Behind The Shadows (part 3)
Title:
Behind The
Shadows (part 3)
Author: Suz W.
Feedback: Did
you like it??
Spoilers: After Proving Ground and 48 Hours (episode tag)
Rating: PG-13, S/J Romance, Friendship, Angst, Mild Language, and Mild
Violence.
Summary: Sam and Jack discover the shadows that have been
haunting them.
Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are
the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for
entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or
trademarks was intended.
Copyright: The original characters, situations, and story are
the property of the author. Copyrighted
on November 26, 2004, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.
Author’s
Notes: This story follows "Behind
The Shadows (Part 2)". So
by now you’ve probably been wondering if I was ever going to finish this story,
right? Well, as you can see, I finally have! I apologize for the delay, but I’ve been moving
for the past three weeks, and living out of boxes just does nothing for the
writing motivation. But I’m back and
ready to deliver this final part! I
hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts on it!
Dedication: I just want to thank once again all of my dedicated
fans that are reading my series as I write it…from everyone who signs the
guestbook on my site to the ones who send me feedback. Your support means so much to me, and though
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: you are my motivation to keep
going. So thank you for your kind words
of encouragement and support. Knowing
you’re out there reading them means the world to me!
Jack was numb, his body taking no notice of the chilling cold in the damp air around him. The only thing he could register was the limp form of the woman he loved held tightly in his arms as he sat on the hard ground. Looking down at her face again, so pale and lifeless, he could feel his reasons for living slipping away. First Charlie and now Sam. He couldn’t take it. When Charlie had been alive, the world had seemed so bright and real. But after his death, Jack could feel himself slipping into a black abyss, determined never to feel happiness again, since it had been his gun that had taken Charlie away from him.
But then this amazing and spirited woman walked into his life. As she took his breath away that day in the boardroom, she also latched onto his heart and soul, pulling him back into the light and rescuing him, helping him to discover how to live again. Their friendship had blossomed into a kind of love he had never known possible to exist. And from the miraculous night when they confessed their love under the stars on his deck, his life had been filled with so much happiness, so much more than he ever thought he deserved.
So was this life’s cruel way of punishing him for being happy, for feeling things he would have never willingly allowed himself to feel after losing Charlie? Looking up, he wanted to search the sky for Charlie’s star, but only found his vision obscured by the fog and dark shadows that seemed to always plague them here. Looking back down at Sam, his eyes focused on the two puncture marks on her neck. They were swollen and bloody, a reaction from where the vampire had sunk his teeth into her.
In Jack’s mind, he saw the scene over and over again …Sam being held like a rag doll by a creature the he would have sworn just a day ago couldn’t exist. Its teeth were buried firmly in her neck, drinking the life out of her. And then it had just discarded her on the ground, turning into a human-like bat and flying away into the night, satisfying with its latest victim.
As Jack searched Sam’s face, his blood became hot and his tears felt like fire on his skin. Clutching onto Sam, he shouted to the night surrounding them. “Damn you, vampire!! Damn you to Hell!!” Hearing the irony in his speech and exhausting all his breath, he could feel another round of sobs coming on, ready to rake his body once again. About to give into them, a voice penetrated the air and Jack looked up to find Radu suddenly in front of them.
Radu’s elderly eyes quickly surveyed the scene in front of him as a haunting sadness suddenly clouded his eyes. “Oh no…” His voice seemed to fade into nothingness as he dropped to the ground beside Jack.
Jack looked into the face of their new friend, anger still raging inside of him. “You knew about this, didn’t you?!! How could you allow this to happen?? With all your magic potions and sorcerer crap, you can’t sit there and tell me that you didn’t know how to prevent this! Hell, you could have even been the one to let that thing know where we were!” In the back of Jack’s mind, he knew that he was being unfair, but rational thought seemed to no longer exist in his head.
Radu simply shook his head, sorrow filling his face. “No, my friend, I did not inform the Count of where you were staying. But as I said earlier this evening, Dracula had already tasted her blood when his nails wounded the back of her neck. He always wants more than just a taste. And he always gets it.” Looking in the direction of Dracula’s castle, now obscured from view, he quietly went on. “Remember, I told you that he can sense out his victims, entrancing them by calling out to their souls. These senseless deaths…” he said, reaching a hand out to touch a part of Sam’s hair, “..they mean nothing more to him than mere food to quench his blood hungry thirst.”
Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He could feel the muscles in every inch of his body tighten up with hatred. Suddenly loosening his grip on Sam, he handed her body over to Radu and stood up. With fire in his eyes, his voice was dangerously low as he spoke. “Well, it ends here!! Count Dracula has just sucked his last meal. I don’t care what it takes…he will die by my hand tonight. That bastard won’t live to see another sunset!” Turning around, Jack placed himself in the direction of where he thought the castle would be. With his jaw set in determination, he took a few steps in that direction, ready and eager to kill.
As he continued forward, Radu’s voice suddenly pierced the night around him with urgency. “Wait!! Don’t go! She needs you, now more than ever!”
Jack halted in place like he’d been shot in the back. Afraid to hope, he closed his eyes and spoke up with a slightly shaky voice. “What are you talking about? Sam is dead. He killed her…I saw him do it.”
Radu’s voice came in an instance. “No! She is not dead! Come and see!”
Jack whipped around so fast he thought he would lose his balance. Regaining his footing, he rushed back and fell to his knees beside them. Reaching out for her face, he cupped his hands around it and called out her name. “Sam! Can you hear me? Please…open your eyes!”
Radu’s voice suddenly found Jack’s ears. “She will not respond.”
Jack looked up at him, confusion and impatience forming on his face. “Then why in the hell did you say she wasn’t dead?! And so help me, if you say that she lives on in me or some crap like that…”
Radu held up a hand, his voice more urgent. “No! I am telling you the truth, she is alive. Her pulse is barely palpable, but it is there! Watch for her breath…there! Did you see her chest move?”
Jack held his own breath as he focused his eyes on her chest. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then, Sam took in a slightly more noticeable breath, making her chest rise slightly and then fall again. Jack thought he was going to jump out of his skin. “Sam!! Oh, god, you’re alive!” Taking her from Radu, he held her against him, wanting to feel her breathing for himself. When it came again, he wanted to cry. Her breath was very shallow and light, but it was there.
Radu allowed a moment to pass before saying anything. “We must take her back to my home. It is not safe out here. Come. I will do what I can for her.” Standing up, he held out a hand and placed it on Jack’s arm, steadying him as he got up. Jack had Sam in his arms, carrying her close to his heart. Using a small torch to light the path in front of them, they made their way back to Radu’s house as quickly as possible. Arriving at the front door, Radu quickly opened it, stepping aside to allow Jack through the door with Sam.
Jack made a beeline for the bedroom where Sam had been. Practically kicking open the door, he made his way over to the oversized bed and carefully laid her down on the bed. As he placed an afghan over her, he brushed a few strands of hair from her face, noting how clammy and cold her skin was. Jack could see that Sam was knocking on death’s door.
Yelling out, his voice echoed in the small-enclosed room. “Damn it, Radu, hurry up! She’s not getting any better!” Listening for a moment to the sounds of Radu’s movements through the house, gathering supplies, Jack looked back over at Sam as he sat beside her. Taking one of her hands, he squeezed it gently. “Come on, Carter, fight this.” His voice was softer but just as firm. “You’re one of the strongest people I know and definitely the smartest. Of any of us, you should be able to will yourself out of this. Please…you have to. I can’t lose you. I can’t go on without you.”
For a fleeting moment, Jack could have sworn he felt her hand tighten around his. Catching his breath, he gripped her hand with both of his. “Sam? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can!” To his dismay, there was nothing but the silence that floated around them. As Jack started to hang his head in disappointment and worry, Radu burst into the room, his arms loaded with supplies.
Putting them down on the beside table, Jack looked over what he had brought. There were ointments in jars, clean towels, bandage wraps, and a large carving knife. Jack looked up at Radu as he was arranging his supplies and nodded in the direction of the knife. “What’s that for?”
Radu froze in place and then slowly looked over at Jack. Hesitant in his answer, his voice was reserved and a bit shaky. “Well, there are two things I can do…the first being more sure than the other.”
Jack didn’t like his tone. “Okay…what is the first one?”
Radu took a breath. “We….I kill her.”
Jack reacted instantly by grabbing the knife and standing up, pointing it at Radu with a dangerous angle. “You come any closer to her and I swear this knife with be in your gut before you can blink!”
Radu held up his hands. “No, you don’t understand. I don’t want to kill her, but if we can’t heal her before he calls to her again, she will become a vampire like him.”
Jack held his stance. “Okay, back up. What are you talking about?”
Radu answered him without hesitation. “The only reason that Dracula has left her alive is because he has chosen another bride. He desires her, and therefore he has left her alive for her to come to him.”
Jack just shook his head, trying to take all of this storybook fantasy in at once. “Well, he can desire her all he wants, but he won’t be laying another hand…or fang on her every again!”
Radu just shook his head. “It doesn’t matter…you can’t stop the spell he has put over her. Even now, she is lost in a dark world of shadows and dreams, nightmares that are raging through her subconsciousness. He is keeping her prisoner, rather her physical body is here or not. And he will call for her to come to him this coming night.” Pausing, he looked over at Sam before going on. “When she does, he will have her drink from his blood, sealing the bond and making her a creature of the night.”
Jack shuttered slightly, still holding the knife in Radu’s direction. But as the minutes passed, he began to realize that this man was not their enemy. Clearing his voice, he spoke up. “Well, since the first option is obviously out of the question, what’s plan B?”
Radu glanced down at his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with a clear yellow liquid. “We try to use this on her.”
Jack eyed the syringe carefully, his eyes focusing mainly on the large needle attached to it. “You know, I think she’s had just about enough of sharp, pointy objects in her skin. Isn’t there anything….”
Radu quickly stopped him. “There is nothing else, and this may not do anything for her anyway.”
Jack sat back down on the bed next to Sam, putting the knife down beside him and taking her limp hand. “Well, what is it?”
Radu fingered the syringe with care. “A serum I developed after my wife died. I wanted to save her with it…but I was never given the chance.”
Jack furrowed his brow. “I thought you told us your wife was dead when you found her.”
Radu sighed. “I thought she was. But the next night, as I was keeping vigil over her body, I had fallen asleep, and when I woke up, she was gone. We searched everywhere for her, but no one could find her.” Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he looked over at the window, his voice low. “It wasn’t until weeks later when one of the villagers was attacked…except this time instead of being attacked by the Count himself, he was attacked by my wife.”
Jack cringed. “Sounds like a living nightmare.”
Radu gave him a sad smile. “It was. I refused to give up on her. I convinced myself that there had to be some way of reversing what had been done to her. So I worked day and night for over a week to develop the formula I now hold in my hand.”
Jack looked over at Sam, a bad feeling coming over him. “But it didn’t work, did it.”
Radu moved forward, squatting down beside them. “I never got a chance to try. A few days after I finished it, my wife was killed as she attempted to feed on another one of the villagers….a wooden stake to the heart.”
Sam moaned softly, turning her head to the side. Jack placed a hand on her cheek, bending forward to whisper soothing sounds into her ears. Lightly kissing her lips, he sat back up, keeping his eyes on her face. “She’s going through hell, isn’t she?”
Radu simply nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Jack took a moment to think. Looking over at Radu, he asked the question he didn’t think he’d ever consider. “So what would happen if you gave her this stuff?” Jack didn’t want to let Radu try anything experimental on Sam, but at this point, he didn’t see any other option.
Radu nodded. “My hope is that it will taint her blood to where when she drinks Dracula’s blood, the chemicals I introduce into her system will actually reverse the affects and break the spell he has over her.”
Jack shook his head. “Okay, I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re talking about or how that stuff works, but what I want to know is if it will hurt her or not.”
Radu sighed. “I don’t know, but it’s rather this or you will lose her…forever.”
Jack felt like he was fighting one of the biggest battles of his life. It was up to him to decide the fate of Sam’s life. But one thing he knew was that he couldn’t give up on her, and if this serum had any chance of helping her, he had to try it. Looking over at the syringe Radu held in his hands, Jack nodded with reserve. “Alright, do it, but do it now before I have anymore time to change my mind.”
Before Jack knew it, Radu was injecting the fluid into Sam’s arm. After he had finished, they both looked at each other. Radu spoke up first. “Now we wait. He will call to her tonight, and when she goes, we will just have to hope that the serum works.” He then proceeded to dress Sam’s wounds and with Jack’s help, managed to get some tea with some soothing herbs in it down her throat. “I suggest you rest. You will need your strength tonight. She will need your strength.” With that, he got up and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Though soft daylight filtered through the window, Jack felt the weariness left behind from no sleep the night before. Lying down beside Sam, he moved closer to her, placing an arm lightly over her chest. Watching her sleeping profile, he found himself praying that this would not be the last time he could hold her in his arms as the woman he’d fallen in love with, someone who defined the very meaning of living for him.
The night was cold and dark. The thick fog that had plagued the area the past few days had thinned out into a swirling mist that wrapped around every object it touched. Jack and Radu walked quietly behind Sam, keeping a safe distance and ducking behind buildings when they thought they were getting too close. Radu had warned Jack that getting too close would only cause more harm than good, knowing that the Count would be watching Sam’s journey to him, and they couldn’t risk anything going wrong. It was killing Jack to just watch Sam walk helplessly to Dracula’s castle, knowing he was allowing her to walk into an incredibly dangerous and potentially deadly situation.
He had been woken up by Radu at sunset, and within the hour, Sam, who had never regained consciousness, got up and slowly walked out of the house, her eyes open, yet not seeing anything or anyone around her. How she was able to walk after practically having all of the blood drained out of her body less than 24 hours ago, he didn’t know, but he only hoped that her body would support her through this. There was definitely a magic here he didn’t understand, and he couldn’t wait to get back to their own reality, if that was even a possibility.
Twenty minutes later, Radu and Jack crept into the shadowy castle, the large wooden and stone doors creaking loudly against the high vaulted ceilings and old stone walls. The front hall was enormous, lined with old, tattered tapestry that, once rich in color, had faded with time. Pictures of prominent people, unknown to Jack, hung in rich frames of gold and mahogany, accenting the dark wooden hall table that lined one of the walls, dressed in a red velvet liner, with a glass vase on top, filled with dark red roses.
As they continued to follow Sam down the hall, it opened up into a grand foyer, centered by a great staircase that went up to a landing, and then divided off into three separate sections. A massive oak table sat in the center of the room, with another large vase of flowers in the center. But despite the colors of red, yellow and white painted in the petals of the flowers, the rest of the room was cold and dark. Too many corners sat in shadows, with cobwebs hanging from the rafters, glinting in the glow of the candles that had been lit in every window around the room.
Jack and Radu were about to enter the room when Sam suddenly stopped and turned, her body facing a darkened doorway only a few feet from where she stood. Moving quickly, they stepped back into the hall, pressing themselves up against the wall. Jack didn’t know what to do next. It was hell to just stand there and watch, waiting to see what fate would befall Sam. As if Radu could sense Jack’s impatience, he placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, drawing his attention. Shaking his head from side to side, Radu silently urged him to hold it together.
Jack, knowing he had to for all their sakes, tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. It was pounding in his ears, making it seem like it was echoing off of every stone in the room. He kept his eyes focused on Sam as his chest began to hurt from having to hold in his breath. His palms were damp with sweat and he found himself wishing at that moment he were holding any type of weapon.
Just as Jack was wondering how much longer he would be able to take the suspense, the shadows in front of Sam moved, and in the blink of an eye, Count Dracula suddenly stood before Sam, his chalk white skin glowing in the candlelight as his eyes burned blood red. Jack fisted his hands to the point of pain as he watched Dracula take a bony white finger, and a long, sharp nail, to trace the pattern of Sam’s face and neck. An evil smile slowly formed, revealing the fangs that he had used to nearly drink the very life from her body.
Suddenly, his voice, filled with an evil, raspy tone, resounded all around them. “Now, my dear, it is time for you to join me…to join us in an existence that you have never experienced before…for all eternity.” Taking the finger he had just used to trace Sam’s face, he placed the nail across his wrist, cutting the skin as he drew it across the surface. Dark red blood began to run freely down his hand. Holding it up to the level of her face, he moved closer to her, his other hand snaking behind her head. “Now, I know you’ve been thirsty and hungry. Drink, my dear, drink and be satisfied.”
Jack thought he was going to be sick. As the vampire held up his wrist to Sam’s lips, Jack was suddenly surprised to see her hesitate. “Sam,” he whispered, starting to move forward. But as soon as he did, Radu placed a steady hand on Jack’s shoulder.
“No,” Radu said, whispering in the lowest tone possible. “You must wait.”
Jack whipped his head back at Radu. “But she’s fighting it…can’t you see that!” Jack was doing his best to keep his voice low, but it was hard.
Radu just shook his head. “We have to wait. You must be strong.”
Jack didn’t care. He couldn’t stand by and watch her be forced to drink the blood of some creature that didn’t really exist. As he was about to step out of the shadows, Dracula brought his wrist the rest of the way to Sam’s lips, holding it there as she began to drink. Jack watched in agony, as time seemed suspended, the moment frozen in his mind with no clear way out. Several minutes passed by, but nothing seemed to have made a difference. She was still in a trance, still trapped in her mind, a puppet on a set of strings. ‘Come on, Sam, fight it…come back to me. You can do it!’ Jack’s thoughts weren’t helping his nerves, and he thought his heart was going to pound right out of his chest at any moment.
Suddenly, Sam released his wrist and staggered back, looking like she was going to collapse at any moment. Jack decided there was no better time than the present to make their move. With Radu at his heels, they emerged from the shadows, moving quickly towards Dracula. Jack could see that Sam’s strength was wavering. He couldn’t tell if the serum had worked or not, but he wasn’t willing to risk her life further by trying to guess if she had fangs or not.
Jack came up behind Sam and put his arms around her, catching her just before her legs gave out beneath her. As he did this, Dracula let out a frustrated scream and surged forward, obviously angered at Jack touching what he thought was his. Jack spun Sam behind him and put her down on the ground, turning around again and grabbing at the wooden stake that he had put in his belt before leaving Radu’s house.
Dracula reached out for Jack, bearing his nails and fangs, his eyes blood red with revenge. Jack ducked Dracula’s arm, but wasn’t prepared for a punch to his chest as he stood up. He flew back, his body slamming into the hard stone ground beneath him, knocking the wind out of him temporarily. Trying to get up, he watched as Radu attempted the same thing he just had, only to fail, his body slamming against another wall and was knocked unconscious.
Dracula moved towards Sam. Jack pushed himself up off the ground, his head spinning slightly from the quick movement. He would protect Sam at all costs. It would take a lot more than a punch to the gut to stop him. He spotted the wooden stake he’d been holding only a few feet from his position. Deciding it was worth retrieving, he dodged to the left, his right hand sweeping the floor, scooping up the stake in one swift motion.
Running forward, he took aim with the stake and was about to deliver a blow to Dracula’s back when, in one blinding motion, Dracula swung back around and hit Jack’s arm, sending the stake flying to the other side of the room and making him lose his balance. Jack rolled on the ground and came to a stop next to the massive table in the center of the room. From the angle he was at on the ground, he noticed two ornate swords hanging on display on the wall adjacent to him. Frustrated at his inability to even deter this creature, Jack pushed himself up on adrenaline and fear for Sam. Running again, he grabbed at one of the swords and yanked it off the wall, unsheathing it in one quick movement as he turned around, only to find Dracula had picked up Sam, who was still stunned, and held her in his arms.
With Dracula’s back still to him, but not wanting to injure Sam, Jack ran forward and plunged the sword right through the back of Dracula’s right thigh. Dracula reacted by letting out a cry of pain and surprise, dropping Sam to the ground in the process. Just escaping Jack’s reach, the Count then turned himself into his bat-like form and flew off, heading for one of the wings across the room. Out of breath, Jack collapsed onto his knees, his body aching and just generally exhausted. But as the echoing sounds of Dracula’s frustrated cry rang through the room, Jack knew they didn’t have time to rest.
Just then, a hand reached out and touched his face. Startled, he looked up and found Sam looking back at him, her beautiful face smiling at him with tears in her eyes. Jack was afraid to blink, sure that if he did, she would change into a creature of the night. Reaching up, he placed his hand carefully on top of hers. Her skin was warm and soft, and her touch was real.
His heart exploding with emotion, Jack quickly reached out with both arms and swept her into them, pulling her close and nuzzling his face against her hair, taking in familiar breaths of her scent. “Oh God, Sam….I thought I’d lost you.” Jack’s voice vibrated with the emotion running through his heart, and he felt a tear escape the corner of his eye as he squeezed her tighter. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” Pulling back slightly, he took her face in his hands. “Are you okay? Are you…you?”
Despite the danger around them, Sam felt like she could float away on the emotions she was feeling. She was confused, dazed, in pain, and generally scared. But the one emotion that stood out in front of all of those was her love for the man now holding her. Shaking her head, releasing the tears in her eyes, she spoke up, looking into his eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay, and I’m me.” Pausing to attempt to quench the emotions welling up in her throat, she continued. “Thank you…thank you for loving me enough not to give up on me. I would be dead right now if it weren’t for you.”
Jack took her fully in his arms again. “Oh, Samantha, you have no idea how much I love you. I’d do anything for you…you should know that.” Burying his lips in her hair, he then placed a line of urgent kisses down her cheek, desperate to feel her lips on his. When he did, heat exploded inside of him as he devoured her lips, loving how warm they felt and reeling in the returned urgency of her kisses. Need and desire floated all around them, enveloping them, making the atmosphere around them disappear temporarily.
But the haunting echo of a distant cry broke the moment between them and brought reality back in a flash. Sam whipped her head in the direction of the sound, her breath suddenly ragged. Jack grabbed her hand as they stood up. “Sam, what is it? What’s wrong?”
Sam looked back at him with fear in her eyes, a sight Jack wasn’t accustom to seeing. “He’s very angry and he’s coming back for his revenge.”
Jack looked over at Radu, who was beginning to come around. “Right, well let’s get out of this hell hole then.” Tugging on her hand, he was surprised to find resistance there. “Sam, come on! We have to get moving.”
Sam looked like someone who was about to deliver bad news. “Jack, we can’t go…not yet.”
Jack gave her a confused look. “Sam, we don’t exactly have time to tour the castle. And I’m sure this place has nothing in the way of technology to offer us.”
Sam closed her eyes briefly. “Actually, it does. Our way home.” Sam opened her eyes and looked into Jack’s. “The device…it’s here.”
Jack felt his heart skip a beat. “Are you sure? How do you know? You haven’t been in this castle any longer than we have.”
Sam shook her head. “I know that, but when Dracula…bit me, he did something to me. I had all these…I don’t know, visions…images of this place. They were more like nightmares, and I was trapped in them. I don’t know if Dracula intended for me to see all that I did, but in my trance I saw Roberts.”
Jack couldn’t blink. “What?!”
Sam quickly went on. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. He’s alive…or dead, however you look at it.”
Jack inched his eyebrows up a little further. “Well, which is it? He can only be one or the other.”
Sam took a breath. “He’s been turned into a vampire and is being held in the dungeon. Dracula is keeping his will at bay by giving him only minimal food…blood…and forcing him to work on the device. Jack, I don’t think I have to tell you how dangerous that would be if Dracula manages to get that device working.”
Jack, thinking he heard something, quickly spun his head in the direction that Dracula had gone. With the dim lighting and moving shadows, Jack found his skin crawling at a constant rate. Turning back to Sam after convincing himself that his imagination was playing tricks on him, Jack responded. “Yeah, let’s not think about that. Okay…so Roberts is in the basement…and of course the device is with him. Why not…it would be too easy otherwise.” Hearing Radu groan, Jack and Sam moved over to his side, helping him up.
When Radu looked at Sam and realized that she was not a vampire, he was stunned. “It…it worked?” His voice held a whispered tone as he took in the sight of his accomplishment. “The serum…the chemical mixture was right. Oh, if only my wife could have…”
When his voice faded out as his eyes averted to the floor, Jack cleared his throat, knowing that Radu needed a new focus. “Radu, the man we’ve been looking for is apparently here…in this castle. Sam says he’s been turned into a vampire and is working on the device that brought us here. We have to find him, but if you’re not up to it, we understand. You should probably go back to the safety of your home. You’ve taken quite a beating.”
Radu quickly shook his head, raising his chin. “I thank you for your concern, my friend, but I am fine. I may be old, but I am not without the ability to aid you. If I can help you in any way to find your way home, I will.”
Jack nodded, giving him a small smile and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks.” Turning to Sam, he took her hand in his. “Do you feel up to this? You have been through quite a lot. You did just have all the blood drained from your body.”
Sam gave him a weak smile. “I’m tired, but I’ll survive. Besides, I’m the only one who can guide us down there. Whatever he did to me, he left the knowledge of the layout of this castle in my head.”
Radu spoke up. “More than likely, it was in preparation for your change. In order to be one of Dracula’s brides, you had to know this place inside and out.”
Sam shivered. “Yeah, well, let’s not think about that either. I’m already going to have enough nightmares to last me a lifetime.” Feeling Jack move closer to her, she could feel her strength returning. “I’m ready if you are.”
Jack nodded. “Let’s move out.” Silently, they followed Sam, staying close to each other for protection from the unseen forces around them. Creeping through hallowed halls and descending down narrow, spiraling staircases, they made their way past old bones, walls with dried blood on it; past webbing spun by spiders that they didn’t want to meet, and past occasional rats that looked well fed.
Ten minutes later, Sam stopped in front of a solid oak door. The latch was bolted and locked tightly. Looking around for something to break it with, Jack was surprised when Sam simply reached up above the door and fingered a key to open it with. “Well,” he said, “I guess ol’ Drac isn’t really good at hiding keys.”
Radu looked behind him. “Well, he doesn’t really have many visitors or any reason to hide such things.” Pausing to listen, he continued, his voice more urgent. “We must hurry. That wound you gave him should have already healed. When he comes after us, there will be hell to pay.”
On that note, Sam unbolted the door and flipped open the latch. Looking at Jack, who nodded back at her, she pushed open the door. It creaked and groaned under protest of being opened. As it stopped moving, Jack and Sam, who had pressed themselves against the adjoining wall, carefully moved to a vantage point where they could look in, but still be protected against any assault that might be waiting for them in the dark.
The sound of slowly dripping water could be heard echoing off the walls, making the room seem hollow and endless. As they made their way inside, Jack leading first, they stayed close to the door, allowing their eyes to adjust to the low lighting. Only two small candles burned in the center of the room, flickering wildly in the air coming from the open door. They sat on an old wooden table, surrounded only by two stools. The rest of the room contained nothing else except for dark individual cells, each one walled off in the front by black iron bars.
As they moved forward, listening to sounds and looking for any signs of life, Sam spotted a small metal object lying on the table. Keeping her voice low, she spoke up. “There…on that table. I think that’s the device Roberts used to bring us here.” Walking over to it, she picked it up carefully and then looked at Jack. “We found it.”
Jack moved over to her, keeping his guard up as he went. There had been no sign of Roberts as of yet, and considering that he was suppose to be locked up in the room, Jack didn’t like the feeling in his gut. Moving closer to Sam, he whispered to her. “Do you think you can get it to work?”
Sam scrunched her brow. “I don’t know. I hope so…I really need more light to work on it.”
Jack looked around them, sword still in hand. “Yeah, well, I think we can find a better and safer place than this to work on it. Let’s get out of here while we still can.” Moving back to where Radu was waiting for them, they had almost made it to the door when a voice, all to familiar to Sam and Jack, echoed around the room.
“Leaving without even saying goodbye? I must say, after all we’ve been through together, I’m quite disappointed.” Jack and Sam turned around to see Roberts, or what familiar features were left of him, emerge from the shadows across the room. His clothes were shredded, and dried blood could be seen on his forehead and chest. He was deathly pale, and his lips held an evil smile that suddenly began to grow, revealing the extra long fangs that he now had.
Sam shuddered lightly next to Jack. Knowing that she was probably reliving the horrors of the past day, Jack gave her a sideways glance to make sure that she was okay. When she looked over at him, he could see the fear of the moment in her face, but he also saw the familiar strength that he knew so well. Reassured, he drew his full attention back to the man in front of them.
Jack’s hand tighten around the sword he was holding. Roberts saw the movement and became amused. “Oh please, Colonel, do you really think that sword is going to kill me? You’ve been on this world long enough now to know that swords don’t kill vampires.”
Jack cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, but I’m sure as hell going to enjoy stabbing you, even if it doesn’t rid the world of you.”
Roberts smiled. “Well, you’re welcome to try,” he said, opening his arms wide, “but I’m afraid I can’t let you leave with that device.”
Jack just stared at him with hate in his eyes. “Well, that’s just too damn bad, because we are leaving here with it. We understand that it’s your meal ticket. I guess you’re just going to have to go hungry.”
Roberts suddenly bore his fangs. “Not if I feed on all of you!” He shot through the air at a blinding speed, hurling himself at Jack. Jack tried to put some space between them, but Roberts was too fast. Colliding into Jack, they both fell to the ground. Using his sword as a barrier between them, Jack used as much strength as he had to push against his attacker. Roberts stretched out his neck, fangs out, ready to kill.
Jack knew that the vampire had more strength then he did and that Roberts was just toying with him. But it was to Jack’s advantage, when, in that moment of hesitation, Sam came up from behind and slammed the butt of a sword she had found right into Roberts’ back.
Roberts screamed in pain and reared up, spinning around too fast to see. In a heartbeat, he wrapped his hand around Sam’s throat, picked her up and threw her across the room. The world seemed to fly by as she traveled in the air, and then everything slowed down as her body made contact with a wall, making every muscle numb. Crumpling to the ground, she wanted to give in to the pain. She wanted to just close her eyes and rest. Still being weak from her earlier experience, Sam found it all to easy to do so. But as the darkness started to take over, Sam heard Jack’s voice.
“You bastard!” Sam could hear the anger in Jack’s voice at what Roberts had just done to her, and she could hear them fighting as they collided into walls and then met the ground once more. Sam pushed herself up and shook her head, trying to get her bearings as quickly as she could. Jack needed her help, and no amount of pain or weakness was going to stop her.
Sam stood up and surveyed the scene. Roberts had Jack against a wall, but not for long. In the briefest of opportunities, Jack angled his sword enough, allowing him the ability to plunge it into Roberts’ gut. Reeling back in pain, Jack then swung at Roberts’ face, connecting with his jaw, and sent him flying back against the table.
Jack paused for a breath and then jogged over to Sam. “You okay?”
Sam nodded, sending a worried glance in Roberts’ direction. “Yeah, I think so. Are you okay?”
Jack gave her a quick smile. “Nothing that a bit of R&R won’t heal. We need to get out of here while he’s busy trying to get that sword out of his stomach. Come on.” Taking her hand, they moved quickly past where Roberts was lying.
They had rejoined Radu and had almost reached the door when Radu suddenly cried out in fear. “Look out!” Jack, who was closest to the door, spun around in time for the best vantage point of what happened next. As Sam turned, Jack saw that Roberts had managed to pull the sword from his body and was now only two breaths away from plunging it right back into Sam’s chest. But then, in the blink of an eye, Radu leapt sideways and stepped in front of Sam, catching the sword tip with his own chest.
As Radu collapsed to the ground with Sam’s arms around him, Jack picked up the wooden stake that Radu had been holding, moved around Sam and staked Roberts straight through the heart. “Go to Hell, you son-of-a-bitch!” Roberts face was painted in utter shock and disbelief, and then there was nothing, as he turned into dust and then covered the ground at Jack’s feet.
Jack turned around and knelt down beside Radu. Sam was holding his head in her lap and trying to make him as comfortable as she could. Radu’s breathing was ragged and his face was pale. “Take it easy. We’re going to get you out of here.” Jack could see that he was in pain and knew that his words didn’t help him much.
Radu scrunched his face in pain, holding a hand over the wound in his chest. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and looked up at both of them. “Leave me…you must. There is nothing…that can be done.” Seeing Jack’s hesitation, he continued with a clear sincerity to his voice. “You know that I’m right…my time is over. Go, while you still can.” Looking over at Sam, he continued. “He will not stop hunting you. You must escape.”
Jack looked up at Sam and could see that they had all reached the same conclusion. But if it hadn’t been for Radu, Jack would be holding Sam right now, watching her die instead. Putting a hand on Radu’s arm, he nodded. “Thank you….for everything.”
Radu gave them a small smile filled with pain and then looked up to the ceiling. His eyes glazed over and a look of peace suddenly filled his face. “She is waiting for me…my love…I can see her. I am going home…” And with one final breath and a tear in his eye, he faded away, leaving Sam and Jack for a place filled with nothing but light and everlasting peace.
Just as Sam was laying him down on the ground, she suddenly grabbed her head as if something had hurt her. Jack looked up at her. “What’s wrong? What is it?!”
Sam looked up at him with fear in her eyes. “Dracula’s coming. He knows where we are. We have to get out of here!”
Jack quickly picked up the sword and wooden stake, giving the stake to Sam. Standing up, he reached for Sam’s hand and took it, pulling her to the door. “Which way?”
Sam concentrated for a moment. “That way. There’s a hidden way out of the castle. If we can make it there, it should make it easier to escape. But once we’re outside…”
Jack nodded. “We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Let’s go.” They moved away from the room and back towards the spiraling staircase. They were halfway up when Sam suddenly stopped and pulled Jack back against a wall. The wall was cold against Sam’s back as it irradiated through the fabric of the dress she was still wearing. Jack looked over at her to try and figure out why they had stopped.
Sam shook her head, giving a nod in the direction of where they had been going. Jack was about to ask what she was trying to tell him, but then he got his answer. He suddenly heard slow approaching footsteps, crunching lightly on the stone floor of the castle. Dracula. He was searching for them. Sam and Jack slunk back into the shadows even more and hoped that it would be enough.
Sam pointed to the wall diagonally across from them, showing him the irregularities in the wall, giving Jack the indication that that was the secret passageway they had been searching for. Once Dracula passed them by, they could hopefully sneak past behind him and enter into the tunnel unseen.
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, forcing Sam and Jack held their breath. And then his voice filled the hallway they were in. “I know you are close. I can hear the beating of your very heart. And the closer I get, the faster it beats. There is nowhere you can go that I won’t find you. And when I do, you will regret the day you ever crossed me. I will not fail this time in making you my bride, and I promise to kill anyone who is helping you.”
Then the footsteps started again, and Sam tried to focus on staying calm and keeping her heart rate down to a normal level. As he got closer, Sam could have sworn that her heartbeat increased. Closing her eyes, she pressed her hand into Jack’s and tried to focus on the feel of his touch.
Jack suddenly found Dracula in plain sight, crossing right in front of them. Then he stopped and looked over in their direction. Jack could have sworn that the creature was looking right at him, but after what felt like an eternity, Dracula continued on past them, and Jack exhaled the breath he’d been holding.
Sam opened her eyes and looked over at Jack. Nodding in the direction of the passageway, Sam led out first, carefully looking down the hallway where Dracula had just gone. Moving quickly across the hall, they both made it over to where the wall supposedly opened.
Jack spoke up as quietly as he could. “How do you open it?”
Sam looked around and then pointed to a large gothic-looking statue that was beside them. “There. Pull down that hand.”
Jack reached up and did just that. Within seconds, the wall slide to the side, revealing the passageway they had been seeking. Grabbing one of the torches that lit the hallway, Sam and Jack ducked inside and then waited for the wall to close up again. When it did, the darkness took over and only the firelight from the single torch lit their way.
Moving forward, Sam spoke up in a hushed tone. “It’s not far …we follow this under the castle and it emerges somewhere in front of it…outside.”
Jack nodded. “Good enough. As long as it leads out.” Jack waited for Sam to gather up her skirt in her hands before leading the way. Staying close to each other, they followed the passageway for what seemed like miles. It was cold, dark, and smelled of mold and rotting flesh. Jack only hoped that it was rodent and not human flesh. Rats occasionally scurried past them, squealing in their high-pitched tones as they raced through puddles of water that lay all about. Cobwebs glistened in the light from the torch that had suddenly invaded their world of black.
As they moved along, a more natural light started to glow in front of them, letting them know that they were almost out. A few minutes later, Jack was pushing open the door to their freedom, and they stepped out into a world that was waiting for the morning. The horizon was pink and morning dew lay everywhere, giving a jeweled appearance to the grass and bushes all around them.
Stopping to breath in the cold, fresh air, Jack watched as Sam pulled the device from a hidden pocket in the folds of her skirt. “So how do we get it to work?”
Sam looked closer at the device. “I think it should be fairly simple to operate. Two mini crystals power its inner structures. If I change their positions, it might just change the direction of the portal, and send us back home. I only hope that in the time that Roberts had the device, he didn’t alter the settings and we end up in some other plane.”
Jack raised his eyebrows. “Hey, as long as it’s not in this one, I’ll be happy. Shall we?”
Sam smiled at him. Pressing the switch, they both waited for the portal to appear, but nothing happened. Sam’s smile faded as she started to examine the device further. Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. “Please don’t tell me it’s not working…”
Sam looked over at him. “It’s not working….but, I think that’s because we’re not in the same place as when we came through. I think it works by not only the power crystals, but I think it also uses positional logic and polarity.”
Jack rolled his eyes but smiled in the process. He was just happy to be able to listen to her scientific babble. “So, we have to go all the way back to that graveyard in the woods?” When Sam nodded, Jack sighed and looked at the horizon. “Okay, well let’s get going. The sooner we’re away from this place, the better. At least we don’t have to run…”
Suddenly, Sam looked up at the window above them and became very pale. When Jack turned to see what had her so scared, he met the red eyes of Dracula on the other side of the windowpane, and watched as the man turned himself back into the bat creature before their very eyes. “Oh crap!”
Jack looked at Sam. “Any ideas? Because apparently running is the only option I see right now.”
Sam looked quickly at the horizon. “The sun is starting to come up. If we can make it to that open field and can pass into the sunlight, he won’t follow us.” Jack nodded and Sam lifted her skirt. They both took off running as fast as they could, moving away from the confines of the castle, never looking back. But they didn’t have to. Sam could sense Dracula’s approach. “Jack!” she yelled. “He’s right behind us! Keep going! Don’t look back!”
And so they ran, with every last bit of strength they could muster. Memories of when they had first come here flooded back, of them running through the woods, trying to escape an unknown creature. Only this time, they knew all too well who their enemy was. Jack could hear the beating of the wings behind them, making his heart race even harder. The horizon line was now visibly ahead of them. They were almost to it.
Just then, Sam tripped on a piece of her dress and stumbled forward, running into Jack, who caught himself and steadied her. Gripping the sword he held in one hand, he suddenly stopped short, pushing Sam down. “Duck!” As she did, he quickly turned around, bringing the sword over her head in a blind swing and cut across the chest of Dracula, who reared back, letting out a frustrated scream. Picking Sam up by the arm, they took off running. 500 feet, 400 feet…they were almost to their salvation. The closer they got, the faster they ran, pulling speed and strength from a place within themselves they didn’t know existed.
Closing in on the horizon, Sam and Jack threw themselves to the ground and rolled the rest of the way until sunlight touched their skin. For the first time since they’d come to this realm, the sunlight sparkled, making the darkness and the shadows retreat. No longer a world bathed in fog and bleakness, Sam and Jack watched as Dracula retreated with the darkness, leaving them at peace.
A few hours later, they had managed to make it back to the graveyard where they had entered the realm of the world they were in. Sam pressed the switch again and held her breath, but this time the portal opened. Sam and Jack looked at each other and then joined hands. Walking towards the portal, they didn’t know where they’d end up, but wherever it would be, they would end up there together.
Stepping through, they closed their eyes, allowing the portal to take them. Seconds later, they stepped out of it and back into the cabin where Roberts had brought them. Taking in their surroundings, they recognized the room and the contents in it. Relief and exhausting hitting her all at once, Sam let her legs give way, along with her consciousness.
Jack, who was standing next to Sam, realized what was happening and caught her before she hit the ground. Picking her up in his arms, his body protested to the extra work, but he ignored it. Looking down into Sam’s sleeping face, Jack bent his neck and placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Come on, Sam, let’s go home.”
Sam opened her eyes, squinting against the new morning light coming into her bedroom. Disoriented, Sam thought back to the last thing she could remember happening. And then it hit her…the portal. They had stepped through it, but were they home? And where was Jack? Panic-stricken, she sat up and turned to look to the other side of her bed. And there he was, sleeping peacefully next to her. Looking down at herself, she could see that Jack must have just drug her home and got her undressed.
In desperate need of a shower, she slipped quietly out of bed and headed for her bathroom. Five minutes later, she was standing under a wonderfully soothing stream of hot water. Letting it run over her aching muscles, she failed to hear Jack’s entrance into the bathroom until he opened the shower door and stepped in.
“Morning,” he said, his face visibly amused by her reaction, “mind if I join you?”
Sam had to tear her eyes up to his face, color flooding her face. “I’d like that very much.” Pulling him to her, she wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Oh Jack! Is this real?”
Jack smiled into her wet hair, his body fully awakened to her slick, wet skin against his own. “Oh, I think we can rule that a definite yes!” Letting his hand slide down to the small of her back, he continued. “And I can prove it.”
As he started to massage her back with his fingertips, allowing his lips access to her throat, Sam began to purr despite all her questions. “But…Jack, there’s so much…” Just then, Jack’s lips quickly captured hers, silencing her. His lips pressed powerfully against her own, making her feel weak all over again, except this was a good kind of weakness.
Releasing her lips temporarily to work on kissing other body parts, Jack mumbled a response to her. “I’ll explain what happened after you passed out, but not right now. I have a different idea in mind, something that I’ve been longing to do for quite a while. Do you mind?”
Sam’s mind went numb. Only the feelings of desire and need seemed to be present. “Not really…” And from there she was lost. Lost in the feelings he’d awakened in her and enjoying the sensations of really being alive. Together they rejoiced, clinging to each other for dear life, climaxing to a point where they were sure their bodies would burst. And then sweet release came, giving them a sense of satisfaction and peace that they hadn’t found in a long time. They were alive, together, and back in their own reality. For the moment, nothing else mattered.
Thirty minutes later, Jack and Sam sat at her kitchen table drinking coffee. Jack was filling Sam in on what she had missed after losing consciousness. “You’re sure? This is Saturday morning?” Sam’s voice echoed the look of disbelief and wonder on her face. “So the portal must have also distorted time. Even though days passed in that realm, time stood still here, at least from our perspective. Incredible! I can’t wait to really go over the device.”
Jack cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable and slightly guilty. “Yeah, about that…you see, it was really an accident…”
Sam swallowed her coffee. “What was?” She had a feeling she knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from him.
Jack shrugged. “Well, it’s not my fault if the damn thing slipped out of your dress pocket and I didn’t happen to see it.”
Sam eyed him with tolerance. “And I suppose you didn’t think to pick it up, right?”
Jack gave her one of his puppy dog looks. “Hey, no one’s perfect. It’s not my fault that it fell right in front of the truck tires and I just happened to run over it.” Jack could tell that his little fibbing wasn’t fooling her, but he was enjoying their conversation all the same.
Sam rolled her eyes. “Jack O’Neill, you really don’t think you’re fooling me do you? And I can’t believe you destroyed that device! You know I wanted to work on it…”
“Yes,” Jack said quickly in his defense, “but to get us home. And besides, we don’t need that thing sitting around just waiting for Daniel to scoop it up. I don’t think I have to tell you how much trouble we’d be in if he knew about it.”
Sam decided Jack was probably right, and she really didn’t have the energy to argue with him about it anyway. “Alright, you win.” Pausing, she gathered the next question in her mind. “How far away did he take us?”
Jack thought for a moment. “About 20 miles away. When I got us outside of the cabin, it was still dark, but my truck was there. The bastard was kind enough to at least leave my keys in the ignition. Apparently, it was a remote cabin tucked back in the woods. It took me forever to follow the road out and get my bearings on which direction to go.”
Sam took his hand. “I know you were exhausted just like I was. We could have just stayed there last night.”
Jack shook his head. “No way. I’d had enough of that place, and you needed some good rest. I still can’t believe that you’re up and walking around. I’m just grateful you’re alive and that you’re you.”
Sam smiled warmly at him. “Well, that’s thanks to you. You’re my hero.”
Jack kissed her hand. “And you’re mine. I love you, Sam.”
Sam leaned over the table and softly kissed his lips. “And I love you…so very much.” Leaning back in her chair, a thought crossed her mind, replacing her smile with a frown. “Jack, what about the pictures of us? You know Roberts had to have made copies.”
Jack looked pensive. “Yeah, I thought of that. After putting you in the truck, I went back inside the cabin and searched it as best I could, but I couldn’t find any evidence of them. He initially admitted to us that he’d taken them, so he had to have been the one to do it. The question is, where does he have them now?”
Sam shook her head. “I don’t know, but we probably should search his house. It’s a place to start.”
Jack nodded. “Good enough. We’ll just have to hope that when we do find them, if we do, the negatives will be with them. We probably should go later today. Once the NID discover that he’s missing, they’ll probably search his place from top to bottom.
Sam gave him a small smile, trying to deter the look of worry behind her eyes. “I’m up for it if you are.”
Jack gave her a wink. “I am, but I think we should spend the rest of this morning in bed. We both need the rest, and right now, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do than to just hold you in my arms.”
An hour later, they were both asleep in her bed, cuddled up to each other, the cool March breeze running over them like a cleansing breath. They had faced the shadows and had found their way through the darkness and to the light. But the dark always seemed to come back, and for Sam and Jack, they knew they had not seen the last of the shadows. They would return, and all Sam and Jack could do was hold onto each other and hope that their love would shine bright enough to guide them through the storms that were to come.
Next Story---> "Catching Up"