Chapter 7: Maybourns Redemption Part 1

Nope, still not my TV Series

Jack arrived at the agreed meeting place only to find it swamped with cops. He asked an older woman what had happened. The lady looked Jack up and down briefly before answering "A jogger found a body of a young female along the running trial. The cops haven't said any more than that. They closed the trail down." she said turning back to watch the activity. Jack went back to his truck and headed home. He'd have to get on his personal lap top that Carter built just for him. He knew that Harry would never hurt anyone unless there was no other recourse. Jack walked up to his front door as his 'spidey sense' went off. There was something amiss so he drew his M9 Beretta. Once inside he went into black ops mode. He heard what sounded like glass clinking coming from the living room. Jack went through the kitchen glancing into the living room briefly. Harry was swirling a shot of his favorite whiskey, Jack Daniels Black label. He sighed holstering the 9mm then walked into the room quietly catching his contact off guard.

"I see you helped yourself to the good stuff". Harry was startled but recovered quickly "bout time you showed up, I was getting bored. I almost put on a movie." he smirked taking a drink. Jack just set down on the lazy boy pouring himself a drink. "What happened to our original plans Harry?" The ex-NID agent took a drink then explained "I arrived at our meeting point only to find police on scene. Our meeting place was compromised so I came to your place discretely." Jack looked at his contact with a withering gaze. Harry immediately held up his hands "I wasn't followed, I swear to you. My vehicle isn't even close by." he explained hoping Jack would let him live. "I know Harry, just making you sweat a little" as he let out a small laugh. Harry visibly let the breath he was holding out "You're a scary man Jack, I never know when your serious or joking." Harry replied in a serious tone. "It's only important for me to know if I'm joking or not!" Jack said before asking.

"So, Harry, what did you find out about the Potato head?" The ex-NID agent thought briefly then answered "Promise me you won't harm me, I'm only the messenger." Jack looked at the mantle above the fireplace. There were various pictures on it. Many of the pictures were of his team. He focused on the picture of then Cpt. Carter and himself in Washington D.C. He hoped that his suspensions were wrong but they rarely were. Harry followed his gaze to the picture "It's not good Jack, not at all." he said. "Let's get this over with then" the colonel said taking a swig of whiskey. "I looked into Pete Shanahan's background starting with his current employment." Harry said. "I found out some interesting things to say the least" he boasted with a smirk." Jack nodded for him to continue. "Well first off he's under investigation from Internal Affairs. There seems to be some questionable cases concerning evidence tampering. There's also unaccounted time, a small amount but none the less." he said shrugging. "I also got his application, work records, Military service record and discharge papers" Harry finished pleased with himself.

"Just how did you get all that? You can't just walk in and request it." Jack questioned him. The ex-agent poured another drink then spoke "No I can't but when you have a couple of young women on the inside it helps." he said smugly. Jack gave him THE LOOK! "Okay, okay….their two gorgeous red headed twins. They like me a lot. One works in IA and the other in personal." Harry explained. "Jack, you need to get a girlfriend...no wait you do. It's just complicated" he finished with air quotes. Jacks just stared at Harry.

"Well, at any rate moving along. I also paid Pete a visit this morning. It turns out that he HAS an actual girlfriend." Jacks eyes narrowed realizing what this meant for Carter, she was being set up. "Please continue" he said in low angry voice. "Last night he never returned to his apartment. I followed the tracker I had placed to a house near Dr. Jacksons. It's a street over in a culdasac." Harry paused briefly to get a drink. He knew from here on out Jack would likely want to go off and kill the detective. Sensing the colonels' impatience he continued. "They went to Pikes Peak Gateway to meet someone at 0400hrs. His girlfriend /partner went a separate direction on the trail. I couldn't follow both so I waited. The women," he said sliding over pictures of her and Pete. "Returned with what looked like a rifle case. Pete returned with a green flash drive." Jack leaned closer taking a drink. "They didn't open the case, just kissed and drove off."

Jack sat back swirling his whiskey. "I take it you found out who the floozy is." he asked controlling his temper. "Her name is Jessie Bell, daughter of an ex-IRA solider named Deidra O'Malley. Her mother turned informant and later married her handler, a British MI6 agent. They moved to the US and that's all could get so far on her parents. Jessie however is an audio visual and surveillance specialist. Went to MIT and graduated at the top of her class." Harry explained. "And the lying sack of crap" Jack replied too coolly. "He's bought and paid for by the NID." the ex-NID agent said. "How so?" was the colonels only reply?

"What tipped me off were Pete's Military records that were on file. The file looked too good, like it was sanitized or doctored." Jack put his drink down perking up. Harry was getting nervous because he knew full well how Jack felt about Major Carter; a blind man could tell they loved each other. "I remembered what a friend of mine told me that worked for NCIS, he's retired now. He told me about a case involving a murdered Marine Staff Sergeant by the name of James Rogers. The suspect was a Sergeant Shanahan." Harry said. "Sergeant Shanahan was under investigation for suspected smuggling of Iraqi weapons during the first Gulf War. The Staff Sergeant was going to testify but was found murdered. The murder was never solved."

He finished pouring himself yet another drink. Jack had a blank look on his face then spoke. "The Staff Sergeant, he was Sophia's older brother. She said he's was the reason for joining the Air Force. Her brother told said she make a great Air Force doctor." He said going quiet. "I'm sorry to hear that Jack. My friend also said he was destined for great things by his superiors" Harry said meaning every word. "I take it the shrub got off somehow" Jack surmised. Maybourne nodded and continued "The physical evidence vanished overnight. Then with Staff Sergeant Rogers's dead the investigators couldn't do anything. The case was dropped against Shanahan. I'm trying to track down his original file because he would have received a general discharge, not an honorable one." he finished. "Jack, it gets really bad from here on in." Harry said. "Let me take a wild guess….rogue NID was behind the weapons smuggling and saw potential in the potato head. He was recruited because of his ability to get things done..." Jack relooked at Pete's file "and the fact Pete was a sniper qualified." he finished tossing the file on the coffee table.

Harry just nodded while Jack leaned against the recliner. "Pete and his girlfriend didn't return to her house, they went to his place. Jessie left around 0700hrs. Pete then left around 1100hrs to go into work. I waited 10 minutes then entered his apartment finding his laptop and the green flash drive." he all but smiled. "The information wasn't hard to copy, took all of 30 seconds. I was able to decode all but the last section on the flash drive." Harry said then continued. "What were you able to decode?" Jack asked knowing he wasn't going to like it at all.

Things were heating up as of late, maybe it was time he got back in touch with God. Harry thought to himself. "Their first plan failed completely due to the Major Carters credit. The plan was for Pete to get Sam pregnant then accuse her of cheating. He would have broken up with her never to make contact again." he said cringing as if Jack would strike out. The colonel shot up causing Harry to spill his drink. Jack walked back and forth a bit before speaking. "Sam refused to sleep with the shrub, good for her" he said with a relief. "Pete apparently kept pressing the issue until she had enough and broke up with him last weekend. That's why Pete and Jessie had the meeting with their handler, the Running Man." Harry explained. Jack heard what Harry said but didn't register right away because he lost in thought.

"It's a good thing their plan failed. There would have been severe repercussions." Jack thought out loud. Harry sat back letting the scary colonel work his anger away, hopefully. "A pregnancy would have caused Sam to leave SG-1 and maybe the SGC all together. The dangerous environment wouldn't be safe for the baby. She would have had to transfer to Area 51 were her role was diminished. That would severely cut our effectiveness giving Kinsey more power. The worst part is that Sam would be all alone without a support group and away from me...I mean her friends." Jack extrapolated and covering his Freudian slips. His anger was still there but he was really trying to redirect it. Jack knew he couldn't let his temper fly like last time. TV's cost more than they used too. "Did the shrub report Sam's reason Harry?" he asked stopping his pacing. "Her reason was that she wanted to do it right. Major Carter wanted to wait for the honeymoon." Harry paused briefly then told Jack the rest quickly. "Pete didn't believe her reasons. He finally accused her of having an affair with you." he spat out hoping not to repeat it. "HE DID WHAT!" Jack yelled loud enough for Elvis to hear. Holding his hands up Harry continued "Jack, I know you're ready to kill but plan B is worse than their original one." Harry said quietly. Jack just gave him a withering look. Harry took that as an order to continue. "Remember Jessie's profession?" he said. Jack collapsed on the lazy boy saying "Fraking NID lackeys!" TBC