FIC: By Hook or By Crook, Gen, 1/?
Title: By Hook or By Crook 1/?
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: R for language
Disclaimers: The Stargate: Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Category: Gen
Characters: Heightmeyer, Sheppard, ensemble
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: A serial killer is loose on Atlantis.
Author's notes: Well, it’s only been two and a half years in the making so far, so I thought I really ought to start getting this story out there. My hope is the posting schedule I plan should keep the pace up, as I’m going to try and be strict with myself and only post once I’ve written more. Yeah… right…
Author’s notes 2: Currently unbetaed so bizarre spelling and grammar all down to me. If anyone is up for a sneak preview and some double-checking, especially once I get to the action stages, let me know! :D
Kate shivered slightly as she took in the scene around her.
"Sorry to have to drag you here for a look, Doc," said Colonel Sheppard walking quietly up next to her. "I know you're busy enough with a lot of freaked out people at the moment."
Kate wrapped her arms around her as she replied, "It's okay, Colonel. I said I would do anything I could to help, and this is better than just studying the photos."
She sensed rather than saw his nod of agreement, her attention still taken by the drawings on the wall. They were so simple... so childlike... yet there was something about them that just chilled her beyond belief.
"So, do you think it's significant?" the Colonel asked from his position next to her.
"The fact we've found the room, or the nature of the drawings?" Kate asked.
"Both... either... " he replied, his frustration at the ongoing situation obvious in his voice.
"Everything that's happened so far has been very methodical, so I would say the fact we've found this room probably isn't luck," she replied carefully, turning around to look at more of the pictures. "The fact that the pictures look like they could have been drawn by a child... well, that's not so clear. It may be a significant insight into what's going through their minds."
"Or?" prompted Sheppard.
"Or it could just mean they are really bad at drawing," Kate replied with a slight smile, reassured when the Colonel let out a snort of laughter that her humour wasn't misplaced. She sobered herself slightly and continued, "I'd like to spend some time here looking at the pictures, recording them. As I said, it might be nothing, but they may help me understand him a bit more."
"You still think it's a man?" Sheppard asked, turning to look at her.
"Well, the statistics would bear that out, plus the fact that two of the victims were Marines," Kate replied carefully. "Even here I'm not sure there are many women who could manage to do what was done to them. Plus, and I know it's not scientific, there's just a feeling to the killings."
"You don't have to justify gut instinct to me, Doc," Sheppard replied quietly. "If that's where it's taking you, I'd listen to it."
Kate nodded but added, "I do need to remind you, Colonel, that I'm not an expert in forensic psychology. I may be missing things."
Sheppard shook his head. "You still know the people here well, better than the experts on their way. With the city shut down, we know it has to be someone on the base. That puts you in a good place to make the links."
Kate smiled softly. "I'll certainly do my best."
"All we can ask," Sheppard replied with a slight smile of his own, before his attention was taken by a message on his headset. "I've got to head back to the Gateroom," he said after a moment's listening. "I'll leave Cadman with you. Let me know if you need anything."
Kate nodded and started to get ready to record some of the images in front of her, trying to ignore the trickle of fear down her back at the Colonel's instructions to the Lieutenant to stay close to her. The fact that the last two victims had been Marines investigating the first two killings was not lost on her. A moment later Cadman appeared by her side. Kate glanced at the young officer, who was scanning some of the pictures in front of her. As Cadman's eyes fell on a particularly brutal one she let out a soft, "Jesus... "
"That's not the worse one," Kate said quietly, indicating with her head a scene a little further up.
Cadman was almost open mouthed as she took in the scene. "How they hell did this guy pass the psych evaluation?" she asked, before seeming to remember who was standing next to her. "Not that it's important..."
Kate waved her embarrassment away. "It's a good question, Laura. Something that I'm sure will be looked into once it's all over." Despite the lightness in her tone, Kate felt a familiar tightness in her stomach. A serial killer in Atlantis. If they couldn't prove it was alien influence, as was so desperately hoped, it meant something had been missed. A fatal flaw.
Kate hoped to God it hadn't been her.
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: R for language
Disclaimers: The Stargate: Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Category: Gen
Characters: Heightmeyer, Sheppard, ensemble
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: A serial killer is loose on Atlantis.
Author's notes: Well, it’s only been two and a half years in the making so far, so I thought I really ought to start getting this story out there. My hope is the posting schedule I plan should keep the pace up, as I’m going to try and be strict with myself and only post once I’ve written more. Yeah… right…
Author’s notes 2: Currently unbetaed so bizarre spelling and grammar all down to me. If anyone is up for a sneak preview and some double-checking, especially once I get to the action stages, let me know! :D
Kate shivered slightly as she took in the scene around her.
"Sorry to have to drag you here for a look, Doc," said Colonel Sheppard walking quietly up next to her. "I know you're busy enough with a lot of freaked out people at the moment."
Kate wrapped her arms around her as she replied, "It's okay, Colonel. I said I would do anything I could to help, and this is better than just studying the photos."
She sensed rather than saw his nod of agreement, her attention still taken by the drawings on the wall. They were so simple... so childlike... yet there was something about them that just chilled her beyond belief.
"So, do you think it's significant?" the Colonel asked from his position next to her.
"The fact we've found the room, or the nature of the drawings?" Kate asked.
"Both... either... " he replied, his frustration at the ongoing situation obvious in his voice.
"Everything that's happened so far has been very methodical, so I would say the fact we've found this room probably isn't luck," she replied carefully, turning around to look at more of the pictures. "The fact that the pictures look like they could have been drawn by a child... well, that's not so clear. It may be a significant insight into what's going through their minds."
"Or?" prompted Sheppard.
"Or it could just mean they are really bad at drawing," Kate replied with a slight smile, reassured when the Colonel let out a snort of laughter that her humour wasn't misplaced. She sobered herself slightly and continued, "I'd like to spend some time here looking at the pictures, recording them. As I said, it might be nothing, but they may help me understand him a bit more."
"You still think it's a man?" Sheppard asked, turning to look at her.
"Well, the statistics would bear that out, plus the fact that two of the victims were Marines," Kate replied carefully. "Even here I'm not sure there are many women who could manage to do what was done to them. Plus, and I know it's not scientific, there's just a feeling to the killings."
"You don't have to justify gut instinct to me, Doc," Sheppard replied quietly. "If that's where it's taking you, I'd listen to it."
Kate nodded but added, "I do need to remind you, Colonel, that I'm not an expert in forensic psychology. I may be missing things."
Sheppard shook his head. "You still know the people here well, better than the experts on their way. With the city shut down, we know it has to be someone on the base. That puts you in a good place to make the links."
Kate smiled softly. "I'll certainly do my best."
"All we can ask," Sheppard replied with a slight smile of his own, before his attention was taken by a message on his headset. "I've got to head back to the Gateroom," he said after a moment's listening. "I'll leave Cadman with you. Let me know if you need anything."
Kate nodded and started to get ready to record some of the images in front of her, trying to ignore the trickle of fear down her back at the Colonel's instructions to the Lieutenant to stay close to her. The fact that the last two victims had been Marines investigating the first two killings was not lost on her. A moment later Cadman appeared by her side. Kate glanced at the young officer, who was scanning some of the pictures in front of her. As Cadman's eyes fell on a particularly brutal one she let out a soft, "Jesus... "
"That's not the worse one," Kate said quietly, indicating with her head a scene a little further up.
Cadman was almost open mouthed as she took in the scene. "How they hell did this guy pass the psych evaluation?" she asked, before seeming to remember who was standing next to her. "Not that it's important..."
Kate waved her embarrassment away. "It's a good question, Laura. Something that I'm sure will be looked into once it's all over." Despite the lightness in her tone, Kate felt a familiar tightness in her stomach. A serial killer in Atlantis. If they couldn't prove it was alien influence, as was so desperately hoped, it meant something had been missed. A fatal flaw.
Kate hoped to God it hadn't been her.