Sorry to keep you folks waiting for the next update. I was away at the weekend. I went to stay with my dear old mother and stayed longer than intended. I only get to actually see her once a year, so I am sure you all understand.

Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's all hotting up!

Danger Zone.

By Lingren.

Previously:-

"We're here sir," Matt said after a while and Jack climbed out of the car to go upstairs and change. He really didn't want company tonight, and although Sharon was at the reception desk she just waved a friendly greeting, for which he breathed a sigh of relief.

Chapter 3

Jack showered and dressed in record time and hurried down the stairs towards the reception area when he noticed that there was someone hovering about outside. Having a suspicious nature, the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. Something was wrong here.

Side stepping his original intention of going out to eat, he headed instead to the desk to speak to Sharon. She offered him a brilliant smile, that held none of yesterday's desire, just a natural friendship. He sighed with relief as she seemed to realise that he wasn't in the market for her adoration.

"Colonel!" she greeted him, "Off out again?"

"Ah, yeah," he hesitated, wondering what to ask her. He didn't really want to involve her in anything untoward, but he needed to know. "Any messages?"

"Yes Colonel. There was a gentleman in here a few minutes ago. I thought he wanted to see you. He asked if you were in and that he'd wait because it was urgent." She scanned the room, frowning as she tried to place him among the throng cluttering the lobby. "Oh! He seems to have gone. He was waiting by the door... No, there he is. Chap with the dark glasses and carrying the newspaper..."

Her words were cut off when an almost silent 'phut' whizzed past her ear and embedded itself into the woodwork of the notice board behind her. She spun her head round to see what had caused it, her hand flying to her mouth in surprised shock. There was a neat hole just about level where Jack's head would have been, but Jack had already ducked, escaping injury. They both gaped towards the man who had been joined by another. Jack didn't wait to find out what they wanted. He grabbed Sharon's arm and whispered frantically.

"Is there another way outta here?"

Sharon snapped from her daze and nodded.

"Out back!" she cried, taking his hand and pulling him under the counter and dragging him through the door.

The men gave chase, scattering grumbling guests and porters in their wake.

Another bullet whizzed passed his ear, but Jack kept ducking and weaving, keeping up with Sharon.

"Who are they?" Sharon squealed, puffing breathlessly as she ran.

Jack was pushing her now; he didn't want her in their clutches whoever they were. They would have to figure that she was helping him escape. He couldn't let anything happen to her.

Considering the danger they were in, she was remarkably calm about it all, and he admired her all the more for suddenly being thrust into the dark world of undercover activity. She was obviously made of more sterner stuff than he'd given her credit for.

They wound their way through the kitchens and storerooms until they staggered out of the back door into the alley behind the hotel.

Immediately two things happened in quick succession.

Sharon was grabbed by unseen hands and held tight; one strong hand held over her mouth to prevent her screaming. And the other was that Jack, who was about to deck the guy, was hit hard from behind. Something hard as steel connected with the back of his head. The pain hit first as he crumpled to the ground on suddenly weak and wobbly knees. He reached out his hands to steady himself but then with another smash against his skull put out all the lights. He fell bonelessly to the ground while there was a flurry of activity around his unconscious form.

OoOoOoOoO

The phone rang several times before it picked up.

"Yes? Is it done?" the voice asked, full of hope.

"Yeah. We got him."

"Good. Take him to the cabin," he ordered.

"We had to take the girl too. She saw everything," the crook explained apologetically. He just hoped the Boss wouldn't find an excuse to bump him off for incompetence.

There was a long pause before the mysterious Boss answered.

"Never mind that for now. I'll think of something. Take them both, I doubt anyone would miss her too much. I'll get back to you later!"

"Will do!" he responded, knowing that the Boss wasn't too pleased but not unduly worried by this turn of events.

With that the phone went dead and the burly kidnapper loped away from the pay phone and climbed back into the front of the black van.

"Well? What did he say?" asked his accomplice.

"Just said to take them both to the cabin. He'll get in touch later."

"That's it?" the other man gasped in surprise.

The first man shrugged.

"Yeah!" he sighed.

The driver sighed too, blowing out a protracted breath. He wasn't particularly happy with the way the kidnapping had gone, but the boss would hopefully come up with something. Not murder though. He would deal with injury and torture but not death. Okay, so he was squeamish. Big deal. The Boss would have to find someone else for that if that's what he had in mind for the girl. And O'Neill was in for the ride of his life, but his death wasn't on the cards; at least as far as he knew. But the Boss man was a fickle being and could show his temper at the drop of a hat, despite his cool exterior.

He put the van into gear and pulled away from the phone booth, heading north. They had a long drive ahead of them. At least the guy, O'Neill, that they had kidnapped would be out of it for most of the journey, he reckoned. Both he and the girl were trussed up like chickens and she was gagged too, so no problems there. He drove confidently while the other two guys in the back kept their eyes on the prisoners.

OoOoOoOoO

Meanwhile back at the hotel there was confusion and chaos as the police stormed the building asking questions.

From the manager's point of view, the Colonel had abducted his receptionist against her will. All he saw was the Colonel grab Sharon by the hand and push her out of the door towards the back. Two men were in pursuit of them, announcing to everyone that O'Neill was a nut case who was wanted for a previous abduction attempt, and that he was impersonating an officer of the USAF and that they were detectives from out of state on his case. Naturally he had left them to it, hoping that they caught up with the weirdo before he did any harm to Sharon. He was shocked that the man could pass as an officer in the USAF so easily. His credentials and credit cards had appeared so real.

Other witnesses all verified the manager's story.

Suddenly Washington had a madman on the loose who had abducted a young woman with who knew what intent.

The investigation ground to a halt when no evidence of any kind was found in the alleyway at the back of the hotel. Neither was there any sign of the detectives that were supposedly on the case. However they did find a trace of blood on the ground near the door, but whose it was, was still being investigated.

OoOoOoOoO

Major Paul Davis rushed up the steps of the Precinct and stormed towards the duty desk.

"What the hell is all this about?" he demanded, shoving a typed message under the Sergeant's nose.

He'd been summoned from his meeting with a cryptic message from Cheyenne mountain to investigate some 'cock and bull' story about Colonel Jack O'Neill being an impostor and accused of kidnapping a young woman.

Well, he just had to ring up General Hammond to find out what the hell was going on, only to find out that when Major Carter had rung the hotel and asked to speak with O'Neill, she'd been sworn at for being in league with O'Neill and that the manager was going to report her too.

The desk sergeant looked bored, but he glared at Davis' angry face and sighed with a little impatience. He picked up the phone and pressed a number. A moment later he told whomever was on the other end of the line that Davis was here and that he thought perhaps they were in trouble with those Air Force big wigs from the Pentagon.

Davis stood and fumed inwardly as he listened to the officer.

Sergeant Harris dropped the phone and silently pointed out a door across the room.

"Interview room 5, down that corridor General," he drawled.

"Major!" Davis snapped, his patience limited in dealing with these morons who couldn't even tell a real USAF officer when they met one. Getting his title wrong was just such an example of their ineptitude.

He nodded and stalked off towards the door, ready to chew the detective's ear off. He knew Jack O'Neill well and this story about him was just so far fetched as to be ridiculous. If the truth were known, it was probably that Jack himself had been abducted, and he, Paul Davis, was going to get this straightened out if it was the last thing he did.

TBC