PART TWELVE
"Waiting"
Jack extended his arms over his head and flexed his laced fingers. The knuckles cracked in protest, and he winced at the sharp sound that echoed through the cargo hold. In the shadowed corners, bodies shifted restlessly as he rose to his feet. The lights had been muted to encourage a normal sleep-wake schedule. He rubbed a tired hand across his neck, envious that to all appearances his teammates were taking full advantage of the situation.
Someone needed to be awake for this mission�
He smirked at the sarcastic tone of his subconscious comment and crossed the bay as quietly as possible.
Sam was stretched out along the wall closest to the entrance. Given her location, there was no way to avoid the loud rumble of the doors every time someone entered or exited the bay. Jack wondered at her choice even as he cast an anxious glance over his shoulder. The thoughts that had dragged him from fitful slumber, and now tripped idly through his muzzy brain were leaving him with a disheartening sense of vulnerability. The last thing he needed was a nosey, though admittedly well-intentioned, audience.
Teal�c was sitting cross-legged at the back of the bay, his heavy features serene in the faint overhead light. Lost in Kel-No-Reem he appeared almost gentle, the warrior hidden in layers of detached relaxation. Jack sighed in frustration.
I wish it were that simple�
Daniel snored softly, tightly pressed against the right hand wall. His pale features were motionless and nearly hidden in the shadow of a supply crate. Exhaustion had finally overwhelmed the younger man after nearly 48 hours of restless reading and pacing. He claimed it was research, brushing up on the information he had gleaned after weeks spent on the Pellan Homeworld. Jack had bought the act, until he realized that Daniel had read the same page for ten minutes. A fact he noticed as a result of severe boredom, and the extreme discomfort of being in the same room with Sam, and unable to talk.
The need to discuss what had happened in his quarters, or rather what hadn�t, had taken on a deep-seated sense of urgency. But there was no privacy in the small, two compartment Scout ship. Especially with Jacob Carter looming like a sentinel every time he turned around.
Jack scrubbed a hand through his hair, his eyes resting on Sam�s sleeping form. She mumbled beneath her breath. One slim hand drifted to her waist and pulled at the blanket that had settled there. His hands twitched at his sides, wanting to tug the errant cloth back into place. The temptation to touch, to linger on the gentle curve of her hip, was nearly unbearable. He curled his grasping fingers into tight balls that sent a dull ache radiating through the joints and tendons.
I can�t do this�
He shifted his gaze to Karen, who was lying half hidden by a second crate. Her bright blue eyes met his, and his blood ran cold.
Crap.
She nodded and gestured silently for him to join her. Jack forced himself to cross the large, open space, trying not to awaken the other occupants with his leaden steps. Karen was no fool. She had been around the military long enough to recognize the oft times subtle attractions between officers, relationships that were usually carefully camouflaged for fear of retribution.
Hiding, something I used to be good at�
The dark thought struck like a hammer blow, nearly halting him in his tracks. With a sigh, Jack completed the journey. He leaned against the wall behind the crate and slid uneasily to the floor as Karen sat up.
What are you going to say? More importantly what am I going to answer?
�Hey,� he ventured in a whisper, deciding that offense was better than defense.
�Hey.� She blinked and rubbed her eyes with her knuckles.
He grinned at the childlike gesture and hugged his aching knees to his chest. �Did I wake you?�
�Sort of,� she admitted with a yawn. �You okay?�
�Yeah, why?�
�You�ve been pacing like a caged tiger for most of the trip. I�m surprised you�ve slept at all.�
Sleep, if you could call it that, had definitely been slow in coming, Jack thought sourly. They had been traveling for nearly three days, slowed down once by a fractured crystal in the hyperdrive. The planet was still six hours away according to his watch. Jack glanced back at Sam�s sleeping form, hoping that Karen wouldn�t notice. It amazed him that they could travel so long in such close quarters and not really talk. He shifted his gaze back to Karen, and found himself the object of furtive, but intense scrutiny.
Damn.
She wouldn�t buy any excuses, she never had, he noted darkly. �A lot on my mind.�
�I would say,� she straightened against the crate. Fishing in the discarded pack she had used as a pillow, she produced a slightly crushed granola bar. �Want a bite?�
He laughed, recalling her penchant for health food. �No thanks.�
Karen shrugged and slowly stripped the foil wrap from the bar. �So what�s the problem exactly?�
Right to the point, Jack suppressed the immediate urge to roll his eyes. He closed them instead and leaned his head against the wall, slowly rocking it from side to side. He knew by the look in her dark, blue eyes that Karen had a pretty good idea what was going on. He wanted an open, honest relationship with Sam more and more with each passing day. Admitting that to himself was hard enough. Revealing it to Karen was tantamount to having a cathartic fit in the middle of the Gateroom. Painful, embarrassing, frustrating, depressing; were only a few of the terms that came quickly to mind as he stared at the tracery of blood vessels that throbbed dully beneath his eyelids.
It wasn�t an issue of trust between Karen and himself, it never had been. She had listened when no one else would, or could, get close. He had turned to her after Charlie�s accident. Lost in his grief, incapable of consoling Sara or himself in the face of overwhelming remorse. Charlie had died on September 13th, nine long years ago. He had wallowed in self-pity for nearly four months. Finally fleeing his tearful wife in the midst of a New Year�s Eve celebration thrown by a group of well meaning, if deluded, neighbors. Sara had known where he went, seeing the guilt written brightly in his red rimmed eyes the following morning. It was the first of many times she walked away from him in the ensuing year.
Jack cracked his eyelids and saw Karen fiddling busily with the Velcro patch on the front of her pack. She clutched it tightly, muffling the scratchy tear beneath her hand as she pulled it free. �Do you remember this?�
He watched her slide a folded leather wallet from her pack with interest, wondering what she could possibly be carrying that he would remember. She passed it to him, her face taking on an almost shy expression as he flipped it open.
�Not the top one,� she pointed out with a soft laugh, �The last one.�
He flipped through the pictures of smiling people he did not recognize. A wedding, a baby photo, and friends he might once have known. Now forgotten by time and distance. The last photo caught the breath in his throat.
It was a picture of the two of them, taken the year he graduated from the Air Force Academy. She was smiling broadly, and he looked younger than he had felt in forever. Her arm was linked with his in a flirtatious gesture, while he stared at the camera with a nervous grin. The day had been unusually hot for mid June. He remembered itching with sweat in the crisp dress blues. Anxious to shed the formal attire, hopefully with Karen�s assistance, and take a dip in the pond in front of his parent�s cabin.
My cabin.
The acknowledgement of time and change sent a cool shiver racing down his spine. Jack traced their faces in the picture with trembling fingers. �I can�t believe you kept this,� he murmured, more to himself than her.
Karen chuckled beneath her breath. �Why?�
�I just�I don�t know��
She took the wallet from his limp fingers and gazed at it for a long moment. A wistful smile curved her lips as she folded it and slid it back in its place. �You know how sentimental I can be, at least you should,� she admonished quietly.
�Yeah,� I should, he added silently. Guilt formed a cold knot in Jack�s stomach. �Why did you show me that?� The past and the future loomed like fearful specters, unknown and unknowable despite everything that connected them.
What do you want from me?
�I want to remind you of something�something you seem to have forgotten�.�
�Which is?� he prodded, as the knot grew and tightened nauseously.
She patted the front of the pack. �When this was taken we were young and innocent. Didn�t have a clue what we were in for. We went through hell and back. For a long time we were together, as a couple, and later as friends serving together. We trusted one another and leaned on one another when times got bad. God knows they did�� she trailed off, momentarily lost in memory.
Jack watched her eyes darken and lose their focus as they shifted to the ceiling. He could guess where her thoughts had drifted. His skin crawled at the memory of the hot sands of Iraq and the suffocating closeness of the box. At the time, Karen had been part of the helicopter unit that Cromwell had ultimately commanded to leave the vicinity. The actions of his former friend and teammate had filled him with bitterness, and condemned him to a lifetime of intermittent nightmares. As a young lieutenant, Karen had no say in the matter. Jack had never blamed her, though she had tried to take a measure of the guilt from Cromwell. An attempt to assuage the conscience of a man that she grew to love and whom she eventually divorced, much to his relief.
�Yes they did,� he agreed quietly.
Karen shook her head. �Not a nice place to visit, even after all these years.�
�No.�
�Jack, you trusted me. When Charlie died, you came to me and I was glad to help.� He shifted uncomfortably and she frowned, continuing in an exasperated hiss. �Dammit! Don�t do that! Don�t close up on me! I tried to talk to you in your office�� She reached out and stroked a cautious hand across his folded arms. �Please�don�t shut me out.�
He flinched involuntarily, but her hand remained for a moment longer. Warming his chilled skin with soothing pressure before settling back into her lap.
I can�t�I shouldn�t�I need�.
Words tumbled against his clamped teeth.
I love�I hurt�
Why is this so damn hard? When will it all go away?
�You already know, don�t you?� he accused, annoyed that his hoarse whisper was tinged with embarrassment and fear.
Karen�s gaze locked briefly with his, and then shifted to Sam�s sleeping form with a tilt of her head. �I wasn�t sure, until just now.�
�You saw?� He registered the reluctant nod of her head before dropping his eyes to the floor with a heavy sigh. �I never used to be so damn transparent��
�I know.�
�Jesus, I�m so tired I can hardly see straight.�
She shifted against the crate, her sock clad feet bumping against his boots as they slid across the polished floor. �I know that too.�
Jack bit his lip. His fingers kneaded his elbows in frustration, nails digging painfully into the dry flesh. There was no need to explain the statement. They both knew his exhausted state had little to do with lack of sleep. The bone deep weariness was patently obvious each time he looked in the mirror. The years of non-stop activity at the SGC had aged him faster than anything he had ever experienced, including Iraq. Truly disconcerting given the severity of his captivity, and the myriad of unsavory activities he had been involved in both before and after.
�I don�t know what to do,� he admitted, surprised by the lump that formed instantly in his throat.
He hardly recognized the defeated, melancholy individual he had become. Glancing up, he caught Karen�s concerned frown. Apparently she was having a hard time as well. Jack felt guilty for her obvious confusion. The instinctual urge to protect her drove a series of useless comments into his arid mouth. They died unborn at the shake of her head.
�I think you do. I think you sorted it out weeks, months ago, and just haven�t let yourself admit it.�
What the hell does that mean?
It wasn�t the first time he had felt irritation at the sage and often confusing advice given by the all too brilliant females that shared his world.
My kingdom for a bimbo�
The thought wasn�t a charitable one, and he bit his tongue at the sour taste that infused his mouth.
Why didn�t the Y chromosome contain some measure of intelligence when it came to matters of the heart?
Jack shook his head, ignoring the quizzical look that crossed Karen�s features.
I shouldn�t be thinking about this right now�
I can�t�
It can never be�
The last thought faded into an echo that bounced off the gray walls of his subconscious. A hauntingly familiar refrain he tried vainly to squash into silence.
�I know I�m right, and so do you,� Karen murmured. She stretched out on the floor, patting his ankle before pulling up the blanket and snuggling her head into her pack. �Get some sleep, there will be time enough to sort it out.�
Jack stared nonplussed as her eyes drifted close. A faint satisfied smile dimpled her cheeks. A shadow of the young na�ve woman from the picture rested in the small lines around her eyes and mouth. He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Offering silent gratitude for her ear and her heart that heard more than he could ever admit.
Karen shifted, her breathing already deepening. He had always envied her ability to fall asleep almost instantly. She smiled against his hand, nodding slightly as she drifted off.
He got quietly to his feet and glanced at his watch. A half hour had passed while they spoke. With a last glance, he left Karen and crossed to the door of the cargo bay.
Sam had rolled away from the wall. As he approached, her eyes opened. Shaded to near blackness by the dim lighting, he couldn�t be sure what he saw in their depths. A frown was etched between her drawn brows, and her jaw moved as she swallowed audibly. Jack drew abreast of her and reached for the door switch. A flash caught his eye and he looked closer at her pale features. She brought a hand up and brushed it roughly across her cheeks. He swallowed hard at the glistening streaks of moisture that painted the flesh as her arm dropped to her side.
Sam turned hastily away, evidently as surprised by the tears as he was. She covered her mouth with one hand, catching the heel of her palm between her teeth with a ragged sigh.
I�m sorry�
He wanted to say it and wondered what exactly he was apologizing for. For a long moment he watched her fight for control. Until a strangled noise escaped the fleshy gag, and his heart lurched in shared pain.
God, I�m sorry�.
He slammed his hand against the switch. It didn�t matter that her father waited beyond the door, there was simply the need to run. For his sake and hers.
Jacob eyed him quizzically as he stumbled through the doorway, but kept his comments to himself. Jack colored himself fortunate. Undoubtedly the ultra observant combination of Jacob/Selmak sensed his discomfort and had a fair idea of the cause. For reasons known only to himself and his symbiote however, the older man chose to allow him space and time to pull himself together. No small act, considering the object of Jack�s discomfiture was his only daughter.
He did not offer an explanation for his behavior, convinced that it would only exacerbate the situation. Common sense dictated that he should be focused solely on the upcoming mission. There were no words that could justify why his brain was locked into an endless cycle of personal confusion. As a career military man, General Jacob Carter would frown on such distractions, as a father he would quite likely be incensed. Either case would lead to a paternal lecture on the lack of discipline among �junior� officers, and a more strenuous discussion concerning the inappropriateness of Jack�s interest in his 2IC. A situation to be avoided at all costs. A wry grimace settled on his lips as he pressed his back to the wall and sank wearily to the deck. Imagine Sam�s horror if she awakened to the sounds of her father and would be lover thrashing about on the Bridge?
�Jack?�
Startled, he looked up. Jacob was pointing meaningfully to a glowing diagram splashed across the main Viewscreen.
�I think you should take a look at this.�
�What?� Jack climbed wearily to his feet and crossed the small space. �Surprise?�
�I would say, it�s a Goa�uld Mothership.�
�Osiris has a new toy,� he mused grimly.
�I just picked this up on long range sensors. We�ll have to change our trajectory, enter Pellan orbit on the far side of the planet, hopefully in the limb of the moon.�
�Cloak not working?�
�It�s sporadic, and you can�t hide the disturbance when we enter the atmosphere. We can�t afford to tip our hand to Osirs until we know what we�re dealing with.�
Jack nodded in agreement. �So we can�t count on any assistance once we land?�
It was a rhetorical question. They both knew the Tok�ra operative�s last communication had been received shortly after they left Earth�s orbit. The message was a cryptic warning that the Pellans were unsettled by recent activity in the Naquadria mine and the apparent ceasing of any native interaction with the Tower Prisoner. The latter could be a source of hope for Jonas, or an indication that they were already too late. Jack could only hope for the latter, as he watched Jacob wave a hand over one of the controls on the panel in front of him. The view on the large trapezoid shaped screen changed. Glowing lines traced the path of their Scoutship and the projected orbital pattern of the larger Mothership. A computer suggested trajectory showed their entry point into the Pellan system and coordinates for planetary orbit on the opposite side of the planet from their target city.
Jack studied the new diagram. �If I�m reading this right�it will be the middle of the night when we reach the city?�
�Yes.� Jacob confirmed. �Just like we planned.�
�I don�t remember much activity at night�� He fell silent as a chill slithered down his back.
I don�t remember a whole hell of a lot.
Jack swallowed the admission and cleared his throat. �Cover of darkness,� he added unnecessarily.
He stepped away from the console to pace the floor. Details had been worked out over the last three days, but he still felt uncomfortable. Apprehension at what they might find in the tower or the city itself was only part of the problem. The urgency of the situation had interfered with the normally ordered process of planning the mission. Jack hated being rushed into anything. People made mistakes when they weren�t sure of where they were going or what they were doing. Stupid, deadly mistakes.
�O�Neill�
The Tok�ra�s deep, reverberating tones cut through Jack�s thoughts, stopping him cold. �Selmak?� he acknowledged carefully, wondering what had drawn the symbiote to the forefront.
�Jacob feels that you are distracted, not prepared for this mission.�
�So why are you telling me this and not him?� Jack demanded sharply.
Unphased by his hostility the symbiote continued. �Because Jacob is aware of at least some of the reasons for your discomfort, and is not comfortable discussing them with you openly. I insisted.�
You�re all alike! He bit back the accusation and swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. �Why?�
�You must depend on one another, O�Neill. As a soldier, you are aware of this?�
All too well��Yes.�
�Your people are well trained and loyal, they can be a great comfort to you. Allow them to support you in this endeavor, do not hide from them.�
It was odd comfort to hear the sage words of the ancient symbiote. Jack ran a hand through his tousled hair, relieved that the conversation was not drifting into the far more intimate territory of Jacob�s daughter. Still the advice was a surprise, and left him at a loss for words.
�Jacob is aware of the emotional devastation wrought by the Pellans. We have both suffered such indignities and survived, as will you.�
How can you be so sure? Who are you to judge?
�Do you dream, Selmak?� The question slipped involuntarily from his dry lips.
�Not as humans do, though I share in Jacob�s dreams from time to time.�
�Then you don�t have any idea what you are saying,� Jack spat acidly. His indignity caught him by surprise, and he slammed his hand against the wall in silent fury.
The older man bowed his head. When he looked up Jacob had reappeared in his dark eyes. �I shouldn�t have let Selmak speak to you��
�No, you shouldn�t have,� he growled. �I don�t need psychobabble from a 300 year old snake.�
�Selmak means well, and he�s right.�
�Really?� Jack laughed bitterly. �And you know this how?�
�Because you are like me in a lot of ways, Jack. That�s why Sam loves you.�
Jack felt his mouth drop open in combined shock and horror. He closed it with a snap and spun away from Jacob�s calm features. The rumble of the door saved him from stammering a reply. Teal�c stepped across the threshold, taking in the scene with his usual stoic frown. �O�Neill, General Carter.�
�Teal�c, come have a look.� Jacob greeted quietly.
Jack watched the two of them examine the diagrams on the Viewer. They murmured beneath their breath, sharing ideas and totally ignoring his tense form. He shook his head, feeling vaguely nauseous as he crossed the deck and settled back against the far wall.
Jacob�s observation had sucked the air from the small room. He bowed his head onto his up drawn knees and closed his eyes.
Sam, what did you say? What did I say or do?
Pointless, distracting questions, his subconscious warned. He couldn�t afford another injury, another death on his soul. Jack forced the errant thoughts to the back of his mind. It was clear that Jacob wanted him to know that he was aware, but that now was not the time. It didn�t matter why or how. All that mattered was that secrets long kept, feelings long denied, were out in the open.
The Pellan night sky was darker than most worlds, owing to its rather remote location in the universe. An inky blanket covered the planet, pocked by a smattering of stars and the reflected glow of the one large natural satellite, depending on the time of the year.
Jack stood in front of the Viewer, observing their descent while he rubbed pensively at his chin. Not once during his month long captivity had moonlight ever bathed the floor of his cell. Sam�s report indicated that size and erratic orbit was why the satellite was not always visible, but knowing this information did not explain the emotions he connected with its absence. It had taken Jack weeks to figure out why the lack of moonlight was more intensely distressing than the comfort of the sunlight that chased across the filthy floor. He blinked and sighed into the expectant silence of the Bridge. The darkness brought the demons, both real and imagined. The light was reprieve and could be depended upon, even if it rained.
He felt rather than heard his team drawing closer together as the Scoutship shifted into a more leveled approach and skimmed along the mountainous landscape. Selmak had been right, though Jack would never openly admit it to the symbiote or his host. He could feel the support of his comrades and the shared atmosphere of apprehension and firm resolve that so often melded them into an efficient unit.
�ETA five minutes,� Jacob advised.
�Come on Teal�c, let�s gear up.� Jack brushed a hand across the Jaffa�s shoulder and headed for the cargo bay. He could feel Sam�s eyes resting on his cheek as he passed by her. He nodded, acknowledging her presence and evident concern. He couldn�t look her in the eye. Too much needed to be said, and there was too much left to do. Neither of them could afford to lose focus.
Karen joined them and helped pack their climbing gear and assorted hardware and small explosives. They had rigged a carrying harness for Jonas and a variety of braces to accommodate any broken bones. A neck brace, fresh water, and a first aid kit were added to Teal�c�s pack. Jack glanced at the assembled items one final time. �All set,� he murmured.
�We�re moving into position,� Jacob advised through the open doorway.
Jack hefted his pack, releasing a small groan as the weight settled across his shoulders. �I�m getting too damn old for this.�
Karen adjusted his straps with a firm tug. �Better?�
�No,� he grumbled testily.
She swatted him playfully on the shoulder and followed him to the cargo rings in the center of the bay. �Are you ready for this?�
�As I�ll ever be.� He frowned and licked his dry lips. He could try to ease her mind, even if he couldn�t do anything to dissolve the cold knot growing in the pit of his stomach. �Piece of cake.�
Karen shook her head. �You can do this, you know,� she reassured, effectively ignoring his feigned bravado.
Jack nodded stiffly and stepped into the center of the rings. �All set, T?�
�I am ready, O�Neill.�
He could hear the concern in the Jaffa�s deep voice. Teal�c rarely showed emotion, but there was no doubt that a large, sensitive heart beat in his barrel chest. Jack had seen and felt its presence many times. He laid a hand on his friend�s shoulder. �We�re going to bring him home.�
�Of this I have no doubt.� Teal�c accepted the comforting touch and words with a slight bow of his head.
�Ready, Sir?� Sam called from the Bridge.
Jack glanced up at the sound of her voice. She was standing behind Jacob�s seat, looking intently in their direction. Their eyes met, and he felt a wave of emotion rise and crest between them. He took a deep breath, riding the swell that temporarily washed away the mounting anxiety that tingled his ragged nerves.
I�ll be right here...
I know...
Come back�
I will�
�Ready,� he replied audibly. She nodded and patted her father on the shoulder.
�Here we go.� Jacob reached forward, and the cargo bay was filled with the telltale hum and whine of the rings.
Jack blinked as the rings rose from the floor and enveloped them in a wash of blinding light and energy. The bay faded behind a dazzling flash, and an uncomfortable feeling of weightlessness blotted out all sensation for a few moments. Awareness returned abruptly as the transporter deposited them on the roof of the prison tower. The whine of the rings faded, replaced by the steady moan of the wind as it chased around the building. Weaving amid parapets and walls, gusting fitfully wherever it found a free channel.
�This is O�Neill, we�re down, safe and sound,� he informed the hovering Scoutship.
�Acknowledged.� Jacob replied.
Jack unclipped his pack and began assembling the carrying harness while Teal�c fitted their climbing gear into a crevice in the stonework near the edge of the roof. They worked quickly without words, each intent on what had to be done. Jack forced his mind into autopilot. Ignoring the sharp bite of the wind and the more persistent inward chill that proximity to the cell had brought on. Their immediate goal was to rescue Jonas. The presence of a Goa�uld Mothership in orbit had altered the rest of their plans drastically, however. Jack growled an oath as one of the clips caught the flesh of his hand, raising an angry blood blister. The System Lords were vicious creatures of habit, with long memories and the irritating habit of holding a grudge. There was only one possibility for a test site for Osiris� new weapon. He straightened stiffly, and shook his head to clear away the distracting thoughts.
One step at a time�
The wind gusted suddenly, tearing at his chilled flesh and whipping a fine spray of grit from the roof into his face.
�Jesus that stings! Are you ready.�
�I am, O�Neill.�
Jack clipped in and lowered himself over the edge. The darkness of the Pellan night was an advantage, hiding the ground in an inky sea of black.
It would be a quick death�
The useless thought sprang unbidden as he pushed off the side of the tower and let the rope slide through his gloved hands.
Shut up�
Shaking his head at the fatalistic musings, Jack concentrated on the quivering pool of light cast by his flashlight. The stone slid by in fits and starts as he repelled downward toward the window. He arrived after several hops and examined the grate with cautious fingers. As suspected, the bars were mounted on the inside of the window.
Who would be crazy enough to climb up the outside of this thing?
Jack smiled grimly at the thought. Crazy, of course, was the operative word. The narrow window ledge provided a foothold while he secured himself to the stone and attached a nylon line to the bars.
�O�Neill?�
Teal�c�s voice crackled from the small radio lodged in the front of his vest, sounding weak and tinny against the throaty roar of the wind. Jack keyed the unit with one finger before extracting a tiny explosive charge from a pouch on his belt. �Two minutes,� he advised in an extra loud voice.
�Understood.�
Jack mounted the charge on one lower corner of the grate, directly over a large rusted bolt, and then proceeded with additional charges on the remaining corners. Removing a small hammer from a pocket on the side of his pants leg, he pounded a piton with a ring attached to it into the stonework to the right of the window.
Definitely not a good idea to wake up the neighbors�
He knotted the line attached to the center of the grate to the ring on the piton. Satisfied at his handiwork, Jack crouched on the ledge and pressed the side of his head to the gap between the bars. Cupping his opposite ear against the wind, he strained his hearing to the limit, hoping for the vaguest scrape of movement from the depths below.
Dammit, say something, Jonas!
Silence.
As deep and abiding as the stifling quiet that had enveloped him for weeks in this stony hell.
Jack sat back on his heels, resting his weight against the rope.
I can�t call out, I don�t know who is down there�
The Pellans had rarely ventured into the cell after dark. Possibly as uncomfortable as he was with the absolute blackness of a moonless Pellan night, made worse by the impenetrable walls. Doubtless Jonas would be alone and would answer, if he could. It was a chance Jack dare not take. With a heavy sigh, he keyed his radio. �Blowing it now.�
�Acknowledged.�
Jack pushed off the ledge and swung to the right of the window. He braced his feet against the wall and pulled a tiny remote with a short, rubber antenna from his pocket. �Here goes nothin�.� He grasped the rope attached to the grate with one hand, and aimed the small device at the window with the other. The light above the yellow button went from red to green as he pushed, and four distinct pops cut through the moan of the wind. Sparks showered into the darkness and he tugged hard on the line. The grate dislodged with a smattering of mortar and stone chips and clanged heavily against the tower wall when he released the rope.
He winced as the grate swung pendulum-like against the stones, aided by sharp gusts of wind. Moving carefully around the taught line he clambered onto the sill, using his hammer to knock away sharp chips of stone and metal.
�O�Neill?�
�We�re in, Teal�c. Come on down.�
�On my way.�
A rope snaked down the side of the wall, brushing against Jack�s shoulder before it finished uncoiling. He watched it wiggle as Teal�c worked his way down the side of the tower. The Jaffa came into view a few moments later, carrying harness and pack clanging heavily together as he eased himself onto the edge of the cramped sill.
�Has there been any sign of life?�
�No,� Jack murmured. The wind abruptly died away, leaving his voice to echo hollowly through the cell. �They rarely came into the cell at night�� a shiver or recollection crawled up his sweaty back. �In fact, I can only remember one time.�
�Perhaps it is best not to dwell on such things, O�Neill,� Teal�c advised softly.
He looked up and caught the whites of the Jaffa�s eyes in the beam of the flashlight. The large man was looking at him intently, his feelings hidden in shadow, the emotion plain in his voice.
�Perhaps,� Jack agreed just as quietly. �You ready?�
�I am.�
He hated the idea of descending into the black depths of the tower without knowing for sure who or what awaited them. It was a matter of necessity, which was the only argument that could force his reluctant body into action. Jack swallowed hard and swung his legs over the edge, while Teal�c attached his safety rope to a section of the wall to the right of the window.
�Secure, clip in, O�Neill.�
Jack snagged the rope and attached it to his harness. Muttering an oath beneath his breath, he pushed off and began to ease down the inside of the tower. His flashlight beam raked over the familiar stones. The moss and mold were sporadic near the ceiling, thickening and changing colors as he progressed towards the floor. His feet slipped against the slimy surface, and he caught his breath in shock and frustration as he adjusted his stance. From the floor, the roof had seemed impossibly high, but it took less than five minutes for the tower base to start to widen. The walls canted outwards. Broadening to enlarge the area of the cell, and then straightening for the last eight feet before meeting up with the floor. An optical illusion had given him the mistaken impression that the stones marched straight up. Escape had never been an option for either Jonas or himself.
His foot slid across the wall, digging a trench in the yellow and brown mold. �Dammit, that will teach me to think!� he grated into the chamber. The rustle of cloth against rock whispered against his ear and Jack froze.
Jonas
He braced his feet against the wall and leaned into the rope. The blood pounded heavily in his ears and his breathing was coming in ragged gasps, the exertion taking its toll on his tired body. He forced himself to relax and then held his breath, listening for the sounds of movement.
Silence
Dammit, Jonas! You�ve got to let me know where you are!
He could smell the must and rot of the cell, the clinging odors of decaying vegetation and human waste. The air was close and hot against his face. Jack wondered if the suffocating sensation was more in his head than reality. It was too cold and blustery outside for the interior to feel so humid and stale. He shook his head, feeling foolish. Considering that there was virtually no chance for outside ventilation the argument held little weight, but his subconscious persisted with it just the same. Guarding his chilled innards against the mass of vivid memories churning just beneath the surface of his racing mind.
Jack released a stuttering sigh and unclipped his flashlight from his vest. He clutched the torch with one trembling hand and panned in a wide, lowering arc to the right, and then the left of his perch. The beam revealed that he was still about three meters above the floor. The walls were completely coated with the slimy fungus that he remembered, and if Jonas were in the cell, he was not against the wall.
A shiver crawled up Jack�s back. He always spent the night fairly close to the walls. The stinking vegetation was nauseating to the nose, but the fungus was soft against his bruised body and the floor was almost level. Plus, it added that much more distance between himself and any creature that might choose to visit, whether it be Pellan guard or one of the six legged vermin that frequently tried to steal his meager rations. The grate in the center was set in a depression, allowing waste to run towards it. Sleeping on the slope would be almost impossible. Jonas� apparent absence caused all sorts of useless speculation to rise to the surface of his anxious thoughts.
Are we too late?
Am I hearing things?
Maybe it�s a Pellan native and not Jonas waiting for me in the dark?
Get a grip!
He chastised himself sharply and dropped the beam of the flashlight until it pointed directly beneath his descending form.
On the edge of the pool of light was a pile of dirty rags. As he watched in horror, the cloth shivered and began to shift. A hand appeared and waved weakly, seeming to ward off his light. The arm attached to it was encrusted with dirt, bone white where flesh showed through. The hand clenched and wavered before falling across the rags.
Silence.
�Oh my God,� Jack breathed. He pushed off the slippery wall and let the rope slide through his gloved hands. The floor seemed to rush up to meet him with slamming force, sending sharp pains through his aching knees. He stumbled and fell heavily. �Crap!�
�O�Neill.� Teal�c�s deep baritone echoed through the cell.
Jack glanced up and waved his flashlight before keying his radio to reply. �I�m okay, come on down.� There was no point in telling the Jaffa what state Jonas was in, he would find out soon enough.
He unclipped his pack and leaned it against the wall. Anticipating the pitch black of the cell, he had packed a small portable lantern. With a flick of a switch, the cell was bathed in its eerie blue glow. Jack swallowed hard as the stones and the familiar dips and ruts of the floor popped into stark relief. He pulled off his knit cap and stuffed it into a vest pocket, feeling the need to free his sweating skull to the fetid air. The walls seemed to close in as he pulled a thermal blanket from his pack. He could hear Teal�c easing down the wall just in front of his position and see the coil of his rope wriggling snakelike in the pool of lantern light. He avoided looking at the silent pile of rags just beyond the blue glow.
He is me, I was him�
The thought caught the breath in his throat and he coughed thickly. For the first time, Jack�s hand strayed to the Zat clipped to his belt. He brushed his fingers across the metal, it felt slick and warm in the humid atmosphere of the cell.
I was him�
Alone�
Not anymore�
Dammit! Don�t go there!
�O�Neill.� Teal�c spoke softly.
Jack flinched, startled by the Jaffa�s approach. �Yeah, lets have a look,� he whispered hoarsely. Teal�c unclipped the carrying harness from his belt, and waited for Jack to remove the first aid kit and water before leaning the heavy pack against the wall. The Jaffa picked up the lantern and held it high as Jack cautiously eased himself down the slope to the pile of rags that concealed Jonas Quinn.
Continued in Part Thirteen Friends and Enemies
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