A low growl echoed through the room just then, and was joined by another. Jaffer and Jack had both come to investigate the noise and neither lab had been pleased to see anyone pointing weapons at their humans. Jaffer was closest, his brown eyes watching Nathan Brooks carefully, every muscle in his body tense as the black lab waited for the right moment to spring. And Jack knew he wasn't going to aim for the hands holding the Berettas.

"Jaffer, down."

"Jack, down."

Teal'c's voice was deep, drawing Nathan's attention to him for the first time since he'd entered the room. It was obvious in the single glance he had time to give him that Brooks was impressed with the Jaffa's size. Even better, though, the yellow lab that had been watching Ian Piper so intently was now more relaxed and didn't look quite so ready to spring at him. Jaffer on the other hand was still growling a warning to the General.

"What are you doing here, Jack?" Nathan asked, scowling. He looked over O'Neill's shoulder and saw Ian standing there, looking a little battered, but healthy nonetheless, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Did you have something to do with the kidna-"

"No." Jack lowered his weapons, sticking them back into his jeans. He leaned down and slapped Jaffer's side lightly, reassuring the lab with a playful movement that all was well with the world and he wasn't in any danger. Jaffer wagged his tail, slightly, in response, but still watched Brooks suspiciously. "I'm here to set a trap for the one who did it. And now it's probably not going to happen..."

"What? Who did it? Who-"

"Ian's your son?"

Jack looked over at the cadet, who shrugged.

"Yes."

"I didn't even know you had a son...you never mentioned one..."

"Big shock there," Ian muttered, darkly.

"What's going on, Jack?" Nathan repeated, lowering his guns and putting them back in his holsters. He waved to the others to tell them to lower their weapons as well – if Ian wasn't in any distress then it was obvious it wasn't Jack who had kidnapped him.

"Oh, you're never going to believe it."

Nathan walked over to stand in front of Ian, reached out and took his son's chin in his hand, looking at the deep bruise that had formed on his face where Moore had managed to land a lucky punch.

"Are you all right?"

Ian nodded.

"Fine."

"Where are the other boys?"

"They're safe, Nate," Jack said, looking around the mangled living room. There was no way they were going to be able to trick Kinsey, now. Not with the house in shambles like it was. He'd know something was wrong the minute he came through the door. Probably would know the minute he drove up the driveway. "One of them had an allergic reaction to the dart gun they used to take them out of the Academy, and the other was hit over the head with a butt of a gun and is being checked out."

"What's going on here, Jack?" Nathan asked again, turning from his son to the Colonel and scowling. "If you don't tell me I'm going to-"

"Get your men gathered together and have them start cleaning this area up," Jack said, nodding a hello to Ian Piper, who had just come in from his explorations of the basement. "I'll catch you up to what's going on while they see if they can repair some of the damage they did..."

"What's with the guy tied up in the other room?" Colonel Piper asked, curiously.

"That's one of our kidnappers," Jack said. "The leader of the group that snuck into the academy."

"What do you have to do with any of this, Jack?" Nathan asked. "Why-"

"Nate, sit down and I'll tell you – and soon as I introduce you both to Teal'c, here. You get your men started on cleaning like I said..."

Brook gestured to the Major to have his men start trying to get the room back in order, then he sat down on the couch, watching Jack and waiting impatiently for his explanation.

OOOOOOOO

"Senator Kinsey?" Nathan asked, confused, only a few minutes into the explanation. "What would he want with Ian?" The General looked over at his son, who had seated himself on the arm of the couch – on the far end from Nathan, Jack noticed.

"Nothing," Jack said. "Ian wasn't his target; one of his roommates was."

"What?" Nathan scowled, but this time it was confusion and not irritation. "What-"

"My son," Jack said. "His name's Shawn and there's no doubt that he was the target – the other two boys just got in the way and had to be taken as well."

"You have a son at the academy?"

Jack nodded.

"It's not common knowledge, Nate, and I want to keep it that way."

"What would Kinsey want with him?"

"Kinsey and I have some bad blood... all I can think of is that the Senator decided to take that out of Shawn's hide instead of coming after me..." There was no mistaking the fury that was shining in Jack's eyes just then.

"That sonofabitch..."

Jack nodded his agreement.

"What are your plans?" Brooks asked.

"Well, before you showed up and destroyed the house, I was using Major Clay to get Kinsey into the house where I could deal with him at my leisure. I don't know for sure that it's going to work, now, but he's supposed to be heading over here once he's done with some function he's holding court in. I'd like to catch him here, if I can – since I'm pretty sure he's not going to bring his Secret Service guys here."

"No, he wouldn't dare – they'd be witnesses, and none of them can be all that loyal to him yet." Nathan agreed. "He'd come alone – or with some trusted body guard."

"I can handle anyone he brings," Jack said.

"We can handle them, you mean," Brooks corrected. "I'm not going to let him get away with what he's done, Jack, and I'm not going to sit idly by and watch you take care of my vengeance. That bastard kidnapped Air Force personnel, Goddamn it! And my son! He's going to pay."

O'Neill nodded; he wasn't surprised by how angry Brooks was – the man had a fiery temper, after all – and he knew exactly how he felt.

"I plan on making him pay, Nate..." He assured him. "It's just not going to be so subtle now, I guess."

Brooks leaned forward, as did Piper.

"What do you want to do, Jack? I have thirty men willing to do whatever I tell them to – and can get as many more as we need."