Trust Once Broken | SGA John Sheppard

0.28.0

"She's right!" McKay called suddenly. "We're closer but we aren't there yet. The ninth stone is hidden on another planet. All we have is the gate address."

Kolya leaned forward, cocking his head. "Doctor McKay, so wonderful to hear your grating voice again. How's the arm?" he mocked.

McKay stepped up so he could glare up the shaft. "Do you want to keep trading barbs? Or do you want to find the ZPM?" he challenged.

Kolya shifted thoughtfully as through he were actually considering the question.

"Look," McKay said tightly. "Lift me out of here and I'll help you find it, but then you let me team go," he bargained. McKay new the chances of Kolya staying true to the deal would be slim, but they had to get at least one of them out of the pit, and he was the one Kolya would consider the least dangerous.

"Shut up McKay," Sheppard hissed in a low whisper.

"What, you got a better idea?" he whispered back.

Sheppard sighed. "No," he confessed, staring up at all the Genii soldiers pointing guns at them. They could easily move out of range but as Kolya had pointed out there was nothing stopping him from closing the chamber and returning in a month to search their corpses.

"Do we have a deal or not?" McKay demanded.

"You and the two local women will be raised out. Along with everyone's weapons and radios," he called loudly. He paused for a moment and stared down at Sheppard. "Major, I know what kind of weaponry to expect from your Mortii. When you disarm It, I had better see all It's knives in the bucket," he said severely.

John bristled but Kolya continued. "The rest of you will remain here. If Doctor McKay finds the ZPM the others will be let go. I give you my word," and he got to his feet and disappeared from view.

Sheppard was scowling unhappily. "Well," he snapped acerbically. "We have his word," he mocked.

"I don't see that we have much choice," McKay muttered. "I'll do what I can," he promised in a low voice as he stepped up to the rope. "I'm coming up!" he called loudly.

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Teyla was crouched with Ford as he slowly regained consciousness. The Genii had tied his unconscious body to the rope and lowered him down, none to gently. His head hurt and he was still groggy but he was waking up fast as he realized what kind of danger they were in.

Sheppard and Kai meanwhile searched every stone and crevice for another way out of the chamber.

"This is pointless," Sheppard complained after nearly an hour of searching. "There are no trap doors or hidden passageways."

"There may be more than one way in here Major," Teyla gently disagreed. She helped Ford limp over to where their packs were leaning against the far wall.

Sheppard shook his head. "If you're trying to hide a chamber you don't put a bunch of entrances and exits all over the damn place."

Kai didn't necessarily disagree with the Major but she still kept up her search. She slid her fingers along the edge of another stone. "You'd rather just sit here and wait for them to come back?" she asked sharply.

Sheppard looked at Kai for a moment before he grunted. Kai was right. They needed a plan. He dragged his bag over to the others. "What do you have that we can use? I've got a couple MRE's, some ammo, and some med supplies."