Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty4
It was a dark, wet planet. A mist was hovering on the air, not quite rain but enough to seep into clothing and shine on skin. Mud proliferated. A dark sky brooded above dark trees and the darker ruins of the village. It was a filthy, wretched place, cold and unwelcoming.
"You really think he'll come?" asked a stout man. His gaze roved over the three women bound at the wrists as they were kneeling on the ground. Mud slicked their Atlantis uniforms, stained their skin and mixed with their blood, colored their bruises. Where their clothing was torn he could catch glimpses of pale flesh, and he smiled.
"Yes. He'll come." Aiden Ford smiled. He stalked around the three women like a cat deciding which mouse to choose, although these women had been far from docile. It had taken several hits and kicks to subdue them. One had been killed, an unfortunate mistake. "You!" He approached and lifted one of the women's faces to his. "You knew what that giant pig was."
Moira met his gaze, fascinated despite the desperate situation as she noted his one solid black eye. "Enteledont," she corrected around a cut lip and bruised cheek.
"Let's go!" Aiden grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. He withdrew a knife and sliced through the bonds on her wrists. He gestured towards her with the knife, touching her cheek. "Try anything, anything at all and I will cut you."
"I'll need my kit," Moira said, gesturing to where her backpack was.
One of the men lifted it, inspected it. Finding no weapons he tossed it to her. Moira caught it and slung it over her shoulder.
"Stop! Where are you taking her?" Sybil Beckner demanded, struggling against her bonds. She eyed her P90 but it was in the hands of one of their male captors.
"You can identify things, right?" Aiden asked.
"Yes. I am a biologist," Moira concurred, ignoring Sybil as she shook her head. "I can use the scanner in here to record it and help with analysis," she explained, all the while pushing a fallen handgun with her foot towards the other two women as she spoke. "It will help with species identification."
"Even with an alien?"
"You mean a Wraith?"
"No! I know what a Wraith is!" he flared in fury. "We feast on the Wraith! I mean an alien! A real alien like nothing I have ever seen! It didn't come through the 'Gate but from the sky! Let's go!"
"You mean in a spaceship?" Moira asked. She glanced up at the dark sky.
"Wait!" Alison Porter demanded, struggling to her knees. "We should all go. Safety in numbers," she explained. "The Wraith are out there! And if there is something else we need to work together to—" A slap across the face cut off her words.
"No!" Sybil protested but was forced to her knees by one of the men. Alison rubbed her raw cheek as she knelt in the mud. She caught sight of the handgun and looked up to see Moira's slight nod.
"I'll go, I'll go," Moira assured, pushing the gun just a little closer to the women and hoping that the filth and grime would conceal it from the men.
"Guard them," Aiden ordered. "Play if you must but remember that they are the bait. Take the Atlantis people hostage, wound them if you must but leave Sheppard to me. Let's go!" He grabbed Moira's arm and hauled her into the forest.
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John raised his fist. Everyone froze. Producing a pair of binoculars he scanned the broken buildings ahead of them. He could make out figures, but they were indistinguishable in the gloom. They were shadowy blurs and wavering in the mist. He lowered the binoculars, slid them into his TAC vest.
Faint voices reached his ears, carried on the cold, damp breeze. Male. Female. The words could not be discerned. A cry of pain made Carson start forward but Rodney caught his arm, detaining him.
John gestured. Evan and his team of marines melted into the shadows, fanning out to either side of John's team. John nodded, gestured again, his hand slicing across the cold, wet air. P90 lights were doused and darkened.
John led his team stealthily towards the ruins.
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Sybil waited until the men were all watching Aiden. She knew without his restraining commands anything could happen. With a nod at Alison both women moved to their feet and lashed out with vicious kicks. Two men went down, groaning in pain and surprise. A fist pummeled Sybil but Alison dove, grabbed for the dropped gun and fired.
The shot went wide and Alison fell backwards into the mud. It bought Sybil time. She jumped to her feet, fists flying as she spun, hit, kicked, spun, hit, kicked. She snatched a knife and whirled, fully intending to eviscerate but froze as a man had a gun to Alison's throat. He was grinning.
"Nice try, girlie, but I win this round. Drop it!"
Sybil dropped the knife to the ground as two men headed for her, also grinning.
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"Now."
At John's quiet order gunfire erupted. The two women fell to the ground, cowering as a barrage of bullets flew towards their captives. The men dove for cover, returning fire. Bullets whined across the cold, wet air, slamming into trees, into rubble, into bodies. It was a short battle as the two Atlantis teams converged and effectively cornered their prey, cutting them down in the crossfire.
"Alison!"
Carson ran ahead to the dark-haired woman even before the shooting had ended. He hugged her, helping her to her feet and untying her bonds. He gasped at her bruised face, blue eyes filling with concern. Evan moved to Sybil and untied her wrists as the marines quickly circled the perimeter and stood guard. Rodney looked round, scanner in the air as Ronon hefted his big gun and stepped over the dead bodies.
"I count six," the Satedan stated.
"Is that all, Beckner? Beckner, is that all?" John asked, looking round as Teyla moved to gather the fallen weapons.
"No, sir," she said, jaw swelling. "There were three more."
"Where's Ford?"
"Gone, sir. He took, he took O'Meara to see some alien, through the trees." She pointed, grimaced as pain laced her arm. "Gardener's dead, sir." Sybil reported. Sorrow and anger crossed her bruised face.
"Crap. Lorne, Winters, get them to the Jumpers and collect Gardener on the way." His gaze raked the trees as a sense of relief then anger swept through him. His grip on his P90 tightened.
"Colonel, no! There are Wraith here! We need to leave!" Alison warned, clinging to Carson as her head began to swim.
"I have not sensed any," Teyla countered, gaze narrowing in concentration.
"They scattered under Ford's team, sir. These men…they were incredibly fast and strong, but they seemed…odd, somehow…they would lose focus sometimes," Sybil informed. "We stumbled into a firefight between them and the Wraith and the Wraith were losing, sir, the Wraith were losing and then when those men saw we were from Atlantis they charged us and took out Major Teldy, then sent her to you. Those men knew about Atlantis, sir. They knew about us, about you. You, sir."
"The one called Ford knew all about the city and you, Colonel Sheppard. You," Alison endorsed.
"Those men were uncontrollable at times," Sybil added. Her words were awkward as she tried to talk and not spit blood. She touched her swelling jaw as evidence.
"The altered enzyme," John noted. "Lorne, my orders stand. Do not dial the 'Gate. Do not return to Atlantis yet."
"Sir?" Evan asked in surprise.
"I don't want any Wraith hitchhikers. Ronon, take Reynolds and Johnson and do a sweep of the area. Round up any stragglers and eliminate them, then meet up at the Jumpers." He met each man's gaze, and saw they understood exactly what he meant. "Teyla, go with Lorne. You too, Carson," he added, although he knew the doctor would not be parted from the injured.
Teyla frowned. "Colonel, I am perfectly capable of-"
"Sensing the Wraith and thus you can give us ample warning," John finished for her. "Rodney?"
"What? I can't sense the Wraith. Oh!" He eyed his scanner. "Energy traces all over the board, but I can't make heads or tails of it." He frowned. "There's something big, though…it's cloaked but the energy displacement is large." He gulped, looking up but only darkness met his gaze.
Darkness and the absence of stars.
"Go with Teyla."
"And you? Oh come on! John! You are going after Ford alone? Seriously?"
"Yes. I can move quicker alone. Rodney, go with them. Radio me if you detect anything unusual. Lorne, if you don't hear from me in twenty minutes dial Atlantis and get our people to safety if the way is clear. That is a direct order. Your priority is to get our people to safety."
"I'm coming with you, John! Ford's a Looney tune!"
"I know to deal with him," John assured.
"Really? That didn't work out too well the last time! John!" Rodney shouted, but it was in vain.
John was gone, sprinting into the woods and melting into the darkness and dampness.
"Should we follow?" Ronon asked, scowling.
"No. You heard his orders." Evan raised his hand before Teyla could protest. "After we get Beckner and Porter secure we will follow," Evan assured. "The colonel's right. We need to get our people to safety. All of them."
Ronon smiled.