A/N; Sorry it's been a while since I let Sam head up to the surface on her own. I hopefully have made up for the delay with a long chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 22 – Cleaning House
SG-3, Major Davis, Janet, General Hammond, and the men of SG-1 all sat around the briefing table, waiting for Sam and Agent Barrett to appear. Jack, holding JJ on his lap, scowled over at Daniel. To say that he was upset was putting it mildly. Daniel had tried to explain why Sam had gone on her own, but he wasn't hearing it. Even after General Hammond explained why Sam wasn't here yet, Jack still felt that Daniel should have insisted on going up with her. He knew he was probably overreacting but Geez, she had been followed to the women's locker room yesterday. Thank God she had only been locked in; it could have been much worse.
Drumming his fingers on the table impatiently, his gaze flickered back and forth from the clock on the wall to Daniel, his scowl deepening with each tick of the second hand. Daniel nervously pulled at the collar of his shirt. Two more minutes and he'd head up himself to find Sam.
General Hammond took in the nervous actions of Dr. Jackson and the deathly glares his 2IC was tossing the doctor's way. Figuring he'd better step in before someone got hurt, he said, "Colonel O'Neill, I can assure you that nothing has happened to Major Carter. I had two guards posted at the bottom of the elevators and two at the top, not to mention the increased security topside. If I had any apprehension that those guards couldn't be trusted, I would have never sent Major Carter up there on her own."
"Yes, well, all due respect Sir; we didn't think anyone in the infirmary would be a danger either, did we?" Jack asked with barely controlled impatience. As if sensing his mood, JJ began to squirm in his arms. Jack forced himself to relax as he gently bounced JJ on his leg.
Just then, the phone in the briefing room rang, preventing General Hammond from commenting on the less that respectful tone in Jack's voice. He rose from his chair at the head of the table to answer it himself. "Hammond here. Yes, Sergant. Thank you for notifying me." He hung up the phone and turned back to the group. "There was a little problem with a briefcase Agent Barrett was carrying. It's all been cleared up. They're on the way down now."
Daniel closed his eyes and heaved a huge sigh of relief. He would live to see another day after all.
Five minutes later, Jack looked up as he heard Sam's laughter coming from the stairwell. He heard an answering laugh coming from a deep male voice. His scowl deepened momentarily before he re-schooled his features into an impassive mask.
As Sam entered the room, she automatically searched out the little boy. When she spotted him in Jack's lap, she smiled at them both and walked further into the room. That smile helped ease Jack's tension, at least a little bit. He didn't like how Barrett was looking at Sam, but he wasn't going to explore those feelings; especially not right now.
"I'm sorry we're late General," Sam stated as she took in the people seated and waiting.
"It's all right, Major. I heard there was a little problem with something Agent Barrett was carrying?" he asked questioningly.
"Yes, I'll let Malcolm explain that in a minute Sir."
"Very well. Please introduce Agent Barrett to everyone," the General requested.
Sam made the introductions, then took the seat next to Jack and indicated the one on her other side for Barrett. Jack noted with annoyance how Barrett held out her chair for her, as if they were at some fancy dinner or something! JJ reached across for her, calling out "Mama!" when she didn't immediately take him in her arms. Barrett raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. He noticed that the other people present didn't seem fazed by how the little boy addressed Major Carter.
Sam smiled apologetically at Jack as she took JJ away from him. She didn't want to seem controlling where JJ was concerned but, since he wanted to be with her, she figured it was the best way to keep the baby quiet during the meeting. Jack wasn't bothered in the least. He just shrugged; he wanted to keep his attention focused on this meeting anyway and JJ had a knack for distracting him with his antics.
"So, this is the little guy who's causing all the trouble, huh?" Barrett said as he leaned closer to take a look at JJ and chucked him under the chin. "He certainly does look like you Major Carter. I can't believe that he's from an alternate reality. It's just so…"
"Unreal?" Jack added helpfully, leaning forward so he could see around Sam.
"Uh, yes, Colonel," Barrett agreed uncertainly. There was something about Colonel O'Neill that made him nervous.
"Agent Barrett, I assume you came all the way down here for a purpose other than to take a look at the child," General Hammond stated firmly. He wanted to get this meeting underway and get some solid answers.
Barrett straightened up, "Yes, sir. When Major Carter called me yesterday, I was stunned to say the least. Not only by the fact that a child of hers and Colonel O'Neill's had arrived through the Quantum mirror, but that someone from our organization was trying to abduct him."
"Actually," Daniel interrupted. "JJ is not their child. He is the child of an alternate reality Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill."
"Yes, Dr. Jackson, that is what I meant. Please forgive my semantics. This is all very new to me."
"Go on, Barrett," Hammond instructed.
"Yes, Sir. As I was saying, when Samantha called me, I began to look into things right away. In fact, I stayed up most of the night trying to get some answers for you. I was stunned, to say the least, at what I found."
"And that was?" Jack asked impatiently. He did not like Barrett's use of Sam's first name, any more than he liked the way he looked at her.
"Well Sir, it is indeed a faction of the NID that was involved in the attempts to abduct JJ. An unauthorized faction I might add. You've heard of the various safe houses directed by the NID?"
"Isn't that how Colonel Simmons kept Conrad and the Goa'uld hidden a few years back?" Daniel asked.
Barrett nodded his head. "There have always been several safe houses in operation at various times; some with the sanction of the NID, others without. After the Conrad incident, all safe houses were supposedly shut down. Well, it turns out that all of them weren't."
"Was the person who is behind this incident hidden in such a manner, Agent Barrett? We have yet to discover the identity of Mr. M." Teal'c stated.
"Yes, Teal'c. Mr, M, as he prefers to be called, was operating under a faction that we believed was cleaned up years ago. That group was headed by the former Colonel Maybourne."
"Maybourne?" Jack yelled as he stood up. "There's no way in hell that he could be behind any of this. Besides the fact that he is currently living on another planet, he would never stoop to kidnapping a baby!" Turning to the General, he asked apprehensively, "He is still on another planet…isn't he?"
"As far as we know, Colonel," Hammond stated with certainty.
Jack's outburst had startled JJ, who started to whimper. His lower lip stuck out as he looked with uncertainty from Jack to the unknown man sitting next to Sam. He was the one who seemed to be causing his Daddy to yell. Sam talked softly to JJ, rubbing his back while she tried to soothe him. She sent Jack a look of censure before continuing to try and calm the baby.
"Sorry Carter," Jack muttered as he sat back down. He absently reached across and patted JJ's back. His mind was still spinning with the thought that Maybourne might have any ties to this.
"Maybourne just started this splinter group, Colonel. He isn't behind any of this. One of the people he recruited, however is." Barrett paused as he looked around the group. "All of my sources point to the same person. Former SGC member, Colonel Makepeace, otherwise known as Mr. M, is behind the abduction attempts."
You could have heard a pin drop as those present took in this information. It was broken by Jack, who once again stood up, slammed his hands on the table and shouted out, "What?"
This time, JJ burst into full fledged cries of fear. He wasn't used to his daddy yelling in such a loud, scary voice. Sam quickly stood up with the baby and walked around the table toward the door. She didn't want JJ to disrupt the meeting; yet she also wanted to avoid exposing him to the tone and tension of the room.
Janet stood up and followed her, reaching her side before she could leave the room. The men's voices were reduced to murmurs in the background as the two women spoke quietly. "Sam, let me take him. Your presence is needed here, mine isn't. I'll take him back to the infirmary and get him calmed down," she assured Sam.
Sam's gaze was uncertain as she looked from JJ to Janet, then across the room to Jack and finally the General. Jack still looked upset at the mention of Makepeace, but there was a look of apology in his eyes as he glanced at her. The General sat waiting patiently, his look indicating that it was her decision whether to accompany JJ out of the room or remain for the rest of the briefing. Knowing that her place right now was with her team in this briefing room, she heaved a silent sigh, cuddled JJ close and whispered words of comfort to him before placing him in Janet's arms.
JJ's wails intensified as he was carried from the room, causing Sam to take a step in the direction they had gone before she resolutely squared her shoulders and returned to her seat. Daniel gave her a look of understanding sympathy, which was almost her undoing. She focused her gaze on Barrett, waiting for him to continue.
Now that order had been restored, General Hammond took over, "Agent Barrett, we at the SGC were led to believe that Colonel Makepeace was incarcerated for crimes of treason some 4 years back. Colonel O'Neill was involved in the mission that broke the covert operation led by Maybourne. His group was involved in stealing alien technology; an endeavor that brought much consternation from our alien allies."
"Yes, sir, he was," Barrett agreed. "But Makepeace was deemed too important to certain members of the NID to leave in jail, so he was carefully and quietly extracted and removed to a safe house, where he soon began leading his own team."
"You know, that's the problem with you NID people, "Jack stated with heavy sarcasm. "You can't seem to leave the bad guys locked up, where they belong."
Barrett flushed at the dig. "I know it looks that way, Colonel. But not all of us at the NID work in the same manner as these rogue groups. Some of us are actually working hard at keeping this country safe and trying to help your group carry on with certain classified operations." The two men glared at each other for a few moments; neither one particularly fond of the other at this moment.
Sam put her hand on Barrett's arm in reassurance. "And we appreciate everything you have done for us Malcolm. You're about the only one we can really trust in the NID, so you have to excuse the generalizations that might be made about your organization." Malcolm nodded in acceptance of her apology for the Colonel. Jack on the other hand scowled at her before turning away. He had no intention of apologizing for the dig and didn't need her to do it for him.
"So what now?" Daniel asked from across the table. "We know it's Makepeace. He's waiting to hear back from me, well Sunderson, tonight. Do we set up a fake meeting and then grab him?"
"That's exactly what we do. And we make sure to put him away for good this time," Jack added firmly.
"Um, I'm afraid not," Barrett spoke up. All eyes were on him; some more surprised at his statement than others. Sam was also puzzled by his comment.
"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion. "We can't just let him get away with this."
"I'm sorry Samantha, but I have my orders too." Barrett reached to his side and brought his briefcase up to the table with him. He opened it and took a packet of official looking papers. "These are signed by the head of the NID, along with the President. They grant my team and me the authority to remove the prisoners you have captured and take them back to our base headquarters. We will work within our organization to remove Makepeace and make certain he will not be a threat to you anymore."
For the third time during that brief meeting, Jack stood up and planted his hands on the table. "You have got to be kidding me!" he growled out. "That is the most lame-assed idea I have heard in a long time! Makepeace not only managed to get two of our people to turn on us, but tried to abduct a little baby on at least 3 occasions; not caring if he killed Carter or me in the process. There is no way in hell you are getting those prisoners, just to let them go again, and God knows how soon!"
"I would have to concur with O'Neill, Agent Barrett. Your organization seems ill equipped to deal with these traitors."
"Malcolm, we can't just let them walk away from this," Sam added her own thoughts. Although she thought the Colonel could have stated things a lot more diplomatically, she whole-heartedly agreed with his sentiments.
General Hammond stood up. "That's enough people. Agent Barrett, please hand me those papers." The General perused the documents while the rest of those in attendance remained seated, save for Jack O'Neill who paced in obvious agitation behind the table. Barrett twisted his hands nervously in his lap, aware of the glares being thrown in his direction. He looked up when he heard the General clear his throat. "Everything seems to be in order here. But you'll have to excuse me while I make a call to the President to confirm this information."
"Yes, sir," Barrett answered. Silence fell as the General left the room. It didn't last for long.
"I just don't get it," Jack stated to the room in general, his tone heavy with disdain and anger. "How can we go through all of the work of catching these guys, getting information out of them, and then have you waltz in here to take them away. In essence to let them get off scot-free."
Barrett sighed. "Believe me Colonel; they will not get off scot-free. Our organization is tired of the bad rep we continue to get because of these rogue operations. They will be firmly shut down. Just as when Makepeace was in your organization, you worked to clean your house without the involvement of any outside agencies. We are just trying to do the same thing. You have my word, all of you. These perpetrators will not go unpunished for what they have done here." After saying this, he looked directly at Sam, as if to assure her that he wouldn't let their actions against her go unpunished.
Before anyone could reply, the General returned, a slight frown on his face. "Everything is as you say, Agent Barrett." He turned his attention to the members of his command. "The President has confirmed that Barrett is to take the prisoners with him and we are to make no attempts to hinder him, or to apprehend Makepeace on our own." He held up his hands as Jack began to protest. "It is out of our hands Colonel O'Neill." Jack slumped back in his seat. This had so not gone the way he was expecting!
Hammond turned his attention back to Barrett. "Can you assure me that there will be no more attempts to harm the baby or Major Carter?"
"From our organization? Yes. From rogue operations? Not with certainty Sir." He looked at Sam with apology. "Although I do not believe there are any more informants within your organization, I can't say that there aren't others out there waiting for a chance to study this child." He looked around the room, "You have to understand; many people out there believe that a child with the genetic make-up that is specific to Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill, and all that it entails, could be the answer to our long-term survival as a species. I don't think they have any intention of harming the baby, they just want samples of his blood and DNA for further study."
"Well, that's not going to happen," Jack stated with firmness. Sam nodded her head in agreement. It had been hard enough to stand by when Janet had taken legitimate samples from JJ, she wasn't about to let the little boy go through that again, especially for research purposes.
"All, I'm saying," Barrett continued, "Is that you might consider letting the boy's blood be studied, especially if he ends up here for an extended period of time, It might go a long way toward keeping people from trying to take him." He reached once more into his brief case and took out a vial. "If you should change your minds, this vial can be sent directly to me to ensure that it ends up in the proper hands."
At the looks of disdain thrown his way, he set the vial on the table and continued. "As it stands now, if I were you General, I'd keep both JJ and Major Carter inside the mountain. At least until we get things taken care of on our end."
"I have every intention of doing just that, Agent Barrett," Hammond stated with firm resolve. "As there is nothing further we can do from our end, this meeting is officially over. Major Davis, you have been requested to accompany Agent Barrett back to NID headquarters in Washington and help with the completion of the interrogation process on their end. I will need you to remain here for a few moments to review some final details. SG-3, Teal'c and Dr. Jackson, you will help bring the prisoners to the surface and ensure that they are properly restrained for their transport. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, I would like you both to escort Agent Barrett to the surface and make sure all necessary preparation for prisoner transport are complete. Dismissed." He stood up and everyone else followed, mumbling "Yes, sirs," to his orders.
Major Davis stayed behind as everyone else filed out of the room. Jack and Sam shared glances as they left the room. Neither one was too happy about the outcome of this meeting, but they would have to accept it and move on.
The ride to the surface was quick and fairly quiet. Jack didn't say much, he leaned against the side of the elevator and listened to Sam and Barrett's conversation as they rode to the surface. He scowled at the way Barrett placed his hand on Sam's back and urged her to go ahead of him as they exited the elevator car. Barrett caught the scowl and quickly dropped his hand. He had no intention of incurring any more anger from one Colonel O'Neill.
Once at the surface, Jack went ahead of Barrett and Sam to make sure that the vehicles transporting the prisoners were well secured. He double checked the ID of every person who would be involved in the transport. He turned around and saw Sam and Barrett talking quietly by the main exit. Sam was shaking her head at something Barrett was saying…Jack wondered what it was.
When the prisoners arrived, secured in strong restraints, Jack stepped back and let Teal'c and SG-3 place them in the vans. Sam and Barrett walked up and stood next to him. As Jude was being led into the van, he stopped and sneered at the officers, his arrogant manner returning now that he was no longer in the confines of the SGC. "You may have caught us, but you'll never completely stop us. You're not the only ones who care what happens to this planet and can do something about it." He nodded in Sam's direction, "You'd better keep an eye on your lady soldier, Colonel. Even without the kid, she's of supreme interest to a lot of people."
Before either Jack or Sam could step forward and do anything, Barrett pushed them aside and stepped purposefully toward Jude. He grabbed him roughly by the collar and said, "If you think you're getting off just because you're no longer under the jurisdiction of the USAF, you had better think again. And if that was a threat against Major Carter, you'd better start to watch your back. Now get in the van and shut up!" Barrett forcefully pushed him into the van, not caring that Jude landed hard on his knees. He nodded to the guards to shut and lock the doors, then walked back to Sam.
"I'm sorry about that Major Carter. Rest assured, I will do everything within my power to keep them locked up and to shut down their operation." Barrett took Sam's hand and clasped it briefly in his own before releasing it. "Please, let me know if there is anything else I can do for you," he addressed the group now standing with him.
Though he still didn't particularly like the man, Jack's estimation of him had risen following his actions against Jude. "Just keep us apprised of what is happening regarding Makepeace and his group." He held out his hand and shook Barrett's. "And thanks for everything you have done so far. I know I was hard on you back there, but…"
"No problem, Colonel. I'd have acted the same way if I were in your position." Barrett quickly glanced at Sam before sharing a look with Jack. Yes indeed, he would have acted exactly as the Colonel had acted.
They said their good-byes and watched as the two vans carrying the prisoners, Barrett, and Major Davis left the compound. Then the four members of SG-1 turned and entered the mountain once more. Hopefully this chapter was closed and there would be no more danger to the little boy who waited for them in the infirmary. They had only 3 days left with him, if things went according to plan, and both Sam and Jack had every intention of spending what little time remained with the child who had stolen their hearts.
