Remember, Never to Forget---23
Suduko's anger had finally given way to regret and he knew he had lost the opportunity to capture Shazzia, but he would never give up trying. Shazzia deserved to die for what she'd put people through, what she'd put him through and someday his dream of killing her would come true.
"Suduko, my friend, there's nothing more we can do here."
"I know, Trazdia," Suduko reluctantly agreed and strode away from the dead end. "Let's blow this place out of the sky!"
"You got it," Trazdia said and turned to see Wallace handing out C4 to not only his own men, but Trazdia's as well. If Suduko was right the explosive would take care of everything and leave nothing but space debris in its place. "Make sure you place them where my engineers indicated or there won't be enough damage to destroy this place."
"We will," Wallace assured him with no malice. He'd come to respect Trazdia and Suduko and their men and conceded to their expertise of the fortress. He took several men with him as they began laying down the explosives and hoped the engineers were right.
Suduko felt a hand on his shoulder and took comfort in his friend's presence as they turned and followed Suduko away from Shazzia's chambers. The woman was about to lose something she loved and he hoped it would dampen her spirit and force her to make mistakes. He knew she had an ally in Domitar and that he was probably the only one who could and would offer her a haven until she was able to rebuild her fortress, but Suduko vowed that would not happen.
"We'll find her, My Friend," Trazdia vowed, shaken by the look on the other man's face. Somehow he would keep that vow and release Suduko from the bonds that bound him to the High Priestess.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Ronan eased Rodney onto the seat in the Jumper while Teyla reached for the first aid kit. Since the first time she'd used it when John Sheppard was attacked by the Iratus Bug, Teyla had become familiar with the instruments and how to use them. She knew McKay was probably suffering from a concussion amongst other things and understood how dangerous head injuries were.
"Rodney, do you have any blurred vision?"
"Some," the Canadian answered honestly.
"Headache?"
"No thanks…already have one," McKay told her.
"Why don't you lie down and close your eyes?" Teyla suggested.
"We need to find Sheppard."
"We will, Rodney, but right now we need to take care of you," Teyla told him and reached for the blanket Ronan held out to her. She quickly covered him to his waist and felt him relax as she touched his forehead. "Sleep, Rodney…"
"So ti…tired," McKay whispered softly before giving to the combination of exhaustion and relief that swept over him.
"We should take him back to Atlantis," Ronan suggested.
"I do not think that would be the wisest choice for Rodney or John. Something tells me when we find John he is going to need Rodney and Rodney will need John."
"There are times when they seem to need each other," Ronan offered.
"They have shown that need from the beginning, yet I do not believe either of them sees it that way," Teyla explained as Lorne and the rest of his team joined them in the jumper.
"Teyla, make sure Rodney's secure," Lorne ordered as he took the pilot's seat. "Hank says they're ready to use the C4."
Teyla quickly secured the Canadian before taking the seat beside Lorne while Ronan took the one directly behind her. It wasn't long before they were flying away from the fortress and the sky lit up with the force of a powerful explosion.
"Brace yourselves for a shockwave!" Lorne ordered. He knew the inertial dampeners would protect them from the worst of it, but anything could happen during an explosion of this magnitude. It lasted for several long minutes, an eternity to those on board the Jumper.
"Is everyone okay?" Teyla was the first to find her voice and was relieved when there seemed to be no new injuries. "Take us back to Suduko's home."
"Are you sure, Teyla?" Lorne asked.
"Yes, I don't think Rodney would want to go back to Atlantis without John," Teyla explained.
"Teyla's right, Major," Ronan said and knew they could easily be endangering McKay's life, but it was a chance he would want them to take and one she hoped would lead them to Colonel John Sheppard.
SGASGASGASGASGA
John opened his eyes and looked around, but found it hard to concentrate as he tried to bring the room into focus. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, John realized he was alone in Hawk's chambers. The bed was unmade, and empty, and John sat up, searching for his captor, but finding only emptiness as his sole company.
John reached for the chain attached to his collar and was shocked to find it was no longer in place. What was going on? Why had Hawk released him? Was this another test to see if he would make another escape attempt? Hell, yes, but John really didn't give a damn. He had no idea why, but he knew it was part of what made him who he was. Somehow, someway, that would be his saving grace.
John would find his way home, find his friend…find Rodney and when he did that he would be safe and nothing would hurt him if he could just find Rodney. God help him, but he needed Rodney…why? That was a question whose answer evaded him, yet it was the one thing that kept him going. Another name came to him, Carson; yet again he could not remember who he was, or why he was so important to him.
John stood up and shook off the wave of nauseating dizziness that threatened to engulf him. He grabbed for the edge of the bed as his legs bent and managed to stay on his feet. He rubbed at his eyes and waited for things to solidify once more before releasing the bed and staggering toward the door.
John took a deep breath and reached for the handle, amazed when the locking mechanism didn't kick in and the door swung open at his touch. He stood framed in the open doorway as a white light bathed him in a warmth he'd never felt before. It didn't take long for his instincts to kick in and he stepped into the hallway. He knew which way he had to go and straightened his body before leaning against the wall and slowly moving away from the room.
John listened for any sign that he was no longer alone; relieved when there was no sound to indicate his escape had been detected. Instincts kicked in and he stayed to the shadows as if born to stealth and the need to remain undetectable. He had no idea how much time passed since his discovery of being alone, but with each second that ticked by he was certain he would be discovered.
John used his previous experiences to make his way along the corridor and hoped his new memories were as clear as they seemed. There were several branches leading in four different directions and he closed his eyes as he tried to remember which one led to the docking bay. There was no doubt in his mind that he could activate and fly one of the vessels kept there, it was just a matter of reaching the bay and taking one.
John reached the corner of one branch and chanced a quick glance, relieved to find it deserted. He quickly moved into it and slid along the wall as he checked both directions for any sign of life. The hallway was conspicuously absent and he continued along it until he reached the door to the docking bay.
John knew this was it, the turning point in his captivity as his hand reached out for the keypad. God help him, but he hoped he'd been right when he memorized the symbols Hawk had used.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Hawk watched as his captive made his way through the corridors, amazed at how easily he found his way through the maze of tunnels. The man had perfect recall, and that was something he'd counted on, but John was about to fail a test he'd set up and for that he would be punished.
Hawk had been watching his captive from the moment he'd left his chambers in hopes that John would prove him wrong. Somehow he'd thought John would realize he was being given an opportunity to have a little freedom, but instead he was about to ensure his captivity would remain a guarded one. He turned to find Kudrone watching him with sorrow in his eyes.
"Hawk, it will kill him," Kudrone warned.
"He has proven he cannot be trusted, Kudrone, and will be punished for what he's done," Hawk warned as he stood up to leave.
"Wait, Hawk, look!" Kudrone said hopefully.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Something just didn't feel right, and John's hand stopped in midair. His mind slowly wandered back over the events that had taken place in his life since Hawk had purchased him from Shazzia. Was this some kind of test? Was Hawk watching him, waiting for him to make some kind of escape attempt?
John moved his hand back as if burned and stood still for several long seconds. He had the distinct impression he was being watched, being tested and turned away from the door. There would be other times when he could test his instincts, but right now he needed to stay on Hawk's good side until he had a plan. He turned and headed back down the corridor and returned to Hawk's chambers to await his return.
SGASGASGASGASGA
"Did you see that, Hawk?"
"I saw it, Kudrone," Hawk said softly.
"You should feel good about that…it proves…"
"It proves nothing, Kudrone. The fact that John tried to escape is something he should be punished for."
"What about his decision to return to your quarters? Shouldn't that count for something?"
"It does…it will not get him killed," Hawk snapped. "John will be punished, but he will live to talk about it and he will understand that mistakes get him punished. It is the only way he will learn to…"
"Be your obedient slave, Hawk? Do you really want him to lose his spirit? Isn't that what drew you to him in the first place?"
"Spirit like that can get a man killed."
"Yes, it can, but it's also what keeps a man alive and fighting. He is so much like you…twin spirits."
"Not twin spirits, Kudrone, John is beta to my Alpha."
"Perhaps, but you are more equal than you realize."
"You should remember your place, Kudrone, or you will find your position is not as strong as you think," Hawk warned. "Contact the others and tell them I have something special in mind and would like to meet them in the underground chambers in two cycles."
"You can't mean…"
"It is time I proved to John it is time to bend his stiff neck," Hawk said and abruptly left the room.
SGASGASGASGASGA
"Rodney…"
"Hmm," the Canadian mumbled, flicking at the hand that touched his cheek.
"Rodney, come on or do I let Ronan carry you inside?" Teyla asked as the man continued to grumble.
"What…no, no, I can walk," McKay said, eyes widening as he felt the Setedan's hand on his arms.
"You sure?" Ronan asked with a grin.
"I'm sure…just give me some clothes," the Canadian ordered.
"Well…see that could be a problem," Lorne teased. "We seem to be all out of anything in your size."
"Major, do not pick on a man when he is down," Teyla said, but couldn't suppress the grin that appeared.
"I wasn't, Teyla, it's the truth. There's nothing here to…"
"Oh, for the love of…"
"Easy, Rodney, I am sure Major Lorne will find you something or give up his own uniform for a man in need," Teyla said.
"Oh, look what I found," Lorne said. "I wonder where that came from."
"Must be the clothes fairy," Rodney spat and grabbed the clothing from the man's hands. "Now would you all mind givin me some privacy?"
"Are you sure, Rodney?" Teyla asked. "I could stay to help you…"
"No, thanks, Teyla, but I can handle it from here," McKay said and waited for the others to leave.
"Call me if you need me, Rodney," Teyla said before joining the others outside the Jumper,
Rodney sat up, ignoring the mounting headache as he pushed the blanket off. He let his mind wander back over the events of the last few months and the disappearance of John Sheppard. The colonel had proven time and again how resilient he was when something happened to one of his team or anyone on Atlantis for that matter. Sheppard was the glue that held them all together and Rodney believed that he could find him; it was just a matter of time.
"Rodney, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Teyla, just give me another minute," McKay answered and finished dressing before moving to the open hatch and stepping out into the bring morning sunshine. He stood where he was, enjoying the intoxicating scents that permeated the area before letting the sorrow wash it all away.
"We'll find him, Rodney."
"I know we will, Teyla, but what if what we find is no longer the man we know?"
"Then we'll simply have to work to bring him all the way back," Teyla told him. She walked at his left side, not surprised when Ronan moved to his right side and they made their way to Suduko's home.
TBC