Jack looked at Teal'c in disbelief. "There?" He pointed. They had been following the vague trail most of the morning, moving further and further from the gate and into the rocky hill country. "There?" He repeated, shaking his head.

Teal'c nodded. "Yes, O'Neill. There."

"You're sure?" Jack pressed, not wanting to believe the Jaffa.

"I followed the tracks to the base, O'Neill. All indications are DanielJackson is there."

Jack silently shook his head and craned his neck back until it caught. A dark weir of some kind, lay like a gate to hell, several hundred feet up the side of the stone cliff. Short of a helicopter, Jack had no idea how to reach the den. He put voice to his fear. "How the hell are we gonna get up there?" He turned, looking from Sam to Teal'c. "C'mon people, we gotta get a plan together..."

Daniel drifted in and out of consciousness, aware at times of the creatures in the cave, other times hearing nothing but silence. Weakening, he still struggled to pull himself toward the entrance, focusing on the light. The light..."It looks like the Stargate..." he thought distractedly as the roughly arched opening brought the device to mind.

The Stargate. A portal to other worlds: the portal that had changed his life. He would never step through it again, never feel that adrenaline rush of treading on a strange unknown world...Never again....All because of his stupidity. If he hadn't mouthed off to Jack...If he hadn't said those things about Sha'uri's baby..."Oh God, Sha'uri!..." Daniel's words came back to haunt him. How many more had to die? "Just one," his mind snickered, "you."

As the opening loomed closer, a strange euphoria settled on him. So it would end here, his pathetic, miserable life. Alone, as he had always been and no one would mourn his passing. He focused on the last few inches and with the remainder of his strength, dragged his battered body to the opening to look beyond.

A terrified scream welled out of his throat. Anguish and pain and all consuming fear. He was looking out at nothing...nothing but a two hundred foot drop to the ground below. The scream echoed back to him from the depths of the cave. Closing his eyes, Daniel lowered his forehead to the hard, cold rock. He vaguely heard one of the creatures padding across the stone, but didn't have enough energy left to even open his eyes.

The scream of pain which tore from his throat echoed across the quiet valley below as the creature clamped its teeth onto his shoulder and began shaking him savagely like some limp rag doll.

"What was that?!" Carter's eyes jerked up from her pack.

Jack and Teal'c exchanged horrified looks, Jack's eyes darkening in fear as they both recognized the fading scream could only have come from Daniel.

"Grab that rope! C'mon!" As they scrambled for the rock face, Jack ordered Carter to anchor the ropes, pausing only long enough to see if she'd heard and wincing as he saw her face wash out with realization.

Jack burst into the den. His MP-5 raised, his light frantically searched the dimness, passing over then returning to the bloody figure on the stone floor.

"Oh God!" he choked out as he scramble over the rocks. His stomach flipped when he stumbled over a half eaten carcass. The movement caused a putrid foul odor to fill the area and he nearly retched as it mixed with the gamy thick animal smell which permeated the cave.

"O'Neill!"

He froze at Teal'c's warning and looked past the linguist's body to see a large creature towering over him. As it rushed, Jack dropped and heard the sharp report of Teal'c's zat gun. The creature howled in pain as it fell back against the far wall, the smaller versions howling in fear as well.

"Watch em Teal'c!" Jack ordered as he dashed to Daniel's side. The soldier's stomach seemed to drop to his feet at the sight of all the blood. He could readily see his friend's shoulder was a mess as was his leg. He BDU's were ripped and torn down his right side, revealing bloody, bruised skin. Blood caked in his long hair and streaked down his bruised, pale face.

Dropping to his knees, Jack reached out a hand, trembling in fear, to check for signs of life. "Daniel?" The whisper was hoarse and choked with emotion. He roughly cleared his throat. "Daniel?"

There was no response from the young man, but pressing his trembling fingers to Daniel's neck, Jack felt a faint...a very faint stirring of life. "Hang on Danny...we'll get ya outta here," he promised before quickly glancing at Teal'c "We gotta get him outta here."

The Jaffa, one watchful eye on the creatures, moved closer. "I will carry him, O'Neill."

Jack shook his head. "Teal'c there is no way you can make it back down that cliff with him!"

Teal'c tilted his head to stare at him, raising his eyebrows. "You said the same about climbing up O'Neill. I see no alternative."

Jack nodded. He had been amazed at the hand and toeholds the Jaffa had found. He wouldn't have believed the big man could climb so quickly if he hadn't witnessed it himself.

"I will manage, O'Neill. It is the only way." Looking down at the scientist, he shook his head, pointing out the obvious. "He should not be moved in this condition."

"Well," Jack snarled, "I'm not about to leave him here to be take out for those things!" He grimaced at the sight of the scattered bones of previous prey which littered the den, shuddering at the thought Daniel's bones could very well have been among them. The Jaffa nodded. Bending down, he gently gathered the broken body in his strong arms and carefully moved for the opening.

Jack, his eyes and gun trained on the animals, backed out as he covered their retreat, but none made a move toward him. Hesitating at the opening, eyeing the creatures, Jack raised his weapon and released the safety. The damn things had nearly killed Daniel...no telling how many more native people they had terrorized. His finger tightened on the trigger, intending to spay the cave, but a small weak voice filtered into his thoughts, sounding remarkably like the victim they had mauled. "Don't Jack...they were only trying to survive." Lowering the gun, he reached for the rope.

"If he dies, I'll be back!" Jack warned as if the creatures could understand.

Teal'c had secured himself to his anchor rope, and with Daniel slung carefully over his shoulder, was making his way down the cliff face. Grabbing the other rope and securing his weapon, Jack followed.