fic: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part 1
Title: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part 1
Author: titan5
Recipent: theladymore
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~15,000 (total for story)
Genre/Characters/Pairings: Het; John/Elizabeth
Warnings (if applicable): references and evidence of people getting eaten
Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He’s beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back.
Author's Notes: Written for Sheppard H/C Winter Fic Exchange 2014. Prompt used at the end of the story. Many thanks to my wonderful beta black_raven135 for her excellent and fast work. Any missed mistakes are totally my fault for being in such a hurry to make the deadline.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
John rested his arms across the top of his P90 as he watched the rest of his people come through the gate. When the gate shut down, he slid his aviators on and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, kids, it is 0200 Atlantis time. Enjoy your day Christmas shopping on Market World, but be back here by 0700. Keep your eyes open and don’t let the vendors cheat you. And don’t eat the meat surprise chili thing from Karka’s booth unless you brought a bottle of Tums with you.”
Lt. Davidson’s eyebrows went up as Ronon snickered. John flashed the big man a warning scowl as the lieutenant asked, “Are you speaking from experience, sir?”
“Is he ever,” muttered Rodney.
“Let’s just say you won’t catch me anywhere near that booth,” John answered. “Have fun but don’t let your guard down. We’ve never had trouble here but people from worlds all over the Pegasus galaxy come and go and anyone paying attention has noticed we’ve been showing up a lot lately. Just . . . watch your back.”
Davidson’s team nodded, their expressions telling John they were taking him seriously. “See you at 0700. We’ll be just in time to catch breakfast in the mess hall.”
“Happy hunting, colonel,” said Sgt. Ann Ross, giving her CO a mock salute and a grin as she headed down the trail with her team.
“I just wish we didn’t have to do this in the middle of the night,” whined Rodney.
John kneaded the back of his neck, trying to loosen the tense muscles. “I couldn’t agree more, Rodney, but the market opens one hour after daybreak on this planet, which just happens to be around 0200 Atlantis time. No one made you come Christmas shopping.”
Market World, as John had dubbed it, was like a mixture of the Saturday flea market and a craft fair, with booths selling everything from clothes and jewelry to furniture and tools two days a week. Some of them looked like yard sales getting rid of unwanted used stuff, but most of the vendors were selling things they had made or harvested from their world. It was the best selection of goods in the galaxy and with Christmas less than a week away, it was everyone’s favorite destination right now. John and Elizabeth had put together a rotation of teams and other personnel who wanted to do some local shopping for the holidays. Today it was John and Lt. Davidson’s teams.
“Yes, well, it isn’t like I can just run down to the mall Christmas Eve, now is it?” Rodney said.
“I’m guessing that’s what you usually do when you’re on Earth? Lame, Rodney. Really lame.”
Rodney huffed. “It is not lame. It’s not my fault I’m always busy doing research that’s actually important when some stupid holiday interferes.” The scientist was quiet for a moment before adding, “Besides, it’s not like I ever have many people to buy for anyway.”
Teyla, who had thoroughly embraced the whole Christmas idea from year one, reached out to grasp the physicist’s arm. “It is not how many friends you have, but the quality of the friendships that is important. You have many who care for you in Atlantis, but you have a special place in the hearts of your team. We are as family are we not?”
“Maybe even better,” said John under his breath, ignoring the knowing look Ronon shot him.
Rodney’s shoulders seemed to relax a bit and his expression lightened. “We really are kind of like a family, aren’t we? You know, buying presents for you guys and a couple of others is really the first time since I was a kid that I’ve tried to put some thought into getting the right gift. I guess it’s the first time I’ve really cared if people liked the gift I got them.”
“You have always managed to find something I thought was special,” said Teyla with a grin.
“Really?” asked Rodney, his eyebrows rising.
“Really,” she affirmed.
“Looks like we’re here,” John announced as they emerged from the rocky path into the open market.
The world was pretty dry, which was probably why the market had been placed here. The ground was hard packed dirt with rows of booths set up facing three branching pathways. The booths were made of poles and curtains, almost like a carnival or one of the craft fairs John’s mom had favored when he was a child. He found himself smiling at the memory until he noticed Rodney frowning at him. Sobering, he straightened and faced his team.
“Remember to keep your eyes open. This place is pretty popular and we know those stupid Genii wanted posters keep turning up to make our lives miserable. It might be better if we pair off for safety.”
“We aren’t children, colonel,” complained Rodney with a loud sigh. “Personally I don’t need a babysitter standing over me while I shop.”
“What he said,” added Ronon with a nod toward Rodney.
Teyla rolled her eyes. “I suspect for both of you that the need to go alone has more to do with your eating habits than a need for solitude.”
John snorted, turning his face away for a couple of seconds to regain his composure. “Fine, just . . . keep an eye out for bad guys between bites.” The food smells were beginning to drift their way and he watched in amusement as Ronon and Rodney’s eyes widened.
“Done. See you later,” the scientist said as he turned and hurried toward the first row of booths with Ronon right behind him.
John rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at Teyla. “Think we’ll have to roll them back to the gate?”
Having heard the sentiment before, Teyla nodded. “I fear it will be so.”
They started walking toward the third row, preferring to shop first and end up at what John referred to as the food court toward the end. “Are you looking for something special or just shopping in general?” he asked.
“I have a few things I know I want to get Torren and there are some other things I have in mind to look at for friends,” Teyla said. “What about you? Are you getting something special for Elizabeth?”
The question caught John off guard, or rather Teyla’s teasing tone did. He looked over at her to find a smug and almost knowing smile on her face. Did she know? How could she?
John and Elizabeth had become close friends very quickly, the shared leadership of Atlantis leading to many hours together. After a rocky start, they had quickly meshed, leaning on the strengths of the other to get them through the tough times and making some of the hard decisions. They had carefully kept each other at arm’s length, at least until recently. A chaotic negotiations gone wrong mission that involved Elizabeth had left each of them thinking the other had been killed for several hours. That had been the catalyst to push them together, each admitting they wanted to be more than friends.
The relationship was still new and they had been very careful so far. They wanted to take things slowly until they knew if their bond was strong enough to risk being ousted from Atlantis before they made any public displays of affection. So how did Teyla seem to know what was going on?
“What . . . uh, what makes you ask that?” John asked, trying for nonchalance. He was pretty sure he’d failed.
Teyla just continued to smile at him. “I simply thought you and Elizabeth were drawing closer recently. You have spent more time together than usual these past few weeks . . . since the mission to M3Q-537. I know that your friendship is deep and that you feared you had lost her.”
Friendship. Either she didn’t know as much as he’d feared or she was letting him off the hook. “You’re right. Elizabeth is a good friend. I’d hate to think of Atlantis without her. It just . . . it wouldn’t seem right.”
“No, it would not. And it would not seem right without you either. I believe the two of you are the heart and soul of Atlantis.”
They stopped walking and he turned to Teyla, studying her expression to see if she was making fun of him. He knew immediately that she was not. Her sober expression and the sincerity in her eyes told him that she was being honest in her assessment. “Wow,” he said, amazed at the statement. “That’s . . . really nice.”
Teyla smiled and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. “It is simply what I feel to be so. Tell me, do you need assistance or have you already decided what to get?”
“I have something in mind, but I wouldn’t mind you lending your opinion if you have time. You know her pretty well and I think you would have a good idea of what she likes.”
“I would be honored to help,” she said with a big grin.
“Good,” John said, returning her smile as a bit of his worry dissolved. They began walking again, with him leading them toward the other end of the row where he was pretty sure the booth he was interested in lay. “There was a vender the last time we were here that sold jewelry made from these crystals on his world.”
“Yes, I remember,” Teyla said. “They were very striking. I believe Elizabeth would love almost anything they sold.”
John couldn’t help the swell of pleasure her validation of his gift choice brought. Teyla and Elizabeth had become very close friends over the years and he felt sure the Athosian would have the best idea of what Elizabeth would and wouldn’t like. “Good. I was hoping you would think so. I think I’d like to get a set of a necklace and earrings, maybe in that emerald green stone they had the last time.”
“I think that would be lovely,” Teyla said. They walked for a few more minutes before reaching the end of the row where one would circle around and start down the next aisle. Sure enough, just as they had remembered, the booth he was looking for sat at the end.
They browsed through the jewelry for almost fifteen minutes with the booth owner trying to talk them into buying all sorts of things. They finally agreed on a set that featured a multicolored crystal that shimmered in the sunlight. It came with a bracelet and earrings. John wasn’t sure if Elizabeth would ever wear the bracelet, but it came with the set. Teyla helped him make a good trade for it before she set off to find some toys for Torren.
Pleased with his progress, John next headed for a booth that made knives Ronon was fond of. He had already purchased one knife for the big guy, but Ronon always said you couldn’t have too many knives. As he turned away from the jewelry booth, he noticed a table across the aisle that had a partially covered object toward the back curtain that looked suspiciously like a ZPM.
“No way,” John whispered to himself as wandered over to the booth. He began shifting the things on the table in an attempt to look like he was interested in them, all the while trying to see the possible ZPM in the back. A tingle at his fingertips brought his eyes down just in time to see a rectangular box similar to an LSD light up. He jerked his hand away and glanced up at the vendor.
The man looked to be in his early twenties with short, dark hair and dark brown eyes that were looking right at him. John mentally kicked himself for not being more alert and turned away to leave.
“Wait, sir,” called the vendor. John hesitated a moment and then turned around. The guy hadn’t started shooting or yelling for help yet so he might as well see what he wanted. As John stepped back to the table, the man leaned in close and whispered. “You have the blood of the old ones.”
John frowned and tried to look confused. “Old ones?”
The man’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he whispered, “Some call them the Ancestors. You have their blood, but you know this already.”
John didn’t comment either way and carefully kept his expression neutral. “What if I do?”
The man chuckled a little under his breath. “Perhaps you are interested in some of the workings of the Ancestors?”
“Perhaps,” John replied evenly, his eyes lingering on the covered object in the back.
Following his gaze, the man gave a short nod. “I believe I have some things in the back that you might find interesting. Come, I will show you.” Before John could answer, the vendor had rushed to the back of his booth and pulled the curtain aside, motioning for John to go through the small opening.
John’s paranoid inner voice was telling him to get back-up before going into small back rooms with Pegasus natives he didn’t know, but his optimistic side was picturing the look on Rodney’s face if he opened a ZPM for Christmas. A grin broke out as he imagined the looks on everyone’s face. “It’s like they say I guess, go big or go home,” he muttered under his breath as he headed for the waiting man.
The back section was small and cramped, filled with stacked boxes of merchandise. His native friend scampered to the back section and pulled the lid off a crate just about the size of ZPM and John felt his heart start pumping. Please be a ZPM he thought as he walked over to peer into the crate. The crate was full of blankets similar to the ones being sold out front.
“Wait a second, buddy,” John said as he turned around, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. “What are you . . . “ He trailed off at the sight of his friend standing beside an older man with graying hair and fairly full graying beard. His attention was immediately drawn to the weapon in the older man’s hand that looked suspiciously like a Wraith stunner. John sighed. “Wraith worshippers, just my luck.”
The young guy’s mouth dropped open in an expression of horror, but the old man just looked smug. “Hardly,” he said as he pulled the trigger. John never felt himself hit the floor.
oOo
Rodney paced around in a circle, muttering to himself while Teyla tried the radio again and Ronon growled. Teyla finally gave up and turned to the others in exasperation. “I still cannot reach him.”
Rodney stopped pacing to cross his arms over his chest. “Isn’t this just like the good colonel. Make a big speech about being on time and he’s twenty minutes late. I’d like to get an hour or two of sleep before reporting to do a full day’s work in the lab. Some of us have real jobs you know.”
Lt. Davidson stepped up to Rodney. “Colonel Sheppard would never be this late or refuse to answer our hails unless something was wrong.” Turning to Ronon, he said, “We need to look for him.”
“I agree,” said Ronon. “Sheppard wouldn’t do this. Something’s wrong.”
“Perhaps we should let Atlantis know and call for more people to help search,” said Teyla. “The market will close soon and many will leave for their home worlds.”
“I’ll do it,” said Davidson, throwing a glare Rodney’s way before moving to the DHD.
Rodney’s shoulders slumped as he let his arms drop. “You really think something happened to him?”
“I am afraid I do,” said Teyla. “I saw him last at the jewelry booth in the back west corner of the market shortly after we arrived. Has anyone seen him since?”
Everyone shook their heads as they looked around the group. “Then that is where we should start,” she said.
“I’ll go back there with Teyla so we can ask the people around the booth if they saw where he went,” said Ronon. “When reinforcements get here, you guys can start at this end and work your way back toward us. Make sure someone stays at the gate.”
“He’s apparently been missing for hours,” said Rodney, his voice moving up in pitch. “You do know there’s a good chance he’s already been taken off world, right. This is like closing the barn door after all the animals have escaped.”
“Right now it’s all we can do,” said Sgt. Ross. “If we figure out he’s been taken off world, we deal with it then.”
Ronon nodded and glanced back at Rodney, who threw up his hands and shook his head. “Fine, fine. Go check and we’ll wait for the cavalry here.”
Ronon and Teyla did not talk, but hurried through the crowds to the jewelry booth where John had made his purchase earlier in the day. The vendor remembered her and thought she had brought more business for him.
“You need to purchase more of the pretty jewelry, yes?”
“No,” said Teyla with a smile. “I have come for a different reason. Do you remember the man I was with earlier today, who bought the necklace set?”
“Yes,” he answered hesitantly.
“We have not seen him in a while and he is late to meet up with us. I wondered if you saw where he went after he made his purchase?” Teyla put all her effort into looking relaxed and nonthreatening. It had the desired result of the vendor relaxing as well.
“He has probably gotten caught up with Meeschka’s flirting or eating Flavin’s tarts,” he said with a grin. Putting his hand to his chin, he squinted in the late afternoon sun as he surveyed his surroundings. “Let me remember . . . ah! I did notice him across the way a few moments later,” he said, pointing to an empty booth almost directly across from his.
Teyla’s heart dropped. “There is no one there now. Did you happen to notice when they left or if my friend was with them?”
The man frowned and shook his head. “I know it was shortly after you left because I thought it odd that they left so early and on a day with such a good crowd. But they are always somewhat strange, closing up early some days and staying very late others. You never know when they will show up and when they will not. I do not remember seeing your friend with them when they left however.”
Teyla watched the man frown even further. “There is something else?”
The man chuckled and shook his head again. “Probably nothing. I just remember thinking it was odd how they packed up their goods and left from the back of the booth. It is much harder to leave from the back than from the front.”
Her stomach rolling in fear, Teyla thanked the man for his help and then followed Ronon, who had already headed for the booth. She followed him to the storage area in the back to find boxed stacked everywhere and the back curtain partially hiked up. He leaned down and stared at the dirt under the hanging cloth. “Someone was dragged through here.”
“Do you think it was John?” She kept hoping for some other answer to become apparent or for Rodney to radio that he had shown up at the gate.
“What did you say he bought at that other booth?”
She stepped over closer to see what Ronon was picking up. “A jewelry set for Elizabeth with crystal stones that . . . “ She froze when Ronon held out the necklace John has purchased earlier. Looking around she now saw one of the earrings partially under a box. “Oh, Ronon.”
“We need to find out who had this booth,” Ronon said, clenching his fist around the necklace.
Ten minutes later Lorne reported from a jumper that there was no sign of John’s transmitter signal, confirming what they had all feared. John Sheppard was no longer on the planet.
oOo
John woke to pins and needles and a wall-banger of a headache. When he thought his day couldn’t get any worse, he realized his hands were tied behind his back as he lay on a cold floor in a windowless room. Great, taken prisoner again. Did he have a stupid target painted on his back? Then he remembered the Wraith stunner. Wow, this just keeps getting better.
His tac vest was gone, along with all his weapons. No surprise there. He wiggled around until he managed to sit up and then scooted over to sit against the wall. The dizziness dissipated after a few minutes. He was a little disturbed by how long the pins and needles were lasting.
By the time his captors came for him, the tingling was better, but his mouth was dry and his hands were numb. It was the same two men from the booth and Old Guy still had his stunner. “What do you want?” John asked.
“Get to your feet,” ordered the older man.
“I’m not sure I can do that,” replied John, his voice relaying the anger he felt. “Someone stunned me earlier and I’m having a little trouble feeling my legs.”
Old guy sighed. “Lierka,” he said, bobbing his head toward John.
Okay, now John had a name to work with. He allowed Lierka to pull him to his feet. The tingling in his legs intensified for a few moments from the renewed circulation, causing him to stagger sideways. Lierka steadied him, apologizing under his breath. He was getting the distinct impression that his young friend wasn’t quite as anxious to kidnap people as Old Guy was.
John looked at the old man as his balance stabilized. “What’s the matter, can’t the Wraith come to fetch their own dinner? You got a drive in window or something?”
The old man looked confused for a second before hardening his expression. “I told you, we are not Wraith worshippers,” he spat out, looking offended at the accusation.
“So-o-o what, you just kidnap people?”
“We’re really sorry, mister, but we have to -“
“Lierka! That is enough,” snapped Old Guy, cutting Lierka off. “We do what we must and that is all you need to know,” said the old man. He waved at the door as he backed away from it. “Walk, now.”
John straightened his back and pulled his shoulders up. “And what if I don’t? I like to know where I’m going when kidnappers try to march me at gunpoint.”
The old man took in a deep breath and breathed it out noisily. He was obviously getting frustrated with John. “Then I will stun you and Lierka will drag you across the ground.”
Yeah, well, it figured. John didn’t bother responding as he walked out the door. It was late afternoon, the sun low in the sky. Lierka led him down a narrow dirt road. Not a soul was visible outside, but curtains in the windows of the houses moved as people peeked out at the small parade. So the whole town was in on whatever this was. The town was apparently small, as they quickly left the houses behind and continued down a path through the woods.
“I think it’s only fair that you tell me where we’re going,” said John. “You’re the one with the gun so what could it hurt?”
“He is right,” said Lierka. “He should know why he was taken.”
Old Guy sighed loudly from behind them. “Fine, tell him. But do not stop walking. We must reach the caves before night falls.”
Lierka nodded and licked his lips nervously. “We do this because we must. You need to understand, we are not bad people. We do this to protect our families and our village.”
“Do what?” asked John, his stomach churning with the rising anxiety. He had a really bad feeling about this.
“Almost fifteen cycles of the moon ago a creature began attacking our village, dragging people off and killing them and . . . we think eating them. Darien discovered if we gave the creature an . . . an offering once each cycle, that he does not attack the village. We think he lives off the creatures in the forest and the caves as long as he has a human once . . . well, you see why we must do this.”
John had thought he had an inkling how much trouble he was in, but apparently not. He was angry and just a little sick to his stomach imagining being eaten by some monster. Why did his life usually resemble a horror movie? “So basically you’re offering me up as a human sacrifice? What the heck? Did it never occur to you to ask for help getting rid of this thing rather than sending people to their death every month? Seriously, what is wrong with you people?”
“We are not offering a human sacrifice,” stated Darien.
“Actually, you are,” growled John, his anger rising. “And as the human sacrifice, I should know. You are giving me to some monster to kill so he won’t kill someone from your village. I’m pretty sure that qualifies.” John stopped and whirled around to face the old man. “You’re no better than the Wraith worshippers.”
Darien brought the stunner up so fast that John didn’t have time to dodge it and he took the hit full across the face. It spun him around and he lost his balance, going down hard on his right side.
“You will not say that,” Darien screamed. “You will not compare us to those abominations.”
John pushed up to lean against his elbow. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face and the burn of the cut the gun had opened. Lierka stood with his mouth open while Darien puffed so hard he was probably hyperventilating, his face reddening with anger.
John narrowed his eyes. “Truth hurt too much? Wraith worshippers collect people they don’t know to feed the Wraith so they can live. You collect people you don’t know to feed some monster so you can live. You tell me what the difference is?” After several seconds of silence, John huffed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. If you’re sending me to my death, the least you can do is be honest about what you’re doing. If you can’t face it then maybe that’s a sign you need to find another way.”
Darien stared at him for several seconds before bringing his stunner up to point at John. “Lierka, get him on his feet. It’s almost dark.”
“Right,” John said with a humorless chuckle. “Gotta get out before the boogeyman comes out so he only eats me and not you. What brave heroes you are.” He managed to get his feet under him and stood up by himself. Looking at Darien, he spit on the ground at the man’s feet and then turned around and started walking.
“My people could help you get rid of this thing. We’ve done things like that for other people. All you had to do was ask. We have some serious weapons at our disposal.” When they didn’t answer John’s suggestion that they let him help them, he changed tactics. “And if you do this, when they figure out where I am and come here, they’re going to be very angry. My second in command gets a little unpredictable when people try to kill his CO. I can’t even imagine how dangerous he’ll be when he finds the people who actually did kill his CO.”
Lierka’s brow furrowed. “Your people, they would take revenge for your death?”
John kept his face serious as he looked at the scared young man beside him. “Oh, yes. There probably won’t be much left of your village when Lorne gets done with you. And I haven’t even mentioned Ronon yet. He was a runner for several years so he doesn’t have much in the way of patience for those who kill innocent people.” Although Ronon would probably find John’s tactic hilarious, Lorne might not appreciate being painted as a revenge driven madman. If it would only work.
Lierka glanced back at Darien, making John wish he could see the guy’s expression. The man’s response did a good job of answering that question.
“He is bluffing. No one saw us take him and even if they did, they do not know where we are from.” Lierka’s wince at that statement was like a tiny beacon of light. “His people will not come. They will never know what happened to him. Of that, I give you my word. Now stop all this talking and walk.”
John walked silently after that, figuring he’d lull them into a false sense of security and then take Darien down. He hunched his shoulders and tried to look defeated and harmless. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to get the stunner and run. No way the old man could outrun him and Lierka didn’t seem to have his heart in the whole human sacrifice thing. Piece of cake. Hopefully.
After a while, Lierka dropped behind him. “He is right, Darien. What we are doing, it is no better than those who worship the Wraith.”
“You must not listen to him. He would say anything to spare his life. He does not understand that we must protect our families.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I have my own family to protect, that I might have people who need me to help them survive?” asked John. He had limited time to make them rethink feeding him to some creature.
“Darien?” said Lierka, his voice almost pleading.
“Stranger, you will stop talking or I will stuff your mouth with cloth so that you cannot utter a sound,” threatened Darien. “Your fate is sealed and you will be given to the creature. Know that your death will save many lives.”
“Fine, I get it. Just tell me one more thing. What’s the deal with testing for the Ancient gene?” At their confused looks, he added, “the blood of the Ancestors?”
They were silent for a moment before Darien answered. “We discovered once, by accident, that if the . . . person we offer the monster has the blood of the Ancestors, the creature seems to stay calm longer. No more questions. Just walk and be silent.”
John stopped talking but he had no intention of being fed to some monster. He was trying to decide if he wanted to bring back reinforcements to get rid of their creature once he’d escaped or just let them wallow in their mess. Crap, he’d have to help them to keep them from killing any more people. How many had they already killed? He shook his head in disgust.
“You judge us?” asked Darien from just behind his left shoulder. John didn’t answer, mostly because he didn’t want to end up with someone’s sock in his mouth to make a point. “Stop.”
John spun around, prepared to give the guy an earful no matter what the consequences. Instead he got clocked in the head again. This time when he lost his balance, Darien pushed him so that he fell through a hole in the ground. He got the impression Lierka tried to grab him as he fell, but something cold and hard brushed against his wrist, cutting him. He had just a moment to wonder what had happened when he struck something hard and went out like the proverbial light.
oOo
John was cold and for some reason he was damp, almost wet. And his sheets smelled like dirt and decaying leaves. He really needed to do laundry soon. He reached out to grab the covers, but all he got was a handful of wet leaves and sticks. What in the world?
When John opened his eyes, all he could see was darkness. After a few moments he realized he could see a star or two through the canopy, which was unusually far over his head. As he lay there looking up, it hit him what he was seeing. Darien had pushed him into a huge hole in the ground and he was looking through it like a tunnel. Well, Darien didn’t know about his history with rock climbing. He was climbing out of this hole and kicking that man’s ass. Then he’d decide if he wanted to drag him back out here and throw him down this stupid hole with his hands tied behind his back.
Wait a minute. His hands weren’t tied. He held them out, trying to see in the tiny bit of starlight. He was becoming aware of stinging sensations in his wrists and he remembered the sharp pain when Lierka grabbed for him. Except he hadn’t been trying to catch him, he’d been cutting the bindings free. At least his guilt trip had worked on one of his captors. Now to climb out of here.
Ten seconds later, he knew he wasn’t climbing anywhere. He sat hunched over clutching his leg just above his right ankle, groaning and mentally begging the pain to let up. He’d twisted ankles before and this was much, much worse. He was pretty sure something in his ankle or foot or possibly both was broken. No way was he doing any climbing. He’d be lucky if he could find a way to walk. The process of sitting up had introduced a whole assortment of aches and pains.
His head throbbed from the lump on the right side of his forehead and the whole right side of his face felt raw, like a bad case of road rash. His right shoulder was bruised and his forearm was shredded from just below his pinkie finger to his elbow. At some point on the way down he’d apparently slammed his right side into the wall of the tunnel, which was most definitely not a smooth surface.
Suddenly a loud screaming howl split the air and echoed through the cave system John had been dumped in. He froze, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, but it was impossible. The good news was that it didn’t seem particularly close. The bad news was he couldn’t exactly run away, making it way too close for someone trapped in an unfamiliar cave system with a broken foot or ankle.
John scooted around on the ground looking for a stick big enough to use as a cane or crutch, but all he could find was twigs a few inches long. Since he wasn’t a dwarf, that was not helpful. Using the wall of the cave, he pulled himself up. When he tried to hobble a step, barely resting his injured foot on the ground, he had to bite his lip to suppress the howl of pain that threatened to escape. This was not turning out to be such a good day. And he had thought shopping in malls on Earth had been dangerous.
oOo
Elizabeth made a conscious effort to stop wringing her hands together and place them at her sides as Lorne’s team came through the gate. She was trying her best to look no more concerned than she would for any member of the expedition who’d obviously been kidnapped and it was costing her. An afternoon of ignoring the panic in her heart had her near tears she couldn’t afford to shed.
She and John had finally given up the just friends act, at least with each other. In public, they were the two leaders of Atlantis who worked well together and had become close friends. In private, they had begun to explore a more intimate relationship, one they had both apparently wanted for quite some time. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him now, when something she’d longed for was now within her grasp.
Major Lorne was coming up the steps to the control room and he didn’t look happy. Glancing over the balcony, she noticed the glum expressions on everyone’s face and her heart sank. “I’m guessing no luck on M3P-116?”
Lorne stopped in front of her and shook his head. “Not really. They claim it wasn’t anyone from their world at the market and that they’ve never seen the colonel.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as Teyla came up to stand beside Lorne. “Claim? You don’t believe them?”
Lorne sighed. “There was something kind of . . . hinky going on.” At Elizabeth’s raised eyebrows he continued. “When we first got there, we talked to a woman in the street who said we’d need to talk to Darien, who’s apparently the untitled leader of the village. She went off to get him but came back with some other guy . . . Milken or Metkin or something . . .”
“Miertkin,” supplied Teyla.
“Yeah, Miertkin. Anyway, both him and the woman who fetched him looked kind of spooked. They kept helping each other tell the story about why it wasn’t them on the planet and they were nervous, very nervous. And they kept feeding us some line about why this Darien guy couldn’t talk to us. And while I was talking to them, Teyla heard something even more damning.”
Teyla gave a brief nod as she took up the story. “I noticed two young women standing under some trees nearby. I moved to get closer to them, thinking perhaps I could ask them a few questions. One of them was showing the other a bracelet. She said that Lierkin had brought it back from the Chabock Market earlier today. The stones in the bracelet were the same as the ones in the jewelry stand across from the booth where John was taken.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes a few seconds, seeing the bracelet and earring they had brought back from the planet. Part of the gift he had purchased for her. She felt a little sick. Opening her eyes, she looked at the worried faces before her. “What do you suggest?”
Lorne glanced at Teyla and then back to Elizabeth. “I left Lt. Mason back on the planet. He’s going to sneak around and see if he can gather more intel.”
Elizabeth frowned slightly. “Do the people on the planet know you left someone there?”
“They do not,” said Teyla with a small smile. “Major Lorne had Lt. Mason wait by the gate while we went into town. We then told him what to look and listen for. I understand that Lt. Mason is very good at not being seen when he does not want to be.”
Elizabeth smiled, thinking of all the stories she’d heard, mostly from John and Ronon, about the lieutenant’s ability for stealth. “I’ve heard much the same thing. When does he check in?”
“I told him to check in in four hours, sooner if he finds out anything of value,” said Lorne.
“Okay, then I guess we wait to hear from him,” said Elizabeth. “Why don’t you two check with Dr. Beckett and then get something to eat.”
Lorne nodded. “Don’t worry ma’am. We’ll get Colonel Sheppard back. No way I’m getting stuck with all his paperwork. I know how far behind some of his reports are.”
Elizabeth managed a small chuckle as Lorne left. She was also aware of how much John hated some of the redundant reports required by the IOA. He always managed to get them done, but at the last possible minute. The tears welled up and she had to fight not to let them spill over.
“Elizabeth, we will get John back,” said Teyla, putting her hand on her friend’s arm. “I give you my word we will not stop looking.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said, trying to maintain a neutral face and tone of voice.
Teyla gave her arm a squeeze and smiled as she leaned forward. “John loves you,” she whispered.
Elizabeth felt heat flush her face, but Teyla just turned and walked away. “Please find him,” she whispered to herself.
oOo
John paused, leaning heavily against the rough wall while pressing his face to the cool stone. He was exhausted. His sweat soaked shirt clung to him, chilling him when he took a break. The muscles in his left leg ached and trembled with the effort of supporting his full weight. He let his right foot sag and touch the floor, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused. Closing his eyes, he tried to rest a moment.
He’d decided the main tunnel connecting some of the caverns was actually an ancient lava tube. At least it reminded him of the one he’d explored in Hawaii. He’d come across two more of the well like openings that lead to the surface, but they had both been smaller than the one Darien had dumped him in. One thing was for sure. No one, human or monster, was likely to have climbed in and out any of the openings he’d seen due to the vertical, crumbling sides. Lierka or Darien one had said the creature came into town, which meant there had to be another way out of these tunnels. All John had to do was find it before the monster found him. At the rate he was going, that wasn’t going to be easy.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened and continued the hop jump gait he’d been using the last several hours. His mouth was so dry that he’d have given his right arm for a drink of water. When he landed on his good left leg, it almost gave out and dumped him on the cave floor. He either had to find a place to rest or get out of here and soon.
A few more hops and his tunnel seemed to come to a T. It was so dark, it was hard to make out much of anything. He’d run into the wall several times during his rather pitiful escape attempt. When he got too far away from the openings to the surface above, the light gave out and he had to travel by feeling his way along. Ever so often there was some kind of bioluminescent fungi or something that grew near the ceiling, giving him just enough light to keep from tripping or smacking into rocks.
Stepping into the junction, there was just enough light for him to realize something really big was standing next to the wall. Before he could dodge, a huge hand drove into his chest, picking him up and slamming him against the opposite side of the cave. His head cracked into the unforgiving rock and he was out.
oOo
John became aware that he was lying on his side, facing the cave wall. He seemed to be in some sort of room or chamber and it was definitely a lot lighter in here. There was something piled up against the wall in front of him and it stunk to high heaven. It smelled of death and decay and John’s stomach rolled. He closed his eyes against the harsh light and smell, swallowing several times.
When the dizziness and nausea seemed to calm a bit, he chanced opening his eyes again. Squinting to reduce the ice pick drilling behind his eye sockets, he listened for several minutes. The only thing he heard was his own breathing. Rolling onto his back, he looked around the room. He was alone, thank goodness. The room seemed to be some sort of old lab, with collapsing consoles and rotting equipment lining the wall. Not exactly what he’d been expecting.
Pushing up on his elbow for a better look didn’t last long when the room spun and whirled around him, stirring up both the nausea and the guy with the ice pick. He was on his back in a heartbeat, his eyes clenched shut against the light and the pain. He knew he was drifting in and out but the knowledge wasn’t enough to improve his lucidity.
It seemed like ages before his head began to clear enough he could think. Opening his eyes, he studied the room, surprised to still be alone. Feeling much better than he had earlier, he carefully pushed up to lean on one elbow. When he met with success, John pushed himself into a sitting position. A bout of dizziness quickly passed and he sat staring at the pile of cloth and bones in front of him. He was no anthropologist, but he recognized a human skull sitting near the top of the pile. It took a moment for his fuzzy brain to register that there were teeth marks on some of the bones, that these were the remains of people the creature had literally eaten.
John was barely able to turn to the side before losing the battle with the nausea he’d been fighting since awakening the first time. They really were feeding him to that thing. A whole new level of fear and revulsion washed over him, giving him the energy to get to his feet. He needed a weapon.
Looking around the cave, his eyes found an open stasis chamber. In spite of his fear, he stumbled over to it, his curiosity getting the best of him. There were two chambers, one on top of the other. The stasis chamber on top was still closed and a creature of some sort lay decaying in it. There was obviously no power to it, even though some of the lights in the room were working. Apparently as power levels got low, the chambers had shut down and only one of them had opened, releasing whatever the monster was inside. Why would the Ancients create such a monster?
He leaned against the chamber as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He needed to quit channeling his inner Rodney and get the heck out of dodge. Glancing around again, he realized some of the bones were broken. One in particular was fairly large and had a sharp, splintered end. Tibia his mind filled in even as he tried to ignore the thought. He glanced around for something he could use as a crutch and spied a slender metal rod that was bent at the top in such a way as to make a good cane.
Grabbing his new metal cane, he had to wrestle the end out from under some debris. In the process he realized what this was. This had originally been an Ancient lab, but at some point, Wraith had altered it to use for their own. He could see Wraith technology commingling with Ancient technology everywhere, now that he knew to look.
A noise out in the tunnel caught his attention. Listening, he heard shuffling and grunting and realized it could only mean one thing. He was out of time. The jolly green Wraith monster was home for dinner. Suppressing his gag reflex, John pulled the sharp edged tibia from the bone pile, ignoring the tiny bits of dried flesh still clinging to it. As quietly as he could, he lay back down where he had been, facing the wall, the bone clutched in his hand like a dagger.
Lying still while some monster shuffled over to eat him for dinner was the probably the hardest thing John had ever done. When he felt the hot, putrid breath on his neck, he rolled over and thrust the sharpened end of the bone straight up and into one eye of the creature. John stared in horror as the thing staggered back, wailing and roaring as it clutched the exposed end of the bone.
It was horrible, like some giant mutated Wraith. The face was like a male Wraith, but with an abnormally large mouth sporting several rows of spiky teeth. The nose was unusually large as well and was flattened against the greenish white face. The head was bald and looked like some sort of ridged shell and the huge hands sported claws at least an inch long. It took the thing crashing into a console and ripping the bone from its face to get John moving.
He pushed to his feet using his newly found cane and went wide around what he now thought of as Wraithenstein. It was almost seven feet tall and howling like a banshee. He had to have driven that bone into the thing’s brain, so John wasn’t sure how it wasn’t dead. Probably just an extension of John’s typical you’re so screwed luck. He made it to the tunnel and began hop lurching as his top speed with no idea if he was headed toward or away from the opening to the cave system. The only direction that mattered right now was one that was away from the monster.
"Part 2"
Author: titan5
Recipent: theladymore
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~15,000 (total for story)
Genre/Characters/Pairings: Het; John/Elizabeth
Warnings (if applicable): references and evidence of people getting eaten
Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He’s beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back.
Author's Notes: Written for Sheppard H/C Winter Fic Exchange 2014. Prompt used at the end of the story. Many thanks to my wonderful beta black_raven135 for her excellent and fast work. Any missed mistakes are totally my fault for being in such a hurry to make the deadline.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
John rested his arms across the top of his P90 as he watched the rest of his people come through the gate. When the gate shut down, he slid his aviators on and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, kids, it is 0200 Atlantis time. Enjoy your day Christmas shopping on Market World, but be back here by 0700. Keep your eyes open and don’t let the vendors cheat you. And don’t eat the meat surprise chili thing from Karka’s booth unless you brought a bottle of Tums with you.”
Lt. Davidson’s eyebrows went up as Ronon snickered. John flashed the big man a warning scowl as the lieutenant asked, “Are you speaking from experience, sir?”
“Is he ever,” muttered Rodney.
“Let’s just say you won’t catch me anywhere near that booth,” John answered. “Have fun but don’t let your guard down. We’ve never had trouble here but people from worlds all over the Pegasus galaxy come and go and anyone paying attention has noticed we’ve been showing up a lot lately. Just . . . watch your back.”
Davidson’s team nodded, their expressions telling John they were taking him seriously. “See you at 0700. We’ll be just in time to catch breakfast in the mess hall.”
“Happy hunting, colonel,” said Sgt. Ann Ross, giving her CO a mock salute and a grin as she headed down the trail with her team.
“I just wish we didn’t have to do this in the middle of the night,” whined Rodney.
John kneaded the back of his neck, trying to loosen the tense muscles. “I couldn’t agree more, Rodney, but the market opens one hour after daybreak on this planet, which just happens to be around 0200 Atlantis time. No one made you come Christmas shopping.”
Market World, as John had dubbed it, was like a mixture of the Saturday flea market and a craft fair, with booths selling everything from clothes and jewelry to furniture and tools two days a week. Some of them looked like yard sales getting rid of unwanted used stuff, but most of the vendors were selling things they had made or harvested from their world. It was the best selection of goods in the galaxy and with Christmas less than a week away, it was everyone’s favorite destination right now. John and Elizabeth had put together a rotation of teams and other personnel who wanted to do some local shopping for the holidays. Today it was John and Lt. Davidson’s teams.
“Yes, well, it isn’t like I can just run down to the mall Christmas Eve, now is it?” Rodney said.
“I’m guessing that’s what you usually do when you’re on Earth? Lame, Rodney. Really lame.”
Rodney huffed. “It is not lame. It’s not my fault I’m always busy doing research that’s actually important when some stupid holiday interferes.” The scientist was quiet for a moment before adding, “Besides, it’s not like I ever have many people to buy for anyway.”
Teyla, who had thoroughly embraced the whole Christmas idea from year one, reached out to grasp the physicist’s arm. “It is not how many friends you have, but the quality of the friendships that is important. You have many who care for you in Atlantis, but you have a special place in the hearts of your team. We are as family are we not?”
“Maybe even better,” said John under his breath, ignoring the knowing look Ronon shot him.
Rodney’s shoulders seemed to relax a bit and his expression lightened. “We really are kind of like a family, aren’t we? You know, buying presents for you guys and a couple of others is really the first time since I was a kid that I’ve tried to put some thought into getting the right gift. I guess it’s the first time I’ve really cared if people liked the gift I got them.”
“You have always managed to find something I thought was special,” said Teyla with a grin.
“Really?” asked Rodney, his eyebrows rising.
“Really,” she affirmed.
“Looks like we’re here,” John announced as they emerged from the rocky path into the open market.
The world was pretty dry, which was probably why the market had been placed here. The ground was hard packed dirt with rows of booths set up facing three branching pathways. The booths were made of poles and curtains, almost like a carnival or one of the craft fairs John’s mom had favored when he was a child. He found himself smiling at the memory until he noticed Rodney frowning at him. Sobering, he straightened and faced his team.
“Remember to keep your eyes open. This place is pretty popular and we know those stupid Genii wanted posters keep turning up to make our lives miserable. It might be better if we pair off for safety.”
“We aren’t children, colonel,” complained Rodney with a loud sigh. “Personally I don’t need a babysitter standing over me while I shop.”
“What he said,” added Ronon with a nod toward Rodney.
Teyla rolled her eyes. “I suspect for both of you that the need to go alone has more to do with your eating habits than a need for solitude.”
John snorted, turning his face away for a couple of seconds to regain his composure. “Fine, just . . . keep an eye out for bad guys between bites.” The food smells were beginning to drift their way and he watched in amusement as Ronon and Rodney’s eyes widened.
“Done. See you later,” the scientist said as he turned and hurried toward the first row of booths with Ronon right behind him.
John rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at Teyla. “Think we’ll have to roll them back to the gate?”
Having heard the sentiment before, Teyla nodded. “I fear it will be so.”
They started walking toward the third row, preferring to shop first and end up at what John referred to as the food court toward the end. “Are you looking for something special or just shopping in general?” he asked.
“I have a few things I know I want to get Torren and there are some other things I have in mind to look at for friends,” Teyla said. “What about you? Are you getting something special for Elizabeth?”
The question caught John off guard, or rather Teyla’s teasing tone did. He looked over at her to find a smug and almost knowing smile on her face. Did she know? How could she?
John and Elizabeth had become close friends very quickly, the shared leadership of Atlantis leading to many hours together. After a rocky start, they had quickly meshed, leaning on the strengths of the other to get them through the tough times and making some of the hard decisions. They had carefully kept each other at arm’s length, at least until recently. A chaotic negotiations gone wrong mission that involved Elizabeth had left each of them thinking the other had been killed for several hours. That had been the catalyst to push them together, each admitting they wanted to be more than friends.
The relationship was still new and they had been very careful so far. They wanted to take things slowly until they knew if their bond was strong enough to risk being ousted from Atlantis before they made any public displays of affection. So how did Teyla seem to know what was going on?
“What . . . uh, what makes you ask that?” John asked, trying for nonchalance. He was pretty sure he’d failed.
Teyla just continued to smile at him. “I simply thought you and Elizabeth were drawing closer recently. You have spent more time together than usual these past few weeks . . . since the mission to M3Q-537. I know that your friendship is deep and that you feared you had lost her.”
Friendship. Either she didn’t know as much as he’d feared or she was letting him off the hook. “You’re right. Elizabeth is a good friend. I’d hate to think of Atlantis without her. It just . . . it wouldn’t seem right.”
“No, it would not. And it would not seem right without you either. I believe the two of you are the heart and soul of Atlantis.”
They stopped walking and he turned to Teyla, studying her expression to see if she was making fun of him. He knew immediately that she was not. Her sober expression and the sincerity in her eyes told him that she was being honest in her assessment. “Wow,” he said, amazed at the statement. “That’s . . . really nice.”
Teyla smiled and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. “It is simply what I feel to be so. Tell me, do you need assistance or have you already decided what to get?”
“I have something in mind, but I wouldn’t mind you lending your opinion if you have time. You know her pretty well and I think you would have a good idea of what she likes.”
“I would be honored to help,” she said with a big grin.
“Good,” John said, returning her smile as a bit of his worry dissolved. They began walking again, with him leading them toward the other end of the row where he was pretty sure the booth he was interested in lay. “There was a vender the last time we were here that sold jewelry made from these crystals on his world.”
“Yes, I remember,” Teyla said. “They were very striking. I believe Elizabeth would love almost anything they sold.”
John couldn’t help the swell of pleasure her validation of his gift choice brought. Teyla and Elizabeth had become very close friends over the years and he felt sure the Athosian would have the best idea of what Elizabeth would and wouldn’t like. “Good. I was hoping you would think so. I think I’d like to get a set of a necklace and earrings, maybe in that emerald green stone they had the last time.”
“I think that would be lovely,” Teyla said. They walked for a few more minutes before reaching the end of the row where one would circle around and start down the next aisle. Sure enough, just as they had remembered, the booth he was looking for sat at the end.
They browsed through the jewelry for almost fifteen minutes with the booth owner trying to talk them into buying all sorts of things. They finally agreed on a set that featured a multicolored crystal that shimmered in the sunlight. It came with a bracelet and earrings. John wasn’t sure if Elizabeth would ever wear the bracelet, but it came with the set. Teyla helped him make a good trade for it before she set off to find some toys for Torren.
Pleased with his progress, John next headed for a booth that made knives Ronon was fond of. He had already purchased one knife for the big guy, but Ronon always said you couldn’t have too many knives. As he turned away from the jewelry booth, he noticed a table across the aisle that had a partially covered object toward the back curtain that looked suspiciously like a ZPM.
“No way,” John whispered to himself as wandered over to the booth. He began shifting the things on the table in an attempt to look like he was interested in them, all the while trying to see the possible ZPM in the back. A tingle at his fingertips brought his eyes down just in time to see a rectangular box similar to an LSD light up. He jerked his hand away and glanced up at the vendor.
The man looked to be in his early twenties with short, dark hair and dark brown eyes that were looking right at him. John mentally kicked himself for not being more alert and turned away to leave.
“Wait, sir,” called the vendor. John hesitated a moment and then turned around. The guy hadn’t started shooting or yelling for help yet so he might as well see what he wanted. As John stepped back to the table, the man leaned in close and whispered. “You have the blood of the old ones.”
John frowned and tried to look confused. “Old ones?”
The man’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he whispered, “Some call them the Ancestors. You have their blood, but you know this already.”
John didn’t comment either way and carefully kept his expression neutral. “What if I do?”
The man chuckled a little under his breath. “Perhaps you are interested in some of the workings of the Ancestors?”
“Perhaps,” John replied evenly, his eyes lingering on the covered object in the back.
Following his gaze, the man gave a short nod. “I believe I have some things in the back that you might find interesting. Come, I will show you.” Before John could answer, the vendor had rushed to the back of his booth and pulled the curtain aside, motioning for John to go through the small opening.
John’s paranoid inner voice was telling him to get back-up before going into small back rooms with Pegasus natives he didn’t know, but his optimistic side was picturing the look on Rodney’s face if he opened a ZPM for Christmas. A grin broke out as he imagined the looks on everyone’s face. “It’s like they say I guess, go big or go home,” he muttered under his breath as he headed for the waiting man.
The back section was small and cramped, filled with stacked boxes of merchandise. His native friend scampered to the back section and pulled the lid off a crate just about the size of ZPM and John felt his heart start pumping. Please be a ZPM he thought as he walked over to peer into the crate. The crate was full of blankets similar to the ones being sold out front.
“Wait a second, buddy,” John said as he turned around, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. “What are you . . . “ He trailed off at the sight of his friend standing beside an older man with graying hair and fairly full graying beard. His attention was immediately drawn to the weapon in the older man’s hand that looked suspiciously like a Wraith stunner. John sighed. “Wraith worshippers, just my luck.”
The young guy’s mouth dropped open in an expression of horror, but the old man just looked smug. “Hardly,” he said as he pulled the trigger. John never felt himself hit the floor.
oOo
Rodney paced around in a circle, muttering to himself while Teyla tried the radio again and Ronon growled. Teyla finally gave up and turned to the others in exasperation. “I still cannot reach him.”
Rodney stopped pacing to cross his arms over his chest. “Isn’t this just like the good colonel. Make a big speech about being on time and he’s twenty minutes late. I’d like to get an hour or two of sleep before reporting to do a full day’s work in the lab. Some of us have real jobs you know.”
Lt. Davidson stepped up to Rodney. “Colonel Sheppard would never be this late or refuse to answer our hails unless something was wrong.” Turning to Ronon, he said, “We need to look for him.”
“I agree,” said Ronon. “Sheppard wouldn’t do this. Something’s wrong.”
“Perhaps we should let Atlantis know and call for more people to help search,” said Teyla. “The market will close soon and many will leave for their home worlds.”
“I’ll do it,” said Davidson, throwing a glare Rodney’s way before moving to the DHD.
Rodney’s shoulders slumped as he let his arms drop. “You really think something happened to him?”
“I am afraid I do,” said Teyla. “I saw him last at the jewelry booth in the back west corner of the market shortly after we arrived. Has anyone seen him since?”
Everyone shook their heads as they looked around the group. “Then that is where we should start,” she said.
“I’ll go back there with Teyla so we can ask the people around the booth if they saw where he went,” said Ronon. “When reinforcements get here, you guys can start at this end and work your way back toward us. Make sure someone stays at the gate.”
“He’s apparently been missing for hours,” said Rodney, his voice moving up in pitch. “You do know there’s a good chance he’s already been taken off world, right. This is like closing the barn door after all the animals have escaped.”
“Right now it’s all we can do,” said Sgt. Ross. “If we figure out he’s been taken off world, we deal with it then.”
Ronon nodded and glanced back at Rodney, who threw up his hands and shook his head. “Fine, fine. Go check and we’ll wait for the cavalry here.”
Ronon and Teyla did not talk, but hurried through the crowds to the jewelry booth where John had made his purchase earlier in the day. The vendor remembered her and thought she had brought more business for him.
“You need to purchase more of the pretty jewelry, yes?”
“No,” said Teyla with a smile. “I have come for a different reason. Do you remember the man I was with earlier today, who bought the necklace set?”
“Yes,” he answered hesitantly.
“We have not seen him in a while and he is late to meet up with us. I wondered if you saw where he went after he made his purchase?” Teyla put all her effort into looking relaxed and nonthreatening. It had the desired result of the vendor relaxing as well.
“He has probably gotten caught up with Meeschka’s flirting or eating Flavin’s tarts,” he said with a grin. Putting his hand to his chin, he squinted in the late afternoon sun as he surveyed his surroundings. “Let me remember . . . ah! I did notice him across the way a few moments later,” he said, pointing to an empty booth almost directly across from his.
Teyla’s heart dropped. “There is no one there now. Did you happen to notice when they left or if my friend was with them?”
The man frowned and shook his head. “I know it was shortly after you left because I thought it odd that they left so early and on a day with such a good crowd. But they are always somewhat strange, closing up early some days and staying very late others. You never know when they will show up and when they will not. I do not remember seeing your friend with them when they left however.”
Teyla watched the man frown even further. “There is something else?”
The man chuckled and shook his head again. “Probably nothing. I just remember thinking it was odd how they packed up their goods and left from the back of the booth. It is much harder to leave from the back than from the front.”
Her stomach rolling in fear, Teyla thanked the man for his help and then followed Ronon, who had already headed for the booth. She followed him to the storage area in the back to find boxed stacked everywhere and the back curtain partially hiked up. He leaned down and stared at the dirt under the hanging cloth. “Someone was dragged through here.”
“Do you think it was John?” She kept hoping for some other answer to become apparent or for Rodney to radio that he had shown up at the gate.
“What did you say he bought at that other booth?”
She stepped over closer to see what Ronon was picking up. “A jewelry set for Elizabeth with crystal stones that . . . “ She froze when Ronon held out the necklace John has purchased earlier. Looking around she now saw one of the earrings partially under a box. “Oh, Ronon.”
“We need to find out who had this booth,” Ronon said, clenching his fist around the necklace.
Ten minutes later Lorne reported from a jumper that there was no sign of John’s transmitter signal, confirming what they had all feared. John Sheppard was no longer on the planet.
oOo
John woke to pins and needles and a wall-banger of a headache. When he thought his day couldn’t get any worse, he realized his hands were tied behind his back as he lay on a cold floor in a windowless room. Great, taken prisoner again. Did he have a stupid target painted on his back? Then he remembered the Wraith stunner. Wow, this just keeps getting better.
His tac vest was gone, along with all his weapons. No surprise there. He wiggled around until he managed to sit up and then scooted over to sit against the wall. The dizziness dissipated after a few minutes. He was a little disturbed by how long the pins and needles were lasting.
By the time his captors came for him, the tingling was better, but his mouth was dry and his hands were numb. It was the same two men from the booth and Old Guy still had his stunner. “What do you want?” John asked.
“Get to your feet,” ordered the older man.
“I’m not sure I can do that,” replied John, his voice relaying the anger he felt. “Someone stunned me earlier and I’m having a little trouble feeling my legs.”
Old guy sighed. “Lierka,” he said, bobbing his head toward John.
Okay, now John had a name to work with. He allowed Lierka to pull him to his feet. The tingling in his legs intensified for a few moments from the renewed circulation, causing him to stagger sideways. Lierka steadied him, apologizing under his breath. He was getting the distinct impression that his young friend wasn’t quite as anxious to kidnap people as Old Guy was.
John looked at the old man as his balance stabilized. “What’s the matter, can’t the Wraith come to fetch their own dinner? You got a drive in window or something?”
The old man looked confused for a second before hardening his expression. “I told you, we are not Wraith worshippers,” he spat out, looking offended at the accusation.
“So-o-o what, you just kidnap people?”
“We’re really sorry, mister, but we have to -“
“Lierka! That is enough,” snapped Old Guy, cutting Lierka off. “We do what we must and that is all you need to know,” said the old man. He waved at the door as he backed away from it. “Walk, now.”
John straightened his back and pulled his shoulders up. “And what if I don’t? I like to know where I’m going when kidnappers try to march me at gunpoint.”
The old man took in a deep breath and breathed it out noisily. He was obviously getting frustrated with John. “Then I will stun you and Lierka will drag you across the ground.”
Yeah, well, it figured. John didn’t bother responding as he walked out the door. It was late afternoon, the sun low in the sky. Lierka led him down a narrow dirt road. Not a soul was visible outside, but curtains in the windows of the houses moved as people peeked out at the small parade. So the whole town was in on whatever this was. The town was apparently small, as they quickly left the houses behind and continued down a path through the woods.
“I think it’s only fair that you tell me where we’re going,” said John. “You’re the one with the gun so what could it hurt?”
“He is right,” said Lierka. “He should know why he was taken.”
Old Guy sighed loudly from behind them. “Fine, tell him. But do not stop walking. We must reach the caves before night falls.”
Lierka nodded and licked his lips nervously. “We do this because we must. You need to understand, we are not bad people. We do this to protect our families and our village.”
“Do what?” asked John, his stomach churning with the rising anxiety. He had a really bad feeling about this.
“Almost fifteen cycles of the moon ago a creature began attacking our village, dragging people off and killing them and . . . we think eating them. Darien discovered if we gave the creature an . . . an offering once each cycle, that he does not attack the village. We think he lives off the creatures in the forest and the caves as long as he has a human once . . . well, you see why we must do this.”
John had thought he had an inkling how much trouble he was in, but apparently not. He was angry and just a little sick to his stomach imagining being eaten by some monster. Why did his life usually resemble a horror movie? “So basically you’re offering me up as a human sacrifice? What the heck? Did it never occur to you to ask for help getting rid of this thing rather than sending people to their death every month? Seriously, what is wrong with you people?”
“We are not offering a human sacrifice,” stated Darien.
“Actually, you are,” growled John, his anger rising. “And as the human sacrifice, I should know. You are giving me to some monster to kill so he won’t kill someone from your village. I’m pretty sure that qualifies.” John stopped and whirled around to face the old man. “You’re no better than the Wraith worshippers.”
Darien brought the stunner up so fast that John didn’t have time to dodge it and he took the hit full across the face. It spun him around and he lost his balance, going down hard on his right side.
“You will not say that,” Darien screamed. “You will not compare us to those abominations.”
John pushed up to lean against his elbow. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face and the burn of the cut the gun had opened. Lierka stood with his mouth open while Darien puffed so hard he was probably hyperventilating, his face reddening with anger.
John narrowed his eyes. “Truth hurt too much? Wraith worshippers collect people they don’t know to feed the Wraith so they can live. You collect people you don’t know to feed some monster so you can live. You tell me what the difference is?” After several seconds of silence, John huffed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. If you’re sending me to my death, the least you can do is be honest about what you’re doing. If you can’t face it then maybe that’s a sign you need to find another way.”
Darien stared at him for several seconds before bringing his stunner up to point at John. “Lierka, get him on his feet. It’s almost dark.”
“Right,” John said with a humorless chuckle. “Gotta get out before the boogeyman comes out so he only eats me and not you. What brave heroes you are.” He managed to get his feet under him and stood up by himself. Looking at Darien, he spit on the ground at the man’s feet and then turned around and started walking.
“My people could help you get rid of this thing. We’ve done things like that for other people. All you had to do was ask. We have some serious weapons at our disposal.” When they didn’t answer John’s suggestion that they let him help them, he changed tactics. “And if you do this, when they figure out where I am and come here, they’re going to be very angry. My second in command gets a little unpredictable when people try to kill his CO. I can’t even imagine how dangerous he’ll be when he finds the people who actually did kill his CO.”
Lierka’s brow furrowed. “Your people, they would take revenge for your death?”
John kept his face serious as he looked at the scared young man beside him. “Oh, yes. There probably won’t be much left of your village when Lorne gets done with you. And I haven’t even mentioned Ronon yet. He was a runner for several years so he doesn’t have much in the way of patience for those who kill innocent people.” Although Ronon would probably find John’s tactic hilarious, Lorne might not appreciate being painted as a revenge driven madman. If it would only work.
Lierka glanced back at Darien, making John wish he could see the guy’s expression. The man’s response did a good job of answering that question.
“He is bluffing. No one saw us take him and even if they did, they do not know where we are from.” Lierka’s wince at that statement was like a tiny beacon of light. “His people will not come. They will never know what happened to him. Of that, I give you my word. Now stop all this talking and walk.”
John walked silently after that, figuring he’d lull them into a false sense of security and then take Darien down. He hunched his shoulders and tried to look defeated and harmless. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to get the stunner and run. No way the old man could outrun him and Lierka didn’t seem to have his heart in the whole human sacrifice thing. Piece of cake. Hopefully.
After a while, Lierka dropped behind him. “He is right, Darien. What we are doing, it is no better than those who worship the Wraith.”
“You must not listen to him. He would say anything to spare his life. He does not understand that we must protect our families.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I have my own family to protect, that I might have people who need me to help them survive?” asked John. He had limited time to make them rethink feeding him to some creature.
“Darien?” said Lierka, his voice almost pleading.
“Stranger, you will stop talking or I will stuff your mouth with cloth so that you cannot utter a sound,” threatened Darien. “Your fate is sealed and you will be given to the creature. Know that your death will save many lives.”
“Fine, I get it. Just tell me one more thing. What’s the deal with testing for the Ancient gene?” At their confused looks, he added, “the blood of the Ancestors?”
They were silent for a moment before Darien answered. “We discovered once, by accident, that if the . . . person we offer the monster has the blood of the Ancestors, the creature seems to stay calm longer. No more questions. Just walk and be silent.”
John stopped talking but he had no intention of being fed to some monster. He was trying to decide if he wanted to bring back reinforcements to get rid of their creature once he’d escaped or just let them wallow in their mess. Crap, he’d have to help them to keep them from killing any more people. How many had they already killed? He shook his head in disgust.
“You judge us?” asked Darien from just behind his left shoulder. John didn’t answer, mostly because he didn’t want to end up with someone’s sock in his mouth to make a point. “Stop.”
John spun around, prepared to give the guy an earful no matter what the consequences. Instead he got clocked in the head again. This time when he lost his balance, Darien pushed him so that he fell through a hole in the ground. He got the impression Lierka tried to grab him as he fell, but something cold and hard brushed against his wrist, cutting him. He had just a moment to wonder what had happened when he struck something hard and went out like the proverbial light.
oOo
John was cold and for some reason he was damp, almost wet. And his sheets smelled like dirt and decaying leaves. He really needed to do laundry soon. He reached out to grab the covers, but all he got was a handful of wet leaves and sticks. What in the world?
When John opened his eyes, all he could see was darkness. After a few moments he realized he could see a star or two through the canopy, which was unusually far over his head. As he lay there looking up, it hit him what he was seeing. Darien had pushed him into a huge hole in the ground and he was looking through it like a tunnel. Well, Darien didn’t know about his history with rock climbing. He was climbing out of this hole and kicking that man’s ass. Then he’d decide if he wanted to drag him back out here and throw him down this stupid hole with his hands tied behind his back.
Wait a minute. His hands weren’t tied. He held them out, trying to see in the tiny bit of starlight. He was becoming aware of stinging sensations in his wrists and he remembered the sharp pain when Lierka grabbed for him. Except he hadn’t been trying to catch him, he’d been cutting the bindings free. At least his guilt trip had worked on one of his captors. Now to climb out of here.
Ten seconds later, he knew he wasn’t climbing anywhere. He sat hunched over clutching his leg just above his right ankle, groaning and mentally begging the pain to let up. He’d twisted ankles before and this was much, much worse. He was pretty sure something in his ankle or foot or possibly both was broken. No way was he doing any climbing. He’d be lucky if he could find a way to walk. The process of sitting up had introduced a whole assortment of aches and pains.
His head throbbed from the lump on the right side of his forehead and the whole right side of his face felt raw, like a bad case of road rash. His right shoulder was bruised and his forearm was shredded from just below his pinkie finger to his elbow. At some point on the way down he’d apparently slammed his right side into the wall of the tunnel, which was most definitely not a smooth surface.
Suddenly a loud screaming howl split the air and echoed through the cave system John had been dumped in. He froze, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, but it was impossible. The good news was that it didn’t seem particularly close. The bad news was he couldn’t exactly run away, making it way too close for someone trapped in an unfamiliar cave system with a broken foot or ankle.
John scooted around on the ground looking for a stick big enough to use as a cane or crutch, but all he could find was twigs a few inches long. Since he wasn’t a dwarf, that was not helpful. Using the wall of the cave, he pulled himself up. When he tried to hobble a step, barely resting his injured foot on the ground, he had to bite his lip to suppress the howl of pain that threatened to escape. This was not turning out to be such a good day. And he had thought shopping in malls on Earth had been dangerous.
oOo
Elizabeth made a conscious effort to stop wringing her hands together and place them at her sides as Lorne’s team came through the gate. She was trying her best to look no more concerned than she would for any member of the expedition who’d obviously been kidnapped and it was costing her. An afternoon of ignoring the panic in her heart had her near tears she couldn’t afford to shed.
She and John had finally given up the just friends act, at least with each other. In public, they were the two leaders of Atlantis who worked well together and had become close friends. In private, they had begun to explore a more intimate relationship, one they had both apparently wanted for quite some time. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him now, when something she’d longed for was now within her grasp.
Major Lorne was coming up the steps to the control room and he didn’t look happy. Glancing over the balcony, she noticed the glum expressions on everyone’s face and her heart sank. “I’m guessing no luck on M3P-116?”
Lorne stopped in front of her and shook his head. “Not really. They claim it wasn’t anyone from their world at the market and that they’ve never seen the colonel.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as Teyla came up to stand beside Lorne. “Claim? You don’t believe them?”
Lorne sighed. “There was something kind of . . . hinky going on.” At Elizabeth’s raised eyebrows he continued. “When we first got there, we talked to a woman in the street who said we’d need to talk to Darien, who’s apparently the untitled leader of the village. She went off to get him but came back with some other guy . . . Milken or Metkin or something . . .”
“Miertkin,” supplied Teyla.
“Yeah, Miertkin. Anyway, both him and the woman who fetched him looked kind of spooked. They kept helping each other tell the story about why it wasn’t them on the planet and they were nervous, very nervous. And they kept feeding us some line about why this Darien guy couldn’t talk to us. And while I was talking to them, Teyla heard something even more damning.”
Teyla gave a brief nod as she took up the story. “I noticed two young women standing under some trees nearby. I moved to get closer to them, thinking perhaps I could ask them a few questions. One of them was showing the other a bracelet. She said that Lierkin had brought it back from the Chabock Market earlier today. The stones in the bracelet were the same as the ones in the jewelry stand across from the booth where John was taken.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes a few seconds, seeing the bracelet and earring they had brought back from the planet. Part of the gift he had purchased for her. She felt a little sick. Opening her eyes, she looked at the worried faces before her. “What do you suggest?”
Lorne glanced at Teyla and then back to Elizabeth. “I left Lt. Mason back on the planet. He’s going to sneak around and see if he can gather more intel.”
Elizabeth frowned slightly. “Do the people on the planet know you left someone there?”
“They do not,” said Teyla with a small smile. “Major Lorne had Lt. Mason wait by the gate while we went into town. We then told him what to look and listen for. I understand that Lt. Mason is very good at not being seen when he does not want to be.”
Elizabeth smiled, thinking of all the stories she’d heard, mostly from John and Ronon, about the lieutenant’s ability for stealth. “I’ve heard much the same thing. When does he check in?”
“I told him to check in in four hours, sooner if he finds out anything of value,” said Lorne.
“Okay, then I guess we wait to hear from him,” said Elizabeth. “Why don’t you two check with Dr. Beckett and then get something to eat.”
Lorne nodded. “Don’t worry ma’am. We’ll get Colonel Sheppard back. No way I’m getting stuck with all his paperwork. I know how far behind some of his reports are.”
Elizabeth managed a small chuckle as Lorne left. She was also aware of how much John hated some of the redundant reports required by the IOA. He always managed to get them done, but at the last possible minute. The tears welled up and she had to fight not to let them spill over.
“Elizabeth, we will get John back,” said Teyla, putting her hand on her friend’s arm. “I give you my word we will not stop looking.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said, trying to maintain a neutral face and tone of voice.
Teyla gave her arm a squeeze and smiled as she leaned forward. “John loves you,” she whispered.
Elizabeth felt heat flush her face, but Teyla just turned and walked away. “Please find him,” she whispered to herself.
oOo
John paused, leaning heavily against the rough wall while pressing his face to the cool stone. He was exhausted. His sweat soaked shirt clung to him, chilling him when he took a break. The muscles in his left leg ached and trembled with the effort of supporting his full weight. He let his right foot sag and touch the floor, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused. Closing his eyes, he tried to rest a moment.
He’d decided the main tunnel connecting some of the caverns was actually an ancient lava tube. At least it reminded him of the one he’d explored in Hawaii. He’d come across two more of the well like openings that lead to the surface, but they had both been smaller than the one Darien had dumped him in. One thing was for sure. No one, human or monster, was likely to have climbed in and out any of the openings he’d seen due to the vertical, crumbling sides. Lierka or Darien one had said the creature came into town, which meant there had to be another way out of these tunnels. All John had to do was find it before the monster found him. At the rate he was going, that wasn’t going to be easy.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened and continued the hop jump gait he’d been using the last several hours. His mouth was so dry that he’d have given his right arm for a drink of water. When he landed on his good left leg, it almost gave out and dumped him on the cave floor. He either had to find a place to rest or get out of here and soon.
A few more hops and his tunnel seemed to come to a T. It was so dark, it was hard to make out much of anything. He’d run into the wall several times during his rather pitiful escape attempt. When he got too far away from the openings to the surface above, the light gave out and he had to travel by feeling his way along. Ever so often there was some kind of bioluminescent fungi or something that grew near the ceiling, giving him just enough light to keep from tripping or smacking into rocks.
Stepping into the junction, there was just enough light for him to realize something really big was standing next to the wall. Before he could dodge, a huge hand drove into his chest, picking him up and slamming him against the opposite side of the cave. His head cracked into the unforgiving rock and he was out.
oOo
John became aware that he was lying on his side, facing the cave wall. He seemed to be in some sort of room or chamber and it was definitely a lot lighter in here. There was something piled up against the wall in front of him and it stunk to high heaven. It smelled of death and decay and John’s stomach rolled. He closed his eyes against the harsh light and smell, swallowing several times.
When the dizziness and nausea seemed to calm a bit, he chanced opening his eyes again. Squinting to reduce the ice pick drilling behind his eye sockets, he listened for several minutes. The only thing he heard was his own breathing. Rolling onto his back, he looked around the room. He was alone, thank goodness. The room seemed to be some sort of old lab, with collapsing consoles and rotting equipment lining the wall. Not exactly what he’d been expecting.
Pushing up on his elbow for a better look didn’t last long when the room spun and whirled around him, stirring up both the nausea and the guy with the ice pick. He was on his back in a heartbeat, his eyes clenched shut against the light and the pain. He knew he was drifting in and out but the knowledge wasn’t enough to improve his lucidity.
It seemed like ages before his head began to clear enough he could think. Opening his eyes, he studied the room, surprised to still be alone. Feeling much better than he had earlier, he carefully pushed up to lean on one elbow. When he met with success, John pushed himself into a sitting position. A bout of dizziness quickly passed and he sat staring at the pile of cloth and bones in front of him. He was no anthropologist, but he recognized a human skull sitting near the top of the pile. It took a moment for his fuzzy brain to register that there were teeth marks on some of the bones, that these were the remains of people the creature had literally eaten.
John was barely able to turn to the side before losing the battle with the nausea he’d been fighting since awakening the first time. They really were feeding him to that thing. A whole new level of fear and revulsion washed over him, giving him the energy to get to his feet. He needed a weapon.
Looking around the cave, his eyes found an open stasis chamber. In spite of his fear, he stumbled over to it, his curiosity getting the best of him. There were two chambers, one on top of the other. The stasis chamber on top was still closed and a creature of some sort lay decaying in it. There was obviously no power to it, even though some of the lights in the room were working. Apparently as power levels got low, the chambers had shut down and only one of them had opened, releasing whatever the monster was inside. Why would the Ancients create such a monster?
He leaned against the chamber as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He needed to quit channeling his inner Rodney and get the heck out of dodge. Glancing around again, he realized some of the bones were broken. One in particular was fairly large and had a sharp, splintered end. Tibia his mind filled in even as he tried to ignore the thought. He glanced around for something he could use as a crutch and spied a slender metal rod that was bent at the top in such a way as to make a good cane.
Grabbing his new metal cane, he had to wrestle the end out from under some debris. In the process he realized what this was. This had originally been an Ancient lab, but at some point, Wraith had altered it to use for their own. He could see Wraith technology commingling with Ancient technology everywhere, now that he knew to look.
A noise out in the tunnel caught his attention. Listening, he heard shuffling and grunting and realized it could only mean one thing. He was out of time. The jolly green Wraith monster was home for dinner. Suppressing his gag reflex, John pulled the sharp edged tibia from the bone pile, ignoring the tiny bits of dried flesh still clinging to it. As quietly as he could, he lay back down where he had been, facing the wall, the bone clutched in his hand like a dagger.
Lying still while some monster shuffled over to eat him for dinner was the probably the hardest thing John had ever done. When he felt the hot, putrid breath on his neck, he rolled over and thrust the sharpened end of the bone straight up and into one eye of the creature. John stared in horror as the thing staggered back, wailing and roaring as it clutched the exposed end of the bone.
It was horrible, like some giant mutated Wraith. The face was like a male Wraith, but with an abnormally large mouth sporting several rows of spiky teeth. The nose was unusually large as well and was flattened against the greenish white face. The head was bald and looked like some sort of ridged shell and the huge hands sported claws at least an inch long. It took the thing crashing into a console and ripping the bone from its face to get John moving.
He pushed to his feet using his newly found cane and went wide around what he now thought of as Wraithenstein. It was almost seven feet tall and howling like a banshee. He had to have driven that bone into the thing’s brain, so John wasn’t sure how it wasn’t dead. Probably just an extension of John’s typical you’re so screwed luck. He made it to the tunnel and began hop lurching as his top speed with no idea if he was headed toward or away from the opening to the cave system. The only direction that mattered right now was one that was away from the monster.
"Part 2"