Chapter 4

The massive crowd mumbled as they awaited instructions. They chatted away and fell silent as the imposing figure of Major General George Hammond entered the room. Waiting for the unnecessary coughing to subside he looked around at his troops, all patiently waiting for what would happen next. They filled the Gate room to bursting point and even the Control room had officers eagerly waiting for instructions.

Clattering his pristine shoes on the ramp, he stood looking at the Stargate at first and then turning to face the troops. He started talking quietly, worried for the fate of the team. "As many of you know, SG-1 was supposed to have used the Stargate to travel to Vorash, but new information shows they did not" He paused again looking, watching the expressions change to confusion and disbelief. "So I am authorizing a search party to find and rescue our missing colleagues, our missing friends"

A unanimous roar filled the Gate room, a chorus of "Yes Sir"

This place is the biggest secret in the world today, he thought, but they are proud of what this place is and they look after each other. A door slid open and Jacob nodded at Hammond, it was time.

"Alright split up into your designated teams and report to Dr Fraiser, to make this easier for her you will go numerically. She will log who you are and give you a time to report back to base. Remember people, you are not to mention the SGC to anyone other than our own, understood?"

"Yes sir"

"There will also be teams with dogs and a unit in the air. Get to it"

The buzz in the room was amazing. There was shouting and yelling for different members to get themselves with the team. Everyone filed out of the gate room and along to the infirmary. Pounding his way into the control room Hammond yelled at Davis "Sergeant, I want combat fatigues on my desk in 15 minutes"

Nodding furiously, Davis obliged and leapt from his seat.

"George, how are you going to explain using the entire resources of this base to find them to the guys in the Whitehouse" Jacob asked

"The President told me to use whatever resources I have to find them"

"Kinsey won't like that"

"I know"

Sharing a smile the old friends strolled up the stairs to the meeting room to labor over maps and charts.

**********

The floor is cold, very cold. This is not helping me think. Well if I was to open my eyes maybe I would get somewhere. God my life is screwed up. Okay opening now. Well that wasn't so bad. Where am I? Good question. I am not in the mood for comments by you. Sorry I was trying to help. Alright, floor hard, cold. Stone. What did I say? Now is not the time to be arguing. Roof, wooden. Sit up. Bars, bad case of Déjà vu. What is this? Where you feel like you been in the same situation twice. Oh. Where's the rest of the team? Not having a good day. Get up move, stops your ass freezing at least.

"Sam, you okay?" Daniel spoke, from where, she couldn't tell. Respond, she told herself.

"Yeah a bit cold but I'll live"

"That wasn't what I was worrying about"

"I did it again"

"Yeah"

She smiled. Obviously that must be a mastered art form. Turning full circle, she got a proper look around. In front was the door, a shadow moved informing Sam there was a guard, the other cells must be next to her own as all she could see was a lot of rock. There wasn't even a place to sleep.

"Daniel has the Colonel or Teal'c made an appearance yet?"

"Jack has but they took him somewhere. That was an hour ago at least"

"They may be trying to split us up"

"I do not think so Major Carter" Teal'cs deep voice joined in the conversation "If they were we would not all be in the same room"

"Fair point Teal'c but we have to presume this until we know otherwise" Daniel said

The door in front rattled open. Habit made them all get up. The bars were cold and harsh on the hands upon first touch. Gradually the body heat changed this. The door flew open and one of the guards from the van walked in, gun in hand. The black metal sparkled in the florescent lighting of the building, another figure came up behind him. The other guard made his presence felt. Swiftly brining up the gun he armed the gun in his right hand and fired off three shots. The first ricocheted of the wall inches away from Daniels head making him fall clumsily on his bum, the second grazed past the bars and into shoulder of Sam and the third struck Teal'c in the leg just above his left knee. He fell to the floor awkwardly and hard, he let out a muted cry as his large frame crashed top the cold hard, floor.

"Next time I won't play"

Grasping her shoulder blood poured from the wound, Sam leaned on the wall and tried not to fall over. Her hands were covered in blood and this was now running like rain drops down the wall and forming a pool at the bottom. The bullet must have caught a vein, the only reason it could be bleeding so much. Realizing there was nothing she could do she allowed Jolinar to take over and at least try and heal some of the damage.

Daniel was shaken, he fell over without knowing. He was half way between shock and reality. His mind raced thinking, thanking his luck the bullet missed. Finally getting back to now, he got up slowly. They were still at the door, smiling at their work. Turning their backs the threw a body into the room and slammed shut the door. Jack groaned hard.

"Jack, you okay?" Daniel asked

"Err, no" Jack replied "I may have a couple of broken ribs. How about you?"

"A little shaken but go see how Sam and Teal'c are, I can't see them like this"

Jack sat up and looked at the cells. They were quite small and lined up in a row along the back wall. The only light came from the strip lighting above his head. Looking in the cells either side of Daniel was a hell of a lot of blood.

"Carter you okay" he asked scuttling across the floor to her cell

"She will be fine if I have time to heal her" Jolinar replied

Jack winced. He was not going to let a snake head get them out of this one. He opened his mouth and started talking before his brain clicked into gear "Look I didn't ask you, I asked Sam okay so you just stay out of it"

The look on her face was cold and angry. Jack had no right to say that, even now.

"Will you stop it" Sam shouted "Look, you can't change what has happened, so get used to it"

"What do you mean get used to it, even if we do get out of this, that's a big 'if' by the way Carter, the Tok'ra won't let you stay with us"

"Yes they will" Jolinar replied "I have convinced them that if there is a human in the ranks of the Tok'ra then why not let a Tok'ra mix with the humans. Besides Samantha is a valuable part of your team and to the SGC. They will not be able to find anyone to match her"

"Not even this Harris guy"

"Harris is an idiot who puts power before knowledge. But if he had not got that promotion four and a half years ago then Sam would not be here now"

Jack reluctantly backed down from the argument for now. Sam was not the same person now, she never will, He thought I can't accept it, I won't.

"Go to Teal'c" Jolinar said

Nodding quickly he pulled himself up. Holding he arm tight to his chest he dragged himself over to the other cell. There was not as much blood this time, the majority of it had been stemmed by a make shift towel, or the green SGC jacket that Teal'c had been wearing.

"Teal'c, how's the leg?"

"I will be fine O'Neill, if I enter my self into Kelno'reem my symbiote will heal me"

"Alright you do that"

The big man sat up straight and closed his eyes, watching his breathing slow down and see him become completely detached from the world around. Jack remember when he had to do this. He never usually believed in out of body experiences before, but this was an exception. Machello's body switch device had changed around Teal'c and himself for a short time. This ended with Daniel in Machello's body, Machello in Daniels body, Teal'c and himself playing "musical chairs" as Carter put it. He smiled at the thought, somehow he had ended up in Daniel and Daniel ended up in Jack. The young archaeologist had been through a lot but being switched around like that must have been funny.

"Daniel you better"

"Yeah, thanks"

Jack sat down, he knew it was going to be a while before they came back.

"Jack, are you okay?"

"Yeah they just wanted to rough me up, nothing to bad"

"So they didn't do a proper interrogation? No 'who you working for' stuff?"

"No"

The room went silent. There was not a lot to talk about at the moment the only thing to concentrate on now is finding a way of getting out of this place and back to the SGC.

**********

The woods were bursting with activity as every member of the SGC bound through the woods surrounding the mountain. Hammond looked up to the gray cloudy sky. It was about to snow but they needed every possible second to try and locate SG-1.

The video surveillance had got them no where, the cameras that would have picked up anything were conveniently under servicing. The trees swayed in the wind as if dancing to there personal song. The dogs barked loudly, sniffing when they wanted and tugging the handler along when it found something.

"General" came the cry of an airman

Locating quickly where the source of the summon, he trotted over to a road side. He didn't like this, they were not under enough cover. The trees above were strangling the light as it filtered through the wooden mesh the spindly branches had created. Adding to this was the lack of light in the first place. The cloud filled sky muted the suns rays pouring onto the earth below, the first traces of snow floured the ground. Trudging through the trees Hammond walked over to a road. The gray concrete wound it's way down the side of the mountain and into the dense woodland below, before re-emerging in the heart of the sleepy town which rested below. Scarring the concrete were two deep black marks, obviously where someone wanted to get away in as hurry.

Reading the situation Hammond barked " Get a team and follow this road. I want you to check every square inch of woodland along here until we find them"

Nodding furiously the Sergeant signaled for the group behind him to follow and the jogged the first few meters briskly then stopped. Taking a more cautious approach they held there guns at the ready and made a large line across the road. Hammond had a strange feeling about this place, he had a gut feeling which was playing with him. Something didn't feel right. Yanking the radio that was clipped to his left shoulder, he calmly called for Jacob and a small group to locate his position and join in the search.

On the other end Jacob happily obliged. Making the hand signals more elaborate then necessary he waved together about ten men. Commanding the rest to keep the search going on this end, he started over to Hammond's position.

Jacob didn't know what to expect. Over his short time with the Tok'ra a lot can happen and it always does. Expect the unexpected, a great philosopher once said, and in this job you have to live by that rule twenty-four seven. His mind was wandering away, Selmak tried some form of reason.

"I am sure Samantha can take care of herself"

'I know she can but that can't stop her old man worrying'

"Jacob, we need to concentrate on finding her, for our sake as much as hers"

'You think my kid will squeal to those guys, well that'll never happen'

"How can you be so sure Jacob?"

'One: she knows what will happen to us if she does and two: you're neglecting the fact that Jolinar can help her as well'

"I hope you are right"

'So do I'

**********

Jack was now officially bored. Staring at the wall for the past half hour was not his idea of fun. Fishing was more fun, at least you get something out of it. Maybe even dinner. Picking up a stone from the floor he started throwing it up and down in his hand. Then he stopped as an idea came to him, caressing the stone as he turned it slowly in his hands, he took aim and launched the stone into the center the glass panel in the door. It successfully smashed the glass into a thousand tiny fragments as it rained down onto the floor.

A smile eased it's away across Jacks lips as the pair of idiots outside jumped with fright. They looked at each other searching for answers but not finding any. A third man appeared, one of the guys from the van Jack noted absently. He was obviously fuming with rage at what had happened. A rattle of keys made everyone in the room wary. The door flew open, almost of it's hinges as the burly guy from the van appeared.

"Hi" Jack said

The mans face was red with anger. "You wanna play" he said menacingly "Then come join in the game", an evil smile spread across his face and a gun emerged from his side. The sound of the bullets rang out in the hollow room, making a deathly echo. The room ringed as the noise disappeared.

And then quiet. Nothing moved.

Turning away from the room, the van guy left four bodies slumped on the floor, engulfed in their own blood.