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Updates will be quicker now. Promise...nearly there...with lots of sap...er...fluff to come.
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
By LetitiaRichards
Previously:
He was going to get Sam back, come hell or high water. Nothing would stop him.
He didn't notice the car that followed with three occupants.
Chapter 7
The drive was long and he kept glancing at his watch to make sure he would make it in time for the rendezvous.
Eventually he flicked his lights off when he crawled slowly towards a stop in front of the apartment building. He checked his weapon once again to make sure it was loaded and working okay. No sense in taking risks, especially where Sam was concerned.
He stepped down from the truck, and flipped the lock on his remote, before skulking towards the shadows, hoping to stay hidden from view.
Being derelict, the building was of course in complete darkness. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the same level before making his move.
The air around him was quiet, and the only noise to break the suffocating silence was the sporadic sound of traffic along the road out front. Jack took a moment to calm himself, knowing that Sam was so close had him breathing fast; completely ignoring the fact that he wasn't really one hundred percent fit yet, and that he should still be in the infirmary. He pushed the thought that Janet was going to wipe the floor with him when she next saw him, let alone what General Hammond would have to say about the matter.
He needed to concentrate here. Sam was his number one priority. Brushing a hand over his sweaty brow, he sucked in a huge breath and entered through the doorway. He didn't know where they were keeping Sam, nor the layout of the building, so he edged his way in, searching systematically through each room he came across, his hands fastened tightly round the handle of his 9mil weapon, pointing the way.
Shadows confused him, leaping out at him as he scouted the empty rooms. He was sweating profusely by now, but pushed away the thoughts of his own weakness and pressed on. His chest ached, his breathing becoming more painful as the suspense grew. He'd searched most of the floors now and there was still no sign of anyone.
He stepped carefully onto the last of the staircases, this was the top floor. She had to be here. He dreaded to think that this had been a wild goose chase.
The fourth door he opened, he could see a figure seated on a chair in the middle of the room, and on looking closer, he knew it was Sam. She was tied securely with a gag in her mouth. He didn't drop his guard though, even as his heart soared. He'd found her.
Cautiously checking the room, and especially behind the door, he found that Sam was on her own. He ran over to her, kissing her brow as he untied the gag, releasing her mouth to suck in much needed air. Next he untied her hands from the arms of the wooden chair, then bent down to untie her ankles.
"You okay?" he asked, as soon as she was free to speak.
"I'm fine thanks," she whispered. "He's still here sir. Hiding somewhere."
"Yeah, I reckoned on that. This is too easy," he grimaced, taking up a protective stance again while Sam rubbed at her chaffed wrists.
"Everything's to easy Jack," she said, "Did I miss something while I've been here? Engagement Jack? What the hell was that all about?" she whispered.
He took her hand and squeezed it.
"Tell ya all about it later. Let's get the hell outta here first."
They moved cautiously towards the door and Jack poked his head out to see if it was clear, but met with a powerful fist and went down heavily. Sam cried out in shock, but Jack soon recovered, pushing her behind him for protection as three men approached them, forcing them back into the room.
Jack rubbed at his sore chin, still reeling from the sudden blow, but knew they were in trouble.
"So, you wanna tell me how you became engaged without the pretty Major here knowing, Jack?" the smallest of the three asked in a menacing voice.
"It was a surprise?" Jack shrugged, not really able to come up with anything better at this time when his mind was frantically working on the problem of getting them out of here, without incurring too much damage.
The man snorted angrily.
"It was just a ruse wasn't it? Be honest Colonel! It was something you and Hammond cooked up to throw me off."
"Hammond had nothing to do with this. My retirement was the only way we could be together. You should know that. Who are you by the way? Anyone I know? Too afraid to show your face?" he goaded, pointing to the mask over the man's head.
"I wanna know why you could get away with this when we can't? My uncle always said he wouldn't trust you and now I know why."
"Sorry? Uncle?" Jack was puzzled now. "I should know him right?"
"He always said you flyboys always interfered too much. Poking your noses in where it didn't belong. You in particular."
Jack shrugged.
"What can I say? It's what I do!"
Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but I don't believe you retired so's you two could get together, or that you kept this quiet for so long. Hammond shoulda noticed a long time ago."
Jack looked round at Sam who took heart and note of the hidden meaning behind his glance. At once they both acted.
Sam gave a roundhouse kick to the groin of the man on her left while Jack punched the lights out on the man to the right, sending him to sleep, which left only the man behind the plot. Sam finished her task by a hefty shove in the butt to the one clutching his crotch in agony, sending him crashing into the nearest wall, dropping him in an instant.
Jack found himself knocked to the ground under the weight of the attacker on his shoulders, but weakened as he was, was unable to fight him off. The man just didn't fight fair. Scrambling back to his feet he gave a hard kick to Jack's chest causing him to cry out in pain, clutching at his re-opened wound and the now broken rib.
The man aimed again, but Jack caught the offending foot and twisted it sending the man sideways only to meet with Sam's fist. He went down like a sack of potatoes, and Sam shook her hand then clutched it in pain.
Jack was in agony and bleeding again. Janet was sooo gonna be pissed at him for opening the wound once more, let alone that he'd gone AWOL from the infirmary to wind up back at square one again. He laid his head back to counteract the vertigo that assaulted him, and Sam tore the inert kidnappers shirt from his back and balled it up, pressing against the bleeding hole in Jack's chest.
The door crashed open making Sam leap backwards and Jack groan in anticipation of capture or worse.
What he saw was his three friends come to the rescue, all sporting Zat guns.
"Well, if it isn't Curly, Larry and Moe. A little late, don't ya think guys?" Jack stated snarkily from his position on the floor, but relieved to see them none the less. He had been incapacitated, and if these guys woke up any sooner they would have been in deep trouble.
Janet ignored the comments and knelt down beside him, to inspect the damage while Teal'c in his usual unruffled manner related that they had met with another four unsavoury characters down in the basement and had dealt with them accordingly.
"I'm glad you guys showed up then. How did you know where to find us?" Sam asked relieved that the other goons had been taken down by her friends.
"We followed Jack," Daniel stated with glee, having followed Jack all the way without him noticing.
Jack winced and groaned as Janet poked and prodded him.
"Ow! Geez Doc. I know your pissed but take it easy will ya!" he complained.
He looked up at Daniel's grinning face and wiped the smile right off it.
"I knew you were there Daniel. I chose to ignore the fact that I wouldn't be able to get passed the security unseen. Actually I was kinda banking in it, seeing as I guessed we'd be outnumbered. There were six of them that came to the house...there's only three here. Even I can do the math kids. Ow! Gee Doc, you tryin' to break another rib?" he grouched.
Janet smiled evilly.
"I ought to Colonel, with the merry dance you've been leading me. Now hold still, this is going to hurt."
"And it didn't before? OW!"
"How did you know I was gonna sneak out of the base?"
"Ah, that would be General Hammond's doing. He told us to watch your six."
Jack lay back fighting to catch his breath after more treatment from Janet who looked smug at his reaction. He should have known that wily old fox never missed a thing. George knew him sooo well.
Jack closed his eyes moaning from being so easily read by the General and from hurting, he placed a protective hand over his chest when Janet had finished.
"That's what comes of playing the hero when you're already wounded sir!" she said sweetly, though her ministrations had belied that smile.
Jack just glared at her and Teal'c helped him up from the floor.
"Are you okay Sam?" Janet asked turning her attention to her friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine. They didn't do anything Janet."
"No, maybe not but let me see that hand. Ouch!" Janet cried on seeing the bruised and bloody knuckles of Sam's right hand.
Daniel had tied up their prisoners and had phoned the Security Forces from the base to collect them.
Jack sat in the chair that Sam had been tied to while he waited for Janet to finish with Sam.
Jack reflected that now this was all over and he had Sam back in one piece thankfully, that he was about to lose her because Hammond would now rescind the engagement and dole out a suitable punishment on him. He fought against the feeling of sadness but it consumed him, making him angry with himself for getting Sam into this. He could so easily have lost her, as it was he may yet lose her if it meant prison for him.
TBC