Disclaimer - I do not own SGA or its Characters. I do own Dr. Orla Grant.
Rated T for violence & threat.
Sheppard and Ronon moved quickly and steadily in the direction of the flashing dots. The storm was growing stronger, the light of day waning with the overcast sky. The rain was falling heavily, almost at a slant causing the team's visibility to be reduced.
Ronon grabbed at Sheppard's shoulder and squeezed but his eyes never left the sight before him.
Sheppard stopped the instant he felt Ronon's hand, a warning to stop. He tried to make out what he'd seen but everything was too murky.
"Ronon?" the Colonel whispered.
"Looks like an old trap, don't move," Ronon warned, "check the life signs machine."
Sheppard pulled the Life Signs Device out from the inside of his TAC vest. "Still two. Take point, Chewie," Sheppard knew they'd need the Satedan's superior eye sight in the storm.
Ronon quietly and cautiously edged closer to what appeared to be a trap. It was large but he couldn't make out what or who were inside. No sound was coming from the trap, whoever was inside had to be either unconscious and or injured. He continued creeping forward, always aware the trap itself could be just the lure. He scanned the surroundings and saw nothing but scrubland.
As he got close enough to peer over the edge; he could see the edges of the trap were becoming unstable, the rain causing the mud to soften. He'd need to be careful or he'd find himself inside the trap. He caught the glimpse of a head, a small head. Not a child but an adult, a small adult, a woman. He had to swallow the rising panic at the thought of Orla hurt inside the trap. He stepped forward one more step, raised himself to his full height and peered into the trap.
"Jennifer?" Ronon cried out in surprise at the sight of the doctor. She was clearly soaked and judging by skin colour had been wet for some time. He could see she was tending to someone under foil blankets. He couldn't see who but the bulk was too big to be Orla, it was more Sheppard's size. Lorne!
"Jennifer," Ronon bellowed.
Jennifer moved up and down as best as she could trying to keep herself awake and warm. There was little more she could do for Lorne right now and she was more than aware the effects of constantly being cold and wet. She could feel them creeping in now, she was tired, her mind foggy. She heard something, she looked up scanning the sky to see where the noise had come from. She heard her name, a man's voice. She quickly looked around and spotted a bulk to the side of the trap. She shielded her eyes from the rain, "hello?"
"Jennifer, it's Ronon."
Sheppard came a stop beside Ronon, he took in the sight before him. He quickly came to the same conclusion as Ronon, the bulk under the blankets was too big to be female.
"Ronon? Oh, thank god. Please you need to hurry, Lorne's badly hurt. I can't get him out of this trap alone."
"Hey, Doc. You okay?" Sheppard shouted.
"What? Colonel Sheppard? I'm fine, cold and wet but uninjured. We have to get Lorne out of this trap now!"
"Give us a minute," Sheppard replied.
"Jennifer!" Rodney moved forward trying to reassure himself Jennifer was safe.
"Don't" Ronon barked stopping McKay instantly. "The edges of the trap are soft; the mud's too unstable. She's okay, she's wet but alive and with Lorne. He's injured. Take Dr. Biro over to the trees they'll offer some shelter."
Rodney nodded, for once he didn't want to argue with Ronon, not when it came to their survival but most of all to the survival of Jennifer.
"Got any rope?" Ronon asked.
"Yeah… you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"You lower me down…"
"Back up, Ronon. No offence buddy, but you're a big guy and I can't see you squeezing through those stakes, I'll go down."
"No. I got a better way," Ronon grinned, "the trap looks like it's an old Runner trap, designed to capture men not game, hence its' size."
"How can this be a Runner trap? There's no Stargate on the planet except inside Atlantis?" Sheppard stated.
"I dunno. Maybe the Runner was never meant to leave the planet? If it wasn't a Runner then who ever it was, was definitely hunting humans, look at those stakes. They're meant to cause to maximum damage, right? Except how long as this planet been uninhabited?" Ronon asked.
"I don't know but go on."
"The stakes are old, the wood probably rotten inside and maybe even brittle. They would've been for the most part sheltered from the elements inside the trap but they're old. Old wood is easier to break down than fresh."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Make sure Jennifer and Lorne are safe to one side, I'll shoot the stakes with my gun, it'll be messy but then I can get down there, we can get Lorne out."
"I like that idea, only, if you and I are in there. Who'll get us out?"
"McKay?"
"He might be able to get me out … maybe?"
"You can both get me out afterwards. I need to know where Orla and Laura are."
Sheppard nodded, he turned to face the trap and Jennifer's expectant face. "Jennifer, where's Orla and Laura?"
Jennifer had no intention of outright lying but she just needed Ronon to help with Lorne. Besides, she didn't know the location of the cave and if she told Ronon Orla was in labour what could be do? Run around the planet looking for small caves? Probably. "Laura found a small cave and took Orla there to keep her safe and warm. She's with her. I don't know where it is, I'm sorry."
"She's safe, Ronon," Sheppard said feeling relieved himself.
Ronon nodded, "better let McKay know what we're going to do."
"Give me a minute," Sheppard headed over to McKay and Biro who were seeking limited shelter from the overhead canopies of the nearby trees. "Listen up, Ronon's going to get me down inside the trap. I'll help Jennifer to shield Lorne while Ronon uses his gun to blast the stakes until it's big enough for him to get down there. Once we're both inside, we'll start getting Jennifer and Lorne out."
"How are you going to get back up?" McKay uttered genuinely bewildered.
"You are, McKay. You'll help me get to the top of the trap then I'll help you get Ronon out. Got it?" Sheppard waited as he looked at McKay to agree.
"I can't…"
"Don't give me that, McKay. Lorne's injured and Jennifer is on her way to hyperthermia. You've helped us get back to the Stargate when we've been on missions gone wrong. Pulling us over the side of a 6-foot mud wall will be a cake walk."
Sheppard threw the coiled rope from his back pack at Ronon.
"You know that muds gonna be dangerous. You won't be able to get much purchase on the sides," Ronon explained.
"I know, just have to lay down, go over and slide down the wall while you release the slack,"
Ronon nodded. "We need to hurry up the winds picking up even more, looks like the storms almost at its' peak."
"You gonna be able to keep steady?"
"Yeah, would be easier if you didn't eat so much though," Ronon teased smiling at the indignant look spread across Sheppard's face.
"Oh yeah, I eat a lot. You eat more than Rodney! Least you don't have to worry about Rodney trying to pull you out of that trap!"
"Hello, I am right here, thank you," McKay muttered as he stood beside the two men.
"Just a little friendly banter, McKay," Sheppard teased good naturedly.
Ronon gave part of the length of rope to Sheppard to tie around himself. He tied a bowline same as Laura had previously.
Ronon took up the rest of the length and wound it around himself, securing it around his left arm. He took up the same stance as Laura had, his dominate leg out in front to steady himself. His left leg dug into the mud for support.
"When you need to get Sheppard out of the trap, you'll need to wind the rope around yourself like this. Keep your dominate leg out front, we don't want you getting pulled in too," Ronon explained to a nodding McKay.
Sheppard groaned in displeasure as he laid down on the cold sticky mud. Slowly he inched forward but was unable to grab a hold of anything but mud. He began to swing a leg over the trap and then the other. He could feel himself begin to slide over the edge. As quickly as he began to slide, he stopped, he knew the slack had been taken by Ronon. He began to descend down the muddy wall in a controlled slide.
Sheppard's feet became submerged into the cold-water pooling inside the trap. The water reached above his ankles. He stood, untied the rope and tugged it to let Ronon know to pull the rope back up. He tried to turn but space was more limited than he'd thought from above. He tried to squeeze passed a stake, they were large, sharp and at his stomach height. he instantly admired the brave choice on Jennifer's part to come into the trap and move around the steaks which would come higher on her than on him. He smiled at her as he tried to inch his way along to her. It quickly became evident he'd have to lose his TAC vest if he wanted to move between the stakes. He tried to undo the vest, struggling with the lack of space. Eventually he managed to unzip it. Surprised to feel the cold small hand of Jennifer helping him to remove the vest.
"Helps to be skinny," Jennifer joked.
"Thanks, we need to get to Lorne's side," Sheppard shouted as he began to explain Ronon's plan.
As they managed to get to Lorne's side, the Major still unconscious. Jennifer said, "I didn't tell Ronon the whole truth," she shouted.
"What?"
"Orla, she's in labor. That's why Laura's with her. I don't know where the cave is but I didn't want to panic Ronon more."
"Damn it, we'd better get a move on then," Sheppard replied tensely.
Sheppard waited for Jennifer to turn and move towards Lorne. When she reached him, she used her upper body to shield his head and chest as best as she could without putting pressure onto him. In turn Sheppard move towards Jennifer and tried to protect her with his own body. He turned his head to look up at Ronon waiting for their signal to begin blasting. He nodded.
Ronon charged his particle gun, the familiar whine drowned out by the wind and rain. He aimed at the nearest stake to himself. He fired the gun, seconds later the stake was blown to pieces. He continued blasting at the stakes, carefully watching the others to ensure they hadn't been hurt by flying debris.
Ronon continued to move around the edges of the trap, firing at the stakes trying to avoid getting too close to the team. Finally, he reached the few stakes beside Sheppard and Keller. He waited for Sheppard to notice.
"Do it, Ronon," Sheppard yelled.
As Ronon blasted at the stakes Sheppard could feel the wood pieces flying off the destroyed stake and covering himself. If all he got was a few splinters he could live with that.
Eventually there were only a two remaining stakes, those were the ones holding fast onto Major Lorne. There were small clumps of wooden debris everywhere, the particle gun having almost disintegrating everything it had touched.
Sheppard coughed, he had dust particles in his mouth and nose despite being faced in the opposite direction. He could feel the pieces of wood embedded into his hair. "You okay, Doc?"
"I'm… okay."
Sheppard was concerned the young doctor was far from fine.
There was huge splash, muddy cold water was sent in every direction including the team. Sheppard turned to find out the cause to see the looming figure of Ronon Dex righting himself back to his formidable height.
"What?" he cried out, unsure of what just happened.
"Nothing to hurt myself on now, just muddy water and I've jumped from much higher places," Ronon yelled and shrugged as though it was nothing. "What about Lorne?"
"He got impaled by a stake through his calf and one through the thigh. I managed to place tourniquets on both injuries to reduce the blood loss and packed each wound as best as I can. He's had high doses of Morphine to prevent him from waking. I can't keep giving him such doses, he needs to be moved. Now."
"Can't blast the stakes with your gun," Sheppard said.
Ronon reached into the lining of his long black leather coat and brought out a machete.
"Is that one for them to find or one to keep?" Sheppard asked referring to Ronon's rule about always having enough knives on him at any given time.
Ronon smirked at Sheppard, "hold onto Lorne, he'll fall otherwise and keep your hands away." Ronon waited for Sheppard and Jennifer to move either side of Lorne. Jennifer took hold of the Major's feet and calf with Sheppard taking the bulk of Lorne's weight at his torso.
Ronon swung his machete striking at the stake impaled on Lorne's calf. The sharp deadly weapon chopping easily into the old wood. Eventually, he looked across to Jennifer, "ready?" the stake holding Lorne's calf was about split. He took one more swing at the stake, Lorne's calf and the remains of the stake impaled in it dropped into Jennifer's waiting hands.
Ronon swung at the stake impaled in Lorne's thigh. As the machete swung for the third time, Lorne moved. Sheppard grabbed hold of the man shouting, "Lorne don't move. You're hurt and we're trying to free you. If you move, Ronon might just miss his target and believe me you don't want that."
The cry escaping Lorne was long and loud. The pain flooded through his body like no other pain. He heard Sheppard tell him to still but he wasn't the one in pain. Something was over his face he couldn't work out what, he was cold, tired, sore, he began to try to move to alleviate the pain. Moments later he was consumed in a fog of blackness as the pain receded once again, he was unconscious.
Sheppard held onto the syringe Jennifer had gotten Ronon to pass across. The last of the Morphine administered.
"Ready," Ronon raised his machete and swung at the remaining stake. He made one more pass before the stake finally gave way.
TBC...