Chapter 6

The heavy leather army issue boots and the Antarctic-weight wool socks worked hard to do their job but Sheppard's feet were still getting cold. He stamped them on the smooth cobbles of the street. This damned place was far colder than it looked and certainly colder than anywhere else they had visited in Pegasus. Looking across at McKay's red cheeks and nose he suspected it would not be too long before the scientist started to worry about coming down with some cold-related ailment.

Progress, or rather the lack of progress, in their search was not lifting their spirits either. They had spotted Teyla and Ronon in the distance a couple of times and passed them once, a quick shake of their heads indicating their lack of success. Despite Rodney's warning about this settlement being dangerous, nothing had so far singled it out as particularly different from any of the trading settlements they had visited in this galaxy. Certainly there were some decidedly unsavoury looking characters here but the majority of men and women appeared to be just going about their lives with little outward concern for anything other than their own business. Still the place did have an uncomfortable feel to it and Sheppard agreed with McKay that it probably was not a healthy place for strangers after dark.

Stalls and shopfronts lined the streets selling just about anything you could need to live comfortably anywhere in the galaxy – basic food stuffs, including some pastries that Rodney eyed off longingly, exotic fruits, jewellery, clothing, furs and leathers, herbs and potions, and weapons. A lot of weapons. McKay was fascinated by some of the fancy knives and daggers in one stall but Sheppard managed to persuade him they were really not the sort of thing a scientist needed. While there was little sign of the wealth of illicit goods their intelligence on Atlantis mentioned, a good number of shopfronts were closed although obviously not abandoned and it seemed likely the streets put forward a very different face for their nocturnal clientele. By-and-large, the contents of most stalls did not warrant close scrutiny but some, such as the one with the collection of wraith finger guards and 'genuine' wraith hair, raised some interesting questions about where the items had come from and who would be interested in buying them. Not for the first time in his life, Sheppard wondered about some of the bizarre things people choose to collect.

He took the lead in asking the questions but his approach was limited to directing them at the traders who seem less suspicious of strangers. Unfortunately, questions about the Genii were met with what was quickly becoming a fairly standard response. "Genii, Belkans, Manarians, I don't ask questions 'bout where folk come from only what they want to trade."

Some of the townsfolk were open to conversation but most claimed to know nothing. Others suggested talking to different traders and a couple recommended the barman in the tavern as a reliable source of information. Sheppard though, had had far too much experience with barmen across two galaxies to believe any of them could be considered 'reliable' in any way, shape or form. He was also aware that he and Rodney were starting to attract some attention. An unavoidable consequence of asking questions in a community where such inquisitive behaviour was usually discouraged.

If this was a trap, it was very well set because he had not seen any familiar faces, not that he really expected to bump into Kolya, or anyone he would recognise as Genii. He chuckled ironically. How would he recognise a Genii anyway? He knew his old adversary was sharp enough to make sure his men blended in with the locals – they certainly would not be wearing their distinctive uniforms.

Biting his lip thoughtfully, he knew there was little point trying to deny the truth. He was starting to feel disheartened.

McKay had similar concerns. "This isn't striking me as a particularly useful exercise. We need to find somewhere warm for a while ... I can't feel my feet anymore. Oh yes ... perhaps some food before too long?"

Sheppard smiled weakly. Trust Rodney to still be thinking of his stomach. "Yeah, I think you're probably right on all counts. Let's head for the tavern. Ronon and Teyla might've had more luck." He sounded more confident that he felt.

They had already walked along three sides of the town square and had a good idea of the direction they needed to follow to get back there so began by retracing their steps. The town streets radiated in grid pattern with the square as a central hub and after several minutes of walking they emerged at one corner. They stopped for a quick survey of the buildings, sighting the large tavern on the far side but also spotting a couple of small ale houses.

"Well, who'd have thought we'd be spoilt for choice?" Sheppard muttered.

But the levity of this statement was lost on McKay. For him making a decision about where to eat was serious business. "What're you talking about? No choice here. Do you know how disgusting the food is in those ale houses? No way could you call those germ traps 'taverns'."

"Relax Rodney. I was joking. We said we'd meet the others at the tavern and that's where we're going."

Not wanting to linger in the cold too much longer, they headed off across the square. Even though they had nothing to show for their morning's work, at least they had not been ambushed by Kolya's men. Trudging through the snow, Sheppard tried to gather his thoughts ready to put forward a positive front to the other two. Hopefully they would have been able to use their local knowledge of the galaxy to gain more trust from the townspeople and might have some useful information. He sighed. He did not really believe that. Deep down he was unable to shake the disappointment over their lack of progress although he refused to believe this lead would not take them just a little closer to Kolya.

x-X-00-X-x

The Genii captain glanced up momentarily as the Satedan and the Athosian woman walked into the tavern. Eyes around the room watched as the pair went straight to the bar to order the mandatory tankards of ale which they took took to a table strategically located in the corner between the door and the large fire. The Satedan unfastened his coat then removed a lethal looking weapon from its folds that he laid down on the table next to his tankard. The woman carried one of the strange weapons from Atlantis and the captain suspected she was a formidable opponent who should not be underestimated.

It was crucial these two were subdued before Sheppard arrived and, right on cue, five more of his men arrived to join the two who had been waiting in the background. Four of these newcomers sat down at a table next to the Atlanteans while the fifth went up to the bar.

Eight against two – the captain liked the odds. He got up, walked over to the Atlantean's table and stood in front of them without speaking. The Satedan reached out to pick up his weapon but the captain put his hands up to indicate he was not carrying a weapon of his own although he knew his men had their hand guns ready to draw at the first sign of aggression. He ignored the naked hostility on the Satedan's face and focused his attention on the Athosian.

"I imagine you know who I work for?" She raised her eyebrows but made no effort to reply so the captain put his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly in order to emphasise the imbalance of their relevant positions. "I have the advantage of numbers. So as I see it, we can handle this situation one of two ways. You can start a fight that will surely end in your deaths or you can hand over your weapons and live. The choice is yours."

Before he had even finished, the woman had put her hand on her companion's arm. When she spoke, her voice was quiet but still carried overtones of contempt. "Ronon, we cannot win here. He is not interested in us so will have no hesitation in killing us. We should do as he says."

The captain leaned back and smiled at the Satedan. "Your friend is right. I have no qualms about killing you, in fact it would be much easier but I am a fair man so, as I have said, I am prepared to allow you to make the decision."

Tension filled the room as the Satedan's fingers flexed around the butt of the weapon that still rested under his hand and the Genii knew he was weighing up the odds. The captain watched him closely, their eyes locked in a battle of defiance. This was not the first Satedan he had met and he knew they were not renowned for their subtlety. The odds were undoubtedly in his favour; realistically he would possibly lose a couple of men, after all, victory rarely came without loss. But it was not worth taking chances so he nodded to the soldier standing closest to the table. The man moved swiftly, lifting his rifle and slamming the butt forcefully down into the side of the Satedan's head. He raised it again ready to repeat the action but it was unnecessary. The big man crumpled onto the table and the soldier delivered his next blow, carrying only slightly less force, onto the hand that was still half wrapped around the weapon. The crunch of breaking bone reverberated through the tavern.

"You did not have to do that. We were not going to fight," the Athosian spat out as she reached over to help her companion.

An air of quiet apprehension fell over the tavern in response to this naked violence. But in the face of a group of armed men, the patrons knew better than to become involved in other people's arguments.

Despite the weapons ranged against her, the Athosian seemed determined to push his patience. "That was a foolish move. Our friends will know something is wrong when we do not arrive at our rendezvous point."

Throwing back his head, the Genii laughed derisively. "Do not waste your energy trying to save them. And do not insult my intelligence. I have been in this god forsaken town for four days now and know that anyone with any sense would arrange to meet in the only really warm place – this tavern. So keep that pretty mouth shut unless you want me to shut it for you."

Silence continued to be the most popular option for the tavern's other patrons. As the captain turned his attention to the door, he caught a look from his Athosian adversary that conveyed her naked desire to rearrange his facial contours, preferably with her boot. Five more Genii soldiers walked in, nodded at their captain then looked at the two captives before quietly moving to mingle with the rest of the patrons.

After about five minutes one of the younger Genii assigned to keep watch beside the window finally broke the silence. "They are walking across the square captain. Should be here in a couple of minutes."

"Good. You know what to do." The captain was pleased it had not taken too long for the next two victims find their way into his web. The sooner they were snared, the sooner they could all get away from this place. Without prompting, two of his men move into position on both sides of the door ready to strike.

The door opened, bringing in a blast of cold air. Sheppard and his companion took half a dozen steps into the tavern as they surveyed the scene looking for their Atlantean comrades. The captain nodded to the man who now stood between them and the closing door. A look of surprise momentarily flashed across Sheppard's face before a rifle butt also made contact with his head and he slumped to the ground. The other man spun around quickly to look at their attackers and instinctively lifted his hands above his head to prevent a similar fate.

"You will not be harmed if you do as you are told," the captain ordered as he walked over to Sheppard and kicked him in the ribs to check he was unconscious. Satisfied with his henchmen's work he ordered them to tie up the prisoners.

Four chairs were moved away from the tables into the now empty space in front of the bar. Two men lifted Sheppard by the arms and dragged him onto one, his head slumped over his chest allowing a slow trickle of blood to flow from the wound on the side of his head, making a dark pool on his jacket. The Satedan was barely conscious, his face also bloodied, and he offered little resistance as he was dragged roughly from his seat. The other two sat of their own accord although their faces reflected the contempt they felt towards their captors as their hands were secured behind the backs of the chairs.

Now that he could clear the tavern without raising the suspicions of his quarry, the captain looked at the rest of the customers and the barman. "We are closed until further notice."

No-one argued and eyes were set squarely on the floor as the room emptied. Such violence was not unknown in this town, although it usually occurred at night, and the inhabitants knew to keep out of the way when such behaviour involved strangers.

A satisfied smile spread across the captain's craggy face. This had been far easier than he could ever have imagined. Walking around his captives, his voice was dismissive. "Who would have thought? The military geniuses from Atlantis captured like a bunch of amateurs. Commander Kolya will be very pleased to see you but I suspect he will be disappointed you did not put up more of a fight." He kicked Sheppard's feet maliciously. "Especially the great Colonel Sheppard. You know my commander has a great deal of respect for your colonel's military skills but I fear it will be sadly diminished by this."

He returned to his original seat by the fire and took a long swig of his ale before activating his communicator. "Tell Commander Kolya we have them. Stay at the stargate until he arrives."

-o-o-o-o-

Striding through the stargate, Kolya was, not surprisingly, far more confident than the man who had left earlier in the morning. Part of him was annoyed he had not stayed to 'welcome' Sheppard personally but missing out on the thrill of the capture was more than compensated for by having his foe in his control once again. Nodding at the waiting soldier who fell into step slightly behind his commander, Kolya was very satisfied as he started down the road.

Light snow was falling from the dark grey sky but it could not dampen Kolya's enthusiasm. He was confident he could use the Atlanteans to his advantage, as a bargaining chip to finally get rid of Ladon. Of course, the operation would have to be far more sophisticated than the crude process he had tried before with Sheppard and the pathetic wraith who had been his instrument of torture. There would be no room for failure this time. Deep down he knew this would be his last throw of the dice, the last chance to topple Ladon and take over leadership of the Genii. He could not help but smile in anticipation.

But he must not get ahead of himself. First he must decide what to do with Sheppard. Should he give in to his baser instincts and just rid himself of this problem straightaway? Killing in cold blood had never been a problem for him and knew that Sheppard would not hesitate either if their positions were reversed. Or would the Atlanteans be more useful if Sheppard were kept alive? Could he be used to get equipment and weapons from Atlantis? Kolya shook his head. There would be time enough to decide once he came face-to-face with his enemy.

x-X-00-X-x

Another intelligence report flashed up on the monitor in Todd's quarters and his long fingers nimbly went through the familiar process of decrypting the content. As he read it, a look of intense satisfaction slowly spread across his face, a look that grew as he went back and re-read a report sent earlier by the same agent. First Sheppard, now Kolya, both on the same world.

The first report had told him Sheppard and three others had arrived on a world well inside his alliance's territory. Todd had quickly decided an unplanned meeting on this neutral planet offered an opportunity to talk to Sheppard away from Atlantis so the hive was already making its way there. For some inexplicable reason, it was important to know why Sheppard had suddenly decided to go after Kolya and what he planned to do if the hunt was successful. Always one to learn from his mistakes, Todd thought back to the last time he had tried to plan a meeting with Sheppard on neutral ground after their experience in the Genii prison. It had not gone well and he had ended up being imprisoned yet again. At least that would not happen this time.

But Sheppard was not the prize here. The prospect of finally dealing with Kolya brought a low growl rising up from the depth of his chest. Thinking of the Genii commander conjured up a face that looked down on him with contempt and disgust and his smile was quickly replaced by a similar contemptuous look. Flexing his hands in anticipation, he felt an involuntary surge of enzyme leaking from his feeding slit and his eyes closed as he ran the fingers of his other hand over the open orifice. He had lost count of the number of humans he had fed on over the centuries. Some had annoyed or angered him with their defiance, but this was the first time he had ever set his sights on one particular target with such cold, premeditated determination.

So many memories flashed across his mind. The cold, damp cell, the faces of the Genii who had come before Kolya, the faces of the many humans whose life he had drained in the name of Genii torture, the sight of the sky when he and Sheppard had finally made it to the surface. So now he was being driven by pure revenge, the need to watch Kolya suffer as he had suffered. A goal that was now within reach.

In light of this new opportunity, he would change his original plan to go down to the settlement with just enough warrior drones to intimidate and subdue the population while he spoke to Sheppard. As he pulled on his coat and headed out of his quarters, a look of disdain morphed into a deep laugh that rang through the corridor behind him. This would be a full scale cull.

The hive slide out of hyperspace just as Todd passed one of the large portals that looked out onto the vast, deadly blackness of space. His second in command had command of the hive so he decided to wait by the portal as they established a geosynchronous orbit above their destination. Just as his agent had reported, it was a white world covered with patchy grey cloud, a large bank of which seemed to be sitting above the settlement. Todd's mouth set into a thin line of dislike. While extremes of temperature did not pose problems to wraith, he had never found the cold and snow particularly enticing. Still he would not have to stay on this world for too long, just long enough to make sure that the persistent problem that had dogged his life recently was neutralised for good.

x-X-00-X-x

The thrill of the capture over, the renegade captain yawned as the warmth of the tavern promoted a sense of relaxation. Commander Kolya would arrive shortly and, while the captain was sure his leader and kinsman would be well pleased with their morning's work, he could not afford to be falling asleep when Kolya arrived. He stood up, walked over to the window to see if his commander was in sight yet and wondered if he should go out to meet him. Moving across to the door, he took a look at his well trussed captives before going outside to stand in the tavern's covered porch to get some fresh air.

It was almost dinner time and two men were stationed in the porch to turn prospective customers away from the tavern. It was causing some disquiet but the sight of Genii weapons was proving enough to deter the most persistent patrons. He moved out into the square. It was full of people of all ages, going about their business, their voices sounding loud after the silence of the tavern. The sky was a dark grey and snow was falling again. Moving out into the square he looked up at the dull, yellow disc of the sun, still trying gallantly to penetrate the clouds but his attention was drawn to what looked like a flock of large birds weaving in and out of the grey sky further up the valley.

No. Surely not? He squinted as he tried to focus on the birds that were rapidly morphing into wraith darts. But he did not need to look too hard. As they grew larger, their identify was confirmed by the familiar sound that started to overlay the myriad human voices. Turning to run back to the tavern, his military mind immediately considered their options. Any thought of saving his prisoners was dismissed immediately. He knew that escape through the stargate would be impossible. He also knew that as strong, young men full of life and energy his troop were prime candidates for culling. Should they risk staying in the town in the hope they could find a hiding place, or head out into the deep forest until the culling was over and they could make their way to safety?

In reality, he knew they did not have a choice. Others had spotted the darts and a sense of panic was spreading over the square. He and his men were strangers in this town and would not stand a chance if they remained there. The locals would not hesitate to turn them over to the wraith in a desperate attempt to save themselves and their kin. In the face of a seemingly endless supply of wraith drones, the captain knew even his crack team would be ineffectual, they may take some of these creatures with them but in the end they would be overcome.

As he entered the tavern, it was evident his troops understood the nature of the threat but he shouted a warning anyway. "Wraith ... here ... now ...and judging by the number of darts they are here to cull." He looked at their prisoners, undecided whether the rewards to be gained by taking them would be worth the risk of trying to escape with two unconscious men.

"Captain, do we take them?" His sergeant asked the question but the look on his face told a different story, one focused solely on self-preservation.

The captain agreed."No, leave them. We will head into the cover of the forest, wait until this is over then make our way back to the stargate."

He vaguely wondered if he could help Kolya but was in no position to go out and find him. His commander was on his own with this one.

-o-o-o-o-

Kolya was well on the way into town when he heard the screaming whine of the darts as they made their way down the valley. It took only a couple of seconds for the sound to register in his mind. He did not bother to look where they were coming from.

"Wraith! Run!" He shouted involuntarily as he ran up a rocky bank into the thick forest but then realised his warning was of no avail as he glanced around just in time to see his sergeant swept up by a culling beam. He ran further into the forest, tripping blindly over rocks and dead branches as his mind was overtaken by the primitive instincts of escape and survival. But these were not the only emotions he felt. His blood ran cold and all thoughts of revenge against Sheppard were forgotten. Kolya had only one real fear in life, one that had haunted him since childhood, the fear of dying a slow painful death as the helpless victim of a wraith.

The realisation suddenly dawned that he was merely running deeper and deeper into the forest and further away from his one hope of salvation, the stargate. He stopped, bent over with his hands on his knees and took some time to steady his thoughts and take his bearings. After a few minutes he straightened up and looked back the way he had just come through the trees. He was loathe to simply retrace his steps in order to find the track so headed off in an oblique direction he thought would achieve the same result. Sure enough after several minutes he spotted glimpses of the track through the trees and changed his course to follow it while remaining in the cover of the forest.

Panic no longer drove his actions, his mind focused on survival at all costs and he ran at a solid, steady pace avoiding rocks and jumping any other obstacles that crossed his path. Moving closer to the track, no wraith were visible on the ground although the darts continued their relentless criss-crossing of the sky above.

He stopped when the Stargate came into sight. To his surprise and relief, it was unguarded so he moved quickly round to a spot that would give him the shortest span of open ground to cover to reach the DHD. He knew the longer he waited, the more dangerous this would become so he took a deep breath, put his head down and ran to the device.

He dialled the first five glyphs before looking back, no sign of wraith and his heart rate dropped slightly. The sixth glyph clicked in then the seventh and the event horizon flared opened. Kolya moved quickly towards safety and was only feet away when the blast from a wraith stunner threw up a spray of icy dirt and snow just behind him. Turning quickly, he could see a wraith and six drone warriors running to get into firing range. He knew he could beat them through the gate but as he backed away, almost falling through the event horizon, he caught sight of another tall wraith striding purposefully towards him. Something about this creature looked vaguely familiar but Kolya had absolutely no idea why. And then the face was gone.

x-X-00-X-x

A slight twitch at the side of the hard, thin mouth was the only outward sign of emotion visible on Todd's stern green face as he watched the event horizon close behind Kolya's broad back. As his shuttle had approached the settlement he had searched for the mind of his former tormentor and quickly sensed him heading towards the stargate. Like most humans when faced with danger, it seemed Kolya put his own safety ahead of all others. But Todd had not been concerned. The gate was being jammed and Kolya would run into enough drones to shatter his illusions of escape. Or rather that was how things should have been.

Anger boiled inside him that his orders had not been followed in full. Why was the gate not being jammed to prevent escape? Why had drones not been beamed down to guard the gate as soon as the culling began? Sensing their apprehension, Todd watched a young wraith, the luckless captain of the small troop of six drones, turn back and stop dead in his tracks as he spotted his commander. Todd knew this young one had showed promise so took a deep breath in order to control the urge to vent his anger on these handy targets without knowing the full story of why they had failed.

=You have failed me.=

=Commander, I ... we ...=

=Why were you not at this gate to capture that human when he arrived here?=

=Commander, we were supposed to be beamed down here. But the pilot made an error. We came as quickly as we could.=

=Not quickly enough!=

The young wraith bowed his head. =It will not happen again.=

=No, it will not. You will accompany me to this human settlement.=

Nothing more could be gained from this conversation so Todd severed the link. This failure would be investigated properly when he got back to the hive and the culprit, or culprits, would pay dearly but that could wait. He turned to walk back to his shuttle. The young male's face was full of apprehension. Relatively new to this hive, the prospect of spending even a short period on a shuttle with a commander who had made no attempt to hide his anger was daunting to say the least.

x-X-00-X-x

After blinking a couple of times, Sheppard stared at the wraith drones. Although his memories of the time since they had walked into the tavern were hazy, he felt certain he had seen other humans, Genii presumably, before he had descended into unconsciousness. Gingerly turning his head, he saw the others tied up too and, judging by the blood, Ronan seemed to have suffered a similar fate to his own. They were sitting in a nice cosy little semi circle facing the door so he looked inquiringly across to Teyla, hoping to get some confirmation that his memory was right.

She nodded. "Yes, John, it was Kolya's men who captured us. But they left as soon as it became evident the town was being culled."

Okay. He tried to talk but a sharp pain stabbed from his jaw, through his temple, to the back of his skull. A culling? During the day? No, this could not be right. "Why?"

Teyla raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "We are all in the dark. All we can do is wait."

The room started to spin slowly and Sheppard closed his eyes as the bile started to rise in his throat. Right. All they could do was wait until the wraith leading this culling decided to grace them with his presence. Or they were fed upon. Whichever came first.

Almost immediately, the silence was broken by the sound of the latch on the door and all attention focusses on two male wraith who entered the room. One was tall and slim with long well groomed hair that fell half way down to his waist. His face was marked with a simple tattoo on his right cheek but he also seemed to carry an air of innocence generally associated with youth. Sheppard stopped and shut his eyes. What on earth was he thinking? This was a wraith for God's sake – no innocence here. He opened his eyes and looked again. Irrespective of his age, he was clearly subordinate to the other who stood half a head taller and carried himself with the air of one used to having his wishes obeyed without question.

Sheppard's attention focused quickly on this older wraith, the one he had so seen many times before. On Atlantis, on various hives, in the cold dank prison where they began their highly unconventional relationship. Somehow though, Todd looked different here, taller, more intimidating, less obliging, all-in-all more 'wraith-like'. His skin was less translucent than it has always appeared under the artificial lighting of Atlantis and his eyes conveyed all the cunning and determination Sheppard knew controlled the mind behind these black and amber windows.

"Colonel." Todd bowed his head as a sign of respect, a hollow gesture Sheppard knew lacked even the slightest shred of sincerity. "You look surprised to see me."

"Oh no, nothing you could ever do would surprise me. Nice timing though." Sheppard had much more to say but the price of just those few words was excruciating pain.

Todd grunted. "I have been monitoring your movements around different worlds since I became aware we were hunting the same prey. My agent arrived shortly after you and watched as you walked into town."

He moved across to one of the tables and looked down distastefully at the half-eaten meal and the accompanying tankard of beer. One of his drones moved quickly to clear the offending items from his commander's view. Sheppard raised his eyebrows, wishing his rank would command such service from his men. The wraith took a seat and cast his eyes over the four humans he knew so well before continuing.

"It appears that it is probably to your benefit that I am here. You seem to have been clumsy enough to get yourselves into a corner, one I very much doubt you would have escaped from on your own. You are lucky this world is on the edge of the alliance's feeding grounds otherwise I would have been unable to assist."

Finally finding his tongue, McKay found this blatant attack on their capabilities too hard to ignore. "Hey, we've got out of worse scrapes than this without your help and we'd have done it again if you hadn't shown up."

"Ah, Doctor McKay," Todd's smile was accompanied by a deep chuckle. "An attitude so typical of all the humans of Atlantis. Never admit defeat even when it has you by the throat."

Sheppard grunted. His logic might still be fuzzy, but it seemed strange that Todd would cull an entire settlement just for the opportunity to talk to him. It seemed to confirm their suspicion that the wraith was also interested in the Genii renegade who had caused them both so much angst.

"Kolya is on his way here."

The deep angry growl that filled the room more than confirmed Sheppard's suspicions.

"Was, Sheppard, was. He was here. I saw him. Unfortunately, he escaped through the stargate before I had an opportunity to discuss things with him," Todd hissed, looking directly at the young male who bowed his head in a manner that indicated he was probably making yet another subliminal expression of regret.

"Oh, bad luck."

Ignoring Sheppard's comment, Todd stood up and walked over to the window. Leaning against the wall, he drew the drab curtain to one side with a clawed hand and looked out over the town square. Sheppard wished he had some of Teyla's ability to enter wraith minds but could only watch and wait.

"Kolya is not my concern now. I have captured enough of his men to ensure I'll find out his location ... eventually." The wraith's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "The question now is what am I to do with you?"

"What's to ask? You just untie us and let us go." Sheppard tried to sound confident but the fact that Todd had even asked this question started some alarm bells ringing at the back of his mind.

Todd remained silent. No growls, no hisses, nothing. The passing time was marked only by the unusual breathing patterns the organic face masks imposed on the drone warriors. Sheppard was about to register his impatience when Todd turned to survey his captives yet again, his eyes empty of emotion and his mouth set in a thin line that shouted contempt. As the cold hand of doubt started to gently wrap itself around his heart, Sheppard heard Teyla's warning about Todd's true nature echo in the back of his mind, right alongside the alarm bells.

When the wraith finally spoke there was a sardonic smile on his face but his voice was harsh. "Do you really expect me to give up this advantage so readily John Shep-pard?" He glanced at his warrior drones strategically placed around the room before turning his gaze to each of the Atlanteans in turn. "Think what you might do if our positions were reversed. Throw me in a cell if had come to your city voluntarily? Make me wear chains if had offered my help with a problem you were unable to solve on your own? Threaten to kill me if I make a wrong move? Or perhaps," Todd's icy gaze settled on Ronon. "Just have your pet underling wave a weapon in my face."

The sneering contempt in the deep, reverberating voice as it slowly enunciated the words 'pet underling' left no doubt in Sheppard's mind that they had a tricky situation on their hands. Yep, he had to admit it, Teyla had been spot on. This was not the Todd who had come to them for help over the past few years, the confident and strangely engaging opportunist who always gave just enough to be helpful but always made sure he got something in return. No, this was the side that Todd has always chosen to hide; the cold, arrogant, brutal wraith commander with his own deadly agenda and Sheppard knew he was going to have to do some pretty sharp thinking on his feet to deal with this situation. He instinctively took a deep breath but before he could come up with a suitable response, Todd turned and walked back to his underling.

"Search them for hidden weapons and tracking devices. Then take them to the hive." Both wraith turn their heads to look back at their new captives. "But mind you watch them carefully. They are not to be trusted. Especially the Satedan."

Sheppard quickly found his voice. "Hey, just wait a min..."

But it was too late, Todd was gone. Sheppard and his team were now under the control of an unknown wraith who viewed his captives with the familiar contemptuous sneer and clearly saw an opportunity to regain his commander's favour by following his orders to the tee.