"It is of no use Jonas Quinn, the signal from the cell phone is not reaching O'Neill's cabin." Teal'c advised as Jonas kept trying to contact O'Neill and Major Carter.
"Yea well they must be worried about us not being there yet." Jonas said hanging up the cell phone again. "You know the weather channel said a chance of light flurries today, not a blizzard."
"I have learned over time on this planet, not to always trust the weather forecasts Jonas Quinn."
"Well how many blizzards have you driven through Teal'c?" Jonas asked as his hand gripped the dashboard.
"Do not be afraid Jonas, O'Neill has taught me well in driving. He has instructed me in driving in all types of weather, and this vehicle we have rented at the airport can handle the road conditions very well." Teal'c said nodding to Jonas.
"Yea the colonel always did say how much he'd like to have a SUV." Jonas yelped out as the car swerved on the road.
"Rest assured Jonas Quinn, I am in control of the vehicle." Teal'c said in his usual calm voice. "Has not Major Carter instructed you in the operation of such vehicles?"
"Well yes, but not in a snow storm yet." Jonas said nervously.
"So how long do you think it will take us to get there?"
"Perhaps another two hours, unless the conditions get worse."
"How could they possible be worse than this?"
"Damn this phone!" Jack yelled as he tried over and over again to get a signal. He was losing his patience and feeling the chill from being outside. "Great idea O'Neill coming to cabin this time of year." Jack slammed the phone closed and headed back towards the door.
"What the hell!" Jack shouted as he entered the cabin, he was shocked to find the broken chair and most of all Carter was missing. He turned around and found her coat was still hanging. He went to one of the cupboards and dug up a flashlight. 'There's no way she can hide out there, her tracks will be easy enough to find.' Then it hit him if Carter had been telling him the truth and she wasn't a Goa'uld, she wouldn't last too long out there without a coat, and only wearing a t-shirt. He thought he was being clever removing the sweatshirt and keeping the cabin cool. He remembered the time they were stuck on Hathor's ship that the cold had killed the snake; he was hoping this Goa'uld didn't like the cold either. But right now he had to find Carter before she froze to death; he could wait and find out if she was a Goa'uld later. Jack grabbed the flashlight and headed out the side door.
Damn she was cold, the bitter blowing wind and driving snow was chilling her right down to the bone. 'Brilliant Sam, now what?' After escaping the cabin, Sam went running though the deep snow towards the forest, she knew she was leaving tracks but still hoped the cover of the trees could provide her some protection. Now that it was getting darker, Sam hoped her tracks wouldn't be as easy to spot. Sam decided to back track a bit using her own tracks, she took cover in the branches of an evergreen, how ever painful the needles may be against her skin, they did provide cover, and time for her to work on the ropes keeping her hands tethered together.
Jack was carefully following the deep tracks in the snow, wondering how Sam thought she could get away from him, there was no way she could hide her tracks in freshly fallen snow; even in the dark it wasn't that difficult to follow her. Yes, the danger was in following, you never knew what someone running for their life would do. So even though the tracks were clear, he still had to be careful.
'Damn the colonel and his knots!' Sam thought as she kept trying to untie the rope using her teeth. She was getting nowhere and she was pretty sure Jack was already hot on her trail. She was unable to control her shivering and her lips had already turned blue, if she didn't come up with something soon it wouldn't matter if Jack caught her, she would die from exposure.
Jack came to the end of the tracks and still no Carter. "Damn she must have doubled back." Jack turned back and began to retrace his steps trying to figure out where she was hiding. He was trying to use his hearing as well but with the wind blowing, it was hard to hear anything. Then he heard a twig snap…Jack turned around quickly, that was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.
Sam saw Jack coming, luckily for Sam he was facing away from her. She didn't want to do it but saw no other option; she had to act now while her numb fingers were still able to hold on to the branch. Jack was so close now; she took a step out from the cover of the tree and saw him turn as she swung the branch connecting with his head.
"Damn it Sir! Why did you make me do that?" Sam cried out in anguish, the last thing she ever wanted to do was to hurt Jack. She knelt down beside him and checked for a pulse genuinely grateful when she found one.
"Good." She sighed, "now to get back to the cabin." Sam looked down at Jack contemplating what to do; she let out a deep breath. "Come on Sir, you're coming with me." With that Sam reached down and grabbed the flashlight stuffed it in Jack's coat so the light was shining past Jack's shoulder. She adjusted the zipper of his coat so it wouldn't strangle him, then grabbed his hood with her still tied hands and began dragging him towards the cabin.
Sam was breathing hard and struggling in the deep snow to drag Jack along with her. She felt her energy was totally drained but couldn't leave him out in the cold. They were just coming to the clearing, 'that's it Sir, just a little further.' Sam thought. He musings were interrupted by a very loud sound; she looked behind her just in time to see a large branch and portion of a tree falling towards them.