PART THIRTEEN "Friends and Enemies"
Jack squatted unsteadily next to the large pile of filthy rags. A thin arm lay across the top, twitching slightly. He rubbed pensively at his chin as memories flooded over him. The first moments of his rescue two months earlier had been intangible, almost surreal. His friends no more substantial than phantoms arisen from his tormented subconscious.
I didn�t, couldn�t believe that anyone had come for me.
Teal�c stepped around the indistinct pile and crouched opposite Jack. His heavy features settled into an intense frown as he stared downward. He opened his mouth to speak, and Jack silenced him with a quick shake of his head and a finger to his lips.
The Jaffa�s deep voice had brought instant confusion and overwhelming terror to his fractured mind. Until he spoke, they had no way of knowing what elaborate tortures Jonas had been subjected to. But judging by his reaction the Pellans could, and probably had, effectively stripped the younger man of his most basic mental defenses. A frown settled on Jack�s lips. Jonas had struggled to make a place for himself on SG-1 and on Earth. He had not made it easy. Loyalty to Daniel, frustration at being forced to care for and nurture yet another raw recruit, and fear at letting anyone get too close, had put up walls almost too high for the Kelownan to scale. But the younger man had persisted, working hard to prove himself and eventually gaining Jack�s grudging respect, and ultimately friendship. How ironic that his voice would be the first familiar, comforting sound that Jonas would hear.
He cast a sympathetic look at Teal�c. The Jaffa was nodding slowly in understanding. Jack swallowed hard and reached out cautiously, laying tentative fingers on the quivering flesh of the arm.
The reaction was immediate and violent. A strangled cry issued from the depths of the ratty cloth. The arm flailed, and the fingers curled into a claw that slashed blindly through the air. The pile erupted as a second arm joined the first, reaching and grasping futilely.
�Jonas!� Jack snapped, hoping desperately that his name spoken in a commanding, level tone would reach the younger man.
The arms stopped flailing abruptly, and dropped to the cloth.
�Let�s get this off of him,� he ordered softly. �Jonas, can you hear me?�
The Jaffa nodded in agreement and started to reach just above the now motionless arms. �Wait�� he whispered, and the hand froze.
Jack couldn�t be sure why he wanted Teal�c to start unwrapping Jonas� feet first. Personal space? The sensitive nature of a person�s head as opposed to their other extremities?
He shrugged, at a loss to explain the instinctual warning, and indicated the opposite end of the pile with a tilt of his chin. The Jaffa looked at him uncertainly before shifting onto his knees and moving cautiously towards Jonas� feet. He untangled the pile of rags, revealing shredded pants legs encrusted with blood. A series of round burns covered the exposed flesh, and ligature marks painted dark brown by the glow of the lantern encircled his ankles. As he moved upwards, the Kelownan�s legs began to tremble. Jack leaned forward and placed a hesitant hand on what he hoped was Jonas� shoulder. The younger man�s arms jerked spasmodically and he shifted out of reach. �Jonas, we�re here to help you. Teal�c is with me, we�re just getting these rags off,� he paused. The muscles beneath his hand rippled through the thin layers of cloth. Tension seeming to mount, rather than dissipate, as a result of his words.
Jack could empathize. The tender ministrations of his team had felt like just another longed for fantasy. Not connected in any way to the miserable reality of his existence in the cell. He had given up over time, resigned to the death that would eventually claim his ravaged body.
I can�t let it happen to you!
The internal affirmation shot fire across his frazzled nerves. He sucked in a steadying breath and squeezed Jonas� shoulder, as Teal�c worked probing fingers over his quivering legs. �Jonas, it�s alright. I know��
You�re afraid�
Jack swallowed the hard lump in his throat and released a long, stuttering sigh. He couldn�t say the words. Speaking them into the fetid air of the cell would give them substance. It was an admission he had struggled to voice to himself, and later McKenzie. An emotion that Jonas would have to reconcile in his own mind, provided part of him still remained deep inside the quaking mass that lay before them.
�Hold on,� he murmured.
Teal�c had reached Jonas� waist. He pointed and indicated that the Kelownan would have to be turned in order to free him from the largest scrap of cloth. Jack dropped his eyes and shuddered. In the eerie bluish glow of the lantern he recognized the �blanket� that he had used, and which later had been confiscated by the Pellan guards. He fingered the rough cloth and nodded numbly.
He is me�
I was him�
The Jaffa laid a meaty hand on his arm, drawing Jack outward. He exhaled a shaky breath. �Gently,� he cautioned.
They rolled Jonas until he was facing Jack. A low moan escaped his lips as Teal�c tugged carefully at the blanket lodged beneath his hip. The cloth came free, rocking the younger man�s body against Jack�s knees. He hissed between clenched teeth and threw a hand back on the filthy floor to catch his balance. His fingers slid in the slime and he fell heavily to one side.
�O�Neill,� Teal�c said sharply.
Jonas screamed.
Jack righted himself and eased the Kelownan�s now thrashing form onto his back. �Dammit,� he whispered hoarsely as he reached for the rags that covered Jonas� face. �Jonas!�
Wide brown eyes stared blankly back at him. The scream echoed through the chamber, seeming to grow louder with each piercing echo. Jack winced at the noise and placed his hands on either side of Jonas� head. He cupped the waxy cheeks and stared intently into the frantic, unfocused gaze. �Jonas. Jonas. Jonas�.� He repeated the young man�s name over and over. Above the terrified wail, he could hear Teal�c continuing to free Jonas� body. Feel the shift of the man�s weight against his knees as the Jaffa gently loosened and removed the last of the tattered cloth.
Please stop�.
Jack swallowed hard. Jonas� frantic scream clenched and twisted his insides until he could barely breathe.
Please�
The scream died abruptly, deadened into silence by the moist, stifling air.
�Jonas?� he tried again.
The eyes narrowed and the jaw worked spasmodically beneath his palms. Jack loosened his grip and waited for the younger man to focus on his face. He schooled his features into the most passive, comforting expression he could manage. Hoping he appeared as the friend he was trying for, and not some obscene caricature dredged from nightmare. The latter was, unfortunately, a much closer reflection of his inner resurfacing demons than the former.
Jonas� lips parted as he formed a single, silent word. Jack waited for the sound to follow, watching the movements being repeated over and over. He leaned cautiously forward, removing one hand from the young man�s face and placing it gently, but firmly on his arm.
�Colonel?� the Kelownan breathed.
�Yeah, Jonas. It�s me,� he reassured quietly. He squeezed the clammy flesh beneath his fingers and glanced at Teal�c. �What�s the damage?�
The Jaffa pointed at Jonas� opposite arm, and for the first time Jack noticed that it was lying at an odd angle. Adrenaline fed by terror had forced it to flail to life, but closer inspection revealed it was clearly broken at the wrist. Teal�c gestured to the younger man�s chest and picked up the remains of his uniform T- Shirt with careful fingers. The skin was gray and pasty, except where it was painted with angry, purplish bruises. Teal�c lowered the shirt and indicated a breaking motion with his fingers.
Broken ribs, Jack mouthed. The larger man nodded solemnly as he unfolded the thermal blanket and spread it over Jonas� shivering body. He pointed at the Kelownan�s head and mimed a probing motion. Jack nodded and turned his attention back to Jonas� face.
The injured man�s eyes had closed, but they snapped open when Jack hesitantly stroked the hair back from his temples. �I�m just checking for fractures.� He tried to sound calm, but it was a losing proposition. Janet had offered to come along, and Jack and General Hammond had both said no. One more person to watch out for and possibly pull out of a tight spot was one too many, had been his internal reasoning. Now he wished futilely that he could rethink the idea. A doctor should have been a requirement.
He moved his hands carefully over Jonas� head. The short hair was matted with filth and he discovered a cut just below the left ear, and moments later, another high on the right temple. The bones did not give beneath his touch, and Jack allowed himself to relax slightly. X-rays would tell them for sure, but there was a good chance that Jonas had escaped a serious skull fracture. �I always said you had a thick head,� he quipped gently.
Jonas blinked and then sucked in a startled hiss. Jack glanced at Teal�c, who was busy setting the young man�s broken wrist.
This is not going to be easy�
He reached for the open med kit and the vial of morphine. Janet had instructed them on how much was safe for Jonas. It was information they had all hoped would be unnecessary, and knew without doubt would be needed. Jack unwrapped the sterile needle and filled the syringe. The needle glinted in the lantern light as he shot out the excess air and lowered it towards Jonas� exposed shoulder. �It�s gonna hurt,� he advised sympathetically. Jonas� glazed eyes shifted to his face and then the hovering needle. �Something for the pain, okay?�
Jack didn�t wait for an acknowledgment. He jammed the needle home and pulled it free seconds later. Jonas� eyes widened and then slid closed abruptly. Jack couldn�t be sure if he passed out, or simply fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and the almost instant relief of the painkiller. Either would suit their purposes.
He looked at Teal�c. �Come on, we don�t have much time.�
�You are out of time, Colonel O�Neill.�
His blood ran ice cold as the reverberating voice filled the gloomy chamber. A flash of light temporarily blinded him and he raised a warding hand, gasping in disbelief as the glare faded into the darkness.
Osiris!
Jack�s hand strayed to his belt as the whine of a firing zat filled the air. Teal�c grunted and fell heavily across Jonas� body. The Kelownan moaned weakly, his splinted hand thrashing against the Jaffa�s shoulder in a pitiful effort to dislodge him. Jack�s fingers closed on his weapon. He pulled it free, and brought it to bear on the robed System Lord with one smooth motion.
Osiris laughed softly, a breathy echo vibrating through his head. �I wouldn�t if I were you.� He nodded at Teal�c�s outstretched form. �Two shots, remember, Colonel? Given the Jaffa�s position, I would hazard a guess that a second shot from my weapon could kill the human. Would you take that chance with his life?�
�You wouldn�t,� he growled as he climbed stiffly to his feet. �You want him as your new host.�
The satisfied smirk faded from Osiris� pale face. He shifted his aim to Jack�s chest, and fired.
Movement.
Awareness returned, bringing a bout of nausea as Jack swayed from side to side. He swallowed bile, and kept his eyes tightly closed. He could smell sweat and hot metal from the close press of bodies that surrounded him. The odors mingled with the scent of mold emanating from the slick stone walls, and the sickly tang of waste and blood that had permeated the cell and now clung to his clothing. He breathed in a carefully regulated fashion through his mouth, ignoring his queasy stomach as he strove to maintain a semblance of unconsciousness. The longer the Jaffa thought he was asleep, the more he might learn.
The stretcher moved violently sideways and he fought the urge to cling to the edges. He was tied at the ankles and wrists to the rickety carrier, but it didn�t make him feel any more secure as it dipped and swayed. The guards grunted, and a deep voice snapped an indistinguishable order that began with Kree and trailed rapidly into gibberish.
I should have learned the dialect a long time ago�
He squashed the useless thought, and strained to distinguish more practical information from the sounds and smells that washed over him. They continued to move at a slightly downward angle, though the ride smoothed out considerably after a few minutes. He heard a low moan coming from the direction of his feet, followed quickly by a solid, wet smack as flesh met flesh.
Jack bit his tongue, fighting with every nerve not to shout in protest. It wouldn�t do any of them any good. Logic was barely enough to contain his anger, however. He concentrated on his breathing, slowing the rhythm and hoping that the Jaffa or Pellan guards hadn�t noticed the lapse.
Something heavy clanked just beyond his head. Cool air swept over his body, banishing the deathly odors and ushering in the smells of animals and plant life. More voices sounded in the open air, accompanied by the clash of metal and the jangle of harness. He was lifted and placed roughly on a platform. Animals called out to one another in plaintive neighs that ended in soft, snuffling sounds. The platform lurched and sank slightly, and he smelled mud and animal feces as booted feet climbed over his body. One of them grazed his shoulder. The wearer barked in blatant disgust and kicked him. Jack clenched his teeth against the fresh, stabbing pain that lanced the length of his arm.
Son of a bitch�
The cart jerked into motion, eliciting grumbles from the guards. He waited, listening and hoping for something more. The world settled into the muted murmur of the retreating city, punctuated by an occasional cough from the animals and irritated comments from the guards. Jack heard the rough grating of boots on wood as his captors shifted their feet, but nothing to indicate if Teal�c or Jonas were sharing this little joyride into purgatory.
Damn�
He cracked wary eyelids and peered sideways. Jonas was lying motionless to his right. The Kelownan looked even paler in the rising dawn light. His features were pinched into a frozen, fearful grimace and coated with fresh sweat, giving his skin a waxy sheen. Jack ground his teeth in fury.
What had happened to the Scout Ship? Had they been shot down? Were they prisoners being hauled off to God knew where?
A booted foot connected with the side of Jack�s head, releasing a cascade of stars across his vision. He tore a ragged chunk from the inside of his cheek, and choked on the fresh blood that spurted down his dry throat. Harsh laughter rippled through the assembled guards. One of them reached down and slapped his throbbing cheek, his armor tearing a ragged gash across the numb skin of his jaw. �Go back to sleep vermin, you will need all the rest you can get.�
Jack wrenched his head sideways. The guards laughed louder and jabbed painfully at his ribs. He bit back the gasp of pain that crawled up his raw throat. He could hear Jonas begin to moan softly beneath his breath. His voice fell into a rhythm of repeated, unintelligible sounds. The pattern seemed to irritate their captors. The Jaffa spoke among themselves in short, choppy sentences but refrained from touching the Kelownan. Choosing instead to prod Jack�s restrained form with the butt of their staffs, and erupting in gales of drunken laughter if he so much as twitched.
You can�t hurt him, can you?
The grim bit of knowledge filed itself away in his tired mind. Jack resolved to ignore the fierce teasing of the guards. He clenched his teeth and stared resolutely towards the back of the wagon. A quick glance to his left had confirmed what he had begun to suspect, Teal�c had been taken somewhere else.
Or left in the cell�
He forced the possibility out of conscious consideration. Teal�c was valuable because he was a Jaffa leader and had information concerning the Tok�ra/Jaffa alliance. Knowledge that was too important to allow it to flow down through the cell grate in a river of blood and fluids.
Hold that thought�
The guards were growing annoyed with his silence. The poking became more insistent. One of them hefted a dagger and drew a thin line down his arm, parting the cloth and painting a ruby streak across the bared flesh. Jack bit his tongue as the tip of the blade hovered over his wrist, and then flipped sideways to caress the throbbing veins and tendons just beneath the surface.
�You are weak, Tauri. Easy to kill,� the Jaffa whispered. A crooked smile split his dark face. �Should I kill you now?�
�That depends,� Jack murmured levelly. �What would your Lord Osiris say?�
The larger man spat in his face, and then laughed as the liquid ran into Jack�s eyes and through the hair on his temples. �Tauri, Kree!�
What the hell�
The internal speculation ended with a swift kick to his ribs. Jack could not quell the nausea that rolled over him. Bile rose in his throat, and a thin, acidic ribbon dribbled from the corner of his lips. �Temper, temper, � he rasped thickly.
The foot cocked backwards for a second punishing blow.
�Jaffa, Kree!�
The guard lowered his foot and a look of fear blossomed in his deep set eyes. �Yes, My Lord Osiris.�
Jack swallowed painfully. Without his noticing, the wagon had stopped. He could hear the draft animals pawing and beginning to neigh rather piteously. A hulking shadow darkened the encroaching dawn and he looked up, seeking the source.
The Mothership
An involuntary gasp escaped his parted lips. The guards rose to their feet, creating a solid wall of gray and gold armor. They exited the wagon and pulled his stretcher roughly onto the ground. Jack�s head hit the earth with a solid thump. A dull throb started immediately behind his eyes, pulsing in synch to the tinny ring in his ears.
The Jaffa were gentler with Jonas. They lifted him carefully from the wagon bed and carried him out of Jack�s line of sight. Deprived of a clear view, he strained his ears. Above the restless braying of the animals and the deep throb of the Mothership�s engines, he heard the whine of Transport rings. A flash of light showed above the guard�s heads and faded abruptly from view.
�My Lord,� his tormentor addressed Osiris, who was standing somewhere off to his right and slightly behind. �What do you wish to do with this one?�
The System Lord laughed, his voice silk soft in reply. �He is a toy, an amusement. Perhaps I should leave him for your pleasure, Isok��
Isok grinned hugely at the suggestion. He rubbed a booted foot across Jack�s chest and pressed down hard, forcing the air from his lungs.
�Wait,� Jack wheezed in protest. The wagon had moved off, and he could hear the impatient shift of the System Lord�s feet in the sand and gravel that coated the ground.
�Why?� Osiris hissed.
�I can tell you��
What?
He groped feebly into the depths of his fuzzy mind, seeking something, anything that would interest the Goa�uld.
�Nothing,� The System Lord surmised.
A thrill of panic shot across Jack�s frazzled nerves.
No, there had to be�
�However,� Osiris continued as he walked closer. �I think I can tell you something, or rather�� he bent down, until his ruby lips brushed the short hair on Jack�s temples. �Show you.�
Fresh sweat popped across Jack�s hairline as the Goa�uld�s hot breath bathed his cheek.
�Bring him,� The Goa�uld commanded sharply.
Isok glared in Jack�s direction and pointed to two of his underlings. �Jaffa Kree, Tauri.�
The Tok�ra operative had been right�
The thought crossed Jack�s mind as he was lifted and brought through the mass of milling guards and placed in the center of the rings. The Pellan natives were nowhere in evidence. He couldn�t be sure if this was a good or a bad thing, given the ill humor of his captors. Random queries floated through his muddled mind, interspersed with the pulsing roar of the boot sponsored headache.
Where were the Pellans? Had the System Lord hidden his captives away from the natives for a reason? Was Osiris reluctant to explain Jack�s return, or did he simply have no further use for the sadistic creatures now that Jonas had been tortured to within an inch of his sanity?
The questions faded as the blinding light of the rings washed over him. Jack closed his eyes and allowed the hypnotic whine to fill his senses, grateful that Isok was not one of the guards who accompanied him on the brief journey.
When the sounds of transport faded away he opened his eyes. The gold and brown contours of a Goa�uld Mothership came into focus. Walls lined with symbols glowed in the dim lighting and resonated with the voices of the Jaffa. One of the guards reached down and sliced his bonds with a sharp, pointed blade and hauled him to his feet with one beefy, armor clad arm. �Walk.�
Jack rubbed his wrists and stumbled forward into the wide corridor. His ankles and feet burned painfully as circulation gradually returned color and feeling to the bruised skin. The hallway was empty except for their party. Up ahead he could hear the echo of Jaffa boots on the polished floor.
Jonas�
He concentrated on moving steadily forward and not giving the gruff Jaffa a reason to prod him with staff butts, or the tips of daggers. An activity they eagerly engaged in whenever his rubbery legs caused him to sway. The adrenaline brought on by the rescue attempt had long since faded. Fresh injuries inflicted by Isok and his cohorts filled Jack with dull aches and sharp twinges that dimmed his vision, leaving him weak and nauseous. He focused on the distant thud of heavy footfalls. Jonas had looked awful, and he could only hope that Osiris would house them in the same cell on whatever journey they were about to undertake.
The whispered promise that the System Lord had spoken in his ear was further confirmation of Jack�s worst fears. There could be no question of their destination. Offering Jonas the scant comfort of his presence was the best distraction he could hope for on the three day journey to the Terran solar system.
Jack bit back a sigh of relief as his party rounded a bend in the corridor and stopped beside an open door. He could see the Jaffa in the room beyond. They untied Jonas, and lifted his still form to a long, hard bench near the back wall of the cell. As the first group cleared the room, Jack felt a sharp jab in his lower back. Fresh pain blossomed as the butt of a staff made contact with his kidneys and he was propelled into the room. The guard chuckled beneath his breath as Jack fell to his knees and coughed thickly into his hands. He inhaled sharply, and forced himself to straighten as the door slid shut behind him. Metal met metal and Jack crumpled to the floor. He lay on his side, soaking up the cold of the stone-like surface where it met his flushed cheek. When his heart had ceased to hammer and he could hear beyond the roar in his ears, he sat up and half crawled to the bench where Jonas lay.
The Kelownan opened his eyes when Jack reached his side, and rested a hand on his pallid arm.
�Colonel?�� His voice was barely a whisper, breathing out from cracked lips and brushing across Jack�s tender cheek like a sigh.
�Yeah,� he wheezed heavily and coughed again. �It�s me. You okay?�
�No,� Jonas swallowed. �I thought you were a�dream.�
The added comment came so long after his initial denial that Jack thought for sure the younger man had fallen back into unconsciousness. �I�m not a dream, Jonas,� he reassured. �I�m real.�
�I didn�t want to believe�Every time I thought I understood�they changed the rules�Osiris�� he fell silent, brown eyes blinking rapidly as he shifted his gaze to the ceiling.
Jack sat back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair. Bits of debris and blood clung to his palm, and he rubbed his hand on his pants with a low grunt of annoyance before refocusing on Jonas. �I don�t understand why she/he�oh hell�it�would let the Pellans do anything to you,� he admitted.
Talk to me, Jonas! Help me out here!
He wanted to think that his motives for encouraging the Kelownan to speak weren�t purely selfish. Getting the young man to open up could be an important first step in mending his obviously damaged psyche. Not to mention the valuable knowledge Osiris may have imparted through his admittedly high penchant for arrogance. But there was a more immediate personal reason, which sent an icy shiver the length of Jack�s tired body. He squeezed Jonas� arm.
Alone�
The deathly quiet of the small room and the stillness of the Kelownan�s pasty features chilled him to the core. He needed to hear another human voice. It was all too close to the cell. The endless fevered stupor that had enveloped his soul. Silence so loud it deafened his conscious mind and released the frenzied Id.
Afraid�
Jack shook his head and sat back on the floor, straightening his stiffening knees. The Id could not be allowed to reclaim his thoughts. He didn�t doubt for a moment that a second decent into that tortuous state of mind would end in madness.
Or death.
�Colonel?� Jonas whispered.
�Yeah,� he cleared his throat and forced a note of strength into his hoarse voice. �Jonas, what do you remember?�
Silence.
Jack shook the younger man�s arm. �Hey, focus!� he snapped. �Did you see Osiris?�
�Yes�once�twice�I�m not sure�� Jonas licked his lips, as his bleary eyes came to rest on Jack�s anxious face. �He�examined me�kept talking about�Nirti��
�Yeah, we thought so�� Jack confirmed quietly. The pieces of information were starting to form into an alarming puzzle that could have only one purpose. �What about the Pellans? Why did she/he�damn I hate snakes�let them�� he paused, hesitant to voice what they both knew was fact.
�Osiris has a sarcophagus.� Jonas replied heavily. He shifted onto his side and tried to put a hand against the flat bench.
Deducing his intentions, Jack reached out and steadied the younger man as he eased into a sitting position.
�Oh�man�� Jonas blinked and leaned his head back against the wall. �The world is spinning��
The ship lurched suddenly and Jack fell heavily against the sharp, unyielding edge of the bench. �Jesus, a little warning would be nice.�
�Warning�accelerating,� the Kelownan quipped with a droll half smile.
�Smartass,� Jack softened his words with a pale answering grin.
Sarcophagus�
The levity of the moment faded like noonday shadows. �How many times?�
Jonas coughed, and his unfocused gaze wandered across the room and fixed on the ceiling. �Too many,� he answered almost inaudibly.
�I hear you�� The comment was inane, but it was all Jack could manage. Long buried memories of Baal and his myriad, imaginative manipulations came too easily to mind. Leaping like gazelles over his lowered mental barriers and landing like lumbering elephants in the pool of his conscious mind. Ripples tore away, rending rational thought almost impossible.
�It was the same for you? With Baal?�
The question was surprisingly clear, given Jonas� state of mind and body. Jack glanced up, grateful for the interruption of his mental meanderings, and nodded slowly in affirmation. �Yeah, something like that�I don�t remember how many��
�Too many.�
�Yeah.� He paused, gathering his tattered thoughts. �Jonas��
�Colonel?�
�What else happened? Do you�remember�it might help��Jack fumbled into silence.
I�m no good at this!
�I was brought to the cell by a mix of Pellan and Jaffa soldiers�It was cold and no one came for at least a day�� Jonas rubbed weakly at his folded arms. His brown eyes squinted with memory as he added quietly. �Then they came in and things got�out of hand�pretty fast�.� He swallowed audibly, and stared hard at his knees.
Jack nodded sympathetically. �Sounds about right��
The younger man continued as if he hadn�t spoken. �They brought me into another room�Osiris wasn�t there� It was very cold and almost pitch black. I could only see their eyes�� His breathing suddenly increased, coming in harsh rasps that filled the cell. �Every time I tried to look�it�hurt�so�much.� Fresh sweat beaded his waxy features and ran in rivulets from his temples. �Hurt�I couldn�t��
�Jonas, stop!� Jack whispered sharply. �It�s over, don�t�relive it��
God knows you will later on�
�I tried to understand them�pick out certain phrases, but it didn�t make sense.� Jonas swallowed audibly. His eyes widened, taking on a vague look as memory overrode reality. �Nothing they said made sense�they were��
�Laughing,� Jack intoned. �I know.�
�It was all so�meaningless�they just passed me back and forth like a ball between them. Kicked me�poked me with those sticks and�laughed�I can still hear them�see their faces.� He covered his crumpled features with bone white hands. �They are there�here�even when I close my eyes��
�I know�� Jack turned away, letting the young man gather his shredded self control. Jonas� stuttering gasps matched the pounding of his own heart. The sound so loud it filled the hot air. He coughed, forcing himself to breathe and relax. Despite the anxious knots growing and tightening in his twisted gut.
I remember�
No more�
He wanted to listen, be an ear for the confused young man. Jonas was owed a shoulder to lean on. God knows he had put the Kelownan through enough self doubt over the long year following Daniel�s Ascension. But the vague description of the chamber and its purpose had provoked a plethora of memories to rise to the surface. Muddying his conscious mind with recollections of pain, and the surreal shrieks of the Pellan�s mocking laughter. He flinched, and clenched his hands into tight fists.
Control! Get a grip!
It was over, for both of them. Jack shook his head and dragged his gaze back to Jonas� face. The young man had dropped his hands and was watching him quietly with a guarded expression in his overly bright eyes.
�You know where we�re going, don�t you?�
�Yeah, I think so.�
�Earth?�
�Yeah.�
�Why?� Jonas� voice seemed to gain strength as he refocused on the situation that confronted them both.
�Did Osiris happen to mention what he plans to do with the Naquadria?� Jack asked pointedly.
Stay with me, Jonas�.
�He kept asking about it�Properties of the mineral, how it might be incorporated into a weapon�what the Tauri had managed to do with it thus far�� The Kelownan trailed off, a faint, satisfied smirk resting on his lips. �I guess he had fallen a bit out of the loop since the disaster with Heindall.�
�Yeah, what a shame�� Jack pulled himself up onto the bench and straightened his back against the wall. The next question slammed against his clamped teeth as he rubbed tiredly at the back of his neck. �Jonas�� he swallowed his reluctance. �What did you tell him about Prometheus and the X-302?�
�Nothing.�
The single word fell hammer hard between them. Jack blinked, unable to conceal his surprise at the firm tone of Jonas� voice. �Nothing? Are you sure?�
�Yes.�
�How? I mean �� The words caught in his throat.
How could you keep quiet when I couldn�t? How could you resist?
Osiris had come several times to the torture chamber. He would send the sniping, cackling Pellans out of the room, and then focus his glowing eyes on Jack. Lifeless orbs, they cast a cold, golden hue on the delicate features of Sarah Gardener, turning the soft lines of pale flesh to stone. The Goa�uld raised a slender arm, and the telltale hum of the hand device electrified the air. Jack�s hair prickled at the base of his neck as he braced his legs against the onslaught of energy and pain�
Jack shook himself, forcing the painful recollections back behind his crumbling emotional barriers. The fresh, vivid images were distractions they could not afford.
�Osiris got his information from Nirti�s Jaffa and the stored records on Wodan�s planet.� Jonas answered his forgotten question.
�We were right then, they are or were working together,� Jack surmised with a sense of grim satisfaction.
�Yes, they were. Until Agar killed Nirti.�
�So Osiris knows who�what�you are. What you have to offer?� The question was awkwardly phrased, and he couldn�t blame the Kelownan for his small smile.
�Yes, he does.� Jonas whispered weakly.
Jack nodded and watched worriedly as Jonas� eyes slid closed, and his chin nodded onto his chest. He stood up and eased the younger man back onto the bench. The skin of his arms was cold and clammy to the touch. Not a good sign, he noted. Jack slipped his vest off and laid it across Jonas� torso. The guards had emptied the pockets, but otherwise left the garment alone. He adjusted it across the Kelownan�s arms and then turned away to pace the confines of the small cell.
Osiris had never intended to kill either of them. The System Lord would have revived him indefinitely if he had succumbed to the Pellans� sadistic attentions. Jack shivered at the all too familiar feeling of futility that washed through him. Osiris had little use for an aging human, except as a means to satisfy his tortuous whims. He did not doubt that a similar fate would have befallen him if Lord Yu had not been persuaded to attack Baal�s fortress.
How long had Jonas known about the sarcophagus? How long had it taken the bright young man to figure out that he was only being toyed with? To discern that the Pellans were truly pawns in Osiris� chess game, and that the System Lord had chosen him long ago as a replacement host.
The questions tore through Jack�s mind as he paced the confined space.
Jonas was a young, strong human male. His body far outstripped the thin, fragile form of Daniel�s former lover. Added to the more obvious benefits were superior learning ability and the intellect of a genius. The System Lord would gain control of a mind that could be twisted by the sarcophagus and its �charms�, until all semblance of the kinder, gentler soul of Jonas Quinn was nothing but shredded memory. A spider�s web torn asunder and left to sway in the fitful breeze of a deadened soul.
�Colonel?�
Jack stopped and turned at the roughened voice. �Yeah?� He crossed to the bench and sat on the end. Jonas had turned towards the wall and the vest had slipped down to his waist. Jack reached out, his fingers brushing across the back of Jonas� hand as he adjusted the heavy material. The hand twitched and caught at his fingers, holding them deathly tight for a brief moment before allowing them to slide free.
�I didn�t think anyone would come for me,� he whispered desolately.
You didn�t resist, how could you?
For the first time Jack heard true despair in the Kelownan�s muted tones. Confusion, fear, anger, even the brief spurts of twisted humor fled into silence. He patted Jonas� ankle and wondered at the inadequate phrase that slipped from his numb lips. �We never leave a man behind.�
�A mantra that will be your undoing, Colonel O�Neill.� Osiris hissed triumphantly.
Continued in Part Seven Endings
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