Chapter 11

Watching Lokii throw Beckett over the railing was worse than any nightmare Rodney could have ever imagined. His second most horrible nightmare was not being able to do anything about. Waiting to hear the inevitable splash of the Scot hitting the water far below, the night air was filled only with silence and the harsh breathing of the ambassador. An intense pain ripped through Rodney's chest; not one of the physical nature, but on the personal level, knowing that he'd just witnessed the death of a dear friend.

Pent up anger, long buried and forgotten, burned intensely once more within the scientist, like the fires of a dormant volcano surging back into existence. If it was the last thing he ever did, he vowed to himself, he would destroy Lokii with whatever means he could. There was no way he would allow that soulless bastard to ever hurt another.

With the damp cool floor pressing against the side of his face, McKay's eyes traveled over the darkened balcony to spy Bengi huddled in the corner farthest from his father. Clearly in shock, the boy sat rocking slowly back and forth, his small arms wrapped around himself, his impossibly young face pressed tightly against his knees. It was then that Rodney remembered this was more than just his own personal desire for revenge. Drawing in a cautious breath, he checked the damage to his bruised body before shifting slowly to his knees. His ribs and back protested sharply, but this only fueled his desire and determination, and he used it to push himself to his feet.

Lokii must have sensed the movement behind him. Two steps ahead of the scientist, he reached out and grabbed his son, pulling him up to stand, his large hand wrapped around the boy's neck. "What will you do, Doctor McKay?" he taunted, tipping Bengi's head side to side. "Are you so sure that you can save the boy? One little twist of my wrist, and he can be gone. Nothing you can do can stop that, or me."

Rodney remained standing, his eyes fixed on the empty face of the little boy who simply waited with an attitude of utter acceptance that this would be the end. Not willing to allow one so young to give up, he took a step away, hoping the ambassador saw it as a sign of him backing down, that he was a weak scientist who would cower to someone stronger. His plan worked.

Dark pupils filled Lokii's eyes, his gaze glassy and restless as he studied his opponent. Strengthening his grip, he gestured to the doorway with his free hand. "Open it," his icy voice demanded. Satisfaction spread across his features when the scientist complied before stepping out into the hallway. It was then that the emergency exterior lights of Atlantis came to life, illuminating the night sky, temporarily blinding the ambassador. He raged in pain when his dilated eyes were overexposed, sending messages to his brain that it could not understand because of the drugs in his system.

It was the chance McKay needed. Reaching out, he grabbed the boy and yanked him free from Lokii. "Run!" he shouted, giving the boy a push. But years of being threatened and mistreated had taken their toll and the little one remained frozen with fear.

Lokii's hand slammed hard against the side of Rodney's head, knocking the scientist to the floor in a dizzying fog, and he found it difficult to regain his footing. Holding his breath in hopes of slowing his rising heart rate, he was unprepared for the violent kick that smashed into his chest. The air whooshed from his abused lungs as he gasped painfully, curling into the fetal position to protect himself from further damage. When a second blow did not immediately follow, Rodney cracked his eyes and spied only two small bare feet across the corridor. "Run," he choked out again. The feet shifted ever so slightly.

"Find Major Sheppard," the scientist gasped, a ragged cramp stealing his breath away. "Silly hair," was the last thing he remembered saying before his world turned grey.

SG: A

A powerful hand grabbed Rodney by the scruff of the neck and literally pulled him to his feet. "Where is he?" Lokii raged, slamming the scientist against the wall with a satisfying thump. The scientist drooped in his grasp, further incensing the ambassador, and he pulled his other fist back to continue his assault but stopped when he heard the sound of someone approaching quickly. Dragging his prey, he moved down the hall before being discovered. He'd worry about the boy later, he told himself, after he made it back to his quarters for his tablets.

McKay groaned and stumbled, almost jerking the pair down to the floor before catching his balance on an open doorframe. The hand that forcefully gripped his bicep squeezed tighter with almost superhuman strength. "Keep moving," he heard a deadly voice hiss and he tried to remember what had happened. Shaking his head to clear the confusion, he recognized the ambassador and everything else that had happened came flooding back. Cautiously looking back in the direction from which they had come, he sighed in relief when he didn't spot Bengi.

"Lokii," the scientist grunted, struggling to get his arm free, "let me go. You need help."

The ambassador remained silent, intent on returning to his room on Atlantis. With the guest quarters in sight, the grip changed on Rodney's arm, his fingers now painfully digging into tender flesh. "Be quiet," he growled, palming the door controls and then shoving Rodney inside to land in a heap on the floor.

This was getting old, fast, for the Canadian as his abused body protested angrily at the rough treatment. For once, McKay looked forward to spending time in the infirmary with Beckett hounding him into submissive silence. He froze at that thought, fresh memories of watching the Scot's demise resurfacing to haunt him. Swallowing the bile that burned the back of his throat, he ground his teeth and surged upwards to draw himself to a standing position. It was now or never, and he wasn't about to let Lokii harm another.

He glanced about the room and was surprised to find himself alone. His eyes shot back and forth searching for any sign of the ambassador before falling on the open bath door, the sound of running water emanating from within. His arm clutched around his bruised ribs, Rodney forced himself to walk across the room before spotting Lokii standing in front of the sink with a small open pillbox in one hand, the other putting two fingers into his mouth.

"No!" Rodney shouted, a burst of adrenalin giving him strength as he tackled the man, knocking him off balance in the small room, sending the box of pills scattering down the sink and into the toilet.

But it was too late, for Lokii had already refueled his need. With strength born of drug induced madness, he slammed Rodney against the mirror above the sink, shattering the glass with the back of the scientist's head. A second thrust drove shards deep into the Atlantean's hairline while others clattered to the floor. Filled with insane satisfaction, the ambassador dropped the unconscious body he was holding, not caring where it landed, and made his way over to his bed. The feeling of fresh euphoria encompassed him as he lie back and allowed it to take over.

To Lokii's dismay though, his body burned and used up the single tablet within minutes, demanding the more familiar increased dosage to sate his need. Rubbing his trembling hands across his face, he waited for his thundering heart ease so that he could stand without becoming dizzy. Once on his feet, he staggered back to the bathroom and stared with disgust at the body on the floor. Shoving the scientist aside with his foot, he scoured the room for his remaining pills, only to become furious when all he found was the empty box.

Knowing that the others would soon come looking for him, and his body's demand for more drugs would not relent, he reached down and grabbed Doctor McKay, shaking him stiffly until his eyes moved behind the closed lids. "Wake up!" Lokii demanded, his hand stinging Rodney's face with a resounding slap.

The scientist groaned once more as his chest began to rise and fall with his increased heart rate. Feebly holding up one hand to protect himself from further blows, he was startled when a hand grasped it and yanked him to his feet. This time there was no stopping the nauseating spin that erupted with the blinding pain to the back of his head. Grasping the sink, he lost control and gasped breathlessly as his insides rebelled painfully with wave after wave. His eyes tightly clenched in agony, his chest cavity beaten and misused, he waited for the final blow that would end his misery. But it did not come.

Lokii grabbed him once more by the arm and steered him back through the room and out to the hallway. "You will take me to where there is medicine." His tone left no room for refusal and even if McKay did try, the sharp piece of glass that the ambassador held pressed against the back of the scientist's neck left little doubt at what the outcome of any such defiance would be.

Tipping sideways, Rodney leaned against the wall before dragging himself forward. Step by agonizing step, he led Lokii through the maze of hallways towards Beckett's infirmary, knowing that the Scotsman wouldn't be there this time to help him. A trail of bloody prints marked the walls as he lost himself in his own world, rambling off the Periodic Table in an attempt to stay sane.

TBC

A/N: I know longer chapters would be nice, but if you want this fast, it comes in small chunks. Didn't your parents teach you 'little bites or you'll get indigestion'? And to the comment on punctuation, my beta tries to help me, but I still seem to miss those darn commas. If you find something that I should go back and fix, please email me and let me know. Thanks.