Stargate Atlantis: Path of the Storm

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Chapter Thirty

Once he had made sure that Stackhouse and Herring were restrained, Kolya and his men brought them back through the gate while some stood guard over the puddle jumper. As they emerged through the other side, Kolya sat them down next to the DHD.

He had every intricate detail planned about how this was all going to be executed. Kolya would collect Sheppard and take him offworld to where they had secured the ship and from there they would go to the hive ship. After that, nothing else would matter as the hard part was over.

"Wait here," Kolya said gruffly then approached the building. He walked up the steps and banged his fist on the door twice but he got no response. Clearly agitated, he pushed open the doors himself and stormed in to demand answers. Someone was going to be in a world of trouble for abandoning their post but as Kolya looked around the hall, cold fingers took a hold of his heart. All of his men had been incapacitated.

"Sheppard," he growled walking to the far end of the hall. He opened the door and got one hell of a surprise, one of the Wraiths was blocking the path to Sheppard's call. Kolya hadn't even considered the possibility that one of them had gotten free but as he glanced back to the way he came, he could see clearly that no man had killed those people. Swallowing quickly, he returned his gaze back to Mike while cautiously reaching for his weapon. "What's going on here?" Kolya asked with a forced expression, he glanced down to see Matriya then back up to the Wraith. "How did you escape?"

"Forget how they escaped," Sheppard yelled. "Shoot him!" He gripped the bars and shook the door as hard as he could. "What are you waiting for!"

They? Kolya thought as Mike took a step forward, he reached his gun at him but hesitated. Sheppard said "they" so that meant both of the Wraiths were free but where was the other one? He heard heavy breathing behind him and glanced behind to see Sleepy. Kolya kept his gaze down as he turned back to Mike, lowering his weapon.

"You are most fortunate we no longer require sustenance."

"What do you want?" Kolya asked looking up, he looked more alarmed than John had ever seen him.

"You have the key to his cell," Mike replied indicating Sheppard with a cock of the head. "We wish to have it."

"I need him," Kolya snapped quickly. Sleepy took another step towards him, this time he was so close that he could feel that horrid breath and Kolya visibly shuddered before looking at Sheppard.

As Kolya looked up at him, John saw that he really didn't want to have over the keys and give him up that easily. This guy seriously needed him to carry out the plan and he wasn't about to let all that go to these monsters. However, Kolya was not a fool and John recognized the look. It was the closest thing to compassion he had ever seen in the man's eyes and that scared him more than anything else.

"If you wish to leave…alive…you will do as we request," Mike continued after catching the look. Kolya didn't take his eyes off of Sheppard but eventually he looked away while searched through his pockets.

"You son of a bitch," Sheppard said speaking up as he shook his head. "Kolya don't do this!"

Kolya pulled out the key to the cell. "That will open the door," he said looking up at Mike. "You have my word." He placed the large silver key into the Wraith's open palm and didn't his best not to flinch. Mike inspected the key then nodded for Sleepy to step out the way.

"Kolya! You god damn coward," Sheppard shouted as he turned his back on him and started to walk away. "Kolya!" He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the Major once more, if he had been feeling remorse over his actions before, it was all but gone now.

"I'm sorry Major," he said softly with a stern expression while glancing to Mike then back. "I truly am." Kolya turned away again and continued walking through the doorway.

"Kolya!" Sheppard yelled at the top of his lungs. "Kolya!"

This time, he didn't return.

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As he left the building and made his way through the bodies of his former guards, Kolya heard Sheppard's screams but forced himself to keep walking away. He could not hope to stop the Wraith if he allowed himself to get killed and he wasn't about to sacrifice himself to save Major Sheppard, after all he would not extend the same courtesy for him. If Kolya had refused to hand over the key, the Wraiths would have surely killed him and from the amount of people they fed on, they would be hard to kill.

He paused just before the steps as Sheppard's voice faded away and it finally went silent once more. Had they killed him already? Kolya looked back without turning as he had second thoughts, no if he was to succeed he would need enough men with him and there were always other people in Atlantis who would be able to help him with his cause. If there weren't, he would soon make sure that they came around to his line of thinking.

Pulling his jacket tight around him, Kolya marched down the steps and held his head up high as he returned to the Stargate and the men awaiting him. "There's been a change of plans."

"Where's Sheppard?" one asked.

Kolya didn't drag out the moment and replied as bluntly as he could. "He's dead," Kolya replied. "The Wraiths have escaped." He glanced down to Stackhouse and Herring, both of them went visibly pale when he mentioned Sheppard's death and they lowered their heads. Kolya looked back to his men. "We're leaving."

The guard who had spoken walked over to the DHD and started dialing. Once they had a connection, they filed through the wormhole and Kolya was the last to leave. He stopped once more at the gate and over to the building, he looked to the two he had taken in order to obtain the Jumper which was now useless to him then back to where Sheppard was. Kolya had made the right decision and he was going to stand by it, he couldn't say he enjoyed the man's plight but he considered it payback and even if he hadn't planned it. It would have to do.

A small smile played on his lips and he stepped through the gate.

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