O'Neill cursed under his breath. He heard the sounds of weapons fire
diminishing. Specifically, a decrease in the sound of staff blasts and a
steady stream in the sound of the P90s going off. Slowing down, he waived
Sam and Teal'c on before turning around to head back to where they'd come
from.
"Go ahead," he ordered, "I plan on dealing with Jonas myself."
O'Neill broke into a heavy run, hoping that he would be able to catch up with Jonas before he got himself into any trouble. He was angry that Jonas had taken off without back-up. For all he new it could be another trap and O'Neill had no intention of losing another friend. On the other hand, he had to admit to himself that Jonas had know that the last winner of the look-a-like contest wasn't Jenna. He seemed real sure that whoever it was he saw was the real deal. And yet, that too didn't make sense. Jenna would know better than to just rush off, she would have waited for more back-up. In the end O'Neill didn't know what to think. The only thing he could do was catch up with Jonas and keep his ass out of trouble.
When he reached the spot where the dead woman lay, Jonas was already gone and out of sight. He looked around at the ground and confirmed that Jonas did indeed head west and had apparently left clear signs through the trees and bushes. O'Neill followed the trail of broken twigs, and the occasionally clear foot print, at a steady pace. He would have liked to have gone at an all out run, but the enemy had tried to ambush his team twice already and he had no desire to be taken by surprise. It was clear though, based on the amount of signs that Jonas was leaving behind, he didn't have the same concern. O'Neill hoped he didn't get himself shot because he really wanted the pleasure of doing it himself.
It was couple minutes later when O'Neill finally realized something was off with the trail. He clearly saw the trail Jonas left behind. He was sure it was his just on the stride and position of the footprints alone. What bothered him was the fact that those were the only signs present. He thought back to when he'd first entered the woods and up until now and realized there had always been one set of tracks.
"Shit," O'Neill cursed under his breath and took off full tilt through the tress. Whatever trap he was heading for, O'Neill had to get to Jonas before it was sprung.
***********
Jonas had been following Jenna in a dead run for what seemed like an eternity and was beginning to get exhausted. He wondered at the apparition before him and realized how foolish it had been to take off the way he did. For all he knew he was headed into another trap, because he had never witnessed Jenna do anything remotely close to something like this and knew, from the few memories he did still retain from Jenna, that she'd never done something like this before. And yet he knew that it was her, the same way he had always know, on some level, when she was near him. It was something he'd have to ponder at a later time though, he needed to keep his eye on Jenna and any signs of the enemy.
Jonas noticed the subtle rise in the ground. The trees were becoming shorter and the branches thicker. He'd almost lost sight of Jenna a few times but, each time he did, he'd hear her voice urging him forward and then she'd appear again. He'd begun to worry though, because the last couple times he had lost track of Jenna he could barely hear her voice and the note of urgency he'd detected in it. Not only that but her light seemed to come back a little dimmer. Wherever Jenna was leading him, he hoped they got there soon.
************
O'Neill finally saw Jonas ahead of him. He was crouching at the edge of a clearing and appeared to be watching something. O'Neill crept up to the edge of the clearing a few feet to Jonas's left. He wanted to make sure Jonas caught sight of him first so that he wouldn't startle him, making Jonas give himself away. As soon as he caught Jonas's eye, he crept up to his position.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" O'Neill hissed quietly. Then waving his hand to stop his response, he added, "Never mind. What have you got?"
Jonas merely pointed further up the incline. There was a scattering of both large and small boulders resting among waist level grass. At the center, between two especially large boulders that were deeply imbedded into the ground, there was an opening to what appeared to be a cave. It was guarded by two Jaffa warriors that stood ramrod straight and unblinking on either side. O'Neill could tell right off there was something odd about the way they were standing. They stood there like statues carved in a mockery of life pretending to be real.
"You notice it to, don't you?" Jonas asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"Jenna told me that there's one more inside, guarding their cell, that's just the same. She says they're not even breathing and that she thinks that they're not even real."
"And how do you know it was Jenna you were talking to?"
"It was her, sir, I'm certain of it," he said with confidence.
"Jonas," O'Neill takes his eyes off the Jaffa in an effort to read his friend better. "When I followed you there was only one set of tracks. Explain that."
"What I saw was what I can only describe as her astral form. More than that, I can't explain. All I can tell you is that I *know* it was her and that she doesn't have much time left. She's dying, Jack, and if we're going to do something it needs to be soon."
O'Neill scrutinized him a bit longer and saw the stout determination. Jonas had no doubts about what he saw and what he had been told. How can you argue with conviction like that.
"Carter, come in."
"Yes, sir," came the reply.
"What's your status?"
"We ran across more Jaffa and a double of Wilcox. The Jaffa were easily taken out by regular amo', sir, but we had to use a zat on Wilcox's double and ended up with the same result. Zero casualties on our part."
"Good to here. Listen, Jonas and I are about two klics west from the first body, I want all of you to head towards us and be ready to cover our six. Jonas and I may have a lock on Jenna and Wilcox and if what he says is true, Jenna doesn't have much time. So be ready to make a run for the gate."
"Don't worry, sir, we'll be ready."
O'Neill looked back up to where the Jaffa stood and thought on the better side of caution. Even if they were lifeless statues, he wasn't about to take any chances. He pulled out his zat but kept his P90 ready in his right hand while indicating that Jonas should do the same. Although the zat still made noise when fired, it was still quieter than his gun and he wanted to attract as little attention as possible.
Nodding to Jonas, O'Neill stood and fired at the guard on the left while Jonas took the one on the right. Both men were half way to the entrance by the time the guards hit the ground. Once there, O'Neill looked down at the Jaffa and noted that their eyes were still open and lifeless. It unnerved the hell out of him so he shot each two more times disintegrating the bodies so he wouldn't have to look at them. He then turned to the entrance listened and slowly lead the way in.
"Go ahead," he ordered, "I plan on dealing with Jonas myself."
O'Neill broke into a heavy run, hoping that he would be able to catch up with Jonas before he got himself into any trouble. He was angry that Jonas had taken off without back-up. For all he new it could be another trap and O'Neill had no intention of losing another friend. On the other hand, he had to admit to himself that Jonas had know that the last winner of the look-a-like contest wasn't Jenna. He seemed real sure that whoever it was he saw was the real deal. And yet, that too didn't make sense. Jenna would know better than to just rush off, she would have waited for more back-up. In the end O'Neill didn't know what to think. The only thing he could do was catch up with Jonas and keep his ass out of trouble.
When he reached the spot where the dead woman lay, Jonas was already gone and out of sight. He looked around at the ground and confirmed that Jonas did indeed head west and had apparently left clear signs through the trees and bushes. O'Neill followed the trail of broken twigs, and the occasionally clear foot print, at a steady pace. He would have liked to have gone at an all out run, but the enemy had tried to ambush his team twice already and he had no desire to be taken by surprise. It was clear though, based on the amount of signs that Jonas was leaving behind, he didn't have the same concern. O'Neill hoped he didn't get himself shot because he really wanted the pleasure of doing it himself.
It was couple minutes later when O'Neill finally realized something was off with the trail. He clearly saw the trail Jonas left behind. He was sure it was his just on the stride and position of the footprints alone. What bothered him was the fact that those were the only signs present. He thought back to when he'd first entered the woods and up until now and realized there had always been one set of tracks.
"Shit," O'Neill cursed under his breath and took off full tilt through the tress. Whatever trap he was heading for, O'Neill had to get to Jonas before it was sprung.
***********
Jonas had been following Jenna in a dead run for what seemed like an eternity and was beginning to get exhausted. He wondered at the apparition before him and realized how foolish it had been to take off the way he did. For all he knew he was headed into another trap, because he had never witnessed Jenna do anything remotely close to something like this and knew, from the few memories he did still retain from Jenna, that she'd never done something like this before. And yet he knew that it was her, the same way he had always know, on some level, when she was near him. It was something he'd have to ponder at a later time though, he needed to keep his eye on Jenna and any signs of the enemy.
Jonas noticed the subtle rise in the ground. The trees were becoming shorter and the branches thicker. He'd almost lost sight of Jenna a few times but, each time he did, he'd hear her voice urging him forward and then she'd appear again. He'd begun to worry though, because the last couple times he had lost track of Jenna he could barely hear her voice and the note of urgency he'd detected in it. Not only that but her light seemed to come back a little dimmer. Wherever Jenna was leading him, he hoped they got there soon.
************
O'Neill finally saw Jonas ahead of him. He was crouching at the edge of a clearing and appeared to be watching something. O'Neill crept up to the edge of the clearing a few feet to Jonas's left. He wanted to make sure Jonas caught sight of him first so that he wouldn't startle him, making Jonas give himself away. As soon as he caught Jonas's eye, he crept up to his position.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" O'Neill hissed quietly. Then waving his hand to stop his response, he added, "Never mind. What have you got?"
Jonas merely pointed further up the incline. There was a scattering of both large and small boulders resting among waist level grass. At the center, between two especially large boulders that were deeply imbedded into the ground, there was an opening to what appeared to be a cave. It was guarded by two Jaffa warriors that stood ramrod straight and unblinking on either side. O'Neill could tell right off there was something odd about the way they were standing. They stood there like statues carved in a mockery of life pretending to be real.
"You notice it to, don't you?" Jonas asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"Jenna told me that there's one more inside, guarding their cell, that's just the same. She says they're not even breathing and that she thinks that they're not even real."
"And how do you know it was Jenna you were talking to?"
"It was her, sir, I'm certain of it," he said with confidence.
"Jonas," O'Neill takes his eyes off the Jaffa in an effort to read his friend better. "When I followed you there was only one set of tracks. Explain that."
"What I saw was what I can only describe as her astral form. More than that, I can't explain. All I can tell you is that I *know* it was her and that she doesn't have much time left. She's dying, Jack, and if we're going to do something it needs to be soon."
O'Neill scrutinized him a bit longer and saw the stout determination. Jonas had no doubts about what he saw and what he had been told. How can you argue with conviction like that.
"Carter, come in."
"Yes, sir," came the reply.
"What's your status?"
"We ran across more Jaffa and a double of Wilcox. The Jaffa were easily taken out by regular amo', sir, but we had to use a zat on Wilcox's double and ended up with the same result. Zero casualties on our part."
"Good to here. Listen, Jonas and I are about two klics west from the first body, I want all of you to head towards us and be ready to cover our six. Jonas and I may have a lock on Jenna and Wilcox and if what he says is true, Jenna doesn't have much time. So be ready to make a run for the gate."
"Don't worry, sir, we'll be ready."
O'Neill looked back up to where the Jaffa stood and thought on the better side of caution. Even if they were lifeless statues, he wasn't about to take any chances. He pulled out his zat but kept his P90 ready in his right hand while indicating that Jonas should do the same. Although the zat still made noise when fired, it was still quieter than his gun and he wanted to attract as little attention as possible.
Nodding to Jonas, O'Neill stood and fired at the guard on the left while Jonas took the one on the right. Both men were half way to the entrance by the time the guards hit the ground. Once there, O'Neill looked down at the Jaffa and noted that their eyes were still open and lifeless. It unnerved the hell out of him so he shot each two more times disintegrating the bodies so he wouldn't have to look at them. He then turned to the entrance listened and slowly lead the way in.