When All Else Fails

Chapter Twenty Two

Disclaimer: Nope... I ordered them last week, but they haven't come in the mail yet. Maybe by my next update.

A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad to hear that my story really does have action in it!

Oh, and this explosive thing I'm talking about down here, it was used in "Beast of Burden" but they never said what it was called... So, I'm not creative enough to pick out some brilliant name for it, so I'll skip around a name and just explain what it does.

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If he had been keeping track of the amount of time that had past since she had been dragged away in his place, he would have known that not even five minutes had passed since a familiar knocking came from the back wall of the cell. But, of course, he had been too busy worrying about her to pay any mind to the time, so he didn't. He did, however, have all the men crowd around Teal'c as they had done before, then as she had done stood on his back and peered through the bars.

"Carter?" a clearly recognizable voice whispered.

"No," he replied, "she's been taken by Thoth."

"Thoth?" he hissed.

"The Goa'uld, sir," a voice on the outside answered for him.

"Well, why the hell did he take her?" he demanded. Like any of his team knew.

"To save me," Daniel told him, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Somebody has to get to her quick."

There was a heavy sigh from the other side of the wall. "What's your position in there?"

"We're all packed into a small cell, at the moment there aren't any Jaffa in the room- but I doubt that will last long. Why?" he questioned, "What can you do from out there?"

"Not much with you all cramped into a small room," he grumbled with slight annoyance. For a moment all that could be heard from the other side of the wall were whispers, and then Jack addressed the prisoners once more. "We think we have a plan..."

"You think?" Daniel questioned.

"Right," Jack didn't seem at all phased by the uncertain tone in his friends voice. "We're going to send over some explosives an–"

"Wait," he interjected in shock, "you're going to send over what?"

"Not dynamite or C-4, Danny- just something to blow the lock off of the door. You remember when we were stuck on that planet with your buddy Chaka?" the tone in his voice was anything but amuzed. Jack had despised that mission.

"Yeah..."

"The stuff we used to get out of those cells, doesn't even make much of a sound. It's just a clay bomb."

Daniel remembered the device. "So... what happens after we blow the lock?"

"We blow the wall," Jack explained. "Then you guys high tail it out of here and head for the 'gate, while me and some of my men go find Colonel Carter... is she the only one missing?"

"No, Thoth took Dr. Craig, too- we're not hopeful about what happened to him, though."

"No matter, we've still got to find out what happened to him," no man get's left behind, and all that. "You ready for the explosives?"

"Yeah... just- be careful, ok?"

Jack snorted, as if he hadn't already known that.

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"What is your purpose here?" Thoth questioned, studying the P90 in his hands with careful appreciation, quite unnervingly so.

"To save the men you captured," she spat out at him bitterly.

Thoth looked up at her, having expected such an answer. "And," he mused, "their purpose here?"

"No purpose," she confessed. "We're explores- we didn't know that this planet was occupied by the Goa'uld."

"Yes," Thoth sighed, "well... it seems that you do now."

"Yeah," she agreed, her voice dripping with sarcasam. "It seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Your attitude is not very appealing," he warned her, stepping closer to where she was chained up against the wall, still clutching the weapon in his hands. "Although, you would make a beautiful queen..."

She spat at him, disgusted. "I'd rather be dead."

"Even so..." he continued with an evil grin. "I have noticed that the Tau'ri have a much greater capacity than any of the other races I have come across.That is appealing..." he ran his fingers along her jaw line and she snapped her head around, shivering in contempt at the touch. Thoth chuckled, going back to his post by the door. "So feisty..."

Sam glared at him, a sneer manifest on her lips, "You're wasting your time. I wont tell you anything that I know."

His lips curled and he set the P90 down on the table beside him, picking up a smaller, automatic weapon. "This is nothing I did not already know. I have already obtained all the information I need from Major Sanchez. He has been very helpful- and cooperative, something that I suggest you learn." He cocked the weapon, and leveled it with her head. "Where are the others?"

So much for not asking questions. "What others?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"The teams that were sent through the Stargate, Colonel Carter. Many of my men have been slain by them, I know they are here to attempt a rescue."

Pursing her lips together, she rested her back against the wall she was chained to. No way in hell was she going to tell him about Jack and those with him. He could kill her if he wanted to, but by the time any of his Jaffa realized a rescue mission was underway Daniel, Teal'c, and the rest of her teams would be long gone- that was all that mattered to her.

As Thoth's finger tightened on the trigger of the automatic weapon she vaguely recognized it as a Beretta, and as the bullet ripped through the air she wondered where Jack was at that moment, and if Daniel was finally safe.

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All thirteen of the men in the small cell had their backs firmly planted against the wall farthest from the door, even though they knew the device which they were using to blow the lock would only do harm to the inside of it, not the outside nor anything else. Still, things could go wrong, right? They weren't taking any chances.

The only indication that the explosive even worked was the slight rattle of the bars and the faint squeak of the door as it slightly opened from the sudden motion. They nervously waited for a few seconds, praying that none of the Jaffa had noticed the noise, expecting the worst. However, after they waited for an ample amount of time nobody came- so they could move on with step two of their escape plan. Quietly they filed out of the cell, the three remaining SG-2 members watching the door, and waited for the more noticeable explosion to follow.

On the other side of the wall, Jack and his rescue teams readied the C-4, then backed up far enough so that they were out of the blasts range, but not so far that it would put those inside at a greater risk. Then, they let it blow. It was loud and sudden, and even he had to admit the blast left him feeling a bit vulnerable, as all of them did. However, he didn't let that slow him down and as soon as the initial smoke and flames were cleared he and his teams raced for the building, just as those inside were racing out.

They met in the middle, "Teal'c, you're with me... you too, Colonel Jennings. We're going to find Carter and Craig, the rest of you head back for the 'gate."

"I'm coming with you," Daniel demanded. "It's my fault she's in there."

Jack would have argued with him, but he didn't have the time and he knew that Sam didn't either. "Fine... somebody give Daniel and Teal'c a staff and let's go."

Two staff weapons were handed over immediately and then the groups parted ways.

By the time they got back to the cell there were at least seven or eight Jaffa cluttered inside the room, confused about where their prisoners had gone. They had been trained for such meetings, however, and it didn't take long for the threat to be eliminated. Once they were taken care of the four of them ventured out of the room and down the halls, eyes darting around in search for signs of danger.

What none of them expected, however, was the sudden, shrill bang of a gun going off, and then the deep, painful shout that followed.

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The bullet ripped through her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Damn it, that hurt!

"Now that I have your full attention, Colonel, maybe you can answer my question. Where are they?" he growled.

"Fuck you," she spat out through the pain.

He threw the Beretta to the floor and picked up the P90, aiming it at her, "Where are they?"

She stared at him icily but didn't reply to his question. He snarled and his finger tightened the trigger of the weapon, but before he could get another shot out a crash from the door caught Thoth's attention, as well as Sam's. Teal'c came bounding through the door, fired a shot at Thoth, taking him down immediately. Jack came through the door after him, holding his gun up, ready to fire, followed by Daniel and Colonel Jennings of SG-5. Jack and Daniel rushed to her side, studying the chains that had her tied down.

"Shit," Jack mumbled, tugging at the metal. "Where's the key?" he demanded, looking around. "Somebody find the Goddamned key!"

Jennings searched through the pockets of the fallen Goa'uld and pulled out a large, brass colored key. "I think this is it, sir."

Jack snatched it out of his hand and shoved it into the locks, it fit! Three locks later she was free and nurturing her damaged shoulder, and the five of them were making a run for it. The halls were still empty, but as soon as they made it to the cell she had once been held in a familiar scowling face came into view. Ri'dek glared at the five of them, balancing his staff in his hands. Jack was quick on his toes, though, and fired off a round into his chest, causing the large Jaffa to crash to the ground.

"Wait!" Sam cried before they went further, "What about Sanchez?"

"He's a Goa'uld," Jack said, like she hadn't already known so.

"I know, but... we could get him to the Tok'ra. And, Craig's family deserve to give him a proper burial."

Jack sighed, glancing around the hallways. They were still empty, no doubt everybody was asleep at such a late hour. "Ok... but only if you and Daniel head back for the 'gate. You're injured, you won't be any help."

She would have objected, if not for the burning pain in her shoulder. Reluctantly she nodded, then she and Daniel headed on their long run for the 'gate.

XXXX

"Unauthorized off-world activation!" Davis' voice called over the intercom, "Unauthorized off-world activation."

Fehr snapped awake and scrambled out of bed, ignoring the stab of protest from his still healing leg. He quickly pulled on the pants that were lying beside his infirmary bed and ran to the control room, along with many others who knew of the situation on P9D-785. By the time he made it into the control room the embarkation room was crawling with airmen and their guns.

"It's SG-10's iris-code," Davis' announced to no one in particular. The CO was gone, the 2IC was gone, as was SG-2. Fehr, being a member of SG-3- the only member left, was currently the highest officer on base. But, since he was only a lieutenant that only went so far and Davis didn't exactly need his permission to open the iris- which he did immediately.

The metal swirled open, exposing the shimmering blue liquid of the event horizon. The shimmering blue, untouched liquid of the event horizon.

And they waited.

And waited.

Nearly five minutes later Captain Tracy of SG-10 walked through the 'gate, followed by his CO and the two lieutenants of the team. Following them were three of the SG-5 marines, SG-8, and the captured teams SG-2, 4, and 6. But, no General O'Neill, no Colonel Jennings, and no SG-1.

"Close the iris!" Major Staley of SG-8 ordered. "We've got some Jaffa on our sixes!"

The metal barrier closed and seconds later the 'gate shut down.

Leaving SG-1 and General O'Neill on the planet...

Alone.

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A/N: Ah! Cliffhangers... don't you just love them?

Let me know what you think about this chapter. More to come soon! I swear.

Oh, yeah- sorry about the language in this chapter... I don't really curse, unless I have good reason to, but in that kind of situation (i.e. being shot...) I figure cussing is only going to be natural. I try to tune it down a bit... but I never really manage to.