RETURN TO HELL
STATUS: Complete
CATEGORY: Action/Adventure.
SPOILERS: none
SEASON / SEQUEL: three or four.
SUMMARY: O'Neill is asked to do another black ops mission, in order to save some old colleagues. In the end, his friends are needed to save him.
DISCLAIMER: This story is written entirely for entertainment and is not intended as an infringement against the copy written material that belongs solely to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films, et al. I'm only playing with their characters and will return them as soon as the story is finished. The following story is the property of the author and is not to be copied, or published without the express, written consent of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Parts of this story take place in the Middle East. I deliberately chose a non-existent country and called it Tyberia. The idea came to me when my son was playing a computer game, Command and Conquer, Tiberian Sun.
I have done some research to make this story look as realistic as possible (or had the research done: thank you, Sandra) so I hope I did a good job at describing. However, I'm no expert, better yet, I know nothing about mines and disarming them, hopefully I'll never be confronted by them at all, so any mistakes in this story are mine (the personal mine, not the AP-mine, LOL).
There is a poem in this story somewhere. The poem is not mine. It's written by Mrs. Lyman Hancock, and I found it on the net somewhere. It suited the situation well, that's why I used it.
Many, many thanks for my beta readers, who have stayed with me for a whole year with this story. That's how long it took me to get this done. So I hope you're going to enjoy it
Remember, this story was written back in what, 2002, 2004? So you might have read it before on another archive!
SG-1, the first off world exploration team of the SGC, was gathered in the lab. Dr. Daniel Jackson, SG-1's only civilian, was studying some artifacts the team had brought back from PXR-692 a week ago. The archaeologist was well known amongst his friends and colleagues for being unable to rest, eat or sleep until he'd finished his work. The only thing he didn't forget was pouring some coffee into his mug once in a while, the caffeine keeping him alert and awake.
"Come on, Daniel. Leave it alone will ya? When was the last time you slept anyway?" Colonel O'Neill, the Commanding Officer of the team, unsuccessfully tried to take his friend's mind off the task.
Daniel's eyes didn't stray from the artifact in front of him on the table as he absently waved his hand. "No, Jack. I need to finish this. Almost done, I think."
The Colonel sighed. He knew there were only two ways to get Daniel to rest. He could either let him finish or forcefully drag him away from it. He decided to go with the first option this time.
Bored, O'Neill looked at Teal'c, the team's only non-human. He knew they weren't due to go on another mission for at least two days and he was looking for something to do. "Yo, Teal'c. Let's go to the gym and work on those boxing techniques."
The huge Jaffa nodded. "Very well, O'Neill. I understand your need for excitement."
Major Samantha Carter laughed. She knew the Colonel all too well. He could never stay focused on what he considered a dull task, such as examining objects or translating alien scripts, this completely opposite to Daniel and her. She was glad that Teal'c was on the team. At least he provided some entertainment for her CO, when he was looking for something to do.
O'Neill was about to comment on Teal'c's statement when an airman stepped into the lab, saluting sharply and precisely at the Colonel.
"Colonel O'Neill, Sir. The General wants to see you in his office."
Jack looked surprised. "Thank you, Sergeant."
The young airman turned on his heel and left the room.
"Well, kids. Looks like you're on your own. Behave yourselves until I get back, okay?" Without waiting for any comments, he left the lab and headed for the General's office.
Jack knocked on Hammond's door, opened it at the sound of a 'come in' and stepped inside. He stopped abruptly, when he noticed the visitor seated in a chair opposite to the General.
"Hi, Jack. You look great," the man greeted him.
Jack slowly turned to close the door behind him and faced the man. "Thank you, Sir," he said shortly. His mind was racing. What was Colonel Bayfield doing here?
"Colonel O'Neill," the General started. "I reckon you remember Colonel Bayfield?"
O'Neill nodded. "I do, Sir." How could he forget his former CO, from Special Forces?
The General pointed at the only empty chair in the room. "Sit down, Jack. Colonel Bayfield is here with a special request. I think you need to hear him out."
Jack took the offered seat, sensing trouble before Bayfield even started his story. He turned towards his former CO. "So, who's missing, Sir?"
A weary smile appeared on Bayfield's face. "Always straight forward, aren't you, Jack?" Bayfield wasn't surprised by the blunt question, he knew the man in front of him all too well for that. Watching the other man shrug, he let out a heavy sigh. "Major Crook, along with three members of his team." He carefully watched the reaction on O'Neill's face, knowing how close the two had been.
"Where?" The question was sharp and short.
"Tyberia," Bayfield said. He hated to be the one to tell O'Neill and he hated even more to have to turn to him for help, but he had no other options left. He took in the tightened lips, the dark expression that shone through his eyes and the slightly trembling hand that absently ran through the short silver gray hair. All of a sudden, he wasn't so sure anymore that turning to O'Neill was such a good idea. But there was no turning back.
"Look, Jack, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I have to tell you this," he paused for a second, thinking how to proceed. "It's just… that I need your help on this one."
O'Neill stared at him, lost in his memories for a while, thinking about the missions he'd been a part of for a long time. He blinked his eyes in an attempt to wipe the memories away. "What happened?"
"The team had to retrieve an object that had crashed in the mountains somewhere north of the capital city. They flew to Turkey and started the mission from there. Marc deliberately fanned out to the East first, entering the area from the other side."
Jack nodded approvingly.
"The last report we received from him was that he had retrieved the object and was packing up to come home. Our contacts have not seen or heard from the team since…" Bayfield paused, wondering how he should continue. He opened his briefcase and gathered some satellite photos.
"I've set up some posts for inquiry, we've contacted every mole we know. Soon, the rumor reached us that the Tyberian Elite force has captured them. We dug a little deeper and this is what we came up with." He handed the photos to O'Neill.
O'Neill looked at the pictures, one by one. A grim expression appeared on his face. "Camp Ockeloen," he said bitterly. "Are you sure?"
Colonel Bayfield bit on his lip and nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's where they are." He leaned forward, his right arm stretched to point at something on the upper photo. "My best guess is that they're being held in this building. What do you think?"
O'Neill stared at the photo. "That's a possibility," he said and then pointed out another building on the opposite side of the camp. "Or they're here. There are some dungeons under this building where they used to hold prisoners."
Hammond had been listening to the conversation in surprise. He wasn't unaware of the Colonel's past, but wasn't privy to all its details either. He looked from the Special Ops Colonel to his Second, frowning deeply. "Have you been to this camp before, Colonel?"
O'Neill looked up shortly. "Oh, yeah. Been a guest for a short period. I wouldn't recommend the place to anybody, Sir. Their hospitality sucks."
Hammond exchanged a concerned look with their guest. He didn't like this one bit. "What is it exactly that you want, Colonel Bayfield?"
Bayfield shifted uncomfortably in his chair. This whole thing had been a bad idea to start with. "Well," he started uncertainly.
"You want me to get them out," O'Neill interrupted.
Bayfield nodded. "You and Cromwell were the only ones to know the area very well. My best teams are out in the field; and won't be back until the end of next week. Somehow I don't think Marc would appreciate it if we let him wait that long…"
O'Neill stared at the wall. "What about Crane?"
"He's somewhere in the jungle, Jack. Colombia."
"And Conners?"
"North-Vietnam. He's supposed to report back to base next week." Bayfield helplessly threw his hands in the air.
"Damn. What have you got left?" This time, Jack hooked his eyes on his former CO.
Bayfield didn't bat an eye. "They're not experienced enough, yet, Jack. I can send them to… well, you know where. But not the Middle East. Not this region. You know that."
Jack sighed. He owed it to Marc. Marc had pulled him out of trouble on a couple of occasions and it wouldn't be fair to leave him hanging, especially not in a place like this. He remembered how desperately he'd hoped for someone to break him out of that place but nobody had come. In the end, he'd saved himself. He couldn't leave Marc there, he decided. "Okay. I'm going to need some stuff."
General Hammond stared at his Second, assessing him, wondering what was going on inside his head. "Hold it, people. Colonel Bayfield? I need a private word with Colonel O'Neill before this goes any further, so if you don't mind…" Hammond pointed at the door.
Bayfield understood. He rose to his feet and left the office.
Hammond looked at O'Neill. "Colonel? I don't know what's going on here, but if you don't want to do this, you don't have to."
O'Neill placed the photos on the desk and sighed. "I don't have a choice, Sir. As much as I hate to admit it, Bayfield is right. I know that place. I'm familiar with this part of the Middle East like nobody else. I know how those people think, how they hunt, how they operate. I know every tactic, every trick and every foul play they can think of. Bayfield doesn't have another team ready to go before sometime next week. I don't think Major Crook has that long, Sir. Not there, not in that place…"
Hammond took in the deathly serious expression on O'Neill's face. He could only imagine what the man had experienced during his time with Special Forces. "What happened when you were there? Were you captured?"
O'Neill's eyes were hooked on the wall. "The Elite forces surrounded us somewhere in the mountains, but I found a way to break through. Got my team to safety…" he didn't finish his sentence and left the General guessing.
"How long were you in there?" Hammond asked.
O'Neill shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I managed to mislead them for a couple of days with false information. Before they started acting really ugly, I decided it was time to leave…"
Hammond made a mental note to request the post-mission reports of that particular mission. "So you're going. Who do you need with you?"
Jack shook his head resolutely. "Nobody, Sir. I'm not risking anybody out there. There are mines, traps… I can't operate if I have to worry about somebody else as well. I'm going alone. Colonel Bayfield will provide me with everything I need."
Hammond didn't like it at all, but taking in the determination in the Colonel's features he knew his objections wouldn't make any difference. He admired the Colonel's fierce loyalty and feeling of responsibility but he hoped that those good qualities weren't going to get him killed some day. "What if you need backup?" he asked.
"I don't think Bayfield is going to risk another team." O'Neill stated shortly. He stood straight, then moved towards the door ready to call Bayfield back, but he turned before he reached it. "If I don't return, I'd like to recommend Carter to get command over SG-1, Sir." He opened the door and let Bayfield back in.
"Colonel Bayfield, I hereby allow Colonel O'Neill to assist you regarding the rescue of your team in Tyberia," Hammond acknowledged.
Bayfield's face lit up. "Thank you, Sir."
"Don't thank me. Thank him," the General motioned.
O'Neill glared hard at Bayfield. "When I don't report back in time… you'd better start getting creative. If you abandon me one more time, I'm coming back to personally break your lovely neck, understood?"
SG-1 was called to attend to a sudden briefing.
Daniel reluctantly let go of the artifact and followed Sam and Teal'c through the corridors, wondering what this was all about. "They didn't say why there's a sudden briefing?" he asked.
Carter shook her head. "No, Daniel. I don't know any more than you do."
"Geez, I hope we don't need to go on another mission… I'm not finished with the material we brought back from PXR-692 yet." He thought of the interesting things that he'd discovered to date.
They reached the briefing room, entered then sat down. Colonel O'Neill was already present, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, an unfamiliar serious expression on his face. He greeted them with a slight nod of his head.
Daniel exchanged looks with Carter and a sudden unnerving feeling crept over him. Whenever Jack looked that way, if he'd ever done that, it meant trouble. He took a seat and fumbled with a pencil until General Hammond entered the room.
"I bet you're all wondering why we're having this briefing," Hammond started, all while taking his seat at the head of the table.
Teal'c and Major Carter sat next to Daniel and the Colonel was still standing, not uttering a sound.
"Uh, yes, Sir," Sam broke the silence.
"SG-1 will be on stand down until further notice. Colonel O'Neill is leaving the base for a while and you won't be sent on missions until he returns. I will consider letting you participate in other missions with one of the other teams, if the need arises." Hammond looked up and saw the three other members of SG-1 stare at their CO.
Daniel's mind raced. Would it be something personal? Had something happened in the Colonel's family that he had to leave? By the way his friend looked, it must be serious. He looked back at the General, who wasn't attempting to give more information at that moment. "Err, Jack? Where are you going?" Daniel decided to just ask the obvious question.
O'Neill's hands didn't leave his pockets. He glanced over at Daniel, then his eyes locked on a spot on the floor. "The Middle East."
"The Middle East? Why?" Daniel wasn't going to let him off the hook easily.
This time, Jack removed his hands from his pockets and sat down. "A friend of mine is… stuck there. I'm going to help him out."
Sam frowned. "Stuck, Sir?" What could he have meant by that? She took in the expression on his face and quickly came to the conclusion. "As in taken prisoner, Sir?"
The way he looked at her told her she'd guessed it right.
"Uh, yeah," he said shortly.
Daniel's mouth fell open. "You are going on a rescue mission to the Middle East? With whom? Who is this friend anyway and who has taken him prisoner?"
Jack looked at his team and realized he had some things to explain. His team didn't deserve to be lied to. He only hoped he could keep it as brief as possible. "His name is Major Crook. He's an old buddy of mine; we did some missions together. He was sent on a mission to Tyberia with his team and never returned. With the information from intel we have determined where the Tyberian Elite forces are keeping them."
Carter inhaled sharply. She knew a little about the aggressive nature of the people of Tyberia and the hostilities amongst the civilians and the government as well. "Why you, Sir?" Special Forces obviously had come to him but she wondered why.
"Because I'm familiar with that country, plus I know the camp where they're being held in pretty well…" Jack tried to give them enough to keep them satisfied and hoped they wouldn't ask more questions.
"So?" Daniel asked, tapping on the table with his pencil. He didn't like this a bit. "I'm sure the Forces have enough well trained people to take care of their own business. You don't work for them anymore. Give them any information they might need and let them handle it…"
It sounded reasonable. Sam nodded approvingly; Daniel had stated exactly what she'd been thinking.
"Their best teams are out of the country. The best they can do is having a team ready by the end of next week. I can't leave Marc in that place for that long…" O'Neill's voice faded and his eyes darkened.
Teal'c spoke up for the first time. "I will accompany you, O'Neill."
O'Neill eyed his Jaffa friend. "Thanks, Teal'c. But no, I'll have to do this alone."
"Who's coming with you?" asked Daniel, realizing Jack hadn't answered that particular question.
"Nobody."
"Sir!" Sam protested, raising her hands helplessly.
"You can't do that, Jack!" Daniel spoke up, getting slightly irritated. His friend wasn't really thinking about going to rescue the missing team all by himself, now was he?
"Yes, I can. I know the area, I know the country, and I know the people. Four people are missing already and I'm not risking any more lives. That's final." He hated to do this, to cut them off that brutally when they were worried about him, but he just had to. There was no way he would allow any one of them to get caught by the Elite troops.
Carter determinedly looked at Hammond. "General, Sir. With all due respect, we cannot let him do this?"
Hammond sighed. He didn't like it either, but he could understand the Colonel's reasoning and respected it. "The decision has been made, Major. The Colonel is leaving within the hour. Colonel O'Neill," he faced his Second, "good luck. You damn well better get back here soon, however. I have no intention of giving command of SG-1 to somebody else, is that understood?"
O'Neill smiled. "Yes, Sir."
The General left the briefing room, leaving the team to say their goodbyes.
Teal'c stood and bowed his head, his hands resting on his back. "I wish you would allow me to join you, O'Neill. Be safe, my friend."
O'Neill smiled at those words. "Thanks, Teal'c. You just keep your eye on Daniel for me, will yah?"
Daniel hit the table with his fist. "Damnit, Jack! Don't say that! Who's gonna keep an eye on you? Why are you doing this anyway? I don't like this at all."
Jack made a face. "Oh, come on, Daniel. I'll be back before you know it. You know I can't ask you guys to risk your lives for an old friend of mine. I would never forgive myself if anything would happen to one of you, you know that."
"I wish you would let us decide if we were willing to risk our lives for a friend of yours, Sir," Sam stated, knowing it would make no difference. When the Colonel set his mind on something, nothing could get him off it.
"Well, yeah… I appreciate it…" Jack felt uncomfortable with the situation and stared at the wall.
"Good luck then, Sir. Come back to us," Carter said, silently adding 'safely' to her last sentence.
"Thanks, Carter. Daniel, finish studying that rock so we can go fishing when I come back, okay?"
Daniel didn't even bother correcting him, hearing Jack call the artifact a rock. He just nodded. "I'll take you up on that, Jack. Take care of yourself."
With that they said goodbye, leaving O'Neill to pack his gear.