The Blue Pearl
The Blue Pearl
by Teardrop
Title:The Blue Pearl
Author:Teardrop
E-mail:lamamu@hotmail.com
Status:Complete
Category:Drama, Sam/Daniel romance
Spoilers:Minor spoilers for Emancipation and Enigma (1st season), 1969 (2nd season)
Season/Sequel info:--
Rating:PG-13
Content Warning: Minor language, S/D
Summary:SG-1 find themselves in a Swing club with the Authorities after them.
Disclaimer:Strangely enough, I don't own Stargate SG-1, it's characters or anything even marginally associated with them. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not post this elsewhere without the author's consent.
Author's Note:I'm sorry about any historical inaccuracies of this story, and no doubt, there'll be a few.
Watching the screen of the camera relay attached to the UAV, Captain Samantha Carter used the small controlling device to steer the plane across the land. Behind her Daniel Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c watched the screen also.
"There!" Jack leant forwards, pointing to a place on the screen.
Sam steered the plane towards what appeared to be a light source. Getting closer she realised it was a city, a city strangely similar to their own. As the UAV flew nearer the team could easily see the tall buildings, cars reminiscent of the earlier half of the twentieth century and clothing which supported the idea.
"This is amazing," Daniel said as he drew in closer over Sam to peer at the screen. "It looks as if these people are evolving similar to us. The are not even a hundred years behind us. Their clothing would indicate it to be sometime in the late 30's, perhaps forties."
"How is that possible?" Sam's eyes remained focused intently on the screen.
"Well, maybe they had a few more things in their history that slowed them down. Like on P3X-7763, they were ahead of us because they had no Dark Ages. Maybe these people had a prolonged Dark Ages, or something similar."
"I think this warrants an expedition, sir?" Sam asked.
"I'd say so."
The vortex blew inwards as the connection was established and Colonel O'Neill led his team up the metal ramp and through the Stargate.
Stepping out the other end they found themselves in the open on a cool evening. The moon was at its full and covered only by minimal cloud.
"Now," Jack looked around at the grassed area in which the Gate stood. "Which way?"
"About eighteen miles that way, sir," Sam informed him, pointing in the opposite direction to the falling sun.
"Great," Jack muttered, as he fixed his pack. "Okay campers, let's go."
The outskirts of the city were in view by the time the sun finally fell over the edge of the horizon.
"Uh, Jack," Daniel trotted up beside him. "I don't really think it wise to go into a city in fatigues."
"Why not?"
"Why not?!" Daniel was incredulous at the question. "Jack, we'll stand out like anything!"
"If they know of the Stargate, they should not find our presence at all strange," Teal'c put in.
"But do they know about the Stargate?" Sam asked.
"Well it would be pretty hard not to," Daniel said. "It's not like it's hidden or buried like it was back home. But I still think it would be better if we got some suitable clothing," Daniel stressed.
"Okay Daniel, okay! We'll go in and see if we can find some good clothes, okay?" Jack said, in an attempt to shut him up.
The streets were alive with people, but much to Daniel's dismay most of the shops were closed.
"It's okay Daniel," Jack assured him. "We'll just find a bar or something and .... mingle."
"Mingle?" Teal'c asked.
"Never mind. Hey, this looks like a good place."
The sign above the club read Die Blau Perle'. Jazz music was blaring from inside and the shouts and chatter of people could easily be heard from the street.
"Daniel?" Jack looked at the linguist for a translation.
"It's German," Daniel told him, confused. "The Blue Pearl."
"Sounds sweet," Jack decided. "Well, come on, people," he beckoned them when they hesitated at the door. "Hey jazz, dancing, what could be better?"
Teal'c walked in without hesitating, quickly followed by Sam, then Daniel.
Standing just inside the doorway, they looked around. A band played on a raised platform, steps leading down from it to the dance floor where dozens of partners danced, throwing each other about. To Jack they seemed a mess of flying legs, skirts and ridiculously long suits. The smell of smoke and alcohol was thick in the air, the music loud.
Teal'c watched the dancers with a perplexed look.
"I am unfamiliar with this style of dance." He informed the group.
"It's swing, Teal'c," Daniel said, his face carrying a strange expression of excitement as he watched the band, then the dancers.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"Their attire seems very odd." He noted, gazing at the long jackets, reaching down to the people's knees.
"They're Zoot Suits, Teal'c," Daniel explained.
"Zoot?"
"One of the fashions."
"What is a fashion?"
It was then that a respectable middle-aged woman hurried up to them and noticing Sam whispered to her rapidly in German. Sam looked to Daniel for a translation but the young man was too caught up in the dancers. And then the woman grabbed Sam's hand and yanked her away.
"Wai" Sam was unable to make any response.
"Hang on! Wait a minute!" Jack took after them, followed by Teal'c. Daniel was still staring at the dancers in rapture, his feet already moving restlessly to the beat.
Before Jack and Teal'c caught up with the woman, she had shoved Sam though a door and closed it behind her.
"Tut mir leid, Herr," she said with a polite smile, and continued to speak in a language Jack had no hope of understanding.
"But"
The woman did not wait for a reply, quickly striding off in the other direction. She stopped a few metres down the corridor and spoke to a beefy-looking man who then turned and took up position in front of O'Neill at the door.
"Oh, for ... " Jack muttered as he turned away and led Teal'c back to find Daniel.
Sam found two women already in the room. Upon noting her they both gave an audible sigh of relief and set about doing her hair and getting her changed, as they chattered away to her, in German. She had learned the language at school for a few years, but did not understand more than half of what they said. What was her name? She understood that, but that was about it. The women, who introduced themselves as Charlotte and Cathy ignored her attempts to persuade them she wasn't whoever it was they wanted, mainly because they had no idea what she was saying, and her attempts at German did not go very well.
Sam sighed. As soon as they had finished with her, she would make her escape and find her team.
But her plans did not go exactly as she'd hoped. When Charlotte and Cathy had finished with her then directed her towards the mirror. Sam looked at herself, shocked. Her hair had been curled so it fell in neat waves and was thick with mousse. They had put her in a floor length blue satin dress - why always blue? It was cut low at the back, forming a V which met low down her spine. Thin strips of satin fell over her shoulders and the dress fell low at the front, revealing a good deal of skin. It really was quite a lovely dress, she thought.
The two women ushered her out of the room where she was met by the woman she had met earlier. So much for the escape attempt, she thought ruefully to herself.
"Gutentag," the woman greeted her, taking her hand and shaking it while saying several other things that were lost on Sam. Then; "Ich heisse Margaret."
"Samantha," Sam told her, shaking her hand. "Look Margaret"
But already the woman was ushering her up the corridor, continuing to speak. She handed Sam the music for two songs.
Surprisingly enough, Sam recognised them. Her mother had been a jazz fan and much of the music was still in her memory. She smiled at the memories they brought back. But what did they want her to do with them? She decided to try again.
"Margaret, I'm not"
"Und hier wir sind." Margaret stopped and moved Sam onto a small platform.
From the sound of things, the band seemed to be in front and slightly above her. Sam guessed they were on the floor below. Margaret said something which Sam recognised as pose'. Pose?
"What? What for?"
But suddenly Sam felt something jolt under her feet and looked down to see the small platform she stood on rise.
Oh shit, she thought.
"Margaret"
"Pose, dear!" Margaret gave her an example and hesitatingly Sam copied her.
"Wunderbar," she gave an excited clap of her hands.
Above her, Sam could see the light from the main room. Where was she going? What was going on? Looking down at the music in her hand it suddenly dawned on her.
Oh, shit!
Jack had come back to find Daniel missing. With an exasperated sigh he looked around, scanning the room.
"Oh, great, just what we need. Teal'c, you see Daniel anywhere?"
"Is that not him over there O'Neill?" Teal'c raised an arm and pointed to the dance floor.
Jack stared. Somehow Daniel had gotten his hands on one of those Zoot Suit things, a purple one no less! Wearing purple dancing shoes, loose trousers and a ridiculously long jacket, the young archaeologist had found a rather attractive young partner and was spinning her around and throwing her to the side as if he were the best dancer on the floor. Jack was ready to admit that he knew very little, okay, nothing, about swing but it actually did look as if Daniel was one of the best dancers on the floor. His partner seemed to be having a great time and Daniel was moving as if on fire.
"Where the hell did he learn to do that?" Jack asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"I know not, O'Neill," Teal'c informed him.
Eventually the song came to an end and the dancers slowed down. The lights dimmed.
The band sat to either side of the stage with a small gap between them for the singer and steps leading down from it. Silence hung heavy in the room. Jack breathed quietly, wondering what was about to happen.
A sudden loud beat of the drum, accompanied by the flash of a light made him jump ever so slightly. A single beam was focused on the very centre of the stage were a woman stood. One hand raised dramatically in the air, one leg placed elegantly in front, exposed through a slit in the soft blue dress. Jack followed her figure up until he reached her face. Carter!? She looked fantastic! But, what the hell was she doing on stage? She wasn't going to sing, was she? Was she?
Suddenly, the band started up with a very fast beat and the dancers set in. Jack noticed Daniel hadn't moved, his eyes were still fixed on Sam's face. Slowly dropping her arm to her side, Sam took several elegant, almost seductive steps down towards the dance floor. She opened her mouth to start to sing and Jack winced in anticipation. But he was amazingly surprised as a rich, gentle voice flowed out.
"It would seem Captain Carter has a very nice voice," Teal'c observed and Jack turned to stare at him. He didn't know that Teal'c even knew what a good voice was.
Jack looked back at Carter. She didn't seem at all nervous, but quite wrapped up in her role, and her voice really was amazing. It was beautiful, in fact.
Jack turned to see Daniel hurrying up to them.
"Do you see?" He asked, amazement and wonder clearly evident on his face. "It's Sam! Isn't she amazing?"
"Uh, yeah. Daniel," Jack dismissed Carter for a moment. "Where did you learn to dance like that?"
"Oh, learned it when I was a kid."
"Why?"
"Why? It was cool."
"This, was cool?"
But Daniel's attention was not focused on him. Through his glasses his blue eyes were still fixed on Sam.
Sam was having a great time. Although she would admit it to no one, she did love to sing, and these songs did have a kind of sentimental value to her. She had forgotten she was part of SG-1, forgotten they were supposed to be gathering intel on the world and it's people, all that existed was the music.
Eventually her second song came to an end and a round of applause erupted from the audience. Amongst them she heard a familiar voice.
"Sam! Sam!"
Scanning the people below her she saw Daniel, dressed in a dark brown Zoot Suit and fitting in perfectly. He beckoned to her and she quickly descended the stairs to join him as the band started up again.
"You were amazing!" He told her, his face flushed with excitement. "You look beautiful!"
Sam could feel her face flush.
"Well, you don't look so bad yourself," she told him. "Where on earth did you get the suit?"
"Oh, a guy," he dismissed it, eager to join the dance. "You know how to swing?"
"Well ... I know a bit."
"Excellent," grabbing her hand he pulled her to the centre of the floor.
Jack breathed a sign of relief. Carter was off the stage, maybe now they could get about business. Daniel had her and was talking to her, then he would bring her over to join them and they would be off.
But he knew he was expecting too much from Daniel.
"What the hell ... ?" He asked incredulously as Daniel took Sam onto the floor and began to dance with her. Not only that, but she appeared to know what she was doing. She appeared to be almost as good as Daniel!
Had everybody learned to swing except him? Were they given secret lessons at the base or something? He sighed again and looked at Teal'c. The Jaffa seemed to be having a hard time understanding the whole jazz and swing scene and was intently observing the room.
"O'Neill," he said, drawing Jack's attention away from his other team mates and to the doorway.
A dozen men in black uniforms marched in, looking quickly around, and bearing weapons. Guns, in fact, Jack noticed. Sweet, just what they needed.
All Daniel's attention was focused on Sam. He had never seen her like this before. He'd always thought of her almost as a sister, but all thoughts to that effect had quickly vanished when he saw her on the stage, in all her glory. Sure, he'd seen her in that dress on P3X-593, she had looked beautiful then, well, more so than normal. But now, she seemed alive. She could sing, she could dance, she was amazing. And she was smiling, at him.
Something about Daniel seemed different tonight. To Sam he had always been a friend, a close one. But tonight, she felt more. It was as if she was meeting him for the first time. There was so much more to him than she had realised. And she liked it.
"Teal'c."
Jack gestured for Teal'c to move back into the shadows at the back of the club, they would certainly stand out in their uniforms. At least Daniel and Carter had procured normal clothes, if that's what you wanted to call them.
The men in uniform spread out, fanning along the sides of the room. Jack saw several begin to ask questions. This didn't look very good.
The song came to an end, Daniel and Sam's eyes still fixed on each other.
"Daniel," Sam begun. "I"
Daniel cut her off, kissing her like she hadn't been kissed in a long time. She tensed at first, but soon relaxed and returned his kiss with fervour.
They were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot and the two broke apart, Sam quickly going into combat mode. She looked around in the dim light, quickly noting that the dance floor was surrounded by soldiers, carrying guns.
"Daniel?" She looked to him, hoping he would have some idea of what was going on.
Daniel was staring open-mouthed and under his breath Sam heard him murmur, "It's not possible ... !"
Attempting to make herself inconspicuous, Sam tried to pull Daniel towards where Teal'c and Jack had been.
"What's not possible?" She hissed.
"The swing style of dancing was mainly predominate before and during the Second World War years."
"Yeah, so?"
"So if this culture is developing almost exactly parallel to ours," he was still staring fixedly at the soldiers, "we're in the middle of the Second World War."
Edging around the wall, Jack listened to what one of the soldiers, a captain in fact, was saying. He had grabbed hold of one of the customers.
"Die Sngerin," the soldier demanded. "Wo ist sie?"
Although Jack didn't understand a word of it, it looked as though the soldiers were searching for someone. His guess was confirmed when the frightened patron frantically searched the audience.
"Da," the woman's shaking finger pointed towards Carter, who was trying to make her way unnoticed towards the door. "Das ist sie."
The soldier let go of the woman, calling to the others he barked some orders at them. As soon as the rest of the patrons realised they were surrounded by soldiers someone let out a scream which quickly developed into chaos, people running about the room yelling, attempting to get to the doors.
"Teal'c! Let's go!"
Shoving his way through the people, Jack made his way towards Daniel and Sam, pulling his gun out from under his jacket, noticing Teal'c already had his zat gun at the ready.
"Das ist sie! Fasst ihr!" Jack heard the captain call out as the soldiers drew in around Carter.
Daniel fought in vain to keep them away. As the soldiers took hold of Carter, Daniel was thrown to the ground.
"Teal'c," Jack signalled Teal'c to shoot and blue light erupted from the zat gun, felling one of the soldiers. Another two fell before they even realised where the shots were coming from.
"Da!" The captain called out, and the soldiers then turned to Jack and Teal'c. Jack could see Carter being dragged out of the club, attempting to fight the men off but was only served a punch across the face for her troubles.
Another two soldiers went down by Teal'c zat, but Jack was reluctant to fire in so crowded a room where people were running about everywhere. He smacked the butt end of his gun across the face of one of the soldiers, then into the stomach of another, then he felt himself grabbed from behind, the gun knocked from his hands as they were grasped in a firm grip.
Looking around for Teal'c he saw him similarly restrained, the zat lying on the floor, a gun to his back. Jack fought to free himself of the soldier's grip, and felt something hit him hard on the back of the head.
When he finally regained consciousness he found himself in a dark, dank and bad smelling cell. He moaned and tried to get up.
"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c was beside him in a moment, helping him into a sitting position. Daniel was there also.
"Where are we?" Jack asked.
"We are in a prison-like structure to the south of the city," Teal'c informed him.
"How long've I been out?"
"Almost nine hours, O'Neill."
With a sigh, Jack rubbed his head. Sleeping on a concrete floor really hadn't been good for it. He looked around the room, noting the small cell, devoid of windows, a single door with a small peephole in it.
"Where's Carter?"
Daniel looked hopeless.
"They put her in another cell."
"Wonder why they didn't spilt us up as well?" Jack mused, then noted how dejected Daniel looked. "Danny, you okay?"
"We have to get her back, Jack."
"Of course we're going to get her back."
Jumping up, Jack headed towards the door, then turned back to Daniel before he knocked.
"Danny, if they say anything, even if it's in English, don't answer, got it?" Daniel was about to reply when Jack cut him off. "Do I have to remind you what happened last time?"
Guiltily Daniel shook his head. Jack turned back to the door and knocked on it loudly, causing a booming noise.
"Hey! Hey!" He called out and a few seconds later a guard came along and slid open the small metal door of the peephole, causing bright light to flow in. "Hey, you want to tell us why we're in here?"
The guard said nothing, just slid shut the peephole door.
"That did not appear to be very effective, O'Neill," Teal'c noted.
"Yeah well" The sound of a key in a lock was heard and Jack turned again to face the door. A tall, thin man stood there, backed up by two soldiers who stood either side and slightly behind him, guns focused on Jack. The man had dark hair, slicked back, blue eyes and a dark uniform.
"Komm mit mir," he ordered.
By his gestures Jack assumed he was supposed to go with him and made to follow. Teal'c and Daniel joined them outside and the man led them down a long, brightly lit corridor, the two soldiers following them.
Jack knew Daniel and Teal'c would be watching for his signal, so when he suddenly swung around, serving one of the guards a mighty kick while grabbing his gun, he was not surprised to see Daniel do the same to the other guard as Teal'c took out the other man.
"Quick!" Jack looked around for a doorway into which they could disappear. "In here." The door was not marked and was unlocked. They dragged the three men in.
"Okay, Daniel," Jack turned to face him. "Want to explain what's going on here?"
"Well, I can't really be sure. But it seems as if their whole history is identical to ours, only a few decades behind, it's amazing. Even their language is developing identically to ours. Everything that happened on Earth is happening here."
"Okay, so ... when are we?"
"Well like I told Sam, it would seem as if these people are sometime during their Second World War."
"And we're in ... what? Nazi Germany?"
Daniel just looked at him. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Sweet." He took a deep breath. "Okay, we have to find Carter, our weapons, and keys to the cells. That is if she's even in here."
Hovering at the doorway, Jack listened to the sound of footsteps in the corridor outside, waiting until they had gone before he led his team outside. Quickly looking up and down the corridor, making sure it was empty, he turned right, opposite to the way the guards had gone.
"Check every room," he told Teal'c and Daniel, opening a door and peeking in. Empty. "Daniel, any idea where the weapons might be?"
"Uh, here," the younger man stopped before a door marked Waffenkammer'. "Armoury," he translated.
Jack opened the door slightly and peered through the crack. It appeared empty.
"Okay, come on," he held the door open as Daniel and Teal'c slipped though. "We need to find the Zat, though, and I doubt it'll be in here."
"Look at these," Jack was not at all impressed by the weapons, "do they even fire?"
"Don't forget when we are, Jack. These must be about fifty, maybe sixty years old for us."
"Yeah, well ... " Jack faded off as he searched for appropriate weapons, handing both Daniel and Teal'c guns and grenades. "Okay, let's go."
Creeping to the door once again, they returned to the corridor, walking quickly up it while opening each door and looking in each peek-hole to the cells. Most were empty, some were not, but Carter was in none of them.
"Daniel, who are all these people?"
"Enemies."
"Whose enemies?"
"Theirs, those Nazis."
"Okay, so since it was those Nazis' that locked us in a cell and took
Carter, we could consider them out enemies?"
"Jack, I'm sure that was just a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding my ... " The sound of approaching footsteps cut him off. "Quick, in here."
They jumped into the closest doorway and closed it behind them, Jack laying an ear against the door.
"Uh, Jack ... "
"Shhh, Daniel."
"Jack." Daniel slapped him gently on the shoulder.
"What?" Turning around Jack saw a man of about thirty-five years, dressed in an officer's uniform, a small but lethal looking weapon pointed at the group. Teal'c also had his gun raised at the man.
"Wer sind Sie?" The man asked.
Jack hit Daniel before he could make a response, as he was about to do. The man took in their attire.
"You are the American spies," it was more a statement than a question, and delivered in English. The man watched for their reaction. Then, ever so slightly excited;
"I'm Captain Malloy, you're contact. Well done on finding me. Security has been tightened, it seems we have a leak."
"Yeah, uh, one of our team has been compromised," Jack told him, deciding quickly to go along with it.
"The female," the man nodded. "She's in cell 532A. High security."
"You know where our weapons are?"
The young man smiled slightly.
"Sure do," walking over to one of the lockers against the back wall, he dialled in a combination and opened the door. "Interesting stuff," he said as he handed Jack the zat gun. "Is this what the guys at home are coming up with?"
"Uh, yeah. Top of the range." He handed the zat to Teal'c as he distributed the rest of the weapons.Daniel cut through the chatter.
"How are we going to get Sam out?"
"I have clearance," Malloy told them. "I'll see what I can do."
"And us?" Jack asked him.
"It'd probably be best for you just to wait here. This is my office, no one should come in, and I'll lock it."
"What, and you're just going to go there and bring her back?"
"It'll be a bit harder than that. It might take some time, so make yourselves comfortable." Then he opened the door, straightened up, and left, closing and locking the door behind him.
"It would seem this man has mistaken us for someone else," Teal'c noted, after the man had left.
"Well, he seems like an ally."
"O'Neill, are you sure we can trust this man?"
"I'm wondering that too, Teal'c," Jack told him. "But at the moment, he's our best way out of here. Daniel?" Jack turned to the younger man, wondering if he could help.
Daniel was again staring sadly at the floor.
"Daniel!"
Daniel's head jerked up, "Yeah, Jack?"
"Do you think we can trust this guy?" He asked it slowly, patronisingly.
"Well if he can get Sam out, I say we trust him."
"And if he can't?"
"Well Jack, what else do you say we do?" Daniel's voice was rising. "Go out there with our one zat gun, a few guns and grenades and blast the place until they release her?"
"Daniel, shhh!" Jack listened for a minute, desperately hoping that no one in the corridor had heard Daniel's outburst. "Daniel," he began in a soothing voice, "we are going to get her back."
"Jack," Daniel's voice had softened, "this is Nazi Germany. Do you have any idea how guarded this place will be? Even if Malloy does get her out, how are we going to get out of the building? Or the city?"
"There is a way, Daniel. Otherwise how would the guys Malloy thinks we are have had a hope of getting back out?"
"Then where is it?" His voice was rising again.
"I don't know!" Jack paused to control his frustration. "Daniel, we all want her back, but yelling about it is not going to help."
Daniel was also attempting to regain his composure, and nodded quietly.
"I know, Jack. Sorry."
Teal'c, who was standing with an ear against the door, motioned them suddenly to quiet.
"I believe someone is coming," he stated, as Jack crouched down behind the desk, yanking Daniel down with him.
The steps got louder, then stopped, by the sound of it, right in front of the doorway. The loud knock made both Daniel and Jack jump slightly, but Teal'c still remained calmly in his place just beside the door, zat gun ready.
"Klein! Klein!" A male voice was heard through the door. "Klein?"
"Mean anything?" Jack whispered to Daniel.
"It means 'small', but I'm assuming it's Malloy's alias as it's also a common surname."
"Ah."
There was silence for a few moments, then the handle on the door began to turn. They held their breaths, hoping Malloy had locked it properly. But the handle stopped before it had turned halfway and they all released a silent breath.
On the other side, the man waited a few more moments, then gave an angry sigh and retreated down the corridor.
"Good thing he didn't have a key," Daniel commented.
"So how long's this guy gonna take anyway?" Jack asked. "When did he leave?"
"Approximately seven minutes, O'Neill."
"He did say it might take a while," Daniel reminded him.
"Yeah, so how long's 'a while'?"
Daniel shrugged and Teal'c returned to his position at the door.
"Guess we'll just have to wait."
It was almost an hour later when Teal'c again heard footsteps in the corridor. Many had passed since their one visitor, but none had attempted to enter. Those of the people coming now slowed as they reached the door and Teal'c could distinguish the sounds of two different pairs of footsteps. Jack and Daniel had again crouched down behind the desk as Teal'c stood behind the door, zat raised.
The footsteps paused outside the room, then the jingle of keys was heard and the door quickly opened. Sam walked through, still wearing the blue gown she had had on in the club. She was followed by Malloy who had a small gun to her back.
At first Jack tensed, a sudden realisation dawning on him that the whole act was a ploy to get them to reveal themselves. But as soon as the door was closed, Malloy lowered the gun, and Jack realised it was for the sake of anyone they might have passed in the corridor.
"Well this is a nice greeting," Sam said, upon noting Teal'c's raised zat gun.
"Sam!" In a moment Daniel had rushed to her and thrown his arms around her, clutching her tightly. "I was so worried."
Sam's eyes moistened slightly as she held him.
"I'm alright, Daniel," she assured him. "It's okay."
"What'd they do, Carter?" Jack interrupted the two, locked in their embrace.
"They just had me in the cell, sir," Carter told him as she released Daniel and stepped back a bit. "Guess they're waiting a while before interrogation."
Jack nodded.
"Anyone suspicious at your leaving?" He addressed this question to Malloy, but the young man shook his head.
"No more than usual, you have a fair bit of time."
"Good, we need to get out of the city."
"So you've completed your mission?" Malloy looked slightly surprised.
"Uh, yeah. All went smoothly until Carter's capture. But now it's imperative we get out of here ASAP."
"ASAP, sir?"
"As soon as possible," Jack explained, slightly confused about why the kid didn't know.
"Oh, okay, sir. You were briefed on the escape routes out of the city, weren't you?"
Jack shot a quick look at Daniel to see how he should respond, but as his eyes were focused solely on Sam, he wasn't much help.
"No, Captain. We had to leave pretty quickly and weren't given much intel, they thought you could do it."
Again Malloy looked surprised, but quickly dismissed the issue with a nod.
"There's a tunnel that leads onto the outskirts of the city. From there you should be safe."
"And this tunnel starts ... ?"
"In the shower-rooms."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"Couldn't think of a more public place?" Jack commented sarcastically.
"It's the best place, sir," Malloy explained, as if it was perfectly well known.
"I'm sure it is, Captain," Jack placated him. "So when's the best time?"
"Early hours of the morning, sir. About 0300."
"What is it now?"
"Almost 1300, sir."
"Great," Jack muttered. "So what are we going to do for the next .... " He tried in vain to figure out how long a wait it was.
"Fourteen hours, sir," Carter supplied.
"Couldn't we just stay here?" Daniel asked, but Jack shook his head.
"They will definitely notice Carter is missing by then. And someone will have seen you leave with her," he nodded to Malloy. "This'll be one of the first places they look."
Malloy nodded.
"So where else can we go?" Daniel asked.
Jack looked at Malloy.
"There really aren't any spots," he said after a moments thought.
"Well then, we leave now," Jack told them.
"Now, sir?" Carter looked none too pleased at the idea.
"Do you think that wise, O'Neill?"
"Yeah Jack, I mean the place is crawling with people who thin- *are* our enemies."
"Any other suggestions?" Jack asked. He was answered only with silence. "Well then. Malloy, how easy would it be to get some uniforms?"
"They're right here, sir," Malloy told him as he walked over to one of the cupboards. "Just as was in the plan," he seemed slightly curious as to why Jack wouldn't remember that.
"Ah, of course. Forgot," Jack told him, with what he hoped was a convincing look.
"Does this mean I have to abandon my Zoot Suit?" Daniel asked in dismay, looking down at his - what Jack still thought - very weird attire.
"'Fraid so, Danny."
"But even in that uniform, wont Teal'c kind of stand out?" Daniel asked. "You know, Aryan supremacy and all that?"
Jack shrugged, seeing no way around it.
"Hide him at the back."
Sam looked up at Teal'c large bulk.
"Hide him, sir?"
Jack just shrugged again.
"So where're we supposed to change?" Sam looked down at her uniform laid out on the desk.
"In here," Malloy told her. "Sorry, ma'am, there's nowhere else."
Jack smirked at Sam's look.
"Don't worry, Captain. We won't look."
She gave him a 'bite me' look, and turned her back to them.
Jack had always thought he looked good in dress uniform and just because he wasn't in the U.S. uniform didn't change that fact.
Teal'c's uniform was slightly tight on him but otherwise everything looked good. Sam had her hair tucked up under a hat which also shaded her face so it would not be so easy to identify her as a woman.
"So how far away are these shower rooms?" Jack asked Malloy as he went to the door.
"They're down two floors. We have to go to the end of this corridor, turn left, then down the stairs. Down again then to the other end of the corridor."
"Any quicker ways?"
Malloy shook his head and Jack sighed.
"Okay then, let's get going."
Opening the door slightly, Malloy peeked out.
"All clear," he said, leading them outside and marching them down the corridor.
They passed only a few men on their way down that first corridor and they all paid them little more attention than a quick glance. The first flight of stairs was deserted, but it was on the second that the trouble began.
From a loud speaker that was fixed just above their heads boomed an announcement in rapid German.
"Daniel?" Jack whispered to him.
"They know Sam's escaped," the young man told him. "They ordered all soldiers to search for her. They gave a description of her."
Daniel glanced at Sam, thinking that the description didn't do her justice, by far.
"Okay people," Jack told them, "keep moving."
Malloy was leading them, the others walking in twos behind him, all carrying the proper German weapons, their own were well hidden in their fatigues.
Reaching the bottom of the stairway they saw a long corridor stretching out before them, with significantly more soldiers than they had seen on the floor above. All were carrying weapons, most running down the corridor.
"Okay, move," Malloy told the group as he took off down the corridor.
Without a word the rest of the team followed, dodging between soldiers who were also attempting to dodge them. It seemed as if no one was going to give them any notice until;
"Halt!"
The order came from a man of perhaps thirty wearing a similar uniform to the man they had first encountered when they were let out of the cell. This one now, though, was about the size of Teal'c. He had broad shoulders, short blonde hair, brown eyes, and a handsome face. He spoke to Malloy, who by their uniforms, was the highest-ranking one among them.
Daniel listened to the conversation intently. It was only a short exchange, the man talking, Malloy answering, the man looking quickly over the group then going on down the corridor. Without a word, Malloy took off again.
"Daniel, what did he say?" Jack asked as he jogged along next to him.
"He wanted to know where we were going."
"And what did Malloy tell him?"
"We're checking the shower-rooms."
"And that worked?" Jack asked, surprised.
"Seemed to."
Reaching the end of the corridor, Malloy led them to the right and through a door with some writing on it that Jack didn't understand.
There were several men in here, most of them wet and hurriedly climbing into their uniforms.
"What do we do?" Jack whispered to Malloy.
"Wait for them to go. It shouldn't be long. Just look like you're searching."
So saying he went up to the nearest man, looked at his face so the man could not help noticing him and started questioning him. The man appeared slightly angry at the questioning, and gave short, curt answers. Malloy moved on to the next man.
"Daniel, copy what Malloy's doing," Jack instructed him. "Teal'c, pretend to be searching. Carter, try and look inconspicuous."
Jack surveyed the room as he and Teal'c wandered around. The basic layout wasn't that different from their own at the SGC. Rows of lockers, toilets and showers, except there were no women here. Well, couldn't have everything.
The men were quickly finishing up and leaving the shower-room. Malloy was talking to one of the three men remaining. Daniel had finished and had joined Sam, lurking behind the lockers.
Jack breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Soon the men would be gone and they could get off this damn world.
Malloy had finished with the men and was making a show of searching the toilet and shower cubicles.
Jack watched him exit. Only two to go, they were still getting into their uniforms. Couldn't they go any faster? He tapped his fingers against his gun in frustration and he looked into the shower cubicle. As if someone would really hide in there!
Glancing over at the two remaining men he saw one had finished dressing, but instead of leaving the room had wandered over to where Daniel and Sam were, also pretending to be looking around.
He was getting too close, Jack noticed. If he got a good look at Carter's face, he would easily be able to identify her as a woman. Daniel stepped in front of her slightly, not enough to be noticed unless you knew why he was doing it.
The man spoke to Daniel in rapid German and Daniel's eyes flicked to Jack for a second before returning to the man. Jack inched forwards.
"Teal'c," he whispered, calling the Jaffa's attention to Daniel. Silently, Teal'c reached into his fatigues and pulled out his zat gun.
The conversation was rising in volume and the other German man came over to see what was going on. Malloy came round the corner of the lockers to join Jack and Teal'c.
"What's gone wrong?" Was his immediate question.
"You tell me," Jack whispered back. "I'm not understanding a word of this."
Malloy stepped towards the group, but before he got there the second man's attention went from Daniel to Sam, who had been trying to inconspicuously inch away from the group.
Stepping forwards, the man roughly shoved Daniel aside, grabbing the front of Sam's jacket. The second man's attention also quickly focused on Sam. His eyes narrowed as he stepped up to her and yanked off her hat.
Then, he started yelling, the other man joining him. First to each other and then obviously calling for people outside the room. Before they had gotten far Sam had kneed the man who was holding her in the stomach. He doubled over, clutching his arms around him.
Teal'c zat was quickly raised.
"Daniel Jackson, move!" He instructed.
Daniel hesitated before Sam knocked him to the floor and the blue burst from the zat fell the second man. The first man was beginning to rise again but another shot from Teal'c saw him collapsed on the floor beside his comrade.
"Quick! Move!" Jack ordered, before realising he didn't know where the tunnel was.
Malloy saw his hesitation.
"This way," he instructed, running over to one of the showers.
"Shouldn't we do something with the soldiers?" Sam asked as she helped Daniel up off the floor.
"Just put them into one of the showers," Jack told her.
She and Daniel grabbed one of the men each dragged them into the shower cubicles.
"Here it is," Malloy announced as he knocked back one of the stones on the wall inside the shower. The gap left was only big enough to fit and a leg and an arm through, but not a body, and defiantly not Teal'c's.
"That's it?" Jack asked him.
"No, sir," Malloy again seemed slightly puzzled as he went to remove several others, passing them to Teal'c as he removed them.
Soon the hole in the wall was big enough to climb through.
"There's a small ledge," Malloy told them, "then it drops. There's a ladder there that goes down ten feet."
"Teal'c," Jack nodded to him, knowing he would probably be the best to go first. Sam followed him, then Daniel.
"You coming?" Jack asked Malloy who was still hesitating.
The man sighed.
"I was supposed to stay here another two months, at least."
"They'll find out you got Carter out," Jack reminded him. "Probably already have."
"I know," Malloy said with a nod. "Damn!"
Then with another resigned sigh gave a nod.
"You go first," he told Jack. "I have to put the stones back."
With a nod, Jack disappeared into the hole, finding the ladder Malloy had referred to and climbing down it. He saw the light slowly disappear as Malloy sealed up the hole and heard him climb down after him.
He heard the voices of the rest of his team as he neared the bottom.
"Sir, do you have a light?" Carter asked him through the darkness.
"I do," Malloy told her. "Here, I'll lead the way."
The tunnel walls were solid dirt, supported by planks of would. The tunnel itself was narrow, and they had to crouch slightly, but it was large enough for Malloy to pass by the others to get to the front.
"How far is the end of the tunnel?" Jack asked, still from his position at the back.
"Ah, about ten minutes I think, sir."
"You *think*?"
"Well, sir, I've never actually timed it. Most of the time we were in too much of a hurry to actually wonder how long it took. We just ran."
Jack himself was unable to watch the clock, as he hadn't checked his watch before they had entered the tunnel. But it was some time later, indeed in the darkness it had felt especially long, that Malloy finally announced;
"We're here."
"And where exactly is 'here'?" Jack asked.
"It comes out into an alley on the very outskirts of the city. Five minutes walk and we'll be out of here altogether."
"Well I, for one, certainly don't intend to walk," Jack told him as he stepped up to the ladder.
Light filtered in as Malloy opened up the trap door at the top of the ladder and climbed out into the daylight. They rest of the team followed him out, Malloy closing the trap door when the last of them was through.
Jack stood, brushing the dirt from the tunnel off his shirt as he looked around. They were indeed in a small, narrow alley, as Malloy had said. Grey buildings rose up on either side of them; tall buildings, which had long since fallen into disrepair. The few windows remaining were high up and far too dirty to see through. The alley ended in a metal wired fenced and was littered with rubbish. The whole alley appeared to be almost in black and white, such was the severe absence of any colour. The only sounds, those of people talking, were very faint and appeared to be quite a way off.
"Which way?" Jack turned to Malloy, who was peeking around the corner.
"This way," he instructed, passing the corner and running down the street.
"That way," Jack resolved with a shrug, taking a quick look down the empty street before taking off after Malloy.
"Sir," Carter came up beside him. "Won't it look at bit strange? Five German soldiers running down the street?"
"Probably," he agreed. "Any other suggestions?"
She was silent for a moment.
"No, sir."
"Well, then."
These outer streets were mainly deserted anyway. The few people they did pass gave them odd looks, but no one was going to challenge a soldier, except, maybe, another soldier.
"Da! Da Sie sind!"
The shout came from far down the street that the team was now crossing. Jack turned to see a group of six soldiers running towards them, guns already aimed.
Jack didn't need to yell an order. His entire team, amazingly enough including Daniel, had dived for cover behind the closest buildings. He, Malloy and Teal'c were on one side of the street, Carter and Daniel on the other. All of them had the guns ready, except of course Daniel who rarely even carried a weapon.
The leader of the group yelled something to the others, and they also took cover in whatever they could find; in doorways, behind vehicles.
"What'd he say?" Jack asked Malloy.
Malloy looked at him.
"You cannot speak German?"
"Ah, no ... yeah. I mean, I can. I just didn't hear him."
"Oh, he realised we had stopped, told his men to take cover."
"Great," he muttered. "Teal'c, can you get any with the zat?"
"No, O'Neill. They are all hidden."
"Well, if they move, shoot."
Carter looked him, waiting for a signal to shoot. Jack hesitated. It was very rare that he ordered them to open fire on non-Goa'uld opponents, but these guys were shooting at them and retaliation did seem to be their only way out of this situation. He gave a slight nod.
One of the soldiers gave a shout and all of the men broke from their cover and opened fire. Teal'c leaned out, felling one of the men with his zat. One of Sam's shots hit another man who fell writhing to the ground.
"Carter! Daniel!" Jack signalled to them to cross over, as he, Teal'c and Malloy lay out cover for them.
Sam waited for a break in the fire before sprinting over, Daniel following.
Seeing them, the soldiers directed their shots towards the two. Just as they were nearing the other side of the street Daniel let out a cry. Sam dived in behind the building, pulling Daniel behind her.
"Is he shot?" Malloy was the first to ask the question.
"Leg." Sam answered for him, as Daniel was writhing on the ground in pain.
"O'Neill," Teal'c drew their attention to another group of soldiers, approaching from the opposite direction.
"Oh, great," Jack muttered as he looked from the soldiers back to Daniel. "How many are left on that side?"
"Two, O'Neill."
"And the other?"
"Six."
Jack paused. Stay and fight or run? It was likely that more soldiers had already been called into the area.
"Sir?" Carter looked up at him from where she was tending to Daniel.
"Let's move. Carter, remember which way it was?"
Sam looked around at the buildings, then up at the sun.
"That way, sir." She pointed off in the direction they were already heading.
"Okay. Teal'c-." But already Teal'c had lifted Daniel off the ground and had him settled in his arms. "Okay, let's go."
Jack led off, running down the street and away from the soldiers. The others were not far behind.
Jack obeyed the occasional calls from Carter, such as 'down that street' and 'left here'. He was amazed; the never once ended up in an alley.
They had been running for a several minutes before they saw any soldiers again. There were only two this time, probably a patrol. Even with Daniel draped over his shoulder Teal'c was able to take out one with the zat, while Malloy quickly finished the other. This happened again several times, but all of the group, except of course Daniel, were able to spot them before they themselves were seen. Soldiers were spread out all over the city and Jack was amazed that they hadn't seen any on their way in.
After a while Jack was getting quite tired of this monotonous scenery. He didn't like to sound like a whinger or anything, but he had to ask.
"Carter, how much further is 'till we're out of the city?"
Sam smirked slightly as she scanned the ground in front of them.
"Just up there, sir," she pointed up the road which rose to a hill so they couldn't see beyond it.
Jack raised an eyebrow. All he could see was road.
"Okay people, stay alert," he ordered as he led the way up the hill.
Sure enough, as he approached the top he could see the green of the vegetation that marked the edge of the city. He gave a quiet sigh of relief as he slowed and waited for the others to catch up.
"Um, sir," Carter came up to him and spoke in a quiet whisper. "What about Malloy?"
Jack nodded as Malloy came up.
"Malloy, we'll leave you here."
Malloy looked surprised.
"But sir, should I not accompany you back to America?"
"Uh, no. We've got another part of the mission to complete before we go home."
Malloy's brow furrowed.
"This was not a part of the plan I got."
"No, this is top secret. No one is to know."
"But what about your wounded?" He gestured to Daniel.
"We can get him fixed where we're going." Wanting to cut off any further questions and get going Jack said; "Thanks for the help, Malloy. Couldn't have done it without you. But we really have to get going."
Although still rather curious Malloy nodded.
"Yes, sir. Good working with you, sir."
Jack nodded as he turned and headed back towards the Stargate.
They walk back was peaceful, although long. It seemed the soldiers did not expect them to leave the city and so did not patrol outside of it.
Daniel had fallen unconscious, which was good because Jack was getting kind of sick of his groaning. Carter dialled up the gate and the wormhole blew outwards.
"Well, campers," Jack said as he stepped up to the gate. "Let's go home."
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