Author's notes: some language and violence; italics indicate dream state
"What do you mean you lost him?" Jack shouted so loud, he noticed the window of his office was vibrating slightly. However, Agent Barrett seemed unaffected as his facial expression didn't change at all. "How could you lose him? The man was lying unconscious on the ground!"
"Our man was incapacitated! He only turned his back on General Carter for a moment," Barrett explained calmly.
"You know, I trust the NID less than I trust the Tok'ra!" Jack growled, getting to his feet. "How do I know you're not handing me a line of BULLSHIT?"
"I can assure you that our operative inside the Trust did have General Carter! He was part of the team sent to pick up the General and even killed two Trust agents to ensure Carter's apprehension!"
"For all we know, you guys are keeping Jacob for yourselves! It wouldn't be the first time the NID has lied!" Jack countered.
Barrett leaned forward with his hands on Jack's desk and actually showed his emotions for the first time since Jack met the man.
"General O'Neill, I swear on my friendship with Colonel Carter that I am telling you the truth!"
Jack narrowed his brown eyes as he sat back down in his chair. He didn't trust Barrett or any of the NID. Well, except maybe Harry Maybourne but it took a long time for Harry to earn Jack's trust. However, Jack was aware of Barrett's…interest in Carter. The guy liked her and would never use her name in such a manner unless he was telling the truth.
"Very well. But I still don't trust the NID," Jack reiterated. "What are you guys planning on next?"
"It's obvious now that General Carter is looking for General Hammond. We already have a team following Hammond in DC, we have his house wired, and a stakeout in place. If you like, you can add some of your own men to ours. Together we can bring in General Carter."
"What about the Trust? They'll still be after Jacob too. And there's no chance in hell they're getting on this base near Selmak! I've got her well guarded. If anyone even sneezes or breaks wind near the kid, I get a phone call!"
"With our man out of the loop we don't know exactly what they'll be doing. We can assume they still are planning to capture Carter but how and where is a mystery. However, we are watching the person responsible for the leak in the Joint Chiefs. The President and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have been informed of the traitor. The plan is to feed false information in the hopes of revealing the other members of the Trust. The Trust will be brought down, General. I give you my word."
"Good," Jack smiled.
"There's something else. I believe we discovered what the Trust is planning for General Carter," Barrett added.
Jack knew he wasn't going to like it but he signaled Barrett to tell him anyway.
"Our operative gave us a location where General Carter was to be taken once captured. However, when we arrived no one was there. They must have left in a hurry because the only thing they left behind was a very large empty fish tank. Analysis of the residue inside the tank indicates that that it was filled with a liquid similar to that found in symbiote holding tanks. I believe they were planning to retrieve General Carter's memories by implanting a symbiote."
He was right. He didn't like what Barrett said. But Jack felt worse because he was going to have to tell Sam. She made he promise to not keep anything from her…ever again! Jack quickly hit the intercom button on his phone.
"Walter, send Colonel Reynolds up here. I have a priority mission for his team," Jack said, then to Barrett. "I'm sending one team to integrate with your men. However, my guys report to me! And no withholding any information!"
"Understood."
After Jack talked with Reynolds about his team's mission in DC, Jack headed up to the VIP suite the Carter's were occupying. There had finally been some good happen to the family; the kids seemed back to normal driving their parents nuts! Thankfully Daniel and Teal'c offered their services as babysitters and took the kids to the mall today for some shopping. So when Jack was invited into the suite, only Mark, Melissa, and Sam were sitting at the table.
"Sir, have the NID retrieved my father?" Sam immediately asked when she saw him.
Damn! She was just like her Dad, straight and to the point. No time for bullshit…with any of the Carters for that matter! Oh well, Jack already knew that about Sam and knew it was something he was going to have to work on with her. After all, they were together now and Jack wanted to make sure Sam would have fun…his idea of fun that is!
"No, in fact they lost him!" Jack answered, still somewhat annoyed by such a fact.
"Unfucking believable!" Mark barked, shaking his head. "Can anyone in the Government do anything right?"
"Mark, honey. Please try to relax," Melissa said, grabbing hold of Mark's hand.
"I will…the moment I see that my Dad's safe!"
"Actually…he is safe," Jack said, causing Mark to give him such a look that Jack was reminded of Jacob. Mark definitely had his father's scowl! "Think about it. He's alone and no one knows where he is. Plus, he's already proved on a couple of occasions that he can take care of himself. What happened in Houston will actually help him."
"What?" Mark asked in total disbelief.
"Jacob knows they're waiting for him. He won't make the same mistake twice…I wouldn't," Jack explained. "Listen, Mark, I've sent one of my best teams to DC. They're going to assist the NID in shadowing Uncle George. My guys will report directly to me. They understand the delicacy of this matter and will succeed. It's only a matter of time."
"I hate this waiting around shit!" Mark said, returning to his seat beside his wife.
"I hate it too, but there's nothing else we can do," Jack said sincerely.
"Honey, everyone is worried about your father," Melissa said, wrapping her arm around her husband.
The couple talking to each other gave Jack the opportunity to send Sam a subtle non-spoken hint that he wanted to speak with her alone.
"Why don't we leave you two alone," Sam suggested. "I'll see you for dinner?"
"Sure, Sam," Mark nodded.
Again, Sam didn't hesitate. The moment the door was shut behind them she grabbed Jack's arm.
"What did you find out about my father that you didn't want my brother to know about?"
"It seems the Trust is planning on putting a snake in your Dad's head to get a hold of the memories he possess," Jack answered, making Sam appear sick to her stomach. He put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sending Reynold's and his team to DC. They'll work with the NID on trailing General Hammond."
"I thought the General made it clear that he didn't want anyone watching him?"
"He did but the President doesn't want to take any chances. We can't allow the Trust to get a hold of Jacob. Just think of the damage they could do if your father still retains Selmak's memories along with his own!"
Sam sighed.
"Daniel thinks that Dad has all his memories, including Selmak's."
"Sam, we'll get Dad before those bastards!"
"You don't have to promise me anything Jack," Sam smiled.
"I promised Selmak," he exhaled. "I'm trying to make her see that I don't hate her."
"She knows that Jack," Sam smirked. "She just likes to play games with your head!"
Jack blinked and Sam started laughing as she walked away.
"What?" he asked.
Time was almost irrelevant when she was a symbiote. She had centuries to live, more than enough time to enjoy life. Now, time was everything to Selmak. There were just not enough hours in the day for her. She attempted to write in a notebook all day yesterday. She tried to put into words anything to help Jacob with his amnesia. Only when she tried to write, she found she couldn't put her thoughts into words. Her memories were so Swiss cheesed that she couldn't even put down anything useful!
Instead she wrote an apology. Afterwards, she tried to read what shehad writtenand discovered that the purple marker she used wasn't meant for writing, thus the letters and words blend into each other making illegible purple blobs on each page. Frustrated and teary eyed, Selmak ripped up the pages and tossed them all over the floor of her quarters.
Sam, thankfully, came in and cleaned up the mess. She even offered to write anything Selmak wanted. So, Selmak dictated a long winded apology for Jacob and his family. Then she had a long talk with Sam.
Selmak was desperate to share what little knowledge she had left with Sam. Especially after learning of the fiasco in Houston. Selmak was even more terrified for Jacob now. He was already hurt from being attacked at Mark's house but to add being hit by a car to that…Selmak's felt so helpless. Jacob was hurt and she was unable to heal him. The man was tough…but how much abuse can he take without her there to protect him?
Then if all that wasn't bad enough, Selmak was absolutely horrified when Sam told her about the Trust's plans for Jacob. Selmak tried not to cry when Sam told her the news but she couldn't help it. It literally made her stomach upset! Anything bad that happened to Jacob was directly because of her. Selmak couldn't think of anything worse for Jacob than to have his mind taken away from him!
There were no amount of words or hugs from Sam that could make Selmak feel any better. Only one thing could make her feel better. That was to see Jacob, as himself, in front of her with her own eyes. Then she would know he was safe.
And Selmak knew exactly what to do the moment she laid her eyes on him. She was going to wrap her little arms around him and tell him that she was sorry and that she was going to spend everyday from that point on making it up to him. She didn't care that she was losing her memories. She was at least going to remember to take care of him…no matter what!
He was standing in the middle of a desert. There was only sand as far as the eye could see. It didn't matter which direction he looked…there was nothing but sand.
Jake had never felt so lost and alone than in this moment. He had been lonely before in his life but nothing like this. The lonely part he could deal with. He had done it on several occasions during his lifetime. It was the lost feeling that made the loneliness worse this time. He always knew where he was going, even if he didn't know how he was going to get there.
Not this time. This time, Jake had no idea from where he came from let a lone where he was going or what he was even looking for. When he turned around he saw that his tracks had disappeared in the sand, leaving him no clues.
Exhausted, mentally and physically, he collapsed onto the sand. Sitting there, holding his face in his hands he wept in defeat. He didn't know what to do.
Suddenly something touched his shoulder. Jake looked up and was surprised to see a little girl with blonde pigtails and big blue eyes smiling at him. Before he even had a chance to ask where she came from, she climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him with her head against his chest.
Instinctively he held her, as if it was the right thing to do. And in that instant, he didn't feel lost or alone. He felt…whole. He couldn't explain it. He even felt this…warm and tingly feeling at the back of his neck and down his spine.
"You must not give up Jacob," she said.
"But I can't seem to find my way."
She looked up at him. Her eyes filled with tears and such deep emotion. Her small hands gently caressed his face and wiped his tears away.
"You must not give up," she repeated.
"Wake up! Hey buddy…this is the last stop," a deep voice said. "You need to wake up now."
"What?" Jake asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes.
"This is the last stop," the bus driver smiled.
Jake bolted upright. Shit! He didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep!
"You awake now?"
"Yes…I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep like that," Jake said, quickly grabbing his backpack and getting to his feet.
"Don't worry, son. You're not the first passenger to do such a thing. Might want to zip up your jacket. Quite a snow storm blowing out there."
"Thank you, Sir."
After getting off the bus and out into the frigid air, any remnants of sleep were instantly gone. It was fucking freezing! But rather than hurry to the warmth of a cab, Jake strolled slowly and confidently. He felt completely relaxed for the first time since he left San Diego four days ago.
He no longer felt the need to be looking over his shoulder and worrying if someone was following him. There wasn't even any hesitation when he told the cab driver where to take him. Only as he road along moving along New York Avenue, Jake knew it wasn't the familiarity of the city giving him this new confidence. No, he knew it had something to do with the dream.
Out of all the nightmares and visions he had, this dream actually made sense. Jake couldn't explain why; it just made sense. Ever since he woke up two weeks ago, he had the feeling that he lost something very important to him. Now, he finally had a clue. He still wasn't quite sure what the little girl in his dream represented but he knew she had something to do with what he had lost. There was even the possibility that she herself could have been what he lost.
Regardless, if she was a metaphor or not, Jake still had a mission to accomplish here in Washington and need to concentrate on it. During the morning rush hour traffic, he set about getting the supplies he need. But every so often his thoughts drifted to the girl in his dream. When he tried to figure out who or what she was he felt as if he was on the verge of discovering everything about himself. The only problem was that every time he tried harder his memories seemed more elusive.
After he was done getting his supplies, Jake realized that he was trying too hard to unlock his memories and thought it best to try again later. Now, he had more important matters that needed his full attention. He decided to risk a drive by where he was extremely confident that George lived.
The cab moved slowly along Thornapple Street because of the fresh snow. Jake was flooded with brief memories of himself driving or jogging down the street. He quickly realized that he must have lived here and that George was now living in the same house the Air Force had once assigned to Jake. Then he spotted the van about two houses down from the house. It was obvious to him that the van wasn't an everyday occurrence in this residential neighborhood and had looked like it hadn't moved in days.
'Do they think I'm stupid?' Jake thought to himself.
They must have, Jake concluded. Whoever these people were obviously didn't know whom they were dealing with! He couldn't wait to show them. Only it was too dangerous in the daylight and he still had to prepare. He would have to wait for the cover of darkness to carry out his mission. Then he would show them!
George was furious!
Bad enough his explanation to his superiors, including the President, that Jacob would bolt at any sign of surveillance on his house fell on deaf ears. The Joint Chiefs were banking of the fact that Jacob was desperate for answers and wouldn't run. Of course, George couldn't go against his superiors but he had voiced his concern and adamantly suggested that those watching him wear vests for their protection. Jacob was armed and on the defensive, there was no telling what he might do if provoke and George didn't want anyone to get seriously hurt.
However, what really pissed George off was not only was he being watched every second of the day but they were recording him too. He could understand someone following him and watching the house. But to find out there were hidden microphones in his house was too much! He sure as hell didn't like the idea of being recorded while taking a pee! In fact, George was so pissed about it that he tried to find where the microphones were hidden but he couldn't find them.
Problem was that George was a soldier, not a spy and had no idea what the damn hidden microphones looked like. Plus, as the older, seasoned soldier, George knew that being angry about it wouldn't do any good and by the second day he had gotten used to the surveillance being there although he would still periodically look for the microphones.
But by the third day, when George got up that morning, the soldier in him was on edge. Jacob had been missing for three days since Houston. Those three days were more than enough time to get to Washington DC from Houston, no matter which route Jacob took. Being on edge told George that the waiting was almost over. All he could do was pray that no one got injured.
The hot water from his shower felt good when it sprayed hard against his body. But the hot water from his bath felt even better! While he soaked, all the stiffness and soreness in his body slowly ebbed away until he was completely relaxed. Exactly what he had hoped would happen.
For half an hour, he kept his mind clear of any thoughts and only listened to the sound of his soft breathing and slow heart beat. He didn't want to contemplate what would happen to him if his mission failed. He didn't want to think about how troubled his was because he couldn't remember much about his past. And as much as he would have liked to, he didn't even think about the little girl in his dream. He simply focused on the moment he was in.
Even when Jake finally stepped out of his bath, while he dried off he kept his mind free of his worriesand doubts. But before leaving the bathroom he took a long look at his face in the mirror. He turned his head from one side to the other inspecting the grooming job he had done to himself. He smiled and was amazed he had been able to shave without cutting himself! It was the one reason why he hadn't shaved until now; he was afraid he might not have remembered how to shave!
Running a hand over his freshly cropped hair, he was satisfied with the length and left the bathroom. It was only seven at night. He had eaten a light dinner and had prepared everything for his mission. Now he had to rest. The curtains were already closed and the only light on was the small lamp beside his bed.
Tossing the towel over a chair, Jake then climbed under the covers and turned off the light. The sheets felt cool against his skin because his body was still hot from his bath. But that heat had relaxed him so much that he fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.
Crayons were very interesting writing utensils. They were fun for a child because they could write on the walls as well as the coloring book. For Selmak, she found them to be therapeutic when coloring. The concentration of coloring within the lines and picking which color to use was something that helped her to forget about her worries. And she had been worrying a lot today, as it was evident from the coloring books she had colored in all day and well into the night. She was on the last picture of her third book when Sam came in to check on her. Good thing because it was the last book too.
"Selmak, it's late. You should try and get some sleep," Sam pleaded, sitting beside her on the bed.
"I can't sleep," Selmak replied, diligently finishing up the last section of the picture. "Every time I try, all I think about is Jacob. Where is he? Is he safe? How hurt is he? Why haven't we heard anything about him? It's been three days since those fucking idiots lost him!"
Selmak looked up at Sam. The woman made a disapproving face, no doubt from the foul language that kept escaping Selmak's mouth. She sighed and waited for Sam to gently chastise her…again. Selmak also waited for some kind of answer from Sam. However, Selmak already knew what the answer was going to be. Be patient. Funny, Selmak used to have unlimited patience. Now she had none and wondered if it had anything to do with being a child or the fact that she was running out of time because she was losing her memories. Probably both.
"We're all worried too," Sam simply replied, giving Selmak a much needed hug. "You know, I wish you wouldn't use such language."
Selmak laughed, "Ahh, you should hear your father when he really gets going!"
"Yes, I am well aware of it, having heard it on a number of occasions when he and my brother were arguing."
"Poor Mark, he's so upset about Jacob. I can truly sympathize with him. I too know something about regret. At least he'll have a second chance with his father."
"As will you," Sam insisted, gently caressing Selmak's cheek.
Again, Selmak felt the pain of guilt when she looked into Sam's deeply caring blue eyes. She didn't deserve such love from Sam or Mark. Yet, despite the galactic mess she made, both of Jacob's children willingly gave her their love. Sam gave it because she appreciated everything that Selmak had done for Jacob and the family. Mark gave Selmak his love, even though he didn't know who she really was, because Sel was his baby sister and a part of his father. Plus, Mark was filled with his own guilt and had his own making up to do so he started with Selmak.
"I'll try to sleep," Selmak smiled sweetly, trying to return the love she has received by hugging Sam as tightly as her little arms could. "Please, don't tell Dr. Brightman that I'm having trouble sleeping. She might give me another shot!"
"I promise," Sam said and kissed Selmak on her forehead. "Now, get some sleep."
"Sam?"
"Yes," she replied, covering Selmak up with the blanket.
"Will you read me a bedtime story?" Selmak asked whereupon she received a puzzled look from Sam. "To relax me so I can sleep. Jacob always read a bedtime story to his granddaughter. He even did with you. Mark brought me a story book…it's always been a favorite story of mine."
Selmak pulled the book from beneath the pillow and handed it to Sam.
"Alice in Wonderland," Sam smiled. "It was always my favorite too. Although I think Dad embellished it when he told it too me."
"And he talked in different voices for each character too!"
"Well, I don't have as much experience as my father but I'll try," Sam promised as she opened the book and made herself comfortable on the bed with Selmak.
The story, Selmak knew by heart. But it was the soft tone of Sam's voice as she read that helped Selmak to relax until she finally fell asleep.
Stakeouts sucked! Especially working the night hours from midnight to six in the morning because the partner who was supposed to be helping you was usually sleeping! In Rick's case, his partner, a scrawny guy who was good with a gun whose name was Eddy, was watching porn on his laptop and not sharing!
It was two in the morning and Rick would settle for a quick peak instead of listening to some old fart of a General snore! He could swear that the microphone was placed right under the General nose! It was so fucking loud! And after two hours of it, he had enough!
"I'm going to the bathroom!" Rick announced, grabbing a newspaper.
"Just don't stick it up like you did last time."
"Like your shit doesn't stink?" Rick countered as he left the room.
Oh well, the stakeout could have been worse. They could be stuck in a van, constipated and freezing their asses off like those NID and SGC guys. Lucky for Rick and his partner that the Trust had a house directly across the street from General Hammond's house. Now if luck would fall on them once again by nabbing General Carter.
Inside of the van smelled like crappy coffee and stale donuts. There was barely enough room for a three man team and the surveillance equipment. Yet, despite the cramped quarters and the fact that Agent Williams needed to use the bathroom, he was enjoying his job.
Compared to what he had been doing the past few months, a stakeout was a piece of cake. The video monitors in front of him made his job that much easier because the cameras covered every nook and cranny outside Hammond's house. Plus, there were hidden microphones within the house. Together with the cameras there was more than enough surveillance equipment that they could capture a rat farting at the General's back door if they so desired.
All that aside, this was an opportunity for Vince. After receiving that knock on the side of his head, he had something to prove to himself and to others. Vince Williams never fails at his job. Losing General Carter was unacceptable in Vince's point of view. He was grateful his superiors thought he was still one of their best agents when he was placed with two of the top SGC officers for this assignment.
"Colonel, why did General O'Neill order us to wear vests?" Major Harper asked quietly, leaning closer to Reynolds.
"Because General Carter's ticked off!" Colonel Reynolds whispered. "At least, that's what Hammond thinks. We know General Carter is armed. Hammond doesn't want anyone to get hurt."
"You guys don't need to whisper, I can hear you," Vince smirked.
"I wasn't implying that you had anything to do with Carter's emotional state," Reynold's said quickly.
"No offense taken. I just want to make sure we get General Carter this time. I don't want a repeat performance of Houston."
"As in you getting your head bashed…again?" Reynold's questioned with a grin on his face.
"Just don't turn your back on him," Vince warned just as the back door of the van quickly opened.
Jake had parked the stolen car two blocks away. After that, he hurried quietly through the neighborhood to his destination. It was so easy for a man of his skill to sneak around through peoples' backyards, behind bushes, all the way up to the rear of the van without being seen. He heard three distinct voices inside the van. They were talking so loud that Jake was able to use a pick to unlock the rear door without being detected.
"Just don't turn your back on him," a somewhat familiar voice said as Jake pulled the pin from a flash grenade.
"Assholes," Jake whispered, while counting silently.
A second before the grenade was to blow, Jake whipped the back door opened, tossed the grenade inside then slammed the door shut. The loud bang from the flash grenade was muffled and the bright light flashed for a brief second, blinding and disorientating the men inside.
As soon as the flash disappeared, Jake yanked the door open and jumped in. He took out the first man with a strong right forearm blow directly to the man's face, knocking him out instantly. The next man staggered blindly and was just as easy to take out. And Jake had to give the final guy credit for not giving up. The man tried to open his eyes to lock onto Jake before he swung his fist. However, Jake was able to avoid the punch and gave the man a matching lump on the other side of his head.
With all three men lying unconscious on the floor, Jake quickly closed the back door of the van then looked out the windows to see if the commotion was seen or heard. Ten seconds went by…nothing. Jake continued to hold his breath for another forty seconds while he watched and waited. The result was the same. No one saw. No one was coming to get him. Free to go about his business, he quickly pulled the rope out of the small black bag he had with him and his knife. Within five minutes, each man was bound and gagged.
"What the hell…were you guys expecting me to waltz right up to the front door?" Jake asked when he saw all the video monitors showing all corners of George's house. "You dumb asses!"
Looking at the console, Jake found the switch and flicked it shutting down their equipment. All the monitors turned to snow at once and the recording devices stopped recording. Wasting no more time, he hurried on with his mission.
Eddy was about to put on another DVD when he just noticed that all the video monitors were showing nothing but static snow.
"Shit, that's two times in one evening. You dumb flyboys shouldn't be around computers," he grumbled, setting his laptop aside and moving to where Rick had been sitting in front of the monitors. "Come on…turn them back on."
A minute went by and still the monitors were pure static. That was one of the problems of tapping into someone else's transmission frequency. You were at the mercy of their technical difficulties.
"Rick, quit jerking off in there and get your fat ass out here!" Eddy shouted, getting up to check the connections for the monitors.
"Just so you know, I used the last of the toilet paper," Rick chuckled when he finally joined Eddy.
"We lost the video feed. I told you, we should have had our own cameras!"
"Impossible when the NID already had theirs in place. At least we were able to get our own mics in there before they put all their equipment in place," Rick said.
"Well…it's not us. Everything's hooked up."
"At least the old fart stopped snoring! He was giving me a headache," Rick said, taking a seat on the small couch. "Relax. I'm sure they'll get their…"
"You're slipping in your old age, George," a voice sounded from the speaker.
"Shit! That's him!" Rick shouted, jumping to his feet. "Let's go! Remember, one shot only. The second shot will kill him! Only use your gun as a last resort and shot to injure!"
Great! Eddy was an excellent shot…at killing! He resisted the urge to grab his gun and grabbed the alien weapon instead. He just hoped he could restrain himself enough to not get so trigger happy! He did have a tendency to get over zealous in his job. Most occasions that didn't matter. However, this General Carter was worth more than his weight in Gold and wasn't to be harmed unless absolutely necessary! And Eddy really hoped it was going to be necessary.
The sensation of extra weight on the bed roused him from his slumber. However, before he could even react, a strong hand quickly clamped down covering his mouth and what felt like a gun was digging into his ribcage. George felt his heart beat speed up and the flash of adrenaline rush through his gut at the sight of a silhouetted figure above him.
"You're slipping in your old age, George," a familiar voice playfully taunted. "I remember it being almost impossible to sneak up on you, even when you were sleeping."
The hand moved from his mouth at the same time the gun was removed as the voice continued in a more dangerous tone, "And you need to find a better hiding place for the spare house key. An amateur could have found it!"
George saw the dark figure move away from the bed so he took the opportunity to turn the bedside lamp on and sit up. Once his eyes adjust to the light, he saw whom he had been expecting and was so glad to see. Although, George was still a little taken aback at how young his friend looked. He had been expecting Jacob to be a young man when he saw him but George wasn't expecting the flood of memories that his friend's appearance caused.
Jacob was wearing black cold weather fatigues. The only weapons George saw was the 45 in Jacob's hand and a combat knife sheathed on the outside his right calf. His hair had been buzzed down to at least a quarter of an inch, his mustache was neatly trimmed and he had black face paint on. Everything was the way his friend liked it before going into combat. Even the manner in how he stood, like predator ready to pounce on his prey, was the same as George remembered.
All of this caused George to have a flashback to a day when the two served together in Vietnam. The day Jacob had nearly died saving George's life. He could hear Jacob's shouting at George to get down. He could feel the strong hands of his friend shoving him down to the ground. George remembered looking up from the ground in time to see the bullets penetrate Jacob's chest.
"Shit, George! You look like you've seen a ghost!" Jacob laughed.
George couldn't get the gruesome memory out of his mind. His friend was lying on the ground in pool of his own blood. George's hands were trying to cover a wound that was spurting badly. He desperately screamed for a medic. He begged his friend to hang on. Jacob was in tears because he knew he had failed his wife Allison, his son Mark, and his daughter Samantha whom he hadn't even met yet.
"Come on George! Don't you recognize me?" Jacob asked, sounding a little irritated at the lack of response from George. Jacob even slowly raised his gun, aiming it at George.
George forced the memory to the back of his mind because he also remembered that the very young Jacob Carter he knew wasn't always a very patient man.
"I'm sorry, Jacob…"
"Jake…call me Jake," he interrupted, making George smile because when Jacob was younger he did always prefer to be called Jake.
"I do recognize you, Jake," George smiled, getting to his feet. "In fact, I've been expecting you."
"Then you should know I took out your security detail…they're all tied up," Jake smirked arrogantly but didn't lower his gun.
"You can trust me, I'm your friend."
"Can I trust you, George?" Jake asked just as George spotted movement near the doorway of his bedroom.
"Jake, look out!" George shouted as two Trust agents came in with their zat guns ready to fire.
Jake's reflexes were definitely that of a young man as he quickly whipped around. Only he wasn't entirely able to avoid getting zapped by a zat gun and stumbled backwards hard into the dresser! George, not wanting to hang around in his skivvies and T-shirt like a sitting duck, quickly pulled the gun out from under his pillow that he had for such an occasion.
By the time George turned to shoot at the intruders he suddenly found himself to be a target. He had to react quickly! And surprised himself when he was able to roll across his bed and avoid getting zapped himself! He could smell the electrical discharge as he landed hard on the floor. His arthritic knees took the brunt of the fall and despite the fact that he had a thick carpet on the floor he still felt the jolt go up his spine.
Christ! He was too old for this shit!
Regardless, George knew he was expendable and had no desire to die in his boxers. So he came up shooting wildly at the larger man who was coming towards him. Luckily, George's aim wasn't too bad. The second shot clipped the man's shoulder and the third hit its mark, killing the man instantly. As the body fell, George noticed Jake was in a wrestling match with the skinnier guy!
George took aim but couldn't shoot because Jake was too close to his attacker and both men were fighting so ferociously that George couldn't get a clear shot. He didn't want to accidentally shoot his friend. So George kept his aim steady and waited patiently for the shot, hoping that Jake would gain the advantage.
Suddenly a gun shot sounded. George couldn't even see whose gun it was let alone who was shot. Neither man reacted like he was shot and in fact continued grappling with each other even more violently. Another shot was fired! The sound of glass shattering could be heard telling George that at least that bullet missed its mark.
Finally, someone gained the upper hand! Only it wasn't Jake. The skinny man fought dirty and delivered a hard blow to Jake's groin causing him to double over and drop his gun onto the rug! George didn't hesitate. With Jake out of the way, George was able to take out the other intruder with ease.
Jake was able to quickly shake off the effects of getting kicked in the balls and grabbed his gun up off the floor. When George returned his attention to his friend, he found himself staring at the barrel of Jake's gun again. Only this time, Jake meant business.
"Drop the gun!" Jake growled.
"I'm your friend," George countered, quickly putting the safety on and tossing his gun onto bed. "Jake! I mean you no harm!"
"How can I trust you?" Jake asked, wincing as he took an aggressive step towards George. "How can I trust anyone?"
"Deep in your mind you know that I'm your friend. That's why you're here," George reiterated calmly, seeing that his friend was not going to calm down.
"Are you my friend? I don't really know George! All I know is I've been gassed, shot at, hit by a car and chased down like a dog! I came here looking for answers! And end up getting shot but some fucking alien weapon mere moments after you said you were my friend!"
Jake grimaced and hunched over slightly. At first, George thought it was because Jake was still in a little pain from getting his nuts kicked in. Only when his left-hand hugged the right side of his rib cage protectively for a moment before he stood up straight again, George knew his friend was in a great deal of pain. If that didn't tell George, the anger in Jake's eyes sure as hell did. Jake was one of those guys who really knew how to use his anger to his advantage during many situations. On such occasions as this, the angrier Jake got the higher his pain threshold went. To an ordinary person, one would see Jake as the tough bad ass soldier who wouldn't let a bullet stop him from doing his job. Only years of friendship gave George the insight to know that if Jake was this angry, he was seriously hurt and damned stubborn pride refused to let him show it!
"Jake, are you alright?" George asked, moving towards his friend.
"I'm fine," Jake growled through his teeth, forcibly pointing his gun at George.
George immediately backed off because he could see that the gun's safety was not on. Glancing down, George noticed a couple of drops of blood on the floor. Shit! That's not good, especially if it's Jake's blood! George couldn't be certain because of the dead body lying near the spots of blood.
"Let me take you somewhere safe," George suggested, hoping to calm Jake's nerves, and trying to find out if his friend was actually shot or not. "Then I'll answer any questions you have. You can even keep the gun on me."
"Where would we go?" Jake asked.
"First to the Airport…"
"No!"
"Jake, I can guarantee your safety."
"Sorry, the only one who can guarantee my safety is me! Besides, I have a better idea! Get dressed," Jake ordered with a wicked smile. "We're going on a little road trip."
In the car he had stolen earlier, Jake wiped the sweat and the black paint from his face and popped a couple of Advil in his mouth. His fucking ribs were killing him ever since he had slammed into George's dresser! He didn't think he was going to ever pass on his DNA by having kids becausevital parts of his male anatomy still hurt like hell! And the only good thing that happened was that the bullet had passed through him!
However, by the time George pulled the car onto the Highway, the anesthetizing shock of being shot wore off and Jake started to feel the first signs of dull pain from the wound. And getting jostled around by George's shitty driving didn't make it feel any better! Thankfully, after constant nagging from George, Jake had relented and grabbed the First Aid kit before they left the house because he was going to need it.
"Where am I driving us?" George asked, as the car was speeding towards an interchange.
"Take the Highway West for now," Jake simply replied. "You can tell me about this place that's so safe later."
"How bad are you hurt?" George questioned, glancing towards Jake.
"I'll live! Just drive!" Jake said, pointing the gun at George for added incentive.
"Ok, Jake," George smiled. "You don't need to point the gun at me. I'm your friend."
"Sorry, George. I know I should trust you but I prefer to error on the side of caution."
After a few minutes, Jake set his gun down on his thigh and began rummaging through the First Aid kit. The overhead light suddenly came on startling him. He instinctively grabbed his gun.
"Sorry, thought you might need the light," George smiled looking over at Jake.
"Just keep your eyes on the damn road!" Jake barked.
George did as he was told but that smirk on his face didn't go away.
"What?" Jake asked.
"Some things never change, Jake. You were always such a fucking pain in the ass that Doctors hurried to get you well enough to stand on your feet just to get you out of their hair!" George chuckled.
"Of which you seemed to be lacking," Jake countered smugly, rubbing the top of his head with his hand. "And something I apparently have time to deal with so that my hair doesn't share your hair's fate!"
"Touché," George saluted.
Jake laughed and was rewarded by a sharp pain in his side that was not coming from his ribs. He set the gun back down and quickly pulled out the medicines he needed and set them on the dashboard and took off his jacket. He gingerly lifted his shirt. The shirt was sticky with blood but at least the small bullet hole had stopped bleeding.
"Shit," Jake muttered to himself seeing that the flesh around the entry wound was a dark shade of red and badly swollen.
After some teeth gritting and cursing to himself, Jake managed to twist around just enough that he saw the exit wound was just as bad as the entry wound.
"Too bad you didn't have some boric acid solution," Jake informed George as he grabbed the bottle of iodine. "This is going to sting like hell!"
"Do you want me to pull over and help?"
"No, I would feel safer if we just kept moving," Jake answered.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do," George spoke with such earnest that Jake considered himself extremely lucky to have such a friend.
Jake respectfully nodded then poured the iodine on the wound. Damn! His skin felt like it was fire! Beads of formed on his forehead as he worked to quickly clean the wounds. Once cleaned he dusted them with a yellowish antibiotic powder. After a few minutes, he felt the Advil was finally beginning to take effect and he could feel the flame in his side beginning to die down to a dull cinder. A couple of gauze pads and some adhesive tape were used to finish the job.
Relieved that he was finally done, Jake let out a long sigh and tried to relax back into his seat. George turned the light off and was courteous enough to not bother Jake with questions about how he was feeling. He instinctively knew he could trust George and knew he didn't need to hold George at gunpoint. Only under the circumstances, Jake felt safer having the gun out just incase they needed to defend themselves.
"How did you know I would be looking for you?" Jake asked.
"I didn't…Mark did," George answered, making Jake smile.
"How is my son and his family?"
"Mark's very worried about you," George spoke softly, as he moved into the fast lane. "But they're all safe. You can talk to them if you like. I brought my cell phone."
"Give it to me," Jake demanded, wincing when he stuck his hand out for the damn thing.
George handed Jake the phone and he immediately chucked it out the window.
"Sorry, George, I can't risk anyone coming after me. Not until I at least know why they're hunting me."
George didn't look at all happy about Jake getting rid of the cell phone. But if George was the friend that Jake believed him to be then Jake didn't want to risk getting his friend hurt.
"How were the kids?" Jake asked.
"I didn't get to see them. I only saw Mark in San Diego. He was really upset about you being on the run…and alone."
"The kid takes after his mother…at least, from what I can remember of her," Jake sighed.
"No, Jake…he's just like you. Stubborn, prideful, and he worries about his family as much as you always did and still do. Only difference is that he shows that worry rather than keeping it bottled up inside him."
Again Jake sighed. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out the picture of him and George when they were very young.
"Why don't you start with how we met and became such good friends," Jake smiled, handing the picture to George.
George chuckled, "My God…was I ever that young?"
"Apparently…I'm that young…again," Jake said sadly.
"You'll get your memories back, I promise Jake. But in the mean time, let me tell you a story of two young hell raisers that caused more trouble than a Texas dust storm!"
George paused and had this huge shit eating grin on his face when he said, "Mind you, this was before we met our wives and got married."
Jake laughed. He knew finding George was the right thing to do!
"Well, now they lost Jacob and Hammond!" Jack announced to Selmak and Sam who had been enjoying their lunch together in Selmak's quarters.
Jack came and sat right beside Selmak and gave her that smirk of his.
"Seems your boy likes leaving people tied up and gagged in his wake."
"Jacob would never intentionally hurt someone," Selmak said proudly. "Unless they deserved it!"
"You mean he wouldn't hurt someone too badly," Jack restated. "He broke Harper's nose. Reynold's has a strained neck and the NID guy is still unconscious in the hospital!"
"But Jacob is unharmed, correct?" Selmak anxiously asked.
"I don't know," Jack sighed and Selmak felt her heart sink.
"What happened, Sir?" Sam asked.
"There was a firefight at Hammond's house. Two Trust agents are dead. Forensics indicates that someone else was shot. We're trying to determine if it was Hammond or Jacob's blood that was found."
Selmak closed her eyes, trying her best to not cry. Selmak knew it was Jacob's blood and didn't need a damn test to tell her. It seems Jacob's continued suffering was part of her punishment as well.
"Other than that, we're assuming that Hammond is with Jacob," Jack continued. "We don't know if Jacob killed the agents or not. And we don't know if Hammond went willingly…or…"
"Or what?" Selmak demanded when Jack hesitated.
"There is a possibility that General Hammond could be a hostage. Jacob has showed no restraint in dealing with any of his attackers. And the Trust's audio recording of what happened in Hammond's bedroom reveals Jake to be…on edge."
"He will not harm General Hammond," Selmak proclaimed shakily, blinking back her tears.
Everything was going to hell! Selmak thought things couldn't have gotten worse. Her meddling was putting everyone Jacob cared about in danger.
"What have I done?"
"You need to quit worrying so much. And quit blaming yourself," Jack said, gently lifting her face up so he could look directly into her eyes. "Besides, Jacob's on his way here. I promise."
"How can you be certain?" Selmak asked as the tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"Because I know Hammond. He'll somehow manage to bring Jacob to the SGC. And to the people who can help him…that includes you, Selmak."
"Jack's right," Sam smiled, while gently caressing Selmak's back. "My father and General Hammond go way back to before I was born. Together, they can be quite a formidable pair."
Selmak blinked rapidly a couple of times. The tears continued to fall. There was no use stopping them. Ashamed, she hurried and climbed onto her bed. She felt and heard Sam's gentle affections. They only made Selmak weep even more. She did remember some of the times Jacob was with George. The pair always looked out for each other like brothers. But Selmak couldn't help but feel that she should be the one looking out for Jacob. After all, she had promised him.