Chapter Thirteen

Reece

This isn't good. In fact, it's downright horrible. First this headache building up, then suddenly collapsing… and on top of it this weird feeling of being remote-controlled twice in the last few minutes. I wish I could have asked Laura what could possible cause something like this, because it's starting to frighten me… I mean, frighten me even more than this all is already doing.

Robbins' attitude hasn't changed, and there's still the no-nonsense guy with the gun that's been there in the door a few minutes back. I know that sounds a little strange, but this is a little reassuring. Maybe because I was prepared for dangerous guys with guns, at least more than I was prepared for sleazy grins and joviality.

After a few more minutes of silently walking, I'm pushed into a room with only a table and two chairs in it. And a big reflective window pane facing the door. Someone seen too many "Law and Order"-episodes, maybe? Unceremoniously, one of Robbins' cronies pushes me onto the chair facing the window pane and Robbins sits down opposite of me. Alright. Interrogation scene, here we go.

Oh God, I wish I'd really feel as hard-boiled as I'm trying to tell myself I am. But the only thing I am is a puddle of frightened goo. Staying was a mistake. I should have never tried to belong to this team. I should have never… "Turn it on, Masterson." Turn on what?

Oh.

"Who are you?"

"First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece, United States Marine Corps. Service number…" No! What the hell am I doing here? Why the hell am I giving them my personal details? And why won't that fucking headache just fucking stop?

"You want to muck about with me? You are certainly no Maureen Catrina." Of course I'm not. I'm just telling you that to confuse you a little.

"Well, aren't we a clever little boy?" God, my head feels like it's splitting in two every minute. It's really hard keeping up any façade up about right now.

"And I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Masterson, refine the brain waves." Who the hell is that Masterson-guy and what is this brainwaves stuff?

Oh.

Headache's getting better. Much better. Starting to feel like there's a giant marshmallow instead of my brain. Mh… that's nice. "Now, tell me who you are again."

"First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece, United States Marine Corps." Still a marshmallow brain. God, that feel's good.

"Are you trying to kid me?" No, you idiot. Ow! Not the headache again! "Brain waves, Masterson." Ah, yeah, better. "Are you trying to kid me, Major?"

"No. I'm First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece. Major Moore is back in custody, in my body. We changed bodies." Mh, without a care in the world… wait. Did I just tell them what we tried to keep secret? Why the hell did I just offer them vital intel? Am I totally nuts now?

Whoa. Most of all, I'm having a headache. Head… ache. Oh crap. That's my brain waves they're messing around with. No, no, not the marshmallow again! Pain is good! I want pain! I need pain! Pain means I'm still myself. "You changed bodies? Interesting. Did the other two change bodies as well?" Lie, Reece. Lie like you never lied before.

"Yes." Short, precise answers. And fight the marshmallow feeling. Nothing else matters now.

"Even more interesting. Does the SGC know?" Ah good, I don't have to lie here. Because from the look of his face, it looks very much like Robbins doesn't believe a word of what I just said.

"No." He leans back, grinning.

"Perfect. And now, Lieutenant Reece, I activate Directive 970-654." Directive wha… Pump your team for intel about the SGC. Make them believe they can escape from here. Give them false intel. Let them smuggle the intel back to the SGC. Failsafe: Kill them, then kill yourself.

"Directive 970-654 activated."

"Good. Wait for further instructions. Go back into stand by-mode." Huh.

What the hell was that? And anyway, stop messing around with my brain waves, you idiots. Honestly. You're messing with the wrong girl here. Try to mess around with my brain – the only valuable thing I can contribute to this team – and you're done for. "And I'm sorry to say… we'll have to give you a bit of a beating. Wouldn't want your team mates grow suspicious, huh?" Wait, beating? Beating? Not again. But yep, there comes the first blow.

Aw, fuck. But at least the pain from the jaw distracts me from the headache. Only now I have to explain to the Major, why there is… OW!

DeLisle

Something's bothering Laura. I can see that. The moment Reece woke up, something happened and it's immensely bothering Laura. She's trying to appear totally unfazed, playing "What do you think they're doing to him?" with the Major appearing like the calm experienced senior officer, while the Major plays the inexperienced frightened Lieutenant. Actually, he's doing a better job of it then I would have given him credit for. Makes me suspect that he is keeping some secrets of his own about past missions.

But still something's not quite right. There's an edge to Laura's movements, and the smile she's giving the Major now and then doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's seen something and she's burning to tell us, but it must have been something really unsettling. Or else she'd already have tried it.

Before I can continue musings, though, the door finally opens again and they toss in a severely bruised Major. Reece. Good God, I really need to get used to this. "Try and convince your that one here to be a bit more cooperative. We'll not be as friendly next time." And with that, the door is firmly closed again.

Immediately we all rush towards her. Outwardly she looks like the Major after a good round of interrogation routine, and if that was the Major, I wouldn't be worried a bit. But it's a Lieutenant who's still wet behind the ears and probably just had her first round of torture ever. Suddenly I'm sorry for trying to convince her to stay with the team. She doesn't belong here. She should be sitting in an office, happily wasting time with dusty tomes and languages no one speaks anymore, trying to solve some intellectual challenging puzzle or other.

"You… should see the other three guys.", she says and coughs as she tries to sit up, while Laura takes rudimental care of the cuts and bruises on her face.

Laura is looking into her eyes again and again… again I wish she would find a way of telling us what's bothering her so much. "I swear, Thomas Moore, one day I'll simply refuse treating you until you stop this quipping." Beside me, I can hear a cough, and it's coming from the Major. Obviously, he didn't like what she was implying.

"You wouldn't want it any other way, anyway." Reece even manages a smirk.

"Watch me.", Laura just growls back, and I just bet she wants the Major to hear every little bit of this, silently telling him that she won't tolerate any cocky behaviour when he's back in his own body.

"Who watches the watchmen…" What the…? That didn't make any sense. Why is Reece…

Wait.

Watchmen… watchman… watch… she is the watchman. She's trying to tell us something. She wants us to watch her. But… why? Okay, play along now, Sergeant. "Oh, there's always someone who doesn't have anything better to do, sir."

"I certainly hope so." Laura and the Major look a little clueless at first, but then they both get it. They don't look particularly happy.

"Okay, enough with the nonsense. I want all of you in your beds now. As long as they decide to let us rot here, we can very well use the time for some R&R." Reece gives her a sloppy grin.

"You heard the Doc, people. It's bedtime for all of us." Laura rolls her eyes and makes a point of not helping Reece up. Reece doesn't complain, though, but… catches the Major's eyes and… then mouths something that looks like "They know." The sudden pained and shameful expression in her eyes tells the Major and me very clearly what they know. Which means that the next one they'll go for is probably the Major himself.

For a moment, there's irritation clouding the Major's eyes, and I'm positive that he's already composing the shouting he's going to give her once we're back, but then… he surprises me and very shortly – almost too quick to notice – squeezes Reece's knee in a comforting gesture. Huh. Maybe we really should all go to bed. Loss of sleep is doing strange things to all of us.

A/N: Is that a cliffhanger? Naaah, not a real one. Right?