Leaving Daniel in the damp basement, Sam trudged upstairs, heading to the small spare room where Wayne kept his desk and computer. Seating herself, she turned the computer on and began working, scanning through his hard drive, looking for anything that might lead her to the Colonel.

She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there, staring at the screen when the thought finally hit her.

Wayne had to have cameras in the house somewhere.

She’d stumbled across a conversion program on his computer that allowed him to grab images from live camera feeds.

Why would he need that? Unless, he was using it himself.

Sam raced to the closet, yanking the doors open once again. She’d remembered correctly. There were several small televisions on the shelf. She hadn’t thought anything of it when she’d seen them earlier, too caught up in the elation of finding Wayne.

Now, she just had to find the closed circuit television system itself—and then the cameras, the cameras that had taken those pictures of Colonel O’Neill.

She was on her hands and knees searching the bottom of the closet when she heard Daniel’s roar.

She was running before the sound died in the air.

Daniel dashed back to the small metal room, back to where his friend was imprisoned. A minute later, he felt Teal’c’s arrival at the door, hearing the Jaffa’s footsteps stopping suddenly, his gaze taking in the sight before him.

It was even worse than any of them had ever imagined.

Just as Daniel turned to call Teal’c over, he heard Sam’s gasp of surprise. She had entered the room hard on Teal’c’s heels. As Daniel watched, Sam’s face dropped several shades of color, her blue eyes filling with unshed tears, her hand rushing to cover her mouth and stifle her cry.

"Teal’c, we have to get him down. I don’t know how he’s secured to the ceiling," Daniel said, turning back to his friend.

"I will get him down, Daniel Jackson," Teal’c said, stepping forward and coming up beside Daniel, his head craned back as he examined the steel cord that vanished into the ceiling. When Teal’c looked back at Daniel, his face was not optimistic. "This will take time, Daniel Jackson."

"We have to get him down now, Teal’c," Daniel argued, his hands never leaving Jack’s still form. And Jack was too still. Not a muscle had moved since Daniel arrived and it was starting to worry him more and more.

That, and the sounds coming from Jack. They were deep rumbles and moans, the only sounds that it seemed that he could make, his breathing harsh through the horrible mask he wore. What exactly those sounds were indicative of, Daniel was not sure, but they couldn’t be good.

One of Daniel’s hands snaked inside the leather straps, searching for a pulse on Jack’s neck, his fingers brushing against the bottom of the mask. He found a pulse easily enough, strong and steady. Jack had moaned again at Daniel’s touch, but had quickly quieted.

That small sound was enough to convince Daniel of the extreme urgency of the situation. Jack was conscious of what was going on and Daniel didn’t want to prolong this any longer. They had to get him down, now.

"Teal’c, stay with him. I have an idea," Daniel said, his eyes catching sight of the metal cabinets along the wall. Without waiting, he stepped away and dug in his pocket, fishing out the key ring. This time the first key worked, opening the nearest set of doors along the wall.

Daniel pressed the switch he had found on the side of the cabinet wall and was rewarded with the sound of a motor turning on high in the ceiling.

"The other way, Daniel Jackson," Teal’c instructed, wrapping his arms around Jack’s frame, holding him as if he were a baby.

At the sound of a choked off sob from Jack, Daniel sharply turned his head back, his wide blue eyes meeting Teal’c’s. The sound nearly broke Daniel’s heart. Jack would never sob, would he? Oh, God, Daniel thought, the bile threatening to rise into his throat once again. What had Wayne done to Jack? What could he have done to reduce Jack so far that he’d actually let that sob get past his throat?

"Proceed quickly, Daniel Jackson," Teal’c said, his voice rumbling.

Daniel obeyed, turning the switch the other way; the steel cord slowly descending from the ceiling, releasing the hold it had on his friend. He moved impatiently, shifting his weight on his feet. The cable wasn’t moving fast enough.

Tearing his eyes away from the sight before him, he turned to where Sam still stood in the doorway, tears falling unfelt down her face, her eyes focused forward. "Sam?" Daniel called, his voice uneven, trying to get her attention.

She turned to him at the sound of her name. His voice, while quiet, conveyed the depth of his understanding. He knew exactly how she was feeling because he was in just as much pain as she was. "Sam, I saw a mattress in the hallway. Can you get it?"

She nodded without words and turned, vanishing into the basement corridor. A few minutes later she returned dragging the urine-soaked object into the room, silently laying it at Teal’c’s feet. She stepped back, her arms crossed over her body, hugging herself.

As Sam carried it in, Daniel’s eyes saw a spot on the mattress, and another one of a different color higher up. He knew that they had to have been Jack’s. He could still smell the lingering odor. He was glad Sam had had enough sense to turn it over as she laid it down so they didn’t have to look at them.

Within a few minutes the steel cord was finally fully extended.

"Daniel Jackson, I believe that is enough," Teal’c said. He had turned his back to Sam in an effort to shield Jack’s nakedness from her. He tilted his head, his gaze resting on the top of the leather bag where the cord was connected.

Daniel nodded, turning off the motor and moving to remove the cord from where it was secured. The steel cord hung from the ceiling as an obscene reminder. Except for a few deep moans, Jack was lying completely still in Teal’c’s arms.

Looking up from Jack’s form to Teal’c’s eyes, he knew they were thinking the same thing. Jack didn’t need an audience, especially the way he was currently attired. It wasn’t as if Sam hadn’t seen a man—or her commanding officer—naked before, but this was different.

It was more for Jack’s sake that Daniel was concerned.

Daniel knew Jack. Daniel knew how he was, how proud he was, and how he needed to show a strong front. Right now, Jack couldn’t be more vulnerable.

"Sam," Daniel said looking at her over Teal’c’s shoulder, "can you find a blanket and some clothes for Jack? He’s freezing cold."

Without arguing, Sam nodded, hurrying off on her errand.

Once she was gone, Teal’c gently placed Jack on the mattress and they began unfastening every strap—a moan from the bound figure accompanying each strap’s release. Every binding had been secured much too tightly, cutting into Jack’s body—cutting into his bruised and burned flesh—leaving deep, livid marks. Some of the welts, deeper than others, had oozed drops of blood. Hanging from the ceiling had only compounded the situation.

One by one the straps came undone. By the time the leather net body bag was opened, Daniel had to bite back his own sobs. Teal’c chin was beginning to quiver as he also tried to control his emotions. The noises they heard, coming from deep within Jack, were unmistakable now—sounds of pain and agony—sounds that they were causing.

But they were not finished.

They still had to remove the rest of Jack’s restraints—binding his ankles and his knees together, securing his hands to his hips and his arms to his side, and finally the thick leather mask covering his entire face and head.

Wayne hadn’t been fooling around.

He hurt.

His world was a mass of pain and agony and shame.

How much time had passed? He did not know and did not care. Time was meaningless in this state of being: neither alive nor dead, neither sane nor demented.

Time flowed on. A constant stream of seconds merging into minutes, hours into days, becoming years as time moved on. He’d stepped into the stream of time many long years ago. It seemed that finally he had to step out, back onto the shore. It was his turn to watch as time flowed by before him, as people waded past without a second glance in his direction.

Maybe here, along the shore, he’d find the peace he’d been looking for.

But something pulled him back—the gentle touch on his overly sensitive skin sent torment along every nerve.

As soon as he had felt the hands on him—sending shooting pains through every fiber of his body—and had heard the muffled sounds of a solitary voice, he’d known. Jack knew he had been found—and that Daniel had been the one to find him.

He was ashamed.

Mortified of how he knew he must look—bound securely, naked, and utterly helpless. Ashamed that he’d been so effectively broken.

He just didn’t want to deal with this anymore. He couldn’t deal with it.

Jack heard voices—now more than one—echo in his head, a symphony of senseless noise. He tried not to groan, but couldn’t help himself. His shame and mortification was now complete. Of course, Daniel would have the rest of his team with him. Now they’d all be able to watch his descent into madness and witness his death.

He tried to ignore the hands on his body, the sensation of being held in someone’s arms—probably Teal’c’s—just like a baby. He tried to push the pain away, but it was overwhelming in its intensity and he couldn’t hold the sob back.

He didn’t want to acknowledge anything except what was in his head. At least here, in his last refuge of sanity, he could be the man he had been in life. At least here, he had his dignity. He had his pride. He had his memories. Here, he could be at peace with himself—even if it was only temporary.

He could feel the mattress against his back, cupping and caressing it until a fire raged, shooting up tendrils of torment. He tried to hold back the sounds of his painful cries, but he couldn’t. They erupted from deep within, searching for release.

The hands releasing the straps only increased the sensation.

By the time he felt hands on his head, he could feel the tears of pain and mortification sliding down along the side of his face, forced out through his tightly clenched eyes, leaving trails across his temple.

Once the straps were free, Daniel moved immediately to Jack’s head, carefully turning it to the side so he could reach the bindings along the back of the mask. Tears burned in his eyes as his fingers fumbled with the buckles. Oh Jack, Daniel thought, what did he do to you? You couldn’t have done anything to deserve this kind of treatment.

Finally, the last clasp opened and Daniel could ease the leather mask away from his friend’s face. As he slowly pulled it away, Jack did not protest. The mask was damp and Jack’s hair was still wet, plastered against his scalp. Jack’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut and tears had streamed down from the corner of each eye, leaving a trail to his hairline.

Carefully, Daniel turned Jack’s head and eased the hard plastic piece—the gag—out of his friend’s mouth, before tossing it hard—as far away as he could—hearing it hit the wall and slide down.

He didn’t care.

All that mattered was the man lying before him.

Jack slowly opened his eyes, blinking furiously from the bright lights overhead, tears freely running down his face. As his pain filled eyes adjusted, they found Daniel’s face hovering above him. Jack’s lips moved and Daniel bent down, his ear nearly pressed against Jack’s mouth, straining to hear.

The words were barely audible, barely louder than a whisper on the breeze. But Daniel heard them and they nearly broke his heart.

"Oh…god…Daniel…it… hurts…so …bad…make…it…stop…"

Daniel’s breath caught in his throat. Realization hit him with an almost physical blow. They’d hurt Jack. All along they’d hurt him with every move they had made.

"Oh, Jack," Daniel whispered, pulling back to where he could look his friend in the eye, but Jack had closed his eyes again, torment etched deeply into his lines of his face. His voice trembled. "I’m sorry."

A blanket appeared suddenly. Teal’c took, but as he carefully laid over Jack, Jack’s face flinched as the blanket touched his skin.

Jack was starting to scare Daniel badly.

Apart from the obvious pain Jack was experiencing, something wasn’t right. He hadn’t moved a muscle on his own since they’d found him.

Daniel turned to look back, his eye catching Sam’s, huddled just inside the door, a spare set of clothing in her hands. His words, while quiet, were filled with emotion and moved her quickly to action once again.

"Sam, we have to get Janet. Jack needs Janet now."