oOo Chapter 13: Simmons

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Hammond was supposed to be there first. Jack had dawdled long enough that he was sure he'd earn one of the General's disapproving looks for his tardiness, if not a public comment about it.

Lateness didn't look good in the military. And Hammond liked to look good, needed to look good, to the government and military outside the base.

Although, if he'd been on time, it would be Simmons who would be late. As in dead. Gone. Body zatted into non-existence.

"Irritating, obnoxious, government guys? Haven't seen a one, General. Honest." Yeah, Hammond would believe that. Not. Why wasn't he here? He was supposed to be here first, to be the buffer between him and Simmons.

Jack had arrived first. To find Simmons in rare form, angry already at being kept waiting.

It had taken maybe five minutes for Simmons to get under his skin.

"If you'd done your job, Colonel, you wouldn't have been caught."

Don't kill. Don't kill. Don't kill. "You read my report. My actions were reasonable." No way was Simmons going to get him to talk about the details of being taken captive by Special Ops.

Simmons snorted. "Of course, you would write the report that way. Covering your ass, as usual. Your very expensive ass."

Make me sound like a hooker, why don't you? "We don't leave people behind. Hammond had an opportunity to get a person back, and he took it."

"At a very high cost," Simmons reminded him. "Those funds could have been put to better use."

Jack just stared. Even Simmons couldn't have said what he just heard. Even Simmons wouldn't leave a man, his countryman, to be slowly tortured to death just to save money.

"Why so surprised, Colonel?" Simmons rose, walked toward him. "The vaunted Colonel O'Neill. Never been broken by human nor alien." Simmons' tone made it clear he didn't believe it. "The General has plenty of good men eager to take your place. So why was he so desperate to have you back," he leaned close, one hand on Jack's chair, lowering his voice. "if it's really true that you wouldn't talk?"

He stood back up. "A lapse on the General's part? Letting his personal feelings cloud his better judgment?" He tut-tutted. "Can't have that when you're running a program of this importance." He passed behind Jack and started walking back toward his chair. "Or maybe it wasn't an error in judgment? Maybe the General knew that you would talk. He was afraid you'd sing like a little birdie and put the program in jeopardy?"

Jack was holding on to the arms of his chair so hard he thought they'd break. Don't kill. Don't kill. Don't kill. He's trying to make you lose your temper. He wants it on the security camera. Don't let him win.

Simmons sat down and looked Jack right in the eye. "I intend to find out which of you is the risk here, Colonel. And put a stop to it." He leaned back in his chair. "After all, it is my patriotic duty to protect this planet."

"I'm glad there's something we can agree on," the General said from the doorway.

"General," Simmons acknowledged, standing. "We were just discussing the Stargate program's budget shortfall."

Hammond cocked his head. "There is no budget shortfall here."

"Now, General," Simmons began in that mock-reasonable tone. "You can't bury an outlay of that size. Senator Kinsey has seen to it that you can't misuse the slush-funds for your own dubious purposes. Action will have to be taken to make up the cost of recovering Colonel O'Neill." He shot a glance at Jack. "I hope he's worth it."

"I wouldn't presume to put a price on any human life, Colonel Simmons. And as far as Colonel O'Neill goes, he has saved the planet. More than once. And he may do it again another day. Can you put a price on that?"

"Apparently you can," he said snidely. "Which brings us back to the budget. How do you intend to make up for the shortfall?"

"I don't know where you get your information, Colonel. There is no shortfall, as will be clear in our quarterly report. Now, if you have nothing further to discuss┘"

"Ignoring the problem won't make it go away."

Hammond narrowed his eyes, looking angry, feeling hopeful. Maybe he could turn this around, force Simmons to admit who he was working for. "Are you accusing a superior officer of impropriety, Colonel?"

"I am merely pointing out that there must be compensation for an outlay of this size. General."

"And where exactly did you get your information about any of our expenses, Colonel?" Again the emphasis on rank.

Simmons was starting to look nervous. "That is not the issue here. Sir."

"It is the issue if you are accusing us of something. I want to know who has been feeding you incorrect information, and costing this command the time and effort to address nonexistent issues when we have far better things to do."

"I'll┘ send you a report, General. As soon as I get back to my office."

"See that you do. I'll expect it in the morning, Colonel."

Simmons stalked out.

Jack closed the door behind him. "What are we going to do about the budget, sir?" It was the first time he'd mentioned the topic to his superior officer. "Take it out of my paycheck?"

"For the next hundred years," Hammond chuckled. "I was serious, Jack. The bulk of the funds have been contributed by a┘ private investor. The rest won't be a problem to make up with some minor cuts."

"A private investor?" What the hell did that mean? "You didn't... sell me... to someone else, did you?" He said it as a joke. Meant it as a joke. Hoped it was a joke. Held his breath anyway as he waited to hear the answer.

Hammond laughed. "No, Jack. We're keeping you."

"So who's the private investor?"

"Dr Jackson sold the Eye of Ra medallion that Katherine gave him before the Abydos mission. Apparently, it is quite valuable."

More than you know, General, Jack thought. To Daniel, it had been priceless. Mostly because that medallion represented Abydos and Sha're and Skaara and Kasouf. But the man was also an archaeologist. Giving an artifact to a museum was good and honorable. Selling one was almost blasphemy. He hadn't even sold it to buy back his best friend, trusting instead that the General would find another way to get the money. But he had sold it in the end, against all his principles and sentiments, to show Jack how much he was worth. He decided to bend a few of his own principles and have a heart-to-heart talk with Daniel about it over the campfire that night.

He never got the chance.

oOo#

"I heard Major Carter was here. How is she?"

"She'll be fine, Doc. We'll tell her you stopped by." Jack steered him toward the infirmary door.

McKenzie looked around, noticed that Daniel and Teal'c were both uninjured. "You do that," he said, "Tell her I'll stop by later. Doctor Fraiser, I'd like a copy of her medical report. I can see that the rest of SGI is fine. Again."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Doctor Fraiser asked. Jack was glad the question came from her.

"The Colonel is well aware of what I'm talking about."

"I'm well aware that you have been making unwarranted accusations about Carter." The Colonel snapped. "Now put up or shut up," he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"Is that what you told her?"