As always, I don't own the Sentinel.

Edited: 18 April 19

Chapter 15

Jim paused at the front corner of the building. He could see his truck, parked just in front at the gas pump, not too far away. The cruiser was all but hidden from view around the side of the building. The trooper was squatting down checking over Blair's stolen car. Jim pulled back out of sight again. "Alright," he said looking at a nervous Blair, "We're going to casually walk out, get in the truck, and drive away."

Blair opened his mouth but Jim cut him off.

"There's no reason for that trooper to suspect a random truck gassing up nearby a stolen car is involved with that car. It's going to be fine." Jim turned and took a step toward the corner again but pulled up short. "Shit."

"What?" Blair asked, eyes wide. "What is it?"

"I still need to pay for my gas," Jim said, reassessing.

"Ah man," Blair groaned, rolling his shoulders and glancing around the corner before pulling back, "Why do you even need to get gas anyway? I though you always fuel up at a quarter tank?!"

"Generally," Jim said.

"So what happened?" Blair hissed. "How could you let it get that low?"

"Maybe because I'm human and I wasn't expecting to have to abandon my life today, alright?" Jim snapped back in clipped tones, "Or ask your stupid wolf friend, he looked entirely too smug when the gas light came on." Jim really thought he had gassed up his truck earlier in the week, but it didn't matter now. He took a deep breath and shook his head. Now was the last time to let the stress get to him even if this whole situation did have every hallmark of a botched operation, and Jim had been part of some spectacularly botched operations in his career. "Getting upset is not going to change anything. This is the situation and we have to deal with it."

Really, the pep talk was as much for Jim as for Blair. Years of his life down the drain, everything he'd worked toward, and now he couldn't even make a clean simple getaway. For the first time since walking into his apartment and finding the doctor there, he felt a worm of worry and doubt that he really wouldn't get away. Jim shook it away, though. Thinking like that would get him caught faster than anything.

"Why can't we just leave without paying?" Blair asked, biting his lip.

"Because that's not suspicious at all," Jim snarked back. "That's the fastest way to get that cop on our trail. Ok…I'm going to walk in there and pay for gas. You go to the truck and stay there. Act normal, if the cop talks to you we're just going out of town for a weekend camping trip. Follow my lead."

Jim stepped out from the corner and headed for the front door. The trooper was gone. Jim glanced up checking the corners of the building. There was only the one security camera he initially spotted on his arrival but it was ancient and clearly out of commission with a cracked lens. Blair hung back near the building corner, shifting from one foot to the other. Jim sent a look over his shoulder and hitched his head toward the truck.

The panther followed him as Jim kept his pace slow and casual. His steps didn't falter as he pushed through the door and walked up to the counter where the state trooper talked with the cashier. Glancing around Jim grabbed a few camping items off the shelf as well as some snacks. The trooper glanced at Jim and stepped aside so Jim could drop his purchases on the counter.

Jim gave a friendly nod toward the cop, ignoring the tension in his gut. "I'm at pump three, too," he said and pulled out his wallet.

"Actually," the cashier said, hitching a thumb at Jim, "This guy running out the back door is the only exciting thing that's happened all day."

Thanks for nothing, Jim thought as he pulled out a pair of twenties. "Yeah, sorry about that, my copilot gets car sick, saw him run around the back of the building and wanted to make sure he was alright." The panther settled down next to Jim's leg, leaning against him.

"Oh, yeah, no problem, man," the cashier said, waving off the apology. "It's no skin off my nose. That's where the bathroom is so people are going back there all the time. Here's your change." He handed back a couple ones and some coins along with the bag of Jim's purchases.

Jim turned and headed out of the store and to the truck. The trooper followed along behind him. The afternoon was steadily progressing to evening and a chill fell over everything as the sun dipped to the trees. Thankfully, Blair had made it to the truck but not soon enough to climb in before Jim came out with the cop in tow.

"Mind if I ask you a few questions?" The state trooper asked, following Jim to the truck.

Jim shrugged, opening the truck door and dropping his purchases inside before closing it again. "Sure, what do you need to know?"

Behind Jim, Blair hesitated. Jim could hear Blair heart hammering away and the man gulped before coming around the truck and standing next to Jim. The wolf trotted over and pressed itself against Blair tongue lolling as he glance up to his person. It helped calm Blair's racing pulse just a tad.

"Evening," the trooper said nodding to Blair.

Blair managed to nod a reply but didn't get out a verbal greeting. Jim briefly wondered if this was Blair's first time doing anything seriously illegal. At least the clear agitation Blair displayed with his pallid complexion backed up Jim's car sick story. Thank heavens for small favors.

The trooper ran his gaze over Blair the same way he had at Jim in the store. It was a sweeping assessment like only a cop could, routine, professional, but ready to react. "How long have you been here, at this rest stop?"

"About twenty minutes," Jim answered honestly, trying to figure the time in his head. It was much longer than he had planned on staying, but everything had conspired to hold him up and catch him in this mess. "Has something happened?"

The trooper looked him over again, still assessing him with muted suspicion.

Jim stuck his hand out, "Jim Ellison, I'm a detective with the Cascade PD." Go for the friendly and helpful approach, Jim thought.

The trooper relaxed a fraction and took Jim's hand in a firm handshake. "George Helming," he responded instantly friendlier than the cautious politeness of moments ago.

Jim glanced over to Blair standing stiff shouldered with his arms folded tightly around his waist. His heart still beat like a jackhammer, despite the wolf pressing into his side. The sound threatened to distract Jim, but he pulled himself back to the parking lot and the conversation, pushing the noise into the background since getting rid of it seemed impossible. He hoped the cop attributed Blair's nervousness for the car sickness Jim made up.

"My partner and I were heading out for a weekend camping trip," Jim said, hitching a thumb toward Blair, hoping to distract the cop from his close scrutiny of Blair. "But if you need any help we could stick around for a bit. We'll probably be setting up in the dark as it is with the late start we got." He glanced up at the growing pinks and oranges spreading across the clouds from the setting sun.

Trooper George Helming looked back to Jim and smiled. "Nah," he said, waving a dismissive hand and shaking his head. "It's just a stolen car. No damage that I can see. The thief must have dumped it when they realized it had Onstar with the GPS locater."

Jim nodded ignoring Blair's increasingly pale face. The panther moved around to Blair's other side and leaned against him with the wolf.

"Are you alright?" the cop asked Blair giving him a squinted eye look again, though with more concern than suspicion.

"Like I said, car sick," Jim said with a roll of his eyes and a vaguely disgusted tone in his voice.

Blair shot him a grimace before obliging the story by tightening his arm around his stomach and bringing the other over his mouth. "I think it's food poisoning," he mumbled through his fingers.

"That wouldn't be surprising either considering the grass you call food," Jim remarked before pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're not getting in my truck till you know you're empty."

The trooper snorted, smothering a laugh at Blair's responding glare. "Did either of you happen to see that car pull in and park to the side over there?" he asked, turning and pointing toward Blair's stolen ride. "The one security camera is broken so anything you can give me would be a help."

Jim slowly shook his head, pretending to think it over. "No," he said with all honesty, he had been inside when Blair had arrived, after all, "we were a little busy at the time." He gave another pointed look at Blair.

Helming nodded disappointed, "I understand, sister of mine gets the same way. Well, thanks anyway. I'll be inside talking with the cashier some more if you think of anything." He turned and walked back into the store.

Jim let out a breath of relief. Part of him was surprised it worked while other part knew there really was no reason for the state trooper to suspect them. Blair looked like he would wilt with relief, shoulders sagging and letting out a long breath. The two spirits looked indifferent. Jim shook out his key and opened his truck door.

"Good job, Chief," Jim said with a nod and a little pride, "I almost thought you were car sick myself."

There was silence behind him making Jim turn around. Blair still looked just as sick as before, face pale and sweat beading at his hair line. He stood still, hand clenched before him, eyes darting between Jim and the store where the trooper had disappeared.

"What is it? Jim asked in a low voice, worried something more was wrong.

"I still have the keys," Blair said, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes now fixed on the door where the state trooper disappeared.

"Alright," Jim said, scanning the area, "Go back to the far side of the tree line. Pretend like you're feeling sick again. Wipe off the keys with your shirt and toss them into the woods as far as you can. Hopefully, if by some miracle they find the keys, they'll think the mysterious car-jacker dumped them there."

Blair wrapped his arms around his stomach and hurried back to the side of the lot where trees met cracked pavement. The wolf trotted happily behind him and plopped down next to the Guide as Blair dropped to his knees. Jim glanced to the store before leaning into the truck and grabbing a bottle of water from the back. He walked, the panther trailing after him, toward where Blair was just visible behind the trees, hunched over on the ground.

"Tag teaming us, huh?" Jim muttered to the cat, the annoyance was missing from his tone, though. A part of him was glad the panther was with him again, even if he'd never admit it. From the look the panther shot at him, Jim figured the fur ball already knew.

They came up next to Blair, Jim scanned the parking lot again, satisfied that it was still deserted. Blair was using the edge of his shirt to wipe the keys clean, vigorously rubbing at the metal as though he was polishing it to a high shine. The quick, jerky movements betrayed how nervous the academic was.

"First time stealing a car, Chief?" Jim chuckled. The stress of the situation was starting to wear on him.

"Oh, like you've done it plenty of times," Blaire groused, scowling heavily as he rubbed at the keys.

Jim only smirked, the silence making Blair look again.

"You haven't, have you?" Blair asked beginning to doubt himself.

"You'd like to know," Jim said. His smirk turned into a full grin. He had to admit, having Blair with him wouldn't be nearly as lonely as traveling alone and they could watch each other's back. All four of them, Jim mused as he looked down at the two spirit guides sitting on either side of Blair and himself and steadily watching the parking lot and road with all its lack of activity. At least, that would be the case until he and Blair split paths again. Though deep down, Jim had a feeling he wouldn't be able to just dump Blair off at the next town like he'd originally thought. He had the feeling that he was stuck with the Guide for longer than that and for some reason, that idea didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

Jim glanced back at Blair still rubbing diligently at the key ring. "Alright, no need to rub the plating off," Jim said.

"I want to make sure there's no finger prints," Blair returned, but carefully took it by his shirt and threw it as far into the underbrush as possible.

"Don't worry, they probably won't even find the keys," Jim said, handing Blair the bottle of water. "Hell, I'd be surprised if they even bothered looking, not for a simple stolen car that was recovered in the same condition. This is all just a precaution in case Hedrick gets his panties in a twist and insists."

Blair stared at the bottle of water, a frown on his face.

"Rinse your mouth out," Jim said, turning away and back toward the lot, "You want to stay in character, even when you think no one's watching."

"Yeah, yeah," Blair said with a roll of his eyes, but started sloshing and spitting out water.

Jim moved to the edge of the woods. The panther came up beside him scanning the parking lot with wide, attentive eyes. It sat tense and still, gaze returning to the road every few seconds. Jim frowned down at the cat. "What's wrong with you?" he asked and put his hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxing slowly despite the tension leaking in from the cat. "You got what you wanted. I probably won't be able to get rid of him anytime in the foreseeable future. I'm even starting to be glad he's here, which is really what you wanted so there's no reason for you to be all tense… Is there?"

The cat didn't acknowledge him, just continued to stare stiffly down the road.

Jim rolled his shoulders trying to block out the tension rolling in from the cat. He had a bad feeling creeping up on him and he didn't want to think about it. He was tired of things going wrong. "Fine," he grumbled, "be that way."

"Are you talking to the panther?" Blair asked coming up behind him and sipping from what remained in the water bottle.

"Oh like you haven't," Jim muttered back, scrubbing his face with a hand trying to hold on to his good mood from a moment earlier, "I bet you were talking to him the entire drive up here."

"Not really," Blair mumbled besides raising his voice, "Besides I never expected him to answer back."

Jim rolled his eyes and glanced over to Blair to make sure he was finished. "Just wait," he said, eyes falling down to the wolf sitting by Blair's side. He frowned as he saw the mutt sitting upright and tense, ears perked and listening. That couldn't be a good sign. He frowned and turned back to the parking lot just in time to see another car pulling into the lot. A second look made Jim's stomach drop and the breath freeze in his chest.

The markings were clear and easy to read, especially since he immediately zoomed in on the seal emblazoned large on the side doors. "Guide and Sentinel Center Security" was written in large letters arching over the seal and across the front hood of the car. Though he'd only seen him once, Jim easily recognized Dr. Hedrick sitting in the front seat along with two of the GSC's security guards, one driving and the other in the back. Jim's blood run cold. If Hedrick talked to the cop it was over. He stood, not daring to move and draw attention, as he watched the car pull in and park on the side next to Blair's stolen car.

Blair said something behind him, but Jim wasn't listening. He was frantically trying to think what he could do next and nothing was coming to mind. Jim's truck was sitting right there for all the world to see closer to the security guards than Jim. The doctor knew who had taken his car. All he needed to do was walk into the store and tell the state trooper who he suspected of having stolen his car. Trooper Helming would have no choice but to bring Blair in for questions and Jim with him, it was procedure.

But the doctor wouldn't have to stop there, he had two of the GSC security guards with him. He could have them bring Jim into the GSC for tests based on his suspicions and for "health concerns". Jim had seen it done. He clearly remembered the night his neighbor had been taken away, protesting loudly and at the top of his lungs. Jim had never seen or heard from his neighbor again.

The only chance Jim could see was getting to the truck and slipping away before anyone could notice. They could put distance between them and the gas station then dump the truck and find an alternate means of transportation.

"Blair," Jim said, watching the two guards get out of the GSC car, look over Helming's car, then head into the store. Hedrick moved out of sight, checking over his car in greater detail. "Move, quickly. We're going to get in the truck and drive away."

Jim only made it a few long steps, convincing his numb legs to hurry, when Hedrick rounded the corner and spotted him. They both stopped dead in their tracks, eyes locking onto one another. Jim felt the blood drain from his face and the breath leave his lungs. For a moment, they just stood staring at one another. Then, a triumphant, almost predatory grin spread across Hedrick's face and Jim heard the doctor mutter under his breath, "Got you."

Any and all plans Jim had made for getting to the truck and slipping quietly away shattered. He was out of options. Any civil resolution ended with him and Blair down at a police station answering questions. Jim cursed and took the last chance to get away he could see in that instant. He ran.

XXXXX

For a moment, Blair wasn't entirely sure how it all shattered so quickly. One moment they were talking normally, the tension from dealing with the state trooper finally bleeding away when Jim froze.

"Jim? What's wrong?" Blair asked.

When Jim didn't answer Blair looked down to the spirit guides that were flanking either side, but both panther and wolf were fixed in the same tense stance as his friend.

"Blair," Jim said, just as Blair caught sight of the GSC security guards and Hedrick, "Move, quickly. We're going to get in the truck and drive away." Jim started moving even before he finished speaking.

So they were making a getaway in the truck. Made sense, Blair didn't know how they were going to talk their way out of it once Hedrick started talking to the state trooper. Looks like his earlier visions of the evening ending in a car chase was still going to happen.

Then, suddenly, Hedrick came into view. Everyone froze for a moment and Jim spun and took off into the woods at a dead run. Blair cursed, just missing grabbing onto Hedrick as the man shot past him. Blair tore after Jim and the Doctor, diving into the woods and dodging trees, right behind the two.

The terrain turned rough, rocks and roots poking through leaves that hid the uneven forest floor. The ground angled upward in an ever-steepening slope, a preview of the mountainous landscape miles down the road. The light of the dropping sun cast long shadows through the trees. Blair could barely keep sight of the doctor as he dodged through the trees. He had lost all sight of Jim. The leaves and branches blocked the way ahead and clawed at Blair's arms and face. He could hear Hedrick crashing before him over his own rough breathing.

The rush of adrenaline brought on by the chase pushed Blair forward, despite his burning lungs and racing heart. He dimly thought how very screwed they were the moment the GSC showed up at the gas station. They were probably more screwed than he realized if Jim considered taking off into the woods the best option. The train of thought was brought to an abrupt halt, however, when Blair took a wrong step. He stumbled over the uneven ground and tumbled to his knees. He was only down for few seconds, hands catching his fall and scraping painfully over the dirt rocks, before he was up again and back on the chase.

Blair cursed. He tried to keep up, unsure of what would happened when they all finally ran out of energy to run anymore, but found himself slowly lagging behind. His ankle and knee protested painfully from the continued use.

A few more minutes and Blair couldn't see any sign of the doctor or Jim. Only the faint sound of leaves rustling and branches snapping gave the chase away. The noise was soon lost beneath Blair's ragged breath. He stumbled to a halt, placing both hands on his knees as he bent over to reclaim his breath. He winced at the pain in his knee, already coming more to the fore of his awareness. He pushed it aside, cursing his luck and his inability to help Jim at the moment. How he would do that he wasn't quite sure. It seemed like he caused more harm than good, botching Jim's get away after making it necessary in the first place.

Blair didn't let that thought deter him, though. As soon as he gained his breath back he straightened up and took off, limply jogging again in the direction the two had gone. A ghost of gray between the trees caught Blair's eye and he recognized the wolf. It glanced back toward him before moving forward again at an urgent pace. Blair clenched his teeth and increased his speed to keep up. It was only a couple minutes when he heard the a shriek of pain cut through the trees. Blair immediately forgot the pain in his leg and increased his pace.

Blair burst out of the woods, coming out into a relatively clear area. The ground leveled out before cutting off in a sheer drop to one side. The shadows in the trees immediately ended, as well, and the setting sun bathed the clearing in orange light. Blair's eyes immediately focused on to Jim, laying on the ground and twitching with convulsions, pistol lying uselessly next to him. In an instant Blair went from confusion to realization. Jim was being shocked by a taser, a grim-faced Dr. Hedrick on the other end.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Blair cried in alarm, momentarily frozen in horror.

Hedrick shot a glare at Blair as the shock finally ended leaving Jim panting and twitching on the forest floor. "I could ask you the same thing!" he said, anger and betrayal in his voice, "You know what's at stake here, Blair! Or maybe you don't. His kind can't be allowed to put themselves at risk, there's too few of them as it is."

"And keeping him safe is attacking him with a taser?" Blair retorted his eyes wide with shock unable to see the pattern of logic.

"The shock won't hurt him permanently," Hedrick waved a hand dismissing Blair's concern, "and this isn't about the preference of a single individual. It's about preserving an entire race. Sentinels are going extinct. The only way to stop that is to look after the welfare of the group as a whole. We can't in good conscious allow any one Sentinel put themselves at risk by exposing themselves unaided to the contaminants of modern pollution."

"I don't believe this, a fucking monologue," Jim swore through clenched teeth and deliberately measured breathes. His limbs shook as he pushed himself upright. "I should have shot him when I had the chance."

Next to Jim the panther was crouched down, a dangerous predator cornered and ready to strike back. It snarled at Hedrick, the angry sound mixing with growls from the wolf, standing near Blair, though the doctor couldn't see or hear the spirits. The taser leads were still clamped on Jim's chest. Jim reached up to pull them off and Blair moved to help him, but they both froze when Hedrick called, "STOP." The man raised the taser higher in the air, finger tense over the trigger, the threat implicit.

"This is insane!" Blair said, hands apart as he tried to reason with the man. He didn't know what a taser could do to a Sentinel, but it couldn't be healthy, despite what Hedrick said. Jim's face was twisted in pain and his breathing harsh as he glared at Hedrick. "This isn't helping. Besides, you can't just force people to accept your help if they don't want it."

"Do you want to be explaining to your grandchildren why there used to be people called Sentinels with amazing abilities, but that they died out because we didn't take care of them properly? That's what we're headed towards!" Hedrick threw back, his voice insistent one arm thrown wide. "Society's already suffering because people like him chose to be selfish."

"You can't sacrifice an entire demographic of people for the sake of society!" Jim rasped, his voice loud in the otherwise quiet clearing. There was no discernible wind at the moment, though the clouds high above scudded across the sky. Jim glared at Hedrick, his words seeming to echo in the silence that followed.

"We're not sacrificing anyone," Hedrick denied shaking his head, "We're protecting the future."

"Bullshit!" Blair and Jim growled at the same time.

Blair wasn't aware of any deliberate signal, but both he and Jim moved at the same time. Jim snatched at the leads from the taser just as Blair threw himself at Hedrick. Hedrick pulled down on the trigger and sent Jim convulsing again just as Blair slammed into the doctor. They fought over control of the weapon, jarring each other off balance. Hedrick jammed his elbow into Blair's midsection and Blair responded by knocking Hedrick off his feet. The taser flew from Hedrick hands but the man grabbed Blair and dragged him down as well.

They rolled across the leaves trying to get the upper hand. Hedrick flailed for the lost taser and Blair trying to prevent his finding it. From nearby, Blair heard Jim shout something, but couldn't make it out in the midst of his own fight. The wolf nearby barked and he felt its jaws clamp down on his leg. He cried out more from surprise than pain and jerked back.

The movement pushed Hedrick away and the doctor cried out before he plummeted away. Blair stared in confusion at first, then he realized in their struggle they had rolled to the edge of the cliff. He looked at the point where Hedrick had been just a moment before, then scramble over to the edge peering over far enough to see the doctor. It wasn't far to the bottom. But the large rocks scattered across the ground made the fall dangerous. In Hedrick's case it had been fatal if the angle of the neck and other limbs were to be believed. Blair felt Jim come up behind him and the wolf come to his other side. He couldn't take his eyes off the body of Dr. Hedrick, though, shock numbing him to anything else.

TBC…