I'd like to make it clear that although this story involves incidents in Iraq, I have no affiliations with any political group or any other concerned in that country whatsoever and anything contained in these pages is purely fictional, coming entirely from my imagination. I mean no disrespect to any organisation or people herein.

Thanks to all your lovely comments guys. Sooo glad you're enjoying this.

Title: Unity.

Author: LetitiaRichards.

Previously:

Jack sucked in a ragged breath just as darkness flooded his mind and he slipped thankfully into oblivion, knowing Daniel was there to catch him.

Daniel hugged his wounded friend to him just as the terrorists surrounded them.

Chapter 10

"What do you mean? You lost them?" General Hammond yelled down the phone.

Sam cringed at the tone of Hammond's indignant yell, but it was more than that. She shivered in fear when his words hit her. How could that be possible? How could they have been lost? She knew whom he was talking about. Her team-mates. Her friend Daniel and her CO; the man she loved dearly.

She had gone to see the General about organising a mission to PZ3 759 when he'd been interrupted by a phone call from a General Kelly in Iraq.

She listened to the one-sided conversation, putting two and two together knowing it was bad news without being told. She hadn't known that he had been ordered to take on an important mission whilst there.

Not until now that is.

Hammond calmed a little but barked out a few orders before slamming the phone down.

"Major, how soon can you and Teal'c be ready to leave for Iraq?"

Sam jumped up from the chair, her own business forgotten.

"We can be ready within the hour sir!"

"Good. Go get packed and both of you report back here. A.S.A.P!"

"Yes sir!" Sam snapped and hurried off to go find Teal'c.

Hammond sat in his chair, leaning his elbows on the table for a moment to gather his thoughts, he called his aide and asked him to gather as many of SGs 2 and 3 together to meet up with him in the briefing room immediately; then he picked up the red phone. He had urgent business to attend to and needed the President to understand what was going on and why he was not happy.

When Sam and Teal'c arrived back at his office a little later, he invited them in to sit down while he closed the doors for privacy.

"Sir...what's happened to Colonel O'Neill and Daniel? In your phone call you mentioned they were missing?"

"According to General Kelly, he needed a high ranking officer to take on an urgent mission to rescue half a dozen men who had been kidnapped and were being held by terrorists and who were subjected to constant beatings and torture. Apparently Colonel O'Neill was the only other officer available at that time and Dr. Jackson was ordered to accompany him. They infiltrated the hideout and rescued the hostages, but as they made their getaway, Colonel O'Neill was shot down and Daniel refused to leave him behind. I need not mention what Jack must have been thinking at that time. You do know what he went to Iraq for don't you?"

"Yes sir. We all discussed it the night before they left. He wasn't happy about the decision to send him, or that it would probably give him nightmares having to listen to what other people would have gone through. He said it would be painful to hear, but that he had no choice in the matter." After a short pause she just had to ask the burning question.

"Do we know how the Colonel is sir? If he was shot down..." Her words failed her and she swallowed hard, not wanting to allow herself to imagine if Jack had died of his wounds, but needing to know if there was any hope left for him.

"I can't tell you anything other than that Major. I don't have any other relevant information at this time. I'm sorry, I know this must be hard on you two, knowing how close you all are as a team."

"In spite of the apparent danger involved General Hammond, O'Neill would not have ignored his orders. He is an honourable member of the Tau'ri. We must therefore execute a rescue of our own."

"That's correct Teal'c. He didn't like it, but he went anyway. Both he and Dr. Jackson were due to fly home today, but then this came up at the last minute. Now we have no idea where they are or how they're faring."

"So you want 'us' to find them and bring them home sir?"

"Damn right I do Major. I've ordered SG-2 to accompany you. I want my own men out there for this. I can't rely on unknown troops. Knowing what we do about Jack's imprisonment before and what he suffered at the hands of the Iraqis' back then, I think it prudent in doing so and to act immediately. The less time he is in their hands the better."

"We're ready sir. We will bring them home General."

"I know you will Major. I only hope there's enough left of the man we all know when you do find him, and of Dr. Jackson."

Hammond went on to explain a little of what Jack had suffered previously on a mission gone wrong during the Gulf war.

"And we thought the Goa'uld were bad!" Sam reflected after hearing a very sketchy account of what Jack had gone through before. Now she understood a little more about the man she secretly loved. She vowed there and then to find him as soon as she could.

"There's a transport plane waiting on the runway at Peterson with your name on it Major. You leave immediately. A helicopter is up top ready to take you all to Peterson AFB right now. Good luck People."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," Sam snapped off a smart salute.

They gathered their bags and within minutes the enlarged team was airborne over the streets of Colorado Springs.

OoOoOoOoO

Sharp pain raging through his leg dragged Jack from the dark void of unconsciousness. He released a moan as his body jerked away from the source of his agony.

Daniel had woken, sore and stiff and had been patiently waiting for Jack to wake up.

"Jack?"

Jack fought off the encroaching blackness again to listen to the voice. Was he dreaming?

"Jack?" it called again.

"Daniel?" he uttered softly. Was it real?

"Right first time Jack."

"Ahhh, geez," he groaned in pain when he moved involuntarily again. "Wha happen'd?"

"You got shot Jack. We're hostages I guess. The good news is that all the other hostages got out."

Jack shot upright on hearing the unwelcome news that he was now a prisoner, only to collapse backwards again in agony as the pain spiked through his lower limb.

Daniel caught him and lowered him back to the ground gently.

"Don't...do that Jack. You'll start bleeding again, and I don't exactly have a first aid kit in here."

Jack blinked away the beaded moisture running into his eyes from his fevered brow.

"Crap!" he exclaimed as soon as he was able to process the information and recall the incident exactly. "You shouldn't have come back Danny. They'll only..." his words trailed off as he got a good look at his friend's face. "Crap Daniel, what they do to you?"

"Nothing much. Just taught me a lesson in obedience I guess."

"That's some lesson!" Jack sighed with regret. "You should have gotten out of here. Why the hell didn't you get out while you could?"

Daniel's face was bruised, his nose caked in dried blood and his lower lip had been split open; one eye was swollen, purple and partially closed.

"I wasn't leaving you behind Jack. I made you a promise. You're not alone here this time. These people aren't just out to hurt the enemy; they're out for blood Jack. They're terrorists which are far more dangerous. Together we can get through this."

"How long have we been here?" Jack asked, trying to cover up his own feelings on the subject of Daniel being a friend such as he didn't deserve.

"One hell of a long time I suspect. It looks like the sun is going down already. They took all our things Jack. We have nothing left except the clothes we're dressed in," Daniel replied in exasperation. Their captors' had taken away their weapons, boots, packs, water, watches, jackets, vests; practically everything. He had nothing to offer Jack to take away the pain or help him through the fever that was now taking hold of him. The wounds were messy and infected from the filthy floor they were lying on. He'd managed to staunch the flow of blood, rinsed them off sparingly with what little water he'd been given, but that was all he could do; that, and offer comfort whenever he could. He'd torn up part of his own T-shirt to use as makeshift bandages.

"Things are that good huh?"

"Oh yeah. It's a riot!" Daniel had quipped right back wryly.

"So, who holding the reins?"

"Haven't got a clue! Apart from the goons who taught me a lesson, I've not actually seen anyone in charge as of yet."

Jack shivered, and Daniel didn't have a blanket to wrap round him to ward off the chills. He was under no illusion that it was getting colder in the room. Desert nights were notoriously cold after the sweltering heat of the day.

"Come here Jack!" Daniel grunted as he moved in behind his friend, to lean against the wall.

With a lot of grunting and swearing from Jack because of the pain, Daniel managed to pull Jack backwards and upright to lean with his back against his own chest, wrapping his arms around the wounded officer to keep him warm.

"This is...cosy," Jack snorted in wry amusement.

"Shut up Jack, you don't know what you're talking about. You're chilled and it's only gonna get colder in here."

"I know. I'm jus' sayin'," he slurred dopily, his fever making him appear slightly drunk.

"Well don't! We don't have any choice; not if we want to survive this. Sam would kill me if I let you die."

"Tell me about it!" Jack sighed, shivering again. "She's kill me too!" Now Daniel snorted with amusement. Jack did appreciate Daniel's warmth wrapped round him though, and then thoughts of Sam on his last night back home was a warm memory to cling to as he drifted off into a fitful sleep in the dark and the cold of their cell.

Daniel fell asleep too, right where they were, huddled together for warmth, his head resting on Jack's shoulder, sharing their body heat against the freezing night.

TBC

Sorry guys, updates will be slower coming from here on out. I haven't written much more of this and I want to get it right...so please be patient and I'll try my best to be as quick as I can. I have my daughter coming soon too, so I may be busy ferrying them around during the holiday. Bear with me on this...I will get it finished.