Chapter 17 – A Traitor Among Us

Sam woke up an hour later, surprised that she had slept so long. Of course, she hadn't had much sleep last night and they'd endured a harrowing experience earlier today. She glanced down at the little boy still asleep next to her and tightened her grip on him. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about what might have happened to this dear little boy. Hearing footsteps approach, Sam swiped at her eyes and looked up, though she remained in a reclined position as she didn't want to disturb JJ.

Janet's face peered around the edge of the curtain and she smiled at Sam as she entered the room. "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and sore, but otherwise I'm OK. What about JJ?" Sam immediately asked. "He's still going to be fine, isn't he?"

Janet smiled reassuringly. "Yes Sam. JJ is going to be just fine. Once he wakes up, give him a bottle and cuddle with him for a while. I think he'll bounce right back. Little kids usually do."

Sam looked uncertain. "But he was so upset, Janet. I'll never forget his terrified screams…never!" Sam's eyes once again filled with tears but she didn't bother trying to hide them from her best friend. After all, Janet knew what it felt like to almost lose a child.

"Shh, Sam. Everything's going to be fine," Janet pulled Sam into a sitting position and held her for several minutes as Sam cried softly into her shoulder. When Sam finally regained her composure, she pulled back and smiled sheepishly at her friend.

"Sorry, Jan. I don't know what's wrong with me. I didn't mean to cry all over you."

"Never mind, that Sam," Janet brushed off the apology as she stood up again. "We all need a good cry once in while. Now, how about if you go and take a shower while the little prince here is still sleeping? I'll keep an eye on him until you get back."

Sam looked uncertain again as she looked down at JJ. She didn't want him to wake up and not find either her or Jack present. Speaking of which…"Janet, where are the guys? One of them is usually hanging around when I'm in the infirmary. Not that I need them, mind you," she hurriedly added. "I'm just curious."

"They had a meeting with General Hammond, then Jack mentioned an interrogation of the men who were chasing you. I'm sure one of them will contact you once they learn anything," Janet stated with confidence. Sam's face had paled at the mention of the four thugs who had run them off the road, but she quickly gathered herself together. She was a Major in the USAF after all; she had seen more than her share of bad guys.

"I guess I had better get cleaned up then. If they want me up in the briefing room, I'd better not show up with blood all over my uniform! You promise you'll stay with JJ?" Sam asked.

"I promise Sam. Plus, there are two members of SG-7 standing guard outside the infirmary, so they won't let anything happen either," Janet added.

"Why are they on guard duty here? That's highly unusual," Sam asked with curiosity.

"I have no idea but I'm sure it has something to do with this afternoon's incident. You can ask them on your way to the shower," she said, pointing Sam in the direction of the door.

"Okay, Okay, I'm going. No need to be pushy," Sam laughed at her friend. Then she looked once more back at JJ, who had popped his thumb into his mouth, before she made her way out the door to speak to the two members of SG7 who were standing guard.

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Sam was not feeling very assured as she stepped under the warm spray of the shower. Captain Williams of SG-7 had told her the reason they were standing guard. She couldn't believe that one of their own people had been partly to blame for this! Spying and telling God's knows who about the goings on at the SGC, then trying to take an innocent child! Her blood boiled at the thought. If only I could have been at the interrogations! Sam thought to herself. I would have gotten some answers pretty quickly, she thought with confidence!

Sam showered as quickly as she could, not wanting to be away from JJ for very long. Unfortunately, someone else had other plans.

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In the briefing room, six of the men who had interrogated the prisoners got together to compare notes. Teal'c and Major Davis had not yet returned from questioning Smith. When Jack discovered that Smith was the mole, he was ready to go back down and join Teal'c and Davis but was kept at the table with a firm look from the General.

Jack mentioned the possibility of another informant among their ranks. General Hammond quickly emptied the room of all non-essential personnel to the meeting. If it was one of the SFs who normally stood guard in the briefing room, he didn't want them aware that they were on to him. "I'll order a polygraph test to be done on every SGC member who has contact with me on a daily basis. This Jude fellow said it was someone who worked with me?" Hammond asked.

"He just said that he has more access to you than Smith did," Daniel clarified.

"That could be anyone," Hammond grumbled. "There are many people who come in and out of my office every day and have some access to my files."

"Well, they had to have known that you gave Jack and Sam permission to leave the base today. That should narrow it down somewhat," Daniel continued.

"You're right Dr. Jackson. I'll go over my logs from this morning and see who was around at the time. Any other news people?"

"Jude also mentioned that they reported to a Mr. M, but he has not idea who that might be. I'll bet a hundred dollars that this involves the NID." Jack stated with some frustration. "Anyone else get more information than that?" He sighed once again when no new information was forthcoming.

General Hammond opened his mouth to say something else when he was interrupted by Teal'c and Major Davis entering the room. "Do you have anything to report gentlemen? Colonel O'Neill has informed us that Smith is not the only traitor among us. What did you find out?"

"Airman Smith was most forthcoming with information once I convinced him of his necessity to cooperate," Teal'c stated with a slight bow before he sat down. Jack smiled his first real smile since they left the café so long ago. He would have given anything to watch Teal'c in action. Oh yeah, he could. There were surveillance tapes!

"Please continue Teal'c," Hammond stated as he sat back in his chair.

"Airman Smith was contacted some time ago by a Mr. M. He does not know for whom this man works. He was convinced to trade information for large sums of money," Teal'c said with disdain. "When he reported about the appearance of JJ within the SGC, Mr. M instructed him to try and take the child. He has tried several times before today, all of them without success."

"What?" Jack asked with disbelief. "There were attempts before today? When?" He couldn't believe that Smith had tried to take JJ on other occasions and they hadn't been aware of it.

"Yesterday, O'Neill, when Major Carter was on the surface. Airman Smith attempted to shoot Major Carter with a tranquilizer dart and take the child. When that was not successful, he once again tried to use a tranquilizer on her in the corridors outside her room. He failed in both attempts because of the untimely appearance of her team members," Teal'c stated with a frown. He had been angered beyond measure when Smith told him of the other two attempts to take JJ and to harm Major Carter. Teal'c could tell by looking at Colonel O'Neill that he felt the same way.

For his part, Jack was fuming. More than anything, he wanted to go down to Smith's cell and reenact the jarring hit he had given to Jude. He shuddered to think how close Carter and JJ had been to disaster when they were out alone on the surface. With great control, he reigned in his temper, schooled his features, and listened to General Hammond proceed with the questioning.

"Did Smith mention if he knew who this other inside contact was?"

Major Davis took over from Teal'c. "No Sir. He didn't have a name to give us. He did, however say that it was someone who had easy access to both you and to most things that occur in the infirmary. I believe, General, that the traitor is a member of the medical staff; someone who has detailed knowledge of the staff's medical history and who is trusted by Doctor Frasier to carry medical reports to you. Smith was told that Major Carter has a specific compound in her blood that renders most sedatives ineffective. He was given a very strong tranquilizer to use specifically on her."

There was but a brief moment of utter silence before all three men of SG1 stood up simultaneously and looked at each other with the same exact thought going through their minds: the infirmary! That was where Sam and JJ were right now!

"General," Jack stated with a note of urgency in his voice.

"Go," answered the General. "I'll call down to the infirmary and warn Dr. Frasier not to let anyone go near JJ or Major Carter until you get there."

With those words, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c raced out of the briefing room and to the elevators that would take them to the infirmary. The members of SG3 were not far behind.


A/N: The chapters will be a bit slower coming up now that Christmas break is over! Plus I am doing some homebound tutoring as well as running a fund raiser at school so time is not my greatest commodity right now! I'll try not to leave you hanging too long! I'm so glad that so many of you are enjoying this story and are in fact "hooked"!