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A Tropical Nightmare.

By Lingren.

Previously:

By the time they arrived back at what remained of the camp, the sun had risen higher, and the jungle heat had risen to an all time record. The flames from the explosion were still burning, adding to the stifling heat, and the smell of cordite hung heavy in the air. Luis looked around the ruined camp and issued his orders. Jack was dropped unceremoniously to the ground in the middle of the quadrangle, around which the tents had been erected. He was stripped of his jacket and shirt, then his limbs were spread eagled, fastened tightly to the stakes driven into the ground, leaving him to the mercy of the hot sun to slowly bake his battered body.

Chapter 5

Some time later Jack roused to the intense feeling of his skin burning. A cacophony of pain assaulted him every part of his body when he tried to move. He groaned in agony as fresh waves of it rippled through his wounded thigh, and for some reason he'd yet to fathom out, his shoulder too. His head throbbed mercilessly, and he couldn't bear to open his eyes against the brightness currently shining full onto them.

After the initial pain had muted slightly he tried to think where he was, it certainly wasn't the Infirmary. He recalled being shot, then he hit his head and after that it was anybody's guess. The harsh ground beneath him and the awkward position of his limbs told him there was no way he was in a hospital bed.

He slitted opened his eyes to take a look around, and found himself staked out in the full sun. Lifting his head to look down at his body was something which he found much too difficult to do yet, so instead he used his senses to tell him that he was not in a good position, and that his current state of health was not good either, and not likely to improve in the very near future. When he got back home, Doc was sure to have a fit when she got hold of him.

The realisation that he'd been captured and left to die in the scorching sun, was like an arrow piercing his heart. He couldn't remember being taken prisoner, and wondered where the rest of the team was. He knew without a doubt that Sam would never have left him behind if she'd had a choice, but then, maybe they had all been caught. He could see the rebels milling around the camp like ants, trying to salvage whatever they could from the aftermath of his handiwork.

He tried to look all round for any sign of his team, but every little move of his head caused more pain to lance through it, and his neck. He tried testing his bonds, but any subsequent movement there caused even greater agony to his shoulder, and he couldn't bite back the soft moan it elicited. Mentally trying to withdraw from the pain, he wondered just what had happened to him for it to hurt so much.

A shadow loomed over him, bringing instant relief from the burning sun on his flesh, temporarily shielding his eyes from the brightness, and now as he opened them fully, he saw Luis Mendoza standing over him.

"So...you have awakened at last," Mendoza spoke in English, his Spanish accent thick but still understandable.

"Yeah, but I'm kinda wishing I hadn't."

Mendoza ignored the statement.

"Who are you?"

"Me? Ah...nobody in particular. A friend? Amigo?"

"You are an American," he accused. "Americanos are no friends of ours."

"Now why would that be?" he asked in feigned innocence.

Mendoza chose to ignore his comment again, and got straight to the point.

"Why did you steal our metal?"

"Metal? What metal would that be?"

Mendoza kicked him in the ribs making Jack groan in agony, trying not to move too much knowing it would ultimately bring greater pain if he did.

"Oh...you mean that metal. The metal you stole from us," he countered when he could draw breath again.

"Do not think I am stupid, Amigo, I know you are from Cheyenne Mountain. Who else would dare to rescue one of it's own?"

"Well if you knew that, why'd you ask?"

"Confirmation of your involvement with our Government to put down the revolution," Luis drawled.

"Yeah? Like that'll happen anytime soon."

"You are working with our Government."

"Not a hope."

Again Jack was kicked, this time on his open thigh wound, making him suck in a sharp breath, and turning the world around him into a hazy fog. He blinked rapidly trying to clear his sight again, mentally shaking his thoughts back together.

"You are in league with Ramirez. Admit it," he yelled, getting angrier.

"No way. Can't admit to something that's not true."

"Liar. You shall receive your just rewards for your insolence."

This time Luis nodded to Miguel and walked away, leaving his friend to mete out Jack's punishment. By the time the rebel had finished Jack was once again unconscious, the pain too much for his fragile body to bear any longer, and he'd welcomed the darkness with open arms.

Night came slowly and Jack lay unmoving, still tied to the ground. His throat almost closing as his tongue, swollen from the lack of moisture, felt thick and threatened to choke him with it's very dryness. The heat of the day had disappeared and with the darkness came the chill from the night air. He shivered now, and although he revelled in the cool air at first, he now desperately needed some protection against it.

His limbs were burning with cramp and he longed to be able to move them and ease the stiffened joints. He lay trying to concentrate on the stars above him, wondering which team was out among them tonight, and if they were gazing up at the millions of sparkling lights in the night sky and thinking of home. Home was where he wanted to be right now, and he let his mind drift away from the need of material comfort, to thoughts about Sam.

How her smile always lit up her eyes, and made him feel as light as a feather when it was aimed just at him. Sam, who had breezed into his life like a whirlwind and taken over his thoughts, pushing the agony of the recent past into a new perspective. It was not until Daniel's death and subsequent ascension, that they had both come to realise that it could so easily have been one of them who'd died, and it made them finally taken the plunge and admit their true feelings for each other.

Freely confessing their love and actually doing something about it, had been the best thing they could have done. With good friends to help them, they had managed to keep their relationship a secret so far. If their fraternisation was discovered, then it would spell the end for both of them. He conjured up the imagine of running his fingers through her golden hair when they were together. The smoothness of her pale skin, so warm and soft beneath his touch; her sparkling blue eyes so full of love, and for him only. Now he wondered what Sam was doing right this minute. He knew with a certainty that if she could, she would return for him if it was at all possible.

The splash of water hitting him brought his mind right back to his current predicament. He opened his eye to find that it was raining. A warm rain was washing him down, cleansing his bloodied and dust covered body. It was the heavy kind of rain only found in a tropical rain forest, and within minutes he was lying saturated in a muddy puddle, shivering worse than before.

The only consolation he had, was that now he could open his mouth and take in some of the moisture, helping to quench his raging thirst. He choked over it at first, but kept gulping down the precious commodity. The rain didn't last very long, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mendoza laughing at his antics as he tried to drink the rain.

The clouds rolled by and once more the stars came out, and Jack drifted off into a restless sleep again.

TBC