Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide. Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, Double Secret Productions.
Isis felt a slight chill run down her spine.
For a moment, she thought it might have been the night air. The paradoxical nature of desert terrain were such that while the day was bathed in waves upon waves of blistering heat that cracked the skin and baked the ground, at night the temperatures dropped so drastically one might forget that one was in a desert at all. The Goddess of All paused for a moment, trying to discern what had been the cause of this sudden icy occurrence, wondering whether it was simply an aspect of being human or was it on some level, her Goa'uld past reaching out to express itself. It did not take long before she decided that she did not know which but the chill followed a deep sense of dread regarding her mate.
No, she corrected herself, not her mate. The Consort to the Goddess of All had earned the right to be called more than that. He was her Beloved, the Pharaoh of her heart. Although Isis herself had no feeling for the man called Vin Tanner, every fibre of the hosts' being knew that she loved this human and would be willingly die for him. Sharing the host soul had made Isis feel the same way for him and though it was some times bewildering how one human could feel such contentment with another, she knew without any doubt that if he were taken from them, her host would never recover from the loss. Isis did not wish to be doomed with the mourning that followed.
When the feeling overcame her, she had been seated in the back of the wagon they had procured in Avon for the purpose of this plan Julia Pemberton had insisted was the only way to penetrate the fortress within which she was certain all their mates were being held. Their horses were left a short distance behind them, beyond the sight of the enemy. If their rescue attempt were successful, the horses would be needed again to make good their escape. The wagon, covered with canvas, allowed her and Sekhmet some measure of anonymity even though when the time came to spring the plan into action, they would be the ones who would ensure their success. Still as Julia had rightly pointed out, that aspect of the rescue could wait. The crossing of the flat terrain surrounding the fort was all that mattered presently. The wagon continued on its path over the rocky terrain, jostling those within as it crossed the desert. Inez, Julia and Casey were up front for it was necessary that it appeared nothing was being hidden as they approached the enemy with their dangerous gambit to enter Laurel's confines.
"What is the matter?" Sekhmet asked when she saw an unfathomable expression surface on Isis' cool features.
The Goddess of All sat up quickly in the back tray, the canvas billowing slightly towards her with every breath of desert scarp. She swallowed, feeling this hollowness in her pit of her stomach, a natural reaction for a body tensing. She could explain the cause of such a reaction from her abdomen. It was an established fact that when a creature felt fear, the body prepared itself for confrontation and saved its resources for what might be needed later. The stomach pauses in its digestive processes, readying itself for a fight. She knew the how of her stomach hollowing but not the why. That was harder.
"I do not know," she responded softly, grasping desperately at the tendrils of cold quickly slipping away so she that could better understand. "I feel a deep sense of foreboding. I cannot explain it."
"We are about to face an uncertain battle," Sekhmet responded, though she did not look afraid. Sekhmet very rarely feared battle. She relished it. Such confidence came with the supreme understanding that one was the very best. However, Isis was a formidable warrior herself, perhaps even more so than her and yet Isis relied upon her mind to solve most situations and thus rarely had to rely solely on her skills as a warrior. "It is understandable that you are slightly apprehensive. There is no shame in that."
"I do not fear battle Sekhmet," Isis retorted automatically and gazed past the opening in the canvas. She saw the harsh desert terrain, punctuated by shrubs, rocks and the occasional struggling tree but none of it really registered in her mind. There was just this feeling. It was ominous, like something in the darkness about to lunge with sharp teeth. " I fear something has taken a turn for the worse."
"How do you mean?" The warrior goddess asked immediately, her voice suddenly taut.
"I cannot explain it." Isis answered as best she could. "A moment ago I was struck with a sense of terrible darkness. I think my mate is harmed." The words escaped her like a strained breath.
"You do not know that for certain." Sekhmet declared, not about to put her faith in such feelings when fact was all she knew. Although the perceptions belonging to the Goddess of All was no small matter either. "The host has fears for her beloved. Your 'feeling' may have been a projection of her own anxiety towards his safety."
As much as Isis wanted to believe that, she knew it was not the truth. There was some insight to what she had felt and inwardly began to brace herself for the worse even though she knew that if she were to find him dead, it was uncertain what sense would remain within her to be of any aid to the others. She leaned back against the canvas sides and closed her eyes, having images of him fill her mind and the part of her that was Isis, could not help feeling a little bit envious of the host. He was possibly the most beautiful man she had ever seen, though he did not look it upon first viewing. Isis accessed memories of love making hot and steamy, tender and wild, all things that the poets through the ages had described. Warm, summer nights while they rode together on horseback, thrilling in the simple pleasure of being with one another, of being able to look into each other's eyes and say with complete confidence they belonged only to each other.
"Sekhmet do you wonder about your mate?" Isis asked.
"He is not my mate." She returned automatically. "He is the mate of the host."
"But you have her feelings do you not?" Isis questioned again.
Sekhmet shrugged finding the question uncomfortable. "I have her feelings. I worry about him and how he fares. I worry about my children whom are in her hands. I know they are not mine really but trapped inside her mind, I watch what she has. I see how fulfilled she feels and thought it is unimaginable to me that content could come from such an existence, I also envy her for she is happy. Not many creatures can claim to feel as such. I suppose in some way, I share in her joy and when this is over, when we return to whatever we were before, I think I can do so knowing that I will understand that happiness enough to enjoy it with her."
"Yes," Isis nodded. "I feel that too. I have this ache inside my soul and I know it does not belong to me. She feared nothing more than allowing me free to rule in her stead and yet she allowed it so because it was the only way to retrieve him. Can you imagine the sacrifice?" Isis asked, her voice lowering to a soft whisper. "To give away one's life in death is easier than what was asked of her. She risked a living death if it meant that he could be saved. A part of me thinks that this is foolishness that if it were Isis making the choice, there would be no question of what was to be done. Another part makes me feel ashamed."
"Goa'uld do not feel shame." Sekhmet replied softly. "Goa'uld do not feel at all. It is no wonder we were so despised. No wonder why the Nefertum chose to banish us as their gods, why all the Tau'Ri have done so. We do not understand anything and we do not care too. We could have taken our place as one of the five races of the galactic Council but our barbarism disgusts the others. They think Goa'uld is a blight to removed. Perhaps it is the host that compels me to say this but I actually feel that they are right."
"Perhaps," Isis sighed. "But this is an argument for another time." There was nothing to be done by debating this issue since they were not themselves to be able to conclude that anything they felt was not a residual effect of the host, instead of their true feelings on the matter.
Sekhmet did not disagree but suddenly, her eyes filled with caution and she cocked her head slightly as if concentrating hard. Beyond the canvas walls of the wagon, she could hear voices and knew instinctively they did not belong to any member of their party. Over the sound of rocks shattering under the weight of a wagon wheel and dirt being crush underfoot, Sekhmet could hear the sounds of what was definitely male curiosity being aimed at their presence. She moved stealthily to the head of the wagon and peered through the slit of canvas. Inez, Julia and Casey were playing their part, waving and smiling at the men. The response from the men guarding the wall of the fortress was wavering between caution and interest.
This was hardly surprising because the details of Julia's plan had been involved their return to town and acquiring the apparel of a couple of cathouse employees. The wagon though modest from within was garishly decorated for the purpose of leaving no question as to what occupation its riders were engaged in. Mercifully, the ruse did not require all of them to be disguised and so only Julia, Casey and Inez were adorned in the tasteless clothes. As Isis and Sekhmet quickly hid themselves beneath some old sheets and blankets acquired for the purpose, they could hear Inez and Julia laughing and beckoning the men while they were approached, playing theirs parts superbly.
Superbly perhaps, but not without despising every forward thing they were saying. Casey was merely content to smile and somehow, Inez had the idea that she was most likely the one most of the men who were leering at them like sides of beef, wanted most. It was always the way with men, she thought, always after what was forbidden or most difficult to acquire. In any case, Casey was only playing the part as they all were. Julia had been correct about a bunch of working girls being able to con their way through the gates of the fort.
As they neared the high walls, arms were waving them forward, urging them to complete the distance. The men who made up Laurel Chase' army were an eclectic bunch, ranging from Mexicans, Caucasians and even the odd native Indian. She supposed that the narcotic being administered to them made all men brothers, no matter what colour their skin. Still, despite this accusation, Inez was hard pressed to see which man was affected and which was not. There were no signs of the mania that had gripped Chris Larabee and she shuddered at the thought that once they were past the gates of the fort, these were the men they had to get through to reach Buck and the others.
Although Isis and Sekhmet promised that their off world weapons were more than a match for the number they faced, Inez could not help being a little unnerved by using such strange devices. Though she was not deeply religious, she was a product of her upbringing and a healthy faith in God was part of her life. Something inside Inez told her that these were dangerous forces they were tampering with, forces that perhaps the human race as a whole was unprepared to cope with yet. Indeed Isis had claimed that once the boys were freed and this situation had drawn to its conclusion, the weapons would be discarded permanently, perhaps even returned to the underground tomb from which they had been liberated.
They reached the foot of the fortress and a huge Oriental looked down at her. Obviously having been summoned at their approach, he looked down at the three of them with distaste.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"Nothing at all," Julia Pemberton responded the best actress among them all. She offered the man a smile while behind her, Inez tried not to show that the sight of him had sent tendrils of fear through her spine. This was the man that Vin Tanner had told her was Laurel's bodyguard, who was never away from her side. The sight of him standing at the top of the wall was proof enough that they were on the right track and the seven were here.
"We're on our way to California," Julia replied looking up at the huge man, aware of the implications just as well as Inez. Fortunately, Isis and Sekhmet was hidden in the back of the wagon and could not be seen by the man. Had he seen Isis, he would have immediately recognized Alexandra Styles and this entire rescue attempt would die in the birthing. Alex was the only one of them the enemy had seen since she had been present during the rescue of Chris Larabee from the Arena.
"We saw this place and thought business was business, we could afford to make a little stop here." She smiled. "So?" She met the Oriental's gaze, forcing all fear from her eyes and playing the part of working girl to aplomb. "Can we show you boys a good time?"
Mr Zhang looked at her for a long time, as if weighing the decision carefully in his head. The supervision of the men under their employ was for most part his responsibility and he knew the Mistress would not have any reason to question his decision as long as nothing came of it. It would not be a imprudent decision to allow these 'ladies' into the place for a time. They were miles from anywhere and the presence of the Mistress could sometimes addle the brain of those who lusted after her and almost everyone did at some point. Satisfying that animal need may go a long way to pacifying them for a time. He knew that some of them were becoming impatient with this inactivity of this duty guarding prisoners and while the Venom kept them bound to Laurel, it did not give any them release from their aggressive tendencies.
"You may enter." He said finally.
"That's kind of you," Julia flashed him another winning smile and then capped off the performance by giving the man a wink. "You won't regret it."
Laurel Chase was pleased.
She had not imagined that this outcome was possible when she had begun crafting her vengeance against Vin Tanner but supposed that it was just Fate's way of reminding her who was in charge. She supposed that it was arrogance on her part to assume that physiological response of every subject who had partaken of Venom would be the same. Men were not rats, they did not often respond the same way. Twelve rats would react in one manner but twelve different men would do so in twelve different ways. She had not thought Mr Tanner was susceptible to a stroke but it was such a perfect end to him that she could not help feeling somewhat giddy that it was she who had caused it.
Laurel circled the bed where he was lying prone resembling a vulture about to feed on the corpse of the dead. After he had lapsed into this condition, Laurel had him removed from his cell while listening to Chris Larabee making his impotent threats and enjoying it almost as much as she enjoyed seeing Vin Tanner in this state. He was not quite dead yet and she suspected that his cognitive abilities were quite intact even though his body would not allow him to express himself in anyway. Perhaps she would allow the healer to look at him as the man wanted since Laurel did not wish Vin to shirk off the mortal plane just yet.
She wanted him like this for as long as it was possible to keep him alive in this fashion.
"Well Mr Tanner," she said with a little smile as she sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over him so that he would know she was there. His mind was still too clouded from the after effects of the stroke and though his mind was still functioning, it would be days before he attained a level of recovery that would allow him to understand anything she was saying. Still, Laurel was not about to lament this little irritation because seeing him in his condition was almost as good as crippling him. Even better actually.
"What shall we do with you?" She asked as she tapped him lightly on the nose. His eyes were still staring into nothingness but she was certain on some level that he was aware of her. At least it amused her think so.
"Maybe I'll keep you in a corner of my parlor, to entertain guests. See how many bullets it will take to pierce your skin to cause a reaction? Wouldn't that be nice?" She let out a chuckle finding the notion enormously funny. Her eyes glimmered with sinister light as she lowered her lips to his ear and whispered softly. "Perhaps I'll begin a process of slow dismemberment for the benefit of your charming wife, the eminent Doctor Styles. I would give anything to see the look on her face, the first time she receives your fingers by post."
Vin could not react. Laurel did not expect him to but she was certain he was aware of what she was saying and even if he did not, there was plenty of opportunity to repeat herself when he was recovered. She knew enough about the condition to guess at he had suffered a massive hemorrhage of the cerebellum. He could live on indefinitely but his days as a tracker or as Chris Larabee's lieutenant in the group known as the Magnificent Seven were over. If mercy was granted him, he would only live on for a few hours but Laurel intended to see that opportunity denied him at all costs. Fate had delivered him into her hands for the most cruel of punishments and she intended to make full use of the chance.
"Perhaps I should further my research into the Venom. Determine what exactly was how the drug was able to precipitate your unfortunate condition. How would a vivisection suit you? Its not like you'll need a sedative or anything, after all you're hardly in a position to react enough to give me any trouble if I put you on the examination table are you?" The idea of his being aware as she carved him up into piece, a bit at a time was similarly heart warming to her. "I know, I'll publish a paper on the subject and let your dear wife be the first to read it. Perhaps I'll ask her opinion on what it should be called."
Vin did not make any response to her provocative words. He remained pale and listless, his eyes staring into nothingness. She felt his pulse and noted that he still had a heart beat. No doubt, his body was trying to repair the massive damage inflicted by the stroke as evidence by one of his blood soaked eyes. Laurel was not surprised when Chris had protested the removal of his best friend after he had been reduced to this state. No doubt, he was wracked with not only guilt but also worry with what she would be doing to Vin while he was alone with her.
Let him.
"Let me tell you something else Mr Tanner," Laurel spoke once more. "Perhaps I will kill you quickly and perhaps I will make you pray for your death like it would be a kindness but know one thing for certain, you will rue the day that you came between me and Chris. I'll tell you another truth, once I'm done with you, I'll go after your precious Alexandra. You had not thought I'd forgotten her complicity in Chris' escape from the Arena did you? I remember everything. Including how she tricked her way into my laboratory and then aided in your flight with my property. I swear to you that you may take comfort in knowing that when you die, she will not be long after you."
"You know what to do." Isis gave her last minute instructions from the back of the wagon as Julia, Inez and Casey tucked the Zat'nuk'atel weapons under the folds of their dresses. Although Isis found the clothing worn by the Tau'Ri cumbersome, bordering on ridiculous in the terms of practicality, it was somewhat ideal to hide the cache of weaponry that she and Sekhmet had liberated from under the earth.
Outside, the men of the fort were waiting for the emergence of the trio of ladies so the time they had for any last minute discussion was short. However, they had committed to memory everything that they required to know for this rescue mission prior to their arrival here and so very little reconfirmation was necessary. Julia, Inez and Casey had excused themselves to prepare for the night activities, citing a new to refresh up as ladies tended to do before such encounters. There had been little or no resistance to this idea since the Oriental had withdrawn, leaving the debauchery that was to follow to those who would partake of it. The other men were so lustful that they could barely see straight.
"Yeah." Julia nodded, taking a quick look at the strange weapon. "One shot gives them something to think about, two will kill them?"
"Close enough." Sekhmet replied. "Do not hesitate to kill them." The warrior goddess retorted. "If you do not, they will almost certainly kill you first but not before they force themselves on you. A great many of them have the stink of intoxication by this poison of hers."
Casey gulped visibly, unable to deny that she was just a little afraid, as they all were. Though she was fearless on most occasions, she could not ignore that this situation was far more dangerous than any she had found herself embroiled in the past. She kept reminding herself that this was for JD and everything that she had heard about Laurel Chase justified her inclusion into this perilous plan. Besides, Isis and Sekhmet had provided them formidable weapons to which Casey could personally attest, having seen them in action when she was being taught to use it.
"Are you alright little one?" Sekhmet regarded the young woman whose face was marked noticeably with worry.
"Yes," Casey nodded. "Just a little nervous that's all." She confessed readily.
"A little fear is a good thing," Sekhmet said with a smile. "It will keep you alive and alert."
Casey nodded once more but she still did not seem as certain. Nor did Julia and Inez look as confidant but they were resolute in what needed to be done and with that strength behind them, their fear did not appear as acute. "I'll be okay," she assured Sekhmet who reacted by squeezing her arm and offering her a look of encouragement.
"We have to go." Inez hissed and remained long enough to give Isis and Sekhmet a parting look for the duo to wish them luck before she emerged out of the cavern.
Inez stepped off the wagon wearing an alluring smile to the group of men who had gathered to greet them in enthusiasm for the night's pleasure. Inez had seen enough working girls in her time to be able to play the part convincingly. However, it was Julia who garnered most of the attention, reminding Inez why it had been so easy for her to wrestle Ezra Standish' affections away from Alexandra Styles, shortly after her arrival in Four Corners.
"Boy, boys," Julia grinned at the waiting clientele, "there's plenty of us to go around. If you show us the way, I'm sure we can get things up and going." She emphasized the last few words with suggestive innuendo, eliciting a series of wolf calls and cheers from the gallery.
"Ain't got no arguments from me," the leader of the group, leader only because he was the loudest, had come to the head of the gathering and wrapped his arm around Inez, making no secret of the fact that he had a taste for Latin flesh. Inez smiled widely even though she found the man's touch repulsive and felt some measure of relief that this charade would last as long as their presence was taking attention away from the wagon.
"Well then Senor," Inez spoke with allure in her warm brown eyes moving down his form. "Perhaps we might retire to a more private place?"
The man seemed more than eager to agree and as the entire group moved from the courtyard where the wagon was presently located, the sentries who were on duty looked longingly after them because they had to keep watch and their roster of duty had still hours left in it. Distractedly and filled with thoughts of pleasuring themselves with three of the most fetching working girls they had ever seen, they returned their attention to the desert ahead, not all thinking about the wagon sitting there in the semi-darkness of the moonlit night.
The cacophony of voices trailed away as the women and their entourage of customers disappeared into what passed as the living quarters for the men in Laurel's guard. Of course there had to be such a place, Isis had assumed from the very beginning because the seven had reported that Laurel surrounded herself with a person guard of sorts. She was not the kind of woman who would leave anything to chance, in particular any threat to her personal safety.
The voices dissipated finally into the distance and the silence of the evening was broken only by the sound of someone pacing or making the rounds over the high wall of the fence. Their eyes were fixated on the horizon, waiting patiently for the arrival of enemies that might come for their mistress' guests who were presently confined within the cells below.
Most of them found it difficult to focus on very much, mostly because the Venom tended to heighten their need for action and the inactivity of surveillance duty did not allow them to exhaust the boundless energy the drug had produced inside them. Subconsciously, they knew the reason for this addiction was to keep them poised and alert at all times. However, Julia Pemberton had been very correct in assuming that heightened sense in that regard also meant a considerable boost to their libido. While she had known nothing about the drug in the capacity that Isis knew it, Julia knew men and how to appeal to their baser instincts.
Inside the courtyard, there were no signs of movement. With the working girls gone from their wagon, there was little need to pay any due to the vehicle covered in white canvas, soiled into beige by the dust of their travel here. The wind was blowing harshly. It nearly always did during the night and caused the canvas to billow inward and out at regular intervals until the movement was so routine that the sentries who had jumped once or twice when they had first witnessed it, were now accustomed enough to disregard it completely.
Sekhmet emerged first, using the long shadows to hide her progress as she emerged from behind the wagon, her feet touching the ground so softly that little noise was made against the gravel. She emerged fully armed with her staff weapon, clutching it in her hand as she moved stealthily across the courtyard into the nearest place that offered covered from the peering eyes above. Isis who was perhaps not as schooled in the art of covert movement as Sekhmet was still quite formidable in her own right and she kept pace with the warrior goddess easily. The two women were aided by the raspy groan of desert wind as they made their secret exit from the wagon, what minute sound their feet made masked by its cry.
In less than a second, appearing like a breath of wind themselves, the two former goddesses reached the wooden walkway that surrounded the courtyard in all directions except the gate which lead into the inside of the former military enclave. Their plan was not terribly complex because the rescue was never meant to be easy. The odds against them were always going to be placing them in a position of disadvantage, Isis knew that. However, the weapons gave them a decided edge and if they could take on the main body of the enemy, then they would be providing the distraction as Inez, Julia and Casey went to retrieve the men.
Isis knew that while the seven may have been captured, releasing them would be unleashing a tornado from a bottle. There would be no need for advantages once the men were liberated because while Laurel might have the upper hand while they were held captive, it was another matter entirely when they were free. Isis had no doubt that the seven would be able to make better use of the weapons at the disposal of Julia, Casey and Inez once they were given the power to do so. She almost felt sorry for the poor unfortunates sent to recapture them.
They could not remain out in the open for very long and had to make some definite progress to putting the next step of their plan into operation. Sekhmet was only interested in one thing at this point. In fact, it had been the only thing that had occupied the thoughts of the warrior goddess, even more than the retrieval of her mate and that was the retrieval of her children. Sekhmet possessed every ounce of Mary Larabee's maternal instinct and at the moment, she was feeling that instinct the way a lioness would fight to protect its cubs. There was no doubt in her mind that Sekhmet would gladly tear everyone apart to find her children.
Suddenly a door creaked open and Sekhmet glanced at Isis, exchanging in a glance that this was the chance that they were waiting for. Both women took flanking positions on either side of the doorway as their prey stepped out of the adjoining room into the night air. Without giving the man any time to breath, Sekhmet had her arm around his throat and was dragging him into the shadows even before he had time to let out a cry for help. Her hand cupped firmly over his mouth as her arm locked around his neck, pressing his tender spot where his voice box situated. He uttered no sounds as he was overwhelmed by shadow in a darkened corner that could neither be seen from anyone in the courtyard or anyone on the sentry wall.
Isis stepped before him and raised her hand so that he was staring into the large amber stone that sat in the middle of her palm from the ribbon device. Her eyes glowed as his widened in fear, the radiation of unearthly light coinciding with the sudden glow of the rock as energy spilled forward, bathing its irises in its golden color. Any struggle he made stopped once the strange ray of light made contact with his eyes.
"Your mistress has prisoners." Isis spoke softly. Her voice sounded almost seductive. "Tell me about them."
"Five of them in the cell block,." The man replied with a thick southern drawl, his voice listless and his eyes still swirling with the specks of amber before him. "There's one in her private suite, along with two children and the one's who dying."
"Dying?" Sekhmet almost forget herself and shouted but fortunately, she was too much the seasoned warrior to let so much emotion jeopardize this interrogation. "Which one?"
"Ain't quite sure but something happened to him." The man continued to speak in that same drone.
"Take us to him." Isis ordered in that same seductive tone. The ribbon devices though capable of much destruction were also equipped to affect its enemy in more subtle ways especially in the hands of one who was extremely skilled in its application, as Isis was.
"My children..." Sekhmet started to say but Isis interrupted her before another word could escape her lips.
"We will find them in due course Sekhmet," she answered. "However, we must see the extent of the injury inflicted to the one."
"Yes of course," Sekhmet understood and finally conceded that Isis was correct in this matter. If one of the seven was injured, he may need medical attention immediately or may require some reconsideration in how they would carry out their rescue.
The man who had given them this information continued to stared listlessly into the glowing orb of the amber stone, allowing its unearthly light to continue its imprisonment of his mind, his eyes staring into nothingness as he waited for further instructions.
Instructions, Isis was more than happy to belay to him. "Take us to the one who is injured."
Without uttering any word to the suggest that he would do the contrary, the man turn on his heels and returned the way he came, only this time he was not alone. Fortunately, he was in no mind to notice or resist.
The men under Laurel's employ did not have rooms of their own as such with nightly slumber taking place in communal barracks located on the lower floors of the building. However, privacy was nonetheless achieved for there were many rooms in the old fort that remained vacant and purposeless since Laurel's occupation here was temporary. Although Inez, Julia and Casey were not able to learn much regarding the fate of the seven or anything else concerning the nature of what these men were doing in this place, they did discern that their residence here was only an interval before moving to more permanent facilities.
There was a group of at least ten men following them and Inez knew that they had to act very carefully to get the drop on all of them. This aspect of Julia's plan had been prepared for before well before they had even reached the fort. Playing the part of working girl perfectly, Inez knew that if the leader of the group were so distracted by lust, the others would be just as easy to overcome once they were alone in closed quarters.
"What's in here?" She asked as they proceeded down the long corridor.
"Not sure," the man retorted, his arm snaking around her waist even tighter as he glanced down her dress and was given a pleasing view of warm, dusky skin that promised delight with each hint of her fragrance in his lungs. "I think it was the supply offices or something. It will do for we need." He smiled at her salaciously.
She recoiled inwardly but forced herself to remember the stakes at present. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Casey trying hard not to turn around and slap the huge bruiser who could not keep his hands off the young woman. He was grabbing her at every opportunity, sliding his fingers in places that would have had him slapped in outrage if he had dared the insult at any other time than now. Unfortunately, too much depended on them maintaining the façade and Inez saw Casey suck in her breath, an indication of the girl's resolve to see this true.
Julia on the other hand had no difficulty in tolerating the touch of men she could not stand. It was something she had acquainted herself with great intimacy throughout much of her life and though she would tolerate it no more in this present point in her existence, she could break her own rules if it meant Ezra would return to her safely.
They arrived at juncture that led into a corridor with several doors. The faded lettering on the wall in Spanish indicated that it was not the supply office but rather what passed for the infirmary when the fort was still occupied by Mexican militia. It was probably why there were so many small private rooms, having once served the purpose of housing patients.
"Well this looks nice and cosy," Julia offered her target a huge grin as she ran her face over his jaw and saw him shudder at her touch. "Why don't we get started honey?" She gave him a little wink and regarded the others who were also wishing to partake in the evening's pleasure and had to wait their turn. She tugged the man by his shirt, towing him towards one of the doors in the corridor.
"The rest of you," she gave them a look. "If you just wait on here, we'll be with you soon enough."
"Yeah, sooner than you think." Someone commented and the others laughed as the man next to her swore at them at the obvious disparagement to his sexual ability.
Julia glanced at Inez and Casey, indicating for them to follow the same tactic. Without giving themselves away, the women exchanged their silent signals and went their separate ways into three different rooms, leaving the others to wait in the hallway for their turn. She offered her friends a note of good luck and hope that such fortune would also be her ally as she saw them disappearing into the dusty rooms before she herself slipped into the privacy of one.
The ancient hospital room was dusty as all hell and though there was a bed, there was no sheets covering its greying and mottled mattress. Julia cringed at the thought of doing anything intimate in such surroundings with its cobwebs in every corner and dirt covered walls and floor. Her would be lover did not seem to mind and as soon as the door closed in behind them, enveloped her in his arms, crushing his hardening erection against her spine. Julia swallowed away her disgust as his hands roamed her body. She allowed this to continue for a few seconds, thinking to herself that she must be in love with Ezra because every touch the man made against her skin was held up to that inevitable comparison and was found lacking.
"No need to rush honey," Julia said silkily as she pried his fingers loose and placed her hands on his arms, gently pushing him towards the bed. He allowed himself to be lowered there and watched in fascination as she stepped away and freed the pins in her hair, allowing auburn strands to spill over her shoulders.
"You're the prettiest whore I ever did see." He rumbled in response.
"Why you're a sweet talker ain't ya?" Julia replied, feeling her gut twist up at the use of that particular word. Bad grammar was almost as distasteful as pretending that she would couple with this odious specimen for any reason.
"Come here and I'll show you just what I am." The man grinned.
"Not yet," she whispered and lifted her leg onto a chair and pretended to undo the laces on her boot. For some unknown reason, men found it fascinating to watch a woman dress or undress. It mattered little which; they simply liked to watch. Perhaps it was the process itself or the satisfaction of finding out whether what was covered was as tantalising as what was imagined. By the same token, did they watch women dress to see how what was imagined could be so cleverly hidden beneath a sheath of fabric? Julia could not say for certain, aware only that the idiosyncrasy existed and was exploitable. She freed the laces and slipped the boot of her foot behind fore sliding her hands languidly up the stockinged leg to disappear underneath the ruffled folds of her dress.
When she produced the weapon, he was still too caught up in the performance to realise that something was about to happen that was not apart of the bordello experience. She could not blame him for being caught unawares, what she produced could not even be conceived as a weapon. Not until she pulled the trigger and watched its mechanism extend and contract into place. A metallic click superseded a flash of light and suddenly the man was on his feet.
"What...?" He started to say.
The chance to finish the sentence never came for she pulled the trigger twice in quick succession, the weapon delivered his charge of energy almost soundless. There was not the clumsy bang of a normal gun but rather the sharp hiss that sounded like air escaping from a punctured balloon. He gasped out loud but did not scream which was fortunate because Julia did not relish having to use this weapon on several subjects at once.
He collapsed on the like an animal who was suddenly robbed of all its bones. Tumbling onto the mattress, the bed creaked upon his landing and other then that one sound, the entire procedure had gone according to plan as Sekhmet had said it would. The weapon's effects on the man would last only for an hour or so, thus she had to be out of here and soon. For a moment after it was all said and done, Julia did not move. She was frightened and out of her depth but had come too far to stop now. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself a moment to steady her racing pulse. The deed was by no means done but that she crossed this initial hurdle gave her much reason to be thankful and encouragement that she could do it again.
There was little she could do for the next twenty minutes as she promoted the illusion to his companions outside that she was bringing the man lying unconscious on the bed to unparalleled heights of pleasure. She tried to listen to what was happening in the adjoining rooms and felt further gratified when she heard the strange hiss erupt again, only this time from the weapons of Inez and Casey. They would maintain the charade as long as possible, ridding themselves of many customers as possible before open warfare was declared. The rooms had adjoining doors which was fortunate to Julia could usher the next man into the room without drawing any suspicion regarding the fate of the other until they were alone. If this could be repeated, then they would have only four men to deal with when they were finally force to emerge from these rooms.
Once the twenty minutes were up, Julia dishevelled her clothing and removed enough garments to convince the men outside that she had been engaged in a passionate tryst with the former patron of her services. Julia noticed that they were only five of them left and she realised that Inez and Casey must have despatched the others in the same way she was about to do as soon as another victim followed her inside the room. This was not hard to manage for she did not need say very much as she emerged into the hallway, shoulder exposed and red hair tousled and wild. The look in their eyes told her that her natural beauty was doing most of the work for her.
"Who's next?" She asked seductively and it was only after a short argument that a successor was chosen for the unconscious man in the room. The one chosen was neither as big or as aggressive looking. He was mostly a boy and seemed rather shy as he followed her into the room. Julia felt almost guilty for what she was about to do to him before she reminded herself that should he learn what she intended to do whilst hear, the mercy that she felt would in no may be extended to her by him.
Once she had closed the door behind her, she offered him that same seductive smile and went through the motions once more. Performing the same seductive initiation, she soon lulled him into enough of a trance that Julia once again able to remove her weapon and despatch him as easily as she had taken care of his comrade who was languishing beneath the bed, hidden from view. He slumped to the ground with as much fanfare as his predecessor and once the threat of him had been eliminated, Julia pressed her ear to the wall again, listening to see if Inez and Casey had acted in similar fashion. It did not take her long to learn that they had.
This time, when Julia emerged from the room, she did not proceed immediately to the hallway. Instead, she wrapped her knuckles gently on the door of the rooms occupied by Casey and Inez. Both women stepped out a few seconds later, appearing just as breathless and glad to see her, as she was to lay her eyes on them again. Extreme experiences such as these were much better endured with companionship, Julia decided.
"How did it go?" She asked softly as they walked towards the hallway where the others were waiting.
"I am never going to get that man's stink off me even if I scrubbed for a hundred years." Casey blurted out with complete honestly.
"I am not as soiled as she," Inez remarked. "However, I share her sentiments."
"Okay, we just go out there and shoot." Julia instructed. "Like Sekhmet said. Make it quick."
"I don't have any arguments with that." Casey retorted.
With that statement ending their present discussion, the ladies stepped into the hallway and produced their weapons. The men who were waiting for them recognised the objects held in their hands as being mysterious enough to give rise to fear and they reacted in kind, going for their weapons. However, with the women already having their weapons aimed, it was more or less a futile effort. No sooner than they had attempted to retaliate, Julia, Casey and Inez began firing rapidly, bearing in mind just how many shots their victims could endure before death.
In a brief light show where the radiance of energy bounced off walls and the air was charged with the electricity of the residual blasts, the men fell quickly to the floor as the Zat'nuk'atel weapons did their worst. For a few seconds after the shooting, the women who had fired the sophisticated device had to allow their eyes a moment of adjustment. The light show was almost blinding to a point and its sudden cessation had left them somewhat disorientated. All that remained in evidence of what had transpired after Casey, Julia and Inez hid away the Zat'nuk'atel culprits responsible for all the prone bodies, was a slight cloud of mist that dissipated soon enough.
"We're alive." Julia said with a sigh once she was able to find her voice.
"Not for long if we don't get moving." Inez retorted. "Now if I remember these places correctly, the cells are usually down below."
"How can you be so sure?" Casey asked as the Mexican waded through the bodies to take their leave of the present locality.
"I came from the country where there had been war and revolution for as long as I can remember," Inez replied as she carefully sidestepped another unconscious figure before her. "Trust me, the cells are always below. Besides," she glanced at Casey and Julia with a shrug. "It's a place to start."
"Can't argue with you there," Julia tended to agree with Inez's assessment of the situation. "Its not like we can stop and ask for directions." She pointed out.
"I hope the rest of this crazy trip goes as smoothly as this." Inez remarked upon clearing the collection of bodies.
"I just hope we don't get ourselves and the boys killed." Julia stated, trying not to sound pessimistic but found herself unable to be anything but that. Despite the formidable weapons at their disposal, Julia was too much a realist to discard the possibility that anything unexpected was something they might be completely unprepared for. They were not accustomed to such play like Isis and Sekhmet were and though their heart was in the right place, they had to know that they were not skilled to have mounted an expedition of this nature.
"Look," Casey found her voice, having no wish to hear that sort of talk. "I'm scared enough as it is. I don't need to hear that as well."
"Sorry," Julia apologized meekly, feeling a little guilty for frightening Casey with such grim conversation. The young woman had held up considerably, not just in the face of what they were embarking upon inside this fort with all its dangers but the concept of Isis and Sekhmet, not to mention the mind altering perception of the Goa'uld and other world threats. She supposed they all were and this time when the thought sprung up in her head resisted the urge to voice it to the others.
If Isis and Sekhmet failed, they were as good as dead.
The Goddess of All manipulated her puppet like a master puppeteer.
The man who was trapped in the power of the ribbon device led the two women through the maze of twists and turns that made up the interior of the fort. Occasionally, they would hear someone come and if they were incapable of stepping out of the way, Sekhmet was more than capable of silencing them from giving the intruders away. Isis had been correct that security inside the bastion would be lax because Laurel's arrogance did not allow the woman to believe that she could be discovered. Her security measures were minimal to keep intruders out because her energies were devoted to keeping her prisoner trapped.
"Isis," Sekhmet beckoned as they walked past a door that was slightly ajar. It was her natural suspicion that forced her to look inside and ensure that no one within could compromise the efforts to reach her children and the member of the seven that was so injured, he needed to be kept apart from the others.
"What is it Sekhmet?" Isis inquired as she paused and cast her gaze at the warrior goddess. In truth, she was rather impatient with Sekhmet's call to pause because she was being driven by not only by the host's desire to save a friend or mate but also a doctor's need to treat the injured.
"I think you ought to see this." Sekhmet gestured for her to come and see. The warrior goddess had stepped through the door and was studying the contents of the room with interest.
Isis could soon understand why when she made her own entrance into the place. Laurel Chase was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous members of the Tau'Ri that Isis had ever encountered but there was no doubt that the woman was also a certifiable genius if it had not been for the seed of evil so entrenched in her being. With a smile, Isis wondered whether the woman did not have been some part Goa'uld for she certainly exhibited some of teh worse traits of teh species.
The laboratory was fully equipped and the instruments and equipment laid out on workbenches indicated that its owner was meticulous in her work. Bottles were labeled with all manners of chemicals and as Isis briefly perused the notes on the table, she acknowledged that Laurel like any good person of science kept impeccable records. Every aspect of her work was recorded, examined no doubt place under scrutiny for further analysis. Bell jars and Bunsen burners, retort and tripod stands rested on polished wooden workbenches. A table with straps attached at either end added a chilling note of the extent of experimentation that took place in this room. Organs preserved in formaldehyde stared back at them from behind the glass receptacles of storage. There was a virtual apothecary labeled neatly and kept in orderly rows on the shelves.
"This is where she makes that poison." Sekhmet hissed.
"Yes," Isis nodded in agreement. "That it is. I must confess there is a great mind at work here."
"A twisted mind." The warrior goddess retorted.
"They say there is a fine line between genius and madness," Isis shifted her gaze away from the room towards the puppet that was still waiting instructions in the corridor outside. He would not move one wit until she gave him leave to. "I suppose with Laurel that line is very fine indeed. Come," She looked at Sekhmet. "There is little time for this. We must keep going."
Sekhmet nodded and they resumed their journey again, which fortunately, did not have far to go. The laboratory had indicated to Sekhmet and Isis that they had penetrated the inner sanctum of Laurel Chase. Here they would find not only the children of Mary Larabee but also Laurel herself. The puppet had revealed that two member of the seven were kept here but had not knowledge as to whom it might be. Isis did not care, in rescuing them and the children; they would be providing enough of a distraction for Julia, Inez and Casey to reach the others.
When they arrived at the room where the injured member of the seven was kept, Isis was somewhat suspicious that there were no guards at teh door. For a moment, she was almost tempted to believe that the puppet had lied to her if she did not know for the fact that under the power of the ribbon device, he would be utterly incapable of accomplishing her feat. There was another possibility which loomed ominously in the back of her mind and threatened to ensnare her heart as she realised that it was more likely that whomever was hurt was in such a bad state that he could not possibly escape on his own volition. Thus the need for sentries at the door was more or less a redundant gesture.
"I shall stand guard," Sekhmet stated as Isis twisted the doorknob and started into the room. "You bring him out."
There was a slight tension in her voice as if the warrior goddess as afraid to venture inside the room and find something she was unable to face. For all her rage and anger at her loved ones being taken, Isis knew that the emotion of grief should any ill befall them was too new for Sekhmet to cope with. The mind of the Goa'uld presently inhabiting was new to such emotions for the race was not one who understood compassion or love, for that matter any high minded sentiments that other species found easy to embrace. Not that it was any easier for Isis either. For the Goddess of All, experience lessened the sharp cut of such emotions and she counted herself lucky for that advantage.
Later on, the irony of it would not be lost upon her.
Isis slipped into the room without any hesitation even though she realised late in retrospect, that she should have been wary about entering. With Laurel's hatred of Vin Tanner, she should have expected to find what she had when she entered the windowless environment, bathed in minimal light. The slight illumination gave her enough leeway to see the figure lying on the bed. Isis stopped short as her mind began to grasp what she was seeing. In the eternity of time it took for her to fully recognised that it was Vin lying on that bed, she felt her entire being freeze in cold terror. The sensation was new to Isis for she had never felt this kind of unadulterated terror.
There was no question that it was Vin, even though he lay on the bed unable to react to her arrival. He was still clad in the garments he had worn when he rode out of Four Corners, promising the host that the departure would not be for too long and they would soon be together again. Isis ached so badly from that one memory that it was almost a physical pain rather than an emotional one. Without thinking, she crossed the space between them like a breath of wind, knowing no pause until she was at his side.
Upon reaching him, Isis knew at once that he was dying.
"Sekhmet!" Isis cried out, not caring who heard.
"What is it?" The warrior goddess demanded as she burst into the room an instant later, stopping short when she saw Vin Tanner lying on the bed.
Isis was sitting next to him on his bed, her hands working swiftly as she quickly examined him to discern the nature of his injuries. Other than the bloodied eye and the scratches on his skin, which appeared to have been caused by his own hand, there were no signs of serious injury. Sekhmet felt her own fear escalate when she saw the glowing rage in the eyes of the former Goa'uld queen. Through the illumination of her eyes, Sekhmet could see tears running down her cheeks and her hands shaking in rage, fighting to control herself. There were no words to describe the anguish in her face.
"Is he...?" Sekhmet had no idea how to ask that question.
"No," Isis' voice was a hoarse whisper as she shook her head in answer. "He lives, if what you can call being trapped inside this shell of a body being such."
"How did she do this to him?" Sekhmet asked, unable to see any signs of a wound that could cause this. Outwardly he seemed to be fine but his pallor was pale and his eyes stared into nothingness with a look of blank vacancy that chilled one to the bone when one remembered how expressive those cobalt coloured eyes could be.
"I am uncertain," Isis responded as she gathered her thoughts and tried to focus four thousand years of knowledge into a singularity of thought that could produce a way to save him. Just seeing him like this, motionless but alive, breathing and yet trapped in the limbo of non-existence, slowly teetering into dark abyss of death without the power to make that journey short and merciful was gut wrenching to say the least. "However whatever it was, ruptured one of the arteries in his brain. The hemisphere controlling motor functions had been damaged. By the blood in his eye, I am assuming that the burst was a massive one. The Tau'Ri have no cure for this kind of injury."
The words felt like ash in her mouth and as she looked at he who was her mate, the one who held her heart beyond the shadow of any doubt, slipping nearer and nearer to death's door, Isis thought her soul felt that she was dying with him. She wanted to hold him in her arms, to whisper in his ear that she was here now and nothing would hurt him again. Unfortunately, what was done to him would not even allow Vin Tanner to hear that promise. Then and there, Isis made up her mind that she was not going to let him die.
She would save him at any cost because there was no life without him.
"Isis," Sekhmet tried to offer some words of support. Unfortunately, the warrior goddess only knew how to respond with force. "She will pay for this. I will mount her head on the wall for what she had done to him. No Tau'Ri may harm the consort of the queen goddess in such obscenity!"
"Enough!" Isis retorted sharply, unable to hear this right now. "There is only thing that can save him and I cannot have your anger in my ear if I am to accomplish it. Warrior Goddess, you will stand outside this room and you kill anyone who approaches. For what I am about to do, I cannot be interrupted. This is difficult enough as it. No Goa'uld has made this attempt in almost one thousand years."
Sekhmet's eyes began to fill with understanding and her jaw dropped open slightly with astonishment. "Do you think you can manage with that alone?" She asked in a soft voice, her blue grey eyes fixed upon the ribbon device.
"The ribbon devices are able to effect the matter on the molecular level." Isis explained. "In the same way it manipulates atomic bonds to create force fields and repel attack, a skilled Goa'uld can refine its use into repairing tissue and bones also. However, as remarkable the technology is, understand that I have to enter his brain and find the ruptured vessel. If it were not for the host's knowledge as a physician, what I intend may be impossible. Our kind has used the sarcophagus as a healing agent for the last three thousand years but since we do not have access to that technology, this is the only way." Isis looked up at Sekhmet and said firmly. "I will not lose him to the enemy, not like this and not today."
Sekhmet was in no mind to contradict her and as she stepped away, saw Isis taking a deep breath and steadying herself to begin the task that was required. As for herself, she needed to get outside because no doubt, Isis' outburst would have been heard and very soon they were going to have company.
Isis hardly noticed the departure of Sekhmet because she was edging closer to Vin on the bed while still seated upright. She tried to focus her thoughts, filtering out all the fears she had inside of her that if this did not work, she would lose him forever. Such thoughts did her little good at this point and only serve to cloud her concentration when she needed it to be utterly without hindrance. Raising her hand slowly over his forehead, she thought how much like a child he seemed even though his colour was pallid. The urge to touch him was overwhelming and for a moment, she forgot herself as her palm touched the soft skin of his lips and rotated to cup the cheek covered in light stubble. Isis leaned over and kissed him gently, wishing that the power of her love and that kiss alone were able to wake him from the dark place he now found himself.
"Whatever happens my love," she whispered softly, the tears running down her cheeks even more freely now. "I will always be yours, Pharaoh of my heart."
He returned her words with a gaze of absence that was not his doing and Isis could only blink away the warm tears escaped her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and then realised that in four thousand years of existence, she had never wept for anyone. However, she could not allow it to continue. Drying her eyes, Isis steadied herself once more and focussed her attention to the task she was required to perform in order to save his life. As Alexandra Styles had been forced to remind herself on occasion when Vin's life was threatened, it was not a wife he needed at this point but rather a doctor.
Lifting her hand over his forehead, Isis closed her eyes and stretched her fingers to overshadow Vin's face, the stone in the middle of her palm poised over his brow. Unlike the powerful strobe of light that was normally exuded from the jewel, the glow that emanated from it now was soft and probing without being at all invasive. The circle of its light grazed the pale skin like a crack of sunlight shining through the darkness.
Isis blinked him out of her sight, allowing nothing to penetrate the wall of her concentration as she felt rather than saw the place she needed to reach inside him. In her mind's eye, blood and fluid rushed past her, moving languidly through the passage of tissue that ran a labyrinth through his cerebral core. The blood moving on its predestined course should have been flowing with fast paced strength in the biological currents that allowed synapses and higher brain functions to continue. However, the injury had stymied the flow until it seemed almost lethargic.
She followed its progress, allowing herself to be carried upon its moist waves through the central cortex of the brain to the separate hemisphere that divided the human mind into the most sophisticated animal on the planet. She marveled knowing that this complexity was what separate the human animal from the jungle, was what allowed the birth of Mozart and Newton while at the same time producing Torquemada and Vlad the Impaler.
She was allowed to see the ruptured vessel in what could hardly be called sight but was nonetheless just as defining as visual recognition. It was a massive rip, that much she understood upon finding the miniscule tear in the tissue that would have been barely visible to the naked eye had it been exposed for that purpose. Reaching it had been the simple part of the process, accelerating the cellular regeneration was something else entirely. Isis concentrated harder, feeling her own mind ache as she saw the molecules exciting themselves into a state of flux, neurons dancing about her eyes like a fireflies over a gassy swamp.
A rivulet of blood ran down her nose from the effort and it was an effort, being Goa'uld did not save her from the ordeal of this attempt. She felt her herself straining to hold the image in her mind and continued the frenzied repair work that was being undertaken inside Vin's damaged neural core. The process was delicate and there could be no mistakes for the area she was attempting to manipulate was the most fragile part of a human being. Any error in what she was doing may retrieve Vin Tanner from his dark sleep but not necessarily return him to any measure of the man he had once been.
Isis would not be satisfied with anything less than the man she had fallen in love with would.
As expected, Sekhmet was more or less correct when she had declared to Isis that her outburst would soon bring company. Ordering the puppet that had led them to Vin Tanner away from her, Sekhmet prepared for the arrival of the enemy's entourage. She was not foolish enough to assume that their presence would continue without notice. The area they had entered was undoubtedly within the sphere that Laurel Chase called her private chambers in this large facility. It was at this point that the second greatest concentration of her guards would be found.
They came charging up the corridor as she expected and their reaction upon seeing her was just as predictable. Sekhmet gave them no reason to alter their perception and she merely stood in the center of the passageway, gazing back at them indifferently. Their initial response was as she had anticipated; amusement. Some actually laughed. Derisive remarks followed, vulgar and juvenile as they leered at her in her strange clothing. What she was holding in her hands could not be conceived of a weapon yet so they did not fear it.
Pity.
One of them walked towards her, the others laughing and egging him on. He reeked with arrogance as he swaggered forward, beckoning her to come quietly, making some lewd statement as to showering her with sexual favor if she behaved. Sekhmet allowed him to progress to within a foot of her before she slammed her fist into his face and throat before delivering a neat sidekick that sent him sprawling towards his friends once more. He let out a groan of pain as well as outrage as he fell down and incited the others in his party to rush at her.
Sekhmet did not allow them to get any further either.
With expertise she had been longing to use since she had acquired it, Sekhmet brought the staff weapon in her hand to bear, graceful in its movement as it swung into a neat arc and faced the enemy. They did not see the danger, nor could they conceive how the length of metal could be dangerous to all of them until they saw the bulbous shielding around the firing port retract and a cackle of blue energy sizzling its readiness to fire. The pause was the last coherent thought any of them had as they tried to retreat. Sekhmet began firing in quick succession, sending one bolt of blue after another into the bodies before her. There were screams and the sounds of feet running away from her but they were soon cut short by the deafening roar of the blasting staff weapon. In a matter of seconds, all that remained were a pile of smoking bodies covering the floor.
She wanted to interrupt Isis but knew what the Goddess of All was doing was too important to disturb, even if the reason included the arrival of more men. The sound of their running footsteps soon echoed down the hall as they approached and Sekhmet braced herself to face them, more than ready to despatch them as easily as she had done to their companions before them. She stood tall and firm, every bit the legend of Artemis, Diana and Kali as she prepared to face the enemy.
However, this particular bout was about to end prematurely.
Without warning, the wall in front of her exploded outwards as the men approached. A wall of rock and debris erupted with such powerful force that there was neither time nor opportunity for its victims to scream as it slammed them against the opposite wall. Even Sekhmet was shocked into retreat by the sudden destruction. For a few seconds after the dust had settled and the broken bodies were hidden in their premature burial of rubble and crumbling bits of shattered brick, the warrior goddess was still somewhat bewildered until she saw Isis stepping through the newly formed opening.
"I had forgotten how effective you were with that." Sekhmet remarked as she saw the glow in the ribbon device coiled around Isis' hand dim for the moment. "Is your Consort well?"
"He lives," Isis said coldly. "And he is well."
"I am glad to hear that." Sekhmet offered with a little smile.
"As am I." Isis turned and started walking. "However, now we have business to attend to."
Sekhmet did not have to ask what that meant. It was time that they met Laurel Chase face to face.