Wages of Sin

Danae

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not making money so please don't sue!

Thanks so much to my beta reader, Susn. And thanks to all the folks that read my stories and for all the great feedback that you send me!

Author's notes: I have a feeling that I may just catch a little hell over this one. First of all, I am one of those folks who were NOT terribly happy with the TSByBS. I was sort of challenged to "fix" it and for the longest time, I had no idea how to even start. As a matter of fact, all work stopped on my stories in progress because I just could not reconcile myself with what happened. Then I had this idea. I won't spoil my own story but some folks may not like me very much after this (Namely Jimbabes…He has it rough here… but it gets better!). No one dies; no one is permanently damaged. I am not that cruel. However, I don't know what to call this one. It's not AU, really. Then again, it does take a departure from canon. Call it AU to be safe. Also, the story will include characters from The Agency.

Wages of Sin

Blair Sandburg was attempting, once again, to take aim on the paper target that he had yet to hit with a single bullet when a tap on his shoulder nearly sent his heart into his feet and the gun right down there with it. He lowered the hated weapon slowly and tried to lower his heart rate at the same time. However, that was not going to be possible. He was about to get chewed out again. Par for the course, really, but just as stressful every time. Sergeant Crimmons hated him and made no secret of it. Whether it was the fact that Blair was headed straight to Major Crimes after graduation despite his checkered reputation or the fact that Blair had just gotten to the point in firearms class where he was not closing his eyes when he pulled the trigger, Blair was not sure. Perhaps a little or a lot of both, he guessed. So, Blair prepared himself for the insults as he removed the headset that protected his ears and turned to face his nemesis. However, it was not Crimmons he faced. There were two men in military uniforms standing a little too close for comfort. Blair stepped back and hit the little shelf on the wall of his little booth.

"Mr. Sandburg, come with us please," one of them announced abruptly.

He nearly fainted. He simply knew what they wanted. Recanting his dissertation was not enough. He had sealed his own and Jim's fate with that damn paper. Play dumb, his panicked head instructed. "Why?" he croaked.

"We need to speak to you about James Ellison."

Blair was shocked to get such a straight answer. "What about him?" He was sticking with the "dumb" strategy until something better came along.

"We'll explain on the way."

"I don't think so. I'm not going anywhere with you. Where's Jim?"

"We would be taking you to him, sir."

Blair swallowed the lump in his throat. They already had Jim. "I-uh, I need to make a call first," he stammered.

"No calls, Mr. Sandburg," the first man told him. The second man, who had not spoken at all, moved forward and grabbed Blair by the arm with one hand while he plucked the forgotten gun from Blair's hand with the other. Blair stared at him dumbly as the soldier tossed the gun on the shelf. Then the man's rough grasp propelled Blair from the booth and toward the door of the indoor firing range.

Blair tried to catch Crimmons' eye but the older man was involved with another cadet. He was led out of the building and off of the Academy grounds. A blue four-door sedan waited by the curb.

"Get in the back, Mr. Sandburg."

Bad idea, Blair's head balked and he spun quickly out of his captor's grip. He had no real plan, just the overwhelming desire to avoid getting in that car. Confront or run? He never got the chance make that decision. A sharp pain in the side of his neck turned out to be a syringe. The world started to turn gray and hazy around the edges and his knees gave way. The last thing he would remember later would be the malicious grin on the face of the man who shoved him into the back seat of the car.

Captain James Ellison pitched his cell phone into the passenger’s seat of his truck and sighed. He had known the call was coming. He would have rather had a little more time. He needed more time. However, what he needed or wanted had just been rendered irrelevant by that damned phone call. He glared at the phone as it lay against his thigh, face up, mocking his futile wishes and complete helplessness. They knew him too well and had anticipated his moves. He had been scolded like a child for the safety deposit box. The airline tickets had been canceled. He should have told somebody. He should have told Blair. But he was a soldier. Once covert ops, always covert ops. He knew that. They called and he was theirs to do with as they pleased. And now, they wanted Blair too. They already had him. He should have told Blair. But it was top secret, national security, strictly need to know. Blair had needed to know. He had accused Blair of betrayal, of violating trust on more than one occasion. God, what a hypocrite I turned out to be, he accused.

To make matters worse, he had been instructed to report immediately and say nothing to anyone, including Simon. The department would be notified of his return to "active duty." Gentle euphemism for what they had in mind.

"Glad you could join us, Captain Ellison."

"Is that absolutely necessary?" Jim motioned to the window in front of him.

"He was not inclined to cooperate. We had to sedate him and once here, we didn't want him to hurt himself," the man Jim knew as Dr. Rose explained.

Jim drew one hand across his face and sighed as he stared at the scene on the other side of the glass. His Guide was there, unconscious and strapped to a table. "I told you that I would bring him in."

"Was that before or after the safety deposit box and the airline tickets? Judging by what we found, Captain, you were considering going AWOL rather than continuing the study. We couldn't allow that to happen. You are a very valuable man, Captain."

"So you hold him to hold me? I'm here now. Let him go."

Jim could actually hear the man behind him smile. "Are you really going to pretend you don't know?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jim demanded.

"Come now, Captain, remember our discussions of Burton's monograph?"

"I remember. I remember everything, thanks to you."

"Burton said that these 'sentinels' needed a companion. He didn't say much more than that really so we had to improvise, hypothesize what this companion would be like. We came up with a profile from what Burton did write about the companion and some educated guesses."

"Yeah, yeah. What's that got to do with Blair?"

"I promised to find you one of those companions, didn't I? You see, I contacted some prominent scientists in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, sociology and anthropology and asked for their help in finding a suitable candidate. Dr. Eli Stoddard was one of those scientists. I gave him our profile." Jim could only stare at Rose in horror. His brain tried to assimilate the information he was receiving but the picture that was forming was not pretty. While Jim stood motionless, the weight of this reality bearing down on him, Rose continued. "It took us a little while to come up with the right one. We were sent a lot of names and we watched them, led them in the right directions, hoping that they would show some promise. None of them did until Blair Sandburg. He was just a kid then, a promising student, looking for an interesting subject for his master's thesis. It really was a wonderful coincidence that Eli and thus Blair were both right in your hometown. Of course, we were skeptical. Blair was a little too young and a lot too liberal. He was one that we didn't really think would be compatible with you, but yet, he was the only one to pick up our clues and run with them. He found the monograph and became our expert, our candidate for the office of Sentinel's companion. Actually, I think you call him your Guide. Mr. Brackett was kind enough to provide the term. It is better than companion. Too many connotations there that would not sit well in our line of work."

"You chose Blair? You never said---"

"Well, we had to make sure he would continue to be interested first. And, frankly, I was worried that you would not accept him. You were so military and, well, he wasn't and isn't. At any rate, we worked very hard to make sure that your paths would cross. It was not a small task to keep Mr. Sandburg from disappearing into the jungles to find his Sentinel. On many occasions, he nearly slipped away from us. Stoddard was not exactly what I would call helpful either. Of course, he never really knew the nature of our interest in his star pupil and that did not help matters. He thought we were interested in seeing someone research the subject because we couldn't get government funding. He believed that he was doing an old friend from high school a favor while simultaneously finding a challenging subject for a favored student. And before you ask, Mr. Sandburg was and is completely innocent of any subterfuge. Eli and the Colonel felt it was best not to let him know that his studies were being directed, his life orchestrated, if you will, by anyone. He was and is too independent minded to stand for that. He would have headed for the hills."

"Who could blame him?" Jim muttered, remembering his own flight response when the first call had come and he realized just how orchestrated his own life had been.

"Yes, well, now perhaps you understand why we felt it best that we not tell you about Mr. Sandburg and that you forget all about the project until he was ready, and we had a chance to see if the two of you would work well together. We decided that it would be easier for both of you to meet on your own terms. Believe me, I was still very surprised when it worked out so well."

"So how did you do it? Keep Blair in Cascade? Make sure we met?"

"Oh, that." Rose chuckled. "Blair was easy, really. We made sure that Rainier offered him too many opportunities for him to leave. After all, he never had any money. Scholarships and grants simply fell into his lap at our say-so."

Jim shook his head. "No, Blair did all that himself."

"Actually, you're right. He did the majority of it himself, I'll admit. He got the early entrance and the first scholarship all by himself. He pulled himself through those first years but after Eli recommended him to us, truthfully, every grant he has ever gotten to study sentinels directly came right from here. Face facts, Captain, to the rest of the world, including the world of Anthropology, you are a myth. A fable of some superhero that people wish for but know will never actually come along to save the day. Who else would have financed his search? And again, coincidence stepped in so that we didn't have to lift a finger to bring the two of you together. We weren't ready in actuality. We were in the process of arranging to pull you in and correct the problem with the regression therapy when instead you were suddenly in our Mr. Sandburg's office. I talked the Colonel into letting nature take its course."

"Jesus."

"It was quite satisfying to watch the two of you work things out on your own. And since you were remembering the senses, so to speak, but not remembering the project, I felt no need to interfere with you. So, things were going along beautifully and we were just about to pull you in when Alicia Bannister AKA Alex Barnes entered the picture. Three years of research and it was about to be flushed down the toilet, or the fountain.” He smirked at Jim as if Jim should appreciate his wit then sobered again. “We were not terribly happy with your performance, Captain. Intrigued, yes. Happy, no. We felt it was time to reactivate the memories of the project before it was endangered again. The colonel was worried that you would tell Blair. I had to remind him what a good soldier you were. I had to remind him just how good you were with covert operations." Rose laughed a little. "Your whole life has been a covert operation, after all. Then you had to go and embarrass me with your little escape attempt." He shook his head. "I thought you were a loyal American serviceman, Captain. What were you thinking?"

Jim turned away from the man's steel gray gaze.

"Oh, I understand. You've been away from the military for several years now. You've perhaps forgotten the importance of following orders. Maybe you can't quite remember the oaths you took. This work is important, Captain. You are a weapon. We have to find out how you work so that we can---"

"Build a better soldier?"

"Exactly."

"I remember my oaths, Dr. Rose. I know how to follow orders."

"Then explain those false documents in the safety deposit box. Explain your tickets to New Mexico and then onto Peru."

"I'm here, aren't I? I could have used them anytime but I'm here instead."

"And the fact that I have Blair Sandburg strapped to a table in the next room has nothing to do with that, I suppose."

Jim swore and raked one hand through his crew cut. "He's not military, damn it! You can't just snatch him out of his life and---"

"But we already have and what life anyway? He gave it up for you. Now, that's loyalty. The colonel said that he knew why they were there. He could see the knowledge, the panic, and the self-recrimination in our Mr. Sandburg's eyes. That young man will do anything for you, won't he? Well, we'll see about that. And you," Rose shook his head. "I'm not sure if you were really that angry with him or if you were just trying to drive him away. Did you think you could make him go and that somehow it would save him from us? Really, Captain Ellison, if he had not left after the Barnes incident or over the way you have behaved since our first call to reactivate you, he was not going to desert you. You have been the very definition of a hard ass the last few months.” Rose raised his eyebrows and smiled at him. “I'd like to think that your ops training kicked in, but somehow, I think I'd be wrong. Well, you should get some rest. The Sentinel Project will resume its work bright and early tomorrow morning. Don't worry about Mr. Sandburg. He'll be fine. He should be well rested at the very least. Oh, and your captain has already been sent notification of your status. At your loft, he'll find a vague note from Mr. Sandburg stating that he just didn't feel comfortable in the Academy and with you back in the Army; he sees no reason to hang around. Given his tendency to roam, and the wonderful forgery by our handwriting expert, he'll believe it. It's a shame really. The dissertation was very good. Good night, Jim and welcome back."

Jim banged his head on the observation window twice before turning his back to it and walking out of the room.

Captain Simon Banks had not had the most pleasant day of his life when he opened the last envelope of his mail. Daryl was having trouble with English and his ex-wife expected him to "fix" it. Okay, Blair Sandburg would be the solution to that problem. The latest case to fall into the collective lap of Major Crimes was a nightmare; the murder of a prominent Cascade businessman with suspected ties to black market babies. It was earmarked for Ellison. Last, but certainly not least, was the four-hour meeting with the new police commissioner and the Mayor. He just wanted to get home but he had needed to get through the stack of mail on his desk first. He had thought that his day could not possibly get worse but as he read the very official document that he had pulled from that last envelope in the stack, he realized that he was wrong.

"Jesus," he whispered as he tossed the paper on the desk and rubbed his temples. "Sandburg."

Simon knew that the young man would not take this news well. He needed to get to the loft. He was out of his office and on the elevator before anyone in the bullpen had a chance to ask where he was going.

He drove like a man possessed, even using the siren. He pulled up outside the loft in a fraction of the time it should have taken. He raced up the stairs only to find an envelope with his name on it taped to the front door. He looked at it for long minutes before he hesitantly reached out and took it. He opened the envelope and withdrew the short note inside. Blair was gone. He apologized for not being able to "cut it" at the Academy and explained since Jim was gone, so was his reason for staying in Cascade. It was signed "Sincerely, Blair Sandburg." Simon punched the door.

He made his way down to his car. So Blair was having a hard time at the Academy. Simon had no idea that the young man was not doing well, but he intended to find out exactly what had gone wrong. As he got behind the wheel, he realized that he had just lost his two closest friends in the same day. He let his head fall back to rest on the seat.

The hazy white cloud above him solidified into a white ceiling that looked suspiciously like a hospital ceiling. He tried to raise one hand to rub his eyes but the hand would not move. He tried the other, but it would not budge either. He panicked and instinctively tried to sit up only to discover that his body was immobilized. "Oh God," he whispered as he tried desperately to snatch his hands free from the restraints.

"Please, Mr. Sandburg, you'll only injure yourself and we don't want that." The voice filled the white room. Blair turned his head to see his reflection staring back at him. "Yes, it's a two way mirror, Mr. Sandburg. Can I call you Blair? I think Blair would be better. Do you know why you're here, Blair?"

"Who are you? Where's Jim?"

"Captain Ellison is just fine. Don't worry about him. Right now, Blair, what I need from you is information. I need your notes and the master copy of your dissertation. We checked the loft and the storage space where you have the things from your office and we found nothing."

"I trashed it all. It was all a lie. I made it up. Please let us go."

"I'm afraid not, Blair. I'll let you think about it for a bit."

"No, wait!" A click told Blair that his captor was no longer listening or at least not talking to him anymore. "Oh God, Jim, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, man. I'm sorry."

Jim stood at attention just as he had been ordered. Colonel Maxwell Adler, Pentagon Special Projects Director, stood to his right. Dr. Robert Rose was at his left. His jaw ached as he heard Blair blame himself for their predicament and apologize to him, probably hoping Jim could hear him. Jim could hear him all right. How could he miss it as he stood between the two men who played the strings of his life?

"I thought you read the dissertation," he growled, even though he had not been given permission to speak.

"Oh, I have. I have my own copy. We found his notes as well. Your partner had his own safety deposit box. But this isn't about the dissertation. It is simply a means to an end."

"What end is that?"

"This is a test, Captain Ellison. You are a trained officer in the elite Army Rangers. You are trained to withstand torture without giving up secrets but Blair is, well, he's the son of a bleeding heart liberal with values left over from the sixties that she passed on to him. Like I told you, we never thought the two of you would be compatible and Blair's ideology and naiveté were the reasons for those doubts. We need to know just how loyal he is to you and how long he will remain loyal."

"You can't be serious!"

"Captain!" Adler spoke up. "I think you had better remember what you are and where you are."

"Yes, sir." Jim tried to keep his tone even. Rose could spew his trash until he was blue in the face but Jim knew what and who was being tested.

"You can go back to your room now." Rose smiled blandly.

Jim turned and saluted the Colonel before leaving the room. As he walked down the hallway, he tried to put away Jim Ellison. He shoved the man who gave a damn into the farthest corner of his mind and resurrected Captain James Ellison, who would not have given a hippie kid like Sandburg the time of day much less a place in his heart. If indeed he had a heart at all.

Simon arrived at the Academy and walked straight into the Commandant's office without a second glance at the protesting secretary. "Hank, got a few questions I need answered."

"Simon! How's it going up there in Major Crimes?" The man stood from his desk and offered his hand to Simon.

"Too damn busy, Hank."

"I guess you're checking up on your boy?"

"Something like that." Simon withdrew the letter and handed to his old friend. "Can you give me some idea about that?"

Hank Franklin read the letter and shook his head. He handed it back. "I honestly don't know, Simon. The only thing I can tell you is that he was having some trouble in firearms class. He excelled at everything else. I was going to try to talk to him about that this week. I know Crimmons is a hard ass, but he's a good instructor. Still, I think there might be a problem there. I spoke to Crimmons but he said that Sandburg was just afraid of the weapon and that he was being hard on him to toughen him up."

"But you think it's more than that?"

"Maybe. There seems to be some resentment floating around regarding the special arrangements that were made for the kid, Simon. You had to know that was going to happen. Some of the cadets gave him a hard time. He handled it pretty well, all in all. Even asked me to stay out of it. Most of it was essentially harmless, anyway. Making smartass remarks, pulling his ponytail, shoving him a little in the hallway, that sort of thing. Don't know that we did him a favor when we allowed him to bypass the haircut. At any rate, harassment coming from an instructor, even the harmless stuff is unacceptable. I wanted to talk to the kid to see if Crimmons was guilty but he didn't show up today and now I know why."

"I want to see Crimmons."

"Sure thing. I'll call him in."

Minutes later, Sergeant John Crimmons entered the office. Simon watched the man carefully as he came to a stop in front of Commandant Franklin's desk, his eyes straight forward, refusing to acknowledge Simon's presence. "John, this is Captain Simon Banks from Major Crimes. He wants to ask you a couple of questions."

"I don't know where Sandburg is, Captain." Crimmons turned to face Simon with a look of annoyance on his face. "I didn't ask where they were taking him. It obviously wasn't my business."

Simon was so ready to lay into the guy that the implications of what he had said nearly escaped him. As it was, he stuttered and sputtered as he tried to shift his mental gears to get up to speed. "Wh-Who took him? When? Why didn't you tell somebody? What the hell is going on here? Are you saying that somebody just walked into the Academy and took him out? A Police Academy? And you did nothing?"

"They were military. One of them was a Colonel, Captain. I figured they had a good reason. Although I can't think for the life of me what they want with him. The kid can't half hold onto his gun and he's a lousy shot even when he does. Of course, that could be because he won't keep his damn eyes open. I mean, we all know why that boy was here. Some serious strings got pulled and hocus-pocus, he's on his way to being a cop. But let me give you a piece of information. He's got no business carrying a badge. Know why? 'Cause he's got no business carrying a gun. So if the military wants him, then hey, that just means I don't have to deal with him anymore. Besides, I'm just a lowly Police Academy instructor. Who am I to argue?"

Simon was too busy trying to grasp the gravity of this situation to have even bothered to interrupt Crimmons' speech but since the man was finished and Simon needed to vent on somebody, Crimmons was about to get a few pieces of information himself. "Sergeant, let me enlighten you. First of all, it's none of your damn business how Sandburg got here. It was your business to teach him what he needed to know. Your failure to do so is not his problem. It's yours. In addition, I would be willing to bet he's already a better investigator that you would ever be, which is why you are a 'lowly Police Academy instructor' and he was on the fast track to Major Crimes. For example, did it ever occur to you to question these men, get names, check to see if they had permission to be here? What if the uniforms were fake?" Simon knew they were not but Crimmons had not. "No, you asked nothing. You did nothing. I bet Blair Sandburg asked questions. And since you seem so dissatisfied with your title here, perhaps you'd like another. I think I could arrange for you to have a brand new title. What about lowly crossing guard?" Simon turned back to his friend. "Hank, obviously things aren't what they seemed to be. Somebody took Sandburg out of here, possibly against his will. I'll need to talk to anyone and everyone who saw those men here yesterday."

"You got it. Crimmons, you're suspended until this is straightened out. Get out of my office."

"Sir!"

"You heard me. Go." Once the man was gone, Hank Franklin turned back to Simon and sighed. "What do you think is going on, Simon?"

"I think Sandburg and Ellison are in deep trouble," Simon grumbled distractedly.

"If I can help in any way..."

"Keep Sandburg's place here open. I'm going to find my men."

"Whatever you need, Simon."

"Thanks." Simon shook his hand then made his way out of the office. "What a nightmare," he whispered. Something was not right here. Jim being called back up for duty he could buy. But a colonel coming to see Sandburg and taking the young man out of the Academy? No, that was not kosher. The military had Jim and Blair and Simon knew exactly why the military wanted them. At one time, Simon had had some contacts in the military but most of them were gone, retired. The few that were left did not have the clout needed to help him find his friends. He rubbed his temples with one hand as he got into his car. He had no idea how to proceed. He just knew that he could not give up. As he drove into the station, he wondered what was happening to his friends while he sat by, helpless. Should have known something was wrong, he berated himself silently as he thought back to the note he had found at the loft. "Sincerely, Blair Sandburg?" Not the way Blair would have signed that note. Why didn't I pick up on that? Nothing he could do about that now. Then it came to him. He could not go directly to the military but he did know someone who could perhaps get the information he needed through some not so direct channels. And it was someone he would not to have to tiptoe around, someone who would want to help. He picked up his cell phone and dialed his office. "Rhonda, get me the number for the Devereaux Agency in D.C. It should be in my rolodex."

Peter Devereaux threw the rather thick file folder on his desk and sighed heavily. This was bad. Really bad. He punched the intercom. "Maggie, call in Jesse and Kit please and get us tickets to Cascade ASAP. And call Ronald MacNamara at the CIA. Tell him I'm calling in a favor and I'll be back in touch as soon as I figure out how to proceed."

"Gotcha, Pete," came back the response from the little speaker.

He sat back in his chair and turned to stare out of his office window. "Damn, Jim. What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all? I don't know if I can get you out of this. It's gonna take some fancy footwork and I don't know if I can do the dance. And you dragged Blair down with you. You bastard, how could you do this?"

Distance, distance, distance. Discipline, soldier. Remember who you are, why you are here, what you are trying to accomplish. It's all for the good of the country. Captain James Ellison fell into the rigid structure of military life and let it numb him. He was a soldier, first and foremost. This study had helped him after Peru. He would have lost his mind after Peru had it not been for Dr. Rose. The return of his missing memories told him that much. He remembered the day that Dr. Rose told him that they had reached an impasse in the study and could do no more to help him. But they had a solution. They could block out all memory of his enhanced senses and let him get on with his life until such time that they had some more answers. He had agreed readily. When it was done, he was missing a major portion of his life, all knowledge of his time in Peru included, but the senses were gone. He was normal. What they didn't expect was that the senses would come back on their own as well as bits and pieces of his memories. What he didn't know was that they had found what he needed and was working on bringing it into his life. They had found Blair Sandburg. It was more than a little disconcerting that their lives had been so manipulated, but as much as Jim did not like it, Captain Ellison accepted the necessity of it. He stretched out his muscles carefully after his run and then headed for the showers. He was due in the observation room in few minutes. Sandburg's interrogation was to resume today. They had left him to think the day before but it was time to get down to business. Distance. It was all part of a plan. The plan. It was important. It was his life.

"Captain Banks, nice to see you again. Circumstances aside, I mean." Peter Devereaux held out his hand and Simon shook it.

"Devereaux," was his simple reply.

"I'm sure you remember Jesse."

"Riviera, right?" Simon smiled. The hair was a bit shorter, still longer than Sandburg's, but the multicolored string wrapped braids were gone.

"Yes, sir. I do prefer Jesse though." The young man grinned at him. "And as much as I hate to say it, I don't really remember you, sir."

"No, I don't imagine that you would. Glad to see you're back on your feet."

"And this is Kit Chase." Devereaux introduced his other man and Simon examined him closely for the first time. He was obviously of Native American descent. Nearly black eyes met Simon's with a light that belied the darkness of their color. Hair longer than Jesse's and Blair's put together hung down the man's back and was even darker than the eyes. Simon imagined that Kit Chase had to beat the women off with a stick.

"Mr. Chase." Simon offered his hand.

"Kit," he corrected as he gripped Simon's hand.

"Well, introduction's are over. Let's get down to business, gentlemen. Captain, you lead the way. We need a private place to talk."

"So you did find out something?"

"Oh yeah, and you aren't going to like it, Captain. Not one little bit."

"Don't worry, Captain Ellison. The drug does not actually cause any damage at all. It simply causes the mind to believe that the body is in pain. It's the newest thing in interrogation drugs."

"I'm not worried." Ellison did not turn to acknowledge the man. He simply stared passively through the observation window at the scene beyond. "Why would I worry?"

Sandburg was in pain. He could see that. He did not hear it, however. He had the dial turned down. A stab of guilt pierced his chest for a split second as he thought about how he owed that ability to the man strapped to the table in the next room. The man he observed as coldly at the two men next to him. He shut down those traitorous emotions with a blink of his eyes and a slight tilt of his head.

"I thought he was your friend. Your partner?" Jim could hear the sneer in Rose's voice.

"He was a means to an end. He had answers that I needed. And if he's going to continue to be my 'partner' then he'll pass this test. As you well know, I've always had questions about his loyalty. He's violated my trust more than once. Well, now we see just where he stands, right?"

Colonel Adler stepped up beside him and slapped him on the shoulder. "Spoken like a good soldier, Captain. You had me worried before but I think you've come to your senses."

"Well, I'm not so easily convinced. I was your champion, Captain, before we found out about those airline tickets. You disappointed me and I'll take a bit more convincing." Rose flipped a switch on the panel in front of them and Jim was treated to the sounds that he had not allowed his Sentinel ears to hear. Sobs were interspersed with gasps of pain and Jim turned the dial down another notch. Then another, so that he barely heard Rose's question. "So, Blair, are you ready to talk to me now?"

"Nothing to--" another gasp, "ah, god--to talk about. Lied." He seemed to lose his breath then and struggled against the pain and tears to get it back. "Wasting time," he grounded out through clenched teeth. "What have you done to me?"

"Nothing that can kill you, I assure you. Although, if you persist in this defiance, you may wish you were dead. Blair, we already know that your research is not fraudulent. Make things easy for us all and tell us where to find your notes and the master copy of your dissertation. As soon as you do, we will allow you to rejoin Captain Ellison and you may resume your work with him."

"Where's Jim? Please, you have to be careful," Blair begged for Jim even in his own pain, and Ellison shook his head.

"Stupid kid," he muttered absently.

Rose glanced at him then turned back to Blair. "Why do we need to be careful with Captain Ellison if your work was all lies?"

No response.

"Well, Blair?"

"I have---nothing to say--to you. Go away."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You will talk to me, Blair. Or you will never leave this place. Imagine that."

"Please, I can't."

"You will."

But he did not. Ellison left the observation room two hours later. Sandburg was not speaking at all by that time. Rose had called it quits for the day. The interrogation would continue the next morning. In the meantime, Rose had some tests for him. He wanted to see if Jim's abilities had increased with Sandburg's guidance. He was torn. Did he show them everything or hold back? He knew that all of his senses had gotten stronger in the years that he worked with Sandburg. If he showed them his true range then what would they do? If he did not, what would they do? Did he really need Sandburg? If he did, how would they react? If he did not, how long would the kid last should they figure it out? He sighed. He did need him. To pretend that he did not was ludicrous. It was a fact of his life. So, where did he go from here? What options did he have? None really. He had sealed his own fate. And Blair Sandburg's. He wished that it were not so but wishing did no good. Best to just keep focused on the project. It was time to jump through the hoops like a good little circus dog.

Simon Banks sat down hard in his office chair and scrubbed his hand over his face. He listened to words that he could not believe; yet he knew them to be true. It was all there in black and white, a whole file of information on James Ellison as a Sentinel that was not written by Blair Sandburg. Jim had known what he was and so had the army and the Pentagon. He had been studied, analyzed, and then his memories of his senses and the study repressed through hypnosis. Stranger than that, Blair Sandburg was hand-picked and steered toward the study of Sentinels in an effort to groom him to be exactly what he was, a Sentinel's Guide. Then the really disturbing news came. They had been watched, examined like lab animals. Every case they had worked, every test that Blair had performed; even their leisure time was recorded. Why had Jim not noticed? Was he programmed not to? Why had anyone else not noticed? Why had he not noticed?

"It seems that Rose got worried about the Barnes incident. They decided that they needed to reactivate Jim's memories." Peter Devereaux continued to read from the file he held. "They didn't call him in then, however. They wanted to see what he would do. Rose was confident that he would 'do his duty' but Adler thought he'd tell Blair and the two of them would take off. Says here that it seemed that Jim then tried to drive Blair away. His attitude toward Blair changed and then they found his safety deposit box. He had some money, fake ID's, and plane tickets in there and they decided that they had better pick up Blair and call Jim in."

"I just can't believe that he didn't say anything!" Simon exclaimed, slamming his fist down on his desk.

"Captain Banks, this is a top secret project. Jim is a trained covert operative. He would not reveal a top-secret project. That goes against his training."

"Blair is his best friend. Training be damned. What about friendship!?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't know what to say, Captain. I would have thought that he would have protected Blair but I would have been wrong, apparently."

"Bastard, cold-hearted bastard," Simon mumbled under his breath.

"So, Pete, we are going after Blair, right?" Riviera spoke up.

"I don't know, Jess."

"Aw, man, come on, we can't leave him there!"

"Dude, you are talking about taking on the freaking government. We'll all end up in Leavenworth," Chase pointed out.

"Maybe not."

"What are you suggesting, Devereaux?" Simon sat forward, hope rising in his chest.

"I'm working on something. Adler doesn't have many friends, you see. And Rose, he's got no friends, except Adler. They're both nutty as fruitcakes. I'm pulling some strings to see what unravels, know what I mean? If that doesn't work, I know a few tropical island paradises that don't have extradition agreements with the U.S. We bust 'em out and retire to one of those paradises."

"Them? Bust them out? Ellison gets what he deserves, Pete."

"Jesse, I'm trying to reserve judgment on that right now, okay? I know Jim. There's got to be some reasonable explanation and I'm gonna wait to hear it before I condemn the man."

Simon wished that he could be that understanding. As he flipped through the evidence of Jim Ellison's betrayal, he could only think of beating the man bloody. He thought back to all the hateful things that Jim had said and done to Sandburg over the last year or so and wanted to wrap his hands around the man's throat. Well, to do that, he would have to find Jim first. So be it. "Do what you have to. Let me know what I can do to help. Just get them back."

"Captain Banks, you do realize that not all of my methods are exactly---legal, right?" Pete Devereaux smirked at him.

He nodded to the man. "Do I look naïve to you, Devereaux?"

"No, sir."

"Well then, get a move on."

The smirk widened to a smile. "Yes, sir. Well, let's go, gentlemen. We have work to do."

"Captain Ellison, good morning. I'd like you to meet Lt. Shawn Holloway. Lt. Holloway is your new guide." Rose smiled, apparently quite pleased with himself.

Jim looked the young man over critically. He was maybe all of twenty-two, probably fresh out of officer's training. His crew cut was so short that his scalp shined from under the remaining blond hair. Jim squashed down the immediate swell of irritation he felt and gave the kid a quick nod of acknowledgement.

The young man saluted him. Jim sighed in exasperation and returned the salute half-heartedly. That seemed to be the kid's cue to start talking.

"Nice to meet you, Captain Ellison. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Can we get started here or what?" Jim addressed Rose as he motioned toward the wooded area that would serve as the test site for whatever Rose had cooked up.

"Of course. Let me explain what we've got here." Rose began to explain the sensory tests he had set up. It was a sort of sensory obstacle course. Jim had to locate various objects around the test site using his senses while filtering out distractions. Holloway's job was to keep him from zoning and help him filter those distractions. Supposedly, the kid knew what to do. They had been training the kid using their own research and Blair's for months. Jim had known that the kid was there. Rose had told him that they had found him a, in Rose's words, "more suitable guide." Jim hated the kid already. However, he was military. Being military, he would be a lot more reliable in the field. He could and would use a gun, for example. He understood military discipline. He would follow orders. And for all that, he was still useless. Absolutely useless. He was not Blair Sandburg. He was not Jim's Guide. He might be a guide. But he was not Jim's Guide.

Jim knew that. Now, he just had to make sure that Rose knew it. Or did not know it. Jim nearly swore out loud. He did not know which way to turn. He did not know Rose's ultimate plan. If Blair was necessary, did that make him safe? Or would that put them both on the chopping block? If Blair was not necessary, that definitely made him expendable. Adler seemed to really hate Sandburg. He had told Jim at dinner in the mess hall the night before that he did not know how Jim had managed to work with "that little hippie boy" and not to worry, he would not have to again if Adler had anything to say about it. Damn, damn, damn, he swore silently as he and Holloway began Rose's little course.

He came to with most of the morning already gone and Holloway's anxious face hovering way too close to his own. Instinct kicked in and Holloway found out how not to bring a sentinel out of a zone. Not that the kid could bring him out anyway. Jim was not sure what brought him out but it was not Holloway. Jim sat up and glared at the kid who rubbed his already bruising jaw and glared back in accusation.

"What'd you do that for?" he whined and Jim resisted the urge to hit him again.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Jim demanded. "How long was I out of it? Why didn't you call back to Rose?"

"I did! He told me that I had to bring you out myself. You were like a damn zombie for almost three hours! What the fuck did you zone out on?"

"Watch the language, soldier! And I don't know. I can't remember."

"Thank God, I finally brought you out of it."

"Don't pat yourself on the back so fast, Holloway. You didn't bring me out of it. It was something else. I don't even remember you being here. Something else..." Jim trailed off as he searched his memory. It was a sound, far off and faint at first until he honed in on it. Jim turned and realized that he was facing in the direction of the facility. Then he knew. "Shit," he whispered. Blair's heartbeat. He had zoned out trying to filter through a white noise generator, and subconsciously, he had reached for the familiar sound of his Guide's heartbeat to lead him back to himself. Holloway was useless. And he would always be useless to Jim. "Rose," Jim said into his radio, "we're coming in. I have a headache and I can't get this right until I get rid of it." Jim glanced at Holloway sourly as he spoke.

Maxwell Adler paced the floor in front of Jim. The man was seriously pissed off. Jim stood perfectly at attention, not even allowing his eyes to follow the man's back and forth movement. Finally, Adler came to an abrupt stop just inches from Jim. "You want to explain to me that debacle this morning on the test site, Captain?"

Jim resisted the urge to step back and regain his personal space. "I zoned out."

"And why is that? I thought that little hippie was supposed to have taught you some control."

"I really don't know what happened, sir."

"Well, I suggest you figure it out, soldier! Your partner had to catch your sorry ass and lay you out on the ground. If that had been a firefight, you'd be dead and so would he. Are you trying to get your little hippie partner back? Is that it? Are you trying to make me believe that you can't work with anybody but him?"

"No, sir. I was just trying to do the test and I zoned."

"Colonel, I think that Captain Ellison is going to need time to adjust to his new guide. This was only their first outing. Blair was with Captain Ellison for almost four years. We have to have time to break those old ties and establish new ones." Rose stepped forward.

Jim swallowed hard. He wanted to ask what would happen to Blair once those old ties were broken. What did they plan to do with his "old Guide" if, on the very off chance, the new one started working out. He stayed silent, however. Jim knew that he could not show the slightest concern for his Guide without it being construed as a lack of loyalty to the project. Besides, Captain Ellison would not ask. He would not care. As it turned out, he did not need to ask. His questions were answered.

"Sandburg is a security risk. The sooner we are rid of him the better, so get cracking."

"Colonel, I realize that Blair is a problem but perhaps, when this is all over, he can be persuaded to stay on and work on the project. He is a natural guide. If we are able to find or create more sentinels, we will need someone to work with them initially until we can either find or create more guides."

"Get serious, Rose. That little hippie is not going to stay here and work on the project with you after what you've done to him. He'll escape the first chance he gets and run straight to the press."

"And who will believe him, Maxwell. He's a self-proclaimed fraud. He has nowhere to go, no options for his future but with us. We gave him a sentinel. By the time I'm done with him, he'll be grateful for the offer."

"He's useless to us, Rose. The only thing he can do now is damage this project. It's time that we got rid of him."

Jim's heart dropped into his feet. His hands itched to reach out and snap Adler's neck but he did not. Only a very astute observer would have noticed the minute flinch and tightening of his jaw as he controlled the impulse. Unfortunately, Rose was an astute observer. The man's hand descended on his shoulder and Jim's eye twitched as he schooled his expression into one of indifference. "I think Captain Ellison would disagree with that assessment. Wouldn't you, Captain?" Rose's tone dripped honey and Jim was nearly sick on the man's shoes.

"Yes, sir."

"And what would you have us do, Captain?" Adler growled.

"I think you should have Sandburg work with Holloway."

"Now, see, there's an idea." Rose slapped Jim on the back.

"Absolutely not."

"Maxwell, Blair Sandburg is the one and only real expert on sentinels in existence. I don't even presume that I know as much as he does."

"You have the boy's notes, Robert."

"That's not good enough, damn it, Maxwell! If it were then this morning would not have happened. Holloway couldn't bring Ellison out of the zone out."

"Why is that, Ellison?" Adler turned to Jim.

"I don't know, sir."

"Then what do you know, soldier? Get out of here. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Jim turned on his heels and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. He did not even bother to try to listen. Maybe he did not even want to know the outcome of the argument. He quickened his steps and was nearly running by the time he reached an outside door. He burst through it and kept going until he was facing the wooded test site. Bending over, he placed his hands on his knees and hung his head down as he tried to catch his breath. His heart was pounding as the gravity of what he had done weighed down on him. Adler was planning to "get rid of" Blair. That could only mean one of two things. And killing him was the kinder of the two. On the other hand, Rose's plan was to somehow convince Blair to work on the project. Blair would be alive but he would hate Jim once he found out the whole truth. But he would be alive. Now, Jim only had to worry about whose plan would win out in the end, Adler's or Rose's. He stood up straight and turned his eyes to the sky and prayed that Robert Rose was a very persuasive man.

Blair shivered. It was so damn cold. The thin sheet from the table did little to warm him, but it was all he had other than the boxers that they gave him. He huddled in the corner of his little room, the room that was apparently going to be his whole world for who knew how long. As it was, he was not sure just how long he had already been there. He had no watch. There were no windows to the outside, and the lights in the room were always left on. He was amazed at how easily he had lost track of time. All he did know was that they would be back soon. They had left him alone for a while but it was too good to last. He grimaced then as he realized that if they were leaving him alone, they were probably with Jim. Suddenly, he wanted them to come back. He swore under his breath. Why this? Why now? Things were strained enough between them. Jim probably hated him for sure now. "I'm so very sorry, Jim," he whispered.

He glanced around the room once again, looking for something he could use as a weapon. If he could just get out, even for just a few minutes, he could find a phone and call Simon and get them some help. But there was nothing. Just as there had been nothing every other time his mind teased him with the hope of even momentary escape. There was only the table, the IV stand, and the toilet, all bolted securely to the floor. He sighed. Besides, they had guns. Even if he did manage to find something, he would never get a chance to use it before they shot him. Blair was aware that he was expendable. They wanted his thesis and notes but they did not have to have it. They could do their own tests, make their own notes. As a matter of fact, they probably already were in the process of doing just that. He just hoped that they did not hurt Jim in the process. He nearly cried at that thought. Maybe he should just give them what they wanted. They were going to kill him one way or the other eventually. If he gave up his notes then at least they would know to be careful with Jim. He might have gotten Jim into this but he could protect Jim from some dangerous mistakes that these people might make. Why had he not realized that earlier? He cursed himself. Jim could be hurt already because he was not thinking. He apologized to his friend again.

His eyes shifted back to the toilet on the other side of the room. He had to go. It was embarrassing to have to go out in the open room, not knowing if someone sat behind the two-way mirror on the opposite wall. The shower was worse, however. After each session with Rose, when the drug in his system had worn off to the point where he could stand, he would be instructed to take a shower. The shower was quite literally just a small showerhead that came down from the ceiling and a depression in the floor that had a drain in the center. He would stand under the spray of first soapy and then clear water, trying hard to maintain some dignity, until the water shut off and he slipped into the clean boxers that were left for him. Then he got to spend the next hour or so really freezing, shivering so hard that his teeth chattered and his whole body ached. He hoped that Jim had better accommodations. Granted, Jim could turn down the dials against the cold but the sentinel would not react well to the total and humiliating lack of privacy. And Blair would be to blame once again for this violation of Jim's privacy... Jim's trust.

Their only hope was Simon. He hoped that Simon would ask a few questions. That would be all it would take to find that something was not quite right. The men that had come for him were not exactly subtle after all. Please, Simon, you have got to know that something's wrong. Please, help us. Help Jim at least.

"Ron, tell me something I can use, man, please!" Pete urged the man on the other end of the phone. He listened. "Uh-huh. I see. Okay, can you get me in to see the man?"

"Yes! Thanks, man, I owe you now." He hung up the phone and turned to the anxious faces in the room. "I've got to go back to D.C. Ron's got me an appointment with the head honcho of the Adler Early Retirement Committee. He won't tell me particulars but he says that a very large faction of the higher ups have been looking for something to force Adler out for a long time. And if Adler goes, then Rose goes."

"Okay, how does that get Jim and Blair back? Won't they just give the project to someone else?" Simon asked.

"Well, here's the thing. I'm going to do some fancy talking."

"That's what Pete calls lying through his teeth." Kit Chase grinned.

"Thank you, Kit. Anyway, I'm going to spin a tale of a couple of regular guys manipulated by Rose to actually believe this fairy tale of sentinels and guides. Jim will be our first victim. Deeply traumatized by his time in Peru, he was an easy target for Rose who convinced him that he was some kind of 'mythical superman,' to use Rose's own words from the file. Blair is our second victim. He was lured into the web by his own curiosity and was convinced by poor deluded Jim that sentinels were real and that Jim was one. And oddly enough, we have a third victim, our own Colonel Maxwell Adler whose own ability to discern fact from fantasy is becoming more questionable as he approaches senility. Adler, under Rose's influence, then had one man called back up for duty and actually kidnapped another from the Cascade Police Academy. What do you think, guys? Am I a genius or what?"

"That is never going to work, Pete." Chase shook his head.

"Kit, you have no faith."

"Then neither do I," Jesse sighed and put his head down on Simon's desk. "That is so lame."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with your men, Devereaux." Simon stood and walked around his desk to stare out his window. "I hope you have a plan B."

"Only the tropical island paradise one."

"We are so very screwed," Jesse whined.

"Ye of little faith. Well, until you guys come up with something, I'm going with what I got."

"Will you get the hell away from me, Holloway!" Captain Ellison screamed at his "guide."

"I'm only trying to help, Captain."

"Yeah? Well, you're getting on my damn nerves!"

"Okay, gentlemen, perhaps we should call it quits for the day." Rose entered the testing room, shaking his head. He marked something on his clipboard and then met Jim's eyes. "You are resisting your guide, Captain."

"He annoys the hell out of me. I can't explain it but there you go."

"Lt. Holloway, you are dismissed."

Holloway shot Jim a dirty look and then left the room. "I can't work with him," Jim stated simply once Holloway was gone.

"Can you explain why, Captain? Give me some reason and we can examine it."

"I don't know. Maybe I've gotten used to Sandburg."

"Well, you will just have to get used to Holloway and you can't do that if you aren't trying."

"I am trying. He just bothers me. He's not my guide."

"But he will be."

Jim sighed and ran one hand over his short hair.

"Well, I have to go and talk with our Mr. Sandburg for a bit." Jim watched the man go before heading to the hand-to-hand combat class he was supposed to be teaching. He closed his eyes and vowed not to listen in. His conscience gave him an unpleasant twinge. Jim wanted to be there with his friend in whatever way he could. Captain Ellison did not care what happened to the young man that had been his first guide. Captain Ellison had a new guide. "I have a new guide," he said aloud.

Blair scrambled to his feet as the door to his little world opened. “Big Bubba” and “Big Jake,” as Blair had dubbed them, entered and he warded them off with one hand. “Wait, just wait. I need to talk to the guy behind the mirror. Okay? Before you shoot that stuff into me, I want to tell him something.” He turned his attention to the two-way mirror. “Are you there?”

“Yes, Blair, I am here. What did you want to tell me?” came the reply.

“Okay. Here it is.” Blair walked to the table and put his hands, palms down, on top of it. He took a deep breath. “If I’m making a mistake here, may God and Jim forgive me,” he whispered softly.

“What? I didn’t hear that, Blair.”

Blair closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he looked straight at his own reflection the mirror. “Captain James Ellison is a sentinel. All five senses are heightened. His condition is, from all the evidence that I have read and seen, genetic. Due to his heightened senses, he is extremely prone to odd reactions to drugs. He also is prone to a condition that I call a zone out where he focuses too much on one sense to the exclusion of everything else. Please, you have to be careful with him. In my notes I have detailed lists of things that can cause illness and injury.”

“And where would those notes be, Blair?”

“In a safety deposit box at the First Union Bank of Cascade on Willis Street. There’s one problem though. I don’t have the key. It’s in Simon Banks’ office, taped to the bottom of his top desk drawer. He doesn’t even know it’s there actually. If anything happ---happened to me, he would have gotten a letter telling him where to find it so, I can’t give it to you. Please, I’m begging you; don’t go experimenting on Jim. Tell me he’s still okay. He is okay, right? It was stupid of me not to tell you. You knew already.” He ran one hand through his tangled hair. “Can I see Jim now?”

“Tell me, Blair. What do you hope to gain by telling me now?”

“Jim’s safety. With my notes, you’re less likely to hurt him. Tell me I’m not too late.”

“So, your reasons are completely selfless?”

“Truthfully? Not entirely.” Blair glanced at “Bubba” and “Jake.” “Bubba” was fingering the syringe he carried, seemingly anxious to get on with his business. “I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t hoping to avoid that needle. But I’m not what’s important here. Jim is. I am nothing compared to him. To my knowledge he is the only functioning modern sentinel.”

“James Ellison is a sentinel?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you worried that you have betrayed his trust in you, Blair, by telling us this?”

Blair swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. “Yes. But I hope he understands that I am only trying to keep him from being hurt. I got him into this after all. Least I can do is try and minimize the damage.”

“What if I told you this was a test and you just failed?”

Blair found himself chuckling in spite of himself. “I’d say that was par for the course for me lately.” “Bubba” and “Jake” moved forward and this time he did not fight them.

/”Captain James Ellison is a sentinel. All five senses are heightened. His condition is, from all the evidence that I have read and seen, genetic.”/

Jim could hardly believe his ears. Rose turned off the tape and turned to him. “As you can see, it didn’t take very long. This was what we were afraid of. He simply could not withstand the pressure.”

“The pain, you mean,” Jim commented absently.

“Well, nevertheless, our fears were realized.”

“What now?”

“He’ll remain where he is for a while. Until I think he’s ready to listen to my offer to join the project.”

“What about the colonel? He doesn’t want Sandburg on the project.”

“I can handle Maxwell.” Rose slapped him on the back and left him to his thoughts.

Part of him wanted to be angry. He wanted to count this among the many betrayals in his life but how could he? Who had betrayed whom after all? Jim sighed and put his head in his hands.

He should have gone to Peru. He should have told Blair as soon as he remembered the truth. He should have done so many things differently. He laughed at himself ruefully. When his secret was exposed in the media, he blamed Blair and blew up at his guide, accused the younger man of violating his trust. What a laugh. The sad truth was that, although he would have probably lost his job, the publicity would have probably saved his ass from this particular situation. In his attempt to prove his loyalty to Jim, Blair debunked his own work, ruined his reputation, and gave these bastards the opportunity to tear them both out of their lives. The irony of it was not lost on Jim. “I am so fucked.”

It took longer than he wanted it to. His original appointment had been cancelled. Then his second appointment had fallen through. Finally, four days after he had arrived back in D.C., Pete was waiting impatiently for his newest and, he hoped, last appointment time. Pete paced the length of the hallway once again. He was about to repeat the exercise when the door to his right opened and he was beckoned inside. When he emerged two hours later, he was not entirely happy but not entirely without hope either. He went back to his apartment, unpacked his laundry and repacked with clean clothes. He called Maggie and made arrangements to head back to Cascade.

One day later, Kit picked him up at the airport and the two of them went straight to Simon Banks’ office.

“Well?” Banks demanded as soon as they entered.

Pete looked at the others present. Besides Jesse and Banks, there was another man and a woman. “Um, shouldn’t this be private, Captain?”

“This is Inspector Connor and Captain Joel Taggart. They know.”

“I see. Okay, well, this is what we have. I have good news and I have bad news. What do want to hear first?”

“Just spit it out, mate,” Connor spoke up.

“You know, you remind me of my sister.” Pete grinned at her. “Officially, I am re-upped as Lt. Peter Devereaux and assigned to escort two scientists to a facility outside of Everett to look over the notes and progress of the ‘Guardian Project.’ Three guesses who the scientists are and the first two don’t count. Unofficially, we are to remove Captain James Ellison and Blair Sandburg from said facility and destroy all records of the project. After which, Adler will be given the choice of retiring or being busted down in rank.”

“I don’t get it.” Jesse shook his head.

“Neither do I.” Connor was reminding him more and more of Darrien as she glared at him.

“It’s politics, folks. They want Adler to look bad. Losing research subjects doesn’t look good.”

“What about Jim and Sandy? What happens to them?” the woman demanded.

“Well, remember my little story you guys said wouldn’t work? Well, it didn’t. You were right there but I cut a deal. We do this quietly, make sure it looks like Rose was running a bogus project and these guys are willing to forget that Jim and Blair exist. Jim has to make an appearance at the Pentagon and claim that he is not a sentinel for the records and he gets his life back. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but maybe that’s just how bad these guys want Adler and Rose.”

“And if we get caught or something goes wrong?”

“They don’t know us and we are well and truly fucked.” Pete waited for that information to sink in before continuing. “Well, then gentlemen, and lady, let’s get this show on the road. We have preparations to make.” He opened his briefcase and handed Kit a folded piece of paper. “That’s a map of the compound, with all the security info you’ll need. Find us the quickest way out of there. We may be walking into the front gate but we may not get to leave the same way. Jesse, I need you to get started making up some ID’s for us.”

“You mean they didn’t give you ID’s for us?” Jesse frowned. “What kind of hack operation are they running?”

“Truthfully, Jess, I told ‘em you were faster. For some reason they were not reassured by that bit of information.” Pete slapped the younger man on the back and smiled evilly.

“Thanks a lot, Pete. Big Brother will be watching me for sure now.” Jesse made a face at his employer.

“I’m going with you,” Banks announced. “Joel, hold the fort for me.”

“You know I will,” the man assured his captain.

“You can’t go into the compound, Captain. They will recognize you. But we may need a driver for the getaway car so pack your bags.”

“What about me? Do I sit and twiddle my thumbs? What can I do?”

“Connor, just stay here and help Joel. I’ll be in touch if I need you,” Banks told her. Pete could tell she was not happy about it but she sighed and said nothing else.

“Anyway, we will be expected next Friday,” Pete continued.

“Next Friday?! We have to wait a whole week?” Jesse protested.

“Well, Jess, there is all that paperwork that has to be produced and filed.”

“Paperwork?”

“Yes, clearance for Drs. Parker and Barrow to even be there, you know.”

“Parker and Barrow?” Jesse grinned at him.

“Damn, Pete. Couldn’t you do better than that?”

“Excuse the hell outta me! I tried.”

“Well, I just have one question. Which one of us has to be Bonnie?” Kit asked then he and Jesse looked at one another and said simultaneously, “You!”

Robert Rose stood watching the person on the other side of the observation mirror. The subject of his fascination stared off into space and muttered softly. Rose reached out and touched the window before him reverently. “Soon. Very soon, my dear. When Ellison is safely out of the way and doing Max’s bidding, you’ll have what you need. And you and I will be writing our own ticket.”

He turned and walked from the observation room. He had to go and see how Captain Ellison and his guide were doing. Holloway was having a difficult time with the stubborn captain. He smiled. Ellison and Holloway would sink or swim. They were not really his priority. Maxwell wanted his own sentinel so that he could prove to his detractors that he was not the relic that he indeed was. All Rose wanted from Ellison was a little DNA. That he already had. Full physical exams had their benefit. The look on Ellison’s face had been priceless when Rose had given him that cup and told him what he was to do it. What he really wanted was Blair Sandburg. A strong natural guide was what Rose really needed. What she needed. Now, he only needed to separate the young man from Jim Ellison once and for all. Perhaps, young Blair should learn the truth about his fine friend. A few twists and turns in the truth could not hurt his cause either. Rose sighed with contentment and ambled down the hallway, exiting the part of the facility that the good colonel was not even aware was inhabited.

“Damn it, Holloway! Get out of my face! Can’t you follow a simple order, soldier?” Jim exclaimed, shoving the younger man back.

“You were on the verge of zoning, Captain. It’s my job to keep you from zoning.” The hint of disrespect in the tone did not go unnoticed.

“Oh, and just how did you determine that I was about to zone?”

“Your eyes were all glassy and unfocused.” Holloway waved his own hand around his eyes.

Jim sighed. “Holloway, do you think that maybe what you thought was glassy and unfocused was actually just concentration? Do you think that maybe I was trying to see the very smallest detail until your ugly face moved in to block my view and nearly give me a heart attack?”

“Well, this doesn’t seem to be going well.”

Jim turned to face Robert Rose. “Would you please explain to this ‘guide’ that he does not have to get in my face every time he thinks I’m zoning? I hate that. And would you please explain that concentration is not the same thing as a zone? I can’t get any work done if he interrupts me constantly.”

“Holloway, why don’t you go get some lunch? I have to speak with Captain Ellison.”

Holloway gave them both a half-hearted salute and left quickly. Jim shoved the cards he had been concentrating on for this latest test away and faced Rose with a glare.

“What is this stuff supposed to prove?” He flung out one hand at the cards.

“That you can distinguish even the most minute color variations. It’s just a visual acuity test, Jim. Nothing more.”

“I’ve already done this kind of stuff with Sandburg and you have his notes and dissertation.”

Rose only smiled slightly and changed the subject. “We need to talk about Blair, Jim.”

“What about him?” Jim suppressed both the anxiety and the irritation that the mention of Blair evoked and fought to remain as passive as possible.

“As you know, the colonel does not want him here. I have thus far been able to keep Maxwell placated but that has been becoming more and more difficult. It does not help my cause that Blair is not being cooperative at all.”

“He told you everything you wanted hear. What else could he need to cooperate with?”

“Well, you see, I have convinced Maxwell that Blair might be beneficial to the program in the capacity of a trainer for new guides but Blair is unwilling to sign on. I was hoping that you could speak with him.”

Jim’s heart dropped into his feet. Face Blair with the truth, that’s what Rose wanted. He wanted Jim to walk into that room in uniform and tell his best friend that he was actively participating in the project and that Blair should be too. Let Blair know that he was not the prisoner that Blair was. Let his old guide know that he had been replaced. Show himself and his betrayal to the man he had accused of betrayal. “What--” He took a deep breath. “What do you want me to say to him?”

“Just tell him to do what he is told. Tell him to cooperate, do whatever he is asked. Otherwise, I’ll do the talking.”

“You’re going to tell him everything, aren’t you?”

“He’ll find out eventually. It’s best if he finds out now and accepts it so that we can all move ahead before Maxwell becomes impatient enough to do something drastic. Don’t you agree?”

Jim swallowed the lump in his throat. “One way or another, he’s going to hate me, right?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Our Blair has been very forgiving so far. I’m hoping that he can continue to forgive and forget.”

Jim chuckled a little. “Rose, Sandburg may forgive but he never forgets.”

“That may well be but we must have him on board or Maxwell is going to have him shipped away to a mental hospital with orders for lots of thorazine.”

Jim swore under his breath. That was exactly what he had been afraid of.

Kit Chase sat up in bed and rubbed one hand over his face. “Damn, I hate that.” He could still feel the heat of the jungle that had surrounded him in the strange dream. Dream, he thought. “Yeah, right. Gramps, I hate these vision things,” he spoke aloud to the man who had first taught him what he was and how to use his ability to his advantage. He debated calling his grandfather and having the old man help him decipher what he had seen. He had been in a strange place, somewhere he had never seen or been, looking at a temple, and watching a wolf pace on the steps of that temple. He had not been the only one watching the wolf either. There were others there. He could not see them at first, but he could sense them. Then the wolf howled, the sound somehow mournful and angry at the same time. Suddenly, there was an Indian in front of him. Kit did not recognize the older man’s tribe from his clothing. He had opened his mouth to ask questions only to be cut off with a wave of the man’s hand.

“You must guard.”

“Why me?”

The man had actually shrugged. “Because you can. Look and understand.”

Kit then turned back to the temple and saw the man in the doorway. He sat with his legs drawn up to his chest, his wary eyes on the jungle. The wolf stopped next to him, his hackles raised as he too stared out into the trees beyond the steps of the temple. Kit had moved so that he could see what had alarmed them. Jaguars, one black and one spotted, moved in the underbrush. Even closer to the steps, Kit could see a large snake and off to one side, a wild, rabid-looking dog. Kit had turned back to the Indian only to find himself alone. He woke up at that point.

“Fuck. Something tells me that this assignment just got really complicated.”

Jim woke up and dressed in his dress uniform just as he had been instructed. Today was the day that he would have to face Blair with the truth. He drew himself up to his full height and opened the door to come face to face with Rose.

“Good morning, Jim.”

“Sir.” Jim nodded slightly.

“Are you ready?”

Again, Jim nodded.

“Good. Shall we then?” He gestured down the hall and Jim preceded him. “Now when we arrive, wait outside the room until I tell you to enter. I’ll try to explain the situation to Blair before he sees you and jumps to conclusions.”

Jim knew better but he was in no position to argue and he knew it. Rose would tell Blair whatever he wanted and Blair would no doubt hate Jim all the more for it. He would take Blair’s hatred as his just reward for his fear and his failure. After all, Jim had signed away Blair’s life along with his own all those years ago without ever knowing it. They arrived outside Blair’s prison all too soon and Jim stopped in front of the door where a corporal waited to allow him entry when the time came. Rose continued on into the observation room and disappeared behind that door. Against his better judgment, Jim decided to listen.

“Good morning, Blair.”

“Screw you, man. I told you what you wanted and you promised I could see Jim. I still haven’t seen him. Have you hurt him? Is that why I haven’t seen him? If he’s hurt, I need to see him! And you’re still sending those goons in here to drug me, you fucker. Now, what the hell is going on?” Blair Sandburg was irate. He was up and pacing in front of the mirror.

“We are just giving you tranquilizers because you seem to be having some difficulty sleeping.”

“Oh, right. Gee, I wonder why I’m having difficulty sleeping. Let’s see, couldn’t be my lovely accommodations. Couldn’t be the fact that I can’t tell day from night shut up in here with the lights on all the time. Couldn’t be the fact that you drug me into oblivion over and over so that my system’s all screwed up. And it certainly couldn’t be that I have asked over and over to see Jim and you still haven’t let me so I’m so worried that you might have killed him that I can’t sleep. Where is Jim, damn it!?”

“Actually, Blair, he is waiting right outside your door. He just wanted me to talk to you first. He wants me to try to help you understand.”

The young man’s eyes flicked over to the door and then back to the mirror. Rose could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to talk to Ellison but he wanted the forthcoming explanation too. His curiosity won. “Understand what?”

“Let me see if I can explain this. You see, when Captain Ellison returned from Peru, he was plagued by out of control sensory input. He was referred to me for treatment for what everyone thought was some sort of hallucination. But I discovered very quickly that he was not hallucinating at all. I went in search of answers for this extraordinary phenomenon and found a monograph by an anthropologist named Richard Burton. Suddenly, it all made sense. Captain James Ellison was a sentinel. We worked with him, tried to help him control his gift but we could only get so far before he would enter what you have termed a zone out. So, I went back to Burton’s writings for answers and found out about the sentinel’s companion. Unfortunately, Burton did not seem as interested in the companion as perhaps he should have been because there was nothing there to really work with. I, on the other hand, decided that the companion had to be the key to the sentinel’s ability to function. I put together a profile of what I thought the companion should be and sent out feelers. One person that I sent out a feeler to was my old high school chum, Eli Stoddard.”

Blair Sandburg was no idiot. Rose smiled as he watched his captive audience put the pieces together. He was shaking his head. “No. That’s not possible.”

“It’s true. Eli told me about his favorite student. He suggested that I send the information I had on sentinels to Rainier and he would try to see if he could get this favored student interested in studying the subject. Now, don’t get angry with Eli. He had no idea what our real plans were. He just wanted to help out an old friend and a student at the same time. He figured the subject would challenge you and that your study would enable me to get the government to institute and finance a larger study.”

“You sent the monograph to Dr. Stoddard?”

“Yes, and funded a great deal of your research. The majority of your grants came from us or from sources that we control.”

“No! I won’t believe that. I worked for what I got! I taught and applied for grants and got scholarships! You did not give me anything!”

“It’s true that we did not give you everything. You have worked very hard. In fact, we would have been happier if you had not taken a teaching fellowship. It took you away from your research, but that we could not control. The university was as blissfully unaware as Eli, and you, for that matter.”

Sandburg stared at him for a long moment then shook his head as if trying to clear it. “And Jim? How much did he know?”

“Captain Ellison was aware that we were attempting to find a companion for him. A guide, if you prefer. He also knew that we were having some problems and that his guide would not be fully trained for a number of years. He voluntarily underwent hypnosis to suppress his memories of his senses. He wanted to be normal, he said, at least for a little while. Now, we weren’t quite ready for the two of you to meet. And the hypnosis was not as successful as we hoped but fate brought the two of you together and for quite a while things seemed to be going just fine. Then Ms. Barnes came along. Tell me, Blair, what was it like? Dying, I mean. At the hands of a sentinel, no less. How ironic. At any rate, the two of you survive that only to have your dissertation become public. Do you realize that if you had not declared yourself a fraud, we would not have been able to touch you? If you disappeared there would have been too many questions. But after your little announcement, no one would think it odd that you decided to disappear for a while or forever, for that matter. Irony yet again. To make matters worse, Captain Ellison, once he was reactivated, was behaving like a jackass. We weren’t sure of his motivation. Was he trying to drive you away or was he simply reverting to his black ops persona?”

“Jim knew? When did he know?” The voice had gone from irate to defeated.

“Oh, right after the Barnes incident. We were concerned about his behavior. We had put quite a bit of time into you. We couldn’t have you end up dead or maimed or damaged. His performance was less than stellar, don’t you agree?”

“And he didn’t tell me.”

Rose smiled at the whispered comment. “Blair, this was a black op, of sorts. He was not authorized to tell you or anyone. He was following orders.”

“Following orders? Following orders. Bastard.”

“Perhaps but he is a soldier and soldiers follow orders. Now, Blair, I’m hoping that you will listen to reason. We would like to have you on board the program. You are, as far as we can tell, not just a scholar on our subject but I believe that you are a natural guide. That as genetic as Ellison’s gifts are, yours are just as genetic.”

“That’s ridiculous. Not only is that not likely in and of itself, do you realize how astronomical the odds are that you just happened to ‘find’ me, a so called natural guide, with your stupid plan and profile. And just what kind of profile? No, this is ridiculous.”

“Well, it’s my theory. Now, we just have to prove it. So, can I count on you?”

“Forget it.”

“I thought you might say that. Perhaps you’ll change your mind after you speak with Captain Ellison.”

A moment of silence followed that declaration then Blair turned to face the door as he heard it open. Then Jim was there. He was healthy and whole, dressed in his Army uniform. If that were not enough to tell him that Rose was not lying, Blair could also see the shame in Jim’s eyes before the sentinel slammed down his shields to show Blair the hard glint of the covert operative he had once been and was again. “Jim?” Blair felt tears of betrayal and pain welling up and could not stop them from falling.

“Sandburg. Do what they ask.”

“But Jim--”

“Just do what you’re told! You do not have any other real choice. It’s the program or--”

“Or what?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“You son of a bitch. How could you do this to me? Why? What did I ever do to you but try to help? Why, Jim? Just tell me why.”

“I was following orders, Sandburg. Like you should.”

“So, I should be a good little guide and follow orders. Their orders, your orders. Just follow along behind you like a well-trained puppy?”

“Not me, Sandburg. I have a guide.”

“What?” Blair felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He struggled to catch his breath.

“You’ll be training my new guide, Sandburg.”

“No. Fuck you. And fuck you!” Blair screamed at the mirror. “You can all go to hell.”

“Captain Ellison, please leave the room and let Blair think this over. He’s too emotional right now to make a logical decision about this.” The voice instructed and Jim was gone before Blair could say anything more but he also knew that Jim could still hear him.

“I hate you, Ellison. You fucking hypocrite. I will never forgive you for this. Never.”

Simon stared at the letter that had been hand delivered to his office by one of the Anthropology TA’s from Rainier. He had thanked the young woman and watched her go before folding his big body into his desk chair and carefully placing the letter on his blotter. The envelope lay there, daring him to open it. Slowly, he lifted one hand and touched the thing. He drew a deep breath and snatched it up. He tore into it and quickly unfolded the paper inside before he could lose his nerve.

“Look under your desk drawer, Simon. I’m sorry and thank you for everything. Blair.” He read aloud then swallowed the lump in his throat that threatened to choke him.

He put the paper on the desk and slid out of his chair. He reached under the desktop and found what was taped there. He pulled the key and the card off the drawer and looked at them. Minutes later he was on his way to First Union Bank of Cascade. Once there, the manager led him to the safety deposit box. He stared alternately at the key and the box for a few moments before taking a deep breath and slipping the key into the lock. The manager smiled at him and placed his own key into the second lock. Together they pulled out the box only to discover that it was empty. Simon swore under his breath. “The bastards beat me to it,” he said aloud.

“I haven’t let anyone in here, sir.” The manager looked sincerely upset. “I don’t understand.”

Simon sighed. “It’s not your fault. Thank you.” He shuffled out of the bank, leaving the manager to puzzle out his security breach on his own. Simon had his own problems.

“Have you had enough time to calm down and think about your options?”

Blair spun around to face the mirror. “I don’t have any options and you know that, you son of a bitch.”

“Blair, Blair, that’s not helping anyone. All you have to do is work with me here. I think we can all benefit from this turn of events.”

Blair laughed bitterly. “Benefit? You think I can benefit from this? I’m locked up in this room. I’m never going to be allowed to walk out of here, am I? And the best I can hope for is the privilege of training Lord Captain Ellison’s ‘new’ guide. That’s real nice. Thank you. Sounds like a great life to me.”

“Actually, there is something else you can do for me. If you agree, I may be able to find you some other options.”

Blair was suspicious. He glared at the glass with narrowed eyes. “What? And what other options?”

“If you can behave yourself, I’ll show you. I think that you and I can do great things together. What do you say?”

“Let’s hear it then.”

“I’ll send Corporal Burns to get you in a few moments.”

He was getting out of this room. And if there was half a chance, he was going to get out of this place if he had to die trying. He stood staring defiantly at the door, half wondering who Burns was. Would it be Bubba or Jake? Another part of his brain was trying to sift through the past year of his life. He had died and come back. He had lost his job, his reputation, his dream of becoming a PhD, and now, apparently his best friend. If indeed Jim had been a friend at all. A pain shot through his chest at that thought. Jim had known what they were going to do but he had not told Blair. He let it happen. He let them lock Blair into this room and drug him and humiliate him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked away the threatening tears. The door opened and Bubba stepped inside. The big man crooked a finger at him. Blair hesitated for a split second then moved to the door. Amazingly enough, they did not restrain him in any way. He had expected handcuffs, but instead Bubba Burns just let him walk. Burns walked behind him, pointing the way from time to time. He led Blair into a part of the facility that looked deserted. Then he ordered Blair to stop in front of a door. He knocked on the door and a moment later, an older man with salt and pepper hair opened the door.

“Come in, Blair. Corporal, you wait here. Thank you.” The man grabbed Blair by the arm and then tucked Blair under his arm as they started down the hall. Blair tried to pull away from the suddenly overly friendly man but he held tight. Blair was all at once uncertain that he had made the right choice. His mind conjured up all sorts of things that the man might require of him. “Blair, my name is Robert Rose. You and I have a lot in common. I know you don’t believe that but it’s true. We are both scientists with an interest in sentinels. I know that you think that this mess with Captain Ellison is the end of your dream of helping a sentinel but you are wrong. Captain Ellison has moved on. He is resuming his military career, which was always the goal of the project. He has a new guide that suits the needs of the military as well as Captain Ellison’s needs. However, that doesn’t mean that you will not have the opportunity to work with a sentinel again.”

Blair was puzzled. “You’ve found another sentinel?”

“No, not exactly.” Rose stopped. There was a door at his back. He turned quickly and unlocked it. “We didn’t find another sentinel.” The man placed a hand on Blair’s back and pushed him forward even as he opened the door. “You did.”

The door closed behind him before he could ask what Rose was talking about and he was locked in the room. “Hey! What the hell is going on here?”

A growl from behind him caused his heart to drop into his feet. He turned slowly and faced the nightmare that had haunted him for nearly a year. “No,” he whispered. “Oh god.”

She rose slowly from her crouch in the corner and moved toward him. She sniffed the air and growled again.

“Rose! Get me outta here!” he screamed and pounded on the door without taking his eyes off of her. “She’s gonna kill me, Rose! You can’t leave me in here!”

“You’re a guide. You can help her. You will help her, Blair. If you refuse, you will never see the outside world again. Do you understand?”

“Oh god. This can’t be happening. She’s crazy, Rose! She lost her mind, man.”

“But not her senses. She is your sentinel, Blair. You can and will do this.”

She was circling him and he trembled as she touched the back of his neck. Her hand caressed his neck as she came around to stand just inches from his face. He could feel her breath on his face and he raised his eyes to hers. He knew instantly that that was the wrong thing to do. He was on his back with her hands wrapped around his throat in the space of a second. “Alex, no please, not again.”

Moments passed into eternity and Blair’s vision dimmed as he started to lose consciousness. Then Alex’s face was replaced with Bubba’s and Blair was surprised at how happy he was to see the big ugly man hovering over him. It was a fleeting happiness, however, as he remembered that he should be trying to escape. He surged up and shoved at Bubba hard and the corporal fell on his ass. Rose had his hands full trying to hold onto Alex and the door stood open. Blair cleared the room door and the hall door before Bubba appeared to give pursuit. Blair could hear Rose yelling at the man, telling him not to kill Blair and Blair was absurdly thankful for that. Briefly, he worried that he was only clothed in boxers then dismissed that worry. He would rather be naked and free than be tied to Alex Barnes and Robert Rose. Suddenly, he saw what he was looking for: an outside door. His hand just touched the handle when the pain overtook him. He dropped to his knees even as his mind registered what was happening. He had been hit with a tazor. He tried to scream his defiance but nothing would come out of his mouth. He tried to struggle back to his feet but the electricity coursing through him kept his body from obeying his orders. The last conscious thought he had as he succumbed was that Jim had known. He had to know. Jim would have sensed Alex. Wouldn’t he? Jim had told him to do as he was told. Jim had known. That betrayal hurt worse than the bite of the tazor and something in Blair cracked and broke. He welcomed the darkness and vowed to stay there.

“Enqueri.”

Jim turned and faced Incacha. The Chopec shaman walked slowly toward him, out of the jungle foliage. He was glaring at Jim in a way that made Jim’s face flush. “Incacha, I don’t need riddles right now.”

“No riddles. What have you done, Enqueri?”

“What do want me to say, Incacha? I screwed up. I didn’t handle this very well but I’m going to fix it somehow. Okay?”

“You have deserted your guide.”

“I didn’t have a choice. I have another guide, one that’s military and understands operational necessity. Blair never did and never could. And I’m going to make Rose release him. Once I get back on an even keel with Holloway, I’ll have some leverage. Who knows, maybe Sandburg will work on the project.”

The man was shaking his head even as Jim spoke. “Look, Enqueri. Look what you have done.” The man pointed and Jim turned. His breath caught in his throat. Blair Sandburg huddled in the doorway of a temple that rose up from the jungle floor. The wolf that Jim knew as the younger man’s spirit guide paced before him, stopping occasionally to growl and snap his jaws at adversaries that only it could see. Jim’s feet moved of their own accord. He approached the temple only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

He faced Incacha once again. “What?”

“You have lost the right. He is not your guide anymore.”

“Incacha, he needs me.”

“Does he? No, he needs a sentinel.”

“I’m a sentinel.”

“No, you are not.”

“What?”

“You deserted your guide. No sentinel would do that. You are no longer a sentinel.”

“A sentinel is a sentinel as long as he chooses to be. You told me that.”

“Or as long as he deserves to be. You were given a gift and you turned your back on it.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Jim abruptly pulled away. “He looks terrible,” he mumbled. He moved toward the temple again. This time, Incacha did not try to stop him. He paused at the bottom of the steps. “Blair?”

The wolf spun on him and snarled even as Blair surged to his feet. Jim saw the knife in his friend’s hand. He held out one hand in entreaty and raised the other to show that he was not armed. A sound off to Jim’s right made him look and he nearly stepped back at the sight of a large snake. “Shit. Blair, come on, buddy. Let me help.” He started up the steps but he did not get far. The wolf lunged for him.

And he woke up. He sat up in bed and wiped one hand across his face. Something was very wrong with Sandburg. He was torn. He was not supposed to care. He needed not to care but he got out of bed and got dressed. He left his room. He fought to keep his pace casual. Running through the corridors would blow the illusion of apathy. He was halfway to Blair’s prison and he tried to extend his hearing in the hopes that he would find that his midnight stroll was just a waste of good sleeping time. His ears did not seem to want to cooperate, however. He shook his head and tried again. Nothing happened. He stopped in mid-stride. One by one, he tested his other senses. Usually, in the corridors of the facility, he could pick up stimulus for all his senses. The air was always scented with sweat, gun oil, and institutional cleansers. His sense of taste could taste that gun oil and a sharp lemon flavor that hung in the air from the floor wax. His eyes could pick out even the smallest crack in the tiles under his feet. He could tell which corridors had been recently occupied by registering residual heat. It was always warmer where the people had been. And hearing was especially interesting. The building echoed every little sound, even the ones too small for ordinary ears to pick up initially. Jim could hear them all and all their echoes. Normally. Not now. Then it hit him. In the dream, Incacha had told him that he was no longer a sentinel. He was so focused on Sandburg when he woke up that he had forgotten about that.

Jim swore under his breath. “That’s just great, Incacha. Thanks. Fuck!” He closed his eyes and stood there for a moment. “We are so very fucked now.” He started to just go back to his room. What could he do after all? But his conscience would not let him. He had to see Sandburg. He sighed and continued down the hallway. There was a guard on the door. Jim nodded at the man then slipped into the observation room and closed the door behind him. There was no one in the room at that time of night and Jim moved to the window. What he saw sent a wave of panic through him and he ran from the room. “Open the door!” he ordered the soldier on duty.

“Sir? I can’t, sir.”

“Open that damn door now!”

“Captain--”

Jim grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. “Give me the keys, soldier. That is an order.”

“But I’m under orders from the Colonel.” The younger man stammered even as he fumbled with the key.

Jim snatched the key from him and then dropped the man. “I’ll handle the Colonel. Call Rose. Do it now.” Jim quickly unlocked the door and stumbled into the brightly lit room. He flung himself on the floor next to the prone figure of his former guide. “Sandburg!” There was no response. No movement or reaction. Blair Sandburg’s blue eyes were open and staring, empty, dead. But, Jim realized in wonder, his chest rose and fell. He was alive. “Blair?” Jim cringed at the pathetic desperation he heard in his own voice. He reached out and touched the younger man’s forehead. And was in the jungle again. The wolf lunged for his throat and Jim fell back. He hit the jungle floor and rolled away from the powerful jaws. The snake hissed at him as he landed right next to it. He scrambled back and turned to defend himself from the wolf again only to see that it had returned to Sandburg’s side. He turned as he heard other sounds behind him but could only see shadows moving in the trees. The wolf howled then and the sound cut through Jim’s chest like a knife.

“Captain Ellison!” Rose’s voice brought him back from the vision.

Jim was up and in the man’s face in an instant. “What the hell did you do to him?”

“Blair tried to escape. We did not injure him. We simply stopped him. He will be fine.”

“You call that fine? He’s catatonic!”

“I believe it to be an act to get us to let down our guard. I have told him, however, that I will not allow this farce to go on for long. If he continues this, he will be punished. Now, I have answered your questions. Answer mine. What are you doing here?”

“You stupid son of a bitch. That is not an act—,” Jim shook his head and covered his mouth with his hand.

“Captain, what are you doing here?”

“Confirming my reservation in hell.” Jim sat down on the floor next to the man that had taught him that he was not a freak, the man that gave him unconditional friendship, the man that trusted him and called him a Blessed Protector. “I am so very sorry, Blair.”

They were trying to take his project from him. He should have known. Rose threw the notice on the desk. He should have expected the double-cross. After all, he was planning one or two himself. MacNamara was sending some “scientists” to check on his progress. He was not falling for that. This was the very last thing he needed at the moment. Ellison was claiming that he had lost his sentinel abilities. Sandburg was still pulling his zombie routine, despite Rose’s promise of punishment. Adler was all up in arms because “his” sentinel was not “working.” Holloway was useless. And now, MacNamara was sending his people in to spy on him. He had hoped to have his own sentinel “working” so to speak before he was visited by his backers.

It was not that he was not grateful to MacNamara. After all, the man had managed to keep the project from being shut down by Adler’s enemies in the Pentagon. It amazed Robert to find that some of the people in the Pentagon did actually have scruples. They were willing to overlook the highly irregular re-enlistment of Captain James Ellison, using the fact that he did sign that questionable agreement when he was released from the service. But for some reason, they decided to get all upset over the acquisition of Blair Sandburg. MacNamara’s people came up with some interesting photos of the whiners and suddenly, the Pentagon was back on board. But now… now, MacNamara was up to something. Of course, when the man’s spies got here they would be sorely disappointed. Alex Barnes was still a feral creature and Blair Sandburg was a vegetable. Correction, playing the vegetable. He grinned. Actually, that worked in his favor. MacNamara would still need him. Only he could control Barnes.

Still, he did not want interlopers. Yet, they would be here in the morning, this Lieutenant Devereaux and two “scientists.” Drs. Barrow and Parker, how ridiculous. Well, they would find nothing, see nothing, and do nothing. Nothing but die. It was time to rid himself of Max and his delusions. It was time to get rid of Goody-Two-Shoes Ellison. Tomorrow night he would leave here with his sentinel and her reluctant guide. And when Blair had been taught his place in the world, Robert would sell Alex’s talents to the highest bidder and he would be a rich man indeed. He rose from his desk. He had work to do. And now, he had just the right people to take the blame.

“Just once, I’d like to see you guys with decent haircuts.” Pete grinned at his operatives. Kit’s hair was braided in a single braid that hung down his back. Jesse wore his in a ponytail. “It’s a good thing that you science types are given some leeway, huh?” Pete opened the car door and got in. They piled in as well, Kit taking the front seat, Jesse climbing in back. They would pick up Simon Banks and be on their way.

“Science types? That may apply to Jess, Pete, but not me. I’m just your run-of-the-mill mercenary. Man, I hope nobody starts rattling off science crap at me. I sucked at science.” Kit smiled.

“Kit, you are hardly a run-of-the-mill anything. But you’ve got a damn good point. We have to make sure that nobody gets too technical with either of you.”

“Pete?”

“Yeah, Jess?” Pete looked at the younger man through the rear view mirror.

“We haven’t asked up to this point but--”

“But what?”

“Umm, is it true? Is Ellison one of these sentinel things?”

Pete frowned. It was the question he did not want to answer. He was always straight with his people. Ask a direct question and get a direct answer; that was his motto. Of course, that was when he dealing with his own secrets. Now, this was someone else’s secret.

“It’s true, Jess.” Kit’s voice startled him out of his moral dilemma.

“Excuse me?” Pete asked incredulously.

“Don’t ask me how I know. I just do.”

“Let me guess. It was one of those visions you get, right?” Jess sat up, an eager look on his face.

“Shit,” Pete sighed. “Could we not discuss this? You know I hate it when you get weird on me, Kit.”

Kit only grinned at him. “But Pete, I always enjoy your reactions.”

“You are just evil. I should have figured that out the minute you managed to beat me at my own game. But no, I hire you instead of running like hell as far from you as I could get.”

“Love you too, man.” Kit laughed.

“Back to the point, please. Okay, here’s the plan. You guys are suffering from a touch of food poisoning. Anytime anyone gets too technical, you are sick and need to find a bathroom, quick. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Not a problem.”

“Good. Now, let’s go get Banks and get our asses in gear.”

“Come on, Captain, you have to try.”

“How many times have I told you, Holloway? I can’t do it. The senses are gone, you idiot. Now get the hell out of my face!” Jim shoved the annoying man away from him.

“We are so screwed,” Holloway whispered.

Jim laughed. He could not help it. “You have no idea what it’s like to really be screwed, kid. You should try being Blair Sandburg.” He laughed again but the laughter took a dark turn and he nearly choked trying to stifle the wave of self-loathing that rose up to engulf him.

Holloway had the grace to look faintly ashamed and appropriately sympathetic for a moment before he pressed on. “If we can’t do this, the Colonel is going to come unhinged.”

“News flash, Holloway, Adler is already unhinged.”

Holloway frowned. “If I had known, I would have never agreed to this training. Sorry, Captain.”

Once again, Jim felt like a jackass. Maybe Holloway was not so bad after all. “Well, me too.” Jim glanced at the observation window. He did not have to be able to penetrate the two-way mirror with sentinel sight to know that Rose was there. Adler probably was too. He did not care. If they heard the quiet exchange, so be it. Things could hardly get worse. He had betrayed his guide. He had betrayed himself. He would probably die here in this lab or in another one like it. He wondered what they would try to bring back his senses. Solitary confinement, probably. Maybe even sensory deprivation. Whatever it was, he would deserve it for what he had done to Blair’s life. He thought about all that had happened, from that first meeting in the hospital to the press conference when Blair sacrificed his career and his reputation to save Jim from labs like this one. They had both made mistakes but somehow, his mistakes seemed to be the most damaging. Not just to Blair, either but to himself as well. He had agreed to this project. He had signed those papers all those years ago. He knew that they really did not have the power to make him participate, at least not back then. He could have disappeared and there would have been nothing they could do about it. But he had signed out of some twisted idea that he owed it to his country to be the good soldier. And that had been before Blair. He had never intended to take Blair down with him. He should have known that they would take Blair and hold him to gain Jim’s allegiance. He knew what Adler and Rose were like. He had trusted that, even though his government could use him, Blair would be spared because the United States did not do things like this. He was wrong. Blair was being used all along as well. He thought of the free spirit that he had met in that university office. The kid, and he had been a kid back then, that danced to tribal music and wore jeans with holes in the knees and that vest. He almost smiled.

“Captain?”

“What is it, Holloway?”

“I could have never been your guide, could I?”

“No, Holloway, you couldn’t.” Jim stared directly into the mirror as he answered. Seconds later, the door flew open.

“I think we have wasted enough time, Captain Ellison. Holloway, you are dismissed.” Rose was smiling maliciously.

“But, sir--”

“You are dismissed,” Rose repeated. “And you, Captain, are remanded to your quarters where you will remain until further notice. Corporal Burns will escort you. Good night, Jim.” Then Rose was gone as quickly as he had arrived.

“Captain,” the corporal announced as he stepped to one side for Jim to go first. If the man was expecting a fight he was disappointed. Jim ambled down the hallway to his prison. It is as it should be, he thought, as Burns closed his door and engaged the electronic lock.

“Ron, we’re set. Yeah, thanks for the hotel rooms. We’ll be heading out there around noon. You know, scientists are never on time. Kit’ll have us out by midnight, no problem. Yeah, thanks again. See you soon.” Pete hung up the phone and turned to Simon. “We’re still on. Everything’s cool.”

“Good.”

“We may as well try to get some sleep, Captain Banks.”

“Easy for you to say,” Simon muttered.

“Not easy. Jim was my best friend for a long time. I’m worried as hell.”

“This is just so unlike him. Why would he do this? And those airline tickets. Just one seat in his name. He was going to leave Blair in Cascade to fend for himself if he’d had a chance.”

“Like I said before, I’m reserving judgment on that. There has to be a good explanation. There was a time when I would have said that this was just like Jim, you know? He was so rigid. So Army. He was so focused on being a good soldier that he might have done something just like this if he felt it was the ‘right’ thing to do for the good ole U.S. of A. But that was not the man that I met last year when we went after Darrien in the jungle. Blair Sandburg was Jim’s first and foremost concern. I thought I was Jim’s friend once upon a time. But I was nothing to Jim compared to Blair. No, Captain Banks, I will not accept that Jim was going to leave that kid holding his ass in his hands for Adler to screw over.”

“Thanks, Devereaux. I needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Now, you seem pretty confident that Chase can get you out of there. Is there some kind of back-up plan?”

“Sure there is. In Kit’s head, as soon as something goes wrong with the first plan, which nothing will, mind you.”

“Are you crazy? You’ve said that Rose and Adler are dangerous and you’re going in there without a real plan.”

“Yeah, into the lion’s den, huh?” Peter Devereaux waggled his eyebrows at him and Simon wanted to slap some sense into the man then and there. “Hey, don’t worry. This is Kit’s specialty. He’s an infiltrator. He can get in and out of anywhere, anytime, anyhow. That’s how I met him after all. I had set up what I was sure was impenetrable security for—well, for this group that shall remain nameless, lest you lose any respect you may have for me, and I had one foot in the road when the whole compound just explodes all around me and this guy is standing on the roof of one of the buildings announcing that he just blew up their little arsenal. And then before anybody could get himself pulled together enough to kick his ass, he was gone. Just that quick. Of course, he did make one mistake, he hung around town and a couple of these guys, who shall remain nameless, caught up with him in an alley. He kicked all their asses and got himself arrested in the process. I got them to drop the charges, citing needless negative publicity, and hired him on the front steps on the jailhouse. He’s got his quirks. There’s this stuff about visions that just blows my mind but it’s part of who Kit is. He believes it. I’m iffy on it but he does seem sometimes to know things, you know? So maybe there’s something to it all. Do I have faith in Kit? Hell, yes. Too much faith? Never. The guy’s a genius at this. Then you get him and Jesse together and they are damn near unbeatable. I’m in good hands and so are Jim and Blair.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m right. Now, I need my beauty sleep even if you don’t. Good night.” Pete turned off the lamp by his bed and slipped under the covers. “Catch that overhead light, will you?”

Simon flipped the light switch and headed off into the bathroom by the light of the lamp on the dresser. He got himself ready for bed but sleep was a hopeless cause that night.

“You will not do this to me, you little hippie!” Robert flung the limp form of Blair Sandburg down on the floor. “Get him up and clean him up.”

“Dr. Rose, the scientists from Washington have arrived.”

“Fine,” he snapped without turning to face the man who had spoken to him. Instead, he watched Burns and Walker drag Blair Sandburg across the room to the shower. Burns stripped the boxers from the young man while Walker stepped out of the room to turn on the water. Robert leaned against the wall and contemplated his situation. He had tried everything he knew to force Sandburg to end his farce of catatonia. Not even the beating from Burns had gotten more than a few involuntary grunts. This was his trump card: subjecting Sandburg to the humiliation of being bathed by the two corporals. When the anthropologist simply sat under the water with a slack face and blank eyes, Rose swore aloud and left the room. The little bastard would guide his sentinel or he would die. MacNamara’s spies could wait. He needed to see Ellison. As he strode through to the corridors, a scowl on his face, he promised himself the pleasure of personally killing Ellison when this was over. Rose smiled as he opened the door to Jim Ellison’s prison.

Ellison looked up at him from the bunk. “What now? I’ve told you, I can’t do it anymore.”

“Fine, you can’t do it anymore. Right now, I suggest you talk to Blair. If he continues in his refusal to cooperate, we will have no need for him and I will allow Maxwell to dispose of him however he pleases. Is that clear?”

Ellison actually had the nerve to laugh. “I think you have sort of missed the point here, Bob. Between you and me, we broke him. He’s damaged, not there, on permanent vacation. I can’t talk to Blair about anything. I lost that privilege. Besides, you don’t have a sentinel anymore or did you forget that again? You don’t need Blair anymore. If you have a decent bone in your body, you’ll get him some help. Of course, you don’t have a decent bone so I’m wasting my breath. So, you might as well kill him and me too. Put us both out of our misery.”

“I’m very disappointed in you, Jim.”

Ellison only laughed again, a bitter sound. “Take a fucking number.”

“Dr. Rose, I’m Lt. Peter Devereaux. Drs. Barrow and Parker are waiting for you in your office, sir.” The voice behind him grated on his nerves and he turned to face the man the voice belonged to.

“You should have waited with them,” he snapped.

“Colonel Adler sent me to find you, sir.”

Jim could not believe what he was seeing. Peter Devereaux was standing in the doorway.

Rose sighed. “The colonel is always impatient. I think you should remember that, Captain Ellison. Lt. Devereaux, let’s not keep the colonel waiting.” Rose left the room then.

Jim caught a glimpse of Pete’s face before the door closed. The man winked at him. “Shit. What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Jim paced the room. “Barrow and Parker? As in Bonnie and Clyde?” Darrien and Jesse, he wondered. “You idiot, you have no idea what you’re getting into. But--” he stopped and closed his eyes. “If you can get Blair out of this mess.” The words were spoken softly, an almost prayer.

“Kit?” Jess whispered in his ear. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah.” He hoped his friend would drop the subject. He could not explain what he was feeling. He looked at Colonel Maxwell Adler and got a disorienting double image of man and the dog from his vision. The man stared at them as if they were something that he had stepped in while the dog growled and snapped its frothy jaws at them. He was queasy in the man’s presence. It was ironic that Pete’s cover story might end up becoming truth.

Then Robert Rose entered the room and Kit’s knees tried to buckle on him. He forced them to lock instead but not before Pete saw his distress. He swallowed hard and signaled Pete discreetly, trying to reassure his boss. Kit looked back to Rose and realized that here was the snake that the wolf—Blair Sandburg—was frightened of. Now, he only needed to identify the big cats and he would have all the players, all his adversaries.

Adler was leaving. Now that Rose was present, the old man did not feel the need to accompany them on their tour apparently. As soon as he was gone and the door closed after him, Rose turned to them. “So, gentlemen, let’s not beat around the bush. You are here to check on Mr. MacNamara’s interests in this project, correct?”

Kit looked to Pete. A lift of Pete’s eyebrows told him that his boss was as confused as he was. A short nod told him to go with the flow. “That’s right, Dr. Rose. You’re absolutely right. We shouldn’t beat around the bush and Mr. MacNamara is very interested in your progress.”

“Well, I’m afraid that Ron has jumped the gun a bit. There’s not much progress as of yet. You see, the guide has been most reluctant. However, I will take you to see the sentinel if you wish?”

“Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea.” Kit smiled. Rose returned his smile, however insincere the expression was.

“Follow me then, gentlemen. Oh, and I have managed to keep her presence from the good colonel, just as Ron asked.” He led the way out of the room and down the hall.

“That’s good. I’m sure Mr. MacNamara will be pleased to hear that.”

Pete grabbed Kit’s arm and held him back for a split second. “Something’s not right here. Tread softly.”

Kit nodded and hurried to catch up to Rose, Jesse right behind him and Pete bringing up the rear.

“The sentinel is still in a feral state. As you know, she came out of her fugue state but has been feral since. Mr. Sandburg refuses to guide her.”

“Her?” Jesse mouthed, looking from Kit to Pete.

“She can be quite violent but most of the time, she simply sits and rocks.”

Kit decided to wing it. “What about Ellison then? Can’t we use him?”

“Apparently, Ron did not tell you about Captain Ellison.” The man laughed over his shoulder at Kit’s question. “Ellison’s too ethical for what we need and want. No, let the military have Ellison. He can go back into covert ops and as long as he thinks he’s doing something for the good of the country, he’ll be fine. Ms. Barnes will be much more pliable and not nearly as righteous.”

“Fuck,” Kit heard the whispered curse but it was obvious that Rose did not. He looked at Pete only to be waved away.

Rose stopped and took out a key. “Here we are.” He gestured to the closed door before using the key to open it. “After you.”

Kit searched the hallway beyond the door with suspicious eyes.

“The observation room is the third one on the left, Dr.—oh dear, I don’t know which is which.” He touched Kit’s nametag and Kit felt nausea sweep over him. “Barrow. Are you all right, Doctor?”

“Fine, lead the way.”

Jess touched his arm and he tried to smile at his best friend. He followed Rose and found a spotted jaguar behind door number three.

“Alex Fucking Barnes!” Pete swore as he paced the room furiously. “Ron’s in this up to his fucking eyes and he’s fucking with me!”

“Pete, calm down, man. This is not helping.”

“Kit, I don’t think that you understand that we are standing in quicksand and going down fast. Get on the same page with me, please. We are fucked.”

“Who is Barnes?”

Pete sighed. He could still see the blond woman in his head. He had read about her in the file on Jim but he had figured she was out of the picture after what he had read. She was sitting in that room though, down that otherwise unoccupied hall, rocking back and forth, her blonde hair hanging over her face. “She tried to kill Blair last year. According to the file, she really should have succeeded. They don’t know how Blair survived that. She drowned him in a fountain. And Rose wants Blair to help her? Bastard.”

“I don’t get it. How is Blair supposed to help her? The guy pretty much admits that her brain is fried. She took some weird drugs and lost it, right? What’s Blair got to do with that? He’s not a shrink, he’s an anthropologist, right?” Jesse asked him.

“Jesse, you know now what Jim is but apparently, Rose thinks that Blair is able to guide a sentinel because he’s done so well with Jim, I guess. Anyway, Rose thinks that guides are as special as sentinels. He thinks Blair is a guide like Jim and this Barnes woman are sentinels. He doesn’t want Blair to work with Jim though. He wants him to guide Barnes. Where that leaves Jim, I don’t know. And does Jim realize what’s going on? Don’t know that either. But I will tell you this, if Jim knew Barnes was here and let them try to force Blair to help her, then I’m ready to take your suggestion, Jess, and leave his ass here.”

Kit nodded.

“Well, it’s about dinner time. Rose is expecting us. Let’s get out there, guys. Kit, are you sure you’re okay? You still look a little funny.”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you going to explain what’s up with you?”

“It’s nothing that you want to hear, Pete. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine when it counts. Already found out when the guards change shifts. There’s a big hole in their security then. If we can manage to get to the motor pool during the shift change and if we cut through the barracks to get there, we can get a jeep and ride right out the gate.”

“How do you do that?”

“I watch and I listen.” The younger man smiled. “The guards at the front can’t see the area between the barracks and the motor pool and the rear guards are not in place during shift changes and even if they were can’t see well enough to determine that we don’t belong there. You’re a lieutenant. The guards probably won’t even question you and if they do, we just crash the gate, dump the jeep in the woods and meet Banks at our rendezvous.”

“You know, you drive me crazy but it’s times like these that I remember why I hired you. Let’s eat.”

Dinner was a tense affair. Rose was barely civil. Adler was overly solicitous. Kit was still sick and Pete was getting more and more angry as the night progressed. Jesse was pushing his food around on the plate when Pete nudged him. “Huh?” he inquired.

“Dr. Rose asked if the food was bad.”

“Well, it’s army food.” Jesse half-smiled.

“Very sorry,” Rose oozed sarcasm. “You gentlemen seem to be having a difficult time. Dr. Barrow is ill and you aren’t enjoying your dinner.”

“Yeah, maybe I should just turn in for the night.” Jesse sat back in his chair, attempting to look tired. He was actually anxious to get back to his laptop. He needed to hack into the base’s computer system and find Ellison and Blair. It was their last order of business before blowing this joint. Besides, the atmosphere at the table was making him as sick as Kit.

“But I wanted to take you to see Sandburg.” Rose looked sincere and it made Jesse’s skin crawl.

“I’d like to do that actually,” Kit spoke up. Jesse gave him a look that he hoped conveyed that Kit had gone insane but Kit did not even look at him. Pete did, however, and gave him an almost imperceptible shrug. Okay, they were both nuts. The more they were around Rose; the more likely their cover would be blown. Did they not realize that?

“Wonderful. Shall we go now?”

“Now is good for me.”

“Lieutenant, will you be accompanying us?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, I think I will. Dr. Parker, will you be fine on your own for a while?” Pete gave him one of those looks, Pete’s way of asking if he knew what he should do.

“Of course. I’ll just get started on the report for Mr. MacNamara.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll have Corporal Burns show you the way back to your quarters. It’s very easy to get turned around in this huge complex.”

Jesse stifled the smartass remark that sprung to his lips and instead forced a smile on his face. “Thank you.”

Burns was beside him before he got out of his chair. He waved his goodbyes to his friends and followed the big man out of Rose’s quarters. Minutes later, he was in the base’s security system. He sifted through the images from the security cameras until he found what he was looking for. “Hello, Ellison. How are you this evening, you jerk?” The man sat on his bunk playing solitaire. “We’re coming for you and if you sold Blair down the river with these jackasses, I just may talk Pete into dumping you into the nearest lake after we fit you for some nice concrete shoes. Well, maybe Pete wouldn’t go for it but Kit would.” Then in a crisis of conscience, he added, “And if you didn’t screw Blair over, I’ll apologize for everything I just said. Jerk.” He then pulled up a blue print of the building and drew it off since he did not have a printer available and marked Ellison’s location on his diagram. Kit and Pete would know where Blair was but curiosity and the desire to see his friend sent him back into the security system. What he found was shocking and heartbreaking. He resisted the urge to throw something across the room since the only thing available was the laptop, the very expensive laptop that Pete had bought for him. He closed the thing and put his head down on it.

Kit was not sure what he was expecting. He had seen Blair Sandburg in his visions but the visions were visions and did not translate directly into the waking world. There was really no telling what Blair’s condition or mental state would be. In the vision, he was frightened and angry, almost as feral as the Barnes woman. And now, he was about to come face to face with the man and he wondered if he was ready. No, he decided, he was not ready. He frowned. He had an absurd impulse to scream, “why me?” to the sky. He had another impulse to run in the opposite direction. He would do neither, however. He knew why him. He could not run. His grandfather would have his hide if he did. A shaman did what was needed, the old man told him over and over. Kit had never been really thrilled with this so-called gift and he was less thrilled about it now. But he had spent his life doing what was needed just the same. Now he would do no different. He had been called to protect a brother and that was what he would do. He glanced at his boss as they walked side by side down the hallway, following Rose. He would do what he had to, even if Pete did not like it. Even if it was contrary to what Pete wanted. He hoped the man would understand and forgive if it came down to that. Pete met his gaze, the look on the man’s face puzzled, asking silently if there was a problem. Kit shook his head. Rose was prattling and Kit realized that he had not heard a word. He nearly ran over the man when Rose suddenly stopped in front of a door.

“This is the observation room. We can go into the room if you like but truthfully, this will probably suit our needs.”

Kit motioned for him to go ahead. Rose smirked then opened the door. Kit stepped inside. The next thing he was aware of was Pete’s rather inventive swearing as his friend rubbed soothing circles on his back. Kit lifted his head from the toilet slowly. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“I’ll get you some water, buddy, and then we are going to talk.” Pete left him for a moment then returned with a paper cup, which he pushed into Kit’s hand before reaching up to flush the toilet. “Wanna get up off the floor now?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Kit took the offered hand and let Pete pull him to his feet. He made his way to the sink, rinsed his mouth out then refilled the cup and drank down the contents.

“What is up with you? Are you sick or is this some weird vision thing like Jess thinks?”

“If I say weird vision thing, are you going to fling yourself across the room and wail like you usually do?”

“Smart ass. Just spit it out.”

Kit told him about the visions and waited for the tantrum, but it did not come this time. Pete just shook his head. “I don’t know what to say to you about all this, Kit. I just know that I did not like what I saw in that room either. I know that kid. I consider him a friend. And to see him like that--” He closed his eyes and let his half-sad, half-angry expression speak when words seemed to fail him. “I can’t say that I understand the things you told me or the things that you can do and see, but you are right about one thing. Blair needs us. We have to get him outta here.”

“Even if it means leaving Ellison? Even if it means taking some people out?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength here, Pete, because I’m taking that guy out of here and I don’t really care who has to suffer to make it so.”

“Why does this mean so much to you? You don’t even know Blair.”

“I may not know Blair personally but we have something in common that makes us brothers.”

“You mean Blair’s like you?”

“In some ways, yes. I can’t explain it and he doesn’t even know it, I don’t think, but there it is.”

“Dr. Barrow?” The voice from outside the bathroom made Kit’s blood boil with rage but he quickly suppressed it, promising himself that later he would see Rose pay from what he had done. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, Dr. Rose, I’m fine, just fine. Just a touch of food poisoning, I think. Lt. Devereaux did warn me about that salad bar.” He even managed to laugh a little for effect. He opened the door and found Rose in his face. He took a bit of perverse pleasure in the fact that Rose jumped back, startled. “I think I’ll just go back to my quarters and get some rest. Lt. Devereaux, are you ready to turn in for the night?”

“Of course, sir. Dr. Rose, I think I can get the doc back to his room.” Pete’s hand fell on his shoulder and gently steered him out of the bathroom and down the hall, away from Rose.

“What now?” Kit whispered when they were out of earshot.

“We hope that Jess has confirmed Jim’s location and gotten us the security codes we need.”

Robert checked his watch. Two hours. He had dismissed the guards from duty, assuring them that it had been cleared with Colonel Adler. This needed no witnesses. He would get rid of Holloway first, he decided. The man was worthless. Of course, Robert had known that all along. He was no guide, but he was properly military and Max was happy. He was a pawn and pawns were expendable. Then his visitors would be next. The C-4 was already planted in their quarters. His story was constructed. He had overheard their plan and confronted them about it. They were armed and he had been forced to defend himself. Unfortunately, he did not find out in time to stop them. He would even berate MacNamara for not screening his operatives better.

At any rate, after that was done, he would get Sandburg. Then kill Ellison. Yes, that would work. Make Sandburg watch Ellison die. He smiled. Sandburg would give up his pathetic act then and would realize that he had no other choice but to cooperate. Ellison would not be saving him ever again. He debated killing Maxwell, but decided there was no need. If he had to, he would. If he did not have to, so be it.

In the meantime, he needed to get his sentinel squared away. Her guide would join her after his former sentinel was dead and gone. Official word would be that she had escaped in the confusion. Nobody would care, more than likely, about what happened to Sandburg but they might believe that Barnes took him. That would be fine. Or they might believe that he had died with his sentinel and not search too hard for his remains. Whichever, it was hardly of any consequence. His friends were already standing by to take charge of his research subjects while he went to Washington to “explain.” All Robert had to do would be to wait patiently until all the inquiries were over and the search for Barnes and Sandburg was ended. Then he would begin training his sentinel/guide pair for their new lives in his new and well-funded lab. He sighed happily. Ron MacNamara thought he had Robert right where he wanted him. He could not have been more wrong. Robert had always known that the private sector was much more profitable than working for the government. He was going to be rich and MacNamara would be left with nothing, probably not even his job. He got up from his desk with a smile on his face. It was time to get started. Alex would need some preparation for her trip.

“You know, I would have thought that Rose would have had some guards on us or something,” Pete commented as he drew his head back into the room. “There is nobody out there. Adler, he’s clueless. But Rose, he doesn’t trust us. He doesn’t trust Ron. Hell, I shouldn’t have trusted Ron. Why aren’t there any guards?” It was driving him crazy. Something felt off.

“Hey, Pete, what’s this?”

“What’s what, Jess?” He crossed the room to where his communications expert was kneeling on the floor.

“This?” Jess pulled a small case from under his bunk. “Is it yours, because it ain’t mine?”

“Nope. Kit, this yours?”

“No. It’s not ticking, is it?” The man was joking but Pete did not feel like laughing.

“Give it to me, Jess.”

“Pete, forget it. We need to get moving here.” Kit advised.

“No, this could be important.” Pete took the case from Jesse.

“Yeah, and it could actually be a bomb and it may go off if you fuck with it. Let’s just get the hell out of here. I wouldn’t put it past Rose to try and get rid of us. He could even blame it on that crazy ass woman, Barnes.” Kit was anxious and Pete knew just how he felt.

Then it hit him. “Or get rid of Adler, take off with Barnes, Jim and Sandburg, and blame it on us. Do you realize what Jim’s abilities would be worth on the market? Barnes, too, if Blair can actually fix her?”

“Oh shit.” Jess moved to look over Pete’s shoulder. “Open it, Pete.”

He did. “It’s C-4. Well, I think this explains the absence of guards. He probably pretty much cleared the building tonight. Can’t have witnesses that would contradict his version of things. Do we want to try to disarm this thing or just make a hasty exit?”

Kit walked over to them and snatched all the wires at once. Pete closed his eyes and waited for the explosion, but it did not come. “There. Not so hard. But you do realize that this probably isn’t the only one. Let’s get the fuck outta here, guys.”

"You're nuts, you know that? You could have killed us all just then," Pete

scolded.

"Nah, no wires, no explosion. Alex taught me that. That thing was a simple

setup. Rose is no bomb expert. Now, can we move? Before the whole place

blows and take us with it. Pete, you going after Ellison?"

“Yeah, you and Jess get Blair.”

“Card keys, guys.” Jesse held up the coded cards.

“Good work, Jesse. We meet at the barracks and get out of here.” Pete checked his gun once more and watched as Kit and Jesse did the same. “And guys, I’d say that we’ve lost the ability to do this neatly. Whatever else happens, get Blair out of this complex. I’ll try to do the same with Jim. If I don’t meet you though, you get to Banks, then get in touch with Maggie. She’s got what you need to get you and Blair out of the country. Clear?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it.”

“And I hope like hell, none of us need any of what I just said. Move out.”

Nothing more was said as Pete led the way out into the hallway. They parted ways at the end of the hall. Pete headed east toward Jim while Kit and Jesse went west.

Jim stood when the door opened. He had been asking to take a shower and he was hoping to see Burns with a few towels in the doorway. It was not Burns. “Pete, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Let’s go, Jim. I don’t have to time to talk right now.”

“Forget me. Get Blair out of here.”

“Got somebody on that, Captain. Now move your ass. Things ain’t gonna be pleasant around here for too much longer. I think Rose is planning on the blowing the place.” Pete glanced back out into the hallway. “Let’s go, your captain is waiting for us not far from here. Snap it up, Jim. Damn, you used to be quicker than this. You on drugs?”

Jim shook his head. Pete was right. He was standing there with his mouth hanging open. “No, no, I’m with you. You have a spare gun?”

“Um, well, maybe I used to be quicker, too. Didn’t think about that. Sorry.” He motioned to let Jim know the hall was clear. There had not even been a guard outside his door apparently. They had not gotten more than a few steps from Jim’s room before the first explosion rocked the complex.

Robert was furious. His scapegoats were not where they should have been. And apparently, his little package had been found. The black case sat on the desk in the good Dr. Parker’s room. Nothing to be done about that now. To make matters worse, he was behind schedule. The first blast was due any minute and he had not retrieved Sandburg yet. His contact was late picking up Alex and then Holloway had proven a little more difficult to kill than he looked. The young man seemed to know that he was about to die. If Holloway had been a little faster…well, he was not. That was what mattered. His new problem was that he could not even sound the alarm to round up the wayward scientists without chancing that his own activities would be discovered. He revised his plan. Ellison was closer than Sandburg. He would take Ellison to Sandburg instead of vice versa. Then the first of his charges blew.

“Watch the door.” Kit ordered as he moved into room. He knelt beside the motionless figure on the floor. “Damn,” he whispered as he smoothed matted hair from Blair Sandburg’s face. Then he righted the flimsy boxers that were only half on. “I don’t even think I want to know,” he muttered. Then he braced himself and laid his hand on the pale forehead.

He saw the cougar coming. It leapt over the snake and moved up the steps toward him. The wolf at his side did not seem upset, however, so he only watched it as it approached him. He huddled down behind the wolf though, burying his face in the soft fur. The cat then stood up and changed. There was a man in its place. The paint markings on his face meant something. He searched his confused thoughts to try to remember what. A hand was extended to him and for some reason, he felt compelled to take it. He reached out. As his fingers made contact, he knew what the markings meant. The man was a shaman. He was safe now. He blinked and met the man’s eyes. The scene changed but the man was still there. He smiled at him. Then the jungle was back. The cat curled up at his feet. He and the wolf were no longer alone.

“Kit!”

“What?” There were alarms going off. “What happened?”

“Jesus, scare the hell out of a guy, will you? You wouldn’t answer me. You here now?”

“Yeah. What’s going on? Have we been discovered?”

“No, man, that’s the fire alarm. Didn’t you hear that explosion?”

“No, can’t say I did. Let’s get out of here. Help me get him up.”

Jesse grabbed one arm and together they pulled Sandburg up and supported him between them. “Kit, he looked at you. I saw him, but now he’s out of it again. What’s the matter with him?”

“Later, Jess. I’ll try to explain it all later.” A second explosion rocked the floor beneath their feet.

“Damn, they’re getting closer,” Jess told him.

“Then we don’t have all day.”

“Kit, I wouldn’t swear to it but I think that last blast was awfully close to where the barracks should be.”

Kit led the way out of the room and stopped. “That means our way is blocked. Okay, not a problem. In all the confusion, we should still be able to get to the motor pool. Wasn’t there another exit down that way?”

“Bigger chance of running into somebody that way.”

“Yeah, well, bigger chance of being grilled over an open flame the other way, Jess.”

“Good point. Lead the way, man.”

“I have to get to Blair!” Jim yelled over the fire alarms.

“I told you, I have somebody taking care of Blair, damn it. Let’s move. We’re not going to be able to get through the barracks. I think that’s what just blew up. We’ll have to get out another way. Follow me.”

“Blair was close to the barracks!”

“Goddamn it, Jim! I have told you, he’s taken care of. Hell, I’m more confident that he’ll get out than in us getting out!” Pete dragged the man by his collar. “I don’t have time for this, Jim! I’m just before knocking your ass out with this gun and carrying you out! Now, move, you stubborn son of a bitch!” He pushed Jim ahead of him and followed down the hall. He hoped that he had not imagined that emergency exit at the end of that last hall.

Robert Rose was fuming. Ellison was gone. MacNamara’s men had him. He was certain of that. Let them have him. Ellison would never cooperate with MacNamara’s people and they would kill him. Robert just needed to make sure that they did not get to Sandburg. Without Blair Sandburg, he had no hope of ever getting Alex Barnes functioning again. He took a deep breath and marched in the direction of Sandburg’s room.

Maxwell Adler had been rudely snatched from a restful sleep by the sound of an explosion. He looked out of his window and saw that the storage area behind the barracks was on fire. He pulled on his clothes, grabbed his gun, and stormed out of his quarters. Robert was supposed to be in the main building working. He needed to round him up and make sure their research subjects were safe. The fire alarms began and men came pouring out of the barracks as he crossed the square. “Get the water truck from the motor pool! Get that fire under control!” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!” came a quick reply from someone that he could not pinpoint. Satisfied that his men would get the fire out, he entered the main building. A second explosion, very close, nearly deafened him and the alarms in the main building started.

The barracks, he realized. He shook his head and kept going. He rounded the corner at the end of the hall, only to find the two scientists carrying the Sandburg boy toward him. “Forget him. Find Ellison and Holloway. Leave him there. Good riddance.”

Kit only rolled his eyes at the old man and continued toward the door. The man would move or get knocked down.

“Or did you do this?” Adler’s tone changed as he eyed them with suspicion. Kit saw the gun in the man’s hand start to rise.

“Screw this,” Kit snapped as his hand closed over his own gun. He heard Jesse yell at him. “Oh, yeah.” He fired before Adler even had a chance to aim. He fired again before the old man hit the floor.

“Fuck! You just killed a colonel in the United States Army, man! Have you lost your mind?”

“You would prefer he shot one of us? Besides, he was a rabid dog. It was a mercy killing. Keep moving.”

“Pete is gonna freak.”

“Don’t worry. Pete and I discussed this possibility. Almost out of here now, Blair.”

The dog tried to make a move on the temple steps and the golden cat swiftly attacked it. The cat’s powerful jaws closed over the dog’s throat and ripped it away. The dog fell. It rolled down the steps and lay there, dying. He smiled as he watched it die. The cougar returned to him and nuzzled his hand and the wolf’s muzzle before settling down once again. Yes, he was safe. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

All the tension drained from the body they carried and both men had to change their grip quickly to keep the man from slipping bonelessly to the floor.

“Shit!” Jesse exclaimed. “Kit, is he--”

“No, he’s sleeping.” Kit motioned to the door with his head and Jesse nodded. They were barely outside the door when the motor pool blew.

“There goes our transportation,” Jess remarked.

“We’ll take the damn water truck if we have to.”

“I don’t think we have to.” Jesse pointed to the front gate. Their rented van screeched to a halt outside the gate and Simon Banks got out.

“Stay there!” Kit yelled at the man. “The man’s got timing. Gotta love that.” They made their way to the gate and Jesse punched in the code to open it. “How’d I know that you’d know that code?”

“’Cause I’m thorough if nothing else?”

“That’s one reason I love working with you, Jess.”

“Is he all right?” Banks rushed over to them.

“Well, no, but he will be. Get that side door open for me. Let’s get him inside.” The door opened and Kit and Jesse placed their burden down on the floor of the van.

“Hey! You there!”

Kit turned to face the voice. He raised his gun. “Just forget you saw us, man. Be smart.”

“Corporal! They’re under my orders!” Pete’s voice sent a wave of relief through Kit’s body. Killing Adler was one thing but this guy was a grunt. He was just following orders.

“Lieutenant, what’s happening here?” the man turned to Pete and asked.

“Rose has lost it. He was trying to sabotage the project. My superiors ordered me to remove the research subjects. Just try to get that fire out and everything will be fine.” Pete glanced at Kit as he spoke.

“Yes, sir.” The guy actually saluted Pete and ran off.

That was when Kit first noticed Jim Ellison. The black jaguar. Holy shit, he thought.

“Blair!” the man rushed toward Sandburg and Kit reacted. Ellison came up short as he found Kit’s gun in his face.

“Back off,” Kit growled at him.

“Kit! What the hell are you doing?! This is Jim!” Pete exclaimed.

“I know who the bastard is. I know what he is and I know what he’s done. You just stay back, man,” Kit warned again.

Then Jesse was between his gun and Ellison. “Kit, man, chill out. We have to get out of here. Do this later, after his pathetic attempt to explain. Okay?”

Kit let his arm fall. Ellison was glaring at him, as though the man thought he could be intimidated. The look probably worked on most people but Kit just glared back. Ellison started to move toward Blair again and Kit cut him off bodily this time. “I’ve got him. Maybe you should just get in the van.”

“Jim, let’s go,” Banks advised. Ellison looked like he wanted to argue but then he turned and got into the front seat of the van without another word. Jesse sighed and slapped Kit on the shoulder.

Kit helped his friend get Blair Sandburg settled in the back seat of the van and then practically flopped into the seat himself as Jesse moved up to sit in front of them. Pete was last into the van and he plopped down next to Jess.

“What a clusterfuck,” Pete said, letting his head fall back onto the top of the seat.

Nobody had to tell Banks to pull out. The big man had the van in reverse and was peeling out before Pete got his complaint out of his mouth. “What happened?”

“Rose happened. Ron happened. A lot of shit happened. We are well and truly fucked, Captain. Rose had other interests here and employers that had other interests here. Give me my phone.” Kit listened to Pete’s succinct explanation.

“Who are you calling, Pete?” Jesse asked.

“Ron. That fucker has some explaining to do and he’s gonna help us get out of this mess or wish he had.”

Kit felt eyes on him and turned to find Ellison glaring at him again. Kit returned the look whole-heartedly.

“Pete, there’s something you should know first.” Jesse turned to look at Kit, drawing his attention from Ellison.

“What?”

“I killed Adler,” Kit announced.

“Shit. Why Adler, Kit?”

“He was in the way, he had a gun, he wanted us to leave Blair and find his precious sentinel. That good enough?”

“Okay, okay. This is the story. You have not killed anybody, clear? Rose killed Adler. You hear me? Rose killed Adler.”

A huge explosion behind them caused them all to turn. Although they could not see the compound itself over the hill they had passed over, they could see the flames and debris shooting up into the night sky. “I’d say that was the whole complex,” Kit said dryly.

“Fuck! I’m going to kill Ron.”

“What about Rose? You think he got out? I mean, maybe he was looking for us and got caught in the explosion.” Jesse was grasping at straws and Kit could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew it.

“I doubt that. Pete, I suggest you get our version of events in before Rose beats us to it.” Kit shook his head and frowned as he glanced back at the glowing orange sky behind them.

“Yeah.” Pete turned his attention back to the phone that Banks had given him.

Robert had watched them get into the van. He swore aloud. He had run out of time. The main building was going to go up in flames in mere minutes. He made his way back to his office, picked up his briefcase, already filled with his files on the sentinel project, and slipped out of one of the emergency exits at the back of the building. He walked quickly to the car he had waiting, got in and drove out into the testing area and out the rear gate of the complex.

“It’s after three in the morning. This better be good.” Ron MacNamara’s voice was muffled.

Pete resisted the urge to bang the phone against the side of the van to make sure the man was awake. “Oh, it’s good all right, you son of a bitch. You got some fucking explaining to do, Ron. And I have some bad news for you, too. You are just going to love this. Are you awake, fucker?”

“Pete, what the hell’s going on?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Ron? Rose was in your pocket, right? You were in this, right?”

“Shit, Pete. Look, the mess with Ellison had to be straightened out and I figured you could handle it. The whole thing was questionable legally and Adler was losing it. I gave you a shot to help your friend. You going to hold that against me now?”

“You stupid son of a bitch, Rose has screwed you. And he tried to kill us all.”

“What?”

“Your little complex is burning to the ground right now as we speak.”

“Fuck, Pete! You were supposed to leave the place standing!”

“I didn’t do it, you idiot! Rose did it. He blew the place up, probably to try and cover up his escape and our murders but we got out before he could kill us.”

“Okay, Pete. Start at the beginning, what happened out there?”

“Well, there was an explosion, see,” Pete remarked sarcastically.

“Four explosions, actually,” Jim put in from the front seat.

“Yeah, four, whatever. The complex go boom, get it? More than likely, Rose and Barnes are gone.”

“Burns,” Jim stated.

“Who is Burns? Oh, that’s the corporal. No, Jim, Barnes, as in Alex Barnes,” Pete corrected.

“Alex Barnes was in there?!” The man was obviously surprised and upset.

Pete heard Simon Banks swear under his breath.

“Okay, Jim, you just came up a notch in my estimation. Yeah, Alex Barnes was in there. My ‘friend’ Ron here had Rose working on fixing Alex Barnes for the CIA.”

“Pete! This is a classified project you’re giving details about!” Ron actually had the nerve to sound indignant.

Pete watched Jim put his head in his hands. “I should have known. I should have fucking known,” the man was repeating over and over.

Pete went back to his phone call. “I should think it would be. Imagine what the media would do with this, Ron. The U.S. government recruiting an insane thief and murderess to do their dirty work? I can see the headlines.”

“Why didn’t I know she was there?” Jim was muttering. “Oh shit, what happened to Holloway? Did anybody see Holloway?”

“Who the fuck is Holloway, Jim?” Pete put his hand over the phone.

“He was supposed to be my new guide. He was good kid, annoying and useless as a guide, but basically a good kid.”

“Beats me.” Pete looked to Jesse. The young man shrugged. He looked back at Kit.

“Wouldn’t know the guy if we saw him, Pete. Sorry.”

Pete gave Jim an apologetic shrug then turned back to his phone call. “Ron, you there?”

“Yeah, where’s Adler?”

“Dead.” Pete gave Kit a sharp look then continued. “We think Rose killed him. He was shot. There’s probably more people dead here, Ron. Let me tell you what’s going to happen now. You are going to get us out of this. I don’t care how but I swear to you, if I have to leave this country, I’m gonna be taking you with me. You got that?”

“Okay, I hear you. Look, just head back to the hotel tonight. Let me see what I can do and I’ll call you in the morning when I have something for you.”

“Ron, I’m telling you, man. You have fucked me over here and there’s nothing I can do about that now but so help me, you try it again and you are going to find out just how good I am at what I do. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah. Hey, Pete, you did get Ellison right?”

“Of course. Who the hell did you think I was talking to? We got Sandburg, too. That’s what I was here for. Now, as for what you wanted me here for, I don’t know but you are going to explain it in vivid detail.”

“Of course. But I have to get off the phone to get things rolling right now. I’ll call Pete. I swear.”

“I’ll be waiting for your call then.” Pete hung up the phone. “Fucker. I trust you about as far as I can throw your fat ass.” Pete threw the phone on the seat. “To the hotel, Captain Banks. We all need some sleep.”

The rest of the ride was silent. Kit hovered over Sandburg, wrapping the unconscious man in a blanket. Jim glared at Kit, his jaw tense. Jesse alternately studied Jim and then Blair. Banks drove, his eyes filled with concern and questions Pete could see in the rearview mirror even in the dark. Pete sighed and closed his eyes, hoping against hope that he would wake up in his own bed and find that this whole thing was one very long, very intense dream.

Robert had a decision to make. His scapegoats were not dead. Should he come in from the cold and hope that he would be believed over MacNamara’s spies or just join his sentinel in his private lab now? There were three of them and they had Ellison and Sandburg. They had the upper hand and his sentinel needed him. He had made some small progress with her after all and leaving her alone for a great deal of time had worried him even as he devised his plan. She could regress. No, his associations with the Pentagon and the CIA were over. He had work to do.

Jim held up one hand to stop the barrage of questions as Simon closed the hotel room door after them. “Not tonight, please, Simon. I just want to get some sleep right now.” He walked over to the door that connected their room to the room next door. He opened it and banged on the second door. “Open up,” he ordered. The door opened and Jim faced Jesse Riviera. “Let me in. I want to make sure Blair’s okay.”

“Blair’s fine. We’ll take care of him.”

“I’d rather he were in here with me.”

“That ain’t gonna happen,” the other man, Kit, if Jim remembered correctly, announced from further inside the room.

Jim’s temper flared and he pushed at Jesse only to have Simon grab his arms and pull him back. “Jim, stop this. They’ll keep the door open. Besides, even with the door closed, you can easily monitor Blair. Just give the kid some space.”

“Damn it,” he swore under his breath. “Let go, Simon.” His arms were released. “Leave this door open.”

“Standard operating procedure, man,” Jesse told him before turning away.

Jim stood there for a moment longer, watching as Pete’s men settled his guide into bed. He sighed and ran one hand over his face as he moved to sit on the bed. “I can’t, you know.”

“Can’t what, Jim?”

“Monitor Blair. I’m not a sentinel anymore, Simon.”

“What?” Jim winced at the volume of the question.

“I’m being punished for--” he motioned toward the other room. “For what I’ve done to Blair.”

“Jim, don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous! I fucked up, Simon. I destroyed my guide and he was taken from me along with my sentinel abilities.”

“A guilty conscience might have ‘taken’ your sentinel abilities, Jim. You may be being punished but only by yourself.”

Jim chuckled without humor. “You don’t understand. Doesn’t matter anyway. I’m going to take a shower and then I’m going to bed. Listen out for him, please, Simon.”

“Of course.”

The outside door opened and Pete followed a rollaway cot into the room. “Okay, got the cots. I like you guys and everything, but I ain’t sharing a bed. Jim, where you headed?”

“Shower.”

“I thought we’d talk.”

“Tomorrow.” Jim continued on his way and slammed the bathroom door behind him.

“Great, one word answers. Classic Jim Ellison there, huh?” Pete complained to Banks.

“Yeah. He says he’s not a sentinel anymore,” Banks announced as he stared at the closed bathroom door.

“Really? Well, that could be good news and it could be bad news. I don’t know how Ron and his bunch are gonna take that piece of news. Especially now that Barnes is gone.”

“Devereaux, those bastards are not going to try and keep Jim, are they?”

“Don’t know. They may try.”

“Son of a bitch!”

“Hey, I didn’t say I was gonna let ‘em, Captain. Besides, the whole reason behind Rose working with Barnes was because they didn’t think Jim would suit their needs. Don’t worry. Worst comes to worst, I can have Jim and Blair out of the country in less than one hour.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Me either but if it does, just think, you’ll have a nice vacation spot to visit every once and while and won’t have to book reservations.”

Jim lay awake, staring at the ceiling. In the bed next to him, Simon snored softly. Pete lay on the cot on the other side of his captain, his pillow over his head. Jim unconsciously tried to extend his hearing to the next room only to be forcefully reminded that he’d lost that right, that gift. Just like he had lost the gift that was his guide. Kit Chase had his guide now. That was the man’s name. He had asked Pete. What was Chase’s interest? No, that was too frightening to contemplate. He turned onto his side. He closed his eyes. He was exhausted but he doubted he could sleep. And yet, he was drifting off when he heard a sound. He opened his eyes and was about to reach over to wake Simon when he heard it again. A whimper came from the next room. Blair. He was having a nightmare. Jim slipped silently out of bed and over the threshold into the next room. Blair moved restlessly, the bedcovers shifting as he did. Jim glanced at the room’s other occupants. Kit Chase was on the other bed and Jesse was on the cot near the door. Jim knelt beside his friend. “Chief?” he whispered. “Come on, Blair, wake up.”

If anything, Blair seemed more agitated. Jim’s hands itched to reach out and touch, soothe. Finally, he could not stand it anymore and he gave into the urge, stroking Blair’s forehead. The response was not at all what he expected. A scream nearly deafened him even as Blair’s fist connected with his temple. Before Jim could shake off the confusion and pain, the lights in the room were on and Kit Chase had a gun pointed at his chest. Jesse had both arms wrapped around Blair, trying to restrain and calm the man. Pete and Simon appeared in the doorway, both armed.

“Kit! No!” Pete yelled at his employee.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Chase demanded.

“He was having a nightmare. I was trying to help!” Jim snapped.

“Help? You are joking, right? You are his fucking nightmares, dumb ass.”

“Jim, come back over here.” Simon rubbed his forehead. Jim did not want to leave. “Please.”

“I don’t like you,” he told Chase.

“Feeling’s mutual.” He lowered the gun. “Now that we have that off our chests, why don’t you just get the hell out of here so we can all get back to sleep?” Chase turned away from him then and sat down next to Jesse and Blair on the bed. Blair was quiet and still now. Jim hesitated. He needed to see Blair’s eyes. He had to know if that horrible blankness that he had seen in the lab was still there.

“Jim, come on, man,” Pete called to him.

He held up one hand, asking mutely for one more moment. There, blue eyes, a flash of pure rage directed right at him, but then nothing, that blank stare. Jim would rather have the rage. He closed his own eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. He spun and nearly knocked both Simon and Pete down as he strode back into his room.

Morning came too soon for any decent sleep and yet not soon enough for worried minds. Devereaux paced the room, muttering at his cell phone. Jim stared through the open door into the other room, though he had not attempted to cross that threshold again. Simon stared at Jim.

“Are we going to talk now?”

“What do you want to know, Simon?”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“When? Then or now?”

“Both, all of it.”

“Simon, when I got back from Peru, I thought I was going crazy. In the jungle, somehow being able to do what I do, did, seemed not so strange. Hell, it was a necessity. But when I got back, everything was just too much. You remember how I was when my senses came back on line. Take that and multiply it several times over. Everything was wide open all the time. Rose was the shrink they sent me to. When he actually believed me, I was shocked but very relieved. Everyone else thought I had Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Then when he found some explanation for it all, I thought the guy was a miracle worker. Enter Colonel Maxwell Adler. He convinced me that the best thing I could do with myself, with my abilities, was to use them to defend my country. But as we worked on my control, it was obvious that something was wrong. So Rose said he knew how to fix it but it was going to take some time. They had to train somebody to help me. I had no idea just exactly what that meant. I had no idea about Blair; I swear it. Anyway, I signed an agreement that I would come back to the project when they had my ‘guide’ ready. Then Rose used hypnosis to repress my memories and my senses. He said it was for my protection. Then they came back early, the senses, I mean. A little bit of fate and a little bit of orchestration on their part and Blair enters the picture and becomes my guide just like they planned. Then I screwed up with Alex. They got worried. I got this phone call and suddenly, everything came back to me. I should have just gotten the hell out of Dodge then and there but I couldn’t. I was a soldier. I followed orders.”

“So you figure you’d hang Sandburg out to dry right along with you?”

“No! I never intended for this to happen. But the few times I spoke with Rose, he seemed too interested in Blair and I got scared. I tried to put some distance between us. I thought that if I treated Blair like he wasn’t, god, how do I say this without sounding like a jackass?”

“Too late. Just say it.” Simon knew his words had to hurt but he was angry and getting angrier by the minute.

“I thought if I treated Blair like he wasn’t important, like he was more a nuisance than a guide, they’d lose interest in him. But then again, I didn’t know they had chosen him. And I had forgotten something very important about Blair. Push him and he pushes back.” Jim chuckled and Simon could not help the small grin on his face. “The harder I pushed him away, the more determined he seemed to be to stay. I tell you, Simon, if I were him, I’d have told me where to go and been gone. And then the dissertation became public. I lost it. I couldn’t even think straight. I mean, what was worse? Having the world think you’re a freak or becoming a not-so-top-secret government project? Either way, I lose. And just when I was about to become a Peruvian, the kid threw his life away for me and what do you do in that situation? I have my life, however screwed up, but he’s a fraud. The project wasn’t exposed anymore so I figured I could smooth it over with Adler and Rose. We got Blair in the Academy so at least he’d have a job and I’d have my guide. I didn’t lose anything that way. Never mind that he hated the Academy and he didn’t want to carry a gun. Damn firearms instructor wouldn’t leave him alone and he wouldn’t let me help. He was going to do it for me and I was going to let him. And then, Adler picked him up from the freaking Academy and Rose called me in. If I had known, Simon, if I had known--”

“You’d have been a Peruvian. And what about Blair? Were you going to throw him to the wolves so you could make good your escape?”

“What? Of course not. How could you think that?”

“Devereaux got his hands on a copy of your file, Jim. The file mentions a plane ticket to Peru they found in a safety deposit box. A plane ticket, as in one.”

Jim frowned at him. “Got a real good opinion of me, Simon.”

“Jim, what the hell am I supposed to think? You certainly didn’t give me any clues to go on and that file was pretty damning.”

“Well, just so you know I’m not a monster, apparently Rose was not as thorough as he thought he was. I figured he had found everything when he mentioned the tickets to me. There was a separate box for Blair. Tickets, passport, identification, money, everything he’d need if they got to me before him. My lawyer has a letter that would have come to you with the key and instructions.”

Simon sighed with relief. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I can imagine how it looked, especially after the way I had been acting lately.”

“So you didn’t trust Rose? You thought he might go after Blair?”

“I wasn’t sure. I thought I had it under control. I thought they were happy with the way things were going again. Then Rose called and told me to come in. I was already looking for the lawyer’s number in my wallet when he told me that they had Blair already. Shit, Simon, I played right into their hands and in the process, delivered Blair to them too. Incacha was right. I don’t deserve him.” He paused and Simon did not know what to say to fill the silence. “You know,” Jim continued, “the funny thing is, if Blair hadn’t renounced his dissertation to save my sorry ass, they wouldn’t have dared to touch us. The publicity would have assured our safety. At least for a while. But I couldn’t see that at the time. I could only think of myself. And then when it was over, I felt like shit because I was more important to him than his doctorate and his reputation and here I was keeping this shit from him, lying to him, and treating him like crap to boot.”

“Well, I can’t say that I like the way you handled this, but I can understand you felt like you were between a rock and a hard place. And I feel a lot better knowing that you did at least try to make some arrangements to try to protect the kid.”

Devereaux’s cell phone rang then, startling both of them. They turned their attention to the man who was practically growling into the phone. “It’s about fucking time, Ron. Tell me good news.” After that opening, the man grunted a few times, sighed a lot, and grabbed his hair in frustration. “Is that the best you can do?” he snapped. “I don’t like it. I don’t fucking like it, Ron. I don’t trust them and I sure as hell don’t trust you.” Another pause and another handful of hair. “None of this makes sense. Why? Explain the reasoning behind this.” He shook his head. “Okay, Ron. We’ll do this your way. Just keep in mind, if anything happens to Jim or me, Kit can get to you anywhere you go, no matter what you do and Alex can and will take great pleasure in ending your miserable existence. This had better not be a double-cross.” He hung up. “It’s a double-cross. I know it is.”

“What?” Simon had not noticed Riviera and Chase standing in the doorway. Riviera had asked the question.

“Jim, they want us to come in. Just you and me. We supposedly have to testify to what happened to a Pentagon inquiry board.”

“Sounds similar to the original deal to me,” Simon spoke up.

“Yeah, well, that was before I found out Ron had his thumb in the pie. I really didn’t like that deal before really but I figured, it’s the Pentagon; they generally don’t make sense.”

“Why just you and Jim?”

“Because, Captain, Ron wants me at arm’s length and they want a sentinel and Barnes is gone.”

“Then don’t go. We got tickets to Tahiti. Let’s use ‘em,” Riviera said calmly.

“No, I’m going. I want my life back,” Jim announced.

“Jim, you aren’t going to get your life back here. I’m beginning to believe that you were never going to get your life back. I know Ron MacNamara. The man is a snake, and if he’s running the show, and I think he is, they are going to lock you up and throw away the key.”

“I’m not a sentinel anymore. They won’t have a use for me. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll realize that and it’ll be over.”

“Wishful thinking,” Chase stated.

Jim shot him a venomous look. “You don’t have to go with me, Pete.”

“No, I’m not going to let Ron win this one. I’m going with you. Kit, I need you to go get Alex.”

“Excuse me? Alex?” Simon grabbed Devereaux’s arm.

“Not that Alex. My Alex. He’s a demolitions expert, marksman, all around kick ass kind of guy.” He turned back to Chase who was shaking his head. “He’s at his cabin. Tell him I need him in Washington. What? What’s with the head shaking here?”

“Send Jesse. I need to stay here.”

“I can’t send Jess! You’ve said it yourself. Jesse’s a city boy. It would take him twice as long to get to him. You know what you’re doing in the mountains and you know Alex’s booby traps. Kit, please, don’t argue with me here. Captain Banks is going to take good care of Blair and you can be back in a few days.”

“Shit! Jesse, come with me.” Chase stormed out of the room. Riviera shrugged and then disappeared after him.

“I’m going to pay for this for a while,” he muttered absently. “Okay, Jim. We need to go.”

“Now?”

“Yeah. Ron’s got our transportation waiting for us at the base in Everett.”

“I need to make some arrangements for Blair. I need--”

“Jim, I’ll take care of Blair.”

“Simon, he’s catatonic. You can’t handle him like this. Okay, I’ll call my lawyer and tell him to give you the key to the safety deposit box. Use the money and get him some help. A private hospital, Simon, not the state facility. And maybe Jade would take him on.”

Simon nodded. Jade was his first thought as well. He had been dating the psychologist for quite a while and she knew both Jim and Blair. “He’ll be okay, Jim. Just hurry back.”

“I’ll try. Can’t make promises though. Pete might be right. As a matter of fact, more than likely, he’s right. I may not come back.”

“Don’t think that way, Jim. The kid needs you. You have to come back.”

“Blair doesn’t need me. I am the last thing Blair needs. I did this to him.”

“Then you have to come back so you can make it up to him,” Simon told him.

Jim nodded solemnly.

“Okay, then let’s get moving, Jim.”

“I need a minute, Pete. With Blair. Alone.”

“Look, Jim. I guess I should explain about Kit. He thinks he’s been appointed by some spirit Indian guy to protect Blair. He’s not really a jerk, and I don’t think he would have actually shot you or anything. Well, maybe… no, I’m sure he wouldn’t have. Anyway, he’s into all this mysticism stuff. His grandfather, nice old man but a little touched, is some kind of shaman or something and Kit, well, he’s just Kit. I’m getting used to the weirdness. Or trying to anyway.”

“Spirit Indian, huh?” Jim closed his eyes. Incacha. He was sure of it. That just left one question. Was Kit Chase a sentinel? Okay, so there were a lot more questions than just that one but that one affected the answers to all the others Jim had. If he was sentinel, why did Jim not sense him? That one was easy and he answered it himself. Jim was no longer a sentinel. If Chase was a sentinel, would he take Blair away? Had he already? Then again, Jim had given Blair away, handed him over. If Blair was to be Chase’s new guide then Jim had no one to blame but himself. The earth moved under his feet suddenly and Jim grabbed onto the nearest thing to keep from falling. The nearest thing was Simon’s arms as the older man already had a hold on him. Jim blinked and realized that the earth had not moved, he had as his captain shook him. “What? I’m here. What?”

“I thought you zoned,” the man told him.

He laughed ruefully. “Simon, I’m not a sentinel anymore. Technically, I can’t zone. Just thinking.” He turned to Pete Devereaux again. “I just want to say goodbye, Pete and I want Chase out of the way for just a few minutes, okay. I hear what you’re saying about the man, and on some level, I do understand. However, this may be the last time I see my best--” he hesitated. Did he have the right to claim Blair as a friend? Much less a best friend? “I just need a few minutes. I won’t hurt him, you know that.”

Pete sighed. “I know that. Of course, I know that. I’ll talk to Kit and get him out of the way.”

“Thanks.” Jim watched the man leave the room.

“Are you okay?” Simon asked.

“No. I’m definitely not okay. Quick question. Have you seen any evidence that Chase is a sentinel?”

“What?” Simon looked genuinely puzzled then he seemed to turn inward to examine his memories. “No. But then you would know someth— Oh, I guess not.” Simon almost sounded disgusted.

“Yeah. I know you don’t understand it, Simon. I’m sorry.”

His friend waved the apology away. “Guess that explains why you didn’t sense Barnes in the complex, too.”

“No, actually, it doesn’t. But I can explain that. At first, I was surprised too but then I remembered. After the grotto, I couldn’t sense her. She lost her mind that day but she also lost the ‘title’ of sentinel and the senses that went with it. Apparently, Rose thinks that he can fix her but I can tell you that he hasn’t made much if any progress. I couldn’t feel Barnes because she’s no longer a sentinel. Ironic, isn’t it? She abused her power and paid for it with her mind and her abilities. I abused mine and now it’s going to happen to me too. My abilities are gone and my mind won’t be far behind, Simon. If the CIA and Pentagon don’t finish me off, living with what I’ve done to Blair will.”

“Jim, don’t talk like that. Blair will be okay. You’ll be okay. When you get back, you and Blair can work this out.”

“Simon, you’ve seen him. Blair is not okay.”

“You can reach him. You’ve done it before. He was dead and you brought him back. Hell, this should be easy. He’s at least alive this time. Bring him back from this, Jim. You can. You are probably the only one who can.”

“And if I can’t? What then?”

“I refuse to even consider that possibility.”

Jim did not get a chance to respond as Kit Chase stormed into the room. “He’s afraid of you. Do you understand? And he’s pissed as hell at you. If you provoke him, I think he’ll attack you. Just keep your damn distance and for god’s sake and yours, don’t touch him.”

“How do you know all this?” Jim asked him.

Chase turned to glare at Pete who was standing in the doorway between the two rooms. “I saw it. Pete thinks I’m nuts but you know better, don’t you, Black Jaguar?”

“Damn,” Simon whispered.

Jim was taken aback himself. “I know.”

Chase nodded. Then as suddenly as he entered the room, he left it. The door slammed behind him hard enough to make Jim blink.

“Jess,” Pete called to his other operative and Riviera came into the room, brushing past Pete and glancing at Jim as he plopped down on the bed. He was no happier than Chase apparently.

That left Blair alone in the room and Jim found that he was now reluctant to enter and face the man he had so wronged. He took a deep breath and braced himself for whatever would happen, whatever he would see. He stepped into the room and over to the unoccupied bed. He sat down on it and gazed at the figure in the bed across from him. Evidently, Jess and Chase had been in the process of getting him cleaned up and dressed. Blair was sitting on the edge of one of the beds. His hair hung around his face in heavy, wet curls. He was still only wearing boxers but they were not the military issue ones Jim had seen on his guide in the compound. A tie-dyed t-shirt lay beside him along with an unfamiliar pair of jeans with holes in the knees. Jesse’s clothes, Jim realized. That would work. The young mercenary was about the same size as Blair, a little taller but it would work. Jim’s hands ached to reach out and gently dress the still, silent man who had been his guide. Had been. Jim remembered his own hard words that had severed that connection. Not me, Sandburg. I have a guide. You’ll be training my new guide. His chest felt tight and his mouth was dry as he struggled to draw in a breath. His own fault. Time to face it. Up until now, he had only gotten brief glimpses of Blair before Chase intervened, and most of those were in the dark. He focused his eyes on the results of his betrayal. It did not matter that his eyes were no longer gifted with sentinel acuity. The injuries did not need sentinel sight to detect.

Blair Sandburg’s entire body was peppered with bruises. Some of them were hand shaped; the fingers clearly defined in shades of blue, purple and green. Others were more square-shaped. Jim closed one hand into a fist and stared down at it. It fit the shape perfectly. So well in fact that it could have Jim’s own fist that caused them. He supposed that in a way, it had. Then there were Blair’s arms. Both arms were marked from the crook of the elbow almost down to the wrist with needle marks. Jim tried to count them but his vision was blurring. When the first tear spilled over, he realized why. He swiped at his face impatiently then continued his examination, burning the memory of each injury into his brain. He stopped, however, before he reached Blair’s face. He was not ready to see those empty eyes again. Instead, he stood and circled around the bed. More bruises covered Blair’s back. He had lost at least 20 pounds, too. Jim swallowed back the threat of more tears. He sat down in the chair behind him and just stared.

He was waiting, he realized, for some sort of sign. He wanted Incacha to show up and tell him it was all a dream. He wanted Blair to suddenly turn around and tell him that it was all over and that they could move on. Even that damned cat would be a welcome sight, but none of those things happened. Incacha had deserted him. Blair did not move, did not speak. The cat was gone. Jim looked up and caught sight of the mirror across the room. The reflection staring back at him took his breath away. Blair’s eyes, the empty eyes Jim feared, were there, unseeing but somehow seeing far more than Jim had ever seen. He could not explain the feelings but he knew in that moment that while he might not be a sentinel, Blair was still a shaman. The shaman in Blair had retreated into his visions to a place where he felt relatively safe or at least protected, the temple. But Blair was still a guide as well, a guide abandoned by his sentinel. Jim wondered what kind of damage that would do. He knew what being without a guide did to him but what did being without a sentinel do to a guide? He made it sound so nice. He phrased it so well. Being without a sentinel. Try being tossed away by a sentinel. He would have laughed at himself if he had not been so held by those eyes. “I’m so very sorry, Blair.”

Was it his imagination or did Blair’s head tilt just slightly to the right? Jim got up and sat down behind the younger man on the bed. He did not reach out to touch. He wanted to but he did not dare. “Can you hear me, Blair? Come on, Chief, please, let me know.”

Jim checked the reflection for response. He got one that would haunt him, he knew, for the rest of his life. Blank blue had given way to a depthless well of sadness, darkening and swirling with pain. He had always thought that Blair’s eyes gave his thoughts and emotions away. Never had he imagined, could he have imagined, though, the power, the force of that seemingly innocent gaze. Jim felt himself being swept down into the whirlpool of grief and guilt, pain and fear, anger and loneliness. If he did not know better, later he would swear that he had zoned on Blair’s eyes. But only a sentinel zoned.

The sob took him quite by surprise. What would his father think? An Ellison reduced to sobbing like a child over a broken toy. The thought brought forth yet another sob. It was one of his greatest fears. When he had first met Blair, when the younger man was just this wild-eyed, frantic grad student in search of a research subject, he feared being Blair’s toy. Later, when Blair was offered Borneo, a new toy, Jim feared he would be the abandoned, forgotten toy. Still, later when he lost his senses, would he be the broken toy? But no, each time, Blair proved to be loyal. It was about friendship, after all. That was what he had said after Peru when he turned down Borneo. Maybe not at first it had not been but later, it had. Besides, if Jim needed proof that Blair loved him, he had gotten it standing in front of the TV at the station as Blair threw his life, his doctorate and his reputation away in trade for Jim’s life, his privacy, his—what? Pride, he admitted. Jim was no toy to Blair Sandburg.

But what was Blair Sandburg to Jim? At first, a means to an end. He would have berated himself for that truth but it had applied to both of them in the beginning. Dissertation in exchange for control, a deal, nothing more. Later, a roommate. Not that he was thrilled about that. He certainly had made it hard on both of them with his rigidity at first. Then somehow a friend. Then a partner. Then family. Then the phone call came and what was Blair to Jim then? He thought of all the things he had done and all the things he should have done and did not and somehow, some way, he arrived back at the toy analogy. When he needed Blair, he pulled him close. When he did not, he shoved him away. Like a teddy bear maybe. Play with it then throw it in a box until you wanted to play with it again. Well, his teddy bear got broken, ripped and torn, because of his own foolishness and selfishness. Now, Jim was left with the tattered remnants of a once colorful and beautiful thing. Only it was not a thing, not a toy. It was a human soul and Jim was its destroyer. Why? A simple question seemingly, but one with no simple answer. His only defense was that he thought he had it all under control. He thought he could work it out somehow. He did not know how but he had contingency plans. One way or another, he would be fine and Blair would be fine and life would go on. Never had he been more wrong about anything. And Blair paid the lion’s share of the price for his mistake.

“I do love you, Blair. You were my brother. Are my brother, if you still want the title. If I get out of this mess, I want to try to make things right with you. Do you hear me? Will you give me the chance, Chief? I swear, I’ll do whatever it takes.” He raised one hand to touch but stopped short, letting it hover for a tiny moment over the drying curls at Blair’s neck. He got up then before he was tempted to do more and forced himself to march out of the room without looking back.

“Ready?” Pete asked.

“As I’ll ever be. Let’s get this shit over with. Take care of him, Simon.” Jim tried to keep moving past his captain and out of the hotel room’s outer door but the big man stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. There was no force behind it. Jim could have kept going but the gentleness stopped him better and faster than force could have. He could not meet Simon’s eyes. Not for fear of censure but for fear that he would once again lose control of his ragged emotions. Simon’s other hand appeared and grasped his and he accepted the handshake. That much he could do. But the hug was too much. He saw it coming. He could feel the pull and he could not allow it. It would shatter him. He pulled away before Simon could trap him in his big arms and ducked out the door. Two steps and he came face to face with Kit Chase. He nodded tersely and moved around him as well. It was done. If Chase could help Blair, then so be it. Jim Ellison was not likely to return anyway. Pete would try to save him. Oddly, he had no doubts about that when there was a time he would not have trusted the man to help him across the street. But as surely as he knew Pete would try, he knew he would fail.

The silence in the rental car was depressing. Jim and Peter Devereaux were gone. Kit Chase had been dropped at the airport and Simon was left with Jesse Riviera, a kid that he barely knew, and what was left of Blair Sandburg. Riviera just sat in the passenger’s seat, staring either out the window or over the seat to where Blair lay. Simon kept his eyes on the road for the most part. He could not help the few furtive glances into the back seat though. His mind raced with the unpleasant thought of following Jim’s wishes. He would have to use his power of attorney to have Blair committed to a private facility. There was River Haven right outside Cascade, though Simon had always questioned the wisdom of building a mental hospital right on the banks of a river. It had a good reputation all the same and to Simon’s knowledge, they had never lost a patient to a drowning in the river. Jade thought highly of their drug rehab program. She had never mentioned anything beyond that, but River Haven was the closest, and Simon wanted the kid close. He would have to make sure they did not have too many restrictions on visitation, because he intended to be there quite a bit. Then when Jim came back, they would find a way to bring the kid back to them and this whole nightmare would be over.

He could not stand the silence any longer. “You know, Riviera, you could head on home. I can take care of Blair.”

“You’ve already said that at the airport. No thanks. Besides, Pete doesn’t want me in D.C. right now. He thinks I’m safer not going back right now. He offered me L.A. but I want to stick around with Blair.” He laughed a little then. “And Kit wanted me to make sure you didn’t screw things up.”

“What?!”

“He didn’t mean anything bad by it--”

“Arrogant, little--”

“Captain Banks, he knows you mean well. He just thinks that you’re like Pete. You don’t believe in the same things that Kit does and that you don’t or won’t understand because of that. He knows you wouldn’t hurt Blair intentionally.”

Simon shook his head. “This would be all that vision stuff, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he’s right. I don’t understand it but I believe that Jim and Blair believe it. So, I just go along. I’ve gotten used to the strange stuff after damn near four years.”

Jesse smiled. “Well, okay then. First thing, are there any apartments near you? I’ll need one close by.”

“Why?”

“So I can help you with Blair.”

Simon was stunned. “Um, Jesse, I don’t think you understand. Jim wants me to put Blair in a private hospital until he gets back.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You can’t do that. He doesn’t need a hospital. He’ll be fine. When Kit gets back, he’s gonna try to fix this and if he can’t, he’s gonna call his grandfather.”

“No, Jesse. I’m going to get Blair the help he needs. He needs real psychiatric help, not mumbo-jumbo and herbs.”

“That is so wrong, man. Locking him up is wrong. They’ll make it worse, Captain Banks! You’ll be taking him from one kind of prison to another!”

Simon winced, but stood his ground. “Jesse, I can not take care of him. Look at him! He is going to need 24-hour care. You and Chase had to bathe and dress him. Chase fed him this morning. I can’t do that.”

“I can! I will! Let me try!”

“If I thought it would be best for Blair, I would, but I just don’t believe that.”

“Kit won’t stand for it.”

“He has no say-so. I have power of attorney if something happens to Blair and Jim is not available. Jim wants this and I intend to do as he wishes.”

“I hate to point this out, man, but it’s Jim Ellison’s fault that he’s like this in the first place. I think what he wants should be rendered null and void.”

Simon opened his mouth to say something, but could not think of a thing that could answer the young man. He did not have to puzzle over it for long, however, as Jesse raised one hand.

“Forget it, man. We aren’t going to agree so let’s not discuss it. You and Kit can talk about it in two days.”

Simon was not looking forward to that discussion.

It was cold and gray at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Jim figured it suited his mood. This was it. There was no turning back now. He was resigned. He would spend the rest of his life in some military installation. Whether it would be a lab or a prison was the only thing yet to be determined. He exited the plane behind Pete and raised his head high as he saw the MPs approaching.

“Shit.” Pete whispered.

“Just stand aside, Pete. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Don’t panic yet. Maybe they’re just our ride or something.”

“Who was supposed to be here? That Ron guy?”

“Yeah. We are screwed. At least for now.”

“No, I am. Save yourself now while you can.”

Pete only laughed at him. “Jim, I left behind a burning military installation in my wake. I’m in it now whether you know it or not.”

“Captain Ellison, we have been ordered to escort you to your meeting.”

“I thought we were going to the Pentagon,” Pete said more calmly than Jim would have thought possible.

“The appropriate personnel will be waiting for you, sir. Come with us, please.”

Separate cars. They were led to separate cars. Jim caught Pete’s silent apology just before he was pushed into the back seat of an unmarked sedan. The car pulled away from the curb and past the car to which Pete had been led. Jim met the man’s eyes once more and smiled his acceptance.

“What is this?” Pete demanded as the car carrying Jim Ellison turned a corner and disappeared from view. “Where are they taking him? And where are you taking me? I’d really like some answers.”

“Peter Devereaux, you’re under arrest for the destruction of government property and suspicion of murder.”

Pete closed his eyes. “Where’s Ron McNamara?”

“Mr. McNamara will be meeting with you this afternoon, sir.”

“In my cell?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I need to make a call.”

“You’ll get to do that, sir. Soon.”

Just after dawn, Kit Chase pulled off the road and parked the rented jeep just past the tree line so that it would not be visible from the road. He had gotten in the night before but knew better than to attempt the trip to Alex’s in the dark. He got out and dragged a backpack from the passenger’s seat with him. It was a long hike up to Alex Morrow’s cabin and Morrow had made sure that it was as dangerous as it was long. He dropped the backpack on the ground and dug the map of Alex’s place out of it. He wondered if the man had made any changes in his traps since the last time Kit came up. He smiled. Alex had tried very hard to make his security impenetrable and it irked him to no end that Kit could get through it so easily. The former MI-5 agent had been pissed at him for weeks afterward. Of course, the fact that Kit laughed at him every time Alex glowered at him for those next few weeks probably had a lot to do with the man’s sour mood. So, now he was back again to attempt Alex’s obstacle course. He would make it through. Of that, he had no doubt, and when he was done and standing on Alex’s porch, Alex would be pissed off again.

Alex Morrow was an enigma anyway. Kit had given up trying to figure the man out. He left British Intelligence under circumstances that neither he nor Pete would discuss. The only thing Pete would say was that Alex was tired of the war. So, Kit knew that Alex had somehow been involved with the mess in Northern Ireland. He was very serious and intense, and for all intents and purposes, should not have fit in well with Pete’s core group and yet somehow he did fit.

It was odd that Alex looked pretty harmless. He was not muscle-bound or overly tall. He was slightly shorter than Kit, thinner than even Jesse, with a cultured English accent, and even with his piercing green eyes, looked more like a college professor than a mercenary. Yet, of all the guys Kit knew and worked with in the agency, Alex would be the one most likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Alex did not play around. If Pete wanted Alex, somebody was probably going to end up dead.

He smiled. He had just found Alex’s first trap. He tracked the trip wire to its origin, taking in the design and the intent. Alex never tried to kill anyone with these first traps. They were mostly noisemakers, designed to scare off the occasional accidental trespasser or hunter. Closer in, the traps became more dangerous, causing mostly painful but not deadly injuries. The man had actually joked that these were set up for annoying salesmen and door-to-door preachers because they were too stupid to get the hint first time around. Then at the cabin itself, there were traps that could be triggered by Alex himself for anyone that might be coming for him. According to Pete, it was a possibility. So far, however, Kit had always been standing at Alex’s door before Alex ever knew he was there. It would be no different this time. He left the trap intact and continued.

Pete sat staring at the bars of his cell. He had used his call to leave a message for Simon Banks. It was a simple message.

“It’s as bad as I thought. Hold the fort. Keep Jess with you. I will be in touch.”

It had been twelve hours since they took Jim Ellison away. Twelve hours since Pete had been tossed in the brig, and he had spent those twelve hours planning the revenge he would exact on Ronald MacNamara. Unfortunately, he could not kill the man outright. He was the only one that could get him out of this mess. By the time Alex was finished with him though, he would be begging to help. Afterward, when Pete and Jim were free and they were all safe, then Ron just might meet with an accident.

The “interrogation” had been a joke. One of Ron’s flunkies had come in first and told him what to say. Afterward, a Pentagon goon had come in and Pete had parroted the flunky’s words perfectly. What were a few more lies anyway? The story was a good one really. Pete was there at the request of Colonel Adler because he had served with Ellison. Adler wanted his take on Ellison’s abilities or lack thereof. Rose had gone berserk, claiming that Pete was trying to sabotage the project, and tried to kill them all. It worked. It got Pete’s ass out of the fire. Did not help Jim or Blair at all but Pete would take care of all that later. And if all went according to plan, take down Ron in the process.

The outer door opened and Pete shifted his gaze to witness the entry of his nemesis. “Well, well, well, dead man walking.”

“Pete, I could lie to you, tell you that I had no idea what was going to happen, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway. Right?”

“You got that right, asshole. So, now that you’ve won, or think you’ve won, I’d like the whole story.”

“Not much to tell, Pete. I think you have it figured out already. We wanted both of them, Ellison and Barnes. We just needed Adler and Rose out of the way. You were our means to that end. You’d get them out and bring them to us for debriefing and we would just keep Ellison. We’d keep Sandburg if we had to, but I imagine we could have found a safe place to tuck him away. Think about it though, two sentinels, male and female, have to be able to produce more sentinels. Granted, Ellison’s sense of morality would have been a pain in the ass but a threat or two in Sandburg’s direction would have brought him around.”

“So, you didn’t want Blair at all?”

“Didn’t see a need for him. He was good for blackmail. Nothing more. Rose kept insisting that Barnes would need him as a guide but if Ellison could work with another guide, then so could Barnes. But that plan’s null and void, thanks to Rose’s double-cross.”

Pete laughed. “You’re one to be complaining about being double-crossed. But tell me, who is this ‘we?’ This hardly seems like a Pentagon operation. This has CIA written all over it and yet the Pentagon was funding it. I saw the paper trail.”

“If you go to the Pentagon and talk to the people over there, one by one, you’ll only find a handful that even know what they were funding at all and they belong to us. The people you met with? Only two of them even work at the Pentagon. The rest of the Pentagon thinks that Ellison’s ‘abilities’ were not abilities at all but delusions brought on by post-traumatic stress. They really are glad to see this whole thing over and done with, so to speak. So you see, I didn’t really lie to you. I just didn’t tell you the whole truth. Anyway, you’re right. It’s our project. The military was just convenient to get Ellison under our control. Adler really was nuts. I don’t think the old goat ever even questioned anything he was told. He thought this was his way to his general’s star. Rose played him like a violin.”

“Oh, Ron, you sound so high and mighty. May I remind you that Rose played you like a violin as well? He screwed you; he’s screwing you still. He’s got a sentinel. You don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ellison. He can’t do it anymore. Surely he told you.”

“He said as much. Are you saying he’s serious or is this your grand plan to get the both of you out of this?”

“He’s serious. That kid that you dismissed as just blackmail material? Seems he’s a bit more important than that. But Rose destroyed him and with him, Jim’s abilities.”

“No. This sentinel stuff is genetic. All the research says so.”

“Fact remains, Ellison is no longer a sentinel.”

“You say Barnes is?”

Pete shrugged. He loved the look of discomfort and dismay on Ron’s fat face. “Rose seemed to think he could fix her. He said she still has the senses anyway.”

“Bastard. Ellison’s other guide is dead. He was shot. We can find Ellison another guide.”

“Won’t work.”

“It better work.”

“You’ll kill him trying to make it work.”

“Then he’ll die. He will be a sentinel and work for us or he will die. Those are his choices.”

“And what are my choices, Ron?”

Ron sighed. “You’re free to go, Pete. Our ‘investigation’ has cleared you of wrongdoing. Truthfully, I just needed you out of the way for a while. You’re a troublemaking son of a bitch, Pete. I couldn’t afford you spilling your guts to the wrong people while I was trying to get Ellison squared away.”

“What makes you think I won’t spill my guts now?”

“To who? Who’ll listen, Pete? Everybody that had anything to do with this whole thing is either in my pocket, dead or on the run. Ellison is safely tucked away. Sandburg is damaged goods. I can make it look like Ellison died in the fire if I have to. You won’t be able to disprove it. You don’t dare bring your men into it. I have enough to put them away for any number of little indiscretions. On paper, I look like the good guy. What are you going to do? Besides, we’re willing to compensate you for your silence.”

Pete grinned. “How much are we talking, Ron?”

“Enough for an extended vacation for you and your guys to all sorts of exotic locales.”

“Enough to take care of Blair Sandburg for the rest of his life?”

“Or that, if that’s your priority.”

Pete nodded thoughtfully. “What about enough for both?”

The man shrugged. “Say the word and it’s done.”

“Even with no guarantee that Ellison will ever be able to work his magic again?”

“He will. He just needs the right incentives.”

“I want it in cash and unmarked. I know you, Ron. Your check would bounce.”

“Fine. I’ll get it arranged. In the meantime, I’ll send somebody in here to let you out of there. I’d do it but I don’t trust you not to hit me.”

“In that case, maybe you aren’t as stupid as you look.” Pete watched the man go. He shook his head. Let the man believe he was safe. Pete would take the man’s money. Blair deserved it for what he went through and he would need it too. Pete did not hold out much hope that the kid would ever be right again. Then, when the money was secured, Pete would bring down Ron MacNamara’s house of cards all around the man’s head. He already knew just how to do it, and while Pete got that rolling, he’d turn Alex loose on Ron. This just might turn out to be quite fun.

“You little bastard!”

“Hello to you, too, Alex.” Kit grinned at the man in the doorway. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” He swept past the seething man and into the cabin.

“How do you do this?!” Alex demanded, running his hands through his dark brown hair.

“Like the new traps.” Kit tossed his backpack on the sofa and then plopped down beside it.

“Damn it,” Alex muttered.

“Alex, calm down. It’s good, really good, but the day you beat me at this game, white boy, is the day I turn in my tribal membership card and check myself into an old folks’ home. Look, I’m not here just to piss you off. Pete needs you back in D.C. We got big problems.”

“One day, Kit, you’re going to get hurt out there.”

“Well, if you’d get a damn phone or at least bring a laptop up here, I wouldn’t have to trek through your forest of surprises.”

“I come up here to be left alone. Pete knows that.”

“This time, it’s important.”

“All right. What is it this time?”

Kit told him the whole story as far as he knew it. When he was done, Alex had a stunned look on his face. “What?”

“Tell me that you’re kidding. Tell me that you and Jess cooked this up to get on my nerves.”

“Wish I could. I’ve got to head back out to Washington state where Jess is. Frank and Rico are out of the country. Besides, I think Pete specifically wants you. He really needs you, Alex. He wouldn’t ask if he didn’t.”

“You shot a colonel.” Alex gave him a measuring look.

“Yeah. So?”

“Just like that? Shot him?”

“Yeah. So?”

Alex grinned. “I’m rubbing off on you, my friend.”

Kit returned the smile. “Maybe.”

“Well, bugger me, what a mess.”

“No kidding.”

“I’m packing. I imagine you can find your own way out of here.”

“I got in, didn’t I?”

“Yes, again.” Alex sighed.

Kit laughed. “See you soon, Alex. Take care of yourself.”

“You too, you little bastard.”

Kit laughed again as he collected his backpack and left his friend to pack.

Jade met them at River Haven the next morning. Jesse Riviera was sullen as Simon introduced the young man to his girlfriend. Simon knew Riviera was very unhappy about the idea of committing Blair but Simon could see no other way. After one night of taking care of Blair, he was more convinced than ever that he was completely unprepared and unsuited to meet Blair’s needs. Even with Riviera’s help, it was exhausting and they had only bathed and fed him. He needed so much more than just someone to take care of his physical needs. Jade agreed with him. If there was to be any hope of recovery, he needed to be treated by professionals. Simon filled out the necessary paperwork with Riviera burning holes in him with his eyes and Jade rubbing his back and assuring him it was the right thing to do. He finally reached the place for his final signature. He hesitated, sighed, then signed the paper, and handed it back to the woman behind the desk quickly before he could do something stupid like change his mind. The director, Dr. Martin, took the papers from him and called for the orderlies to come and take Blair. Simon fended off a moment of panic as she made the call. He got up from his chair then and knelt down in front of Blair Sandburg. “I am so sorry, Blair. It’s for the best. When Jim gets back, we’ll…” He stopped. What would they do? What could they do? Could Jim fix this or would Blair spend the rest of his life in this place?

Jesse got up and left the room. Jade followed him. Simon could only think that she meant to comfort the young man. He stayed with Blair, however. He wanted to be there to make sure the men coming to lock his friend away treated him gently. They came then, and they did seem gentle enough. As they led him out of the office, however, Blair suddenly turned and lifted his eyes to meet Simon’s. It was the first really conscious thing Simon had seen from him since his rescue. And his eyes—Simon felt as though the oxygen in the room had been sucked away. He gasped. Blair knew. He knew what was happening to him. Simon wanted to say something, say anything to try and explain why he was doing this, but he could not speak. He could only shake his head helplessly. He followed them out of the office and stood in the hallway, watching Blair watch him. Then, as though in defeat, Blair’s legs folded and the orderlies found themselves carrying their patient rather than leading him. Simon moved to go to him but Dr. Martin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Captain Banks, he is in good hands.”

“He was aware. He knew.”

“It’s not unusual for a catatonic to have brief moments of awareness. We will take good care of him.”

Simon nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“You’re welcome.” The woman smiled.

Simon nodded again and turned away. He walked slowly toward the exit, his legs feeling like lead weights making the trek painful and hard. Then again, perhaps it was not his legs that were heavy but his heart.

He was alone with his wolf now. Even the snake and the jaguars were gone. But still, he knew better than to let his guard down. He would not be taken again. Perhaps the cougar would come back soon. He thought he could remember it promising to come back. He would just have to hold on until then. He curled up with the wolf, nuzzling the soft fur. It whimpered and touched its nose to his chest. In the meantime, he was relatively safe. Confused, trapped but safe. He cast wary eyes on the jungle surrounding him once more to reassure himself that he and the wolf were truly alone and then he let his eyes slide shut. He needed to rest.

Pete took a deep breath before stepping into Jim Ellison’s prison. It had been his final demand of MacNamara. He wanted to see Jim. Of course, he was relatively certain that Ron had made sure that Jim knew that Pete had accepted a deal. It was Pete’s hope that he could make the man understand that he was not selling him out, rather he was trying to secure Blair’s future and Jim’s in his usual roundabout way. Unfortunately, Jim was not known for his understanding and willingness to listen. “Here goes nothing. Or everything,” he whispered.

Jim looked up at him immediately. He rose from his cot. “What are you doing here?”

“Making sure you’re okay. Hoping to make you understand.”

“I understand, Pete. Somebody may as well benefit from my worst nightmare, right?” So he did know.

“Stop being a prick, Jim. You know, you always had trust issues.”

Jim laughed. “And you don’t think my trust issues are warranted with you? Need a reminder?”

“No, but you do. I came after you, you moron. This mess was of your own making. I could have let you rot out there with Rose and Adler, but I didn’t. I could have taken that file at face value and decided you deserved whatever you got. I could have gotten Blair out and left you there. But I didn’t.” Pete moved closer and lowered his voice. “I’m not giving up now, Ellison. Oh, and so you know, the money’s for Blair, you jackass. Hang on, Jim. This ain’t over yet.” He stepped back. “I better go. Hopefully, I have someone waiting for me in my office.”

He was almost out the door before Jim said anything. “Pete?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. However this goes, thanks for taking care of Blair.”

Pete nodded. Ron met him outside. “You really going to give that money to that hippie kid?”

“I don’t think it’s any of your business what I do with the money.”

“You’re getting soft, Pete.”

“You think so, huh?”

Ron laughed a little. “Hey, Pete, I know this didn’t turn out the way you wanted but it’s for your country, man. No hard feelings?” Ron held out his hand.

“For my country?” Pete could only stare at the man for a long minute. “Who the fuck do you think you’re kidding? This has nothing to do with my country, Ron. This is all about you, a power trip for Ron McNamara. As far as no hard feelings? To borrow Jesse’s words, what have you been smoking, Ron? Of course, I have hard feelings.” Pete shook his head. “If you think for one minute that I don’t, you’re a fool. One day, Ron, one day.” Pete walked away, knowing that the implied threat would weigh on the pasty-faced man’s mind.

A half hour later, Pete walked into his office to find Alex Morrow waiting for him there. “Alex, I’m glad you came. Sorry to interrupt your holiday but we have work to do.”

“Who?” Pete had always been thankful for the man’s no-nonsense approach.

“Ron MacNamara.”

“Your CIA guy?”

Pete nodded. “He fucked me over. I want him worried. I want him scared.”

“Not dead?”

“Not yet. Maybe later. Right now, I just want him to know that his continued good health is in imminent danger.”

“What’s the point?”

“I need him alive for a little while longer. He doesn’t know it yet but he’s going to help us out. Make him willing to help us out, Alex. As a matter of fact, I’d really like to see the bastard on his knees, begging to help.”

Alex smirked at him. “I think I can handle that.”

“Oh, I know you can. Let’s get busy.”

Alex gave him a two-fingered salute then left. Pete hit the intercom button. “Maggie, get me Senator Adams on the phone. Tell him it’s urgent. Tell him I can give him a name for his investigation.”

“Are you sure, Pete?” the woman’s voice came back to him from the little box.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He sat back in his chair. “So you think I’m getting soft, Ron? Have to do something about that little misconception.”

Simon looked up just in time to see his office door fly open and a very angry Kit Chase storm in. Jesse was right behind him. “Ever hear of knocking?”

“What the hell are you thinking? Why is Blair Sandburg in a mental hospital?”

“Because he’s catatonic.”

“Cat—he is not catatonic. He’s--- confused, pissed, scared to death, but definitely not catatonic.” Chase slammed a hand down on Simon’s desk.

Simon took a deep breath and decided to attempt to remain the calm one in the situation. “I hate to point this out to you but he just sits and stares at nothing. He’s completely withdrawn from reality here. He’s catatonic. Look, Chase, I don’t like this any more than you do but Blair needs help--”

“You’re right. He needs help. Not a padded room!”

“This is a good hospital. Jade says the doctor is good and she’s going to be working with Blair as well.”

“Who the hell is Jade and why should I care?”

“Jade is Dr. Jade Thomas.”

“His girlfriend,” Jesse whispered from over Chase’s shoulder. “A shrink.”

“I want to talk to her. She doesn’t understand.”

“No, you don’t understand, Kit. Blair needs real help. Not--”

“Yeah, yeah, mumbo-jumbo, Jess told me. You really have no idea, do you? And I don’t have time to explain it all. Just let me say this, my mumbo-jumbo is just as valid as your shrink girlfriend’s ‘talk about your feelings and it’ll all work out’ crap. More so really in Blair’s case. I have a better shot at reaching him than her or those hospital shrinks.”

Simon shook his head. The man was not going to listen. “Okay, I’ll call Jade and you can talk to her. Maybe she can get through to you.” He reached for his phone.

“Don’t bother. Never mind. Neither of you are going to listen to me. I’m wasting my time. Have a nice day, Captain.” As quickly as he arrived, he was gone.

Simon caught Riviera’s eye. The man just gave him a look that clearly said, “I told you so,” then followed his friend. Simon sighed and rubbed his eyes. He picked up the phone anyway. He wanted to hear Jade’s voice. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Baby. Got a minute?”

“For you? Sure.” Simon’s day was looking up already.

“What are we going do?” Jesse asked as he followed Kit to their rental car.

“Hey, Jess, did you know you were adopted?”

“Excuse me? That’s not even funny, man. My older sister used to tell me that all the time. Bitch. I still hate her.”

“Jess, get over it. Life’s too short. Now, listen. You were adopted by a nice Jewish family named Sandburg.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Kit?”

“You just got back into the country to find that your brother has been committed. Are you getting my drift now?”

“I’ll get the paperwork.”

“God, I love working with you!”

Ron whistled as he got in his car. He was calling it quits early for a round of golf. He smiled as he placed the key in the ignition, but instead of roaring to life with the turn of the key, the switch only clicked at him. Then the doors locked. He tried the handle. The door would not open. Then the high-pitched whine began and he knew he was about to die. Then nothing. The door locks popped back and the whine stopped. He looked around, incredulous that he was still alive. He fumbled with the door handle again and this time it released. He almost tumbled out of the car then stood looking at it as though it was a snake about to strike. The ringing of his cell phone nearly gave him a heart attack.

He snatched it from his pocket and answered. “Hello?” His voice shook and squeaked so he cleared his throat and tried again. “Hello?”

“Gotcha.” That was all the person said. Ron left the car where it was and took a taxi home.

“We have to wait for the night shift. The day shift has seen you and besides, it’ll be easier to pull off. They will hesitate to call this Dr. Martin person in the middle of the night. The doctor on call may just sign off on it and we can get the hell out of there,” Kit explained.

“What if they do call her and she comes in? She’s definitely seen me.”

“Then we wing it.”

“Whenever you say that, you make me very nervous.”

Kit only smiled at his best friend. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of pulling another ‘Alex’ on you. I’m not going to shoot up the place. I just may have to break in the damn place and take him out.”

“Most people break out of the loony bin, Kit. Leave it to you to break in.”

Kit grinned. “What are you trying to say, Jess?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Jim stared at the bare wall in front of him. Institution white, that was the color. When he was a sentinel, he could have seen every flaw, every spot that was missed, every stray piece of lint or dust caught in the paint, every blemish. It would have been a distraction at least. In fact, maybe he would have gotten lost in a zone as he inspected that wall. Then what would his captors do? Without his guide, maybe he would have gotten so lost that he would never come out. What could they do? What would it matter anyway? But Jim was not a sentinel any longer. He was an ordinary man. He had told them that but they did not believe him.

You’ll work for us as a sentinel or you’ll rot here. You will not leave this place except as an employee. He could still hear the fat man’s words in his ears, his non-sentinel ears.

He was not without hope entirely. Pete had said that it was not over. Simon would not give up on him either. Yet, what could they do? Simon, probably very little. He would annoy the hell out of them though. Jim smiled slightly at that thought. Then there was Pete. Jim sighed. Knowing Pete, it would be illegal, unethical, underhanded, or just plain dangerous. Or a combination of any or all of the above. But a couple of things were certain. Whatever it was, Jim would probably not be going back to his life in Cascade and he would definitely be alone. There would be no Blair waiting for him outside this prison if or when Pete worked whatever con he would undoubtedly come up with. No, Blair was in a different kind of prison and Jim had put him there. He had been feeling sorry for himself and now he was ashamed of himself. He turned his thoughts to the man who had been his best friend and then for the first time in longer than he cared to remember, Jim Ellison prayed. Not for himself, but for the mind and soul of Blair Sandburg.

Jesse answered his cell phone. “Yeah?”

Kit watched his face break into a slow, sneaky smile as he listened to the person on the other end.

“Not a problem, Alex. Here’s what you do.”

Kit turned his attention back to the documents that Jess had drawn up. Thanks to a little computer hacking, Jess had found out when Blair had signed the paperwork that would give Ellison or Banks power of attorney and then created a new power of attorney that would negate the first one with the name Jesse Sandburg on it. Kit grinned as he contemplated his role. He was going to get to play lawyer. Jesse had printed out all sorts of legal stuff for him to read so that he could sound authentic. He knew all about power of attorney and legal guardianship and the like now. He also knew about adoption. Jesse had even drawn up fake adoption papers to “prove” that he was Blair’s legal next of kin. Jesse was nothing if not thorough.

“So? Think it’ll work?” Jesse’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Of course it will work.”

“Pete says that every time. It never works when he says it.”

Kit laughed. “Ain’t that the truth? But I’m not Pete. It’ll work. What’s up with Alex?”

“He wanted to redirect a phone call so that it would appear to come from somewhere where he wasn’t. Simple stuff.”

“You little computer geek.”

“Ah, you’re just jealous.”

“And you’re delusional. Maybe I can just exchange Blair for you.”

“You’re so damn funny, Kit.” Jesse slapped him in the back of the head as he passed by him. “I’m hungry. Being sneaky makes me hungry.”

Kit chuckled then sobered as he looked back at the papers in his hands. “This has to work.”

Ron was certain that he had closed his garage. As the taxi came to a stop, he stared at the slightly open garage door.

“Sir? That’ll be fifteen dollars and fifty cents,” the driver announced.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ron pulled a twenty from his wallet and handed it to the man. “Change, please.”

The driver frowned at him but counted out four ones and handed them to Ron. He reached for the change and Ron waved at him dismissively and got out of the car.

“Jackass,” he heard the driver whisper before he slammed the door. He started to turn back and demand the driver’s name but the car sped away before he could.

He stood in his driveway for several minutes just looking at that garage door. Finally, he shook his head. “Paranoid, Ron, old boy. You’re getting paranoid.” He started to move toward the house then but a shrill sound coming from the garage stopped him. Suddenly, the garage door slammed down and then came the explosion that knocked Ron off his feet. “Son of a bitch!” he screamed as he scuttled along the ground to get further away from the flames.

An hour later, the captain of the fire squad approached him with a lump of melted plastic that might have been a container of some kind. “Sir, here’s the cause of the fire. You really shouldn’t store this kind of stuff near an electrical outlet. When your garage door malfunctioned, it shorted out the outlet where it was plugged. The sparks hit this stuff and up it went.”

Ron would have protested that he had never seen that lump of whatever. He would have asked what kind of stuff had been in it, but he knew it would do no good. There would be no trace of a third party. It would be ruled an accident no matter what he said. “Thank you. I’ll remember that in the future.”

The fireman nodded. “At least you still have your house. Good thing that garage wasn’t attached. Try to have a good night, sir.”

“Yeah, thanks. You too.” He watched as the man climbed into the big red fire engine, and it pulled away. He sighed. His phone rang. He grabbed it from his pocket. “Now listen, you bast--”

“Anytime, anywhere.” Then silence.

Quickly, Ron hit call return. The phone on the other end rang. “Ron MacNamara’s office.” His secretary’s voice startled him.

“Frances?!”

“Yes, Ron? Where are you? Your car is still here.”

“Never mind that. Frances, is there someone in my office?”

“No.”

“Nobody? Are you sure? Have you seen anyone out of place?”

“No. Ron, what’s going on?”

“Go in my office and then pick up the phone in there.” He waited as she did as he asked.

“Okay, now what?” she asked.

“Nothing out of place?”

“No. Well, there’s an envelope here.”

“Open it.”

She sighed. He could hear the paper rustling. Then she giggled.

“What? What is it?”

“Somebody’s being funny today. It’s just a sheet of paper with one of those goofy smiley faces on it and the line ‘have a nice day.’ Somebody’s trying to play a joke on you?”

“Yeah, I guess. Something like that. See you tomorrow, Frances.” He hung up. “Damn you to hell, Peter Devereaux.”

Alex walked into Pete’s office with a satisfied smile on his face. The man’s usually somber expression had been replaced by an expression of mischief. It was nice to see. Alex was all too often too serious. Pete often teamed him with Kit and/or Jesse just so he could see Alex smile occasionally. He and Kit worked well together from the start. It had taken Alex longer to warm up to Jess, though, probably because their personalities were so opposite. Jess was laid back. Alex was intense. Even with the twinkle of trouble in his eyes, the intensity was still there.

“I predict that you will be hearing from Mr. MacNamara any time now.” Alex tossed a file on Pete’s desk and then folded his lanky frame into a chair.

“You’re my favorite person.” Pete grinned as he flipped through the real and complete story, complete with notes on a sentinel breeding program and possible genetic research to create new sentinels from non-sentinels.

“Right, for how long this time?”

“Until Maggie brings me my dinner, then she’ll be my favorite person.” Pete closed the file.

“Figures. Anyone ever told you that you are a fickle bastard?”

“My ex-wife. All my ex-girlfriends, as a matter of fact.” The phone rang and Pete held up one hand and waggled his eyebrows at his friend and operative. “Could it be?”

“Could be.”

“Should I let him sweat?”

“Nah, seen him sweat. It’s not pretty.”

Pete finally picked up the phone on the fifth ring. “Hello? Peter Dev--”

“You son of bitch! I know it’s you. Don’t push me, Pete!” the voice on the other end screamed.

“Ron? Buddy, is that you? How are you doing?” Pete winked at Alex who chuckled softly.

“Do not bullshit me, Devereaux! You’re fucking with the wrong person!”

“Ron, I’m not fucking at all. If I were fucking, I wouldn’t have answered the phone. Women kinda get pissed about that kind of thing.”

“I will take you and your operation apart, Pete!”

“Oh Ron, you’ll do nothing of the kind. See, here’s the deal. I have an appointment with Senator Adams in two days. You remember him, right? Head of the Oversight Committee? Well, he’s been very concerned about corruption in your little organization and I just happen to have some very interesting information for him. I keep very detailed files, Ron. I take note of names and dates and places and such. Not to mention, I have a very complete copy of your file on your last little operation. I wonder what the good senator would think about your plans. He’s a pretty conservative guy, right? Family values and all that? A human breeding program isn’t gonna sit well with him.”

The man’s whole tone changed. “What is it you want from me?”

“Well, let’s see. How about the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal? Gift-wrapped, of course. And Ron, don’t get the cheap kind. I hate that cheap stuff that rips if you look at it hard. So annoying.”

“Damn it, Devereaux, just get to the point!”

“Well, Ron, ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer. You know damn well what I want.”

“I can’t just let Ellison go! Don’t you understand what we could do with somebody like Ellison?”

“Tell it to Senator Adams, Ron. Good-bye, Asshole.”

“No! Wait! I’m not at the top of this, Pete!”

“Okay, give me a name. I’ll give him to Adams.”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t because there is no one to give me. You’re it. Your choice. Give it up and release Jim or I’ll turn over everything I have on you and it doesn’t stop just at this operation, Ron. You told me you have stuff on my men? Well, did you think that I wouldn’t have anything on you to use as an equalizer? I protect my guys, Ron. So, what’s it gonna be? Jim’s not doing you any good anyway. He’s not a sentinel anymore. If you turn him loose, you can go after Barnes. I certainly won’t stop you. Don’t, and it’ll be you going down, not me.”

“You’ll keep your mouth closed and call off your men?”

“Sure. I have someone else I can give Senator Adams that will make him just as happy. Oh, Ron, there is something else. Blair Sandburg.”

“What about him? He’s nuts.”

“That may well be but I refuse to let him be remembered as a fraud. You and I both know he’s not. He never lied.”

“Yeah, but what do you expect me to do?”

“Well, I have a few ideas about that, but I need to talk to Jim first. I’ll get back to you. You can just have Jim brought to me here. Soon. And Ron, try to weasel out and I’ll bury you.” Pete hung up the phone.

“Do you think he’ll live up to his end?”

“Oh yeah, I think he will. We have a history, Ron and me. Besides, he’s too afraid of prison and of you not to. However, when this is all over, he’ll come after us.”

“Then we need to eliminate that possibility, don’t we?” Alex asked.

“Maybe. You know, Jesse would have a screaming hissy fit if he heard us talking this way.”

Alex smiled. “The kid’s such a boy scout. We just won’t tell him.”

“Like he wouldn’t find out. You can’t hide anything from Jess. You should know that by now. At any rate, let me think about it.”

Alex nodded and left, leaving Pete to worry about how best to deal with MacNamara.

“But--” The flustered nurse shuffled through the papers again.

“But nothing. Mr. Sandburg would like his brother released immediately. We could get a court order if we have to but that certainly would bring your facility some unwanted and unflattering attention.”

“You don’t understand! He’s catatonic!”

“That is beside the point. Mr. Sandburg has the valid power of attorney for his brother. Jesse wants his brother released.”

“I can’t authorize that!”

“Then I suggest you find someone who can.” Kit folded his arms across his chest. This was going to work. He felt like a jerk trying to intimidate the petite woman but it had to be done. He had to get Blair Sandburg out of this hospital. She fumbled with the phone and paged a Dr. Schiller.

“I want to see Blair now,” Jess demanded as she hung up.

“Um, I think he’s in the rec room right now.”

“Where is it?”

“Down that hall but, sir, you shouldn’t go in there.”

“Thank you.” Jess started down the hall. Kit followed. So did the nurse, repeating over and over that they were not supposed to go in there. Jesse veered right and stormed through a set of double doors. It took them a few minutes to locate Blair. As a matter of fact, Kit bypassed him twice before he recognized him.

“Shit,” he whispered.

“What?” Jesse asked.

Kit pointed and Jesse finally saw. “Oh my god.”

“You cut his hair,” Kit snapped.

“Dr. Martin felt it was best. It’s easier to take care of that way.”

“You better go find that doctor,” Kit told her. He left the woman standing there and made his way over to Blair. An orderly moved toward him but one look sent the man back to his original position. He knelt in front of the wheelchair. He swore under his breath. They had Sandburg strapped to the chair. Apparently, he had been that way for a while.

“Oh man.” Jesse’s presence registered then and he turned to look at his friend.

“Help me get these restraints off and let’s get him out of here.”

Dr. Schiller picked that moment to enter the room. “What the hell is going on here?”

Kit stood and stalked toward the balding man. Schiller took two steps back. “We have papers that give Jesse Sandburg the right to remove his brother from this hellhole.”

“Mr. Sandburg’s records don’t mention a brother.”

“He’s adopted.”

“I need to clear this with Dr. Martin and Captain Banks.”

“Really? Why don’t you go call them then? While you do that, I’ll make some calls too. A TV station or two. The newspaper. Maybe the good folks of Cascade would like to know that you strap down catatonic patients and leave them there until they soil their clothes. That’ll look real good on the front page and the five o’clock news, won’t it? I tell you what you need to do, Dr. Schiller. You need to sign that release before you piss me off.”

Only minutes later, they were leaving River Haven. With Blair Sandburg.

Jim eyed the pudgy man with suspicion when he opened the door to Jim’s prison. “What now, MacNamara?”

“Come on out of there.”

“More ‘tests?’”

“No, you’re leaving.”

“I’m what?”

“Leaving.” MacNamara pushed a fifty-dollar bill into Jim’s hand. “There’s a taxi waiting outside. He knows where you’re going. Now, get out before I change my mind.”

Jim stared at him. “What is this? Will the gate guards be getting a message that I’m escaping? What? I can’t be a sentinel so I get shot escaping?”

“You’re not escaping. You’re being released. We made a mistake, Mr. Ellison. We’re sorry.”

“Who the fuck are you and what have you done with MacNamara?”

“You ever hear that saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth? Try taking the advice and get out while you can.”

“Where is the cab going?”

“What’s with the freaking questions, you moron? Just go! Devereaux is waiting.”

“Pete?”

“Yeah.”

Jim laughed ruefully. “What’d he do? What’s he got on you?”

“Are you leaving or should I tell him you’re happy here and wish to stay?”

Jim did not bother answering the man. He marched purposefully toward the door. He stopped, however, just at the threshold and turned back. “If I ever see you again, they won’t find the body.”

“I don’t think that’s something you’re going to have to worry about, Mr. Ellison.”

Jim wondered what he meant by that but decided against hanging around to find out. He quickly located the exit and strode out of the building. The sunlight almost blinded him for a moment but he made out the bright yellow cab easily. He got in. “Where are we headed?”

“Downtown, sir. The Markham building. That’s what the other man said.”

“Okay, let’s get going.” Jim could only hope that he was not walking into a trap.

“Arrest him!” Simon Banks’ voice boomed across the bullpen. Jesse braced himself. That order was for him. He knew that. He had known it when he walked into the building, but he had to try and make the captain understand why they had done what they did.

Jess smiled crookedly at the black cop in the backward baseball cap who approached him. Jesse thought he remembered the man’s name. “I’m not going to resist, Detective Brown.”

“Sorry, kid.” The man took him by the arm.

“Get his ass in here!” Banks yelled.

Brown led Jesse to the captain’s office and over to one of the chairs in the room. Captain Banks was pacing. Jess watched him. Brown started for the door and Jess had the insane urge to beg the detective to stay and protect him. He did not, though. He had to face Banks with a brave face, not cowering behind one of the captain’s detectives.

“Sit down,” Banks barked at him.

He sat before he even realized that he had moved.

“I should have you locked up in holding right now. Want to tell me why I shouldn’t?”

“Simon?” Jesse’s response was pre-empted by the appearance of Banks’ girlfriend.

“Come on in, Jade. Riviera was about to tell me where he and Chase have Sandburg.”

“No, I wasn’t,” Jesse stated calmly. “I was about to tell you why what we did was right.”

The woman smiled at him. “Jesse, I know you’re worried about Blair but--”

“I’m not worried about Blair at all. Not now. I was worried about Blair.”

She smiled again. She was pretty when she smiled. He could definitely see Banks’ attraction to her but she was getting on his nerves. She was just too damn nice. It was like she thought she was dealing with some brain-damaged child. “Blair needs help.”

“He’s got help.”

“Okay, this is not getting us anywhere. Riviera, where is Blair?”

“Safe with Kit.”

Banks took a deep breath. Jess could only assume it was in an effort to keep from killing him. “Where safe with Kit?”

“You don’t understand. We couldn’t leave him in there.” Jess changed direction. He was not here to be interrogated. He was here to explain. He was here to make the captain understand.

Suddenly, both of them were talking at him and he could not understand either of them. He threw up his hands to silence them. “They cut his hair!” he shouted at them.

“What?”

“Jesse, a haircut is hardly reason enough to remove him from the care of trained professionals.” The good doctor was smiling at him that way again.

“Wait.” Banks waved her off. “They cut his hair?”

“Yeah.”

“Simon, I’m sure there’s a good reason for it. All that hair would hard to take care of…” her voice trailed off as Banks turned away from them both to stare out of his window. “Simon, honey, it’s just hair. It grows back.”

“There’s more,” Jesse spoke up. He could not have them thinking that it was just the hair.

“What?”

“They had him strapped to a wheelchair. Apparently, they’d tried to force feed him ‘cause he was covered in food and…” Jess paused, not quite sure how to say this last part delicately.

“Finish.” Banks ordered.

“They hadn’t let him up to go to the bathroom.”

Jesse and Dr. Thomas jumped as Captain Banks cleared a shelf of books near the window. “Son of a bitch!” the man screamed. “I thought you said this place was decent!” He turned on his girlfriend.

“Simon, I… I’m sure it’s an isolated incident. I haven’t heard about anything like this from River Haven before.”

“Oh, so only Blair gets treated this way!”

“No! That’s not what I meant. Surely, there’s some explanation for it. Maybe they got sidetracked and didn’t get back to him to clean him up. I don’t know! They have the best reputation in the area. Simon, I’m sorry.”

He seemed to calm down a bit then. “I know. I’m sorry too. I know you aren’t to blame. But somebody is, and I will be finding that somebody. You!” Jesse sank farther back into the chair as the man’s angry glare turned to him. “Where is Blair?”

Jess shook his head. “You’d better go ahead and take me down to holding because I’m not telling you.”

“You’ll go to jail first, huh?”

“Pete’ll get me out.” Jess raised his head defiantly.

“Seem pretty sure.”

“Yep.”

Banks ran a hand over his face. “I don’t have the patience for this, Riviera. Just bring him to my house. You remember how to get there?”

“What for?”

“Simon, what are you thinking?” his girlfriend asked as she moved over to him.

“I’m thinking that it’s about time that I start taking some responsibility here. I think it’s time that I behave like the friend Blair needs instead of shoving him off on somebody else.”

“Simon, you can’t deal with the psychological damage--”

“Then I suppose I’ll be seeing a lot of you then?”

The doctor smiled again. This smile was better, prettier. “I suppose so then.”

“Good. Riviera, you and Chase have Blair at my house by the time dinner rolls around, say six o’clock, and I’ll cancel the APB and whitewash your visit to River Haven. I have room enough for all of you if somebody doesn’t mind the couch.”

Jess felt the tension flow out of his body. He smiled. “Yes, sir. Thanks.”

“Get out of my office.” He waved toward the door.

“Yes, sir.” Jess made a hasty exit for two reasons. One, before Banks changed his mind and locked him up and two, he had good news for a change.

Alex saw him walk into the office. He put down the newspaper he was reading and stepped out into the main room to greet the man he had only heard about. “Hello. Jim Ellison, right?” He extended his hand.

“Yeah. Pete here?” After a moment’s hesitation, Ellison shook his hand.

“Yes, in his office. I’m Alex.”

“Heard of you.”

Alex grinned. “Heard of you too.”

“Oh yeah? What have you heard?”

“Enough.”

Ellison closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I see.”

“Go on in. Pete’s waiting for you.” Alex pointed the way then followed the man into his boss’s office.

“Jim! Thank god. Man, is it good to see you!” Pete came around his desk and grabbed Ellison’s hand and shook it hard while using his other hand to slap the man on the back. “Have a seat, man. Sit, sit! How are you feeling? They didn’t hurt you or anything, right?”

Ellison sat in the chair. The man looked a little shell-shocked but otherwise in good health. “No, I’m fine. What the hell is going on? How did you do this? Where’s Blair? How is he? What happens now?”

“One at a time, Jim! Okay, let’s see. How did I do this? You probably don’t want to know. What’s going on? You’re free and should remain that way. As for Blair, I really don’t know, to tell you the truth. I left him to your captain, Jess, and Kit. I have honestly been too wrapped up in getting you out and finding a way to fix this whole mess to check in with them. You can use my phone though to call and find out but we do need to talk first.”

“About what, Pete? If I don’t want to know what you did or how you did it but I am free then I need to get home to check on Blair.”

“That’s what we need to talk about. You have your life back, as far as I can determine, but Blair is still kinda left in the cold here, Jim. I have a few ideas that I’d like to run past you regarding Blair.”

“He’s not coming to work for you. That’s it and that’s all.”

“This is not about a job offer. Damn, Jim, the last time I saw Blair he was in no shape for anything more complicated than breathing. This is about giving the kid’s reputation back to him. Fact is, he may never get to do anything with it but… Jim, how can you stand it? People thinking that he’s a fraud? I couldn’t if it were one of my guys, especially if it were one that I considered a friend.”

Alex smiled and bowed out of the conversation and the office, nodding to Pete on his way out. He needed to get something to eat himself. Maggie was taking care of Pete but Ellison might need something.

“This is none of your business, Pete.”

“I’m making it my business, Jim.” Pete could feel himself bristling at Jim’s attitude.

Jim shook his head and got up from the chair. “What the hell am I supposed to do here, Pete? It’s done. It’s over. I can’t change the past.”

“True, but you can change the perception people have of the past.”

“What?” He stopped his pacing and stared at Pete as though he had grown another head.

“Jim, come clean. Call your own press conference. Tell the truth.”

“Are you insane?”

Pete sighed. “What do you have to lose?”

“My career! My life! My privacy!”

“And what about Blair’s career? His life? His privacy?”

“I didn’t make him do it!” Jim flung his arms out.

“No, I guess you didn’t.” Sarcasm dripped from his words and he did not feel the slightest bit sorry for it.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You weren’t there. You have no idea what it was like.”

“No, I wasn’t there. I don’t have any idea. But I do know you, Jim. You can be a hard assed son of a bitch when you want to. Are you going to stand there and tell me that you were all sunshine and happiness when the shit hit the fan? Because if you are, I should warn you that I won’t believe a damn word of it.” Pete rolled his eyes as Jim turned away from him.

“What do you want me to say?”

Pete shrugged. “Nothing, I suppose.”

“Besides, I can’t do any of it anymore. If I came out now claiming I was a Sentinel, they’d want proof and I can’t give it to them anymore.”

“We can fake it through a fucking press conference, Jim. Get Jesse on the job with our surveillance equipment and put in a few ringers, and we can get through a few questions. Think about it, Jim. With the truth out there, nobody would dare touch you again. There’d be too much attention if you disappeared.”

“Oh, there’d be attention all right. Every criminal in the world would want to take a shot at me. I’d be dead inside two weeks.”

“Or every criminal would high-tail it out of Cascade.”

Jim glared at him. “You’ve read too many fairy tales. Then there would be legal ramifications. All the scum I put behind bars would be clamoring for new trials.”

“I got good lawyers. I think it can be proven that nothing you did with your senses could not have been done with state of the art equipment.”

“That is not necessarily true.”

“Maybe so, but we can make it have the appearance of being true.”

“How do you sleep at night?”

“How do you?” He knew that one was low but Jim deserved it.

The man’s jaw dropped open for a split second then clenched shut in true, perfect Ellison form. “I can’t do it. If I did, I’d lose everything.”

“You’ve already lost everything that counted, from where I’m sitting. But…” he held up a hand to ward off the explosion, “I can see that you are not going to be open to this so I move on now to my next solution. Actually, I don’t even need you for this one. Not really. You don’t have to do anything but nod a few times.”

“What is it?”

“A little fabrication, that’s all. You and Blair agreed to be part of an internal investigation for the CIA. They were looking for a rogue agent and I put them in touch with you. You and Blair were the bait. Getting the picture?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Not by the time I get through with it.”

“How are you going to pull this off?”

“Ron has graciously agreed to help us out.”

“Now I know you’ve lost what little mind you might have had. The guy has already double-crossed you once and you’re going to give him the chance to do it again.”

“Oh, I think Ron is going to be a good boy now. He has a clearer picture now of what exactly is at stake for him if he fucks with me on this.”

“What did you do?”

“What I had to. Now, are you going to cooperate with me on this? Because I’m going to tell you, Jim, if you don’t, you’re a bigger jackass than I thought. This does not hurt you in any way. What do you say?”

“Do it.”

“Fine.” Pete picked up the phone and dialed Ron’s office. It rang several times before someone picked up. “Frances, is he in?” A sob reached his ear and he stared at the phone in his hand for a minute. “Frances, are you okay?”

“He’s dead, Mr. Devereaux! The police are here right now. They say it looks like it might have been suicide. I left for dinner and when I came back, he was dead!”

“Son of a bitch! Suicide? Are they sure?”

“I don’t know. Would you like to talk to the detective?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll let them work and get back to you or someone later. Frances, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, Mr. Devereaux.” She hung up and Pete placed the receiver back into its cradle slowly. He met Jim Ellison’s confused eyes.

“Ron’s dead. Looks like it might have been suicide.”

“But you’re not sure?”

“No.” Pete got up and went to the door of his office. He scanned the rest of the rooms. Alex was gone. “Surely, he didn’t.”

“What? Who?”

Then Alex was back, walking through the door with two bags in his hands.

“Tell me you didn’t,” Pete blurted out.

“Didn’t what? I thought Maggie was bringing you something to eat so I just got something for me and for him.” Alex nodded toward Jim who was standing behind Pete. “Should I have gotten you something?”

“No, no. Tell me you didn’t kill Ron MacNamara.”

“Of course not! You said wait. I’m waiting.”

Pete released the breath he was holding. “Thank God.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You know I wouldn’t do something like that without your say-so.”

“He’s dead, Alex. He’s dead and we’re screwed.”

“Why are we screwed? Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.”

“I needed him for something.”

“Oh. So what happened to the poor bastard?” It was said with a smile on his face.

“Maybe suicide. You know, it would be just like him to try to fuck me over just once more and off himself before…” Pete remembered that Jim, the cop, was witnessing the exchange and shut up.

“I was never under the illusion you were a choirboy, Pete.”

“I was a choirboy. Once.” Alex grinned wickedly.

“Cut it out.” Pete scolded but then chuckled. “You are so damn bad, Alex. Get in here. We have work to do.” Pete turned and went back to his desk. The other two men followed him.

“Well, so much for your plan,” Jim said dryly as he sat back down.

Pete paused for a moment and thought. True, Ron was dead and of no use to him anymore. Except, yes, as a patsy. The smile that spread over his face was as wicked as Alex’s. “Not necessarily.” He reached for the phone. “If I can’t use Ron to set this up, I’ll use Ron to take the fall.” He grabbed the phone again. “Chad! Hi, buddy. Hey, did you know that you were investigating corruption in the CIA?”

“Who is he talking to now?” Jim asked Alex.

“Chad Ryan, FBI. Nice guy. Golf buddy.”

“You play golf?”

“Of course not. Waste of time, golf. I don’t feel the need to bat some little ball around on the grass. Besides, I wouldn’t be caught dead in those clothes.” He shuddered. “Pete’s golf buddy. Pete never had any fashion sense anyway.”

Jim shook his head and got up from the chair to go stand by the window. It had not escaped his attention that he had been having an inane discussion of golf and golf fashions with a man who was obviously, from what Pete had let slip, a killer. “I want to go home,” he sighed.

Simon snatched the cordless phone off the counter and quickly answered it. “Hello? Hello?” A dial tone answered him. He tried call return but it told him that the number could not be reached with that feature. The caller ID said unknown number. He swore and headed back out onto the patio where Jade was prompting Blair to eat. They had discovered that if food were placed in his hands, he would eat it. Placing it in front of him did no good. It was as if he had to touch it in order to realize that it was there, but then he would also seem to forget about it after a few bites unless his hand was touched. Kit Chase sat next to Blair at the patio table while Jade sat across from them. Jesse Riviera had gone to the loft to pick up more of Blair’s things.

“Who was it?” Chase asked him

“They hung up. Didn’t get to it in time. I hope it wasn’t Jim. I should have had it out here with us anyway.” He shivered a little then. The temperature was dropping as the sun went down. If he was getting cold, he knew Blair had to be cold already. The kid always seemed to be cold. It was time to get him in out of the weather. “It’s getting chilly. We should go inside.”

Chase nodded, then turned Blair to face him. He lifted Blair’s chin so that Blair would be looking him in the face. Simon’s heart nearly burst when he saw a small smile ghost over Blair’s lips. Chase reached for the hamburger that had once again been forgotten. Blair released it.

“He sees you,” Jade spoke before Simon could.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“How is that?”

“I know how to reach him. I told you that.”

“We need to talk, Mr. Chase.”

“That we do, Doc, that we do.” Chase stood. He placed the hamburger down on the paper plate and reached for Blair’s arm. Blair stood and let Chase lead him into the house.

An hour and a half later, Blair was tucked into bed despite the fact that it was only nine o’clock. Simon watched as Chase came out of Darryl’s room where Blair was and make his way down the hallway back to the living room where he and Jade waited. The man smiled at them slightly as he sat down in the recliner across from them. “Who starts?”

“I’d think the ones with the questions and that would be us,” Jade told him.

“Ask. I’ll answer if I can.”

“Why does he acknowledge you and no one else?” Jade asked. Simon anxiously awaited that answer.

“Because I know how to reach him.”

“Explain that,” Simon demanded.

“Captain Banks, Blair’s body is here with us in the physical world but his mind is on the path of the spirits.”

“Great, more mumbo-jumbo.”

“Call it what you will, but the fact remains, he is there and I can reach him because I can travel the spirit paths as well.”

“That makes no sense,” Jade sighed.

“Not to you maybe. Look, Blair is a shaman. He’s in touch with the spiritual. Probably has been his whole life but never realized it. I was born with this gift as well. Difference is, I was taught to use it. Blair wasn’t. Something happened in that place that his mind couldn’t handle, couldn’t accept. In a sense, it overloaded him. His mind sought refuge from it in the only place it could. It was instinct, really.”

“Still doesn’t make sense. You’re talking like this is some real place and Blair’s just on some vacation and only you have the directions how to get there.” Simon was getting frustrated. He hated all this mystical talk.

Chase had the nerve to chuckle at him and Simon gave him his best glare. The man was unfazed. “That’s one way of thinking about it. I’ve been there. He’s at some kind of temple. There’s a wolf with him that’s his spirit guide. He’s scared and with good reason. Predators surrounded the temple. He’s also pissed off. I was serious before when I said that I thought he might kill Ellison. Ellison is one of the predators he sees at the temple.”

“That’s ridiculous! Jim is Blair’s best friend.”

Chase raised an eyebrow at Simon’s statement. “I think that it would be a truer statement to say that he was Blair’s best friend. If I remember correctly, Blair’s in this predicament because of Ellison.”

“What?” Jade turned to Simon. He groaned. He had not told his girlfriend the whole situation. He had only told her that Blair had seen something that traumatized him. “What does Jim have to do with this? Does this have something to do with the dissertation fiasco? You know, I’ve let all that slide because it was your business. Besides, even I could see that Blair was really good at police work, but Simon, this kind of thing is important for his therapist to know!”

Chase was shaking his head. “You people are so dense. It’s time to stop tiptoeing around this, you know?”

“Actually, it’s Jim’s business.”

“It’s my business now as Blair’s therapist,” Jade insisted.

“You two can deal with that later. Do you have any other questions?” Chase intervened.

“Only about a million,” Jade snapped but she was looking at Simon, not Chase when she said it.

“Okay. I’m waiting.”

Simon dropped his eyes but he could still feel Jade’s green eyes burning holes in him. “So, he’s at this temple on the spirit path. How long is he going to be there?”

“I don’t know. Until he can handle what happened. Until he finds some way to cope. Until he feels safe. I just don’t know.”

“Well, if you can reach him, why can’t you bring him out of it?” Simon knew he sounded angry but he could not help that. He was angry. This whole situation was infuriating.

“He won’t leave the temple and I don’t know why.”

“You said that there are predators around the temple. Apparently, he’s afraid, right?” Jade finally spoke again.

“I said it was surrounded by predators. They’re gone but he still won’t leave the steps. He’ll let me come to him but he won’t come to me if I leave the steps of the temple. There is one other thing. You said that he sees me and he does, in a way.”

“What does that mean?”

“He sees me as my spirit guide most of the time.”

“Spirit guides, spirit paths, temples! This is something out of Hollywood, not reality! It’s nonsense.” Simon stood abruptly and started to pace the room.

“You asked.”

“I asked for an explanation! Not a story!”

“Fine, you believe what you believe. I’ll believe what I believe. Don’t ask me anything else. Just remember, I have done what you couldn’t. I’m real to him. You aren’t. Which of us do you think has a better shot of helping him?” Chase stormed out of the house.

Simon sighed and plopped back down on the sofa next to Jade. He flung his arm toward the door in exasperation. “Did you hear that? Mumbo-jumbo. That kid’s as crazy as Sand— I didn’t mean that. Never mind.”

Jade smiled sympathetically and tugged Simon’s arm until he moved in for a hug. “I heard him. And I know you didn’t mean it.”

“You don’t believe all that, do you?” He moved out of her arms.

“No. But I believe that he believes it and, belief or no belief, he’s right. He can do something we can’t with Blair. I don’t know why but that’s no reason to dismiss it either. Now, you and I have something to discuss, do we not? I want the truth, Simon Banks, and I want it now.”

He was hoping that she had forgotten. “I can’t. The secrets aren’t mine to tell. When I hear from Jim, I’ll tell him you need to know and why you need to know. Maybe then I can tell you. You do understand that?”

“I suppose I’ll have to.”

“What the hell did you say to Kit!?” The door flew open and an irate Jesse Riviera blew into the room, flinging a duffel bag on the floor near the recliner that Chase had vacated.

“Riviera, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“He told you about Blair and what he can do and you laughed at him, didn’t you?”

“No, I did not laugh,” Simon said solemnly.

“You threw it back in his face then. Well, that’s gratitude for you. You mark my words, Captain Banks, Kit is the only one here that has any idea how to help Blair and he will figure it out. When he does, you’ll owe him an apology. Another thing, when that happens, I hope like hell Blair accepts Pete’s offer this time. It’s obvious to me that he’s not appreciated around here.”

“Whoa! Whoa! What do you mean he accepts Pete’s offer this time? What kind of offer and when was it made the first time?”

“A job offer. Pete knows talent when he sees it. And it was made the day after Blair gave that press conference. Why?”

“He never said anything.” Simon was astonished.

“He said he had to stay with Jim. Gee, look where that got him. He didn’t want to be a cop, but he would do it for Jim. That’s what he said. We tried to talk him out of it. Pete even said that Jim had a job there too, if that’s what Blair wanted, but Blair said no, that Jim belonged in Cascade and he belonged with Jim. I wonder what he thinks now.”

“What a mess. I wonder if that was where he was going after he cleaned out his things at the station.” Simon was unaware that he had spoken aloud until Riviera responded.

“Where else was he going to go? Then you and Ellison went and offered him a freaking badge and he decided to stay.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said too.” Riviera grabbed the duffel bag up and headed down the hall with it, leaving Simon and Jade alone.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she leaned over and kissed his lips gently. “I have to go, Simon. I have an early morning and if I’m going to get finished at a decent hour to come over and work with Blair, I need to go to bed.”

“Stay here.”

“Simon, honey, you have enough houseguests, don’t you think?” She grinned at him.

He moaned and let his head drop back onto the back of the sofa. He had not thought of the effect his invitation to stay with him would have on his love life.

She laughed. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“What do I do about Chase?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. Like I said, though I’m not sure how he does it, despite his explanation, he does reach Blair. To help him, we have to reach him. Kit may be the link we need to get Blair back.”

Simon nodded. He walked her to her car and kissed her there before she got in and drove away. He saw Kit Chase sitting on the sidewalk and debated going over to the man and apologizing. He stood there for a long moment, contemplating what Chase had had to say. Could it be real? Jim had had visions before, and though Simon thought he was a little nuts, he had still followed Jim to Sierra Verde because of those visions. Jim had even mentioned a temple. But it was so crazy, so unreal. And yet, he had seen Blair look at Chase. He had seen the smile, however small and timid, on Blair’s face. Then there was the time at the hospital when Blair had looked at him. Blair was in there somewhere. Blair’s somewhere could be a temple. Why not? Simon’s feet had carried him over to Kit Chase while his mind sifted through the puzzling thoughts. He sat down on the curb. “I’m sorry.”

Chase turned to look at him with a frown on his face. He shrugged. “Par for the course. So, has Dr. Thomas scheduled me for therapy yet? Does she think a little electro-shock would cure me of my delusions?”

“Actually, she thinks you’re a little weird but okay when taken in small doses. I tried to talk her into the electro-shock thing but she said there would be too much paperwork involved and the hope of success was small,” Simon joked. He hoped that it would break the ice that had formed between them.

It did. Chase finally grinned at him. “Apology accepted. I wasn’t just pouting out here.” He held up his cell phone. “I called my grandfather. I told him what was happening and he had an idea. Problem is, it requires that I make Blair talk to me. He’s never done that. Of course, I haven’t really talked to him either. But I’m going to try, starting tomorrow.”

Simon refrained from expressing his thoughts. He still had a hard time believing that Chase was meeting up with Blair on some spiritual path. If it worked, then he would believe. Until then, he would keep his doubts to himself and hope for a miracle.

Jim was very tired of waiting around. He had tried to call Simon earlier but got no answer. He sat at the table across from Pete and Chad Ryan as Pete went over his fabricated file on a non-existent investigation and used MacNamara’s own files as his evidence. It frightened Jim just how good he was. Pete’s “documentation” would probably stand up to even close scrutiny, though Jim doubted there would be any close scrutiny. No, it would be considered a cut and dried case. Pete was an expert at knowing just how much truth to put in to pad the lies. Ryan could only scold Pete for not calling him in sooner. Jim was amazed at how well Pete deflected the man’s reprimand with a few words about how he wanted to but things blew up in his face when Rose and Adler moved in before he could. Ryan accepted that easily. It seemed that Ryan had no love for MacNamara and had long suspected that he was dirty but had no proof. Jim figured he was just happy to be right. Ryan also got on the phone and issued an ABP for Rose for kidnapping.

According to the “investigation,” MacNamara had conspired with Rose and Adler to get Pentagon funding for a study of people with enhanced senses. They had gotten their hands on a copy of Blair’s master thesis on sentinels and hatched a plan to start a sentinel breeding program by “recruiting” people with one or two enhanced senses and then with selective breeding and genetic tampering, breed full sentinels. Alex Barnes, the papers said, was a pawn in all of this. She was the first person they discovered with all five senses enhanced and had been driven insane by their testing. At which point, she escaped and tried to find the only person that she thought could help her, the man who wrote the paper that she had heard them talk about, Blair Sandburg. In a moment of paranoia, she accused him of being one of “them” and tried to kill him. After her capture, in Pete’s version of history, Barnes was taken by Rose and re-entered into the program.

When Blair recovered from the attempt on his life, he had recruited Pete, afraid that someone in the government was involved and not sure whom to trust. He asked Pete to help him find out if the “them” she had talked about were real. They decided that Blair would write a paper about Jim Ellison, modern sentinel, and word would somehow spread about Sandburg’s “research.” There was some credence to said research in that in his work as a cop, Jim had at times exhibited some above average sensory abilities, which could even be backed up with reports from their cases.

In the course of his investigation, Pete found evidence of CIA involvement. He had planned to contact Ryan then. However, all hell broke loose when the false dissertation was leaked to the general public through the press. In an attempt at damage control, Sandburg was forced to recant it, also publicly, as MacNamara could not and would not grab Jim right out of the limelight. When the furor of the scandal died down, MacNamara then made his move, only to be double-crossed by his accomplices, dragging Pete, Jim and Blair along for the ride. When Pete managed to finally get the upper hand, he told MacNamara that he planned on exposing him and the man had killed himself rather than face prison.

The next morning, they would take their file, along with MacNamara’s with Pete’s alterations, to Senator Adams, Head of the Senate Intelligence Oversight Committee. In one fell swoop, Pete would give Blair and Jim their lives back and pin the whole mess on a dead man with the FBI's unwitting blessing. Jim would be there with them, nodding at the appropriate times, answering any questions the man had as succinctly as possible. It would work. Pete was that good. Jim hoped he never had to go against the man. Even if he still had his senses, he still might lose to Pete.

That thought jarred him a bit. For the first time in days, he noticed the distinct absence of his enhanced senses. With MacNamara, he was just thankful not to have them and gave it no more thought but now, as he sat there listening to the two men across the table from him make plans for his life, he really noticed. It was like all of those imaginary dials Blair had invented for him were stuck at five. He thought of all the times that he cursed his sentinel abilities and wanted them to disappear and wished he could take all those curses back. Reality hit him hard in the center of his chest. He was normal at last but the cost of his normalcy had been far too high to pay. Blair had paid the vast majority of that cost. That was what hit the hardest. One way or another, Jim was going to lose Blair, either to the insanity that gripped him or to the hatred that he must feel for Jim for all the things that Jim had done wrong.

“Jim!”

“What?” Jim’s head snapped around to face Pete.

“I asked if there was anybody at Rainier that would back us on this? Say that they knew about it? Money could buy us somebody but I’d rather use someone that knows and respects Blair. At any rate, we may need a faculty member to smooth things with the administration and his dissertation committee. Hey, we could say that Blair was actually doing a paper on enhanced senses! We could say that he was using Alex Barnes as the subject but using your name so that it fit with our plan. That way, his dissertation committee can’t really complain. That explains any part of the dissertation they might have read, right? I can make that work. Yeah, let me work on that.” The man’s attention went back down to the paper in front of him.

“Eli Stoddard, maybe. Carter Meeks, yeah, Dr. Carter Meeks. He’d back you if you needed it. Stoddard may be off somewhere, but Meeks was there just before all this happened. He should be there,” Jim told him anyway.

“Good, good. Nice to have a back-up,” Pete mumbled absently as he continued to scribble. “Should be in a faculty directory somewhere. I’ll find him. It’s not too late on the west coast.” One hand reached blindly for the phone and found it. He then looked to Chad and smiled a very convincing sheepish smile. “Base I didn’t cover. Didn’t think we’d have to until that jackass publisher leaked the phony copy of the dissertation to the press. Give me a minute here.” Pete slid a glance over in Jim’s direction that held a warning to keep his mouth shut. As if Jim needed such a warning. Jim found he could not deal with the accusing looks another minute.

“I’m going for a walk.” Jim got up.

“Don’t go far. Maybe take Alex with you. Rose is still out there, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Have to find him, too, the bastard. Can’t have him running around fucking this up.” Did Pete even realize that he was speaking out loud, Jim wondered. Did he care?

Ryan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He probably did not want to know. Jim decided to leave it alone too. He would leave Pete to deal with it all. He did not really have a choice after all. Meeks would say whatever Pete told him to say. The professor cared that much for Blair and had even called after the press conference to say that he knew Blair had a good reason for what he did. He would believe that this was Blair’s good reason and back Pete’s story all the way. Pete would get Blair reinstated in the doctoral program, probably with back pay before it was over. Of course, a whole lot of good that did with Blair in a catatonic state. Jim rubbed his temples. He suddenly had a headache.

Alex was in the outer office, drinking coffee and fiddling with something. On closer inspection, Jim realized that he was looking at a remote control detonation device. “Shit.”

“What?” The man seemed genuinely puzzled at Jim’s reaction.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, this? Just a little toy.” He looked the device over once more then tossed it on the secretary’s desk. The woman had gone home hours ago. Jim figured that was for the best. Of course, she was probably used to stuff like that. “Want some coffee?”

The question was casual, as casual as the toss. “Who are you?” he asked before he was able to stop himself.

“I’m Alex. We covered that already.”

Jim shook his head. “This is a nightmare. I’m sitting around here watching god knows how many crimes being perpetrated and doing nothing about it. Hell, I’m part of it all!”

“It happens to the best of us.”

“There’s something about you…makes me nervous.”

“Like what?” The casualness was gone. He stood. “Do I offend your sensibilities somehow?”

“I don’t know what to make of you. You’re obviously a killer.”

“Yes, I am. But then, so are you. Deny it and you lie. You were a soldier. You killed when they told you to. So did I. It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t something I got off on. It was duty. I did my duty until it cost me too much and I quit. I’ve killed since but for a different kind of duty. I protect those that can’t protect themselves. I take scum off the streets and out of this world before they can hurt the innocent. Seems to me that we are quite alike, you and I. The only difference is you have a badge and I don’t. Of course, that leads me to another difference. You have to follow the rules even when the rules let the guilty prosper. I don’t. I like my way better.”

“Your way is still against the law.”

“Ah, rules, rules, rules. You know something, Ellison? I know what your problem is. You see in black and white. There are no gray areas, no colors, just your way or no way at all. That’s why you’re sitting here doing nothing right now as you put it. The fact of the matter is your whole life has fallen into one of those gray areas that you refuse to acknowledge even exist and you’re lost. So you sit here and react instead of act and get pissy with me because you don’t know what to do. I’ll tell you what to do. Say thank you very much for what Pete is doing for your sorry ass, then forget what you saw here, and try to pick up the pieces of your life and go on. Otherwise, you and I have nothing more to discuss until you think you can look at me without judgment in your eyes. You do not know me, and you cannot judge me. But I know you because I’ve been where you are. Hell, I was you on a day long ago. Even in that, you have one up on me. You can still get back what you lost. I can’t. Be grateful.”

“Guys? Is there a problem?” Pete stuck his head out the office door.

“No, no problem. I’m heading out for the night, if you don’t need me,” Alex announced.

“No, go on. We got it covered,” Pete told him.

Jim watched the man grab his jacket and leave without another word.

“What happened out here?” Pete asked him when he was gone.

“I got told to go to hell, not in so many words, but that was the meaning,” Jim answered.

“Alex is… well, he’s Alex.” Pete shrugged his shoulders.

“What happened to him?”

“Lost his wife to friendly fire in Northern Ireland. They let the guy go with a written reprimand. Alex tried to kill the guy with his bare hands in the courtroom and ended up in a mental hospital for thirty days. When he got out, he was also out of a job and the guy was gone. Friend of mine in MI-5 called me up and told me about him and I hired him. He’s very good at what he does. They trained him well. And Alex isn’t crazy. Alex is just, I don’t know, sad.”

“Well, if I don’t get the chance, tell him I’m sorry and that he’s right. He does know me.”

Senator Adams sat back in his desk and clasped one hand over his eyes for a moment. Pete shifted in his chair. “So, you see, Senator, we just got swept along in all this. Blair Sandburg lost his career and his reputation trying to help expose this—this…” Pete gestured to the open files on the Senator’s desk.

“Travesty? Mockery of democratic principles? Attack on humanity itself?” The Senator’s voice was gaining in volume. “My god! I knew that there was something going on over there but this! This is just a nightmare! It’s something out of Nazi Germany! Or Stephen King, maybe.” Adams closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he whispered, “MacNamara better be glad he’s dead. Bastard.”

“Senator, there’s nothing we can do at this point to give Jim or Blair back that time they spent as prisoners but we can at the very least make sure that Blair gets his good name back. We can let people know that he’s not a fraud. Please, sir.” Pete glanced at Jim who sat like a stone statue in the chair next to him. Jim did not turn to meet his eyes.

“Of course, of course! I don’t think we need to let all of this out, you understand? Can you imagine that backlash? But, we can and we will make it known that the boy was in the service of his country and that he did what he had to do to rid the country of a threat. I’ll get my aide on that right away. I must ask you though. You say he’s damaged, mentally?”

“Yes, sir. We are hoping that it’s only temporary though. He’s getting the best of care.”

“Perhaps we can get some sort of compensation for him. I’ll check on that as well.”

Jim started to say something, but Pete grabbed his arm and answered first. “That would be greatly appreciated, sir. Sir, you do realize that in order for this to do any good, it has to be pretty public. You know, a press conference or some sort would be quite helpful. I got in touch with Dr. Carter Meeks at Rainier. He was the only staff member that had any information on what we were doing. Even he didn’t get the whole story but he knew enough to know that Blair was working on something important. He told me that he could call a press conference there at Rainier. If you or your aide could be there and say a few words, it would go a long way in helping Blair get his life back. I plan to be there and Chad Ryan will be there, but sir, if it came from your office, no one would question it.”

Adams was nodding and Pete gave a silent sigh of relief. “I think that can be arranged. I can’t go, but I can send Ken. I have to take this to the committee. You and Ryan have done our jobs for us with the investigation but there are some things that we will need to discuss and actions we need to take. For example, I think that MacNamara’s estate should pay for Mr. Sandburg’s care, don’t you?”

Pete could not help the grin that spread over his face. “Yes, sir. I think that’s an excellent idea.”

Adams nodded. “And I suppose that this really isn’t completely over until Rose is in custody. I never liked that man. I met him a few times. He always made my skin crawl. At any rate, you arrange that press conference and I’ll discuss with Ken just what we can disclose and get him out there to Washington. He’ll be there tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Is that sufficient?”

“Yes, sir. More than sufficient. Thank you.”

“Peter, in the past, you have irritated me; you’ve done things that are quite questionable legally, but son, this time, you did good.” Adams stood and offered his hand across his desk to Pete. Pete rose from the chair and accepted it.

“Thank you, sir.” If the Senator thought the smile on Pete’s face was caused by his praise that was just fine and dandy.

“Mr. Ellison,” the man continued, “this country owes you a debt of gratitude as well.” He offered his hand to Jim. Jim rose as well and shook the man’s hand.

“Thank you, Senator.”

“Well, Senator, thanks for your time and your help with this. Jim is anxious to get back home.”

“I can certainly understand that. Good luck to you, Mr. Ellison. On behalf of the nation, my sincerest apologies.”

Jim nodded and moved quickly out of the office.

“He’s a little upset still. I’m sure you can understand. Blair is his best friend.”

The Senator shook his head and waved off the explanation. “You don’t need to explain. In his shoes, I’d be a little pre-occupied too. Get the man home and leave the rest to me.”

“Senator, your wish is my command. I feel better already, knowing you’re on the case.”

“Peter, save the bullshit for the people who don’t know you, son. I’m not buying it.”

Pete grinned. “Yes, sir. Been a pleasure to see you again, sir.”

“Right. Take care of yourself, Pete.”

“You too, sir.” Pete backed out of the office. Outside the door, Jim waited for him. Pete winked at him and headed for the elevator. Neither of them said a word as they waited. The elevator arrived and they boarded it, still silent. When they reached the first floor, Pete led the way out of the building and to his car. Only then, inside the confines of the car did Pete allow himself a small celebration. He pounded the steering wheel and whooped. Jim was glaring at him. “What’s your problem, man? It worked! You get your life back, Jim, with the gratitude of the nation.” Pete did a pretty good imitation of the Senator, if he did say so himself.

“We just lied through our teeth to a United States Senator. Forgive me if I have a little trouble understanding your need to rejoice.”

“Actually, I lied through my teeth. You just sat there like a lump. Good thing I didn’t need you. Oh, and just for the record, that’s not the first time I’ve lied to help a friend and it probably won’t be the last. The government lies all the damn time. So this time they get screwed, big deal. But, you know, since we are on the subject, I’d just like to take this opportunity to point out that I had to lie because you wouldn’t let me tell the truth. I gave you that choice, remember? But, oh no, can’t have anybody think that Jim Ellison isn’t 100% normal. Heaven forbid! Although, who the hell knows what normal is? God knows, I don’t. One look at my employees would tell you that. You know what I think?”

“No, but I suppose you’re going to tell me.”

“Damn right I am. I think that you’re scared half out of your mind of losing Blair Sandburg. That’s what I think. You need him to be dependent on you. You liked the fact that he had nowhere to go and had to take you up on your generous offer of a badge and gun. But guess what, Jim! That wasn’t his only option! You were not the only one he could turn to. I offered him a job and if you hadn’t made that ‘hail Mary’ save right there at the end, he’d be in my employ right now. How do you like them apples, as my grandma used to say? So, big fat fucking deal, I lied. You lie whenever it suits you, I’ve noticed. So you sit there and hide your insecurities behind that pathetic excuse of ‘you lied, Pete’ and I’ll do whatever I have to to give Blair his life and his options back. And quite frankly, if I have to lie to every damn agency and every damn politician in this fucking town, so be it!”

“You scare me, Pete.”

Pete could not help but laugh. “Hey, you know what, Jim? Sometimes, I scare me too. I get over it. So should you.”

“Just get me to the damned airport, please. I want to go home.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Pete shook his head and started the car.

Jim sat silent in the passenger seat as Pete pulled out into traffic. His jaw was clenched so tight that it hurt, but he could not seem to release the tension there. Pete had hit so many raw nerves that Jim felt as though he would fly apart at the seams if he even moved the slightest bit. He was afraid of being labeled abnormal. He was afraid of losing Blair. He did want Blair to be dependent on him but at the same time, he resented being dependent on Blair. But he was not dependent on Blair anymore. The sentinel senses were gone. So why the abject terror at the thought that Blair might move on? Pain sliced through his chest and somehow he knew that it had nothing to do with anything physical. The prospect of life without Blair was too painful to contemplate.

He had made a fatal error, the very one that his father had always warned him about. He cared. What was more, he let someone care about him. It was then that he realized that he was dependent on Blair and not because of his senses. Blair Sandburg had become so much more than researcher and guide. He had become the closest thing Jim had to family. Sure, his father was alive; he had a brother, but blood relations do not always a family make. Caring made a family and Blair was the first person that had ever cared enough about him to stick around.

Shame swept over him and his face felt hot. Blair stayed, in spite of everything Jim had done to drive him away. He stayed, despite the fact that he did not want to be a cop. Pete was right. Jim did think that he had offered Blair his only chance for a future. Jim also arrogantly believed that Blair stayed only because he had to. It was easier to think that because then Jim could say that Blair did not really care that much. He just knew he had no other choice. Now, Jim knew better and it made everything he had done seem that much worse.

“I’m sorry,” he heard himself say. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Jim,” Pete answered.

“I don’t want Blair working for you.”

“That’s not going to be up to you, now is it?”

“No.”

“Well, I’m glad that you do at least realize that. I will say though, that I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that. I think he’ll want to finish his doctorate. After that, I don’t know but I don’t think I’ll be his first choice.”

“Thank you for giving him the choice.”

“Whoa, that had to hurt to say.”

“More than you know.”

Pete laughed. “You are such a jerk, Jim. You better be glad that, despite your many faults, your friends like you.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You’re quite welcome. So you know, we leave in the morning for Cascade. I have to tie up a few things here before we go and Chad can’t get away tonight.”

Jim did not want to wait another night but he sighed and resigned himself to it. He nodded and turned to stare out the window again and watch D.C. go by.

The cougar was back again. He watched it approach the temple. Silently, it ascended the steps. It came to a stop before him and changed. The shaman smiled at him. He smiled back.

“It’s time to come home, Blair.” The voice startled him. He had seen the shaman’s lips move but the sound seemed to come from everywhere all at once.

He wondered what the man meant. He was home. Here was where he belonged. It was where he wanted to be.

The shaman shook his head. “This is not your home. You can’t stay here forever. It was a safe haven for you but now you’ve made it a prison.”

He did not like the man’s words. He covered his ears with his hands but the shaman simply removed them. “You have to listen. See the wolf. You keep him close but you won’t let him in. You’re rejecting who you are when you reject him. That’s holding you here. Come with me.” The shaman held out his hand. He wanted to take it but he was afraid. The wolf nudged him. “Let the wolf in and then come with me.”

No, letting the wolf in meant pain. He could not be what the wolf wanted him to be. He could not be what the shaman wanted him to be. That path led back to the one who betrayed him, left him here alone to be hunted and trapped. He shook his head.

“Please. I’ll protect you. I swear it. You have people who care about you, out there. We will all protect you.”

He looked back at the temple. He did not want to be alone there anymore. He took the shaman’s hand.

“That’s it. Come with me.” The shaman led the way down the temple steps. He paused at the final step. He looked down to the wolf at his side. The shaman nodded. He closed his eyes and waited. That was when he heard it; the roar of a great cat. His eyes snapped open and he backed up the steps, pulling his hand away from the shaman. The wolf whimpered and followed him. The roar sounded again and he saw a flash of black in the jungle. The black jaguar was back. He glared at the shaman. The man had tried to trick him.

“No, no, Blair. It’s okay.”

He turned away and raced back up the steps, resuming his lookout.

“Damn it!” Kit shouted as he was thrown out of the dream state by Blair Sandburg’s rejection.

“What is it?” Jesse rushed into the room.

“Ellison’s back in town.” Kit looked at the figure of Blair Sandburg on the bed in front of him, seemingly unaware of his real surroundings.

“How do you know?”

“Saw him. So did Blair, unfortunately, before I could get him to come with me.”

Kit’s cell phone rang then and he answered it. “Chase.”

“Kit, just touched down at the airport. How are things? Any change?”

“No.”

“I can’t believe you two took him out of the hospital. Well, wait, yes, I can. This is you and Jess I’m dealing with, right? I haven’t told Jim, you know. He’s not going to be happy.”

“Where is his majesty?”

“Calling Banks from the pay phone. I’ll let Banks deal with the initial explosion. I’ll have to hear enough after he gets off the phone. We have to go straight to the university.”

“University?”

“Yeah, worked some magic. You guys pay attention to the television for the next hour or so. If I wrote books, I’d have the Pulitzer sown up right about now. Anyway, we’ll be where you are right after this press conference. You might want to prepare for Hurricane Ellison.”

“Couldn’t you just keep him in D.C. for just a little longer?”

“Kit, don’t ask me silly questions.”

“I almost had him, Pete. Then he saw Ellison.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nothing. We’ll see you when you get here.” Kit hung up. “Pete says we need to be watching the TV for a while. Go turn it on and I’ll be right there.”

“Gotcha.” Jess left him alone with Blair.

“You think I tried to trick you. I didn’t.” He sighed. “You’re so pissed off. That’s the problem, isn’t it? Never been quite this pissed off before and you scared yourself. You’re afraid of the pain, afraid of the anger. Afraid of facing what you are because you think it means you have to accept the hurt. It doesn’t mean that at all. You were born a shaman, Blair. You chose to be a guide. You can walk away. Especially now. There is no sentinel. I know you can hear me. You hear what you want to hear. You know what you want to know. It’s okay to be mad. It’s okay to kick his ass if you want. It’s okay to be scared and it’s certainly okay to choose to walk away.” He got up and walked out of the room, turning out the light as he went.

“Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. I’m Dr. Carter Meeks and we are here today to right a wrong. With me, are Mr. Kenneth Russell, aide to Senator Adams, Peter Devereaux, private investigator, Special Agent Chad Ryan of the FBI and Detective Jim Ellison of the Cascade Police Department. I’ll step aside now and let Mr. Russell explain to you the reason you are all here. Mr. Russell?”

“Thank you, Dr. Meeks. Ladies and Gentlemen, as Dr. Meeks has told you, I’m an aide to Senator Adams. Most of you know that the Senator is the Head of the Intelligence Oversight Committee. The Senator has been concerned about internal problems in the CIA. He has been in the process of investigating these problems for a while now. To aid him in this investigation, he enlisted the help of the FBI and Mr. Devereaux. Mr. Devereaux then enlisted the help of Detective Ellison and his civilian partner, Blair Sandburg, a consultant to the police department and doctoral student here at Rainier. Mr. Sandburg, Detective Ellison, and Mr. Devereaux then set up a sting operation in conjunction with the FBI to capture what they believed to be a mole. Mr. Sandburg was a main part of that sting operation as he was to write a false dissertation to bait the mole into making a move so that he could be captured. That dissertation, as most of you have guessed, claimed that Detective Ellison was a genetically enhanced human called a sentinel. Given the fact that Detective Ellison has, on occasion, shown an enhanced sense of hearing, and that Mr. Sandburg has studied other individuals with one or two enhanced senses, it was not difficult for him to put together enough evidence to make the dissertation credible.” Russell paused to take a breath.

“There was just one problem,” he continued. “The dissertation was inadvertently released to the press and in order to save the operation, he was forced to recant it publicly while, through certain channels, maintaining its validity. The operation is now over. The threat has been eliminated. Further details of the operation cannot be discussed at this time. However, we can now exonerate Mr. Sandburg of his supposed fraud. We can only hope that Mr. Sandburg’s advisors here at Rainier will reinstate him into the doctoral program where he can finish his real dissertation. I will take questions now, just be aware that there are some things that I cannot and will not discuss.”

The resulting cacophony was deafening even without sentinel senses. Finally, Russell pointed to a reporter and the others settled down to listen to the question. “Mr. Russell, where is Blair Sandburg now? Why isn’t he here?”

“Unfortunately, Mr. Sandburg was injured during the course of the investigation. He is unable to be here at this time. Yes?” He pointed to another reporter before the noise could start up again. Jim was grateful for that. He was getting a headache.

“Mr. Ellison, why did you participate in the investigation? Why were you chosen?”

Jim looked to Russell then spoke. “There were rumors that there were groups, foreign and domestic, who were interested in genetic engineering using people with enhanced senses as their starting point. The discovery that someone in a government agency was apparently obtaining data in such an area, where there was no legitimate basis for the interest, concerned Sandburg, because he had studied many people with one or a few enhanced senses and felt an obligation to provide them with whatever protection he could. Mr. Devereaux is a personal friend of ours and knew of Blair’s work. It fit with what the investigation needed and asked for our help to pull it off.” Jim said what Russell had told him to say and stepped back. There were more questions but he was not called on to answer any more of them. Instead, he focused his attention inward. He still had to figure out how to make all this up to Blair. Since he had ceased to pay attention, he almost missed it when someone asked a question of someone not behind the podium.

“Chancellor Edwards, what does this mean for Blair Sandburg? Now that the university knows that he was in the service of the country and that the paper you fired him for was not his dissertation, will he be reinstated or not? And will he get his job back?”

Jim turned to look at the woman who stood off to one side glowering at them all.

“Well, we will have to actually speak to Mr. Sandburg and meet privately with the gentlemen here but, um, of course we will seriously consider this new information.”

Jim wanted to tear into the woman but Pete grabbed his arm and shook his head at him. Pete grinned at him as a reporter did what Jim wanted to do.

“Ms. Edwards, are you saying that the university may NOT choose to reinstate Mr. Sandburg even after he risked his career and apparently his life for his country? Surely that won’t be the case.”

“Well, there are other considerations besides the dissertation. Mr. Sandburg lied to this university. He hid his involvement with this from…”

“Let me get this straight. You think that he should have told you about a secret government investigation because--?” Pete cocked his head at her in inquiry.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Chancellor, weren’t you involved in some small way in the release of the dissertation? As I recall, you called a press conference to announce Mr. Sandburg’s work, despite the fact that he had tried to suppress it and told you and everyone else that he did not want it released.” Jim saw the glitter in Pete’s eyes. The man was so very good at manipulation. The woman did not dare deny Blair his chance now.

“There was a misunderstanding. I’m sure that once everyone sits down and works through this mess, he’ll be allowed to continue his studies.” She gave the assembled audience a strained, fake smile and made a show of sitting down in an empty chair and straightening her dress.

“It’s always better to let someone else do the dirty work, Jim.” Pete winked at him.

Russell was thanking everyone for coming. The press conference was over. Jim was inordinately relieved. It was getting harder and harder to keep the ever-changing stories straight. Pete told it one way. Adams and Russell told it another. Everybody wanted credit; nobody wanted blame. Was that not just the way of the world? At least it was in Jim’s world lately. Now that this was over though, Jim had to prepare himself to face his own responsibility in the hell that had become his life. He had to once again face Blair and this time, he had to try to repair the damage. There was no more putting it off. He was not feeling relieved anymore. It suddenly occurred to him that what had gone before was the easy part. Now, the hard part began. Now, he had to regain the trust and friendship of Blair Sandburg. Something told him that it was not going to be easy. He wondered if it would even be possible.

The jaguar was coming closer. He watched it from the temple door. Part of him wanted to kill the animal before it could hurt him again. The jaguar had hurt him before. He could not let it near again. Another part of him felt drawn to the animal, however. He could vaguely remember a time when he and the jag hunted together. The conflicting feelings warred within him. The wolf was becoming restless. It stood and circled him before stopping in front of him and placing its nose against his chest. He pushed it gently away and covered the spot the animal had touched with his hands. It whimpered but relented. Its sad eyes stared at him. He understood. It would not leave him but his rejection had hurt. Guilt cut him. He knew how the wolf felt. He shifted his gaze to the jungle again, his eyes automatically searching out the intermittent flashes of black amongst the green. A voice came to his ears, a voice from his memory.

I have a guide, Sandburg. He angrily wiped the tears away. He had to be vigilant. He did not have time for tears. The jaguar was out there and it was not his friend. It wanted to hurt him. He would hurt it instead. He would kill it if he had to. He desperately hoped he would not have to do that. Still, he let his anger burn away the sadness that had almost consumed him. The cat roared and he answered it with a growl, a warning to stay away. He would not be hurt again.

Simon considered using the siren as he sped through the streets of Cascade. He needed to be there when Jim got to his house. He knew that his detective was very angry over the stunt that Chase and Riviera had pulled to get Blair out of the hospital. Despite the fact that Simon had explained why they did it and that he would have done the same thing, Jim was still furious. Simon had been tempted to tell him to shut up and get over it, but he did not. He knew why Jim was angry. Even if Jim did not know himself, Simon knew. The man was upset that it had been Chase and Riviera to Blair’s rescue this time instead of him. He was upset, too, that he had put Blair in the position of needing to be rescued from the hospital in the first place. Yet, Simon knew that he would take his anger with himself out on the two men that, in essence, took his place. It would not be a pleasant situation. Devereaux would take up for his men well enough, Simon realized, but at the same time, it would be his house that took the brunt of the fallout. Yes, he needed to be there. He buzzed by a blue haired old lady in a ’72 Buick moving all of 30 MPH and pushed his foot to the floor once again.

As he turned onto his street, he saw a rental car pulling into his drive. He zipped in behind it and got out. Jim and Peter Devereaux got out of the rental at the same time. They were already arguing.

“They did what they had to! Hell, Jim, they did what you would have had you been here! You’re just pissed that you weren’t here.” Devereaux was voicing Simon’s own opinions.

“Jim, he’s right.” Simon approached the man.

“Simon,” he greeted.

“Nice to have you back, Jim.” Simon extended his hand for a handshake then, when Jim accepted his hand, pulled the man into a brief hug. He slapped Jim on the back and released him.

“Thank you, Simon. Are they in there?”

“Yes.”

“Blair?”

“Of course.” Simon watched as Jim’s jaw clenched and he turned to stare at the house.

“How is he?”

“The same. No change.”

Jim nodded.

“Captain Banks, thanks for looking out for my guys.” Devereaux circled the car and offered his hand.

Simon took it and grinned. “You should be thanking me for not throwing their asses in jail. I may agree with the spirit of it but it was still fraud.”

Devereaux cleared his throat. “Well, that too. Of course, you know I could have found Naomi Sandburg and had her swear that she really had adopted Jess while putting together all the necessary documentation to have it look all legal. That paperwork would just magically appear in court records and no more fraud.” The man was grinning at him. It irked Simon.

“He’s not lying, Simon. If anybody could, it would be him.” Jim glared at Devereaux.

Simon frowned. “I don’t think I want to hear anything else. Just be thankful and when this is over, stay out of my city.”

“That’s gratitude for you,” Devereaux laughed.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, both Jim and Blair are back safe. Everything, or almost everything is back to status quo,” he said, glancing at Jim, “I’m a grateful man. That’s why I want you gone. Eventually, you would do something stupid and I don’t want to have to be the one to arrest you. Now, Jim, are you calm enough to go inside and deal with this like adults or do we stand here on the lawn all night?”

“I want to see Blair. I won’t say anything to them. I’m calm.” The jaw was still clenched, the eyes still hard.

“Right. Sure you are, Jim,” Devereaux remarked sarcastically.

“Devereaux, you are not helping,” Simon snapped.

“Sorry, sir.”

“To use your own words, right, sure you are.” Simon turned back to Jim. “Let’s go then.” He put one hand on Jim’s shoulder and gently steered him toward the house. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Simon asked as they walked.

“I’m fine. I said I wouldn’t bother them and I won’t.”

“That’s not what I meant. Physically, all that? We had other things to worry about last time I saw you so I honestly forgot to ask.”

Jim almost smiled but given his current mood, it more resembled a grimace. “I was a valuable commodity, Simon. They didn’t hurt me.”

Simon did not know quite what to say to that.

“Too bad that protection didn’t extend to Blair.” Jim stopped at the door and turned to look into his face. “I swear, Simon, I never meant for him to be hurt. I didn’t know what to do so I did nothing. What’s that famous saying? About evil triumphing because good men do nothing? I had forgotten that.”

“That was Lincoln, I believe.”

“Nope!” Devereaux spoke up. “It was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

“How the hell would you know, Devereaux?” Simon asked.

“Because Alex plastered the damn thing on my office wall once when I pissed him off. No need to go into details, right? I’d rather not.” The man looked sheepish all of a sudden and Simon decided that one day he would like to go into the details. “Anyway, it goes, ‘the only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’”

“Yeah. That’s it.” Jim sighed. “Well, I’m stalling. Let’s do this.” He reached for the doorknob and swept into the house like a man with a purpose.

Ten minutes later, he was standing at the patio doors, one hand on the glass. It was where he had been since Riviera had told them that Blair was on the patio with Chase and Jade. It was like he was transfixed, stuck there, unable to move forward or back. Simon had gone out to greet Jade but returned to his friend’s side. “Jim, aren’t you coming outside?”

Jim shook his head. Simon allowed his gaze to follow Jim’s back to the patio table. Jade was attempting to get Blair to draw on paper with a blue crayon. Mostly, she was doing the drawing, her hand wrapped around Sandburg’s and moving it around the paper. Amazingly enough, Kit Chase sat across from them, drawing himself. Simon had sneaked a peek at the drawing while he was out there. Chase was drawing a wolf. It was a pretty good rendering, too. He had some talent.

“I can’t do it, Simon. I can’t. I’ll only screw it up worse than it is already.”

“Jim, you’re doing nothing again.” Simon hoped throwing the man’s words back into his face would help.

Jim shook his head again. “No, in this case, I think I am the evil.”

“Jim, don’t do this. That kid needs you.”

“Is Chase a sentinel or not? Have you noticed anything?”

“No. Why don’t you ask the man, Jim?”

Jim chuckled but it had a bitter edge. “He’d just as soon shoot me as look at me. Besides, I don’t suppose it matters. I’ll get Pete to take me home. I’ll be back in to work tomorrow. Unless you have any objections, that is? Hell, do I even have a job anymore?”

“Of course, you have a damn job, Jim!” Simon took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “You can come back to work whenever you’re ready. But Jim, I don’t like this. You have to at least try to reach him!” Simon pointed to Blair. “Don’t walk away from him.”

“I don’t have the right to stay.” He turned and headed toward the front door.

“Bullshit! You don’t have the guts to stay!” That stopped him in his tracks but Simon did not stop there. “Okay, you say you caused this? Then I say it’s your responsibility to fix it. Time to face the music, Ellison.”

“I don’t know how! I don’t even know where to begin! How do you fix this? How do you take back a betrayal? Especially one this big? How do I even start to make it all up to him? Tell me, Simon, because I need to know! I fucked this up so badly. I accused him of betrayal, Simon. More than once. All the while, I was the one doing the betraying. I’ll bet Jade would say that I was projecting. Heard that one before, Simon? Where you accuse others of what you are guilty of to ease your conscience? Yeah, that’s what I did. I accused, I belittled, I insulted, I hurt him. For what? Why? Pete’s right. You’re right. You’re all right! This is my own damn fault. My pride could not accept the fact that I needed somebody, anybody, so I pushed him away, I shut him out. I didn’t want to be thought of as a freak so I hid and let him take the fall for my weakness. I even had the audacity to say to myself and you and anybody else who knew the real story that I didn’t ask him to do it so it wasn’t my fault. No, I didn’t ask but I certainly didn’t give him another choice, now did I? It was my way or no way at all. Then, to add insult to injury, or injury to insult, how ever you want to look at it, I let them do that!” He flung his hand in the direction of the patio. “While I did nothing. Did you know that I got whatever I wanted to eat in that compound? I wonder what he got? I got outside and I exercised and even enjoyed some of it. I bet he never got out of that room, except for his escape attempt. Nobody touched me; I was the golden boy, not so much as one bruise. I watched as they tortured him, drugged him. I stood right there and never flinched. Couldn’t let them know I cared. I had this crazy notion that if they thought I didn’t care, they’d leave him alone. I mean, wasn’t that his purpose there? To keep me in line? I was wrong. I didn’t know. God help me, I didn’t know. And now, you think that I can help him? You think he’d even want my help? If I were Blair, I would never want to see me again. I might even hire Pete to kill me.” He burst out laughing then and Simon began to seriously worry about the man’s sanity. He caught Devereaux’s eyes and saw the same concern there.

“Jim, it’ll be okay. Just give it some time. Blair cares about you.” It sounded pathetic, even to Simon’s ears as he said it.

“Sure it will. Pete, take me home.” Ellison walked out of the house then without a backward glance.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with him tonight,” Devereaux told Simon before leaving as well.

Simon stood in the middle of his living room floor for long moments before he felt as though he could move without his legs giving out on him. He was so very tired. He made it to his recliner and sat down heavily.

A cup of coffee appeared under his nose and he took it gratefully. “Thanks.” He looked up into the face of Jesse Riviera.

“Welcome.” An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Jesse broke it. “Pete will take care of him.”

Simon nodded. “You were scarce while he was here.”

“Didn’t want to get into an argument with him. I’m not sorry about what I did.”

“I know. I’m not sorry you did it, Jesse.”

“Cool. I’m going to go outside with Kit and Blair. I think Jade’s coming inside. We’ll give you guys some privacy.” Riviera grinned at him and winked.

“Gee, thanks.” Riviera’s antics only served to remind him that he and Jade would not have much true privacy for a while.

“Dude, we can take Blair to, like, the zoo or something.”

“No, no, that’s all right. Just go outside.”

Jade entered the house then and Jesse slipped by her and out onto the patio, still grinning at him.

“What was that about?”

“Just Riviera being annoying. How’d it go with Blair?”

“It didn’t. That is until Kit finished that wolf picture he was drawing and put it in front of him. The reaction was immediate. Blair grabbed for it, but Kit reached out and touched his hand and they were gone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Blair is almost always gone, right? But for a few seconds there, Kit was gone too. I may as well not have been there. I don’t know how to explain it any other way. It was over in seconds. There is something very strange about Kit Chase, Simon.”

“No kidding.”

“What happened to Jim? I expected him to come outside.”

“So did I, baby. So did I. He’s having a hard time facing what’s happened to Blair.”

“Well, avoidance is very unproductive.”

“Jade, honey, Jim Ellison has made an art of avoidance. We can only hope that he’ll come around.”

“I have an idea, my big strong police captain. Let me take you out for an early dinner.”

“I need to get back to the station. I left in the middle of my shift because I expected a bloody conflict here. At least I was spared that, huh?”

“Hey, I say you’re the captain, take an hour or two. You have a doctor’s appointment.”

“You are a genius.” He put his arms around her.

“Yes, I know.” She leaned into him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss the end of his nose.

“So, you going to sit there all afternoon staring at the TV and refusing to talk to me?”

Jim took his eyes off the TV screen long enough to glare at the man sitting on the other end of his couch. “If you don’t like it, Pete, you can leave.”

“I told Captain Banks I’d stay with you.”

“I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”

“You know, Jim, there was a time that I would have agreed with you, but not now. You are a mess, my friend.”

“I don’t recall asking your opinion.”

“When have I ever had to be asked?” Pete smirked at him and it irritated Jim. “Well, if I’m not going to get an answer, I’m going to take a nap. I’ll just crash in Blair’s room.”

“No!” It was so irrational, but suddenly, Jim could not let anyone in that room. “That room is off limits. I don’t want you in there.”

“Jim, I’m just going to sleep. I won’t even pull down the covers.”

“I just don’t want anybody in there.”

“Anybody but Blair?”

“I don’t want to talk about this with you.”

“Then what the hell do you want to do, Jim? I mean, you’ve told me all the things you don’t want to do, talk about, or deal with, but tell me, Jim, what do you want to do? Can’t be sit here and vegetate. That’s not the Jim I know and I gotta tell you, man, Jerry Springer is going to get real old, real fast.”

“You want to know what I want?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure about that?”

“Spit it out, man. We’re not getting any younger.”

“I want you to go away. I want you to leave me the hell alone. You and everybody else, just leave me alone. That’s what I want!”

Pete sighed and got up from the couch. “Fine. I’ll leave you alone. I’m going to go in Blair’s room and take a nap.” He turned and started for the French doors.

“No! Damn it, Pete! I mean it, stay out of there!”

“Make me, Jim.”

“Son of a bitch!” Jim jumped over the couch and went after him. He grabbed the man by the collar and swung him into the wall. “That’s his room! You will not go in his room!” He knew he was screaming. He knew that he was making no sense. Then Pete had a hold on him. The man obviously remembered his hand-to-hand skills because he got Jim down before Jim realized that he had lost control of him. “Let me go!” He threw Pete off and swung at him, but Pete had the advantage of being the one standing. The man simply moved back and Jim did not have the reach to connect. “You bastard!”

“You done now?”

“Not by a long shot.” Jim launched himself at him. He tried to move again but Jim caught his ankle and tripped him. Pete swore as he hit the floor and Jim felt a moment of satisfaction. While Jim was patting himself on the back, however, Pete rolled and was back on his feet before Jim could even think to stop him. Jim found that he could not think at all. A sob rose up in his throat and he tried to shove it back down. It nearly choked him as it forced its way up.

“Jim?”

“Get out, Pete,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “I need to be alone.”

“You don’t need to be alone, Jim. You need to talk to somebody about this. The guilt is eating you up, man. Okay, so you screwed up. We all do from time to time. It’s only when we don’t do whatever we can do to fix our fuck-ups that we fail. Geez, Jim, look at me.” Pete laughed ruefully. “I have to be the worst fuck-up I know. Well, besides you. I do what I can and move on.”

“He’s not going to forgive me. Even if he ever comes out of it, he won’t forgive me. He hates me. He said so. And I can’t take it, Pete. I took my mother leaving. I took my dad’s never being there to start with. I even took Carolyn leaving me but Jesus! God, I don’t want to lose that one damn, annoying, loyal, stupid, brilliant kid! But you know, I know I don’t deserve his forgiveness. I don’t deserve to have him stay. Why the hell did he have to care so damn much!? If he’d just stayed the damn researcher he was supposed to be, I wouldn’t have had to feel this way! Do you know what this feels like? It feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest! He’s my family! Was my family. I don’t know if I can go back to being alone.”

“You are only alone if you choose to be, Jim. There are people who care about you. So they aren’t Blair. Are you going to turn them away for that?”

“Go away, Pete.”

“No. Stop sitting in the floor feeling sorry for yourself, Jim. Life goes on, man. I would also like to say that I don’t think you’re right about Blair. I think he’ll forgive you. It may take some time but he doesn’t strike me as someone who holds a grudge for long. Oh, and I am going in that room and going to sleep. Jump me again, Jim, and I’ll show you some moves Alex taught me.”

Jim let him go. He watched the man disappear behind the doors to Blair’s room. He knew the resentment he felt toward Pete was ridiculous, yet he could not seem to escape the feeling that the man was an interloper invading his friend’s territory. “I am so fucked up.”

“Thanks, Gramps.” Kit hung up the phone and turned to Jesse.

“What’d he say?”

“He said that I needed to piss him off.”

“Are you serious?”

Kit nodded. “He said that Blair has been trying to cut himself off from his emotions, hiding on the spirit paths to keep from facing how he feels. Anger is a very strong emotion. If I were to make him angry, not scared, not hurt, but really angry, it could shock him into finally facing his anger and in turn, who he is really angry with.”

“Oh, that doesn’t bode well for Ellison.” Jesse was grinning.

“And you sound so heart-broken over that.” Kit returned the grin.

“Oh, yeah. Devastated. But I thought he was already mad at you.”

“No, more like hurt. He thought I tried to trick him, but we made peace with that earlier.”

“That is so weird. It’s like you guys had a conversation or something the way you put it, but I know you didn’t.”

“But we did, just not here.”

“Weird.”

Kit shrugged. “I think Banks’ girlfriend agrees with you. So, you going to keep him from killing me when I do this or what?”

“Sure. Why not? Got nothing better to do.”

“Well, gee, I can feel the love in this room.”

Jesse laughed at him. “I love ya, dude. Really, I do. I just love me better.”

Kit tried to think of a suitable comeback but nothing came to mind. Besides, one look at Jess’s self-satisfied grin and all he could do was laugh. “You are so bad.”

“And so good at it.”

“Come on, Narcissus. Let’s do this.”

“Hey, Narcissus was a sissy-boy. I want to be one of the heroes, man. Like Hercules.”

“Killed his own kids.”

“Oh. Okay, Oedipus.”

“He fell in love with his mother.”

“Ewwww, not him. What the hell was the guy’s name then?”

“Odysseus?”

“Yeah! Him. He was cool.”

“And people say I’m weird?”

The black jaguar had been so close. For a while, he could see the cat’s eyes, feel them drilling holes in him. The thing had retreated now, back into the jungle. It was not gone; it was still there, off in the distance, because he could hear it every now and then and catch a glimpse of black flickering through the brush. The shaman had visited him again. He gripped the flimsy paper in his hand and stared at the wolf drawn there. He supposed it was a peace offering. It was unnecessary. He had already decided that the jaguar’s return was not the fault of the shaman.

Something moved in the jungle then and he turned his full attention to it. It was not the jag. It was the cougar, the shaman. He smiled as it mounted the steps, slowly changing into the man he knew. The shaman stopped, however, before reaching the top of the steps.

“Why are you here?” the man asked.

He could only stare at his questioner. It should have been obvious to the shaman why he was there.

“He is out there. He is living while you die here.”

The words shocked him. He stood and shook his head.

“Yes. He has a life. He goes on. You, you cower here afraid of living, afraid of life. You are dying. Your body will live on but your soul will die. Is that what you want?”

He shook his head again.

“Then you must leave here. You must live, not just exist. This way, he wins. He gets to walk away without facing his lies and betrayal, without facing you, without consequences. You must make him face the consequences, and you.”

He turned away from the man. He did not want to hear anymore.

“If you do not, you fail.”

He spun back around to glare at the man. How dare he judge him?

“You are a shaman. You and I are brothers. We have a responsibility to the world to teach, to guide, to heal. You remain here and you fail. You remain here and you are the same as he is. You betray yourself and others by failing to live up to your responsibilities. Is that what you want? Do you want to fail?”

The man’s words hurt. He tried to deny them but he could not. Perhaps it was true. Perhaps he was a failure. He sank down to the temple floor again.

“Get up! Is it time for your pity party? No! It’s time to make him pay. Why should he get his life back while you suffer here? Why should you be the only one who pays for what he did? Get up!”

He could not get up. He never wanted to get up again. The shaman was right, in so many ways, but what could he do? Was there anything he could have done to prevent what had happened to his life? What was left of that life now? What was left of who he was? And yet, why should the jaguar win?

“I thought you were strong. I thought you were powerful. Maybe I was wrong.” The man was gone before he was able to lift his head.

“Damn it!” Kit flew out of the patio chair and flung it backward.

“What?” Jesse had never seen Kit lose control before and it scared the hell out of him.

“I fucked that up so bad. I need to call my granddad again. I need him out here. I’m messing this up! I thought if I told him that Ellison was out here living his life again, that would piss him off. Nope. I thought that if I accused him of being a failure that would piss him off. Hell, no, all that did was send him deeper. I’m an idiot.” His friend was pacing and nearly tearing out his hair as he snatched impatiently at the braid. It was a nervous habit Kit had. When he was upset about something, he would fiddle with his hair, especially if it was braided.

“You’re not an idiot. You tried, man. That’s all you could do. We’ll figure out something else.” Jesse walked over to Kit and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Give yourself a break.”

“Where is he?”

At first, neither of them registered that it was not one of them who had spoken. Jesse realized it first. He turned. “Blair?”

“Holy shit!” Kit spun, nearly knocking Jesse down with the sudden movement. Both of them stood with their mouths open staring at Blair Sandburg.

“Where is he?”

“Umm, Jim?” Jesse asked.

A small snarl was the answer.

“He’s at home, I think,” Jesse said.

“Take me there.”

Jesse looked at Kit. “Kit?”

Kit nodded, still looking at Blair instead of Jess. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Kit! Are you sure?” Jesse whispered.

“It’ll be fine. Call Pete and Simon Banks. Tell them the news. I’m going to take Blair home.”

“Oh, this is going to be bad, Kit. So very bad.” Jesse looked at Blair and hardly recognized him. Between the haircut and the hatred and fury in his eyes, he hardly looked like the same person that Jesse had gone to El Salvador with nearly two years before.

“Come on.” Kit ignored him and motioned for Blair to come with him.

Blair got up and walked past them both, into the house, and headed for the front door.

“Just call Banks and Pete. I won’t let him kill him. Pete’s there with Ellison, right? Between the two of us, we’ll make sure Ellison lives.”

Jess watched them go, shaking his head. It was going to be bad.

Pete’s cell phone rang and he rolled over on Blair’s bed to grab his jacket. Pulling the phone from the pocket, he thumbed the folding phone open and pulled up the antenna with his teeth. “Devereaux.”

“Kit’s on his way with Blair. Pete, he just came out of it and he’s pissed! Man, is he pissed! It’s gonna be bad, Pete. You better get ready.”

“Fuck!” Pete rolled off the bed and to his feet. “Okay, just back up. Blair is—um, what? Awake? And on his way here with Kit and he’s pissed? Who’s pissed, Blair or Kit?”

“Blair, stupid! Are you even listening to me? Geez!”

“Jess, calling your boss stupid is kinda not kosher.”

“Pete, get your head out of your ass. You got bigger things to worry about right now than me calling you stupid.”

Jesse was very agitated. Pete would have laughed had the situation not been so serious and had he not realized that Jess would have paid him back for it later. “Okay, Jess, just calm down. I’ll handle it.”

“Well, I’m on my way too. Kit left me but I called a cab.”

“Okay. Just chill out. Everything will be fine.”

“Yeah, I wanna hear you say that after you see Blair.” The connection ended abruptly and Pete stared at the phone in his hand. How bad could it be? Sandburg was not a violent person, so how bad could it be? He figured he had better warn Jim though. He threw the phone on the bed and headed out into the loft to find Jim. “Jim! News, buddy!”

Jim appeared at the top of the steps that led to his bedroom. “What?”

“Blair’s on his way here.”

“What!?”

“He came out of it and he’s coming. Kit is bringing him.”

Jim nearly ran down the stairs. “He’s okay? He’s really okay?”

“Well, I don’t know about okay. Jess says he’s mad as hell.”

“Yeah, yeah. But he’s coherent and moving and talking?” Pete was amazed as he watched the normally stoic, quiet Jim Ellison work himself into a frenzy. The man was pacing and gesturing wildly.

“Yeah. Umm, Jim, why don’t you sit down?”

“No, need to get ready. You go straighten his room. I don’t want him to know you were there. He’s upset enough. The door!” He raced to the door and unlocked it.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“He doesn’t have his keys, remember? I had to get the spare from Simon to even get in here. I don’t want him to be locked out of his home. He can’t be locked out. I’ll make tea.”

“You have lost your mind. That’s it; you’re insane. Calm down!” Pete grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him toward the living room once again. He practically had to drag the man to the sofa and push him down on it. “Listen to me, Jim. We have no idea what he’s going to be like or what he’s going to do. Just be calm and if he wants tea, then we’ll make some. He may just want to punch your lights out and leave, you know.”

“I want him to come home to stay.”

“I know, but don’t get your hopes up, Jim. This could go one of a hundred different ways.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Are you relatively calm and sane now?”

“Hell no. I feel like I’m about to break into a million pieces. However, I will sit here and wait.”

“Well, that’s all I ask for then.”

The air in the car nearly vibrated with tension. Or perhaps, the sense of vibration was real. Kit thought he could see Blair shaking with rage when he hazarded glances at his passenger. Neither of them had spoken since they left Banks’ house. It was a good thing that he knew where he was going because it did not seem as though Blair was willing or able to give directions. As Kit pulled into a parking space outside 852 Prospect, he looked to his passenger once again. Blair, on the other hand, did not look at him. He was out of the car and running into the building before Kit got the car switched off. Kit swore and followed quickly. He ran up the steps and rounded the third floor landing only seconds behind Blair. Blair went straight for the door of 307 so fast that Kit thought to himself that if the door was locked, Blair would knock himself out on it because he would not be able to stop. The door was not locked, however, and Blair disappeared through it. Kit entered the doorway just in time to see Blair Sandburg punch Jim Ellison right in the face. Ellison stumbled and almost fell back onto the sofa that he had obviously risen from in the first place. He regained his balance though, but not for long as Blair punched him again. Ellison staggered back and fell hard on the floor. Kit could not help the sympathetic grimace. For a long moment, Blair stood over him. Pete moved toward them.

“No, leave him alone!” Ellison ordered.

Pete looked to Kit, confusion clearly written on his face. Kit shrugged at his boss then motioned for Pete to join him by the door. Pete walked slowly and quietly toward Kit.

“Blair…” Ellison started but he was cut off by Blair’s scream of rage. Suddenly, the coffee table was upended, but it was just the beginning of the rampage. Ellison simply sat on the floor while Blair Sandburg destroyed the room around him. The end tables went next, the lamps shattering.

Pete moved again but Kit caught his arm and shook his head.

Blair cleared the bookshelves then stopped for a split second before racing off to his room. Still Ellison sat on the floor, his head in his hands. When Blair appeared again, he held in his hands dozens of notebooks. He stalked over to Ellison and flung them on the floor. He dropped to his knees and began ripping them up. Ellison grabbed his hands but let him go quickly when Blair threw a half-torn notebook in his face.

“Blair! What are you doing? Stop! Stop, okay?” Ellison pleaded. He began to frantically gather the tattered pages.

Kit pulled Pete from the loft and closed the door after them.

“Kit! I don’t think this is a good idea!” Pete protested.

“He won’t really hurt him. Not any more. He just needs to get some things said and they need privacy for that.” Kit stood directly in front of the door to keep Pete from trying to go back inside.

“You’re sure of that?”

“Well, not one hundred percent but pretty sure.”

“I hope like hell you know what you’re doing.”

Kit shrugged. “Actually, I’m winging it. Learned that from you, Pete.”

Pete made a face at him and swore but gave in, and Kit said a short prayer that he was right.

“Blair? Chief? What is all this? I know it’s not your sentinel research. What are you doing!?” Jim could not keep up with what went with what as he tried to scoop up torn paper.

“It was my life!” The scream cut deep into Jim’s soul. Dark, furious blue eyes pinned him in place. He found he could not even seem to breathe underneath that gaze. “And it’s worth nothing!”

“No, Blair, that’s not true!”

“Nothing! I have nothing! I am nothing! You took it all away! This! This is who I was!” He grabbed up the shredded paper and shook it in Jim’s face. “This is what I wanted! Until you. Then all I wanted was to be your guide. To be your friend! And you turned me away! I came back. You pushed me away and I stayed. Then you destroyed it all. Why? Why, Jim!?”

“I didn’t know. I swear it. I didn’t know. They made me forget, Blair, and when I remembered I didn’t know what to do. I was scared. I don’t know what to say.” Jim knew that he sounded tired, even pathetic, but he could not seem to care. He had to get through to his guide.

Blair was shaking his head, a look of disgust and disbelief on his expressive face. He did not believe Jim and Jim’s heart sank. “I remember the words, Ellison. ‘I have a guide, Sandburg.’ That’s what you said! You left me! Left me for them, for her!”

“No, Blair, I absolutely did not know that she was there! I swear to you.”

“Liar! You had to know! You’re a fucking sentinel! You knew!”

“Blair, think. After the jungle, I couldn’t feel her. She wasn’t a sentinel anymore. I didn’t feel her.”

There was a moment of hesitation before Blair spoke again. “Doesn’t matter. You still left me. I can still see you standing there in your uniform telling me to do what I was told. You bastard! I threw away my life to save you from people like those and you left me with them!”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to figure out how to get you out of it.”

“Oh, right!” He flung more paper in Jim’s face and got up. “Why should I believe you?! You never believed me! I didn’t do it, I told you. I told you I’d do anything to make it right. You treated me like something on the bottom of your fucking shoe. I knew I screwed up but I admitted it. I did something about it. Do you remember what I did, Jim? I threw away all I had worked for all my fucking life for you! I was going to become a cop! You think I didn’t realize that I had absolutely no future with the department? Nobody would ever trust me. How could I take the stand in a trial? If anything happened to you, I’d be out on my ass or dead so fast it would make my head spin. And that fucking gun! I hated it. Everyday, I dreaded it. But I was going to do it for you.” Jim flinched at the bitter tone as he watched Blair pace back and forth in front of him. “Ain’t that a laugh? For you. While you lied to me, and ignored me, and pushed me away, I was becoming someone that I was not for you. Now? Now, I’m nothing. I don’t have anything. I’m not a teacher. I’m not a student. I’m not a cop. Hell, I’m not even your guide. What the hell am I, Jim? Who the hell am I now?”

“You’re Blair. And you can--”

“Blair is nothing. No one. Inconsequential, except as a example to children of what not to be, what not to do.”

“You’re not inconsequential to me, Blair. Please, please, let me try to make this up to you. Please let me regain your trust. And your friendship.”

Blair glared at him. “Why? Let me guess. I don’t see your ‘new’ guide. What happened? He didn’t work out? Got tired of your stupid house rules and your special brand of one-sided friendship already? Need your ‘old’ guide back, no matter how annoying and useless he may be. At least I did put up with you, huh? Help you out once in a great while?”

“Chief--”

“Don’t you call me that. Don’t you dare call me that.”

“Blair, you helped me all the time, every day. And you did put up with me but I didn’t mean--”

“Oh please, Jim Ellison always says what he means and means what he says! It’s an Ellison creed, isn’t it?”

“I can explain.”

“Fuck your explanation. And fuck you!”

“You don’t understand! Listen to me, please! You have your life back if you want it! Blair, please, it’s true.”

Blair stopped pacing and stared at him skeptically. “How?”

“Pete, he manufactured this whole scenario that would have explained why you would have written a false dissertation as part of a government investigation. He took it to the FBI and Senator Adams as truth and they bought it. Look, he can explain it better than me. You can ask him. Dr. Meeks helped set up the press conference that exonerated you and you’re on the verge of being reinstated to Rainier.” Jim rushed to get the words out. He had to make Blair understand that he had not lost everything. He had to make him see that they could be what they had been. It was good news, was it not? He expected Blair to be happy but the look on his face was anything but happy. If anything, he seemed more disgusted than before. “What? What is it? What can I do?” Was he not listening to what Jim was saying? He had to listen! Yet, he had never listened when Blair tried to explain to him. Jim had never listened. Was this his punishment? To not be heard now?

“Pete fixed it?” Blair’s expression had suddenly become unreadable. The usually expressive, animated face was blank.

“Yes. He really worked some magic. It was actually frightening. And you don’t have to worry about Adler or the CIA or the Pentagon anymore.”

“Pete made up a cover story and you went along with it. That’s how I got my life back. Fine.” He turned abruptly and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Wait! Blair, wait. Why? Didn’t you hear me?”

“I heard you. I noticed that you didn’t mention Rose. I also noticed that Pete is responsible for giving me back the opportunity to get my doctorate.”

“Rose got away. Blair, I didn’t know what to do. What could I do? Pete knows how to manipulate the system.”

“But you were my sentinel! I was your guide! We were friends!” Blair moved back into his face. “Do you understand? Are you hearing me? You blamed me! You let me blame me! You let me take a fall for you and didn’t even blink! And it was you! You accused me of betrayal when it was you! Then somebody else fixes it for you and you want what? Gratitude? Don’t hold your fucking breath! You want me to forgive and forget? Do I look like a doormat to you? Think again! I am so out of here!” He was at the door before Jim found his voice again.

“Blair,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to lose you.”

Blair squared his shoulders but did not turn to face him. “Well, we can’t always get what we want. As for losing me, you threw me away.”

“You’re my brother.”

“In that case, I think I understand now why your family is so dysfunctional. Take care of yourself, Jim. Simon will have my notes.” He opened the door and walked out.

“I’m not a…” The door closed. “Sentinel anymore.”

Kit moved out of the way just in time to keep from being knocked over. Blair Sandburg looked at them both in turn. “Is that job offer still on the table, Pete?”

“You bet.” Pete answered.

He turned to Kit then. “Can you teach me what I am? How to do what you do?”

“Yeah. Not a problem, man.” Kit smiled at him.

“Cool. Let’s go then.”

“Um, Blair, your things are--” Pete started.

“Nothing in there matters to me anymore.” He moved past them and down the hall.

Pete sighed.

“He’ll change his mind. He just needs time,” Kit assured him.

“I hope you’re right.”

Simon Banks got off the elevator and rushed over to them. “I was out of the office. They had to track me down. Where’s Sandburg?”

“Probably walking out of the building as we speak. It was bad, Captain Banks. Blair’s coming with us,” Pete told the man.

“No! That’s not acceptable.”

“It is his life.”

“Which without your job offer, he would continue to lead here in Cascade!”

“Captain Banks,” Kit spoke up, “he needs time away. I think he’ll come back. Just give him some space. Besides, Ellison needs you. He’s pretty torn up, I think.”

“Jesus!”

“Sir, if you need us or want to find Blair, you know where we are.” Pete offered his hand to the man. Banks hesitated then accepted it.

Pete and Kit walked away from him. Banks opened the door and Kit heard him swear before the door closed behind him, cutting off the sound of choked sobs and rustling paper.

“It is becoming increasing apparent that not just any person can be a guide. I have exhausted my resources to find another guide as competent as Blair Sandburg. So far, I have had little if any success with all the candidates that have been procured. I have come to the reluctant conclusion that I will have to retrieve Blair Sandburg if I am to have any hope of salvaging Alex Barnes. Furthermore, if Alex cannot be salvaged, I will have to once again turn my attention to James Ellison. I must have a functioning sentinel-guide pair. Failure is not acceptable.” Robert Rose turned off his mini-recorder and placed it gently on his desk. “One way or another, I will succeed.”

The End

To be continued in Rewards of Virtue, in which Jim fares a little better… eventually….. I did warn you at the beginning! <eg>