The Cave

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Jack(s)
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Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:59 pm
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The Cave

Post by Jack(s) »

Oki, so here is the first part of one of my FF`s. just let me know what you think (with nice words :D) if you guys like it I will post the other six chapters for you. have fun



The Cave

The phone rang. He tried to ignore it; the inside of his fridge was so far more interesting to him right now. “ah, for crying out loud”, he slammed the door shut and walked over to his Livingroom. Now the search for the annoying device started. Following the tune, it was not long till he had a hold of it. “Yeah, O`Neill?” he barked.

“Sir, Good morning. Uhm, ehm…” stuttered the voice on the other side

“Carter?” Jack was caught by surprise

“Yes, Sir.” Now the voice seemed a bit calmer and firmer.

“How can I help ya?” for his favourite 2IC he always had time.

“My car broke down and I need to go very urgently to the bank. I was wondering before you go to work if you can give me a lift to the bank and then the mountain?” She spoke so fast that Jack had problems to catch all of this but was sure he got the main part.

“I am right there” he hung up and realized he would skip breakfast but one of his teammates needed help and he was so giving in to it.
After a short drive, his truck reached the house of Carter. A short honk and now he waited. She was sure to come soon. His eyes wandered around and he was watching a squirrel that was just looking for something to eat. The door opened and Carter jumped in.

"Morning, sir. Thanks for the lift" while strapping herself into the seatbelt.

"Any Time Carter, any time" replied Jack and started the engine. “So which bank do you have to go to?”

They talked about trivial matters during the short trip to Carter's bank. Both avoided talking about a topic that might have something to do with their work. Arriving at the parking lot, Carter got out.

"You are staying here sir?" She looked at her friend in surprise.

"You need a babysitter?" Jack answered the question with a question.

"Maybe, you never know. But it`s ok Sir, you do not have to." Carter was just turning around as she heard him mumble under his breath and a door slammed shut. A light smile came over her face.

"Oy, lots of people here at this time of a morning on a Wednesday?" Jack wondered himself,

"Yeah, you are right. Normally it’s not that busy in the middle of the week” she answered curiously and got herself on the end of the queue.

Jack was standing a bit aside, going through some leaflets and watching the people in his immediate surroundings. He registered how the door opened and a few more customers entered. Carter was not even a step closer than five minutes ago and he sighed. That can still take some time.
Jack rummaged his phone out of his pocket to inform Hammond that it might be a little later when the main entrance door was torn open and four masked men stormed in with machine guns and pistols. For a split second, he was taken off guard before his military training kicked in.

"This is a bank robbery, all on the ground. Shut up and nobody gets hurt." came a shout from one of the armed men.

He hardly heard the words and looked over to Sam. Why did she have to stand so far away from him? He could not protect her that way, even though he knew that as an Air Force officer she could take good care of herself. Like a well-rehearsed team, the four robbers swarmed out.
One had glanced at Sam with what Jack did not like at all. He just wanted to take a step towards the duo as she shook her head slightly. This little gesture did not go unnoticed by the man, who now stood beside her, and looked in the direction in which Jack stood. He aimed his gun at him and just stared. Jack stopped instantly.

"Is this your husband?" The masked man now addressed the question to Sam. `what to do? Do I tell the truth he could hurt him to hurt me, do I lie? They could hurt him because he means nothing to me. She just tried the truth "no".

The bank robber looked again at Jack and hints at him finally to sit down since the two were now the only hostages who were still standing. Jack hesitated and before he knew it, the crook standing next to Sam was standing in front of him and pressed the barrel of a 9 mm into his right shoulder. Jack's face twisted into a pain-filled grimace.

"If you do not want to have a hole right here, I strongly suggest you sit down. But before you do, you can empty your bags. Your wallet, watch, etc. Everything that goes with it."

This time, Jack did not hesitate and did as he was told. He did not want to risk his or Carter's life. He gave his entire bag contents to the man in front of him. He just did not want to sit down. The feeling that he then had no control over this situation he was in right now, he did not like. The masked one could not resist and rummage through Jack's papers. Among other things, he found there the military ID card of the Colonel.
Jack grimaced slightly as he heard a mischievous laugh. He knew what that meant.

"Boys, listen. We have a real hero here." The bank robber shouted to his comrades. "So, you are Colonel in the Air Force," he turned back to his opponent.

Jack just shrugged and answered as light as possible “Guilty as charged”.

He received a violent punch on his left side of the face a second later. The barrel of the gun had done a great job. A cut above the left eye of the Colonel opened the red liquid channels. Jack swayed briefly under the blow but remained steadfast. Silently he looked at his adversary, wondered for what that was for and waited. Normally he would say something again, but he thought of Sam.

She was still standing behind the criminal and did not move. Only saw the whole scene with a certain desperation. She felt guilty. He wanted to wait in his truck, she had dragged him in with it. Now he had to pay it. A bank robber came and pushed her past his mate into Jack's arms.

"Shut up, sit down" he commanded briefly and thus ended the gimmick of the first bank robber.

Both officers did as they were told and Sam wanted to look at Jack's eye, which he refused. It seemed to him that both were safer if they would not tell them that they were friends.

The remaining bank robbers had now collected everything. It had not taken long and yet someone had contacted the police. A certain nervousness was spreading among the four criminals and they were busy thinking about what to do. The sirens came closer and they would have no chance.

"I have an idea," one of the four answered.

"We take a hostage", the others agreed.

Another asked if each of them could take one when the first already had a big grin on his face. "We have a Colonel here. That means they will let us go with him. No one risks the life of a USAF Officer " with that said he turned around and went in a few steps to Jack. With his weapon drawn, he ordered him to stand.

"First you are so eager that I sat down and now I should get up again. Can you decide?" He grumbled to himself. Jack took his time which seemed a bit too slow for the guy in front of the Colonel and he started to pull Jack to his black sweater. He almost lost his balance but was able to catch himself at the last moment. The satisfaction he would not give his tormentor. When he stood in front of him in full height, he rolled his eyes and asked as casually as possible

"And now? You will not come out of here anyway. No matter what hostage you take. There's no negotiation with criminals." Jack had focused on just one of the four men and did not notice that another had pulled his pistol and fired a shot at the Colonel. A scream and then O`Neill dropped to the ground. Jack blinked a few times and tried to control his breathing. The bullet hit him in the right shoulder. He knew that there was nothing life-threatening that could be hit but since it was a clear shot through his shoulder, he was losing blood and that could become a problem for him in the long run.

Sam winced and could not believe her eyes. Her friend was lying on the floor in front of her. Blood seeped into the fabric of his pullover. He was breathing hard though. She did not know how to help him and if she could. She heard her coughing CO and wished she could turn back time.
She saw how Jack tried to sit up and how one of the men rudely pulled him on his right shoulder, which had just been injured. His face reflected his pain. For others, it was hard to see. He was too good at pretending, but she knew him, and she knew what was going on in his head. She had known him for years; she knew how clever he was.

Even though Jack O'Neill always acted as if he was not the brightest button on earth, his strength was that his opponents underestimated him, and he knew exactly how it could be exploited in his favour. The police had arrived and had surrounded the bank. A policeman announced over a loudspeaker that the bank will be stormed if the four men do not surrender. The four criminals did not hesitate long - everyone grabbed a hostage. The leader had grabbed Jack and pushed him in front of him.

The Colonel had no choice but to surrender and to do what he was asked to do. The pressure of the pistol in his ribs made that clear. Carter was also used as a human shield and so were two other hostages.

"We come out and want a car big enough for eight people," yelled the leader with Jack as cover to the policeman.

Not twenty minutes later they had been informed that the car which was the wish of the criminals had arrived. The rest of the criminals now took their shields and made their way to the door where Jack had been in an uncomfortable position for more than twenty minutes.
His hostage-taker now had him in a stranglehold and Jack felt he was weakened by the blood loss. Under normal circumstances, he might have been able to defend himself, but he was slightly bent over backwards, with the pistol still in his side with the said stranglehold. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the police guns following. Close behind them followed the second with Carter and then the other two followed with their respective hostages.

Arriving at the car, they pushed Sam and Jack onto the loading area in the cargo hold. All four crooks were in the car and the other two hostages had been released. The biggest chance they had was if they just kept the couple. Jack moaned at the rough impact and stayed right at the spot where he was thrown. Sam worried about him but if the van was not moving, she could not check him over.

Too big was the danger. The guys in the front were aware that they both were good friends and colleagues. Now they only knew that Jack was a member of the Air Force, but no one had thought of Sam and that should stay so if possible. Slowly, the vehicle started to move, and the police had cleared the way. There was nothing left for the police to do at that moment in time.

The two officers in the back of the van had now been on their own. The surrounding snipers had reported that no one had a clear shot and there was a danger that the others would lose their nerve and eventually execute the hostages. This should be avoided under all circumstances possible.
Sam crept quietly to her friend, who had slipped a bit to the side.
"Jack?" Softly she called him.

"Sam," he replied even more softly.

She knew he needed a doctor as soon as possible. His shoulder wound was still bleeding and she's wondering how best to shut it down. She stroked the colonel's short hair, trying to give him a feeling of security. Jack had his eyes closed now. He felt how she stroked him and enjoyed it. He only wished that the circumstances were better than those in which they were now. The van had now taken on a bit more speed and the police had pursued the vehicle at a safe distance. But lost it after a few miles.

In the bank, the remaining ex hostages were all relieved and everyone took a deep breath, glad everybody survived it unharmed.
After a long drive, the van turned on a field or forest road. Sam felt how the ground changed and the vehicle now moved more as before and shook all the inmates. She heard the Colonel moan quietly in pain. His eyes were still closed. She had removed her and his socks, creating a makeshift bandage around his injured shoulder.

Since the loading area was dark, Sam had never been able to see where they were going or where they were now. But she noticed how the van slowed down until it came to a standstill.

The doors were torn open and one of the hostage-takers waved a rifle in front of their noses and ordered them to climb out. Sam tried to explain that the Colonel was in no condition to do so, but no one wanted to listen. Without further ado, he was pulled from the loading area by his ankles and dropped on the forest floor. Jack groaned and tried to stand up.

But was immediately pressed back to the ground. Someone had his foot on his back and laughed dangerously at his victim, who now lay quietly on the ground. Jack did not have the strength he needed to fight and if they did not let him get up, he would not go for it. Sam now yelled at the man who was standing over Jack and had a blow to her face as a result immediately that burst opens her lip.

She took a quick look around to see the situation and saw that another car was here. As if a light bulb had been switched on in her head, she just realized that it was all planned. Take two hostages here and change the car. The faces were never seen by anyone, so now they could get rid of the two hostages and drive away with a clear conscience with the whole loot.

The man who took a liking on Jack and the torture he could give him took his foot off the back of his victim and gave him a kick in the side. Sam heard a crackling noise and knew that at least one rib of the Colonel’s was already broken. She did not dare to remember how many opportunities her friend had to crack or break them.

It seemed the rarest case when it was just a bruise. Jack bit his lip and did not make a sound. He stumbled on the cold metal of the van, just so he would not have to say hello again to the forest floor. He looked over to Sam and gave her a faint smile before he had to cough and spat out some blood.

Sam saw this and it scared her, hoping only that the four criminals would finally make it on the way, leaving them both alone, and she could finally get help for the Colonel. She had not counted on the dark side of humanity.

"We should keep a hostage. Just in case. I do not trust the whole thing that way. The Colonel will soon give up the sign of life so we should take the woman." One of the men noticed, another agreed and already licked his lips as he looked over to Sam and checked her out from top to bottom.

"The woman will not help you. You have more chance of accomplishing your project if you have a USAF Colonel as a hostage,” stated Jack with a glimmer of hope that they would leave his Major alone.

“I will go with you but leave the woman here. If she is good, she will eventually find her way back to civilization. If not, then you have not lost anything." Jack tried to offer himself to get Sam out of the lane.

He hoped that she would have memorized the number plate of the second car to be able to report it to the nearest police station.
The man who had favoured Jack beamed with enthusiasm. This meant he could do a bit more to him and continue to play with his victim to his heart's content. Where they went, they would never be found, and the Colonel would be forever in their trap. He liked this idea so much that he convinced his comrades.

Sam wanted to protest. She knew Jack was signing his own death sentence and she would not let it happen. But the decision was made. A strong blow on the back of her neck and Sam collapsed like a wet sack of potatoes.

Jack's hands were tied to his back and then he was put into the trunk of the second car. His long legs barely had room in it and his reclining position was anything but comfortable. He only hoped that she would soon wake up and seek help. His science genius was safe for now. That was all that did count for the Colonel. He closed his eyes and went to the land of dreams.

Jack was pretty shaken up by now; he drifted in and out of consciousness. His shoulder and ribs made him feel alive still. Pain is good, then you realize that you are alive. Jack's instructor had once told him, he recalled it. The car stopped and a short time later the trunk lid was unlocked. Jack squinted as his sensitive eyes were now used to the darkness and the sun was considered too bright.

He heard voices talking and the first names fell. One listens to the name of Adam and the other one was called Paul. Now all he had to do was to sort out the faces that belonged to the names. Roughly, Jack was helped off his small momentary prison. He looked around and found that they were somewhere in a forest.

It still had to be the Rocky Mountains because there was a cave in front of him into which he was now shoved. The colonel had no idea how long he walked or stumbled into the mountain. His thoughts flew to Sam. He hoped so much that she had made it and got help. She was so much smarter than himself and he was happy in his own special way that he had managed to swap her.
The way became lower and much narrower. Jack began to duck a bit, which his ribs did not like at all and he yelped. His hostage-taker had no understanding for that and pushed him roughly forward. They now reached another part of the cave and this new section looked quite large. Jack glanced around and observed his surroundings. He saw a waterfall to his left which ended in a lake.

Loose rock to his right. He had also noticed that the men were probably here more often or for a while already here because he could recognize iron chains. Perfect for binding someone and keeping him from escaping. Jack was pushed in the direction of the chains and he lost his footing through the loose rocks under his feet. The scream followed instantly and echoed back from the walls again and drove his tormentor to have a grin on his face.

Jack was put first only on one iron chain. It was probably thought that it was enough to give a Colonel of the USAF only an ankle bracelet. Jack did not move, he waited until he had been left alone, to make himself a bit more comfortable, whatever you could call cosy in this cave. His ribs hurt and burned as if someone had lit a hellfire in it. His shoulder felt hot now; Jack would not be surprised if he had an infection there

Jack moved now. Since he heard nothing more, he assumed that he was alone. Carefully, he opened his eyes and continued to look around. The sound of the water had something soothing in it even if he could not see anything without a lamp.

Jack realized that it was pitch black and they had not even let stay with a light. He did not know how far he was from the lake and if he would manage to crawl there to at least wash his wound and drink something. Jack was scared. He could deal with many things; God knows what he suffered through his whole military life but the fact that he could not see anything made him panic a bit.

Sam woke up and after a check on her watch, she realized that she was unconscious for over an hour. At this hour, the criminals could be anywhere else with the Colonel. She had memorized the license plate and said it repeatedly so that she could not forget it. Sam had struggled to her feet and started walking back to civilization. She felt thirsty and her thoughts circled around the Colonel.

Why had he done such a stupid thing? Why did he always have to play the hero? She asked herself so many questions although she knew exactly the answer. He was her CO. His sense of responsibility towards her and each of his team members was so high that if he could prevent it he did everything to get his team out of harm's way and if that did not work out he did everything in his power to find his kids and take them home.
He was Jack O'Neill, a USAF officer who had as much honour as she ever would have imagined. Nobody stayed behind with him. And that was what she had admired about him. Yes, Jack sometimes had a loose mouth and liked to provoke his enemies, but that was his way of dealing with difficult situations. He makes jokes to cheer up the mood and always has a loose saying in stock.

Sam remembered when they were trapped in the ice in Antarctica not far from McMurdo and he made suggestions as to how to set it up there. He had told her then that they could do it and it took them a while until she believed him. But since that adventure, she had not ever doubted the word of her superior again.

Jack saw a beam of light reflected on the ceiling. He would probably get the same visit. He only hoped that it was not his special friend. The rest seemed ok and left him alone. All he had to do was beware of the one crappy guy and right now he did not feel that he was strong enough to take on the fight. Jack saw in the dim beam that a rock was behind him. He slowly backed up and leaned against it. It was good for him to sit upright and in this position, he waited for the end of him.

A young man stepped into the present home of Jack and found that he had not even gotten his shackles off his hands. Slightly timidly, the young man approached Jack and watched the battered man in front of him.

"Well, would you like to have your hands free?" Asked the boy after a while. Jack was too tired to even lift his head, so he simply smiled and replied with a softly spoken yes.

Immediately he felt how he was leaning forward and got the pressure on his wrists. His arms fell to the side and the boy who had just helped him leaned Jack carefully back against the stone.

"Sir, it's not much I can do for you, but I brought a small bowl here. You must drink something. The lake Jack had seen at the beginning was only a few inches away from him, so the boy had felt some water in the bowl and held it to his lips.

In small gulps, Jack enjoyed the cool liquid. Only when the bowl was empty did the boy leave his captive alone, hoping the Colonel had a strong will if he wanted to survive this. Jack closed his eyes again and gave himself away to the abyss of the darkness that started to surround him. The kindness he had just learned warmed his heart and he thought to himself that not all of them were so cold-hearted and they had just brutally targeted an officer of the USAF.

xxx

Sam had reached the main road after a long hike and was now walking along with it. Now, she would even be hitchhiking to get to her destination faster. She had to rescue Jack. She knew how bad he was injured and that he would not last long. Time was running against her. Out of the blue, a car came and drove in the same direction that she was going to. She kept her thumb in the wind and the driver stopped.

"Thanks for stopping. My name is Major Samantha Carter. Is it possible for you to take me to the next town? This is literally a matter about life and death." In a firm voice, she had put her request to the man in front of her who did not hesitate for a second and cleared his passenger seat and let her get on board.

“My name is Adrian; the nearest town is only a few miles away. Shall I drop you off by the police if it's so urgent?" The driver replied, setting his vehicle in motion.

"This would be brilliant, many thanks." Exhausted, Sam leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She did not sleep, just rested her eyes and paid close attention to all the noises around her. Adrian had seen how exhausted the Major was in his passenger seat and had decided against it to start a conversation.

He cleared his throat when they arrived in front of the police station and asked if he could help any further. Sam thanked him and with a warm smile, she declined any more help but assured him that he was a tremendous help to her. With a few steps, she entered the old building in front of her. She did not spend much time looking for an officer. Even if it was rather a small town, there worked at least five police guys at the present time. She went to the counter and asked for a long talk with the station manager. From experience, she knew that only with the leader there would not be so many problems and she did not have to explain everything twice or three times.

xxx

Jack did not know how long he had slept, but when he woke up, he felt himself shaking all over. The cave was damp and cold. The memories came back to him and he hoped so much that Sam had succeeded in her mission to notify anyone. The noise of steps travelled to his ear. He listened and hoped that it was the nice guy from before. He had no strength to defend against anyone who wanted to torture him. The ceiling was first illuminated until the flashlight spread over the entire interior. Jack recognized a well-built older man and hoped that this was not his special friend, who was so much after him. Here in the hole, no one had any more masks on which Jack concluded that they would not let him go by any chance. No, these men wanted to inflict agony and pain on him if his weakened body could endure it. Grinning, the older man stood in front of him and looked at the heap in front of him. Jack gave him a miserable picture.

"How are you doing? Hungry?" In a smoky voice, he asked two precise questions without further ado, to which he immediately expected an answer. Jack tried to focus his attention on the figure and with his clattering teeth, he replied,

"I'm fine and yes I'm hungry"

His opponent began to grin again and knelt next to Jack. He looked at the Colonel a little more closely and without warning, he grabbed him by his sweater collar. With this abrupt action, Jack was caught off guard and groaned in pain. That seemed to please the older man. He lifted Jack a few inches into the air and threw him in the direction of the lake. Headfirst, the colonel landed in the lake and struggled to get his head again over the water.

His tormentor was already above him. With an iron grip, he pulled Jack up by his hair, causing him to scream. His sweater was now completely soaked, and it would not be long before his jeans did the same. He coughed and tried to get his arms under his torso to support himself better.
His opponent had noticed that and kicked his arms away with his feet. Then he let go of the Colonel's hair, which ended with Jack again underwater, this time he felt a knee between his shoulder blades which pressed him down. Jack tried to hold his breath for as long as possible and on his best days he had probably done more than 2 minutes, but today was not such a day.

Jack tried to fight back with all the strength he could find anywhere in him. With one last stroke of strength, he managed to push his adversary from him and desperately he breathed the necessary oxygen. His breathing was so fast that he had to be careful not to panic and then hyperventilate.
He knew that would be the end. `been there, done that, got the fucking t-shirt' he thought to himself. With an ugly laugh and another kick for good measure, the hostage-taker let go of him and disappeared again. Slowly and panting, Jack crawled out of the water. If he was not careful, he would probably get pneumonia. He leaned against his stone again and tried once more to bring his breathing under control.

The effort and the withdrawal of oxygen made his breath sound more like a steam train than the breathing of an adult man. Slowly, the Colonel calmed down, realizing how much his stomach was rebelling against the fact that he had nothing nutritious all day. Since it was his special friend who asked him if he was hungry, Jack did not expect that he would get anything today. He did not even know how to dry himself off. But he knew he could not stay in the wet clothes. So, he started in the dark to get rid of his sweater and then his pants. He did not believe that he would again be disturbed today. Almost naked, he now leaned against his stone and was glad to be caught by the black fingers of darkness.

When Jack awoke, he felt miserable. The blood loss coupled with the torment left its mark. He shifted slightly to allow his stiff limbs a better blood circulation. With his good hand, he wiped many pebbles aside until he felt bare stone underneath and he laid himself down, pulling his legs up as far as it goes to his chest and embracing it with his arms. He had checked his clothes, but they were still wet and so he couldn’t put them on. His teeth clattered and eventually, Jack lost consciousness again.

xxx

Sam had spent the longest time arguing with the man of the law and tried to explain what was going on. Now she was about ready to send her interlocutor to the desert and just call General Hammond of the SGC. But since both were not on duty, the police had the right of prerogative and Sam had to play by their rules.
"So Major, again from scratch" the Sheriff just wanted to be sure that he really understood was this woman in front of him was telling as Sam went up through the ceiling.
"No, not again, I've told you tens of millions of times. Every minute you waste here, my supervisor's chances of survival drops." Sam blushed in her face and just managed to get herself together again before she completely lost control over herself and she knew as an officer of the Air Force she could not do this. But enough was enough and her rage exploded.
She stormed out of the building and took a deep breath before she fumbled her cell phone out of her pocket and did what she should have done from the start. She called the General.

TBC
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Re: The Cave

Post by bftlovesRDA »

Wow! Love "The Cave" - and can't wait for more! Thank you for posting it!
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Re: The Cave

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I have already read it and enjoyed it very much. I hope the others will enjoy it too :D
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Re: The Cave

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JackGywer wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:55 am I have already read it and enjoyed it very much. I hope the others will enjoy it too :D
ah, so you on the same FF webside I use for posting FF... so I hope other will enjoy it. glad you like it...
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Re: The Cave

Post by bftlovesRDA »

What is going to happen next? Sam is calling the General and Jack is unconscious - want the next part please.......

Would be nice for others who are reading this to comment. It's such a good story....
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Re: The Cave

Post by Monika »

WOW, great :D :D :D
Please give us more. Fast please. Now you have made us curious.

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Re: The Cave

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bftlovesRDA wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:22 pm What is going to happen next? Sam is calling the General and Jack is unconscious - want the next part please.......

Would be nice for others who are reading this to comment. It's such a good story....
I have to be on my laptop for posting. if I remember myself tomorrow I will post the next part.

thank you for all you made such a nice comment. it is very encouraging... love you all😘😘😘
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Re: The Cave

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Can't wait for more.
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Re: The Cave

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Next Part is coming up right now:

Her anger escalated so much that Sam threatened to lose control. She let one or two tears run wild. She worried so much about Jack and felt let down by the local authorities.

xxx

Jack woke as he heard footsteps again. Not long after, the same old guy, who had last paid him a visit, was standing right in front of him. Jack did not move but his eyes followed every step. He heard a Zippo snap and the rubbing from metal on metal to light a flame. Shortly afterwards, cigar smoke got into his nose.

Not that Jack had anything against it. He liked the smell. Jack’s master was walking slowly around him so that the Colonel could not see him anymore. O'Neill did not want to know what was coming and closed his eyes. He did not care. At that moment, he felt something hot glowing on his skin which spanned over his ribs.

Again, and again in different places but still close to each other Jack felt round burns of his skin. This bastard imprinted his cigar on him. Jack moaned softly, hoping he would soon have his peace and freedom again to turn to his fresh wounds. Again, and again he listened to the Zippo sound and again and again, the cigar was lit. Slowly, Jack wondered what that perverted pig was.

If he had had the strength he would have long since jumped his torturer's throat and overwhelmed him. He wondered how it came that this man hated the Air Force so much. Jack could not endure the pain at the end and lost consciousness. Should the guy kill him anyway! That did not matter. The main thing was Carter was safe. Yes, she was worth saving. He was just an old, squeamish soldier who talked with sarcastic slogans.
Hammond had sent an Airman in order to fetch the Major. He could not quite understand on the phone what she told him because she spoke too fast and the connection here in the mountains was not the best.

When Carter sat a short time later in the office of her supervisor and had told him everything, he sat in silence for a second. That was so typical Jack to always throw himself in the line of fire to protect others. He called a few of his computer geeks; Carter gave them the license plate and so they went looking for the car to locate.

xxx

Some days later

"Sir, you called me?" Sam stepped into the office's light.

"Major, I am very sorry but so far we have not achieved a result. We monitor every street and every corner. I even sent drones over the Rockies. Nothing. Then we are looking for is as if swallowed from the ground of the earth. We do not even know if they stayed here in the area. They could be elsewhere. I am very sorry, but I can`t keep the search going for very much longer. If we do not find Jack soon, it will look bad for him. That’s all Major. Dismissed.” to allow no further discussion, Hammond devoted himself again to his files and reports.

Sam wanted to say something but knew that the General had set his mind. She knew how hard it had to be. Slowly, she went back to her lab to continue pondering. She had set up a corner with a precisely detailed Map that represented the mountains. She tried now to find out where the crooks could have hidden with Jack.

Sam could not imagine that the four were driving very far with a wounded hostage. `Jack, please hold on. I am coming; I do not know how long it will take, but please hold on.` She implored her CO in thought.

xxx

Jack finally had his jeans and sweater on for the last two days because it had taken so long until they were half dry. The young man from the beginning had occasionally brought him something to eat and saw how cold Jack was. He did not know what was going to happen to the prisoner and he did not want to know, but he wanted to make his life a little easier.

In this case, if it is a blanket, then so be it. Very often it is so. Jack had often been left alone for the last few days. His tormentor was rarely visiting him and so Jack had the opportunity to gain some strength which was almost an impossibility with the few calorie intakes he had. Often, the Colonel had the feeling that he was forgotten and so it was no wonder that he lost more and more weight.

His body showed scars and cuts everywhere. Some cuts were made by the older man who just wanted to see what it takes to get Jack to scream. So far, he had not done it again. Just at the beginning but since then he remained mute. The captive on the iron chain had a strong will, but he knew he was going to break it.

Everybody has a breaking point. You just had to find it. He had found this point when he remembered the wallet. The old man rummaged through every single card and every single compartment until he found what he was looking for.

Jack was nestled in his clothes in the blanket on the bare rocks, ignoring the pain in his limbs as much as he could bear. He heard footsteps again and his eyes focused on the passage while he hoped it was not the old man again. His luck was not going for him today. This time he even had something in his hand.

With a big grin, the old man now stood in front of Jack and pulled him up on his right shoulder. Jack obeyed decently as this shoulder had not healed properly and it was causing him great pain. As he stood in full length before his grinning tyrant this ogre gave Jack a fully blown punch in the stomach.

The Colonel dropped to his knee, holding his abdomen while convincing himself there is not enough pain to scream. His face was consumed with pain. He coughed and groaned, but he did not scream. That was the only thing he had leftover what he had control and he did not want to take this little action.

His head was pulled backwards harshly by his hair and breathing became difficult at first. Wide-eyed, Jack now realized what he had previously seen from far away in the man's hand. Jack got tears in his eyes. This pig had a picture of Charlie in his hand. His photo was from his purse and these dirty fingers draped around his photo. That was his. Anger rose in Jack and he thought for a moment whether he should dare to overpower his opponent or whether he should continue to give in in small ways.

He decided to fight, though he did not know yet how to get out of his ankle bracelet. Everything he ever wanted to be was a fair chance to fight. With full force, he jumped against the grinning man, who did not know for the first moment what had happened to him. He staggered back and Jack fell brutally to the floor.

Driven by anger and the naked will of peace, he immediately jumped up again and threw his opponent left and then a right in his face. So, involved in the fight and feeling confident that he had a chance, he did not notice that one of his comrades came from behind.

Jack just hit his head hard before he collapsed and fell unconscious. Breathing heavily, the older man gathered his thought and grinned at his buddy who had just helped him and was now unpacking a cable binder, asking with a wry grin if he wanted to make use of it.

Of course, this sadist wanted to use it. He tied both feet together and both hands behind Jack's back, regardless of any loss or pain the Colonel could suffer. For him, it was only about the greatest possible pain to torment without killing his victim.

When all his limbs were tied, he linked them together behind the Colonel's back. Even from the look, it looked painful and uncomfortable. They then let him lie right on the spot where Jack fell unconscious.

It was not too long before Jack regained some of his senses. Somewhat disoriented, he quickly realized that he could no longer move. This bastard had taken this kind of freedom now as well. But he was not going to scream. Nothing in the world will make Colonel Jack O'Neill do something he does not want.

He could still move his head and looked around the cave. He had been given a permanent light since yesterday. So, he finally could see something. The pain increased every minute. His body lay so unfavourably on the small pointed stones that stabbed them into his tender flesh. The gravity and weight of his body then took care of the rest. He felt weak again; he felt that his infection, which he had in his shoulder, was still there. He had only learned to handle it and to displace the feeling of weakness when necessary.

Jack was about to give up, to surrender to everything and just stop listening. He closed his eyes and decided not to stop them. Should they do what they wanted with his body, his spirit will never be able to break.

It was not too long before the Colonel got company again. The same idiot from earlier had now joined him. Jack recognized it by the penetrating smell that always surrounds him. The eyes remained closed. The first blow occurs against his chest followed by a second and third.

His tyrant was suddenly against everything that belonged to Jack: joints, bones and muscle meat; anything that could hurt the flyboy on the ground in any way. Jack had switched mentally. He made no sound and he did not open his eyes anymore. Nobody could hurt him in his little world where he was now spiritually. Too many walls were built around it.

xxx

Sam had not slept for the last two days. She had narrowed down the area where she suspected the criminals were hiding with Jack. Based on the many road cameras this was possible. She noticed where the car was and where it should not have been and where it should have been, but it did not show up. Sam then calculated the circumference and then compared it to a map showing the caves that were in the mountains.

There were only three caves in the specified area, and she knew that they were not searched before. Excited, she ran to the General to make her latest discovery. He had not stopped the search yet and she worked feverishly on a solution. She just hoped Jack was still alive.

A few minutes later, she stood in the briefing room with Daniel, Teal’c and the General, explaining how she came up with it and pleading with her superior to investigate. If she was right, they would find Jack. Hammond himself did not show his excitement.

But he wanted to be able to embrace his major for this idea. Factually, as he was, he ordered the launch of a drone to fly over the said area with the three possible picks, and if one was to discover the car at that, he would, without hesitation, put together a rescue team.

It took about half an hour until the drone was ready and it was for Sam a half an hour too much. She had seen the start and now watched the flight over a monitor in the control room very closely. The first hollow was already overflown, but there was nothing to discover there, so it had been a few minutes later with the second cave. Now they approached the third cave, but even there you could see nothing in the overflight. Resigned, Sam dropped her eyes. Her entire hope lay in front of her like fragments at that moment.

It was Daniel who had insisted that they fly over it again but this time from another direction. He noticed something on the surface of the earth that did not really fit. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the screen. You could have heard a pin drop so tense and quiet it was. If you did not know better, you would have thought that even the machines stopped their sounds and literally held their breath.

"There, did you see that too?" Daniel pointed wildly at the screen.

No one could see anything at this moment because his hand was in front of it. He ordered the Airman responsible for the tape to rise and stop something when he said it. It was not long before everyone saw what Dr. Jackson had been seeing all the time. A black dot that was barely taken was visible. When zooming in it turned out that it was the fender of the searched car. Covered with a plane you could not really see the car from the bird's eye view. A rescue team was put together and Sam Carter had been announced as the leader of all teams. Nevertheless, it took a long time until they reached the area with the desired cave.

The well-rehearsed teams of the elite soldiers of Cheyenne Mountain surrounded the entire parameter in a few steps. Quietly, understanding only with a show of hands, they moved themselves step by step through the hollow entrance.

The fight Itself did not last long, and three of the four criminals had been arrested. They were missing one more. Sam saw a shadow in the darkness and made her way over in a few steps. She had discovered the passage to the second chamber and followed it now. She had not given up hope of finding the Colonel alive.

The Major knew how stubborn he could be and how superhumanly he clung to his life for a long time. Carefully, she entered the second chamber. Through her flashlight, she realized quite well how it looked here and saw a body that lay by the lake. There was no one else around. Carefully, Sam made her way and hesitantly stretched out her fingers. She had already recognized from a few feet away that it was the motionless body of her CO.
Carefully she touches his neck for a pulse. She took a deep breath as she found one. It was very weak, but it was there. Using her knife, she cut the Colonel's shackles and gently turned him over. His eyes were closed. His face was barely recognizable as his own. His sweater hung down on him more in rips than she could remember as a piece of clothing. She gently stroked his hair and called his name.

He did not respond. She tried two more times, but nothing happened. It was not until she addressed him as a Colonel with a firm military command, that he opened his eyes. Sparkling blue eyes looked in dull brown ones. He tried to smile at her, which ended in a grimace.

"Sam, you have found me," he stated in a low and exhausted voice.

"Yes, sir. We found you.” She was still stroking his hair soothingly to make him realize it was not a dream.

"Sam, are you getting the lock on my ankle?" He pointed down at the same time. Sam examined her mission for a moment and did not hesitate after that. A few seconds later the problem was solved.

"Sir, can you walk?" Sam asked worriedly.

"I will do it with your help. Help me up please," he requested.

As soon as he stood and had leaned on her, his best friend came from God knows where. He stood still for a moment and could hardly believe what he saw in front of him.

“Flyboy wanted to fly.” He grunts.

That was not right. But first, he had to clear the blonde out of the way and then he could take care of his captive again. He aimed at Sam and pulled the trigger. Sam jumped in shock and searched in vain for the pain of the hit. It never came. Instead, now her CO lay unconscious at her feet. Mindfully, Sam drew her own weapon and fired a full magazine into the criminal's body.

Sam knelt and tried to locate the gunshot wound. She could not believe that Jack had once again saved her life. Frightening, she realized that the bullet entered near the heart had found its mark. Suppressing her tears, she pleaded Jack to fight.

She could not lose him. She had just found him. By the volume of the shots, the other comrades were attracted and in the blink of an eye, the Colonel's gunshot wound had been provided with a few bandages while vest and jackets made a kind of carrying stretcher.

By the quickest route possible, Jack had been taken to the Infirmary at SGC. There was already the doctor team with Janet Fraiser ready to push the patient immediately in the OR. Everything they knew had already been communicated via radio and so there were many preparations and blood products ready as soon as the Colonel was under the knife.

Sam sat on the floor in front of the infirmary all the time. Daniel and Teal`c had tried to change her mind so she could at least get refreshed. She had refused it all. She wanted to be as close as possible to Jack, her knight in shining armour. Because of her, he was now in there. Because she did not pull her gun in time. It was she who was not careful enough. He had trusted her.

It had been several hours now and with every passing minute, Carter feared more for her supervisor, for the person who meant the most to her. The person she secretly loved and could never claim for herself. More minutes passed and when the door was pushed open, Sam was almost frightened to death.

She jumped up from the floor when Daniel and Teal`c joined her. She looked at her friend Janet in the eye and the doctor did not hesitate and made a short report to inform the rest of SG1 about their leader.

"It was close, too close for my taste. We struggled to remove the bullet that had a tiny fragment of a metal splinter and hit the heart. Colonel O'Neill's heart had stopped beating for over five minutes, which is a very long time and already reaches the limits where you can expect slight brain damage. But we will not be able to say if this will happen until he regains consciousness. He has slipped into a coma due to the many blood and oxygen losses. He will have to lie in intensive care for some time and need as much rest as possible. That would be all for now. "Janet said goodbye and went back to the infirmary to check on her patient.

Sam sat quietly next to her supervisor and held his hand. When she talked to him, it was very soft. But she insisted she let him know she was there. She knew that he saw his team as his family and if someone was not feeling well the family was the best there was for a quick recovery. She looked at the monitors, which beeped in the same rhythm. For hours already they indicated the same lines. There was no change. Sam grinned at the thought of how her Colonel would freak out if he could see himself like this.

All too well she knew how much he hated to be here with all the attention he got and the many needles. She looked back at his face, lean, sunken in and ill-looking. Janet had noted in her official report that he was dangerously underweight and slowly had to be nursed back to health again. She had read his report.

Among the injuries were three broken ribs, two bullet wounds, numerous abrasions, cuts, burns and a squeezed kidney. After reading such a list Carter had to ask herself how he managed to come back again and again. But if one can do it, it would be the Colonel. Sam was proud to be his 2IC. So far, she had learned a lot from him: many tactical moves and gimmicks that only Jack O`Neill knew and he taught only her.

Daniel and Teal`c came over from time to time to inquire. By now, three weeks had passed and there was still no change. Sam was exhausted. She had strictly refused to leave him alone and then had rather slept on his bedside with her head - sometimes in a chair just because she was afraid, she could miss the moment in which he wakes up.

Doctor Fraiser stepped into the darkened room where the Colonel was lying and looked at the clipboard attached to his bedside. Sam was dozing with her head down on her chest. She looked up when she saw her friend and quietly asked if there was any news.

"I can`t tell you anything new. I only know that in the state in which he was admitted, his body has gone through a lot. Normally people stay in a coma until the body has healed enough to handle the rest. The trauma must have been quite severe in his case. "The doc looked now to the motionless body of her patient and wished the time were here already when he would annoy someone again that he wanted to go home where he was so much better off to recover himself.

"Sam, talk to him. You are close friends. Your voice may help him. Only he can manage to get out of it himself. But you can still try to lend him a hand." With that, she cheerfully put a hand on the major’s shoulder and squeezed it slightly. Then she left the room. In her office she updated the results in the Colonel`s file on her computer.


Sam moved closer to her friend stroking the back of his hand with her thumb and talking quietly with her CO. She talked about her family and about some of the missions that just happened recently and came to her mind. She explained to him all sorts of things to do with astrophysics and consciously used foreign words as much as possible to where she knew he was going to interrupt her because he had no idea what she was talking about.

Sam smiled across her face as she introduced herself to the memory of the Colonel who in his own unique way could shut her up. Shocked, she suddenly stared at her friend. She had felt a twitch in her hand that did not come from her.

"Colonel?" She spoke to him and began to give him the courage that he finally managed to wake up after such a long time. She noticed how his eyelids twitched. She pressed the alarm button that belonged to his bed to inform the medical staff. A few seconds later, the door was already open and a breathless Doctor Fraiser stood in the room.

"He's moving, Janet, he's coming to." It bubbled out of the Major.

Janet watched the monitors and could see that the rhythm of the heartbeat had changed slightly. The long-awaited moment had come. Colonel Jack O'Neill opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He seemed a bit disoriented. Sam could see how he slowly came back to reality and began to focus. He turned his head slightly and looked into the blue eyes of his 2IC.

"That's good, Jack. You did it." Sam could have hugged the whole world at that moment.

She had used his name. At that moment, there was nothing better for Jack than to wake up and see her in front of him. As she pronounced his name, there was something sweet about it. He felt even more stimulated and opened his mouth

"Sam" he whispered and that was all he got out of it. His throat felt like sandpaper and his body gave him the impression of being rolled over by a truck.

"It's OK. Save your strength. You are in the infirmary and nothing is going to happen to you anymore. You just must get well soon." She stroked him on his hand with hers again and headed out of his room. Jack had closed his eyes again and escaped to the land of dreams. Janet was also done with her examinations and left Jack in his room just to find a waiting Major standing outside.

"And? He'll be ok again, right?" Sam could not wait to hear the latest updates on her CO's health.

"Sam, calm down. He went through a lot and lost a lot of blood. He will be just fine again without consequential damage. But it will take a while. You can certainly help him with that if. You know him and know what he needs. But right now, he just needs as much rest as possible. He'll get on our nerves soon enough." Janet told her friend and smiled reassuringly.

"Can I see him again?" Sam began to relax; which Janet has recognized with relief.

"Yes, but only for 5 minutes. The Colonel needs rest." with that the Doctor went to her office.

Sam returned to the darkened room where Jack laid. For a moment she just watched him. He looked different. His face was not so sunken in anymore; now it almost looked peaceful. She could not interpret it exactly, but she liked it.

xxx

In her lab, Sam tried to concentrate on her tasks. SG5 had brought a device back from one of the missions and she was asked to find out what it was good for. A smile crossed her face as she pictured the Colonel as he would look at it. Dreamily she saw over her table and could see him standing there. Bored to the bones not knowing what to do with himself, he always referred to their technical devices as Dohickis. The word alone was already so typical Jack. She shook her head and Jack disappeared. She had a task ahead of her and needed to focus on it.

Over the loudspeaker, she heard a voice calling for her and summoning her to the general's office. Immediately Sam left everything standing and lying where it was, locked the lab and was on her way. Still so glad for not having to continue working here. Sometimes the lab just became too small for her. The major knocked on the door of her supervisor and waited for the ok to enter. She did not have to wait long, as usual.

"General? Did you want to see me?" She announced with a slightly questioning look.

"Major, yes, have a seat." He waved his outstretched arm into the empty chair in front of her. "I just got a call from the police. It's about another testimony from you. They asked that whenever you got the time to just drive by for a quick statement." He cleared his throat and before Sam could have said something he continued, "Sam, how are you?" His eyes seemed worried as he asked the question. That was something she liked about her General. He was not so hard-boiled, but rather caring for his staff like a father figure.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about the Colonel," she answered him with a thin smile. "Would that be all, Sir?" Carter got up and left the office when she saw his nod.

On the way back to her lab she ran into Daniel who had his nose stuck in a report, obviously more interesting than the environment he was in.

"Sorry, Sam," he murmured and had gone further.

"Daniel, wait." She followed him.

"Would you like something to eat for lunch later on?" He looked up from his report and looked at his watch.

"Yeah, how about in 45 minutes then it's 1300. Ok for you? I just have to finish this" and with that, he was already gone.

Sam watched him go and shook her head slightly. `At least one who can concentrate, 'she thought to herself and went the other way to her lab.

xxx

A slight hum woke him up. Eyes still closed; Jack tried to recall where he was. It felt soft under his body, and the smell in his nose smelled of disinfectant and medication. `oy, ` he groaned in his head. The nail he had in there had not disappeared yet, and after a quick check-up of his body, he noticed that he had less pain than before.

`Janet must have given me painkillers. How nice. `he thought to himself and decided to open his eyes. This was more difficult than he expected at first. For him, it felt as if someone was holding his eyelids shut. Only after several attempts he finally succeeded. He looked around and was glad of the dim light. Normally it was always so bright, and his sensitive eyes did not like it.

He frowned slightly. `Nobody is sitting by my bed watching over me? What about my team? They always waited by my bed as I do with them. Am I worth so little to them now? `Jack wondered but pushed that thought fast out of his mind. No, there had to be another reason why no one was here. He wondered if he should ring the bell to get someone’s attention.

Although it might have been right, Jack decided against pressing the bell. He enjoyed the silence, and no one fumbled around him. Slowly he closed his eyes again. He could not sleep but relaxed a little.

xxx

Sam had done a lot in the 45 minutes and waited in the canteen for her friend. He came running shortly after she had arrived.

"Any news on Jack?" Daniel asked his teammate and friend without much ado.

"Not since this morning. I had talked to Janet and she said that he needs rest but probably gets well very soon. You know the Colonel. He can’t stay in bed for too long anyway. I would have loved to stay with him much longer, but he opened his eyes for a moment and there was no reason to stay with him after that. Just like yours, my work does not work on its own." She gave him a smiling answer.

With a tray full of snacks and drinks, both sought a table in a quiet corner.

"Do you know where Teal`c is gone? Have not seen him for a few days." Sam stated as she realized that she missed her big Jaffa friend.

"After hearing that SG1 is on Downtime he had talked to the General. He went to Chulak with permission to visit his son there. " Daniel let the Major know.

Without another word, the two friends finished their lunch and went their own way. Everyone had their own thoughts.

xxx

On the way home, the Major stopped by the police and answered a few questions that had arisen over the last few hours. When she got home it was already quite late. She grinned as she remembered the Colonel's weary but mischievous look after she had seen him before she left. He had assured her that he was fine and that she should not worry about him. `Yeah Jack, as if that was so easy that I would not worry about you. `Sam sighed and wished again that they were not in the direct chain of command and the regulations where not in the way.

`It's like it is. So at least I see him almost every day and his smile. Oh, Gosh such a beautiful smile. Oh, Jack` she was now sitting on her sofa with an open bottle of red wine and saw her superior in her mind's eye, smiling at her. She remembered the time back when they had the short talk in his house, and he told her how much she was worth and told her that she was a national treasure. She wanted to tell him what she felt for him then. But both had been on tiptoe and did not know exactly what to say.

TBC

xxx

So that's it for now. hope you enjoyed this part. Comments are very welcome :)
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Re: The Cave

Post by bftlovesRDA »

YES, i enjoyed every word of it. Was so glad Sam found her Colonel in time and was not surprised that Jack saved Carter again....that's what he would have done.

Thanks very much, Jacky. Well done.
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