Part 14 (1/2)

But, despite his obvious suffering, Daniel Jackson's eyes widened when he saw the creature Teal'c was guarding. ”Wow,” he said. ”I guess that's one of the Amam? I can certainly see where the name came from.”

”See if you can talk to it,” O'Neill said, jerking his head toward the creature.

”Can we untie him first?” Daniel asked, wincing as Major Carter lowered him to the ground. He did not look like he could travel much further.

”I don't think that's a good idea,” O'Neill said.

”We have to build trust.”

Getting back to her feet, Major Carter drew closer to the creature. ”Sir, its leg - It's wounded.”

”It's the teeth I'm concerned about,” O'Neill said. ”Devourer, remember?”

Apparently choosing to ignore him, Major Carter crouched down close to the creature and said, ”Are you hurt? Can we help you?”

The creature just snarled.

”It can't understand you,” O'Neill said. ”And just move back, would you? I don't like the look in its creepy, yellow eyes.”

The creature hissed again, this time at O'Neill.

”Oh,” Daniel Jackson said. ”I think he understood that.”

O'Neill raised his eyebrows. ”No offence?” he said doubtfully.

Ignoring him, Daniel Jackson returned his attention to the creature. ”My name's Daniel,” he said. ”We're - G.o.d.” Gritting his teeth against an apparent wash of pain he pressed his hand to his side. When he could speak again he rasped, ”We're trying to get home. Through the Stargate. Do you have a way to open it?”

The creature just snarled, baring pointed teeth.

”Sir,” Carter said, ”I think it's in pain. I think we should cut it free.”

”She's right,” Daniel said weakly. ”Build trust.”

Teal'c kept his weapon trained on the creature, as did O'Neill. It watched them in return, wary, but intelligent. Teal'c suspected that Daniel Jackson was correct; the creature could understand their words.

”Sir?” Major Carter pulled out her knife.

After a moment O'Neill gave a curt nod. ”Be careful.”

The creature flinched back as Major Carter moved in, but she held up her hands and said, ”It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you.” First she cut the rope around the creature's feet, then moved around behind it and cut his arms free. She stepped back quickly, sheathing her knife and lifting her gun as she backed up next to Teal'c.

Behind him, Teal'c heard Daniel Jackson gasp as the creature rubbed at its wrists and flexed its hands. They were large and clawed, like they were intended for killing. Still watching SG-1, it climbed to its feet.

”Woah,” O'Neill said, backing up a step.

It was tall, taller even than Teal'c, broad and powerful; even unarmed, there was no doubt that this was a dangerous creature. It sniffed the air, c.o.c.ked its head as if listening for something distant.

”Ah, Jack?” Daniel Jackson said from behind them, his voice shaking.

O'Neill did not turn around, his gaze fixed on the creature. ”The Stargate,” he said. ”Can you open it? We need to go home.”

”Jack...” Daniel Jackson's voice was urgent, frightened. ”Oh G.o.d...”

Teal'c turned around in time to see Daniel Jackson pull his hand away from his side. It was red with blood, a dark patch spreading across his jacket. His face was colorless.

”Daniel!” O'Neill dropped to the ground next to him just as Daniel Jackson's eyes rolled back in his head.

”Jack...” He collapsed backward and O'Neill caught him, lowering him to the ground.

Major Carter blanched. ”Oh G.o.d.”

”Daniel... ?” O'Neill tapped his face. ”Daniel!” He pressed his fingers to his neck, moving them, searching for a pulse. ”s.h.i.+t. s.h.i.+t!”

”No...” Major Carter fell to her knees on the other side of Daniel Jackson, her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. ”Daniel, please.”

Teal'c felt his heart constrict, his jaw clenched in grief, but he fixed his eyes and his weapon on the creature. He was all that stood between this thing and his friends, and protecting them was all he could do to help.

The creature took a step forward. Teal'c raised his weapon, braced his feet for an a.s.sault. ”Stay back.”

It snarled, bared its teeth. And in a flash of movement it seized the end of Teal'c's staff weapon, pus.h.i.+ng it up and away from its face. Teal'c tried to jerk the staff free, but the creature was strong and had the better angle, its clawed fingers curling tight around the weapon and holding fast.

”That one is dying,” it said in a strange, sepulchral voice. ”I can help him.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Over the span of his forty year career, George Hammond had developed an instinct that was almost like second sight: the ability to read a room, an inherent sense of danger ahead, an intuition that told him when a situation was about to swing one way or another. As Harriman announced the incoming wormhole and the Tok'ra IDC, Hammond knew that this was one of those situations.

He uttered the words he'd said a thousand times, only this time they brought with them a heavy feeling of dread. ”Open the iris.”

It was Jacob. The video stream was irregular, the audio stuttering at times, and Hammond wondered from where in the galaxy he was transmitting. ”What's the news, Jacob?”

But it wasn't Jacob Carter who spoke. ”There is no news you will want to hear, General Hammond,” came the reverberating tones of Selmak. ”Our search for SG-1 has been unsuccessful. We have investigated the planet thoroughly, each crystal within the Stargate dialing device has been scrutinized, and we can come to only one conclusion.”

”And that is?”

”That the last gate dialed was Earth's.”

Hammond took a breath and closed his eyes, trying not to lose his patience. ”Forgive me, Selmak, but hadn't we already established that? What we need to know is what went wrong? Where did it go if it didn't end up here?”

”I'm afraid we have no answer to that, General.”

Hammond balled his fists and leaned against the control room console, feeling like, if he didn't lean on something, he was going to collapse under the weight on his shoulders. ”So what now? What's our next move?”

Selmak said nothing for a moment, just glanced away. The gesture was almost imperceptible through the static of the video feed, but Hammond caught it. And he knew. ”There is no next, is there?”

”We are sorry, General Hammond. Truly we are, but our search revealed something else that was unantic.i.p.ated. This attack by Hecate was not isolated. Her forces have recently been involved in a number of other skirmishes on planets close to that solar system. Part of an ongoing conflict between Yu and Hecate's ally, Nirrti.”