dr_daniel_jackson | Getting Caught

Getting Caught

Daniel had left Colorado feeling both content and torn. He missed Methos and he knew the older man would laugh at him for being so sentimental. He carried the glock everywhere he went, keeping it well hidden on himself. Even in the museum he kept it in a shoulder holster for fear that his teammates or someone worse might come looking for him.

He'd been in New York for almost two weeks when he started packing up to get ready to leave for Egypt. He'd already sent several boxes ahead and they'd be at his home there by the time he arrived. He packed up the last of Methos' journals in a duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder as he headed out of the museum and headed for the hotel where he'd been staying. He wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to his surroundings and therefore didn't realize he was being followed. He entered the Plaza hotel and made for the elevator which took him to the tenth floor. Stepping out of the elevator, he headed three doors down to his suite and swiped the card to unlock the door. Inside, he set the bag to one side, closed the door behind him and headed further into the room. He had just turned towards the mini-bar when pain exploded in his head and he was out cold.

When he woke, it was dark in the room except for a couple of low lights that weren't clsoe to him. He tried to move and realized he was bound to the bed. What the hell...

"Hello?"

"You know, it's taken me a while to figure out where the hell you disappeared to," came a familiar voice. "I don't like having to track you down, Daniel. You know I'm not a patient man."

"Screw you, Jack," Daniel growled out angrily. "I don't work for you or your government anymore. Now let me go and get the hell out of here before I forget we every had a friendship and I just kill you myself."

"Why Daniel... I think you're angry. Look, just... tell me what I want to know and all of this can stop. You have my word..."

Daniel shook his head. He didn't believe that for a moment. He should have just gone straight to the airport. For a brief moment, he wondered where Methos might be... or what he might do if he found Daniel like this...

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Methos had left Colorado and the cabin behind just like he'd said he would. He'd gone to some small town in Vermont and enjoyed several nights alone to his thoughts.

But curiosity got the better of him. He had contacts in New York, people he knew at the museum. He'd called them after a week of leaving Colorado to find out Daniel was still there. He'd wanted to strangle the mortal. It was like he wanted to get caught! He shouldn't have ever stayed there more than a day! Of course, if it had been Methos, he wouldn't have gone there are all. He'd have left his life behind and gone somewhere no one might think to look.

After some himming and hawing he got in his truck and went to New York. Methos didn't make himself known to Daniel, but he did watch. In the shadows. Across the street. In the apartments on the other side of the street from the hotel, watching his room through a window. He followed his every movement, so that he could be sure he stayed safe.

Then the second he'd looked away, Methos had failed to see the man following Daniel into his Hotel. But he had spotted it when the man hit Daniel over the head, as he was in his room. Methos saw red for a moment. He was angry. Angry with the man. Angry with Daniel for not leaving. Angry that he hadn't stopped the man from getting close entirely.

He made his way over to the hotel, stuffing a few things in his pocket. He looked down at himself. A suit and tie, he'd been wearing to blend in while watching Daniel. He didn't have time to plan. But he was good on the fly. Steeling himself, he approached Daniel's door. He knocked on the door, authoritatively.

Methos spoke in a loud thick New York accent, "Hello, Mr. Daniel Jackson? This is Jason Rathelsburger, the hotel manager? We've gotten a series of noise complaints coming from your room. Can you please open the door?"

He knew the people holding Daniel weren't aiming to kill him. Not yet. They needed him alive. So, this direct approach would be quickest in getting Daniel to safety.

Jack glared at Daniel as he heard the voice from behind the hotel door. He walked over to Daniel but he didn't untie him.

"I'll find you again, Daniel. Don't think that I won't." He landed a sharp hit to the side of Daniel's head with the butt of his pistol and moved out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and heading to the hotel door. He opened it slowly.

"Our apologies. Dr. Jackson isn't feeling well, but he's resting now. I'll let him know you were by to check on him once I return from the pharmacy..."

"Oh!" he looked genuinely surprised, "We weren't aware Mr.-that is, 'Dr.' Jackson had any guests. I'm sorry to hear he isn't feeling well, the Hotel would of course be happy to accommodate him, should he need anything."

Methos was assessing the man as he spoke. The man was armed, pistol shoved in the back of his pants. Military. A capable fighter.

"Were you leaving now? I could suggest a number of pharmacies nearby, if you required it?" he smiled, in typical suck-up hotel staff fashion.

"It was a surprise visit," Jack answered as calmly as possible. "And yes, if you could direct me to the closest pharmacy. I don't want to leave him alone for too long."

"Of course, of course." he smiled, "You must be a very caring friend. Once you leave the Hotel, turn left and in roughly 3 blocks you'll see a CVS pharmacy on the corner. Can't miss it."

He could just kill the man. It would be so easy. But then Daniel would get blamed and they'd be after him even more. Discretion was better.

"Thanks," Jack answered as he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him, heading quickly towards the elevator. He stepped on, the door closing behind him.

In the hotel room, Daniel was slowly coming to and, finding himself still tied up, he started yelling for help hoping someone would hear him.

Methos started picking the lock the second Jack got in the elevator. He opened it and quickly made his way inside.

He walked into the bedroom pulling out a knife he kept in the fold of his suit jacket, once by the bed he started to cut the bindings.

"I'm here, stop yelling or the actual hotel manager might show up." he muttered, with a twinge of annoyance. But he was relieved that the man was alive,"Why didn't you leave, Daniel? A day here, maybe, then you should have left! It's like you're willfully trying to get caught..."

Daniel looked at him curiously, almost as if he didn't know him at first but then he shook it off and frowned slightly.

"Methos?" he asked quietly. "What... what are you doing here? How'd you even know where I was... or what had happened? I don't... I didn't leave right away because I got another shipment that I had to go through and good thing I did cause there were two more of your journals and I didn't want them getting into the wrong hands and I was trying to get things shipped to Egypt and trying to close up things here and... fuck... my head hurts... he hit me... twice... with his pistol..."

"It doesn't matter what I'm doing here. I'm here now." he scoffed, "And let me worry about my journals. You shouldn't be risking your life for the sake of my privacy."

Methos frowned. Maybe he should have done something to that man that had done this to Daniel. But then Methos would have lost his anonymity, and it was one of the only things working in their favor at the moment. "You probably have one hell of a concussion. Let's get you across the street in case he comes back. I rented out an apartment there. I can get you checked out and then we need to move."

"Concussion? That... oh. Okay." Daniel tried to push himself to his feet and almost immediately lost his balance. He put a hand to his head and it came away covered in blood. "That's not a good thing, is it?" he asked almost rhetorically. "And you have to grab the bag by the door," he pleaded quietly. "That's the bag that has your journals in it..."

Methos cursed, when he saw the blood, his hands quickly steadying Daniel. He started to drag him to the door.

"I'll grab the sodding bag, Daniel." he grumbled, grabbing said bag as he opened the door and first looked around to be sure that Jack was gone.

"You use some strange words, old man," Daniel said, his words slurred just a little as he let himself be led from the hotel room. They waited for the elevator which took them down to the lobby. Daniel didn't see Jack - thankfully - and continued to let Methos lead them to wherever they were headed.

"I'll be using a few more strange words later when you're conscious enough to understand them."

Meaning he was going to bitch him out.

"I know you aren't feeling great, but try to walk as naturally as possible. We need to avoid being noticed."

He led him across the street and into the apartment building, and up the stairs to his floor. He opened the door and ushered him in, setting him on the couch.

Daniel did as Methos had said, keeping his walk as normal as possible. Once they arrived at the older man's apartment, Daniel dropped down onto the couch, eyes closing almost immediately.

"Gods I'm tired," he whispered softly. "My head hurts too... too much to sleep... could really use something for that pain..."

"Well, don't try and go to sleep, Daniel. You need to stay awake, got me?" he muttered, quickly rifling around for his medical bag. Then he sat next to Daniel to expect his head. Then he pulled out a flashlight to check the dilation in his eyes.

Daniel flinched at being touch and whimpered at the light in his eyes, trying to pull away from that.

"Ow... what the hell... were you a doctor in another life or something?"

"Multiple lives." he smiled, "Lawyer, doctor, Indian chief, I've got paperwork to cover it all."

His eyes were focusing quite right, which was troubling. He started to clean off the wound on his head with some antiseptic, "This might sting a little."

Daniel hissed at the pain as Methos cleaned the wound on his head. He reached up and dragged his fingers down along the side of the elder's face.

"I keep seeing more than one of you," he said with a pained voice. "Think he hit me a little harder than he did last time. Don't think I was bleeding last time... but I don't remember."

Methos looked him over carefully. Then stood up to get him some water, and came back with a glass and some pain killers.

"Here take these." he said, "I'll have to give you some stitches for your head, Then I'm just going to keep you awake for a little bit, just to monitor you, and then you can sleep."

Daniel took the pills and downed them with the water before setting the glass down and looking at Methos again carefully.

"You're upset," he said softly.

"Of course I'm bloody upset!" he growled, "You mortals have no survival instincts, it's a wonder you ever make it past infancy."

And he wanted to kill the man who touched him. He rifled in his bag for his sterilized needle and thread.

Daniel flinched at the tone and volume of those words.

"What... the man who took me... you didn't... you didnt do anything to him did you?" He had a feeling that Methos could have done something, but Daniel wasn't sure if he would. It wasn't as if Daniel was that important...

"And we have survival instincts.... I just wasn't paying attention. I let down my guard because I'd been safe for two weeks. I didn't think he'd come after me... I thought it was over." He closed his eyes tiredly.

"Said he'd find me again no matter where I hid," he slurred out softly. "Before he knocked me out that last time... that's what he told me..."

"I didn't kill him if that's what you mean." Methos sighed. He starting to wish he had though.

"And just because that's what he told you doesn't make it truth." he rolled he eyes, as he brought the needle and thread to Daniel's head and started to do the stitches, "Its a classic tactic to make you scared. To submit. Like when someone tells a prisoner not to escape or they'll track them down and kill them. And even if he thinks he can find you, he won't. I've hid from far more skilled trackers than he."

"Killing him would be bad," Daniel said in a half slurred voice. "The big bad General is needed in Washington. Wouldn't do to have him dead." He gave a drugged chuckle but winced slightly as it hurt him to do so.

"If he knows I'm gonna go to Egypt... I gotta find somewhere else to go... I hate it... I like Egypt... only place I really feel at home."

"I was born in an oasis village surrounded by the deserts that would later become Egypt. It's my home too. As much as any place can be. But I adapt. And so can you. Find a new home." He finished up the stitches and pulled back from him.

"How about Bhutan?"

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