Can you believe it? After all this time? A new chapter for my story. I actually had to go back and re-read the whole thing before I could update it. Thanks to all of you (who are still reading and who haven't given up) for your patience. I am really going to try and update this regularly.
Sorry – this chapter is simply moving the plot forward. Not too exciting yet – but more to come.
Jack rode up the maintenance elevator with two other guys. He stayed at the back, behind two big refuse containers, and kept his face down. They had to pass security, but hopefully no one would pay him much attention. Daniel had given him a pair of sturdy, dark-rimmed glasses and he was wearing a ball cap. They'd also arranged to have a garbage can full of really stinky garbage, including fish skins and bones, onion peels and rotten vegetables. The stench was just about killing all of them in the confines of the elevator.
"Whoa! What the hell you got in there Bill?" The guard at ground level said, stepping away. The maintenance men were obviously known to the guards so Jack kept back, with his head down.
"Kitchen garbage," Bill called out. "I'm glad I don't have to eat the food here!"
"I don't think I'll be eating here today either," Lieutenant Johnson replied. "God, what did they cook?"
"Didn't ask, don't wanna know!"
Johnson laughed. "You got anything else comin' through?"
"Nope, nothing classified today. Just plain garbage. Wanna check out the bins?"
There was a pause while Johnson quickly looked at the garbage bins but then stepped back, his fingers holding his nose. "Everything looks fine," he said quickly. He waved the men through. "But it sure doesn't smell fine. The faster you can get going, the better," he quipped.
"Yeah, yeah! You're just a wimp Johnson. Only real men can handle this stuff!"
"Real men, or ones with no sense of smell! See ya tomorrow Bill, Mack and uh - ." He waived at Jack, who walked past with his head still down. He lifted his hand and grunted at the Lieutenant.
Bill said goodbye and they made their way to the truck and quickly loaded the bins. A moment later they were headed for the gate.
Mack, the driver of the truck, headed down the mountain and drove for another twenty minutes. It was only when he turned onto a deserted country road, lined by trees, that he slowed and stopped.
"This okay?" he asked, not turning around. The less he knew, the better, he obviously decided.
"Perfect." Jack waited until Bill had stepped out, and then he pushed the chair forward and exited the truck. "Thank you," he called out to the two maintenance men. Neither man had said anything to him before this moment, and hadn't looked at him. He wasn't sure if they knew who he was, but they clearly wanted to stay as out of it as they could. He agreed. The less they knew, the better.
"Thank you!" he said as he turned from the truck.
"Good luck, Sir," Bill said softly. "We're rooting for you!"
He lifted his hand in acknowledgement and then headed out quickly. Clearly they did know who he was – he felt a moment's gratitude for men like Bill and Mack.
He followed the road for a few minutes, and then turned into a dirt lane – one practically invisible from the road. He hiked for a few hundred yards until he came to a small cabin.
Although he figured there was no way Hubbard or his men would know about this place, he took no chances and carefully checked out the area. As far as he could tell, there was no one nearby. With a deep breath he walked to the front of the cabin.
A minute later he was inside. To the casual observer the room was empty except for a wooden table and two chairs. There was a basic kitchen with stove, ancient refrigerator and a sink, which had seen better days. Other than that, there was nothing.
Jack still checked every corner, knowing he couldn't be too cautious. His freedom – hell, probably his life was at stake. Once satisfied, he moved the table and squatted down and looked closely at the floor. With a pleased grunt he placed his fingers in a small crack and pried. Almost instantly a door pulled open, revealing a small, hidden cubbyhole underneath.
He quickly scanned the contents, nodding in satisfaction. Hopefully it contained everything he had asked for. He was pretty sure it was. If there was anyone he could count on, it was General Hammond. He spared a brief thought, wondering how the General had arranged this. He'd have to ask him when everything was done.
Using as few movements as possible Jack began to lift the contents out of the cubby. There was a large envelope, full of papers, which he placed on the floor beside him. This was followed by a backpack, which was heavier than it seemed. He undid the zipper and looked inside. Yup – a Walther P99 pistol, complete with ammunition and a shoulder harness, a tactical combat knife and sheath, a second pistol – this time a small, Glock 9mm with a leg harness – to be concealed, as well as ammunition. There was also a Swiss Army knife – with all sorts of tools and gadgets. It looked like the premium edition knife. He grinned when he saw it. He loved these things!
Next he pulled out a roll of duct tape – almost laughing when he saw that. He was pretty sure that was a present from Daniel. What had he said? Something about that MacGyver character from the 80's who could fix anything with a Swiss Army knife, a piece of gum and a roll of duct tape. Thinking of that he reached in and – sure enough – there was a pack of gum.
He chuckled but still moved quickly. He needed to get moving and away from Colorado Springs as soon as possible. Staying in any one place too long could get dangerous. Almost done, he pulled out a set of clothing: jeans, a t-shirt and a non-descript, lined men's jacket with hood and a watch. The one remaining item, which he glanced at but didn't touch, was a cell phone. He nodded. They'd remembered everything.
Setting everything down, Jack quickly changed into the clothing and put on the watch. He then loaded the weapons and placed one in the leg harness, the other in the shoulder harness under his jacket. The knife he placed in the sheath attached to his belt. Everything else he put back into the backpack, except for the envelope, which he opened.
He whistled silently as he pulled out a wad of cash. He quickly looked through it – his brows going up when he realized there was over twenty thousand dollars there. That should keep him going for a while. He wondered briefly where it had come from, but then decided he didn't have time to worry about that. He just hoped it wasn't Hammond's personal cash.
Next he saw that there were three passports, which he picked up and examined. They all had his picture, but with different names and from different countries. The Canadian passport was for a Robert Kaplan, the British passport was for one William Belavoy, and the one from the Republic of Ireland, was for Jaime O'Reilly. He was pretty sure that one was also a gift from Daniel, who often kidded him about his Irish roots! There were also three credit cards, also one for each name. He was pretty sure he had Walter to thank for these. He was a man of a thousand, hidden skills.
He placed all three of the passports in his inside pocket and put the credit cards in his wallet. His own ID he removed and put into a concealed pocket in the lining of his jacket. He debated about leaving them in the cabin – but figured if he was captured they'd find out pretty quickly who he was anyway.
He'd have to spend some time making up histories for all three men as well as getting into character. The Canadian one wouldn't be hard – the Minnesota accent could pass for Canadian, with a few more "ehs" thrown in. He was pretty sure he could also handle an Irish accent – but the British one might be more difficult. If it came to it, he'd have to say he'd lived in the States most of his life, even though he was born in England.
There was one final envelope, which he opened slowly and carefully. He read what was written there, a frown on his face, and then placed it into his pocket.
After a quick look to make sure he'd gotten everything, he closed the hatch and moved the table back on top. Another glance around and he headed towards the door. He took one final look and left the small cabin, thankful that it had served his purpose.
There was only one more thing to do, and that was to find his means of transportation. He instantly saw the trail leading into the trees and followed it. It didn't take him long, before coming to a car sitting calmly in the shade.
It was a used Toyota Camry – in good shape but at least 4 years old. He opened the door and threw his backpack on the seat beside him. The key was in the ignition – Hammond must have trusted that no one would come by and find it – and the tank was full. He reached over to the glove box, to find three separate plastic envelopes. Each one had registration for the car in one of the names on each passport.
He decided that for now he'd be Robert Kaplan, figuring that would be the easiest. He placed the other two registrations, along with the 2 passports, under the front passenger seat.
He adjusted the seat and mirror, and then took a deep breath. He thought of Sam, but then quickly cast her out of his mind. He couldn't afford to worry about her right now – it would distract him too much. Now he had to focus on the mission ahead of him. He had to focus on stopping Hubbard and the NID from destroying his life, and more importantly, from destroying Earth.
He turned the engine on, put the car in reverse, and headed out on perhaps the most difficult mission of his life.
"I don't know why we can't help him," Daniel whined, for about the hundredth time.
"It would look suspicious," Teal'c said simply – the same thing he'd been saying each time Daniel had complained.
"I know Teal'c," Daniel sighed. "It's just – so frustrating. He needs his team to back him up! What if he gets captured?"
Instead of getting irritated with him for repeating the same complaints and worries over and over, Teal'c simply sighed and nodded.
"We know that all of the men and women of the SGC are being watched. Any unusual behavior and the NID will know something is happening."
"Isn't there anything we can do?"
"We can trust in O'Neill," Teal'c said gently. "He is experienced in this kind of operation. He knows what he must do."
"I know – but I still don't like it. He needs help! He needs someone to back him up."
Teal'c stared at Daniel for a moment, and then he carefully looked to see if anyone was in the vicinity. When he was sure there was not, he reached into his pocket and withdrew an item. He kept it down by his leg, and his eyes forward. It took a few seconds before Daniel realized something was up and he glanced down at the object.
Immediately Daniel's eyes got big – and he also looked around. When he saw they were alone he grinned. "Way to go Teal'c," he said softly.
With that, the Jaffa who was now loyal to Earth, put the Asgard communications device back into his pocket.
"So Daniel Jackson, would you be interested in attending the Sound of Music with me. It is playing at the Fine Arts Center."
"The Sound of Music?"
"Yes. I understand it is a play about tyranny and fascism and those who stand against it."
"Uh yeah, I guess it is." Daniel stared for a moment and then smiled. "And they sing! Who wouldn't want to see that!"
"Indeed."
As he drove down the highway towards Denver, Jack thought about what he had to do. He knew that no one from the SGC could help him – they were being watched too closely. At the same time, he knew he needed help. He ran through the list of people he could call on until he got to one name. He smiled.
That evening he pulled into a Best Western motel and checked in as Robert Kaplan. He had a quick dinner at a local restaurant and then headed back to the hotel. After making the room safe he placed everything on the bed next to him and pulled out his new, unregistered cell phone. He sat on the bed, leaned back on the headboard, and dialed the number he knew by heart.
The phone rang once, twice and on the third ring a voice answered. "Hello."
"Hello? Burke? How ya doin' buddy?"
There was silence on the phone and then Burke answered. "A little bored, if you want the truth. Why? You have something interesting for me to do?"
Jack smiled. "Do I ever!"
Things were looking up.