I don't own the main characters, just the storyline, it's written only for entertainment.

Sorry for any mistakes which I made, although it was beta read by Annie who I thank from the bottom of the heart for amazing beta job.

Hope you enjoy it.

I'll be thankful for any ideas and, of course, constructive critic. English isn't my first language. Please be gentle and let me know your oppinion.

In Cold Blood ( may be considered as a sequel to From Different Perspective)

by miafka

Blair glanced up from the papers he was reading to look up at the girl sitting at another table just across from his own. They were in a small cozy coffee bar near the University that he often frequented. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her. He'd seen her sitting at the same spot by the window almost every day since the new term had begun.

Although Jim often teased him calling him the Casanova of Cascade, Blair didn't think about approaching her and trying to flirt but he couldn't help offering her a warm smile. She smiled back timidly and looked away quickly shifting her attention instead to the trees outside. A rather small and thin young woman with beautiful green eyes, she very evidently was trying to not attract anyone's attention to her. But that tiny answering smile had lit up her pale and sad face for just a short while. After that she returned to the thick book she had been reading and seemed to lose herself in it completely.

Blair took a long sip of his sweetened, hot latte and tried get back to his notes he'd prepared for the next day's lectures, while he was waiting for Jim. After Blair's misadventures with Hawk, Jim still was very much like a mother hen and watched over him quite protectively.

He loved to help Jim as his Guide and as an unofficial member of police crew. It was obvious to him that the Major Crime crew accepted him as one of their own. Sometimes they teased him and targeted him with a stupid joke. It was very irritating but at the same time he felt he was liked by those people. Solving cases was hard work but interesting and he felt good helping lock thugs away from their victims. But sometimes he felt so exposed to the dark side of the human nature and mind.

He didn't like to confess it to Jim, but he kept having vivid nightmares that were like a constant reminder of his choice of lifestyle. His own mother, Naomi, disagreed with him about being Jim's unofficial partner and helping to chasing criminals every time she called or visited, but he knew somehow, that he was right.

His thoughts were disrupted when he heard Jim's voice.

"Hey, Chief. Let's go home. We have your special pasta for dinner, and I'm really hungry."

He nodded finishing his coffee in one gulp.

It was late evening a few days later, when Jim came home and spotted Blair half laying on the couch with a heap of papers strewn around him. The young man had his eyes closed and it seemed that he'd simply fallen asleep while reading a copy of a file about their current case that Jim had brought home. The detective winced at the sight of one of the photos that were on the top of a few papers on the coffee table.

He could almost smell the blood reeking from it. He could almost hear the screams of agony in his mind. It was something that he'd wanted keep as far as possible from Blair even if the kid was slowly getting used to the darker side of police work. But Jim knew quite well how much it cost Blair to become that used to it.

Sandburg had nightmares almost every night, and during the cases like this one he simply became insomniac and only let himself close his eyes for an hour or two. Blair probably thought that Jim didn't know about it, but he'd be a lousy detective and friend not to notice. He respected the kid's privacy and tried to avoid talking about it, though sometimes it was really hard. Sometimes, Jim was so frustrated that he wanted shake Blair so hard his teeth would rattle.

Jim went into the kitchen and made tea and heated up some food for them both and then gently shook Sandburg awake. "C'mon Chief, wake up. Dinner is ready. You really should eat more."

Then Jim put the plates on the kitchen table.

Blair approached, swaying a little from his sleep and yawning madly.

After they ate, they both returned to sit on the couch.

Jim took a slow swig of his tea and started talking, looking over at his roommate."We have a meeting tomorrow at 10AM about the progress we've made on the case and you should be there, Chief. I'm sure, Simon would like to know what you have found about our perp." He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of Blair, studying Sandburg's sleepy, yet still exhausted expression, keeping his voice calm and light. "Last time your intuition was amazing and led us straight to the bad guy, Chief, so Simon wants you to prepare a profile in this case too. Unofficial, of course, just like with Grey".

" Hey, I was just lucky then, that all." Blair took another sip of his cup and let the warmth to engulf his body and soul and closed his eyes. He tried to find the right words, but it wasn't easy. After a long silence he slowly opened his eyes, voicing his heretofore hidden emotions.

Jim listened attentively.

"Man, sometimes I really hate people like him. The guy is a very brutal, sadistic bastard, Jim." he gestured at the sheets of paper, the photos and sighed deeply to calm his mind. "He's very methodical and seemed to be obsessed about having control over his victims. He likes play with them and let them think they have a chance to be rescued or that he'll leave them unscathed, just to break them, subdue them completely to his will physically and mentally. He is cruel and he doesn't suppress that, quite the opposite." Blair shuddered clinging to the cup of tea as if the warmth from it could protect him from that man's evil deeds. It took him a few long minutes before he could continue. He cleared his throat and said softly," I think that's the reason he attacks young people, the gender is not important. Young people will fight for their lives and they can be manipulated or terrorized much more easily than older people. He is not interested in sexual abuse, thank every deity for small blessings. But he loves seeing their pain, fear and humiliation until the moment they stop fighting. Only then is he happy."

Blair looked up at Jim with a mix of fear and anger at the injustice of the world.

"The way he tortures them... Physically and mentally… He really enjoys inflicting pain on others and seeing, and hearing the result of it. "

Blair's voice faded away again for a short while. He swallowed thickly, trying to stop the disturbing thoughts and images flashing through his mind, mingling with his own memories. Somehow Blair couldn't forget about Hawk and his desire to have revenge on Jim. This perp had used strangely similar ways to kidnap and then brutally yet methodically treat his captives. Just like him but with much more violence and malice.

"Then he became bored with the unresponsive victims, killed them eventually, enjoying every moment of it and threw away the bodies or let the remains be found in a public place, but not too close to his hideout. I think he's in Cascade somewhere, but in a remote area, so nobody will hear or notice the victims. The murder is, or rather was, kind of a ritual to him, but somehow, now it's not enough. I'm not a specialist, but he may be playing some morbid kind of game with the police, Jim. After his fifth kill without being caught he may think that he leveled up on them, mastered it somehow. He may have thought that he can get away with it. I know, I should be unbiased, but he's a sick psycho and we must catch him as fast as we possibly can. If not... he'll hit again, soon."

Blair leaned back on the couch. He felt like he'd just run a marathon, exhausted beyond his limits, yet restless. 'Sometimes knowledge is a curse', he thought sadly.

His eyes caught glimpses of the grim photos near him and he flinched slightly.

Jim nodded and looked more closely at him. Blair looked agitated and really frightened, his pale face a little flushed by the emotion this had all conjured up. His eyes darkened for a second. Even without his heightened senses Jim could hear Sandburg's heart beating hard and his breathing becoming a little too fast and labored.

"Calm down, Chief. We do everything we can. I know it's not enough, but we'll find him. Don't think otherwise. Calm down and take a breath. That's right. Breathe. Slow and deep breaths, Blair," Jim said quietly and after a while added, ruffling Blair's curly hair. "It's late, Sandburg and you're dead on your feet. Go to sleep, Chief. Don't interrupt me. You're not fine and I can't ignore it anymore. Simon and the rest of our friends will bite my head off if you land in the hospital in the near future."

He saw a very small and very tired smile forming on Blair's lips.

"Yes, mother."

Jim shook his head, pulling Sandburg to his feet and gently pushing him toward his bedroom.

Fortunately the meeting was short and Blair was thankful that they discussed the most important things and he didn't have to elaborate on the profile of the perp for too long. He repeated what he had had told Jim last night, trying stay distant and objective. Leaving from the room he ignored the worried looks from Simon and the other members of the MC crew, who'd become his friends. It was late morning and he already felt spent. He drove to Rainier absentmindedly. He went to his office to read the paper. He had about an hour and half before his first lecture.

He jumped when some ear-piercing sound broke the silence. It was his cell phone, he realized after few seconds. He answered without checking who was calling.

"Yeah, Jim? What is it..?" Blair muffled a yawn and walked across to stand looking through the window. Outside it was raining as usual.

"I'm not bloody Ellison, kid. I heard from my friend, Hawk, that you're Jimmy's new pet. Don't get attached too much. I'll make Ellison pay dearly for what he did to me and Hawk. And you may find yourself coming away with me, kid. Hawk said that you're absolutely lovely when you scream in pain. I can't wait to hear it."

Blair's tiredness vanished immediately and he gulped nervously as he heard the cruel voice, very similar to Rick Hawkins' in a way, purring silkily. His mind went almost blank with sheer fear. "How-? Wh-what? Hawk? You know Hawkins?" Blair whispered chokingly. "Who are you? What do you want?

"I think you know who I am. And you know what I can do when I'm angry. You're already trying to work out my psychological profile, after all. I know that too. I have a very good source of information quite close to you, Sandburg. So don't push it, kid. I want many things, but I'm sure you'll be the best catch of my life. It'll be fun, unfortunately, only for me." Blair paled considerably and gasped silently. Suddenly he felt his chest tightening painfully. "Learn everything you can about me. It's going to come in handy, when we meet. I won't have to teach you my rules," the man sneered, laughing nastily and then ended the call.

Blair closed his eyes, forcing himself to not succumb to the overwhelming panic, to remember that he was safe, but it was vain. He leaned against the cool surface of the window, panting with the effort. He shook like a leaf and suddenly felt extremely sick. He almost didn't make to the tiny restroom in his office. When the retching stopped and the dry heaves subsided, he felt even worse. His mind was numb, his heart hammered in his chest painfully. Then the rush of adrenaline started to wear off and he felt very tired. He rubbed his temples slowly, trying to relieve himself of the headache he could already feel coming on.

He sat on the floor by the desk, grasping the cell phone like a precious thing and called Jim. "Jim, could you come here?" Blair knew his voice sounded pathetically childish, but he just didn't care. "Please. I need… to go home."

"Sorry, Sandburg, not right now, but in a few minutes, sure thing." In a split second, Jim knew that something really bad had just happened.

Sandburg rarely called him from the university and he never skipped his lectures; the kid loved teaching too much. And seldom if ever had he pleaded with Jim to go the University during a work day..

"Chief, what happened? You sound very upset. You're about to hyperventilate again, try to breathe slowly. Breathe with me," Jim urged softly, inwardly getting more and more concerned. "Good. Now, are you okay? Tell me, Chief. Is it Naomi? Damn it, Blair, talk to me!" He slammed down the phone and headed down to his car.

When Jim entered Blair's office twenty minutes later, he was shocked. He found Sandburg sitting on the floor, leaning against the desk, with his legs pressed tightly to his chest in a defensive posture. He was rocking himself slightly, looking more like a petrified child than an adult. Jim slowly went closer, trying not to frighten the kid further and leaned over him. It was very clear that his friend was on the edge, his curled figure screamed louder for help than his voice could.

Jim sighed deeply and asked softly, „What happened, Chief? I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"I think Hawk knows the perp, Jim." Without his heightened hearing dialed up, Jim could barely catch Blair's bleak whisper. "We have to talk to him."

'Hawk? What? That bastard should leave us alone, not be looking for new ways to hurt them both, again. He should have shot that sick scumbag when he had the chance, not let him just rot in jail'.

"Are you sure?" Jim asked. He noticed a faint nod and broke the silence once more a moment later. "Can you tell me how you know?"

After a long time of gently skilled prodding with the right questions, Jim pulled everything he needed out of Blair.

Blair wasn't physically able to proceed with his normal schedule and teach his classes. After telling Jim about the phone call from a man who probably was the killer they were looking for, he was violently sick again and after that his headache became unbearable.

Jim made him sip some bottled water and take an 'emergency' painkiller tailored to deal with the migraine which Blair always had in a drawer in his desk. It wasn't good to take it on an empty and sore stomach, but it soothed his searing pain almost immediately. A strong calming ingredient in the pill took its effect, sending Sandburg into drowsiness. Blair was hardly aware when Jim helped him to lie down on an old tattered couch in his office, where he curled himself into tight ball.

Within a few minutes Jim contacted one of Sandburg's friends who agreed to take over his classes for few days and inform those who needed to know about that change. Then Jim called Simon and reported the unexpected news.

They didn't even think about using Blair as bait to lure the perp out. After recalling a few previous cases when they had decided to do just that, both of them agreed that this time it would be a very bad idea. Simon promised to send someone who would squeeze the name of the perp and the place where the man was hiding out of the imprisoned Hawk.

"How do you feel, Chief? Any better?" asked Jim some time later, leaning over his friend and waited until he could hear Blair's mumbled and rather incoherent answer. He exhaled slowly, hating seeing Sandburg in such a vulnerable state.

Hawk refused to cooperate with the police at all. He wasn't a treacherous worm like Ellison who threw him in jail twice without batting an eyelid. He wanted his revenge even more since his second incarceration.

He was right about Viper; they'd met in state prison some time ago, just few weeks before Viper's conditional release. After a rough start, they realized that they shared the same contempt towards Detective James Ellison and both of them wanted to make him pay. Hawk told him about his own unfortunate attempt at revenge, kidnapping, and unleashing his fury on Sandburg that had put him back behind bars. The predatory and almost dreamy expression on Viper's face made Hawk smile.

He just knew that to have his revenge all he had to do now was sit and wait. Jimmy would suffer just like that scrawny, brainy kid. Or even better, he would know and see all the pain his little friend would suffer. A short time after Viper's release, Hawk smirked hearing about a cruel and slippery serial killer terrorizing Cascade who'd kidnapped, viciously tormented and then killed five young people in the previous six months.

'Oh yes, it'll be my ultimate revenge'. Hawk smiled at his thoughts with a sadistic gleam in his eyes. He'd just read a short encoded letter from Viper which informed him about the progress of the preparations for their longed-for revenge. But time was now working for them, not for the police.

A few weeks before it was Jimmy who'd come talk to him and demanded the name and the location of Viper. Hawk burst out laughing so hard that tears were leaking from his eyes. After that Hawk he'd narrowed his eyes and glared at the man who'd caused him so much loss in his life. Hawk was pleased to see the almighty detective from Major Crime actually looked very weary and tense.

'Well, it serves him right!' Hawk thought triumphantly.

Jim couldn't persuade Hawk to reveal the identity of the perp and he was getting more and more frustrated with the situation. The killer had called Blair a few times since his first call, scaring the kid beyond reason. The attempts to locate him during the calls had been futile. The bad guy seemed to think everything through.

The first small victory was the discovery of who was informing the perp about the police's every step. Fortunately it was no one from the Major Crime crew who was really close to Jim and Blair though Frank Black had tried to get closer to them through the others, sometime after Hawk's trial, playing his part as a good, concerned friend. When they found out about the identity of the mole in the PD, Jim couldn't believe that he'd made such mistake. Continuing the investigation and still chasing after the criminal, Simon decided to use Black. They wanted him to lead them straight to the killer.

Unfortunately, the treacherous detective vanished before he could tell them anything and he was found dead two days later on the outskirts of Cascade next to a small abandoned warehouse. When the police arrived at the place, it was clear to the few Major Crime members that they'd discovered the place where the killer had kept his victims and tormented them mercilessly. It looked like the perp had had to leave in a hurry.

Many miles away, in a prison cell, Rick Hawkins was sitting with a nasty smile on his scarred face and thinking. He didn't know for sure if Viper had escaped, but he knew that the man was very good at sensing a situation like this. Hawk suspected that he'd killed the mole and went into deeper hiding for the time being.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold', smirked Hawk rubbing his chin and thinking about how they'd make Ellison pay. There was no need to hurry, they could wait a little longer.

The end.