Disclaimer: Not mine, yadda, yadda, yadda. No money, no infringement intended.
Thanks to Su Freund without whom I'm not sure I would have had the courage to finish it. Your comments, emails and reviews really have encouraged me to keep going, especially since the end of Part I is so hard to write.
Also, thanks to all who have read this. It has really given me courage to know so many of you are reading. Thanks to all who have reviewed, especially those who have taken their precious time to review more than once. Ya'll really made my day!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
There are still a couple of chapters to go in Part I, well one anyway. The problem is that when I proof it, Muse practically rewrites the next chapter, some turn into two!
This has not been Beta-read. I apologize for any errors.
Chapter 15
Sam raised her head; she'd heard the noise too. It seemed like a strangled cry. "What is it, Jack? Do you hear it?" She sat up, reaching for her dress. "We need to find out what's going on." They both dressed quickly, and then Jack opened the door cover to look out.
What he saw made him sick. "No!"
"What is it Jack? What?" Sam pushed him over so she could see. Before she could stop him Jack was out of the tent running toward Tealc's tent. "Gracie! I have to get Gracie," he screamed back to Sam. "Get in the bunker. I'll bring her."
She couldn't move. She stared out, watching, feeling a terror in her soul. 'Oh, God. They're here.' She thought she would stop breathing before Jack could get back. She had never been so afraid, not in all the times she had been captured, or tortured, or even killed. She wasn't afraid for herself, but for Grace.
Jaffa was everywhere. They were firing at everyone that they came close enough to hit. Some of the Jaffa was gathering up the young adults, herding them together in a circle. Other Jaffa were standing guard over them with staff weapons pointed, ready to fire. Bodies of young and old alike were downed; contorted at odd angles, flesh smoking. Sam couldn't seem to catch her breath, nor could she move from the tent opening.
Suddenly Jack appeared in the door hugging a frightened Grace tightly to his chest. He grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her with him. He shoved Grace into her arms and pulled open the bunker hatch. "Get in, Sam, now." His tone of voice snapped her out of the grip her fear held, and she moved down the bunker steps as fast as possible with Grace clinging to her with all fours.
When Jack left with Grace, Tealc retrieved Daniel and Nebul. They all followed Sam and Grace into the bunker. They could hear screams and weapon's fire. Jack and Tealc both moved as if to leave the bunker.
"Please, Jack. Wait," Sam pleaded. She handed a very subdued Grace to Nebul and held tight to both of Jack's arms. "You can't stop them now, they're too many. Please wait. Jack. Tealc?" Her eyes filled with tears and her voice begged. Her whole body was shaking. It was all Sam could do to keep Jack and Tealc inside the tent.
"We agreed, we have plans. You both said we're to stay in the bunkers. We have to wait. You made the plans," Daniel accused, talking as fast as he possibly could while looking from Jack to Tealc. He was physically holding onto Tealc as tightly as Sam held Jack. "You know we aren't ready to push RA out. We have to follow our plan, Tealc. Please."
Daniel had never seen the look that was in Tealc eyes. He couldn't begin to describe it. Tealc was more of a master at masking his feelings than Jack, but there was no mask now. It scared Daniel. He knew what his friend was capable of, both of them, actually. "You'll be needed. You can't take a chance of getting killed or captured now. Tealc, damn it! Listen to me."
The screams had died down. They could still hear the pounding steps of the Jaffa. But no screams. No voices. No weapons fire. "O, God, what's going on?" Jack muttered under his breath.
"I know it's hard for you both. I know. ... I want to help too. If we'd been awake, ... Alert, maybe. I don't know. .. Maybe." Sam couldn't seem to voice her thoughts. This wild terror had never filled her before. The closest experience had been the minute she was told of the death of her mother.
Jack pulled her into his arms, his eyes closed tight. "Shhh, Baby, don't panic, I'm here." He was afraid she was going into shock. He rubbed circles on the middle of her back. Soon Sam had regained her self-control and reached over to take Grace from Nebul.
Jack encircled them both in his arms and pulled Sam down to sit on one of the benches. Sam's panic had ensured that Jack stayed in the bunker. But Daniel was still having a hard time holding onto Tealc.
"They're right, T. We have to wait whether we like it or not. We'll only get ourselves killed or captured if we go out now," Jack said. Daniel was pleased that at least Jack had come to his senses. He still wasn't sure about Tealc, though. Daniel could feel the tension running through Tealc's arms where his hands held him.
"Please, Tealc, just wait. We can't let them know about the bunkers. If you go out now, they could see you. They'd know about this one," Daniel pleaded. Tealc finally relaxed a little. That last statement rang true. He couldn't take a chance on the Jaffa finding Grace. He couldn't stand that. He shrugged Daniel's hands off his arms and sat down by Sam and Grace. He brought his hand up to the child's head and ran his fingers gently through her curly top. The ability to touch her seemed to relax him even more.
No one said another word. Daniel sat down by Nebul and pulled her into his arms. Jack still held on tight to Sam. They waited. Silence. Deadly silence.
Although it seemed like hours; it was only about 30 minutes from the time they'd all entered the bunker until they no longer could hear the pounding footsteps of the Jaffa. Jack moved up the ladder to the bunker door. Opening it slowly just enough to peep, but not enough to get his head out all the way. He scanned the area. He could only see through the front of their tent opening, but it seemed no one was moving. He couldn't hear anything.
"T, grab a couple of zats and a staff weapon and let's see what's happened. Daniel, stay here. Please. We'll be back as soon as we can. Stay here 'til we get back," he repeated, looking at Daniel hoping he understood his message. He didn't want to frighten Sam or Nebul.
Tealc and Jack slipped out of the bunker as quietly as possible. Tealc waited on the inside of the tent opening, looking out as Jack took his position on the other side of the opening. "What do you see?" Jack whispered as he peeped out.
"Devastation, O'Neill. Much devastation," Tealc answered softly. They could smell smoke, and knew that something had been set on fire. Tealc moved out of the tent, zat at the ready; and then waited for Jack to follow. They moved slowly, walking almost sideways with their backs together.
Several tents were blazing. They eased around the campsite, looking for any of their tribesmen left alive. Jack knew that as many as possible had gone into the bunkers. They had four here at the campsite.
They found so many of their tribesmen dead. Massacred. Some still had burned, smoking flesh. The stench was awful. Jack held his hand over his mouth turning away, trying not to throw up. Not only was the sight terrible; but these were people he lived with, respected and even loved. "The bastard," Jack uttered. All he could think of was revenge. He knew he would have a hard time letting that bastard, Ra, leave. He really, really wanted him dead, along with his First Prime.
They quickly made their way through the campsite, finding much the same at every tent. They soon determined that the Jaffa had all left. Tealc went to each of the bunkers to let the tribesmen know, while Jack went back get Sam and Daniel. Grace was asleep. Nebul volunteered to stay in the bunker with her. She could not stop shaking; she had no need to see outside.
The Jaffa had killed, critically injured, or captured just under half of their tribe. Their attack had been carried out very suddenly and quietly for Horus guards. Most of those who survived lived above or next door to the bunkers.
"What do you think, T? Looks to me like he knew our plans. Why else would the Jaffa attack tonight?" Jack asked.
"Indeed, O'Neill. I am going to find the rebel Jaffa. Maybe they know something," Tealc said as he walked away.
"Wait T, I'm coming with, but first I need to get Sam settled," Jack said.
"Jack, what are you going to do?" she asked, as he turned to her holding her hands.
"Don't know. Depends on what we can find out. But, I need you and Daniel to stay here and take care of yourselves and Gracie. Please, Sam." Their eyes locked, and they stared at each other for a few long moments; and then Sam nodded her head in agreement. Jack leaned in and kissed her soundly on the lips. Then he was gone, walking hurriedly after Tealc.
Sam was left standing, watching after him. She had no idea how long she stood before Daniel was beside her, hugging her to his side. He turned them both toward Sam's tent and they walked in that direction, Sam in a daze.
Daniel settled Sam back in the bunker with Nebul and the sleeping baby. "You two stay here until we finish cleaning up the worst." He begged. But he need not have worried; neither of the women was in any shape to move.
"Did you see my father or mother?" Nebul was finally able to ask as Daniel moved back up the ladder. He stopped his climb and turned toward her.
"He and your mother are safe. I'm not sure who else. I'll be back soon to check on you, Okay?" Daniel hated to leave her. He could tell neither she nor Sam needed to be alone. He just prayed they could hold on a little longer. He had to help with the bodies. He knew Nebul wouldn't be able to stand seeing that. In two or three steps he went back and drew her into a tight hug, kissed her gently saying nothing, and then quickly moved up the ladder not looking back. He knew she would have tears in her eyes and was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave her.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"You mean to tell me, some of the rebels were spies?" Jack all but screamed at Tealc. "Damn it! Who? ... Do you know who?"
"I do not as of yet, O'Neill. But I assure you, I will," Tealc replied in his stoic baritone voice.
"I have to think. It's obvious we can't keep to our plan. Ra will be waiting for us," Jack said, thinking out loud. "He probably knows there are other tribes involved. Damn! How did I let this happen?"
"O'Neill, contrary to your belief, you did not let this happen."
"Oh yeah, I did. I got careless, complicit. Let that damn snake outsmart me. I was too wrapped up in my own life. Now look. He's on to us," Jack was trying to control his fear, but he was terrified that the Jaffa would find his family. He sat down and stared, looking at nothing, planning his own strategy.
"He'll pay, Tealc. I don't give a damn what happens to the timeline. If he's not smart enough to take his snaky-ass away from here, he's gonna pay. I'm not gonna sit and wait for him to send his Jaffa back. I'm going after him." There was fire in Jack's eyes, the fire found in a black ops soldier's eyes on a death mission.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The advanced party of tribesmen led by Tealc, Attok and Josep had covertly made their way into the Palace. They had killed enough Horus guards to get close to Ra's quarters; but Tealc's party was the first to be captured.
Jack and Daniel led the second wave of tribesmen, and Katep and Silon the third wave. Each group was a total of six men. They had agreed to try and find out the fate of their captured people and free them if at all possible. Although, Jack's plan secretly included the end of Ra one way or another.
When they didn't receive the signal from Tealc, Jack suspected something was wrong. "Stay put Daniel, I'm gonna see if I can get any closer," Jack stated as he moved away from Daniel and the others. Jack got as close as he could without the guards seeing him. He watched as a Horus guard hit Tealc repeatedly with the other end of a staff weapon, and then two guards grabbed him and dragged him off. He could see that Tealc had received a staff blast to his back.
Jack watched as the others with Tealc were captured and hauled off through the Palace doors. He slipped back to Daniel's position. "Tealc's down. The Horus guards dragged him off and captured the others. I know he's hurt. Looked bad."
Daniel glanced up at Jack, his eyes telling Jack that he knew what was coming next.
"I have to get inside and find him, Daniel. I want you to stay here, if I'm not back in one hour, go home, get Sam, Gracie and Nebul, and get the hell outa there. Get them as far away from here as you can," Jack raised his voice a little, "I mean it, Daniel. Take them and go. I don't want anything to happen to Sam or Gracie or you."
Jack took one last look at Daniel, got up on his knees and squeezed his shoulder. With that he belly crawled toward the Palace.
Once, inside it only took a little while for him to locate Tealc. Tealc was not moving anything. The Jaffa had tired of torturing them; and had left them alone, hanging by their hands. Jack waited for his opportunity to get closer to Tealc. He waited as still and quietly as a mouse until finally all the Jaffa but one left the room. Just as he moved to zat the guard, he felt the staff blast hit his back. He passed out.
Next thing Jack remembered was watching them torture Tealc and one of the rebel Jaffa. The First Prime had all of them strapped and hanging by their hands outside, in front of the Palace on public display.
"Shol'va." The First Prime spat out the word as if it tasted worse than anything he'd ever had in his mouth. Tealc and the rebel Jaffa had been badly beaten, and were bleeding over most of their bodies; but that didn't stop the next assault. Tealc knew the ropes, since he had spent many years doing exactly the same thing as Ra's first Prime. Beat the crap out of the leaders of any type of disturbance, then leave them in public view as a warning. After a while they were either let go, or the process would be repeated until their death, depending on the crime.
The Rebel Jaffa had not spoken kindly of Ra. Whereas Apophis preferred to torture his victims quickly to their death, revive them using his sarcophagus and repeat the process again and again; it seemed Ra drew more pleasure torturing them very slowly to death only once over a longer period of time. This allowed his victims maximum pain, and a slow lingering death. Tealc remembered Ra and his methods from before his tenure with SG1. Ra's reputation for his love of torture was among the worst of all the Systems Lords.
All Jack could do was watch. Two of the guards were instructed to take their symbiotes while still inside the pouch and torture them. It seemed this was a most effective means of torture. Jack tried to turn his head only to have the guard that was standing behind him turn it back forcing him to watch. Tealc and the rebel were tortured for long periods of time, and then allowed to rest for short periods; while the rest of the party was made to watch. This continued for hours. The guards killed both the tortured symbiotes, crushing them with their feet.
Both Tealc and the rebel Jaffa had long ago lost consciousness, yet all of the raiders were left strapped to the poles, hanging by their hands, in the public area. It was dark. Jack, his heart heavy and his mind in a fog, couldn't help but wonder what would follow. It wasn't long before he found out.
TBC