We Come In Peace----Chapter 13
Inside Cameron Mitchell's quarters a small incendiary explosive device attached to a small counter ticked slowly toward zero. There was a slight sound as each click was made, but the room was silent, as if waiting expectantly for its occupant. It was meant to injure, and possibly maim if the victim was lying on top of it…but explosives could be tricky if not handled properly.
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Cameron made his way toward his quarters and smiled when he spotted a familiar figure leaning seductively against his door. Vala was a welcome sight, one he looked forward to at the end of each grueling physiotherapy session. He wheeled up next to her and without speaking, waited for her to open the door. Once inside, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
Vala didn't miss the way his eyes had traveled over her body when she'd closed the door and smiled as she bent low and kissed him. It deepened and she felt a thrill race through her body at the thought of being with this man. For now she would have to be content with just a kiss, but once he was back on his feet, Cameron Mitchell was in for a not so rude awakening.
"How did it go?" Mal Doran asked when she finally stood up and moved to the chair at the clean desk.
"How did what go?" Mitchell asked.
"Come on, Cam, I know you had physio and then you were supposed to see Dr. Diego…don't tell me you didn't go see him?"
"I saw him," Mitchell assured her. We talked…it felt good, but…"
"You hate talking about what happened and how you're supposed to deal with it?" Mal Doran asked, but she could tell that was exactly what he was thinking.
"I guess…I've never been the type to talk openly about how I'm feeling…"
"Damn, and here I thought I was dealing with a man who could talk my ears off…although, you know…there is something to be said for the strong, silent type."
"Oh really and that would be?"
"It gives more time for more pleasurable things…"
"Such as?" Mitchell asked, moaning softly when she left a fiery trail of kisses along his throat and nibbled seductively at his ear.
"Such as this….or…"
"No…not right now, Vala…not…oh, God," he whispered when her hands slowly massaged his inner thigh.
"I think I'd batter go," Mal Doran's soft words cut through the intense feelings she created and he wanted to stop her from leaving, but he knew in his heart she was right. Now was neither the time nor place to explore their feelings.
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Beneath the bed the timer slowly counted down toward the final number that could end in disaster. The sound was so minute that it would not be heard by the naked ear.
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"Have you eaten?" Mal Doran asked.
"I had breakfast," Mitchell answered.
"No lunch?"
"No lunch," the colonel told her.
"Then I guess I'll go get you something. Why don't you rest and I'll see what I can scrounge up for you…"
"Aren't you going to join me?"
"I might be persuaded," Mal Doran whispered, kissing him gently before leaving him alone.
Mitchell looked at the bed and realized just how tired he was. Both the physiotherapy session and the talk with Diego were exhausting. He shifted in the wheelchair, debating about whether he should crawl into bed or wait for Vala to return. A weary yawn, and the throbbing ache in his lower back decided it for him and he shifted form the wheelchair to the bed.
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The device continued to tick…tick….tick…
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Teal'c knew he should have visited Mitchell before now, but had been off world for the last few days. He'd been pleased to discover the colonel had returned to his quarters and was working at getting back on is feet.
"Welcome back, Teal'c."
"Thank you, Vala Mal Doran," the big man said with a slight tilt of his head.
"Are you going to visit Colonel Mitchell?"
"That was my plan."
"Good…keep him company while I get him something to eat," Vala said and hurried off.
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Mitchell lay back on the bed and fixed the pillows behind him so that he was in a semi sitting position in order to ease the ache of his healing ribs. He thought about Vala, and a smile formed on his face as he remembered the way his body reacted to her touch. He reached for the blanket and pulled it up over his body, closing his eyes and drifting toward sleep.
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The inaudible sound of the ticking continued as it neared zero…tick….tick…tick…
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Teal'c reached for the door and knocked lightly, listening for any sound from inside. Mitchell's injuries and recovery would be taking a toll on his body and if he was sleeping, Teal'c did not want to wake him.
"Come in," Mitchell said and sat up, stiff muscles and aching ribs making it hard to move with any agility. He smiled when Teal'c opened the door. A sound, soft and nearly inaudible reached his ears at the same time as he caught the scent of something burning. Years of military training took control and he reacted instinctively. With what little strength he had, Mitchell threw himself forward, but it was too little too late as the explosive device fired.
The resulting concussion threw the bed into the air and drove Mitchell across the room. He hit the wall hard as flames quickly ate away at whatever was within easy reach. This, acrid black smoke billowed up from the site of the explosion and quickly engulfed the room.
Teal'c saw the fear on Mitchell's face just before the explosion and reacted instantly. As Mitchell's body struck the wall, Teal'c moved into the smoke filled room and reached for the unconscious man as alarms sounded throughout Stargate command. The flames were quickly eating their way through the bed and anything that was inflammable quickly caught. Instincts told him he should not move the Colonel, but the smoke was getting thicker and the heat was nearly intolerable. He fought to breath through the acrid smoke that choked him and made his decision for him. He lifted the man and hurried from the room as several people raced inside with the proper equipment to fight the flames.
Teal'c coughed harshly and soon felt something placed over his mouth and nose as he tried to clear his vision. He could see Carolyn Lam working on the downed man and heard the worry in her voice as she gave orders to the other medical personnel. He shook off the hands that tried to help him and remained rooted to the spot, unaware that someone was trying to stop the blood flowing from a wound above his right eyebrow. Mitchell hadn't moved while they started and IV, put a C-Collar on him, and placed him on a backboard before transferring him to a gurney and racing toward the infirmary.
"Come on, Teal'c let's get you checked out," Daniel Jackson told the bigger man. The medical team had checked Teal'c over, but the big man had shrugged off their help and Daniel assured Carolyn Lam that he would get Teal'c to the infirmary. Now that Mitchell had been taken away, Teal'c was showing signs that the blow he took was more than they realized, yet he stubbornly refused to allow anyone to help him once he was on his feet.
"I am not injured."
"Then where is the blood coming from?" Jackson asked, a slight hint of humorous sarcasm in his tone. "Come on…we're headed to the infirmary anyway.
"Daniel, what happened? Where's Cam?" Mal Doran asked. She'd been unaware that the alarms were from this area and had rushed back as soon as she heard the talk of an explosion.
"He's in the infirmary, Vala. Help me with Teal'c," Jackson ordered, hoping to keep her away until Lam had a chance to finish her cursory examination of the injured colonel. Daniel knew the remaining medic could help him, but right now both Vala and Teal'c were in need of help.
Teal'c leaned on Jackson as they headed toward the infirmary and soon felt another set of arms take Vala's place. He turned his head to the left and recognized the man, but was unable to identify the look on his face. Something about Shelling's eyes was coldly calculating and Teal'c wondered why the man looked as if he'd just won a victory and was ready to celebrate. Before he could make sense of it, his strength gave out and darkness beckoned to him.
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Carolyn Lam knew her patient was coming around as she flashed the light across his eyes. His clothing was being cut away and she quickly adjusted the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose when he began to cough. She heard Jackson arrive and looked up to see Teal'c being eased onto a second bed as additional staff moved in to care for him.
"Lie still, Colonel," Lam ordered, glad the man was strapped to a backboard and unable to reach for the mask.
"What….what the he…hell hap…hap…penned," he gasped between each breath that resulted in a raspy cough.
"There was an explosion in your quarters," Lam said as the eyes focused on her and she couldn't help, but smile. "Were you smoking in bed, Colonel?"
"Explosion…thought th…that was my…my head."
"Yes, I'm sure you did…just be glad your head was what stopped you from really being hurt," Lam teased, and examined the contusion and abrasion on the left side of Mitchell's head.
"How…who got…got me out?" Mitchell asked, moaning when she touched the tender area around the impact area.
"Teal'c…don't worry. It seems you and he are on the same wavelength. You used your head to deflect any real chance of injury," Lam quipped.
"Is he o…okay?"
"He will be and so will you if you just relax and let me take a look at you," Lam told him.
"I'm…."
"Going to lie there and let me do what they pay me the big bucks for. You're going to be a guest here at least overnight. I want to run several tests and make sure the explosion didn't break anything new. God knows you've had enough broken bones in the last month…not to mention how many ruined uniforms," Lam told him and reached for his chart. She made several notes on what tests to perform and ordered an MRI of his head.
Mitchell closed his eyes and tried to relax as the medical team examined him. He replayed everything he could remember, but drew a blank on the explosion and everything that happened up until waking in the infirmary. He hated to admit it, but right now he couldn't move even if he wanted to and moaned as several harsh coughs erupted from his chest.
"I'm going to get you on some inhalers to help clear that up. Right now just try to rest," Lam explained.
"O…okay," Mitchell said and finally closed his eyes.
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Carl Shelling walked away from the infirmary before his excitement could be seen. The explosion may not have left Mitchell crippled, but it had taken him and Teal'c down and that was a bonus for him. Teal'c was a good man to have at your side, but he was loyal to a fault and Shelling knew the man disliked him. He knew the explosive device could not be tracked back to him because he'd used several items brought to Stargate Command from off world missions. Most items were non descriptive and would not be dangerous on their own, but he'd done a few experiments with some rare elements and created the mechanism he'd placed under Mitchell's bed.
"This is just the beginning, Mitchell, welcome to your own version of hell,' he thought as he passed several people without seeing them.
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Something about the smile on Shelling's face bothered Sharon Woodrow and she knew it was time to find out exactly what the man was up to. Instinct told her that he knew more about the explosion than he let on and she knew she would have to dig into the exact make up of the bomb itself. She'd had some training in explosives and knew she could use it to get her into the debriefing. It would take time, but sooner or later the report would be there for her to see, or she could ask to sit in on the meeting Landry would call. The general cared about the people under his command and she had no doubt that there would be an extensive investigation into the explosion. Somehow or another she would find a way to tie Shelling to the attempt on Mitchell's life.
Sharon knew there was only one man Landry would trust with this investigation and she wanted to be there when they examined Mitchell's quarters. She made her excuses to her friends and hurried in search of Jacob Devereux.
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Cameron Mitchell opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to the right when he heard familiar voices. He licked at dry lips and waited for his head to clear before focusing on the trio around Teal'c's bed.
"Welcome back, Colonel Mitchell."
"Carolyn, he's awake," Samantha Carter said and moved with Vala to his bed. "How do you feel, Cam?"
"Did anyone get the number of that truck?" Mitchell asked, scowling when he realized the mask was gone, but the nasal canulas were in place.
"It was not a truck, Colonel Mitchell, it was a wall," Teal'c said seriously.
"It's a figure of speech, Teal'c," Jackson explained. He knew there was a guard stationed outside the infirmary doors until they found whoever was out to kill Mitchell.
"Well, Colonel, how are you feeling?" Lam asked upon checking the readings above his bed.
"Fine…when can I get out of here?" Mitchell asked and heard the others chuckling softly.
"Ask me again in twenty four hours," Lam answered and adjusted the flow of the IV. "You're lungs are finally getting back to normal, but you inhaled a lot of smoke and that means we have to be careful of complications."
"Ouch, Caroline, that's the wrong word to use around Mitchell. If you look the word up in a dictionary you'd find his name right next to it," Jackson deadpanned.
"Right alongside your own I'm sure," the physician said. "Colonel, I want you resting…"
"It's all I seem to be doing," Mitchell told her.
"Sorry, but my idea of resting does not involve being thrown across the room and hitting the wall head first. You're lucky you didn't break your neck," Lam said and turned to the visitors. "I'm sure you all have things to do…places to be so I'll give you five minutes then I want you out of here."
Vala looked at Mitchell, grateful when the others returned to Teal'c bed and afforded her a small amount of privacy. She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed in relief before reaching for his hand. "You know if you didn't want to eat you could have said something instead of blowing the place up."
"Actually…now that you mention it I am kind of hungry," Mitchell said. "Any chance you could smuggle me in something?"
"Not if I want to live to tell about it," Mal Doran told him. "Sorry, Cam, but Dr. Lam is adamant about watching what you eat while you're under her care."
"Damn, I could go for a pizza with double cheese and pepperoni…but none of them little fishy things," Mitchell told her.
"Well, I'll see what I can do once you're out of here," Mal Doran assured him.
"Vala, it's time to go," Carter said.
"I'll stay if you want me too," Mal Doran told him.
"There's nothing I'd like more, but I'm not going to be much company. I feel like hell and probably won't be awake much longer," Mitchell assured her. She bent low as if whispering something in his ear and brushed her lips against his before standing and following the others out of the infirmary.
"Well, Colonel, now that they're gone how do you really feel?" Lam asked.
"Chest hurts," Mitchell answered.
"Understandable considering the amount of smoke you inhaled. I know Teal'c got you out of the room pretty fast, but whatever caused the explosion filled the room with smoke pretty fast," Lam told him. "That's why you're being given bronco dilators. "Anything else beside your chest hurting?"
"Head…back…just about everything," Mitchell answered honestly.
"Well, I'm going to give you a mild pain medication, but with the head injury and your breathing problems I'd rather not give you anything to strong."
Mitchell watched her administer something into his IV and relaxed as the nurse set up a mask that would deliver the breathing meds. He lifted his head and made it easier for her to put the mask in place and relaxed against the pillows. Once he heard Carolyn Lam finish checking Teal'c he opened his eyes and turned his head toward the other man.
"I owe you, Big Guy," Mitchell said.
"I did what I had to do," Teal'c answered simply.
"I'm glad you were there…from what I've heard I wouldn't have lasted if I'd been on my own," the colonel stated.
"Whoever set the explosive meant to kill you," Teal'c said.
"Guess they didn't count on you being there," Mitchell said and closed his eyes. He tried to remember everything about the explosion, but drew a blank. By the time the nurse removed the mask and replaced the nasal canulas he was sleeping. She tucked the blankets around him, checked the monitors and IV before repeating the same duties with Teal'c.
"You should try to rest," the woman told him.
"I will try," Teal'c said, closing his eyes and listening to Mitchell's breathing. He could tell the man's lungs were still not clear and realized neither was his own, but there was no one trying to kill him. Sleep was a long time coming, but when it did he reluctantly gave into it.
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General Hank Landry was angry and anyone who knew him understood why the man's temper was so well known. He'd been to the infirmary and was updated on Teal'c and Mitchell's condition. Aside from smoke inhalation and concussion both men had come off lucky. Mitchell had been put through several tests, X-rays, and an MRI before Lam was satisfied he hadn't done more damage to his injured body. Lam had insisted Mitchell and Teal'c stay at least twenty four hours for observation and he'd readily agreed.
Landry looked at the people in the room and was ready to explode, but he kept a calm face while looking at the people present. There had been very little left of the explosive device in Mitchell's room, but he knew if anyone could find a lead it was the man seated to his right. Jacob Devereux could do more by 'sniffing' out explosives and their causes than any man Landry knew. He was the best and that was the reason behind his working at Stargate command.
"Jacob, have you come up with anything new?"
"Not much, Hank, at least nothing definitive. I know the device that triggered the explosion was placed underneath Colonel Mitchell's bed," Devereux explained and opened the file he'd compiled of his early findings. It wasn't much, but it would give them some idea of who or what they were looking for.
"We knew that…what I want to know is why anyone on this base would want to kill Mitchell," Landry snapped.
"Well, from the preliminary findings I can tell you that several components that were used didn't originate here," the explosives expert explained.
"Can you be more specific," Woodrow asked, curious by what Devereux hadn't divulged. She'd been there when they examined the remains of the explosive device, but had not been given the complete details.
"Well, one of the substances is only found on PJ2-L37. We have brought it here to study, but have yet to find out exactly what causes it to turn dangerous when mixed with certain elements," Devereux explained. "Then we have this little catalyst here. Again, on it's own it's not dangerous, but mixed with the other substances it only takes a small amount to become highly inflammable. It spreads quickly and ignites on contact with several items we take for granted."
"So whoever did this knows explosives and has access to the gate," Landry stated.
"Yes, Hank, and he or she also has to have knowledge on how to use them to rig an explosion of this caliber," Devereux said and looked pointedly at Woodrow. "Major Woodrow is an asset to my investigation and I would like to request that she be assigned to my detail."
"I'll take the request under advisement," Landry said. "What caused the smoke to get so thick so fast?"
"Again it's a combination of items. The substance form PJ2-L37 and the gel we found would cause the thick, toxic smoke. If Mitchell had been in there any longer he would probably have been killed," Devereux explained. "I've sent a report about my findings to Dr. Lam and she's using it to find the right combination of inhalers to clear Mitchell and Teal'c lungs. Bottom line here, Hank, is that someone is out to kill Colonel Mitchell."
"I've already stationed a guard outside the infirmary and will post one outside his quarters once Dr. Lam discharges him."
"Any chance Dr. Lam could keep him under wraps until we figure out who the bas…find out who wants him dead?" Devereux asked.
"I'm sure she can come up with something, but Mitchell is not the type to stay down for long," Landry answered. "Meanwhile I'm assigning Major Woodrow to help in your investigation. Find out everything you can about the explosives and just maybe we'll be able to figure out how they were obtained."
"We will, thanks, Hank," Devereux said, shaking hands with the other man before turning to Woodrow. "Well, Major, we have our work cut out for us. Are you up for it?"
"Yes, Sir," Woodrow said and followed the man out of the conference room. She already had a good idea of who was behind the explosion, but she needed to come up with evidence before she could broach the subject with Devereux.
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Carl Shelling knew he had to lay low or risk being caught. The guard outside the infirmary told him just how suspicious the others were. He lay back against his pillows, whistling softly as he thought about the best way to get to Mitchell and kill the bastard. He deserved SG1…not some pack of new recruits who could easily get him killed. He knew whatever he did it had to be soon and his mind drifted toward Vala Mal Doran and the looks she'd been casting in Mitchell's direction. That coupled with the time she spent with him spoke volumes and a plan began to formulate once more. All he had to do was kidnap the woman and Mitchell would come to him, but he had to do it in such a way as to cast suspicion on someone else…maybe Woodrow would make a good scapegoat and rid him of three thorns in his side.
A smile formed at the thought of maybe using the events to his own advantage. Killing Mitchell and Mal Doran would get him SG1 while killing Woodrow would make him a hero in the eyes of his peers. Maybe it would even get him Samantha Carter. A man could dream and dream big when the time was right.