Title: The Exchange

Date: 23rd July 2007
Author: Kazavid
Chapter:
7/10
Rating:
M
Pairing:
John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)
Archiving:
None
Warnings:
(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture)
Spoilers:
Irresponsible
Feedback:
Yes
Disclaimer:
Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me.
Summary:
After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 7

As soon as they brought Sheppard through the Gate, Beckett was at his side, and quickly got him to the infirmary.

"Carson, keep me informed as to how he is." Weir told him.

"As soon as I know the extent of his injuries, I'll let you know." he told her.

When Beckett had left the Gate room, Weir turned to look at Major Lorne and Ronon.

"I'm assuming Colonel Sheppard was alone?" she said.

"Yes, but I left the rest of my team there, to check out the area. Just to make sure no one else is around." Lorne told her.

"Fine. Did Colonel Sheppard, manage tell you anything?" she wanted to know.

"Ronon kept asking him how he got there, but he couldn't tell us. He was pretty much out of it." Lorne said.

"So we don't know how he managed to get to the Stargate."

"No, we're assuming he managed to escape from the Kolya's, and somehow got himself to a Stargate. But we can't be sure." Lorne admitted.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough." she said, taking her leave, to go and visit the infirmary. She wanted to find out how Colonel Sheppard was doing.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

In the infirmary Beckett has Sheppard lying on his back, and Sheppard is moaning and yelling. Trying to turn on to his side, so the pain won't be as bad, but they keep pushing him down.

"Colonel Sheppard, you're back on Atlantis, there's nothing to worry about..." Beckett tried to calm him down, but Sheppard kept pushing at their restraining hands.

"If you don't keep still, you're going to hurt yourself." Beckett told him, his hands on Sheppard's chest, trying to keep him still.

"Hurts..." Sheppard, groaned out, as his back protested at the pressure being put on it.

"What hurts?"

"Back..."

Beckett turned him over and lifted his t-shirt up.

"Christ...what did they do to you?" Beckett cursed at the sight of Sheppard's back. "Let's turn him over on to his side." Beckett told one of the medics, who was standing on the other side of Sheppard.

Beckett and a nurse cut the clothes off Sheppard, and revealing the full extent of his injuries.

They clean him up, re bandage his wounds, and give him an IV with a cocktail of antibiotics, to fight off the infection that he has.

"Carson, is he going to be Alright." Weir asked, from across the room, where she was standing with Ronon.

"Aye, he should be Alright, if he can fight of the infection." Beckett said coming over to stand next to her.

"Do you know what they did to him. Has he spoken..." she asked, her eyes glancing from Sheppard to Carson.

"He hasn't spoken much, and he's said nothing of what happened to him. But his back is in a terrible state. It looks like someone has gouged furrows in to his skin. Now my guess is that they used a whip, but it's been no ordinary whip..." Beckett went on to detail more of his injuries.

"Sounds very primitive, and very gruesome." Weir shivered at the thought of what had happened.

"Aye, some people can be very primitive when it comes to torture. It is beyond me how another person can inflict such pain on another human being, or animal, for that matter." Beckett, sighed, at the depravity of some people.

"No internal injuries." she asked him.

"No, surprisingly, I'd have expected some, considering who he was handed over to." Beckett said, with some relief.

"Can I talk to him?" Ronon asked, who'd been standing there very quietly, just watching. Even though Sheppard was still alive, he knew he wouldn't let Toryn get away, he'd make sure that she paid for the pain, she'd caused Sheppard to endure.

"Not at the moment he's sedated." Beckett told him.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Two days after Sheppard had returned, Ronon took a little trip through the Stargate, on his own time. He started asking around, trying to find out where Tanisha Toryn and her cousin Lucas where. But so far, nobody had been able to tell him anything.

That was until he talked to a man from one of the villagers, who seemed to know everything.

"So do you know where Tanisha, or Lucas Toryn are?" he asked him.

The man regarded Ronon, warily, and wondered if he could trust him to pay him.

"I don't know where they are. But I'll tell you this, you're not the only one looking for Tanisha Toryn." he said.

"Somebody else is looking for her, does this other person have a name?" Ronon asked him, wondering who else was looking for her.

"Yes, it was Sergio Kolya, and his brother, he promised me money if I could tell him where she was."

"But you don't know where she is, do you?" Ronon asked, wondering if the guy was angling for more money.

"No, I wish I did, I could sure use the money." the man, admitted, sighing, as he thought of the money he was missing out on.

Ronon was curious as to why Sergio Kolya was looking for Toryn.

"Do you know why he wants to find her?" Ronon asked him.

"From what they were saying, I think she double crossed them."

Ronon smiled, maybe he could use the Kolya's to find Toryn.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard is still sick, he's running a fever, and he's delirious, so they haven't been able to question him. They still don't know what happened to him, nor do they know how he managed to escape.

"Can I have a few moments with him?" Ronon asked Beckett.

"Just a few, but try not to disturb him, he needs peace and quiet." Beckett told him.

"Sure, whatever you say." Ronon told him, and waited for him to go.

Sheppard opened his eyes, and saw Ronon, he gave a slight grin, then closed his eyes again.

"Hey buddy...what day is it." he asked, his mind fuzzy from all the medication he was on.

"It's Tuesday, how are you feeling."

"High." he laughed, looking at Ronon.

"Do you remember Toryn?" Ronon asked him.

"Toryn..." he said the name, frowning, as he tried to remember. "Nisha." he said, remembering.

"Yeah, that's it. Did you hear them talking about any planets?" Ronon asked, and waited for Sheppard to speak, which was taking a long time.

"Planets...Nisha..." Sheppard, repeated the words, something sounded familiar.

"Yes, do you remember them mention any names of any planets, or any addresses, anything at all?" Ronon asked.

"Andavar..." Sheppard mumbled, "By an Ocean..." he told Ronon, remembering what Nisha had told him. Why was Ronon asking him about Nisha, he wondered, but he was too sleepy to think about it too much, and fell asleep.

He didn't see the satisfied smile that Ronon gave, just before he vanished out of the infirmary.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Five days later and Sheppard was well enough to leave the infirmary, but had to stick to light duties, until the following week.

Sheppard was sitting at a table, in the mess hall, with McKay and Teyla, when Ronon came over. He sat down at the table, leaning back in the chair, he stretched his body out, and folded his arms.

"I heard that Ladon, stipulated that the Kolya's would no longer be welcome on the Genii home world." Teyla told Sheppard.

"Yeah, so I heard." Sheppard said, he didn't think that would bother them much.

"What about the people who kidnapped you? What's going to happen to them?" McKay asked.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about Toryn, any more." Ronon told them.

Sheppard looked at him, warily, and wondered what Ronon had been up to.

"Ronon! What did you do?" Sheppard asked him, he knew he wasn't going to like what Ronon told him.

"I heard that Toryn double crossed the Kolya's, so I got a message to them. I let them know where they could find her."

"Damn..." Sheppard cursed, as the glass in his hand shattered, with the increased pressure placed upon it. He remembered what they'd done to him, and he hated the thought of them doing the same thing to Nisha.

"Is there a problem? I mean she knew they'd kill you, but she still handed you over to them."

"She had a reason for doing that." Sheppard told, he was angry that Ronon had done such a thing.

"What reason?" Ronon wanted to know.

"They kidnapped her young nephew, and wanted to exchange him for me." Sheppard said. "How do you think I got away from them?" he asked, wondering what the hell Ronon, thought he was doing.

"We assumed, you'd escaped."

"I didn't escape, I was rescued." Sheppard told them.

"You never mentioned anything about how you got away."

"I was, kinda out of it for a while. I didn't know a detailed itinerary of what happened, was called for."

"You do know what they'll do to her, don't you?" Sheppard asked, staring at Ronon, still wondering why he'd done it.

"I have a pretty god idea, yes." Ronon answered, unrepentant, by what he'd done.

"When did you deliver this message?" Sheppard asked him.

"A few days ago."

"Damn it Ronon, why didn't you just ask me, before doing something like that."

"Like you said, you were out of it."

Sheppard took off for Weir's office.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha had thought about contacting Sheppard, but then thought better of it. She wasn't really sure as to what she'd say if she did contact him, after all it's not as if they're friends. They'd only been forced together because of an unfortunate set of circumstances, and probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

It was early afternoon, and she was resting on the bed when she heard the voices, voices that she recognised as the Kolya's

"Just find the bitch." Sergio Kolya snarled.

Nisha jumped off the bed quickly, and pulled her pants and t-shirt on, then she quickly stepped in to her boots. She looked around for anything to grab, that would be of any help to her, but there wasn't anything to grab. She moved over to the window and looked out, she couldn't see anyone outside. So either they were all in the house, or outside at the front.

She climbed on the the ledge and dropped down from the ledge, she was just standing up when a man came around the corner and saw her.

"She's back here." he shouted, and ran at her.

Nisha ran the opposite way to the man and almost ran in to Sergio Kolya as he came around the other side of the house. He grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her from getting away, Nisha scratched his hand...

"Bitch!" he screamed, cursing at her.

He let go of her arm, and she started running, but he pulled his hand back and snapped the whip at her. It caught her across her back, easily ripping through her t-shirt, and in to the flesh beneath.

The pain is excruciating, and Nisha cried out, as her skin was flayed, it caused her to stumble, and she fell.

"Grab her, before she gets away." Valdis Kolya, shouted at his brother.

As Nisha got up on her feet and tried to run, Sergio pulled his hand back and snapped the whip at her again. This time the whip caught her across her thigh, ripping through her pants and in to her skin. She fell over and rolled, breathless from the fall she tried to catch her breath and went to get up again.

"You're not going anywhere, you're going to pay for taking Sheppard." Sergio shouted, and placed his foot against her back, pressing her against the floor.

Nisha moaned as he pressed his foot on her back.

"Make sure no one else is inside the house." Sergio told his brother and the other man who's with them.

"What about her?" Valdis asked.

"I'll deal with her, now go and check."

He kept his foot pressed on her back, laughing as she struggled to escape.

"I'm going to enjoy messing around with you." he laughed. "Sheppard was too stubborn, he didn't respond very well to being tortured. But you, I'm going to make you scream, and beg, like Sheppard would have done." he told her.

"You know you never should have taken him from me." he told her, then he laughed. "Do you know how we found you so quickly." he asked, but he didn't wait for her to answer. "We received a message from someone on Atlantis, they gave us the address of this place. So it looks like Sheppard wanted his revenge on you after all, for handing him over." he laughed.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her up, yanking on her hair, he laughed when she winced. He crushed his mouth over hers, and Nisha tasted blood as her teeth cut in to her lip. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she turned her head and sank her teeth in to his arm. He yelled, and let go of her, she immediately ran towards the woods.

She could hear him behind her, but she had an advantage over him, she knew the wood better than them, so she had a better chance of escaping. She managed to put some distance between her and her pursuers. She turned around to check on where they where, but she couldn't see anyone, she hoped she'd lost them.

She turned back, bumping in to a bush as she did, she didn't see the lacerta, as it sprang from the bush. She tried to pull back but it latched it's mouth on to her arm, it's teeth sank in to her skin. She moaned and hit it away from her, but they'd heard her, and where already coming in her direction.

She could hear them behind her as she ran, she heard something up ahead of her, so she changed direction. She ended up on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the water below. It was a far way down to the water, but she knew what would happen if the Kolya's got hold of her.

So she jumped...

She hit the water, feet first and sank, almost to the bottom. She stayed underwater and swam towards the rocks, where she knew there was a cave. When the tide was in the cave entrance was covered, but inside the cave there was another way out, which opened up further back in the woods. She just hoped that they'd think she'd drowned, and leave.

"She couldn't have survived that." the man who was with the Kolya's remarked.

"She must have drowned, she hasn't surfaced." Valdis Kolya said, his eyes staring at the water.

"I was looking forward to hurting her." Sergio Kolya said, angry at losing his victim.

They waited for over ten minutes before deciding to leave, but not before they searched the house and took anything of value that they found.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha surfaced inside the cave, she took a deep gulp of air, then shivered at the cold. She was exhausted, cold, wet and in pain, and she couldn't tell if they'd gone or not. She'd have to stay here for a while, give them a chance to leave, before she ventured outside. Her back, and her thigh, throbbed painfully, as did her arm, where the lacerta had bitten her.

She grimaced, wondered if she'd get sick, or even if she'd survive. She'd seen a lot of people die from being bitten by a lacerta. Normally the creature shied away from people, it was only sudden movement, or being too close to it's nest, that caused it to react in this way.

She started thinking about what Sergio Kolya had said, about how they'd found her. Had Sheppard told them where she was, she didn't know him that well, but from what she'd heard and what she'd witnessed with her own eyes, she wouldn't have though him the type to do something like that.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Teyla exited the Puddle Jumper, they'd landed close to the house, but still had quite a distance to walk. As usual Ronon was up front checking the area ahead of them, making sure it was clear.

They reached the house, and found things very quiet, inside the house, it was obvious that the Kolya's had already been here. The place looked like it had been ransacked, Sheppard just hoped that Nisha had gotten away.

Ronon checked upstairs, while the others checked downstairs, and outside.

"Did you find anything?" Sheppard asked Ronon when he came back.

"No, it's the same as here." he said, indicating to the mess around them.

"Do you think you could pick up any tracks." Sheppard asked him.

"I'll have a look." Ronon said, then vanished outside to have a look.

"Anything?" Sheppard asked him, as Ronon looked at the disturbed foliage.

"There were three of them, and it looks like they grabbed her here." he told him, pointing to the flattened grass, where there was blood.

Sheppard grimaced, he didn't like the way things were looking, he wondered what they'd done to her.

"So it looks like they took her." Sheppard said.

"I don't know, the footprints lead away from here, over to the wood. I found more blood on the bushes over there, so I'm guessing she could have gotten away from them."

Sheppard pulled the scanner out from his pocket, to see if he could pick up any other life signs. He saw their own life signs, and one other, so they started to track the other life sign.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha, had stayed in the cave for over an hour and a half, before she cautiously left the cave and headed towards the house, she needed to see if they'd gone. She wouldn't make it to anywhere else, she was freezing and starting to feel sick, and dizzy. She was only a short distance from the cave when she heard voices, she pulled back. She saw Sheppard and Ronon, she clenched her jaw, and wondered what they were doing here.

"Nisha"" Sheppard shouted, looking around in her direction. He hadn't seen her, but he kept looking at something that he was holding in his hand.

"If it's her, she's over there." Sheppard pointed exactly towards her. She moved from where she was, but she wasn't feeling too good, so it wasn't long before they caught up with her.

"Nisha!" Sheppard, shouted from behind her, but she didn't stop, she kept on walking.

She only stopped because Ronon appeared in front of her to block her way. She glared at him, and turned around to be confronted by Sheppard.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" he asked her, his eyes were drawn to her soaking wet clothes. He also saw, blood and the tell tale rips in her clothes, that were caused by that whip that Kolya had.

She didn't answer him, she just walked around him, and ignored him.

"Nisha..." Sheppard reached his hand out to grab her, but she pulled away from him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

She had a glazed look in her eyes, and he moved to block her way, grabbing for her arm, but again, she pulled back, this time losing her balance she ended up sitting on the floor.

Sheppard hunched down by her.

"Are you Alright?" he asked, grabbing her arm.

"Jeez...you're burning up." he shouted, shocked by the heat that was radiating off her skin.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, pushing at his hand when he pressed it on her forehead.

"I can't do that, you're sick, you need help."

"I don't need your kind of help." she told him.

"Well I don't see anyone else rushing to help you." he told her, as he tried to help her up, but she kept pushing him away. Then she stood up, took a few steps, then stopped, everything was moving, and her head was spinning.

He watched her swaying, and moved closer in case she fell, which she did, sinking down to her knees. He grabbed hold of her waist, and she pushed his hands away.

"Get off me!" she shouted, "Leave me alone." she pushed his hands from her waist.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone." Sheppard shouted back at her, he let go of her and walked away. He looked over at Teyla, silently asking her to see if she could do anything.

Teyla tried to help Nisha up, so that they could take her back to the Jumper, but she refused.

"You told them where I was." Nisha, accused quietly.

Sheppard, knew immediately what she was talking about, he winced at her accusation, even though it wasn't true, he had initially, been the one to reveal where she was.

"I didn't tell them where you where." he whispered, "I wouldn't have done that." he told her, but he still felt guilty over it.

"You were the only person who knew where I was." she told him, and wondered if it were possible for him to be so vindictive.

"One of my people told them where you were." he said, looking at Ronon, but Ronon didn't seem to have a repentant bone in his body. Sheppard tried to explain how it had all happened, but he knew it sounded like a lame excuse.

"So you didn't tell them, but one of your people did." she said, then she looked right at him, "Where did one of your people get the location from?" she asked him.

Before he could explain further, she slumped forward on to the ground.

"Nisha!" Sheppard ran over, to check her over, but she was unconscious.

"We need to get her back to Atlantis, fast, she's burning up." he said, he looked at Ronon, who sighed, then came over and picked her up to carry her to the Jumper.

"If I could do it myself I would. Just call it penance, for the little premature stunt you pulled." Sheppard told Ronon, as he carried Nisha, Ronon just raised his brows at Sheppard's remark.

When they got her in the Puddle Jumper, Teyla checked her over, and noted that she had cuts on her back and thigh, and what looked like a bite on her arm.

"A bite? What kind of bite?" Sheppard asked, quickly. He'd noticed a couple of those lacerta creatures running around.

"What do you mean what kind of bite?" Teyla was confused by his question.

"Let me have a look." he came over to see it. The bite was about the right size to have been made by one of those creatures. He just hoped he was wrong, because according to what Nisha had told him, most people who were bitten by one of those things died.

He didn't waste any more time, as he headed through the Stargate for Atlantis...

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>ooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>