A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, and letting me know that you are still waiting for the story to end, or that you've just found it. Got a few responses yesterday which may have just given me the incentive to work on this next chapter on my one day off, and get it posted. (Hint hint) So drop me a line, and let me know that you are still hanging in there, and what you think of the latest updates. Speaking of the latest updates, I realized after posting the last update, that the chapter sizes are very much unequal. The last chapter was unusually large, while this one is very short. Hopefully, the action sequences will make up for it If not, this is where I can plug my other stories, especially if you've not read them. If you asked me the most popular of my stories, I would have to say that in terms of reviews and visits, that honor belongs to Growing Pains which is the sort of prequel to this story. If unaware kidfic does not appeal to you, Nine Lives takes a close second (pet lovers love this one). After Elementary in third place, people seem to enjoy It's a Great Big World (downsized SG-1 of a different sort), A Personal Favor, and Just Another Kiss (sequel to Just a Kiss). I make no apologies for writing primarily Sam focused, team/gen action/adventure, with a bit of UST and other stuff thrown in.
Chapter 33: When it all Goes to Hell
It didn't take Sam long to review her options, perched precariously on the edge of the dumpster. She'd already taken a partial zat blast, diffused though it was, and she wasn't willing to take the chance that she would not be killed if she took a second hit. Sam slowly raised her hands, and as she did, she took note of her surroundings for the first time.
Everything was in chaos.
People ran screaming in all directions, and Seshat's security forces were firing zats indiscriminately at SGC personnel and civilians alike. Most of the civilians did not seem to realize that the blue energy only left its victims unconscious, not dead. She risked a glance above, and could see a reddish glow flickering in the above windows. The fire she'd started was already spreading, but with the generalized panic, no one had noticed, even after she heard the bells inside begin to signal the alarm. Sam could only think that something must have alerted Seshat or her forces to the SGC presence, and the SGC had been grossly unprepared for how well armed the Goa'uld's forces were.
"Climb down," the guard with the zat ordered, recalling her to her current precarious situation. Sam started to comply, but the guard looked over his shoulder, dismissing her as no threat.
It was his mistake.
Sam lunged for the distracted man, knocking the weapon flying from the surprised guard's grip as the two hit the ground rolling. Fully exploiting the element of surprise from her attack, Sam squirmed out of the stunned man's grip and was hurriedly scrambling up when something latched onto her ankle, knocking her off her feet. Sam twisted to face the guard who was now dragging her backwards, and lashed out, landing a solid kick to the man's face. She heard a crunch and the man howled, curling up with his hands over his face, his nose broken.
Using the man's preoccupation, Sam jumped to her feet, only to come face to face with another armed guard, and a familiar tingle told her that this one was a Jaffa, while the man on the ground human. Sam took a cautious step back from the advancing Jaffa, who after glancing at the groaning man on the ground, casually zatted him unconscious. He then gave her an appraising look before tucking his zat into his belt and taking another step towards her. Sam realized she had to escape quickly, she was growing tired, her limbs still heavy and weak from the earlier zat discharge. The Jaffa seemed to sense her weakness, and smiled, following her as she took another step back. Summoning a reserve of strength, Sam feinted to the left and then dodged right, surprised by the ease she eluded the mighty warrior, her practice with Teal'c on the mat paying off. Glancing over her shoulder she was just in time to see his smile widen, and didn't see the second Jaffa step around the corner of the dumpster.
Unable to stop or change direction, Sam plowed right into the man's arms. Immediately, she fought, kicking and twisting, but the large man simply spun her, pinning her roughly against the wall, her cheek scraping against the brick. She bucked, earning more scrapes and bruises before she heard a voice behind her say "Enough," and something hard slammed into side of her head. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Jack O'Neill was royally pissed. All their careful planning had just gone to hell in a hand basket. It was as if someone had tipped the snake off that they were on to her. One minute, they'd had careful plans to slip in after the speeches, take out the snakehead's guards, and grab the Goa'uld before anyone had a chance to say boo. He and Carter had already identified all the guards, and none of them had seemed to be carrying any weapons. And then the snake had stood up and started spouting the usual worship your god nonsense, and her security began firing zats they had somehow gotten into the crowd. Panic had ensued, and the snake had slipped away in the mass of confusion, much of her security forces remaining behind to cause chaos. The SGC had been forced to break cover and retaliate, trying in vain to contain the situation before too many people got hurt.
Quickly, the Colonel ducked around the bins he was sheltering behind to let off a few zat blasts to vent his fury. "Daniel, we need to get these people out of here," he barked. "Grab SG-7 and get as many people out as you can," he ordered, letting off a few more shots for good measure at the Jaffa on the other side of the aisle. Daniel nodded, and the next time Jack fired, Daniel broke cover and ran to where SG-7 was holding down a section of the midway from a hastily abandoned booth. Jack saw him waving his hands at Colonel Jameson, and the other man nod and began to issue orders to his team. Now, if Jack just had the rest of SG-1…
"O'Neill," Speak of the devil. Jack looked up as Teal'c hunched down behind an overturned table nearby.
"Teal'c, buddy, where's Carter?" Jack asked immediately noting the lack of one currently undersized astrophysicist.
"Major Carter and I became separated when we were attacked by superior numbers. I created a diversion so that Major Carter could escape, but have not been able to locate her since we separated. However, I do believe she was able to escape from her pursuers," Teal'c added.
"Oh?" Jack said, firing off a few more shots, as he noticed SG-7 begin to take defensive positions to protect any remaining civilians in the area and funnel them towards a safer location. Teal'c followed his lead, rising to fire a few shots of his own. "What makes you say that?" Jack asked the man, his brow creased as he began to imagine what might have happened to his small Major in this madness. He hoped she'd have to good sense to lay low, and stay out of sight.
"The school is on fire," Teal'c replied calmly, firing a few more times.
"Maybe someone left the coffee machine on," Jack said, ducking as a staff blast came a little too close to home. That they were starting to fire staffs wasn't good in his opinion. They were either desperate, or something big was about to go down. Teal'c fired back at the unknown shooter and there was a cry on the other side, Teal'c had hit his mark.
"The fire is in the chemistry lab," Teal'c stated. And Jack knew. This was Carter after all. If she were in trouble, she'd do something spectacular. Carter blew stuff up, and had fun doing it. It was entirely like her that she'd burn the school down to escape from a couple of Jaffa.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the grounds, and everyone was knocked down.
"Oh for cryin' out loud, what the hell was that?" Jack yelled, struggling back to his feet, and looking toward the source of the blast.
A massive rumbling was still shaking the earth, and Jack found it hard to keep his feet as an Alkesh burst from the burning debris of the upper school building and rocketed upward, blasting out of the atmosphere, carrying who knows who with it. Very likely Seshat was on board, so intent on escaping that she'd left behind the better part of her security forces, including an unknown number of Jaffa. Jack however had no doubt that she had taken with her at least several hostages. Who, and how many was yet to be determined, but with a sinking heart, as the battle resumed over the destroyed festival ground, Jack became worried over the absence one particular person. He saw the same concern reflected in Teal'c's eyes.