Waiting

Danae

Disclaimer: Not mine, I’m not getting any money and I don’t have any money so suing would be just a tad silly, don’t cha think?? <g>

Not betaed…Thanks to everyone who bothers to read my ravings…

Waiting really sucks. “Waiting really sucks,” he repeated aloud for anyone who cared to listen.

“Well, that’s all you’re going to do, Sandburg. You are going to sit right there in that chair and wait.” Simon chewed on the end of his cigar as he paced in front of Blair. “Jim will call when he can.”

“If he can. I should have gone with him, Simon. I can’t believe that you let him go out there by himself. I was on my way.”

“The guy said he couldn’t wait.”

“Simon, Jim wasn’t sure about the guy. He said the guy was hiding something. What if he’s part of it and this was a setup? Jim’s been gone too long, man.”

“And that’s why I sent Rafe and Brown out to check on him. They should report back any time now. Just be patient, Sandburg.”

Blair swore under his breath and dragged a hand through his hair, inadvertently pulling some of it from the ponytail. He glanced at the clock on the wall and swore again. If Willis was just going to give Jim some information about the smuggling operation they had been investigating for the past few weeks, Jim should have been back in an hour, tops. It had been nearly three and Simon refused to let him leave. The big man had even threatened to handcuff him to Jim’s desk. As it was, he sat in one of the chairs in Simon’s office, not even allowed to go the men’s room. He felt like an errant school boy in the principal’s office. Jim was hurt; he just knew it.

What are they waiting for? Jim watched his captors argue. Unfortunately, they were not arguing about what they were going to do with him. They were going to kill him. That much had been decided. The big argument was over how, when, and who was actually going to get the honors. It seemed that Willis had talked Jim up quite a bit to his cronies and each of them now wanted the distinction of being the one take out “Supercop Ellison,” as Willis had called him. The only thing that Jim could say that had gone right in this case was that he had not waited for Blair to get back from the university. At least his partner was not sitting there tied to the chair next to him. Of course, Blair was probably furious, and given the way things appeared to be turning out, Jim figured that he had every right to be. Jim could only hope that he would be alive to catch hell from his partner when this was all over. How long were they going to stand there and argue? Then again, he should not be complaining. Every minute that they wasted was another minute that he could work on the ropes, another minute that he could hope Simon knew something was wrong, another minute that the cavalry could arrive and save his stupid ass.

Waiting does suck. The phone rang and Simon nearly jumped out of his skin. “Sit, Sandburg!” he snapped before turning to snatch the receiver from its cradle. “Banks.”

Simon rubbed his temples with one hand as he listened to Brown’s voice on the other end of the phone telling him that Jim’s truck was there but Jim was not. Sandburg’s anxious eyes were burning holes in Simon as the younger man waited impatiently for the news that Simon did not want to give him. “I’m on my way. Did you call forensics?”

“Damn it!” Sandburg flew out of the chair almost toppling it.

Guess I don’t have to tell him after all. Simon mumbled something to Brown, which he himself could not recall later and hung up the phone. “Blair—“

“Oh god, it’s really bad, right? You called me Blair. He’s dead, right?”

“Jesus, Sandburg, no. He’s not there. The truck is, but Jim’s missing. Now, are you coming with me?”

Sandburg stared at him as though he had grown another head and then rolled his eyes. “What do you think?”

“Don’t get smart with me, Sandburg. I’m not in the mood.”

“Well, that makes two of us. Can we go now?”

Simon sighed and motioned to the door.

I’m not just gonna sit here and wait to die. Jim eyed the guy that won the coin toss. The man grinned at him as he pulled his gun out of his coat. The others were leaving. Willis closed the door to the old warehouse after himself and Jim heard the car that brought him here start up and drive away. “So, this must be your lucky day,” Jim commented dryly.

“And your unlucky day, cop. You should have never trusted Willis. He’s afraid of his own shadow. No way he’d ever cross us.”

“Evidently.”

The guy chuckled. “How do you want it, cop? Quick and painless or slow and agonizing?” He laughed as though he had told some great joke.

“Actually, I think I’d rather pass on both.”

“Afraid I can’t oblige you there, pal.” He smiled again as he began to raise the gun.

Now or never. If this doesn’t work, I’m sorry, Blair. He charged at his would-be assassin.

Hello! Spirit guides, waiting on you guys. You can show up any time now. Blair ignored the forensics team that was dusting Jim’s truck for prints. He ignored Simon’s exasperated order to stay close and wandered the docks. He was looking for signs. A black cat, a wolf, Incacha, Gabe, anything. Hell, he would gladly take a gaudy neon sign as long as it was a giant arrow that pointed to his best friend’s location. What he got instead was a sharp pain in his head. He stumbled and ended up on his knees. He heard Rafe call out to him and then to Simon and suddenly, he was surrounded by worried faces. “Jim’s shot. He’s hurt,” he announced with a certainty that frightened him.

“Do you know where he is, Sandburg?”

Blair shook his head at Simon’s question. “I just know he’s hurt. Bad.”

“How do you know, Blair?” Rafe asked.

“That’s not important right now. Come on, Sandburg. Let’s get you up and to the hospital.”

“I don’t need a hospital, Simon. Jim needs a hospital and we still have to find him first.”

Here we go again. Waiting for an explanation that we are never gonna get. Rafe looked his partner and saw the same questions in his eyes that Rafe was holding behind his teeth. He helped his captain all but lift Blair up from the ground.

“Get him in your car, Rafe and get him outta here. Put an APB out for Willis and for Jim. Get me some more uniforms out here to canvas this entire area. Clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Rafe answered. “Come on, Blair. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Blair was surprisingly quiet and easy to lead. Once he and H got Blair in the backseat of their car, they went to work on following the rest of their orders.

“Hey, Hairboy, we’re gonna take you home now. Okay? We won’t make you go to the hospital but you don’t look so great right now so we want you to get some rest and we’ll find Jim for you. Okay?”

“Where are they?” Blair muttered.

Rafe looked at his partner who looked at him and shrugged. “Blair, how do you know that Jim’s hurt?”

“Just do.”

That was all they were going to get apparently. “Just hang in there, Blair.”

More damn waiting. Hang in there was just another way to say wait. And just where the hell were those oh-so-helpful spirit guides? Was this not just the perfect time to do some guiding? Stupid wolf was pissing him off. He could not really blame the cat. He was supposed to be with Jim after all. But that wolf, well, he was supposed to help Blair. Maybe it was his day off. Blair almost laughed at that. He glanced over his babysitters. They could take him home if they wanted but he was not going to stay there. Not by a long shot. He had to find Jim. He knew where Willis lived. He knew where Willis hung out. He would find the man and Willis would tell him where Jim was or…. Well, or else. Whatever else was going to be, Blair would figure out later.

Wait! “Stop the car!” he screamed at Brown, slapping the man on the shoulder.

“What is it?” Rafe turned around to stare at him.

“Just stop the car! I think I saw something.”

The car stopped and Blair was out and running before either Rafe or Brown could stop him. It was not the wolf’s day off. Blair followed the animal apparition to the abandoned warehouse where it faded away just as it reached the door. “Thank you,” he whispered. He gulped, pushing his fear down as it threatened to choke him and reached for the doorknob.

Just wait for Blair. Jim paced the steps of the temple. His guide would come. He had such a headache though. Blair would know what to do about that. And his side hurt too. And he did not know how he got out of that warehouse and into the jungle. But Blair would know. Just wait for Blair. Blair would fix it all. Jim hated to wait but he would wait for his guide. He should have waited for his guide all along. Lesson learned, Chief. Now, just get your butt here. I need you.

I’m waiting for you, Jim. I’m here. Just open your eyes, please. “The shooter was a guy named Terrence Hawkins. He was dead at the scene, Jim. You managed to take him out. Even after he shot you, you took him out with his own gun. You whacked your head pretty good though. Not smart, man. Why didn’t you wait for me, damn it, Jim? If you hadn’t already beat me to it, I’d whack you in the head. Wake up, Jim. Come on, man. Waiting really sucks.”

“Chief?”

“Right here, Jim. I’m here.”

Jim turned his head toward Blair and his eyes fluttered then opened. Blair smiled. “Hey, Jim. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You been waiting for me? Chief, I was waiting for you. Knew you’d come.”

“Yeah, I’ll always come. But you never wait for me, Jim. That’s why you’re here, you know. You should have waited for me. You knew something was up with Willis.”

“Don’t lecture, Chief. I’m injured. I don’t lecture you when you’re injured.”

“Oh yes, you do! Anyway, I’m here and you’re here and that’s all that matters.”

Jim smiled at him and nodded slightly. “That’s all that ever matters, Chief. Thanks for waiting for me.” Jim held up a hand to him.

“Ditto.” Blair grasped the offered hand.

“Sandburg! Why didn’t you let me know he was awake? You know I’ve been waiting!” Simon bellowed.