Retribution
Chapter 9: The Tables Are Turned
The darkness gradually lifted, fading first to dull gray before finally releasing him from its grip. Sheppard awoke to find himself lying facedown on the hard and cold floor of the cell where Koyla had left him. The return to consciousness brought with it an acute awareness of how much his body ached from the earlier beating. He pushed himself up, groaning softly as his cracked ribs protested against the sudden movement. He managed to finally get himself upright and stumbled over to one of the chairs before collapsing into it. Blinking several times to clear his vision, Sheppard gingerly probed the back of his throbbing skull, finding a sizable lump and a section of his hair matted with dried blood. No doubt a concussion explained his splitting headache, double vision, and slight feeling of nausea.
But there would be plenty of time to deal with his injuries later. He needed to find a way out of here and look for the rest of his team. They were the major's first priority and he would not rest easy until he knew they were safe. God knew what Koyla and Cowen could be subjecting them to. Neither man struck the major as being the type to show much mercy to those they considered adversaries, and the siege on Atlantis displayed just how much the Genii considered the city's inhabitants their enemies.
Gritting his teeth in pain, he stood back up, swaying slightly from the effort. Ignoring the dizziness that still plagued him, Sheppard looked about the room trying to assess his options for escape. From what he could see, they were practically non-existent. The room had one exit, the door currently locked from the other side and most likely guarded by one of Koyla's men. Ever the optimist, the major refused to give up hope that he would somehow discover a means of escape or, at the very least, find a way to defend himself against the Genii when they returned. Walking over to the cot, he examined the underside of the frame to see if any of the metal slats could be removed and fashioned into a crude weapon.
His efforts were interrupted by the abrupt sound of voices outside the door. He barely had time to move the cot back into place and sit back on the chair before the door unlocked and swung open. Two Genii soldiers entered the room followed by their commander.
"Ah, Major Sheppard. I am so glad to find you awake to finish our discussion. Now, where did we leave off?" Koyla asked as he and his men walked towards the major.
"Damn, my day just keeps getting better and better." Sheppard stated matter-of-factly as he braced himself both mentally and physically for his second bout with the Genii commander.
Meanwhile in an another wing of the huge complex, his teammates continued to ponder possible ways to escape confinement from their own cramped quarters. Koyla had returned with McKay just moments ago. After quickly depositing the scientist back in the cell with his colleagues, the commander then left the three of them alone once again. At McKay's sudden arrival, Ford and Teyla rushed up to their teammate, worried about what had occurred during his trip with Koyla to the stargate.
"McKay, did Koyla hurt you? What happened while you were gone?" The lieutenant inquired of the physicist.
"I'm fine. Getting a bit hungry though. I am on the verge of a hypoglycemic reaction, and if they don't feed us something soon, I will not be of much use to anybody." McKay replied.
"Dr. McKay, if we don't get out of here soon, hunger will be the least of your concerns." Teyla said before the scientist could prattle on about his dietary requirements.
"We'd better do something soon then." McKay admonished. "Koyla demanded that Dr. Weir deliver the C4, our medical supplies, the Wrath data device, and three of our puddlejumpers to the stargate in one hour. And oh, look at the time. Subtract the time it took to walk back to town and the few minutes I've been back, we now have actually less than forty minutes before that mad man will be looking for his ransom."
"Surely Dr. Weir will find a way to stall for time in order to send a rescue team to find us. I can't imagine she would cave in that easily to Commander Koyla's ultimatums." Ford said.
"Ford, we don't have the luxury of depending on Elizabeth to get us out of this jam. Koyla warned her he would kill us if the supplies weren't delivered. She may not dare risk sending in the troops to get us until she knows more details about our situation. Koyla stationed some of his goons at the stargate to prevent such an occurrence anyways. We have to consider the fact that we on our own." McKay explained.
"Then we must hurry. I believe Koyla has no intention of letting us go even if and when he receives what he wants. His need for revenge is too great. He will sacrifice us in repayment for the Genii killed at Atlantis. Certainly Dr. Weir will realize that has been his plan all along." Teyla added.
"What if we think of a way to call the guard in here so we can jump him?" Ford suggested.
"Anything is worth a try at this point. Why don't we..." McKay began.
For the second time that evening, their discussion was interrupted by the sound of something heavy falling, followed by the clanging noise of the door being unlatched. They looked up, expecting the Genii to once again be paying them an unwelcome visit. The door slowly opened, casting light from the hallway into the dimly lit cell, and backlighting the figures standing at the threshold. As their eyes adjusted to the abrupt cascade of light flooding into the room, the three team members exchanged startled and confused looks as they saw who was entering their cell room.
"Kenra! What are you doing here?" Teyla gasped in disbelief at the appearance of the woman she had considered to be her close friend.
"Teyla! Dr. McKay! Lieutenant Ford! We are here to help you escape the Genii. Please, you must come with us quickly while there is still time." The Logaran woman exclaimed as she moved aside from the doorway.
As Kenra spoke, Golathe and Senara entered the room dragging the unconscious guard. They deposited the Genii soldier in the corner of the room and quickly stripped him of his weapons and radio. The two Logarans then proceeded to bind his hands and feet with restraints they took from the two large shoulder packs they also carried with them and covered his mouth with a strip of cloth they tied around his head.
The three bristled at the sight of the very man who betrayed them to Cowen. They wondered if this latest action was just another ruse to deliver them back to Koyla's clutches.
"Magistrate Golathe, funny seeing you here. Have you decided to have one last look at the very people you condemned to an unjust and painful death?" McKay asked in disgust.
"You have every right to distrust me Dr. McKay. But believe me, I truly regret my earlier actions. My daughter has convinced me of the error of my ways. I only hope that I am not too late to offer atonement to all of you for the foolish and shameful mistake of an old man. My apology may only be mere words, but please accept it and allow us to come to your aid now." Golathe sincerely stated.
McKay, Ford, and Teyla looked at each other, silently conceding they had little choice but to trust the Logarans to get them out of this situation.
Nodding her head, Teyla spoke for the others. "We will put our lives in your hands, Golathe. You had best have care with them this time."
The magistrate sighed in relief and gestured for Senara to come forward with the cloth packs. The young Logaran removed the team's gear from the packs and redistributed their weapons, vests, and supplies back to them.
"Then come quickly before a relief guard is posted. We must leave now if we are to get to Major Sheppard in time." Golathe said as he beckoned them to follow.
(TBC)