Chapter Nine
He ran, dodged and skulked around Atlantis for what seemed like hours. Luckily his knowledge of the city enabled him to shake off pursuit, but he was running out of energy and options. Without thinking consciously about it he had made his way back to the labs were he usually spent his time.
Perhaps he might find something to eat around here. He knew that Kusanagi often ate meals in the labs rather than the mess hall, and he knew where she kept her 'secret' stash of chocolate. The thought made his stomach growl with hunger. Luckily water hadn't been a problem, but the lack of food was becoming critical. John could probably go for days without food, doing the whole commando thingy, he thought sourly, but he couldn't.
He had of course tried to get to his own room, where he kept supplies of food and chocolate, but naturally they'd had his room carefully watched. He'd endeavoured to wait them out, getting more and more desperate as he hung around for an opportunity that never occurred. It became too dangerous. Since they hadn't looked like they were going to give up and go away, he had.
Now that it was early evening he hoped Kusanagi wouldn't be in the lab. With a bit of luck she was off making paper cranes or whatever she did in her spare time. He peeped around the door and entered after determining that the lab was uninhabited. There was even a bonus in the form of a plate of sandwiches left behind. Rodney happily stuffed his face, trying to cram as much in as possible and barely chewing.
"Dr McKay!" Kusanagi screamed when she returned to the lab to finish some work that had been disrupted by all the activity.
With a mouth full of food Rodney swung around, spitting crumbs, to see Miko recover from her surprise. She hit the door lock, from the outside of the room. He scrambled for the door, but was too far away. He could see Kusanagi outside, framed by the closing doors as she repeatedly bowed to him with a distressed look on her face.
"So sorry, so sorry!"
By the time the doors reopened he had finished the sandwiches and resigned himself to his fate. He was tired of running and hiding and not eating. If he was lucky they might let him have a last meal, the sandwiches really hadn't been enough and he wanted coffee. It wasn't long before two large airmen came to escort him.
"Hello Dixon"
"Sir. You have been a major inconvenience."
"Sorry about that. If you let me go I promise to be good." He spoke with little hope.
"Please just come with us" Dixon replied firmly. He tapped his radio. "We are bringing Dr McKay in now".
They didn't handcuff him, but they had his upper arms in a very firm grip and force marched him down the corridors to the mess hall. Rodney could see that the doors were now open but the commissary was dark and disturbing. Even the hallway lights near the area were unlit.
Rodney went limp as they approached, leaving the two airmen to change their grasp and carry him with his feet dangling above the floor. He began to thrash about in their grip. The closer they came the more he began to struggle, the feeling of menace from the room making him unable to surrender as easily as he'd thought.
Panting and thrashing about desperately Rodney was carried into the room.
