STARGATE SG-1: House Arrest
Summary: Sequel to "Operation Checkmate". It's Jack's turn to be in over his head…
Season: 8
Disclaimer: I don't own the stuff, yadda yadda.
Author's Note: Soooooooooooo sorry this has taken so long to be posted! But life happened. And now for a different kind of torture – just to let you know, this one's a little cruel! You'll see what I mean. Please R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!
WARNING: Strong Language!
House Arrest: Chapter 5 – Incentive
The cool breeze and the mid-afternoon sun were idyllic. Jack could feel every muscle in his aching arms relaxing, despite his work. He had been meaning to fix the porch for some time now. Most of the beams had warped in the extreme cold of the Minnesota winter and were damn near unwalkable.
"You nearly done?" a voice drifted to him from the front of the house. Walking towards him, carrying two tempting glasses of Lemonade, was Sam.
She looked more beautiful to him then than she ever had before. She was wearing as simple, plain white summer dress that came to just bellow her knees. It kicked up slightly as she walked, exposing just a little more of her well tanned and toned legs. He watched as she gracefully walked towards him, stepping round various tools that lay in her way.
His concentration was completely gone as she made her way towards him, captivating him in her simple elegance.
The moment was rather unceremoniously broken as he idly swung his hammer round and, instead of hitting the nail placed between his fingers, he hit his thumb.
Jack cursed under his breath as Sam stifled a laugh.
"Well what did you expect!" she chided, sounding like Jack's mother. "How far did you think you were gonna get like that?"
Jack looked down at his hands. They were bound tightly together with grey duct-tape that was digging into his wrists. On the decking in front of him were the pictures of Sam at the mercy of Simon.
Sam came and sat down next to him, placing the glasses of Lemonade to one side. She took hold of his hands and started to carefully unravel the tape keeping them together.
"Really, Jack. You can't keep torturing yourself like this," she said to him. "This isn't your fault."
"Yes it is," Jack replied, his gaze completely fixed on her face as she concentrated on the tangle of tape around his hands.
As he watched her, a cut appeared on her bottom lip. It didn't bleed. It was just there. As if it had been for days. Then a bruise appeared by her left temple and spread across her cheekbone.
Finally, his hands were free. He cautiously reached up and touched the bruise on her cheek.
"What did I do to you?" he gasped in horror.
Sam smiled. "It'll fade," she said, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
Her touch was warm and soothed the pain in his battered thumb. But that pain was nothing compared to what he felt seeing the telltale signs of torture written across her face.
"I miss you," Jack said suddenly.
Sam looked confused.
"I miss seeing you around everyday," he clarified.
Sam smiled sympathetically at him. She leaned across and wrapped her arms around him, her chin resting in the crook of his neck.
She sighed. Her hot breath tickled his neck, teasing his senses with the closeness of their bodies.
In turn, Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, not wanting to ever let her go.
"You'll figure it out," she whispered into his ear, placing a small kiss on his cheek.
With that, she pulled out of his embrace. She stepped away from him. It was only now that Jack noticed the bruises and burns that covered her arms and knees.
"You'd better get back to that," she said, gesturing to the decking. Jack glanced back at the pictures.
"Don't keep me waiting," she added, turning at last and walking back along the porch and out of sight.
Jack watched her leave. When she was finally hidden from view, he looked back at the deck. Back at the pictures. At the look of defeat in her eyes.
He couldn't stand it anymore. He picked them all up and tossed them to the wind…
Jack woke with a start, his heart drumming against his rib cage. His head buzzed in a state of limbo between full consciousness and the dream world he had been in. He glanced across at the alarm clock beside his bed. It was just gone 6am. Still another half an hour before it was due to wake him. But he was awake now.
Grumbling to himself, he got up and headed down stairs. He checked the answer machine in case the base had called. Thankfully they hadn't. Then, without thinking, he flicked the TV on.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Simon stood over Sam. She was gasping for breath, her hair and clothes completely drenched in water. She pulled herself straight again and looked Simon in the face, just in time for him to swing the empty bucket he was holding. It connected hard with the left side of her face.
Jack's fists tightened. It was all he could do to keep from launching the TV across the room. But he couldn't do that. It was his only way to see what was happening.
On the screen, Simon walked away from her. Jack crouched down, close to the set and ran his fingers over the image of Sam as she fought her hardest to keep tears away from her eyes. She looked absolutely helpless. A look Jack didn't like to see in her at all.
"Don't worry," he whispered, though she couldn't hear him. "I'm coming for you."
There had been two cameras in Jack's house. One was in his living room, the other in his kitchen. They had also located several bugging devices planted around that would catch anything the cameras missed. But Frakes was still banned from the house, just in case they had missed any devices.
Instead, he had been confined to the base for the time being and everything Jack was planning was being co-ordinated from his office. This wasn't ideal as it denied him the chance to watch the situation at Sam's house. Without that advantage, it would be virtually impossible to fully comprehend what was happening.
But he had to work with what he had. Which wasn't much.
"You alright?" Daniel asked, entering his office.
Jack looked up from the file on his desk. "I guess," he replied.
Daniel sat down, knowing full well that Jack wasn't telling him the whole truth.
"You wanna talk about it?" Daniel asked cautiously.
Jack looked up at him, his eyes conveying the answer he was willing to give. In actuality, he wanted to hit the gym and take out his rage at Simon on a punch bag. Then again, he could just head straight round to Sam's place and beat the shit out of him in person. But that sort of thinking was getting them nowhere.
"Frakes is getting jumpy," Daniel continued. "He says you should have done something by now. That's why I'm here. It was the only way to shut him up."
"Frakes can go jump off a cliff for all I care," Jack answered looking back down at the file on his desk.
Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But he's right!" he said suddenly. "Well, sort of… Jack, we have to do something."
Jack looked up sharply. "I know that. But he's kinda got us over a barrel at the moment."
Daniel sighed. "There has to be a way."
He watched Jack for a moment. After all these years, he knew how far he could be stretched. He was close to that limit at the moment. Daniel knew that he had to proceed carefully with him.
"How is she looking?" he asked cautiously.
Jack stared silently at his desk for a moment. "Not good," he said eventually. "He's getting to her."
There was a slight waver in his voice as he spoke. Admitting he was losing was never easy. When it was her he was losing, it was worse.
"Then I suggest we get a move on," a voice came from by the door.
Both Jack and Daniel groaned inwardly seeing Frakes stood in the doorframe. He, unlike everyone else on the base, was looking fairly chipper. It was as if he was enjoying the whole thing. Like he was waiting for something to hit the fan, just to see what would happen.
"I didn't hear you knock," Jack said irritably.
"I didn't," Frakes answered him simply. "So the girl's caving, is she?"
Daniel thought he was going to have to physically restrain Jack from launching at Frakes. If looks could kill, he would have been vaporised. "I hope you have something useful to add, Frakes," Jack hissed.
Frakes smiled and stepped fully into the room.
"As a matter of fact, I do," he said tossing the file he was carrying onto Jack's desk.
Jack eyed the document suspiciously.
"You want a better idea of what's going on there," Frakes explained. "This is the only way you're gonna get it."
Jack flicked through the pages he had been given.
"You gotta be kidding me. He'll kill her!" he said.
Frakes shrugged. "I admit it has its risks."
Jack stood up from behind his desk.
"Forget it!" he snapped. "She's been through enough already without us adding to the problem."
"You have another way of dealing with this?" Frakes retorted.
Jack stayed silent.
"Thought as much," Frakes quipped, a slight smile forming at the back of his eyes.
"We're not doing it," Jack said firmly.
Frakes paused for a moment. "OK then," he conceded. "You're in charge here. I can accept that."
He turned to leave, shutting the door behind him. He smiled broadly as he walked down the corridor, astonished at how easy Jack was making his job.
He knew full well Jack would never go for a hair brain scheme such as the one he had presented. Frakes himself would have been pushed to go through with it (even as a last option). But it confirmed so many questions Frakes had been mulling over.
But that didn't change anything. He had to do something. Had to take matters into his own hands. This was a unique opportunity that could not be passed up. It was unorthodox, yes. But most of what Frakes had been working on since 1991 had been.
And since Jack was so bent on being the hero for his beloved Colonel, Frakes felt it was only fair he upped the stakes a little and gave the man some real incentive to work with.
At last, in the labyrinth of concrete hallways, Frakes reached his quarters. He quickly shut himself in the room, grateful for the privacy he had been allowed.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he picked up the phone and dialled.
"Hello?" The phone was answered quickly.
"Simon?" Frakes said cordially. "I think it's about time you and I had a little chat."
Author's Note: And my cruel side is back! See y'all in Chapter 6! Don't forget to review. Thanx!