I don't know any Arabic, and I don't trust the online translators, so I have simply indicated when conversation is in that language by using italics.

I hope you enjoy!

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January 25, 1994—a village several kilometers from the terrorist compound

Someone was talking softly nearby. Jack wanted to ignore it—but then there was also the pain. He wasn't exactly sure where the pain was coming from, it seemed to be everywhere in his body. Maybe moving might ease it... But when he tried to move, it got worse and he couldn't keep from groaning..

The voices stopped.

A face appeared above him. Well, half a face—the lower half was covered with a veil. A woman's voice said, "Please do not move. You will hurt yourself even more."

"What happened? Who are you?" he muttered; he didn't realize she was speaking Arabic until after he'd answered her in the same language.

Her eyes widened a little in surprise. "You fell down the cliff. You have a concussion and your back is bruised. Your ankle is sprained. It is your back I am most concerned about. You must lie still."

"Jack?" a man said. English, this time. Reynolds appeared beside Jack's bed. One arm was bound up in a sling, his face was bruised. "Jack," he said again. "Hey, I'm glad you're awake."

"Not sure I am..." Jack growled. "Al. You okay?"

"Bruises and scrapes. Dislocated shoulder, but they fixed it."

"How long?" Jack mumbled.

"Three days. Do you remember what happened?"

"We tried to play mountain goat..."

Reynolds chuckled. The woman reappeared with a dipper of water, and held Jack's head up enough to let him drink. The effort made him dizzy with exhaustion, but the water was cool and wonderful in his mouth and throat. He was grateful when she lowered his head back onto the cot. "Thank you," he told her. He could tell she smiled by the way her eyes crinkled. She murmured a few words and turned then and left the room.

"My Arabic's not as good as yours. She has to speak slowly for me," Al said. "What did she say?"

"She's gone to get someone named Esmail."

"Ah. That would be the village leader. He speaks a little English."

"Where are we?"

"In the village at the base of the cliffs."

Jack's eyes wanted to close. "Why are they helping us?"

"The Lion's men have this entire area terrorized. Esmail says he's had enough."

"Mmm..."

"They found us, and brought us here. Aminah took care of us. She's a nurse. Yesterday the terrorists came to the village." Al saw Jack's eyes fly open at that. "They hid us and Esmail convinced them we hadn't been this way."

"We have to go..." Jack tried to struggle upright.

"Easy!" Al put a hand on his shoulder and held him down. "You can't get up."

"They'll come back..."

"Esmail has people watching. Stay down, Jack! That's an order!"

Jack' head pounded, and he had exhausted his strength, so he had no choice but to give in. "Yes, sir," he muttered. "But we can't stay here much longer. If the Lion's men find out these people helped us, they'll kill them."

"I know. So do they." Reynold's voice was grim. "We'll go as soon as you're able."

Jack groaned. "Mmmm... You said the woman is a nurse?"

"Yes. She's Esmail's older sister. Her name's Aminah. She lived in Kabul. Her husband was a doctor. He died last year. She has no children, so she came back here to live."

Jack grunted again.

There was a sound from the doorway and a large man with grey-shot black hair entered. He looked about forty years old. The woman Aminah walked behind him. The man smiled when he saw that Jack was awake. "Hello! I am Esmail. My sister tells me you wake."

"Name's Jack. Thank you for helping us."

"We're happy to help the man who kill the Lion." Esmail's smile widened. "Al tells us you are sniper."

"Uh... Yeah." Jack glanced uneasily at Al. "He told me they came here to search for us."

"We hide you in cave behind Aminah's house. Her idea."

"They didn't search there?"

"It has door..." Esmail began, and then had to switch to Arabic to explain. "There is a secret door in one of her rooms which leads directly into a cave in the side of the cliff. Even most of the villagers don't know about it."

"You should have left us in there. They'll come back."

"No. The cave is very small, and not really stable. It would not be a safe place for you for any length of time. Besides, men need air and sunshine."

"We will leave just as soon as we can. If they find us here, they will punish you."

Esmail's expression turned grim, and he continued in English. "Lion and his men are evil! We fight them if they come back."

"But your families..."

"No. Everybody agree. Children have been sent away long ago. Only those who can fight are here."

Jack switched to Arabic again. "You're saying you're part of a resistance?"

Esmail nodded once and stuck to English. "Too many terrorists in Ihrazhad. Not just Lion. People fight against them everywhere."

"The less you tell us about that, the better," Jack warned. When Esmail looked uncertain, Jack repeated himself in Arabic. "If they were to catch us and torture us, we might inadvertently give something away."

"Yes, okay." Esmail nodded again.

"And that's another reason we should leave."

"Aminah says you must not walk until swelling of back goes away." He glanced at his sister and she nodded slightly. "She thinks maybe ten days or more."

"Ten days? We can't stay here that long!" Jack objected.

"Jack, if you try too soon, you won't be able to make it," Al said.

Jack made a move as if to rise, and both Aminah and Al moved to stop him. Aminah's rapid scolding in Arabic was perfectly clear, even without translation! Jack eased back onto the cot as the pain stabbed the right side of his back, and down his leg.

"You will not try that again, O'Neill," Al snapped. "And that's an order!"

"Yes, sir," Jack managed through the pain. For several moments he felt like he was going to pass out, and the conversation around him faded to white noise. There was the prick of a needle. Oh crap... he thought. Soon the pain retreated and he slept.

January 29, 1994—Esmail's Village

It was early morning, an hour before dawn, when the terrorists descended on the village again. They broke down doors and invaded houses, dragging people out into the street, firing weapons into the air and threatening to burn the houses. They found nothing except frightened villagers. In their fury they fired on a group of women, wounding two. After thoroughly ransacking the town—and finding very little of value—they left as angry and empty-handed as they had arrived.

The wounded 'women'—who were actually men dressed as women—were attended to immediately. The lookouts stationed around the village had given ample warning so that Jack and Al, along with most of the women, were hidden in the cave, and some of the slighter men had donned women's clothing and veils. Esmail did not allow anyone to emerge from the cave until late morning, on the chance that the invaders would double back to try and surprise them.

Four more days of rest had made a great improvement in Jack's condition. Most of the swelling in his back had gone down, and Aminah was as certain as she could be without x-rays that he had not broken anything. He was able to sit up and move around some, although it was still somewhat painful, and Aminah insisted that he limit the time on his feet.

Esmail had received information from members of the informal resistance group in neighboring villages that the Lion's second in command—a man known only by the name Saif—had taken charge, and was actively recruiting new members into the terrorist army. Saif—the name meant 'sword'—had the reputation of being even more brutal and bloodthirsty than the Lion had been.

On the night after the terrorist raid, four men came secretly to the village to speak with Esmail. Jack and Al were asked to join them in Esmail's house.

The oldest of the visitors was a man in his seventies named Adil. He looked Jack and Al over with dark eyes that seemed to see everything. He did not speak to them or to anyone else, as Esmail and the others quietly discussed the situation, and shared the information they had.

"What do we know of this Saif?" Esmail asked.

"He comes from a large, wealthy family," one of them, Ghadir said. "He is Saudi, and his father is very rich. He fought withmujahideen in Afghanistan and helped to fund the movement. He has many resources."

"Saif joined with the Lion's army last year," the third man, Ahmed, added. "The word is he is very ambitious, and the Lion's death is giving him an opportunity to create his own organization."

"He has already given the group a new name, the Foundation," Dawud, the youngest visitor, spoke up eagerly. "We must stop him. Let me do it. I will join them, and get close, so that I can kill him."

"You are a foolish child," Ahmed growled. "They would know what you are in a minute."

Dawud's face reddened with anger, but he said nothing more.

The conversation continued between Esmail, Ahmed and Ghadir.

The silent elder, Adil, finally spoke up. "Stranger," he said, looking straight at Jack. "What is your name?"

"I am Captain Jack O'Neill," he replied.

"I am Adil. Father of this one." He gestured to Ahmed. "Esmail tells us it was you who killed the Lion."

Jack nodded once. "That is correct, elder."

"How?"

Jack knows that they all know the answer to that question, but he replies politely. "I shot him. From the ridge above the compound."

"You are a good shot?"

"I am a good shot. I also shot at least six other terrorists."

Adil nodded. "You will kill Saif."

Jack opened his mouth to object, then paused. "I would need to know where he is. Is he at the compound?"

"Not now." It was Ahmed who answered. "He is in the south. He seeks new recruits for his army."

"Can you get me information about where and when he will be?"

"Jack," Reynolds broke in. He had understood only part of the exchange. "What is he asking?"

"They're asking me to assassinate Saif, the new terrorist leader."

Al's eyes narrowed. "We need to talk."

"Yes. I won't promise anything." Jack turned back to Ahmed. "The information?"

Ahmed and Ghadir exchanged looks. "I believe we can get it."

"I must speak with Colonel Reynolds. He is my commander, and I cannot promise anything unless he agrees."

"Very well," Ahmed agreed.

"Excuse us for a few minutes."

Jack and Al stepped outside of Esmail's house and moved a short distance down the alley. Jack quickly repeated the conversation.

"This man Saif sounds even worse than the Lion," Al said slowly. "If we stop now, we may have only made things worse. With the Lion dead, the terrorists are gaining new members. What do you think? Can you do it?

"If they get me good intel, I don't see why not."

"This is over and above our orders, but I agree it needs to be done."

"Not really beyond orders," Jack said. "If he'd been in that compound yard, he might be dead already."

"True. You're in no condition to run like we had to do, though. They'll have to help us with an escape plan. I won't okay this unless there's a reasonable chance of getting away."

Jack nodded. "Agreed."

"All right. Let's go see what Esmail's friends can find out." They turned back toward the house.

January 31, 1994

Jack never knew how it was accomplished, but two days later, Dawud arrived with a photograph, a map and a message. "Saif will be in the town of Tahari tomorrow morning," the young man said. "I will guide you there."

"And the escape plan?"

"Friends will be waiting outside of town with a jeep. They will drive you south, into the desert, within a few kilometers of the Allied Airfield."

"You will come with us," Reynolds said, in his halting Arabic.

Dawud's eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he smiled slightly and nodded. "It is good to be cautious, even of your friends. I will come with you."

Before dawn the next day, Jack was in place on a hill overlooking the medium sized town. From his place he had an excellent view of the town's central market square. As it grew light, he was able to spot armed men stationed around the square, vendors with carts were beginning to set up for market. According to the information Jack had from the resistance, Saif would make his appearance in the square sometime around mid-morning, when the marketplace was busiest.

Jack spotted him at 0853. Saif emerged from one of the buildings, dressed in a grey robe and white turban. Jack had seen the armed guards converging slowly toward the area for several minutes before, so he was expecting the leader to appear.

Jack focused on Saif's face. It was an easy shot. Damn—too easy! This man was not Saif! He had studied the photo of the terrorist leader carefully. There was a strong resemblance, but it was not him.

Quickly, Jack scanned the faces of the armed men—he did not find his target. He moved the telescopic sight, and broadened his view and slowly scanned the market square. There! He found him in a nearby doorway, casually leaning against the jamb. He was dressed in nondescript Western clothes, a baseball cap on his head!

Jack took only the barest second between recognizing the target and pulling the trigger. The man in the doorway stiffened and fell. Jack refocused on the nearest guard, and then on two more, killing them all within seconds. The marketplace filled with panicked screams and running people. Jack did not wait to watch. He was gone, down the hill, where Dawud and Al were waiting.

"This way!" Dawud led them quickly away from town, keeping out of sight until they came to a road. A jeep was waiting, its engine running, and Ghadir at the wheel. A quick nod passed between Dawud and Ghadir. They got in, and without a word headed north.

An hour later, having made a wide half circle around the town, Ghadir turned south into the desert. Sixteen hours later, at almost 0100, they drove up to the guard gate and the Allied Field, where the mission had begun.

Parrish Field VA, February 1, 1994, 7:49 p.m.

Sara and Charlie were playing dominoes on the living room floor—"This is the last game, Charlie!"—when the telephone rang. Sara started to climb to her feet, but Charlie jumped up before she could make it and grabbed the handset from the coffee table.

"Hi! This is Charlie."

Sara smiled at his standard greeting—and then her heart leapt at his next delighted words:

"Daddy! Where are you! Are you coming home?"

-The End, Temporarily-

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Now that Jack is safe, and on his way home, I am going to put this story on hiatus for a while. I'm not finished with it, yet. I have more planned that will continue with Jack and Sara. But I think this is a good time to post a companion story, which will fill in some background in the Maverick Jack AU. That story will be called Maverick Jack; The Langford Project.

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate every one of you!