Chapter 3
"Wake up!"
The callous demand abruptly pulled Rodney from his restless sleep that he was certain had only been minutes, since he was sure that the major had just left. Momentarily forgetting his circumstance, he rolled sluggishly onto his back before the horrid events of earlier in the day came rushing back with a vengeance. The open unseeing eyes of Dr. Mika as she stared at the ceiling from where she'd fallen, wounded, left to die…and the Pennatrocans thought he'd killed her.
He didn't have time to ponder any further as a hand grabbed him viciously by the arm and yanked him harshly to his feet. Stifling a groan as a wave of fresh pain vibrated throughout his already tender shoulder, he blinked heavily, tying to clear the disorienting fuzziness from his mind and vision. Two figures formed, standing before him, Commander Noda and the guard 'Brutus'. "Gentlemen," he began, but stopped when an irritating tickle in the back of his throat caused him to cough. He could seriously use a drink of water.
"Silence," the little man snapped, eyeing his prisoner with undisguised scorn. "You will come with us." When Rodney made no effort to move, Noda snapped his fingers before exiting the cell, leaving 'Brutus' to bring the scientist by any means necessary.
One look at the giant about to make a grab for him again, Rodney held up his good hand, "I'm coming. Geesh, haven't you people heard of the Geneva Convention?" Taking a cautious step, he almost lost his balance when the room did a sideways shift before settling. 'Wonderful,' he thought. Having been a patient of Beckett's on more than one occasion, he recognized the symptoms of being drugged. But when did it happen? He'd made certain not to eat anything since his arrival, deciding to wait until the major returned.
Following Noda brisk steps with 'Brutus' close on his heels, he carefully studied his surroundings while they made their way down the hallway. Several of the cells they passed contained male prisoners ranging in age from teens to seniors. There didn't appear to be any wall units or computer controls to access the force fields other than the hand held devices carried by the guards. And the odd, clear lifts with no visible signs of a stairwell, 'What's up with that?' he wondered.
They came to a stop in front of a small closed white door that Noda activated open with his hand control. Inside the all white room was one padded chair situated in the center of the room, with a red square marked on the floor a meter before it. The commander sat down with his back straight, both feet flat on the floor, leaving 'Brutus' to shove Rodney to the square.
"Stay," he demanded, letting go of the scientist's arm, giving little option for anything else.
"You really aren't much for conversation, are you?" Rodney quipped, trying to ease the tightening in his gut that warned him he was in serious trouble. Taking a step backwards towards the wall, he leaned against the solid form for support. He might not recognize the set up, but it didn't take a genius to know an interrogation room when he saw one. Eyeing the strangers holding him captive, his mind set clicked, ready for the confrontation.
Commander Noda did not look pleased as he sat rigid in his seat. He didn't like this offworlder with the cocky attitude slouching against the wall, apparently attempting to test his authority. "Stand straight when I am speaking to you."
Rodney shifted with deliberate slowness, stepping forward again. He could feel an uncomfortable warmth flush his hands and face and the glaring overhead lights were beginning to give him a headache. "Would you mind if I sat down? I'm really not feeling very well. I seem to have missed lunch. I doubt you even know what it means to be hypoglycemic, but if you expect me to stand here while you ask me mundane questions that I don't have the answers to for an extensive amount of time, you might be in for a bit of a shock. I have a bad habit of passing out."
"When we are finished, then you may return to your cell." The commander ignored Rodney, activating the viewing screen on the wall, bringing up the image of Dr. Mika dead on the lab floor. "First, I want you to tell me what you did to our Science Director."
"I found her that way and tried to help her." Rodney felt like a broken record. How many more times were they going to ask him the same question?
"Your lies are useless here, Mr. McKay. Your friends have left you because they know you are guilty." Shifting in his seat, Noda tapped the controls in his hands making the lights in the room brighter. "Tell me what you did to Dr. Mika."
Rodney took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Mentally readying himself for what he knew was about to be an unpleasant experience, he pulled himself together and stared smugly at his interrogator, "Ask me anything you want, my answers will remain the same. I did not kill Dr. Mika."
SG: A
It had taken Major Sheppard and Teyla close to an hour to make the trip out of the city, back to the Jumper and Ford. Surprised to find Jumper 2 in close proximity, along with Weir, Beckett, and Stackhouse, the major shot a questioning glance to his boss, "Who'd you leave to run the shop?"
"Doctors Zelenka and Grodin, along with Lt. Ford, have each been assigned areas until we return. We've been waiting for you and now that you're here," Dr. Weir nodded to the young lieutenant, "I'm trusting Atlantis to your care. Notify me immediately of any concerns."
The young lieutenant didn't look pleased at the thought of leaving but he understood that he was the next ranking military individual. "Yes, ma'am." Making his way inside Jumper 2, he turned, looking back to Sheppard and grinned, "Tell Dr. McKay, we'll have dinner waiting for him."
"Yeah, I have a feeling he'd like that. Don't let anyone through while we're gone." Sheppard watched the door slide shut before standing back beside the others, giving room for the Jumper to lift off. Once it was no longer in sight, the group gathered inside Jumper 2 to plan their next step.
Beckett sat closest to the major, filling his field kit with first aid supplies. "How did he look, Major? You told Lieutenant Ford he was quiet. Is he sick or hurt?"
"Oh, you know Rodney, he's not very happy at the moment. They've got him locked up in their idea of a police station and I don't think they've been gentle. Aside from a sore arm he got while being escorted about, I didn't see anything else wrong." Sheppard stood up and slipped his pack back over his shoulder, thoughtful for a moment. "He was awfully quiet though and didn't seem to appreciate the forced shower."
Weir looked up and scowled, "What'd they do that for?"
The clip to Sheppard's handgun snapped back into place as finished inspecting his weapon. Raising a brow, he shrugged, "Appears the Pennatrocans have a thing about blood. Also, they accused McKay of molesting the body when he tried to perform CPR."
Weir shot a look to Beckett, "Maybe you should keep a low profile. If it becomes necessary at any point, you will only render aid to members of our team. Understood?"
The Scotsman didn't like the thought of not assisting anyone injured but he knew getting McKay back was their number one priority. "Aye."
"Good." Tugging her pack tighter across her shoulder, Weir nodded to Sheppard and Teyla, "Lead the way. Let's go get Rodney and go home."
SG: A
It was early evening by the time the team made their way back, through the strangely deserted city streets, to the Security Station. Standing outside in the chilled evening air, they stopped before the tall windowless building that held their friend and glanced at one another before Sheppard activated the door and ushered them inside.
Four armed guards promptly intercepted them before they were able to reach the front desk, while a fifth stepped forward with his arms folded across his chest. "This facility is closed to visitors for the remainder of the day. You must come back tomorrow and make an appointment to see inmates."
Taking a bold step forward, Atlantis's leader nodded to the guard, "I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I understand that you are holding a crewmember of mine. I would appreciate the opportunity to see him this evening and make sure that he is being treated adequately."
The guard didn't move. "This facility is closed," he reiterated coldly.
"Then we want to see Noda," Sheppard demanded, resting his hand on the P-90 slung across his chest.
A hint of something nasty glimmered in the corner of the guard's eyes, "Commander Noda is in interrogation. He should be available shortly."
"Good. We'll wait here." It was clear by the major's body language that he wasn't about to move.
Within thirty minutes Noda appeared, exiting from the lift. It was apparent by his demeanor that he knew of the offworlders waiting for him, and enjoyed making them wait. "Dr. Weir, my staff informed me of your request. Our facility is closed, but so that relations between our peoples may remain open, I will permit you brief access to Mr. McKay."
Weir nodded to Sheppard and Beckett, "I would like my two officers to see to Dr. McKay while you and I discuss his situation. Teyla and Sgt. Stackhouse will accompany me." She was not going to give the small man the opportunity to dictate to her how her team was to be dispersed. "Gentlemen, I expect a complete report on his condition."
"Yes, ma'am." The major nodded to the physician, and they turned to follow the guard to the lift, when a strong hand dropped on their shoulders, stopping them. Beckett's eyes grew large but Sheppard merely smiled reassuringly. "Forget something?" He asked the burly guard who had a hold of his pack.
"I must insist that you leave your weapons, Major Sheppard," Noda said from behind them.
Unclipping their P-90s and holsters, they passed their hardware to Stackhouse. "Keep a close watch," Sheppard cautioned quietly. "See if you can get a feel for the layout of the building, too, just in case." The unspoken idea of breaking McKay out passed silently between them.
The sergeant nodded warily, eyeing the large guard who was rifling through Sheppard and Beckett's packs before handing returning them. "Understood, sir."
With one final glance around the group, the major tugged on the physician's sleeve, "Come on; let's go check on our wayward scientist."
TBC
A/N Thanks for the feedback. I admit it, I love seeing them appear and knowing what you think.
A bit of a spoiler (Don't read if you don't want to know)…I don't plan on Rodney being in prison long and there will not be any horrible mistreatment. But, there will be some excitement and this has a long ways to go! (I don't read or write torture stories.) Jen