SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and Showtime. Adriana is mine ... don't mind if you borrow her, just give her back intact and give credit where credit is due.
SPOILERS: Mainly Obsession, my own More than Friends, Under the Sun, and various Stargate episodes.
WARNING: original characters, some violence, nasty language.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks go to beta number two, my evil twin, who made sure things sounded right on the SG end of things. Thanks, sis!
If Gloria Potter lived to be a hundred, she knew she would never forget the look on the colonel's face when the traitor was revealed. Nor would she forget this day. She had called Colonel O'Neill at home, sensing something strange was going on at Stargate Command. The colonel had done something very unlike him. He had blown her off, and been very unconvincing about it. Gloria went to the next person she trusted in SG-1. Daniel Jackson.
From Daniel, she learned everything. Including the SOS they had received from Janet Frasier's computer only an hour before. It seemed Dr. Frasier had heard the ruckus in the hall before the mercenaries reached the infirmary, and had the presence of mind to email Sam Carter. Then she and her daughter had been captured. Gloria had stunned every member of SG-1 when she decided she would accompany them.
They tried to talk her out of it. But Gloria Potter had been born and raised in Oklahoma on a farm. She was a stubborn woman, just as stubborn as her closest friend Mary Travis, or Nettie Welles. Whether SG-1 understood it or not, when her husband had been killed, the SGC had become part of Gloria's family. Particularly SG-7, and she would not stand by while some crazy bitch tried to kill members of her family!
Moreover, she knew damn good and well how to use a gun, she could take care of herself. Since they needed all the help they could get, SG-1 had agreed, with the proviso that she would save them from General Hammond when he realized they agreed to her coming along. The bargain was struck, and here they were. She had also learned from them about the traitor who had been causing such trouble all along, from the beginning of SG-7's inception.
After Stacy McPherson blurted out that SG-7 had gone to Montana, Gaines had shoved the archaeologist into the wall, and grabbed Cassie Frasier as a hostage instead. The doctor, who had been seeing to the wounded, stepped toward the woman and Gaines dug the gun harder into Cassie's side. The mother had no choice but to back off. No one doubted that Gaines would kill the teenager, and so Gaines had made her escape, throwing Cassie into her mother's arms as she left, and screaming, "Vanessa! I'll be back for you, baby!"
Cassie had assured her mother that she was fine, but she had to warn Captain Travis and the others. Cassie would stay here and look after the injured. While Janet ran to the infirmary to email Mary, the general took charge of the situation. With the desertion of their leader, the mercenaries were lost, and were quickly overwhelmed. Gloria had immediately set to helping Cassie with the wounded, while the mercenaries were dealt with.
But it was Major Carter who strode over to Stacy McPherson, grasping a handful of the archaeologist's blouse in her hand, and slammed her into the wall a second time. Gloria Potter knew Sam Carter ... she liked the major, just as much as she liked Mary Travis. She even liked watching the sparks fly when the major and the captain got into one of their arguments. She had seen the major happy, sad, excited, even somewhat annoyed.
But she had never seen Major Carter outraged. The scientist growled, "That man saved your life, and you just fed him to that she-wolf! Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Seeing something potentially very ugly develop, Gloria looked to Colonel O'Neill, to Dr. Jackson, to Teal'c, to General Hammond. None of them seemed inclined to stop the major. Gloria figured it was a case of 'we'll step in if the major starts killing her.' Although, in General Hammond's case, it was more likely a matter of 'I have better things to do with my time.'
Stacy gasped, "She won't hurt him, she just wants Colonel Larabee back!" But Gloria could tell from her eyes that she didn't believe what she had just said. That the archaeologist was trying to convince herself of that truth. Even if her heart knew it for the lie it was. There were tears rolling down Stacy's cheeks as she repeated like a mantra, "She won't hurt him, she wouldn't hurt him."
"If she gets her hands on him," Major Carter all but growled, "she will not only hurt him, she will kill him! Don't you get it, Doctor? She wants Chris Larabee back and she doesn't care how. She sees Vin Tanner as a threat, and she will kill him! She'll kill all of them, because she believes they'll come between her and the colonel!" She slammed the archaeologist into the wall one last time, and Stacy slid down the wall bonelessly. Major Carter walked away from her, as if she wasn't worth her time or energy, and went to help. Gloria heard the major apologize to the colonel at the same time.
Janet returned from the infirmary, out of breath, and said, "I sent an email to General Travis, as well as SG-7. General, you may want to alert the authorities as well. I didn't figure my clearance was high enough to get them to listen to me." General Hammond nodded, entrusting the cleanup to the various SG teams. The dead Marines were being carried to another room, until they could receive a proper burial. Full military honors. The generals would see to that. Just like her Bruce. Gloria blinked back tears, remembering her husband's funeral, and felt a gentle hand squeeze her shoulder. She looked to her right to find Cassie Frasier, smiling.
Gloria returned the smile weakly. Colonel O'Neill gently lifted Lt. Kowalsky into his arms, cradling her against his body. She was sobbing quietly, her face buried against his shoulder. Cassie asked softly, "What's wrong with her, Mom? Why did she react like that, when she heard that man's voice?" And for that matter, Gloria thought, who did that voice belong to? Janet knelt beside her daughter and Gloria, her eyes remaining on Vanessa a moment longer.
She said as she turned her attention to one of the wounded Marines, "I need to run some tests, and I'm no psychiatrist, but I think it's a combination of stress, grief over her uncle's death that that she never dealt with, and the Gou'ald may have messed with her mind. Part of an experiment that Ella Gaines just happened to luck into. When she heard her uncle's voice ... and that was her uncle whom you heard, Cassie ... I suppose you could say everything hit at once."
Gloria, who was no stranger to grief, could only nod. However, she felt no sympathy for Stacy McPherson, who was still weeping in the corner. She asked, indicating the archaeologist with a jerk of her chin, "And what about her, Doctor? What happens to her?" Janet raised her head to look at the archaeologist, and her eyes hardened. That was all Gloria needed to know. Except for one thing. She asked, "Why did she do it?"
"I don't know. I truly don't, and I don't even know how she did it. I'm sure we'll find out over the next few days. The general will want to talk to her. Do the two of you have this under control? I ... suppose I should go take a look at her," Janet sighed. She was a healer, like Nathan Jackson, and she had taken an oath. But that woman had put the lives of several of her friends in danger, and Stacy's own life wasn't endangered. Except maybe from General Travis, when he got back, and Colonel Larabee ... assuming there was anything left of her at that point.
"Don't ask me to feel sorry for her. I can feel sorry for Lt. Kowalsky ... but not for that one," Gloria replied grimly. From the looks on the faces of the other civilian scientists, they felt the same, particularly Bree Lincoln. Gloria looked back at Cassie as the doctor went over to tend to Stacy, and asked, "What do you think, Cass? Do you think the authorities will catch Colonel Gaines before she can get to SG-7 and the others?"
Cassie was silent for several moments, then said quietly, "Colonel Gaines is crazy, Mrs. Potter. Maybe if you talked to Mom, she could tell you exactly what kind of crazy. But Colonel Gaines has decided that she loves Colonel Larabee, that nothing will get in her way. If she's made it past security, and makes it to the surface, she'll slip past them. They'll be looking for one thing, she'll become something else. And she'll make it past security. She'll kill, steal, do whatever it takes. The guards will try, but she'll take them out before they can take her out."
Gloria was silent for several moments, as she thought about what Cassie had just said. She knew far more about where she worked than she ever said. And she knew Cassie wasn't even from Earth originally. It took a lot to scare the young survivor. But she could knew, as she knew the names of her own children, that Ella Gaines terrified this young girl. Cassie looked down at the floor, then back up again. This time, the fear was gone.
She said, "But she's forgetting one thing. Even if she gets past the security guards, even if she makes it out of here, even if she slips past the police ... Colonel Larabee doesn't love her. And what's more, if that ... that ... " Cassie looked around and dropped her voice so only Gloria would hear her, "if that bitch tries to hurt anyone, Colonel Gaines is gonna wish for a quick death." She bobbed her head once, decisively, a gesture so like Vin Tanner, it brought tears to Gloria's eyes. She said a silent prayer for that young man, for her best friend Mary, and for everyone else in the line of fire.
Leaving her baby behind was one of the hardest things Ella had ever done. But she knew she had to find Chris, and once she found him ... once she proved to him, once and for all, how much she loved him, they could return to Cheyenne Mountain and retrieve their daughter. This was decided as she shot down guard after guard. Within minutes of her escape, they were shooting to kill, but she was shooting before they had a chance to. That was one good thing her bastard father had done for her ... taught her how to shoot faster than he did.
Once Ella was past any trouble, she hot-wired one of the cars and viciously hoped it belonged to O'Neill. Damn SG-1 anyhow! Things had been going so well up until then. And looking back now, Ella realized that the general had known he had a few aces to play ... that was why he had made it so easy for her in the beginning, when they first got to the SGC. He was just buying time until SG-1 showed up.
Ella was no fool. She knew it took time to organize a rescue mission, gather the necessary supplies, then put the plans into effect. Hammond must have been laughing at her all along, damn him! She fumed silently, vowing that once she and Chris got back, he would be the first to die. Or maybe not ... maybe they would kill all of SG-1 in front of him first, since those four were most special to him. And then she would kill him herself.
First, however, she had to get out of Colorado. The spy had told her they were in Kalispell, Montana. And much as she hated to do it, Ella knew she would have to drive herself up there. If they had realized she would be coming back, she didn't want to risk the possibility they had alerted the authorities. The police would be watching the usual places.
So, taking the bus or the train, or flying, was out of the question. Well, she already had a car ... there was the chance she would be recognized, but during the Persian Gulf War, she had a friend who had served in the Middle East as an intelligence officer. This friend had taught her simple ways to disguise herself. Ella was silently grateful for the time with that young woman, even if it did end badly.
All right. She was driving to Kalispell. She still had to eat, still had to get gas. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself, so knocking over a bank or robbing someone at an ATM was totally out of the question. She wouldn't hesitate to kill, but at the moment, that seemed counterproductive. She didn't have a chance to stop off at her old quarters, to see if her things were still there. She would think of something.
Well, if all else failed, she could abandon the car when it looked likely to run out of gas, and hot-wire another one. Maybe in the middle of the night, when she was less likely to draw attention to herself? That would work. When she got down to a quarter tank of gas, park the car in a motel parking lot, then come back at night and hot-wire the car of one of the guests? That was the best plan she had yet.
That still left what she would do about food. As Ella drove north, she considered going without food altogether. No ... no, she would just make herself sick, and that wouldn't do any good at all. Keep thinking, Ella, you've gotten yourself out of a few problems already. She really wasn't worried about anyone noticing the car was gone ... the SGC would have too many other problems. She would drive the speed limit, and avoid drawing attention.
And she really wasn't worried about the SGC warning Tanner or the others. They were in a cabin, in the middle of nowhere ... how would they warn them? Carrier pigeon? Nope. No, once Ella got to Kalispell, she would be free and clear. All she had to do was decide how to keep Chris from getting hurt, while getting rid of the others. That was what bothered her most. How on earth would she get rid of the others without hurting Chris?
It had been easy, the last time. She had simply ordered Fowler to wait until Chris and that friend of his had gone away for the weekend, and then he was to blow up the apartment building. This time, it wouldn't that easy. She wished she had another spy, but likely Stacy McPherson would be thrown into jail, assuming she lived through Generals Hammond and Travis. Which meant, once she got to the cabin, she would just have to find a way to lure Chris out.
However, she wanted the pleasure of killing the guide and the blonde bitch, first hand. It wasn't good enough, just knowing they were dead. She had to do the deed herself. Which brought up another possibility. Or rather, another problem. Should she kill the bitch first, or her son? Maybe kill the brat first, in front of his mother, then the bitch, then Tanner? Ella smiled, nodding to herself. Yes, that was another good plan. The others, she could dispose of sight unseen. They weren't as dangerous to her, to Chris, as the other three were.
And Wilmington's sister hadn't done anything to her ... maybe Ella could just kill her in her sleep? Quick and painless?
One problem at a time. Despite the debacle at the SGC, and losing her daughter ... and what had they done to her Vanessa? Despite all that, Ella was very pleased with the way things were going. I'm coming, Chris, she thought, sooner than you think, we'll be together again, and I'll make you understand how much I love you. I've forgiven you for not having more faith in me, love, the important thing is, we'll be together, with our daughter. A family, as we should have always been all along.
Mary Travis was being very irresponsible, and she knew it. She hadn't checked her email once since their arrival at the old cabin, and Mary was reasonably sure none of the others had even unpacked their own laptops. Adriana had spent her time reading and catching up on her letter-writing. She refused to read anything other than nonfiction in front of the others, and Mary half-suspected the young archaeologist was reading some bodice-ripping epic, and didn't want to put up with teasing from the guys.
Once Mary decided to bite the bullet, and check both of her accounts, she began setting up her laptop on the kitchen table. From her position, she could see Adriana reclining on the sofa and reading a book about the Knights Templar. She was answering questions from Chris, who sat on one side of her, in an absent-minded way. Mary smiled, then glanced at Vin. He sat on Adriana's other side, almost asleep.
Ezra was reading a magazine which Adriana had loaned to him from her own stash. The question was, was it scholarly material or something else? As Chris had been known to observe, you just never knew with those two. Mary returned her attention to her computer ... there. All set. She typed in her log-in and password for her personal account. She didn't have much email, which was unusual, but she had switched to digest format for most of her mailing lists while she was on vacation.
Hello, what was this? The sender column read 'frasierjc@cheyenne.gov.' That was Janet! Janet Christine Frasier. Mary hesitated before opening it, having a very, very bad feeling about receiving professional email in her personal email. God, she hated being right sometimes. Mary shut everything else as she read over Janet's missive. Ella Gaines had returned, and she was on the loose. The email had been sent just that morning.
Without raising her eyes from the computer, and struggling to remain calm, Mary called over her shoulder, "I don't suppose anyone thought to bring their cell phone, did they?" Even as she asked the question, she knew the odds were against her. The best bet would be Ezra, since he never went anywhere without his. However, she had seen him recharging it earlier, and Ezra liked to recharge the battery in his cell phone as long as possible.
"I did ... Vin, would you mind getting my purse so I can get my cell phone out for Captain Travis?" she heard Adriana ask. Oh bless your heart, Mary thought, you may have saved all of our lives. Vin unfolded himself from his position on the floor, stretching out any sore spots, then went into Adriana's room. There was a muffled curse, and Mary looked over her shoulder at Adriana. The archaeologist blushed and said, "Oops. Bet he tripped over the cat."
Mary glared at Josiah, who had the grace to look abashed. The anthropologist had bought Billy a kitten the previous day. The kitten, who still hadn't been named, was currently sleeping in Adriana's room, since Ezra was allergic to cats. A plaintive 'meow' was the response, and Mary winced. She hoped Vin hadn't hurt himself or the cat. A moment later, the disgruntled looking guide returned, carrying the kitten in one arm and the purse in the other.
"Not a word out of you, Buck, or I swear I will tell everyone here about the time you were locked out of the house," Adriana threatened as she reached up for her purse. That was a story Mary dearly wanted to hear, especially after seeing Buck's face turn ashen, and the smirk which appeared on his old friend's face. Vin put the purse in her hands, although Mary could tell from his expression that wasn't exactly what he wanted to do with it. Billy walked to Vin's side and the guide eased the kitten into the apologetic little boy's arms. At the same time, Adriana fished her cell phone out of her purse.
"Billy, honey, why don't you put the kitten's basket on Adriana's bed?" Mary suggested. Billy nodded and carried the purring kitten from the room. Once her son was safely out of earshot, Mary said quietly, "We've got trouble. Ella Gaines is on the loose." As soon as the words were out, Chris held his hand out for Adriana's cell phone. The mobile was slapped into his hand, a bit like the medical instruments on ER or Chicago Hope.
Mary continued, "You might want to read this before you call anyone, Chris. She came back late last night, around midnight, and held everyone hostage for twelve hours. Jack and the others mounted a rescue operation, but that woman escaped in the confusion." Chris was on his feet as soon as he had the cell phone, and a half second after that, he was leaning over Mary's computer, his pale eyes glittering with silent fury.
He didn't speak for several moments as he read the text, then he began punching in numbers. Mary looked at Vin and Adriana. The archaeologist looked like she wasn't sure if she should be angry or frightened. Vin just looked determined, and Mary remembered their conversation of the previous day. However things might play out, Ella Gaines would not get away this time. Mary felt sure of that. She smiled at the other men, wanting them to know that she believed in them. Trusted them.
Chris said, "This is Larabee. Jack, what happened? Yeah, we got Janet's email, is everyone okay? Oh Jesus." This did not sound promising. He was silent for several moments, then Chris added, "She wouldn't need a rental car if she stole one of the ... yeah. Hell, I can't fault you, buddy. If you hadn't shown up when you did, things would have gotten even uglier, and you know how Buck hates ugly."
That caused a nervous titter around the room, and Chris went on, "Right. Have the Kalispell police been alerted? Right. Yeah, that part I figured out. Uh-huh. Well, I don't know if you were told, but we're about two hours from Kalispell proper. The way I figure it, Ella will probably stay away from airports, or trains or bus stations, and stick with cars. It'll take her about twenty hours to get her, driving time. So I figure we have about two days to prepare. Uh-huh. Now you know I'm not gonna argue with that, but can the general spare the manpower?"
Two days. Mary immediately began a mental checklist. She wanted to make sure they had plenty of food and water. She was going into a siege mentality, when Gaines would probably go for a frontal attack, but this was still something Mary could do. She tuned out Chris as she mentally ticked off everything they might need. She would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared. She was brought back to the here-and-now when Chris flipped the cell phone closed and said, "Okay, this is the situation ... "
It was decided that since none of Ella's mercs had escaped with her, and she would be the only threat, they would go with the idea of 'less is more.' True, Ella would probably be able to find allies, but vigilance was their best protection against the woman. It was decided they would have patrols in pairs, with a seventh remaining inside with the ladies and Billy. A second line of defense, for lack of a better word.
Vin had unpacked his rifle the second day they were there, and each of the other six had brought their own weapons. Chris had brought two handguns, one for himself and one for Adriana, so she could protect herself ... however she chose. Everyone knew what he meant by that. And Chris knew she would protect Mary and Billy with her final breath. With a broken leg, she couldn't go anywhere. If things got out of hand ... she would do whatever was necessary.
There was another complication ... Billy himself. When the child protested being left behind and unable to patrol, Chris reminded him that he needed Billy to protect his mother and Adriana. Appealing to the little boy's pride. It had always worked with Adam, and Billy was no different. He was a big boy, he could help.
Upon hearing the conversation between the colonel and her son, Mary had flashed him one of her brilliant smiles and mouthed 'thank you.' There was no need for her to thank him. Chris had failed to protect Sarah and Adam from that psychotic bitch (damn, he had been spending entirely too much time around Adriana. He was starting to talk like her.). He wouldn't let anything happen to Mary or Billy.
By the end of the day, the plans had been made. The conversation continued into the night, after Billy went to bed. At Mary's insistence, they hadn't sugarcoated things for her son. He was only six, yes, but he had already seen his father murdered right in front of him. He knew a few things about evil and the devil. So they had told him the truth about Ella, that she had killed the two people whom Chris loved most. Chris only prayed that it didn't give the child more nightmares, since there was a possibility he would start remembering his father's death again.
Chris told the assembled adults that there were also SG teams on the way from Denver, including General Travis himself. Unfortunately, no one would be arriving until around the same time Ella was supposed to show up. It would take that long to finish sorting things out in the SGC. Vin had gone very pale when it was revealed that Stacy McPherson was the traitor. And Nathan looked positively sick, no doubt remembering his conversation with Stacy regarding an engagement ring for Rain.
They still had no idea why she had done it. She hadn't stopped crying long enough for them to question her. At this observation, Adriana had piped up with a decidedly obscene (as well as physically impossible) suggestion, and Chris was still recovering from the shock of hearing that come out of his little sister's mouth. He had known she could be blunt ... had known she could be just as brutally honest as Vin. Knowing something in his mind, and actually hearing it, however, were two very different things.
Buck was still picking his jaw up off the ground, JD was staring at her in disbelief. Mary, however, had shocked them all even further by answering decisively, "I couldn't have said it better myself." Seven pairs of eyes locked onto Mary, and she looked around, asking with more than a hint of irritation, "What? Did you really think I would have any sympathy for her? After what she's done? What kind of a ninny do you take me for?"
The seven men looked at each other for several moments, each expecting the others to have something to say. Adriana was leaning back against the sofa, visibly drooping. She would have to go to bed soon. However, Chris was willing to let nature take its course. And that's when he got another shock. Vin (who now sat between Chris and JD) said softly, "Never woulda taken ya for a ninny, Mary, but reckon we all forgot you're a mama ... and ya don't take kindly to people endangerin' your baby, or no one else ya care 'bout."
"Smooth," Adriana murmured, "very smooth, I think you're starting to pick things up from Ezra." She forced her half-mast eyes open a little further, and smirked at Vin. He responded by removing a pillow from behind JD in the rocking chair, and throwing it across the room at her. She caught it easily, with only the barest grimace of pain as she jostled her broken leg, then returned fire.
The impromptu pillow fight went far to ease the tension in the room. Everyone laughed, and Nathan added, "Vin's right. We get so used to seeing you one way, Mary, we forget about the firebrand who would have taken on those bigots all by herself." Mary blushed in response, though she grinned broadly. Adriana looked from the medic to her companion on the couch curiously, and Nathan explained, "Goes back to the first time Chris, Mary, and I met Vin."
"Yeah, and I would have done a lot more damage if you hadn't put me on that bar. I was breaking bottles over the heads of anyone who got near Chris, Vin, or Nathan. Vin still ended up with bruised ribs, but those three did win the fight," Mary told Adriana. The dark head bobbed once, then an evil smile blossomed. Chris had a really bad feeling about this. Apparently, so did Mary, for she asked a bit nervously, "What?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about what fun we would have had if I had been there. My former roommate Carly, the one I told you about this morning ... she used to be a dancer. I mean, she was thinking about becoming a professional, but I guess you could say her mother pushed her too hard when she was growing up. Anyhow, she taught me how to do high kicks. I was thinking you and I could have kicked some serious butt," Adriana replied with a grin.
Vin groaned, observing, "Don't remind me! Hell, done lost track a' all the time, she kicked me by accident! Accident, right! Accidentally on purpose!" Adriana howled in laughter, then pressed her hand against her mouth, casting a furtive glance over her shoulder in the general direction of the room Billy and Ezra shared. However, there were no sleepy mumblings from a little boy awakened, and Adriana relaxed, mouthing, 'I'm sorry' to Mary.
The humor and jokes didn't bother Chris on this night. Only six months earlier, he would have lashed out, as he did when they discovered Fowler was the one who had set the bomb in the apartment building. He didn't know what was different ... what was different within himself. He just believed ... he knew ... that with this six men, and two women, he could face Ella Gaines once and for all. And Sarah and Adam could finally rest in peace.
With that in mind, he asked, "So, little princess ... you mentioned a story about Buck being locked out of the house? I know the rest of these yahoos are dying to hear this story ... you better tell 'em, before they start getting distracted." Buck glowered at him, and Chris ignored the dirty look. The glower was switched from Chris to Adriana, and Chris was pleased to see that it had no effect on her either.
"Well, I guess it was ... oh, about fifteen years ago. Yeah, 'cause I had just turned ten. Anyhow, I was down with the flu, starting to recover, and it was about midnight. My bedroom was on the second floor, it had two windows facing the street," Adriana explained. JD fidgeted in the rocking chair, and Buck cuffed him in the back of his head.
The major growled, "Let the girl tell the story the way she wants ... 'fore you can appreciate the story, you gotta understand the background, son. There's a specific reason she told you about where her room was in relation to the street and in the house. Now sit still and listen, you may actually learn something!"
Adriana blinked in surprise, and Chris didn't blame her. In the first place, it was the first time during the last few days Buck had actually behaved like he had in the 'glory days.' And besides, Buck hadn't wanted this story told. However, she didn't comment, and neither did Chris. Buck continued after one final glare at JD, "Go ahead and tell them, Adriana." With one final look at Chris, Adriana did just that.
"Anyhow, like I said, my room was upstairs facing the street. Around midnight, I woke up and got the crap scared out of me. I heard something clunking against my windows. Remember, I'm ten years old at this point, and I had a very vivid imagination. Well, I looked around my room ... everything seemed okay, so I got ready to go back to sleep. Except, I heard the noise again. This time, it was louder and I could see an image through the window," she explained.
Adriana took a breath, then went on, "I squeaked and jumped up on my bed. That's when I heard Buck saying, 'it's me, I locked myself out.' Here he had climbed up the tree in our front yard, jumped from the tree onto the porch roof, and knocked on my window 'til he woke me up. Once I stopped shaking, I opened my window and let him into my room." Chris saw Vin wince.
"Ow," the guide observed, "sure hope ya had just cleaned your room, Drina. I know ya ain't exactly the most neat person on the face a' the planet." Adriana and Buck exchanged a look, along with an evil grin, then looked at Chris. The colonel realized exactly what they were asking him to do, and grinned. No problem! Chris grabbed Vin's shoulder and swung him to face JD, while Buck pounced on the other side, attacking Vin's sides with wiggling fingers.
The guide squirmed in the colonel's grasp, laughing silently. Buck was sitting on his legs, tickling him mercilessly, until Adriana said through her own laughter, "I ... ow. I think he's had enough boys. And I haven't even gotten to the best part of the story." That part must have been true, because as Chris released Vin and helped him sit up, he glanced over at Buck, who was turning fire-engine red with embarrassment. This ... looked ... like ... it ... would ... be ... good.
It was. With a smirk for her elder brother, Adriana deadpanned, "Buck was buck-naked." That was it. With those words, everyone in the room was shaking with laughter. For however long they had until Ella arrived, there were no boundaries between these people. All the walls had been dissolved, the hostility forgotten. Of course, after Ella was dealt with, Adriana would be facing payback from both Buck and Vin, but Chris would watch her back. That was what a big brother was for, after all.
For the next two days, the routine was kept faithfully.
Patrol pairs were alternated, so that each of the seven men remained with the women and Billy. Adriana's pistol was never too far for her to reach. And to avoid any undue stress, Chris didn't even try to prevent the women from venturing outside. But if they wanted to go for a walk in the woods, they had to take one of the Seven with them. Neither Mary nor Adriana argued with that rule ... well, Adriana wasn't likely to argue with it anyhow, since she was still using primarily her wheelchair.
It had also been decided that until Ella was caught, fishing plans would be put on hold. Buck joked that was just as well, since O'Neill had wanted to come fishing with them. And for the next two days, despite the heightened tension, SG-7, Mary and Billy Travis, and Adriana Wilmington all enjoyed their vacation. And there was heightened tension, the sense they had to be looking over their shoulders at all times of the day.
It became wearying, and tempers fray. But on the second morning after they learned of Ella's escape that Chris received a call from a store in town. A woman matching Ella's description had been seen, and speaking of meeting a friend named 'Chris.' They thought it was her, but they needed him to identify her. For some reason, Ella's picture had never made it out of the SGC. Chris didn't know the why, but if he found out who screwed it up, well ...
He had planned to go alone at first, until Nathan quietly pointed out that he was running low on medical supplies. There had been the usual Band-Aids to distribute for this reason or that. Mosquito bites. And if Ella came a'calling, they would need all the medical supplies they could get. Josiah was running out of reading material ... JD just thought a ride into town sounded 'fun,' while Ezra was running out of film.
Much to his surprise, Chris had found out that Ezra was an amateur photographer. While the man definitely preferred city life, he had been known during the last week to go out with his camera and take roll upon roll upon roll of pictures of their surroundings. He had taken pictures of the others as well ... Mary playing with Billy, a quiet conversation between Vin and Adriana, Chris and Buck tickling Vin that night.
Their negotiator/gambler was far more sentimental than Chris had realized ... he overheard a conversation between Ezra and Adriana, in which the Southerner admitted he had taken those pictures to preserve those memories forever. He wanted to remember Vin laughing, he wanted to remember a mother playing with her child, he wanted to remember a time of total peace and contentment ... at least, until the likes of Ella Gaines had interfered.
Which left Vin and Buck with Adriana, Mary, and Billy. At least at first, until Vin had quietly pointed out to Chris that Adriana needed some time in town. It would be awkward, since they would be riding, but she could ride double with Chris. One of the others could carry her crutches, and possibly get a wheelchair inside the store. While Chris was navigating the aisles and looking 'higher,' Adriana could spot things he might have missed. So, at a little past ten am, those who would be going into town mounted up, with Adriana on the saddle in front of Chris. Nathan didn't like it, but he didn't even try to talk her out of it. He did, however, talk her into taking her medication, so she could handle the pain a little better.
Josiah parted company with them at the library, Nathan at a pharmacy, and Ezra decided to take up the remaining pictures on his last roll around the town. JD would just wander from shop to shop. Everyone had unpacked their cell phones, which were clipped to their belts. There were, indeed, wheelchairs inside the store, one of which Chris commandeered for Adriana. She carried her gun along with her wallet and cell phone in a knapsack, 'in case there's trouble.'
The police had been notified ... they knew who Chris was, and they knew the identities of his companions. They also knew that all of his companions had weapons. As Chris wheeled Adriana into the store, one of the officers, Gorman by name, caught his eye and nodded. While the colonel carefully navigated the wheelchair around the people in the store, he kept one eye on Adriana. Her head was moving slowly from side to side, taking in everything around them.
Officer Gorman said as they approached, "She's in the store now. We're going to take you to the office upstairs, so you can observe her without her knowledge. The young lady ... " He got no further. Chris simply stared at him. Adriana was staying with him. There were no 'ifs,' 'ands,' or 'buts' about it. Officer Gorman swallowed hard, and corrected himself, "The wheelchair can't be wheeled upstairs ... if you wouldn't mind carrying the young lady?"
"Reckon that won't be a problem ... he's been carryin' me around most a' the week anyhow," Adriana observed in a passable imitation of Vin's drawl. Chris hid a smile as he scooped her into his arms, but observed her mischievous smile. Damn girl! He carried her upstairs, and frowned as Gorman carried the wheelchair up with him. Adriana, however, shrugged and muttered, "Reckon they just didn't want ya trying to wheel me up them stairs."
"Can it, little princess," Chris muttered as he settled her into the wheelchair, but she just smirked anyhow. They both looked through the window, Chris observing, from the corner of his eye, Adriana removing both her gun and her cell phone from her knapsack. She was prepared, either way. They had decided that she would call the others if it turned out to be a false alarm, then she would call Mary's cell phone at the cabin.
Chris felt his gut tighten as the manager signaled them that the woman was approaching, and sure enough, there was a petite brunette. Hair the same shade, styled the same as the last time they had seen Ella. Adriana sat stone silent at his side. Chris wasn't even aware of her at first, until he felt her hand slip into his. He had totally shut everything else out, except the dark-haired woman. Feeling a small, cold hand slip into his, seeking to give comfort, Chris returned the squeeze, grateful to have her with him. If Vin or Buck couldn't watch his back, then he supposed Adriana (W-2, as Vin called her in the field) would be the next best thing.
And then the knot in his gut eased as he saw the woman's face for the first time. It wasn't her. Adriana said softly, "It's not her, Officer Gorman. I don't know who that woman is, but if it was Ella Gaines, my brother would have gone through the Plexiglas for her throat." Chris at last managed to tear his eyes away from the impostor and looked down at Adriana. She smiled up at him, adding, "I know my big brother. Why don't you go find out what you can? I'll call Josiah and the others." Chris nodded as the woman was led upstairs. She was younger than Ella, he realized, much younger. About the same age as Mary. And she looked more than a little shaken.
Chris realized he really couldn't blame her. She hadn't been doing anything wrong, and she was being escorted upstairs? He slid quietly into the woodwork as Officer Gorman greeted the young woman and said, "I'm Officer Gorman and this is Colonel Chris Larabee, of the United States Air Force. I apologize for the deception, but we received word that a wanted murderer was in the area. I'm afraid you match the description." Her face went even whiter, and Gorman continued, "Colonel Larabee is here because the victims in the murder were his wife and son."
"Did you say 'Chris Larabee?' And you're a colonel?" the woman asked. She was chalk white, but Chris saw wheels turning in her mind. The colonel nodded. The woman moaned and said, "This is partly my fault! I have a friend from college who is meeting me here, Christina Laramie. Someone probably thought I meant you! Chris Laramie, Chris Larabee ... it would be so easy to get those confused. We were supposed to meet here today, but she called me to let me know that she would be running late."
Before he could speak or reassure the woman, Chris noticed Officer Gorman looking past him at Adriana. Chris turned and saw that her face was ashen. She raised her eyes to Chris and whispered, "Mary ... Mary says they just lost all electricity. As if ... as if the power was turned off." It took Chris a moment to process this, then he cursed himself. It was Ella.