Chapter Four - "I'm All Tied Up, With no Place to Go"

"I can't read what's happening. It's hard to breathe. I can't feel. Now stiff and still I await, apprehensive, at the gate. Should I lie here, spent and exhausted, and hold to hope in desperation?" - Android Lust, "Panic Wrought"

After what seemed an eternity, the captors guided Sheppard and Evie to a clearing where there were many buildings. It appeared to be a small town. It must have been deserted, though, as there was not a soul in sight. The two thugs shoved their prisoners through the entrance of a small building. The structure appeared to have only two rooms, a front one and a slightly larger back one, which Sheppard and Evie were forced into. The only piece of furniture in the dimly lit room was a table, which had several thick chains, a couple small padlocks, and some old rags resting on its surface.

Both men removed their hoods, wiping the sweat from their faces. Sheppard recognized the man with the gun as Kenno Marshala, one of the militia men they had met earlier. He was young, couldn't have been older than his early twenties, and had a lanky build. He whipped his head slightly to the side, flipping a lock of his wavy, dark brown hair out of his face. His green eyes were cold and unfeeling as he stared at his prisoners through the lenses of his glasses.

Neither hostage could identify the other man. He was much shorter than Kenno. Stouter, too. His eyes were light blue and he, too, saw the world through the aid of spectacles. This thug didn't quite have the handsome face that Kenno had, and his light, crew cut hair was in sharp contrast with Marshala's tresses.

Kenno threw Evie violently onto the floor, where she landed with a grunt. Sheppard took a step toward her, incensed by the man's brutality , but was stopped by the cold blade of a knife at his throat. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists as he was forced to stand idly by and watch as Kenno removed Evie's shoes and crossed her feet at the ankles, wrapping the chain tightly around her feet and securing it with the lock. Finished with her, he shoved her aside and did the same to Sheppard.

Once both the hostages were tightly bound, Kenno grabbed the rags and used them to gag his prisoners. Satisfied that Evie and Sheppard were safely secured, the two men retreated to the outer room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Ever the optimist, Evie immediately began struggling against her restraints, but the chains held fast. She quickly gave up after a moment. Her hands behind her back, Evie was unable to wipe away the lone tear that slowly trickled down her cheek. She looked over at Sheppard, frightened and worried.

Sheppard's emerald eyes were emotionless as he stared at the wall in front of him, more furious than frightened. There was no temple. He had been set up. Even worse than that, he had gotten Evie caught up in this…whatever it was. He hated the feeling of helplessness that began to come over him. The feeling that there was absolutely nothing he could do to get out of his predicament. Not at the moment, anyway.

Evie lay there for several moments, trying to calm her nerves. Then she struggled against the handcuffs once again, feeling the metal digging into her skin. Realizing that she was not going to be able to slip out of them, she decided to try something different. She rolled over onto her side and began trying to pull her hands down behind her knees. Sheppard watched with interest as Evie grunted and pulled against the chain, trying desperately to get the cuffs to cooperate. With a pained groan, she managed to slide her hands down so that the chain connecting the cuffs was now resting against the back of her knees.

Evie rested her arms for a minute, breathing heavily, and then rolled over onto her back, trying to pull the chain over her feet. She grunted and panted as she fought with the harsh metal. After struggling for a moment, she lifted her feet up in the air, bending them at a slight angle, and managed to bring the chain around her feet so that her bound hands were now in front of her. Evie brought them up to her face and quickly pulled her gag down. Then she let her arms drop to the floor and panted, the not-so-simple struggle having momentarily exhausted her. When she saw Sheppard raise an eyebrow, she gently pulled his gag down as well.

"Thanks." He tried to rid himself of the taste of the old rag, his mouth now dry. He sighed; no way were his hands going anywhere. "Judging by what they said, those guys were only after me," he said softly. "I'm so sorry that you got dragged into this."

"Not your fault," she whispered, her lips and tongue desperate for a few drops of water. "Besides, this is definitely more exciting than talking politics over dinner with Lord Stefan." Sheppard smiled slightly. After a minute, Evie asked quietly, "How long do you think it will take our teams to realize something happened to us?"

"Maybe an hour, give or take," he replied with a shrug.

"And then?"

"They'll radio Atlantis, Atlantis will send reinforcements, and they'll find us sooner or later," he answered with nonchalance.

"You seem so unconcerned," she said, a little surprised.

"It's not like this is the first time I've been held prisoner," he reminded her.

"Well, I'm a newbie to the whole being kidnapped thing, so forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."

He chuckled softly. "It's just one of those things that you have to wait out, unfortunately."

"Let's hope we don't have to wait long," she sighed.

"I'm sure they're fine," Major Johnson assured a very worried Summer. "Colonel Sheppard and Lieutenant Brooks can take care of themselves."

"With all due respect, sir, it can't possibly take three hours to explore an abandoned temple," Summer countered.

"They've been gone that long?" Johnson hadn't been around when they had left.

"Yes, sir," Summer said, nodding. "And I highly doubt they just got lost. If it was just Evie, then yeah, but Colonel Sheppard has a good sense of direction."

Johnson thought for a moment, then ordered, "Radio Atlantis. Give Dr. Weir a heads up. We'll go out and search for them. Tell her we'll report back at 0600."

"Yes, sir." Summer picked up her P-90 and secured it.

"Oh, and Captain?" She looked up at him as she strapped on her 9 mm. "Take Murphy with you. I've suddenly got a bad feeling about this. But I don't want the Emarians thinking that we suspect foul play."

"Understood, sir."

XXXXXX

"And you have no idea who told them about this temple?" Johnson asked as they returned from searching. They had begun canvassing an area of the forest based on the direction in which Sheppard and Evie had left.

"No, sir." Summer shook her head. Now she felt horrible that she hadn't gotten more information from them before they left. "Evie just said that they were going to explore an abandoned temple. That was it."

"Are we not going to continue searching?" Teyla asked, disapproving of stopping their efforts.

"Their sun has…suns have already started to set," Johnson said, pointing to the bright orbs that were beginning their descent. "It will be dark in a matter of minutes, and I don't want to risk anyone else going missing."

"What would anyone seek to gain by taking them?" Michael asked worriedly.

"We don't know that anyone took them," Johnson interjected.

"It is the only logical explanation," Rodney insisted. "Sheppard doesn't 'get lost.'"

"But why would the Emarians hold them hostage?" Michael asked again.

"Bargaining chip," Ronan answered simply, a hint of anger in his voice.

"There could be other inhabitants on this planet," Teyla pointed out. "We can not assume that the Emarians are the ones responsible."

Ronan shrugged. "I say we talk to that Stefan guy. I'll bet he knows where they are."

"We aren't going to do anything further without orders from Dr. Weir," Johnson stated in his commanding voice. And no one was going to argue.

When they reached the Stargate, they established a wormhole and gave Dr. Weir the bad news, that they couldn't find either teammate.

"We will send reinforcements at first light," Elizabeth decided. "However, I want you to stay in the city overnight, just in case they return. And, Major Johnson, I want you and Michael to stand guard by the Gate in case they show up there."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, the Gate was shut off. As Rodney, Summer, Teyla, and Ronon began making their way back to the city in the twilight, Johnson turned to Michael. "Do you want to sleep first, or shall I?"

Sheppard and Evie sat in their prison for several hours. They were silent for the most part, speaking only in hushed tones, not wanting to alert their captors to the partial freedom of Evie's hands. The very bored Lieutenant looked at her watch. It was past ten o'clock. Evie sighed. "And I was so hoping we wouldn't miss dinner." Sheppard was about to reply, when they heard someone coming.

Evie quickly replaced Sheppard's gag, as well as her own, and then began frantically trying to bring her hands behind her back again. As she was in a desperate hurry, for she could now hear a key sliding into the lock, she struggled harder against the chain and whimpered as she felt the cuffs cutting into her skin. She grunted in pain, managing to bring her arms behind her back just as the door opened.

Both men stepped into the dark room, and Kenno nodded toward Evie. The other man, the shorter one, quickly moved to kneel behind her, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back. In a flash, his knife was out of its sheath and pressed against her neck. "Just a little incentive for you not to try anything," Kenno explained, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocking the padlock on Sheppard's chain. Casting the restraints aside, he yanked the Colonel to his feet and shoved him into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

Kenno forced Sheppard into a chair and removed his gag. "Who is in charge of your expedition?" he asked. Sheppard just stared at his captor, defiant and silent. Kenno gave his prisoner a wry grin before punching him squarely on the jaw. Sheppard made no sound, but recovered from the blow quickly, staring at his tormentor once more. "I'll ask again." It was obvious that Kenno was growing impatient. "Who heads your expedition?"

"Dr. Weir," Sheppard answered after a pause.

"Thank you. And how might I reach him?"

Sheppard chuckled slightly at the incorrect pronoun. "Well, you could reach her using that radio you took from me. But you'd have to be within a thousand feet of the Gate with an open wormhole, and there's no way I'm giving you the address."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Kenno contended menacingly.

"What're you gonna do?" Sheppard shot back, his tone and body language rebellious. "Knock me around some more?"

"No." Kenno shook his head. "Hurting you wouldn't get us anywhere…" Sheppard's eyebrows raised slightly in realization. "The Lieutenant on the other han--"

"You lay a finger on her," Sheppard growled, "and I'l--"

"You'll what?" Kenno sneered. "Colonel, you are handcuffed, and my man has a knife to your girlfriend's throat in there. I would seriously consider cooperation."

Sheppard's shoulders drooped and he looked down, defeated. After having a quick internal debate, he looked up at his captor, his glare shooting daggers into the man. "Let's go."

Elizabeth had just gotten another cup of coffee for Carson and one for herself, when the Stargate suddenly activated. "Incoming wormhole," called the technician working the Gate controls.

"From where?" Elizabeth asked, walking briskly over to the control panel and watching at the gate.

"M6X-412," the tech replied.

"Let's hope it's good news," Elizabeth commented, the hope within her swelling. "Is there an IDC?"

"No, ma'am. Wait…" He brought a hand up to his earpiece. "We are receiving a radio transmission." He hit a button and patched the feed into the Control Room speakers.

"Dr. Weir, I believe I have something that belongs to you," came Kenno's voice over the radio.

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"You can call me Varkin," he replied. "But names are not important."

"And just what is it you want, Varkin?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Several dozen armor-piercing weapons, a ship, and C-4," came Kenno's demands. "Lots of it."

Elizabeth sighed; mandates like this were quickly getting old. "And exactly what do you possess that you think we want badly enough to meet these outrageous demands?"

"Two of your people. Lieutenant Brooks and Colonel, oh, what was his name…Ah. Colonel Sheppard."

There was a collective gasp throughout the Control Room. "And how do I know you're not bluffing?" Elizabeth asked, not letting her concern show.

There was some muffled speech on the other end, and then Sheppard's voice came across the radio. "Hey, Elizabeth. Guess I kinda got myself in trouble again."

Kenno's voice drowned out whatever Sheppard had been attempting to say next. "I will give you one day. If my demands are not met by noon tomorrow, I will kill your people," he said, delivering his ultimatum. "I will give you a moment to let this sink in." He fell silent, but didn't sever the Gate connection.

"Weren't there two men guarding the Gate?" asked a nervous Carson, who had been in the Control Room giving Elizabeth updates on a patient.

"Major Johnson and Dr. Murphy," she replied, continuing to stare at the Gate.

"Dr. Weir!" Elizabeth looked up to see Dr. Zelenka hurrying up the stairs. "Dr, Weir, to have radio contact with us, he must be within a thousand feet of the Stargate," he said when he reached her. "Once he severs the connection, shouldn't we be able to dial the planet again, send men through, and apprehend this Varkin?"

"Major Lorne!" Elizabeth spoke into her mic.

"Ma'am?" Major Lorne and his team had just gotten back from a mission and were depositing their weapons in the armory.

"I need you and your team back here, ASAP," Elizabeth ordered.

"Yes, ma'am. Alright men, you heard her. Let's go." Grabbing their weapons once more, they quickly ran to the Control Room.

"Major Lorne, we have a situation. Colonel She--"

"Have you made your decision?" Kenno's voice startled everyone in the room.

Zelenka double-timed it down the stairs and over to Major Lorne and his men. He quickly explained the state of affairs to them as Elizabeth chewed her lip worriedly. "I have," she answered simply.

"And?" It was obvious Kenno was growing impatient.

"We are going to need some time," Elizabeth answered, praying that she was making the right choice.

"Just so long as you meet the deadline. Radio back tomorrow by noon. And, Dr. Weir, don't forget what's at stake," he said menacingly. With that, he shut off the wormhole.

"Dial the planet!" Elizabeth ordered the technician. The techie quickly hit the appropriate buttons on the DHD and the Gate activated. As soon as the wormhole was open, Major Lorne's team rushed through the Stargate, weapons ready to fire. When the last man was through, the technician shut down the Gate.

The next few minutes went by agonizingly slow for everyone in the Control Room as they stared at the Stargate. Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin when the alarm began blaring as the lights on the Gate began spinning.

"Major Lorne's IDC, ma'am," the technician said as the event horizon "kawooshed." Lorne stepped back through the Gate.

"Did you get him?" Elizabeth asked, ever hopeful.

"No, ma'am," he said sadly, shaking his head. The rest of his men soon rematerialized through the Gate as well. "The bastard used some kind of transmitter. He dialed Atlantis, established a radio connection, left the transmitter, and then used another radio to communicate with us. I'm guessing by the look of the device that he could have been anywhere within a three-mile radius." Elizabeth let out a despairing sigh and looked down. "We tried to search the area, ma'am," Lorne added. "But this planet has no moon; all we had were the stars and our flashlights. We didn't see any signs of Murphy or Johnson either."

"Thank you, Major," Elizabeth said, rubbing a hand over her tired face and motioning for the technician to shut off the Gate. "You and your men are free to go."

"Yes, ma'am." He and his men slowly left the Control Room.

Elizabeth groaned and held a tired hand to her forehead. She looked up when she heard the familiar Czech accent. "Dr. Weir?"

"Yes, Radek?"

"I think I might be able to trace the signal," Zelenka said tentatively, offering another ray of hope.

"You mean you could pinpoint a location?" Elizabeth asked optimistically.

"Nono, sorry." He shook his head and then raised his finger. "But I should be able to narrow the area to be searched."

"That," she said, clasping his shoulders and smiling slightly, "is the best news I've heard all day." Zelenka gave her one of his shy little smiles. "I'll have Major Lorne escort us there as soon as day breaks."

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Evie heard the door to the building open and close. She breathed a sigh of relief when Sheppard was forced into the room. Kenno shoved him roughly to the floor and proceeded to bind his feet once again. He replaced his prisoner's gag, then said with a smile, "You two have a good night." The shorter captor released Evie, and the two men retreated to the outer room, locking the door behind them.

Evie waited several minutes before once again freeing her arms. Once she removed the rag from Sheppard's mouth, he proceeded to tell her what had transpired. She took the news about the one-day deadline rather well.

"I guess we should try to get some sleep" he said quietly after a while. Evie sighed in frustration. Sheppard looked over at her. "What?"

"You'll think it's silly," she mumbled.

"Try me," he murmured.

"I need cuddles to fall asleep," she said, shivering from the chilly night air.

"Well, don't look at me," he replied quickly. "That would be highly inappropriate behavior."

Evie giggled quietly. "No, you goof. Cuddles is my bear," she explained in a hushed voice. "She's the one personal item that I brought. Had her since I was two."

"Oh."

"You men really do have a one-track mind, don't you?" she asked, shaking her head.

Sheppard shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes."

"Well," Evie said, rolling over onto her side, "God-willing, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, sir."

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Ha!"