Sheppard slid down the wall in the dark abandoned corridor and sat clenching and unclenching his fists around the P-90's smooth metal casing. His hip felt comfortably warm with the 9 mil and holster strapped to it. The ache in his chest throbbed with each hammering beat of his heart, and the stab of pain this time was lower, deep in his belly. He gasped and, breathing deeply, rolled his head back to rest it against the cool bronze paneling. But the physical pain was secondary to the anguish he was reliving in his memories…
"I'm not finished yet!"
"Neither am I. Say goodbye to Doctor Weir." Kolya's voice was frighteningly determined, and oh so calm.
"Kolya! I'll give you a ship. I'll fly it out of here for you myself…" With suffocating panic, John realized that he'd lost control of the situation and that Kolya was more ruthless and murderous than he'd anticipated. That mistake was about to cost Elizabeth her life and John could feel it, like his own heart was being shot into.
"Kolya!" The scream tore from John's throat as he sat. He dropped his head onto his knees, no longer knowing or caring if the shaking of his hands was from his deteriorating physical condition or from the fury he was experiencing within.
"Major Sheppard. How's this for credibility. Weir's dead."
"I am going to kill you." John bit out every word, making the declaration a terrible oath.
"Maybe. Stay out of my way or McKay will join her."
Staggering to his feet, John had to place a bracing hand against the wall for a moment to regain his equilibrium. The ache was spreading into his shoulders and arms. Head held low for a long moment, he paused, and his hand drifted to his ear. The impulse to call for help was strong. Carson would help. Elizabeth would help him.
But Elizabeth was dead.
Choking back a sob of grief the fury won over, and fueled by a renewed determination, he shouldered his P-90 with an angry snap and set out to fulfill his oath. He no longer cared about Atlantis. Let the damn storm take it, and him with it.
He was out for revenge…
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Elizabeth sat for only a moment longer. When she stood, every line in her body radiated determination.
First, she poked once at her tablet, confirming the information she needed, then briskly tapped at her earpiece. Speaking rapidly, she simultaneously began a purposeful stride into the darkened control room… "Security, this is Weir. I want all security personnel to arm themselves with stunners only and deploy to Theta formation. Colonel Sheppard is to be stunned on sight, code Foothold-Thalen. Be advised, he is armed and dangerous. Contact Dr. Carson Beckett or myself immediately if Sheppard is seen or apprehended."
It had been Sheppard's idea to prepare a security protocol to quickly alert city security should another situation ever arise similar to the Phoebus/Thalen incident. They had been too slow before, and confused in their messages on why and how and who to apprehend when the enemy looked just like, was in fact, one of their own. John had also christened the protocol's code-name, and at the time she thought it rather dark humor. Now it seemed all too frighteningly appropriate. She should have initiated the code immediately, she knew now in retrospect. She had so been hoping John could be talked in without disrupting the whole city…
When she reached the control room, she began barking orders to the technicians. "Switch over all systems to ZPM power, but leave the control room dark. Shut down and lock down under code all systems except incoming gate travel and shield controls. Then… I want everyone out of here into the cafeteria in 10 minutes." She almost smiled at the simultaneous blank stares of a room full of confused people and added more softly, "You heard me people." They hurried to comply.
"Dr. Weir, this is Lt. Edison. Do you want my team to continue to search for the Colonel?"
"Lieutenant! It's good to hear you've recovered." Pleased to hear his voice, Elizabeth cupped her hand over her ear in the gesture she used to indicated to others she was listening to her receiver…
"Yes, ma'am… Me and Abramowicz are feeling the pins and needles, but we're ready to continue."
"I have a special job for your team. Join me in the gate room as soon as you can. Weir out."
Stepping back to watch the activity around her, she shot a grim smile at Carson who stepped up next to her, as confused as everyone else, but like everyone else, trusting in her leadership.
"Carson?" She said at last, allowing the worry to creep into her voice… "Is John really in danger from a stunner hit?"
Carson sighed and shook his head sadly. "In a perfect world, I wouldn't risk it, especially since he's been running around for so long, unmonitored. We don't know what condition he's in at the moment really. We do know that a stun is quite a jolt on the nervous system…and the cardiac and pulmonary systems are both intimately dependent upon the nervous system." He trailed off, realizing he was not really answering her question.
Elizabeth nodded, still watching the control room. Finally she said, not looking at the doctor, "Send two of our paramedics to the gateroom as quickly as they can get here. You can wait for us in the infirmary. We'll bring John to you." The matter-of-fact tone in her voice told Carson that she didn't intend to fail in that promise. But she clenched her hands tightly and crossed her arms as she added… "I really don't see how we'll be able to avoid stunning him so…be ready."
"Yes, Elizabeth. What if he's confronted before he reaches the gate room?"
She did smile at that. "No, He's too good. And although he's reliving memories, he's also adapting to his environment… He found another way of getting weapons without raiding the jumpers. He'll make it here."
Carson nodded sadly and she watched him stride purposefully away, glancing nervously down at the shadowy form of the Stargate. "Come on, John" she whispered to herself, "We're waiting for you…"
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"We'll be there in two-zero minutes… we landed the jumper to track some signatures on foot so it'll take us that long to get back to it and then fly back to you." Lorne sounded frustrated, and Rodney could tell he was already running by the rhythmic jerk of his breath as he replied.
"Hopefully we'll be gone by then, but in case the dogs slow us down, we appreciate the backup. McKay out."
Rodney was jogging himself, just behind Katie Brown and Dr. Miles who was in the lead. Jones brought up their six, but McKay was keeping a close eye on the marine, too, who was grimacing as every rapid step jostled his injured ribs. A few more yips and barks had sounded around them, but they hadn't seen any more creatures for the two or three minutes they'd been running.
Katie slowed down and drew even with McKay who finally noticed she was trying to get his attention, albeit coyly and with subtle glances. Why doesn't she just ask me what she wants? He thought crossly, giving her his best "yeah what" look and trying to keep an eye on Jones and Miles at the same time.
"I just wanted to say… you were very brave when that mad dog attacked."
"Oh." Was all he could come up with, suddenly flushing and forgetting all about Jones and Miles.
"Working offworld is very different than doing research on Atlantis, isn't it?"
"I suppose. There's more running from mad dogs, getting shot at by Wraith, and being kidnapped by angry natives at least." He meant the words sarcastically, but instead of looking insulted, Katie only beamed more admiringly and McKay blushed again. He had no idea what to say next. They were after all…running away from mad dogs on a planet of poisonous flowers. Taking in her appreciative glances, though, he puffed up a little and decided that in fact he was very brave…
"Stop!" Dr. Miles had come to an abrupt halt, and the rest stumbled around him surprised. Pointing, he whispered, "Two more canines up ahead. They're hunting…"
McKay pushed forward a step and finally spotted the two creatures. When they crouched low and moved in a slow stalk, they were difficult to see.
"McKay… behind us…" Jones panted out the words and Rodney whirled to see two more trailing in the path of bent grass and squashed petals they'd just walked through.
"They're displaying pack behaviors, hunting in groups and encircling their prey. Very interesting. Based on their build and teeth, I would have guessed they were lone scavengers, more closely related to hyenas than wolves…"
"Shut up Miles!" Rodney burst out. They drew closer together as a third hunting pair emerged from a clump of brush. "Tell us what to do about them! Can we scare them off?"
"Because that worked really well the first time," Miles' tone was dripping with sarcasm. "If Rambo, there, hadn't startled it, the creature might have moved on along, not recognizing our scent as prey." Luckily Jones was too distracted by keeping the rear creatures in his sights and trying to ignore painful bruised ribs to really hear the implied insult. McKay however was furious.
"Oh, that's really helpful, Miles, and easy for you to say as you were cowering behind the man at the time!"
"Doctors!" Jones suddenly turned and thrust his P-90 into Rodney's hands, flipping up a flap of his vest pocket and pulling out a grenade-like device. "I've got a couple of flash-bangs, McKay. I'll toss one at the two behind us, you try to kill the two in our path."
"What about the other two?" Rodney's anger vanished in a puff, to be replaced by nervous fear. Terror actually. He wasn't a very good shot at that distance, and was only just getting the feel of the larger automatic weapon at Sheppard's urging.
"I'll let Dr. Miles lure them away as bait while we escape…"
"Ok." Grinning at Jones in appreciation of the man's evil subtlety, Rodney shifted the heavy weapon in his hands a bit to situate himself, then turned towards the forward stalking dogs. He was thoroughly enjoying the affronted spluttering coming from Dr. Miles direction, and almost laughed out loud when the man finally asked, somewhat sheepishly, "He's just joking… right?"
They waited for a moment or two longer, optimistically hoping the dogs might just lose interest and lope away, then… "Now, McKay!"
Jones let fly the flash-bang and it landed neatly at the feet of the two nearest creatures. 3 seconds later an almighty BANG sounded followed by pained yelping. McKay pulled the trigger on the P-90… and nothing happened. "What the?" he yelped himself, then… "Oh, yeah," and he thumbed off the safety, raised the weapon again and this time when he pulled the trigger, the weapon bucked with a satisfying burst of fire. Wildly sweeping the muzzle around in the general direction of the two dogs he was supposed to kill, he silently hoped that the law of averages would work in his favor and that surely he would hit something if he just fired long enough….and that Katie was watching him being very brave again…
A second BANG rent the air, this time off to the East, and when the ringing in his ears stopped, McKay could finally hear Jones yelling, "Knock it off McKay! You got them for crying out loud."
He let his finger off the trigger and saw that, sure enough, the forward two dogs were lying in a heap and motionless. "I got them!" He repeated uselessly.
"Yes, and the others ran off for now. Let's move people. We still have ¾ of a mile to go."
Feeling his swagger was earned this time, Rodney tossed the P-90 back into Jones' waiting hands and gallantly motioned Katie on ahead of him, resuming their previous formation.
Now, if the law of averages would work out in their favor one more time, they'd be home in 10 minutes, triumphantly handing Carson the samples that would cure Sheppard and save the day. Imagining the victorious scene, Rodney jogged happily towards the Stargate.
