Chapter 6
Rodney studied Grose, deciding whether or not to believe him. All similarities between the two ended past height and build; the other man's chiseled features held the air of authority, of a leader. And now, here they were standing in a dark alley, freezing in the middle of the night after breaking out of jail, after two small earthquakes, and this superhero from who knows where wants to lead them back to his friends. He rolled his eyes and snorted in disgust. Crap like this could only happen to one Rodney McKay.
With his internal alarm bell ringing like a five alarm fire, he assumed the arrogant position that initially pushed Sheppard over the edge when they first met. Deciding to give the man a brief chance to explain before he made a break for it to find his friends on his own, he crossed his arms, tucking his hands in his armpits and raising a challenging brow. "If you are an explorer, and to be quite frank I don't know if you are one or not, why were you in jail?"
Grose glanced about, checking to make certain that they were alone before he took a step closer to Rodney, who in return backed up another step. "We were…"
"We? We? You mean there's more than one of you here? Where are you from? What are you doing here?" The Atlantis scientist began pacing. "Of course I'm not really surprised, I mean why should I be, we aren't the only ones who know how to use the gate." Stopping mid-rant, he eyed Grose. "Well?" he huffed.
A hint of a smile crossed over the explorer's face. He had spent a good portion of the afternoon and evening watching the scientist from across the hall. The man's teammates unwavering compassion spoke multitudes to the stranger, letting him know that however boisterous he may be, he was someone important. All signs of the earlier illness that had plagued the man appeared to have diminished.
"My team and I have been on Pennatroca for a little over a two month period." Pausing when the scientist opened his mouth to interrupt before apparently changing his mind, Grose continued, "When it became evident that some of the science community was becoming suspicious of our work we decided that it was time to return to our home world. Unfortunately, Commander Noda intercepted two of my teammates when we were leaving and decided to take them to the security center for questioning." Beginning to walk towards the back end of the alley, Grose never looked behind to see if Rodney followed. "I couldn't let that happen, so I intercepted them. They escaped and I got caught."
Rodney mindlessly watched his breath vaporize. Listening Grose's tale, he realized that it was possible the man was telling him the truth. But why did his team leave him behind? Major Sheppard would never leave a member of his own team behind and vice versa. He'd already been to the security station twice to check on the scientist… and was most likely on his way once more since the small quakes hit.
Glancing down the alley to the almost invisible form of Grose, hidden in the shadows, Rodney made a decision. He needed to leave another sign for the major. Searching his pockets, he felt the crumpled plastic of the water bottle. Perfect. Pointing it carefully in the direction they were heading on a clean, ornate edge of a widow sill, he stood back and glanced at the front entrance of the passageway for one last check. With no sign of his friends, he turned and hustled after Grose, falling in step at his side.
SG: A
The Atlantis team stood together inside the front foyer of the Security Building and watched the bustling mad house. It was clear that something important had happened when the power suddenly clicked on and the lighting in the building returned to its former blaring brightness. Some guards were escorting inmates back to their cells while others were attempting to organize cleaning crews.
The rumpled guard at the front desk eyed the strangers warily. "You must leave," he informed them, before he glanced back down at a blinking panel and frowned.
Sheppard casually glanced over the desk to see if he might be able to catch a glance of their friend, but the guard was shifting the screens through several rooms and hallways, apparently looking for something. "Can you at least show us Dr. McKay, so that we can see that he's alright?"
Not at all happy with whatever it was that he was looking for, the man ground his teeth together in irritation, before tapping several icons, bringing to view an empty cell. His head shot up to stare accusingly at the small group of offworlders. "He has yet to be returned to his cell."
Sheppard's brow raised, a slight smile quirking the corner of his mouth, "You saying you lost him or he's just roaming around somewhere in the building?"
Clearing his throat, the man behind the counter grimaced, "All but two prisoners have been accounted for."
Dr. Weir stepped beside the major and glanced at the screen. "Who else is missing?"
The man tapped the icons again, bringing up a view of the hall where Rodney had been kept, before panning to the empty cell across the way. The screen showed the damaged panel and blackened wall. Two men in jumpsuits carrying toolboxes entered the room to begin repairs, effectively blocking their view.
"Can you put it back on the cell where Dr. McKay had been held?" Sheppard asked.
The cell appeared once more and the group leaned against the counter for a better look, searching for any sign or message that Rodney may have left for them. There was nothing visible except for the rumpled blanket lying on the floor.
Elizabeth reached out and tapped the screen. "How do we know this is Dr. McKay's cell? You could be showing us anything." When the guard stared at her in contempt, she coolly stood straight and gave him her iciest glare, "I want the major to be given access to inspect the Doctor's room. I also want to know where my missing scientist is. Am I correct in assuming that you have some sort of surveillance equipment in this facility?"
"I'm sorry, Dr. Weir," Commander Noda's voice snapped from behind them, "but until we restore order, I must insist that you leave."
She didn't even pause, smoothly shifting to position herself between Major Sheppard and the director. With Noda's attention focused on her, she moved again to stand beside Stackhouse, leaving the major behind the small man. With the tiniest hint of a nod to her second in command, she began to drill the small man with insignificant questions concerning his security, drawing his attention away from Sheppard slipping away and the others filling in to close the gap.
SG: A
Sheppard knew he admired that woman for good reason as he cautiously made his way through the throng of people, towards the lift. He wasn't entirely certain how she expected him to make it back up to Rodney's cell, but she had given him the first step.
Watching the clear car slowly descend with another load of guards, he studied each of their positions. When it stopped at the floor above him and the individuals on board exited, momentarily leaving the car empty before filling with more personnel, a small object in the corner caught his eye. Son of a gun!
The lift, descending to the lobby came to a stop and the doors opened. Pretending to fix his bootlaces, Sheppard kneeled to get a better look before standing up and making his way back to the rest of the crew. Catching Weir's eye, he nodded.
She shifted, giving Noda a false look of resignation and sighed, "Fine. We'll return in the morning. I expect answers." Letting the other man think he'd won, she gestured for her team to follow her as she made her way back out of the building. Once clear of the main front doors she spun around, facing Sheppard and stopping the others in their tracks, "Well?"
A full grin lit up the major's face and his eyes twinkled in the darkness, "He's not there."
Beckett glanced between the two, wondering what he'd missed. "What do you mean? How'd he get out?"
"That I don't know, but he left us a sign that he was on the lift." Slapping the doctor on the back, Sheppard motioned for them to start walking. "You left him the water bottle, didn't you?"
"Aye."
"The cap's in the lift."
The group paused before they all broke out in smiles, shaking their heads in disbelief.
"The Amazing McKay strikes again," Sheppard smirked. "Now all we have to do is find him." Glancing about the small group, he nodded to the sergeant, "You and Teyla go east, we'll go west. Maintain radio silence until you find him or another breadcrumb."
When they nodded, he shouldered his pack tightly across his back, "Be careful. There's already been two quakes tonight so stay out of buildings when at all possible. And remember Noda isn't stupid, he's going to be looking, too."
SG: A
Rodney walked silently beside Grose as they made their way through the streets, back in the direction of the Jumper. Tired, cold, and hungry, he knew complaining wouldn't help but the return of the headache had to be dealt with before he was no longer able to travel.
"Grose, I need to take a break." Sitting on a deserted stoop, he pulled one of his remaining power bars from his pocket and broke it in half, offering part to the other man. Slowly chewing to savor the familiar flavor, he closed his eyes for a moment. A brief touch to his shoulder roused him from near sleep.
"Are you in pain?" Grose's concerned eyes examined Rodney, and when the scientist slowly nodded, the explorer sat down beside him. "It's the water."
Rodney popped two more pills from the blister pack, dry swallowing them. "I figured as much. What's in it?"
"We weren't certain, but one of my crew had a similar reaction to yours. We believe some sort of naturally occurring mineral is deposited in it from the underground thermal vents, contaminating the water. The Pennatrocans have built up a natural tolerance. Unfortunately, someone not acclimated to its effects has an unpleasant experience."
"To put it mildly," Rodney grumbled, allowing his eyes to close again.
Grose stood up, gently helping the tired man back to his feet by lifting on his uninjured arm. "We must keep moving. With so many people outdoors because of the quake, we don't want to rouse any suspicions. I believe we should make it back to your friends soon."
Something about the way Grose insisted that they get back to his friends irked Rodney. He didn't know why, but he knew he needed to remain cautious. The stranger had yet to be very forthcoming about why he was on Pennatroca. Tucking the foil wrapper eye-level in an ornamental bush, he stopped to rub some warmth back into his cold arms before making his way to Grose's side.
TBC