A Little Disruption

Detention Hall

"I've got it." Rodney had been quiet for so long that when he spoke, his cellmates were startled.

"Got what, McKay?" Ronon got up and went over to the scientist.

"I think I know how to get us out of here. We just have to distract the guards."

Teyla smiled, "Rodney, the guards left in a hurry about ten minutes ago. Did you not hear them?"

"What…no, I didn't, that's good. I just need to get to the lock."

"Dr. McKay, the lock is a combination lock, how are you going to figure out the numbers? There have to be a lot of possible combinations." Isaacs was getting interested, he was getting as antsy as Ronon was to get moving.

"Yes, there are but I have a feeling that these combinations are pretty simple. This is a prison and there will be lots of cells and lots of guards. Well, maybe used to be a lot of cells and a lot of guards; anyway, in order to get into the cells quickly, they aren't going to commit a lot of different numbers to the combinations, they need to be systematic. So, we came up two flights of stairs from the governors office, across that enclosed bridge, and then down a level. Therefore, we should be on level three. I saw a number over the entryway to this wing of cells, that number was 12, now I just have to figure out how many the cells per wing and how they are numbered and I think I can open the door."

Isaacs spoke, "Dr. McKay, there are a total of 20 cells on this wing; we are in cell number eight on this side."

McKay looked surprised, "Good observations, lieutenant. You military types don't miss much, do you?"

"No, sir, we don't; always need to have tactical advantage."

"OK, OK, this might work. Just give me a couple of minutes to figure out what numbers I need to try." Rodney walked to the cell door and then looked back at the others.

"What did you say happened to the guards?"

Isaacs replied, "Another one of the rebels showed up and yelled for them to come with him. We're hoping that perhaps Atlantis might have sent troops; regardless, something is up and they have left us unguarded, locked up, but unguarded."

"Lieutenant, do you know what Major Lorne's plans were when either got your signal or if he did not hear from us?" Teyla had moved to stand next to Rodney.

"Ma'am, he had arranged a signal with Captain Waters that if his team was going to enter the hall, the captain was to contact Atlantis and have Major Teldy bring a rescue team. Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne had planned these contingencies before we left Atlantis."

Ronon asked, "So there should be some reinforcements coming?"

"Hope so, sir. However, we walked into a trap and I am concerned that these rebels have been a step ahead of us all along. I can only hope that the major was able to contact Captain Waters but I am fearful that the major's team may have been compromised."

Ronon grabbed the lieutenant's shoulder, "You've done well, Isaacs; the colonel will be very proud of you."

The lieutenant was embarrassed; praise from Ronon Dex was rare and to include the colonel in that praise was even more embarrassing. Most of the military contingent and probably the entire scientist department were a bit afraid of the big Satendan but they all respected him and were in awe of his prowess. He wondered if Ronon was truly aware of how the Atlantis personnel really felt about him. The lieutenant managed an awkward, "Thank you, sir."

Rodney interrupted by snapping his fingers, "OK, I think I have all the possible combinations figured out, let's try this. Someone keep a lookout, in case anyone comes down the hall."

Teyla and Isaacs took up positions on either side of Rodney but they really couldn't see down the corridor very far. Ronon stood behind the scientist, ready to pull him out of harm's way.

Rodney slipped his hands through the bars and grabbed the lock, twisting it toward him as much as he could; Rodney began to work the combinations. Minutes past as his companions heard various comments as his number sequences failed, then Rodney uttered a cry of success.

"Yes!" The scientist pulled the lock apart and started to push the door open when Isaacs stopped him.

"No, Dr. McKay, let me go first. There could be someone in the corridor we can't see." Isaacs gently moved McKay out of the way.

"Oh, yeah, sure, good thinking, lieutenant," Rodney backed away from the cell door a bit more. Teyla smiled as she heard him say under his breath, "Damn military heroes, always have to protect us, just like Sheppard."

Isaacs cautiously opened the door and looked out into the corridor, seeing that the way was clear, he motioned for the others to follow him.

Farmhouse

Sheppard woke with a start; it took him a few seconds to adjust to the bright light to try and see where he was. He tried to move but he realized that he was tied to a chair and could only move his head. As his vision cleared, he saw there were three men in the room with him and they didn't look very friendly.

"So, you…guys ready to…let me go. I'll…get my buddy and we'll be outta here before…you know it." That comment from Sheppard earned him the first blow; a fist to his jaw so hard that it knocked his chair on its side.

"Pick him up." Mosston told his companions.

Sheppard was groggy as they up righted him and he was having difficulty focusing, not to mention that his jaw hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.

"So, colonel, I understand that our commander, Ferish Bernin is not very fond of you. I actually feel sorry for you because Ferish is not a very nice man and I think he has some really nasty things in store for you once he arrives. He just wants us to give you a little taste of what's to come."

Sheppard knew he was in for it but he was resolved to get through whatever they did to him; he had Woolsey to protect and he didn't know what had happened to his people.

As with Woolsey, the three men took turns hitting him; their blows landing on his face and torso. He tried to keep from making a sound but one blow from Mosston landed directly on a rib; he was pretty certain from the pain that the rib broke from the impact and he couldn't prevent the groan that escaped. He was getting nauseous and remained dizzy but he steeled himself to the punishment.

Finally, they stopped, or Sheppard thought they had; Mosston told Pava to untie him. He dropped to the floor, his limbs slack and his back facing his captors; he didn't like not being able to see where these thugs were so with considerable effort he turned over. Then he wished he hadn't as Pava hit him on the thigh with the wooden rod, Woolsey's baseball bat. He tried to roll away from the blow but the chair blocked him; when Pava raised his arm to hit him again, Sheppard used every ounce of strength he had left to whip his leg out and he was able to take Pava's legs out from under him. He grabbed hold of the chair and pulled himself up, ignoring the burning pain in his side and the intense throbbing pain in his head. On his feet, he took a quick look around the room while his 'friends' regrouped, looking for anything he could use as a weapon.

Pava was on his feet and he was angry. "No wonder Ferish wants you dead, you are some piece of work, thinking you can win against us but it won't happen, colonel. I will rejoice the day Ferish kills you. I could kill you myself, right now."

With effort, Sheppard answered, "Yeah, well, that…would get you in trouble wouldn't it?"

Sheppard had spotted something he might be able to use but somehow he needed to get across the room and there were three thugs in front of him. He quickly reviewed his options and decided that his best bet was to get one of them to throw him in the direction he wanted to go. So he made a move against Mosston and surprised him, they all thought he would go for Pava. Mosston reacted instinctively and grabbed Sheppard and threw him up against the wall, his right leg hitting the wall first, pain rippling up his right side. At least Sheppard thought, he had landed exactly where he had wanted to land; before they got to him, he grabbed the piece of metal he had spotted and shoved into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Mosston grabbed him by his arms and picked him up. "OK, pretty boy, time to pay for your insolence." Sheppard knew what was coming, and as Mosston's fist connected with his cheek, the lights went out.

Detention Hall

With Isaacs in the lead, they made their way down the corridor to the main hallway without encountering any of the rebels. When they reached the opening, Isaacs motioned for them to stop, as he peeked around the corner to see if the hall was clear. Quickly he motioned for them to flatten against the wall; two of the rebels were heading in their direction.

Ronon swiftly moved next to Isaacs and Isaacs flashed a signal that there were two men coming from the left. Teyla had stayed in front of Rodney but he moved around her and blocked her with his body. She hadn't forgotten that Rodney had defended her when Ferish made a threat to her. She realized Rodney was trying to protect her again; she patted him on the shoulder and he reached around to touch her hand. Rodney's confidence had grown so much in the last years and Teyla was very proud of him at that moment; even though she knew she would still have to defend him.

As the two guys reached them, Isaacs and Ronon surprised them. Isaacs took his guy out with a quick right hook and Ronon took his down with a punch in the nose; they pulled the two men out of the main hall.

They relieved the rebels of their weapons and extra ammunition; one was carrying a Genii pistol and the other had pistol of a design they had not seen before as well as a knife. Ronon's comment when he found the knife had them all smiling, the big Satedan uttering, "sweet" was not something they heard everyday from him. One of the rebels was out cold but the other one was beginning to come around; Isaacs motioned for Ronon to keep watch while he interrogated the prisoner.

Isaacs knelt down next to the rebel, "Do you have any more of our people? Isaacs demanded.

The rebel just stared at the lieutenant and Isaacs grabbed him by the throat, "I don't have any problem ending your life right now. If you want to live, you'll tell me what I want to know." Isaacs's dark blue eyes, that Sheppard had called intense, were burning black, giving all indications that he was ready to carry out his threat.

The rebel nodded and Isaacs released his grip on the man's throat. Coughing, the rebel sat up and looked at the lieutenant, "We ambushed your men at the ring and the soldiers you had stationed at the hall."

"Where are they?"

"Here in the detention center."

"What cell?" Isaacs motioned for Dr. McKay.

"Unit 14, cells 3 and 4." As soon as he had finished, Isaacs hit the rebel in the jaw, knocking him out. He looked up at McKay.

"Doctor, open one of those cells while we tie these guys up," Teyla joined the lieutenant to help secure their prisoners while Ronon kept watch. Isaacs ripped one of the rebel's shirts into strips to make gags and to bind their hands and feet. Rodney had the door opened and he and Isaacs dragged the rebels in and locked them in. Isaacs took their weapons and handed one of the guns to Ronon.

"Come on, let's get our people." Isaacs led the way to the detention wing where they hoped they would find the Atlantis personnel.

Farmhouse

Pava and Fracie carried Sheppard partway down the stairs and threw him the rest of the way. This time Woolsey was ready; he had waited near the staircase and was able to grab Sheppard before his head hit the floor again. Woolsey didn't think he could take many more blows to the head and he knew what Sheppard had just been through upstairs.

He managed to get the colonel onto the bags that he had lain across the floor and then covered him up again. Once he had the colonel settled and had checked to make certain his pulse and breathing were steady, Woolsey sat back against a stack of crates and tired to figure how to get them out of this situation. The problem he faced however, was a tactical one not a diplomatic one; words and concepts wouldn't get them out of this, if it could he would feel much more confident. Cunning and knowledge of military tactics was the key to finding a way out of this mess. Woolsey knew that the one who had those skills was lying unconscious next to him on the cellar floor.

Woolsey conceded that he was going to have to wait for the colonel to wake up and tell him what he needed to do. He only hoped the three bad guys didn't come down the stairs for either one of them anytime soon.

Detention Hall

As they approached Unit 14, Isaacs stopped them while he and Ronon checked out the corridor; as soon as they saw it was clear, Ronon motioned for Teyla and Rodney to follow them. Stopping in front of Cell 3, they saw Major Lorne and Captain Waters and some of Lorne's team; Cell 4 held the rest with the exception of Sergeant Dean and Lieutenant Chang.

"Isaacs, good to see you," Lorne walked over to the cell door. "How did you get out?"

"Dr. McKay worked his magic and figured out the combinations." As he said that, McKay started working on the lock, he told Teyla the combination for the other cell and soon they had both doors open.

"Sir, what happened?"

"Let's walk and talk; come on everyone. Isaacs, Ronon; you have the guns, point and rear."

They began moving cautiously, looking for another way out besides the walkway back to the hall. McKay suggested that they find a staircase other than the one they came up and see if they could get to the ground floor without running into the rebels.

Teyla asked Lorne about the two missing Marines, he took a deep breath, "Dean took weapons fire and they forced us to leave her; I don't know if she is alive. Waters sent Chang to hide; he kept moving his team around the gate perimeter; hoping Chang could slip off undetected and find a good hiding place to watch the gate. If Chang was able to get through the gate, Atlantis should be sending help soon. Even if he didn't get to Atlantis, we haven't made our first call-in and I know Teldy, she won't wait long. If Chang is still there, he will be able to give her intel." Lorne took a deep breath and Teyla knew that he was concerned about Dean. "Teyla, the colonel, Woolsey; where are they?"

"They are in the hands of a man called Ferish Bernin, the leader of the so-called rebellion against the coalition. He was once one of Kolya's men, second in command of his renegade unit and was with him the day Colonel Sheppard killed Kolya. I believe that these men came here for just the reason they said, to surmount a rebellion against the coalition but when Ferish discovered that Atlantis was negotiating on behalf of the coalition, he threw those plans away. All he wants now is Colonel Sheppard dead and with Dr. Weir gone, Mr. Woolsey is to die in her place. Where they are right now, we do not know. We believe that they are still alive; Ferish told us that he wanted them to suffer for a long time to avenge all the Genii the colonel has killed."

Lorne was quiet for a few steps, "Teyla, these men are vicious; they won't hesitate to kill…" Isaacs brought them to a halt; motioning for them to backtrack to the nearest side hallway. They hid, Ronon and Isaacs up front. Someone was coming; Isaacs motioned that there was one person approaching. Ronon surprised the man and wrestled him to the floor.

"Ronon, no; let him up, it's Persim," Teyla quickly moved to Persim's side. Ronon helped the assemblyman off the floor as Teyla introduced Persim to Major Loren.

Persim looked at the Atlantian's, "Thank the ancestors, you are free; I was coming to find you and free you myself. There is a small group of Tegerans who have decided not to allow these men to take over our government; but there are not enough of us to take on all of the rebels. We need your assistance to overpower the guards who are holding our families."

Lorne shook his head, "We are more than willing to help you but we are unarmed; that doesn't help the odds of success very much."

"We believe we know where your weapons and other items are being kept; we have sent two of our people to see if they can locate them."

Lorne patted Persim on the back, "That's good. Now tell me about the area where your families are being held and how many of these rebels are guarding them?"

"They are almost 80 people being held in the dining hall in the assembly building; our families, the citizens who were in the hall yesterday and many of the people who work in the Assembly Hall. As far as we can tell, there are ten to twelve rebels guarding them. Please come this way, there is a back staircase we can access; we will join the rest of my people who are hiding in the building across the street." With Persim in the lead, they headed for the staircase.

Persim motioned to Major Lorne who caught up with him, "Major, some of my people were hiding near the front of the hall and were watching when you and your team were captured. One of your people was injured, I just want to let you know, she is alive and safe. My people were able to get to her once the rebels left the area; they took her to the home of one of our healers, who is treating her. The healer sent word that he is confident that she will survive."

Lorne was visibly relieved, "Persim, thank you; we were all very concerned about her."

Teyla smiled at both men, "Major, Persim, I believe we have all found new friends."

Cellar

Woolsey heard the door at the top of the cellar stairs open and his heart began to race; he wasn't sure that he or the still unconscious Sheppard could take more beatings. Pava came down the stairs carrying a pitcher and bread.

"Against his better judgment, Mosston is sending you water and food. He wants to make certain you are still alive when Ferish gets here so the real fun can begin." He dropped the bread on the floor and sat the pitcher down.

"When is Ferish arriving?" Woolsey decided to risk asking even though his speaking might mean another blow but he needed to know how much time they had.

"I shouldn't answer that but I will. Ferish has been delayed by the capture of the rest of the great Atlantians. I hear he is having a quite a lot of fun with, what was her name, Teyla, that's it; she kept him there a bit longer." He laughed as he watched the expression on Woolsey face. "Don't worry, she won't suffer for long." He was still laughing as he went back up the stairs.

As Woolsey watched the cellar door close, he heard a barely audible, raspy voice, "Gonna kill…that son of a…bitch."

"Colonel, thank goodness; you're awake."

"Yeah…are you ok?"

"I am as good as can be expected, colonel. You?"

"Too numb…to tell. Can…you help me…sit up?

Woolsey managed to help the colonel sit up, with his back against a cabinet; even in the dimming light, Sheppard was pale and his face covered in cuts and bruises, his lower lip cut and swollen, dried blood caked along his chin, temple and cheeks.

"You look like hell, colonel."

"You…aren't exactly ready for the cover…of GQ, Mr. Woolsey."

Woolsey laughed softy as he rubbed his swollen jaw, "I don't doubt that and Sheppard, call me Richard, this Mr. Woolsey thing seems a bit out of place here."

"Sure thing…Richard, I'm…John. Did I hear that jackass…say he brought dinner?"

"Yes, a gourmet feast, colonel, uh, John."

Woolsey retrieved the bread and the pitcher of water and for the next few minutes, they ate what they could in silence. Sheppard ate little but drank as much water as he thought safe to do, it was surprisingly cool and seemed to help his head clear a bit.

"John, we need to get out of here. What do you need for me to do?"

Through the swelling, Sheppard managed a crooked smile and reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thin piece of metal. "I have a weapon of sorts...spotted this piece of metal on the…floor upstairs, managed…to get them to throw me…in the wall next to it; they never knew…I picked it up. It's pretty strong and sharp…it can do some damage." Sheppard tried to stretch his legs but his right leg didn't want to work; he pushed himself to straighten it out despite the pain, knowing he was going to have to get his circulation going if he expected to walk.

"Look, Richard, you're…going to have to get dirty on this one. I…don't know how long I…I can last if things get physical. We have to be…ready. Let's hope only…one of those thugs comes down next time; it'll make…things easier."

"What are we going to do, colonel?"

"Escape, Richard, escape."