Jack O'Neill watched in relief as Sam Carter rushed into the infirmary. By the time he'd realized what he'd done, leaving her in such a weakened condition, he was back here and too weak himself to return. He should have called for help, but the thought never crossed his mind until after he'd fed from the airman in his room. This damned vampire crap was really screwing with his mental processes. At least he'd managed to figure out how to do that invisibility thing without changing into something inhuman. That had certainly made it easier to move around the base and stay informed as to the actions that were being taken to locate and apprehend him.
He wearily rubbed a hand over his eyes. All this stealth was taking its toll, too. He could feel the urge building and knew that he'd have to feed again soon. He'd been very careful not to take very much from the airman in his quarters. He might not be able to deny his need, but he would make damn sure that no one was permanently harmed by his actions. If only there were another way to get what he could no longer live without.
That was why he'd come here, to check out the blood stored away for emergencies. He wasn't sure if it would work or not, but he knew he had to try it. He would not have taken enough to cause a shortage and put anyone who might be injured at risk. And if it had worked, it would have meant he wouldn't have to risk harming anyone else. Unfortunately, to his dismay, he'd found that Fraiser already had it guarded by a squad of SFs when he arrived. There was no way to get at it undetected, and he wasn't going to risk being caught just yet.
That only left him one option, to continue getting what he needed from isolated personnel. This was also becoming more difficult, as word had been spread for all personnel, both military and civilian, to avoid being alone at all times. Damn it! He so didn't want to do this. He respected these men and women, and the last thing he'd ever want to do is purposely harm any of them. The whole situation only reinforced his decision--he had to put his plan into effect as soon as possible, there was no other choice.
He was pulled from the guilt and shame over his actions by the sound of Fraiser's voice. "Sam, are you sure you're all right? You look awfully pale."
He mentally braced himself, knowing that the end of his career was about to unfold before his eyes.
"Janet, I told you, I'm fine! I just haven't been sleeping very well this past week, with everything that's happened." He was stunned by Carter's denial. Why the hell was she protecting him like this?
Before the doctor could question her friend any further, a nurse rushed into the room and called for her. "Doctor Fraiser, Airman Kenley is finally coming around."
"Thank you, I'll be right there." At Janet's dismissal, the nurse turned and went back to her duties.
"I'll be in my lab working on a solution. Let me know as soon as you hear anything?"
Janet nodded as the two headed for the door. "Promise me you'll take regular breaks and come see me if you start to feel dizzy or faint?"
Jack watched on with interest as Sam agreed before the pair went their separate ways. He had just started to follow Carter when a nurse entered and headed for the supply closet. Most noticeably, she was alone. Knowing he'd not likely get another opportunity soon, he quickly changed course and headed to follow the woman into the storage area.
Teal'c swiped his card and spoke quietly into his radio. "Seal blast door C-5 west." He then proceeded down the corridor, sweeping the TER from wall to wall in front of him. A pair of heavily armed SFs followed closely behind him.
As they turned the corner, a lone figure waited at the intersection ahead. The unarmed man had his hands out to the side in an unthreatening manner. For a long moment, no one said a word as they stared at one another. Finally, the Jaffa broke the silence. "O'Neill."
Jack kept his hands spread wide as he backed up a step to lean against the wall. "Teal'c," he acknowledged.
The former First Prime kept the weapon trained on his friend, in spite of his seemingly harmless stance, as he cautiously approached. "You must accompany us to see Dr. Fraiser immediately."
The colonel's pained expression and slight shake of his head told Teal'c what his answer would be even before he spoke. "Ah, no. Sorry, but that's just not gonna happen." He frowned slightly as the trio continued to slowly advance toward him. "That's close enough."
Teal'c immediately signaled the others to halt. "Why then have you shown yourself, O'Neill, if you do not wish to surrender?"
Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I was kind of hoping you would do me a favor."
"I will not assist you in any attempt to obtain more victims, nor will I aid you in any effort to escape in your current condition."
O'Neill shook his head, a sad expression falling like a shadow across his features. "I'd never ask that of you, T. I was just hoping you'd deliver a message for me."
Teal'c nodded, prompting his friend and brother warrior to continue. "I'd like you to tell them all that I'm sorry. I tried to find another way, I really did. But I just. . ." He shrugged as his words trailed off and he could no longer meet the Jaffa's eyes.
After a brief pause, he took a deep breath and once more met the alien's gaze, his eyes revealing the depth of the pain in his heart. "Tell Carter that I'm sorry. I never, ever meant to hurt her." His eyes shone with an intense sincerity that the colonel rarely displayed before he again found himself unable to look Teal'c in the eye. "Daniel, too," he added, almost as an afterthought.
The Jaffa nodded almost imperceptibly to let his friend know that he would do him this small favor. He returned the gesture and stepped away from the wall. Looking deeply into the former First Prime's eyes one final time, he allowed his emotions to show in his own. "Take care, my friend. It's been an honor."
Teal'c eyes widened, knowing that O'Neill's farewell was meant to be final. Before he could respond, one of the SF's took it upon himself to open fire with his P90 and prevent the colonel's escape. O'Neill was slammed back into the wall by the force of the bullets, prompting an enraged Teal'c to immediately turn on the pair. "Cease fire!" he bellowed.
The pair nervously looked past him to their downed quarry, but quickly returned their attention to the angry Jaffa. The duo cowered as the former First Prime glared menacingly at them. "You will not fire your weapons again unless you are instructed to do so."
The two airmen swallowed hard. "Yes, sir!"
Teal'c reached for his radio as he turned to go to his friend's aid, but was stunned to find the corridor empty. He released the mike without speaking and quickly brought the TER up to sweep the hallway from wall to wall. To his complete surprise, the only evidence that the colonel had ever been there was a large red smear where he'd fallen. He again reached up to key his mike. "Colonel O'Neill has been sighted on level 20. He has been shot, but has managed to escape. Please have a medical team standing by. I repeat, Colonel O'Neill has been sighted on level 20 and has been wounded. Proceed with caution."
He quickly moved forward to check the passageways on both sides of the intersecting hall, moving the TER to check the entire area wall to wall, from floor to ceiling. The first hallway was empty, with no signs that the wounded man had passed that direction. He whirled around and repeated the procedure on the other end of the corridor. Dejected, he dropped the weapon to his side.
Even though he had been seriously wounded, O'Neill had somehow vanished without a trace.
Janet Fraiser dropped heavily into the chair in front of the general's desk. She opened the folders she'd brought along and waited for his signal to begin.
General Hammond replaced the receiver in its cradle after finishing his conversation and turned his attention to the woman before him. "All right, Doctor. Let's hear it."
The doctor shifted uneasily in her chair. "Yes, sir. Since the colonel was shot, there has been a sharp increase in the frequency and number of attacks, despite the warnings to stay with a group at all times. We now have an even dozen staff members in quarantine as of 2000 hours. Lieutenant Sanchez was found unconscious just after 1900 hours in a storage room on level 17. He was unharmed except for two puncture wounds on his neck, just like the others. Like the others, he doesn't remember how he was attacked, or by whom. Also like the previous victims, he was suffering from a slightly lower than normal blood count, but is recovering rapidly and in excellent condition. As of yet, none of the detainees are showing any signs of infection."
"Are we any closer at all to a cure for this?" The weary commander leaned back in his chair as he waited for her answer.
"No, sir, I'm afraid not. We're still analyzing the blood samples from the corridor where Colonel O'Neill was wounded, but the nanobots from those smears are no longer active and have begun to decay. I'm afraid it will take time before we learn anything helpful. Major Carter has been working nearly around the clock to find something in the data from M7C 332, but so far there hasn't been anything related to the nanobots or the disease they were supposedly studying. Daniel is still certain there will be something of value in the translation of the text he was given by the locals, but so far he hasn't found anything useful, I'm afraid."
The general silently studied her as he pondered his next action. With a sigh, he leaned forward again and folded his hands in front of him on the desk as he gravely issued his orders. "I want you to pull the SFs guarding the blood supply immediately."
Fraiser's eyes widened in surprise. "We can't do that, General! If there is an emergency while the mountain is under lockdown. . ."
Hammond held up a hand to halt her protest. "Doctor Fraiser, I don't see that we have any other choice here! I've already got twelve of my people in the isolation unit, and it's only been two days since Jack O'Neill first disappeared and this whole mess started. We can't afford to lose anymore personnel to quarantine, even if they eventually prove to be uninfected."
"But, sir," she protested.
"Just hear me out, Doctor. Repeated sweeps of the base using the TERs have turned up absolutely nothing since our initial sighting. Now, Dr. Jackson has suggested that we set up a surveillance of the area around the blood bank using some of the TERs while the others are used to continue with the search. Frankly, I think it's the best option we have right now." The general waited for her protest, which was immediate.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to disagree. Until we know exactly how the nanites are rendering Colonel O'Neill invisible, we can't be certain that the TERs will even expose him. We have four teams stranded off world until this is resolved, and if even one of those units encounter trouble, we could be looking at a serious problem if our blood supply is compromised."
She fingered the edge of the folder in front of her before continuing. "And as far as using that supply as bait, I'm afraid that I disagree there, also, sir. Colonel O'Neill is far too experienced to be fooled by such an obvious trap, General, and we both know it."
The general nodded. "Under normal conditions, I'd agree with you. Let's just hope that either due to his weakened state or because of the alien influence, he is fooled. For everyone's sake--especially his--we need to get him into custody as soon as possible. Therefore, I'm ordering you to remove the guards from the blood bank immediately. You're dismissed."
Janet Fraiser rose from her seat. "Yes, sir. I'll see to it right away." She walked briskly to the door and paused, turning back to add one final comment. "Sir, with all due respect to you, I'd like to officially go on record as being in disagreement with this plan."
Hammond sighed. "As you wish, Doctor. You have your orders."
She nodded. "Thank you, sir. I'll see to it straight away."
Jack waited until the sweep team had left the control room before entering. He remained in the back of the room, which was staffed with a skeleton crew due to the early morning hour.
He was so very tempted to curl up and take a brief nap, but he knew his time grew shorter with each passing moment. He was still weak from the wounds inflicted by the P-90, and the added strain of maintaining his invisibility only exacerbated the problem. There was no way he could possibly get enough to fully restore his strength from live donors without endangering their health--personnel he could lure to isolated areas were far too scarce. It was a real temptation to risk a trip to the now-unguarded blood bank, but he resisted it, totally unwilling to chance being caught now.
When he was assured that the security teams were all far enough away, he stepped forward and approached the airman at the dialing computer. She was new, and he found himself feeling a strange sense of relief that it hadn't been Harriman or Simmons at the controls. After all they'd been through over the years, it would feel like the ultimate betrayal for him to have to take advantage of one who'd been here since the beginning.
There were two others in the room and he silently moved over to where they were huddled over one of the terminals examining data. He gently whispered into both men's ears. "It's time to take a break. You have got to go to the cafeteria for some coffee and pie. You will tell no one."
The pair froze instantly. They said nothing, listening silently as he repeated the directions over and over. A few moments later, they looked at each other and silently left the room, heading for the canteen as instructed.
The airman at the dialing computer nervously called to their retreating forms. "Guys! Hey, guys! Where are you going?"
O'Neill was instantly next to her, kissing her neck and crooning into her ear. "There is nothing wrong here. The guys are taking a break. They'll be right back."
The young woman moaned in ecstasy, remaining her chair as he deepened his hold on her. "That's good. You just sit here and relax while I take care of a couple of things." He reached over and typed in several commands before turning it back over to the tech.
His tongue traveled the length of her neck, causing her to shiver and tilt her head for better access. "Yes, anything. I'll do anything," she whimpered.
He smiled, kissing he way back up to her ear. "Good. Now, I need you to dial this address when you see my signal from the Gate room. As soon as the Gate starts dialing, you will go join the others for coffee. You won't remember anything after you leave this room," he instructed.
"Yes, sir," she whispered.
He licked his way back down her neck and bit down. She groaned, lost completely in the feelings of euphoria he was causing. He drank quickly, but took very little from her. He didn't want to risk incapacitating her, leaving her unable to assist him.
She whimpered again when he pulled away from her, swaying in the chair. He reached out to steady her and repeated his instructions to begin dialing on his signal. Once satisfied that she would be able to comply, he turned and hurried down the stairs to the Gate room.
When he arrived at the base of the ramp, he looked up at her and nodded. She returned the gesture and set the dialing sequence in motion. She then rose and left the room as he'd directed.
She'd barely made it out of the room before the blast doors slid closed, sealing off the Gate room, as well as the control room, from the rest of the base. He could hear the commotion out in the corridors as the security forces tried unsuccessfully to override the locks and enter.
As the last chevron engaged, he took one last lingering look around the room. He fought to keep his emotions under control, knowing he'd never be returning. With a fervent wish for the continued safety and well-being of all who served here, he turned and slowly made his way to the top of the ramp.
When he was nearly to the event horizon, a voice called to him from the control room. "Sir! Wait!"
He stopped dead in his tracks and sucked in a deep breath, startled by her appearance. How had she gotten in? He turned slightly, but did not look up at her. She seemed to be alone, but he remained ready to run for the open wormhole.
He took another deep breath, exhaling slowly, and shook his head. "Sorry, Carter. This is the way it has to be."
She again called out again as he took a step forward. "NO! Wait! I'm coming with you!"
His chest heaved with suppressed emotion as he finally turned to face her. She was frantically typing, trying to override his commands and get into the Gate room to follow him. He backed slowly toward the open stargate as he shook his head and choked out his reply. "I'm sorry, Sam. For everything."
Her head jerked up at his use of her first name. He forced himself to look her directly in the eyes, and his heart broke at the soul-deep anguish reflected there. Her tears welled, threatening to spill, and he knew he'd never, ever forgive himself for the pain he'd caused her. His feet were like lead weights, but he drove himself to continue moving toward the rippling event horizon.
His back finally hit the surface of the wormhole, breaking the spell. She returned her attention to the keyboard, desperately trying to stop it from shutting down before she could follow him. She didn't cease her efforts until the gate snapped shut and the room plunged into total darkness.
She knew instantly what he'd done and pounded the desk in front of her. "NO!"
Her protest could be heard far beyond the closed blast doors as she called to him. When the lights returned moments later, the blast doors opened and the Gate room was flooded with SFs. She didn't notice them, just sat staring at the idle stargate as she fought for control of her emotions.
Dimly, she became aware of a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see who it belonged to and found Daniel looking at her in concern. She tried to smile at him, but was unable to force it out. Her voice broke as she tearfully explained what had occurred. "He's gone, Daniel. He's gone."
-tbc-