Title: No Quarter 2/?
Author: KellethMetheus
Spoilers: none

Rating: PG

Category: Gen, Mystery, Whomp not just sure what else.
Summary: Darkness with no sanctuary.
Disclaimer: Not mine and I'll put them back when the Muse runs out, maybe.
Warnings: none

Beta thanks to purpleshrub

~0oOo0~

A few hours earlier...

Crowded corridors don't usually bother me, but today everyone seems to be walking impossibly slow. The harsh florescent lights on the dull grey walls make my headache flare up from a dull ache into a piercing pain. I try to sidestep around a group of chatty airmen, but at the last moment one drifts in front of me, and I have to stop suddenly.

Scowling at the curly black hair covering her back, I bite my tongue to stop the words threatening to flow out of my mouth. Stepping around her, I pick up my pace to make up for lost time. I'm nearly to the briefing room when someone bumps into me, knocking me off step.

A dark rage flows over me; I throw him off, snarling, "Watch where you're going!" And I shove him into the wall hard before stalking off. Yet as quickly as it came my anger dissipates, and I walk away trying to figure out what happened and why. The airman had just bumped into me, no harm done. Finally, I shake it off and continued to the briefing room, the incident forgotten.

A few moments later, I rush into the room and fall into a chair beside Jack; he arches an eyebrow at my lateness, but I ignore him.

Daniel is already presenting his report on PXY-something or other. I try hard to listen but only bits and piece filter through. "Perfectly preserved library" "a chance to understand" "We'll learn a lot from…." Although I try, I just can't bring myself to care what he's talking about.

Jack clears his throat and everything stops. I can feel all the eyes in the room on me. Turning my head, I look at Jack, unsure what's going on. He nods to my hand. It takes me a few moments to realize I'm tapping my pencil. Smiling sheepishly, I mumble an apology as I put down the offending object feeling self conscious. I nod for Daniel to continue.

There's another moment of silence before Daniel starts again. I labor to make myself pay attention, but I find my gaze drifting to Jack's profile. Turing away I don't allow myself to linger there, it's too dangerous.

Moving on I find myself studying Teal'c. How does he find the strength to go on? He has lost so much, but lurking under that shell is an optimist. Could I really be like that after going through the same things? He lost not only his wife but the girl he'd loved from his youth and his home. I can't help but want to be like him. I'm moving on to study General Hammond when I see the first ghost.

It stands right there behind the General. I can see pieces of the skull and brain where the head had been smashed right above the eye. Most of his beard had been sheered away by the impact against the iris, in its hand is a bible. It stares right at me; red eyes full of hate.

I can't stop his name from falling off my lips, "Jonas Hanson," as I jerk my gaze away and then turn back, to find it gone.

Sighing, I wonder what's wrong with me? Scratching my arm, I struggle to figure out a way to get to the itch in the middle of my back. It's then I become aware of the end of Daniel's lecture.

"Major Carter, are you all right?" General Hammond asks kindly, but there's a thread of annoyance in his voice.

I fight to stay still as a spot on my back gets itchier. Did I look all right? "Yes, sir, I'm just peachy. I'm tired. I work hard to get my job done and I should be allowed to be a little-." I stop as I realize my words are edging toward insubordination.

The General's eyes go wide, but he says nothing for a moment. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off then. You've been working hard this past week, if the walls and benches of your lab are any indication. You're not scheduled to leave until tomorrow morning, so get some rest." He swivels his chair to look at the rest of the team. "All of you have a little bit of downtime until tomorrow morning at 0800." Looking back at me, he points his finger. "That means you're to leave the base, Major Carter. That's an order." His voice is soft but it carries the weight authority.

I open my mouth to argue when I see Jonas Hanson's rotting form standing right beside me and his fingers reach out to brush my cheek. I scramble away from him knocking over my chair as I stifle a scream.

Jonas Hanson follows me moving silently across the room, this time Martouf and Elliot are at his side. All specters point accusing fingers at me. I'm able to hold myself together until Lantash slithers out of Elliot's mouth leaping at me.

This time I can't to stop the scream. I shove an empty chair in their direction and run, all the while still screaming.

~0oOo0~

I hate what I had to do but it was for both of us. Now I just have to wait and watch. When the time comes I'll get her out of here.

"How is the project progressing? Has she revealed the location of the device yet?"

"She was resistant to the drug at first but now she is fully addicted. I have stopped the doses and she's deep in the withdrawals now. We should have the information you want soon."

I flinch as he seizes my throat in a crushing grip. "Make sure she doesn't die. We need that information and only she can provide it, unless you know something."

Ashamed at the fear in my voice, I explain, "I will over see Carter personally and keep an eye on her. She will live long enough to tell you what you need to know and then...?" I shrug.

His grip loosened slightly and I breathe deeply as he speaks. "Fine, now return to your tasks."

He releases me and I fall to my knees. "This is the end, my debt to you is paid after this. I infiltrated the SGC and I will get you the information you seek. Carter will break, just give it a few more days."

He sneers at me. "You debt will be paid only when, I say it is."

I want to protest but I know when I'm beaten. I bite my tongue, and dart away into the night knowing that time is running out for the both of us.

I have two more chapters of this story posted on my personal website. To find it just Google my penname. You can also follow me on facebook (you want my page not my profile(I created that and have no idea how to get rid of it, I never use it) to get updates other than here. (When I post a new story I post it there two-three weeks before I post here.) There used to be a link on my profile but it seems to have disappeared. This site won't let you post outside links in the story that's why the address isn't here.

Thank you for reading and I hope you come back again. :0)

Also I have now published my second work of original fiction on kindle. It's a novella called Red Colony: Odyssey. If you search for my real name, Kelli Bullock on amazon you'll find it and my first novella.