Disclaimer: I do not own 'Stargate: SG-1', 'The 4400' or any of the characters associated with either show.

Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait between updates. I had the story planned out, but then revised it to include a couple of guest stars (appearing in this chapter) and then my computer died, taking the chapter with it.

Chapter Eleven

When Mitchell dropped by Daniel's office in the hopes that he could organize an SG-1 team night, something they hadn't done over the past couple of months, not since Carter's return, he found not one but two of his teammates deeply absorbed in their work and while it was far from unheard of for Daniel to bury himself in a translation or pet project, emerging sporadically for food and coffee, it was certainly out of character for Teal'c to do the same.

"Hey, guys." Neither returned his greeting or even seemed to register his presence. "What's going on?"

When Daniel looked up from his work, Mitchell could see that his face was taut with worry. "Sam's missing."

"Missing?" He repeated, hoping that there had been a mistake of some kind. His three male teammates had, after all, been pretty watchful of Carter since her return, as if they feared that she would be snatched away again. "I just saw her a couple of hours ago, she was going home early. Maybe she went out somewhere." He suggested.

Daniel scowled. "Sam's not in the habit of bombing her own house when she goes out for the afternoon."

"Oh…" It was a few moments before Mitchell recovered his wits enough to ask, "Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

"O'Neill is attempting to track Captain Carter's whereabouts." Teal'c told him, looking up from his computer.

Mitchell was surprised that Teal'c and Daniel weren't out there searching too but before he could come up with a polite way of asking why they weren't, Daniel answered his unspoken question.

"Jack and General Hammond think that the people responsible have an informant on the base," Daniel explained, "otherwise they wouldn't have known that Sam had left early this afternoon. We're going through the computer records of everyone on the base, seeing who they've been in contact with, to find out who's been leaking information."

Mitchell felt his throat tighten. "Have you found anything yet?"

Daniel looked at him as though he doubted his sanity. "We've just started working on this, we haven't even had a chance to scratch the surface, let alone dig any deeper." He pointed out sharply. "It'll take a lot longer than this to search."

"Right." Mitchell hoped that his awkwardness and discomfort wasn't showing on his face. "Would you… is there anything I can do?"

"That will not be necessary, Major Mitchell." Teal'c responded before Daniel had a chance to speak, his tone permitting no argument. "Daniel Jackson and I can complete this task."

"Okay." Unnerved by the stony glare on Teal'c's face, Mitchell made his excuses and left Daniel's office as fast as he could, retrieving his cellphone from his locker and making his way to the elevator and the surface.

He needed to talk to Kinsey. Now.

"So why exactly isn't the Colorado branch dealing with this case?" Tom Baldwin asked, curious as to why they had been given a case that should have fallen under the umbrella of a different branch of NTAC, especially when their work with the 4400 in their own region was keeping them more than occupied.

"I asked to take part in this case." His partner, Diana Skouris, responded, her attention focused more on the file she was reading than on him.

"Why?" He demanded, angry that he was being dragged away from his son, who had been awake for less than a week, after a coma lasting three years. "What's so special about this case? Any powers?"

"None – or at least none that we know of." She amended, leafing through the thin file. "Samantha Carter, an Air Force captain, disappeared in August '98. PhD in Astrophysics. Currently working in deep space radar telemetry." She glanced up. "Most of her medical check-ups are handled by the doctor at the base, Janet Fraiser. She's scheduled for check-ups with the NTAC doctors every two months."

This got his attention. "Why not every week like the others?" Even Jordan Collier was obliged to attend his mandatory weekly check-ups.

"That's what I'd like to know." Diana responded. "According to her file, her base commander – a Major General George Hammond – appealed directly to Ryland to allow this arrangement."

"That must have taken some string-pulling."

"Definitely. There's also a note in this file stating that Captain Carter may not be available for all of her weekly check-ins."

"So what would keep an astrophysicist who studies deep space radar telemetry from checking in at NTAC once a week?"

"Your guess is as good as mine – this is the address." She told him, tucking loose sheets back into the folder and waiting until Tom had pulled in and parked the car before climbing out and approaching the house, wrinkling her nose at the acrid smell of smoke, still lingering in the air.

Making a beeline for the police officers investigating the scene, neither agent noticed a man pulling a vibrating cellphone from his pocket, or saw him hurrying away.

Although he would have given almost anything for a chance to meet the people who had taken Sam and held her for six years, to exchange some strong words – and maybe a few good punches – with them, right now Jack was thankful that, whatever else, they had at least sent her back with the telekinetic ability that had allowed her to make her escape.

'Although if they hadn't kidnapped her in the first place, whoever took her this time probably wouldn't have been interested.' He reflected, only half-conscious of the fact that he was driving a good ten or fifteen miles above the speed limit.

Two people he guessed had been sent by NTAC had arrived as Sam's call came through but he hadn't had to think twice before deciding against telling them. Until they knew more about what was going on, their investigation would probably go a lot more smoothly without NTAC's people underfoot.

Thankfully, she had been able to escape before they had taken her very far away and it was less than an hour before he parked his car along in the small, almost deserted car part outside the motel where they had arranged to meet.

Sam had been somewhat vague about how exactly she had been able to get away from her captors and he hadn't pressed her for details.

As he climbed out of his car and locked the doors, he heard another vehicle pull up behind him. He glared when he saw who was got out of the car.

"You! You rat bas…"

"Easy, Jack!" Maybourne ducked to avoid a punch that would have knocked him flat, lifting both hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, I swear."

The idea of trusting Maybourne was almost funny but Jack wasn't laughing. "How'd you…"

"How did I know where you were?" Maybourne's tone was casual. "Put a tracer on your phone. I figured that you'd be the first person Carter would call if she got a chance to try and contact somebody."

"If you even think about touching her, I swear that they won't even be able to identify what's left of the body." Jack's voice was low and Maybourne knew better than to think that he was exaggerating.

"I wouldn't do that, Jack." He said seriously before cracking a small smile. "It wouldn't have been a good idea before, it'd be an even worse idea now if she's picked up a super power on her travels like some of her 4400 friends have." Seeing the look on Jack's face, his own expression mingled astonishment and delight. "She did, didn't she? What did she get? Telepathy? Seeing the future? Super strength?" He quizzed eagerly as he followed Jack to the motel room Sam had arranged to meet him at.

"You read too many comic books."

"No such thing. Come on, Jack!" He wheedled. "Give me a hint. Can she shoot lightning bolts? See in the dark? Start fires with her mind?"

"Shut up!" Jack hissed, not wanting to attract attention but knowing that he would get no peace until the other man's curiousity had been satisfied. "Telekinesis," he said in a low voice, "and if you so much as mention the name Carrie in front of her…"

"Would I do that?" Maybourne's expression was the picture of injured innocence.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

Ignoring Jack's glares, Maybourne glanced at the low building in front of them. "Room 4, wasn't it?" he asked, not waiting for an answer before striding towards the numbered door.

"Get back here!" Jack chased after the other man, grabbing him by the collar before he could knock.

Hearing his voice, Sam opened the door, saluting automatically when she saw Maybourne. "Colonel Maybourne…"

"We don't salute wanted fugitives, Carter." Jack reminded her, ushering her back into the room and scowling when Maybourne followed.

"Sorry, sir." She murmured sheepishly. She had been filled in on her team's major exploits during her absence, including Maybourne's treachery but sometimes it was difficult to remember everything that had happened while she had been gone.

"Oh, give her a break, Jack," Maybourne defended her, smirking, "she's been out of the loop for a while."

Ignoring the other man, Jack kept his attention focused on Sam, looking at her for signs of injury and seeing that, apart from some scrapes on her hands, she was unharmed. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"No, sir, I'm fine." She assured him.

"Thank God!" He pulled her into a quick hug, then released her. "You know this really has to stop, Carter." He chided, worry making his tone sharper than he intended.

"Sir?"

"This whole getting kidnapped thing, it's not funny anymore – that time with the Shavadai was bad enough, then you're gone for six years, now this!" He gestured towards his head. "You're giving me grey hair!"

"Me? What about all those times Daniel died?" Sam suggested, biting her lower lip to keep from smiling at his indignation.

"You know what else causes grey hair?" Maybourne chimed in helpfully. "Old age."

Jack turned to glare at him. "Did I ask you – and don't you even think about giggling." He added warningly to Sam. He studied her face for a few moments, noting the slightly pale cast to her skin. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"I'm fine." She insisted.

"I'm sure the other guys are in worse shape than she is." Although Maybourne did not see Sam's slight flinch at his words, Jack did but he refrained from questioning her about it. He could guess that it wasn't a conversation they would want to have in front of Maybourne.

"Uh, sir," Sam nodded in Maybourne's direction. "Why did you bring…"

"I didn't bring him." Jack cut her off.

"I bugged his cellphone." Maybourne told her calmly. "I don't suppose that whoever was dumb enough to try to grab you told you who they were working for?"

"How many people would want to kidnap her – no offence, Carter."

"None taken, sir."

Maybourne laughed incredulously. "You're kidding, right. Between being host to a Goa'uld,"

"A Tok'ra." Sam corrected automatically.

"Not to mention being the most intelligent person you've got at the SGC, I'm just surprised nobody tried to grab you before." He told Sam. "Throw in the 4400 thing and I can think of at least three or four groups that would want you – and that's just the ones in this country."

"But how many of them would have known when I left the base?"

"Only one with an informant in the SGC." Maybourne's tone became serious. "I liaised with Lieutenant Tobias when I was running my operation but even then I wasn't privy to all the information."

"So you're saying that we didn't flush out all the moles, we could have another." Jack's frown deepened.

"Yes, if so they're reporting to someone at the top and that person seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to get a hold of you - which is why I wouldn't recommend that you go back there, Captain, not yet."

Much as it pained him to admit it, even to himself, Jack knew that he was right.

"Come on, come on, pick up." Mitchell muttered, pacing back and forth as his cellphone failed, for the umpteenth time, to get through to Senator Kinsey's office line.

He was far enough away from the entry to the base that the SFs who stood guard could neither see or hear him but even though the area was fairly deserted, he was terrified of being overheard and he didn't dare to stray much further away from the base, lest his teammates put two and two together and connect his absence with Carter's disappearance.

He swore under his breath when the ringing tone was cut off, punching the buttons viciously as he redialed.

Distracted by his attempts to contact Kinsey, he didn't hear the approaching footsteps behind him or realize that he was not alone until a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and another snatched the cellphone from his hand. He turned to see an angry face scowling down at him.

"Are you crazy?!" Makepeace demanded angrily, shaking him slightly. "Never try to contact the Senator by phone."

TBC.

Author's Note: Apologies again for the update delay. This story will probably have only two or three more chapters before moving on to a sequel. Please review.