Chapter 15

Fleeing the Labyrinth

"Ulysses to Skywalker, Operation free D is a go," Sam whispered in a conspiratory voice into her walkie talkie. Nearby, Jack began to hum the theme song to a spy movie that wouldn't appear for at least twenty more years. Teal'c was not there to give them odd looks so they took the opportunity to give in to their childishness. Not that Sam was certain Jack wouldn't be humming anyway. He often did the odd, the childish, or the bizarre as a way to ease tension.

"Copy that," the slightly garbled voice of her brother came on over her walkie talkie, "The Falcon is in place and ready to roll." Just barely within range of the microphone, Sam thought she heard the low rumble of an 'indeed'. The walkie talkies had been a master stroke in their escape plans. When Mark had come up with the suggestion it had been quickly vetoed, both because there was some worry that they would mess up hospital equipment and because Jack had pointed out they were too weak. That was before Sam got a hold of them. Not only had she super powered their range, she had found a way so that it would whine if it found anything else running on their frequency.

"Now for phase two," Sam whispered, nodding towards Jack and then messing with the additions to her walkie talkie. It hadn't been too hard to find a way to foil any security cameras in the area. It wasn't like they were running on the most topnotch technology that she had ever come across. Jack continued to hum his spy tune, waiting for the part where he actually had to do something. She adjusted the frequency slightly on her walkie talkie.

"Ulysses to Daedalus, Operation Free D is a go," she whispered again, "The cyclops are blind, I repeat, the cyclops are eyes are blind. Commencing Freeze Napoleon now. You have a go, I repeat, you have a go."

"Roger that," an older voice answered, and Sam grinned. How come this stuff never seemed so cool when she was grown up? Maybe because it had always felt too serious then; now it still felt like a game. Jack gave his song a rousing finish before going into stealth mode. Together, they approached the nurse's station. It was essential that no one see anything that they could report later.

For the moment, the hall was empty but for the one nurse on duty.

"Hey," Jack said to the nurse, leaning over the desk to grasp her attention. Sam kept lookout.

Meanwhile, Hammond made his way into Daniel's room. Daniel was still sleeping and so Hammond lightly shook his shoulder. He awoke, blinking and groggy.

"Gen'al Hammond?" he whispered, looking slightly confused. Sometimes, when he had been sleeping, Daniel forgot what had happened.

"Just Lieutenant, son," he answered gently, "I'm here to get you out of here." Daniel gave no fuss and Hammond began to unravel Daniel from his remaining slings. The brace on his arm was gone but his legs were still done up in casts so Hammond had a wheelchair ready to push him out. He could have carried him, of course, but if anyone saw them that would arouse more suspicion.

"Where's Jack?" Daniel mumbled as Hammond got him situated in the chair. He was still doped up and gave no reaction when the lieutenant jostled his leg.

"He's going to join as at the car, remember?" Hammond whispered, giving in to the urge to smooth back Daniel's hair. It didn't matter how many times he had been told Daniel's real age; he still saw a tiny kid. That was probably how he had been convinced to help in the first place. Never mind the risks, that he could be sent to prison or worse; he took one look into the kid's wide blue eyes and he was gone. The hardest part had been to convince his wife.

"Where are we going?" Daniel asked earnestly but sleepily, as he was wheeled out the door. Hammond sighed silently to himself. Jack had warned him about how the kid liked to talk. When he was wide awake, he seemed so cowed and silent most of the time, but drugged up he would mumble to himself for hours.

"Home," Hammond whispered back to him, hoping he would accept that and lie still. He needn't have worried. Daniel was already asleep again.

,

"I want, I want to talk in the radio," pleaded a very young sounding Theresa. She reached out with small hands.

"It's a walkie talkie," Mark grumbled, holding it tightly to himself. Taking on the important task of the getaway car had seemed more exciting before he realized he'd be stuck with the four year old.

"Remember what I said, sweetie?" Theresa's mom asked, "What did I say about the radio?"

"Not toy?" Theresa asked, and her mom beamed at her.

"That's right. We need it remember, to help Daniel." At the mention of Daniel, Theresa gave a hundred watt smile. He had been introduced to her as the poor little boy with broken legs and no parents who was being held captive in the hospital. This was while Daniel was sleeping; no one had dared to give his story while he was awake, but Theresa had been enthralled and desperate that he be saved.

"We save Daniel," she agreed, smiling happily.

"Indeed," agreed the fourth member of the flight squad. Everyone had thought it best to keep him in the car; he was too recognizable especially after the programs on the news. It was apparent that the Carters and the O'Neills were not going to give up easily.

"But I want," Theresa said from her position in her mother's lap, "I want to help."

"You're too little," Mark proclaimed from the backseat.

"No!" Theresa screamed back at him and her mother shushed her.

"You are helping, remember?" she said, "You help by being really quiet while we wait."

"And Daniel will come?" Theresa asked, worriedly.

"That's right," her mother agreed. Theresa stuck her tongue out at Mark. Teal'c looked out the window in silence. They had been waiting for a long time. At least five minutes now.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"And that's when we realized, they weren't hats, they were socks!"

The nurse stared at him with horrified fascination at his ability to talk nonstop when his audience didn't show the slightest bit of interest.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she asked desperately, "You know that visiting hours are about to be over.

"Does that mean you have to sit here all alone?" the little boy asked while the adolescent just shrugged in the face of the cold reception. "I wouldn't want to sit all alone in a place like this. It's spooky when no one is around but sick people locked in their rooms and then what if someone is screaming because they woke up in surgery, maybe their ghost would keep walking around at night!" The bewildered stare moved from the taller boy to the shorter. They didn't really look like brothers. One had black hair and the other brown. She vaguely remembered there had been another black haired boy running around with them.

"Come on, George," the older one said, "You don't want to give the lady ideas like that!" The adolescent gave her a wink and she smiled weakly at him. At least he had stopped trying to flirt with her. Suddenly, a soft crackle came from the smaller boy's backpack. She leaned over the desk, frowning.

"Toys of that sort are not allowed in the hospital," she told him sternly. He nodded meekly up at her, before taking off at a run around a corner. The older boy gave her a shrug and took off after him. She considered following, but ten minutes straight of talk from those two was enough for anyone to endure. They could be someone else's problem.

Around the corner, Sam skidded to a halt, looked around to make sure she was alone, and turned up her walkie talkie.

"Ulysses here," she whispered. She waited for a moment, hoping she hadn't blown anyone's cover, but a moment later a voice answered her.

"Daedalus to Ulysses," a voice answered, "We have flown the labyrinth, I repeat, we have flown the labyrinth. We have Icarus and are waiting."

"Roger that, Ulysses is fleeing the cave. See you soon." Then Sam turned it back down and put it back in her backpack.

"They have him?" Jack whispered to her, after checking around the corner to make sure the nurse wasn't going to follow or send orderlies after them.

"They have him," Sam confirmed, and together they stealthily made there way back out of the hospital. Jack commenced humming again and Sam welded her alien detector gun. The few people they met gave them indulgent smiles or admonishing glares and then didn't give them a second glance. Sam was right; kids could get away with anything.