John shifted in his chair, watching the townspeople wandering in and out of the saloon, and tried to ignore his aching foot. Just bruises, he told himself. If you aren't bleeding, it's not that bad.
The swinging doors flapped, and John glanced up, expecting to see the boy returning with Doctor Mitchell. Instead, he saw a man and a woman walk into the saloon and sit at the bar. John relaxed and leant back in his chair.
Maybe the kid couldn't find him, John thought with a relieved grunt. The delay was fine by him. With Ronon and McKay captured, he had more important things to worry about. As far as he was concerned, a bruised foot wasn't a high priority.
"Colonel," Teyla said, leaning forward with a concerned expression.
"I'm fine," John replied, stifling a groan as he shifted again. "Plan A is not going to work. We need to come up with a plan B. Some way to rescue Ronon and McKay, not to mention those townspeople Kade kidnapped. Tell me about the layout of the camp again."
Teyla studied him for a moment, then sat back in her chair. "The camp is in an open area in the hills above Dakan. The stockade is built under a lip of the mountain on the opposite side of the camp from the trailhead. More than a dozen tents house Kade's men and are between the trailhead and the stockade."
"Guards?"
"One man guarding the trailhead. Three more watched the stockade. I was not there long enough to learn how or when they change the detail guarding the stockade."
John grimaced.
"Exactly," Teyla said. "I do not believe we can reach the stockade undetected. Even without the guards, we would need to fight Kade's entire force to reach them."
"What if you had some help?" Logan asked and sat in the chair across from John.
"Are you offering?" John asked.
Logan jerked his head in a stiff nod. "I am. And some of the other boys might be willing to go too." He paused and studied John. "Assuming you have another plan."
"I'm working on it," John replied.
Rance walked over to the table with two plates and two mugs on a tray. He set the plates of meat and vegetables in front of John and Teyla, passed over the beer mugs, and dropped silverware on the table. "Get you something, Logan?"
"Beer," Logan replied. "And maybe some of that bovine." He nodded at John's plate.
"Sure thing," Rance replied.
John ate a few bites of his dinner and washed it down with a swallow of beer.
Rance returned a few minutes later with another plate and mug that he set in front of Logan. He fumbled in his shirt pocket, pulled out a key, and dropped it on the table next to John's plate.
"Room number five." Rance pointed at the corner of the balcony above them. "Room's got two beds," he added with a quick glance at Teyla.
"Thanks," John replied. He turned the key over in his hand, then tucked it into one of his vest pockets.
Rance gave Teyla a last look, then went back to the bar.
"So, what's this plan of yours?" Logan asked after they had been eating for a few minutes.
John swallowed a forkful of vegetables and said, "We can't take on Kade's men all at once. We're going to need some sort of distraction. Get some of them away from the main camp, deal with them quietly, then see how many are left."
"There is the Wraith cannon," Teyla suggested. "It is situated on a plateau perhaps a quarter of a mile below Kade's camp."
"Could work," John agreed.
"How?" Logan asked. "You said your man broke it."
John drank some of the beer and considered Logan's point. If Rodney had managed to sabotage the cannon, they wouldn't be able to fire it.
"How would you describe Kade?" Teyla asked Logan.
Logan shrugged. "Typical hot head. He and his buddies caused more than a little havoc during trading seasons when they were younger."
Teyla nodded. "You barred them from returning to Dakan after one such incident."
"That was a few years ago," Logan said. "Haven't seen much of him or his cronies since then. Heard a few rumors that he'd finally found a wife and settled down."
"Would you say Kade is a trusting man?" Teyla asked.
Logan snorted. "Not really, no. Kade ain't what you'd call a big man. He sees everyone as a potential enemy and tends to hit first and ask questions later."
John looked up from his plate with a thoughtful expression. "That's how we do it."
"I don't follow," Logan said.
"We don't have to do anything with the cannon. We just have to make it seem like we're going to do something. Kade will have to respond if he wants to save face with his men."
"That is my thinking as well," Teyla replied. "Lure them down to the plateau, and we could eliminate at least part of Kade's force on our terms."
"Divide and conquer," Logan agreed. "I like it."
John felt a little of the tension in his shoulders ease. They had a plan and potentially a few allies to help pull it off. Assuming Rodney and Dex survived the night, this would soon be just another memory to stuff inside a mental box and forget.
Logan finished his beer a few minutes later and stood. "I'll get the boys together and meet you out near the water mill tomorrow morning."
"At first light," John said. "It's going to take …" He glanced at Teyla.
"Two hours," Teyla replied. She gave John a sideways glance and added, "Perhaps longer."
John narrowed his eyes but let the comment pass. "It's going to take a couple of hours to hike up to Kade's camp. If he has realised Rodney sabotaged the cannon -"
"Your man will be in some serious trouble," Logan agreed. "Dawn it is. See you then, Sheppard."
Logan pushed through the swinging doors as Doctor Mitchell entered in the other direction.
"Doc," Logan greeted and pointed to John's table.
Mitchell nodded and walked over to John and Teyla. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. With all the cleanup, I had a few minor injuries and some strained backs to deal with." He set his bag on the table. "I had a message from Hy that you needed some help?" He glanced from John to Teyla and back again.
John pushed his empty plate away and glanced at the townspeople seated at the nearby tables. "Upstairs," he said to Mitchell and carefully stood. He did his best to hide how much putting weight on his injured foot hurt but saw Mitchell narrow his eyes as John limped toward the stairs.
John handed Teyla the room key, waited for her to start up the stairs, then followed her, one hand gripping the bannister to help take some of the weight off his foot. Mitchell kept pace with John as he slowly made his way up the stairs and down the hall to the last room overlooking the main saloon below. Teyla unlocked the door and turned a switch on the wall. A small chandelier in the center of the ceiling glowed to life, along with sconces mounted on the wall near the two beds.
John limped into the room, unclipped the P-90 from his vest, sank onto the nearest bed, and closed his eyes as he leaned against the headboard.
"John?" Teyla asked, taking the rifle and setting it on a bureau against the wall opposite the door.
John opened his eyes and waved off her concern. "Just tired. It's been a long couple of days."
"Why do I get the feeling it's more than that?" Mitchell asked, closing the door behind him.
Teyla smiled and dropped the room key on the table between the two beds. She unclipped her P-90 and set it next to John's weapon. "Colonel Sheppard was injured during the attack last night," she said to Mitchell.
"I remember," Mitchell replied, pointing at John's bloody trouser leg. "Why didn't you let me examine you earlier?" he asked John. "Never mind," he added before John could try to defend himself. "Let's see how bad it is."
Mitchell waited until John nodded, then sat at the end of the bed and opened his bag. John pulled up the tattered trouser leg and watched as Mitchell carefully cut away the bandage Ronon had wrapped around the cuts on his calf.
Mitchell dropped the bloody bandage on the floor and tsked as he checked the cuts. "Help me get his boot off," he said to Teyla, unlacing John's boot.
Teyla helped Mitchell remove the boot and sock, and John had his first good look at the damage done when he'd been trapped under the rubble of the jail. The cuts and scrapes on his leg didn't look too bad to him. They had stopped bleeding, and he didn't see any of the telltale signs of infection. His ankle, however, was bruised purple-black and so swollen he couldn't see the bones of the joint. Another wide bruise creased the top of his foot near his toes, where his boot had been awkwardly bent back against his foot.
Mitchell pursed his lips and turned John's foot in his hand as he examined the bruises. "I'm surprised you could still walk. This has to be hurting."
John shrugged.
Mitchell eyed him for a moment, then took John's foot in a different hold. "Let me know if you feel any sharp pain," he said, gently manipulating John's ankle.
John clenched his hands and hissed as Mitchell moved his foot and the ankle throbbed.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Mitchell asked, glancing at John's face.
"Nothing sharp," John replied through gritted teeth. "Just a deeper version of the ache that's been there all day."
Mitchell nodded, rested John's foot on the bed, and sat back. "I think you were lucky. The cuts aren't very deep." He reached into his bag, but Teyla stopped him.
"We brought some medical supplies with us," she said. She opened one of her vest pockets and handed Mitchell a large bandage and a roll of gauze.
Mitchell took the items with a nod and rewrapped John's calf with professional ease. He handed the leftover gauze to Teyla and said to John, "Your boot protected your foot from the worst of the weight of the stone trapping your foot and leg. I don't see signs of compression injuries, and your toes have good blood flow."
"So nothing's broken?" John asked. "I can walk on it?"
Mitchell shook his head. "There is some deep bruising, and your ankle is swollen. I don't think you broke it, but I wouldn't advise a lot of walking until the swelling goes down and I can recheck it."
"Not an option, Doc," John replied. "You know two of my people were captured this afternoon?"
Mitchell nodded. "Rumors spread pretty fast around here."
"Kade is going to figure out sooner or later that Rodney broke his favorite toy. When he does, I doubt he will just let McKay go."
Mitchell pursed his lips. "No, probably not." He studied John's face for a moment. "This Rodney. He was the one trapped in the rubble with you? The one with the cut over his eye and the scraped-up arm in the saloon this afternoon?"
"That's him," John replied.
Mitchell gave John a knowing smile. "His injuries were far less severe than yours, yet you insisted I examine him and not you."
John ignored the implied question and merely stared at Mitchell.
"He's more than just one of your soldiers, isn't he?" Mitchell pressed.
John crossed his arms over his chest. "It's complicated," he muttered, refusing to look at Mitchell.
Mitchell chuckled. "Family often is."
John refused to take the bait.
Mitchell waited a few seconds, then sighed. "Since you're determined to go after Kade, I'll see if I can get some ice from Rance. At least reduce the swelling on that ankle a little bit. It may be too late for it to do much, though," he warned. "I can also wrap your foot. That will help with the bruising and give you some added support for the joint since you insist on walking on it."
"Do it," John ordered.
Mitchell nodded and pulled a bandage roll out of his bag. "You need to keep your foot elevated overnight," he said as he wrapped the bandage around John's ankle and foot. "Even with the ice and the wrap, your foot is going to ache, and it will only get worse as you walk on it."
"We have pain medication," Teyla said, holding up a blister pack of ibuprofen.
Mitchell tied off the bandage and stood. "I'll be right back."
He returned a few minutes later carrying a shallow bowl of ice and a towel. He placed several chunks of ice in the towel and handed the towel to Teyla. "Quarter of an hour on, a quarter off for the next hour."
"I understand," Teyla replied, balancing the towel against John's foot.
John hissed in a breath as the cold towel touched his foot, then reached down and held the towel in place.
"That's about the best I can do," Mitchell said to John. "If you are serious about hiking into the foothills tomorrow, you need to take regular rest breaks and stop walking if you feel any sharp pain in that foot."
John adjusted the towel against his ankle and nodded.
Mitchell stood and picked up his bag. He nodded to Teyla and stopped at the door. "Good luck, Colonel."
"Thanks," John replied. "And thanks for …" He pointed at his foot.
Mitchell nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
"Colonel, are you certain you want to come with us in the morning?" Teyla asked, glancing at John's bruised foot. "Logan and I -"
John held up a hand, and Teyla stopped speaking. "We tried that already, and look what happened. I'm not staying here while Ronon and McKay are in trouble. I'll be fine." John squirmed around on the bed, unbuckling his holster and tac-vest.
"Get some sleep," John said as Teyla took the items and laid them on the bureau. "We leave as soon as it's light enough to see the trail."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
The next morning, John stood leaning against the wall of the water mill, ignoring the dull ache from his foot as the sun crested the hills to his left. The water wheel creaked as it slowly turned, and John listened to the soft splash of the water as he watched the town for any sign of Logan. He clenched his jaw as he checked his watch and then the rising sun.
"Perhaps it is taking longer than Logan expected to get his party together," Teyla offered.
"If they aren't here in the next few minutes, we're leaving without them," John replied. He shifted his weight off his sore foot and glared at the empty dirt road.
The ice and a night of rest had helped with the pain, as had the pills Teyla had given him. His ankle was still a little stiff and swollen, but John had been able to get his boot on, which was the important thing.
"You have not heard from either Rodney or Ronon?" Teyla asked.
John shook his head. "Probably had their gear taken when they were captured." Let's hope that's all it is, he added to himself.
The sun broke the horizon, and John rechecked his watch.
"I am sure they will be here soon," Teyla said.
"I don't want to wait much longer," John replied. "We're only assuming Kade didn't try to use the cannon last night." He didn't voice his concern that Kade may have already done something to Rodney in retribution for the sabotage.
"Ronon would not allow anything to happen to Rodney," Teyla said with a gentle hand on his arm.
"Ronon may not be in a position to stop it," John pointed out. "We're only assuming they were kept together."
Teyla dropped her hand and studied him for a moment with a worried frown. "You have felt a reaction through the mental link?"
John shook his head. "But that could only be because he's too far away." He glanced at his watch and pushed off the wall. "Come on. We aren't waiting -"
"Colonel," Teyla said and nodded toward the dirt road.
Logan strolled toward them with a rifle balanced on his shoulder. Jace, Cal, and a dozen other men followed him. All of them were armed, some with rifles, others with the same Genii sidearm Logan wore in addition to the rifle he carried.
"Sheppard," Logan greeted, stopping in front of John. "Ready to go?"
John looked over the men standing behind Logan. "No Ezra?" he asked with a sideways glance at Logan.
Logan snorted. "No one's seen him since last night."
John frowned, but Logan shook his head.
"He's probably off somewhere, lickin' his wounds. For a man like Ezra, injured pride can hurt far more than a bullet."
John adjusted the P-90 clipped to his tac-vest and glanced at the men standing behind Logan. "It's a two-hour hike up to Kade's camp," he said to the group. 'I won't lie. If these men decide to fight, things could get bloody. While I appreciate you all wanting to help, there's no shame in staying here."
The men standing behind Logan glanced at each other and shuffled their feet.
"They have my son," Cal said, and John noted his white-knuckle grip on his rifle. "You want to rescue your people. Well, we want to save our families too."
Several heads nodded in agreement, and John nodded in return. "All right, let's get going." He turned to Teyla. "Take point. Logan, you have rear guard."
Logan nodded, stepping aside as the townsmen fell into line.
John followed Teyla across the low bridge behind the water mill and through the scrubby trees at the base of the foothills.
"There is the path," Teyla said, nodding to a dirt track wending its way into the foothills.
John kept his eyes and ears open as they hiked up the trail. He didn't expect Kade to have lookouts so close to Dakan, but he wasn't taking any chances. And it gave him an excuse to ignore the growing ache in his foot. After an hour of walking, John gave up the pretense, found the blister pack of ibuprofen Teyla had given him that morning, and swallowed a couple of the pills with some water.
When he opened his vest pocket, Teyla glanced back at him, but John shook his head. He could tell from the crease in Teyla's forehead that she wanted to argue but instead turned and continued climbing.
By John's watch, the sun had been up for a couple of hours when they entered a small clearing.
Teyla stopped and turned to John. "The camp is not much farther," she said. "We should rest here."
John wanted to argue, but even with the pills, his foot still ached, and he was more than willing to give Logan and his men a few minutes to catch their breath. "Five minutes," he said, and Teyla nodded.
John turned to the men straggling into the clearing behind him. "We'll rest here for a few minutes," he said.
A few of the men sank to the ground with grunts and reached for their canteens.
Cal walked over to John and pointed at the trail. "We need to keep going. My son -"
John shook his head. "You won't be able to help your son or anyone else if you're too tired to fight once we reach the camp," John countered. "We'll be there soon enough."
Cal glared for a few seconds, then joined Jace, who sat on one of the scattered boulders.
"Wise advice," Teyla said, walking over to John.
"Yeah, well, I understand how he feels," John countered. He looked up at the trail leading out of the clearing. "This is where you stopped yesterday?"
"Yes. The plateau with the cannon is not much farther." She looked up. John followed her gaze and saw the underside of a Wraith cannon looming over the lip of the plateau.
John studied the underside of the cannon. How does Kade move it? he wondered. And how did they get it to work? He shook his head. Not important, he told himself.
"How far is the main camp from the cannon?" he asked Teyla as he walked the perimeter of the clearing and checked both trailheads.
"Not far," Teyla replied. "The trail is wide and easy to navigate."
John nodded. "Makes sense. They'd need a way to get the gun down to that plateau."
He stopped near the trailhead leading up to the cannon and surveyed the clearing. Most of the men stood or paced the edges of the clearing, glancing first at the sun and then at John. John noticed two young men standing by themselves, seemingly in the middle of a whispered argument.
Both had black hair and similar features, and John assumed they had to be related somehow. The shorter of the two was doing most of the talking. Any time the taller one tried to interject, the shorter one shook his head and waved his arm at the trail leading up to the cannon.
"Probably not even twenty years old yet," John muttered under his breath as the shorter man glared and stabbed a finger at the trail leading up to the cannon.
"Problem?" Teyla asked.
John shook his head and raised his hand. "Logan," he called, glancing at the sheriff.
Several heads turned and watched as Logan walked over to John.
"Sheppard?" Logan asked. "Cal and the others ain't gonna wait much longer. You ready to go?"
John nodded. "We're heading out in a few minutes." He gave the two bickering young men a pointed glance. "We need a fallback position in case things don't go to plan once we reach the camp."
Logan glanced at the two young men, and John hoped the sheriff would follow his lead. He was not interested in getting a couple of kids killed if he could help it.
"We need to leave a couple of your men here to act as a rear guard," John explained.
Logan studied John for a moment, then nodded. "Good idea," he replied. He turned and called, "Sam!"
The taller of the two young men held up a finger, stopping the other midword, and turned to Logan.
"Yes, sir?" Sam asked.
Logan made a waving motion, and after a hurried admonishment to his companion, Sam and the other young man hurried over to John and Logan.
"Sam, I want you and your brother to stay here. Make sure our escape route stays open," Logan said, glancing from one to the other.
Sam frowned. "But Sylvie. We need to find her."
"Don't you worry none about Sylvie. We'll find her. But none of that's going to matter if Kade or his men take us from behind. You understand?"
The shorter man started to argue but stopped when Sam elbowed him in the ribs. "We understand, Logan. Me and Mart will wait here."
"Good man," Logan said, clapping Sam on the shoulder. "Knew I could count on you."
Sam nodded and pulled on Mart's arm as he stepped back. "We won't let you down, sir."
"What are you doing?" Mart hissed as they walked away. "We need to find Sylvie."
"You heard Logan," Sam replied. "Someone needs to stay here."
"You always were soft," Mart grumbled.
"Watch it," Sam replied, and John heard the hint of steel in his tone. "I'm still older than you, and with Ma and Da gone, that means I'm in charge. We do like Logan says. We make sure none of Kade's people gets away."
Mart crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "Fine."
"Boys lost both their parents to the Wraith last year," Logan said to John as Sam and Mart settled against one of the boulders. "Their sister, Sylvie, is one of the folks Kade took. She's only fourteen."
John glanced at the two young men with a frown. "Get your men ready," he said to Logan. "We're leaving."
Logan nodded, turned, and froze, squinting at a scrubby bush growing out of the side of the hill.
"What's that?" Logan asked, pointing at the bush.
"Where?" John asked, raising the P-90.
"There," Logan replied. "There's something metal reflecting the sunlight."
John glanced at the bush and saw the flash of something caught in the scrub brush. He studied the bush and frowned when he recognised the dark material caught in the prickly branches. John lowered the P-90, picked up a stick, and walked over to the bush. After a few seconds of fighting with the branches, he used the stick and poked at the bundle until it came loose and fell within reach. John dropped the stick, found a tenuous grip on the material, and pulled.
The bush snapped back as John pulled the material free of its branches, and he held up a familiar roll of tools. "Rodney's," he said to Teyla, studying the tools still secured inside the nylon material.
"It is possible he lost them during the stampede," Teyla said.
John rolled up the tools and snapped the closure. "Maybe," he said and tucked the roll into his pack. His mind ran through several worst-case scenarios in the time it took to check his watch. "Let's go," he said, motioning to Logan.
Logan nodded, and the townsmen fell into line behind Logan and John.
They hadn't walked far when John heard voices coming from the plateau above them. He turned, put a finger to his lips, then pointed at the plateau. Logan nodded and silently passed the message along. The rest of the men stopped and readied their weapons.
"Teyla," John whispered and motioned her forward.
"Not that. Why is Kade doing this? Why attack your own people? They aren't a threat."
"That's Rodney," Teyla whispered, and John nodded.
"Why are we stopping?" Cal demanded in a loud whisper.
John turned with a scowl, and Logan glared at Cal.
Cal glowered back but pressed his lips together when Jace thumped his arm.
"Hey! The power coupler is gone." a voice John didn't recognise exclaimed.
"Damn it," John muttered, pushing Cal out of his mind as he focused on what was happening above them.
He heard the fear in Rodney's tone as he tried to explain about Ezra and the stampede.
"Then you better get to fixin' it," a second voice ordered. "Kade's gonna want an update soon." There was a short pause, and then the voice added, "You can't fix it, can you?"
John grimaced and readied the P-90. He sidled past Teyla, raising the weapon as he moved.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked.
"We just ran out of time," John replied and inched closer to the lip of the plateau. He spotted a boulder standing at the edge of the path above them. "I'm heading up. Tell Logan to hold his men here and then wait for my signal."
"What are you going to do?"
John glanced at Teyla. "It doesn't sound like more than one or two people up there with Rodney. Hopefully, the element of surprise will be enough to get them to surrender before anyone gets hurt."
Teyla turned to Logan standing behind her, and John inched his way the last few feet to the plateau's edge.
"Sorry, Trace. I got my orders," the second voice said as John crept up the last few feet up the trail, his aching foot forgotten. "You know what Kade'll do if I don't follow 'em. Kade said either he helps you fix the gun, or he gets shot. If you can't fix it … "
John peeked around the boulder at the top of the trail and saw Rodney standing with his bound hands extended out in front of him and a look of panic on his face. A second man stood beside McKay, staring at a third man holding a rifle.
"Wait!" Rodney exclaimed to the man holding the rifle.
"Or there's a third option," John said, standing from behind the boulder with the P-90 pointed at the man aiming a rifle at Rodney's chest. "You can put that rifle down and surrender."
"Oh, thank god," Rodney said, slumping against one of the wooden carriage wheels.
"Who are you?" the man with the rifle demanded, shifting his aim from Rodney to John.
"I'm the guy telling you to put that rifle down," John replied, his aim never wavering from the other man's chest.
"Harlan, it's over," the man standing next to Rodney said. "Put the gun down before someone else gets hurt."
"Got my orders," Harlan insisted, swinging back and pointing the rifle at Rodney. "Kade ain't gonna be happy if I don't do what he says."
John tightened his finger on the trigger of the P-90. "Put the rifle down, Harlan. I've got a dozen men with me. You can't win."
Harlan glanced at John, but the rifle never wavered from McKay's chest.
"Teyla," John said, tapping his radio. "Slow and easy. We don't want any mistakes."
"Yes, Colonel," Teyla replied.
John heard footsteps on the path behind him and saw Teyla and Logan flank him from the corner of his eye. John heard several rifles cock and knew the rest of the townsmen were standing behind him.
Rodney gave him a startled glance, but John ignored the look, focusing on Harlan. He wasn't sure what the man would do once confronted by the reality the jig was up, but if he intended to follow through with his orders to shoot, John wanted to be ready.
"Put the rifle down," John said to Harlan.
Harlan hesitated, glancing from Rodney to the young man and then at John. He swallowed hard, then lowered the rifle.
The man with Rodney stepped forward, took the rifle, and tossed it over the side of the plateau.
John winced at the noise of the rifle hitting the rocks below and hoped no one up in the camp heard the noise.
"Logan," John said, jerking his chin toward Harlan.
Logan stepped forward and grabbed Harlan by the shoulder. "Turn around," he ordered. "Hands behind your back."
Harlan ducked his head and followed instructions. "Kade -"
"Don't you worry none about Kade," Logan said as he tied Harlan's hands behind his back with a leather thong. "What about that one?" Logan said, pointing to the man next to Rodney.
The man gave Rodney a frightened glance.
"He's, umm, he's with me," Rodney told John.
John lowered the P-90 and studied the thin young man standing behind McKay. He took in the satchel over the man's shoulder and the tools scattered under the Wraith cannon and put the pieces together.
He motioned to the men lined along the lip of the plateau to lower their guns. John heard a few of the men grumble, but the weapons were lowered without further protest. Logan pushed Harlan to sit on the ground with his back pressed against the hillside.
"Stay put," Logan ordered and stepped back.
John walked over to Rodney, pulling his combat knife from its sheath. "Teyla, take Rodney's friend."
"Yes, Colonel." Teyla walked over to the young man with a smile. "Come with me," she said, leading the young man to the side of the trailhead opposite where Harlan sat.
"You all right?" John asked, cutting the rope binding Rodney's wrists.
Rodney nodded and rubbed his chaffed wrists. "I'm fine."
John studied him briefly, saw no new injuries, and nodded. "Who's your friend?" he asked, sheathing the knife.
"That's Trace," Rodney replied. "He was the one who figured out how to get the cannon working."
Several of the townsmen glared at Trace, and John heard their angry muttering as a few raised their weapons.
Trace shook his head. "No, you don't understand," he started to say, but Cal pushed through the huddle of townsmen and pointed his pistol at Trace.
"You're the reason my son was kidnapped," Cal growled. "You and that gun."
"No! Wait!" Trace pleaded, raising his hands.
Three others moved to back up Cal, and Teyla raised her P-90.
"Do not come any closer," she said to Cal and glanced at John.
John grimaced and glanced up the trail leading to the camp. Cal and the other townsmen were making too much noise. Their whole plan depended on not having Kade's entire army attack them all at once. All of the shouting as bound to alert the men in the camp. He adjusted his grip on the P-90 and was about to step in when Logan beat him to it.
"Back off," Logan ordered, stepping between Cal and Trace.
"He's the one responsible for my son getting kidnapped?" Cal hissed at Logan. "He's the reason Frank and his boys are dead."
John saw Trace hunch his shoulders and stare at the ground.
"I said back off." Logan reached forward and pushed Cal back several steps. "You know our laws. These men will be heard before a tribunal, and their crimes judged. Killin' an unarmed man is nuthin' but murder. You try it, and I'll have to arrest you too."
Cal glowered at Logan for several seconds, then lowered his pistol.
John waited until Cal rejoined the rest of the townsmen, then walked over to the trailhead leading up to the camp.
"All right, we're going -" he started to say but stopped when he heard the distinct sound of Ronon's particle weapon firing above him.
"It would seem that Ronon managed to rescue himself," Teyla said with a smile.
"No," Rodney said, and John watched the color drain from McKay's face. "Ronon doesn't have his gun." Rodney glanced at John and added, "Kade does."
John heard shouting coming from the path leading farther up the hill.
"Damn," John said. "Do you still have that knife I gave you?" he asked Rodney.
Rodney shook his head. "I, umm, I gave it to Ronon."
John pursed his lips. "Here," he said, handing Rodney his Beretta. "You keep an eye on these two."
"What?" Rodney said even as he took the offered weapon. "Where are you going?"
"Stay here," John ordered. He nodded to Teyla, who led the way up the trail to the camp. "We're going after Ronon."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Ronon smacked one of the wooden supports with his palm and watched McKay stumble before disappearing down the trail. He should have known McKay would pull a stupid stunt like letting Kade separate them, he chastised himself. Sheppard and Teyla had warned him more than once that McKay made rash decisions when he thought he knew best.
"Better not get yourself killed," Ronon ground out under his breath.
One of the guards gave Ronon a nervous glance and adjusted his grip on his rifle.
Ronon ignored the guard and paced the space between the side of the mountain and the wooden bars of the enclosure. McKay said the cannon couldn't be fixed, and for once, Ronon believed him. He had no idea how McKay planned to fake making the repairs or how long it would take Sheppard to reach the camp.
"I'm counting on you to find a way to rescue me."
Ronon growled under his breath. Once again, he was stuck inside a prison while a member of his team was in danger. Threatening to kill yourself won't work this time, he told himself.
"You still believe this Sheppard is coming?"
Ronon turned and saw a man near his age standing against the rocky side of the mountain. The man wore dark trousers held up with suspenders and a cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was brown, and his face and arms were tanned. As Ronon studied the man, he realised he was one of the three he had seen loading a cart in front of the general store when the team arrived in Dakan.
"Name's Clive," the man said, stepping forward and resting his arms on the crossbar of the enclosure. "So? Is Sheppard coming or not?"
Ronon stood next to Clive and mimicked his posture. "He'll come," he replied, keeping his voice low so the guards wouldn't hear.
Clive nodded and glanced at the other side of the camp. "But not soon enough to help your friend," he said in the same low tone, and nodded at the trailhead.
Ronon grunted and studied the guards. The three men held their weapons such that Ronon suspected they were proficient in their use and unlikely to be easily disarmed. He fingered the hilt of the knife secreted in his gauntlet.
"You can't take all three of them," Clive whispered. "And there's still the others."
Ronon turned and saw four more townsmen, including the balding man who had questioned them the previous night, watching him.
"You try and take out the guards, and the rest of them would be on you before you got halfway to the trail," Clive said.
"I'm counting on you to find a way to rescue me. You can't do that if Wayne or Kade kills you."
Ronon scowled at McKay's voice nagging in his head. He was tired of waiting. Tired of being stuck in another cage. Time to deal with Kade and his men once and for all, he decided.
"A few of us have been talking," Clive said. He eyed the nearest guard and sidled closer to Ronon. "Trying to figure out a way to escape," he continued in a whisper. "If we can take the guard's rifles, that will give us a chance against the rest of Kade's men. The problem is getting out of this." He gave the wooden bar he leant against a shake.
Ronon glanced at the guards, then turned and braced his back against the wooden bars. "Have an idea," he replied. He turned his hand over, exposing the hilt of the knife McKay had given him, and saw Clive's eyes widen in surprise.
"How did you get that past the guards?" he asked, glancing at the nearest guard.
"Doesn't matter, "Ronon said.
Clive swallowed and nodded. "If you can cut the knots holding the gate closed, I think we can catch the guards by surprise."
Ronon studied the men and few women standing against the enclosure's rock wall and weighed whether he should put civilians in such danger. He'd had the concept of protecting the innocent drilled into his head from the moment he had joined the Satedan army. Since joining Sheppard, he had grudgingly admitted that some civilians, like McKay and, to a lesser extent, Beckett, could hold their own in a fight, at least for the short term.
These were farmers and shopkeepers, Ronon silently reminded himself. They had no training. No idea how to protect themselves.
Ronon heard a child giggle and turned. A girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen, with long dark hair braided down her back, smiled at the giggling child as she tossed a makeshift ball to the young boy. A teenage boy with brown hair stood next to the bald man, cracking his knuckles as he glowered at the guards. An older woman with grey hair tied up in a neat bun watched the younger children.
The memory of Melena arguing with him about staying in the city and helping their people rose in his mind. She had been determined to fight just as much as you, Ronon reminded himself.
And it had cost her her life, Ronon silently argued.
What choice did he have? he mentally countered. Clive was right. He couldn't take on the entire camp alone. If he wanted to rescue McKay, he needed help. And if Clive and the others were offering … The thought trailed off as he studied the men sitting outside various tents.
"Ronon?" Clive asked. "Did you hear what I said? If you can get the gate open -"
Ronon pushed aside his lingering doubts and held up a hand. Work with what you have, he told himself. "The old woman and the children stay here," he told Clive. "Including him," Ronon pointed at the teenage boy. "Tell the rest to be ready to move when I signal."
Clive nodded and casually strolled over to the huddle of townspeople. Ronon ignored the whispered conversations behind him and focused on the rest of the camp. Other than the three men standing guard, the rest of the men in camp ignored the stockade.
Out of guilt? he wondered. How many would stand and fight if given the chance to surrender? He wasn't sure how much time he had before Kade decided to check on McKay. The sooner this fight was over, the sooner he could find McKay and get back to Sheppard.
Ronon heard a low hiss behind him a few minutes later, turned, and saw Clive give him a thumbs-up.
Ronon nodded and moved over to the gate. Clive wandered over and stood where he would block Ronon from one of the guard's view with his body. Ronon nodded, kept one eye on the remaining two guards and eased the knife out of its sheath.
"This won't take long," Ronon whispered as he sawed through the fibrous rope.
One of the guards glanced in his direction, and Ronon stopped what he was doing and hid the knife. Once the guard went back to pacing, Ronon pulled out the knife and continued cutting.
"Not all of them will want to fight," Ronon whispered, glancing at the men near the tents.
Clive slowly nodded in agreement. "We can hold them in the stockade," he offered. "Hyram will have to decide what to do with them."
Ronon cut through one section of rope and started on the last. "Almost done. Get your people ready."
Clive waited until the guard turned his back, then walked back to the men and women waiting at the back of the stockade.
Ronon cut the last of the rope, secreted the knife back in his bracer, and held the gate closed with one hand. He glanced at Clive and held up a finger.
Clive nodded, and Ronon saw the rest of the townspeople shuffle closer to the gate.
He waited until the guards were as close together as their patrol pattern allowed, then flung the gate open, hitting one of the guards in the face. That guard fell to the ground, blood pouring from his nose as he tried to shout a warning to the rest of the camp.
Ronon charged the middle guard, wrenching the rifle out of the man's hands even as Clive attacked the last guard. Ronon checked the guard on the ground and smiled when he saw Addie take his rifle and kick the man. A second woman tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of her skirt and quickly bound the guard's hands.
The remaining townsmen rushed the bandits seated outside the tents nearest the stockade. A few of the men tried to make a fight of it. Most, however, dropped their weapons and stepped back with their hands raised. Any of the men who surrendered, Addie and the other women herded into the stockade with the confiscated rifles.
The old woman gathered the children in a group against the rocky wall behind the stockade. The teenage boy tried to follow the men as they confronted the remaining bandits, but the dark-haired girl grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
Ronon saw the townsmen had the bandits contained and stalked toward Kade's large tent.
"What's going on out here!" Kade shouted, storming out of the tent. He spotted Ronon coming toward him and reached for the particle weapon strapped to his hip. "Knew I should have dealt with you before," he snarled at Ronon. "Better late than never."
Ronon growled low in his throat, closed the distance between them and reached Kade at the same time the particle weapon cleared the holster. Ronon grabbed Kade's wrist and twisted just as Kade fired, sending an energy beam past Ronon's ear and hitting the tent behind him.
The two men standing near the tent reflexively ducked as the energy beam hit the tent, setting it on fire.
Ronon wrenched Kade's wrist, making Kade howl in pain. He dropped the particle weapon and fell to his knees.
"Wayne!" Kade screamed.
Ronon spun on his heel and saw Wayne standing behind him with a rifle, aiming for Ronon's chest. The particle weapon was out of reach, and Ronon was ready to throw Sheppard's knife at Wayne when Clive tackled Wayne from behind, sending them both to the ground. Clive landed on top of Wayne, yanked the rifle from his hands, and punched Wayne in the jaw.
Kade glanced at the townsmen and the remains of his bandit army watching him, then at Wayne on the ground. Ronon saw the mix of fury and embarrassment in Kade's expression as he jumped to his feet and charged Ronon.
Kade made a wild swing at Ronon's head which Ronon easily blocked with one hand and punched Kade's ribs with the other.
Kade staggered, holding his hand against his side. He stopped, took a deep breath, and charged again, this time trying for an uppercut to Ronon's jaw.
Ronon let the punch come, caught Kade's swinging arm in the crook of his left elbow, and struck Kade in the side of his neck with his right hand.
Kade dropped to the ground, dazed by the blow to his neck.
Ronon heard a few of the men standing nearby gasp. A few others pointed at Kade and whispered.
Kade stumbled to his feet, glared at the men pointing at him, and rushed Ronon again, tackling Dex around his middle.
Ronon braced his feet as Kade grappled against him, easily twisted out of the hold, and punched Kade in the jaw.
Kade landed on his side and lay on the ground groaning as blood trickled down the side of his face.
Ronon turned with his arms spread and his feet planted. "Anyone else?" he asked, glaring at the subdued bandits.
The men ducked their heads, stepped back from Kade and Wayne, and dropped their remaining weapons.
Ronon eyed the bandits for a moment longer, then reached for the particle weapon.
"Stay here," he ordered Clive as he checked the weapon. "I'm going after McK -"
Ronon heard running feet behind him, turned, and had the particle weapon aimed when Sheppard, Teyla, and several townsmen armed with rifles ran into the camp.
"Ronon," Sheppard said, eyeing Kade's men as he lowered the P-90. "All right?"
Ronon nodded. "Their leader," he said with a sarcastic smile, pointing at Kade still moaning on the ground.
Kade glared at Ronon as he sat up, rubbing his jaw. "You were lucky."
Ronon snorted, bent, and pulled the particle weapon's holster from Kade's waist. "Told you, you wouldn't have this for very long," he said, holding up the gun. He strapped on the holster and watched Logan and several townsmen pat down the remaining bandits before securing them inside the stockade.
He glanced toward the trailhead and frowned when he only saw Teyla and one of the other townsmen. "Where's McKay?" he asked Sheppard, holstering the gun.
"He's fine," Sheppard replied. "He's down by the Wraith cannon watching two more of these guys."
Logan stepped forward with his rifle pointed at Kade. "Get up," he ordered.
Jace stepped around Logan, pulled Kade to his feet, and quickly tied Kade's hands with a leather thong.
"Ben!" Cal shouted, pushing through the bandits standing with their hands raised. "Ben! Where are you, boy!"
"Pa!" a voice shouted in reply.
"He's okay," Clive said. He pushed Wayne over to Logan and pointed at the group of children standing on one side of the stockade. "Livie's watchin' the young'uns."
Cal holstered his pistol and ran toward the children standing next to the stockade.
"Pa!" the brown-haired teenager cried.
Cal wrapped his arms around the boy. "Good to see you, son."
Ronon watched the happy reunion then disappeared inside Kade's tent. A camp cot stood against one canvas wall with the blankets balled at one end. Stacked crates stood to the left of the tent flap. Ronon opened one and found various sacks of grain, beans, and other foodstuffs. Another crate held weapons, jewellery, and a few toys. Ronon suspected these were spoils Kade had stolen from his various victims. He found his knives on a table on the other side of the tent, along with McKay's Beretta and holster.
"Quite the haul," Sheppard said, pushing aside the canvas flap and stepping inside the tent. He opened another crate and held up a short-barreled rifle. "Looks like the gun Josh Randell carried."
"Who?" Ronon asked and frowned when he noticed Sheppard limping as he wandered around the tent.
"A character from another one of those westerns we were talking about," Sheppard replied. He put the gun back in the crate and closed the lid.
"What do we do with all of this?"
"We'll tell Logan about it. He and Hyram can figure out the best way to return the personal items to the people Kade stole them from."
Ronon grunted and passed over McKay's Beretta. He stashed his various knives back in their hiding places and nodded toward the tent flap. "What about Kade?"
"That's for Logan and his people to decide," Sheppard replied. He held the Beretta in one hand and held open the tent flap with the other.
Ronon scowled at that but let the matter drop. He stepped outside and saw Kade, Wayne, and a few others with their hands bound and guarded by the townspeople. The rest of Kade's men were busy rolling up their tents.
"We're almost ready here," Logan said, glancing at Sheppard as he kept his other eye on the men packing their gear.
Sheppard watched the men tearing down the camp. "It might be safer to leave them in the stockade with a few guards."
"Maybe," Logan replied. "Not sure I trust any of my boys to -"
Ronon heard McKay shouting moments before a loud crash sounded below.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked, glancing down the trail.
"Stay here," Sheppard ordered. "Ronon. With me."
Ronon nodded and followed as Sheppard ran down the trail.
"Rodney!" Sheppard shouted as he skidded to a stop on the lower plateau.
McKay and Trace stood near the edge of the plateau, and Ronon noticed the Wraith cannon was nowhere in sight.
"What were you thinking!" McKay shouted at Trace. "That was irreplaceable technology! Do you know what I could have learnt from studying a working Wraith cannon?"
Trace stood with his arms crossed over his chest, never looking away as McKay ranted. Neither man noticed Harlan sneaking toward the trailhead leading back to the camp.
Ronon grabbed Harlan by his shirt collar, pulling him up short as he tried to escape while Sheppard limped over to McKay.
"I thought you were a scientist!" McKay shouted, waving his arms at Trace. He took a step to his right, seemingly unaware of how close he was to falling down the side of the mountain. "I thought you were curious about -!"
"What happened?" Sheppard asked, cutting across McKay's tirade while pulling him back from the cliff's edge.
McKay glared at Trace, then turned to Sheppard.
McKay stabbed a finger at Trace. "Genius here pushed the Wraith cannon over the side of the cliff!"
"I had my reasons," Trace replied. "You wouldn't under -"
"Again with the 'I wouldn't understand'," McKay countered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go ahead. I'd love to hear your reason for destroying priceless technology!"
Trace took a deep breath and, ignoring McKay, turned to Sheppard. "I just wanted to know if I could fix it. Kade," he paused and looked down at his hands. "Kade knew that I liked to tinker. He used that to convince me to repair the gun. If I had known -"
McKay shook his head and stepped closer to the cliff's edge. "You're going to tell me, me of all people, that I wouldn't understand someone using your knowledge and ideas to hurt people?" he asked.
Ronon saw the flash of puzzled concern on Sheppard's face before he schooled his features.
"That doesn't mean -" McKay continued but stopped speaking when Sheppard sighed and tugged on his arm again, moving McKay away from the edge. "Would you stop that," McKay said, impatiently pulling his arm out of Sheppard's hold.
"Sure, just as soon as you realise how close you are to taking the fast way off this mountain."
McKay's forehead puckered in confusion until he glanced down and saw how close he was to the plateau's edge. He took a hurried few steps back and swallowed.
"Oh, umm, thanks."
"No problem," Sheppard said and turned to Trace. "You were saying why you tipped the cannon over the side of a cliff?"
Trace studied Sheppard for a moment, then glanced at McKay. "It needed to be destroyed. It had been used to hurt and ki …" Trace paused, taking a deep breath. "And kill … too many people."
"That's no excuse to destroy -"
"McKay," Sheppard hissed, the warning clear in his tone.
McKay crossed his arms over his chest but stopped talking.
"I was thinking about what you said," Trace told McKay. "About how I was just as responsible for everything that's happened to all those people as Kade." Trace turned his back on the edge of the cliff and looked up the trailhead toward the camp. "I did what I had to do to make sure Kade couldn't hurt anyone else."
"Unbelievable," McKay muttered.
Sheppard held up a hand, stopping McKay and tapped his earpiece.
"This is Sheppard." Sheppard listened for a moment, then motioned Ronon back up the trailhead. "Everything's fine." He glanced at McKay and added, "There was a problem with the Wraith cannon. Seems it was accidentally destroyed."
McKay scowled.
"We're heading back to you now. Sheppard out."
