Alpha Male

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01078642egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=428 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <B>Alpha Male</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="alpha_male"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> Jack squinted his eyes as he walked in from the glare of the parking lot to the low light of the base shooting range.  The place was jam packed with the new personnel from the recently formed StarGate Command - most of them the civilian contingent currently gearing up to be part of the off-world teams.</div> <bR> <div> Ferretti smiled and waved him over.  Jack strolled along passed the line of booths that held nervous occupants as they came to terms with the firearms they were expected to carry in the field.</div> <bR> <div> "You ever seen anything like this in your life, sir?" Ferretti asked as one woman picked up a 9mm like it was a snake ready to strike.</div> <bR> <div> "God help us," Jack snickered.  "Who've ya got for me?"</div> <bR> <div> Ferretti looked down at a clip board.  "Kovacks, Johnson, Novacek and . . . aww Christ," he laughed.</div> <bR> <div> "What?"</div> <bR> <div> "I don't believe this," Ferretti howled.</div> <bR> <div> Jack couldn't help but smile - the laughter was infectious.  "Who?"</div> <bR> <div> "Hi, Jack!" came Daniel's voice from farther down the range.  The young scholar waved and hurried over to where the two men stood.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh . . . no fuckin' way," Jack said as he snatched the clipboard.  "I've gotta sign *him* off on a sidearm?"</div> <bR> <div> Ferretti, laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath, flopped down onto one of the bleacher seats behind him.</div> <bR> <div> "What's so funny?" asked Daniel, a pleasant smile on his face.</div> <bR> <div> "Nuthin'," Jack groaned.  "Let's go."  He slapped the clipboard into Ferretti's chest and led Daniel to an open compartment.</div> <bR> <div> "I still don't understand the need for all this," Daniel said, wincing as the sound of gunfire filled the air.  "We're supposed to be <I>peaceful</I> explorers."</div> <bR> <div> "You have to be able to defend the team in the field," Jack said over the din.  Once they got between the two barricades making up their area, the sound lessened slightly.  "You can't go off world until you've shown you can handle a weapon."</div> <bR> <div> "But we've already been offworld," Daniel said, taking the set of ear guards Jack handed him.</div> <bR> <div> "We were under a bit of pressure at the time," Jack said.  "You ever fire one of these?"  He held up the Berretta.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel shook his head.  "No."</div> <bR> <div> "Okay, it's very easy.  This is the safety - you can flick it off and on with your thumb, see?"  He pulled back the chamber.  "One round up top, eight more in the clip."  He pressed the button release and the clip fell free.  "You slap this home and you're ready to go.  Nine shots.  Got it?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel nodded.</div> <bR> <div> Jack held the gun in the proper position.  "Keep your arms locked and your wrist tight.  This baby will kick up a little with each shot - keep it level.  Here."  Jack quickly unloaded the weapon, cleared the chamber and put on the safety before handing it all to Daniel.  "Show me."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel turned the weapon over and over in his hands a few times before expertly sliding the clip home, loading the chamber and pointing the weapon down range.</div> <bR> <div> "Good," said Jack, amazed at the speed with which Daniel had picked up the information.  "These are live rounds we're firing.  No screwing around when that safety comes off.  See that target down there?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel nodded quickly.  The target was approximately 50 feet away.</div> <bR> <div> "Shoot it."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel looked over his shoulder at Jack and scowled.  "Just . . . shoot it?  Anywhere?"</div> <bR> <div> "We'll consider anywhere you hit a good thing," Jack said with a sarcastic little smile.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly then turned back around.  He placed the large ear protectors over his head, raised the gun, released the safety and shot.  Nine times.  Rapidly.</div> <bR> <div> Jack's grin fell from his face.  He pushed a button that activated the small transporter to bring the target into the booth, unhooked the paper and stared in disbelief.</div> <bR> <div> "I assumed since the people we'll most likely be aiming *at* will be Goa'uld, shooting them in the *neck* area would be best," Daniel explained, pointing to the nine, closely packed holes in the target's larynx.</div> <bR> <div> Jack looked up as Ferretti came into view around the retaining wall.  "Well, well, well, Doctor Jackson.  Not just a geek - but one with a dead eye as well."</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, well . . . I always did have good hand-eye coordination," Daniel said, pushing his glasses up on his nose with one finger.  "What's next?"</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Hello, Jack," Daniel said as he stepped into the cubicle for his most recent weapons assessment, almost a year since his first.</div> <bR> <div> "Daniel," Jack smiled.  "Feel like something a little different today?"</div> <bR> <div> "Like . . . what?" Daniel asked warily.</div> <bR> <div> Jack nodded down to the ledge behind him, upon which sat an M-16.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel's eyes went up.  "Oh?"</div> <bR> <div> "You never know when it'll come in handy."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel reached back into his jeans' pocket and pulled out his wallet.  "You're just never gonna learn, are you?"  He walked forward and placed a twenty-dollar bill on the ledge before picking up the gun.</div> <bR> <div> Jack pulled a twenty from his BDUs and placed it on top of Daniel's.  "Loser buys the beer," Jack snickered.  "Ferretti!"</div> <bR> <div> The Major stepped into the cube with them and went over the ins and outs of the rapid fire machine gun with Daniel who listened intently to the explanation.  He followed the demonstrations carefully, repeating anything he didn't understand under Jack's watchful eye.  When he was done, Ferretti stepped back and shook his head.  "My money's on Jackson."</div> <bR> <div> "Traitor," Jack growled.  "I should make you pull latrine duty for the next month."</div> <bR> <div> Ferretti laughed and went to sit in the seats, among the gathering crowd of people.</div> <bR> <div> "Don't worry, Jack, this is just a little friendly competition," Daniel smiled.</div> <bR> <div> Jack looked at him.  "You are just so smug," he snarked.  He moved so that it looked as though he were rearranging the weapon on the shelf, but in actuality he leaned in close enough to whisper, "Loser bottoms."</div> <bR> <div> "Loser tops," Daniel corrected with a smile.</div> <bR> <div> Jack gave a happy snicker, picked up his own gun and walked over to the adjoining cubicle.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel placed the target in the movable track and pressed the button to send it down as far as it would go.  He watched as Jack's moved with his.  He adjusted his ear guards, raised the gun to his shoulder and fired.  Tightening in his groin made him smile as the powerful weapon bucked in his hands.  Keeping his eyes trained on the target, he carefully drew a circle around the heart, and with his last shot, clipped the one single piece of paper holding it in place.  Cheers exploded behind him as he brought his target in for inspection.</div> <bR> <div> Jack walked over to his booth and handed him his target.  Daniel burst into laughter as he saw that around the target's painted heart Jack had drawn another heart, and then a smaller one inside.  He picked up the money and handed it to Jack with a small bow.</div> <bR> <div> "Loser bottoms," Jack said as he turned to pin the target on the inside of Daniel's booth.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "So," said Daniel, turning the weapon over in his hands, "this is a P-90."</div> <bR> <div> "Oh yes," Jack said, his eyes sparkling with delight.  "Feel the weight of this baby."</div> <bR> <div> "Yep," Daniel said, not really impressed.  "Same bet?"</div> <bR> <div> "Of course," Jack smiled.  He went through the orientation of the weapon and its capabilities - laser sighting, single shot, spot light - all of it.  As always, Daniel listened intently and then demonstrated everything back to Jack.</div> <bR> <div> When Jack was satisfied that Daniel knew what he was doing, he set his money on the bench and stepped away.</div> <bR> <div> "Can we do a practice round?" Daniel called over the partition wall.</div> <bR> <div> "Sure!" Jack shouted back.  He heard the other man fire off a flurry of shots, then turned a few moments later when there was a tap on his shoulder.  "What?"</div> <bR> <div> "You feel like cutting out early today?" Daniel asked nonchalantly.</div> <bR> <div> Jack's eyes drifted down and Daniel discreetly held up the bottom of his fatigue shirt.  The outline of his hardened cock was evident.</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, we could probably knock off a few hours early," Jack said, fighting back the smile.</div> <bR> <div> "Good.  I'm pretty well caught up on things," Daniel said easily.  "Wouldn't mind getting *ahead* on some others."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm all for getting ahead," Jack agreed heartily.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel ducked around the partition and Jack heard him readying his target.  He did the same and both paper patters fluttered down to the far end of the shooting range.</div> <bR> <div> Jack watched as Daniel's target was summarily ripped to shreds with the first clip of ammo.  A few seconds later, Daniel walked past Jack's compartment.  "Mine's dead.  Let's go."</div> <bR> <div> Jack laughed then carved his initials in his "opponent's" chest before handing his weapon back to the weapons master and following Daniel out of the building.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Jack sat down tiredly in front of his locker.  His shoulders hurt, his knee hurt, his lower back hurt, and he didn't think the headache he had would ever go away.  Bending over slowly, he unlaced his boots, kicked them off into his locker and began to undress.  When he looked up he saw a tattered piece of brown paper taped to the inside of the door, just below his pictures of Charlie.</div> <bR> <div> He reached up and tugged it down, the memory of that day on the shooting range with Daniel flooding his mind so clearly he could swear it happened just yesterday.  A pattern in the shape of a heart, drawn by bullet holes - and stuck against the target, a sticky note which read, "I remember everything.  D."</div> <bR> <div> Jack sensed more than heard the presence behind him.  He turned and looked into the face of the man who'd cheated death one more time to be returned to him whole and well, memories apparently intact.  Daniel pushed away from the door frame and walked slowly to come stand beside Jack.  He reached out and took the thin paper in his hand, folding it carefully and precisely before placing it in his breast pocket.  "Loser tops," Daniel said softly.</div> <bR> <div> "Loser bottoms," Jack whispered back.  Smiling blue eyes looked back at him and Jack wondered distractedly when his headache had gone away.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> - finis -</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com"><U>Give the author's ego a marshmallow . . . please feed the bear.</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3_sg1_slash.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stargate SG1 Slash Fiction"><U>Back to Fic List</U></A>     <A HREF="id2_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directory Listing"><U>Back to Directory</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01178643.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=52 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="161" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="29"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plotexpo.com"><U><IMG SRC="0181d270.jpg" border=0 width="29" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="15" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="By Dawns Early Light"><U><IMG SRC="017271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Christmas Wish"><U><IMG SRC="016271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>