When the altar finished its ascent an eerie silence greeted them.

"Not quite what I expected when we made our great escape," Annika whispered.

"No. It’s not," Daniel agreed, matching her quiet tone.

Silently they crossed the temple and both of them reached for their P-90s before anything else. Annika quickly donned her clothes while Daniel kept a watchful eye on the main entrance. Then she did the same for him. Fully dressed and armed they warily peeked outside.

In the pale light of false dawn they saw that the camp was deserted and from the haphazard littering around the tents, it was clear some sort of struggle had taken place.

"Ferretti, come in," Daniel whispered into his radio.

There was no response.

He tried again, this time a little louder, and they heard his voice echo from a few feet away.

They hurried over to find three radios piled on the ground, surrounded by the paraphernalia normally kept on the soldiers’ bodies; water canteens, energy bars, med kits and three GDOs.

Annika picked up one of the GDOs and her mind was bombarded with fragmented images. The Stargate opening; a spherical device tossed through; a pulse wave rippling the air, immediately rendering Brooklyn hidden near the ’gate unconscious; a dozen men who Annika recognized from her earlier vision stepped through the wormhole; one of the men twisted the sphere a quarter turn and the cattle like beasts started gathering in the surrounding pasture; the leader of the group discovered Brooklyn and bent down to study the patches on his uniform: he spied the footprints left behind by Earth’s explorers and ordered half of his men to investigate; flashed to the camp, the rest of SG-2 were sprawled on the ground, also knocked out by the power of the earlier pulse wave; Dodger coming round just as the strangers approached, groggily crash tackling one of them; one of the strangers raised a crude version of a gun and fired; a spray of blood and the military man went down. She couldn’t tell how serious the injury was.

With a shaky breath, Annika transferred the vision to Daniel. When she dropped the GDO her hand was smeared with blood.

Daniel could feel her worry for Dodger through their bond and gave her hand a tight squeeze. "If his injury were severe," he refrained from saying fatal, "they would have left him here."

She fingered one of the canteens and had another image filter across her eyes. "They’re still on the planet. They’re herding the beasts through the Stargate now."

Both immediately started running towards the ‘gate. They knew once the wormhole shut down, there would be no way for them to know where SG-2 had been taken, making a rescue all but impossible. When they heard the clopping of hooves and the lowing of the beasts they slowed, cautiously peering out from behind the trees. There were only a dozen or so of the cattle left to walk through.

"Can you see the gate address?" Annika asked softly.

Daniel shook his head. "We’re on the wrong side of the DHD. If you make us go Marco, we may be able to get across the field in time."

She nodded, her hand already weaving the pattern to fold the air around them hiding them from sight.

Silently they sprinted across the grass. Before they reached halfway it became clear they weren’t going to make it. The last of the animals was already stepping through the shimmering portal and the final man left behind was heading up the steps.

Daniel veered them off, changing their direction. With a burst of speed he charged towards the Stargate. If they couldn’t identify the destination from this end, they could do it from the other side. At the last moment, he abruptly stopped, jerking Annika to a standstill at the same time.

Annika looked up at him in confusion but remained silent as the stranger took one last look around and stepped through.

Daniel sedately led them forward. The iciness of the dematerialization process engulfed them and when they reemerged Annika had to stifle the natural urge to gasp. Behind their backs the wormhole disengaged.

Only then did Annika understand why Daniel had made them stop before entering the event horizon. Wormhole Physics 101. You exit at the speed you entered. If they’d been running, the momentum would have ploughed them straight into two of the herders/kidnappers standing not three steps in front of them.

Daniel motioned to move away from the bustle of the platform and she stepped back through the now deactivated ‘gate to the small ledge behind.

As Annika drew in quiet breaths to bring her pulse rate back to normal, she became aware of how heavy the air was on this new planet. Gravity must be stronger here than on Earth, she thought, scanning the area for their captured teammates.

Daniel was doing the same.

It took only a few seconds to determine that SG-2 had already been transported to places unknown.

The weight on Annika’s chest was getting worse, forcing her to sit down before her legs gave way. She glanced up at Daniel. He didn’t seem to have any problem adjusting to the new atmosphere.

His head dipped down, instantly concerned by the pallid hue of Annika’s face and sudden shine of sweat to her skin. He once again scouted the area, this time looking for a safe place for them to hide.

The Stargate was set up on the outskirts of a town. Behind it was a relative parking lot of space faring vessels, all lined up neatly in rows. A steady stream of people flowed back and forth between the ships, ‘gate and town, and the beasts were being herded to one side into holding pens. The other side was a farming field, with plants similar to corn.

It was in this direction that Daniel headed for, his arm firmly wrapped around her waist for support. He tried not to wince where her fingers dug into his shoulder like she was trying to pull herself up. He was grateful they weren’t on a desert planet where their footprints would be easily discernable. Once hidden deep within the stalks, he gently lowered her to the ground. "What’s the matter?"

"Feel like I’m being crushed by the air," she gasped. "Don’t you feel it?"

He shook his head. "I feel fine."

The level of concentration needed for her to maintain the Nox trick became too much and Annika released the fold of air. The second she did the weight surrounding her lifted and she sucked in an easy lungful of air.

Daniel had also felt the instant change through their bond and frowned. "What was that about?"

Her brow creased in thought, then she tried to fold the air around a small rock. The moment she began to gather her will the air started pushing down on her again. Annika stopped and once again she was able to breathe normally. "Something on this planet is affecting my abilities." She experimented with her telekinesis, attempting to shift the same rock. Unlike before, the heaviness didn’t affect her whole body this time. Instead there was a dull throbbing in her head, like the onset of a migraine. Annika wasn’t even able to move the rock a few inches before a stab of pain broke her concentration. Rubbing her forehead she tried a different aspect of her telekinetic power. Rather than try to lift anything, which required quite a bit of energy, she tried pushing it. The dull ache instantly returned sapping her energy. All she could manage was a quick slide of the rock before she was forced to stop.

"Could be a natural phenomena…perhaps a magnetic force like the Bermuda Triangle," Daniel mused while he patiently watched her test her abilities. "So the Nox trick and lifting things is out."

"But I can still shove things in small spurts." She studied the air around Daniel. There was a familiar glow around him. "Can still see auras."

"Can you go astral?"

Annika centered her breathing and then tried to separate from her body.

Daniel saw the transparent image of Annika begin to emerge then like a hologram with a drained power source it flickered out.

"I can’t split myself, but I think I may be able to do it the old fashioned way." A wry twist touched her lips at the term.

He grinned back. "Old fashioned is good." Before Annika had learnt to control her astral splitting ability, they had originally intended to use her for recon situations. The idea had been for her astral embodiment to go traipsing about while her physical body was safe at the SGC. "But if you start to feel wonky, unsteady, stop." His blue eyes did nothing to mask the concern he was feeling. They all had gotten used to the idea that Annika’s mental abilities were practically impervious to outside forces. To have something as simple as a change of atmosphere immobilize those gifts rammed home how vulnerable all of them were.

She nodded, though he felt a slight hedging through their bond.

"Hey, I mean it." Daniel’s voice was firm. Considering their recent conversation he wouldn’t put it passed her to push herself beyond endurance. He sought for a way to make her see reason. "You’ll be no use to anyone if you drain what energy you do have."

Annika glared at him for a moment, then reluctantly nodded again. She made herself comfortable, lying on the loamy dirt and began leading herself through a deep meditation. After a few minutes her astral self emerged from her body.

"You’re more transparent than usual," Daniel observed.

She held up a hand to see for herself. "It’s taking a lot more concentration too. I won’t be able to maintain it for long."

Daniel considered the best way to make use of Annika’s ability. They could have her scout the town, but although it would be easier, they didn’t necessarily need Annika to be astral for that. "We need to let the base know what has happened. SG-2 are suppose to check in within the hour. They’ll waste time mounting a search party when that doesn’t happen."

Annika agreed.

"Then we’ll attempt to blend in with the locals. We need to get a good look at the Stargate to work out where we are and have a nose around. Tell General Hammond that we’ll try to keep him updated."

"Should I mention the problems I’m having with my abilities?"

Daniel hesitated. "If it’s only Hammond, our team or Janet in the room, yes. Nobody else needs to know."

With a grateful smile she gave him a light kiss. She didn’t fancy the whole base knowing about this unexpected Achilles’ heel. "I’ll be back soon." Annika took a controlling breath and concentrated on Jack. In her weakened state it was easier to focus on the colonel since she was closest to SG-1’s CO than anyone else currently on base. She fully expected to blink into the infirmary, so she was startled when she opened her eyes to find she was standing on a dirt road, surrounded by a forest of trees. What the hell…?

There was a sudden screeching of tires behind her and she spun around to see the headlights of a pickup truck barreling towards her. Annika instinctively flinched at the screech of brakes locking up, sending up a shower of gravel and dirt as the vehicle skidded to a halt. As the dust settled Annika had the strange sensation of standing in the middle of the truck’s bonnet. She squinted through the haze to see Jack and Sam sitting in the cab, their faces drained of color. The colonel’s knuckles were white where he griped the steering wheel. Annika meekly waved at her friends.

The military officers sucked in sharp shallow breaths when they realized that they had ‘hit’ Annika’s astral self rather than an actual person.

"Holy crap, Casper! You scared ten years off my life." His hand was shaking as he ran it through his hair.

"I’m sorry. I thought you’d be at the base." Annika drifted over to Sam. "You okay?"

The major nodded. "Just try to give us some warning next time."

"What’s happened?" Jack demanded, knowing Annika wouldn’t have astral traveled unless there was a serious problem off-world.

"SG-2 have been captured by a band of pirate traders."

"You and Daniel?" The colonel was already turning the pickup around away from his cabin and heading back to the mountain.

"We’re hiding out on the planet where they took them." Annika settled herself between the couple, deciding that it would be better to be inside the car, rather than sticking out like a ghostly hood ornament for all to see.

"Do you have a ’gate address?"

Annika shook her head. "Haven’t been able to get close enough to the Stargate to work it out. Too many people wandering about."

Sam frowned. "Can’t you go Marco and have a look?"

The psychic gave another headshake. "Something is affecting my abilities, acting like a dampening field. I was barely able to make it here to you at all."

For the first time Jack and Sam noticed that the projection of their teammate was a lot paler than normal

"I wasn’t able to split. Daniel’s keeping watch over my body until I get back. When I wake up we’re gonna mingle with the locals and try to get some Intel. We just wanted to tell you so you know why no one’s gonna call in at the next check-in time."

"Were you able to see how the team are?" Sam asked.

Annika tapped her forehead indicating a vision. "Some sort of device like a Goa’uld stun-ball only with a greater range, knocked them all out. Dodger came to and tried to fight them off but he was shot. Don’t know how bad he’s hurt."

"How’d you two manage to stay free?" Jack was curious.

Annika willed herself not to blush. "Long story. Suffice to say we were in a hidden room beneath the temple. The pulse wave didn’t affect us."

"The temple walls probably shielded you," Sam theorized.

"Now see, I told you something was gonna happen." Despite the seriousness of the situation Jack wore a self-satisfied smirk. "My gut is never wrong."

"We’ll never doubt your gut again, Jack," Annika said mockingly.

Sam rolled her eyes. "There’ll be no living with him now."

Annika grinned. "Makes me kinda glad to be trapped off-world."

Jack ignored the teasing, still preening over the fact that he was right.

"Are all of your abilities affected?" the major asked.

The psychic’s mirth instantly quelled. "I can still see auras but I can only use my telekinesis for a few seconds."

"So this planet makes you a mere mortal like the rest of us, huh?" Jack wisecracked.

Sam automatically elbowed jabbed her lover, forgetting that Annika was between them. "Oops, sorry." She could see how troubled her friend was by the notion.

"Daniel thinks it might be something like a natural magnetic field," her voice was small. "I don’t know how much help I’ll be on this mission."

Jack realized that his teasing had hit a nerve with his team’s youngest member. "Don’t underestimate yourself. Your hocus pocus is a tactical advantage, but it’s not the only reason you’re on active duty."

"It’s not?"

"Nope. Your brain is a total friggin’ mystery, but one thing I do know is that you think outside the box."

Sam jumped in. "Your visions have given you insights into so many different minds, that even in normal thought you assess things differently."

"I do?" She sounded doubtful.

"Casper, need I remind you about section 42.11 of the Protected Planets Treaty?" He rolled his eyes, trying to lighten the mood. "When you put your mind to something you find a way to do it."

The redhead was silent for a moment. "You calling me mule headed?"

He grinned. "No more than the rest of us."

Annika felt her astral self flicker. "I’ve got to get back. We’ll try to keep you updated."

"We’ll have a team ready to go if you need us," the colonel assured.

A quick nod and Annika blinked back to her body.

A  A  A  A  A  A

While Annika was reporting in to the SGC, Daniel kept a wary eye on the comings and goings at the Stargate, trying to learn as much as he could. From his position he could see that this particular intergalactic gate was used as frequently as an elevator on Earth. Already he had witnessed a half a dozen entries and departures by a various mix of people. They all looked human, well basically human. There were a few that had larger craniums than the average person, and a couple had distinct ridges on their brow, reminding Daniel of Klingons from Star Trek, however there was no evidence of ‘aliens’. The town itself was quite large. From the number of buildings he estimated it could hold well over a thousand people comfortably, but from the organized way tents were being erected around the perimeter that figure could double or triple at any given time. The permanent structures were mainly made of planked wood with small porticos at the entrance. If Daniel had to pick an era from Earth’s history in which to compare it to, he would have said the ‘Old West’. Any second now he expected to see Wyatt Earp or Calamity Jane mosey on round the corner.

It was a trading town, and from the snippets of conversation he caught, it seemed that anything and everything was for sale. That didn’t bode well for SG-2. One of the travelers had arrived with two men in shackles and from the gesturing was asking for directions. The linguist had heard the words ‘slaves’ and ‘dock’ and one of the locals had waved him into the town. Daniel hadn’t been able to see anything except the general direction of where the man and his slaves went, not without leaving his post from Annika’s side. And there was no way he was going to do that with her in her current defenseless state. Currency was good old fashioned trade, rather than a form of actual money, which wasn’t all that surprising to the anthropologist. Rarely did they find a planet where notes and coins were used, unless the coins happened to be gold. He patted his left side pocket confirming that he hadn’t lost the small leather wallet of ‘intergalactic currency’. It was divided into four separate pouches, each holding the most popular forms of payment that were used off-world. Cocoa beans were highly valued with the more primitive cultures they came across, while tiny nuggets of gold, platinum and naquadah dust were used by the more advanced civilizations. It was part of their standard kit in case they had to make purchases or bargains when on a mission.

After a quick study of Annika’s sleeping body, making sure she wasn’t having trouble breathing, he moved on to the attire of the people. The locals wore a mix of nomadic robes and homespun shirts and pants for the men. What few women he saw were similarly dressed. The non-locals were easy to identify, decked out in everything from worn leather to haphazard pieces of armor. If Annika and he were going to blend in, then they would have to procure some of the clothing, preferably robes to hide their fatigues. Their military issue garb would make them stand out like sore thumbs, especially if one of the men who’d taken SG-2 recognized their uniforms as the same as their captured friends'. He also noticed another key element to the dress code. Whether it be some sort of gun tucked into their belts or a sword scabbard strapped to their backs, every person was armed. Daniel surmised that the locals were not very trusting of each other. Again this wasn’t a surprise, not with so many different people drifting in and out. However it meant that rescuing SG-2 would be more difficult. If an assault team came through the ‘gate, they wouldn’t get two steps before they had a battalion of weapons trained on them. Not that Daniel’s usual first choice was to come in guns blazing, even though there had been times when it had been necessary. But from what he’d seen from Annika’s vision and the air of lawlessness about the town, he doubted that they would be able to talk them into releasing the Earthmen.

To Daniel’s right there was the rattle of chains with shuffling feet. He peeked through the stalks to see three men shackled together by the wrists. One of the men tripped and was roughly yanked to his feet by a fourth man. Daniel recognized him instantly. It seemed Aris Bosh was still dealing in human traffic.

"Get moving, you pack of space lice." Bosh shoved the men into a trot. "Kerrigon is just foaming at the mouth to get you lot back."

He wondered how much those poor souls had on their heads to warrant the bounty hunter’s time and effort. Daniel contemplated making contact with the man and then instantly dismissed it. Though he had let SG-1 go in a fit of unnatural morality, Daniel was under no illusion that he could be trusted. Bosh would sell his own mother if the price was right….probably had. They’d have to be extra careful when they moved around the town. Becoming Bosh’s latest acquisition was not part of his plan. He found it curious that his direction of approach was from the fields. Unless there was another Stargate nearby, which wasn’t likely, Bosh hadn’t docked his ship in the space port like the other incoming travelers.

Annika stirred beside him. He gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her face when her eyes flickered open. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Bit tired, but okay." She struggled to sit up and he helped her upright. "Jack’s going to let the general know what’s happened. He was heading to the cabin when I turned up." Annika quickly relayed the details, including Jack’s faith in her.

He felt an embarrassed sense of pride through their bond and he teasingly knocked his shoulder against hers. "Told you." He wasn’t put out that Jack had been the one to finally convince her that she was a valued member of the team with or without her abilities. Daniel knew that she considered him biased because of their relationship. And he was. But that didn’t make the truth any less than true. She just had to hear it from an ‘impartial’ person.

"Yes, you did." Annika butted back against him. "So let’s go rescue Whistler."

They got to their feet and Daniel recounted what he had observed. He hesitated before mentioning the bounty hunter. Since reading the mission reports, Annika had taken an instant dislike to the man though she had never met him. Not that Daniel particularly liked him either, but the detest that oozed through their bond the few times Bosh’s name had been mentioned surprised him.

"Bosh is here? Right now?" A malicious glint touched her purple depths. Oh, she’d love to get her hands on that unscrupulous trader. The man was a hypocrite. Claiming to hate the Goa’uld and then actively seeking out jobs to do the Goa’uld’s bidding. Bosh wasn’t like the Jaffa and countless other civilizations that had been born into Goa’uld slavery. The Goa’uld had wiped out his people, but for the majority of his life he had known freedom. What had he chosen to do with that freedom? Take it away from others. And what made it worse was that he wasn’t doing it because he believed the people he captured were lawbreakers. His motives were for greed and greed alone. "He’s lucky I don’t have my abilities right now."

"There’s always next time," he placated with a grin. He turned his attention back to their current situation. "First thing we need to do is find some clothes."

Using the crop field as cover they walked around the side of the town. Many of the tents had lines strung up with washing and Daniel managed to snatch a couple of well-worn hooded robes. She had to smile when she saw him drop a small gold nugget into a shoe outside the tent he had taken them from. Considering the circumstances there weren’t many people who would think of paying for what they had stolen. But then that was Daniel down to a tee.

With their fatigues now hidden the couple casually strolled amongst the people, listening to the conversations and working out the layout of the town. The streets were lined with stalls selling everything from bales of cloth to ship parts. Hawkers stopped them a few times, offering ‘genuine’ gold jewelry for a fraction of the market value.

"The auras keep changing depending on who people are talking to," Annika whispered as she waved away a man intent on selling her an astrometric chart of the neighboring galaxy. "It’s like a convention of used car salesmen. They tell part of the truth and mix it up in a pack of lies."

"Anyone stand out as particularly evil?" Daniel asked, sidestepping a couple of women haggling over a scarf.

"Only one…" She broke off as a fight broke out. In a matter of seconds weapons were drawn and the man with the dark aura went down with a bullet between the eyes. "Nope,’ she recanted.

They made their way towards the Stargate, and while Annika pretended to be interested in purchasing a hyper-drive crystal, Daniel studied the symbols on the ’gate. Within a few minutes he had worked out the address for Earth. Another slave trader arrived through the wormhole with a half a dozen men and women manacled together. Keeping well back they followed the sound of clanking chains, hoping they would lead them to where SG-2 were being held.

The slaves were pushed and prodded towards the town center, where there was a viewing platform set up. A lone woman with a chain around her neck was in the process of being sold. She was dressed in a short, low cut tunic that displayed the curves of her body. She looked reasonably clean if a bit undernourished. Though she tried to hide it behind a defiant tilt to her chin, it was plain that she was scared.

The dealer’s voice rang out above the noise of the crowd. "Our next item up for grabs is a Belodian female, only had one owner, she’s guaranteed a virgin or your money back. The seller accepts gold or naquadah only. So who will start off the bidding…?"

Annika felt a surge of distaste and anger, which was reciprocated by Daniel as a chorus of bids erupted from the crowd.

"They’re so blasé about it," he muttered. "She’s a person, not a piece of meat."

"I wish we could buy her," Annika sighed, knowing that they couldn’t. As much as her heart wrenched at the sight, liberating a stranger wasn’t what they were here for. Steeling her heart she turned away. The slaves they had followed were in a short queue outside a large stone building off to one side. She nudged Daniel and they cautiously approached.

The entrance was being guarded by two men. A third man was marking names off a list before allowing the Masters to enter with the slaves. There was a heated discussion going on with one of the guards and a potential buyer.

"You know the rules, Sayjo." The guard blocked the man from the entrance. "You view the stock on stage and not before."

"If I’m gonna fork out my hard earned naquadah then I want to know I’m getting the real deal."

"I’m sure Kerrigon would be interested to know that you doubt his credibility." The guard made as though to go inside to get his boss.

The man Sayjo grabbed his arm, a note of panic in his voice. "No, don’t do that. I’ll be happy to return on the morrow before they go up for bid."

He made a hasty retreat and with a smirk the guard resumed his place.

Next to the doorway was a notice board divided into four columns. The man with the list placed a tick next to a box halfway down.

When Daniel and Annika drew close enough to read the board they were appalled to realize that it was a timetable. As the slaves were brought in to the holding room their names were checked off. The second column told when the ‘merchandise’ was going up for auction; the third was the final price they had sold for. The last column was the designated time the buyers would collect their ‘purchase’. It was bad enough that people were being auctioned off, but the organized table showed that the auctioneers knew well in advance who was going up for sale. It was so coldly clinical and methodical it made the two civilians sick to their stomachs. At the bottom of the list was a hastily chalked in description, ‘Four SGC Tau’ri males."

While they watched, the woman who had just been sold was led back into the building and her pick up time was jotted down. When she walked passed them, her eyes locked on Annika and the psychic couldn’t look away. Her face so filled with fear and despair silently pleaded with Annika to help her. Daniel’s hand on her elbow made her jump. His compassionate blue eyes were understanding. "If she’s still here when we get our guys, maybe we could try to take her with us."

She smiled up at him. "Reading my mind now, huh?"

"Nope, just know how you think." He guided them away from the square. "Let’s find somewhere we can talk."

He backtracked them to a tavern two alleys away. The busy common room would offer them a place to formulate a plan, their words being lost in the chatter, while still giving them the opportunity to mix with the locals if they needed more information. Annika scoped the place for a spare table. Daniel’s eyes sought out one of the barmaids doling out what looked to be a type of mead. He was hoping to catch sight of one of the customers paying for the drink. It was the little things that would catch them out. Offer too much for a tankard of ale and it would draw attention to themselves, either as being a rich stupid mark in a den of thieves, or as a stranger to ways of the area. Offering too little would be just as bad. He saw two men pay at the same time; one placed a sliver of gray stone on the bar. The other tipped out a small portion of golden dust into a dish, which the barmaid carefully weighed. Only then did the woman hand over the drinks. Oh, yeah, the trust is just oozing through this place, he thought sarcastically.

A woman dressed in full warrior gear rose from the back and Annika led the way to snag the table. Before they could settle themselves a barmaid appeared at their side.

"What’ll it be?" she asked cheerfully, her gaze lingering on Daniel’s handsome features.

"What have you got?"

He smiled up at her and Annika felt an irrational stab of jealousy. She knew that it was all part of their plan…catching more flies with honey and all that jazz…but dammit, did he have to use that smile with her? It was guaranteed to make any woman eat out of the palm of his hand but it was her smile, not this trollop barmaid’s.

"Luverly choice o’ rot gut." She thumbed towards a bottle of clear liquid at the next table. "And the ’ouse special." Her finger flicked at the wooden keg behind the bar.

"Two house specials," he replied, still smiling to show he appreciated her humor. He fished out the small pouch of gold fragments from his pocket and tossed her a tiny nugget. "I trust that will keep me and my friend here with a constant supply for a while?"

The maid nodded. "I’ll let you know when you’ve reached your limit." She trotted off to get their drinks.

"I just bet she will," Annika muttered, readjusting her hood to hide a stray lock of hair. The woman’s aura was tinged with pink, a dead giveaway to the psychic that if given the chance she would jump Daniel’s bones.

Daniel didn’t dare grin at his lover’s grumble. Instead he tried to focus on the conversations around them. The favorite topic of conversation was the up and coming auction and particularly the last minute additions to the dock.

"They’re talking about the guys, aren’t they?" Annika kept her voice low.

He gave a single nod. "Pretty safe assumption."

"We could try buying them," she suggested. "We’d just have to make sure we have the right currency."

"If we get outbid we could attempt a rescue after they’ve been transported off." Daniel thought through the tentative plan. "Actually it might be better to wait until after the auction. Getting them away from a single buyer will be easier than getting them out of here."

"Okay, Plan A, buy them. Plan B, snatch them from the buyers…"

A low gravelly voice interrupted.

"Well, well, well, isn’t this my lucky day? I come in to get a drink and find myself a couple of meal tickets."

Daniel and Annika’s head swung up to find Aris Bosh sneering down at them.