It had been incredibly easy, ridiculously easy in fact. It was two nights later and Odalia had been racking her brain trying to come up with a way to free Nahkhan from his guarded room, without being indicated in the escape.
The guard himself made it simple.
Bored out of his mind…
"Sitting for hours by a locked door would do that to anybody!"
…he would later plea to deaf ears; he had pulled out a bottle from within his uniform and proceeded to drink himself into unconsciousness.
Odalia who couldn't sleep, her mind coming up with schemes that surprised even herself, had decided to go for a late night walk; stopping at the end of the hallway she glanced towards John's room in astonishment.
Pursing her lips, she quickly looked around then made her way as fast as she could towards his door. As she neared, she could smell the cheap liquor coming off the unconscious guard in waves as he sat sprawled back in his chair.
"Making an old woman think too hard for nothing." she muttered as she searched the guard's waistband for the key to the room.
She grabbed it and paused for a moment when she saw his holstered weapon; glancing up at the door then down the hallway then back to the weapon, she then proceeded to pull it from its holster and hide it in the pocket of the robe she was wearing.
She wanted Nahkhan to be free, but if he had the weapon she wasn't sure if he would use it on someone and she did not want to be the cause of anyone's death; as to the guard, his fate was his own doing.
John's frustration was spilling as he paced his room, kicking himself for waiting for Odalia's help; for not just barreling through anyone who got in his way and grabbing Carson and leaving this damned place.
"Way to go, John….stupid…stupid!" he whispered harshly to himself; he felt weak, useless; two feelings that collided with his efforts to stay positive in his and Carson's one day freedom.
"Nahkhan…
…Nahkhan!"
Odalia had called out twice before he noticed her standing by the open door.
John's eyes widened when he saw her and that she was alone, he ran over grabbing her by the shoulders.
"It's tonight? You didn't tell me!"
"I didn't know. The moment just…presented itself. You must go, quickly!"
John moved to the door and peered out, seeing the unconscious guard he sprang towards him.
"He has no weapon with him." Odalia said, grabbing onto John's arm.
"You must hurry!"
She quickly gave him directions to the servant's quarters, then to the kitchen area close to it.
"There's a boarded up coal chute no longer in use off the pantry. It's the only way I can think of you getting out of here unnoticed."
"Odalia, come with us, if Lucius finds out what you've done..."
The woman chuckled, "I've done nothing but go for a late night walk. Go, Nahkhan, find your friend and continue on your adventure! I am a tired old woman who must return to her bed."
John smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you." he whispered then turned and moved quickly down the hallway.
"No...thank you." whispered Odalia; already missing the young man who had brought a spark back into her life.
She quietly shut the door, returning the key to the guard's waistband; then made her way back to her room.
John moved down the hallway, as fast and as quietly as he could. Luck was with him, it was very late and most of the servants were asleep in their quarters, the guards tired and less aware.
He and Carson were getting out of there if it's the last thing he did.
He arrived at the servants' quarters, then slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
There were servants sleeping on cots spread throughout the dimly lit room, so John tread quietly as they would alert the guards if awoken; he found Carson in a corner of the room, curled up on a cot by the far wall.
"Doc...oh man, am I glad to see you!" John whispered, gently shaking Carson's shoulder, "Come on, wake up…we're gettin' outta here."
John's chest tightened in anticipation. It was really happening...the chance he was waiting for! He wouldn't have to escape alone; he wouldn't leave a man behind!
Carson groaned and slowly opened his eyes; blinking for a moment he finally focused on John and gasped, backing up against the wall by his bed in fright.
John froze, confused.
Grabbing his friend by the shoulders he pulled him off the bed to a standing position.
"Carson?" he shook him slightly and frowned at the look of fear in his friend's eyes.
"Doc, it's me...Sheppard! We're getting outta here...come on!"
He grabbed Carson by the arm and headed towards the door, the fact that his friend hadn't uttered a word concerning him deeply; suddenly Carson started pulling away from him making John stagger back for a moment, but then hold his ground gripping Carson's arm tighter.
"Carson, what are you doin'? Come on!" he hissed.
The sound of some of the servants starting to wake up made John groan inwardly as he continued to try pulling Carson towards the door; confused but adamant that they had to leave that instant.
Suddenly, lights started to come on as some of the servants awoke and saw John with Carson trying to leave; their shouts woke the others up and soon the doorway was blocked by several men and women.
"M'lord, what are you doing here?" one of them asked.
M'lord?
John hesitated at the title being thrown at him.
"Please…" said another. "You're ill, we'll get you help."
"Look, I don't want to hurt any of you, so just get out of our way!" he argued.
"You are not in your right mind..." another said. "Arex is not well enough yet, he cannot help you at the moment…you need to stop!"
"Arex?" John frowned, "Who the hell is Arex?" he asked while trying to hold on to a now struggling Carson and contemplating how he was going to get past these people.
"He is." said a servant pointing at Carson.
John turned to his friend.
"Doc, what are they…"
With the room now more brightly lit, John noticed the fading bruises on Carson's face and… the red circular marks around the Scot's mouth, harsh and glaring in the light…
In shock, John let go of his friend…
They looked like… stitch marks…
"Wh-what'd they do to you?" John whispered.
Carson's fear-filled eyes glanced at John then down at the ground.
Suddenly an alarm sounded; one of the servants he hadn't seen leave the room slipped back inside, a smile on his face.
"The guards will be here soon, m'lord; please be at ease."
John glanced at Carson who had moved back to his cot and then to the people blocking the doorway; biting his lip he felt a panic arising in him.
He didn't know what to do…
Moments later, the door to the room slammed open making the servants scatter and three guards poured through the doorway followed by a very angry Lucius.
"Look, let's just…" started John, his eyes widening as Lucius kept coming towards him. He didn't even have time to raise his arms to defend himself as Lucius' large fist connected with the side of his head and darkness claimed him.
He came back to awareness slumped against a wall in a hallway, Lucius pacing angrily in front of him.
"Is that all you got?" John groaned, feeling like he was going to throw up…a jackhammer pounding in his brain.
Lucius stopped pacing, glared at him then turned and pressed a code into the panel next to the door John was sitting near…
…the same door Carson had been pushed through weeks earlier…
No…
"Hey wait..." John tried to pull himself to his feet. "I won't run again, okay? I…"
The door slid open and without a word, Lucius bent forward and grabbed him, yanking him to his feet and shoved him into the dark room; the door quickly sliding shut behind him.
John fell onto his stomach and after a moment slowly pulled himself to his knees, his eyes scanning the room for a light source; there was none…no light...no sound except his own rapid breathing.
The cool air in the room wrapped around his body making him shiver. He looked around trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness; maybe there was some sort of light switch. If he made his way around the room, he could feel for…
A clicking noise interrupted his thoughts; fear locking his breath down as he tried to be as quiet as possible...
The clicking noise sounded again and John's heart almost stopped…
Oh crap…
Bug.
It sounded like the clicking noise a bug would make.
He shuddered, his heart clenching tight at the memory of the Iratus bug.
Anything but that...please…please…
The clicking noise sounded again, this time a little closer and suddenly John felt a gust of hot breath against his face; yelping, he fell onto his back then with eyes wide, scrambled backwards unblinking in the dark until his head slammed painfully against a wall; sitting up, he shot his arms out searching frantically for the door.
"O-okay! I learned my lesson, let me out!" he shouted, cringing inwardly at the sound of fear in his voice.
But the hidden door remained shut and John's breathing grew faster as he lowered his head protecting his neck… no way any bug was going to latch onto him again.
Hell no…
He gasped as he suddenly felt something wrap itself around his right ankle, then with a quick jerk he was yanked forward onto his back; the clicking noise growing louder...more frenzied…
…and then a nightmare was upon him as a multitude of long legs with sharp hairs skittered across his body and a heavy weight landed on his chest.
John tried to struggle but couldn't move, could hardly breathe as he felt the hot sour breath of whatever had landed on him blast across his face.
Some of the legs moved quickly attaching themselves to the side of John's head...
…and his terror grew louder and brighter like fireworks in his mind.
He could feel the sharp hairs of whatever was on him pressing against his skin…
And then the legs suddenly…
Squeezed…
And an explosion went off in John's mind and he screamed…
and screamed…
and screamed…
-tbc-