New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Buried Alive
by Suzie
Summary: A serial killer is after Blair.
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: Okay, maybe I should stop reading newspapers. I keep coming up with these crazy stories! <VBEG> Yo, Jen! Thank you for being a Beta Beast Supreme! <HUGS>
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd;
And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"
-Lord Byron
######
Jim and Blair arrived at the small house on Orchard followed by a team of officers and detectives. The sentinel and his partner were after one, Marcus Perry. People started disappearing as soon as he arrived in an area. Sometimes bodies were found… sometimes not. The victims seemed to be chosen at random. A mother of three taken from a grocery store parking lot, a grandfather disappears during a walk around the block, college students don’t return from the library or parties. The only thing that connected them to Perry was the MO. Each was drugged unconscious and buried alive. Death by suffocation was long and suffering. A tip had come in, and Jim had requested and gotten a warrant. He gave orders and the house was quickly surrounded. If Marcus Perry was inside, he was not going to get away.
Blair watched from the inside of Jim’s pickup, ready to duck if bullets began to fly, just as his partner had told him.
Jim banged on the front door of the house and shouted, “Cascade Police! We have a warrant! Open up!”
A moment later the door was kicked open.
Blair continued to watch intently as the scene unfolded before him, not paying too much attention to his surroundings. He didn’t notice the man creeping up behind the truck.
Perry moved quickly, opening the passenger side door and pulling Blair out in one smooth motion.
Blair let out a surprised yelp, as Perry pinned him against the side of the truck with his body.
“JIIIIIM!” Blair cried, struggling against the heavier man. He opened his mouth to call out again, when he heard a hissing sound and a mist hit him in the face. Everything went black.
Racing out of the house at the sound of Blair’s voice, Jim was in time to see his truck speed away. Blair was no where to be seen.
**********
Jim’s blue and white pickup was reported entering Mason Memorial Cemetery. Named for Gregory Mason, who donated the land in the mid 1930s after an epidemic of influenza hit Cascade. A lot of people had died in that epidemic and Cascade had been grateful for the donation so families could lay their loved ones to rest.
The Cascade Police had apprehended the serial killer, Marcus Perry, as he exited the cemetery. He was being handcuffed as Detective Ellison arrived on scene. No one dared step in his path as he strode with single-minded intensity through the crowd of police officers and detectives. Officer Frank Teere backed away from the prisoner when he saw Ellison’s tense jaw and neck muscles twitch.
“Where is he, Perry?!” Jim growled, his face barely an inch from the face of the man in handcuffs.
Marcus Perry glared back at the big Detective defiantly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied calmly.
Jim grabbed the man by the shirtfront and slammed him back against the police car. “Tell me where Sandburg is or I will wring it out of you with my bare hands!”
**********
Blair opened his eyes and immediately felt disoriented in the total blackness. He tried to sit up and smacked his head after moving a few inches. “Ouch! What the hell!?” Blair muttered. Bringing his hands up, he felt the rough wooden slats above his body, then felt the same on either side. “Oh my God!” Blair moved his legs, testing the space around him and hearing his shoes clunk against the wooden sides. A wave of panic swept over him and he suddenly began to thrash about, desperate to find a way out of the box… the coffin… he was in.
“OhmyGod!” Blair said again, his heart pounding in his chest. “HEEELLLLLP!” he screamed, beating at the top with his hands and feet. “JIIIM!! SOMEBODY!! ANYBODY!!!”
Trying to push the lid open, Blair heard it squeak, then felt something fall against his face. He sputtered and brushed at his face, not knowing what the offending matter was. As he pushed his hands over his face, Blair got a whiff of what had fallen on him. Dirt?! he thought, puzzled. When realization hit him, it was like a 2x4 on the back of his head. He was underground! Buried like the other victims! “OhGodOhGodOhGod! This can’t be happening!”
**********
Marcus Perry blanched considerably at the dangerous glint in Jim’s eyes, but didn’t back down. “You’re a cop. You can’t touch me.”
Jim pulled his badge off of his belt and handed it to Officer Teere. “I’m turning in my resignation… retroactive.”
Perry stuttered and looked at the officer, worry beginning to show on his face. “He… he can’t do that… can he?”
“I don’t know,” Officer Teere shrugged, looking from the badge he held back up at the angry Detective. “Let me go find out.” Then he turned and was gone.
“NO, don’t leave! He’s crazy!” Perry looked back at Jim and gasped at the murderous look he received.
“Tell me where my partner is,” Jim snarled with deadly calm. “And I’ll let you live.”
**********
Blair screamed, pounded, clawed, and kicked until he was hoarse and exhausted. Sweat soaked his clothes and hair, as the air in his small prison became hot and oppressive. Blair had no idea how long he’d been buried, but he knew he was running out of breathable air.
“Jim, please find me!” Blair sobbed. “I don’t want to die.”
**********
“Ellison!” Captain Banks barked as he walked up to Jim.
“No way, Simon!” Jim said. “I turned in my badge. You’re not my boss anymore, so you can’t tell me what to do here.”
Simon sighed and looked down at the leather wallet that held Jim’s gold shield in his hand. “He’s right, Perry,” he said, “Officer Teere said it was retroactive, so it’s out of my hands.”
“You’re a cop! You can’t just *let* him do this!” Perry protested.
“I can’t do anything to him until he does something to you.” Simon said as he turned away and took a couple of steps. When he heard a pathetic whine behind him, Simon stopped and turned back to face the two men. “Unless, of course, you tell us where Sandburg is. Then I might be able to persuade Ellison to leave you in one piece.”
Knowing that he was on the losing end of the battle, Marcus Perry said, “There’s a fresh grave on at the other side of the cemetery. He’s there.”
Jim leered at the now shaking man he was still holding against the car. “Your ass is mine when I get back.” Then Jim released him and let him slide down the car until he was sitting on the ground.
Simon began shouting orders as Jim ran back to his truck.
**********
“He’s here, Simon. I can hear him,” Jim told the Captain as they stood beside the open … and empty grave.
“Jim, there’s nothing here!” Simon snapped, starring into the empty hole. “Perry lied!”
“NO, he’s here!” Jim insisted.
Cocking his head, Jim concentrated Sentinel hearing on the grave. He heard the slow irregular beat of Blair’s heart and the wheezing in his oxygen deprived lungs.
**********
Blair’s chest heaved and ached as he fought for each breath he took. His strength was gone and his ears were ringing with the onset of unconsciousness. “Jim… it’s not your fault,” Blair whispered into the darkness. “I know you… did your best.”
**********
Jim gasped at the words he was barely able to hear. “It’s not too late, but he’s running out of air.” He jumped down into the hole. “Blair is down here!” Hang on, Chief!
Dropping to his knees, Jim began to dig with his bare hands, pushing the dirt to the opposite end of the grave.
“Get some shovels!” Simon yelled.
Personnel scrambled and soon Detective Henri Brown joined Jim. Together they dug, shoveling dirt into large buckets that were hoisted up and out of the hole by a brigade of police officers. Jim focused on Blair’s irregular heartbeat as he worked.
After about three feet, Jim and Henri’s shovels his something solid. They looked at each other for a moment, then furiously began moving the dirt away.
“Jim …,” Simon called down, seeing the sudden change in the two men below him.
“We’ve found him!” Jim called back. “I’m going to need some oxygen here!”
“I’m on it!” Simon turned to Rafe, but the young man was ahead of him and nodded as he ran towards the nearest patrol car.
Jim and Henri pried the lid off of the wooden box they’d uncovered, and they both gasped at the deathly pale figure inside. Blair was unconscious and barely breathing as Jim reached down and grabbed his wrists, ignoring the bloodied hands, pulling his partner up into his arms. With Henri’s help Jim handed the limp body up to Simon and Joel.
Quickly climbing out of the hole, Jim settled Blair into his arms. “He’s barely breathing! Where’s that oxygen?!”
“Here, Jim,” Rafe said, kneeling beside him and handing over the oxygen mask.
Jim placed the mask over Blair’s mouth and nose, as Rafe turned on the flow of air.
“C’mon, Sandburg, take a deep breath,” Jim pleaded. “Don’t give up, Chief! Just take a breath!”
Everyone waited. Police officers and detectives, many with dirt ground into their clothes, stood in silence, straining to see the young man’s chest move with an intake of air. Not a word was spoken, not a breeze or bird made a sound. Only Jim's voice could be heard in the stillness, whispering pleas of life to his partner.
A short gasp brought Blair’s chest up sharply.
“That’s it!” Jim encouraged. “That’s it, Blair! Don’t stop now. Take another breath.” He felt Blair’s heartrate pick up a little.
Another gasping breath and Blair began to cough.
“Easy, Chief, you’re all right,” Jim said softly, gently holding his friend against him.
The EMT’s arrived and began to assess Blair’s condition, working around Jim, who obviously wasn’t about to relinquish his hold on his partner.
Blair groaned, his eyes fluttering as he awoke.
“It’s okay, buddy, slow easy breaths now,” Jim soothed, brushing damp hair away from Blair’s face.
“J-Jim…,” Blair managed in a hoarse whisper.
“Shh… just rest.”
“Jim,” Rafe said in a worried whisper. “His hands…”
Jim’s attention went to Blair’s bloody hands, seeing the damage for the first time. Gently he lifted one hand for closer examination. “Good God, Sandburg, what the hell happened?”
All of Blair’s fingers, on both hands, were scraped raw and bloody, and several fingernails were missing. Darkening patches on his hands and wrists indicated the onset of bruising.
“T-tried to get out,” Blair said shakily. “I’m sorry… I-I panicked.”
Gently settling the hand across Blair’s chest, Jim said, “No, Chief, it's not your fault.”
The medics bandaged Blair’s hands, but there didn’t seem to be any other injuries. His vitals were good and his lungs were clear, but the ambulance crew appeared with a gurney, ready to transport Blair to the hospital.
“Can’t I just go home?” Blair asked tiredly.
“Your hands need to be taken care of,” Jim said as he walked beside the gurney.
“You can do my hands at home, Jim.”
“The doctors will want to check you over. I doubt they will want to keep you.”
Blair relented quietly, knowing that Jim only wanted what was best for him.
“I have a few things to take care of here.” Jim patted Blair’s shoulder just before the attendants loaded the gurney into the ambulance. “I’ll meet you at the hospital, okay?”
Blair nodded silently.
“Hey, are you okay? I can go with you if you want?”
“Nono,” Blair said, his voice still hoarse. “I’ll see you at the hospital.”
Blair was slid into the back of the ambulance and the doors were closed. Jim watched until the vehicle was moving away, then turned, searching for the car holding Marcus Perry.
**********
Hearing Blair’s mumbled whispers as he entered the emergency room, Jim was able to follow the sound of his Guide’s voice to a curtained off cubicle.
“I’ve been here forever, man,” Jim heard Blair say quietly to himself. “God, I hope Jim didn’t forget me.” An almost silent sigh, then, “I guess I’ll just lay back and try to relax.”
After a few moments of silence, there was a gasp and a sound that reminded Jim of Blair jerking awake from a nightmare.
“Okay, closing my eyes is not a good idea right now,” Blair said in a shaky voice just as Jim stepped through the curtain.
“Hey, Chief,” Jim said as he entered the cubicle. “How are you doing?”
Blair sat up and managed a wane smile. “Oh, hey, Jim. I’m okay, man.”
“Sorry I took so long… miss me?”
More than you know, man, Blair thought, but only nodded tiredly. “How did it go at the cem… um, the scene?”
“Perry’s in custody,” Jim told the pale young man. “I think we’ll get a confession out of him. He’s already admitted to what he did to you.” Too bad they took him away before I could get to him. Jim carefully lifted Blair’s bandaged hands and inspected them both thoroughly. “How do they feel?”
Blair shrugged, “Fine right now. The doctor gave me a shot of something with an antibiotic in it. I’m just plain tired.”
“Good… let’s go home.”
**********
“Why don’t you go lay down,” Jim told Blair as they walked into the loft. “I’ll make dinner.”
Blair nodded, letting the bigger man help him off with his jacket. Then went to the sofa to lay down and was asleep almost immediately.
About forty-five minutes later, Jim was almost finished making dinner, when he heard the muffled groan come from the man on the sofa. He quickly wiped his hands on a towel and crossed the apartment to the sofa.
“Blair?” Jim said softly, sitting on the edge of the sofa where Blair was sleeping on his side.
Blair groaned again, his body twitching slightly.
“Come on, Chief, wake up,” Jim said, gently stroking the dreaming man’s shoulder and arm.
With a gasp, Blair’s eyes flew open, wide and staring.
“Blair, it’s all right. You were just dreaming.”
Blair was shaking visibly.
"Hey, buddy," Jim said softly, gathering Blair into a comforting embrace. "You're okay. It was just a dream."
"Too real," Blair said into Jim's shoulder, letting his arms wrap around the older man.
**********
“Okay, Perry’s arraignment is tomorrow morning,” Simon told Jim and Blair as they sat in the Captain’s office the next day.
Blair shifted nervously in the chair. “Um… do I need to be there?”
"The Prosecuting Attorney doesn't think so, but just make sure you're available in case they do need you."
Blair let out a relieved sigh and nodded. “I can do that.”
“If you do go, I’ll be there with you, Chief,” Jim said, patting the younger man on the shoulder.
“We may run into some problems with his confession though,” Simon mentioned reluctantly.
“What kind of problems?” Jim asked, not liking the sound of what he was hearing. “I thought he told us where the other bodies are buried?”
“He did, but the bodies are buried under the graves of other people."
Like Blair would have been in another hour, Jim thought angrily.
"We can’t confirm what Perry has told us until we get permission to exhume the caskets so we can dig underneath.”
“And this would mean what?” Blair asked.
“Well, we have him for kidnapping and attempted murder for sure,” Simon explained. “We just can’t charge him with the other murders until we can prove his confession is the truth. We're trying to locate the families now to get permission, but it is going to take time and paperwork. There are no less than seventeen murders over a span of seven years that Perry is confessing to.”
"It means that you may have to testify more than once, Chief," Jim stated flatly.
"Oh...," Blair replied, taking a deep breath and trying to remain calm.
**********
At the arraignment, Marcus Perry was formally charged with kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder. The Judge denied bail. The Defense Attorney protested, but the court stood by its decision. The two officers that had brought Perry into the courtroom were told to escort him back to jail.
Everything went down hill from there.
Perry, who had been quietly unemotional throughout his arraignment, suddenly went berserk and broke free of the escorting officers. After a brief struggle, the prisoner managed to escape the courtroom and slip out of the building.
**********
Jim and Blair were eating lunch at Dave’s Deli when Jim’s cell phone rang.
“Ellison,” Jim answered the phone around a bite of sandwich.
“Jim, we have a problem,” Simon said on the other end.
“What is it, Captain?” Jim said, as yet unconcerned.
“It’s Marcus Perry, Jim. He’s escaped.”
“WHAT?!”
Blair looked up from his soup, concern and curiosity on his face. The other people in the deli looked up at Jim’s outburst as well, but quickly went back to the food and conversation.
Jim looked across the small table at Blair as he spoke into the phone, “Is he on the street?!”
Simon sighed as he paced his office, “Yes, he managed to get out of the building. Perry went totally crazy as he was being escorted out of the courtroom. I think you and Sandburg should come back to the station. Keep your eyes open and be careful.”
“Yes, sir, we will,” Jim said, ending the conversation by folding the phone up and dropping it in his coat pocket. He continued to look at Blair as he cataloged their surroundings with his enhanced senses.
“Jim… what is it?” Blair asked, watching his Sentinel closely. “It’s Perry isn’t it?”
“Yeah, he escaped after the arraignment,” Jim finally answered. He began to monitor his Guide’s reaction to the news.
Blair carefully set the soupspoon down and sat back in the chair. His face had gone pale and his respiration had picked up. “Oh, man…”
“Now take it easy, Chief,” Jim said calmly. “There is no reason to believe he’ll come after you.”
“I’m not worried about that. After all… I have a Blessed Protector and the Cascade Police Department,” Blair said with a shaky smile, trying to mask the fear that was welling up inside.
Jim managed a faint smile that didn’t go beyond his mouth and reached across the table to pat Blair’s hand. “We’ll get him, Blair.”
Blair nodded, “Yeah… I know.”
**********
Jim and Simon were discussing what their next move would be in recapturing Perry. Blair was sitting at the table in Simon’s office going through the Marcus Perry file. He wasn’t listening to a thing the other two men were saying as he read and reread the file in front of him.
Seventeen murders over seven years, Blair thought as he read through the report. According to his confession, he murdered one person every other month for a year. He then would take two years and disappear, then show up again somewhere else and start over. Only one other victim had survived, but Perry escaped custody and… “Oh my God!” Blair said in a voice that was little more than a whisper.
Jim’s hearing easily picked up his Guide’s words and turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
“Perry’s following his normal pattern,” Blair began. “He needs one more victim before he can disappear again.”
“I read that,” Simon said. “But I wouldn’t think he’d chance getting caught around here. He’s got to know that we’re looking for him.”
“He’s a serial killer, Simon. He doesn’t think the same way other people do. It says in this report that in 1996, Perry was caught in Colorado when one of his victims got away from him and called the police.” Blair stood and began to pace the office. “He escaped custody and the police were unable to recapture him. The surviving victim disappeared without a trace. Perry says in his confession that he went back to ‘finish what he started’. He says he killed that person, then two more, before his two year hiatus.” Blair stopped in front of the big window and stared out as he said, “He’s going to come after me.”
Jim moved up behind the younger man and placed his hands on Blair’s shoulders. He could feel the trembling as his fingers gently squeezed. “He’s not getting anywhere near you.”
“But it may be the only way to stop this.”
“What are you saying?”
“Perry needs one more… before the end of the month.” Blair turned and faced Jim. “He wants me, Jim. Use me to catch him.”
“No way, Sandburg!” Jim said, his eyes darkening as he remembered finding his best friend lying in a coffin-like box.
“Listen… *I am* supposed to be his last victim before he disappears again!”
“Correction… *you were* supposed to be his last! He’s not going to get another chance, Chief!”
“I have to agree with Jim on this, Sandburg,” Simon said.
“You don’t understand! If Perry doesn’t finish what he’s started, he will either disappear anyway… or he’ll pick another target and we’ll never catch him. He’s already picked me as his last target…,” Blair said.
“Well, let the bastard find another target!!” Jim bellowed angrily.
“Jim?”
Jim stared at Blair for a moment before realizing what he had said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just…”
Blair smiled faintly up at his Sentinel, “It’s okay, big guy, I understand. But, Jim, we have to stop him. Let’s just offer him what he wants, then when he takes the bait you’ve got him.”
“NO! Absolutely not!”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Yes,” Simon interrupted. “We use your idea, but someone else as bait.”
Jim agreed, “Yeah… Rafe is about the right size. We can put him in Sanburg’s clothes…”
“Maybe a wig,” Simon nodded.
“Nonono!” Blair cried in exasperation. “Guys, Perry will know if it’s not *me*. If we’re going to catch him, it has got to be me! Rafe in a wig and my clothes is *not* going to cut it!”
Jim pointed an angry finger at his partner, “There is no way in hell…”
“Jim!” Blair interrupted. “Look at the calendar! We are running out of time! It’s the only way this is going to work!” He looked down, then up into Jim's eyes and said in a whisper, "Jim, just the thought of Perry coming near me again scares the hell out of me." A shudder passed through his sturdy frame, "… but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he killed someone else because I got away… and neither would you. Please, Jim? I’m not going to be out there alone, man. You’re going to be out there backing me up.”
Jim sighed as he looked down into his friend’s blue eyes, resigned to the fact that he was losing the argument and muttered, “You bet your ass I’ll be there.”
**********
“How are you holding up?” Jim asked from the kitchen as he watched Blair yawn and sit down at the dining table.
“It’s been three days.” Blair let his flannel shirt drape over the back of the chair as he sat down. Scrubbing his bandaged hands over his tired face, he said, “He’s running out of time, Jim. There’s only two days left in this month. What if I’m wrong and he’s not after me?”
“Just because we haven’t seen him doesn’t mean he isn’t out there watching.”
“You think he knows what we’re doing,” Blair stated.
Jim sat down across from his partner and pushed a fresh mug of coffee his way. “Probably does. You get any sleep last night?”
“A little,” Blair lied. “How about you?”
“A little,” Jim lied.
“Want some breakfast?”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”
They sat silently and finished their coffee.
“Better get going.” Jim went to the door and took the kevlar vest off the hook. “Okay, Chief, you know the drill. Straight to the university.”
“Yeah, I know,” Blair replied, letting Jim help him put on the heavy vest over his T-shirt. “Who do I have this morning?” He went back to the table and grabbed the flannel shirt off the chair, slipping it on over the kevlar vest.
“Brown and Connor. They’ll pick you up as you leave the parking lot.” Jim fixed the wire to the inside of Blair’s flannel shirt. “All right, you ready?”
“Yeah, I’ll see ya later.”
“Be careful.”
The trip to school was, again, uneventful and Blair entertained his tail by unconsciously muttering to himself about his schedule of classes, notes, and whether or not he remembered to order a slide projector for his lecture.
“He sounds tired,” Inspector Megan Connor observed from the passenger seat in Detective Brown’s car.
“Yeah, Jim says Blair hasn’t been sleeping much,” Henri said knowingly. “And Jim probably won’t until this thing is over and done with.”
They didn’t notice the little white Toyota that had pulled out onto Prospect behind them.
**********
Jim walked into Blair’s office and smiled faintly at the figure hunched over a huge reference book on his desk. He looks so… Blairish sitting there like that. “Hey, Chief.”
Blair startled slightly and peered up at Jim with wide eyes. “Oh, hi, Jim. What time is it?”
“Almost five o’clock. I sent H and Connor on their way.”
“I guess it is time to head home.” Blair said as he began to get ready to go. “Can I take this vest and wire off now?”
“No, wait until we get home.”
**********
Jim drove his blue and white pickup, following Blair’s Volvo as they headed in the general direction of the loft. Neither noticed the white Toyota that had followed them out of the university parking lot with several other vehicles.
They were making one planned stop at Jaun Pedro’s Cuban Cuisine to pick up dinner, as Blair so informed Jim by way of the small microphone he was still wearing. Jim didn’t like the idea of stopping, but didn’t have a way to argue, since the wire was one-way setup.
The Toyota went on past as Jim and Blair pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, and pulled over to the curb in front of the store two doors down. After a moment, Marcus Perry exited the little white car and headed back towards Jaun Pedro’s. He went directly to Blair’s Volvo and crouched in the dark shadow it cast on the far side. He smiled… almost giggled with the giddiness of knowing his wait was at an end.
**********
“Okay, Sandburg,” Jim said as he and Blair left the Cuban restaurant with their take-out order. “Straight home. No other stops. Got it?”
“Yes… no other stops… going straight home,” Blair said. “Don’t you dare get into the food before we get there!”
Jim looked appropriately offended as he headed for his truck. “Me?! Would *I* do that?!”
“In a hot second! I know you, James Ellison,” Blair griped as he walked around his car to the driver’s side.
Jim was just about to pull the truck’s door open when he heard a surprised yelp from his partner. He turned to see Marcus Perry, one arm firmly around Blair’s neck, and a gun pressed into his temple. Jim laid the bags and cartons of food on the hood of the truck and moved forward, towards the two.
“Stay where you are, Detective,” Perry said, his voice low and calm. “It’s not time yet, but I will kill him here and now if you try to stop me.”
Jim held his hands out to show that he wasn’t holding a weapon. “Let him go.”
“No, he’s mine.”
“You don’t have to do this.” Jim’s eyes went to Blair’s. The wide blue eyes reflected fear, but more than that they spoke of Blair’s trust in his friend.
“My time is almost up. I must do what is expected of me.”
“Why must you do this?”
“If I don’t, I will die,” Perry said matter-of-factly. “If I don’t do this, the voices won’t go away. If I don’t do this, they won’t go away and leave me alone until the time comes again.” His voice was sad, but full of conviction.
“I can get you help,” Jim said quietly, taking another step forward. “Help that will make the voices go away and not come back at all.”
“I said don’t you move! I can take care of myself! I just need to do this and the voices will go away!” Perry pushed Blair around the car to the trunk. He released Blair and trained the gun on Jim, “Open the trunk.”
Blair looked from Perry to Jim.
“Don’t try anything or I’ll kill your friend.”
Blair continued to look at Sentinel until Jim nodded slightly. He turned and opened the trunk of the Volvo.
“Get in,” Perry told Blair.
Blair backed up a step and shook his head.
Perry reached out with one hand and grabbed Blair by the front of his jacket and pushed him back into the car. “I said get in!”
Blair swallowed hard and looked into the dark trunk. Oh God.
“Do you want me to shoot him?!” Perry said, waving the gun at Jim. “I can save him for next time… maybe put him on ice.”
“NO!” Blair cried in horror. “No, I’m getting in.”
Blair crawled into the trunk and Perry banged the lid shut and pulled the keys out of the lock.
The wailing sound of sirens could be heard. Perry looked around quickly, as if the police had just pulled up. “Don’t try to follow. I’ll know it’s you.”
Jim didn’t move, but said, “Perry, please let me help you. You don’t need to kill anyone else.”
Perry fumbled with keys as he tried to unlock the car’s door and dropped them. As he bent down, he glanced away from Jim.
Jim took what he thought could very well be his only opportunity and sprang forward, grabbing Perry’s gun hand before the man knew what hit him. The gun went off, the bullet hitting the car.
**********
This is way too much like the other day! Blair thought as he lay on his side, working to control his breathing. He heard movement outside, then something slammed against the car, making it rock slightly. Blair heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot and felt a weight slam into his chest. Pain blossomed throughout his entire upper body and he rolled onto his back as he felt himself losing consciousness.
**********
Perry screamed his anger as he struggled with Jim to regain control of his situation. Jim slammed the hand still holding the gun against the Volvo until it released the weapon. The gun fell to the ground. Perry swung his fist and connected with Jim’s chin. Momentarily stunned, Jim took a step back.
Perry surged forward into Jim and they both went down. The struggle was brief as Jim’s training and experience kicked in. One mighty punch later, Perry lay unconscious on the ground.
Blair came awake with a jerk, as if the sudden quiet had woke him. “Jiiiiim?!” he yelled frantically from inside the trunk. For a moment Blair’s mind was back in a box, buried in the dirt under a freshly dug grave.
The Sentinel heard his Guide’s cry and quickly rolled Perry over and handcuffed him. “I’m coming, Chief!” Jim then found the keys, but as he scooped them up, he saw where the bullet had entered the car… the *trunk* of the Volvo. “Oh no!”
“Jim, please get me out of here!” Blair’s worried voice filtered back to him.
Jim hurried to open up the trunk. “Are you all right, Chief?!”
Blair moved quickly to sit up. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” he said through clenched teeth.
“Sit still! Where did the bullet get you?”
Blair grabbed hold of Jim’s arm and started to pull himself up.
“Sandburg…”
“Just get me the hell out of here, Jim!” Blair cried, his body shaking. “It’s too much like… before.”
Realizing what Blair was saying, Jim carefully lifted the younger man out of the trunk of the car and settled him on the ground. “It’s all over, Chief.” He gently began to check Blair over, looking for a bullet wound.
What Jim found made his blood run cold. A tear in Blair’s flannel shirt caught his eye. With shaky fingers, Jim unbuttoned the shirt and saw a bullet imbedded in the kevlar. If the vest hadn’t been there, the bullet would have torn into Blair’s chest.
“It hurts,” Blair whimpered.
“Yeah, but you’ll be okay.” Jim slipped out of his jacket and wrapped it around Blair. “It’s going to be okay, Chief,” he whispered as he put his arms around the smaller frame and held him close.
Suddenly the forgotten sirens came screaming onto the scene and police and medical aid flooded the area.
**********
One week later…
“Marcus Perry will likely spend the rest of his days in a mental institution,” Simon told Jim and Blair as they sat in the Captain’s office. He watched as Blair absently rubbed at the bruise on his chest. “How are you feeling, Sandburg?”
“Okay, just sore. What about his confession? Are all those graves going to be dug up?” Blair asked.
“I’m afraid so. The bodies buried underneath the coffins will have to be identified. But, so far, the families have been understanding and cooperative.”
Blair rubbed his hands over his face and through his long curls.
“Are you all right, Chief?” Jim asked, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” Blair replied, a little too quickly. “Yeah… I’m fine. Listen, I’m going to go get a cup of coffee. You guys want anything?”
Simon shook his head.
“No, go ahead and I’ll meet you at my desk,” Jim told him.
Blair nodded and left the office.
“How’s he holding up, Jim?” Simon asked after his Observer had shut the door.
“Nightmares mostly. Sleeps with the light on. He’s agreed to talk to the department shrink,” Jim answered.
“Good,” Simon nodded. “Look, Jim, tomorrow’s Friday. Why don’t you and the kid take on a long weekend. Maybe get away for a couple of days.”
Jim looked out into the bullpen and saw Blair sink into the chair at his desk. He looked worn out. “That sounds like a good idea, sir. A weekend in the mountains will do us both some good I think.”
Simon smiled. “Go on then, get out of here.”
“Thank you, Simon,” Jim said, returning the smile.
Simon watched as Jim left the office and joined Blair at his desk. A few words were exchanged and a smile lit Blair’s face. The first smile Simon had seen from the young man in a while.
Blair stood and looked towards the office. Simon saw Blair’s lips form the words *thank you*, accompanied by a quick wave from both he and Jim. Then the two were heading out the door towards the elevators.
<>~~<>~~<>
end