o0o

Part Eight

Jack smiled in vicious satisfaction. 'Yeah, take that you bastards! Hope it's sheer agony for ya, at least for the few seconds you've got left before ya kick it.'

Too bad they'd only be able to watch the aftermath. He'd have gotten a certain amount of pleasure from watching those sick freaks of nature drop dead in their tracks. Teach 'em not to come after his people.

"Sir?"

Carter's voice pulled him back to the present, she sounded puzzled. He turned to face her, still grinning maniacally. She looked startled. Which was understandable since he probably looked like a crazy man.

"Revenge is sweet Carter," he offered in explanation. "It's a cliché, but…there it is."

Her brow crinkled as she frowned slightly. From out of nowhere, he received the distinct impression that she was surprised at his reaction. He blinked, his smile faltering. Ah, come on Carter! This is Jacob we're talkin' about here! Your Dad…

Did she really think he wouldn't want to exact vengeance on those who hurt him and his own? Surely she knew him well enough by now, to know that was precisely what he'd want?

She obviously came to the same conclusion, because her expression cleared almost as soon as he thought it and she flashed him a toothy smile of her own. Albeit a grim one.

"Yes sir. It is."

The glint in her eye matched the one in his and it seemed to Jack, like he could nearly feel her own answering satisfaction at the thought.

He stepped backwards until he could feel the guard rails alongside the gate at his back and gestured for her to do the same. He waited to make sure she was far enough back, before waving an airy signal at Siler.

"Siler! Launch the UAV!"

The Sergeant did…something. And the next thing Jack knew, the UAV had launched with a roar not quite so impressive as the gate's and zipped above their heads into the open wormhole.

Sweet!

Jack recovered from his instinctive ducking motion, even though rationally he knew it was a good couple of feet above the top of his head and spun back to look at Carter. The grin was back on his face.

"That – "

"Never gets old, sir?"

She cut into his comment, finishing it for him as if she knew what he was about to say. Which made sense. After all, she knew how he loved watching the UAV's launch. They were just so…cool.

"Damn straight."

She made to start walking back down the ramp and he gestured her back to her previous position.

"Might as well stay where you are. Gonna be goin' through in a minute anyway."

She nodded silently and he turned his attention down the ramp at the teams waiting to embark.

"SG teams twelve, five and one – " They came smartly to attention. "I'd wish you luck, but you ain't gonna need it. Move out."

"Alright! You heard the General! Let's go get 'em boys!"

Jack looked across to find Sam biting back a smile at Kenneally's gung-ho comment and held back a smirk of his own.

Yeah, it was tacky. But he wasn't going to slap the guy down. They were heading into hostile territory. They'd needed all the encouragement they could get.

Plus, in a way it was kinda nice to see. Eight months into the job and Kenneally was still in the phase where going through the gate was an exciting adventure. Stark reality bit all too soon for most people. It was kinda refreshing to find someone not yet cynical and jaded by it all. Even Daniel was world-weary these days.

SG-12 pounded up the ramp, SG-5 hard on their heels. Jack held up a hand once they'd gone through to stop Daniel and Teal'c immediately following them.

"Jack?" Daniel questioned.

Jack looked straight at Sam.

"You'll bring Dad home, Carter." He tried to instil his words with all the confidence and faith he had in them.

A faint smile touched her lips and she straightening her shoulders.

"Yes, sir. We will."

Running his gaze over his team, they were still his team even if technically, they weren't any longer, he met each of their eyes in turn. Imparting the message he was trying to get across.

"Stay low."

To Daniel, who tended to forget that danger came from more than one angle.

"Watch your back."

To Teal'c, who found it difficult to overcome decades of Jaffa training.

"Keep your head down."

To Sam, who concentrated on the defence of those around her, to the exclusion of herself.

"Make a moving target."

To all of them. "And above all – "

"Don't get shot!" They chanted along with him.

A smile flickered over his lips and he stepped back out of their way, wishing with all his heart that he was going with them.

"You got it. Move out, SG-1."

Sam gave him a crisp nod and stepped through. Teal'c inclined his head before following her. Daniel hesitated and looked back.

"See you in a few, Jack."

"I'll be waitin'."

Daniel entered the wormhole. Seconds later, it shut down with a loud snap. And they were gone.

Yeah, Jack concluded. It still hurt.

o0o

By the time SG-1 emerged from the wormhole, it was all over bar the shouting. Sam automatically scanned the area, on alert for possible danger. The air smelled of smoke, ozone and very faintly of burnt cloth.

SG-5 were gathered around the DHD, facing outwards and shooting the occasional cautious glance at the three downed Super Soldiers. They'd obviously fallen where they'd stood.

Further back, halfway between the DHD and the tree-line lay another Super Soldier. Colonel Kenneally was stood over it, his weapon trained and at the ready. He was prodding it gingerly with his foot, as if afraid to would rise up again at any moment.

Sam shivered, flashing back to the moment on the Alpha site a year ago. When the Super Soldier she thought dead and buried, had risen up behind her like some kind of grotesque phoenix and she'd known she was about to die. Until the Colonel had saved her.

Ever since that day, she'd loathed them with a passion. Every time they were involved, something went badly wrong. This time it was her father. A glance to her left assured her of his continued presence. She sucked in a horrified breath as she got her first good look at him, the urge to run over and fling herself down by his side almost too strong to deny. Oh, Dad…

The rusty brown and red patches on the bland Tok'Ra uniform stood out like beacons. Blistered and burnt flesh visible through the black charred cloth. SG-12's resident medic…Parry? No Perry, her brain corrected automatically, was bent over him, working feverishly. There was no movement from the man on the ground and her heart dropped to her boots. God. He looked…dead…

Some small part of her, the childlike piece which still saw her father as an always tall and strong man, wailed in sorrow. She quashed it firmly. Now was not the time. He needed her to be strong. For him.

The scuff of footsteps pulled her gaze forward. Kenneally flashed her a quick grin as he approached.

"All clear, Colonel. Those grenades of yours worked like a charm!"

She gave him a weak smile, too overwhelmed by the sight of her father's bloodied, battered body – sadly, all too real – to feel any true relief.

"Glad to hear it."

She was unable to keep her eyes from sliding sideways to look at the still form on the ground as she spoke. Kenneally caught the direction of her gaze and immediately jerked his head to his right.

"Go see to your father, Colonel. SG-12 have your back."

She hesitated, reluctant to go before she knew everything was secure. Although she knew it was, as she could see the remaining members of SG-12, Hughes and Bartlett, patrolling the tree-line in the distance. In truth, reluctant to go in case Perry had to tell her father was dead.

"Go on." Kenneally insisted.

With his words, something snapped inside of her. The reluctance fled and she jogged down the steps. Desperate to reach him now, in case she was wasting whatever time she might have left with him. Dimly, she was aware of Daniel and Teal'c flanking her and the sound of the gate dialling up as SG-5 opened their way back home.

She knelt down beside Perry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "How is he? Is he…?"

She couldn't finish. Perry pulled his hand back from Jacob's throat, where he had been checking for signs of circulation and gave her a reassuring look.

"He's alive, Colonel."

Relief flooded through her. He was alive! Thank god!

Perry continued talking, pulling her attention back to him. "It's bad, but it's mostly concentrated on his back, which is why I've left him as he's lying. It seems to be the most comfortable position for him."

Perry paused to take a breath. The stargate engaged behind her, the kawoosh loud in the relative silence, making her jump.

"His symbiote – "

"Selmak."

"Selmak, seems to be healing him, but we really need to get him back to the SGC. Can't hurt to give him a helping hand with our kind of medicine."

She nodded. "Is he conscious?"

"He's drifting in and out."

Her radio buzzed with static and she could hear the low drone of the UAV circling back around as it came off auto-pilot. They must have re-established contact, she concluded absently.

"…Cart…ou there?"

She toggled her radio. "Yessir."

"How's Dad?"

"He's alive."

And they were possibly the best words she'd ever spoken.

"Glad to hear it. Get him triaged then bring him back through, the door's open. We're gonna do a recon further afield with the UAV. Make sure there's no more hidden surprises lurking for you to find."

"Understood, sir. Carter out."

"O'Neill out."

"Sa-Sam?"

The quiet whisper made her look down to see Jacob desperately trying to focus. She quickly took his hand between both of hers. He was so cold.

"Dad?"

He coughed, wincing as the motion pulled on his injuries and blinked muzzily at her.

"You're here…yo-you're really…here?"

She squeezed his hand gently. "Yes, Dad. I'm here."

"Whe…what…" He started to cough heavily, each hack dry and heaving.

Movement at her side made her look up. Perry had taken the canteen off his belt and was holding it out to her.

"Try and get him to take some water. It might help."

She nodded. "Can you support his head and shoulders? Help him sit up a little?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She unscrewed the cap and held it to Jacob's lips as Perry lifted his head.

"Agh!"

She cringed as the movement blatantly hurt him. "Easy, Dad. Try and drink some water."

He licked his lips as she tipped the canteen and swallowed a little bit. She tilted the canteen again and he took a little more.

"Not too much." Perry cautioned.

She nodded, knowing the routine all too well but also knowing the field medic was simply doing his job.

She moved the canteen and Jacob took one last swallow before Perry eased his head back to the ground. He blinked a couple of times and looked back up, focusing on her properly for the first time.

"What…what are you doing here?" He asked weakly.

"SG-6 spotted you on the way back through the gate. The General authorised a rescue mission. We've come to take you home."

Jacob's eyes widened in what looked like terror. "No!"

He struggled to sit up, making himself cough again. "You have to go! Now! Danger… Super… Super Soldiers…"

She moved her hands to his shoulders, pressing on them, forcing him back down.

"Dad, please! Stay still, try not to talk, you're hurt. It's okay, we know about the Super Soldiers. We've taken them out."

"All…all of them?" He struggled for breath, forcing the words out, pain evident in the lines etched on his face.

She nodded frantically, still gripping his hand tightly between hers.

"Yes, Dad. All of them. The three guarding the gate and the one in the tree line."

Jacob's eyes slipped closed and his head rocked head from side to side as he fought to stay conscious and deliver the message he was so desperate to get across.

"Not…not…four…"

Sam felt an icy lump settle into her stomach.

He tugged weakly on her sleeve. "Six, Sam…there were six…"

Her radio squawked. "Crap! The UAV was just taken out! Get your ass back through the gate right now, Carter! That's an order!"

Then it all went to hell.

o0o

TBC…