Supporting Rumors - Part 75

Jack spent the next few days, aside from his therapy sessions, installed in his office, but there was no sign of Maybourne appearing again. Sam was aware that something obviously had stirred Jack into action, and she couldn't deny she was worried. It was Jack's focused outlook that stopped her from interfering. She was seeing him as a professional – a man on a mission, almost as if the last few months had never happened.

Jack had been busy in his office almost all week and Sam felt bored without his company. She'd been going into the base doing a little lab work and catching up on reports to kill some of the time that seemed to hang so heavily without him.

Daniel and Teal'c had been over as usual, but Jack was hung up with incoming calls and kept excusing himself, even to the extent that Daniel enquired what was going on.

"Just something at Homeworld," offered Sam by way of an explanation.

Lame – she knew, but it was the best she could offer, not knowing much more herself.

"Is everything all right with you two?"

Sam blushed. "Yes, it's just that something is going on in Washington. He's not normally this busy." It wasn't a lie exactly ... something was going on.

Thankfully Teal'c changed the subject. She could kiss that man at times.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

It was a couple more days before Jack emerged from his office fully and Sam was shocked to suddenly realize how tired and stressed he looked. He spent the morning lazing around, flicking through the channels, seemingly oblivious to her. Finally she decided enough was enough. He could at least put her mind at rest ... or failing that, tell her the worst.

She blocked his view of the TV and snatched the remote out of his hands.

"Okay, what's going on? I've been more than patient."

Jack leaned to one side, trying to see the screen around her.

"Ah, here ..." Jack's finger was pointing at the screen, his expression hard to read, and Sam swung around, curiosity getting the better of her.

She watched in amazement as the news broadcast unfolded its latest headline story...

"The nation reels in shock as authorities made simultaneous arrests in Washington, Los Angeles, and New York today. Sources in the government have stated these arrests follow extensive investigations into offences involving matters of national security. Three arrests have been confirmed, however no further details have been released as to the nature of these offences. When asked if there would be any further arrests, a spokesperson said 'That is not out of the question.' The high profile of the persons arrested, in both the highest ranks of the military and the government, has analysts speculating ..."

Sam sat down and watched in amazement as the names were given out. "Holy Hannah!" she exclaimed and grabbed Jack's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. The newscast didn't give any more details and it became obvious that no further information had been released.

She switched off the TV and turned to face him. "Is this what you …?"

Jack's expression was not one of victory. There was nothing triumphant in his expression, if anything it was rather sad. "This is what I told you about."

"You don't look like someone who should be celebrating ..." she prompted, watching him carefully.

"I'm not. I'm sick to my stomach that these people could be involved in this. These are people we trusted to run the country, Sam. I just unleashed the dogs, that's all. It was Maybourne's statements that led to the evidence being found. That was the key to the whole thing. Now I've got to get Maybourne back home, out of the way. He should have been long gone before these arrests, but there was nothing I could do. Now at least I'm out of hospital and hopefully in some position to help." He looked up at Sam and she could see the worry in his face. "We have to move quickly. It'll only be a matter of time before someone puts two and two together. We might have these men, but it's only the tip of the iceberg and there's a lot more ice under the water."

Sam was stunned. When Jack had explained some of what was happening all that time ago, she hadn't digested just how thin the air was around the people involved. She would never have dreamed that these people were … traitors. She moved closer to Jack, not allowing him any chance to pull away and she held him tightly. The thousand and one questions she had could wait, just a little while longer…

xoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC