Episodes 7.21 and 7.22 "Lost City"
The Malibu house was clean and white and modern, with windows nearly the entire full side of the house to enjoy the views of the ocean. Sekhmet had built the house during the seventies and had remodeled it more than once. Nes had also decided to update it and now it looked fresh and new compared to when she'd been there just a year ago. She wandered out to the balcony on the main floor and breathed in the salt air. The sky was already dark, but she briefly contemplated a swim despite the danger. The weight of the day fell onto her all at once, though, and she moved back inside to find a bottle of something to make sure she would sleep like the dead before she thought too hard about joining them.
The light streaming onto her bed woke her far too early. She'd forgotten to shut the shades the night before, but she got up, made coffee, and took it straight down to the sand. The house was smashed between neighbors, meaning it was fairly worthless for killing, but the view made up for that flaw. She had other nearby houses that were more isolated, some in rather seedy neighborhoods that wouldn't bat an eye at screams or bodies. She would keep those in mind if Sekhmet claimed a greater dominance after her killing yesterday.
The rhythmic waves calmed her body, but she began to feel that awful prickling of a conscience she was working hard to suppress. It didn't matter how she justified the deaths of Keffler and Anna. The truth was, she'd killed them to protect herself. Keffler would have blackmailed her with his information about Ba'al. Sekhmet would have forced her down paths she was trying to avoid.
Killing them, though...that may have set her on that path anyway. She knew she was still dangerous, but the memory of pushing Anna's thumb down onto the button...she would never be rid of it. Maybe it was time to admit that her place was with Ba'al.
No.
She wasn't ready to do that just yet. She just needed distractions until the despair passed. A muscular jogger went past giving her a flirtatious smile and her own smile spread onto her face in response.
LA was a superb place for distractions.
Back inside, she got dressed for the day and went to investigate the garage. A bright yellow Porsche convertible was just what she needed. She wanted to be ostentatious for a while. Managing attention was always a good way of avoiding any real thoughts beyond one's own beauty and charm and power.
She drove. She drove fast and she did all the things a young wealthy woman does in Los Angeles. She went to the beach. She went shopping. She ate at the best restaurants. She let men flirt with her, but as the evening wore on, she made her way to her and Sekhmet's old preferred bar. The sign in the window read The Butcher's Favorite Bar and Nes tapped her foot in annoyance before going in.
It was crowded, but she moved quickly to the bar, unsurprised to find Tony, with his dark hair, scruffy face, and a smile that melted, still mixing drinks, the female clientele still hanging on his every word.
She edged her way up to where he stood flirting with a busty blonde and rather loudly said, "I hear this is one of the only places a girl can get a decent Aviation."
His eyes immediately left the other woman and hunted for her face. "Holy shit...Kat." His face went pale with the ghost in front of him. "I thought you were…"
"A dead serial killer? I noticed your sign."
He set down the cocktail shaker in his hands and absentmindedly arranged the bottles in front of him. "Well...you gotta admit...there's a resemblance."
"So are you glad to see me or not?"
He quickly looked up and gave her a wink. "Get your ass on this side." He cleared a spot on the bar. "Just like old times."
Nes turned her back to the bar and hoisted herself onto it, swinging her legs around and narrowly avoiding catching a few jealous women in the face. Tony put both hands on her waist, lifting her down and straight into a firm kiss.
"So you finally gonna come home with me tonight?" he asked in his best seductive voice.
"Oh, I'm afraid I'd get far too jealous of all your women afterwards. Then bodies start piling up and it gets so very difficult to convince everyone that I'm not The Butcher." She patted his cheek and he kissed her again.
"So what the hell, Kat? Where've you been if you're not dead?"
"Around. Just not here."
"I noticed." He looked behind her at the annoyed customers. "I'm glad you're not a dead serial killer, hun, but I have to get back to work. Can you come by tomorrow while I'm setting up? Like you used to?"
"Sure, Tony. I'll see you then." She gave him a quick peck before heading down to the far end of the bar to leave in the normal fashion.
She shouldn't have let him kiss her, but she'd fallen right into the role that their character, Kat, had played when Tony had been that girl's friend. She went home, not wanting any crowds or conversation, and was tempted to call Elliot. This house and town would be more fun with him around, but then she'd have to tell him what she did. Or lie about it. And she wasn't sure she was capable of lying about it yet. Not to him.
She went straight to the liquor cabinet, pulled out a bottle of tequila, and went to sit on the balcony to drink. She needed Sekhmet to help her push away the guilt and doubt, but drawing on her strength wasn't the only thing she'd pull up, so drinking seemed the better option. She wasn't sure which one led to a slower death.
Nes had remembered to pull the shades this time and slept well past noon, but woke up with a hangover that would either make her too groggy to hunt for a victim or too irritable to entice them into anything anyway. Both options saved a life, but left her feeling miserable and she worried that she was starting down a path that would be difficult to turn away from.
Coffee and more coffee got her at least dressed and out the door, driving back to the bar she'd visited the night before. That area of town was fairly dead this time of day, so she parked right outside and knocked on the locked front door. She could see Tony through the window coming toward her, a big smile on his face.
"Hello hun." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and ushered her inside. "Nice ride. You always have a new car."
"I like cars."
"Apparently." He went behind the bar and she grabbed a stool about midway down. "An Aviation?"
"Of course."
He started rounding up ingredients to make her drink. "So you're back in town. Or have you been back before and just not stopped by?"
She looked down sheepishly. "I've been back a few times, yeah."
"Damn. It's insane how much you look like her. That's gotta make life...interesting now."
"Definitely. At least she's dead, though. If she were just in prison, I don't think I'd be able to convince anyone I wasn't Tessa James."
"So what have you been up to then? It's been what...five years?"
"Traveling mostly."
"What do you do for a living anyway?"
Nes just smiled and Tony shrugged.
"Okay, off limits as usual," he said.
"What about you? What have you been doing?"
"Not much really. Got married. Got divorced. You know how it goes." He slid her drink in front of her. "You ever been married, Kat?"
Nes let a small smile slip. "Sort of."
He raised his eyebrows.
"It's complicated." Being queen to a few System Lords hardly counted. She took a sip of the cocktail and gave him a big smile. "Wonderful, as always."
He bowed his head in thanks. "And no one special now?" He looked a bit hopeful before shifting his eyes away from hers.
"Yeah, actually, but...I don't know if it'll work out."
"Why not?" He watched Nes shift uncomfortably. "Come on. Spill to the bartender."
"He's a good guy. A really good guy."
"But no spark."
"Oh no. Plenty of spark. Lots of spark. It's just...I don't know if he can deal with my past. He says he can, but...it's not just my past."
"Your past isn't really over and done with."
"Right. I did something. And I don't know if he'll be able to understand or forgive me. I'm not sure I even require his forgiveness, but I'm pretty sure he'll think less of me."
"So you're hiding out here chatting with your old friend, Tony." His tone was jovial, but she could hear some undercurrent of hurt.
"I don't know if I can tell him, but I don't know if I can lie, either."
He put both hands on the counter in front of him and waited until she made eye contact. "Sounds like you're going to tell him regardless then. Might as well get it over with before you compound it with lies." He looked down, unfocused on anything in front of him. "The lies are sometimes worse than the initial sin."
Nes wasn't sure that applied to the things she was lying about. Killing people was usually much worse than the lies that followed.
"Do you love him?" Tony asked.
That was a hard question. A really hard question. "I have no idea what love is." She couldn't keep the despair out of her voice.
"Not sure I know either." He smiled then. "Aren't we a pair?"
Nes chuckled. "I'm glad I came by to see you." She looked at her watch. "I should get going."
"Stop by anytime, hun. Come here." He leaned across the bar and gave her a gentle kiss. "You should just tell him, Kat. See how he handles it."
Nes nodded then hopped down off the stool and waved. "Bye, Tony."
She visited Tony most days, chatting about life, but not really, about love, but not really. He was friends with Kat, but not Nes, and it became more and more obvious to them both that there was far too much secrecy between them for anything beyond glossing over the surface of their respective problems. But it was company and flirtation and that was something they both enjoyed at least.
Her evenings were spent with a bottle in hand, trying to dull both Sekhmet and herself, but only succeeding in giving herself a headache the next day. She rapidly began to tire of Los Angeles, but wanted to at least say goodbye to Tony, unlike the other times she and Sekhmet had simply disappeared.
Tony left the front door unlocked for her now so she walked right into the bar, hollering his name with a smile. She quickly noticed that she wasn't his only visitor. The dark haired man in a pinstripe suit turned slowly on the barstool to face her with a seductive smile.
"Hello, sweetheart." Ba'al's voice was silky, but with an edge outlining his words. He rose from the chair and approached her, a hand going around her waist to pull her closer for a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have missed you."
Nes looked past him quickly at Tony who seemed to note the tension in the room. "How did you find me?" She kept her voice low, but there was enough force behind it that Ba'al would be unable to miss her anger.
"Oh, some acquaintances of our dear friend, Dr. Keffler, were keeping an eye out for you."
So...the rogue NID was watching her. She should have taken more steps to hide her tracks when she left the hotel, but she hadn't been thinking clearly at the time. Now she mentally kicked herself for being so careless.
She forced her body to relax and smile. "Well, wonderful. I'm glad you caught me before I left LA again." She moved forward to the bar. "How about one last drink, Tony?"
"Taking off so soon, Kat?" Tony looked concerned, but tried his best to hide it.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." She leaned forward and patted his cheek. "Don't worry. I'll be back someday."
Tony smiled, but then turned grim as Ba'al sat down next to Nes and put a hand on the small of her back possessively.
"You ever been to LA before, Emyr?" He directed the question to Ba'al so that must be the name he'd been given for the goa'uld.
"Never before. Such an interesting city…" he looked to Nes, "...on an interesting planet."
Sekhmet's smirk appeared. "I knew you would like it." He reflected her expression and she felt her stomach flip. She had appreciated him in his royal attire offworld, but there was something about him in a suit that was quickly overriding any fears she had of his presence.
A clatter behind the bar got the attention of both guests and Nes turned to see Tony staring at her wide-eyed. She looked like The Butcher now, absolutely and completely, and he hadn't missed the change.
"Kat, love, I made reservations for dinner across town so we should probably get going."
"Of course." She shifted back into Kat slightly and said a quiet goodbye to Tony, but it was too late. He saw who and what she was.
They got out onto the sidewalk by her car and Ba'al grabbed her arm forcefully. "I have grown tired of waiting for you to hold up your end of our bargain."
"So you decided to come check up on me? Possibly ruining my cover?"
"I highly doubt that bartender is of any consequence to your mission."
She shrugged off his arm and walked around the front of her car to the driver side door. "Get in." She gestured to the passenger seat.
Ba'al slid into the seat, carefully examining the Porsche. "Such a primitive vehicle."
"Primitive…" she turned and winked. "...but fun." She laid her foot on the gas and they took off down the road, Ba'al begrudgingly releasing a smile as the wind whipped past them.
She slowed to a stop at a red light and he leaned over to pull her into a kiss, only interrupted by the honking of horns behind them as the light turned green. They took off again, but Ba'al left a hand firmly on her thigh as she drove. He hadn't actually made reservations, but it was no matter. Nes had plenty of options for a meal and she couldn't stop the excitement of introducing Ba'al to this world and its many pleasures.
While Ba'al was used to luxury, she was guessing he'd never had some of the more common foods of California and she pulled the car into a parking spot at a favorite burger place.
Ba'al's disgust was apparent. "What is this?"
Nes laughed before leaning over, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt. He reached a hand over to her waist, but she quickly removed it. "I'm not undressing you, simply making you more casual." She looked him over with some hunger in her eyes. "As much as I like you in a suit."
They got out and she also slid his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves. Now he looked much more in line with the other clientele, but his eyes told her he'd like to be somewhere much more private with her now. She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her inside where they were then given a table out on the patio.
After the waitress had brought their beers and taken their orders, Nes grew more serious. "Why did you come?"
"Is simply wishing to see you not a good enough reason?" His smile was seductive as he reached a hand up to caress her cheek.
She returned the smile, but leaned forward with a quick, "No."
Ba'al sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Anubis is coming."
"Here?"
"Yes. He believes the Tau'ri have acquired knowledge of The Lost City of the Ancients. Have they?"
"I know they've been looking, but no, I don't think they've found it yet. What makes him think they have?"
"My spies said they acquired an Ancient Repository of Knowledge that Anubis sought."
"One of those devices that downloads Ancient knowledge into the human brain?"
"Yes. I believe Colonel O'Neill has had an encounter with one in the past."
"Well, even if they have a repository, that's certainly no guarantee that they know where the Lost City is."
"No, but it does not matter if Anubis believes they know."
"True...when will he arrive?"
"Three days."
"Do the Tau'ri know?"
"Yes. The Shol'va Bra'tac informed them."
Nes felt nausea as worry climbed up her spine. Three days and there was nothing she knew of that could help fend off Anubis and his ships. "And you...what? Came to rescue me?"
Ba'al shrugged with a smile.
"Or you simply wanted to see what you could acquire in the short time before this world is destroyed?"
"I perhaps thought you had information that would be valuable," he said casually.
Three days. Elliot. She saw no way to save him this time. She didn't have a ship and even if she did, he would never leave in the middle of a crisis. She could only hope that he was sent to the Alpha Site or that SG-1 somehow managed to obtain the mythical weapon of the Lost City. Sekhmet was still too prominent, though, and Nes was ashamed that these were only quick and passing thoughts. Her mind shifted almost immediately to her own survival and Ba'al was her best option both in the short and long term.
"I may have information that would profit us greatly if the Tau'ri do in fact defeat Anubis. Or even if they do not."
Ba'al's eyebrows went up questionly, but she paused for dramatic effect.
"I know the planet where Anubis creates his Kull Warriors."
"Well that certainly would be helpful. Though how likely is it that he will be destroyed?"
"I don't know, but I think we are among the only ones of the goa'uld who do not underestimate the Tau'ri threat. They have already killed those who ruled over all of us for centuries."
"True. It sickens me that they have achieved so much as mere humans."
"Well, if we were to find ourselves very near to the planet when Anubis fell…"
"We could claim his army. And if he is victorious, we may yet be able to destroy the warriors."
"Precisely. Little risk, but potentially a huge reward."
Ba'al leaned toward her. "You are exquisite." His eyes roamed over her and she felt his hand on her thigh again.
Nes crossed her legs to shift them away from him. "Do not think for one moment, sweetheart, that you can have me followed, then appear out of nowhere to reprimand me and use me for information, and still expect me to simply fall into bed with you."
He straightened up with a smirk. "I doubt I will have to wait very long for you to change your mind." His overconfidence somehow still managed to come off as charming which infuriated her, but she also knew her own willpower and Sekhmet's. She would hold his desire over him for as long as possible, managing his decisions until she was indispensable to his rule.
The waitress appeared with their food and though Ba'al initially looked skeptical at the greasy meal in front of him, he conceded quickly with a smile that it was indeed delicious.
"Emyr then?"
"Emyr Kagan. And you are known as Nesert Saeda here. And interestingly also as Tessa James, your current host, who is also known as The Butcher. You have been quite busy."
Nes smirked. "Keep your voice down. I'm supposed to be dead."
"I did notice quite a lot of stares."
"Oh, that's simply because we're gorgeous." She winked and he chuckled.
"Well, that is certainly true. I find myself truly hoping Anubis does not conquer this planet. I can already tell I would enjoy more time here."
