DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
Forty-five irritating minutes passed as Sam grilled Damian Fielding, alleged Ph.D. The man was without a shadow of a doubt the most arrogant human she'd ever met. He'd even give Maybourne a run for his money. Each question was barely, if at all answered, then twisted into a dissertation on how he would have handled the situation differently. Sam finally decided that enough was enough. "So, Doctor, if I'm hearing you correctly, you have no idea where the Jacksons were digging just prior to their deaths, is that right?"
Fielding smiled. "As I've stated before, Major, I was in South America at that time, studying the ruins of..."
"Yes, thank you, but back to the Jacksons. He was a good friend, correct?"
"Oh, yes, Dr. Jackson and I were quite close."
"But he never gave you any indication of what he and his wife were doing?"
"I'm afraid not. I do know he was extremely excited about the exhibition in New York. Pity."
"Doctor, I really find it hard to believe..."
Fielding smiled. "I know what you're going to say. You find it hard to believe that such a close friend wouldn't have confided in me, particularly since I am also an archaeologist."
Sam nodded. "Very well stated, now as to the answer..?"
"Young lady, archaeologists can be a very closed-mouth group. And when it comes to a significant find, possibly of major historical significance, then no, no one would have been told."
"But surely someone associated with the dig would have leaked its location?"
Fielding shook his head. "Not in this case. Dr. Jackson and his wife inspired an almost unbelievable loyalty in their workers. They'd used the same foreman for years. If Dr. Jackson asked them to jump into a live volcano, then they'd probably have done it. At any rate, Dr. Jackson never got a chance to catalog a list of his discoveries so there was little interest in locating the site. And the foreman was killed about six months after their own accident."
"So there's no one you can think of who might know the location of the Jacksons' dig?"
"If their son," Fielding managed to turn the title into a sneer, "doesn't know, then, no, I can't think of anyone else who would."
Sam managed to hide her astonishment. "What?"
"Surely he's told you?"
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Very well. The Jacksons' took their darling Danny with them everywhere. Kinda like American Express, never left home without that child. If anyone knows where their last dig is located it will be their son."
His phone call to General Hammond had resulted in the path being cleared for him to access all personnel records as needed. Unfortunately, it had also given him cause for worry ... Hammond had related Teal'c's discoveries about Daniel's lab and on base quarters. The colonel was grateful that Teal'c had noticed it, and that the Jaffa was the one who would be searching Daniel's apartment. Teal'c knew where Daniel's safe was located. Jack smiled as he recalled Daniel's reluctance to allow one of the colonel's friends to install the hidden device. But a swift reminder that his journals would become SGC property otherwise, was all it took to turn the protest into reluctant acquiescence.
The young lieutenant's eyes had widened noticeably when the personnel director was given the formal authorization to cooperate fully with Colonel O'Neill. But she wisely kept silent as she followed the colonel and a very annoyed lt. colonel to a nearby workstation. The lt. colonel dropped into the swivel chair, and logged into the network. Turning to Jack, she said. "There you are, Colonel, I've logged you in with my password. This gives you access to anything you could possibly need to know." She rose to allow him to take her place. "Oh, and sir, please don't leave the machine logged in when you leave. That's a security violation."
"Thank you, Colonel, I couldn't have managed without you." Jack smiled as he spoke, leaving the other woman uncertain of his meaning as she retreated to her post. Glancing at the smiling lieutenant, Jack sobered. "Something amusing here, Lieutenant?"
The smile vanished. "No, sir. Nothing amusing at all."
"Didn't think so. Now, do you have any idea how to operate this thing?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then have a seat and let's look for your jer...,uh, Colonel."
Sam left Fielding's office breathing a sigh of relief, only to stop short in the outer office. Knowing how upset Daniel had been when he'd left, she assumed that he'd head for the nearest exit, and the outside air. "Excuse me, but where's the nearest exit?"
"Take a right, then a left. Door leads to the street." The secretary never missed a beat as she concentrated on her PC.
"Thanks." Sam started to leave.
"It's raining."
"Oh." Terrific. "Did you by any chance see which way my friend went?"
The woman turned toward Sam. "Look, Major, I'm not paid to keep an eye on the visitors. Okay?"
"Uh, yeah. I, uh..."
"Your Dr. Jacobs left in a hurry. That's all I know." She turned to once again look only at her PC.
"Jackson. It's Jackson. And thank you." Sam walked quickly toward the door, muttering 'for nothing' under her breathe. Hurrying back down to the information counter, she caught the attention of the young woman behind the counter. "Excuse me, but I seem to have lost my friend. You haven't seen him recently, have you?"
The girl responded solemnly. "You mean the real sweetheart with the cute ...?
"That's him." Sam found herself blushing as she quickly interrupted the girl.
Laughing the receptionist replied. "Actually yes. He came down the stairs looking as if someone had just licked the red off of his candy."
"Any idea where he went?"
"You mean the first time he passed me?"
"Uh, no. How about the last time?"
"Oh, he went into the dinosaur room."
"Thank you." Sam headed toward the door.
"Oh, Major?"
"Yes?"
"Is he married or something?"
Restraining the urge to kill the young woman, Sam replied softly. "Or something," then hurried away before more questions could be asked.
"He's not here, sir." Lt. Simmons was as dejected, and tired, as the colonel who sat slumped on the shelf behind her.
"How may John Black's were there again?"
"One hundred and twenty-three total. But only three are Colonels, and only one of those is Army."
"And we've looked at all their pictures?"
"Yes, sir. And he wasn't here. I don't understand, sir. How could he get forged id?"
"That's another thing I'll have to find out. Think you could describe him well enough for a sketch artist to draw him?"
"Yes, sir. He was, shall we say, unforgettable."
"Good. A face is better than nothing, which is what we have right now. Let's go. And for heaven's sake, log off the network, and let's find another phone."
The young woman did as she was told and followed Jack in search of the dragon lady. Not that he would dream of referring to the lt. colonel that way in anything other than his thoughts, but... Rounding a corner, he braked in time to avoid a collision with a harried private bearing a stack of folders that almost obscured his vision. The young man gasped as he saw the officers, and tried to rearrange the paperwork to respond appropriately. Only Jack's quick reflexes stopped an avalanche of paper from hitting the floor. "It's okay, son, you have your hands full."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir." The private nodded gratefully, and disappeared into a stack of filing bins.
"Not all automated, are we?" He asked Lt. Simmons.
"Well, actually, we have to store paper backup for all the electronic records we keep."
O'Neill stopped in his tracks and looked at the young woman, trying to determine if she was pulling his leg. A high-pitched musical tone caught his attention and he pulled his pager from his belt. "Hmmm. Lieutenant. I really need a phone, with an outside line."
"Yes, sir." She quickly found him a phone, and discreetly disappeared while he made his call.
Jack dialed quickly, then counted the rings under his breath as he waited for the answer. "Carter, what's up? Did you and Daniel... What do you mean he's missing?"