"I'm going to ask you one more time before I shoot you," John Sheppard said slowly. "Where is she?"
The large man standing in front of him merely smirked, showing no sign of giving away any information. He was huge, as were all the people on this planet. They made Ronon look average sized, something John hadn't thought was possible.
The advantage they had through strength was obvious, and John realised there was no way out of this situation except through the use of weapons, something that this community didn't seem to have beyond bows and arrows.
With the combined force of his team and Lorne's, they'd managed to make their way through to the prison area, where he presumed Elizabeth was being held after she'd been abducted from their camp three nights before.
Despite Ronon and one of Lorne's men being on watch, the kidnappers had managed to make their way in undetected, and just take her right from under the noses of the two teams. The first indication had been her scream for help as she managed to fight one of them off for a second about 50 metres from the camp.
They still had no clue as to why she'd been taken, except that it seemed women were in short supply in this area, and if they'd been watching for long enough, they'd have realised that Teyla was well prepared and extremely competent when it came to protecting herself.
Frustrated, John shot a quick look in Lorne's direction, keeping his weapon trained on the guard. "You and your team deal with him," he told the Major, "McKay, stay here, Ronon, Teyla, you're with me."
Rodney seemed about to protest, but then thought better of it, turning towards Lorne as John, Teyla and Ronon ran from the foyer into the maze of prison cells.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"She has to be here somewhere," Teyla insisted, as they searched a third corridor of cells, "there is nowhere else they could have taken her."
She was right. The team had scoured the settlement, before making its way to the primitive prison complex, and there'd been no sign of the leader of Atlantis.
The prisoners were getting louder and louder, screaming to be let out of their cells, as the three made their way through. At one point Ronon had suggested letting as many out as possible, to create a diversion and help them disappear in the crowd on the way out.
It had seemed a good idea at the time, but the chaos had grown since the team had started freeing the prisoners, and John was sure his quick radio message to Rodney was the only thing that stopped him and Lorne's team from being trampled.
John sighed. They'd come to a fork in the road, so to speak. This particular corridor diverged, heading in two separate directions. He hesitated for a moment, before motioning to Ronon "You take the left side. Teyla, you're with me, we search one side each, it should speed things up."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John and Teyla went through the motions, breaking into the prison cells, watching the inmates leave, and then scanning the empty rooms for any signs of Elizabeth. The majority of prisoners were women, as he'd suspected from the male dominant society. Time would only tell what sort of effect their release into the general population would have.
John opened a cell door for what seemed like the hundredth time, watching the sea of women -- about 15 in all -- make their way loudly past him. He scanned the room, spotting nothing in the dim light until a short, sharp movement caught his attention.
Straining his eyes to see, he realised a small bare foot had moved back a fraction, as though its owner was trying to hide it in the shadows.
He stepped forward, softly, quietly,not wanting to startle the owner of the foot. He was about to tell her she was safe to leave, when he realised it was Elizabeth. She sat there, head resting on her knees, eyes hidden, arms tight around her legs, as though trying to make herself small enough to be undetected.
John ran a hand through his hair and released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, quietly kneeling down in front of her, trying not to startle her.
He reached out to touch her, but then pulled his hand back. She was obviously afraid. An unsolicited touch could be a very bad move in this situation.
He settled instead for whispering her name. Barely a whisper, more a sigh of relief, just loud enough for her to hear.
In a fraction of a second, Elizabeth had looked up sharply, and thrown her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He'd barely had time to take in her appearance, but had managed to spot dried blood on the left side of her face.
John wrapped his arms around her, running a hand up and down her back. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
He felt her shake her head against him, "No.. but I will be." she promised, echoing their words after the Kolya incident.
John planted a kiss on the top of her head, "I know you will."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It felt like an eternity before Elizabeth released her tight grip on him, sitting back slightly, but keeping her arms loosely around him.
"What happened?" John asked gently. He reached up to touch the cut on her face softly, apologising when she winced.
"It's okay," she promised, "it just stings a bit."
John nodded. "How did it happen?"
She rolled her eyes, shook her head at the idiocy of it "Would you believe I walked into a wall?"
"So they didn't hurt you?"
"Just my foot," she told him, "but they were going to sell me into slavery in the next two hours. You got here just in time."
"What happened to your foot?" He backed away far enough to get a look at her feet in the dim light of the cell, noticing the left one was bruised badly and a deep purple in colour. It was also swollen to twice its normal size.
"Let's just say I need more training when we get home," she replied.
John raised a questioning eyebrow.
"One of the guards," she elaborated. "I tried to kick him the way you taught me to. He was too fast. Grabbed my foot and twisted until I thought my ankle was going to snap."
"Can you walk on it?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Just about."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After contacting Teyla to tell her they could leave, John motioned to Elizabeth to stand, reaching out a hand to help her up.
She allowed him to pull her to her feet, leaning heavily against him to keep the pressure of her bruised ankle.
"This won't be easy," John stated the obvious, "but Teyla and I will help you and we'll take it slowly."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"This isn't working." John stopped dead in his tracks, causing Teyla and Elizabeth to also pause.
Teyla gave him an inquiring look.
"We're not going to get out of here like this," he insisted as another group of inmates pushed past them. "We're going to have to go single file if we're going to get through these people."
Teyla nodded, knowing he was right, "I did not think we had released so many people," she acknowledged.
"I think they let some go themselves."
"So single file it is," Teyla announced.
"But..."
"I know, you can't walk properly," John completed Elizabeth's sentence before she'd had the chance to form it. "And you're going to hate this, but it has to be done."
Before Elizabeth had been able to consider what he could possibly mean, John grabbed her in a fireman's lift, leaving her mortified. This was about the least dignified way she could imagine leaving the prison.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John tore his eyes from the crackling fire as he heard a twig snap behind him. He immediately locked eyes with Elizabeth, as she shuffled towards him, unsteady on the makeshift crutches Ronan had come up with to help her get around.
He rose to meet her, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, "The last time I went to sleep in this forest, I was abducted and almost sold into slavery."
"Point taken," John replied, taking the crutches from her and helping her to sit down beside him. "now you see why I worry so much when you come with us."
"You need to stop worrying.." Elizabeth mused, looking around to make sure the others were still sleeping.
"Tried that," he replied, "can't do it. You bring out the worrier in me."
She laughed softly, "My brother would be thrilled to know that someone's looking out for me in the wilds of the Pegasus Galaxy.. if he knew there was a Pegasus Galaxy."
"You think he'd like me?"
"Honestly? No."
John put an arm around her shoulder, "That's okay, they never do."
"Maybe they can't see the real John Sheppard for the cocky flyboy," Elizabeth suggested.
"Cocky flyboy? Okay, now I'm insulted," John joked.
"Don't be... I like it.. and I like it even more that I'm one of the few people in the city who knows the real you."
John smiled, shrugged out of his jacket and folded it, laying it on the ground beside them. "Pillow," he explained, "you need to get some sleep... I'll be right here. Anyone who wants to abduct you and sell you off to the highest bidder has to get through me first."
Elizabeth yawned as she stretched herself out beside him, laying her head on his jacket, "Those guys are bigger than you," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but I can be pretty powerful when someone pisses me off," he promised. "so sleep."
Elizabeth closed her eyes, with a relaxed sigh, and fell asleep to the sound of the fire crackling beside her, and the feel of John Sheppard's fingers playing gently with her hair.
The large man standing in front of him merely smirked, showing no sign of giving away any information. He was huge, as were all the people on this planet. They made Ronon look average sized, something John hadn't thought was possible.
The advantage they had through strength was obvious, and John realised there was no way out of this situation except through the use of weapons, something that this community didn't seem to have beyond bows and arrows.
With the combined force of his team and Lorne's, they'd managed to make their way through to the prison area, where he presumed Elizabeth was being held after she'd been abducted from their camp three nights before.
Despite Ronon and one of Lorne's men being on watch, the kidnappers had managed to make their way in undetected, and just take her right from under the noses of the two teams. The first indication had been her scream for help as she managed to fight one of them off for a second about 50 metres from the camp.
They still had no clue as to why she'd been taken, except that it seemed women were in short supply in this area, and if they'd been watching for long enough, they'd have realised that Teyla was well prepared and extremely competent when it came to protecting herself.
Frustrated, John shot a quick look in Lorne's direction, keeping his weapon trained on the guard. "You and your team deal with him," he told the Major, "McKay, stay here, Ronon, Teyla, you're with me."
Rodney seemed about to protest, but then thought better of it, turning towards Lorne as John, Teyla and Ronon ran from the foyer into the maze of prison cells.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"She has to be here somewhere," Teyla insisted, as they searched a third corridor of cells, "there is nowhere else they could have taken her."
She was right. The team had scoured the settlement, before making its way to the primitive prison complex, and there'd been no sign of the leader of Atlantis.
The prisoners were getting louder and louder, screaming to be let out of their cells, as the three made their way through. At one point Ronon had suggested letting as many out as possible, to create a diversion and help them disappear in the crowd on the way out.
It had seemed a good idea at the time, but the chaos had grown since the team had started freeing the prisoners, and John was sure his quick radio message to Rodney was the only thing that stopped him and Lorne's team from being trampled.
John sighed. They'd come to a fork in the road, so to speak. This particular corridor diverged, heading in two separate directions. He hesitated for a moment, before motioning to Ronon "You take the left side. Teyla, you're with me, we search one side each, it should speed things up."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John and Teyla went through the motions, breaking into the prison cells, watching the inmates leave, and then scanning the empty rooms for any signs of Elizabeth. The majority of prisoners were women, as he'd suspected from the male dominant society. Time would only tell what sort of effect their release into the general population would have.
John opened a cell door for what seemed like the hundredth time, watching the sea of women -- about 15 in all -- make their way loudly past him. He scanned the room, spotting nothing in the dim light until a short, sharp movement caught his attention.
Straining his eyes to see, he realised a small bare foot had moved back a fraction, as though its owner was trying to hide it in the shadows.
He stepped forward, softly, quietly,not wanting to startle the owner of the foot. He was about to tell her she was safe to leave, when he realised it was Elizabeth. She sat there, head resting on her knees, eyes hidden, arms tight around her legs, as though trying to make herself small enough to be undetected.
John ran a hand through his hair and released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, quietly kneeling down in front of her, trying not to startle her.
He reached out to touch her, but then pulled his hand back. She was obviously afraid. An unsolicited touch could be a very bad move in this situation.
He settled instead for whispering her name. Barely a whisper, more a sigh of relief, just loud enough for her to hear.
In a fraction of a second, Elizabeth had looked up sharply, and thrown her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He'd barely had time to take in her appearance, but had managed to spot dried blood on the left side of her face.
John wrapped his arms around her, running a hand up and down her back. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
He felt her shake her head against him, "No.. but I will be." she promised, echoing their words after the Kolya incident.
John planted a kiss on the top of her head, "I know you will."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It felt like an eternity before Elizabeth released her tight grip on him, sitting back slightly, but keeping her arms loosely around him.
"What happened?" John asked gently. He reached up to touch the cut on her face softly, apologising when she winced.
"It's okay," she promised, "it just stings a bit."
John nodded. "How did it happen?"
She rolled her eyes, shook her head at the idiocy of it "Would you believe I walked into a wall?"
"So they didn't hurt you?"
"Just my foot," she told him, "but they were going to sell me into slavery in the next two hours. You got here just in time."
"What happened to your foot?" He backed away far enough to get a look at her feet in the dim light of the cell, noticing the left one was bruised badly and a deep purple in colour. It was also swollen to twice its normal size.
"Let's just say I need more training when we get home," she replied.
John raised a questioning eyebrow.
"One of the guards," she elaborated. "I tried to kick him the way you taught me to. He was too fast. Grabbed my foot and twisted until I thought my ankle was going to snap."
"Can you walk on it?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Just about."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After contacting Teyla to tell her they could leave, John motioned to Elizabeth to stand, reaching out a hand to help her up.
She allowed him to pull her to her feet, leaning heavily against him to keep the pressure of her bruised ankle.
"This won't be easy," John stated the obvious, "but Teyla and I will help you and we'll take it slowly."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"This isn't working." John stopped dead in his tracks, causing Teyla and Elizabeth to also pause.
Teyla gave him an inquiring look.
"We're not going to get out of here like this," he insisted as another group of inmates pushed past them. "We're going to have to go single file if we're going to get through these people."
Teyla nodded, knowing he was right, "I did not think we had released so many people," she acknowledged.
"I think they let some go themselves."
"So single file it is," Teyla announced.
"But..."
"I know, you can't walk properly," John completed Elizabeth's sentence before she'd had the chance to form it. "And you're going to hate this, but it has to be done."
Before Elizabeth had been able to consider what he could possibly mean, John grabbed her in a fireman's lift, leaving her mortified. This was about the least dignified way she could imagine leaving the prison.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John tore his eyes from the crackling fire as he heard a twig snap behind him. He immediately locked eyes with Elizabeth, as she shuffled towards him, unsteady on the makeshift crutches Ronan had come up with to help her get around.
He rose to meet her, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, "The last time I went to sleep in this forest, I was abducted and almost sold into slavery."
"Point taken," John replied, taking the crutches from her and helping her to sit down beside him. "now you see why I worry so much when you come with us."
"You need to stop worrying.." Elizabeth mused, looking around to make sure the others were still sleeping.
"Tried that," he replied, "can't do it. You bring out the worrier in me."
She laughed softly, "My brother would be thrilled to know that someone's looking out for me in the wilds of the Pegasus Galaxy.. if he knew there was a Pegasus Galaxy."
"You think he'd like me?"
"Honestly? No."
John put an arm around her shoulder, "That's okay, they never do."
"Maybe they can't see the real John Sheppard for the cocky flyboy," Elizabeth suggested.
"Cocky flyboy? Okay, now I'm insulted," John joked.
"Don't be... I like it.. and I like it even more that I'm one of the few people in the city who knows the real you."
John smiled, shrugged out of his jacket and folded it, laying it on the ground beside them. "Pillow," he explained, "you need to get some sleep... I'll be right here. Anyone who wants to abduct you and sell you off to the highest bidder has to get through me first."
Elizabeth yawned as she stretched herself out beside him, laying her head on his jacket, "Those guys are bigger than you," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but I can be pretty powerful when someone pisses me off," he promised. "so sleep."
Elizabeth closed her eyes, with a relaxed sigh, and fell asleep to the sound of the fire crackling beside her, and the feel of John Sheppard's fingers playing gently with her hair.