THE PRICE OF SILENCE
Daniel blinked against the harsh sunlight as he was pulled from the small dark hut that had been their prison for the last few days. As he crossed the rebel's compound it looked just like he would have imagined it to, a disorganized collection of buildings, discarded cars and even a burnt out helicopter body.
Apart from the two rebels who were taking great pleasure in pushing and shoving him with an unnecessary amount of force and, for his liking, just a little too much enjoyment, a few others sat around the compound.
Not exactly an army, he thought, but then again they didn't need an army against a couple of archaeologists. Did they?
They reached their destination and Daniel was unceremoniously pushed inside and onto a waiting chair. Raphael, the leader of this little group of anti-Nicaraguan rebels, was waiting with the confident air of a man who was used to having his questions answered and his demands met.
He was savoring the plate of fruit and the water that he had strategically placed on his desk. He knew that his captives had received neither food nor water for two days and this was his little psychological game.
As Daniel looked at Raphael and his followers he remembered a comment made by Laurens van der Post.
Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.
He decided that a slightly meek, subservient, even scared attitude was the one to take. After all, he may not have been the first two but he was a little scared, even after all the adventures, dangers, lives and deaths he had been through in his time with the SGC.
Raphael was taunting him now, eating and drinking right in his face, toying with the artifact that he and Dr Lee had found.
"What is this?"
Well hell – I don't really know myself. Might be something good or something REALLY bad.
Daniel kept his thoughts to himself and said nothing, just looking downward slightly away from the glare of Raphael and his lap-dog followers.
"And this is the part where you do not talk. OK. You tell me what this is. I don't know how long someone can go without food but I believe the human body needs water every 3 or 4 days."
No point in telling him anything he doesn't need to know.
No point in telling him that it might be earth's best chance to defeat the Gao'uld. Or it might be a Pandora's Box that we do NOT want to open.
"It's an ancient artifact."
"An artifact?"
"Yea. I'm an archaeologist – it's what I do - look for artifacts. Found one!"
I've REALLY been hanging around Jack far too long!
"Seriously, I'm an archaeologist, you guys can look me up on the Internet if you want. You have a computer?"
Daniel's attempt at humor seemed to have no effect on the rebels, who continued sneering and looking hard, like extras from a cheap war movie.
Archaeology – the study of past cultures by the material remains they leave behind.
Did I miss the class where they told you that you might also end up in the clutches of a mad man, or worse, a snakehead?
Raphael was talking again, this time a little irritation was evident in his tone.
"It all makes perfect sense. You are nothing more than an archaeologist and you find and study artifacts."
This was so not going well.
"Makes perfect sense." Daniel replied, once more trying hard to look like a scared archaeologist hopelessly out of his depth.
"I'm going to ask you one last time. What is this?"
Stony silence greeted his question.
You are going to have to do better than that my friend.
"And again you are not so talkative. What gives you the right to come into our country and steal valuable artifacts? You call yourself a scientist, you're nothing more than a thief. And you think you are better than me? At least I have reasons for what I do."
And you think I don't.
If you only knew what was out there you would drop this little war in a second.
"I don't doubt that."
"Here is something else you should not doubt compadre. You will tell me what I want to know."
Daniel had seen one of the rebels moving towards a nearby table. With a flourish he unveiled that old standby of the interrogator, a car battery and a set of jump leads. As he sparked the metal ends of the jumper cables against each other, Daniel suddenly felt very much the scared archaeologist hopelessly out of his depth.
Oh shit – this is so NOT going to be fun.
Daniel jerked his head away from the sparks and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He found that a pair of strong hands on his shoulders stopped him from moving any further.
"I am not an unreasonable man," Raphael pulled the artifact to the front of the desk as he spoke, "so I will give you one last chance to tell me what this is."
Just as before Daniel remained steadfastly silent.
The rebel holding the jumper cables took a step closer to Daniel, an evil smile on his face. Some days this little war was almost worth the hardships they had to endure and today was going to be one of those days.
Once more he sparked the cables against each other, the silence of the hut shattered by the loud crackle of electricity.
"Do you want to tell me what this is now?"
"I don't think so."
"Then, we will do this my way."
Once more Daniel squirmed against the hands that held him, they didn't give an inch even when a well aimed blow from Raphael sunk itself into his unprotected midriff and the breath was driven from his lungs.
Gasping in air, Daniel raised his head slightly and stared back at Raphael, almost taunting him.
Is that the best you can do?
Amateurs!
Raphael stood over Daniel, he suspected, no, he KNEW that he was more than just a simple archaeologist and that the artifact was more than just an old stone cube. It could be worth a lot to a man like him, both in terms of power and wealth and he was determined to find out just how much.
The price – well if one more 'tourist' was 'lost' in the Honduran rainforest would the world really care that much?
"This," he indicated to the artifact "is more than just an ancient 'artifact' isn't it? Is it worth a lot of money, to you or to the people you work for?"
"It's not worth anything." Daniel gasped, sucking in air and hoping he still sounded convincingly helpless and scared. Not difficult given his present situation.
"Oh no Compadre, I do not believe you. If it was worth nothing then why would you come all the way here just to find it. No, it is worth a great deal to someone and you are going to tell me who."
"It's just an ancient artifact – it's not worth anything." Daniel's pleading tone cut no ice with Raphael who just glared at his captive and then hit him again. This time it was a sharp backhand across Daniel's face, the blow rocked his head back and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Raphael grabbed Daniel by the hair, twisting it viscously in his hand and dragging him to his feet. Daniel struggled against the painful grip, wincing against the agony, but refusing to let any sound pass his lips.
Son of a bitch – that hurts!The focus of Daniel's pain was suddenly changed as once more Raphael drove his fist repeatedly into Daniel's stomach, preventing him from falling by the one handed grip he still maintained in his hair.
Daniel fought hard to contain the groans of pain that built up inside him, but with each fist that landed it became harder and harder until at last, with one final heavy blow, he could contain them no longer.
Raphael smiled as Daniel finally cried out in pain and seemingly satisfied for now let go his grip in Daniel's hair allowing him to fall first to his knees and then forward onto his elbows as he fought to quell the rising nausea and restore his ragged breathing to normal.
"You want to tell me about this artifact now my friend?"
Daniel didn't bother trying to raise his head from where it rested on his forearms.
"Go to hell."
With his head still down Daniel never saw the look that passed between Raphael and one of his followers, he also never saw the blow that sent him hurtling into unconsciousness.
Cold water drenched him, bringing his senses screamingly alert. He had the mother of all headaches and, as he tried to raise his hand to massage his aching temples, the full realization of his situation became apparent.
Daniel Jackson was now naked and secured to a chair in a rebel camp in the middle of a South American jungle with only a few soldiers, their power crazy leader and what might prove to be an extremely dangerous alien artifact for company.
This was turning into a day he would really like to forget!
He tried moving against the bonds securing him to the chair, he had a little movement but escape was out of the question. Knowing exactly what was coming next he took a deep breath and tried to prepare himself.
"No more chances compadre. Now you will tell me what I want to know. I promise you that."
Raphael nodded and his compatriot attached the jumper cables to Daniel's left hand and the inside of his right bicep before throwing the switch. The force of the surge of electricity pushed Daniel back against the chair and drove the air from his lungs with a low groan.
Ow – that hurtDeep breath Daniel – you can do this
Deep breath
Daniel took a beep breath in, held it for a second and then let it out slowly through his teeth. He imagined that as he let out the breath the pain went with it.
It helped a little, until the next jolt filled him with pain again.
Another low groan, barely audible above the crackle of the battery. Another deep breath in and out and once more the pain was manageable.
They unclipped the jumper cables from his hand and arm, leaving slowly fading marks from the clips, and nasty red burns that would take longer to heal. Daniel flexed his left hand, forming a fist, trying to drive away the tingling sensations that still lingered in his fingers. He looked at the burns on his arm and hand knowing that they were likely to be the first of many.
How did I get myself into this mess?
Oh yea – trying to save the world. Again!
Wonder if they are looking for us yet?
Hope so.
His thoughts were interrupted by the stinging cold bite of the jumper cables as they were attached to him again. This time as well as the back of one ankle they pinched together just enough skin from his flat abdomen to give the metal clip purchase.
Just as before, the force of the electricity caused Daniel to flinch against his bonds, the ties just dug deeper into his flesh.
Just as before all that passed his lips was a low moan as he battled to hold the pain inside him.
Another blast from the battery, this time longer and more painful than before. Daniel was sure he could feel the charge running through his veins and his muscles, setting all his cells on fire.
He clenched his fists and bit his lip until it bled in an unsuccessful attempt not to cry out. He couldn't help himself, this time the pain wouldn't go away like it had before.
Over the sound of his own ragged breathing he could just make out the voice of his tormentor.
"Now perhaps you are ready to talk? Do you want to tell me what this is yet, or should we just carry on for a little longer?"
Daniel shook his head slightly trying to clear away the fog of pain that had formed. He looked up at Raphael who was toying with the artifact and he knew there was NO way he could tell him anything. No matter what they did to him he had to keep quiet, he had to hold on and hold out hope that Jack and Sam and Teal'c would be looking for him.
He had to and he would for as long as it took.
Come on guys.
Don't keep me waiting.
"I've told you before, it's an ancient artifact and I'm just an archaeologist, so why don't you just let me go?"
Raphael put the artifact back down on the desk and crossed to Daniel. He placed one hand under his chin and lifted his head up so that he could look into his eyes.
"They say that the eyes are the window to the soul my friend. Do you know what I see when I look in your eyes? I see a man who is lying, a man who, despite everything, still insists on lying to me. Well my friend the time for lying is over, one way or another I will have the truth."
Raphael stepped back again and the rebel with the heavy insulated rubber gloves took his place. Once again he moved the clips from the jumper cables, one was placed on Daniel's left nipple the other in his groin. That alone was enough to force a low hiss of pain from Daniel.
The soaking with cold water that followed told Daniel that this time they really meant business, a fact that was more than adequately borne out when the next long, hard blast from the battery sent him spiraling into unconsciousness, a scream of agony dying on his lips.
For just a few moments Daniel savored the luxury of not being in pain, of not having some crazed misguided soldier torturing him. The relief was welcome but all too short-lived as yet more cold water dragged him from his place of peace to the reality of his place of pain.
Daniel ran his tongue over his lips trying to draw the moisture into his parched mouth, he had been thirsty before and the last few hours at the hands of Sparky the battery boy had done nothing to ease that.
He stared defiantly at Raphael, taunting him, letting him know that no matter what he did he wasn't going to tell him anything.
A nod from Raphael and Sparky was back in action. The small hut was filled with the sounds and smells of torture. The rebel with the insulated gloves, a man who obviously loved his work, once more sent bolts of fire coursing through Daniel's body, pushing him back against the restraints.
The sweat broke out on his hairline as he fought down the urge to scream with the shooting agony flaring in his chest, he could feel the fire in his lungs and his heart. The pain in his chest was matched if not bettered by that in his groin. Liquid agony filled his groin and then spread through every cell of his body. It ran down his legs making the muscles twitch and strain against the bonds that held him. It ran up his stomach and chest accentuating the pain he already felt, dragging the breath from his lungs as he fought once more to stay conscious.
The smell of burning flesh began to permeate the air, making Daniel gag. He couldn't hold out for long, the tendrils of unconsciousness were drawing nearer with every passing second. Gasping for breath, Daniel refused to utter a sound even though he wanted to. He wanted to scream in every language he knew for them to stop, but somehow he held the screams inside him and refused to give in.
After what seemed like an eternity the pain stopped as the battery was disconnected. The relief for Daniel was a few long moments in coming, as the after-effects of the charge continued to make themselves felt. His muscles still trembled and twitched, his nipple and his groin still burnt and he still struggled for every breath. His whole body ached and the headache that he had was now of enormous proportions, throbbing and pulsing in time to his heartbeat.
This really was a day he would rather forget.
Sparky was once more all that filled Daniel's vision as he yet again moved the jumper cables. He left the one at Daniel's groin alone and, with a sadistic smile, moved the one from his chest to his penis, clamping it in place with more than the required force.
Daniel trembled at the thought of what was to come, for just a brief moment he contemplated telling them what they wanted to know but he knew that wasn't ever really an option.
Come on Jack.
Now would be a really good time.Really it would.
Raphael seemed to have lost some interest in the proceedings and was back playing with the artifact turning it over and over in his hands, searching for... something.
He glanced at Daniel and saw that, despite the pain he had suffered and the pain that was still to come, this man would tell him nothing. The square set of his jaw and the fire that burned in his eyes were testament to that.
"I hope this is worth dying for my friend. Maybe I should just kill you now and then ask your friend about the artifact. Perhaps he will tell me what I want to know. Yes I think that is what I shall do."
Bill !Daniel had been so immersed in his own world of hurt and pain that he hadn't thought about Dr Bill Lee. Bill was a scientist, a scholar, he wasn't an adventurer used to front-line action like Daniel was. What would this do to him?
Daniel had no more time to worry about Bill Lee as the most horrendous pain he had ever felt blossomed from his groin and engulfed his whole body. It was like a staff weapon blast, a zat and a ribbon device all rolled into one. Every inch of his body was on fire, every nerve ending felt like it had just been plunged into a red-hot furnace.
Daniel wondered if this was really how he would die, tortured to death by a bunch of misguided idealists who had no idea that they might have the saving of the world, maybe even the universe, sitting right there in their midst.
There would be no Nox, no Omar Desala, not even Jack O'Neill to save him this time.
This is NOT how I want to die.The pain continued, igniting the blood in his veins, burning through the tissues of his muscles and his organs and this time he couldn't stop the screams that fell from his lips. He didn't want to stop them, for as long as he was screaming then he wasn't dead.
The screams stopped as the pain in his body filled his mind and he could take no more. He collapsed unconscious, his head lolling forward onto his chest, a small trickle of blood leaking from his nose.
"Enough." Raphael's order was unexpected, his followers really thought that he would kill this man just because he could.
"Take him away and bring me his friend, maybe he will be more willing to talk!"
The guards unclipped the jumper cables from Daniel and cut him free from the plastic ties that had secured him to the chair. His wrists and ankles were red and painful, although the skin was unbroken. Many parts of his legs, chest and back bore the telltale red burn marks of the past few hours work. They pulled him from the chair and laughed as he fell bonelessly to the floor, a few well-aimed kicks to the prone form just added to the rebel's enjoyment. They dressed him and dragged him back across the compound, more dead than alive.
Flinging open the door to the hut they threw the unconscious form inside before dragging the loudly protesting Bill Lee back to their leader.
For Daniel the return to consciousness was not a pleasant experience. His body was burning, in some places literally, his chest hurt with every breath and every muscle seemed to spasm with the unwanted after-effects of the torture he had suffered. He could hear his own harsh rasping breathing through the clouds of pain in his head. It should have been a comforting sound telling him that he was still alive, still in the here-and-now, but it was so loud and all it told him was that he was in pain, everywhere.
He slowly opened his eyes hoping against hope that he would be back in the infirmary at the SGC, his teammates by his side and the horror of this place a fading memory. What he saw was the wooden walls and the bare ground of the hut that had been his prison for what now seemed like forever.
He tried to raise his head but the movement was too much too soon and the wave of pain and nausea that accompanied it took him back to the edge of unconsciousness and held him there for several long agonizing minutes.
Gradually the pain got less as Daniel struggled through the sensations bombarding his abused frame, identifying and then dealing with each in turn.
There was an intense red-hot burning on his hand, arm, chest and groin from the jumper cables, it seemed to be in so many places, some that he wasn't sure he remembered and some that he wished he couldn't remember.
Frequently his chest would flare with pain as the electricity still in his system once more found itself at his heart muscle amplifying the sensation as it coursed through him.
It was the feeling like his heart was bursting out of his chest that forced him back from the edge of darkness, a growl of agony on his lips.
This time, when he raised his head, the room didn't spin and swirl like before and, blinking back the sweat, he looked round. He noticed that Bill Lee was nowhere in sight and he felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach. They would do to Bill what they had done to him and Daniel knew that Bill would need him when, or even if, he returned.
Another flare of pain in his chest made Daniel catch his breath as once more his vision swam and the nausea rose. He tried to clear his head, to think clearly to assess the situation but it was all he could manage to force himself to keep breathing and pray that his heart would hold out. Slowly the pain subsided and this time Daniel took the opportunity to roll onto his back, where he found more of the painful reminders of his time with Raphael and Sparky.
A few more long moments of trying to quell the new spots of agony that were fighting for his attention and Daniel was ready to move again. This time he rolled himself off his back and into a sitting position. This time he couldn't hold back the nausea, Daniel heaved and coughed but with no food or water for two days there was nothing. Nothing but dry heaves battering his already abused body, a cold sweat that slicked his skin and the raging thirst.
Some day this is turning out to be.
He dragged himself until he leant against one of the hut's none too solid wooden walls. All he could do now was wait.
Wait for his body to stop betraying him.
Wait for Bill.
Wait for rescue.
Come on Jack.
It was some time later that he heard the scrape of footsteps outside the hut and then the door being opened. He had no idea how long he had been in the hut and no idea how long Bill had been missing.
He did however, have a good idea of what Bill would have been through and, as the rebels dragged him into the hut and unceremoniously dumped him on his back, Daniel pushed himself away from the wall and made his way over to where Bill Lee lay gasping.
Poor Bill.
Bet this is the last time he asks for a field assignment!
Bill opened his eyes to see Daniel leaning over him.
"I never thought I would die like this." Bill's voice was quiet and laced with pain.
Daniel leant towards him.
"Ah, you're not dead yet." He bent forward and using his bandanna tried to wipe some of the blood off Bill's face. It didn't work.
"I'm sorry Daniel." Bill looked pleadingly towards Daniel willing him to understand why he had done what he had. "I couldn't take it." Another pause, another pleading look. "I told them."
Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. Bill knew how important the artifact they had found could be in the war against the Goa'uld. What had he told them? Please God he hadn't told them everything, about the Fountain of Youth myth and the Goa'uld Tel'Chac? That would make the rebels all the more dangerous to deal with and would probably seal their fate.
"What did you tell them?" Daniel hoped the answer to his question would be anything other than what he expected it to be.
He was to be disappointed.
"Everything."
Bill Lee was a beaten man and, in becoming so, he had probably consigned not just himself and Daniel Jackson but the whole of humanity to overthrow and slavery by Anubis.
Daniel sighed deeply, now he knew they were both in real trouble. He smiled benignly at Bill trying to reassure him that this wasn't really his fault and that somehow they would get out of this mess... somehow.
He was inwardly however, really pissed with Bill. He knew, they both knew that the artifact could be the one thing they needed to give them the edge over Anubis, surely that was something worth suffering and yes, if necessary, even dying for?
Daniel had died before for things that he had believed in. He had suffered in silence at the hands of false Gods and mad men for things he had believed in.
He had suffered in silence again today and for what? For Bill Lee to roll right over and tell them everything.
There were days when he wished he had stayed ascended but he had come back because there were things and people he believed in.
Well they might be in a whole heap of trouble right now but Daniel still believed in the cause and in the people who would save him.
We're not dead yet.
I just have to find us a way out of here before we are.
Now then.....
Daniel never had the time to find a way out of their jungle prison before the rebels came back for him.
He had tried to help Bill as he suffered through the after-effects of his time with Raphael and his 'friends'. He had held him and reassured him that he wasn't to blame and that they would find some way out.
He didn't know if the words were for Bill or for himself and maybe it didn't really matter.
The door to the hut flew open and two rebels burst in, they grabbed Daniel and dragged him to his feet.
Bill looked at him with horror on his face.
Daniel needed to comfort him, to let him know that he was going to be ok, they both were. He turned and looked back over his shoulder, smiled broadly, confidently, even a little cockily and said "Don't worry, I'll be right back. Don't leave without me."
His smart-ass comments earned him a violent shove from his captors. They continued to push and shove Daniel across the compound until they were back at the main building.
They pushed Daniel inside and without any reason drove him to his knees with a blow from one of their automatic weapons across the back of his legs.
Raphael, Sparky and the others from earlier were all waiting for him, but they seemed somehow different, almost more dangerous.
One of the rebels strode over to Daniel and punched him hard in the face, splitting his lip and rocking his head with the force of his blow.
Daniel ran his tongue over his lip and spat blood onto the floor, the rebels just laughed.
They laughed louder as two of them fell on Daniel liked crazed animals, punching and kicking at his already sore body. He tried to defend himself, rolling out of the way and doing his best to throw some punches of his own, but he was outnumbered and outmatched. Nothing he tried seemed to have even the slightest effect; the rebels were literally like men possessed.
Soon another and another joined in and another until Daniel was no more than a punching bag. They took it in turns to hold him whilst the others hit him, laughing and shouting encouragement to hit him harder.
The first rebel concentrated on Daniel's stomach throwing punch after punch into his unprotected midriff. Daniel tried to tense his stomach muscles to absorb the blows but with every blow the air was forced from his lungs and
breathing became the priority. The rebel never gave him time to catch his breath and with each low groan or hiss that escaped Daniel's lips he renewed his efforts.
Soon another took over, this time it was Daniel's face that was the focus of attention. Blood soon ran from his nose and his mouth and he felt like he had gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxing champion. His vision was blurred as the sweat ran into his eyes and his ears were ringing as another blow once again rocked him. This time a trickle of blood ran from his ear.
Raphael took no part in the beating being dished out but he also did nothing to stop it. His men needed to blow off steam and what better way than to let them soften up the American archaeologist before he killed him?
Daniel was bruised and cut, the pain from the burns now long forgotten under the waves of pain from this new onslaught. He tried not to give them the satisfaction of knowing they had hurt him, but another low blow to his groin and the cry he had been holding in was loosed.
They let him fall to the floor and, as he curled into a ball to try and protect himself, they kicked him. They kicked him time and again until he lay still and silent having finally lost the battle to stay conscious.
"Enough." Raphael's order stilled the frantic action. "Don't kill him, that is my privilege only."
He kicked the unconscious form at his feet, rolling him onto his back. "Tie him up and then wake him up, I want to talk to him before I kill him."
One of the rebels grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it to the centre of the hut, another grabbed Daniel and pulled the unconscious man to his feet before dumping him in the chair. They quickly secured his wrists and ankles to the chair with plastic cable ties.
Once more ice cold water was the choice to bring Daniel back awake.
The cold water shocked a gasp from Daniel as he was suddenly and brutally brought back to the land of pain.
The land of Raphael and Sparky.
The land of Bill Lee.
The land of ancient dangerous artifacts and those who would posses them.
Daniel was quick to realize that, once more, he was secured to a chair, although he was pleased to discover that this time he had managed to keep his clothes on. He wasn't pleased to see Raphael or to hear what he had to say.
Raphael crossed the hut.
"Welcome back my friend, now before I kill you I want you to tell me if what your friend told me is true. I liked your friend he was so helpful, not like you."
"Screw you." Was Daniel's only reply, a reply that just enraged Raphael and earned Daniel another punch in the face.
"If you value the life of your friend you will tell me what I want to know."
Daniel raised his head and spat more blood onto the floor. A floor that was already stained with the dark rivers of his blood, so much of his blood.
"Your friend told me this device might be the origin of the Fountain of Youth myth."
"Maybe." Daniel was playing for time, trying not to give them anything until he knew what they knew.
"How does it work?"
"I don't know." Despite himself Daniel cringed away as Raphael once more made to hit him. "Look you grabbed us 5 minutes after we found it."
"Who is this Tel'Chac?"
"He's a mythological figure. A Mayan God who may or may not have lived here thousands of years ago."
Well actually he was an alien.
A parasitic alien who came here and enslaved the people.
But hey you wouldn't believe that if I told you.
"So this device is many thousands of years old?"
"Possibly."
"And this Mayan God brought this device to his temple. For what purpose?"
Probably to enslave the people and make them worship him.
Typical over the top Goa'uld behavior.
Daniel's slowness in responding to Raphael's question seemed to enrage the rebel leader. Without warning he punched Daniel in the face sending his head rocking to the right and drawing more blood from his nose and mouth.
"Arggh. To hide it.. To use it ... I don't know." There was a touch of fear in Daniel's' voice.
"Use it on whom."
"People, Mayan people."
"What would it do to them?"
Raphael was relentless with his questions, the power he felt after he had turned the device on was growing stronger. He would know what it was and what purpose it served or he WOULD kill them.
No – he would kill them anyway.
"Look, the research I used to find it just gave a cryptic warning that the device was dangerous, even harmful. That's all I know."
"I do not think it is so harmful." Raphael lifted Daniel's head so that he could look him in the eye. Daniel thought he had the look of a madman, a man drunk on power and something else. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"I have NEVER in my life felt as strong as I do now."
Raphael turned away from Daniel and uncovered the artifact. It was glowing with a bright white light and Daniel thought he could feel a slight static charge in the air as the hairs on his body tingled.
"You turned it on? Turn it off! " Daniel needed to get them to turn the device off NOW.
"You don't know what you are dealing with. The effects of the device maybe unstable."
This is bad ..real bad.
Idiots complete idiots.
No idea...
"Look it's very dangerous. It's beyond our comprehension. Turn it off!"
With a sudden realization Daniel knew what it was about the rebel's behavior that has eluded him previously. They were showing signs of the early stages of addiction to the device just as he had done on P3R–636, with Princess Shyla and her sarcophagus.
This is so not good.
"You're lying."
From the back of the hut the rebel with the fascination for all things electrical spoke up.
"What if he's not? The device is cursed Raphael we should turn if off."
Raphael looked at him disbelievingly.
"Turn it off? Do you not feel different as well?"
"I do, it scares me." Then with a courage he didn't feel, "If you will not turn it off, then I will!"
Raphael tilted his head to the side, as if weighing up what he had just heard. Were these the same men who vowed to follow him and to fight with him? They suddenly seemed nothing more than scared villagers taken in by the old wives tales of The Fountain of Youth.
Well, he didn't need them. In fact he didn't need anybody. He had the device and as long as he did he was invincible!
Raphael reached for his handgun and swiftly pumped a shot into each of the approaching rebels, killing them instantly.
He swung the gun around and pressed it to the temple of the helpless Daniel Jackson.
His finger tightened on the trigger and Daniel tensed expecting Raphael's next action to be the one that ended his brief return to the living.
"So my friend, do you still think I should turn it off?"
Daniel swallowed hard and grimaced as Raphael dug the barrel of the gun into his temple.
"Tell me! Should I turn it off? Tell me!"
Raphael was shouting, his eyes were wide and his control was slipping with every second he was exposed to the device. There was nothing Daniel could do.
Been here.
Done that.
It's SO not good.
Daniel was pretty sure that Raphael had lost it completely and would not hesitate to kill him, especially now he had activated the device. He had nothing to loose.
They both had nothing to loose.
"It could be very dangerous. You should really turn it off."
Raphael's finger tightened on the trigger and Daniel closed his eyes.
This is it.
I'm sorry I got you into this mess Bill.
I'm sorry I didn't get the device Jack.
Oh shit!
The remaining rebels, on hearing the gunshots had come running to the hut. They dashed through the door guns at the ready not knowing what to expect. They saw their leader, crazed with power just a second away from killing a valuable hostage. They saw the dead bodies of their fallen comrades.
"Raphael!"
The sound of his name caused him to look up. He saw his remaining troops crowding into the hut.
"Don't kill him, he could be worth a lot of money as a hostage. Raphael listen to me.. don't kill him, not at least until we have the ransom money."
Raphael may have the artifact and the power and wealth that went with it but the rest of his followers wanted something too. They would take a share in the ransom for the two archaeologists and then, well then they would probably kill them anyway.
"Let us have him Jefe."
Raphael's trance was broken, he lessened the pressure on the trigger and eased the gun barrel just a touch from Daniel's temple. Daniel cranked his eyes open just enough to have his vision filled with the blur of metal as Raphael pulled the gun from his head and in the same continuous movement pistol whipped him.
Daniel's head flew back against the chair, his eyes now wide open as yet more blood flowed from his nose and mouth. He was so taken by surprise that he couldn't hold back the cry of shock and then pain.
Son of a bitch!
Raphael's hand was still raised ready to strike again, but one of the rebels stepped in and held it.
"No more Raphael, there is always tomorrow."
The two guerrillas locked eyes in a brief battle of wills before Raphael took the hand from his arm.
"Don't ever touch me again or I will kill you too" he hissed. "If you want him then take him."
He stalked away, taking the still glowing artifact with him. He talked quietly to himself as he went.
"I will be more powerful than you can imagine, then, then you will beg to follow me, to serve with me, to die for me."
"Gracias." Daniel looked up at the rebel who had saved him, the relief obvious on his features.
The rebel said nothing, he was unnerved by what he had seen, by the strange way that the artifact made him feel and more so by the strange way that Raphael was acting. He pulled his knife from his belt and cut Daniel free gesturing that he should stand up.
"Take him back to his friend, maybe after another night with no food or water they will be more willing to talk."
Bill Lee was relieved to see Daniel still alive when the hut door opened and he was pushed inside. He was more relieved that they didn't take him and sank back against the wall.
Daniel took off his boot and his belt and started fashioning a lever to break open the planks of the wall.
"You OK?" Bill asked.
"What? Yes I'm fine but we have to get out of here."
Bill looked at the fresh bruises on Daniel's face and body and the blood stains on his clothes and doubted very much that he was fine.
"Shouldn't we at least wait until night time?"
"I don't think we have that long."
Daniel was sure that when Raphael had calmed down a little and spent a little longer under the influence of the alien device then he would be back and he REALLY didn't want to be around when that happened.
"We won't even get 100 yards before they kill us."
"Yea. If we stay they will definitely kill us."
Daniel kept working his improvised lever forcing the planks apart.
Come on ... give.
Give.
"I saw the short term effects of that device. I know what a sarcophagus does to a person's sanity and this is much more powerful. I don't think we want to stick around to find out what long term exposure does."
Daniel rushed his words hoping Bill wouldn't question just how he knew so much about the down side of the 'dead bed'.
With a sudden crack the planks finally gave way and they had their escape route.
The staccato sound of automatic weapons fire in the compound covered any noise they made as they broke free from the hut and made their way to the outer edges of the rebel camp.
Looking back at the ensuing mayhem, Daniel saw that 'Sparky' who had been shot and killed was in fact not dead at all! He was occupying a central position in the camp firing wildly, keeping his former comrades pinned down.
Daniel looked at Bill.
"It's not good."
It was obvious to Daniel that the alien device worked just like a sarcophagus and could revive the dead. This was no time to be hanging around, so he shoved Bill in front of him and continued their escape.
The sound of gunfire was fading as they ran from the camp into the bordering jungle. Daniel knew they would have to put as much distance between themselves and the rebels as possible as he was sure that it wouldn't take Raphael and his followers long to discover that the two of them were missing.
He was right, the sound of gunfire suddenly seemed louder and closer as their escape was discovered and the chase was on.
Not far off Jack O'Neill and CIA agent Burke also heard the gunfire as the rebels gave chase into the jungle. He KNEW that sound meant that Daniel was in trouble and the two of them swiftly followed the sounds of the chase.
Jack was praying that they wouldn't get there just too late.
For Daniel and Bill it was a chase they couldn't afford to loose, not if they wanted to stay alive. They dodged and weaved their way through the jungle running as fast as they could until suddenly Bill tripped and fell.
He wasn't as fit or as fast as Daniel and they both knew it, struggling to his feet Bill pleaded with Daniel to leave him. He couldn't keep on running and would only slow them both down.
I'm not going to leave you here to die.
Never going to happen!
Daniel knew that Bill was right, he would slow them down and that would probably get them both captured and killed. If they were lucky!
He also knew that he couldn't just leave Bill behind, they were running out of options and running out of time.
Daniel saw a thick tree nearby it would be thick enough to hide Bill behind. He could hide Bill and then try to draw the rebels away that would give Bill a fighting chance. It might mean his death but it wouldn't be the first time and getting the artifact or what they knew about it back to the SGC was, well it was worth dying for.
Daniel shoved Bill behind the tree and set off once more. The short stop had allowed the rebels to close in and Daniel hadn't got very far when he felt the piercing pain of a bullet in the back of his right leg.
He grunted with the sudden and unexpected burst of pain, managing to stagger only a few more steps before he collapsed against a tree to await his fate.
Within seconds the rebels were with him. Raphael was shooting wildly into the air before spraying the ground in front of Daniel with automatic fire.
The message was clear: You're not going anywhere.
Putting out a hand to his followers he barked "Machete!"
Once the cruel sharp blade was in his hand he turned his attention back to Daniel, who was backed up hard against the tree.
"Now I will skin you alive!"
His eyes were wild with the induced madness of power as he stepped towards his helpless victim.
Daniel knew this could be it, this could be how it all ended but, despite the fear he felt inside, he was determined not to make things easy for them. He looked down to his left, away from the approaching madman, searching for anything that he could use as a weapon to defend himself. He saw a heavy rock and, as he reached for it, the jungle was once more loud with the sound of gunfire.
As the sound of the gunshots faded Daniel let out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.
I'm still alive.
Why?
As he looked back to where he had last seen Raphael and his followers standing, there was now a neat row of dead bodies and the more than welcome sight of Jack O'Neill emerging from the undergrowth.
"How many more are there?" Jack's voice was quiet.
He got no answer.
Within seconds he was at Daniel's side, his eyes and senses still alert for any signs of trouble, his finger poised on the trigger of his P90.
"Daniel?" This time his tone was more insistent. He needed to know and he needed to know NOW. They were both easy targets where they were and Jack wasn't comfortable with that fact.
"That's it... you got them all." Daniel's words were a comfort to Jack and he relaxed just a fraction turning his attention to his wounded comrade.
Daniel looked at Jack as if seeing him for the first time.
"What are you doing here?
It was the quiet that Daniel first noticed as he slowly pushed his way through the layers of unconsciousness. It had never been quiet in the jungle, filled as it was with the sounds of birds and gunfire and the shouts of crazy men.
This place though, this place was quiet so it couldn't be the jungle.
He felt warm and dry. He didn't feel hungry or thirsty any more. He didn't feel the pain any more.
Definitely not the jungle then.
He forced himself to a place where he could open his eyes, the sight that greeted him was one he knew all too well, the grey featureless ceiling of the infirmary at the SCG.
He had died in here - once.
Now he would live in here – again.
A gentle snoring from beside him caused him to look at the crumpled form of his savior and his friend.
Jack O'Neill was still in his fatigues, still dirty and somehow, despite his tall frame being squashed into a hard hospital chair, sound asleep.
Daniel smiled to himself; everything for now was right with the world. He was safe and whilst Jack watched over him, he would continue to be safe. As his eyes grew heavy he was vaguely aware of a dull ache in the back of his leg before the peaceful pain free sleep of the drugs in his IV claimed him.
After Jack and his CIA buddy Burke had rescued Daniel and Bill from the jungle they had returned to the rebel camp and retrieved the artifact. It was still active, glowing malevolently and it took the combined efforts of both archaeologists to work out how to deactivate it.
The short trek out of the jungle to the pick up point took longer than expected, both Bill and Daniel were tired and weak after their ordeal. Daniel's leg slowed them down even more as he needed to take frequent stops to ease the pain. He never once complained, instead setting himself to the task at hand, gritting his teeth and pushing on.
Jack and Burke pushed the scientists as hard as they could, wanting to get them all out of the jungle before another rebel rose from the dead and came after them. They were always alert for trouble, their combined years of training working in perfect harmony until at last they reached the pick up point and the safety of the helicopter that would fly them to civilization.
A few hours later and Burke was sipping tequila in his local bar as the members of the SGC boarded the flight back to Colorado. Daniel's leg had been cursorily treated by the local doctor and, as it was not a life threatening injury, the more complex treatment could wait until they were back in the confines of Cheyenne Mountain and under the care of Dr Frasier.
The plane had barely taken off when Jack noticed the lack of conversation amongst the scientists. They had hardly stopped talking about the artifact and what it represented and how this and why that since he had found them in the jungle. Now it seemed that the effects of the past few days had finally caught up with them both and they were collapsed across several seats sleeping soundly.
Settling back himself Jack relished the peace and quiet of a few hours flight.
With typical Air Force efficiency they had been met at the airport by an ambulance and escorted at speed back to the mountain.
Dr Frasier and her team had swung into action assessing the condition of both men and rushing Daniel off for surgery to remove the bullet still lodged in the back of his leg.
Jack annoyed the hell out of the nurses and Dr Frasier by insisting on seeing Daniel as soon as he came out of surgery even though he knew it would be several hours before he was awake again. He paced around the infirmary like a caged animal until Janet and her team wheeled him out of surgery. As they rolled past he shot her a questioning look.
"Don't worry Colonel he's going to be fine. Now if you'll just get out of the way and let us get on with our job, I'll let you see him as soon as he's settled."
Jack ran a weary hand through his short grey hair.
"Thanks Doc." he said, before resuming his nervous pacing.
True to her word, as soon as Daniel was settled Janet allowed Jack to sit with him. It was easier this way; it stopped the Colonel from pestering her and her nurses and upsetting the whole of the infirmary. She knew he wouldn't leave until he had seen for himself that Daniel was ok – that was the kind of man he was. Always looking after his team.
"Just a few minutes Colonel that's all now. He'll be asleep for a few hours yet and you still have to have your post mission medical."
Jack waved a hand absently in Janet's direction and grabbing a chair pulled it up to the side of Daniel's bed.
I'll just sit here for a minute or two he thought, just in case he wakes up. A minute became 10 and then 30 and then an hour and then Jack too was asleep.
The relief that Daniel was going to be fine, the fact that the artifact was now safely under their control and the downward spiral from his adrenaline high all contributing to one tired Air Force Colonel.
Next time Daniel drifted awake Jack was still beside him, only now he was clean and in his usual BDU's.
"Hey Daniel, how you feeling?"
"Tired, a little sore." Daniel's voice was thick and a little slurred courtesy of the pain meds that Janet was pumping into him. "Bill?"
"He's going to be fine. Janet's keeping him under observation for a few days but he's ok."
"Good." Daniel's eyes were getting heavy again as he fought the drugs that were trying to heal him.
Jack stood up and made to leave, knowing that what Daniel needed now was time to heal.
"I'm glad you're OK Daniel. Sam and Teal'c said to say hi – they'll be by as soon as they finish up what their doing. I'll see you later."
"Jack."
Jack stopped and turned back to Daniel.
"Yes Daniel."
"Thanks."
"No problema mis amigo."
Pain like fire in his veins.
Noise like screaming in his ears.
Damp like blood on his face.
The sights and sounds and smells of the jungle, the prison, his agony seemed once again all too real.
Raphael and Sparky were there laughing, tormenting him. Taking pleasure in his agony and his helplessness. Their eyes glowed like the white light that came from the alien device.
Daniel jolted awake, a cry of despair on his lips, the bedclothes twisted around him in disarray from his constant tossing and turning. His breathing was fast and shallow as he struggled to separate the reality from the nightmare.
His nightmare and sudden awakening had sent his heart racing and the annoying noise from the monitors had risen dramatically bringing Dr Janet Frasier scurrying into the ward.
"Dr Jackson?" she got no reply. Daniel was still in his jungle hell.
"Daniel, it's OK now, you're in the SGC, you're safe. You were having a bad dream, a nightmare, you're alright now."
Janet was at his side her words soothing Daniel as she gently mopped the sweat from his forehead. Her touch and her voice took Daniel from his hell and brought him back to the safe warm reality.
Janet adjusted the drip behind Daniel allowing just a little more of the pain meds to kick in and watched as he slowly succumbed once more to a sleep free from pain and, hopefully, nightmares.
The rest of the night passed peacefully enough, Daniel was drugged with enough medication to lay out an elephant and he slept soundly, not even stirring when Sam and Teal'c and then General Hammond came by to see how he was.
After a couple of days in the infirmary Daniel was acting like Jack, harassing the nurses and pleading with Janet to be allowed to get up. He kept insisting he was fine and more than ready to go home. He promised he would rest and take his medication if they would just let him get the hell out of there.
It wasn't washing with Janet, she knew that Daniel was still having nightmares, and although not as violent as the first time, his sleep was usually ended by him jolting awake, disturbed by something he refused to talk about.
Janet entered her office in the infirmary to read the reports of the night shift staff and prepare herself for the days routine check up's and looking after her grumpy patient. Grabbing a coffee she peered out through the office window onto the quiet ward.
At one end Bill Lee was sat up in bed reading a book on Mayan history, at the other Daniel lay scowling at the nurse who was taking his readings.
Janet checked her night shift charts and satisfied with what she saw decided that if Bill came through her next check up with no problems then she would release him and allow him to finish his recovery at home. His injuries had been mainly superficial, some minor electrical burns caused by the jumper cables, dehydration and a slight sprain to his ankle caused by his fall during the escape. All in all he was pretty lucky.
Neither he nor Daniel had been exposed to the alien device long enough to suffer from its effects and she saw no reason to keep him in the infirmary longer than was necessary.
Daniel on the other hand, well his case was more complicated. Like Bill, he was dehydrated and burnt. His burns were more widespread and some, especially those in his groin and over his heart were quite severe. Added to that, his body was heavily bruised and he had a cracked rib that Janet suspected was caused by being repeatedly kicked, a fact Daniel would neither confirm nor deny. The bullet wound to his leg had, ironically, been the most straightforward injury to treat, missing as it had all the major arteries and causing surprisingly minimal damage to the muscles.
It was Daniel's mental state that worried Janet the most and that was the single biggest reason she had for keeping him where he was. The physical injuries were healing but something kept him from sleeping, something made him wake sweating, unable to conceal the trembling in his limbs time after time and until Janet knew what that something was she wasn't going to let Daniel Jackson out of her sight.
Strolling onto the ward Janet went first to Daniel, checking his chart even though she knew what it said.
His vital signs were now almost back to normal, the disruptions caused by the continued exposure to high voltage electrical charges had worked their way through his system.
"Well Doc will I live?"
"Yes Daniel."
"Then can I get the hell out of here and get back to work?"
Janet glanced down at the chart buying herself some time to come up with another excuse as to why Daniel couldn't leave. Looking back up at the SGC's foremost academic and authority on the Goa'uld, she was still concerned by his unwillingness to talk about what had happened during his time at the hands of the rebels. For a man whose life was built on words and reason this was not what she had expected.
Maybe the recently unascended Daniel was somehow different to the Daniel she had known before.
Maybe he was all right with what had happened.
NO.
If he was all right then why could he not sleep without nightmares?
"Not yet Daniel, I just want to keep an eye on that leg of yours for a little longer."
"But Janet I'm fine, really I am. Let me go home...please."
"Not yet Daniel, now that's Doctor's orders so stop pestering my nurses and I'll think about it."
Janet put the chart back on the end of the bed and turned away heading for the other end of the infirmary and Bill Lee. Daniel watched her as she fussed around Bill, taking his readings, chatting and laughing with him.
Bill Lee.
The cause of Daniel's anguish, the cause of his sleepless nights.
The reason he was still stuck in the infirmary caught in a freakish time loop of reliving the pain and suffering of their time in the jungle.
Damn you Bill.
Do you know what you did?
Do you care what you did?
You nearly cost us everything.
You nearly cost ME everything.
Daniel was getting tired of being tired, of not being able to sleep a whole night through unless he was drugged up to the eyeballs.
Every time he closed his eyes he was transported back to the jungle and the horror that he had endured there, it was an endless viscous cycle of pain and terror.
In his nightmares they waited for him, Raphael and his followers. They all took turns to burn him with the jumper cables and then with Goa'uld pain sticks, to beat him with fists and feet, to watch him beg for them to kill him. Their God Tel'chac came and they bowed at his feet and watched in awe as his eyes glowed and he raised his ribbon device, sending beams of pure white hot energy to pummel their helpless victim until, with a final cry of anguish, he died.
Daniel's last thought before he died was that Tel'chac and Bill Lee were one and the same person.
The cry when he bolted awake was often that of Bill's name.
Daniel was trying to concentrate on translating the writing found on the alien device. It was a derivative of the language spoken by the Ancients but bastardized by something he couldn't quite figure out. He reached for another of the digital images of the writing and in doing so knocked one of his reference texts to the floor.
Daniel cursed under his breath, and putting aside the images of the writing started to throw back the covers.
"Here you go Daniel." Jack's voice stopped him in his tracks as he placed the book back on the bed.
"Thanks Jack."
"Shouldn't you be resting or something?" Jack asked as he grabbed a chair and, without being asked, made himself at home next to Daniel's bed.
"Probably, but I just feel like I need to be doing something, especially as Janet won't let me out of here." The last part of that sentence was said in a loud enough voice for a passing Dr Frasier to hear. Wisely she chose to ignore the comment and carried on to her office.
"You know you would stand a better chance of getting out of the infirmary and going home if you'd just let us help you."
"What do you mean?" Daniel's attempt to play the innocent didn't work on Jack.
"Come on Daniel, the nightmares, the way you won't talk about anything, the way you feel... everything."
Jack took Daniel's silence as permission to carry on. He knew he needed to get Daniel to open up before he blew up.
"I know what it's like Daniel to be where you are right now and I also know that you have to let it out or it will destroy you and all those around you."
"How can you know Jack, you weren't there. You didn't see what they did, what they would have done ...to me." Daniel's voice was a quiet whisper, a reluctant participant in the unfolding events.
"No, Daniel I wasn't there but that doesn't mean I don't understand. I do, so why don't you tell me? Does it have to do with Bill Lee?" For all his pretence of being slow, Colonel Jack O'Neill was anything but, he was a good judge of character, a good reader of people and especially of those people he was closest to.
Daniel looked up at Jack and then dropped his head again. If he didn't have to look at him maybe it would be easier for him to say what he had to say, what he needed to say.
"Bill told them about the device. He told them what it was and how it might be linked to the Fountain of Youth myth. God, for all I know he probably told them how to turn it on."
Daniel was trembling slightly both with the relived fear of his memories and with the pent up anger he still felt.
"They hurt us both Jack, but he told them. The stupid bastard told them. They got high on the device all because he told them. They were going to kill me Jack, they wanted to kill me. Me Jack, not Bill....ME."
"But they didn't Daniel, you made it through, you survived you both did. You have to hang onto that fact Daniel. They wanted to kill you but they didn't. Life is a precious thing Daniel you more than most should know that. Bill just did what he needed to do to survive, that's all. We all handle these situations in different ways Daniel, it's what makes us who we are."
"Why me though Jack? I mean, after all I was just trying to save their sorry asses from Anubis and his cronies, didn't they know that?"
"I guess some people just don't know when to be grateful Daniel, for all sorts of things."
Daniel didn't miss the not very subtle double meaning to that comment. He was still alive and, although his leg ached and various parts of his body were still sore, he would be alright. He would live to fight another day, another battle another false God. He would live to help save the world ...maybe.
The nightmares, along with the scars and the bruises, would fade. The anger he felt towards Bill was already fading.
Jack was right, he had survived, they had all survived. Now, if he just stopped feeling sorry for himself and got on with his life and his work then maybe the whole of the human race might survive as well.
"Thanks Jack, now if you'll pass me that book, I've got a translation to finish."
Jack laid the book down on the bed, pushed the chair back and got up. He knew that Daniel was going to be fine, he was strong, stronger than maybe even he realized.
"I'll see you later Daniel, don't work too hard."
Daniel never raised his head from the book and the images spread across the bed.
"Ok Jack, see you later."
Jack made his way out of the infirmary stopping at the door to Janet's office. He stuck his head round the door.
"I think you'll find Daniel is ready to go home now."