Free 06 - Siren Song by Jamie Duncan, Holly Scott - (ebook by Undead)

pride in him. Even if it was
incredibly unlikely his threat would work. So much for Daniel’s curiosity.
    In the silence that followed, Jack got himself together and his legs under
him, and Teal’c’s arm looped under his and hauled him up. He hated himself for
showing such obvious weakness, even if it was out of his control. “Thanks,” he
muttered, and Teal’c squeezed his arm, a silent signal. Jack followed the
direction of Teal’c’s gaze, then met his eyes and Carter’s, who nodded her
understanding. Four Jaffa, one Goa’uld. The odds were even, more or less. There
would never be a better chance.
    Sebek moved toward Daniel with his easy predatory grace and stepped into his
space, as if Daniel was a thing he owned. He was too close. If they made their
move, and Daniel wasn’t quick enough… Daniel was standing as straight and
stiff as he could, trying to match Sebek’s height; for a moment, neither moved.
    Teal’c’s grip on Jack’s arm tightened before his hand dropped away. As soon
as the opportunity came, they were going to take it.
    “Your threats are meaningless,” Sebek said, and waved at the Jaffa, who
leveled their weapons at SG-1. “If your friends mean anything to you, your
choice is simple.”
    Daniel didn’t look at any of them. His chin came up, and he pointed to the
Ancient inscription. “Do you see this? Do you have the slightest understanding
of what it means? It’s a warning. It means whatever’s in there is dangerous. A
warning from the Ancients is incredibly rare.” He leaned forward, nostrils
flaring, gaze still locked with Sebek’s, and said, “Only a very, very foolish
person would ignore it. Whatever’s in there is causing… this.” Daniel swept one
hand around in a circle, indicating all of them. “None of us are immune to its
power.”
    Sebek threw back his head and laughed with typical Goa’uld condescension.
“Why should a warning from a long-dead race mean anything to us?” he asked. He
gripped Daniel by the neck, long fingers sliding around his throat like steel
talons. “It is that power we must harness. So now you will choose, or we will
choose for you.”
    “Don’t do it, Daniel. That’s an order.” It didn’t need to be said, or so Jack
hoped, but the words burst out of him anyway. Daniel’s eyes shifted his
direction, the whites pink with blood from bursting capillaries, and then Sebek
raised him off the ground until the tips of his boots skimmed the dirt beneath
him. Daniel made a strangled sound, words caught up and jumbled in the void of
air.
    Jack made his move.
    Two steps, one punch, and he knocked the nearest Jaffa on the ground. Their
body armor couldn’t protect their faces, and Jack was on top of him in a split
second, beating, punching, drawing blood with his fist. He heard the commotion
behind him, zat fire, a shout, the thump of fists on flesh and a harsh
cry of pain, but no time to stop to see who was coming out ahead. He knew his
team’s abilities; if it could be done, they’d do it. He got to his feet and
turned in Sebek’s direction, but the blinding pain hit him again, so fast it
lifted all the breath from his body. He gasped and fell to his knees, and a hand
landed on his shoulder. Sebek. The stream of light from the ribbon device
blinded him, and the roaring in his ears grew louder as his muscles contracted,
as his body tried to fight the invasion of fire in every cell.
    “Sir!” Carter’s voice, from somewhere behind him, but he couldn’t move,
couldn’t fight, couldn’t do anything at all but gasp and breathe and wait for it
to be over. Blackness encroached on the edges of Jack’s vision, a cool darkness
that wanted him, and he wanted to fall into it.
    And then he was on the ground, and the light was gone, and there was a sound
so awful he couldn’t process it. Someone was shrieking. Carter? No. Too shrill.
Not Teal’c, or Daniel. Jack struggled to place the noise, but his thoughts were
too jumbled to