DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions.  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.  Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).

Part Nine: by PHO

The room was dark, very dark. Daniel stumbled and would have gone down had not Cantor Boch's tight grip on the chain prevented any motion. Daniel could feel the alien's tremors through his chains. What the heck did he have to be nervous about? Or maybe it was anticipation, nine thousand eight hundred and fifty-two sheshka was a king's ransom. Or maybe a Goa'uld's... 'Stop it Daniel!' The frightened young man spoke harshly to himself. 'Jack will find me. He won't let it end like this. He promised.' Clinging tightly to the promise of the whistle, Daniel tried to relax. The room slowly began to be bathed in a low glow, rising to an almost blinding iridescence and Daniel blinked madly in an desperate attempt to see.

Cantor Boch was nervous, very nervous. And it wasn't just the large profit he'd turned. Both Bochs had been around for quite some time, drifting in and out of favor with various System Lords. Between the two of them, Cantor had believed he knew the names of all of the ones with money. Until today. The winning bidder was an unknown quantity, and while not getting his money had never occurred to him, getting out of Torvahn alive definitely had.

The room slowly began to be bathed in a low glow, rising to an almost blinding iridescence. Boch fought down an urge to run; his feet seemed almost part of the floor. A deep voice broke the unnerving silence. "Bring him forward, to the center of the room."

"Yes, yes, indeed." Cantor licked his lips and tugged on Daniel's chains. True to form Daniel resisted, but to no avail. Boch was much more muscular than the young scientist, and had at least a seventy-five pound advantage. Daniel soon found himself in the center of the room.

"Release him."

Cantor frowned, but quickly complied. Daniel rubbed his wrists gingerly as he glared at the man. A movement off to one side of the room attracted his attention and Daniel turned slightly toward it. Boch whirled to face the receiver. A robed, hooded figure approached, but neither seller nor goods could catch a glimpse of the face. A hand emerged from wide sleeves reaching out to touch Daniel's face, and the young man reflexively shied away from the touch. The hand moved quickly to capture his chin. Daniel's head was held fast in a brutal grip. He gasped in pain as the grip on his chin tightened. The menacing voice came from inside the hood. "Lesson one. You are now property. My property. You will service me to the best of your ability or suffer the consequences. Do you understand?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "I understand." /you sorry, son of .../

"Excellent." With the ease born of years of domination, the buyer smoothly pulled something from within his robes and before either Cantor or Daniel could blink, fastened it securely around Daniel's neck. Involuntarily, Daniel reached up to touch a cold metal ring. Ignoring his purchase, the hooded figure pressed a button on his wristband, causing a transaction chit to appear holographically in front of Boch. Nervously Boch read the terms of the agreement, then affixed his own holographic seal. The seal's impression imbedded itself three dimensionally through the document. A mechanical sounding voice announced, in Goa'uld, the sealing of the transaction to the entire complex.

"What do you mean we can't leave yet?" Jack's voice was low, but threatening as his hands pleaded to wrap themselves around Aris Boch's short, thick neck.

Boch leaned unconcerned against the wall of their buyer's chamber. The door wasn't exactly locked but a quick word from the guard had apprised him of his mistake. "Let's just say that things have changed a little since I last attended one of these things. Until the money changes hands and the transaction is registered, no one leaves. At least not alive."

"Oh, for crying out loud." O'Neill's voice was a little too loud.

Carter winced as she recognized the impatience in his tone. An impatient Jack O'Neill was a careless Jack O'Neill. She hadn't seen that side of him often, but the few times she had ... "Aris, what happens if the deal falls through."

The man shrugged. "The 'buyer' is executed on the spot, and the merchandise is returned to the floor for rebid."

"Maybe we should hope for that." Carter asked hopefully.

Aris should his head. "It would not help us. The bidding starts where the 'buyer' left it."

"That doesn't make sense." Makepeace put in his two cents worth. "The dead buyer was the highest bidder."

"Communication with financial institutions is permitted, and even encouraged between 'rounds'." Aris replied. "By the time a transaction has failed, and retribution delivered, the bidders have more than accumulated enough to up the ante."

"Ya think?"

A heavy metallic 'voice' interrupted their discussion. They instinctively looked at center court, and the hated pole as the voice increased in volume. Teal'c frowned as he translated. "The bargain has been sealed. Item number 1032 has been purchased by..." Teal'c's head cocked in confusion. "Lo'wn of Delmak."

Jack's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God!"

Carter also gasped as she spoke. "Sir, he's got to be working for either Apophis or Sokar, whoever he is. Daniel's in deep this time."

"It's Apophis." Jack spoke quietly.

"It could be either..."

Jack just shook his head. "No, I don't know why, but I know its Apophis. Why can't that asshole just stay dead?"

Cantor Boch tried to edge away from the hooded figure as the bargain was sealed, but suddenly felt as if he was frozen in place. The hooded figure laughed, an absurdly sad sound in Boch's mind, then spoke softly. "You are free to go."

The trader suddenly realized that it was not his imagination, his feet really had been 'glued' to the floor. Given his leave, the man wasted no time in vacating the premises.

Daniel also had found his feet mysteriously freed. And there was an open door to his left. And his 'owner', even mentally Daniel spat the word, was looking the other way. His feet edged their way toward the opening and freedom while his brain screamed an ignored warning. 'Too easy, too easy, too easy.'

His newly acquired neck ware forgotten, Daniel bolted for the door.

He'd barely gotten five steps away when he collapsed to the floor, hands clutching convulsively at the ring encircling his throat. A pain-filled haze settled over his vision, and somewhere, his mind told him, someone was screaming.

The mood of the Tau'ri was grim as they made their way through the crowds. At Aris Boch's instructions, Jack kept a tight grip on Sam's arm, and gave what he knew was a fearsome look to any that ventured too close to the woman. Boch led the way, the bidding 'couple' following closely behind, with Makepeace and Teal'c bringing up the rear. A low growl alerted Jack to a change in the mood of their escort, but even so, he was not prepared when Aris Boch lunged into a narrow passageway. The four SGC teammates exchanged momentary glances before following the alien. Wheezing sounds attracted their attention, and they slipped unnoticed into a small room. The four stopped dead in their tracks, and Jack wasn't the only one grinning at the sight before them ... Aris Boch holding a struggling, and choking, Cantor Boch high in the air.

Back
Back to Stories Page