Authors Note:
I've changed the rating of this story to M just because I keep feeling the need to put warnings at the beginning of chapters and thinking over the rest of the story I'll probably keep feeling that way ... so best to play it safe.
Chapter 7: I'm afraid this could be quite painful
Being left alone for so many hours was just another strange thing to add to all the other strange events of the past two days. I'd toured the whole bottom floor of the house, drawing the attention of the ten guards I'd counted on the premises but no one had approached me or spoken to me. The only time one of them had even acknowledged my presence was when I'd gotten too close to the front door. The nearest guard had just casually drawn his weapon and held it ready as he looked at me expressionlessly ... the impression being that he had orders to shoot me if I tried to escape. It was too soon ... I was a long way from being desperate enough to test out those orders so I'd found a place to retreat, although I was never out of the direct line of sight of at least one guard.
It was early evening before Brown appeared in the doorway of the library - my chosen hiding place - where I'd been pretending to read for the previous two hours.
"Don't tell me," I began reluctantly. "The blood results are in."
"Doctor Walker's waiting in the lab," Brown confirmed with a cruel smile.
I was nowhere near the point of just getting up and following along meekly – Brown knew it too because he didn't wait for me to get up. Instead he strode into the room, yanked the book out of my hands and threw it onto the table. Next thing I knew he was dragging me back down the hallway.
"Doesn't it bother you, what you're doing?" I pulled back hard on the arm he was holding, making him work for every step.
"Not particularly," Brown surprised me by replying. "From what Doctor Walker said there are enemies just waiting to get here and wipe us all out. One person suffering to make sure that doesn't happen is okay with me."
"The ends justifies the means?" I queried. "Even though that makes you just as bad as those enemies? No – actually it makes you worse because at least they've got the excuse of biological need."
Brown growled low in his throat but refrained from saying anything else, the tightening of his grip on my arm enough to broadcast his displeasure at my words. The rest of the trip to the lab was silent, as was the time it took for Brown and Walker to get me back up on that examination table, strapped in just like before.
"Your blood results were just as interesting as I'd hoped," Doctor Walker said conversationally, smiling down at me like I should be pleased about that. "Isolating the Wraith elements however was not as easy as I'd hoped."
"Maybe that's because your intel isn't as good as you think it is ... I mean, how can you be sure I even have Wraith DNA?" I tried to plant the seeds of doubt ... a long shot but maybe he'd feel the need to check his sources if I could create enough uncertainty. It wouldn't delay him much but maybe it would buy some time for John to find me.
"Oh I assure you my sources are very reliable," Walker replied, clearly amused by my attempt. "In fact I don't think you've made any friends at the IOA ... one member in particular seemed far too keen to volunteer you specifically to be a part of my bid for the Trust contract."
"You've bought someone on the IOA?" the fact surprised me deeply, as did the knowledge that I was only there because someone in a position of great trust had abused that position ... for money. It was disheartening and actually a little bit hurtful to think I'd been betrayed like that.
"Everyone is available for hire if the price is right," Walker confirmed before bringing everything back to his research. "As I said, the Wraith elements were difficult to isolate ... the serum I spent the past few months developing should have assisted in locating the Wraith parts of your DNA. Unfortunately it proved less than satisfactory in a test tube, forcing me to take a more direct route."
I raised my head as much as I could, trying to see what he was doing, feeling sick because I suspected I knew what he was going to do next.
"Please don't do this," I said softly, watching as he walked towards me with a syringe all ready to go. "You have no way of knowing what that will do to me."
"I expect it will seek out Wraith elements and place markers at the DNA level ," Walker replied casually. "We'll take another sample of your blood once it's had a chance to take effect and hopefully be able to extract enough Wraith DNA to begin synthesizing." He stood over me with an expression that had panic clawing in my throat, ready to get out if only I'd give it voice. He was enjoying this ... what's worse, he didn't see me as a human being – just a tool to help him win that contract. "I'm sorry my dear," he apologised with a smarmy smile. "I'm afraid this could be quite painful."
I turned my head away, resolutely focussing on the opposite wall as I felt the needle pierce my skin, delivering his serum in a painful rush of sensation. It didn't take long ... probably less than five minutes later I began to feel the effects.
At first it was just a kind of itching sensation – not on my skin, but inside where I couldn't get to it. The itching escalated into needles stabbing everywhere, making me twitch and groan despite my attempts to remain still and silent. The needles became daggers, and then the daggers fire that raged everywhere my blood flowed. I couldn't get away from it ... there was no part of me that wasn't affected. Even it that there were degrees though ... I could handle the sensations over arms and legs but inside my head, through my eyes? It was the worst pain I could imagine and it went on and on until I was screaming – not for it to stop but just because I couldn't not.
You'd think with that much pain my brain would have done me the service of just shutting me off for a while but something about having fire blood flowing through my head just made that switch unavailable. I was conscious for the whole thing, although not really aware when Walker got his precious blood samples and approached me with a new syringe.
"We have what we need for now," Walker commented to Brown. "This will neutralise the effects of the serum. After all it wouldn't do to damage our subject just yet. We may need to do this a number of times before I get what I require."
He might have injected something to turn off the first thing but it wasn't taking affect yet. I was still screaming, only peripherally aware when one of Walker's men appeared at the door, speaking to Walker in a low tone. I didn't catch what they were saying but the expression on Walker's face spoke volumes. He was majorly pissed about something - in fact he and Brown didn't even give me a second glance as they ran from the room, leaving me strapped to the table and still in agony.
I don't know how much time passed before I finally felt like I was beginning to return back to myself. It still hurt like a son of a bitch but I no longer needed to scream. That gave me mental space to start focussing on what was happening outside the room ... I could hear gunshots, automatic weapons fire and lots of shouting. And suddenly I knew.
John had found me.
Emotions swirled up inside as I began straining against my restraints. I knew that if John found me like that he'd have a meltdown and even though there was little chance I could get myself free I still had to try. By that stage I was crying in frustration, yanking at those restraints as hard as I could but they just wouldn't budge.
"Sabina," John stood in the doorway looking at me, his expression strangely blank and difficult to read.
"J – Jo – hn – n," I stuttered in a voice so far from my own as to be almost unrecognisable. My throat was raw from screaming, clogged up from crying and choppy because no matter how hard I tried to control it I was still twitching and shivering because of Walkers serum.
And then he was beside me, quickly undoing the restraints at my wrists and ankles before pulling me up and into his arms. I clung to him in a rigid hold, burying my head in that space beside neck and shoulder. John didn't say anything, just let me cry and shake and twitch while he anchored me.
"Sheppard," Ronon's voice came from the doorway. I looked up suddenly – I'd been so focussed on John I couldn't have told you whether he was alone or with a whole team of marines. "We've secured the ground floor but there are still men holed up on the second floor."
"Twelve," I stuttered out, meeting Ronon's eyes and hoping he'd understand the message I was trying to convey - that there were ten guards inside plus Walker and Brown.
"Six men on the second floor," Ronon revised, his expression a mix of approval and murderous rage. Whoever those six men were, they'd better hope someone other than Ronon came to apprehend them. Ronon continued when John nodded wordlessly. "Teyla questionned the ones we've captured ... none of them is Walker."
"Make sure they can't get off the second floor," John ordered. "I'll be there in a minute." Ronon nodded once, shot an unreadable glance my way, and then left us alone.
John returned all his attention back to me and I could see how torn he was. Part of him wanted to stay but the rest wanted to be out there exacting revenge on the people responsible. In the end it was the second part that was driving him the most. "I need to finish this ... can you hold on for just a little bit longer?"
Not trusting my voice I nodded an agreement. Now that he was there, now that I believed the whole nightmare was over, I found some of that core strength I'd lost during the day. Walker was still at large and although I hated to admit it to myself, that fact made me nervous - and all I wanted was for John to take care of everything so I'd stop feeling that way.
"Teyla" John radioed, giving her directions to the lab as soon a she responded. Neither of us spoke for the few minutes it took for Teyla to arrive.
Hugging me tightly for a few seconds John reluctantly pulled away. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised, gazing at me wordlessly for a moment before turning and running from the room.
Teyla said nothing at first, putting her P90 on the table so she could help me across to the nearest chair. Kneeling down in front of me she watched with concern for a few moments. "Are you well Sabina?"
"I don't k- know," I admitted, my voice finally almost stutter free. Not wanting to talk about that I quickly changed the subject. "How did you guys f-find me?"
"Doctor Walker had an informant inside the SGC," Teyla revealed. "Rodney was able to trace a call to this location."
"Did John -," I broke off, not sure what I wanted to ask.
"Rodney managed to bypass the security system on the front door," Teyla explained. "Our arrival from the air was quite ... loud and most of Walker's men had already retreated inside the house before Colonel Sheppard landed. We heard you screaming ... John proceeded immediately to your position, leaving Ronon and I, along with two teams of marines, to subdue Walker's forces. I believe Rodney is accessing the computer system as we speak."
"Oh," I frowned worriedly, "so John didn't confront any of Walker's men?" That put a different spin on things ... I'd assumed John had already had the chance to vent some of his anger breaking in and getting to me. The fact that he hadn't sent nerves charging through me ... God, what would he do if he was the one to find Walker?
"I assume he is confronting the rest of them as we speak," Teyla confirmed my own thoughts.
"I need to get out of here," I announced suddenly, already dragging myself to my feet.
"You should rest," Teyla advised, putting a hand under my elbow to steady me when I swayed dizzily.
"I should -,"
"Ah Ms Scott," Walker's voice greeted us from the doorway. "How nice that you're still with us."
Crap! I looked up to see him standing there, shiny gun pointing right at us. Teyla's abandoned P90 sat on the table out of reach, mocking us for not being on guard as we should have.
"You surprise me," I ground out, letting my anger crowd out the nerves. "I would have thought a man like you would run away at the first gunshot."
"Ever the antagonist," Walker took a few steps into the room, keeping the gun trained on both Teyla and I. "I decided some insurance was warranted to guarantee my safe departure."
"Of course," I kept my eyes on Walker instead of the doorway where John had silently reappeared.
"Please move away from your friend," Walker ordered. "I will kill her if you don't cooperate."
"Okay," I agreed easily, closing the distance and putting myself between Teyla and the point of Walker's gun. "What now?"
"Now you come with me," Walker smiled confidently. He gestured with the gun for me to get moving. That's when I deliberately looked straight at John, knowing Walker wouldn't be able to resist turning to see what I was looking at.
He took his eyes off me for a second. I didn't give him a chance to register John's presence, using his moment of inattention to snap a high kick at his wrist that sent his gun flying. Of course I wasn't really up to that level of activity and the pain radiating all over me when I landed had me groaning weakly.
Walker was fully focussed back on me, anger pulsing off him as he used my less than stellar condition to make a grab at me.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," John's voice was deadly and sure, his own weapon now pointed at the back of Walker's head. Walker froze, realising my glance behind him hadn't actually been a ruse after all.
"Colonel Sheppard I presume," he sneered mockingly. "Just in time to witness the end of your girlfriend's life but not in time to save her."
John shot a worried glance at me ... I shook my head, letting him know without words that I was okay, that Walker was just bluffing – well at least I hoped he was bluffing. John's response was to press the butt of his gun harshly into Walker's head.
"Nice try," he drawled. "I'm sure your future cellmates will find you particularly entertaining."
"There is nowhere you can send me where money will not buy my release," Walker laughed smugly. "Given your own background I'm sure you can appreciate the power my resources command."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you," John retorted. I deliberately smiled a smug smile of my own, right in Walkers line of sight because surely he had no idea of how far away from his money and his thugs we could send him.
"There are other ... personal favours one can bestow with the right incentive," Walker shifted tack, sharing a conspiratory glance with me. "Something your girlfriend appreciates ... isn't that right Sabina?"
I felt the red haze of anger swamping me when I worked out what he meant. He was suggesting to John that I'd tried to bargain my way out of there with sexual favours. That slimy scumbag bastard! Charging forward I was brought up short when Teyla grabbed me from behind, holding me back.
"No," she said in that low commanding voice she uses. I struggled to break free but she was too strong.
The sound of John's gun cocking was loud enough to stop everything.
"I was already this close to pulling the trigger," John spoke in a harsh quiet tone, snapping his fingers sharply in Walker's ear.
Walker froze, his expression suggesting he hadn't expected that response – did he really believe John would be taken in by the crap he was spinning?
"The only thing stopping me was not making a mess in front of Sabina. But now? Take a look Walker," John taunted. "Sabina looks like she'd kind of enjoy the show – doesn't she?"
"You won't shoot me in cold blood in front of witnesses," Walker wasn't quite as confident now.
"What witnesses?" John laughed harshly, pushing Walker down to his knees and pressing his gun firmly to Walker's temple.
Author's Note:
Thank you to apishcan18 for pointing out that noise really stands out when you're somewhere deserted like Walker's ranch. I put Teyla's ref to that in this chapter to fix that oversight ... I would totally have missed it and then you'd all be there going 'how is John going to sneak up on Walker in a huge and very noisy helicopter!'
Next Up? Fortunate Journey Season 4 Chapter 8