The Storm by Ronnee
Chapter 6 Company for Dinner (Blizzards)
852 Prospect, Apartment 307, 13 October, 7 p.m.
A sound in the hall caught Jim's attention. Instantly, he tensed, focusing his senses on the sound. Under his hand, Fortaleza stirred, her subconscious catching his tension. "Chief, you need to get the door. Simon's here."
"In this weather? Oh, man, it's got to be bad news." Blair looked over at him curiously as he slowly stood and went to the door. He opened it before the police captain could knock. "Hi, Simon. What's up?"
"Your phone's out Sandburg, and this storm is playing havoc with cell phone reception." The big black man looked exhausted as he slumped against the door. "Dr. Gillespie called in a prescription for your runaway friend. Since you told them there was no way you could get her back to the hospital, I decided to bring it over and check on you at the same time."
Blair nodded at the comment. The snow had never quite let up. The slow, constant fall changed just after noon to a heavy fall that threatened to bury the city. If Jim thought driving during the early morning hours had been a disaster, the 5 O'clock news made them both glad he'd taken the day off. They spent the day quietly watching movies and relaxing, while AJ slept on the couch.
The only worry Jim or Blair had was the cough AJ had picked up. After a call to Dr. Gillespie, Jim decided it was far safer to stay in the loft and let Blair tend her with his herbal remedies. It looked like the good doctor disagreed and arranged his own delivery service. That thought brought a smile to Blair's lips... Simon as a delivery boy.
"Come on in. You look frozen." The observer pulled the bigger man farther inside the loft and stripped off his coat. The bitter cold that radiated from the coat alone was enough to make him shudder. As he shooed Simon towards the couch, he also took the pharmacy bag. "I'll get you some coffee while you go sit near the fire and warm up."
"Yeah, I could use the warmth right now. The storm is turning itself into a blizzard." He wearily walked over to see why his friend was sitting so quietly on the couch.
Jim felt the slight stirring of the woman resting against him. He noticed how each word that Simon uttered and each step he took into the loft brought her closer to being awake. He ran his hand gently down her back, trying to soothe her and keep her from waking. Her heart began to speed up. The tenseness that suddenly crept into her muscles brought him to full alert. He looked down and realized that although she looked like she was still asleep, she was prepared to throw herself into flight. Slowly he tightened his grip on one shoulder, feeling the flesh through the cloth and noting the slight swelling from the bruises she'd received during the botched robbery attempt. She froze and then relaxed slightly.
"Ellison." The captain greeted him briefly, looking over the tableau with interest. He saw the curiosity and amusement in the brown eyes and sighed as he heard Banks' words. "So, I take it you found Blair's missing anthropologist."
"Yes, sir, we did." He kept his voice calm, waiting for the next line, knowing there would be one. AJ stirred against him, as if just awakening. Her hands released their death grip on him and her body moved as if snuggling closer to him, but in reality shifting her balance. If he needed to move, she could shift away easily, allowing him to move swiftly. He loosened his hand on her shoulder and began rubbing her back again, crooning lightly under his breath. He knew she could at least feel the sound as it echoed in his chest. She shifted minutely, her eyes opening to slits so she could watch Simon approach.
"I thought she was Sandburg's, not yours." Simon's voice was tinged with the same amusement that danced in his eyes. He smiled widely as the young woman sat up. Blair joined them, handing Simon a cup of coffee.
Jim extended his senses as AJ sat up, blinking lazily. She remained leaning against him, still trying to absorb his warmth. He barely caught the look she flashed Blair, but it was enough to make him stiffen. He glanced over at his partner and saw the dawning mischief there. He knew they were up to trouble. Neither spoke as Blair handed her the antibiotic pill and a glass of water, but he caught the wink Blair gave her.
"Does that mean I have to choose between you?" Fortaleza spoke up after handing back the empty glass. The voice sounded so innocent, half asleep and softly inviting. The way she snuggled into his side, rubbing her cheek against his ribs and draping her leg over his was pure evil. If he didn't know better, he might even have been tempted. However, by tribal law, since they had both been adopted by Incacha, she was off limits and they both knew it. That didn't mean, however, that Jim couldn't join the fun and bait Simon.
"Well, that depends on what you prefer, Kitten." Jim stretched, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her even closer. The smile he gave Blair was wicked, the one he turned on AJ even worse. He relaxed, enjoying the moment. The expression on Simon's face was enough to brighten his day as he continued his teasing. "On one hand, you have the youth, energy, and spontaneity of Blair. On the other hand, you have my experience, stamina and sensitivity. Which one would you rather have?"
"I don't want to choose. Can't we just share?" She asked plaintively.
"Wait a minute, man." Blair piped up, his eyes glinting at them. Jim knew that the next words were going to make the woman in his arms regret the challenge she'd thrown. He started to chuckle before his partner could finish his sentence. "She ought to have chance to sample the uniqueness of Simon. She may prefer him to either of us."
Jim turned his head in time to catch the shocked expression on the big man's face. Their eyes met and he had to grin. He obviously hadn't expected the repartee or the rapid-fire double entendres. Simon's eyes widened in merriment, as he offered his hand to the woman. At least the Captain had good sense of humor.
AJ yawned, still draped close to the Sentinel's warmth. "Well, he is handsome and very much, as the lingo around here goes, the 'bomb'. I'm AJ Fortaleza, glad to really meet you this time. I apologize if it is, again, under bad circumstances."
"Simon Banks." He kept his voice soft as he took in the fact she needed Jim's help to sit up. Her face paled at the movement but she forced herself to sit leaning against the man's side. Simon wrapped his hand around hers, being very careful of his strength as he shook it. Even when she'd been pale and close to panic during the aftermath of the grocery store holdup, Fortaleza hadn't looked quite this bad. "I take it you actually get along with these two jokers."
"In a way. It was a toss-up between friendship and enmity. Friendship won." The woman grinned up at him and Simon smiled in response. She coughed softly, frowning. Simon noticed that Jim's face clouded as Fortaleza tried to clear her throat. Suddenly, she burst out coughing, curling around her own arms in pain as she did so.
Jim heard the breath catch in Fortaleza's lungs, heard the spasms in her chest as the bronchia began locking up. The instant she curled up, his hands caught her, keeping her from falling off the couch. Where he had been half reclining beside her, helping her and Blair tease Simon, he now leaned over her, one arm clamped around her shaking shoulders, supporting her. Blair had moved just as fast, joining them on the couch. One of the younger man's hand slowly and firmly rubbed her back, the other curled around her arms. It was several long minutes before her coughing fit ended, allowing the struggling woman to breathe easily. She looked up at them, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to hold it in.
"Easy, kid. Just take it easy." Jim found himself speaking softly as he responded to the naked pain in her eyes. He listened to her lungs as the spasms ended and her breathing became easier. He let his hand slide down to rest over her bandage, checking the wound silently. "Breathe in and out gently."
"It hurts, Enqueri!" She growled at him, fighting off another cough.
"I know it does. If you breathe shallowly, it's easier on you." He caught Blair's eyes as his partner
stood, signaling he was getting something and nodded. He listened to her lungs briefly, noticing that the spasm had finally stopped. She had been in the snow too long, but hopefully not long enough to really get sick. "It doesn't sound like an infection, but it definitely sounds irritated."
Sandburg appeared at their side, a cup of fresh tea in his hand. With a smooth, flexible move, he squatted and brought the tea to her lips. The sentinel supported her, while the guide fed her the tea. For a moment, AJ was far away, in another place and time. It was too familiar a memory -- only the participants were different. Inwardly she fought the imagery, she did not want to be under someone's care again. It was too dangerous for them and her. People who helped her ended up hurt, it was something she had learned the hard way too many times in the past. Unfortunately, she had little control of the situation. She turned away from the mug, eyes closed as she fought off the thoughts.
"Feeling better?" Blair asked as he pulled the cup away.
"Do I want to know what's in that?" Fortaleza whispered.
He smiled and shook his head. "Don't you recognize it?"
"Wintergreen for fever, chamomile to calm me, mint to ease my throat's spasms, honey to sweeten it and something I don't recognize, probably for the cough." She recited quietly. "Yes, it's good for me and I know most of it."
"That's bergamot."
"Well, I'd better get going." Simon stood, keeping an eye on the trio. He had watched them silently, noticing the unspoken movements. There was something about the way they related that seemed odd, almost in sync. He had a feeling it had something to do with Sentinels and Peru and he really didn't want to know. As he turned away, the lights went out.
"Blair, hold onto AJ for me." Jim calmly shifted the woman so that his partner supported her. He quickly stood and walked over to the balcony doors, looking into the night. "Simon, I think this storm now qualifies as a blizzard. You'd better stay here."
"How bad is it, Jim?" Simon stood behind him, watching the snow fall.
"I can hear people for blocks complaining about the electricity being out. I don't think it'll be on for a long time." His words were quiet, resigned. So much for some quiet downtime, not that he expected much of that in the first place. "Why don't you keep an eye on Fortaleza while Blair and I get the candles and sleeping bags. We'll have to sleep in here, near the wood stove."
Simon nodded and turned back to the couch, relieving Blair of holding the young woman.
AJ felt the rising tide of fever returning as Blair handed her over to the tall captain. She looked up into his dark brown eyes and let herself see into them. For a long moment she only saw the police captain, large and intimidating and then her reality shifted. The great bear held her as if she were made of glass, worry in its eyes. At its side, peering over the furred arm that held her, was the black panther that had been flitting through her dreams and vision. A voice whispered to her, Punuy. A smile crossed her lips as she obediently leaned into the massive form holding her, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
To Simon's amazement, the young woman did not protest the exchange. Instead she focused her eyes on his, staring deeply into them. Then, a small, almost content, smile on her face, she leaned into his shoulder, one hand lightly grasping his sweater as she closed her eyes and promptly went to sleep.
It only took the two partners a few minutes to collect bedding and candles. Jim moved the coffee table and then spread out the sleeping bags and blankets close together in front of the fireplace. Blair bounced into the area, his arms filled with candles of all sizes and shapes, dumping them onto the small couch. When he looked over at Simon, his eyes widened.
"How did you do that?" Awe was in his voice as he whispered.
Jim turned from making the beds and grinned. "She must trust him instinctively, Sandburg."
"I take it she doesn't do this often?" Simon kept his voice low, not wanting to wake the sleeping woman curled in his arms. As he spoke, she sighed and snuggled closer to him. He rubbed her back gently, murmuring under his breath for her to rest.
"No, sir." There was a chuckle in the detective's voice. "I've had her fall asleep on me, but only because we knew the same people in Peru. It took all morning for her to be able to relax like that with Blair. But once she does, you're stuck."
Simon slipped his arms around Fortaleza and shifted her against him. He kept his moves gentle as he moved her to one of the sleeping bags. He set her down and tried to stand, only to find that she had wound her fingers into his sweater and locked them there. As he tried to loosen them, the other hand joined the first. "I take it she won't let go?"
"Well, not willingly." The chuckling observer answered. "It's some kind of reflex, I think. But look at it this way, she must trust you in some level to latch onto you like that."
"Just what I need." The big captain grumbled.
Ellison smoothed the sleeping bag beside the captain. Once he had it situated to his liking, he moved close to his old friend and the sleeping woman. With an arm wrapped around her, pulling her gently away from Banks, he began whispering in Quechua. Let go of the nice captain, Hidalga. I know he is a nice pillow, but it's time for you to get some more sleep.
Jim slid his fingers along AJ's waiting for her to release her grip on Simon's sweater. The moment he felt them begin to loosen, he slid them free of the material. A low grumble issued from her throat, just loud enough to make his old friend slide back and glance down at her. He smiled. "She won't bite, sir. That's just her way of complaining at your loss."
"Right." Simon didn't sound very convinced as he backed away.
The big man walked to the balcony doors to watch the snow as Jim placed her in the sleeping bag. She lay still as he zipped it up around her and then disappeared, curling into a ball that left nothing visible except the green material. The Sentinel watched and listened for a moment before turning away, satisfied that AJ would be warm enough to stay put.
"Is she going to be all right?" Blair's voice was soft, as he watched the motionless figure.
"Yeah, she'll be fine. She just needs to rest and to heal." He walked over to where the other two men were standing at the glass doors.
"Look at it come down. It's pretty bad." Simon stared out into the softly falling whiteness. "It's been years since we've had this much snow this early in the year."
"It seems to have done a lot of snowing this year." Blair replied. Then he grinned, "in fact, we had the first snow the day she got here."
"With the hidalga comes the storms." Jim murmured, staring at the falling snow. "And as the end of time nears, the storms will grow worse. On the final day, the day of the final sacrifice, either the storms stay forever or spring returns."
"What?" Simon and Blair turned to stare at the sentinel.
"It's something I heard Incacha reciting once. I forgot all about until now." Jim looked at them and shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything."
"Are you sure?" Blair looked over at his friend. "You don't normally recite things like that unless they mean something."
"These aren't the end times, Chief." Jim smiled. "I thought all of you scientific hippie types figured on the world ending on New Year's Eve next year."
"What? Oh, come on, Jim. Everyone knows the new millennium does not start until 2001." Blair grinned back. "We already had this discussion."
Jim snorted before turning to meet Simon's amused eyes. "See what I have to put up with sir?"
"Sorry, Jim. He's your guide. That makes him your problem." The big man chuckled as Blair splutter indignantly. "You missed a fun case today."
"What happened?" Instantly the detective went still, turning his entire attention to the captain.
Simon smiled, one of his rare, full fledged, cat-ate-the-canary smiles. "It seems Mrs. Donnelley, wife of Mr. Agustus Donnelley III, city councilman, upstanding civil leader, and avid hater of the Cascade police department, found several mysterious, large purchases charged to her husband's accounts in town last month. Like a good little wife, she called the stores and found out what the purchases were... just in case. Of course, since her birthday was this month, she didn't say anything. Her birthday was last Friday. When she didn't get the full length mink coat, or the diamond necklace, or the silk dressing gown she called us. She was certain one of the employees was using her husband's gold card for the purchases."
Jim groaned, he knew what was coming. "Don't tell me. I can already guess."
"Yep." Simon's smile grew larger. "When Rafe and Brown tracked down the address to which these items were delivered they found a very nice, pretty, young woman. It seems Agustus
Donnelley III had bought those presents for his mistress when she presented him with his third son."
Blair choked and began to laugh. "Wait a minute, Simon. Are you saying... Cascade's Donnelley I-am-the-only-honest-candidate-for-mayor has a mistress?"
"Not only that, Chief," Jim replied, his own smile nearly matching Simon's, "but Donnelley is doesn't have any children by his wife. He always uses that as a sympathy point in his campaign."
Blair shook his head. The Cascade PD had their share of supporters and enemies among the councilmen. It didn't surprise him that the reason for one of the most vocal opponents of the PD, was so vocal because he wasn't entirely legitimate. An idea occurred to him, "Simon? Does that mean he's been supporting two families on the 'pitiful' wages of a public servant?"
Simon nodded, eyes a bit less friendly. "It gets better. Donnelley brought his mistress over from the Philippines. He got her through someone in town who specializes in bringing in beautiful, young things, who don't speak a word of English. So she never knew he was already married and that her marriage was false. The real Mrs. Donnelley is taking her under her wing and suing the pants off the entire Donnelley family for the privilege. The councilman started ratting on the man who brought the girl into the country. Vice found a couple of very well appointed bordellos filled with lovely young girls. "
"What's going to happen to the girls?" Blair asked quietly. "Will they be deported?"
Simon shook his head. "The human rights groups would have a field day. Mrs. Donnelley already contacted INS and asked for special Visas for them. If she has her way they'll get full citizenship and pretty fast too."
Blair nodded, satisfied. "So, since we don't have anything else to do, do you want to play cards? It's way to early to go to sleep, and without electricity there isn't much else we can do. We can play cards by candlelight."
The two other men nodded and they all moved to the table.
Several hours later.
"I can't believe they haven't gotten the power turned back on." Jim commented quietly as he checked the snow. He watched Simon loosen his tie, and offered, "I'll find you something to change into, Simon."
"There's no need, Jim. I've learned to keep a packed bag in my trunk since running into the two of you." The tired man grinned before turning away from them and slowly making his way to the door.
"Hey, Simon? Want me to go get it for you?" Blair asked, bouncing slightly on his toes.
"Does he ever run out of energy, Jim?"
"It's not easy, but I can keep him busy enough to wear him out, if I really try." The sentinel replied, a smile playing about his lips. "Usually I just let his schedule do it for me. This semester, Fortaleza has been protecting him like a mama bear and he's been the Energizer Bunny. I'm thinking of placing calls to the ladies in his little black book to use up all the extra energy."
"Can you wear him out in the time it takes me to walk down to my car and back?" The big man asked jokingly.
"No, sir. It usually takes hours of concentrated attention to wear out Sandburg. That means a long chase, followed by several nights on stakeout while working on other project during the day, a new girlfriend he's trying to impress or finals week." Only the sentinel could see the faint blush that crossed his guide's face at the quiet statement. The captain just shook his head and went out the door, laughing quietly. After the captain left, he rubbed his forehead. Forcing himself to ignore the constant scent of cigars that went everywhere with the big man had given him a headache.
"Come here, Jim. I know you've got a headache. " Blair's voice was soft. "We're only going to have a few minutes, so let's not waste them."
Jim quietly obeyed his guide. He sat, closing his eyes and breathing in the quiet. Blair's voice anchored him, instructing him to release the tensions. Slowly, he felt the dials readjust and the tension fade away. Vaguely he heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. He stood, opening his eyes.
"Simon's back?" The tone of speculation in the young man's voice made the sentinel glance over at him. He had to bite back a shudder at the expression on his guide's face. He could almost see the wheels turning
"Just about." With visible reluctance, he stepped away from his friend and turned to the balcony doors. With his head pounding the way it was, his guide's presence was akin to taking two double strength Tylenol. He leaned his forearms against the cold glass and sighed. "Go on and change,
Chief. I'll get Simon settled."
"Jim?" Blair's voice was still soft.. "If you need help with your senses, Simon'll understand.."
"Blair..." The detective groaned as the door behind them opened. He glared at the younger man as he grinned in commiseration and disappeared into his room. He pressed his forehead against the cold glass, trying to regain control of his raging headache.
"You okay, Jim?" Simon's voice came across the room clearly thanks to his hearing. The captain had paused at the door, watching him.
"I'm fine, it's just been a long couple of days." He straightened and walked back to check the fire.
Silently he joined Simon in rearranging the bedding. Within minutes, they had turned the floor into a close packed sleeping area. They had silently arranged the bedding so that Fortaleza was sandwiched between two of the men.
"So who gets to have the escape route?" Simon joked. As he spoke, Fortaleza stirred, her head popping out of the sleeping bag. Her eyes barely opened as she looked around the room. Then she shuddered, teeth chattering and dove back into the bag. The two men glanced at each other and grinned.
"Flip you for it." Blair's voice came from behind Simon. The younger man had changed into sweats and had wrapped a blanket around his shoulders for extra warmth. Then his eyes lit up and he crouched next to the motionless sleeping bag. He slid a hand over it and smiled. "Never mind. She's an electric blanket. I'm staying right here."
Simon looked at Jim, who looked at him and they smiled. "She's all yours, Sandburg. Just remember that if she latches onto you in the night."
"Not a problem, man. Compared to either of you, I'm not hot-blooded enough to interest her. She'll gravitate to whoever's on the other side and keep my back warm." A large yawn interrupted his thoughts and he shrugged. Then an idea popped into his head. "When does she need her next dose of medication?"
Jim looked over at the medicine bottle on the counter. "Eight hours for the antibiotic. The painkiller is as she needs it. The quinine is tomorrow evening."
"Quinine?" Simon's eyes had widened at the word. "She has malaria?'
"Just a flare-up. It's nothing to worry about." Blair slid into his sleeping bag with a happy sigh.
"Man, I love this thing."
"I can believe that, but now you can't complain about the cold when we're camping." Jim grinned. He had given Blair the thermal sleeping bag a gift right after they had returned from capturing Alex Barnes. They hadn't had much of chance to try it out yet. In fact this was the first time he had seen it put to use.
"It's the hiking and climbing and getting wet that get to me, man." Blair answered sleepily. "With this, I'm perfectly happy."
The room was silent for a moment as Jim banked the fire. Simon quickly changed and slipped into the sleeping bag next to the sleeping woman. Within moments of the move, she wriggled until she was curled up against his side. He shifted her slightly until he was comfortable.
"Hey, Jim? I was wondering..." Blair's voice broke the silence.
"Go to sleep, Sandburg." the two older men spoke in unison.
852 Prospect Ave., 14 October, 3 a.m.
Blair looked over at the others. Just as he'd predicted, AJ had gravitated to Simon's side. He could see the lump that she made, curled half on the police captain and had to smile. The smile turned into a silent chuckle as he wondered how the big man would react when he woke up. He curled closer to Jim, trying to go back to sleep.
"Chief?" Jim's voice was soft in his ear, making him jump.
"Hmm?" Blair rolled to face his sentinel.
"Go back to sleep."
14 October, Still real early in the morning.
Simon couldn't move. He tried again to stir, but found himself pinned in place. Instantly his eyes sprang open as he tried to figure out where he was and why he couldn't move. He could barely see through the dark pre-dawn light. He focused on a braid that trailed across his chest. He followed it to find Fortaleza's head nestled against his chest, her ear pressed over his heart, sound asleep. Her boneless sprawl effectively pinned him down. There was no way he could move without dumping her onto the floor. A low chuckle made him turn his head.
"Looks like she caught you again, Simon." The big detective tried to shift and froze.
"Sandburg has you pretty well caught, too." He grinned in amusement as his best detective tried to move without throwing his partner on the floor.
"These sleeping bags are dangerous." The other man growled low in his throat. He tried to move again and froze. A slim hand shot out of the sleeping bag and latched onto the flannel shirt the detective had fallen asleep in. It dug in, catching flesh as well as cloth when he shifted warily.
"Let go, Chief."
"Its too early." the murmur was barely audible. A tousled head appeared, glared up at the dim, cold room and disappeared. "Too cold to get up, man."
Simon began laughing, a deep rumbling sound that shook the slight figure resting against his chest. Suddenly, the sleeping bag moved violently. Fever bright eyes stared at him in shock and blinked. "Good morning, sleepy."
"Earthquake." The word slurred between her lips. A small hand patted his chest amiably. She gently smoothed his sleeping bag back into place and laid her head back down, pulling into the sleeping bag like a turtle. As Simon began laughing again, a low growl came from inside the sleeping back and a fist appeared. It batted him lightly in the ribs and sleepy voice growled at him. "G'sleep, quake."
"There's no point in getting up yet, Simon. Between the two of them and the storm nothing's moving." Jim spoke quietly, one hand resting on his guide's back. He stretched slowly and then settled himself more comfortably. "We might as well go back to sleep."
As the big men settled themselves back down silence slowly fill the loft. It was a silence that the sentinel rarely heard. The rare October blizzard had shut the city down, no electrical appliances were running, no cars were on the streets. The only sounds were the four heartbeats, the soft breathing of the sleepers and the soft "shh" of falling snow. If he stretched his senses, he could hear other people in the building, but all of them were sleeping through the early morning silence. It didn't take long before the two men were as sound asleep as their companions.
***
It was midmorning when they finally got up, all three men having been exhausted by the late night. With heavy snow still falling and the lack of electricity, Jim encouraged Simon to remain at the loft. Using Jim's police radio, they had checked in with the station and been advised that the city was quiet thanks to the storm. After eating breakfast, Blair left the two policemen discussing past cases, stating he had work to do on his Sentinel notebooks. Simon shot them a surprised look but decided not to mention the fact that if Fortaleza had been awake she would have heard the comment.
"She's asleep, Simon." Jim spoke quietly, surmising correctly what was bothering Simon.
"Mind reading now?"
"No need to... I know you well enough to guess at some of your expressions." Jim smiled. He leaned against the glass door and watched the snow fall.
Simon chuckled at the thought of Ellison knowing him that well. He'd have to admit that the man had mellowed in the past years. He mentally tossed a prayer upwards. If anything happened to Sandburg, they'd lose the Ellison they had now and everyone in the precinct knew it. Half of the beat cops kept an ear out for Ellison's call sign just to make sure the two men always had back-up. No one wanted the old Ellison back. He saluted the younger man with his beer. "Well, I guess that's to be expected."
A soft whir and the rustle of cloth came from the living room. The two men turned in unison as AJ stood and walked towards the loft door. Jim moved quickly, placing himself between her and her objective. He spoke softly. "Hey, Kid. Where you going?"
"Time to move, sir. Been in place too long." AJ stood at attention, her eyes fixed at the center of his chest. They darted up and locked with his. Instantly, her face wrinkled in confusion. "Captain Ellison?"
Jim stiffened. It had been a long time since anyone had referred to the rank he'd held in the military. He could feel the heat of her fever even across the intervening distance. Bright flags of color brightened her cheeks and a fever induced glitter adorned her eyes, making him revise his estimate up again. Before he could speak she did.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't intend to be late. I'm your guide, Silence Two, sir." AJ looked away as if hearing something else, something from the memory she was reliving. "Confirmation is Alpha one niner two kilo. How many made the jump in?"
He felt himself pale as the words slammed into his brain. He had never gotten a chance to meet his contact on his last mission in Peru. The helicopter crash had seen to that. He knew from something he'd overheard during his debriefing that his contact had searched for them for several weeks before being ordered off the case. He dredged through his memory to find the code to make her stand down. "Tango lima, Silence. Warank'a. But it's not a problem."
At his words the stiff shoulders relaxed. Obviously he'd remembered correctly. She turned and looked at Simon. "Is he yours?"
"He's Capt. Banks."
Her eyes narrowed. "He's not on the list."
"Last minute substitution." Even sick AJ's mind was fast. Jim ushered her back to the sleeping area. "We have a long journey ahead of us, so you'd better get some rest now."
AJ watched him warily before dragging a sleeping bag off a little way from the others. Seeing her medicine bag on the table she grabbed it. Using the bag as a pillow, she cautiously lay down, watching the two big men.
"She's up!" Blair's voice caught all of them by surprise.
"He's not a soldier..."
"No, he's not." Jim interrupted her words, inwardly cursing his inattention. He should have been expecting Blair to come back into the room. Luckily, he knew exactly how to handle this. "Your job is to guide us to the village, not to ask questions about my team."
AJ's silvery green eyes met his as she pondered his words. A slow smile crept across her face and she nodded slowly. Her accent was much stronger than normal as she replied. "Of course, Capitan."
Moments later slow, even breathing announced that she'd drifted back into sleep. Simon walked over to her and looked down at the young woman. "I didn't know you knew her, Jim."
Jim went to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. Then he returned to the balcony doors, relaxing again. He sipped at the beer, still thinking about Fortaleza's words. A muscle tensed in his jaw as he went over what had happened in Peru all those years ago and what had just occurred in his living room. "My team was supposed to rendezvous with a specialist. All I knew was that the
Silence group had requested the privilege of providing my team's guide. It was an honor to any team in the area to work with them. They were a legend to the entire base. We never got there and I never met the guide. I found out later that the entire Silence contingent drove the Army crazy trying to find us. Seems we were so far off course that they accused people of setting up the entire mission for failure. It took a lot of convincing for Silence One to begin working as a guide again. Two just walked away from the area. When I resigned, the rumor had it that Two still was refusing to accept any work from the Army."
"Wait a minute." Blair's eyes were wide as he looked from one man to the other. "You're saying that AJ worked for the military. Doing what? She's an anthropologist, not a . . . spy. Besides, I thought you said she didn't work for the government."
"She didn't. Silence only did one thing, introduce insertion teams to their native allies. The rest was up to us." Jim frowned. "I had figured that Cage was Silence. It wasn't until my team was lost that anyone acknowledged that Silence was a group of guides, not a single person."
"Sandburg, her behavior and reactions prove Jim's right." Simon responded quietly. "It also explains the lack of information in her files."
"YOU checked out AJ?" The incredulous looks both men gave Simon matched Blair's words.
"Yes, I did. As many times as both of you have gotten into trouble because of a woman, I thought it was the best thing I could do." Simon couldn't quite meet either man's eyes. He didn't want to even consider the meaning of the fact that he was investigating his men's choice in friends. It spoke of being too close to them.
******
14 October, 11:15 p.m.
"Jim, wake up!"
Simon's urgent whisper brought him fully awake. He sat up. The whisper had also awoken Blair, who grumpily complained at the disturbance. The sentinel looked over at the older man, seeing the captain crouched by the balcony doors. Beyond him, curled between the plant and his speaker was Fortaleza. Even from where he lay. Jim could see the sweat beading her forehead. She was watching the police captain, her eyes full of fear. When Blair moved, she cocked her head, listening to his movements, her eyes staying fixed on Simon. Jim frowned thoughtfully.
"Hildalga, it's all right. No one here will hurt you." He whispered from where he crouched, too far for her to have heard. Her eyes flicked over to meet his. "Take it easy, Kid."
Blair sat up, his eyes wide as his mind in took Jim's murmurs. Suddenly some of the missing pieces began to fit together. Movement drew his eyes. He looked over to see Simon begin to move. Silver flashed, a blade in the woman's hand twisting in warning.
"No!" Jim moved fast, putting himself between them. His words stayed low, barely audible.
"Shh, put it down. You are safe here, AJ."
She turned to face him, the knife lowering but still held defensively. The fever had dulled her eyes, clouding them. She shivered, her free hand curling around her ribs. For the first time since her arrival, AJ's words were in unaccented American English. "No. Cold here. Snow here. I don't want to die."
"I promise, no one will hurt you. It's safe." Jim's voice was still gentle as he took in the words and realized that she was delirious again.
"I promised not to come back." Tears cascaded down her cheeks. "We made a bargain, they leave us alone, we stay away. If I go home, I die, everyone dies."
Behind him, Jim heard Blair's quiet curse. AJ flinched and paled. He slowly moved forward, stretching his senses, trying to anticipate her next move.
"Who made the bargain for you'? The police? The FBI? Talk to me, Hidalga." Jim spoke softly, watching her as she rocked slowly back and forth.
"The police man was bad man. Even other police mad at him, called him monster man... hit man.'' The child-like simplicity of her voice made Jim wince even as the words made all three men flinch. "FBI men died and men in suit made promises. Now bad men leave me alone."
"Hidalga, listen to me."
"I don't know you. You are a stranger, one of the hunters." Her voice was icy, filled with fear. She pulled the knife up, holding it close to her body. Her move was sudden and unexpected. The knife tipped up and slashed down, heading for her side.
Both police officers went into action. Jim dove high, grabbing the hand holding the knife, refusing to allow her to plunge the knife into herself. He twisted her wrist brutally, forcing her to release the knife. Simon kicked it away, grabbing her legs before she could attack the sentinel who was trying to hold onto the shuddering woman.
AJ was having nothing to do with either of them. She fought them, hard and dirty, no holds barred. They were hampered by the fact that neither one wanted to hurt her. Only the fact that she was both ill and injured kept her from breaking free from them. It took them several long, hard fought minutes to get her under control.
Finally, Simon pinned her to the floor, his weight firmly laying across her back as he held one of her arms between them. He glared up at his subordinate, wincing to himself as he noted the bruises on Jim's face. Fortaleza didn't make a sound, once he'd pinned her, she'd frozen. The one eye that he could see was closed, silent tears leaking from it.
"You okay, Jim?" His words were spoken in a gasp as he tried to catch his breath. The young woman had gotten him with a good blow to his ribs and it hurt.
"Yeah, let me catch my breath." The younger man slowly stood, rubbing his stomach. "Remind me not to get in any more fights with her."
"Getting too old to handle it, Ellison ?" The captain mocked him, keeping his eyes on the woman laying quietly on the floor.
"No, just a little too scarred to handle someone as panicked as that without hurting them." He murmured softly, one hand gently touching her forehead. The skin under his hand was burning hot. He listened, hearing the congestion now in both lungs and the labored breathing. Even as he listened, he heard the erratic thumping of her heart, skipping and racing from fear and fever. "We need to get the fever down, Simon. It's too high."
Simon slowly and carefully pushed himself off of Fortaleza. The two men turned her over, expecting a violent response. The one they got was worse than her previous delirium. Her body began convulsing, the fever having reached too high for her body to accept.
"Sandburg, see if the phones are working yet!" Jim shouted as he tried to hold onto her.
"Nothing, Jim." Blair's voice was scared as he hung up the phone. "Maybe..."
"It's too dangerous to try to get her hospital in this storm." Simon's words stopped the observer's unspoken thought.
"Then we need to lower her temperature and fast. Get her into the bathtub. I'll get snow." The two older men looked at each other before responding to the younger man's order. As they moved her, Blair gathered several pots full of snow.
15 October, early evening.
It was dim and very quiet when AJ finally woke up. She was stiff and ached all over. She began to sit up and hissed as her body protested the movement. Every muscle in her body locked and painfully reminded her why she hated being ill. She shuddered convulsively as she fell back onto the nest of blankets and sleeping bags she had awoken in. She let her eyes close in frustration, she could barely move between the stiffness and the pain of the stressed muscles.
"Hey, Sunshine." Warm hands gripped her shoulders and began massaging gently. "Stiff?"
"Kaneshka, ochen." She let the thought slide past her lips.
"I'll take that as a yes." The voice was amused at her incoherence.
After a moment, she heard a second voice speak to the first one. The words instantly relieved the part of her that rarely trusted any situation. If the sentinel was still there, she was safe and so was Sandburg. "Hey, Chief, Hidalga. She looks more asleep than awake."
"Almost, Jim. Want to join in? She's locked tighter than a drum."
Every sense she had, every bit of training and the bits of memory she had from the fever dreams told her that she was safe. It was rare. So very rare that she decided to just enjoy it. She knew from experience it wouldn't last long, not long enough to by far. She was rolled onto her stomach and the hands kept up the massage. Someone straddled her back and joined in on the massage. AJ sighed happily, relaxing as the muscles unknotted. An amused murmur barely roused her as she heard someone sit near her.
"Is she putty yet?" The first voice, the one she recognized as Blair's, was chuckling.
"Not quite, but pretty close." Ellison's voice was closest to her ear as he gently loosened the muscles on her upper back near the stitches.
"Well, at least the fever's gone and she's awake." Simon spoke up from somewhere behind her.
"This is not awake." Blair protested. "This is barely conscious."
"No, this is bliss." AJ turned her head and opened her eyes. She smiled lazily at them. "I like having all this attention. I take it last night was very bad?"
"That was the night before last, kitten." At Ellison's nod, the other man sat back. The sentinel turned her over and helped her sit up. "If ambulances had been running you would have been on one."
"Not funny, Enqueri." AJ glared at him and tested her muscles. She tried to judge the fever from the last remaining aches. "What did I hit? 103?"
"106 and convulsions." A grim look crossed his face.
"No wonder I ache. Thank you." She looked at all of them, one face at a time. All three showed signs of the strain, red eyes and tired faces. She blushed, normally she took care of the people around her. She owed them more than before. AJ sighed, tired from just that action. She didn't have time for being sick or being tired, the internal clock in her mind was still racing forward. "I rarely get sick or have more than a mild relapse. I'm sorry that I caused a problem."
A strong finger tilted her head up. Warm eyes met hers as the sentinel looked down at her, over his shoulder both the guide and their friend watched. "Friends are not a problem. Troublesome maybe, but real friends are never a bother or a problem. Understand?"
"Yes, Enqueri. Friends." When he smiled at her, AJ felt it all the way to her toes. She glanced over at his guide and read the amused understanding in his face. They were definitely a special pair and well worth the sacrifice of protection. An idea hit her. She knew the perfect way to make them safe. She had even started the process. Now to make it official. They had said the words, it was time to finish the rite. In fact, it was dangerously close to being too late to perform the rite. She held her hand up, palm outstretched. "Kin? Breda?"
"Breda. Kin." Jim accepted her offer, placing his hand palm to palm with hers. His eyes met the tired green ones and read the worry there. He nodded, slowly and firmly. He remembered Incacha's explanation about the vows and rituals that bound the tribes together. During the past 48 hours, Fortaleza had been too ill to worry about breaking the ritual. Now was another thing entirely.
He wrapped his hand around hers, tightening almost to the point of causing pain and then releasing it. Standing abruptly, Jim went up to the loft bedroom. As he did so, Fortaleza began looking around anxiously. Blair saw the movement and headed for the far corner of the room. A moment later he held up her medicine bag in inquiry, and at her nod he brought it over to the coffee table. She moved over to it and began unlacing the bag. Jim rejoined them, kneeling beside her with a military issue K-bar knife in his hand.
"Jim?" The police captain's voice was worried. Both of them ignored his unspoken question.
AJ pulled out a piece of heavily tied finely cured leather. She swiftly but carefully untied the multitude of knots. Its inner surface was marred with stains, old rust colored stains and blue traced patterns. She smoothed it on the coffee table and laid several pouches of herbs on it. At her signal, Jim unsheathed the knife and handed it to her. She dribbled the herbs on the edge, chanting quietly.
"Enqueri?" At her quiet inquiry, he held out his hand. With a swift move, she lightly scored the skin from his palm to his inner elbow. Jim let several drops fall onto the leather. AJ moved swiftly, pouring a fine blue-white powder on the wound, stemming the blood.
"Hidalga?" He asked quietly
"Soy sagrada, mas que soy hidalga," she answered, holding out her arm. Jim shot her a stunned look before scoring her arm. She dripped blood onto the leather before sprinkling her wound with a different powder. She reached for an herb pouch.
"Jim?" Blair's voice was gentle as he held up his own arm. He was moving more to instinct than to thought. The idea of getting his arm cut like that was enough to make him pale, but he felt it was necessary. Even as he moved he could hear a low growl of approval echoing in his mind. It was the correct move and he knew it.
Jim looked at his partner, reading the determination there and nodded. He looked over at Fortaleza. She handed him the knife with a wry smile. Blair held his hand out, keeping his face calm as first one and then the other lightly drew the knife down his arm. Then he did the same to them. All three dribbled more blood on the leather before Fortaleza calmly dusted the wounds with both powder and herbs. They gripped their hands together as she chanted again.
AJ watched the two men as she pulled yet another pouch from her bag. Jim's eyes met hers and glanced over to his guide. She understood his worry, but could not deviate from the ritual. It was obvious the younger man was moving out of instinct rather than knowledge. Neither of them would argue with the instincts of a shaman, so they accepted his actions as ordained. The blue eyes met hers and then glanced down to watch as she slowly dusted his wound with a more of the blue-white powder. She did the same first with Blair's wound and then her own. The fine dusting of powder turned red as it soaked up the blood that still oozed sluggishly from their wounds.
As AJ pulled out a small brown clay jar and uncapped it, Jim whispered urgently to Blair. "No matter what, don't move!"
The startled guide looked up and met the young woman's eyes. The words that softly fell from her lips were completely unfamiliar to him, but at the same time they made perfect sense. He stared into her eyes, barely moving even to breathe. She let a single drop of a thick viscous liquid land on each wound on his arm. Blue fire flamed the length of the wound, searing it closed. Only the fact that Jim had warned him kept Blair from jerking away from the other two.
Jim held out his hand, patiently waiting for his own dose of the liquid. Silently, it was dribbled onto his wounds, causing his skin also to flame with the pale blue fire. Then AJ handed the vial to the sentinel, motioning for him to complete the cycle. When her wound flamed as theirs had, she gently blew on the three pale flames as her hand reached for theirs. With a soft whoosh, the flames flared up and join together over the closely held hands. Then they disappeared.
Blair stared in amazement at his arm. The wound was gone, only a fine silvery-blue scar was left. He looked over at AJ's arm and his eyes widened even more. Her lower arm was covered in a tracery of the thin scars. She smiled at him before allowing herself to sink back into the sleeping bag.
"Jim?" Simon's voice caught their attention and the three turned to face him. "Do I really want to know what that was all about?"
"Probably not, Simon.." Jim replied with a grin. Absently, he pulled a blanket up around the young woman as she closed her eyes. "It's a bonding ceremony."
The captain sat forward, face stern. He looked at his detective, worry creasing his forehead. "Are you sure you want that?"
Ellison stood and stretched before turning to his friend. "Simon, it has to do with trust. Fortaleza already has mine. She's a member of the Chopec, she worked with Incacha. Hell, she's linked to twenty tribes by adoption alone."
"So, why did you feel you had to link to her, make her part of the family?" Simon had to get them to understand what they had just gotten themselves into. "Do you know what you've opened yourself for? Damn it, man, what were you thinking?"
"He was thinking that this gives him the right to boss me around. It always seems that the men around me want me to behave in certain ways. They also figure that by pulling on the ties that bind us they can control me." AJ whispered. With a low groan, she stretched, forgetting about the stitches momentarily. Her hiss of pain turned the sentinel and guide's attention back onto her, while her words made Simon freeze. "Anyway, it's natural for the Sentinel and Guide to link to local allied or aligned Shaman. It helps strengthen the tribe."
Simon stared in shock as the two men ignored what she'd said. To his knowledge, neither Jim nor Blair had told anyone else about the sentinel thing. How had Fortaleza gotten the information? He caught Jim's eye and relaxed as he saw the calm acceptance there. He turned his attention back to the anthropologist chiding Fortaleza.
"You're supposed to be careful when you move." Blair chided her.
"Go away!" she growled lightly at him as he began tucking her back under the blanket. "I want to get up. No, I *need* to get up."
"Oh. Sorry about that." He offered her a hand up. When she stood, he lightly held onto her waist, helping her catch her balance. "Okay now?"
"Yes, thanks." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"Hidalga?" Jim leaned over her shoulder. "Can you walk alone? You've haven't much strength left. Especially after this."
AJ's chuckle interrupted him. "I think I can do this on my own, Enqueri. Anyway, I know you will be listening, so if I have trouble..."
"Hidalga..."
"I know. It's part of the package." AJ pulled away from the two men and walked slowly toward the bathroom.
"Take it easy, Jim." Blair teased his partner. "You know she's stronger than she looks."
"She's still too sick to be up." He growled back, glaring toward the back of the loft.
"I heard that!" Her voice was softly mocking. "In the immortal words of Wayne, 'chill dude'."
"Blair! Did you lend her your copy of 'Wayne's World'?"
"Of course, man. She really needed to get accustomed to American culture and it's already a
classic. The theory is that it immortalizes ..."
"Sandburg!"
Hours later, Simon stared morosely out the window. The snow had finally ceased, but the drifts were still too high for his car. He couldn't believe the weather of the past few months. Freak snow storms and cold fronts like the city had never seen before. At least the electricity was finally on again. A quiet noise made him look around.
Fortaleza stood next to him, silently watching him, her eyes distant. "You are worried about them?"
The quiet words hit Simon hard. He could understand Jim figuring out his thoughts. But Fortaleza was an unknown, and he wasn't sure he wanted her to be able to figure out his thoughts. "I..."
Before he could answer she continued. "I have vowed to die before ever causing harm to a Guide or his Sentinel. That includes Blair and Jim. I am not who you need to worry about. It's the people out there that are the threat to them." She met his eyes. "If you would like, I can make a vow to you... one to protect them."
Simon stared at her, thinking frantically. Even though Fortaleza was barely able to stand she was trying to reassure him. "I'll take your word."
With a tired nod, she turned away and slowly walked to the sofa. As he watched, she curled up on it and picked up one of Blair's anthropology journals. When he looked up, Jim was watching him from the kitchen, a slight crease between his eyebrows. Simon shrugged, turning back to the snow covered streets. He had the feeling that life was about to get even stranger than normal.
