Chapter 3: Consequences
Major General Jack O'Neill walked along the outside perimeter of the off- world base, examining his surroundings as if it were the first time he'd stepped foot on PXP-755.
The world they had chosen for the off-world base or Beta Command, as it had been unofficially christened by the military personnel assigned to the base, was a fairly close approximation to Earth. It had a similar atmosphere, which was seen in the clear, blue sky above him. Green vegetation grew abundantly in the surrounding forest, and a wide river ensured that the humans would never run out of water. Temperature wise, Nueva Tierra or New Earth, which was the name PXP-755 had been given by the Mexican scientist who accompanied the first expedition team, was a bit cooler than Earth. Temperatures were generally in the upper 50s in the daytime and the lower 30s at night, assuring that everyone who left the base wore jackets.
The base was actually composed of three, two story buildings, which were enclosed with an eight foot tall electrified fence. The world had been declared uninhabited, even though there was abundant wildlife living in the forest that surrounded the compound. The fence protected the base against any wandering wildlife and any other visitors they might have.
Directly in front of him, on the other side of the fence, Jack could see that Stargate. A patrol of Marines were standing guard in front of it, making sure that nothing went trough or came out the Stargate that wasn't supposed to. Jack waved at them when they saw him, and then proceeded to exit the perimeter of the base.
Jack turned right and headed towards the river, where he usually went when he wanted a moment alone to think. As he reached its banks, he sat down on the soft ground and watched the running water, momentarily getting lost in the soothing sound of the surf. He shook his head in disgust a few minutes later, realizing that daydreaming was not going to fix his current problems.
"O'Neill."
Jack immediately turned at the serious voice, grinning as he saw Teal'c standing a few feet away from him, his face stoic as always.
"Teal'c, what a surprise," Jack replied. He got up and walked towards his friend. "I didn't know you'd be dropping by."
"Nor did I. However, there was an opportunity to come and brief you on the current developments of the Jaffa rebellion and I took it. Colonel Carter informed me of your whereabouts. She also informed me of the reason for your discomfort."
Jack watched as Teal'c's eyes lost their expressionless stare and warmed with shared emotions. He nodded in acknowledgement of the support he saw in those dark eyes, along with the feelings that were so similar to his own.
"Carter told you about Daniel, huh?"
"She did indeed, O'Neill. It is good that he is out of prison," Teal'c replied, inclining his head slightly. "I am aware of your and Colonel Carter's predicament in regards to Daniel Jackson as well and have come to a decision."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked, momentarily confused about what the Jaffa was telling him.
"You wish to go to Earth and visit with Daniel Jackson, do you not?"
Jack nodded. "I can't just go, Teal'c. If Maybourne is involved with General Hammond's death and Daniel's imprisonment, and if he was the one that had us transferred off Earth to keep us from digging too deep and finding out what really happened, then I don't want to give him a reason to get President Sheffield after me and remove me of my command. Not that he'd have a suitable reason, but I can't take that chance. This way, I still have some influence and some people positioned in the right places to gather information. If I can't physically be there for Daniel, gathering information is the least I can do."
"Agreed, O'Neill. This base is the only thing keeping Earth's Stargate program from completely falling into corrupt hands and I understand your need to keep your command. That is why I have a proposal."
"A proposal? Teal'c you just got here."
Teal'c smiled slightly. "I work well under pressure," he replied and Jack smiled, recognizing his own words. "I have been upgrading my vessel for the last few years, making it untraceable and highly maneuverable. I have not had a chance to properly test it. I will take my small vessel to Earth and visit Daniel Jackson without informing Stargate Command. The vessel can remain cloaked and untraceable while on Earth," Teal'c continued, "no one but yourself and Colonel Carter will know where I am."
Jack thought it over and nodded. "It is the best thing to do for right now, Teal'c. We have to prove once and for all that Daniel was set up. Once we do that, this sham that has become the Stargate program can be flushed down the toilet and we can all go back to exploring the galaxy," he replied. "What started with Hammond's death has to end. But I can't get involved right now and risk losing what little advantage we have. If anything happens and you need us, we'll be right there."
Teal'c nodded respectfully. "I am aware of that, O'Neill. You and Colonel Carter can resume your search for General Hammond's killer, while I go speak to Daniel Jackson. Do you know where he is?"
Jack frowned, realizing that he had absolutely no clue where Daniel was. Rothman had not wanted to give specifics in his message. He sighed.
"I have no idea, Teal'c. Robert Rothman knows where he is, though. I would suggest that you go talk to him. But be careful, he works under Maybourne." Jack ran a hand through his hair, and immediately dropped it to his side when another thought hit him. "You should try contacting Catherine and Ernest Littlefield as well. I have their address in my office. I'm sure they'll know where Daniel is too. Come with me and I'll get it for you."
****
Daniel examined the run down building in front of him and sighed. It reminded him of his student days, when he hadn't had enough money to get by and had been forced to live in borderline slums like the one he currently found himself standing in front of. He smiled fondly at the memories that his college years brought to him. He'd had a good time in those days, something that he'd never want to forget about, no matter how difficult and bittersweet that time had been for him.
With one last sigh, Daniel squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and entered the building.
How hard can this be? he thought to himself as he pushed open the filthy door to the apartment complex's office. It's not like I haven't dealt with idiots before.
"I'm looking for Officer Ramos," Daniel told the blond sitting behind the reception desk. "I was told he'd be working here today."
The woman looked disinterestedly up at him, smacking her gum as she glared at the interruption. Daniel returned the glare with his best 'hard assed, parolee' look, making the woman squirm uncomfortably.
"Uh, yeah, I'll get him for ya, hon," she said and got up, leaving the small office through the back door as quickly as she could.
Daniel shook his head, smiling slightly at the woman. He'd dealt with receptionists like her before too, except that back then, they were the ones after him to pay his rent on time. The humor faded from the moment as Daniel sat on one of the chairs in the small reception area of the office. It wasn't big, and the chairs weren't comfortable. They were plastic and avocado green, remnants of an era long past. He looked around at the faded pictures on the walls, and for a split second was reminded of other pictures on another wall. He shuddered, the memory of seeing the pictures in General Hammond's living room leaving him breathless for a split second.
"Jackson?"
Daniel immediately looked up at the sound of his name and found himself looking up at a large, heavy set man with longish, dark hair and brown eyes. The man's face was hard and expressionless, which Daniel figured went with the territory.
"Officer Ramos, I'm supposed to meet with you once a week," Daniel said, getting up to be at eye level with the man. His voice was calm and matter of fact, not reflecting the momentary panic that had gripped him at the memory. "Mr. Ramsey at the prison told me I'd find you here."
"Yes, I was informed that you would be by to speak to me. I'm assuming that you've been made aware of the conditions of your parole," Ramos said and sat down at one of the other chairs, motioning for Daniel to do the same.
Daniel nodded. "Of course. I'm here to tell you where I'm staying, so that you can find me if you need to. I'm also aware that I am to get a job as soon as possible, and that I have to meet with you once a week so you can make sure I haven't violated my parole," he said, gritting his teeth at the fact that he had to do this. The rational part of his mind understood why these conditions existed, but the other part of it knew that telling this man where he was staying would lead the Air Force and the NID to him again. He had no choice, though. If he wanted to stay out of prison, he had to follow the rules.
"You are also aware, I'm sure, that the state of Colorado is obligated to release a statement to the neighborhood where you'll reside alerting them to the fact that a paroled murderer is taking up residence in their neighborhood, correct?"
"Yes, I am."
"Good, then we don't have much to discuss. Wait here while I get the paperwork from my briefcase," he officer said and made his way to the receptionist's still empty desk. He brought a few sheets of paper out and handed them to Daniel. "Where are you going to be employed?"
"I don't know yet. I just got out a few days ago and haven't found a job. Not that I think anyone would be willing to hire me," Daniel replied.
Ramos snorted. "Would you blame them? In any case, contact me if you can't find a job and I'll find one for you. After all, that is part of my job."
"I will," Daniel said and read through the sheets of paper he'd been given. His contact lenses were dry, making his vision a bit blurry. He wanted to get out of there as soon as he could, so he didn't take any extra time to try to alleviate his scratchy eyes. He filled in the required information, using Catherine's address and phone number as she'd told him to do, and then handed the parole officer the paperwork.
"Very well," Ramos said when he'd read through Daniel's information. "I will contact you when I need to. Oh, and another thing. We will not meet here every week. Today, it couldn't be helped. I will call you with the location for next week's meeting, so make sure that someone is home to get the call. If you miss a parole meeting, I will have your ass hauled back to prison, am I understood?"
"Perfectly," Daniel replied as he got up from the chair. "Are we through?"
"Yes, we are."
Daniel nodded and without another word, left the office. He stepped out into the bright morning and quickly made his way to the car where Robert was waiting for him. He quickly got in, not glancing at his friend.
"That bad, huh?" Robert asked.
Daniel shrugged. "It's not that it was bad, it's that because I'm on parole, the state is required to make my presence known to everyone around me. It's going to be very hard to hide."
"What do you mean?" Robert asked as he started the car and backed out of the parking space.
"Because I'm a convicted murderer, the state has to let people know that I'm in the vicinity so that they can 'protect' themselves against me," Daniel explained, his voice tinted with disgust. "I can't lie, because if I do, that will be a violation of my parole and they'll have me back in jail in no time. All Maybourne and his men have to do is call the state office of parolees with some pretense and they'll get my location with no difficulty at all."
Robert nodded, but kept his eyes on the road as he drove the car out of the apartment complex they'd been in. "I see the dilemma. Now what do we do?"
"I don't know. Whatever happens, Robert, I'm not going back to prison. I'll expose whoever killed General Hammond and clear myself, or I'll take off and hide for the rest of my life. Twelve years behind bars is more than enough for me and I'm not doing it again," he exclaimed, his voice hard and determined.
Robert remained quiet and Daniel cursed himself for losing it like that when he noticed Robert's white knuckles. It had to be hard for his friend to be involved in all of this, and Daniel didn't want to make it worse. Years of caring only for his survival were hard to contradict. However, deep down, Daniel still remembered what it was like to feel compassion for others, and right now, he felt bad for Robert.
"I'm sorry, Robert." Daniel started to say, but Robert cut him off.
"It's okay, Daniel. I'm with you on this, believe me. If we can't clear you, then I'll help you escape. Prison was no place for you in the first place and I don't want to see you return there."
Daniel smiled slightly when Robert turned to him and gave him a sheepish grin. "What about you? Maybourne can make your life miserable if he ever finds out that you're helping me."
Robert shook his head. "I have nothing left at the SGC, Daniel. If we can't clear you and you have to disappear, then I'm going with you. Maybourne won't have the chance to do anything to me."
After a while spent in silence, Daniel noticed that they weren't heading back to Catherine's house. "Where are we going?"
"To the bank to get you some money," Robert replied.
"Ah, Robert, I don't have any money. All of it went to wherever the rest of my stuff went, remember?"
"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Daniel. General O'Neill withdrew your money from the bank in Colorado Springs when he got back to Earth and found out that you were in prison. He said that if he left it there, the government would seize it or something. He put it in another account under his name, an account that he gave me access to in case he couldn't be around when you were released. Since he's not here, I'm taking you to it."
Daniel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean that the money I had in the bank when I was put in jail is still there?"
"Yup, plus twelve years of interest. I'm sure it's a tidy sum by now."
Daniel smiled. "That's great. Having some collateral is going to help get things done, buy supplies and make travel arrangements. I was worried about how I was going to get it all done, and I didn't want to have to borrow from Catherine."
"Well, now you won't have to. Oh, and while we're there, I'm going to get a new account of my own, just in case something goes wrong and Maybourne comes after me. That way, neither of us will be at someone else's mercy. After all, we've already done the poor, starving student routine, remember?"
"Yeah, we definitely have. It was a lot more fun back then, though," Daniel replied.
"Except when you wanted to take a girl out on a date and realized you were so broke that you couldn't even afford a movie," Robert added.
"There was always a rental movie and microwave popcorn, though not many girls liked that."
Robert laughed. "Yeah, I remember."
The two friends chatted about their student days the remainder of the way to the bank, before entering it to take care of their business.
****
Harold Maybourne held the phone up to his ear and winced at the voice on the other end. He paced his office as far as the phone chord would let him, all the while thinking that he'd managed to hire a bunch of idiots. He ran a hand through his short, entirely grey hair and sighed.
"What are you telling me?" he barked into the phone as he finally stopped pacing and dropped into his chair.
"Rothman is not in Chicago, General. He never arrived at O'Hare," the thin voice from the other end of the telephone stated.
"Are you sure he was flying into O'Hare?"
"Yes, that's what his travel plans said," the nameless officer replied.
Maybourne sighed dramatically, making no effort to hide his impatience from his subordinate. "Fine, retreat for now, but stay vigilant. I will be contacting you soon."
He slammed the phone down hard, causing it to rattle on its cradle. He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes, cursing yet another archaeologist.
"That little weasel Rothman was in on it the whole time and led us on a wild goose chase," Maybourne said to himself.
He picked up the phone again, and punched in a series of numbers. As he waited for the person on the other end to pick up, he tapped his fingers impatiently on the smooth surface of the desk.
"Get in touch with the Colorado State Office of Parolees. I want to know where Jackson is and I want to know now!"
He hung up the phone, not bothering to listen to the response from the other side. He would get to Rothman and Jackson sooner or later. They couldn't hide for very long.
****
"Why are we traveling to Earth, father?" Rya'c asked as he sat at the controls of the newest model of Tel'tak available to the Jaffa army.
Teal'c glanced at his son, his gaze even and calm. "We are to help an old friend of mine who might be in danger."
"In danger from what? Who could want to harm him on his own planet?"
Teal'c closed his eyes momentarily, knowing that Rya'c spoke the truth. If Earth were a unified planet, its residents would not be in danger while at home. That, however, was not the case. He opened his eyes again and regarded his son.
"There are factions within the Tau'ri government that act against one another as they see fit. It is these factions that Daniel Jackson is in danger from."
Rya'c nodded, apparently recognizing the name.
"Daniel Jackson was a member of SG-1 with you, O'Neill and Colonel Carter, was he not? I remember meeting him when I was a boy."
"Yes, my son, he was. He would still be on SG-1, had it not been for General Hammond's death. Daniel Jackson was falsely accused of murdering the general and has spent the last twelve years in prison."
Rya'c frowned. "If he is in prison, how can we help him?"
"He is no longer in prison, and it is O'Neill's belief that the faction responsible for General Hammond's death will retaliate against Daniel Jackson to keep him from exposing them. We are to protect him from such fate."
"I understand father. Is that why we did not use the Stargate to travel to Earth?"
Teal'c nodded, amazed once again at the intelligence his son displayed. The young man had come into his own at an early age and had joined the fight against the false Gods willingly and whole heartedly, a fact that made Teal'c extremely proud. He had brought Rya'c along on this trip as a learning experience for the young man, plus Teal'c trusted him like he trusted few others. He had no doubt that Rya'c would commit himself to the cause of protecting Daniel Jackson for as long as he needed to.
"The faction that we believe is responsible for General Hammond's death currently controls the Tau'ri Stargate, which is why we did not use it to travel to Earth. We do not want to let them know what we are doing."
Rya'c nodded, and then turned to regard his father. "Is that not who O'Neill works for, father? The faction that controls the Tau'ri Stargate, I mean."
"It is complicated Rya'c," Teal'c explained. "Not everyone involved with the Tau'ri Stargate believes as those responsible for General Hammond's death. They are only a small group amongst many, easily lost in the crowd. The people that O'Neill works for more than likely are not aware of what happened with General Hammond, only that Daniel Jackson murdered him. We will try to prove otherwise."
"I understand father. We will be victorious."
Teal'c smiled slightly as Rya'c returned his attention to the forward view screen. "Yes, my son, we will be victorious indeed."
****
"Hello there, you made it in time for dinner!" Ernest exclaimed as Daniel and Robert walked into the house. "It seems like you made it back with half of the stores in Denver, too."
Robert chuckled and Daniel smiled slightly. Sooner or later, he'd have to ask Ernest about his obsession with not missing dinner.
"I found I wasn't as poor as I thought I was and decided to pick up a few supplies, plus some much needed clothing," he said as he made his way inside and dropped off his packages in the living room to be taken up to his room later. "I got some equipment for the laptop Robert brought me that should boost its capabilities so it can do what I need. Hopefully, I'll be able to begin my search tomorrow morning."
"Good, good," Ernest said, ushering the two younger men into the dining room. "We will talk business after dinner, right now, we eat."
The three men entered the dining room to find Catherine already seated at the table, and the housekeeper, Greta, setting two extra places. Catherine smiled widely at them as they entered.
"There they are, my three favorite men."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd be jealous of you two," Ernest kidded as he took his place beside Catherine. Daniel and Robert took the seats on the opposite side of the table.
"Did things go well today, Daniel?" Catherine asked.
"It was as good as expected, I suppose," he replied, trying to keep his tone of voice neutral. "I gave them this address, so expect to hear from Officer Ramos eventually. He's actually supposed to call me to tell me where our next meeting place will be."
"I will inform Greta to expect a call from the gentleman. Was the parole situation as bad as you thought?"
Daniel nodded. "It was pretty much what I expected, which means I have to move fast and leave as soon as possible. Not that I haven't enjoyed your company and hospitality," he added, looking at the smiling faces in front of him. "I don't want to put you in any more danger than you already are."
Ernest smiled. "We will help out in any way we can."
Catherine nodded her agreement, before motioning for Greta to serve the meal. As soon as the dishes were on the table, Daniel smiled.
"That smells wonderful. What is it?" he asked, savoring the aroma that wafted up to his nostrils from the covered serving plate.
"It's Fettuccini Alfredo," Greta replied, smiling at him.
"It smells wonderful and I love Italian," Daniel said sheepishly. "I'm sorry, it's just hard to get used to real food again. What we got in prison didn't even come close."
"Enjoy the meal," Greta said and retired to the kitchen.
The four people at the table dove in, their appetite having been reborn at the smell of the food.
An hour later, they were still at the table drinking coffee and discussing the day's events, when the doorbell rang. Greta immediately went to answer it, and came back with a puzzled look on her face.
"Mrs. Littlefield, there are two strange men at the door demanding to speak with you. They did not say what their business with you is, but they're very insistent."
Daniel and Robert immediately got up from the table and went for the newly acquired handguns they'd hidden in a drawer of the china cabinet in the dining room. The guns were part of the supplies they'd gathered that day, and Daniel was thankful that they had them.
"Tell them I'll be right there, Greta," Catherine said, also rising from the table. "Ernest, will you come too?"
"Of course," he replied and took his wife's hand.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if it's Maybourne? He's bound to know that I'm here already," Daniel whispered.
"We don't have much of a choice, Daniel. We'll count on you and Robert to watch our backs if it is Maybourne or his men."
Catherine and Ernest left the dining room slowly and deliberately, leaving Daniel and Robert with their guns, ready for anything.
Daniel's stomach churned, his overactive imagination and twelve years of having to live on paranoia in prison yelling at him that something was wrong, that he shouldn't have let Catherine go see whoever was at the door. It seemed a bit soon for Maybourne to show up at Catherine's door and a part of Daniel knew that if Maybourne's operatives did show up, they wouldn't bother with the doorbell. Still, it didn't hurt anything to be careful and to be a bit more on the look out than usual.
Daniel took a couple of steps towards the doorway of the den as he heard male voices. His gun was still ready in his hands, its weight a small comfort to him. He cocked his head and strained to hear what was being said in the living room, but could not make out anything clearly enough to tell what they were talking about.
After what seemed like an eternity, Catherine walked back into the dining room, her face blank. Her eyes immediately went to Daniel, and she gave him a reassuring nod. "There are two gentlemen here to see you, Daniel," she said and stepped aside to let the men through.
Daniel's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the two visitors, before his brown knitted in confusion.
"Teal'c, what are you doing here?"
Major General Jack O'Neill walked along the outside perimeter of the off- world base, examining his surroundings as if it were the first time he'd stepped foot on PXP-755.
The world they had chosen for the off-world base or Beta Command, as it had been unofficially christened by the military personnel assigned to the base, was a fairly close approximation to Earth. It had a similar atmosphere, which was seen in the clear, blue sky above him. Green vegetation grew abundantly in the surrounding forest, and a wide river ensured that the humans would never run out of water. Temperature wise, Nueva Tierra or New Earth, which was the name PXP-755 had been given by the Mexican scientist who accompanied the first expedition team, was a bit cooler than Earth. Temperatures were generally in the upper 50s in the daytime and the lower 30s at night, assuring that everyone who left the base wore jackets.
The base was actually composed of three, two story buildings, which were enclosed with an eight foot tall electrified fence. The world had been declared uninhabited, even though there was abundant wildlife living in the forest that surrounded the compound. The fence protected the base against any wandering wildlife and any other visitors they might have.
Directly in front of him, on the other side of the fence, Jack could see that Stargate. A patrol of Marines were standing guard in front of it, making sure that nothing went trough or came out the Stargate that wasn't supposed to. Jack waved at them when they saw him, and then proceeded to exit the perimeter of the base.
Jack turned right and headed towards the river, where he usually went when he wanted a moment alone to think. As he reached its banks, he sat down on the soft ground and watched the running water, momentarily getting lost in the soothing sound of the surf. He shook his head in disgust a few minutes later, realizing that daydreaming was not going to fix his current problems.
"O'Neill."
Jack immediately turned at the serious voice, grinning as he saw Teal'c standing a few feet away from him, his face stoic as always.
"Teal'c, what a surprise," Jack replied. He got up and walked towards his friend. "I didn't know you'd be dropping by."
"Nor did I. However, there was an opportunity to come and brief you on the current developments of the Jaffa rebellion and I took it. Colonel Carter informed me of your whereabouts. She also informed me of the reason for your discomfort."
Jack watched as Teal'c's eyes lost their expressionless stare and warmed with shared emotions. He nodded in acknowledgement of the support he saw in those dark eyes, along with the feelings that were so similar to his own.
"Carter told you about Daniel, huh?"
"She did indeed, O'Neill. It is good that he is out of prison," Teal'c replied, inclining his head slightly. "I am aware of your and Colonel Carter's predicament in regards to Daniel Jackson as well and have come to a decision."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked, momentarily confused about what the Jaffa was telling him.
"You wish to go to Earth and visit with Daniel Jackson, do you not?"
Jack nodded. "I can't just go, Teal'c. If Maybourne is involved with General Hammond's death and Daniel's imprisonment, and if he was the one that had us transferred off Earth to keep us from digging too deep and finding out what really happened, then I don't want to give him a reason to get President Sheffield after me and remove me of my command. Not that he'd have a suitable reason, but I can't take that chance. This way, I still have some influence and some people positioned in the right places to gather information. If I can't physically be there for Daniel, gathering information is the least I can do."
"Agreed, O'Neill. This base is the only thing keeping Earth's Stargate program from completely falling into corrupt hands and I understand your need to keep your command. That is why I have a proposal."
"A proposal? Teal'c you just got here."
Teal'c smiled slightly. "I work well under pressure," he replied and Jack smiled, recognizing his own words. "I have been upgrading my vessel for the last few years, making it untraceable and highly maneuverable. I have not had a chance to properly test it. I will take my small vessel to Earth and visit Daniel Jackson without informing Stargate Command. The vessel can remain cloaked and untraceable while on Earth," Teal'c continued, "no one but yourself and Colonel Carter will know where I am."
Jack thought it over and nodded. "It is the best thing to do for right now, Teal'c. We have to prove once and for all that Daniel was set up. Once we do that, this sham that has become the Stargate program can be flushed down the toilet and we can all go back to exploring the galaxy," he replied. "What started with Hammond's death has to end. But I can't get involved right now and risk losing what little advantage we have. If anything happens and you need us, we'll be right there."
Teal'c nodded respectfully. "I am aware of that, O'Neill. You and Colonel Carter can resume your search for General Hammond's killer, while I go speak to Daniel Jackson. Do you know where he is?"
Jack frowned, realizing that he had absolutely no clue where Daniel was. Rothman had not wanted to give specifics in his message. He sighed.
"I have no idea, Teal'c. Robert Rothman knows where he is, though. I would suggest that you go talk to him. But be careful, he works under Maybourne." Jack ran a hand through his hair, and immediately dropped it to his side when another thought hit him. "You should try contacting Catherine and Ernest Littlefield as well. I have their address in my office. I'm sure they'll know where Daniel is too. Come with me and I'll get it for you."
****
Daniel examined the run down building in front of him and sighed. It reminded him of his student days, when he hadn't had enough money to get by and had been forced to live in borderline slums like the one he currently found himself standing in front of. He smiled fondly at the memories that his college years brought to him. He'd had a good time in those days, something that he'd never want to forget about, no matter how difficult and bittersweet that time had been for him.
With one last sigh, Daniel squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and entered the building.
How hard can this be? he thought to himself as he pushed open the filthy door to the apartment complex's office. It's not like I haven't dealt with idiots before.
"I'm looking for Officer Ramos," Daniel told the blond sitting behind the reception desk. "I was told he'd be working here today."
The woman looked disinterestedly up at him, smacking her gum as she glared at the interruption. Daniel returned the glare with his best 'hard assed, parolee' look, making the woman squirm uncomfortably.
"Uh, yeah, I'll get him for ya, hon," she said and got up, leaving the small office through the back door as quickly as she could.
Daniel shook his head, smiling slightly at the woman. He'd dealt with receptionists like her before too, except that back then, they were the ones after him to pay his rent on time. The humor faded from the moment as Daniel sat on one of the chairs in the small reception area of the office. It wasn't big, and the chairs weren't comfortable. They were plastic and avocado green, remnants of an era long past. He looked around at the faded pictures on the walls, and for a split second was reminded of other pictures on another wall. He shuddered, the memory of seeing the pictures in General Hammond's living room leaving him breathless for a split second.
"Jackson?"
Daniel immediately looked up at the sound of his name and found himself looking up at a large, heavy set man with longish, dark hair and brown eyes. The man's face was hard and expressionless, which Daniel figured went with the territory.
"Officer Ramos, I'm supposed to meet with you once a week," Daniel said, getting up to be at eye level with the man. His voice was calm and matter of fact, not reflecting the momentary panic that had gripped him at the memory. "Mr. Ramsey at the prison told me I'd find you here."
"Yes, I was informed that you would be by to speak to me. I'm assuming that you've been made aware of the conditions of your parole," Ramos said and sat down at one of the other chairs, motioning for Daniel to do the same.
Daniel nodded. "Of course. I'm here to tell you where I'm staying, so that you can find me if you need to. I'm also aware that I am to get a job as soon as possible, and that I have to meet with you once a week so you can make sure I haven't violated my parole," he said, gritting his teeth at the fact that he had to do this. The rational part of his mind understood why these conditions existed, but the other part of it knew that telling this man where he was staying would lead the Air Force and the NID to him again. He had no choice, though. If he wanted to stay out of prison, he had to follow the rules.
"You are also aware, I'm sure, that the state of Colorado is obligated to release a statement to the neighborhood where you'll reside alerting them to the fact that a paroled murderer is taking up residence in their neighborhood, correct?"
"Yes, I am."
"Good, then we don't have much to discuss. Wait here while I get the paperwork from my briefcase," he officer said and made his way to the receptionist's still empty desk. He brought a few sheets of paper out and handed them to Daniel. "Where are you going to be employed?"
"I don't know yet. I just got out a few days ago and haven't found a job. Not that I think anyone would be willing to hire me," Daniel replied.
Ramos snorted. "Would you blame them? In any case, contact me if you can't find a job and I'll find one for you. After all, that is part of my job."
"I will," Daniel said and read through the sheets of paper he'd been given. His contact lenses were dry, making his vision a bit blurry. He wanted to get out of there as soon as he could, so he didn't take any extra time to try to alleviate his scratchy eyes. He filled in the required information, using Catherine's address and phone number as she'd told him to do, and then handed the parole officer the paperwork.
"Very well," Ramos said when he'd read through Daniel's information. "I will contact you when I need to. Oh, and another thing. We will not meet here every week. Today, it couldn't be helped. I will call you with the location for next week's meeting, so make sure that someone is home to get the call. If you miss a parole meeting, I will have your ass hauled back to prison, am I understood?"
"Perfectly," Daniel replied as he got up from the chair. "Are we through?"
"Yes, we are."
Daniel nodded and without another word, left the office. He stepped out into the bright morning and quickly made his way to the car where Robert was waiting for him. He quickly got in, not glancing at his friend.
"That bad, huh?" Robert asked.
Daniel shrugged. "It's not that it was bad, it's that because I'm on parole, the state is required to make my presence known to everyone around me. It's going to be very hard to hide."
"What do you mean?" Robert asked as he started the car and backed out of the parking space.
"Because I'm a convicted murderer, the state has to let people know that I'm in the vicinity so that they can 'protect' themselves against me," Daniel explained, his voice tinted with disgust. "I can't lie, because if I do, that will be a violation of my parole and they'll have me back in jail in no time. All Maybourne and his men have to do is call the state office of parolees with some pretense and they'll get my location with no difficulty at all."
Robert nodded, but kept his eyes on the road as he drove the car out of the apartment complex they'd been in. "I see the dilemma. Now what do we do?"
"I don't know. Whatever happens, Robert, I'm not going back to prison. I'll expose whoever killed General Hammond and clear myself, or I'll take off and hide for the rest of my life. Twelve years behind bars is more than enough for me and I'm not doing it again," he exclaimed, his voice hard and determined.
Robert remained quiet and Daniel cursed himself for losing it like that when he noticed Robert's white knuckles. It had to be hard for his friend to be involved in all of this, and Daniel didn't want to make it worse. Years of caring only for his survival were hard to contradict. However, deep down, Daniel still remembered what it was like to feel compassion for others, and right now, he felt bad for Robert.
"I'm sorry, Robert." Daniel started to say, but Robert cut him off.
"It's okay, Daniel. I'm with you on this, believe me. If we can't clear you, then I'll help you escape. Prison was no place for you in the first place and I don't want to see you return there."
Daniel smiled slightly when Robert turned to him and gave him a sheepish grin. "What about you? Maybourne can make your life miserable if he ever finds out that you're helping me."
Robert shook his head. "I have nothing left at the SGC, Daniel. If we can't clear you and you have to disappear, then I'm going with you. Maybourne won't have the chance to do anything to me."
After a while spent in silence, Daniel noticed that they weren't heading back to Catherine's house. "Where are we going?"
"To the bank to get you some money," Robert replied.
"Ah, Robert, I don't have any money. All of it went to wherever the rest of my stuff went, remember?"
"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Daniel. General O'Neill withdrew your money from the bank in Colorado Springs when he got back to Earth and found out that you were in prison. He said that if he left it there, the government would seize it or something. He put it in another account under his name, an account that he gave me access to in case he couldn't be around when you were released. Since he's not here, I'm taking you to it."
Daniel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean that the money I had in the bank when I was put in jail is still there?"
"Yup, plus twelve years of interest. I'm sure it's a tidy sum by now."
Daniel smiled. "That's great. Having some collateral is going to help get things done, buy supplies and make travel arrangements. I was worried about how I was going to get it all done, and I didn't want to have to borrow from Catherine."
"Well, now you won't have to. Oh, and while we're there, I'm going to get a new account of my own, just in case something goes wrong and Maybourne comes after me. That way, neither of us will be at someone else's mercy. After all, we've already done the poor, starving student routine, remember?"
"Yeah, we definitely have. It was a lot more fun back then, though," Daniel replied.
"Except when you wanted to take a girl out on a date and realized you were so broke that you couldn't even afford a movie," Robert added.
"There was always a rental movie and microwave popcorn, though not many girls liked that."
Robert laughed. "Yeah, I remember."
The two friends chatted about their student days the remainder of the way to the bank, before entering it to take care of their business.
****
Harold Maybourne held the phone up to his ear and winced at the voice on the other end. He paced his office as far as the phone chord would let him, all the while thinking that he'd managed to hire a bunch of idiots. He ran a hand through his short, entirely grey hair and sighed.
"What are you telling me?" he barked into the phone as he finally stopped pacing and dropped into his chair.
"Rothman is not in Chicago, General. He never arrived at O'Hare," the thin voice from the other end of the telephone stated.
"Are you sure he was flying into O'Hare?"
"Yes, that's what his travel plans said," the nameless officer replied.
Maybourne sighed dramatically, making no effort to hide his impatience from his subordinate. "Fine, retreat for now, but stay vigilant. I will be contacting you soon."
He slammed the phone down hard, causing it to rattle on its cradle. He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes, cursing yet another archaeologist.
"That little weasel Rothman was in on it the whole time and led us on a wild goose chase," Maybourne said to himself.
He picked up the phone again, and punched in a series of numbers. As he waited for the person on the other end to pick up, he tapped his fingers impatiently on the smooth surface of the desk.
"Get in touch with the Colorado State Office of Parolees. I want to know where Jackson is and I want to know now!"
He hung up the phone, not bothering to listen to the response from the other side. He would get to Rothman and Jackson sooner or later. They couldn't hide for very long.
****
"Why are we traveling to Earth, father?" Rya'c asked as he sat at the controls of the newest model of Tel'tak available to the Jaffa army.
Teal'c glanced at his son, his gaze even and calm. "We are to help an old friend of mine who might be in danger."
"In danger from what? Who could want to harm him on his own planet?"
Teal'c closed his eyes momentarily, knowing that Rya'c spoke the truth. If Earth were a unified planet, its residents would not be in danger while at home. That, however, was not the case. He opened his eyes again and regarded his son.
"There are factions within the Tau'ri government that act against one another as they see fit. It is these factions that Daniel Jackson is in danger from."
Rya'c nodded, apparently recognizing the name.
"Daniel Jackson was a member of SG-1 with you, O'Neill and Colonel Carter, was he not? I remember meeting him when I was a boy."
"Yes, my son, he was. He would still be on SG-1, had it not been for General Hammond's death. Daniel Jackson was falsely accused of murdering the general and has spent the last twelve years in prison."
Rya'c frowned. "If he is in prison, how can we help him?"
"He is no longer in prison, and it is O'Neill's belief that the faction responsible for General Hammond's death will retaliate against Daniel Jackson to keep him from exposing them. We are to protect him from such fate."
"I understand father. Is that why we did not use the Stargate to travel to Earth?"
Teal'c nodded, amazed once again at the intelligence his son displayed. The young man had come into his own at an early age and had joined the fight against the false Gods willingly and whole heartedly, a fact that made Teal'c extremely proud. He had brought Rya'c along on this trip as a learning experience for the young man, plus Teal'c trusted him like he trusted few others. He had no doubt that Rya'c would commit himself to the cause of protecting Daniel Jackson for as long as he needed to.
"The faction that we believe is responsible for General Hammond's death currently controls the Tau'ri Stargate, which is why we did not use it to travel to Earth. We do not want to let them know what we are doing."
Rya'c nodded, and then turned to regard his father. "Is that not who O'Neill works for, father? The faction that controls the Tau'ri Stargate, I mean."
"It is complicated Rya'c," Teal'c explained. "Not everyone involved with the Tau'ri Stargate believes as those responsible for General Hammond's death. They are only a small group amongst many, easily lost in the crowd. The people that O'Neill works for more than likely are not aware of what happened with General Hammond, only that Daniel Jackson murdered him. We will try to prove otherwise."
"I understand father. We will be victorious."
Teal'c smiled slightly as Rya'c returned his attention to the forward view screen. "Yes, my son, we will be victorious indeed."
****
"Hello there, you made it in time for dinner!" Ernest exclaimed as Daniel and Robert walked into the house. "It seems like you made it back with half of the stores in Denver, too."
Robert chuckled and Daniel smiled slightly. Sooner or later, he'd have to ask Ernest about his obsession with not missing dinner.
"I found I wasn't as poor as I thought I was and decided to pick up a few supplies, plus some much needed clothing," he said as he made his way inside and dropped off his packages in the living room to be taken up to his room later. "I got some equipment for the laptop Robert brought me that should boost its capabilities so it can do what I need. Hopefully, I'll be able to begin my search tomorrow morning."
"Good, good," Ernest said, ushering the two younger men into the dining room. "We will talk business after dinner, right now, we eat."
The three men entered the dining room to find Catherine already seated at the table, and the housekeeper, Greta, setting two extra places. Catherine smiled widely at them as they entered.
"There they are, my three favorite men."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd be jealous of you two," Ernest kidded as he took his place beside Catherine. Daniel and Robert took the seats on the opposite side of the table.
"Did things go well today, Daniel?" Catherine asked.
"It was as good as expected, I suppose," he replied, trying to keep his tone of voice neutral. "I gave them this address, so expect to hear from Officer Ramos eventually. He's actually supposed to call me to tell me where our next meeting place will be."
"I will inform Greta to expect a call from the gentleman. Was the parole situation as bad as you thought?"
Daniel nodded. "It was pretty much what I expected, which means I have to move fast and leave as soon as possible. Not that I haven't enjoyed your company and hospitality," he added, looking at the smiling faces in front of him. "I don't want to put you in any more danger than you already are."
Ernest smiled. "We will help out in any way we can."
Catherine nodded her agreement, before motioning for Greta to serve the meal. As soon as the dishes were on the table, Daniel smiled.
"That smells wonderful. What is it?" he asked, savoring the aroma that wafted up to his nostrils from the covered serving plate.
"It's Fettuccini Alfredo," Greta replied, smiling at him.
"It smells wonderful and I love Italian," Daniel said sheepishly. "I'm sorry, it's just hard to get used to real food again. What we got in prison didn't even come close."
"Enjoy the meal," Greta said and retired to the kitchen.
The four people at the table dove in, their appetite having been reborn at the smell of the food.
An hour later, they were still at the table drinking coffee and discussing the day's events, when the doorbell rang. Greta immediately went to answer it, and came back with a puzzled look on her face.
"Mrs. Littlefield, there are two strange men at the door demanding to speak with you. They did not say what their business with you is, but they're very insistent."
Daniel and Robert immediately got up from the table and went for the newly acquired handguns they'd hidden in a drawer of the china cabinet in the dining room. The guns were part of the supplies they'd gathered that day, and Daniel was thankful that they had them.
"Tell them I'll be right there, Greta," Catherine said, also rising from the table. "Ernest, will you come too?"
"Of course," he replied and took his wife's hand.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if it's Maybourne? He's bound to know that I'm here already," Daniel whispered.
"We don't have much of a choice, Daniel. We'll count on you and Robert to watch our backs if it is Maybourne or his men."
Catherine and Ernest left the dining room slowly and deliberately, leaving Daniel and Robert with their guns, ready for anything.
Daniel's stomach churned, his overactive imagination and twelve years of having to live on paranoia in prison yelling at him that something was wrong, that he shouldn't have let Catherine go see whoever was at the door. It seemed a bit soon for Maybourne to show up at Catherine's door and a part of Daniel knew that if Maybourne's operatives did show up, they wouldn't bother with the doorbell. Still, it didn't hurt anything to be careful and to be a bit more on the look out than usual.
Daniel took a couple of steps towards the doorway of the den as he heard male voices. His gun was still ready in his hands, its weight a small comfort to him. He cocked his head and strained to hear what was being said in the living room, but could not make out anything clearly enough to tell what they were talking about.
After what seemed like an eternity, Catherine walked back into the dining room, her face blank. Her eyes immediately went to Daniel, and she gave him a reassuring nod. "There are two gentlemen here to see you, Daniel," she said and stepped aside to let the men through.
Daniel's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the two visitors, before his brown knitted in confusion.
"Teal'c, what are you doing here?"