Chapter 11
Daedalus:
"Welcome, General." Col. Steven Caldwell greeted Jack as you materialized on board the Daedalus. He was wearing his class A uniform and stepped out of the clearance used for beaming people and cargo without clutter. O'Neil returned Caldwell's salute. After that was over Jack smiled and shoot Steven's hand. "Been a while Jack."
"Doesn't seem that long since I was just a Colonel." Jack smiled back and took his cover off tucking it under his arm.
"Is this your first time on a Daedalus class ship?" Caldwell led O'Neil through some doors and past a bulkhead.
"Yup, hopping I could get the grand tour."
"I think that can be arranged." Caldwell grew tense for a moment. "General," (using rank instead of names), "I was surprised to get your request to come on board. Especially since we're due to pull out for Atlantis today. Was there a reason?"
Jack imitated the expression. "Colonel, I have a very good reason to be here. But it is important that I keep the specifics to myself for the next few hours." He got very close to Caldwell, "I will brief you on all the specifics but not now. Alright?"
Caldwell nodded. "Alright, Jack." Both men took a step back and relaxing.
"So, how about that tour?" Jack smiled.
Streets of DC.
Cassandra Fraiser had a black backpack over one shoulder and a camera in hand. She raised it up to take a few snap shots at random intervals. She walked down a street and turned left at the end.
As she walked she rubbed her left hand over the small ring with red glass inset into it on her right ring finger. Somehow she felt it. Not just as a piece of jewelry but there was some kind of energy, a feeling telling her where to go.
Flashback:
The cave felt strange. There was a buzz in the air but there wasn't anything there. It was like hearing a fly or mosquito buzzing around your head but there was nothing.
"Now we have plenty of time to work." Bill said stepping away from the podium.
"What was that?" Cassandra asked her mouth wide. She had seen her share of light shows but that was funky. There was also a fading tingle on her arms and other exposed skin.
"Time dilation field," Bill answered as if it made all the sense in the world. "Merlin built it over 1000 years ago. It helped him build some of his more…miraculous, miracles. Well they called them miracles."
"What does that mean?" Cassandra said very slowly.
He smiled. And looked a bit sheepish that He wasn't explaining it accurately to her. "It essentially speeds time up. But what makes it different than most other fields is that it doesn't speed up organic material like it does everything else."
"Okay."
"To put it even more basic terms, we are now moving faster both mentally and physically than anything outside, but there is a preserving agent, that tingling feeling that you felt over your skin, is keeping us from aging at an accelerated rate. Or we would age at the same speed as the environment and our perceptions are now moving."
Cassandra's face just got blanker.
Sighing, "Very, very, complicated." He smiled.
"Yea." Cassie hefted up her bag, "where do I drop this?"
(Days later)
"Lay down on the table." He told Cassandra.
She was in her underwear holding herself in discomfort both physical and personal. She obeyed and got up on the cold mettle table. It was amazing how all this stuff seemed to just appear out of nowhere. Something to do with pocket dimensions and fitting inside the time field but she didn't understand a word of it.
He waved his hand over here then mumbled something. "What?" she asked.
"Saying a prayer for you." He didn't explain.
"Why…" Cassie couldn't remember someone ever 'praying' for her.
"I'm going to stick you with this needle to put you out. When you wake up this will be changed."
"That's what worries me." She tried to smile. "You know this is the last place I thought I end up in when you were in my…OW!" He stuck her. "Crap, what the duce, why didn't you warn me?"
"Didn't want to interrupt you, night, night." Cassandra was already going limp then was in the blissfulness of oblivion.
Bill reached for a purple device the looked like a wine bottle opener. Activating it he began waving it over her body like a wand.
(Days Latter)
Cassie felt sick, her skin was burning and she couldn't keep from trying to vomit. Bill sat silently by her side waving over her with something that looked like a glowing torques rock. Every so often he would take blood.
She watched as he took a syringe of something red and shot up in his wrist. "What is that?" She said trying to distract herself from the pain in her temples…and everywhere else.
"It is a plant. I used to make my slaves ingest it than feed on them but now there are more convenient methods. I'm even thinking of using pills but I think my digestive system isn't as efficient as the enzyme pouch."
"What does…it do?" she shuddered with sweet.
"It forces the body of whoever takes it to function more efficiently, and as a side effect of that it lengthens the life span and increases the health and vitality of the subject. For me, it extended the time I can go between feeding and increases the amount of energy I can use from feeding. And I think is also one of the reasons I heel so much faster than I normally would or even am able to function when damaged so extensively. My senses are sharper, muscles stronger. I was nearly bled dry but still somehow came back after two hundred years. This might have had something to do with it."
"Wow," Cassie said in a shaky breath. She rolled off her side onto her back. "Do you…think it can help…me?"
"Yes," the answer was definite.
"But…" Cassie wasn't so far gone that she didn't know he wasn't going to help her.
"But, your body is going through a great strain. And I need your change to be complete before I interfere. You are no longer going through puberty, hopefully that will help your body stabilize now that you are already mature."
"It hurts…" her voice was a strained.
"I know, but this stuff puts a strain on the body as well. Especially when you just start taking it. Cell replication takes a lot of energy as well as regenerating DNA and reversing the breakdown of tissue. In your state I don't' know if you could provide the energy necessary for your body to use it. It could make your body eat itself trying to use all the nutrients in your body.
Cassandra couldn't listen anymore, her head hurt too much.
(Days later)
Cassandra walked from one end of the cave to another. It was rather large and there were several tunnels and halls but this main room was big enough for her to work out. Her heart was pounding but the pain was nowhere near as bad as it had been. It was kind of like when she was sobering up. She would have killed for a shot of…anything then.
"Cassandra, come here." Bill's voice rang though the tunnels. Slowly she got up. Before reaching she took a bottle of water to sip on. She fallowed the echo to a smaller alcove. There was a work table with a furnis but there was no smoke. He held a mettle disk in one hand aiming it at the fire.
"You called," She said announcing her entrance.
"Yes, I did." He pulled his hand with the mettle disc back. Cassie was surprised when a red glowing glob about the size of a pie was floating out of the fire.
"You have…telekinesis?"
"No," he didn't say more.
Cassie's eyes were transfixed. The glob floated in the air in front of the disk. That's it she realized it is the disk. Somehow it was keeping the glob floating. She was even more shocked when Bill reached out with his free hand and took hold of the glob.
There was a sizzling sound and Bill grimaced in discomfort. After a few more moments he opened his hand showing her his upturned palm. There were blackened burns over the slit in the palm and blood pulling in his hand. But what was also there was a perfectly round red pearl. Cassandra was speechless.
"Take it." He said. Slowly Cassie reached forward the thing in his hand. With two fingers she carefully picked it up out of his bloody hand. "Now hold it in your hand like a fist." She held it.
"Okay," she looked around but nothing happened.
Do you feel anything? Bill said wile wiping off his injured hand. He was completely healed.
"No I …" Cassie stopped in mid sentence. She looked at him. "You did say something right?"
He smiled. I'll take that as a yes. His lips didn't move.
"Shit me." She dropped the red pearl.
"Don't do that. That takes time and pain to make." He said perfectly calm. He moved around the table to pick it up. "I'll set it into something for you a ring or a pendant perhaps."
"What is that?"
"Blood stone," He said. "The maker imbues an object, glass and blood work best, with a connection to him or herself. Then whoever wears the object or has physical contact with it is also connected to the individual. There is now very real bond between myself and that stone."
"Shit,"
"I prefer if you didn't use that language. With this you and I will be able to train more effectively now that you are feeling better. And if you learn how to use this it will help in my takeover of the trust. I've used them for years with my most important agents. Best not to have many at one time or it gets very confusing. What is great about it is that as far as I know the link is untraceable to anyone outside the source and the wearer and unbreakable as long as both are alive. Simple but effective. Use to drive the Goa'uld crazy trying to figure out how I was communicating with my generals without communication devices. Or how complex raids were coordinated on different fronts at the same time."
Cassandra looked at the small red stone in his hand. Not for the first time she wondered if she had made a real mistake…leaving with this being, letting it experiment with her body, and now wanting to have access to her brain…sounded a lot like the Gua'uld.
"Think about getting your mother back." He said holding out the stone to her again…
End Flashback.
Letting the connection between her and Bill guide her she fallowed the sense of getting closer.
She had no idea where he was but it was like fallowing a line, easy once you had a hold of it.
Motel:
Jack was decked out in a flat jacket, and olive fatigues. He was cradling a carbine like weapon. It was light, made of several over lays of plastic. It had 3 nozzles, One for a pellet like projectile that emitted a powerful electric shock on impact, another for a larger slower projectile meant to penetrate Goa'uld shields. The third was for standard 50 round clips, like what the P-90s used. All in all it was supposed to be a fast non-lethal option. Must have cost a fortune that Jack couldn't even imagine.
He also had a handless radio and ear-peace that connected him with everyone else. The garage had been cleared and everyone was mulling around, staying in close proximity to a red cone that had a "Beacon" duck-taped to it. With that the Deadulus would be about to pick them up with ease because of the enhanced scanning signature it provided.
He made his way to Everett, who looked too old sitting in a chair in the corner. A lot of the men had gasped when he was brought in. Some had heard but no one could have guessed at his condition. Jack stopped facing him. "We'll here we go. Thanks for your help."
"Hm," Everett just made a grunt.
"Look I know you would come with us but…"
"Jack, I don't need you blowing smoke up my ass." Everett abruptly said. "I'm good, you just get those SOBs and tell me about it after."
Jack nodded. "Yah, I'll do that. You going to be okay here…" he didn't finish before there was a beep in his ear. "Talk to me Cassie."
"Found him. Calling Deadilus up now, ready in 20 minutes."
"Got it, we will be ready." Jack confirmed. He gave his old friend one more look before going to round up the team leaders.
TRUST location:
It was actually fun feeling the tension in his muscles and neck. The excitement of battle was on him. He didn't want to think of himself as loving the fight, and enjoying pain but there was something to taking on a foe that was in many ways far more powerful than yourself.
His missions on behalf of the Trust were not as intense for one thing because he had the TRUST backing him but this was different. In this He was David getting ready to slay Goliath. So many things could go wrong, Jack might not be able to get the Deadilus, Cassandra might lose control of her new gifts or forget all he told her about using the blood stone. Mr. O'Neil could move too soon, or even if it all went to plan, the well of information could be lost if just one person managed to hit the erase button on a computer in some arbitrary room, or if a Goa'uld escaped to compromise the ruse of seamless success of power…the prospect of failure was not pleasing but it was also what made this so…so exciting. In 10 thousand years and so many bloody and trying times very few things could spark the flame of interest in his heart but this was one of them. He savored the feelings for it would be long before they come again.
Heret-Kau, was at his side, in a woman's pants suite. She looked as lovely as ever but He had to admit to himself He had liked her dress more. Strange, at one time the prospect of a woman in pants had been very alluring now it was the opposite, how times change.
They were in an office building, common enough. There were men in dark suits on every floor and at every entrance and elevator. Security looked tight. No men in black body armor but he was sure they were here.
He had to walk through a metal detector. It beeped. Smiling he reached into his jacket and pulled out a stiletto. Smiling he put it to the side and walked through again. No beep. He was sure that it wasn't just scanning for mettle but probably was also scanning for signals or tracking bugs etc. He reached for his stiletto but a guard reached for it instead. "Sir you can have it back when you leave."
Heret-Kau, took his arm. "Don't worry about it. We have more than enough security."
"I just don't like being unarmed." It was true enough statement but he was never un armed, flexing his fingers. He smiled pleasantly enough. In truth he had planned to lose the blade, just to make everyone feel secure.
Two other men were waiting to join them as they approached the elevator. One was Ba'al, the other was someone he hadn't met yet. A quick probe alerted him to the presence of two minds in the same place, a giveaway of a Goa'uld possession. He smiled and bowed his head to Ba'al. When offered he accepted the hand in his own gloved hand. The gloves made him less threatening supposedly. If they only knew what he was capable of with just a thumb or his teeth.
"Welcome, 'Bill', the new Goa'uld said," like the others it seemed surprised by the assumed name. After all they all had the genetic memory of his given name but fortunately for them they did not use it.
"Thank you, happy to be here." He responded, "And you would be?"
"Am-Heh," the Goa'uld supplied. "I was one of the original infiltrators of the Trust."
"Well than we owe you one, Sir." He smiled.
They all entered the elevator. "Accepted about your big day?" Ba'al asked. Brimming with self confidence.
Bill inclined his head, smiling a bit. In many ways he liked Ba'al. The Goa'uld were very annoying in their pretentious attitudes but Ba'al was one of the few that actually was worthy of the attitude. "I feel a jitter I haven't felt in hundreds of years," and he wasn't lying. "Strange how time makes new bed fellows." He looked at the body of Janet Frasier when he said 'bed'. "Once we were enemies now allies."
"Yes, well we can't let the past define us. After all the old me would have vaporized the delightful planet at a single glance then the replicators would have wiped us out entirely. Things do work out." Ba'al premed, kind of like a peacock.
The elevator surprisingly was going down. That made some sense. More secure below ground. He took a moment to reach out following the natural connection between himself and his blood stone, and by extension the one who it was in contact with. Without the stone a telepathic link of this sort would have been well beyond him but that was what tools and ingenuity were for. She was close, her mind was focused on the connection. Trying not to disturb her concentration he only extended a feeling of confidence. Keep fallowing child, I am anxious to see how you fair in this game. The comment was not sent to her but he felt the increase in the feelings of security on the other end.
He looked back at Heret-Kau and gave her a wink. The look was returned with those big brown eyes.
They exited the elevator and were met by men in black body armor. I knew they were here somewhere. "Gentleman," Ba'al said and walked past them. Everyone followed. Another mental flash scan, told him that there had to be at least 14 Goa'uld ahead. That made 17 minimum. And he had to keep them all alive and from escaping, David killed Goliath with less.
Street level:
Cassandra walked by an office building and took a picture of it. With no other feeling than she was very close she knew Bill had to be there. Without saying a word she concentrated on speaking the words, "I'm here." She moved on reaching for her phone.
Waite, I'm not in the meeting yet. Without warning images of halls and people in black suites started to appear in her head. It was disorienting. She leaned up against the side of a light pole for balance. Then there was an image that stuck with her. "Mom" she said allowed. She was in there. This was it, all the doubts had been erased. Her mom was inside and she was going to get her. STICK TO THE PLAN! the words were pounded into her head that she fell back on her butt.
She got up and started walking again. She started heading away from the office building and looked for a good place to lay down her Marker. Hold on Mom, we're coming to get you, she thought to herself not caring if He was listening.
Alright begin
Cassie took out her phone and made the first call.
Daedalus:
Jack's internal communicator, the same one he had used to communicate with Sam and Teal'c before they died aboard Coronus' ship signaled. Cassandra's signal wasn't so much word as code that his internal processor translated into data Jack understood. He was currently heading towards the bridge. Good.
"Lieutenant," he addressed the guide, "lets hurry up to the bridge I have to report to the Col."
They picked up the pace. Jack came onto the bridge, "Officer on Deck," an officer called out as Jack stepped in. "At ease everyone." He reached into his jacket for the Zat he had hidden against his chest. No one searched a General and it virtually had no different signature than he himself did.
"Caldwell," he addressed the Col. In his seat. "About that reason I'm here. It's to take over your ship." He pulled the Zat out and fired, one, two, three. Caldwell and two others were down. Four others were hitting the deck reaching for their side arms. Funny part was only the security officer in the corner actually had a weapon. He fired winging Jack. In two steps Jack placed his forearm against the man's head and pressed. The man lost consciousness. The others were trying to make a run for it but several more zat blasts put them down. Everyone in the bridge was out. His aim was perfect, and his reflexes unmatched.
He went straight to the console and started going over the controls. Okay, first get rid of the crew. He started thinning the atmosphere, not enough to be lethal but the crew would start passing out then he could transport them off.
SGC:
General Landry was poring over some files when Walter called over the intercom. "Sir, you need to come to the control room."
He sighed but got up quickly, to head directly to control. "What is it Walter?" he didn't need to answer, looking out the window was a pile of bodies, all wearing jump suits. A Marine in the gate room was looking at one of them.
"Sir, they're all wearing Daedalus patches."
"Go to red, alert, get me the Daedalus, now." Landry ordered. He looked back through the window and recognized one of the men, Col. Caldwell.
Daedalus:
Jack was going over the scans trying to select another block of people to transport down. The com beeped. Shoot, he thought to himself. He ignored it. Till it stopped beeping. He stopped. Why did it stop beeping? He didn't answer it. Quickly he checked and saw the com was accessed at the rear of the ship. Damn, someone was still awake. He had a choice he could try to keep going but that part of the ship held engineering and whoever it was might mess with something or he could try to stop them. The answer was simple try to stop him.
Below ground:
Something had gone wrong, he could feel Cassandra's concern and confusion.
An aid, a non Goa'uld, entered the meeting room and whispered into Ba'al's ear. He said something softly back and the man ran off. He addressed the chamber. "Friends, I'm sorry to interrupt our business before we even get to the important parts but it appears someone unexpected has dropped a beacon of some kind a block from this location.
He tensed up. The word Shit came to mind. Then cursing Cassandra for using it as a common expression. "What do you want to do?"
Ba'al turned to Bill suspicion clear on his face. "I suggest we evacuate the building." Everyone started to get up, "And," Ba'al added, "kill the girl outside that placed the beacon."
They were already heading towards the door. 17, Goa'uld. He had to move. Cassandra, they're coming for you, order the attack, now. He jumped forward hitting into a Goa'uld blowing him over. He headed directly for the elevator intent on blocking it. If this turned into a free for all he would lose, too many and Goa'uld were very strong. The smaller hallway would force their numbers down. But he couldn't let them make any calls or signals either.
Motel:
Jack got the call, "Attack is on, something's wrong with the transport, Bill is in trouble." The sound of gunfire came over the radio, "I've been made." Cassandra was yelling but not in a state of panic.
"Where are you, I'll send the vans." Jack kept calm, this was a combat situation, and that meant he needed to keep calm. "Cassie, where are you?"
"Corner of." More gun fire, Cassandra wasn't armed. The street followed. Jack didn't wait a full heart beat. "You, you and you," he pointed to three team leaders, "load up in the vans and head towards that address. We'll be there as soon as possible. There is an agent son sight do whatever she says."
The men didn't hesitate, grabbing their weapons and gear and were in the vans in 10 seconds. The engines roared to life and were pulling out.
Daedalus:
Jack was running down the corridors of the Daedalus heading towards engineering. One of the advantages of being him was his perfect memory. Every corner, every turn memorized from the blueprints and the tour were recalled as he needed them. And he wasn't hampered by the thin atmosphere. The only thing that even remotely slowed him down was trying not to step on the bodies of people who had passed out in the halls.
He opened the door into the Engineering compartment and was instantly shot at. He ducked and dived to the side. He poked his head up over a console and got a slug in his head. PING! He felt it hit him in the head and fell over but that only told him where the shooter was. Jack stayed put and played dead. His eyes were open just looking unfocused as a man in an emergency breathing mask and engineering overalls came around to look down at him.
"What is going on up there," A voice over a radio blared.
"General," The man's voice was distorted. "I got him. I think its General O'Neil?"
Jack's arm shot up grabbing the man's leg and flipping him over. He was up on top of the man. The airman tried to push Jack off but it was useless. Jack pulled the mask off and watched as the man started gasping with effort trying to fight which only made him try to gasp in more air that wasn't there.
"Airman, Airman!"
"Sorry Hank," Jack said walked over to the console. "But I have to go." He hit the button to terminate transmission.
SGC:
Hank Landry didn't believe what he was hearing. "O'Neil, What is going on?"
"Sir," Harriman spoke up, "transmission has been cut off."
Landry moved to the base com. "SG-1, to the control room."
Minutes later, Teal'c and Daniel showed up. "What's going on, General?" Daniel was first to ask.
"Something is going on up in the Daedalus, General O'Neil is somehow involved."
"Jack?" Daniel blanched.
Street:
Cassandra Fraiser ducked behind a parked car while bullets few by her. Her pulls was razing and her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She hadn't seen how many there were. five. The voice so quiet it was barely audible. Cassie knew she should move, they would be coming for her. Blow the lights What? An image of the street lights above her and her attackers flashed in her mind. "I can't," she screamed. There was no response.
Underground:
He didn't know who he had hit but He didn't stop to check. Running for the front of the ground He had only one option. Get into the hallway before the elevator. The confined space would act as a bottleneck to limit numbers and hopefully allow him to hold them off. A gun fired and He felt the sharp pain in his lower abdomen that he had come to associate with being shot. It didn't stop him, not at all but he had to look for the shooter.
Why had any of the Trust leadership been allowed to bring in weapons. Ba'al was as paranoid as any Goa'uld worth his salt. He wouldn't allow possible over throwers to be armed unless some of these Goa'ulds were not actual Trust leadership. ASHERACKS! The elite Goa'uld Assassin. No wonder. Who else but an asherack would be able to train the black armored soldiers of the Trust?
Once that conclusion was met the plan to hold a bottleneck wasn't so good. Asheracks were very good. They would have more than hand guns. Ba'al had tried to out maneuver him. And if He had been alone it would have worked. But there were men on the way. O'Neil would send men in trucks if he had too. And Jack had his orders. No one was leaving this building alive if he failed.
With both his eyes and mind he sought out the cool minds, the harden spirits of trained fighters who felt no fear at the prospect of death. He was surprised yet again. FIVE, five out of the seventeen. The image of the 300 Spartans and their acolytes holding off the legions of the Persian empire flashed into his mind. David slaying Goliath, his own bitter battles with Medusa or Ame-No-Wakahiko. All had one thing in common, insurmountable odds where the unexpected was the victor. He steeled his eyes and body, "AAAHHHH!" he roared and charged for the first Asherack.
Daedalus:
Jack didn't have time to waste trying to get back to the bridge. Re-routing controls through so many systems he finally got transporter control back. He beamed more people down to the SGC. Once he had enough clear space he started beaming up people from beacon one. Thank goodness for those beacons or trying to locate the coordinates would have been impossible to do quickly.
He brought them up in the main hanger then called in with the intercom. "Prep for beam down" he hit the switch.
Street:
She didn't have time to focus. Just closed her eyes and willed something to break. She felt something like a surge come out of her numbing her fingers and toes a feeling the electrical currents near by buildup then explode. When she opened her eyes everything was a bit hazy and the noise was muted. No just really low. Two men in green fatigues came around the car and grabbed her by the shoulders. "NO" she screamed in surprise, panic clearing away the cobwebs from her mind. The two men fell down without even a move to resist. "Oh my God I killed them."
She had never killed someone before. As if on Q there was a small spark of glee and thrill, Cassie hoped that wasn't her. She wasn't aware of another guy coming around the car similarly dressed. When she was startled by him she nearly let loose another of whatever it was when she recognized him, "Jack?"
"Yah, Cass…What the hell?" He dropped next to the two guys. Checking their pulse he looked up at her relief in his eyes. "They're alive."
"Oh". Was all Cassie said.
"Mason!" Jack yelled, "Come get these two." He said something else into the com on his head then looked at Cassandra. "We got to go…now!" his voice left no room to bargain. Cassandra got to her feet.
There were men in flak jackets and carrying the new carbines. The Calvary had arrived. "Come with me." Jack said running to take shelter along a building. "More on the way…Bernard, take your boys and cover the back, let know one out…EVERY ONE ELSE MOOVE, MOOVE TO THE FRONT." Jack issued orders to both men by his side and people around the building. Time was critical. For every second they wasted someone on the inside had time to destroy evidence or data. "I said breach that door!"
A two man team from squad 3 was setting up the jammer to knock out all communication that wasn't on a specific frequency, they're frequency. Another nifty tool Bill had borrowed from Roswell. There was a signal to say they were up. "Okay, surround the building make sure there is no way out then go in!" In a flash another group of men arrived. One more was due to arrive. Taking another look at the building Jack O'Neil wished they had more guys.
Inside:
He dived around a swing to role on his shoulder and come to a stance to the rear left of the first assassin. He could hear that the elevator was closing taking his prize with it. He had to finish this as fast as possible which meant risking more injury in lack of finesse and relying on brute force. He grabbed for the man's arms. In truth it was a man's body but the being inside it was in control. Silently he wished there was time to pray. He caught both arms, one on the forearm the other by the bicep. HE PULLED! The Goa'uld could heal many injuries to the host body but even they couldn't stop a host from bleeding out when both arms are ripped from the skeletal frame, flesh, muscle, cartilage all torn free.
One down four to go. Centuries of combat had prepared him for such close combat. There was no fear. It would have easy to give in and just kill but if he did that The mission would fail. No, focus and never forgetting what was the goal was the only thing that let him see the opening between the two Asheracks. He shot a side kick faking the moved then spinning in a reverse roundhouse to take out another. Its head snapped back but he just fell back to role to his feet again. That one drew a long knife and charged.
Now side by side with the 3rd Asherack he reached over with his opposite hand catching it by the shoulder spinning it in front of him. The Asherack's nimbleness compelled him to fallow or risk falling over. The 2nd Asherack impaled the 3rd. He didn't wait to see it take affect but used his teeth to bite into the 3rd's neck. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. He bit down even harder till his jaws were completely close and he pulled back with his head. A mouthful of flesh and tissue came free. The three of them fell back into a mass of blood and arms. BANG, he saw stars as another kicked him in the head. Rolling, BANG, BANG, more pain shot through his shoulders. He looked up from a crouch at the shooter. Reaching out with his mind he connected with the neural electrical impulses and sent out a Strike. The shooter dropped his weapon in pain. A clever power, simple in its elegance to overload the synapses of an opponent producing temporary pain and disorientation but from a distance. He bought him some time…His own blood tricked into his left eye. He didn't feel the pain any more as his injuries closed.
Ba'al moved with fast but steady strides. Agents were already waiting at the top floor where a cloaked cargo ship was waiting for them. It was a shame. He had hoped that there would be a future with the wraith. Its power and secrets would have been insightful he was sure. But alas it was not to be. He entered the elevator to the top floor.
He turned to look at one of his underlings. "Set the building to explode in 10 minutes."
"Yes, Sir,". The agent pulled out a small device and pressed small green buttons.
One of his sub-directors was at his right. A beautiful woman with brown hair. "Don't worry, I had had hopes for him too." Ba'al assured her.
Heret-Kau steeled her jaw and did not reply. Ba'al was glad he didn't have to serve under her. Whoever did was going to pay in triplicate for the embarrassment she must be feeling.
They were almost to the top when the elevator shuttered. Everyone inside staggered then the elevator started descending. "What is going on?" Ba'al yelled.
Daedalus:
They were all away. Jack returned controls to the bridge and started moving back where he could exert better coordination. There were no more signals coming from Cassandra so he needed the sensors on the bridge to see what was going on.
He entered the bridge found the sensor officer's console and activated it. He didn't understand the specifics of how it worked but he knew how to work the controls. A screen came to life showing an outline of the city blocks and narrowed to an outline of streets. Life signs were shown as small green dots moving around. In a lot of ways it looked like a packman game. He couldn't tell who was who without the individual transmitters SGC personnel started using to separate individual life signs.
The final line of his orders flashed before his artificial eyes. "If containment fails, fire on the entire complex." Jack remembered how Bill had hid himself just to watch his reaction to reading that line of text. Jack said he could handle it. Looking at the screen and not being able to see the difference between his people and the Trust, Jack O'Neil started having doubts. Throughout his career at the SGC he had never fired on his own people before, sometimes in times of war there was friendly fire but never so calculated as this…
Inside:
Bill finished off the last of the Asherack assassins. He cradled his shoulder and spat out blood and meat from his mouth. POP, he forced his shoulder back into place. Injuries were already healing or completely sealed by the time he made it to the elevator. Several of the Trust directors had huddled along the walls content to let the assassins do their work for them. They were cowards. He kept an eye on them as they huddled away from him.
Cassandra, stop the elevator from rising!" He sent images of the Goa'uld and their assent to the young woman. Including her mother's face.
Once that was done he brought his attention on to the sub-directors.
Main floor:
O'Neil burst through the main doors with Cassandra right behind him. Bullets showered down from up ahead and around potted plants in the lobby. His men flanked left and right and He and Cassandra dived to the group on the left.
"Jack, Bill says Ba'al is in the elevator." Cassie screamed over the gun fire.
"What?" Jack checked his radio it was on but had heard nothing.
"Trust me, He says it is the central lift, that one." She pointed to a big elevator not far beyond the lobby.
The way the building was built it had one central column containing several elevators and smaller lifts around the side for basic floor to floor use. The advantage was the main elevator didn't have stops accept at the top and probably at the bottom, just guessing. Jack yelled orders, "You, give me cover fire, use smoke grenades."
Two men threw grenades that obscured the area ahead of them. Then Jack with Cassie and another two men moved forward firing. How they made it through Cassie didn't' know but they managed to get to the elevator. Quickly looking they found the only elevator coming up judging by the lights over the doors. "Force the doors open." Jack said. The two other men put their weapons down and started working on prying the doors open. Jack turned to provide security.
"Team 3, how's the outside?" O'Neil checked in. All clear came from the teams left outside. Moments later came a call from a spotter. "Sirens, Police are coming."
"Great." Jack looked at Cassie, "I don't suppose Bill has anything to deal with cops?"
Cassie reached into her back for her satellite phone. "No but I have an idea."
SGC:
Landry like so many other people in the mountain was trying to figure out what was going on. Then suddenly the red phone rang. Damn. He picked it up. "Sir…yes, as of right now we are questioning the survivors transported from the Daedalus…not sure, it is sketchy to say the least." Harriman poked his head in at that moment. "Wait just a moment Mr. President…something might just have come up." Landry held the phone to his shoulder, "What Walter?"
"General O'Neil is on the com, Sir, from the Daedalus."
Landry brought the phone back to his ear, "Mr. President, communication from the Daedalus is coming in. I will report whatever I find out in five minutes." The General hung up the red phone.
Fallowing the air-man into the control room he saw Jack's face on the screen. There was a small hole by his scalp off to the side. "Jack, what the hell is happening?"
"Hey, Landry, how's it hanging?" Jack flashed him a smile. "I have a bit of a problem I need you to help me out with."
"General O'Neil, what is going on, our last report said you were taking over the Daedalus." Jackson walked in to the control room at that moment with Vala.
"Hey, Denial, nice to see ya. Been a while."
"Jack?" Daniel said bewildered.
"Yah, as I was just about to tell Landry, there is a Trust facility being raided right now in Washington DC. Well my people are trying to catch Ba'al or at least a Ba'al and kind of want the cops to stay out of their way. Maybe you could help with that."
"Excuse me." Landry said.
"I thought that was rather straight to the point." Vala offered.
Daniel looked at Vala like he wanted to say something but didn't. "Jack," he turned back to the monitor, "What Trust facility are you talking about?"
"Denial, Hank, you whatever your name is I can't remember, ignore everything else and ask yourself who you are talking to. It's me, Jack O'Neil. Do you trust me?"
The room was silent. "OH for crying out loud make the call!"
Main floor:
The elevator doors opened. Jack poked his head in. Damn that was a long way down. Then he looked up. Okay even farther up. He switched his weapon to the mini rocket and aimed up. "What are you doing?" Cassie said when Jack fired. BOOM!
There was an explosion above them and they all pulled away from the central lift. "improvising" jack said.
There was a loud hissing sound then screeching mettle as the elevator inside started to fall and then slowed because of the safety clamps. "Might want to tell the Boss we stopped the elevator."
Below level. He finished fitting the unconscious bodies into a large human knot. If any of them tried to move it would kill them all. A very technical and complex structure that required him to break several legs and arms to make the connections but ultimately an effective way to contain anyone trying to leave, if they woke up from the beating he gave them all.
He looked up at the doors to the elevator. The lights stopped moving. They did it. Now he had to get out of here. He fitted his fingers along the seam to the doors and began parting them. Not very hard. Looking inside the hollowed cylinder her took hold of the central line and started to climb. Not the easiest way up but it would work.
He could hear gunfire and explosions ahead. Looked like it was a party.
Jack started calling in teams from the outside. The police and there were a lot of them had stopped and formed around the building essentially offering security. This only served to free up his men. Who would of thought?
With the extra man power on the inside they were overpowering the security. The guys in the black armor that seemed to appear from nowhere were a bit difficult but once shot still went down. "Okay, spread out that way and that way. Star securing room and hall ways. Shoot everyone, but not lethal rounds. Any computers leave alone and make sure no one touches anything."
"What did I miss?" Jack spun around to see a bloody figure in a gray and blotched suit climb out from the elevator shaft.
A former marine aimed his weapon at Bill but Jack called out to stop, "He is the guy in charge."
Bill strode to Jack, "Sit-rep, right?"
"Yeah, we are securing the inside, police and a skeleton crew are on the outside, none coming in and out that we can figure. Elevator stopped, sending men up the stairs to secure the top make sure no one gets out and"…he looked at the elevator shaft Bill just climbed out of. "Make sure no one climbs out."
"Good, bring the beacon here and start dragging any prisoners in to be beamed up to the Daedalus. I'm heading up to deal with Ba'al, Frasier, you come with me."
Bill turned away took his jacket off and dropped in on the floor. There was a pile of weapons the DEMO team had secured to a side. Bill grabbed an assault rifle and a Berretta pistol. There was a knife he picked up and slipped into her pocket. He tossed Cassandra another pistol. "Let's go."
Stair well:
Cassie could hardly keep up with Bill's bounding steps. They caught up with the team sent before them. And Bill took command with Jack confirmation over the radio. Something felt really weird. Like when she was a girl and Sam had had the simbiot inside her…naquida.
"Naquida," Cassie called up to Bill.
He stopped and turned to her. "What?"
Cassie reached out and touched the wall of the stairwell. "Naquida, there is naquida in the walls."
Comprehension dawned on Bill. A self destruct. The Trust did it before by lacing a building with naquida to make it into a giant bomb. They did it again. But would it be set off while the sub-directors where still inside?
"Come on, we need to get to the top."
Note:
Well, this was fun to write. Been some time. Okay I'm hoping to finish this off in one more chapter but make no promises. I don't want to say I'm bored with this but there have been some turns I think I would not have made if I knew where they would have been going. In a lot of ways I like this story but in some I think I drew away from the main plot and the focus and it took a way different turn. That is the problem when you make your own character to an already set storyline. Hope you all enjoy.