Chapter 50

Felix left his gear at the console and went to the kitchen to see either the head cook or the shift supervisor about what he wished to do.

He arrived at the kitchen, saw nobody around, so he went around the counter into the kitchen proper and saw a few of the staff at work, cleaning pots, baking all kinds of goodies. One of the staff asked, "Can I help you?"

Felix smiled and answered, "As a matter of fact yes. I was wondering whom I could talk to about doing some baking."

The kitchen worker pointed at a tall brunette woman who was baking multiple loaves of bread, so he walked over to her and waited until she was done placing new loaves in for baking.

The woman turned around and looked at Felix and asked, "Yes? What can I do for you?"

Felix told the woman what he was proposing to do in the kitchen — with her permission of course. She thought it over for a moment and asked, "Do you know what the recipe is?"

Felix nodded and answered, "If you'd like I can write it out for you right now and see what you think."

The shift supervisor replied, "Pencil and paper is just over there — write it out in detail and show it to me when you are done, and then we'll see. I have a number of people coming in here at all hours and I don't need some rookie in my kitchen getting underfoot."

Felix said, "Fair enough," and spent the next 5 minutes writing out the recipe he wished to do under her supervision, and when he was done he showed it to her.

She looked it over and read it a couple of times, and then looked at Felix and asked, "When did you want me to try this? I'm a bit busy tonight."

Felix answered, "I can't do it tonight — I'm on stand-by right now. But I can come here tomorrow night and I can make them during the night. You can test my result and see what you think — you may actually like them."

She realized what he was alluding to and asked, "You're going to do this — tomorrow night?"

Felix smiled and replied, "Hopefully — and under your supervision. I do know my way around a kitchen — I expect you get that a lot — so that's why I suggest you supervise and see the result."

She replied, "All right, but if I don't like what you're doing — you're gone out of my kitchen and don't expect to come back here — got it?"

Felix still was smiling as he answered, "Got it."

The cook asked, "Who are you anyways? You're new here, aren't you?"

Felix replied, "My name is Felix, and I've been ... away for a while. And you are?"

The female cook replied, "Andrea." She held out her hand and didn't expect a return shake but Felix surprised her and said, "Tomorrow night then — Andrea."

Just then his headset crackled and Dr. Weir's voice came through, "Felix?"

He answered, "Just leaving the kitchen, ma'am."

She replied, "I'd like you up here soonest — Colonel Sheppard is on the way back, but I think you may want to hear what happened."

"On the way — Felix out." He looked at the cook and confirmed, "Tomorrow night — if all things go well."

Andrea asked, "Are you on one of the security teams?"

Felix gave a funny sort of smile as he answered and started to turn; "Not exactly — I'm more of a ... problem remover."

With a now puzzled Andrea behind him he walked rapidly out of the kitchen, back to the transporter and walked rapidly to the control centre.

He arrived there just in time to see Jumper One enter through the Gate, hover a moment — the Gate shut down, and the Jumper rose up to the hanger bay.

Felix waited back out of the way for now until Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, and McKay all trooped down the stairs. Sheppard told the three, "Go see the doc and get checked out — make sure you're okay."

He listened as a concerned Dr. Weir asked, "What happened out there, Colonel?"

Sheppard answered, "Just after we went through the Gate, we cloaked and flew slowly looking for the signals from our team. We found them about 2 kilometres from the gate being held hostage — it looks like they were nabbed on the way back by who I think are Genii."

Felix's jaw tightened in anger and listened to Sheppard's every word.

Sheppard continued, "We managed to get Weeks and two of the security team before we came under heavy small arms fire and some grenades by the sound of it. Weeks told us that Dr. Lindsay and Hansa — that's the other security guy — they somehow managed to escape but they were headed away from the fighting and possible towards the Gate." Sheppard looked around and spotted Felix and asked, "Feel up for a night retrieval, Sergeant?"

Felix answered, "I don't really have anything on my schedule right now — shall I see if I'm available?"

Sheppard gave him a look and said, "Ha ha — very funny." He then looked at Chuck the Gate technician and asked, "Can you bring up the map of the planet we were just on and show about a 3 kilometre radius around the Gate?"

Chuck replied, "Coming right up," pushed several buttons and then turned around to watch the briefing.

Sheppard showed Felix where the science team was originally coming from, and then went into as much detail as he could remember from the air.

Felix asked questions to do with what was the lay of the ground, was there a moon, was it day or night there, about how many enemy troops were there, what directions — everything under the sun that the small Canadian could think of that would help him and the two missing people. Next he looked at Chuck and asked, "Could you show me pictures of what these two folks look like, please? Thanks."

Felix studied the pictures and memorized their faces, build, and clothing and burned them into his brain.

Sheppard second-guessed Felix for the upcoming question and brought out of his vest a small square box and started explaining, "This device can be used as a personnel locator — it homes on their personal IDC that is inside of them. It's real easy — just press this screen here" — he showed Felix what to do and how — "Then this will take you right to them."

Felix asked, "Does this show if they up a tree or down a hole at all?"

Sheppard answered, "No, unfortunately we haven't got that mastered yet — Rodney is working on improving it. Until then, this is what we have."

Felix took the locator and placed it next to his gear.

Dr. Weir asked, "How soon can you be ready to depart, Sergeant?"

Felix stood up with his two camouflage tubes that he wanted for tonight and smiled at Dr. Weir and replied, "Less than 5 minutes, ma'am."

He used the reflection of a screen nearby as he applied the green and brown face paint so it covered everything reflective. He did his hands as well, the back of his neck just in case, and then put the tubes back in one of many pockets inside the ghillie suit.

Dr. Weir observed him and then commented; "I can see now how you go to work — different from what we are used to around here."

He looked at her and smiled as he asked, "Want to come along tonight, ma'am?"

She held up her hands as if warding him away and replied, "No thank you — I'll stay here where it's safe."

Felix donned his ghillie suit, buttoned it most of the way up, removed Pain and Panic and loaded a round into the chamber and placed them on safe, and then placed them in the holsters built into the outside of the suit. Next he placed the magazine onto Sasha, cocked the action and placed it on safe, and then reached into a side pocket of his suit and removed the sleeve silencer, and screwed that onto the barrel. Then he attached the camouflage for Sasha and made sure it was properly set.

Finally he donned the camouflage patrol pack that had some medical gear and some ... other gear.

He then slung the big rifle over his shoulder, donned his bush hat, looked at the two leaders and said, "Okay."

Chuck the Gate technician as well as Dr. Weir was shocked and impressed with the change that happened while Felix got dressed and ready for the mission. He changed from the short easygoing guy to a mobile bush that was very deadly and was invisible when out in nature — like where he was going.

Sheppard said, "I'll walk you down to make sure you are clear on the locator."

Dr. Weir nodded and said to Chuck, "Dial it up."

Felix said suddenly, "No! Not yet please. Remember this thing lights up the whole area at night, and I need every edge I can get. I'll give a yell when the boss man and I are ready."

She replied, "Fair enough — you know what you are doing."

Sheppard and Felix went over to the stairs, descended them, and stood just at the bottom as Sheppard gave a quick few last questions to Felix to make sure they were both on the same sheet of music. His final words were, "Bring them back home, Felix."

The short bushman gave a thumbs up to Sheppard and Dr. Weir and then on the headset spoke, "Dial it, please."

The gate went through its normal rapid dialling sequence, whooshed when it was opened, and then Felix ran through the event horizon with Sasha now in his hands.

Felix already had his plan of action set for emerging from the gate on the planet side — there was good low scrub to the right of the gate that looked promising.

He materialized and moved off to the right of the gate, flicked on the thermal sight, and knelt so he could rest Sasha on his knee while scanning around for any activity.

After a few long minutes and only the sounds of nature, he was finished his scans and could find no trace of human activity at present. He was able to make out individual footprints that were still warm that had obviously been to the area of the gate and they led away, back to wherever they were going.

Felix moved himself off to the low scrub and went down to the prone to wait a little bit longer — just in case there was someone lingering in the area. He brought out the locator scanner, activated it and brought it to the screen that Sheppard had shown him, and was pleased to see that there were the two life signs he was looking for about 800 metres away. They appeared to be stationary, which was a good thing both for them and him — easier to get to and bring back in one piece. He hoped they were able to move under their own power, as obviously it would behove them to get out fast if possible. Felix decided to wait about 30 minutes before making his next move.

Back in Atlantis Sheppard, Dr. Weir, and Chuck the Gate technician had watched as the small bush ran through the gate, and all shook their heads simultaneously after the gate shut down.

Dr. Weir was the first one to speak; "I can see how he surprised you that day, Colonel. Watching him getting ready was like ... watching a chameleon change colours — I could actually see his work face going on and almost a complete change come over him."

Sheppard rebutted, "Try being on the receiving end, Elizabeth — he even scared Teyla and Ronon that day if I remember right."

Elizabeth asked, "Do you think he can do this tonight — find them and bring them back?"

Sheppard paused for a second and then replied, "I'll put it like this, Elizabeth — he found me when I was pretty sure I was hidden, and he did the same with Colonel Caldwell, so I would say yes in my opinion." He paused again and then added, "I'm hoping he fits in better this time — things already seem better with him around, and I feel a bit more comfortable knowing he is the one that can get out of bad situations. That fiasco with the Marine Special Ops didn't work out so well — I think Felix could have made that one work in our favour."

Dr. Weir nodded her agreement and added, "I do wish he was here a few months ago when we started taking these casualties — it sounds like he could have been very useful back then." She paused and asked Sheppard, "So what's your take on him so far since Teyla was able to get a hold of him through Halling?"

Sheppard thought for a moment and replied, "More relaxed for starters — still a bit early to say fully but that's what I see so far."

Elizabeth nodded and asked, "Is it me or does he seem unusually focused this time around?"

Sheppard replied, "Could be I guess — didn't really notice that."

Back on the planet with the missing Atlantis people, Felix was slowly moving in small bounds from cover to cover. He was checking his progress between the locator and his thermal sight, and he was moving at a good steady pace. The two people were still in the position where they were picked up by the locator, so Felix was starting to wonder if they were injured in some way.

It took him another 10 minutes of careful movement until he was just about on top of the two blips, so he put the locator away. He scanned slowly and then spotted the thermal rise from what was probably two people in a small hollow in the ground about 15 feet away.

Felix tossed around which method to gain contact, as they had been unable to reach the team with the headsets. He took another detailed look with the thermal sight and saw a bit of movement, and from that he was able to discern which direction they were facing. He had been successful in sneaking up on them from behind, so he slung Sasha slowly down his back and leopard crawled the remaining short distance.

As he crawled into the hollow in the ground he was met with two startled people, one of who was obviously the security guy Hansa, as he aimed a weapon right at Felix's face.

Felix smiled at the reaction and said softly, "Boo. You want to get back to Atlantis, or do you want to stay here?"

Hansa asked, "Who the hell are you?"

The reply was a laconic, "Felix. Are either of you hurt at all?"

Hansa ignored the question and replied, "I've never heard of you — where are you from?"

Felix sighed and answered in a low voice, "I came from Atlantis a short while ago. I had to make sure the area was clear before I could get to you and get you out of here. Now — do you two want to stay here, or go back home to Atlantis?"

Hansa really wanted to get answers, so he asked again, "Who the hell are you?"

Felix lowered his head and then raised it again and replied, "Any more stupid questions and I'll just leave you here for the Genii. Now — are either of you hurt?"

The other person, obviously Dr. Lindsay, spoke up; "I sprained my knee running away from whoever was shooting at us earlier, and I think Hansa has a graze along his shoulder."

Felix looked at her and said, "You would be Dr. Lindsay, I presume?"

She nodded and asked, "Are you really going to get us back to Atlantis?"

Felix had enough with the questions and replied sarcastically, "No, I thought the three of us would stay here for an extended camping trip! What do you think?"

Hansa lowered his P-90 and said, "Yes, we want to go back to Atlantis — real soon too."

Felix nodded and then said, "Good. Here's the way this works for now — I'm going to take a quick look at her leg to see how bad it is. I'll probably have to wrap it up so she can be somewhat mobile, then I'll take a look at you to what the extent of your injury is."