Part 3: Run

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Briefing room

Daniel had been sifting as quickly as he could through the information contained in the books Breck had given to him. Janet had attached an IV and allowed to bring it on a stand with him to his office so he continue working. He'd given the information on the blood substitute directly to Dr. Fraiser, but very little of the information he'd come across so far had been helpful in informing him of a possible cure. The books documented the course of the parasite pretty thoroughly, so at least some of his own questions had been answered by returning to the planet. Unfortunately, it might have been at the cost of Sam's health.

Sam had been checked over and her wound bandaged, but without a definitive answer about whether or not she was going to be transformed. They had attempted to disinfect the wound with a UV light treatment, but despite the slightly burned skin left around the wound, small amounts of the organisms were still present in her blood samples. Fraiser theorized that she could remain asymptomatic for a few hours even if she were fully infected, and the material in Daniel's new books supported that idea, as did Breck's assessment.

Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, Sam, and Dr. Fraiser had all been called in again for an update of Daniel's research. The NID was due onto the base within an hour, so after the briefing there wouldn't be much more time before Daniel would be asked to leave the base.

Sam sat in one of the chairs, looking anxious. The doctor said there was no problem with her continuing to work outside of the infirmary so long as she immediately reported any strange symptoms.

Teal'c and Jack had been given physicals and deemed healthy enough to remain on missions.

"The short answer is that nothing Breck gave me is a definitive cure," Daniel announced as he stood to give the group his update. "But they have been making progress."

Sam was visibly shaken by the news, wringing her hands as she sat. By no means was she ready to give up, but at the moment she felt uncomfortably powerless. So powerless, in fact, that she was at a loss for words.

"But the information he gave me means we don't have to start at the beginning," Daniel added quickly. "And we know definitively that the Gao'uld are responsible for this. Anubis ruled the planet, but Nirtti, likely under the orders of Ba'al, created this as a weapon."

Sam still wasn't reassured.

"Breck's people don't have many medicines because the infection makes them immune to everything. Our medicines might make an impact on this," Daniel said, giving a quick gesture to himself. "Maybe we can develop a vaccination so at least it won't be passed on."

"There are a few people from the CDC with the proper clearance, and I've asked them to take a look at the properties of this parasite," Dr. Fraiser interjected. "I've given them an e-mail with the information."

"That really wasn't necessary, Doctor," a voice came from the stairwell leading to the briefing room from the control room.

Everyone looked up from the briefing, worried that they had accurately recognized the voice.

Col. Harry Maybourne walked into the room. "Most of my men are in your lab gathering the samples you collected from both Capt. Carter and Dr. Jackson."

General Hammond folded his hands on the desk in front of him, and looked to the new arrival, "You're running ahead of schedule, I see."

He reached into his breast pocket and held out some papers to the general. "...And with fresh orders from the President to take the Major with us, too."

Hammond took the papers and examined them.

Sam stood and looked to Hammond fearfully. "Sir?"

"We don't even know if she's been infected," Dr. Fraiser told Maybourne coolly.

Maybourne laughed. "It doesn't matter. At the very least she's been transferred under my command."

Two more of Maybourne's men came up the staircase.

Maybourne looked at Sam. "I know you have quarters here, so these men will escort you up there to gather a few belongings. I'm afraid that until we know whether you've been infected we can't authorize you to go back to your civilian housing."

"There's no need for those guys," Jack finally chimed in. "I'll walk her up there and we can be back in no time."

Maybourne smiled. "Nice to see you, Jack," he said pleasantly. "But I'm afraid, given the circumstances, I must insist." He gestured for the guards to approach Sam.

"Very well," Hammond said, looking back up from the papers. He turned back to the people gathered around the table. "He's allowed to take all material pertaining to that parasite. This document specifies all samples stored in the lab, all computer data, and any other personnel who may have been contaminated."

"Well, in that case I'm still not going to let your goons alone with either one of them as long as you're on this base," Jack said more passionately.

General Hammond turned to Jack and nodded. "I agree." He looked at Maybourne. "You may have the papers in order to take my personnel off this base and do who knows what to them, but as long as they're still on this base I will make sure they are still treated with dignity."

Maybourne shrugged a little. "If that's what you want."

"Col. O'Neill will accompany Major Carter, and Teal'c, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to act as an escort for Dr. Jackson," Hammond announced.

Jack nodded and Teal'c inclined his head in agreement.

"Where are you taking me?" Daniel asked after silently standing at the head of the table. He glanced sideways towards Sam. "I mean us."

"I don't know yet," Maybourne admitted, watching Daniel carefully.

Daniel was staring intently at Maybourne, but he couldn't pick up anything worth passing along to his friends.

"I wasn't told the location because we were aware of your apparent telepathic abilities," he continued. He sighed and clapped his hands. "Let's get moving."

Sam looked to General Hammond again.

Hammond nodded.

She and Jack trailed out of the room, followed by one of the NID soldiers.

Daniel was watching them all carefully.

"I'd like to take Daniel to the infirmary for one last transfusion," Dr. Fraiser said, standing.

Maybourne smiled. "I think not."

Dr. Fraiser rolled her eyes with a sigh. "And why is that?"

"Obviously, it's safe to assume that if he receives a fresh transfusion of blood, he may start feeling healthy enough to escape in route to the next location," Maybourne said snidely.

The Doctor nodded a little, looking to Daniel.

Maybourne looked to Daniel. "Or was that the general idea?"

Daniel started to leave the room. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied badly. He had silently asked Janet if she'd be willing to help him. After a few seconds of private debate as to the dangers of this parasite losing containment, she agreed for the sake of both of her friends.

Teal'c rose and followed Daniel, making a point to ignore Maybourne completely.

Another NID agent trailed behind the pair.

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Jack, Sam, and one of the NID agents walked down the hall on level 17, heading towards Sam's room.

You can hear me, right? Daniel's voice called in Jack's and Sam's ears. He, Teal'c and his NID escort were on an elevator going slowly towards Daniel's office.

Jack and Sam both glanced at eachother as they continued to walk.

Well, Sam, this may be one of our last chances to get out of here now that there's only one guard on each of us. Maybourne didn't lie when he said he didn't know where, we're going, but I got a very solid picture of what they'll be doing to us.

But they don't even know if I've been infected Sam couldn't help but thinking.

Jack looked at her, somehow having heard her as clearly as he'd heard Daniel. Daniel, I just heard, Sam, so please tell me that's another one of your tricks.

As far as I know, it wasn't me Daniel confessed, the elevator stopping to let another airman off.

Sam's cheeks went a little pale.

But I guess it could have been me Daniel admitted when he picked up on Sam's worry. This is a little new to me, too.

What do you have in mind, as it were? Jack thought, raising his eyebrows a little as they turned down the corridor.

Knock out your guard, get to the hatch, and we can meet on level 12, near the backup generators.

And then? Jack asked.

We wait for sunset. I'll knock out the generators, and then we can head to the surface.

And then? Jack asked again.

Daniel smiled a little. I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"What are you smiling about?" the NID agent asked Daniel briskly.

Daniel stammered a little, caught off guard by the real-world voice speaking to him. "N-Nothing. I was just thinking about one of the books I was reading."

The NID agent didn't look convinced.

"It was about one of the Thanes and his twenty-third wife's obsession with gardening ..." Daniel continued to lie. "... But I suppose it loses some of the humor in the translation."

The elevator beeped as Daniel's group arrived on level 19.

Jack and Sam opened the door to her quarters and all three trailed inside.

I'll pack some supplies Sam offered, finding her knapsack and packing it with some of the things they could need- a blanket, jacket, money...

The guard was watching her carefully, waiting by the open door. "You know, we will supply you with bedding," he reminded as she stuffed a military-issue wool blanket into her bag.

Sam nodded a little. "Sure, but I like this one."

The guard took a few steps inside. "You get a new one every time you send it to the laundry."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Jack replied sarcastically as Sam continued to pack.

The guard drew his gun. "That's good enough. We can have the other things shipped."

"Fine," Sam said easily, seeing the pointed gun, but still trying to act innocent. She swung the bag over her shoulder. "I think I have enough to get me through a few days."

"No need for a gun," Jack said quietly, pushing the door shut.

The guard turned his gun on Jack.

Sam swung the bag swiftly off her shoulder and into the guard, winding him. She pulled the gun from his hands as he stumbled to the floor. "Don't move," she ordered quietly, her teeth clenched.

The guard was sitting on the floor, and he held his hands up a little.

With one swift kick to the face, Sam sent the guard to the floor, unconscious.

"That had to hurt," Jack commented with a wince.

Sam tucked the gun into her backpack and dragged the guard behind the bed so with the door left open passersby wouldn't be able to see him.

Jack calmly opened the door and they headed swiftly to the hatch.

The Colonel and I are on our way up Sam thought.

No Daniel said quickly. We should leave Jack and Teal'c out of this, at least for now.

You should have mentioned that earlier 'cuse the guard already saw me helping Carter Jack replied quickly.

The radio being carried by the NID agent escorting Daniel beeped.

"Cooper, report," the radio called.

The agent grabbed his radio and spoke as they reached Daniel's Office. "This is Cooper. We just got to Jackson's Office."

Crap Daniel relayed to his friends. Sam, you better hurry to the hatch. They're doing some kind of radio check-in and it won't be long before they know the other guy's out of commission. Daniel opened the door to his room and all three of them trailed in.

Teal'c shut the door behind them.

As the guard turned to tell Teal'c to open the door, Daniel whirled around grabbed the guard by the shoulder. He felt the charge run through his arm, and into the agent.

The agent fell to the floor, unconscious.

Daniel shook his hand a little. The electricity had left his own hand feeling a numb, but he knew the man was still alive.

Teal'c reached down to check the man's pulse.

"He's probably going to be fine," Daniel assured. "I don't think I put too many volts into him."

Teal'c nodded as he dragged the man to the far wall behind the desk, just as Sam and Jack had hidden the other agent from people walking the halls.

We have a problem Jack reported.

Jack and Sam were outside with door leading to the ladder, their hands up as two NID agents at the end of the hall aimed their guns at the pair.

Can you hear me, Carter? Jack asked.

Sam nodded a little.

Take me hostage.

Excuse me, Sir?

Take me hostage, we get through the door and then seal the hatch. You can make it to the meeting place in five minutes and I'll play 'discarded hostage' on one of the landings then use the old 'They made me do it' card.

Sam looked at Jack.

Consider it an order Jack added.

Sam reached forward and caught him around the throat with her arm, backing towards the door as if he were her shield.

A shot rang out from behind them.

Sam called out in pain as she was hit in the shoulder by an NID agent who had approached them from the other end of the corridor.

A second shot from the same gunman hit her in the leg, sending both her and Jack to the floor.

The three armed NID agents rushed forward.

One of them grabbed Jack by the arm and dragged him out of Carter's reach while the other two aimed their guns again.

Jack let out a groan as the agent pulled him to his feet.

"Are you alright, Sir?" the agent asked.

His shirt was splattered with blood from Carter's wounds, but one spot over his own shoulder continued to darken. He put his hand over the spot and a pain shot through his whole arm. At such a close range the bullet that had gone through Carter's shoulder and been stopped by his own.

Make that a big problem Jack thought, followed by a few profanities that Jack hadn't said aloud in several years.

"What is wrong?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel had been silent for several seconds as he learned bits and pieces of what had just happened. He sighed, his eyes turning back to meet Teal'c. "Turns out we're scrapping that plan."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow questioningly.