The guy in the chair was maybe in his late forties and looked like a librarian. He looked like he'd put up some kind of struggle; his brown hair was disheveled, suit jacket rumpled and a bruise was forming at the corner of his mouth. His posture was stiff, but it seemed like defiance rather than injury. He spared a brief moment to measure Jack, Daniel and Teal'c then focused his attention on the stocky blond Marine Col. standing in front of him.

"I don't believe I caught your name, what with the somewhat..." he paused slightly. " impetuous...nature of my invitation."

His voice was cool and British, dismissive in that particularly English way. Jack had always despised that whole "snobbish English School Master" stereotype - look how many Go'auld tried it and failed - but this guy really made it work. His spectacles were miraculously undamaged and his tie was still straight. He raised one eyebrow as he spoke, seemingly unconcerned about the fact that his hands were tied behind his back and a large number of US Marines were holding large-scale weapons at his head.

Jack decided that, librarian or not, he liked the man. You just had to respect a guy like that.

Daniel had come forward to watch the new arrival and he caught Jack's eye, asking a silent question. Jack raised an eyebrow, which told Daniel that they were winging it, as usual; Jack was pretty much in the dark. Moving up put Daniel on one side of the man in the chair, with Jack and Teal'c on the other.

Jack rubbed his face tiredly. The things he did for Carter.

"Now I just know I'm going to hate the answer to this question, but what the fuck are you doing?" Jack gestured expansively; causing a ripple effect as the Marines directly around him raised their weapons.

"Hey!" He said to the nearest one. "Watch that thing, will ya?"

"We need the Slayer." Col. Bering kept his eyes on the man in the chair. He was sounding a bit smug at this point.

"And?" Jack demanded.

"She'll come to get him." He jerked his chin up at the librarian. "They have some kind of weird bond. I'm not completely clear on the details."

"Probably because it involves human emotion." Librarian said calmly. "You don't seem to have grasped the principals involved."

"So, let me see if I can understand this, Col." Jack was way past pissed and rapidly becoming downright hostile. "We've got a hostage situation that's getting bleaker for the hostages by the minute - hostages that include some of your men, if I'm not mistaken. We're told to try to work with this Slayer chick cause she's - and I quote "The best chance" to get these people out, and you start this whole thing off by kidnapping her friends?" He was waving his hands wildly by this point.

He took a breath and looked over at Daniel. "Did I miss something there?"

Daniel looked thoughtful. "Hostages, friends in danger, kidnappingno, Jack. I think that pretty well covers it."

Col. Bering was definitely sounding smug.

"I think our mission was clear. Mr. Black said we were to obtain the services of the Slayer as soon as possible. This is obviously the exact leverage we need to force her to help us."

"You couldn't have just asked her?" Jack yelled.

A superior smile and a vaguely paternal head shake greeted that question.

"Stick to your littlemen, Col." He looked around at his men with pride. "This is how real business is done."

"Obviously we've been going about this diplomacy thing all wrong, Jack." Daniel said, disgust evident. "And here I really thought no one could be worse at this than you."

"Hey." Jack looked hurt. "Thor likes me."

"The Slayer wouldn't have helped us without incentive, Col. O'Neill" Col. Bering ignored their exchange, beginning to pace in front of his four captives. "She hates the Initiative and all we stand for"

"Can't imagine why." Librarian murmured.

"Because she's a loose cannon!" Bering snapped at him. He'd come to a stop in front of Teal'c, but his glare was directed at his bound bait. "She doesn't care about the mission and I doubt that she would follow orders even if we said 'pretty please'."

Librarian seemed to have a self-reflective moment; "I certainly wouldn't argue that point."

Daniel shook his head. This was surreal.

"Col. Bering," Daniel had his calm' voice on again, "I personally don't think anyone should be following your orders. They seem to be unduly influenced by stupidity."

Jack followed immediately after Daniel. "And after I get out of here I'm going to spend a whole hell of a lot of time making sure you can't give orders ever again."

Col. Bering transferred his smoldering gaze to Col. O'Neill. "Then I guess you just won't get out of here, will you Col.?"

Jack returned his stare, not backing down an inch.

The Marine Col. turned, drew his sidearm, cocked it, and pointed it at Teal'c. He drew closer to the Jaffa, looking critically at the dark man's features. His eyes flickered, taking in every detail.

"Of course," he murmured, "What did I expect from a man who has a demon on his team?"

Jack's heart sank.

Jack and Daniel exchanged a look. An enraged Teal'c would be hard to spin. His symbiote-born strength and speed would probably confirm everything these delusional maniacs were thinking.

"I am not a demon, Col. Bering." Teal'c's rumble was even more guttural than usual, the Jaffa's version of Jack's histrionics. Teal'c usually reserved that tone for petty Go'auld and smarmy guys who hit on Carter. If he raised both eyebrows while using that tone, it usually meant he was preparing for a blood feud.

The Librarian was raising one of his own eyebrows. However he looked more curious than homicidal, which was kind of comforting given the grim guys with guns were starting to radiate anger and fear in Teal'c's direction.

"Right." The Initiative leader didn't move, his handgun pointed at Teal'c's chest. "You're not a demon. You're...what? An alien?" A ripple of laughter followed that suggestion. The Col. laughed along with his men but didn't back down.

"Actually..." Daniel began, but Jack interrupted him.

"Don't, Daniel." He kept his eyes trained on Bering. "He's too far gone; he can't hear the truth."

"What tipped you off? The frothing at the mouth?" Librarian had this way of raising his volume without raising the dry, sardonic pitch of his voice. It was effective - Bering's eyes flicked toward him. But he regained his balance immediately, returning to search Teal'c's face with fascination.

Librarian tried again to redirect the madman's focus.

"You've never met the Slayer, I take it?"

"I haven't." Bering refused be distracted. He kept talking as he raised his handgun and poked at the gold tattoo on Teal'c's forehead. Teal'c just looked him in the eye, unflinching.

"I have, however, read her file."

The guy was justcreepy. He stayed with Teal'c, crowding into the Jaffa's space, almost as if he were examining something in a petri dish. A very large petri dish to be sure, but it was making Jack crazy. Especially since the gun was still pretty much aimed at Teal'c's head.

"She's good, but we're better."

"Alright." Jack broke in, losing his cool. "Back off of Teal'c. He's taken. Besides, he'll never go for that aura of insanity you project, at heart he's really a homemaker. I admit he's a good looking guy, but"

Col. Bering pulled the trigger.