Soben pointed to a building in the middle of the block. Sheppard squeezed his arm and the young man quietly melted into the shadows. He was to wait far enough away so as not to be accidentally seen but close enough to be useful if needed. Balen had sent him to show the way as he went on duty, a watch that would bring his unit to the area. Nesor's men would probably be jumpy with the weight of what they were doing, but to stop all normal movement might create suspicion.
The building was two stories tall and about sixty feet wide. Dukon said it was a warehouse for milled grains for the bakeries located in nearby streets. As with most of the buildings here, it doubled as a home and business. Sheppard and Ronon recognized it from the stroll they took the afternoon before. The warehouse, and street, had been busy with people coming and going.
To the left, a larger building abutted their target. Two small, two story workshops were on the right with a narrow laneway that led to an alley in the back between the warehouse and the first workshop. A large double door in the middle dominated the ground floor of the façade. There were two shuttered windows on the right side, one on the ground floor and another above it on what must be a second floor. A much smaller double door to a loft above the main one was the only other visible opening. A heavy beam protruded above it, a block and pulley dangling from the end. The door was closed, but not as firmly as it should have been.
The lookouts were well hidden, but Ronon easily spotted the men watching the street. They did not have the finesse necessary to hide from an experienced hunter. Nervousness prevented them from remaining absolutely still. One was behind the loft door. The movement would be missed if one wasn't watching it closely. Two more lookouts huddled on the roof. They were crouched low behind a once-decorative wall along the front of the roof, but shivered in the cold.
Feeble street lamps did little to help the crescent moon trying to peak through the clouds, making it easier to steal closer to the tiny lane between the buildings. Ronon led the way with nearly silent footsteps. They moved as close as they could without being seen and waited. On cue, Balen's unit approached the other end of the block. They stopped in the middle of the intersection and spoke in low tones, but showing little interest in anything in the street.
After several seconds, Ronon nudged Sheppard and the two of them crossed the street and slipped into the lane. They stopped dead when they heard muffled talking from behind the wall on their right. When the speakers continued to talk, Ronon and Sheppard moved on.
The alley was not really an alley. It was only a space between the buildings. There was no way into the gap from the street except for the lane Sheppard and Ronon used. Even with eyesight well adapted to the darkness, it was almost impossible to see anything. Only vague shapes were visible.
Two men were guarding the solitary entrance on back of the building, an oversized door closer to the far end from the lane. Well, guarding was not really the right word for it. They were not intent on watching for intruders. Instead, they whispered to each other and kept moving in an effort to stay warm.
As Sheppard and Ronon watched and listened, the door opened. A man emerged, hissed a quick admonition for the guards to be quiet then stepped back inside. The dim light that shone from within confirmed that only two men were outside.
After waiting for another full minute, Sheppard tapped Ronon on the shoulder. The Satedan moved like a large, hungry cat stalking its dinner. He grabbed one around the mouth from behind as he hit the other. Sheppard barely had time to catch the unconscious man before Ronon knocked out the second. They soundlessly lowered both to the ground in the deep shadow.
They pressed against the door and listened for movement on the other side. On hearing nothing, Sheppard opened it quietly and checked inside. There was barely enough light to see a large open space that took up most of the interior before him. He could not see or hear anyone, so they stole inside and pulled the door to behind them.
The light came from a doorway set about fifteen feet from the back wall on the left. Just the other side of the door, a narrow set of open stairs climbed to a loft above. Another door was visible at the top of the stairs. The layout, at least what they could see of it, was just as Belan and Soben described. They knew early that morning Teyla had been on the ground floor and Elizabeth on the top. They hoped it was still true.
Voices filtered through the wall as they waited and listened for any sign that their presence had been detected. They could not see the man guarding the loft door. The loft was deep enough that he would have needed to walk back a dozen feet to see them. Piles of grain sacks also blocked the line of sight to the door. When they were satisfied, Sheppard climbed the stairs as Ronon waited at the lower door.
Sheppard stopped and quickly peeked in then looked back down at Ronon. There was just enough light for them to see each other. Sheppard signaled and they turned to enter at the same time. The hall was short and ended in another that ran parallel to the side of the building. A lantern at the junction, containing a thick candle, hung from the ceiling and provided the faint light he had seen from outside.
"Who are you?"
Sheppard heard a deep male voice that wasn't Ronon then a loud thud. The whole building seemed to shake. It was soon followed by the sound of the Satedan's weapon firing. He swore under his breath as he hurried through the door. Footsteps pounded behind him. He turned in time to see a figure approaching the door from the direction of the loft. The guard was coming his way fast. He pulled the trigger on the Wraith stunner and the figure collapsed in the doorway.
Ronon's gun cut off another shout and he heard several thuds as bodies were slammed into walls or fell on the floor. Sheppard swiftly checked around the corner of the short hallway as the chaos erupted below him. A large, burly man hurried out of a room at the far end of the hall and headed straight for him. Sheppard saw him bring up one of the compact crossbows carried by the constables. He fired as the man pulled the trigger. He felt the bolt brush past his leg.
Momentum propelled the man to within a few feet of the Colonel, but he finally fell, unconscious. Sheppard quickly checked behind him, straining for sounds of movement on this level. Instead, he heard running across the roof. The lookouts.
The single minute it took to find Elizabeth felt like both an instant and an hour. Sheppard checked the first room only to find it empty. He tried the next door. It was locked by a sliding bolt on the outside. He slid the bolt back and pushed the door open, the stunner ready. In the light of another candle, he could see a portly, middle-aged man dressed in crumpled finery cowering in the corner.
"Please. Please, don't hurt me!"
Sheppard glanced up and down the hallway then looked back at the frightened man. "Who are you?"
"Muh…muh…Minister Hodda. Who…who are you?"
"Damn." Sheppard mumbled. He had almost forgotten about the two Caldean hostages. He spoke softly. "Stay here and stay down. Do not open the door."
Hodda nodded convulsively and ducked behind the bed. Sheppard pulled the door closed again.
He quickly glanced up and down the hall. The third door was unlocked so he carefully opened it. The dark interior seemed to be a storeroom piled with cloth sacks full of something. He vaguely wondered if it was flour. The sounds of the melee below him suddenly stopped, leaving only the pounding of footsteps on the loft floor. They were headed in his direction. He stepped back into the room.
"What's going on? Nesor? Selan?" A man's voice whispered nervously. The running suddenly stopped as the two men found their fallen comrade. They spoke excitedly for several seconds then the floorboards creaked, indicating the men were moving again. The same voice whispered nervously. "Nesor?"
Sheppard leaned out of the door and fired. One of the men was hit in the chest and silently fell in a heap. The other man froze, looking at his friend. The Colonel fired again, and he fell, too.
"Drop it." The voice was flat, toneless.
Sheppard slowly turned, more than a few choice expletives in three languages going through his head. The last door was open. Elizabeth and a young man stood in the doorway. The man nudged her as he took a step back. She moved out of the door, leaving only his hands and forearms visible.
"Stop."
She stopped, but had moved just far enough to show the crossbow he held at her back. Sheppard could see she was pale and shivering.
"Elizabeth?"
"I said drop it. Drop your weapon." The man raised his weapon a fraction of an inch. "I have nothing to lose. I will kill her."
Sheppard let the stunner fall and kicked it a few feet away.
"Who are you?" The man stepped fully into the doorway, allowing Sheppard to see him. He was just an average looking man, still young in body. There was something haunted in his eyes, though, that was discernable even in the candle light. He knew this was Nesor. Dukon's description of him was accurate.
"Sheppard." He raised his hands slightly. His eyes did not waiver from the man's face, but he could see her. "Elizabeth? Are you okay?"
She nodded as her eyes closed slowly and opened.
"We have to stop meeting like this." Sheppard's eyes did not move from her captor. "Are you Nesor?"
"Yes. What are you doing here? Janen left instructions that the hostages would die if anyone came looking for them."
"I've just come to fetch our people. I don't want any trouble with you."
"It's too late for that now. Leave now, or you will be taking a dead body back with you."
Sheppard didn't move. "Look, we can help you and your people."
Nesor snorted derisively. "Yeah, I'm sure you can."
"We will help your people, Nesor." Elizabeth spoke for the first time.
Sheppard saw hesitation in his eyes for an all too brief moment. It disappeared and a harder edge than before emerged. He shook his head.
"No. You cannot help me. It's too late."
They realized that Nesor could not be reasoned with.
----------
The muffled noise of the assault woke Teyla from a restless sleep. She sat up and went to the door, pressing her ear against it to listen. She heard the distinctive sound of Ronon's weapon and began to pound on the door.
"Help! In here!" She listened intently then pounded again. "Ronon! John! In here!"
Teyla heard Ronon's weapon fire twice, and pounded again. She heard Ronon's deep voice say her name.
"Here! I'm in here!"
"Stand back."
She jumped away from the door a split second before he kicked it open. Ronon stood alone in the doorway.
"Are you okay?" He looked her up and down as the dim light from the hallway spilled into her prison.
"Yes, yes. I am unharmed, but I believe that I have been drugged." She was a little wobbly as she hurried through the door. "Where are Elizabeth and the others? I was told she is also here, but the rest were allowed to leave."
"Upstairs. Sheppard's looking for her. Rollins and his team came back right after you were taken." Ronon produced a small pistol and handed it to her. He then guided her along the same hall that she had seen on the few trips out of the room. "Come on."
----------
"If you kill her, what are you going to bargain with?" Sheppard asked, trying to buy time.
"I won't kill her with the first shot." Nesor shifted the aim of his weapon a few inches. It was now pointing at her shoulder.
"I thought you wanted to free your people. How is this going to help?"
"You should ask the landowners about that. They are responsible for the situation." Her eyes widened in fear as he grabbed her shoulder. "They know what they have to do."
"Wait!" Sheppard held his left hand out. "We…"
"Get out. Now!" Nesor raised voice was tinged with anger. He went from dead calm to agitated in an instant.
"Okay, okay." He took a small step away, looking at her with an unreadable expression. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. We'll figure this out."
"Please hurry." She said as Nesor began to pull her back.
He kept his gaze on Nesor as he began to turn away. "Just remember Kolya."
She frowned at him then caught her breath in understanding.
"Sheppard!" Ronon shouted from below. Nesor looked down the hall, his face turning into a hate filled snarl.
The Colonel pulled the pistol from his pocket. His eyes flicked from Nesor's face to Elizabeth and he pointed to the floor. She jerked out of her captor's grasp and ducked. Sheppard brought his weapon up and fired.
Nesor's finger jerked the trigger on the crossbow as he was hit. The bolt hit the wall harmlessly.
"Elizabeth!" Sheppard jumped forward as she straightened.
"I'm okay. I'm okay." She leaned against the wall for support.
"I'm serious, you know. We have to stop meeting like this." Sheppard picked up the stunner and moved toward her.
She smiled and nodded. "Who is he? What happened? Where is Janen?"
"I'll explain later. We have to get out of here." He blocked her view when she turned to look at Nesor. The caliber of the pistol was small, but Sheppard shot to kill and the bullet had done its job.
"Sheppard!" Ronon called softly from the stairs outside.
"We're coming." He replied as he helped Elizabeth step over the unconscious men littering the hall. She was shivering almost uncontrollably. He stopped at the top of the stairs. "Look around for the radios. Wait, wait. You got one of the ministers locked up down there?"
"Yeah."
"Leave him there."
Ronon nodded. He and Teyla disappeared through the door. Sheppard took off his coat and helped Elizabeth into it then handed her the pistol. "Wait here while I look around. Okay?"
She looked wide-eyed at the pistol then at him. "Elizabeth, just wait here a minute. Let me know if that door opens. Okay?"
Suddenly seeming to find herself, she nodded. "Yes, of course."
Sheppard quickly went from room to room, leaving the minister until last. He opened the door and looked inside.
"Minister?"
He heard a whimper from behind the bed and went inside. "Stay down. We think there may be more of them. Someone will come back for you. Understand?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Hodda tried to flatten himself against the floor even more as Sheppard quickly scanned the room. He knew the equipment wouldn't be there, but had to check. After glancing at the minister one more time, he backed out of the room and closed the door again.
Elizabeth and Sheppard reached the bottom of the stairs just as Teyla and Ronon emerged from their search. Teyla shook her head in answer to Sheppard's silent question. They saw the door opening slowly. Ronon and Sheppard raised their weapons, ready to fire.
"Wait, it's Soben." The young man pushed the door wider and stepped in. He was followed by three more men. "You must hurry.'
"What about these guys?" Ronon jerked his head towards the hallway where two unconscious bodies could be seen.
"Are they dead?"
Sheppard replied quickly. "No. Don't worry, they're just stunned. They'll come around in a little while. Oh, by the way, Hodda is upstairs and Dessan in there. They're alive, too."
"We know what to do." Soben looked around. "Janen has been found. Ancestors be praised, he is alive. Others are coming to help now."
Sheppard leaned close to the young man. "I'm sorry. Nesor's dead."
He thought for a moment then nodded. "I understand. You know the way to Rolth's? Please, be careful. Nathal and his men will be back in town soon."
"Do you know where the radios are?" Sheppard asked the young man. On seeing his confusion, he held up his fingers to indicate the size. "They're about this big, black and have buttons on them. If you see them, or anything else that might be ours, bring them."
Soben nodded. "I will, I promise."
---------
Twenty minutes later, Dukon opened the door to let them in. He smiled hesitantly and held his arm out to the fire, which was well fueled and roaring. "Please come in! Warm yourselves. We did not think you would return so quickly. Verna."
"Yes, Father." The girl curtsied several times then disappeared into the kitchen. She was both excited and flustered at their return with the two women.
"Dukon, this is Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Teyla Emmagan. Ladies, this is Dukon, and that was his daughter, Verna. We've been staying here." Sheppard introduced them. They smiled and nodded. The innkeeper bowed.
"Please, you must be cold. Warm yourselves. Verna is bringing hot food and drink for you." He held his hand out to the fire again.
Elizabeth and Teyla gratefully headed for the fireplace and stood as close as possible to the flames. Neither thought they would be warm again. Teyla removed her coat to allow the fire to heat her body quickly.
Sheppard rubbed cold hands together as he watched them. The anger was still there. It was slowly dissipating, but it was still deep inside him. He glanced at Ronon, who had taken to watching at the window again. There was just enough light in the room to reveal the Satedan also harbored the same anger.
Dukon looked from one to the other. He spoke softly. "Nesor?"
Sheppard frowned and shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't have a choice. Everyone else is alright."
The innkeeper's reaction mirrored Soben's. He thought for a moment then nodded. "He is at peace. I am sorry. What will you do now?"
Elizabeth and Teyla turned at the question.
"Well, some friends of ours should be here in a few hours." Sheppard smiled at them. "Unless we can find their radios, we'll need to wait for them."
"Did you not bring a radio?" Teyla asked, disbelief in her voice.
"We don't have radios or IDCs." Ronon said from the window, looking pointedly at the Colonel."
"How did you expect to get back through the Gate?" Elizabeth stared, incredulous that they would come without the equipment. Something caught her eye. "John, you're bleeding!"
"Yeah, I know. The bolt from that's guy's crossbow nicked me." He looked down at his leg and frowned. It was beginning to hurt.
"Do you have any bandages?" Elizabeth asked Dukon. He nodded and went behind the bar. "John, come and sit down."
"Look, it's just a nick. Honest." He protested as they pulled him to a chair in front of the fire.
Teyla ripped open the trouser leg. The bolt had skimmed the side of his leg about mid-thigh, leaving a nasty cut which was bleeding freely. "It is not very bad, but it is more than a nick, John."
Dukon returned with a small box. It contained a couple of rolls of clean cloth and two small bottles. He pulled one bottle out and handed it to her. "This one will prevent infection."
Sheppard grimaced. "It stings, doesn't it?"
The innkeeper chuckled. "Yes, how did you know?"
"They always do." He inhaled sharply and his eyes began to water when Teyla dribbled some of the clear liquid across the cut. She slapped his hand as he tried to grab the bandage from her. She wrapped it around the leg and secured it with a snug knot.
"That should take care of it until Dr. Beckett can look at it. You may need stitches." Teyla smiled warmly then stood up and gave the box to Dukon. She turned to Elizabeth. "John should stay off of his leg. Walking around would cause further bleeding."
"Well, then walking to the Gate is out of the question." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him and frowned. "Is the Daedalus coming?"
"Should be here in six or seven hours."
"We think." Ronon threw over his shoulder.
"You're not sure?"
Sheppard glared at Ronon. "Well, we didn't get a chance to talk to Col. Caldwell before we left, but Rodney was going to let him know what was going on."
"Why didn't you bring a radio or IDC?" Elizabeth sat down. The events of the last few days were catching up to her. She felt…brittle, and now she was taking it out on him. "Some rescue."
"Look, we weren't sure what we were going to find here. The note said they would kill you both if there was any hint of a rescue attempt. We couldn't risk anything being found on us that could be connected with you." Sheppard's tone was a little defensive, but kept it even. "Look, the Daedalus couldn't get here before the deadline. They'll find us with the subQ transmitters. They can beam us to the Gate and we'll be home five minutes after they get here."
Verna came back with two jugs of hot Caldean tea and several mugs. She set them down on a table near the fire then returned to the kitchen. A few seconds later, she returned with a large pot, bowls and spoons on a tray. When no-one moved, she began to serve a thick soup, passing bowls and spoons to Elizabeth and Teyla first.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Dukon opened it to Balen. The constable smiled and pulled two radios and IDCs from his coat.
"Are these what you need?"
----------
Sheppard stopped in the doorway to Elizabeth's office. He was surprised when Beckett told him she had been released from the infirmary less 24 hours after their return to Atlantis. The doctor said the drug that had been administered to her and Teyla was quite mild and would have no lasting effects. Apart from that and the possibility of catching cold from spending three days locked up in a frigid room, they were physically fine. Sheppard pressed him further and Beckett said that he had referred both of them to Kate Heightmeyer.
"Elizabeth." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, John, please sit down. Col. Caldwell is reporting from Caldea."
The Daedalus was still in orbit around the planet. She was backing up two negotiators, one from her own crew and one from Atlantis.
"Colonel." Sheppard said in the direction of the subspace radio transceiver as he limped to one of the chairs opposite her desk. She winced as she watched him carefully lower himself onto the seat.
"Colonel." The familiar voice replied. "How are you doing?'
"Uh, fine, Sir. Thank you." Sheppard frowned. "You wanted to talk to me?"
They heard Caldwell clear his throat. "Not me, Colonel. Other than the fact that I think what you did was highly dangerous and you were lucky to get away with it, I have nothing to say."
"Yes, Sir."
"How are things going there, Colonel?" Elizabeth quickly changed the subject.
"It's a little tense, but I think we'll get a decision by tomorrow. I think the landowners have seen the writing on the wall, so to speak."
"That's good to hear." Elizabeth smiled, but Sheppard could see she was still shaky. She took a deep breath. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I think everything is on track, thank you. I'll let you know when we have any news. Caldwell out."
She looked at Sheppard. "Are you okay?"
He waved off the concern. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little sore. How are you?"
"Oh, fine, thank you." She looked down at her hands.
He grew concerned. "What's wrong? You didn't need me here to talk to Caldwell. What is it?"
She shook her head once then looked up at him, a hesitant smile on her face. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" That was unexpected. "What for?"
"Last night. You and Ronon. You saved our lives and I repaid you by getting all…"
"What? Snarky?" Sheppard grinned at her then held up a hand. "Don't. You'd been through a lot."
"So had Teyla." She protested.
"Teyla's been on plenty of missions. She's used to dangerous field work, Elizabeth. You aren't." He exhaled heavily. "Look, you were cold and had been drugged for three days. Give yourself a break."
She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling then closed them for a moment. When she opened them again, she looked at the man sitting across from her. "John, just let me apologize, and let me thank you for coming to rescue us."
He nodded. "Apology accepted. And, you're welcome."
Elizabeth smiled again and it seemed that a little of the stress had melted away. She stood up.
"Now, can I buy you a cup of coffee?"
The End