John's team contacted Atlantis after talking with Odalia, and within an hour Lorne and his team with a small contingent of marines had come through the Gate to meet them.

"Is she sure about this?" asked Lorne sternly, motioning to Odalia who sat against a nearby tree growing more and more nervous that maybe she had made a big mistake in alerting them; Lucius would never forgive her for this.

"She gave me the dialing address." said Rodney. "We should go, now!"

"Nahkhan, I mean...the man you are looking for should be in the manor above the village, you can't miss it." sighed Odalia suddenly feeling very old.

"What about our other friend?" asked Teyla, "Will he be there too?"

"Yes, he's in one of the cells in the lower part of the manor."

"Why is he in a cell" growled Ronon, extremely annoyed that they hadn't already gone through the Gate.

Odalia flinched at the fierce man's voice, then shook her head.

"I've said enough and may have damned myself in the process doing so. I will say no more."

Everyone paused for a moment wondering what she meant by that, then Lorne's voice broke the silence.

"Okay, let's go." he ordered the group and Rodney began dialing the Gate.

This was it…they were going to get them back.

Lucius made his way to the healer's cell; a smile on his face. He had finally gotten through to his son and came to see the result of their conversation; hopefully it would be the healer lying dead at his son's feet.

As he entered the cell, his smile dropped from his face at seeing his son covered in blood sitting on the ground, almost cowering against the bed…and no healer in sight.

"Where. Is. He?" Darkness dripped from Lucius' voice.

John pulled himself up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I let him go." he murmured, his eyes focused on Lucius' feet.

"You, what?"

When John saw the feet move closer he tensed and looked up at Lucius with flat eyes.

"I…I let him go." he repeated a little louder, his voice faltering at the look in the older man's eyes.

"You let him go?"

John sighed and closed his eyes as Lucius rushed at him, the first punch felt like a truck had hit him and he slammed against the nearby wall landing in a heap on the ground.

"You let the traitor go?"

Lucius' thunderous voice echoed in his ear as he was picked up by the shoulders and slammed against the wall once more, his head smacking back on it hard.

He only heard snippets of Lucius' angry words as the attack continued; the rest were carried on a crashing tidal wave of pain…

"You're weak!"

"Gullible!"

"….a disgrace!"

Then with another punch to the head, John let the darkness take him.

The humidity in the air was felt by the group as they made their way through the Gate; it was a warm day on the planet.

Lorne ordered two of his men to guard the Gate as the rest of them made their way through a set of trees, eventually coming to an opening where they could see a village down below to the left, with a path busy with people coming and going, a large home stood higher up on the right.

The teams slowly headed for the manor staying close to the tree line hoping to quietly slip in, find their friends and slip out. The old woman had told them there were guards in the manor, so they would have to be careful but ready to attack if need be to get their people back.

Ronon suddenly slowed to a stop staring towards the manor.

"Ronon?" Teyla whispered, looking to see what he was staring at.

The Satedan had watched as a man stumbled from the far side of the manor, landing on his knees; then slowly swayed as he stood up, looked around, then turned and headed down the path towards the village.

"It's Beckett." he stated.

"Where?!" shouted Rodney, moving forward to see, but all he could see were some villagers moving up and down the path near the manor.

"Show us...quickly!" said Teyla.

Ronon threw a glance at Lorne than at the manor.

"Go!" ordered Lorne, "We've got this!"

With a grunt, Ronon headed off, Teyla and Rodney not far behind as Lorne's team and the marines continued forward.

John came to lying on his back on the ground, his whole body throbbing in agony.

Groaning, his eyes fluttered open to the blurred image of an angry Lucius pacing beside him.

John shuddered, sadness enveloping him.

He would deserve whatever he got.

He betrayed his father.

When another groan escaped his lips, Lucius stopped pacing and looked down at him.

"You betrayed me."

His words like knives carved through John, echoing his very thoughts.

He could only nod, his eyes glazed with tears and pain.

Lucius stared at him for a moment, then leaned forward and pulled him up to his feet, pushing a swaying John toward a metal door a few feet away.

When John saw him press something on a nearby panel and the door swished open to darkness, his mind stuttered to a halt, something primal taking over.

He'd been here before…

"No!" he shouted, pushing away from Lucius and turning to run, his heart stampeding in his chest.

Lucius grabbed him by the hair, pulling him back.

"Yes!" growled Lucius holding onto him as he struggled, throwing punches at the larger man, none of them really connecting. Annoyed, Lucius threw John hard, face first against a nearby wall, then down to the ground stunning him; he grabbed him by the legs and started dragging him into the room, when he heard voices coming towards them.

Two guards came rushing down the hallway.

"Sovereign, the manor is under attack!"

"What!" Lucius exclaimed.

"They said they're from Atlantis and that they want their friend, Sheppard back."

The guards stared at John who lay barely moving, then back to Lucius.

"There is no Sheppard here you fools, defend the manor…go!"

The guards nodded quickly then turned and ran back to the fighting.

So much for slipping in and out.

Thought Lorne as he stood behind a pillar, waiting for return fire. They didn't want to kill anyone, as this was a rescue mission; but they were prepared to go to the full extent to get their friends back.

The volley of weapon fire continued as Lorne witnessed two guards coming out of a recessed door in the wall across the room they were in.

I wonder….he thought, then motioned to one of his men. Seconds later the two guards were down and Lorne and his man were racing across the room towards the door the guards had come through, with some of his men covering them as they ran.

Lucius' face was etched in anger, the sounds of weapon fire now making its way through the halls, the invaders were close. He looked down at his son, then back at the darkened room where his hungry pet lay waiting; bending he grabbed John's legs and continued pulling him into the room when voices that were too close by made him stop.

"…two life signs…Colonel Sheppard, are you down here?"

Scowling, Lucius dropped John's legs and grabbed for the weapon at his hip. Then he paused and looked down at his son, then towards the nearing voices.

Cursing, he huffed then twisted a device on his wrist and bent grabbing John's ankle.

John stirred and started to turn on his side, letting out a soft groan and as he slowly opened his eyes he heard someone shout out, "...ppard, can you…?" then the world slipped away.

-tbc-