Chapter Twenty-one

Jack and Sam were standing by the railing, watching the ship cut through the waves and enjoying the fresh ocean breeze. The early morning sun was warm against their skin and they could see dolphins in the clear blue water next to the ship.

Jack asked, "Do the prisoners below have enough food and water?"

"I think so," Sam replied. "They were expecting to ship back with a cargo hold full of slaves. We'll feed the food to them, instead."

He looked up, scanning the horizon and asked, "Are they giving Griff and Reynolds any trouble?"

"No, they were ordered to sit down and they did. I think when they saw the automatic weapons we brought and what they could do, they decided to cooperate."

"That's good. Just what I want to hear. How about a tour, Colonel?"

"Is that a good idea, Jack? Your knee must be sore."

He stood up straight, a bit miffed, and said, "My knee is fine. How about the tour?"

"Aye, Aye, Sir," Sam said with a snappy salute.

"Very funny. You're an airman - not a sailor. Don't ever confuse the two."

Sam laughed as they walked to the bow of the ship and looked out towards the sea. Mitchell and Teal'c were keeping an eye on the crew, making sure they behaved.

Mitchell walked up and said, "How do we know that they'll return to their home port and not some other place? We wouldn't know the difference?"

Jack looked at him and raised both eyebrows. "Oh, we'll know. If we start asking questions to the local people and we don't get the answers we want, we'll know."

"And, then?"

'Then, we get the answers we want."

Griff came up to the main deck and hurried over to Jack and said, "Sir, can I speak to you in private for a moment."

Jack and Griff walked over to the railing and he quietly said, "I have some bad news. The cook told me that he didn't like how Daniel and Vala were treated. He said Daniel was accused of trying to mutiny and was whipped. He almost died. And… I hate to tell you this but Vala was assaulted by the captain."

"Assaulted how?" Jack looked Griff in the eyes and watched as the Colonel looked down. "She was raped by Milford, sir. Repeatedly."

Sam jumped when she heard Jack yell, "Son of a B…" She hurried over to him and said, "Jack, what's wrong?"

Jack had to decide quickly how much he could say in front of the others and decided to keep the information about Vala quiet until he could talk to Sam alone. Vala might need Sam's comfort when they found her but she didn't want the poor woman to be embarrassed thinking that everyone knew what had happened to her.

So, he said, "Daniel was beaten. Whipped, in fact. Griff here says he was nearly killed. Did the cook say where they went?"

Griff said, "His guess was the doctor in town. He didn't really know because he was unloading cargo when the slaves were sold, but anyone buying them would want to have his injuries treated."

"Okay, so when we get there, we find the doctor first."

Sam wondered why Griff felt he had to talk to Jack alone about Daniel. That wouldn't be privileged information. So, it must be about Vala. And, when she thought about what could happen to her, her blood ran cold!

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Captain John Milford was angry and overcome with misery beyond anything he'd ever felt before. His Vala was nowhere to be found. He hadn't planned on burning down the doctor's house but he had to force her out of there. He'd watched from the shadows, a safe distance away and worried that maybe he'd killed her.

But, when he saw Dr. Rollins come busting out the back door, he felt his hopes dash. If Vala had been in there, Rollins would have gotten her out. Nobody would leave a person inside a burning building, if he could help it.

'Berman lied to me about her being at Doc Samuel's house and I want to know why.'

He screamed in frustration as he headed out of town. People on the boardwalk in front of the businesses were watching the fire and saw him yelling obscenities as he lurched down the road, but he didn't care. Some way or another, he had to find her.

In the morning, he woke up in a ditch, wet from the dew and aching all over from stiffness. His eyes were red rimmed and he had a hang over. At first, he wondered what he was doing laying in a ditch. How did he get here? Why was he here?

Then, he remembered and sat up, abruptly, causing the world to spin and he vomited on the ground next to him. Vala. He remembered the fire but he couldn't remember much after that. Why was he on this road?

Crawling out of the mess he was laying in, he staggered to the road and tried to get his bearings. 'Where the hell am I?' There was nothing but dirt road and farm fields in each direction. There were no distinguishing landmarks visible so he could be anywhere. He decided to pick a direction and walk, believing that sooner or later he could either find someone to direct him, or he'd see something familiar.

He walked for a while but the sun was hot and his head felt like an anvil, being hammered by the blacksmith. He sat down under a tree and dozed off. 'Maybe if I sleep it off, I'll feel better.'

That's where Netan's men found him.

"Well, boys, look what we have here? Isn't this the worm Lord Netan is looking for?" They all surrounded Milford and one of them kicked Milford's boot.

"Hey, Worm! Wake Up! Your Lord wants a word with you!" They all laughed as Milford mumbled something in his sleep and tried to push them away as they grabbed his arms.

They dragged him to a puddle on the edge of the nearby field and dropped him in it, face first.

He came out sputtering and swearing at them and sat back, hands planted behind him in the mud, and looked around. "What do you want?" He was angry that they'd so rudely wakened him and he was still very tired.

"Get up! You're coming with us!"

"Why should I?" Milford didn't like being told what to do, especially by Netan's underlings. Didn't they know who he was?

"Because, if you don't, we'll tie you to this tree over here and whip your sorry ass! And then, you'll still have to go with us. So, what's it going to be?"

Milford looked them all in the eyes and grumbled as he realized he was outnumbered. He stood up and followed them to Netan's palace.

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Adam was worried when he saw his grandfather. It was obvious from the copse of trees where Adam was hiding that he looked tired and frail. He watched Robert take his grandfather aside and say, "Sir, I found our friends and got them settled in and they should be fine for a while. They asked after you."

The old man seemed to perk up at the news. "They did? Well, that's nice of them. What are the plans for moving them?"

"We'll have to wait until things settle down. We know Netan's men are looking for them and we also know the Milford suspects us. We can't make a move for a while."

"Do they know to keep quiet and stay inside?"

"Yes, they're willing to wait."

"Good. Where's Adam? I was hoping I could break the news about Olga to him. I didn't want him to hear of it by accident."

"Pastor Dunbar and I already told him, Sir. I'm sorry. I didn't know when you would be released and he wanted to rush into town to get to you. I told him to go to the safe house. I can take you there, if you want."

"No, I'm sure we're all being watched. If I go to him, they'll follow and arrest him, too. He knows a lot about the Resistance and if Netan gets that information, all hell will break loose."

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Netan knew that Daniel and Vala were here somewhere but he couldn't find a trace of them. Somebody must be hiding them. Either that, or they found a hiding place of their own. With Jackson injured, it would be difficult to move. He would have them and soon!

Right before lunchtime, a group of his guards came in with Milford being manhandled between them. He looked at Milford with disgust as his men threw the man to the floor.

The pirate was filthy. He had vomit on his clothing and he was caked in mud. His eyes were red rimmed and the stench was almost overpowering.

He circled around Milford and said, "I understand that two of the people you brought here were not from the towns you went to. From what I've been told you found them already on the beach. And, I know who they are. Doctor Daniel Jackson from the Tau'ri and Vala Mal Doran from… wherever she's from. Doctor Jackson is a notorious trouble maker. And, all this time, they've been hiding out right here under my nose. What have you to say for yourself, Milford?"

"I didn't know they were wanted criminals, Lord Netan."

Netan looked down his nose at the pirate and said "Some trader you are! It's your job to know these things! I don't just pay you to bring back slaves. I pay you to keep your wits about you and learn things that are happening out there! Let me guess - while your men are out herding up the cargo, you're in some dive, drinking yourself unconscious!"

Milford shook as Netan was yelling at him. He'd really stepped in it this time. Netan could kill him right here on the spot if he felt like it.

"Lock him up! I don't want to see his ugly face!"

They dragged Milford away as he pleaded for mercy but Netan wasn't listening. He was trying to figure out a way to track down the two fugitives and turn them over to his contact in the IOA.

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Daniel woke up and stretched, being careful not to wake Vala. She was cuddled up next to him and sound asleep so he leaned up on his elbow and watched her for a while. He remembered the night before and how she'd faced her fears to make love with him. 'I bet that was one of the harshest things for her to overcome, but she did. She's so brave.'

His minded drifted as he worried about how they were going to get home. It would be days before they could move out of here and only if they could be sure that Netan's men had given up looking for them. And then there was the problem of Milford.

He wanted to kill Milford. He hated what he'd done to Vala and that was enough motive by itself. He'd survived the torture he'd had to put up with on the ship. But, Vala was hurt in a different way. A way that no woman should ever have to suffer through. He knew how humiliating it had been for her. He knew the shame she would have to try to get past. He looked down as she sighed in her sleep. He laid back down and pulled her close, rubbing her back and comforting her.

There was a faint light coming through the hole in the wall. He could only guess that it must be early morning and with that thought, he found himself hungry. His back didn't hurt as much but it still ached a bit. The bath last night had helped a lot.

He decided to go back and soak for a while, since Vala was still asleep and likely to remain that way.

He grabbed a towel, lit a candle and then headed for the pool. After lowering himself into the water, he sat back and closed his eyes. 'This is nice. Not the same as the whirlpool back home but still… a hot soak will help a lot.'

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A while later, Vala woke up alone and wondered where she was. There was enough light to see that Daniel had gotten up and was gone, for the moment. 'He's probably soaking,' she thought. 'I think breakfast by the pool would be nice.' So, she gathered up some of the bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs and juice and headed for the other room.

She found Daniel asleep, a towel around his waist, face down on the rock floor next to the water.

'That can't be comfortable.' She sat down next to him and kissed his shoulder.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Are you hungry?"

He smiled with his eyes closed and said, "Uh-huh. What you got in mind?"

"Food, silly." She laughed. It was nice to see him being his old self, and not the poor injured man she'd known for the last few weeks.

She put the food down on the stone floor and asked him how he was feeling.

"Not too bad. Adam said the welts are all healed but I'm still a bit sore."

"I can fix that." She got out a bottle of lotion that she found in their provisions. It came with a note that said, "For back massage." After pouring some in her hand and warming it up, she leaned over and started working on his shoulders. At first, she was afraid to touch him for fear that she'd hurt him more. As she looked at his skin, she noted that yes, there were a few scars, but most of the lashes hadn't broken the skin. He'd blistered and bruised but those marks were gone now, which left only a few that actually left a scar. She decided that if she was going to continue, she'd have to pretend that the scars weren't there.

He grunted from the discomfort at first but after a bit, she worked out the knots and before long, it felt quite good.

"Oh, wow. That's wonderful," he said as she worked her way down to his lower back. After a few more moments, he asked her, "Does it look really bad?"

She knew he wanted an honest answer so she said, "Not as bad as I thought it would. You have some scarring but not all the lashes broke the skin. The bruises and swelling are gone. It looks a lot better than it did at first." She finished and wiped her hands on a towel. Then she set the food out and they both ate quietly, submersed in their own thoughts. Afterwards, they both wrapped up in blankets and read from some of the books that Adam had brought them.

"Listen to this," Vala said. "It says Poseidon ruled on this planet until his disappearance when he was overthrown by the people he brought here. It says he's the God of the sea."

"Right. In Roman mythology, he is called Neptune although they're not really the same. His father was Cronos - the same Cronos whom Teal'c killed."

"It also says here that he could change his shape to look like other beings."

"Yeah, he's also the God of horses. He could change into a horse, when it was convenient."

"Daniel… is it possible that Poseidon is still around here somewhere? Possibly in disguise? The book says he was overthrown but it doesn't say he's dead."

Daniel looked up from his book and asked, "How long ago was he overthrown?"

Vala quietly did the math. "Well, if I figure right, about 200 years ago."

Daniel said, "That's a long time to remain in disguise. Unless he left and he's out there somewhere. In which case, he could be anywhere. The universe is a big place. "

She got rather quiet and when she noticed that he was watching her she said, "Do you think they're looking for us?"

"They? If you're talking about the SGC, you can bet on it. Remember, we don't leave anyone behind. Don't worry, honey. We'll find our way home, one way or another." He reached for her and pulled her closer to his side. "Try not to worry." He kissed her temple and hugged her to him.

She sighed, thinking how nice it was, just at that moment. They were relatively safe, well fed, warm, Daniel's back was healing…. She looked up at him and said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said as he smiled. "How about I read to you out of this book. It'll take our minds off things."

Eventually, they snuggled down into the blankets and fell asleep in each other's arms.

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AN: A BIG thank you to all of those who reviewed: Shannon K, HAZMOT, Samvalasam, bluedragon1836 Jabaraj, Khentkawes, Littletree24, acer-sigma, Djay70 and booster-t.