And the plot thickens.
Disclaimer: Don't own SGA, the characters, etc.
He was expecting Chief Weir and instead he finds himself facing the Chief, Lt. Bates, Woolsey, Dr. McKay, and Special Agent Dex.
"Please have a seat, Sgt. Sheppard." Weir seems unusually tense.
He takes a seat next to Dex. "Someone want to tell me what's going on?"
The chief is the first to speak. "Can you tell me whereabouts of—"
"If you still think that Teyla—"
"Michael Kenmore," Weir finishes.
John looks around. "Kenmore, what does he have to do with anything."
Rodney clears his throat and Weir gives him a nod to continue. "I managed to retrieve enough of the file for a rendered image." He hits a button on his tablet and a picture appears on the big screen.
He recognizes the cowboy boots and the blurred face. His heart starts to pound and pushes his chair back.
"Sgt. Sheppard, stay where you are." Weir commands. "Where is Michael Kenmore."
He can't think. The only thing he can think of is "With Teyla." That son of a bitch.
"Where."
The warrant, he had just looked at it earlier. "Harding," he says, "Harding, they got a warrant to search his place, he's a suspect in a robbery."
"I'm on it," Dex is on his feet. "You got an address?"
"Yeah, I'll drive."
Dex pauses, his gaze goes to Weir.
"No," the Chief says. Her knuckles turn white as she clasps her hands together. "John…there's a lot about this that you don't know."
"It can wait."
This time it's Ronon who speaks. "Trust me, you need to hear it. I can handle Michael."
It wouldn't be the first time that he's disobeyed an order, but he stays.
"Sgt. Sheppard," for the first time since he's met her, Chief Weir doesn't look entirely confident. "I'm sure that you remember that I was the one who had Officer Kenmore transferred to your team."
"You mean when you assigned him to my team without consulting me first."
She doesn't flinch. "Michael Kenmore is part of the Wraith. Ronon Dex received word of a possible mole in the SFPD and McKay was able to find incriminating information."
John doesn't like where this is going. "So what exactly are you saying?"
It's Bates who answers. "We knew that it was only a matter of time before Kenmore made a mistake that he couldn't cover up. We figured it would be a lot easier if we were able to keep track of him."
He feels his chest constrict and jaw tense. "You put a member of the Wraith on my team and didn't bother to tell me."
Weir holds her ground. "We couldn't tell you, John. We couldn't risk Michael finding out that he had been made."
"Great, that worked out just great. Because now Teyla's out there alone with him and she doesn't know."
"As far as Michael knows, no one suspects him." Bates is insistent.
"Michael knew what McKay was working on. You really think that he isn't smart enough to figure it out, that he's just going to come waltzing back in here." He shakes his head. "I'm not going to just sit back and let this play out when a member of my team is out there. You knowingly put her in danger," John's voice has risen slightly. "Come on Elizabeth, I would have expected it from Bates. But you?"
Her cool expression doesn't waver. "It's Chief Weir, Sergeant. And I'm sorry, but I can't let you go out there."
"Excuse me?"
"Did you really think that you were fooling anyone, Sheppard?" Bates jumps in.
He has no idea what he's talking about. Rodney averts his gaze. "I swear that if you accuse me of being part of the Wraith, I'll hand in my badge right now. This isn't the Salem Witch Trials."
"You are aware of the policy stating that relations between a senior officer and anyone of lower rank, is strictly forbidden?"
"Forbidden? Really, Woolsey, what century is this."
"It is grounds for dismissal," Woolsey follows up. "I notice that you did not bother to deny it."
John snorts. "Because it's ridiculous, I never had 'relations' with anyone on the force."
Rodney shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "What," John snaps.
"You didn't exactly try to conceal it very well," Bates says, smirking. "The armory has cameras, Sgt. Sheppard."
"I'm not discussing this with you."
"There's a reason for every rule. Relationships cloud judgment; you could put yourself and everyone else in danger if you go out there," Weir tries to be the voice of reason.
John isn't having it. "I don't like what you're insinuating. Officer Emmagen and I have a strictly professional relationship."
Weir shakes her head. "I'm sorry, John. Lorne's team is assisting Ronon."
"Right." John leans back. "Am I dismissed, then?"
Weir looks to Bates. "For now, but we aren't finished."
John is at the door when he pauses. "What you're talking about, what happened in the armory, that was years ago. Why not say anything then?"
"Because" Weir sighs, "I know you. And I knew that you would…handle it."
He feels their eyes boring into his back on his way out. They know. They have to know. He's not going to sit around when a member of the Wraith has one of his team.
"Sheppard!" Rodney pants as he jogs to catch up. "You're going after her, aren't you."
"What do you think?"
"I think I'm coming with you."
John pauses. "You know that we'll be disobeying orders."
"I'm aware of that."
"And that we're not going to have jobs afterwards."
Rodney laughs. "Speak for yourself; you know that they can't replace me."
John shakes his head and slaps his friend on the shoulder. "That's the spirit."
"You know," Rodney says as he slides into John's passenger seat. "I never did like Michael."