
Corbin's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing, then he gasped. "I-I know of a man!"
Oh, right!" said Rodney, exasperated. "You didn't know anything about anything…why should we trust anyone you recommend?"
"McKay!"
Rodney's mouth snapped shut at the hardness in John's voice.
John turned back to Corbin and stepped forward until their faces were inches apart.
"We will go see this man and give him whatever he wants for him to guide us through the caverns; but if you're lying about this or if your man can't help us...you won't have anybody left to buy food for..."
Corbin gulped, the man in front of him radiated danger, John's laser stare never leaving his face.
"I understand." He said, nodding quickly. "Come…come!"
He beckoned the team towards the town.
"Colonel?" Teyla frowned at John who was breathing heavily, still staring at the empty space where the man once stood.
Concerned at what he had said to Corbin, Teyla reached out and touched John on the arm; he hadn't sounded like himself.
"Colonel?" she repeated.
John flinched turning to her in confusion, then his eyes cleared and he turned to the others.
"What are you all standing here for..? Come on, follow the man!"
The new guide was named Sion, a thin young man who worked as a cleaner in the town's city hall they were in.
"I-I've been in and around the caverns for most of my life. I can show you where some treasures have been found…maybe you'll find what you're looking for there…" He cowered under Ronon's hulking shadow.
"What do you want in exchange?" asked Teyla, she and Ronon crowding the man into a corner.
John and Rodney were scoping out the room they were in.
The man put his broom down.
"I-I want ….I want to see Atlantis."
"Not gonna happen." grunted Ronon.
"Okay...I've heard rumors you have flying ships, I want a ride in one."
"Done." said John from across the room, then walked over to look at a wall of pictures and a long rectangular glass case that hung in the middle of them.
"We'll stay here tonight," John said. "And start fresh in the…"
The sudden silence in the room was like a slap.
Ronon turned around, "Sheppard?"
John was standing frozen in front of the case on the wall.
"Sheppard?" echoed Rodney, the team as one moving to their leader.
They all looked at the small items and pieces of jewelry in the case he was staring at.
"What is wrong, John?" whispered Teyla as she watched him open the case with a trembling hand.
"Don't touch those!" Sion said moving forward only to be held back by Ronon.
"I-It's…Lucius…h-he's dead." John's voice hitched.
"What? How do you know this?" asked Teyla.
John slowly pulled a gold chain from the case with a gold ring hanging from it and turned to Sion, holding it up for him to see.
"How did he die?" John asked.
The young man frowned. "I don't…"
John surged forward shoving him back against a table and pushing the chain towards his face.
"HOW DID HE DIE!?"
"I…I don't know..!" The young man stared at John, then the ring. "I…um…It's one of our latest ones! Um…it could be…" His eyes widened, recalling. "A fight broke out in a pub not long ago, it was pretty bad! A foreigner got blind drunk and assaulted some of our locals, almost killing one of them before being killed by our security team. It took the whole team to bring him down, the man was strong, and crazy! Um...so I heard. Sorry about your friend!"
"He wasn't our friend." said Ronon, his eyes locked on John preparing for his next move.
"You keep dead people's jewelry on display?" scoffed Rodney. "That's morbid!"
"No…" whispered John stepping away from the trembling young man.
He clenched the ring in his fist. "No, it's not morbid…" his breath hitched, emotion overwhelming him.
It was the same town…
Khaval.
John bit his lip and frowned; confusion and sadness bombarding him.
Lucius must have come here to find some sort of solace in a dead son; because the son who had returned to him had abandoned him again…
John shook his head.
But I wasn't his son..!
But to die so meaninglessly…in a bar fight?
It's not fair! He needed to pay for all the people he hurt, for all the families he destroyed!
Had he been here trying to drown his feelings of abandonment?
Did I abandon him again?
Feelings of anger and confusing guilt flew through John.
He hurt me…
He hurt Carson…
I hurt Carson…
I shouldn't have run…
He missed his sons!
He missed me!..
"Sheppard!"
John flinched, Ronon's harsh voice startling him out of the thoughts that assaulted him. He sensed it wasn't the first time the Satedan had called his name.
His team had watched him fall silent, not liking the sudden blank look on his face; whatever was happening was not good.
John shook his head trying to untangle his thoughts, then narrowed his eyes at the young man who blinked wide eyed back at him.
"You're going to show me where you burned their bodies!" John hissed, digging a finger into Sion's chest; the young man nodding quickly in agreement.
"Bodies, Colonel?" asked Teyla, concerned over John's sudden change in behavior.
John turned to her, "Not now, Teyla!" The steel in his voice hiding the sudden panic he was feeling.
He pulled Sion by the shirt and headed towards the door.
"Wait…but what about the ZPM?" asked Rodney.
John winced, feeling guilty but continued moving.
I'm sliding back…he thought to himself, unable to bear the thought that he would never truly be himself again.
His team called out to him as they followed; questioning, worrying…
But he let his silence entangle and enfold him, and would not answer them.
-tbc-
One chapter left to go folks…