A bell started ringing; a steady buzzer-like sound. The Ashrak didn't know what it meant, but the cadets did. Even the first year cadets had been told that if the bell rang like that they were to stay in their dorms. Usually, this was the way of doing a bed check in case something serious happened, like cadets getting caught sneaking off campus after hours, or something like that, but the assassins didn't know that. All they knew was that they'd missed their first and easiest chance at their target.

"Get up!"

Kuy pulled Ler to his feet roughly, angry beyond words that their prey had escaped what should have been the simplest trap there was. There had only been two of them! He hadn't expected the third to show up, and realized that their biggest mistake was going visible. Nothing could hit a target they couldn't see. The Ashrak touched a button on his armor, and immediately he was cloaked. Ler, still shaking off the wallop given to him by the sneaky human, emulated him, and the two of them turned and went out the door.

The hallway was empty, but there was no doubt which way they wanted to go. The humans had left them an easy trail to follow. Kuy had noticed that the one he'd wanted was only half dressed, and the assassin picked up a bloody shard of glass that had been dropped on the floor.

"We follow the blood, and we'll find our target," he said, dropping the glass once more. "This time, no mistakes. I want to leave as soon as possible." The buzzing was unnerving him just a little.

Hefting their weapons and unseen by anyone – especially since there was no one in the halls to see them – the two assassins started down the corridor, following the trail of blood.

&&

The gate was open when they roared onto the Air Force Academy grounds, and there was a small group of men and last year cadets waiting for them. But no dogs.

"I said dogs," Jack growled as he opened the door. He'd heard Sam tell the Commandant of the Academy that he wanted dogs.

"Our dogs and handlers are off campus, Colonel," he was told. "We're recalling them now."

"When they come in, have them stay at the gate. We have men and dogs coming as well. We can't let these guys get off the grounds."

Jaffer had jumped out of the truck right behind Sam, and the two came around to stand beside Jack – who wanted nothing more than to rush up to Shawn's room, but knew that they had to pretend to be looking for escaped criminals. Besides, they didn't want the Ashrak to get off the grounds, and the dogs would be the only ones who could tell they were there. Jack (the dog), of course, wouldn't let an Ashrak past him, and O'Neill knew it, so he was hoping Teal'c and the others would get there soon.

"These men are dangerous, so stay back," Jack said, pulling his Beretta out and double-checking its load. "If you see them, call for help. Don't try to take them on by yourself. Place some men on this gate, and check the far grounds" – which was where they would probably be safest, and out of the way – "Major O'Neill and myself will start with the student dorms and work our way out."

There were nods, but Jack didn't see them; he'd already turned and was heading for the door. He knew where Shawn's dorm was – he'd seen it on the tour Sam had given him and Shawn weeks before – and that was their first stop.

"What do we tell the roommate?" Sam asked as they pelted up the stairs, Jaffer in the lead, his hackles already starting to rise as he caught the lingering scent of the Ashrak – who'd been all over the halls in their search for Shawn's dorm.

"We'll worry about that when he's safe. When they're safe."

They crashed through the door at the top of the stairs and out into the hallway. Jack was half-expecting to see a bloodbath in the makings, and stopped when there wasn't anything. No noises, no screams, no sound of weapons-fire. Jaffer's claws clicked on the tiled floor as the big lab headed for the room halfway down the hall, and Jack and Sam were only a little behind him.

Now, for the first time, Jack saw evidence of a fight. A bunch of broken dishes and a bent tray lying on the floor by the door. A bloody footprint that was too small to be anyone else's.

"Shawn?"

He looked through the open door, but didn't expect to see his son in the room. The footprints headed down the hall, and Jack was certain that was the way to go – but he had to make sure.

Jaffer entered the room, making a beeline for a young man who was sprawled on the floor, wearing nothing but an ugly pair of pajamas. The black lab whined softly, snuffling River's unconscious form, and Sam and Jack came in behind him, and Sam rolled the cadet over, sliding her fingers along his neck, looking for a pulse. The tanned face was smeared with blood – blood coming from under a bandage that was already in place.

"He's alive," She said, relieved. She knew this was River, because she'd seen the picture and read the letter the older cadet had sent Shawn. Obviously, they'd already had a run in with the Ashrak, and had come out second-best.

Jack had been looking around the room. There were several chunks of plaster missing from the walls, mute testimony that there had been a firefight in here. A one-sided firefight. There weren't any weapons on the AFA grounds. None that the students would be able to get to, anyways. There wasn't an armory or anything.

"We have to find him..."

"Go, Jack," Sam said, reaching for a towel that was hanging on the end of a bed, and using that to staunch the bleeding from the young man's forehead. "I'll make sure he's stable and will be right behind you."

"Are-"

"Go!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He shut the door behind him, knowing that even if the Ashrak were invisible, they couldn't walk through doors, which would give Sam plenty of notice if they double backed and returned to the room. He would have left Jaffer, just to make sure that she was as safe as she could be, but Jack needed the lab to track the Ashrak for him. He reached down and pulled his backup pistol from the ankle holster, and headed down the hall, following the bloody footprints. A weapon in both hands and his best weapon running in front of him. All he needed now were targets.