O'Neill propped himself against the wall.
"I'll ask it again – what interest does the NID currently have in SG-1?"
The man Dariana had captured - Who the hell would have thought she'd be able to take out a guy like that?- just glared at him. O'Neill sighed.
"Come on! It's not like it's a hard question. Do you want an easier one? Okay – who was your target? That one not working for you either? Then how about was it an assassination or a retrieval squad whose butts we kicked?"
The NID agent turned his face away, a sullen expression settling over his features, made slightly less intimidating by the large white bandage and sling on his arm. The colonel raised an eyebrow at this behaviour.
"What? You a kid?" Shaking his head, O'Neill made a dismissive gesture. "Fine. Sit. Stay."
He ignored the attitude he was getting, slipping out of the door. He was greeted by three questioning faces and one stoic gaze.
"He doesn't want to be an adult and have a chat. He's too busy sulking that a one-twenty pound little academic took him down."
"Six years with Jack, Kawalsky and Teal'c…" Daniel shrugged.
"Just how much has she not told us?" Hammond queried. "And how much has she learnt from those men?"
"Judging by the way Dari subdued that agent," Carter commented, "She must know quite a mixture of hand-to-hand combat, defensive operations…"
"And some Jaffa techniques as well."
"What makes you say that, T?"
"Because, O'Neill, I have not observed a Tau'ri use the ky-an movement."
"The what?"
"It's a martial art move, Jack." Daniel looked to Teal'c for confirmation. "And I think that it's the name for the move where Dari used the agents' arm as a pivot point and struck him in the ribs."
"Indeed." Teal'c draped his hands behind his back. "The use of such a move requires that the combatant practise extensively with an experienced warrior – balance is essential to the correction execution of the movement."
O'Neill made a noise of appreciation.
"I think we can assume she had that."
"Colonel," Hammond began, "I want answers from that man. Do whatever you have to to get them – within reason!"
"Yes sir."
"Major."
Carter snapped to attention, her eyes on her commander's face. "Sir?"
"I want you to talk to Doctor Jackson – find out just how much she knows that we should be aware of."
"Sir."
"Keep me informed, people." With that Hammond nodded to the other three members of SG-1, turned about and returned to his office.
O'Neill glanced up at Teal'c.
"C'mon, T – you can help me with the Bratkin in there." He shook his head at the raised eyebrow for his terminology. "Never mind…"
As the two men moved to enter the holding room again, Carter turned to Daniel.
"Do you want to come with me?" She asked, concern in her eyes.
Daniel glanced away, one hand raking through his hair whilst the other removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes.
"I don't know. I don't think that it would be a good idea for me to be there – you two would probably talk easier on your own."
"If you're sure…" Carter's mouth twitched as if to offer a comforting smile. "You might be welcomed you know."
Starting to reply, Daniel was cut off as Carter's cell started ringing. She shot him an apologetic look.
"I'll go tell Dari that we haven't got any information yet."
"Okay…I'll be there in a minute." As Daniel walked away, Carter answered her cell, "Carter."
"Major, I have some information for you." A male voice stated.
"Who is this?"
"An abduction attempt was staged near Cheyenne Mountain this afternoon."
"Yes."
"That attempt was unsuccessful – two men were killed and a third captured."
"Who are you?" Carter demanded.
"What you need to understand is that the NID did not sanction this operation."
"They didn't? The man we have in custody is an NID agent…I recognised him!"
"The man you have in custody, Major, was dismissed from the NID three weeks ago."
Carter turned on her heels, shock her predominant emotion but closely followed by a shiver of dread.
"Rogue agents? Again?"
"Still, Major Carter. Still. We're doing all we can…but they will try again."
"I know you." Her aqua eyes narrowed dangerously. "I knowyou."
"Perhaps." The voice wavered slightly and Carter closed her eyes as she tried to place it. "The NID are not responsible, Major. We may be interested in your visitor but only through official channels."
"Agent Ba…"
"Please, Major." He sounded desperate. "Take what I've given you and leave it there."
Then he hung up, leaving Carter staring at her cell and wondering what Agent Barrett was doing risking his career and possibly his life for a second time.
"Look buddy…it's not difficult to answer the questions…really it isn't."
The NID agent still refused to even acknowledge the colonel.
"I mean, all you gotta do is open that mouth of yours and let sound come from it."
The agent stared straight ahead.
"Course, it's up to you right now what kinds of sounds…let's face it," O'Neill shrugged, propping one foot up against the wall. "Right now, we figure that you attempted to murder an ambassador, tried to kill two air force officers and a decorated civilian and funnily enough, we of the United States Airforce frown upon that sort of behaviour."
He was rewarded with a brief glance. Internally, O'Neill chuckled, but externally his face stayed in an expression of bland disapproval.
"See, we don't like it when our guests and friends get shot at. And," He moved forward to lean on the table. "I, personally, get a little…what's the word…"
He looked up to where Teal'c was standing dispassionately by the door. The big Jaffa raised an eyebrow.
"I believe the word you are seeking is annoyed, O'Neill."
Snapping his fingers, O'Neill stood up again.
"That's it! I tend to get a little annoyed when my friends get shot at. Especially when I'm just trying to have a nice quiet afternoon out with my buddies." He sighed tiredly, shaking his head. "The only thing missing from that great little spot was a couple of beers. Mmmmmm."
Teal'c watched the colonel, amusement at his behaviour buried deep beneath the implacable mask that he presented to the detainee.
"You were in control of a vehicle, Colonel O'Neill – intoxication of any degree would have been unwise."
"Bah!" O'Neill waved a hand dismissively. "I'd have gotten Daniel to drive back."
"You were not intending for Daniel Jackson to have access to the alcoholic beverage?"
"No!" O'Neill looked at his friend in disgust. "Waste a perfectly good Guinness on his palate? T! Whaddaya take me for?"
The agent, by now feeling a little bemused, cleared his throat. The colonel turned to look at him, his expression one of apologetic remembrance.
"Hey! I'm sorry – you were being so quiet there I clear forgot you were in the room!" O'Neill gestured at Teal'c. "Apologise to the man for ignoring him, Teal'c!"
Bowing to the agent, Teal'c rumbled, "Indeed – apologies."
The agent looked from one to the other, clearly becoming more confused by the second.
"Look, am I under arrest or what?" He asked.
"Hmmm?" O'Neill just looked at him. "What?"
"Am I under arrest or what?"
"OH! That." Shaking his head and laughing, O'Neill moved back to perch on the edge of the table. "Well…sorta."
"Sorta?" The cuffed gunman swallowed.
"Yeah. See, as we technically don't exist, we can't technically arrest you. So you aren't, technically, in custody." O'Neill crossed his arms and affected a slightly distracted air. "So that means that, technically, if we aren't here and you aren't under arrest and aren't in our custody, then you aren't in this room and you aren't about five minutes away from a seriously vigorous interrogation."
"Interrogation?" To the guy's credit, his gaze flicked to where Teal'c was quietly standing, his dark eyes firmly fixed upon the seated man.
"Yeah. Interrogation. Of course, it's nothing you should be worried about now is it? Seeing as you aren't here and all. Technically speaking."
The rogue NID agent whimpered.
"So, seeing as you aren't here and it's…well, would you look at the time!" O'Neill clapped, rubbing his palms together and grinning over his shoulder at Teal'c. "I gotta be heading off – got a Simpsonsspecial on TV in half an hour and a sweet pizza just waiting for me to pick up the phone and order."
He headed for the door, idly asking, "T, what are you planning for your evening?"
Teal'c allowed the barest of smiles to trace his lips.
"I believe I shall be staying within this empty room for a short time, O'Neill."
"Yeah? Well…whatever floats ya boat!" Clapping his friend on the arm, O'Neill pulled the door open.
"Hey! What about me?"
Turning, sweeping his gaze across the room, O'Neill frowned.
"Teal'c, you hear something?"
"Indeed I did not."
"Hmmm." Shrugging, O'Neill stepped halfway through the door. "Well, I'll see you later."
"Until then, O'Neill." Teal'c's gaze fell upon their prisoner who swallowed hard at seeing nothing but deep darkness in those implacable eyes.
"Colonel? Colonel! Don't leave me here! Please! Don't leave me in here with him! COLONEL!"
"You know…it's funny Teal'c," O'Neill commented as he left, "But I could swear I could hear summat."
As he turned his back on the room, he gave the Jaffa a surreptitious wink, receiving the barest of nods in return. He shut the doors just as the agent screamed for him. With a deep chuckle, the colonel leaned against the wall, checking his watch.
"Poor kid…and the big guy hasn't even taken a step closer yet."
Within moments, Teal'c exited the room. As O'Neill raised an eyebrow at him, he reported, "He is a rogue NID agent acting under the orders of members of the Trust who have so far evaded our efforts to detain them. He does not know who these men are but he is willing to confirm the extent and exact nature of his instructions."
"That was what? Less than two minutes?"
"Yes."
"Damn."
Teal'c looked at his friend and O'Neill sighed.
"The bad guys really need to get some tougher minions – they fold too easily these days. It's just no fun."
Teal'c watched as the younger man walked away, shaking his head and muttering to himself, his eyebrow twitching in amusement.
"Indeed."
author's note - my apologies to everyone for the significant absence. Unfortunately I've spent the last few years battling quite severely with depression and unemployment - so much summed up in so little - and, obviously, it has impacted everything to a ridiculous degree. So much so that I stopped writing altogether, forgot about my accounts and, upon encouragement from elsewhere, have only recently rediscovered myself. At least to some degree.
If all that follows doesn't match up to expectations I can only apologise further and beg forgiveness from my readers - I am working my way back. Thank you for your patience.