On Jackie's behalf - thanks for the feedback on this story everyone. We're glad you're enjoying it.
A note in reply to Kippling Croft – Only two members of SG-6 are confirmed dead. Jack spoke to the others in the cells.
A Single Man of Courage – part eight
Sam poured Jack another coffee. "Uh thanks," he said, absently taking the cup. "Carter, do you feel that I should …. Do you feel the same way as Daniel?" He finished speaking in a rush.
Sam looked at her CO, startled. He had never been one to question his command decisions, but uncertainty was written in his eyes and that chilled her.
"Sir…" She considered her words carefully. She didn't always agree with the Colonel's methods, but he was a brilliant CO and he got the job done, and kept them alive. "Daniel is well … Daniel is Daniel, Sir," she began slowly. "I think he overstepped the line tonight. I don't feel the same way, but I have been worried about you. You just haven't been yourself and then all this on top, well oh God…" The words died in her throat.
"Sam," he said softly, putting a hand out to hers, the touch and the use of her name surprising her. "I'm sorry. I know I let this place get to me sight unseen even. It …." He hesitated, a far way look coming to his dark eyes, "It brought back a lot of stuff I don't want to think about."
Sam nodded. "There's so much you never talk about, so much I don't understand," she said, drawing nearer to him.
"Yeah, most of it I can't talk about – all of it I don't want to."
"I know you spent some time in the Middle East, the Gulf too."
"Quite a bit of time actually, a lot of it undercover, but not all of it was voluntary."
Sam's eyes widened as she grasped the meaning of his words. She'd heard horror stories during her time in the gulf, not all of them she believed but even if just some of were true ….
"Was it … was it as bad as we heard?" she asked softly.
Jack gave a strangled laugh. "Bad? Bad doesn't touch it!" He swallowed hard and put his head down onto his arm on the table.
Sam stayed still. For one awful moment she'd thought he was going to cry. Her arm went involuntarily to his shoulder touching it lightly as a gesture of support. She felt the prickle of tears to her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. She knew Jack had dark secrets, she had good idea of what Special Ops had entailed. Her short time with Jonas had shown her how it could twist a man, but she'd never thought of Jack like that. She'd never put a label on him that read 'ex Special Ops, treat with caution'… She had never felt him to be less than the very good commanding officer he was and the good friend, and she still dreamt and yearned for more from him.
"I've really blown it with Daniel," came his muffled voice.
"Daniel knows how it works. He's been part of SG-1 for long enough. He had no right to sound off like that," she said, somehow finding the reassurance in her voice that she strove for.
"I'm not talking about SG-1" said Jack, sitting up. "I'm talking friendship. I know I hurt him when he came to see me, hell I know I hurt you too, I had to, I didn't want to, but I had no damn choice."
Sam shrugged. "Daniel sees things in black and white."
"More like rosy tints," snorted Jack. "Trouble is, my world is only shades of gray with the odd snatches of color that you, Daniel and Teal'c provide."
As Jack spoke his eyes were locked onto Sam's and gradually their faces came closer together. Neither of them could stop it and Jack closed his eyes and tilted his head to place a soft and ever so tender kiss on Sam's lips.
Sam's eyes closed, the touch was so soft and gentle, yet it lit fires. She parted her lips and raised one hand behind Jack's head to deepen the kiss.
Abruptly Jack pulled back as though he'd been stung.
"Sam," he breathed harshly, his agony in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ..." He tailed off, running a distraught hand through his hair as he stood, backing away from her.
The yearning in Sam snapped back into it usual crevice and in its place deep embarrassment formed. "Ja ... Sir. Oh." Her hand flew to her mouth as her cheeks flushed deep red.
"Major, I really didn't mean that to happen. If you care to report it if … when we get back, I won't dispute it at all." With that he hurried out of the room, his face an unreadable mask.
Sam sat still, trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Gradually her embarrassment died and her thoughts turned to Jack and to how awful he must be feeling. She wasn't sure how the first kiss had come about, but she'd certainly remembered grabbing his head to continue and deepen it. Her mind was whirring, thinking about what she had just learnt. If only a small part of the horror stories were true then God alone knew what nightmares he had and the horrors he hid from.
How long she sat there for she wasn't sure, but a light touch on her shoulder startled her.
"Sorry. I take it Jack is in his room?"
Sam nodded absently at Daniel who stood pale and miserable beside her.
"God, Sam, you look how I feel. Are you okay?"
"Fine," she replied automatically. "Which is more than I can say for Ja... the Colonel," she added before she could stop herself.
"Oh." Daniel stood there, his arms wrapped around himself "Sorry."
"Why are you saying sorry to me?"
"I don't really know. Look, I've … well I know I've been a pain in the butt and I'm sorry, what I said …"
"What you said to me doesn't matter. I think you need to be saying this to the Colonel."
Daniel nodded miserably. "Do you think he'll even listen? God, how could I be so wrong, so judgmental of him."
A knock at the door brought the girls in bearing dishes. This time they were accompanied by a man. While the girls moved over to the table, the man stood looking around the room, his eyes darting nervously.
Pushing all personal thought to one side Sam hauled herself back into military mode. She realized this must be the man the Colonel had spoken to in the kitchens. She moved over to his side.
"You want the Colonel?"
He looked at her, struggling to comprehend her words and then nodded his head "Kernal," he pronounced with a slight smile.
Sam motioned him to follow her to the Colonel's room, knocking softly before entering.
Jack sat up, seeing who was behind Sam and spoke quickly to the man, welcoming him in.
Sam sat down on the bed after she shut the door whilst Jack and the man, Hassuf, as she learned, spoke. Hassuf spoke at length, his eyes never leaving Jack's face as he talked. Jack made several impatient gestures with his hands as he responded to the man.
Sam was just beginning to 'glaze over' as Jack would call it, the visions of the Colonel in the robes astride the horse creeping into her thoughts, when she realized Jack was speaking to her.
"Major," he called for the second time.
"Sir, sorry I guess I switched off there," she apologized, blushing.
"Know the feeling well Carter." He gave her a slight grin to show he understood before he continued. "Hassuf says his people will help, but they are limited to what they can do. The main problem is getting to the Stargate. His people think it would be better to hide in the city than to go straight for the gate, which is apparently now well guarded."
"Make them think we're lost in the desert or something?"
Jack nodded. "His people could lay a false trail."
"Why not hide us in the desert?"
"Masters and Parker are both injured, and I'm not sure how bad the Major is. I don't think we can risk trying to get far and evade the patrols as it stands."
"It makes sense to lie low then."
Hassuf burst into speech again.
"Apparently Kissain and his army are hated and there will be many volunteers to hide us," translated Jack.
"Nice to know," said Sam, then colored slightly as she realized the comment must have sounded … well, like one of her Colonel's sarcastic responses.
Jack apparently didn't notice and he and Hassuf exchanged more words.
"We need to get them out of the dungeons tonight. Hassuf reckons he can hide them here in the palace until they feel stronger. His people will make it look like we've stolen mounts and broken out of the city gate."
Sam looked at her Colonel questioningly.
"I don't think we can do any better, at least not without leaving SG-6 behind and that isn't an option," he added grimly.
"Yes Sir," agreed Sam.
Hassuf made the traditional bow and touched his forehead in respect to Jack who returned the gesture before the man left.
Jack and Sam returned to the dining room to join Daniel and Teal'c.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Daniel looked at Jack's face as he and Sam entered the room, dismayed to see the 'command' mask in place.
"Err… Jack, can we talk?" he asked quietly.
"Not really Daniel, now is not a good time. We need to get things underway to get out of here."
"Jack?" Daniel spoke quietly, a plea in his voice.
"Let's get home first okay?" sighed Jack, dismissing Daniel's plea.
"Right …" Getting down to business, Jack filled Daniel and Teal'c in on the conversation with Hassuf. Daniel's mouth compressed, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses.
Jack caught Daniel's expression.
"Ah ah, do not mention the T word again Daniel," he growled, waving a finger at the younger man, knowing Daniel was going to spout about trusting the rebels. "This is all we've got. To do this on our own with three injured men would be suicide. I'm not happy about it; in fact I'm so damn unhappy about it I'm not even going to make it an order."
Sam sat stunned. She felt as though the Colonel had slapped them all in the face. Where was the confident 'want another option and we're gonna make it' O'Neill?
Teal'c sat impassively waiting. Major Carter and Daniel Jackson's mouths were both gaping like fish. He decided it was time to say his piece.
"O'Neill, whether or not this is an order, I am following you."
"Even if we wind up dead?" asked Daniel.
"Death has never been the issue before Daniel Jackson."
Jack winced at Teal'c's choice of words.
"Hey Buddy, go easy on the compliments," he groaned sarcastically.
"I'm sorry O'Neill. It was not intended to undermine your prowess. I am merely stating that what is important is that we give ourselves the best chance of survival and if we die it is at least free and fighting. You have always provided the hope and chances to keep us safe. Even now this is our best chance and we should take it."
Jack leaned back in his chair. It was one of the longest speeches he'd heard from the stoic Jaffa.
"Thanks for your vote of confidence Teal'c, but let's leave dying out of the picture a bit longer."
"Me too Sir. I mean what Teal'c said goes for me too."
Jack acknowledged her and looked at Daniel, waiting for the flood of objections.
None came. Daniel took a deep breath. Now was his chance to show his colors.
"I'm with you."
Now it was Jack's turn to go slack jawed. "That it?" he asked incredulously.
Daniel nodded, determined not to say more.
Jack literally put a finger beneath his jaw and made a show of picking his jaw up.
Daniel refused to rise to the bait. "Want to let us in on the plan then?" was all he would say.
Jack bit back a sarcastic remark and shook his head before filling them in.
"We go up and over the roof, coming in near the stairs. That could be a problem, there's four flights and it's narrow. Daniel, I need you at the top so we have a warning if anyone approaches from there. Carter, Teal'c, you're with me and Hassuf to get SG-6 out. Once out Hassuf will take us to a hiding place in the palace so we can assess how fit SG-6 are. We'll decide from that point where to go. Hassuf has arranged for several men to steal some mounts on his signal and to hightail it out. High profile - they'll be wearing some of our spare uniforms to lend visual."
"How long do you think we'll have to wait it out?" asked Sam.
"A few days perhaps, until the initial fuss is over and they think we're well and truly lost or dead. Ideally I'd like to be at the Stargate before check in with Hammond, otherwise he might risk sending someone through, given it was a diplomatic mission. Hassuf reckons we can get out with the normal traffic leaving the city during the day."
"And hopefully the armies will be all busy miles away, following the others away from the gate," added Daniel.
They broke the briefing up to eat, not that any one of them felt like it, then they sorted out spare clothes to give to Hassuf.
The girls came with Hassuf to clear up and the clothes were given to them, as well as two P90's with ammunition and brief instructions on how to use them.
"I will return later through these windows. Be ready," Hassuf informed them before he departed.
Jack made them minimize their packs down to essentials and presently they were all ready and waiting to go.
"I still don't like the idea of giving up two of our weapons," said Sam.
"Neither do I, but they need to make it look good escaping through the gates, not to mention actually getting through. I've promised them more weapons if we make it back as well."
"Gun running Jack?" enquired Daniel.
Jack snorted at Daniel's morals. "No, just a case of rather than let Kissain take them anyway, which he has with SG-6's gear. A little help to the guys on our side wouldn't go amiss. Remember, they've got to keep evading the patrols."
"It is logical to arm them, O'Neill."
"Yeah, just a pity we couldn't give them some training with them, but time is something we haven't got." Jack stood and stretched as he spoke again. "By the way, no firing while we're in the palace, otherwise we'll have them swarming on us before you can say 'archaeologist.'"
Jack handed Daniel a pistol he removed from beneath his vest.
Daniel took it questioningly, noticing the silencer fitted on the barrel.
"Just in case," said Jack.
Daniel looked down at the pistol. He knew Jack had given it to him because of his hand-to-hand skills – or lack of rather. It wasn't standard issue and looked well used
"Erm, how many shots?" he enquired, peering up a Jack.
"Eight. Don't lose it, I've had that a while."
"How do I reload and with what?"
Jack smiled grimly. "You don't. You'd be dead before you reload that. Shoot and run, kiddo."
"Oh." Daniel peered back to the gun.
Sam was inspecting it as well.
"I've seen guns like that in the ..."
Jack put a hand up. "Please Carter, don't say museum, I'm not that old."
Sam grinned. "No Sir, actually it was an FBI display. They were issued with them once."
"Jack were ..."
"No Daniel, Special Ops had them issued as well. They can come in damn handy at times."
"Where's the safety?"
"Isn't one, I filed it off, so don't tuck it in your pants. Use the cord, it's ready to fire."
Daniel pulled a face "You trying to kill me right?" He looked at the weapon again before casting a look once more to his friend. "Jack, you know I'm sorry I spoke …"
Jack cut him off. "Leave it. It's okay." He spoke softly and turned away to fasten down his pack.
Presently they sat waiting, sipping the coffee that was ever present, and eventually Sam and Daniel lay down giving in to sleep. Jack and Teal'c sat quietly talking.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo