Malek came crashing back to reality just in time to feel Anise and Sam fall over him.
He felt pain wash over him as he struggled to gain his footing. He grabbed the table and closed his eyes, fighting back a wave of nausea. When he was finally able to open his eyes he saw Sam and Anise locked in a vicious cat fight.
They traded punches for a while but eventually Sam got the upper hand. She slammed Anise into the wall, and pulled a hidden blade from the sleeve of her jacket. Anise stopped struggling as Sam pressed the blade threateningly against her unprotected throat.
"You tried to kill me. Why?"
Anise just stood there. The blade was pressed so tightly against her jugular that if she dared to talk she would slit her own throat. Seeing this, Sam relaxed her grip slightly.
"I never really liked you, but it wasn't my decision to poison you."
"And why should I believe that?"
"Because it is true." Anise stiffened as Sam applied a small amount of pressure to the blade.
"It was a mutual decision."
"Who," ordered Sam. When Anise refused to respond Sam applied more pressure.
A small trickle of blood began appear as the tip of the blade pressed through the soft skin of Anise's neck, but still she refused to answer.
Suddenly a body slammed into Sam, sending her crashing into the floor. Lucy rolled aside and sprang away as Sam lashed out at her with the blade. Cursing she started to stand but Anise jumped on top of her and punched her repeatedly in the face.
Malek heard something in Sam's face snap with a sickening crunch. Deciding that someone was going to be killed if he continued to be a casual observer he reached out and grabbed Anise by the waist. Hauling her off of Sam, he tossed her aside like a rag doll.
She stood and rounded on him but he leveled his zat at her.
The problem was that there were two zats already aimed at him. He fired wildly in the direction of Mara and Jeremy while simultaneously diving for the relative safety of the table. He heard a satisfying thud as Jeremy hit the stone floor, and smiled to himself when another zat blast brought down Mara.
Malek could have kicked himself for forgetting about Lucy. Somehow she had managed to get behind him. He felt the shock from her zat course through his body and silently cursed himself for being so stupid.
When he could see straight again he saw that Anise was once again trying to make Sam become a permanent fixture on the floor.
His anger got the best of him as he fired his zat at Anise, fully aware that it would affect Sam as well.
She fell over, but it seemed that Malek wasn't the only one who had thought of zatting her.
Malek watched in a mixture of horror and regret as the second, killing blast, coursed through Anise's body.
Looking up he spotted Jacob, his posture screamed defeat and regret. His shoulders were slightly slumped and his weapon hung limp at his side. He let it clatter to the stone floor as he rushed to Sam's side.
Malek saw that she had blood gushing like a waterfall from her nose, and she was shaking all over.
The good news was that she had finally beaten the virus, and ironically enough, it was Anise who had saved her in the end.
Malek watched Jacob comforting his hurt daughter, and suddenly he felt like an intruder.
Slowly he stood and walked to where Lucy lay.
She was coming around.
Malek pointed his zat at her and waited for her to open her eyes. When she finally did they were large and frightened, like that of a child caught in a lie.
"Tell me who ordered Samantha Carter's death."
"If I tell you, will you let me live?"
Her words came out as a whisper but Malek heard them.
"That depends on what you have to say," said Malek coldly.
