A Traditional Stakeout
by Layton Colt
Part Six: Compromising Positions
Daniel had placed all of the items in a bag, and then crept slowly back up the stairs. When he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Senator Carlisle and Meredith arguing in the entry way.
A string of Abydonian curses flew through his mind. He slipped slowly into the hall, and closed the door as far as he could without making any noise, and then he carefully walked back to the lit room at the end of the hall.
He guessed Jack would still be hiding out in the bedroom, and was hoping that there was maybe a window they could both climb out of.
When he entered the room, he was greeted by a sight that was probably at the very bottom of the list of things he might expect to see. Jack O'Neill, tied to a bed, just wasn't something he'd ever thought he would see.
"Jack?" he whispered. "Are you alright?"
"Does it look like I'm ALRIGHT?"
Daniel flinched. Jack was the only guy he knew who could whisper and make it sound like a yell. "Well," he said quietly, as he headed to the bed to help his friend. "I wasn't aware being tied to a bed was harmful, I was wondering if you had any other injuries? Something I ought to know about?"
"I got knocked out for a couple minutes," he said reluctantly. "But I'm fine."
Daniel nodded. "Sure, you're fine. I got the items," he said.
"Really? Great. So we completed our mission, at least, you know, before we both DIE."
"Jack?"
"What?" he snapped.
"You sure you're alright? You sound slightly hysterical."
"Sorry," Jack said grudgingly. "This mission is just getting to me. What the hell are you doing? The handcuffs aren't going to come off just by shaking them!"
"Sorry, but I don't exactly have a case of lock picks with me, not that I'd be able to use them if I did. Did you see where she put the key?"
"Her pocket."
"Oh."
"Just take off the damn head board."
"Well, I would," Daniel said. "But I seem to have left my hack saw at home along with my lock picks."
"It's just wood," Jack complained. "Let's just pull."
"Pull?" Daniel asked incredulously. "It's solid oak, Jack."
"Well, what about those stolen things? Anything you can use to help us?"
"What? I don't--I don't know enough about any of these things to--to even -begin- to be able to use them. I mean, they're--"
"But there is something, isn't there?"
Daniel pulled the bag up beside him, and brought out a small blue object. "I think this is some kind of laser cutter, but, Jack, I can't be sure. We can't risk testing out alien technology--"
"Use it."
"What?"
"Daniel, they're going to come in here and kill us anyway. Now, I'd tell you to save yourself and go through the window, but you never listen anyway. So, I'm asking that you just try to use it so we both have a shot at getting out of here."
Daniel nodded, and pointed what he hoped--really hoped--was the right end at the oak head board. Then he pressed the single button on the blue surface. A small concentrated white light shot out and began to burn through the wood.
"It's working," Daniel said in surprise.
Jack grinned. "I do have good ideas occasionally."
"Occasionally," Daniel agreed.
"Hurry it up will you?" Jack demanded.
"I'm going as fast as I can," Daniel hissed.
He moved the laser quickly around, careful not to let the beam hit Jack's hands or the cuffs. He didn't know what the laser would do to metal.
"I can't reach over," Daniel said, before making a sound of frustration. He moved up onto the bed.
"Wow there," Jack said. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to get you free," Daniel said irritated, before moving to sit astride Jack.
"You know, this puts us both in a kind of compromising position."
Daniel leaned forward, using the laser to begin cutting further around. "Well, I'm not the one that got myself tied to a bed," Daniel pointed out.
"This time," Jack conceded. "But--"
"Hey," Daniel interrupted. "What happened to our pack of never speaking of that again?"
"Right. Sorry. Are you almost done?"
"Just a bit further," Daniel nodded, leaning further forward to cut all the way around.
Just as Daniel was about to finish cutting, the door flew open. Meredith and Brentley stood in the doorway, a gun in Brentley's hands. For a moment, the four stayed frozen, none of them quite sure about what they were seeing. Then they burst into action.
"Oh crap," Jack said. He pulled the piece of head board off the rest of the way, and then rolled himself and Daniel off to the other side of the bed just as Brentley started shooting.
The shots tore into the comforter and pillows, leaving a cloud of feathers in their wake.
"Daniel?" Jack asked casually as the bent down low to protect themselves from the hail of bullets.
"Yes, Jack?"
"Your knee is in my rib."
"Sorry. I'm a little distracted at the moment, I didn't notice."
"Perfectly understandable," Jack said equably.
"Come out!" Brentley demanded as the sound of gunfire finally stopped.
"The idiot's out of bullets," Jack whispered.
"At least he killed the pillows," Daniel replied.
The sound of a gun cocking caused Daniel and Jack to tense. "I'd do what he says, Jack, Dr. Jackson." Meredith's voice held none of the urgency or panic that was coloring Brentley's.
They heard the footsteps as she neared them. She turned the corner, and looked down at the two men. "It's really a shame it has to be this way," she said with feigned regret.
Then she raised her gun.
Daniel and Jack both met her eyes. And as Daniel watched her he adjusted the grip on the laser in his hands. He couldn't let Jack be right twice in one day. He wouldn't let Jack be right about them dieing. Not today.
She began to pull the trigger, but Daniel was quicker, he was cornered and it made him stronger. He pressed down the button and the laser shot out, hitting directly on the gun in Meredith's hand. The metal heated and began to melt and Meredith screamed before dropping the weapon and grabbing her hand.
Daniel didn't hesitate, he jumped forward and grabbed the gun, before getting to his feet and alternately pointing it at Brentley and Meredith. Beside him, Jack got to his feet, the oak head board hanging heavily from his cuffs.
Meredith glared up at them both, her burned hand cradled against her chest. "It seems I've underestimated you," she said grudgingly.
"Don't sweat it," Jack said. "I didn't read you right either. I hadn't taken you for a cold blooded killer."
"Sir!" Carter flew through the door, a gun held out in front of her. Teal'c was only a step behind, and when he saw Brentley he advanced on him, and shoved him against a wall.
Sam looked over at her two teammates, both of whom were quite ruffled, and one with his hands cuffed with a piece of the elaborate bed weaved through the chain. "Are you guys alright?" she asked.
"We're fine now," Jack assured her. "I suggest you take Mrs. Carlisle into custody as well. She just tried to kill us. And you'd better make it a secure prison--she knows a lot about us."
"I know everything," Meredith said with a cruel smile. "And this isn't over."
Sam pulled Meredith hands behind her back and snapped on a pair of cuffs. Jack watched with amusement. "Hey, Carter, get the key out of her jacket pocket, would you?"
"Sure thing." Sam grabbed it out and tossed it over to Jack. "Are you sure you guys are alright?"
Sam looked them both over again. Was that a feather in Daniel's hair?
"We're fine," Daniel said.
Sam handed Meredith off to SG-3, who took both her and Brentley away. "Did you find the stolen technology?" she asked.
Daniel nodded, and picked the bag and laser up to place on the bed. "Well," he said. "This has been fun. When's our next family vacation?"
Teal'c frowned and surveyed the disorder in the once pristine room. "I do not believe you should go on another vacation without me."
Daniel beamed over at him. "Well, of course you're invited as well, Teal'c. You can bring the pizza."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued.maybe. I might add an epilogue, or I may just leave it as it is.
Part Six: Compromising Positions
Daniel had placed all of the items in a bag, and then crept slowly back up the stairs. When he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Senator Carlisle and Meredith arguing in the entry way.
A string of Abydonian curses flew through his mind. He slipped slowly into the hall, and closed the door as far as he could without making any noise, and then he carefully walked back to the lit room at the end of the hall.
He guessed Jack would still be hiding out in the bedroom, and was hoping that there was maybe a window they could both climb out of.
When he entered the room, he was greeted by a sight that was probably at the very bottom of the list of things he might expect to see. Jack O'Neill, tied to a bed, just wasn't something he'd ever thought he would see.
"Jack?" he whispered. "Are you alright?"
"Does it look like I'm ALRIGHT?"
Daniel flinched. Jack was the only guy he knew who could whisper and make it sound like a yell. "Well," he said quietly, as he headed to the bed to help his friend. "I wasn't aware being tied to a bed was harmful, I was wondering if you had any other injuries? Something I ought to know about?"
"I got knocked out for a couple minutes," he said reluctantly. "But I'm fine."
Daniel nodded. "Sure, you're fine. I got the items," he said.
"Really? Great. So we completed our mission, at least, you know, before we both DIE."
"Jack?"
"What?" he snapped.
"You sure you're alright? You sound slightly hysterical."
"Sorry," Jack said grudgingly. "This mission is just getting to me. What the hell are you doing? The handcuffs aren't going to come off just by shaking them!"
"Sorry, but I don't exactly have a case of lock picks with me, not that I'd be able to use them if I did. Did you see where she put the key?"
"Her pocket."
"Oh."
"Just take off the damn head board."
"Well, I would," Daniel said. "But I seem to have left my hack saw at home along with my lock picks."
"It's just wood," Jack complained. "Let's just pull."
"Pull?" Daniel asked incredulously. "It's solid oak, Jack."
"Well, what about those stolen things? Anything you can use to help us?"
"What? I don't--I don't know enough about any of these things to--to even -begin- to be able to use them. I mean, they're--"
"But there is something, isn't there?"
Daniel pulled the bag up beside him, and brought out a small blue object. "I think this is some kind of laser cutter, but, Jack, I can't be sure. We can't risk testing out alien technology--"
"Use it."
"What?"
"Daniel, they're going to come in here and kill us anyway. Now, I'd tell you to save yourself and go through the window, but you never listen anyway. So, I'm asking that you just try to use it so we both have a shot at getting out of here."
Daniel nodded, and pointed what he hoped--really hoped--was the right end at the oak head board. Then he pressed the single button on the blue surface. A small concentrated white light shot out and began to burn through the wood.
"It's working," Daniel said in surprise.
Jack grinned. "I do have good ideas occasionally."
"Occasionally," Daniel agreed.
"Hurry it up will you?" Jack demanded.
"I'm going as fast as I can," Daniel hissed.
He moved the laser quickly around, careful not to let the beam hit Jack's hands or the cuffs. He didn't know what the laser would do to metal.
"I can't reach over," Daniel said, before making a sound of frustration. He moved up onto the bed.
"Wow there," Jack said. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to get you free," Daniel said irritated, before moving to sit astride Jack.
"You know, this puts us both in a kind of compromising position."
Daniel leaned forward, using the laser to begin cutting further around. "Well, I'm not the one that got myself tied to a bed," Daniel pointed out.
"This time," Jack conceded. "But--"
"Hey," Daniel interrupted. "What happened to our pack of never speaking of that again?"
"Right. Sorry. Are you almost done?"
"Just a bit further," Daniel nodded, leaning further forward to cut all the way around.
Just as Daniel was about to finish cutting, the door flew open. Meredith and Brentley stood in the doorway, a gun in Brentley's hands. For a moment, the four stayed frozen, none of them quite sure about what they were seeing. Then they burst into action.
"Oh crap," Jack said. He pulled the piece of head board off the rest of the way, and then rolled himself and Daniel off to the other side of the bed just as Brentley started shooting.
The shots tore into the comforter and pillows, leaving a cloud of feathers in their wake.
"Daniel?" Jack asked casually as the bent down low to protect themselves from the hail of bullets.
"Yes, Jack?"
"Your knee is in my rib."
"Sorry. I'm a little distracted at the moment, I didn't notice."
"Perfectly understandable," Jack said equably.
"Come out!" Brentley demanded as the sound of gunfire finally stopped.
"The idiot's out of bullets," Jack whispered.
"At least he killed the pillows," Daniel replied.
The sound of a gun cocking caused Daniel and Jack to tense. "I'd do what he says, Jack, Dr. Jackson." Meredith's voice held none of the urgency or panic that was coloring Brentley's.
They heard the footsteps as she neared them. She turned the corner, and looked down at the two men. "It's really a shame it has to be this way," she said with feigned regret.
Then she raised her gun.
Daniel and Jack both met her eyes. And as Daniel watched her he adjusted the grip on the laser in his hands. He couldn't let Jack be right twice in one day. He wouldn't let Jack be right about them dieing. Not today.
She began to pull the trigger, but Daniel was quicker, he was cornered and it made him stronger. He pressed down the button and the laser shot out, hitting directly on the gun in Meredith's hand. The metal heated and began to melt and Meredith screamed before dropping the weapon and grabbing her hand.
Daniel didn't hesitate, he jumped forward and grabbed the gun, before getting to his feet and alternately pointing it at Brentley and Meredith. Beside him, Jack got to his feet, the oak head board hanging heavily from his cuffs.
Meredith glared up at them both, her burned hand cradled against her chest. "It seems I've underestimated you," she said grudgingly.
"Don't sweat it," Jack said. "I didn't read you right either. I hadn't taken you for a cold blooded killer."
"Sir!" Carter flew through the door, a gun held out in front of her. Teal'c was only a step behind, and when he saw Brentley he advanced on him, and shoved him against a wall.
Sam looked over at her two teammates, both of whom were quite ruffled, and one with his hands cuffed with a piece of the elaborate bed weaved through the chain. "Are you guys alright?" she asked.
"We're fine now," Jack assured her. "I suggest you take Mrs. Carlisle into custody as well. She just tried to kill us. And you'd better make it a secure prison--she knows a lot about us."
"I know everything," Meredith said with a cruel smile. "And this isn't over."
Sam pulled Meredith hands behind her back and snapped on a pair of cuffs. Jack watched with amusement. "Hey, Carter, get the key out of her jacket pocket, would you?"
"Sure thing." Sam grabbed it out and tossed it over to Jack. "Are you sure you guys are alright?"
Sam looked them both over again. Was that a feather in Daniel's hair?
"We're fine," Daniel said.
Sam handed Meredith off to SG-3, who took both her and Brentley away. "Did you find the stolen technology?" she asked.
Daniel nodded, and picked the bag and laser up to place on the bed. "Well," he said. "This has been fun. When's our next family vacation?"
Teal'c frowned and surveyed the disorder in the once pristine room. "I do not believe you should go on another vacation without me."
Daniel beamed over at him. "Well, of course you're invited as well, Teal'c. You can bring the pizza."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued.maybe. I might add an epilogue, or I may just leave it as it is.