Chapter 9
Rodney managed to smile back at her, but that's all he could do, as he was also tied to a chair. Next to him was an equally bounded Beckett.
"You're up. Good morning."
Elizabeth watched as Kavanah stepped from the shadows and into the light before her. There wasn't much light, the room looked like a box with no entrance, and no exit.
"Have a nice sleep?"
"What are you doing with us?"
"I'm glad you asked, actually. Very glad. See, it seems some time ago I asked you about testing a shield device, and you said no. Some time ago I asked you about another project, and you said no. You always say no, you always ALWAYS ridicule me in front of others. Well no more. No more."
"If your problem's with me then let the others go."
"I can't believe you made John run away. You thought it was him? That's laughable. He isn't clever enough to string more than two sentences together."
"Why don't you let us go?" Elizabeth asked, keeping her resolve.
"Because they have the ancient gene. I want to activate that shield, hook it up to a power source, and amplify it!! I want to do one of MY experiments."
"I don't have the gene."
"No. But you have John Sheppard."
"Like you said, I sent him away."
Kavenah threw his head back and laughed.
"Yes, yes, I thought you had ruined my plan. But you didn't. I know he'll come back. The sooner the better for all of us I dare say."
With ease, John landed the craft in the hanger and just before he began to pop the hatch, he stopped to hear a slight "thump. Thump."
Morse Code. Thump-bump-bump...Sleeping gas...in...hangar...bu-bump-thump...
John nodded and scanned the bay, sure enough there was Ford rapping on the dash board of one of the ships.
Tried to come get me.
John thought hard for a moment, and two gas masks popped out the roof. Securing one over his face, he rushed to Ford and made sure his second in command was also properly geared.
"Thanks sir."
"Where's Wier?"
"In the infirmary resting. Last I know of at least."
"Let's go," John broke into a sprint and the Lieutenant quickly followed.
Of course she wasn't in the infirmary.
"That's where I left her, sir."
John took off his mask, and Ford did the same, briefly reminding him of Jinto.
"Teyla, Rodney, Beckett?"
"Rodney and Beckett are missing, and Teyla was in Weir's office."
"Ten hut then. Let's find Teyla."
John kept his mask of calmness up, but inwardly he was screaming. It really was some mad man on the loose, and he, the head of security had done nothing.
"Sir...about the whole blaming you thing..."
"Let's find Teyla," John interrupted, not comfortable with long drawn apologies. The boy did his job.
Ford smiled, equally relieved.
Once they reached Weir's office, they saw the womens' slumped bodies.
"Gas mask on."
John tried the door, but it was locked, and a piece of plastic seemed to have been wedged in as well, making a civilized entrance impossible. With a running start, he barreled through the door.
"I can't leave you all for second can I? Everything just gets outta control. Take them to the infirmary, I'll start looking for Doctor Weir and..." John stopped speaking as he eyed the bloody desk, "Fooord."
"Oh, sir, that was a threat, it isn't like the blood from a bludgeoning or anything."
"Thank you. Let's move out."
Ford lifted up Teyla's limp figure and hauled her off towards the infirmary-he'd come back for the nurse in a minute.
Sheppard split away, and walked to where ever his feet would take him. Every door he passed, he opened, every hallway he saw, he searched.
"Doctor Weir! Come on this isn't funny."
He jerked his gun up at the sound of running footsteps and the breathless pants of someone in bad physical condition.
"Hello?"
"Major! Major! I thought you left."
"I did, Kavenah, but I came back."
"Sir, sir, I saw Doctor Weir. She doesn't look good."
With out even needing a nod from the Major, Kavanah led the way.
"Inside here," Kavanah said as he pressed open a seemingly seamless door and walked in.
John didn't even think to ask how the scientist found the place, he was just too grateful to him for leading him to Elizabeth.
He opened his mouth to thank him, but fell short as his eyes landed on Weir. She was strapped to the back of a chair, and across from her was Rodney and Beckett in the same predicament. John drew his gun, and watched for an intruder.
"John! Get out of here!" Elizabeth screamed before Kavanah slapped a hand over her mouth.
"What? Kav..." he stopped speaking as the mad scientist placed a cold silver blade at Elizabeth's neck.
John felt sick to his stomach that he let himself walk into this trap, and equally queasy over seeing his dear friends strapped to chairs with rope that drew blood as it chafted their skin. But, even though it was a trap, he'd never would have found her-them- without being led here.
"Ok, Kavenah. What do you want?"
"You."
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