Part Two: Hunting

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.
Which road do I take? she asked.
Where do you want to go? was his response.
I don't know, Alice answered.
Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter.
~Lewis Carroll

The outpost they'd been taken to was a complete and total bust. Not only was it lightly manned – Jack didn't even get to shoot anyone – Carter and the magistrate were nowhere in sight. And none of the goons they, err, pressed for information were helpful.

So, knowing how quickly the natives traveled along the roadways, the four SG teams split in two and melted back into the trees, each moving along a different road. The UAV buzzed overhead, searching for any other buildings or signs of civilization. Hammond was throwing everything he had into getting Carter back.

Which was good, because Jack would be in line for a serious court martial, one way or the other, if he hadn't. There was no way in hell he was leaving without Carter. And that bastard's head on a spike.

When he thought about what the son of a bitch was doing to her…

He clamped his mind against it and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Every step, every sound, every lead was one move closer to Carter, and he had to hold on to that. He had to focus on that. Thinking about her – what might be happening to her – would consume him, and he couldn't afford it. In that moment more than ever, she needed him in top form. She needed him to find her.

"I really hoped she'd be there, Jack."

Jack barely spared his teammate a glance. "I know."

"He could be doing anything to her."

The glance this time was longer and much sharper, as was his tone. Like he needed a reminder. "I know."

"We should never have come here," Daniel said softly.

"Daniel!" Jack shot back harshly, keeping his voice low as they snuck across the terrain. "Tell me something I don't know. Please."

The archaeologist was silent for a long time – a long time for him, anyway. Then, "This is all my fault. Whatever's happening to her… it's my fault."

That brought the team leader to an abrupt halt. "Daniel, look at me. All that matters now is getting her back in one piece."

"But what if the woman we bring back isn't Sam?"

"I can't… I can't think about that, Daniel. And neither can you. We will find her. Now get moving."