Part 4
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SAM
I could hear him speaking to me, but the words didn't register. My body ached, my head throbbed, I was so, so tired. "What's next? Simms comes back to take me away from it all?" I muttered.
"Sam, are you okay? Sweetheart?" He squatted down on his poor knees and hugged me. I looked up into his concerned, shocked, face and shook myself awake.
"I'm sorry, Jack. Just tired. We need to find some shelter for tonight. You know this place better than I do. Where can we go?"
"Well, the cabin's out." Jack must have seen my confusion and elaborated, "I went there this morning and found them already making themselves at home."
"The base is out, too; the gate's not functional. What does that leave? Are there any other cabins or shelters?"
He shook his head. Jack looked down at his feet and I could tell there was something he didn't want to say.
"Okay, spill it, Jack. Where can we go?" He mumbled something like a five-year-old telling his mom he ate the cake she made for dad's birthday. "What was that?"
His voice was still a bare whisper. "We could use the caves."
My stomach hit rock bottom and I felt like vomiting. A deep breath helped and I asked, "How can we get them down the cliff?" We stood and started back toward the others.
"There's still a winch there with a sling to lower them down. It won't be fun, but I'll bet Gita could kick butt at rappelling." Jack's infectious grin made me smile. I loved him so much it hurt sometimes.
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JACK
When she smiled back at my pathetic little joke, my heart turned over. I've known some pretty brave people, but she beats 'em all, just as she has since I met her.
Gita, as I suspected, was up for anything and Dave was catching her enthusiasm. The others were still in a state of shock at the constant changes and disappointments.
"Colonel O'Neill, can you seriously expect us to spend the night in a damp, chilly cave?" Only Dr. Jones was vocal in his complaints about the cold and hunger.
"I don't think you'd like spending it out here." I indicated the countryside around us. "Or, do you prefer going back to the tender mercies of Morris?"
He winced, "No, I see that there is no other choice, but I assume you have some plan to obtain help from Earth sometime soon?"
Sam, bless her, saved me from making a mistake with the prickly researcher. "Dr. Jones, our first priority is to see you safe. Then, we'll concentrate on getting the base back from Morris however we can. We appreciate your cooperation so far."
Mollified for now, Jones moved away to stand with our head geologist, Dr. Yashita, a man of enormous dignity.
It was an exhausting hour to lower all of us to the cliff base. Gita was the cheerleader and Dave helped quite a lot. Even Dr. Yashita unbent enough to help. Being somewhat younger and fitter than his colleagues were, the good doctor could help with the winch above while Sam stood below.
"Dave, let's you and I walk to the cave entrance. It's about a half mile this way." I pointed to our right, along the cliff face. As we walked, I told him about the cave. "Since rescuing Sam from the cave several months ago, it's become a storage depot for supplies. Now, when crews work projects on the valley floor for weeks at a time, they don't have to come back up to the base quite so often."
Ever practical, Castell asked, "What supplies do you keep there?"
"Food, clothes, sleeping bags, batteries - basic survival stuff. We should be pretty well set for a few days."
He grinned, satisfied that we were taking care of them. "I'll bet you never thought you'd have to use it this way, Colonel."
"You're more right than you know, Dave," I mumbled grimly.
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SAM
Thank goodness for the retractable ladder Jack had installed to make using this cave easier. Otherwise, only a few of us would have made it up to the cave mouth. As it was, some of them were so tired we had to help them. I was never so glad to see a fire as the one they had going by the time I lead the last of my charges into the cave.
"Well folks, I'm afraid it's MREs for dinner tonight, but we'll have something better tomorrow, I promise," Jack announced.
"You're annoyingly chipper, Jack," I whispered to him. "But then, you haven't had five cranky researchers on your hands for the last several hours."
"You're beautiful when you're pissed, you know that?" He smirked and circled my waist with his arms. "I love you." His kiss was just a light peck, but it sent my heart racing.
"I love you, too. I wish we could be alone." My hand slipped into his and we walked to sit with the others by the fire. He lifted my hand to kiss the palm and looked from it to me.
"Where's your ring, Sam?" His voice was soft to keep the conversation private.
I winced. "Um, Morris took it. It's his only 'proof'." He turned my hand over to see the cuts and bruises where Morris had forcibly wrenched the ring from my finger. The firelight alternately hid and revealed the intense anger on Jack's face. I took his chin in my hand and turned it toward me.
"Hey, if anyone has a reason to be angry it's me, Jack. He subverted my men, he took my base, he took my engagement ring. I may cede leading the battle to you with your greater experience, but the cleanup and peace is mine to lead."
"Okay, point taken, Sam. But, I'm still going to break his neck when I catch him."
"Colonel, you may be the senior officer on-planet, but until the construction of the colony begins next year, you are a contractor assigned to my base. Not the base commander anymore." He looked stubborn for a few seconds. I could feel the others taking notice of our exchange. "Colonel O'Neill, you will allow me to take care of my own disciplinary problems once we have the base secured. Is that understood, sir?"
Jack opened his mouth to reply when Gita interrupted, patting his knee, "Colonel O'Neill, take a little advice from someone who was married for almost fifty years. Learn when to withdraw with dignity from certain defeat - while you still have the opportunity."
He looked from her to me, to Dave. The other man put up his hands, palms out, indicating he thought it wiser to stay out of the discussion. "Guess I wouldn't be much of a strategist if I couldn't recognize an overwhelming opposition. Just let me know what I can do to help, Sam."
"Be sure that I will, Jack. Thank you." I looked around the fire circle at our companions in adversity. "Now, where will everyone be sleeping? I don't know about you, but I'm tired."
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JACK
"The supply delivery from Earth is due two days from now. I'd sure like to know what Morris and company have planned. They can't allow others to know what's going on or General Hammond would be on them like a ton of bricks. They need the time to consolidate their position," Sam informed the group. We sat by the fire the next day, except Dr. Yashita, who was sleeping after his watch.
Dave shifted uncomfortably for a second and asked, "What are our chances of intercepting the supply train before Morris' men get to them?"
Sam indicated I should take that one. "Well, we've always sent someone to meet the supply parties. Assuming Morris does the same, he could re-capture us if we attempt to contact the incoming travelers. The first thing I would do in the rebel's place would be to surround the gate with men and booby traps."
"Why not just use the radios to speak with them as soon as they exit the gate?" Gita suggested.
Sam spoke up, "Then Morris would probably kill or capture them." She paused. "If Morris wants to keep up the pretense of a working base until after the party leaves, he'll have to enable the DHD. I think our best chance is to take the gate back and then you six can leave to warn Earth."
"You wouldn't go, too, Colonel Carter?" Dave asked, taken aback.
"No, I won't leave this world and all our work for Morris to exploit. It means too much to Earth and all of us. I also won't leave the rest of my people for him to hurt. With you out of harm's way and Earth hopefully sending reinforcements, we can concentrate on rescuing the rest of the base personnel and getting the base back." Dave thought on this and turned to me, eyebrows raised.
There was only one answer. "Wherever she goes, I go." Dave cast a sidelong smirk at Gita and she returned the look. I put on my best "innocent" look and joked, "What? It took me six years to chase her down and convince her to marry me. Ya think I could catch another one this young with my bad knees?"
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SAM
We hadn't wasted the past two days, but had spent them consolidating our position in the cave and spying on the rebels. Twice each day the gate had opened and small parties of haggard-looking men and women traipsed through the 'gate to join Morris' waiting men. We'd guessed they were NID operatives, stranded off world until Morris' "intervention" here provided them a path back to an Earth-based civilization.
I was astonished at the numbers of them and the equipment they brought. One group carried one of the Goa'uld long-range communication devices, explaining how they'd been contacted. What I wouldn't have given to have that in our hands,
The morning the provisions were expected, Jack, Dave, Dr. Yashita and I sat well back from the edge of the meadow around the stargate. The good doctor decided he wasn't going to take this affront to his dignity and, worse yet, interruption of his work, lightly and asked to be included. His credentials as a wildlife photographer on Earth were good enough to recommend him for sneaking through the underbrush and sitting quietly in wait.
"I see ten mutineers by the DHD, sir," I reported after scanning the area with my binoculars. Right on schedule, the Stargate began to turn.
The colonel used a stage whisper to repeat, "Remember, everyone, we're here to watch, then wait for Morris' people to fix the DHD. That's when we act, not before." We all nodded our understanding.
Two armed men stepped out of the event horizon and scoped out the area around the gate.
"The advance guard is here," I announced.
We watched the two groups go through the greeting rituals in pantomime as the rest of the provisions came through the gate. Within seconds, both groups turned to leave and we silently slithered further back into the brush to watch them leave.
I was closest to the road and, after an hour or so, saw another group of three rebels escorting one of the base engineers, Staff Sgt. Dan Mathers. I tossed a pebble at the colonel, signaling their arrival. We watched again as they approached the Stargate.
Mathers set down his bag and extracted a heavily wrapped bundle. Unwrapped, it turned out to be the control crystal. From my vantage point and using the binoculars, I spied as he put the crystal in place. The connections slipped into place and he stood to try dialing an address. Success!
The engineer closed up the access panel and re-packed his tools. The rebel in charge walked up to Sgt. Mathers and shoved him roughly toward the road. As soon as the group passed by, Colonel O'Neill signaled us to strike. It was over so quickly, I don't think they knew what hit them.
"Sir, one of the guards is dead and I've tied up the other two and Mathers," I announced, standing after securing the last guard's hands with wire. When there was no response, I turned to see a stunned Dave Castell squatting in the road with my colonel in his arms, a shockingly red rose blooming near the center of Jack's chest.
"Jack!" I rushed to him and slid to a stop on my knees, oblivious of the damage to my trousers. My shaking hands cupped his still face. "Come on sweetheart, wake up and tell me how much you hate being stuck in the infirmary," I babbled, then bit my lip to stop the flow of words. His pulse was strong, but the blood seeping from his wound bubbled slightly. My heart beat as though I'd run a five mile race; my palms were sweaty. No matter how many times I'd seen him injured, even dead, it had never hit me this hard. I could actually lose him, the man I loved so much it hurt to think of him not being there with me.
"How is he, Colonel?" Dave asked, obviously apprehensive, breaking into my reverie. Dr. Yashita hovered in the background, one eye on the prisoners.
"His lung is punctured. We have to get him to medical help right now," I searched with shaking hands through my pack for the first aid kit, dug for a compress and held it out to Dave. "Here, hold this over the wound, pressing firmly. Did the bullet go all the way through?"
"I don't think so, Colonel."
"Good." I breathed deeply for the first time in what seemed like hours, "Now, where's the QuikClot? Yes! Here, Dave; open that packet and sprinkle some of the grains in the wound. It'll stop the bleeding until we can get him to an infirmary." He looked suspiciously at the kitty-litter-like granules and then followed my instructions.
"How do we get through the gate without a GDO?" The otherwise silent Dr. Yashita brought up the trickiest point in our plan.
Sgt. Mathers cleared his throat uncertainly. "Uh, I may be able to help you there, ma'am." As one, the three of us twisted to face him expectantly.
"You have a GDO?" I asked, beginning to have hope we could get Jack to medical help in time. I clutched his limp, cool hand in mine. We'd have to get him warm soon or shock would kill him as easily as the bullet.
"No, but I have a laptop that can connect into the wireless router over there. You can use it to send a message to General Hammond."
"First, tell me why you were working with Morris' men today," I inquired, not quite ready to trust him, not with Jack's life hanging in the balance.
The network engineer pursed his lips in anger and replied, "Like some of the others, he has my wife. I don't play along she gets hurt. Like you." He pointed with his chin to my colorfully bruised face and split lip.
"Show me where to connect the laptop." I released him from his bonds and helped him stand. I turned to Dave and Dr. Yashita, "Watch these others while we go send an SOS." With one last look at my love, I sprinted to the small shack that housed the networking equipment.
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JACK
I vaguely remember waking with a heavy weight on my chest and pain, lots of pain. "Anyone got the number of the truck …?" Cough, cough, cough. "Damn!" I spat blood, never a good sign.
"Hold still. We've got the gate open and Colonel Carter's calling for help." Dave explained what I'd missed.
"We'd better get out of here soon or they'll be back." My voice was a wheeze.
"Hush, Colonel or she'll have my hide. The gate just shut down. They're coming back."
By twisting my neck all the way around with some help from Dave, I could just see Sam and Sgt. Mathers sprinting from the gate toward us. The effort was too much and I almost passed out again.
"Jack, you're awake," Sam stated the obvious as she knelt by my side and placed her hand gently on my cheek. Her anxious smile was enough to tell me my injury was more than just painful. She was really worried.
"Yeah. Kinda wish I wasn't, though. Did you get hold of anyone?"
She snorted in disgust. "I tried six people over IM before I got Lt. Simmons. He was a little dubious about it really being me, but he finally agreed to contact General Hammond and ask him to send a MALP. We can use its video camera to convince them who we are."
"Are we ready to retreat to a safe distance?" She grinned at my obsessive need for control when things were out of control.
"Yes, sir. Just as soon as we rig a litter for you, we'll get our prisoners and you out of sight. I'm staying here to wait for the MALP and keep an eye out for Morris' men. Mathers said we have at least an hour before they're back to see the visitors off."
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SAM
Graham was as good as his word. Within 45 minutes, the wormhole opened and a MALP trundled awkwardly through the gate.
"Colonel Carter, what's your situation?" the general asked.
"Sir, the base was taken over by Dr. Morris and a group of mutineers that he subverted by telling them there was gold and diamonds all over the place. I'm not really sure what his motive is. As a mineralogist, he knows that we've found no precious metals or stones."
"I can give you some information which might help. After you contacted me about Morris a few weeks ago, I started doing a little digging and found that the NID has used him in the past as a provocateur."
"What would they want with Eden Base? Surely they can't be trying the same trick as a few years ago, sir." The NID had twice recruited members of some SG teams and once made use of a second Stargate on Earth to steal technology from our alien allies.
"No, I think they're a little more ambitious this time, Colonel. If they can discredit you and, through you, Colonel O'Neill and me, they may be able to persuade the President to give them control of the SGC and the two off-world sites," General Hammond stated and then sighed heavily.
"That fits with what we've seen over the past two days, sir. Groups of humans have come through the 'gate to join the rebels. I suspect they're NID agents stranded when their last plot failed."
"Colonel, I'm sending through a GDO programmed with your code. All other GDOs from Eden have been disabled."
"Thank you, sir. I'll be sending Colonel O'Neill immediately; he's seriously injured. Plus, we've captured two of the mutineers, but haven't had the time to interrogate them. I'd like to send them as well."
"Very good, Colonel. We'll get what information we can from them. What do you need from us?"
"Arms and men are the greatest need, sir." I outlined specific details and added, "There are a large number of innocent people in Morris' clutches right now who need rescuing. I don't plan to let him get away with this. Several scientists that Colonel O'Neill rescued along with me will be returning to the SGC as soon as we can get them to the 'gate."
"You'll have what you need and we'll have Dr. Frasier ready for Colonel O'Neill."
"Thank you, again, sir. We'll be back in touch as soon as possible."
"Hammond out," he signed off and the wormhole dissolved.
Before I could re-dial an out-going wormhole, my radio crackled, "Colonel, they're coming back, hurry." I picked up the GDO and the MALP control then guided the MALP toward the others. Hurry wasn't a word you could use with the bulky all-terrain vehicle, but we managed to hide it just in time.
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Continued in Part 5
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