A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. They make me smile. Here's chapter 20…
It's not real. It can't be real. He can't be dead. It's not real! This can't be happening!
Jack was sat in the corner of the room, his head in his hands, thoughts racing through his mind. It was the third room they had been held in since arriving almost four days ago, and by far the smallest: only about three meters square, with three walls and a force shield across the only opening in the room. Teal'c was sat in the opposite corner to Jack, unmoving, once again in deep kel'no'reem. It had been around twelve hours since either of them had seen any movement on the other side of the shield, and for the most part Jack was thankful. The transition to the current room had been painful, to say the least. Jack had been struck several times on the way there for not walking fast enough. One escape attempt had resulted in a staff being swung in his direction, almost breaking his jaw. Another blow to his chest sent him falling and both he and Teal'c had their hands chained together and Jack was dragged the rest of the way there. Since then, they had been left alone, separated from each other by another force shield perpendicular to the main one.
Jack spent the hours after that replaying Daniel's death in his mind over and over and over. It just wouldn't sink in. He felt so guilty, having made him come along only to die, and still there was no sign of Sam. Had they made a mistake? Had they even come to the right planet? He couldn't be sure, but he swore to himself that if Daniel really had died, he would not have done so in vain.
Teal'c began to open his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the bright light of the room. He stood up with difficulty, due to the chains around his wrists, and walked over to the main force shield. "O'Neill," he said. Jack stood up beside Teal'c and watched as Osiris made her way into the room, followed by two Jaffa, each wielding a staff. She stopped and addressed Teal'c.
"I hope the accommodation is suitable for you."
"Oh yeah, " Jack put in, a hint of the sarcasm in his voice, "peachy." That met a glare from Osiris before she smiled.
"I am sorry for the fate of Daniel Jackson, but it is the price he paid for his insolence. You should take note of it. He had a very merciful death. I may not be as tolerant with you as I was with him."
Despite all he had been though in the past few days, the hunger and thirst he was feeling, and the attacks, Jack managed a small laugh. He didn't know where it had come from, and he immediately regretted it as he looked up and saw Osiris disengage the force shield and walk towards him. She crouched down before him and held his chin up, a sharp look on her face. "Osiris does not joke. I hope for your sake that Nephthys is able to break through to your friend's mind, because if she fails, the alternative will not be pleasant for you." She spoke slowly, as if to make sure that every word sunk in to Jack's mind, so that he could process the information.
Jack stared at Osiris straight in the eyes, showing no fear. "Where's Carter?" Osiris turned and walked away from Jack. "Where the hell is she?" he yelled as loud as he could. Osiris turned back.
"Your friend as you know her is gone. Now only Nephthys remains. I suggest you remember that. It will help you in the near future." She re-engaged the force shield and left the room. The two Jaffa remained behind, watching Jack and Teal'c carefully. Jack stared back.
"What are you lookin' at?" he asked one of them. The Jaffa averted his eyes. Jack walked back to the far wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. "Slimy snake-in-the-gut," He added under his breath.
The second Jaffa regarded Teal'c with a questioning eye. Suddenly realising who he was he walked to his friend and pointed at Teal'c. "This one is the Shol'va. Do you recognise him?" His question was met with a silent nod. "We shall be rewarded greatly for the capture of this one," he added. Teal'c looked over at Jack and raised an eyebrow. Jack shrugged.
"Looks like you're the galaxy's most wanted."
Suddenly, both Jaffa stood to attention at the sound of footsteps. Jack watched as Osiris entered the room. He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing his head to rest back against the wall. He had had enough of this. A voice broke through his boredom.
"I suggest you refrain from sleeping," Osiris said, "you will find the next few minutes very interesting." Jack's eyes snapped open at the thought of saying something cocky back to her, but he was stopped by the person he saw walking through the door. His eyes grew wide.
"Carter!" he leapt up, temporarily forgetting the fact that the person he saw in front of him was not who she appeared to be.
"Spare me the emotion," Nephthys answered back, "your friend is gone and you will never speak to her again. Unfortunately for me, she has a strong mind, which means that I have not yet been able to break through to the information that I need. You will provide it."
Jack tried his best to see past the face he saw before him and remember who it actually was. "And if I don't?" he asked.
"It is simple. Either you tell me what I want to know, or I will kill you. Slowly. When I am through with you, you will wish that you had told me everything." She held the cold glare with Jack as she spoke. He walked as close to the shield as he could without touching it and looked her in the eye, searching.
"Carter…" he whispered. Nephthys shook her head slowly.
"You are a fool. A weak and ignorant fool." Jack held the stare as a Jaffa disengaged the force shield. Nephthys walked towards him, mirroring the glare. He didn't move. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Osiris leave the room, a smug look present on her face. The Jaffa stayed behind, each keeping a staff trained on Jack and Teal'c, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble. Jack held his ground as Nephthys got close to him: too close for comfort. "Tell me the code that protects your planet." She demanded. Jack allowed a small smile to break onto his face.
"She's too strong for you, isn't she? And you're getting pretty pissed off that you can't get through. Aren't you?" Jack teased. Nephthys regarded him with a look of pure hatred.
"She is strong. But I am stronger. It is only a matter of time before I break through. By denying me the knowledge all your are doing is delaying the inevitable destruction of your pathetic planet. I will get it out of you, whatever it takes. I will…" she stopped suddenly, he expression changing to one of distress. Jack watched, confused as she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted: "No!" she looked back at Jack, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"Sir?" she whispered, in a daze. Jack suddenly realised what had happened and grabbed Sam's wrists, holding them up tight.
"Fight it Carter!"
"I'm... trying…" she answered, breathing heavily, attempting to keep control. She put her head down and became tense. "She's too strong!" she shouted, attracting the attention of both Jaffa.
"Fight it, Carter! Keep control!" Jack yelled. Sam clenched her fists and suddenly pulled them from Jack's grip.
"NO!" she yelled, the voice of Nephthys re-emerging. She threw her arm out, striking an unprepared Jack in the face and sending him stumbling backwards into the wall. The chains around his wrist meant that he couldn't break his fall and he fell hard onto the floor. Within the second Nephthys had pulled a gun from its holder around her waist and moved swiftly to point it down into his face. "TELL ME THE CODE!!" When Jack didn't answer she addressed Teal'c: "Shol'va!" Teal'c looked up. "Tell me the code or I will kill him."
"Don't do it, Teal'c," Jack protested, looking over at him.
"SILENCE!" Nephthys yelled in her anger. Teal'c met Jack's eyes as Jack shook his head slowly, a solemn look on his face. Nephthys noticed the look and stood back up. "Very well. If you will not cooperate…" she stepped backwards and lowered the gun slightly, feigning leaving them alone. She began to turn her back on the two men and, at the last moment spun back around and fired the gun. Jack cried out as the bullet penetrated his upper leg. He bit down on his lip and held his breath, willing the pain away. Teal'c tried to get to him, forgetting the dividing shield and running into it. Nephthys took a Zat from one of the Jaffa and fired it quickly at Jack. The electricity raced through him, enhancing the piercing pain in his leg. He cried out again before Osiris entered the room, holding the black box she had shown to Daniel before he was shot. She held it up for Jack to focus on, before pressing down on the control and watching as Jack writhed through the new pain, enhanced by Osiris. Teal'c looked on, powerless to stop it, as Jack let out a final cry before tensing up, passing out and falling limp to the wall.
A/N: That was for you, Alexa. Hopefully chapter 21 will be here soon…. Please please please review (I'm begging again…)
