Here's the next chapter. It's a little short but I wanted to get something off today. I'll try and update again tomorrow. Thanks again for the reviews and alerts! More whump ahead!
"Which way Sir?" whispered Carter.
"To the Bridge. I have a feeling that's the best place to find Bocce, and if he's not there maybe we, well you actually, can do some damage to this ship. "
Now that they had a moment to stake stock of each other he took a good look at Sam.
"Hey, you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?" God, he hoped not! It looked as if she had a bit of a bruise on her cheek, which probably meant no sarcophagus and therefore hopefully no serious damage – but still he worried.
"No Sir, I'm fine. Baal didn't touch me". She saw him looking at the bruise and she touched it briefly with her hand.
"You should see the other guy," she smiled.
He grinned back at her. Yup, that was his Carter all right.
After sharing the brief moment of understanding, the two comrades and friends turned and walked carefully down the hallway of the Ha'Tak. They both were armed with two zats, having taken them from the natives, who they left with staff weapons. Needing to say nothing more they walked together as if choreographed, each watching out for the other.
As they drew nearer to where the command centre, or Pel'tak was, they slowed and moved behind the corridor wall.
"What now?"
"Let's watch and see if someone comes out. As soon as the door opens I'll try to get in quickly and surprise whoever's there – hopefully Baal. You stay out here and watch my back. He shouldn't know you've been rescued yet so you'll be our ace in the hole."
"With all due respect, Sir, that's insane. Baal will have at least two or three Jaffa with him. There's no way you can get to him without being shot."
"Surprise Carter, we surprise him! I know, I know, not the greatest plan, but there's not much else we can do with just the two of us. We need to get Baal otherwise he's going to continue to go after the people on this planet, and us as well. We have no way of getting outta here unless we can get to him. Do you have a better plan?"
After a couple of minutes, Sam realized that there was little else they could do. They just didn't have the man, or womanpower, or the supplies for any kind of major attack. They would have to take Baal by surprise.
"Okay, Sir. I've got your back. But please, be careful. Don't do anything crazy!"
"What, and spoil my image. Come on Carter, crazy is what I do best. Whoa, here comes someone. Hold on, let's see what we've got."
The two soldiers couldn't see from where they were hiding but they heard the loud steps of a couple of Jaffa approaching the Bridge. As the doors opened and the Jaffa entered, Jack stepped forward and took a quick look inside. He was able to see four Jaffa, including the two who had just entered. More importantly, he could see Baal sitting on his 'throne', his chin resting in his hands, obviously deep in thought.
"My Lord, there is no sign yet of the Tauri O'Neill. We continue to search but he does not appear to be on this planet."
"Oh yes, he's here. I feel it and I am never wrong. Where are you O'Neill? You know I have your woman, so why haven't you come for her?" Turning to one of the Jaffa he said, "go – bring the woman to me. I will question her again, and this time I will have an answer!"
"My Lord, we will bring her immediately." And with that the two Jaffa who had just arrived bowed, turned and left the room, clearly headed to get Carter.
Okay, thought Jack, it's now or never! He estimated it would take about 7 or 8 minutes for the Jaffa to reach the cell where Sam had been and sound the alarm. He motioned to Carter that it was a go and with that he quickly reached for the entry panel on the door and keyed in the symbols to open it. The moment the doors slid open Jack dove in, shooting his zat directly at Baal.
Although a direct hit, the rays of the zat bounced harmlessly off of Baal's personal shield.
"Shit, does he keep that thing on all the time", he said to himself as he quickly dove behind a control panel over to one side of the room. The two remaining Jaffa immediately began shooting their staff weapons at him. He attempted to return fire but it was obvious he was a disadvantage so thought better of it and kept down.
"O'Neill, welcome. I knew I would soon see you again so, as you see, I was prepared. Come out now … how is it they say on Earth? "With your hands up". Drop your weapon and give yourself up. You know there is nothing you can do."
"Don't think so Bocce. I'm pretty happy right where I am. Why don't you come over here for a visit?"
"O'Neill, I see you are still the impudent one. You continue to think you can speak to me this way. You must know that it is hopeless. You are mine now, as is your woman. Just give yourself up."
"And what? You'll spare my life? You'll let the 'woman' go?"
"No, of course not. Neither of you are going anywhere. I have waited too long to have you again in my power. Giving yourself up now will simply spare us wasted time. I may get impatient waiting for you and that is never a good thing."
All the while Baal was speaking Jack was trying to figure out his next move. The Jaffa had stopped shooting while Baal spoke, but he knew that was just a short reprieve. Any minute and they were going to come for him. He could probably take them out but that still left Baal – one of the smartest snakeheads he had come across. He knew things weren't looking good but he still had his secret weapon - Sam.
"Okay, Baal, you win. I'm coming out with my hands up. Please tell your thugs not to shoot me."
"They won't shoot you, I promise O'Neill. Throw out all your weapons and then come out slowly."
Jack put his extra zat in the back of his pants and threw the other out from behind the control panel, followed by his knife. He knew Baal would expect him to have more than just the one weapon. He then slowly stood up and walked forward towards his archenemy, his nemesis.
Baal studied him carefully and silently and then, with a small smirk, bent over and picked up both the zat and the knife. He handed the zat to one of his Jaffa and looked down at the knife in his hand.
"A beautiful weapon and a deadly one. I'm surprised you gave it up so easily O'Neill. That is not like you. I fear you still believe you have a 'trick up your sleeve'. But we can't have that now, can we?" Without any warning Baal threw the knife straight toward the human. Jack, taken completely by surprise, simply stood there as the knife imbedded itself in his stomach.
"Gaaagah, what …." Jack collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain, unable to speak or even catch his breath.
"There, that should keep you from trying anything. Now, we will wait for Colonel Carter. Maybe you will still be alive when she arrives. If not, it doesn't really matter. The Sarcophagus will be there, waiting for you!"
With a malicious sneer Baal turned his back on Jack and headed towards his throne. Gathering what little strength he had left, Jack reached around, grabbed his concealed zat and shot Baal in the back. Immediately, the Goa'uld collapsed as the discharge hit him. Not having expected Jack to be able to strike back, Baal had dropped his shield and, as a result, was about to lose his life.
"Take that you slimy bastard" and with that, Jack shot him a second time and then collapsed in on himself.
The Jaffa, all the while, had stood motionless. Everything had happened so quickly, in just a couple of seconds, and they were too shocked to respond. As Jack began to lose consciousness, however, they raised their staff weapons in anger, ready to obliterate the one who had killed their God.
"Oh no you don't!" screamed Sam Carter, Colonel, USAF and expert marksman. She flew into the room and with two sharp bursts of her zat immediately immobilized the two Jaffa. Once they were down, she quickly shot each of them twice more and they disappeared. She then turned towards Baal's body and, with pure hatred in her eyes, pointed her zat at him and shot him a third time.
Channeling Jack she said "take that you slimy snakehead."
Baal was gone! Never again would he hurt anyone she loved.
"Jack, oh my God, Jack". She ran to him and quickly tried to role him on his back to see the damage. His torso was already covered in blood and his skin was pale and clammy.
"He's going into shock", she realized. Ripping off her jacket she held it against the wound, trying not to move the knife, but hopefully stemming the flow of blood. She knew they had to get out of there as quickly as possible as the alarm would soon sound signalling her escape. She also knew that Jack desperately needed help. She didn't know how they were going to move as Jack looked to be in really bad shape.
"Jack, Jack, can you hear me? Wake up Jack. You have to wake up."
"Whaazit Carrt? Wazz wronn?"
"Jack please, the Jaffa are coming back. We have to get out of here. Can you move?"
He looked at her blearily for a moment and then his gaze seemed to sharpen. His awareness returned, but unfortunately, with that so did the pain.
"Dammit Carter. Oh man, that does not feel good. Why oh why does Baal have a thing for knives? Where is he? We've got to get out of here – Baal could come back – we've got to go Sam, please," Jack begin to sob in panic.
"No Jack, he's not coming back. Baal's gone."
"Gone, where'd he go?" he panted. His breathing was starting to get shallower as each moment passed.
"He's dead. You killed him and I finished him off, disintegrated him. He's never coming back."
"Wa ta go Carrer! He began to again look as if his eyes were losing focus. "Sam, I'm not feelin so good. I don't thik I'm gonna make it this time."
"You don't give up Jack, no way do you give up. You are not going to let Baal win. I'm not going to lose you, not now, not ever. You just hold on. Now's the time to show me what a stubborn flyboy you can be", she cried, tears running down her face.
By this time, he had fallen unconscious, so Sam reached down, grabbed him under the arms and began to pull him away from the centre of the room. At least she could try and hide so that any Jaffa coming into the room would not immediately see them. Just as she pulled him behind one of the panels the doors to the room slid open and one of Baal's Jaffa entered the room.
Sam looked at Jack and then at the trail of blood across the floor and knew that their time might just be up.
She leaned over Jack and kissed him gently on the lips.
"I love you Jack. I love you."
