Bound Reflections
Part 4
-10-
It took Daniel a few seconds to realize that his shudders of revulsion had become out and out tremors, not of fear, but of rage. Like a guitar string wound too lightly, his body fairly sang with indignant tension.
He had summoned Jack with the idea of protecting himself from Osiris's advances, but seeing his lover in his mind's eye called forth protective tendencies of another kind in Daniel — the desire to preserve his relationship with Jack, unsullied by a resurrected Goa'uld with transplanted lecherous desires and new toys to play with.
Osiris swaggered before his captive, making a show of loosening his shirt.
Leveling his steely blue eyes on the Goa'uld, Daniel sneered, "If you're thinking I'm gonna just... hang here and let you continue to have your wicked way with me, think again."
Osiris paused in his slow striptease, one impressively-muscled shoulder exposed. "On the contrary, I was hoping you would fight. Give me a bit of a challenge."
Straining his fingers, Daniel snagged the chain that linked the manacles and hauled himself upright, stubbornly locking his knees to maintain his defiant pose. Releasing the chain, Daniel covertly pulled against the iron rings encircling his wrists, hoping that there had been ample enough blood flow to grease the metal and allow him to slip through. Strangely, when his hands failed to come free, he wondered how deeply the manacle would have to cut to clip his vein.
'Why the hell would you think something like that?' Jack's voice snarled. Shushing Jack in his head, Daniel glared at Osiris.
"You want a real challenge, how about losing the restraints," Daniel countered, jerking the chain for emphasis.
Eyes riveted on Daniel's naked form, Osiris tipped his head thoughtfully, as though considering the suggestion.
On the verge of squirming under the invasive scrutiny, Daniel scrunched his brow in confusion when Osiris suddenly inhaled deeply, eyes rolling back and disappearing under half-closed lids.
Daniel watched in morbid fascination as the Goa'uld, seemingly under the influence of an outside force, again reached for his own groin. In spite of his disgust, Daniel was unable to tear his eyes away from Osiris's obscenely undulating body, the nauseating scene holding him in its sway like the aftermath of an automobile accident, too horrible to view, yet too engrossing to resist.
Throwing his head back, Osiris moaned low in his throat, the fingers obviously creating pleasurable sensations where they scraped the fabric of his pants over his crotch.
Finally, screwing his face in disgust, Daniel shifted his gaze away from the Goa'uld, intently studying the unadorned wall as though its bare surface contained the masterpieces of the Louvre.
Noting from the corner of his eye that Osiris had stilled, Daniel faced him, finding to his chagrin that the Goa'uld still had a firm grip on his host's family jewels.
Osiris's head dropped forward until his chin rested against his chest. After a moment, he lifted his head, his eyes immediately finding Daniel's. "I have searched Sarah's memories of your couplings with her," Osiris informed him, slightly out of breath. His face shone with a fine layer of perspiration; his eyes, pupils black with lust, grazed Daniel's nakedness appreciatively. "In every one of them she took great pleasure in being the aggressor. And bondage does play a featured role in quite a few of them."
"I remember," Daniel said, lip curling in disdain. "I finally figured out that sex for Sarah was really more about power than pleasure."
"You say that as if it were a bad thing," Osiris replied, with mock injury. Finally releasing his genitals, Osiris slowly advanced on his prisoner.
Daniel stiffened, eyes alert, watching warily.
Coming into range, Osiris reached out with both hands to knead Daniel's shoulders.
Daniel lurched back as the Goa'uld stepped entirely too far into his personal space, and snapped his head to the side, neatly avoiding the thick lips that sought his own.
Undeterred, Osiris extended his large meaty tongue and licked up the side of Daniel's neck and across his jaw, quickly flicking the organ into the archaeologist's ear. Pressing closer, he glided his hands up Daniel's bound arms; the path made slick by Daniel's blood. Gripping the manacles surrounding his captive's wrists, Osiris spoke hungrily into his ear.
"Sarah's most pleasurable memories include having you tied to her bed. The power and control really are as intoxicating as the sex act itself."
Pressing his rigid cock into Daniel's hip, he released his hold, swiping his blood stained hands against his captive's chest. He moved back and smiled approvingly at the crimson prints.
"Not as effective as a tattoo — or a brand — but they mark you as mine, nonetheless," he decided.
Tugging the fabric of his shirt free from his waistband, Osiris ripped it open, letting it fall from his shoulders and slide down his arms, landing in an inky heap on the floor. Daniel's still moist cum glistened on his neck, a small pool of the stuff having settled in the hollow above his clavicle.
"You were right about Sarah. She does crave power," Osiris said conversationally. Though he appeared distracted by his monologue, seemingly more interested in his words than his plan to rape Daniel, Osiris nevertheless continued to undress himself. He toed off his boots and kicked them aside. "I knew from the moment she accepted my control that we were a formidable team."
"What are you talking about?" Daniel snapped. "Sarah would never accept being taken over by you." Even as he made the confident declaration, Daniel's stomach lurched at the possibility that Osiris spoke the truth.
Unfastening his pants, Osiris pushed them casually over his hips, his engorged penis springing forth. He shoved the barrier to his ankles and stepped out of them. Standing, arms akimbo, to fully display his readiness, Osiris smiled contemptuously at Daniel's apparent naiveté.
"She not only accepted me, she aided me greatly." Striding haughtily towards Daniel, Osiris paused, apparently deciding to prolong the game.
"When do you think Sarah and I became one?" Osiris queried, his tone mocking. "Think back to when you saw her after Dr. Jordan's funeral. Was that Sarah you embraced?" He asked, answering his own question by the implication that he had witnessed the hug. "Rather awkwardly, I might add." Osiris frowned at what he clearly perceived to be a shortcoming.
Osiris sauntered to Daniel's left. Keeping at approximately arm's length, he walked in a circle, Daniel's restrained figure being the center, more interested, at least for the moment, in goading Daniel than in raping him.
"You didn't seem reluctant to speak to her on that cemetery bench." Now the voice was disapproving. "At least not until she brought up your relationship."
"Tell me," the Goa'uld said, coming back around Daniel's right side, "did she seem different to you? You certainly offered to help her readily enough."
"You allowed her control?" Daniel asked, hoping his tone indicated he thought the notion entirely ridiculous.
"As I could take it back at any time, it seemed a good strategy after she offered to assist me in finding my queen." Eyes suddenly focusing on some distant point, Osiris chanted softly, "My poor, dear Isis." Just as quickly he returned to the present. "And getting the key back from Steven Rayner."
"I don't believe it. Why would Sarah help you?"
Osiris laughed, the deep, rich tone tinged with incredulity. "For the power, dear boy. Haven't you been paying attention?"
Slinking closer again, Osiris touched his fingertips to Daniel's side. "That's why she wanted to control you," Osiris muttered in Daniel's ear. Sliding his hands around Daniel's ribs, he pulled the slim, warm body against his own.
Heedless of the additional damage to his wrists and ankles, Daniel squirmed as much as his restraints would allow.
"No," Daniel grunted, cringing when Osiris snuffled into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "Sarah cried from relief when she was finally rid of you."
Pulling back to gape in amazement at the certainty displayed on Daniel's face, Osiris tsked, shaking his head disappointedly. "She cried from grief at our parting," he corrected. A fond smile touched his lips. "Sarah always was a bit of a drama queen."
Daniel unwaveringly held the Goa'uld's dark, penetrating gaze, expecting to easily locate the falsehood swimming on the surface of Osiris's eyes. He plunged fearlessly into the black depths, shrinking back mentally when he still detected no pretense.
When comprehension finally dawned, Daniel swallowed hard, unable to mask that involuntary reaction to such an abhorrent realization. He managed through force of will and long practice to hide his distress, but his mind whirled with this new knowledge.
'Oh God, Jack. You were right,' he cried internally, recalling the argument they'd had the last time he saw his lover.
"Don't feel too badly," Osiris purred soothingly, leaning in again to nibble on Daniel's earlobe. He tightened his hold when Daniel pulled against the embrace. "Deception is part of the power game Sarah likes to play, just like the bondage."
Daniel bit back a curse when one of Osiris's hands wandered lower on his back, curving around the swell of his ass and squeezed painfully. Growling angrily, he tried twisting away from the contact, succeeding only in offering more of his throat to the Goa'uld.
"Tying you to the bed was more than a sexual kink," Osiris breathed, kissing along the underside of Daniel's jaw. Daniel angled his head, blocking access to that long neck, and, with a patronizing smirk, Osiris relented. He gazed into his prisoner's face, eyes alight with enjoyment at Daniel's attempts to thwart him.
"Don't get me wrong," he continued, his tongue touching the corner of his mouth as his eyes zeroed in on Daniel's lips. "She thoroughly enjoyed having you immobilized. Being able to ride you as roughly as she wanted."
Daniel blinked flinchingly, pulling his lips into his mouth when Osiris's tongue darted out to slowly swipe at them, the movement deliberately carnal.
Eyes hardening, Osiris smiled malevolently. Slapping the cheek beneath his hand, he released it and stepped back.
"I think we've stalled long enough," he announced hoarsely, eyes saturated with undisguised lust raking over the archaeologist's body hungrily.
His stomach turning queasily at the sight, Daniel struggled internally, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop what was about to happen, yet thoroughly determined not to allow Osiris any satisfaction.
"This isn't going to change anything," he roared combatively, forcing himself, in spite of his dread, to stand tall, intractable, in the face of Osiris's apparent victory over him. "You might own my body for a short time, but my soul is still mine, and you'll never have that."
Eyes briefly reflecting admiration, Osiris twisted his mouth in a smug grin. "I suspect Anubis will have other ideas regarding your soul. And while your ultimate fate is in his hands, for the moment you are in mine." He rested his hand possessively on Daniel's hip to illustrate the point. "And I intend to enjoy you in every way imaginable until Anubis demands I turn you over to him."
Watching Daniel's face for a reaction, Osiris tightened his clasp on the prominent hip. Mouth twisting in a cruel smile, he seized his captive's penis, still moist with unconsumed cum, and swiped his fingers across the organ to collect it. He raised his hand to Daniel's eyes, taking deliberate pleasure in smearing the fluid across his fingers then reached around the bound figure to again caress Daniel's buttocks.
"Agh," Daniel choked, tensing in anticipation.
Biting the inside of his bottom lip to distract himself from the grasping hand sliding closer to the cleft of his ass, Daniel inhaled sharply when a digit jabbed unexpectedly at his anus. Osiris's finger pushed determinedly past the tight ring protecting the delicate channel beyond and thrust roughly into him. His sphincter wall contracted involuntarily to expel the invader, and Daniel groaned as the constriction only served to enhance his awareness of the breach.
Wrinkling his brow in concentration, Daniel consciously relaxed, forcing his breath slowly between slightly parted teeth, creating a barely discernable whistle. Calling forth the mechanics of meditation he'd learned from Teal'c, he attempted to shut out all sensations of his physical body, intending to retreat to the relative safety of his mind.
"Someone has been here already," Osiris bit accusingly, wiggling the finger stiffly. "Though I had no real expectation, I had hoped to be the first to savor you," he said, genuine disappointment coloring his tone. "Who was it? The Shol'va?"
When Daniel did not answer, Osiris withdrew his finger, entwined it with its neighbor and brutally shoved both into Daniel's opening. "You would let even a slave have you?"
Torn from his internal haven before he had completely settled in, Daniel silently thanked fate that Jack penetrated him on a regular basis. Mentally, he shuddered to think what level of agony he would already be experiencing if his ass was as virgin as Osiris had believed. Still, he couldn't even begin to hope that this was the worst Orisis had planned.
As though receiving a mental cue from his victim, Osiris leaned heavily against him, pressing his head to Daniel's chest. Wriggling his implanted fingers further along, the advance proving difficult due to the lack of significant lubrication, he quickly flicked them, eliciting strained grunts which reverberated in the cavity beneath his ear.
Daniel tipped his head back, panting through the pain. Grasping the chain that held him aloft, an inconceivable lifeline, he squeezed his fingers around it, concentrating on the feel of the metal compressed against his palms.
Snatching his fingers from between Daniel's buttocks, Osiris wrapped his hand over a conveniently placed hipbone. Planting the other palm in Daniel's midsection, he pushed away, taking a stumbling step backward, and straightened.
Daniel stiffened his spine and met the Goa'uld's triumphant glare with a hate-filled one of his own. Osiris backed slightly off his self-congratulatory grin, visibly ruffled that, even in the face of imminent rape, Daniel remained intractable.
One brow arching significantly, lending a maleficent air to his features, Osiris slowly swiped the semen from his neck. "For my comfort, not yours," he stressed, wetting his dick with the remnants of Daniel's bodily fluids. Tilting his head slightly, his demanding dark eyes locked in inescapable combat with his prisoner's obstinate blue ones, Osiris sneered, "My only regret is that I will not be able to see firsthand the anguish I have witnessed on your face so many times in Sarah's mind. Every time you gave in to her."
Swiftly ducking under Daniel's upraised arm, Osiris gripped his captive's hips in a bruising hold. He splayed his legs and, aiming his mouth at Daniel's ear, snarled a phrase from Daniel's hurtful past as he pushed upward, angling his groin to plunge his rigid penis into the opening his fingers had vacated.
Daniel screamed, the initial shock of Osiris's muttered, "I'm going to make a man out of you," quickly giving way to pain as the Goa'uld's cock penetrated the tight ring of his ass. Osiris ground against him, savagely forcing his engorged member past the barrier that stretched agonizingly slowly to allow its advance.
"You haven't answered my question," Osiris taunted, fully aware that Daniel currently lacked the breath to respond. "Who has been here before?"
Pressing his fingers even deeper into Daniel's sides, Osiris thrust vengefully. His knees collided with the backs of Daniel's legs, causing them to buckle and drop the archaeologist further onto the embedded cock.
Though the invasion was excruciating, Daniel clenched his eyes and teeth tightly together, denying Osiris the satisfaction of displaying his humiliation through tears or further outbursts.
Daniel was almost undone in his resolve when Osiris withdrew quickly and just as quickly shoved back in, twisting his hips so that the reinsertion grated irritatingly against Daniel's already inflamed opening. He swallowed convulsively, pushing back the bile rising in his throat at the sensation of Osiris's balls slapping happily against his ass.
"Though I am disappointed that your passage is not virgin, it is nevertheless, nicely tight," Osiris puffed, displaying little regard for the owner of the passage he mercilessly pounded into.
"Sarah believes you were innocent before her... instructions. But I think with an ass like this you must have been quite popular." Pushing up on his toes, Osiris placed his lips next to Daniel's ear.
"Sarah told me repeatedly how brilliant you are," he disclosed, his tone clearly indicating his complete disinterest in the opinion. "But I bet her that this..." Osiris shifted his hold on Daniel's left hip to fondle the buttock behind, "is what really got you that 'cushy government job' as Sarah called it. How high up the ladder did you have to sleep to land yourself such a prime position? If you'll pardon the pun."
Returning his bruising clutch to Daniel's hip, Osiris stepped up his assault on Daniel's body and his psyche.
"I hear you were instrumental in brokering all of Earth's alliances with their off-world allies, too," he announced scornfully. "How did you do it? Shaking this lovely ass on all those planets you visited, hoping to get a taker?"
Osiris thrust once, hard, and Daniel groaned involuntarily, the jab sending torment across his lower back.
"And who could resist such a beautiful offering. Certainly not the Tok'ra or the Tollan. Even the Asgard weren't immune to your charms.
"What was the price, hmm? How many superior beings got access to your lovely tight ass as payment for being allied with your pitiful race?" Grunting with each thrust, Osiris firmly screwed his cock in deep, the pause between stabs gradually growing shorter.
"I know you have a reputation for your brilliant negotiating skills, but I think you simply sold yourself in exchange for their protection."
Snarling malevolently, Osiris set up a punishing pace. "I... think... you're... noth... ing... more... than... an... in... ter... ga... lac... tic... whore," he jeered, the increasing tempo of his thrusts lending a staccato rhythm to his speech.
Sliding his hands from Daniel's hips, up the archaeologist's chest and over his shoulders, Osiris pulled Daniel's body down as he ground upwards. Pushing his dick fully into his captive, he held it there.
"I know about you and O'Neill," he whispered harshly, revealing his previous interrogation as nothing more than a mind game. "What will he say, I wonder, your O'Neill, when he finds out that one of his most hated enemies has had you?" Shifting his hips and screwing his cock deep inside Daniel, Osiris added suggestively, "The very one who so recently inhabited your former girlfriend, no less.
"He will never accept you again after this," he taunted. "Yield yourself to me and I will convince Anubis to spare you whatever evil revenge he has planned."
Without waiting for Daniel's response, Osiris loosened his hold on his captive's shoulders and pulled back slightly, thrusting and grinding with increased fervor.
Daniel rode out the assault, grunting only when Osiris's grip across his chest forced air from his lungs. As Osiris reached his climax and Daniel felt the Goa'uld's semen rush into his body, he inhaled as deeply as he was able and released his venom in as full a voice as he had at his disposal.
"Kree shak shel nok, motherfucker!"
Osiris stiffened, obviously having heard Daniel's defiant cry even in the rapturous realm of his release. Growling angrily, he pulled out roughly, and slipped under Daniel's arm to stand, looming, before him.
Unable to help himself, Daniel shuddered, the disturbing sensation of the Goa'uld's withdrawal on a par with the pain of his entry. Yet, in spite of the pain that assailed him, Daniel glared unflinchingly into the face of his rapist.
"I will never surrender to you," he spat.
Raising his be-ribboned hand, Osiris extended his fingers as though to activate the device but instead gripped Daniel's chin, moving forward until his face was mere inches from his prisoner's. "Before I am through with you, you will curse your rebellious tongue."
Pushing Daniel's face away from him, Osiris stomped over to where he had discarded his pants and stepped into them. He yanked them up to his waist, not even taking time to fasten them before shouting, "Jaffa, kree!"
The door opened and two Jaffa entered.
Osiris threw his arm in Daniel's direction. "Clean him up," he ordered and, without looking back, stormed from the room.
Squinting myopically at the half dozen Jaffa who shuffled into the room following Osiris's exit, Daniel discerned that they all carried large pitcher-like containers in both hands. He had no time to speculate on the significance, pulling a reflexive breath as torrents of icy water flooded over him, together with the taunts and curses of the Jaffa.
Minutes later, coughing and sputtering from the dousing, Daniel stood shivering, oblivious to the Jaffa who methodically filed out. In spite of his intense discomfort, he smiled contentedly to himself. He had survived Osiris's brutal attack, physically — and, if he was honest, emotionally — worse for wear, but he had been in no way broken by the Goa'uld.
-11-
"Is there not a danger that Sarah Gardner or Agent Webb will reveal your relationship with Daniel Jackson when they are taken into custody?" Teal'c asked suddenly, gazing at his CO. From the time they had stopped just down the street from Sarah's apartment, O'Neill had been twitching nervously in his seat, his dark stare alternating between the apartment's window and the street from which they expected back up to arrive.
Jack tore his eyes away from his vigil, his mouth drawn downward. "That's a very real possibility. But I think Sarah's a bigger danger on the loose. You saw how she had those guys at the college wrapped around her little finger. Even Agent Webb seemed in awe of her. Can you believe she allowed Sarah to shut her out of the office like that? She certainly didn't act like any NID agent I've ever known."
Briefly shifting his attention to the side view mirror, Jack continued, "Sarah admitted to me that she drugged Webb that night she came to my house, so I'm betting Freddie doesn't know anything.
"And Sarah thinks she can get Daniel back by threatening to expose us. If she gave us away now then she'd lose her leverage. I'm hoping that's enough incentive for her to keep her mouth shut... for a while anyway."
Teal'c nodded understanding, his brow rising worriedly when O'Neill immediately resumed his watch on the apartment.
Finally, a black, unmarked tactical van rattled to a stop in front of the building. Jack slid out of his truck when he recognized the dark silhouette of Lou Ferretti.
As Jack approached his friend, the members of Lou's team, SG-2, emerged from the van, all wearing sidearms and bullet proof vests. Accepting an automatic rifle from one of his men, Lou passed the weapon into his left hand, extending his right as Jack approached.
Taking the proffered hand, Jack motioned Lou aside, sliding his clasp to the man's arm. They walked several yard away before Jack spoke, careful, even with the distance, to keep his voice low.
"Lou, I don't know what Sarah may say or do when we take her into custody..." he began hesitantly.
Ferretti glanced at the hand that still gripped his arm. The corners of his mouth twitched upward. "Jack, the general gave me a brief rundown. I know you're concerned she has something on Daniel."
"It's something that could hurt him bad, Lou."
"You know how I feel about Dr. J," Lou said, his genuine affection for the SGC's civilian genius clearly evident in his eyes. "And I suspect you know how much I respect you."
Uncharacteristically, Lou fidgeted, seemingly unsure how his next statement might be accepted. He ticked his mouth sideways before significantly locking eyes with his superior. "Nothing I see or hear in there is gonna change my estimation of either of you in the slightest."
Jack blinked, his brow soaring to its apex. "I didn't say Sarah's threat had anything to do with me."
"No, sir. And I didn't ask." Lou steadily held the colonel's hard glare. Softening his own gaze, he openly displayed to this man with whom he had irrevocably bonded during that first trip through the Stargate his affection, understanding and acceptance.
Feeling as though that look burrowed straight to his inmost being, welcoming not threatening, Jack slackened his guard. His shoulders slumped, retaining just enough tension to express his wariness. "How long have you known?"
"That you have feelings for Dr. J? Since that second trip to Abydos."
Jack's eyes widened a bit, alarm returning to their dark depths, visible even in the subdued glow of the streetlights. Lou raised a restraining hand before the older man could act on the emotion.
"Don't worry. It's not like you were wearin' your heart on your sleeve or anything. The only ones who noticed anything were the men who made the trip the first time."
"You and Kawalsky." Jack's lips tensed reflexively as he uttered the name of his friend, who had survived the battle with Ra's warriors, only to be taken by a Goa'uld on his second mission through the gate.
"Yeah," Lou confirmed, a sad nod of his head accompanying the word. "Kawalsky clued me in. It was something about the way you looked at Daniel."
"Ah."
"I thought it was a little odd the way you pointedly ignored him and went to Skaara. But once Kawalsky explained to me that you were probably just overwhelmed, you know, seeing Daniel again after all that time..." Lou shrugged his right shoulder. "I think the only reason we noticed was because we'd seen you interact with Dr. J before. There was a definite change on that second trip."
Quirking an acknowledging grin that stayed just this side of disconcertment, Jack groaned. "The two of you guessed way back then, huh?"
Lou flashed a broad, doting smile. "You can't fight fate, Jack. I knew when Dr. J lost his wife that it was only a matter of time before you two got together."
Detecting movement out of the corner of his eye, Jack waved at the men waiting impatiently by the van. "Have you discussed this with your team?"
"I've never said a word to anyone... well, except Kawalsky. But you don't have to worry about my team, Jack. Even if they turn up something in this search that leads them to suspect... something, none of it will go any further than that apartment. I trust them one hundred percent to protect you both."
Observing the unshakeable set to his friend's features, Jack drew a grateful breath. Deciding easily to accept Lou's assessment of the men under his command, he bobbed his head. "Okay."
Warmly gripping the younger man's shoulder, Jack guided him back towards the others.
Two more vehicles, a military prisoner transport and a large black sedan, pulled in behind the van. Donning a vest and adjusting the assault rifle he had received from one of Lou's men, Jack glanced up, surprised to see the base commander approaching.
"General Hammond."
"Colonel. I intend to oversee this operation personally. If Sarah Gardner has something that could harm Dr. Jackson, I want to be in place to control the damage, if possible."
His grateful smile materialized as nothing more than a quick upturning of his lips, and Jack nodded his understanding. "Thank you, sir."
Hammond gestured to the guards emerging from the second vehicle. "These SFs are hand picked. They will take Dr. Gardner and Agent Webb into custody and transport them to the SGC, where they will ensure that they have no other contact until I arrive back on base. They are under strict orders to disregard anything either prisoner has to say."
Nodding again, Jack gathered the men around him, and quickly outlined their plan. There was no way to accomplish their goal quietly, so the strategy was to get in quickly, get Sarah and Agent Webb, and get out. Hammond and the SFs would wait outside until they had gained entry to the apartment.
Flanked by his comrades, Jack knocked on Sarah's door. When the neighbor, Mrs. Jones, once again poked her head out into the hallway, Teal'c suggested, in a voice that brooked no argument that she would be wise to return to her home.
After a few seconds, Sarah opened the door, smiling congenially for her visitors, her sparkling hazel eyes locking briefly with Jack's dour brown ones, before she stepped back, inviting them in.
Sarah was taken almost happily into custody, making a big show of presenting her wrists to be cuffed. Agent Webb was not so cooperative, expressing her displeasure by way of loud curses and threats.
Once the women were secured by the SFs and on their way back to the SGC, Jack walked through the apartment, pausing in Sarah's bedroom.
'She has a computer... and God knows what else. Those compromising photographs she said she took, would she keep them here?' Closing his eyes, Jack sighed in resignation. 'Hammond's gonna review anything we find.'
Not wishing for the man he respected as much as his own father to learn of his and Daniel's relationship in such an impersonal manner as reviewing evidence, Jack made a decision that he figured would end his career. Detecting a presence, Jack turned, wincing faintly, as Hammond approached the doorway.
"Sir, may I speak to you ... privately?"
Brow leaping curiously, Hammond entered the room and closed the door behind him.
Just before the door closed, Jack caught a glimpse of Teal'c and thankfully accepted the support radiating from the large man's eyes.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jack yanked the desk chair out and spun it around, offering the seat to General Hammond.
"I think you'd better sit down for this," Jack said.
Once his CO was seated, Jack pivoted and paced off some of his anxiety within the small confines of the room, glancing briefly at the general.
"Colonel."
Halting the second the stern summons was issued, Jack whirled stiffly to face his superior.
"Jack," Hammond amended, his voice and manner softening immeasurably. "Whatever you have to say, just say it."
Exhaling explosively, Jack lowered himself to the corner of Sarah's bed and, sitting as straight as the mattress allowed, met the general's earnest stare.
"Okay, without preamble. Sarah told me she has certain... evidence of an improper relationship, at least by military standards, between Daniel and I..."
"Are you saying Dr. Gardner has fabricated evidence that you and Dr. Jackson are involved sexually?"
Ducking his head, for a microsecond Jack was tempted to run with that explanation, but he could never deceive Hammond that way. He looked up, his eyes again linked with the general's.
"No, sir. I'm saying that I was careless; and, if she's telling the truth, Sarah has pictures that prove Daniel and I are... together."
His expression unchanged by the near confession, Hammond continued to regard Jack solemnly.
"You're telling me that you are having sexual relations with Dr. Jackson?" It wasn't an accusation, but inquiry only.
"I'm in love with Daniel, sir. And he loves me. It's a committed partnership..."
"That includes sex," Hammond bottom lined.
Briefly taken aback by the bluntness of the statement, Jack simply nodded.
"How long?"
Jack searched Hammond's face for a clue about the general's state of mind, finding none in the man's impassive stare.
"Since shortly after I brought him back from Central America," Jack replied quietly. Lurching back when Hammond stood abruptly, Jack rose slowly to his feet.
Taking a few steps towards the door, Hammond turned sharply to face him. "And, generally, you've been careful? Any chance someone else could have seen...?"
"No, sir. I've... we've been very careful," Jack affirmed.
Hammond nodded. "Alright, Colonel. It seems likely that if Dr. Gardner had any such evidence it would be in this room. Do you want someone to help you search?"
"Teal'c."
Hammond's lips tensed minutely, his only reaction to the confirmation that Teal'c was aware of the relationship between his 2IC and his senior archaeologist.
"I'll have SG-2 check out the other rooms." Turning to go, his hand on the doorknob, Hammond paused and looked back. "I assume Dr. Fraiser knows."
Jack lowered his gaze to Hammond's shoulder, feeling suddenly that his CO's penetrating blue eyes saw right to the core of his being. "We really didn't have any choice about telling her. We figured doctor-patient confidentiality..."
"And Major Carter?"
Jack snapped startled eyes back to the general's. "No, sir," he replied simply, hoping to offer Hammond some small measure of comfort in knowing that there were others within their small, tight circle also being kept out of the loop.
Grunting softly, Hammond nodded. "If Major Ferretti or one his men come across something in another room..."
"I trust Lou, sir, and he trusts his team. That's good enough for me."
Hammond held Jack's gaze for a few moments more, his face inscrutable. "Very well. I'll contact the dean of the college and have him seal Dr. Gardner's office until your team can get over there. Then I'll head back to base and make sure everything's secure at that end."
"Yes, sir," Jack acknowledged, dropping back onto the bed, unsure, as Hammond exited, where he now stood with his CO.
Respectfully bowing his head to Hammond as he passed, Teal'c strode silently into the bedroom, pulling up next to O'Neill's slumped form.
"Was General Hammond angry to learn of your relationship with Daniel Jackson?" he asked softly.
Glancing up, Jack shrugged. "I don't know what he was thinking. Though I think it's safe to say he's not planning a surprise 'congratulations on finding your soulmate' party."
In response to Teal'c's raised brow, Jack shoved off the bed.
"Check out her desk first. We need to disconnect that computer and get it back to base. I'm gonna go talk to Lou a minute."
Inclining his head in agreement, Teal'c repositioned the chair and sat heavily, beginning his inspection of the center drawer even before Jack left the room.
Quickly filling Ferretti in on what they were looking for, without going into too much detail, Jack divided the apartment into search quadrants, assigning each of the members of SG-2 a section.
By the time he returned to the bedroom, Teal'c had the computer's CPU and a stack of discs and CDs piled in the middle of Sarah's bed. The Jaffa had just placed his hands on the closet doors when Jack came back.
"Find anything?"
"There is no incriminating evidence in the desk." Teal'c reported.
Mouth twitching testily, Jack gestured to the closet. "Keep looking. I'll check out her dresser and work around this side of the room.
Bobbing his head, Teal'c clasped the handles of the double doors and pulled them outward, exposing a deceptively large walk in closet. The recessed niche came automatically alight as the doors opened.
Jack retreated to his designated search area, periodically glancing over his shoulder to check on Teal'c's progress.
Beginning with the boxes and luggage stacked on the shelves above him, Teal'c meticulously rummaged through each container, setting them aside once he confirmed they held no secrets.
Having cleared the shelves, Teal'c stooped down to pull out the containers stacked beneath the hanging clothing. He removed one large box and almost immediately shot to his feet. Reaching into the closet, he roughly parted the clothing just above.
"O'Neill," he called sharply, clasping a large section of clothing between his hands and dumping them over the contents of the shelves.
"Holy shit," Jack gasped, stumbling around the bed. Teal'c continued to displace the hanging objects, rapidly exposing the photograph covered wall behind.
Jack estimated there were fifty or sixty pictures: some were obviously years old, probably taken when Daniel and Sarah were both working at the Oriental Institute in Chicago; others were obviously much more recent.
Front and center in her collection were the two shots of Daniel and Jack, both shirtless. In one, Jack clasped Daniel tightly to his chest, his face turned slightly into Daniel's hair, his hand gripping Daniel's buttock. In the other, his hands rested on Daniel's face as their lips met.
"It's a damn shrine to Daniel," Jack spat, continuing to scan the photographs. His breath caught and he gulped painfully. In the upper corner of the collage hung a picture of a much younger Daniel Jackson, splayed naked on a four poster bed, each limb tied to a corner of the frame with silk scarves. Jack recognized the emotions — confusion and suppressed anger — blazing from Daniel's eyes.
"Son of a bitch," he growled, his eyes resting on an image of Daniel sitting alone at a table outside the Starbuck's near his home, his concentration focused on a book, a large cup of coffee on the table in front of him. Daniel was wearing a pale blue pullover sweater, his well defined shoulders filling the cotton blend quite attractively.
"He just bought that sweater last month," Jack said, indicating the photo to Teal'c. Looking closer, he noted, "This shot was taken during the day, so either she's hired someone to follow Daniel or her watchdog is complicit in Sarah's memento collecting after all."
His attention riveted on the wall, Jack startled when his cell phone rang. Digging it out of his pants pocket, he flipped it open and barked, "O'Neill."
Studying the images, vaguely registering O'Neill's end of the telephone conversation in the background, Teal'c turned to his CO, eyebrows raised in inquiry when he heard the colonel's voice break slightly.
"Did she say if he's okay?"
The wall forgotten for the moment, Teal'c took a step closer to O'Neill, watching the obviously agitated man intently.
"Carter, what exactly did she say?" Listening to Carter's reply, Jack closed his eyes tightly, the impatience radiating off him producing an almost palpable energy.
"Alright, we're on our way back," he informed her, barely waiting for the words to escape before he snapped his phone shut. Opening his eyes, he took in Teal'c's concerned stare.
Swallowing with some difficulty, Jack allowed a second for the tightness in his chest to ease.
"Ishta sent one of her followers through to the SGC. One of the rebel Jaffa has gotten word to them that he's seen Daniel." Gripping the Jaffa's bicep tightly, Jack whispered, "We know where he is, T."
Teal'c pulled a cautious grin. "Then we shall go and retrieve him, O'Neill."
Jack nodded firmly. "We're gonna get him back. Let's go."
Giving Lou Ferretti orders to personally search the rest of the bedroom and gather the evidence for transport back to the SGC, Jack followed his Jaffa teammate out of the apartment and to his truck, his step lighter than it had been in the last twenty hours.
-12-
The momentum of his pacing within the confines of the elevator propelled Jack quickly into the corridor as soon as the doors opened. He didn't even spare a glance to see if Teal'c followed.
"Carter," he greeted his 2IC as she came rapidly down the hall to meet them.
Recognizing in the tone of that single word that the colonel wanted a sit rep, Carter began, "Ishta has sent Ka'lel..."
Jack pulled up short. "Ka'lel? Isn't that Superman?" he sputtered, surprising even himself with the inappropriately inane question.
"That would be Kal-El, O'Neill," Teal'c sniffed, patently offended that his friend had not fully absorbed his recent impassioned discourse on the super hero.
"Right," Carter agreed, tossing off the topic now that the colonel's question had been answered. She took a step back as her CO pushed past to resume their journey, filing in beside him. "We met this woman on our first trip to Hak'tyl. She speaks very highly of Daniel. Apparently, his concern for Nessa really impressed Ishta's followers."
"Well, most, anyway," Jack muttered, recalling Daniel's confession that an irate Neith had held her primed-and-ready-to-fire staff weapon on him and ordered the archaeologist to stay away from her sister.
Letting his remark pass without comment, Carter continued. "As I told you over the phone, sir, the rebel Jaffa have an operative on Osiris's ship. A young Jaffa of Moloc, named Sa'reb."
"It means protector," Teal'c offered unsolicited.
Glancing over his shoulder, seemingly having forgotten that Teal'c was back there, Jack narrowed his eyes. "Let's hope he lives up to the name," he grumbled as they turned into the briefing room.
Jack paused briefly on the threshold, noting immediately that the female warrior was not the only non-SGC personnel at the briefing table. Startled to see Jacob Carter seated next to her, given the fact that the alliance between the Tok'ra and the rebel Jaffa had recently disintegrated, Jack's hackles immediately rose.
'If they start playing politics with Daniel's life, so help me...'
Catching sight of O'Neill and Teal'c, their guest rose regally, bowing reverently to the men. In deference to her honor, General Hammond and Jacob likewise rose.
"I bring you greetings from Ishta and the warriors of Hak'tyl," Ka'lel said.
Taking a second to assess her, Jack searched his mind for a memory of their first meeting. While she looked vaguely familiar — the chain mail headdress resting amidst flowing, wavy black tresses triggered something — Jack could not recall having had a conversation with the woman.
"Ka'lel, you no doubt remember Dr. Jackson's other teammates, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c," General Hammond said. "Colonel this is Ka'lel."
Never overly patient with formalities at the best of times, Jack was particularly bothered by the gratuitous ceremony in the current circumstances.
"How ya doing? What do you know about Daniel?" he blurted irritably.
"Colonel," Hammond reprimanded sharply.
Ka'lel held up a conciliatory hand, a smile of understanding softening her features. "I am not offended, General Hammond. Were I in Colonel O'Neill's place, I too would be impatient for news of my comrade."
Seating herself easily in her chair, Ka'lel waited until the members of SG-1 had settled across from her.
"I know only that he has been tortured," she advised evenly.
Taking in the distressed countenances of Dr. Jackson's teammates with a sympathetic eye, Ka'lel began slowly, "This morning, a messenger, a member of Moloc's guard, came to Hak'tyl. He had received communication from Sa'reb, who was pressed into service for Anubis when Moloc pledged his allegiance to that tak kal tokeem, along with the other System Lords."
Distracted from his worry over Daniel for just a second by the unfamiliar phrase, Jack raised a brow at Teal'c. "Hmm?"
"An approximate translation would be 'rat bastard'," Teal'c rumbled.
Nodding tersely, Jack gestured for Ka'lel to continue.
"It appears that, as an agent of Anubis, Osiris has been granted the use of a ha'tak, together with a contingent of conscripted guards..."
"One of whom is our friend, Zogreb, got it." Jack whirled his hand for her to speed up the tale, dropping the hand into his lap when he noticed Hammond shoot him a disapproving look.
"Osiris has been ordered to meet Anubis at Anat. There he will turn Dr. Jackson over to Anubis."
Jack shifted towards their messenger. "That is so not gonna happen. Anubis is probably pissed at Daniel for taking him on at Abydos."
"Plus, even though Osiris was unable to access them, there is still the possibility that Daniel has his ascended memories buried somewhere deep within him, including the location of the Lost City," Carter added gravely. "If Anubis does get possession of Daniel and is able to find that information..." She let the thought trail off, knowing that everyone there understood the consequences of such information coming into Anubis's hands.
"Major," Hammond jumped into the profound silence that followed, "are you familiar with this planet? Do we have a gate address?"
"Yes, sir. PB5-926. It's the planet that Apophis lured us to by fabricating a message from the Tok'ra."
Jack searched inward a moment. "The planet where Apophis crashed. Big desert."
"Yes, sir. That's the one," Carter confirmed.
"Ba'al took over this planet several years ago and named it for his long dead queen. There is a Jaffa outpost about one and one-half kilometers from the gate," Ka'lel supplied.
"Ba'al does not serve Anubis," Teal'c interjected.
"That's the point," Jacob smirked. "Anubis is going to take the planet, or assist Osiris in doing so. A show of power to one who still refuses to bow to his rule."
"Okay, so we got a couple of snakes fighting over a ball of sand. How does this help us in getting Daniel back?" Jack shot his impatient gaze among the others at the table, his eyes settling finally on the representative of the rebel Jaffa.
"Sa'reb has advised that, once Osiris leaves his ship to pay obeisance to Anubis, he will attempt get Dr. Jackson to a tel'tac..."
"Why a ship? Aren't there rings on PB5-926?"
Turning to Hammond, Ka'lel shook her head. "The rings are too near the Jaffa base. It will serve no purpose to have Dr. Jackson ring down from Osiris's ship only to be captured by Ba'al's Jaffa."
Receiving the grudging acknowledgment of Dr. Jackson's teammates, the rebel Jaffa continued, "Sa'reb believes that Dr. Jackson can pilot the craft to the planet's surface before the resident Jaffa, or those on board the Goa'uld ships, have time to respond."
"Daniel's never flown a tel'tac before, has he?" Jack visually polled his teammates and Jacob Carter, receiving negative responses from all. "Besides which, we don't know how bad off he is, having been tortured and all," he concluded testily.
Ka'lel sighed. "Sa'reb cannot abandon his mission. The intelligence we gain from our covert operatives is vital to the survival of the Jaffa liberation movement."
'And Daniel is vital to my survival,' Jack reflected, his outward appearance showing only his disapproval of the plan to toss Daniel in a cargo ship and leave it to him to figure out how to land it safely.
"What about Ba'al's Jaffa? Surely they'll have a guard posted at the gate."
Hammond had addressed his query to Ka'lel, but it was Carter who responded. "The Jaffa on the planet will undoubtedly be rattled by the unexpected appearance of two ha'tak vessels above the planet. It's possible they'll abandon their post at the gate once they realize the ships don't belong to Ba'al."
"And even if they don't, we'll have the element of surprise on our side," Jack concluded.
Nodding agreement, Hammond turned again to Ka'lel. "Did Sa'reb give a timeline for Dr. Jackson's escape?" he asked, checking his watch as he did so.
"We received the message just over an hour ago. Sa'reb estimated that Anubis would be arriving at the planet within twelve hours of his transmission..."
"But that was just an estimate, right?" Jack snapped, impatience propelling him to his feet. "So, we've got no time for chit chat. General..."
"Hold on, Colonel." Raising his hand, Hammond likewise stood, as did the others at the table — save one.
"Colonel O'Neill," Ka'lel hailed, loudly enough to capture everyone's attention. Relaxing into her seatback, her elbows resting on the arms of her chair, Ka'lel paused when the general, Daniel's teammates and Jacob Carter retook their seats. Directing her attention to Daniel's team leader, showing no concern at his rigid refusal to follow suit, she calmly folded her hands before her, and with great certainty clear in her tone, declared, "Sa'reb would be as precise as possible with his intelligence. As much as I too wish Dr. Jackson's immediate return, if we go now to Anat, we will have a very long wait in an inhospitable, and potentially dangerous, environment."
His anger buoying him only a moment longer, Jack cursed and fell into his chair.
Nodding thanks to the Jaffa for her assistance in defusing O'Neill, Hammond made deliberate eye contact with each member of SG-1 in turn. "There's ample time after preparations are made for you to get some sleep. I want you all well rested for this mission," he commanded, his stern gaze aimed pointedly at his 2IC.
Smirking ill-humoredly, Jack nevertheless nodded acquiescence.
Returning to business mode, Hammond said, "I'm not comfortable with the fact that we have a garrison of Jaffa stationed on that planet. I want you to have back up on this one, Colonel. Take SGs 3 and 6. I'll contact Dr. Fraiser and ask her to assemble a medical team."
"I shall accompany you also," Ka'lel stated, turning to Teal'c. "If I may borrow a staff weapon?"
Teal'c bowed his consent.
"I'll come with you, too," Jacob offered. "You may need the extra hands."
Smiling warmly, Sam mouthed her thanks to her father.
Hammond's own smile was nothing more than a tightening of his lips. "Colonel, you have a go. You leave at..." he checked his watch again, "1500 hours. Dismissed."
Jack pushed himself from his chair, his muscles stiff with unreleased tension. Not waiting to see if the rest of SG-1 followed him, he hurried from the briefing room to locate and brief the leaders of SG-3 and SG-6 — and to mentally prepare himself to bring back the man he loved.
