"We were just talking about birds, Schultz. Do you know that Schnitzer likes birds?" Hogan changed trains of thought without skipping a beat.
"Really? What types of birds do you like?" Schultz asked with a curious look on his face.
"My favorite is bluebirds," the elder veterinarian answered with a wink at Hogan, "I have to be going. See you next time," then he got into his truck and left.
Hogan meandered slowly back to his barracks in order to not draw attention to himself when every fiber in him wanted to run and quickly get down into the tunnel. Halfway to the hut, he intercepted a football being thrown by a few of the prisoners and tossed it back in the direction in which it came. His mind wasn't on the game, but down below on Tiger. It had been weeks since he'd seen her. He was clean-shaven, had his best cologne and shirt on in anticipation of her arrival. As he drew closer to the hut, he quickened his pace. Hogan nodded at the men who were stationed around the barracks to warn of guards approaching and then went inside. When he arrived in the main room of the tunnel, LeBeau had already introduced everyone.
"I see everyone has met," Hogan said shaking Carl's hand.
"Oui mon amour," Tiger reached up and kissed him on the cheek, "We have been waiting for you." Yes my love.
"Major Carter, you'll have to forgive me, I have worked with many women in the underground, but I didn't know your military sent women into enemy territory," Carl said with curiosity on his face.
"Most of the time they don't," Sam agreed and because of the era she found herself in, she played her other title up. "I'm also a scientist, so my job frequently requires me to be in hostile areas."
"I'm glad London sent you here to help us on this job then," Carl replied.
"Why don't you fill us in on the laboratory?" Hogan said trying to steer the conversation away from that topic.
"They make rockets that have a guidance system and are supposed to be accurate within five hundred meters of the target," Tiger started.
"We've seen their guidance systems before and so far none have performed to their hopes," Hogan said with a lop-sided grin.
"Oui that is true and several because of you, but what makes this one different is what they're putting into the rockets. It's not explosives as normal, but chemicals to kill more people than an explosion would. The rockets are meant to blow up a quarter mile above a town, so the wind carriers the chemicals into larger areas than a regular rocket would."
"Sacre Chats!" LeBeau let out a whistle
"Holy Cats," Kinch exclaimed the French saying in English as his eyes grew large.
"Whoa that's not good and we have to blow that laboratory," Hogan said as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Sir that type of chemical warfare didn't happen at this time…it's not right," Carter said quietly shaking her head. O'Neill was standing beside her, "It sounds like they're describing V-1 rockets that should start striking England in about six weeks, but they weren't that accurate."
"I think you're right on the rockets and why we have to help on this job. It can't be allowed to happen," O'Neill told her softly, he was thinking through all he knew of the time era's bombs.
"Before we do that we have to get Pierre out, he's being forced to work on the chemical formula." Tiger was determined to rescue her fellow Frenchman; everyone could see it on her face.
"We may not be able to just plant explosives and let it blow. The chemicals might not react well, and could cause massive deaths if they are allowed out into the atmosphere," Sam said to the group hoping she was wrong but doubted it.
"She's right; we can't take the risk of killing everyone for miles around. We need to get into that laboratory and gather some intelligence. How do you come across this much information?" Hogan asked them.
"Gretchen gave her life getting it out of the lab. The Gestapo has killed her, but I don't think they learned all she told us," Carl answered forlornly. Everyone took a breath quietly, while each digested the news.
"How about Pierre, is there anyway to reach him?" Hogan finally broke the silence.
"No, the Gestapo take him to the lab in the morning and back to the hotel in town every night. He has guards around him constantly," Tiger answered. She'd spent days trying to get near the scientist.
"We need to find a way to get into that laboratory," Hogan said thinking aloud.
"No, you would be recognized and arrested, it's guarded by Hochstetter's men," Tiger fiercely protested. Hochstetter would love to catch Hogan and his men in a sabotage activity.
"She is right, it's too dangerous for you and your men," Carl agreed whole-heartedly.
"Not if we had a legitimate reason for being there or in disguise," Hogan started.
"And were escorted by an officer never seen before," O'Neill finished the sentence. Both men looked at each other and moved away from the group as they hatched a plan between them. Everyone watched the two Colonels work out the details, and waited to be let in on the plan.
"Tiger were you able to get any other information that could help us?" Sam asked needing to know more about what was being made in there.
"Oui, I have the list of chemicals and the formula," she handed her a sheet of paper.
Sam took the paper, unfolded it, then her face turned white and her blood ran cold, "Sir…Sirs…" She tried to get their attention again, "COLONEL!" They both stopped talking and turned towards her. "Sir, this is Nish'ta!"
O'Neill's eyes blink as he shook his head, he wasn't sure he heard her right, "It's what?"
"It's Nish'ta there's not doubt about it." Her eyes told him the same as her voice they were dealing with a very dangerous Goa'uld chemical.
"How could that be Carter? Are you saying we have a snakehead here? Who would be here?" O'Neill didn't want to believe they were dealing with a Goa'uld, the Nazis were bad enough. How could they be? Apophis was the first Goa'uld to come to Earth in over two thousand years, and he wasn't scheduled to make an appearance for another fifty-five years.
"Seth, it has to be him," Sam replied looking directly into his eyes. Only he could read the pained expression as she remembered killing that Goa'uld with a ribbon device. A dangerous piece of Goa'uld technology developed with the sole purpose of torturing or killing a person. If Seth was around he'd have a ribbon device.