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: OK, hold onto your hats folks! This one gets a little hairy! Please R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!

WARNING: Strong Language! Also kinda violent.

House Arrest: Chapter 6 – Cross Fire

There was a silence on the other end of the line that made Frakes smile. He could just imagine Simon standing absolutely bone-rigid with fury at his call.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm calling," he said as politely as possible.

Still no reply.

"Well, I just wanted to check in," Frakes continued. "You see, I heard about your little crusade of revenge – you've got General O'Neill to thank for that little tip off – and I couldn't help but see –"

"Where are you?" Simon said at last, cutting Frakes off mid-sentence.

"I'm nowhere you'll find me, that's for sure," he answered. "O'Neill's been gracious enough to keep me out of harms way."

"So you thought you'd gloat a bit?"

Frakes smiled. "Not at all, my friend. You see, I've got a little… proposition for you."

"Go to hell!" Simon snapped.

"Now, now. Don't go leaping to the wrong conclusions here. I can help you… if you help me."

"I'll help you right off a cliff and that's all."

"Just hear me out," Frakes insisted. "Then you can decide."

Simon came storming back into the living room, his eyes and cheeks flushed with absolute, burning rage. In his hand was a knife.

Sam drew back in her chair, fearing the man striding towards her. If she could have, she would have run. He stopped in front of her, his body towered over her cowering form.

Sam stared at him, defiant despite her feelings of terror at his presence. He back handed her across the face, jarring her teeth together as her head whipped around at the force of the blow.

He was very good at that, she thought. Though he usually did it for kicks. This time, as she drew her gaze back to him, rage was written all over his face.

There was no way this could be good, she realised, biting back the quip that threatened to trip off her tongue. The last thing she wanted to do was tick him off further. Especially considering the knife.

"Jack's playing his own game now, is he?" he hissed rhetorically, his eyes blazing with mad fury.

Sam shrank down in her chair as he lifted the knife.

"We'll see about that," he said. The knife dropped towards her.

She shut her eyes, bracing herself in anticipation of what he was going to do. Her mind raced. This was it. Whatever Jack had done now, it had tipped the balance.

'Don't let him blame himself for this,' she thought, knowing in her heart that that was exactly what he would do.

Instead, she forgave him. For whatever. And hoped he'd still be able to stop Simon before he got to anyone else.

She said goodbye to him. And she waited. But there was no pain.

Cautiously she opened her eyes. Simon stood over her the knife still hovering threateningly over her, but his face was undecided. Finally he moved.

He knelt down in front of her and cut through the duct tape around her wrists.

Sam stared in amazement as he eased the tape from around her battered wrists. He stepped away from her, turning his back as he went. His hand, still clutching the knife, ran nervously through his hair.

Sam watched him for a moment, completely stunned by his actions. Half of her wanted to ask what was wrong. She suddenly found herself seeing her old friend in the monster who had imprisoned her in her own home. He looked scared. Alone. Confused. A man completely at the end of his tether with nothing left to lose.

But he wasn't her friend. Not anymore. The man she had known would never have resorted to such actions. And even now, the Simon in front of her, no matter how confused he seemed, was still unpredictable and she had to act when opportunities arose.

Like now.

After her moment's hesitation, Sam bolted.

Her sight was set straight on the door. If she could make that, the front door was a matter of feet away. She'd be free.

She was nearly there when an iron strong arm clamped around her waist and hauled her backwards as if she weighed nothing more than a rag doll.

Simon's force threw her to the floor, via a table and several chairs, each adding to the collection of bruises on her arms legs and hips.

She took a moment to regain her bearings before she could get up. By the time she did, Simon was blocking the exit, his eyes once again burning with hate and rage.

Sam tried to crawl backwards away from him as he advanced towards her again.

She pulled everything she could lay her hands on into his path. Chairs. Equipment. She even tipped her neatly organised bookshelf in the hope it would slow him down.

But nothing worked; he just kept coming at her.

Finally, Sam hit a wall. She had nowhere else to go as Simon loomed over her. He picked her up roughly by the neck, squeezing just a little tighter than was necessary. His fingers worked their way into the sinews of her neck.

She gasped for breath, her hands helplessly pulling at the vice-like grip he had on her.

He raised the knife.

"You're not getting away so easily, my dear," he said maliciously. "Jack's gonna pay big this time."

He slashed the side of her face. A shallow line of red appeared where he cut.

Sam winced, feeling the warm blood trickle down her cheek and towards his fingers. Sharp spots of light began to dance before her eyes as her vision tunnelled. She could feel her limbs grow heavy as her air was restricted even more.

At last, her arms fell limp to her side and her eyes rolled back into her head as she lost consciousness and fled the pain.

Simon held her where she was for a moment before dropping her to the floor. He watched her fall and crumple to a heap on the floor, her lips a slight shade of blue.

He tried to feel sorry for her, to feel some sense of remorse for what he was putting her through. But he couldn't. There was too much raw hate in him to spare any space for sympathy.

Teal'c had called the base to report no more bugging devices had been found in Jack's house. Within minutes of this news, Jack had moved everything back there where they could keep an eye on what was happening.

The second he walked through the door, he heard the phone ringing. He sprinted into the kitchen to answer it, knowing full well who it would be.

"Funny thing happened today, Jack," Simon said to him down the line. He sounded closer to the edge than usual.

"Got a phone call," he continued. "From Frakes."

Jack bit his tongue hard. He was going to kill the bastard.

"Seems you've got him nicely hidden away somewhere. So, I've got something for you now." He paused for a moment. "You either get Frakes to me or kill him yourself before the end of the week, or I kill Sam for you. How does that sound?"

"Not going to happen," Jack replied. "I'm not doing anything you ask until I know Sam's safe."

Simon went quiet on the line.

"Let her go, Simon. She's got nothing to do with this," Jack pleaded.

Nothing.

Jack could hear shuffling noises over the phone, but no-one spoke.

"Simon!" he shouted, trying to get his attention back.

But it wasn't Simon who replied.

"Sir?" the voice said. She sounded groggy, like she'd just come round after being drugged or knocked out.

"Sam!" Jack exclaimed in relief. He wanted to cry. Just hearing her voice lifted his spirit, but he still couldn't get past how desolate she sounded.

He heard her sob and it broke his heart.

"I'm coming for you," he said. He hoped it sounded reassuring.

"I know you are," she replied. He could hear her trying to steady her voice. "But, you might want to be getting a move on that."

Jack half laughed at her comment, sure evidence of how much influence he had had on her over the years. He doubted she would have made jokes in a crisis before he met her.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly.

"It's not your fault." She sounded genuine, but he still didn't believe her. "Jack, whatever happens, don't blame yourself for what's happening. I trust you. I know you're doing everything you can."

Jack really didn't like the way she was talking – especially with the use of his first name. She sounded like someone who had already given up everything except her last breath.

"Just hang on," he said. "That's an order."

"Yes s –"

He words were cut off and all he could hear was more shuffling on the line.

"Sam!" he called. He hated not knowing what was happening.

"JACK!" Daniel called from the living room.

Clutching the phone, Jack ran to see what was going on. He entered the living room and stopped dead in his tracks, seeing the expressions on the faces of everyone gathered there. Even Teal'c looked worried.

Jack pushed through them to see the TV set. He sank to the floor seeing Sam there on her knees.

"NO!" he cried, as if it would change things.

Simon was stood behind her, holding a rope tight around her neck. She struggled against him, the rope rubbing large red welts on her throat. The phone had fallen to the floor beside her.

Before long, Sam's resistance began to weaken. At this point, Simon let her go. She slumped to the floor, coughing and clutching her neck. She gasped for breath.

Simon picked up the fallen phone. Jack raised his to his ear.

"You've got two days," he said plainly. The line went dead.

Jack watched as Simon moved around Sam and roughly kicked her in the stomach where she lay. He walked off in rage, leaving her curled and broken on the floor.

White hot anger erupted in Jack. He turned to Frakes, who stood behind him.

"You asshole!" he said, launching at him. He hit out hard against Frakes' jaw.

"You'd better have one fucking good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!" He hit him again.

"O'NEILL!" Teal'c warned behind him.

"He tipped him off!" Jack answered back, not taking his blazing eyes off Frakes.

For his part, Frakes looked as if he was almost enjoying Jack's out burst. Despite being beaten on.

"Jack, this isn't going to help!" Daniel reasoned.

But Jack was beyond reason by this point. He swung his arm back for another blow, but he was stopped by the enormous weight of Teal'c pulling him backwards.

He struggled in the Jaffa's grasp and nearly got free, until Daniel joined him and the two of them dragged him from the room and back into the kitchen.

"Right," Daniel said forcefully. "Now get a grip!"

"He called him!" Jack repeated in disbelief. "That bastard that we've been protecting! He –"

He couldn't finish his own sentence, he was so infuriated. He shoved his hands through his hair as he paced around a small area of floor.

"He's gonna kill her," he said quietly.

"We'll think of something," Daniel reassured him.

"In two days?"

"Have faith, O'Neill. We shall get Colonel Carter back," Teal'c said, trying to calm his friend down.

Jack shook his head. "At this rate, we'll get her back in instalments!" He sank onto one of the kitchen stools, unable to hold his own weight and the weight of guilt he felt.

He looked up at Daniel, his eyes suddenly full of pain.

"I can't lose her like that," he said.

Daniel smiled sympathetically. He knew what she meant to him.

"Don't worry," he said. "You won't."

On the other side of the door, Frakes smiled. Even though his deal had been turned down, the other half of his plan was working like a charm. At this rate, there would be no way he could lose.

Author's Note: OK, everybody breathe again! And don't forget to review!