16
Mark got home at a reasonable hour, he had passed several planets for exploration and locked 2 out of the computer, one when the MALP dissolved while they watched… frightening… the other where it was obvious some sort of nuclear reaction had taken place, that had caused a base wide panic for a full 30 seconds, until everyone realised they had done it before. Mark was amazed at how blasé some people were about things like radiation, and bombs.
Jane was not home, and there were no signs of the kids either, so Mark headed to the O'Neill house, Jacks truck was out front, and the kids were in the pool by the looks. A surveillance team were at the top of the road, and the area was also being watched from orbit, as the Daedalus was up there, refitting.
Mark walked around the house without bothering to try the front door, he had just turned a corner when he found himself pinned against the wall.
"Sorry" the young man said as he released him "Doesn't anyone around here knock?"
"Not usually, no" Mark told him, "We just come around whenever we want"
"Crap, NOT my ideal way of guarding people" he said, Mark could understand that, now he was no longer in danger of having a heart attack. "I'm going to have to have a word with Carter and him, we need more containment than here provides. Where else does the beam take them besides here, the SGC and Area 51?" he asked
"The Oval office, Pentagon and a cabin somewhere" Mark supplied.
"Hmm the cabin, sweet, not been there for years… well actually this body has never been there" his eyes swept the area again, pausing slightly at one point but moving on after a second. "Get the kids inside, don't panic anyone, just move them" his voice was soft and low and controlled in the extreme, somehow Mark knew this was no joke, no drill.
He casually sauntered over to his wife, who was sat on a lounger reading while supervising the kids in the pool, he leant down and gave her a peck on the cheek and told her to get the kids inside quick, without letting them know anything was wrong.
Jane stood and stretched and yelled "Who wants ice cream?" at the top of her voice. All the kids scrambled out of the pool or sandpit and made their way towards her, she turned and like a mother duck leading her offspring she went into the huge family room, the nurses gathered up scattered bits of clothing, towels and toys and followed after.
Mark, knowing he had no experience or training of any kind, went in last…Jon was nowhere to be seen.
45 minutes later there was a screech of tyres and a jeep pulled up full of SFs, they went to the rear of the property and when they returned had 3 men with them, 2 of the men looked as if they had run face first into a tree, the third looked worse! A van pulled up and the men were loaded in and driven away.
Jon came in and went straight to Sams study. Within 5 minutes Sam and Jack walked out with him. Jack beckoned Mark and they went into the kitchen.
"What happened?"
"NID" Jon said, Mark had heard of them, that was where these Trust guys had started and grown from. "That's it we have to get them out of here, somewhere more controlled" he said
Both sets of eyes belonging to Jack O'Neill looked at Sam… "It's the only place…" the elder said
"It's controllable" the younger…
"But, Jack…Jon, can't we just increase security here?" she asked… Mark had no idea what they were talking about, they would fill him in if necessary.
Jacks phone went, he listened for a minute and closed it again.
"It seems nurse April is NID" he said standing up and heading out to the kids and their minders, Jon followed him casually and they managed to get April away from the room before tying her up and dumping her outside the house for the SFs to collect.
"That sorts it we have to depend on family, Mark can you and Jane help if we take the kids away?" Mark nodded "Then go get her and pack stuff for a stay in Minnesota for the lot of you, pack for a few weeks. The kids too!" he said, Mark went and got his wife and they headed home.
He told her everything he could as they packed, Jane would do anything to protect the kids, she loved them as if they were her own now, she spent more time with them than she had ever been able to with her own.
Jon was already gone when they got back, 'scouting the area' Mark was told. Each adult took two of the babies and Jane and Mark took one of their own too, soon all 5 adults and ten children were ready to go to 'the cabin' Sam went first. Mark looked at the small office they appeared in, the door was open and Jon was gesturing them to come out.
Jane, Tilda, George and Lizzy were next, after they had left Jack appeared and disappeared several times, luggage in tow. The kids ran off as soon as they were released and Mark decided to have a look around.
The 'cabin' looked to be almost brand new, it was at least 2 stories tall and a ladder to the attic suggested either a play room or bedrooms up there, there were 4 bedrooms on the first floor and the ground floor had a lounge, kitchen, dining room, office and 2 more bedrooms. Mark stepped outside and next to the huge building was a smaller, more rustic affair, maybe four rooms altogether, it was weathered but sturdy, well looked after.
"THAT is the cabin" Jon said, "the old man must have had this built after the kids arrived" Mark nodded, there was a lake in front of the house, but for as far as the eye could see was forest!
"This doesn't look safer than home, you could have an army hidden in those trees and you wouldn't know" he said, surprised that he was sounding like a military man.
"The difference is that in the Springs we can't stop people coming close, I…Jack owns the land for a 5 mile radius around here, the closest town is over 20 miles away, the closest neighbour is 15, and the whole of the property is ringed and rigged with DEW" having grown up in the 70s Mark new what a Distant Early Warning system was, though he was surprised that Jack would have such sophisticated equipment around his rural home.
Jon walked over to the old cabin and went inside with his bags, obviously he had decided where HE was sleeping! Mark returned to the inside of the new building, he caught sight of Jack at the window as he turned, he had been watching them.
Jack waited until everyone settled down before leaving, he had a meeting in DC with the IOA, Jane and Mark decided to take one of the ground floor bedrooms, leaving Sam and the kids upstairs, Jack explained the DEW system and what to do if it went off to both Carter adults. Then he was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Next morning Sam and Jane decided they needed to get some food in and with the two Carter children they climbed into a pickup truck that was hidden behind the old cabin and headed for town.
Jon and Mark limited the over energetic toddlers to the living room, so they could cope with them and laughed themselves stupid at some of the antics of the kids, especially when Danielle and Tilda pushed Richard to the floor and then used him as a stepping stone so they could reach the table, it was better than watching wrestling on TV!
A Beep sounded from the study, Jon immediately went to see what it was and was so very carefully casual when he returned that Mark knew the DEW had detected someone.
"Could be Elk" he said as he passed a window, flicking his gaze outside. He opened the front door and said "Just need something from the cabin" in a normal tone of voice and he left.
Mark called the women and warned them about the situation, he also tried to call Jack but he wasn't answering his cell.
A loud noise frightened the kids and Mark looked outside to see a ship hovering over the lake… his work at the SGC enabled him to identify it as a Tel'tak, several men appeared in rings of steel and a bright light, and they marched towards the house.
One came in through the door and gestured to Mark to get outside, and to take the kids, suddenly he dropped where he stood. Jon had broken his neck in one quick motion, Mark was frozen to the spot, watching the youth.
"KREE!" someone shouted and the sound of a weapon firing was heard. When the next soldier… Jaffa came in and herded them all out, he saw four of their number dead, or unconscious on the floor, but so was Jon, his torso covered in blood, it was obvious he was, if not dead yet, dying.
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