Pain raced through Sam's body from head to toe, her skin tingling as if it was on fire. Ba'al had briefly pressed the pain stick into her side but it had felt like forever, someone had screamed but she couldn't tell if it was her or Cassie. She let her head hang limp against her chest as she fought to regain control of her breathing, glancing at Cassie she could see tears falling as she fought against the man holding her down in the chair.
"Now perhaps you will answer some of my questions Cassandra" said Ba'al as he moved away from Sam.
"What did Nirrti do to you?" Cassie merely stared straight past him, keeping eye contact with Sam.
"I won't ask nicely again, what did Nirrti do?"
"Go to hell" she retorted, still not breaking eye contact with Sam.
"Very well" he replied, nodding at the assailant holding her down, she swiftly received a slap across her face causing her to look away but she didn't make a noise, for which Sam was immensely proud to see. Swinging the pain stick casually in front of him, Ba'al once again came to a stop in front of Sam.
"Let's see if this makes you talk" he told Cassie before touching the wound on Sam's shoulder causing Sam to jerk back in pain before passing out to the sound of Cassie screaming for him to stop.
Janet raced to the door when she heard the sound of it being unlocked, Cassie walked in first, tears still streaming down her face. Swifty taking her into her arms, Janet gently sat her down on the edge of the bed before turning to see Sam being thrown into the room face first. Rushing to her side she fumbled for a pulse, pleased to find it weak but steady.
"What happened Cass?"
"He tortured her" she replied in between sobs, "I didn't tell him anything but I can't watch Sam go through this for me" Janet reached out to grab her daughters hand and pulled her to the floor beside her and Sam.
"You know Sam wouldn't have it any other way, she's going to be so proud when she finds out you didn't say anything" Janet told her, she knew Sam wouldn't want Cassie to talk but she also knew the limits of the human body and Sam wouldn't be able to keep going like this forever.
"Who did you see out there?" asked Janet, suddenly realising she had no clue who they were with.
"Ba'al" was all Cassie could say.
Having had no luck with finding Sam or the others, Jack had had no choice but to head back to the SGC and was now busying himself by pacing up and down the briefing room floor much to the annoyance of both General Hammond and Daniel.
"Colonel, do me a favour and sit down" ordered Hammond as a relieved Daniel mouthed a silent thankyou to his superior.
"Somebody must have something by now?" asked Jack, tapping his fingers on the table, earning him another glare from his commanding officer.
"We think we have a lead from the traffic cameras in the area, Walter is cross checking all the black vans in the area and running plates" replied Daniel, "we will find them Jack" he added knowing forwell how Jack would be feeling.
Sam wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming, every nerve in her body tingled and the slightest movement exacerbated the sensation. Blinking slowly she let her eyes adjust to the light in the room before taking a slow look around. Realising she was on a bed it took her a few moments to realise that Janet and Cassie were huddled together at the end of the bed by her feet. Trying to call Janet's name, all she managed was a rasp, her throat felt like sandpaper. Making an attempt to clear it, she tried again to get the Doctors attention.
"Janet?" Relieved that she'd heard her, she watched as she carefully moved away from Cassie who was still asleep and came to kneel by her side.
"Good to see you awake Sam, how're you feeling?"
"Like Ba'al poked me with his pain stick" she replied dryly.
"Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humour" Janet told her. "I wish I could give you something for the pain but" Sam waved her hand, cutting her off.
"Don't worry, how's Cassie doing?"
"She's worried about you, wants you to know she didn't tell him anything but she still blames herself" replied Janet with a sad look on her face.
"Well when she wakes up, you tell her how proud I am. I've seen plenty of grown men cave a lot faster and easier than that"
"Do you think he'll try and hurt her?" asked Janet, glancing with concern at her sleeping daughter. Sam didn't really want to answer that, the thought of Ba'al touching Cassie didn't even bear thinking about.
"I won't let him get that far" she replied, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Neither of them spoke again, both trying not to look worried about what Cassie might endure at the hands of Ba'al. Sam eventually fell back to sleep leaving Janet to sit awake, staring at the door and hoping help arrived before it opened again.
"Get up" ordered a voice from somewhere above Sam's head, she'd fallen into a fitful sleep with on and off hallucinations about Ba'al. Coming to she realised that the infection in her shoulder must have really taken hold, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so terrible and so ridiculously hot considering the hard concrete room they were being held in. Not moving fast enough for their captors liking, she suddenly felt the sensation of being pulled up into the air and simultaneously dragged from the room. Looking back towards Janet she realised Cassie had already been taken and her heart sank at the thought of what might be to come.
"Samantha my dear" came the voice of Ba'al as she was dragged once again towards the chains. "Are we feeling more co-operative today?"
"That's a big word for you Ba'al" replied Sam with as much sarcasm as she could muster considering the situation. Nodding to Cassie who was once again sitting in front of her, she silently mouthed that she would be OK to the young girl.
"You know Colonel O'Neill is going to be looking for us" Sam told him, holding her head up in defiance, "if you let us go know, perhaps I'll convince him not to kill you" God, Jack would be smug listening to her right now she thought proudly to herself.
"That depends on whether or not you're still alive to tell him" laughed Ba'al as she walked up beside her and traced his fingers across her gunshot wound. "You don't exactly look like the perfect Tau'ri right now" he whispered in her ear.
"I've had worse" she told him, hoping she hadn't just made a grave mistake.
"Have you now?" he asked, heading towards the table and running his hand over the pain stick before settling on a small knife. Walking back towards Cassie, he stood behind her placing the knife at her throat. Sam could see the fear in her eyes, she was fighting to hold back the tears.
"Now tell me, what did Nirrti do to you and your people?" Cassie stared at Sam, not breaking eye contact and remaining silent. "This friendship thing that you Tau'ri appear to honour by not talking, it is most interesting" remarked Ba'al as he took the knife from her throat. "It will break you eventually, my methods have not failed me so far" he told them as he flung the knife directly at Sam, hitting her on her other shoulder. Biting her lip to stop herself from screaming she kept looking at Cassie before finally passing out as she watched the young girl dragged back to their cell.