FHtA: Sam, Lies and Videotape, Part 2: Get this (search) party started
Disclaimer: All hail Stargate's owners and creators and copyright holders and shadowy minions thereof! I have no minions (my cat ate them); therefore I cannot be and am not the owner or proprietor of Stargate:SG1 or any related intellectual property goodness. Pity me if you must, but please don't sue! Thanks! Buh-bye!
P.S. Oh, uh, I do own Ludlow and Andy and Alvarez and Ranger Pitt and um, gas station attendants and motel managers and anyone else you don't recognize.
Author's Notes to follow. Now on with the story!
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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Downtime Day 10
Colonel Jack O'Neill strode into the Administration Office and crossed directly to the reception desk. Even dressed in jeans and a leather bomber jacket, he gave off an air of restrained energy and power. The uniformed ranger behind the desk smiled brightly and put unconscious emphasis on her standard offer to help. He took off his sunglasses and said, "Colonel Jack O'Neill-"
"And Special Agent Michael Tapping of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to see Security Chief Ludlow. We have an appointment." Tapping, all six feet something of him, was just slightly breathless.
The young female ranger, having admired the colonel on his way in, made a subtle study of the arriving man. He looked good in a 'geek chic' way with dark brown hair as rumpled as a slept in suit. Days like this she loved front desk duty.
Still, these two were clearly on a mission from Authority. The FBI agent sent one last grimace-that-passed-for-a-smile in her direction before he whipped around to glare at Colonel Calm, Cool and Collected. She slipped away to summon the Security Chief and his deputies.
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If looks could kill, Jack would have needed a sarcophagus again. And again. And then he would've been struck mute. Repeatedly. He tried to care, really he did, but this Feeb was already grating on his nerves. Presumably the FBI required some kind of training, right? How Not to Alienate Potential Sources of Information 101? This Tapping jerk needed to go back for remedial work. So, yeah, they probably had to ask all those questions about Carter just the same they would about anyone they were investigating. And he'd heard worse. Hell, he'd said worse, if not about his 2IC. But the way this guy was shredding Carter's reputation without ever saying anything directly made Jack want to… Well, it was just one more reason to make it a short investigation. Self-control in the face of pissyness was never his strong suit.
"Sirs, if you'll please follow me?" the returned ranger requested. She opened the door to an office and waved them in. "If you'll just have a seat in here, Chief Ludlow will be with you shortly."
"Ah, Ranger Pitt? There are two other people who'll be joining us. Could we get seats for them, too? Thanks." Jack's brusque question came as he completed a nearly unconscious assessment of the room's threat potential. He automatically claimed the seat no one could sneak up on and adopted a deceptively casual slouch. The sooner this whole charade was over the sooner they could start looking for Carter.
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Agent Tapping claimed the more exposed chair and turned to face Colonel O'Neill as the door closed. He mentally counted to fifty and back while in search of the perfect opening and a conciliatory professional tone. As much as Chris was the designated 'people person' in their partnership, he recognized the simmering anger he'd provoked in the grizzled officer and his young companion. Not that he would've done it any differently if he'd known the result.
O'Neill seemed to be taking this far too personally for Tapping's comfort. Tapping's questions were a little more pointed than usual, but come on! It was basic investigative theory – when you have nothing to go on, you start with what you know and try to extend your knowledge until some evidence shows up. At this point all they had was a name and one measly file on the victim, so he had to ask questions about her. And unless her disappearance was a random event – a slim possibility that Tapping couldn't completely dismiss – the victim had been abducted for a reason. What was so offensive about exploring all the possibilities?
Regardless of offense, those questions and other, more personal ones still needed to be asked. He'd be damned if he'd let some Washington string puller yank him out into the field, saddle him with two 'military observers' and then restrict his ability to solve the case. He could foist the grumpy colonel off on his partner for the rest of those questions and hope that her innate people skills could coax information from him. Still, Tapping was the senior agent on site. He needed to get O'Neill to recognize his authority ASAP. What was that claptrap his last 'sensitivity training' had drilled into him? 'I' statements. And not 'I think you're an idiot and possibly a co-conspirator. Now where is Major Carter?' He sighed and leaned forward, the picture of earnestness.
"Colonel O'Neill, I'm afraid we've gotten off to a bad start here. I know you're concerned about your partner and I want you to know we'll do our best to find her. There are standard questions we have to ask with every disappearance. Even if we don't find any indication of why exactly Major Carter was here and a detailed account of what she did during her stay, she may turn up later. People wander into the Grand Canyon every year and wander back out a few days later, especially inexperienced campers. Maybe she even left with a friend for some, err, sightseeing. I'm sure everything will be fine. Once we figure out who she met and what they were up to, this case will solve itself."
Tapping saw O'Neill's jaw tighten with the effort to speak civilly. He couldn't know that his insinuations about the missing woman put the colonel forcibly in mind of NID smear tactics that SG-1 had been fighting for years. Tapping's 'standard questions' and others like them could be a serious threat to the major's career and reputation if they got to be part of an official investigative record, no matter what the outcome.
O'Neill's deceptive slouch dissolved into the crouch of a seasoned predator. His eyes snapped under frowning brows that would have warned a lesser man to sit down and shut up. "Agent. Tapping. Major Carter is an Air Force officer with nearly a decade of experience. She's no traitor. But she is a combat veteran with specialized wilderness survival training. Which you would know if you bothered to read her service record." O'Neill was now leaning forward with a barely restrained intensity. His hands clenched on the arms of his chair as if only his white-knuckled hold kept him from going for the agent's throat. "Major Carter has already been missing for a week and she deserves better than some suitmonkey who thinks answers will just fall in his lap if he sits around long enough! "
Tapping was speechless. He'd been trying to make nice and look what happened! He was in charge here, dammit! He tried to loom over the older man's position. "Listen, Colonel! This is an FBI investigation, not a military one! You and your little partner Quinn –"
"Team Member." O'Neill gritted out, his tight jaw clenched.
"Fine! You and your Team Member – Partner – Whatever – are here on sufferance! My orders were to give you access to all the information we receive and to listen to any suggestions you might have as to classified aspects of the case. So far, there aren't any." Tapping punctuated his observation with a 'so there!' hand gesture guaranteed to raise O'Neill's blood pressure. He leaned so far forward in his chair that he actually got up and got right in O'Neill's face. "I don't have to let you sit in on this interview! You're not even supposed to be involved until we establish that a crime was committed here! Now, you might have access to my case because somebody pulled some very tense strings in Washington, but this is MY investigation and I won't have you telling me how to do my job!"
Jack rose silently from his chair as his hands flexed into fists. "Your job is to find Carter by whatever means necessary. Take your head out of your ass for one minute and think about why we've been assigned to you for the classified parts of this case." He violated Tapping's personal space and began wildly ticking off points on his fingers. "Major Carter's the head researcher on a project so secret you don't even know its name. She's the smartest person in a base full of geeks and some very nasty guys would kill for that brain power." He grabbed at control with both hands and made himself step back, but his voice was still loud and furious. "Her clearance goes to levels you've never even heard of, and she has it because people with more knowledge and experience than you trust her and her judgment. If there's any string pulling going on behind the scenes, you can bet your ass she deserves it!"
Jack slowly made himself sit back down. A brilliant Carter-like solution was beyond him, but he could tear strips off these agency types all day long. Where did they recruit these morons, anyway? Tapping obviously didn't get it. SG-1 didn't leave their people behind - whether on or off world – and he was living proof. His steely eyes never left Tapping's startled ones, and they never lost their intensity. The stare was broken only by the office door opening.
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"Thank you, Ranger Pitt. We'll be fine to wait… in… here." Chris Anderson's voice trailed off as she took in the atmosphere in the tiny office. The door had barely closed when she turned to her partner, arms akimbo. "What's going on?"
Jack answered. "Nothing important, Agent Anderson. We were just telling each other our... expectations for the investigation."
Tapping did, indeed, know what was good for him, so he said nothing. Not that he was afraid of the colonel or anything. It was just better to keep quiet for now and look into his theory away from 'observing' eyes. His spine straightened and he glanced defiantly over at O'Neill as he sat down.
Chris' eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak. Between the information she'd just gotten from Jonas and the pissing contest she'd apparently interrupted, this investigation could run aground before they got it started. And she wouldn't tolerate that. She took a slow breath and spat out her trump card. "I certainly hope personal conflicts won't force me to eject any members of this team. Any trail here is getting colder and our combined jurisdiction doesn't stretch across that highway. The Deputy Director gave me this case," and Tapping got identical death glares from O'Neill and his partner for that little forgotten detail, "and I don't want to have to pull rank, but the only thing we're here to do is find Samantha Carter. Is that clear?"
She glanced rapidly from Jack to Tapping and back and saw her partner shut his mouth with a click. The colonel jerked his head in what could be interpreted as a nod and kept his narrowed eyes on Tapping. "Fine. Now that we're all on the same page," and she clearly didn't think they were, "let's get some basic questions out of the way."
"Yeah, like what the major's real plan-" Tapping's semi-sneer lasted less than half a second.
"Maybe I didn't make it simple enough for you, Mapping! Take your questions and shove them up your-" the Colonel's interruption got just a little farther before an ear-splitting whistle shocked them into silence.
"HEY!" Agent Anderson's face was now the shade of her fiery hair and all five feet and two-and-a-half inches of her body vibrated with menace. She moved between the suddenly standing men and glared them back into their chairs. "You two want simple? Try this: Sit Down and Shut Up! I will ask the questions and anyone with information will volunteer the answer. A factual answer based on solid evidence. That's an order from the agent in charge of this investigation, Gentlemen."
Both O'Neill and Tapping glared up at Chris, but they did as they were told. Barely. She moved just out of their line of sight and made herself calm down. Her voice was quiet and controlled, with just a thread of fury snaking through, as she continued. "Now, Major Carter just purchased a large new SUV that seems out of her price range given that she also has a new Volvo. Does anyone have information relating to this?"
Jonas piped up from his place beside the colonel, "Major Carter was in a car accident about five months ago and her old Volvo was totaled. In the meantime the insurance company let her lease a new Volvo until they could finish their investigation. She turned in the new car and bought an SUV with the settlement."
"I see. Thank you, Jonas. Her recent purchase of two new cars stood out for someone with her salary. Were there any after effects of the accident besides the change in vehicles?" Anderson stared at her partner until he got out a notebook and jotted this explanation down.
"Well, it was a pretty bad wreck. She was heading home from the mountain late one night and got broadsided by a drunk driver. Her old car was a classic Volvo and it didn't have the airbags and safety features the new ones have. The front of the SUV just crashed right through her engine and front passenger compartment. She was in a coma for two days afterwards and it took her almost a month to return to limited duty on base," Jonas continued.
"Okay. Were there any lingering physical effects or changes in her personality or cognitive processes as a result of her injuries? Has she been cleared for duty since then?"
"Yes, she's been cleared," Colonel O'Neill added. "Carter's brain is unscrambled."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning Doctor Fraiser, the base's CMO, put her through every test in the book and some she just made up. Carter passed. She was out of commission for two-and-a-half months, but she's all better now. Is that what you wanted to know?" O'Neill snapped.
"Yes. Thank. You." Anderson took another breath and glanced at her partner, who was transcribing this interrogation without further prompting from her. "Now, Jonas also mentioned that Major was abducted last year. He assures me that there is no connection between that incident and this one. Do you agree?"
Tapping's head shot up at this new information but he stayed silent. Anderson was in a rhythm and digging well without his help.
"Yeah. Think maybe there was a reason we're so gung ho about the kidnapping theory?" O'Neill taunted.
Tapping couldn't let that go. "And maybe it's just a great cover story."
"Enough!" Anderson returned. Her tone got very dry as she continued. "Tell me if I have my facts straight here. An incredibly rich industrialist, Mr. Adrian Conrad, found out that Sa- Major Carter has a … unique chemical in her blood because of an on-the-job accident a few years ago under classified circumstances which you are unable to clarify. The chemical, which you are unable to name, is not harmful and has no communicable effects unlike the hallucinogenic substance released from your base recently." Jack's poker face revealed nothing as she continued. Their cover story after the appearance of aliens from a parallel dimension was barely plausible, but he had no intention of setting Anderson straight.
"This unnamed chemical in Sa- Major Carter's blood is very rare and has possible medical applications. You found out later that someone close to the program sold Conrad that information and he decided to try and run tests on her to see if it could help him cure a rare disease he'd contracted. However, according to Jonas, this information is closely held and therefore not likely to induce another kidnapping attempt."
"You mean he kidnapped her to make her some kind of lab rat?" Tapping's horrified surprise was the only visible reaction besides a certain grim distaste in O'Neill's eyes.
Jonas picked up the narrative. "Yeah. He took her from her gym when she was off base for the weekend. The colonel and the rest of the team connected the dots and found her in a private hospital in Oregon. And before you ask, yes. We know this's not related to that because that guy found another cure and was being held in custody for his part in kidnapping Major Carter. He died from … a side effect of that cure a few weeks ago. Plus we shut down another project of his a few months ago and we think we have the rest of his cronies under wraps as well."
"And you don't think all this antagonized whoever was running Conrad's businesses? This alone could be cause for a further kidnapping attempt." Anderson's fake patience was wearing impossibly thin. "Okay, so there's obviously more to Major Carter's life than we understood. Is there any other time she was abducted or threatened in the recent past? Hell, in the last five years? How sure are you that you got everyone from the previous attempt?"
Tapping broke in on his favorite theme. "Did you follow the money trail to see who else might have been behind it?"
"Oh, that's about it for kidnapping," O'Neill interjected, ignoring Tapping completely.
That didn't stop Jonas from adding to it. "Some of the missions we've been on have been dangerous, but they're classified and not really relevant to this situation. I mean, they're not specifically threatening to Sam. I just mentioned the other because it fit with our theory of what happened here."
"Thank you. Jonas." O'Neill's glare shut the helpful man down.
Chris let her glare fade into a stern look and she very much meant it. "You realize that it could take months to solve the case if you're deliberately withholding information? I'm not trying to point fingers here, but we need all the leads you can give us."
"About kidnapping or anything else that might be going on." Tapping added.
Anderson closed her eyes and waited for the storm of insults and accusations her partner seemed determined to provoke. It wasn't long in coming. For every insinuation Tapping made about insidious motives Sam may have had for disappearing, O'Neill countered with an insult on Tapping's training, investigative ability, hygiene or ancestry and a reasonable counter to the previous charge. Only she and Jonas stayed more or less out of it until her control finally snapped. She took one step forward and put herself directly between the two men. She turned to Tapping and stared him down until he fell silent.
"Let me tell you how this is going to go," Chris whispered. The other three men in the room unconsciously leaned forward to hear her as she marched to the front of the security chief's desk and turned to catch each of them in her stare. "Michael, you're convinced that Major Carter disappeared on purpose." She held up a hand to forestall a further outburst from O'Neill. Her partner knew better than to mess with her when she used his hated first name.
"Yes."
"Then you have six hours to come up with definitive proof of that theory. No more and no less. You are not to leave this park or interact with either of our military observers during that time. Colonel O'Neill?" Anderson rode roughshod over all opposition.
"Yes, ma'am."
"You also have six hours to come up with proof that Major Carter did not leave of her own free will. The same conditions apply. You will further refrain from interfering with current park activities, including the search. That goes for both of you."
Both men tried to argue with Anderson, but she was through listening. She held up her hand for silence and waited until their protests wound down. "There is also, to my knowledge, a physical search of the canyon happening now. Jonas, if the rangers have no objection would you please join that search? I will liaise with the park administration to aid any electronic surveillance they have going. Now, anyone violating the conditions I've set forth or continuing to aggravate other team members with their theories or investigating those theories without my express permission after reporting to me at the end of six hours will be off the investigation. Even if that means I'm out here on my own and despite any assurances anyone may have to the contrary. Does everyone understand?"
She had barely collected three nods in related degrees of sullenness when Chief Ludlow barreled into the room with two rangers carrying chairs in tow.
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Chris shot her companions a brief keep-your-cool look and made introductions to the short, intense man behind the desk. She and Jonas settled in beside their respective partners and no one thought it a coincidence that they were now in between O'Neill and Tapping.
"Well, it's nice to meet you all even under such poor circumstances. As you can imagine, we're mighty glad to have the FBI and... friends here to help our staff look into this mess. We just don't have the personnel to support a full time detective and our ranger patrols are mostly concentrated in the camping areas this time of year." Ludlow was dark haired and eyed and crackling with energy. The sight of such a clearly competent man eased the edge of Jack's temper. This guy might actually be some help.
"Now, I've heard from friends in the Bureau and a General… Hammond, was it? Yes. General Hammond." Ludlow's hands skittered across the desk to a memo pad with names scrawled on it and back, never settling on anything. "I got details on the four of you and one other person who's already here helping with the canyon search, Tio Murray. I understand he works with the missing woman as well?"
Tapping's eyes snapped to Jack's 'innocent' gaze and then back to Chief Ludlow. This was new information. Another military 'observer' to hamper the investigation? Great. Just great. His gaze slid to his partner's impassive expression and back to the chief.
"So," Ludlow continued, not as oblivious to the byplay as he seemed, "you all have clearance to any materials, plans or evidence we have here in the park. Anything you need, you ask my deputies here and you'll get it." Ludlow nodded to the two men in park ranger uniform still standing in the now cramped office.
"Deputy Robert Alvarez heads up the electronic monitoring department, and he's gathered all the security tapes you should need to see since the Major's arrival… almost week ago, was it? Oh, here - I see. Five days ago." The tall, solid looking ranger nodded silently and melted into stillness again. He lacked the stereotypical pale skin and weak build of someone with a serious computer habit, but his eyes carried a wealth of intelligence.
"And Deputy Andy Crosby has been in charge of the search so far." Crosby was small but well muscled, with the weathered skin of someone who spent his life outdoors. He gave a small wave and a smile that etched the lines around his eyes into crevasses. "Andy, you have those maps of where you've looked already?"
Alvarez' soft Hispanic accent broke into the brief silence. "Actually, Chief. I have something you'll want to know. All of you."
The sudden resurgence of tension in the room could have snapped piano wire. O'Neill and Tapping looked ready to shake the information from him bodily, and Chris would probably help. Alvarez' calm eyes were fastened on his boss as he waited for acknowledgement; he might not be that easy to compel.
"Have you found Sam on your security tapes?" Jonas hoped.
"No, I'm sorry, not yet. What I did find was a record of Major Carter's license plate number indexed with the entrance fee and a camping permit fee 5 days ago. She was definitely here. Or someone used her car here." Alvarez continued calmly.
"You're sure!" Tapping inquired.
"Wait, you don't know if it was Carter or not? I thought you were in charge of electronic surveillance doohickeys. Shouldn't there be something on your security cameras somewhere?" Jack questioned simultaneously.
"That's what we're looking through right now," Alvarez continued in his unruffled tenor. "We haven't had the manpower to make a real go of it. Now that we have people here who know Major Carter and her vehicle on sight, our video search should speed up considerably. As for the other, our system noted the make, model and plate number of Major Carter's car and the date it was entered when she purchased the permit. We're sure that her car was admitted to the park late Wednesday afternoon."
"Hang on, I don't get it. How can you know for a fact when Carter got here and still not be able to find her on your tapes? What's the holdup?" Colonel O'Neill scowled at the ultracalm Alvarez, who glanced at his boss for permission before answering.
"Colonel O'Neill, our accounting program downloads from remote point-of-sale nodes at each park entrance to the central computer system every four hours with the details of permit purchases. The park entrances are covered by camera, but there are several entrances on both the North and South Rim of the Canyon, so we have literally hours of tape to go through just to find her entry point. We know she came in five days ago sometime between 4 and 8 p.m. We need to review footage from every entrance for those four hours plus a half hour's overlap on each side to make sure we catch her. From there we can try to follow her route on foot or by camera." Alvarez' tone didn't alter, but his features tightened in frustration. Chris gave him points for investigating even that far on the bare possibility that Sam Carter may have disappeared from the park. "We've done our best so far, but it's a painstaking process to note and eliminate each entry into the park. Major Carter was driving an SUV, which allows us to eliminate a few cars on sight. Unfortunately, SUVs are extremely popular in this area for ranch work and for tourists. It just takes time."
Jack tried to look stoic, but he was visibly disappointed. Chris couldn't help but sympathize. For just an instant when Alvarez interrupted, she thought this might be a quick solve before reality - and Alvarez - dashed her hopes. And she wasn't even supposed to know Major Doctor Samantha Carter. How much worse was it for Sam's co-workers? She also remembered the Colonel's recent stint as a missing person. This couldn't be easy for him.
The deputy's voice took on a tinge of hope. "Do you have any information about the Major's camping plans or interests in the park? It's been impossible for us to start searching the internal park tapes without that, but now that you're here…"
Ludlow broke in. "Robert, you can get the details from the agents reviewing the footage. Let's hear what Andy has come up with before we get into all that." Alvarez subsided into stillness again as his counterpart took the floor.
"Well, Chief, what I've got is a big load of nothing." Deputy Andy Crosby had the perky personality his fellow deputy lacked, and it shone through even on a serious subject like this. "I've got all the rangers we could pull off guest operations and that Tio fella quartering the usual spots tourists get into and then can't get out of, but no sign of her so far. We'll keep looking, but there's an awful lot of canyon to search and not a lot of manpower. I'd rather have these folks start a search of the surface than drag newbies up and down the canyon walls. No offense."
"None taken." O'Neill murmured a bit sourly. However much he'd be willing to climb to the canyon floor and back to help find his teammate, he knew his knees wouldn't hold up through the trip even if Anderson would let him go. Worse, he might hold other searchers up trying to keep him safe, and that meant fewer people actively trying to find Carter. He sighed silently and Ludlow captured his attention again.
"Well, I'll let you all get on with dividing your forces. Now, Andy and Robert here are truly my deputies in this. That means that if you hear it from them, you've heard it from me. And if you tell it to them, the same thing goes. I'm not much use in searching so I'm taking up their slack while these two help you find your Major Carter. And I hope you do find her. Anything we can do for you or give you, just ask. I'm not hedging that, either. You ask for anything that doesn't endanger the people or the park here and it's yours." Ludlow's sincerity eased some of the residual tension from the room. His deputies couldn't have looked more confident in their boss or his willingness to do whatever was needed to help. All the visitors in this room could see that Ludlow was a rare find given the bureaucracies with which they were all familiar.
"Thank you, sir," the Colonel said. His eyes showed everything he didn't say. Ludlow acknowledged him with a nod as the chief gathered his papers and stood up.
"Yes, thank you Chief Ludlow." Tapping reiterated. He looked a bit annoyed by the scope of the information to pick through or perhaps the company he'd have to keep while sorting through it, but his gaze was no less admiring of the briskly efficient security chief.
Ludlow nodded to the visitors, slapped his subordinates on the back, and vamoosed.
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Ranger Andy Crosby held a swift and silent conversation with his co-deputy, Ranger Robert Alvarez. Neither wanted to put themselves in the line of ire of these 'guests', but they had significant information to impart and they both wanted to get back to their parts of the search pronto. Finally, Andy jerked his fist into the air in an abortive request for 'rock, paper, scissors'. Robert rolled his eyes and started.
"Well, you all know what we have so far, but let me explain a little bit about what it means and where we intend to go from here. We have evidence that Major Carter's car entered the park and that she, or whoever drove the car in, intended to camp on park grounds. That would usually be helpful, but the permit was never registered or tagged for violations so we can't go by that."
"Uh, sorry. Translation?" The grizzled colonel raised his hand and the other three looked just as lost.
"We know Major Carter didn't leave a record of using any campsite, nor did anyone check out on her permit using her car. When rangers come by to patrol the campgrounds, they check their handheld PCs to see if a permit has been logged under the camper's name and vehicle description. If so, they make a record of the campsite used and explain the beneficial land use policy to the campers. If not, they fine or eject the squatters.
"In this case, we know that Major Carter's car was present when a permit was purchased, but that permit was never entered as occupying a campsite on any of our rangers' PCs. We checked all the site records and stepped up the visual inspections, but there's no sign that Major Carter ever set up camp anywhere in the park. Our guys have also been asking the campers that have been here over a week if they remember seeing Major Carter or her car, but so far no hits.
"We've looked for her in the campgrounds, exhibit spaces, scenic outlooks, lodges, really in all the obvious places up here. We know she's not topside any place she should be and the park itself is too large to do a shoulder to shoulder walking search until we've exhausted all our other options. The only physical location left before we go to that is down by the river. And as many people come to see the canyon, only a few see it from the bottom up."
"Well, then why are you searching for Carter down there?" the colonel asked.
Andy broke in. "Until Robert can get us a better location from his video system, that's all we can do. We've concentrated our search on the places she could go on foot since that's usually where we find people. If they're not topside, we go into the Canyon."
Robert took the lead again. "Our video system is more for monitoring entrances or wilderness conservation projects than locating random guests, but we're trying. There are 3500 cameras within the park covering the outside areas. That sounds like a lot until you consider the space they have to cover. There are 1,904 square miles of park with 291 miles of roadway, so the cameras are spread very thin in areas. Even a lot of the main roads aren't covered. We do have footage of all the parking lots and entrances and that's what we've tried to start on. There're hours and hours to go through to find Major Carter." Alvarez seemed to lose hope for a second, but his partner captured the briefing's momentum and continued.
"Until that happens, it'd be really helpful to find her car and see if she left a note or a plan or some record of where she went and when. Even if she didn't camp, her car is still here in a parking lot somewhere and it could lead us in a direction. We could really use some manpower up here to find the car. Also, we need some people to watch the monitors and yell if they see her. However you divide up your team, I'll take the searchers and get them started on canvassing the parking lots and Robert'll set up the video team."
The deputies caught each other's eyes and waited for the explosion. They were a little disappointed when the woman and the crew cut kid turned their backs on their partners and muttered inaudibly together. Explaining their choices to their partners looked a little trickier, but both older men eventually settled down. Once an agreement was reached, they took their teams to the rangers and got a move on. No discussion or dissension allowed.
The grizzled military man and the floppy Fed were tasked with their 'individual projects' for the rest of the day and moved stiffly off in opposite directions behind a rapidly summoned pair of rangers. The crew cut kid seemed to be reassuring the little red head that Tio Murray was a good guy to have on the physical search. Finally, those two asked Robert for access to the audiovisual room. Andy was just as happy to head back to the canyon on his own.
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'Tio Murray', more properly known as Teal'c of Chulak, glided silently to a halt inside the darkened administration building. He inclined his head slightly just outside the door to the audiovisual monitoring room and extended his excellent senses. It appeared that JonasQuinn had surrendered to sleep during the Jaffa's period of kel'no'reem, leaving the room vacant of all useful activity. The Kelownan was still inside, slumped over in his folding metal chair and snoring slightly. O'Neill had already left in the company of the agents of investigation.
Teal'c frowned slightly and entered the video room. Although JonasQuinn had admirable stamina for an individual of his age and race, many hours seated in front of a video monitor had finally sapped his energy. Teal'c reactivated the monitor and began reviewing the images that unwound before his eyes. This security system was crude and inefficient; large gaps in the cameras' areas of sight made true surveillance impossible. Even these images of a North Rim entrance booth could have been improved with a minor readjustment of the camera angle. If MajorCarter's disappearance were not so pressing a concern, Teal'c would have taken RangerAlvarez aside and explained the easiest and most important ways to improve his surveillance network.
However, the mission priority was locating MajorCarter. Teal'c felt an unaccustomed twinge of guilt as he thought of his female team member. MajorCarter was an able warrior with a superior understanding of technology. He had complete confidence in her ability to defend herself under normal circumstances. No doubt deception or subterfuge had been necessary to overpower her. Except that… MajorCarter had recently exhibited unusually emotional behavior while searching for O'Neill. He remembered the day he had looked all over the SGC for her in concern, only to find her expressing feelings of sorrow and helplessness in the women's locker room. She had tried to explain her feelings but had crumpled into tears and eagerly accepted his tentative hug as she continued to weep. The Tau'ri called this a 'crying jag'.
And her mention of DanielJackson was disturbing. Although none of the members of SG-1 had forgotten their former teammate, his ascension and absence were never discussed amongst them. MajorCarter had expressed anger at O'Neill and Teal'c himself with regard to their lack of emotional expression on this topic. Had his friend needed more support than he had given her? Was there something he might have done to prevent this 'road trip'? Should he have offered to accompany her? Indeed these questions were troubling. And immaterial to the mission objective. He must concentrate on the displayed images to find any glimpse of MajorCarter. He was displeased with his wandering attention.
Less than five minutes later the tape ended without evidence of MajorCarter's presence. Teal'c replaced it with another and cued it to the beginning of the five hours he would review. As the player located the correct time, he allowed his attention to return to its peregrinations. One topic continued to snare his attention for reasons he could not fully comprehend.
He was… disappointed by O'Neill's actions. After all the worry and effort expended by the science team on his behalf, the colonel had generally thanked people and then ignored the situation. Even after Teal'c made special effort to mention MajorCarter's contribution to the search effort and her concern for their leader, O'Neill had made no effort to single her out for praise or gratitude. That was unlike the canny leader that Teal'c had followed for years. Even when MajorCarter annoyed O'Neill with unnecessarily complicated technical explanations, he had always seemed to respect her efforts. Except for the instance in which MajorCarter had been instrumental in rescuing O'Neill from Edora. Recovering the colonel from extended periods of unsought offworld residence seemed to bring out the colonel's 'bad side'. But that wasn't all that bothered Teal'c.
According to GeneralHammond, O'Neill and JonasQuinn had been informed of MajorCarter's disappearance a day before the SGC and the Jaffa resistance made contact. SG-1 had departed the SGC immediately to begin the search for their missing comrade. Although GeneralHammond indicated that JonasQuinn had recommended contacting the Jaffa and GeneralHammond had negated that idea, O'Neill as the head warrior of their team should have informed Teal'c as soon as MajorCarter's disappearance was confirmed. This lack of respect was most harmful to the harmonious and efficient functioning of their band of warriors.
In true Jaffa fashion, Teal'c had contained his displeasure during the transport to the large crevasse and his subsequent participation in the search of the river area. The rangers of this large crevasse were proficient trackers for Tau'ri, and their dedication to their quest was worthy of respect. Teal'c had no reason to express his displeasure or feelings of isolation to these rangers, so he had waited until he met O'Neill again. The Jaffa was certain that the agents of investigation remained oblivious to his subtle communication with O'Neill, but the deep frown on his face and constant reference to his team leader by both his title and surname had expressed his displeasure to 'ColonelO'Neill'.
O'Neill had taken the Jaffa aside and apologized 'for whatever it was I did' in typical flippant O'Neill style, but the rancor remained. He mulled over his response, trying to find the root of his displeasure and eliminate it. Perhaps he was constructing a tall rock formation from a subterranean rodent's home, but Teal'c could not easily forgive O'Neill's delay in requesting his assistance or forget his dismissal of MajorCarter's efforts. When he had left the service of the false god Apophis, he had sworn his allegiance to O'Neill and the other warriors who became SG-1. He had been unable to aid DanielJackson in his ascension to a higher plane of existence, but that helplessness only made him more determined to protect and comfort O'Neill and MajorCarter. A day's delay in adding his talents to the search for MajorCarter may not have made a difference to the outcome, but his honor required that he offer every assistance to those who held his oath of allegiance. O'Neill's secrecy was perilously close to dishonor in the depths of Teal'c's heart.
Suddenly, a familiar car on the monitor caught his attention. Finally, perhaps he had found MajorCarter's entry into the park! And it was she. He watched her 'chat' with the ranger who exchanged her money for a permit. With a final wave, MajorCarter drove smoothly out of camera range.
He pulled out his cellular phone to awaken O'Neill, but shut it before he completed dialing. He and Jonas were capable of tracking their teammate's progress on the surveillance system. O'Neill was unnecessary at this time. And the leader of SG-1 most assuredly needed more sleep after his recent ill health. A small evil smile crossed Teal'c's face - perhaps he should wait to inform O'Neill until tomorrow morning.
"JonasQuinn! You must awaken." Teal'c shook his teammate's shoulder vigorously.
"Wha? Teal'c? What's going on? Has something happened?" Jonas shot up into a sitting position as he rubbed his face and let the world come in to focus.
"Indeed." Teal'c allowed his relief to surface in a smile that snagged Jonas' attention.
"You found something?" Jonas demanded, rushing to his feet and stumbling over to sit before the monitor. "Oh my God! Sam! She was really here. And… and healthy and whole and fine!"
Teal'c watched Jonas' own blinding grin shoot forth to reflect and magnify the Jaffa's pleasure. "Indeed. I have located MajorCarter's entry into the park on the afternoon indicated. She arrived here through one of the westernmost entrances on the North Rim of the Large Crevasse. If you will assist me, we can follow her progress through the park."
Teal'c hardly had to ask. Jonas vaulted up and grabbed the next stack of tapes. He plunked them between Teal'c's viewing station and one he set up quickly. "It's 'Grand Canyon', Teal'c. Okay, now that we know where she came in, we have to follow her route. Can you look at those and see if she shows up on any cameras after…. 5:37 p.m.?"
Teal'c reached over and fast forwarded the next tape to the time of MajorCarter's entrance into the park. This camera seemed to watch a junction of main roads running south and east not far from the entrance. He had no idea where MajorCarter had gone in the park, but the … Grand Canyon was south of the entrance and the majority of the park was east of her entry point. He thought he had a good chance of tracking her.
"There she is!" Jonas cried, noting the time and location of her appearance on his camera on a notebook he placed between them. "Hey, Teal'c are you watching camera N72W97GL3? I think she's going there next."
Teal'c tracked Sam's car through his intersection and noted her eastward turn. Jonas located the next tape and began searching for Sam's passage as Teal'c plotted her route on a map RangerAlvarez had provided. They continued to pass off watching and plotting until her SUV came to rest in a parking lot not far from the northern rim of the canyon.
"It appears that we can no longer track MajorCarter by camera." Teal'c announced. He saw his blond teammate leave her car and stretch those familiar arms and legs in apparent satisfaction after a long drive. She wandered to the back seat and pulled out a digital camera and a canteen before locking her car and hiking in the direction of a scenic overview.
"Well, maybe there's another set of cameras that cover a wildlife study nearby. I'll look. Call me if you see anything new."
Teal'c nodded and finished noting the time and direction of MajorCarter's exit from the parking lot. Not much happened for the next ten minutes of tape, but then another vehicle pulled up just a space to the other side of MajorCarter's SUV. No one exited the van, which made him raise one eyebrow in suspicion. There were many empty spaces in the parking lot and no obvious reason for the driver to have backed in, besides aligning the main passenger doors with MajorCarter's vehicle. He continued to watch the occupied van for another 40 minutes. Then MajorCarter returned to her vehicle.
As she approached, the driver's door opened and a tall bulky man got out and faked a stretch. Two women left via the side doors and wandered to the front of the van. He could see them exchange words, most likely a greeting, with MajorCarter. His teammate smiled in return and opened the back hatch of her SUV. As the women seemed to ask her a question, the man circled further towards the camera. He just happened to flank MajorCarter and cut off her access to the hiking trail she'd come from. She spread her park map on the tailgate and indicated a spot near their current location. The women leaned over and gestured at the map as the man circled further and called out, catching MajorCarter's attention. As she turned her back on the women, one reached slowly into her bag and drew out a dark plastic bottle and a rag. The other woman moved between them, shielding her companion's actions. From what he could see of the first woman's movements, Teal'c assumed she saturated the cloth with a substance from the bottle.
"What's going on?" Jonas interrupted, distracted by the Jaffa's tense expression.
"I believe we have discovered what happened to Major Carter."
The man on the tape tried to interest their teammate in more conversation, but she smiled and began to turn around. The rest happened so quickly that Teal'c immediately rewound the tape and played it several more times. Finally, he looked up at Jonas and met the Kelownan's solemn eyes.
"I guess we'd better wake Colonel O'Neill," Jonas offered.
Teal'c's only response was: "Indeed."
SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC SGC
Author's Note: Yay, it's finally done! Sorry for the delay in posting, but this chapter mutated and metastasized all over the place. It's actually smaller now than it was at one point, but it's much better! And I'm trying to convince my muse that we have to write this part of the story before we get to Sam's return, but she's stubborn. Ack!
Just in case you wondered, the stats on the GC are accurate per their website except for the number of cameras. I totally made that up. The North Rim is generally wilder and less touristy than the South Rim, so it's logical to me that her car could sit there for a few days without anyone the wiser.
As for the car accident that totaled Sam's classic Volvo, I also made that up for the purposes of later plot developments. HOWEVER, if you notice her car in 'Prometheus' when the reporter corners Sam in the beginning, it's a newer Volvo. Also, in 'Nightwalkers' the silhouette of the Volvo in front of her house looks more modern than classic. I put the accident in the timeline at about the period of 'The Other Guys' – for the purposes of canon-izing it, let's say that Felger had Sam and her accident on his mind.
Please let me know also what you thought of the arguments. There are more that could come and I'd like to know if they rang true before I post more.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW and let me know what you liked and didn't like and why. I need feedback at this point because things are about to get more complicated and I'd like to know what you think before we get there. The more reviews I get, the faster I update!
Next Chapter: We find out what exactly T and Jonas saw. Jack tries to kick the Feds out of this particular classified sandbox. And more!