Author's Note: Here we are again and I don't have a lot to say. Thanks to all my readers who continue to come back week after week. You guys are what keep me writing. Five chapters left in this story and then we'll move on to other fic. Hoping to have No Quarter ready by the time this one is done. Academy Daze Year Three is still waiting to be betaed, but I hope to get things rolling there soon especially with Year Two have to sit down and get fingers to the keyboard and write!
Things Go From Bad To Worse
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Pete Shanahan listened to the frightened cries of the baby inside the wrecked car. Was this really who he wanted to be? Did he want to be a man who stole children from their parents? Was Jon right, had it been Kinsey who brought him to this place not Jack O'Neill?
He still remembered the first time he saw Grace O'Neill. The infant had been curled up on Sam Carter's shoulder, leaving a spot of drool. Even if Jack O'Neill had ruined his life, destroying O'Neill's family was cruel and evil.
"Shanahan! What are you waiting for, grab the baby and let's go!"
Pete ignored Kinsey, still trying to decide which side to settle on.
Kinsey got out of the car and put a gun to Pete's head. "Get me the O'Neill baby or you will die right here and now."
The younger man nodded, knowing for the moment, he had no other choice.
Resigned, Pete slid down the bank. He approached the car where Sam lay slumped over the wheel. He reached through the broken side window feeling for a pulse, and was relieved to find it steady and strong. "I'm so sorry, Sam."
Next he turned to the rear door. It made a sick squealing noise as it came loose, and Sam stirred. Bending over, Pete began to unbuckle the car seat.
Suddenly, Sam's head lifted. Haltingly, she looked around. "Pete, what-" A look of realization came over her face. "Don't take my baby! Please don't hurt her!" She struggled to get out of the car, but the steering wheel pinned her in place. The driver who had been in Pete's vehicle came down the embankment on Kinsey's orders and smashed Sam's head on the steering wheel, silencing her protests.
Motioning to Pete, Kinsey called, "Come on and grab the brat. O'Neill's goons will be here soon."
With one last look at Sam, Pete lifted the carseat out of the car. Grace's cries increased as he lugged the seat up the hill, not looking back.
One thought rolled through Jack's mind, over and over again, someone had hurt Sam, taken Grace, and there was nothing he could do to help.
Jack had people and problems off world, and he needed to be here. He had to trust his people to do their jobs, while he did his.
It seemed like an eternity before Jack heard a voice over the radio once more. "General O'Neill. This is Dr. Brightman. Your wife is stable. I'm going to bring her back to the infirmary. She'll have to stay on base for observation for the next few days."
"Is she conscious yet?" Jack asked, wondering if Sam could point them in the right direction, but he had a good idea who had taken Grace. It might take time but he would find Kinsey and bury him.
"Sorry, General, she's still out. Can you tell the infirmary to expect us? We should be there in about ten minutes!"
"I'll let them know. If Sam wakes up, tell her I love her and I'll get Gracie back. O'Neill out."
Everyone watched him and waited, but Jack didn't say a word, as he began to pace once more. The weight of the world pressed down on his shoulders.
After a few moments, he stopped and stared out at the Stargate for a while. "Walter, I'll be in my office. If the world wants to end, tell it to get in line."
Jack stood in his office for a while as the reality of what had happened began to crush him. From his desk, he picked up a picture of his family and studied it. It had been taken at his and Sam's wedding. Sam smiled back at him with Grace in her arms. They had been happy that day, and he had to believe they would be again. He picked up the phone and made a short call. After hanging up, he made another.
It rang once, twice and then answered before the third ring ended. "Hello?"
Jack's hand clenched on the phone. "Mom, it's me Jack, is Dad there? I need his help."
Kinsey's limo disappeared, and the battered SUV waited for him. Pete placed the child in the backseat and secured the baby before sliding in beside her. As soon as the door closed behind him, the truck left the scene of the accident.
Half an hour after they left the wreck, Grace had finally cried herself to sleep. Pete hoped someone had found Samantha quickly. He hated the thought of her alone and in pain.
The suburban slowed entering a battered warehouse and Kinsey waited inside. He stepped from the limo and motioned for Pete to do the same. "Bring the child."
Hesitantly, Pete got out of the truck and pulled the car seat out with him, but didn't move any closer. Kinsey stood next to a table and a tray of medical instruments, his arms folded.
"Mr. Kinsey, what are you doing?" Pete demanded, as he looked around the room, his brain spitting out sickening scenarios that could happen to the little girl.
Kinsey smiled coldly. "Getting payback and making myself a little money at the same time. This child isn't a normal child. Samantha Carter went to that planet, and then less than two days later, she returned with that child. I want to know just what Grace O'Neill is. Then, maybe we will return what's left to the General. Now, give the baby to the doctors."
Pete tightened his grip on the handle of the car seat. His eyes scanned the room, but he'd never make it to the door. Kinsey claimed she was a clone but of who? To him, both O'Neill's and Samantha's features were echoed back to him. He had no idea where she had come from or why. A cold panic ran down his spine. He had to do something. Who knew what they planned to do to this child?
Looking up, his eyes met Kinsey's, the man's smile was cold. "Just try it, Shanahan. I'd like to see you, because it would mean you do have a backbone, but you won't. You are pathetic, you broke so easy." He laughed harshly. "A few calls here and there, and poof you life is ruined. You have nowhere to go, nowhere to run. I own you. Now, bring me the clone."
Although it made his stomach turn, Pete handed Grace over to a man in a lab coat. As he did, Pete saw Grace's eyes open. The child's gaze seemed to bore into him. He swallowed hard, the child wanted him to help her.
"Sedate her, and begin the preliminary tests. I want confirmation that she's a clone, immediately. You have twenty-four hours."
The baby disappeared into one of the rooms off the main one. Immediately, Pete knew he had to make up for his stupidity.
The yellow highlight is to point out the numerous use of tags or repetitions that really make the story sort of sound dull.
Arriving at the ridge overlooking the Motherships, Jon's group hid, while the two team leaders belly crawled to the edge to get a better look. From his vest, Jon pulled out Jack's small spyglass.
Through it, he located two Kull warriors standing at the bottom of the ramp, and from the two shadows at the top of the ramp, he figured there were two more inside. Six pair of Jaffa patrolled the perimeter of the ships.
Beside him, Reynolds whispered, "Any thoughts. Given the size of the force, I wouldn't recommend trying this! It looks like it's sewn up pretty tight."
"Yep, I agree, but I have an idea. We should have friendlies in the sky by now, according to Jack. Maybe we can make use of their technology to get us in the back door." Jon thumbed his radio. "This is Sierra Gulf-1 leader to any Jaffa ships in orbit."
"Jon O'Neill, I am here. Are you in need of some assistance?" responded Teal'c's deep voice, after a long silence.
"Yeah, big guy, we do. There is this Mothership, and Reynolds and I need to get on board to take a look. Can your guys get us on board your ship somehow, so we can ring down onto the Mothership? We have some wrecking to do."
"Ah so, Jon O'Neill, you would like to come up to this vessel?" Teal'c asked.
"That would be great. Where do you want to-" Jon asked, as everyone disappeared and reappeared on the bridge of an Asgard ship.
Looking around, Jon grinned. "That was unexpected." He turned to the Jaffa. "Care to explain?" He motioned to the ship.
"The Asgard required assistance. They asked for you, but I didn't know your current situation, and so, I volunteered to aid them in your place."
A little gray alien made his way over to the SGC personnel. "I am pleased to see you, O'Neill clone."
"Hello...?" Jon looked at Daniel to see if he knew which Asgard it was.
"Heimdall." Daniel supplied.
"Ah yes, Hemmie. Thanks for your help with this. We need to get into that Mothership, and make sure that the last Ba'al clone is taken care of, as well as a few other things, before you disintegrate them, or whatever it is that you do."
"Then it seems, O'Neill clone," Jon flinched at the moniker used by the Asgard, and interrupted.
"Please, call me Jon, O'Neill Clone sounds so formal." Jon requested.
"All right, Jon O'Neill, I see that our missions coincide," finished Heimdall.
A look of skepticism crossed Jon's face. "Just how is that?"
"I have been sent here to insure Anubis does not escape without punishment. He has violated the Asgard/System Lord Treaty. Although he is no longer a System Lord, he was one of the original signers of the treaty, and thus, he is held accountable for his violation."
Jon blinked. "You do know Anubis isn't solid, right?"
Heimdall blinked back. "Yes, Jon O'Neill, we do. O'Neill informed us of this, and our scientists have devised a way they think will contain him."
Looking over at Daniel, Jon squinted, confused.
Jon asked, "Okay, but where does the cooperation come in?"
"We were going to send Teal'c down to the ship alone, but now that you are here, I thought it best you and Teal'c complete this mission together, while the others take care of their assignments."
"What are we going to do?" Jon asked, wondering if he needed to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
"You will take these small devices," Heimdall held them out for Jon and Teal'c to take. "And you and Teal'c will trap Anubis between them. It should hold him immobilized. Then we can transport him to my ship, where we will contain him permanently." Then, from the console next to him, Heimdall picked up two more devices that looked like wrist watches. "This will allow you to conceal yourself until Anubis is close enough to trap."
"That sounds reasonable. Doc, you and Vala should stay here, while we get the jobs done," Jon said, turning to Reynolds, as they began to discuss how they would divide up the remaining people into women protested, but Jon held up his hand. "We don't have any weapons for you. SG-3 has only staff weapons as it is. Janet, I know you can handle yourself just fine, and I'm sure, Vala, that you can too, but I'm not sending you down there with only a 9 mil, and that's final."
"Jon O'Neill, I have more weapons in the cargo hold. O'Neill thought the people of Cimmera would need them to help defend themselves. He thought it best to be prepared." Teal'c interrupted the heated discussion.
Scanning the faces of all those assembled, Jon knew when to strategically retreat. "All right ladies, you can come, but Janet, you stay with Reynolds, and Vala, your buddy is Daniel. Miller and Browning, you're with Danny and Vala, while Smith, you're with Reynolds." Jon stopped. "Uh, that is if Colonel Reynolds agrees. You are the senior officer, sir."
"Relax, Jon. I think you should take the lead on this. I'll follow your orders."
Nodding once, Jon wondered if Reynolds knew what his vote of confidence did. "Reynolds, you'll be in charge of finding Freyja. She knows Janet well, and that should make it easier to get her to come with you. Jack wants her back at the SGC for a debriefing. Daniel, your team will destroy the pod. Be careful, and no dying." Daniel started to protest, but Jon cut him off, "Any questions?" No one spoke. "Good, let's move out."
Freyja struggled to understand what needed to be done. Picking up one of the tools, she caught a glimpse of herself on the shiny surface. She paused for a moment to study herself. The person reflected there wasn't the Sam Carter of her memories.
The other Sam had shorter hair, and older than Freyja. Which led her to believe she wasn't the real Sam Carter, but a copy, a clone. Sam's memories provided the word, just like they did when she looked at those blueprints.
Anubis wanted her to make a Naquada generator into a Naquada warhead. Facts and figures about the generator ran through her mind, the maximum safe output, if she overloaded it, it would blow up, how far the blast radius would be, but she had no idea how it worked, or how to make it do what Anubis wanted.
Whoever Sam Carter was, Freya didn't have access to all her memories, only bits and pieces, mostly centered on a handsome gray haired man. No matter how hard she tried to remember who he was the only name that came to mind was Colonel. Rules and regulations didn't allow him to love her, nor she him – that memory she was sure of.
She looked around the small cell. There was a small chance they would be coming for her but only a small chance. If she wanted to escape was up to her.
There you have it, more next week. If you want update independant of this site you can follow me on twitter or facebook (I have a page). Just look for my penname. I've also posted this story on my site and I'm four chapters ahead if you just can't wait to see what happens next.
Leave a review and you'll make me smile, it really does. :0)