TWELVE
A loud explosion shook the walls raining dust and rock particles onto their heads and shoulders.
"Cavalry's here." John called over his shoulder. "I told Lorne to give us fifteen minutes before creating a distraction."
"Distraction?" Rodney stared with a worried frown at the dust shaking from the ceiling. "What'd you do? Tell him to cave the mountain in on us?"
Entering the dining area Jen screeched when a huge chunk of rock exploded above her head. Rodney shoved her behind a table and crawled along with her as they moved on their hands and knees following the length of the table. Chunks of dishes and food flew into the air and rained down around them. Jen wasn't sure who made more noise – her or Rodney.
Ronon dove and fired, blasting away a huge pile of dishes on the far side of the room.
Jen scrambled forward, keeping her head down, wincing every time she had to move her left arm. When her shoulder's smacked into something hard she cried out and looked up.
Mr. WWF.
Oh damn.
Clamping his hands about their throats he yanked her to her feet with one hand, and Rodney up with the other. Jen felt the pressure increasing around her neck as she kicked and struggled.
"Help?" She heard Rodney wheeze.
More plates exploding around them.
Suddenly WWF stiffened, his eyes wide, his hands releasing them. Jen landed hard on her backside and Rodney tumbled to the ground beside her. The big man staggered forward and started to topple. They scrambled madly out of his way, barely avoiding being crushed underneath as he fell to the ground.
Looking up Jen saw Ronon standing directly behind the man, his gun still pointing to where the wrestler had just been standing.
"Nice." Rodney muttered, rubbing his throat.
"If you're done playing can we go home now?" John yelled from the opposite side of the room.
Ronon held out his hand to Jen. She accepted and he pulled her up off the floor, then turned towards Sheppard.
Rodney held out his hand but it went ignored. "Yes, thank you, I'm fine." He mumbled as climbed to his feet.
Jen gave him a one arm hug.
Following Ronon they eventually found themselves in a large cavern, the front opening up into the bright morning sunlight. Jen abruptly shielded her eyes against the glare and stumbled forward, but Rodney caught her before she fell.
As Ronon expected, the farmers weren't up for a real firefight and were running for their lives. They hadn't even bothered to take their guns.
Huge boxes in front of the mouth of the cave were engulfed in flame, which Jen assumed was the work of Major Lorne. Through the black, acrid smoke she caught glimpses of the farmers retreating across the clearing, scrambling madly into the woods in their attempt to escape.
Ronon and John edged forward, keeping their backs towards the cave wall while they made their way to the entrance. They hadn't met any resistance since they'd left the cell - no sign of the remaining soldiers or their leader - only farmers making a mad dash for freedom.
John motioned for Ronon to wait while he stepped towards the mouth of the cave in search of the jumper.
Jen briefly wondered what happened to Burnon and his other flunkies. They hadn't been in the tunnels, and they weren't here. Had they fled? Were they hiding?
With a sudden prickling on the back of her neck she turned and watched in horror as two soldiers stepped out of the shadows behind them. Crying out a warning she crashed into Rodney as the bullets flew. Her hands covered her ears as she dropped to the ground. Ronon dove to the side, shooting, at the same time as Sheppard spun and returned fire.
Silence filled the cavern as the echoes died, leaving only a sharp ringing in her ears. Pain burned through her lower back as she staggered to her feet, clutching Rodney's arm while he clutched hers.
"Okay are we done now?" Rodney muttered, his eyes darting around, searching the shadows.
"Not quite yet." A voice hissed behind Jen.
With a gasp she stumbled as she was pulled roughly against Burnon. She cried out when he bent her injured arm painfully behind her back. She reached up and grabbed his wrist but he was too strong. She couldn't move his hand away.
"Drop it or she dies." Burnon ordered, pushing her forward and stepping out of the shadows. Jen flinched away from the sharp point of the large silver blade he held against the side of her throat. Her eyes locked on Ronon's and wouldn't let go.
Rodney dropped his P90 without hesitation, and stepped back.
John lowered his gun, but didn't immediately drop it. "You don't want to do that." He advised.
Ronon didn't move. His gun remained trained on her captor. Jen knew he was a good shot, but Burnon was standing directly behind her, using her as a shield. If he moved his knife even a little, he'd puncture her jugular and she'd be dead before she hit the ground.
"Let her go." Ronon growled, his body steady, his eyes locked on his target. He couldn't look at Jennifer, couldn't let himself get distracted. He only needed an opening. A fraction of space.
Burnon just laughed and walked forward, pushing Jen along. "Oh I don't know. Seems to me I have something you want, and you're blocking my exit." He dug the edge of the knife against Jen's throat and she hissed when the sharp point scratched her skin.
Ronon exhaled, watching the tiny rivulet of blood drip down her neck and onto the collar of her jacket.
The man was going to die for that.
Jen tried to ignore the burning pain shooting along her shoulder and down through her lower back as she concentrated on Ronon. She knew what he wanted. What he was going to do. But she needed to give him an opening. She needed to tell him she understood.
Burnon held the knife across the front of her neck. She couldn't move forward, couldn't move to the side. That left back.
So she did the only thing she could think of.
She closed eyes and slammed her head back.
The back of her skull cracked sharply against Burnon's nose and he cried out, momentarily distracted.
With a sudden sharp blast, it was over. Burnon's body dropped away from hers and the knife clattered harmlessly to the cave floor.
Her knees buckled but Ronon grabbed her arms and held her upright.
"Hey, Doc." He said quietly. His voice sent a tiny trickle of electricity down her spine.
Jen smiled up, the world looking oddly bright. "Hey yourself."
"Jumper's here." Sheppard called out.
She turned towards John but his voice sounded oddly far away. She must have been underground too long, her eyes weren't adjusting to the sunlight very well. Everything seemed so… white.
"Is that blood?" McKay's voice sounded, a whisper against the silence that was filling her ears.
"Hmm?" She heard herself answer.
With a rush of blinding light she pitched forward.
Ronon caught her before she hit the ground, his fingers sliding through a warm, wet patch along her lower back. He pulled back and stared with growing horror at the thick layer of blood coating his hand.
Dropping her onto her side he yanked up the edge of her jacket and sucked in a lungful of air. Her lower back was covered in blood.
She'd been shot.
He barely registered Sheppard issuing orders to Lorne.
With a curse Ronon scooped her up and ran into the jumper. Dropping to his knees in the cargo area he cradled her head between his hands while one of the Marine's worked to stem the bleeding.
"How bad is it?" He growled at McKay who was kneeling beside the Marine.
"I'm a scientist, not a doctor!" Rodney looked up, his face reflecting worry. "There's a lot of blood."
"Faster!" Ronon shouted at Sheppard, who was maneuvering the jumper over the trees towards the gate.
"Dialing Atlantis." Sheppard's voice was tense. "Damn it!" He cursed. "It's not working."
"What's not working?"
"The gate! It's unresponsive! Rodney!"
Rodney looked up. "What? I didn't do anything!"
"Fix it!" Ronon growled.
John landed the jumper and McKay rushed out, running towards the DHD. He tried to manually dial the gate but nothing happened.
Sheppard rushed up behind him. "What is it?"
"I don't know, I don't know!" Rodney mashed the keys. Dropping to his knees he activated a panel along the bottom of the unit and a small drawer slid out.
"They're gone."
"What's gone?" Sheppard looked frantically back towards the open ramp of the jumper.
"The crystals. They're all gone." Then Rodney hopped up, snapping his fingers. "The crystal!"
"Yes, yes, I heard you. They're missing."
"Yes! No! Come on!" He ran back to the jumper, followed by John.
"Go, go!" He waved his hand at John while he dug madly through his pockets. "Where is it, where is it?" He mumbled.
"Go where?" John yelled.
"The other gate!" Rodney yelled back, running into the back of the jumper followed immediately by John.
"It doesn't work, McKay!" John paused for a quick look at Jennifer's prone form before moving to the front of the jumper.
"Argh!" Rodney dug through his pockets. "Where is it, where is it?"
"Where's what?" Ronon growled.
"The control crystal for the cloaked gate!"
"You have it?" John called back.
"Jen handed it to me back in the cave." Rodney muttered against his chest while he checked each pocket.
"Cloaked gate?" Lorne echoed from the front seat next to Sheppard. "What cloaked gate?"
"She did?" John frowned, sending the jumper quickly over the trees towards the top of the hillside. "When?"
"In the cell. You know, when she hugged me. Aha!" He held it up and wiggled it. "Voila."
John landed in the clearing by the ruins, and Rodney dashed out, the crystal clutched tightly in his hands. The minute he inserted it and dialed Atlantis, the second gate shimmered out of nothingness.
"Cool." Lorne nodded.
Ronon was vaguely aware of Sheppard's voice ordering a medical team to meet them in the jumper bay. His eyes, and mind, were locked solely on the woman lying on the floor, who's all too pale face he cradled gently between his hands.