"Mystic power web." Daniel said slowly.
"Trans-dimensional Portal?" Teal'c intoned gravely.
The two exchanged nonplussed looks, hopes for Major Carter's successful rescue fading with each word of the Sgt.'s report.
Col. Bering ignored them. "When 2nd Lieutenant Finn gave the order for back-up, what numbers and what kind of firepower did he have in mind, Sgt.?"
The Sgt. was silent.
Col. Bering nodded. "I understand. Heat of the moment...the 2nd Lieutenant was probably not specific. No matter."
"Actually, sir, 2nd Lieutenant Finn was very specific." Sgt. Miller seemed to have come to some kind of internal decision. Still, he hesitated one more moment before admitting, "I was ordered to find Buffy Summers."
Col. Bering blinked. His face began to turn red and his mouth opened.
"Buffy?" Jack was incredulous.
"That traitorous little bitch..."
"Hold on. Mr. Black was leaning forward now, his stare direct. "Do you mean to tell me, Sgt. Miller, that 2nd Lt. Riley Finn ordered you to gain assistance from the very person who nearly destroyed both the Initiative and said soldier's career?"
Graham Miller's crystal blue eyes were remote, fastened on a point far, far away. "Yes, sir."
"General Hammond," Jack broke in. His body language clearly indicated that he was done with all this mystic crap. "What the hell does any of this have to do with finding Major Carter?"
"Gentlemen!" General Hammond said, obviously beginning to lose patience. "I don't pretend to understand any of this. If this is a joint mission than I think it would behoove you to let us in on it."
Mr. Black looked away from Sgt. Miller, blinking as if the young Marine had fixated him.
"You're right, of course." He looked at Jack. "Where did you find Sgt. Miller and, ah, lose your Major?"
"Haven't you been listening?" Col. Bering said, still glaring at his sweating Sgt. "The op was in Utah. The portal was in Utah. Obviously the Hostile is in..."
"Devorak." Daniel Jackson broke in.
Everyone looked at him.
"The official designation is P97-45X, but the inhabitants call it Devorak. It's located about 30,000 light years past the Serinu sector, near the Tollan home world." Daniel paused, and then added "Or what's left of it."
"See now," Jack shook his head. "That's where this whole little story about monsters just makes me edgy. The fact is, Col., your man here was found on a different freaking' planet, and unless you can somehow explain to me how that happened..."
"That's nonsense!" Col. Bering snapped. "Aren't we past this charade?" He swung around to Mr. Black. "Tell the President that our men and women are loyal and will not betray the secrets of this organization. This is proof. Now end this farce and let me take my soldier home."
Everybody started to speak at once, but a commanding and clear voice cut through the commotion,
"Col., sir, this is not, I repeat, not a test." Sgt. Miller was adamant. "I personally witnessed the Hostile abduct their team member, and I have traveled with them." He looked at the SGC personnel. "The place I ended up on had four moons and the sun was a different color."
"Sort of a lemon yellow." Daniel inserted.
Miller looked back at his CO. "I believe, sir, that the trans-dimensional portal established by Hostile 438 somehow connected our team to the target's nest. I further believe, sir, that that nest is located on the planet Col. O'Neill and his team were on."
"Devorak." Daniel threw in again.
Col. Bering's face darkened.
Lastly, sir, " Graham Miller looked very, very serious. "I believe that contacting Buffy Summers is the best way to assure success of any rescue mission."
"The best way?" Aghast, Col. Bering stared at his soldier.
"Possibly, sir, the only way." Sgt. Miller addressed his last comment to General Hammond and Mr. Black.
"Just who is this "Buffy" person, Sgt. Miller?" General Hammond snapped.
Mr. Black answered instead. "A creature out of folklore, General." He had resumed his fixation with Sgt. Miller, as if the young Marine had an answer somewhere inside him that the sharply dressed man could suss out if he looked hard enough. He went on, reverently, as though he were reciting a prayer. "They say that for every generation there is a Slayer; one girl Chosen above all others. She is endowed with strength, speed, courage and cunning and it is her job, her sacred duty to fight vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness."
Silence reigned. Everyone stared at Mr. Black.
"And someone named her 'Buffy'?'" Jack was incredulous.
Mr. Black went on, addressing Sgt. Miller and ignoring Jack. "The Special Operations Branch of the Initiative was originally run out of UC Sunnydale. It was the perfect location, since Sunnydale, California housed what was at that time the most active Hellmouth in the world. You met her." It was not a question.
"Yes, sir. Sgt. Miller said quietly.
"Mr. Black," General Hammond could feel the tension among his people. "May I remind you we have a member of our team out there, being held by whatever this creature is? Is all this debate necessary? Our team is ready to move on this creature now, and that's exactly what we're going to do." He stood, preparing to command SG-1 to go forth and find their lost Major.
Mr. Black lost his smile. "One minute, General." He looked at each of the SGC team for a few moments as he spoke, sweeping the room with a proprietary air.
"May I remind you, General Hammond," he replied with an edge to his voice, "That you still answer to the President?" He let that sink in for a moment then, with a softer tone, "I know that this is hard on all of you. But if we were discussing the pros and cons of individuals the SGC has had contact with, the Col. and the Sgt. would be equally in the dark. I have been charged with the coordination of this matter. I need to know what resources we have from both sides."
Col. Bering rolled his eyes.
"Just give me the word and I'll have my boys launch a counteroffensive." Blue eyes burned, shutting the Stargate people out, fixed on some internal Grail. It was unnerving; to the SGC personnel he looked as though his eyes would start to glow at any moment.
Mr. Black rapped the table sharply. "There's no place to launch to, Col." The edge was back in his voice. "Every geologist, investigator, witch, warlock and shaman your forces have been able to muster confirms that there is no trace of this creature on this planet. Hostile 438 was adversely affected when the portal was collapsed; he's in a coma now." He let that sink in.
"Basically," he added, "The finding of this young man on the aforementioned planet is the first lead we have as to where this creature could be. Because no-one can find a trace of it here."
Mr. Black swept the room with an assessing look one more time.
"Our best intelligence suggests that the Slayer is en route to Los Angeles." Though his tone was mild, every person in the room understood that the dapper gentleman was speaking with the full weight of his authority.
"Your orders come directly from the Joint Chiefs. I have a plane standing by, waiting to transport you all to LA in one hour. When you touch down in LA we will furnish you with whatever information we have at that time. You will find the Slayer, obtain her cooperation, and return here as soon as possible so that we can find this demon, terminate it, and get our soldiers back."
A loaded silence settled over the room.
Col. Bering was the first to speak.
"The Initiative has a "constant surveillance" policy regarding this Slayer." He drawled the word out like an obscenity. "I will go gather a strike force." He stood and saluted, making even the gesture of respect seem like an insult. "See you in LA." He stalked out, Sgt. Miller on his heels, as SG-1 looked at each other. All of them saw the same thought in each other's eyes.
Carter was freaking doomed.
"I wish you luck in L.A., gentlemen." Mr. Black bowed cordially. "I think you'll find the Slayer...interesting." He left the room, silence ringing in his wake.
Daniel, Jack and Teal'c looked at each other, then looked at General Hammond.
"Permission to find this thing and blow it to hell." Jack said seriously.
Hammond looked sorely tempted, but in the end Jack, Daniel and Teal'c found themselves on a plane, headed for Los Angeles.
---------------------------------------------------
"What about the Asgard? Jack said gruffly.
He was lounging on one twin bed, Teal'c on the other. They had received hotel keys and nothing more.
So much for intel.
"We haven't heard back from them yet. Daniel sounded as tired as he felt, none of them having slept since Carter had been taken. "We are still waiting to hear back from the Tok-Ra, but their forces were decimated in that last attack. The Tollan are on the run." He slumped in a chair facing the two taking up each bed.
"It's been almost 48 hours, Jack. We have to find her soon."
Teal'c radiated disapproval through his normal impassive calm. "I do not yet understand how this female warrior will be of assistance."
Jack rubbed a hand over his face.
"Neither do I, Teal'c." He clambered out of bed and began pacing.
The tension level crept up, making all three crazier by the second. They'd been here before, countless times over the years, but always they'd had each other to count on. Now they were being forced to rely on a soldier who was clearly, as Jack had forcefully opined, 'three or four tacos short of a combination plate.' One that led a buzz-cut delusional group of escapees from some highly fucked up mental hospital. They seemed to believe every dumb story they were read as collective children.
The Initiative and their whacked out belief in magic left each SG member furious in his own way. All three knew that they would break at some point. SG-1 would ultimately wiggle away from the Monster Squad and go find their lost physicist. Being SG-1 they would simply power through anyone dumb enough to get in their way.
That's how SG-1 worked.
About fifteen minutes before they all lost their minds, however, there was a ring from the hotel phone and the low clear voice of Sgt. Graham Miller came rushing out.
"Col. O'Neill, sir, you've got to get down here right away." The Sgt. was practically whispering but Jack was tuned to disaster and the urgency in the message made his stomach hurt.
"What's the situation, Sgt.?"
Sgt. Miller threw out an address, which Jack repeated so that Teal'c and Daniel would hear. Then he hung up.
"It bears the appearance of a trap, O'Neill." Teal'c was contemplative.
Or at least he sounded like it. Although he pretty much always sounded like that.
"Yeah." Jack kicked his stupid chintz-covered bed. "But we don't have nearly enough intel yet, and I trust the kid, even if his CO is..."
"Psychotic?" Daniel sounded like he was beginning to hate the military all over again.
They looked at each other, checked their weapons, and took off to the meeting place.
---------------------------------------------------
SG-1 glared collectively at the industrial warehouse they arrived at. Well, Jack glared. Daniel looked around collecting visual information and Teal'c critiqued the obvious trap they were stepping into, judging lines of fire and plotting escape routes. His face became even more impassive as he looked the site over.
There was a door. Jack knocked.
Another young Marine, blank eyed and blank faced, open the door. He had a gun, a military issue nine millimeter, cocked and waiting. He pointed it at Jack and stood, silent and unmoving.
"Hi. Jack said. He didn't look at he gun, only at the man. "We're looking for the top secret government organization?"
The Marine didn't move.
Jack went to lean in and the gun rose slightly. He cocked his head and frowned.
"This is really getting old." He said irritably.
"Sgt. Bounden." Col. Bering's voice boomed out at them. "Please escort our friends inside."
Sgt. Bounden took a precise step back, allowing them entry. The gun didn't lower.
Jack walked into the warehouse, Daniel and Teal'c close behind. Inside there was a small cadre of hard faced young men, all with weapons close to hand. Except for the soldiers the warehouse was empty, a large barren space with some kind of upper walkway running around the walls about thirty feet above their heads. There was a cage in the middle of the room, and a chair. A tense expectation came off all the men in waves, smelling like a field before battle.
Jack took this all in, and then looked at the Marine Col.
"What's up?" He nodded at the cage. "I haven't seen our monster yet, but the cage is looking kinda small from the reports I've heard." Jack was at his most flippant, but there was a challenge under his words.
Col. Bering smiled. The big blond man looked entirely at ease now, in control again and master of his surroundings. He even looked like he'd gotten some sleep. Jack hated him even more for that.
"Col. O'Neill." He didn't waste a moment. "Please be so good as to toss your weapons on the ground in front of you."
Jack blinked.
"What?"
"Your weapons, Col." Sgt. Bounden stepped forward in response to the Initiative leader's command. Several other soldiers drew their weapons and aimed them at SG-1.
"Please remove them slowly and place them on the ground in front of you."
"Why? Jack said bluntly.
Teal'c and Daniel were looking around, assessing the strength of the opposing force.
It looked pretty forceful.
Several more soldiers raised their weapons.
"You are being detained for the duration of this mission." Col. Bering was smiling, relaxed. "My boys are going to get this bitch and rescue our team. We don't need amateurs mucking up our plans." More soldiers began cocking their weapons, taking aim at Jack.
Jack didn't move, however, until one soldier put the muzzle of his gun to Daniel's temple.
Then he drew out his 9 millimeter and slowly dropped it in front of him. Daniel and Teal'c followed suit.
"Do I even need to mention how court-martialed you're going to be?" Jack looked around at the Marines behind their guns. "You're throwing your careers away, kids. This guy's going to go down, and you're all going with him."
Bering grinned, obviously not worried. "Col. I don't think you understand. My job is to find Hostile Sub-Terraneans, subdue them, and take them to the lab boys so that we can figure out how to use them militarily. I'm going to capture this demon and turn it over to a bunch of geeks. They will then figure out its secrets and I will probably get a medal." He looked around with pride. "So will all my boys." He winked at O'Neill.
"You'll probably get a medal too, just from being around this mission."
"Thanks." Jack said dryly, "I've got enough of those."
Self-assurance fairly screamed from his counterpart's face. "Oh, they'll reprimand me in private, probably your General will lodge a complaint..." he smiled, a we-both-know-how-the-system-works smile. Jack didn't smile back. "...but as long as I get the Hostile, no one will care how I do it."
Sadly, Jack didn't figure the guy was all that wrong.
Col. Bering delivered the piece de resistance. "Plus," he said, nodding at the cage, I'm going to bring them their very own Slayer. A low snicker ran around the group. The Col. joined in. "The lab coats have been trying to get their hands on her for years. She could teach us a world of new information, especially the biological make-up of those extremely fine martial moves she's got. Her brain alone will be worth millions to the lucky white coat who gets to dissect it."
He suddenly got very serious, very quickly. "Plus we owe her, the bitch. She nearly destroyed a fine soldier, not to mention forcing us to shut down out most productive site."
"Jack?" Daniel said in a low voice.
"Yes, Daniel?"
"This guy is absolutely fucked in the head, isn't he?"
"Yes, Daniel."
Daniel nodded, not looking away from Col. Bering.
"That what I figured." He raised his voice, addressing the Initiative leader for the first time. "Hey, Col. Psycho?"
Jack was momentarily pleased with his own foresight. He had angled his body so he was between the majority of the guns and his archeologist. It seemed like a good idea given Daniel's penchant for brutal honesty at the most critical of idiotic times. Now, it seemed, was one of those times.
"If this girl is so all powerful, how exactly are you going to get her in that cage?"
"It's simple. Col. Bering turned slightly and they could see a door opening on the far side of the room. "You begin every mission with a threat assessment of the target. You want to know every strength the Hostile has."
More soldiers swarmed into the warehouse, surrounding a lean brown haired man with glasses who had his hands bound behind him and a carefully guarded hatred seeping out of his every pore. They marched him up to where the Stargate crew stood, furious and disarmed, and pushed him roughly into the chair that sat next to the cage.
Col. Bering's smile grew gleeful.
"And, more importantly, you absolutely need to know her weaknesses."