Chapter Two
Major General Jack O'Neill sat in his office, a plush suite in the D-ring of the Pentagon, and went about his morning business, reading files and signing that he'd read the file and understood what it said. Jack worked diligently as he tried to get through as many fi as he could before the phone rang, and it would ring, it always did. It was actually a good two hours before the intercom buzzed and his assistant told him that he had a call, from General Landry, Jack glanced at his watch in wonder, it was almost a record, he thought before accepting the call and hitting the speaker button.
"Hank," said Jack warmly, "what can I do for you today?"
"You can tell me what the hell is going on Jack!" cried Landry.
"You'll have to be more specific, Hank, there's a lot of stuff going on, I've just been reading all the fascinating files you guys like to send me."
"Why do I have to hear about Jackson's transfer, only after he's been put on the plane?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I had a Major Bryant of the NID in here telling me that Dr Jackson had been reassigned effective immediately!"
"Reassigned to where? I haven't heard anything about this!"
"I don't know, the papers I have are non-specific. Only, that 'due to the now neutralization of the Ori threat, Dr Jackson's position has been reassessed'. That's verbatim Jack, Bryant said they'd picked Jackson up this morning and put him on a flight to his new assignment. You're telling me you don't know anything about this?"
"Hold on a second Hank," Jack hit the intercom button on his phone, "Marie, I'm going to need a car and a flight to Colorado in the next few hours, please. Oh and I'm going to want to speak to Agent Barrett and Lt Colonel Davis before I go."
"I'll arrange it sir," said Jack's assistant. Jack started going through his in-box.
"What are you thinking Jack?" asked Hank. Jack pulled out a folder from the stack and glanced through it.
"I'm thinking we got played Hank, and we need to figure out who has Daniel and why, and we need to find out fast."
"Why?"
"Because I just found the last evaluation sent to me by the IOA, it expounds the great Dr Jackson and his irreplaceable skill sets."
"So?"
"There's a final note from the Chinese Ambassador complementing Dr Jackson's open mind and willingness to work outside military mindset, and outside of its control."
"You'll have to translate that one Jack; I've been negotiating with aliens more than Washington politicians lately."
"It means she thinks he'll work with anyone, as long as he can do his work. I know the Chinese were interested in taking control of the gate, she may have approached him and knowing Daniel he'd tell her about how much the gate is an asset to humanity, and not just one nation."
"They think he'll jump ship, if he can't work with what we've got."
"They think he's a threat, but still a valuable asset, they've put him in storage Hank and we need find out where."
"Where would you put an errant and highly intelligent scientist, who you couldn't trust?"
"Damn it!" Jack cursed, and shuffled around with more of his folders. "I got a memo from the DOD about reallocating some of the SGC's assets to one of their sites for more in-depth research," Jack scanned, the page, "They used Daniel's ID code instead of his name."
"Does it say where they're reallocating him to?" asked Hank his voice dripped with disdain.
"No, but the report indicates a second asset due to be reallocated."
"Is this asset another person?"
"It was scheduled for pick up outside Calsci University yesterday, so I'm thinking yeah, it's another hapless security risk too smart for his own good."
"Can you find out who it is? Maybe someone saw something on their end."
"If they're any good there'll be no trace, but it depends on how sanctioned these acquisitions are, I'll look into it."
"Jack, let us handle it, send the information and I'll have Carter do the search."
"Why? I can do it."
"Isn't it going to look a bit funny that you're looking into DOD transfer records? Jack we don't want to tip them off."
"It's Daniel; I have to do something."
"Give us the other asset and you can follow up on the memo, find out if the orders were above board, which we know they aren't because we're talking about people here, but there's always a paper trail and your position will give you avenues we can't explore from here."
Jack sighed, "Tell Carter that she's going to get leave to visit her brother, in San Diego, but to expect a long layover in LA. What about Teal'c is he still aboard the Apollo?"
"Yeah, he wanted to get a better feel for flying human space vessels, they're on the way back from Atlantis now."
"How far are they out?"
"At least a week and the Daedalus is still at Atlantis."
"We have no way of tracking his locator without a ship in orbit," Jack sighed again, "Tell Carter to do what she can and I'll see what I can do from here."
"It's the right thing to do Jack, we'll find him."
"You better," said Jack and hit the hang up button. Then he turned to his computer that stored all the electronic copies of all the memos on his desk and quickly e-mailed the necessary information to Landry's secure address. Then he ran a scrub program that Sam had given him that erased the outgoing mail and replaced it with a couple of innocuous looking memos. Jack's intercom sounded and Marie's voice came through the machine.
"General, I have Colonel Davis on line two and Agent Barrett on line four; do you still need a car?" Jack smirked, the woman was too good at her job.
"Thank you Marie, but no, not right now anyway, make arrangements for me to visit the SGC sometime next week, there's some personnel issues I need to go over with General Landry."
"Yes, sir," said Marie and disconnected.
*****
Colonel Samantha Carter sat in the back of a cab and re-read all the information she'd managed to dig up regarding Dr Charles Epps and his FBI agent brother Don. Dr Epps was no less than brilliant, and at first Sam was surprised that he hadn't been offered a position at the SGC or even in Atlantis, and then she'd found the report on his background check, too many worldly ties, that would prevent him from making the necessary commitments to the program, ties that included an ailing, now deceased mother and grieving father and a newly un-estranged brother.
Sam closed the file and stepped out of the cab, she had also found that brother Don had been looking in some very high places for his baby brother, and risking a lot to do it on company time. Sam made her way through security and up to the floor where she knew Agent Epps ran his team. When the elevator doors opened, she wasn't surprised when Epps was there to meet her
"What can I do for the Air Force?" asked Don, his arms crossed over his chest, I demeaning smirk playing on his lips as his eyes traveled over her civilian clothes.
Sam who had been beating her head against this kind of misogynistic brick wall for most of her adult life, smiled, and said, "You can help me find my friend and your brother, or I can report to your superiors that you've used government resources to try to gain access to classified government assets."
Don froze, and then he frowned, "What do you mean, help you find my brother?"
"And my friend," said Sam quickly checking her watch, "why don't we go for a walk?"
"Why don't we talk in my office?" asked Don, trying to regain his footing.
Sam sighed, "Look I have a localized signal jammer going, but any device manufactured after 1986 is going to be able to break through the static in about 60 seconds I prefer we talk about this stuff on the move."
"You're going to have to explain that last statement to me."
Sam checked her watch and started walking towards the stairwell; Don had no choice but to follow. "My scans indicated this whole building is wired for sound and a good portion for video too."
"You mean…" Don trailed off as they started down the stairs at a quick pace.
"Every light fixture, every wall socket, every computer, and every phone line, most of them are domestic, NSA, CIA, FBI, but…"
"Wait, FBI? We're bugging ourselves?"
"Why are you surprised?" asked Sam looking back, "Last year you had a triple agent on your team."
"Agent Granger is a good man he acquitted himself well in a bad situation."
"Yeah," said Sam, "he's one of the good ones, one of the smart ones."
"Why do you say that?"
"He got out."
They finally reached the ground level and walked out the emergency exit door, into the street outside. Sam immediately set off walking in a random direction.
"Come on, I want to get as far away from here, as possible."
"We can take my car," said Don pointing back to the garage.
Sam stopped and turned to look at him, "Have you just ignored everything I've said?"
"You mean my car is bugged?" Don hissed.
"You have a built in GPS?" asked Sam and Don nodded, "You have a cell phone?"
"Of course," said Don.
"Give it to me," said Sam holding out her hand, Don took his cell out but hesitated, "For crying out loud," said Sam and grabbed the phone, she pulled the battery pack and took out the SIM-card, and then she peeled a paper thin film off the card.
"What is that?" asked Don.
"That is what I was afraid of," Sam sighed she let the film float away, and reassembled Don's phone. "Leave it off," she said as she handed it back to him, "it can still be tracked the old fashioned way, but only if it's turned on," Don took the phone back slightly horrified by the situation, and would have said something to Sam, except she was already off and down the street. Don followed her quickly. They were three blocks over before he caught up and only because she stopped, in front of a tiny, off-brand coffee shop.
"Will you quit walking off like that," Don growled as he came up beside her.
Sam smiled, "Want a coffee?" she asked.
********
Daniel groaned and rolled over, almost rolling off the cot he was lay on. There was a jarring clang, and Daniel looked up. A man, stood behind the bars looking at him, he was tall, slim had blond hair and a kind face, but what was most important to Daniel was he was drinking something.
"You awake?" asked the blond man.
Daniel blinked and tried to get himself more awake than he was, "Is that coffee?" he asked, his nose twitching. The man behind the bars smiled.
"You know that's practically the same thing I said when I first got here," Daniel forced himself to sit up, the pain in his shoulder was surprisingly less and he realized, first he'd been changed into a grey overall, and second he was in a cage, in a rustic looking building.
"Where am I?" he asked. The man, who Daniel now realized was wearing a tan uniform, looked as if he were about to answer when another man in a dark suit, with a large white bandage across his nose came in.
"That's classified," he said in a painfully nasal voice.
"Since when is it classified to people who are recruited?" asked the man in uniform.
"Since I said so, Sheriff," said Bryant, Daniel remembered that was what Charlie had called him. Charlie! Daniel suddenly remembered his cellmate.
"What happened to Charlie?" he asked.
"He's none of your concern," said Bryant.
"Who's Charlie?" asked the Sheriff, "Is he another recruited researcher for GD?" Then Daniel got it, he'd been taken to one of the DOD's isolated research posts, in the middle of nowhere, complete camouflage from the outside world and no witnesses if anything went wrong, or right, he thought it depends on which side of the bars you're on.
"So," said Daniel, leaning back against the wall, "I'm a researcher am I?"
Bryant smiled coldly, "I think that we have a place for you."
"I think you have a cage for me," said Daniel.
The Sheriff frowned, "What does he mean?"
"Dr Jackson is reluctant to work for his country," said Bryant.
"Dr Jackson was willingly working for his planet when he was abducted off the street, beaten drugged and shot!"
"Hey, now!" said the Sheriff, "You said he was shot by local police, because they didn't know why they were chasing him!"
Daniel snorted, "I was shot trying to escape at their facility, when they told me what my new assignment would be."
"And what is that?" asked the Sheriff.
"I'm what you'd call a person of interest," said Daniel.
"So you're not a researcher?" asked the Sheriff.
"Not to them, I'm not, to them I am the research," Daniel sighed shaking his head at the man's naiveté, "They're going to study me," he said, "then when they've learned all they can, they're going to kill me, and study me some more," The sheriff looked horrified, genuinely stricken, Daniel was gratified to meet at least one person who still thought of him as a person.
"Is that true?" asked the Sheriff.
Bryant shrugged, "I don't have clearance to know the exact details of Dr Jackson's new position, but I do know that there are several people interested in what he can do."
The sheriff frowned at this non-answer, "This is starting to stink a bit much for me," he said, "I'm going to have my deputy double check your orders, in the meantime, Jackson stays here."
"I have orders to get him moved on tonight!" cried Bryant.
"Tough," said the Sheriff, "I'm not in the business of helping kidnappings or murders, not even on the government tab."
"You can't do that!" Bryant roared his face was turning wonderful shades of purple and pink.
"I am the Sheriff of this town; this man is in my custody until such time as I know his safety can be assured."
Bryant took a deep breath and drew his weapon, "He is my prisoner, and you will release him to me this instant."
The Sheriff took a step back and raised his hands. "That's just such a bad idea," he said.
"Unlock, the cell," said Bryant.
"You're not walking out of here with him," The sheriff walked over to a desk and hit a button on it. The cell door unlocked.
"You're wrong about that," said Bryant, "walk to me," he said to Daniel keeping his gun trained on the Sheriff.
"Why would I do that?" asked Daniel, standing, but keeping well back from the door.
"Because if you don't come with me quietly and quickly, I'm going to shoot the Sheriff."
"Fine," said Daniel walking slowly out of the cell, he held his shoulder as it had started to throb again. "Just don't do anything stupid," he took another step and risked a glance at the Sheriff, "Well anything else stupid."
Bryant suddenly went stiff his eyes grew wide and he dropped silently to the ground, revealing beautiful young female deputy holding a huge gun.
"You want to try something?" she asked Daniel cocking the weapon again.
"Definitely not," he said raising one hand in surrender; in fact he was suddenly very dizzy.
Sheriff Jack Carter watched as Jackson went extremely white, and managed to stride across the room just in time to catch him and lower him to the floor. A hand on the left shoulder that the man had been favoring produced a mild groan, and came away covered in blood.
"Get Allison over here and ask her if Eureka has a cure for a gunshot wound and severe blood loss."
Charlie was in heaven, if heaven were a massive math equation, this was it. He floated along playing with variables, tweaking equalities and basically having the time of his life. Some part of Charlie's massive brain knew that such calculations required a super computer and there was no way he was manipulating the data in real time just by thinking it, but that part was small and quiet and would be ignored in favor of heaven.
Tony, the lab tech tweaked the dials on the monitors, and smiled at the data spilling on to the screen. In the middle of the room, Charlie lay floating in a greenish liquid several dozen leads poked out from the tank and in to the equipment Tony was monitoring.
"He's amazing," he said to Grey standing behind him.
"Has he cracked it yet?" asked Grey.
"No, but his stats are off the charts, he has the potential to do this very quickly."
"That's good, because I need it in a week."
"That's not possible," cried Tony, "We can't keep him at these levels for that long, he needs a break."
"Why?"
"Because, we have no real idea what this is doing to him in the long term, keeping him under longer will just increase the risk we have of causing him permanent brain damage. I recommend limiting the time so we can study the cumulative effects, and avoid burning him out before he finishes."
"You've got three days, if he's not more than half done by then we'll need increase his time under."
"I'm not sure, I'm comfortable with that," said Tony.
"You'd better get comfortable, or I'll find someone who is." Grey glared at the lab tech and stalked out of the room.
You guys ready for a ride? Remember to keep your arms and hands inside the car at all times and if you have small children with you be sure to take care of yourself first and let the little buggers fend for themselves!
Cynic