Part 3

"What's a Sentinel, Danny?" Jack asked him during the flight to Cascade, WA. Daniel was logged onto the net on his notebook, surfing to gather information about that James Ellison and Blair.

"Oh, Blair had this old book since he was barely ten years old by Sir Richard Burton, and before you ask, the explorer and not the actor, 'The Sentinels of Paraguay', " Daniel said and began to explain the concept to Jack and Teal'c, not noticing on the suddenly thoughtful look on Jack's face.

"In truth the only way I could see Blair living with a cop would be if that cop was a Sentinel… Uh, oh, Jack, do you think it could be possible that your friend could be one of those Sentinels?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because of that information from Cascade about your friend and Blair. The tabloids are full of them. Did you know he was two times in a row 'Cop of the Year'? Blair's dissertation is supposed to be suddenly about 'Closed Societies' and he's been riding with that cop of yours for three years running now. Three years as an observer for his diss? With the same cop? A genius like Blair should have already had his PhD after that long as an observer. And I tell you, no one would be able to make him change the topic of his dissertation."

Jack sighed. "I'm not sure, but Ellison always had good eyes and ears. Would also explain how the heck he found me in the darkest cell ever made down there where no sun ever shone. Worse, it would explain why he has been kidnapped, which we still have to see if he really was. And I will. I was too late for his rescue from the jungles of Peru, but not for this one." His face had a dangerous look to it, a sight Daniel almost never saw these days, one that spoke of Black Ops and such things and one that made cold shivers run down Daniel's spine.

"That's Blair!" Daniel showed him a partial view of Jim and the kid.

"What's with all that hair? How old is he anyway? He's barely out of diapers. That's for sure."

"I know what you mean, Jack. But he's 26 now. Got into Rainier at 16, that is 15 really, albeit it says in his papers 16. Oops, uh, I should not have told you that. Forget it, okay, Jack? He's 27," Daniel said flustered to have been so as to babble out Blair's secret.

Jack just stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Uh. His upbringing was a bit different from the norm. He traveled almost all over the world with his Mom, before he got to Rainier. He mostly taught himself, as the schools could no longer provide for him any education above the norm and he was ready for University. By 15 he already spoke about 9 languages, which is pretty good, for he is no Linguist. Technically. Anthropology is his specialty. When I was at Rainier for my last PhD, we shared an apartment for a while. The dorms were a bit too much for him, uh, study wise, and he got an authorization form signed from his mother to get an apartment. So we shared. We stayed in contact afterwards. That's all."

"Are you trying to tell me that his mother left him to fend on his own at 15 years of age? Where was his father in all that?"

"Oh, he never knew about him. His mother said there were too many possibilities, so she never told him. You know it was still the hippie time, Blair told me. He sees himself as a child of the World."

'Child of the World, my ass.' Jack thought to himself. 'That was a kid roaming alone in the world.'

Finally they landed at the airport of in Cascade and took a rental to Prospect 852. Jack had only been there twice before, before and after Jim's brief marriage.

The first person Blair saw when the doorbell rang was a slightly grey-haired man who screamed military to him. And how quaint, another neck-breaker, he thought while warm but nevertheless penetrating brown eyes looked down at him.

"I'm Jack O'Neill." Jack said and extended his hand to the grad student, as he entered, allowing his companions to follow him inside.

"Daniel?! Man, I haven't heard from you like since like forever. How did you know I was here?" Blair asked shell shocked.

"I'm with Jack. And when I heard you on the message I just had to tag along," Daniel explained while he hugged the stuffing out of the shorter man. "And that's T… uh… Murray." He introduced Teal'c.

Blair's eyes wandered from each of the visitors to the other, still trying to get over the shock of seeing his friend after such a long time, and in the company of the man he had waited for anxiously. And the last one was huge by any means, seemed already bigger than Simon, at least more massive for sure. To tell the truth, his nerve endings were prickling with a strange energy when he took the man's hand for a shake. He filed that away for a later consideration as he was too anxious to begin the search for his Sentinel.

The greeting of 'Nice to meet you, BlairSandburg!' like his name was one word, made him rise his eyebrows. "Uh… call me just Blair, please." which was answered with a slight head bow. From his shorter height he could see something golden shine from under the hat the big man wore, making him raise his brows again.

Meanwhile, Jack walked to the couch and took a look around the loft, spying immediately the changes made throughout the décor. It had been rather sparse the last time he was here, even with Carolyn living there. Strange masks and books seemed to have seeped throughout the whole loft, making it look homey even. Half-open French doors gave him a view of scattered books and throw pillows; he was sure it was the kids room, as Ellison was almost anal with tidiness even by Military Standards or Jack's own. He could see Jim's and Blair's touches from the kitchen to the living room.

"So tell me again why you think Jim has been kidnapped and about those white coated guys and so on."

"Oh, it's like the fifth day now and he hasn't called me yet. You've got to help me to find him."

Jack took hold of the agitated kid and sat him forcefully beside him on the couch.

"The white coats - what are you not telling me?"

"Blair, I told Jack about your dissertation. Is Jim the Sentinel you were looking for?"

"Noo, I changed my topic to 'Closed Societies'. You've got to believe me. There are no Sentinels in our time anymore."

"Well, kid. You could have fooled me as I distinctly remember Jim always being awesomely accurate in finding enemies. Seeing and hearing farther than anyone, I ever knew about and not only that. Now listen well. He saved my life a long time ago when it should have been impossible to find me and if he is really a Sentinel, which would explain why he disappeared in the first place, I swear what you tell us will never leave these walls. Jim is my friend or you would not have called me."

Jack looked at the kid with intensity, seeing the struggle he was going through, the fear of what men like him in uniform or otherwise could do to his Sentinel if they ever knew and which could have happened already.

Blair nodded his head, his heart telling him he could trust in this man.

"Now about the white coated men. What do you know about that you haven't told me yet?"

"Well, you are so not going to believe me but it is the whole truth. I am Jim's Guide and we have a connection. There is this Spirit World I found out about that Sentinels have. I thought only Jim could see them but the Panther and the Wolf I got to see too. I thought when I drowned that was just a uniqueness to have them seen merged and then there were this dreams first the night he went to the Conference. I dreamt of the blue jungle and suddenly there was Jim and the Panther merging. It growled and the vultures got him even though he was struggling inhumanly to free himself. They put him on an altar or whatever of some kind, he was all wounded and the pain I could see and feel and then the Wolf was beside me howling, just like the visions Jim told me about, a blue jungle…"

"What the hell are you talking about, kid? Panthers and Wolves?"

"I assume, O'Neill that by those he means these animals of some kind by the fireplace." Teal'c said calmly while scrutinizing the two animals who were sitting there.

Jack turned quickly and thought to have seen a glimpse of something there, but that was impossible. "Are you trying to tell me you can see them?"

"Indeed."

Blair looked big-eyed at the dark skinned huge man.

"You can see them too? You are the first one to have ever seen them beside Jim and me."

"You wanna make me believe there are Ghost Animals?"

"No, Jack. I believe the correct term would be Spirit Animals. It is widely believed by many cultures, that every one has a Spirit Animal as a guardian," Daniel answered instead. "I can't see them, but it could be true, as Teal'c can see them as well."

"Okay, okay, let's go by facts. Where is Carter when you need her?"

"I would estimate that Major Carter is back at the Mountain by now, O'Neill."

"Crap!" Jack said and took his cell from his pocket and dialed Carter's one. "Carter, where the hell are you?"

"Good morning to you too, sir. I just arrived at my office, sir."

"Excellent. Do me a favor and find anything about a special project or anything about heightened senses involving anything relative to Jim Ellison from Cascade, WA, without leaving traces anywhere a search has been made. Yeah, James J. Ellison, Ex-Ranger, Special Ops etc. ASAP. Call me back on my cell. We, the rest of the team, are here in Cascade already. Do not involve anyone else. Just give me all ASAP. Bye, Carter."

"What do we do now?" Blair asked anxiously, already restless at being forced to sit still on the couch and so he promptly stood up to prowl around.

"Now we wait for Carter and have lunch. I am starving. How about take out pizza? As I see, Ellison still has a list ready for emergencies on the fridge. You just got to love that guy," Jack said as he entered the kitchen area.

"I've got a better idea. There's chili or lasagna available in the freezer. Just let me put it in the microwave and it will be ready in no time," Blair said, almost running to the fridge with Daniel sauntering behind him.

"Better make that both, Blair. T's got a healthy appetite. Don't tell me. Your ostrich chili pepper? Jack, it's to die for." Daniel eagerly helped to take out the delicacies. He did a double take when he saw the contents of the refrigerator.

"Blair, your fridge's contents are color coded."

"That is an anal retentive Sentinel for you. Jim even…" Blair began to answer almost cheerfully when he slumped back against the kitchen counter, only the phone ringing distracting him from his distressed thoughts.

"Hello?" His back went straight, telegraphing tension all around. "No, Dean Edwards. I will not be able to come to the University, but have already arranged for my classes to be covered by a substitute. I know, but I will not be able to leave now." his face clouded over as he listened but before he could make his situation worse, Jack took the phone out of his hands. The words he heard made him straighten as well and cut the call short.

"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Air Force, speaking. Blair Sandburg will not be available for some days because of a matter of national security. No, he is not under arrest. He is under our protection so I'm depending on you to make sure he gets the substitutions arranged for the time being. General George Hammond, NORAD, will answer any further questions as soon as possible. Have a good day." Jack hung up with the last words, his temper seething over the infuriating woman.

Blair seemed like a rabbit caught in a trap as he stared wide-eyed from one to the other.

"NORAD? Daniel, how the heck did you get tangled up with the air force and NORAD of all places?"

End Part 3

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