In the fraction of an instant that it took her brain to register and sift through the possible ramifications of the glowing necklaces, Sam attempted to do several things at once. She picked JJ up in her arms, called out a rather frantic, "Dad!" and tried to take the necklace off of JJ. Before she could complete this last, crucial task, the room was engulfed in a blinding greenish blue light, taking both her and JJ from the room in an instant.

Chapter 10 – Vanished

Jack's steps were hurried as he crossed the courtyard of the Makesh village. He had never been happier to leave a ceremony as he was that night. Sure, the food was quite good, the entertainment…entertaining. But once Sam and JJ left, he couldn't stop that unsettled feeling that pervaded his chest every time he left them alone. He began to breath easier as he approached the door to the guest quarters they were to occupy tonight. Jack smiled as he reminded himself that he would be taking his family home first thing tomorrow; well, at least JJ. Sam would be staying a while longer to explore the mines with the Makesh scientists.

His relief was very short lived, for Jack had opened the door to their temporary dwelling just in time to hear his wife's panic-stricken voice cry out, "Dad!" Not bothering to stop and ask questions, Jack raced down the hallway, practically bowling over Teal'c and Jacob in his haste to reach the bedroom. Before any of them could even reach the door, a strange greenish-blue light flashed from the half open doorway before disappearing in an instant.

Jack threw the door to the bedroom open so hard that it crashed back against the wall, leaving a dent from the door knob in its wake. "Sam!" Jack yelled, his eyes desperately searching the room for some sign of his wife and his little boy. He did a quick 360 degree turn in the room, taking in every nook and cranny that they could have possibly hidden in. The only sight that greeted his eyes was Sam's pack, lying opened on the floor, and the outfit JJ had been wearing, balled up on the bed and still warm from the little boy's body heat.

Jack picked up the tiny outfit and clutched it in his hands, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. His eyes flew to the window. "The window…maybe…"

Teal'c stepped forward, he also had done a quick scan of the room and found nothing to help them locate Sam and JJ. "They could not have been taken through the window, O'Neill. I secured it myself not long ago."

Jack's eyes held a fear and desperation neither man had ever seen before. "Then where the hell did they go? Who took them?" Jack ran his hands through his hair, trying to think. "I never should have brought JJ here, never," he mumbled distractedly to himself.

"I will examine the surrounding area, O'Neill. Perhaps I will find some clue outside this domicile." Teal'c turned and quickly left the room, intent on examining every square inch around the outside of the house.

"I swear to God, Jack, Teal'c and I were in the main room the whole time. Sam just left us not two minutes ago to put JJ down. I ... I can't explain this," Jacob was almost as distraught as Jack, for it was his daughter and grandson who had disappeared into thin air, just down the hall from where he was waiting for her to return. "If this is the work of the Makesh, it appears that they have more advanced technology than we have been led to believe." Jacob ran his hands over his bald head as he sat on the bed, trying to digest what had just occurred.

Jack eyes sparkled with fire at Jacob's insinuation that the Makesh might have been hiding something from them. "Beroni," he stated fiercely and he clenched his jaw at the mere thought of the man. "He's behind this, somehow, he's got to be behind this. And the High Chancellor. The slimy bastards!" Jack stormed from the bedroom, across the main room, and wrenched the front door open.

"Jack, wait! Where are you going?" Jacob shouted as he hurried to catch up with his son-in-law.

"I'm going back there to find out where the hell my family is - that's where I'm going!" Jack yelled back, not breaking his stride as he began to cross the courtyard.

Jacob put a restraining hand on Jack's arm, stopping his progress momentarily. "Maybe we should think this through for a minute, before you go stomping off and beating the crap out of people who may or may not know what the hell is going on! They're my family too, Jack! I don't want you screwing things up by not thinking clearly. You're acting on your gut instincts right now! You could be endangering their lives!"

Jack glared at Jacob. "You think waiting around isn't going to endanger their lives? We don't know where the hell they are, Jacob! For all we know, Sam and JJ could have been transported to anotherplanet entirely. Every second we stand here arguing about what course of action to take, could be taking them further away from us. Sam could be hurt; maybe she's not even with JJ. JJ could be cold…and frightened…" Jack's voice broke as he thought of his little boy, possibly alone and undergoing God knows what. He refused to even consider the thought that JJ was hurt…or worse. Jack put his hand to his face and squeezed the bridge of his nose tightly, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Teal'c came silently up beside Jack and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Samantha will take care of JJ, O'Neill. She will let no harm come to your son, of this I am certain."

"You were also certain that nothing would happen to JJ on this mission, T. And look where that has gotten us," Jack stated quietly, not meeting his friend's gaze. His anger had momentarily abated as his mind raced over the many possible outcomes he could be faced with.

Teal'c bowed his head. "I am sorry, O'Neill. I have failed you and have not fulfilled my duty as JJ's Godfather and protector. I promise you, I will find them both and return them to you, or I shall give my life trying," he stated solemnly.

Jack finally met Teal'c's gaze. "We both will, Teal'c. We both will." Then he turned to Jacob, his eyes once again ablaze with renewed determination. "Contact Thor for me, Jacob. Let him know what's happened. I'm going to confront the High Chancellor and get to the bottom of this. Don't even try to stop me," he warned.

"I won't Jack, now that you're thinking a little more clearly. Just promise me one thing: you won't kill anyone before we can get some answers," Jacob asked solemnly. "And find Daniel and Dr. Frasier, we're going to need their help."

Jack nodded his agreement before turning around, intent on seeking out the High Chancellor and that slimy scientist of his.

"O'Neill, if we are to do battle, do you not think it wise to change into more suitable attire?" Teal'c asked with a raised eyebrow as he took in Jack's tunic and leggings. "We will need to keep in contact by radio, as well as carry weapons," Teal'c needlessly reminded him.

Jack looked down at himself and grimaced. He could not wear this outfit if there was even the smallest possibility that he would have to use force. Jack grunted out a "Give me a second," before returning to his room to change. He stood a moment in the empty confines of the room and let his grief wash over him. The two people he valued more than life itself were gone. Jack shook his head, trying to knock out the depression he felt pervading his soul and forcefully dragged his mind back to military mode. He threw the golden necklace onto the bed in distaste and quickly changed into his BDUs, holstering his gun and knife in their proper places and clipping his radio to his vest. He was out the door and had rejoined Teal'c in a matter of minutes.

As the two men rushed across the courtyard, the stars twinkling brightly in the clear night, they very nearly ran over Daniel and Janet as the two made their way slowly back from the ceremony. They had stayed later than the others; Daniel to learn more about the Makesh people and the ruins, Janet to meet some of the local people she hadn't had the opportunity to talk with before.

"Whoa, Jack. Where's the fire?" Daniel asked as he stepped aside just in time, pulling Janet off of the path with him. He frowned when he took in Jack's new attire. "What's going on?" he asked, the confusion evident in his voice.

"They're gone, Daniel," Jack answered in a dead tone of voice.

Daniel's heart skipped a beat; Jack couldn't mean… "Who?" he asked, praying he would not hear what his brain was already telling him.

"Sam and JJ," Jack confirmed. Daniel visibly paled at the news and looked to Teal'c, who nodded his head solemnly.

"But how? Why?" Janet asked, distraught at this sudden turn of events.

"I don't know the answer to either question, Doc. But I intend to find out. They were in the bedroom and then just… vanished in a flash of light. Danny, take the Doc back to our quarters and do what you can to help Jacob. He's trying to contact Thor."

"Do you have any idea who took them, Jack?"

"No, but I have an idea that the High Chancellor has not been completely honest with us. Look, I don't have time to stand around and discuss theories, Daniel. For once, do what I tell you to, OK?" Jack demanded, his voice hard and uncompromising.

Daniel was too stunned to move right away. Could the Makesh have been putting on an elaborate ruse just to lull them all into a false sense of security? Daniel was not always that good at reading people, but he felt certain that the Makesh people as a whole were honest and trustworthy. The High Chancellor and that scientist who was enamored with Sam? Now that might be a different story, he conceded to himself.

Daniel looked at his friend and noted how Jack was holding onto his emotions by a thin thread. He put his hand on Jack's arm. "We'll find them, Jack," he assured the older man.

"Damn right we will. Because I am not going home without them," Jack ground out, before turning and continuing on his quest to confront the High Chancellor.

"Watch out for him Teal'c," Daniel stated quietly to the Jaffa who made to follow Jack.

"That is my intention, Daniel Jackson. We will be in contact with you as soon as possible." Then Teal'c turned to follow Jack, his face a mask of control, but the tension in his body given away by the repeated clenching of his jaw.

Sam was still calling for her dad when the light dissipated and she found herself standing in the middle of a small, windowless room. She brought JJ closer to her chest and checked him over carefully, surprised to find him still sound asleep, despite what had just transpired.

Before making any further move to check out her surroundings, Sam gently removed the still glowing necklace from around JJ's neck. She then ripped off her own and threw both across the room, where they landed in a crumpled heap in a corner of the room. Finding that she was still somehow clutching JJ's green sleeper, she moved to the bed that stood in another corner and laid him down. Quickly, she dressed him in the sleeper and picked him back up. She needed to make sure her son was warm and safe before she could even begin to contemplate where they were and why they were here, never mind how to get out.

The room contained a small table with two chairs, upon which a bowl of fruit and a pitcher of water sat. The fruit was similar to that they had sampled at the feast, so Sam surmised they must still be on Moval, somewhere.

There were three lights attached to the rough brick walls and one doorway, which contained a heavy, metallic door that appeared to lock from the outside. "Of course," Sam muttered to herself, "No one ever just leaves the key in the door." She continued her perusal of the room; all the while keep a tight grip on JJ. While she had been in many situations such as this over the years, she had never had her baby son with her and Sam was beginning to feel panic overtake her thoughts.

Breathing deeply to force herself to stay calm, Sam made her way slowly over by the door, where an large wooden trunk rested against the wall. Tucking JJ securely in one arm, she carefully lifted the latch of the trunk and peered inside. Her eyes widened in surprise to find a stack of baby diapers, clothes and formula. Whoever had taken them was planning on keeping them for a while, considering the amount of supplies that were stacked neatly in the trunk.

Sam closed her eyes and let the lid of the trunk slam shut, making JJ twitch in her arms and open one eye blearily before he settled back to sleep once more. Sam backed away from the trunk and sat heavily on the bed, cradling JJ close. Her breathing became quick and shallow as she tried to control her emotions. She closed her eyes in pain as she thought of how Jack was going to react when he returned to their quarters and found them both gone. "Oh God, Jack. What am I supposed to do now?" she whispered brokenly to the empty room.

TBC