Setting: Stargate Atlantis, Season 4
Disclaimer: I do not own the Stargate franchise.
A/N:Wow! Fifty chapters! Thank you to all my readers for sticking with me (and Lorne) this long, and special thanks to all those who've reviewed my stories. Your kind words and support have truly made this effort a great pleasure.
There was a very good reason that Evan never tried to sneak up on Coughlin when he was asleep: you never knew if you might run into something unexpected. A thief found this out the hard way when he lifted the pack from the floor of the room the team was sharing in the village inn.
As soon as the bag left the ground, it released the cord held tightly under it, and a bucket of icy water tinted with red dye released its load right on top of the thief's head. The man, understandably surprised by the sudden frigid dousing, actually screamed like a little girl. Turning to flee the scene, he was very much surprised to run smack into the barrel of Coughlin's 9 millimeter sidearm.
"Going somewhere?" Coughlin asked sweetly, a wolfish grin on his face. Evan sat up in his bed, still wearing his disguise, and switched on the light of his P-90 to illuminate the scene as Reed appeared in the doorway to block any possible exit.
The thief, literally red handed and shivering, swallowed nervously. "You're n-n-not traders!" he stammered.
"Wow," Evan remarked facetiously. "With such brilliant observations, you should've been a Canadian physicist instead of a thief."
"Huh?" the thief replied, his expression blank. Coughlin and Reed both smirked, however. Then Zol Parnek appeared, Reed shifting to allow the pock-marked local police sergeant into the room.
"So, Sergeant Parnek, you know this guy?" Evan asked casually, gesturing to the soaked would-be burglar.
The sergeant raised his bushy salt-and-pepper eyebrows in surprise. "Aye, that I do. No wonder we were never able to figure out who was behind it all. This fellow is one of my own officers!" He shook his head and sighed. "Oh, lad, I had such high hopes for you," Parnek said slowly.
"Sarge, how can you believe-" the dripping man began, but the Parnek shot him a look of both anger and sadness.
"No, Tam, don't even try to lie to me. Save it for your solicitor and the magistrate; they'll be the only ones interested." He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "Tam Preslin, I'm arresting you on suspicion of burglary. You do not have to say anything, and anything you do say may be held against you in view of the law. A solicitor will be appointed to advise you and will be available to offer counsel during any interview or interrogation."
Tam seemed too stunned to offer any resistance as Parnek secured his hands behind his back and marched him out the door, past the sleepy patrons only now coming out to see what the commotion was all about.
"Go back to bed, folks, show's over, nothing to see here," Evan assured them evenly as he followed after Parnek and his prisoner, leaving Coughlin and Reed to clean up the mess on the floor.
After throwing the light-fingered Tam into a cell, Parnek generously gave him a cloth to dry himself off, though the red stain stuck to the thief's hair, skin, and clothes. The sergeant shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't fathom it," he remarked as he sat down behind his desk. "Tam had everything going for him. His mother's one of the wealthiest merchants; he had everything he ever needed growing up, unlike many a lad I've met in my time. I trained him myself when he joined up. I would have brought him in on the operation if it hadn't been so restricted!" He rubbed his forehead, the disappointment palpable.
"Sometimes 'everything' isn't enough for some people," Evan observed, glancing at the miserable form huddled under the towel. "He'll have some time to think about that."
"Whatever happens now, thank you for your assistance in this matter, Major Lorne. And please pass on the gratitude of our people to Colonel Carter, as well. As much as it pains me to say, we might not have been able to solve this matter without your help." Sergeant Parnek offered his hand to Evan, who shook it firmly.
"You're welcome, Sergeant. We're glad to help. And I'll pass along your message to Colonel Carter."
