CHAPTER 36 – IN NO CERTAIN TERMS
Her lights had more than just dimmed. When that jumper hit they had simply gone out. For a short time anyway. She had attempted to keep some sort of control as it crashed through the thick forest and the dizzying speed that the branches and trees had whipped past the jumper's window had her shutting her eyes momentarily, affecting her ability to control the ship. She had regained some small amount of control at the last minute and the ship had responded sluggishly, managing to slow the speed and angle the descent so that when it hit the earth, it continued forward in it's momentum, gradually decreasing speed and eventually coming to a hard and very painful standstill in front of an extremely large tree.
That was the last thing Jo had seen - for several minutes anyway. Her head had smashed down onto the control pane – hard, and the blackness had been immediate. A part of her had welcomed in, and letting it wash over her, her body had simply relaxed, head resting on the control panel, eyes closed as blood leaked out in alarming amounts.
At the edges of her consciousness she had heard voices. Two men, and she had felt the touch of one as her head was lifted and someone attempted to prise her eyelid open.
"She's alive, but if she bleeds out anymore, that'll quickly change. We need to get her back to the city, have Jenks take a look at her. Might be too late though."
Lucidity fought that darkness that wanted to embrace her, and a part of her wanted that darkness more than anything. She hurt all over and it seemed that she was all out of luck. All out of anything. She felt herself being lifted, and the jarring motion of that movement had her crying out.
"So the princess is awake, hmmm? Maybe now you can tell us where the hell your father is... that little deal we have on the table? Is gonna fall over if we don't find your father. Our... allies... are not happy, and if they don't get him back, they'll be needing a replacement... someone who can offer the same sweet deal..."
She forced words to come, hating the sound of that voice, at the indifference she heard in it. Human life, he talked about another human as though it was of no consequence to him.
"He's safe... you and your wraith friends can't hurt him anymore..."
They were moving quickly through the forest now and Jo knew that once they arrived in the city, it would be difficult to try and escape. Her best chance was out here, in the forest. As if sensing her thoughts the man's grip tightened and he bent his head down close to her ear.
"Don't bother trying to escape. There's nowhere to go out here, and we've just implanted you with a tracking device, which is what we should have done with your father. Hindsight... They say the biggest thrill is in the hunt... so think very carefully about any plans you may have for escape."
She looked up at him, meeting his eyes for the first time. Cold and with no emotion. No military uniform, nondescript clothing, shaven and if not for the inflection in his voice, he could have been any man in any galaxy. But the way he spoke, she knew that he was from earth, and one of the Trust members.
Wanting to rattle his cage a little, she keep her eyes on his face, even when his returned to the path in front of him.
"I know who you are. The Trust...we're closing in on your group as we speak. Back on earth? What do you think General O'Neill has been doing? Who the hell do you think sent me out here? You are all fools, sitting on your thrones and thinking that none of our rules of humanity apply to you. All fools are quickly brought to their knees, and the Trust? Will be no exception."
She was rewarded with a flash on anger... and something else... in those cold eyes as they dropped back down to her again. His voice was almost a caress as he spoke again, send sharp spikes of unease along her spine.
"If you think you've uncovered all the cards, sweetheart? Think again. A top dealer never reveals all his cards... and generally, you'll find he's sitting on an ace."
They arrived in the city and she was quickly taken to a small building near the centre. There were very few people and Jo had learnt from her father that the city was used mainly for storage of goods procured offworld and a planning base for members of the Trust. Important meetings were held here and more than once the wraith had sat the same table as Trust members, hammering out the details of the deal that was currently on the table
A summit, of sorts she had thought somewhat dazedly as she was deposited onto a infirmary type bed in a small room. A summit whose mandate could ultimately destroy all of humanity, if one of the groups decided to double cross the other. And we now know for a fact that a double cross is most definitely in play. And I'd be correct in assuming that Geneva Convention rules do not apply out here...
She was not left alone on that bed. Her captor produced a set of flexi cuffs and she was secured to the metal sides of the bed. Something had changed in his eyes as he looked down at her, and almost as an afterthought he had run a hand almost caressingly over her breasts, coming to rest on her hip.
"I could just not... give you to the wraith. They are demanding another... their serum is almost complete and they need another to begin the process again. Your father had almost outlived his usefulness anyway. With the initial testing registered several failures, they have managed to correct most of the errors now and almost have a workable serum. The wraith who captured you on your training planet? He recognised the same gene in you as in your father and he has requested that you be included as part of the deal. We have little choice but to comply. We need that serum as much as they do. But perhaps... we could exchange you for another... say, Colonel Sheppard?"
She fought now against the flexicuffs, the movement causing shards of sharp pain to slice through her head.
"Dammit! You leave Sheppard out of the deal. I'll walk myself into this willingly, if you give my father and Sheppard protection from your little deal. Hell... my life's not gonna be worth much if he ever gets his hands on me anyway..."
"Aaah, seems to me you have developed a soft spot for the good Colonel. He's already poked his damn nose in one time too many... and those 302's? I want them back. As you've no doubt aready ascertained? They are slightly... modified."
"Well that's just tough, cause all you're gonna get is me. You should know by now that Sheppard and his team do not deal with terrorists, nor do they give in to demands from megalomanics such as the members of your little pathetic group."
His hand caressed her hip in that hypnotic motion and she felt dizziness spiral up and threaten to overwhelm her. She knew that she would lose consciousness again soon and she struggled to keep her mind as lucid as she could.
"Super soldiers..." her voice was barely a whisper, watching in a combination of fascination and revulsion as his hand moved in lazy circles over her hip. She felt disconnected, surreal – as though outside of her body on one level and looking down on what was being said and done. She fought to bring herself back, to reconnect with her body but she assumed that it was her mind's way of dealing with the information she was receiving.
"Good girl... yes, your mind is sharp, just like your father's." She heard the light regret that laced his tones. "I would have preferred that they use another, but your father was the only one at that time, who possessed both the gene and the ability to reverse engineer all the Asgard technology. That knowledge is secure... the wraith were able to 'download' it into an artificial brain that they managed to create from your father."
Another man walked in then and with a sharp motion of his head, indicated to her captor that he was to leave. He had noted the hand that rested on her hip, and the sharpening of his eyes had the other man dropping his.
"Leave us. I need to take a look at the young lady and see about patching her up before she's transported."
Her eyes tracked him, his movements fast and economical and while his eyes may have been cold and unemotional, his hands were gentle and she knew that he was a doctor and regardless of where he was in his life now, at one point? His mandate had been to save lives, not kill – and she wondered at the long and dark road that loomed in front of these men who gave their allegiance to the organisation known only as The Trust.