Chapter 5
A coating of frost made its way slowly across the panes of windows as the team walked silently through the abandoned streets towards the science center. Sticking close together with their breath misting white in the frigid night air, none spoke, their thoughts replaying the same events from earlier in the day. Not certain how they would gain the release of their friend from captivity; they hoped that somehow the Pennatrocans had missed something.
"Major?" Weir's voice broke the stillness, drawing each member from introspection. "The building is bound to be closed. How do you plan on getting us inside?"
A quirk of a smile tugged the corners of Sheppard's mouth. Raising a mischievous brow, he nodded to Stackhouse, "Did you bring the party favors?"
"Yes, sir, two cakes and a half dozen candles." Shrugging off his pack, he removed two brown MRE packets and a container of utensils.
The major took one packet and made quick work of ripping it open, fingering a small brick of C-4 before accepting several firing pins from the sergeant. "We'll take the side door off, and make our way to the second floor using the stairwell. Teyla, you're in charge of watching our six and making sure that no matter what may happen, you get Dr. Weir out of the building at all costs if necessary. Beckett, you're going with me and Stackhouse to the lab. We know these people are neat freaks so I doubt they've left any trace behind, but hopefully they might have missed whatever the killer was originally after."
The sharp point of Teyla's knife jimmied the cover off the power station box, allowing Sheppard access to attach override clips. Effectively dismantling the alarm system before Stackhouse expertly applied the explosive, they stood back as near silent 'pops' blew the hinges off the side entranceway. Hugging the wall, they slipped inside the building.
A lone guard walked the perimeter of the inner first floor corridor with disinterest, unaware of the intruders. His footfalls eventually muffled behind a closing door at the end of a hallway, the group skirted across the foyer and silently raced up the stairwell. Once Sheppard gave the all clear for the second floor, they broke into two groups in search of the main lab.
"Major," Beckett's urgent whisper called from an open doorway, "in here."
Stepping in to the darkened room, lit only by the doctor's waving flashlight beam, Sheppard grabbed Beckett's arm and flipped off the light. "What do you think you're doing? Keep your light low and pointed only towards the floor. We don't need anyone passing by and seeing your little light show up here."
Hearing the doctor, Weir, Teyla, and Stackhouse followed behind the major into the room. From the hall light spilling through the doorway, it was clear that they had entered the room matching the images of the crime scene. As Sheppard had predicted, the bloodstains from the floor were gone and the room had been returned to its pristine condition.
Making his way to Dr. Mika's desk, the major whispered to the rest of the crew, "Okay, people, let's fan out and find what they've missed."
It was Stackhouse who discovered the first anomaly. Recalling the images he'd memorized from what Noda had shown them, he found where a cabinet had been pushed recently across the floor, leaving fresh scuff marks. Also, a frame had been returned to its place on the wall that had not been visible in the images. With Sheppard's help, the sergeant was able slide the cabinet away from the wall so that Beckett could get a closer inspection.
Watching the Scotsman scrutinize the cupboard, Sheppard grew impatient at the man's silence. "Find anything?"
Beckett glanced back to the others in the dim lighting and grimaced. "Aye, there's blood here." Pointing to a small dent on the edge, he carefully adjusted his light so that the others were able to see a small area of dried reddish brown. Standing back, he glanced towards Teyla and Weir, "How tall would you say the doctor was, Major?"
"She was close to Dr. Weir's height, but heavier."
Holding out his hand, the physician gestured towards Elizabeth, "Doctor, would you mind steppin' over here? Turn around with your back to the cabinet." With her in place, they noticed that her neck was in line with the edge, similar to the small dent and blood spatter.
"Okay," Sheppard began to theorize out loud, "Let's say who ever did kill her, shoved the back of her head or neck against the edge of the cabinet. What was the cabinet doing away from the wall in the first place?"
Five sets of eyes studied the cabinet before going to the wall behind it. Above the cabinet hung a framed image of Dr. Mika smiling, surrounded by her colleagues, accepting some sort of an award. The inscription beneath was a series of numbers.
Sheppard plucked the frame from the wall and went back over to her desk. Sitting in the chair, he studied the contents before he smiled, finding what he was looking for. Flipping a metal ring containing numbers similar to the award, he grinned up to the others. "It's a date from not too long ago. According to her calendar, she got that less than two weeks before we got here."
"McKay told Commander Noda that a large man pushed past him in the hallway, coming from the lab," Weir said, taking the image from the major. "What if the man in the picture wasn't too happy about whatever this is for, and came to see her? Things got out of hand and he went to grab this, pushing the cabinet out of the way to reach it."
Sheppard continued, following Weir's pattern, "Mika gets angry and tries to stop him. He shoves her and she hits the cabinet," Turning to Carson, he gives the doctor a questioning look. "Could she have died by hitting her head?"
"Aye, he could have broken her neck or fractured her skull."
Popping the frame open, the major removed the photo, placing it in his pack. "I say we take this to McKay and see if he recognizes anyone."
Quickly going over the room one final time, the group returned the cabinet and frame to their rightful positions before slipping back down the hallway to the stairwell. Almost to the main floor, they all came to an abrupt halt when they felt the steps begin to shake. Grabbing the handrail, they raced the final few steps and made their way towards the side exit. Safely outside, away from the building, they stopped and stared at their surroundings.
Zipping his jacket tighter to ward off the cold night air, Beckett was the first to voice what they all were thinking, "Was that an earthquake?"
Sheppard nodded, watching as people began to appear out in the streets, wondering what had just happened. "Yeah. I think we need to go back to the security building and check on McKay."
SG: A
A hand roughly grabbed McKay by his good arm. "Come on," an unknown voice demanded. "We're getting out of here."
Rodney didn't have to be told twice. Grabbing the few items Carson had left, he followed the impatient tug on his sleeve. Stumbling blindly behind the other man in the dark, they made their way down the hallway, bumping in to other prisoners warily leaving their cells. The air was filled with voices calling out to one another, uncertain as to what they should do; flee or stay.
When another ominous vibration shook the building, Rodney flattened himself against the wall, standing still and counting.
"What makes the building move?" the now anxious unseen voice from his cell whispered.
"Seismic tremors." When the man remained quiet, waiting for more of an explanation, Rodney gave the man a small push to get them moving again. "An earthquake. Not a bad one, actually. Felt like a 5, maybe a 5.5 on the Richter scale. Haven't you ever felt one before?"
"No," the man whispered back. "I'm not from here."
"Lucky you," Rodney muttered, wishing he could see the other man. His curiosity piqued, he slowed his step briefly, "Not from here, the city, or not from here, Pennatroca?"
"Yes," the voice replied.
The two men neared the end of the long passageway, glancing cautiously around the corner to the glowing lift in the middle of the hallway junction. Emergency power had kicked on inside the small elevator and sealed the doors from escaping prisoners; some of whom had already reached it and were trying unsuccessfully to pry the doors open.
Intently studying their surroundings with the little light available, Rodney was momentarily irritated when the stranger tugged on his arm again, bringing them both back into the shadows. "We need to change," the man said quietly as he pointed to several uniformed guards headed towards their direction.
For the first time, Rodney turned and squinted at the figure beside him. Yes, it was the man from across the hall. Similar in height and build to the Atlantis physicist, the stranger carried himself with the confidence of Major Sheppard. "Who are you?"
The stranger turned to look at him, giving him the look to be quiet, before he reached out with his arm and flattened them both back against the wall. A guard turned the corner and never even knew what happened, dropping silently to the ground as Rodney's 'partner' incapacitated him with a hit to the head and dragged him back to the shadows.
Quickly stripping off the uniform, he thrust it towards Rodney as he returned to his position along the wall. Within moments, a second guard fell to his tactics and was also relieved of his clothing. Now dressed to blend in, they cautiously made their way to the lift.
"Wait." Rodney stopped, glancing about, "I need to leave a message for my team." Unscrewing the small white cap from the water bottle, he hastily finished the contents before crushing it and stuffing it in a pocket. Rolling the lid between his fingers, he tried to figure where he could put it that the major would most likely find it. Items were already littering the floor from the prisoners escape attempts and the pristine neatness of the Pennatrocan jail now was a mess. There really was only one place…inside the lift. Nodding towards the clear elevator, they began to move.
Their escape was easier than either man could have imagined. With guards trying to organize the chaos of prisoners moving freely within the facility and the only power available was to the lifts, they were ushered aboard without being questioned. While the other man activated the controls, Rodney studied the inside of the car before dropping the cap and kicking it to the corner of the floor beneath the main panel. With any luck, the small object wouldn't be noticed until after the disarray of the main floors was thoroughly cleaned.
Several other guards from different floors exchanged places with those on the lift as it stopped periodically on the way down. Rodney stayed inconspicuously in the back, avoiding making eye contact while the stranger stood in the front. Reaching the main floor, they exited with the other guards.
It almost seemed too simple, their escape. Once outside the heavy front doors, they continued walking with purpose down the street filled with bewildered pedestrians.
Rounding the corner to a darkened alley, the stranger pushed McKay against the wall and eyed him critically. "You were ill earlier."
"Yes, but my friends helped me out." Still not quite certain what to think of the stranger, McKay wasn't about to give out more information than necessary. The remnants of his migraine had almost diminished and the ache in his arm was now a dull throb. Fingering the blister pack and power bars in his pocket, he wondered where his teammates might be.
"Come," the man directed once more, tugging McKay towards the other end of the dark alley.
Never one to do as he was told, the scientist dug in is heels and stood his ground. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your help, but I think I'd like to go find the rest of my friends. Plus, you know, I don't know your name. I've got this thing, ever since I was a little kid, about following strangers down dark alleys in the middle of the night. Maybe we could meet up tomorrow after lunch. "
Dark eyes pierced McKay, clearly expressing irritation at the talkative scientist. "I can get you to your friends, but we must go now."
Taking a couple steps backwards towards the main street, Rodney shook his head 'no'. "I don't think so."
The stranger stood and watched the retreating scientist. Knowing he needed the other man's help if he was ever to leave this forsaken planet, he made a decision. "Grose."
Rodney paused in mid-step, not quite sure he heard the other man correctly. "Excuse me? Gross?"
Shifting slightly to stand more in cast off light from the street lamps, the man nodded. "My name is Grose and I'm not of this world. I'm an explorer, like you, from the other side of the gate."
TBC
A/N Sorry for the delay in posting but I've had a wicked case of writer's block. I know that never happens to any of you… riiiight. The good news is, I'm back on track! Thanks again to my wonderful betas Mary and Elyse, and to all of you who post comments. See you soon! Jen