A/N: This chapter is rather heavy on the angst. Something very VERY bad happens! I'm warning you now.
The surprise party at the base for Jack went as smoothly as could be. The guys got there and steered toward the commissary, where Teal'c and Daniel had already cornered Jack, the twins were with Uncle Siler. The plan had been to pig out on chocolate cake, and then give Jack an array of gifts ranging from high quality scotch to Cuban cigars. From Teal'c and Daniel, Jack even got the latest box set of The Simpson's that he had yet to buy. After that they had planned on eating more cake.
Of course, that's not how it went down. Jack had just finished opening the last gift and was cutting the cake when two airmen burst through the commissary doors and rushed to the CO of the base.
One of them whispered something Jack's ear and the brigadier general shot up out of his chair and raced toward the room where Siler was supposed to be watching the twins.
When the father arrived, he found Siler unconscious on the floor and no sign of the twins.
"Medical team to O'Neill quarters!" Jack shouted into the phone.
Sgt. Siler swam through the darkness that surrounded his conscious mind. He finally reached what he was trying to get at – the light. At first all he could here was the beeping of the monitors that had been attached to his body, and the hushed whispers of two people talking near him. Slowly he was able to open his eyes and found a very angry General O'Neill and a nervous Dr. Brightman trying futilely to calm him down.
When Jack saw that Siler was awake, he grabbed the sergeant's shoulders roughly and shouted at him, "Who took them?"
Siler looked up at the CO of the base and saw a father with so much fear for his children in his eyes. He was only able to say one word before he passed out again:
"Ba'al."