Once again I thank everyone for their comments and I'm happy to know you're all enjoying the story.
UNITED WE STAND
By Lingren.
Previously:
Sam closed her eyes and prayed that they would be able to reach him before it was too late, but at least they knew where he was now.
Chapter 12
"Rest assured; they do not intend to harm him further for now. Anat waits only for Baal to arrive before they begin to torture him for any information they need. That is why you cannot afford to delay."
"What can you tell us of this fortress?" Teal'c asked, needing to know the facts.
"It is small; barely half the size of Baal's that was recently destroyed by Yu. The cells are on the lower floor, but I could not tell you how many were occupied or which one O'Neill will be in. There are few guards. They tend to lock their prisoners up and leave them to themselves. It is of no concern of theirs if they live or die there. If their detainees perish, they will almost certainly be revived again, depending on Anat's temper at the time, using the sarcophagus. Anat takes great pleasure in allowing her prisoners to suffer as much as possible alone in their cells."
"Sir...we can't leave him there. We have to get him out. He barely made it after the last time," Sam begged.
"I have no intention of leaving Colonel O'Neill there to face Baal again, Major, but I can't allow a team to go in without the proper Intel," Hammond assured her, then he asked Janara for more information.
"Anat will be leaving for the mountain villages tomorrow, to gather more slaves to present to Baal. She will be taking several of her Jaffa with her; therefore the guards at the fortress will be at their lowest. She will return as soon as she has filled her quota. This could be at any time, depending on whether the villagers avoid capture or not."
"How far away is this fortress?" Jonas asked.
"It is half a day's march north from the gate, but it will probably take you much longer without a symbiote to sustain you. Probably for most of the day. The planet's sun is very hot during the day."
Sam resented the implication that they were weak, and knowing the fact that the longer they left Jack there, the more his condition would deteriorate. She calculated they could do it in 6 hours.
"How much time will it take you to get ready?" Hammond asked of Teal'c.
"We are ready now General Hammond. All of SG-1 is present," he stated giving Sam a slight bow, the corner of his mouth just edging upwards.
"Major?"
"Sir...I would like permission to rejoin SG-1. It's where I belong General," she pleaded, begging with her eyes; waiting with bated breath for his answer.
General Hammond thought it over, he looked at the hope written clearly on the faces of Teal'c and Jonas, and finally he glanced across at Sam, then he knew. She was desperate to be with her friends again. He'd seen her sad face when things didn't go well on the mission and her own. Tell-tale lines had appeared on her face over the last few weeks, showing that she wasn't happy with things as they were, and it had nothing to do with her command, but rather from being parted from her family of friends, who just happened to be SG-1.
"Permission granted Major! Get SG-3 and yourselves ready to leave at 21:00 hrs. That will put you right at the fortress at about dawn. Do what you have to, but bring Colonel O'Neill home safely."
"Yes Sir!" she beamed, grinning at her team-mates. "Thank you General."
"Dismissed!"
OoOoOoOoO
The huge wave of matter spewed from the stone ring and formed itself into a shimmering puddle. The Jaffa around the gate stood ready, their staff weapons aimed for anyone who stepped through onto the planet, already prepared to shoot first and ask questions later, always supposing whoever it or they were, survived that is.
A shiny silver sphere rolled through and its high pitched squeal and brilliant light, had all the guards crumpling to their knees, before rendering them all unconscious.
Jacob and Janara stepped through and surveyed the area around them. Jacob toggled the radio.
"All clear!"
He stepped down onto the grassy area around the gate platform and waited, Janara standing off to one side, her gaze never leaving the area of trees not far from the gate. The wormhole wobbled and Sam, Teal'c, Jonas and Major Lawrence and his team stepped through, immediately taking up defensive positions.
Sam studied the area from her kneeling stance, and then stood up, calling on Major Lawrence.
"Take up defensive positions around the gate, and hold your positions. We should be back in 13 hours."
"Yes Ma'am!" Lawrence replied, knowing that he and his men would defend the gate until the last man. "Watch your sixes Sam! We'll be here when you get back. Go get him!"
Sam grinned.
"Oh I have every intention of getting him back, come hell or high water," she stated adamantly, before turning back into serious mode again. "If we're not back in 24 Major, get you and your men home."
The "Yes Ma'am." That followed this statement, was a little more subdued, but he gave her a level stare.
"Just make it back Sam. Tell the Colonel, I'm still waiting on that $20 he owes me, and he's not getting out of it that easily!"
Sam smirked, and nodded.
"We'll be back. That's a promise."
Major Lawrence saluted her and she returned the gesture, before walking over to her father.
Janara joined the rest of the team and silently pointed towards the trees. Jacob nodded for her to take the lead, and the Tok'ra set off at a cracking pace, leaving the others to follow, and Teal'c to bring up the rear.
Sam never let down her guard for a minute all the time they were walking. Getting nearer to Jack with every footfall, and the nearer they got, the more she wondered what state they would find him in. She pushed the ugly thought that they wouldn't reach him in time, to the back of her mind, she couldn't do this if she thought it was already too late.
Hours after a long and almost silent trek through the darkness, they found themselves on the edge of a thickly wooded area, with a clearing standing out starkly in the waning moonlight. The fortress, not nearly as big as Sam imagined it, stood solid and impressive in the rich glowing light of early dawn. Its huge white stone walls blazed like burnished gold, reflecting the bright sunrise. The effect was as blinding as it was amazing.
Sam's attention was snagged by Teal'c's hand on her arm, dragging her thoughts back to earth, so to speak.
"Major Carter…" he pointed to the main entrance to their right. "I believe Anat and her entourage are about to leave."
He was right. Sam observed the caravan through her binoculars and watched as they trailed away into the distance. Anat carried high in an enormous golden sedan chair by numerous slaves, and escorted by at least three dozen Jaffa, all of which were preceded by her first prime. By the time the column had moved far enough away, the sun had peaked over the distant hill top and with its brilliant light came a fierce determination that settled over the watching team.
Janara and Jacob moved quickly and silently, descending down the slope towards the huge gates. Both had changed into golden robes and walked proudly up to the gates to demand entrance. The guard, on hearing the symbiotic voices opened them with awe and respect. After bowing low and reverently, they were Zatted into oblivion.
Jacob signalled the others.
Sam, Teal'c and Jonas swept down the hillside cautiously, P-90 and staff weapon poised ready for action. They joined Jacob and his companion inside the gates, closing them now to keep anyone else out.
Janara lead them unfalteringly straight to the cells. The twists and turns making Sam fervently hope that she could remember her way out again. They descended to the lower levels and were greeted by several Jaffa. A brief fire-fight erupted, but was quickly suppressed by the Tau'ri/Tok'ra team.
Jacob took up a defensive position at the base of the stairs with his Tok'ra friend, while the SGC team searched for their CO.
A cry from Jonas alerted Sam and Teal'c, that he had found their quarry.
Sam burst into the cell and stopped abruptly. Teal'c right behind her. Her heart flew up into her mouth at the sight which greeted her.
"Oh God, Jack!" she whispered, suddenly breathless from the tight band that seemed to have wrapped itself around her chest, paralysing her.
Jack was unconscious and lying in sticky red pools of his own blood which coated the floor beneath him. The gore she could deal with, she'd seen enough of it as a soldier for it not to turn her stomach; his inert pale features however, were much harder to accept. His face was deathly white, his head tilted slightly to one side, and his limbs sprawled out just as if he'd been dumped there and left to die. Only the slight movement of his chest reassured her that he still lived. She flew over to him kneeling at his side, ignoring the dampness of his spilled blood as it soaked through her pants with a cloying smell and tackiness around her knees.
Her heart, heavy, and with much sadness she laid her hand on his cheek, feeling the heat radiating from it. Tenderly moving her hand round his features to feel his overly hot brow, she knew that the inevitable infection had already set in. She held her hand lightly against his paper dry skin, needing to feel the contact. At least he was alive she sighed, registering a weak and rapid pulse with the fingers of her other hand.
Teal'c moved in beside her, and without taking her eyes from him, she shook her head slightly.
"He's burning up Teal'c. We've got to get him back a.s.a.p, his pulse is very weak."
Teal'c placed his huge hand on top of hers, pulling it away from Jack, and with it her focus on his face.
"There is little time for regrets Major Carter. We have to depart from this place at once."
"Sorry Teal'c. You're right. Just give me a minute. Then we can get the hell out of here, and hand him over to Janet."
Yanking her pack from her shoulders she delved into it to reach the Med. Kit she carried. Carefully and gingerly she dressed the wounds as best she could, given the allotted time. Jack hadn't stirred at all, which worried her more than anything. Teal'c reached over and lifted his friend as gently as he could, Jonas and Sam helping to settle Jack's limp form onto the Jaffa's broad muscular shoulders and they made a bid for their escape.
Down the corridor they could hear Jacob and Janara giving everything they had to repel the Jaffa summoned by the earlier sounds of shots. Jonas joined in the fray, spraying the area with bullets and Sam plunged right in too. The fight was shortened considerably and ended when the last Jaffa folded onto the floor, blood running from his pouch. The extra help had swung the balance in their favour and soon they were running back to the gates of the fortress, their most prized possession, one Colonel Jack O'Neill, safe and secure within their grasp.
TBC