Chapter------4

Samantha Carter had never been so angry in her life. Cameron Mitchell did not deserve what the Tarleans planned for him and she knew the devastating effects prolonged use of the Sarcophagus would have on him. Death came in many forms, has did torture, but to be brought back and forced to endure it again and again was something she didn't wish on her worst enemy, let alone on a man she'd come to respect and care for.

'When had that happened…when had she started to really care for him?' Carter thought, her heart aching as she watched Mitchell being dragged from the Skar'triare. Her eye met Mitchell's and she strode purposefully toward him, but was stopped by two male guards who would not let her pass.

Sam walked slightly to the left of Mitchell and the Tarleans and hoped Daniel and Teal'c were having better luck than she was. They needed to find out who was behind the technological advances and prove to these people that they were being used. Somehow she had to convince them that the people of Earth had done nothing wrong.

'God, Cam, juts hold on…I'll get you out of this…somehow,' Carter thought.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Cameron Mitchell was not a fool and he understood what the sentence was and how it would affect him. God, help him, but he was going to die at the hands of these people, not once but ten times over the next ten days. How could he possibly stay sane during the dark days ahead? He glanced sideways and a hint of a smile formed when he spotted Carter matching his guards stride for stride.

Mitchell caught her eye and tried to instill a sense of calmness, but he knew that was not possible for either of them. Things had been changing between him and Carter, but neither of them had spoken of those changes and he wondered what it would be like to hold her in his arms. Would he ever be able to find out? That question saddened him, because somehow he didn't think they'd ever have that chance.

Cam glanced around at the Tarlean city as they entered a clearing set between two large buildings. The clearing was bigger than he thought and surrounded by flowers and shrubbery similar to the ones found in countless gardens on earth. It would have been beautiful had the circumstances been different, but with the threat of death, Cam could find nothing beautiful about the area.

Mitchell took a deep breath as he was led to the center of the clearing. His shirt was removed and his wrists were locked in cold metal before his arms were stretched above his head and he was forced to stand on the tips of his toes. Cam had no idea what they had planned for him, but he'd been restrained like this before and knew the damage that could be done to his shoulders and lungs should he be forced to stay in this position for a long period of time.

Mitchell saw Carter struggling against the guards as Shinara moved ton stand in front of him. Her eyes were dark, but there was a hint of something he couldn't quite read as she looked at him.

"Colonel Mitchell, this is the first of ten Skar'bri'osh you will endure," Shinara explained.

"Shinara, you're people are wrong…we are not the enemy here," Mitchell tried, but shouts from the gathered spectators told him they were out for blood…his blood.

"You were given the chance to prove yourself, Colonel…"

"I was?" Mitchell spat as a large bare chested man with bulging biceps and a hood covering his face stepped forward. "I'm pretty sure your people had found us…found me guilty before the trial."

"Your people are guilty…"

"No, we're not and someday you will see who the real guilty party is," Mitchell said and looked pointedly at Prionne.

"I grow tired of your attempts to avoid punishment, Colonel Mitchell," Prionne snapped. "Get on with the punishment, Shinara, or people will think you have no stomach for this."

"Colonel Mitchell," Shinara said and vowed to make Prionne pay for his words after the Earth male was punished and taken to the sarcophagus. "The 'Shir'rift' is used in the first of the ten death of Skar'bri'osh and is meant to shred the skin. There are teeth from the Bir'sith embedded in the seven strips that will cut deeply until the blood runs freely from your body. This will continue until you are declared dead and placed in the sarcophagus."

"Don't do this!" Sam cried, but try as she might she could not get close to Mitchell or his tormentor.

Mitchell's eyes locked onto the implement of torture held tightly in his punisher's hands. It was a cruel looking weapon with a handle around two feet in length. Attached to the end were several long strips resembling the whips he'd seen in old horror movies. Each strip had pointed, white triangular objects that looked like shark teeth polished to a brilliant shine. He took a deep breath as the masked punisher stepped toward him, the eyes cold as he lifted the weapon above his shoulder.

Cam could only watch as it seemed to take an impossibly long time for the weapon to descend, but when it struck him across his chest, he was shocked when he felt very little pain. By the time the third and forth blows landed, his mind and body had caught up to each other and he had to grit his teeth to keep from screaming. He felt blood running down his chest and struggled to stay conscious as again and again the 'Shir'rift' landed on his chest. He lost count as his tormentor began moving around his body, tearing into his flesh with the weapon.

Mitchell swore he heard someone cry out, begging, and frowned when he realized the sound was coming from his own throat. He heard Carter and reached fro her presence as if it was a lifeline. He clung to it as his head dropped toward his chest and he watched the blood dripping down his bare chest. He knew he was lightheaded and chuckled softly as his mind began playing tricks on him. He swore the trails of blood were making designs, some resembling animals, some reminding him of enemies that remained nameless.

Mitchell knew he was losing the battle to remain conscious and with Herculean effort he raised his head and sought out the familiar face in a sea of strangers. "Sam," he whispered and frowned when he heard her cry out. Was she in pain? Were they punishing her? That couldn't be…he'd been the one to take the blame. Hadn't he stepped up to the plate?

"I'm sorry, Sam…so sorry," Mitchell whimpered as the 'razor sharp weapon cut into his lower abdomen. He no loner had the strength to keep his head up and had long ago sagged in the manacles holding him prisoner. Death was coming for him and he embraced the chance to escape the pain that flowed through him.

"Cam! No! Please stop!" Carter said and fought the guards who held her prisoner, shocked when they released her and she nearly fell. She stood up and raced toward the blood drenched figure at the center of the clearing. Cameron Mitchell was unrecognizable as she reached up to touch his right cheek. His eyes were open, but there was no life left in them and a sob escaped her throat as his bonds were removed and he was torn away from her.

"Put him in the sarcophagus and then return him to his cell once he is revived," Shinara ordered.

Carter could only watch as Mitchell's lifeless body was dragged away from the clearing. She wanted to go with him, but her guards were back and they denied her that right as the clearing emptied of Tarleans, leaving her alone with just the blood stained ground as a reminder of Cameron Mitchell's death.

Carter could feel the tears in her eyes, but refused to let them fall as she turned and made her way toward the gate. There was nothing she could do to convince Shinara that they were wrong, but perhaps Daniel and Teal'c had been able to get some answers on earth. She quickly dialed the gate and waited for the confirmation from Cheyenne Mountain that would allow her to return home.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

General Hank Landry was past angry and bordering on a rage he'd never felt before. So far they'd been unable to find Dr. Randolph and were no closer to finding out who was behind the charges brought against Mitchell and the others. Carter had yet to report in and something told him when she did it would not be good news.

Landry closed the file he'd been reading and rubbed at tired eyes before a knock sounded on his door. "Come," called, surprised when Carter stepped into his office. She looked paler than he'd ever seen her before and he knew without asking that things were worse than he'd imagined.

"General, we need to…"

"Easy, Colonel, sit down before you fall down!" Landry ordered, pouring a glass of water and handing it to the woman.

"They killed him, General," Carter spat.

"Mitchell?"

"Yes, Sir, we need to get him out of there…"

"Colonel, if he's dead…."

"You don't understand, Sir…" Carter stopped as a knock sounded on the door and Teal'c and Jackson entered on Landry's command.

"Sam, are you okay? Where's Mitchell?" Jackson asked.

"The Tarleans killed him," Landry explained and saw the anger in Teal's eyes.

"Permission to go to Tarl…"

"Wait, Teal'c," Carter said and turned to Landry. "They did kill him, but this is only the first of ten deaths."

"Are you saying they have a sarcophagus?" Jackson asked incredulously.

"Yes, they…God, they whipped him today and there was so much blood," Carter shuddered at the thought of Mitchell being subjected to the 'healing' properties of the sarcophagus. "He was dead…and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop it!"

"Sam, don't go blaming yourself for this," Jackson told her. "There was nothing you could do…"

"Where's Randolph?" Carter asked angrily, hoping they could get some answers from the man who seemed to be behind the Tarleans need for a scapegoat.

"We don't know," Landry answered. "He left the base and hasn't been heard from since."

"We need to find him, Sir," Carter said as a knock sounded on the door.

"What is this…Grand Central Station," Landry snapped. "Come."

"General, Dr. Randolph…"

"What about him?' the general asked impatiently.

"He wishes to speak with you, but he refuses to go through proper channels," the messenger, Major William Morris answered, wishing he was anywhere but in this room.

"Well, how the hell does he wish to communicate?" Landry asked.

"I can't explain it, Sir, but the only way he'll speak to you is through the feed in the control room," Morris told him. "He said he would call back in fifteen minutes."

"Randolph has some things to answer for," Carter said.

"Indeed," was Teal'c's softly spoken agreement as he followed the others out of the office.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Randolph sat back on his heels as a wide smile lit up his dark features. Things were moving along faster than they'd thought possible and the Tarleans were making it easier for them to implement their plans without spilling a drop of blood. Colonel Mitchell was the instrument that would see two worlds destroyed and allow his people a stranglehold in this universe.

Randolph glanced at his watch and reached for the communication device he would use to contact General Landry at Cheyenne Mountain. It would be impossible for Landry's people to trace the call since the device was something they'd never seen before. He pressed several invisible keys and listened as the call was placed through their base. It didn't take long to go through and he spoke to Harrington whose anger came through in his voice.

"Tell General Landry I will speak to him now," Randolph said and listened as someone approached Harrington.

"This is Landry, Randolph…where the hell are you?"

"I can't tell you that, General…they'd kill me if they knew I was talking to you."

"Who'd kill you?"

"The Tarleans…they threatened to kill me and my team if we failed to bring…"

"Your team is dead, Randolph, and I don't believe the Tarleans had anything to do with it. Who are you and what the hell are you playing at?"

"I don't understand you, General…I am a doctor and I…"

"I don't think so, Randolph…I don't even think that's your name. Where are you from and why the Subterfuge?"

"The IOA…"

"Don't go there either because I know damn well you don't belong with the IOA."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, General. Are your people back from Tarlia?"

"They are…"

"Oh, really…I would have thought Colonel Mitchell…"

"What about Colonel Mitchell?"

"Nothing…I just thought your people would be angry at having him used as a scapegoat, but if you think so little of those who work for you then perhaps we were wrong about you. We could help you save him if you…"

"What makes you think we'd trust you?"

"What choice do you have, General? I'm sure, by now, your colonel has been sentenced and if I'm correct he's already suffering at the Tarlean's hands. I will be in contact again in a few days and perhaps you will be more agreeable to listening to my demands," Randolph said and released the buttons that would cut the communication before the others realized what was happening. Things were moving along and it wouldn't take much to push both sides into a devastating war.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Cameron Mitchell knew he'd felt worse than he did right now, but he couldn't remember why or when. He forced his eyes open and tried to remember what he'd done to make him feel so weak, but his mind wasn't ready to cooperate. He shifted, shocked that his body obeyed his command while his mind screamed at him to stay down.

Darkness surrounded him, the silence seemed never ending, and he reached out until his hands touched against something foreign. He felt around and moved his legs, but there was no room for him to turn on his side and he cried out in angry frustration as he fought the cobwebs surrounding his mind.

"Help me," Mitchell tried, but the words sounded harsh as if he was forcing his words through cut glass. He tried to push against his prison, but there was no movement as he fought the panic rising like a tide in his throat.

"Let me out!" Mitchell shouted, but again his words were met with dead silence as whatever energy reserves he had were quickly depleted and darkness reached for him once more.

TBC