Warning: This chapter is intense at times as it contains torture.
After traveling through several Stargates and arriving at several planets, Sobek finally said, "All right, we will remain here and wait for my ship to arrive. We will journey that way and set up camp. You first." Sobek pointed in the direction he wished go and Daniel reluctantly obeyed, deciding any resistance at the moment would be futile.
They walked in silence for several minutes until they were a considerable distance from the Stargate. "Halt," Sobek ordered. Once Daniel complied, Sobek removed the cuffs from his prisoner's wrists. "You will gather wood during the rest of our journey…and I will be watching."
Under Sobek's constant scrutiny, Daniel had little choice to do otherwise. Soon, Daniel's arms were full of as much wood as he could carry. They proceeded onwards until Sobek finally declared, "We will stop here. Prepare the campfire."
When the campfire was ready to be lit, Sobek put the cuffs back on Daniel's wrists. Then, he removed the pack from his back and lay it on the ground. Opening it, Sobek searched inside until he found some matches to light the fire. As the wood started burning, Sobek glanced at Daniel and pointed to the ground nearby. "Sit," he commanded. With Daniel seated, Sobek returned to the pack, keeping Daniel under close surveillance. He reached in the pack, pulled out two MREs and two bottles of water, then returned to the fire. Sobek handed one of the MREs and bottles to Daniel and kept one of each for himself.
"Thank you," Daniel acknowledged.
"Eat," responded Sobek, and the two of them had their meal in silence.
Shortly after they'd finished eating, Sobek forced Daniel to his feet and led him to a nearby tree. He removed the cuff from one of Daniel's wrists long enough to cuff Daniel's arms around the tree trunk. Once Daniel had been secured, Sobek returned to the campfire, sat down, and turned his attention inward. "Now, Jack O'Neill, you will tell me where I can find your son," he silently insisted.
"How many times must I tell you that Charlie's dead?" Jack shot back, telepathically.
"Daniel Jackson will pay for your lies!" a furious Sobek proclaimed verbally, so that Daniel would also hear.
"Leave Daniel out of this," was Jack's suppressed plea, as Sobek stood and approached the fire.
Sobek grinned and though Jack couldn't see that expression, he could sense Sobek's pleasure as Sobek announced, "I have discovered the closeness that has formed between the members of SG-1. I think that weakness can be utilized to gain your co-operation."
Reaching down, Sobek picked up a stick from the outer edge of the campfire. It's smoldering tip had been resting near the burning flame. Unable to cry out a warning or offer words of consolation, Jack watched in despair as Sobek approached Daniel.
Secured to the tree with his back towards the fire, Daniel was not aware of what was happening. Sobek approached from behind and raised the back of Daniel's shirt. When Daniel felt this, he recalled Sobek's earlier threat and with some trepidation asked, "What are you doing?"
In answer, Sobek touched the searing hot tip of the stick to Daniel's back and began moving it to form a pattern. This sudden pain was a shock to Daniel and he cried out momentarily. In an attempt to provide a distraction to the pain and the fact that his father's body was being forced to provide that abuse, Daniel kept mumbling, "It isn't Jack…it isn't Jack…"
A prisoner in his own body, a distraught Jack could do nothing to prevent Sobek's abuse of his son. Sobek shared the body's senses with Jack's consciousness, however. Therefore, Jack was forced to watch as Sobek etched the Egyptian hieroglyphic of his name into the skin on a small section of Daniel's back. He was forced to smell Daniel's burning flesh and he heard Daniel cry out once more when the pain became too much to bear.
"Stop it!" Jack's consciousness screamed in communication with Sobek's.
"Please, don't," begged Daniel, after crying out.
Sobek raised the stick momentarily and declared, "I suspect Jack O'Neill may not be the only one who knows where his son might be found. If either one of you tell me what I want to know, then I will cease."
"Charlie is dead," stated Daniel, unknowingly echoing Jack's responses.
"I think you know which son I mean," hissed Sobek, as he resumed his work.
Both Jack and Daniel were beginning to doubt how much longer they could hold out when Sobek finally stopped and threw the stick aside. "That's all for now," he said, obviously annoyed. "I'll let you both think about what just happened and give you time to prove more co-operative. If I don't have my answer by morning, I'll sign my name again--burnt across Daniel Jackson's entire abdomen."
Sobek grinned with glee at the distress this seemed to cause both his prisoners. One way or another, he was certain that he would discover the truth. For now, though, he had found it necessary to halt his efforts--not out of consideration for his prisoners, but because he himself was nearing exhaustion. Changing hosts as often as he did had left him in a weakened condition and it had been quite a struggle to stay in control of O'Neill's body. Therefore, he would get some rest and it would be a far stronger Goa'uld they would face tomorrow.
- - -
Almost an hour passed. As Sobek slipped into a state of rest, Jack regained control of his body. Forcing the urgency of the situation to suppress his exhaustion, Jack slowly rose to his feet. He quietly walked over to where Daniel was cuffed to the tree and placed one hand over Daniel's mouth to prevent him from speaking. Then, he woke Daniel. As Daniel's eyes opened, Jack put the forefinger of his other hand over his own mouth in a hushing motion. Then, he used the same finger to point in the direction of the Stargate.
Once Daniel realized Jack was in control and nodded his understanding, Jack reached into the pocket where Sobek had put the key to the cuffs, pulled it out, and released Daniel. Then, they silently rushed towards the Stargate, hoping to make it back to Stargate Command before Sobek resumed control.
It took them a while, but they finally reached the Stargate. Daniel had carefully watched Sobek enter the addresses for all the planets they had gated to, including this one. Therefore, he was able to compute the address that would send them home. He started entering the symbols and soon had six entered in. As Daniel reached for the seventh, Jack shoved him aside and pressed the central button instead. The Stargate attempted activation, but without the final symbol, failed and reset itself.
"You don't want to miss out on all the fun, now, do you?" a smirking Sobek, again in control, asked Daniel. Then, Sobek turned his fury on Jack's consciousness. "And you? You think you can do as you please while I am at rest?" Resuming his verbal speech so both could hear, Sobek snarled, "Well, you both will pay for your insolence." Sobek drew back his hand and slapped Daniel's back hard, right on the spot where it had been burned.
As his back exploded with pain and fluid seeped from the injury to dampen his shirt, Daniel emitted a loud cry and fell to ground in a semi-kneeling position.
"Daniel!" exclaimed Jack silently, frustrated by the fact that he couldn't rush to his son's aid or verbally convey that concern.
Sobek had regained enough of his strength and Jack's concern had weakened his defenses just enough that Sobek was able to access the information he sought. Stepping closer to tower over Daniel, Sobek grinned smugly as he gazed down at the archaeologist and declared, "So, it will not be necessary to return for Jack O'Neill's son, after all."