"Ferretti," Sam spoke into the radio. "We found the colonel's jeep."
"What about the colonel? Or Doctor Jackson?" The major's voice broke through to her earpiece in a burst of static.
Sam watched as Teal'c pulled at the driver side door, calmly stepping away as the door broke free of its hinges and fell to the highway. "They're not in it." Thank God, she thought as she counted the holes riddled on the empty jeep.
"Damn," Ferretti swore into the walkie-talkie, missing the relief in her voice. "We sighted a cabin from our angle. Looks to me maybe a bit of a hike one o'clock from where you are."
Already steering for the slope, Sam waved towards Teal'c and the others. "Can you tell how far? Or how many are—"
Ferretti's voice cut into her flood of questions. "Major, wait." A short pause over the line. Then with a crackle, Ferretti returned. "Forget that. No one's in there any more."
"How can you tell?" Sam was still checking her gear, set to go anyway.
"Cause the frigging front door's been blown part including part of the wall. I can see all the way to the next room. Ain't nobody there, major."
Sam and Teal'c traded worried looks.
"No bodies. That's something," Ferretti offered, the hope audible even through the speakers.
"Yeah," she murmured. Sam shook her head. "Okay," she spoke briskly, back to business. "Ferretti, looks like this is the right direction. You and your men make your way towards us. We're going to go up there anyway. We may make out a trail or something from there."
"Roger," replied Ferretti. "ETA thirty minutes, Carter." He coughed and his voice sounded lighter. "Sounds like the colonel and Daniel were able to escape."
"Yeah," Sam murmured again. I hope so.
"There is blood," announced Teal'c as he stopped in his tracks.
Sam's heart sank as she reached the Jaffa and followed where his finger pointed. Sure enough, a trail of blood, small drops that grew bigger and bigger vanished beyond the rise.
Ferretti bounded up towards them and checked it out himself. He sucked in his breath. "Shit, that's a hell of a lot of blood." The major shifted from one foot to the other as he motioned silently to his men to circle the area. "Think it's one of our guys?"
I hope not, Sam thought.
"Major Ferretti." Booker bound up to them, nodding to where his other teammate was standing. "Found a body there. Not the colonel or Doctor Jackson," he added hastily when everyone's eyes whipped around to him. "No patches on him. No weapon either. Uniform looks like NID standard."
Sam closed her eyes briefly. "They were tipped off by our impostor back on base." Angrily, she kicked a pebble and watched it dance along the trail of blood. "So they came, most likely were responsible for the damage of the cabin."
Ferretti gestured towards Booker. "Any signs of how he died?"
"Broken neck, sir. Found a trail of blood over there as well."
A flicker of apprehension coursed through Sam. She forced herself to push it down, methodically gathering all the facts she was hearing. "Doesn't mean it's from the colonel. Or from Daniel." Sam's lips pressed together in a grim line. "Does mean though we better hurry."
"We weren't exactly sitting on our thumbs, either, Carter," Ferretti muttered.
"We're not finding them either," countered Sam. She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry. Just hate thinking our guys are out there…" Sam swallowed. "Possibly seriously hurt." Her eyes wandered back to the trail of blood.
"They do not belong to O'Neill or Daniel Jackson."
Surprised, she glanced over to Teal'c. The alien was crouched over the trail, rubbing his fingers together. Dirt trickled down his fingers, back to the ground.
"The tracks are smaller. Of a female."
Ferretti traded a concerned look with Sam. "Tobias?"
Sam nodded, her face grim. She traced the crimson trail, stopping as he caught sight of another pair, slightly bigger in size, joining up with the smaller footprints.
"Teal'c." Sam pointed to the new set joining Tobias'. "Looks like another may have joined her here."
The Jaffa nodded, his voice grave. "It would appear so. The tracks are fresh. Perhaps they are still-" Teal'c stopped, his eyes whipping to his left. Before Sam could question him, Teal'c's arm lashed out, pounding a young trunk of a tree. It shook.
And down fell one man.
"Don't move!" Ferretti hollered. Everyone leapt back, their rifles already aiming for the newcomer from the sky. Ferretti took a step forward and kicked aside the rifle before the man could make a grab for it.
Sam stared at the man garbed in black and frowned. They looked exactly like the ones who broken into the auxiliary. "Definitely NID," she concluded, then turned back towards Teal'c. "You have to teach us how you do that next time."
Teal'c bowed his head before he glowered towards the NID agent. "Speak," Teal'c ordered. Sam suppressed a shiver at the low tone. It reminded her of when they first met Teal'c in Chulak. "Where are Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"
The NID agent spat in his face. He yelped though when Teal'c grabbed him by the collar with a fist. Suddenly, his legs were dangling a foot off the ground.
"Where are they?" Teal'c boomed. He gave the man a violent shake. Sam could have sworn she heard teeth rattle.
The agent wheezed, alarmed eyes flew to Sam. She stood there with her arms folded.
"You know," she told him in a mild voice. "I would tell him."
"I d-don't know," gasped the agent. "W-we're still looking for them, too!"
Ferretti snorted. "And what were you going to do after you found them, huh? Gonna—"
"Down!" Teal'c suddenly shouted as he heard something. Everyone began to scramble, lunging for trees or any cover.
Sam threw herself to the ground. Almost immediately, something zipped by her so fast, her ears stung with the sharp sound. She raised her head and saw a few dark figures running away.
"Anderson! Watch our friend here!" Ferretti barked, his rifle swinging left and right as he tried to find a target. "Booker, James, you're with me!" He shook his head at Sam. "You get to that trail, major. Find the colonel and Daniel. Leave the others to us, okay?"
Sam nodded, clamping her hands over her own weapon. She gave a brusque bob of her head towards Teal'c. The Jaffa lifted his nose towards the agent, still tight in his grasp. Abruptly, he dropped the agent, who fell in a clumsy heap to the ground, scrambling up to his knees only to find Anderson's own rifle barrel inches from his nose.
Teal'c studied the trail for a second as Sam reshouldered her rifle, looking towards the direction the others took off on.
The Jaffa motioned to Sam. "This way." Teal'c pointed to the east and took off.
Sam gave one more look to the agent, glaring at him before she went after Teal'c.