A reminder, as I said at the beginning of this fic, this is already completely written so the plot is set. But I will say that apart from her fic 'The Coldest of Hearts' Jackie's stories are all Jack/Sam. Flatkatsi
Life In the Shadows – Part Four
"God, I feel so helpless," said Sam, her voice catching in her throat as she spoke.
"There is nothing we can do for now," said Teal'c.
"They all seem … well, so excepting of everything here," said Sam, trying to put voice to something that was troubling her.
"A lot of the younger ones were actually born here, they don't know anything else," said Daniel, "and the older ones probably can't remember much of a life before this."
"The people they brought in were quite young also," said Teal'c.
Daniel nodded. "Method in their madness." Sam and Teal'c both gave him a puzzled look and he continued. "The people form attachments - they encourage partners and children. It keeps the stock of workers up and they're less likely to want to try and escape or cause trouble."
"Yes, you have to work to feed your family, or see them starve," said Sam, with a heavy sigh.
"I wonder what it is they're mining," said Daniel.
Sam realised, in her concern for the Colonel, she hadn't even given it a thought.
"We," she corrected Daniel. Daniel threw her a puzzled look. "It's what we are mining now." Sam pinned a false smile on her face and sighed. "And God help us."
The time crawled by. They tried to get some sleep, but it didn't come easy. The smell from the pot eventually began to permeate the air and made them salivate with hunger.
"Makes you think how much we take microwaves and ovens for granted," said Sam as she stirred the pot. "Oh, for a take-out," she moaned.
Eventually they deemed the food was cooked through and Sam dished it up, saving some for later in the hope the Colonel could eat it when he joined them. Not a word was exchanged as they ate. Reena had given them some flat cakes and they mopped out their bowls with them.
Daniel scraped the very last remnants from his bowl and sighed. "I hate to think what that meat actually was, but that was damn good."
"I agree, Daniel Jackson. That was most nourishing, Major Carter, thank you."
Sam half smiled at the compliment. "Well, that was thanks to Reena; goodness knows what we'll be surviving on tomorrow." As the thought occurred, she added, "We must replace what she's given us, it doesn't come cheap I think."
"Yes, hard labour," agreed Daniel.
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Jack watched his team disappear down the tunnels.
Kane made him stand there for what seemed an age while he spoke in hushed tones to another guard. Eventually, the guard Kane had called Masa, returned, but alone.
He couldn't hear what was being said, wasn't sure he wanted to really, given that he was sure he was the point of their discussion. He took the opportunity to look around, still hopeful for an eventual escape.
Kane's voice called his attention back to the little group.
"Forget it, forget what you know, this is the rest of your life, if you live that is," snarled the man. He nodded his head and the guards took the signal and moved close to Jack.
Masa yanked the chain and strode off down one of the adjacent tunnels. Thankfully Jack's long legs kept up with the guards, as he had the feeling they would just drag him if he fell. Without a word between them, they eventually hauled him into a room. The walls had rings fastened in the stone, high up, but it was otherwise empty.
Masa slammed Jack against the wall. He unfastened one of the shackles and passed it through the ring above his head before fastening it back on his wrist. Jack's height gave him a slight advantage and he wasn't overstretched, the slack giving him a little movement in his arms.
"Don't suppose there's any chance of some water?" asked Jack cheerfully.
The guard punched him viciously in his already bruised stomach, making him heave and gasp for breath, then Masa and the guard left, leaving him hung high and dry, trying to suck in some air.
The room was quite dim in comparison to the tunnels. His throat was dry. The hunger had left his belly for now, the blow had seen to that, the pain replacing it. He was worried how his team were fairing. Worrying about them kept his mind from dwelling on what the guards had planned for him – he knew it wasn't going to be good.
Eventually, he began to doze, only waking properly when he heard the guards returning, their laughter and loud voices announcing their presence before they entered.
Kane was with them and marched straight over. Jack didn't flinch from the man's direct gaze. He stood waiting; giving what he hoped was a calm front to the man.
"Do you have a name?" barked the man.
"O'Neill," Jack responded, not seeing any reason to withhold it, nor to give anything more.
"Well, O'Neill, I do not know where you are from, nor do I care; but you are now bound by our laws. This is now your life."
The sudden backhand Jack received took him by surprise, and his head was whipped back painfully connecting with the stone. His head swam; blood flowed from the split on his lip caused by the blow.
Kane laughed harshly. He turned to the guards. "I want him alive and conscious for later, but other than that I do not care."
Jack caught the gleam in the eyes of the nearest guard and almost groaned out loud as he realised they were going to get to 'play'. The first blow caught him very low in the guts, but before the pain fully registered another fist was already connecting with him
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