I knew the last chapter was a bit short so I took all of my free time and wrote another chapter in hope it would make up for the last short part.
Chapter 9
Vala couldn't tell whether it was day or night, she had totally lost track. Each minute that passed in the cold cavern seemed like an hour and she was starving which made her even less capable of concentrating. She never heard any voice again after she first seemed to hear talking from outside her cell and that proved her that she was only hallucinating. She had checked every inch on the walls trying to find a hidden lock or something that would help her escape but she had to face, her captors had done a good job with the cell.
She was out of options and couldn't do anything but wait for someone to help her. That was her biggest hope but right now she would have given anything for something to eat. She had been thinking of attacking whoever brought her food, assuming they would, and then escape but she had no clue how many of them there were.
Ok, Vala, she thought, you're a strong woman. You can escape, you just don't know how. Yet. And even if you don't find out anything, I'm sure Daniel and the rest of the team is already on their way getting closer and closer by the minute. No need to worry.
As much as she wanted to, she couldn't convince herself. Of course she worried.
Vala kept walking in the room hoping that would help her think. She could approximately determine the size of the cavern she was kept in. It was quite roomy for one person, as much as she could tell it was about a hundred feet by sixty. She suspected that it was made to hold more people. A lot more.
As she was walking alongside a wall she could hear footsteps from the same direction she had heard talking coming from. She hurried to the spot closest to the voice. Soon the footsteps stopped in front of her. She knew if hadn't been a wall between them she could have seen the face of whoever was on the other side. For some time nothing happened but then someone another row of footsteps joined the first one ending nearly the same spot the first did.
'We cannot wait longer. They will detect us if we wait. We have to leave.' Vala could hear a cold voice seeping through the thick stone wall.
'No. We have to accomplish our mission. If Todd finds out what we are doing here he will most certainly kill us.' Another voice, similar to the first one replied.
'Our mission was to kill SG-1, not to take prisoners. Now they will come after her and we aren't strong enough to defend ourselves against a whole planet.' The source of the first voice pushed.
'We will wait. Until the others are dead.'
'The beasts aren't what they should be. They don't act as they should. They don't follow orders.' First said and that made a lot of things clear for Vala. Why they attacked them, why didn't they leave the forest and why didn't they attack anyone else. She was starting to have a very bad feeling about the whole thing.
'The retrovirus didn't work as planned. We can't risk any more mistakes. We have to leave now.' First insisted.
'We leave when I say we leave.' Second was stubborn.
'But…' First started but he was cut off.
'Enough! If you want to live you do as I say or you will join SG-1 as the meal of the beasts.' Second ordered menacingly.
'Yes, my lord.' First's voice was quiet but Vala could feel he wasn't friendly with Second's choice.
Vala could hear the footsteps fading in two directions which meant that the two men left in the opposite direction. When Vala was sure nobody else was there she sat down and started to think about what she'd heart.
She now knew that the beasts didn't come by themselves; they were brought here by someone more dangerous. Todd, she remembered the mentioned name. They must be human if their superior's name was Todd. This fact didn't ease Vala's mind, it just made the fear in her grew stronger. They wanted to kill SG-1. That certainly wasn't good. But why did they keep her, if the plan was to have them dead? She couldn't answer that question but she felt better alive so the reason seemed to be insignificant to her. The worst part was that she couldn't warn her friends about the danger they were in. She could do nothing but wait until this nightmare was over.
oOo
That day wasn't as bright as the previous ones. Huge masses of grey clouds were wandering through the sky blocking the sun's warming rays from reaching the ground. Snow hadn't fallen since they arrived but hadn't melted either. A cold breeze grew to a wind and the rustling of the leaves became louder. But no matter what the weather was like, none of the five people cared. They had bigger problems to deal with, most important of all to save their teammate and friend.
Sam and Daniel followed Teal'c footprints in the snow to find him and get ready for bringing out their plan. All or nothing, Sam thought. She didn't know how much time they had left but she didn't want to waste a moment of it.
Jack and Mitchell were told to stay in the house, that they weren't needed outside. They weren't happy but agreed but told Sam to call for them if something went wrong. Daniel joined Sam following Teal'c to the edge of the forest. They agreed that Daniel wouldn't do anything but he just wanted to be there, even if he didn't know why. The snow crunched under Sam's sneakers, making the sound she loved but at the time she couldn't care. The only thing she cared about was their plan to be successful.
They reached the edge of the forest and found Teal'c standing next to a huge pine tree waiting for them to arrive.
'You ready, Teal'c?' Sam asked.
'I am, Colonel Carter.' He replied calmly.
'Good. I and Daniel will be watching from over there.' She said pointing at Cameron's car.
Teal'c just bowed his head as usual and turned towards the trees. Sam nodded towards the car letting Daniel know it was time to go. When Teal'c saw them far enough he took a couple of steps deeper in the forest and sat down with his back to the truck of a huge tree. He took his knife he always carried with himself and lifted it to his palm. This wasn't part of the plan but he thought it might work better if he let the smell of his blood lead the beasts to him. He pushed the cold steel against his skin and slowly loved it towards himself, making a small cut on his palm. It hurt but he was used to much bigger pain. Teal'c watched a drop of blood roll down on his arm and he felt the pain caused by his own blade but he stayed strong and focused on his task.
For minutes nothing happened, he could hear no voices other than the noises of the forest. He started to think their plan would fail when he heard a deep growl from his right. He prepared his staff weapon so he could fire immediately if he needed. A few blood drops colored the snow red next to him but Teal'c didn't pay attention. He waited to hear movement from somewhere around him and he didn't have to wait long. Slowly a pale grey face appeared among the trees, straight ahead of him.
Teal'c stood up, pushing himself against the tree as the beast slowly and deliberately approached. It was looking into the eyes of Teal'c, snarling. Teal'c lifted his staff, targeting the creature's head. It just kept closing on him and when it came dangerously close, Teal'c fired the weapon. Around the spot the blast hit the beast's head the skin melted and Teal'c could see the flesh of the animal. He was hoping it would kill it but it was just moving closer and closer. Teal'c fired again but didn't wait to see the result. He turned back and ran towards the clearing where hopefully Sam had already been waiting to take action. He could hear the beast cry behind him and that sound made him pick up the pace.
oOo
Sam and Daniel were standing beside Cameron's car when Teal'c appeared on the clearing, rushing towards them.
'Here we go.' Daniel warned and watched Sam turn on her zat.
A second later the huge grey wolf beast left the woods running after Teal'c and both Daniel and Sam could see that it was much faster than their Jaffa friend.
When Teal'c got close enough, Sam shouted at him, 'Teal'c, get down!'
Teal'c followed the order and quickly threw himself on the snow giving Sam a clear target. She felt as adrenaline flood through her veins as she fired the zat. The first hit was like no use. The beast kept on moving as if nothing happened. He only let Sam know she'd hit it by letting out a loud distorted cry.
'Come on, Sam, fire!' Daniel urged.
She didn't have to be told twice. Sam fired the zat two more times waiting for the effect. The second hit caused another cry and when the third wave reached the skin of the beast it lurched and took a step back. It was still growling at Sam, with saliva and blood dropping from its fangs. It waited until it has regained its balance and would have continued its way towards its target but Sam was quicker and fired the zat for the fourth time.
The beast had gotten dangerously close to Teal'c by then but fortunately the fourth wave of electricity had proven to be effective as the huge body of the mutant wolf fell on the snow. It let out a final growl and Teal'c, still lying on the snow, fired his staff once again to make sure their attacker was dead.
Daniel and Sam hurried to Teal'c who had stood up when they arrived.
'Teal'c, are you hurt?' Daniel asked with a concerned look when he saw the small line of blood in the snow, leading to Teal'c.
'I am fine.' He replied the usual Teal'c-way.
Sam wanted to ask what the blood in the snow was but she thought it would be better to leave it.
'Man, this is ugly.' Daniel stated as he took a better look at the body in front of them.
'Yeah. Let's tell General O'Neill we were successful. I hope it won't go anywhere until we get back.' Sam suggested and headed back towards the house.
'I will stay here to make sure nothing happens.' Teal'c told Daniel who just nodded silently and followed Sam.
oOo
'Finally.' Jack said with a sigh of relief when Sam entered the house. 'I thought you were…eaten or something.'
He was sitting on one side of the coffee table with Cameron facing him and a chess board between the two of them.
'You like chess?' Sam asked, avoiding the answer of the general's bad joke.
'Nope.' He answered briefly.
Cameron looked at him both surprised and a bit disappointed. 'Why didn't you tell me?'
'It's no big deal. One game won't kill me.'
'No, no, no. I mean I don't like it either. I was playing because you asked me.' Cameron explained.
'Oh.' Jack took cognizance, staring in front of him blankly.
Sam couldn't help but smile at Jack's face.
'So, whatcha got?' He switched subject looking up at Sam.
'We have a dead wolf.' She simply said.
'Wolf, you say?' Jack asked, waiting for assurance.
'Yep. A big one.'
'Alright then. Let's see.' Jack said and stood up from the couch.
'You didn't like this?' Cameron asked silently, not really believing they were playing the game neither of them liked.
He knocked down his queen and followed the others outside.
oOo
Teal'c seemed more uneasy when they arrived then he had been before they left. Sam was the first to take notice.
'What's wrong, Teal'c?' She asked and walked to her friend.
'I'm afraid I have bad news, Colonel Carter.' Teal'c said.
'What's up, T?' Jack asked making him continue.
Instead of answering Teal'c squatted down and took one of the beast's fore-feet into his hand showing its paw to the others.
Its foot was nothing of the foot a usual wolf would have. They were closer to human hands than wolf-feet despite the huge claws it had. But the claws weren't the interesting part.
'Oh, boy.' Sam said worriedly as she realized what she was looking at.
There was a huge cut in the middle of the paw.
'What's that?' Jack asked when he too saw the cut.
'It's similar to…' Sam started but it was Teal'c who finished the sentence.
'Wraith.'
'What?' Jack asked unbelievingly.
'You mean Wraith as in…' Daniel started but now Sam finished.
'As in Wraith of the Pegasus.'
'What?' Jack repeated impatiently.
'Sir, when I was in Atlantis our basic enemies were the Wraith.' Sam started to explain.
'Yeah, I know that.'
'And I had a chance to study one of them and among other features one of the unusual things they had was the cuts on their palms. They sipped out the life of humans through them.' Sam continued.
'Bottom line, Carter!' Jack ordered not caring about details.
'I don't know, sir. This seems to be a wolf-Wraith hybrid.'
Cameron, who had been just standing there listening the others now interrupted. 'Wait a minute. I lost track right at the beginning. I haven't read the Atlantis files. What are you talking about?'
'The Wraith is a race that evolved from a bug called iratus. They are basically feeding on humans. Their digestive systems don't work; they live by sucking life out of people. That's what the cut on their palms are for.' Sam explained, disgusted by even the thought of it.
'That's not cool.' Cameron expressed his opinion.
'Cool or not, this thing has the same cut as they have.' Sam said seriously.
'Which means?' Jack urged Sam.
'I'm not sure, sir. I have no idea why it's there on this creature or how it's got there but I have a bad feeling about this.'
'Vala!' Daniel suddenly said realizing how big danger she might have been in.
'Easy, Danny.' Jack told him when he saw what Daniel was about to do.
'We gotta go after her!' Daniel insisted.
'Re-in-force-ments!' Jack told him emphasizing every syllable.
He put a hand on Daniel's shoulder to make him understand waiting was the right thing to do.
'But Jack, General Landry said five hours. Since then passed what, thirty minutes?' Daniel asked controlled by anger.
'Daniel! If you went in there right now you wouldn't stand a chance. We wouldn't stand a chance together, all five of us, for god's sake.' Jack argued.
The others were just listening but their looks told Daniel too that Jack was right.
'So we wait.' Daniel said to himself not really liking the idea.
'Yes, we wait.' Jack agreed. 'Carter, you stay here study this…thing. I'm going to have a beer.' Jack said and with that he headed back to the house.
The anger in Daniel's eyes hadn't faded. He wanted to go, but he knew he would certainly be killed or captured as was Vala.
'Daniel Jackson, I know what you are feeling but understand this. I have seen what the Wraith are capable of. I know how dangerous they are.' Teal'c tried to make Daniel understand.
Daniel didn't reply, he just turned around and slowly started to walk back to the house.
'He's gonna be fine.' Sam told Teal'c and Mitchell who both were concerned about Daniel.
The two men nodded but didn't say anything.
'I'm gonna study this now so if you don't want to stay around watching what you probably don't care of, I think you should go back get yourselves occupied.' Sam said pointing at the dead wolf-Wraith hybrid.
'Yeah.' Cameron said silently and nodded in the direction of the house for Teal'c to go.
A minute later Sam was alone with a dead beast lying at her feet. 'Let's get started.' She said to herself and kneeled down to take a closer look at their friend.
oOo
Jack was quite edgy when Daniel had made his eleventh round in the room. He was just walking around without talking, always looking at the floor in front of him.
'Would you please stop?' Jack asked silently but with an edge in his voice.
'I'm sorry, I'm just nervous.' Daniel replied and stopped.
'Carter could be here any moment telling us whatever she had learned about this Wraithish wolf.' Jack said, as if that would make Daniel stop being nervous.
'Jack, what would you do if you were in my place?'
Jack wanted to tell Daniel that he had already gone through situations like that. Countless times Carter had gone missing and he had felt the same way Daniel felt now. But knowing it would expose his feelings, he just stayed quiet.
Jack was right. After a minute of silence the door opened and Sam entered the house. She joined the others in the living room.
'I have good news.' She started off. 'The feeding organ of this wolf doesn't work. They still feed by eating through their mouths.'
'Okay. Did you find out anything else?' Cameron asked. He wasn't sure if being eaten instead of having your life-force sucked out was good news.
'With my bare hands? You should be proud of me that I could learn this.' Sam said a bit angry but mostly offended.
'Oh, we're proud.' Jack interrupted. He didn't want the conversation to evolve to any higher level. That wouldn't do much good.
'So, what do we do now, general?' Cameron asked.
'Want another match?' Jack asked Cameron and nodded towards the chess board.
~TBC