Kennedy tossed back and forth as the dream came in a series of images. A large metal ring with some strange symbols embossed on an inner ring that spun around and a series of triangles that lit up, then an explosion of water burst out of the center of the ring like a geyser. An army dressed like something from a mummy movie sporting tattoos on their foreheads carrying metal staffs on the march. Another group of guys, different than the first, these were wearing body armor and helmets that completely covered the face that with the large black eye coverings made them look bug-faced. A small naked gray –skinned creature that looked like those pictures she had seen that were supposedly of dead aliens shaking hands with a gray-haired human. A blonde woman whose eyes flashed white was holding a strange object. Human soldiers with machine guns and some of the tattooed guys fighting with more tattooed guys and the bug-faces. Then there were spaceships that resembled pyramids engaged in battle with other 'T'-shaped ships and several other smaller vessels similar to stealth fighters. A robed figure with his back turned to her but when it turned to face her there was no face just an empty void beneath a hood; then a ghostly skull emerged from the void and seemed to radiate evil. An image of Earth came rushing at her then clouds zipped by her like she was flying and the landscape was changing beneath her; first desert. then jungle, water, and finally ice. The ice came up at her like she was falling then changed into a strange kind of city stretched out in front of her. Kennedy woke with a jolt and a large gasp.
*** *** ***
"Sam!" She heard Jack's voice call out just as she entered the elevator. Turning around, sure enough she saw her C.O. jogging up to her and she hit the button that held the doors open.
"What's up?" she asked him.
"You headed to that lecture now?" he answered with his own question.
"Yeah, and I don't have a lot of time to spare so ---"
"Want some company?" Jack quickly asked.
"You want to come to a lecture?" Sam's tone was disbelieving.
"No!" Jack's eyes widened at the horror, "It's just that I've got to do some stuff in Denver too and thought we might share a ride."
"And you want to watch my back if the redhead shows up." Sam suspected the real reason behind The Colonel's offer.
"Of course not, I've got stuff to do."
"Stuff? Like what?" the Major wasn't convinced.
"You know, Stuff." The Colonel's eyes rolled to the left trying to think of something.
Carter was in too much of a hurry to keep this up; so with a sigh she gave in. "Oh come on. Let's just go."
"Jack's eyes lit up. "Great." Then he stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut as Sam released them.
*** *** ***
Willow had spent much of the night searching the Internet for anything about the gauntlet or the symbols on the knife and the man that wielded them, but found nothing useful. The only thing she found at all was that the symbols appeared to be of Egyptian origin but couldn't translate them. She found nothing at all on the gauntlet or the man. She considered calling Giles for help but since he had his hands full rebuilding the council she decided to wait until she was out of other options. It would be nice to simply ask the victim what was going on but he had disappeared.
She really couldn't blame him.
She decided to ask around the occult shops and see if someone recognized them or could read the symbols. Or, she might try the demon community. A city the size of Denver is bound to have a few demon hangouts.
*** *** ***
Willow heard the bells tied to the door handle ring as she walked through the door. This was the third magic store she had been to and she hoped it would yield more than the last two. This place had a nice atmosphere that reminded her of the Magic Box. There was a bookcase to her left and shelves to her right filled with idols, charms, crystal balls, and various items. The counter ran across the back wall and the more potent items were behind it. A curtain covered a doorway to a back room. Willow walked further into the shop looking for the clerk when the curtain was pulled back to reveal a tall auburn haired woman in her thirties.
"Thought I heard someone come in. What can I help you with today." She said politely.
"Actually, I'm trying to identify something. I was hoping that you'd seen something like it before or have some ideas about it" Willow explained walking up to the counter pulling the gauntlet from her purse and setting it on the counter. As she did she noticed the clerk's name tag 'Rachael'.
Rachael picked it up and turned it over in her hands examining it. Then as Willow watched she closed her eyes for several seconds. When she opened them she had a look of confusion on her face.
"I've never seen anything like it before and it doesn't feel mystical but there is something odd about it. What does it do?" she asked
"I know; I sensed the same thing from the man who used it to attack somebody in the park. A beam shot out of the crystal in the palm. I don't know what the beam did exactly but the man he was using it on was screaming in agony so I'm guessing nothing good. It can also create a concussive blast and I think it's what made him invisible." Willow explained
"Whoa, impressive piece of hardware ain't it." The clerk sounded awed. "Could it be technology based?"
"I don't know. The man using it wasn't human, or demon either; so I doubt that it was made by a human scientist."
"Another dimension perhaps." The taller woman suggested.
"You know, I never considered that possibility. You may have something there. Now let's see what you can do with this." And pulled out the knife.
The older witch put the gauntlet down and took the knife. "You got this from the same place?"
"Yeah, the glyphs seem to be Egyptian but I couldn't find a translation."
"I see what you mean there's definitely some Egyptian influence but it's not really Egyptian. Maybe a demon language modeled after Egyptian hieroglyphs?"
"I thought about that too but I couldn't find anything on the usual sites that matched up."
"Well, I have a few books in the back that translate the more common demon languages but nothing rare; but, I can still check if you want."
"That's o.k. Thanks anyway." Willow said as she started to pack everything back in her purse, "I don't want to send you on a wild goose chase. This is my problem anyway." She then pulled a couple of twenties out and offered them to the clerk.
"What's that for?" she wanted to know.
"Your time and information," Willow answered.
"What information? I didn't give you any thing."
"You came up with the idea that this stuff, and probably the man too, might have come from another dimension. That's more than I had when I came in here. So take it." Willow shoved the bills back at her.
The clerk thought about it for a few seconds then took one of the bills saying, "Only half."
Willow nodded in acceptance, "O.k. and thanks again for the help"
"You're welcome." Rachael said with a smile and watched Willow leave her store.
Once outside Willow checked her watch.
Just enough time to get something to eat before the lecture.
*** *** ***
Sam exited the lecture hall quite pleased with what she had learned and weaved her way through the crowd. She was halfway across the lobby when she saw the Colonel apparently scanning the crowd. "Over here." She called out as she approached from his blind spot.
Jack turned toward the voice and greeted his friend. "There you are. Have fun?"
"Yes Sir. Some of the ideas were amazing like you know how ---" She didn't get further than that before Jack cut her off.
"Carter." He growled.
"Oh right. Sorry Sir. So did you finish doing the 'stuff' you had to do?" When she didn't get an answer she realized that Jack wasn't listening; instead he was looking right past her. She turned to see what had captured his attention and saw a pretty, young redhead walking up behind her. The woman made eye contact and smiled, as she got close then kept walking right past them toward the main exit. "Men!" she thought to herself at the idea of Jack checking out a girl half his age.
"That was her!" he said in an excited whisper.
"Her who?"
"The woman in the park." He explained even as he started after her.
Sam pulled out her cell phone and hit a number on the speed dial.
The two officers hit the street and quickly swiveled around looking for their target. The Colonel spotted her first, "There she is." he told the Major and began to follow at a discreet distance with Sam right beside him.
*** *** ***
Willow realized someone was following her. Living on the Hellmouth had made her very observant about such things. She also knew that they were human. She let them follow for a while until she came up with a plan.
*** *** ***
Several minutes later they were still following the mystery girl down a street when Carter abruptly said "Yes Sir!" into her phone then hung up. "The General wants us to keep track of her until a team can catch up and take over the surveillance; but he stressed 'Just follow'.
"Where's she going now?" Jack asked rhetorically as the girl turned down an alley.
*** *** ***
Willow casually strolled into the alley then floated to the roof of the three-story building where she could look down undetected at whoever followed after her and still be close enough to overhear anything being said.
*** *** ***
They entered the alley cautiously but confidently. It was a dead end with a brick wall sealing the other end.
"Oooo.k. Where'd she go?" Jack wanted to know as he and Sam both looked around for any sign of the woman or possible exits. Sam looked up sweeping her gaze along the roofs of both buildings on either side of them but saw nothing.
*** *** ***
Willow stepped back away from the edge when she saw the blonde woman look toward her direction. Then risked a peek when she heard one of them speak.
*** *** ***
"She must have gone up one of the fire escapes." Sam suggested. "But if she can move that fast then she's long gone by now Sir."
"Damn! I hate it when things go wrong." Jack swore.
"I know Sir. What do we do know; wait for the surveillance team and try to pick up her trail?" Sam asked for orders.
"No, I think it would be asking to much to get that lucky. Let's report back to the base and figure out our next move from there.
Sam just nodded and followed her C.O. out of the alley.
*** *** ***
Willow watched as her two shadows left. She hadn't recognized them at first but now she did. Those two were at the lecture hall. And from what she had seen of their movements and heard of their conversation they were definitely military. And there was only one military outfit that would be interested in her, "The Initiative". Willow really didn't like that thought. If The Initiative were after her she'd better find out why. "Well now it's my turn to play 'Follow The Leader'." She muttered to herself and teleported.
*** *** ***
All four members of sg-1 and General Hammond were once again sitting around the familiar conference table listening to O'Neill and Carter's account of their encounter. "Do we have any idea why she was at an astrophysics lecture?" General Hammond didn't know what to think about the Colonel and Major's report.
"No Sir. But she walked right past me and I didn't sense a symbiote; so that's more evidence that she's probably not a Goa'uld and the fact that she's still on the planet might mean that she's not finished whatever it is that she came here to do." Sam offered.
"And we still have no idea what that is." Jack spoke up.
"Damn! Our second encounter with her and we're still nowhere. Do you think she made you?" Hammond wanted to know.
"If she did she didn't give any indication of it; but that could be why she pulled the disappearing act." Sam was the one to answer.
"If she did spot you following her then the fact that she simply ditched you instead of attacking could mean that she isn't violent by nature." Daniel added his input.
"Perhaps, she wishes to determine the location and strength of her pursuers before a confrontation." Teal'c suggested.
"You think she followed us back to the S.G.C.?" Jack sounded worried.
"It is a sound strategy." Teal'c explained.
"Teal'c's right. If she did notice us following her then she could have given us the slip just so she could turn around and find our base." Carter added.
"If you're right then what are her chances of actually making it onto the base." The General inquired.
*** *** ***
The redheaded witch stood outside the fence surrounding the base. She considered just teleporting in and demanding answers but then decided that 'covert' was the best way to go here. Willow waved her hand over her body and the Dark green dress she was wearing change into military fatigues complete with hat. She tucked her hair under her collar then approached the guard station at the main entrance.