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Chapter 17 - No Rest for the Weary
Dr Newall found it was easy to find what he needed once he was inside the Ancient lab on P3X-778.
When he had been there the day before with his team he had not seen anything. However, the device in his hand showed him the way and he crouched down in the centre of the empty room.
He waved his right hand over the bare floor and a pillar identical to those he had used on Atlantis rose up.
He knew he did not have very much time to set up his trap. He already knew that the lure he had devised was working and the other Jumper chasing him had followed so predictably.
Newall sighed in relief as he lifted up the ZPM and the centre of the pillar opened. He slotted it inside and placed his hand on top of the small structure.
He instantly forgot about his tiredness, hunger and dry throat as soon as he interfaced with the device. He felt the systems in the whole structure as they powered on. The feeling of control was not quite as intoxicating as it had been on Atlantis, but there was something he was unfamiliar with at the periphery of his mind.
He pushed the strange sensation to one side and worked quickly to familiarise himself with the systems.
Nodding in satisfaction he raised the shield but left a small panel accessible. He knew McKay would try and use it to get inside.
He watched as four life signs made there way through the forest and then stood outside the structure.
McKay's fake ATA gene shone out brightly in mockery on the sensors, which Newall had calibrated to pick out with no more than a thought.
He was angry when he saw another figure between the shield and his target, but knew it was Ronon. The pesky Satedan was trying to make Newall's plan fail.
He quickly reconfigured the shield to pass through Ancient gene carriers and snagged Rodney inside; grateful that Sheppard was clear. He then dragged McKay inside the corridor and widened the shield again to trap his team outside along with any chance for the man's salvation.
Newall watched as his final trap was sprung. McKay had nowhere to go and no panels or Ancient technology he could use. It was just the man alone now and he no longer had any genius plans to hide behind.
As predictably as ever, McKay approached Newall in the corridor.
Newall unholstered the gun he had taken from the Jumper and held it in his left hand. He pointed it unwaveringly at the open door he knew his victim was about to walk through. He had to keep his right hand on the pillar to make sure the shield remained operational until McKay was dead.
The moment Rodney walked through the door; Newall squeezed the trigger quickly three times. He cursed his lousy aim while using his non-dominant hand as one bullet missed, one sliced across McKay's right thigh and the other slugged him in the left side. Newall had been aiming for the man's head.
Blood flew out behind Rodney from his leg as he fell down and lay unmoving on his side on the ground.
Newall watched with grim satisfaction as McKay's blood flowed out onto the floor and began to spread in a pool around him. He checked the life sign readings and saw that Rodney was still alive, but losing blood at the rate he was; it would not be very much longer until Newall could finally relinquish his control; his task completed.
Newall shrugged after a few seconds of watching the bleeding and dying man and turned back to the device. He was curious about what this lab did that was so different to Atlantis and wanted to know the cause of the nagging feeling deep inside him since he had linked.
He took no more heed of McKay and left him where he had fallen as he was distracted by the device.
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon stood beyond the shield and watched helplessly as Rodney went over to the entrance of the lab and tried to find a way to get back to them.
Sheppard's heart sank when he saw his friend turn to him with wide frightened eyes and then close them tightly as if steeling himself for some imminent terrible event that only he knew about. The question on John's lips did not even get a chance to be spoken before it was answered.
Ronon roared as they watched Rodney being pushed into the structure by the shield. A yelp escaped from the scientist, but was quickly silenced by the door which shut behind him hiding him from his team-mates.
They watched as the shield shimmered and then expanded to once again cover the entire lab.
Ronon ran forwards and slammed his shoulder into the shield at full tilt. Making no headway, he backed up slightly and tried again.
Sheppard grabbed Ronon's other shoulder when he stepped back for another pass at the unyielding shield. "Easy big guy! We can't get through."
Teyla was standing still in shock and looked between both men. Her face was a mask of worry, "How are we going to get to Rodney?"
"Was trying…" Ronon grunted as he attempted to break free from Sheppard's grip to charge the shield again.
"And it won't do anything for him except break your shoulder!" Sheppard said.
Teyla pinched her features together and looked at the shield preventing them from getting to Rodney. "We could check the outer edge and see if there is another way inside."
Sheppard sighed, "It's at times like these we really need McKay. I don't like the idea of him being stuck in there with such a dangerous man. He'll probably be able to find a way out on his own eventually, but we have to try something."
Ronon nodded and stopped struggling. They split up and Sheppard went with Teyla as Ronon went the other way to skirt the entire perimeter of the shield and check for openings or weaknesses they could use to rescue their annoying, but brilliant team-mate.
Sheppard was a quarter of the way around the shield, uselessly poking it with the tip of his P90 every metre or so, when there was the unmistakable sound of muffled gunfire from the structure.
Sheppard's heart leapt up into his throat in fear of what might have just transpired. He prayed that it had been McKay firing the shots, but planned for the worst.
Teyla looked back at him with wide eyes, "Rodney…"
Sheppard shook his head, "We don't know that yet. Let's keep trying."
She nodded and they sped up in their futile attempt to break through the barrier.
A sense of numb cold permeated Rodney as his black world faded to a dull grey.
He soon wished for the darkness to consume him once more as he felt an unrelenting pain building up in his left side as he floated closer to regaining consciousness.
He could feel his heart pounding weakly in his chest and a light-headedness he usually only felt when he had forgotten to eat for too long. This time it scared him more than he had ever known.
Rodney remembered what had happened as his brain suddenly engaged. He had been shot! He could feel the dampness on his leg and side and he knew with more certainty than he had ever felt before that he was probably going to die. Judging by the continual agony assailing him which was still growing towards a fearful peak he dreaded, he also knew that it was not going to be a peaceful or pleasant way to go.
He could feel that he was lying on his side on the cold and hard ground. He slowly moved his arms across himself and clamped them down on his abdomen as hard as he dared. His tac vest got in the way and he knew that his very life was still rapidly draining out onto the floor despite his strongest efforts to keep it inside.
His bruised ribs were almost forgotten as the more intense sensation of the trauma from the bullet wounds superseded them.
He desperately moved his hands down to the gaping hole in his side and tried to press them against the injury more securely.
He cursed and drew a shuddering breath as the tac vest still blocked all his efforts to keep himself alive for just few more precious minutes.
He knew he needed to somehow unzip and get rid of the vest so that he could create an adequate seal when he clamped his hand over the horrendous wound.
He wondered how much pain a person could endure and knew that he was having more than his fair share at the moment. A fire was rapidly spreading out inside his belly from the location of the bleeding wound and it began to fan frighteningly up towards his heart. It made his breathing hitch and his pulse sped up to hammer against his ribs in panic. He tasted burning metal and acid in the back of his throat that made his gag feebly, which only resulted in redoubling the agony.
He knew he was seriously hurt and in big trouble. He wished Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon were there to help him. Although right now he knew the only person who would really be able to do anything for him was Carson. Something was very wrong inside him, as the bullet had obviously done a lot of damage as it had torn into him. The small piece of metal had deeply lodged itself somewhere in his abdomen. He could feel himself weakening as he bled out inside and onto the floor.
After what felt like an eternity of misery and agony he decided to finally open his eyes to find out what his merciless attacker was up to.
Rodney squinted blearily across the room. He had fallen facing Dr Newall and saw the man standing in front of a pillar with a hand resting on top. Rodney frowned as he noticed Newall's hand was glowing and bathed his pale face in an eerie hue.
Rodney realised that Newall had left him where he had fallen on the floor and was ignoring him; thinking he was dead. Like an enemy soldier on a battlefield. Rodney suddenly felt terribly cold and lonely in his pain. His chest tightened in sadness as he longed for the company of his friends and not the mad person who had caused his anguish.
Tears of pain stung the corners of Rodney's eyes as he watched and he blinked them away. He started to shudder in the cold which gripped his heart and threatened to drag him away from awareness once more. He gasped as brand new waves of agony rolled through him.
Rodney drew a shaking hand up to his face and marvelled in dismay at how his bright red blood had soaked through the white bandage which was still wrapped around it. He then moved it down and pressed it over his other hand still firmly gripping his left side.
Newall heard the pained sounds escaping from McKay's lips and turned his dark circled and crazed eyes to look down at the vulnerable man. Rodney saw the unmerciful and unfeeling glare in the man's face and was even more afraid than he had been a few minutes ago.
Newall drew the gun up and pointed it at Rodney's chest. McKay closed his eyes and turned away. There would be no respite this time. Newall was going to kill him and he knew he was far too weak to survive another hit.
Rodney now realised in hindsight that waking up the previous morning had been a bad call. The day had only gone from bad to worse at every turn. Now, to top it all, he was going to die.
The shot did not come though and Rodney risked facing his attacker again. He still had to know, "Why?" He asked through gritted teeth.
Newall was still aiming his gun squarely at Rodney's chest and he pondered the question for a few seconds. Blinking slowly he spoke in a croaking whisper, "You don't know when to quit do you? If you had accepted the fact that you were beaten earlier, then I wouldn't have to kill you now."
Rodney's blood starved brain and agony wracked body made it difficult for him to think so he opted for the easy way out; "What the hell are you talking about?"
Newall's next words were spoken in a harsh whisper, which made Rodney frown, "My only intention was to test the device. When I realised the power I had I knew there was one thing I needed to do, so I set about to kill Perkins. But you," he waved the gun threateningly which made Rodney flinch, "You always have a solution for everything don't you!"
Newall's breath came in harsh gasps as he glared at the defenceless scientist lying on the floor in front of him.
Rodney's frown deepened and then realisation dawned on him. He muttered, "There's water in my rucksack, but I left it in the corridor. Looks like you'll die too if you don't get it."
"Quiet!" Newall tried to shout and his face was open in an expression made by a person yelling in rage, but it fell flat as he could still barely whisper. He was infuriated at the brave selflessness Rodney showed, even to the man who had hurt him so badly.
The weak rush of blood past Rodney's ears made it difficult to hear anything Newall was saying and his vision was clouding over again so he could barely lip-read.
Newall leered down at Rodney as he saw the man finally beginning to lose his battle with consciousness as more blood flowed out between the fingers pressed over his side. The wound on his leg bled freely with nothing to cease the flow.
McKay gazed blearily at the barrel of the gun still pointing at him, "Perkins tried to kill me, something about Dr Li and that off world mission that went wrong."
Newall frowned as his strength started to flag and he stumbled away from the pillar towards Rodney. His face was filled with dangerous madness as he crouched down next to the stricken scientist and prodded him with the end of the gun. "Dr Li was supposed to be mine. I wished only for Perkins to die…"
Rodney cried out as Newall's actions made him shift slightly. He furrowed his brow and screwed his eyes tightly closed as new pains assaulted him from his leg and side. The agony in his side continued to radiate up into his chest to an almost unbearable level.
He knew of nothing for a few seconds as he held his breath and stiffened up; anything to try and stop the pain.
He sighed after a minute when his brain slowly started working again and tried to make sense of what Newall was telling him.
Suddenly it dawned on him. He thought that Newall would be surprised that he was able to figure it out, but then everyone always made the same assumption about Rodney. But he knew that he was not heartless or made of stone, although most people probably saw him that way. Nor was he oblivious to the feelings of others although he had long ago learnt to place a seal over his heart to try and block it out.
"So this is just about payback for your rejection?" His voice took on a sarcastic tone before he could stop it, "Oh poor you! I feel really sorry! But you don't have to go around killing people because of a love triangle and petty jealousy." He finished incredulously.
He quickly silenced himself as Newall glared at him and prodded him with the gun again. His survival instinct had taken over and he had always been a firm believer in avoiding pain where at all possible and was not doing a very good job by infuriating the man holding his life in the balance.
Rodney thought Newall had probably been off the deep end before he was torn apart by jealousy anyway. He made a mental note to make sure the SGC tightened up the psych screening process. He then remembered that he would never be able to deliver it now and frowned as he resigned himself to his fate.
Newall just blinked at him tiredly as Rodney felt all awareness slipping away from him. He knew he was in a bad way and once again wished that his last ever conversation had not been with the madman who had killed him for such a pointless reason.
Rodney closed his eyes and felt a slight vibration on the floor as a figure slumped down on the ground next to him. He fought valiantly against the bleak tide of darkness washing over his tired mind, but it was unstoppable and he soon lost his tenuous grip on consciousness once more.
TBC
A/N – another interesting aside - this chapter heading came from a game (Call of Duty 4), as did 'Tricks and Traps' (Doom 2) and 'The End of the Road' (The Darkness).