CHAPTER 10

 “This is not amusing,” Jack snarled as he looked over his shoulders at his wrists which were cuffed behind his back.  “When I get out of here I’m going to…”

 Sitting in the chair next to Jack, Carter tried to remain patient but found her cuffs were just as annoying. She tried to remind her superior officer, “sir remember where you are.”

 Jack knew she was right and bit his tongue. Then he decided to yell towards the only door, “aren’t we suppose to get a phone call?”
 

Carter slumped in her chair and then blew at a strand of hair in her eyes, “well look at the bright the side sir.”
 

Raising an eyebrow Jack had to ask, “there’s a bright side?”

 Tilting her head as she thought, “well I mean we could have gotten captured by the usual crowd if you take my meaning, sir.”

 “Ah,” Jack said thoughtfully. “Well if that were the case then I’d know what to expect next. Two zombie brained, robot like, snake headed goons, from an authoritarian state, would come swaggering in with clichés a plenty and tell us how much trouble we’re in so we should cooperate.”

 The door opened. The guy in the trench coat moped more than swaggered but that was close enough for Jack. He had that clean cut, pretty boy, kind of look about him as he tossed a file down on the table.  The red headed woman closed the door behind them and crossed her arms. She had a sneer. Then the guy pointed, “you two are in an awful lot of trouble so I suggest you cooperate.”

 Jack raised his nose, “why certainly. Were you looking for some original cliché’s? I know a few.”

 The man sat down, “I’m agent Mulder with the FBI. This is my partner agent Skully.” It did not appear that she cared to sit so Mulder went on, “we’re investigating the disappearnce of a local college student named Cassandra Frazier.”

 Jack asked Carter, “did I mention we were in the Air Force?” He looked to Mulder, “we’re in the Air Force you know.”

 The woman spoke, “we know who you are Colonel.” She did not look at all pleased as she walked up to the table and opened the folder in front of her partner. She flipped through some papers and then slid a few pages in front of Jack, “we lifted your prints off the truck that we have positively identified as the kidnap vehicle.”

 “Um Excuse me a second,” Carter butted in, “Agent Skully is it?”  After something that resembled a nod Carter went on, “the vehicle is his. So it’s really no wonder you would get his prints from inside. Not to mention we’re friends of the girls mother. That’s why we’re here.”

 Jack just shrugged, “yeah what she said. Um, can I have my phone call?”

 Mulder asked, “you want to call Cheyene Mountain and report in to your superiors, Colonel?”

 “No I thought about ordering a pizza. Anchovies OK with everybody?”

 Mulder stood back up and walked to a TV in the corner of the room. As he went he noted, “please don’t waste my time Colonel O’Neill. After this I have to go investigate allegations that the Governors Mansion of California was taken over by a robot assasin from the future.” 

 He flipped the button on the recorder and then pointed to the pictures on the screen. 

 There were four separate shots, all black and white, of poor quality. Mulder explained as they watched, “these are from the security cameras at the bus terminal.” Mulder got a wide grin on his face and he noticed that it only made his partner sneer, “now watch what happens right… here.” The first camera from the front door of the terminal went out.  A moment later it came back on but only as the ticket counter view went blank. After that Mulder fast forwaded, “and finally we have the view of the bus ramp and it.. Whoa there it goes too. Now somebody mind explaining this to me?”
 

Carter shrugged with a dazed expression, “electrical short?”

 Jack answered, “they didn’t use the bunny?” When all eyes went to him he explained, “you know the little pink thing with the drums?” 

 They still all looked at him funny and he slid downward, “hey I thought it was kind of cute.”

 Sitting back down Mulder got to the subject at hand, “in fact each one of these camera’s went out right at the time our suspect walked by them. The only one that didn’t seem to be effected was the parking lot camera but the truck parked a good ways from it.”

 “Oh gosh darn,” Jack said then leaned forward, “now how about the phone call?”

 With her down to business air, Skully produced a picture from the folder on the table, “we did manage to isolate one frame and get a blow up.”

 The face of the boy next to Cassie confirmed what Jack already knew. He had to hold his temper, and his tongue. He smiled and nodded down to the picture before looking back to Agent Skully, “yes this is most certainly a blow job.” 

 That did not quite get the reaction Jack had been looking for. He finally let his aggitation show, “so you know this isn’t me. Now take off these cuffs or charge us, how about it?”

 Mulder thumped the picture, “what I want to know Colonel O’Neill, is how he got your finger prints? I smell an illegal government operation here.”

 “No I assure Agent Mold, the Air Force is quite legal,” Jack shot back.

 That did not seem to rattle Mulder and Jack had to wonder if anything actually did. This guy really did look to be about as exciting as watching mold grow. Fox just crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, “what would you say if I told you this boy was a clone?”
 

“I’d say,” Jack looked to Carter for approval, “send in the clones?”

 “I’m not laughing Colonel,” Mulder replied without changing his usual dead pan ways. “What I think is going on here is an experiment run by this Doctor Frazier, that has gone wrong and now you people are trying to cover it up. Am I getting warm?”

 “Carter,” Jack commanded.

 “Yes sir,” Sam replied.

 “I’m getting tired of this guy,” O’Neill stated plainly, “go out on date with him.”

 “SIR!”  It was no secret to anyone at the SGC that any guy who went out with Carter usually had less than fourty eight hours to live, on average.  Fortunately the FBI guy did not understand the implied threat. He also did not seem to be interested in a date which, Jack figured, was because he was gay. No wonder this Mulder guy wasn’t in the military.