“Coming?” Wyrrick asked from the doorway.
“Yep! Just taking one last look.”
She walked out and followed Wyrrick to the next room. She still had her heart set on leaving with as much of Kali’s wealth as possible, but there was a lot more in the house just waiting to be pilfered. Tanis had to get her cut somehow, and who was she to refuse if the master of the house wanted to give her a guided tour of potential targets?
She glanced back once more at the pedestal and then put it out of her mind. She had been telling the truth when she told Tanis what she wanted to do with Kali’s treasure, but maybe it had simply been her better angels trying to sway her. She wasn’t the kind of person who sacrificed to help a stranger. As disappointed as she was to discover her reluctance to do the right thing, she didn’t have time to dwell on that shortcoming.
She had a heist to plan, and she wasn’t going to distract herself with thoughts of heroic nonsense.
Morello didn’t go home. She couldn’t justify it when so much was hanging in the balance. She was in Daniel’s office, seated at the main table with her head propped up on both fists. She closed her eyes just to rest them enough to focus on the words in front of her and was startled awake by a hand resting gently on her arm. She chided herself for falling asleep even as she blushed at the realization that Daniel had just found her sleeping at his desk.
“Oh. Damn. I’m sorry. I’ll get out of your way, sir.”
“You’re fine.” He put down a cup of coffee in front of her. “And I think there are enough sirs running around the base. How about you just call me Daniel?”
She nodded as she sipped the coffee, savoring the taste and the smell of it before she spoke again. “I’m sorry to stomp all over your territory here.”
“No, that’s not, no. You’re doing a fine job. If I’m going to be off-world with SG-1, I like knowing someone is back here doing the heavy lifting with the resources.” He picked up one of the books and read the spine. “Some of the team leaders don’t realize that sitting down with a book all night is as important as blowing up a Goa’uld mother ship.”
Morello smiled. “I got lucky on that score. Colonel Getty knows that most of the time the answer is in a book. I’m starting to think this isn’t one of those times, though.”
“You’ve been doing a good job so far.”
“I’ve been flailing,” she said. She looked at the scattered books with despair. “General O’Neill is treating me like I’ve got the magic touch, but the truth is I’ve gotten lucky at every turn. If you hadn’t been on the planet, I never would have found that secret chamber. I wouldn’t even have known to look for it. And now I’m just flying by the seat of my pants trying to stay one step ahead of Kali. I’m worried that I’m coming up fast on the end of my luck.”
Daniel chuckled. “You want to know my secret?”
“Yes. Please.”
“Riding by the seat of my pants when luck is running out. Nothing can prepare you for this job, for the scope of it. We’re dealing with aliens so powerful they’ve convinced entire planets that they’re gods. There’s not a college course for that. We do our best and we look for openings. The trick is to be ready when that opening presents itself. Make sure you’re well-armed.”
“Thank you. That actually helps.” She looked at her books and pushed her chair back. “I’ll get out of your way.”
“No, please. Stay. I just came by to pick up a fresh notebook. We’re trying to learn as much about this Wyrrick character so we don’t go in blind. Make yourself at home. In fact…” He looked around the office and thumped his knuckle on the table before he walked to the desk in the corner. “The most important item in the entire office.” He pulled a plump pillow from the drawer and brought it over to her. “It’s gotten me through more than one long night.”
“Thank you, sir. Daniel.”
“Stick with it, Captain. Luck, planning, and cleverness. You’ve got everything you need.”
He left with the notebook tucked under his arm, and Morello looked at the pillow he’d given her. The thought of a nap was still appealing but the urge to curl up and pass out for a few hours had passed. If there was an answer to be found, some piece of information she could use to their advantage, it was best to find it as soon as possible. She put the pillow aside, moved her coffee mug closer, and bent over the book again with renewed energy.
Jack was awake so early that he couldn’t swear to the fact he’d actually been asleep. But he knew that he must have left his office at some point because there were new updates waiting to be read on his desk. Over the past twenty-four hours, Morello had continued to look through past mission reports and historical documents regarding Kali’s reigns on various planets. She reported that there were plenty of references to her being a benevolent god, showing mercy and shepherding her people. She followed the path of least resistance because it led to less war and fewer deaths. Her treaty with Bastet wasn’t like other System Lord alliances. Ba’al might have allied with Anubis as a power grab, and Apophis may have offered Heru’ur peace as a way to lower his guard, but Kali and Bastet were true comrades. Morello was convinced that somewhere in the literature there was a way to appeal to that side of their prisoner. The walls were showing signs of weakness, now they just had to find a way to knock them down completely.
Sam made contact with the Tok’ra while Daniel, who would have been buried just as deep in the books as Morello if he had the time, had reached out to their other allies to see what he could discover about Wyrrick. At first glance the guy sounded like an alien version of Donald Trump. He was a collector of fine things, well-known simply for his wealth and decadence. He was definitely not a Goa’uld, and relatively harmless. Unless, of course, one happened to be a Tau’ri. He had never chosen a side in the larger galactic conflict, so he didn’t really care either way about the lesser Goa’uld or the Replicators, but the System Lords had been unofficial patrons of his collecting so he tended to be more sympathetic to them. Plus he was one of many who blamed, or credited, the Tau’ri for everything that had happened. Everyone was scrambling to fill the power void and Wyrrick’s nice, tidy world had been completely shaken up in the aftermath. When it came down to brass tacks, no one from Earth would be treated kindly.
Jack closed the files and fought a yawn as he checked his watch. He’d done none of the actual work, but he still felt tired just looking at the results. For the eightieth time that morning he wondered how he had been conned into giving up a plum position as leader of SG-1 to play intergalactic doorman and hall monitor. Weir would have been great in his role, and he had no doubt she’d have no problem solving the problems he struggled with. And while he was wishing, maybe Hammond would be willing to come back in an advisory position. A man could dream.
His sour mood was partially lifted by the sight of SG-1 arriving in the control room. They still had a few hours before they were due at Wyrrick’s party, but they needed to arrive from a secondary Stargate so there was no record of travel from Earth. Walter glanced over as the team arrived, then promptly looked back at his monitor so they wouldn’t see his expression. The team had caused quite a few sideways glances on their way from the locker room to Level 28.
To maintain their cover, they couldn’t leave in their SGC uniforms, so they were dressed in their outfits from Anton Bellee’s closet. Sam’s face was once again painted, and Daniel awkwardly adjusted his tunic. They all wore pouches slung casually over their shoulders, and Jack was confident that the bags held zats, pistols, radios, and their GDOs so they would be able to get back home. Sam’s veil was tucked into her belt, and Jack assumed she was waiting until she actually arrived on Wyrrick’s planet to put it on.
“Well, kids. After seven years of raiding Goa’uld motherships, wading into war zones, and dialing the gate while dodging enemy fire, you face the toughest mission of all. Prom. It’s like you waited until I was gone to get the easy gig.”
Sam looked down at her outfit, then gestured at
Daniel and Teal’c. “Are you saying you wish you were going with us, sir?”
“Hm. When you put it that way… have them home at a reasonable hour, Colonel. These boys have a curfew, you know.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
Jack smiled. “Try to have fun, Carter. Everything else aside, it is still going to be a party.”
Sam lifted her eyebrows to indicate she was skeptical, but she said nothing as Walter began to dial. Daniel took out his notepad and flipped through. “We’re going to cover our tracks by going to three different planets. Uh, P5X-871 is first. It’s a relatively busy emporium planet. Dozens of gate addresses every day. From there we’ll go to M71-832. Uninhabited. Then back to Lucia, the planet where we met with Siero. Even if someone wanted to take apart the DHD and dig through the recent dialed addresses, they’d have a hard time convincing the locals to go along with it. From there, to Wyrrick’s planet we go.”
Jack nodded and watched as the event horizon formed. Nope. Never got old. He faced his team again. “Okay. You’ll be deep on this one, so we’re not going to expect updates from you. If we don’t hear anything in twenty-four hours, we’ll dial Wyrrick’s planet. Hopefully you’ll be able to get a message through.”
“We’ll do everything in our power, sir.”
“I’d expect nothing less, Carter. Meanwhile we’ll keep working on Kali. Daniel seems to believe Captain Morello is making progress, so we’re going to keep at her. Maybe she’ll have an epiphany while you’re gone.”
“That would be nice,” Sam said. “In the meantime, unless we want to be fashionably late, we should get going. We have a lot of gates to pass through in the next few hours.”
“Good luck.”
The team walked out into the gate room, and Jack felt the familiar pang of being left behind as they started up the ramp. Any trace of amusement left his face as they passed through the shimmering blue surface and vanished. The truth of the matter was, he had just sent his team into an incredibly dangerous situation. They had forty-eight hours to get the pedestal, bring it back, figure out how it worked, and counter Kali’s plot in order to save the Jaffa. They had sent out a warning to any Jaffa who would listen, telling them to bury their gates just in case. To no one’s surprise, some of the Jaffa refused to take heed, viewing it as an act of cowardice. If Jack heard one more ‘We die free,’ it would be too soon.
Walter glanced up at him. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, sir.”
“Yeah? Is that what you used to tell Hammond when SG-1 went off-world?”
“Yes, sir. And I was never wrong.”
Jack grunted. “Yeah, well. It only takes one. Keep me informed, will you?” He turned and headed up to his office, hoping he could somehow occupy his mind for the time his team was out of contact.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The veil hooked over Sam’s ears, draped the bridge of her nose, and hung down over her chin to obscure her mouth. Teal’c helped her make sure it hung properly before they went through the Stargate to Wyrrick’s planet. Her voice modulator was concealed in the collar of her costume, and she could feel it resting against the skin just above her sternum. “Callisto,” Sam said, wincing at the hollow and reverberant sound of her voice. “I am Callisto. Are you sure she’s not a manifestation of Kali? A cultish off-shoot or something?”
“I’m positive,” Daniel said. “Completely different continents, wholly different mythology. You’ll be fine.”
Sam knew she could trust him when it came to myths and legends, but the names were too similar for her to relax very much. They were about to walk into a party thrown by an anti-Tau’ri eccentric, and the guest list probably read like a who’s-who of SGC adversaries. Teal’c dialed and they stepped through. Teal’c went first, followed by Daniel, and then lastly Sam. They went from the gloom of Lucia to a sunny plain, and Sam resisted the urge to bring up her hand to block the sun.
The area around the Stargate had transformed in the day since they sent the UAV through. A wooden corral had been built around it with men posted every few feet. Sam couldn’t see any weapons, but she knew they were present. One of the guards was posted next to the DHD, and he approached them as soon as the Stargate disengaged. Sam held out her hand without looking, and Daniel obediently placed the invitation in it.
“I am Callisto. I have been asked to attend Master Wyrrick’s party.”
“I see.” The guard examined the invitation. “And your retinue?”
Sam nodded at Teal’c. “A former First Prime who has been unwavering in his faith to me since declaring his loyalty. This is Teal’c.”
“Teal’c,” the guard said. “The infamous leader of the Jaffa rebellion?”
Sam smiled. “I have taught him the error of his ways. Tell him.”
Teal’c said, “The Goa’uld are false gods. There is but one god in the whole of creation, and she is my mistress, Callisto.”
Sam smiled, even though it turned her stomach to hear Teal’c say those words. She tossed her hand dismissively to Daniel. “And my servant, Wiggum.”
“He is Tau’ri?”
“He is a lo’taur,” Sam corrected. “He was raised in my temple.”
The guard looked skeptical but finally handed the invitation back. “There is a transportation cart waiting to take you to Wyrrick’s home. I trust you will enjoy the party.”
“I am certain we will,” Sam said.
They walked through the gauntlet of security and Daniel reached up to scratch under the edge of his mask, cupping his hand so the guards couldn’t see him speak. “I’m still not sure about the name…”
“Don’t look at me. General O’Neill chose it.” She looked at Teal’c. “I’m truly sorry for…”
“There is no need for your apologies, Colonel Carter. I am unshaken by spouting such a ludicrous untruth. However, I appreciate your sympathy.”
Daniel paused at the row of carts and took a moment to process what he was seeing. Each cart consisted of a padded seat with a high back that curved above the riders’ heads, and each side extended out into long, slender rods. Each rod was fitted with rubber grips on the far ends. A quick scan of the area revealed no pack animals waiting to be lashed to the vehicle. Finally he reached an unavoidable conclusion.
“Um. These are rickshaws.”
“Indeed they seem to be,” Teal’c said. “And seeing as you are Callisto’s primary servant…”
Daniel looked at him. “I don’t suppose her loyal First Prime could be enlisted to lend a hand.”
Teal’c smiled. “It would be unseemly.”
“Of course it would.” Daniel sighed, spit into his hands, and rubbed the palms together. “Okay. Here’s hoping it’s not very far to the party.”
Teal’c offered his hand to Sam, and she took it for leverage as she climbed into the cart. Teal’c climbed in behind her, settling next to her on the padded seat. She winced in sympathy as Daniel took up position and scanned the horizon for any sign of Wyrrick’s homestead on the horizon. It was nothing but rolling hills and long, unbroken plains.
“It’s not very far, right?”
Sam considered not answering, but finally she said, “According to the UAV telemetry — ”
Daniel interrupted her. “Not very far. Here’s hoping it’s… not very far. And mostly on a downhill slope.” He bent at the knees to wrap his fingers around the grips, lifted, and exhaled as he tested the weight. “At least Jack isn’t here to see this.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure Sam and Teal’c were settled, then started forward.
The morning of the party, Vala and Tanis met up before their scheduled duty shift began so they could once more go over the timeline of their plan. Wyrrick would let his guests mingle for the first few hours, giving them time to appreciate his collection. Once everyone was suitably impressed they would be guided back toward the ballroom for a speech from their host, at which point an avalanche of victuals would sweep through the house on a flood of wine and stronger spirits.
“And that’s when we’ll get to work.” Vala tapped her finger on the map. “This is where Kali’s treasure is being displayed. While everyone is busy getting drunk and filling themselves with Wyrrick’s food, we’ll be carting everything out through this side door. Fortunately Wyrrick’s tour yesterday included a side note about the security measures in this wing of the building.”
“I believe I heard you slipping out of our private quarters last night,” Tanis said. “Could you possibly have done something to disable those security measures?”
Vala pulled an innocent expression. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. I slept like a priest all last night. What were you doing awake at such a late hour?”
Tanis twisted her lips and focused on the map again. “We should erase this information when we’re done refreshing our memory. We don’t want anything incriminating lying around while we’re working, just in case Wyrrick gets suspicious.”
Vala started to nod as there was a knock on the door. She straightened and looked across the room. “Yes? Who is it, please?”
“It is Athen. I bring a message to Miss Oshin from Master Wyrrick.”
“One moment!” Vala looked to see Tanis had already started deleting the files. She nodded her approval as she stood up. “I’m just getting ready for work. Big day today, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you.” When Tanis signaled her that the blueprints were gone, Vala smoothed down the front of her uniform blouse and went to answer the door. Athen was a slender-framed man with close-cropped blonde hair, and the fact that his forehead was slightly wider than his chin gave him a top-heavy appearance that Vala found amusing.
“Yes? Sorry, Wyrrick said we were to report for duty at five chimes. Did we miss it?”
“No, but there has been a change in plans.”
Tanis joined them in the front hall. “I hope it won’t affect my menu.”
SG1-24 Two Roads Page 21
