Well, folks, you've caught up with everything I have written so far, so updates will be a little slower in coming. I also have company again for a few days, so I'll try and get another chapter written as soon as I can.

Thanks for all those lovely reviews. Love reading of your theories and comments.

THIS OLD MAN.

By LetitiaRichards.

Previously:-

He bit right through his bottom lip as the pain in his knees worsened. He did the only thing he could think of. He focused on Sam and tried to reach her through a telepathic link hoping that she would hear him.

Chapter 12

This old man, he played three.

He played nick-nack on my knee.

With a nick-nack paddy whack...

Sam shot up in bed in a wild panic. The blankets askew and tangled around her feet. She blinked several times. The dream had seemed so real. Taking a moment to calm herself, she shivered as the sweat on her skin cooled so she pulled the blankets up round her again and flicked on the bedside light; banishing the nightmare into the darkness outside the window.

She knew why she had succumbed to that particular nightmare. She was worried about Jack; she'd rung him as usual before she'd retired to bed, but couldn't get an answer. Thinking he had probably gone out with Gene or Daniel and Teal'c and forgotten to take his cell phone with him, she'd sighed in disappointment and gone to bed. She had a very early start in the morning and needed her sleep.

Worry about Jack twisted her gut and after she'd dreamed of him in dire trouble she grabbed the phone; she didn't care what time it was. She had to make sure he was okay.

The phone rang and rang but still there was no answer to it. After a while she left a message on his answer-phone, saying that she'd see him soon.

She tried ringing him on the base in case he'd been recalled, but was told he had gone home early yesterday. She thanked the desk sergeant and replaced the phone.

Picking it up again she dialled Daniel.

"Jackson," came the distracted voice.

"Daniel, it's me."

"Hey Sam. What's up?"

"Nothing I hope. Have you seen Jack lately? I can't seem to get a hold of him."

"Ah...no not for a while. He went home early."

Sam sighed; he wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know.

"Was he okay? I mean did he look alright to you?"

"Yeah. What can I say, it was Jack. He bounced in here on his toes, hands in pockets and said he'd see me tomorrow...er...later today," Daniel corrected himself when he looked at his watch.

"Where are you?"

Daniel coloured slightly even though Sam couldn't see him, but he could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Em...I'm in my lab," he confessed.

Sam ignored the fact that her friend should have been home by now and asked him something she knew he wouldn't be able to refuse, knowing how worried she was.

"Daniel are you too busy to do me a favour?"

"You want me to go check on Jack?" Daniel knew it; she didn't have to ask. He could tell from her voice that she was worried.

"Could you? Please."

"Of course I will Sam. When I see him I'll get him to ring you. Okay?"

"Thanks Daniel."

"No problem Sam. Talk to you later. Bye!"

Sam replaced the phone and sat for a long time hugging her knees wondering where her love was. She still couldn't shake the feeling that he was in pain. She was sure she'd heard him cry out to her.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel banged on the door but the house was in complete darkness and there was no sign of Jack's truck on the drive or in the garage. Using his key, he let himself in, flicking on the hall light, then went in search of his quarry.

Minutes later he locked the door behind him and slipped next door to bang on Gene's door.

The door opened just a little and Gene peered round the chain. When he saw it was Daniel he shut the door, slipped the chain off and opened it to admit the young man.

"Daniel. What's wrong?" Gene asked, tying off his robe.

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you Gene, but when was the last time you saw Jack?" Daniel stood looking forlorn, hugging himself. He didn't like this one little bit; he had a bad feeling about this. As far as he knew, it looked like Jack had gone missing for some reason. He'd already spoken to General Hammond and he hadn't known where Jack was either.

"Earlier this evening. Why? What's wrong Daniel? For god's sake tell me!"

Daniel reached out and gripped Gene's arms, trying to calm him down.

"Hey! Calm down." Daniel dropped his arms again and spread them wide in anguish. "It's just that nobody has seen or heard from Jack in a while. He's not on the base and he's not at home. He's obviously not here. Sam rang me and asked me to check on him but I can't find him, and I...I just don't know where else to look." Daniel was frustrated and didn't know what to think. "I'm worried about him," he admitted. Gene nodded in agreement.

"We were gonna finish our game of chess tonight. I bought Chinese, but he didn't show up. I...I thought he'd perhaps been called back to the base. I wish now that I'd called to confirm it. I just didn't think anything of it."

"This is not your fault Gene," Daniel assured him.

"I'll check the hospitals," Gene suggested, though Daniel didn't really want to think about that possibility.

"I'll check with the police."

They both ran through the phone books for the local precincts and the hospitals, but they were no nearer learning anything about what had happened to Jack by the end of the night.

Gene made some more coffee while Daniel phoned General Hammond to give him the bad news.

Gene flopped down into the armchair and scrubbed his hands over his tired features.

Daniel was standing at the window watching the snow falling and covering the ground. He snapped the phone shut and turned with a sigh.

"I have to get back to the base. General Hammond's calling a briefing and I have to be there. I'll ring you and let you know if... when we find out anything." He drained the coffee from his mug and grabbed his coat. He was tired, but that wasn't anything new. He was used to pulling all-nighters with his type of work. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone without sleep and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"I'll be waiting right by the phone."

Daniel nodded to Gene as he was shown out, neither of them saying anything; there wasn't much either of them could say. Both were worried. He scraped the snow from his windshield and windows and drove off, feeling more than a little anxious for his friend.

OoOoOoOoO

The first thing Daniel had done on reaching the SGC, was to call Sam. General Hammond then arranged for her to be flown home via a fighter jet. She would take second seat behind Colonel Sanderson and would be landing at Peterson in a few hours.

General Hammond, Teal'c, Daniel and Janet along with SG-2 were all seated round the briefing room table, which was scattered with papers among the coffee cups and glasses of water. So far they had drawn up a contingency plan but were waiting on any further information on where they were to put it into action. Jack could be in any city in any state by now.

They seemed to be getting nowhere until Walter interrupted them.

"Sir," he said approaching the General. "There's an outside call for you on line one. I think it has something to do with Colonel O'Neill's disappearance."

Hammond shot out of his chair and hurried into his office, snatching up the phone.

"Hammond!" he barked into the receiver.

"If you wish to locate your precious missing officer," the voice spat with disdain, "then go look for him in one of those derelict warehouses on the edge of town off 115. You might actually get lucky and find he's still alive."

Before Hammond had time to question the person behind the electronic voice, the line went dead. He dropped the phone back onto it's hook and hurried outside to tell his team to go find Jack and gave them the instructions. Janet was to go with them too, judging by the information given, she would be needed.

They didn't need telling twice as they scrambled for the exit.

General Hammond could only watch them hurry off and wish them god speed, hoping they would find Jack in time. He was shocked by the turn of events. They had all been lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the culprit had been found, but here was new evidence to prove they had been wrong in their assumptions. It was looking more like Robinson had an accomplice and wouldn't give up on attempting to take Jack out. Though this could also be a completely new scenario too. He went back to his office. It was time to give Colonel Mayhew another call.

OoOoOoOoO

There were several huge warehouses along that stretch of road and so far they had come up empty. The place they were now entering was the fourth one on the list. They were cautious and fully aware that there could be booby traps set for them.

Daniel and Teal'c were paired off; Janet waiting in the car until called for. SG-2 paired off and tackled the other entrances.

Daniel poked his head round a graffiti smothered wall and groaned. He could see a figure lying stretched out on the floor unmoving. It was definitely Jack; the back of his silver haired head marred by what Daniel could only assume was dried blood, and his heart rose up into his throat. He was about to run towards him when Teal'c grabbed the back of his Jacket.

"Wait Daniel Jackson. It could still prove to be a trap."

Daniel sighed in frustration but bowed to Teal'c's wise caution. Jack could be wired with explosives for all they knew. Teal'c radioed the others, and together they moved in slowly checking the whole area.

Daniel wanted so much to run to his friend. Jack was slumped on the floor either asleep or unconscious, but was being held in place by chains. Daniel winced as he noted that Jack must be frozen to the bone. He was only wearing a long sleeved T-shirt and pants. His coat was missing and the temperature last night had hovered around zero C. The snow that had fallen during the night had since melted away in the wan sunshine of the morning leaving a wet slush everywhere.

Teal'c approached the frighteningly inert figure of his commander and checked him out. He was clean of booby traps. He nodded to the others and Daniel yelled into the radio for Janet. Teal'c checked for a pulse and grimaced. It was there but faint and weak and there were pools of blood around his knees, his pants torn and saturated with the dark stains.

They worked quickly to unfasten the chains to lower Jack's arms to his side, then unchained his ankles. There were several volunteers to help turn him over so that Janet could get a good look at him. Jackets were shed and draped over Jack's still form in an effort to warm his chilled body.

This old man, he played three.

He played nick-nack on my knee.

With a nick-nack paddy whack,

Give the dog a bone...

TBC