Chapter 4 - So Close

Jack had a look around the perimeter of the Stargate. Everything seemed to be calm. He showed the rest of his team to move out. After a short while they reached a small village. Its inhabitants were obviously afraid hiding from them.

"Hello?" Jack called scanning the main road. Nobody reacted or showed up from his hiding-out.

Now it was Jonas's try. "You can come out. We won't harm you. We're just peaceful explorers."

"O'Neill? Jonas Quinn?" Teal'C seemed to have found something. He was kneeling in the dust picking up something that appeared to be some kind of amulet.

"What is it, Teal'C?" Jack inquired.

"I have seen this before."

"May I?" Jonas asked taking it from the Jaffa. "This appears to be something religious", he pondered, "could be something follower of a Goa'uld would wear. I recall the signs, they stand for..."

"Baal", he and Teal'C stated at once.

"So this planet could be one of his", Jack concluded. All of a sudden he had to think of Sam. What if she had really stranded here, could she be in the hands of this bastard, now. Crap, this was the worst thing that could have possibly happened to her. He prayed that his dream had nothing to do with reality.

"That's likely", Jonas replied.

Suddenly one of the villagers showed up and came walking up to them. Out of reflex Jack pointed his rifle at him.

"Please", the man fell on his knees, "don't harm me", he pleaded full of fear.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"You shall be warned", he went on, "the troops of our lord will arrive here soon. You should leave as long as you're able to do so."

"Your lord is Baal, right?" Jonas exquired.

The man nodded and left them alone again, running away as quickly as he could.

"You've heard him", Jack said, "We'd better get going if we wanna get outta here in one piece."

The three of them returned to the gate; on the way there they could see a fleet of Alkeshs emerging on the horizon.

"Jonas, dial us out", Jack ordered, but as Jonas had entered the sixth symbol an incoming wormhole cut their connection.

"Shit, take cover", Jack and the others ran down the small hill throwing themselves into the bushes at its edge.

Something inside Jack was happy that they were trapped, maybe this would be the way to Sam, he would have found her, no matter whatever would happen to him, if he fell into the hands of Baal for a second time.

He damned this thoughts as a battalion of Jaffa was coming through the gate. They marched away into the direction of the village not discovering the team. But then one of the attack cruisers approached firing a volley right into their hiding.

Jack was caught by the explosion in jump, sending him flying through the air. Now the Jaffa remarked them. Soon it came to a battle and Jack was trapped between the lines unable to run away.

"Colonel!" he saw how Jonas came crawling toward him while Teal'C was trying to distract fire from them.

"Retreat", Jack yelled through the noise of fire surrounding them, "Leave me here."

"No", Jonas kept on closing.

"That's an order."

But it was too late, one of the Jaffa aimed his staff at the young man and he was hit before he could get away. Almost at the same moment Jack was zatted from behind. His last thoughts were with Sam before he finally passed out.

Aboard one of the ships Jack regained consciousness again. It did not take long until two guards appeared pulling him up to his feet taking him to one of Baal's fortresses using the transport rings.

Jack tried to glance around, but Jonas was nowhere to be found. As the Jaffa took him through the corridors he tried to orientate himself, but all of the ways looked the same.

Suddenly something else caught his eye: Two female servants were crossing their way. One of them turned around, she looked like Sam, nay, she was Sam. For a moment their eyes met, but hers only stared at him, they appeared to be empty of remembrance.

Jack wanted to call her name, but then the other servant urged her to walk on and they were gone vanishing around a corner.

He cursed inwardly, for a short moment he had been so damn close to her. Then again he soothed himself, at least Sam was here and there was still a slight chance to save her. But at that moment he did not know how slight it actually was...

To be continued...