(This story takes places before Vin and Lucy got together and before the powers that be made the idiotic decision to kill of Daniel in the Stargate Series. Hopefully the rumor that they've found a way to bring him back means they had some sense knocked into them)

Daniel Jackson sighed wearily as he climbed from his Explorer, so glad to be home, he barely took notice of the old van entering the parking lot.

It had been a long three days off world, doing a recon on PQG1248 and now that he had finished the paperwork and catalogued the artifacts they had discovered, he was looking forward to a few days of downtime. He intended to spend the weekend sleeping in a nice soft bed instead of on the hard ground, reading the newspaper instead of hieroglyphics and eating honest to gosh real food instead of MREs.

If he didn't sleep the weekend away, he might venture out to the barber shop. As busy as SG1 had been the past few weeks, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a hair cut. His hair was now almost as long as when he'd first joined the Stargate program. First and foremost though, was a long, hot, luxurious shower.

He was so tired he felt like he was sleepwalking as he reached in and dragged his briefcase from the passenger seat. With a weary sigh, he hit the lock and shut the SUV's door, surprised he hadn't fallen asleep behind the wheel. The case hit the ground at his feet as Daniel found himself slammed back against the hard metal of the truck, the vehicle's mirror digging into his side.

"W-w-what...?" he stammered. Eyes growing large behind the glass lenses, the scientist automatically held out his keys. "Here..." If they intended to rob him, he'd make it easy for them. The Explorer and what little money currently occupied his pocket wasn't worth dying for.

A large man, his face hidden by a ski mask, snickered, slapping aside the keys as he jerked the linguist's arms behind his back. "Don't want your fuckin' car keys, asshole," he whispered harshly. "We want you!"

Daniel felt a wave of panic wash over him, his eyes frantically sweeping the apartment parking lot for help, as the cold metal of handcuffs clicked tightly about his wrists. "W-w-wait!....What...?"

A large hand cuffed the side of his head, knocking his glasses askew. "Shut up!"

Biting his lip, Daniel fell silent, another wave of panic flooding over him as the man, using his body to hold the archaeologist against the vehicle, quickly replaced the glasses with a black blindfold. Frantically pushing against the weight holding him in place, futilely twisting his head away from the damp cloth that covered his nose and mouth, attempting to call out for help, Daniel realized he had made a mistake. After all Jack had tried to teach him, he hadn't reacted quickly enough.

The man caught him as the chloroform took effect and the archaeologist's limp body began sliding to the ground. Hoisting the young man to his shoulder, the kidnapper crossed to the van now stopped behind the Explorer.

The man in the driver's seat watched with mild interest as his cohort unceremoniously dumped their prize in the back and slamming the door, climbed in, paying no mind to the keys and briefcase laying on the ground by Daniel's truck.

*******

Chris Larabee rested a booted foot on the bottom step and took a last puff from his cheroot before flicking it into the gravel drive. Pushing back his sweat stained black hat, he eyed the lanky figure sprawled on his back porch swing.

Vin Tanner's lean body stretched the length of the oak swing, his bootless white socked feet projected from between the metal chains at its end. His old gray hat was pulled over his eyes, and for all intents he was sleeping, the squeaky old swing gently swaying in the early evening breeze.

"Ya gonna say somethin' or stand there gawkin' all day?" The lazy voice drawled and Chris ducked his head to hide a smile.

"How long ya been here?" Climbing the remaining steps, he poked at Tanner's slim denim clad leg before heading inside.

"Not near long enough," Vin muttered. With a long sighing breath, he slowly sat up and pushed his hat back on his head, listening to the sounds of Chris raiding the fridge. A smile flitting across his lips at hearing the familiar comfortable clink of glass bottles barely striking each other as his friend pushed open the screen door.

Tossing one of the brews to Tanner, Larabee pulled a deck chair closer and sank into it, propping his feet on the porch railing.

Vin, twisting the cap, eyed his friend as he took a long swallow of the deliciously cold beer. His blue eyes, ever alert, noted the weary slump to the blond man's shoulders and the lines of worry across his forehead.

"What's wrong, Cowboy?" he finally questioned softly.

Larabee paused, the bottle poised at his lips. "Who says anything's wrong?" He challenged. It more than occasionally unnerved him the way the younger man seemed to so easily read him.

Tanner just looked at him, waiting. It was several long moments of silence before Larabee answered, his voice tired, "Just seems strange the team's so scattered....Josiah and Nate's at that seminar in California, Ezra's undercover.." He shrugged. "Just seems like...." With another shrug, his voice trailed off.

Vin nodded. It was a feeling he knew all too well, as if a vital part of himself were missing. Like his family wasn't whole.

Family..

"Stopped by the office on the way here. JD said a one line message came in from Ezra. Said something's up and he'd try and get word ta ya tonight. Wanna bring me up ta date?" The week he had spent in Dallas assessing and instructing SWAT teams from different parts of the country had left him in the dark as to what was happening, including the con man's current case. It hadn't however kept him from worrying.

Chris leaned back, balancing his chair on its back legs. "He's worked his way up a lot closer to the leader than I ever thought he'd get. Seems the cult's trying to buy weapons from some dealer with Libyan ties. Hopefully, we'll find out tonight just where they intend to get the money."

When the information concerning a new cult, intent on bringing the US government to heel, had come to the attention of the ATF, Judge Travis had been contacted and Larabee's unit had been called in for assistance after several unsuccessful attempts at infiltrating the inner circle. With their training and somewhat unorthodox methods, this case was right up their alley.

Tanner knew Larabee was worried about Ezra. So was he. He knew that's why Chris had spent the day doing mindless chores around the small ranch and riding fence line that really didn't need to be checked. Anything to keep his mind off what might be happening to the black sheep of their unique family.

None of the team liked the fact that the con man who had become the team's main undercover agent was alone on this assignment, but each of them were all to aware there was nothing they could do about it.

"Think anythin'll come of it?"

Chris shrugged. "Not if we have anything to say about it, but ya never know. Lord knows the country sure don't need another Waco anytime soon." He sighed, taking another long swallow. "How's Dallas?"

Larabee hadn't been thrilled when Travis had requested Vin return to his home state. The judge wasn't aware of the trouble seeking Tanner in the Lone Star State and no one had volunteered the information. Of course Dallas was a long way from Tascosa and the sharpshooter would spend the week surrounded by law enforcement officers but that hadn't stopped any of them from worrying. Chris had been surprised when Buck had volunteered to accompany the tracker only to be politely turned down.

"Hot."

Knowing that was probably all he would hear on the matter from his taciturn friend, Larabee changed the subject, "That little filly's doin' fine. Puttin on weight, but I think she missed ya."

Vin smiled. He had found the horse abandoned and nearly starved to death back in the hills during one of his solitary forays. He had brought her to Chris' and at the older man's insistence, had called Larabee's veterinarian. Ignoring the others who made it plain the sharpshooter should have the animal put down, Vin had spent the two weeks before Dallas working with the horse.

He patiently spent time, feeding her small amounts of grain several times a day, grooming her, making sure she took the prescribed medicines and just walking her about the corral.

Chris had watched as his friend spent hours quietly talking to the little mare, gaining her trust as he gently brushed the filly's coat. With a good eye for horseflesh, even though he was one of those who thought she should have been put down, Larabee had to admit the filly was turning into a fine looking animal.

"Lucy's been here every day to check on her. I think she missed ya, too," he teased, watching the blush creep up his friend's tanned face. The older man loved razzing the sharpshooter about the pretty little vet who had a hard time concentrating on her work when Tanner was around. Of course, it wasn't the first time he'd seen the quiet man's effect on the opposite sex. Chris pushed to his feet. "I'm gonna clean up. Buck invited me over for pizza. Wanna come along?"

Finishing off his beer, Vin looked up, a boyish grin coming to his face as he slid his feet into his boots. "Extra cheese, no little fish?"

"Shoulda known you'd never pass on food. You know where the beer is," Chris muttered with a grin as the screen door closed, leaving Vin to wait on the porch.

Absently swaying the swing with a push of his booted foot, Vin slouched on the seat, his gaze moving over the surrounding area. Somewhere along the way, he wasn't exactly sure when, this place had become a second home to him. He had his cabin but that was more for extended retreats. For time alone with no one around and nothing to interrupt the solitude. When he needed a breath of fresh air or just to clear the cobwebs of the city from his mind, he always ran here.

It was Chris who had helped him find his place in the world and who was there when he needed to talk or just be with another person enjoying the silence. This place had become another haven, another refuge. This was the place he had dreamed of when he was growing up, passed from foster home to foster home, from one family to another.

He closed his eyes and let the calm breezes drift over him. No matter what, he could always find peace in this place. It was home.

*****

*******

Not bothering to knock, Jack O'Neill burst into General George Hammond's office, throwing the items he carried down on the desk, scattering papers and sending the files the General had been studying fluttering to the floor.

Taking a slow, deep breath to control his outrage, Hammond looked up, ready to ream the intruder's ass, but hesitated at the expression on the colonel's face. O'Neill was the only one at the SGC with balls enough to march into his commander's office without so much as a by your leave, but Hammond also knew it would have to be under extraordinary circumstances.

"Colonel?"

"Daniel's missing," Jack blurted out.

"Just what do you mean by missing?" Hammond questioned, struggling to keep his voice calm as he studied his distraught subordinate officer.

O'Neill paced in front of the desk in tightly controlled steps, clenching and unclenching his hands, evidence of the barely maintained control over his emotions. Daniel Jackson was special to each of the people at the SGC but none more so that the man pacing Hammond's office.

"He's.....missing!" He stated again as if that explained everything.

"Colonel...Jack! Something has to have given you the idea he's missing. What is it?"

"Have you talked to him?" O'Neill demanded. "Or do you have him working on something he forgot to tell me about?"

Hammond sighed heavily, eyeing the silver haired officer. "No, I don't. I've not seen Doctor Jackson since Friday's debriefing."

"No one has! He's not answering the phone or e-mail and he's not at his apartment. I checked. It doesn't look like he's been there all weekend, but his truck is there. A neighbor lady gave me those," he nodded to the old battered briefcase and key ring. "Said she found them by his truck. She told me she noticed he's often gone for days at a time. She said he has a tendency to be absent minded and she figured to give them to him when he got back."

Hammond rubbed the back of his neck. Sometimes riding herd on SG-1 was worse than actual combat duty. "You've checked..."

"Carter and I checked all his favorites haunts," Jack interrupted, nodding brusquely. "The library, the museums, every movie theater for miles around. Carter even called Katherine. She hasn't heard from him in a couple of weeks. We've checked all the hospitals and hell, I even called the morgue. I'm telling you, no one has seen him since he left here on Friday."

Resting his elbows on the desk's smooth surface, Hammond stared at his steepled fingers. O'Neill was the best officer Hammond had ever served with and they had been through too much together not to trust the man's instincts. He wasn't one to fly off the handle or dive in over his head, letting his emotions take control. Jack also knew the young archaeologist better than anyone. "What do you think has happened?"

Jack hesitated, sinking into a chair facing his commanding officer. "I don't know!....Kidnapping is the first thing coming to mind, but who and why?" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I do know Daniel wouldn't just take off without letting someone know. It's just not Daniel. He's too damn polite. Even if he had gotten some emergency call, he'd have let one of us know as soon as possible. He'd a been apologizing the entire time for worrying us even if we didn't know he was gone."

"Are you suggesting foul play?" Hammond pressed.

The colonel threw his hands up in disgust. "Hell, General, I don't know! Damnit, even he's not absent minded enough to walk off and leave his briefcase and keys laying in a parking lot!"

Hammond hated to admit it, but he knew O'Neill was right. "If and I use the word with caution, if Doctor Jackson has been abducted, it could have major repercussions. National security could even be at risk here, Jack."

"Not to mention Daniel's life," Jack muttered bitterly.

Hammond chose to ignore the remark. "Authorities will have to be notified." Maybourne and his ilk jumped into the general's thoughts, turning his normally pleasant expression dark. "Washington is not going to be happy about this."

"We aren't exactly thrilled! General....Sir, isn't there some way we could look into this on our own, without getting everyone's ass in an uproar?" Jack suggested lowly, feeling out the general's mood. He, too, was thinking of Maybourne. Neither officer had reason to trust the second in command of Area 51. He was ambitious enough to do whatever was necessary to achieve his goals and just slimy enough to wiggle out of trouble leaving his subordinates to twist in the wind.

Hammond's eyes narrowed. "I'm open to suggestions, Jack."

Jack raked a hand through his short hair, gaining his feet to pace the room again. "Carter, Teal'c and I can work from here, but we're gonna need help. This isn't exactly our area of expertise. Surely, you know someone who could covertly look into this....don't you , sir?"

Hammond pushed to his feet. "I hope you're not suggesting we ignore regulations and mount a search without notifying Washington, Colonel O'Neill."

Jack paused in his pacing, Leaning against the wall, clenched fists rammed deep in his pockets, he shrugged. "Couldn't we unofficially search, until we're contacted for ransom or discover whatever they want?"

Hammond hesitated, sinking back into his chair. There were strict procedures for just such occurrences when military personnel were involved. However, strictly speaking, Daniel Jackson was a civilian. "I will have to notify the president, but I know someone who might be able to help." He was already dialing as he spoke.

*******

Buck threw open the door at Chris' knock, a wide smile on his face as he greeted them, still buttoning his Hawaiian print shirt. "C'mon in! Hey, Vin, JD told me you were back. How's Dallas?" He shoved a cold beer into the tracker's hand.

"Hot," Tanner drawled, taking the bottle and making his way inside, Chris at his heels. He paused, exchanging a look with the older man as Larabee stepped to his side.

The townhouse JD and Buck shared looked more like the playroom of a preschool daycare center than the abode of two grown adults. Big boy toys cluttered the floor and overflowed the furniture. Vin had to shove aside a skateboard and basketball to sprawl on the soft comfortable couch. When he'd first met JD Dunne, Tanner had hoped the kid would be a good influence on the ex-Navy pilot but it seems Buck had rubbed off on the computer expert instead of the other way around.

"Looks like Oscar Madison's room exploded," Chris muttered as he cleared an overly stuffed sports bag, filled with who knew what, from the armchair and settled into it.

JD rushed into the room, dressed in a colorful Tee and baggy jams, his hair still wet from the shower. "Hey guys, we got pizza on the way..." He bounced around on one foot trying to pull on his Nike. "Oh Chris, before I forget there was a call...." A knock at the door interrupted and the youngest member of the team looked around. "Buck!"

"The money's on the shelf, JD." Wilmington called from the other room.

"What shelf?" JD demanded, frantically searching the wall unit, objects of all descriptions falling over or dropping to the floor as he shoved them aside.

"Under the CD caddie."

"Got it!" JD yelled, snagging the bills as another impatient knock sounded. He swung open the door, smiling at the deliveryman.

The bored looking kid flipped him the bill and JD handed him the money. "Keep the change." Balancing the boxes, he used his left foot to kick the door closed and made his way to deposit the boxes on the half way cleared coffee table which often seemed to double as a dining table for the two agents as well.

Buck carried in several cold beers and set them on the low table as JD grabbed napkins from the kitchen counter.

"Dig in. Vin, we figured Chris'd drag ya along so there's one with extra everything and no fish here somewhere." JD shifted the boxes, pulling out the one so marked and shoved it toward the lanky tracker. "This is your kind, Chris." He pushed another box in their leader's direction.

Withdrawing a wedge of double crust with everything, including the little fish Vin hated, the blonde sat back. "JD, you's saying something about a call...."

"Oh yeah,....sorry," he spoke around a mouthful of pizza. "The judge called the office looking for you."

Chris frowned. He wasn't that hard to find, then with a twinge of guilt he realized his pager had been broken when riding the fence line and he hadn't checked his answering machine before leaving the house. "He say why?"

"Said something about getting a call from a George Hammond and he had a problem he might want you to look into."

Chris' head snapped up as he lowered his beer. "You say Hammond?"

JD bobbed his head up and down. "Yep, that was the name. George Hammond." He repeated.

"You're sure he said George Hammond?" the older man stressed.

"Yeah, Chris, I'm sure." JD nodded again for emphasizes. "That was the name. I'm positive."

"I need to use your phone." Grabbing the cordless, Chris was dialing even as he entered the kitchen, a quick glance at the others telling them this was a private call.

JD glanced at his friends as Buck and Vin exchanged looks of puzzlement. "I don't know the name. Do you?" Buck questioned. "It sounds familiar but…."

Vin seemed to hesitate for a moment as if searching his memory then shook his head as he thoughtfully chewed the pizza, which had suddenly lost all flavor. "Nope," he responded, averting his gaze.

"Guess we'll find out if we need to know," JD shrugged, pointing out the obvious. "It might be personal."

Buck playfully cuffed the side of his roommate's head as they fell quiet, listening to the muted tones of Larabee's voice in the other room, unable to distinguish any words.

It was ten minutes later before Chris re-entered the living room, a scowl on his face as he returned the phone to its base. Buck looked at the sharpshooter, finally posing the question on each of their minds, when it became evident their leader was not going to volunteer any information. "What's up, Chris?"

The blond man's gaze focused on them as if just realizing he wasn't alone.

Frustrated, Buck questioned again, "What was that all about? The Judge got us another assignment?"

Larabee shook his head, crossing to the door. "No. Not yet. Look, sorry, but I gotta go. Thanks for the pizza."

"Hold on there!" Buck jumped to his feet, tripping tripped over a Playstation cord before managing to block Larabee's path. "You can't just waltz outta here...." His voice trailed off, recognizing one of Chris' renowned 'don't fuck with me, Wilmington' stares.

"Outta my way, Buck," the older man ordered harshly. "This don't concern you." Yet. he added mentally.

Wilmington tried to return his stare, but failed and with a short nod, he stepped aside as Vin moved up to Chris' side.

"Where we goin'?" The lanky sharpshooter drawled lowly, reaching for the doorknob a heartbeat ahead of Larabee.

"We ain't goin' nowhere," Larabee pointed out bluntly as blue-green eyes locked with blue. After several long seconds, Vin slowly nodded, released the knob and stepped aside. Acknowledging the small nod, Chris stepped past him, opening the door.

"Watch yer back," Vin muttered softly. A small smile ghosted across the older man's face at the warning.

"I always do." He stated, nodded toward the other two men. "Get Buck to run ya out for your Jeep."

"How long you gonna be gone?" JD asked, looking from Vin to Chris.

"Be back before morning." With another nod to Tanner, he went through the door, leaving the three of them staring after him.

"Damnit, Vin!" Buck turned to the longhaired man the moment the door closed. "Why didn't you stop him...or go with him?"

"Same reason you didn't." Vin gave him a long look and shook his head. "If he'd wanted company, he'd have asked."

Buck grabbed another beer, flopping on the couch. He shook his head. "I wish I knew what the hell that phone call was about. You don't suppose Ezra, Josiah or Nate got hurt do ya?" Concern had crept into his voice as he gave way to worry for their teammates.

Vin shook his head. "Nope, that he'd a told us." With a last glance at the closed door, resisting the urge to chase after his friend, Vin returned to the couch and settled next to Buck, his expression thoughtful.

Buck stared at him for a moment, realizing Vin knew more than he was saying. "JD, why don't you get on your computer there and see what you can find out about that George Hammond," he suggested.

The younger man jumped to comply, pushing aside a stack of sports magazines to settle in front of the monitor. Logging on, his fingers rapidly danced across the keyboard. "With just a name and figurin' he's here in Colorado, how we gonna know which a the hundreds of George Hammonds we're likely ta come up with is the right one."

"Might help to know he's an Air Force General."

Buck swiveled to stare at the sharpshooter. "Thought you said you didn't know him?" he accused.

"Don't, but I've heard a him."

Wilmington's normally happy expression turned to a frown. "Air Force? Why the hell would Chris go rushing outta here over something about some Air Force general?" He mused, absently reaching for his beer.

*******

Chris climbed wearily from the Ford pickup, his disposition not having improved over the long drive to meet the judge's friend. It hadn't been an order and if the judge hadn't sounded so worried, he wouldn't have come, but old friends owed favors and it seemed Chris was there for that very reason, although he was not sure exactly what had caused the obligation. It had been none of his business and he hadn't asked. Then again he had his own reasons for surrendering so easily to the request.

He twisted to work the kinks from his back. If Larabee was going to be honest with himself, he had to admit it hadn't taken much for the Judge to convince him to make the trip. Part of Larabee's deal with Travis was that he had the right to say no to any assignment. It was his way of protecting his men, yet in more than a small way, Chris himself owed Hammond a debt of his own. Locking the truck and pocketing the keys, he crossed the dimly lit parking lot to enter the small twenty four-hour diner.

It was empty at this ungodly hour, and Chris blinked several times letting his road weary eyes adjust to the harsh interior lighting. His hazel-eyed gaze roamed the room, settling on the only patrons. He casually lit one of the thin cigars he enjoyed, using the time to study the two men who were seated near the window.

Even without the uniform he would have guessed the balding gentleman was the person he was there to see. There was a quiet authority about the man which gave him an air of importance. The silver haired man in the battered leather jacket sitting across the table from the military man intrigued Larabee.

The man's fingers drummed impatiently against his coffee cup, his brown-eyed gaze traveling from his companion's face to beyond the window and back. This was a man of action who didn't like the helpless feeling of being powerless in a situation he could not control.

With long strides, his boot heels echoing loudly on the hard tiled floor, the blond man crossed to the table.

"General Hammond?" He offered his hand to the pleasant, round faced man. "I'm Chris Larabee. Judge Travis sent me, sir."

The man stood, his handshake firm, before motioning Chris to a chair. "Mister Larabee, thank you for coming. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill," he introduced the other man.

The worry lines around his eyes obvious, the scowling man nodded, but did not stand or offer his hand, having no time or patience for polite amenities.

"What can I do for you, General?" Larabee got straight to the point.

Hammond nodded approval at his forwardness, but held his tongue as the waitress materialized, filled a cup with coffee for the newest arrival and refilling the other cups, determined they wanted nothing else, before vanishing into the back room, leaving the three men in private.

Larabee took a sip of the hot liquid as he waited for Hammond to speak.

"We have a problem, Mister Larabee, one which could have serious and far reaching repercussions."

"Shit!" O'Neill blurted out, ignoring his commander's sharp look of reproach. "Let's just get to the point! One of my team is missing!"

Larabee's own scowl deepened. He had thought it was something serious. "Shouldn't you be talking to the MPs?"

Jack swore under his breath. "I told you this was a waste of time, sir."

"A scientist who works with Colonel O'Neill's team is missing, Mister Larabee. Due to the sensitive nature of our...projects, we felt it best not to involve local authorities, Washington bureaucrats or go through the normal procedures until we have more facts on the matter," Hammond explained diplomatically.

"Kidnapping is FBI jurisdiction. I think you have the wrong man, General."

"I cleared this with the highest authority before contacting our mutual friend. He assured me your team was perfect for this job."

"So you want us to covertly look into this.....missing person you think may have been abducted?"

Hammond nodded. "That's one way of putting it, Mister Larabee."

"That's the only way, General, else I'd not be here." The warmth of his smile did not reach the hazel eyes. "What makes you think this scientist may have been kidnapped? Maybe he just decided to quit, take his wife on a vac…"

"His wife's dead!" O'Neill snarled.

"I'm sorry," Chris looked sincerely apologetic. "Is it possible he met someone one and…."

"Daniel's not like that!" Jack took a deep breath, lowering his voice. "His work is important to him. He wouldn't just blow it off."

"We've all done things we wouldn't normally do for a pretty face, Colonel," the agent pointed out.

O'Neill almost laughed in his face, mentally running through the list of woman they had encountered since opening the gate: Hathor, Shyla, Nurtti, Linea. If the agent only knew!

"If, by some abstract circumstance in an alternate universe, Daniel did decide to say the hell with the work he loves, he sure as shit wouldn't just walk off and leave his keys and briefcase on the ground beside his SUV."

The General silently listened to the exchange between the two. They were so much alike it was frightening. God help Orrin if Larabee's crew gave him as many near heart attacks as SG-1 gave him!

Digging into his pocket, Chris produced his notebook and pen, trying to keep the disdain from his voice. "Why don't you give me a few details on this ---kidnapping?" While he would go to the ends of the earth for Judge Travis, he was not pleased.

Larabee had little use for the military and even less for men who called on favors from old friends to cover their own asses. And he had the distinct feeling that was exactly what was happening here.

Forty-five minutes and two cups of coffee later, Chris closed the notebook and pocketed his pen. He had gotten all the details they could give him on the disappearance of their scientist. The Colonel had brought a bare-bones copy of Doctor Daniel Jackson's personnel file, including the picture taken for his ID badge.

Promising to look into the matter and to be in touch, he had again shaken hands with the general and watched as the two men left the diner. Larabee sighed wearily. He wasn't looking forward to the long drive back to Denver, regretting now he had refused Vin's offer to accompany him. At least he would have been company.

Paying for a large coffee to go, he headed for his truck noting the Jeep Cherokee still sat on the lot. Out of habit, he had taken note of each vehicle when he arrived. He wasn't surprised to see a dark jacketed figure push away from the Jeep, approaching as the agent unlocked his truck.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?" He opened the truck door, settling the cup in his console before turning to face the man who had stopped behind him. "You got something else to add?" he finally questioned, eyeing the man in the feeble glow of the truck's interior lights.

O'Neill's chin came up and his dark eyes sparkled. "Yeah....I want you to find Daniel."

"I've heard people in hell want ice water, too, Colonel," he drawled watching the man's expression darken into a full-blown scowl. "What makes this...Doctor Jackson so damn special?"

"He's….Look, just find him," As an afterthought, he added softly, "please...."

Chris eyed him. "You didn't answer my question. Why is he so damn special?"

Although he didn't move, O'Neill seemed to step back in surprise . "Why is he so damn special?" he mouthed silently. Who the hell did this asshole think he was? They had come to him practically begging for his help on a matter not only of life and death, but national security as well, and he was standing there asking stupid questions!

Keeping his clenched fists in the pockets of his jacket, Jack met the agent's steady gaze. "Daniel's my teammate. My friend. We've been through a lot together. A lot. I owe him. He's in trouble…I can feel it...." He trailed off as if he had admitted too much. His voice was softer when he questioned, "Don't you know anyone you would move heaven and hell to help?"

A fleeting picture of twinkling trusting blue eyes flashed through Larabee's mind as he studied the man standing before him, instantly followed by the faces of five other men.

O'Neill obviously wasn't a man used to asking for help, especially from someone he didn't know, yet there had been an almost pleading tone in his voice. For all his hard ass military attitude, the man obviously cared about his missing teammate. The colonel wasn't worried about the military or security ramifications associated with the scientist's disappearance. He was more concerned about what had happened to his friend.

It hit Chris this Daniel Jackson was O'Neill's Vin Tanner.

Slowly he nodded, "All right, Colonel. I'll see what I can do. I'll be in touch." Surprised, Chris shook the extended hand as the other man voiced his thanks. With another nod, he slid behind the wheel, started the truck and eased from the lot, leaving the military man staring after him.

*******

Ezra's eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, searching for and finally settling on the unconscious man sprawled on the hard floor. An undefinible expression came to the southerner's face as he slowly walked toward the motionless body. Failing to obtain any information from the goon he'd termed Lurch, Ezra had weaseled around the edges of the group, listening unobtrusively to every conversation he happened upon for any clue as to what was happening and why Lurch had made an unexpected trip into town, returning with the young stranger. His face was known to most of the members and words flowed freely with an openly offered beer or two.

Finding someone who loved to hear himself talk and loved even more being listened to, Ezra had discovered the young man was an archaeologist kidnapped by the group to give them price estimates on the artifacts they had stolen. While the agent did not condone kidnapping, the brilliance of the criminal mind that had dreamed up the scheme did rather overwhelm him. He had to admire the ingenuity behind the plan. After all, they couldn't openly approach a legitimate dealer and ask for a price check and there wasn't exactly an ad in the yellow pages they could call.

Another couple of drinks and he'd learned the man's name was Daniel Jackson, an expert in his field who had been practically laughed out of his profession for voicing some wild theory about the ancient Egyptian pyramids and the Mayans.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ezra knelt by the archaeologist, checking his condition. It seemed he hadn't moved since he had been unceremoniously dumped on the hard floor. Reaching out, the agent shook the man's thin shoulder.

"Mister Jackson?" he whispered. "Daniel?…Daniel Jackson?"

The man moved slightly, a groan escaping his lips as he attempted to sit up. "J'ck?"

"My name is Ezra." He kept a supporting hand on the young man's shoulder glancing at the door again, as groggy blue eyes tried to focus on his face. Noticing the wire rimmed glasses lying on the floor, he placed them in the scientist's hand.

"I don't know you, do I?" Jackson questioned, fumbling with the glass lenses. Settling them into place, he brushed his hair out of his eyes and stared at he undercover agent, his expression guarded.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure," Ezra assured him, his green-eyed gaze quickly scanning the man's features for signs of injury. Other than a light colored bruise just below his cheekbone and looking slightly green with nausea, the man seemed uninjured. "I imagine you are feeling a bit sick at your stomach. I assure you that will pass. I'm afraid it is an unfortunate side effect of the chloroform."

The archaeologist appeared so very young. Peering at him from under the long floppy hair hanging in his eyes, he reminded Ezra of JD.

"So, what do you want? Why did you kidnap me?" Daniel's blunt directness surprised him, yet somehow reminded him of someone else he knew well.

"I did not....well yes....technically I guess....actually this is rather difficult to explain," Ezra began, his worried gaze darting every few seconds to the closed door. "I'm afraid we don't have the time to go into this at the moment."

Daniel pushed the glasses up higher on his nose. "If it's government secrets you want, I hate to tell you, but you've gone to a lot of trouble and wasted your time for nothing. I assure you I know very little about the actual running of the mountain. I'm just a civilian archaeologist....on loan, you might say."

Ezra frowned. He had come looking for answers, however, not only had he learned nothing, he was becoming even more confused by the minute. "You were kidnapped because you are an archaeologist," he began, trailing off as he heard footsteps and the door releasing. With a quick look of apology, and a hard shove, he pushed the young man back to the floor as the door swung open.

One of the group's many goons stood in the door, eyes wide at the sight of Ezra kneeling next to the prisoner.

With another hard shove, hoping the scientist would have enough sense to realize he needed to stay down and remain still, the southerner rose to his feet.

"What are ya doin'?" the goon questioned, obviously and thankfully, slow witted.

"I thought someone should check on him. After all, the sooner he gets started cataloguing those artifacts, the more expedient the distribution of said items." Ezra glanced down at the young man, surprised yet again to see the scientist watching him though slitted lids, a tiny wink telling Ezra he had gotten the message loud and clear. "Unfortunately, he is still unconscious."

The guard eyed him with distrust, but didn't move any closer to check for himself. "You shouldn't be here," he pointed out.

"No problem. I just wanted to help." With slow steps, Ezra crossed to the door and after a moment the other man followed. The agent was careful not to show his pleasure as the man left the key hanging in the latch before motioning him down the hall ahead of him. Silently swearing under his breath, Ezra could do nothing but comply.

*******

His tired gaze settling on the battered beat up old Land Rover still sitting in the drive, Chris killed the engine and wearily climbed from the truck. Vin must have decided to spend the night at Buck and JD's, he thought as he trudged up the steps and unlocked the door.

Entering the living room, Larabee froze at the sight of Tanner sprawled on the couch, boots and hat on the floor beside him, his cell phone lying on the coffee table within easy reach.

Slowly shaking his head, a slight smile crossed his lips as Chris blew out a deep breath. He should have known. How many times had he entered the house to be greeted by this very sight? Knowing there would be coffee in the pot, he quietly moved to the kitchen. Vin's coffee was strong enough to stand by itself, but Larabee knew he probably wasn't going to get any sleep as it was. Filling two cups, he wandered back into the living room and set one on the table next to the phone.

Easing himself into the arm chair, he muttered, "I don't know why you pay rent on that place in Purgatorio when you live out here."

Blue eyes slitted to stare at him and with a sigh, the younger man twisted into a sitting position, running a hand through his long tousled hair. He half smiled, reaching for the coffee cup, "Who says I pay rent?" he challenged.

Chris snorted and took several swallows of the coffee, grimacing at the strong brew, wondering for the hundredth time if Vin had a cast iron stomach.

The marksman watched him for several long moments before the blond finally lowered his cup.

"Shit...." Larabee muttered, "you're gonna sit there and stare at me till I tell ya what's goin' on, ain't ya?" Vin waited, not saying a word. "Seems some military friend of the Judge's has a problem. They lost a scientist and he wants us to look into it."

"That's FBI," Vin stated needlessly.

"I told them that, but nothing do them I look into it. Wanna bet this scientist is probably a nerdy geek type who got lucky with a workin' girl and just took off without notifying anyone? Or is havin' such a good time, he doesn't even know what day it is." Chris rubbed wearily at his forehead, massaging his temples. Damn, it had been a long day! "Of course, that doesn't explain…"

"He work at Cheyenne Mountain?"

Chris' head came up. He hadn't said anything about....His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "JD been playing something beside Tomb Raider on that computer of his?.....Okay, what did you snoops find out?" He should have known his team wouldn't sit still while he was gone. Damn, but they could be a nosy bunch!

If nothing else this case would give them something to do besides worry about Standish. Before he'd agreed to take the assignment, Larabee had made it perfectly clear to Judge Travis, Ezra came first!

"General Hammond is stationed at Cheyenne Mountain, but is not attached to NORAD. All JD could find out was the general is the head of some classified projects, nothing detailed. He could have found out more if we had let him hack into the military files like he wanted, but security clearance or not, we didn't think that was such a good idea."

"Glad you thought. You just check Hammond?"

Vin nodded. "General's got a helluva record. Fighter pilot. Was stationed at the mountain in 69 after two tours in Nam. He's been decorated with damn near every medal and commendation there is. Spent time at the Pentagon before taking over for a General West at the mountain. Ya know, JD's a real whiz on that machine. Wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't find the blue prints for the Aurora."

"Need a little research on a Jack O'Neill, Colonel and Doctor Daniel Jackson. Everything JD can dig up."

"Medical doc?"

Chris shook his head. "Don't think so, but can't say for sure. Here's a start. Ain't really had a chance to look at it yet." Tugging the folded paper from his pocket, he tossed the copy of Jackson's file to Vin. Pulling off his boots, he pushed to his feet and headed for the bedroom. "I'll be in the office later. Need to get a little sleep. Show yourself out."

Nodding, Vin pulled on his boots and gathered his gear. Making sure the door was locked behind him, he glanced at his watch. He would have time to stop by his own place for a shower and a change of clothes and still be able to make it to the office on time.

******

Jack found Carter in her lab, her blonde head bent over a file folder in front of her, but her posture clearly said her mind wasn't on the project notes anymore than his had been on the mission reports sitting on his desk

"You busy?"

"No sir, just reviewing.." She trailed off, as with a quick look down the hall, he entered, shutting the door behind him.

"Need ya to get on that computer of yours and do some research." He said, his hands shoved in his pockets, rocking back on his heals. "Get me everything you can on a Chris Larabee. Runs some fancy ass team or something . Everything you can dig up, Sam. While you're at it, get me anything you can on the members of his team."

"Sir, does this have anything to do-"

"Yeah." He reached for the door as she crossed to her computer.

"Everything, Sam. A.S.A.P.....oh....this is just between us and I don't care what you have to do to find the info. I'll take care of any repercussions."

*******

Daniel was seated on the floor, his back resting against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees. A shiver of fear coursed through his body. He had no doubt Jack was tearing the state apart looking for him and wouldn't stop until he discovered what had happened to his teammate, but Daniel wasn't foolish enough to think his friend would really get anywhere with his search.

According to what the person introducing himself as Ezra had been able to impart, Daniel wasn't being held for money. Hopefully, he hadn't been kidnapped for information on the Stargate. But he knew without a ransom demand, not even Jack would have a clue where to begin looking.

Who was Ezra? Why had he told Daniel anything? He had seemed genuinely concerned about Daniel, but that could easily have been a ruse. An attempt to earn his trust and get the scientist to do what they wanted without giving them any trouble. Well, they could damn well forget it! Whatever they were after would have to come from someone else because he wasn't telling them a damn thing!

Daniel raised his head as the door opened. A thin man in military camaflouge stepped into the room followed by an enormous hulk of a man the scientist figured was probably the one who had abducted him from his apartment parking lot.

"I'm glad you're awake Doctor Jackson. You'll come with us please."

"Where?"

"That's of no concern to you. You will come with us please." The smaller man stated, nodding to his henchman. Before Daniel could move, the large man crossed the room and grabbing the scientist's arm in a grip that let him know the man could easily crush the bone, pulled Daniel to his feet, dragging him from the room.

*******

Ezra leaned casually against the wall appearing bored and uninterested, his eyes following the two men on either side of Daniel as they hurried the young man down the hall. As they disappeared around the corner, Ezra glanced around and sure no one was taking any notice of him, followed.

*******

The archaeologist's eyes widened at the treasures spread before him as he was roughly shoved into another room. He resisted the urge to run his hands over the artifacts, as hoping his expression was an impassive mask, Daniel turned to face the two men.

"Just exactly what is it you want?" he demanded, settling his glasses firmly in place.

"I only want you to do what you do best." The thin man smiled, his eyes cold. "Tag each item with its name, age and how much it's worth."

Daniel glanced around before turning back to the man who was obviously the boss and mastermind of whatever was happening. "I don't think so."

He didn't see the backhanded swing that sent him crashing to the floor, blood from his split lip dripping onto his shirt.

"Do your job so we can take you home, Doctor Jackson, " There was no pretense at civility from the man. "If you insist on being difficult, I'm sure my friend here will be more than happy to persuade you to cooperate. He enjoys showing people the error of their ways."

"What some people won't do to keep from paying for an expert." Daniel muttered, waiting until the door closed before climbing to his feet, his wobbly legs carrying him to the table set in the middle of the room, containing a lamp, several pens, and a stack of what looked like tags from an auction house.

*******

Kicking the door closed behind him, Jack automatically slid home the dead bolt, his eyes scanning the print outs in his hand. He'd found the folder in a plain brown envelope on the passenger seat of his Jeep upon leaving the mountain. Carter had done a damn good job. He not only had Larabee's entire life history, but those of his team members as well. O'Neill shook his head slightly, afraid to think of what she could dig up on him. Grabbing a beer from the fridge he settled on the couch and popping the top on the can, began reading.

*******

Ezra's green eyes scanned the hallway, certain it was empty before making his way to the locked door. It had been hours before the complex had quieted enough for him to make his way unnoticed to the room in which Jackson had been placed. Pulling the set of lock picks from his pocket, it was only a matter of seconds before the knob turned in his hand and with another quick glance around, he slipped inside, silently closing the door behind him.

Turning, his green eyes widened in surprise and he released a long low whistle.

He could have been standing in a museum storeroom in any major city in the world with the multitude of ancient artifacts and paintings stacked nearly to the ceiling. It was painfully obvious the small group had been stealing for quite awhile. It must have taken years to amass such a collection. Ezra didn't claim to know anything about historical artifacts, but if this stuff was as valuable as it looked, the cult would have a tidy little sum to invest in weapons when these objects hit the black market.

His gaze came to rest on the lone figure sitting at a desk in the center of the room, studying the item he held in his hands, by the sharp glare of the lamp. Ezra approached, his steps silent.

Concentrating on the small statue, the archaeologist didn't seem aware of his presence only turning to stare owl like at the agent when Ezra softly cleared his throat.

"Are you aware of what they intend to do?" He questioned without preamble.

Ezra nodded. "I believe so."

"They want me to place a value on these items....A dollar amount on these..." he waved a hand toward the stolen pieces. "They're priceless....Priceless...." he murmured softly, looking down at the item in his hand. "This should be in a museum for everyone to enjoy.....it all should...."

"It's just a means for them to raise money, Mister Jackson." Ezra assured him. There was a strange sadness about the scientist as he considered what was going to happen to artifacts which touched the con man. "Money they need for the purchase of weapons. Nothing more."

"Money...." Jackson sighed tiredly. "Everything is always money...."

"Yes…Well it is what makes the world go around." Standish quipped.

Daniel very carefully placed the little stone statue on the desk beside him. Even under the circumstances, he couldn't squelch the thrill he always felt when he held something ancient. Something that had existed for centuries. Something which had been touched and held and cherished by people long dead. Why didn't anyone realize the stories these items could tell? Couldn't they see the insights into the history of the long dead civilizations they represented?

It was several moments before he remembered he wasn't alone and pushing his glasses up to rest in his hair, he turned to face the stranger who'd joined him, wondering again what the man was up to. It appeared as if he were trying to befriend him, but this wasn't exactly the best of circumstances to strike up a friendship.

Then again, the man seemed different then the others he'd encountered here. Not only more intelligent, but definitely not as crude or cruel. "Is there something you wanted?"

Ezra debated with himself. If he was going to come clean with the cult's latest victim, he was going to have to do it quickly. "Mister ...Jackson, I am aware you were brought here under less than desirable circumstances." He paused waiting to regain the scholar's attention as Daniel's gaze returned to the statue.

The man seemed much more interested in the items surrounding him than what the agent had to say. Of course, Ezra really couldn't blame him. As far as the scientist was concerned he was one of the bad guys and the southerner hadn't failed to notice the swollen lip the man now sported.

"Perhaps," he lowered his voice, "it might please you to know that as of an hour ago, others were notified of your present predicament."

Blue eyes widened, the pencil he'd been chewing on dropping to the table as Daniel brought his head up to lock gazes with the agent.

But before the scientist could respond to the news, Ezra raised a finger to his lips as the lock rattled. The agent stepped back, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, taking on the stance of someone extremely bored with their assigned job. The door opened to reveal one of the members, a man Daniel hadn't seen before, carrying a coffeepot and cup.

Pushing away from the wall, Ezra glared at the arrival. "You only brought coffee? He's going to need sustenance other than provided by what's in that pot." Ezra pointed out bluntly. "I would suggest you return to the kitchen and have a meal prepared at once. He's going to need nourishment in order to finish the job he was brought here to do."

"I-I...." Stammering in confusion, the slow witted man set the pot on the table, the handle sending the statue Daniel had been examining tumbling over. Only the agent's quick reflexes kept the clay item from being smashed into a million pieces against the floor.

"Watch what the hell you're doing!" Ezra snapped, carefully handing the statue back to Daniel. "Do you have any concept of what that little thing is worth? If you'd broken that, Ajax would have had your ass shot without a second thought." Seeing the fear in the other man's eyes, the southerner spoke more calmly. "No harm done, so there's no need for him to be told anything, right?" Seeing the man nod, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed, Ezra steered him to the door. "You go have them fix something to eat for Mister Jackson here and this'll stay between the two of us."

As the door closed Ezra released a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, except for Steven Ajax, the self pronounced commander of his own private little army, most of these gentleman aren't as smart as the average fifth grader and are easily intimidated by nothing more than manners." Smiling, he held a hand out to Daniel. "Ezra Standish, special undercover agent currently working in cohesion with the ATF."

The stunned look of amazement on Daniel's face was priceless as, sucking in a startled breath, he hesitantly gripped the extended hand.

"Then....then....you're here to get me out?......Gotta give you credit, you guys move fast."

Ezra grimaced and slowly shook his head, knowing his next words were not going to please the captive archaeologist. "Actually, we weren't even aware of your existence until you were brought here. I was sent in several months ago to gather information on Ajax and his impending plans. I haven't been able to work my way into the man's immediate circle as he only surrounds himself with those he considers less intelligent than himself, therefore more easily led. I do apologize for your unwilling involvement for I was unaware of his intent to kidnap you. Had I known, I would have gotten word to my team and it most certainly would have been prevented. Unfortunately, it happened quickly and I had no way to warn them."

Daniel frowned. Did the man always sound as if he were sipping Mint Juleps on a plantation verandah or was that just a part he was playing at the moment. "So just what do you intend to do about me?" He questioned bluntly. "I can't stay here!"

"I'm working on that." Ezra assured him. "For the moment, I need you to play along and do what they ask...."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Again his bluntness surprised Ezra, reminding him of another man he knew with bright blue eyes and a quiet directness that was often startling.

"For all I know this could be just a line of bullshit! You could be planning on getting rid of Mister....Ajax, was it, and taking over yourself....Hell, for that matter you could actually be the one behind all this."

"That is quite true, Mister. Jackson, but at the moment all I can give you is my word as a gentleman I speak the truth. I don't exactly find it prudent to carry my Federal identification on my person when involved in such exercises. As for that matter, Mister Jackson, I have entrusted you with information that, if you decided to repeat it to the others in this complex, could and would cost me my life."

Daniel considered that for a moment.

"I give you my word, I will get you out of here, but it may take some time." Getting the archaeologist to safety meant bringing the undercover operation to a halt and possibly never having a chance at stopping Ajax, yet Ezra had no doubt the young man's life was over the moment he placed a price tag on the last stolen artifact. "You can be of assistance by taking as long as possible in putting a dollar value on these priceless items."

"That's no problem. Basically, I'm flying blind here. Without reference books, I couldn't begin to authenticate or..." Daniel turned troubled blue eyes to meet the agent's steady gaze. "Getting me outta here will mean you won't be able to stop this Mister Ajax. Isn't that right?"

"There's no need for you to worry-"

"Isn't that right?" Daniel demanded. "Without you on the inside to let....whoever...know what's going on, he'll sell all this. Not only will all these artifacts be scattered, possibly never to be recovered, but he'll be able to buy weapons to use against whoever he wants. Isn't that right?"

"Possibly," Ezra conceded. The scientist obviously hadn't thought about what would happen to him once he was no longer useful to the cult. "But, I don't think you realize-"

"That I'm a dead man as soon as I finish? Wouldn't be the first time."

A mental image of Vin flashed through Ezra's mind at the scholar's shy smile. Damn, he wished the tracker were here now.

"I suggest you find a way to get me outta here without blowing your cover, Ezra, because if you can't we have a big problem."

*******

Chris stared at the cursor flashing on his computer screen telling him of a message from Ezra. The first in over a week. His mouth curved into a rare full smile. Some days, everything just fell into place. He always worried about the agent when Ezra went undercover. Getting on the inside was usually a hellava lot easier than getting out, but this particular operation had been dangerous from the word go.

Normally, if possible, Ezra figured a cover for the sharpshooter so that Vin was along to watch the con man's back as he worked and weaseled his way into the good graces of whoever happened to be their target. That hadn't been an option this time. Steven Ajax knew the tracker. They'd attended the police academy together. Tanner graduated. Ajax didn't.

This go around, the southerner was on his own. Ezra wasn't the good ol' boy Ajax usually liked to surround himself with. Although he could play the part, Standish had opted for a different cover, knowing after the ATF's attempts the paranoid cult leader would be extremely anxious of anyone approaching him.

Ezra had played on the man's knowledge that the ATF was watching him and quickly convinced the leader, he could procure all types and quantities of supplies needed to run his compound. The members were still small in number but just as any manic Ajax fed on fears and worries and his numbers were growing.

There was no doubt the agent was the best at his job, but that didn't stop the older man from worrying. Like a old mother hen, Chris just naturally worried when one of his team was on assignment and Larabee knew all too well, Ezra could manage to find trouble at the drop of a hat. If, by some chance, he didn't find trouble, it had a strange way of finding him.

"I'll be...Shit!......Hey, boys, gather round!" He called, throwing open the door to the outer office. Returning to his desk, he sat staring at the monitor as his team settled in his office. He didn't have to look up to know Vin had slouched in his usual chair, his back to the wall where he could see the door, his long legs stretched in front of him, crossed at the ankles. Buck had straddled the straight backed chair, his chin resting on his folded arms and JD pulling the third chair near the desk propped his Nike clad feet on the edge of Buck's seat. It was the same every time.

"Y'all seen the latest message from Ezra?" It still amazed him how the southerner managed to e-mail them from the places he landed. Thank goodness, libraries, print shops and now even cell phones and pagers had Internet connections.

All three agents shook their heads. They'd just arrived, settling in at their desks and even JD hadn't logged on yet.

He swung his monitor around to face them, the black words standing out against the white screen.

'Ajax kidnapped archaeologist named Jackson. Weapons dealer arriving next few days. In touch soon. ES.

"It seems Ezra's found Cheyenne Mountain's missing scientist."

"He mighta at least give us a chance to really look for this guy." Tanner grinned. "Greedy Bastard. Wants every case for himself."

*******

Chris leaned in the doorway of his office, watching JD and Buck shooting hoops with wads of paper into the corner trash container as they waited for Vin to return from the daily lunch run.

"Lunch!" JD announced as the elevator dinged its arrival. Expecting to see the lanky agent, arms laden with lunch bags, Larabee's hazel eyes widened as the three people stepped into the office that wasn't listed in any government directory.

Inwardly he winced. A man of his word, he had personally made the call to Hammond earlier, informing him they would be following up on information concerning Doctor Jackson provided by a confidential informant.

He hadn't been surprised, but couldn't keep from frowning at the phone, when the officer had asked when Jackson would be rescued. The man didn't seem to understand or care there was more involved than just the rescue of some civilian archaeologist. Of course, it might have helped if he'd been able to go into detail regarding Ezra's current case, but that was out of the question.

At the moment, they had no idea who the arms dealer was working with and what better place to get weapons than from the military. Momentarily closing his eyes, Chris rubbed his forehead as the three approached him. Obviously, the general had passed the word to Jackson's coworkers.

"Mister Larabee," O'Neill's cool tone belied his inner agitation.

Chris nodded, waving the three on into his office. Buck and JD were watching the visitors curiously. With a slight tilt of his head, Larabee motioned them to approach and stepped into his office, deliberately leaving the door open.

"Have a seat." He waved them to the chairs, taking note the black man, a fedora pulled low over his forehead, remained standing almost at attention, his hands clasped together behind his back. "Colonel O'Neill."

"This is Major Samantha Carter," Jack introduced the casually dressed blonde woman, "and that's Teal'c." The somber faced man nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"What can I do for you?" Chris took his own chair, aware that, dumping the lunch bags on JD's desk, Vin had joined his other team members outside Larabee's door.

"You can rescue Daniel," O'Neill pointed out. "Or tell us where he is and we'll do it."

Chris compressed his lips, his hazel eyes turning green and going cold at the man's arrogant tone. Trying to keep in mind the image of the man in the parking lot asking the agent to help his friend, Larabee kept his voice polite. "I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment."

"Then tell us where he is and we'll do it ourselves."

"No can do, Colonel. Sorry."

"Why is that, Mister Larabee?" Carter questioned, speaking for the first time.

She returned Chris' steady gaze, waiting for his response. "I'm sorry to say your friend is caught smack dab in the middle of a very sensitive situation. My team agreed to help the ATF and has been working this case for almost three months. I can't just blow it off to rescue some archaeologist. I hope you can understand our position."

"Like hell we do! I don't understand at all!" O'Neill exploded. "If you know where he is, you go get him out...NOW!"

Buck and Vin exchanged grins. This colonel had a lot to learn about ordering Chris Larabee around or issuing ultimatums. Not wanting to miss a word, Buck pulled a chair closer as Vin slouched against the doorframe, making himself comfortable. They weren't about to miss out on this.

Larabee chewed his lower lip as he stared at something on the wall behind the military personnel. His anger under control, he softly remarked, "There's more involved here than Jackson..."

"His name is Daniel," Carter injected. She met Larabee's cold stare with icy blue eyes.

"There's more involved here than Daniel...." he almost hissed. "I'm not about to endanger the outcome of this crucial case after months of work because you think Daniel needs to be rescued right this instant. He'll be just fine where he is."

"How can you know this?" the one called Teal'c asked, his quiet baritone seeming to fill the room.

Larabee's gaze moved to the man who could easily rival Josiah in size. "I just know."

"I don't think you know shit," O'Neill charged, his brown eyes flashing angrily.

Buck laughed out loud and Vin kicked him into silence. He could see the vein on Chris' forehead begin to throb. Buck was eating it up. Usually only the two of them or Ezra were able to bring that vein to life. He was mildly surprised Chris hadn't decked the arrogant son of a bitch by now.

It was taking all his will power for Larabee to remain calm and diplomatic. He took a deep breath and glared at the soldier, reminding himself how he would feel if it were Vin who was missing. "I understand you are distraught over your missing friend, but I assure you everything that can be done is being done."

Jack jumped to his feet, his palms flat on Larabee's desk as he leaned in toward the blond. "I don't think you're doing shit! I think the only thing you are doing is trying to blow smoke up our asses."

His tone as much as the words cut through Chris' attempts to remain civil.

"Aw hell...." He pushed to his feet and rounded the desk, coming nose to nose with O'Neill. "I've had about all I'm going to take of your pompous, overbearing, shit ass attitude! Get the hell outta my office!"

Carter jumped between them as Vin rushed into the room to do the same. Both older men stood glaring at each other. Two Alpha males ready to attack.

Buck slowly sauntered into the office, JD on his heels, his gaze going from Chris to O'Neill and back again. "I think y'all need to cool off a little. Colonel...." He motioned O'Neill back to his chair and turning, gave Chris a wry grin, pointing at Larabee's own chair.

Scowling, Larabee slowly moved back behind his desk, continuing to glare at the military man as the colonel just as slowly sat back down.

Buck settled his hip on the corner of the desk where he could watch both men, Vin doing the same from his vantage point in the doorway. "We all got a lot in common here. Y'all want your friend back safe and sound. Believe it or not, Colonel we'd like to see that happen too, but we'd also like to save this operation if possible. Seems to me, we might be able to do both."

Carter stared at him. "How?"

He flashed her a smile, turning the Wilmington charm on maximum. "I's getting to that, darling." He leaned closer to Sam. "Ya don't mind me calling ya darlin' do ya?" Buck winked.

Sam blinked rapidly before regaining her military composure. "Actually, I prefer Major Carter."

"Well then Major...Colonel...sir....I suggest we try and work on this together."

"Together!" Larabee and O'Neill blurted in unison.

"Well, basically we all got the same boss don't we?" Buck pointed out.

"What the hell has that got to do with the price of eggs in China?" O'Neill growled.

Buck turned to Chris who was still exchanging angry glares with the colonel. "Let's tell 'em what we got.

"NO!!!!" His glare now directed at Buck, Chris forced himself to keep his voice at a normal level. "I will not take a chance on having a leak at this point. We're too damn close to take a chance on everything being shot to hell.." His voice lowered another notch. "Especially Ezra."

"Buck's right, Chris." Everyone turned to look at the lanky sharpshooter. "If they know just what's at stake here, it might help them understand why we can't go bustin' in there to get their Doctor Jackson." Vin turned his attention to Jack. "I'm afraid as much as we'd like to help your friend we don't have an exact location yet of where he is."

"Chris..." Seeing his boss reluctantly capitulate, Buck gave him a wink before turning to the visitors once more. "We know your Daniel is being held by an extremist organization somewhere up in the mountains. They kidnapped him for his expertise as an archaeologist. Their leader is planning to sell antiquities on the black market to raise funds for weapons. Weapons we can pretty much guarantee will be used in acts of terrorism against the United States, but he needs your friend to tell him exactly how much the stuff is worth."

"Oh shit...." Jack seemed to momentarily crumble. "Daniel will never go along with that."

"Colonel, we have someone on the inside. That's how we found out they had your friend in the first place. He'll do everything possible to see your archaeologist isn't harmed in any way."

"But," Carter frowned, her large eyes darting to each of the agents, "won't they just kill Daniel when he's no longer useful?"

"Not if our friend has anything to say about it. He was planning on just taking Jackson and getting the hell outta there, but he ran into a slight problem and had to change those plans."

"Daniel." The colonel moaned.

"Show 'em the second message, Chris. I know you printed it out." Buck waited patiently until, once again, the black clad leader backed down and pulled a sheet of paper from his desk drawer, sliding it across the desktop.

O'Neill glanced at the clipped message before passing it to Carter. 'Jackson refuses rescue if blows operation. Will contact soon. ES'

"As y'all can see we have several problems here. Even if we knew the exact location, and we went in too soon, we could lose every thing, including both our friends." Buck concluded. "Our agent is working from the inside to rescue Jackson and still try to salvage the undercover operation." He turned to O'Neill. "Do you understand now."

Jack pulled his cold stare from Larabee's. "Yeah. What I don't understand is why we weren't told this in the first place?"

"It was need to know and you sure as shit didn't need to know." Chris muttered.

"You say you have someone inside this group. Is he responsible?" Carter again glanced at each of the agents for verification.

Sam saw Vin duck his head to hide a smile, in a gesture so reminiscent of Daniel it caused her to double take, as Buck snickered. "Ya could say that. Every time something goes wrong, Ezra's responsible."

"Buck..." There was a note of warning in Larabee's voice.

Chris knew the other members of the team respected and liked Ezra. Standish had more than shown his worth and loyalty on too many occasions, but with his aloof demeanor, fancy clothes and fancier words, the southerner had at one time or another rubbed them all the wrong way. Ezra was a vital part of the seven and despite their cutting remarks, he was certain the other men missed and worried about the undercover agent as much as he did.

Especially Vin. Oddly enough, there was a common thread between the suave southerner and the rough Texan. Perhaps it was the fact they had both been left to fend for themselves at an early age or simply they had a similar upbringing. Whatever it was, both were too stubborn to admit they were often too much alike and had grown to be good friends.

Larabee was aware Ezra helped Vin with his reports and Vin with his laid back demeanor and practical jokes made the man's acceptance into the team a little easier. It had rankled the sharpshooter that he hadn't been able to accompany the con man on this case. He had always been Ezra's protector, bodyguard and go between.

Chris had watched as the younger man quietly fretted the past weeks, concerned for his missing friend's safety, hurrying to the computer each morning seeking word from Standish. It was the main reason he'd agreed to send Tanner to Dallas on the SWAT instruction assignment.

Knowing Carter was doing the same, Jack mentally ran through the file Sam had compiled on Ezra Standish. Of the seven, the major had found the least information on the con man turned undercover agent before joining Larabee's team but the success record of operations in which he'd been involved with other agencies as well as his own team was impressive.

"Aw, Buck, that ain't so!" JD jumped in defending their absent friend's reputation.

"He just thinks so." Wilmington amended.

"Ezra's very good at what he does, ma'am." Dunne quickly assured the military officer. "One of the best! I'd trust him with my life."

"I'm glad to hear that because it appears we're trusting him with Daniel's," she muttered softly, eyeing the lanky sharpshooter who slouched in the doorway. Although Vin didn't seem to notice her appraisal O'Neill did, frowning at the Texan before turning back to Larabee.

"So, when are you planning on taking this group down?" Jack knew he still had a demanding tone to his voice, but couldn't seem to help himself. He wanted Daniel back and the sooner the better. The thought of his friend alone, without his team to watch over him, his only protection... his guardian angel someone none of them knew made Jack's stomach churn.

On the other side of the desk, Chris desperately wished he could rub his headache away. The day had started out so well. What the hell had happened to put it in this downward spiral? "I'm afraid even if I knew, I couldn't tell you. That information is confidential." He scrubbed at the tense muscles in the back of his neck. "Right now, we're waiting to hear when the meet is set with the arms dealer. Until that time, no one can take a chance on going in without blowing everything to hell."

O'Neill compressed his lips, shaking his head. "Shit..." Whether Larabee believed it or not, Jack did understand and sympathized with the other man's dilemma. He also understood he wasn't making things any easier for any of them, but to leave Daniel in the hands of some power hungry maniac.

"Can we expect Daniel back any time soon?" The hope in Carter's voice, touched them all as she looked from Larabee, to Buck to the lanky man in the doorway.

Chris chewed his lip. "Can't say....Could be as much as a week or two."

"A week or two?!" O'Neill was back on his feet, shouting. "Are you outta your fucking mind?!"

Chris was also on his feet. He couldn't seem to stop himself from taunting the other man. "Keep it up, Colonel, it'll be three!"

"Why you sorry son of a bitch...!"

Teal'c suddenly grabbed for the colonel, pulling him back as he lunged at Larabee, while Buck and Vin made a dive for Chris.

"I think we all need to just settle down again." Knowing Vin had Larabee, Buck released his hold on Chris, smiling down at Carter. "This seems to be getting' outta hand and we were just startin' to get on so well... Maybe we should all sit down over coffee and talk this out. Would you like some coffee, Major....darlin?"

Speechless at his audacity, staring at him in disbelief, Carter simply shook her head.

Buck shrugged and turned to O'Neill. "Sir, I might suggest then y'all leave while you're still able. I'm sure Chris has your number and we'll call you as soon as we have any news. "

Tossing Larabee a bitter look, Jack let Teal'c direct him out the door. Carter tossed an apologetic look toward the agents. As she passed Tanner, she looked him up and down appreciatively, then slowly followed her teammates.

*******

"You didn't have to egg him on, ya know," Vin dropped into the seat Carter had vacated moments earlier.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about." Chris growled.

"Oh, yes, ya do. That man may be an arrogant asshole, but you didn't help matters any by letting him get under your skin." Glancing at the floor and seeing Carter had forgotten her purse, Vin jumped to his feet and turned to find the woman approaching the office door. "I was just about to chase ya down, ma'am. Ya left your purse."

"I know." She admitted, a slight pink blush gracing her cheeks. "I needed an excuse to come back." Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Chris. "Mister Larabee, I don't intend to apologize for Colonel O'Neill, but I would like to try and make you understand. Daniel's the colonel's best friend. He was there,...well, it doesn't matter, but I can't imagine what will happen to Jack if Daniel doesn't..... If Daniel..." She trailed off, unable to voice her worst fear. "He's a very special person, Mister Larabee, and despite Jack's....attitude, we really do appreciate your help. Please, just don't let anything happen to Daniel."

Snatching the purse from Tanner's hand, Carter turned and almost ran for the elevators.

*******

The desk lamp still lighting the room, Daniel was slumped over the desk, his head pillowed on his arms, a small jade figurine clutched in his hand. Ezra gently shook the young scientist's shoulder and abstractly thought how it compared to the sinewy muscles of someone else he knew well.

"Mister Jackson....Daniel..." He shook him again, harder this time. The agent wasn't surprised the kid had finally given into exhaustion.

Damn! Everything had been going so well. Two more days, and they could have walked out of here, Daniel free and Ezra in handcuffs to protect his cover, but safe and sound.

With the arrival of the weapons dealer so close at hand, Ajax had the compound on lock down, doubling the guards, no one being allowed out of their designated areas without written permission. The leader himself had remained sequestered in his office, the same office containing the computer Ezra had been using to contact Chris. The agent had racked his brain seeking a way to stay close to the archaeologist when surprisingly Jackson himself had provided the solution.

Several days earlier, Ajax had stormed into the storage room, his enormous goon in tow, furious with Daniel.

"It has been two days Doctor Jackson and from what I can see you haven't gotten off to a very good start." He had glanced at the small stack of carefully placed pieces the scientist had tagged.

Daniel had paused in his careful scrutiny of a Mayan artifact. "Let me explain something to you. There are certain things here I recognize, but most of these items are beyond my limited knowledge." He had played down his expertise. "I need references books to look up dates, places, civilizations."

Daniel had stated, hoping the man was foolish enough to believe him. "I can't just say….Oh, this is a thousand years old so it's worth a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It doesn't work like that." He couldn't prevent a cringe as the goon had stepped forward, hand raised to punish the scientist for his disrespect.

"Wait!" Ajax had stayed his minion's hand. "And just what do you suggest?"

"I need some sort of guide. The Egyptian items, yes, I can give you a fairly reasonable value, but these other items.... To give you the best dollar amount I can, well, I need help. I can get the material I need from almost any library."

"Do I look like an idiot?"

Daniel had bit back the retort, suppressing a shiver as the emotionless eyes had seemed to pin him to the wall.

"You think I'm going to let you take a little jaunt into town? I'll tell ya what." The man's voice had dripped with sarcasm. "Why don't we just drop ya off and you can give us a call when you have everything you need?"

"Actually, I can make a list and anybody with computer experience and the slightest bit of historical knowledge can print out what I need from the library's reference section," the scientist had suggested. "You wouldn't even need a library card. It would go a lot faster too, if the person could act as a research assistant."

So it was Ezra who had been assigned to help the scientist. It had been easy enough to connect to the Internet on the library computer and the undercover agent had managed to send Chris an e-mail message while Lurch dozed in a nearby chair.

For the last three days, Daniel had diligently poured over the material Ezra provided, slowly checking and double checking his facts, finding excuses for the agent to either return to the library or use the computer in Ajax's office.

Now it could all be for nothing!

"Mister Jackson, we need to depart. Immediately."

"J'ak?" The urgent tone in the agent's voice reached the scientist. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and settling his glasses into place to peer sleepily at the other man. "Ezra? What--?"

"No time to explain," the agent muttered, dragging him to his feet. "We have to get you out of here. Now!"

Jackson, still half-asleep, stumbled after him. "What about your-" Suddenly coming awake he pulled away from Standish's grasp as they reached the door. "Why this sudden rush? What's going on?!"

"A group of new members arrived tonight." Ezra kept his voice calm, not wanting to panic the kid. "Couple of 'em know me. They have a pretty good idea what I do for a living. I can't... I won't leave you here alone and if I stay...." He saw Daniel's face pale as he mentally finished the sentence... "So we go together."

Daniel nodded his understanding, a small grin gracing his boyish face. "You sound just like Jack....Together or not at all."

*******

Eluding the posted guards, the two made their way to the exit, Ezra releasing a small sigh of relief as he reached for the door latch. This had been the easy part. They still had to evade the guards outside and make it back to civilization. The complex was miles from anywhere, deep in the woods with no inhabited houses in the immediate vicinity. With a quick grin at Jackson, he opened the door just wide enough for the two of them to slip through, hoping no one spotted the sliver of light against the dark night. They weren't home by any means, but hopefully it wouldn't be long now.

Vivid lightning streaked the black sky. Wonderful. Rain. Ezra didn't like the thought of attempting to out-drive a bunch of deluded good ol' boys on the rain slick treacherous mountain roads. Frowning at the thought of what the rain was doing to his clothes, he grabbed Daniel's arm and darted toward the nearest vehicle. Damnit, this was practically a brand new jacket.

Well, at the very least the ATF could reimburse him, for after all, it was being destroyed while in their line of duty.

They froze as two guards, armed with Uzis, rounded the corner of the building. With a muffled hiss, the agent jerked Jackson into the nearest bushes in hopes of escaping detection. To the southerner's dismay, the two watchdogs opted to wait out the rain in the nearby doorway, effectively blocking any attempts to reach transportation.

Ezra's frown deepened as the minutes slowly ticked by. It wouldn't be long before Ajax discovered the scientist was missing. He had taken to stopping by the storeroom several times a day to check on Daniel's progress.

Worry furrowed the gambler's brow as he glanced at the young man stooped beside him. They had two options at this point. Try and reach one of the compound's cars without being seen or head for the woods. Even if they reached the vehicle, the second the motor turned over, they would be dead men. That only left the woods and trying to hike out on foot, but would the nerdy scientist be able to keep up? Perhaps a better question would be could they find their way to civilization before starving to death or becoming dinner for some woodland creature? Standish wasn't exactly Daniel Boone.

Ezra was egotistical enough to know he was very good at what he did, but this case seemed to have been doomed from the very beginning. His eyes on the guards, he ran the facts through his mind. Vin, his usual backup, had not being able to accompany him. That, coupled with Ajax's paranoia which had kept the undercover agent from working his way completely into the leader's confidence, had failed at giving him easy access to the information he needed. Added in was the unexpected kidnapping of Jackson.

The topper had been tonight's new arrivals having, not one but, several members who knew the con man on sight because they had once worked for the target of an FBI investigation Larabee's team had helped with.

Ezra had done everything possible to prevent them getting a close look at him but he wasn't fool-hearty enough to bet both his and Daniel's life on the possibility they didn't see him or wouldn't recognize him. They had only been graced with this much time because Ajax was in the middle of negotiations and had left strict orders no one was to disturb him.

Now here he was stuck with some desk bound bookworm and it appeared their only way off the mountain was through the thick woods.

For the hundredth time, Ezra wished Vin were here. Not only would he be an extra set of eyes and hands to help protect the scientist, but the tracker's wilderness skills would be damn handy.

Although he was upset at the time wasted now that this operation was blown, at least he could save the scientist and he had learned the names of the arms dealers and the potential buyers for the artifacts so everything wouldn't be a total loss. At least he hoped Chris would look at it that way. He really didn't give a damn how the ATF saw it but Larabee was another matter.

Coming to a decision, and realizing the rain was not about to lessen, nor were the guards about to leave their shelter, he blew out a deep breath and touched Daniel's arm.

"We're going to have to make a run for it." He motioned the length of the shrubbery surrounding the building and extending a hundred or so feet away from the structure. With a motion to follow, he quietly made his way the length to where the bushes ended. 

The agent frowned as they reached the end of the shrubbery. True they were away from the guards, but there was still a good twenty yards of open ground to cross before reaching the thick forest. He vacillated, his eyes scanning the dark area unsure what to do. Were there more guards outside, then the two in front? Ezra glanced at the complex hoping to spot the guards posted at the few windows, Ajax left unshuttered before his wary gaze traveled over the old farmhouse across the yard where the paranoid leader resided away from his followers.

Daniel made the decision for him. With a lowly muttered, "Let's go," he dashed forward and under the curtain of falling rain, keeping as low as possible sprinted the distance, diving into the bushes as another streak of lightning lit the night sky.

Swearing under his breath, Ezra raced after him, his body tense, waiting for the bullets he was certain would soon be flying, determined to find a home buried in his flesh.

With a quick glance over his shoulder he dove into the thick brush, giving a silent prayer of thanks, the heavily falling rain had obscured any posted guard's vision. The two men scrambled deeper into the woods, the dark bushes, brambles and tree trunks covering their escape.

Finally winded, Ezra stopped and leaned his back against a tree, his hands on his knees, his green eyed gaze going to the young man beside him, realizing the scientist was in better shape than he thought.

Brushing the wet hair from his eyes, Daniel settled his glasses back in place. "What now?"

"I believe it would be most advantageous to get as far from here as possible," Ezra muttered, brushing the dirt from his wet jacket. He was definitely billing the ATF for this. "While the collective IQ of the members appears to be approximately seventy five, once it's discovered you're missing, I don't believe it will take more than a few hours for one of them to comprehend the fact if we didn't leave in one of the various vehicles we must be somewhere in the woods. Unfortunately most of them are extremely adept woodsmen."

"Do you know where we are?"

The man was full of questions...."I know we're out in the country, way the hell up one of the many mountains that grace this state. As I recall there aren't any other human habitations in the immediate area therefore, we're going to have to walk out on our own and considering what might be following us I would suggest we do so as expediently as possible."

"Couldn't we make our way to the road and just flag a ride?" the scientist suggested.

"I don't think so, Mister Jackson, although it is an idea worth considering, we would run the risk of being picked up by a cult member since I do believe they are the only ones to traverse this byway. I think it would be wiser to take our chances in the forest."

"Then we better get started...By the way, my name is Daniel....not Mister Jackson." With a boyish smile, Jackson started moving, leaving Ezra to follow.

*******

Sending the others home for the night, Chris sat in the silent office, Ezra's latest message glaring at him from the computer screen.

Recognized. Getting Jackson out. Contact later.

The southerner's way of saying he'd be back if he survived.

Damnit to hell! It had all been for nothing! Maybe they should have tried to go in after the scientist. At least they'd have Ajax on kidnapping charges. Better yet, he and O'Neill would have both their friends home.

He didn't bother looking up as the elevator announced its arrival. It had actually taken the team's sharpshooter longer to return than Larabee expected. The rattle of a paper bag as Vin crossed the dark outer office reached his ears.

"Thought I told ya to go home?" Chris crushed out the cheroot as Vin removed two sandwiches and two cups of coffee from the fast food bag.

"Did ya?....Musta missed that. "The younger man shrugged. "Gettin'old's a bitch. Hearin's the first thing to go."

They sat in silence sipping their coffee, the sandwiches ignored, both pairs of eyes constantly darting to the monitor watching for the flashing symbol indicating another message from Ezra.

They looked up, neither man surprised when Buck and JD, pizza box in hand, stepped from the elevator.

"T.V.'s busted. Figured we'd watch the game here." Wilmington announced, as JD sheepishly headed for the apartment the team kept at the end of the hall. "Pizza's hot and you're welcome to join us."

Chris waved him on not bothering to call the pilot on his obvious lie. They all wanted to be there when word came in on Ezra.

"Wanna tell me about Hammond?" Vin, his back to Chris as he started a fresh pot of coffee, could almost feel the man stiffen.

"You saw what JD dug up.....You know what I do."

"I don't think so." He sagged into the chair, blue eyes meeting hazel. "I know how ya feel about the judge, Chris. I know ya'd do damn near anything he asked but I saw your reaction when JD told ya about the phone call. Somehow ya know Hammond...."

Chris rocked back in the chair, desperately trying to close the door on memories he'd long ago buried. Memories that had been resurrected by a phone call.

"When I was with the SEALs my team was sent on a recon and rescue mission into…..Let's just say…Southeast Asia….Intell had come in about American POWs from Nam bein' held in a camp…..I was still a green kid scared shitless." Vin listened intently to the soft voice, the distant quality almost frightening. "We'd all heard horror stories about Nam and how the prisioners were treated….Buck had busted his leg on a bail out so I didn't even have him to help keep away the shadows as it were…Whether the intell was wrong or it was a trap no one really knew. My team was pinned down for two days, surrounded by guerrillas fighting over some damn acre of mud nobody really gave a shit about and both sides thought we were there to help the others. We were slowly being slaughtered........Our LT….Henson kept calling for help......Help Colonel James kept promising was on its way." The word 'colonel' had been spit out with such disgust Vin almost jumped. Another piece of the puzzle. It wasn't O'Neill so much as his rank that had such an adverse effect on Larabee.

"What happened?" The tracker prompted when Larabee didn't say anything for several minutes.

"The third morning just after dawn, a single plane flew over, strafed a path wide enough for us to get the hell out. Stayed with us till low fuel forced him back to the carrier."

"Hammond?"

"We didn't find out his name until the colonel tried to bring him up on charges."

"Disobeying a direct order.....Seems he'd heard what was happening and volunteered to take his squad in.....The colonel…the man who was supposed to be in charge and watching our backs, told him no.....Soon as the sun rose the third morning, he took off and.....Got permission from his commander for a practice flight….We wouldn't have gotten home without him." Chris blinked several times bringing himself back to the present. "So how is it you know the man?"

"Don't."

"Then how did you know to tell JD he was an general in the Air Force?" Chris couldn't prevent the grin as Vin's careful facade was replaced with a stunned expression.

"Do you know every thing that goes on around here?"

"That's my job......Hammond?"

"Just heard his name from some guys awhile back." Vin shrugged and pouring them each another cup of coffee, tilted his hat down over his eyes, settling back in the chair to wait on word of their friend.

********

Tempted to hang up, Chris frowned at the phone in his hand as O'Neill raved on about him finding Daniel. If he thought the man was a pain in the ass in person, he was a bigger one on the phone. The officer seemed to have a one-track mind where Daniel Jackson was concerned and it never seemed to occur to him that the Larabee and the ATF officers had other pressing matters on their minds. Not the least of which was Ezra.

Wilmington had headed over to the ATF offices to see what he could find out about Ezra's case and Chris had sent Vin down to the small apartment with orders to get some sleep. The office chair wasn't the most comfortable in which to spend the night. Leaving JD to man the phones, Chris himself had been about to head there for a quick shower and change of clothes when O'Neill called.

"O'Neill.....O'Neill..." Chris tried for the tenth time to break into the man's tirade about the failure of his team and the ATF to help.

"We found 'em!" JD's shout carried into the office and Larabee's scowl deepened. "We found 'em Chris!"

The question in his ear was inevitable. "You got Daniel! Where is he?"

The glare Chris shot at JD would have frozen boiling water as he kicked his office door closed.. "He's not talking about your friend. " he muttered unconvincingly.

"Like hell!....Of course you wouldn't admit it if he was, would you!....Confidential information." O'Neill snarled. A decidedly loud click sounded, followed by a dial tone, as the line went dead.

Chris slammed the receiver down and stormed out into the outer office. "JD! I swear one of these days...." He trailed off at the younger man's look of contrition. "Okay...." he sighed heavily, "who did we find?"

"EZRA!"

"Ezra?....Where...." The weariness disappeared with that one word. "How?"

"Seems the local PD picked up one of the cult members. Guy says Ajax gave him a pass cause the guy's wife is pregnant and due anytime now. Cops picked him up....assault and battery....possibly more...I guess the guy he whomped on is in pretty bad shape....Anyway, the guy's lookin' at strike three and spillin' his guts offerin' up everybody he knows and their mothers tryin' to make a deal."

"JD!" The youngest member of his team had an annoying habit of stating every single detail which was fine in a report but not when you were in a hurry.

"He was tellin' them about Ajax's compound and how Ajax is settin' up some big deal. Told them about a bunch a new people showin' up at the place. Turns out some of the new members knew Ezra and worse yet the reason they knew him was cause a that shit that happened last time we helped out the FBI."

"And?" Chris glared at him.

"Well they busted Ezra to Ajax but," JD shook his head, his hair flopping in his eyes. "By that time, they couldn't find him....seems that military scientist was gone too. State cops and a couple other ATF units went up there this morning but it was too late. They busted most a the members and even grabbed Ajax himself, but as far as Ezra or Dr. Jackson, the place is deserted."

"Why the hell weren't we notified!" Grabbing JD by the collar he pulled him over to the map mounted on the wall. "Where?"

JD snatched a slip of paper from his desk and studying the coordinates pointed to a grid. . "There…Said there's some old house, been added onto and shored up. That's where Ajax lived. There's a huge building for everyone else. Snitch said they been holed up there."

Chris chewed at his lip. He knew the area well. Unfortunately, it was nothing but deep woods and little civilization. "Get Vin up and call Buck. Get him back here. We're outta here ASAP."

Even as the younger man rushed down the hall, Chris was moving to the weapons locker, procuring everything he thought they'd need including Vin's favorite rifle. A ghost of a smile touched his lips. 'That southern sonavabitch…Slippery as an eel…Thank God.'

*******

Just under two hours later, gear stashed in the back, Vin riding shotgun, Buck and JD in the cab's back-seat, Chris weaved the F250 through Denver traffic. They could have borrowed ATF vehicles, Larabee not only didn't want to hassle with the paperwork but actually preferred his own truck.

Chris fumed, giving a whole new meaning to road rage as he snaked in and out of the lanes, swearing at slower drivers who calmly ignored his flashing blue bitch light, refusing to move aside. They didn't seem to give a shit that he was in a hurry. His friend needed their help and these assholes all acted like they were out for a Sunday sight seeing tour.

He was just as angry with the ATF as with any of the people on the road. The young agent, told to call Larabee and apprise him of the situation and location of Ajax's compound, caught up in the excitement and preparation of the immediate bust had forgotten. In truth, Chris figured the agent in charge feared losing any of the credit for bringing down Ajax and hoped the kid would forget. Larabee didn't give a damn about credit for the bust. Other than Standish the mention of his team would be a sidebar on the official report. What he did give a damn about was being there to watch Ezra's back.

It pissed him off, even more that after it was over, the members on their way to face charges, the premises searched, contraband confiscated and everyone safely back in their offices filling out reports; no one had called to tell him, it was over or inform Chris, his undercover agent was missing. For that very reason, as soon as Ezra was safely back among his family, Larabee fully intended to have the asses of the ATF team for breakfast.

Vin gave him a sidelong glance. "Can't help Ezra if we're not in one piece," he offered.

Larabee shot him a cold stare, backing off the gas pedal slightly with the realization the longhaired man was right.

The truck shot forward again as they hit the city limits, Larabee easing up only on the hairpin turns. The cab was quiet, even JD seemed wordless for a change.

Vin's soft words seemed to echo, breaking the silence, his eyes on the side view mirror. "You ain't gonna like this but, we' grew us a tail."

Chris' hazel gaze jerked to the rear view mirror.

"That Suburban's been with us since we left town." Vin had been watching it.

"Shit!!" Chris swore as the vehicle sped up to keep pace when he floored the pedal and backed off when he eased off.

"You're gonna hate this even more," Vin muttered, his voice filled with dread. "It's got government plates."

"Gov.....What?!"

"Why would a government car be followin' us?" Buck demanded.

"It's an....." Vin cringed shutting his eyes and waiting for the explosion he knew was inevitable. "Air Force vehicle."

"FUCK!" Chris slammed on the brakes, the seat belt keeping Vin from flying through the windshield. Tires squalled on the wet road, throwing up mud and gravel as the truck skidded onto the shoulder, effectively blocking the other vehicle sliding to an abrupt halt twenty feet from the Ford.

Chris already had his door open and was stalking with serious displeasure toward the Suburban, every line of his black clad frame exuding rage.

Vin jumped from the passenger seat and hurried after his friend, leaving Buck and JD to cover them if necessary.

The Suburban's driver's door opened and O'Neill climbed out, dressed in military green camouflage fatigues. With a quick word to his companions, he strolled forward to meet the special agent.

Chris Larabee's hazel eyes were flashing green fire, when he stopped in front of Air Force colonel. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Following you." O'Neill answered, rocking back and forth on his heels, a smug smile on his face.

Chris visibly tried to restrain himself. "What are you doing here?" he demanded again, pronouncing each syllable as if talking to a dim-witted person.

Without warning the smile became a scowl. "We plan on rescuing Daniel."

"The hell you say!" Larabee snarled.

"The hell I do say!" O'Neill snarled back.

Buck was out of the truck and like Vin moved between the two before it came to physical blows. "Look Colonel, we really don't need your help in this matter. One of your people might get hurt," he motioned to where Sam and Teal'c had stepped from the car.

"My team can take care of themselves. Believe me we've taken on a lot worse than some human paranoid egomaniac."

"We have it under control."

Jack snorted. "I bet! Just like Waco was under control, right? Fuckin ATF!....What does that stand for anyway, Assholes, Troublemakers, and Fuckups?"

Inwardly Carter cringed expecting to see the color drain from the faces of the agents, surprised when it was obvious Tanner and Wilmington were struggling not to laugh. If Jack noticed it didn't bother him in the least as he continued, "That's a member of our team you've finally got off your ass to go get. We're here, and we're gonna help."

"Get this straight! First we're not ATF and second...We don't need your fuckin help!" Larabee growled, emphasizing each word.

"And you get this straight." O'Neill wasn't backing down an inch. "I don't give a damn what you need... or want. With or without you, we're going to get Daniel back."

Buck grabbed Chris' arm, forcibly dragging him out of the military man's hearing. "Look Chris, we really might need the extra manpower. We're short Nate, Josiah, and Ezra....Ya know if ya try and send them away, they're just gonna follow us and it'll take too much time to call in the locals and have them busted for obstructing....And if we bust 'em then we're stuck with them or have to take the time to turn 'em over to the local authorities. Either way we lose time and ya know the charges won't stick."

Vin nodded. "He's right, Chris. We might need 'em."

Chris stared at the toe of his boot, chewing at his lower lip in frustration. He saw the logic in what they were saying. If the cult was as heavily armed as reported and any of them had taken to the woods, his team's shortened manpower and firepower meant they could use the backup. Damnit O'Neill just flat out rubbed him the wrong way! Shoving aside his own prejudice for the military man, he nodded curtly. His team's safety came foremost above everything else.

*******

Ezra frowned as he looked around. The woods were thick with overgrown brambles, briars and vines. Everything was green and covered with thorns or vining. Not for the first time, he wondered what he was doing here instead of sitting in his cushy penthouse, and not for the first time, his inner voice pointed out, he loved Colorado and the life he now led. He loved being a member of Larabee's elite, rather unorthodox but definitely honest team. A team which accepted him and respected his skills... Too bad those skills didn't include surviving in the wild woods. He hated to admit it but he and Daniel were lost.

His gaze drifted to the young man sitting silently on the ground next to him. Leaving the compound, although their progress extremely slow with nothing to light their path, the two men had traveled for several hours before spending the rest of the wet night, curled among the roots of a large tree. They headed out again as soon as the sun broke through the continuous drizzle to light their way.

Ezra having seen no indication of pursuit, could only hope if any of the cult members were searching the woods, the rain that had ranged from a downpour to a drizzle and back again would wipe out any signs of their passing.

The archaeologist intrigued him for there was more to him than the nerdish front of a man who poured over books and old artifacts in some musty museum somewhere.

There was something more.

Keeping his voice low, Ezra broke the silence. "Can I ask you something? That first day in the complex...when you first came to....What did you mean when you said you didn't know anything about the running of the mountain or any of its secrets?"

The question caught Daniel by surprise. Large blue eyes stared at the agent a moment before darting away. Nervously licking at his lips, the scientist pushed his glasses up into his wet hair. "I....well....I shouldn't have said anything....but...I assumed I was kidnapped by someone....wanting information..." he faltered.

"What kind of information? What mountain?" Ezra's curiosity was piqued.

Daniel scrubbed a hand over his face, wiping away the rainwater, for all the good it would do. He knew, all too well, Jack thought he was too trusting, seeing only the good side of people, always believing diplomacy and communication were the answers to every situation but Jack was also guilty of always telling him to trust his instincts. Right now, those instincts were telling him the man seated beside him in the rain, watching him so closely with tired green eyes, could be trusted.

Standish had risked his own life to get Daniel away from the cult. Ezra could very easily have left the moment he realized he was in danger. He blew out a deep breath. "I work at Cheyenne Mountain."

Ezra shrugged, his puzzlement obvious. "Which means what exactly?" Noting Daniel's surprised expression, the con man grinned. "I realize influenced by the residents of this magnificent state, I have indeed lost much of my accent but I originally hail from the deep south." The agent was gratified to hear the scholar chuckle.

He'd spent most of the day, listening to him sneeze and although Daniel had assured him it was allergies, he feared the man was catching a cold. He was drenched to the skin and, unlike Ezra, didn't even have a jacket--albeit a filthy designer named jacket--to provide even a modicum of protection from the rain.

"What's Cheyenne Mountain? The site of some famous Indian battle?" he hazarded a guess.

"Cheyenne Mountain is the home of NORAD."

"NORAD.... That I've heard of. So you also work for the government. What does NORAD need with an archaeologist?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't work for NORAD."

Now it was Ezra's turn to look confused. "Okay..."

The archaeologist fumbled with his glasses, trying to wipe the lenses on his wet shirt. He was well aware of the fact that saying anything could get him kicked out of the SGC. Daniel focused on his hands. "I work on the Stargate Project," he admitted softly.

"Which is....what?.....Some sort of space program?" Ezra climbed to his feet, offering Daniel a helping hand. "Speaking of space, I think we better move from this one. We really need to get moving before we lose the light."

Daniel accepted the proffered hand, pushed to his feet and followed the other man, his expression thoughtful behind his frown as he studied Ezra's back. Something about the undercover man intrigued him.

*******

Chris pulled the Ford to the side of the road, within sight of the supposedly deserted complex, watching as the Suburban did the same. He had to admit he was surprised when O'Neill's team appeared, geared up and ready to go, while his own team was still gathering their equipment.

He motioned to the house. "That's Ajax's hidey hole. According to reports that's where Ezra and your Doctor Jackson were. Other federal teams have already mopped up, rounding up the dealers and cult members they could find."

"What of Daniel Jackson and your friend?" Teal'c asked.

"The other teams reported no sign of either my agent or your scientist, so one of two things happened. Either they were killed...."

"Daniel isn't dead," Carter and O'Neill asserted in unison.

"And their bodies disposed of. Or," Larabee continued as if they hadn't interrupted, "they escaped. Since Ezra ain't the best in the wilds, I hope if they did get away, this friend of yours remembers his military survival training."

Chris couldn't help but notice the looks that passed between Carter and O'Neill or the fact that suddenly neither of them would meet his eyes. "What?" he demanded.

"Uh....well, Daniel's.....not....Daniel's not military." Sam admitted. "But he's had quite a bit of experience in the woods…..He's getting better with each…." Her words trailed off.

Chris looked skyward. "They're fucked," he muttered, pulling on his kevlar vest and turning to Vin. "Ya wanna look around? The main house is a thousand yards up there. If they escaped....Aw hell....I forgot about the fuckin' rain," he swore.

Vin laid a hand on his shoulder. "Rain don't wash away everything, Chris." Grabbing his lever action rifle from the back of the truck, he slung it over his shoulder and jogged up the road

Carter watched him go a frown on her face at his choice of weapons as she rechecked her MPK and the extra clips in her vest pocket.

"You do have permits to carry those weapons, don't ya?" Chris couldn't resist asking.

O'Neill nodded as he slung his over his shoulder, "If not, I'm sure the General can take care of it."

"Yeah...He can bail ya out after I arrest ya." Larabee muttered, smiling coldly.

JD finished gearing up and looked at the strange weapon Teal'c had placed on his belt. "What's that? Looks like something outta Star Wars."

"Uh, it's a prototype....tazer style weapon," Carter improvised, looking to O'Neill who merely shrugged. Teal'c had agreed to leave the staff weapon behind in favor of the crude weapons humans normally used but they'd said nothing about the ZAT.

"Cool! Can I see it?" The youngest member of Larabee's team moved closer to Teal'c, holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers in a gimme gesture.

The Jaffa looked over at O'Neill who hesitated before giving him a short nod. 'Sure, keep the kid happy,' he thought. Probably like Daniel...had to touch everything in sight.

JD hefted the weapon and hit the button, causing it to expand. His dark eyes grew larger. "Hey, Buck, look at this!"

"It might be a good idea if we played with the toys later. We've got people to find." Larabee reminded them and with a disappointed look, JD handed the weapon back to Teal'c as Chris continued. "Listen up people. There's always a chance some of Ajax's people eluded capture. If they did, you can damn well bet they took to the woods so everybody stay alert!"

"Found something!" They all turned as Vin jogged back down the road toward them "There's a broken trail through the shrubs outside the main building. Looks like one, maybe two people worked their way through them and headed for the woods....there..." He nodded toward the thick stand of trees.

"Ya think it's them?"

The tracker shrugged. "Hard to say. Most likely though. Those bushes ain't gonna hide one let alone two people with federal agents swarming all over the place. They would make good cover at night in the rain though."

"Fan out and keep your eyes peeled." Chris ordered.

As the two teams spread out moving towards the woods, a slight smile came to Vin's face as he glanced about. Seven....there was seven of them and seven always felt right.

*******

Ezra looked around the rapidly darkening woods. There was no chance of hiking out before nightfall, especially since he had no idea which way out was. They had been steadily moving downhill which was the only way he knew they weren't on the trail back to the compound. He wasn't Lewis or Clark and didn't relish the thought of spending another night in the thick forest, but they were both exhausted and needed a place to stop. The rain had let up just after their short rest, but the leaves and branches retained enough wetness to shower them each time they were brushed against, keeping the two of them from getting completely dry.

He glanced over at the scientist, a puzzled frown settling on his features. The more he learned, the more the man intrigued him. Like himself, the archaeologist wasn't an expert on woodland survival skills, but he had managed to keep the steady pace Ezra set without complaint. The agent had even noticed his clumsy but useful attempts at covering the more obvious signs of their passing in case any of the members searched for them. However, while the younger man may have lacked woodland skills, he was a fountain of information on a variety of other subjects.

Ezra wasn't sure how they'd gotten on the topic, but the scholar had babbled on most of the afternoon about ancient cultures and how similar many of their beliefs and traditions were, considering the people had never had any known contact with each other. It wouldn't have been Ezra's topic of choice, but it helped the time pass as they hiked and he had to admit much of what the scientist said was interesting. Daniel reminded him in more ways than one of JD, who could also talk an ear off if given the chance. Of course he'd been told the same thing about himself on numerous occasions.

"We'd best find shelter," he finally pointed out.

"Cold camp, huh?" Daniel muttered, garnering a puzzled look from the agent. There it was again! A military phrase. He'd noticed several hints of military knowledge mixed in the scientist's other comments.

They had followed a rushing stream most of the afternoon as Ezra remembered Vin once saying water always flowed downhill to civilization. At least he hoped that's what he'd said. Either way, downhill was the direction they wanted to go. Ezra had searched his memory all afternoon trying to recall anything he had noticed on the long drive to the secluded headquarters.

Ajax was paranoid and unless you were part of his special circle, you were transported to the compound in the back of a windowless van. Even the times Ezra had been driven into town they'd traded vehicles half way back and all he remembered were deep woods and being tossed around on the seat every time the vehicle couldn't avoid one of the many ruts in the rough dirt road. He was beginning to wonder if maybe they wouldn't be better off turning around and going back, taking their chances with the cult.

Spying a dark overhang, he touched Daniel's arm to capture his attention, pointing it out. "It isn't much, but maybe it'll be dry. Here's hoping there aren't any bears." He commented, slipping as he climbed the rain slicked slope.

"Watch out for snakes," Daniel warned.

Ezra paused, a shudder running through him. "Damn....I hate snakes."

What he had hoped was a small cave turned out to be simply a large rock, hanging over a dry sandy patch of ground, but at least they were the only creatures using it for shelter. With a weary sigh, Ezra collapsed on the soft sand, scooting to the side, making room for the scientist.

The agent eyed his jacket in the dying light. "I am definitely billing for this. You're my witness it was damaged in the line of duty." he stated plucking at the long briar tear down one sleeve of his pricey Armani jacket.

"I'll be your witness." Daniel agreed, pulling off his shoes and tugging the damp socks from his toes. Now he knew why boots were a part of their uniform. Loafers weren't made for hiking. "At least Jack can't bug me anymore about getting wilderness survival training."

"Who's Jack?" Ezra continued to stare forlornly at his jacket, deciding the best tailor in the world couldn't repair the item of clothing.

"Jack's....well,....Jack is....Jack's my best friend and I guess you could say he's my boss....kinda....sorta.....in a way....He's our team commander."

"What sort of team?" Ezra had asked just to keep the conversation going but found himself truly interested in the answer. Maybe if he could get the young man talking about something besides history and mythology he could find out what it was the scientist was hiding.

The con man's life often depended on his knowledge of human nature, knowing how to play to someone's emotions and knowing when they were hiding something. He was very sure this Daniel Jackson was definitely hiding something.

Daniel was silent for several minutes, absently drawing a design in the dirt. He'd probably already said too much and the more questions he answered the more questions he knew Ezra would ask. Well, as long as he didn't go into elaborate detail or give away any national secrets, he couldn't see the harm in answering the agent. It wasn't like he was some spy for a foreign government.

Then again, his inner voice chided, you haven't seen any identification and this could all be some elaborate ruse.' He looked intently at the other man. No, he didn't think so.

"Uh....well....the other three members are military....sorta..." Teal'c wasn't exactly military, but he had more training than any of the soldiers at the SGC. "I'm their civilian archaeologist slash anthropologist slash linguist slash diplomat slash..."

"All that?" Ezra eyed him in the last of the light filtering in under the overhang, seeing the embarrassed blush. "You really all those things?"

Ezra had pulled some elaborate cons in his day, passing himself off as everything from a street thug to an ambassador, but if this kid was telling the truth, he had it made. With this kid's knowledge and the things Ezra could teach him, they could make a fortune....he pushed the thought aside. Old habits were hard to break. Besides one look told him this kid was too damn honest for his own good.

"Uhhh, yeah, I really am all those things." Daniel admitted humbly.

"You work with the military? I'll bet those grunts hate your guts. " Ezra chuckled.

"Some do but not so much anymore." Daniel grinned. "Jack was one of the worst but he's finally seen the light.

"How long did that take?"

"Couple a years....Probably when he had to give my eulogy."

Ezra's eyebrows arched sharply. "Excuse me? Your eulogy?"

"They thought I was dead..." He added almost as an afterthought. "I wasn't."

"Obviously. So what does this team of yours do? Raid old digs and kick grave robbers' asses?" Ezra wasn't sure which he wanted to know more about...why Daniel was working with the military or why his friends had thought he was dead.

"Sometimes I wish it were that simple."

"So they recruited you for......" Daniel didn't answer immediately. Ezra could hear his teeth chattering and would have offered the scientist his ruined jacket but it was just as wet as what the man was wearing. "I didn't realize the armed forces cared about archaeology. Even so, don't they have personnel who took the same courses in school as you did?"

Daniel sighed. Ezra wasn't going to be happy with less than the truth so...why not? "I translated some symbols on this ancient device they discovered. After that...let's see...I revived a couple of dead languages, helped destroy Ra. Traveled to an alternate universe. Met Hathor. Helped blow up a couple of alien vessels coming to destroy earth....not necessarily in that order you understand....."

"....and you leap tall buildings in a single bound. Yeah, I've heard of Superman, kid and I hate to tell ya this but he ain't you." Ezra could be just as sarcastic as the scientist.

Daniel ducked his head hiding the small smile that touched his lips. It never failed to amaze him how he could tell the truth and still not be believed. Of course, the things he had been saying sounded like something out of a science fiction show. He still didn't understand why people couldn't open their minds enough to accept the possibility that he might not be lying.

"I'm sorry about your investigation." Daniel apologized, wondering why he felt guilty.

"It wasn't your fault. Just bad timing. If those guys hadn't shown up when they did....." Ezra shrugged. "I think I acquired enough evidence to still put them behind bars long enough to give them time to reconsider their views of this great country and the consequences of taking on our government. Your testimony alone will send them away for kidnapping." Although Ezra was upset at not being able to finish the assignment he had the names of both the dealers and intermediaries. They knew who to keep an eye on anyway. Like the ATF, Chris wouldn't be happy about the months of wasted work but he wouldn't bitch too badly as long as Ezra was safe.

"You said you're from the south? If the ATF is anything like the military, I'll bet they transferred you here to God's Country right in the middle of winter or did you ask to work here?" Daniel questioned wrapping his arms around his knees in a futile attempt to get warm. He stifled a yawn and settled down more comfortably in the sand.

"I don't actually work for the ATF…You might say they borrowed me from Mr. Larabee for this particular assignment and although I find Colorado stimulating I don't particularly enjoy the cold winter months."

"Have you always been a cop?"

Ezra choked back the laughter not wanting to embarrass the other man. The scientist's analytical mind was following the natural line of reasoning.

"While my associates are all men of stellar reputations, most with some form of law enforcement or military experience, I'm a con man Daniel. Until about three years before I was approached with the offer to put my God given talents to use on the team Chris was forming, I had spent my entire life conning people out of their hard earned money or plying my skills at the gaming tables of various resorts."

Daniel stared at the southerner for several minutes. "Why do you want people to believe that?"

"Excuse me?" Standish was stunned by the question.

"I was just wondering why you let people believe something about you that I don't think is true."

"Just what is it you don't believe?

"You don't strike me as being….deceitful…or maybe mean…is a better word." Jackson grinned. Twenty-seven languages and he couldn't think of the correct adjective for what he wanted to say. "You just don't seem the type of person who would cheat somebody outta everything they've worked for and just walk away leaving them with nothing."

"Whether true or not it only takes doubt, an unspoken belief or a repeated whisper to ruin a reputation Daniel." Standish sighed. "Often it is nothing more than the vocalized opinions of close minded people."

"I can understand that."

Ezra glanced at the young man. It was too dark to read his expression but he'd heard the note of both sympathy and empathy in the comment.

"Regretfully, in my case the reputation while somewhat exaggerated is true, although my associates don't realize just how much is indeed embellishment." Daniel waited silently, sensing the man had more to say and knowing it was often easier to talk to a stranger than a friend.

"So why don't you tell them?"

"Where would the fun be in that." Ezra grinned. "Unfortunately, when ya lead that type of life you get awfully tired constantly watching your back and trying to remember who you are and what con you're running on any given day. I honestly thought about saying to hell with my God given talents, then Chris Larabee came along. He brought me into his team, despite my past and reputation or perhaps because of it. Either way he gave me a chance to prove myself. Nothing on this earth could make me let that man down." The last was said so quietly the scholar knew it was a thought not meant to be spoken.

"So if you're not ATF and you're not a police officer…"

"In a manner of speaking, we are law enforcement officers…." Standish hesitated, uncertain how to describe the job of the elite team. "We work with all divisions of law enforcement, usually called in for special cases." With a bright smile, Ezra spread his hands, "Now here I am, spending the night in the wilds of the Rockies, with an archaeologist, slash anthropologist slash diplomat slash....what else was it?"

"Linguist," Daniel supplied. "You like the undercover work?"

"Yeah,...I really do." Ezra grinned. "I've always been proficient at conning people. My mother raised me in the art of the con and she's the best in the business. It's nice to put that talent to use for the good of society rather than just taking money from those so greedy they'd do anything for more money. That's the key to a good con. Your target has to be greedy enough to want something for nothing."

"How many people are on your team?" Daniel asked, mumbling around another stifled yawn.

"Seven....The other agencies call us The Magnificent Seven or the Elite Seven. I think the name was first spoken as a joke because of some movie or other by a jealous co-worker but our record speaks for itself."

"Seven!" Daniel let out a low whistle. "And I thought there were enough different personalities with four people on a team."

"We work well together. There's Vin, he's our sharpshooter. He used to be a cop and then a fugitive recovery officer. Best marksman I've ever seen and plays the most wicked practical jokes. We're usually paired up together when I go under. However, on this particular occasion, a couple of the cult members knew him from his previous work and I agreed with Chris that it would be detrimental to his health if he were to accompany me. Too bad, if he were along we would have been home long ago. Vin's probably forgotten more about wilderness survival than most those idiots at the complex ever knew."

"Who else?" Daniel prompted. He was enjoying listening to the southerner's soothing voice. Ezra missed his friends just as much as Daniel missed SG-1.

"There's Buck and JD. Buck, he's been with Chris the longest, prides himself on his prowess with the ladies but he's one of those men who, when he does fall, is going to go down hard. The woman who gets him to the alter will never have a doubt a day in her life about how he feels about her. I think JD's the little brother Buck never had, the way he watches over him. Hell, we all do! JD's just a kid but he's learning and the boy's a whiz on a computer. Can get you any information you want. Nate's our own personal physician and we keep him busy. The way one of us is always getting hurt you'd think we were jinxed."

"That's four."

"Josiah is one of those people who can handle just about anything you throw at him. A good, solid man to have backing you up. His parents were missionaries and while it cracks the rest of us up, it really pisses the perpetrator off when Josiah's quoting scriptures at the guy while handcuffing him. Then there's Chris....." Ezra hesitated searching for a way to describe the team leader. "Chris has seen so much tragedy in his life, he's built these high walls around himself for protection. I don't think he realizes they're just not working anymore. They don't keep him from worrying or caring about the people on his team and they don't keep him from hurting when he sees someone else in pain. He can be a real hard ass when it's called for, but most of it's just an act. He's perfected the art of giving you this cold stare that just makes you want to crawl into a hole and hide, but if you get past that, you find out he's one hellava good man."

"Then there's you."

"Me, I'm just a con man and card sharp with a rotten reputation."

"I still don't think so....You may be a con man and card sharp, but I think you're also a good man who does what he can to make this a safer place for everyone. I think your friends see that too."

For the first time in longer than he could remember, Ezra felt his face redden with embarrassment at the compliment. How was it some kid he'd only met a few days ago under circumstances that were to say at the very least stressful had gleaned such insight into how Ezra himself hoped others saw him? For that matter, why in the hell had he told this kid anything at all about himself, let alone things he hadn't talked about with anyone but Chris and Vin?

"Your turn," Attempting to hide his embarrassment at the younger man's observations, Ezra changed the subject. Besides he could feel the man shivering and talking might take the scientist's mind off the cold. "Tell me about your team."

"There's Sam....Samantha, she's the smartest woman I know. She was raised in the military so I guess maybe it was just natural to make it her career. She joined the program as an astrophysicist. I never really understood why she never went to work for NASA but I know we're all glad she didn't. She's got as much guts as she does brains and doesn't hesitate to back us up when needed. If you think your team's jinxed you should see ours. Every time I land in the infirmary Sam brings me Chocolate Walnut cookies."

"How come you two never got together?"

"My wife was still alive when I first met Sam." Daniel cleared his throat but knew it wouldn't help. There was still a catch in his voice each time he mentioned Sha'uri.

"And now?"

"She's just a good friend....like a big sister really. Besides whether she admits it or not, she has feelings for someone else." He stifled a smile thinking of the way her eyes lit up when Jack entered a room. "Then there's Teal'c."

"What's a Teal?"

"Teal'c....he's not from around here."

"Foreign trainee? Like a cultural exchange program?" Ezra didn't see Daniel's smile

"Oh he's definitely foreign. Comes from a place called Chulak. He's been trained as a...warrior since childhood but he can be one of the most gentle people you ever met....just don't piss him off. He has his own philosophy and sees things differently than most people. Even though he's not.....American....he's got more loyalty and honor than some people I've met who were born here. He's always the first one to volunteer for a rescue mission."

"And Jack?"

"Jack's a career officer but not like most. He's done a little bit of everything. He's got a weird sense of humor and loves a good joke. He can be the most hard headed stubborn jackass you've ever met but he's got more humanity than....maybe not quite as much as Mother Teresa but close....even though he'd probably knock me silly if he heard me say that. As a matter of fact, he sounds a hellava lot like your Chris."

"Then there's you." Ezra repeated Daniel's earlier words.

"I'm just the civilian archaeologist slash anthropologist slash linguist slash....well you get the picture, who's always tripping over his own feet and somehow manages to land right in the middle of trouble. I'm the one Teal'c's usually volunteering to rescue." He grinned, laying back and curling up on his side, trying to stifle a yawn. "Jack's always dragging me off to self defense lessons and the firing range and anything else he thinks will help me live a little longer."

The faces of his friends danced across his closed eyelids. Daniel had never had anyone to look after him or worry about him but that had all changed in the last few years. Accepting Katherine Langford's job offer had changed his life in ways he would never have imagined. Now he not only had more adventure than he could often handle he had a self adopted family who worried about him, cared about him and would do anything to help him. In fact, most of the time they went overboard in protecting him.

"He seems to have done a pretty good job." Ezra commented.

Daniel's even breathing told him the kid had finally given into exhaustion. Removing his torn damp coat, the agent lay down using it as a skimpy blanket for the two of them. He couldn't help but think how much Daniel's friends and his sounded alike.

*******

"Night's comin' on. Best camp here," Vin called out, stopping in the center of a clearing.

O'Neill frowned. "We still got light left," he argued.

"Right enough, but we don't need to get scattered out again," the sharpshooter quietly pointed out. "I'd keep goin' but it'd be too easy to miss any sign using just the flashlights."

"Maybe you aren't as good as you thought," Jack snorted, putting down the longhaired tracker. "Shoulda let Teal'c do it."

Vin just stared at him for a moment before shaking his head and moving off in search of dry wood for a fire.

Jack had expected the lanky man to rise to the bait, but unlike his hot headed leader, Tanner seemed to let his sarcastic remarks roll off his back…Just like Daniel, he couldn't help thinking. O'Neill turned to Carter. "All right, make camp."

"He is correct, O'Neill," The soldier turned to the warrior standing at his shoulder. O'Neill was aware Teal'c had been watching the young Texan, double checking the man's findings. "This Vin Tanner is an excellent tracker. His assessment of the situation is exemplary. I think he was about to point out the fact, in the dark, we could more easily run into those hiding from the police."

"I know. I just...." Removing his hat, the colonel scrubbed a hand through his short hair. He hated being powerless. From the beginning he hadn't been able to control this situation and had been taking out his frustrations on Larabee's team. He'd had to sit by and wait while someone else searched for the young archaeologist who'd dug past the walls he'd erected to become an important part of Jack's life. He'd been thinking like a worried friend instead of a military officer and had let his emotions get the better of him.

"We will find Daniel Jackson, O'Neill."

Within a short time a quick camp was set up, cold meals eaten. As much as they would all like to continue the search, everyone including O'Neill, knew it was futile in the dark. Besides the risk to the searchers trampling over unfamiliar ground, it was too easy to pass a downed man.

It was a silent seven that sat around the small campfire, the military on one side, Larabee's team on the other, although Chris noted with a small grin, Buck was inching closer to the major's side of the fire.

"So," JD, never one for enjoying the quiet, broke the silence. "Why is this Daniel so important to y'all?"

"Same reason your man is to you," O'Neill pointed out bluntly. He sighed as the kid ducked his head in embarrassment, realizing the question hadn't come out as he intended.

"I think what JD meant, was why does the military need an archaeologist?" Chris questioned, his somber scowl locking on the colonel.

It was Carter who answered, not giving the colonel a chance to tell the agent to mind his own damn business. "He's working on some important side projects."

"I don't think so." Chris corrected. "You wouldn't be so anxious to have him back if he wasn't vital to your team. I don't think Hammond came out of retirement just to baby-sit a couple of scientists, a surly colonel and....him." He nodded at Teal'c.

"You've been reading our files." Jack muttered, his voice tinged with surprise.

"And you haven't read ours?" The ghost of a smile that touched O'Neill's lips before disappearing gave Larabee his answer. "What's really going on, Colonel? What are you people doing for the government? Black Ops? Spying? Bio warfare? What?"

"Need to know, Larabee and you sure as shit don't have the need to know," Jack responded, happy to throw the man's words back at him.

"Like hell I don't! I've got my men's lives on the line out here, too, in case you haven't noticed. I wanna know why Hammond called the judge and got us all the way out here to hell and gone, and I want to know now."

O'Neill simply shook his head aware of Carter staring in earnest at him.

"We can tell them, sir," she pointed out quietly.

"No, Carter." O'Neill growled a warning.

"Mister Larabee is right, sir. They may not need to know but they do have a right to know and with all due respect, sir, you yourself told me General Hammond gave them clearance." There was something in Carter's expression that said simply, 'Trust me, I know what I'm doing.'

With a wink that was barely more than an eye twitch, she turned her attention to the other team. "You have to understand this is classified information and repeating it to anyone without the highest security clearance could be considered treason. Daniel's our scientist, that's true enough. He works with us on the Stargate Project at Cheyenne Mountain."

"Stargate?....That one of those sky mappin' projects?" Vin questioned, speaking up for the first time since they'd made camp.

Carter stared at him in surprise. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She had the distinct impression Vin knew more than he was saying and he definitely was much more intelligent than he led people to believe.

"Well, yes, sort of. We are mapping our universe....in a manner of speaking."

"And?" Buck prompted.

"And......beyond."

"Beyond what?" JD asked. O'Neill couldn't help but smile. There was a naiveté about the youngest member that reminded him so much of Daniel.

"Beyond our solar system." Carter shrugged. "Surely you're aware the government has technology beyond the ordinary civilian's knowledge or wildest imagination."

"And you're telling us you're using some of that....technology to explore...." Larabee waved a hand toward the sky, "out there......You're some kind of....weird astronauts....I say weird because you do admit you work out of a ...... mountain."

"That's what we do." Carter shrugged again. "That's why we need Daniel. He's our expert on other cultures as well as translating when needed."

"And I suppose little green men from....what?.....Mars?.....are helping you explore the galaxy?" Chris remarked devilishly.

"Actually, we haven't run into any green men yet." O'Neill quipped. "Most of them are more like Teal'c."

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at the somber man who simply stared back.

"We're supposed to believe he's an....alien?" Buck grinned, poking JD in the ribs.

"I am not an alien...I am Jaffa." Teal'c corrected. At the small nod from O'Neill, he removed the knit cap he wore, revealing the golden tattoo.

"What is that thing?" JD leaned closer, resisting the urge to touch the emblem.

"It is a symbol of slavery to false gods." Teal'c met their curious gaze steadily. "It shows I was First Prime to the God Apophis."

Buck shook his head sadly. "I don't know what the Air Force puts in your MREs but they're using way too much!" The look he gave Carter as he scooted back toward his friends bordered on pity. "I always heard scientists were loony," he whispered to JD.

Jack shrugged. "Believe it or not. I really don't give a damn." He gulped his coffee grimacing that it had gone cold. "I'll take first watch." Pitching aside the last of the brew in his cup, he nodded to Carter and Teal'c as they settled into their bed rolls.

"I'm gonna make a last sweep." Rifle in hand, Vin slipped into the shadows, followed by Chris as everyone else settled into their sleeping bags.

When he was sure they were far enough from the camp not to be over heard, Larabee pulled the younger man to a halt, a scowl darkening his face. "Whatya think about that fairy tale she just laid on us?"

Chewing on his lip, Vin squatted on his heels listening to the night sounds. "I told ya I'd heard a Hammond....Couple years afore I joined up with you, was huntin' a couple of military fellers...That wasn't why I went after them though. All the way to the jail, they just kept rantin' and ravin' about some secret project Hammond was running outta Cheyenne Mountain. Somethin' about an old stone ring and wormholes and other planets....Sounded like science fiction to me." He stood, stretching and trying to stifle a yawn. "I figured they was settin' themselves up an insanity defense."

"You think that's what these nuts are talking about?"

"I don't know why not," Vin clapped his friend's shoulder, a smile lighting his face, "but you know my motto, 'Believe none of what ya hear and only half of what ya see.'"

*******

Chris rolled onto his side, blinking to bring his eyesight into focus, before glancing at his watch in the flickering firelight. O'Neill still sat at the edge of the camp, his back to the fire, staring out into the darkness. The officer should have woken someone else for watch hours ago. There was dejected look about the soldier's slumped shoulders that wasn't brought on by physical weariness.

Larabee knew that look. It was the appearance of a man whose family, blood or otherwise, was lost to him. He could empathize with the colonel. He knew the feeling well. He experienced it himself each and every time one of his team was out of touch.

He knew about the loss of Jack's son from O'Neill's file and understood that like himself, the colonel had come to think of his teammates as family.

"You gonna go back to sleep or lay there and stare at my back all night?"

Chris couldn't prevent a grin at the whispered words. He had to give O'Neill credit. The man was good. Slipping from the sleeping bag, he filled two cups with the last of the coffee, carrying one to O'Neill and settling down beside him on the hard ground, offering him a cheroot.

"Thanks." They sat in the first companionable silence since meeting for several moments before Jack spoke again. "I want to apologize for that crack about Waco and.....the other. It was uncalled for and I was totally out of line."

"I've heard worse. Have probably said worse." Seeing O'Neill's raised brows, Chris smiled. "No I haven't," he admitted. "That was pretty good."

"Thanks. I pride myself on my sarcasm." It had gotten him through a lot of difficult situations.

"Ezra'll look after your friend, O'Neill" 'As long as he's able' lay unspoken between them. "He really is a good man."

They fell silent once more, enjoying the coffee, the cigars and the silence. Each man's thoughts and prayers concentrated on the missing member of his family.

"Think I'll get some sleep." O'Neill rose and tossed the rest of the coffee into the bushes. Jack knew Chris was just as worried about his teammate as the colonel was about Daniel, but to O'Neill there was a difference. Ezra had gone into this venture freely and with his eyes wide open, while his friend had been dragged into it unwillingly and if he was able, kicking and screaming. In all fairness to Larabee, the circumstances of Ezra's involvement didn't lessen the man's worry or make it any less valid.

"Larabee?.....Chris?" Larabee turned as Jack settled in his sleeping bag. "He's not a soldier, but Daniel's very good at watching someone's back."

With a small smile, the agent nodded.

********

Birds chattering in the trees overhead, dragged Ezra to the edge of wakefulness. Rolling onto his side, he tried to bury his face in his pillow wondering what the hell birds were doing in his apartment.... His eyes flew open as he became fully aware and he closed them again with a disgusted groan. It wasn't a nightmare after all! The sun was high enough that the growing daylight had begun to seep under the overhang and he glanced at the man beside him. Daniel was still asleep, his head pillowed on his bent arm, his glasses lying in the sand. There was a distinctly audible wheeze to the archaeologist's breathing.

"Time to wake up." Ezra nudged the young man's shoulder, pausing to peruse his formerly fine imported leather shoes. They, too, were going on his expense account. "Mister Jackson!"

"My name is Daniel." Daniel coughed, rolling into a sitting position and stretching stiff muscles. Settling his glasses into place, the scientist brushed the sand from his clothes.

"We had best be going," Ezra pointed out as he pushed to his feet.

"Yeah....Maybe we'll get lucky and spot something that resembles civilization today." Daniel muttered, rubbing the small of his back. "I'd give anything for a cup of coffee about now."

"Awww....Cappuccino...." Closing his eyes, Ezra released a dreamy sigh. He could almost smell the delicious aroma. A bout of coughing from his companion, drew him back to reality. "You okay?"

"Allergies." The scholar nodded. "Pills were in my briefcase." Taking Ezra's offered hand, Daniel climbed to his feet and followed the agent.

*******

Ezra and Daniel drank their fill before washing the dirt and mud from their faces. Although it hadn't seemed to bother the archaeologist, the southerner wasn't thrilled drinking anything that didn't come out of a faucet or bottle.

The previous day when Daniel had dropped to his knees in the mud beside the stream and using his cupped hands had quenched his thirst, Ezra had been reminded of Vin talking about how easy it was for someone who's dehydrated to get disoriented and lost. They were already lost. They didn't need to be disoriented too. Pushing aside thoughts of what might be living in the stream, or what the mud was doing to his slacks, he'd knelt beside the scholar, surprised to find the water ice cold and refreshing far rivaling anything with the name Evian.

Dunking his head once more, Ezra shook the water from his hair and climbed to his feet, covertly watching the scientist from the corner of his eye. The man's face was slightly flushed and the sneezing and coughing had gotten worse. He'd already gotten several looks of irritation from the scholar for asking if he was all right, so he simply sighed and started across the wide, green, flat meadow.

*******

The agent looked from Daniel, who had taken several steps backward, to where the meadow abruptly ended in a steep drop off. The only way to follow the stream was to climb down the eroded wall the watercourse had carved.

Ezra glanced at Daniel. "Well it seems we have two options." He blew out a sigh of disgust. "We go forward or backward. What do you think?"

Standish could almost see the man's brain running a mile a minute as he looked around weighing the situation, cautiously stepping to the edge before backing up again.

"Looks like it goes on for miles." He pointed out as he glanced over his shoulder. "I really don't want to hike back the way we came. If we do, there's a good chance we'll run into someone from the complex who might be looking for us...On the other hand, if they are behind us, they may not be willing to follow us down...." His voice trailed off.

"You done any rock climbing?" Studying the wall, Ezra could see plenty of jagged outcroppings so there would be hand and foot holds. The stream moved off through thick trees and shrubbery but the area at the bottom of the drop off was clear and grassy.

"Aww, honestly,....no...." Daniel admitted, watching the other man edge over the side on his belly.

"No use putting it off. We won't get anywhere if we don't go for it." God! He was beginning to sound like Buck giving one of his street hockey pep talks. It was only a hundred or so feet....ninety five more than was needed to kill him, his mind teased.

Daniel, his face colorless, stepped closer to the edge, blowing out a deep breath. He could do this. After all, he'd jumped out of a plane, hadn't he? Of course he'd had a parachute then. Inching himself over the rock ledge, his feet finding the first outcropping, he reminded himself to keep his eyes straight ahead. Don't look down. Don't think about how high he was. "I guess this wouldn't be the best time to tell you about my problem with heights, would it?"

Ezra's green eyes widened, his head jerking up. "No, it wouldn't!" He had hoped the linguist was kidding.

He was relieved to see the terrified kid following him, his knuckles white, his entire body trembling.

Running a list of things he was going to do when he got home through his mind Ezra inched his way down the rock face, his eyes only leaving his hands to check that Daniel too was still moving. God help him, he didn't need the scientist freezing up on him now.

"Not much farther, Daniel." He called encouragement. His muscles were shaking with fatigue and forcing himself to look past his feet, he could see they were approximately three quarters of the way to the bottom. "You're doing great!"

Suddenly the ledge he'd placed his feet on, eroded long before the last rain, broke loose under his added weight and with a cry of fear, Ezra, grasping frantically at the wall, lost his grip and fell.

Daniel, hearing Ezra's scream, automatically jerked around, grabbing for the falling agent with one hand and totally off balance, felt himself falling as well.

*******

"As much as I hate to say it, Chris, I don't think we're gonna be able to cover all this ground anytime soon." Vin squatted on his heels, as they stopped to rest, fingering the tiny piece of torn material between his thumb and first finger. The seven had been humping over the wooded ground since daybreak, following the tangled twisted path left by two people. "I'd bet my life this came from Ezra's jacket, but they're hoofin' it pretty good and they had a hellva head start on us. Far as I know, there ain't no town anywhere near the direction they're goin'."

Chris angrily tossed aside the pebble he'd been nervously juggling in one hand. "Any suggestions?"

"Yeah....Them." He jerked his chin toward O'Neill's team. "They're Air Force. They gotta have a helicopter with infrareds. We gotta go through fifteen kinds of paperwork to get one from any of the agencies but I'd betcha Hammond could get one here in no time. Have 'em call in a bird, get a fix and I'll go in and bring 'em out."

Chris looked up at O'Neill. "You heard that?" Jack nodded. "Can ya do it?"

O'Neill turned to Carter who was already pulling the satallite phone from her pack. "I'm on it, sir."

Chris pushed to his feet, his scowl deepening as he faced the military officer. "Why didn't you suggest this earlier?"

"Why didn't you?" O'Neill countered, swinging his dark gaze to the longhaired tracker.

"Never figured Ezra to go to ground in a forest," Tanner offered. "Figured he'd catch the first cab home."

"That suppose to be a joke?" O'Neill snarled.

"What he's trying to say, Colonel, is our man isn't one who normally likes nature walks. I didn't think he'd go in so deep myself," Chris tried to explain, although he found it hard to believe the citified gambler of his team would run to the woods. He eyed Tanner out of the corner of his eye, unless the quiet tracker was teaching the con man more than either of them was letting on.

"Actually, sir, I'm sorry to say I considered Mr. Tanner's suggestion yesterday and disregarded it." Carter apologized, waiting for her call to be transferred to the General's office. "Mister Larabee stated some of the cult members may have taken to the forest to escape. I was afraid if they had, it would have been a waste of time and resources as the infrared wouldn't be able to detect who's who. We could have ended up going in the wrong direction and finding everyone but the two we were searching for."

"Aren't we going to have that problem now?"

"I don't think so, sir." She shook her head. "Neither Mister Tanner or Teal'c have found any sign of anyone other than the trail we're following. Estimating the trajectory of the path-" Carter turned her attention to the phone.

"Pretty damn smart, ain't she?" JD commented.

"Beauty and brains." Buck grinned. "Perfect."

"Not quite.....Means she ain't gonna be fallin' for any of your sorry lines." Chris snickered.

"Excuse me, sir. General Hammond says the bird can be here in approximately thirty minutes. By patching into my phone, they'll not only be able to relay their finding directly to us, but it will allow them to pinpoint our location so they-"

"Don't think we're who they're looking for?" O'Neill finished the sentence for her.

"Will this bird be able to locate Daniel Jackson and Ezra?" Teal'c asked.

"If they can spot a marijuana plant growing in a five hundred acre field, they'll be able to find two full grown men." Jack turned to Larabee. "We might as well take a break till the chopper gets here."

"Guess we just wait then," Larabee agreed, resting his back against a boulder. Tanner had already slouched against a tree and closed his eyes.

*******

Pain streaked through his head as Ezra's eyes fluttered open. He quickly closed them again, a groan escaping his lips as he attempted to move. At least he was on the ground and...reasonably alive. For the moment anyway. Forcing slow deep breaths, he carefully tested each part of his body. He hurt like hell, but all his limbs seemed to still be attached and in some type of working order. He closed his eyes, letting himself drift off.

"Ezra?.....Ezra, you okay?"

That was his name. Someone was calling his name. They sounded so far away.

"Ezra?"

Why couldn't they just let him sleep? He forced his eyes open again and started to roll over, stifling a deep moan when pain lanced through his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he pushed into a sitting position, sweat beading his forehead from the exertion as he remembered he wasn't alone. His green eyes frantically searched the area around him.

"Daniel?.....Daniel where...."

"Here..." The quiet response came from his right and slightly down from his position.

Tears welling his eyes from the pain of moving, Ezra shifted until he finally faced the scholar.

The man was sitting up a few feet from the agent. A sheen of sweat covered his pain lined face, colorless except for the slight flush of fever. The knuckles of his hands now digging into the flesh of his thigh were almost as white as when they'd been holding onto the rock face.

"Are you all right?"

"I don't think so." The hands tightened as a fresh bout of coughing shook his body. "I think I broke my leg." He ground out between clenched teeth.

"Be glad it wasn't your neck." Ezra pointed out. It took every ounce of fortitude the agent possessed to make himself keep moving, as pain washed over him in waves, his shoulder screaming in agony. It seemed to take an eternity to cover the small space separating them and he was breathing heavily by the time he knelt next to Daniel.

Tugging the shirt the rest of the way from his slacks, Daniel ripped a strip from the tail and gently took Ezra's arm as he reached out to examine the scientist's leg.

"Sorry." With a quick apology, Daniel grasped the con man's jacket and with a jerk ripped the sleeve from his coat.

"What the hell!" Ezra's momentary anger disappeared to be replaced with his amazement at the sight of the blood cover shirt. He watched gritting his teeth, unable to completely stifle the groan as Daniel ripped away the bloody material tightly wrapping the strip from his own shirt over the deep gash on the agent's forearm, to stem the flow of blood.

"That shoulder looks pretty bad," Daniel commented.

"Not as bad as it feels." Ezra attempted a smile. The shoulder was shooting streaks of agony through his body, but his immediate concern was for the younger man. If his leg was indeed broken, there was no way they would be able to hike the rest of the way off the mountain.

Daniel couldn't suppress the cry of pain, his fist pounding into the ground beside him as the agent gently ran his hand over the injured leg. "You won't be walking on that for awhile." A visual examination revealed, other than a few cuts and bruises, the leg was the most severe of his injuries.

"You hurt anywhere else?"

"Don't think so....landed on my feet.."

"As my friend Buck would say, I believe we are up shit crick without a paddle."

"That's how Jack would describe it." Daniel attempting to stifle another coughing seizure, glanced around. "I...I...don't...Ezra?....Ezra!" He reached out as the color drained from the southerner's face and the green eyes rolled back in his head.

Blackness descended and Ezra never heard Daniel's scream of agony as the agent crumpled over sideways, his full weight crashing down across the scholar's legs.

*******

Tanner saw the Jaffa's gaze turn skyward and two minutes later heard the distant thump of rotor blades. Damn and Chris talks about my hearing! Pushing away from the tree, he looked upward but the boughs of the thick pines blocked any view of the approaching helicopter. The others heard it too and he saw Carter grab for her phone.

"Yes, Sergeant, that's us...." She clarified, relaying the directions and coordinates Vin had given her for their rescue search.

No one spoke as they continued down the trail, Teal'c nodding approval as the tracker pointed out several scuff marks on a rocky slope, the noise of the helicopter, making conversation impossible as it worked a grid search pattern. Chris and Jack both kept their eyes on Carter who had the phone glued to her ear. Neither of them had slept more than a few minutes at a time in the last three days, the weariness and worry showing on their faces.

"Got it!......Affirmative....They think they found 'em." She moved to where Chris had already spread out the map. Performing calculations in her head, she quickly scanned the map. "There. Infrared shows two people. They can't be sure it's Daniel and Ezra so they're continuing a grid search until further notice." She pointed to two sections. "They report a large meadow here and another clearing here, large enough for them to land if necessary."

"Why would they need to land?" JD questioned blandly.

Carter looked up at JD's question. She had hoped no one would ask. "The trees are obstructing a visual confirmation but the pilot says the infrared, shows neither person is moving."

"Maybe they're just restin'" JD's hopeful tone reflected what they were feeling.

"Wouldn't doubt it." Buck ruffled the younger man's hair. "You know unless it's with the ladies, Ezra's idea of strenuous physical activity is dealing poker." His grin didn't wipe the worry from his eyes.

O'Neill grabbed his gear. "Let's hit it!"

"Whoa there, Colonel," Larabee's words stopped the soldier cold. "I suggest we let Vin go in after 'em. He can cover a lot more ground faster alone and can call in the bird to extract them."

"The hell you say!" Jack flared. "Who's to say he......" The colonel stopped himself, slamming the door on the unfair statement he'd been about to make. He'd not only read the computer files but had spent enough time in their company to know these were all good men. The sharpshooter wasn't about to get Ezra and leave Daniel behind but that's exactly the accusation he'd been about to make.

His tone abruptly changed. "If it isn't Daniel and Ezra the chopper spotted, he's going to need backup and if it is them, he might need help getting the both of them to the clearing for evacuation. ..." He pointed out.

Chris rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he listened to O'Neill's reasons for Tanner not moving on alone. He must be more tired than he thought. The officer was making sense, but he knew that wasn't what O'Neill had been about to say.

"All right. Teal'c goes with Vin ...." He turned to the younger man. "That okay with you, Cowboy?" At Vin's noncommittal shrug of indifference, he continued, "The rest of us will head back to the complex. The chopper can meet us there."

With a jerk of his head to the Jaffa, Tanner set off. He, too, was aware the words that finally came out of O"Neill's mouth were not the ones he'd been about to declare. Maybe, he reasoned, Chris would do them all a favor and shoot the obnoxious son of bitch.... In most ways the belligerent colonel was like all the other military brass he'd encountered during his stint in the service. The only difference he could see in Jack O'Neill was the man seemed to sincerely care about his subordinates. He didn't see them as just expendable weapons. Maybe if all officers cared so much….

"You'll need this." Carter handed Teal'c the SAT phone. "Tanner will know what to do with it."

"We will bring them home." The Jaffa stated confidently and shouldering the medical pack, set off after the longhaired man.

*******

Shaking uncontrollably, Daniel was drenched in sweat, trying to breath through the agony as he draped the wet strip of cloth across Ezra's forehead. He'd lost track of time as extricating himself from under the unconscious agent, he dragged himself to the stream and splashing his face with the icy water, ripped another strip from his shirt, soaking the material. The excruciating pain shooting up his leg was released in the tears that had streamed down his face.

Daniel was sure Ezra had a concussion and had felt the slight give of several ribs under his fingers. Shit! There was no question they were in trouble. Even if Daniel himself could walk, he didn't know how far the agent would make it before succumbing to his injuries. If the ribs were broken rather than cracked, moving could cause one to puncture a lung, if it hadn't already.

The scholar lay back throwing a arm over his eyes. 'Jack, where are you'?

Just as Ezra was certain his team was searching for them, Daniel knew Jack, Sam and Teal'c were also looking and had no doubt they wouldn't give up until discovering what had happened. He wanted Jack here now. Needed to hear his friend assure him everything was going to be fine. Needed to hear him laugh about having to find the target that seemed to be tattooed somewhere on the younger man.

He struggled back into a sitting position as with a painful moan the southerner began to stir.

"Take it easy, Ezra," Placing a gentle hand on the agent's uninjured shoulder, Daniel pushed him back down as Ezra attempted to sit up. "I don't think you need to be moving around much."

"Worse hangover....ever.....had...." A trembling hand was raised to his throbbing head as Ezra blinked several times, trying to focus his eyes.

"Headache comes with the concussion....free of charge." Daniel laughed.

"They can have it back."

"Ezra?....Ezra, you need to stay awake." Ezra forced his eyes open again at the scientist's urging. "If you have a concussion you need to stay awake."

"More than that," Ignoring Daniel's orders to lay still, the color washed from his face, the world began to spin dangerously out of control as Ezra forced himself to sit up, grateful for the scientist's supporting hand on his back. "We need to get the hell outta here."

"I think you busted some ribs...." Daniel succumbed to the worst seizure of coughing yet, his face turning several shades of red as he struggled to breath.

"Daniel?.....Daniel!"The agent's eyes widened in fear as Daniel gasped for breath.

"S'kay....." The scholar rasped as the seizure finally eased. "As I was saying I think you have some....busted ribs.....you could puncture a lung if you......move..." Daniel plucked at the grass unsure how the agent was going to react to his next suggestion but he'd been considering it since discovering the man's rib injury. "I have an idea."

"I'm listening."

"If we use my shirt, to bind your ribs tight enough, it should keep them from doing any further damage."

"Yeah?"

"You can go for help," he blurted out.

"Forget it Mister Jackson!" Ezra cringed, squeezing his eyes closed at the pain shaking his head had caused. "You expect me to just walk off and leave you here? That's not gonna happen so just erase it from your mind."

"But-" Daniel tried to protest.

"No!" He glanced around looking for something they could use to splint the linguist's leg. "One thing is certain, though, we sure as hell cannot just sit here."

"Shit, Ez, I don't know why the hell not….Sure is a pretty spot."

Jerking around at the familiar lazy Texas drawl, Ezra gasped, forcing deep breaths at the pain racing through his shoulder at the movement, blinking as the world spun out of control.

"Awww hell, Ez...."

"V-Vin?" the agent blinked rapidly, sure the longhaired tracker was a vision brought on by his pain.

"Who else ya expect ta bail your ass outta the woods?" The lanky tracker knelt beside him, a smile on his handsome face at the sight of his friend. "Ya all right.....Ya look like shit!"

"Hell, no, I'm not all right." Ezra returned the smile. "I fear I've damaged my shoulder....again, and my young friend here seems to have broken his leg."

"I think he also has a concussion and several broken ribs." Daniel supplied as Tanner accepted the phone from the man now kneeling next to the archaeologist. "Not to mention that arm needs stitched up.... Hi, Teal'c!"

"It is good to see you, Daniel Jackson." The huge dark man glanced at Ezra. "It is also good to see you, Ezra Standish. Mister Larabee will be most pleased to hear of your safety."

"Thanks,.....I think."

"Ezra, this is Teal'c.....I told you he wasn't from around here....." Daniel almost laughed at the expression on Ezra's face as he studied the warrior. "I guess he already knows who you are."

Nodding to the Southerner, the Jaffa placed a gentle hand against his teammate's forehead. Worry filling his dark eyes at the heat emanating from the younger man.

"Okay," Vin pocketed the phone. "Ezra!" Tanner grabbed the gambler as he once more lost his battle with unconsciousness. "There's a clearing less than a quarter mile from here. Chopper's gonna pick us there."

"I don't think Ezra should be trying to walk." Daniel stated fervently. "If those ribs are busted, his moving could cause internal injuries, if he doesn't have any already."

"Probably a good thing he passed out." Tanner quipped. "Our black sheep here hates havin' ta accept help."

"I cannot carry the both of you, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c pointed out somberly.

"We'll splint my leg. If Vin will help me, you can carry Ezra."

"It would be a honor, to assist you Daniel Jackson." Daniel burst into laughter as in a perfect imitation of the Jaffa, Vin inclined his head slightly before grinning at the SG-1 members.

*******

"Where's Jack and Sam?......Ouch!" Daniel asked as the helicopter slowly rose into the air. The medic didn't have Frasier's gentle touch when inserting an IV.

Vin rolled his eyes in exasperation, listening to his friend bitch about the treatment his jacket had already suffered as the material was cut away allowing access to his injuries.

"They await our return at the complex with Mister Larabee and his team." Teal'c assured him.

A slow smile came to the tracker's face. "If Chris and the colonel haven't killed each other."

Ezra's eyes narrowed, gritting his teeth against the pain as a second medic worked on his shoulder. "Think there'll be enough pieces left to bury?"

Daniel laughed softly. "If what you said about Larabee is true and knowing Jack like I do....poor Sam has her hands full."

"Major Carter, darlin' has had her hands full since meeting Mister Wilmington." The Jaffa remarked straight-faced. "Until he decided she was.....looney?"

Vin choked back a laugh, before giving Ezra a wink. "Next time, y'all think twice about takin' me along."

"If there are trees anywhere in the immediate area, Mister Tanner, you can be assured of it." He turned to the scientist. "Don't forget, I vouch for your survival training and you....vouch.....for....my.....wardrobe." Ezra's voice trailed off, his eyes drifting shut as the painkillers took effect.

Vin tucked the blanket tighter, thinking only Ezra could be knocking on death's door and worry about the condition of his clothes.

"Good to have ya back, Ez." he whispered.

******

Larabee looked up and a scowl settled on his face as Carter exited the elevator, followed by a young man on crutches, sighing in relief when no one else stepped from the car.

He crossed the open area to greet the visitors. "Major Carter."

"Agent Larabee, I don't think you had a chance to meet Daniel." She made the introductions.

When the chopper had landed at the complex, Jack had immediately hopped on board, rushing to check on his friend. Larabee had done the same but both the scholar and ATF agent were sleeping, thanks to a combination of painkillers, sedatives and exhaustion. Jack and Vin had accompanied the two on the ride to the hospital leaving the others to return in their vehicles.

"I wanted to thank you for all your help." Daniel shook the agent's hand.

"No problem."

"I'll bet." Daniel grinned. "You forget I know Jack O'Neill." Excusing himself he hobbled over to the desk where Ezra sat, his arm still supported by a sling.

"Where's O'Neill?" Chris couldn't resist asking as Daniel and Ezra greeted each other like old school buddies.

"I...we....Daniel...." Pink filled the major's cheeks as she studied the floor. "Teal'c, Daniel and I thought it would be best if he didn't come along....this time."

Larabee ducked his head to hide his smile as he mumbled. "That's understandable."

"Major, darlin'....I had no idea you were coming to visit." Buck approached, smiling widely. "I knew you couldn't stay away." He whispered, his mouth near her ear.

"Daniel wanted to see Mister Standish." The glare she attempted to give the agent failed miserably. The man was charming. "Something about vouching for each other."

They turned their attention to the approaching undercover agent and scientist, each carrying sheets of paper. Ezra handed his to Chris.

"My expense account for this caper, Mister Larabee, along with Doctor Jackson's affidavite of proof."

Chris' eyes widened as he read down the list of items, settling on the total. "This is a joke, right?!"

"I assure you, sir, it is not."

"Six hundred dollars for a suit! Two hundred for a pair of loafers!" He eyed the agent. "We're paying you waaaay too much."

"You'll find the receipts for the purchase of said clothing attached. You'll notice they were brand new. I'm sure the ATF accountants will find everything in order." The nattily dressed agent, squared his right cuff. "We can't all dress like Mister Wilmington or Mister Tanner." He motioned toward the lanky tracker, slouched at his desk, drawing attention to the faded jeans, cowboy boots and tee-shirt. Buck was dressed much the same, only his tee-shirt was imprinted with the words, I think, therefore, I spam. Larabee had to admit sometimes Buck took casual Friday to a whole new level.

"Hey!! I paid fifteen dollars for this shirt..." Buck protested, his brown eyes twinkling as he winked at Sam. "And I know it would just look so much better on you, Major, darlin'"

"Uh...thank you Mister......Buck....but I think Daniel and I need to be going....It's a long drive back to the mountain." Flustered she looked around for her teammate.

Daniel had maneuvered the crutches over to Tanner's desk. "I don't think I thanked you properly for finding us."

"My pleasure." Tanner nodded.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, the scientist added quietly, "Don't let Ezra con you. He knows more about wilderness survival than he lets on. Said he learned it all from you....You have a good student there, Vin."

"So does Jack and Teal'c." Vin smiled at Daniel's look of puzzlement. "From what Ezra told me, you're pretty good out there yourself."

"Thanks," His face flushing with embarrassment, blue eyes shining with pride, Daniel turned back to the others. "By the way, we're having a cook out next week at Jack's house and you're all invited."

"Does Jack know this?" Larabee questioned, his surprise evident.

"Uh.....nooo.....not exactly."

"Great! We'll be there!" Chris promised with a wicked grin.

THE END

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