Plans made, the men quickly dispersed, to set the plans into motion. While it didn't seem like they were doing much, all three were relieved to at least have something productive to do towards locating Sam. At the very least, the various activities would give them something to do that would take their minds off their missing friend and teammate. They all knew Sam was capable, but in her current body, the worried about her ability to defend herself. None of them would rest easy until she was returned safely. They would find her. They had to.
Chapter 29
Sam roused sometime later. There was no way for her to tell how long she had been out this time, the tiny air holes in the metal box she was in didn't allow much light. She could hear an occasional murmur of voices, but couldn't make out the words over the high-pitched hum and constant vibrations of jet engines. Her heart sank as she realized she was on a plane, heading to god only knew where, her chances of rescue getting slimmer and slimmer.
Needing to do something productive so she wouldn't give into the despair rapidly threatening to overtake her, Sam decided to explore her prison. Well cage would be a more apt description she decided as she struggled to make her legs cooperate. Stiff muscles protested after being left unmoving for an extended amount of time and she felt a little sick and dizzy, no doubt a residual effect of whatever combination of drugs she now had in her system.
As the plane banked suddenly, Sam found herself falling into the side of the metal box with a soft thump. She froze, panting slightly at the exertion, praying that her captors hadn't heard the sound over the engine noise and come to investigate. She knew she wasn't in top form as she tried to slow her breathing and calm her pounding heartbeat.
When no one came, Sam leaned against the side of the box until she could stand on her own. Moving cautiously and slowly, Sam started to explore the confines of the metal carrier. She sniffed around inquisitively, whiskers touching against the sides as she turned her face upwards. The faintest of outlines could be seen at the top where the door was. Carefully, she examined the outline, but could see no way of opening the latch from the inside. A tentative push of her head against the door yielded no movement that she could discern. The door was securely closed.
Sighing softly in disappointment, Sam had turned to investigate the small air holes, trying to see if she could ascertain anything about what was going on outside her confined space, when the latch unexpectedly scraped back and the door was flung open. Sam hadn't even heard the approach of the man over the noise of the plane.
Blinking at the sudden harsh light, her eyes refused to adjust after the near total darkness she'd been in. Sam couldn't see the man whose rough hands grabbed her, hauling her into the light, but that didn't stop her from struggling. The man merely laughed though, this time he was wearing thick protective gloves as he pinned her writhing form to a firm surface. A second man approached from behind and before Sam could react, she felt the now all too familiar prick of a needle behind her neck.
Sam cried out in protest as the medication was injected, but her cries had no effect as the man holding her dumped her unceremoniously back into the box, slamming the lid down and sending the latch home, plunging her prison back into darkness. Unwelcome memories from the time she'd been taken, held against her will and strapped to a bed, rose in Sam's mind. Despair overwhelmed her, and this time, Sam was grateful as unconsciousness claimed her.
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Sam woke again. This was getting old. This time, the noise of jet engines was gone, but another hum could be heard. The pitching and rolling of her carrier suggested that she was now in some sort of ground based vehicle, likely a truck or van. Sam didn't bother moving. She felt like crap, and she thought it best to save her strength until an opportunity for escape presented itself. Besides, with the way her cage kept shifting, she thought they were likely riding over a badly paved road or a gravel path. There was no way she would be able to keep her feet in her current condition. Sam bided her time and rested.
She had no idea how much time had passed as the vehicle had bumped and rattled along, but she sensed when the vehicle pulled off whatever road it was on and came to a stop, the engine cutting off. A door slammed, and men shouted, she heard another door open and was still startled as her cage moved suddenly even though she'd been expecting it. Fortunately, she was still lying down.
The movements stopped shortly after that, even though Sam felt that someone was still holding onto the carrier. Footsteps approached them, and Sam strained to catch conversation.
"We have the specimen you wanted sir," spoke the voice that Sam thought belonged to 'Hank'. She suppressed an angry growl at being called a "specimen"
"Good." A new voice, this one was cool and calm. Sam felt her fur bristle. This was the man that had ordered her abduction. Sam dragged her attention back to the conversation, Hank had demanded the rest of whatever payment had been agreed upon for her capture, and seemed unhappy when the cool voice insisted that the "specimen" be checked out first. Sam had no chance to think about the meaning of that statement as her carrier was changing hands.
She was moving again, and sensed that they were entering a building of some sort. She could hear her new captors' footsteps echoing as she was carried along a corridor. They turned into a room and Sam braced as she felt the carrier settle with a rough jolt onto a flat surface.
The cool voice spoke in reprimand to whoever it was that was carrying her. "Careful, I don't want the specimen damaged." Sam decided that the guy's voice was creepy, and briefly thought about biting the man should the opportunity present itself, but decided she didn't really want to, he would no doubt taste foul.
Even though she'd tried to prepare herself, Sam was still startled as the carrier was opened and she was forced to narrow her eyes to mere slits as hands grasped her again, dumping her on the table. Her legs refused to hold her, a combination of the drugs and being confined and unmoving in a small space. Sam lay sprawled across the table, and struggled to lift up her head, blinking her eyes into focus.
A man in an expensive looking suit stood, hands clasped behind his back. He looked to be in his late 40's or early 50's, his long straight dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he sported a neatly trimmed goatee. Sam wasn't sure what rubbed her the wrong way about the man, but he almost seemed... oily somehow. Sam immediately tagged him as the owner of the creepy voice. With a voice like that, the guy had to look the part of the stereotypical bad guy. And this guy definitely fit that description. The guy only needed an eye patch to complete his rakish cleaned up pirate look. Words that the Colonel might say to describe the man flitted through her mind, like pompous, arrogant, and overdressed... Sam's thoughts trailed off as the rip off villain spoke, confirming her guess.
"Excellent... most excellent. I believe I will not be disappointed. Please, Doctor, examine out guest and see that she has not come to any harm." The guy had a fake looking smile on, one that did not reach his eyes.
Sam's skin crawled as the man regarded her as if she were no more than an exotic acquisition. There was something cold in that penetrating gaze. A second man approached her, this one wearing a lab coat. The man set a small bag containing the instruments of his trade, which he removed and started to use on her. Sam squirmed as the man began the exams she had grown to loath, but she was too exhausted to offer more than a token resistance. The man in the suit never took his eyes off her during the entire ordeal, and Sam was disturbed by the man's scrutiny.
Trying to take her mind of Slick's (what she'd decided to call the ostentatious man) undivided interest in her, Sam tried to look about the room and noticed a third man standing by the closed door. The big hairy guy was thickly muscled and ugly, looked slightly smarter than a box of rocks, and was openly carrying a weapon. He looked like he probably ate kittens for breakfast. Sam suppressed a shudder at the thought, although she tried to tell herself that the shudder was because of precisely where the vet was poking her. Likely, ugly guy by the door was some sort of personal or security guard to ensure she didn't escape.
Completing his exam, the "doctor" pronounced her healthy other than a bit of mild dehydration and fatigue. Sam wondered how long she'd been in the box, and how many hours it had been since she'd been taken from the SGC. The man, who was still staring at her, spoke again. "Very good. Let us show our guest to her accommodations. She must eat and drink, and rest. We have much to discuss tomorrow."
Sam meowed in protest as she was lifted and carried across the room, her "accommodations" immediately apparent in the metal cage sitting on the counter beneath a high window. She twisted, but was no match for the man who pushed her unwillingly into the cage. As she tried to turn back around, the door of the cage was closed and Sam was just in time to witness the placement of a padlock on the door. The key was handed to the man, who was still watching her as one might regard an expensive painting they'd just purchased.
As the other two men left the room, the man leaned down, and whispered, "Welcome to my facility Major Carter, I am looking forward to getting to know you quite well." Sam suppressed a shudder as the man smiled at her as if she were his possession, then turned to follow the other men out of the room, the lights dimmed as the heavy door closed firmly behind them, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place.
Now alone, Sam took the time to look around the room she was in. Unlike the metal box, which had been nearly solid, the cage she was in now was open on all sides. Unfortunately, it wasn't much larger. She had a bit more space, but not much. Small metal bars crossed the sides and top, while the bottom was made of a fairly tight metal grate, which was a bit uncomfortable to stand on. Kitty litter in a tray was visible below the mesh, and Sam growled openly at the humiliation. Two narrow dishes fit into slots at the side of the cage, which meant they could be replenished without opening the main door of the cage, ledges on one side of each bowl preventing the dishes from being pulled into the cage. The slot was too narrow to even consider she could fit out of. A careful examination of all corners and edges of the cage revealed no signs of weakness.
Experimentally, Sam poked a paw through the bars, and batted at the padlock. The lock swung back and forth tantalizingly, but stayed annoyingly attached to the door. Without something to pick it with, it didn't look like she'd be getting it off. And even if she did have her lock picking kit, there was still the little hurdle of lacking thumbs to hold and manipulate things.
Looking around outside the cage, Sam noted that the room was very sparse. It consisted of a long countertop on one wall, where her cage resided, and a wide stainless steel table in the center of the room. There was a metal sink sunken into the countertop not far from where her cage rested. A small window was high above her cage, well out of reach, even if she could get out of the cage, and get it open. Not much else was in the room. The walls were white, the cabinets white, the countertops and table stainless. The floor was a variation on white, having a bit of gray mixed in. All and all, it looked like some sort of lab, a very sterile looking one at that.
Sam also noted the presence of two video cameras. No doubt her every move was being monitored, recorded, and analyzed. Lastly, Sam turned her attention back to the dishes. As she suspected, one dish contained water, and the other food. Sam looked at the offering in distaste. Plain kibble, like the kind she used to feed Schroedinger, filled the bowl. The dry cat food made the homemade mush she'd been eating at the SGC, which had been prepared especially for her by Captain Brunsfeld, seem much more appealing. At least she knew what was in that food.
Sam approached the water, sniffing carefully. She knew she needed to drink; the food could wait until she was more desperate, but she couldn't last long without water. She couldn't smell anything in the water, and took a tentative taste. When she could detect no obvious chemicals in the water, Sam allowed herself to lap up a small amount of the water, being careful not to drink too much on her stomach, which had been empty for so long. Her thirst not quite quenched, Sam sent one last glare at the offered kibble, and another at the cameras, trying to convey her displeasure. Finally, exhaustion took its toll, and Sam moved to the back of the cage, which was facing the wall, and curled into a tight ball facing the doorway, before giving into sleep.