Friday, 02 October 1998, Rainier University
The E-mail chime rang on Blair's computer. The anthropology student looked over, wondering if it was another missive from Rover S. In the weeks since they first started cooresponding, the researcher had been very regular about sending information that Blair could use to help his Sentinel. Sometimes the information was just a list of ideas that, according to Rover S, had been brainstormed by a local group that met in London to discuss sensitive senses. At other times, the information they sent just happened to be exactly what he needed to deal with a problem he was having with Jim. He glanced at the clock and yielded to the temptation. He opened his E- mail to find a new note from the research group.
Mr. Sandburg,
Here are the latest test results on sensitivity from my friends in London. I hope that it proves useful to your research. Also, included is a file from a French monograph on 'guardian spirits'. It seems to deal with the subject you are researching. If it is what you need, we will send you a copy of the original and of the translations. Your idea to have the perfumier use meditation and visualization to control his sense of smell worked.
Thank you.
Rover S
He chuckled. He'd been keeping track of the debates raging on Rover's research chat for the past week. When one of the researchers asked for help, he'd E-mailed Rover S directly, rather than enter the discussion. None of the others mentioned or suggested having the overwhelmed man visualize dials to control his sense of smell. He was happy to have helped the man who'd helped him so much. He quickly opened the attached file and began reading. Maybe there would be some ideas he could use on Jim. His alarm clock went off. Still grinning, he filed the new mail, shut down the computer, and grabbed his backpack.
Even with his lightened schedule, he found himself running late. He'd missed too many hours with Fortaleza. To Jim's amusement and delight, no matter what time he showed up, she kicked him out at the end of his normal 'hours'. According to the sentinel, she had to have a heart of pure Teflon, his pleading just slid right off her determination. Today, he was going to be on time... it wasn't like he was in the middle of a hot case at the station. He was just doing his own research; it wasn't even something he could put into his diss. A quick glance at the clock spurred him out the door.
Later that afternoon, Rainier University Apartments
"Hey, Sandburg?" The rhythmic accent caressed his ears. He looked up and a flash of light caught him unawares. Her voice tickled his ears again. "Thanks."
"What was that for?" he muttered.
"You said I could take pictures whenever I wanted. I wanted to get one of you busy and happy with your research."
"My eyes were closed."
"Only for the one with the flash. The others were at a very fast speed. When I'm done, you get a set."
"Is there any particular reason for them?"
"Not really. Although, I could use them as a journal of the set up for the show. I just like to shoot and you take wonderful pictures."
He sighed in disgust and looked at the crate beside her. He had yet to see any of her pictures, but he knew better than to argue with her about them. Like most avid practitioners, she was rabid about her hobby. "Are you done with that crate yet?"
"All done and ready to go to the museum." She hauled the heavy crate to where he had the show plates. She looked over his sketches for the displays. "How is that going? Do you need any help there?"
"No, it's going fine. Do you want to go see it? I could show you around tomorrow."
"You don't work weekends, remember? That time is reserved for Jim and the PD." Her pale green eyes flickered over him briefly.
"Maybe on Monday afternoon, then?" Blair felt the sadness weaving its way through the room. In the past two weeks, AJ had been getting quieter and sadder. It was almost as if she feared another panic attack or something worse. He'd tried getting her to talk about it only to meet up with a wall that would even impress Jim. Once she decided not to talk, she didn't speak a word.
She refused to go out often. Only the classes she'd promised to help with and the work in the museum got her out of the apartment. He'd spoken to the photography professor and learned she'd actually been going with them on their photo excursions, so she had been off campus briefly.
She'd turned the comfortable living room into an office, staying there during all of her free time unless he managed to tease her outside to walk around the campus. The only thing that seemed to give her any joy was planning the museum display. Sometimes he felt like she was hiding something from him, but he hadn't been able to pin it down yet. "You need to get out. Why don't you come to the loft this weekend? Jim said he wouldn't mind you coming over. He wants to meet you."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine." When he began pulling artifacts out of the crate, she stopped him. Instead she handed him a colorful paper box. "These are the first of the pictures I promised you."
His hands trembled as he lifted the lid. Instinctively, he knew that he would like the contents. She'd promised to give him a copy of every photo she took of him or his friends. If they didn't like the picture, she would never show it.
Inside the box were well over two hundred photographs. He didn't know she'd taken so many. They were separated into groups by index cards. Each card listed the date, the time and the location where the picture had been shot. Then it listed the pictures by number, giving the names of the subjects. He was awed by them as he went through the box. He'd known that A.J. was a semi-professional photographer, but this was beyond his expectations.
He scanned through the box, enjoying the lighthearted scenes from campus. There were also several that had been obviously taken with the photography lab group. The life and livelihood of the people of Cascade were shown in a whimsical style that brought a grin to his lips. Then he froze. Blair stared in shock at one particular set of pictures. Stylistically, it didn't fit with the others, almost as if it were another person's photo. They completely caught him by surprise with their imagery.
He remembered the situation clearly, as it had only occurred the week before. He had not realized the photo class had been nearby, but it made an odd kind of sense. After all, the plaza had been crowded even for the day and the situation. He would never have noticed the small group of students among the larger group of curious onlookers.
Somehow, in the aftermath of a bad bank hostage situation, AJ had managed the impossible. The picture was a perfect shot of the scene. Four large men clustered around two smaller figures, all smiling. The two figures were holding onto each other, trying hard not to fall down laughing.
Almost everyone from the Major Crimes department was present, only Rafe was missing. He had been tied up in court that day. He had missed the whole thing and would completely stunned by the fact that neither Jim nor Blair had been hurt. Now he had the proof. He stared at the picture.
Megan's laughter could almost be heard rising from the picture. Blair's eyes were closed as he leaned into her embrace. The men around them were obviously enjoying the laughter of their two comrades. Jim stood directly behind Blair, his eyes watchful even as he joined in their laughter. The other three big men, Joel, Simon and Henry, were much more active in their enjoyment of the situation. All of them were touching Blair, reassuring themselves of his safety, the fact that he had actually gotten out without injury.
"Oh, man! This is great!" He felt his eyes water as he absorbed the power of the picture. "It seems like you can hear our thoughts, the words we said, the joke itself. Megan can really rip out those one liners. Can you get copies? The guys would love to have some."
"Already done." A.J.'s voice was softer than normal. She set a small stack of frames down beside him. On each frame was a descriptive tag.
As he began going through the pile, she stood and walked away. Blair nearly choked when he saw that they were all signed, K.A.J, with the distinctive square cage around the initials that was his trademark. In the past weeks, the woman had very gently sidestepped any question about the elusive photographer. Only the fact that the style of the photographs was so very different from what she usually took, convinced him that they weren't hers. "AJ? These are signed... I mean, Cage is here? In Cascade?"
"Cage was here then. We didn't know their names, so when I saw you in the picture I figured you could get releases for the others. Cage agreed to the same deal that we have between us. If they don't like the shot, it won't go in the next book." AJ was pale, tense, staring out the window. She continued quietly. "Could you please take them to the police department for us?"
Blair watched her, pensively. He had the feeling that this was a test. "I could take you to the station and introduce you to them. Then you can ask. . ." he paused as she shook her head. "But, you should be the one to give them out to the guys. They'll love them."
"No, Blair. If you won't take them in, they'll just stay here." She sighed and turned around, leaning on the windowsill. A very small smile crept across her face and she shook her head. Fear edged her voice. "I don't like the city too much. I will not go across it if I don't have to do so. Cage doesn't like the idea of trying to track down police officers; it might give them the wrong idea. Please, Blair."
"Okay, I'll take them in and hand them out to the guys." Blair felt like there was something he should be doing. Something to help her. The only thing he could think of was to cooperate for now. He knew it wasn't fear of the city that kept her from going to the station. He smiled, looking down at the picture before him. "Thanks for this. It's perfect."
Fortaleza smiled, relaxing as she took in his genuine approval. Her voice was calm again, happy for a moment. Blair noted to himself that, for a rare moment, even her eyes were smiling. "You are very welcome."
Sunday 04 October, Rainier University.
AJ looked around the campus, slowly breathing in the cold night air. Something was wrong -- very, very wrong. If only she could put her finger on it. The feeling was growing, like an irrational cold spot on her spine, it wouldn't let her alone. Tonight was Sukkoth, and she should feel the calm that normally came from that ancient Hebrew festival. Instead, she found herself out on the porch staring out onto the full moon, waiting.
Things were going awry. Things that should never have been allowed to be changed had been switched around until she could barely see the original plan anymore. Too many little things were out of place. By now she should have been able to locate the centro de los sacrificios but she had found nothing. But then again, she wasn't 100% comfortable in Cascade. That could be the problem, after all she hadn't found any proof of trouble. Nothing to prove Ese's contention that the cults were moving into Cascade. And none of the groups searching the rest of the state had found anything either.
If she were in the Yucatan she would understand her tension. This was the year, the final year of waiting and preparing - for the predictions to either be fulfilled or ignored. In another location, her fears wouldn't be so laughable. Here they seemed far away and easily ignored until the chills began running up her spine and the nightmares began again.
It was too close to the start of the season of sacrifice for her to be this tense. Her nerves were stretched too tight, her dreams too ephemeral for her to decipher their warnings. Everything was too close to the edge, and Sandburg was still too close to the target zone for her tastes. Either they had the wrong city and nothing was going to happen in Cascade, or the players were so far underground she'd never see them until it was too late.
The package she had been expecting had been delayed again. First, in Mexico, the authorities had decided it needed to wait until the situation there settled down a little. Then, the people who were supposed to deliver it, cancelled. Cancelled? Backed out and ran was more like it, refusing to explain why or what had happened. So she had to find another way around that problem. The only people she felt she could trust with the consignment were people she did not want anywhere near those artifacts. She didn't believe in tempting the fates.
A pair of her note disks had disappeared. Maybe Sandburg had moved them and she would find them in the morning. He was usually careful about stuff like that, but maybe this time, he hadn't noticed. Or maybe he'd accidentally taken them with him. She'd have to call him and ask. Even though she doubted he would understand their importance or the language she'd used for her notes, she didn't like them being out of place. If any of her telltales had been moved, she might think someone had taken them. But who would know which unmarked disks to take?
With a grunt, AJ dropped from her balcony, landing lightly on the brittle grass. She grimaced at the cold before shrugging and running over to the tall trees in the yard. Finding a densely needled fir tree she rapidly climbed up it, searching for a place to rest. Once she was situated, she wrapped herself in the thermal blanket she'd bought before making the final knot in the rope holding her to the tree. Now, maybe, she'd be able to sleep. It had been too long since she'd gotten a full nights' sleep. Maybe in this precarious spot she wouldn't dream.
Jim woke suddenly. With the quiet moves of a predator, he slipped from the bed without making a sound. Pausing only to grab his pistol from the nightstand, the sentinel carefully paced through the loft. He carefully checked every window, every lock, his senses extended, looking for the intruder, the feeling grating on his nerves. Nothing. He could find no reason at all to be up. He growled to himself and jumped as he heard it echoed. He turned to face his spirit guide. It too felt the tension in the air.
"Jim?" Blair's voice was more asleep than awake as the young man peered out of his room. The younger man watched him pace in front of the balcony doors. "What's wrong?"
Jim looked over at his spirit guide. It was looking out the glass doors, growling deep in its throat. "I don't know, Chief. It feels almost like a storm is coming, only it's not a storm."
The panther hissed before turning to stalk up to the loft bedroom. With another quick glance around the room, Jim followed it up the stairs. He shrugged to himself, deciding that it was nothing.
Thursday 08 October. Rainier University
"Go on, you'll enjoy it. I promise." Blair wheedled and teased. As he watched, AJ's face finally softened and she nodded. It had taken him all week to convince her. All right, he acknowledged to himself, it was more like wear her down with his wheedling, than convince her. "Take your camera, too. The October Festival is full of neat things for pictures."
"If I don't like it, I'll leave." AJ growled.
"You sound like Jim." He laughed at her. "I didn't know you still had this." He handed her the now mended green parka. When he saw the embroidered patch on the shoulder he frowned.
"I fixed it, Sandburg. It's good as new." She smiled at his look. "The coat protected me. If I hadn't been wearing it, he might have shot me instead. Have to take care of the protector. You should know that."
Blair paled and looked over at the green eyes watching him. There was no way she could mean what he thought she meant, could she? She hadn't even met Jim yet. His mind began racing, Fortaleza knew a lot about the South American tribes, but did she know about sentinels? It had to be a slip, a link his own mind was making, not a probe by her. It had to be.
"Blair? Blair? What did I say?" Concern edged the soft voice, as a hand gently stroked his jaw. "Come on, wake up."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I just thought of something." Blair was flustered. AJ was so close, eyes staring at him, curiously. Worry was evident in every move she made. It was very rare for her to be in his personal space; she avoided any unnecessary contact to the point of sheer avoidance. He shook his head, trying to think of a distraction. "I mean there are just so many ways to ..."
She put her camera bag down and laid the parka over it. "I'm sorry for whatever I did."
"Hey, it's not your fault. I just... my mind has been working on something and it finally came up with a solution..." AJ watched him for a moment before turning away. Blair's hand caught her shoulder. "Give me a moment to write it down and I can take you over to meet the others."
"Are you sure? I can always take the bus. Kathy said it wasn't hard to get there."
"It isn't. I really think it's great that you're going. You'll love it. I always did." Blair's voice was ecstatic, as he began describing the fair.
"Are you going to it this year?" AJ asked quietly, watching him closely again. "The professor said there is space left on the van. I could ask him to let you ride with us."
"Nah. I'm going to be busy. Jim and I are working on this really tough robbery case and if we get done before the weekend is here, we might take off to the mountains." The anthropologist smiled happily at the thought. Jim had been pleased by the idea when Blair had mentioned it that morning.
"Your roommate wouldn't go to the fair with you?" She was curious. If it was so culturally important for her to go, why wasn't Blair disappointed about not going? Inside her mind, tumblers were clicking into place. Yes, please let it be, let him be fully and totally bonded to a sentinel, let his roommate be Enqueri. That would make them both be safe from the coming nightmare. Then maybe the nightmares will stop. Her thoughts were much closer to a prayer than she liked.
"Jim? In a crowd? I don't think so." Blair had to smile at the thought. He thought about his sentinel's reaction to the sights, the sounds, the odors. No, that was not something he wanted to subject his roommate to, not even if it meant he had to give up the fair. "He avoids things like the festival like they are the plague. If I asked, he'd go, but it's not that important to me."
"Your detective sounds like my kind of person."
"Then why don't you come over tomorrow? You could have dinner with us. I know he would like to meet you." Blair watched as she paled. Every single time. Damn, he really thought they would get along. Both of them so reclusive at times, both quiet and still just before throwing him completely off the thread of his thoughts with a single comment. They probably knew some of the same tribesmen from Peru. The Chopec weren't the only group Jim's unit had worked with. Before their last mission, they had been known as a good training unit, working well with the natives. At least, that's what he'd dug up about them.
"I don't think that would be the greatest of ideas, Blair." Her voice was soft. "I have nothing against him, but he's . . ."
"AJ cops are good people. Jim's one of the best people you could ask to meet."
"NO." The edge of fear in her voice was hard and icy. "I just can't meet him, not yet. Are we going to go or not?"
"Yeah, we can go." Blair's voice was low, his guide voice coming into play as he tried to calm her fears. Every time he brought up the subject of her meeting Jim or the guys at the station, she reacted badly. Part of him, the insatiably curious part, wanted to know what made her so distrustful. The other part, the one that had seen far too much as a police observer, counseled him that he didn't want to ask. Not now and not ever. "If we leave now, I can drop you off at the van. That way you can ride with the Kathy and the professor."
AJ silently picked up her coat and put it on. The two of them left, the silence between them heavy.
Thursday afternoon, Cascade PD, Major Crimes Unit
The late afternoon sun poured through the windows, largely ignored by the detectives as they filled out paperwork. They had finally caught the men involved in the jewelry store robberies and were trying to complete the paperwork so they could leave. There was a brief flurry of sound as a detective arrived.
"Hey, Rafe's back!" Blair called out as he entered in the room with the young detective.
"How'd it go, man?" Brown asked, a big smile on his face. The fact that his partner had been in court in another jurisdiction for the past week and a half grated at him.
"Tayler got 15-20." His partner smiled back. Then he caught a glimpse of the framed picture on Brown's desk. Rafe's eyes widened as he recognized the people in the photograph and the signature. "What did I miss? You got a signed photo by Cage?"
"Yeah, he caught us after a bank robbery." Jim grinned at the stunned look on the detective's face. "Didn't you know that Sandburg is working with Cage's friend Fortaleza?"
The detective looked over at the anthropologist. "No. No one told me anything."
"Well, um... I didn't know Cage was in town until AJ gave me the photos last week." Blair was embarrassed by the scrutiny. "If she'd told me he was in town, I would have told you."
"Yeah, right." Brown's chuckle was echoed by the other detectives. "You can be the most closed mouth in the country when you don't want to talk about something. You just skirt around the issue and..."
Simon opened the door of his office, face grim. The detectives and anthropologist froze at the look on their captain's face. "We've got some kids climbing on the harbor bridge, overlooking Octoberfest. Everyone is needed for crowd control and assistance."
The bullpen emptied rapidly as the men and women raced for the stairs. Around them, other officers were racing out of their offices and heading for their cars.
Blair looked up at the bridge, noting the height and the location of the kids on the high spans. He paled and swallowed. Behind him, Joel Taggart cursed quietly and gripped his shoulder in reassurance.
"You okay, Chief?" Jim's voice was gentle, as he looked over at his partner. He looked away, thinking he'd seen more movement. Someone else was climbing the bridge. "Aw, shit. We've got a hero on his way up already."
Simon looked up, trying to see the person and frowned. The sun was at the worst possible angle for the men on the ground to see anything, nearly blinding him as he looked up. "Are you sure, Jim? I can barely see the kids up there, much less anyone else."
The Sentinel glanced over at the captain and nodded. He looked up again, watching as the small figure adjusted his grip on the metal spar before swinging himself to the next spar. "He's got a lot of rope tied to his waist. Looks like he has a couple of harnesses too."
"Excuse me, officers?" A woman interrupted their conversation. The detectives turned as one. An older woman and three young men stood quietly, holding boxes of climbing equipment. "Are you the Major Crimes division? We were told that a Detective Ellison was to receive these boxes. They're already paid for and the man up there, said as a Ranger you'd know how to use what's in them."
"What the..." Simon stuttered in surprise. "Jim?"
Jim opened the first box and smiled grimly. All of the equipment was brand new, still in its packaging. He pulled out a harness and opened the plastic. He ran his sense of smell and touch over the heavy weight canvas. It was undamaged and untouched. "Did he give a name?"
"No, sir. He ran into my shop and told me to pack up enough for eight men, only stuff that was still bagged. He tossed more than enough cash on the counter to pay for it. Then he took a set for himself, and told me to call the police and report that kids were playing on the bridge." The woman looked a bit dazed. The young man beside her whispered something. "The man left his camera on the counter when he grabbed the equipment he took with him."
Brown pulled the camera out of a box and looked at the name embroidered on the strap. He read it aloud before handing it to the anthropologist. "K.A.J. Well, looks like the man is still in town."
Simon and the others began strapping on climbing harnesses. "Has the fire department arrived yet?"
"The fire chief says even the longest of their ladders won't reach that high." Rafe spoke into his cell phone and looked back up at the bridge. "The winds are picking up and the police chopper can't get near the top without risking hitting the wires."
"Looks like we're going up." Simon looked over his team. Major Crimes was not always what it seemed. Some days they seemed to be more of a special op.'s unit than a police unit, and today was one of those days. "Sandburg, stay on the ground."
"But..."
"That's an order, Sandburg." The big black man looked down on the shorter anthropologist. "Megan will partner Jim on this one. I don't want you climbing this bridge."
The mutinous look on the anthropologist's face was broken by the hand that descended on his shoulder.
Jim whispered quietly to his Guide. "Stay here. Please, Chief. Megan can keep an eye on me. You can talk to me from here and I'll still hear you."
"Ellison," Megan's voice called from the side of the bridge. Nearly an hour of climbing and they were barely half way to the top of the span. "It looks like that guy caught up to one of the kids."
He focused his eyes on the figures on the beams above them. A young teenager whispered to the man holding his arm. The man's movements were fast, sure, and steady. He wrapped a harness around the boy's waist. With deft moves, he slung a rope around the I-beam they were leaning on, tying it tightly in place.
Jim focused his hearing on what they were saying. "My name is Cage, what's yours?"
"Mark. What are you putting this on me for?"
"Well, this will hold you, keep you from falling until the police get up here."
"I have to go get Tony."
When the teenager tried to move away, the man swiftly tied his hands behind him. He moved fast, finishing his work and double-checking it before turning to look up the bridge. "No, Mark. You need to stay put, the police will get you down from here. I'll go after your friend."
"Tony wants to jump. I promised Mom nothing would happen to him."
The man spoke again. "You stay here, I'll catch your Tony."
"They promised him he would live forever..." The boy's words made the man freeze momentarily. Then, his back still towards the sentinel, Cage began climbing again. This time, instead of working steadily, the man seemed to be racing, jumping from spar to spar, making leaps that wrung gasps from the onlookers.
Jim cursed and grabbed the next metal strut. He had a bad feeling about this. Ahead of him, Megan and Simon climbed. The other teams of police officers and rescuers scaling the bridge's girder system, began to head for the tied down teenager, leaving the two still climbing to those from Major Crimes.
Blair and Taggart watched from the ground. The two men held binoculars to their eyes as their friends got farther away. Under his breath, the Guide whispered encouragement to his Sentinel. He wanted to be with him, but didn't want to be in the way. Everyone in the department knew about his fear of heights and no one would be able to keep their minds on their jobs if he was up there with them.
"You okay, Blair?" The softly spoken words startled him, breaking into the almost silent whispers he had been murmuring to Jim. If his Sentinel wanted him to talk from the ground, talk he would. He turned to meet Joel's eyes. His first friend among the detectives, Joel always kept an eye on the anthropologist.
"Yeah, Joel. I'm just worried about them." He nodded up at the men and women climbing the steel girders.
A radio crackled. Simon's voice came over the speaker. "Take it easy, son. I'm Captain Banks."
"The man went after my brother. He said he'd catch Tony." The boy's voice was barely audible.
"Where is your brother trying to go?" Banks' voice was gentle even over the radio.
"He wants to fly." The boy's voice broke. "He doesn't understand he can't fly."
"Connor, you and Ellison keep going." Blair and Joel focused their binoculars on the group forming on the boy's girder. "I'll stay here with him until someone can help me get him down."
Blair focused his glasses above the group. He whispered, hoping the Sentinel was listening. "Jim, the other boy has stopped. So has Cage."
"Connor, move! Tony stopped." Jim's voice came over the radio as he realized the significance of Blair's words. The boy was about to jump. The Australian woman began moving faster, closely followed by the detective.
Jim could see beyond Megan to the rapid movements of Cage's gloved hands tying ropes to the girders. Even higher, the calm face of the boy peering down at them made him frown. The boy was too calm, too content. His eyes were wide, as they watched curiously as officers and civilian raced for his perch.
Even as Jim reached for the next grip, he saw the decision in the boy's eyes and heard Cage's frustrated growl as he hurried, tying the ropes as fast as he could. The boy's legs flexed as he jumped. Ten feet below him a curse colored the air and the dark clad man dove, arms reaching for the boy.
"Oh, my god!" Connor's words were whispered as she froze, watching the midair ballet.
The man's arms wrapped around the boy, the ropes unfolding from the coil tied to the bridge. The boy struggled, but the man was stronger, quickly fastening a harness around both of them. Moments later the ropes drew tight, catching the falling pair and jerking them to a stop. The rope began a slow, twisting swing as the two began a deadly struggle for control. Only the Sentinel could hear the gasps of pain from them as the combination of ropes and harness pulled against ribs. He also heard the almost inaudible snap as a rib yielded to the pressure.
"No!" The boy cried out in fury, fighting against his savior. He head butted the man, before driving his fist into his savior's side.
The silent struggle was sadly uneven, the boy's first hit having stunned his captor. The Sentinel watched as the boy struck at the man again, hearing the faint, sickening snap as another bone let go. The man fell away and hung limply from his harness, trying to catch his breath. As he fought off the pain and shock of the blow, the boy began working his way free from the complicated harness.
Green eyes met Jim's without comprehension as the two swung closer to the bridge and the watching police officers. They blinked, barely registering his presence before turning to look at the boy who was struggling to release the harness about his waist. Cage reached down and wrapped himself around the boy, arms and legs pinning the boy still. Jim barely heard the man's one whispered word. "Hurry."
Ellison pulled on the rope he'd fastened to the bridge and glanced down. Cage had locked himself in place, still holding the boy over the harbor. From the sound of the man's breathing, that broken rib was causing him problems and he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. If the sentinel wasn't down there in time both could end up plunging into the icy water. From this height, neither of them would survive.
"Connor, are you ready?" Jim looked over to Megan. The Australian was crouched at the edge of the girder, firmly tied in place. She nodded, holding his rope steady.
"I'm going after the boy." He spoke over the radio clipped to his collar. Below him the man looked up again, his eyes watching patiently as the detective rappelled down to where he held the boy.
"I'm Detective Ellison." He looked over the man. A black baklava covered most of his face, protecting it from the gusts of wind that blew them about. The green eyes met his again, pain reflected deeply in them. "How are you doing?"
"Make him let me go!" Tony's voice was harsh and frantic. The boy began struggling again. "I want to be let go!"
The man's eyes closed against the pain and even under the heavy sweater he wore, Jim could see the strain as he tightened his grip. He drew out his handcuffs and slipped one cuff around the boy's wrist. Two pairs of startled eyes looked up at him as he locked the boy to his own wrist. "Tony, we're getting you down from here."
"Thank you." K.A.J.'s whisper was still soft, fighting the pain of his broken ribs. The man shifted the boy in his grip, turning him closer to Jim. He studied the situation, the mulish look on the boy's face and the grim look on the detective's. "I'll tie him to you. That way you can get down safely."
"Do it." Jim watched as the man carefully moved, grabbing the last coil of rope on his belt and wrapping it around the boy's waist. He tied it tightly and then swung close to the detective, fastening it to Jim's harness. Then, certain that the boy couldn't fall free, K.A.J. gingerly unclipped the boy's harness from his own and attached it to the detective's. Once the boy was firmly tied him, Jim spoke again. "The key is in my pocket. I'll need my hands free. Cuff his arms around me."
The other man looked up, startled at the order. His eyes narrowed considering the instructions. After a moment's thought, he quickly found the key and shifted the cuffs so the boy was cuffed with his arms around the detective. "Okay. You can get him down now."
"How are you going to get down? You don't have a D-ring and you're out of rope," Jim noted, as Cage released his hold on the boy.
"I'll be fine, detective. I'll see you on the ground." There was a brief smile and then the man began swinging, building momentum. Only the man's desperate grip on the rope betrayed his pain as the harness dug into his side. It took several swings before the man reached the spar he had been aiming for. As soon as he pulled himself onto the bridge, a police officer headed for him. Jim watched silently as the officer supported the photographer, helping him begin a slow descent to the ground.
"Well, Tony, I guess it's our turn." The sullen boy just grunted at Jim's comment. He shifted his grip on the rope, releasing the brake-hold and began the long slide down. A moment later, the boy shrieked as he realized how fast they were heading for the ground.
On the ground, both the detective and the boy were surrounded by rescue personnel. The crowd protected the two from the gathered reporters. At the same time, it gave K.A.J the chance to slip away from the police officers who flanked him all the way down the bridge.
Late evening Thursday, Cascade PD, Major Crimes unit.
"Ellison!" Simon called from his office door. "I need to speak to you and Sandburg!"
The two men looked at each other and shrugged. Closing the file he was working on, the Sentinel stood, waiting for his partner. Blair saved the report he was entering into the computer and headed for Simon's office.
"Did either of you talk to Cage after he got down from the bridge?" The captain stood facing the window, his posture tense.
"No, sir." The detective tensed, noting the tension in his superior. "What happened?"
"He disappeared. Told the officer who was with him that he was going to have the paramedics look at his side. They never saw him."
"He was hurt, Simon. It sounded like a couple of his ribs broke when he was on that rope with the kid." Jim was certain of what he'd heard. "He was having trouble breathing."
"Well, he didn't see the paramedics on site. I've checked the hospitals and he hasn't gone to any of them."
"What's going on Simon? Why are you hunting down Cage?" Blair asked, worry crossing his face.
"According to the witnesses, he was taking pictures of the bridge when he saw the boys climbing it. He was the first person to realize what it meant." Simon sighed and turned around, looking tired. "The mother says he must have put them up to it. She filed charges against him and the entire police force."
"But Cage isn't ..." Blair's voice trailed off. " I mean, he wouldn't ..."
"We know that Sandburg. But the mother says he must have done it for the publicity. She wants to charge him with child endangerment." Simon did not look happy about the situation. "Everyone there saw the kid try to jump. No way Cage paid him to do that. It's not even the first time he's pulled this kind of stunt. It seems the boy is, um, well as his mother put it, simple. He can be talked into just about anything. This is the first one that would have definitely been fatal."
There was a knock on the door of Simon's office. "Come in."
"Captain Banks?" A young officer entered with a file in his hand. "This is for you, sir."
"Thank you." Simon glanced over the papers curiously and paused. Then he grinned. "The brother's statement says it was someone else who told Tony he could fly. Now, it's just a case of trying to round up all the stray ends on this one, gentlemen. Including Mr. Cage's statement. Sandburg, you told me that he wasn't in town when you brought the photographs. Can you reach him?" The captain asked quietly. "Now?"
Blair raised an eyebrow and went over to the phone. Quickly he dialed a number from memory. He listened quietly to the message on the machine that answered. "AJ, this is Blair. Could you call me at 555 4747 or my cell phone? It's really important."
"Fortaleza's not there?" Ellison's voice was curious. He thought the other anthropologist was always at her apartment.
"Today was the first time I actually convinced her to go out and have fun. She's at the Octoberfest. I thought she'd enjoy it; the people, the cultural exchange, the lack of police officers. So, what happens? Her partner gets to play hero." Blair's smile was wry at their expressions. "I mean, she really needed to get out of her apartment. She's been on two photo shoots with a class and that's it. Otherwise, she's always working on the exhibit."
The phone rang. Before Simon could reach for it, Blair grabbed it. "Captain Banks' office, Blair Sandburg answering... Hi, AJ" He hit the conference button, motioning the others to be quiet. "Look, is there any way you could have Cage call?"
"No, I'm not sure how to reach him right now." At the sound of her voice, Jim stilled, his head tilting.
"Are you sure?" Blair asked, quietly.
"Is there a problem, Blair?" There was an audible catch in her voice. "Is he in trouble?"
"No, he's not in trouble. Do you know about the bridge thing?" Blair paused as she murmured that she knew about it. "We were just worried about him. It kinda looked like he was hurt. And the ..."
"The policĂa want him to fill out one of their papers?" There was almost a smile in her voice. "I will tell him to contact your police department if I hear from him. Will that be acceptable to your roommate?"
"I guess it will have to be..." Hanging up the phone he looked at the two men. They were staring at him, waiting impatiently. "Well, what else could I tell her?"
"She's not telling you everything, Chief." Jim's voice was quiet. "Her heart rate spiked when you asked about the photographer, when she told you he'd left, and again when she said he wasn't hurt."
"You were listening to her heart rate over the phone?" The police observer raised his eyebrows in amazement. "You didn't tell me you could do that. I mean, I know if I'm on the phone you can listen to my heart rate, but you're over there and..."
"I don't do it that often, Chief." Jim's voice was contrite. He didn't want to give Blair the wrong idea. "I hadn't tried like this before."
"So, what do you think it means?" Blair asked, watching the two detectives.
Simon frowned. "Well, as much as she seems to dislike the police, I wouldn't worry about her covering for her friend. Did you ever ask Megan about the afternoon she spent getting Fortaleza's statement?" The captain chuckled at their confusion. "I'll let her tell you about it. It was definitely an enlightening experience. It also helped that she'd heard about Fortaleza's phobia in the outback."
"Megan knew about it before she met her?" Blair's voice was incredulous. "As in, they'd met before?"
"No, Sandburg, they hadn't met. However, Fortaleza helped the locals round up a group of artifact hunters as well as some poachers while she was in Australia." Simon grinned at the look on the younger man's face. "It seems that both Fortaleza and Cage made quite an impression on the local police departments. In fact, it was such an impression that Megan never forgot any of the details. Including the fact that Fortaleza held a couple of the poachers at bay for hours but nearly fainted as soon as the uniformed officers arrived."
"Oh, man. That's a pretty strong phobia." The wide blue eyes winced at the thought.
"You're leaving something out Simon. What is it?" The curiosity in Blair's face brought a smile to both detectives' faces.
"One of the rookies arrested Fortaleza and she was jailed overnight before anyone realized who she was. She still hadn't spoken a word when they finally ID'd her. After that, she and Cage disappeared for nearly a week, refusing to talk to anyone. The press camped out at the police station, thinking that the local cops made them disappear."
"Ouch." Even Jim winced at the thought of that one. "No way she'd even try to talk Cage into coming in to fill out paperwork. Maybe one on one, in a neutral environment."
"I just wanted to make certain nothing like that happens again." Simon sipped at his coffee. "The boys' mother was yelling threats about suing everyone involved. If anything had happened to Fortaleza's friend, I was hoping she'd tell Sandburg."
"She didn't seem upset for Cage, just about being questioned about him," Jim thought about it for a moment. Then he flashed smiled at his Guide. "I don't think you need to worry about Cage. The lady is pretty protective of him."
The same time, Fortaleza's apartment, Rainier University
A.J. fingered the taped ribs, wincing at the differences in color between her fingers and the blue bruises showing above the white bandages. A couple of weeks and they would heal. With practiced ease she laced a heavy brace together. The pieces, once complete, would be further protection to both the cracked ribs and the broken one. As she struggled with placing the brace correctly without causing further damage or pain, she noticed that her hands were nearly as pale as the brace itself. Too much time inside, and not enough time outside.
Not a big deal. Not compared to what had been accomplished. If, when she returned to the tribes, she was as pale as when she first got there, they would understand. Her job here was twofold, but both parts were simple enough: protect the Guide and his Sentinel, and stop the sacrifices. Nothing else mattered, she had to remember that.
As long as she did her job, nothing else mattered. Not her health, not anyone else's.
She thought back to what she'd learned that afternoon. She had checked on Tony at the hospital, she had to find out who put him up to this. Unfortunately, no one knew who it had been. The boy had never been given a name and in his own way had been unable to describe them. All his mother and brother knew was that someone convinced Tony that he could fly, but only if he flew from the bridge today. Specifically, this afternoon while the sun was shining on the bay below the bridge. It wasn't his fault he believed what he had been told. They chose well -- an innocent volunteer. According to the tablets, Tloloc's volunteer had been scheduled for today, to start the full series of sacrifices. The water god wanted innocents for his sacrifice, and who was more innocent than poor, gentle Tony, who believed he could fly.
She shook herself free of the morbid thoughts. The boy was safe. With the help of the Cascade PD, they had negated the first possible sacrifices. Now that this part of the entire series had been stopped, maybe she could get the whole thing stopped before it began. Of course, there was the chance that she just pushed them underground. She forced herself to remember the possibilities she needed to research to keep from being surprised again.
The E-mail chime rang on Blair's computer. The anthropology student looked over, wondering if it was another missive from Rover S. In the weeks since they first started cooresponding, the researcher had been very regular about sending information that Blair could use to help his Sentinel. Sometimes the information was just a list of ideas that, according to Rover S, had been brainstormed by a local group that met in London to discuss sensitive senses. At other times, the information they sent just happened to be exactly what he needed to deal with a problem he was having with Jim. He glanced at the clock and yielded to the temptation. He opened his E- mail to find a new note from the research group.
Mr. Sandburg,
Here are the latest test results on sensitivity from my friends in London. I hope that it proves useful to your research. Also, included is a file from a French monograph on 'guardian spirits'. It seems to deal with the subject you are researching. If it is what you need, we will send you a copy of the original and of the translations. Your idea to have the perfumier use meditation and visualization to control his sense of smell worked.
Thank you.
Rover S
He chuckled. He'd been keeping track of the debates raging on Rover's research chat for the past week. When one of the researchers asked for help, he'd E-mailed Rover S directly, rather than enter the discussion. None of the others mentioned or suggested having the overwhelmed man visualize dials to control his sense of smell. He was happy to have helped the man who'd helped him so much. He quickly opened the attached file and began reading. Maybe there would be some ideas he could use on Jim. His alarm clock went off. Still grinning, he filed the new mail, shut down the computer, and grabbed his backpack.
Even with his lightened schedule, he found himself running late. He'd missed too many hours with Fortaleza. To Jim's amusement and delight, no matter what time he showed up, she kicked him out at the end of his normal 'hours'. According to the sentinel, she had to have a heart of pure Teflon, his pleading just slid right off her determination. Today, he was going to be on time... it wasn't like he was in the middle of a hot case at the station. He was just doing his own research; it wasn't even something he could put into his diss. A quick glance at the clock spurred him out the door.
Later that afternoon, Rainier University Apartments
"Hey, Sandburg?" The rhythmic accent caressed his ears. He looked up and a flash of light caught him unawares. Her voice tickled his ears again. "Thanks."
"What was that for?" he muttered.
"You said I could take pictures whenever I wanted. I wanted to get one of you busy and happy with your research."
"My eyes were closed."
"Only for the one with the flash. The others were at a very fast speed. When I'm done, you get a set."
"Is there any particular reason for them?"
"Not really. Although, I could use them as a journal of the set up for the show. I just like to shoot and you take wonderful pictures."
He sighed in disgust and looked at the crate beside her. He had yet to see any of her pictures, but he knew better than to argue with her about them. Like most avid practitioners, she was rabid about her hobby. "Are you done with that crate yet?"
"All done and ready to go to the museum." She hauled the heavy crate to where he had the show plates. She looked over his sketches for the displays. "How is that going? Do you need any help there?"
"No, it's going fine. Do you want to go see it? I could show you around tomorrow."
"You don't work weekends, remember? That time is reserved for Jim and the PD." Her pale green eyes flickered over him briefly.
"Maybe on Monday afternoon, then?" Blair felt the sadness weaving its way through the room. In the past two weeks, AJ had been getting quieter and sadder. It was almost as if she feared another panic attack or something worse. He'd tried getting her to talk about it only to meet up with a wall that would even impress Jim. Once she decided not to talk, she didn't speak a word.
She refused to go out often. Only the classes she'd promised to help with and the work in the museum got her out of the apartment. He'd spoken to the photography professor and learned she'd actually been going with them on their photo excursions, so she had been off campus briefly.
She'd turned the comfortable living room into an office, staying there during all of her free time unless he managed to tease her outside to walk around the campus. The only thing that seemed to give her any joy was planning the museum display. Sometimes he felt like she was hiding something from him, but he hadn't been able to pin it down yet. "You need to get out. Why don't you come to the loft this weekend? Jim said he wouldn't mind you coming over. He wants to meet you."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine." When he began pulling artifacts out of the crate, she stopped him. Instead she handed him a colorful paper box. "These are the first of the pictures I promised you."
His hands trembled as he lifted the lid. Instinctively, he knew that he would like the contents. She'd promised to give him a copy of every photo she took of him or his friends. If they didn't like the picture, she would never show it.
Inside the box were well over two hundred photographs. He didn't know she'd taken so many. They were separated into groups by index cards. Each card listed the date, the time and the location where the picture had been shot. Then it listed the pictures by number, giving the names of the subjects. He was awed by them as he went through the box. He'd known that A.J. was a semi-professional photographer, but this was beyond his expectations.
He scanned through the box, enjoying the lighthearted scenes from campus. There were also several that had been obviously taken with the photography lab group. The life and livelihood of the people of Cascade were shown in a whimsical style that brought a grin to his lips. Then he froze. Blair stared in shock at one particular set of pictures. Stylistically, it didn't fit with the others, almost as if it were another person's photo. They completely caught him by surprise with their imagery.
He remembered the situation clearly, as it had only occurred the week before. He had not realized the photo class had been nearby, but it made an odd kind of sense. After all, the plaza had been crowded even for the day and the situation. He would never have noticed the small group of students among the larger group of curious onlookers.
Somehow, in the aftermath of a bad bank hostage situation, AJ had managed the impossible. The picture was a perfect shot of the scene. Four large men clustered around two smaller figures, all smiling. The two figures were holding onto each other, trying hard not to fall down laughing.
Almost everyone from the Major Crimes department was present, only Rafe was missing. He had been tied up in court that day. He had missed the whole thing and would completely stunned by the fact that neither Jim nor Blair had been hurt. Now he had the proof. He stared at the picture.
Megan's laughter could almost be heard rising from the picture. Blair's eyes were closed as he leaned into her embrace. The men around them were obviously enjoying the laughter of their two comrades. Jim stood directly behind Blair, his eyes watchful even as he joined in their laughter. The other three big men, Joel, Simon and Henry, were much more active in their enjoyment of the situation. All of them were touching Blair, reassuring themselves of his safety, the fact that he had actually gotten out without injury.
"Oh, man! This is great!" He felt his eyes water as he absorbed the power of the picture. "It seems like you can hear our thoughts, the words we said, the joke itself. Megan can really rip out those one liners. Can you get copies? The guys would love to have some."
"Already done." A.J.'s voice was softer than normal. She set a small stack of frames down beside him. On each frame was a descriptive tag.
As he began going through the pile, she stood and walked away. Blair nearly choked when he saw that they were all signed, K.A.J, with the distinctive square cage around the initials that was his trademark. In the past weeks, the woman had very gently sidestepped any question about the elusive photographer. Only the fact that the style of the photographs was so very different from what she usually took, convinced him that they weren't hers. "AJ? These are signed... I mean, Cage is here? In Cascade?"
"Cage was here then. We didn't know their names, so when I saw you in the picture I figured you could get releases for the others. Cage agreed to the same deal that we have between us. If they don't like the shot, it won't go in the next book." AJ was pale, tense, staring out the window. She continued quietly. "Could you please take them to the police department for us?"
Blair watched her, pensively. He had the feeling that this was a test. "I could take you to the station and introduce you to them. Then you can ask. . ." he paused as she shook her head. "But, you should be the one to give them out to the guys. They'll love them."
"No, Blair. If you won't take them in, they'll just stay here." She sighed and turned around, leaning on the windowsill. A very small smile crept across her face and she shook her head. Fear edged her voice. "I don't like the city too much. I will not go across it if I don't have to do so. Cage doesn't like the idea of trying to track down police officers; it might give them the wrong idea. Please, Blair."
"Okay, I'll take them in and hand them out to the guys." Blair felt like there was something he should be doing. Something to help her. The only thing he could think of was to cooperate for now. He knew it wasn't fear of the city that kept her from going to the station. He smiled, looking down at the picture before him. "Thanks for this. It's perfect."
Fortaleza smiled, relaxing as she took in his genuine approval. Her voice was calm again, happy for a moment. Blair noted to himself that, for a rare moment, even her eyes were smiling. "You are very welcome."
Sunday 04 October, Rainier University.
AJ looked around the campus, slowly breathing in the cold night air. Something was wrong -- very, very wrong. If only she could put her finger on it. The feeling was growing, like an irrational cold spot on her spine, it wouldn't let her alone. Tonight was Sukkoth, and she should feel the calm that normally came from that ancient Hebrew festival. Instead, she found herself out on the porch staring out onto the full moon, waiting.
Things were going awry. Things that should never have been allowed to be changed had been switched around until she could barely see the original plan anymore. Too many little things were out of place. By now she should have been able to locate the centro de los sacrificios but she had found nothing. But then again, she wasn't 100% comfortable in Cascade. That could be the problem, after all she hadn't found any proof of trouble. Nothing to prove Ese's contention that the cults were moving into Cascade. And none of the groups searching the rest of the state had found anything either.
If she were in the Yucatan she would understand her tension. This was the year, the final year of waiting and preparing - for the predictions to either be fulfilled or ignored. In another location, her fears wouldn't be so laughable. Here they seemed far away and easily ignored until the chills began running up her spine and the nightmares began again.
It was too close to the start of the season of sacrifice for her to be this tense. Her nerves were stretched too tight, her dreams too ephemeral for her to decipher their warnings. Everything was too close to the edge, and Sandburg was still too close to the target zone for her tastes. Either they had the wrong city and nothing was going to happen in Cascade, or the players were so far underground she'd never see them until it was too late.
The package she had been expecting had been delayed again. First, in Mexico, the authorities had decided it needed to wait until the situation there settled down a little. Then, the people who were supposed to deliver it, cancelled. Cancelled? Backed out and ran was more like it, refusing to explain why or what had happened. So she had to find another way around that problem. The only people she felt she could trust with the consignment were people she did not want anywhere near those artifacts. She didn't believe in tempting the fates.
A pair of her note disks had disappeared. Maybe Sandburg had moved them and she would find them in the morning. He was usually careful about stuff like that, but maybe this time, he hadn't noticed. Or maybe he'd accidentally taken them with him. She'd have to call him and ask. Even though she doubted he would understand their importance or the language she'd used for her notes, she didn't like them being out of place. If any of her telltales had been moved, she might think someone had taken them. But who would know which unmarked disks to take?
With a grunt, AJ dropped from her balcony, landing lightly on the brittle grass. She grimaced at the cold before shrugging and running over to the tall trees in the yard. Finding a densely needled fir tree she rapidly climbed up it, searching for a place to rest. Once she was situated, she wrapped herself in the thermal blanket she'd bought before making the final knot in the rope holding her to the tree. Now, maybe, she'd be able to sleep. It had been too long since she'd gotten a full nights' sleep. Maybe in this precarious spot she wouldn't dream.
Jim woke suddenly. With the quiet moves of a predator, he slipped from the bed without making a sound. Pausing only to grab his pistol from the nightstand, the sentinel carefully paced through the loft. He carefully checked every window, every lock, his senses extended, looking for the intruder, the feeling grating on his nerves. Nothing. He could find no reason at all to be up. He growled to himself and jumped as he heard it echoed. He turned to face his spirit guide. It too felt the tension in the air.
"Jim?" Blair's voice was more asleep than awake as the young man peered out of his room. The younger man watched him pace in front of the balcony doors. "What's wrong?"
Jim looked over at his spirit guide. It was looking out the glass doors, growling deep in its throat. "I don't know, Chief. It feels almost like a storm is coming, only it's not a storm."
The panther hissed before turning to stalk up to the loft bedroom. With another quick glance around the room, Jim followed it up the stairs. He shrugged to himself, deciding that it was nothing.
Thursday 08 October. Rainier University
"Go on, you'll enjoy it. I promise." Blair wheedled and teased. As he watched, AJ's face finally softened and she nodded. It had taken him all week to convince her. All right, he acknowledged to himself, it was more like wear her down with his wheedling, than convince her. "Take your camera, too. The October Festival is full of neat things for pictures."
"If I don't like it, I'll leave." AJ growled.
"You sound like Jim." He laughed at her. "I didn't know you still had this." He handed her the now mended green parka. When he saw the embroidered patch on the shoulder he frowned.
"I fixed it, Sandburg. It's good as new." She smiled at his look. "The coat protected me. If I hadn't been wearing it, he might have shot me instead. Have to take care of the protector. You should know that."
Blair paled and looked over at the green eyes watching him. There was no way she could mean what he thought she meant, could she? She hadn't even met Jim yet. His mind began racing, Fortaleza knew a lot about the South American tribes, but did she know about sentinels? It had to be a slip, a link his own mind was making, not a probe by her. It had to be.
"Blair? Blair? What did I say?" Concern edged the soft voice, as a hand gently stroked his jaw. "Come on, wake up."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I just thought of something." Blair was flustered. AJ was so close, eyes staring at him, curiously. Worry was evident in every move she made. It was very rare for her to be in his personal space; she avoided any unnecessary contact to the point of sheer avoidance. He shook his head, trying to think of a distraction. "I mean there are just so many ways to ..."
She put her camera bag down and laid the parka over it. "I'm sorry for whatever I did."
"Hey, it's not your fault. I just... my mind has been working on something and it finally came up with a solution..." AJ watched him for a moment before turning away. Blair's hand caught her shoulder. "Give me a moment to write it down and I can take you over to meet the others."
"Are you sure? I can always take the bus. Kathy said it wasn't hard to get there."
"It isn't. I really think it's great that you're going. You'll love it. I always did." Blair's voice was ecstatic, as he began describing the fair.
"Are you going to it this year?" AJ asked quietly, watching him closely again. "The professor said there is space left on the van. I could ask him to let you ride with us."
"Nah. I'm going to be busy. Jim and I are working on this really tough robbery case and if we get done before the weekend is here, we might take off to the mountains." The anthropologist smiled happily at the thought. Jim had been pleased by the idea when Blair had mentioned it that morning.
"Your roommate wouldn't go to the fair with you?" She was curious. If it was so culturally important for her to go, why wasn't Blair disappointed about not going? Inside her mind, tumblers were clicking into place. Yes, please let it be, let him be fully and totally bonded to a sentinel, let his roommate be Enqueri. That would make them both be safe from the coming nightmare. Then maybe the nightmares will stop. Her thoughts were much closer to a prayer than she liked.
"Jim? In a crowd? I don't think so." Blair had to smile at the thought. He thought about his sentinel's reaction to the sights, the sounds, the odors. No, that was not something he wanted to subject his roommate to, not even if it meant he had to give up the fair. "He avoids things like the festival like they are the plague. If I asked, he'd go, but it's not that important to me."
"Your detective sounds like my kind of person."
"Then why don't you come over tomorrow? You could have dinner with us. I know he would like to meet you." Blair watched as she paled. Every single time. Damn, he really thought they would get along. Both of them so reclusive at times, both quiet and still just before throwing him completely off the thread of his thoughts with a single comment. They probably knew some of the same tribesmen from Peru. The Chopec weren't the only group Jim's unit had worked with. Before their last mission, they had been known as a good training unit, working well with the natives. At least, that's what he'd dug up about them.
"I don't think that would be the greatest of ideas, Blair." Her voice was soft. "I have nothing against him, but he's . . ."
"AJ cops are good people. Jim's one of the best people you could ask to meet."
"NO." The edge of fear in her voice was hard and icy. "I just can't meet him, not yet. Are we going to go or not?"
"Yeah, we can go." Blair's voice was low, his guide voice coming into play as he tried to calm her fears. Every time he brought up the subject of her meeting Jim or the guys at the station, she reacted badly. Part of him, the insatiably curious part, wanted to know what made her so distrustful. The other part, the one that had seen far too much as a police observer, counseled him that he didn't want to ask. Not now and not ever. "If we leave now, I can drop you off at the van. That way you can ride with the Kathy and the professor."
AJ silently picked up her coat and put it on. The two of them left, the silence between them heavy.
Thursday afternoon, Cascade PD, Major Crimes Unit
The late afternoon sun poured through the windows, largely ignored by the detectives as they filled out paperwork. They had finally caught the men involved in the jewelry store robberies and were trying to complete the paperwork so they could leave. There was a brief flurry of sound as a detective arrived.
"Hey, Rafe's back!" Blair called out as he entered in the room with the young detective.
"How'd it go, man?" Brown asked, a big smile on his face. The fact that his partner had been in court in another jurisdiction for the past week and a half grated at him.
"Tayler got 15-20." His partner smiled back. Then he caught a glimpse of the framed picture on Brown's desk. Rafe's eyes widened as he recognized the people in the photograph and the signature. "What did I miss? You got a signed photo by Cage?"
"Yeah, he caught us after a bank robbery." Jim grinned at the stunned look on the detective's face. "Didn't you know that Sandburg is working with Cage's friend Fortaleza?"
The detective looked over at the anthropologist. "No. No one told me anything."
"Well, um... I didn't know Cage was in town until AJ gave me the photos last week." Blair was embarrassed by the scrutiny. "If she'd told me he was in town, I would have told you."
"Yeah, right." Brown's chuckle was echoed by the other detectives. "You can be the most closed mouth in the country when you don't want to talk about something. You just skirt around the issue and..."
Simon opened the door of his office, face grim. The detectives and anthropologist froze at the look on their captain's face. "We've got some kids climbing on the harbor bridge, overlooking Octoberfest. Everyone is needed for crowd control and assistance."
The bullpen emptied rapidly as the men and women raced for the stairs. Around them, other officers were racing out of their offices and heading for their cars.
Blair looked up at the bridge, noting the height and the location of the kids on the high spans. He paled and swallowed. Behind him, Joel Taggart cursed quietly and gripped his shoulder in reassurance.
"You okay, Chief?" Jim's voice was gentle, as he looked over at his partner. He looked away, thinking he'd seen more movement. Someone else was climbing the bridge. "Aw, shit. We've got a hero on his way up already."
Simon looked up, trying to see the person and frowned. The sun was at the worst possible angle for the men on the ground to see anything, nearly blinding him as he looked up. "Are you sure, Jim? I can barely see the kids up there, much less anyone else."
The Sentinel glanced over at the captain and nodded. He looked up again, watching as the small figure adjusted his grip on the metal spar before swinging himself to the next spar. "He's got a lot of rope tied to his waist. Looks like he has a couple of harnesses too."
"Excuse me, officers?" A woman interrupted their conversation. The detectives turned as one. An older woman and three young men stood quietly, holding boxes of climbing equipment. "Are you the Major Crimes division? We were told that a Detective Ellison was to receive these boxes. They're already paid for and the man up there, said as a Ranger you'd know how to use what's in them."
"What the..." Simon stuttered in surprise. "Jim?"
Jim opened the first box and smiled grimly. All of the equipment was brand new, still in its packaging. He pulled out a harness and opened the plastic. He ran his sense of smell and touch over the heavy weight canvas. It was undamaged and untouched. "Did he give a name?"
"No, sir. He ran into my shop and told me to pack up enough for eight men, only stuff that was still bagged. He tossed more than enough cash on the counter to pay for it. Then he took a set for himself, and told me to call the police and report that kids were playing on the bridge." The woman looked a bit dazed. The young man beside her whispered something. "The man left his camera on the counter when he grabbed the equipment he took with him."
Brown pulled the camera out of a box and looked at the name embroidered on the strap. He read it aloud before handing it to the anthropologist. "K.A.J. Well, looks like the man is still in town."
Simon and the others began strapping on climbing harnesses. "Has the fire department arrived yet?"
"The fire chief says even the longest of their ladders won't reach that high." Rafe spoke into his cell phone and looked back up at the bridge. "The winds are picking up and the police chopper can't get near the top without risking hitting the wires."
"Looks like we're going up." Simon looked over his team. Major Crimes was not always what it seemed. Some days they seemed to be more of a special op.'s unit than a police unit, and today was one of those days. "Sandburg, stay on the ground."
"But..."
"That's an order, Sandburg." The big black man looked down on the shorter anthropologist. "Megan will partner Jim on this one. I don't want you climbing this bridge."
The mutinous look on the anthropologist's face was broken by the hand that descended on his shoulder.
Jim whispered quietly to his Guide. "Stay here. Please, Chief. Megan can keep an eye on me. You can talk to me from here and I'll still hear you."
"Ellison," Megan's voice called from the side of the bridge. Nearly an hour of climbing and they were barely half way to the top of the span. "It looks like that guy caught up to one of the kids."
He focused his eyes on the figures on the beams above them. A young teenager whispered to the man holding his arm. The man's movements were fast, sure, and steady. He wrapped a harness around the boy's waist. With deft moves, he slung a rope around the I-beam they were leaning on, tying it tightly in place.
Jim focused his hearing on what they were saying. "My name is Cage, what's yours?"
"Mark. What are you putting this on me for?"
"Well, this will hold you, keep you from falling until the police get up here."
"I have to go get Tony."
When the teenager tried to move away, the man swiftly tied his hands behind him. He moved fast, finishing his work and double-checking it before turning to look up the bridge. "No, Mark. You need to stay put, the police will get you down from here. I'll go after your friend."
"Tony wants to jump. I promised Mom nothing would happen to him."
The man spoke again. "You stay here, I'll catch your Tony."
"They promised him he would live forever..." The boy's words made the man freeze momentarily. Then, his back still towards the sentinel, Cage began climbing again. This time, instead of working steadily, the man seemed to be racing, jumping from spar to spar, making leaps that wrung gasps from the onlookers.
Jim cursed and grabbed the next metal strut. He had a bad feeling about this. Ahead of him, Megan and Simon climbed. The other teams of police officers and rescuers scaling the bridge's girder system, began to head for the tied down teenager, leaving the two still climbing to those from Major Crimes.
Blair and Taggart watched from the ground. The two men held binoculars to their eyes as their friends got farther away. Under his breath, the Guide whispered encouragement to his Sentinel. He wanted to be with him, but didn't want to be in the way. Everyone in the department knew about his fear of heights and no one would be able to keep their minds on their jobs if he was up there with them.
"You okay, Blair?" The softly spoken words startled him, breaking into the almost silent whispers he had been murmuring to Jim. If his Sentinel wanted him to talk from the ground, talk he would. He turned to meet Joel's eyes. His first friend among the detectives, Joel always kept an eye on the anthropologist.
"Yeah, Joel. I'm just worried about them." He nodded up at the men and women climbing the steel girders.
A radio crackled. Simon's voice came over the speaker. "Take it easy, son. I'm Captain Banks."
"The man went after my brother. He said he'd catch Tony." The boy's voice was barely audible.
"Where is your brother trying to go?" Banks' voice was gentle even over the radio.
"He wants to fly." The boy's voice broke. "He doesn't understand he can't fly."
"Connor, you and Ellison keep going." Blair and Joel focused their binoculars on the group forming on the boy's girder. "I'll stay here with him until someone can help me get him down."
Blair focused his glasses above the group. He whispered, hoping the Sentinel was listening. "Jim, the other boy has stopped. So has Cage."
"Connor, move! Tony stopped." Jim's voice came over the radio as he realized the significance of Blair's words. The boy was about to jump. The Australian woman began moving faster, closely followed by the detective.
Jim could see beyond Megan to the rapid movements of Cage's gloved hands tying ropes to the girders. Even higher, the calm face of the boy peering down at them made him frown. The boy was too calm, too content. His eyes were wide, as they watched curiously as officers and civilian raced for his perch.
Even as Jim reached for the next grip, he saw the decision in the boy's eyes and heard Cage's frustrated growl as he hurried, tying the ropes as fast as he could. The boy's legs flexed as he jumped. Ten feet below him a curse colored the air and the dark clad man dove, arms reaching for the boy.
"Oh, my god!" Connor's words were whispered as she froze, watching the midair ballet.
The man's arms wrapped around the boy, the ropes unfolding from the coil tied to the bridge. The boy struggled, but the man was stronger, quickly fastening a harness around both of them. Moments later the ropes drew tight, catching the falling pair and jerking them to a stop. The rope began a slow, twisting swing as the two began a deadly struggle for control. Only the Sentinel could hear the gasps of pain from them as the combination of ropes and harness pulled against ribs. He also heard the almost inaudible snap as a rib yielded to the pressure.
"No!" The boy cried out in fury, fighting against his savior. He head butted the man, before driving his fist into his savior's side.
The silent struggle was sadly uneven, the boy's first hit having stunned his captor. The Sentinel watched as the boy struck at the man again, hearing the faint, sickening snap as another bone let go. The man fell away and hung limply from his harness, trying to catch his breath. As he fought off the pain and shock of the blow, the boy began working his way free from the complicated harness.
Green eyes met Jim's without comprehension as the two swung closer to the bridge and the watching police officers. They blinked, barely registering his presence before turning to look at the boy who was struggling to release the harness about his waist. Cage reached down and wrapped himself around the boy, arms and legs pinning the boy still. Jim barely heard the man's one whispered word. "Hurry."
Ellison pulled on the rope he'd fastened to the bridge and glanced down. Cage had locked himself in place, still holding the boy over the harbor. From the sound of the man's breathing, that broken rib was causing him problems and he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. If the sentinel wasn't down there in time both could end up plunging into the icy water. From this height, neither of them would survive.
"Connor, are you ready?" Jim looked over to Megan. The Australian was crouched at the edge of the girder, firmly tied in place. She nodded, holding his rope steady.
"I'm going after the boy." He spoke over the radio clipped to his collar. Below him the man looked up again, his eyes watching patiently as the detective rappelled down to where he held the boy.
"I'm Detective Ellison." He looked over the man. A black baklava covered most of his face, protecting it from the gusts of wind that blew them about. The green eyes met his again, pain reflected deeply in them. "How are you doing?"
"Make him let me go!" Tony's voice was harsh and frantic. The boy began struggling again. "I want to be let go!"
The man's eyes closed against the pain and even under the heavy sweater he wore, Jim could see the strain as he tightened his grip. He drew out his handcuffs and slipped one cuff around the boy's wrist. Two pairs of startled eyes looked up at him as he locked the boy to his own wrist. "Tony, we're getting you down from here."
"Thank you." K.A.J.'s whisper was still soft, fighting the pain of his broken ribs. The man shifted the boy in his grip, turning him closer to Jim. He studied the situation, the mulish look on the boy's face and the grim look on the detective's. "I'll tie him to you. That way you can get down safely."
"Do it." Jim watched as the man carefully moved, grabbing the last coil of rope on his belt and wrapping it around the boy's waist. He tied it tightly and then swung close to the detective, fastening it to Jim's harness. Then, certain that the boy couldn't fall free, K.A.J. gingerly unclipped the boy's harness from his own and attached it to the detective's. Once the boy was firmly tied him, Jim spoke again. "The key is in my pocket. I'll need my hands free. Cuff his arms around me."
The other man looked up, startled at the order. His eyes narrowed considering the instructions. After a moment's thought, he quickly found the key and shifted the cuffs so the boy was cuffed with his arms around the detective. "Okay. You can get him down now."
"How are you going to get down? You don't have a D-ring and you're out of rope," Jim noted, as Cage released his hold on the boy.
"I'll be fine, detective. I'll see you on the ground." There was a brief smile and then the man began swinging, building momentum. Only the man's desperate grip on the rope betrayed his pain as the harness dug into his side. It took several swings before the man reached the spar he had been aiming for. As soon as he pulled himself onto the bridge, a police officer headed for him. Jim watched silently as the officer supported the photographer, helping him begin a slow descent to the ground.
"Well, Tony, I guess it's our turn." The sullen boy just grunted at Jim's comment. He shifted his grip on the rope, releasing the brake-hold and began the long slide down. A moment later, the boy shrieked as he realized how fast they were heading for the ground.
On the ground, both the detective and the boy were surrounded by rescue personnel. The crowd protected the two from the gathered reporters. At the same time, it gave K.A.J the chance to slip away from the police officers who flanked him all the way down the bridge.
Late evening Thursday, Cascade PD, Major Crimes unit.
"Ellison!" Simon called from his office door. "I need to speak to you and Sandburg!"
The two men looked at each other and shrugged. Closing the file he was working on, the Sentinel stood, waiting for his partner. Blair saved the report he was entering into the computer and headed for Simon's office.
"Did either of you talk to Cage after he got down from the bridge?" The captain stood facing the window, his posture tense.
"No, sir." The detective tensed, noting the tension in his superior. "What happened?"
"He disappeared. Told the officer who was with him that he was going to have the paramedics look at his side. They never saw him."
"He was hurt, Simon. It sounded like a couple of his ribs broke when he was on that rope with the kid." Jim was certain of what he'd heard. "He was having trouble breathing."
"Well, he didn't see the paramedics on site. I've checked the hospitals and he hasn't gone to any of them."
"What's going on Simon? Why are you hunting down Cage?" Blair asked, worry crossing his face.
"According to the witnesses, he was taking pictures of the bridge when he saw the boys climbing it. He was the first person to realize what it meant." Simon sighed and turned around, looking tired. "The mother says he must have put them up to it. She filed charges against him and the entire police force."
"But Cage isn't ..." Blair's voice trailed off. " I mean, he wouldn't ..."
"We know that Sandburg. But the mother says he must have done it for the publicity. She wants to charge him with child endangerment." Simon did not look happy about the situation. "Everyone there saw the kid try to jump. No way Cage paid him to do that. It's not even the first time he's pulled this kind of stunt. It seems the boy is, um, well as his mother put it, simple. He can be talked into just about anything. This is the first one that would have definitely been fatal."
There was a knock on the door of Simon's office. "Come in."
"Captain Banks?" A young officer entered with a file in his hand. "This is for you, sir."
"Thank you." Simon glanced over the papers curiously and paused. Then he grinned. "The brother's statement says it was someone else who told Tony he could fly. Now, it's just a case of trying to round up all the stray ends on this one, gentlemen. Including Mr. Cage's statement. Sandburg, you told me that he wasn't in town when you brought the photographs. Can you reach him?" The captain asked quietly. "Now?"
Blair raised an eyebrow and went over to the phone. Quickly he dialed a number from memory. He listened quietly to the message on the machine that answered. "AJ, this is Blair. Could you call me at 555 4747 or my cell phone? It's really important."
"Fortaleza's not there?" Ellison's voice was curious. He thought the other anthropologist was always at her apartment.
"Today was the first time I actually convinced her to go out and have fun. She's at the Octoberfest. I thought she'd enjoy it; the people, the cultural exchange, the lack of police officers. So, what happens? Her partner gets to play hero." Blair's smile was wry at their expressions. "I mean, she really needed to get out of her apartment. She's been on two photo shoots with a class and that's it. Otherwise, she's always working on the exhibit."
The phone rang. Before Simon could reach for it, Blair grabbed it. "Captain Banks' office, Blair Sandburg answering... Hi, AJ" He hit the conference button, motioning the others to be quiet. "Look, is there any way you could have Cage call?"
"No, I'm not sure how to reach him right now." At the sound of her voice, Jim stilled, his head tilting.
"Are you sure?" Blair asked, quietly.
"Is there a problem, Blair?" There was an audible catch in her voice. "Is he in trouble?"
"No, he's not in trouble. Do you know about the bridge thing?" Blair paused as she murmured that she knew about it. "We were just worried about him. It kinda looked like he was hurt. And the ..."
"The policĂa want him to fill out one of their papers?" There was almost a smile in her voice. "I will tell him to contact your police department if I hear from him. Will that be acceptable to your roommate?"
"I guess it will have to be..." Hanging up the phone he looked at the two men. They were staring at him, waiting impatiently. "Well, what else could I tell her?"
"She's not telling you everything, Chief." Jim's voice was quiet. "Her heart rate spiked when you asked about the photographer, when she told you he'd left, and again when she said he wasn't hurt."
"You were listening to her heart rate over the phone?" The police observer raised his eyebrows in amazement. "You didn't tell me you could do that. I mean, I know if I'm on the phone you can listen to my heart rate, but you're over there and..."
"I don't do it that often, Chief." Jim's voice was contrite. He didn't want to give Blair the wrong idea. "I hadn't tried like this before."
"So, what do you think it means?" Blair asked, watching the two detectives.
Simon frowned. "Well, as much as she seems to dislike the police, I wouldn't worry about her covering for her friend. Did you ever ask Megan about the afternoon she spent getting Fortaleza's statement?" The captain chuckled at their confusion. "I'll let her tell you about it. It was definitely an enlightening experience. It also helped that she'd heard about Fortaleza's phobia in the outback."
"Megan knew about it before she met her?" Blair's voice was incredulous. "As in, they'd met before?"
"No, Sandburg, they hadn't met. However, Fortaleza helped the locals round up a group of artifact hunters as well as some poachers while she was in Australia." Simon grinned at the look on the younger man's face. "It seems that both Fortaleza and Cage made quite an impression on the local police departments. In fact, it was such an impression that Megan never forgot any of the details. Including the fact that Fortaleza held a couple of the poachers at bay for hours but nearly fainted as soon as the uniformed officers arrived."
"Oh, man. That's a pretty strong phobia." The wide blue eyes winced at the thought.
"You're leaving something out Simon. What is it?" The curiosity in Blair's face brought a smile to both detectives' faces.
"One of the rookies arrested Fortaleza and she was jailed overnight before anyone realized who she was. She still hadn't spoken a word when they finally ID'd her. After that, she and Cage disappeared for nearly a week, refusing to talk to anyone. The press camped out at the police station, thinking that the local cops made them disappear."
"Ouch." Even Jim winced at the thought of that one. "No way she'd even try to talk Cage into coming in to fill out paperwork. Maybe one on one, in a neutral environment."
"I just wanted to make certain nothing like that happens again." Simon sipped at his coffee. "The boys' mother was yelling threats about suing everyone involved. If anything had happened to Fortaleza's friend, I was hoping she'd tell Sandburg."
"She didn't seem upset for Cage, just about being questioned about him," Jim thought about it for a moment. Then he flashed smiled at his Guide. "I don't think you need to worry about Cage. The lady is pretty protective of him."
The same time, Fortaleza's apartment, Rainier University
A.J. fingered the taped ribs, wincing at the differences in color between her fingers and the blue bruises showing above the white bandages. A couple of weeks and they would heal. With practiced ease she laced a heavy brace together. The pieces, once complete, would be further protection to both the cracked ribs and the broken one. As she struggled with placing the brace correctly without causing further damage or pain, she noticed that her hands were nearly as pale as the brace itself. Too much time inside, and not enough time outside.
Not a big deal. Not compared to what had been accomplished. If, when she returned to the tribes, she was as pale as when she first got there, they would understand. Her job here was twofold, but both parts were simple enough: protect the Guide and his Sentinel, and stop the sacrifices. Nothing else mattered, she had to remember that.
As long as she did her job, nothing else mattered. Not her health, not anyone else's.
She thought back to what she'd learned that afternoon. She had checked on Tony at the hospital, she had to find out who put him up to this. Unfortunately, no one knew who it had been. The boy had never been given a name and in his own way had been unable to describe them. All his mother and brother knew was that someone convinced Tony that he could fly, but only if he flew from the bridge today. Specifically, this afternoon while the sun was shining on the bay below the bridge. It wasn't his fault he believed what he had been told. They chose well -- an innocent volunteer. According to the tablets, Tloloc's volunteer had been scheduled for today, to start the full series of sacrifices. The water god wanted innocents for his sacrifice, and who was more innocent than poor, gentle Tony, who believed he could fly.
She shook herself free of the morbid thoughts. The boy was safe. With the help of the Cascade PD, they had negated the first possible sacrifices. Now that this part of the entire series had been stopped, maybe she could get the whole thing stopped before it began. Of course, there was the chance that she just pushed them underground. She forced herself to remember the possibilities she needed to research to keep from being surprised again.
