Daniel swam slowly, reluctantly back to consciousness, aware first of the dull ache at the back of his head. Next came his arms, which felt like lead weights hanging awkwardly off of his shoulder joints. They were suspended above him, but the chains offered no support, leaving their full weight to strain his exhausted neck, back and shoulders.

"Good morning, Dr. Jackson," said the menacingly soft-spoken tone of his captor. Daniel squinted, still trying to make out a face in the shadows.

"Where--where's my team?" he demanded, suddenly realizing that Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell were no longer in the cell.

"Don't you think this would go better if we tried to help one another, Daniel?" the voice asked conversationally. "Now, I recall asking you a question yesterday. About Vala? You remember…"

"Go to hell," Daniel spat.

"I'd rather not," the voice said thoughtfully. "You see, I've been there."

------

The door banged open and Jack spun away from the window, red phone still in hand. Vala charged into the office with his secretary still pulling on her arm. Jack resisted the urge to tell the woman that if she didn't let go she was probably going to find herself missing an arm soon. Raising his free hand to massage his temples, he crossed the floor to his desk and cleared his throat into the phone.

"I'll call you back," he said, then dropped the phone into its cradle with a wince. "Mr. President."

"I'm sorry, General, she…" began the secretary.

"That's fine, Nancie," he said, walking slowly around the desk. Nancie eyed Vala for a moment longer, then reluctantly backed out of the room.

"Vala…" he started, shaking his head. "Y'know, you should be home. Resting. Or some--"

"I don't need rest, Jack!" Vala fired at him. " I need to find Daniel! Now!"

"We're all working on it…"

"That ransom message came in from the Lucian Alliance nearly a week ago!" Vala exclaimed. "I'm tried of sitting here while you and Landry do nothing--"

Jack spun suddenly toward the desk, waving his arm angrily at the phone he'd just hung up. "Who do you think I was on the phone with? Santa Claus? There's a standing policy in this country that we don't negotiate with terrorists."

"Then where's the extraction team? You pulled him out of Honduras…"

Gritting his teeth, Jack turned around again and glared furiously at the accusation in her tone. She had a right, of course. There was nothing he wanted more then to lead a team through the 'Gate to save SG-1. His team. They'd always be his team…

"Let me ask you again," he said. "Who the hell do you think I was on the phone with?"

"Look," Vala shook her head. "Let me go. I've been there, I can get them out myself…"

"I can't. Not without the President's say-so. Besides, Daniel would kill both of us--"

"Not if he's dead!" Vala shouted back. "Landry I almost understand, but you--!" she shook her head, leaving the statement to be completed with any of a hundred reasons why Jack O'Neill wouldn't leave his team behind. "If you don't give the order, I have other ways, you know…"

"You got a ship?" Jack asked dubiously.

"I can get one," she nodded.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head firmly. "No. No, Vala, I'm sorry. I can't let you go alone."

"You don't have a choice!" Vala vowed with a glare of her own.

"Then I'll just have to go with you, won't I?" Jack asked flatly.