New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
A Time to Say Good-Bye
by Suzie
Summary: Simon and Megan clean out the loft. Jack Kelso receives his letter from Blair, and William Ellison contacts Simon. #3 of the Wanted series.
Disclaimer: Some of the characters in this story belong to the Pet Fly Productions as part of the television show The Sentinel. I do not claim these characters as my own.
Inspector Megan Connor sat in a chair facing Simon's desk. She read and re-read the letter that Blair had left for her. Tears silently ran unchecked down her cheeks.
Captain Banks stood like a statue at the window, staring steadfastly out at the City. His mind a whirl of activity, as sadness and anger kept him silent. Simon needed to be strong in order to help his friends through this.
"Blair wants me..." Megan began and then had to stop for a moment as she choked on her emotion. "He wants me to be Jim's Guide if anything should happen to him."
Simon turned to face the young woman's back.
Megan read a portion on the letter. "It says, 'Since you discovered Jim's abilities, I have done a lot of thinking. You have the sensitivity and desire to learn what you would need to know about Sentinels. You've come to know Jim, and he considers you a friend. You know that he can, at times, be difficult. I realize that this is a terribly unfair thing to spring on you like this, but if anything should happen to me that makes it impossible to continue as Jim's Guide, I would appreciate it if you would take over for me.'" Megan took a deep shaky breath. "Blair says that if the time comes, I should talk to Jack Kelso at Rainier University. He will have all the information I'll need."
Simon nodded. "Kelso's a good man. He'll be a lot of help to you," he said quietly.
"He also says that I should talk to you as well. That you'll help out any way you can."
"The kid's right, on that. You'll get all the help I can give."
Megan wiped the tears away before turning in the chair to face the Captain. "Do you think they'll be back?"
"Someday they will be. This is where they belong," Simon said resolutely.
**********
Over the next week, Simon contacted the lawyer, Carl Dever, and the bank. He signed the paperwork and submitted it. The Captain closed the old accounts and opened new accounts in his name elsewhere. Jim's safe deposit box contained stock certificates and bonds, and a life insurance policy. There was also collections of baseball cards, coins, and stamps. Simon was no expert, but he knew it looked like there were some very valuable things in Jim's collection. He also found the title to Blair's Volvo and a life insurance policy that was made out the day he became a detective and Jim's *official* partner.
Simon moved Blair's Volvo to his house, put a for sale sign on it, and put an ad in the classifieds. Simon's son, Darryl, mentioned that he wanted it, but the Captain didn't want to hang onto the car. It wasn't because of its age or the fact that it was in a constant state of repair, there were just too many memories stirred up by the small *classic*.
Saturday morning, a little over a week after Jim and Blair had left, Simon used the key Jim had given him several years before to let himself and Megan into the loft. It was strangely silent and cold, as if ghosts were hiding in every corner.
"Thank you for coming to help," Simon said, setting the two boxes he carried next to the two that Megan had brought up. "I wasn't looking forward to doing this alone."
Megan smiled a little sadly. "There's no reason to do this alone." She sighed and stepped into the living area. "So, how are we going to do this?"
"Pack up Sandburg's artifacts," Simon answered. "And there are some things of Jim's I'll pack up."
"I thought they wanted everything sold?"
"Blair has always treasured his artifacts... even though some are reproductions. I can't just let some stranger buy them." Simon said. "And I can't sell Jim's military things. His medals, uniform, pictures, and so on."
Megan nodded her understanding. "Why don't you start upstairs. I'll work on the living area and kitchen."
**********
They'd been quietly working for several hours when there was a knock at the loft's door. Megan pulled the door open and stared at the two identically dressed men standing in front of her.
"Is Captain Banks here, Ma'am?" one of the men asked.
"What in the hell do you want?!" Simon barked as he walked out of Blair's bedroom.
"May we have a word with you, sir?"
"Haven't you people done enough?! Ellison and Sandburg won't be coming back here!" Anger made it difficult for Simon to hold his temper in check.
The two men looked passively at the Captain.
Simon sighed, "All right... come on in."
They entered the loft and Megan closed the door behind them.
"Excuse me if I don't ask you to have a seat, but you won't be staying that long." Simon clamped his teeth around his unlit cigar. "What do you want?"
Both agents stared at Megan as she moved to stand next to Simon.
"Inspector Conner... Government Agents Larry and Curly," Simon introduced. "Where's Moe?"
The two men in black continued to stare silently at Megan and she stared back.
Simon sighed, exasperated, "She knows. Now what do you want?"
"I'm Agent Marcus," the agent previously known as Curly said. He nodded to his companion. "This is Agent Kamp. At the moment Agent Sands is directing the situation from the California/Mexico border. Their vehicle has been located in Mexico, but apparently Ellison and Sandburg are quite resourceful and have managed to stay a step ahead of our men... so far."
Underestimated them, didn't you, Simon thought with a satisfied grin. "And you're telling us this because?"
"Agent Sands thinks you know where your friends are headed and we'd appreciate it if you would tell us."
Simon laughed, but it wasn't the sound of a happy man. He stopped abruptly and said, "Even if I did know... which I don't... I wouldn't tell you. This is exactly *why* they didn't tell *anyone* their route. Besides, you just said they were in Mexico."
"The last vehicle they obtained was located in Tijuana. One of the two men that had taken it across the border obtained the Suburban through a trade with two men matching Ellison and Sandburg's descriptions."
"That doesn't mean they didn't go into Mexico," Megan said.
"It would save us a lot of time if you would just tell us where they are going. They will be caught eventually, and it will be easier on everyone if we get them into custody sooner rather then later," Agent Marcus said.
"Okay, it's time for both of you to leave," Simon said, his anger beginning to show. "Now!" He marched over to the door and opened it. "And please tell your *people* that we will not play their games, so they may as well leave us alone."
Agents Marcus and Kamp walked out of the loft and down the hallway to the elevator.
"How do we handle this?" Agent Kamp asked his colleague.
Agent Marcus retrieved his cell phone from his suit jacket's inner pocket. "We don't. I'll call Sands and suggest that he deploy the teams into Mexico and Arizona, as well as backtrack into California."
**********
Everything that Simon and Megan packed was loaded into a small U-Haul trailer that Simon had rented. Several boxes containing carefully packed artifacts and Jim's military keepsakes. A box for pictures and albums that he would decide what to do with later. Books were stacked neatly into boxes and into the trailer. Darryl was going to help sort through them, as there were most likely books that would have to be returned to the University and various libraries. Several large boxes of clothes, coats and jackets, shoes and boots were places into the trailer. Two small boxes of clean clothes were sealed and marked, one with Jim's name and one with Blair's, and set in the backseat of Simon's car.
Megan put three boxes in the backseat of her car. The items in them needed to be washed before being added to the others. She and Simon agreed that both Jim and Blair would agree to donate the clothing, towels, linens, and food from the kitchen to the shelter that Major Crimes supported.
Simon and Megan stood in the loft and looked around. It was striped down and hollow sounding. There was nothing left that wouldn't be put up for sale.
"Lucky for us that Jim was a stickler for keeping this place clean," Megan sighed. "Made our job a bit easier."
Simon nodded. "I'll contact a realtor on Monday," he said quietly. "I'll put a notice in the paper to sell the furniture and rugs. Thanks again for coming today."
"No worries, Captain. I think we're going to need to stick together on this one."
**********
Jack Kelso was a good friend of Blair's and had become a friend to Jim for that reason. Jack had been of assistance with a couple of Major Crimes cases and had played the part of Blair's informant more then once.
Blair's letter to Jack Kelso arrived at his office at Rainier University the same day as Simon received his. It was short and to the point.
Dear Jack,
Well, it's happened. Jim and I have had to go into hiding and I'm sure you understand why. In the event that *both* Jim and I are killed, release the truth to the public. Let them know that their guardian is gone, so to speak. You have the only copy of my research and all the information I have gathered on Sentinels, as I have now destroyed everything from my files. With your connections, you will be able to find the proper people to get that to the public.
Thank you, Jack, for believing in me even after I claimed myself to be a fraud. You are the only one from the university that stuck by us after that.
Your Friend, Blair
Jack sighed heavily and set the letter aside to maneuver his wheelchair to the safe he had in his office. After a few turns of the dial, he had the safe open and extracted the two metal lockboxes that contained Blair's research, notebooks, computer disks, and the renounced dissertation. After the press conference had ended and the hoopla had quieted, Blair had gone to Jack with all of his work. They had sat down together and Blair had attempted to explain what had happened, but Jack simply told the young man that he believed in the Sentinel project. Together they worked out a plan where if anything happened to the Sentinel and his Guide, the dissertation and Blair's work would immediately be published. Jack planned to write a book dedicated to Blair's research.
For now, though, Jack needed to make a copy of everything and transcribe the documents off of the disks. He would keep a copy in the safe at his home and a copy in a safe deposit box.
**********
Subdued became the norm in the Major Crimes division of the Cascade Police Department during the first month after Jim and Blair left. Simon had not given a specific reason for their sudden departure, but those that knew the partners had an idea after seeing the three men dressed in dark suits appear in Simon's office. They all knew that those two men were different and somehow special. The men and women of Major Crimes didn't completely understand the fiasco with the dissertation. It had been a joke until the then anthropology student and teacher gave up his life's work. Blair Sandburg would never be a fraud in their eyes. He had been welcomed into Major Crimes as a Detective with open arms.
The phone on Simon's desk rang. "What?" the Captain said impatiently.
"Captain, William Ellison is on line one for you," Rhonda said quietly into the phone.
Simon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "Thank you, Rhonda." He hung up the receiver and took a deep breath before picking it up again and depressing the button for line one. "Mr. Ellison, what can I do for you?"
"Captain Banks, Stephen and I have just returned from an extended business trip and vacation," William Ellison said quickly. "We've both received letters from Jim saying that circumstances have forced he and Blair to leave Cascade."
"Yes, sir, Jim and Blair are both gone. It's been about a month now. I don't know what Jim told you in his letter, but it was necessary that they leave. It's not safe for them right now."
"It says here that Stephen and I may be visited by people from the Government. Does this have anything to do with Jim's abilities and Blair's dissertation?" William asked.
Simon was thrown a bit off guard. He wasn't aware that Jim's father and brother had been told.
Simon could almost see the sad smile on William Ellison's face as he said, "No one had to tell me that Blair's dissertation was not a fake. I have always known about Jim's... special abilities. It was just hard for me to accept it. In fact, it took a lot of years for me to accept a lot of things. Jim told Stephen after the dissertation came out."
"I wish I could tell you where Jim is, but I don't know. He and Blair told no one they were leaving. They sent out some letters and instructions. I've sold Blair's car and all of the furnishing out of the loft. The loft is up for sale. Their accounts are being handled by me."
"Jimmy has always trusted you, Captain. I assume that this means that they have no plans to come back?"
"I don't think we'll be seeing them for a long time," Simon replied sadly.
There were several moments of silence before William Ellison spoke again. "Thank you for speaking with me, Captain Banks. You will contact me or Stephen if you hear from them?"
"Of course, and I hope that you will do the same for me."
"If we hear anything, you'll be the first to know. Good-bye, Captain."
"Good-bye, Mr. Ellison."
The Captain let the receiver fall into its cradle and sighed. He stood, feeling a need to get up and move, and paced over to the window. The rain was falling in sheets and obscured the day to day routine going on in the city below. The day was cold and miserable, made worse by the absence of his friends. Again he sighed, then went back to his desk and sat down. Picking up his pen, Simon finished the report he'd been working on before the phone had rung and tossed it into his *out* basket. He grabbed another report and opened the folder, then found himself staring out into space wondering if... no, *when* the Sentinel and his Guide would return to Cascade and he hoped he lived to see it.
**********
~end~