Chapter 2: Camp
As they got closer and closer to camp, Le Beau was trying to decide if he wanted to go into the tree stump first or last. Kinch said not to let them out of his sight- but how can I possibly watch all of them at the same time while they are entering the tunnels? So the question becomes: do I want to go first, show them where the tunnel is and be able to keep an eye on them when they enter the tunnel and risk them sounding the alarm in the forest, or do I want to send them down first, keep an eye on them in the woods and risk one or more of them running off into other portions of the tunnel and finding out way more than we want them to know? Glancing at the people following him, though, LeBeau was filled with unease. The mademoiselle already knows far more than she ought to, if she was not sent here.
"Shit, that looks like a POW camp!" swore the older man as the barbed wire and lights of Stalag 13 came into view. Uttering a few more phrases that LeBeau was sure would have had Carter blushing, he looked back over his shoulder and queried, "Now what?"
Major Carter answered calmly, "We go in, sir."
"You knew!?" Jack swore colorfully. "How the hell did you know?"
"Later, sir." Carter laid one finger alongside her nose. Looking over at their guide, she said, "Which stump is it?"
Mon Dieu! I forgot she already mentioned the stump! Well, I guess this takes away the need to decide; it's obvious she intends to lead the others down. But why would someone brief the woman and not the officer in charge? he wondered as he silently pointed to the appropriate trunk. "Wait for..." he started to whisper a warning, but she was already moving. "the lights." he finished as she deftly flipped the top of the tree stump up and climbed down into the hollow tree trunk.
Next to him, the older man whispered, "Sweet." Watching the lights, he beckoned one of the younger men forward. "Daniel, you next. In between sweeps of those klieg lights."
"Yes, Jack." The tone of voice the young American used reminded LeBeau forcefully of Newkirk's insolent tones toward the Colonel at times. He had to choke back the urge to laugh at the longsuffering look on the man's face.
"O'Neill." The black man spoke up. "This place appears to be heavily fortified and filled with enemy soldiers. Would it not be wiser to seek shelter elsewhere?"
"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, T, but we're gonna trust Carter on this one. She seems to know what's going on better..." Jack trailed off and signaled to Teal'c to go down the trunk next.
Looking at the sheer size of the man, LeBeau knew an instant's worry that the huge man would not fit through the tree trunk- or worse yet, would get stuck trying to get in and get them all caught. LeBeau breathed a sigh of relief as he lowered himself into the tunnel.
O'Neill went next, and then LeBeau followed him. He was relieved to see that the others were waiting at the bottom of the of the ladder in a tight huddle, even though they stopped whispering at his approach.. He motioned for them to follow him down the tunnel. He brought them as far as the radio, where Baker was monitoring the set. Louis tapped him on the shoulder. Baker looker over his shoulder, did a double take at the group standing behind him, and then affirmed, "I'll go get the colonel."
"We can wait... if he is still occupied." Louis said cryptically.
"Okay, but I'd think they'll be breaking the party up soon if they haven't yet. It's nearly midnight."
Baker went over and triggered the release on the bunk, then climbed the ladder before shutting the trap door after him. Less than fifteen minutes later, he was back with Colonel Hogan. They were both surprised at the scene that met them in the radio room.
LeBeau was sitting on the front of the radio desk, watching the four guests. Jack was pacing, Teal'c was standing quietly at parade rest against the wall, Sam was straddling the wooden chair backwards with her arms propped on top as she listened to Daniel, who was lying on his back on the cot and explaining how if Jack continued pacing, he might actually wear a rut in this particular floor.
"Besides, Jack, this is hardly like some of the other times we've been captured. They're friendlies, we just have to convince them to help us."
"And just how..." Jack stopped speaking as he turned around and saw Colonel Hogan standing there. Recognizing him as the officer in charge, he strode over and introduced himself: "Colonel Jack O'Neill."
"Colonel Robert Hogan." Hogan ran his eyes over the man and then glanced at the rest of the team. In his appraisal, he missed the look in Jack's eyes when he said his name. Hogan felt somewhat disconcerted by the fact that they knew that his men considered them prisoners, and yet had made no effort to escape and in fact seemed quite comfortable. The casual ease with which the man on the cot had joked- joked!- about being captured made Hogan leery.
Turning to his own team member, he snapped, "LeBeau, report."
"Oui, mon colonel. We were on our way to the target when Newkirk noticed these people following us. They claimed to be Allies, but did not know a recognition code. But the woman- she seems to know far too much about our operation. She addressed Kinch by his rank, and knew your code name. She spoke of the operation as a 'traveler's aide society', but also gave Carter advice on his explosives- which he did not ask for. And she knew that the camp was our base, and that the entrance was in a stump. And that one" he pointed at Jack, "knew Carter's name."
Hogan had grown more incredulous and suspicious as the list went on. He turned towards his guests. "So, how much do you know and how do you know it?"
Jack opened his mouth to answer, but Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Sir, allow me." Turning to Hogan, she continued. "I'm afraid we can't tell you how we know the things we know. I know quite a bit about your operation, but I can't even tell you who told me, other than to say that it was a mutual friend. The rest of my team knows considerably less. We are no threat to your operation, and we will be leaving again within the next few weeks. All we ask is to be allowed to stay in the tunnels during that time and maybe get a few meals from LeBeau. In return, we will offer to help you with any forthcoming missions that you have where you may need an extra hand."
Hogan raised an eyebrow. The woman in front of him had spoken confidently, as one who is not used to having her statements countered. And he had not missed the way that she had addressed the man as 'Sir'; and though he had allowed her to speak for 'her' team, his eyes had betrayed astonishment when she stated a departure time, and again when she offered help. There was definitely something going on here, and Hogan wasn't going to fully trust them until he got to the bottom of it.
"Well, I'll be needing your names so that I can check you out with London."
"I'm afraid that won't work, sir." The woman interrupted. "London is not aware of our mission here."
"Then who shall I check you out with?"
"I'm afraid that you won't be able to do that at all," Jack cleared his throat, "Colonel."
"And I'm just supposed to trust you? How do I know you're not German spies?"
Jack raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, but before he could retort, Sam cut in, "You're not going to embarrass us again, are you, Daniel?" Which made Teal'c smile, and Jack and Daniel both burst out laughing.
Hogan pulled a face. "Care to let me in on the joke?"
Jack managed to straighten up again. "Well, on a previous occasion when we were asked in Russian if we were Soviet spies, Daniel" he waved a hand to indicate him, "answered, 'Nyet'. Thereby confirming our captors' suspicions." He chuckled again.
Daniel stood up. "In my defense, speaking a language is hardly proof of anything. Besides, if you considered me a spy for every language I could speak, I wouldn't be a double agent, I'd be like a twenty-something-eth agent."
Sam and Jack couldn't help laughing again, even though he was dead serious. Hogan cracked a smile at the brash young man. If Carter's skills were with languages instead of explosives, he might say something like that.
"You still haven't told me your names." He glanced at the team members. "Except you, Colonel- O'Neill, did you say?"
Jack knew Hogan had no more forgotten his name than he'd forgotten his own, but he wasn't surprised that Hogan wanted to test him. "Yes, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and this is my team: (he gestured to each as he spoke) Major Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c."
Hogan's eyes had widened at the mention of 'major' in reference to the woman and gotten progressively wider as the introductions continued. He's got a female officer and two civilians for a team? Just what kind of thing is he running? And why on earth should I really believe that he really is an American officer? Our army doesn't allow women in combat positions. And civilians? Even civilians who speak a number of languages? Why not just draft them; they seem fit enough. In fact that big guy-Teal'c-and what kind of name is that?- looks like he could easily take down just about anyone. He might even be able to beat Kinch. They've got to be some kind of spies, or maybe a sabotage unit. But then why in heaven's name didn't someone give me a heads-up that they were coming?
None of SG-1 had missed Hogan's reaction to the introductions. Teal'c was the only one caught slightly off guard by it. Jack decided to offer something in placation: "I know my team is very unusual, but they all have their specialties and together we make the best damn special ops team there is."
Hogan and LeBeau both nearly winced at Jack's profanity. Such language, and in front of a lady, no less!
Jack continued, sure that he could earn Hogan's trust with a few well-placed tidbits of info. "And since we spend more time together on missions than apart, we consider each other family. Not unlike your own group, Colonel."
Hogan looked at the other man appraisingly. LeBeau had said that the woman- Major Carter- knew far too much, but her CO seemed to know plenty, as well, despite what she'd said to the contrary.
"So who's in the lead for the pennant?" Hogan asked, thinking that a sports question might at least put his mind at ease a little, even if it was a little harder to check.
Jack and Daniel answered simultaneously. "Well, it's been a while since we were home, so I'm not really sure." "Saint Louis Cardinals." (1)
Jack shot a look at Daniel, who covered by stating, "Don't mind Jack. He probably wouldn't notice even if we were in the States right now. All he pays attention to is hockey and football."
"The Cardinals again, huh? Think they'll win the series this year?"
Daniel decided to hedge his bets on this one. "Yeah, they've got a really good team going. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep dominating for several years."
"You think they're that good?"
"Well, I haven't had the opportunity to see a game, but I've heard plenty about what a hot commodity Stan the Man is."
"Well, if we're gonna root for them, then we better hope that the Yankees are more like two years ago than they were last year, huh?"
His brain analyzing the comment at the speed of light and spitting out the appropriate game stats as well as the year, Daniel answered. (2) "Actually, I might put money on the Yankees not making it to the World Series this year. The Browns are something of a miracle team. They're on a winning streak, and I think they might be able to hold it long enough to grab the American League pennant. I have no idea how they've won as many games as they have with the team they have- they've even got a one-armed man playing this year, but can you imagine what it would be like if the Cardinals played the Browns?"
Hogan nodded thoughtfully, well he at least seems to know what he's talking about in regards to sports. Although the Browns are nowhere near as good as the Yankees; he's nuts to think they've got a shot at the series.
A voice from further along the tunnel echoed his thoughts as Andrew Carter spoke up. "Well, I think you're nuts, boy! The Browns aren't that great of a team. They haven't even made it into the top division in like ten years!"
Daniel let out a mirthless chuckle in answer to the returning commando. "Well, luckily for them, a lot of teams have lost many of their best players to the war."
Hogan cut off the baseball talk by asking his men for a report.
"Well, sir, things went pretty well, all things considered.," Newkirk reported. "A patrol came strollin' along just as soon as we'd finished plantin' the dynamite, so we had to hide, even though we knew the time was running out."
"They nearly gave me a heart attack, hiding that close to the bridge. I thought for sure they'd end up being blown to bits," interrupted Kinch.
"Any'ow, as soon as they were past, me an' Carter 'ere took off runnin' as fast as we could, but then the bridge blew, and we were still close enough to get knocked off our feet. But we 'auled ourselves up an' took off again."
"But you're not injured?" Hogan asked.
"No sir," the three chorused.
Turning to Sam, Carter added, "And I'd just like to say thank you, ma'am. If you hadn't said to add five minutes to the timer, Newkirk and I'd probably have died tonight. I don't know how you knew, but thank you."
The rest of Hogan's team gaped, astounded. Newkirk was the first to speak. "Bloody 'ell! You mean we ruddy well should 'ave died tonight an' the only reason we didn't is that someone just 'appened to tell you to add time to the timer?"
"Yeah. And I nearly didn't do it. But I figured if she knew I'd been worried about three sticks being enough, she might know something about the timing."
"Bloody 'ell!"
"Newkirk." Hogan's mind had accepted the improbable facts enough for him to notice the man's swearing. "There's a lady present." He nodded at Sam.
Newkirk blushed. "Oh, begging your pardon, miss."
Sam smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. I've heard far worse."
Hogan and his men looked askance at her. Daniel winked at her conspiratorially before asking sotto voce, "From Colonel potty-mouth, you mean?"
"Daniel."
LeBeau was glad the other colonel was too busy glaring at his teammate to notice the smirk that had appeared on his face. He couldn't help it; the man had sworn a blue streak when he saw the camp and Louis couldn't help thinking that the nickname, however childish, fit.
"Yes, Jack?" Daniel's voice was back up to its normal level and filled with the most innocent and helpful of tones.
Louis turned a laugh into a cough as his and Hogan's thoughts ran parallel tracks. Oh, no. That sounds like another Newkirk. Insolent and yet able to get away with anything. Like calling his commander by his first name.
Jack rubbed his face tiredly. "You get first watch."
"Aw, come on, Jack. We don't really need a watch here, do we?"
"He's right, sir." Sam sided with Daniel, thinking that she'd enjoy sleeping through the night on a mission.
"Indeed." Teal'c's deep voice entered the conversation for the first time.
Looking at Hogan ruefully, Jack commented, "You sure are lucky. You see what I have to deal with? An XO whose job description includes 'offering alternative solutions'- in other words, questioning orders; and two civilians who think this team is a democracy. Your whole team are enlisted men who follow your orders."
He was distinctly nonplussed when all of the Heroes either smiled or laughed outright at his statement.
Author's Notes:
(1) The Cardinals won the pennant in 42, 43, 44, and 46. They were in second place in 41, 45, 47, 48, and 49. Thus every year between Pearl Harbor and V-E day, they won the pennant. They also won the World Series in 42 and 44.
(2) Figuring out the year would have been possible because during the war, the World Series went as follows:
42: Cardinals defeat Yankees
43: Yankees defeat Cardinals
44: 'Streetcar series'- Cardinals defeat Browns-
And the Browns did indeed beat the Yankees in spite of having an infield who were all 4-F and at least nine players on the team over the age of 34. Their team also included Pete Gray, an outfielder who is thus far the only one-armed Major League player.
