"Damn it all to hell!" Jack cursed, rubbing his eyes. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"O'Neill", Teal'c had moved into the room and had opened the container in front of him. He was staring down at it with a frown.
"What is it?" Jack walked over and looked into the metal container. "What the -?"
"I believe this is where he kept the embryos", Teal'c said gently, showing the others the inside of the container. It held three smaller containers with empty slots for more. "It appears as if there are only three of them here."
"Three?" Jack looked down, confused and unsure of what to do. "But there are supposed to be five more. Do you think – did he implant the other two as well?"
"He did not", Saeena's soft voice interrupted the two men, who both turned and looked at her.
"How do you know?" Jack asked.
"There were six to begin with – Ra'mash told me that. I did not know what they were, just that to him they were important. After – after he finished with me he said there were still five remaining."
"Five? But – then where are the others?" Jack frowned at her, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"He took them", Saeena told them. "There were five left – he showed me when he told me I was to have a child. But he came – just before you arrived – and took two of the smaller containers. He was muttering about leaving some, but said he couldn't take them all."
"He was just here?" Jack practically shouted. "Why the hell didn't you tell us?"
"Jack", Daniel said carefully. "She didn't know who we were – and you're scaring her."
"I'm scaring her?" Jack bit back. "I'm the one whose – he stole my – and he already implanted one in her. Daniel, she's carrying -", he stopped, unable to continue.
"I know Jack", Daniel walked over and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "And I'm sorry – but getting mad at her won't help."
"I know, I know", Jack answered, rubbing his face again. He lifted his radio. "Maybe Carter has seen him. We'll have to find him before he makes it to the gate." He clicked his radio and called for Sam. After a moment he frowned and tried again. "Come on Carter – where are you?"
After a few more tries, with no answer, Daniel and then Teal'c tried their radios. "She is not answering O'Neill."
"Crap! Something's happened. Daniel, you stay here with Sa – the girl – and make sure no one takes those things", he pointed to the container with the remaining embryos. "Teal'c and I are going to find out what's happened."
They rushed to where they'd left Sam but it was quickly apparent that she was gone. Teal'c knelt down on the ground and looked at the marks. "She fell", he said, "and then was picked up. She was carried in that direction."
"God – I hope she's okay", Jack answered, swiftly moving in the direction Teal'c had indicated.
"There was no blood. I suspect she was stunned and taken by Ra'mash. He most likely plans to use her as a hostage."
"Great – this day is getting better and better. Let's see if we can get Jacob to locate them." He pulled out the communicator and swiftly contacted Sam's father. Once he had explained the situation a worried sounding Jacob told them he'd see what he could do and would get back to them. "Although it's like looking for a needle Jack. I don't have anything that can locate a specific individual, it will only show me lifeforms, but not who it is."
"I know Jacob, but just look for two people on their own, close to the village."
While waiting for Jacob to get back to them they continued to follow the trail leading away from the point where Sam had been captured. After a few minutes they came to a stream, surrounded on both sides with a wide path of pebbles and small rocks.
"I have lost the trail O'Neill", Teal'c admitted after a few moments. "I expect he entered the stream, but I do not see a trail leaving it on the other side. We may have to follow the stream to find where they exited.
"Damn! Come on Jacob – find them for us!"
But when Jacob got back to them it was to report that he hadn't found any trace of anyone outside the village except the two of them. He told them he would continue to look and would be in touch.
"Where they hell could they be?" Jack muttered, looking around. "How could they just have disappeared?"
The two men searched for what seemed like hours. Jack had contacted Daniel and told him what had happened. "Just look after the woman", he instructed. "We'll check in every hour or sooner if we find them."
"Do you think he had some kind of transport?" Jack asked his companion after he finished talking to Daniel. "Maybe he had a Teltak of his own."
"I do not see how he would have located one here O'Neill", Teal'c told him seriously. "He arrived through the gate so is probably on foot or using a cart like the one we brought."
"Crap – could he have stolen ours?"
"It is possible", Teal'c nodded. "Shall we have Daniel Jackson check and see?"
When Daniel reported back to them a few minutes later it was to tell them that the cart and hamel were still there. All that did was leave the two of them more confused than ever.
They eventually returned to the town, hoping that someone might have an idea where Ra'mash could have gone. As they entered the village the first thing they saw was Daniel running towards them.
"What is it?" Jack asked, a worried frown on his face. "Has something happened?"
"What? Oh –no, no. I just think I may know where he went", Daniel said in a rush.
"Where – and how did you find out?"
"I was talking to some of the locals – okay, and flashing around a few coins – and one of them finally told me that there was an old mine shaft outside of the town. He said he was pretty sure that Ra'mash had gone out there to see it one day."
"If they are in a mine it would be the reason Jacob was unable to detect them", Teal'c informed them.
"Can this guy take us there?"
"For a small fee", Daniel gave a crooked smile "he'd probably sell his mother."
"Well, we don't need his mother, but I'll gladly pay if he'll take us there."
Sam woke up to find her hands bound to her side, which was always distressing. The second discovery, however, was worse. She was naked from the waist down and her hips were elevated with her legs spread wide. She let out a small sound of fear and immediately tried to bring her legs together. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful as she realized her ankles were tied to some kind of restraints.
She heard a laugh at that moment and rolled over as much as she was able, to see Ra'mash – she recognized him from when she'd been kidnapped by him and his partner – grinning at her.
"What are you doing?" she asked, trying not to let the fear sound in her voice.
"Now? Nothing. I have just finished." As he spoke he moved towards her legs, causing her to flinch. She didn't know what had just happened, but she feared the worst. Knowing her life could be in danger made her try and focus on the man in front of her. She could fall apart later.
Sam's eyes showed her distress; the rest of her remained calm. "What did you do to me?" she asked softly, menacingly. She prayed she hadn't been sexually assaulted, although it seemed like it was a likely possibility.
He smiled and patted her stomach gently. "I gave you what every woman wants", the stranger asked.
"What - ? What does that mean?" She suddenly felt as if she was going to vomit and had to take a number of deep breaths before the feeling passed.
Ra'mash began to undo the restraints on her ankles, talking as he did so. "I have given you a child – a perfect child", he laughed. "You are blessed for I implanted the child and you carry the hoktar for our goddess."
Suddenly the bile role in her throat and Sam had to quickly turn to the side as she lost the contents of her stomach. This couldn't be happening to her – not now. She couldn't bear a child – she wasn't ready – she wasn't even in a relationship for God's sake! And the fact that the child was the Colonel's – she couldn't think about that – not now.
She vomited until there was nothing left in her stomach. She continued with dry heaves for a few more seconds until everything finally passed.
While she'd been busy throwing up, Ra'mash had calmly finished untying her ankles. She immediately curled up, pulling her legs together and her knees up into a protective position. She was distressed at the whimpering sounds that seemed to be coming from her throat and tried to stop them, although they continued to sound no matter what she did.
An arm was placed behind her and she was helped into a sitting position. Ra'mash then held a bottle to her lips. After a tentative sip – confirming it was simply water – she took a little in her mouth, swished it around and then spat it out. She then put her lips back on it and drank deeply, until the alien finally pulled the bottle away.
"Enough. You'll make yourself ill again." Setting the bottle down beside him, he reached out and slowly touched her arm. "Do not try and fight me", he told her softly. "I do not want to hurt you for I must keep you safe until the child arrives."
"Why did you do this?" Sam managed to speak, although she still felt sick and panicked.
"I told you – to produce the perfect Hoktar for my lady."
"Hoktar? But – but it's just a normal human child. It's not a hoktar." She hoped she was speaking the truth and that Nirrti hadn't already done something.
"It shall be", he nodded, as if answering himself. "Once the child is born, Nirrti will be able to transform it and make it perfect. She will particularly love the fact that it is a Tauri child."
"How do you know I'm even – that it even took?" Sam wanted to reach down and touch her abdomen, but she was frightened to do so. For some reason she couldn't quite comprehend that this was real. It seemed like something out of a movie – or a nightmare. She couldn't be pregnant – not like this.
"Of course it did", Ra'mash laughed. "I have perfected the technique over many years and I brought my equipment. It is a quick process and it went well. I finished examining you before you returned to consciousness. Everything looks good and in time you will bear a healthy child."
Sam stared at him for a few more minutes and then finally uncurled her legs. "My clothes?" she said, trying to sound calm although she was ready to erupt in hysterics at any moment.
"They are here", Ra'mash picked up the pile of clothes and knelt by Sam. He quickly and efficiently dressed her in her BDU pants. His touch made her want to start vomiting again, but fortunately she held it together. Fortunately his touch was impersonal and, if anything, highly scientific. As soon as he was done, Ra'mash moved away from her. By now she was pretty sure he wasn't interested in her for anything other than the fact that she was a vessel carrying the future hoktar
"We will wait until your friends have left", Ra'mash announced out of the blue, "and then I will return for Saeena and we will all go together through the Chappai."
"Who is Saeena?" Sam asked, although she really wasn't that interested. She simply wanted the Colonel and Teal'c and Daniel to show up and rescue her and then she wanted to figure out what to do about – God, she couldn't even name it in her own brain.
"Saeena is going to be the mother of another hoktar", Ra'mash grinned. "I implanted one of your embryos in her and she too will bear a child for our goddess.
If finding out she had been impregnated had been hard, realizing that another woman was carrying her child was even harder. Hell – what could she do – what would he do? At that moment – more than at any other time in her life – she wished the Colonel was here.
"How do you plan to get off this planet", she finally asked. She looked around and only then realized she hadn't even thought about where they were.
Her first thought was that they were in some kind of cave, but the second glance told her it looked more like a kind of tunnel. She frowned and regarded her surroundings more closely.
"We are in an abandoned naquada mine", Ra'mash told her. "You friends do not know about it and without help they will not find the entrance. Just relax my dear. I will not hurt you – not as long as you carry the hoktar." He gave a grin which, to Sam, seemed like pure evil. She scooted back until her body was resting against the side of the mine and waited.
"It is there", the man with them – Franek – pointed towards a spot about fifty feet ahead of them. He'd agreed to show them the mine entrance, so Jack had followed, with Teal'c while Daniel returned to the house to watch Saeena – and the embryos.
Jack frowned, not seeing anything that looked any different from the surrounding forest. He'd been beginning to wonder if they were being taken on a wild goose chase. Maybe this guy was in the pay of the alien and was leading them away from where he had Sam hid.
He sighed and began to head towards the area the alien had pointed out. He didn't need to say anything to Teal'c who remained quiet and simply followed them.
Once they'd gotten closer Jack saw what he thought Franek was pointing out – what looked like a small wooden frame, which was carefully hidden in behind the thick foliage. He didn't know if it had been hidden intentionally or whether it had simply been time that had acted as the concealer.
The two men – Franek stayed back – moved quietly towards the wooden frame. When Jack, who was first in line, arrived, he carefully pushed back the greenery and suddenly found himself looking at a small doorway. What was very obvious to him – and, he was sure, to Teal'c – was that someone else had been here just recently. He lifted his radio and quickly contacted Jacob and then Daniel to inform them about their location and to tell them of their plans.
After he was finished he put his radio away, turned and made a sign to his teammate and then reached down to unlatch the door.
"They'll find you, you know", Sam said after a few minutes. "My teammates will track you down until they get you and bring you to justice."
Ra'mash shrugged. "My lady will protect me."
"Your lady?" Sam wanted to know.
"Nirrti! My goddess. She will protect me from your friends and she will protect you as long as you carry the child."
"Nirrti's dead", Sam told him flatly. She could instantly see his look of denial so she continued. "When was the last time you heard from her?" she asked. "Has she sent anyone to check on you in the last few years? I tell you – she's dead. I was there and she'd no more – kaput", she made a slashing gesture across her throat. "She's not going to save you."
Ra'mash screamed and lifted his arm, ready to strike the one who would utter such blasphemy. He suddenly stopped and stood, as if frozen with vengeance, unable to complete his punishment of the woman. "You lie", he finally muttered. "I would know if she was dead. She can't be. She cannot die!"
"Uh – I'm afraid she can and she has. I was there and saw her die. One of the men she experimented on strangled her."
"No – no, no, no", he whimpered, keeping his hands over his ears. "It cannot be true. You are lying."
"Why would I lie?" Sam asked, sounding surprised. "But the fact is, I'm not lying. Nirrti's gone and this whole – hoktar – thing is useless. Haven't you been paying attention over the last few years? The System Lords have practically been wiped out and the Goa'uld are a dying race."
Ra'mash groaned and threw himself down, looking like he wanted to cover his ears with his hands and drum his feet on the ground. He didn't, however, and after a few minutes seemed to have recovered. He pushed himself to his feet and stood staring down at Sam. "I was weak and believed your lies for a few moments. My goddess will punish me for those doubts – but now they are gone and I will serve her by bringing you to her. She will be pleased and will reward me for it."
Sam sighed and leaned back, her eyes closed. She wanted to break down and cry, or to throw things. This had been one helluva bad day!
This time she heard the noise, even though she was half asleep. She blinked and sat up a bit straighter, although carefully so as not to alert the sleeping Ra'mash. Someone was coming – and she hoped with everything in her that it was her boys!
Jack and Teal'c walked carefully through the darkened tunnel towards a faint light they saw in the distance. They walked as quickly but as quietly as they could until they neared the end of the corridor. It was then that Jack made a few more signs, Teal'c nodded, and the two of them casually walked into the widened area where the light originated.
It took Jack only a second to find out that Sam was here, that she seemed safe and that their enemy appeared to be sleeping. That last part quickly changed, however, as Ra'mash opened his eyes and looked up at the face of his enemy.
He let out a yelp and tried to get to his feed in record time. At the same time he grabbed for something beside him and lifted it up and pointed at Jack.
Teal'c acted without thought when it became obvious that Ra'mash planned to go down fighting. He lifted his staff weapon and shot it once, hitting the alien square in the chest.
Ra'mash fell, slowly, to the ground, his mouth open in surprise. Why had Nirrti not protected him? Why had the goddess left him for so long? Why – he looked over at the woman as his vision began to grow dark. She had told the truth. Nirrti was dead. Soon after her servant Ra'mash was also dead.
"Are you okay?" Jack rushed up and quickly undid the binding that kept her arms pinned to her side. When Sam didn't answer he looked at her closely. "Carter? You okay?"
"Uh – no", she answered. As the Colonel worked on the ropes she couldn't help but lean forward and rest her head on his chest. If she'd been in her right mind she never would have done this – but why not enjoy it while she could.
Surprised, Jack did the only thing he could thing of – he put his arms around her and simply hugged her to him, her tremors worrying him greatly. "Carter? Sam? Come on – what's wrong? What did that bastard do?"
For a while she didn't speak – only allowing herself to begin to feel safe again. Finally however she pulled back allowing the Colonel to finish untying her. "He – he took me to – he implanted one of the embryos.
Jack's hands stilled and the rest of him froze. He tried to swallow but was having a terrible time doing anything – even breathing. He also didn't seem to be able to finish untying Carter since his fingers had officially all become thumbs. "What?" he finally managed to grind out.
"I'm pregnant – with – our child."