After two days of terrible connection problems and correcting the same problems innumerable times, because they wouldn't save, I finally get to upload! Sorry about the delay...

In this update: Terence makes his move. So does Major O'Neill. Two men enter, one man leaves.

Enjoy!

Chapter 26

Later that evening, after all the planning meetings were over, Erin needed a break before she sought her bed and some sleep. So she thought she would visit Meaghan, bring her dinner, and give her an update.

Meaghan was standing at the window when Erin went to see her. "You have news?" Meaghan asked eagerly, ignoring the tray Erin pushed through.

Erin nodded. She slouched down into the chair in front of the glass, worn out by the day and not much sleep last night either. "We found out where the rest of the St. Louis prisoners are. There's a small town called Millhaven, not even a hundred miles from here. It's apparently Valhalla Sector's western base, though why Valhalla brought them there is anyone's guess. But anyway, we're going in to rescue them first thing tomorrow."

Meaghan put a hand on the glass. "That's good. And?"

Erin looked up. "Did you know we have practically a fleet of helicopters down at Carson at the foot of the mountain?" she asked, abruptly.

Meaghan frowned and nodded once, "Yes, of course. Markus told me."

"He didn't tell me," Erin said. "Sarah knew. Nathan knew. Even Lee knew. But not me. Do you know why he would keep it from me? Didn't he trust me?"

Meaghan hesitated, considered her words, and answered, "From the beginning, Markus has been very concerned about the capabilities of this base. From the guns stockpiled to its ability to control nuclear weapons to, well, to me," she added, with a small self-effacing grimace, "this base has a lot of firepower. I'm sure you understand why it's not a widely known secret. But as for you, personally, I don't know why he didn't tell you. But I can guess he probably forgot."

Erin snorted. She appreciated Meaghan trying to make her feel better, but it didn't work. "Markus doesn't 'forget' anything."

"Anything that he can make into a number," Meaghan agreed, "yes, that's true. But he does tend to forget that there are real people in his equations. Unless somebody reminds him, he's just as happy to tell people only what they need to know to serve his purpose. And sometimes it just doesn't occur to him that they might want to know or deserve to know, even if it's not really necessary."

Erin thought about that for a moment. She'd seen that in Markus herself, even been the one to remind him. She had wondered about it, since she also knew how much he cared about his friends and humanity in general. But she was surprised that Meaghan would know, and certainly that she would so easily talk about a flaw in the man she loved very much.

Meaghan shrugged a little with a rueful look, when Erin's astonishment showed on her face. "I've had fifteen years to get to know his faults very well. I love him, but I'm not blind, and he's never tried to hide them from me anyway. I try to rein in his calculating side, but it's not easy stuck in here."

She tapped the partition glass once and then gave Erin a searching look. "There's more. You're avoiding something else. Something about Markus."

"No, not really," Erin said, shaking her head. "Nothing specific. Jack and Charlie went into Valhalla Sector this morning. And now we just have to wait until they can access communications. There's nothing so far. I'm hoping they'll be able to get some kind of word out, at least tell us if… what Markus' condition is." She swallowed hard, and had to look away from Meaghan, worried that the other woman would read the truth of how much she felt.

A silence fell, growing progressively heavier by the minute. Erin knew that Meaghan's thoughts had to be as dark and worried as her own, and wished she could find something heartening to say. But she couldn't find the words, being unable to believe them herself.

Meaghan broke the silence herself, in a soft voice. "I've been anxious all day," she said. Erin glanced up, but Meaghan was looking off in the distance, her hand at the base of her throat. "I keep feeling that I can't breathe. And I know … I know he's hurt. That he's slipping away from me."

Erin didn't want to believe that Meaghan could feel any such thing. But Meaghan was so certain… And she'd been right when she said he wasn't dead before. Maybe she did know.

Maybe he really was dying. Maybe all this was going to be for nothing. Maybe she was going to lose him after all.

"You love him, don't you?" Meaghan asked, so quietly it took Erin a moment to rouse out of her fear and realize what she had said.

Her head jerked up guiltily and she stammered, "Oh, no, Meaghan, I -- that is, I'm -- "

Meaghan raised a hand to stop the nervous babble, and said with a sad half-smile, "It's all right. But you do, aren't you?"

Faced with the truth, Erin could only nod. "Since I got here," she confessed, not daring to look at Meaghan. "I just saw him … I heard him talk, and I … I couldn't help it. But I would never," she looked up and met the older woman's gaze, "ever try to get between you. Even before I knew you existed, I knew it was hopeless."

Meaghan shook her head slightly. "I think he would be happier, if he found someone outside the glass," she knocked once, lightly, on the window. "It would crush me," she admitted after a moment. "He's been my only companion for a very long time. But then I see the sadness in his eyes when he sees me in here, and I wish that he could be with someone else who could give him joy, not pain. Children. A future that's open, not trapped in a jar."

Erin had to swallow the lump in her throat. "It's not going to be me," she murmured.

"No," Meaghan agreed sadly. "I'm sorry. I would give him to you, if I could. But he won't go on his own, and I'm not strong enough to push him." She forced a little laugh. "We're a sad bunch, aren't we?"

"And if he doesn't come back, what are we gonna do?" Erin asked, sniffing once to push back the threatening tears. She wasn't going to cry. She'd done her crying. "He said that we were supposed to carry on, but how can I? I … God, I can't stand this -- "

"If he dies," Meaghan said in a suddenly hard voice. Erin glanced up again, surprised by the tone right out of her tears. Meaghan's eyes were like obsidian in winter. "You will open this door, and I will take Valhalla Sector down, touch by touch, if I have to kill the whole fucking world to do it."

Erin stared at her, shocked. She couldn't have just heard her say that.

"Do you understand me, Erin?" Meaghan demanded. "You may love him, but he is my life, my whole reason for still existing. And if he's not here, if they kill him, then I will not care about anything but vengeance, if I have to claw my way out of here to make them pay. Am I clear?"

Erin nodded once, feeling chilled. Meaghan meant every word. She really would unleash the Big Death to avenge Markus. Licking her lips, Erin said, "He wouldn't want that."

"No," Meaghan agreed with frozen calm. "He wouldn't. But I would do it anyway. Because he would be dead, and nothing would matter anymore."

Erin stood up, and had to catch herself on the table when her legs threatened to fold. "It won't come to that," Erin said, trying to convince herself as much as Meaghan. "Jack and Charlie will get him out. You'll see. He'll come home."

"I pray you're right." Meaghan folded her arms tightly, tucking her hands in her sleeves. The cold flowed back into the hidden, shadowed place inside her, returning her to the woman that Erin knew. "Thank you for bringing me news."

Erin nodded. "Sure. I'll be back when I can."

Meaghan nodded back and waved her hand for Erin to go.

---+---

Sam saw Erin returning from a visit with Meaghan. The other woman was pale. "How's Meaghan?" she asked, thinking that maybe there was something wrong in the isolab.

"Holding up, but she says she feels Markus is in trouble, that he's hurt. That -- he's slipping away," she added softly.

Sam lifted her eyebrows skeptically. But she didn't tell Erin how unlikely it was, when Erin knew that much herself. Both Erin and Meaghan were feeling their own worry, that was all. "The colonel's there now with Daniel. They're going to get out with Markus. You have to believe it."

"I'm trying." She cleared her throat. "Are you ready to go upstairs and try listening in?"

"Don't you have to do anything down here?"

"Yes, but I want to go upstairs with you. I want to hear if anything's being said."

Sam hesitated then gave a shrug. "Sure. It'd be nice having the company."

In silence the two women continued walking, occasionally looking at each other but Sam found she didn't want to intrude on Erin's thoughts. Instead, her own mind was going a million miles an hour. How could she connect to Millhaven without Valhalla finding out?

Erin went over to the door and found it opened readily. "It should be locked," she commented puzzled. "You were the last one in here. Could you have left it open?"

"No. I'm sure I left the room secure." Sam was glad she hadn't put away her handgun after the trip to Carson, as an uneasy feeling came over her. They walked in, but there was no obvious sign of an intruder.

"You think the spy's been up here?" Erin asked.

"If he has, then he has a master key or knows the code to get in," Sam replied. And considering what this room could control, that could be very bad. She sat down in one of the chairs and realized that the system was booted up, confirming that someone had been there. She looked around warily, chill creeping down her back. The room was open, with the computers on tables not desks, so she had a good view of the whole room. There was no place to hide. No one else was there.

Relieved, she turned back to the computer. The screen showed only a blinking red cursor. The traitor hadn't gotten very far. She smirked a little as she entered the passwords to access the communications system. Then she began to determine Millhaven's frequencies. Jack had given her a few to try, in case the brass hadn't changed them, but there was nothing. At first she kept an ear out for a noise not belonging to Erin's bored and restless movements around the room, in case the traitor came back, but soon the problem of locating the signal consumed all her concentration.

---+---

Terence tried to flex his leg muscles, but as the ceiling beam below him creaked, he stilled. This hiding place was not the most comfortable, but had been easily accessible when he first heard the women outside the door talking. At first he was incensed that he'd been interrupted, but as he watched them come in and get the computer started, he realized his good fortune. He'd let them grant him access and then he'd get rid of them and use the computer to warn his bosses.

The Sam woman was directly below him. The crack in the tile afforded him a good view, but hopefully hid him from her sight. Plus he had been able to hear everything they said. Not that it was much. For a pair of females they were much too quiet. It wasn't natural.

What was she doing, he wondered, looking down. She was tapping the keys faster than he could remember their order, although he did remember the first word, or rather string of letters she used to get into the system. What was a selmak?

"Erin, I found it. I'm in!" she shouted, almost causing Terence to lose his balance.

Suddenly, Terence could hear Captain Davis talking with Colonel Simmons.

"We put the bitch back in the gym with the rest of the prisoners," Davis was saying. "It took all my self control not to shoot her. What a piece of work. Did it get the desired response from Alexander?"

"No," the colonel replied. "He's proving to be quite resilient. Not only has he resisted all my interrogations, he's now enlisted the President into his fan club. Tomorrow, pull another one of the prisoners. A female. I don't care what you do, be creative, just make sure it looks good and send the footage to me. Is there anyone there you're sure is from Cheyenne?"

"I think so, sir. There's a pretty one who's friends with the Clarefield bitch. She seems softer than the others - like she didn't grow up Outside. I'll start with her."

Erin joined the other woman. "Oh my God, he must be talking about Elizabeth."

She sounded distressed, Terence thought. Good.

"Sam? Why are you looking like that?"

Sam answered, with disgust, "I can't even tell you how much the sound of his voice makes my skin crawl. Simmons's one nasty, cruel, self-serving son of a bitch."

Terence smiled. If she knew his boss, then it stood to reason he knew her, too. When he killed Sam Carter, maybe he'd get a promotion. Then his thoughts of glory were interrupted.

Erin asked, "Can you jam it? Make sure Millhaven can't call Valhalla for help when we attack tomorrow morning?"

Terence grew cold. Jam the signals? No, they couldn't do that. He'd have to take action now. He had to make sure Valhalla came and cleaned out this rat's nest. Desperation made sweat begin to trickle down his forehead.

---+---

Erin looked over Sam's shoulder, but not seeing the screen full of cryptic symbols and frequency information.

The words from the enemy who held Markus prisoner made her vibrate with fury. How dare he threaten Elizabeth now?

At least Simmons had said Markus was alive. But 'resilient' and multiple interrogations made the fear rise up in her chest. He'd hurt Markus. Meaghan's feeling haunted her, and she didn't know what to hope or believe. She walked away from Sam, fighting for self-control. Tonight they'd get the prisoners from Millhaven and maybe tomorrow Jack would call and say Markus and Daniel had been rescued, too. Inhaling a long deep breath, she turned to say something to Sam, when she noticed the ceiling tile move.

"Sam! Above you!" Erin shouted.

Almost in slow motion, Erin saw Sam tuck and roll out of her chair, grabbing at her ankle and pulling out a gun. A shot, from the ceiling, hit the chair Sam had just vacated only seconds earlier. Erin flinched as Sam returned fire.

"Get down!" Sam shouted, and a second shot came from above. Erin flung herself under the computer table, sliding in the dust.

Sam scurried after her, crouching, as the gun fired again, slamming into the corner of their table. "Erin?" she asked, "Can you use a gun?"

"Sure," Erin answered. Not that she'd used one in awhile, but before Thunder Mountain, she'd had to use weapons a lot, mostly to rescue her trouble-magnet sister.

"You need to cover me while I log off the computer. We can't let him get on."

Even though Sam whispered, Erin could hear her worry. Their whole rescue mission hinged on secrecy; they couldn't let the spy leak the info. Several more shots came from above, hitting equipment, but that was all right. Each inactive computer gave the spy less chance of calling out. Erin took the gun and fired, keeping the traitor's attention on her as Sam snatched the keyboard and brought it underneath to her lap.

She punched in keys getting out of each layer until Erin saw the screen go black. The man above must have become furious when he realized what Sam had done, because suddenly he began firing rapidly, hitting chairs, monitors and the floor. He wasn't even aiming anymore. Erin shot back and then it went quiet.

Sam and Erin exchanged glances. "You think I got him?" Erin asked, handing the gun back.

Sam shook her head. "No. Changing clips. He's waiting for us to leave so he can pick us off as we go for the door. He wants us dead."

"If he kills you, no one will ever be able to get back into the computers. Even him."

"I'm sure he doesn't mind. He's trapped here and knows it."

Erin shivered. They couldn't stay here all night, Sam was needed on the choppers. She looked around, hoping for an idea, when a horrible thought occurred to her. "Could he have seen the codes you put in and now just wants us to leave so he can access the computers himself?"

"I don't think so. The passwords would be gibberish to him, and I doubt he could remember them all."

Erin wanted to ask how she was able to remember, but didn't want to give their traitor any clues. Still, there were no sounds from above. Sam grabbed a mouse off one of the desks and heaved it across the room. They heard it clatter but no retaliatory sounds came from above.

Was he gone?

"Sam?" Erin whispered. "What if we use chairs as cover and glide them on the wheels towards the door?"

Sam nodded. It was a plan, not the best, but the best they could come up with. Sam checked her clip, as Erin brought two chairs from the other side of her and Sam did the same. Together, going very slowly, they rolled the chairs to the door. There was no movement above.

Erin was about to open the door, when Sam put her arm out, effectively stopping her. "He might be out there," she mouthed.

Erin waited, until Sam opened it, gun in front and then checked both sides.

It was empty.

---+---

Terence fumed inside his room. He had worked on the computers for two hours for nothing before the women showed up.

Nothing had gone as planned. From the day he had realized Lee Chen had conflicting loyalties, he had been stymied at every turn. Lee was supposed to have been a partner, not another one of the enemy. Then Jack O'Neill. Now this. At least he had stopped the women from jamming Millhaven.

But that wasn't going to do much good, when Thunder Mountain was going to have the element of surprise. But he was stuck here and couldn't warn them.

Or, maybe not. What if he went on this rescue mission?

He left his quarters and went to find Kate. She might not tell him the particulars about the mission, but she wouldn't leave him here.

Kate was in the cafeteria, sitting by herself, eating an apple.

"Hi Kate," he said with a smile sitting down next to her.

"Terence, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you. The rescue is tonight and I'm supposed to pick the crews for the trucks. Are you in?"

Terence kept the feral grin from showing. "Definitely," he told her. Not only was he in, but this was his ticket out.

---+---

Jack headed down the corridor, deep in thought. It was late and the mountain was quiet. The residents who weren't involved in the mission were at least in their rooms making an effort to sleep, but the anxiety level was running pretty high.

It had been decided that Nathan and Sam would escort the chopper team to Carson and lock themselves in. They would then get the machines prepped. With them effectively separated from the Mountain, no one would be able to sabotage the equipment or injure the personnel. They found four pilots and Nathan assigned himself to an Apache while the others flew the Hueys. Jack figured the Millhaven soldiers would be so shocked seeing the Apache it would give them valuable minutes of rescue time. With everything now completed, they could now rest and mentally prepare themselves for the attack.

Erin had locked the mountain down so only she and Sarah could open it again, then went to the communications room to talk to Jeremiah, or maybe to her room to get some sleep.

There was no way Jack could sleep. He had to make sure the army left unharmed and to capture the traitor. His next stop was the topside garage where the trucks were getting loaded, and the mechanics were going over the vehicles making sure they were still functional. With the traitor still loose, no one wanted to take a chance.

Jack's only worry was how to trap the spy before the troops left. He was pinning everything on the traitor being Terence and he would be screwed if he was wrong, so the sooner he found out the truth the better. But how to implement the plan? He needed an accomplice, one who could handle himself in a tight situation in case the spy realized he'd been made, and this person would have to be totally loyal to the Mountain. The only ones he was absolutely positive of consisted of Nathan, Erin, Sam, Kate and…

Turning the corner, Jack suddenly came upon two young men he had not thought to see again, sure they had been sent to St. Louis with the rest. Judging by the horror on their faces, they had probably been deliberately avoiding him.

Jack was hit by a brainstorm as he exclaimed, "Brian! Steve! Just the men I'm looking for." They'd be perfect for his plan. Here were two men he was positive were loyal to Markus. They had smiled in triumph when they'd captured him and Kawalsky, sure that they had tricked two of Valhalla's finest.

They made ready to bolt, when Jack grabbed both by the shoulders. They stiffened, no doubt seeing their lives pass before their eyes. Jack smiled encouragingly, as he hugged both closer to him.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya," Jack tried to reassure them. "In fact, I need your help."

That got their attention. "What do you want?" Brian asked.

"To catch the traitor. Are you guys in?"

"You know who it is?" Steve questioned, suspicion darkening his eyes.

"I have an idea. Terence."

Their eyes widened in shock. But they didn't immediately protest the idea, which gave Jack some hope that he was right.

"Do you know whose truck he's in?" Jack asked.

"Mine," Brian answered.

"Are you friends with him? Will he do something if you ask?"

Brian and Steve exchanged looks. "We're not friends. But we know each other," Steve responded reluctantly. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, that's what I want you to help me find out. If he's innocent, fine, all that happens is he stays here and keeps an eye out for the real traitor. But I think it's him. I want you to strongly suggest he stay here in the Mountain. Tell him you don't trust me, that you're the one who brought me in and you hate to leave the Mountain in my hands. Tell him you think I'm gonna strangle Erin, I don't care. Anything so he's not in the truck when you leave."

"Why don't we just throw him in the brig? The man's a murderer, he shouldn't be running around."

"In the United States, we don't condemn a man on a feeling," Jack gently chastised. "I'm not sure he's the one. Things just don't add up with him. I need him to betray himself, by catching him in the act, or having him come after me. If he's guilty, he's going to be pretty pissed at not getting out and being able to tell his superiors of the impending attack."

"So, you want to know how he reacts to us telling him he's staying here?"

"Oh, you betcha. You should make this suggestion in front of lots of others so that he feels there's no choice but to agree."

"Why can't we let Terence go and we watch him and if he tries anything we stop him?" Brian suggested.

"Because Jeremiah's life will be on the line. This is bigger than just the Mountain's security. It has to do with Jeremiah as a pawn and the return of the Big Death." Why wouldn't these boys just agree and handle their assignment? Jack was getting frustrated with all the questions.

The mention of the Big Death did the trick.

"Okay. We'll do it."

Jack let out a sigh of relief. "I assume you're heading to the loading dock now. I'll be coming in a bit. I don't want Terence to know we've had any contact."

Thy nodded and moved off. Jack leaned back against the wall. Terence was going to be pissed at not being allowed to go. How would he handle it?

---+---

Terence whistled as he entered the garage. The trucks were loaded with water, a small amount of food, blankets and other first aid supplies. He had participated in the loading of the medicines and bandages himself. They were to be in his truck along with one of their nurses, although he certainly wouldn't let her touch him. God, they had learned medicine out of a book.

He had his own small pack already loaded and he had included a radio so he could contact Captain Davis as soon as they were in range. Terence wasn't sure whether he should take over the truck and drive it straight into Millhaven, or whether he should call and let it all be a big surprise when they were met by Millhaven's finest. Both sounded satisfying.

The only down-side was that O'Neill was not going to be there. He'd heard that Erin wasn't letting him go. He had been looking forward to teaching that traitor a lesson.

The drivers were huddled together, talking quietly. The trucks were running; it was time to leave. Shivers of anticipations racked his body. He couldn't wait to get out.

"Hey, Terence," Brian called to him, breaking into his thoughts. "Come here, got a favor to ask."

Brian and Steve were standing with a few others. Terence hadn't dealt with either since they were recon, but he knew who they were. Brian was supposed to be the driver for his truck.

"Yeah?"

"Steve and I were talking with the other drivers and as we tallied who was going and who was staying, we realized that everyone who knows how the systems work is going. If something happens, like the air system shuts down, there's no one here to fix it."

Terence swallowed thickly. Shit. He knew what was coming. Raymond and Victor and then Kate came to join Steve. "And?" Terence refused to acknowledge what they wanted, frantically searching for a way out.

"Now you've said time and time again that you're no soldier and didn't want a position in Lee's security team, and since you're a really good engineer, maybe you should be the one who stays," Brian continued.

Kate intervened and Terence hoped she was going to veto this "suggestion." "Erin's got a whole lot on her plate. When I picked people to go in the trucks, I never considered the state of the Mountain. Maybe he's got a point."

Terence pounced on the fact that she didn't sound sure. "We're only going to be gone a few hours, maybe a half a day at most. Surely everything will be okay? Aren't the prisoners more important?"

"Yeah, but with so many of us gone, it'll give the traitor an excellent opportunity to sabotage the place. We need someone we can trust," Kate added.

Terence looked to Raymond, to see if he'd counter his fellow councilor. But he saw no help there. Raymond's arms were folded and he was glaring at Terence with a very unfriendly expression. Terence wondered if Raymond suspected something, but it was probably just because Terence was refusing to do as he was told. Raymond was Markus' lapdog, and thought everybody else should be too.

"Plus that old guy," Steve chimed in. "Can we really trust that gray-haired guy here? Is Erin safe? I think she actually trusts him. I heard he's got a master key."

Terence started. He thought he was the only one with a key. Lee had gotten his from Simmons; had there been another one here in the Mountain? Did Markus have one that he gave to O'Neill? "I can't believe Jack would hurt Erin. I've met the guy; he seems nice enough and acts like he really wants to help us. Can you really afford to leave me behind? Don't you need everybody to help release our friends?"

Brian looked at Kate, and she looked to Raymond, who shook his head once. Terence knew that she and Raymond rarely agreed on anything, so he had a faint hope she might disagree with him on principle. But she took a deep breath and answered. "Terence, I guess you should stay."

A well of fury tightened his chest. Fuck.

"Markus," she continued, "told Erin to keep his home safe. It should be our first priority. I'm sorry I didn't think of it first. Terence, please stay and keep a close eye on Jack and make sure nothing happens."

He let his shoulder slump in defeat, while his heart raged. "Let me get my pack out of the truck," he asked, thinking of the radio tucked away.

"Okay campers! Time to roll!" Jack O'Neill blasted into their private discussion, coming up next to Terence.

"That's okay, Terence," Brian consoled. "Nothing'll happen to it. I'll make sure you get it when we get home. Just a few hours, right? See you soon!"

Terence watched in impotent fury as everyone got into the trucks except him and Jack. His knife was strapped to his calf. All he had to do was bend over, pull it out and bury it into the fucker's heart.

The trucks began pulling out through the big blast door.

Time was running out. He had to make a decision. If he took O'Neill out right now, he could grab one of the Rovers and chase after the departing convoy and still be able to warn Millhaven. His fists clenched at his sides as caution warred with the need to act.

The big doors began to slide shut. They were conveniently alone. No one would see if he slipped his knife between O'Neill's ribs.

O'Neill made a step towards him, grabbing his shoulder.

The feel of O'Neill's hand on him made Terence snap. He bent over, retrieved his knife and smoothly brought it up to plunge into O'Neill's chest. Despite the major's age, he moved exceptionally well, as he pivoted and the knife only sliced a bit of his shirt. O'Neill let go of his shoulder and backed up, facing him squarely. He didn't seem at all surprised by Terence's attack. The bastard had set him up.

"Why'd you do it?" Terence demanded. "How could you betray your country for this bunch of rebels?"

O'Neill watched him with an unflinching gaze. "This is the country, Terence. I'm just sorry I took so long to figure it out."

Terence lunged forward, aiming again for a vital organ. O'Neill effortlessly backed up evading the point. "I bet you plan on taking over for yourself," Terence accused. "You and I both know Markus will never leave Valhalla alive. With Erin's trust, you're a shoe-in for military advisor and from there it's just a step away from total control."

O'Neill sneered, "A plan worthy of a Simmons' stooge. But if any place is falling, it'll be Valhalla Sector."

"Traitor," Terence retaliated with another lunge forward, but this time O'Neill did not back up. With a neat sidestep he grabbed Terence's arm and cracked it over his knee. The knife dropped to the ground and he kicked it to the other side of the room.

The young soldier's face flamed with anger as he brought his other hand up and punched O'Neill in the face. As the older man staggered, Terence leaped toward his knife.

A shot rang out, surprising both combatants.

Erin stood at the inner door, gun in hand. Terence felt a burning in his chest and he brought his hand up and found a hole with blood rushing out. The bitch had shot him. He turned incredulous eyes on her.

She looked coldly back and walked over to him. "That was for Kristen." She shot him again. As the pain overwhelmed him, the last thing he heard was her murmuring, "And that's for the rest of us."

---+---

"How long have you been there?" Jack asked, fingering the hole in his shirt. Small drops of blood stained his hand.

"Long enough," Erin answered, finally lowering her handgun.

Realizing there was nothing he could do about it now, he went over to her, noticing that she was shivering. "I thought you were in the communications room talking with Jeremiah?" Jack asked, looking at her with worry. She shouldn't be here.

"After you had your talk with Brian and Steve," she told him without expression, still staring at Terence's now-lifeless body. "They came to talk to me."

"Oh."

Finally her eyes left Terence and turned up to him. "You should have told me, Jack."

He winced slightly. "You didn't bring me here. This isn't your fault. I'm a part of Valhalla and so is this garbage." He nudged the dead body with his foot. "It's up to me to clean up the mess, not you."

"I'm not some delicate flower," she exclaimed, letting some of her anguish escape. "In fact, the other Jack said that in his reality, I'm a major in the Air Force and a damned good pilot. At first it scared me, but now I can see myself doing it."

"I am woman. Hear me roar," Jack teased, then regretted it the instant her face closed in anger.

Erin made a fist and punched him in the chest. She was stronger than she looked. "I don't appreciate the sarcasm," she retorted, but seemed more herself. "Now, you want to clean up the mess, feel free. I'm going down to hear how my soldiers are doing."

She marched off with a straight back and tons of dignity. Jack eyed her with appreciation, until the door closed. Then he looked back down at the body and heaved a sigh, "A man's work is never done."

Up next: Millhaven.