Chapter 4

Landry hovering over Walters was really making him nervous. He hated with the General did this. Worse, he knew Mitchell and Teal'c were also back there and everyone was expecting him to find a way to dial a gate that didn't exist, even though he kept telling them this. He understood their reluctance to believe that – no gate meant that Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson were stranded. He was about to recommend they send a ship to get them because he knew he wasn't going to be able to fix this.

Suddenly the gate started dialing in. The alarms went off to alert the base of an unscheduled dialing.

"Iris closed." Landry ordered.

Walters obeyed. The gate opened and at first nothing happened. His screen flashed, indicating an incoming radio transmission.

"Incoming signal, sir."

"On the speaker."

Walters flipped a switch, putting the audio through the overhead speakers.

"...reaching Stargate Command," an unfamiliar voice said.

"I know that voice," Mitchell quietly said.

"Is it not Ambassador Havet's advisor, Kedrek?" Teal'c asked.

"This is Director Kedrek. I'm trying to reach Stargate Command. Please respond," the voice said.

"He doesn't sound like the advisor we met," Mitchell said. He reached forward, tapping the microphone. "This is Mitchell. Where the hell are our people?"

"They were caught in the attack and are now being escorted to my Hold."

"Your what?"

"That isn't important. I want you to know that they are safe and will be sent back as soon as they get here."

"Whoa!" Mitchell leaned on the counter. "You have some explaining to do. What attack? What's a hold? Why hasn't this gate been working?"

"One of the other ambassadors attacked Vaseigh. They killed Ambassador Havet, his family, and his advisors. Your people were caught in the attack but my soldiers rescued them and are bringing them to my Hold where we have another gate to send them back."

"What happened to the other gate?" Landry asked.

"Didn't you hear me? The city was attacked. There isn't anything left of it."

Mitchell looked back at Landry. Landry walked forward.

"I want to send a team through to retrieve our people. Are the coordinates the same?"

"You are sending no one through. Our planet is in the midst of a civil war. Again. Your people are safe and being escorted here. If that changes, I'll inform you."

"That's unacceptable," Landry argued. "I--"

The gate closed. Mitchell stood, glaring at the gate.

"I won't accept that, sir. We have to go after them," Mitchell told Landry as he turned to him.

"Is the address different, Walters?"

"I... I don't really know. This is Colonel Carter's area of expertise."

"Try it." Mitchell told him. "The worst that can happen is we don't get through."

Walters turned back to the dialing computer to try to dial through.

Carter wiped her sleeve across his sweaty brow. Nighttime was not quiet in these jungles; it was even possible that it was the nosier time of day. The plants around them that gave off a soft light – 'the deadly light' Garut had whispered to Daniel when he'd asked about it. Garut said that was how the plants attracted the numerous insects buzzing around his ears, luring them in to the sticky juices that they slowly digested them with.

"Halt," Isha quietly said, holding up her hand.

Carter stopped beside Daniel, watching Isha. She lifted her gun and scanned the jungle with her night scope. She motioned them to hide in the foliage on either side of the trail. Daniel disappeared with two of the soldiers. Carter climbed into the foliage with Garut and Yemstad. She moved her rifle around, prepared to fire.

After a few minutes, a platoon of soldiers came into view. The platoon came to Carter's hiding spot and passed so close that Carter could hear the soft chink of metal on their uniforms tapping the metal of their weapons. They were almost out of sight when Yemstad suddenly cried out, stopping with a gurgle. The last soldier stopped in his tracks and turned. Carter didn't take her eyes off the soldier. The soldier softly whistled, waving to the soldiers ahead of him. He turned and started back their direction. A second soldier trotted up to him, watching the first soldier's back as he came back down the trail. A hand grabbed Carter's shoulder and she turned her head

Garut stared at Yemstad. A constrictor snake was slowly wrapping around the young Jakisau's neck, strangling him to death. Yemstad began to fight the strangulation. Carter pushed her rifle into Garut's hands and crawled over him. She pulled Yemstad's knife from the sheath on his belt, grabbed the snake behind the jaw, shoved the snake's head to the ground, and speared the knife through it. Yemstad started to flounder. Carter moved on top of him, using her body to hold him still. Over her shoulder, she watched the soldier come closer. Yemstad stopped fighting when the Jakisau was two meters from them. Carter didn't move.

After several minutes, the soldiers hurried to catch up to their patrol. Carter slowly moved off Yemstad and unwrapped the snake from Yemstad's neck. She laid her hand on Yemstad's shoulder, shaking him. Carter went cold when Yemstad's head rolled to the side much further than it should have.

Carter looked up when Isha charged into the brush. She stopped, staring at Yemstad, and then knelt. The others crowded around, staring at the dead teenager. Isha reached under his shirt, ripped of a chain with two octagons on it, and pocketed it

"Move out," Isha softly ordered.

"What about Yemstad?" Carter questioned.

"Move, Carter!"

Carter took her rifle from Garut and got up. Isha stood, catching Dasex's arm before he left.

Softly she ordered him, "When we're out of sight, bury him and bring up the rear."

"Yes, sir," Dasex replied.

Isha trotted after the others. Carter and Garut glanced at her as she passed. Garut looked at Carter. She offered the young Jakisau a smile of support.

The group forded the river, resisting the current that threatened to push them over. Isha climbed up the opposite embankment and turned, scanning the jungle with her riflescope. Daniel looked down when he stumbled, caught his balance, and continued walking.

'Great, so now we'll be hot and wet,' Frank complained.

"Oh don't start," Daniel muttered to Frank.

One of the twins, Garut, was right in front of him. He glanced back at him.

Frank didn't have any retort. He was... Listening. Daniel stopped short, trying to tune in to what he was hearing.

"What is it, Frank?" Daniel whispered.

'Something...' Frank trailed off.

Ahead Garut stopped, turned around and staring at Daniel.

They heard the drone of an engine over the water's roar at the same time. Daniel looked in both directions.

"A patrol boat!" Isha yelled over the roar of the river.

Daniel looked at her. She lowered her rifle, staring up river. He looked up river, seeing something coming through the trees, but still far enough that the boat occupants couldn't see them.

'Grab the kid and RUN!' Frank yelled.

Daniel grabbed Garut's arm and holding tight to the young Jakisau's arm, pulled him into a run. Carter reached the bank but stopped, waiting for the two to reach her. The sound of the engine grew steadily closer.

Garut slipped and fell, pulling Daniel down. He tried to pull away from Garut, but suddenly disappeared under the water.

Carter started running back to them. A bullet hit the ground in front of her and she jumped back, looking back. Isha had Carter in her sight.

"Get in the jungle, Carter," Isha tonelessly ordered.

Carter turned to go after Daniel and was stopped by Areki and Dasex. Dasex grabbed her arm, trying to lead her up the bank. She struggled, striking out at him. Areki suddenly pulled her rifle away. Dasex spun her around and grabbed her in a bear hug and pinning her arms against her chest. She fought him carrying him up the embankment.

"LET ME GO!" Carter screamed.

Once they were in the jungle Dasex threw her against a tree and shoved his rifle end into her chest.

"Shut up or he'll shoot you," Isha informed Carter.

Carter glanced at Isha. She was watching the river with her scope.

"And you can't help you friend dead, can you?" Dasex asked in a quiet voice.

Carter looked down at the river. She didn't see Daniel from up here but then again, he could be around the bend by now.

Daniel surfaced suddenly and hauled Garut above the water with both hands. He pulled him to a boulder, both coughing up water. He looked back, seeing the patrol boat was nearly around the bend. He looked for the others, but they had disappeared into the jungle already.

"Come on," Daniel said, pulling Garut around the boulder facing down river. The boy stumbled with him, trying to keep his balance against the current. Daniel pushed him against the boulder, looking into his eyes.

"Frank, I need your strength to do this," Daniel said.

"What?" Garut asked.

Daniel's eyes flashed golden. He heard Garut gasp and the boy started to pull away. Frank grabbed his arms firmly, pushing him back against the boulder.

"Listen to me Garut," Frank told him. "We can't get to shore in time, so when I tell you to, you draw the biggest breath you can and hold it. We'll have to hide underwater, understand?"

"But--"

"Do you understand?"

Garut stared for a second and then nodded. Frank looked around the boulder. The patrol boat was coming around the bend. He felt Garut grab his arm and turned his arm so he could hold onto Garut's forearm.

The boat was almost to the boulder when he ordered, "Now!"

Drawing deep breaths, they disappeared underwater.

Carter tensed when the two disappear under the water. Dasex pushed the rifle end into her chest, reminding her she wasn't free to help them. She looked up river when a patrol boat came into view and back where Daniel and Garut had been. They were out of sight.

"Where are they?" Carter asked herself.

"Behind a boulder," Isha said. "I hope your friends have some kind of plan."

Carter looked at Isha. "Friends?"

Isha looked at her. "I assume the goa'uld in Daniel is also a friend. Otherwise, I'll have to kill them both very soon."

Carter held her eyes. How long had Isha known?

"They're both friends," Carter answered, and then looked back at the river.

Frank watched the bottom of the boat pass and then closed his eyes. He started 'counting Mississippi' and by the time he got to five, his lungs were burning. He tightened his hold on Garut and sprang up with him. They both gasped in air and coughed up river water. Frank glanced down river, not seeing the boat. He started toward the shore, letting Garut cling to him as they walked. The men, Carter and Garut's brother ran to the shore, helping them into the jungle.

"Don't do that again," Carter told Frank.

He smiled at her. "Everyone needs a little adrenaline rush every now and then."

Carter smiled, glancing at Isha as they passed. She was checking her gun without any sign of remorse or concern. Carter wondered if she was repressing her emotions or if she just didn't care.