Chapter 10

As Jack's unconscious body was dumped into the cell, Samoth stared at it dispassionately. He wondered why the one called Ba'al bore such a grudge against O'Neill, but he was impressed at the human's fortitude. This had been the fourth time in the last few hours that they had dumped Jack's unconscious form in their prison. Each time, they had zatted Samoth, and then left the two of them alone until O'Neill had awakened, and then they had removed him once again.

He looked down at the human. His shirt was in tatters, and his pants were burnt, blood-stained, and torn, showing where the Goa'uld had tortured him, but the skin underneath was free of scars and injuries. Samoth was curious. He wondered what exactly had been going on with O'Neill and Ba'al in the times between his awakenings.

As O'Neill began to stir, Samoth looked up, expecting Jaffa to be there, ready to take the human again, but they were left alone. Samoth smiled and remained sitting as O'Neill's eyes opened and he took in his surroundings with confusion.

"Daniel?" he asked, his voice muddled and confused.

"What?" Samoth asked.

O'Neill shook his head, freeing it from the left-over cobwebs. "Nothing. Sorry." He sat up and stumbled over to the other bench across from Samoth and seated himself.

"How are you doin', Sammy?" O'Neill asked.

"Thus far, I am unhurt, save for the electrical current that they continue to send through my body," Samoth said rather honestly, his voice weak from the repeated shocks.

"Peachy," O'Neill supplied, and Samoth felt confused again, unsure of Jack's meaning.

After a moment's silence, O'Neill asked, "So, you feel up to getting out of here?"

"What?" Samoth asked again. Surely, if O'Neill had a way out of this mess, he would have used it long ago.

Jack grinned. "See, I've been in this type of situation before, and I think I would be kind of an idiot if I hadn't prepared for such an eventuality." After a moment's pause, Jack asked again, "So, are you with me in this?"

Samoth nodded eagerly. "I would be more than happy to get out of this cell, O'Neill."

"Okay," Jack said, "you can come on one condition. If I help you escape, you don't turn me over to your boss, and you let me go home."

Samoth looked at Jack for a long moment. As he black eyes peered into Jack's, Jack wondered what he was thinking. Strangely, he didn't feel threatened by this guy. His instincts either were offline, or Samoth wasn't really a bad guy. It was hard to tell after a few times in the sarcophagus.

"If we escape," Samoth finally said, "I will not turn you over to AN."

Jack nodded and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Excellent," he said, "then let's get out of here."

Moving to his foot, he lifted his ripped pant leg to show a gaudy-looking metal band. He quickly detached it. Quickly lying down on the floor, he placed his feet again the wall and motioned for Samoth to do the same. Then, he activated the device.

A pulse went through their small cell, and the lights went out. Abruptly, the gravity began to shift, and suddenly, Jack was on his feet. Looking regretfully down at the now smoking, twisted piece of metal, he muttered, "Thank you, Sam."

They quickly ran out of the cell which, thankfully, had no door, right into the arms of an oncoming Jaffa. He was as surprised as they were, and Jack recovered faster. A few seconds later, Jack stood back up, and the Jaffa stayed down.

"Let's go," Jack said, and turned to lead them out.

"Impressive," Samoth grunted as he stepped over the fallen Jaffa.

Jack however, didn't hear him as he cautiously looked around the corner and then motioned for Samoth to follow him. Then next guard they encountered soon followed the same fate as the first one, and now Jack had a zat gun.

"It's a good thing Goa'uld are such unimaginative snakes," Jack muttered to Samoth as they made their way down another hallway that looked the same as every other hallway.

"Why is that?" Samoth asked.

"Luckily every ship is built basically the same, so you memorize one, you memorize them all. I should be able to get us to the stargate."

"Yes, that is good," Samoth said. He was weaving a bit, and seemed weak. Jack shook his head in disgust. Grabbing the alien's arm, he placed it across his shoulders, and felt the other sag against his side in relief.

"W...Why?" Samoth said, sounding shocked.

Jack shrugged, "I never could leave anyone behind, especially not in Ba'al's hands. I wouldn't be able to live with myself later."

Samoth remained silent, and Jack didn't know what else to say, so they continued in silence.

As Jack rounded the last door, he looked up and was pleased to see the Stargate. "Just as easy as last time," he had time to murmur with a smile, and then everything blew up in his face.

Sam sighed as she and Daniel sunk down into seats. Those had been the most emotionally grilling hours of her life.

"I really wish that Jack was here," Daniel moaned. "He would have chased those reporters away long before now."

"Or it might have caused more problems," a voice said from behind them.

"Sir," Sam said, struggling to rise back to her feet.

"At ease, Major," Hammond chuckled. Then he turned very serious. "Have you seen the news?"

"No, sir," Sam said, "we've been busy."

"Well," General Hammond said, "it's a right mess out there. Take a look at this."

Taking Daniel's remote control, he flipped on the television.

"...news has left the country in shock," a woman's voice began speaking. "The public is still trying to figure out if this is some big hoax. Having seen the stargate myself, I am inclined to believe it, but for everyone else, they're going to need something more. The riots that have broken out in several cities are turning ugly, and police are doing little to stop it. They seem just as outraged. In fact, in Cincinnati, several of the police force have joined the rioters and have started marching. Will this news break our country apart, or will it bring us together? As for the rest of the world..."

Hammond muted the t.v. as violent images continued to play on the screen.

They were silent for a long moment.

"What's going to happen now?" Daniel said.

Hammond sighed. "Tomorrow, the President is going to hold another conference with any world leader who wants to attend. We've all been asked to be there as well. This is going to be it, people. What happens to us will be decided there. It will be an open meeting, and everyone will be watching. The secret's out, and now, we're facing the aftermath. Let's only hope that our leaders will make wise decisions."

Sam could only nod in agreement. This was turning out worse than she'd ever imagined.

As Jack started toward the gate, he felt Samoth lift up his arm, and then it was brought down violently toward Jack. Only a moment's premonition saved him from an unconscious state. He twisted out of the way, and Samoth's arm only swiped him with a glancing blow. As Jack stopped supporting the other alien, Samoth staggered for a moment, and then straightened with a smile.

"What are you doing!" hissed Jack in a stage whisper. His arm was numb from the force of the blow, and he felt confused.

Instead of answering, a cool smile broke across Samoth's face and he began to yell, "Jaffa, kree!"

The sound of armored footprints drawing near broke the sudden stillness between them.

"Why?" growled Jack, as he crouched in a defensive position.

"My master is coming for you," Samoth grinned. "However, I just wanted to see how far you could get toward your freedom. You are a truly incredible human, O'Neill. I'm convinced that if I hadn't stopped you now, you might have gotten away."

Jack growled and lunged toward the other humanoid. Samoth ducked, but the repeated electric shocks had slowed his system, and Jack managed to land a good punch to his face. Jack was instantly on him, and they were rolling on the floor when the Jaffa arrived; a kicking, punching, mass of movement. As the Jaffa zatted them both, and hauled them to their feet, Jack couldn't help the slow anger that filled him.

"I guess I misjudged you," Jack snarled at the other man, "I thought you were a better man than this. You swore that you wouldn't betray me!"

"Ah," Samoth said, lifting a finger and interrupting Jack, "I said I wouldn't turn you over if we escaped. As you can see, we have not escaped yet."

"And you won't be escaping anytime soon," Ba'al's familiar voice broke through their conversation. "Samoth offered me a fair deal, and I have agreed to it."

"What kind of a deal?" Jack asked. Blood was trickling down his face from where Samoth had split his eyebrow. Samoth however, Jack noted to his satisfaction, looked a lot worse.

"Tomorrow," Ba'al grinned triumphantly, "AN is coming here. Then, you will be out of my life forever, and I will be the most powerful Goa'uld in the known universe!"

"Dream on, beach ball," Jack rolled his eyes. "Since when do bad guys keep their promises? I wouldn't count my pigeons yet, if you know what I mean."

"I do not," Ba'al said, "but we have time before we arrive for several more sessions. Bring O'Neill back to the gravity wall. Samoth, you may watch if you would like?" Ba'al extended politely.

"Sure," Samoth said, "however, I'd like it if you would be so kind as to stop shocking me. My body is beginning to wear down."

Ba'al nodded. "That would be acceptable. Anything you would like."

There was a part of Jack that would never admit it, but in that moment, he felt truly alone. His 'ally' had turned on him, and he had nothing left. Tomorrow, AN was coming, and at that thought, death suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore. Maybe Ba'al woud accidently forget to revive him.

One could only hope.