"So now what?" General Landry looked across the briefing room table to the assembled members of SG1.
Having found no further evidence in the woods by the diner they had convinced Howard to return to Chicago with a promise to keep him updated before returning to Cheyenne Mountain with the bad news.
"We don't know, Sir." Cameron gave a one sided shrug.
"Well I'm sorry about that Colonel because when talking about the head of Homeworld Security, 'We don't know' just isn't good enough." Landry rebuked, "And seeing as we're talking about Jack O'Neill I'm surprised I have to say that at all."
Sam shook her head, "We know sir. We just are saying we haven't come up with anything yet. But we will. Of course we will." She glanced around the table.
Daniel rubbed his eyes under his glasses and then placed his hands firmly on the table in front of him, "Okay, what do we know?" He asked.
"General and Michael O'Neill were taken away aboard a small ship." Teal'c intoned.
"Right." Daniel pointed, "Jack and Michael, but not Howard."
"Why?" Cameron leaned forward.
"They know they're brothers…" Sam murmured, eyes unfocused as she thought out loud. "But how?"
Daniel gave a slight rock to his head, "Well any number of ways but I'm thinking that's not the important thing. What if whomever took them want them for what they have in common?"
"The ancient activation gene." Teal'c suggested.
"Right!" Daniel rubbed his hands, "It could be someone trying to take control of the weapon in Antartica, or a repository of knowledge, or…"
"Hopper!" Vala suddenly interrupted.
"Wha, what?" Daniel turned to her, confused.
"That ship thing." She gestured, "Goes through the gate? Time machine?"
"You mean the Jumper…" Cam clarified.
"Yes, that, whatever." Vala waved him off, "The Lucian Alliance has one."
A chorus of four "What?!" and an "Explain." came from the rest of the people around the table.
Vala rolled her eyes, "There is a warehouse, more of a dumping ground really, of things found but of little value or use. One of your 'Jumper' ships is there. It is obviously a ship with great power and about the time I first met Daniel," She smiled sweetly at him to which he just shook his head, "There was a great push to get it to work but no one could."
Sam nodded slowly, "And ever since he first used the chair it's been common knowledge among the Goa'uld that General O'Neill can use Ancient Technology."
"And if the Goa'uld know it can be certain that members of the Lucian Alliance are also aware." Teal'c added.
"So we're thinking that members of the Lucian Alliance figured out that you need the Ancient gene to operate the jumper and then tracked down Jack and kidnapped him in order to do what?" Daniel spoke quickly.
Sam shrugged, "Any number of things. They may not even know it's a time machine but it makes sense that they would want the ability to operate it."
"But why now?" Cam asked, "It's been over 2 years since the General used the chair in Antarctica and if the Jumper was there when Vala was trading then it's been there for well over a year. Why take him now?"
Sam bit her lip, thinking, "It is also well known that General O'Neill is not exactly one to capitulate to his enemies. Whoever took him may have seen Michael as an opportunity; either he can use the technology in the General's place or maybe they think by threatening his brother it will make the General more likely to cooperate. It's possible that they learned about Michael just as recently as we did."
"Indeed," Agreed Teal'c, "O'Neill is far more likely to be concerned with the well-being of another than for himself."
Landry leaned back in his chair, yet again impressed with how this odd group managed to work together as a cohesive unit. "So, it seems we have a pretty good theory as to who has them." Everyone nodded. He paused, "Which brings me back to my original question, 'So now what?'"
In the end it wasn't very hard for the men to escape their cell. The arrogance of their captors left no posted guards and just as Michael had observed the door had weak hinges. With a few grunts and a little sweat they managed to lift it up and off. It made an incredible noise as it clattered to the ground.
Jack glanced at Michael, "Run!"
Breathing heavy the men took off running up the stairs and down the halls. Michael followed as Jack took seemingly random turns, and almost ran into his back when a turn they made ended up being a storage closet. Jack was holding a finger to his lips, indicating they needed to be silent. Michael just nodded, thinking that he was too out of breath to speak even if he wanted to.
Jack looked similarly exhausted, sweat slicking his hair. Michael shook his head, they had only been running for a few hundred yards, how were they were going to be able to make it?
A few guards ran past the closet. Jack poked his head out, glancing in both directions. He popped back in, his breathing already under better control than Michael's ongoing shallow gulps. Jack grimaced, "I'm sorry but we have to keep going."
Michael nodded, "I know. I'll be fine."
Jack glanced around the room muttering under his breath, "I would like our chances more if we had a weapon."
"Do I want to know where you think our chances stand as of now?" Michael asked with a smirk which Jack returned, amused.
"Probably not." He picked up what looked like a utility battery. Tossing it lightly to judge its heft he pursed his lips and held it tightly in his hand. With one last glance around the room and a shrug he looked back to Michael, "Okay. Let's go."
They continued their frantic dart as before, making turns when they heard footsteps or whatever other reason Jack saw fit. Michael had been right on Jack's tail but found himself falling behind as they began darting up a back staircase.
As Michael turned the corner on a landing that Jack had already cleared he suddenly found himself face to face with an open door and a large man standing in the way.
Knowing he would be unable to hurl himself past the newcomer, Michael froze.
Luckily, the man was obviously not expecting someone to be on the other side of the door and it took a moment for him to register that he was facing one of the escapees.
The man's hesitation was his undoing as he never saw Jack bound down behind him and swing the battery, cracking his skull and immediately rendering him unconscious.
Michael just blinked, having difficulty processing the sudden removal of the threat.
Through heavy breaths Jack looked him over, "Okay?"
He nodded, "Yeah. Thanks."
Sweat actively dripping from his brow Jack bent over and pulled an item from the man's belt. "Perfect." He smiled and tossed the battery looking item away before looking back at Michael, "Time to go."
Like that they were off again. Michael sent a silent prayer of thanks when only 3 more flights up they finally exited out a door and on to the wide, flat roof of the building. Jack slammed the door shut behind them and wedged a pipe against it so it could not be opened from the inside.
Meanwhile Michael took the opportunity to look around. Despite having climbed 10 flights it appeared they were only 2 stories above ground and mostly surrounded by tress with a dirt path leading away from the building, diverging in opposite directions after about 20 yards. Each path quickly disappeared into the trees, one went downhill and the other continued uphill. The facility itself seemed to be built on a wide hill that seemed to be apart of a small mountain with the mountain itself serving as the rear wall of the building.
Suddenly, there was a cacophony of voices below and Michael didn't need Jack's hand on his shoulder to drop to the ground.
"I want them found NOW!" They could hear Ventirii screaming. "This is an embarrassment! I should have known better than to trust the pawns of a goa'uld who was so thoroughly defeated. Fix this before O'Neill escapes or we will all find ourselves answering to your shol'va!"
Ventirii received a distinctive growl in response. Ranorku could then be heard shouting orders, "You! Go to the ship. If you do not see them along the way set a perimeter and wait for them until I recall you. You! Go to the gate and do the same. There are only two ways out and we will not let them fool us. The rest, stay here with me and continue to search the building. Mirdrina does not believe the humans would have had the strength to get far, they are likely still inside. Go!"
Jack rolled to his back and gave out a short sigh of relief. He took several deep breaths, reigning in his heartbeat before flipping back over and cautiously poking his head over the ledge.
Two groups of 15 armed men and Jaffa were moving down the paths, their backs to the facility.
His eyes swept their current surroundings and he pursed his lips. After a moment's thought he pushed himself up, "Any rock climbing experience Mike?"
Michael followed Jack's gaze and realized his intention was to use the rock face to climb the 40 feet down from the building and drop into the forest away from when their hunters had gone. He rolled his shoulders, judging what remained of his strength and gave a short nod, "I could make that well enough."
Jack's eyes were focused on the trees, judging what he could see of the topography. "Okay, then that's the plan. We get down and head that direction as far as we can go."