O'Neill and SG1 sat in Hammonds office awaiting any information from the local police. Leads had been slow in coming. It seemed that all they did was sit and wait. They had nowhere to look, no idea of where she might have gone. Finally the telephone rang. Hammond answered and after a short conversation hung up. He turned to the men sitting in his office.
"The Police have a lead that seems legitimate. A kid at a gas station on RT.27 saw her about 2 1/2 weeks ago. She stopped for gas on her motorcycle. Turns out the kid's a big fan of classic motorcycles and remembered her ...and the $5 tip she gave him. The police have already talked to him and followed up on a lead he gave them, but why don't you give it a try?"
"We're out of here," O'Neill replied and moved to the door without waiting to be dismissed, with Daniel and Teal'c on his heels.
O'Neill's truck pulled up at the little service station that the police sent them to. They immediately found the young man that Sam had talked with and questioned him.
"When did she come in for gas," O'Neill asked.
"I don't know, maybe two weeks ago," the young man replied nervously. He kept glancing at the dark muscular stranger with the hat pulled down low on this forehead. "No, wait. I remember. It was the day that all the snow started. I wondered about her after the snow started falling. I hoped she gotten to the other end of that road and made it home. Guess that must have been about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Nice lady."
"Yeah, she is," O'Neill said under his breath.
"Tell us about that road, " Daniel questioned.
"It's about 2 miles on up Rt. 27. Turns off to the left. It's dirt, but in good shape - at least it was before all the snow. Just a few houses on it. Goes for a good ways and loops around. Comes out about an hour south of the 'Springs. Thought she might enjoy the ride. Didn't know the weather was gonna turn like that or I would have never suggested it."
"Thanks." Jack said as he started to walk off.
"Hey, I hope she's ok," the kid called as they headed to the truck.
Jack turned and called back. "So do we. So do we."
"What now," Daniel asked after they had climbed in the truck.
"Well, the police have already been out that road and gave the all clear, but I want to check it out for myself." O'Neill replied. "OK camper, let's go look as some trees."
They turned left onto the dirt road. O'Neill was surprised at how well cared for it looked. At least one vehicle had been in or and out since the snow had started melting. The big truck moved along with no trouble. They rode in silence for half an hour, going slowly looking to either side.
"You know, she could be anywhere out there and not be found until all this snow melts," O'Neill said softly surveying the dripping landscape. "If she went off the road, we'd never find her."
"Jack, you can't think like that. She's alright, wherever she is." Daniel comforted. "Sam has always been able to take care of herself."
"MajorCarter is a formidable warrior, O'Neill," Teal'c interjected.
"Yeah, I know," O'Neill sighed. "It's just that we always manage to come back from light years away. Why is it Sam isn't safe here on her own planet?"
They stopped at the first cabin they came to and knocked on the door. When no one answered, they decided to look around. Finding nothing of interest, they got back in Jack's truck and moved on.
When they came to the second house they repeated the previous actions. Again, no one was home so they looked around. Again, finding nothing, they moved on. The road began to climb away from the stream. They didn't notice the few aspen leaves left on the trees. They did not speak, so intent on their purpose to find Sam.
They came down the hill and saw the cabin with smoke pouring from the chimney.
"Well, looks like we finally found someone at home," Daniel said as they got out.
"Let's go have a talk with the owner," O'Neill answered as he walked to the porch and knocked.
It was a few minutes before someone came to the door and when he did he was not happy. A graying man of about 50 looked out at them.
"What do you want," he asked, none too friendly, barring the door with his body.
"Hi, uh... my name is Colonel Jack O'Neill, USAF and I'm looking for a friend of mine and my second in command. Major Samantha Carter. About 30, 5'9" blond with blue eyes. We think she might have been out this way before the snowstorm and I hoped you might have seen her. She may have been riding her Indian out this way." Jack looked over his shoulder and into the front room. He saw suitcases with clothes scattered about. It looked as though someone was packing for a trip.
Jackson stared at the man standing in his doorway. He noticed the slump of his shoulders, the sadness in his face. Jackson had always been a good judge of people and what he saw here let him know that this man cared for Sam a great deal. He would have to be very careful here. He tensed.
"The police have already been here and I'll tell you the same thing I told them. I haven't seen anyone. I live here with my wife who is very ill and I rarely even leave the house. I don't have time to look out for every lost 'friend' on her motorcycle. I spend my time taking care of Karen and seeing to her needs."
"Well, Mr., er...," O'Neill began, but was cut off by Jackson.
"Thomason," Jack replied. " Jackson Thomason."
"Well, Mr. Thomason, if you see anything out of the ordinary, please give me a call. She is very important to me... I mean to the Air Force.
Here is my card. Hope your wife gets to feeling better."
O'Neill turned and left the porch, trailed by Teal'c and Daniel. They quickly got into the truck and continued on down the road as Jackson stood in the doorway watching their every move.
They drove for several miles before Teal'c spoke.
"I do not feel that man was truthful, O'Neill," said Teal'c.
"He was entirely too tense," Daniel interjected, "and in my opinion was hiding something, but then again, with his wife sick and all, we could have stopped at a bad time."
"Something was off there. Did you see the suitcases he had in the front room? If his wife is so sick, where is he going? Maybe we should go back and have a look around, what do ya say? I just have a feeling about this... Did you notice that he knew what the Indian was? Maybe he was a bike fan, but that surprised me."
"Jack," Daniel said thoughtfully, "maybe he was just annoyed about being disturbed. He did say his wife was sick and maybe all these visits bothers her."
"Well, we wont bother him, we'll just take a look around for ourselves," O'Neill replied, sliding the truck to a stop. Turning around, he headed back towards the cabin.
"We'd better park away from the cabin so he can't see us," Jack said thoughtfully. "Everybody ready for a hike?"
"The Police have a lead that seems legitimate. A kid at a gas station on RT.27 saw her about 2 1/2 weeks ago. She stopped for gas on her motorcycle. Turns out the kid's a big fan of classic motorcycles and remembered her ...and the $5 tip she gave him. The police have already talked to him and followed up on a lead he gave them, but why don't you give it a try?"
"We're out of here," O'Neill replied and moved to the door without waiting to be dismissed, with Daniel and Teal'c on his heels.
O'Neill's truck pulled up at the little service station that the police sent them to. They immediately found the young man that Sam had talked with and questioned him.
"When did she come in for gas," O'Neill asked.
"I don't know, maybe two weeks ago," the young man replied nervously. He kept glancing at the dark muscular stranger with the hat pulled down low on this forehead. "No, wait. I remember. It was the day that all the snow started. I wondered about her after the snow started falling. I hoped she gotten to the other end of that road and made it home. Guess that must have been about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Nice lady."
"Yeah, she is," O'Neill said under his breath.
"Tell us about that road, " Daniel questioned.
"It's about 2 miles on up Rt. 27. Turns off to the left. It's dirt, but in good shape - at least it was before all the snow. Just a few houses on it. Goes for a good ways and loops around. Comes out about an hour south of the 'Springs. Thought she might enjoy the ride. Didn't know the weather was gonna turn like that or I would have never suggested it."
"Thanks." Jack said as he started to walk off.
"Hey, I hope she's ok," the kid called as they headed to the truck.
Jack turned and called back. "So do we. So do we."
"What now," Daniel asked after they had climbed in the truck.
"Well, the police have already been out that road and gave the all clear, but I want to check it out for myself." O'Neill replied. "OK camper, let's go look as some trees."
They turned left onto the dirt road. O'Neill was surprised at how well cared for it looked. At least one vehicle had been in or and out since the snow had started melting. The big truck moved along with no trouble. They rode in silence for half an hour, going slowly looking to either side.
"You know, she could be anywhere out there and not be found until all this snow melts," O'Neill said softly surveying the dripping landscape. "If she went off the road, we'd never find her."
"Jack, you can't think like that. She's alright, wherever she is." Daniel comforted. "Sam has always been able to take care of herself."
"MajorCarter is a formidable warrior, O'Neill," Teal'c interjected.
"Yeah, I know," O'Neill sighed. "It's just that we always manage to come back from light years away. Why is it Sam isn't safe here on her own planet?"
They stopped at the first cabin they came to and knocked on the door. When no one answered, they decided to look around. Finding nothing of interest, they got back in Jack's truck and moved on.
When they came to the second house they repeated the previous actions. Again, no one was home so they looked around. Again, finding nothing, they moved on. The road began to climb away from the stream. They didn't notice the few aspen leaves left on the trees. They did not speak, so intent on their purpose to find Sam.
They came down the hill and saw the cabin with smoke pouring from the chimney.
"Well, looks like we finally found someone at home," Daniel said as they got out.
"Let's go have a talk with the owner," O'Neill answered as he walked to the porch and knocked.
It was a few minutes before someone came to the door and when he did he was not happy. A graying man of about 50 looked out at them.
"What do you want," he asked, none too friendly, barring the door with his body.
"Hi, uh... my name is Colonel Jack O'Neill, USAF and I'm looking for a friend of mine and my second in command. Major Samantha Carter. About 30, 5'9" blond with blue eyes. We think she might have been out this way before the snowstorm and I hoped you might have seen her. She may have been riding her Indian out this way." Jack looked over his shoulder and into the front room. He saw suitcases with clothes scattered about. It looked as though someone was packing for a trip.
Jackson stared at the man standing in his doorway. He noticed the slump of his shoulders, the sadness in his face. Jackson had always been a good judge of people and what he saw here let him know that this man cared for Sam a great deal. He would have to be very careful here. He tensed.
"The police have already been here and I'll tell you the same thing I told them. I haven't seen anyone. I live here with my wife who is very ill and I rarely even leave the house. I don't have time to look out for every lost 'friend' on her motorcycle. I spend my time taking care of Karen and seeing to her needs."
"Well, Mr., er...," O'Neill began, but was cut off by Jackson.
"Thomason," Jack replied. " Jackson Thomason."
"Well, Mr. Thomason, if you see anything out of the ordinary, please give me a call. She is very important to me... I mean to the Air Force.
Here is my card. Hope your wife gets to feeling better."
O'Neill turned and left the porch, trailed by Teal'c and Daniel. They quickly got into the truck and continued on down the road as Jackson stood in the doorway watching their every move.
They drove for several miles before Teal'c spoke.
"I do not feel that man was truthful, O'Neill," said Teal'c.
"He was entirely too tense," Daniel interjected, "and in my opinion was hiding something, but then again, with his wife sick and all, we could have stopped at a bad time."
"Something was off there. Did you see the suitcases he had in the front room? If his wife is so sick, where is he going? Maybe we should go back and have a look around, what do ya say? I just have a feeling about this... Did you notice that he knew what the Indian was? Maybe he was a bike fan, but that surprised me."
"Jack," Daniel said thoughtfully, "maybe he was just annoyed about being disturbed. He did say his wife was sick and maybe all these visits bothers her."
"Well, we wont bother him, we'll just take a look around for ourselves," O'Neill replied, sliding the truck to a stop. Turning around, he headed back towards the cabin.
"We'd better park away from the cabin so he can't see us," Jack said thoughtfully. "Everybody ready for a hike?"