New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
For a Price
by Suzie
Summary: Blair, a rabbit, and drug dealers.
Disclaimer: Some of the characters in this story belong to the UPN Network and Pet Fly Productions as part of the television show The Sentinel. I do not claim these characters as my own. No money has changed hands.
Notes: As always … Thank you, Jen, oh wise and wonderful Beta Beast! <Suzie is humbly bowing and groveling at the Great One’s feet> Without you I am nothing! <VBEG>
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
~~ Albert Einstein ~~
######
"What's that, Chief?” Jim frowned when he entered loft. “Dinner?"
Blair was sitting on the floor in the living room. "Jim! How could even *think* that!?" he gasped, taking the ball of fur into his arms and standing.
"I like rabbit," Jim teased as he shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook near the door. "Haven't had it in years, but ..."
"And you won't be having any now either!" Blair gave the older man a look of pure disgust. "Geez, Jim! This is an Angora! You don't eat Angoras, man!'
Jim turned to find Blair standing before him holding the big fluffy rabbit, scratching it gently between its floppy ears. "Chief, I'm sorry, but no pets," the Detective sighed.
"But ... but, Jim, she followed me home!" Blair pleaded.
"Rabbits do not follow people home, Sandburg, you'll just have to return it."
"No ... really. I got out of my car downstairs and she ... hopped right up to me. What was I supposed to do? Leave her down in the parking lot to become road pizza?" Blair saw Jim roll his eyes, but he didn't turn away so Blair thrust the animal toward the big man's arms. "Here, Jim, just hold her for a while, man. She's really soft."
“No, Sandburg! No ... No!" Jim said adamantly as he backed away. With a thud he backed into the door. Trapped! "Oh hell ...," he muttered, finally taking the rabbit. "A rabbit? Why a rabbit, Chief?"
"I told you what happened ... Sophie picked me, man. I didn't pick her," Blair grinned, knowing he was making headway.
"Sophie?! You've already named it ... aah, her?"
"Well, 'hey you' just didn't sound right."
Jim stroked the rabbit's back as Sophie snuggled into his arms. "Chief, this isn't a wild rabbit."
"Your point being?" Blair questioned, standing with hands on his hips defiantly.
"My point is that Sophie here must be someone's pet."
Blair's eyes fell to the floor and his posture slumped. "I looked, but there wasn't anyone around," he said quietly.
Jim sighed at the sad puppy statement. I really hate it when he does this to me. "Look, Blair, we'll post signs around the neighborhood. If no one claims Sophie in a week, then ..."
Blair's head snapped up, eyes alight with possibility.
"We'll see. I won't make any promises though ... and you get to clean up after her okay?"
"No problem, Jim" Blair stated.
Jim started to hand Sophie back to his partner, but Blair took a step back and grinned.
"What?" Jim frowned.
"I have to go to the store. Whether we keep her or not, Sophie has to eat. Not to mention a litter pan and all." Blair grabbed his coat off its hook and gently pushed Jim away from the door. "Just keep an eye on her 'til I get back. I won't be long."
**********
"What do you mean, 'One's missing'!!!" Riley said, anger edging his voice a pitch higher.
"Well, we sorta dropped one of the crates during the exchange," Jon said nervously.
"*Sorta* dropped one of the crates?!"
"Well ... yeah. It broke open and a few of the rabbits got out. We thought we had 'em all back, but there's supposed to be twelve in the crate and there's only eleven."
Riley growled, running his hands through his short hair. "You idiot!! Didn't you count them *before* you left the area?! What if some kid finds that animal and takes it home to make a pet out of it?!"
Jon sighed, "Sorry, Riley, I really thought we'd gotten all the ones that got loose."
“*Sorry* doesn’t cut it, Jon! That *one* rabbit is worth $15,000 to us!” Riley said, poking a finger into the other man’s chest.
Jon turned and quickly headed for the door, saying over his shoulder, “I’ll find it, Riley! Don’t worry!”
“See that you do!” Riley shouted at the retreating man. Then, after the door closed, he said aloud to himself, “I swear, Jon Larkin, if you weren’t my brother, I’d have killed you long ago out of shear frustration!”
**********
An hour later, Blair returned with his purchases. There was food, bowls, a wire cage and wood chips, a cat litter pan and litter.
“I filled out a couple of those lost and found cards for the bulletin boards at the pet store and the grocery store next door,” Blair said with a sigh. He filled one of the bowls with rabbit food and the other with water, then set them on the floor. “Where’s Sophie?”
“Over by the window in the sun,” Jim replied. He watched Blair smile as the younger man spotted the rabbit in the living room. “Look, Chief … I don’t think she’s well.”
“Why?!” Blair’s statement instantly turned worrisome as he quickly walked over to where Sophie was laying. “What’s wrong with her?!”
“I think she’s had some kind of surgery. Move the fur on her belly and you’ll see a fairly new scar.”
Blair sat down on the floor and scooped Sophie into his lap. He gently turned the unresisting animal onto her back. Cradling her in his arm, Blair carefully moved the fur aside until he found the scar Jim had mentioned. Blair gently ran his finger over the scar that ran nearly the length the rabbit.
“That’s not all, Chief,” Jim sighed. “Press into her a little.”
Blair chewed his bottom lip as he did what Jim told him to do. He felt small lumps inside Sophie’s belly. “You think someone dumped her because she’s got cancer?” There was a note of anger in Blair’s voice as he turned Sophie upright and cuddled her to his chest.
“I’m not so sure it is cancer.”
Blair looked up at his Sentinel, a puzzled look in his darkened blue eyes.
“Do you remember a year or so ago a story in the paper about a dog that had balloons of cocaine surgically placed in its stomach?”
Blair thought for a moment, carefully, then said, “Yeah, someone was using the poor animal to smuggle the drugs into the country.” He blinked with sudden realization and looked from Jim to Sophie. “Oh, man, Jim, you don’t think …? I mean … my God! How could anyone do such a thing?!”
“Calm down, Chief,” Jim said, kneeling down next to his friend. “I could be wrong. We’ll get her checked by a vet and find out what’s going on.”
Blair took a deep breath and said, “Yeah … okay. I’ll get the phone book.”
**********
Jon Larkin searched the park where the exchange had taken place, but there was no sign of the rabbit. He wondered how far a rabbit could go in the few hours since it had gotten loose. Leaning against his car, Jon sighed deeply. Riley is gonna kill me if I don’t find that rabbit. He groaned as he spotted some kids playing with a dog. What if a dog got it? Or a kid picked it up? “Food … I need stress food,” Jon said aloud, thinking of the small grocery store he’d passed on his way to the park.
**********
“Okay, we’ll be by at 8am with Sophie,” Blair said into the phone. “Thank you.”
Jim stood from setting the cage up in the corner under the stairs. “Find one, Chief?”
“Yeah … Dr. Benton at Alderwood Veterinary Clinic over on 16th Street. It’s on my way to the University.”
**********
Larkin happened to glance up at the bulletin board on his way out of the store with his purchases. A blue index card caught his eye with the words *RABBIT FOUND* scrawled across the top in large block letters. Stuffing the Twinkie he’d just unwrapped into his mouth, Jon removed the card from the board. There was a name and phone number to contact. He could barely contain his excitement as he went outside to look for a payphone.
“Hi, is Blair Sandburg there?” Jon asked when the phone was answered. “I’m calling about the rabbit.”
**********
The ringing of the phone startled Jim from his spot on the floor with Sophie. Looking up and seeing that Blair was busy in the kitchen making dinner, Jim got up and went to the phone. “Ellison,” Jim said into the receiver. He listened for a moment then frowned, saying, “No, I’m sorry, he’s out right now, but I can answer any questions for you.”
Blair looked up from his dinner preparations to stare at Jim with raised eyebrows. Jim quickly held a finger to his lips to signal the curious man to remain silent.
“Cool! When and where did he find the rabbit?” Jon asked.
“This afternoon in the parking lot of our building.”
“Big, brown, flop eared …”
“Yes, that’s the one,” Jim replied.
Blair moved to stand at Jim’s side, wishing he had his Sentinel’s hearing.
“Thank God! He got away from my daughter this afternoon. She’s been beside herself with grief,” Larkin lied. “Can I come by and pick the animal up?”
“Sorry, but Mr. Sandburg took the rabbit to the vet. So its not here right now.”
“Shit!” Larkin mumbled under his breath. “Was he hit by a car? What happened?”
“Don’t know … just seemed sick,” Jim said. “Had the rabbit had some kind of surgery recently?”
“Ah … um … no, why do you ask?” Larkin replied, suddenly a bit nervous.
Jim’s senses picked up on the increase in the man’s respiration and heartbeat. He’s lying. “I was just curious. Look, why don’t you give me a number where you can be contacted and I’ll have him call you as soon as he comes in.”
“No … no, that’s okay. I’ll just call him back later.”
“Hey, what does your daughter call the rabbit?” Jim asked.
“Oh … um … Roger,” Larkin answered. “Tell your roommate I’ll call him back soon, okay?”
Before Jim could reply, the line went dead.
“What was all that about?” Blair asked when Jim hung up the phone.
“Someone looking for Sophie, Chief,” Jim answered, suspicion making the hair on the back of head stand up.
**********.
Larkin quickly dropped another quarter into the phone. “Riley, I found it!” he said excitedly when his brother answered.
“Great, Jon, hang up and get back here with it!” Riley said, annoyed.
“Well, I … um … don’t have the rabbit … yet.”
“WHAT?!”
“I have a phone number, but not an address. I called and I’m sure they have the rabbit. All we have to do is go get it.”
“Get your ass back here … NOW! Wait, give me the phone number and I’ll have the address before you get here.”
**********
“What do you mean they took it to a vet?!” Riley questioned angrily. “What the hell for?!”
Jon shrugged, “I don’t know. The guy just said the rabbit seemed sick.”
“Shit! They’re going to know the drugs are there!”
“So … what are we gonna do?” Jon asked cautiously.
“The only thing we can do at this point.”
**********
“It’s 7:30, Chief,” Jim told his partner. “You’d better get going.”
Blair came out of his room with his backpack. “On my way, Jim.” He set the pack on the floor so he could pull his jacket on.
“You go to the veterinarian’s office, then straight to the station,” Jim told Blair as he picked up Sophie. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay, Jim, I’ll see you in a little while,” Blair said, taking the rabbit from Jim. He tucked Sophie under one arm and snagged his backpack on his way out the door.
**********
Riley Larkin spotted Blair leaving the building with the rabbit. “That must be him. Let’s go,” he told his brother.
Staying at a distance, Jon pulled their car slowly into the small parking lot. He and Riley watched as Blair walked through the lot, then stopped at one of the parked cars.
Blair heard the car pull up and stop behind him as he reached to unlock the Volvo’s door.
“Blair Sandburg?” a voice called.
Turning to see who was in the car, Blair heard a crack and felt something hit him in the chest. He was thrown back into his car, then slid down to sit heavily on the ground. He looked down at his chest, then up at the man who stepped out of the car and grabbed Sophie off his lap. The red stain spread over the front of Blair’s T-shirt. A pressure was growing in his chest making it was getting hard to breathe … and pain began to spike through him.
Having heard the gunshot as he locked the loft’s door, Jim hurried down to the parking lot. His eyes went immediately to the Volvo that was parked next to his own blue and white truck. Looking around, Jim didn’t see his partner anywhere. He did see a car speeding away from the scene and managed to get the license, thanks to his enhanced sight.
“Sandburg?” Jim called tentatively. He listened with Sentinel hearing and quickly found Blair’s hammering heartbeat and labored breathing. “Blair?!” Jim called out louder, running towards the vehicles. Circling around to the driver’s side of the Volvo, the sight that met him stopped him in his tracks.
“Oh my God!” was all Jim could manage when he saw the hole in the window and the smear of blood that led down the side of the car to his friend, sitting limply on the ground.
“Jim …,” Blair whispered in a voice only a Sentinel could hear, looking up at the Detective with unfocused, pain dulled eyes.
Jim quickly shook himself out of a near zone-out at the weak plea in Blair voice. He moved to his partner’s side and knelt. “What the hell happened, Chief?” Jim pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket and punched in 911.
“Car …,” Blair wheezed, letting his head fall back against the car he was leaning on. “Sophie.”
“Easy, Blair,” Jim said, moving Blair’s bloodied T-shirt to inspect the wound with one hand while holding the phone in the other. “Don’t talk, just keep breathing for me.”
Blair tried to reach out, needing contact with his Sentinel. He didn’t seem to have the strength though, and let his hand fall back. Jim was still talking to the 911 operator when he noticed Blair’s failed attempt to move and reached to take the cold hand in his own. They made eye contact and Blair drew strength from the depths of his Sentinel’s worried statement.
**********
“Jim?” Simon said, sitting in the chair next to the Detective in the waiting room.
Jim opened his eyes. “Hey, Simon.”
“How’s Sandburg?”
“He’s in surgery now,” Jim sighed. “The bullet went through his upper chest. Missed his lung, but tore his shoulder up on the way out. He lost a lot of blood too.”
“Ouch,” Simon grimaced. “Any ideas as to who it was?”
“I didn’t see anything … all I heard was the gunshot. Blair said something about a car, but he was going into shock … couldn’t breathe …” He was bleeding to death right in front of me!
Simon laid a hand on Jim’s shoulder, “The kid is going to be okay.”
“Yeah … yeah, I know.” Jim scrubbed his face with his hands, then stood and began pacing the small waiting area. “Has forensics checked Blair’s car yet?”
Simon nodded, “They found the bullet embedded inside the passenger side door. What’s this all about, Jim?”
“A rabbit.”
Simon didn’t know if he should laugh or … “A rabbit?”
“Blair found a rabbit.” Jim looked up at the Captain with a small smile at the corners of his mouth. “It followed him home.”
“Jim, rabbits don’t …”
Jim held up a hand and said, “I know, we’ve already been through it.” He sighed at the remembered conversation. “To make a long story short … I believe the rabbit was surgically implanted with balloons of drugs.”
Simon leaned back in the chair. “Oh, Christ.”
“Yeah, Blair was on his way out to take Sophie to the vet when he was shot.”
“Sophie?”
Jim simply nodded. “They got the rabbit, but I got a license number.”
**********
Four hours later Dr. Hollis walked into the waiting room. “Mr. Sandburg came through surgery well. The bullet made a nice hole in his shoulder blade and there was a lot of tissue damage. He received two units of blood during surgery and at this point we have him on an IV to replenish fluids and antibiotics to ward off any infection. There shouldn’t be any permanent disabilities, though he’s going to need some physical therapy.”
“When can I see him?” Jim asked as relief flooded through him, making him feel suddenly weak.
“He’ll no doubt sleep well into the evening, Detective. Why don’t you get out of here for a little while? Maybe get some lunch.”
“Blair will need a familiar face when he wakes up,” Jim told them. “I don’t want him to wake up alone.”
Dr. Hollis smiled understandingly. “He should be out of recovery soon. Give it about an hour and he should to be settled in his room. Third floor ICU.”
Jim shook the doctor’s hand and thanked him. Once he was alone again, Jim sank heavily into the nearest chair leaning his head back against the wall. He didn’t notice how hard he was shaking until he reached up to rub at tired eyes.
**********
Jim was staring out the window at the darkening sky when his senses picked up a change in his Guide’s respiration. He moved back to the bed and watched as Blair’s eyes slowly opened.
Blair looked up at Jim with groggy confusion. His throat was dry and sore, and he had no idea where he was. Experimentally, Blair shifted himself slightly, only to gasp and groan at the resulting pain and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Hey, buddy,” Jim said quietly. “Take it easy now. You’re going to be okay.” He reached up and gently brushed several stray curls off Blair forehead. “Just be still.”
Blair opened his eyes again and focused on his Sentinel. His mouth formed the word ‘water’, but no sound pushed passed his dry lips.
Jim seemed to know what his Guide needed. He took a pitcher from the table over the bed and poured a little water into a small cup. “Just a sip now,” he said as he held the straw to Blair’s lips.
It felt as though it took all of Blair’s strength just to suck a small amount of water into his mouth. By the time he finished he was exhausted and panting, but the effort was worth it. The water cooled Blair’s mouth and throat, and he was able to lick his lips. “Thanks,” he managed in a raspy whisper, then winced and bit his lower lip as a spasm jumped through his shoulder. “What happened?”
Jim set the cup aside. “You were shot.” He went to the sink and ran a washcloth under the faucet.
Blair blinked slowly and tried to think, but found his mind foggy. “Can’t ‘member.”
“It’s okay … I saw the license as they drove away.” Jim smoothed the cool, damp cloth over Blair’s face. “You need to rest now. We can talk later.”
“Sophie?” Blair whispered as his eyes closed, a quiet sigh escaping his lips at Jim’s gently ministrations.
“Don’t worry, Chief, Sophie will be fine.” Jim carefully moved the soft cloth over the exposed part of Blair’s chest. “Go to sleep now.”
Blair took hold of the fingers of Jim’s free had and gave them a slight squeeze, then faded off to sleep.
**********
Riley Larkin threw the paper down on the breakfast table in disgust.
Jon Larkin took a bite of his toast. “What’s wrong?”
Riley paced the kitchen and said, “Page two! He’s still alive and his roommate is a cop!”
“What?!” Jon said, grabbing for the newspaper.
“He moved! I had him dead center … but he moved!”
“Riley, it says here that Detective Ellison got the license number of my car!”
Riley nodded, “Yeah, we’ll have to ditch it before we go to the hospital.”
“Why would we go to the hospital?”
Riley looked at his brother with dark, murderous eyes.
Understanding dawned quickly as Jon took in the look on the other man’s face. “But, Riley, we got the rabbit. If we get rid of the car and move out of here, they won’t find us.”
“And what if Sandburg got a look at us?” Riley inquired impatiently.
“Think he did?”
“He turned around. No reason to believe he *didn’t* see us.”
Jon sighed, hopelessly resigning himself to doing it his brother’s way. “So, we do what?”
Riley glanced down at the article in the paper. “It says there that he’s in Cascade General.”
**********
“Anything on the license I got?” Jim asked as he stood with Simon outside of Blair’s room.
“Yeah, I’ve sent Connor and a team over there.”
“I think we should move Blair out of the hospital, Simon,” Jim told the Captain.
“There are guards outside the kid’s room, guards watching the elevators, and guards at the hospital entrance,” Simon argued. “He’ll be safe here.”
“Since the incident was printed in the paper, I would just feel better if we move him to a safe house.”
Simon shook his head.
“He was moved out of Intensive Care this morning. I talked to the doctor and he says that Blair can be moved if necessary,” Jim cited.
“I don’t like it, Jim.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled about it either, but I just don’t feel this is the safest place right now. There are too many people and too many ways to get around the guards, no matter what precautions are taken."
Simon saw the worried determination in Jim’s statement and clamped down on his unlit cigar as he thought for a moment. “All right,” he finally relented. “I’ll set up the safe house. Taggert and Rafe will go to your place for clothes and such. Give me your keys and I’ll have the truck brought to the entrance.”
Jim dropped his keys into Simon’s hand. “Thank you, sir. I’ll tell Dr. Hollis and go get Blair ready.”
**********
Riley and Jon Larkin arrived at Cascade General in Riley’s black Mercury. After finding a parking place, Riley surveyed the area around the front entrance with binoculars.
“I see two uniformed cops at the front door,” Riley told his brother.
“What are we gonna do?” Jon asked.
Riley dropped the binoculars onto the seat and said, “You’re going to sit tight and wait.” Turning, he retrieved a set of two-way radios from the back seat and handed one to Jon. “When I tell you to, go around to the back entrance and pick me up.”
Jon looked at his older brother nervously, “What if …”
“*If* we get separated, just go to the airport and I’ll meet you there. But don’t wait for me. You get your ass on the airplane. Got your ticket?”
Jon nodded, “Yeah.”
Riley checked his handgun and tucked it into the right hand pocket of his jacket. Then he picked up the radio, before he got out of the car, and then headed for the hospital entrance. Jon slid over behind the wheel and watched his brother walk away.
**********
Dr. Hollis was seeing that prescriptions were filled. The nurse had removed the IV from Blair’s hand while Jim signed the paperwork. Then she left to get a wheelchair while Jim helped Blair dress.
Jim lightly pressed a hand to Blair’s forehead. “Time to wake up, Chief.”
Blair groaned softly. “Wanna sleep.”
“I know, buddy, but we have to leave now.”
Blair’s eyes fluttered open. “’Kay, Jim … see ya later?”
Jim managed a slight smile at his drug glazed Guide. “No, *we* are leaving. You and me … together.”
“I get to go home?”
“Yeah, something like that. Now let’s get you dressed.”
Slowly and carefully Jim helped Blair to sit on the edge of the bed. As gently as his big hands could manage, he dressed Blair in a pair of surgical scrub pants and a clean gown, apologizing for each curse and pain filled groan.
“S’okay, big guy,” Blair mumbled. “Um … these aren’t mine,” he said, noticing the clothes that Jim was putting on him.
“Yeah, I know. The only thing that survived the ER was your sneakers.”
“Can I help?” Blair asked, eyes half closed as he sat swaying on the bed with his left arm strapped to his chest.
Jim chuckled, “Yeah, just hold yourself upright for a another minute, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Jim was tying Blair’s sneakers when the nurse returned. Pulling his jacket off, Jim draped it around the younger man’s shoulders, then supported Blair as he moved to sit in the wheelchair.
Simon pushed open the door as Jim wrapped a blanket around Blair for added warmth. “Everything is clear. Are you ready to go, Jim?” Simon asked quietly.
Jim pocketed the prescriptions and instructions the nurse gave him. “Ready as we’re going to be, Simon.”
Jim pushed the wheelchair with Simon on one side and Detective Henri Brown on the other.
“Come to join the party, H?” Jim asked soberly.
“Wouldn’t miss it, man,” Henri replied.
“Thanks.”
“You’re not his only friend, you know,” Henri smiled as they entered the waiting elevator.
Jim had turned around and backed into the elevator with the wheelchair, bumping slowly over the tracks for the doors. Blair groaned quietly as he was jostled in the chair and cracked opened his eyes in time to see Riley step off the other elevator. Their eyes met as the doors closed in front of Blair.
Blair breath caught in his throat as he tried to reach up for Jim. “OhmyGod!” he cried weakly.
Jim grasped Blair’s hand. “I’m sorry, buddy. I know it hurts.”
“Jim, that was him!”
“Who? What?”
“That was the guy that shot me!” Blair said, nearly hyperventilating as the pain, fear, and drugs vied for his mind. “Outside the elevator!”
Simon knelt down next to the wheelchair. “Are you sure, Sandburg?”
Blair looked at the Captain and nodded. “I didn’t realize I’d gotten a look at him, but I guess I did.”
Simon stood and started barking orders over his radio to the officers located in building.
Blair’s hand squeezed Jim’s.
Jim leaned down close to Blair’s ear and soothed quietly, “Take it easy, Chief. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know you will, Jim,” Blair whispered.
**********
As he stepped off the elevator, Riley saw Blair look up as the doors of the other car closed. Shit! he cursed silently as he turned to push the down button. Then, feeling a sudden surge of panic, he rushed to the stairs. “Jon! Listen to me!” Riley called into the radio. “Jon, answer me, damn it!”
The radio crackled to life with Jon’s voice, “I’m here, Riley! What’s going on? You do it already?”
“No! They’re moving him. They may be taking him out of the hospital! Watch the entrance! If you see ‘em, take the kid out and get to the airport! Don’t wait for me!”
“Okay, Riley. No problem.”
**********
Jim pushed the wheelchair through the lobby and to the front door.
“Wait here a second, Jim,” Simon said as the automatic doors swung open.
Jim simply nodded, using his senses to check the surrounding area inside the lobby. Henri went outside and opened the truck so they could load Blair in quickly and be off.
At the Captain’s signal, Jim pushed the wheelchair out the door and over to the truck. As carefully as he could, he lifted Blair into the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt around him.
Blair gritted his teeth and tried to stifle his cry of pain. He knew Jim was being as careful as the circumstances allowed.
“Hang in there, Chief,” Jim said as he closed the door and started around to the driver’s side.
Simon handed Jim a piece of paper and said, “This is where the safe house is located. Get going. We’ll make sure you’re not followed and meet you there.”
Jim took the paper without another word and jumped in behind the wheel.
Jon Larkin watched from the car as the injured Sandburg was loaded into the truck. He got out and opened the trunk, reaching in to load the semi-automatic weapon that Riley kept there.
Jim started the truck and pulled away from the entrance. As he moved through the parking lot toward the main road, he noticed Jon watching them as he appeared to be rummaging through the trunk of the car. The glint of metal caught Jim’s eye as the truck drew closer.
Blair managed to open his eyes and saw Larkin. “Jim … that’s the other one.”
At that same moment, Jim saw Jon Larkin come up with the weapon. There was little time to react as bullets sprayed over the truck’s metal body and shattered the windows. Jim pulled Blair down on the seat and covered him with his body as he pressed the accelerator to the floor in an effort to get away from the assault.
**********
Jim was still leaning over Blair on the seat when the truck stopped as it hit the curb. Still hearing gunfire behind them, Jim drew his gun and carefully peeked over the seat out the back window. He was relieved to see Simon, Henri, and the other officers taking an obviously injured Larkin into custody.
Blair groaned and tried to push himself up.
Jim set the safety back on his gun and replaced it in its holster. He gently pulled Blair up to face him. “How are you doing, Chief? Sorry about the rough treatment.”
Blair leaned his forehead against Jim’s chest. “God, it hurts!” he gasped.
Jim carefully pulled the jacket and gown away from Blair’s injured shoulder to check for damage. He saw blood starting to soak through the bandages and grimaced. “Sit up here a second so I can check the front.”
Blair shuddered and groaned at the movement, but let Jim move him and check his injury.
Simon appeared on the passenger side of the truck and pulled open the door. “Are you two all right?!”
“I’m fine, sir, but we need to get Blair back inside,” Jim replied.
Blair slowly leaned back into Jim and said, “No, I just got out. I don’t wanna go back in.”
“Sorry, buddy, but you’re bleeding. It needs to be checked out.” Jim let his hand smooth the hair on the back of Blair’s head.
“I’ll get a gurney over here,” Simon said, using the radio to call for help.
**********
Two days later Jim entered Blair’s hospital room, happy and grateful to see Blair sitting up and awake. “Hey, Chief, how are you feeling?”
“Still sore, but better,” Blair answered with a smile. “Any word on Larkin’s brother?”
“The Brazilian police picked Riley up at the airport when he got off the plane there. They’re going to send him back here,” Jim said with a satisfied grin. “Jon Larkin was transferred to the jail this morning.”
“Cool!” Blair chewed his bottom lip for a moment, then asked, “Jim, what about Sophie?”
Jim sighed, “Megan and her team found a hundred rabbits in the basement of the Larkin house. A lot of them were dead and some were just too sick and had to be put to sleep. The vet removed $10,000 to $15,000 in cocaine and heroine from each rabbit. There were only about fifteen or so that survived and will be adopted out.”
“Sophie?” Blair asked quietly.
Jim laid a hand on Blair’s knee. “I’m sorry, Chief, she was just too sick.”
Blair nodded his understanding swallowed the lump in his throat, “I don’t even want to think about what those poor animals had to go through.”
“I ran into Dr. Hollis on the way in. He said you get to come home tomorrow,” Jim said, trying to change the subject.
“Yeah,” Blair said, managing a faint smile. “I’ll be glad to get out of here.”
“Well, I was thinking that maybe … when you’re feeling up to it of course, we’d head out to Wolf Haven and visit Destiny and Napanee.”
Blair’s face brightened at the mention of their two adopted wolves, “Wow, Jim, that would be great!”
“Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“No more strays, Chief. Animal or human.”
“Jim …”
“The price is just too high.”
“But, Jim, you were like a stray cat when I found you,” Blair mentioned with a smile.
Jim glared at his Guide for a moment, then said, “Yeah, Chief, but then *I* ending up taking *YOU* home with me.”
“Well, *I’m* glad you did.”
Jim grinned, “I’ll remind you that you said that when we start your physical therapy.”
Blair frowned and stared in the general direction of his blanket covered feet and muttered softly, “I wonder if there’s a Humane Society for balding, anal retentive Sentinel’s?”
“I heard that!”
Blair looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. “Good!”
Jim chuckled happily, “Like I said, the price *is* high … but I think I can live with it.”
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end