The Past Remembered - by Pho
part - 01
Of all the rotten luck. A full moon. Next week would have been better. Hell, last week would have been better. But no - the fates were definitely against him. The tall, gaunt man shook his head in disbelief, and smiled grimly as he recalled the number of times he'd cheated fate. He'd win this time too, somehow, even if the proverbial deck was stacked against him. Using the back of his hand, he rubbed the sweat out of his eyes, then tightened his grip on the nondescript brown bag. There! The lock had finally given. Thank God for antiquated technology. As he let himself into the darkened room, his thoughts turned to the recipient of the package he guarded so closely. He'd failed once before to do the right thing, and it had cost the young stranger dearly. He would not make that mistake again. Footsteps running by the door brought his thoughts up short and he froze, listening intently as they faded away. So they were closer than he'd thought. Wasting no more time, he carefully slid his knife around the seal of the package. Removing one of the video tapes, he replaced it with the one he'd guarded for so long. Resealing the package as carefully as possible, he casually tossed the box into the pile of unprocessed mail at the small postal sub-station he'd just broken into.
He slipped stealthily out of the door and hurried away from the building. Four blocks away he relaxed. It was a mistake. The fiery pain that cut through his chest almost took him to his knees. Staring in disbelief at the red stain growing ever larger on his shirt, his only thought was 'damn, it's true, you really don't hear the one that ki...' He tumbled face first into the gutter, his life's blood disappearing down the drain.
***********
"*Move it*, kids!" O'Neill's voice could barely be heard over the approaching storm. Of all the stupid luck. The telemetry from the MALP had confirmed that the Stargate on PX7-292 was in a desert. Surrounded by pyramids. Seven of them. Enough to send Daniel Jackson into an archaeological feeding frenzy. But it had looked safe enough, until they got there. Tightening his grip on the younger man, Jack continued. "Carter, dial us outta here! Hang on, Danny, we'll be home soon."
Nodding the young major skillfully punched in their home address, watching the approaching sand with dismay. It was moving toward them much faster than she would have thought possible. 'Come on, connect.' The tidal pool of simulated liquid disgorged its flux, stopping just inches from where Colonel Jack O'Neill supported Daniel Jackson's limp form. Sam couldn't suppress a scream as wind suddenly kicked sand into her face, temporarily blinding her.
"Carter! Teal'c, get Carter. Move it people!" Jack moved swiftly toward the 'gate as Teal'c swept a protesting major into his arms. Sheltering her body with his he quickly caught up with the colonel and the four members of SG-1 hit the 'gate simultaneously, along with the sandstorm.
************
The chaos on the SGC side of the 'gate was inevitable as the four travelers landed in a heap. O'Neill and Teal'c pushed their charges down onto the ramp and covered them with their bodies as a mass of grit flew through the 'gate.
The guards relaxed as the voice of General George Hammond commanded them to stand down, even as O'Neill yelled for a medical team. Teal'c stood quickly upright, and held out a hand to assist Sam to her feet. Tears running down her face, she gratefully took his hand, and climbed to her feet just as a medic reached her. Shaking her head, she quickly waved him away. "Just got grit in my eyes. Check on Daniel."
Dr. Janet Fraiser frowned as she knelt beside the unconscious form held tightly by the colonel. "Martins, take Major Carter to opthamology."
"I'm fine, Janet..."
A withering glance from both the colonel and the doctor silenced the young major's protests as she was led away. Janet took a closer look at the bruise on Daniel's forehead, then looked questioningly at O'Neill. The colonel smiled grimly. "Lost a battle with a loose tile. Knocked him silly."
Janet did a quick check of Daniel's eyes, breathing a sigh of relief as she found his pupils to be responsive. "I don't think he's got a concussion, but we'll do a work-up just to be on the safe side." Motioning to the orderlies, she stood and watched as they quickly moved Daniel's inert form to the gurney, and whisked him out of the 'gate room. Jack and Teal'c started to follow, only to be stopped by Hammond's firm voice.
"Colonel, what happened?"
Jack sighed inwardly. Much as he wanted to follow the medical team, he knew better than to try and stall Hammond unnecessarily. Pulling his vision from the closing doors, he forced himself to look the general in the eye. "Daniel was doing a survey of the nearest pyramid when the wind picked up. A loose tile broke off, hit him in the head and knocked him silly. Teal'c spotted a killer sandstorm just as Carter and I got to Daniel. Figured we'd better high-tail it back here."
"That's it?"
"Yes, sir. But I'd recommend sending another team to look at the pyramids. Daniel got so excited that his voice changed to soprano for a while."
"I'll take that under advisement, Colonel. Dismissed."
**********
"Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack froze in his tracks. "Oh, for crying out loud. Punch the elevator, Teal'c." As the Jaffa moved quickly toward the elevator, Jack turned and eyed the young airman hurrying toward him. "What is it, Airman?"
Saluting smartly, the young man looked very young, and very uncertain. "Sir, this package came for Dr. Jackson, from Washington. Should I take it to his lab?"
"No, I'll take it to him. Thank you, Airman."
"Yes, sir."
Jack quickly tucked the small parcel under an arm then jumped slightly as the elevator alarm announced that Teal'c had been holding the door just a moment too long.
**********
Sam was waiting impatiently outside the infirmary doors when Jack and Teal'c arrived. "Carter?"
Exasperated she responded. "I'm *fine*, sir. Just got a good dose of sand in my eyes. Dr. Murray flushed them."
"Good. Daniel?"
"I..."
A nurse opened the door, and motioned the SG-1 team members into the infirmary where a now conscious Daniel Jackson was protesting his imprisonment. "Look, Janet, you said I don't have a concussion. I'm fine. All I have is a very bad headache."
"Daniel, you were knocked senseless, and have a very bad bruise on your head. You'll be spending the night in the infirmary just to be on the safe side."
"No one else is staying." The young man said petulantly.
"No one else got knocked unconscious, Daniel." Jack spoke firmly.
"Jack..." Daniel started to argue, then his attention was grabbed by the package with his name on it. "What's that?"
Jack looked down. "Don't know. Came from Washington."
Daniel frowned as he reached to take the package, then his eyes lit up. "Oh, my God. I didn't expect this so soon."
"What?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"More Tutankhamen tapes. Dr. Rivers at the Smithsonian found some old home movies taken by a British film crew. This is great! Janet, I've got to take these home and watch them."
Janet shook her head. "Nope. Sorry. You're spending the night here. You can go home tomorrow if you're okay."
Daniel looked desperately at the package. "Janet, if I promise to stay very still, and not do any kind of moving around, could I watch these in my lab? Please? I'll behave. Honest. Won't do anything but watch the tapes. Truly. Cross my heart."
The doctor was going to say a firm 'no', but the look in Daniel's eyes was too close to Cassandra's when she really wanted something. "You'll only watch the tapes. Not do any research?"
"Honest. Won't pick up a book. Please?"
Janet sighed. "Daniel, if you'll stay quiet for four hours here in the infirmary, then I will let you take the tapes to your quarters, *not* your lab, and watch them. *If* I have your word that you will take it easy."
"Four hours!"
"My only offer, Dr. Jackson."
The young scientist frowned in dismay while behind him his teammates grinned broadly. "Oh. All right." He flopped backwards onto the pillow, and glared at his friends. "What?"
"Nothing, Daniel. Nothing at all. Get some rest." Jack eased his way back from the bed, trying not to show his relief, or his amusement. As the SG-1 team walked toward the door, Janet went with them.
As they reached the door, Sam asked curiously. "Janet, why not just let him watch them in here?"
Janet laughed lightly. "I made that mistake once. Daniel talks to himself, and argues with the narrator if there is one. Quite disturbing for the staff."
Grinning broadly now, the three teammates dispersed to complete their reports on the aborted mission.
************
The night was clear, and the stars wove an intricate collage in the night sky as Jack O'Neill passed the last exterior checkpoint into Cheyenne mountain. He whistled to himself as he took the elevators to the office level. His favorite team had won the hockey game, and he'd been lucky enough to have tickets for center ice. Teal'c had accompanied him, and once the rules of the game were made clear, the Jaffa had had as good a time as Jack, or at least it had appeared that way. The only downside to the entire evening had been the realization that he hadn't actually given the general his report. Experience told him that it needed to be on Hammond's desk before the man arrived at the SGC in the morning. O'Neill's only choices were to go back after the game, or go in early. The latter was not an option as far as Jack was concerned.
The elevator doors opened on level 26 and Jack frowned as he looked at the buttons. What the... Oh, yeah. Daniel's on-base quarters were on this level. Jack managed a crooked grin as he realized his subconscious mind thought he should check on the younger man. Giving into the urge, he moved quickly down the hall, once again whistling a cheerful tune. The tune died on his lips as he saw the lights were on in Daniel's quarters. Jack's irritation took control, and he opened the door quickly. The 'Damn it, Daniel!' lecture died in his throat as he slammed the intercom button. Jack nearly choked on his words as he called, "Medical emergency - L26." Releasing the button, he moved quickly toward the figure huddled in the corner of the room. Kneeling, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on Daniel's shoulder. The blue eyes, so normally full of life, were glazed over. Afraid to move him, Jack kept his hand on Daniel's shoulder, and spoke softly. "Daniel, it's okay, help's on the way."
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part - 02 ↑
"Doc?" Jack O'Neill's voice was heavy with concern as the petite doctor slipped out of the infirmary. He watched as Janet Fraiser sank into the nearest chair.
"He's sleeping, Colonel. Pumped as full of tranquilizers as I can without risking permanent damage. He's definitely suffering from shock but I don't see how it could be related to the earlier injury. Would you care to tell me exactly what happened?"
"I don't know."
"Colonel-"
"Seriously, Doc, I just happened to go by his quarters and there he was, backed as far into the corner as he could get."
"Was he saying anything?"
"What?"
"Colonel, I know you're anxious about him, but I really need to know as much as possible. Now, was he saying anything?"
Jack hesitated for a moment. "Not really, but he was rocking back and forth, with his arms wrapped around his chest, kinda crooning to himself. No words, just sounds."
"Other than the head injury, has anything unusual happened lately?"
"Not that I know of. Look, let's cut to the chase, is he going to be okay?"
"Physically, yes, but until I know what caused his collapse..." The implications were obvious.
"Can I see him?"
"Yes, but don't expect him to respond. I've got him heavily sedated." Janet found herself talking to air. Sighing she followed the colonel into the infirmary muttering, "Why do I even bother?"
*********
"Major Carter, I do not understand what it is that we are searching for. There is no indication that Daniel Jackson was attacked."
"I know, Teal'c, but something made him like.. that." She frowned as she recalled driving much too fast back to the SGC, after retrieving Teal'c from Jack's place. Daniel was sleeping, heavily sedated when they arrived, although he was much too pale against the white of the bed linens. On the off chance that she'd find something, Sam had left the Colonel standing watch over their teammate, and had taken Teal'c to Daniel's room. She walked toward the corner where O'Neill had found Daniel, and turned to look back at the room. Nothing seemed out of order, except... She stared at the small television set, which was on with no picture. The blue screen spoke of a video tape which had moved past its contents. Frowning, she hit rewind and waited impatiently for the device to do its job.
"You have found something, Major Carter?"
"I don't know. I'm betting the videotape he got today is in the machine." Hitting play, she spotted the Jaffa eyeing her skeptically. "Well, it's worth a shot."
*********
Daniel was indeed sleeping, but the face was still too pale. Jack stared at the younger man. "Dammit, Daniel. What the hell happened?"
"We may..." Janet's reply was cutoff before she really got started.
"I..I can help you with that."
O'Neill whirled at the sound of Carter's voice. "You found something." It was not a question.
"Yes, sir." Her tone was flat, almost emotionless, and Janet realized the Major was having difficulty staying in control. "I've sent for the General, sir. Teal'c is on his way to the briefing room. Doctor Fraiser, I think you should come too." Sam started as she suddenly saw the sleeping figure. "If Daniel's okay?"
Janet nodded as Jack responded. "Let's go kids, we're wasting time."
*********
General Hammond was waiting impatiently when the others arrived. "All right, Major. What does this...", his hand waved across the videotape on the table, "have to do with Dr. Jackson's collapse?"
"Everything, sir. I, uh, well, this isn't pretty." Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tape into the player and hit play. All eyes focused on the screen as images from an 8mm movie camera appeared.
"Home movies?" Jack was pissed. "What the hell is this?"
"Just watch, sir." Carter's voice was unusually subdued.
Camels in the distance indicated the location was the Middle East, somewhere. As the camera panned the area, it passed what could only have been a pyramid in the distance, isolating the location to Egypt. The camera homed in on a man and woman directing work on a series of stone pillars. Workers released the hook of a large crane and shoved it away from a large cover-stone, now resting on a flat-bed truck. Commands snapped urgently by the man spurred a nervous work crew into motion to steady a rocky pillar. As the camera continued its surveillance, it paused on a small boy hovering nearby. Slowly, the child edged closer to the couple. Suddenly the man spun around and pulled the little boy away from the work area. The young woman turned and watched as he lectured the child, punctuating his comments by a finger pushed pointedly into the little boy's chest.
"Carter..."
"It's almost there, sir."
The film flickered badly as if two disconnected films had been spliced. The location was now much different. The work area had relocated inside of a building. The stone pillars stood alone in the center of a large room. A huge chain held the corner-stone above the pillars. The couple from the earlier footage stood beneath it, once again directing the work. The camera paused in its sweep to close in on the same small boy sitting with arms crossed, obviously pouting, behind a crudely drawn chalk line.
"It's the New York Museum of Art." Carter spoke quietly.
"And just how do you know that?" Jack's patience was rapidly ending.
"The Gamekeeper's planet, sir, the room is identical to the one Daniel and I saw there."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Carter."
"Yes, sir. It's almost over."
As the group watched, the camera returned to the exhibit just as the corner-stone began to sway. Suddenly the chain slipped and the huge block crashed into the pillars. The resulting collapse of the pillars buried the screaming couple in rubble. Carter's hand trembled slightly as she turned off the tape.
"Daniel saw this?" Janet asked the question in everyone's thoughts.
"Ya think?" Jack's voice contained barely controlled rage.
Carter replied simply. "It was in his VCR."
"Why would anyone send this to Doctor Jackson?"
"I think I can answer that, sir. Please watch." She hit stop, then rewound the tape briefly. Hitting play, she watched as the father moved the child away from the work area. She then froze the frame. "Look at the first pillar, sirs."
Jack O'Neill came out of his chair. "Those symbols look familiar."
"Yes, sir. Five of them match symbols on the Stargate. The other two, I don't recognize. I suspect..." She enhanced the image. "that the remaining pillars contain other symbols from the Stargate. I'll have to do some heavy doctoring on the films to be sure."
"Major, I can understand how this would have upset Dr. Jackson, but if he didn't collapse on the Gamekeeper planet, then why would he collapse now? And why do I have the impression that you haven't shown us everything?"
"You're right, General. The rest of the tape is very confusing and more than a little suspicious. *I* think it's this third section that sent Daniel into a tailspin."
"How?" O'Neill's rage was edging to the top of his emotions.
Carter fast-forwarded the tape. The next images were of military personnel sealing crates and loading them into Army trucks. An older civilian, apparently an employee of the museum, argued in vain with the officer in charge, a colonel by his insignia. Janet Fraiser gasped as the camera turned away from the work area. An Army major held fast to the hand of a very small, obviously frightened child. Ignoring the little one's shorter legs, the man hustled the boy toward a waiting car, the emblem on the door proving it belonged to the New York Department of Social Services. A grim-faced woman spoke briefly with the major before lifting the sobbing child quickly into the car. The officer watched as the car pulled away, then stiffened. The furious face of the unknown colonel came into view as the major turned reluctantly toward the angry man. The camera closed in on the colonel, the close-up revealing the depth of his rage. The tape ended, but the silence did not.
*********
Daniel tossed restlessly on the infirmary cot. Nightmare scenes plagued his drugged sleep.
That *man* in the funny clothes had come to visit again last night. The little boy shuddered at the memory of the angry words *he* and Daddy had spoken. Momma's voice was angry too, but also, she sounded kinda scared. Grown-up stuff, Daddy had said, no need for him to try to understand it, he was too little.
The child shifted restlessly in the scant shade provided by the nearby buildings. He wanted to help, but Daddy had once again said no, he was too little. Well, maybe he couldn't actually dig, but he could read, and write too. And there were soooo many wonderful hieroglyphs on the pillars. The excited voices of his parents rang in his ears, and he unconsciously shifted closer to them, hoping to seeing something.
A stern male voice commanded his attention. "Daniel! This is the last time I tell you not to get so close. It's too dangerous." The solemn-faced man shook a dirty finger at the child. Taking a firm hold of a small arm, he led the little boy away from the pillars. Kneeling, Dr. Jackson used his index finger to draw a line in the sand between the child and the work area. Cupping his young son's head in his hand, he forced the child to look at the sand. As he spoke he punctuated his words with a thin finger aimed at the boy's chest. "Come no closer than this line, Danny. Do you understand me?"
Danny nodded absently, his eyes wandering to the wonders of the pillars. "Yes, Daddy. I'll stay behind the line."
The father studied his child closely for a moment, then forced the little boy to meet his eyes. "Daniel, I know you want to help but you can't right now." Noticing the far away expression in his son's eyes, the older man added. "Son, if you come too close again, I *will* spank you." He ignored the gasp from his wife and concentrated on the child in front of him. "Danny, I don't want to punish you, but the choice is yours. Now, you may sit here and watch, or you may go play on that hill over there. Understand?"
Tears threatened to fall, and the little boy chewed his lip in an effort not to cry. "Y..yes, Daddy."
"Good." He pulled the youngster into a tight embrace, then jumped quickly to his feet and returned to his wife. He shrugged as he saw her frown. The young mother watched her small son climb the nearby hill, shoulders slumped in sorrow.
"Don't you think you were a little hard on him? He's only five."
"I want him to make six. He's got to learn to be careful around these digs if he's going to continue to come with us. Danny's a smart child, too smart. No five year old should be able to read and write their native tongue much less ancient Egyptian. He ignores all our warnings and rushes into places he shouldn't go until we know they're safe. I mean it, darling, I don't want to spank him, but I don't want to lose him either. Now let's get these pillars loaded. It's a long way to New York, and I don't think we have much time."
"Noooooooo!" Adrenaline overruled the sedatives as Daniel sat bolt upright on the bed.
The nearest nurse struggled to push the distraught young man back down. Shouting "Get Doctor Fraiser, quick!" to a nearby aide, she worked to calm her patient.
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part - 03 ↑
"Well, that was fun. Got any other surprises for us, Carter?" Jack winced inwardly at his own sarcasm.
"No, sir, you've seen it-"
The intercom blared an interruption, "DR. FRAISER - CODE BLUE, REPEAT CODE BLUE."
Janet Fraiser's small size belied her speed. Leaping from her chair, she hit the intercom button on the wall before SG-1 or General Hammond could move. "Fraiser. Report."
"Ma'am, Dr. Jackson is conscious and extremely agitated. Lts. Nelson and McFrady are trying to control him, but..."
"On my way." She turned as she spoke. "General?"
"Go Doctor."
"General, I'd like-"
"SG-1 dismissed. None of you are..." His voice faded as they left the room. "any good to me right now anyway." Picking up the remote control, he stared at the silent video screen for a moment, frowned, then hit rewind on the VCR.
*************
"NO! I don't *want* to! Go 'way. *Momma!* *Daddy!*" Janet could hear the frantic cries coming from the infirmary as she shoved open the door. Running toward her distraught patient, she braced herself for a confrontation.
The aide appeared at her side, hypodermic in hand. "Doctor?"
Fraiser shook her head. "He's got enough in his system now to keep a water buffalo down. We'll have to calm him some other way."
O'Neill burst through the infirmary doors followed closely by Carter and Teal'c. Moving quickly to his friend's side, he motioned Janet and the nurses away. "Let go of him."
"Colonel-"
"Doctor, I can handle him. Release him and get everybody out of here."
"Sir, Teal'c and I would like to stay."
"Not this time, Carter. Out."
Nodding slowly, she motioned to a reluctant Teal'c to leave with her.
Janet glared at the Colonel briefly, then ordered her nurses to release Dr. Jackson. The exhausted women moved gratefully away from the struggling patient. O'Neill slipped quickly onto the bed, pinioning Daniel's arms to his sides. "Doctor, leave. Now."
Fraiser motioned her nurses out of the room, then followed, giving one last sympathetic glance to the man on the bed.
Ignoring the lingering gaze of the worried doctor, Jack tightened his hold on Daniel and shook him gently. "DANIEL! It's all right. It's only a dream!"
"Go 'way! Don't *like* this game! I want Momma!" Daniel's eyes were wild with terror.
Jack shook him again, harder this time. "DANIEL. Wake up. It's only a dream!"
The blue eyes blinked rapidly for a moment. "Ja'k?" Daniel's voice was laced with confusion as he tried to focus on his surroundings. "W..What?"
"It's okay, buddy, you were having a nightmare."
The panic in Daniel's face eased as he concentrated on Jack's face. "Not my room."
"No, Danny-boy, you're in the infirmary. Your reserved bed."
"Oh. W..what happened?"
Jack hesitated, unsure how to answer a loaded question. "You were having a nightmare. Scared the nurses half to death."
The younger man's brow furrowed in confusion. "Nightmare? I..I don't remember a nightmare."
Jack fought back a frown at Daniel's words. "What do you remember?"
Now that the adrenaline rush brought on by the nightmare was starting to fade, the sedatives in Daniel's system were beginning to reassert themselves. "In room." His eyes shut in concentration, then shot open. "Was I working? On what?"
"It's not important, Daniel. Go back to sleep." Jack relaxed his hold and began to gently rub Daniel's shoulder. He smiled as a yawn subdued another question.
"'kay, Ja'k." The blue eyes slowly disappeared as Daniel's body relaxed into a drugged slumber.
***********
A grim SG-1 sans one reappeared in the briefing room. General George Hammond was pacing the length of the phone cord, speaking loudly into the mouthpiece. "You heard me correctly. Melbourne and Claire Jackson. Died in an accident at the New York Museum of Art, New York City in 1970. ... No, they were NOT military. ... I don't care if you have to steal it from the archives, it's to be on my desk by eight am tomorrow morning. That's right, Lieutenant, EIGHT." Slamming the headset into the cradle, he fumed briefly before acknowledging the presence of his premier team. "How is Dr. Jackson?"
"Sleeping again, sir." O'Neill nodded at the videotape clinched tightly in Hammond's hand. "What's the word on that?"
"NID is tracing the original package. Fortunately Dr. Jackson left the mailing package on his desk, otherwise security would be searching the trash bins. Major Carter-"
"Sir?"
"I'm entrusting this tape to your capable hands. I need a copy of the tape for NID; then I want a complete analysis of the contents, concentrating on the symbols on the pillar. Teal'c, please assist Major Carter with the analysis of the symbols."
"YES, SIR!" Sam eagerly took the tape from Hammond.
The Jaffa tilted his head in silent acknowledgment of the General's orders.
Jack watched in silence as the pair left the room. "What now, General?"
"Colonel, we have the hardest job of all. We wait."
***********
"Sir?" A tentative knock on the solid oak door followed the question.
"Come."
Taking a deep breath, and straightening his clothing, the young man opened the door. "I'm sorry, sir. The tape got through. Our sources indicate Dr. Jackson has seen it."
Cold fury flashed in the steel gray eyes. "Indeed."
"Y..Yes, sir. They also say he reacted very badly to the contents, sir." Getting no response, he felt brave enough to continue. "I'm told he's been sedated and is confined to the infirmary."
A huge fist slammed the desk, sending paperwork flying in all directions. "Have the damage control procedures begun?"
"Yes, sir. All paper trails surrounding the investigation of the museum mishap are being 'lost' even as we speak."
"Don't fail me in this, Rogers."
"No sir. I guarantee it's being handled."
The older man templed his fingers in thought. "I have an additional assignment for you."
"Sir?" An electronic security card dropped on the desk in front of him, closely followed by a key.
"The card will get you into the Pentagon's storage facility one. The key is for one of the lower level vaults. You'll need to go as an Army Major. I assume you have a uniform?"
"Yes, sir."
"You'll need a truck and some assistance, expendable assistance."
"That should not be a problem, sir."
"Good."
"Sir, it would help if I knew what I was looking for."
The salt and pepper head raised to stare for a moment at the young man. "Let's just say that mistakes were made a long time ago. Made and buried, but apparently not deep enough. It was after all, the Vietnam War era, practically dedicated to mistakes both large and small. Unfortunately certain items like the tape," the older man answered the unspoken question in the younger one's eyes, "have now begun to surface. While that particular leak has been plugged, I ... we, cannot afford to allow anything else to be 'found'. Am I clear?"
"Uh, you're not going to tell me what I'm looking for?"
"Very good, Rogers. Empty the vault. Collect the contents for me. You'll be told where to deliver them later."
"Yes, sir."
"Dismissed."
"Thank you, sir." Rogers fled the office, oblivious to the figure entering the office through a side door.
Cold blue eyes watched the rapid departure. "He's very young. Can he be trusted?"
"Yes."
"For your sake I hope so."
"I said he could be trusted."
"It wouldn't be the first time you were mistaken. You made a horrendous mistake with the Jacksons."
"A fact you have pointed out to me for nearly thirty years."
"We can afford no such errors in judgment this time. It is imperative that the items in that vault remain hidden, until such time as they are needed."
"And just who decides that?"
"There's an old cliché that goes 'I could tell you but then I would be forced to shoot you.'"
"So?"
"In this case, it's true."
*********
Janet Fraiser was tired, mentally and physically. She'd been officially off duty for five hours, but somehow couldn't bring herself to leave the infirmary. The thin figure in the bed was sleeping peacefully ... now. The whole scenario was insane. Daniel Jackson just did *not* go off the deep end. Well, ... there was that time with the sarcophagus, but that was an addiction. And Machello's little present - again not a normal occurrence. ... But then to not even remember he'd had a nightmare? Not knowing what it was about she could understand. She'd had her share of those herself. But she'd never heard of not knowing you'd had a bad dream, even if it was nothing more than an uneasy sensation when you awakened. Perhaps it would be best if Daniel saw one of the SGC psychiatrists ... Oh. Wouldn't *that* suggestion go over well.
The night terror that had plagued Daniel's sleep just a few short hours ago appeared to have been defeated by the drugs she was forcing into his veins. God, she hated that, but between the earlier head injury and his extreme reaction to that damn tape, the boy needed his rest. Boy? Where did that come from? Daniel Jackson may have been the youngest member of SG1, but he was still almost the same age she was. What was it about the scientist that brought out the motherly instincts of almost every woman he met?
"Doctor Fraiser? Is anything wrong?"
"What? Oh, no, Andrea. Just making a last check of Dr. Jackson's vitals."
The pretty nurse smiled knowingly. "Colonel O'Neill's not here, so you're gonna take his place?"
"No, I..." Janet stopped and grinned. "You're right. For once I was able to get the Colonel to forego sleeping in a chair, and look what I do."
"Yes, Ma'am. Go home, Doctor. Get some rest. We'll watch him."
Janet barely managed to stifle a yawn. "You win, Andrea. But do remember that Dr. Jackson can get into trouble even in his sleep."
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part - 04 ↑
Jack O'Neill was not happy. Granted this was not the first time Daniel had fled the infirmary before being officially released, but, dammit, why did he always leave just before dawn? The inevitable result was that Jack was deprived of precious hours of undisturbed sleep, which, at his age, was not to be taken lightly. This time, however, Jack was more concerned over the young scientist's frame of mind than his physical condition. A quick check with the sentry on duty proved that Daniel had not left the facility. Jack smiled sadly. That left the man's only real sanctuary on base.
Daniel was most comfortable in his own environment, and on base that environment was the sanctum of his laboratory. Few SGC personnel dared to cross the threshold into the Egyptologist's lab. Although Daniel's openness and ingenuousness had won him lasting friendships among the SGC personnel, the brilliant young man unwittingly terrorized those who were brave enough to visit him in the lab. Most people feared being trapped by a dissertation on a long dead society which they had no hope of understanding.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the lights were on in Daniel Jackson's lab. Peering in through the small window, the Colonel studied the younger man from a discreet distance. Realizing that time was not his friend, Jack pushed the door open. "Daniel. Did Dr. Fraiser release you?"
"I released myself."
"Daniel."
"What, Jack?" Daniel whirled and glared angrily at his friend. "I had a momentary nervous break-down. Made a complete idiot of myself in front of just about everyone. No problem. Could happen to anyone. Now if you don't mind, I have work to do. SG-7 brought back pottery shards...
"Danny-boy..."
"...from a Viking culture on PSX927A but the writing..."
"Daniel..."
"...is definitely Egyptian, probably 4th century..."
"Daniel!"
"WHAT?"
"I'm sorry."
The younger man, for once, was rendered speechless. He sat motionless, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the Colonel.
Jack made a mental note to mark this day on his calendar, then continued. "Daniel, you were what, six, seven when your folks died?"
"Five. I was five." Daniel was suddenly engrossed in watching his feet.
"Whatever. The point is that you were a little boy who had his world snatched away from him in one fell swoop. Worse, you saw it happen. No one, and I mean no one, thinks of you as an idiot for your violent reaction to that damn tape. I'm just sorry I went to the hockey game. I might have been able to help."
"Not your fault, Jack. You didn't know what was in the box." An involuntary shudder played over the young scientist's body.
"Wanta talk about it?"
"Nothing much to talk about. You saw the tape?"
Jack nodded.
"Well, that was it, except..." Daniel's words trailed off.
"Except?"
"There wasn't any sound on the video, was there?"
Confused, Jack responded, "No, it looked like it was spliced together from three separate home movies. No sound. Why?"
Pain-filled blue eyes rose to meet concerned brown ones. Daniel's voice was barely above a whisper. "B..Because, I could hear their screams, Jack, all night long."
***************
"Teal'c?"
"Yes, Major Carter."
"Are you sure that you don't recognize these nine symbols?"
"I am sorry, Major Carter, they are unfamiliar to me."
"That's okay, Teal'c. But I've managed to match almost all the other symbols to those on the Stargate. There're a few blocked by this object, but maybe I can use the comp... Oh my God!" Sam dropped the laser pointer onto the desk and sank slowly into a chair.
"Major Carter, is something wrong?"
"I'm an idiot, Teal'c. The 'object' blocking my view is Daniel's mother. How could I be so callous?"
"I do not believe you were being callous, Major Carter. You are much like Daniel Jackson. When presented with a puzzle you will work tirelessly to the exclusion of all else to solve it. You have also been working all night. It is entirely understandable that you have forgotten the source of this photograph."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Teal'c, but I'm not sure it makes me feel any better." She sighed, and used the pointer to isolate one of the unknown symbols. "These nine don't make any sense."
"I agree, Major Carter. They do not seem to belong with the others."
"I know, maybe Daniel can... Uh, no, bad idea, real bad idea. I must be really tired." She stared for a moment at the fuzzy, gray mass in the center of the photo. At this scale of enlargement, it was unrecognizable as human.
The large Jaffa looked even more solemn that usual. "Indeed it would not seem advisable to allow Daniel Jackson to see these photographs."
"You can say that again."
"Indeed it would-"
The intercom effectively cutoff the Jaffa's reply as General Hammond's aide requested their presence in the briefing room.
************
Jack placed a sympathetic hand on Daniel's shoulder, but before he could respond his pager played a lively tune. "Dammit!" Jack ripped the device from his belt and glared at the message. Turning his attention back to his friend, he smiled ruefully. "Daniel, you really need to get some rest."
"Rest! Unless I'm mistaken I've been in a drugged sleep for about twenty four hours. What I need to do is check these artifacts..." He once again stared at his feet, then, sighing, lifted his head to meet Jack's eyes. "No, that's not true. I need to find out who sent me that, that tape and why. I don't remember a camera being there. Surely I would have remembered somebody with a camera."
"Daniel, the camera could have been set up anywhere and it was probably on a tripod. As to who sent it, General Hammond has turned that over to NID. *You* don't need to sweat it."
"But Jack..."
"No, Daniel. You go ahead and fiddle with your rocks-"
"Artifacts." Daniel automatically corrected the older man.
"Whatever. Just let NID worry about the tape. Okay?"
"Okay," came the reluctant reply.
"I've gotta go. Are you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine."
Jack squeezed his friend's shoulder, then left quickly; grateful that Daniel hadn't asked where he was going. But he fervently hoped that the younger man hadn't picked up on his anger.
Tired eyes followed Jack from the room. Daniel's mind took him back again to the horrendous day when his secure little world had died. Five. He'd only been five. God. That ... event ... had been followed by three years in institutional limbo. Three long years spent waiting for the authorities to trace his grandfather. Who, when found, didn't have time to raise a child, or so he'd been told as he'd been shuffled off to one more foster home, and one less chance of having real connections.
Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind of increasingly bitter thoughts, Daniel absently picked up a pottery shard. He stared unseeing at the broken fragment, then his brow furrowed with confusion. Why hadn't he seen the camera? Even on a tripod, someone should have been there. Think, Daniel, think. No. There'd been no tripod. But something didn't fit. What? The movie. Movies - three to be exact.
Daniel frowned. Three? Surely there were only two. The one in Egypt and the one in ... New York. What third one? He'd have to remember to ask Jack or, or watch the tape once more. Shuddering, he moaned softly. No, that was definitely out. He did NOT want to see that tape ever again. Get a grip, Jackson. Don't think about th..them, what was wrong with the picture? Concentrate on the picture. Yes! That's it. The movie didn't waiver when the corner-stone fell. A security camera? That had to be it. Jack said NID had the tape but... The General. He'll know how to find out. Relieved to have something constructive to do, Daniel gently placed the artifact on the table and went in search of General Hammond.
****************
"General, sir, you wanted to see us?" Carter saluted as she entered the briefing room.
"Yes, Major, be seated. Colonel O'Neill should be along momentarily. Ah, Colonel, come in."
"Sir." O'Neill quickly joined Teal'c and Carter at the table, staring curiously at the NID officer standing there.
"This is Major Harris, NID. He's been assigned the lead in the investigation of Dr. Jackson's tape. Major, would you explain to my staff what you've found so far."
"Yes, sir. Colonel, Major," the NID officer hesitated slightly before continuing, "Mr. Teal'c. The package originated in Washington, DC. It was mailed from a small substation near the river. Unfortunately there were no prints on the package itself nor, as Major Carter found, on the original tape."
"What you're trying to say is that you've got nothing." The frustration in O'Neill's voice was obvious even to the NID officer.
"No, sir, not exactly. A body was found in the gutter four blocks from the substation, time of death preceded the postmark on the package. We believe he dumped the tape at the substation after hours, then left the site only to be murdered a few blocks away."
"So? What makes the connection? It's Washington. People are always dying there." Jack's thoughts trailed back momentarily to the reporter who'd died at his feet there.
"True. But, how many die within easy walking distance of a mailbox containing an unwrapped tape of the Tutankhamen dig?"
Carter gasped. "So you think the victim sent Daniel the tape?"
"Yes."
"I assume you've identified the body." Hammond sat straight up in his chair.
Major Harris nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. His name was Colonel Martin L. Nichols, U.S. Army, retired."
The silence that filled the room was broken from an unexpected source. "Why would a retired Army colonel have a tape of my parents' accident?"
************
A trembling hand brought the secure cell-phone out of an inner pocket. The young man stared for a moment at the number he'd dialed, then reluctantly hit the send button.
It seemed an eternity of rings before a severe voice answered. "Report."
"Sir, I, uh, I've failed you sir. The vault was empty when I got there."
"EMPTY!"
"Y..yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't let on to anyone that the vault had been cleaned out, but I did check the records. It hasn't been accessed in ten years."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 05 ↑
"Dr. Jackson, when were you released from the infirmary?" General Hammond kept his voice level, in keeping with his rank.
"I wasn't. Now someone please answer my question. Why would an Army colonel be carrying around a tape that had my parents' accident on it?"
"We don't know yet, Daniel," Jack replied softly. "The Major had just started his spiel when you got here."
"Fine. I'll just join you, if no one minds." Daniel crossed to the table and flopped tiredly into the chair beside O'Neill. Noting the expressions surrounding him, he added an irritable, "What?"
Sam gulped. "Daniel, I really think it might be better if you-"
"Do what? Hide in my lab, pretend this never happened? That's no good and you know it, Sam."
"Son, considering your reaction to the tape last night, I'd really like to have Dr. Fr-"
"Meaning no disrespect, General, but everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that these were *my* parents, and the tape was sent to *me*. That tape is my property, to do with as I like, and right now what I'd like is for all of you to stop trying to protect me. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."
"Ya think?"
Daniel glared for a moment at Jack, then relaxed. "I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge. I'd still like to know what's going on, though."
Hammond looked thoughtfully at the young man. "Agreed. Major, you were saying..."
"Uh, yes, sir." He nodded a greeting to the young scientist. "Well, to answer Dr. Jackson's question, Colonel Nichols was a major at the time of the accident."
Carter sat up startled. "The one on the tape?"
"Yes."
Daniel looked confused. "Excuse me, what 'one on the tape'?"
Jack turned to his friend. "Daniel, the one in the third section of tape."
"There was a third section?" Daniel was obviously surprised.
"Yes, why?" Jack was watching his young teammate closely.
"I, uh, I guess I was more freaked out than I thought. I don't remember a third section." He closed his eyes for a moment while all eyes in the room stared at him. Opening them, he smiled wanly at the group. "Could I see it, please?"
"Daniel, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Please, Jack. I really need to see it. General?"
Hammond nodded for Major Harris to show the tape, hoping that the man would have the sense to fast forward past the second part.
**************
Shady Hills Retirement Home was his last hope for information. The archives had proven to be a bust. The year 1970 was missing and no one knew exactly how, or worse, when, that had happened. He'd been incredibly lucky to find someone who recalled that the old man he was now looking for had been in charge of the museum in 1970. Praying that this was not just a fool's errand, he stepped out onto the porch. Just as the director had said, Dr. Philip Marshall was resting on the porch, dozing slightly in the sun.
Captain Arthur Benjamin slowly approached the fragile old man in the rocking chair. "Dr. Marshall?"
Dark brown eyes studied him for a moment. Benjamin found himself growing slightly unnerved by the intelligence behind those eyes. The old man stared at the uniform for a long moment before speaking. "So, you've finally come. I knew someone would, eventually." He laughed bitterly. "Just didn't think it would take thirty years."
"Sir?"
"You've come about that formal protest I filed haven't you?"
Benjamin's mind raced frantically. What the hell was the old man talking about? Okay, go along with him for now. Maybe you can steer him into talking about the accident. "Yes, I have."
"Liar." The bitterness in the old man's voice was obvious. "You don't really expect me to believe that after three decades you're gonna turn over the Jacksons' things to the museum, now do you? Not to mention it's a little late for my daughter to adopt the child."
***************
Harris nervously fumbled with the remote as he searched for the right spot to start the tape. He'd been told of Dr. Jackson's collapse, and had no wish to antagonize the group in the room by being the cause, however indirect, of a similar event. Fortunately he'd noted the starting locations of the three separate sections. Entering the number into the machine, Harris watched in anxious anticipation as the VCR fast-forwarded. He'd never known one of the machines to start on the wrong number, but there was always a first time. Or worse, he could've copied the numbers wrong. The tape started to roll and he suppressed a sigh of relief as it began in exactly the right spot.
No one except for Harris, and Daniel, was watching the tape. All eyes were on Daniel, watching for any sign of distress. The young scientist, in turn, was oblivious to their scrutiny. He watched with morbid fascination as the child-Daniel was delivered into the hands of the New York Department of Social Services. The video paused suddenly with the major's face becoming larger than life. Before anyone could protest, Harris spoke up quickly. "Do you recognize him, Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel nodded reluctantly as the memories surfaced. "That's Colonel Nichols?"
Harris responded. "Yes, but he was Major Nichols in those days."
Daniel refused to meet anyone's eyes. "I remember him. Sort of. He was always in a hurry."
Jack frowned. "Well, he certainly was in a hurry to get you into the hands of Social Services. Any idea why?"
"None. Is there more?"
"Not much." Harris replied as he hit play.
************
"I'm sorry, sir. Maybe I misunderstood you. Did you say release the Jackson's things to the museum?"
"I don't recall stuttering, young man. Now, since we both know that's not why you've come, and since I now know you're a liar, how about telling me why you're really here and I'll see if I want to believe you."
Benjamin sighed. "I apologize for lying, sir. It is not normally my method of operation, but the request I have is so unusual that I wasn't sure how to deal with you."
"Just spit it out and hurry, I'm due for a nap in ten."
"Yes, sir. I am here about the Jacksons." He held up his hand to forestall a sarcastic comment. "But not about your request. Sir, I need to know everything you can remember about the accident."
A derisive snort of laughter was the response. "Accident! Accident! God, that's good."
"Sir?"
"Hell, son, those folks were murdered."
Benjamin's eyes widened in disbelief.
"And, your people should know that, if anyone does."
"Why do you say that, sir?"
"'Cause your people killed them."
**************
All eyes were on the monitor as the tape was restarted. A strangled cry, accompanied by a falling chair, caused everyone's attention to turn back to Daniel. The young man was practically glued to the wall behind him, his face ghost pale. "Oh God. That's *him*. He did exist. Oh God. I thought he was a dream."
Jack moved quickly to stand beside his friend. Sam righted the fallen chair, and the colonel steered the stunned young man toward it, even as Harris killed the tape. "Easy, Daniel. Sit. Take deep breaths." Jack pushed Daniel gently back into the chair and dropped into his own chair, never taking his eyes from Daniel's face. As the younger man's color returned, Jack smiled. "That's better. Now, what are you talking about? Who?"
"The Colonel in the film. He..he was in my nightmares for years. I thought I made him up."
Carter asked softly. "Nightmares, Daniel?"
"Yeah, he was my own personal bogeyman. Popped up at all the wrong moments. I thought I made him up. God! Then I guess the rest of it must be true too."
"What rest?" Jack was becoming annoyed.
"He and his men took everything that my parents had away in a truck. Even the rubble from the museum. All their research, everything."
"How do you know that, Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond spoke softly, not wishing to upset the young man any more than necessary.
"I..I watched them. I..I must have..." He sounded very confused. Suddenly he shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued quickly. "I tried to find their stuff after I grew up, thinking the nightmare was just my imagination working overtime, but no one at the museum knew what I was talking about."
"Daniel Jackson. Why would the military want your parents' belongings?"
"I don't know, Teal'c, I just don't know."
Sam watched Daniel closely for a moment, then ventured a question. "Daniel, what aren't you telling us? Why was this guy your bogeyman?"
He laughed nervously. "Old habits die hard. Like I said, I thought I made him up but..."
"But?" Jack prompted.
"The g..game." Daniel's voice quivered with emotion even as he wrapped his arms tightly around his chest. "The memory's kinda vague. He..he showed up at the museum really fast after ... the accident. And he was so mad, all the time. But he was really mad when the major interrupted us." Daniel seemed to shrink in on himself as his words faded away.
Silence ruled momentarily as worst case scenarios raced through the minds of everyone at the table. Sam's face paled dramatically, and Jack looked ready to chew nails, while Hammond and the visiting major looked grave. Teal'c, however, remained outwardly impassive. Inwardly he was seething. His alien perspective, gleaned from years in the service of Apophis, allowed him an insight into the worst kinds of human behavior. "What manner of game, Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel looked at his friend across the table. "I..I'm not real sure. I mean, I know I didn't like it, but..." His words stopped as he struggled to remember.
Sam's sympathetic eyes watched him closely. "Take your time, Daniel."
He frowned deeply. "Pictures, there were lots and lots of pictures."
"He took *pictures*?" The fury in Jack's voice promised dire consequences to someone.
"Huh? Oh. No, he showed me pictures. Said it was a game. Wanted me to tell him about them..."
"Daniel..." Jack tried to interrupt but his friend didn't seem to hear him.
Now that the gates were opened, information flowed forth virtually unchecked as Daniel's memories returned. "So many pictures. 'Look at this, Danny. I'm sure you know where your mommy and daddy found this. How about this, Danny? Don't tell *me* you don't know. I'll give you a prize if you tell me.'" The young man's eyes were glazed over, almost dull in appearance. "He got mad when I didn't know, or got tired. I don't remember which. Then he started to shake me, and his hands were hurting my arms. I..I remember screaming for..for Momma, but she..she didn't come and neither did my Dad."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 06 ↑
Daniel's words faded away into the silence of the briefing room, but he appeared not to notice. Jack laid a supportive hand on the younger man's shoulder, only to have him start violently, and jerk away. "No!"
"Daniel..."
"Oh, God. I'm sorry. I thought... I mean... It was all..."
General Hammond interrupted the young man. "It's all right, son. A perfectly understandable reaction. Take your time. How long did the colonel," Hammond almost gagged on the title, "talk to you?"
"I don't really know, General. Everything's fuzzy and confused. All I know is the game seemed to take forever. But it could have been six minutes or six hours, I really don't know."
"How many times did you play this, this game, Daniel?" Jack was struggling to control his anger in the face of his friend's obvious discomfort.
Daniel thought for a moment. "Just once ... I think. No. That's right. Just once. Same questions over and over. Like I said before, I..I started crying and sc..screaming. Then the other man, I think you said he was a major, came running in, and pulled me away from the colonel." He stopped, struggling to organize his thoughts. "From then on, the colonel never got near me, alone, again."
"Damn good thing." Jack's fist hit the table with a resounding thump, earning him a silent, but very visual reprimand from the general. "Uh, sorry, sir. Anything else, Daniel?"
The young man templed his fingers as he contemplated his next words. After a short, but poignant pause he continued. "Well, the major was almost always around. Or he would show up just after the colonel started asking questions. Then the major would interrupt and they would argue. I didn't even think it was strange at the time. I didn't know anything about military rank back then, so it didn't seem odd. But thinking back, I can see how really strange it was that the colonel actually deferred to the major. I seem to remember the major saying something about 'just a kid who couldn't possibly know' but the colonel kept shaking his head. It's pretty obvious that they were talking about me, but I have no idea why or what I was supposed to know. All I know is that the colonel really scared me." He paused thoughtfully. "His game scared me too. Some of the pictures were ... ugly."
Major Harris spoke up. "Colonel Roland Parker was enough to scare most grown-ups. I can only imagine the effect he'd have on a small child. He was a very young Ranger in Korea. By the time of Viet Nam, he was deeply involved in a variety of special projects which took him around the world, including Egypt." Harris paused to allow the significance of his findings to sink in. "After 'Nam, he officially retired from the military. Unofficially, he was still active duty. He took on the assignments that no one else wanted."
"Terrific. Any idea where the s... where he is now?" The SG-1 commander was now in full angry colonel mode.
"The records show he died in 1982."
"Sweet. Anyone wanta bet he's not dead?" Jack looked around the room, his eyes landing on Samantha Carter. Her faraway look got his attention immediately. "Something on your mind, Carter?"
"Hmmm? Oh, sorry, sirs." She leaned forward and the words rushed from her mouth. "Could all this have anything to do with the symbols? Teal'c and I managed to identify all but nine of them."
"Carter!"
"What symbols?" Daniel Jackson's question was uttered simultaneously with O'Neill's warning.
Sam groaned as she realized what she'd done.
"What symbols, Sam?"
"Might as well go ahead, Carter."
"Sorry, sirs." Turning an embarrassed face toward her friend, she responded. "Daniel, enlargement of the films of the columns showed symbols that match the Stargate."
"Show me!" The Egyptologist was on his feet in a flash.
"Daniel, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Show me! Please!" Daniel looked urgently from one officer to the next, his eyes finally landing appealingly on the General.
Hammond took a deep breath to steady himself. The intense blue eyes watched his every move. "Dr. Jackson is correct. This whole incident revolves around the tape he was sent. Show him the symbols, Major. Now."
***********
"Where's the next symbol, Sam?" Daniel stared at the enlargement on the screen in front of him, finishing up the almost legible notes on his pad as he asked the question. The young scientist had been studying the symbols to the exclusion of everything else since they'd arrived in the lab.
"Daniel, the next one..." Her voice trailed off helplessly.
He glanced at her for a moment. "It's okay, Sam, I can handle it. Put up the next one."
Gulping, she nodded. Casting a worried look at Jack and Teal'c, she positioned the next image on the enlarger.
The young scientist nearly choked on his coffee as the image took focus on the screen. Don't think about it. Concentrate on the symbol. Identify the symbol. Oh, God, that's her. See only the symbol, Daniel. Forget about...
"Daniel?"
"Oh, s..sorry, Sam. You, uh, can't, uh, really see, uh, all... Uh, just a minute. I, uh, I..."
O'Neill motioned Carter and Teal'c to leave. He'd remained with the others in the photo lab for almost three hours as Sam fed Daniel the pertinent photos as slowly as possible. Most of the enlarged images were safe, containing nothing but the pillars from the scenes in Egypt. However, later images from the New York disaster had been added to the research material. Two of those had rather graphic pictures of the accident in process. These had carefully been reserved for last, on the off chance that Daniel Jackson would grow weary and call it a day. 'Fat chance was more like it' he thought bitterly. Days with only minimal sleep and food were not uncommon for Daniel Jackson on a mission, and this time the mission was personal.
Daniel appeared to be frozen in place, eyes darting everywhere in the room, except the screen. Jack moved forward and clicked off the projector. "Time to call it a day, Daniel."
"No, Jack, r..really, I'm fine. I just need to, need to..."
O'Neill waited. He didn't have to wait long.
The younger man turned to face his friend. "It was so long ago, Jack. Why do I remember it as if it were yesterday?"
"A defining moment, Daniel."
"What?"
"I've heard it said that everyone has defining moments in their life. My guess is that this was the one of yours. Probably the first."
"Terrific. ... Do you think it's true, Jack, that my parents were murdered for this?" Daniel's arm swept over the projector and its contents.
Jack O'Neill silently cursed the fates that always seemed to thrust Daniel to the forefront of danger, physical or emotional. If the phone call to Major Harris from that Captain in New York had been five minutes later, then Daniel would have been safely on his way to the lab with Sam, oblivious to the accusations of an ancient archaeologist. "I don't know, Daniel. I can promise you that we'll find out."
"I..I'm not sure I want to."
"Excuse me?"
"I've spent the last few years devoted to the Stargate program, Jack. It's been the main thing, no, the only thing in my life. What if it cost them theirs?"
************
"Major Carter?"
"Hmmm?"
"Major Carter?"
"Oh, sorry, what is it Teal'c?"
"I have called you several times. Are you all right?"
"Just thinking about that damn tape and the double damned phone call."
"Yes, I was most surprised that Daniel Jackson did not to react to the allegations."
Sam sighed. "He will eventually. He's trying to bottle up the feelings."
"I saw no bottle, Major Carter."
"No, uh, sorry Teal'c. That's an idiom for control what he feels."
"Ah, the pain of his parents' deaths."
"Yeah, and the fact that he may be working for the same military that caused them."
"I do not believe the military of yourself, Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond would do such a thing."
Sam smiled. "Thanks Teal'c, but you, better than just about anyone, should know that not all of us are the same."
"That is true, there are a few without honor."
"That's putting it mildly, and that was a different era."
"I do not understand."
"The United States was involved in a very unpopular war, there was civil unrest, the college campuses were full of students protesting everything. Even the highest level of government was not exempt from the corruption of the times."
"Ah, yes, your president Nixon..."
Sam was surprised. "What?"
"I have read much of the presidents of this country of yours, Major Carter, Daniel Jackson suggested that it would be a good thing to know."
She smiled sadly. "That sounds like something he'd recommend."
"Excuse me, Ma'am?"
Sam turned to look at a young Airman. "Yes, Airman Simpson?"
"Ma'am, I have a package for Dr. Jackson. Sergeant McCandry said that under no circumstances was I to give it to him. I had to go to either you or Colonel O'Neill, Ma'am."
"Thank you, Airman. Dismissed." She stared aghast at the post-mark. "Holy Hannah!"
"What is wrong, Major Carter?"
"It's postmarked Washington, DC."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 07 ↑
Jack frowned as Daniel carefully slid the letter opener into the over-sized envelope. Dammit, why hadn't Carter shown him the damn thing first? He'd have been able... to do nothing more than she'd done, Jack reluctantly admitted to himself. The younger man's hands were shaking so badly that O'Neill had to resist the urge to do it for him.
"Well, here goes nothing." Daniel reached inside and withdrew a stack of very old, very musty books.
"What the?" Jack muttered as he realized these were not books in the true sense. They appeared to be diaries of some sort.
Daniel's face lit into a smile, and his voice became more animated than it had been since the incident. "My father's journals. Jack, Sam, Teal'c - these are my father's journals. I thought they were lost forever." He fumbled excitedly with the pages of the top book, turning them rapidly as he tried to take them all in at once. Jack barely caught the remaining four as they slipped unnoticed from Daniel's hands. A metallic clang captured Jack's attention and he concentrated on isolating the sound. There, a key, on the floor. Had it been in one of the journals? Probably. Bending, he retrieved it and slipped it surreptitiously to Carter, who took it without comment and left the room.
Jack then focused his attention on Daniel. The young man had slowed down and was now back at the beginning of the first journal, drinking in each word as if it was the elixir of happiness. "Daniel?"
"Hmmm..."
Jack took his friend by the elbow and pulled him toward the door. "What say you go back to your quarters and read this in peace. Maybe even get some rest."
"'kay, Jack." The young man never noticed as he was carefully maneuvered back to his room.
Teal'c opened the door and Jack skillfully steered Daniel into a chair. The younger man's eyes never left the journal he was reading. Jack clicked on the reading lamp above the chair, finally succeeding in startling his friend. "What, where, how?"
"Your room, Daniel. Thought you'd be more comfortable here."
"Oh, thanks Jack. His handwriting's kinda like yours, hard to read, but I think I can..." His words faded away as the journal and all its mysteries captured him again.
***********
Carter and Harris snapped to as the Colonel entered the room. "As you were."
"Sir, Daniel?"
"Back in his room, reading, and Teal'c is standing guard. Daniel won't be going anywhere alone. What've you got?"
Harris responded promptly. "Sir, the markings on the key show that it is for a storage vault."
"You mean a locker, like at the bus station?"
"No sir, I mean a storage vault and based on the DOD code on this key, I'd say this one gets you access to a fairly large storage room in one of the Pentagon's storage facilities."
"Any idea which one?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Great, the vault could be in what, a half dozen different places?"
"Thirty-six, sir."
Jack stared open-mouthed at the Major. "How many?"
"The Pentagon maintains thirty-six storage facilities in the Washington area alone. But based on the number, I'd say this key was for one of the older ones."
Carter asked curiously, "What makes you think that?"
"The newer units have the facility number as the first two digits on the key. This one doesn't and seeing as Dr. Jackson's parents died in the early seventies, there can't be more than five facilities that fit the bill."
"Washington, eh."
"Yes, sir."
"Carter?"
"Yes, Colonel?"
"Road trip. I'll go clear it with the General."
***********
Captain Arthur Benjamin drummed his fingers on his chair as he waited impatiently for the bank officer to return. Getting the proper authorizations to gain access to Dr. Marshall's safety deposit box had not taken as long as he'd originally feared. For once the military attorneys had managed to cut through the red tape. Until now. Now all that stood between him and that accursed box was a four-foot ten-inch fireball of a bank officer. Mrs. Stanley had explained in no uncertain terms that she really didn't care what paperwork he had, she wasn't letting him at the safety deposit box until *her* management had approved it. And *they* were in a meeting. He would just have to wait. And he could do so in the lobby.
Totally convinced the woman was a retired drill sergeant, Captain Benjamin played his ace ... national security. He'd felt himself blush as the older woman glared at him over the top of her glasses. Her look spoke more plainly than words 'please, Captain, not the national security line. This is upstate New York state, not the mid-East.' And he, a captain in the U.S. Army, had meekly gone to sit in the lobby. Shit!
Groaning in frustration he twisted in the chair, trying to get comfortable in a device obviously designed by the Marquis de Sade. A pleasant young voice interrupted his self-condemnation. "Captain Benjamin?"
He leaped to his feet, and turned to face a tall redhead. "Yes, ma'am."
She smiled. "I'm Lorraine Curtis, bank manager. I apologize for the wait, but, well, we do have our rules."
"Yes, ma'am. I believe my paperwork is in order, ma'am. May I please see the box?"
She studied the paperwork for a moment, then frowned. "This gives you authorization to take possession of the contents of the box."
"Yes, ma'am. It does. Dr. Marshall turned control of his possessions over to me."
Curiosity flashed in her green eyes, but she only nodded. "Then, if you'll please come with me."
Hat in hand, he smiled for the first time since his commanding officer had rousted him out of bed for this assignment. "Yes, ma'am. I'm right behind you."
***********
"Thank you very much. Yes, there will be a bonus in your check this month." The man frowned as he hung up the phone.
"Problem?"
"Nothing that can't be handled. My source inside the nursing home says that Dr. Marshall had a visitor from the U.S. Army today. A captain."
"Indeed. What did the captain want?"
"Unknown. My source attempted to determine this but was unable to eavesdrop on their conversation with impunity."
"I'm surprised, have you never heard of 'listening devices'?"
"There's no need for sarcasm. In his ten years in the nursing home, Dr. Marshall has never been visited by more than his few friends, and his family. He was not considered a threat."
"Why didn't you eliminate him at the time?"
"Please. The deaths of three archaeologists, however accidental, would have aroused the suspicions of my superiors. As time went on, it became apparent that he was harmless."
"Until now."
The first man tilted his head in silent agreement.
"Now what will you do?"
"Find the army captain, and discover what Dr. Marshall actually knew."
***********
Daniel's eyes were glued to the first journal. He studied each page carefully, sometimes turning backwards to reread a section. His thoughts were buried in the words of his long dead father. The early entries were absolutely normal. Some good, some bad. Typical days in the life of a pair of young archaeologists and their child. Daniel was pleasantly surprised to find just how much of his father's journals were devoted to his young son. First steps, first words ... Arabic, of course. First serious illness. Daniel could almost feel his father's fear as he wrote of nearly losing his toddler to an outbreak of cholera. First vacation. The young man had to laugh. His parents had left their dig in Egypt for a vacation to ... Pompeii. He dropped the book to his lap as he laughed. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he spied the other journals where Jack had carefully placed them. On the table next to the lamp. Looking wistfully at the diary of the early days, Daniel reluctantly put it down, and reached for the last journal. The one with mostly empty pages.
The days in Egypt prior to what his father had labeled 'the find' were as pleasant and carefree as the entries in the first journal. The odd phrasing caught his attention and he skimmed a few pages looking for a description of what his parents had found, but none was forthcoming. Flipping back to the last page he'd read closely, Daniel was once again struck by the odd tone his father's words conveyed. As he read further, he became aware of a kind of tension building in the entries. The last few passages in the journal, as the family arrived with their exhibit in New York, seemed to have a shadow of fear and anger around them. Daniel frowned as he concentrated on the last entry, which had obviously been interrupted by something, or rather someone.
New York City - at last. It feels good to have a real bathroom again, even if only for a short time. Helping Danny with his bath last night was a real treat. Poor child, he's having a tough time adjusting. First he has to speak English, not Arabic, and certainly not ancient Egyptian. Even as smart as he is, it's been a bit difficult. Then he has a real bath in a real tub, not that little metal thing we used at the dig. Those little eyes and ears don't miss much, even in his mostly adult world, and it's really hard to surprise him, but I managed to last night. Didn't have bubble bath in Cairo. God, the expression in those blue eyes when the foam began to rise. I think he was a little ...
...They were here again. Dammit, I thought I'd settled the matter in Cairo. My permits are all in order. The Egyptian government was delighted to receive the check from the museum. What could the US Army possibly want with this display? That colonel really makes me uneasy, I don't like how he talks to Claire, and to Danny. The boy is terrified of him, but too polite to say so. I've forbidden the man ever to speak to my son again. Just let him try. ... And he knows entirely too much about what we've brought back from Egypt. If I didn't know better, I'd say he recognized those symbols on the pillars.
Well, at least he hasn't seen this bracelet. I've never seen anything like it. It weaves its way around the lower arm, wrist and hand and ends up with golden cups on the fingers. I don't understand why the hole ends up in the center of the palm, though. It's almost like it's missing something. Well, after we set up the pillars today, I'll take some time to decipher the mystery.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 08 ↑
Teal'c sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Daniel's office. O'Neill had charged him with Daniel Jackson's safety. He would remain on guard until such time as the SGC commander relieved him of the charge. Off-world, Teal'c would have considered the assignment to be a challenge of the highest caliber, but he would have normally assumed his young friend to be safe within the confines of the SGC. Recent events, however, had allowed evil to reach within it's walls to lay hold of Daniel Jackson. It was indeed fortunate that the young man had taken no lasting physical harm, but the emotional toll had been high. Too high.
Daniel Jackson was what had once been known, according to O'Neill, as a gentleman scholar, and he was also the kindest, gentlest, most honorable individual Teal'c had ever met. That some, as yet unknown, person would wish to cause his young friend pain was incomprehensible to the Jaffa. He frowned as he realized his own emotions were almost out-of-control. Taking a shuddering breath, Teal'c relaxed his body and concentrated on achieving Kel-no-reem.
************
The journal slid unnoticed to the floor as Daniel's grip turned to watery Jell-O. A Goa'uld ribbon device. Oh God, his father had been writing about a Goa'uld device. "Jack!" Daniel glanced around, puzzled, then shrugged and headed for the door. Suddenly remembering the journal, he darted back to his chair, and retrieved the book from the floor. Flipping backwards through the pages in search of the passage he'd just read, he flung open the door, and promptly fell over Teal'c.
Alarmed the Jaffa bolted to his feet, barely managing to catch Daniel before he slammed headfirst into the wall. Setting the stunned man on his feet, Teal'c asked urgently. "Daniel Jackson, are you harmed?"
"I...I'm fine, Teal'c. Thanks, but, uh, why are you here?"
"Colonel O'Neill did not believe you should be left unguarded."
"Oh, he didn't, did he."
"That is correct. You appear to be displeased with this arrangement, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c was concerned by the hint of anger in his young friend's tone.
Daniel sighed and absently brushed at non-existent bangs. "Teal'c, I'm not really angry with you, but just let me run this by you. I've been going through the 'gate for three years with SG-1. I've been shot at by just about everything. I've k..killed, and I've even been killed. I've managed to handle all sorts of situations that most people, military included, can't even begin to imagine. *Why* do I need a guard?"
"Ah. You feel your manhood has been threatened."
Blue eyes widened impossibly wide. "*What!* No, that's not... Blast! Where's Jack?"
"I believe he had business with Major Carter and Major Harris."
"Fine. Thank you very much!" Daniel barely managed not to snap as he turned on his heels and headed for the elevator. Teal'c's eyes lit up with amusement as he followed his young friend down the hall.
*************
Harris was on the phone as Daniel, trailed closely by Teal'c, arrived. Sam looked up puzzled as he flew through the door demanding, "Where's Colonel O'Neill?"
Sam looked startled at the tone in Daniel's voice. "Daniel?"
"What Sam? You think I need a baby-sitter, too?"
'Oops.' She pursed her lips as she quickly contemplated her next words. "Actually, no, but you might need a bodyguard."
"What?" Daniel looked startled at the unexpected response.
"Daniel, be realistic. First you get knocked unconscious on a mission. Then you get the tape. You have to admit that this thing with the tape has been a real mind-bending experience..."
"Sam..."
"Let me finish. Oh, yeah. Next comes the discovery that there are Stargate glyphs on the, uh, pillars."
"Sam..."
She held up a hand to silence him. "Next we're given reason to believe that the, uhm, accident might not have been an accident." She gulped as she attempted to hurry past the tragedy of his parents' deaths. "And you mysteriously get your father's journals sent to you. Here. At the SGC. Yes, Daniel, I'd say that you most definitely need a bodyguard."
He smiled wryly. "Are you finished?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, and braced for the worst. "Yes."
"My father had a Goa'uld ribbon device."
Her eyes widened in shock and her hands took on a life of their own as she started for the door. "The colonel's in with the general."
*************
"Colonel, I understand your concern for Dr. Jackson, but I am not certain that a trip to Washington is warranted. Let Major Harris and the NID deal with it."
"Sir, with all due respect, I'm sure Major Harris is a fine officer, with the best of intentions." Jack mentally groaned as he heard himself. "But the NID doesn't have a stake in this, and neither does Major Harris. Daniel is only a victim to them. Actually, except for mental harassment, whoever sent the tape and the journals couldn't even be charged with a crime, yet. It's important to me...us to find out the answers."
"All the more reason to let the outside entity investigate, Colonel. SG-1 is just too close."
"Sir, these journals..." Jack found himself interrupted as the door opened to reveal Daniel.
Hammond frowned as the young man burst into the room. His glare was as much for the young major who stopped just shy of the door as it was for the scientist. "Join us, please, Major, Teal'c." Sam gulped and moved to stand nervously beside Jack. Teal'c stopped just behind them. The colonel spared a moment for his more militaristic teammates before returning his attention to his civilian. The one who was about to be chewed up and spit out by an obviously annoyed general. *Not* that said civilian noticed, of course.
The ranking officer's tone was glacial. "Dr. Jackson, I would have..."
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, General, but my father had a Goa'uld ribbon device."
*************
The mention of a Goa'uld ribbon device in the elder Jackson's journal, with all the unspoken implications behind it, had stopped the dressing down of the young man before it even began. It had also served as the deciding factor in persuading Hammond to authorize the trip to Washington, one which, to Jack's relief, did not include Daniel.
The young archaeologist's fury at being *ordered* to stay behind rivaled anything his commanding officer had ever seen. Granny O'Neill had once again been proven right with her 'still waters run deep' line. As the argument heated up, Jack discretely shooed Sam and Teal'c from the room, and settled in to watch the verbal fray. To his complete amazement, Daniel won General Hammond's reluctant approval in record time. Granting Jack a beatific smile, Daniel darted from the office even faster than he'd arrived.
Jack, however, had remained behind, too stunned by this turn of events to say much... at first. When at last he found his voice, he'd argued for what seemed an eternity with the General, but in the end reason, and rank, had prevailed, and Jackson was, once and for all, included in Jack's road trip. Daniel, however, remained blissfully unaware of the contention between the two officers.
*************
To Jack's relief, the trip from Colorado to DC had been decidedly uneventful, the most dangerous part of the journey being the collection of luggage at Washington National airport. They'd taken a cab to their hotel, where a suite consisting of two bedrooms, and a very small kitchen, looked inviting after the long flight.
Jack watched as Daniel dropped his hastily packed bag on one of the beds in the bedroom he'd chosen. To his infinite relief, the younger man appeared to have recovered from the shock of the tape, but O'Neill still wasn't happy about his presence in Washington. 'For heaven's sake, O'Neill, get a grip. We're on Earth, not off-world. Why should I be worried? Just because we've got a dead colonel, a killer colonel, and a Goa'uld ribbon device - gee, what could possibly go wrong?'
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Daniel?"
"You looked worried."
"Me worried? Nope. Just jet lag, Daniel. I'm used to quick trips through, uh, you know. Not long jet flights with movies. Let's see if Carter's ready."
*************
"Sir, O'Neill, Carter and Jackson are on their way to Washington."
"Indeed. Why?"
"Our source was unable to determine that, sir, but," he hastily added before the man could display any temper, "I'm told that Jackson has been preoccupied reading some sort of journal that arrived earlier today."
"A journal? What kind of journal?"
"Unknown, sir. Our source could not get close enough to tell, Jackson was always being watched."
"How many men are at the airport?"
"Five, sir. We won't lose them."
The cold gray eyes lit up suddenly, as if on fire, and the young man took an involuntary step backwards. The voice was soft when he finally did speak. Caressing a large jar, he said. "No, you won't. Unlike Rogers here, *you* won't fail me."
The younger man's eyes never left the contents of the jar. "N..No, sir. Never."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 09 ↑
"Knock, knock." Sam called from outside the bedroom. "Everyone decent?"
"That's a matter of opinion." Daniel laughed.
"Not funny, Jackson." Jack growled in mock dismay. "Come on in Carter."
"Yes, sir. I just wanted to find out if we're going out right away..."
"Yes..."
"No..."
The negative from Jack surprised both of his colleagues. Daniel turned startled eyes toward the older man. "Uh, Jack?"
"Daniel, I don't know about you, but airline food is worse that being at boot camp. I think eating should be top priority. Besides we don't even know where to start..."
"Actually, Jack, I've got an idea about that."
Jack's bewildered look caused Carter to look quickly away. "And that would be, what?"
"The Museum of Natural History."
It was Sam's turn to look bewildered. "What?"
"An old friend of my father's still works there, or did as of a few months ago. He may be able to shed some light on my parents' last dig."
"Good friend of yours, eh, Danny-boy?"
The younger man blushed deeply. "Not exactly. The last time I saw him he, uh, suggested I change my name to Jackass so I wouldn't embarrass my parents anymore."
********
The bus had released him within easy walking distance of the Pentagon, and Jack lost no time in heading for the uniquely shaped building. He passed easily through the metal detectors and security checks at the south entrance to the building. His hand hesitated briefly over the maps on the counter, but his brain rejected the idea as unnecessary. After all, he'd managed to navigate successfully on multiple alien worlds, how bad could the Pentagon actually be? And the room he was looking for was on the first floor, 1E702. First floor, E ring, room 702. Nothing to it. If memory served him correctly all he had to do was to get to A ring in the center of the building, then cut across to the right corridor in E ring. Nothing to it.
Jack walked confidently down corridor three, turned right into A ring, rounded the first corner and found ... construction. A helmeted worker stopped him. "Sorry, sir, this area's blocked off for asbestos removal."
"Sweet. All the way up or just this floor?"
"Just this floor, Colonel."
"Thanks." Sighing heavily, Jack searched for the nearest stairwell, which turned out to be in the B ring. Cursing under his breath, he took the stairs two at a time, exited on the next floor, and turned right. Relieved to be headed in the right direction, he rounded a corner and almost collided with a wall. Thinking that only an idiot would wall up a hallway, he backtracked to the nearest corridor and headed for the next ring, figuring that he had to get to E ring anyway and hoping the wall did not extend all the way through to C ring. Forty-five minutes, three floors, and five corridors later, his blood pressure was high enough to get him grounded. 'Face it, O'Neill, you're gonna have to ask for directions. And where the hell is the men's room?' For once, luck was with him, and he shoved open the door grateful for the release the violent action gave him, and for the fact that no one was coming out of the room as he was going in. This entire day was going to shit, and fast.
********
"Captain Benjamin?" A slightly hoarse voice called to the young Army officer as he started to cross the street.
Upon hearing his name, the captain turned quickly, scanning the area for the owner of the voice. "Yes?"
"Here, sir." A middle-aged man with thinning hair waved a hand to gain the officer's attention. A confused Captain Benjamin stood rooted to the spot. The other man moved closer, holding out a badge. "Sorry to bother you, sir. I'm Madison Trent, FBI."
Benjamin smiled. "How can I help you, Mr. Trent?"
"Dr. Philip Marshall."
"What about him?"
The other man glanced around him. "Well, I'd rather not discuss anything on the street. Have you had lunch?"
"No."
"There's a café across the street. Let's talk there."
********
"Colonel?" The pretty young lieutenant saluted as she approached the obviously annoyed colonel.
Jack froze in his tracks, turning to face the girl. "Yes, lieutenant?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but you look a little lost."
"That obvious, eh?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack smiled charmingly at the young woman. "I'm looking for Historical Records."
Jack's smile brought an unexpected blush to the young woman's face. "Oh, that's in room..."
"1E702. Yes, I know, I just can't seem to find it."
"Sorry, sir. Actually, you're very close. It's around the next corner."
"Thank you, lieutenant."
"You're quite welcome, Colonel."
He walked quickly around the corner and stopped just outside the plain gray door with the black lettering. '1E702 Historical Records.' Thank God! Beside the door was a removable nameplate bearing the name, Colonel Clark Armstrong. God, the very thought of being trapped in a room, surrounded by musty relics day in and day out, made his stomach turn. Bet Daniel would love it. Should've let him ... no, he's better off at the Museum of Natural History with Carter. He'd never have made it through the halls of the Pentagon, even with an escort. Besides, Jack suddenly remembered, the military environment might not be the safest one for his young friend. Swallowing a grimace, he knocked on the door.
********
Daniel stared in astonishment at the huge skeleton in the center of the room. Odd that in all his years of studying ancient artifacts, he'd didn't remember ever getting this close to dinosaur bones. He wondered fleetingly how the Goa'uld would've coped if they'd found Earth during the Jurassic Era. Grinning absurdly at the thought of a possessed T-Rex, he replied absently to Sam's explanation of fossil fuels. "That's ... interesting, Sam."
"Daniel. You're not listening to me, are you?" She placed a gentle hand on Daniel's arm.
He covered her hand with his own. "I'm sorry, Sam. I've just never seen anything this big before. At least nothing that used to be alive. What were you saying?"
She laughed. "Something useless about gasoline, I believe. Now where do we go to find your fr..., uh, your father's friend?"
Daniel quickly moved to the information booth. "Excuse me, miss, can you tell me where Dr. Damian Fielding's office is?"
"Upstairs, third office on the left."
Daniel and Sam hurried up the ancient staircase, oblivious to the watchers below.
********
Colonel Clark Armstrong was an imposing figure. Tall, muscular, broad shouldered. Imposing. The thick dark eyebrows indicated he'd once been the owner of a shock of dark hair, which was now obviously MIA. The colonel was middle-aged, probably a little older than Jack himself. Jack suppressed a smile as envious gray eyes acknowledged his rank, ribbons, and decorations in one unobtrusive glance. Long thin fingers turned the little key over and over as the other man studied the smooth metal surface. "Well, it's a DOD storage locker key."
Jack cursed inwardly. "I *know* that. Any idea where the locker might be found?"
"Actually..." Jack's ears perked up. "No."
"No? No! Colonel, I find that hard to believe."
"Well, it's almost true."
Jack counted silently to ten. "Why?"
"All the older lockers were re-keyed, starting five years ago. Security purposes, you know."
"I see." Jack wondered how to dispose of the body. "But this is an older key, right?"
"Right, and that's where the problem comes in. Notification of the re-keying was mailed to all key-holders, but no new keys were mailed. Security..."
"...purposes. Got it. So?" Jack had now counted silently to thirty-two.
"The firm hired to do the work did an excellent job on the lockers, but their record keeping left a lot to be desired."
"They didn't keep records?"
"Not electronic."
"But they have paper records?"
"Yes, but there were 11,327 lockers re-keyed over the past five years."
********
The third door on the left was open, and an older secretary sat with her back to the door, studying the PC in front of her. Alerted by their footsteps, she turned and watched as the pair walked into the room. "Yes?"
Daniel glanced quickly at Sam. "We're here to see Dr. Fielding."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No."
"Well, sir, I'm afraid that Dr. Fielding does not receive visitors without an appointment."
"Excuse me." Daniel stared as Sam took over the conversation. "I believe he'll want to see us."
"And you would be..."
"Dr. Samantha Carter." She flipped an id case open and closed rapidly. "Pentagon."
The woman turned slightly in her chair. "Concerning?"
Sam put on her best military demeanor. "His grant." She managed not to react to the strangled sound coming from the young man beside her.
********
"Sir, they've split up."
"Indeed. What division?"
"O'Neill's gone to the Pentagon. Carter and Jackson went to the Museum of Natural History."
"Are the tails still active?"
"Yes, the tail on O'Neill's been changed four times. Twice for the other two. Also, we weren't able to follow him into the Pentagon, but we have people watching every exit."
"Excellent. Carter's credentials?"
"Major in the US Air Force, Doctorate in Astro-Physics, worked at the Pentagon..."
"Defensive capabilities?"
"Self defense - level 3."
"That high."
"Yes, sir. The young lady can hold her own."
"Dr. Jackson?"
"Apparently everything he knows he's been taught by Colonel O'Neill. Our source at the SGC tells us that he's adequate at them."
"Very good. Bring me Jackson."
"What about Carter?"
"If she interferes, terminate her."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
part - 10 ↑
Hammond sighed as he heard the knock on his door. Another interruption. "Come."
The door opened and Teal'c walked quickly into the room. "General Hammond."
"Yes, Teal'c?"
"I have come to ask a preference."
"Excuse me?"
"Is that not the correct term when asking for assistance?"
"Do you mean a favor, Teal'c?"
The Jaffa's eyebrows rose. "I believe that is what I said."
"Uh, right. What can I do for you, Teal'c?"
"I wish to inquire as to the whereabouts of Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, and Daniel Jackson."
Hammond looked puzzled. "Son, I thought you realized they left this morning for Washington."
"I am aware of that, General Hammond. I wish to know their current location."
"Teal'c, are you by any chance asking me if they're there yet?"
"I believe that is what I said."
"Oh. Yes, actually they should be getting to their hotel about now."
"I wish to communicate with Colonel O'Neill."
"Why?"
"O'Neill requested that I communicate anything unusual to him, immediately."
Hammond studied the ever-serious Jaffa. "When was this?"
"Shortly after he viewed Daniel Jackson's tape."
"I see. Well, Teal'c, since the colonel is not here, I recommend that you tell me."
Teal'c looked closely at the general, then tilted his head in acquiescence. "That would be acceptable. Daniel Jackson's laboratory and quarters have been searched."
"What! That's not possible. Security is doing random checks on his quarters and lab, and haven't reported anything out of the ordinary."
"It was very skillfully done, General Hammond. Even I did not at first notice that anything was amiss."
"Damn. I'll have security dust for prints. Was there anything missing?"
"There did not appear to be, but my primary concern is for Daniel Jackson's home."
"I'll have security check it out."
"If you have no objection, General Hammond, I would prefer to observe his apartment myself."
Hammond frowned. "Why, Teal'c?"
"I have been to Daniel Jackson's home on several occasions, General Hammond. I will know if anything has been disturbed, SGC security will not."
******
To his credit, Jack never flinched. "11,327? Paper records?"
"Yes, Colonel. Some have been scanned onto optical disk, but that project just began this year, so the odds of your key having a match on optical is very low. You obviously have the proper clearances, where would you like to begin?"
Desperately wishing he'd brought Carter with him, Jack managed a smile. "With the optical. I'm assuming it will be faster to check those out."
"Yes indeed, Colonel. Let's see..." Colonel Armstrong picked up the phone. "Lt. Simmons, I have a colonel here who wants to view optical records. Find him somewhere to work." He disconnected, and turned back to Jack. "Lt. Simmons will assist you in locating a cubicle to work in, and will also introduce you to the look-up procedures."
Picking up on the obvious dismissal, Jack forced a smile. "Thank you Colonel, you've been ... helpful."
The other man nodded absently, and Jack couldn't help but notice the lack of an 'anytime' response. Stepping quickly outside the man's cubicle, he almost ran over the pretty lieutenant who'd pointed him to the correct room. "I'm sorry, Lt. ... Simmons. Oh!"
"No problem, sir, we're thinking of putting up stoplights at the busy intersections." Noting his puzzled look, she smiled. "Sorry, sir. Just a bit of Pentagon humor. Colonel Armstrong says you need to view some records?"
"Yes. I'm searching for a key match for this." He passed the key to the young woman.
She frowned as she saw it.
Noting her expression, Jack responded quickly. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure, sir. I think ... Sir, would you come with me, please? I'd like to check something."
Jack motioned her to lead the way. She maneuvered her way quickly through the maze of cubicles in the Records room, ending up in a tiny cubicle near a wall. She dropped into the chair and entered her PC password, taking care that Jack did not see it. Placing the key on the desk beside her, she began pulling up what appeared to be log records.
"Lieutenant?"
"Just a minute, sir. This won't take lo... There." She turned the screen so that Jack could see it.
The colonel frowned as he reviewed the display. "If I'm reading this correctly, the new key match to mine was requested two weeks ago."
"Yes, sir. I recognized the number, but couldn't place when it had been ordered up."
"You recognized the number on the key. Why?" Jack was working hard to keep the suspicion out of his voice.
"Well, actually, two reasons, one, I've got a really good head for numbers. I sometimes have trouble forgetting them. And, two, the officer who made the request was a real..." She stopped, suddenly aware that her next comments might not be well-received by a senior officer.
"A real jerk?" Jack asked with a smile.
"Yes sir, jerk will do."
"I see. I see his name on the log, but can you by any chance describe him?"
"Oh, yes sir, that's no problem. I have a really good head..." Her voice trailed off, slightly embarrassed.
"...for faces." Jack finished for her. "Thank you, lieutenant. May I borrow your phone? I need to make a few calls."
******
Damian Fielding was all smiles as Sam entered the room. "Ah, Major, an emissary from the..." His words died in his throat as he caught sight of Daniel. The welcome in his voice died as he returned his attention to Sam. "Is *he* with you?"
"Yes."
"Then we have nothing to talk about. Please leave or I will call security."
Daniel stepped forward quickly. "Dr. Fielding, please. I know you don't like me but I'm here for my parents."
"Since when have you ever cared about your parents?"
"W..what?"
"Your absurd theories about the pyramids are a disgrace to your parents' memories. Your parents are probably dizzy from spinning in their graves."
Daniel's face drained of color. "Dr. Fielding, don't you think my theories have cost me enough? I'm not part of the mainstream archaeological community anymore. No one will publish my papers. I..I couldn't get a job with a university if I tried, and I doubt that I could get onto a dig except maybe as a third assistant. I know what my parents would have thought of me. I don't need you to tell me. Come on, Sam, we won't get any help from him."
Sam placed a concerned hand on Daniel's arm. "Just a minute, Daniel." She turned back to Dr. Fielding. "Sir, I really don't give a rat's ass what you think of Dr. Jackson or his theories. I am here to gather information that my superiors have requested. I would rather not report that you have been uncooperative. That could adversely affect your grant for the Utah digs when they come up for review, next month."
Fielding choked. "You wouldn't."
The young major looked grave. "Try me."
"Very well, I'll speak to you. Not him."
Sam's temper peaked. "You will speak to both of us, or..."
"It's okay, Sam. I'll wait downstairs." Daniel glared at the older man. "I could use some air, anyway."
******
Daniel wandered aimlessly around the museum before finally flopping down on a bench near the dinosaur exhibit. The sheer size of the beasts was a bit overwhelming and almost succeeded in pulling him out of his depression. Damian Fielding was wrong. Daniel knew it. His parents would have backed him and supported him no matter what. Wouldn't they? Of course they would. But, he'd been laughed off the stage for his 'theories'. Would they have been proud of that? No, but... God. There could be no buts. His parents would have thought him a failure, just like the rest of the scientific community. And he wouldn't have been able to tell them he'd been right.
"Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel looked up from his place on the bench. "Yes?"
The security guard smiled. "Major Carter asked that you meet her in the workrooms."
"Oh, yes. Well, thank you. Uh, where are the workrooms?"
"I'll be glad to show you, Dr. Jackson."
"Thanks." Daniel followed the older man to the back of the museum.
"It's in there, son." The guard pointed toward the double doors.
"Thanks." The young archaeologist pushed open the swinging doors and stepped inside. A sickeningly sweet smell assailed his nostrils as a cloth covered his face. His struggle against the strong hands which held him was brief, as darkness took hold.
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part - 11 ↑
Forty-five irritating minutes passed as Sam grilled Damian Fielding, alleged Ph.D. The man was without a shadow of a doubt the most arrogant human she'd ever met. He'd even give Maybourne a run for his money. Each question was barely, if at all answered, then twisted into a dissertation on how he would have handled the situation differently. Sam finally decided that enough was enough. "So, Doctor, if I'm hearing you correctly, you have no idea where the Jacksons were digging just prior to their deaths, is that right?"
Fielding smiled. "As I've stated before, Major, I was in South America at that time, studying the ruins of..."
"Yes, thank you, but back to the Jacksons. He was a good friend, correct?"
"Oh, yes, Dr. Jackson and I were quite close."
"But he never gave you any indication of what he and his wife were doing?"
"I'm afraid not. I do know he was extremely excited about the exhibition in New York. Pity."
"Doctor, I really find it hard to believe..."
Fielding smiled. "I know what you're going to say. You find it hard to believe that such a close friend wouldn't have confided in me, particularly since I am also an archaeologist."
Sam nodded. "Very well stated, now as to the answer..?"
"Young lady, archaeologists can be a very closed-mouth group. And when it comes to a significant find, possibly of major historical significance, then no, no one would have been told."
"But surely someone associated with the dig would have leaked its location?"
Fielding shook his head. "Not in this case. Dr. Jackson and his wife inspired an almost unbelievable loyalty in their workers. They'd used the same foreman for years. If Dr. Jackson asked them to jump into a live volcano, then they'd probably have done it. At any rate, Dr. Jackson never got a chance to catalog a list of his discoveries so there was little interest in locating the site. And the foreman was killed about six months after their own accident."
"So there's no one you can think of who might know the location of the Jacksons' dig?"
"If their son," Fielding managed to turn the title into a sneer, "doesn't know, then, no, I can't think of anyone else who would."
Sam managed to hide her astonishment. "What?"
"Surely he's told you?"
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Very well. The Jacksons' took their darling Danny with them everywhere. Kinda like American Express, never left home without that child. If anyone knows where their last dig is located it will be their son."
******
His phone call to General Hammond had resulted in the path being cleared for him to access all personnel records as needed. Unfortunately, it had also given him cause for worry ... Hammond had related Teal'c's discoveries about Daniel's lab and on base quarters. The colonel was grateful that Teal'c had noticed it, and that the Jaffa was the one who would be searching Daniel's apartment. Teal'c knew where Daniel's safe was located. Jack smiled as he recalled Daniel's reluctance to allow one of the colonel's friends to install the hidden device. But a swift reminder that his journals would become SGC property otherwise, was all it took to turn the protest into reluctant acquiescence.
The young lieutenant's eyes had widened noticeably when the personnel director was given the formal authorization to cooperate fully with Colonel O'Neill. But she wisely kept silent as she followed the colonel and a very annoyed lt. colonel to a nearby workstation. The lt. colonel dropped into the swivel chair, and logged into the network. Turning to Jack, she said. "There you are, *Colonel*, I've logged you in with my password. This gives you access to anything you could possibly need to know." She rose to allow him to take her place. "Oh, and sir, please don't leave the machine logged in when you leave. That's a security violation."
"Thank you, Colonel, I couldn't have managed without you." Jack smiled as he spoke, leaving the other woman uncertain of his meaning as she retreated to her post. Glancing at the smiling lieutenant, Jack sobered. "Something amusing here, Lieutenant?"
The smile vanished. "No, sir. Nothing amusing at all."
"Didn't think so. Now, do you have any idea how to operate this thing?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then have a seat and let's look for your jer...,uh, Colonel."
******
Sam left Fielding's office breathing a sigh of relief, only to stop short in the outer office. Knowing how upset Daniel had been when he'd left, she assumed that he'd head for the nearest exit, and the outside air. "Excuse me, but where's the nearest exit?"
"Take a right, then a left. Door leads to the street." The secretary never missed a beat as she concentrated on her PC.
"Thanks." Sam started to leave.
"It's raining."
"Oh." Terrific. "Did you by any chance see which way my friend went?"
The woman turned toward Sam. "Look, Major, I'm not paid to keep an eye on the visitors. Okay?"
"Uh, yeah. I, uh..."
"Your Dr. Jacobs left in a hurry. That's all I know." She turned to once again look only at her PC.
"Jackson. It's Jackson. And thank you." Sam walked quickly toward the door, muttering 'for nothing' under her breathe. Hurrying back down to the information counter, she caught the attention of the young woman behind the counter. "Excuse me, but I seem to have lost my friend. You haven't seen him recently, have you?"
The girl responded solemnly. "You mean the real sweetheart with the cute ...?
"That's him." Sam found herself blushing as she quickly interrupted the girl.
Laughing the receptionist replied. "Actually yes. He came down the stairs looking as if someone had just licked the red off of his candy."
"Any idea where he went?"
"You mean the first time he passed me?"
"Uh, no. How about the last time?"
"Oh, he went into the dinosaur room."
"Thank you." Sam headed toward the door.
"Oh, Major?"
"Yes?"
"Is he married or something?"
Restraining the urge to kill the young woman, Sam replied softly. "Or something," then hurried away before more questions could be asked.
******
"He's not here, sir." Lt. Simmons was as dejected, and tired, as the colonel who sat slumped on the shelf behind her.
"How may John Black's were there again?"
"One hundred and twenty-three total. But only three are Colonels, and only one of those is Army."
"And we've looked at all their pictures?"
"Yes, sir. And he wasn't here. I don't understand, sir. How could he get forged id?"
"That's another thing I'll have to find out. Think you could describe him well enough for a sketch artist to draw him?"
"Yes, sir. He was, shall we say, unforgettable."
"Good. A face is better than nothing, which is what we have right now. Let's go. And for heaven's sake, log off the network, and let's find another phone."
The young woman did as she was told and followed Jack in search of the dragon lady. Not that he would dream of referring to the lt. colonel that way in anything other than his thoughts, but... Rounding a corner, he braked in time to avoid a collision with a harried private bearing a stack of folders that almost obscured his vision. The young man gasped as he saw the officers, and tried to rearrange the paperwork to respond appropriately. Only Jack's quick reflexes stopped an avalanche of paper from hitting the floor. "It's okay, son, you have your hands full."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir." The private nodded gratefully, and disappeared into a stack of filing bins.
"Not all automated, are we?" He asked Lt. Simmons.
"Well, actually, we have to store paper backup for all the electronic records we keep."
O'Neill stopped in his tracks and looked at the young woman, trying to determine if she was pulling his leg. A high-pitched musical tone caught his attention and he pulled his pager from his belt. "Hmmm. Lieutenant. I really need a phone, with an outside line."
"Yes, sir." She quickly found him a phone, and discreetly disappeared while he made his call.
Jack dialed quickly, then counted the rings under his breath as he waited for the answer. "Carter, what's up? Did you and Daniel... What do you mean he's missing?"
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part - 12 ↑
Sam was waiting in front of the museum when the cab bearing Jack O'Neill pulled up. She watched anxiously as he paid the driver, then unfolded from the back seat onto the pavement. He minced no words as he bore down on the young major. "You lost him?"
"Yes, sir. It appears that way."
"How the hell do you lose a six foot tall geek in a museum? No. Don't answer that question. Let me guess. He wandered away to look at rocks."
"Not exactly, sir." Sam was growing annoyed with the colonel's sarcastic rhetoric. Daniel was nowhere to be found. She really didn't have either the time or the patience for the colonel's tantrum.
"What happened?"
She quickly ran through their meeting with Damian Fielding, and Daniel's desire to get some air. As she spoke, the angry glint in the colonel's eyes changed to worry.
Jack took a deep breath, and straightened his cap. "Sorry, Carter. He should have stayed indoors. Dammit, Daniel."
"No, sir. You don't understand. According to Fielding's secretary, it was raining when Daniel left the office. I don't think he'd have gone outside. The last person I can find who saw him was the receptionist. And he was heading to the dinosaur exhibit when she last saw him. But no one in that room, including the security guard, remembers seeing him. Do you think he's been kidnapped?"
Jack glared at the sky as raindrops landed on the brim of his cap, then said. "Let's go inside. I need to talk to the receptionist. And Fielding."
******
Teal'c's conversation with the doorman at Daniel's security building was going nowhere fast. It simply did not matter to the doorman that Teal'c had been there on many occasions with Daniel Jackson. Dr. Jackson was not in the building, therefore, Teal'c could not enter. The Jaffa was puzzled, General Hammond had assured him that there would be no problem with his examining Daniel Jackson's personal abode. To the alien's amazement, the doorman had no knowledge of General Hammond nor did he appear to care that Hammond was Daniel Jackson's commanding officer. "Look, Mr. Teal or whatever your name is, I don't give a tinker's damn who this Hammond person is. Boss or not, a man's entitled to his privacy, and I'm not letting you in without a court order."
"How must I go about obtaining this court order?"
"You're kidding, right? First you get a lawyer. Then you give him all your worldly possessions, then he goes to a judge, then you get the order. Comprende?"
"How much time does this giving process usually take? This matter must not be delayed."
"God, I..." The doorman turned to answer the phone. "Jenkins. ... Yes, sir, he's here right now. ... The key? Sir, I... Yes, sir. No questions. Understood, sir." Turning back to Teal'c, the doorman sighed. "You must know some important people."
"Why?"
"My boss just told me to take you upstairs and let you into Jackson's apartment."
"My thanks to both you and your superior."
"Yeah, right. Whatever. Let's go."
******
Jack looked scathingly at the dinosaur fossils. "You would'a thought there'd be enough rocks in this museum for him. Major, you're sure no one saw him leave?"
"No one that I spoke with, sir. And..."
"Excuse me, uh, Colonel, Major?"
Sam and Jack whirled to face a nervous guard. "Are you looking for Dr. Jackson?"
"YES!" The twin replies caused the man to visibly wince.
"Well, I took him to the workrooms about two hours ago."
"The workrooms?" Jack's voice held more than a hint of steel. Daniel would be six feet under if he found the scientist looking at rocks in the workrooms while his friends frantically searched the public areas of the museum. "Why? What did he want to see?"
"I can't really say, sir. Major Carter asked him to meet her there."
Sam looked stunned. "No, I didn't."
It was the guard's turn to look surprised. "Your name is Carter, too?"
Jack groaned inwardly. This was bad, real bad. "Don't tell me. Some female in a major's uniform identified herself as Major Carter, and asked you to give Dr. Jackson the message?"
"Yes, sir."
"Would you show us where you took him?"
"No problem. And I apologize for not getting with you sooner. Had to run to the Post Office and that took longer than I'd planned. This way please."
******
The frigid temperature surrounding him was barely noticed as Daniel's eyes struggled to open. The ceiling swam above him, making him even more dizzy than he already was. Before he could even begin to take stock of his whereabouts, or anything else, his stomach lurched. Daniel lunged desperately to one side and barely managed to hang over the edge of whatever-the-hell-it-was-he-was-on. What little nourishment had been on his stomach was quickly expelled, but the dry heaves continued for far longer.
When at last the retching ceased, Daniel rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his arm, praying for the room to just stop moving. As his stomach settled, and his head began to clear, he struggled to recall exactly what had happened. He mentally replayed his tour of the museum, cursing his stupidity for following the guard to the workrooms. If he hadn't been so angry at Fielding, he'd have realized that Sam would have sought him out before going anywhere. She'd never have sent a guard to find him. Groaning he opened his eyes, only to close them as the ceiling continued to vibrate. 'Maybe if I sit up, that'll help.' Keeping his eyes tightly closed he started to push himself upright, only to freeze as he discovered his left wrist was bound with something. Forcing himself to look, he was not terribly surprised to find handcuffs securing his left wrist to metal shelves. His eyes widened as he realized the shelves were vibrating. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the room, only to find that it was not a room. He was in a van of some sort, obviously a prisoner of someone, being transported somewhere. Shivering slightly, he glanced back at the contents of the nearby shelves. 'What the hell? Ice? Oh shit!' This wasn't just a van, it was a refrigerated van, carrying frozen specimens. Wrapping his free arm around his now shivering body, he hoped he wouldn't be frozen by the time the van reached its destination.
******
Teal'c waited patiently for the doorman to unlock the door, and stood silently as the lock clicked. The man backed away from the door, looking expectantly at Teal'c as he did so. "Well? Aren't you going to open the door?"
"When you have departed."
"Oh. Yeah. Well, just remember I'm not responsible for this apartment if you forget to lock up when you leave."
"I will not forget."
The startled doorman stared for a short moment before shaking his head and walking away. Teal'c gave him a moment to leave, then opened the door. Brown eyes narrowed at the sight before him. The apartment had been thoroughly searched, and by someone who knew they would not be interrupted or discovered quickly. The Jaffa removed General Hammond's cell phone from his pocket, and calmly reported the ransacking of Daniel Jackson's apartment to SGC security. That task out of the way, Teal'c maneuvered his way through the wreckage in search of Colonel O'Neill's safe.
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part - 13 ↑
The guard chatted cheerfully with Sam as he led the way through the maze of exhibits to the workroom area. He used his security card to gain access to the area, and proceeded to usher Sam and Jack through the double doors. Sam forced herself to be interested in the guard's conversation all the while wishing that, for once, she could take on the colonel's role of resident grump. Breaking into his non-stop monologue, Sam asked. "There was no one else here when you left him?"
"Couldn't say." The guard leaned casually against a crate, arms relaxed by his sides.
Jack cast a disparaging look at the other man. "You couldn't say?"
"Nope, I didn't come back here with him."
"Ah ha. Why not?"
"Well, a refrigerated truck was getting ready to leave. I had to verify that the shipment was in order."
Sam spoke up quickly. "A refrigerated truck?"
"Yes, for specimens or something."
"I see." Sam pretended not to notice as the colonel wandered away. "And was it okay?"
"Actually, no. They'd messed up the inventory."
"Messed up. How was it messed up?"
"There was one extra crate."
Jack turned in his tracks. "And this didn't strike you as the least bit, shall we say, odd?"
"Not really. Third time this week something's been wrong."
The colonel nodded to Sam to resume her conversation. Sam quickly pulled the guard's attention back to her. "What was in the crates?"
"Specimens of some sort."
"May I see them?"
The guard smiled. "Sorry, they were going, not coming."
Jack rejoined them and responded. "Do they make mistakes going out often? You know, send too many crates, that sort of thing."
"Nope. Now that you mention it, it was odd. Usually it's the inbound stuff that's wrong. Too many of this, too little of that."
"How big was the crate?" Sam met Jack's eyes and knew they were having the same feeling of dread.
"Well, see for yourself. It's still on the loading dock."
"What? Where?" Jack and Sam were again speaking in unison.
The puzzled guard started toward the back of the workroom. "Just through those doo..." His words died on his lips as Jack, closely followed by Sam, raced past him. "What the hell's wrong with them?"
*******
Teal'c threaded his way through the disaster area that was Daniel Jackson's apartment. Whoever had done the searching was taking no chances. Not a book remained on the shelves, not a picture on the walls. Even the fish tank had not been left undisturbed. It lay partially on one side; a complete turn over prevented only by an out of place footstool. The Jaffa took a moment to right the tank, taking care not to harm the surviving fish. Satisfied that most, if not all, of the delicate little creatures still lived, he preceded on into Daniel's bedroom.
The mattress had been shredded. Even the box springs had not been left untouched. Teal'c moved swiftly into the bathroom and knelt beside the decorative tiles in the center of the floor. Reaching down, he slid aside a small red circle. The lock appeared undisturbed. Removing a small key from his pocket, he quickly opened the compartment. The combination lock inside also looked undamaged. Teal'c carefully entered the combination and lifted the decorative tiles out of the floor as a unit, revealing, to his relief, Daniel Jackson's off-world journals. Colonel O'Neil