fic- "In Another Life: Beginnings" Part 14
Title: In Another Life: Beginnings
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, Jack/Daniel/OFC
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, Slavery, Slash, Threesome, disturbing imagery, non-con
Categories: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Romance
Feedback: Love it? Hate it?
Disclaimer: I don’t own the recognizable characters I’m just inspired by them.
Summary: In a world where you are either military or a slave to the military, Jack O'Neill hates slavery and yet winds up with two. And though he gives them his protection, they steal his heart in return.
---------------
Daniel swung by the infirmary to pick up a refill of his allergy medication. He had meant to do it yesterday but the infirmary had been busy with the wounded soldiers and they had certainly taken priority over his stuffy nose. The doctor on duty dispensed what he needed with a smile and he turned to go back to his office. On his way he looked down the line of beds and found himself making eye contact with William. William's expression wasn't the look of abject terror from the first night, rather it was more curious, and Daniel tentatively walked towards his bed.
"Hello," Daniel said lightly as he reached William's bedside.
William had a thin flat box open on his tray table containing inexpensive colored pencils and drawing charcoal along with a couple of sketch pads. William had another sketch book in his hand that he carefully closed as Daniel approached.
"He... he told me that you were dead. That he killed you and would do the same to me." Williams tone was hesitant, but his words were matter-of-fact and straight to the point.
Daniel winced. "I don't know exactly how to respond to that. I can only imagine what other things he told you that weren't true. I am so sorry for everything that's happened to you."
"It wasn't your fault."
Daniel wasn't expecting the unsolicited absolution from William. He opened his mouth to reply then closed it again, not really knowing what to say.
William looked at the gold cuff on Daniel's wrist and reached up and tapped the tags hanging around his own neck and said, "General O'Neill... he claimed me and Elle."
"I know. He feels very strongly about protecting the both of you. Putting his tags on you is one of the ways he can do that."
William swallowed nervously and his voice was a mere whisper when he asked fearfully, "Does that mean he's going to want to... you know, with me?"
Daniel felt like he had been punched in the gut. "No, William, Jack... well, he doesn't use slaves that way, and he doesn't keep slaves either. He does claim some, like you, that he feels needs protecting, then he finds them a safe place to go or transfers them to another officer that will treat them with decency and respect."
"He kept you."
Daniel couldn't help but grin. "Only because I wanted to be kept. He and I care about each other very much, William, and there isn't anywhere else I would want to be."
"I've never had that."
"Neither had I before Jack. But trust me when I say that he will make sure that you will be happy wherever you end up, he's a little stubborn about things like that."
"Ellie too?"
"Definitely," deciding he wanted to steer the conversation away from Elle, Daniel asked, "So what are you drawing?"
William hesitated a moment before opening the sketchpad and showing Daniel the stunning charcoal drawing of a massive flower garden.
"Wow. This is fantastic. You have quite a gift. Is this someplace you've visited?"
William dropped his eyes to the blanket and his voice wavered a bit as he answered, "No. It was where I went... in my head when he was..."
Daniel's throat felt thick with emotion at that and he couldn't help but reply honestly, "I used to recite the history of the different Egyptian dynasties in mine."
William raised his head with a questioning look and Daniel nodded. Daniel handed him back the sketchpad and said, "So why a garden?"
"I... I like to be outside. I've been doing landscaping work since I was a teenager."
"Well if your real gardens look anything like the one in your drawing, I'd say you were good at it too."
William shrugged non-commitally, his confidence and self-esteem in tatters thanks to Arlis.
Daniel glanced at his watch and said, "I have to run, I've got a meeting in a few minutes, but I can come back later if you want. We can talk some more."
"I don't want to be any trouble."
Daniel worked hard to put as much compassion in his voice as he could, while avoiding pity, and said, "William, I know you may not believe this after everything you've been through, but no one here thinks that you're a burden. Nobody. Jack, Dr. Fraiser, Elle, me, and even Kawalsky, we all just to see you healthy and back on your feet. And whatever you need to do that, you just have to tell one of us, okay?"
William nodded and Daniel patted the railing of William's bed gently before turning to leave.
---------------
The conference table was nearly full when Daniel arrived at the briefing room. He quickly poured himself a coffee and took his normal seat next to Jack. The mood in the room was somber, and as he looked around at the serious faces of Majors Davis and Michaels, Lieutenant Colonel Kawalsky, Sergeant Brooks, and two men he didn't know in suits with visitor badges, he knew that they had found Arlis and the others responsible for hurting Elle and William.
Jack cleared his throat, claiming everyone's utmost attention, and said, "Major Michaels, before I turn this meeting over to you, I have a personnel issue that I need to address." Jack stood and the rest of the men followed suit. "Sergeant Brooks, front and center."
Brooks quickly went to stand and face Jack at the head of the table, flushing a little under everyone's scrutiny.
"Sergeant Brooks, I've received the results of your Slave Oversight Officer certification exam, and I pleased to announce that you received a perfect score and are now hereby officially a federal Slave Oversight Officer for the United States Marine Corps."
Walter silently stepped forward from the corner of the room where he had been waiting and handed Jack the new lapel insignias for Brooks. Jack pinned them on and with a final salute he handed Brooks his badge and said, "Congratulations, Brooks."
"Thank you, sir, and thank you for recommending me for it, I won't let you down, sir."
"Of that I have no doubt, Sergeant," Jack replied with a pleased little smile and patted the young man on the shoulder.
The other men all offered Brooks their own congratulations and they reclaimed their seats at Jack's mention that they needed to get to the business at hand. When they were settled, Jack addressed Michaels, "You have the floor, Major."
"Thank you, General," he paused and glanced down at his notes before continuing, "As everyone in the room is aware, in our investigation of Captain Arlis we discovered a much bigger circle of corruption and slave abuse. In light of evidence gathered in Denver by Colonel Kawalsky, Major Ferretti, Sergeant Brooks, and Teal'c that points to several high-ranking Marine Corps officers I have asked NCIS to join the investigation. Although I have the authority as a federal Slave Oversight Officer to make arrests regardless of service branch or rank, I felt that having this be a joint operation would avoid any potential rumors of branch bias later on," he gestured towards one of the men in suits, a man about Jack's age with the same silver hair and intense blue eyes, "This is Special Agent Gibbs and his pledged concubine, Anthony DiNozzo. Agent Gibbs has the highest level of security clearance which is why they specifically were assigned to this case and they have both been read in on the Stargate Program and this command."
Jack said lightly, "Marine, Agent Gibbs?"
"Yes, sir, rank of Gunnery Sergeant, although my authority as an NCIS agent will supersede that in this investigation. Like Major Michaels, we are able to make arrests regardless of rank or branch when it comes to crimes committed by or against Naval or Marine personnel."
"Gotcha. Please continue, Major."
Michaels picked up a remote control from the conference table and activated the slide show of surveillance photos taken in Denver. "This house on Pleasantview Drive is owned by Colonel Grove." The photo on the screen showed a large, sprawling ranch style home behind a tall, sturdy, wrought-iron fence. Similar wrought iron work barred all of the windows.
Michaels continued, "The house, as you can see, is practically a fortress, designed to keep people in as well as out. Although I have no direct evidence and no witness corroboration, I believe that Colonel Grove is using this house as an illegal slave brothel. Right now, as it stands, I have no jurisdiction to enter this house. I've been trying to get statements out of some of the slaves that Grove turned in, the ones that were obviously abused, to get something that gives me cause, but none of them are talking. They are just too afraid."
Agent DiNozzo asked thoughtfully, "What about the two that were rescued, the ones that are here?"
"Given their physical and mental conditions, we have not conducted in depth formal interviews with them as of yet."
Jack interjected, "Those interviews are going to be conducted very, and I mean very, carefully. We're not going to add to their trauma in any way. Both William and Ellie have been tortured and brutalized enough already. I want to be perfectly clear about this."
Gibbs spoke up, "I think it's safe to say, General, that no one sitting at this table wants that either. We'll all tread lightly."
Jack nodded and Michaels continued after putting a new photo up on the screen, "These four men were invited into the house and spent approximately four hours inside. We've identified them as Marine Corps Lieutenant General Issac Rainey, Air Force Brigadier General Maxwell Haney, Marine Corp Colonel Marcus Ellington, and I believe most of you will recognize the fourth man..."
"Kinsey," Jack spat out flatly.
"Yes, sir. Currently Senator Robert Kinsey, but holds the Naval rank of Lieutenant Commander."
Michaels moved on to the next photo of them actually being shown into the house by a young male slave clad only in a pair of tight blue jeans. Daniel's keen eye picked up on something though and he asked, "What is that near his foot?"
Michaels grinned grimly at Daniel, "Nice catch, sir. It's not very clear in the pictures, but that is a chain fetter locked onto his ankle. It prevents him from leaving."
The distaste in everyone present was almost palatable and Michaels added, "They are not illegal when used within allowed guidelines. And from all appearances of the young man in the photos, he is clean, well-fed, and shows no immediate signs of physical abuse. As much as I hate fetters, I just don't have cause to do anything about it in this case. Colonel Grove also has a legal claim in the system for a young man whose description and photo matches this young man, so again, no cause."
Jack frowned and asked, "So where does that leave us?"
Michaels hesitated to answer, and Gibbs sighed and scrubbed his chin with his hand before he answered for Michaels, "We need to talk William and Ellie. And without leading their answers, we need to get some piece of evidence that will let us go and bust down that door."
---------------
Ellie sat stiffly in the conference room chair. She was in another set of infirmary scrubs and someone had given her an Air Force zip-up sweatshirt to ward off the ever-present chill in the mountain. Jack thought she looked as well as they had ever seen her. Her bruises were gone and all but the deepest of the the whip cuts on her back had healed nicely according the the reports from Fraiser. She had spent most of the last few days with Ambassador Wagner in the VIP suite and the old man's company seemed to have lifted her spirit more than anyone could have expected. Jack just hoped that having her relive everything didn't set her back in her recovery.
Jack sat next to her and Gibbs and Michaels settled themselves across the table from them.
Michaels gave Ellie a little smile and said warmly, "You're looking well, Ellie."
"Thank you, Major."
Jack reached over and laid a hand on Ellie's and said gently, "Ellie, you know Major Michaels already, but this is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS; he just joined the investigation and is going to be working with us."
She nodded but didn't say anything and Gibbs offered her his hand to shake and said lightly, "You can call me Jethro, Miss Foley."
Ellie shook his hand hesitantly and replied, "Only if you call me Ellie, Jethro."
He grinned and nodded.
Michael's brought their attention back to the matter at hand. "Ellie, I can only imagine how difficult this interview is going to be for you and if you need a break at any time just let us know. You have done absolutely nothing wrong and we don't want you to feel like this is an interrogation. We just need to know what happened, as much as you can remember. No detail is too small and no matter how silly you might think something sounds, we want to hear it anyway. Okay?"
"Yes, Major, I understand. Do you have specific questions you want me to try and answer first or should I just start at the beginning?"
"The beginning sounds like a good place to start, but if you think of something out of sequence along the way, don't hesitate to go off on a tangent."
Ellie's hand crept up and closed around the tags lying against her sweatshirt and she took a deep breath before starting, "Edgar... I mean General O'Connell was being presented with some sort of award for his past work in South Africa. He was so excited to go, but he couldn't take me with him... because of my status. So he left me home alone. He was only supposed to be gone three days. I didn't realize he had died the same day he left, and when he didn't call me I just assumed that he was busy with all the stuff going on out there. Two days later an officer arrived at the house to pick up Edgar's car..."
---------------
Daniel, Tony, Brooks, and Kawalsky were heading for the infirmary to interview Billy. Before they entered the infirmary itself Kawalsky said, "Hold up a second, fellas."
They all paused and looked at him. His expression was a little stony and his tone serious as he said, "I'm going to take it personally if any one one of you upsets Billy. He's lived through something that no one should have ever had to live through and we're not, and I repeat, not going to push him any further than he's comfortable with. Am I understood?"
Daniel could see Charlie's hands balled into angry fists and he reached over and put a gentle hand on Charlie's shoulder. "None of us want to cause him further trauma, Charlie, you know that. I spoke with Billy earlier and I think you might be surprised at how well he handles this. He's strong, he wouldn't have survived all that Arlis dished out to him if he wasn't."
The other two men didn't say a word and just watched Charlie's eyes meet Daniel's and hold them for a long moment before he nodded.
The four of them entered the infirmary and Daniel was thinking about the burning protective streak that Charlie seemed to have for Billy. It seemed to go beyond just righteous fury about what had happened to Billy, and he wondered if Jack had noticed. Daniel filed it away in his head to think about further later on when he had time.
Billy was sketching again when they reached his bedside and Charlie quickly made the introductions. When the four of them hesitated, Billy asked, "Where do you want to start?"
---------------
Ellie's brow was furrowed as she recalled events. The men simply listened quietly and let her tell things at her own pace.
"A Major Landau knocked on the door and said that he had orders to collect the "late" General O'Connell's Air Force issued car. I told him that I thought it was mistake, that Edgar wasn't dead, he was just in Washington. He gave me a weird look and asked who I was, and told him my name. There was another man in a car waiting outside, I guess dropping off the Major so he could drive Edgar's car back. The Major told me he had to go out to the car and make a call to double check the orders. While I was waiting for him to do that, I went out into the side yard with Yogi, our Pomeranian."
She paused in her telling and swallowed hard before continuing, "About twenty minutes later or so, both men came around the side of the house. At first I wasn't concerned, but then I saw that they both had guns in their hands and the Major was sort of sneering at me. The next part happened so fast..."
Ellie turned her head to face Jack, gaining a little courage from the compassion she saw there. "Yogi must have picked up on some sort of bad vibe and went to bite the Major and the Major shot him. Then he just picked him up and tossed him into the brush pile near the shed. I couldn't move. And the next thing I knew the Major's gun was pointed at my face. They used duct tape on my hands and feet and more on my mouth so I couldn't scream and then they put me in the trunk of the car they came in."
Gibbs stood and thoughtfully poured her a glass of water and asked gently as he handed it to her, "You're doing great, Ellie. Do you need a break?"
She took the water and shook her head. "No, I'm okay. It's just really... hard."
---------------
It was Tony that prompted Billy gently, "I'm really sorry about your sister, and I'm glad you were able to make it out there to see her. So maybe what happened after that is a good place to start."
Billy nodded and answered, "I got back to Denver a couple days later and I was trying to figure out how much trouble I was in. The SOO assigned to my slave barracks hated me and I knew that he would've reported me AWP. I was trying to make my way to the other side of the city to the main SOO office so I could turn myself in and maybe find an SOO that was willing to listen to my side of things. I was waiting for the bus when a big black SUV pulled up and two men with guns and tasers got out."
Tony asked, "Did you recognize either of them? Had you ever seen them before?"
Billy nodded and replied, "The man driving was Colonel Grove, I had seen him before hanging around with my barracks' SOO. I don't know who the other guy was. Colonel Grove told me that he knew I was AWP and that he was taking me into custody. They put shackles on me and handcuffs and threw me in the back of the SUV. We drove around for a couple of hours, and they grabbed two others, a young girl and another guy about my age."
It was Brooks turn to ask, "Do you know their names?"
Billy stared down at the blanket for a long moment, thinking hard and then looked up and answered, "The girl was Cathy... Jenkins I think her last name was, and the guy was Tom Miles."
"Thanks, Billy, that's a big help. When we're done here I'll see what I can find out," Brooks replied with a little nod of his head.
Tony prompted again, "So what happened after they had you all in the SUV?"
Billy let out a little breath and said, "We drove for a while. At first I didn't know where where we were. Then I started seeing signs and buildings that I knew. We were heading to the far side of Denver, out where all those new min-mansions are being built."
Charlie asked, "Had you been out there before?"
"Yeah. I, ah, I did the landscaping on General Forester's new house out there last year."
Charlie nodded and Billy continued, "We turned into the main entrance for the development, and then we took the first right. Pleasantview Drive. I don't know the house number but it was the third house on the left, a tan stucco ranch with a black iron gate and more black iron bars on all the windows and a poor half-dead douglas fir in the front yard."
Charlie, Tony, and Brooks all shared a look. Billy had just given them exactly what they needed.
---------------
Ellie focused her eyes on the table and her voice was low as she continued her story, "I don't know how long I was in the trunk. They took me to someplace with a big barn. They pulled me out of the trunk and I spent two days I think handcuffed in one of the horse stalls. I only ever saw the Major. Then on the third day another man came with a van. There were no windows in the back of the van, and there was a..." her voice broke a little but she quickly cleared her throat and continued, "There was cage bolted down to floor in the back of the van. They put me in there and the new man gave the Major an envelope full of money. He counted it right there in front of me. Then the Major said... nevermind, it's not important."
Jack asked gently, "What did he say, Ellie."
Ellie closed her eyes and her lip was quivering violently as she replied, "He said not to worry, that the Colonel would make sure that I got..."
The tears streamed down her face and Jack pulled her in close as he announced, "Time for a break. Give us a minute guys."
The other two men quietly left the room and Ellie sobbed against Jack and he prompted again, "What he say, Ellie? Don't hold it in. Let it out and let it go."
Her voice was a harsh whisper against his chest amid her tears but her words were clear enough to make Jack see red, "He said that the Colonel would make sure that I got a good fucking," she emphasized the last word to make sure Jack knew it wasn't hers, and then added, "then he said he might even come to Denver himself for the bidding- just to see who got to take my virginity."
Fresh sobs wracked her body and Jack just held her tightly not saying a word. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better.
---------------
Billy's hand was shaking a little as he picked up his cup and took a sip of water. Charlie asked him, "Billy, do you need a break?"
"No. I'm okay."
Charlie was surprised and pleased with how Billy seemed to be taking all of this, Daniel had been right, Billy was strong, probably stronger than any of them really knew.
Billy put his cup back down and took a moment to find his place in his thoughts before continuing. "They dragged the three of us into the house. They brought us downstairs to this big open room. There were couches along two walls and the rest of the room had all sorts of... bondage stuff. Colonel Grove told the girl that he already had a buyer for her. Then he told me the same thing. The other guy Tom... Grove said that since he wasn't a certified virgin that there wasn't any reason he couldn't be fucked right away."
The disgust was apparent on Billy face and his voice had a tinge of anger as he said, "Two big guys pulled him over to this bench and cuffed him facedown. They made us watch while Grove and the two guys raped him." Billy snorted lightly and added, "They didn't even undress him, they just cut a flap out of the back of his jeans."
Billy swallowed hard. "He screamed and screamed. And Grove just said that he could, because no one would hear. When they were done, they locked me in a bedroom upstairs. I tried but there was no way to get out. The next day, the door opened and Grove came in with Arlis and told me that Arlis had bought me and that I was supposed to do anything Arlis wanted. He left and Arlis..." He looked up at Daniel and said, "I can't... I just can't..."
"It's okay, Billy. Really. We know that part. Let's skip to the part where you ended up at Arlis' house."
"After two days at Grove's house, he brought me back to his house. I don't know exactly how long I was there. But after a few days he started bringing other men home and he let them... Anyway months went by, and then Arlis brought Ellie. I tried to protect her, but I couldn't and he hurt her and he let other men hurt her. They made me watch." Billy's voice broke on that and Charlie's hands fisted of their own accord.
With a firm set to his own jaw, Brooks asked, "Do you have any names? Would you recognize any of them if you saw pictures?"
Billy shook his head, "No names, just ranks," he met the big Marine's eyes and said, "I'll never forget their faces. Never. I can't. But I..."
His words failed him and he simply pulled a sketch pad out of the small stack on his bedside table and handed it to Brooks. "Will this help?"
Brooks opened it and sucked in a breath. There in crystal clear black and white sketches were the faces of the monsters that had abused him.
Charlie's voice was full of awe as he whispered, "God, Billy..."
---------------
tbc...
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, Jack/Daniel/OFC
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, Slavery, Slash, Threesome, disturbing imagery, non-con
Categories: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Romance
Feedback: Love it? Hate it?
Disclaimer: I don’t own the recognizable characters I’m just inspired by them.
Summary: In a world where you are either military or a slave to the military, Jack O'Neill hates slavery and yet winds up with two. And though he gives them his protection, they steal his heart in return.
---------------
Daniel swung by the infirmary to pick up a refill of his allergy medication. He had meant to do it yesterday but the infirmary had been busy with the wounded soldiers and they had certainly taken priority over his stuffy nose. The doctor on duty dispensed what he needed with a smile and he turned to go back to his office. On his way he looked down the line of beds and found himself making eye contact with William. William's expression wasn't the look of abject terror from the first night, rather it was more curious, and Daniel tentatively walked towards his bed.
"Hello," Daniel said lightly as he reached William's bedside.
William had a thin flat box open on his tray table containing inexpensive colored pencils and drawing charcoal along with a couple of sketch pads. William had another sketch book in his hand that he carefully closed as Daniel approached.
"He... he told me that you were dead. That he killed you and would do the same to me." Williams tone was hesitant, but his words were matter-of-fact and straight to the point.
Daniel winced. "I don't know exactly how to respond to that. I can only imagine what other things he told you that weren't true. I am so sorry for everything that's happened to you."
"It wasn't your fault."
Daniel wasn't expecting the unsolicited absolution from William. He opened his mouth to reply then closed it again, not really knowing what to say.
William looked at the gold cuff on Daniel's wrist and reached up and tapped the tags hanging around his own neck and said, "General O'Neill... he claimed me and Elle."
"I know. He feels very strongly about protecting the both of you. Putting his tags on you is one of the ways he can do that."
William swallowed nervously and his voice was a mere whisper when he asked fearfully, "Does that mean he's going to want to... you know, with me?"
Daniel felt like he had been punched in the gut. "No, William, Jack... well, he doesn't use slaves that way, and he doesn't keep slaves either. He does claim some, like you, that he feels needs protecting, then he finds them a safe place to go or transfers them to another officer that will treat them with decency and respect."
"He kept you."
Daniel couldn't help but grin. "Only because I wanted to be kept. He and I care about each other very much, William, and there isn't anywhere else I would want to be."
"I've never had that."
"Neither had I before Jack. But trust me when I say that he will make sure that you will be happy wherever you end up, he's a little stubborn about things like that."
"Ellie too?"
"Definitely," deciding he wanted to steer the conversation away from Elle, Daniel asked, "So what are you drawing?"
William hesitated a moment before opening the sketchpad and showing Daniel the stunning charcoal drawing of a massive flower garden.
"Wow. This is fantastic. You have quite a gift. Is this someplace you've visited?"
William dropped his eyes to the blanket and his voice wavered a bit as he answered, "No. It was where I went... in my head when he was..."
Daniel's throat felt thick with emotion at that and he couldn't help but reply honestly, "I used to recite the history of the different Egyptian dynasties in mine."
William raised his head with a questioning look and Daniel nodded. Daniel handed him back the sketchpad and said, "So why a garden?"
"I... I like to be outside. I've been doing landscaping work since I was a teenager."
"Well if your real gardens look anything like the one in your drawing, I'd say you were good at it too."
William shrugged non-commitally, his confidence and self-esteem in tatters thanks to Arlis.
Daniel glanced at his watch and said, "I have to run, I've got a meeting in a few minutes, but I can come back later if you want. We can talk some more."
"I don't want to be any trouble."
Daniel worked hard to put as much compassion in his voice as he could, while avoiding pity, and said, "William, I know you may not believe this after everything you've been through, but no one here thinks that you're a burden. Nobody. Jack, Dr. Fraiser, Elle, me, and even Kawalsky, we all just to see you healthy and back on your feet. And whatever you need to do that, you just have to tell one of us, okay?"
William nodded and Daniel patted the railing of William's bed gently before turning to leave.
---------------
The conference table was nearly full when Daniel arrived at the briefing room. He quickly poured himself a coffee and took his normal seat next to Jack. The mood in the room was somber, and as he looked around at the serious faces of Majors Davis and Michaels, Lieutenant Colonel Kawalsky, Sergeant Brooks, and two men he didn't know in suits with visitor badges, he knew that they had found Arlis and the others responsible for hurting Elle and William.
Jack cleared his throat, claiming everyone's utmost attention, and said, "Major Michaels, before I turn this meeting over to you, I have a personnel issue that I need to address." Jack stood and the rest of the men followed suit. "Sergeant Brooks, front and center."
Brooks quickly went to stand and face Jack at the head of the table, flushing a little under everyone's scrutiny.
"Sergeant Brooks, I've received the results of your Slave Oversight Officer certification exam, and I pleased to announce that you received a perfect score and are now hereby officially a federal Slave Oversight Officer for the United States Marine Corps."
Walter silently stepped forward from the corner of the room where he had been waiting and handed Jack the new lapel insignias for Brooks. Jack pinned them on and with a final salute he handed Brooks his badge and said, "Congratulations, Brooks."
"Thank you, sir, and thank you for recommending me for it, I won't let you down, sir."
"Of that I have no doubt, Sergeant," Jack replied with a pleased little smile and patted the young man on the shoulder.
The other men all offered Brooks their own congratulations and they reclaimed their seats at Jack's mention that they needed to get to the business at hand. When they were settled, Jack addressed Michaels, "You have the floor, Major."
"Thank you, General," he paused and glanced down at his notes before continuing, "As everyone in the room is aware, in our investigation of Captain Arlis we discovered a much bigger circle of corruption and slave abuse. In light of evidence gathered in Denver by Colonel Kawalsky, Major Ferretti, Sergeant Brooks, and Teal'c that points to several high-ranking Marine Corps officers I have asked NCIS to join the investigation. Although I have the authority as a federal Slave Oversight Officer to make arrests regardless of service branch or rank, I felt that having this be a joint operation would avoid any potential rumors of branch bias later on," he gestured towards one of the men in suits, a man about Jack's age with the same silver hair and intense blue eyes, "This is Special Agent Gibbs and his pledged concubine, Anthony DiNozzo. Agent Gibbs has the highest level of security clearance which is why they specifically were assigned to this case and they have both been read in on the Stargate Program and this command."
Jack said lightly, "Marine, Agent Gibbs?"
"Yes, sir, rank of Gunnery Sergeant, although my authority as an NCIS agent will supersede that in this investigation. Like Major Michaels, we are able to make arrests regardless of rank or branch when it comes to crimes committed by or against Naval or Marine personnel."
"Gotcha. Please continue, Major."
Michaels picked up a remote control from the conference table and activated the slide show of surveillance photos taken in Denver. "This house on Pleasantview Drive is owned by Colonel Grove." The photo on the screen showed a large, sprawling ranch style home behind a tall, sturdy, wrought-iron fence. Similar wrought iron work barred all of the windows.
Michaels continued, "The house, as you can see, is practically a fortress, designed to keep people in as well as out. Although I have no direct evidence and no witness corroboration, I believe that Colonel Grove is using this house as an illegal slave brothel. Right now, as it stands, I have no jurisdiction to enter this house. I've been trying to get statements out of some of the slaves that Grove turned in, the ones that were obviously abused, to get something that gives me cause, but none of them are talking. They are just too afraid."
Agent DiNozzo asked thoughtfully, "What about the two that were rescued, the ones that are here?"
"Given their physical and mental conditions, we have not conducted in depth formal interviews with them as of yet."
Jack interjected, "Those interviews are going to be conducted very, and I mean very, carefully. We're not going to add to their trauma in any way. Both William and Ellie have been tortured and brutalized enough already. I want to be perfectly clear about this."
Gibbs spoke up, "I think it's safe to say, General, that no one sitting at this table wants that either. We'll all tread lightly."
Jack nodded and Michaels continued after putting a new photo up on the screen, "These four men were invited into the house and spent approximately four hours inside. We've identified them as Marine Corps Lieutenant General Issac Rainey, Air Force Brigadier General Maxwell Haney, Marine Corp Colonel Marcus Ellington, and I believe most of you will recognize the fourth man..."
"Kinsey," Jack spat out flatly.
"Yes, sir. Currently Senator Robert Kinsey, but holds the Naval rank of Lieutenant Commander."
Michaels moved on to the next photo of them actually being shown into the house by a young male slave clad only in a pair of tight blue jeans. Daniel's keen eye picked up on something though and he asked, "What is that near his foot?"
Michaels grinned grimly at Daniel, "Nice catch, sir. It's not very clear in the pictures, but that is a chain fetter locked onto his ankle. It prevents him from leaving."
The distaste in everyone present was almost palatable and Michaels added, "They are not illegal when used within allowed guidelines. And from all appearances of the young man in the photos, he is clean, well-fed, and shows no immediate signs of physical abuse. As much as I hate fetters, I just don't have cause to do anything about it in this case. Colonel Grove also has a legal claim in the system for a young man whose description and photo matches this young man, so again, no cause."
Jack frowned and asked, "So where does that leave us?"
Michaels hesitated to answer, and Gibbs sighed and scrubbed his chin with his hand before he answered for Michaels, "We need to talk William and Ellie. And without leading their answers, we need to get some piece of evidence that will let us go and bust down that door."
---------------
Ellie sat stiffly in the conference room chair. She was in another set of infirmary scrubs and someone had given her an Air Force zip-up sweatshirt to ward off the ever-present chill in the mountain. Jack thought she looked as well as they had ever seen her. Her bruises were gone and all but the deepest of the the whip cuts on her back had healed nicely according the the reports from Fraiser. She had spent most of the last few days with Ambassador Wagner in the VIP suite and the old man's company seemed to have lifted her spirit more than anyone could have expected. Jack just hoped that having her relive everything didn't set her back in her recovery.
Jack sat next to her and Gibbs and Michaels settled themselves across the table from them.
Michaels gave Ellie a little smile and said warmly, "You're looking well, Ellie."
"Thank you, Major."
Jack reached over and laid a hand on Ellie's and said gently, "Ellie, you know Major Michaels already, but this is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS; he just joined the investigation and is going to be working with us."
She nodded but didn't say anything and Gibbs offered her his hand to shake and said lightly, "You can call me Jethro, Miss Foley."
Ellie shook his hand hesitantly and replied, "Only if you call me Ellie, Jethro."
He grinned and nodded.
Michael's brought their attention back to the matter at hand. "Ellie, I can only imagine how difficult this interview is going to be for you and if you need a break at any time just let us know. You have done absolutely nothing wrong and we don't want you to feel like this is an interrogation. We just need to know what happened, as much as you can remember. No detail is too small and no matter how silly you might think something sounds, we want to hear it anyway. Okay?"
"Yes, Major, I understand. Do you have specific questions you want me to try and answer first or should I just start at the beginning?"
"The beginning sounds like a good place to start, but if you think of something out of sequence along the way, don't hesitate to go off on a tangent."
Ellie's hand crept up and closed around the tags lying against her sweatshirt and she took a deep breath before starting, "Edgar... I mean General O'Connell was being presented with some sort of award for his past work in South Africa. He was so excited to go, but he couldn't take me with him... because of my status. So he left me home alone. He was only supposed to be gone three days. I didn't realize he had died the same day he left, and when he didn't call me I just assumed that he was busy with all the stuff going on out there. Two days later an officer arrived at the house to pick up Edgar's car..."
---------------
Daniel, Tony, Brooks, and Kawalsky were heading for the infirmary to interview Billy. Before they entered the infirmary itself Kawalsky said, "Hold up a second, fellas."
They all paused and looked at him. His expression was a little stony and his tone serious as he said, "I'm going to take it personally if any one one of you upsets Billy. He's lived through something that no one should have ever had to live through and we're not, and I repeat, not going to push him any further than he's comfortable with. Am I understood?"
Daniel could see Charlie's hands balled into angry fists and he reached over and put a gentle hand on Charlie's shoulder. "None of us want to cause him further trauma, Charlie, you know that. I spoke with Billy earlier and I think you might be surprised at how well he handles this. He's strong, he wouldn't have survived all that Arlis dished out to him if he wasn't."
The other two men didn't say a word and just watched Charlie's eyes meet Daniel's and hold them for a long moment before he nodded.
The four of them entered the infirmary and Daniel was thinking about the burning protective streak that Charlie seemed to have for Billy. It seemed to go beyond just righteous fury about what had happened to Billy, and he wondered if Jack had noticed. Daniel filed it away in his head to think about further later on when he had time.
Billy was sketching again when they reached his bedside and Charlie quickly made the introductions. When the four of them hesitated, Billy asked, "Where do you want to start?"
---------------
Ellie's brow was furrowed as she recalled events. The men simply listened quietly and let her tell things at her own pace.
"A Major Landau knocked on the door and said that he had orders to collect the "late" General O'Connell's Air Force issued car. I told him that I thought it was mistake, that Edgar wasn't dead, he was just in Washington. He gave me a weird look and asked who I was, and told him my name. There was another man in a car waiting outside, I guess dropping off the Major so he could drive Edgar's car back. The Major told me he had to go out to the car and make a call to double check the orders. While I was waiting for him to do that, I went out into the side yard with Yogi, our Pomeranian."
She paused in her telling and swallowed hard before continuing, "About twenty minutes later or so, both men came around the side of the house. At first I wasn't concerned, but then I saw that they both had guns in their hands and the Major was sort of sneering at me. The next part happened so fast..."
Ellie turned her head to face Jack, gaining a little courage from the compassion she saw there. "Yogi must have picked up on some sort of bad vibe and went to bite the Major and the Major shot him. Then he just picked him up and tossed him into the brush pile near the shed. I couldn't move. And the next thing I knew the Major's gun was pointed at my face. They used duct tape on my hands and feet and more on my mouth so I couldn't scream and then they put me in the trunk of the car they came in."
Gibbs stood and thoughtfully poured her a glass of water and asked gently as he handed it to her, "You're doing great, Ellie. Do you need a break?"
She took the water and shook her head. "No, I'm okay. It's just really... hard."
---------------
It was Tony that prompted Billy gently, "I'm really sorry about your sister, and I'm glad you were able to make it out there to see her. So maybe what happened after that is a good place to start."
Billy nodded and answered, "I got back to Denver a couple days later and I was trying to figure out how much trouble I was in. The SOO assigned to my slave barracks hated me and I knew that he would've reported me AWP. I was trying to make my way to the other side of the city to the main SOO office so I could turn myself in and maybe find an SOO that was willing to listen to my side of things. I was waiting for the bus when a big black SUV pulled up and two men with guns and tasers got out."
Tony asked, "Did you recognize either of them? Had you ever seen them before?"
Billy nodded and replied, "The man driving was Colonel Grove, I had seen him before hanging around with my barracks' SOO. I don't know who the other guy was. Colonel Grove told me that he knew I was AWP and that he was taking me into custody. They put shackles on me and handcuffs and threw me in the back of the SUV. We drove around for a couple of hours, and they grabbed two others, a young girl and another guy about my age."
It was Brooks turn to ask, "Do you know their names?"
Billy stared down at the blanket for a long moment, thinking hard and then looked up and answered, "The girl was Cathy... Jenkins I think her last name was, and the guy was Tom Miles."
"Thanks, Billy, that's a big help. When we're done here I'll see what I can find out," Brooks replied with a little nod of his head.
Tony prompted again, "So what happened after they had you all in the SUV?"
Billy let out a little breath and said, "We drove for a while. At first I didn't know where where we were. Then I started seeing signs and buildings that I knew. We were heading to the far side of Denver, out where all those new min-mansions are being built."
Charlie asked, "Had you been out there before?"
"Yeah. I, ah, I did the landscaping on General Forester's new house out there last year."
Charlie nodded and Billy continued, "We turned into the main entrance for the development, and then we took the first right. Pleasantview Drive. I don't know the house number but it was the third house on the left, a tan stucco ranch with a black iron gate and more black iron bars on all the windows and a poor half-dead douglas fir in the front yard."
Charlie, Tony, and Brooks all shared a look. Billy had just given them exactly what they needed.
---------------
Ellie focused her eyes on the table and her voice was low as she continued her story, "I don't know how long I was in the trunk. They took me to someplace with a big barn. They pulled me out of the trunk and I spent two days I think handcuffed in one of the horse stalls. I only ever saw the Major. Then on the third day another man came with a van. There were no windows in the back of the van, and there was a..." her voice broke a little but she quickly cleared her throat and continued, "There was cage bolted down to floor in the back of the van. They put me in there and the new man gave the Major an envelope full of money. He counted it right there in front of me. Then the Major said... nevermind, it's not important."
Jack asked gently, "What did he say, Ellie."
Ellie closed her eyes and her lip was quivering violently as she replied, "He said not to worry, that the Colonel would make sure that I got..."
The tears streamed down her face and Jack pulled her in close as he announced, "Time for a break. Give us a minute guys."
The other two men quietly left the room and Ellie sobbed against Jack and he prompted again, "What he say, Ellie? Don't hold it in. Let it out and let it go."
Her voice was a harsh whisper against his chest amid her tears but her words were clear enough to make Jack see red, "He said that the Colonel would make sure that I got a good fucking," she emphasized the last word to make sure Jack knew it wasn't hers, and then added, "then he said he might even come to Denver himself for the bidding- just to see who got to take my virginity."
Fresh sobs wracked her body and Jack just held her tightly not saying a word. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better.
---------------
Billy's hand was shaking a little as he picked up his cup and took a sip of water. Charlie asked him, "Billy, do you need a break?"
"No. I'm okay."
Charlie was surprised and pleased with how Billy seemed to be taking all of this, Daniel had been right, Billy was strong, probably stronger than any of them really knew.
Billy put his cup back down and took a moment to find his place in his thoughts before continuing. "They dragged the three of us into the house. They brought us downstairs to this big open room. There were couches along two walls and the rest of the room had all sorts of... bondage stuff. Colonel Grove told the girl that he already had a buyer for her. Then he told me the same thing. The other guy Tom... Grove said that since he wasn't a certified virgin that there wasn't any reason he couldn't be fucked right away."
The disgust was apparent on Billy face and his voice had a tinge of anger as he said, "Two big guys pulled him over to this bench and cuffed him facedown. They made us watch while Grove and the two guys raped him." Billy snorted lightly and added, "They didn't even undress him, they just cut a flap out of the back of his jeans."
Billy swallowed hard. "He screamed and screamed. And Grove just said that he could, because no one would hear. When they were done, they locked me in a bedroom upstairs. I tried but there was no way to get out. The next day, the door opened and Grove came in with Arlis and told me that Arlis had bought me and that I was supposed to do anything Arlis wanted. He left and Arlis..." He looked up at Daniel and said, "I can't... I just can't..."
"It's okay, Billy. Really. We know that part. Let's skip to the part where you ended up at Arlis' house."
"After two days at Grove's house, he brought me back to his house. I don't know exactly how long I was there. But after a few days he started bringing other men home and he let them... Anyway months went by, and then Arlis brought Ellie. I tried to protect her, but I couldn't and he hurt her and he let other men hurt her. They made me watch." Billy's voice broke on that and Charlie's hands fisted of their own accord.
With a firm set to his own jaw, Brooks asked, "Do you have any names? Would you recognize any of them if you saw pictures?"
Billy shook his head, "No names, just ranks," he met the big Marine's eyes and said, "I'll never forget their faces. Never. I can't. But I..."
His words failed him and he simply pulled a sketch pad out of the small stack on his bedside table and handed it to Brooks. "Will this help?"
Brooks opened it and sucked in a breath. There in crystal clear black and white sketches were the faces of the monsters that had abused him.
Charlie's voice was full of awe as he whispered, "God, Billy..."
---------------
tbc...