Title: Waiting (Chapter 1)
Author: Brynn H
A/N: While the Prologue could be read and enjoyed by itself as a complete story, the parts from now on can't. Violence mentioned but not really very graphically.
Thanks: to my beta Punky.
Waiting, Chapter 1
- Two days previous –
"No Jim. Absolutely not!" Blair pushed his errant curls out of his face. "Dropping by Wonder Burger on your way home is not an acceptable way of providing dinner when it's your night to cook."
"Chief, come on. Cut me a break, here." Jim placed the dish rag on the sink to dry, wiped his hands (stealing the dish towel from Blair to do so), and started getting ready to leave for work. "I've got to write up the paperwork on the case we just finished, then meet with the DA about the Thompson case before the trial this afternoon. Who knows how long that will take? My testimony will make or break this case and you know how the DA likes to go over everything beforehand…and over…and over… and over. Then I have to go to the actual trial. You know how that is. I get to sit around all day for a ten minute appearance. I'm really not expecting to get out of there until almost dinner time, if not later. And I'm already running on empty here, Chief. I haven't slept well in…"
"Geez, alright Jim." Blair said with mock exasperation retrieving the dish towel from the counter where Jim had tossed it. "If you wanted to switch cooking nights, all you needed to do was ask." Blair had known about Jim's busy schedule and had really planned to cook anyway, but couldn't resist giving his friend a hard time. "Of course, that means that you owe me a spectacular meal tomorrow!"
"Done, chief. I promise." Jim then smirked as he opened the apartment door. "I'll supersize your order of Wonder Burger."
Blair threw the dish towel in Jim's general direction, but the taller man hurried through the doorway, dodging it easily.
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Blair loaded the groceries needed for that night's dinner into his car in the wide alley behind his favorite health food store. Parking there was much easier than finding a parking place on the street, and he shopped there so often that the owner had told Blair to feel free to park there any time he wanted.
He was lost in thought about that night's menu when a dark blue sedan zoomed down the alley close enough to Blair's Volvo to trap its owner between the cars. A giant of a man jumped out of the back seat, grabbed Blair, and disappeared back into the car.
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The store owner heard the commotion and came out the side door just in time to see the sedan clip the front bumper of Blair's car in its hurry to exit the alley. By the time the aged proprietor rounded the corner, the car was nowhere to be found.
He rifled through his pockets searching for his cell phone, finally grateful that his grand-daughter had insisted he not only carry the infernal thing, but learn to use it as well. He finally found it, flipped it open and dialed the number of the Cascade Police Department. He knew Blair worked there as a consultant or something, and he thought the young man's partner would want to know about this. He figured that calling 911 at this point wouldn't do nearly as much good as calling the PD directly.
"Cascade Police Department," the switchboard operator answered.
"This is Sam Johnson at Nature's Finest Health Food Store." The elderly man began. "I need to speak to Jim Ellison."