The Hunt for Babylon:
By cheekychaos
Chapter Twelve:
"Sir." Carter greeted as Jack, Teal'c and Sydney walked up.
"Carter." Jack replied.
"Did you see any sign of Sloane?" Sydney asked.
"No." Sam replied.
Sydney sighed. "Didn't think so."
"Where to next?" Jack asked, looking between Sydney and the two archaeologists.
"My guess?" Sydney answered. "The central tower. It has the symbol of Rambaldi stamped onto it."
Lara nodded in agreement. "From my readings, that's supposed to be the main temple where the 'portal to the Gods' is kept."
"Right." Jack said. "Let's go then."
The group headed off, with Sam and Jack in the lead, guns held in front of them, and Teal'c and Sydney took up the rear. Lara and Daniel also kept their hands near their guns, but their attention was fixed on the awesome city around them and not on the potential danger of Sloane and his mercenaries. The archaeologists in them couldn't hep but be amazed at the significance of the city.
Everyone reached the base of the central tower without incident. Before them, a large and broad staircase stretched upwards and disappeared into a big ornate doorway. The doorway was set into a pyramid shaped building which sat atop the stairs. The symbol of Rambaldi was carved above the doorway, large and impressive.
"Do you think Sloane knows we're here?" Jack asked Sam.
"There's no telling, sir." Sam replied. "An Ancient city like this would definitely have some sort of surveillance system – but whether Sloane has found the control centre and has any idea on how to use it is another matter."
Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Well, then, you and I had better check out this control centre." He said. "Daniel, Croft and Bristow – you check out this temple and find out as much as you can about this Rambuldus person. T, stay with them."
"Sure, Jack." Daniel replied, while Teal'c acknowledged Jack's order with a nod.
Jack turned to leave, before turning back around again with a snap of his fingers. "Oh, yeah." He said. "Any idea where the control centre might be?"
"Um." Daniel looked around, before noticing a building close to the temple that was dotted with balconies and many interconnecting walkways. "There." He answered, pointing.
"Right." Jack said. "Let's go, Carter."
As the two left, Daniel turned to Lara. "Shall we?" he asked motioning to the stairs.
"We shall." Lara answered with a grin, before walking up the stairs beside Daniel.
Sydney rolled her eyes a little and followed, as Teal'c watched his three companions in amusement. Then he, too, followed the others up the stairs and into the temple. The inside of the temple was very dark, even despite the bright sunlight outside and it took a moment for everyone's eyes to adjust. When they did, they stopped in surprise.
The large room that opened up from the doorway was completely empty, except for a platform on which the stargate might once have stood. However this was not the most surprising thing about the room – what was, was the group of figures standing in the centre, automatic weapons pointed at them.
Two figures detached themselves from the line, even as everyone went for their weapons. Sydney, Lara and Daniel all drew their guns as Teal'c lowered his staff weapons and charged it. "Now, now, Sydney." A familiar English-accented voice chided. "Is that any way to greet old friends?"
"Sark." Sydney spat in disgust as she noticed the familiar blonde man. "What an unpleasant surprise."
"Now let's not get nasty, Sydney." Sark replied.
Standing next to him was a smirking Anna Espinosa and behind them were at least five armed goons. "Put the weapons down." Anna said, her Russian accent clearly audible. "And put you're hands where I can see them."
"This is not good." Daniel whispered to Lara.
"Indeed." Teal'c agreed, as he lowered his weapon to the floor and raised his hands so they were visible. "But I suggest you do as they say."
"That was my thought too." Daniel agreed with his big friend.
"You have some interesting friends, Sydney." Sark said as he walked closer to kick away the weapons.
"Careful." Lara snapped, when Sark kicked her guns away. "I don't want those damaged when I get them back!"
Sark looked amused at Lara's comment. "Oh?" he asked.
"They're my favourites." She told him. "And if they're scratched, I'll hold you personally responsible."
Sark laughed as he bent to pick them up. Sadly, he was too far away for Lara to kick, which annoyed her even further. Narrowing her eyes, she watched as he hefted one of her automatics in his left hand. "Nice balance." He said. "Customised, too. I might just have to hang on to these."
"Please do." Lara said sweetly. "That way I'll know where I have to go to find them."
"Enough!" Anna roared from behind Sark. "Time to move!"
The armed goons escorted the group back out into the sunshine and down the broad stone stairs. Then they marched them off in the direction of the building Daniel had indicated was the building housing the control centre. "This is not good." Daniel muttered.
"You're telling me." Sydney muttered back.
Sydney, Daniel, Teal'c and Lara were escorted into the tower, and then up a few floors to what looked like some sort of meeting room. After throwing them into it, Anna shut what looked like a series of glass panels, locking them inside. Then she blew Sydney and waved goodbye.
"Damn it!" Sydney snarled, and immediately walked to the door to see if she could find some way to open it.
"It could be worse." Daniel offered helpfully.
"Oh?" Sydney snapped, annoyed and frustrated at the situation she found herself in. "How?"
"Jack and Sam could have been caught too." Daniel replied mildly.
"What makes you think they haven't?" Sydney asked.
Daniel motioned the room. "Because they're not here." He said simply.
"That could have put them in another room." Lara pointed out.
"I don't think so." Daniel said.
"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "Otherwise we would have been separated also."
Lara nodded. "That makes sense." She said. "Now who is this 'Sark'?"
Sydney looked at her in surprise. "You don't know who Sark is?" she asked.
Lara shook her head. "In the excitement of finding the artefacts and then having them stolen, no one explained to me who we were up against." She explained. "I know about Anna Espinosa because I had someone find information on her. And on Sloane."
Sydney turned around and began to pace, having found nothing at the door to help her open it. "Well, Sark is a skilled assassin and mercenary. He works for the highest bidder and doesn't seem to have a problem double-crossing his employers if it's in his best interests."
"Ah." Lara said, moving to the table in the centre of the room and sitting down, swinging her booted feet up onto the table. "So he's rather like Anna, then?"
"Yeah." Sydney said, pushing her loose hair out of her eyes. "But smarter. He always has an escape plan."
Daniel sat down beside Lara. "So are they just going to hold us here until they've done what they came to do, or should we expect something else?"
"I don't know." Sydney replied, finally coming to sit down at the table as well. "I would assume Sloane has some sort of use for us, otherwise he would have just have tried to kill us."
"Great." Daniel muttered.
There was a moment of silence, before Lara looked at her companions. "So how are we going to get out of here?" she asked. "I've got a lock pick in my left boot, but I'm not sure that will do us any good."
"The windows are too high off the ground." Daniel noted. "Even if we could find some way of opening them."
Suddenly, the group heard the clanging of loud footsteps and got to their feet as a man in black, followed by several armed goons, walked towards the door and opened it. At the sight of him, Lara turned as white as a ghost. Or more appropriately as white as a woman looking at a ghost.
"Hello, Lara." Terry Sheridan drawled in his Scottish accent.
"Terry." Lara breathed. "You're dead!"
"Oh, no. Far from it." Terry said, walking forward and pointing an automatic at Lara's head. "You're coming with me now, as is Agent Bristow."
As he shoved Lara forward with the barrel of his gun, Terry gave Lara a menacing grin. "Funny thing about the cradle of life." He said, low enough so that only Lara could hear. "It wouldn't let me die."
Terry gave Lara a large push and she stumbled forward, even as she whipped her head around to snarl at Terry. "I'll remember that." She said. "And next time I'll do a better job."
Terry laughed as the door shut behind them, leaving a slightly bewildered Daniel and Teal'c behind. Sydney was being forced along by the armed goons and she looked about as happy as Lara felt. "What makes you think you'll get another chance to kill me, Croft?" Terry asked.
"What makes you think I won't?" Lara shot back sweetly, earning a cuff to the side of the head from Terry.
"Don't you get it?" he snarled. "You're dead, Croft! My boss needs Agent Bristow alive, but you and the others you came with are going to disappear."
"That's what you think." Lara growled under her breath, keeping her narrow gaze ahead of her as she walked.
The rest of the short walk passed in silence, and after a quick elevator ride, the group entered a control centre at the top of the tower. In it stood Arvin Sloane, looking over a panel of buttons and screens, with Anna and Sark at either side. Someone Sydney did not recognise stood in the corner, seeming a little out of place. More armed goons were stationed along the walls and they were all armed.
But what stood out mostly in the room, was the small set of stairs leading down to another area, on which a stargate was sitting. It seemed that at some point it had been moved here from the temple, probably because of convenience.
"Sydney." Sloane greeted as he turned around at their entrance. "How nice of you to join us."
Sydney shot him a deadly gaze and refused to answer. Sloane turned to Sheridan. "Thank you, Terry." He said. "You can let her go now."
Sloane shifted his gaze to Sydney. "I trust you won't do anything stupid?"
Sydney glared at the goons on either side of her as they let her go, before turning her attention back to her former boss. "What do you want, Sloane?" she snapped.
As Sloane replied, Terry grabbed Lara by the arm and shoved his gun into her ribs. "Time for our private conversation, Croft." He growled into her ear as he escorted her out of the room.
"Wonderful." Lara replied sarcastically.
Terry walked her out of the control centre and down the corridor to a large, open balcony. The doors were already open and Lara could smell the sent of flowers on the breeze. Terry shoved her forward, and she stumbled a few steps into the centre of the large balcony. Lara spun to face Terry and the automatic pointed at her head.
Barely suppressing her anger and, if she was truthful, her fear, Lara stared at her one-time lover. She was unsure of how he had survived the bullet wound in the cradle of life, despite his explanation and that scared her a little. Lara also knew that Terry had never taken betrayal well, which was ironic considering his betrayal of his country, and what she had done would have him vowing revenge.
"I just want to know one thing." Terry said, breaking the tense silence between them. "Why, Croft? Was Pandora's Box really that important to you?"
Lara looked at him, and caught the haunting look of pain in his eyes. Staring at him now, looking just like she remembered, she found it hard to resist telling him the truth. And despite the gun, she did, hoping it would help to clear some of the guilt she had felt at her decision. "Pandora's Box was capable of killing millions, Terry." She said. "And you would sell it to the highest bidder."
"So one life was acceptable in exchange for millions?"
Somewhat disgusted at the tears forming in her eyes, Lara looked at Terry and let out the pain and guilt she had felt ever since his death. "Yes." She said. "But it was still one of the most painful decisions of my life."
Terry's gaze softened for an instant, reminding Lara of the man she had cared so much for. But then it hardened once again, showing Lara that he had changed and so had she. Choices were what made the man and all that.
"Well, this decision is quite easy." Terry said, tightening his grip on the gun.
In that instant, Lara knew he was about to pull the trigger and she reacted, knowing that if she died it would rather be fighting that just waiting for her fate. She snapped out a sharp roundhouse kick to his gun hand, twisting her body slightly out of the way. She connected and sent the gun spinning as Terry let out a grunt of pain.
"Why you…" Terry began, but Lara pivoted and sent out another kick, effectively cutting off his words.
He caught her foot seconds before it connected with his head. Wrenching is harshly to the side, Terry sent Lara off balance and she fell to the paved stones beneath them. Without hesitation, Lara rolled and got to her feet, watching Terry walk forward, slowly. He reminded Lara of a predator stalking and toying with prey.
Quick as lightening, Terry snapped out a kick of his own, followed by a series of fast jabs. Barely managing to block in time, Lara retreated a few steps. Grinning menacingly, Terry continued the attack.
Terry was a highly trained ex-Marine and could take out a man larger than him in about five seconds. Compared to that, Lara was almost easy. She groaned in pain as Terry's fist connected with her mouth, splitting her lip seconds before it hit her cheek bone just under her eye. Lashing out with a kick, Lara forced Terry backwards to get a little space and halt his ferocious attack.
However, despite Terry's training and skills, Lara had a few tricks of her own and she used them all now in an effort to get the upper hand. Anger beyond that of fighting for her life, which she hadn't known she felt towards Terry, surged through her blood, making her faster and stronger. Lara snapped out a few punches of her own and grinned when she broke Terry's nose with a satisfying crack.
Terry growled out something, but Lara didn't quite catch the words. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to, either. Instead, she snapped out another double kick followed by a few punches for good measure. The more damage she did, the better off she'd be. Unfortunately, Terry managed to catch her in a grip as he dodged and came up behind her.
"What are you going to do now, Croft?" he murmured nastily in her ear as he tightened his grip on her neck.
At this angle he could easily break it and Lara felt a shiver of fear trail down her spine. She reacted more out of instinct that anything else and snapped her foot backwards, catching Terry in the groin. He let her go with a groan.
Lara ran forward, but Terry had recovered quicker that she thought possible, leading her to believe he might have be faking. He swept a foot under her legs, sending her sprawling face forward onto the ground. Taking advantage of her vulnerable position, he gave Lara a swift kick to the ribs.
Crying out in pain, Lara instinctively curled her body forward into a fetal position, as if it would somehow help. Terry gave her another kick, this time to the back. Laughing humourlessly, he looked down on her with disgust. "I thought you were better than that, Croft." Reaching behind him, Terry grasped one of the knives he always carried on him, preparing to slit Lara's throat.
Taking her split second advantage, Lara lunged for the gun she had seen from her position on the ground, skinning her knees and legs as she went. Her hand clasped around the hilt and a second later it was aimed straight at Terry's heart.
"I am." Lara told him, just before she pulled the trigger and shot Terry through the heart. She didn't stop until there were no more bullets left in the clip.
Rolling carefully and slowly to her feet, Lara urged her battered, bruised and bleeding body over to where Terry now lay. She knelt down and searched for a pulse, making sure he was dead, before grabbing the extra ammo he carried in his pocket.
Standing up once again, Lara groaned as her aching body protested at the movement. She felt like she had been hit by a truck and Lara knew that she had been lucky to not have any more serious injuries.
She quickly replaced the empty clip, before staggering a few steps forward. "Right." She said, looking down the corridor in the direction of the control room. "One down, four million to go…"
To be continued…