You Get What You Need 20

by Glenda

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asg/glenda/youget20.php
Summary: None

Tony turned around when he heard the yell, instinctively moving Doctor Lam behind him. There were two people standing at the door wearing black hoods, holding spears. He put his hands up, in what he hoped was a universal sign of surrender. He could go for his gun, but Daniel's words were going around in his head, "just because you have a gun, doesn't mean you have to shoot them."

"Whoa, guys, what can we do for you?" Tony asked, trying his best-trust-me smile.

"You will stop defiling our sister," said the female, her hands were shaking. Her companion was male, but seemed to have less confidence than his friend; his spear was almost stuck in the ground.

"We aren't defiling anyone. We were just examining her, taking a few pictures." Tony held the camera up and snapped a picture.

The flash made the couple step back.

"Stop," they cried, covering their eyes with one arm and letting the spear hang down in the other.

Tony nodded at Ferretti, who smiled and got ready to move. He lifted the camera up and snapped the flash again, but this time he and the colonel moved in.

As he moved in to grab the girl, she lifted her arm and scratched his left hand with the tip of the weapon.

"Shit," he cried out ripping it from her hand and grasping her around the neck in a chokehold with his uninjured arm.

Lam tried to push aside the struggling girl, to see Tony's hand. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Tony said, pushing the girl to the ground. He could see that Lou had his gun out and was covering both of their unwanted guests.

Tony took out a clean handkerchief and wrapped it around a small hole in his palm.

"Are you sure?" Lam asked, trying to see over Tony's shoulder.

"Yep. Now what are we going to do with our guests?"

"Tony?" came a voice from outside the hut.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, can you come out here? We need to talk about what Teal'c and I found."

"I'll be right there." Tony turned back to their prisoners. "Ferretti, have you any rope?"

"In my pack."

"Good, secure our friends here, while I go talk to Daniel. I've got all the pictures we need. Carolyn, can you continue without me?"

"I think I can handle it," she said with a grin.

"If not, I'm sure Lou would love to help you examine the body," Tony said with a chuckle. He nodded at the green colonel before reaching into his pack and grabbing a band-aid. He stuck it on and headed out to Daniel.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, giving Tony a quick once over. "We heard some yelling. Sounded like a battle royal."

"Just a bit of a mishap. Who's your friend?" It was hard to miss the tall, dark, and handsome guy standing behind Daniel and Teal'c.

"This is Loipai. He's a guard The Khan assigned to help us."

Tony walked over and gave him a big smile. "Great, maybe you can help us and give these two a name? Lou, bring out our contestants. Apparently, two of The People were against us looking at the body."

"Not a body," shouted the female being brought out by Ferretti. Her arms and feet were bound. "Her name was Shilah. She was brave, and followed the teaching of the gods. She should be left in peace."

Tony looked at the woman; well, she was more a girl. She looked to be around fourteen, maybe fifteen.

Tony saw that she had the same Asiatic features as most of The People, but her eyes were a bright ice blue. Her partner was a little older, but had the same coloured eyes.

Loipai stepped closer. "The girl is Treva, and the boy is Lotrel. They belong to the Mazo tribe. The tribe believes in the power of the gods; they are very religious. Their parents work in the temple. They are assistants to the Lami."

Daniel said. "Everything seems to keep coming back to the Lami, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

He listened as Daniel told what he had learned from The Khan.

"It's starting to sound like an episode of Dallas. For a group that says they don't have much political intrigue, they sure know what they are doing," Tony said. He rubbed his hand; it was beginning to sting.

"Here." Daniel handed him a white cloth. "It's the knife. The Khan gave his permission for us to test it, but it has to be in the fire with Shilah."

Tony took the knife, and placed it carefully into his backpack. He'd run the test as soon as he could.

"We could just exchange it?" Ferretti suggested.

"That's why we have guards," Daniel explained.

"Speaking of guards, where is Peewee?" Ferretti asked.

"Who?" Daniel asked.

"That's the name that Ferretti gave to the guard who had been watching us."

Loipai stepped toward the couple. "If you two have done anything to my man, you will be resting in the domain of the snakes before nightfall."

The duo blanched. Tony watched Treva send a glare at her partner, but Lotrel seemed more worried about Loipai than her.

"We did nothing to him. He left when we got here." Lotrel said, cowering when Loipai moved towards him.

"Shut your mouth, Lotrel, or you will be punished with eternal damnation."

Lotrel cringed, but he didn't seem all that convinced about what his partner was saying. With some luck, Lotrel could be their weak link.

Tony tried to think about what Gibbs would do. It had been a long time since he had to do an interrogation. That was Gibbs' domain.

"Loipai is there somewhere we can keep them, apart? We can't have them trying to manufacture a story."

"There are cells in The Khan's palace. We've never had to use them before but I'm sure The Khan would be happy to keep them until we get some answers about Tharus and any other questions that may arise."

"Sounds good to me. As for finding your missing man, if we were on Earth, I'd say go look around the local watering hole," Tony said, rubbing the burning spot on his hand.

"What do you mean?" Loipai said, with a growl.

Tony was grateful when Teal'c moved next to him. "All I meant was that you need to consider the possibility that Tharus may not be as innocent as you first thought."

"I have known Tharus all my life. He is a good and honourable man. He would never betray his Khan."

"What about the Lami, and the temple?" Daniel asked. "Where do his loyalties lie?"

Loipai looked at the two youngsters. "The Khan taught him as he did I, when we were children. I thought that might have made a difference."

"Until we find Tharus we won't know. What we need to do is get those answers." Tony looked at the sun; it was only a couple of hours from setting. "We don't have much time left."

"What's your plan?" Daniel asked.

"Loipai, take these two and get them settled. Teal'c, why don't you and Lou give him a hand with our guests? Daniel and I'll find Carter and Cameron once I'm done with running a few tests on the knife. I want to tell them everything we know before talking to Delfino or the Lami."

Tony watched the others go before looking back into the hut where Lam was working. There would be enough room to work in there but the smell of decay and sickly sweet flowers didn't appeal to him.

"I don't think we're going to find a sterile lab anywhere, Tony."

Tony smiled at his lover. "I think you're right. Oh, well, it's not like I have to worry about it being thrown out of court. We just need to see if this was the murder weapon."

Tony held his breath as he headed in to grab his kit from the hut; he nodded at Lam and hurried back out. She seemed to have everything well in hand.

"Maybe we could find somewhere near the cells that Loipai was talking about."

"Hey, you two!"

Tony and Daniel turned around to see Carter and Mitchell headed their way. There was a young girl behind them.

"Colonels," Tony said. "What did you find out?"

"You aren't going to believe it," Mitchell said.

Next: You Get What You Need 21