"We received an anonymous tip that Vala Mol Duran was hiding out at Col Carter's house and when we arrived; there was no sign of Col Carter or Vala Mol Doran. We searched the house and we found blood on a few towels and her car was still in her garage. That means your people have been harboring a fugitive, I want SG1 arrested."

�

�

Mitchell, Teal'c and Daniel went stiff and quiet as Woosley ranted on and on and pointed fingers at all three SG1 men. Gen Landry was seething, but his disciplined training hid his anger.

"One Woosley, I am well aware that Vala Mol Doran was on her way here to turn herself in peacefully. There was no indication otherwise. Two, you have no proof that SG1 was deceiving anyone and they will not be arrested. Three; my concern is that Col Carter and Vala are missing, so I suggest we coordinate efforts to find them, especially if blood has been found in Col Carter's home. Three; I want Dr. Lam to examine the bloody towel to see if it's Col Carter's or Vala Mol Doran. Then and only then once an investigation has been conducted by my team, will I take action to make sure both members of SG1 are located and safe."

"Mark my words Gen Landry; your people are under suspicion and I expect a full report General Landry first thing in the morning. I will be in conference with the President on this matter."

As Woosley left, Mitchell slowly watched Daniel out of the corner of his eye for a reaction.

I hope Jackson you haven't done anything stupid.

"Col Mitchell; I need you and the rest of your team to start your investigation on where Col Carter and Vala are. I also want results on that blood ASAP from Dr. Lam's office. At this time, we can only suspect foil play. I need to contact Gen O'Neill to let him head off Woosley, before I finish my report. Let's find them gentlemen and bring them home."

"Sir, do we have your permission to use any means necessary to find them?"

"Yes; just stay out of Woosley's way. I'll handle him."

After Landry left, Mitchell turned his attention to Teal'c first. "Teal'c; get over to Sam's house. See if Sam left any clues to where she and Vala may have went or if they were kidnapped. I don't trust Woosley and his goons and secure the area with our men. I don't want them messing around with Sam's things."

"Indeed."

Mitchell turned to Daniel who looked a little pale, after hearing there was blood on the towels.

"Jackson?...Jackson?"

"Yeah?"

Mitchell was about to confront Daniel on any possible leak, but decided to watch Daniel from another angle. He wanted to see if he was going to help their investigation or hinder it.

"Jackson, I need you to get to Dr. Lam and find out, whose blood is on those towels. I'm going to Intel and see if Sam's body transmitter is working. Woosley said nothing about whether Sam had taken hers out or may be jamming her frequency."

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll report Dr. Lam's findings." Daniel got up slowly as if in a trance and walked towards the infirmary. While walking, Daniel was more in a trance. He was thinking about Sam missing, but more convinced that Vala had something to do with it.

Vala must have tricked Sam and forced her to go with her. If anything happens to Sam, I'm going to help Woosley throw away the key.

Daniel entered the infirmary and was motioned that Dr. Lam was in the lab, personally analyzing the blood. Her father had called her about the bloody towels and made sure she only reported to SG1 of her findings.

"Dr. Lam, I was sent to see about your findings on the blood. Uh, any results? Daniel pushed his glasses up, looking down at the towels, Carolyn had sampled.

"I'm still working on it, but I have no doubt in my mind from the DNA classification. This is Vala Mol Doran's blood."

Daniel's eyes went wide in confusion. He was so sure that it was Sam's blood.

"What?" Said Daniel, still in shock.

"I said the bloods on the towels are Vala Mol Doran's. But there is something wrong with her blood makeup. I have to run more test. There's an abnormality formation of the hemoglobin molecules. It's if there's a mutation of her blood cells."

"How…….what…….I mean why would that happen?"

"When I find out, the General will too. So if you don't mind Dr. Jackson. I have work to do."

"Ah, sure, sure, I'll be in my lab or helping Teal'c or Mitchell find Sam."

As Daniel left the infirmary, Dr. Lam thought it strange Daniel didn't mention Vala Mol Doran.

Sam had covered her tracks well, when she left the house. She always kept emergency money in her house, if for some reason, she had to make an emergency exit while off base. With such high security clearances, her life was not her own. She would have to be ready for anything off base, in case her position was compromised. Sam did not want to leave a credit card trail and used two local cabs to travel to the cabin. Vala had been weak and stayed mostly asleep thru the trip. Once Sam got her there, Vala had been shivering and sweaty. Sam had laid her in bed, helped her into dry and warm pajamas and kept a vigil. Vala had only coughed a few times and bled thru the nose only once thru the night and Sam had made sure she tucked her into bed, with warm covers and stayed up most of the night by her side. Sam had used her cell phone to call in a few favors from some well known Specialist and Doctors about a friend of hers. Sam made sure that she was to only contact them, not the other way around and swore them to secrecy about her questions. She had brought her Laptop, to perhaps do some research on Cancer like symptoms and had kept records of her father's medical condition on file. She knew from the last stages of her father's illness, that Salmak could not reverse the effect of his cancerous body. She realized that once Jacob had succumbed, even a sarcophagus could not help heal him. Sam was determined to find some way to help cure Vala and hopefully do it in enough time to save her friend.

�

Vala had slept for most of the day and when she was hungry, Sam had made her light soups and sandwiches. Vala never complained and after helping Vala to the bathroom several times, she continued to stay in bed, shaking sometimes uncontrollably, until the tremors subsided and Vala fell asleep. Sam hated to see Vala just give up, and even with Jacob's passing, she still felt a tint of guilt and fear that she could never save him. It stuck in her subconscious that people that she became close to, died or ended up missing on some far planet or galaxy. Vala was perhaps her only friend that was female that understood her frustrations at always being the best. Always having answer, when she wasn't sure that she could pull off dangerous missions or be accurate in mathematical calculations and equations. Vala understood her fears and always made her concerns trivial, when Vala admonished her gifts were rare, and if there was anyone she admired and stood by to help have save the world, it would be Sam. Sam's decision to move Vala away from being under IOA was a personal one. She didn't want to see Woosley have Vala plugged up into some cold room, hooked up to monitors, waiting for Vala's last breath, so they would feel safe and the world would never remember she existed. She wanted to fight for Vala's life, if Vala could not physically and mentally do so. Sam knew that if it came down to running out of time, then Vala's last day on earth would be surrounded by her friends and beauty. Jack's cabin fit the profile of a serene lake, mountain fresh air, and lots of green and floral background. No, Sam wanted Vala to have her final wish; even if it meant destroying her own career to do it.

TBC