The Long Way Home

Chapter Ninety Eight: Misdirection

Know y'all bin patiently waiting, I know you need me, I can feel it,
I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that Monster in the mirror,
The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner.
That's when under pressure with seconds left I show up.

Usher - More

There had been no prior warning to Ronon's return though the Stargate. One minute the Gateroom was quiet and the next he was striding through the wavering event horizon with all the bells and whistles erupting around him as he strode through. He was greeted by Sheppard and Weir hurrying down the steps as the Stargate shut down behind him. The expressions on their faces, were concerned and urgent. His sudden return meant something was happening and that had sent up the hackles of every single person who observed the purposeful walk of the Satedan.

Ronon drew to a halt in front of his two friends holding out the hefty brown envelope between his large hands. He hated the fact he had to be the one to deliver this evidence but Cassandra had been right in her decision. Someone needed to stay vigil in the camp and Cass was the only person who stood a fighting chance of upholding some form of authority there. Ronon was the only person she trusted to escort this evidence back to Atlantis. He had had Hope's word that the two of them would stay close to one another and safe.

Ronon despised leaving the two of them alone to fend for themselves, he was meant to be the one there protecting them, but Cass had rationalised that the threat was on Atlantis wrapped up in a series of briefings.

"She said you would know what this meant. She's grouped the relevant reports together." Ronon told Sheppard as he placed the envelope into the other man's hands.

Sheppard took it from his friend and tore open the seal before withdrawing the paper work and skim reading the first page written in his wife's familiar cursive scrawl.

"Evidence tracing back the blackmail market drug operations to Drew Hartford and more." he summarised, his thumb flickering through the pages before he handed it to Weir.

"She wants you to send word the minute you've apprehended him." Ronon shot a wolfish grin at Sheppard as he rubbed his hands together almost in glee. "So let's go get him from the meeting."

"What meeting?" Weir responded, inclining her head towards Ronon.

"Hartford." Ronon prompted, his strong brow ridge knotting together as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He's been here since yesterday."

"Drew Hartford hasn't been on Atlantis in months." Weir informed Ronon with the shake of her head. "His reports are all digital."

"Since I've been in the camp he's left for Atlantis four times over two months." Ronon told the head of their expedition.

A lightbulb illuminated inside of Sheppard's head, Ronon could see the explosion of thought erupting through the other man's mind as his hazel eyes narrowed in irritation at the simplicity of what had been going on right under their noses.

"That's why nobody has noticed him moving the medicines in and out of the camp." Sheppard said, putting his hands behind his head and raising his eyes skyward. "Nobody thinks anything about someone moving supplies back and forth to Atlantis."

"Only if he's not coming to Atlantis where is he going?" Weir asked curiously.

"There's plenty of planets with people in need of those medicines. It could be any one of them." Ronon pointed out knowingly.

"So we take a security team to the camp and meet him at the gate when he comes back through." Sheppard plotted, casting a glance at Weir for her approval.

"Take a team and bring him back here when you've apprehended him." Weir ordered, cradling the report close to her chest. "I want to see how long he's been at this and if it was going on back on Earth."

"You wanna head back and tell them that we're coming?" Sheppard offered his friend.

The request was entirely selfish, already he could feel something shifting inside of him. It was like an hourglass turning and the sands of Fate were changing course. He had no idea what it was but he knew it was bad, it caused a nagging ache in his gut. It was a feeling that he couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried and at the exact moment his eyes met Ronon's he knew that the other man felt the violent force wrenching at their lives. The warrior's face twisted into a pained grimace, his nostrils flaring as he bared his teeth.

"You feel that right?" John asked his friend, his own features etched in bewilderment as the sensation of dread washed over him.

"Something's wrong." Ronon stated before all hell broke loose upstairs on the viewing platform.

The flurry of activity above them, combined with the sound of McKay's shouting was all the reason the two needed to take action. Sheppard was taking the steps two at a time before he reached the second floor, his studious hazel eyes darting from screen to screen, his ears pricking as he tried to decipher the information that was assaulting his senses from all angles.

"There's a Hive Ship approaching the planet where the camp is based." McKay cried out in dismay.

It was at that moment that Sheppard felt his heart beginning to race. That intense, horrendous feeling was coming back ten fold. God, it was choking him...

Almost immediately he could feel the Colonel beginning to slide back into control. That side of his personality clenched all of his emotions, cinching them in an iron clad grip. Now wasn't the time to lose it, now was the time to act and take control of the situation.

"We need to get a team out there now." Sheppard yelled, tapping the comm on his ear. "I need Teyla and Lorne's team in the gateroom immediately."

"Be there in five." Lorne's calm voice uttered over the airwaves.

"We can't use the Stargate to get to the planet." McKay informed Sheppard. "They've triggered the gate from their end the way they do when they're starting to cull."

"How far out's the Daedalus?" Ronon snapped into the fray, glowering at McKay as he sorted through their options.

"Two days." Weir submitted, her eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. "They're on their latest supply run from Earth."

Ronon's questioning gaze switched straight to Sheppard pointedly as the other man's brain scrambled over the other possibilities. They needed speed and force of they were going to get to that planet in time and the only ships they had at their disposal were Jumpers. Even then it was a sixteen hour trip to the planet hosting the refugee camp. The Wraith would be long gone and the camp culled before they even had a chance to react.

"McKay, what's the nearest planet to the camp with a Stargate?" Sheppard erupted, his mind already stringing together the beginnings of an idea.

Already McKay was picking up the threads of Sheppard's plan and racing ahead to the finish line.

"PX- 231." he told the two men, swirling around on the chair to face them. "It's thirty minutes away from the camp if we take a Jumper."

There wasn't a question of whether he was going or not. As far as McKay was concerned there were a lot of lives at stake including the life of someone he cared about. The fear he felt at confronting the Wraith wasn't easily cast aside but for this there would be none of his usual flakiness. There was simply too much to lose.

Sheppard was already in motion, Ronon following closely behind as they moved with strict purpose. Sheppard tapped the comm on his ear once more before speaking in a disciplined, firm voice.

"Teyla, Lorne. Meet us at the Jumper Bay."