8. Searching for the Bomb
"How is this your idea of fast transportation?" Tony asked unhappily. "An old Hercules!"
"This Tau'ri aircraft is even less comfortable than the previous one," Martouf agreed.
"Shut up and sit down - we're taking off in a couple minutes," O'Neill said, throwing packets of earplugs to everyone. "Besides, we're switching planes at Peterson. I think you'll be happier with our next ride!"
"But first we'll get five hours in this tin-bucket!" Tony complained.
Freya threw an unhappy look at the web-material that made up the back of the seat, then pulled her borrowed coat closer around her and sat down, strapping herself in.
The others followed her example and they were soon underway.
"Cute, aren't they?" Tony grinned and pointed at Gibbs and O'Neill who sat beside each other across the aisle. Both appeared to be sleeping and looked peaceful.
Freya nodded. "It is unbelievable they can sleep in this cold and noise - and with all the shaking."
"I think they like it," Tony observed in a low voice. He had pulled out his camera and were now pointing it at Gibbs and O'Neill, while fingering the release button.
"If you push that button, it will be the last thing you do with that finger," Gibbs said, his eyes still closed.
"Putting the camera away, boss," Tony said, looking a bit down.
"Could have told you, Tony," Kate said.
Freya just grinned and re-applied her earplugs.
"Time left?" Gibbs asked, when they had gotten to Los Angeles.
"Just over nine hours," Sam told him.
"All right, where do we start?" McGee asked.
"It's early evening here, and it'll soon get dark, unfortunately," Sam said. "It's going to make it harder to find the bomb."
"Well, we have the scanners you guys brought, right?" O'Neill asked, looking towards Freya/Anise and Martouf/Lantash. "They should work as soon as we get within about ten clicks, right?"
"Yes..." Freya looked unfocused, as if her mind was elsewhere.
"So, what else do we need?" Daniel asked. "We should hire a couple cars and go to the beach to start looking."
"Daniel! Not just 'cars'. For a mission in L.A. we need fast cars, money, and hot women!" Tony grinned. "Sorry - we already have hot women! Four of them - or is it five?" He wiggled his eyebrows at Freya/Anise.
Kate rolled her eyes at him.
"It will not be difficult to locate the bomb, Samantha," Martouf said. "The energy signal from the refined naquadah is quite strong, if somewhat diffuse. It is located in that direction." He pointed. "Too far away for the scanners to get a useful reading here on the surface, so it is fortunate I can sense it."
"I agree," Freya said, taking off her coat.
Abby followed her example.
"Maybe you shouldn't walk around dressed like that. It'll call attention, which we don't want," O'Neill said.
Martouf looked around. "We could have worn our Tok'ra uniforms. I doubt if anyone would have noticed. "
"Okay." O'Neill nodded slowly. "I guess you're right. Well, what are we waiting for, then?"
"We are getting closer," Martouf said. "The signal is very strong now."
Sam nodded. "Right. I can sense it too now."
"You?" Tony asked. "But I didn't think you were Goa'uld?"
"I'm not. It's... a long story," Sam said. "I'll explain later."
"I look forward to hearing it. Perhaps over a glass of wine?" Tony suggested.
"Don't you ever give up?" Kate asked.
"No, of course not! I'm a DiNozzo!"
"How far away?" O'Neill asked.
Martouf looked at the scanner. "The reading is still not precise. Further north and to the west." He pointed on the map. "That direction."
"We've driven for hours. We're past San Francisco now!" Tony complained. "Didn't you say it was outside L.A.?"
"No, Selkhet said it was some distance outside an enormous city," Sam reminded him.
"You should consider that to a Goa'uld - or most anyone else not from Earth - a great number of your cities would be characterized as enormous," Martouf said.
"Right. He's right," Daniel said.
Sam nodded. "Yeah - and San Francisco is big enough for that."
"Okay, I'll buy further north, and some west, but not as much as you say. That's out in the ocean."
"The Cascadian subduction zone!" Sam suddenly exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that!"
"What do cicadas have to do with this?" O'Neill asked, annoyed.
"Not cicadas - the Cascadian subduction zone is an area out in the Pacific ocean, running along the coast from somewhere north of British Columbia down to northern California. It's where the North American Plate meets another plate. It causes deep earthquakes, potentially much larger and more devastating ones than the San Andreas fault - which may actually be connected to it and the earthquakes there are possibly triggered by disturbances in the Cascadian subduction zone!" Sam said.
"Whoa!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Less technobabble, please!"
"She means Selkhet likely intend to trigger a much larger quake, which will not only trigger another big quake in the San Andreas fault, but also generate a massive tidal wave," Martouf explained.
O'Neill grimaced. "That sounds bad."
"It is bad - and if it's out in the ocean, it may be harder to find," Sam said. "Even if it's on an island."
"It probably is. Placing it on the ocean floor is more difficult," Martouf said.
"All right, so we're looking for a small island." Sam shook her head. "It's not making it much easier."
"I think it's time for me to call my superiors so they can contact Selkhet about the artefact," Gibbs said. "It's almost 11PM, and too dark to see anything."
"Wait!" Freya held up her hand. "We still have almost three hours before the deadline your superiors set for us. We will find the bomb before that."
"With certainty," Martouf said. "The signal from its energy signature is very strong."
"All right. I'll call for a boat to stand by for us," Gibbs said.
"You're certain?" Gibbs asked, when they were all standing on the deck of a small boat belonging to the coast guard.
Martouf looked at the scanner. "Yes, the it has to be on the small island ahead of us."
"Okay. This better be it - we're cutting it pretty close," Gibbs said.
"Do you think Selkhet is there, keeping guard? Or that she has some Jaffa there?" Sam asked.
"Possibly," Martouf said. "Though I doubt she has many more men with her. There likely were only her, and five or six Jaffa. Of those three are dead and one in a holding cell."
"And the other... Goa'uld, or whatever you call them," Kate said.
"Yes, but he was in one of the Jaffa," Daniel reminded her.
"Right." She shook her head. "It's all crazy."
They sailed up to the most accessible part of the small, rocky island - which was barely more than cliffs - and anchored the ship as close as they dared. Using a small, rigid-hull inflatable, they sailed the rest of the way.
When all had jumped off the ship and gotten the equipment they had brought ashore too, they looked around in the pale moonlight.
"Not exactly the most cheery place," Tony observed. "At least no other boats are anchored, so Selkhet or her henchmen probably aren't here."
"They would not have arrived by ship, but rather transported down from their teltac," Freya said.
"Teleporters!" McGee grinned. "Awesome!"
"Not if it means bad guys are lying in wait for me! I really don't need anyone to ambush me out here!" Tony said heartfelt.
"There is something that looks like a cave entrance over here!" O'Neill called.
"All right. Tony, Kate - and Major Carter. Check out this island so we don't get any surprises," Gibbs ordered.
"I'm the only one that gives orders to my people!" O'Neill insisted. "Carter - check the perimeter. Bring Teal'c."
"Yes, sir," Sam said, smiling and shaking her head a little.
Teal'c inclined his head in acceptance and followed her.