"Jenna. Jenna, come on don't give up now." Wilcox shook Jenna's shoulder,
trying to get some response. Only a moment ago she'd regained
consciousness long enough to relay that help was just outside the cave,
then she past out. She was barely breathing and her heartbeat had become
difficult to detect. He feared that she may not make it and that he may be
responsible for it. If only she hadn't done what he'd asked of her. Jenna
had already been weak and he'd asked her to try and contact the others. If
only he'd found another way. If only he'd waited and used what Jenna had
provided him.
Wilcox knew he could go on and on, but right now blaming himself wasn't getting them anywhere. If what Jenna said was true then he needed to expedite matters. Taking the explosives from the pen, Wilcox molded some of it around the locking mechanism of the cell door and attached a blast cap to each side of the circle he'd made. He then pulled Jenna back against the far wall and covered her face with her vest.
Wilcox then went back to stand a few feet and to the side of the cell door, and covering his face with one arm, he got ready to throw the large rock he'd dug up from the dirt floor.
Breath deep and release. "One." Then again. "Two." Last time. "Thre..."
"Wilcox." He heard O'Neill's voice just as he saw the Jaffa guard fall to the ground from around the corner.
"Here!" he called and rushed up to the bars.
"Stand back," O'Neill said as he came around the corner, aiming his P90.
"Wait, Colonel! I placed explosives around the lock. You may get a bigger bang than you bargained for so I suggest you back up further yourself."
"Explosives?" O'Neill looked on as Wilcox merely shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind, just get back."
Wilcox knelt down by Jenna and attempted to shield as much of her as he could while covering his own head. O'Neill stepped back to the corner, where Jonas was keeping an eye on the entrance, raised his gun and fired.
The explosion blew the door wide open and almost off it's hinges. O'Neill stepped toward the opening and Jonas turned to join him. "Watch the entrance, Jonas."
"Jack, you're a better shot than I am," he replied. Jonas had to go in to see Jenna. He felt, as unreasonable as it was, that if he didn't and something happened it would be because he hadn't done enough.
"Go," O'Neill said. He understood the look in Jonas's eyes well enough. Jonas quickly entered the cell not completely prepared for what he saw. Jenna lay at the far wall and looked so pale she was almost white. He could see the bruises and the dried blood and thought for a second that she was already dead. He then shook himself and reined in his emotions. He couldn't fail Jenna now by just standing there. He came over and handed Wilcox his weapon.
"I think this could be of better use in your hands."
Wilcox took the proffered gun and said nothing. He saw the look in Jonas's face and knew that there were feelings there greater than friendship. He had to hand it to him though, because it takes a lot for a man to hold himself together when faced with this kind of situation.
Jonas knelt by Jenna and fought the urge to cry at the state she was in. Carefully, he gathered her in his arms and picked her up. She didn't even make a sound.
"Let's go," he said to Wilcox before walking out of the cell.
After that, things went pretty quickly. They met up with the rest of SG-1 and SG-3 stopping for a moment to place Jenna on a litter that Sam had brought and quickly assembled. Lawrence and Teal'c took charge of the litter in deference to Jonas's injured hand and they were off. They reached the clearing where the temple was in record time and paused to see if the coast was clear. O'Neill was about to step out when he caught movement near the temple. He quickly brought his fist up signaling for everyone to hold their position. He caught sight of five maybe six individuals and they weren't Jaffa. They blended in and out of the scenery like ripples on the horizon. O'Neill was only able to discern details by looking directly at one and what he saw made his skin crawl.
The creature was bipedal in nature and that's where the similarity with humans ended. It's features seemed to be in a constant state of flux and at one point he thought he saw the visage of a Jaffa then it was gone. It's color even change constantly which was why they were hard to see. Even the staff-like weapons they appeared to be holding shifted in color.
O'Neill glanced at the others and noticed their similar reactions to the creatures before them. He signaled to them to have both their zats and guns ready, because he didn't know which would work on these creatures. Then O'Neill assigned each member a target and indicated to Jonas that his priority was to get to the DHD and dial. He then held up three fingers and counted down to zero and they broke cover.
The shooting began almost immediately as they were meet with green laser fire, but O'Neill and his team, having prepared for them, managed to keep the enemy at bay and even take out a couple by maintaining a constant barrage of fire. They were across the field and in the temple in no time and Jonas began dialing home, inserting the GDO signal as soon as the wormhole had opened. Two minutes later they were all through and the gate was shut down.
Wilcox knew he could go on and on, but right now blaming himself wasn't getting them anywhere. If what Jenna said was true then he needed to expedite matters. Taking the explosives from the pen, Wilcox molded some of it around the locking mechanism of the cell door and attached a blast cap to each side of the circle he'd made. He then pulled Jenna back against the far wall and covered her face with her vest.
Wilcox then went back to stand a few feet and to the side of the cell door, and covering his face with one arm, he got ready to throw the large rock he'd dug up from the dirt floor.
Breath deep and release. "One." Then again. "Two." Last time. "Thre..."
"Wilcox." He heard O'Neill's voice just as he saw the Jaffa guard fall to the ground from around the corner.
"Here!" he called and rushed up to the bars.
"Stand back," O'Neill said as he came around the corner, aiming his P90.
"Wait, Colonel! I placed explosives around the lock. You may get a bigger bang than you bargained for so I suggest you back up further yourself."
"Explosives?" O'Neill looked on as Wilcox merely shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind, just get back."
Wilcox knelt down by Jenna and attempted to shield as much of her as he could while covering his own head. O'Neill stepped back to the corner, where Jonas was keeping an eye on the entrance, raised his gun and fired.
The explosion blew the door wide open and almost off it's hinges. O'Neill stepped toward the opening and Jonas turned to join him. "Watch the entrance, Jonas."
"Jack, you're a better shot than I am," he replied. Jonas had to go in to see Jenna. He felt, as unreasonable as it was, that if he didn't and something happened it would be because he hadn't done enough.
"Go," O'Neill said. He understood the look in Jonas's eyes well enough. Jonas quickly entered the cell not completely prepared for what he saw. Jenna lay at the far wall and looked so pale she was almost white. He could see the bruises and the dried blood and thought for a second that she was already dead. He then shook himself and reined in his emotions. He couldn't fail Jenna now by just standing there. He came over and handed Wilcox his weapon.
"I think this could be of better use in your hands."
Wilcox took the proffered gun and said nothing. He saw the look in Jonas's face and knew that there were feelings there greater than friendship. He had to hand it to him though, because it takes a lot for a man to hold himself together when faced with this kind of situation.
Jonas knelt by Jenna and fought the urge to cry at the state she was in. Carefully, he gathered her in his arms and picked her up. She didn't even make a sound.
"Let's go," he said to Wilcox before walking out of the cell.
After that, things went pretty quickly. They met up with the rest of SG-1 and SG-3 stopping for a moment to place Jenna on a litter that Sam had brought and quickly assembled. Lawrence and Teal'c took charge of the litter in deference to Jonas's injured hand and they were off. They reached the clearing where the temple was in record time and paused to see if the coast was clear. O'Neill was about to step out when he caught movement near the temple. He quickly brought his fist up signaling for everyone to hold their position. He caught sight of five maybe six individuals and they weren't Jaffa. They blended in and out of the scenery like ripples on the horizon. O'Neill was only able to discern details by looking directly at one and what he saw made his skin crawl.
The creature was bipedal in nature and that's where the similarity with humans ended. It's features seemed to be in a constant state of flux and at one point he thought he saw the visage of a Jaffa then it was gone. It's color even change constantly which was why they were hard to see. Even the staff-like weapons they appeared to be holding shifted in color.
O'Neill glanced at the others and noticed their similar reactions to the creatures before them. He signaled to them to have both their zats and guns ready, because he didn't know which would work on these creatures. Then O'Neill assigned each member a target and indicated to Jonas that his priority was to get to the DHD and dial. He then held up three fingers and counted down to zero and they broke cover.
The shooting began almost immediately as they were meet with green laser fire, but O'Neill and his team, having prepared for them, managed to keep the enemy at bay and even take out a couple by maintaining a constant barrage of fire. They were across the field and in the temple in no time and Jonas began dialing home, inserting the GDO signal as soon as the wormhole had opened. Two minutes later they were all through and the gate was shut down.