Shivering uncontrollably, Daniel rolled onto his side and vomited, the dry heaves that followed causing nearly as much pain as the beating itself. How long? How long had he been unconscious? How long had Hayes' used him for a punching bag before he'd given up, realizing that Daniel was no longer aware of the enormous fists leaving bruises upon bruises, breaking ribs, the academy ring tearing his flesh. Attempting to flex the fingers of his left hand proved to Daniel, that Hayes' crushing the hand beneath his boot was indeed a memory and not a pain induced hallucination. He still lay next to the log he'd been sitting on but there didn't seem to be anyone around. Probably driven into the caves by the storm that now raged. Lightening lit up the countryside and thunder cracked overhead as the warmth of painless darkness enveloped him again.

Daniel couldn't stifle the cry of pain as he was roughly shoved to the cave floor, sprawling in a undignified heap at Hayes feet.

"Sleep well doc?"

"Not bad." He rasped, fighting the pain that racked his body as Daniel forced himself into a sitting position.

"What happened to SG-7?"

"Have you decided on a nice little planet on which to help us relocate?"

"Did you kill SG-7?"

"I would prefer one with a fairly tropical climate and lots of pretty women." Daniel watched as the man circled him, continuing with his list of requirements as if Daniel had never spoken. "Someplace reminiscent of the Bahamas or even Hawaii. A planet that-"

"Did you kill SG-7?" The repeated question earned him the back of Hayes hand. A vicious blow that slammed Daniel's head against the stone floor.

"You don't get it do you doc?" Grabbing the collar of his wet jacket, Hayes pulled Daniel to his feet, smiling as he almost tenderly wiped away the blood trickling from the smaller man's lip. "O'Neill's not here to cover your sorry ass. You're mine now. You do as I say and you'll live a life of luxury and leisure. If you insist on being stubborn, you'll end up begging me to kill you just to end the pain." He brushed a piece of dirt off Daniel's shoulder. "I'll make a deal with you Daniel; do as I ask and in return we'll do something that so called colonel of yours hasn't been able to....we'll rescue your wife and the two of you can live happily ever after."

A fist seemed to grip Daniel's heart, squeezing unrentlessly as the image of Shar're's dead body flashed before his eyes. Jack had once promised they'd find her. Rescue her. He done everything possible but they had failed and Shar're had paid the price. It wasn't Jack's fault. Teal'c took responsibility for killing her but he'd only done what was necessary to save Daniel's life. In his mind Daniel knew the blame had to be laid squarely at the feet of Apophis but his heart told him he had to accept at least partial responsibility. He had uncovered the Abydos gate.

"Then you might as well...kill me now." Hayes shook with rage at Daniel's calm words before shoving the archeologist away.

"Get him out of my sight! Maybe some more time out in the storm will help change his mind. If not I'm sure I can think of something that will."

"Listen to me professor." The voice belonged to the man who'd been there when he'd regained consciousness the first time. "If you ain't figured out by now that he's crazy you ain't as smart as they say you are. Anderson didn't have an accident. He pissed the captain off and Hayes beat him to death. He won't hesitate to do the same thing to you." He steadied Daniel as the young man slipped on the loose shale outside the cave. In his other hand he carried a length of rope with which to tie Jackson.

The storm was raging as if every God in the universe were expressing their anger at the same time. Daniel's mind raced. Look for a solution. He knew the man was telling the truth. He also knew his chances of surviving another of Hayes' beatings were in Jack's vonacular slim to none. As it was his head felt as if someone had split it in two with an ax and the darkness at the edges of his vision was growing, making it almost impossible to see anything that wasn't directly in front of him.

"Make life easier for everyone and just do what he wants."

"What he wants..." The grinding of broken ribs sent a pain through his side that stole his breath. "What he wants is to go someplace where he can easily enslave a whole planet of people just because of their beliefs. Isn't that exactly what the Goa'uld are doing?" He doubled over, biting his lip to stifle the cry of agony as another pain raced through his side. The unexpected movement caught his escort unaware and before either of them realized what was happening, the wet shale dislodged sending both men rolling down the incline.

Dragging himself to the man who had moments before been his captor, Daniel checked for a pulse, knowing he wouldn't find one. The man whose name he'd never even heard, was dead, his head twisted at an odd angle, his neck broken in the fall. Pulling the sidearm from the dead man's holster, Daniel shoved it into the pocket of his jacket and pressing an arm as tightly as possible around his broken ribs stumbled to the tree line.

Keep moving. He had to keep moving. Daniel had no idea which direction might lead to the Stargate but he did know that it wouldn't take long for the dead guard's body to be found and a search party started. Jack. What would Jack do? Almost four years spent with the man on and offworld, literally surviving hellfire and brimstone he had learned alot. Think. Think like Jack. Think like Jack. Jack would put himself in the enemy's shoes. Deciding how they would behave so he could react to the circumstances. Okay, think like the enemy. Hayes had seemed like an intelligent man and an intelligent man needing to be aware of his surroundings as well as needing an escape route probably wouldn't make his encampment that far from the stargate. Now what? Think like Jack. Circles. Circle the compound, widening the circle each time.

"Watch your back Danny. Try not to leave a trail." O'Neill's words were so clear in his mind that for an instant he stopped, glancing around for the man who had become closer than family.

"Damnit Danny. Where the hell are you?" Jack muttered. The teams had spread out in a standard search pattern, everyone alert not only for a sign of their missing friend but also for any suggestion of danger. He glanced to his left, his gaze falling on Airman Bennings. He'd quickly volunteered to return and help with the search as soon as Jenson was led from the briefing room. The Major had threatened not only bodily harm if Bennings hadn't backed up his story but also to place the blame for Jackson's disappearance and probable death squarely upon the airman's shoulders. Jenson obviously hadn't expected Sergeant Blaine to survive and refute his story.

Bennings had led them directly to the area of the ambush but the storms had washed away any signs of Daniel other than the broken glasses crushed beneath his attacker's feet. Jack fingered the wire rims in his pocket. Why had he kept them. They were useless to Daniel now but he had carefully folded the earpieces and placed them in his breast pocket. Somehow they made him feel closer to the nerdy scholar who had unexpectedly knocked down the walls of defense Jack had built around himself.

He wasn't sure when or even how it had happened but just as if working an ancient dig site, Daniel had worked his way past those carefully placed walls, brick by brick until reaching the place in Jack's soul where he'd safely hidden away his emotions, his love and his fears. Daniel's natural openness, compassion and understanding had been the key that opened the door, releasing the contents that made Jack human. Daniel had been there when the soldier had needed someone the most and it was Daniel that made him the man he was today. A man who no longer wished for death but enjoyed life and dealt with whatever it handed him. Could he deal with this? Would he be able to handle no longer seeing Daniel's impish grin. Not having to attempt explaining the intricasies of hockey or listening to a recitation of ancient cultures. No he didn't think he would be able to deal with it this time. "I'm coming Danny. You just hold on. I'm coming."