AN OK so i lied about not updating until the 25th, but i seriously hadn't planned to...i just got really into it. :D

Chapter 12 – Small and Pathetic Man?

(Back to that morning when Teal'c woke Jack.)

"How's he doing Teal'c?"

"His breathing is labored but the night's rest has helped. Daniel Jackson remains asleep. He does not appear to be in immediate danger. I am however ill qualified to make an accurate assessment of his health."

"You haven't found anyone who has any idea about Carter?"

"I have not. None of the people I have questioned witnessed anything last night. O'Neill I do not believe Major Carter could have been taken against her will without alerting us."

Jack sighed. He knew that Teal'c was right. He had already run through the same train of thought several times. There was no way Carter would have been taken unwillingly so that just left...willingly.He thought about perfect Soldier Sam. She wouldn't. He thought about the determined, resourceful, selfless woman he had spoken to the previous night about Daniel. She might.

The unbidden voice in his head calmly telling him what he refused to think about filled him with anger. How could she betray him like this!? How could she have so little faith in him? He promised to get them out! Now where was she? With him The thought made him want to hit something-- the wall. The sharp pain in his knuckles calmed him somewhat.

"Jack O'Neill." Jack barely glanced. The small, bald man stood at his elbow. Since the first night he had barely interacted with any of the other testers. Carter and Daniel had had a few conversations with this guy. He seemed to have been here a while and knew the ropes but he was small, annoying and not too bright as far as Jack could tell and the little man had always seemed somewhat intimidated by Jack's often brutish nature.

"Not now, Roan. It's not a good time."

"I know what happened to Samantha." Jack looked at the man slowly. Something about the way the guy said 'Samantha' made him uneasy, but he would take what he could get.

"What?"

"I said 'I know what happened to Samantha'"

"Yes Roan, I know what you said. What happened to her?"

"She called for the marshals in the night. They took her. They were obviously eager to keep quiet. It's strange. It's very rare that people can get away with pushing the alarm. Usually they are punished." By now, Teal'c too was listening closely to Roan's conversation with Jack.

"You saw this?"

"Yes, I was awake. She climbed over my pipe."

"They didn't punish her at all?"

"No Jack. She asked to see the governor and they took her."

"Shit."

" O'Neill?"

"Uh, Carter told me last night. She had a get out of jail free card. Seems the governor has a bit of a thing for our major but she rejected him. Rejected him good. She wanted to go and try and get the guy to help Daniel."

Once again, Jack was unable to hide his pride at recalling Sam's story about turning Hyden down. It almost made up for the fact that the bastard had hit her. Remembering this, Jack blood boiled again and he renewed his promise to deal with the asshole when they got out of the institute.

Teal'c also looked impressed.

"I see."

Roan was once again tugging at Jack's sleeve.

"I can help you find Samantha."

"Yeah I know. You've told us."

"No Jack. You don't understand - I can hide you and your sick friend. I know of a room. It is easy to sneak into and not be discovered by the marshals."

"A room we can hide in?" Roan nodded. "All day?" Nod. "It's easy to get into?" Nod. "You're sure?"

"I am. I have hidden there before. Long ago. The guards will soon know you are missing but they will not find you."

"Why?"

"It is believed the room is locked. It has not been opened for years. Many years." Roan was smiling up at Jack, obviously pleased with himself.

Jack stared at the little man amazed. Roan was quickly climbing Jack's list of people he liked. He took the little guy by the arm, leading him slightly further away from the crowd of people pushing around the bag of ready-meals that had been dumped by the warden minutes earlier.

"How do we get into it, Roan?"

"We must leave now, quickly. Before the marshals arrive to take us for testing."

Teal'c looked down at Roan.

"This room is locked until the marshals arrive. We cannot leave it until then"

"We can." Roan pointed upward. Grinning happily at the vast ceiling.

Jack turned to Teal'c.

"Carter checked the ceiling didn't she?"

"Major Carter found the ceiling of this room impenetrable."

"She did not have the right tools." Jack was getting more and more amazed by this man's apparently unending knowledge of the place and more and more annoyed that the little weasel hadn't felt like sharing until now.

"And you do...have the right tools?" Jack asked, gesturing for the man to continue.

"I do. A year ago, we tested liquids capable of melting metal bolts. I stole a vial. The marshals here are not very intelligent. They rule by fear alone. Many of the testers are only in here because they are not intelligent to make an honest living." Jack gaped at the man. The quiet, apparently dense man that had obviously kept his head down in here for years. Something still nagged at him though.

"Roan. If you had this liquid for a year, why haven't you used it yet? Escaped?"

"I cannot escape and live in the city. The police would soon find me and I would be sent back. There is no life for me out there. I have to find another place to live but the city is surrounded by mountains. I would never survive the harsh conditions. I do not have the skills. " He looked down at his feet. "You four arrived and I thought that maybe could help me. I heard rumors-- you came through the portas celesti. The big ring." He made donut signals with his hands. "You came from another world. And you could take me there."

Jack could have sworn for a second that Teal'c was gaping but when he looked properly, the big guy had gotten control of his expression Damn! But Jack's mind was made up.

"It's a deal Roan. You help us out of this place.." He gestured around at the walls of the hall. "..and we'll get you out of...this ...place. Now then, Teal'c—we need food."

Teal'c, they had found out, a while after he had started living on earth, was very good at beating queues, simply because he didn't believe in them. Now he moved into the throng; hauling testers aside by various limbs and depositing them at arms length. Reaching into the bag, he scooped up an armful of ready-meals and returned to where Jack and Roan stood.

"Ok kids, lets get Danny and get outa here!" The three men set off up the network of ladders for the last time, all trying not to think about everything that could go wrong or what fate might have in store for both Sam and Daniel.

AN I hope to update within the next few days. But I also want to write some other stuff.

Hope you like this chapter. Feedback is LOVED. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You guys rule.