Lost - part 29
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all you lovely lovely people who have reviewed this story. I really am so grateful for the support and the feedback, so bless you for it. I hope you enjoy this next chapter (I certainly enjoyed writing it!).
"You didn't need to do this, Jack." Sam said for the third time since they'd left their home.
"For the millionth time, Sam, there is no way in hell I am allowing my pregnant wife to wonder around in these woods with her eyes glued to a compass without some sort of backup."
Sam scowled at him, and opened her mouth to say she could take care of herself.
Jack cut her off. "Before you say it, you know full well I would have had either me or Teal'c go with you had the situation arisen while we were on SG-1. And it's not because it's you – I would have done the same if it were Jonas with his nose stuck to a doodad."
Sam let it go, but not without glaring at him once more for good measure.
"Anything yet?" Jack asked after a while.
"Nope."
They were walking the twelve nik circle, carefully drawn out on a map by Kollen. To ensure they were keeping to the path, Sam had modified the distance calculator in the radio, resetting it to measure distance from a signal amplifier set up at the exact point of the 'Elf Gate', rather than the bunker.
They were now passing the two-thirds mark on the circle, walking slowly so as to allow the compass time to right itself should the electro-magnetic interference clear at any point.
Jack was getting antsy.
"How about now?"
"Jack, please. If I get something, I'll tell you."
They fell into a grumpy silence, both aching for a result.
The compass needle just kept swinging, back and forth, round and round the face of the compass. Then, mercifully, it stopped, and instead swung back and forth over the left hand side, zeroing in on a single direction.
"Yes! I think this is it!" Sam exclaimed, stopping and turning to face Jack. He peered at the compass she was holding, and then looked past her over her shoulder.
"Sothat's North. Huh."
Sam rolled her eyes, and span slowly on the spot, scanning the immediate area.
"I don't see a lab." Jack said after a minute.
Sam shook her head. "Me neither. But we've still got the other half of the riddle to solve. Light meets light, and old wounds heal. What does it mean?"
Jack raised his eyebrows at her. "You're asking me?"
"Well, so far, I got nothing." Sam admitted, dropping the compass into her carry-bag. "We should mark this spot with something, so we can find it again without the compass."
Jack grabbed a branch that had fallen from a nearby tree and started to dig a hole with it. He motioned for Sam to wait when she asked him what he was doing. Once the hole was deep enough to provide sufficient anchorage, he stuck the long branch upright in the hole. Realising what he was doing, Sam helped him to bury the base of the branch securely, and lastly, Jack pulled out a handkerchief and tied it to the top of the branch like a flag.
Sam smirked. "Nice touch." They shared a fond smile.
"So, what now?" Jack asked, rocking on the balls of his feet.
"I don't know. I must admit, I was hoping there'd be something here to help with the rest of the riddle."
"Instead of just . . . dirt and trees." Jack finished, gesturing around them with his bow.
"Yeah."
After another thoughtful pause, Jack said again, "So, what now?"
Sam sighed. "I guess we'll have to go back. Maybe I'm missing something with the riddle."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Sam. You always do."
Sam smiled at him. "I hope so."
In the wayward pair's bed that night, Sam tossed and turned endlessly. Once again, she found herself unable to sleep, this time because of the fruitless afternoon she'd spent tucked away in Kollen's library, mulling over the last two lines of the riddle.
Sometimes, the answer felt so close she could almost touch it – and then it fled, and she was left to pound her fists in frustration. I need more information, she thought helplessly. What does it mean by 'light'?
Eventually abandoning sleep, she slipped out of bed, mindful not to wake Jack, and got dressed. She almost made it out the door before a voice broke the silence of the night.
"Sam, where the hell do you think you're going?" Jack asked conversationally, sounding perfectly awake with a calm, measured voice.
Sam sagged in defeat. "I can't sleep. I thought I'd go and check out the flag again."
"Alone. At night. With no back up." Jack added, getting up.
"There's nothing out there, Jack. I'd have been perfectly okay."
"Nothing out there? So the hunters catch what, exactly? Sweet succulent joints of tree?"
Sam opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. "Sorry." She apologised quietly.
Jack sighed. "Well, we're both up now. Why don't I come with?"
Sam grinned at him. "Okay."
"I don't remember it being this far away." Jack grouched.
"We'd have been there by now if you didn't keep stopping us."
"To check out the area."
"In case you've forgotten, sweetheart, I'm a Major in the US airforce and I can take care of myself. There is absolutely no reason why I can't 'check out the area' with –"
She stopped mid sentence.
"What's that?" Jack whispered.
"I don't know." Sam whispered back. Something was glowing at the base of a tree, brightly in the pitch black of the night in the woods. They jogged towards it, stopping in the area they'd marked that morning.
"Here's the flag." Jack said, tapping the upturned branch.
"And here's a light . . ." Sam said thoughtfully, kneeling down at the foot of the tree and clearing away some leaves.
"Hey! What are you doing???" Jack demanded, pulling Sam up and away from the tree.
"Taking a look at the light source."
"I'll do that, if you don't mind." Jack knelt down awkwardly in her place, while Sam huffed and rolled her eyes at his over-protectiveness.
The leaves cleared away, Jack held up a hand to shield his eyes from the light, trying to get a good look at the device.
"Here." Sam leaned over his shoulder with a torch.
"Thanks." Jack took it, and flicked it on, simultaneously shielding his eyes from the bright light of the device and shining a torch on it to get a look at where it was coming from.
And as the rings of a Goa'uld transporter swept up from the ground and surrounded them, Sam finally understood the third line of the riddle.
So, tell me, what do you think? I love hearing your thoughts on the story, and speculations about what's going to happen, so please review!
Beka
