Vegas in Red: I Won't Back Down7

John sat back from his desk, pushing his chair away from the mess on top of it. He glared at the mountain of paperwork heaped into piles that threatened to topple at any second. He rubbed his eyes, weary. All of the investigations were laid out before him. And they did connect, like beads on a necklace but John had to cover it all up somehow. He had to deflect his superiors away from the truth. Not that they would believe it anyway. He sighed, hating this. Hating the dissembling of facts and producing some fiction that was palatable to everyone concerned.

He wished he was back in that lilac bedroom, sprawled on those lilac sheets. Chained to the headboard as Moira rode him. Her long hair flying all around her, naked breasts bouncing, ass bouncing as she took him repeatedly. Her soft sounds aroused the hell out of him. He wanted her. Cursed, at this seemingly endless need of her. Not just the sex but just to talk to her. He needed to ask her about Todd, about so many things pertaining to the Wraith but he kept getting distracted by the sex. He smiled. Not that he minded so much.

He thought about the evening. About what he would do in playful retaliation. The way he had teased her. The way her brown eyes widened in concern, curiosity. Her rosy lips had parted and he drank in her wonder, her worry, her very awe of what he might do, could do to her, with her. He could tie her up. He could take her from behind. He could take her in any number of ways until she begged him to stop. But he wouldn't. He would never hurt her. He wanted to astound her and himself with the maximum sexual pleasure he could devise, invent, indulge.

A smile curved his lips as he considered how to tease her. What to bring to the house. She had no idea what was coming, and John could hardly wait.

"Sheppard? There's a guy asking for ya."

"A guy?" John looked past the mountain of paperwork. "Gee, Danville, could you be any less specific?"

Danville snorted. "Sure. Right there."

A man stepped round Danville and entered the office. He was slight of build, scrawny even. He appeared nervous, gaze darting around the room as if expecting to be attacked. He clasped a hat in both hands. So tightly the whites of his knuckles gleamed against the dark fabric. John didn't recognize him. He gestured. The man stepped to the desk. He still hadn't said a word, hadn't even met John's gaze. "Well?" John snapped, losing patience.

"You."

John waited. The man fell silent again. His voice was calm. "Me what?"

"You. You are investigating the, the case."

"Which case?" John sighed. "Look, pal, I haven't got all day. Spit it out, will ya?"

The man met John's gaze at last. "The aliens. I saw lights in the sky. Their ships. They've landed, haven't they?"

John stood. The last he thing he needed was another nut job. The funny thing was the guy was right. "Sure you did, pal. Get out of my office."

"I saw them! Lights in the sky, coming closer, closer! The aliens attacking people in the desert coming closer, closer! You know all about them! I saw you! With them! The Men In Black! I saw you taking one down with them! I saw you—"

"Enough! You saw nothing but a police investigation! Danville! Get this nut job outta my office!" John shouted, shaking his head. Not sure if the guy was telling the truth or not. He didn't really care as no one would believe him anyway.

"It was you!" the man cried, as Danville pulled him from the room. "I saw you kill that alien! I saw you in the black vans! I saw you near the space ship! I saw you! You! You will bring about the end of the world, John Sheppard!"

"Nice." John followed the guy to the door as Danville forcibly escorted him. "Throw him to the curb! Just another nut job going on about aliens again! Area 51 is that way, pal!" He pointed as the cops broke into laughter.

Yet the man's last words made him feel a momentary chill.

Moira had finally buckled down and gotten to work in the lab. Classifying fossils, typing copious notes into the computer. She examined each fossil, recording its appearance, measuring and weighing and extracting precious DNA for analysis. She was absorbed in her work, forgetting the time, forgetting everything. Except John. The thought of him lingered in her mind, causing her to smile. To wonder what he was doing. But she kept her focus on her work.

A knock startled her. She moved to the door, opened it. "You? How—"

Chuck Campbell moved past her, into the lab as if he belonged there. "Press pass. I'm doing an article on the recent expedition to Mongolia and how the museum is funding such ventures although there are perfectly good digs right here in the USA. They want some good press about the recent disastrous failure but I can only report on the truth hey is that a real fossil?" He picked up a bone and examined it.

"Put that down!" Moira rushed to him. Took the delicate femur and set it back into the Styrofoam packaging. "How did you get in here?"

"I just told you. The museum wants good press over this, and they think I will do that."

"That's not why you're here," she accused.

Chuck smiled at her. Adjusted the hat perched on his head. "No, it's not, Doctor O'Meara," he agreed. "You were right after all. Those weren't animal attacks. They never were. It was a psychotic killer of some sort. I need details."

"No comment," she said. Folding her arms across her chest.

"What? You broke the case wide open! The case covered up by the police and the mayor! A killer was stalking our streets and they wouldn't tell us! Only you had the balls to speak out about it! Sure, they caught the guy, some low life druggie, but you know what? I ain't buying it. Something else is going on here, and you know it. I mean why else would a biologist be attached to LVPD for a mere human criminal?"

"No comment. Get out!"

"What? What is really going on here, doctor? Why would Detective Sheppard need your advice on a case when it had nothing to do with any wild animals and never did? I have unconfirmed sources telling me an incredible tale of exotic alien species and human experimentation and I need concrete proof!"

"You won't find it here," she said. "Leave now. I will call security."

"No, you won't." Chuck smiled. "If there is a real threat the public needs to know. Besides, do you really want another killing spree to erupt? Oh, you didn't know? Animal Control rounded up some feral dogs and killed all of them. Ten in all. To appease the public."

Moira stared. "I…I don't believe you."

"It's true. Didn't Sheppard tell you? He wasn't pleased either. Guess you were in Mongolia when that happened. So tell me before there's another event like that. What are LVPD and the mayor trying to cover up?"

"Buy a woman a drink?"

Carson looked up from cleaning the bar. His thoughts had been far away, marveling over the space aliens and their exotic DNA. He smiled. Thought for a moment. "Weir, right?"

"Elizabeth," she said with a smile. "You're Carson Beckett. The doctor on Sheppard's team. I should be buying you a round, doc. You saved lives out there."

Carson shrugged. "Just doing my job, as you did yours. Weir with her big gun." They laughed. "What's your poison?"

"Something strong and stable. Rather how I like my men."

Carson snorted. "I see. I've got just the thing."

"I bet you do. Not like Sheppard, though. Damn," she softly mourned. Smiled as he returned with two drinks. "Cheers."

"Slainte." They drank.

"Wow!" Elizabeth coughed, setting down the empty glass. "You could have warned a girl!"

Carson chuckled. "I thought you liked it strong."

"True." She eyed him, assessing. "Let's drink to something strong. You're not seeing anyone, are you?"

Carson smiled.