Here as promised is another story for you to enjoy.
A Tropical Nightmare.
By Lingren.
Category: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance.
Pairings: Sam/Jack.
Season: 7.
Spoilers: Chain Reaction, Meridian.
Summary: A covert mission to rescue an abducted SGC scientist goes wrong.
Author's Notes: Santa Christiana is a totally fictitious island. Any coincidences to real life are purely that.
A TROPICAL NIGHTMARE.
by Lingren.
To most of the inhabitants of the tiny Caribbean island state of Santa Christiana, it was a night like any other, but to the rebel faction it was a night for celebration. Their planned revolution against the oppressive government had taken a significant step forward.
The stars were at their brightest, shining high above the tropic of Cancer on which the little republic sat. Cuba, its nearest neighbour sat a few miles to the south, looming like a dark monster on the horizon. The night within the tropical rainforest was sultry and humid, and dark. The rebels were camped in a clearing deep inside the fetid region where few humans dared to venture. They were confident of their safety there, hidden from prying eyes that would turn them over to the government for a reasonable price. Now the Camp Commander emerged from his tent and confronted the group who had just entered the camp, greeting the returning troops like long lost sons.
"Hey Miguel. I see you have brought our guest at last. What took you so long?" he asked with a wry grin.
"We had to wait until the right moment."
"Well he is here at last," he gloated, looking over the profusely sweating man, his beige pants grubby and stained, the once white shirt, now grey and torn, and clinging to his damp body. His hands were tied behind his back, and Luis could see the exhaustion clearly lining his overheated face.
As the prisoner realised this was his final destination, he sank to his knees and stayed there, unable and unwilling to move another step. Luis ignored him and turned his attention back to Miguel.
"What about the ore?"
Miguel pulled a cover from the back of the mule, revealing a strong leather bag and hefted it to the ground. It was heavy, much heavier than he'd imagined it to be. Unfastening the bag, he pulled out a small chunk of silvery metal, and tossed it over to Luis Mendoza. The Commander caught it, but hadn't calculated for it's extraordinary weight, and it fell through his fingers to the ground making him curse. He bent over and picked it up, feeling the density of the ore, and a huge grin snaked across his face as he held it high for everyone to see.
"This Amigos...this, is the answers to our prayers. With our friend here, we can overthrow the government in no time. No one shall be able to resist us now," his voice grew louder in the stillness, until he was yelling. "We will be invincible!" A rousing cheer rang round the camp and the party began.
Luis then tossed it back to Miguel, and snapped his fingers for his men to remove the prisoner to a tent, where he would stay until his job was done.
They took the trembling man to his temporary home and handcuffed him to a ring set into a huge slab of concrete buried deep into the ground. He fell onto the cot and lay there exhausted. He didn't expect to sleep, the strangeness of his surroundings; the thoughts of his family and friends back home, along with the impossible situation he now found himself in; and the volume of unrecognised jungle noises, all transpired to keep him awake. But the sheer weight of tiredness overcame him and he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
OoOoOoOoO
Major Sam Carter entered the lab and flipped the switches to bring light to her working domain, and life to her computer. She hung her jacket on the hook provided and donned the white lab coat that was slung over the back of her chair before drawing yesterday's samples from the safe. It was then she noticed that all of the Naquadah stored there previously was missing. She went through everything in her mind and remembered clearly that Paul Cruz had been the last one to test the newest shipment of the weapon's grade metal ore. And another thing, she noted, glancing at the clock on the wall; where was Paul? It wasn't like him to be late. Putting two and two together, she really didn't like the answer she was getting, and tried to quash the feeling that something wasn't right. Perhaps he had come in early and taken it down to the storage facility; maybe, but then...
Sam, shook herself sternly, Paul would never do anything without telling her first, but if he had come in before her, he'd probably fill her in later. She booted up the computer and browsed through the waiting e-mails, deleting the spam; then reading through and saving the necessary ones. There was actually one from Paul, and she opened it with a puzzled frown across her brow. It was dated yesterday and was sent late last night.
Sam, I haven't got time to explain everything, but I'm in deep trouble. Help me please. Keep my family safe. I had to take the Naquadah, I had no choice and now they're coming for me. I sent Maria and the children over to Lizzie's house, I didn't know where else to send them. I gotta go, they're breaking down the door... Santa Christiana... help me! Paul.
Sam read the note with growing disbelief, she printed a copy and took it straight to General Hammond's office.
OoOoOoOoO
Colonel Jack O'Neill was hiding his frustration from his CO as best he could, but the Senior Officer knew it was going to be difficult to keep the Colonel busy when all his team were stuck inside the mountain working on various projects. Jack wanted to be out there among the stars. That was the real work...off world, kicking Goa'uld butts as he would say, and saving countless lives in the process. He absolutely hated all this sitting around on the base. It wasn't as if he could do anything other than paperwork, Daniel had his artefacts to study, translations to write out, and Carter had her experiments, then there was Teal'c, his skills were always in demand, while he, Jack O'Neill, had nothing to offer except experience. Now the General had reminded him he still had some reports outstanding, and needed to catch up with them before the month was out. General Hammond dismissed him, and when Jack opened the office door, he suddenly found himself with an armful of Major Carter.
Any other time and place and he would have enjoyed holding her captive in his arms and kiss her senseless, but this was neither the time and definitely not the place for such intimacy.
"Sorry Sir. I didn't see you there," Sam apologised, hurriedly extricating herself from Jack's embarrassing embrace.
"Ya think?" he sighed, feeling a little flushed. "What's the rush Carter?"
"General Sir," she blushed and pulled herself from O'Neill's arms and straightening herself up without answering his question, trying hard to avoid his eyes. Those piercing deep brown orbs that always made her feel he could see right into her very soul, and make her heart flip at the merest glance. She handed the piece of A4 paper over to the balding officer, sitting slightly amused behind the desk.
Hammond read the note through several times, before handing it out to a very curious Jack.
"What do you make of that Colonel?"
Jack took the note and read it through, digesting it slowly. This was something that he knew needed to be dealt with by themselves. They couldn't let the Police handle it, not when it concerned a top secret substance like Naquadah.
"I think we ought to go find out what the hell's going on Sir."
"So do I. Major, Colonel, find out what you can on this. I'll try to keep a lid on things this end, but we must recover both Dr. Cruz and the missing Naquadah. I needn't tell you that this is unofficial business as far as the Government is concerned."
"Yes Sir."
"Good luck people, and go careful out there, we don't know where this might lead yet."
TBC
Sorry it's only a short chapter to begin the story. Longer ones are coming, but it's not a very long story anyway as I won't be posting for a while after this is finished because I have company coming to stay and I'll be tied up with entertaining them. Back in August though with a new story.