Author's note: I'm feeling a bit better – although I don't know how long it
will last - and I want to get as many chapters out as I can while I feel up
to it, so I hope no one minds the quick updates (I can't imagine anyone
will!)
~*~
"They're taking a beating." Shawn noted, listening in with the others to the radio chatter.
Sam nodded, worried. Jack was all that was left of his team, and S-3 was all down, along with most of S-4. Teal'c's team was on its way down, and S- 5 was holding the door for them.
"It's impossible to fight enemies you can't see."
"Yeah, I-"
They were interrupted by a snarl from Jaffer. The lab was on his feet on the bed in an instant, every hair on his body sticking up, and his lips drawn back to reveal his own formidable weaponry. It was all the warning they had.
The door was kicked open and it shattered as the lock held but the hinges didn't. An invisible force knocked it the rest of the way off its frame, and the wood flew everywhere, raining large pieces down on the room. Sam rolled off the bed, grabbing the radio with one hand and the Beretta with the other, even as Shawn fired the B'kedricti into the empty air. There was a grunt of pain, but an invisible hand swatted the barrel away before the young man could get off another shot.
"Colonel! They're in the infirmary!" Sam dropped the radio and fired at the doorway, just as Jaffer launched himself off the bed and right at Fraiser. The doctor stared as the black lab came towards her, shocked that he'd attack her. The lab wasn't after her, though. An assassin had gotten past Shawn, and was already heading for the others in the room. Sam had a weapon, as did the Marine, but the doctor was unarmed and the best target for an immediate kill.
Of course, like the rest of the Ashrak, he hadn't counted on the dog. Jaffer couldn't see any more than the doctor or the others could, but he knew where the enemy was, and the attack he made was a vicious one. One hundred plus pounds of dog came crashing into the Ashrak from behind, sending him down onto the floor where he landed heavily, and with a weight on his back that was slashing at the back of his neck, trying to find a way to kill him even though he couldn't see him.
Janet went down as well, under the weight of the invisible attack. She kicked her way clear while the assassin was struggling with Jaffer, and Sergeant Roberts reached down and hauled her to her feet, pulling her clear and pushing her behind him. He had a zat in his hand, but couldn't see to shoot it, and didn't dare fire until he could.
"Janet!" Sam dove over her bed and launched herself into the fight with Jaffer, hands searching for a part of the invisible man that she could grab and hold, and another part of her desperately trying to avoid the flashing teeth that were dangerously close to her own delicate skin.
Jaffer was a wonderful dog, and Sam had known him since he was a puppy, but this wasn't the same dog. This was a dog that was well aware that he was responsible for the lives of the people in the room with him, and he wasn't going to let them be hurt. He snarled, warning the Major not to get to close to him as he continued trying to find a soft spot to bite. The Marine gave up trying to fire his weapon; instead he jumped into the fight the same way Sam did, only he pulled the knife out of his belt, figuring that close combat was the only way to take the bastard down.
Shawn was having his own problems. Trained by Teal'c, Jack and Master Bra'tac, the young man was as good as they come when it comes to fighting close quarters. He was better than most, for that matter. But an invisible man will always have the edge over the guy that can't see him, and Shawn knew he really didn't have much of a chance. Stubborn pride kept him from calling for help – that and the knowledge that there wasn't any help available. From the corner of his eye he could see Jaffer, Sam and the Marine had their hands full as well.
~*~
Jack heard the call for help, and then heard a couple shots fired from an automatic. They were coming from the direction of the infirmary.
"Get them under cover!" Jack shouted to the remaining men, pointing at the last of the downed Marines. He wanted to take Fang, but he couldn't leave the other two without any warning system, and he didn't dare wait for them. There was no way of knowing how many were in the infirmary with Sam and Shawn. "Secure the room and get to the infirmary!"
He shouted this last order as he started running down the corridor, and the men scrambled to do what they were told, knowing that the Colonel was going to be alone until they were able to join him.
Jack was frantic. He tucked the alien weapon under his arm as he ran, checking the load in his Beretta. He was dangerously low on ammunition, but he didn't have another clip for it. He reclaimed his grip on both guns and turned the corner, hearing the very distinctive snarls of Jaffer, and the sounds of a struggle.
He ran through the doorway, and right into something solid. The impact rocked Jack backwards, and he dropped the alien weapon. The hold on the Beretta was automatic, though, and the gun came up as Jack tried to find a clear shot at what he couldn't see.
"Watch out!" Shawn had his hand on the invisible barrel of the assassin's B'kedricti, and he could feel the charge building up in the metal that meant it was going to fire. Jack didn't argue. He dove sideways into the room, and a beam shot at the wall next to where he'd just vacated. Jack couldn't fire back. There was no way he'd risk shooting that close to Shawn when there was no sure shot. He rolled and came back up, anxious to get the assassin's attention only on him, to at least give the boy a chance to get away. Of course, the problem with that was that the boy wasn't going to try and escape. Shawn wasn't going to run from the fight, and Jack should have known that. He did know it, deep down. He'd just hoped otherwise. But the boy was his father's son, and there was no denying it when Shawn threw his B'kedricti aside and dove at the invisible Ashrak, using the last shot to tell him where the man was.
They went down in a heap, Shawn struggling to fins a killing hold on the Ashrak, the Ashrak struggling to get the barrel of his weapon against the young man's body so he could kill him. O'Neill launched himself into the fight as well, tossing aside his Beretta and pulling the knife out. Steel flashed as Jack felt for something vulnerable with one hand, and stabbed at it with the other, only hesitating long enough to make sure it wasn't something that belonged to Shawn or himself.
~*~
"They're taking a beating." Shawn noted, listening in with the others to the radio chatter.
Sam nodded, worried. Jack was all that was left of his team, and S-3 was all down, along with most of S-4. Teal'c's team was on its way down, and S- 5 was holding the door for them.
"It's impossible to fight enemies you can't see."
"Yeah, I-"
They were interrupted by a snarl from Jaffer. The lab was on his feet on the bed in an instant, every hair on his body sticking up, and his lips drawn back to reveal his own formidable weaponry. It was all the warning they had.
The door was kicked open and it shattered as the lock held but the hinges didn't. An invisible force knocked it the rest of the way off its frame, and the wood flew everywhere, raining large pieces down on the room. Sam rolled off the bed, grabbing the radio with one hand and the Beretta with the other, even as Shawn fired the B'kedricti into the empty air. There was a grunt of pain, but an invisible hand swatted the barrel away before the young man could get off another shot.
"Colonel! They're in the infirmary!" Sam dropped the radio and fired at the doorway, just as Jaffer launched himself off the bed and right at Fraiser. The doctor stared as the black lab came towards her, shocked that he'd attack her. The lab wasn't after her, though. An assassin had gotten past Shawn, and was already heading for the others in the room. Sam had a weapon, as did the Marine, but the doctor was unarmed and the best target for an immediate kill.
Of course, like the rest of the Ashrak, he hadn't counted on the dog. Jaffer couldn't see any more than the doctor or the others could, but he knew where the enemy was, and the attack he made was a vicious one. One hundred plus pounds of dog came crashing into the Ashrak from behind, sending him down onto the floor where he landed heavily, and with a weight on his back that was slashing at the back of his neck, trying to find a way to kill him even though he couldn't see him.
Janet went down as well, under the weight of the invisible attack. She kicked her way clear while the assassin was struggling with Jaffer, and Sergeant Roberts reached down and hauled her to her feet, pulling her clear and pushing her behind him. He had a zat in his hand, but couldn't see to shoot it, and didn't dare fire until he could.
"Janet!" Sam dove over her bed and launched herself into the fight with Jaffer, hands searching for a part of the invisible man that she could grab and hold, and another part of her desperately trying to avoid the flashing teeth that were dangerously close to her own delicate skin.
Jaffer was a wonderful dog, and Sam had known him since he was a puppy, but this wasn't the same dog. This was a dog that was well aware that he was responsible for the lives of the people in the room with him, and he wasn't going to let them be hurt. He snarled, warning the Major not to get to close to him as he continued trying to find a soft spot to bite. The Marine gave up trying to fire his weapon; instead he jumped into the fight the same way Sam did, only he pulled the knife out of his belt, figuring that close combat was the only way to take the bastard down.
Shawn was having his own problems. Trained by Teal'c, Jack and Master Bra'tac, the young man was as good as they come when it comes to fighting close quarters. He was better than most, for that matter. But an invisible man will always have the edge over the guy that can't see him, and Shawn knew he really didn't have much of a chance. Stubborn pride kept him from calling for help – that and the knowledge that there wasn't any help available. From the corner of his eye he could see Jaffer, Sam and the Marine had their hands full as well.
~*~
Jack heard the call for help, and then heard a couple shots fired from an automatic. They were coming from the direction of the infirmary.
"Get them under cover!" Jack shouted to the remaining men, pointing at the last of the downed Marines. He wanted to take Fang, but he couldn't leave the other two without any warning system, and he didn't dare wait for them. There was no way of knowing how many were in the infirmary with Sam and Shawn. "Secure the room and get to the infirmary!"
He shouted this last order as he started running down the corridor, and the men scrambled to do what they were told, knowing that the Colonel was going to be alone until they were able to join him.
Jack was frantic. He tucked the alien weapon under his arm as he ran, checking the load in his Beretta. He was dangerously low on ammunition, but he didn't have another clip for it. He reclaimed his grip on both guns and turned the corner, hearing the very distinctive snarls of Jaffer, and the sounds of a struggle.
He ran through the doorway, and right into something solid. The impact rocked Jack backwards, and he dropped the alien weapon. The hold on the Beretta was automatic, though, and the gun came up as Jack tried to find a clear shot at what he couldn't see.
"Watch out!" Shawn had his hand on the invisible barrel of the assassin's B'kedricti, and he could feel the charge building up in the metal that meant it was going to fire. Jack didn't argue. He dove sideways into the room, and a beam shot at the wall next to where he'd just vacated. Jack couldn't fire back. There was no way he'd risk shooting that close to Shawn when there was no sure shot. He rolled and came back up, anxious to get the assassin's attention only on him, to at least give the boy a chance to get away. Of course, the problem with that was that the boy wasn't going to try and escape. Shawn wasn't going to run from the fight, and Jack should have known that. He did know it, deep down. He'd just hoped otherwise. But the boy was his father's son, and there was no denying it when Shawn threw his B'kedricti aside and dove at the invisible Ashrak, using the last shot to tell him where the man was.
They went down in a heap, Shawn struggling to fins a killing hold on the Ashrak, the Ashrak struggling to get the barrel of his weapon against the young man's body so he could kill him. O'Neill launched himself into the fight as well, tossing aside his Beretta and pulling the knife out. Steel flashed as Jack felt for something vulnerable with one hand, and stabbed at it with the other, only hesitating long enough to make sure it wasn't something that belonged to Shawn or himself.