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 Six: by Jmas

Makepeace was waiting for Jack at the door to his office. Jack was already fuming at Hammond’s refusal to do anything more until the Tok’ra could come up with more information for them…a decision that had not set well with Jack, his team or Makepeace. Jack felt a similar anger stewing in his Marine counterpart and waved his hand to invite the man inside. Once inside Makepeace took a seat at Jack’s desk, draping his weary frame across the back of the chair. Jack reached into his lower desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of very fine Kentucky whiskey and poured them both a healthy shot. Jack saluted the other colonel with his glass, offering in the gesture a mute apology and gratitude for the man’s steady support. Jack was well aware of how close he had come to losing it…on the planet and in the meeting they had both just stormed away from.

Makepeace accepted the gesture with a caustic comment on command decisions. "I guess the old man thinks he’s doing the right thing on this…"

Jack nodded, catching a note in Makepeace’s voice that he couldn’t quite identify.

Makepeace scrubbed his tired face with one hand and Jack realized the guy hadn’t had any more sleep than he had since Daniel had disappeared. "Robert, why don’t you go hit the sack. Maybe the Tok’ra can come up with something by morning.

Makepeace looked up with a scowl on his face. "You gonna sit around and wait for them, O’Neill? God knows what’s happening to the kid out there…"

Makepeace shot to his feet, upsetting the chair as he started pacing the small office. Jack knew it wasn’t just that Makepeace felt responsible for losing Daniel…Makepeace was genuinely worried about Daniel.

"Hey, Robert…take it easy. I want to go after him as much as you do…"

Makepeace turned quickly. "Then why don’t we? We know where he is now…or at least where he will be."

Jack shook his head in frustration. "Yeah…At a System Lord Convention on an airless planet."

Makepeace shook his head. "C’mon, Jack…you gonna let little details hold you back? The longer we sit here with our thumbs up our asses, the further away our chances of catching up to Daniel get. There’s got to be somebody out there that owes you a favor...Somebody with a ship that could get us to Torvahn….?"

Jack felt a surge of wild hope, not missing Makepeace’s us, then shaking his head. "Robert…You know how much I want to go after Daniel, but this… Hammond’ll bust us both back down to privates."

Makepeace grinned, his eyes deadly serious. "It’ll be worth it if we can get him back."

Jack put his head in his hands, trying to think beyond the images that Jake and Martouf’s words had placed there. Jack knew how much he owed Daniel…more than Daniel would ever realize. There wasn’t much that Jack wouldn’t do for his best friend and teammate. He owed Daniel…

"Are you sure, Robert?"

Makepeace took a deep breath, his eyes turning inward for a long moment before looking up. "I’m sure, Jack. Are you?"

Jack didn’t want to think anymore. "Let’s go get Teal’c and Carter."

Daniel realized what the shuddering whine the Teltac was making had to mean…they were landing. Daniel could hear Cantor Boch moving around outside the cell and braced himself for his captor’s return. Daniel had done a lot of thinking on the long flight. Whatever Boch had in mind, he was not going to get much cooperation from Daniel. Daniel had been fighting down a deep anger for the past few hours…he was really getting sick and tired of playing the universal victim in these little encounters. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to do, but he’d made up his mind that he had to take any opportunity that presented itself.

Jack didn’t have any way of knowing where he was…he couldn’t count on rescue from the SGC or the Tok’ra. He knew Jack would move heaven and Earth, and probably a few other planets, to find him, but Daniel realized that he couldn’t bet his life on the distant hope that Jack would find him. There was also the larger concern in his mind that somehow this mysterious someone with the big bucks might know that Daniel could lead them to the Harseisis child…not to mention that Daniel knew many of Earth’s weaknesses. There was just too much at stake for Daniel to risk himself falling into the wrong hands.

Boch opened the door at last, smiling coldly. "Well, Dr. Jackson, plot your escape yet?"

Daniel remained silent, trying to hold his anger in place as a shield against the fear that Boch’s blithe attitude instilled. The man seemed so heartless, could he really be so different from his cousin?

Boch smiled again. "You might as well know…I’ve decided to go freelance on this one. My sources tell me you’re worth a lot more than the original contract would have paid."

Daniel looked at Boch, wondering where this was leading.

"There’s a lot of demand for the famous Dr. Daniel Jackson of Earth. The System Lords are eager to get their hands on you…in more ways than one it seems." Daniel felt his blood chill at Boch’s leering grin….he knew that Boch meant that last statement exactly the way it sounded. "You’re a popular guy, Doc. You making a career out of pissing off the Goa’uld?"

Daniel let his anger get the better of him for a moment. "Well, everybody needs an ambition…"

Boch laughed genuinely. "You’re all right, kid. Too bad I really have to score big…and soon…I’d be tempted to keep you around for awhile."

Daniel latched on to that small piece of information. "Score? Roshna?"

Boch seemed surprised that Daniel knew about the drug that Sokar had addicted his people to for centuries, ensuring their loyalty through genetic dependency on his drug. "Sounds like cuz has a big mouth, but yeah…Kinda like Aris, I’m an independent contractor…since Sokar’s dead we all are. Without a steady supply, we die. Simple math…I can keep my people going for a long time with what I get for you."

Daniel felt a small glimmer of hope at the bounty hunter’s words. If Boch cared about his people, perhaps….

"Don’t go there, Doc, " Boch warned. "We’re what’s left of a race Sokar nearly destroyed. We help each other stay alive, simple fact. But there’s not a one of us who wouldn’t trade his mother for the next dose of Roshna…never forget that. "

Daniel swore to himself that he wouldn’t forget that. The information might prove useful later on. "So where are we now?"

"Little Goa’uld hangout called Torvahn. You are the featured attraction at tomorrow night’s System Lord auction."

Daniel couldn’t believe his ears. "Auction? As in highest bidder…?"

"Takes home the Tau’ri pain in the neck, " Boch nodded. "Yep, that’s how it goes."

"You can’t just…" Daniel started forward, outraged at what he was hearing. Boch swung a fist into his stomach, sending Daniel to his knees.

Boch’s cold voice penetrated the painful fog of Daniel’s brain. "I can and I will, Doc. You’re property now. Better start getting used to it."

Something soft landed on Daniel’s arm as he fought his way past the pain.

"Put that stuff on and get some sleep, Doc." Boch’s voice sounded a little less cold. "Tomorrow’s going to be a busy… and hopefully quite profitable…day."

Sam wasn’t happy about pumping her father for information. She was pretty sure that Jake Carter had figured out a long time ago how to tell when his daughter was being less than truthful. Sam flashed on a long ago memory of being caught coming in late from a supposed study date; she’d been grounded for a month, not for being late, but for lying to her father. Even at her age, it was still a difficult thing not to be totally open with her father.

She finally realized that Jacob knew. He knew the purpose behind her seemingly unrelated…and not too subtle…questions. He seemed to make a decision, providing more information than what she’d asked…anticipating her needs. Within an hour, she knew where they needed to go for help to find Daniel.

Sam looked at her father for a long time before leaving him. Jacob looked deeply into her eyes before opening his arms, inviting her into his embrace. Sam leaned against him, trying to express so much without using words that might implicate him later in what they had planned.

She kissed his cheek, slowly detaching herself from the comforting presence. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered.

Jacob’s arms tightened briefly before finally letting her go and meeting her glance with tear-filled eyes. "Just be careful, Sam."

Sam felt the moisture in her own eyes as she nodded. "Hey, I learned from the best."

As Sam walked back to Colonel O’Neill’s office her heart lightened…She knew where they needed to go now. She knew where they could find Aris Boch.

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