MEMOIRS OF
MAJOR GENERAL JACK O'NEILL
(Re-activated)
3. P4C-970
Chapter Five
By Arrietty
2008
It was the following day and we had a couple of days to kill before our first break day. Our eighteen odd days would be over and we'd be sent back to work. But if our plan went as we had organised it, we would never have to go and stack shelves again.
Sam was pouring over the schematics again on the dining room table. She had one of my colourful drawings shielding the page she was looking at. We still weren't sure if they had cameras in the apartment or not. We couldn't risk it.
"How are you getting on?" I asked as I sat down beside her.
She let out a sigh, "I'm getting there." She turned and gave me a smile.
I stood up and pulled down a couple of mugs from the cupboard. "Would you like a hot drink?"
"Yes please." She stood and stretched the kinks out of her neck and back and walked over to the sofa. She flumped down onto the cushions and let out a huge sigh. "I hope it works," she stated matter of factually.
"It will." I still had faith in her.
Drinks in hand, I sat next to her. We'd talked about the plan of escape to death when travelling in between the library and our apartment and even if we could discuss it now, I really didn't want to. I handed the hot drink to her and she took a sip, grimaced and placed it on the floor beside her. I did have to agree it was way too hot. I place my mug down beside hers.
"Come here," I said and pulled her shoulders back against my chest. "Are you up to talking some more about while you were missing?"
I felt her stiffen slightly and then relax.
"Actually, yes I am." Her voice was quiet and sounded tired.
La Haia's Story 2005
La Haia's respite from cruelty only lasted one day before she was dragged from the loving friendship of the two washer women in Baal's dominion.
It took two Jaffa to restrain her as she screamed, kicked and bit her assailants. Pure terror gave her strength beyond what they could have imagined. Halfway down the corridor, one of the Jaffa lost patience with La Haia and threw her to the ground, drew out his zat'nik'atel and fired it at her. Blue light flickered over as her body spasmed on the hard surface then she went quiet. With a grunt of satisfaction, the Jaffa bent over and hoisted her up over his shoulder and took her away.
Unfamiliar men came for La Haia several days later. She had no idea where she was, everything seemed different and strange. It even smelled different to where she'd been held before. The only relief in her terror was that these men weren't Jaffa. She knew not because of the lack of the tell tale markings on their forehead, but because of a deep feeling within herself. Whenever a Jaffa came near her or the evil man that had tortured her, the feeling would return. Even though the ever present feeling of evil was absent, she still felt as though she was in terrible danger - a feeling that she'd had all her life.
The men fitted cuffs onto La Haia's wrists; they were lose and chaffed her sensitive skin. Bewildered and frightened she followed them through a crowded market place. People jostled and called in a language she didn't understand. She was pushed up onto a large stage. A sea of faces stared up at her as she shivered with fear.
The shouting of a man beside her and the crowd turned into a roar in La Haia's head. She wanted desperately to put her hands over her ears, but they were restrained in front of her. She tried to fill her mind with memories of the two washer women that had been so kind to her; the only kindness that she could remember. For a moment there was a lull in the noise, then someone tugged on the rope that tethered her and she found herself walking down some steps, out the back, away from the crowd.
A man painfully gripped her jaw and pried open her mouth. He was round, with bright glittering stones on his fingers. His clothes were a myriad of bright colours and two shiny pointed shoes poked out the bottom of his long robes. A bright golden turban topped off the colourful ensemble. He pushed her head back further and frowned as he checked out her teeth.
She bit him.
He howled with pain, then back handed her across her cheek, the rings tearing her delicate skin. His henchmen dived onto the terrified woman and pushed her to the ground, stretching out one of her arms in the process. The turbaned man pulled out a small grey object and knelt down beside her with a grunt. A tingling sensation ran down her arm as he placed it on her skin. A sharp pain, then more intense as it sliced a line down the length of her arm. He finished that line and started with a line across her arm. Pain was part of life to La Haia; this was no different to the bearded man that had hurt her before. This time, the gold man didn't seem to want anything from her, just revenge. He pressed another button and the pain increased. The man's face disappeared in a haze.
La Haia awakened and found herself slung over the back of a horse. She could smell the aroma of horse which mingled with the foul sweat of the man that was riding it. She had been tied to the saddle. It was uncomfortable and blood was rushing to her head. She started to squirm and wriggle. The man that was sitting on the same horse turned and flicked the end of the reigns across her shoulders. He said something that she assumed was something like keep still. So she ignored him.
Finally, out of desperation, the man stopped the horse, loosened her ropes and she fell head first onto the ground. He jumped down and pulled on the rope yanking her to her feet. Blood dripped down her cheek from a cut on her head where she'd hit it on a stone. He climbed back up on the horse and walked on, pulling La Haia behind him. She had to run to keep up when he kicked the horse into a trot to catch up with the group. The stones cut into her feet and the dust caught in her throat making her cough. La Haia didn't think this was unfair or a travesty to mankind, she just accepted it as this was all she'd known.
For the next three weeks her life was filled with days of walking on battered painful feet, hunger that gnawed in her belly, and nights filled with cold and shivering. Over the three weeks fear turned to hate; hate that filled her with a hot burning desire to kill the man with the gold turban.
La Haia was barely able to walk when they arrived at the gold turban's house. One of his slaves picked up La Haia and carried her to a small room in the slave's quarters. There, a woman called Mara gently bathed her, cleaned and dressed her damaged feet. She fed her as she lay there not moving or talking.
"Here, eat something." She spooned some clear soup between La Haia's lips. "What is your name?" Mara asked.
La Haia's eyes turned to the old woman and said, "La Haia." Those were the only words that Mara ever heard this young woman ever say for the next three years.
2008
La Haia learned very quickly that she needed to keep her head down and out of the way. She'd tried to escape many times at first, but had been beaten severely each time. The last time Neeron, her master, had squeezed her arm with the marks on it until it swelled to twice its normal size. Beaten down and oppressed she chose not to run away again, but to stay with her beloved horses.
There were two horses that were a matching pair, Neeron was very proud of these great beasts and was hoping to sell them at the next market. La Haia loved these two gentle animals; she spent any free time she had in their company. The mare was in foal and to La Haia's satisfaction, Neeron wasn't aware of the fact yet. The biggest fear for La Haia was that these horses would be sold and she would miss them greatly. A plan had already begun to form in her mind on how she could steal the horses and escape. She knew how to live in the wild; there were plenty of wild plants and roots that you could eat, as she already regularly supplemented her mediocre diet with these.
Yesterday there'd been great excitement on the farm. A traveller had come bringing with him some riding horses. Neeron specialised with the great horses, but he and his slaves still needed horses to ride. Neeron had bought twelve of these horses, all of them were excellent, but for one. He was wild and untamed. So far, La Haia was the only person who could get anywhere near him. Neeron was not happy about the whole situation. He had already threatened to destroy the animal, plus his pride was dented.
La Haia was busy mucking out the stables. It was hot tiring work as she had to shovel the soiled straw out, then fork straw in onto the clean floor. She really didn't mind doing this work, the horses always behaved and she was able to move them easily from stall to stall as she worked. Even though she had a bed in the slaves quarters, La Haia slept with the horses in their stalls. She reckoned she had the better deal anyway, as it was a whole lot warmer in the stables and there was always a horse blanket she could use if it got cold.
The children had filled the cart full of hay, so she could unload it into the hayracks. The haystack was at the end of the stables, it seemed a silly place to put it as far as La Haia was concerned, but then she thought that most of what Neeron did was stupid. She puffed out her cheeks and let out some air as he leaned on her pitchfork. The stables were clean with nice crackling straw. Now she had to fill the hayracks, but it hadn't arrived yet. La Haia peaked out behind the doorway and could see the children were just finishing putting on the last fork load. They had put too much again, they'd never be able to move it.
Movement made La Haia look over and see Rabnor, he was talking to a tall stranger who was silver haired. His long black leather coat hid what looked like weapons. This man puzzled her, she didn't know him, but she knew that he had weapons. He was a soldier she could tell. Fear gripped her heart as she remembered the bearded man, he had soldiers.
She watched warily as Rabnor led him over to the shelter where Neeron usually sits and watches them work. This man wore trousers, not robes like most traders when they visited Neeron. He had also come on foot as there was no sign of any horses. Intrigued she watched him as he looked around the compound. Rabnor had called over Mara who then shuffled off to get something for the visitor, most probably a drink of some kind.
La Haia heard grunting coming from the children, they really had loaded it too full again, but they wouldn't listen to the adults and this was their job so they'd have to cope. Her attention went back to the visitor, he was watching the children and he was frowning. He looked angry. La Haia was afraid for the children, maybe this man will complain to Neeron that the children weren't working properly and then Neeron would punish them. Even though the children would often tease her and call her names, La Haia knew it was just ignorance on their part and they would copy the other adults and that was no reason to let them be punished.
Except for the man, no one was looking so she ran out quickly and put her shoulder against the back of the cart. The children were afraid and shrank away from her, but she ignored them and helped them get the cart moving along the uneven surface of the cobblestones. With a final heave the cart started to rumble along, seeing the children had it going on their own now, she darted back into the stable. She had several minutes before she'd have to start putting the feed out for the horses. So she watched the stranger from the dark interior of the stables.
The man was now standing, he seemed hesitant about something. Whatever it was he got over it and sat down again. He was restless, he didn't sit still, he kept looking around at the children and then at the large house. Mara came back with a tray and a tall glass of something cold in it. La Haia's mouth watered. She had seen the glasses of clear juice, but had never drank it herself, which seemed strange to her as she knew what it tasted like, but never remembered ever drinking it.
Mara was agitated she was shaking her head at the man. The stranger then called out something after her which made her walk even faster as she scurried away. Something had upset her. La Haia was worried that this man going to take Mara away from her. The children were unloading the hay into the end of the stable she would have to go soon and start distributing the hay into the stalls. She just had time to observe Neeron waddling towards the stranger; she couldn't stay to find out what the outcome was as the horses needed their feed.
"Skouliki!" It was Rabnor.
La Haia left her work straight away and walked towards Rabnor. When he called, she came it wasn't negotiable.
He ordered her to get the two great horses from the bottom fields. La Haia was afraid, did the stranger want her horses now? Or was it Mara? She just didn't know. If the stranger took the horses, she would escape and follow the stranger. If he took Mara, she didn't know what to do.
The sun was warm on her skin as she ran easily down the dirt track. This was what she enjoyed doing. Running, feeling the wind on her cheeks the sun on her skin. Freedom. The horses plodded towards her as soon as she arrived at their field. She scrambled up the fence and slipped onto the mare's back. Leaning over, she slipped a rope onto the other horse's halter and with a click of her tongue she guided the great horses back up the track towards the stables.
It didn't take them long to reach the stables. La Haia slipped off the back of the mare and led them into the courtyard. The untamed horse was screaming and thrashing around the courtyard. The stupid stable hands were frightening the horse and one of them was knocked to the ground by his flying hooves. Neeron was yelling at his men only scaring the horse further.
Out of the corner of her eye, La Haia could see the stranger watching the scene. Hate filled her towards this man; it was his fault that Meadow was frightened. Neeron would never have brought him out of the stable unless it was to show this man. Had he come to destroy the horse? She asked herself.
The horse was free of the men now and was thundering around the courtyard, he would hurt himself if no one calmed him. La Haia handed over the reigns to someone and darted in between the killer hooves. All the time, hissing through her teeth. Meadow snorted and stood quiet. She reached up and stroked his neck with her hand running up his neck down his face turning him so that she was facing his nose. She leaned forward and placed her face against his nose, letting her breath mingle with Meadows. Slowly Meadow began to calm as he felt the assurance of La Haia standing before him. As soon as he was calm, La Haia reached up and took hold of his halter and led him into the stable to his bed. Fortunately, his stall had been seen to first and it was full of feed and hay.
Once all seemed well with Meadow, La Haia returned to the courtyard to see to the great horses. The horses were being led in a circle and the stranger was watching them. He was buying the horses. They were going to be taken away from her. The hate that had bubbled beneath the surface erupted and she leapt at Neeron. Scratching, biting and hitting at the man that was selling her only lifeline.
Three of the guards grabbed La Haia and pulled her off him. She fought as hard as she could as two of them dragged her off behind the stables. A little later the third guard followed he was carrying the brander. She had been so well behaved over the past few weeks she only had one line running the length of her arm; today three more were placed at right angles across the line.
"Skouliki!" La Haia awakened to hear Rabnor calling her name. Her hands were shackled together and a rope was attached to them. Two guards pulled her to her feet and started to drag her towards the courtyard. Rabnor had hold of the end of the rope.
Realization hit her like freezing water. The man he hadn't come for the horses, he was buying her. Fear gripped her soul. He was going to take her back to the bearded man she was sure of it. Struggling against the guards she fought them. One of them hit her across her face to try and calm her down, but all it did was make her try and stand her ground by gripping the cobbles with her toes. The man was sitting up high on Meadow, held in his hand were two ropes that held her friends the great horses. Realization hit her again, he was buying the horses and her. Immediately, she stopped struggling, she'd just wait her moment and escape when she could. There was no way she was going back to the bearded man.
The stranger seemed unusual, she hated him that was no different, but he behaved differently to any other man she ever met. He talked to her, it didn't mean anything to her and he didn't seem to mind that she didn't reply. She walked behind Meadow alongside the horses not saying a word, but she imagined what she would do to him tonight, the rope was strong and his neck was long; it would wind around his wind pipe quite nicely and if she waited until he was asleep he'd never know.
Satisfied with those thoughts, she rumbled them around her head thinking out various scenarios as she walked.
Soon it was nightfall and the stranger led them away from the main road. There wasn't a track it was just grass, but he seemed to know where he was going. They arrived at a cave and before he did anything he pulled out a large stake and drove it into the ground. He then attached her rope to the stake and went to see to the horses. However hard she tried she couldn't reach the packs, but she could see that she could reach where he tethered the horses. A stream ran along the back of the caves, fresh water for the horses and themselves. This man knew what he was doing.
She watched through her mop of hair as he built up a fire and dumped his bag on the ground. He threw her a blanket said something unintelligible and continued to mess around with his pack. His sleeping roll would be out of her reach tonight, but it was a long way to the city, so she would have plenty of opportunity. La Haia was tired, it had been a long exhausting day and her arm ached. She quickly curled up in her blanket and fell asleep.
There was a clatter and a clink of something in front of her. Food. She was hungry. She reached out for the bowl, there was something sticking in it, something to stir the food, she didn't need it, so she threw it away. Without hesitation she stuck her fingers into the food to eat. It burned her fingers, she dropped the bowl. He'd done it on purpose, given her something that would hurt her. A feeling of loneliness came over her, something that she hadn't felt in a long time. Even Neeron wouldn't have tricked her like this.
"Zesto." The man told her it was hot. He walked over to her, she tensed waiting for him to hit her, but he didn't, he bent down and picked up the stick thing and put it back into the bowl of food. He picked up the bowl using the stick hooked some food up with it.
He blew on it and said, "It is hot, but good. You need to blow on it, see." He then blew on the hot food again.
La Haia watched him and realized that he hadn't meant to harm her at all. She mimicked the stranger blowing on the food to cool it and ate it, which tasted good. The best she'd ever eaten. Once finished, she curled herself up into a ball by the fire, all thoughts of killing the stranger gone with the full belly.
La Haia had no idea why she had been bought by the stranger and he didn't seem so bad after all. He'd got the measure of her already. How he knew she was going to kill him last night she didn't know, but he hadn't hurt her yet and she was willing to give him the benefit of doubt. Mara had smiled at her when she'd left, she didn't seem afraid for her, but pleased so maybe this stranger wasn't bad like the bearded man or Neeron.
La Haia felt relaxed as she rubbed the horses down with a handful of hay in the morning. She was slightly annoyed at the man for not rubbing them down the previous night, they'd walked only a little way, but Meadow had been scared earlier and he needed the dried sweat to be brushed away. She decided to ignore the man today and let him come to her. If she worked it right she could control him, he was soft.
The man began to walk towards her, she could hear his footsteps on the cavern floor.
"Zesto . . . Hot!"
Food.
La Haia turned around and took the food from the stranger, all the time keeping her eyes lowered like Neeron liked. It was hot again and was sweet. La Haia ate it quickly, blowing on the food like the stranger had taught her. He didn't leave her long to finish it, there was some residue on the lip of the bowl and he snatched it from her hands. The hate returned.
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