"You can take a break, if you'd like, Sergeant." Major Carter smiled warmly as she took his seat in front of the dialing computer. "This is going to take awhile."
Walter Harriman stretched, stifling a yawn. The graveyard shift was his least favorite, and he looked longingly toward the staircase. "I don't know, ma'am. General Hammond did ask that I help you with the updates to the security overrides and dialing program."
She nodded, still smiling. "Yes, and when I get ready to actually do the updates, I'll certainly be able to use your help. But first, I'm running a full diagnostic, and there's really no sense in both of us sitting around here waiting for it to finish."
"But we just did that a couple of days ago, right after Colonel O'Neill. . ." He stopped short when her grin disappeared, and he realized exactly who and what he was reminding her about.
She covered her hurt almost immediately, her smile reappearing as quickly as it had left. "I know. I want to verify the results before I make any changes, though."
Accepting her explanation, he readily agreed to the offered break. "Well, then I think I'll head to the cafeteria for some coffee." He headed for the exit, only to stop and call to her when he got to the stairs. "Would you like me to bring you something, Major?" he asked, recalling how stale the coffee up here tended to get during the late nighttime.
Absorbed in watching the data on her screen, she shook her head and waved him off. "Thanks, but I'm fine, Sergeant."
She waited several minutes to assure herself that he was gone, then buried her head in her hands. She had hated lying to him, but it was better than him finding out what she was up to.
She rose from her seat and gathered the gear that she'd stashed behind a console earlier. Once kitted up, she returned to the computer to abort the diagnostic and enter her coordinates.
She entered the Gate room with the blast doors closing rapidly behind her. Just as her CO had done several days earlier, she gave one last, wistful look around the room as the wormhole engaged.
There was one difference between them, though: Samantha Carter planned full well on returning to the SGC as soon as possible--with her commanding officer.
She strode up the ramp and stepped through the Gate, totally disregarding the noise of troops trying to gain entrance. There was only one thought occupying her mind.
One way or another, Sam Carter was going to find a way to cure them both--and SG-1 would be whole once again.
Jack eyed Leanansidhe warily as she offered him another cup of the blood sent by the SGC during their first visit in exchange for his return. Though he was still hanging by his wrists in the chains, she hadn't returned to torturing or even questioning him any further--and that made him extremely uneasy.
He searched his mind for the details of the end of their last session, but came up empty. She'd wanted to know about the System Lords, but had refused to believe he'd killed any of them. Things started getting very hazy after that, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't like the events that his memory was denying him.
"Drink, my pet. We have much to accomplish this day. Plans need to be made as soon as possible."
He ignored the offered goblet, resisting her in whatever small way that he could. "What kind of plans?"
Before she could respond, a servant scurried into the room full of apologies. "Please forgive my intrusion, Mistress! The Chaapa'ai has again opened, and the woman who accompanied this one the first time has returned!"
A lump formed in the pit of O'Neill's stomach at the news. What the hell was Carter thinking of in coming here?
The Goa'uld demanded more information. "Is she alone or does she bring additional warriors?"
The frightened little man's gaze never left the floor. "No, Mistress, she is alone."
"Have her brought here to me immediately!" Leanansidhe smiled cruelly and looked directly at her prisoner as she issued the order.
Though he showed no outward sign of it, O'Neill was quaking with fear. Carter was alone? What the hell was Hammond thinking in authorizing such a cockamamie plan anyway? And why in the name of heaven had Daniel and Teal'c gone along with it? Oh no, this was not good at all. He had to find a way to get Sam out of here and send her back home--fast.
"You'd better have a damned good explanation for this, Dr. Jackson!" General Hammond's bellow could be heard all the way down in the control room from his office.
Daniel sank deeper into the chair in front of the general's desk, knowing he was in for quite a tongue-lashing. Still, he had to defend his friend and teammate from being unjustly prosecuted when she returned--and he had no doubt whatsoever that she would.
He took a deep breath, preparing for one of the most important arguments of his career at the SGC. "Yes, sir. I didn't say anything because she had no choice, General. Sam can't be considered AWOL, not anymore that Jack can."
"Colonel O'Neill was under the influence of alien technology when he left; therefore the case can be made that he was not responsible for his actions. The same cannot be said of Major Carter. Her situation is totally different," Hammond replied.
"Ah, actually, sir, the same can be said of Sam." Jackson winced, waiting for the SGC's commander to again erupt.
"What the Sam Hill are you trying to pull here, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond's response was even louder than the one moments earlier, as the archaeologist expected. "I have no reports of Carter being bitten. Furthermore, there has not been even one single report of a new victim since the colonel's departure, nor have there been any shortages from the blood bank since Colonel O'Neill liberated a unit just before his escape through the Stargate. How can it possibly be the same?"
"Because Jack didn't take that bag from the blood bank, General. Sam did."
George's gaze narrowed. "And you know this for a fact?"
Daniel nodded. "I confronted her with my suspicions yesterday, and she admitted the truth. She told me that she woke up and found the marks on her neck the morning Jack disappeared from his quarters. She didn't remember anything from the time she walked into her house until Janet called her the next morning."
"And you didn't bother to tell anyone?" he asked in disbelief.
"Sam was handling it fine with the banked blood. She knew she'd be sent to quarantine if she reported it, but she knew it wasn't necessary. She wanted to keep working on the cure. She promised she'd go to Janet at the first sign that the bottled blood was no longer satisfying her needs."
The general tapped his pen thoughtfully on his desk pad for a moment before leaning forward intently. "If what you're telling me is true, then Major Carter's transformation happened in less than half the time it took for Colonel O'Neill's metamorphosis. I think it's time to consider the very real possibility that the planet's inhabitants were either lying or mistaken about one having to ingest infected blood to become a vampire. If that's the case, we may very well soon have a dozen more vampires on our hands."
Jackson quickly interrupted. "No, I don't think so. Sam told me that there was a lot more blood on her shirt than could have come from the bite wound alone. She thinks they might have fought, and that some of Jack's blood somehow got into her system. That hasn't been the case with any of the other bite victims," he reasoned.
Hammond resumed tapping his pen on the desk. "I hope you're right, son. Unfortunately, I don't think we can afford to take that risk. I'm going to have the security on the quarantine rooms doubled." He ran his hand over his head, his weariness evident. "God knows how we'll ever keep a handle on this if you're wrong."
Daniel smiled. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea of what we should do."
Hammond looked skeptical, but nodded for him to continue.
"We send them to '332 with Jack and Sam. That's where the cure is--Sam just needs to figure out how to get it working," he announced.
"What? You mean to tell me that you've found a cure and you didn't say anything about that either?" Again, the general was incredulous at the archaeologist's behavior.
Daniel nodded sheepishly. "I only figured it out when I was talking to Sam yesterday, and I wanted to go back over my notes to verify my findings before mentioning it to you. The device we went to study isn't what we first thought. It has nothing to do with the Goa'uld; it removes the nanobots. So as soon as Sam figures out how to get it working, she and Jack can be cured and Gate back home--and they won't pose a risk to anyone when they get here."
George found one flaw in Jackson's scenario and quickly pointed it out. "It's not quite that simple, Doctor. You're forgetting one thing. There's a Goa'uld vampire ruling that planet--and she seemed pretty set on having the colonel for herself."
"So, my pet, let us see what you have brought into our little clan," crooned Leanansidhe.
Sam Carter heard the obvious taunt in the Goa'uld's voice, as was intended. She'd had to fight to suppress the gasp of surprise upon seeing the colonel's weakened condition when she'd entered behind the sentry who'd led her from the Gate. Her vibrant blue eyes shone even brighter with icy-hot anger as she deduced that she was to be used to further torture her commanding officer.
She wanted to call out, to draw the woman's attention away from the colonel and save him further pain, at least for the moment. Her eyes widened when she realized that her voice would not work, as some unseen force froze her vocal chords.
O'Neill raised his head, his eyes finally meeting hers, and she knew what was happening as soon as he challenged the demon. "No, let her go! Send her back, and I'll do anything you want."
The redhead laughed as she circled his chained form, totally ignoring the newcomer's presence. "Have you learned nothing during your lessons, my sweet?" She halted in front of him to run her hands lovingly over his firmly muscled chest. "You will already do anything I want you to do, anytime I want you to do it-- no matter how badly you might want to refuse." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Won't you?"
His eyes glittered with hatred as he clenched his teeth in an attempt to keep from answering her. "Yes," he ground out, despite his efforts to the contrary.
"Stop!" Carter's anger got the best of her at the same instant that she regained use of her voice. She immediately regretted her lapse, knowing it would only cause more distress to her fellow captive.
The Goa'uld smiled at her with an expression of pure evil before returning her attention to the man in chains. "It would seem you are not the only one who needs to be taught, my pet. I shall so enjoy having the two of you with me," she purred.
She again met Sam's gaze briefly, her eyes dancing with glee, before she turned back to O'Neill. "Offer yourself to me," she demanded, caressing the captive man's chest and abdomen.
He growled in response, using every last bit of strength to resist her efforts to compel him to obey. His body shook violently, but it wasn't long until his head tilted to the side, exposing his neck to her.
She cackled evilly in satisfaction before lowering her lips to his throat, sucking and licking her way to his carotid artery. Her hands roamed freely over his body, staking her claim of ownership. He remained still, moaning in ecstasy, as she bit down and began to suck his life fluid.
The major could stand it no longer. She slowly, quietly slipped off her pack and opened it. She held her breath, waiting for some sort of interference, but none came. The sentry had retreated almost immediately after their arrival, but several servants stood statue-like near the exit. None of them seemed inclined to investigate her actions or alert Leanansidhe, much to her relief.
She quickly located the object she was looking for and withdrew it, after which she silently lowered the pack to the floor. The colonel's moans of rapture were becoming deeper and louder as the witch fed upon the already weakened man--which sent Sam's rage soaring to new heights.
She forced herself to block out the noise and concentrate on the task at hand, pushing several buttons in sequence as she readied the gadget for use. Once the tiny indicator light remained steadily lit, she slipped it into her pocket and spoke up. "All right, I get your message. You can stop now--or are you going to completely bleed him dry and kill him?"
The siren ceased her feeding and whirled around to face the intruder, smiling triumphantly. "It has been many Ages since any as spirited as the likes of you have graced my domain. It is easy to see why your kind have had such success in slaying the gods. Your creativity in using such widely different tactics will serve me well. With the pair of you to clear my way, I will soon be more powerful than Ra ever dared hope to be!" So intent was she on gloating to her newest acquisition, the Goa'uld failed to notice O'Neill's erratic breathing.
Sam, however, immediately picked up on his distress. She forced down the urge to alert their captor, knowing that she needed to permanently end this very quickly, and pretended to consider the other woman's plan. "Well, there is this new thing I've wanted to try against one of the System Lords. . ." She frowned, adding to the effectiveness of her deception.
"Tell me!" commanded the greedy parasite.
Carter smiled inwardly. With a slight shake of her head, she feigned uncertainty. "I'm not sure I can explain it." Summoning her most sincere expression, she reeled in the hook. "It would be much easier if I could show you," she offered as she nodded toward an empty table in the corner.
"Very well, proceed." The impatient would-be conqueror quickly strode over to the table as she spoke.
The major started to follow, but faked a stumble and fell to her knees after only a couple of steps. "Sorry, I seem to be a bit clumsy today," she apologized.
Leanansidhe's impatience grew, along with her irritability. "Come, get on with it," she snapped.
Sam nodded and climbed to her feet, slyly pulling the device from her pocket as she rose. "It's really an amazing little piece of technology," she enthused. The Goa'uld smiled in anticipation, eager to soak up all the details her captive could provide.
"There is a slight problem, though," Carter warned. She held up the device and pushed one final button. "It's a real killer."
The redhead's confusion was plain as she frowned, staring at the orb with its now rapidly flashing blue light.
The major threw the object at her captor and dropped to the floor, covering her head with both arms. A small boom sounded through the corridors as the ground shook from the blast.
Leanansidhe screamed as the sphere exploded, and the entire area around her was instantly engulfed in flames. She dropped to the floor and rolled in attempt to extinguish the blaze consuming her, but to no avail.
Acrid smoke began to fill the room, as Sam had known it would. A momentary pang of remorse for her part in the she-devil's painfully horrid demise was quickly quashed as she rose to her knees and crawled as quickly as possible to her commanding officer. With a profound sense of relief, she found him just out of range of the growing inferno that enveloped the other side of the room. Rising to her feet, she rapidly fixed the magnesium strips to the chains suspending his wrists above his head and lit them.
The smoke thickened, sending her into a coughing fit, but she caught him before he hit the floor and held on. Colonel O'Neill was barely breathing, but also began to cough weakly as she pulled him toward the exit.
Carter shivered with abhorrence as the burning Goa'uld's shrieks diminished. By the time her death throes finally ceased, the major had dragged her precious burden through the doorway and into the corridor beyond.
To her dismay, the hallway was also filled with the toxic smoke. She could barely see any further than a foot in front of her, but she continued to doggedly pull and tug him in the direction she recalled taking upon her entrance. Coughing and gasping for air, Sam grew lightheaded and noted with alarm that the colonel's coughing and raspy breathing was becoming weaker with each passing moment.
She'd only covered a short distance when her strength gave out, and she could get him no farther. Had she enough breath left in her, she would have screamed at the injustice of having come this far, only to be denied success.
Out of nowhere, a pair of strong hands appeared and lifted her into a fireman's carry. She attempted to struggle, only to be admonished for her efforts. "I am here to help you. I know a way that is clear of this bad air, but you must cease your resistance."
The major attempted to speak, but was thwarted by the incessant cough. As if reading her mind, her rescuer attempted to reassure her. "Do not worry; we have your mate also."
She was unable to correct the mistaken perception of their relationship as darkness hovered at the edges of her vision. Sam prayed they were being truthful with her, that they really did have Colonel O'Neill, as her vision tunneled to a mere pinpoint. She heard a heavy door rumble open somewhere close by, but she had no strength to look for herself or question her benefactor. There was only one thought on her mind as her awareness faded completely.
'Dear God, please let the colonel be all right.'
Author's Note: Thank you for the kind comments to those who have reviewed! And many thanks to all who are still reading this!! Only three more to go now--hope you enjoy them!!! :)