"Kid looks like he's about to either burst into tears, faint, or pee his pants." Ryan muttered, stepping into the small observation room. He closed the door behind him and moved up to the one-way glass. Standing between John and Evan, he joined them in staring at Liam Shannon, who was sitting alone in the SGC interview room.
Evan didn't answer, and he refused to feel sorry for the kid.
"You tell him why you brought him in?" John asked, glancing over at Ryan.
"No." Ryan shook his head. "And he didn't ask. Came willingly. Hasn't said a word other than to ask to speak to his brother."
"Well, that's not about to happen." Evan muttered, knowing that at this exact moment, Lieutenant Jamie Shannon was in custody and being questioned by Richard Woolsey on Atlantis.
"Not that brother." Ryan handed John a folder. "Their oldest. Major Ian Shannon. Currently assigned to SG-12. Been off world for the last two weeks on a humanitarian mission to PR2-775. Marks is bringing him down now."
"There's three?" Evan leaned over to scan through the file as John flipped the pages.
"Commendation after commendation." John nodded, impressed. "According to this, he's one hell of a Marine."
Marks shrugged. "If you'd have asked me yesterday, I'd have said there was no way any of the Shannon boys were involved in anything illegal. Their family has been career military for generations, and not a bad apple among them."
"Until now." Evan glanced through the glass at Liam, who was sitting wide-eyed in his chair, nervously biting his fingernails.
John handed the folder back to Ryan, and turned towards the glass. "Kid can't be more than eighteen."
Ryan shrugged. "Hell, kids are killing kids these days. Age means nothing."
Evan kept silent. Death didn't care how old you were. All Death wanted was the job done.
The door opened and Marks stepped in, leading the way for a large Marine, still dressed in his BDU's, but minus his weapons. Tall and lean, the Major surveyed the room with a glance, briskly saluted John, then dropped his hand and turned towards the glass.
"Do you know why you're here, Major?" John asked briskly.
Major Shannon nodded. "I do, Sir. And I can tell you straight up, Liam would never willingly participate in anything that would cause harm to human or country."
"Liam." Marks asked. "Not James?"
The Major turned his green eyes onto Marks and gave him a cold, hard stare. "It's not Jamie you've got sitting behind glass, is it?"
John shook his head. "Not here, no."
Major Shannon's eyes moved back to John, understanding flashing in their depths. He exhaled, then angled his head towards the interview room. "Is that why I'm here? You think I'm involved?"
"Are you?" Marks asked.
John held up his hand. "At the moment, Major, we don't know what to believe. We are aware of your record, and that you've been off world for the past two weeks. But that doesn't mean you didn't have prior knowledge. However… right now our primary concern is in the safety and well being of Dr. Keller, and the recovery of the Wraith enzyme. For that – we need your brother's cooperation. Cooperation he's unwilling to give, apparently, until he talks to you, first."
The Major nodded. "I understand."
"If he helps us get Dr. Keller back, unharmed," Marks reminded the Major. "The easier this will be if this goes in front of a tribunal. You help us, and we'll do everything we can to keep him out of prison."
"Prison?" Ian's eyes turned back to Marks. "Unless the rules have changed in the last two weeks, you'd need a hell of a lot more evidence to get him bumped up to an adult conviction."
"What?" Evan frowned.
Ian Shannon turned towards Evan. "He's fifteen years old."
All eyes turned to Liam. Evan stared. Ages with kids was hard enough to determine without having pre-defined notions put into your head. In the tailored business suit, the kid looked young. Sure. And the frightened expression on his face also made him appear even younger. But fifteen?
Marks grabbed the folder from Agent Ryan and flipped through the paperwork. "Say's here he's eighteen."
"Well what it says there is wrong." Ian said sharply.
"It's easy enough to check." Ryan said quickly.
"Then check it." Ian's eyes drilled into the Agent's.
Ryan nodded to marks and stepped to the back of the room, digging out his cell phone.
"If you've read my file," Ian said quietly, but with strength and conviction. "Then you know my family has been career military for as far back as we can trace our family tree. There's no way Liam… or Jamie… would be involved in anything that could potentially harm our country, or planet, or our family."
John took a deep breath and turned towards Major Shannon. "We need him to tell us everything he knows. And Major, if I find out either you, or your brother is lying to me…"
John left the threat unvoiced, but everyone knew from the look on Sheppard's face, it was not needed to be said aloud.
"Understood, Sir." Major Shannon nodded firmly, and followed John into the corridor.
Richard Woolsey stepped into the meeting room, and eyed Lieutenant James "Jamie" Shannon. The Lieutenant was seated on the opposite side of the table, his cuffed hands resting on the surface in front of him. Immediately behind the prisoner stood Lieutenant Edison and Captain Sanchez.
Turning towards Ronon, who'd followed him inside the room, Richard angled his head, and Ronon closed the door. Leaning against the wall next to the control panel, Ronon crossed his arms and stared unblinking at the Lieutenant.
Richard cleared his throat.
"Lieutenant Shannon. It is my understanding that you know exactly why you've been brought here under such… circumstances?"
Lieutenant Shannon nodded, his expression grave. He looked from Woolsey, to Ronon, then back to Woolsey. "I do, Sir."
"Very well." Richard pulled out a chair and sat down across from the Lieutenant. "Then why don't you begin by telling us why you stole the enzyme."
"But that's just it." The Lieutenant glanced nervously over his shoulder at Sanchez and Edison before turning back to Woolsey. "Like I tried to explain, Sir. I didn't steal it."
"Liar." Ronon growled, earning him a frown from Richard.
"Lieutenant." Richard tried again. "We already have your brother, Liam, in custody. He is, right now, spilling the beans, shall we say, to Colonel Sheppard."
"But he didn't do anything, wrong." Jamie started to stand, but was immediately shoved back down in his chair by Edison and Sanchez.
"Your brother helped facilitate the kidnapping of Dr. Keller." Woolsey said, staring directly across the table at the Lieutenant. "We have irrefutable proof, on video, of your brother's participation, and we have your fingerprints on the containment locker – a locker, which I might add, you do not have authority to access. Our only remaining question is to find out just how involved your eldest brother, Major Ian Shannon, is."
"Keep him out of this! Ian didn't do anything!" Jamie tried to stand again, but was held firmly in his chair. "Please, sir, you don't understand…" He pleaded.
Woolsey sat forward and clasped his hands. "Our primary concern is for the safe return of Dr. Keller."
"I don't know anything about what happened to Dr. Keller." Jamie shook his head, glancing warily at Ronon when the Satedan stepped forward.
"Leave me alone with him and I'll get you the answers." Ronon growled.
Richard held up his hand and waved Ronon off.
"Look." Jamie tried again, rubbing his face with his hand, the shackles clinking as he dragged his other arm up with it. "The enzyme is still here. I didn't remove it. I gave him an empty container. I told him he couldn't open it until I sent the access codes. But please, you have to listen to me-"
"Gave who the empty container?" Ronon interrupted
Lieutenant Shannon clenched his jaw, but didn't answer.
"Very well." Richard sighed. "We'll come back to that question. If you didn't remove it, then where is the enzyme?"
Jamie nodded quickly. "It's still in the storage area. I just moved it to another empty container." He tried to move again and was shoved back down. "I can show you. But you don't understand. Please, you have to help me!"
"Help you?" Richard blinked. "What do you think this is all about? You stand accused of treason, Lieutenant Shannon. That is-"
"No. Look…" The Lieutenant interrupted. "I don't care what you do to me. Lock me up. Send me back. Do whatever you need to do but please. But you have to help her…"
"Dr. Keller?" Richard frowned.
"Ella." Jamie whispered, the expression on his face torn with worry. He swallowed hard. "He's got Ella."
John opened the door to the interview room stepping in and to the side, making room for Major Ian Shannon to follow. As soon as Liam saw his brother he was up out of the chair and plastered against the front of the Major's BDU's. The two guards in the hallway stepped forward but John waved them off, and closed the door.
"Damn it, Liam." Ian swore. "What have you done?"
Liam promptly burst into tears.
In that instant John had absolutely no reason to believe the kid was anywhere near eighteen years old, because right now, wrapped around his older brother, bawling his eyes out, he looked about twelve.
"I'm sorry, Ian." Liam wailed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I didn't. I tried to reach you. I swear, I swear. But I couldn't stop him. I couldn't. They took her and I tried to get her back. I'm so sorry."
"Whoa, hey." The Major grabbed his brother by the upper arms and pulled him away from the front of his shirt. "Took who, Liam. Dr. Keller?"
Liam sniffed loudly and shook his head. "No… Yes…" He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hands. "Oh God, Ian… He killed Maria. Killed Maria and… and… and took Ella. Ella. Took Ella and said he'd kill her too if I didn't help him."
Ian Shannon released his brother and stepped back as though he'd been slapped.
"Who's Ella?" John asked, not liking the sudden change in the Major's appearance.
Ian's eyes hardened and his hands fisted at his side.
The door opened and Evan and Marks both stepped into the room.
"Who took her…" Ian's voice was so low it was barely audible.
"A man… a man named Michael Franks." Liam sniffed. "He said I should… should look him up… so I would know he-he-he was serious. He's a killer, Ian. He's a killer and he has Ella."
"Major Shannon. Who is Ella?" John asked again, this time louder.
Major Shannon hooked his arm around his kid brother and pulled him in against his shoulder. Then he turned slowly towards John, his jaw clenched as tightly as his fists.
"Our baby sister." He exhaled. "Ella Louise Shannon. She's only two and half years old."