Easter 2010 Fic Exchange: Into the Rain by stella_pegasi
Title: Into the Rain
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing: John Sheppard, Richard Woolsey, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Evan Lorne
Spoilers: The Return I & II, Inquisition (Story set after Season Five)
Warnings: Whump
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Genre: Action/Adventure
Word count: 19,474
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary: Written for x_erikah_x for the Easter 2010 Fic Exchange. Prompt at the end of Chapter 5.
INTO THE RAIN
INTO THE RAIN
By stella_pegasi
CHAPTER THREE THE VALLEY
Woolsey was lying about six feet below him, and hadn’t moved in the few minutes since Sheppard returned to the rim of the cliff. The shelf Woolsey was laying on was barely wide enough for him to have room to jump down and maneuver around the director.
He didn’t have much time, but he took a few precious minutes to consider how he could move Woolsey off the rock ledge. His options were limited if the director’s injuries were severe. The trail so far had been too narrow and uneven to use a travois. He saw some thick saplings and vines that he could make one with if that was his only choice. With that in mind, he cautiously dropped over the side of the cliff onto the ledge.
The director was lying on his back; his right arm bent beneath his body, his legs bent at an angle. Blood thinned by the pouring rain was flowing from a nasty gash on his forehead. Like Sheppard, as Woolsey tumbled down the slope his clothing snagged on the branches and was sliced by sharp rocks. They both had suffered numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
“Richard, can you hear me?” Sheppard leaned over Woolsey’s face to keep the rain from hitting him. He slid his hands along Woolsey arms, legs and rib cage to determine the extent of his injuries. His preliminary check convinced him that Woolsey had broken a couple of ribs, in addition, to an obvious broken right arm. He gently shook him, and Woolsey moaned softly.
“Sheppard?” His voice was shaky and weak.
“How ya doing? Can you sit up?” Woolsey nodded, and Sheppard placed his arm under the director’s shoulders and helped him sit up.
“Oww…my back… arm…hurt,” Woolsey’s face was a mask of pain. Sheppard raised the director’s shirt, wincing at the sizeable cut across Woolsey’s back; at least, it wasn’t bleeding profusely.
“Richard, uh...you’ve got a cut across your lower back; your right arm is broken, and I think you’ve got a couple of broken ribs. Look, we gotta get out of here; our friend just flew over and spotted us. You're gonna have to get up.” Woolsey nodded, and Sheppard helped him to his feet.
Once Woolsey was standing, Sheppard decided the best way to get him back on the trail was to lift him up. He unzipped the director’s TAC vest and expedition jacket; as gently as he could, he tucked Woolsey’s right arm against his chest, and then secured the jackets.
“Richard, I am gonna to kneel down; I want you to step up on my leg, OK?”
“uh...OK…”
Sheppard knelt down and helped Woolsey step up on his thigh; Sheppard took Woolsey’s right foot into his hand, and placed the foot on his shoulder. Woolsey uttered a sharp cry, and then moaned.
“Hang in there, you’re doing fine.” Sheppard grabbed Woolsey’s other foot, and once he had him stable, Sheppard stood up.
“Richard, you only have about a foot more to get onto the path. Use that tree to your left to help you pull up.”
Using his hands, Sheppard pushed Woolsey the rest of the way. He then grabbed the base of the small tree, and managed to walk his way up the cliff. Sheppard couldn’t stifle a groan; he was sore from the bruises and cuts all over his body, but at least he hadn’t broken anything.
“Look, I know you are in a lot of pain, but Big Idiot knows where we are. We have to keep moving. It’s going to take him some time to get to us. We gotta go now.” Sheppard had to yell so that Woolsey could hear him over the new thunderstorm that was raging around them. Woolsey simply nodded back, not trying to talk.
“Hang on to my belt like you did before; stay close. We’re gonna go slow.”
As they started back down the mountain, Sheppard thoughts turned to what he needed to do to keep them safe. Visibility was terrible, and the heavy rain and thunder was masking any other noise. He knew the only chance they had was to get to the bottom of the mountain as quickly as possible, and that wasn’t going to be quick at all.
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The jumper carrying Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex, as well as Lieutenant Salem’s team, arrived on Latira late in the afternoon. The trio had been on a scientific survey mission with Salem’s team while Sheppard was with Woolsey.
“Lorne, any news?” McKay asked as he stepped off the jumper; Lorne had come to meet them.
“’Fraid not, doctor; we have no idea where they are, or what has happened to them.”
Ronon spoke, “You talk to the Genii?”
“Yeah, I spoke to Radim, but to be honest, I don’t think he’s involved in their disappearance. I’m more inclined to think Shiana has something to do with it. Kelore of Latira has uncovered some evidence that she is cutting a deal with the Genii on the side, and with her hatred of Atlantis, she might want Sheppard and Woolsey out of the way.”
“Have you questioned her?” McKay asked.
“She has refused to speak with us.” As Lorne answered, he noticed Ronon’s hand close around the grip of his blaster. Teyla noticed Ronon’s action, as well.
“Then we will have to convince her to speak with us. The Daedalus is pushing her engines to arrive a couple of days early, but they are still three days from Latira. The colonel and Mr. Woolsey may not have that much time.” Teyla laid her hand on Ronon’s as she spoke to Lorne. She hoped to calm the Satedan.
“Let’s go find Shiana.” McKay said; Lorne led them into the coalition assembly hall.
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They had been walking for nearly an hour as the rain, wind, and lightening continued to swirl around them. The wind was gusting, causing Woolsey serious difficulty walking. Sheppard knew he was pushing Woolsey harder than he should be. He had no idea if Woolsey had internal injuries, but he did know he was in considerable pain. Even with the roar of the rain, wind, and thunder, Sheppard heard the sharp cries of pain that Woolsey couldn’t contain.
Sheppard reflected on this man beside him, struggling to walk. Before Woolsey became the director of Atlantis, he had thought of him as a timid, fussy, frightened man. They had used that fearful personality to fool the Replicators, who had captured Atlantis from the Ancients when they had briefly returned. It was clear that the timid, fussy, frightened man from before was not the same man that was now in command of Atlantis. He had grown so much since he arrived on Atlantis, but then, Sheppard thought, they had all changed.
Sheppard was certain that there was at least another hour’s worth of walking before they made it to the valley floor. He was getting tired, fighting the wind and trying to keep Woolsey upright was taking its toll on him. The one good thing was that the path had widened as they approached the base of the mountain. He had been able to bring Woolsey from behind him, and now had his left arm around Woolsey. The director’s broken right arm was secure against Sheppard’s side, restricting movement and hopefully, reducing his pain.
“Hey,” Sheppard shouted over the noise, “can you...uh...go a little further? Don’t see anywhere to stop.” Woolsey nodded yes, and they kept on going.
He had been scanning the terrain as best he could for a glimpse the ship, or Big Idiot. Sheppard realized it was going to be extremely difficult to spot him, and with a severely injured man to look out for, they were going to be easy targets. When they reached the valley, he was going to have to find a cave or recess in the rock where he could hide Woolsey.
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Dimas finally stepped in, forcing Shiana to meet with the Atlantians. As she entered the council chair’s chambers, she was not in a cooperative mood.
Ronon didn’t wait for pleasantries; he walked directly to her, “Where’s Sheppard?”
Not one to be intimidated easily, she stared back at the large Satedan, “Lost him, have you?” Her eyes showed her pleasure seeing the fury in Ronon’s face, knowing he would never attack her. The Atlantians were a lot of things, reckless in her opinion, but foolish they were not.
Dimas intervened, “Shiana, we do not have time for your personal vendetta, please answer the question. Do you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr. Woolsey and Colonel Sheppard?”
“No,” she gazed about the Chair’s chambers at the faces staring at her and added, “Are we done here?”
Rodney took a step toward her, but Teyla put her hand on his chest, moving in front of him. She addressed the councilwoman, “Shiana, we have not met, but I am Teyla Emmagan of Athos. Regardless of what you think of our colleagues personally, you have an obligation to the coalition to assist us. Do you know or suspect who might be behind their disappearance? And do not lie to me, you will regret it.” Teyla could also be quite formidable, as her eyebrow raised to emphasis her words.
Shiana wavered slightly as she replied to Teyla, “Teyla Emmagan, I do not know who may have done harm to your ‘colleagues’, but as an offer of good will, should I discover anything, I will certainly inform you.” Looking at Dimas, Shiana said, “We are done now.” She turned and left.
Teyla looked back at those assembled in Dimas’ office, “She knows something.”
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Sheppard was beginning to think he could not go another step, and he was completely amazed that Woolsey was still on his feet, albeit barely. The last half-hour had been a bit easier than any other part of the descent. They were near the bottom of the mountain, and the ground was beginning to flatten out.
Emerging off the mountain into a narrow valley, Sheppard had attempted to survey the area as they descended, but the rain had virtually obliterated his view. The one thing he did know was that the terrain was also very rocky, and that gave him hope that he could find shelter.
When he finally realized that he did not have to lean into a downward angle, Sheppard straightened up and halted. Woolsey sagged against him as their forward momentum stopped.
“Hey, Richard, we made it...we’re in the valley.”
“Goo’…good…sit…down?” Woosley was very weak.
“Not yet, just a bit farther. Uh...need to find a safe place to hide.” Sheppard steered him toward a grove of trees, and started to search. The valley appeared to narrow some as they walked, and there was a swollen stream to their left, water moving rapidly along its shallow banks. After ten minutes, Sheppard saw a possibility for shelter. There was a very rocky area to their right, and part of it looked quite a bit darker to Sheppard. He hoped that meant a cave.
“Come on, Richard, just a little bit farther.”
The path to the area Sheppard wanted to check out was treacherous; Sheppard stumbled twice, but managed to stay upright, keeping Woolsey upright, as well. As they got closer, he could tell that the area was an opening in the mountainside. He hoped it was deep enough to get Woolsey out of danger.
“Richard, sit down on this rock and lean against this tree. I think we’ve found a place to get out of the rain.” Once he was sure that Woolsey was not in any danger of falling off the rock, Sheppard moved toward the opening. Pulling the rucksack off, he rummaged until he found the small flashlight, flicked it on, and peered through the dim light into the cave. It didn’t appear to be very deep, but the space dogged legged to the right. If he could get Woolsey in deep enough, then maybe the big guy wouldn’t be able to find him.
Backing out of the cave, Sheppard turned toward Woolsey. “Come on, Richard; let’s get out of the rain.”
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The “Big Idiot” landed the small ship about three miles from the mountain where he had spotted Sheppard and Woolsey. The storm was too violent, and his piloting skills too novice, for him to put the ship down in any of the several spots closer to the location of the Atlantians. He wasn’t too worried about that; the more time that passed, the weaker Sheppard and Woolsey would become. When he caught them, he could toy with them.
He thought about how lucky he had been to come across the pilot from Quenius, who owned the little personal transport. Quenius had not suffered a culling by the Wraith in thousands of years and that had provided them with the luxury of time to develop technology. However, Quenius had not been so lucky during the most recent Wraith awakening. The pilot fled the city and hid in the mountains while the Wraith decimated the population of his world. When they met up a few months ago, the pilot had decided to sell the ship. He had been able to get his hands on it, as well as, get the pilot to agree to teach him to fly it. He had begun to plan his revenge then.
He grabbed his weapons, a Wraith stunner pistol, a Genii pistol, and a long gun. He filled a leather bag with a water pouch and some food, and exited down the narrow metal steps in search of his quarry. He began his trek toward the mountain where he had spotted the Atlantians, and the narrow valley below it with only one thought on his mind. They would pay; they would pay for the death of his wife, his two sons, and his precious daughter, as well as, for all the others. They would pay.
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Richard Woolsey finally comprehended that he wasn’t walking or being struck by rain any longer. The thunderous din from the rain and the wind was muffled, and no longer bombarding his ears. He slowly became aware he was lying on his left side on a hard surface, his head resting on something soft. As he opened his eyes, the only thing he could see was a dim beam of light, bouncing around him. Then the pain flooded his body, and he remembered everything.
“Shep…Sheppard?” His voice was strained; it was hard for him to breath with the pain.
From behind him, “Ri’ ‘h'er”. Sheppard’s voice was garbled from the miniature flashlight he was holding in his teeth; he removed it before he spoke again. “Checking the cut on your back. You got lucky; uh...it’s pretty shallow and not bleeding. I applied some Neosporin and bandaged it. Now, I need you to lie on your back.” He helped Woolsey roll over, mindful of his broken arm.
OK, now…the bad stuff. I've got to splint this arm. Richard, I have morphine to help with the pain, but I need you alert. I can give you a little to ease the pain.” Woolsey nodded he understood. Sheppard administered about a third of the dose of morphine, waiting for the drug to take effect before he handled Woolsey’s arm.
After a few minutes, Woolsey was breathing easier, “John, uh…where are we?”
“We made it down the mountain, we’re in a narrow valley; found a cave to get out of the rain.”
Sheppard took the two small branches he cut, laying them next to Woolsey’s arm and then gently began to splint the broken forearm with what was left of the gauze and bandages. He used tape from the med kit to tape along Woolsey’s likely broken ribs. Then, using Woolsey’s belt as a sling, he immobilized Woolsey’s arm against his chest. He helped the director into a sitting position and then tucked an emergency blanket around him.
“You need to eat something.” Sheppard pulled a MRE from the pack. Opening it, he began to pull food items out, “This one has beef stew in it…best I can do right now.”
Woolsey shook his head, “Just…water…eat later; you eat that.” Sheppard realized how hungry he was and didn’t argue. He held the canteen for Woolsey to take a drink before he began eating the cold stew. When he finished, he told Woolsey his plan.
“I am going to lure the Big Idiot away from you, and find another place to hide. I need to keep him away from you until help gets here.” He handed the 9-mil to Woolsey, and was digging the ammo pack from his pocket when Woolsey pushed the gun back at him.
“No…keep it.”
“Look, uh...I can’t stay here and protect you. I need to draw Big Idiot away; only chance we both have. I can stay out of his way, and keep him on the run until the Daedalus arrives.”
“Colonel, are you…certain we are still on…Latira?”
“Pure gut feeling, that’s all.” Sheppard wasn’t going to lie to Woolsey.
Woolsey held out the gun, “Take…it…an order.”
Sheppard took the gun and holstered it, and put the ammo back into his pocket. He pulled the small knife out of his pocket and handed it to Woolsey.
“This isn’t going to give you very much protection. If you hear someone enter this cave, play dead and wait until they are close. Just make sure it isn’t me. Here are the night vision goggles; they’ll give you an edge over him, if he comes into the cave. Richard, if you have to use the knife, use it to kill. Got that.”
Woolsey nodded at the colonel with a fierce determination in his eyes. Sheppard realized that he fully understood the danger they faced. Sheppard left the canteen, a couple of powerbars and MRE’s that he opened up, where Woolsey could reach them.
Sheppard stood up, “Richard, just stay quiet, and you’ll be safe.” Without waiting for an answer, Sheppard turned and jogged away from Woolsey toward the small spot of light at the entrance of the cave.
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Kelore had offered them the use of a conference room as a base of operations, and the Atlantians had gathered there to discuss the situation. Through the Palladian-styled windows, the jumpers were visible, parked on a large lawn, the teams standing outside waiting for orders.
“Damn it, Lorne; where the hell are they?” Rodney McKay’s patience level had never been stellar but had virtually vanished. The scientist’s anger was on the verge of boiling over, and he had no outlet to direct his rage toward. He simply paced back and forth in front of windows for lack of anything else to do.
“Doc, I don’t know,” Lorne was just as exasperated. On numerous occasions during the last few hours, he would have gladly traded places with Sheppard so that he didn’t have to deal with the colonel’s teammates. They could be very trying when Sheppard was missing. Lorne laughed to himself as he thought, ‘Who am I kidding, like all of us aren’t just as concerned about these two men.’
“I dispatched Isaacs and Stackhouse’s teams out to canvas everyone in coalition headquarters to see if they get obtain some intel. I want to determine if anyone’s unaccounted for; maybe we’ll get lucky and uncover a lead.”
Teyla nodded to Lorne that she was in agreement with his plan when Lieutenant Stackhouse burst into the room.
“Major, Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez may have something, sir. They just found out that there is one member of a delegation that is missing; no one has seen him since around noon today and he was unaccounted for last night.”
McKay brushed past Lorne and went to Lieutenant Stackhouse, “Who, lieutenant?”
“Sir, his name is Mischen Vangar, and he’s a member of Shiana’s staff; her personal aide and bodyguard. He’s also from the Tribes of Santhal; another survivor of the Replicator attack, as was Shiana.”
McKay snapped his fingers and shook his head, “I knew it. She’s behind this.”
Lorne nodded in agreement, “Come on, let’s find Kelore, we’ll let his security guards’ deal with bringing her to us for questioning. This time, she doesn’t get a pass.”
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Mischen Vangar reached the beginning of the narrow valley that Sheppard and Woolsey had entered as they left the mountain. He knew from flying over the area that this valley was more like a canyon and that the opening at the other end was narrow and difficult to traverse. He should have them cornered. He wished he had found sufficient time to study the area, but Shiana was involved in so much contrivance with the Genii that he had been unable to learn more about the terrain.
He was still enraged that Sheppard had managed to get loose and evade him. If the Atlantians had not gotten away, this would be over. He would be safely back in the city, and no one would ever suspect him. Atlantis and the coalition might suspect Shiana, but they would never suspect him. All the council members and their staffs referred to Mischen as the man who did her bidding. He never exerted his own opinion, only followed Shiana’s orders like a good little servant. Precisely what he wanted them to think; that he was a timid and seemingly, unintelligent man not capable of capturing a warrior from Atlantis.
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The rain continued to fall at a steady pace, but without the intensity of earlier in the day. The valley floor was saturated, and Sheppard’s boots sank deeply into the soggy surface. At times, the mud was so viscous, he struggled to move his feet forward.
Normally, Sheppard would have been pleased that the rain was covering his tracks, but, under these circumstances, it was not all what he wanted. He wanted to leave a trail so that he could draw the kidnapper away from Woolsey. Backtracking to the location where they had come off the mountain, he started breaking limbs on trees, occasionally ripping off small pieces of his torn black t-shirt, hooking the cloth on a branch. He crossed over the swiftly moving stream, and snapped a tree limb to make it appear it split when he pulled himself from the stream.
Sheppard reached the area across the stream from the cave when he heard a gunshot, and a tree limb above his head splintered from the impact of a bullet. Crouching behind a large rock, he scanned the area, attempting to spot the shooter. He thought it was a good bet that Big Idiot had caught up with him, but he couldn’t see anything through the thick vegetation and the pouring rain.
Needing to reach higher ground, Sheppard darted from his hiding place, running as fast as he could. His target was the dense tree line at the mountain’s base, but he had to traverse a wide clearing to reach it. He decided against laying down a cover shot; he simply didn’t have enough ammo to waste. He was almost to the trees when he heard the muffled retort of a weapon and felt the burning hot slug enter, then exit, his left thigh. Grunting from the stabbing pain, Sheppard stumbled but managed to retain his balance. Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, he continued to run into the thick trees and underbrush.
Another shot rang out, ricocheting off a rock behind him. Sheppard kept running, using the trees to pull himself up the incline. Reaching a large cluster of fallen rocks, he slipped behind them, his heart pounding.
The wounds were bleeding profusely but he was certain the bullet hadn’t hit an artery. He assumed he’d be dead already if it had. He untied his BDU shirt from around his waist, and ripped it into long strips of cloth for bandages. Wadding up a couple of the strips, he pressed them into the wounds, and the wrapped the other wet strips as tightly as he dared around his thigh. He hoped it would be enough to stem the bleeding.
Sheppard peered over the top of the rocks, 9-mil in hand. The rain fall had lightened a bit, and he had a visual on a large figure in the distance. Sheppard didn’t think that Idiot had spotted where he was; he waited patiently for a clear shot, Big Idiot was more than fifty meters away, about the effective range of a 9-mil. A few minutes passed, the Idiot moved away from the tree he was hiding behind, and Sheppard fired. Big Idiot’s body jerked backwards and dropped from Sheppard’s line of sight.
Sheppard scrambled up the mountainside, and began moving parallel to the valley. He continued for about fifty yards until the terrain became too rocky to keep going straight. With his leg injured, he didn’t think he could climb rapidly enough to escape the Idiot. He decided his best option was to head back down into the valley.
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing: John Sheppard, Richard Woolsey, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Evan Lorne
Spoilers: The Return I & II, Inquisition (Story set after Season Five)
Warnings: Whump
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Genre: Action/Adventure
Word count: 19,474
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary: Written for x_erikah_x for the Easter 2010 Fic Exchange. Prompt at the end of Chapter 5.
INTO THE RAIN
INTO THE RAIN
By stella_pegasi
CHAPTER THREE THE VALLEY
Woolsey was lying about six feet below him, and hadn’t moved in the few minutes since Sheppard returned to the rim of the cliff. The shelf Woolsey was laying on was barely wide enough for him to have room to jump down and maneuver around the director.
He didn’t have much time, but he took a few precious minutes to consider how he could move Woolsey off the rock ledge. His options were limited if the director’s injuries were severe. The trail so far had been too narrow and uneven to use a travois. He saw some thick saplings and vines that he could make one with if that was his only choice. With that in mind, he cautiously dropped over the side of the cliff onto the ledge.
The director was lying on his back; his right arm bent beneath his body, his legs bent at an angle. Blood thinned by the pouring rain was flowing from a nasty gash on his forehead. Like Sheppard, as Woolsey tumbled down the slope his clothing snagged on the branches and was sliced by sharp rocks. They both had suffered numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
“Richard, can you hear me?” Sheppard leaned over Woolsey’s face to keep the rain from hitting him. He slid his hands along Woolsey arms, legs and rib cage to determine the extent of his injuries. His preliminary check convinced him that Woolsey had broken a couple of ribs, in addition, to an obvious broken right arm. He gently shook him, and Woolsey moaned softly.
“Sheppard?” His voice was shaky and weak.
“How ya doing? Can you sit up?” Woolsey nodded, and Sheppard placed his arm under the director’s shoulders and helped him sit up.
“Oww…my back… arm…hurt,” Woolsey’s face was a mask of pain. Sheppard raised the director’s shirt, wincing at the sizeable cut across Woolsey’s back; at least, it wasn’t bleeding profusely.
“Richard, uh...you’ve got a cut across your lower back; your right arm is broken, and I think you’ve got a couple of broken ribs. Look, we gotta get out of here; our friend just flew over and spotted us. You're gonna have to get up.” Woolsey nodded, and Sheppard helped him to his feet.
Once Woolsey was standing, Sheppard decided the best way to get him back on the trail was to lift him up. He unzipped the director’s TAC vest and expedition jacket; as gently as he could, he tucked Woolsey’s right arm against his chest, and then secured the jackets.
“Richard, I am gonna to kneel down; I want you to step up on my leg, OK?”
“uh...OK…”
Sheppard knelt down and helped Woolsey step up on his thigh; Sheppard took Woolsey’s right foot into his hand, and placed the foot on his shoulder. Woolsey uttered a sharp cry, and then moaned.
“Hang in there, you’re doing fine.” Sheppard grabbed Woolsey’s other foot, and once he had him stable, Sheppard stood up.
“Richard, you only have about a foot more to get onto the path. Use that tree to your left to help you pull up.”
Using his hands, Sheppard pushed Woolsey the rest of the way. He then grabbed the base of the small tree, and managed to walk his way up the cliff. Sheppard couldn’t stifle a groan; he was sore from the bruises and cuts all over his body, but at least he hadn’t broken anything.
“Look, I know you are in a lot of pain, but Big Idiot knows where we are. We have to keep moving. It’s going to take him some time to get to us. We gotta go now.” Sheppard had to yell so that Woolsey could hear him over the new thunderstorm that was raging around them. Woolsey simply nodded back, not trying to talk.
“Hang on to my belt like you did before; stay close. We’re gonna go slow.”
As they started back down the mountain, Sheppard thoughts turned to what he needed to do to keep them safe. Visibility was terrible, and the heavy rain and thunder was masking any other noise. He knew the only chance they had was to get to the bottom of the mountain as quickly as possible, and that wasn’t going to be quick at all.
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The jumper carrying Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex, as well as Lieutenant Salem’s team, arrived on Latira late in the afternoon. The trio had been on a scientific survey mission with Salem’s team while Sheppard was with Woolsey.
“Lorne, any news?” McKay asked as he stepped off the jumper; Lorne had come to meet them.
“’Fraid not, doctor; we have no idea where they are, or what has happened to them.”
Ronon spoke, “You talk to the Genii?”
“Yeah, I spoke to Radim, but to be honest, I don’t think he’s involved in their disappearance. I’m more inclined to think Shiana has something to do with it. Kelore of Latira has uncovered some evidence that she is cutting a deal with the Genii on the side, and with her hatred of Atlantis, she might want Sheppard and Woolsey out of the way.”
“Have you questioned her?” McKay asked.
“She has refused to speak with us.” As Lorne answered, he noticed Ronon’s hand close around the grip of his blaster. Teyla noticed Ronon’s action, as well.
“Then we will have to convince her to speak with us. The Daedalus is pushing her engines to arrive a couple of days early, but they are still three days from Latira. The colonel and Mr. Woolsey may not have that much time.” Teyla laid her hand on Ronon’s as she spoke to Lorne. She hoped to calm the Satedan.
“Let’s go find Shiana.” McKay said; Lorne led them into the coalition assembly hall.
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They had been walking for nearly an hour as the rain, wind, and lightening continued to swirl around them. The wind was gusting, causing Woolsey serious difficulty walking. Sheppard knew he was pushing Woolsey harder than he should be. He had no idea if Woolsey had internal injuries, but he did know he was in considerable pain. Even with the roar of the rain, wind, and thunder, Sheppard heard the sharp cries of pain that Woolsey couldn’t contain.
Sheppard reflected on this man beside him, struggling to walk. Before Woolsey became the director of Atlantis, he had thought of him as a timid, fussy, frightened man. They had used that fearful personality to fool the Replicators, who had captured Atlantis from the Ancients when they had briefly returned. It was clear that the timid, fussy, frightened man from before was not the same man that was now in command of Atlantis. He had grown so much since he arrived on Atlantis, but then, Sheppard thought, they had all changed.
Sheppard was certain that there was at least another hour’s worth of walking before they made it to the valley floor. He was getting tired, fighting the wind and trying to keep Woolsey upright was taking its toll on him. The one good thing was that the path had widened as they approached the base of the mountain. He had been able to bring Woolsey from behind him, and now had his left arm around Woolsey. The director’s broken right arm was secure against Sheppard’s side, restricting movement and hopefully, reducing his pain.
“Hey,” Sheppard shouted over the noise, “can you...uh...go a little further? Don’t see anywhere to stop.” Woolsey nodded yes, and they kept on going.
He had been scanning the terrain as best he could for a glimpse the ship, or Big Idiot. Sheppard realized it was going to be extremely difficult to spot him, and with a severely injured man to look out for, they were going to be easy targets. When they reached the valley, he was going to have to find a cave or recess in the rock where he could hide Woolsey.
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Dimas finally stepped in, forcing Shiana to meet with the Atlantians. As she entered the council chair’s chambers, she was not in a cooperative mood.
Ronon didn’t wait for pleasantries; he walked directly to her, “Where’s Sheppard?”
Not one to be intimidated easily, she stared back at the large Satedan, “Lost him, have you?” Her eyes showed her pleasure seeing the fury in Ronon’s face, knowing he would never attack her. The Atlantians were a lot of things, reckless in her opinion, but foolish they were not.
Dimas intervened, “Shiana, we do not have time for your personal vendetta, please answer the question. Do you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr. Woolsey and Colonel Sheppard?”
“No,” she gazed about the Chair’s chambers at the faces staring at her and added, “Are we done here?”
Rodney took a step toward her, but Teyla put her hand on his chest, moving in front of him. She addressed the councilwoman, “Shiana, we have not met, but I am Teyla Emmagan of Athos. Regardless of what you think of our colleagues personally, you have an obligation to the coalition to assist us. Do you know or suspect who might be behind their disappearance? And do not lie to me, you will regret it.” Teyla could also be quite formidable, as her eyebrow raised to emphasis her words.
Shiana wavered slightly as she replied to Teyla, “Teyla Emmagan, I do not know who may have done harm to your ‘colleagues’, but as an offer of good will, should I discover anything, I will certainly inform you.” Looking at Dimas, Shiana said, “We are done now.” She turned and left.
Teyla looked back at those assembled in Dimas’ office, “She knows something.”
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Sheppard was beginning to think he could not go another step, and he was completely amazed that Woolsey was still on his feet, albeit barely. The last half-hour had been a bit easier than any other part of the descent. They were near the bottom of the mountain, and the ground was beginning to flatten out.
Emerging off the mountain into a narrow valley, Sheppard had attempted to survey the area as they descended, but the rain had virtually obliterated his view. The one thing he did know was that the terrain was also very rocky, and that gave him hope that he could find shelter.
When he finally realized that he did not have to lean into a downward angle, Sheppard straightened up and halted. Woolsey sagged against him as their forward momentum stopped.
“Hey, Richard, we made it...we’re in the valley.”
“Goo’…good…sit…down?” Woosley was very weak.
“Not yet, just a bit farther. Uh...need to find a safe place to hide.” Sheppard steered him toward a grove of trees, and started to search. The valley appeared to narrow some as they walked, and there was a swollen stream to their left, water moving rapidly along its shallow banks. After ten minutes, Sheppard saw a possibility for shelter. There was a very rocky area to their right, and part of it looked quite a bit darker to Sheppard. He hoped that meant a cave.
“Come on, Richard, just a little bit farther.”
The path to the area Sheppard wanted to check out was treacherous; Sheppard stumbled twice, but managed to stay upright, keeping Woolsey upright, as well. As they got closer, he could tell that the area was an opening in the mountainside. He hoped it was deep enough to get Woolsey out of danger.
“Richard, sit down on this rock and lean against this tree. I think we’ve found a place to get out of the rain.” Once he was sure that Woolsey was not in any danger of falling off the rock, Sheppard moved toward the opening. Pulling the rucksack off, he rummaged until he found the small flashlight, flicked it on, and peered through the dim light into the cave. It didn’t appear to be very deep, but the space dogged legged to the right. If he could get Woolsey in deep enough, then maybe the big guy wouldn’t be able to find him.
Backing out of the cave, Sheppard turned toward Woolsey. “Come on, Richard; let’s get out of the rain.”
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The “Big Idiot” landed the small ship about three miles from the mountain where he had spotted Sheppard and Woolsey. The storm was too violent, and his piloting skills too novice, for him to put the ship down in any of the several spots closer to the location of the Atlantians. He wasn’t too worried about that; the more time that passed, the weaker Sheppard and Woolsey would become. When he caught them, he could toy with them.
He thought about how lucky he had been to come across the pilot from Quenius, who owned the little personal transport. Quenius had not suffered a culling by the Wraith in thousands of years and that had provided them with the luxury of time to develop technology. However, Quenius had not been so lucky during the most recent Wraith awakening. The pilot fled the city and hid in the mountains while the Wraith decimated the population of his world. When they met up a few months ago, the pilot had decided to sell the ship. He had been able to get his hands on it, as well as, get the pilot to agree to teach him to fly it. He had begun to plan his revenge then.
He grabbed his weapons, a Wraith stunner pistol, a Genii pistol, and a long gun. He filled a leather bag with a water pouch and some food, and exited down the narrow metal steps in search of his quarry. He began his trek toward the mountain where he had spotted the Atlantians, and the narrow valley below it with only one thought on his mind. They would pay; they would pay for the death of his wife, his two sons, and his precious daughter, as well as, for all the others. They would pay.
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Richard Woolsey finally comprehended that he wasn’t walking or being struck by rain any longer. The thunderous din from the rain and the wind was muffled, and no longer bombarding his ears. He slowly became aware he was lying on his left side on a hard surface, his head resting on something soft. As he opened his eyes, the only thing he could see was a dim beam of light, bouncing around him. Then the pain flooded his body, and he remembered everything.
“Shep…Sheppard?” His voice was strained; it was hard for him to breath with the pain.
From behind him, “Ri’ ‘h'er”. Sheppard’s voice was garbled from the miniature flashlight he was holding in his teeth; he removed it before he spoke again. “Checking the cut on your back. You got lucky; uh...it’s pretty shallow and not bleeding. I applied some Neosporin and bandaged it. Now, I need you to lie on your back.” He helped Woolsey roll over, mindful of his broken arm.
OK, now…the bad stuff. I've got to splint this arm. Richard, I have morphine to help with the pain, but I need you alert. I can give you a little to ease the pain.” Woolsey nodded he understood. Sheppard administered about a third of the dose of morphine, waiting for the drug to take effect before he handled Woolsey’s arm.
After a few minutes, Woolsey was breathing easier, “John, uh…where are we?”
“We made it down the mountain, we’re in a narrow valley; found a cave to get out of the rain.”
Sheppard took the two small branches he cut, laying them next to Woolsey’s arm and then gently began to splint the broken forearm with what was left of the gauze and bandages. He used tape from the med kit to tape along Woolsey’s likely broken ribs. Then, using Woolsey’s belt as a sling, he immobilized Woolsey’s arm against his chest. He helped the director into a sitting position and then tucked an emergency blanket around him.
“You need to eat something.” Sheppard pulled a MRE from the pack. Opening it, he began to pull food items out, “This one has beef stew in it…best I can do right now.”
Woolsey shook his head, “Just…water…eat later; you eat that.” Sheppard realized how hungry he was and didn’t argue. He held the canteen for Woolsey to take a drink before he began eating the cold stew. When he finished, he told Woolsey his plan.
“I am going to lure the Big Idiot away from you, and find another place to hide. I need to keep him away from you until help gets here.” He handed the 9-mil to Woolsey, and was digging the ammo pack from his pocket when Woolsey pushed the gun back at him.
“No…keep it.”
“Look, uh...I can’t stay here and protect you. I need to draw Big Idiot away; only chance we both have. I can stay out of his way, and keep him on the run until the Daedalus arrives.”
“Colonel, are you…certain we are still on…Latira?”
“Pure gut feeling, that’s all.” Sheppard wasn’t going to lie to Woolsey.
Woolsey held out the gun, “Take…it…an order.”
Sheppard took the gun and holstered it, and put the ammo back into his pocket. He pulled the small knife out of his pocket and handed it to Woolsey.
“This isn’t going to give you very much protection. If you hear someone enter this cave, play dead and wait until they are close. Just make sure it isn’t me. Here are the night vision goggles; they’ll give you an edge over him, if he comes into the cave. Richard, if you have to use the knife, use it to kill. Got that.”
Woolsey nodded at the colonel with a fierce determination in his eyes. Sheppard realized that he fully understood the danger they faced. Sheppard left the canteen, a couple of powerbars and MRE’s that he opened up, where Woolsey could reach them.
Sheppard stood up, “Richard, just stay quiet, and you’ll be safe.” Without waiting for an answer, Sheppard turned and jogged away from Woolsey toward the small spot of light at the entrance of the cave.
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Kelore had offered them the use of a conference room as a base of operations, and the Atlantians had gathered there to discuss the situation. Through the Palladian-styled windows, the jumpers were visible, parked on a large lawn, the teams standing outside waiting for orders.
“Damn it, Lorne; where the hell are they?” Rodney McKay’s patience level had never been stellar but had virtually vanished. The scientist’s anger was on the verge of boiling over, and he had no outlet to direct his rage toward. He simply paced back and forth in front of windows for lack of anything else to do.
“Doc, I don’t know,” Lorne was just as exasperated. On numerous occasions during the last few hours, he would have gladly traded places with Sheppard so that he didn’t have to deal with the colonel’s teammates. They could be very trying when Sheppard was missing. Lorne laughed to himself as he thought, ‘Who am I kidding, like all of us aren’t just as concerned about these two men.’
“I dispatched Isaacs and Stackhouse’s teams out to canvas everyone in coalition headquarters to see if they get obtain some intel. I want to determine if anyone’s unaccounted for; maybe we’ll get lucky and uncover a lead.”
Teyla nodded to Lorne that she was in agreement with his plan when Lieutenant Stackhouse burst into the room.
“Major, Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez may have something, sir. They just found out that there is one member of a delegation that is missing; no one has seen him since around noon today and he was unaccounted for last night.”
McKay brushed past Lorne and went to Lieutenant Stackhouse, “Who, lieutenant?”
“Sir, his name is Mischen Vangar, and he’s a member of Shiana’s staff; her personal aide and bodyguard. He’s also from the Tribes of Santhal; another survivor of the Replicator attack, as was Shiana.”
McKay snapped his fingers and shook his head, “I knew it. She’s behind this.”
Lorne nodded in agreement, “Come on, let’s find Kelore, we’ll let his security guards’ deal with bringing her to us for questioning. This time, she doesn’t get a pass.”
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Mischen Vangar reached the beginning of the narrow valley that Sheppard and Woolsey had entered as they left the mountain. He knew from flying over the area that this valley was more like a canyon and that the opening at the other end was narrow and difficult to traverse. He should have them cornered. He wished he had found sufficient time to study the area, but Shiana was involved in so much contrivance with the Genii that he had been unable to learn more about the terrain.
He was still enraged that Sheppard had managed to get loose and evade him. If the Atlantians had not gotten away, this would be over. He would be safely back in the city, and no one would ever suspect him. Atlantis and the coalition might suspect Shiana, but they would never suspect him. All the council members and their staffs referred to Mischen as the man who did her bidding. He never exerted his own opinion, only followed Shiana’s orders like a good little servant. Precisely what he wanted them to think; that he was a timid and seemingly, unintelligent man not capable of capturing a warrior from Atlantis.
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The rain continued to fall at a steady pace, but without the intensity of earlier in the day. The valley floor was saturated, and Sheppard’s boots sank deeply into the soggy surface. At times, the mud was so viscous, he struggled to move his feet forward.
Normally, Sheppard would have been pleased that the rain was covering his tracks, but, under these circumstances, it was not all what he wanted. He wanted to leave a trail so that he could draw the kidnapper away from Woolsey. Backtracking to the location where they had come off the mountain, he started breaking limbs on trees, occasionally ripping off small pieces of his torn black t-shirt, hooking the cloth on a branch. He crossed over the swiftly moving stream, and snapped a tree limb to make it appear it split when he pulled himself from the stream.
Sheppard reached the area across the stream from the cave when he heard a gunshot, and a tree limb above his head splintered from the impact of a bullet. Crouching behind a large rock, he scanned the area, attempting to spot the shooter. He thought it was a good bet that Big Idiot had caught up with him, but he couldn’t see anything through the thick vegetation and the pouring rain.
Needing to reach higher ground, Sheppard darted from his hiding place, running as fast as he could. His target was the dense tree line at the mountain’s base, but he had to traverse a wide clearing to reach it. He decided against laying down a cover shot; he simply didn’t have enough ammo to waste. He was almost to the trees when he heard the muffled retort of a weapon and felt the burning hot slug enter, then exit, his left thigh. Grunting from the stabbing pain, Sheppard stumbled but managed to retain his balance. Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, he continued to run into the thick trees and underbrush.
Another shot rang out, ricocheting off a rock behind him. Sheppard kept running, using the trees to pull himself up the incline. Reaching a large cluster of fallen rocks, he slipped behind them, his heart pounding.
The wounds were bleeding profusely but he was certain the bullet hadn’t hit an artery. He assumed he’d be dead already if it had. He untied his BDU shirt from around his waist, and ripped it into long strips of cloth for bandages. Wadding up a couple of the strips, he pressed them into the wounds, and the wrapped the other wet strips as tightly as he dared around his thigh. He hoped it would be enough to stem the bleeding.
Sheppard peered over the top of the rocks, 9-mil in hand. The rain fall had lightened a bit, and he had a visual on a large figure in the distance. Sheppard didn’t think that Idiot had spotted where he was; he waited patiently for a clear shot, Big Idiot was more than fifty meters away, about the effective range of a 9-mil. A few minutes passed, the Idiot moved away from the tree he was hiding behind, and Sheppard fired. Big Idiot’s body jerked backwards and dropped from Sheppard’s line of sight.
Sheppard scrambled up the mountainside, and began moving parallel to the valley. He continued for about fifty yards until the terrain became too rocky to keep going straight. With his leg injured, he didn’t think he could climb rapidly enough to escape the Idiot. He decided his best option was to head back down into the valley.