Sam sat staring at Malek's back, wondering how long it would take before he noticed that he was being watched. Finally he turned around, but to Sam's dismay he looked right past her. Frustrated, Sam turned her gaze to the slowly dying fire. She barely even noticed when a warm body sat down beside her.
"How are you feeling Major Carter?"
Sam turned, surprised to find herself looking into Malek's warm brown eyes.
"Ok I guess. I'm not very hungry anymore if that's what you mean."
He smiled, and then nodded slightly. "Then it is safe to assume that the hunger stage is almost over. If so, the last stage will begin in a matter of hours."
Sam watched his face darken as he spoke. The temperature in the cave seemed to have dropped a few degrees and Sam shivered. She felt something turn over in her stomach, something that gave her an uneasy feeling of dread.
"What exactly is the last stage of this virus?"
Malek hesitated. "Major Carter…"
"Please call me Sam."
"Uh, Sam, it's not important what the next stage is because I'm hoping that you never get there."
"Because of the drug you've been working on?"
"Correct."
Sam smiled and moved closer to Malek for warmth. She was surprised when next he spoke, for so caught up was she in her thoughts, that she didn't see him lower his head for a moment.
"Are you cold Major Carter?"
"So you do speak," she said to the host. "Yes I'm a little cool…." She let her voice trail off leaving the question hanging in the air. The man smiled as he seemed to pick up on what she wanted.
"Caden, but everyone calls me Cade."
"Cade…hmmm…well it's nice to finally meet you Cade."
She smiled again, but her next question was rudely interrupted by the wicked witch of the west.
"What do you want now Anise?"
>>>>>>>
"Cease fire! Cease fire!"
Lieutenant Green and his team immediately obeyed the voice that shouted over the radio. In an instant the cavern rang with deafening silence. Green looked around for a sign of the men that had attacked them but could see nothing through all the smoke.
"What do you think you were doing lieutenant," said O'Neill's angry voice over the radio.
"Sir, they attacked us. We had no choice but to retaliate, we just shot around them sir, not directly at them."
Green could almost hear the Colonel mentally seething in the silence that followed. Fortunately his CO seemed more interested in what had happened before the firefight, for her abruptly changed the subject.
"What did you find?"
Green turned quickly around, astonished to find his CO standing there. He motioned into the shadows. Lucy, Mara, and a young man of about twenty, with short brown hair and hazel eyes, stepped nervously out of the darkness.
"Sir, this is the man that has volunteered to be the Tok'ra's test subject," said Green gesturing towards the newest member of the group. "His name is Jeremy, Sir."
Jack frowned. "That's it? That's what I would never believe? For crying out loud, I sent you to get him!" Jack's anger was at a boiling point, and Green did not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath.
"No sir there's more," added the Lieutenant quickly, hoping to placate his CO's intensifying temper. "Please follow me."
Jack followed, his anger slowly dissipating as he watched the scenery go by; glad for once that he was not leading. This part of the cave was a labyrinth of tunnels that he felt certain he could never find his way out of on his own. Finally after what seemed like an eternity they turned into a brightly lit tunnel with a high ceiling. As his eyes adjusted he saw a prone figure lying in the middle of the room. He started forward cautiously, but his slow walk turned into a dead run when he recognized the tan sand uniform of the Tok'ra.
Jack knelt beside the man and turned his over, "Jacob?"
Jack flew into a panic at the sight of Sam's father. He was ghostly pale, and his skin felt abnormally cold, but the worst thing of all was that no matter how hard he tried, Jack could not find a pulse.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N Max: No, there is not really a pairing in this story, but if you close your eyes and imagine I'm sure you could make there be one...
Anyway...I need a name for this chapter...anyone have any ideas because I'm all out. As always please read and review! I'd very much appreciate the feedback. :-)
