Part Five

Teyla woke again to the cold, this time accompanied by a tap-tap-tap.

She opened her eyes slowly, remembering the pain of the previous time, but if anything she felt better than she had before. She focused on the ground, where a booted foot was impatiently tapping.

"Finally," Analee huffed. "I only gave you a quarter dose; I thought you were never going to wake up."

Teyla bit back a groan as she tried to push herself into a sitting position. This time, unfortunately, they'd been smart enough to tie her hands behind her. The guard standing by Analee was the same one Teyla had knocked out earlier, and he did not look happy to see her awake.

"Ronon should be here for his whore anytime. I'm surprised he's not here already." Analee smirked at Teyla. "Either he's not as smart as he used to be, or he doesn't care what happens to you."

Teyla said nothing but began to shift her wrists slightly, trying to find a weakness in the bindings. She knew they would be coming for her, but she would prefer to meet them at the door.

Analee grew tired of waiting for a response. She stepped forward and drew a gentle hand down the side of Teyla's face. Teyla kept her expression impassive, even as Analee's hand tightened painfully on her chin. "Ven," Analee said. "I think we need to pretty this one up for her lover."

The guard looked pleased.

Analee squeezed Teyla's chin even harder before releasing her and turning to Ven. "I have to make sure the men are prepared. You only have a few minutes, so use them well."

Teyla tried to stay calm as the big man stepped in front of her. She focused on trying to free her hands instead of the leer that crossed his face. She could not prevent a gasp, though, when he reached for her neckline and ripped her shirt open in the front.

Before he could do anything more, Analee stepped in and shoved the man. "You idiot! I said you had only a few minutes. Just knock her around a little. Like she did to you. Or do I have to do everything around here?"

"I was just --" Ven stuttered.

"If you're a good boy and don't get yourself killed," Analee said sweetly, like she was talking to a pet, "I'll think about letting you have her once Ronon is dead."

With that charming promise, she swept out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, Ven trailed a sweaty hand down Teyla's chest where he'd ripped the shirt, laughing as she tried to pull away. "You and me, we're gonna have fun," he said.

He backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. She tried to protect herself, but with her hands bound behind her, she couldn't do anything to block the kick at her ribs or one to her stomach.

"Owe you a few'a those," he said viciously, kicking her in the stomach again.

Teyla took a few deep breaths, constantly working at her bindings, forcing a small smile.

Ven stared at her. "What're you smiling for?" he asked, offended.

"I am just thinking," Teyla got out, "of how I am going to kill you."

Ven snarled and aimed a kick at her head this time.

Perhaps, Teyla thought dimly as her vision grayed, making him angry was not the best plan.

"This is stupid," John hissed, eyes darting around the pub. "The guy was a trader. Somebody knows where he lived. We should just ask."

"Not very covert of you," Rodney observed as Ronon glared at both of them.

They had been at the pub in the center of Belsa for hours now, wasting time, as far as John was concerned. The Kell family might still be in the trading business, but they didn't have a normal shop in town, and the few people Sheppard had asked about them had refused to answer. Ronon thought they could simply hang around and maybe overhear something helpful, but Sheppard didn't see any chances of that happening.

Every second they spent here staring into their ale was a second that jerk had Teyla. God knows what they were doing to her, but Sheppard intended to put a stop to it.

"We should just ask," John repeated.

"It'll draw too much attention."

"Oh, like three strangers sitting here half the day pretending to drink this stuff isn't conspicuous," Rodney said, waving his mug around. He looked at the old man at the next table, who was staring him. "Hi. Yeah, we don't know you."

"Rodney," John warned quietly, although his heart wasn't in it. "Okay, seriously? We need to do something, because we're not remotely blending in here. Sitting around waiting ... it's not your style, Ronon."

Ronon sighed. "Teyla's only in this situation because of 'my style'. I don't want to put her in more danger. It'll be easier to get her out if we surprise them."

"So, sitting here all day, letting them do -- whatever -- to her is better?" John asked. He didn't really want to think about "whatever" might be.

Ronon sighed. "Maybe not. I just -- I haven't had to worry about anyone else ... for a long time."

John realized with a start that Ronon was worried, really worried about Teyla. He was so stoic that it was hard to tell what he was thinking. For years, the Satedan had only had to keep himself safe, and now he'd endangered someone he considered a friend.

Or maybe more than a friend.

John sighed, refusing to let that train of thought enter his mind again right now. "So ... we ask."

Ronon exchanged a glance with Rodney, then nodded. "We ask."

Sheppard pushed aside his untouched mug of ale and stood up. He figured if they were bound to draw attention to themselves, they might as well go big. "We're looking for a man named Kell," he said. "We have some business with him."

There was dead silence in the pub, even though at this hour of the evening the room was packed.

"Ain't no Kell here," came a voice from the bar. The bartender glared at them. "Best be leaving now."

John started to argue, but he saw a few of the larger men in the pub get to their feet. A bar fight would actually feel pretty good at the moment, but it wouldn't help them find Teyla. He nodded to Ronon and Rodney, and the three left the pub, walking into the dim street.

"That went well," John said. "Do we have a plan?"

Ronon stared past John's head. "Maybe we ask them."

John turned to find a group of about five men headed their way. "They do look like knowledgeable guys, don't they?"

There was total silence as the two groups of men faced each other. Everyone else in town had suddenly decided that they had somewhere else to be besides this street.

"Hey fellas," John said cheerfully. "We're looking for the Kell family. We want to ... buy some stuff."

"Maybe they don't wanna sell to you," the man in front of Rodney said.

Sheppard exchanged a glance with Ronon, but before either of them could do a thing, Rodney struck with a rather impressive right hook.

McKay looked shocked, then went down like a rock as the man punched him back.

Ronon grinned and slammed into two of the men.

John looked at the guy in front of him and shrugged. "When in Rome," he said, ramming his fist into the man's nose. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw McKay stagger back up and kick one of the men in the balls. With a grim smile, John threw himself into the melee.

They might've been outnumbered, but it took only a few minutes for the three of them to reduce their assailants to a bloody, cursing pile. Ronon pulled Rodney's opponent out of the heap and shoved him against the wall of the pub, holding a knife to his neck.

"Kell?"

"Northwest of the city," the man said quickly. "They have a whole spread out there."

Ronon nodded and let go. He jerked his head at Sheppard and McKay and took off down the street, headed for the puddlejumper, which they'd left just outside the town.

"So," John said once they'd reached the jumper. "That was too easy."

"Easy?" McKay said. "Are you kidding? Look what that guy did to my face! My jaw is practically broken."

"They're expecting us," Ronon confirmed.

"Well, I'd sure hate to disappoint," John said. "Let's go get Teyla."

TBC

OK, kinda a shortish part, but we've only got one more part and an epilogue to go. I'll post them as soon as the beta reader is finished with them. :)