Remember, Never to Forget---8
John walked alongside the bigger man once they exited the craft. He'd seen Tyrel, but had been denied the chance to speak with him as the guards had taken the trio away before he'd been released from his seat. He'd heard Hawk speaking with someone in what sounded like gibberish to him before his 'owner' had released him and told him he would not be staying in the slave's quarters. Once outside the ship, he'd moved to stand on equal ground with Hawk and remained there in spite of the warning look he'd been given. He knew he was going to pay for his small show of defiance, but he kept his head high as they walked along the well lit corridor.
John looked around as they walked, searching for some way out of the chambers and wondering where the hell he would go if he did manage to escape. That had never stopped him from looking while he was with Shazzia and he wouldn't let it deter him now.
Hawk could almost read John's mind and knew the desire to escape was there. The man was strong, of mind and body, and he wondered what his background was. Did he even realize he had a natural ability to fly and walked as if he had military training? Was that even possible? Did John have a military background that would lend credence to his flying abilities? That was something he needed to find out because if it was true, then John could be worth a lot of Shoclaws to the right people. Not that he would sell him, but it would mean he would have to protect his investment from anyone who would try to take his prized possession.
Hawk wondered why he wanted to own this man. Why did John remind him so much of himself from the moment he set eyes on him? He smiled at the thought of making John bow his stiff neck and hurried toward his private quarters where he could put his plans into action. Hawk had no doubt that he might just end up being bruised from head to toe, but it would be worth the price once he had John on his knees and acknowledging the natural order of things.
John stopped when Hawk reached out to touch a console on an empty wall and pressed several buttons until an opening appeared beside it. There'd been no sign of an entrance before Hawk had keyed in a series of symbols and John was amazed at the technology that must have been used to make this place. He stepped into a darkened chamber, blinking rapidly when bright lights illuminated the spacious room. The walls were bare except for several hooks where clothing hung. There was a wooden bench on one side and two doors on his right.
"Come, John, let me show you around our home for the next week or so," Hawk ordered, using another panel to enter a series of symbols that would lock them inside. He reached for the handle on the first door and pushed it open. "This is our living quarters. There is a fully stocked kitchen with enough food and supplies to last for several months. Fresh water is piped in from a spring several levels below us. We have a well equipped med lab of our own and I have made several discoveries that I have yet to share with others."
"This place seems big for one person," John offered as he looked around the new room. There was a dark sofa and chair that looked as if they'd never been used. The leather-like material shone as the lights came on, revealing a coffee and two end tables made of heavy wood. A lamp, intricately designed with carvings of the creatures John had seen during their flight was set on each table. There were several wooden sculptures of animals and people on shelves set against two walls. John was impressed by the decidedly male details in the main room.
"It is bigger than you know, and when we enter the inner chamber you and I are going to have that talk I promised," Hawk warned and reached for the buttons on another console. "This is my own private inner sanctuary and no one enters without my permission. I like my privacy, John, and I want complete privacy for our talk."
"You make it sound as if we're going to a church social and going to discuss our date for the prom," John snapped.
"I assure you it will be nothing like that and once we have established the ground rules of your captivity then life will be a lot easier for you…"
"You mean once I bow down to you…it won't happen," John told him.
"Don't be so sure, John," Hawn warned. "You see I have had years of experience with training my slaves and making them bow their stiff necks once they realize I am the true Alpha."
"Don't bet on it…"
"We shall see, John," Hawk said and lunged for the man, pleasantly surprised by his captive's quick reactions.
John had been expecting the move and ducked below the arms that reached for him. He turned and lashed out with his leg, catching his nemesis before he had a chance to recover and striking him behind the knee.
"Not bad," Hawk said and turned with and amused smile. "This is going to be a painful lesson for you, John."
"Bring it on," John said, a cocky grin on his face. He knew there was no way in hell he could win against Hawk, but there was also no way in hell he would ever back down. He ducked beneath the man's fist, but didn't quite make it as the knuckles connected with the side of his head and sent him staggering across the room. He quickly recovered and managed to get in several quick jabs to Hawk's abdomen before being forced backward as a flurry of fists struck him in quick succession.
Hawk watched for any weakness, but it seemed that there was more to John than he'd realized. The man was quick on his feet and even after taking several blows, he was able to move. Hawk jabbed with his right and backed it up with his left, but John ducked out of the way and swept his right leg out. The move succeeded in putting him off balance and John move in with a blow to Hawk's head that sent him sprawling over a piece of furniture, but he quickly recovered and got to his knees as John moved in.
John used his foot to kick at Hawks exposed ribs, but the man stood up easily and lashed out with his left foot, connecting solidly with the side of John's knee. He gritted his teeth as the bone jarring hit sent tremors through his right leg, but fought to stay on his feet and out of Hawk's reach. He managed to stay on his feet and elude the beefy hands that reached for him, and wondered how much longer he could postpone the inevitable.
"I'm beginning to believe there is more to you than meets the eye," Hawk said, a simple nod of his head acknowledging his words before he renewed his attack. He reached for his captive, but John managed to move just beyond his reach and kept the sofa between them. "You will lose, John…it is only a matter of time."
"According to you…" John whispered breathlessly with his hands on his knees. "We have all the time in the world."
"That we do…so why don't we get on with the lessen?" Hawk said and dove over the couch. His body slammed into the smaller man, driving him backward against the shelves. He heard John's wheezing breath and thought the fight was done, but this man would not give up so easily.
John felt the air forced from his lungs and tried to breathe, but Hawk's weight was pressing him to the floor. He silently cursed and drew on whatever instincts seemed to be working and brought his left knee up into his foe's groin. It connected with enough force that John saw the pain in the man's face before he pushed Hawk off. He stood up and tried to move away, but his nemesis was having nothing to do with it and latched onto his right ankle. John kicked out, connecting solidly with Hawk's wrist, but the man did not release him. He grabbed hold of the shelf and lifted his foot, bringing it down toward the big man's exposed throat, but Hawk reacted and moved so that it was only a glancing blow that removed several layers of skin. John managed to pull his leg away and stumbled when Hawk twisted his body and kicked him in the lower back.
John managed to stay on his feet and turned just as Hawk climbed to his feet. He stared into the obsidian eyes that seemed to liquify as a smile formed on Hawk's face. John swore he could feel the bruises forming on his body, but he knew this was only the beginning as Hawk lunged for him again. They traded blows back and forth, moving through the open door and into the deeper labyrinth of Hawk's private chambers. The lights flickered and finally came on, but John didn't have time to look around as Hawk renewed his attack. A fist struck him in the right side and he could have sworn he heard a rib break, but had no time to dwell on it as he lifted his left arm to block a similar blow from connecting with his left side.
John swore he could hear thunder, but realized it was his own heart pounding in his chest and the throbbing pain in his skull. He blinked several times, and tasted blood in his mouth as Hawk slowly circled him like a tiger getting ready to pounce. He followed the man's every move, mirroring each shift of a well muscled leg, hoping to keep the pain at bay. A smile formed as he noted the way Hawk favored his groin and he lifted his head defiantly.
"You are worthy, John…"
"Worthy of what?"
"Worthy of becoming my prized possession…"
"I told you no one owns me," John spat, turning and spitting a mixture of blood and spittle on the floor.
"You did and I believe my answer was that I would show you not only do I own you, but it is my right as…"
"Alpha…I heard you…but that doesn't make it true," John told him, wondering how much longer he could stand against this man and vowing that he would fight with his dying breath if he needed to. This time he attacked before Hawk could set himself and used his upper body strength to drive Hawk backward over a piece of covered furniture. Hawk went down hard and grunted as he stood up, but there was no mistaking the intense anger in his obsidian eyes as he jumped over the desk and grabbed John, pulling him into a bear hug.
John realized Hawk had been toying with him as the arms tightened across his chest, pinning him against his enemy and cutting off his air supply. John struggled weakly, feeling the crushing pressure on his ribs as darkness gathered around him. He barely heard Hawk's taunting words, but they trickled through the pounding in his head until he realized he was close to blacking out.
"Do you submit, John?"
"N…no," John whispered and let his head drop forward as a sign that he was weakening. He felt the man's hold relaxing, and smiled as he snapped his head back. He heard the gasp of pain and felt the arms loosen even as he drove his foot into the bigger man's right knee. He hit the floor hard, landing on his hands and knees, and turning so that he faced his captor.
"You surprise me, John," Hawk said, wiping the blood flowing from his nose. "I admire a man who knows how to fight and you certainly have had some training to know how to get out of that hold."
"Maybe I did," John said with a grin as they circled each other in a predatory stance. "Or else you're not as good as you thought you were."
"Oh, now that is funny, John…I believe it's time to stop playing games…"
"This was a game?" John asked incredulously.
"Of course…a game that will end in your defeat…"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" John spat.
"You don't, John, and that's the mistake you made in all of this!" Hawk said and delivered a devastating blow to his captive right side.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Suduko expertly landed the craft and turned to his passengers. "Now, we have yet to talk about the cost of your passage back to the marketplace."
"You have got to be kidding?" McKay snapped.
"I assure you I do not kid, Dr. McKay," Suduko said with a grin. "Major Lorne negotiated a one way ride and now it is time to talk about the trip home."
"Suduko, you should remember we have yet to pay you the full amount for the first part of the journey," Teyla said and saw the man's face drop. "I'm sure we can negotiate a fair price so that you are paid and we have a safe journey back."
"I could simply keep what you gave me and leave you here…Dr. McKay has insulted my vessel…"
"Oh for God's sake…it's a piece of…"
"Rodney, be quiet," Teyla warned and returned her attention to Suduko, smiling as she stood toe to toe with the big man. "You came here because of us and I can assure you there are plenty more Shoclaws…and it would be easy to hire another pilot."
"Teyla, do you have a man?"
"No, Suduko, and right now I am not looking for one," Teyla told him.
"Too bad…you and I could make a killing if we pooled our resources," Suduko said. "All right, my friends, we meet back here in one complete cycle or you'll be searching for another way home."
"Leave without us and you'll be saying goodbye to those extra Shoclaws," Teyla warned.
"You're a menace, Teyla Emmagan…"
"Yes, she is, and we're glad she's on our side," Rodney said with a grin.
"Thank you…I think," Teyla said as they exited the space craft. She looked at the mountains rising high into the clowns and wondered if these people realized how lucky they were to have the stones provide them with both heat and light. It also appeared to have a wondrous affect on the plant life and many varieties of trees seemed to grow in abundance. She recognized many of the fruit bearing trees and reached out to pick one off a low branch.
"What is that Teyla?" Lorne asked.
"These are Litchin fruit. They are very rare and grown only at certain temperatures and only in the right environment," Teyla explained. "They taste a little like those apples you and John…I'm sorry, Rodney, I did not mean…"
"It's okay, Teyla," McKay told her, examining the fruit she passed him. It looked more like a kiwi fruit with the fuzz, but it was nearly twice the size of those grown in New Zealand. "How do you eat these?"
"They are out through a cleaning process to remove the out layer and then you eat them much the same way you eat apples, but they must be properly cleaned or you could wind up with…let's just say you won't want to eat another one for a long time," Teyla explained as the team headed toward the buildings in the distance.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Drakar stared at the group of people headed toward the retreat and silently cursed them for showing up just when things were looking up for him. He knew there was no way he could avoid them and stepped out into the street with his hands held out in front of him. "Major Lorne, I was not expecting to see you so soon."
"We thought we'd make sure you were searching for our friend," Lorne told him.
"I told you it would take time to find out if it was him," Drakar snapped.
"Maybe you did, but we figured it would go a lot faster if we checked into it ourselves," Ronan warned, glaring at the merchant.
"You don't trust me?"
"Let me answer that," McKay said and stood beside the big Satedan. "No, we don't trust you for a minute!"
"I should kill you for that!" Drakar said, reaching for the Canadian, but finding his way blocked by Ronan Dex.
"Touch him and I will tear you apart!"
"I didn't mean…I wouldn't…I just don't think you realize how dangerous it is here. There are people who would slit your throat just for the weapons you carry," Drakar told them.
"We can take care of ourselves," Lorne assured him.
"I'm sure you think you can, but you don't know these people the way I do. If you question them they will get angry and…"
"What if we were to offer them the Shoclaws that were promised to you? Do you think they'd cooperate then?" Teyla asked.
"You don't want to make an enemy of me…I have contacts and I can make sure you get nothing no matter how many Shoclaws you offer. Go wait for me at your ship and I will find you when I have what you need!"
"Thanks, but no thanks…we're here and we'll conduct our own investigation into John's disappearance," McKay spat and watched the shoulders slump.
"Look," Drakar said, looking at the newcomers as he spoke. "I was trying to get as many Shoclaws as I could, but I can't let you people endanger yourselves because of my greed. The man you thought was your friend is dead…he died in an explosion two days ago. It is hard for the high priestess to talk about him because he was a favorite of hers. I tell you this because as military people you are in danger should the High Priestess decide she wants to enslave you."
"We can handle ourselves," Dex told him.
"I'm sure you can, but the High Priestess has an army at her disposal…I would hate to see something happen to you simply because you did not believe me….how did you get here anyway?"
"I brought them, Drakar, and I know they have more sense than to believe anything you say. Stay with me, Teyla, and your people will be safe," Suduko told them.
"You brought outsiders to the retreat…you could be banned from…"
"Drakar, it's time you realized there is no way to ban me since I have an interest in the stones and can easily turn them cold should I so desire," Suduko said with a grin as he motioned for the others to follow him. "He is an idiot who thinks he is important. High Priestess Shazzia has many acquaintances here, but she is not well liked amongst the people who live in the retreat."
"But of course…you see I know the secret of the stones…come, we will stay at my home and rest for the night and tomorrow I will accompany you as you speak with the people," Suduko said and motioned for them to follow him.
"Does he remind anyone else of Lucius Lavin?" McKay asked softly and heard a guttural agreement from Ronan Dex.
SGASGASGASGASGA
John wasn't sure how he stayed on his feet as long as he did, but there was no way in hell he could stand if his life depended on it. His ribs were broken, how many he wasn't sure, but right now it felt like every single one was mangled beyond recognition. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding; his right wrist was twisted at an impossible angle, while blood streamed from several deep wounds to his face. His right knee was misshapen and his leg could no longer hold his weight, yet John would not bow his head to this man. Pain raced along nerve endings until they felt raw and jagged as he hauled his body up with the help of the black leather-like sofa. How they'd managed to wind up in here he could not fathom, but at least it gave him a chance to stand.
Hawk watched as John's face as he tried to get back on his feet and knew this man was battered, but far from beaten when the dark head came up and the eyes focused on him. Admiration was a word he seldom used where his possessions were concerned, but in this case it seemed warranted. The man was proud, too proud to bow down even when faced with such complete and utter defeat at the hands of a master. There was no doubt in his mind that John was physically defeated, his body battered and broken, but his defiant spirit remained and Hawk wondered if he really wanted his captive to bow down to him. Perhaps he had finally found his equal and breaking him would be too much like breaking himself.
"Come, John, it is time to tend your injuries…"
"I'd rather h…have Car…Carson…"
"Who is Carson?" Hawk asked and watched the man's face closely.
"Carson…a friend…I think," John managed and stood up, leaning heavily on the arm of the couch when his leg threatened to give out. "I don't know…I wish I…I did."
"If he is a friend then you had better hope he doesn't come looking for you, John."
"Why?"
"Because I will kill to protect my property," Hawk said and moved so fast that John had no chance to react. He scooped the smaller man into his arms and carried him deeper into the inner chambers.
John struggled, but it was useless as Hawk carried him through the rooms and finally eased him onto a soft bed. His body hurt more than he thought possible and he wondered whether he'd suffered internal injuries that could easily kill him. He looked up as Hawk returned holding several items and placed them on the table beside the bed.
"Now, why don't we get you taken care of," Hawk suggested and began removing what was left of his captive's clothing.
"I can do it," John told him, hating the weak quality of his voice as he tried to sit up. It should have been impossible, but he managed and lifted his head to look at his captor. The look brought a smile to Hawk's face and John silently cursed as he tried to removed the clothing, but injured ribs and pain made it impossible to lift his arms.
"This should help," Hawk told him and readied a syringe.
"What is it?" John asked, trying unsuccessfully to move away.
"It is something I had developed through the years and will help ease the pain…"
"Take m…more than t…that," John stammered as the needle slipped into a vein on his forearm.
"Actually, you will be surprised at how fast this works. Once it takes effect I will set your wrist and check your ribs and knee," Hawk advised.
John felt a lessening of the pain as his eyelids grew heavy. He could hear Hawk speaking, explaining what he was doing, but the man's face had been replaced by one that held a sympathetic gaze and a promise of a lifetime. 'Carson…' he thought as Hawk's drug pulled him under.
TBC