Chapter Five
Charlie was dreaming. It was a wonderful amazing dream and he was loving it, but he knew that it wasn't real and that he needed to wake up. He didn't want to wake up he'd finally found a world that operated on his level and he couldn't stand the thought of losing it. He loved it so much, it hurt to think of leaving, but the nagging part of his brain, that sounded suspiciously like Don, said it was too good to be true and it was it so was. The pain as he dragged his mind away from the math was excruciating, his head, as he became aware of it was massive, swollen and sore. His whole body ached with the loss of the numbers, his thoughts ran slow, and slipped by him so fast he couldn't grasp them. He reached as if he could hold on to his thoughts, but something stopped him grabbed him, held him so gently. He couldn't see, Charlie realized, something covered his face gluing his eyes closed, whatever had grabbed him, or who as the Don-voice, supplied was wiping him of the goo, covering him as he shivered in the cold room.
"I'm sorry," a voice from above whispered, "oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry."
*****
Tony found the lab empty, a puddle of suspension fluid on the floor by the tank. He hurried to the computer terminal and brought up the video feed, he watched as Daniel brought Charlie out of the liquid and took him out of the room on a gurney. Tony checked his watch Grey wouldn't be back for several hours. He looked at the empty tank for a second and then back to the door. He quickly typed a few commands into the terminal and the screen abruptly went blank.
"Good Luck," he said with a sigh as he switched out the lights and left the room.
*****
Daniel laid Charlie carefully down on the cot, the young man hadn't stirred, he seemed to be drugged and Daniel hoped it wasn't permanently disabling. He flexed his shoulder, the wound was throbbing again, and pain sparked through him at random intervals. Running around dodging patrols not twenty-four hours after being beaten and shot didn't help, but the alternative if he was caught was much worse than opening up his wound a bit. He looked down on Charlie and pulled together his exhaustion, pain and anger and focused it. He would escape this place and take Charlie with him.
******
Sam, Don, and Deputy Lupo left Cafe Diem and went across the street to a rustic looking Sheriff's office. Inside stood two men dressed in crisp black suits and looked every bit the creepy government spook. Sam and Don looked downright disheveled beside them, in casual clothes crumpled from traveling. Sam did a double take at the two men.
"Cross?" she said addressing the taller of the men. The man turned slowly and smiled.
"Colonel Carter, so good to see you," said Cross, his voice, slick and slimy, matched his smile. Sam scowled at him and crossed her arms. "How long has it been? Three, Four years?"
"Five," said Sam, "Ever since, we bailed you out in Oregon."
"Bailed us out!" cried the other man speaking for the first time, "We had everything under control!"
"That's highly debatable," Sam snorted. "Now, what the hell are you doing here?"
"We're here to collect a valuable government asset," said Cross.
"We're talking about people here!" cried Sam.
"And that makes you the grand prize winner," Everyone in the room, turned to see who had spoken. Jack Carter waved at the assembled people and smiled. "Sheriff Jack Carter," he offered his hand to Sam, who took it slightly dazed.
"Colonel Samantha Carter," she said. The Sheriff looked impressed and moved on to Don.
"Special Agent Don Epps, FBI."
"Daniel told me you'd be coming," said Carter.
"You've spoken to Daniel?" asked Sam.
"What about Charlie?" asked Don, "Have you seen him too?"
"Daniel was with him until he was brought here," said Carter, "I haven't seen him, I'm sorry."
"Where is Daniel, now?" asked Sam.
"He's being treated at our medical facility," said Carter.
"Was being treated at our medical facility," Everyone turned as Allison came in behind Carter, who looked just as surprised as everyone else. "I just got the call. He was supposed to be moved to a private room and given clothes, but he walked out of the infirmary sometime in the night."
"You lost him!" cried Sam, "And who the hell are you?"
"Allison Blake, Head of Global Dynamics."
"What about security?" asked Don, "Surely a place like this has guards and surveillance up the yin yang."
"We have the most top of the line security conceivable he shouldn't have been able to leave the infirmary level, without clearance," said Allison.
"But you think he has?" said Sam.
"We've already done a thorough search of that level, there's no way he's still there," said Allison.
"I don't understand, Daniel trusts you enough to tell you about us, but slips passed security anyway?" said Sam.
"I don't understand it either, especially for a man in his condition it's inconceivable that he'd just walk away without good reason," said Allison.
"A man in his condition?" asked Sam.
"He was shot," said Carter, "before, he got here, he said it happened when they told him what his new position would be, he ran."
Sam closed her eyes collecting herself, "How bad was it?"
"Through and through in the left shoulder, lost some blood, but we have some pretty good doctors here," said Carter.
"He was stable the last time I checked on him, the wound had closed and we'd replaced the blood-loss," said Allison.
"Dr Jackson must be brought back into custody," said Cross, "his contribution to our project is integral to its success."
"I'll bet," Sam glared at Cross, and turned back to Sheriff Carter, "We need to find Daniel, make sure he's okay, and you should check your records for any incoming shipments containing these code numbers," She pulled out her PDA and Allison did the same.
"One second I'll run a search," she said, "Okay, I've got two memos, with both numbers on them, standard DOD fare, they transfer projects here all the time, when they become too sensitive to be run in the open."
"Those numbers are the code names assigned to Doctors Jackson and Epps," said Sam.
"These transfer orders, use one of those numbers," said Jo glancing over Allison's shoulder and comparing it with papers she'd retrieved from her desk.
"Can I see those?" asked Sam, Lupo handed them over, "That's Daniel."
"What about Charlie?" asked Don.
"This states that he was transported to GD at the same time as Jackson was brought here," said Allison, "But I have no record of personnel transfer."
"There wouldn't be," said Sam, "They aren't personnel, anymore," she glared at Cross, "they're projects."
"What the hell does that mean?" cried Don, "Where is Charlie?"
"I don't know, but he's in there," said Sam.
"That's impossible!" said Allison.
"You accepted the transfer," said Sam, "but did you actually check to see what came in?"
"The forms were in order," said Allison, "Security checks incoming shipments. If there's a problem I'd have been notified."
"This is the same security that can't find one archeologist-I'm sorry- one injured archeologists in a secure DOD facility?" asked Sam.
"I'll order a review," said Allison.
"I can see there will be difficulties locating Dr Jackson today," said Cross, "and we have other appointments, if you locate him call us," he handed a business card to Sheriff Carter without so much as a glance as Sams' murderous expression.
"The only way I'm dialing this number is if Dr Jackson, asks me to," said Carter.
"So be-it," said Cross and he and his partner left without another word.
*******
Daniel laid another blanket on top Charlies' shivering form. He'd trusted Allison and Sheriff Carter and then he found out what they'd done to Charlie. The young man in the cot convulsed and moaned, whatever drugs he'd been given were wearing off, slowly, but he'd yet to regain full awareness. During the night Daniel had managed to slip into one of the empty security stations, all the guards had been mobilized in a full floor to floor search. Moving from the medical wing outward, which is why Daniel had taken the risk and moved Charlie into an un-used storage room, on that floor.
Daniel figured that they wouldn't come looking in the same place he'd disappeared from. In the security office Daniel had found a couple of spare uniforms, including, finally, a pair of boots in Daniel's size. With the security cap pulled down low over his face Daniel managed to make the trips to and from his hiding place unnoticed. As a child Daniel had learned quickly the penalty for standing out, was severe and he found his old habits easy to slip back into, no one ever gave him a second glance.
The trip to the security office yielded a lot of useful things, the uniforms, building plans including security measures on each floor and door, and a copy of the security schedule. Daniel even managed to print out a couple of photo ID's from the database. With only a few details that needed to be fine tuned, Daniel believed he had the makings of a good escape plan for both him and Charlie, just as soon as he was well enough. Sooner, would be better though, thought Daniel as he slid back into the room with a sleeping Charlie.
I thought it was time to whump Charlie a little. So I did! Later, Cynic.