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).
Daniel stumbled a few steps before getting his balance. At two steps for every one of the larger men's he was soon gasping for breath, a condition that only worsened as he was forced up the stairs. With no air to support a protest, the young man could only struggle to keep up. He knew he'd be dragged if he faltered, and he'd be damned if he was going to give his captors the satisfaction.
To his relief, the thugs stopped at the top of the stairs, allowing Daniel a brief respite while one of them opened a door. The young man's eyes widened at the sight before him. He'd been prepared for as wide a variety of implements of torture as his fertile imagination could conjure up. What he had not envisioned was ... the bed. King-sized, with four over-sized posts, it was well-cushioned with pillows of assorted shapes and sizes, resting beneath a ceiling made of mirror tiles. Now that he had a chance to look around the room, he noticed a wide variety of mirrors on the walls as well.
As he was dragged toward the bed, he couldn't quite suppress a gasp at the sight of the restraints built into the posts. 'OhGod, OhGod, OhGod,' issued forth as a silent prayer. Much to his surprise the thugs didn't stop at the bed. Instead he was led ... pulled ... dragged into an elaborate bathing room. An over-sized tub, uh, Jacuzzi, dominated the center of the room. 'Is everything too damn big in this place?' The thought had barely passed through his mind, when Daniel found himself dumped head-first into the filled and bubbling Jacuzzi.
"Isn't this the slow way?"
His partner shrugged as he tightened his hold on the struggling form. "Careful, keep his head under."
"Shit, slippery little bastard... Oh, no you don't." The smaller man shoved downwards with a vengeance as Daniel tried desperately to break free. "Wouldn't it be quicker just to beat the information out of him? I gotta rawhide whip upstairs that hasn't been broken in yet."
"The colonel doesn't want any marks on him. He's got other plans for Pretty-Boy later. And this has worked in the past. On my count ... one, two, three." With that Daniel was hoisted out of the water, and placed on his feet, where he stood coughing, sputtering and shivering in the air-conditioning. The warmth of the water quickly turned cold as it puddled around his feet.
"Think he's ready?"
"Naw. On my count ... one, two, three."
'Ready for what ... oh, sh...' Daniel's train of thought went away as his head disappeared beneath the bubbles again.
A manilla folder slid across General Hammond's desk, coming to rest mere inches from his belt buckle. Eyebrows raised in disapproval, he looked at Major Harris. "Sorry, sir. It wasn't supposed to slide."
"What's it say?"
Grateful for Hammond's easy attitude, Harris responded. "Airman Barkley doesn't exist ... at least not anymore."
"Explain."
"He was killed in a raid on Saigon, thirty years ago. But the id used was his, down to his serial number."
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know, sir. My superiors are looking into that even as we speak. The fact remains, it happened. Barkley arrived the same day that Dr. Jackson received the video-tapes. Coincidence? I think not."
"What about McIntosh?"
"Clean as far as we can tell. At least nothing untoward has come to light, yet."
"Does Teal'c know that McIntosh is clean yet?"
Harris grinned. "Yes, sir. I felt it necessary to save the lieutenant's sanity by telling Mr. Teal'c first. The lieutenant's been feeling a little, uh, intimidated of late."
Hammond nodded his approval. "Are you confident that the mole is out of here, Major?"
"Yes, sir. Barkley was recalled to DC the same day that Daniel Jackson was abducted. Fortunately, the security cameras gave us a good picture of him. We've got an interstate APB..." Harris was interrupted by the phone.
"Hammond! ... Yes, he's here."
Harris quickly took the handset from the general. "Harris. ... When? How long? ... Thank you." Returning the handset to its cradle he muttered a disgruntled "Shit" before remembering where he was. "Sorry, sir. Barkley's body was found an hour ago. He never got out of Colorado Springs."
"He's been under a while this time."
"Still see bubbles."
"This is a Jacuzzi. There're gonna be bubbles."
"True."
"How many times does this make?"
"Six."
"Hmmm, I thought seven."
"Could be."
"Pull him up?"
"I suppose."
The two men lifted Daniel's head clear of the water. He sputtered, coughed, and gagged as he was positioned upright once more. Only their firm hold of his arms, prevented the prisoner from falling to his knees. His head lolled weakly as tremors of cold and fear racked his body.
A too familiar voice pierced the fog that was his thoughts. "Oh, Daniel, you're all wet. I trust you're learning to be a little more cooperative. He has been behaving, hasn't he gentlemen?"
"Yes, sir. Not a peep out of him."
"He seems to like the water, sir."
"Indeed. How interesting."
As the two guards held Daniel upright, Parker moved closer, sliding a hand underneath his wet T-shirt. Daniel's tremors increased as the other man caressed his chest. Parker's breath was warm on his neck, causing the young prisoner to attempt to recoil, only to be held fast by the much larger guards. Parker merely smiled as he gently patted Daniel's face. "It's time for a conversation, Daniel. These gentlemen will make sure you're presentable. In the meantime, I have a few loose ends to take care of. I'll be back ... later. But don't worry. I won't be gone long."
Daniel pulled his head away from the man's hand, and managed a hoarse. "No need to hurry on my account."
The smile faded from Parker's face as his open palm collided with Daniel's cheek, rocking the younger man's head brutally to one side. "You will learn manners, young one. Perhaps another session or two in the tub?" Parker watched with delight as the color leeched from Daniel's face. "Not quite so willing to do that again, are we?" Turning back to the guards, Parker snarled, "Continue the water treatment" as he left the room.
The return trip to DC took Jack to new heights of terror. After the third near miss, he decided that enough was enough. "Park the car, Major."
"Sir?"
"Park...the...car."
Puzzled the young woman pulled into the nearest parking lot, and stopped the car. "What's wrong, sir?"
Jack shook his head at the confusion in her eyes. "Major, I didn't have this many close calls in black ops. What's on your mind, cause it sure isn't watching traffic?"
Sam winced at his words. "What if Nichols didn't really save Daniel, sir? What if Parker really, well, you know?"
"There's nothing in his files to indicate that sort of abuse, Carter. I'm no expert, but I'm betting that's not the sort of thing you can hide."
"But Parker has him now, sir. What if he still wants to ... uh, you know?"
"What if he still wants to rape Daniel?"
The younger woman cringed visibly at his words. "Yes, sir."
"Not saying it, won't make it not happen, Carter."
"No, sir. What do we do if he is assaulted?"
"First things first, Carter. First we find Daniel. Then we deal with whatever's been done to him."
"Yes, sir. What now?"
"If you think you can get us back to DC alive, I'm going to read some more journal entries. I have a feeling I'm missing something important."
"Yes, sir. No problem, sir." Sam started the car again, and pulled out into traffic.
Jack watched for a few minutes, then muttered under his breath. "Ya think?"