Chapter 21

They met at Jumper 1 a few minutes later and as soon as they were seated Felix started applying camouflage paint all over his face and neck. Then he did his hands and checked the camouflage in his compass mirror and was satisfied. By then they were through the gate and flying to the coordinates that Felix had selected for them to land the cloaked Jumper.

As they landed, Felix looked each of them and asked, "We're clear on the mission? We know they will screw us around and we have the unknown advantage of me. I'm pretty sure they will take Colonel Sheppard hostage and I want you two to try and get clear if possible. Clear?" He looked each of them in the eyes and saw that would make it happen. He un-slung Sasha and made sure she was ready to go in his sure and capable hands. "Okay — lets do it!" He put his fist in the middle and they all touched fists and then the ramp dropped down and Felix was off like a shot and disappeared very quickly from their sight into the woods.

Sheppard shook his head and said, "That guy is like a ghost, I still say."

Ronon agreed and said, "Then we should be thankful that we have him and not the Genii."

The three team members moved out towards the coordinates given by the Genii to meet in the open woods and the walk took about 20 minutes. Just before they arrived all of them heard a loud but rapid whisper in their earpieces, "This is Felix, in position, set, can cover plus 2.3 of my position, out."

Sheppard looked at Teyla and Sheppard and asked, "You two catch that from Felix?"

They both nodded and Sheppard commented, "He sure moves fast with that gun of his."

All of a sudden Ronon motioned for them to be quiet and that there were hostiles in the area. They continued walking towards the rendezvous point with the Genii and Sheppard moved the backpack containing the ZPM so it was more comfortable when the action started happening.

Felix had found a small knoll that was to his liking — small bushes and in the general direction of where the trade-off or betrayal would likely happen. He did a quick range estimate and put the range at about 850 metres, give or take a couple of metres. He had already folded the bipod legs and placed the edge of the bipod on his compact folded rag that was perfect for this low to the ground style of shooting.

Felix dialled in the range on the powerful optical sight, looked through and checked the wind direction at the target area — maybe a knot or two at most — barely any windage adjustment needed. He then quickly calculated in his head — as he had done so many times before — the elevation drop and adjustment needed, and dialled his dope onto the scope. Again the data wasn't much but it was better to make sure for the shots, especially if this whole thing went down the way Felix figured it would.

He chuckled ironically as he remembered what his instructors from many years ago had told him about hunting men: most men were stupid and noisy and couldn't enjoy the silence of the outdoors. A deer or a moose — you had to earn that kill by waiting patiently, which was one of Felix's traits. He would wait until the time was right, or he could move rapidly like when on a CSAR mission.

Any moron could buy a rifle and a hunting blind and ambush an animal, but Felix preferred to outwit the prey in any way he could, usually by out-waiting them and staying hidden as they sniffed for him.

But this time he was hunting men who may try to hurt his friends, and he couldn't allow that to happen. He relaxed his breathing as he took up his hold on Sasha and watched the Genii at the area where he could also see the scientists bound with their hands behind them. Seeing that pissed Felix off and his heart rate increased, so he mentally slowed his pulse down so that he wouldn't jerk the trigger.

Sasha's trigger was honed to a very smooth 4 pound pull, which some shooters would say was almost too heavy — but it worked very well for Felix. As he scanned the area slowly he caught something on the ground that didn't look right at first. It took him a minute until he figured out that what he was looking at was buried booby-traps facing towards the scientists.

He clenched his jaw in anger again, and then mentally relaxed as he took his eye away from the sight and shook his head at how unfortunately correct he was in his assessment of what the Genii would try and do. He muttered under his breath, "You rotten buggers; well, not this time, me bucko's."

Just then he heard and then saw Colonel Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon get captured by the Genii, just like he thought would happen.

Suddenly they were surrounded by 6 armed Genii who told them, "Drop your weapons! Stand still!" The team was quickly disarmed by the Genii and were walked with their hands held up towards the RV point.

Sheppard heard a reassuring whisper in his ear, "Don't worry boss, this is going just like I figured it would. I've already scoped out the area and things are definitely in our favour. If you are getting this, motion slightly with your right hand." Sheppard did as he was asked and the guards didn't notice anything.

A moment later they rounded the trail and there were the science team, unharmed but tied up with hands behind their back and obviously looking very scared.

There were 4 other Genii guards under the command of a junior officer, who then asked, "You would be Colonel Sheppard? And did you bring the ZPM as we requested?"

Sheppard glared at the officer and replied, "Yes, I am Colonel Sheppard and yes, we did bring the ZPM. Now let our science team go peacefully and nobody has to get hurt."

The officer laughed in Sheppard's face while one of the guards took the backpack containing the depleted ZPM and opened it; he nodded at the officer that everything was okay.

Then Genii officer said, "Put the dogs on their knees and let them say goodbye!"

The team was pushed to their knees, and all three heard in their headsets, "You three stay exactly like that and don't move until I tell you."