New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Sands of Time
by Suzie
Summary: Agent Sands gets a little closer. Jim and Blair get help. #6 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.
Agent Sands was an angry man. He liked to accomplish his assignments quickly and efficiently, and this one was not happening that way. The trail had gone totally cold after finding the Suburban in Mexico. Sands had sent his people out in every direction, but as yet there were no leads. It was as if Ellison and Sandburg had fallen off the face of the planet.
**********
Wolf became Blair's constant companion and Jim was grateful for the big animal. For, though he still kept a Sentinel watch on his Guide whenever Blair was out of his sight, Wolf afforded extra protection when he couldn't be with his partner. Jim no longer worried about the younger man wandering through the forest or fishing alone. He also noticed the connection the two had. Though they had discovered Jim's ability to communicate with most animals over a year before, Blair's connection to Wolf seemed to be more than communication. They seemed to truly understand each other.
In the weeks that followed Jim and Blair's moving into their new living quarters, they easily fell into routines. Jim did most of the hunting and Blair did most of the cooking. After the daily chores were finished--cleaning up after the morning meal, straightening up the bedding, gathering wood, filling the water containers, etc.--they both had their time alone to explore and discover the area they were now living in.
"Hey, Jim," Blair grinned as he and Wolf walked into camp.
"Hi, Chief," Jim smiled, setting the axe aside to take a break from chopping wood. "How was fishing?"
"Great!" Blair held up six large trout.
"Looks like fish for dinner tonight."
Wolf held his head high and sniffed the air.
"He seems to think there's a storm moving in," Blair said. "What do your senses say, Jim?"
"I agree," Jim replied. "That's why I'm storing extra wood. We may be inside for a couple of days. How are the food stores?"
"Plenty of dry goods still. There should be enough meat to get us through a few days, provided we can get to the cache." Blair began to pick up the chopped wood to carry into the cave. "We should be all right as long as the storm doesn't last more than two or three days."
**********
Agent Sands' face was turning a rather unique shade of red during a conference call as he spoke to his superiors in Washington DC.
"This is all very disappointing," Dr. Nolan said. "It's been eight weeks, Agent Sands. We had expected to have the subjects here to study before now."
"Yes, sir, Dr. Nolan," Sands said into the receiver through gritted teeth. So did I. " I'm doing everything I can to locate Ellison and Sandburg. I've got people searching every possible angle."
"There is no way to verify Sandburg's research without the subject," Dr. Archibald said, uncaring of the agent's explanations.
"Yes, ma'am, I understand."
"Another country may be trying to find the Sentinel for their own defense plans," Dr. Collins said. "*We* must be first, Agent Sands!"
"Yes, sir, I realize that time is imperative, doctors, but Ellison is smart and knows how to cover a trail. He's an ex-Army Ranger and in Special Ops. He knows how to stay ahead of us..."
"We do not want excuses! We want results!" Dr. Nolan's voice rose to an angry tone. "Without the Sentinel, we can't verify Sandburg's research. Without the Guide, we have nothing to hold over Ellison to ensure his cooperation. If the United States can not have the Sentinel and his Guide, then *no one* will! Do I make myself clear, Agent?"
It's a good thing you're there and I'm here! Sands closed his eyes and took a breath. "Yes, sir, I understand."
"Good!"
The line with dead as the doctors hung up.
Sands clicked off the cell phone and tossed it onto the table, where it skittered across and fell to the floor with a muffled clatter. He paced the small hotel room he'd been staying in, muttering to himself. "Assholes! What the hell do they know about what's going on?! They're sitting there, in nice comfy offices back in DC, while I'm out here in a run down hotel on the Mexican border looking for a God Damn Myth!"
Agent Sands didn't really believe in the Sentinel project. He didn't believe in heightened senses. He refused to believe there was any fact in Sandburg's research. It was all some kind of hoax... he was sure of it.
Sure Ellison had gotten defensive when they'd met in the Captain's office, Sands thought. Perfectly understandable after what had happened when the dissertation was made public. Sandburg had some kind of *attack* when his Sentinel research was mentioned. Also understandable after all the trouble he'd caused. He frowned, Kamp and Marcus swear Ellison was *listening* to the conversation in Banks' office before he was called in. They were sure he knew what was going on before he and his partner entered the office. Sands shook his head resolutely. That doesn't mean he *could* hear us. Could've been a coincidence, a guess. Ellison and Sandburg probably had us pegged for FBI. That's why they weren't surprised when they were called into Banks' office. Sands smiled smugly. I'll believe all this Sentinel crap when I see it for myself.
**********
The storm kept Jim and Blair confined inside their cave home for two days. They only leaving its warmth when necessary. Wolf was with them, grateful for a warm dry sanctuary from the freezing weather. The third day dawned gray and cold, but the wind and snow had stopped, so they were finally able to venture out for more than a few minutes at a time. There was a fresh deep blanket of the white stuff covering the landscape.
Blair stretched as he wandered out into the cold morning light. "Morning, Jim," he said, stopping beside his Sentinel. "Everything okay?"
Jim cocked his head, letting his senses take in the surrounding area. "Yeah, things are quiet," he said after several seconds.
"Wonder where Wolf is? He took off sometime last night."
As if in answer a howl rose in the distance.
"Answer your question?" Jim smiled.
Blair nodded with a smile of his own. "Well, you want some breakfast?"
"Sounds good, Chief. Then I'll head out to check on the truck. This storm had a lot of wind. I heard trees coming down."
Blair looked around at the fallen branches and drifts of snow. "Okay, I'll stay around here. I can clean things up a little, wash a few things out, and gather some wood. There's a rabbit left in our stores. I'll see what I can do for a stew or something for dinner."
"I'll see what game I can scare up while I'm out." Jim wrapped an arm around Blair's shoulders and steered them both towards the cave. "Is there any of those dried apples and cinnamon left? That's good in oatmeal."
**********
I've underestimated Ellison from the start, Sands berated himself silently, again pacing the small space of his hotel room.
Knock! Knock!
"Agent Sands? Are you there, sir?" Agent Murphy called through the door.
"What is it?!" Sands answered irritably without going to the door.
"Sir, we have a lead on Ellison and Sandburg."
Sands rushed to the door and yanked it open. "Where?!"
"Colorado."
"Colorado!!?" Agent Sands bellowed. "What in the *HELL* are they doing in Colorado?!" He slammed the door in Murphy's face.
Agent Murphy blinked, confused as he stood there for a moment. I didn't expect him to jump and down for joy, but I thought the news would make him at least *happy*. Then, as he heard Agent Sands cursing because he couldn't located his cellphone, Murphy quietly moved away.
**********
Wolf returned to the cave, letting the Sentinel feel more secure in leaving his Guide behind. He left the cave with a backpack that Blair had filled with food, water, an emergency space blanket, matches, and dry socks. Moving quickly between the drifts where the snow was not as deep, Jim stopped briefly where they had camped that first night. Though there were no outward signs that anyone had camped there, Jim's eyes knew where the tent had been set up and where the fire had been. He followed the line where a good sized tree had fallen across the small clearing and shivered. Had they been there, the tree would have crushed the tent, and them as they slept.
The morning was quiet as Jim continued through the forest. Snow always seemed to muffle the world, making everything soft and relaxed. Jim liked these solitary walks, or at least he did now knowing that Blair was safe back at the cave with Wolf watching over him. His senses were on a constant search for anything out of the ordinary, but it was becoming such a habit that Jim barely noticed he was doing it.
**********
"Marcus," the agent said in answer to the ringing phone sitting on the car seat between himself and Agent Kamp.
"We have a lead on Ellison and Sandburg," Sands said. "You and Kamp get over to SeaTac. There will be a plane waiting to take you to Shively Field Airport in Wyoming. From there you will contact me for instructions."
"Yes, sir," Agent Marcus said quickly. "What about Banks?"
"I'll send someone to take over. I need experience here now that we have a line on them. The fools the Defense Department sent me are having trouble keeping track of their own asses."
"We're on our way."
**********
"Gone?" Captain Banks questioned curiously when he got the news from Detective Rafe. "You mean they just *left*? I think my feelings are hurt."
"Yeah, Curly got a phone call," Rafe said. "Then they just drove away."
"Follow them. I want to know where they're going and why."
"Yes, sir. I'm on it."
From the time Jim and Blair left Cascade, Simon knew he was being watched. After the two agents had appeared at the loft while he and Megan had been there, Simon had put a tail on the tail. Hourly reports of where the Larry and Curly were stationed, and what they were doing, were called in to the Captain throughout the day. It only seemed fair... they were watching to see if Jim and Blair contacted him, and Simon was watching to see if the agents indicated they had any leads.
**********
Jim located the truck without any trouble, but groaned when he saw that, not just one but *two* trees had fallen onto the vehicle. Closer inspection found the cab crushed and a raccoon making a cozy home inside.
"She's all yours, fella," Jim sighed when the animal chattered at him. He turned and walked away, deciding to walk back by way of the river in hopes of sighting some game.
Jim was soon at the river's edge, taking in the view from an overhanging boulder. Ice encrusted the shore where the water ran too fast to freeze over completely, but where the current was slower the ice formed frozen bridges across the river. Few were sturdy enough to support a man's weight, but he'd seen smaller animals cross easily.
A slight breeze was blowing, crisp and clean, brushing the Sentinel's bare face with the scents of the forest. The smell of pine, fir, and cedar were heavy. The fire that was always burning at the cave where he and Blair lived gave him a sense of security. Jim inhaled deeply and got a whiff of the stew that Blair was cooking and smiled to himself. For a moment, all was right with the world.
Then there was a combination of scents that pulled him from his tranquil musings. It was an odd mix of human and animal. It didn't scream of danger, but it made his skin prickle and the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he very nearly zoned.
Jim concentrated, processing the scent through the catalog in his brain, searching for the match that would tell him what he needed to know. Bear, deer, rabbit... and man all mingled together. Sliding silently to the trail below his boulder perch, Jim headed off at a steady jog toward home with two things on his mind. First, was to protect the Guide. He would make sure that all was well at camp and Blair was safe. Second, he could discover what was in his territory that would smell of four different animals at one time.
**********
Agent Sands had his bag packed in record time. He quickly moved to the car parked outside, threw his bag into the backseat, and picked up the radio's mic as he slid in behind the wheel. "All units... we are on the move! Form up " Sands dropped the mic onto the passenger side seat and felt an almost gleeful laugh bubble up from his chest. "We'll have you soon, Mr. Sentinel! Very soon indeed! Time is now on my side."
**********
"Banks," Simon barked into the phone.
"Captain, this is Rafe," the detective said. "I'm at Cascade Municipal Airport. Larry and Curly just took off in a helicopter."
"Find out where they're going!" Simon demanded.
"I've been asking around, but no one seems to know anything. This Airport is small and there's no tower to file a flight plan with."
"Damn! All right then." Simon gave a frustrated sigh. "Come on back to the station."
"Yes, sir," Rafe said solemnly. "On my way."
**********
Jim jogged along the trail, his mind a whirl of activity. His senses were telling him that the man/animal was moving around, closer to home than he liked. Thank God Wolf is there with Blair, he thought as he picked up his pace a bit. At least he'll be safe enough until I can get there.
Jim didn't notice the shifting under his feet until it was too late. Too sudden for him to stop his decent, Jim found himself crashing through the ice and falling into the freezing river.
**********
Wolf had watched with some interest as Blair had moved steadily around the cave, straightening things up as he hummed softly. There were now clothes drying near the fire and a pot of stew bubbling over the flames. They were outside now. Blair was gathering the fallen branches and piling them next to the cave with the other wood. Not terribly exciting for the big animal and soon he found himself dozing to the sound of Blair's voice as he continued his humming.
Wolf was lying on top of snowdrift, from which he could easily keep an eye on things. His ears twitched as he dozed lightly, half hearing Blair as he listened to the surrounding area. Just as he relaxed, snorting a small plume of powdery snow into the air, a voice cracked through his skull like a whip. Wolf let out a yip and jerked to full attention.
Blair turned at the sharp sound of pain that came from the wolf. "What is it?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"
Wolf stood and shook himself. He growled and looked around for a moment, then stared intently at Blair. Sentinel.
The word flashed into Blair's mind and he gasped, as he felt the anxiety that came with it. "Has something happened to Jim?!"
Wolf let out a bark and bounded off the snowdrift. He ran a few yards then turned to see if Blair was following. Come.
"Oh my God!" Blair ran to the cave. "Just let me get my rifle!"
**********
"All right, Dave, thank you," Simon said, then hung the phone up. He took his glasses off and was rubbing his eyes when there was a knock at his office door. "Enter."
The door opened and Megan stepped, closing the door behind her. "Rafe just got back and said that our *friends* have left."
Simon nodded.
"Any ideas where they were off to?"
"I just got off the phone with a friend of mine at SeaTac Airport. He says that a military helicopter landed, and two men fitting Larry and Curly's description then boarded a government jet. That's it."
"That's... *it*" Megan groaned.
"The Defense Department doesn't have to file a flight plan through normal channels," Simon explained. "They file them with their own people. There's no way to find out where they were going."
"Damn!"
"Exactly," Simon sighed. "All we can do is wait."
**********
Blair ran as fast as he could to follow Wolf through the snow. His breath came in steamy puffs as he tried to control his breathing. He *had* keep up with his Spirit Guide. He had to find Jim.
Soon Wolf stopped at the edge of a short embankment. Blair slid to a stop on the familiar trail and gaped at the piece of ground that was now missing. Wolf came up beside him and growled, pushing insistently against Blair's legs. Moving closer to the edge of the embankment, Blair looked down the slope.
"NO!" Blair cried, shouldering his rifle and aiming at the figure leaning over Jim's motionless body. "Get the hell away from him!"
The figure stood and turned to look up at Blair. Clad in fur from head to toe, face obscured by a large hood, Blair wasn't completely sure if it was man or beast that was standing below him. He was reminded of the descriptions of Sasquatch.
"I said get away from him!"
The figure took several steps back.
"Move and I'll blow you into the river and watch you float away."
Carefully Blair and Wolf made their way down the embankment. When they reached the bottom, Wolf growled quietly, ears back and teeth bared, watching the fur clad figure as Blair checked Jim.
"He's alive, but he's been in the river and needs to get warmed up," a deep voice said.
Blair never took his eyes or rifle off the figure as his fingers felt a slow pulse beneath Jim's cold wet skin. Relieved, Blair asked, "What happened?"
The hood was pushed back to reveal a face so dark it was literally black. "Apparently the trail broke away under him and he fell into the river. I pulled him out and was going to take back to my camp when you showed up."
"B-Blair?" Jim whispered.
"Watch him," Blair told Wolf. Then turned his attention to his Sentinel. "Jim..."
"I-It's o-okay," Jim shivered. "He p-p-pulled m-me out."
"And for that I'm thankful," Blair said. "Let's get you home." He turned back to face the man again. "Thank you for your help." He leaned close to Jim's ear. "Can you dial the cold down, Jim? Just 'til we get back to camp."
Jim was shivering violently. "N-N-No... con-control."
"I will help you get him back to your camp," the man said.
Blair looked at the fur clad black man that towered over him and lowered his rifle at last. "I'd appreciate that." He was still suspicious of the big man, but he did need the help to get Jim back.
Wolf gave a low growl, as if warning the man not to try anything against his people.
**********
Back at the cave, Blair worked quickly to strip Jim out of his wet freezing clothes. He dried his partner and wrapped blankets around the shivering body before zipping him into the sleeping bag.
Wolf kept himself between Jim and Blair and the big man that was now hovering around the fire. He watched the man carefully as he listened to Blair take care of Jim.
The dark man built up the flames with wood from the pile and began to reheat the stew that Blair had set aside before he ran off to follow Wolf to Jim. He also filled the kettle with water from one of the containers and placed it on the fire to heat.
"You're going to be okay, Jim," Blair whispered. He heard Wolf growl a warning and turned to see the man standing still with several bundles in his hands.
"Hot rocks from the fire," he told Blair. "To help warm him."
"It's all right, Wolf," Blair said.
The man stepped forward and knelt across from Blair. "One in each armpit and the other at his feet."
Blair unzipped the sleeping bag and took one of the bundles. The heated rocks were wrapped in layers of soft rawhide. He placed it at the bottom of the bag and began to rezip it as the dark man placed the other two bundles.
Jim opened his eyes, managing a faint smile as he faded into an exhausted sleep.
Blair sighed and brushed a hand over Jim's forehead.
"He will be all right," a low voice said.
Blair looked up at the man kneeling across from him. There was something in the soft dark eyes that made him relax. "My name is Blair," he said, extending his hand. "This is Jim."
The dark man smiled, revealing two rows of ivory white teeth. "My name is Calvin," he said, taking Blair's hand. "But I am called Raven."
"Thank you, Raven, for saving my friend's life."
**********
"All right, men!" Agent Sands called out. "We have a lead on Ellison and Sandburg! We will be concentrating on the area surrounding Craig, Colorado, where they've bought supplies that indicate that they have taken to the mountains in their effort to hide." He paced back and fourth in front of the group of agents. "They were last seen heading north in a red Ford pickup truck."
"That's a large area to search, sir," an agent said. "There are all kinds of small roads they could have taken to get into the hills."
"Exactly... and we will search each and every one until we find them. It's only a matter of time now. Only a matter of time."
**********
~end~