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).
The large oak door creaked badly as it opened into total darkness. The light from the hall was barely sufficient to identify the opening as a stairwell, but the number of steps remained an unknown. Daniel took a deep breath, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be expected to maneuver them in the dark. He barely suppressed a sigh of relief as one of his escorts fumbled for a light switch. But his relief was short-lived as he looked at the seemingly unending line of steps. The light at the top of the stairs did nothing to illuminate the bottom, and Daniel was left with the impression of being escorted into oblivion.
"Move." The single word was accompanied by a brutal shove, upsetting Daniel's balance. The young prisoner couldn't quite suppress a cry of alarm as his foot missed the first step, and he started to fall forward.
"SHIT!" The single word was accompanied by a strong grip on Daniel's arm, pulling the young man backwards, and holding him firmly in place at the top of the stairs. The rescuer turned angrily on his cohort, "STUPID! He gets killed, we get killed. Accident or not."
"Sorry." The other man shrugged as if unconcerned, but Daniel could not help but notice that the grip on his arm was now uncomfortably tight. This time there was no command to move, only a not-so-gentle pressure on his arms, urging him down the steps.
Sam eyed the old journals with dismay, as she and the colonel quickly checked them for dates, trying to isolate the most recent. Even though her head told her they might hold the key to saving Daniel, her heart told her that it was wrong ... wrong ... wrong! These were Daniel's property. They'd belonged to his father! Daniel hadn't even had a chance to read them, for crying out loud. 1968. This wasn't it. She dropped the little book she was holding onto the table, and reached reluctantly for the next book when Jack's grim 'YES!' got her attention. "Sir?"
"This is it, Carter. 1970. Starts about half-way through this one."
"Terrific, sir."
Jack turned quickly to study her face. "Carter..."
"I know, sir."
"I have to..."
"I know, sir. Let's..Let's just ... You have to what, sir?"
"Read the journals first." He silenced her small protest with a look. "There're a lot of entries in 1970, not all of them could possibly be relevant. I'll mark the ones I need you to read. No sense both of us prying any more than necessary into the private thoughts of Daniel's father. In the meantime, check with that detective and see if they were able to id any prints from this room."
"Yes, sir." The relief in her voice was evident as she moved toward the phone.
The walls were cool and slightly damp, indicating he was well underground, as if the number of steps downward had not already told him that. Daniel sank tiredly onto the stool in the center of his latest prison. There were no other furnishings. Rubbing his hands over his face, he shivered violently at the memory of Colonel Roland Parker's eyes boring down on his face. He really hoped his fear had not been apparent, but this man had been too long in his nightmares for him not to be afraid. His childhood memories of the colonel were strong ... too strong. The one time he'd been alone with the man had been terrifying. "Stop it, Daniel. You were just a little kid. He didn't really do anything bad then, did he?"
A mechanical noise attracted his attention, and he looked up to see the upper portions of the walls sliding down to the floor. Video monitors lined all four walls. Small monitors surrounded the oversized monitors in the center of each wall. His eyes widened with surprise as the monitors on the wall in front of him came to life, followed by the monitors on all the other walls. Roland Parker's smiling face appeared in every single monitor. A crackle, followed by a hiss told Daniel that the volume controls were being adjusted. Soon he was able to hear his 'host'. "Welcome to my basement, Daniel. Please, make yourself comfortable. Oh, wait, you've only got a stool. Well, behave yourself, and you might just get a real chair later."
"Don't do me any favors." Daniel grumbled irritably.
"Oh, don't worry, little man, favors are not something I usually enjoy."
'Shit, he heard me.' Daniel's eyes had widened with the revelation, but he refused to acknowledge the older man.
"I thought you might enjoy some home movies, Daniel. Perhaps they'll be able to stimulate your memory as well as loosen your tongue."
Daniel remained stubbornly silent as his captor's face disappeared from the screens to be replaced by images of the New York Museum of Art.
Jack thumbed his way through the journal, avoiding the most intimate passages that spoke of the man's love for his family, as he searched for the first mention of the Army colonel. God, he felt like a voyeur. Daniel's father had been a man of great passion in everything he did. Much like his son. Or rather the son was like the father. He flipped past a page containing nothing but an equipment list, then stopped as he realized what that meant. An expedition, and as he read the list, he realized that some of the equipment appeared to be very old military surplus. Thinking about it, he realized that it was probably not that unusual. Egypt had been a center of activity for multiple armies for many, many years. That there was a vast market of military surplus, legal or not, did not really surprise the colonel. Turning another page he froze as he spotted the Stargate symbol for Abydos in the center of the passage.
"Carter! We have a problem."...almost ready. If the rumors are true, then Claire and I will have made a find which will outshine the Carter fiasco. The colonel has been most helpful, but I have declined his offer of military assistance in this venture. I do not want them involved. I have promised to review my findings with him first, but that promise bothers me. There is something ... untrustworthy ... about the man. I'll deal with that problem later.My immediate concern is Danny. He's much too young to accompany us on this trip. The maps, old as they are, show a very difficult path, and he's such a little boy. But Claire refuses to leave him with the housekeeper in Cairo. My heart understands, three months is a long time to be separated from your child. Particularly one like Danny. My head warns that he would be safer in Cairo, but the only way Claire will leave him behind is if her father consents to take him for a while. Right. Like Nick's gonna drop what he's doing, and come take care of a child. Damn the man. He won't even let the boy call him Grandfather.
I guess in my heart, I agree with her. Danny's only going to be small once, and everything is an adventure to him. From the camel traders going to market, to that antique dealer of questionable character down near the docks. Although I shudder to think how long I'd searched before I found him there. I'd really hate to miss any of his little escapades while we're gone, but perhaps I should invest in a leash as we start searching for Ra's tomb.