DISCLAIMER: Mine? Yeah. Right. And which drugs are you on?

SUMMARY: Pete has gone psycho since no one would let him near or even talk to Sam. They know that he hit her. He has both Cassie and Shey as captives. He thinks that he can get Sam alone if he tells her that they'll stay safe as long as she does exactly as he says. Jack is looking for the girls and Daniel and Talorn are both suffering with a guilty conscience.

SPOILERS: Up through "Affinity". Anything else may or may not be addressed in here.

A/N: Thank you all for making me feel so great about the chapters. I love reviews.

Cassie sat in a chair next to Shey. They were both blindfolded and tied into the chairs. Cassie was scared. She found herself wishing she hadn't begged so hard to go.

"Shey, are you okay?"

It took Shey a moment to answer but answer she did. "I am not injured. And you, Cassandra?"

"A little upset. Not hurt though."

"Shut up. Both of you." Pete was furious. He had been trying to get through to the base for hours to talk to Sam but they kept disconnecting him and wouldn't even put him through.

'Cassandra, why are you upset?' Shey used a talent she had detected in Cassie.

'I got us into this mess.'

'Cassandra, please don't blame yourself. This man is the one to blame for our predicament. Only him.'

' I didn't know you were a telepath.' Cassie changed the subject because she was uncomfortable with talking about Pete.

'It doesn't work with everyone and it takes a lot of effort to concentrate enough to do it. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I can make it work to Samantha.'

'Sam used to date this guy. She was even going to marry him at one point. He's the reason we had to bring Sam into the infirmary unconcious that night.'

'This man deserves pain. I believe that, when the General fiinds us, he will get what he has so plainly asked for.'

'I hope so. I really hope so.'

Suddenly, their attention was diverted as Pete spoke into his cell phone. "Hello, Sam sweetheart."

Sam felt her father's eyes on her. "Just a moment." She turned to Jacob. "Dad, can I have a moment alone?"

"Sure, honey. But I won't be far away."

She nodded and waited until her father had left before putting the phone back to her ear. "Alright, you sorry son of a bitch! Where are the girls?"

"Do you mean Cassandra and that adorable little blind girl with her?"

"Don't you touch either one of them!"

"Don't worry, Sammie. They're safe for now. If you want them to stay that way, you'll do exactly as I tell you."

"You do know that you're a selfish bastard, don't you, Pete?" Sam was on the verge of crying. Pete could hear it in her voice and knew that he would do whatever he said in order to keep the girls safe.

"All I want is a chance to talk. Just you and I. You need to get away from the base by yourself. Meet me in the parking lot at O'Malleys in two hours. Be alone. Unless you want the girls to suffer."

"I'll be there. But if you hurt one hair on either girls' head, I'll kill you slowly. I swear it." He hung up and she put her head in her hands. 'I won't have to kill him. Jack will. Then, he's going to kill me for going to him.'

Jack stood at the entrance to the fairgrounds, listening to the radio chatter and watching for Talorn and Daniel.

At first, people hadn't wanted to cooperate but, as word got around that two young women had been kidnapped by an escapee from the local looney bin, they started to work with the soldiers.

Jack had heard that Pete had been seen, even with the girls. And that he had left just before Jack and the soldiers arrived.

The girls hadn't seemed too happy to be in his company but they had gone with him. Jack called the police and asked for an APB to be put out on Pete's car, telling them only that two young women had been kidnapped and had been seen getting into that car. Of course, the police were also told that, instead of stopping the guy driving themselves that they should let the military handle it. They agreed.

Suddenly, Jack had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He pulled out his cell phone and, with the feeling that his stomach was falling faster than one of those free-fall rides, dialed his office.

Jacob had just walked back into Jack's office when the phone rang. "General O'Neill's office."

"Jacob, can I talk to Sam?"

"She's in her quarters. I walked her down there myself. She said all the stress had given her a headache and she just wanted to lay down for a couple of hours."

"And you're sure she's still there?"

"Jack, I walked her down there myself. I just got back as the phone rang."

"Okay, Jacob. Sorry. Just had this sudden sick feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"I know those feelings. Had more than a few because of Sam myself. Any progress?"

"Little. They were here. Apparently, they left before we showed up."

"Damn."

"My thoughts exactly."

Little did either man know that, at that very moment, Sam was making her way up to the surface and out of the mountain. She hated to go behind everyone's back. She just knew that everyone, especially Jack, would try to stop her.

She was the only one who could save the girls and she knew it. But what if he doesn't let them go? What then? She shook her head. She couldn't think like that. It would only get her killed.

Daniel and Talorn were walking toward Jack. The first thought that went through Daniel's mind at the look on his friend's face was, Damn! He doesn't look happy. No sign of the girls. and Talorn were walking toward Jack. The first thought that went through Daniel's mind at the look on his friend's face was,

"No luck, Jack. Sorry. If I'd kept a closer eye on them, ..."

"Don't, Danny. The blame for this whole mess rests squarely on one man's shoulders. Pete." Jack shook his head. "I'm only going to say this once and then I won't hear anything more about blame from you. No one blames you for this. Not one person in the world. It's not your fault."

"Where's Sam?"

"Trying to get rid of a headache. Jacob walked her to her quarters just about thirty minutes ago."

"You're sure? You know how she is about Cassie ever since Janet died."

"Yeah. But Pete can't even get through on the phone lines. They have orders not to put him through." Suddenly, a thought occured to Jack. "Her cell phone. DOH!! Why didn't I think of thatI?" Suddenly, Jack's phone rang. "O'Neill."

"Jack, it's Jacob. Sam's gone. I just went to check on her and she's gone. She left a note that simply says, 'I'm sorry. I have to.' I've got people searching the base for her."

"She's gone? Damn!" Just then, he heard voices on the other end talking to Jacob. "What's going on?"

"One of the SP's said she signed out about fifteen minutes ago." Jacob paused and sighed. "Jack, find her. Please. Don't let that bastard hurt my little girl again."

"I won't, Jacob. I won't." He hung and promptly made another phone call. Within in seconds, he had a tracer put on Sam's phone number. Then, he dialed that very number, hoping that she had at least taken her phone with her.

"Carter."

"Sam, what in the hell are you doing? I thought I told you to stay put."

"You did. But, Jack, you and I both know that I have to do this. We both know that I'm the one Pete wants. He'll let the girls go when he has me."

"What if he doesn't? Sam, you aren't thinking clearly. Go back to the base. Please. Let me handle this."

"I can't, Jack. I have to finish this once and for all. After all, this is my fight. It's not something either you or my father can do for me."

"Sam, at least tell me where you're going. Let me follow at a distance to back you up. Let me help you. Even if you don't think you need it."

"I'm sorry, Jack. If he even thinks that someone's following me, there's no telling what he might do to the girls. I can't ..."

"Sam, if you won't tell me where you're going, I'll figure it out. You know I will. It will just take me longer to get there."

"I love you, Jack. Goodbye." She hung up. Jack's heart fell into his boots when she said goodbye.

"She doesn't think she's coming back from this one. She said goodbye." He almost couldn't talk around the lump of fear that had lodged in his throat.

He called the people who had the trace on the phone. A few moments later, Daniel, Jack and Talorn were on their way to O'Malley's.

"I see you left your guard dogs behind."

"Where are the girls, Pete?" Sam asked, wanting to get them away from this sick bastard as quickly as possible.

"Get in the car. We'll go see them." As he walked back toward his car, he glanced over his shoulder. "And leave your cell phone here. You won't need it where we're going."

She sighed and tossed her phone into the seat of her car before locking it. Then, shoulders slumped in defeat with a vow in her heart to kill Pete as soon as possible, she walked over to Pete's car and got in the passenger seat.

Jack pulled up next to Sam's car. Jumping out, he looked in the window only to see Sam's cell phone laying in the driver's seat.

"Damn!" He slapped both hands down on the roof of Sam's car. "Where are you, Sam?"

A/N: There you go folks. Had to wait until FF was ready for posting again but it's ready.