Thanks for my BETA Babsca for correcting this story and helping me out.

Ancients' trail

Chapter 3

The night wind felt cold on his too feverish skin; he shuddered. His gunshot wound ached dully until he tried to move and the pain in his side came back with full force. He hissed in pain. He looked around, his eyes were glassy and his head hurt from the movement. He forced his abused body into motion and got to his feet. Black spots danced before his eyes and feeling dizzy, he closed his eyes tight. He waited for the urge to throw up to ease. The nausea finally passed and he started his slow trek back towards his cabin.

Each step he took caused pain in his wounded side, and he needed to stop more than once to avoid throwing up. He was barely half way back to the small clearing where his entire problem had started not six hours ago. He was so damn tried he just want to lie down and sleep, but he couldn’t just jet. He needed to make a call. If he closed his eyes he could see so perfectly that symbols so alien and yet so familiar; they were Ancients’ words.

Making it back to the clearing, Jack headed for his truck. As he bent down to pick up his mobil from his bag, a new wave of dizziness washed over him. Blood-loss he thought. It had started to take a toll on him and he needed to tend his wound before it could cause more trouble later. Jack steadied himself against his truck, dialed the SGC and requested General Hammond.

Λ Λ Λ

General Hammond listened his 2IC’s report of an assassination attempt and the discovery of a possible Ancient site on Earth.

“If you’re safe now, stay where you are , Colonel. I’ll be sending in SG1. Their ETA is tomorrow morning.”

“Yes sir”

Hammond put down the phone and turned toward Jacob Carter, the Tok’ra had arrived just a few minutes before Jack’s call. He saw his old friend questioning gaze.

“What’s going on, George?” asked Jacob.

“Jack has discovered a possible Ancients’ device near his cabin in Minnesota. I need to call back the rest of SG1, to investigate the site.”

“Um If it wouldn’t be too big problem Selmak would like to go along to study this device.”

“It’s a good idea Jacob. Jack mentioned a failed assassin attempt on his life. He didn’t mentioned any injury but…”

“But we are talking about Jack. Don’t worry we’ll look into it George.” Said Jacob as he stood. “ I’ll go and let you call them. And I need to change to something more earthly.”

Both Generals chuckled, General Hammond watched as his friend walk out his office. A deep shiver run thought his frame as he thought his conversation with Jack. Something didn’t feel right Jack voice was too cold and controlled. He shook his head and with a deep sigh, turned to make some calls.

Λ Λ Λ

Jack closed up his phone. The call had taken a lot out of him. His vision started to fade out again, his side throbbed, and his hands had started to shake shortly after he started his call. It had taken all his self control just to keep his voice steady. He realized he desperately needed to take care of his wound and exchange his wet clothes for something dry and warm.

Jack slowly made his way into his cabin’s kitchen where his first aid kit was kept. He carefully pulled off his wet T-shirt. It was one of his favorites, having gotten it from Cassie as a birthday present.

For the first time, he got a good look at his wound. The bullet had grazed his side but it wasn’t life treating if he got it taken care of. He pressed his now ruined jersey to the wound to stop the newly started bleeding. With some difficulty Jack managed to clean and dress his injury. It took another twenty minutes to change out of the rest of his wet clothes and climb slowly into bed. Sleep came quickly, bringing with it a frozen Minnesota land with blinding whiteness as far as the eyes could see and freezing icy water, that haunted his dreams all night.

Λ Λ Λ

Jack woke feeling tired, dizzy and disoriented. His senses on full alert since waking up, his gaze swept over his bare room. Something had wakened him but he wasn’t sure exactly what. He could hear car’s doors closing not far away from his cabin, his looked at his alarm clock which read 0800. Hopefully, it was his team. But maybe not. All things considered, maybe a new attack would be better them his team’s third degree. Or maybe not.

He carefully got out of bed. The pain having dulled to a faint ache in his side it was a good sign, he didn’t really want to tell his team about it. He didn’t want to see their reaction, because he feared it would not be sympathy but rejection. If so, that would hurt more than his wounds ever could. Deep in his heart, he knew his friends would never do anything like that, but he was afraid to risk it. Not now, maybe not ever. In a strange way they had become his family, his light, the only ones who kept him from falling to his own darkness that threatened to swallow him. They were the ones that kept him from losing the last piece of himself.

Jack shook his head at his own dark thoughts, got dressed quickly, and headed towards the door to welcome his new visitors. He grabbed his leather jacket from his couch as he stepped closer the curtained window to check out the new comers’ identity. ‘Yep it was his team… and Jacob Carter.’ He grimaced it would have been difficult to hide his condition from the ever observant Teal’c, but now Jacob was here as well and hiding his wound would be almost impossible. He took a deep breath. ‘Here goes nothing. Lets get the show on the road.’

Jack had only just stepped outside and was about to greet them, when Daniel began to barrage him with questions.

“Where is the device Jack? Where you find it? How do you know it’s one of the Ancients’? Are you sure? If it really belongs to the Ancients do you know what it could mean? The Ancients were here in Earth. Who knows how long ago? Maybe, maybe they are still here and monitoring us. It could rewrite our known history. I can’t wait to see it when can we get going there?”

“Good Morning to you too, Daniel.” Said Jack with as much sarcasm as he could. He caught Jacob’s amused smile. “Not far from here. Sure. Yes. No. Don’t have a clue. Anytime.”

“Huh” Daniel dumbfound-look and confused answer was enough to cause him to grin. “What are you talking about, Jack?”

“Just answered your questions Danny-boy.” Jack whole face lit up, oh he so loved to get one over on Daniel. A muffled “oh” was the younger man’s only replay. “Jacob, Selmac. How ya doing?”

“We are fine, Jack. We were here on some Tok’ra business and decided this device you found sounded interesting.”

Jack faked a hurt look as he put his hand mocking on his hart. “I am hurt you didn’t come just to see me.” His voice sounded almost innocent. Then his whole demeanor changed. “ Well then, get your packs and let’s move out. It could take a while. If I remember correctly, it should be somewhere near the lake in one of the hillside caves.” Jack started to walk away.

“Somewhere? Should?” Daniel sputtered.

“What you mean, sir?” asked Carter with a hint of irratation in her voice.

Jack threw an annoyed look at them back over his shoulder. “Ah.. ya know it was actually sometime ago that I last saw it.“

“What? You knew here was an alien device and never told me, us.” Carter eyes flashed angrily and she looked really annoyed. Daniel said almost the same thing as Carter only he mumbled about discovery of the century or some such. But who listened, he surely did not. thought Jack with a big grin on his face.

“Oh for crying out loud.” Jack threw up his hand to stop his two scientists’ verbal attack. He regretted the movement almost instantly, as it caused a new flare of pain in his side. He hoped he hadn’t opened it back up. He controlled his breathing with some effort and turned fully back towards his friends. “Look, it’s not that I deliberately didn’t tell you, I just forget about it until now.” He said with a shrug. Jack saw Daniel open his mouth again to object. He held up his hand to stop him. “Ah, Daniel, just shut up for a minute.” Daniel’s mouth snapped shut almost instantly, and Jack continued “When I first found it I was just a kid, and after that I never found again and with time I just forgot about it.”

“And how it is you remember it now?” asked Selmac’s deep voice.

“A slight accident triggered the memory.” Jack said in explanation, and he saw Selmac’s eyes narrow. General Hammond must have told him about the attack. But before anyone could ask more he turned around suddenly and started his way towards where he thought the device might be found.

The others got their gear and followed the Colonel. The team’s two scientists were in a deep conversation and didn’t notice the other two’s concerned gazes, which followed O’Neill’s retreating back.