Brimstone

Chapter Thirty-five

Woolsey was jarred from his thoughts by his radio. He jerked up, not sure what had been said, only that there had been a sound.

“What is it?”

“The Daedalus, sir,” came the excited voice. “Colonel Caldwell.”

“Patch him through,” Woolsey said, sitting upright.

“Mr. Woolsey?” Caldwell’s voice crackled over the speaker.

“This is Woolsey,” he said. “Where are you?”

“We’re in position, sir. We’ve scanned ’842 and located your people. From the numbers, it looks like Colonel Sheppard’s team has joined them.”

“Why haven’t they opened the gate?” Woolsey said, stomach knotting. “Why are they still there, if Sheppard is back?”

“My best guess?” Caldwell said, half a question. “They can’t get to the DHD.”

“Can you help?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Caldwell said. “We’re keeping a low profile — don’t want to alert that Hive ship to our presence. As far as I can see, they’ve only sent darts and ground troops to the gate. They don’t know what the threat is, and they aren’t committing fully until they do. That buys me a little time. I’m going to go in and give them some cover fire, but I won’t have long — as soon as I start firing, the Wraith will know I’m there. I have to get out before they can send any serious pursuit.”

“Understood,” Woolsey replied. “Can’t you transport them out?”

“I don’t know. We’ll be moving fast, and under fire — it would be crap shoot. If I can’t get them out safely they’ll have to use the gate.”

“Very well. Do what you can, Colonel. Woolsey out.”

He sat and stared into the distance for a moment, then contacted the control room.

“Stand by to receive both teams,” he said. “Have medical on alert.”

He sat and waited, staring at the wall. There was nothing else he could do, nothing but sit and wait. The matter was in other hands — in capable hands, no doubt, but that didn’t ease his tension. He felt powerless, just sitting there in the calm halls of Atlantis while other men and women fought and, perhaps, died. This, he realized, was the true burden of command; he wondered if he would ever get used to its weight…

“Bring them home, Colonel,” he said with a sigh. “Just bring them all home.”