"I think you're right Teal'c. Carter, how's your chemistry skills?" Sam blinked at her CO's sudden question, and her brow furrowed for a moment before she caught on. A matching smile spread across her features as she returned his glance. A diversion indeed.
Chapter 18: A Diversion
"Uh, guys?" Daniel's brow was furrowed as he blinked at his companions in confusion. Teal'c was already climbing out of the little Hummer, Sam quickly following suit. Jack sent a lopsided grin to the confused archeologist.
"Didn't you ever play with chemistry sets and blow stuff up Daniel?" With that cryptic remark, Jack slid out of the vehicle, leaving Daniel to follow. Teal'c and Sam were already at the back of the Hummer pulling out the string from the ill-fated yo-yo, and peering up at the janitor cart. Jack quickly headed to the corner of the corridor and checked to make sure no weird looking aliens had followed them, and soon headed back.
"How's it look kids?" Jack rocked up on the balls of his feet before stuffing his hands in his pockets, eyebrows raised inquiringly.
Teal'c inclined his head towards Jack. "I believe I will be able to scale to distance required O'Neill. Major Carter is confident that the chemical in the white jug will be sufficient for our purposes."
"Sir, I think we might need some sort of fuse," Sam frowned, biting her lip as the problem occurred to her, "I think I saw a cleaning rag up there as well. Teal'c, if you can, try and drop it down. We might be able to use it as a sort of wick. It will also give us more time to get far enough away."
Teal'c bowed his head solemnly as Jack nodded. "Good thinking Major. Let's make this thing." With that, Sam and Teal'c sprang into action, each to their respective tasks.
Daniel continued to look confused. "Jack, what are you doing?"
"We are making a diversion Daniel," Jack replied rather unhelpfully, as he watched Teal'c start to scale a broom leaning against the cleaning cart. The string from the yo-yo was tied to the large man's belt, and from the corner of his eye, Jack watched as Carter carefully uncoiled the rest, letting it play out. Once Teal'c reached the top, she'd tie her end off to the front end of the Hummer and Teal'c would transfer his end to the white jug.
Not one to give up on a verbal debate, Daniel persisted. "Um, yes. I gathered that. What sort of diversion, exactly?" Daniel's eyes widened expectantly as he crossed his arms, pointedly waiting for a response.
Finally, Jack turned his attention away from Teal'c and looked at Daniel. Nonchalantly, Jack scuffed the toe of one his boots along the floor and shrugged a shoulder. "Oh, I don't know Daniel. Something flammable."
Daniel winced, and chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Jack. Do you think that's wise? I mean, won't that set off the overhead sprinklers?"
Jack blinked, his boot pausing in mid-scuff as he frowned down at it. Daniel could almost see the gears turning in the other man's head. Jack's mouth opened, than shut abruptly, and his brow furrowed. Daniel's eyebrows rose curiously as he waited patiently. With a suddenness that was startling, Jack's head lifted and he whiled around.
"Carter!" he barked.
"Sir?" Sam looked up from her task. Teal'c was nearing the top of the cart.
Jack gestured towards the Hummer. "Is this thing watertight?" At her look of confusion he explained. "If we set off the sprinklers, will it, you know…" he trailed off at the dawning look of comprehension on her face.
Slightly distracted from watching Teal'c, Sam replied. "We should be fine sir. We couldn't take water inside since I had the wiring exposed, but Mark and I took the one I bought through mud, water, just about everything and it did fine. As long as we try to keep the exposure as brief as possible, we should be okay. Besides, each section of the base is compartmentalized in the event of fire, as long as we get out of the section where the fire is quickly enough, we won't be exposed to the water for very long." A slight tug on the string alerted Sam to the fact that Teal'c had attained his goal and had tied off his end of the string onto the white bottle, as well as climbing to the top of the bottle and loosening the cap. While Teal'c tossed the cleaning rag down like an oversized parachute and Daniel went to collect it, Jack watched his 2IC with a bemused grin.
Sensing his scrutiny, Sam looked up from securing the line to the front bumper of the hummer. "Sir?"
"Mud and water?" His lips twitched slightly. He was so not going to let her forget her earlier admission of "testing" the remote control toy she'd supposedly bought for her nephew, especially with these new details.
Her cheeks grew warm and she checked the knots with particular care to hide her face. "And sand," she mumbled. "We wanted to make sure it was a good buy!" she protested when she heard the badly muffled snort behind her.
"And how did it measure up, Major?" Jack's eyes were twinkling.
"It was better, after I, ah, modified it. Sir." She wouldn't meet his eyes. Suddenly, the Major was paying the most meticulous attention to tying knots in the history of man. The Boy Scouts of America would have been proud; too bad they didn't let girls in.
Oh ho! Did she just say she'd modified her nephew's toy? Jack's eye's widened. She was so gonna get it. "Carter, did you make a few enhancements to your nephew's birthday present?" The Colonel's tone dripped mock disbelief and shock. He was really enjoying himself at her discomfort. It wasn't every day he got to tease her. But it wasn't every day the normally serious major admitted that she played with toys, even if they were really cool electronic remote control toys.
Fortunately Sam was saved from eternal embarrassment by the arrival of Daniel dragging the cleaning rag, and Teal'c following behind after having slid down the broom handle to the ground. Jack gave the blushing Major an appraising look, "Later Carter," he said under his breath, ignoring the curious look from Daniel. "So," he said, looking at the two new arrivals. "We all set kids?"
Teal'c inclined his head. "All is in readiness O'Neill, although I was unable to ascertain how much liquid remained in the bottle."
Jack waved his hands. "Doesn't matter. Even if it's only a little bit, it will be enough to cause a bit of smoke and that's all we need. More would be better, but we can't be picky with what we get. Carter, you ready?"
Sam just nodded briskly; her cheeks still a telltale shade of pink, and climbed quickly up into the Hummer, Jack herding the others away to a safe distance. She powered up the engine and backed up, the string rapidly going taut. The Hummer's little engine whined, the pitch increasing. At first the tires spun freely on the smooth concrete floor. The pitch of the small motor changed and the little engine continued to whine as the tires spun and then slowly the little truck started to move. Jack could barely make out Carter through the plastic windshield, her face a mask of concentration. The vehicle slid, and started to move a little, in a bit of an S type pattern as it shifted back and forth slightly, a rubbery smell from the tires leaking into the air. Jack frowned, looking at the tension in the line between the now obviously very full chemical bottle and the little motorized hummer
Just as the Colonel was rethinking the wisdom of engaging in this little tug of war contest, the jug suddenly budged. It had been near the edge of the cart and Teal'c had tied the string on the curved handle near the top of the bottle. Finally giving in to the inevitable pull of gravity the bottle tipped. Unfortunately, it was heading on a direct trajectory for the Hummer and Sam!
A/N: I thought we needed some more action! And you haven't forgotten about my cliffhangers right? And I couldn't resist a bit of Sam and Jack teasing and the little Jack and Daniel conversation either. More to come soon. Maybe. (looks innocent) PS. Anyone want a cat? He's nice and clean, he decided to help me with the laundry and got laundry soap all over his ear, so I had to wash it off. And of course it was nice and foamy. Poor Sam, that will teach him to go sticking his head where it doesn't belong. Er, well, probably not. He never seems to learn.
