New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Collision Course
by Suzie
Summary: Blair is attacked while trying to help a couple hiking. #8 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.
Government Agent Sands and his team spent several days in Craig, Colorado interrogating the owner of the surplus store where Jim and Blair had bought their equipment, as well as every other living being in a five-mile radius. A clerk in a grocery store remembered seeing them, saying that she had checked them through and that they'd paid cash.
Convinced that the two men he sought had headed into the mountains at some point, Sands sent half the team east to Steamboat Springs and the Routt National Forest, while he and the rest of his men headed north into Wyoming. Feeling that he was close to closing in on his quarry, Agent Sands was almost giddy in anticipation.
**********
The weeks passed into months, and the season slowly changed. The snow fell less frequently, but heavy rain followed and the frozen ground began to melt steadily to let spring take hold. As the sun shown between showers, it threw warmth into the open places and clearings of the forest. Grasses and buds of all sorts sprang up, reaching to meet the rays that had awakened them from their long winter's sleep.
Jim stood solemnly at the cave's entrance early one Saturday morning as Blair came awake. The younger man watched his Sentinel for a minute, noting the worried creases in the bigger man's forehead.
"Jim?" Blair called in a sleep-roughened voice. "What's wrong?"
Jim didn't even flinch at the sound of his Guide's voice. "People."
"People?" Blair asked nervously, pushing his way out of the warmth of the bedding and reaching for his clothes. "Anyone we know?"
Turning to reassure his friend, Jim said, "Day hikers... the first on our side of the ridge. They probably won't get up this far, but we'll keep our eyes open just the same."
Blair nodded as he changed from the sweatpants and T-shirt he slept in, to jeans and flannel.
"It's best if we stay out of sight as much as possible. There's no telling to what lengths the government will go to find us." Jim moved back to stare out of the entrance again. "The less contact we have with strangers the better."
Blair pulled his boots on and went to stand beside his Sentinel. "Do you think they've got, like, wanted posters out on us or something?"
Jim grinned to himself at the thought of their pictures hanging in post offices across the country. "Probably not wanted posters, Chief, but I'm sure they're asking questions in every town they come to. There's no way to tell how close they may be... or if they're close at all."
"Raven said that he saw mushrooms and dandelions coming up on the east slope," Blair said, changing the subject as he turned back towards the fire. "And it's a good place to find onions too, and sweet flag is growing along the shore of that pond the river feeds."
"Be careful out there and be back here before dark," Jim told his young friend. "Be sure you take Wolf along."
"No problem, big guy," Blair said, grinning at his Blessed Protector. "You have any plans today?"
"Raven and I were planning on hunting, but with people wandering around I'm not sure it's a good idea. If they hear our gunshots, they may report it to the authorities."
"Yeah, well, if you guys do go hunting, don't forget those bear tracks we saw a few days ago. You've been scenting bear for a week now. If it catches wind of anything you two shoot, he'll show up to check it out."
"Same goes for you. That bear could be anywhere out there."
**********
Raven assured Jim that there would be no problem with their hunting and the two men went off to procure meat for the dinner pot. Jim had gotten used to having a hunting partner, since Blair wasn't much for shooting animals. He would do it if he *had* to, to survive or protect himself or someone else, but he just preferred not to. Blair would take one look at the innocent brown eyes and just couldn't pull the trigger. So, it was nice to have someone to hunt with that wasn't trying to make pets out of every rabbit and squirrel they came across.
Blair waited until Jim and Raven were on their way before packing a few things into his old backpack and heading out with Wolf at his side. The day was actually warm when compared to cold of the winter days that preceded spring. Though he could still little white puffs with each breath he took, the sun carried a warmth he hadn't felt in months.
**********
Blair was moving steadily down the familiar trail when he heard the couple talking as they walked up the trail towards him. Quickly he detoured off the trail into the trees, intending on taking a wide berth around so as not to be seen. But, as the voices of the man and woman got closer, Blair's curiosity grew. It had been months since he'd last seen anyone other than Jim and Raven, and the urge to step out to talk to them was overwhelming. But he and Wolf stayed out of sight among the trees and brush, just watching for a while as the man and woman sat down to rest on a fallen log. They were talking quietly, an occasional laugh breaking into the silence of the countryside.
The first sign of trouble was when Blair felt Wolf tense next to him and a low growl rose from deep in the animal's throat. Taking a quick look around him, Blair saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"What's wrong, fella?" Blair whispered, kneeling down to the wolf's level.
Trouble was all Wolf relayed to the young man's mind before the snapping and cracking of twigs and brush could be heard.
Blair whipped his head around as a large grizzly bear stepped out onto the trail. At first the bear didn't seem to notice the two humans sitting along side the trail. He just looked at the couple and sniffed the air. The hulking animal turned its head and looked in Blair's direction, but apparently didn't see him and turned back to the couple.
Blair sighed with relief when the bear turned away from him and Wolf, but became that much more worried for the couple as they stared with frightened eyes at the beast in front of them. Don't move, Blair thought urgently as he watched. Just stay quiet and you'll be all right. Don't make any sudden...
The man suddenly jumped up and began to wave his hands and yell in an effort to shoo the bear on his way.
Oh shit! Of all the stupid...
The bear immediately went on the defensive, standing up on rear legs to show off his full height of over seven-feet. His ears went flat against his head and he roared his anger towards the sky.
The woman screamed and the man froze as the grizzly towered over him. Wolf let out a whine as Blair quickly clicked the safety off on the rifle he was holding, cocking it as he charged out onto the trail behind the bear. Before Blair could get the animal's attention though, the bear swung a massive paw, catching the man in the left shoulder with dagger like claws and sending him tumbling.
Blair shouted, picking a rock up and bouncing it off the bear's back. The grizzly fell to all fours and turned to stare at this new adversary.
Whoa! What the hell am I doing here!? Blair thought as the animal faced him.
The angry bear stood back up on his hind legs and let out another roar.
"Oh shit!" Blair said aloud, then fired off a shot into the air.
The grizzly again dropped to all four legs, staring intently at the man in front of him.
Blair swallowed as he recocked the rifle with shaky hands and fired another round into the air.
The grizzly didn't flinch. He only shook his head once, gave a disapproving grunt, and ambled off into the forest.
**********
Jim heard the first shot and focused his senses, searching for his Guide.
"Do you think that was Blair?" Raven asked.
"He wouldn't fire unless he had to."
"The small one is in need of help?"
Jim's sense of hearing found Blair and the fear in his Guide's thundering heartbeat sounding loud in the Sentinel's ears. "Something's wrong..."
The second shot from Blair's rifle had Jim running, letting his sense of sight show him the easiest and quickest way through the forest with Raven on his heels.
**********
Blair watched the grizzly until he was out of sight and then moved quickly to the man lying prone on the ground. "Wolf, go find Jim!" he told the big animal at his side.
Wolf growled and didn't move.
Blair knelt across from the woman and carefully rolled the unconscious man onto his back. Blood was spreading quickly from the horrible gashes that began on the man's shoulder and ended in the middle of his chest. "Oh my God," he whispered, not noticing the hysterical crying from the woman. Blair turned, realizing that Wolf was still there. "I need Jim!"
Again Wolf refused to go. Sentinel will come.
"I know that..." Blair whispered. " I know."
I stay.
"Help him!" the woman cried. "Please do something! Don't let him die!"
Quickly Blair set his backpack aside before removing his coat and stripping off his flannel shirt. He pressed the garment against the bleeding wounds. "My friend is a medic. He'll be able to help when he gets here," he assured the woman. "Just have to control the bleeding until he can get here."
"How did I let you talk me into this, Mike?" the woman sobbed, speaking to the unconscious man.
"What's your name?" Blair asked, trying to calm the woman.
"Michelle," she replied, not taking her eyes off Mike.
"My name's Blair. All things considered, it's a nice day for a walk."
Michelle looked up at Blair. "I didn't want to come. Too wet and cold for my taste... but Mike was getting cabin fever after the winter and really wanted to get outside. So I agreed to come with him. Will your friend be here soon?"
"I'm sure he was on his way as soon as he heard me fire off those two shots."
**********
Jim and Raven ran quickly and silently through the forest. Jim felt an urgency to get to his friend, to protect him even though his senses did not detect any immediate danger to the young man. Raven had made two friends that he wasn't going to give up without one hell of a fight.
Smelling not only fear, but blood, Jim pushed himself harder. He heard the woman crying, Blair's voice, and Wolf's refusal to leave.
**********
Wolf paced in a circle around the three people. His head held high in an effort to guard his human and those his human tried to assist.
"What is your dog doing," Michelle asked.
Blair glanced up at Wolf as he paced. "He's watching."
"Watching? Watching for what?"
"First of all, he's not a dog. He's a wolf," Blair explained quietly. "Second, there's a chance that grizzly is still nearby. He's concentrating on watching for the bear while I concentrate on Mike here." He continued to press the flannel shirt against the man's wounds. "My friends should be here real soon. They'll help us get Mike to a hospital."
Michelle held Mike's hand and stroked his pale brow. "Will he live?" she whispered.
"The bleeding has almost stopped," Blair said. "But to be honest, I don't know. The gashes went pretty deep. I can't tell if there's been any damage to his lungs or heart."
Tears again spilled down Michelle's face.
"He's fairly stable though," Blair said, trying to reassure her. "His pulse is strong. We just have to control the bleeding and get him to a hospital."
Wolf froze and let out a warning yip. Returning.
"Oh shit!" Blair mumbled.
"What is it?" Michelle asked in a frightened voice.
Blair stood, grabbing Michelle by the wrist. "The bear... it's coming back." He quickly led her to the nearest pine tree off the trail. "You climb up as far as you can and don't come down until after my friends get here." Blair boosted the young woman up until she was able to grasp a branch and pull herself unto it.
"What about Mike?!" Michelle cried, becoming hysterical again.
"I'll take care of Mike! Just start climbing... now!"
There was a crashing sound behind Blair and he turned... coming face to face with an angry grizzly bear. He glanced over at Mike and the rifle lying next to him.
Michelle screamed and started scrambling up the branches into the tree.
Jim, where are you?!
In a sudden flurry of movement, Wolf was attacking the larger mass of furred muscle, teeth, and claws. He bit at the bear's hindquarters, forcing the bear's attention away from Blair.
Blair saw the opportunity and took it, making a lunge for the rifle. But something caught his leg, making him fall just inches short of reaching the weapon. "NOOO!" Blair screamed as he felt his right leg being raked by long thick claws. He could hear the denim of his jeans shredding as the claws cut into him.
Wolf continued his attack, making the grizzly split his attention between attack and attacker. Sinking sharp teeth into the bear's haunch, Wolf held on for all he was worth. The bear roared in anger and pain, turning to swat the smaller animal away.
Blair pulled himself forward just enough to grasp the rifle. Then rolled onto his back just as the grizzly sent Wolf flying with a painful yelp and immediately turned his full attention to Blair.
Blair was close to passing out from the pain. His slippery mud-covered hands desperately worked to cock the rifle and at the same time he was trying to kick and push himself away from the grizzly's advance. Huge teeth sank into Blair's leg just below the knee and he could feel teeth scrape against bone. Blair couldn't hold back his scream as he aimed the rifle blindly.
**********
Just as Jim and Raven burst through the trees and onto the trail, they heard Blair anguished scream and another shot fired. They saw Blair hanging limply by the leg in the bear's mouth. Jim's sight zeroed in on a single marring stain of blood on the grizzly's head, just above the left eye.
Without a thought, Jim and Raven shouldered their rifles and fired almost simultaneously. One bullet hit the bear barely an inch from where Blair's bullet had gone in above the left eye. The second entered just behind the animal's left ear. The grizzly dropped like a stone.
"Sandburg!" Jim cried, rushing to his friend's side. He carefully checked for the pulse his senses had already told him was there. Jim tore away what remained of the leg of Blair's jeans and grimaced as he inspected the damage. He quickly pulled his belt from his waist fastened it snuggly around the upper part of Blair's thigh in an effort to staunch the flow of blood.
Blair groaned softly.
"Chief? Blair?"
Blair's eyes slowly opened.
"You're going to be all right, Chief."
Without a word, Blair's eyes fluttered and closed again.
"How's he doing?" Raven asked, kneeling next to Mike.
"He's losing blood." Jim was quickly out of his coat and pulling off his sweatshirt. "How's that one doing?" Jim said, indicating Mike.
"Looks like Blair was getting the bleeding under control before the attack," Raven said, indicating the flannel shirt he was rearranging and tying off. "His pulse is weak, but stable."
Jim wrapped the heavy sweatshirt around the worst of Blair's bleeding leg. "We need to get them to a hospital."
"HEY!" a voice called.
Jim and Raven looked around, then at each other.
"UP HERE! Please get me down!"
Raven followed the voice to a tree just off the trail. When he looked up, a pair of very frightened gray eyes looked back.
"Are you Blair's friends?" Michelle asked.
"Yes, we are," Raven replied, reaching his arms upward. "Why don't you come on down now. That grizzly is dead."
Michelle nodded and let Raven help her down. As soon as her feet touched the muddy ground, Michelle rushed to Mike's side.
"Mike?" Michelle whispered.
"He's alive," Jim said quietly, still attending to Blair's wounds as best he could.
"Thank God!" Michelle looked sadly from Blair to Jim. "How is he?"
"He's hanging on. We need to get both of them to a hospital."
Michelle nodded, "Our jeep is parked at the trail head."
Jim looked around for Raven and saw him kneeling next to Wolf's still form. "Oh no." He brushed a hand against Blair's cheek and hurried over to the animal.
Raven didn't look up as Jim knelt next to him. "It's not serious. He'll heal."
Jim buried his fingers in the thick fur of Wolf's neck and the animal opened his eyes.
Guide?
"He's hurt... I need to get him to a hospital," Jim answered quietly.
The animal whined, pain evident in the large brown eyes. Take him.
"Wolf, I need Raven's help."
Go.
Jim nodded. "Raven, I'm going to need your help."
Raven ran his hand over Wolf's coat. "I'll be back before you know it, fella. Just rest."
Wolf lifted his head enough to lick the dark hand.
When the two men turned back, they saw that Mike was conscious and Michelle was helping him to stand.
"You help him and I'll take Blair," Jim said.
**********
It was a long uncomfortable ride into Rawlins. Michelle drove as fast as she dared push the older Jeep Cherokee, her concentration split between driving and Mike sitting in the passenger seat next to her. She was outwardly calm, but scared and worried for her husband as he faded in and out of consciousness. Jim sat in the back holding Blair. The younger man had regained consciousness for a few minutes twice during the ride and was in a great deal of pain. He struggled weakly in Jim's arms, still fighting off the grizzly. Jim tried to sooth Blair with gentle hands and soft words, convincing both of them that all was going to be all right.
The reached Rawlins Memorial Hospital and everything began to happen in a rush of activity. Mike and Blair were hurried into the ER for evaluation. Then x-rays were taken and both men were taken to surgery.
Jim and Michelle were not allowed beyond the waiting area. Forms were quickly filled out and returned to the receptionist. Michelle disappeared to look for the nearest telephone so she could call family. Jim paced the small waiting room for a few minutes, then migrated out to the hallway. He tried to listen to what was happening beyond the swinging doors, but was unable to find out anything conclusive before Blair was taken to x-ray. Eventually, Jim gave up and flopped into a chair in the waiting room. He scrubbed his hands over his face, feeling helpless and restless with worry.
Finally a Dr. Simpson stepped into the waiting room. "Mr. Ellison?" he called quietly, looking at the clipboard he was carrying.
Jim resisted the urge to correct the doctor, and remembered that he was no longer a detective. "Yes, I'm Ellison," he said as he stood. "How's Blair?"
"He's stable and on his way to surgery. He's lost a lot of blood, and there's muscle and ligament damage, but to be honest... I've seen worse." Dr. Simpson smiled faintly. "By some miracle, his leg wasn't crushed when the bear bit down, but the tibia does have a hairline fracture about midway between his knee and ankle."
"Will he be all right?"
"I think so. It will take time and rehabilitation, but I see no reason for him not to make a full recovery. Blair is a very lucky young man."
Jim nodded and let out a sigh as relief flooded through him. "How long will he be in surgery?"
"Several hours I would think. Why don't you go get a cup of coffee and something to eat? The cafeteria here isn't too bad. You'll be paged when Blair goes into recovery."
"Yeah... coffee would be good," Jim said, managing a slight smile. "Thank you, doctor."
Dr. Simpson nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh, doc... how's the other man doing? The one that came in with us."
"I wasn't attending to the other young man, but I do know he has gone up to surgery as well."
Jim thanked Dr. Simpson again and then headed for the elevator that would take him to the cafeteria.
**********
Hours past. Jim now sat beside a sleeping Blair, holding one limp hand and lightly rubbing his thumb over the knuckles. The young man had gone through surgery without difficulties and was expected to make a full recovery as Dr. Simpson had explained.
Jim hadn't spoken to Michelle since their arrival, but checked on Mike through the nurse's station and found that he was in the ICU with a punctured lung and a bruised heart. He would try to see them in the morning. For now, Jim needed to be with Blair.
**********
"Jim?" Raven called quietly from the doorway.
Jim looked away from the television news he'd just turned on and smiled at the sight of his friend. "Raven... c'mon in."
Raven smiled and stepped over to sit in the chair that Jim had been propping his sock covered feet up on. "How is the small one?" he asked, looking with concern at the pale still figure lying in the bed.
"He's going to be okay. They have him pretty doped up, so he should sleep through the night."
"This is good to hear."
"How's Wolf?" Jim asked.
"Bruised, but nothing more. He was resting at your camp when I left."
Jim smiled, "Good, I know Blair will be concerned when he wakes up." He looked at the old canvas bag that Raven had carried in. "What's that?"
"I brought you a few things," Raven explained. "Clothes, your coat, dry shoes." He reached inside his coat and removed an envelope, which he handed to Jim. "And this."
Jim recognized the envelope as the one that their money was kept. "Thank you," he said as he took it from Raven.
"Blair's coat was pretty badly trampled in the fight." Raven pointed to the envelope. "That fell out of the lining."
Before Jim could say anything more, the news anchor said something that caught their attention.
"And to repeat our top story of the day. There was a grizzly bear attack in the Rockies today. The first of the spring season. Details are still sketchy tonight, but a woman phoned in the report from Rawlins Memorial Hospital."
Jim groaned and sank back into the chair he was sitting in.
"Michelle Hornsby and her husband were attacked while hiking in an undisclosed location of the Rockies today. Mrs. Hornsby says that if not for the bravery of a young man by the name of Blair, who was also injured, she and her husband would probably be dead. Local authorities are looking into the incident and we will have a full report and interview with Mrs. Hornsby for our morning news."
**********
Agent Sands couldn't believe what he was hearing on the television. "It has to be them!" he said to himself. "Who else could it be?!" Sands went to the door of the hotel room and yanked it open. "MURPHY! Get your sorry ass in here!"
Agent Murphy rushed from his hotel room next to Agent Sands at the sound of his name being screamed for all to hear. "Yes, sir?" he asked, standing in the open door of the higher-ranking agent.
"Call Rawlins Memorial Hospital and find out everything you can about a grizzly bear attack and the people involved! NOW! GO!"
"Yes, sir."
**********
~end~