"As for Sisko, my wife and I will take care of my brother-in-law," Jack retorted. And I'm already on that. Plane leaves the airfield for Denver in twenty minutes. You might want to step on it."
CHAPTER SEVEN: BROTHER
Even now, with Luke married to his sister, Jack had never forgotten the man's betrayal.
Nearly seven years ago, Luke Sisko had been involved in a plot to study and eventually capture the twins. The erstwhile medical researcher, now pediatrician, deluded by loyalty to his uncle, Robert Kinsey, had relayed the twins' medical information to the Trust during the first year of their lives. In spite of Luke's apologies and his resolutions to break all ties with what was left of the rogue NID group, Jack O'Neill had never given up a degree of suspicion when it came to the man who'd married his sister three years later.
Now, as he and Sam sat side by side in the jump seat of a military helicopter commandeered to bring them to the roof of Dr. Sisko's hospital, it was time to deal with the disapproval he saw in his wife's eyes.
"Jack, what are we doing?" Sam asked, her eyes tired and her face showing fatigue and worry.
"Looking for our children, pursuing a lead," Jack responded tersely. "Having a picture of Luke in that guy Dean's apartment, it can't be a coincidence, Sam, can't be," he said, staring off into space.
Reaching up with one hand to turn her husband's face toward her, Sam tried to reason with him. "What does Luke have to do to prove himself to you?" she asked gently. "It's been almost seven years. He's married your sister; they have a child. They moved closer to us so they could be part of the family…"
"Or be closer to the twins and get ready for this," he countered coldly. Jack's anger was tempered by the sadness in his wife's eyes. His demeanor softened as he reached for Sam and pulled her towards him. They made the rest of the short trip wrapped in each other's embrace.
"Promise me we'll find them, Jack," Sam whispered against his chest.
"I promise."
OoOoOO
At a state-of-the-art hospital outside Denver, Luke Sisko had become director of neonatology. In his relatively new role, he'd set out to develop and market the fledgling department. It was a sizeable challenge, involving new technology and high risk medical procedures. Of course the rewards were enormous too – saving small premature babies who only a few years back would have been lost.
Luke and his wife, Maureen, had moved to Denver just before the birth of their first child. The reason for the move was twofold. Maureen had an opportunity to join a first rate local newspaper as a feature writer and both Luke and Maureen wanted to be near family.
Since Jon O'Neill was born in a dramatic, premature fashion three years ago, Luke had gradually been accepted as a member of the O'Neill family. His marriage to Jack's sister, Maureen, a few months later, had cemented his position. From there, the family bonds of trust and closeness had grown. The families visited each other frequently and kept in touch by phone and email. Jack and Sam had been godparents to the Siskos' young son, Michael, christened a short nine months ago.
Luke's pager had gone off about an hour ago. He recognized his brother-in-law's number. Worrying that something was wrong (Jack never called him at work), Luke had returned the page immediately. His concern was only heightened by the tenseness of Jack's voice. He hadn't heard that tone from the man in a long time. It wouldn't be long now. He could hear the helicopter coming in for a landing on the hospital's newly installed helipad.
Maureen had been at the hospital with Michael for a well baby visit that afternoon. When Luke learned Jack and Sam were on their way, he'd asked Maureen to join them. He had no idea what was about to go down.
"Jack, Sam, hello," Maureen called, as she ran to greet them once they'd emerged from the stairwell. "I can't imagine why you're here, but it's great to see you."
"You too, sis," Jack said perfunctorily. "Where's Luke?"
"In his office. He's waiting for you," Maureen said, looking briefly at Sam for reassurance. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure Moe," her brother answered. "But I'm sure as hell gonna find out."
"Jack, Sam," Luke said with a smile, coming to greet his in-laws. To what do I owe such a dramatic visit?" Then more seriously, seeing the distress on Sam's face, "Is something wrong?"
"The twins were taken this morning, Luke," Sam said, hoping to head off some of Jack's rage. "We have no idea where they are."
"What can I do to help?" Luke offered without a second thought.
"Tell us what you did with them," Jack snarled.
Horrified by the accusation, Maureen moved to stand between her brother and her husband.
"Get out of my way, Maureen," Jack said to his sister. "He knows something and I'm going to get it out of him."
"Why don't we all sit down," Luke suggested, trying his best to maintain the cool head that allowed him to work in highly stressful situations, "and you and Sam can tell us what's going on."
Sam laid her hand gently on Jack's forearm and encouraged him to sit down. Fortunately, he followed her lead, not really wanting to beat the man to a pulp in front of his sister and his wife.
"You're involved in this Luke…" the overwrought general hissed between clenched teeth.
"Jack, we don't know that," Sam interrupted, knowing she'd have to intervene to keep the meeting from devolving into a useless verbal argument or worse. She proceeded to offer Luke and Maureen a brief recounting of the day's events capped off by the photo they'd found in Richard Dean's home.
"I know we may be grasping at straws, Luke, but your picture was in the home of the man whose van was involved in the kidnapping. And Beverly is his sister," Sam said, as reasonably as she could. "Do you know anything about what's going on here?"
"Sam, I have nothing to do with this. I would never endanger the kids. I think you know that," he said with pleading, sincere eyes.
"I don't know that," Jack countered. "I can't just forget what happened before, not now."
"Of course you can't, I wouldn't either in your position, Jack," Luke said, turning to his brother-in-law. "I can never erase that year, but I swear I've had no contact with the Trust or anyone interested in harming the twins since then."
Maureen had come over to sit by her husband and had taken his hand. Michael, who until Jack raised his voice had been napping, began to fuss. At that Jack winced, but continued, "And the picture?"
"Beverly's the man's sister, you said. Of course, he'd have a picture," Luke reasoned. "The rest of us just happened to be at the office party. All of us, Jack, not just me."
"And I should believe you because…"
"Because of the last few years we've spent as family, that's why," Luke said sadly. "I'd hoped it had started to make a difference. I suppose I was wrong."
Jack's cell rang as Maureen was preparing to explain he'd have to leave if he continued to disturb Michael. Despite the seriousness of their current situation, Maureen couldn't help a smile as the phone played the Star Trek theme.
"O'Neill," he answered.
After less than a moment's one sided conversation, Jack ended the call.
"Hendricks and Scott fingerprinted the van. Only two sets of prints – Dean's and Beverly's. Nothing else, no sign the kids were ever in the car."
"But Beverly was in the car?" Sam asked. "Has Teal'c's team located her yet?"
"No, that's just it. No one at the lab seems to know where she's gone. She filed for unexpected personal leave a week ago, something about her mother."
Sam nodded her head. She knew Beverly's mother had been in a nursing facility suffering from Alzheimer's disease for over a year now. Beverly had been struggling with both the diagnosis and the cost of adequate care for her mother. Maybe that was it. Maybe she'd been forced to do something against her better judgment in order to get the money she needed.
"We have to find her," Sam said simply.
OoOoOo
In the underground bunker where the O'Neill children were being held, the director had just returned. Coming in from outside, where night was falling, he adjusted his eyes to the deeper darkness of what wasn't much more than a cave.
Not a patient man to begin with, the director was displeased to find that the van used to transport the children had been found. Though certain nothing could disrupt his plan now, the incompetence of his workers disturbed him greatly.
Met by Miranda and the men who'd abducted the twins, the director proceeded to make his feelings known.
"I'm gone on business less than two hours and I come back to find you can't manage the simplest things. So careless, you disappoint me. Really, you shouldn't disappoint me, you know."
The men simply looked at each other. One actually rolled his eyes, wondering if any amount of money was worth abiding the arrogance of the director.
"Your ambition and greed rival my own, yet your intelligence leaves much to be desired," the director observed. "The van should never have been found." Without a second thought, the man in charge pulled a weapon the three had never seen and shot a burst of energy at each of the two men in turn. Once they were stunned, he shot each of them two more times.
"There, you see my dear," he said calmly, addressing a trembling Miranda, "they'll never be found."
A/N: Ah… the plot thickens.
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