"We need to move." John turned quickly to the Major, his mind honing in on a plan.
So far Rodney's scanner only detected one dart. One dart with a very big holding tank. Good news or bad, one was one, and one they'd deal with.
"Teyla." John turned towards the Athosian. "Head back to the tavern. See if the bartender's a friend. If he's on the up and up, find us a room."
Teyla turned and moved quickly to the door.
"Ronon. Go with her." John ordered.
Ronon glanced quickly at Jen then back to the Colonel. John nodded, conveying his assurance in a glance. Ronon spun on his heel and followed Teyla out into the alley.
"Sanchez." John turned towards the Captain. "Take Williams to the jumper and bring her back. Stay above the square and keep her cloaked."
"Roger that." Sanchez responded, leading his team mate out into the misty weather.
"Edison, you've got the door."
Edison nodded and took up his post next to the front window.
"Rodney." John nodded towards the scientist, who was sitting on the floor next to Jen. "Keep an eye on the Doc." Then he moved towards the back hallway. "The Major and I are going to talk to our guests."
Downstairs, John approached the bars, his progression warily watched by a middle aged man sporting a bruised and swollen nose. The Colonel glanced sideways at Evan.
The Major shrugged then grinned. "Cadman's been teaching the Doc her signature right cross."
John snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Doc did that?"
Evan nodded. "Got our asses out."
John stepped to the bars as the man stood. Two women – who John assumed to be Marna and her sister, Inta, still lay on the floor of the storage area, unmoving.
"Turne." Evan frowned at the man. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."
Turne blinked, his eyes shifting from Evan to John then back again. "You did not come to release us." He surmised, his voice falling.
John stepped closer, glaring at the man behind the bars. "Who else in the village is in on your little trade agreement? Tell me the truth, and we'll see you're left to whatever local punishment is appropriate. Lie to me," John lowered his chin. "And I'll see to it Michael knows exactly where to find you. Because I assure you, he's not going to be happy when he finds out he came all this way for nothing."
Turne blanched, and swallowed hard. He stared at the floor and the two women before turning back to John. "You would not turn us over! My wife… she has done nothing wrong!"
"Who else?" John asked again.
"They will send us away." Turne whined. "We will be forced to leave our homes."
John turned towards Evan, excluding Turne from the conversation. "Which one tried to help?"
Evan nodded at the woman with the long black hair. "Inta."
"We'll take her topside. Make sure the villagers know she had nothing to do with it and tried to stop them."
"And these two?" Evan ignored Turne's horrified gasp.
"Leave them for Michael." John turned to leave.
"Wait!" Turne grabbed the bars. "Please."
John paused, then turned back around, watching the man expectantly.
"There are no others. You have to believe me." Turne pleaded.
"And why would I do that?" John frowned. "You've made a deal with a Wraith."
"No." Turne shook his head. "Marna made the deal. This Wraith. The one you call Michael. He has taken several men from our village. One of them Marna's husband, Byron. They are… changed… different…"
"Hybrids." Evan added.
"Marne and Inta saw Byron return through the gate while they were out hunting. He did not recognize her. He did not recognize any of us. But Marne followed him. I told her it was not wise, but she went. Her husband…" Turne sighed. "This Michael… he caught her. He offered her a deal for her life. For her life and for Byron's life."
Turne glanced down at the two women, then turned back towards John and Evan. "Lanteans for her husband. If any came to visit, we were to detain you, and contact him using the small device you saw. I agreed to help. I agreed to help only because Michael swore he would not touch anyone else in our village if we went along with his plan."
John glanced at Evan. Plausible. Michael wouldn't be hard pressed to turn a woman against them if it meant getting her husband back. And blackmail wasn't beneath him either. Unfortunately, what Marna didn't realize, was a simple rule of thumb. Michael lied. He had no reason to release Byron, and would most likely kill Marna regardless. And Turne's villagers were in even more danger now than they were before. Michael wasn't going to appreciate finding his lab destroyed and no Atlanteans to claim.
John stared hard at Turne, watching the man's expression as he squirmed, his fingers gripping the bars tightly.
"No one else in the village is part of this?" John asked again.
Turne shook his head violently, his eyes wide.
"Who else knows?" Evan asked.
"Only Inta." Turne sighed softly, glancing down at his sleeping wife. "Although I tried to keep her out of it."
John glanced at Evan, and the Major shrugged. Turne looked like a man who'd just lost his last chance at life. And he very well might have.
John nodded. "What were you supposed to do when Michael arrived?"
Turne looked hopeful. "The device. The device will change color. When it flashes green, we were to take you to the shallows. He said he would meet us there."
"Shallows?" Evan asked, pulling the transmitter out of his pocket. It was still blinking a dull, blood red. He handed it to John.
Turne nodded. "The shallows is a rise in the land. A sacred place for my people. Baren. No plants will grow there. But on a clear day you can easily see all the way to the gate."
"No place to hide." Evan glanced at the Colonel.
"No place to set up an ambush, either." John nodded. He turned towards Evan, the edge of a smirk twisting the corner of his mouth. "Unless…"
"You're invisible?" Evan finished with his own grin, then he narrowed his eyes. "You've got that look again."
"What look?" John feigned innocence.
"That look.
"This look?" John raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Evan nodded. "That look."
"Hey. I like this look." John frowned.
"I don't." Evan shook his head. "It always means twice as much paperwork, a trip to the infirmary, and a really, really long debriefing with Woolsey."
John grinned, and clasped Evan on the shoulder. He turned them around, and moved towards the end of the hallway. "What's your take on fishing, Major?"
"Depends, Colonel." Evan angled his head, falling in beside him. "What kind of fish are we catching?"
"Wraith hybrids."
"And what kind of bait are we using?"
"You." John finished smugly, turning the corner and heading towards the stairs.
"And here I am without my fishing hat." Evan shook his head sadly.
"I'll buy you a new one." John nodded, giving Evan a quick toe-to-head once over. "Maybe it will even match the, ah… new uniform."
Evan looked down at the roughly hewn trousers and dark knitted sweater he wore beneath his TAC vest. "What, you don't like?"
"I'm sure Woolsey will love it." John nodded, taking the stairs two at a time. "It's very urban-chique."
"Chique?" Evan snorted, following John up the stairs. "Coming from you that word just sounds… wrong."
"Why?" John frowned over his shoulder. "I happen to have a very balanced vocabulary."
"Swear words don't count." Evan replied.
John snorted, and moved through the store towards the front. He stopped next to Rodney and Jennifer.
"How is she?" John glanced down.
"Quiet." Rodney looked up, his eyes conveying the worry his words didn't.
John frowned. For Rodney not to want to describe things in detail was a worry in itself. He handed Rodney the transmitter. "See what you can do with this."
Rodney took the transmitter. "Is this…"
"Yup." John nodded.
"Right." Rodney exhaled. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
Edison straightened and moved towards the front door. "They're back."
Teyla entered, followed by an older woman with deeply graying hair. Ronon stepped in last, closing the door behind him.
"This is Shin." Teyla nodded. "The tavern-keeper's wife. She has kindly offered use of her home until our… transportation... arrives."
"Teyla said your friend is very ill." The woman nodded at John, who'd stepped forward. Shin leaned to the side, noting Jennifer's sleeping form on the floor next to Rodney. "Her needs will be better met in a warm bed than a cold floor."
John glanced at Teyla, who nodded.
"Thanks." John turned back to Shin. "We appreciate the help." Then he turned and knelt on the floor beside Jen. God she looked pale. Her skin was waxy and drawn, and her chest barely moved, her breathing was so shallow.
"Doc?" He leaned closer.
No movement.
He reached for her cheek, slipped his fingers in around the back of her neck, and gently tilted her head. "Jennifer?" He tried again.
Jen's eyes fluttered open, the weight of her head resting solely in his hand. She blinked at him, a glassy stare through unseeing eyes.
"We need to move you." He said quietly, wondering if she was even understanding it was him. "Found you a nice, warm bed."
She let out a soft sound, half-smiled, then closed her eyes again.
He lowered her head, and stood, turning to Ronon. "Give Edison your radio."
Ronon stared.
"What?" John made a face. "It's not like you ever use the damn thing."
"Point." Rodney muttered from the floor, his tablet sitting in his lap. He'd plugged the transmitter into his laptop and was scrolling through menu screens.
Ronon shrugged with smirk, then removed his radio, handing it to the Lieutenant.
John stepped up to Edison. "You'll stay with the Doc. We don't want any more… surprises."
"Understood." Edison hooked the com unit over his ear and backed towards the front door.
Ronon stepped forward, knelt, hooked one arm under Jennifer's knees, then slid his other arm slowly beneath her neck. When he stood, the movement barely registered. She didn't utter a sound. Ronon turned towards Edison who was holding the door open. He stepped out after Shin, and was closely followed by the Lieutenant.
Teyla moved to go after them but John stayed her, his hand resting briefly on her upper arm. "As soon as you have her situated I need both of you back here. This is going to go down fast and hard, and we're almost out of time."
"Agreed. We will be quick." Teyla nodded, then hurried after the others.
"Oh… that's not good." Rodney mumbled a moment later.
John and Evan turned towards the scientist, who was making strangled noises in his throat while his fingers frantically tapped his tablet.
"McKay?" John asked.
Rodney held up the transmitter, it's light now blinking a pulsating lime green. "It just started receiving. No trigger, just a conditional color request."
"Can you trace the signal?"
Rodney glanced towards the side window, then back down at the tablet, his index finger sliding across the screen. "Rain's stopped. Weather shouldn't be a factor. If I can just… and then we allow for curvature… factor in atmospheric pressure… and then…" The tablet beeped and Rodney glanced up at the others. "Two point four six kilometers. South, south west."
John took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, looking directly at Evan.
"Showtime."