New Home (Stargate Atlantis fanfiction)

22 Hope and fear

First mission after Rodney's wedding was an easy one. John supposed it was Landry trying to get them back into the saddle gently after the long fun at the celebrations on Atlantis. His main concern was more probably the shock after losing Cadman, however. Whatever the cause, their mission was a short and easy one. John managed some debriefing after and a short call to Elizabeth before they were sent on another mission. This time it was escorting some scientists to a long known planet with really friendly inhabitants. Even easier earned keep. This time, however it took them almost more than a week and it was highly possible that the last days of two weeks will be idle.

John went to the surface after showering and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hi, Dave! Nice to hear your voice." He started. "Look, I have a small question... I need a place for a small event.... Yeah, really small one... small like a small wedding just for family... yeah, I did, wait! What do you mean 'it was a high time'? You knew I was thinking about it?... Ok, never mind. It's just, we decided to have a really small ceremony and I thought that perhaps... Really, you agree?... We thought like about three weeks from now... Great! I will call you tomorrow to check, ok?"

He tried reaching Elizabeth, but her cell didn't answer. Her mother didn't know anything and she was not reachable at the University. She must have gone to the place he showed her and turned off her cell. It was good news really, that she was learning how to rest. John was in a really good mood. He was whistling when a young lieutenant asked him to came with him. General Landry wanted John in his office ASAP.

"Sir?" Asked John after being led into the room and left alone with the general. "I thought the debriefing was scheduled for later."

"It was." Answered Landry. "Sit down, colonel, please." Landry remained standing. "I will get what I need from Hailey. Now please be calm."

"General?"

"I got a word today that a diplomatic mission in one of the African countries was attacked." Landry started and looked at John. "Most of the military escort were killed, the delegates were kidnapped by a rogue fraction of the country's military."

"I cannot see the connection to me, sir." Said John, being a little nervous. "Sir?"

"One of the delegates was Elizabeth Weir." Whispered Landry after sitting down.

"What? How? When?" John suddenly felt a cold sweat running down his spine.

"This was a top secret negotiation. She still is one of the most skilled diplomats in this country and still has her clearance for this kind of event. She was asked to go a little over a week ago."

"Ok, there is a procedure of extracting hostages, right?"

"USA does not negotiate with terrorists, Sheppard, and you know it." Commented Landry. "It's not, however, why I told you all this."

"Then why?"

"There was..." Landry hesitated a little, "... a body found about 0900 hours our time. It had a message attached to it. It was massacred, but it gives us an idea of who it might have been..."

"No..."

"It was a body of a white female, dark hair, about forty..." Landry was interrupted.

"No!" John stood up on a shaky legs. "there must have been another diplomat close to Elizabeth in age and look."

"We all hope that but the chances are..."

"I will not believe she is dead!"

"We are sending Elizabeth's blood sample to the lab to compare the DNA, it would be conclusive." Said Landry with as much steady voice as he could muster. "In the meantime O'Neill is there with our Marines and Air Force to help in retrieval."