Chapter Thirteen: Bocce for Intermediates

Jack stood in his living room, listening to Jon's explanation of how he shot Ba'al in an alley downtown Colorado Springs. Until this call Jack had been looking forward to a quiet evening with Sam and his baby girl, but that was all shot to hell now.

"I came across a woman who needed help it turned out to be Major Lawson. She was being abducted by Ba'al. The two of us fought over the gun and I killed him. The cops showed up right after and I saw the snake leave the dead host. That means somewhere out in there's a Goa'uld running around. I would start with those two beat cops. Their names were Mason and Phillips."

Jack looked over at Sam and mouthed "I'm sorry." Then back into the phone he said, "I'll have the SGC grab them and check them out. If it's not them I have no idea how to track down the Goa'uld. Jon, you sure know how to make messes for me to clean up."

"Hey you're not the one who's been sitting down twiddling his thumbs at the police station for the last two hours waiting for Pete Shanahan to get his stuff together." Jack heard Jon sigh. "I have to get off the phone. Can you let Cassie know what's happened. Should have met her, Charlie and Nate a couple of hours ago."

"Take care Jon. I'll let you know how this all shakes down. Have fun with what's left of your night. We'll take care of this mess."

"Goodbye Jack."

"Later Jon."

Jack hung up the phone and took off running with the phone to his ear once more.

Wanting something else to think about that Jon being missing Cassie leaned toward Nate. "Has Charlie said anything about Ashgar's escape and disappearance?"

Nate shook his head. "No, but I know it upset her, but there is nothing she can do. No one seems to know anything about where he's gone. It's like he vanished off the face of the Earth."

Cassie's phone rang displaying Jon's number. "Hello?"

"Hey sorry, I'm late I managed to get myself in a bit of a jam but it's all cleared up now. I should be to the diner in few minutes. Sorry to worry you."

Relieved Cassie smiled. "I'm just glad you're alright. I'll see you in a few minutes. Should I order for you, the usual?"

"Sounds good-"

She heard Jon talking to someone on the other side of the line. "No officer, I already talked to the detectives."

The other voice spoke louder."I'm sorry sir, but they sent me to find you. I need you to come with me."

"Sure Officer Philips, I'll come with you in your car to the station. By the way where's Mason I thought the two of you were patrolling together tonight."

Cassie frowned as Jon continued to talk to someone else without turning off the phone.

"Hey what's that-" The officer spoke and then there was a strange noise and Jon's phone cut off.

Cassie looked over at Nate. "Something's wrong. I was talking to Jon and a police officer just destroyed his phone. What's going on?"

Wrapping her arms around herself she tried not to panic. After all how much trouble could Jon find in Colorado Springs?

"I don't know, Cass but I'm with you. Something very strange is going on. You call Sam see if she knows anything while I locate Charlie, she's trying to find Jon."

Charlie's phone rang, she had stopped not far from the diner when she saw Jon being helped into the back of a patrol car.

"Hello Nate, I just saw Jon-"

She stopped as Nate cut her off. "Where are you, I'm coming to you."

"Three blocks from the diner; to the south."

"Keep an eye on the car. I'll come to you with my jeep." He stopped and spoke to Cassie. Then back on the line. "Cassie's going to stay here; she's pretty shook up. She was on the phone with Jon when it happened. Sam's on her way to stay with Cassie. Once she get here, I'll be able to meet you. Sam said there is no way Jon should be on his way back to the police station."
Charlie looked up and waved. "I see you and I'm pulling over."

She crossed the street and jumped into Nate's vehicle. "They went that way. I can see the patrol car at the stop light. It's car number 437."

"I can see it. I'll just keep it in sight." Nate told her as he focused on moving through the traffic safely.

Charlie felt her heart rate speed up. She had no idea what was happening and why Jon was in that patrol car but she was on the hunt; this was her element. It didn't matter the neither she nor Nate had weapons, they'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

She'd lost too many people in her life and there was no way she was going to lose Jon.

Looking over at Nate she was amazed how in just one year her life had changed. Ever since her mother had taken her away from her father, she'd shut herself away from everyone. She simply couldn't bring herself to care about a world which didn't care about her. But

Nate and made her care about him; he'd thoroughly ignored her misanthropy, in fact, the guy had asked her to marry him.

Lifting her head, she made sure she could still see the patrol car. It was going the opposite direction than any station she knew of.

Finally the car pulled into a run down warehouse and the door was closed by a tall man with a dark beard and mustache.

"What's going on? Do you think we should call General O'Neill?" Charlie asked Nate.

"I think that might be a good idea. This looks like it's bigger than the two of us."
Charlie made the called and was instructed by Jack to sit tight and wait for the big guns. He was sending SG-3, whoever that was, to help out and that he'd be along as soon as he could get untangled from the other mess he was dealing with. Hanging up the phone Charlie hunkered down in the car with Nate to wait for backup. Watching the door of the warehouse she hoped to discover just what was going on sooner rather than later.

Ten minutes passed and she opened the door. "I'm going to find out what's going on. There is no way I'm going to let Jon die while I sit here. Are you coming with me?"

She looked at Nate and he opened his door stepping out.

"I'm with you but no getting dead, Cassie will kill us."

Charlie didn't laugh as she crouched down heading for the nearest window.

Jon woke up in the back of a patrol car with the urge to vomit. The taser the cop had hit him with was still affecting his body. He tried to sit up but wasn't able to get his muscles to cooperate. So he just turned his head to the side and threw up on the floor of the car.

Lifting his head he spoke to the cop. "You're Ba'al aren't you. You think that by grabbing me you'll get Jack to come to you but you're mistaken. We're not that close. There is no way Jack will endanger all those lives just for me. Dream on snaky."

Ba'al laughed. "You are amusing human, but I wonder why a lowly cadet would know anything about me an my kind. Our existence seems to be somewhat of a secret. So that must mean that Jack has been telling tales or you are more important that you seem. Just who are you my boy?"

Jon silently cursed himself for being stupid. He should have just kept his mouth shut. From Jack's memories he had intimate knowledge of how sadistic this Goa'uld could be. So he chose to not say anything else.

The cop car pulled into a large derelict warehouse and stopped. Suddenly the car was surrounded by Ba'als, five of them in fact, they stood a distance back while a human stepped forward holding a machine gun. Jon was only remotely surprised when Ashgar stopped and ordered Jon and the cop out of the vehicle.

Jon shook his head trying to clear the fuzziness, wondering what the hell was going on and just how he was going to get out of this mess as he was grabbed and dropped onto the floor at Ashgar's feet.

He pointed the gun at Jon's cheek. "This is Jon O'Neill, but who are you?" He wave the barrel of the gun at the cop.

"Don't overstep yourself always wanted to take over didn't you but that will never happen. We will break you like a twig or I shall take you as my new host. This body is not what I deserve." He waved his gun at Ashgar. "You know this boy, who is he?"

Ashgar looked scared for the first time in his life as he realized that this was out of his control. Lifting a shaking hand, Ashgar motioned to Jon. "He's Jack O'Neill's nephew. He's some high up in Washington. A General with a couple of stars."

Cop-ba'al pointed at one of the other Ba'als. "Tie up the boy. Ba'al while I change out of these clothes and put on something more worthy of me."

The Ba'al with the zat hesitated but the Cop Ba'al pulled his gun, shot that Ba'al in the head and leveled the gun at his twin. "Do it now or I will shoot you with this pitiful but effective weapon." He motioned to Ashgar. "I will keep my gun on this Jon O'Neill, while you dump that car. I'm sure the authorities can track it somehow. I will think about what to do with the boy, he might have great worth. I know Jack O'Neill well, most of all I know his weakness. He can never leave anyone behind. He come back for an unknown woman, he will definitely come looking for family and I will have my revenge."

Jon was then dragged over to a rickety chair by Ashgar, while the remaining Ba'al backed the car out of sight. "So Cop'bal, you guys are clones, right. How does it feel to be copies of the original? None of you are the original, are you? No way he'd be stupid enough to get himself stuck on Earth."

Cop'bal laughed. "No, we are not the original Ba'al. Our esteemed brother is off somewhere else in this universe hiding and plotting. We, on the other hand, are actually accomplishing something. While your SGC hunts us across the universe, we are hiding in plain sight here on Earth. That was until you stumbled on to us. Our plan has been set into motion. You could join us if you like, if you are anything like your uncle, you will be an excellent host. If I had known who you were I would have taken you, not this pathetic policeman."

Jon laughed. "Over my dead body, I've been sn-." Jon stopped. Those were not his memories or his life. Besides he was talking too much, definitely time to shut up.

The remaining hench Ba'al reappeared. "We have begun to rise again. There are many of more that you can imagine."

Cop'bal smacked the speaker in the back of the head. "Shut up and get to work. You have your task like the others and it's not to shoot off your mouth. Now get to it before I shoot you, too."

The henchmen Ba'al walked away but Jon could tell that he wasn't happy about being ordered around and Jon wondered if the hostility between the Ba'als would work to his advantage after all. He had to get out of here and let Jack know what was going on.

Charlie pulled Nate back away from the dingy warehouse window and wondered just what on Earth was going on? Then she'd heard some pretty strange words but then again she'd only heard small portion of the conversation. Something had just happened and she wasn't sure what she had seen, but Ashgar was in there and he was going to hurt Jon, she could feel it deep down in her bones. If they waited for the cavalry Jon would be dead.

They were outnumbered but they had surprise on their side. She just had to come up with a plan.

"What do you want to do?" Nate asked looking back through the window to where Jon sat bound and gagged to a chair. "We have to get him out of there. Something tells me that this is very bad."

Charlie scanned the immediate area for something to use as a weapon or distraction. There had to be a way, she just needed to find it. Then she saw it the police car, the man inside the warehouse hadn't moved it far away, just out of sight of those inside the warehouse.
She tapped Nate on the shoulder. "Do you think they left the keys in the car? There might be a shotgun in the trunk. Then I think you should send it through the door, while I sneak in through the back and grab Jon, while they are distracted." She looked at Nate. "Unless you have a better idea."
Nate shook his head. "No, I don't and we don't have much time. I think you're right; something is definitely up and we are running out of time."
"Let's get this over with then."

Jon jumped as the car smashed through the door and the clones scrambled to see what had happened. He fought at his bonds trying to get away.

"Stop squirming or I'm going to cut you." Charlie's voice hissed in his ear.

He stilled and she cut the bonds. Rubbing his wrists, Jon got to his feet. From the table beside him he grabbed two of the guns and followed Charlie toward the back door.

They had gone only a few steps when on of the clones turned back and shouted, "Hey, the boy's escaping, if we let him escape there is no way we can complete the plan. We'll have to start all over again."

Jon fired two shots while Charlie blasted Cop'bal with a few rounds from the shotgun before diving to the ground. Both missed but he was sure it gave Charlie a lot of satisfaction.

As he peaked over the stack of crates where they had taken shelter he said, "Try not to kill them. I'm sure that Jack and the police would like to talk to them about their activities."

Charlie leaned over the crate, firing as she and Jon moved closer to the door. Staying low, she headed toward another crate closer to the door while Jon covered her. They continued this pattern until they escaped outside. Nate waited with his jeep running.

"Get in. We've got to go."

The two of them scrambled into the Jeep and Nate gunned it, throwing the two of them back into their seats. Nate came out in front of the warehouse and managed to avoid most of the gun fire before hitting the street. They went another half a block before they were stopped by a roadblock of suburbans.

Nate braked and turned the vehicle sideways to avoid hitting them. Reynolds called out from behind the suburbans. "Get behind here. We're about to go in." Jon and the others scrambled out of the jeep and headed behind the suburban.

"There are five men. Four are…." He looked over at Charlie wondering what he should say. She still didn't know everything. He met Reynolds eye who jerked his head toward one of his men who took both Charlie and Nate away.

Both of them protested but Jon called, "I'll be right behind you. Just give me a few minutes to talk to Reynolds."

As soon as they two had gone Jon turned back to Reynolds. "There were four of them. I assume they are clones. One was the one I killed and he had taken over a policeman. We should really try to take him alive."

"We?" Reynolds raised an eyebrow.

"Yes-"

"No way, Cadet. You are heading back to the Academy where you belong. This isn't your fight, Jack would have my eagles and my sunny attitude if I didn't send you out of harms way." Reynolds waved to another airman. "So just tell me what you know and go with this Sergeant."

Jon sighed, knowing that there was nothing he could do to fight this. Reynolds wasn't a man to go against Jack's orders, having served as his right hand for a year. So he gave the intel and left quietly. He knew this was over. Those Ba'al and now Cop'bal clones were up to something and it was Jon's guess he'd be seeing more of them sometime soon.

There are two more chapters up on my site and if you would like to check them out Google my penname and you will find me. I love to hear from you whether you liked it or loved it. :0P

Also I have published two original pieces of work on Kindle you can find a link to them on my website as well.

if I get enough review I will be pushed to add the chapter early, like Friday, instead of later next week. I have one so far this week but I think I could handle a few more.