"I know it's been a while Danny, but I still give the orders and you still follow them. Haven't Carter and Mitchell been reminding you enough?"
"I left her once and she didn't come back in one piece. I won't leave her again." Jack saw Daniel's jaw harden. He knew the look of determination because it was staring him in the face. Daniel wasn't to be taken lightly when he got like this and Jack had learned to respect that over the years.
"I guess the Jaffa are big boys. They can find their own way home."
"All for one and one for all?" Jack looked at Colonel Mitchell and rolled his eyes.
"Leave the comedy to me Mitchell. You're the straight guy until we get Carter back." Mitchell grinned.
"Yes, sir." He fired off a mock salute that matched his cocky grin. Jack turned back to Teal'c.
"How long?"
"I predict it will be soon. We should disperse ourselves so we can make our assault on the door from multiple angles." Jack turned back to Daniel and Mitchell.
"He means spread out and get ready." They each chose different places along the rock walls and the row of bars closest to the door.
Thirteen minutes passed before the floor shook. The blast was off to the right and several floors below them. Guards began to run past the cells without paying attention to the prisoners they thought were securely locked away. Three of the free Jaffa made a run for the door. They had to hit it multiple times before it burst open. The escaping Jaffa ran to the left, towards the stargate. Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Mitchell went to the right, into the fight and toward the throne room.
They avoided eight guards, incapacitated six with their bare hands, and zatted fifteen with the weapons liberated from the first six. The throne room was empty so they began looking in each of the connecting rooms. The second door revealed the object of their desire.
Sam was lying on a huge golden four-poster bed covered in silken draperies. She was still dressed in her BDUs. She was rolling back and forth on the bed, gripping her head and moaning. Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell positioned themselves at the entrance. Daniel and Jack slowly approached Sam.
"Carter?"
"Oh god! Get it out!" Jack ran over to Sam and slid to a crouched stop at the edge of the bed. Daniel stood behind him, keeping his zat ready to fire. Jack lowered his zat but keep it in his hand, ready to use if necessary.
"Is it really you?" Sam continued moaning and gripping her head. She lay flat on her back with her knees curled up to her chest.
"She's sick. That's why he's fighting to get the sarco..." Sam's head snapped to the side, so she was facing Jack. Her eyes glowed and her legs straightened. She sat up and lifted her hand, as if she was wearing a ribbon device, even though her arm was bare.
"My lord will kill you for invading our sleep chamber. Leave now and you might be able to outrun your death." Jack stood and backed away from the bed as he raised his zat. Sam's head dipped and her hands returned to her head.
"She can't keep control but she's giving me a hell of a headache." Jack glanced at Daniel, who shrugged.
"We gotta get out of here but..." Daniel was cut off by Sam.
"But schizo Carter isn't going to cut it. Leave me."
"Not an option." Jack scanned the room as Sam leaned forward, moaning in agony again. Jack pulled down several of the draperies decorating the gaudy bed. "I hate to do it to ya' Carter, but we don't have a choice." Sam looked up and saw him twisting the drapes into ropes. Sam nodded, which resulted in a shot of pain that knocked her to her side. Daniel kept his zat trained on her.
"You must hurry, O'Neill. Reinforcements will arrive soon to help the queen escape."
"She's not their damn queen!" Jack holstered his zat and leaned over Sam to begin binding her wrists. Sam's elbow came up with surprising speed and clipped Jack's head. He flew to the side, knocking his left ear into the bedpost and sliding to the floor. Sam leapt off the bed toward Daniel. A blue arc engulfed her as she arched with her arms extended. She landed hard and didn't move. Daniel scanned the room and saw Colonel Mitchell crouched beside the door with his zat trained on Sam.
Jack turned an angry stare towards Colonel Mitchell and then looked back at Sam. He didn't say anything as he picked up his modified rope and bound Sam's wrists. He gagged her also, just in case she woke too early.
"You two carry her while Teal'c and I lead us out of here." Daniel was about to comment but the sound of metal boots hitting the floor stopped him cold. He grabbed Sam's feet and motioned for Colonel Mitchell to get her shoulders. They made it out of the throne room just before the guards entered. It was a long way to the stargate but luckily the free Jaffa had left a path of destruction, which made the fighting less intense.
The gate room was clear of living enemies. Teal'c stepped over the dead guards and Jack watched the door as Daniel and Mitchell carried Sam closer to the steps leading up to the gate.
"Dial X638." Teal'c looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow. Mitchell gave Sam to Daniel and joined Jack at the door.
"Jack?" Daniel shifted Sam's weight and looked back at Jack. Jack left Mitchell and joined Daniel, putting his arm around Sam's waist.
"The Tok'ra can get this thing out of her." Teal'c began dialing as soon as he heard the word Tok'ra. "Teal'c, you and Daniel go through first. Tell the Tok'ra the deal so they won't fire on us. I'll bring Sam. Mitchell, you watch our backs." Everyone nodded as the seventh chevon locked.
The not so subtle sound of metal feet hitting the stone floor could be heard by all of the rooms occupants as the kawoosh swept out. Daniel and Teal'c ran through the event horizon. Jack heaved Sam up the steps as the Jaffa stormed the room. The sound of Colonel Mitchell's automatic weapons fire was continuous. Jack wrapped his arms around Sam and dived through the gate. Colonel Mitchell was just behind them.
Jack and Sam flew out the other side of the wormhole. Jack tucked and rolled, holding Sam close, trying to protect Sam as much as possible. They landed with him on top. Mitchell came running through behind them, jumping over them to avoid stepping on them. Teal'c and Daniel were facing the gate from opposite sides of the room and Colonel Mitchell took up a position on the fall wall facing the gate. Staff blasts were flying out and hitting the back wall, so Mitchell had to stay low. Daniel and Teal'c remained to the sides of the gate. Jack stayed on top of Sam, covering her body from the blasts and resulting debris.
Jack felt Sam move beneath him. He lifted his head to look at her. As soon as she had enough room she threw her head into his face. His nose broke instantly, covering them both in fresh blood. Sam used Jack's break in concentration as he grabbed his nose to force him away. She struggled to rise to her knees without using her hands, which were still bound behind her.
Gunshots blasted from behind Jack. He looked up at Sam, afraid he was going to be watching her getting shot. Her eyes glowed but she remained upright. Jack let go of his face and reached out for her. His bloody hand wrapped around her shirt. He reached for a weapon with his free hand, only to realize his zat was gone. He settled for his pistol.
Movement from behind Sam once again diverted his attention from her. Three Jaffa made it through the gate before it shut down. One was falling on the steps, thanks to Colonel Mitchell's quick reaction and excellent aim. Daniel was diving for cover behind the DHD as a second Jaffa fired his staff weapon in Daniel's direction. The Jaffa went down hard, falling towards Daniel, as Teal'c's staff blast hit him squarely in the back. The third Jaffa headed straight for Sam.
Jack didn't get the pistol up fast enough. Sam screamed and threw her head back as he struck. Jack reached around her arm and fired. The shot through the pouch, killing the symbiote, ensured the two shots in the Jaffa's heart would be fatal. The final shot through his neck was just anger being released at an appropriate and convenient target.
Sam fell forward and Jack caught her as best he could. He could see the dagger blade sticking up where her shoulder met her neck, just the right of her spinal column. The Jaffa had been trying to kill the symbiote, and Sam with it. Sam's eyes lit as she collapsed. Jack removed the gag from her mouth.
"He ordered me killed. How could he?" Jack surveyed the shot up room. Daniel crawled out from behind the DHD. Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell stood up. They all moved over towards Sam and Jack. Teal'c lifted Sam off Jack. Daniel bent down and held out a hand to Jack.
"Wanna hand?" Jack held on and let Daniel pull.
"Thanks Danny." Jack looked down both halls extending out of the room. "Why haven't any of the Tok'ra shown up to see what all the fuss was about?"
"That is an excellent question O'Neill." Teal'c placed Sam in a sitting position against the wall and turned back to the group. "I will explore this hall."
"Good idea. Take Mitchell with ya. Daniel and I will wait here with Carter." Mitchell skipped up behind Teal'c and followed him down the hall.