The Past
Jack leaned back in his chair. He was in the rec room of the base--but it was abandoned and the only place he was able to find himself some peace and quiet. He looked over the names on the list. There were only three of them.
Lieutenant Evan Jeffries.
Captain Michael Walsh.
Captain Charles Kowalski.
Jack ran a ran a hand across his face. So that only left him with two choices. Walsh and Jeffries. No way it was Kowalski. Jack sighed. He knew it couldn't be. But could he rule him out without question and still do his job?
He'd known that Kowalski was new here--but the thought that he'd come around the same time as things began going wrong had never clicked.
"O'Neill, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Jack looked up distractedly, and straight into the harsh eyes of Major General Morris Holton. Jack quickly set the papers aside and rose to attention. "General," he said quickly.
"I asked you a question, Captain."
"Yes, sir. I was sitting, sir."
The General's complexion reddened. "What are you doing here, Captain? I could have sworn I put you on leave."
"Yes, sir, you did. But I had a few things to take care of before I left."
"I didn't give you permission to take care of anything. I told you to get off the base."
"With all due respect, sir, if you aren't going to do anything about this I should."
Holton sneered at him. "About what?"
"We have a spy."
"Not this again. Captain, I've told you--"
"What you told me made no sense, sir. You aren't all knowing. There's no way you can be as sure as you are that we aren't harboring a spy."
"I've just had about enough of this insubordination, Captain. Do I need to have escorted off base? Perhaps permanently?"
"No, sir," Jack said tightly. "I was just leaving."
"Good choice, Captain."
Jack grabbed his paper and stalked out of the room. Holton couldn't be that stupid. Jack couldn't believe anyone with the rank of General could be so clueless.
Jack stopped in his tracks. So what if he wasn't? What if he already knew about the spy. What if he was the spy.?
"Jack?"
Jack turned around. Kowalski was in front of him, watching him with concern. "Are you still here? I just heard Holton ranting about you--Jack, you should get out of here."
"I know," Jack said distractedly. "But I can't leave quite yet."
"Jack," Kowalski began.
Jack held up a hand. "I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about it."
"What's going on here, Jack?" Kowalski demanded. "Is there something I should know?"
Jack looked into the eyes of his friend, but couldn't see past his name being at the bottom of that list. "No. No, there isn't anything you should know."
______________________________________________________
The Present
The annoying emergency klaxons had finally quieted down, and Daniel could think again. He leaned closer to his computer screen, and scrolled down the list of base personnel. He recognized most of the names. These were people he knew, people he worked with. He was having a hard time believing one of them might be working against them.
He paused when he came to one of the new transfers. A Major Alex Grant. The man had stood out because his record was flawless. Daniel frowned as he read his bio. There wasn't one black mark, and all of his scores were ranked top of his class. But eight months of his service were unaccounted for.
"Bingo," he whispered. He'd bet anything those eight months were spend at an NID training facility.
Daniel grabbed his uniform jacket and headed off to Sam's lab. He knew he should go to Jack first--but he wanted to make sure Sam knew who might be after her.
Daniel wasn't deterred by the door to Sam's lab being closed, he opened it and bounded in without thought. Sam was on the other side of the room, shaking her head at him frantically. "Daniel, don't--!"
Daniel frowned and a hard shove sent him stumbling across the room towards Sam. He turned around, and saw someone slamming the door shut and bolting it locked. He recognized the man from his picture--Alex Grant.
"Dr. Jackson," he said with a smile. "I'm so glad you joined us. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to get you too. You've made it so much easier."
Daniel ignored him, turning to check on Sam. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Grant rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Doctor. I haven't harmed a hair on her pretty little head. Not yet. And, if you cooperate, I won't have to."
"If I cooperate?" Daniel demanded. "I can't use Goa'uld technology. I can't help you."
Grant sighed theatrically. "I know that, Doctor. That isn't why you're here." He placed a silver orb on the counter, small blue lights blinking in the center of it. "I want you to tell me how to use this."
_____________________
Jack watched as the medical team quickly whisked Lt. Marks to the infirmary.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c called. "What has happened?"
"Looks like someone put Marks into a choke hold until he passed out. Frasier says she thinks he'll be fine, though. It's got to be our spy." Jack frowned, and looked over at Teal'c. "Where's Carter?"
"She told me that she would be 'right behind me.'"
Jack looked behind Teal'c. "She isn't," he said. "Great. Alright, let's go pull her away from her precious reactor. I don't want her out of my sight until this is over. I'm beginning to think making her the bait for this guy was not a good idea."
Teal'c nodded and they headed straight to Carter's lab. Jack frowned when he saw the door closed. He pounded on it. "Hey, Carter. Open up."
There was no answer, and Jack shared a concerned look with Teal'c. He tried the handle, but the door wouldn't give. "It's bolted," he hissed. "Damn it. He's in there with her. Teal'c, go find Daniel. I want to know if he's got any idea who we're dealing with yet."
Teal'c nodded and started towards Daniel's office. Jack slammed his hand against the door one last time, before sliding against the wall and placing his head in his hands.
Jack leaned back in his chair. He was in the rec room of the base--but it was abandoned and the only place he was able to find himself some peace and quiet. He looked over the names on the list. There were only three of them.
Lieutenant Evan Jeffries.
Captain Michael Walsh.
Captain Charles Kowalski.
Jack ran a ran a hand across his face. So that only left him with two choices. Walsh and Jeffries. No way it was Kowalski. Jack sighed. He knew it couldn't be. But could he rule him out without question and still do his job?
He'd known that Kowalski was new here--but the thought that he'd come around the same time as things began going wrong had never clicked.
"O'Neill, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Jack looked up distractedly, and straight into the harsh eyes of Major General Morris Holton. Jack quickly set the papers aside and rose to attention. "General," he said quickly.
"I asked you a question, Captain."
"Yes, sir. I was sitting, sir."
The General's complexion reddened. "What are you doing here, Captain? I could have sworn I put you on leave."
"Yes, sir, you did. But I had a few things to take care of before I left."
"I didn't give you permission to take care of anything. I told you to get off the base."
"With all due respect, sir, if you aren't going to do anything about this I should."
Holton sneered at him. "About what?"
"We have a spy."
"Not this again. Captain, I've told you--"
"What you told me made no sense, sir. You aren't all knowing. There's no way you can be as sure as you are that we aren't harboring a spy."
"I've just had about enough of this insubordination, Captain. Do I need to have escorted off base? Perhaps permanently?"
"No, sir," Jack said tightly. "I was just leaving."
"Good choice, Captain."
Jack grabbed his paper and stalked out of the room. Holton couldn't be that stupid. Jack couldn't believe anyone with the rank of General could be so clueless.
Jack stopped in his tracks. So what if he wasn't? What if he already knew about the spy. What if he was the spy.?
"Jack?"
Jack turned around. Kowalski was in front of him, watching him with concern. "Are you still here? I just heard Holton ranting about you--Jack, you should get out of here."
"I know," Jack said distractedly. "But I can't leave quite yet."
"Jack," Kowalski began.
Jack held up a hand. "I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about it."
"What's going on here, Jack?" Kowalski demanded. "Is there something I should know?"
Jack looked into the eyes of his friend, but couldn't see past his name being at the bottom of that list. "No. No, there isn't anything you should know."
______________________________________________________
The Present
The annoying emergency klaxons had finally quieted down, and Daniel could think again. He leaned closer to his computer screen, and scrolled down the list of base personnel. He recognized most of the names. These were people he knew, people he worked with. He was having a hard time believing one of them might be working against them.
He paused when he came to one of the new transfers. A Major Alex Grant. The man had stood out because his record was flawless. Daniel frowned as he read his bio. There wasn't one black mark, and all of his scores were ranked top of his class. But eight months of his service were unaccounted for.
"Bingo," he whispered. He'd bet anything those eight months were spend at an NID training facility.
Daniel grabbed his uniform jacket and headed off to Sam's lab. He knew he should go to Jack first--but he wanted to make sure Sam knew who might be after her.
Daniel wasn't deterred by the door to Sam's lab being closed, he opened it and bounded in without thought. Sam was on the other side of the room, shaking her head at him frantically. "Daniel, don't--!"
Daniel frowned and a hard shove sent him stumbling across the room towards Sam. He turned around, and saw someone slamming the door shut and bolting it locked. He recognized the man from his picture--Alex Grant.
"Dr. Jackson," he said with a smile. "I'm so glad you joined us. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to get you too. You've made it so much easier."
Daniel ignored him, turning to check on Sam. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Grant rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Doctor. I haven't harmed a hair on her pretty little head. Not yet. And, if you cooperate, I won't have to."
"If I cooperate?" Daniel demanded. "I can't use Goa'uld technology. I can't help you."
Grant sighed theatrically. "I know that, Doctor. That isn't why you're here." He placed a silver orb on the counter, small blue lights blinking in the center of it. "I want you to tell me how to use this."
_____________________
Jack watched as the medical team quickly whisked Lt. Marks to the infirmary.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c called. "What has happened?"
"Looks like someone put Marks into a choke hold until he passed out. Frasier says she thinks he'll be fine, though. It's got to be our spy." Jack frowned, and looked over at Teal'c. "Where's Carter?"
"She told me that she would be 'right behind me.'"
Jack looked behind Teal'c. "She isn't," he said. "Great. Alright, let's go pull her away from her precious reactor. I don't want her out of my sight until this is over. I'm beginning to think making her the bait for this guy was not a good idea."
Teal'c nodded and they headed straight to Carter's lab. Jack frowned when he saw the door closed. He pounded on it. "Hey, Carter. Open up."
There was no answer, and Jack shared a concerned look with Teal'c. He tried the handle, but the door wouldn't give. "It's bolted," he hissed. "Damn it. He's in there with her. Teal'c, go find Daniel. I want to know if he's got any idea who we're dealing with yet."
Teal'c nodded and started towards Daniel's office. Jack slammed his hand against the door one last time, before sliding against the wall and placing his head in his hands.