Part 23 (1/2)
”Thank you,” he said and, cognizant of the hunger in this place, added, ”I'd be honored to share my food with you, while I wait.”
He shucked off his pack and dug out one of his last MREs. Faith watched in astonishment as he pulled it open and shared out the bounty between them. Although the short rations left him hungry, Hunter, Faith and their child ate as if it were a feast.
After the food was gone, the child curled up to sleep on a narrow pallet at the back of the shack, Faith sitting with him and stroking his head as she talked quietly with Hunter. It was impossible for Daniel not to overhear their conversation, though he sat as far away as possible on the other side of the fire.
”I went to Dix, after you was s.n.a.t.c.hed,” Faith murmured. ”Like you said I should.”
”Did they help you?”
She nodded, gestured to a few small packages next to the wall. ”Zuri gave me rations and promised more. She said Dix would come by tomorrow, when he's back from up there.”
”Good,” Hunter said. ”That's good to know.” He tightened his arm around her and Faith suddenly pressed her face against his shoulder, as if her strength had cracked for a moment.
Daniel heard her quiet tears, m.u.f.fled against Hunter's shoulder, and turned his eyes away, offering them at least the illusion of privacy.
He stared into the fire instead, watching its ever changing dance. It had been over five hours since he'd said goodbye to Sam and Teal'c and still he'd had no contact. Sam had told him to wait ten hours, but with every moment that pa.s.sed his fear grew. Sitting there, helpless and idle while his friends were in trouble, went against all his instincts. And it was tortuous, it was almost impossible.
He lifted a hand to his radio for a moment, willing it to jump into life, for Sam's voice to crackle over the airwaves telling him they were free and everyone was safe. But he heard only silence, the hiss of the fire and Faith's tearful breathing.
”Your friends are real smart and well-armed,” Hunter said suddenly, as if guessing the path of Daniel's thoughts. ”If anyone can evade the s.n.a.t.c.hers, it's them.”
He glanced up. ”Yeah,” he said. ”I know.”
”Don't you give up,” Faith added quietly, wiping at her face with one hand. ”You give up, you die.” She leaned her head against her husband's shoulder. ”Anyways, sometimes miracles happen.”
”By Hecate's will,” Hunter said and Faith nodded, reaching up to press two fingers against the symbol on his forehead and then her own. Like a blessing, Daniel thought, and remembered the salutes Hunter had received on their way through the camp.
He figured that Hunter must be a kind of miracle to the people in the camp: the man who'd returned from the dead. But while Hunter might credit divine intervention for saving him, Daniel knew that it was SG-1 who'd preformed the miracle and that gave him a little hope of his own.
Saving Hunter from the Amam wasn't the first miracle SG-1 had performed. He just had to hope it wasn't the last.
Jack tried to move without moving, a subtle s.h.i.+fting of his feet. Crazy's eyes were closed, its claws scratch-scratch-scratching. Blue light glinted across the black sheen of the Beretta. To reach it, he'd have to come within inches of the unhinged Amam, so when he made his move, it would need to be fast.
He glanced down at the handgun and then back up at Crazy. The thing was watching him.
Jack froze. But it was too late.
Crazy casually looked down at the gun and then reached out to pick it up. It held it by the grip and sniffed along the barrel. ”This object, a weapon?” It regarded the gun with an expression of doubt. ”Inefficient. Rudimentary. Yet it makes you feel safe?”
It would if I could get my d.a.m.n hands on it and shove it down your throat.
”Why would you shun the might of Lantis for such simplicity? With such blood as yours you could be the destroyer of worlds.”
”Like you did to this planet?” asked Jack, wondering how far he'd get along the hallway before Crazy was on him. Would he make it to the next doorway? Even if he could, by the sound of the footfalls beyond, there was a heavy guard presence. His odds were slim, but that open door was so d.a.m.n close.
Crazy laughed, a dry, hacking sound. ”We did nothing to this planet. So many souls, such abundance.” The thing stood up, smacking its lips, then began stalking towards Jack. He backed away, disgusted. ”Why would we destroy it?”
”Then who... ?”
A loud boom echoed through the s.h.i.+p, shaking the ground beneath Jack's feet. Along the hall, the steady sound of footsteps had turned to running. Crazy darted to the door and, for the first time, Jack saw genuine alarm on its face. Something had happened, something the Amam hadn't bargained on.
Jack's stomach lurched, a good feeling, one that got his blood up, knowing instinctively who was responsible.
SG-1.
Crazy marched out into the hall, started scrutinizing a panel that had appeared in the wall. A huge area glowed red. The creature wailed, rage and despair in the one sound. It whirled on Jack, but he was already moving. He smashed his fist into the thing's face, driving it backward, but not to the ground. His Beretta dropped from Crazy's grasp and Jack grabbed it.
Only then did he realize his mistake, something that had escaped him in the gloom of the cell. The gun wasn't loaded.
A bright blossom of pain exploded through his temple, as Crazy cold-c.o.c.ked him, sending him flying across the floor. Jack shook the ringing from his head, determined not to lose whatever advantage he had.
He pulled himself to his feet, acting more dazed than he actually felt. His earlier fatigue had gone. Rage and adrenaline fuelled him now. Crazy advanced, but Jack was ready. One way or another, he was getting out of this.
Sam sprinted through the hallways of the s.h.i.+p, hoping her sense of direction didn't fail her now. Smoke bloomed through the winding corridors and dark shapes came at them through the murk. She took them down with her MP5, while Teal'c handled any threat from the rear.
The lab had gone up like a firework and Sam wondered what sort of explosive power the alien ordinance within had contained. They'd scavenged what they could before lighting it up - including the colonel's pack and MP5 - and, thank G.o.d, the explosion had packed a big enough punch. The next part of the plan depended on it.
Two Amam guards came out of the smoke to her left. She spun, spraying fire, too close to take proper aim. The guards just kept coming and Sam felt a searing pain along her upper arm.
No time to check it out now, she'd deal with it later.
”Teal'c! This way!” she called, darting off to the right. The brig should be around there somewhere, but with the smoke and the chaos she started to worry they'd got turned around somehow. Was it this - ?
Something barreled into her, knocking her to the floor, pinning her down and knocking the gun from her hands. She heard the hiss of Teal'c's staff weapon opening...
”Teal'c! Don't shoot - it's me!”
”O'Neill.”
Adrenaline high, Sam almost laughed in relief. Colonel O'Neill's weight disappeared from her and she grabbed up her weapon as he pulled her to her feet. ”Colonel, how did you - ?”
”Later, Carter. My escape isn't exactly one hundred percent complete.”
”Lanteaaaaan! I will hunt you!” The banshee wail came from somewhere in the colonel's wake, a nerve-shredding sound. ”I can smell your blood!”
”I suggest we depart this place, O'Neill.”
”Ya think?”
A shambling figure rounded the corner, inhuman in every sense. Behind it, Amam moved in the smoke, gathering to strike. Sam swallowed and took a step back, lifted her weapon.
”Carter?” the colonel breathed. ”Run.”
They ran.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.