Tonight's chapter is short, but I wanted to get something out to my wonderful readers! Thank you for sticking with this story, even though it's taken me forever to get it finished. I'm on a roll now, so I'll be writing regularly (taking turns with my other new story). I just noticed today that I have over 900 reviews for this story (whoo hoo – thank you!) – so it is now my goal to reach 1000. It will be my first story to do so (if I can). So, I'm pleading with you, my lovely readers, to write those reviews and help me break the 1000 mark.
Jack knew instantly that there were alarms around the entrance to the basement labs. He was pretty sure there would be cameras as well, although he didn't think they needed to worry about those since they'd already caught the guys monitoring them. Still, he knew they had to be careful.
Now to channel his inner Carter and see if he could disable whatever alarms had been set up. He motioned for Burke to follow him and they made their way carefully down the stairs to the main floor.
It took Jack only a few seconds to find the door, which led to the basement. Well, he actually supposed it wasn't really a basement – more of a subterranean lab and torture chamber! He shivered slightly as he thought about what was down below.
But if he was to end this, if he was to get his life back – his and Sam's – he had to do this thing.
He immediately felt the electricity that was behind door number one – the wood paneled door that covered the entrance to below. He carefully opened the door to find a metal door behind it. On the inner door was a small panel covered by a metal plate.
Almost without thought he reached into his tac vest and pulled out a small screwdriver. Burke gave him a funny look and he shrugged. Carter had given him a heads up about all he should bring with him.
He efficiently unscrewed the panel and looked at the mass of wires and connections underneath. At first he had no idea what to do. This wasn't his area of expertise. He blew things up, he didn't analyze, reroute or unplug! It was Burke's next expression – one of confidence and trust - that caused him to relax. He suddenly realized that Burke was playing his role - the role he always played with Sam. The "you can pull miracles out of your backside" look. He closed his eyes and thought about what he had just seen and suddenly, everything made sense.
They were definitely days he wanted to thank the Ancients for his increased abilities – but then he remembered that they were why he was here in the first place, and he took that back.
Quickly, deftly he began to move wires, cut some and reroute others. Nothing dire seemed to be happening so he hoped he was doing it right. He attached two final wires and a second later the metal door slid open, revealing steep stairs which led to a bright hallway below.
Burke's eyebrow went up, and Jack shrugged. He had no idea if he'd gotten everything or not, but there was no going back. He leaned forward and stretched his neck to take one further look down, and then he moved. Quietly and quickly he headed down the stairs, followed closely by his CIA comrade.
When they made it to the bottom without bells, whistles or alarms going off, Jack blew out a small breath of relief. But he knew it was too soon to celebrate. They had a long way to go yet.
They carefully moved down the hallway, stopping briefly by each door. Jack would close his eyes, freeze for a moment, open his eyes and move forward. Burke couldn't figure out what was going on and finally reached out and grabbed his friend's arm.
"What the hell?" he mouthed.
Jack just shook his head. "Checking to see if there's anyone in the rooms." He realized that Burke had no way of knowing he could sense people's presence and instead continued to move forward. He was pretty sure – if they got out of here – that his friend would demand to know how Jack was doing all these things. Right now he didn't have time to explain.
Actually, he didn't know if he could explain even when they got out of here, but he's worry about that later.
Suddenly he felt something. Someone was coming! He looked around quickly and reached down and opened the nearest door. He motioned for Burke to enter and followed him inside, shutting the door quietly.
He put his finger to his lips, cautioning Burke to be silent. A moment later the two men heard footsteps walking towards them. They slowed and stopped just outside the room in which they were hiding. Jack stopped breathing, sure that they had been discovered. A second later, however, the footsteps could be heard once more.
Jack breathed out and turned around. He started to grin at Burke, but it faded suddenly. Jack glanced around and realized where he was.
"What?" Burke whispered, recognizing that something had just happened. Jack looked – tense – which scared the crap out of him. "Jack, what is it?"
Jack turned slowly and stared at Burke. Finally he took in a sharp breath and blinked. He glanced around once more, seeing the place that still existed in his nightmares.
Burke followed Jack's movements with his own, finally looking at the room. He saw a metal table – it almost looked like an operating table, except that it had metal wrist and ankle restraints at either end. Beside it sat a table with various instruments. He grimaced, suddenly realizing what this room was for.
"You've been here?" he whispered.
Jack just nodded. He closed his eyes briefly and shook off the memories. He didn't have time for this.
"Let's go," he said suddenly, moving toward the door. He wanted to find the man who made him suffer in this very room. He wanted Hubbard.
They passed two more doors and then Jack stopped. This was it. He could feel the people in the room. Without anything more than a quick nod to Burke he opened the door and stepped in.
It was only as he strode forward that he realized – the third person in the room was a Goa'uld.
Shit! He should have known that this went beyond the NID. But he would have thought they would have learned something after Kinsey. Clearly they hadn't.
"O'Neill!" Colonel Hubbard stood slowly. "You're the last person I thought I'd see back here."
"Yeah, this wasn't my first choice for a holiday, but hey, you know – there was a special deal on South Dakota secret government facility vacations. And who's this?" he pointed his zat at the General, who had also stood.
"I'm General Emory Caine," the man with the stars on his shoulders said. "We've been looking for you."
"Have you?" Jack asked, his eyebrows moving up. "Well, here I am. And who's your snake infested friend?" he asked the General.
Caine's eyes flickered towards the third man – or Goa'uld – and then back to O'Neill. But he didn't speak. Rather the Goa'uld – in his deep timbered voice –answered.
"I am Shesmu, your God."
"Nice name, Says Who."
"Shesmu!" the Goa'uld repeated angrily.
"Well Says Who, you're no god of mine!" He stared at Hubbard and Caine. "Which one of you idiots thought it would be a good idea to work with a Goa'uld?"
"Don't take that righteous tone with us Colonel," General Caine snapped. "We're working for the good of Earth. Shesmu has offered to give us access to all sorts of technology."
"Really? And you believed him?"
"We believed him because he's already started," Hubbard told him. "He's given us some amazing weapons and other things which will help us in our fight against -"
"Against the Goa'uld?" Jack answered sarcastically, pointedly looking at Shesmu. "So what have you offered him?"
There was silence in the room and the three conspirators stared at him.
"Oh for cryin' out loud! Are you telling me you offered to give him me in exchange for all this nifty technology?" He turned to the Goa'uld. "Ya know, I gotta tell you that you got a really bad deal. I'm not worth much of anything."
"You have the knowledge of the Ancients," Shesmu told him. "That is worth much."
"Won't do you any good," Jack shrugged. "I can't even access it. It's lyin' in there, dormant or something. My good buddy Colonel Hubbard will tell you that as well. They tried to drill it outta me," he said bitterly, "but they couldn't get anything. And Thor – you do know about Thor don't you? Well, he told me years ago that my brain just wasn't able to handle all that Ancient stuff, so it just shut down when anyone tried to use it.
"You lie!" the Goa'uld hissed, his eyes narrowed.
"Nope – not lyin'. Didn't good old Hubbard tell you? He didn't get squat from me even when using drugs and torture!"
"I have other means," Shesmu said ominously.
"You think so? Listen, I've met with much more serious Goa'uld than you – much scarier Goa'uld – remember Bocce Ba'al? Even he didn't get anything from me – other than a few jokes. Sadly, he didn't have a very good sense of humor."
"Insolent!" Shesmu surged to his feet and roared. Jack instantly shot him with the zat.
"Oops – guess he forgot his personal shield!"
"Jack – look out!" Burke shouted, but it was too late. While Jack had been distracted with the Goa'uld, Hubbard had pulled out another weapon.
"Ah crap!" he groaned as he fell to the ground.