Chapter 12:

"Reynarc"

Shit. It had all gone to absolute hell in a hand basket.

He knew what was going to happen. Carter was going to kill Reynarc. Given the opportunity all those years ago, he would have done the same thing. Kill his torturers. End the nightmare. It would be easy; he had unwittingly given her the means. O'Neill had insisted SG-1 be allowed to keep their weapons. Minister Hvas acquiesced although he did not give him much of a choice. "Over my dead body," he said, "you screwed up, Hvas, and I'll be damned if I let it happen again." Yet, no matter how much he wanted it to happen, how much she thought she wanted it to happen; he could not let her do it.

The movement happened fast. Too damn fast. Feeling like an outside observer, he watched her move unnaturally fast pass him and deftly pin Reynarc against the wall. She pushed her left arm against his throat and aimed her side arm at his head. The Midgren soldiers immediately moved to protect Reynarc but were intercepted by the powering of Teal'c's staff weapon. The Volostrains cowered in a corner near the door. Minister Hvas stood on the opposite side of the Midgren near the door, mouth agape. The room was hauntingly quiet.

Minutes seemed to pass but he was sure it was only seconds when Hvas broke the silence. "Colonel O'Neill, what is the meaning of this?" He asked trying to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.

"Samanth," Reynarc drawled her name again smiling as if he was greeting an old friend.

"Shut up!"

"Colonel O'Neill?"

"Shut up, Hvas!" The words exploded from his mouth. "Daniel, get everyone out of this room, now. Hvas, you stay."

"Jack…"

O'Neill shot Daniel stern look, his features screamed "don't fuck with me right now, I'm not in the mood. "

"Just go."

He still did not want to leave. One of them should stay incase…well, just incase.

"For once, Daniel, follow an order. Go!"

Daniel recognized O'Neill's demand for what it was a personal request. This was about Sam. He nodded and quietly led the remaining members of the Volostrian and Midgren delegations out of the meeting room closing the door.

He still felt like an outside observer to the scene unfolding between Carter and her torturer. He could feel the rage emanating throughout her body

"Major Carter!" He shouted trying to gain her attention.

Reynarc continued seemingly unaffected by the impending threat of death. "I must say, Samantha, I am surprised to see you…"

"Alive," she supplied. "Sorry to disappoint." Her words dripped with vitriol.

"Ah, well. I should have finished the job myself instead of leaving it to incompetent subordinates."

"Major Carter, stand down! That is an order, Major." O'Neill barked.

"No, sir," she replied without looking at her CO.

"Major Carter." O'Neill spoke again as he tried a softer tactic to reach her. "Carter. Don't do this."

"Why?" Her steely gaze had not moved from the man she had pinned to the wall. All reason and military decorum had disappeared. All she was focused on now was killing her tormentor. "Give me one reason I shouldn't put a bullet through his fucking head?"

What could he say? He wanted to put a bullet through his head. He saw what Reynarc had done to her, what she had gone when she returned home, what she's still going through.

"Because, Carter, you're not a killer," he said as he began to move closer to her. "Do you want to throw your career, your life away for this piece of shit?" He questioned motioning toward Reynarc.

"Yes."

"Sam," he said softly still moving closer.

"You weren't there."

"No, I wasn't, but this is not the answer." He hoped he was getting through to her. This was not the calm, rational, Sam Carter he had worked with for five years. The person he saw was angry, irrational, and vengeful. God, what he wouldn't have given to have spared her from this whole fucked up situation, to have spared her the agony she endured.

"How touching." Reynarc interrupted. "If you must know, I had a most enjoyable time with Samantha."

"Shut. Up."

"Do you still think of me, Samantha?" He asked still smiling.

"No." she said shaking her head. "No. No."

"Sam, listen to me," he said looking at her. "He tortured you. He did unspeakable things to you. He left you for dead. And you know what? You survived. Now this wacko psychopath will have to go through the rest of his miserable life knowing you kicked his ass. You. Beat. Him. "

O'Neill could see her resolve slowly slipping. Her hand started to shake slightly and her hard features softened. "Sam, put the weapon down."

She did not immediately comply. "Please. I'm not going to make it any order. I'm asking you as your friend." A pregnant silence followed his plead. Minister Hvas still stood rooted in the same spot near the door. His mouth still agape. Reynarc had finally shut up and a bead of sweat had broken out along his brow. O'Neill looked at Carter. Carter finally broke her locked gaze and turned toward O'Neill and relinquished her weapon and immediately fled the room.

The door to the meeting room stood ajar yet no one moved in or out until Daniel stepped hesitantly inside.

"Jack?"

"Well done, Colonel O'Neill." Minister Hvas spoke as if Daniel breaking the silence meant everything was okay.

"Shut up, Hvas." This whole fucked up situation was ultimately his fault and he was not in the mood to play nice.

"Jack, what the hell just happened?"

He was about to respond when he noticed movement to his left. Reynarc pushed himself away from the wall and turned to walk away as if it were an everyday occurrence that he was held at gun point. O'Neill grabbed the back of Reynarc's coat and threw him roughly back against the wall. He leaned in closely their faces were nearly touching. "Listen, you son of a bitch."

"Jack!" Daniel shouted trying to stop his friend before he did something he would regret.

O'Neill smirked at Daniel's attempt at damage control. He glanced quickly at Daniel and just as quickly turned back to face Reynarc. He leaned in closer so that only Reynarc could hear and whispered. "You will get what's coming to you." God, he hated clichés but this one seemed apropos. As quickly as he had pinned Reynarc, he released him and moved away.

Unmoved, Reynarc pushed himself away from the wall again, straightened his jacket and smoothed back his hair. He smiled. "Was that a threat, Colonel?"

O'Neill smiled back. Smug bastard. He ignored the question and focused on Daniel and Teal'c. "Keep an eye on them." He said motioning toward the Midgren with his head as he turned away and started toward the door.

"You're not going to tell me what happened, are you?" Daniel said to his friend's retreating back. "Jack, where are you going?" Daniel was obviously frustrated at Jack's lack of explanation.

"To find Carter."