~oOo~
After two hours of traipsing through the rugged terrain without any clear indication of where they were going, Simon finally broke the silence. "Jim, why don't we take five?" He dumped his pack on the ground and sat down on a fallen log to make his point clear.
"Simon, we don't have time for this!"
"Time for what, Jim? Time to formulate a plan, time to know in what direction we're headed, or just time to come to our senses?" He sighed heavily. "Look, Jim, I don't mean to be Mr. Negativity here, but do you have any idea where you're going? I mean, we've been wandering around for hours now, and haven't yet seen one single trace that Blair passed through here."
"I've been following his tracks ever since we left the driveway," Ellison replied.
Simon sighed again. "Jim," he said calmly. "I know how you must be feeling. If it were Daryl lost out here, I'd be clinging to every possibility, but let's put things into perspective for a minute. There's no way that you could possibly make out Blair's tracks in this terrain. Why don't we turn back and join the search parties near town? For all we know, they might have already come up with a substantial lead by now."
"Simon," Jim responded, trying to remain calm and cap the explosion of emotion he could feel building. "I know you'll find this very hard to believe, but I can see Blair's tracks. There are three sets of very distinctive footprints plastered all over the place." He crouched down on his haunches. "Look here."
Simon bent down and focussed on the spot where Jim was pointing. "I can't see anything."
Ellison patiently traced the area with his finger. "Right here. If you look close enough, you can just make out the tread marks from his sneaker."
Banks squinted. "Well I'll be damned," he muttered, now seeing the faint impression for the first time. "What about the other prints? You said you could see three sets of prints. Don't tell me there's someone else out here with the kid!"
"Not someone," Jim replied, standing up and brushing down his pants. "Something. I'm certain the other prints are from a large cat and a wolf pup."
"Excuse me!" Banks eyed Jim's calm expression. "You mean Blair is being hunted... like prey?"
"No, not hunted. They're travelling with him. I think they've been sent to protect him."
Simon's patience had just come to a screaming halt. "Alright Jim, enough is enough. You either prove to me right here and now that you haven't completely lost your marbles, or I swear to god I'm gonna drag you back and have the Sheriff himself lock you up."
"I'm a Sentinel, Simon."
"A what?" Simon pushed himself to his feet. "Jim, enough, okay!"
"A Sentinel," Jim repeated. "A man with heightened senses – in my case, five heightened senses."
"Okay," Simon replied, his frustration mounting. "So you missed your calling as wine taster or perfume sniffer, but how does you having heightened senses explain your detachment from reality? Wild animals!" he shouted. "Possibly tracking your son, and all I get is some useless and totally irrelevant information about your bodily functions."
"Simon, do you remember what I told you about my time in Peru?"
"Of course I do; how could I forget?" Simon replied sarcastically, refusing to let go of his temper. "The whole gripping story must have dragged on for a whole five minutes."
"Well in that five minutes, what I neglected to tell you was that most of my time there was spent with the Chopec. That's where I met Incacha."
"Who the hell cares, Jim!"
"I do, because there's every likelihood that he's here."
Simon just shook his head, unable to fathom how such a strong man as Ellison could be broken into so many pieces. "Jim, I know this has been hard and the pressures you've been under have been enormous, but you gotta get a grip, man. For Blair's sake, you need to get ahold of yourself."
"Simon, whether you believe me or not is totally irrelevant. I am a Sentinel and Blair is not just my son, he's also my Guide."
"I know I'm gonna regret asking," Banks muttered, feeling as if he were hitting his head against a brick wall.
"According to Incacha, every sentinel needs a guide to help keep him grounded and focused. Without a guide, the sights and sounds of everyday life would be too overwhelming."
"So?"
"You remember the blinding headaches I'd been having for months before Blair came into my life?"
"Of course I do. Things like that are a little hard to forget." Banks had had many an argument with Jim about the state of his health, and had been ready to pull Ellison off the street, when the whole issue had become interrupted by the arrival of Blair.
"Well, just in case you haven't noticed, I don't have them anymore. They stopped the very day Blair came into my life."
"And you think Blair is responsible for this?"
Jim could tell by the look on Simon's face that there was no further point to the discussion. Bottom line, Banks thought he was a prime candidate for the funny farm, but he didn't have the time to try and convince him otherwise. "Simon, at this point I don't really care whether or not you believe me. My only objective is to find my son and take him home, and if that takes me using all of my five enhanced senses, then that is just what I'm going to do." He looked toward the sky before once again shouldering his pack. "It'll be dark in a few hours, so if you're gonna head back, I suggest you start now while you can still make out our tracks."
Sighing, Simon adjusted his own pack, but remained silent. Crazy or not, Jim was his friend and there was no way he intended to leave his side.
~oOo~
The arrival of dusk had Simon once again breaking the silence that had settled between them. "You still seeing his tracks?"
Jim pulled up sharply. "Quiet, I think I can hear something."
"Blair?"
"I'm not sure." Ellison cocked his head to the side. "I can't seem to focus clearly enough to get a fix." Doubling his chances, Jim concentrated on his vision. "Simon, can you see that?"
Simon followed the direction in which Jim was pointing. "Where exactly? All I can see are trees? Is it Blair?"
Ellison suddenly capped his ear and winced. "A heartbeat." The moment the words left his mouth, another sound was added to the mix – the sound of crumbling dirt.
"Jim!" Simon shouted. He lunged forward, his fingers brushing Ellison's jacket, but never gaining a substantial grip. As the dirt gave way, Jim's body disappeared over the embankment and Simon lost sight of it until it came to a sudden, crumpled stop at the bottom.
"Jim!" he shouted. "Jim, can you hear me?"
Ellison didn't stir.
"Damn it," Banks hissed. Quickly surveying the area, he searched for the best way down. A few yards to the left, the hillside was heavily wooded. Using this to his advantage, he descended – inch by inch and tree by tree – until he finally had a sure footing on the bottom. Cautious on the uneven, slippery ground, he made his way to Ellison's side. "Jim," he breathed, reaching out to find a pulse point. "Thank God," he whispered, running his hands down Ellison's neck and back. The gash above Jim's eye was bleeding profusely, but didn't look too deep. His arm, however, was trapped at an awkward angle under his body and, by sight alone, Simon could tell it was broken. Snagging Jim's battered pack, he gave thanks that at least Ellison had come prepared.
~oOo~
"Okay Ellison, this is really starting to piss me off." After trying for close to an hour, Simon still had been unable to bring Jim around. The detective had muttered a few incoherent words about fifteen minutes back, but now lay with his eyes at half-mast, not responding to anything. Even the pain caused by Simon splinting his arm hadn't seemed to register. "Please Jim," Simon tried again, his concern mounting by every passing minute. "Don't do this... your son needs his dad."
~oOo~
An overwhelming sense of urgency had Blair clambering to his feet. The wolf pup gave a little yelp as it fell from his lap to the cave floor, but Blair ignored it. "I have to go find my daddy," he said, suddenly.
The wolf pup was now upright and on all four paws. The little boy belonged to him and, despite his small size, it was his job to protect him. Loping across the cave floor after the child, he snagged Blair's sweater between his teeth and pulled backward with all his might.
"Don't do that, Rahma," Blair admonished. "Let go. My daddy hu't and he need my help." The pup refused to let go and pitted his own strength against that of the youngster. Blair became angry. "I smack you nose if you don't let go," he warned angrily, bringing up his hand. With a small whimper, the pup shrank back, but still kept its grip. Its face was a mirror of hurt and distrust and the gentle little boy knew instantly how he'd made the pup feel. "I sorry," he said reaching out to stroke Rahma's soft fur. "I sorry I got mad, but I promise I not smack you." Rahma let go and Blair knelt down and buried his nose in the pup's fur. "Eben if you really, really naughty, I not smack you. It can be our promise."
A black panther emerged from the depths of the cave and nuzzled the side of Blair's face. Blair looked up immediately. "You finded my dad, Bagheera?" The panther butted Blair gently with its head before turning toward the entrance of the cave. "You did!" Blair squealed, scrambling to his feet. "Come on Rahma, we got to follow. Bagaheera finded Dad!"
~oOo~
Serious brain injury was not far from Simon's mind as he tried once again to rouse Jim. He'd been unable to raise a signal on the radio Sheriff Winslow had given him and, as night was setting in, so was his concern of how he was going to keep Jim's vitals stable. They hadn't brought a tent, but had packed one space blanket and two sleeping bags. That, combined with a fire, should be enough to keep hypothermia at bay. But if Jim was bleeding into his brain, the risk of seizures was high on the list of dangers. "Come on, Jim," he tried again, running his knuckles, hard, down Ellison's sternum. "I know you're in there, buddy, and you gotta get it together. It's starting to get dark, and your little boy's out there all alone."
With his concentration firmly fixed on Jim, Simon didn't hear or notice the child coming up behind him.
"Uncle Simon." Blair reached out to touch Simon's shoulder. "What wong with my daddy?"
Simon spun around with such a start that both he and Blair ended up flat on their backsides. "Jesus, Mother Mary," he swore, scrambling to his knees when his brain finally registered what his eyes where telling him. "Blair, how... where the hell did you come from?" Not waiting for an answer, he pulled Blair up and frantically ran his hand over his body. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Still not giving the child a chance to answer, he pulled him into a smothering hug. "You just took twenty years off my life, Squirt."
"Uncle Simon?" Blair tried to turn his head in order to both speak and breathe. "What the matteh with Daddy?"
Simon pushed Blair back and cradled his dirty little face within the cup of his hands. "Your dad just took a little fall, Squirt," not knowing how much to tell Blair. "But he's gonna be fine and I'm gonna get him out of here, okay? We just have to wait till he wakes up, that's all."
Blair withdrew from Simon's hold and went to kneel by his father. "Daddy," he said tenderly. "It okay now, Daddy. I heuh now. I take care of you." His grubby fingers lightly smoothed over his father's brow and down the side of his face. "I heuh, Daddy; you can wake up now," he continued quietly.
Simon's heart was bleeding, but there was nothing else he could do but keep Jim comfortable and warm... and listen to the pleas of a child as he spoke quietly to his unresponsive father.
~oOo~
Ellison looked around and then down as the vision of absolutely nothing surrounded him. "Shit not again," he ground out. "Incacha!" he shouted into the air. "I don't have time for this, so I want you to get your butt out here and talk to me. Plain English, no psychedelic, technophobic, hippie babble," he added.
Incacha stood in the shadows watching the fledgling Sentinel. It took many qualities to become a sentinel. Strength, bravery, conviction, passion and patience. "Somehow I think some qualities will take longer to master than others," he mused. "You don't appear to have learned the art of patience, Enqueri," Incacha said, coming into the light. "A good Sentinel must learn this virtue if he is to truly succeed at his task."
"I'm not here for a lesson," Ellison responded. "I'm here to find my son." He drifted closer to the spirit guide. "And why the hell didn't you stop this before it started?" he asked, angrily. "Why didn't you stop Naomi from taking him? You didn't seem to have any problems getting rid of Tom Walsh."
"Because she is the boy's mother, and as such is part of his past and part of his destiny. I cannot interfere in such a fate. If your guide is to grow in both spirit and strength, he must overcome adversity and I must say that for one so young, he has already proven himself to be most worthy." Incacha reached out touch Jim's shoulder. "You each have a lot to learn, Sentinel, and a long path to travel. The way of Sentinel and Guide is not an easy one, but I have every belief that as you both grow, you will travel this path well. Go to your Guide, Enqueri... you have passed this test."
As Incacha disappeared, Jim surged forward angrily. "Test!" he shouted. "You're trying to tell me this was all a test? Incacha, get your ass back here... I'm not finished."
"Daddy, Daddy can you heuh me?"
At the sound of the voice, Jim immediately stopped shouting and listened to the voice that was calling out to him. "Blair, where are you? Tell me where you are?"
"Follow me home, Daddy," Blair said. "Follow my voice home."
Jim hit the conscious world with a thud and would have been enveloped in pain if not for the beautiful, brilliant smile shining down at him. "I finded you, Daddy. We not lost anymo'."
Barely functioning, Jim felt his body being lifted and gently placed back against Simon's chest. His son stood before him. "We safe and sounded now, ahn't we, Daddy?" Blair bounced on his toes. "I think I ready to go home now."
Not trusting his voice, Jim just nodded his head. He didn't even try and stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he gathered Blair into arms and buried his nose deeply in a mop of curls. He breathed deeply and inhaled the scent of his child – the sweet, pure, innocent scent of his son.
~oOo~
With darkness closing in fast and Jim still not focusing clearly, Simon's decision was clear-cut. They'd have to make camp for the night and, depending on Jim's condition, head out at first light.
"I know'd a cave, Uncle Simon," Blair said as he watched his uncle collect firewood. "It already have a fire and it nice and warm."
After all they'd been through, Simon had no intention of discounting Blair's statement, but he couldn't go dragging Jim through the bush just to satisfy the child's lively imagination. "I'm sure it has, Squirt, but it might be too far away for your dad to make it."
"It not," Blair said. "It just over there, and we won't get lost 'cause Bagheera will show us the way."
"Who's Bagheera?" Simon asked cautiously.
"He daddy's animal spirit. Mine is a wolf pup. I called him Rahma. It from the Jungle Book, you know."
Simon glanced over at Jim, who despite the pain he was in, had a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. "Told you," he said.
"You both are kidding, right?" Simon said, nervously.
Jim held out his hand. "Help me up. I don't know about you, but I have no intention of freezing my butt off out here when there's five-star accommodation waiting."
"You sure?" Simon asked, before hesitantly taking hold of Jim's hand.
Slinging his arm across Simon's shoulders and waiting for the swaying motion to stop, Jim took a step forward. "There are more things in heaven and earth, my friend."
~oOo~
By the time they arrive at the cave, Simon had gone way past the realm where he was questioning the reality of everything that had happened. A surprisingly warm cave awaited them, complete with a fire and a pot of something that didn't look half bad, bubbling over a roughly-made tripod. "Heaven and earth," he muttered as he lowered Jim to the ground. Although the stubborn detective would most likely cut off his right arm rather than admit he was in pain, Simon had easily picked up on all the signs. "Sit and stay," he said, shaking open the space blanket and tucking it around Ellison's shoulders.
"Do I get a kiss goodnight, as well?" Ellison asked, straight-faced.
"You should be so lucky," Simon answered. He ruffled Blair's curls. "You need to water the garden, Squirt?"
"Huh?" Blair asked.
"You know, take a squirtle, drown the ants?"
"What?" Blair said, this time scrunching up his face.
"You need to go the bathroom, Chief?" Jim clarified, rolling his eyes.
"Oh," Blair said. "I guess."
Jim started to shift. "I'll take him."
Simon placed a forceful hand on Ellison's shoulder. "I thought I told you to sit and to stay." He took hold of Blair's hand. "I won't let him out of my sight, I promise."
As Simon and Blair made their way to just outside the cave entrance, Jim looked over at the jaguar and cub who were both soaking up the warmth of the fire. "Hey, you two, move it," he ordered. The jaguar cracked open one eye and gave him an indignant look and a low growl but, true to its duty, it moved away from the fire and followed Blair outside. "Don't look at me like that," Jim called after it. "Mystical beings are not on top of my ten favourite hit list at the moment... that includes you Incacha," he said, talking into thin air. "I'm still pissed, you know."
Simon glanced back briefly to listen to the ranting going on in cave, before turning his full attention toward Blair. "Squirt, you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Nope," Blair replied, as he fumbled to do up the top button on his jeans.
Leaning down, Simon pulled up the kid's zipper before fastening the button. "Can you see a black panther anywhere around here?"
"Ah-ha," Blair nodded. "He standing right ove' theuh."
"Okay." A hint of nervousness was evident in Simon's body language as he looked over at where Blair was pointing. "Um, he doesn't bite, does he?"
"He only gobbles up bad people, Uncle Simon. He won't bite you." Blair grabbed hold of Simon's hand. "You can pat him if you want."
Reluctantly Simon let Blair take his hand and stroke it over the panther's fur. "See, he nice and soft."
As Simon's hand passed through the air... air was all he could feel. Not wanting to shatter Blair's illusion, he picked him up and swung him into his arms. Blair wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck. "Uncle Simon, will my daddy be okay?"
"He'll be fine, sweetheart." Simon placed a kiss on the top of Blair's head. "I wouldn't let anything happen to your dad."
"Do you love my daddy, like I do?" Blair asked.
Simon hesitated for a brief moment. His natural reaction would have been a straight 'no', but his honest answer would have been 'yes'. Simon decided to give Blair his honest answer.
"Does that mean we all a family?" Blair asked.
"We sure are, buddy." Simon gave Blair a squeeze. "Come on tough stuff, it's getting cold out here."
Having monitored everything that had gone on outside, Jim wasn't about to make Simon feel uncomfortable about his answer. The man was his best friend, and he loved the guy back, but being a guy, he also knew that it was a point that would never warrant a direct mention, from either side. "You won't be able to see or feel them, Simon," he said, completely avoiding the play of emotion. "They're our animal spirits, not yours. It's a Sentinel-Guide thing."
"Right," Simon drawled. He put Blair down and gave his hair a quick ruffle. "Jim, how do you feel about taking a little evaluation when we get back? You know, just to be on the safe side."
"Simon, after all that's happened, I can't believe that you still don't believe me."
"It's not that I don't believe you, Jim, it's just a little hard to come to grips with the overall concept. Sentinel and Guide, okay I can kind of believe, especially after your little demonstration today, but animal spirits, ghostly tribal warriors – I mean, you gotta admit that's a little farfetched."
"Well, you better come to grips with it, my friend, because it's what we are." Jim lifted the blanket and encouraged Blair to hop under. "And I'd also suggest you move your foot. You're standing on the wolf pup's tail, and the cat's getting a little agitated."
Blair burst into a round of giggles as Simon jumped and quickly hot footed it over to the other side of the cave. Despite his humiliation, it was a sound that had the police captain's heart singing. They were his family and he wouldn't want it any other way.
~oOo~
Simon shook out the sleeping bags and laid them out beside the fire. Blair was cuddled on his father's lap and, in an effort to give the pair some privacy, he set about packing up the dinner utensils.
"Chief." Jim rubbed his fingers lightly over the deep bruise on his son's cheek. "Who did this?"
With his head resting against his father's chest, Blair sleepily replied, "The bad man, Gideon. He hit me when I try to make him stop hu'ting Lucas. He hu't Lucas and he made his bottom bleed."
Jim paled as his son's words hit home. Blair had seen the teenager being raped. Burying his nose deep into Blair's curls, he wasn't sure whether he had the strength to ask his next question. "Did Gideon hurt you like this?" he asked, shakily.
"Nope." Blair yawned widely and was barely able to keep his eyes open. "Bagheera was going to gobble him. Daddy," he said quietly, "Lucas not have a daddy who loves him like you love me. Can you be his daddy too?"
"Close your eyes, Munchkin," Jim replied, avoiding the child's question. "You go to sleep now, okay?" As Blair's breathing evened out and little puffs of breath become long and heavy with sleep, Jim pondered his son's question. Blair understandably seemed to have latched on to the kid, but he hoped, given time, that Lucas and the attachment Blair had to him would become a distant memory. Because if it didn't, there was going to be more heartache afoot.
If the kid did manage to survive, Jim was intent on having him thrown in the slammer for as long as justice would allow.
~oOo~
A good night's sleep seemed a distant memory as Simon's waking hours stretched out to nearly thirty-six straight. While Jim had slept on and off, the pain in his arm never let him fall asleep too deeply. Simon had watched and noted with curiosity that Blair, even while asleep, seemed to have an effect on comforting and alleviating some of his father's pain.
Sentinel and Guide, he mused, leaning back against the cave wall and closing his eyes. The evidence was there, but sometimes even unequivocal evidence was hard to believe.
~oOo~
"You all set Chief?" Ellison bent down to scoop Blair up.
"I not going to be carried." Blair gave his father a scowl. "I not a baby," he said. "I can walk on my own."
"Are you sure?" Jim asked, using his thumbs to smooth out the crease lines in Blair forehead. "We've got an awfully long way to go."
"I suuh." Blair said, with confidence. "And Bagheera promised he keep the beahs away. Lucas said they mighty big beahs in these woods."
"Listen to the boy, Jim," Simon said, noting a distinctive change in Ellison's demeanour at the mention of Wilder's name. "Sometimes I think he's got more sense than you."
Jim ignored Bank's comment. A noise in the distance had grabbed his attention. "Simon, I can hear voices."
"A search party?"
"Yeah," Jim muttered. "But I think they're heading in the wrong direction. Quick, hand me a flare."
"Absolutely not," Banks groused. "I think I'm quite capable of setting off a flare, and I'm less likely to drop it."
"Ha, ha, everyone's a comedian," Ellison retaliated.
"No, Jim." Simon slapped Ellison lightly on the back. "It's just that some people know how to keep hold of a gun." Simon retrieved the flare gun and pointed it toward the sky.
Blair jumped a little when it first went off, but was then mesmerised by the flash of light streaking across the sky. "Can I hab a turn?" he asked, hopefully.
"No," both men chorused.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because," Simon replied, "any direct blood descendent of your father's should not be allowed to be responsible for a gun."
"What Uncle Simon meant to say," Jim clarified, "is that guns are very, very dangerous and you should never, ever touch them."
"Um, yep." Simon's face took on a guilty expression. "That's exactly what I meant to say."
~oOo~
