Chapter 12: Trouble in Paradise
One Month Later (After "Gemini")
Heading down Highway 1 out of Miami towards the Florida Keys, Jack and Sam made their way towards their final destination - a luxury resort in Islamorada. As they drove along the two-lane road, the sun blared down through the windshield of their rental car out of deep cerulean sky.
"How long before we get there, Jack?" Sam asked, her tired voice tinged with apprehension.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the road and his hands tight on the wheel, Jack answered, "About an hour more. We're almost to Key Largo."
Sam, who had been staring out the window at the passing scenery, suddenly turned to look at Jack. "Will Jennings be there when we arrive?"
Jack's expression was well concealed behind his dark sunglasses but Sam could still observe the tension in the set of his jaw. "I don't know, Sam. He just sent me a text message with the name of the resort, our room number, and the check-in date."
"But he's going to meet you at the resort sometime during our stay? That's the plan, right?"
Jack nodded slightly. "Yeah…that's how he made it sound. He was going to meet up with me there to provide further instructions."
Sam once again looked out the window, staring out over the water that stretched on either side of the bridge over Jewfish Creek. She began to nervously tap her fingers against the car door, unaware of her actions.
Jack averted his eyes from the road for a mere second to gaze at her then forced his eyes straight ahead once again. He was worried about her. She had been acting nervous and agitated since they had landed in Miami.
"I know you're worried, Sam," he tried to reassure her, "I am too. But Daniel and Teal'c are already down there staking out the place. They are going to be in the suite right next to us the whole time. They'll make sure everything is as safe as possible."
A harsh huff of doubt emanated from Sam. "It's not Daniel and Teal'c that I'm worried about."
"What going on, Sam? It's not like you to be this nervous before a mission."
Sam propped her arm on the side of the door and rested her head in the palm of her hand, continuing to stare solemnly out the window. "It's just…what if I let you all down?"
Jack's reply was one of surprise. It was unusual for Carter to be doubting her abilities just prior to an important mission like this. She was usually a bastion of confidence. "Where is this coming from?"
"Let's face it…." she answered. "I haven't been making the best decisions lately. Not to mention not quite being up to par physically."
Jack's brow furrowed as he wondered what could have brought out this lack of self-confidence in Sam. "Are you talking about what happened with your replicator double?" He paused and waited for a response. When there wasn't one, he knew he was on the right track.
"I'm only going to say this one more time, Sam – it was not your fault. I allowed you to work with her, I knew something was wrong, and I suspected you were getting too close." His tone was both decisive and reproachful, before it quickly softened and he added, "If anyone is to blame, it should be me."
Sam faced him, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I hear what you're saying, Jack…but I was the one who was taken in. I was the one who let down my guard and trusted her…just because I thought I understood what she had gone through. I forgot she was a machine… an enemy. And I made the mistake of letting my empathy for her cloud my judgment. Now the entire galaxy is in danger because of me."
"Yes, you made a mistake," Jack agreed, weary of trying to keep her from beating herself up over the situation. "Surprise, surprise…the great and brilliant Sam Carter is human and fallible. She knew you inside out, Sam. And she took full advantage of that knowledge. She knew what a good person you are…how you always give people the benefit of the doubt…how you are always willing to trust even when people have let you down time and time again. She knew you, Sam. But she isn't you. She exploited one of the best qualities you possess… your compassion…your heart. It's one of the things I love most about you. And I will not have you beat yourself up because you are a caring person."
"You've never let me down, Jack. I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone in my life…and you have never once given me a reason to doubt that trust."
He reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle and comforting squeeze. "I hope I never will. Now…stop thinking so negatively about this mission. We are going to go in there and find out what the Trust is up to. This mission is going to be an astounding success. Agreed?"
Sam nodded once, her resolve once again returning. "Agreed. I just have an uneasy feeling about this."
"You're not the only one, Sam. You're not the only one…"
An hour later, they were exploring the spacious and luxurious suite they had been provided at the resort. It consisted of a large bedroom, a small kitchen, and a living area, all of which were sumptuously furnished and decorated. The living area opened up to a large balcony that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean.
As she stood on the balcony and stared out over the water, Sam was transfixed by how still the ocean seemed. The only perceptible disruption on the surface was the tiny white waves gently brushing up to the shore one after another. She thought it strange that the world around them could be so peaceful and calm, when she knew that there was an evil force just waiting in the shadows.
They knew Jennings and his men were most likely watching them and had probably been doing so ever since their arrival. They also were well aware that their room was bugged – not only by the Trust, but also by Daniel and Teal'c. Their two friends would be constantly monitoring the situation from room next door, making sure that they remained safe at all times.
After looking around, Jack and Sam decided to take a short nap to recover from their long flight into Miami and the drive down to Islamorada. They lay down on the bed facing each other, their hands barely touching. As Sam's eyes fluttered shut, Jack stared at his wife. He was worried about her. She had just barely recovered from the injuries she had sustained in the off world earthquake. She hadn't even been cleared to go off world on missions with SG-1 yet. And then the incident with the replicator had occurred.
He had been reluctant to let her go to the Alpha Site to meet with the replicator. But in his head, he knew she was the best person to deal with her duplicate. His heart told him otherwise, and now looking back he regretted not listening to his heart. He knew at the time that she was too close to the situation. Yet, he let her continue working with the replicator because he knew it was the only way to get to the bottom of things.
He hated the way the machine had taken advantage of Sam. But more so, he hated how the incident had left Sam filled with doubt and guilt. He reached out his hand and tenderly brushed back a few strands of Sam's blond hair that had fallen over her face. His hand then settled over the hand that was lying on the pillow next to her head.
Two hours later, they lazily awoke from their slumber. They had needed the rest to prepare them for what they knew might be a long night. Within twenty minutes, they were dressed and ready to make their way down to one of the restaurants in the hotel. Both were aware that Jennings would most likely make his appearance while they were at dinner.
The maître d' seated them at a table for two by a window overlooking the moonlit beach. Although they could not see the water, they could hear the lapping of the waves through the open windows lining the back of the restaurant. While they were waiting for their waiter to arrive, Jack excused himself and made his way to the bar to retrieve a glass of white wine for Sam and a beer for himself.
As the bartender poured the drinks with one hand, he slipped a sealed envelope on top of the bar towards Jack with his other. Jack immediately picked up the envelope and gave the bartender a questioning look.
"A gentleman earlier asked me to give this to you," he explained as he finished pouring the glass of wine.
Jack opened the envelope and quickly read the contents. It was from Jennings. It seemed the Trust agent was there at the resort and he was watching every move that Jack and Sam made. The letter contained detailed instructions on what Jack was supposed to do that evening.
He was told to take Sam back to their room after dinner and then to make up an excuse and leave her alone in the room. He would then go next door to Room 314 where Jennings would be waiting with further instructions.
In addition to the letter, the envelope contained a small packet of white powder. The letter instructed Jack to slip the powder into Sam's drink during dinner to make sure she would sleep through his absence that evening. With the drug in her system, she would sleep soundly until morning and never suspect that he had been gone for more than ten minutes.
Of course, Jack had no intention of using the drug. He roughly stuffed the packet of white powder back into the envelope with the letter and then shoved the envelope into his jacket pocket. With a grim expression, he picked up the drinks and headed back to the table where Sam was waiting.
They enjoyed a leisurely dinner and then slowly made their way back to their room. As they walked to the elevators, Jack whispered into Sam's ear, "Act like you're drunk."
Realizing that Jack must have made contact with Jennings and that his request was part of the mission, Sam readily compiled and began to lightly sway and stumble a bit as they got into the elevator. Jack put his arm around her waist, appearing to support her wavering form.
They continued the charade all the way to the room, where Jack helped Sam to bed. As she reclined against the pillows, Jack removed the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her, effectively informing her of what was going on. She quickly read the contents and nodded firmly at him to show that she understood the situation.
Jack then went to the bathroom and began rummaging around noisily. It was all part of the act. He stuck his head out of the bathroom and called out, "Sam, babe…I forgot my toothbrush. I think I'll go see if the gift shop is still open and go get another one."
Sam shot Jack an evil look when he called her 'babe,' informing him that he would pay later for this transgression. She then smiled sweetly at him and played along, "Okay, Pete. I think I'll go ahead and go to sleep, if you don't mind. The trip here must have really drained me. I don't think I could keep my eyes open another second."
"Some honeymoon," Jack quipped, keeping up the show for anyone who might be listening. "Oh well…we have plenty of time for more enjoyable activities later on. Sleep well, babe."
Jack winked at her as she shot him another accusing glare. He knew very well not to call her 'babe.' But as the original 'Pete' had often called her that, it was completely in character for Jack to do so at this moment. It didn't make her like the term of endearment any better.
Sam closed her eyes and pretended to sleep as Jack quietly exited the room. Neither knew what was in store for them that evening, so both were determined to remain on guard at all times.
Jack walked the short distance to Room 314 and knocked on the door. It was immediately answered by Jennings who greeted Jack with a smile.
"Detective Shanahan…" the swarthy man stated, "I see you got my message. I hope you like the accommodations here in Islamorada."
"Everything's great," Jack muttered as he pushed past Jennings into the hotel room. He took a seat in the living area and demanded, "Okay…I'm here. What's the plan?"
Jennings took a seat on the sofa opposite him. "Phase Two is underway. Agent Monroe is preparing Colonel Carter for transport as we speak."
Jack immediately tensed as he heard this information. Sam was in their room next door… alone with an agent of the Trust who had an undisclosed objective.
"What's going to happen to her?" he asked, hoping to learn more about what was intended for Sam.
Jennings merely laughed derisively. "You'll find out soon enough, Shanahan."
The malicious smile on Jennings' face quickly faded as his expression turned to one of anger. As Jack sat in his chair, he was completely unaware that at that moment his image had begun to flicker. A second later, the facade of Pete Shanahan faded entirely and Jack was left completely exposed. Unfortunately, he did not realize what was happening to him until Jennings pulled out a gun and leveled it squarely at his head.
Instead of being shocked or agitated at this turn of events, Jennings remained calm. He directed his controlled anger squarely at Jack. "Well, well, well…General O'Neill, what an unusual surprise. So…our little operation has been compromised."
Knowing now that his ruse had been discovered, Jack tried to deal with the situation as best as he could. That meant coming clean. "We've been onto you for quite some time, Jennings."
Jennings shrugged, as if not caring that his plan had just completely fallen apart. "Too bad for you that the mimic device failed. We never did work out that glitch in its system."
"What glitch might that be?" Jack questioned, realizing for the first time that the reason the device had failed before was probably the same reason it was failing now. The device had been flawed from the very beginning.
"Every so often the power supply fluctuates. It basically leads to an overload and the device shuts down for a few seconds," Jennings explained. "We knew the possibility of it failing at an inopportune time was high, but we had to at least take the chance on using it. It seems that it failed…not only for our agent, but for you as well. Quite unlucky for you, General."
Jack, who realized the object was now obsolete, went ahead and removed the mimic watch and threw it onto a nearby table. "What are you going to do now?"
The Trust agent tensed slightly. Obviously the man was realizing the impact this little discovery would have on his plans. "Well, obviously we will not be able to go through with the scenario for Colonel Carter as planned. You clearly know what our final objective for her was. It's a shame really. I hate having to kill such a beautiful woman."
At these words, panic alighted in Jack's eyes. They were going to kill Carter…because she was no longer of any use to them. Quickly, a plan began formulating in his mind. He had to get next door before anything happened to her.
Jennings pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial. "Monroe…abort the mission. We have been compromised. Get out of there and make sure there are no loose ends." Jennings paused to listen to the agent on the other end of the line. "Yes…kill Carter," was his simple answer to his fellow agent's supposed question.
Jennings slapped his phone shut with one hand and moved to put it away. As he fumbled with it slightly, he briefly looked down to guide it into his jacket pocket.
This tiny action provided Jack with the opportunity he had been waiting for. With Jennings' gaze briefly averted, he lunged at the Trust agent and tackled him to the floor. In the commotion, Jennings' gun flew from his hand and landed a few feet away from the struggling men. Pulling back his fist, Jack roughly landed a hard right hook to Jennings' jaw, effectively knocking the other man out for a few precious seconds.
Jack then stumbled towards the gun lying on the floor nearby, his goal to get a hold of it before Jennings recovered from his blow. He succeeded in getting to the gun, but as he turned around to point it at Jennings, the room was filled with a bright flash of light. When the light dissipated, Jack was completely alone in the room. Jennings had escaped.
Not wasting any more valuable time, Jack moved quickly out of the room, praying that he made it to Sam in time to save her life. When he arrived next door, Teal'c and Daniel were already there, both pointing their firearms at two figures standing across the darkened room.
Jack followed their line of sight and found his worst nightmare coming true. Standing in the shadows in the middle of the living area was Agent Monroe. The Trust agent held Sam in a chokehold in front of him, shielding his own body with hers. The most disturbing sight, however, was the gun pointed directly at Sam's right temple.
Her wide blue eyes were filled with fear. No doubt she was remembering the last time a man had threatened her like this…the time she had almost died. But this time, she was not afraid of dying. Rather, she was afraid of letting Jack down. She had allowed herself to be taken hostage by this man, and now her beloved husband was being forced to watch on helplessly as this man threatened her life.
Her eyes locked with Jack's and she was distressed at the panic she saw in his face. Drawing strength from his presence, she knew in an instant what she had to do. She would not let this pathetic excuse of man take her away from Jack. She would not passively stand by and allow this man to kill her in front of the man she loved. If she did, she knew full well that it would destroy Jack. He would never be able to forgive himself for not being able to protect her. That was the one thing she could not allow.
And so she did the only thing she could think of. Before anyone could react, Sam had roughly snapped the heel of her foot upwards towards the agent's groin. At the same time, she skillfully brought her elbow back, jabbing the man in the solar plexus with all the strength she could muster. She knew it was risk – that the gun could go off and kill her at any second. But she had to take the chance. She had to fight.
As Monroe loosened his grip on her and doubled over in pain, Sam initiated her final move. She forcefully jerked her head backwards and it collided brutally with the agent's nose. As she felt and heard it crack, she knew she had successfully rendered him unconscious.
Monroe collapsed to the floor and lay there unmoving, blood seeping out of his broken nose. Instinctively, her training kicked in and Sam turned around to kick the gun out of Monroe's loosened grip. Brushing her hands off on her pajama pants, Sam then turned around to face the three men standing near the doorway to the room.
Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack stood there, completely still, each with their mouths gaping open in shock.
Sam smiled crookedly at her three favorite men in the whole world, amused at the expressions they wore on their faces. "Nice of you guys to come to my rescue," she teased. "But…as you can see, I think I handled it all right on my own."
Jack quickly closed his mouth and composed himself. He then propelled himself across the room and pulled Sam into his arms. He held her in a firm embrace for several moments, until he had convinced himself that she was truly all right. He kept one hand on her shoulder after releasing her from his grasp.
"Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, Mrs. O'Neill," he stated huskily, emotion filling his voice and pride emanating from his eyes.
"That's Colonel O'Neill to you, Mr. O'Neill," she replied with a twinkle in her eye.
They continued to stare at each other, as if they were the only two people in the room. Jack's hand moved from her shoulder to delicately trace the contours of her face. Sam leaned into his touch, seeking the comfort his gesture offered.
Daniel cleared his throat nervously, trying to get the attention of his two enamored friends. "Uh, guys…as much as I hate to interrupt…don't you think we better restrain this guy so we can take him back to the SGC for questioning?"
Jack reluctantly broke away from Sam and moved towards the unconscious agent, Teal'c following closely behind. Just as Teal'c took some plastic restraints out of his pocket and handed one pair to Jack, the body before them disappeared in a bright flash of light.
"Damn…" Jack exclaimed, "They did it again."
"He must have had a homing beacon on him so they could beam him up to their ship," Sam noted discouragingly.
Daniel looked at Sam and then Jack in dismay. "What do we do now? I mean…the whole point of this mission was to find out what they were up to. Our only possible source just vanished."
Jack sighed. "Well, we now know that their plans for Carter have been scrubbed. They also know we are onto them. Hopefully, they won't try anything else anytime soon."
"In the meantime, we can try to discover who the mole is at the SGC. If we can uncover who it is, maybe he or she will be able to tell us more," Sam added hopefully.
Teal'c nodded in agreement and suggested, "Perhaps the Trust has been deterred from carrying out any more plans against the SGC."
Jack stared at his friends solemnly. "We can always hope, T. But I have a feeling we haven't heard the last from the Trust."