Author's note: hey guys, sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter is unbetaed though, since my beta didn't have time to read it yet. But I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. I hope there are not too many mistakes. I hope you have fun reading.

Let me add one more thing: I will definitely bring this story to a conclusion but it may take me longer than expected.

:o)

Chapter 18

The little motel near Silver Bay City lay in the semi-dark, shadows were thrown across the street by passing cars that Wednesday morning. The atmosphere was tense although birds were singing; the occupants of a little group entering the motel were anything but relaxed. The five men, all dressed in casual clothes, to not arouse any attention towards them, made their way from their prospective cars into the hotel. To the outside world it seemed they were just five normal men, who were on a fishing trip in the beautiful state of Minnesota (Land of sky blue waters, loofahs...) but they all knew better than that. They hadn't got a detailed briefing yet, had rather gotten their travel information together with the instructions to keep everything top secret. Secrecy wasn't unusual for their missions for they were in no way official or legal but rather private instructions by special clients, who paid a lot to get different things cleared. In any normal case they would have gotten their briefing before leaving on the mission, this time was different though, special even. And therefore they were all quite nervous. They checked in the motel for three nights and after putting their luggage in the rented rooms they left for the place where they were about to get the much needed information for accomplishing their mission.

"Come on in guys." an older man, who was already waiting for them, shouted. He had arranged a room with a table and some rather odd looking chairs. The laptop standing on the little table was whirling/ humming silently while the men seated themselves around it.

"Ok. It took you some time to get here but now that you are finally managed let's start."

The men settled back in their chairs and listened carefully. One middle-aged man was concentrating really hard because he wanted to focus on everything, after all he'd have to write a very detailed report if or better make that when his own little secret mission was done.

Two years, it had taken him two years to get to that point. Two years of going on patrol and making coffee but also trying to get close to his target...getting close to the people, who were now in the same room with him. He'd never seen that day coming but he had certainly hoped for it. And all at once it had happened. Hed been on tour with Michael Rodriguez when they had eventually caught some dealer selling drugs to an underage. That day Michael had let him in on the secret of their little group because although they had caught the dealer they hadn't arrested him, merely taken all his money and left him. From that very moment he, Jim Paich, was part of their corruptive group. His actual mission had started back then; he'd informed his bosses that he'd finally managed to get in there and they had given him permission to do everything he could to finally catch that team of officers, who seriously harmed the national laws. But for now Jim was looking at all the information appearing on the laptop's screen. At the moment there was a picture of a woman with blonde , short hair and one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen.

"This is Doctor Samantha Shannahan." his boss pointed out "A new, very special client, whose name I am not going to mention as you all know, wants us to bring her to him. My sources led me know that she is at a cabin near Silver Bay at the moment. Dr. Shannahan stays there with a friend of hers but also her two year old daughter." Jim followed the speech with increasing interest. They were about to kidnap a woman? He didn't know much about the team's former activities but on the men's faces he could see that those missions were rather rare.

"What about the kid? Are we to bring her too? Or just the doctor?" on of the men asked.

"Just bring the woman. That's what the instruction says. The client was quite clear that he doesn't want the child. It would just be unnecessary luggage."

"But what about Dr. Shannahan's friend? Do we know anything about her?" another one wanted to know.

"Actually it is a male friend and we do know some things about him. I was just about to tell you about him before i was so rudely interrupted." the chief continued, throwing accusing looks at the younger officer, who had voiced his thoughts. The slide on the laptop's screen changed and Jim almost gasped out loud. On the screen was a picture of his former CO.

"The man staying with Samantha Shannahan is Jonathan O'Neill. General in the US Air Force. Unfortunately most of his personal file is classified. So classified that not even my contacts in higher places could find anything. The only thing we know is that he is special trained in hand-to-hand combat."

"So it won't be a piece of cake to get the doctor?"

"No, it isn't. Today and tomorrow we are going to observe the cabin. See whether we can find a routine they follow. We will have to get the doctor when O'Neill is absent or it will not be a happy place to be. Unfortunately we just have two days and nights to get things organized and that's why we are leaving immediately to scout the area around the cabin and bug the house if possible."

Jim was shocked. Jack O'Neill? That Jack O'Neill, who had saved him from imprisonment and had then suffered himself in an Iraqi prison for three months?

"Although we are just leaving to scout the area, I want you to bring your weapons. Should the opportunity arise we will act immediately. If shooting will become necessary, do so. The rest will be taken care of later."

Jim felt his heart beating in his throat. It seemed to be so loud, he was afraid the other were able to hear it. But still staring at the picture on the screen he didn't notice the the briefing was finished and all the other occupants were leaving the room. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, which pulled him out of his reverie.

"Don't worry. I know it's your first actual mission, just first big deal with us. But look at the bright side. If everything works out as it is planned, we'll all get a lot of money." the chief, a rather fat man, announced.

"Yeah...I know...it's just cold feet, I guess." Jim smiled reassuringly, got up and left. To the outside world he looked calm as the ice in Antartica but his insides were turning. He had to find a way to warn or save O'Neill without endangering his own mission.

Jack O'Neill's cabin was carefully watched by sic men, who were crouched in the bushes and trees in the nearer surrounding. They observed all happening of the day without talking, mere hand signs were used for communication. The three occupants of the cabin were blissfully unaware of their visitors. They spent the day laughing, swimming and playing. And now Jim definitely knew that Jack O'Neill and Dr. Shannahan were not just friends. All the hugging, kissing and tentative caresses were indication enough for a relationship. But what were his options now? What was he supposed to do? Lying in the wood behind the cabin, he saw the little family leaving the house. They were obviously leaving for a walk and a picnic which was indicated by the heavy bag O'Neill was carrying. When the three of them had disappeared into the woods, Jim's boss called out to them: "Let's move out! Jim and Harry, you go and get the house bugged. They rest of us will stay here to watch your sixes."

Jim and Harry made his way into the little house, carefully attaching the little devices to different furniture. The bedrooms, the kitchen, even the bathroom got bugged. Internally Jim was glad about the fact that they were now able to know when Jack would be absent. Maybe there would be a possibility to warn him. It didn't take them long to get the house fully bugged and as carefully as they had entered, they left again. Once back in the woods the men met and they were given new instructions by their chief.

"Now that the house is spiked, it's our chance to get a night of decent sleep. I want two of you to stay here and make sure you get everything they say, I want to know when Dr. Shannahan will be alone. We do not want unnecessary victims, do we?" In his head Jim's brain worked on overload. How to warn O'Neill was the big question swirling around in his head.

Author's note2: Please review and let me know what you think. :o)