Chapter 9: The Truth Will Set You Free
"Here are the documents you requested, Senator. Is there anything else I can get for you?" Rebecca Jones asked her boss.
"Thank you, Rebecca. That will be all for now," Lawrence Irving replied, giving his secretary a smile.
He watched the woman exit the office, before turning his attention back to the paperwork and reports that littered his usually immaculate desk. He'd been back in Washington D.C. for twelve hours, and he'd spent those twelve hours going over reports and classified files on the death of George Hammond and the man convicted of killing him.
When George had been killed, Lawrence had been shocked, but hadn't questioned the method. After all, George was a powerful man running a powerful department. He was bound to run into subordinates who didn't like him and felt the need for revenge, especially if the subordinate in question was a civilian. At the time, however, Lawrence had not known that George was the head of Stargate Command. It wasn't until he was brought into the project that he discovered his old friend's connection to it. Even then, he hadn't thought that George's death was questionable.
Now, he wasn't so sure. Lawrence had spent the last ten hours going over details of the murder, as well as personnel records on Dr. Daniel Jackson. All reports he'd been able to get his hands on about the archaeologist painted the picture of a quiet, intelligent, and dedicated man who wouldn't hurt a fly. Jackson, through the SGC's reports, had been a peacekeeper and diplomat of sorts, who along with the rest of SG-1, had acquired the majority of Earth's alien alliances. There weren't any prior problems between Jackson and Hammond that would lead anyone to think that Jackson would want Hammond dead, and the trial evidence itself was rather substandard. Someone had been very set on convicting Jackson for the murder and they had eventually gotten their way. Jackson had gone to jail for a very long time for a crime Lawrence was beginning to think the man hadn't committed. He'd heard the man say so himself at the SGC, but Lawrence wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't just been reading about both Jackson and about a certain faction of the NID that had been headed by none other than Harold Maybourne.
Report after report from that faction, which he'd been able to obtain only because he was a Senator, led him to believe that George Hammond, along with several other key members of the SGC and the Pentagon, had been murdered with a purpose. He wished he had more evidence to back this up, but there wasn't anything concrete. Suppositions and half formed theories wouldn't hold up in court. Jackson himself said that he had no proof, and trial documents stated that the man had no memory of the attack. What if Jackson could somehow remember what happened to George? That, coupled with the other documents he had in his possession might be enough to convince the President to investigate the NID, and Harold Maybourne, further.
"Ah, yes, a nice thought indeed," Lawrence said to himself, and then went about figuring out just how he was going to get a hold of Daniel Jackson now.
****
"Is that thing really going to record my memories?" Daniel asked, looking at the projection device Jacob had set up in the infirmary. He winced as the memory device pinched his neck as he moved, and then returned his attention to Jacob.
"Yes, it will. It's going to display them on this device, then digitally record them. I've hooked it up to one of your computers so that they can be collected on a disc."
"That's freaky. It's like you're going record a video or something," Robert piped up from where he lay on one of the beds beside the device.
"That's state of the art Tok'ra technology for you," Sam commented from her chair beside Robert's bed. Teal'c stood impassively behind her, while Jack stood next to Daniel.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Daniel turned to see the concerned look on his friend's face. He tried to smile reassuringly, but only succeeded in a half smile, half wince. "It's the only choice I have, Jack. I need to know what happened that day." He turned to Jacob. "How am I going to know to access the memories?"
"You'll have to think about what you remember of that day, and then let the device gather the remainder of the memories for you. You shouldn't loose consciousness, but when you're remembering, it'll be as if you're living those moments again. That's why I've restrained you," Jacob explained, pointing to the clear bands that anchored Daniel's wrists, ankles and head to the chair he was sitting on.
"I was wondering about all of this," Daniel commented, pulling up on the restraint on his right wrist. "I feel like a prisoner again."
Jack reached down and patted Daniel's arm. "Don't worry, Daniel, if you're in trouble, we'll take that thing out and undo the restraints."
"Thanks, Jack."
Those simple words had given Daniel more reassurance than anything else had, because he knew that Jack understood some of what was going through his mind and that he was there, by his side, in case anything happened. In a minute, Jack would know more of what was going on in his mind, which might not necessarily be a good thing.
"I'm going to be monitoring your vital signs, Daniel," Janet suddenly said as she approached him to attach several leads to his chest and head. "If the vitals spike, we're taking you out of that thing."
"Sounds good to me."
"Are you ready, Daniel?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
He closed his eyes, and waited.
****
Jack turned to Jacob and watched as he turned on the machine. There was a slight grunt from Daniel, then stillness. Jack returned his gaze to his friend and saw that the man's face seemed pinched as if he were in pain. His hands had tightened into fists, but otherwise, he seemed fine.
"Grounded? Why?"
The sudden question brought Jack out of his inspection of Daniel and he turned his attention towards the screen, where General Hammond could be seen, sitting at the head of the table in the briefing room.
"Since you're now seeing what Daniel saw, you'll more than likely never actually see Daniel in any of this, but you will hear his voice," Jacob explained unnecessarily. Jack spared him a glance, before returning his attention to the projection.
"Dr. Jackson, Dr. Frasier has just informed me that you've suffered a severe concussion as a result of your last mission and that you'll need several days to recuperate. Because of that, you are now on medical leave. SG-1 will go on with their missions with a temporary replacement. I suggest that you go home and recuperate, so you can rejoin them as soon as possible," Genera Hammond explained in the projection, his voice and features reflecting the annoyance he felt at the questioning of his authority.
"General, I'm fine. It's not like I haven't had a concussion before. You don't have to send SG-1 out without me," Daniel said.
"I don't appreciate having my orders questioned, Doctor. I've made my decision and it's final. Now go home or I'll have you escorted out."
"Escorted? Oh, so now I'm not only incompetent, but I'm also a danger to the base? Please, give me a break!"
"I'm warning you, Doctor Jackson. You either leave now on your own, or you will leave by force."
There was quiet for a moment, before Daniel's voice could be heard again. "Fine, I'll leave. But this isn't over."
The scene changed abruptly, and now they were seeing the view of Cheyenne Mountain from the outside. It was weird seeing the SGC through Daniel's eyes, but Jack understood that it was important for them to see this. He had known that Daniel and the general had argued the day before the General's death, but it was quite different to see it actually happening from Daniel's point of view.
"The argument took place on a Friday afternoon, and General Hammond was killed the next morning. That's what the prosecuting attorney said at the time," Sam said, reading from some papers she held in her hand. "It looks like Daniel is at home now," she added, watching the screen.
They saw Daniel's apartment at the time as he settled down to read a book, and then later to write in his journal. Jack tried to make out some of the things Daniel was writing, but he wasn't able to.
"Where are Daniel's journals?" Jack suddenly asked.
"They're at Catherine's," Robert answered. "I took them to her after Daniel was convicted, and Maybourne let me clean out his place."
"We might find something there. We'll have to tell Daniel to go look through them."
The scene on the projector shifted suddenly, and Jack returned his attention to it.
"That's Hammond's house," Jack said.
Daniel knocked on the door to the house and waited a few moments, until the door was opened.
"General, I'd like to have a word with you, about what happened yesterday," Daniel said as soon as the general opened the door.
Hammond hesitated for a moment, before he opened the door wider and motioned for Daniel to enter.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to the picnic without me. Dr. Jackson and I have some business to discuss," Hammond said to the couple and the two kids who sat in his living room.
"We want you to come, Grandpa," one of the little girls said.
"I won't keep your grandfather for long, I promise," Daniel assured her.
"Okay, let's go mommy!" the little girl exclaimed and the four of them made their way out of the house.
"I'm sorry, General, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"It's okay, Dr. Jackson. What can I do for you?" Hammond said, and ushered Daniel into the living room. Hammond sat across from Daniel and watched him intently.
"I wanted to apologize, sir. I was way out of line yesterday. You were within your rights to ground me, especially if my behavior was any indication. I felt guilty about what I said, which is why I'm here to apologize today, instead of waiting until the end of my medical leave. I just couldn't wait."
Hammond smiled slightly at Daniel and nodded once. "I understand, son. Dr. Frasier told me that you were suffering from a pretty bad concussion, which would explain your irrational and confrontational behavior. I didn't take it personally, I just wanted you to go home and get better."
"Yeah, I think I can do that now. I don't want to keep you from your picnic, so I'll take my leave now."
Hammond smiled again, and clapped Daniel on the back. "Don't mention it, just go home and get better, before Colonel O'Neill comes into my office demanding that I get you back on the team so he won't have to shoot whoever is taking your place at that moment."
Daniel laughed and reached out to open the door. When he pulled the door open, a fist came rushing towards him, knocking him to the floor.
"General!" Daniel yelled as he fell, watching as Hammond scrambled out of the way.
Daniel reached out and grabbed the man's legs, bringing him down to the floor. The man, who was wearing a black outfit, black gloves and a black ski mask, immediately punched Daniel again. Daniel was ready this time and blocked the punch, while bringing his body up and over the assailant. He looked up to see Hammond on his way back to the living room, a gun in his hand.
Suddenly, the man below him kicked out, catching Daniel in the stomach. He fell hard to his side, but used the opportunity to grab the man's ski mask. The mask came away from the face, revealing raven black hair, green eyes and a look of intense concentration.
Hammond reentered the living room, his handgun at the ready. He took aim and fired on the intruder, only to have his aim ruined when the intruder kicked Hammond's legs out from under him.
Daniel was on the man again, trying to get him away from Hammond so that the general could shoot the guy. The intruder brought out a gun of his own and fired it at Daniel, who looked down on the thing imbedded on his chest, before he fell to the ground.
The projection suddenly went black.
"That was a tranquilizer dart," Jack said, remembering the last thing they saw in the projection, the thing that'd been shot at Daniel. "The son of a bitch had a tranquilizer gun." He turned to look at Daniel, whose eyes were scrunched shut and sweat was pouring down his face. His fists were clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white.
The projection came to life once again, and Jack returned his attention to it. Daniel was now on the floor, facing what seemed to be a fireplace. They watched as he got up, examined his body for injuries, and then noticed the blood on his hands. Daniel then got up and looked around, finally coming to Hammond's body.
Jack winced as he saw, in perfect clarity, what had been done to his former commanding officer, and what his friend had to go through upon finding the body. They listened to Daniel plead with the general to hang on and stay alive, and then listened as he dialed the telephone to get to the police. They watched as the police arrived, questioned Daniel and then arrested him. The final image before the projector went blank for the last time was an image of Daniel's reflection in a mirror: bruised, bloody and scared.
A quick intake of breath caught Jack's attention and he immediately turned towards Daniel, whose eyes were now open and staring at the projector.
"I remember. My god, I remember. That son of a bitch tranquilized me while he killed the general. Then he put my fingerprints all over that vase to frame me," Daniel said, his voice hoarse. "I can't believe it. Whatever was on that dart must have been what screwed with my memory as well. There's no other explanation."
"Daniel, are you okay?" Jack asked, as he removed Daniel's restraints. He took in Daniel's pale face and winced at the absurdity of the question.
"No, not really. The memories I did have of that day always woke me up screaming and now that I have the whole thing in full color, it's not any better."
"You went to General Hammond to apologize for your behavior?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes, I did. I felt so bad about what I said that I had to apologize then instead of waiting until the end of my medical leave. I had no idea."
"Why would an assassin go to his target's house with only a tranquilizer gun? George was beaten to death, not shot," Jacob asked.
"You know what else, the police never found the shell casing of the bullet the general did fire, nor did they make any mention of the gun. The assassin must have cleaned up the evidence," Sam stated.
"Maybe the guy wasn't there to kill the general," Robert added. "I mean, all of the other deaths were made to look accidental, right? Maybe he was there to simply kidnap the general and take him someplace where he could be killed and his death passed off as an accident."
"My being there changed his plans and he used me as the fall guy, since I was already so conveniently unconscious," Daniel stated, his voice hard. "We have to find that guy."
"Dad, let me have the disc. I'll take it up to my office and run a search for the man in the general's house using his picture. If he's with the NID, we'll have his picture on our database."
Jacob complied, giving the disc to Sam. "What now?" he asked.
"We wait for Sam to find this guy, and then we go to Earth to find him," Jack answered.
"How? We can't use the Stargate, because the one on Earth is currently offline," Daniel said.
"Rya'c is due in with the Tel'tak at any moment. We will take that."
****
"His name is Samuel Marks," Sam read from the screen of her laptop. "He's a twenty year veteran of the Army, though he'd just been recently recruited into the NID at the time of General Hammond's murder." She looked up from the screen she was reading from and saw that the same expression of intense concentration and disgust for the man was mirrored on the faces of Jack, Daniel and Teal'c.
"He's listed as a weapons expert, and he did some work in bio warfare for the Army during the 1990s. His main responsibility with the NID now is as head of their weapon's division."
"Isn't that the place where all of our neat, off world toys get sent to?" Jack asked.
"It's the very same, sir. Captain Marks got himself a nice, cushy job after he killed the general."
"Does that show any connection to Maybourne?" Daniel asked.
Sam returned her gaze to the screen and read more of the report she'd downloaded from the base computer, stopping short when she came upon an interesting tidbit.
"What do you know? Our man was assigned under Maybourne when he first began working for the NID in 2001. He was apparently recruited by Maybourne as well. Marks was one of the guys brought into the NID per operation "Chat Noir".
"So this guy was hired solely for the purpose of killing the general?" Daniel asked.
"It seems pretty likely, Daniel. Either that or he was given the assignment of killing General Hammond as an opportunity to advance higher in the chain of command. According to his file, he was promoted to deputy in charge of weapons shortly after he joined the NID. Normally, it would take years to reach that position."
"So now we have proof that Maybourne recruited and hired this guy, right?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Sam answered.
Jack nodded, and ran his hands through his hair, thinking of something else.
"Forget finding this guy, Teal'c. We need to go to Washington D. C. instead."
"Why must we go to Washington D. C.?" Teal'c asked.
"There's someone there that can help us. If we can get the government involved, they can get to this guy a lot better than we can."
"Jack, the government didn't want to get involved when I was on trial, so what makes you think they're going to get involved now?
"It's been twelve years, Daniel. The SGC has changed, the Pentagon has changed and the administration has changed. This guy we're going to see in Washington is of the old school. He was Hammond's college buddy. Believe me, he'll listen to us with an open mind. It's our only shot."
Sam looked from Daniel to Jack, seeing the disbelief on Daniel's face and the plea in Jack's.
"Trust me, Daniel."
****
"Okay, at the risk of sounding stupid, where are we going to land the Tel'tak in the middle of Washington D.C.?"
Three pairs of eyes turned to look at Daniel, who shrugged sheepishly. "I ask, because I don't think they make landing pads for these things."
Daniel could see Jack thinking the question over, and he suddenly got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. When Jack got that look in his eyes, it meant that he was pondering something the rest of them weren't going to like.
"There are plenty of places, Daniel," Jack replied.
"Uh, huh. never mind that D.C. is the most secure city in the country, right? Even if we could land this thing, how are we going to disguise the fact that to the average observer, we'll look as if we have appeared out of nowhere."
"Daniel, are you always this much of a pessimist?"
"No, Jack, you just bring that out in me."
Jack smiled, and Daniel returned it, glad to see that things were falling back into a resemblance of normal. At least as normal as the four of them had ever been.
"We're all clear about the game plan, right? We get to Senator Irving, show him the evidence we have regarding General Hammond's murder, along with the recording of Daniel's memories of that day, and ask him to investigate. If there's anyone who can get this moving, it's him."
"What if he sees Daniel Jackson and decides to contact the authorities?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah, I was thinking about that myself," Daniel added. "I'm sure that my name and picture has been plastered all over the place as a dangerous murderer who has violated his parole by now, so who is to say that this Senator won't turn me in? How do you propose to show him the recording of my memories, Jack? Wouldn't that be against the rules for a classified project?
"Senator Irving knows about the Stargate, Daniel. He was brought in a few years ago to monitor the state of the project and report to President Sheffield," Jack replied.
"Daniel stays behind somewhere," Sam added, picking up on Daniel's first question. "Teal'c can stay with you, Daniel, while the general and I go talk to the senator. If he's receptive, we'll give you a call. If he's not, then you won't hear from us and will know to get back to the Tel'tak."
"Yes, that's it! Great idea, Carter! I like the way you think," Jack exclaimed.
He got up and began to pace the small space of the Tel'tak while he continued with his train of thought. "So Sam and I go up to the senator's office and show him what we've got. If he seems like he believes us and is willing to help us, we'll call Daniel and Teal'c up to his office. If he doesn't, then we just leave and rendezvous with Daniel and Teal'c, and then think of another plan. How's that?"
Sam nodded, as did Teal'c, but Daniel remained silent. "Daniel, something you want to say?"
Daniel sighed and looked at Jack. "It's not that I don't want to trust you, Jack, because I do. I realize that this is the only shot I have at clearing my name, but the government and the Air Force already screwed me once. It's hard for me to have faith in the system again."
Jack walked over to Daniel and took a seat next to him. Daniel could see that Jack's expression was determined, but understanding.
"The system didn't screw you, Daniel. A small part of the system did. Hopefully after this situation is resolved, we will have succeeded in eliminating that faction from the system."
Daniel didn't reply right away, instead, he removed his gaze from Jack's and looked at the floor of the vessel. "I know that, and I guess there isn't any other choice. I do trust you, Jack. I trust all of you," he added, looking to his other two companions.
"That's the spirit! Now about that landing spot."
****
"I can't believe you had us land here, Jack," Daniel exclaimed.
Jack smiled mischievously before turning to regard his friend. "Why not? It's a perfectly good spot."
"It's the Lincoln Memorial."
"No it isn't. It's the lawn around the Lincoln Memorial. More specifically, it's the back lawn of the memorial. No one comes here, because it's a restricted area. Besides, this is as close as we can get to the Senate without actually being there. No one is going to see us here."
Jack looked around at the buildings that surrounded them and listened to the sounds of the bustling city. He hadn't been to Earth for a long time and had almost forgotten how noisy it could be, even on a Monday morning. He knew that they would be out of the way of prying eyes in that particular part of the Lincoln Memorial. All they had to do now was get to the front of the building, blend in with the other tourists in the area and hail a cab to the Senate.
"Where will Daniel Jackson and I wait?" Teal'c suddenly asked.
"There's this little coffee house on the corner of where the Senate building is, so it'll probably be a good idea to wait there," Sam explained. "Daniel, we'll have to get you a hat and some sunglasses just in case, but you should be okay."
"Ah, I got that covered," Jack said. He opened up the laptop case that Sam had brought with her from the base and pulled out an olive green baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. "I didn't think I needed to worry about the prescription of these, since you're not wearing glasses anymore," he said as he handed the items to Daniel.
Daniel took the offered items and immediately put them on. "The contact lenses are much more convenient than the glasses were."
"Safer too, I bet," Jack remarked. He saw Daniel's lips tighten into a line, but other than that, there was no reaction.
"Okay, kids, we know what we're supposed to do, so let's go and do it."
****
Senator Irving turned away from his computer and got up from his chair to pace the length of the generous office. He walked over to the window and looked out onto the busy streets of Washington D.C., his mind turning the things he'd just read over and over again.
The more he read, the more he began to suspect that someone, more specifically Harold Maybourne, had been behind a conspiracy to eliminate key members of the Stargate program in order to change the direction of the program. The changes had indeed taken place when the new administration took power in 2004. Lawrence wondered why no one else had looked deeper into the changes at the SGC and noticed that something was going on. He figured that they had all been too concerned with reshuffling the program, establishing the off world base and the new SG teams, that no one had bothered to notice how the changes came about.
Daniel Jackson's trial was the only thing that marred the otherwise perfect transfer of power, because the archaeologist had claimed that he hadn't murdered the general. Lawrence wished that he could talk to the man and get his thoughts on what did take place. He'd read the court transcripts, psychological evaluations and the testimony from the trial at length and didn't believe that with all of the circumstantial evidence, the young man had still been convicted. Knowing what he did now, however, he understood why. Maybourne's faction of the NID had convinced the prosecuting attorney in that trial to convict Dr. Jackson under the guise of National Security. The bastard attorney had let himself be swayed by the argument Maybourne's people had presented, and he'd in turn managed to convince the jury that Dr. Jackson was guilty.
"It's a vicious circle," Lawrence muttered. He walked back to his desk and picked up a sheet of paper that was one of the last things delivered to him. It was an APB from the Colorado Police, informing all agencies that Daniel Jackson had violated his parole and was on the loose, that he was considered dangerous and should be apprehended on sight.
"Senator, there are two people here to see you," the secretary's voice came from the intercom on the desk. "They don't have appointments."
"Who are they?"
"Sir, they claim to be with the Air Force, a General Jack O'Neill and a Colonel Samantha Carter."
Lawrence frowned, wondering what they wanted to see him about. He knew Jack O'Neill, though, so whatever the man wanted to see him about, it was probably important.
"Send them in."
He walked back to his chair and settled there, as the two officers walked into his office.
"Senator, thank you for seeing us," General O'Neill said as he and the Colonel walked into his office. He made his way to the Senator and shook the offered hand.
"It's good to see you too, General. Colonel Carter, always a pleasure as well," Lawrence said. "Please, take a seat."
He waited until the general and colonel had taken their seats before speaking. "What brings you back to Earth? I thought you two spent most of your time off-world."
"We do, Senator. We're here on special business."
Lawrence saw the general's gaze fall to the desk and settle on the APB he'd been reading earlier. His eyes narrowed momentarily, before his face was schooled back into a blank slate.
"What special business is that, General? Could it have anything to do with that piece of paper?"
O'Neill's eyes narrowed once again as he gazed at the senator. After a slight pause, he finally spoke.
"Actually, yes. We believe that Dr. Jackson was falsely convicted of the murder of General Hammond. We have proof to support our claim and would like to ask for your help."
Lawrence was quiet for a moment. He hadn't expected O'Neill to come to him about Jackson, but he had to admit that it made sense. It was unusual for O'Neill to be on Earth, so maybe Jackson's parole and subsequent escape from Colorado had something to do with the general's sudden desire to visit Washington D.C. Besides, O'Neill knew of his friendship with George Hammond, which would lead the man to him.
"What kind of proof do you have? I'm sure you're aware that Dr. Jackson is a parolee who has violated his probation, and that if he's caught, he'll be sent back to prison with no other chance for parole. Do you have something that will clear him?"
He hated playing around with matters this serious, but if he was going to take a chance and believe in Jackson, then he was going to be damned sure that he covered all of his bases.
"We have documentation that points to a conspiracy in the NID to eliminate certain key figures in the Stargate Program," Colonel Carter supplied, her gaze unwavering. "Furthermore, we have the identity of the man who killed General Hammond."
Lawrence's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"How exactly did you manage that, Colonel?"
The woman cleared her throat, before continuing. "Daniel Jackson was submitted to a Tok'ra memory probe. I don't know if you're aware of the trial documentation, but Dr. Jackson did not remember what happened the day of the murder. The projection from the probe was recorded and through it, I was able to find the identity of the man who attacked and sedated Dr. Jackson, before he killed General Hammond."
"Dr. Jackson is with you then?"
Both General O'Neill and Colonel Carter remained quiet, their faces impassive. Lawrence could tell, however, that he was right. Daniel Jackson had run straight to his former team mates and friends. He had seen as much at the SGC, he jus hadn't realized that Jackson knew the coordinates to the off world base.
"It's okay, General, Colonel. I was at the SGC when Dr. Jackson activated the Stargate and crashed the dialing computers. I know he went off world, I just hadn't realized that he'd gone looking for you."
"You were there, Senator?" O'Neill asked, confused.
"Yes. My monthly inspection was to take place that day. I was in the briefing room when Dr. Jackson stormed the control room, shot General Maybourne with a zat gun and dialed out. I also heard what the man said."
O'Neill's face finally reflected the confusion and nervousness the senator knew the man was feeling, and he smiled slightly at the general.
"Dr. Jackson maintained that he didn't kill George. He also said something about General Maybourne kidnapping and detaining Dr. Rothman. I heard it confirmed from Dr. Rothman himself. While I didn't see the man, I did hear him tell one of the technicians that he'd been beaten and felt pretty badly."
"What do you think about all of that, sir?" Carter asked.
Lawrence thought about the question for a moment, before answering it. "Frankly, I was confused at first. The first question I asked myself was why Maybourne would detain one of his own people. Then I remembered other things Maybourne has done over the years and it didn't seem so farfetched anymore. I was curious enough to want to learn more about the circumstances around George's death and the change of direction at the SGC, so I did a little research. I'm sure the documents you referred to are the same ones that I have currently littering my desk."
He pointed to the mess on the desk and regarded the two people sitting in front of him.
"The more I read, the more convinced I became that Dr. Jackson wasn't guilty. I was looking at the APB when you came in trying to figure out a way to find him without getting him sent back to prison. I would really like to talk to him. I'm assuming that since he's undergone the memory device, he now remembers what happened that day?"
"Yes, he does," O'Neill answered.
"Is he in Washington?"
"He could be, if the circumstances were right."
"I would like to talk to him, General. I would also like to see the recording of what happened that day. You give me concrete proof and I'll take it to the President. If Harold Maybourne and his NID faction were responsible, I'll make sure that they pay for it."
****
"I can't believe he believed us!" Daniel said.
They were all back in the coffee house, sitting around one of the tables, sipping hot coffee.
"I told you he was trustworthy."
"So what is he going to do now?" Sam asked.
"I'm not sure," Jack replied. "I'm assuming that he's going to put together a case to take to the Joint Chiefs and the President. From there, an investigation is going to be launched and will hopefully put old Harry behind bars for the rest of his life."
"That's a fair punishment. Maybourne won't last in there," Daniel said, his voice quiet.
He couldn't believe that there was finally a chance for his nightmare to be over. Jack had said that an investigation would take time, but he was willing to wait. After all, he didn't have any other options. He felt incredible relief at the hope that was finally visible and he felt gratitude towards his friends for helping him achieve it.
"So what do we do now?" Daniel asked, finally pulling himself out of his musings.
"You, my friend, have to lay low, until the investigation is concluded. We can't have the Colorado Police catch you now, so we have to get you somewhere safe."
"What about Abydos?" Sam suggested. "I'm sure Kasuf and Skaara would love to see you again."
Daniel's face brightened at the prospect of seeing his father-in-law and brother-in-law again. "Abydos would be great. I could disappear there for a few months."
"Then it's settled. Teal'c, would you do the honors?"
"I will take you and Colonel Carter back to your base, and Daniel Jackson to Abydos. Rya'c could use the practice behind the controls of the Tel'tak."
Daniel laughed, feeling joy for the first time in twelve long years. He looked around the table at the equally smiling faces of his friends and knew that things were going to be okay.
****
So. we're almost to the end. Is anyone still reading, or has the length of this thing gotten to everyone? I've tried to write shorter stories, but just can't seem to be able to. Anyway, the epilogue is the only thing left, and it will be posted in a few days.
"Here are the documents you requested, Senator. Is there anything else I can get for you?" Rebecca Jones asked her boss.
"Thank you, Rebecca. That will be all for now," Lawrence Irving replied, giving his secretary a smile.
He watched the woman exit the office, before turning his attention back to the paperwork and reports that littered his usually immaculate desk. He'd been back in Washington D.C. for twelve hours, and he'd spent those twelve hours going over reports and classified files on the death of George Hammond and the man convicted of killing him.
When George had been killed, Lawrence had been shocked, but hadn't questioned the method. After all, George was a powerful man running a powerful department. He was bound to run into subordinates who didn't like him and felt the need for revenge, especially if the subordinate in question was a civilian. At the time, however, Lawrence had not known that George was the head of Stargate Command. It wasn't until he was brought into the project that he discovered his old friend's connection to it. Even then, he hadn't thought that George's death was questionable.
Now, he wasn't so sure. Lawrence had spent the last ten hours going over details of the murder, as well as personnel records on Dr. Daniel Jackson. All reports he'd been able to get his hands on about the archaeologist painted the picture of a quiet, intelligent, and dedicated man who wouldn't hurt a fly. Jackson, through the SGC's reports, had been a peacekeeper and diplomat of sorts, who along with the rest of SG-1, had acquired the majority of Earth's alien alliances. There weren't any prior problems between Jackson and Hammond that would lead anyone to think that Jackson would want Hammond dead, and the trial evidence itself was rather substandard. Someone had been very set on convicting Jackson for the murder and they had eventually gotten their way. Jackson had gone to jail for a very long time for a crime Lawrence was beginning to think the man hadn't committed. He'd heard the man say so himself at the SGC, but Lawrence wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't just been reading about both Jackson and about a certain faction of the NID that had been headed by none other than Harold Maybourne.
Report after report from that faction, which he'd been able to obtain only because he was a Senator, led him to believe that George Hammond, along with several other key members of the SGC and the Pentagon, had been murdered with a purpose. He wished he had more evidence to back this up, but there wasn't anything concrete. Suppositions and half formed theories wouldn't hold up in court. Jackson himself said that he had no proof, and trial documents stated that the man had no memory of the attack. What if Jackson could somehow remember what happened to George? That, coupled with the other documents he had in his possession might be enough to convince the President to investigate the NID, and Harold Maybourne, further.
"Ah, yes, a nice thought indeed," Lawrence said to himself, and then went about figuring out just how he was going to get a hold of Daniel Jackson now.
****
"Is that thing really going to record my memories?" Daniel asked, looking at the projection device Jacob had set up in the infirmary. He winced as the memory device pinched his neck as he moved, and then returned his attention to Jacob.
"Yes, it will. It's going to display them on this device, then digitally record them. I've hooked it up to one of your computers so that they can be collected on a disc."
"That's freaky. It's like you're going record a video or something," Robert piped up from where he lay on one of the beds beside the device.
"That's state of the art Tok'ra technology for you," Sam commented from her chair beside Robert's bed. Teal'c stood impassively behind her, while Jack stood next to Daniel.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Daniel turned to see the concerned look on his friend's face. He tried to smile reassuringly, but only succeeded in a half smile, half wince. "It's the only choice I have, Jack. I need to know what happened that day." He turned to Jacob. "How am I going to know to access the memories?"
"You'll have to think about what you remember of that day, and then let the device gather the remainder of the memories for you. You shouldn't loose consciousness, but when you're remembering, it'll be as if you're living those moments again. That's why I've restrained you," Jacob explained, pointing to the clear bands that anchored Daniel's wrists, ankles and head to the chair he was sitting on.
"I was wondering about all of this," Daniel commented, pulling up on the restraint on his right wrist. "I feel like a prisoner again."
Jack reached down and patted Daniel's arm. "Don't worry, Daniel, if you're in trouble, we'll take that thing out and undo the restraints."
"Thanks, Jack."
Those simple words had given Daniel more reassurance than anything else had, because he knew that Jack understood some of what was going through his mind and that he was there, by his side, in case anything happened. In a minute, Jack would know more of what was going on in his mind, which might not necessarily be a good thing.
"I'm going to be monitoring your vital signs, Daniel," Janet suddenly said as she approached him to attach several leads to his chest and head. "If the vitals spike, we're taking you out of that thing."
"Sounds good to me."
"Are you ready, Daniel?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
He closed his eyes, and waited.
****
Jack turned to Jacob and watched as he turned on the machine. There was a slight grunt from Daniel, then stillness. Jack returned his gaze to his friend and saw that the man's face seemed pinched as if he were in pain. His hands had tightened into fists, but otherwise, he seemed fine.
"Grounded? Why?"
The sudden question brought Jack out of his inspection of Daniel and he turned his attention towards the screen, where General Hammond could be seen, sitting at the head of the table in the briefing room.
"Since you're now seeing what Daniel saw, you'll more than likely never actually see Daniel in any of this, but you will hear his voice," Jacob explained unnecessarily. Jack spared him a glance, before returning his attention to the projection.
"Dr. Jackson, Dr. Frasier has just informed me that you've suffered a severe concussion as a result of your last mission and that you'll need several days to recuperate. Because of that, you are now on medical leave. SG-1 will go on with their missions with a temporary replacement. I suggest that you go home and recuperate, so you can rejoin them as soon as possible," Genera Hammond explained in the projection, his voice and features reflecting the annoyance he felt at the questioning of his authority.
"General, I'm fine. It's not like I haven't had a concussion before. You don't have to send SG-1 out without me," Daniel said.
"I don't appreciate having my orders questioned, Doctor. I've made my decision and it's final. Now go home or I'll have you escorted out."
"Escorted? Oh, so now I'm not only incompetent, but I'm also a danger to the base? Please, give me a break!"
"I'm warning you, Doctor Jackson. You either leave now on your own, or you will leave by force."
There was quiet for a moment, before Daniel's voice could be heard again. "Fine, I'll leave. But this isn't over."
The scene changed abruptly, and now they were seeing the view of Cheyenne Mountain from the outside. It was weird seeing the SGC through Daniel's eyes, but Jack understood that it was important for them to see this. He had known that Daniel and the general had argued the day before the General's death, but it was quite different to see it actually happening from Daniel's point of view.
"The argument took place on a Friday afternoon, and General Hammond was killed the next morning. That's what the prosecuting attorney said at the time," Sam said, reading from some papers she held in her hand. "It looks like Daniel is at home now," she added, watching the screen.
They saw Daniel's apartment at the time as he settled down to read a book, and then later to write in his journal. Jack tried to make out some of the things Daniel was writing, but he wasn't able to.
"Where are Daniel's journals?" Jack suddenly asked.
"They're at Catherine's," Robert answered. "I took them to her after Daniel was convicted, and Maybourne let me clean out his place."
"We might find something there. We'll have to tell Daniel to go look through them."
The scene on the projector shifted suddenly, and Jack returned his attention to it.
"That's Hammond's house," Jack said.
Daniel knocked on the door to the house and waited a few moments, until the door was opened.
"General, I'd like to have a word with you, about what happened yesterday," Daniel said as soon as the general opened the door.
Hammond hesitated for a moment, before he opened the door wider and motioned for Daniel to enter.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to the picnic without me. Dr. Jackson and I have some business to discuss," Hammond said to the couple and the two kids who sat in his living room.
"We want you to come, Grandpa," one of the little girls said.
"I won't keep your grandfather for long, I promise," Daniel assured her.
"Okay, let's go mommy!" the little girl exclaimed and the four of them made their way out of the house.
"I'm sorry, General, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"It's okay, Dr. Jackson. What can I do for you?" Hammond said, and ushered Daniel into the living room. Hammond sat across from Daniel and watched him intently.
"I wanted to apologize, sir. I was way out of line yesterday. You were within your rights to ground me, especially if my behavior was any indication. I felt guilty about what I said, which is why I'm here to apologize today, instead of waiting until the end of my medical leave. I just couldn't wait."
Hammond smiled slightly at Daniel and nodded once. "I understand, son. Dr. Frasier told me that you were suffering from a pretty bad concussion, which would explain your irrational and confrontational behavior. I didn't take it personally, I just wanted you to go home and get better."
"Yeah, I think I can do that now. I don't want to keep you from your picnic, so I'll take my leave now."
Hammond smiled again, and clapped Daniel on the back. "Don't mention it, just go home and get better, before Colonel O'Neill comes into my office demanding that I get you back on the team so he won't have to shoot whoever is taking your place at that moment."
Daniel laughed and reached out to open the door. When he pulled the door open, a fist came rushing towards him, knocking him to the floor.
"General!" Daniel yelled as he fell, watching as Hammond scrambled out of the way.
Daniel reached out and grabbed the man's legs, bringing him down to the floor. The man, who was wearing a black outfit, black gloves and a black ski mask, immediately punched Daniel again. Daniel was ready this time and blocked the punch, while bringing his body up and over the assailant. He looked up to see Hammond on his way back to the living room, a gun in his hand.
Suddenly, the man below him kicked out, catching Daniel in the stomach. He fell hard to his side, but used the opportunity to grab the man's ski mask. The mask came away from the face, revealing raven black hair, green eyes and a look of intense concentration.
Hammond reentered the living room, his handgun at the ready. He took aim and fired on the intruder, only to have his aim ruined when the intruder kicked Hammond's legs out from under him.
Daniel was on the man again, trying to get him away from Hammond so that the general could shoot the guy. The intruder brought out a gun of his own and fired it at Daniel, who looked down on the thing imbedded on his chest, before he fell to the ground.
The projection suddenly went black.
"That was a tranquilizer dart," Jack said, remembering the last thing they saw in the projection, the thing that'd been shot at Daniel. "The son of a bitch had a tranquilizer gun." He turned to look at Daniel, whose eyes were scrunched shut and sweat was pouring down his face. His fists were clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white.
The projection came to life once again, and Jack returned his attention to it. Daniel was now on the floor, facing what seemed to be a fireplace. They watched as he got up, examined his body for injuries, and then noticed the blood on his hands. Daniel then got up and looked around, finally coming to Hammond's body.
Jack winced as he saw, in perfect clarity, what had been done to his former commanding officer, and what his friend had to go through upon finding the body. They listened to Daniel plead with the general to hang on and stay alive, and then listened as he dialed the telephone to get to the police. They watched as the police arrived, questioned Daniel and then arrested him. The final image before the projector went blank for the last time was an image of Daniel's reflection in a mirror: bruised, bloody and scared.
A quick intake of breath caught Jack's attention and he immediately turned towards Daniel, whose eyes were now open and staring at the projector.
"I remember. My god, I remember. That son of a bitch tranquilized me while he killed the general. Then he put my fingerprints all over that vase to frame me," Daniel said, his voice hoarse. "I can't believe it. Whatever was on that dart must have been what screwed with my memory as well. There's no other explanation."
"Daniel, are you okay?" Jack asked, as he removed Daniel's restraints. He took in Daniel's pale face and winced at the absurdity of the question.
"No, not really. The memories I did have of that day always woke me up screaming and now that I have the whole thing in full color, it's not any better."
"You went to General Hammond to apologize for your behavior?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes, I did. I felt so bad about what I said that I had to apologize then instead of waiting until the end of my medical leave. I had no idea."
"Why would an assassin go to his target's house with only a tranquilizer gun? George was beaten to death, not shot," Jacob asked.
"You know what else, the police never found the shell casing of the bullet the general did fire, nor did they make any mention of the gun. The assassin must have cleaned up the evidence," Sam stated.
"Maybe the guy wasn't there to kill the general," Robert added. "I mean, all of the other deaths were made to look accidental, right? Maybe he was there to simply kidnap the general and take him someplace where he could be killed and his death passed off as an accident."
"My being there changed his plans and he used me as the fall guy, since I was already so conveniently unconscious," Daniel stated, his voice hard. "We have to find that guy."
"Dad, let me have the disc. I'll take it up to my office and run a search for the man in the general's house using his picture. If he's with the NID, we'll have his picture on our database."
Jacob complied, giving the disc to Sam. "What now?" he asked.
"We wait for Sam to find this guy, and then we go to Earth to find him," Jack answered.
"How? We can't use the Stargate, because the one on Earth is currently offline," Daniel said.
"Rya'c is due in with the Tel'tak at any moment. We will take that."
****
"His name is Samuel Marks," Sam read from the screen of her laptop. "He's a twenty year veteran of the Army, though he'd just been recently recruited into the NID at the time of General Hammond's murder." She looked up from the screen she was reading from and saw that the same expression of intense concentration and disgust for the man was mirrored on the faces of Jack, Daniel and Teal'c.
"He's listed as a weapons expert, and he did some work in bio warfare for the Army during the 1990s. His main responsibility with the NID now is as head of their weapon's division."
"Isn't that the place where all of our neat, off world toys get sent to?" Jack asked.
"It's the very same, sir. Captain Marks got himself a nice, cushy job after he killed the general."
"Does that show any connection to Maybourne?" Daniel asked.
Sam returned her gaze to the screen and read more of the report she'd downloaded from the base computer, stopping short when she came upon an interesting tidbit.
"What do you know? Our man was assigned under Maybourne when he first began working for the NID in 2001. He was apparently recruited by Maybourne as well. Marks was one of the guys brought into the NID per operation "Chat Noir".
"So this guy was hired solely for the purpose of killing the general?" Daniel asked.
"It seems pretty likely, Daniel. Either that or he was given the assignment of killing General Hammond as an opportunity to advance higher in the chain of command. According to his file, he was promoted to deputy in charge of weapons shortly after he joined the NID. Normally, it would take years to reach that position."
"So now we have proof that Maybourne recruited and hired this guy, right?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Sam answered.
Jack nodded, and ran his hands through his hair, thinking of something else.
"Forget finding this guy, Teal'c. We need to go to Washington D. C. instead."
"Why must we go to Washington D. C.?" Teal'c asked.
"There's someone there that can help us. If we can get the government involved, they can get to this guy a lot better than we can."
"Jack, the government didn't want to get involved when I was on trial, so what makes you think they're going to get involved now?
"It's been twelve years, Daniel. The SGC has changed, the Pentagon has changed and the administration has changed. This guy we're going to see in Washington is of the old school. He was Hammond's college buddy. Believe me, he'll listen to us with an open mind. It's our only shot."
Sam looked from Daniel to Jack, seeing the disbelief on Daniel's face and the plea in Jack's.
"Trust me, Daniel."
****
"Okay, at the risk of sounding stupid, where are we going to land the Tel'tak in the middle of Washington D.C.?"
Three pairs of eyes turned to look at Daniel, who shrugged sheepishly. "I ask, because I don't think they make landing pads for these things."
Daniel could see Jack thinking the question over, and he suddenly got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. When Jack got that look in his eyes, it meant that he was pondering something the rest of them weren't going to like.
"There are plenty of places, Daniel," Jack replied.
"Uh, huh. never mind that D.C. is the most secure city in the country, right? Even if we could land this thing, how are we going to disguise the fact that to the average observer, we'll look as if we have appeared out of nowhere."
"Daniel, are you always this much of a pessimist?"
"No, Jack, you just bring that out in me."
Jack smiled, and Daniel returned it, glad to see that things were falling back into a resemblance of normal. At least as normal as the four of them had ever been.
"We're all clear about the game plan, right? We get to Senator Irving, show him the evidence we have regarding General Hammond's murder, along with the recording of Daniel's memories of that day, and ask him to investigate. If there's anyone who can get this moving, it's him."
"What if he sees Daniel Jackson and decides to contact the authorities?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah, I was thinking about that myself," Daniel added. "I'm sure that my name and picture has been plastered all over the place as a dangerous murderer who has violated his parole by now, so who is to say that this Senator won't turn me in? How do you propose to show him the recording of my memories, Jack? Wouldn't that be against the rules for a classified project?
"Senator Irving knows about the Stargate, Daniel. He was brought in a few years ago to monitor the state of the project and report to President Sheffield," Jack replied.
"Daniel stays behind somewhere," Sam added, picking up on Daniel's first question. "Teal'c can stay with you, Daniel, while the general and I go talk to the senator. If he's receptive, we'll give you a call. If he's not, then you won't hear from us and will know to get back to the Tel'tak."
"Yes, that's it! Great idea, Carter! I like the way you think," Jack exclaimed.
He got up and began to pace the small space of the Tel'tak while he continued with his train of thought. "So Sam and I go up to the senator's office and show him what we've got. If he seems like he believes us and is willing to help us, we'll call Daniel and Teal'c up to his office. If he doesn't, then we just leave and rendezvous with Daniel and Teal'c, and then think of another plan. How's that?"
Sam nodded, as did Teal'c, but Daniel remained silent. "Daniel, something you want to say?"
Daniel sighed and looked at Jack. "It's not that I don't want to trust you, Jack, because I do. I realize that this is the only shot I have at clearing my name, but the government and the Air Force already screwed me once. It's hard for me to have faith in the system again."
Jack walked over to Daniel and took a seat next to him. Daniel could see that Jack's expression was determined, but understanding.
"The system didn't screw you, Daniel. A small part of the system did. Hopefully after this situation is resolved, we will have succeeded in eliminating that faction from the system."
Daniel didn't reply right away, instead, he removed his gaze from Jack's and looked at the floor of the vessel. "I know that, and I guess there isn't any other choice. I do trust you, Jack. I trust all of you," he added, looking to his other two companions.
"That's the spirit! Now about that landing spot."
****
"I can't believe you had us land here, Jack," Daniel exclaimed.
Jack smiled mischievously before turning to regard his friend. "Why not? It's a perfectly good spot."
"It's the Lincoln Memorial."
"No it isn't. It's the lawn around the Lincoln Memorial. More specifically, it's the back lawn of the memorial. No one comes here, because it's a restricted area. Besides, this is as close as we can get to the Senate without actually being there. No one is going to see us here."
Jack looked around at the buildings that surrounded them and listened to the sounds of the bustling city. He hadn't been to Earth for a long time and had almost forgotten how noisy it could be, even on a Monday morning. He knew that they would be out of the way of prying eyes in that particular part of the Lincoln Memorial. All they had to do now was get to the front of the building, blend in with the other tourists in the area and hail a cab to the Senate.
"Where will Daniel Jackson and I wait?" Teal'c suddenly asked.
"There's this little coffee house on the corner of where the Senate building is, so it'll probably be a good idea to wait there," Sam explained. "Daniel, we'll have to get you a hat and some sunglasses just in case, but you should be okay."
"Ah, I got that covered," Jack said. He opened up the laptop case that Sam had brought with her from the base and pulled out an olive green baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. "I didn't think I needed to worry about the prescription of these, since you're not wearing glasses anymore," he said as he handed the items to Daniel.
Daniel took the offered items and immediately put them on. "The contact lenses are much more convenient than the glasses were."
"Safer too, I bet," Jack remarked. He saw Daniel's lips tighten into a line, but other than that, there was no reaction.
"Okay, kids, we know what we're supposed to do, so let's go and do it."
****
Senator Irving turned away from his computer and got up from his chair to pace the length of the generous office. He walked over to the window and looked out onto the busy streets of Washington D.C., his mind turning the things he'd just read over and over again.
The more he read, the more he began to suspect that someone, more specifically Harold Maybourne, had been behind a conspiracy to eliminate key members of the Stargate program in order to change the direction of the program. The changes had indeed taken place when the new administration took power in 2004. Lawrence wondered why no one else had looked deeper into the changes at the SGC and noticed that something was going on. He figured that they had all been too concerned with reshuffling the program, establishing the off world base and the new SG teams, that no one had bothered to notice how the changes came about.
Daniel Jackson's trial was the only thing that marred the otherwise perfect transfer of power, because the archaeologist had claimed that he hadn't murdered the general. Lawrence wished that he could talk to the man and get his thoughts on what did take place. He'd read the court transcripts, psychological evaluations and the testimony from the trial at length and didn't believe that with all of the circumstantial evidence, the young man had still been convicted. Knowing what he did now, however, he understood why. Maybourne's faction of the NID had convinced the prosecuting attorney in that trial to convict Dr. Jackson under the guise of National Security. The bastard attorney had let himself be swayed by the argument Maybourne's people had presented, and he'd in turn managed to convince the jury that Dr. Jackson was guilty.
"It's a vicious circle," Lawrence muttered. He walked back to his desk and picked up a sheet of paper that was one of the last things delivered to him. It was an APB from the Colorado Police, informing all agencies that Daniel Jackson had violated his parole and was on the loose, that he was considered dangerous and should be apprehended on sight.
"Senator, there are two people here to see you," the secretary's voice came from the intercom on the desk. "They don't have appointments."
"Who are they?"
"Sir, they claim to be with the Air Force, a General Jack O'Neill and a Colonel Samantha Carter."
Lawrence frowned, wondering what they wanted to see him about. He knew Jack O'Neill, though, so whatever the man wanted to see him about, it was probably important.
"Send them in."
He walked back to his chair and settled there, as the two officers walked into his office.
"Senator, thank you for seeing us," General O'Neill said as he and the Colonel walked into his office. He made his way to the Senator and shook the offered hand.
"It's good to see you too, General. Colonel Carter, always a pleasure as well," Lawrence said. "Please, take a seat."
He waited until the general and colonel had taken their seats before speaking. "What brings you back to Earth? I thought you two spent most of your time off-world."
"We do, Senator. We're here on special business."
Lawrence saw the general's gaze fall to the desk and settle on the APB he'd been reading earlier. His eyes narrowed momentarily, before his face was schooled back into a blank slate.
"What special business is that, General? Could it have anything to do with that piece of paper?"
O'Neill's eyes narrowed once again as he gazed at the senator. After a slight pause, he finally spoke.
"Actually, yes. We believe that Dr. Jackson was falsely convicted of the murder of General Hammond. We have proof to support our claim and would like to ask for your help."
Lawrence was quiet for a moment. He hadn't expected O'Neill to come to him about Jackson, but he had to admit that it made sense. It was unusual for O'Neill to be on Earth, so maybe Jackson's parole and subsequent escape from Colorado had something to do with the general's sudden desire to visit Washington D.C. Besides, O'Neill knew of his friendship with George Hammond, which would lead the man to him.
"What kind of proof do you have? I'm sure you're aware that Dr. Jackson is a parolee who has violated his probation, and that if he's caught, he'll be sent back to prison with no other chance for parole. Do you have something that will clear him?"
He hated playing around with matters this serious, but if he was going to take a chance and believe in Jackson, then he was going to be damned sure that he covered all of his bases.
"We have documentation that points to a conspiracy in the NID to eliminate certain key figures in the Stargate Program," Colonel Carter supplied, her gaze unwavering. "Furthermore, we have the identity of the man who killed General Hammond."
Lawrence's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"How exactly did you manage that, Colonel?"
The woman cleared her throat, before continuing. "Daniel Jackson was submitted to a Tok'ra memory probe. I don't know if you're aware of the trial documentation, but Dr. Jackson did not remember what happened the day of the murder. The projection from the probe was recorded and through it, I was able to find the identity of the man who attacked and sedated Dr. Jackson, before he killed General Hammond."
"Dr. Jackson is with you then?"
Both General O'Neill and Colonel Carter remained quiet, their faces impassive. Lawrence could tell, however, that he was right. Daniel Jackson had run straight to his former team mates and friends. He had seen as much at the SGC, he jus hadn't realized that Jackson knew the coordinates to the off world base.
"It's okay, General, Colonel. I was at the SGC when Dr. Jackson activated the Stargate and crashed the dialing computers. I know he went off world, I just hadn't realized that he'd gone looking for you."
"You were there, Senator?" O'Neill asked, confused.
"Yes. My monthly inspection was to take place that day. I was in the briefing room when Dr. Jackson stormed the control room, shot General Maybourne with a zat gun and dialed out. I also heard what the man said."
O'Neill's face finally reflected the confusion and nervousness the senator knew the man was feeling, and he smiled slightly at the general.
"Dr. Jackson maintained that he didn't kill George. He also said something about General Maybourne kidnapping and detaining Dr. Rothman. I heard it confirmed from Dr. Rothman himself. While I didn't see the man, I did hear him tell one of the technicians that he'd been beaten and felt pretty badly."
"What do you think about all of that, sir?" Carter asked.
Lawrence thought about the question for a moment, before answering it. "Frankly, I was confused at first. The first question I asked myself was why Maybourne would detain one of his own people. Then I remembered other things Maybourne has done over the years and it didn't seem so farfetched anymore. I was curious enough to want to learn more about the circumstances around George's death and the change of direction at the SGC, so I did a little research. I'm sure the documents you referred to are the same ones that I have currently littering my desk."
He pointed to the mess on the desk and regarded the two people sitting in front of him.
"The more I read, the more convinced I became that Dr. Jackson wasn't guilty. I was looking at the APB when you came in trying to figure out a way to find him without getting him sent back to prison. I would really like to talk to him. I'm assuming that since he's undergone the memory device, he now remembers what happened that day?"
"Yes, he does," O'Neill answered.
"Is he in Washington?"
"He could be, if the circumstances were right."
"I would like to talk to him, General. I would also like to see the recording of what happened that day. You give me concrete proof and I'll take it to the President. If Harold Maybourne and his NID faction were responsible, I'll make sure that they pay for it."
****
"I can't believe he believed us!" Daniel said.
They were all back in the coffee house, sitting around one of the tables, sipping hot coffee.
"I told you he was trustworthy."
"So what is he going to do now?" Sam asked.
"I'm not sure," Jack replied. "I'm assuming that he's going to put together a case to take to the Joint Chiefs and the President. From there, an investigation is going to be launched and will hopefully put old Harry behind bars for the rest of his life."
"That's a fair punishment. Maybourne won't last in there," Daniel said, his voice quiet.
He couldn't believe that there was finally a chance for his nightmare to be over. Jack had said that an investigation would take time, but he was willing to wait. After all, he didn't have any other options. He felt incredible relief at the hope that was finally visible and he felt gratitude towards his friends for helping him achieve it.
"So what do we do now?" Daniel asked, finally pulling himself out of his musings.
"You, my friend, have to lay low, until the investigation is concluded. We can't have the Colorado Police catch you now, so we have to get you somewhere safe."
"What about Abydos?" Sam suggested. "I'm sure Kasuf and Skaara would love to see you again."
Daniel's face brightened at the prospect of seeing his father-in-law and brother-in-law again. "Abydos would be great. I could disappear there for a few months."
"Then it's settled. Teal'c, would you do the honors?"
"I will take you and Colonel Carter back to your base, and Daniel Jackson to Abydos. Rya'c could use the practice behind the controls of the Tel'tak."
Daniel laughed, feeling joy for the first time in twelve long years. He looked around the table at the equally smiling faces of his friends and knew that things were going to be okay.
****
So. we're almost to the end. Is anyone still reading, or has the length of this thing gotten to everyone? I've tried to write shorter stories, but just can't seem to be able to. Anyway, the epilogue is the only thing left, and it will be posted in a few days.