"We can enter here." Jack said pointing to an area on the map in front of
him.
It still amazed him how Lara - or really Bryce - had managed to get their hands on the map of a top secret government base. He'd have to talk to the General about that when he got back. When - not if.
Lara frowned slightly. "Those access shafts can't be that easy to get to, or they wouldn't be there. How do we get in?"
"There is a locking mechanism. All we need is the right code to get in." Jack replied.
"How do we get it?" Lara asked.
Jack frowned. "I don't think we can take the risk that my codes will still work. We only have one shot at this." He looked at her. "I don't suppose you could get your hands on one?"
Lara raised an eyebrow. "I can get Bryce to try." She said, then folded her arms across her chest. "Jack, what is it?"
"There might be another way. Do you think you could get your hands on an electronic device that could scramble circuits?" Jack asked. "Because, if we could delay the computer's recognition program, we could get down the access shaft before they knew we were out there,"
Lara smiled. "I'll tell Bryce,"
"Tell me what?" Bryce asked as he entered the room.
"We need a scrambler." Lara said.
"For what?"
"The circuits at the top of the access shafts at Cheyenne Mountain."
Bryce frowned. "Why can't you just go in the front door?"
"Because we need to get in undetected." Jack said.
Bryce frowned at Lara. "Undetected? Lara what are you up to?"
Lara smiled at him. "Just helping a friend. Don't worry Bryce. I'm a big girl - I tie my own shoe laces and everything."
"That's just what I'm afraid off." Bryce muttered, but knew better than to keep arguing. Lara was amazingly stubborn at times.
He walked out the door, intending to finish building the scrambler for Lara, so he could get back to building his little bots. Jack watched him leave, before turning back to the map. "After that it should be easy." He said.
"Easy?" Lara asked.
"Yeah." Jack smiled. "All we need to do is grab some uniforms and join a team going through the gate. Once we're there, we can dial anywhere we want to go."
"Join a team?" Lara asked. "Don't you think they'd notice a couple of extra members?"
"I've got a friend who owes me a favour."
"Who?" Lara said. "And just what makes you think they'll help?"
"It's Janet."
"Oh." Lara said.
Jack frowned at her. "There are other people in this world willing to trust me Croft."
"I'm sorry." Lara said. "I don't really have any friends like that."
She saw the surprise in Jack's face as she said the words. "You do now." Jack said softly.
Lara gave a small, genuine smile in return. "Thank you."
Jack nodded. "Once we get inside the base, we'll have to keep out of sight of the cameras. As long as we're in SGC uniform and don't show our faces, we should be fine."
Lara nodded. "How are we going to get through the gate?" she asked. "I mean, without letting everyone know who we are."
"Janet's going to pull some strings for me."
There was a slight silence. "She helped you get out, didn't she?" Lara asked.
"Yes." Jack answered. "She didn't believe I did it, under influence or not." He looked at his watch. "I should give her a call."
Lara nodded. "There's a phone over there." She said, pointing behind her.
Jack went to the phone and dialled Janet's number, praying she was home. She was. "Janet." He said when she answered.
"Jack." She said. "Where are you?"
"Staying with a friend." He replied.
"I should have known you wouldn't tell me." Janet said. Then her tone turned even more serious. "You owe me big for this, Jack."
"I know Janet." Jack said softly. "And I promise I'll do anything I can to make it up to you."
"Bringing Daniel back alive will be enough for now." She replied.
Then Janet sighed. "Everything's ready Jack. I've got two uniforms like you asked and Major Blake's ready. All the NID will find are two soldiers knocked out and their uniforms stolen."
"Thank you, Janet. More than I can say."
"Just bring him back, Jack." She said. "Just bring him back."
Jack hung up the phone. "We're ready to go." He told Lara.
Lara nodded. "As soon as Bryce's finished, we'll leave."
* * *
12 HOURS LATER, COLORADO SPRINGS:
Lara walked up the darkened stairs onto a large wooden porch and continued to the old wooden door. She knocked quietly, before glancing around into the darkness to make sure she was alone.
The door opened and a petite brunette stood in the doorway, framed by the light from inside. "Lara." She said.
"Janet."
"Come in." Janet said.
Lara entered the house and found it was warmly and lovingly decorated. She heard the soft chords of muted rock music and raised an eyebrow. Janet smiled softly, but never lost the worried frown on her forehead. "Cassie." She explained.
"How is she?" Lara asked.
"Being a normal teenager." Janet replied.
Lara nodded, as Janet sighed. "He's staying with you, isn't he?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Is he alright?"
"He's as good as expected, considering the circumstances." Lara said. "But he's not going to rest until he finds out what happened."
"I don't expect him to." Janet said. "Jack learnt the hard way never to leave a man behind."
Lara raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"His CO left him in Iraq after he was captured. He spent four months imprisoned there before he escaped." Janet explained.
Lara nodded in understanding.
Janet sighed and grabbed a bag from where it was hidden under the couch. "SG-3 will be suiting up at 0800." She said, handing the bag to Lara.
"Thank you Janet." Lara said.
Janet smiled weakly. "Just tell him not to do anything stupid." She said.
"I will." Said Lara, and then she was gone.
Janet sank down onto the couch and prayed that Daniel was still alive and the Jack would find him. And that they wouldn't be caught.
It still amazed him how Lara - or really Bryce - had managed to get their hands on the map of a top secret government base. He'd have to talk to the General about that when he got back. When - not if.
Lara frowned slightly. "Those access shafts can't be that easy to get to, or they wouldn't be there. How do we get in?"
"There is a locking mechanism. All we need is the right code to get in." Jack replied.
"How do we get it?" Lara asked.
Jack frowned. "I don't think we can take the risk that my codes will still work. We only have one shot at this." He looked at her. "I don't suppose you could get your hands on one?"
Lara raised an eyebrow. "I can get Bryce to try." She said, then folded her arms across her chest. "Jack, what is it?"
"There might be another way. Do you think you could get your hands on an electronic device that could scramble circuits?" Jack asked. "Because, if we could delay the computer's recognition program, we could get down the access shaft before they knew we were out there,"
Lara smiled. "I'll tell Bryce,"
"Tell me what?" Bryce asked as he entered the room.
"We need a scrambler." Lara said.
"For what?"
"The circuits at the top of the access shafts at Cheyenne Mountain."
Bryce frowned. "Why can't you just go in the front door?"
"Because we need to get in undetected." Jack said.
Bryce frowned at Lara. "Undetected? Lara what are you up to?"
Lara smiled at him. "Just helping a friend. Don't worry Bryce. I'm a big girl - I tie my own shoe laces and everything."
"That's just what I'm afraid off." Bryce muttered, but knew better than to keep arguing. Lara was amazingly stubborn at times.
He walked out the door, intending to finish building the scrambler for Lara, so he could get back to building his little bots. Jack watched him leave, before turning back to the map. "After that it should be easy." He said.
"Easy?" Lara asked.
"Yeah." Jack smiled. "All we need to do is grab some uniforms and join a team going through the gate. Once we're there, we can dial anywhere we want to go."
"Join a team?" Lara asked. "Don't you think they'd notice a couple of extra members?"
"I've got a friend who owes me a favour."
"Who?" Lara said. "And just what makes you think they'll help?"
"It's Janet."
"Oh." Lara said.
Jack frowned at her. "There are other people in this world willing to trust me Croft."
"I'm sorry." Lara said. "I don't really have any friends like that."
She saw the surprise in Jack's face as she said the words. "You do now." Jack said softly.
Lara gave a small, genuine smile in return. "Thank you."
Jack nodded. "Once we get inside the base, we'll have to keep out of sight of the cameras. As long as we're in SGC uniform and don't show our faces, we should be fine."
Lara nodded. "How are we going to get through the gate?" she asked. "I mean, without letting everyone know who we are."
"Janet's going to pull some strings for me."
There was a slight silence. "She helped you get out, didn't she?" Lara asked.
"Yes." Jack answered. "She didn't believe I did it, under influence or not." He looked at his watch. "I should give her a call."
Lara nodded. "There's a phone over there." She said, pointing behind her.
Jack went to the phone and dialled Janet's number, praying she was home. She was. "Janet." He said when she answered.
"Jack." She said. "Where are you?"
"Staying with a friend." He replied.
"I should have known you wouldn't tell me." Janet said. Then her tone turned even more serious. "You owe me big for this, Jack."
"I know Janet." Jack said softly. "And I promise I'll do anything I can to make it up to you."
"Bringing Daniel back alive will be enough for now." She replied.
Then Janet sighed. "Everything's ready Jack. I've got two uniforms like you asked and Major Blake's ready. All the NID will find are two soldiers knocked out and their uniforms stolen."
"Thank you, Janet. More than I can say."
"Just bring him back, Jack." She said. "Just bring him back."
Jack hung up the phone. "We're ready to go." He told Lara.
Lara nodded. "As soon as Bryce's finished, we'll leave."
* * *
12 HOURS LATER, COLORADO SPRINGS:
Lara walked up the darkened stairs onto a large wooden porch and continued to the old wooden door. She knocked quietly, before glancing around into the darkness to make sure she was alone.
The door opened and a petite brunette stood in the doorway, framed by the light from inside. "Lara." She said.
"Janet."
"Come in." Janet said.
Lara entered the house and found it was warmly and lovingly decorated. She heard the soft chords of muted rock music and raised an eyebrow. Janet smiled softly, but never lost the worried frown on her forehead. "Cassie." She explained.
"How is she?" Lara asked.
"Being a normal teenager." Janet replied.
Lara nodded, as Janet sighed. "He's staying with you, isn't he?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Is he alright?"
"He's as good as expected, considering the circumstances." Lara said. "But he's not going to rest until he finds out what happened."
"I don't expect him to." Janet said. "Jack learnt the hard way never to leave a man behind."
Lara raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"His CO left him in Iraq after he was captured. He spent four months imprisoned there before he escaped." Janet explained.
Lara nodded in understanding.
Janet sighed and grabbed a bag from where it was hidden under the couch. "SG-3 will be suiting up at 0800." She said, handing the bag to Lara.
"Thank you Janet." Lara said.
Janet smiled weakly. "Just tell him not to do anything stupid." She said.
"I will." Said Lara, and then she was gone.
Janet sank down onto the couch and prayed that Daniel was still alive and the Jack would find him. And that they wouldn't be caught.
