The half circle of men parted like the red sea, letting Mr. Burns through. Okay so maybe not an exact doppelganger to the Simpsons character per se, after all, he was fitter, younger and not yellow, but it was the first thing that popped into Jack's head when he sized him up. Tall and lanky, pointy nose, balding slicked back salt and pepper hair and a black-on-black suit; complete with a perpetual sneer. Either way, he certainly exuded an air of arrogance that came from years of using intimidation and fear to get what he wanted…so yeah, good ol' Monty Burns fit just fine.

Monty tutted, feigning disappointment as he swung the gun nonchalantly to point out the bodies strewn everywhere; his voice annoyingly condescending. "Now look at what you've done." He shook his head and let out an exaggerated sigh like a chastising father. "We had hoped to make this quiet, but now, look at the mess you've made. This will take time to clean up and Mr. Knight is not a patient man."

Jack noticed when he spoke his name, there was no fear there. Maybe Mr. Knight was just a businessman bluffing his way through. A sheep in wolf's clothing instead of the other way around, and Monty here was the real heavy, hired to fill the void.

Jack flashed a smirk and laid the sarcasm on thick. "Gee, sorry about that. Listen," he tapped on his watch with the tip of the blade, "do me a favor and speed up the bad guy schtick huh…we have a train to catch."

He felt Sam's hand on his left shoulder and he spared a quick glance at her as she stepped up next to him. She was hurting, he could sense it. But you wouldn't know by looking at her and as she narrowed her eyes and bladed her stance with clenched fists, Jack noticed the wary glances from the men around the room and his chest bloomed with pride.

She looked absolutely fearless and if they'd been alone in any other setting, he would have been showing her exactly what that look did to him.

Monty chuckled mockingly, "My you are a funny one." He tucked a hand into his inside suit jacket pocket and removed a silencer, pursing his lips as he twisted it onto the barrel of his Remington 1911; a clear sign that he wasn't really enjoying Jack's delightful banter.

Jack ignored the churn in his stomach and flashed a tight-lipped smile instead. "Yes, well…if I had a nickel. Now if you don't mind…places to go, people to see and all that."

"Oh, I don't think so Colonel." Monty's eyes fell on a couple of the men standing closest to him and he used his gun like a pointer. "You and you, get these men out of here now, quietly." The two guys sheathed their knives and got to work carrying the injured men out one by one.

Jack felt the mood in the room shifting and his gut was telling him they were running out of time.

He gauged the men around the room one by one, spotting two he thought they could handle fairly quickly; their wide eyes and nervous ticks announcing their inexperience like a checkered flag on race day. If he was lucky, he'd be able to disarm one of them before the rest of them got their slashes in. Still, not the best odds when there were probably more men waiting outside. And getting sliced and diced wasn't exactly on Jack's bucket list.

Better to find out what this guy was up to and what instructions Knight had given him. After all, the fact he hadn't shot them yet was promising, and the more time he gave Sam to recover, the better.

Monty eyed Jack curiously and after a moment, the corners of his lips curled up in a creepy but genuine smile as he waved the gun at him nonchalantly. "I'll tell you what Colonel. I like you, so I'm going to be honest with you..."

Jack barked out a laugh and glanced to Sam, "Well how about that Carter, he likes me. And here I thought he wanted us dead, what with the knives and all." Sam dipped her head in a weak attempt to hide her laugh and he felt his heartbeat stutter like old times.

Monty glared and gritted his teeth, obviously not a fan of being interrupted. "As I was saying…"

An almost inhuman scream sliced through his sentence and everyone turned their heads, seeing the small giant Jack had taken out earlier writhing, his leg flopping back and forth gruesomely as the two men struggled to lift him.

Monty's face twisted into something dark and menacing as he took a step toward the men. Jack recognized the look all too well and slid in front of Sam, using his left arm to tuck her behind him. Her hand went to his shoulder instinctively as Monty yelled.

"Back!"

The men jumped as they followed the barked command, and a gasped plea from the giant was cut short as the muffled shot to his head snuffed out both the man's life and the lingering sound in the room instantaneously.

Sam's hand jerked at the sound of the discharge and then slid off of Jack's shoulder limply; a clear indication she now knew how dangerous this guy was.

Monty growled at the men impatiently, "Now move him."

He turned back to Jack and Sam and closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling a deep frustrated breath as the men dragged the body out, a copious amount of blood trailing behind them like a funeral procession.

Monty opened his dark eyes, finally composed as he cleared his throat. "The truth is Colonel…that the plan was to take both of you out of the station, quick and clean, alive and intact."

Jack smirked, sliding sideways so Sam could move up next to him again. "And we ruined that little plan, did we?"

Sneering, Monty continued. "You did. And now it will take considerable time and money to make this all go away. So, you can appreciate how I just don't see the point in dragging you out of here, only to have to dispose of your body later when Mr. Knight really only wants the Major here."

"Hey, I thought you liked me." Jack raised his arms, feigning offense as he turned and motioned to Sam, "Didn't he say he liked me?"

His face dropped when he saw the terrified expression on her face. His chest tightened and he swallowed hard.

Damn, he was going to miss her.

A corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he looked into her glassy eyes, noticing a rim of peridot skirting the edges of the soft blue. Maybe it was the fluorescents he mused as he let his gaze dip down to her tightly pressed lips, wishing he could ease that tension with soft kisses; lick the crease and coax her lips apart slowly so he could have one last taste.

He exhaled, forcing his eyes away from her and fixing his stare on Monty, taking in the smirk as he raised the gun. Anger erupted inside of him and he twisted his right arm behind his back, rotating the blade in his hand. He would at least try to take this asshole with him.

"No." Jack startled as Sam stepped in front of him, facing Monty with her arms spread out wide like a shield.

His stomach dropped as he grabbed her waist from behind. "Carter."

She turned, putting her hands against his chest, the panic and desperation in her watered eyes perforating his heart. Her voice cracked as she lowered it to a whisper. "No Jack, please…let me try something."

Before he could process what she was doing, she spun around on her heel and took long determined strides straight towards the guy.

"Sam!" Jack choked out as he lunged, the fabric of her t-shirt slipping through his fingers as he chased after her.

Monty pointed the gun at Sam's chest as she stopped two feet in front of him and looked at Jack. "Stop and drop the knife…now."

Jack froze mid-step, his breath hitching as his eyed the gun. The memory of his son lying in a pool of blood on his old bedroom floor flitted through his mind and he felt his knees give. He wouldn't be able to survive that…not again. Not with her.

Monty kept his eyes on Jack while he tightened his grip. "I said now."

Huffing a curse under his breath, he took a shaky step back and tossed the knife; the tinny twang of the blade resonating as it bounced and rattled against the tile.

Sam met Monty's eyes and lifted her chin determinedly. "If you let him live, I won't put up a fight. I'll go…voluntarily."

"What!?" Jack's heartbeat pounded in his chest, barely managing to stop himself from taking a step forward. "The hell you will!"

Monty's lips curled into a creepy smile as he focused on Sam. "This is endearing…it truly is. But what makes you think Mr. Knight would want that when I could just as easily shoot him and have you carried out."

Sam clenched her teeth and spoke between them. "Because I have a list of names. People that work for Mr. Knight in every government agency, even the SGC. And unless I stop an email from going through, the FBI will have that list in their hands by nine o'clock this morning."

"Sam, what are you doing," Jack hissed behind her.

He could see the information processing in the guy's head, whirling around as he connected the dots. "Even if you did, that list is coded."

Her upper lipped curled in disdain. "It was."

"And you expect me to believe you?"

Sam took a determined step forward, the muzzle of the gun an inch from her chest, "Craig White, Steven Rosier, Nancy Gordon, Maria Perez…shall I go on?"

Monty's face blanched as he fidgeted with the gun in his hand. "How?"

"Just let him live and I'll come with you…tell you everything you want to know."

Blood rushed through Jack's ears. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not ever. In two strides he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulling her back, spinning in front of her with his back to the gun.

He reached out with his other hand, gripping the side of her neck, his voice straining as the anger and dread pulled him apart. "Goddamn it Sam, you're not going anywhere."

Sam's icy expression softened immediately as her eyes drifted slowly over his features. A saddened smile playing on her lips as she laid her hand over his heart. "I would do anything too Jack."

Eyebrows furrowing, he shook his head jerkily in confusion until the meaning of her words dawned on him. His face hardened. "No."

Sam's eyes flicked over his shoulder and then she shut them hard, stepping back away from him as he was grabbed from behind by the three remaining guys and forced to his knees. He struggled against their hold, grunting in pain as his arms were forced behind his back, wrists zip-tied.

He looked up and saw the guilt in her eyes. "Sam don't do this!"

Using all of his strength, he screamed, flexing his arms and chest as he tried desperately to break his wrists apart, ignoring the plastic cutting into his skin and the trickles of blood leaking down his hands. He couldn't let her do this.

Sam dropped to her knees in front of him, tugging her quivering lower lip between her teeth as she reached out to cradle his face. "Jack stop fighting, please."

"We're wasting time, let's go." Monty's deep voice rumbled.

Sam ignored him and kissed Jack hard.

He tensed, numb from the rage and betrayal swirling recklessly inside of him.

But when he felt her tears hit his lips and tasted the salt on his tongue, everything else faded away. And before he realized it, he was closing his eyes and leaning into her; kissing her back with everything he had.

"Now!" Two guys grabbed her arms trying to pull them apart.

"Wait!" She yanked her arms back and leaned into Jack, her fingertips cradling the back of his head as she placed her mouth next to his ear hurriedly. "I'll always be yours Jack. Please forgive me."

This time, she didn't fight against their hold when the guys pulled her back to her feet and hauled her towards the door.

His mind reeled. Even if she stopped the email from going through, it would only be a temporary stay on his life. There would nothing to prevent Knight from demanding something else to guarantee his continued safety. He would have her right where he wanted her; at his disposal for anything and everything he desired.

Jack's gut twisted as Cruz's words to him in the warehouse suddenly bobbed to the surface. "As for the princess here, he wants to have a little fun with her..." No, she would fight tooth and nail before she let anyone touch her, unless…

He fought against the bile rising in his throat. Would she honestly go that far to keep him alive?

Her name tumbled from his lips in a panic as he thrashed against the hands on his shoulders, only to have his face forced to the ground, their knees digging into his back as a flood of despair threatened to drown him where he lay.

He wasn't worth it, any of it. She had to know that.

As soon as the men let go of her arms, Sam gritted her teeth, glaring at Monty through the tears. "If they hurt him, the deal is off."

The guy rolled his eyes and raised his voice to one of the three guys holding him. "Jason, sit him up against the wall. He bleeds, you bleed…got it?" He received a nod back before glaring at Sam. "Satisfied woman?"

Sam held her tongue and stalked to the door with Monty and the men hot on her heels.

Jack pushed back the panic as two of the guys grabbed his upper arms and slid him back, propping his back against the portion of the wall between the urinals and the stall doors as the sounds of the footfalls receded in the distance.

As soon as his back hit the wall, a thought flashed through his mind and he lassoed it in.

She was smarter than that. She knew damn well what she was doing was a temporary fix. And while she may be willing to put herself in harm's way to keep him alive, she was also buying time; probably hoping that he would find a way to get to her before…

His heart fluttered and then pounded with newfound energy.

And for the first time ever, he didn't have to think about Frank to harness the adrenaline. It rushed into his system like a tidal wave and he seethed as the anger and darkness embraced him like a lover.

He worked his wrists back and forth against the hard-unforgiving plastic cuffs again; the blood oozing freely now as he focused on the three men standing in his way.

One of the men stood further away from him then the others. Monty had called him Jason. He had some years on the other two but that wasn't saying much; Jack was still old enough to be his father. It was obvious when Monty spoke to him that he was considered the one in charge. Which meant if anyone knew where Sam had been taken, it would be him.

Jason spotted Jack looking at him, and met his eyes, smirking. "Now I see why Knight didn't want her dead. Damn." He grunted and shook his head in appreciation. "How the hell did you manage to get your hands on that piece of ass pops?"

"Shut up." Jack growled, using the blood as lubrication behind his back, he was now able spin his wrists around so his elbows could bow out, but was still unable to free a hand.

Jason looked at the other two guys and smiled before squatting down to Jack's level, goading. "Maybe when Knight's done with her, he'll give us a turn huh? What do ya think?"

The other two chuckled as Jack's eye twitched, his voice lowering ominously. "I think you're a dead man."

Scoffing dismissively as he stood, Jason stilled and then whirled his head towards the door as the distant sound of yelling and faint metallic sounds littered the air.

Jack recognized the sounds immediately. Zat guns.

Jason pointed to one of the other two men, "Go out there and see what's going on."

The sounds got louder for a moment as the door opened and closed.

"What the hell is that?" Jason mumbled irritatingly, walking closer to the door while the other grunt stayed near Jack. He watched as they unsheathed their knives and focused on the door intently.

Jack didn't know how in the world Daniel and Teal'c had gotten there so fast, but there was no time to waste.

Twisting his wrists and bowing his elbows out, Jack lifted his hips and shimmied his arms underneath his legs, gritting his teeth through the pain as the cuffs gouged into exposed muscle. Ten years ago, it would have taken him seconds to slide his arms to the front, but now, his bad knee protested as he struggled to bend it in far enough.

The plastic snagged the toe of his shoe as he finally managed the maneuver, the scraping sound alerting the guy closest to him and Jack noticed the movement of his shoulders before he spun around.

Leaning back quickly, Jack eyed up his target as the guy came to a stop facing him and kicked out hard. Bullseye. The guy let out a strangled grunt as Jack's heel landed a vicious upward strike to his groin, knocking out the wind and quite possibly his last meal as a dry heave followed. The knife clattered to the ground as his went down to his knees, cupping his crotch with both hands.

Jack swiped the knife off the ground as he got to his feet, just in time to see Jason spin around. A fifteen-foot gap now separated them, as Jack watched his eyebrows furrow at the sight of his buddy gasping for air.

"You're fucking done." Jason ground out, gripping his knife tighter as he widened his stance, waiting for Jack to come to him.

Jack growled. Yes, he was done. Done holding back. Careful to this point to avoid striking lethal targets on the guys that had attacked them. But now, all bets were off. Because she was gone and going through god knows what without him.

Jason was around Jack's height and broad. The way he held the knife indicated he was competent but not professionally trained. Coming at him directly, it would take time to fight him and even more time to get the information he needed. Time he just didn't have. But Jack had learned long ago there were more ways than one to break someone.

He didn't take his eyes off of Jason as he stepped up to the guy still groaning on his knees and leaned down, slipping his linked arms over the exposed neck. Keeping the blade of the knife clear, Jack flexed his biceps and linked his free hand over the opposite wrist in an obvious practiced maneuver. His nose flared as he cinched the guy's neck tight into a reverse chokehold.

His crotch forgotten; the guy arms flailed, his hands pawing helplessly at Jack's arms as they slowly constricted his airway.

Jason was frozen in place, looking hypnotized by Jack's hard unflinching stare and methodical movements.

What would happen next is what Jack wanted him to see…to realize.

That there would be no mercy.

Jack's eyes blazed as he inhaled deeply through his clenched teeth. The muscles on his neck bulging as he straightened his back, lifting the big guy almost completely off of his knees. Arching his back, he grunted as he twisted hard at a sharp angle. The resounding crack sounded like a thunder clap, and Jason flinched as the body went limp in Jack's arms.

Exhaling roughly, Jack pulled his arms away, letting the body flop lifelessly to the ground and watched as Jason's emotions morphed from shock to grief to anger to blinding fury.

He yelled and charged.

Within two steps, Jack had flipped the knife in his hand and caught the blade between his fingertips. Jason wasn't even halfway to his target when Jack swung his cuffed arms back over his shoulder and forward, stepping into his throw.

The knife flew through the air and struck Jason's chest with a thud. He grunted and stumbled forward to a stop, the anger dissipating immediately as he looked down at the big serrated blade lodged halfway inside of him. His legs wavered for a moment as he dropped his knife and fell to his knees; mouth open as he collapsed onto his back and writhed in pain.

Jack strode over to him and dropped to a knee in between his opened legs. Jason looked up at him, eyes widened in fear as Jack grasped the hilt of the knife and pushed it into him further. Jason's scream tore through the room like shattered glass, his hands pressing flutily against Jack's chest.

"Where did they take her?"

The guy gritted his teeth as he fought through the pain in defiance. "Just finish it."

Jack leaned over him and with a grunt, pushed the knife all the way in until the hilt was flush with his chest. The raw scream ended on a ragged curse as tears squeezed out the creases of Jason's eyes.

The door slammed open. "Jack!"

Jack didn't bother looking up, only managing to ground out. "Daniel…Teal'c."

Daniel saw Jack's hand on the handle of the knife. "Jack? What's going on?" He looked around the room, "Where's Sam?"

"That's what I'm about to find out." Jack voice matched his cold steel expression as he twisted the knife a quarter of an inch.

Daniel cringed, the hair raising on the back of his neck as a blood curdling scream bounced off the stark walls. He grabbed his shoulder. "Jack, you can't do this."

Jack's jaw clenched as he turned his head, fire in his eyes. "Get off of me. I'm not saying it again."

Daniel's mouth gaped in shock as Teal'c grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Jack looked back at the guy, "Teal'c, you and Daniel grab the bags. The flash drive is inside the paper roll in the first stall."

"Jack…"

Jack roared. "Now Daniel!"

"Daniel Jackson, I will retrieve the bags…" Teal'c steered Daniel towards the stalls before letting go to gather the duffel and backpack.

Daniel stumbled forward, following the instructions on autopilot. After yanking down the plastic cover and grabbing the flash drive, he turned in time to see Jack lean his face down within inches of Jason's; teeth bared, a wolf on its prey. The gruff whisper he would never forget.

"Every moment she's away from me. Every second I can't hear her voice. I'm gonna fill the silence with your screams."

When he leaned in to twist again, the guy wheezed into a soft sob. "Private airport south of here. Hangar three. Knight's there."

With a growl, Jack yanked hard and Jason cried out as the knife jerked out of his chest cavity.

Jack stepped over him and called back over his shoulder. "Let's go."

Daniel stopped, watching Jason gasp and gurgle for air; the blood flowing freely from his chest now. He raised his arms, "Jack, we can't just leave him like this."

Jack didn't bother looking back while heading for the exit, turning the bloody knife around in his hand to cut the zip-ties before grabbing the handle for the door; his cold and heartless response chilling Daniel to the bone.

"Daniel, he's dead already."