Star Rangers: Connections

Disclaimer: The main characters are not mine, this is an amateur effort written purely for the fun of it, and no money has exchanged hands. It is not intended to breach the copyright of Paramount and Pet Fly Productions.

Note: Happy Holidays and thank you to all of those who have written to tell me how much you liked the first story in the Star Rangers series. I really appreciate hearing from you.

< > denotes telepathic exchange

Star Rangers: Connections

By Crystalphoenix

Ranger Captain Simon Banks poured himself a cup of coffee from his private stash and settled into the chair behind his desk. He was in a rare good mood this morning. No off world assignments had arisen to drag him away from Cascade and he had been able to spend the entire weekend enjoying the company of his son. Glancing through the glass doors of his office he saw his people already hard at work just the way he liked it. Banks watched with amusement as the doors to the Major Crime bull pen opened and Ranger Lieutenant James Ellison entered followed by the curly-haired bundle of energy that was his guide. Simon reached into his right hand drawer and removed the report that Rhonda had put together on their newest member.

Blair Jacob Sandburg, age 26, was a triple PhD in xeno-anthropology, xeno-psychology, and linguistics. Only child of a free-spirited mother, the kid had traveled most of the known galaxy by the time he was five. A professor of Anthropology at Rainier University, his master’s work had been on the cultural dynamics of the Senatobian people and he was accredited as an expert on sentinels, guides and shamans. Simon frowned the subjects of his doctorate theses were classified by the UET. What could the kid possibly know that was so sensitive that the UET would black out his research?

Closing the file Simon stuffed it back into the drawer and leaned back in his chair. When Jim Ellison had bonded to the young castaway they had found on Peruvia, Banks had been worried. Now he was having a hard time remembering what it had been like without the kid around. Sandburg was smart, very smart, but he also had a compassionate soul and an eerie way of seeing to the heart of a problem. His off-beat way of thinking had already helped crack a couple of tough cases and Simon had to admit that his people were more relaxed, more balanced since the young shaman had come into their midst. Banks had watched as the young healer had worked his magic on the close-knit rangers as well as the rest of the Cascade PD. Wherever he went tempers calmed and depression lifted. And the change in Ellison was nothing short of phenomenal. He was still a hard-ass and his temper was something to be feared and avoided at all cost but he was no longer the closed off loner he had been. He had started to open up to his co-workers. There was a new camaraderie in the unit that had been missing before Sandburg’s arrival. Unorthodox, unconventional and eccentric he might be but the kid was one of them now.

Simon glanced over at Ellison’s desk and smiled. Sandburg was seated in front of the computer pointing at the screen and explaining something to his partner. Graceful hands flew as the anthropologist explained his point. For his part Ellison stood with a tolerant smile on his face listening to every word knowing that the kid did have a point and sooner or later he would make it. Banks chuckled, anyone else would have been plastered on the wall by now but the sentinel had an unbelievable amount of tolerance for his guide and waited patiently. It was hard to believe that it had only been six weeks since he had officially met Blair Jacob Sandburg, it seemed that the kid had always been a part of them. Simon sipped his coffee and remembered that fateful first meeting.

Simon Banks climbed the steps to the third floor of 852 Prospect. It had been three days since he had helped Jim Ellison carry his unconscious guide home. Now the kid was awake, and Ellison had invited Simon over for dinner to get acquainted with him. Stopping before the door to apartment #307 Banks raised his hand to knock only to have the door open before he could even touch it.

“Simon right on time.” A smiling Jim Ellison stood back from the door and waved him in. Taking his captain’s jacket he hung it on the hooks beside the door then headed toward the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready would you like a beer?”

“A beer sounds good.” Trailing the sentinel into the kitchen Simon accepted the cold beer then turned to survey the loft.

“He’s outside on the balcony.” Seeing his boss’s nervous glance toward the glass doors leading out onto the balcony Jim chuckled. “Relax Simon he doesn’t bite. Give him a chance, you might even find out that you like him.” Ellison turned serious. “He’s a nice kid Simon. And he might just be able to answer all those questions you have about the sentinel/guide thing.” Jim gestured toward the balcony doors. “Go talk to him, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” A wry smile tugged at he sentinel’s mouth. “He certainly surprised me.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better Ellison?” Jim just stared at his commanding officer and friend. “All right, all right I’ll go talk to the kid but I’m not promising anything.”

“Fair enough, sir. I’ll call when dinner’s ready.” Turning to the kitchen sink Ellison resumed preparing vegetables for salad leaving Simon to tentatively make his way to the balcony.

Banks quietly opened the balcony doors and stepped out into the cool Cascadian air. Ellison’s young guide, bundled up in a bright afghan, was seated on a lounge chair enjoying the warm sun of one of Cascade’s rare clear days. Sandburg’s eyes were closed and Simon paused not wanting to wake him if the kid had fallen asleep, he knew that the healer’s energy levels were still low and he tired easily. There were traces of shadows beneath the young man’s eyes but his skin now had a healthy glow far different from the paleness of a few days ago. Banks was just about to retreat back into the sanctuary of the loft when the sleeping figure stirred and Simon found himself staring into a pair of dark blue eyes. For a moment something ancient stared at him from the depths of the blue pools then Sandburg blinked and he found himself looking at the curious face of Ellison’s guide. The young man studied him for a moment then smiled and held out one hand. “You must be Captain Banks. I believe we met briefly once before…sort of, I’m Blair Sandburg.”

Shaking the offered hand Simon settled into a nearby deck chair and chuckled. “If you can count watching you race across a clearing while your Chopec buddies held me captive as a first meeting.”

Blair blushed in embarrassment. “I have to apologize for that. I should have taken time to explain things to you but...”

“But you were too busy saving the life of my best officer to stop for chit chat. I understand. And by the way I haven’t thanked you yet, for what you did for Jim. He’s not just my best officer but my friend as well.”

One slender hand waved dismissively. “No thanks are necessary captain. I couldn’t let him die. He is my sentinel, every instinct I have was screaming for me to save him. But since we’re on the subject of thank yous. I owe you a big one.”

“For what?”

“Oh, for not freaking out, for listening to the Chopec, for taking me off world with you and most especially for not trying to separate me from Jim. That would have been a really bad scene man. You didn’t have to do any of that, so thank you.”

“Well the Chopec were quiet insistent about you accompanying us and since they were safeguarding my men and making it possible for us to complete our mission, I wasn’t in any position to argue with them. By the way, how did they come to have the antiserum?”

“Oh that, well I saw the probe go down and went to check it out. As soon as I saw the medi-pak I knew that it was important and that someone would be coming for it. Later when I started having the visions I realized that Jim would be in the search party so I had the Chopec bring the pack along on our rescue mission. But that’s not really what you want to know.” Calm blue eyes studied the captain. “You’re worried about my bonding to Jim.”

Simon sighed; the kid was way too perceptive. He had a million questions but wasn’t sure how to ask them. “It’s ok, captain.” The quiet voice interrupted his tangled thoughts and calmed his nervousness. “You can ask me anything. I won’t take offense and I’ll answer truthfully.”

Banks met the too wise blue eyes and read only sincerity. Taking a deep breath he gave voice to his deepest concern. “This bond you have with Ellison, does it give you control over him?”

Blair considered the question carefully, then as if reaching some inner accord he met Simon’s gaze. “How much do you know about sentinels and guides captain?”

“Just the basics, sentinels have enhanced senses and a genetic imperative to protect while guides are empaths who help sentinels use and control their senses.”

Blair nodded. “Essentially correct. But sentinels are more than just a set of hyper senses, along with those senses comes a set of instincts and behaviors that are hardwired directly into the subconscious bypassing conscious thought. You have known for some time that Jim is a sentinel but since his senses were offline you’ve never had to deal with that aspect of him before. Now all of sudden in less than forty-eight hours you see him suddenly behaving differently and you wonder if I am somehow controlling him through the bond. The answer to that captain is both yes and no.”

Simon tensed, he had suspected but had never expected Sandburg to admit it. “What...”

Blair held up a hand silencing the irate captain. “Captain Banks the man you know as Jim Ellison is stubborn, hard headed and it would take a nuclear explosion to veer him from a course of action once his mind is set. I have no more control over this man than any other friend but there is another to be considered now. Along with the man you know there is now a sentinel. The sentinel lives by one creed…protect the tribe. He doesn’t care about laws or morals or political correctness. He has only one rule...see the threat...eliminate the threat. Now that may be fine within the context of a primitive society but for a ranger, a civilized man and a cop it is unacceptable. Fortunately, nature has created a counterbalance for these primitive instincts. A sentinel is genetically programmed to respond to his guide. If I yell ‘Jim no don't kill him’ then the sentinel will delay killing his prey until he finds out why I object. That gives me time to use my empathy to dampen the sentinel’s killing rage until the man Jim Ellison is back in control. At that point Jim can then decide to kill his quarry or choose an alternative course of action. So do I have control over Jim Ellison? No. Do I have control over the sentinel that Jim Ellison has become? Yes, sometimes. There will still be times when the threat is so great that the sentinel instinct to protect will override the instinct to listen to the guide but that is an extreme case. ”

Banks stared at the young man before him stunned. He thought he knew about sentinels but now he realized that he was entering a brave new world where the normal rules no longer applied. Lucky for him Sandburg seemed to know the terrain well and was willing to share his knowledge. “Ok, so the changes in Ellison are due to the fact that he is now reacting like a sentinel as well as a cop. He’s not possessed or being controlled by an outside force. ”

Blair snorted and shook his head. “Afraid not captain. Jim is just being…Jim.”

“Great. Ok, next question. Most sentinels and guides have a bond but nothing like the one you and Jim have. Why the mental link thing?”

“I’m not exactly sure how to answer that one captain. I’ve never heard of a sentinel/guide pair having the type of bond that Jim and I do. Usually the guide establishes an empathetic link with the sentinel so that he can monitor and moderate the sentinel’s instincts while the sentinel in turn imprints the guide onto his senses so that he can use the guide as an anchor, allowing him to handle the sensory stimulus he receives without being swept away. However, the last Black Jaguar/Wolf team was centuries ago, this might be normal for this type of pairing. I can tell you that it is necessary for Jim and I.”

“Why?”

“In order for a guide to focus and direct his sentinel in the use of his gifts the sentinel must trust the guide implicitly. He must be willing to surrender himself into his guide’s control and follow his directives instinctively. This is difficult for most people but for Jim it is doubly so. He is the poster child for the anal-retentive control freak and his past is filled with betrayal. Thanks to the bonding we underwent, Jim knows that he can trust me. He doesn’t think he can trust me...he knows to the depths of his soul that he can trust me. There are no secrets, no doubts between us. Therefore when I, as his guide, tell him to do something he responds with no hesitation. The reverse is also true. As a guide I trust my sentinel with my life. And just for the record captain. I could never hurt Jim. He is my sentinel and I am genetically programmed to protect him at all costs even if it means my life.”

Simon stared into the blue eyes and what he saw sent a chill down his spine. Sandburg meant what he was saying. He would sacrifice his life for Jim but more than that the kid would probably kill anyone who tried to hurt Ellison. The last of Simon’s fears disappeared. “All right that explains the seeing into each others souls but why the continued mental bond? Once you saw into each others minds why keep the link.”

Blair ran one hand through his mass of curls and tried to find the right words to explain. “The mental link serves two purposes. To use his senses fully and safely a sentinel needs a guide. Now while I am quiet willing to accompany Jim on the job and assist him with his police work there are going to be times when my presence would be more of a hindrance that an asset. After all I’m an academic, a civilian, having me along during an assault on a criminal stronghold would not be a good idea. Jim would be focused on me and my safety instead of catching the bad guys and that could get us both killed.”

Simon shuddered as he imagined having a civilian tag along while storming a pirate fortress and nodded in agreement.

“However, during such an exercise is when sentinel senses would be most valuable. But sending Jim on such a mission without the backing of a guide could get him killed. The mental bond Jim and I share offers another choice.” Blair took a deep breath; he wasn’t sure how the captain would handle the next part of his explanation. “As well as being a guide I am also a shaman.”

Simon nodded in encouragement. He could tell the kid was nervous but Banks doubted that anything the kid could say at this point would shock him.

“A shaman has the ability to travel outside his body, when necessary I can travel along the mental bond between us and merge my mind with Jim’s.”

He had been wrong Simon realized as he tried to wrap his mind around the young shaman’s words. Things had just entered a new level of strangeness. Shock kept him rooted to the spot and silent.

Taking his silence as an indication to proceed, Blair continued his explanation. “What it all boils down to is that I would be able to mentally accompany Jim, guiding him and acting as his anchor, while my body stayed safely tucked away out of danger. The down side is that my body would be vulnerable while I was away and the energy drain would limit my time, but for emergencies it should work well.”

Breathe Banks; Simon admonished himself, Jim needs you to understand this. You can freak out later on your own time. “So this merge,” Simon was pleased when his voice remained steady, “you what, mix your thoughts and Jim’s?”

“No, it’s not that type of merge. More like Ellison has a temporary houseguest in his head. Jim remains himself but he will be able to feel my presence and use that as an anchor for his senses while I’ll be able to monitor him and guide him when necessary. It won’t be anything different than we usually do except that this time I won’t have a physical form.”

Simon stared at the earnest young man sitting in front of him calmly discussing astral projection, soul bonding and telepathic links and tried to get his chaotic thoughts under control. Ok, he could do this. Hearing about this stuff made his skin crawl but he wasn’t the one who had to live with it. Ellison obviously had no problems with the current arrangement and he believed the kid when he said that he wouldn’t do anything to harm Jim. There were just some things about his sentinel/guide pair that he was better off not knowing or thinking about. The main thing was that Jim would be able to do his job while keeping both himself and his guide safe. Simon decided that this was a good thing. It was time to move on to less dangerous territory. “Ok, you said there were two reasons. What’s the second?”

Blair looked down and Simon had the impression he was embarrassed. Looking up the guide met the captain’s eyes and gave a shy smile. “Well the link serves as a kind of early warning system. Each of us knows where the other is and how they are at any given time.” He sighed. “You might as well know now. Guides are trouble magnets.”

“Exactly what does that mean, Sandburg?”

“Tell me captain how much of your case load is off world?”

“About twenty percent actually. Cascade has an unusually high crime rate and merits the services of a ranger unit full time. Why?”

“I would hazard a guess that Cascade is the most dangerous spot in the quadrant. Anyone with criminal leanings invariably finds their way to Cascade. Hit men decide to take out their targets when they are visiting Cascade, drug rings move their merchandise through Cascade, terrorist groups make their headquarters on Cascade and let’s not forget the serial killers, I bet they love the place.”

“What’s your point Sandburg?”

“My point captain is that since sentinels are a force for good then evil is naturally attracted to areas protected by sentinels. It’s natures way of thinning out the bad elements in our midst and just to make the process even more efficient nature decided to make all guides trouble magnets.”

“I’m still not sure what you mean by that. What do you mean trouble magnet?”

“It means captain that if there is a lunatic bad guy anywhere around and said bad guy decides to cause trouble then I’ll be in the middle of it. A sentinel’s job is to protect the tribe. The quickest way to get rid of the evildoers that might threaten the tribe is for the evildoers to come into contact with the sentinel and the quickest way to come to the attention of a sentinel...”

“Is to threaten the guide.”

“Got it in one man.”

“Great so this bond let’s Jim know when to come and rescue you.”

“That’s about it sir.”

“Great.”

“Would it help to say I’m sorry?”

Simon chuckled. The kid looked so contrite as if it was his fault that he was a target for every crazy lowlife in the galaxy. “Just take care of yourself and that partner of yours Sandburg that’s all I ask.”

“You can count on it captain.”

“Good now something smells good let’s go see what that sentinel of yours has cooked up for us.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m starved.” Rising carefully from the lounge Blair paused as pain flared through his body. He froze and waited for the sharp pains to fade to a more manageable level then looked up at the concerned face of Captain Banks. “I’m ok just some phantom pains, they’ll pass.”

Banks studied the pale face then nodded. Releasing his hold on the guide he followed the young man back into the loft where his sentinel waited. Simon was still baffled and uncomfortable with a lot of the sentinel/guide mumbo jumbo but one thing he now knew. Jim Ellison was a very lucky man.

Simon was brought back to the present by a knock on his office door. “Come in.” A smiling Jim Ellison entered followed by an equally pleased guide. The kid was practically bouncing on his toes. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”

“We’ve just nailed Thatcher sir.” There was smug satisfaction in Ellison’s voice. “We’re on our way to pick up the warrant now.”

“You actually found a judge willing to issue a warrant on Thatcher?” Councilman Gregory Thatcher was one of Cascade’s upper crust and a prime suspect in an art/artifact smuggling ring. The problem was no one could prove Thatcher was receiving stolen goods. His home was a virtual art museum but since he was one of the wealthiest men on the planet the objects could be legitimate investments. No judge would issue a search warrant unless Ellison could assure them that they wouldn’t end up with egg on their faces and a bevy of high priced lawyers on their tails. “OK, how did you accomplish this miracle?”

Jim pointed to his partner. “It was Blair.”

Glancing from one partner to the other Simon growled. “All right you two I want to know what’s going on and I want to know now.”

“Well you see when we went to visit Mr. Thatcher the other day he invited us into the study. While Jim was questioning him about the recent art shipments I kind of…well he has some great artifacts so…”

“So while Jim was working you were gawking at the artwork?”

“Uh, well yeah, anyway I saw this unique vase among one of the displays and I recognized it. It was an Mantidae warrior urn.”

“So, he is a wealthy collector Sandburg.”

“No, you don’t understand Captain. The Mantidae will sell their basic pottery and crafts to anyone but their ceremonial vessels are another story. There are only about a dozen off-worlders who have been presented with one. And each urn is unique reflecting what character trait or vocation the Mantidae found worthy of honor. Trust me there is no way Thatcher owns that urn.”

“Hence the warrant.” Jim finished. “When Sandburg finished explaining all this to Judge Collins he couldn’t sign the warrant fast enough. We’ve got Thatcher dead to rights this time Simon and no high price lawyer is going to wiggle him out of it.”

“Then what are you standing around here for lieutenant? Go…bring him in.”

“Yes sir. Come on Chief, let’s go get the bad guy.”

Simon watched the two leave and smiled. Who would have thought? Sometimes having an academic around wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Two hours later Councilman Gregory Thatcher flanked by his high priced lawyer sat in the interrogation room scowling at the ranger lieutenant that had dared arrest him.

“Lieutenant Ellison you have no right to hold my client. He is a well-respected businessman and is known for his collection of rare and valuable art objects. You have no right to invade his home, on the word of some,” he glanced over at Sandburg, “some college student with dreams of being a policeman.”

Ellison leaned back in his chair and smiled chillingly causing the lawyer to shift nervously in his chair. “Dr. Sandburg,” he emphasized the title, “is a professor of xeno-anthropology at Rainier University and my guide. Your client was caught red handed with a cellar full of stolen artwork and artifacts.”

“But your search was unlawful. You obtained the warrant used under false pretenses. The urn you cited as just cause has been in Councilman Thatcher’s family for generations.”

“And there is no way you can prove otherwise.” Thatcher sneered. How dare this common thug interfere in his business? He would sue the upstart until he was penniless, yes maybe he’d sue the entire police department.

“That’s where you’re wrong councilman.” Thatcher’s grandiose plans ground to a halt at the quietly uttered words and he turned to stare at the young man he had dismissed as nobody. “That urn belongs to a man named DeMarco and was presented to him last year for an act of heroism.” Cold blue eyes pinned the councilman to his seat. “To the Mantidae such urns are sacred and it is an offense punishable by death for anyone other than the chosen to possess one.”

“How…” the lawyer looked from his client to the longhaired young man who he suspected was going to cost his client his freedom. “How can you be so sure?”

Blair smiled. “I spent three months living with the Mantidae. I learned their customs and their language. I also was given a similar urn when I left. Of course mine was to honor me as a scholar/healer not as a warrior. But I can read the designs on the vessel and…the legend stenciled into the bottom. That urn does not and has never belonged to Councilman Thatcher or anyone in his family. And before you ask councilor no one who was gifted with such a token would ever sell it. Such an insult to the Mantidae would warrant a blood feud and would end in the death of the defiler and all his kin.” Blair looked over at the councilman. “Which reminds me councilman you might want to warn your family. When the Mantidae learn that you have the urn they will want restitution.”

“Are you threatening my client?”

Blair shook his head. “I’m just stating facts councilor. You can look up the cultural imperatives of the Mantidae for yourself.”

The councilor glanced from the earnest young man to his cold-eyed partner and came to decision. “May I have a moment with my client please?”

“Sure.” Rising Ellison and Sandburg left the room. Pausing outside the door Jim cocked his head and listened to the argument going on in the room they had just left.

“Well?” Sandburg demanded. “And don’t tell me you aren’t listening. I can tell. So give, what’s going on?”

Retracting his hearing Ellison turned to his impatient partner and smiled. This time the smile was warm. “The lawyer has convinced Thatcher to cooperate.”

At that moment Simon appeared with a young woman in a stylish business suit. “Simon, Beverly just in time.” Jim glanced at the woman and nodded to the room behind them. “I believe they’re almost ready for you councilor.”

Assistant DA Beverly Powell smiled. “I don’t know who up there likes me but thanks to Dr. Sandburg’s little speech Thatcher would be a fool not to deal. And while the councilman might be an idiot his lawyer isn’t.”

“So what kind of deal will they get?” Blair was curious. As much as he hated the fact he knew that the councilman probably wouldn’t spend anytime in jail but according to Jim and Simon the important thing was in stopping the ring stealing the objects. That was the information they were hoping to sweat out of Thatcher.

“Probably amnesty for full information on the theft ring and a hefty fine. I know it doesn’t seem like much but I intend to ring every last name, date and place from him before letting him walk.” She grinned. “And of course he’s going to lose all those beautiful items he kept for himself as well as the stash of goods he was planning to unload to wealthy buyers.”

Blair nodded. “What happens to the stolen art?”

“We’ll try to return it to the rightful owners. Why?”

“The Mantidae urn, could you arrange to have it turned over to me?”

“I’m not sure.” Beverly looked at the two rangers then turned back to Blair. “Why would you want the urn?”

“What I told Thatcher was true. If the Mantidae find out that the urn has been stolen, and all it would take is one news leak, then they will declare a blood feud on the councilman and his family. If we can prove that DeMarco is dead, and I’m pretty sure he is since there is no theft report for the urn, then I can return the vessel to the Mantidae. I know the proper rituals and can assure that honor is upheld. The urn would be back where it belongs and well, this way no one would have to die.”

Silence reigned as three pairs of eyes stared at the anthropologist. Finally, Beverly found her voice. “Ah, I think that can be arranged Dr. Sandburg. As soon as we’re finished here I’ll see about having the urn signed over to your care.”

“Thank you.”

A soft tapping on the door signaled the end of Thatcher and his attorney’s debate. Opening the door Ellison met the gaze of one weary lawyer and one disgruntled client. The lawyer wasted no time getting down to business. “We’re ready to make a deal.”

With a certain degree of satisfaction Ellison turned and waved Beverly into the room. “Councilor he’s all yours.”

Beverly paused just outside the door and smiled at the three men. “Thank you for everything, I’ll take it from here.” She turned to Sandburg. “Good work doctor. I’ll be in touch about the urn.” Then she entered the room and firmly closed the door behind her.

Simon glanced at the closed door then turned to face his unorthodox but oh so efficient team. “Nice work you two. Take the rest of the afternoon off. But I want your reports on my desk first thing in the morning. Now get out of here.”

Jim watched his boss head back to work then turned to corral his bouncing partner. “Come on Sandburg. I feel a Wonderburger calling.”

“Wonderburger? Jim you can’t eat that stuff. How about something nice and healthy? I know this great little place over near the university, you’ll love it.”

Smiling the sentinel steered his guide, still extolling the dangers of red meat and the virtue of organically grown vegetables, out of the building. Some days it was great to be alive.

Councilman Gregory Thatcher poured himself a brandy from the crystal decanter on his desk then slumped back into his expensive imported leather chair. Raising the glass to his lips he downed its contents in one long gulp then choked as the fiery liquor burned its way down his throat. The fire now burning in his throat matched the one simmering in his heart. How dare they do this to him? It was bad enough that that harridan of an assistant DA had grilled him for hours but then they had had the gall to slap him with a not so insubstantial fine before finally turning him loose on his own recognizance, with the understanding that he was not to leave the area of course. His lawyer had assured him that he had gotten off easily but it still rankled. Then he had returned home to find the place besieged with reporters. Somehow the vultures had gotten wind of the whole sordid mess and now he was front-page news. Already the members of his social circle were beginning to avoid him like the plague afraid that being associated with him might sully their lily-white reputations. The money was a trivial matter but to be an outcast from the rich and beautiful was something he would not tolerate. It was all that little creep Sandburg’s fault. He had made a mistake with that one. Who would have guessed that such a nondescript little hippie want-a-be was actually a well-known anthropological scholar? And who could have guessed that such a noteworthy scholar would be wasting his time tagging along with a cop? He had always been careful whom he allowed into the house, that was why he had always been so successful. The stolen objects were displayed in areas of the mansion that only selected invitees ever saw. The only people to see the treasures had been those wanting to buy them, never anyone who would recognize them as stolen and report the fact. He had assumed that Ellison and his partner were just dumb cops without the breeding to recognize the few trinkets he kept on display as something other than a rich man’s decorations. He had forgotten that James Ellison was the son of William Ellison one of the leading lights of high society but of course it had not been Ellison who had turned out to be the threat but his partner Sandburg.

Thatcher stood and walked across the room to stare out the window onto the immaculate lawn. That one would pay. Already the word had gone out. He would pay a million credits to anyone who terminated the life of one Blair Sandburg. Thatcher smiled; soon every lowlife in the quadrant would be vying for the honor of ending Sandburg’s life. The councilman was so caught up in imagining Sandburg’s demise that he didn’t notice the silent figure that effortlessly bypassed his state-of-the-art security system and glided ghostlike among the shadows of the room until a vice like hand grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

“You should have left well enough alone Councilman.” The cold voice sent shivers up the captive’s spine, as did the look in the gray eyes of his assailant. Thatcher’s fear turned to terror as other dark clad forms began to circulate around the room. He was dragged over to the desk and pushed roughly into the chair. Before he could move he heard the hiss of an injector spray. “But we can’t allow you to jeopardize Blair Sandburg, he’s far to important to us.”

Thatcher felt the handle of the injector spray being placed in his right hand but already numbness was spreading through his body making it impossible to move. Blurry eyes glanced at the monitor screen and the suicide note prominently displayed there then darkness dragged him down into oblivion.

The next morning Councilman Thatcher was found slumped over his desk dead of an apparent suicide. No sign of forced entry or other signs of foul play were detected. The injector spray and the sedative he had used to end his life had been prescribed for the councilman to help him sleep after the traumatic events of his arrest. Pharmacy receipts showed that Thatcher had filled the prescription personally the day of his death. It was an open and shut case.

The media splashed the airwaves with the life and times of Councilman Thatcher from his rise to fame and fortune to his descent into the shame and dishonor that had driven him to take his own life rather than live in disgrace. By that evening the word on the street was quite a different story. The contract on Blair Sandburg had been withdrawn with a clear warning that anyone who now or in the future accepted such a contract would find himself joining the late councilman in the great beyond. Wisely the hired killers who had arrived in answer to Thatcher’s offer quickly caught the next ship off of Cascade. Some risks just weren’t worth the price. And at 852 Prospect, apartment 307, Dr. Blair Sandburg shook his head at the news of the councilman’s death then went on with his day unaware of the currents of intrigue that swirled around him.

Lieutenant Jim Ellison adjusted his grip on the grocery bags as he unlocked the door and entered the loft. He glanced around in search of his guide and roommate then froze at the sight, which greeted him. Sandburg knelt on the living room floor a circle of candles surrounding him. On the floor in front of him sat the Mantidae urn. Smoke curled from an incense burner and a saucer of what Jim’s senses told him was water laced with salt, sat nearby. A pile of white linen strips, a quill, a small wooden box and a cup of some dark liquid completed the picture. Jim watched as Blair held his hands above the urn and muttered in some unknown tongue. When he had finished he sprinkled the urn with the salt water then began to wrap it in the white strips. Sandburg wove the strips in a ritualistic manner. When he had finished the intricately wrapped urn reminded Jim of pictures he had seen of ancient Egyptian mummies. Taking the quill Blair dipped it into the cup of black liquid and painted the linen with alien symbols. Then he carefully placed the wrapped urn into the small wooden box and carefully closed the lid. Sitting back on his heels he crossed his arms across his chest and lowered his head. A few moments later he raised his head, uncrossed his arms and stretched. Reaching out he began snuffing the candles one by one. He had just finished extinguishing the last flame when he caught sight of his partner standing in the doorway.

Rising gracefully to his feet Blair made his way to his partner. “Jim, sorry man I didn’t hear you come in. Here let me help you with those.”

Surrendering one of the loaded grocery bags Ellison followed his roommate into the kitchen. Placing his bags on the counter he motioned toward the living room. “What’s with the mumbo jumbo chief?”

“Oh that.” Sandburg shrugged and began emptying bags and stowing away the groceries. “The DA’s office finally released the urn. I was just getting it ready to return to the Mantidae.”

Jim slid the six-pack of beer onto the bottom shelf of the fridge then glanced up at his partner. “It looked more like you were getting it ready for burial.”

“In a way that’s not so far off. Since we could not find DeMarco’s body performing the funerary rites for the urn shows that we have the proper respect and understanding of its significance.”

Ellison leaned against the counter and asked the question that had been bothering him since Blair’s speech in the interrogation room. “Would the Mantidae really kill innocent people over a piece of pottery? I find that a little hard to believe, chief.”

Blair finished putting away the last of the groceries then turned to face his sentinel. “Jim, the Mantidae are an unusual people. They are one of the few insectoid races that the Harvesters engineered. As scientist and engineers they have no peers but their handling of emotions is another story. Their thought processes are clinical in nature and complex emotions such as love, hate, sorrow or even joy are foreign to them. They define themselves by their clan affiliation and the job they perform. They mate out of duty to their clan and remain faithful to their spouses because it is their duty to do so. Loyalty, duty and honor are the emotions that rule them. Their ancestor was the praying mantis. Mantidae history is filled with violence and bloodshed; the fact that they have managed to curb their more basic instincts and evolve into civilized beings is something they take great pride in. But those primitive instincts are still a part of them and can be brought to the surface very quickly by the right stimulus.”

“And I’m guessing a slight to their honor would qualify.”

“Big time.”

Jim smiled and reached out to swat the back of the curly head. “Then it’s a good thing we have you around to avert disaster Darwin.”

“Hey watch the hair man.” Blair threw up his hands to ward off his larger roommate. “And what’s for dinner? I’m like so starved and it’s your turn to cook.”

Ellison pointed to the candles still sitting in the middle of the living room floor. “Clean up that mess and I’ll order takeout. Chinese ok?”

“Great, you know what I like.”

As Sandburg began to clear the living room Ellison dialed the familiar number for his favorite Chinese restaurant. He smiled as he realized that he did indeed know what his partner liked.

The dark-haired man dressed in a fashionable business suit joined the hundred or so young executives hurrying through the corporate headquarters. Unobserved he slipped into the restricted elevator hidden at the back of the lobby. Entering his personal code he waited as the sophisticated security system built into the elevator performed a complete bio-scan before clearing him to proceed. Receiving the all clear he pressed the button for the penthouse and the elevator moved smoothly upward.

A short while later the elevator doors opened and the man exited onto the secure floor. He ignored the cameras watching him and proceeded across the plush carpet to the elegant French doors at the end of the corridor. Pausing before the closed doors he waited. There was a soft click then a voice spoke from the speaker beside the door. “Come in.”

Obeying the summons he opened the door and entered the inner sanctum of one of the most powerful men in the known galaxy. Approaching the tall silver-haired man seated behind the huge mahogany desk the visitor wasted no time. “The Thatcher matter has been handled. Dr. Sandburg is alive and well.”

“Excellent work.”

“I wish I could take the credit. Thatcher was taken out by someone else.”

“Ellison?”

“No, my guess is government.”

“Damn, we know they have an interest in Sandburg. If all had gone according to plan the good doctor would be in our hands and they would have no idea he was missing. Now…”

“So what are your orders, sir?”

“We need Sandburg. Do whatever it takes to acquire the young man.”

“That might prove difficult. The rangers rescued him as you wanted but there’s been an unexpected development. It seems Ellison is a sentinel, Sandburg’s sentinel to be exact.”

“They’re bonded?”

The dark-haired man nodded. “Sandburg’s moved in with Ellison. The two are inseparable. He has yet to resume his duties at the university and spends most of his time surrounded by rangers. Snatching him now would be risky.”

“Yes, I can see where that might pose a problem. We need to separate Sandburg from his protectors and find a way to take Ellison out of the equation. The last thing we need is an enraged sentinel who also happens to be an ex-commando on out trail. He will need to be eliminated. See to it, then acquire the good doctor.”

“Eliminating Ellison might be a mistake, sir.”

“How so?”

“My sources tell me the bond between Ellison and Sandburg is unnaturally strong. Killing Ellison might kill Sandburg as well.”

“Sandburg is no good to us dead or catatonic. Very well, this complicates things but changes nothing. In fact, we might be able to turn this to our advantage. If young Dr. Sandburg proves uncooperative a threat to his sentinel could be a powerful persuasion. Keep Sandburg under observation, he can’t stay with Ellison every second. Sooner or later he will return to Rainier, when he does we will make our move. By the time Ellison is aware his guide is missing he’ll be off world and even the illustrious rangers will have a hard time finding him.”

With a nod the dark haired man turned and left the office. Behind him his boss leaned back in his chair and smiled. The plan had hit a few snags but nothing that could not be overcome with the proper planning. They could afford to be patient sooner or later Sandburg would be theirs.

Blair Sandburg hefted his backpack onto one shoulder and joined the stream of people exiting at Rainier station. He had sold his ground car, an old clunker that often failed to run, when he had embarked on his sabbatical. Due to the vehicles temperamental nature he was well acquainted with Cascade’s mass transit system.

As Blair walked the two blocks to the Rainier campus he again pondered the news he had received that morning. He had called the Chancellor’s office to see about arranging an appointment to come by and discuss his options at Rainier. His sabbatical had originally been scheduled for three months yet he had been away from campus for almost a year. There was no way he could expect his job to still be waiting for him. He had hoped to be reinstated but knew that it was a long shot. Tenured positions were hard to come by and there was no way the administration would have held up such a valuable slot for a professor who failed to show.

He had been shocked then elated to discover that a clerical error had resulted in his sabbatical being listed as spanning twelve months instead of three and that both his job and his office were waiting for him to reclaim them. It would be another eight weeks before the next semester started so he would not have any immediate teaching duties. A good thing since he had a million and one things to get done before the semester started including finishing his paper on his time with the Chopec. That was a real coup since few outsiders had ever met the reclusive people much less had an opportunity to live with them. There had even been talk of him giving a few special lectures on the Chopec here on campus.

Climbing the steps to Hargrove Hall he ducked the crowds of students rushing to class with practiced ease. Bypassing the elevator he took the stairs to the second floor and followed the long hallway to the back corner office. He paused to run his fingers over the nameplate on the door. Dr. Blair Sandburg. He unlocked the door and stepped into the cluttered office. A large desk sat in one corner of the room with his favorite chair tucked neatly behind it. A comfortable looking sofa was tucked under the window on one wall with a small table sporting a hot plate and kettle beside it. The remaining wall space was taken up by two metal file cabinets and large bookcases filled with books and artifacts. Blair ran his hand lovingly over one of the artifacts. Someone had been dusting while he was gone. Everything was just as he remembered it. Dropping his backpack next to the desk Blair walked over and lifted the kettle from the hot plate. First things first, a quick trip down the hall and he soon had water brewing for tea. Popping a disc into the player sitting on top of one of the file cabinets he smiled as the sounds of drums filled the room. Dropping into the chair behind his desk he glanced around the office and smiled. He was home.

Some time later a soft knock on the door pulled Blair away from the paper he was working on. “Come in.”

Answering his summons a dark-haired young woman with sparkling green eyes opened the door and entered. “Blair Sandburg?”

“That would be me.” Blair stood as the woman walked up to the desk and shook the hand she held out to him.

“Hi, I’m Michelle Dante, my friends call me Mike. I’m your new TA.”

“Pleased to meet you Mike, I didn’t know I had a TA.”

Mike laughed. “I’ve been lending an extra hand to those needing some additional help until you got back. So welcome back boss.”

Blair grinned and gestured to indicate the room. “So are you the one I have to thank for keeping the dust bunnies from over running the place.”

“Well since they’re paying me out of your funds I though I’d make sure the critters didn’t bury the place while you were gone.”

“Thanks I appreciate it. Now,” he turned and rummaged through the plies of paper on his desk until he found the one he wanted. Turning back to Mike he gave her a rueful smile. “It looks like we’re going to be busy next semester. I have two classes scheduled, I’ll try not to burden you too much with those since I know you have your own classes to teach, but I also need to start work on the Stoddard artifacts, there’s a mound of data to be organized and processed as well as the translation work.”

“I was hoping to do my thesis work on the Harvesters.”

“Great, we’ll need to get you cleared for the secure lab, then we can work on what area you might want to explore.”

Nodding Mike pulled a portable data pad from her pocket and made some notes. “I’ve already filed the appropriate paperwork. I just need your clearance and I’m good to go. Are the artifacts really as awesome as they say?”

“They’re fantastic. Dr. Stoddard found what appears to be a storage cache of Harvester relics. From the translations I’ve been able to do it appears that the site might have been built to preserve the knowledge and technology of the Harvesters for future generations.”

Mike was stunned. Her friends had told her that she was crazy to wait around for Sandburg’s return, to waste a year of her time that she could have applied to studying with another professor. But she had been adamant. She didn’t want a mediocre study with some average anthropologist she had wanted to study with the best. From everything she’d been able to find out the vibrant young man before her was the best. Now after seeing his enthusiasm and hearing about the chance of a lifetime he was offering her she was sure her decision had been the right one. She had no doubt that the young professor was going to run her ragged but she also knew that she was going to love every minute of it. “So are the artifacts here, I’ve not heard anything about secret relics hitting campus?”

Blair sat down in his chair and waved her to one of the chairs in front of the desk. “No, we’re trying to keep this quiet. The artifacts are being held under UET guard in a secured facility until I can arrange to have them transferred here. I need to verify security in the lab before bringing them here.” Blair smiled as an idea occurred to him. “Maybe Jim can help.”

“Jim?”

Blair’s smile grew wider. “Ranger Lieutenant Jim Ellison, he’s an ex-commando and my sentinel.” Blair pulled a card from the mess of papers on his desk and handed it to the stunned student. “Oh, here are the numbers for Jim and the other rangers of Major Crime. Mike before we go any further I should tell you that working for me might not be the safest thing for you. I’m going to spend a lot of my time helping the cops catch bad guys, who may not always appreciate being caught. Then there’s the guide thing. Trouble has a way of finding us. You may want to reconsider hanging around with me.”

“My brother’s best friend in college was a sentinel. He and his guide spent a lot of time at our house. I know what to expect. And if memory serves the danger usually comes after the guide alone. You need someone around to call for backup. I’d like to stay.”

“Then welcome aboard.”

“Listen up people.” All movement in the Major Crime’s bullpen halted as the rangers focused their attention on their boss. “We’ve just gotten a tip that Hendrix is making his move. The buy is going down now at an abandoned warehouse at Fifth and Vine. And to make it even sweeter the warehouse holds his main drug lab. Let’s move.”

With practiced efficiency the rangers cleared their desks and headed in mass for the transport waiting in the precinct’s garage. As the large van sped to the target zone vests and communication gear was pulled from storage bins and hastily donned. Weapons were checked and extra power packs strapped to belts. When the strike van finally arrived at the scene it was a fully armed and armored assault team that stepped from its depths.

With deft hand signals Banks deployed his team around the building making sure all exits were covered. Then he turned to the sentinel noting the tilted head and look of concentration. “What have you got Jim?” He asked softly.

“They’re definitely in there. Damn, I can’t get a clear fix on them.”

<Jim? What’s going on man? >

As the calm tones of his guide suddenly filled his mind, Ellison felt some of his tension ease. <Assault on a drug lab, Chief. >

<What! Do you need me there, ah… where is there exactly? >

Ellison gave a mental chuckle. <Fifth and Vine and no I do not want you down here Chief, its too dangerous. >

Jim could practically hear the wheels in Sandburg’s mind turning. <OK, but you can’t go in there alone. Hold on let me get comfortable…okay this may feel a little weird man. > Before he could ask what the heck Blair was talking about Jim was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of his guide’s presence in his mind. A ghostly touch of a hand on his shoulder steadied him. His senses stabalized and sharpened responding effortlessly to his control now that his guide was with him. The sense of Blair was so strong and familiar that Ellison turned expecting to see the young man standing beside him only to see the concerned face of his captain instead.

“Jim, are you OK?”

Giving his boss a reassuring smile Jim nodded. ”Yeah, I think so. Listen Simon I need to do a recon before we storm the place.”

“It’s too dangerous for you to go in there on your own Jim. That place is full of chemicals and god knows what else. It would be suicide.”

Ellison smiled. “I won’t be alone sir.”

Simon stared at his best officer in confusion then understanding dawned. “He really did it didn’t he? The kids with you in your mind somehow.” At Ellison’s nod Banks shook his head. “OK, I don’t want to know. Just get in there so we can get these guys and Ellison be careful.”

With a nod to his boss Ellison turned and melted into the surrounding shadows. In moments Banks could detect no sign of his lieutenant. “Damn I wish I knew how he did that.” The captain muttered then turned to updating the other members of the strike team.

Slipping undetected into the old warehouse was child’s play for the ex-commando. Crouching in a darkened corner behind a stack of crates he sent his senses out to scan the interior. Instantly the sound of heartbeats registered on his sensitive hearing. “Simon,” he spoke softly into his com unit. “We’ve got three guards one on the north catwalk and two patrolling the main floor, north and south sides about two rows in. There is a dead pocket against the back west wall. Must be using a white noise generator. I can’t tell how many there might be.”

Following Blair’s instructions Jim extended his sense of smell. Immediately the scent of solvents and chemicals overwhelmed him threatening to send him into overload. Then the smell of herbal shampoo and the scent of his guide registered on his senses and broke thought the sensory overload. Following the mental instructions he dialed down his sense of smell and sighed as the world righted. Once the sensory storm passed he cautiously turned the dial on his sense of smell up notch-by-notch filtering out the unwanted odors one at a time until he finally locked onto the distinctive cologne Hendrix always wore. Piggybacking his hearing onto the scent, he was able to faintly make out the sound of six distinct heartbeats and scraps of conversation through the distortion of the white noise generator.

“Ok, Simon I have Hendrix and five others in an office, back wall, the deal is going down now. I’m going for the sniper.” Hearing his bosses ok, he tuned out Simon briefing the rest of the team and moved silently to the stairs leading to the catwalk above.

Jim smiled at his guide’s enthusiasm. <It was your idea Darwin. > Using the deadly skills he had perfected in his years with the commandos Ellison crept closer to the oblivious sentry.

<Yeah, but I didn’t know it would work. > Jim tabled that comment for later review as he closed on the sentry.

Ellison was right on top of the man before the guard sensed anything was wrong. At the last moment the man turned only to have a wedge hand strike to the throat silence any cry. A lightening fast chop to the neck and the sentry dropped to the catwalk unconsciousness. Cuffing the man to the railing surrounding the catwalk Ellison made sure the man’s weapons were out of reach then crouched beside his fallen prey and scanned the floor below. He watched as Henri and Rafe crept closer to the guard patrolling the northern half of the building while Conner and Taggert closed in on the other. Ellison quickly updated his comrades on the location of their respective targets and watched in satisfaction as the rangers quickly subdued the remaining guards. Leaving the catwalk he hurriedly joined his teammates. As one, the rangers moved to surround Hendrix and his cronies.

Rodger Hendrix glanced at his computer screen and smiled as his bank account registered the deposit of a trillion credits to his account. Satisfied he nodded to one of his bodyguards who handed a large suitcase to the dangerous looking man sitting in the chair in front of his desk. “It’s good doing business with you, Axon, enjoy.”

Handing the suitcase to one of his associates Axon waited as the contents was tested and verified then gave Hendrix a chilling smile. It’s a shame you’re closing up shop Hendrix. Euphoria is the hottest selling drug out there, a trillion credits is nothing to what you could make.”

“Sorry, Cascade is getting a little too warm for me, it’s time to relocate. I’ll contact you when I’m back in business.”

“See that you do. I’ve got a pipeline to every civilized rock in space, I can move all you can produce.”

As the two men shook hands to finalize their deal a loud voice echoed across the room. “Freeze Rangers! You’re under arrest!”

Instantly pandemonium broke out in the warehouse. Hendrix and Axon dove to the floor as their bodyguards drew weapons and opened fire on the rangers. The glass partition separating the office from the rest of the warehouse shattered under the barrage as the warehouse was lit by the eerie glow of discharging lasers. Sheltered behind thick crates the rangers returned fire sending a hail of energy bolts streaming into the office to slam into the desk and file cabinets that the thugs were using as cover. While their hired help kept the rangers busy Hendrix inched his way to the wall behind his desk. Removing a panel he revealed an opening leading to a passageway running along the wall. “Always have an escape route.” Hendrix smiled at the surprised look on Axon’s face then led the way into the passage. A few moments later silence settled over the warehouse and the rangers moved forward into the office. The four thugs lay unconscious on the floor but there was no sign of their employers.

Henri Brown shook his head and looked around at his teammates. “Where did they go? I know they didn’t pass us and there’s no where else they could be.”

Stalking around the now passive thugs Ellison scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary. In no time he located the hatch hidden in the back of the warehouse wall. “Seems our rat has made himself a bolt hole. There’s a passage back here.”

“But we only found the three entrances to the building.” Joel put in “They can’t stay in there forever. They’ll have to come out and make a run for the exits.”

Ellison extended his hearing to try to locate the fleeing men but all he could hear was the sounds of his teammates. With a growl he turned and searched the room finding the white noise generator lying on the floor beside a scorched file cabinet. Picking up the unit he flicked it off. Extending his hearing once again he was rewarded by the sounds of movement and the distinct thumping of heartbeats coming from beneath their feet. Motioning for Simon to follow he led him away from the office then in a quiet voice filled him in on what he had discovered. “The escape hatch wasn’t the only renovations Hendrix made. There’s a hidden room under our feet. I can hear their heartbeats.“

“Anyway to flush them out?”

“Too risky we don’t know what kind of armament they have down there.”

<You can find out Jim. You know what a hand laser smells and sounds like. Use your senses. > In the excitement Ellison had forgotten his guide’s presence. Now he followed his suggestion. “Simon I can detect at least six power units rushing them would not be a good idea.”

“So we let them come to us. Look they don’t know we have a sentinel on the team, use of a white noise generator is stand operating procedure for Hendrix when he’s making a deal. There’s no reason to believe that they realize we know about their hiding place.”

Ellison gave a feral smile. “And once they think the coast is clear.”

Simon’s smile matched that of his lieutenant. “They’ll fall right into our laps.”

The next half hour was a mass of activity as the prisoners were hauled away and evidence was secured for transport to headquarters. All the usual routines of a bust were carried out with much bemoaning of the loss of the principle players. After the last of the police personnel had cleared the area, the rangers of Major Crime crept quietly back into the warehouse. Ellison and Banks stationed themselves in the office while the other rangers took up defensive position just outside.

<How’re you doing, Chief? > Now that he had time to think Jim was worried about his guide. He had been aware on a subconscious level of his guide’s steadying presence during the assault on the office but had not really had time to process that fact until now. A shoot-out was not exactly standard fare for an anthropologist.

Jim chuckled at his guide’s plaintive tone. <Welcome to the rangers Chief, hours of boredom mixed with a few minutes of terror. >

For the next two hours the rangers waited in silence the only sounds the creaking of the warehouse until finally their patience was rewarded.

Ellison performed a sensory sweep and stiffened as he heard a faint scrape coming from the wall. “Get ready, they’re coming.” He whispered into his com unit. He could feel the tension as his fellow rangers readied themselves.

With a thud the escape hatch door banged opened and two men in dusty suits climbed out. “I told you the cops would never catch on.” Hendrix gloated. “I had this specially constructed so that only a sentinel could detect the seams.”

“Fine so your hidey-hole worked but you’re still out a trillion credits and I’ve lost a valuable shipment.” Axon brushed the dust from his expensive suit. “Not to mention it cost me two of my best men.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that where you’re going. You’re under arrest.” The two criminals looked up at Banks’ cold statement with identical expressions of stunned surprise on their faces.

With resigned sighs they raised their hands in surrender. Simon watched in satisfaction as the two drug lords were searched, cuffed and read their rights, all according to the book. A few minutes later Simon, Joel and Henri led a much-subdued Axon toward the front exit leaving Megan, Rafe and Ellison to escort a fuming Hendrix. They were only half way to the exit when Hendrix stopped and looked at Ellison. “My plan was perfect there’s no way you could have found us…only a sentinel could have found us. You have no sentinels so how did you do it?”

Ellison gave a chilling smile. “We have our ways.”

Hendrix stared then anger flushed his face. “It’s you...you’re one of them.” An uneasy feeling crept up Jim’s spine; he didn’t like the sudden look of madness that had appeared in Hendrix’s eyes. “Well you won’t have me sentinel…Armageddon 291 execute.” There was an audible click then Ellison detected a mechanical hum running through the warehouse. “What the…?” Then he caught the familiar smell of explosives and he knew. “Everyone out! It’s going to blow!”

Ellison ignored Simon’s frantic yells over the com unit demanding to know what was going on putting everything he had into dragging the laughing Hendrix toward the exit. He could see Megan and Rafe running in front of him but he knew it was too late. He could hear the hum growing louder; they were not going to make it.

<I’m sorry Chief. > Then the world exploded in light and sound. He was vaguely aware of a frantic mental voice crying out his name before excruciating pain slammed through his body carrying him into oblivion.

Michelle Dante stiffened as she heard the anguished cry coming from her boss’s office. Pushing open the door she stared in shock at the scene that greeted her. Dr. Sandburg lay crumpled on the floor next to his desk. Sweat streaked his ashen face and tremors shook his body. Racing forward she dropped to her knees beside the stricken man. His breathing was ragged. Reaching out she pressed two fingers against his throat and sagged in relief at the strong though too fast beat. His skin had a definite chill that worried her. Suddenly memory stirred. She had seen this condition once before when the guide of her brother’s sentinel friend had suffered an emotional overload. Empathetic shock was the term the sentinel had used. Grabbing the afghan from the couch she wrapped it around the shivering professor. She glanced at the phone, should she call the paramedics? A crowd or worse yet a hospital was the last thing an overloaded empath needed. Before she could reach a decision a low moan from her patient drew her attention.

“Dr. Sandburg can you hear me? Come on professor you’re scaring me here?”

“Mi…ke?” The dazed voice was music to Mike’s ears. Seeing the young anthropologist struggling to sit up, she smiled. The empath was fighting his way back.

“Yeah, it’s me boss.” Reaching out she helped him to sit up and lean back against the nearby filing cabinet.

“God my head.” Blair rested his elbows on his knees and cradled his pounding head in his hands. He could still feel the tremors running through his body but they were lessening.

Mike crouched next to her boss and watched him with worried eyes. “Are you ok? Should I call the paramedics?”

Lifting his aching head he tried to give her a reassuring smile. “No, I’ll be fine…just need a minute.”

“What happened?”

At the innocent question, memory slammed into him. “My God, Jim!” He struggled to rise to his feet thankful for the steadying arm of the student. “Something’s happened to Jim I’ve got to get to him.”

“Whoa Doc you’re not in any condition to go anywhere.” Mike steadied the professor as his knees threatened to give way.

“I have to get to him Mike…I have to.” The look of anguish in the deep blue eyes robbed her of any protest.

“OK, but you’re not going alone. My car’s right outside I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

“Thank you.” The look of relief and sincerity cut right to the grad student’s heart. If she wasn’t careful she could lose her heart to the young professor.

“Ok, let’s go.” Steadying the empath she grabbed his backpack from behind the desk and quickly led him to the waiting car. Lowering him into the passenger seat she handed him the backpack and watched as he buckled the restraints. Assured that her passenger was secure she hurried around and climbed behind the wheel. “So where are we going?”

With a haunted expression Sandburg looked over at his TA. “Fifth and Vine.” Then turned to stare silently out the window hugging the battered backpack to his chest.

Without another word Mike put the car in gear and headed where her boss needed to go.

As the car moved smoothly through traffic Sandburg closed his eyes and reached for his sentinel.

The first thing Ellison became aware of was pain. His skin was on fire, pain knifed through his ears causing the pain in his head to grow. He moaned in agony then flinched as his own voice added to the agony. <Jim? > There was the whisper of a voice then the soothing presence of his guide was there, cutting through the pain and confusion and bringing order.

<Easy, big guy you were caught in an explosion, the blast has knocked your senses out of control. I need you to relax…just breathe…good now picture the dials and turn everything down. Can you do that for me? >

Ellison detected the note of concern and fear in the mental voice and sentinel instincts responded. Anchored by the soothing voice, sentinel recovery instincts kicked in forcing away the shock of the blast. Following his guide’s instructions he concentrated, forcing his body to relax. Then one by one he grasped the dials controlling his senses and turned them down. He sighed in relief as the chaotic world of sensory overload settled into an unfamiliar darkened room. <Blair, what happened are you all right? >

The memory of running, Rafe and Megan ahead of him, suddenly returned. He had known they were going to die, then a falling beam had smashed down in front of them and the floor had opened up beneath their feet. They had fallen into the secret room beneath the exploding structure. There had been a blinding pain in his back then nothing. Glancing around he found himself lying on a stack of steel beams. His head was pounding and he could feel the bruises forming on his torso but from the waist down there was nothing. <I fell on some girders Chief; everything’s numb from the waist down. Outside of a headache, that seems to be my only injury. >

<Good, now is anyone else with you? How badly are they hurt? >

Sentinel sight cut easily through the darkness of the small room and what he saw was not reassuring. <Hendrix’s dead. Rafe and Megan are alive but badly injured. Rafe has a head injury and his right leg is pinned, it looks crushed. Megan...god Chief, she fell on a metal spike, it’s sticking clear through her. >

<We’ll try Chief, just hurry. >

Closing his eyes Jim drew on his guide’s quiet support and listened to the heartbeats of his friends willing them to continue beating.

<Ok, Jim, > His guides voice drew him out of the light zone he had fallen into. <I’m just arriving at the scene. I’ll be right there. >

Scanning the room he heard the reassuring heartbeats. Rafe and Megan were still struggling to hang onto life. <We’ll be waiting Chief. >

“Blair?” At Mike’s touch he opened his eyes and stared at the scene outside the car window. “We’re here.”

Unbuckling his seat restraints he placed one hand on the door handle then turned to the worried TA. “Mike I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“Just take care, OK? I don’t want to have to break in a new boss just yet.”

Blair chuckled. “I’ll be fine.”

“And you’ll explain all of this to me later?”

“Yeah, it’s the least I can do.” Opening the door Sandburg climbed from the car. “Thanks again.”

As Mike drove away Blair turned and scanned the area. The warehouse was so much rubble, rescue crews and engineers swarmed the place. Pulling his observers badge from his backpack he flashed it at the officer guarding the perimeter then ducked under the yellow barrier tape. Spying the familiar form of Captain Banks he began to tread his way though the crowds toward him.

“What do you mean the scans show no bodies?” Blair could hear the irate voice of he ranger captain long before he reached him.

“I mean what I said.” The harried engineer pointed to the computer display. The place is one big mass of rubble and there are no signs of bodies dead or otherwise.”

“Look I left three of my people in there along with a suspect. Are you saying they just up and evaporated?”

“I’m saying the scans can’t find anyone in there.”

“That’s because they’re no longer on the main floor.” Banks and the engineer turned at the softly spoken words. “They’re in the secret room underneath the warehouse.” Sandburg turned worried eyes on the captain. “They’re alive but hurt. We have to get help to them now.”

“What the...how do you…”

“How he knows isn’t important, Bickers.” Banks cut off the engineer’s words. “Find me a way into that room…now.”

Without a word the engineer turned and began to type commands into his keyboard. He had been in Cascade long enough to know you didn’t get on the bad side of this particular ranger captain. If Banks wanted a way into a secret room he would find him one. But first he had to find the room.

While Bickers worked Banks drew Blair to one side. Seeing the pale face and the worried blue eyes he reached out and grasped one tense shoulder. “Blair, are you okay son?”

“No Simon I’m not ok. I was connected to Jim…I felt everything…god Simon Jim was in overload and he’s paralyzed and Rafe and Megan are...” he broke off unable to continue.

The pain in the blue eyes was more than Simon could stand; reaching out he engulfed the trembling guide in a hug. “Easy son, they’re still alive and thanks to you we now know where to look. We’ll get them out.”

The empath rested a moment soaking up the care and concern from the older man then slowly pushed away. “Sorry Captain.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for Blair.” He studied the shaky guide then his eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. “You were with Jim in the warehouse all that time and then…you experienced his trauma. Damn it Sandburg the shock could have killed you.”

“I’m alright Simon I just want to get to them you know.”

“Yeah, kid I know.” Seeing Bickers look over at him and nod he grabbed Sandburg’s arm and led him back toward the engineer. “But when this is over we’re going to have a talk about you risking your life on police business.”

Ignoring Banks’ last statement Blair fixed his eyes on the computer screen. “Did you find them?”

The engineer nodded. “I had to recalibrate the scanners, that room is heavily shielded. If you hadn’t pointed it out we’d never have found it, but I finally managed to get a pretty fair scan of the area. We’ve got three life signs.” He pointed to a point on the scan. “Luckily most of the rubble seems to be on the main floor, falling in that hole probably saved their lives. The bad news is it’s going to take some time to dig them out of there.”

“We don’t have a lot of time. They need help now.”

Bickers stared at he longhaired young man who somehow knew more than his scanners.

“What about a safe passage,” Banks studied the screen then turned and looked at Sandburg. “One small enough for a single person to fit through. They could take food, water and medical supplies. Buy us enough time for you to dig them out.”

“It might be possible.” Bickers tapped a few keys on the keyboard and suddenly a bright green line began flashing on the screen. Tracing the line the engineer shook his head. “It’s a winding course and it’s pretty narrow in spots.”

“Will I fit?” Bickers glanced at the anxious young man then turned to Banks.

Simon held up a hand to forestall the protest he knew was coming. If he didn’t know the things he did there was no way in hell he’d be letting a civilian, an academic at that, risk this. But Simon did know. Blair was much tougher than he looked and he was the only hope he had of getting his people back whole and healthy. He just hoped Ellison didn’t kill him when he found out about this little stunt. “Sandburg has medical training. Besides he’s Ellison’s guide. The explosion most likely sent Jim into a zone out. Time is critical; if a sentinel stays zoned too long he’ll die. Sandburg’s the best one to go. Now can you get him down there?”

For the first time since the explosion, Bickers smiled. “Captain I think we can.”

Ten minutes later Blair was carefully picking his way through the twisted debris guided by Bickers’ voice over his headset. He would shimmy though the fallen timber then turn and pull the loaded, supply pack to him. It was slow going. There had been one scary moment when he had shimmied through a particularly narrow spot only to see debris fill the opening seconds after he cleared it. Only the thought of his wounded friends kept the young scholar going. After all he only had to do this once. He just had to worry about getting in, not back out. Focusing his mind on the goal he ignored his aching muscles and crawled forward, one slow step after another.

“That’s it Bair.” The engineer’s excited voice shocked Blair from the mental fog he had fallen into. “You should be able to see an opening in the floor just in front of you.”

“Got it.” He had been so focused on moving forward he would have fallen through the hole without Bickers’ warning.

Dragging the pack to him he pulled out a coil of thin, lightweight rope and rappelling gear. When he was twelve he had spent the summer on a dig where the only way to reach the ruins was by rappelling down the side of a cliff. He was about to see how much of his rock climbing training he remembered. Scaling the sheer cliffs at the site had been terrifying. He had always been afraid of heights but his desire to study the ancient civilization had overridden his fear and he had endured the often dizzying climb. Now focusing on his fear for his friends he ignored the fluttering in his stomach as he looked into the gaping wound torn into the warehouse floor. Securing one end of the rope to a sturdy looking girder he threw the remaining rope into the dark hole. Clipping his harness to the line he secured the pack to his back then taking a deep breath he stepped off into space. He hung suspended in the dark a moment then remembered lessons kicked in and he quickly rappelled to the floor below. “Simon I’m down.”

“Nice work Sandburg.” He could hear the relief in the captain’s voice. “Bickers and his team are working on getting all of you out of there. Just sit tight.” His voice softened. “Take care of them Blair.”

“I will sir.” Removing the heavy pack Blair placed it on the floor before reaching up to pull off his headset. Stashing the communication gear in the pack for later use he fished out a glow stick. “Jim can you hear me?” There was no answer. Mentally reaching out he sighed in relief to find his sentinel there but frowned as he realized he was unconscious. Activating the glow stick he blinked as light filled the previously dark room.

Carefully picking his way through the debris-ridden floor, he finally dropped to his knees beside his partner. Jim lay sprawled across a pile of steel beams; blood darkened one side of his head. Blair reached out and placed one hand on the injured man’s forehead then laid his other hand on Ellison’s chest just over his heart. Closing his eyes he let his awareness sink into the damaged body beneath his hands. A few moments later he sighed and opened his eyes to find the light blue eyes of his sentinel staring at him in awe.

“How are you feeling?”

Raising his hand Ellison wiped the blood from his forehead there was no sign of a wound and the infernal pounding that had been threatening to split his head in two was blessedly gone. With a smile he cautiously sat up relieved when his body responded to his commands. “Fine Chief. Except for a few cuts and bruises I’m good to go.”

“Yeah well they’re going to want to check you out after you get out of here it wouldn’t do for you to not have at least a few bruises.” Rising gracefully to his feet the healer walked over to Rafe. “I could really use your help here big guy.”

Instantly the sentinel was at his side. “God Blair that looks bad.”

“It’s okay Jim I can help both him and Megan but we have to get this beam off of him first.”

“What about Megan? That spike...”

“The spike is slowing the bleeding. Once we remove her from it I’ll need to start the healing immediately. She’s actually in better shape then Rafe but we need to hurry.”

Searching the debris Ellison pulled out a long metal pole. “Ok, Chief I’m going to lift the beam be ready to pull Rafe clear.”

Using an adjacent beam as a fulcrum Ellison jammed the rod under the beam pinning Rafe and pushed down. Muscles bulged and strained as he leaned all his weight into moving the girder. Blair watched in fascination as the heavy beam twitched then lifted slightly. Immediately, he grabbed the injured ranger and dragged him from underneath the beam. Dropping to his knees beside Rafe he extended his hands and let his mind sink into the mangled body.

Jim watched in amazement as Blair’s hand began to glow with a golden light. Extending his sentinel sight he watched as damaged skin, bones and muscles reformed themselves. A few moments later the golden glow died and Blair opened his eyes. What had once been life-threatening injuries were now only scrapes and bruises. With a moan Rafe opened his eyes and blinked.

“Up an at ‘em ranger.” Jim teased. “We have another comrade to save.”

A confused Rafe accepted the hand Jim offered and allowed the sentinel to help him to his feet. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain later. I need your help with Megan.” Turning to where Jim pointed Rafe paled as he saw the impaled body of their fellow ranger.

“God Jim.”

“Don’t worry you were in much worse shape and Blair fixed you. He’ll take care of Megan too. But first we need to get her off that thing.”

As the three men approached the downed Australian she began to moan as consciousness tried to return. Immediately, Blair ran forward and placed his hands on the trembling body. At his touch her body relaxed as the healer dulled her pain receptors and sent her back into unconsciousness.

“Blair I need you to break off contact. We can’t lift Megan while you’re touching her.”

At first Jim was afraid that Blair was under too deep to hear him but then he stirred and opened his eyes. Moving back he let the two larger men take over.

Thankful that she was now unconscious they lifted Megan from the spike. Placing her on the floor they moved back as Blair rushed forward. Once again Jim watched as a miracle took place. Damaged flesh became whole. When the golden glow vanished from Sandburg’s hands the only sign of injury was the assortment of bumps and bruises.

Blair sat back as fatigue suddenly washed over him. The stress and shock coupled with the energy drain of healing was beginning to catch up with him. He vaguely heard a voice with an Australian accent asking what happened then the world began to tilt. Suddenly a pair of strong arms encircled him and a voice whispered in his ear. “I’ve got you Chief. Everything’s fine now just rest.”

Ellison held his guide as exhaustion and stress finally pulled him under. Looking up he saw the concerned looks on Rafe’s and Megan’s faces.

“He’ll be okay. Everything just finally caught up with him. He just needs to rest.”

Megan crouched next to him and gently brushed a strand of curly hair from the sleeping face. “I read the reports but I had no idea.” She ran a hand over the bloodstain on her blouse. “I could tell I was badly hurt but now…”

“I know it’s like a miracle. That’s why we need to figure out a way to make sure it stays a secret. If it got out what he could do…”

“They would destroy him.” Rafe knelt on Jim’s other side. “I promise Jim no one will ever find out from me.”

“Or me.” Megan vowed.

“Good now we just have to come up with a reason we’re all relatively unscathed when my guide practically demanded to be let in here before we all died.”

“Oh no, he didn’t.”

Jim gave Megan a smile. “He did.”

”Well you know how flighty guides are.” Rafe smiled. “Their sentinels are in danger and they expect the worse. How was he to know we were all just knocked out by the fall? One minute he’s chatting away to you on the com and the next he hears this tremendous explosion, falling bodies and our cries of pain. He can’t get a response from you then the line goes dead. The kid just knew you had to be at death’s door.”

Jim laughed. “Rafe you are a devious man but it just might work.”

“Just one problem mate.” Megan gestured to her ruined blouse. “It’s going to be difficult to hide the evidence.”

“Check the room.” Ellison nodded toward the back wall. “There’s some storage cabinets over there. Maybe Hendrix has something we can use. A blanket to hide behind or maybe some water to wash out the stains, something.”

As Rafe and Megan checked the room Jim gently laid his guide on the floor and retrieved the pack Blair had brought. As he lifted the pack he heard the muffled sound of Banks’ voice coming from its depths. “Sandburg, answer me! What’s going on in there?”

Pulling out the headset Ellison tried to calm his upset boss. “Easy Simon everything’s fine.”

“Ellison? Is that you Jim?”

“Yeah, Simon it’s me. Hendrix is dead. Rafe, Megan and I are fine, a little bruised and battered but noting serious.”

“So Sandburg was able to pull you out of the zone?”

For a moment Jim was confused by his bosses question then understanding dawned. “Yeah Simon and just in time. A few minutes more and I wouldn’t have made it back.”

“Good.” The relief in Banks’ voice carried clearly to the sentinel. “Bickers and his team are working on getting all of you out of that hole but it’s going to take a while. There should be enough supplies in the pack to hold you over ‘til we can get to you. Just sit tight. I’ll check in with you every hour.”

“Aye sir. Sit tight and check in every hour, got it Simon.”

Banks chuckled. “Smart alec. Banks out.”

Chuckling Ellison removed the headset then began to inventory the contents of the pack.

“Hey Jim take a look at this.” Ellison glanced over to see Rafe standing in the doorway of a small room. “Hendrix had this place outfitted in style. He even put in a bathroom and best of all everything still works.”

“Good, then we won’t have to designate a corner for a latrine.” Jim chuckled at the horrified expression on the dapper ranger’s face. Obviously Rafe hadn’t had time to process what being stuck in a small space without an exit really meant.

“So which do you think is me?” Megan appeared carrying two men’s shirts. She held them up for inspection. “Am I a blue?” She held up one shirt. “Or a green?” She displayed the second. “There’s a whole chest of clothing back there, along with food, water, bedding and a cot. I even found an old sofa stuck in the corner. Looks like our boy was prepared for a siege.”

Ellison smiled. “Definitely the green.” He glanced down at his own blood stained clothes then turned to Rafe. “Let’s get changed then see about finding Sandburg a more comfortable place to sleep.”

While Ellison and Rafe dug through Hendrix’s clothing stash Megan made use of the bathroom to clean up and change into fresh clothes. Leaving the guys to get changed she carried the cot to an area that was fairly clear of debris then retrieved a pillow and blankets from the storage cabinet. By the time Ellison and Rafe joined her looking much more presentable she had a comfortable resting place ready for the sleeping guide.

With a smile of thanks Ellison picked up the sleeping healer and carried him to the waiting cot. Laying the curly head on the pillow the sentinel gently tucked the warm blankets around his guide. Satisfied they had done everything possible to protect the vulnerable young man the three rangers prepared to settle down and wait. Rafe helped Ellison drag the old sofa over near the cot while Megan dug bottles of water and energy bars out of the pack. They had all experienced blood loss and it was important to rehydrate. Settling down on the surprisingly comfortable sofa the three rangers tore into their meal surprised to find themselves suddenly hungry.

As he ate Ellison allowed his gaze to survey the room. They had been extremely lucky. The roof of the secret room was reinforced with steel girders. The falling beams from the warehouse ceiling had punched a large hole in the wooden flooring comprising the rooms ceiling and dislodged some of the girders causing their fall into the room below but the remaining flooring and girders outside of the impact zone were still intact. Except for the pile of debris directly under the hole the rest of the room was undamaged. For now they were safe from the rubble above with enough supplies to last several days. Pulling the headset from the pack he placed it within easy reach then leaned back and closed his eyes allowing his aching body to relax. Beside him he could hear Megan and Rafe mirroring his moves. Soon the only sound in the room was the deep even breathing of the sleepers.

Four hours later three bruised and battered rangers led one tired anthropologist out of the ruined building that could have been their tomb. Relief swamped Simon as he saw his team stumble from the rubble. “Everyone all right?” He studied each face but could see no serious injuries. Of course Banks, Simon berated himself a moment later, they’ve been healed of course there are no injuries. The important thing now was getting his people out of here and keeping suspicion away from Sandburg. “Ok, you three the paramedics are waiting to check you over. No arguments.” He turned to Blair. “Brown will give you a ride home. I’m sure you’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

Blair opened his mouth to object but Jim cut him off. “Thanks Simon.” Turning to Blair he saw rebellion in his guide’s eyes. “Chief there’s no need for you to sit around the ER being bored. They’re just going to poke and prod us and send us home, no big deal. My senses are fine now. If I have any trouble Simon will call you.”

“Are you sure?” Blair was not convinced but he could feel that it was important to his sentinel that he not accompany him. He was so tired and it was hard to think. It was easier to allow Jim to have his way. “You’ll call if you need me?”

“I promise Chief. Now go with Brown. I’ll be home soon.”

“Okay.” Henri took the dazed healer’s arm and began to lead him to his car. As they passed the scanning equipment Blair stopped and turned toward the engineer. “Thanks man for everything.”

Bickers smiled and waved. “Anytime kid.”

Sandburg climbed into the passenger side of the unmarked police car and clumsily buckled his seat belt. Exhausted by the simple task he leaned back and closed his eyes as Henri started the car. A few moments later he was roused from sleep by a hand shaking his shoulder. “Huh?”

He opened his eyes to find a smiling Henri Brown leaning over him. “We’re here Sandburg.”

“Oh, already?” Forcing his leadened body to move he climbed out of the car. He stood swaying a moment then a firm hand latched onto his arm and propelled him toward the building. The elevator ride to the third floor passed in a blur then he found himself standing outside of his apartment door. Fumbling in his pocket he pulled out his keys. Brown reached over and took the keys from the trembling hands and quickly unlocked the door. Pushing open the apartment door he led the unprotesting observer to his bedroom. The kid was crashing. Entering the room Blair took two steps forward and fell face first onto his bed. Chuckling Henri dropped Sandburg’s backpack on the floor near the door then moved forward and began to undress the oblivious guide. After removing the dirt covered clothes Henri pulled the comforter over the sleeping form and quietly left the room. Settling onto the couch the ranger made himself comfortable and waited for Ellison’s returned.

Ranger Lieutenant James Ellison sat on the exam bed and fumed. For the last hour he had been poked and prodded and all he wanted was to leave the place and go home. Reaching up he rubbed his forehead in a vain attempt to banish his growing headache. His patience had almost evaporated when the door to the room opened.

Seeing the clenched jaw and frosty stare of his best officer Banks chuckled. “Easy Jim you’re going to break that jaw if you don’t ease up. I have good news the doctor is releasing you.”

“About time.” Ellison consciously relaxed the tense muscles in his jaw. “I told them we were fine but they refused to listen.”

“Well, Jim, you did spend over four hours buried under a blown up building. You can’t blame them for being thorough.”

Ellison’s reply was bitten back as the doctor entered the room. Dr. Leslie Parker gave her patient an understanding smile. “Well Mr. Ellison you’ll be happy to know that we are no longer in need of your company.”

In spite of himself Ellison felt an answering smile tug at his lips. “I hope you won’t take it personal Les if I say it’s about time.”

The pretty blonde, blue-eyed doctor laughed. “From you Jim I’d expect no less.” Ever since coming to Cascade General Dr. Leslie Parker had become well acquainted with the rangers of Major Crime. “Ok, I need you to take it easy for a few days. I’ve written prescriptions for a muscle relaxant and painkillers and I expect you to use them.” She handed him two prescription sheets. “You’re going to be very uncomfortable for the next few days. Most of the bruising is minor but the one on your lower back is deep and may cause you some trouble. So take your medicine and don’t let me see you back in here anytime soon, Lieutenant.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Leaving Ellison to get dressed Simon followed the doctor into the hallway. “How are Rafe and Conner?”

“Pretty much the same. Minor bruising except for Rafe’s leg and Megan’s side. Those areas suffered the same deep bruising that Ellison has on his lower back but otherwise they’re fine. It’s amazing they all made it out with such minor injuries.”

“A miracle indeed. Thank you doctor.”

“My pleasure Captain. Now I have other patients to see.”

As the doctor walked away Simon thought about how different things could have turned out without the talents of one young longhaired college professor. Watching his people walk toward him healthy and relatively whole he gave thanks to whatever fates had decided to make the unorthodox kid Ellison’s guide. At this moment in time Banks was extremely grateful to them.

Ellison unlocked the door to the loft with a sigh of relief. Dropping his keys in the basket on the table near the door he hung up his jacket and crossed the room to the French doors leading to his guide’s room. Quietly he pushed opened the door and stared at the sight of his guide, buried under a mound of covers, sleeping peacefully. The sentinel felt the last of his tension fade. His guide was safe in his territory sleeping contentedly. Softly closing the doors Jim crossed to the couch and smiled down at the sleeping form of Henri Brown. Shaking the sleeping man’s shoulder he whispered. “Rise and shine H. Time to go home.”

“What?” Blinking open his eyes Henri looked around dazed then seemed to snap awake. “Jim, when did you get in? Sorry man I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“That’s ok H it’s been a long day for all of us. And I just got here. I can’t thank you enough for sitting with Blair.”

Standing up Brown stretched then began to gather his hat and coat. “No problem. The kid was practically out on his feet. It didn’t feel right to just leave him alone.”

Escorting his fellow ranger to the door Ellison secured the loft then stopped to check on his guide once more. The calm heartbeat and slow steady breathing soothed the sentinel. Closing the French doors he made his way up the stairs to his waiting bed. Moments later he joined his guide in slumber.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee lured Blair from Morpheus’s sweet embrace. With a low moan he managed to convince his eyes to remain open and struggled to unbury himself from the covers that had somehow ended up twisted around his body, pinning him to the bed. On the third attempt he managed to lever himself upright and sat for a moment on the edge of the bed to catch his breath before slowing pushing himself to his feet. Stifling a yawn he staggered from his room and stumbled toward the bathroom.

A much too alert roommate, who calmly placed a cup of strong coffee in his hands and announced that breakfast would be ready in fifteen minutes, intercepted him halfway to his goal. Waving one hand in acknowledgement Blair sniffed the fragrant brew and continued to make his way somewhat unsteadily to the bathroom.

Blair sighed as he stepped under the hot spray from the shower. Sleep had restored much of his energy but now the aches and pains left over from the healing were beginning to make themselves known. The pains in his head, leg, back and side matched the injuries he remembered healing. He shuddered as he thought of the debilitating injuries and the long painful recoveries the rangers would have been suffering if he had not been able to reach them. But he had reached them and they were fine now. Finishing his shower Blair carefully dressed in the clean clothes that a thoughtful sentinel had left for him. He had been so fuzzy that he had not thought to grab something when he had headed to the bathroom. It was a much cleaner and more alert guide that exited the bathroom and joined his partner in the kitchen.

“Just in time.” Jim smiled as he sat a plate of pancakes in front of his guide. “Eat up.”

The aroma of fresh pancakes caused Blair’s stomach to rumble. Blushing he picked up a fork and dug in. “Thanks Jim, these are great.”

“An Ellison specialty.” Joining him at the table Jim dug into his own plate of food. For a moment the only sound in the kitchen was the sound of two hungry men eating. Finally when both plates were empty Jim refilled their coffee cups and carefully scrutinized his guide. “So how are you feeling?”

Blair shrugged then winced as the muscles in his back and side protested. “I’m fine, a few aches and pains, the usual.”

Ellison frowned and dug a bottle of pills from his pocket. “Here the doctor gave me these for my back but I think you could use them more.”

“Oh man the bruise on your back.” Blair started to rise. “I’m sorry Jim I meant to take care of that as soon as you got home.”

“Easy Junior.” Jim reached across the table and grabbed his partner’s arm keeping him in the chair. “It’s a bruise no big deal. Besides you weren’t in any condition to heal anyone last night.”

“Jim I only left the bruises so that no one would question your remarkable escape from injury. I never meant for them to stay. You can’t go out on the streets like that. It’s too dangerous. Please let me finish the job.”

“Blair you’re already tired and in pain I really don’t think…”

“I’m fine. Besides the bruise is a minor healing it won’t hurt me. I promise.”

Ellison found himself unable to ignore the pleading in the blue eyes. With a sigh he bowed to the inevitable. “OK Chief if it’s that important to you. But on one condition you take the pain pills and rest.”

“Whatever you say man.” Reaching out Blair wrapped a hand around each of Ellison’s wrist. “Just relax this will only take a second.”

Jim watched as Blair closed his eyes and the familiar golden glow circled his hands. A warm current seemed to flow through his body. A few moments later the glow died from Blair’s hands and he opened his eyes and smiled. “All done, how do you feel?”

With a start Ellison realized that the aches and pains he had suffered with all morning were gone. “Great Chief. What about you?”

“Same as before, I told you it wouldn’t hurt me. Are you going to the station today? I really need to see Rafe and Megan. I need to finish their healings as well.”

Nodding Ellison lifted the prescription bottle and shook out a pill. “Yeah, Simon wants our initial reports by this afternoon.” He offered the pill to his rebellious guide. “Come on Chief you promised. I’m not letting you go anywhere hurting like you are.”

With a resigned sigh Blair accepted the pill and with much grumbling swallowed it. “I told you I’m fine, I don’t need that techno crap they foster off as medicine poisoning my system.”

“Humor me.” Jim refilled his coffee cup then leaned back in his chair to enjoy the potent brew, while keeping a discreet eye on his partner. He smiled as he saw the pain lines around his guide’s eyes ease as the medication began to take effect. Jim remembered the severe pain his guide had suffered after saving his life on Peruvia. Watching Blair suffer had almost been more than he could handle. In desperation he had given Sandburg one of the prescription pain tablets left over from the last time he had been injured on the job. He had been surprised when it had worked. Blair had patiently explained that the pain pills dulled the over stimulated nerves and empathic channels strained by the healing giving the illusion that the pain from physical injury was eased. Whatever the reason, Ellison was just glad that the pills worked and had no qualms about forcing the young healer to take the medication.

A few moments later Blair looked up and gave his sentinel a shy smile. “Thanks Jim.”

“Anytime partner.” It was obvious to the sentinel that his guide was not use to having anyone look after him or be concerned about his well fare. Well that would have to change. He was here now and there was no way he was going to let the kid suffer needlessly. “So you up to coming in with me or do you want to rest some more.”

“No I’m good. Besides I really do need to finish healing Rafe and Megan. There’s no reason to let them suffer. I’m sure Captain Banks is thrilled to have three of his rangers on sick leave.”

“Chief,” Jim fixed his partner with serious blue eyes. “The captain is thrilled not to be sitting at the hospital watching three of his rangers fight for their lives or worse yet attending their funerals.”

“Oh,” Blair was stunned at the intensity he saw in the sentinel’s eyes.

“Now finish your coffee. You know how grouchy Simon gets if he doesn’t get his reports on time.”

Blair laughed. “Then it’s a good thing I’m going along.”

“Are you saying I can’t do my own reports Sandburg?” The sentinel mock growled at his grinning guide.

Still chuckling Blair stood up and began backing toward his bedroom. “No, I’m just saying my reports are more interesting. Yours tend to contain just the bare facts. I thought I’d go along and give Simon something more interesting to read.”

“Just for that, Junior, you get to type up not only my report but Rafe’s and Megan’s as well.”

“Yeah, yeah I hear you.” Blair paused at the door to his room and threw his sentinel a mischievous smile. “I’ll just tell Simon that you’re making your sick, hurting guide do all your work. He’ll protect me.”

Ellison’s growl of annoyance just caused Blair to laugh harder. Ignoring his sentinel he entered his room to finish getting ready.

In the kitchen Jim shook his head in fond exasperation. Blair was moving a little easier thanks to the pain pill but he could tell the kid was still not up to par. He should be stretched out on the sofa resting not going to the station much less thinking about pushing his healing power further. Ellison sighed and stood up to clear the table. One thing he had learned about his guide was that the kid was stubborn. Once he made up his mind there was no changing it. For some reason Blair felt he had to do this, so the only thing Jim could do was keep a close eye on him and see that he took the pain medication. A grim smile lit the sentinel’s face, and at the first sign of strain he was going to haul his guide home and chain him to the bed if necessary. Ah, the joys of being a blessed protector of a stubborn charge.

A few minutes later Jim finished wiping down the counters as Blair came out of the bedroom. Handing Blair his jacket Ellison carefully checked the young healer for any signs of illness or discomfort. Satisfied that for now his guide was in no danger he grabbed his jacket and keys and escorted his partner from the apartment.

Ellison held open the door to the Major Crime bull pen and frowned as his guide limped into the room. The precinct elevator had been down for maintenance forcing them to take the stairs. He could tell that Blair was hurting but he had refused to go home. Now the long walk from the parking garage and seven flights of stairs had reawakened the healer’s pain in spite of the pain pill’s dulling effects. Heading straight for his desk Ellison lowered his guide into the chair. “Blair?’

“I’m fine Jim. Just give me a minute.”

“Hey Hair Boy don’t tell me Ellison conned you into coming in to do his paperwork?” Brown approached the pair then froze as he noticed the pain lines on the younger man’s face. “Blair, are you OK?”

By this time the other members of Major Crime had also noticed the new arrivals and drawn closer. All wore identical expressions of concern. Seeing the worried expressions Blair made an effort to sit up straight and held up his hands. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Geez, why the long faces? It’s just some phantom pains, they’ll pass.”

“What do you mean phantom pains?” Rafe had watched Blair limp into the room and had a nagging suspicion that he knew the cause of the young man’s discomfort. Glancing over at Megan he saw the same suspicion in her eyes.

Blair glanced around at those he considered his closest friends. Their curiosity had been aroused and only a full explanation would satisfy them. Glancing around the open bullpen he sighed and gave in to the inevitable. “Can we take this somewhere a little more private?”

“My office.” Simon stood at the door to his office watching the proceedings. Obediently the rangers filed into their bosses office then turned and watched as Ellison escorted their newest member in and settled him on the sofa.

Blair shook his head at the recrimination on Rafe’s and Megan’s faces. It was always the same. Those healed always felt guilty. He had to nip this in the bud now. Turning he beckoned to Rafe and Megan. “First you two come here. Now that we are no longer under outside scrutiny I can finish the job.”

“Uh, Sandy…” Megan began.

“Maybe that’s not such a good idea.” Rafe finished.

Blair fixed each with a glare. “This is not a debate. I’m not letting you out on the street in less than perfect condition. I’ve already taken care of Jim, now it’s your turn.”

“You’d best do as he says.” Jim gave his colleagues a wry smile. “He won’t give up on this. It’s easier to just give in.”

Reluctantly Megan and Rafe settled on the sofa beside Blair. With a hushed awe the other rangers watched as Blair laid his hands on first Megan then Rafe healing their remaining injuries. When he finished he leaned back against the sofa cushions and smiled. “Good that’s done, now what’s bothering you guys?”

Before anyone could begin asking questions Jim stepped forward and handed Blair a pain pill and a cup of water. “No arguments Chief. You take it or I’m hauling your butt home. Your choice.”

Glaring at his sentinel Blair accepted the pill and quickly downed it. If he was honest he had to admit the walk to the bullpen had really started him hurting.

“Blair I don’t understand.” Joel’s quiet words broke through the silence and Blair gazed over at the demolitions expert. “I know that you healed Jim, Rafe and Megan. Henri said that you were exhausted from the healing but weren’t injured.” Blair nodded. “So why are you in pain now. You were limping on the same leg that Rafe injured. What’s going on?”

Blair chewed on his bottom lip and tried to figure out a way to explain things to the waiting rangers. So far only Simon knew about the toll his healing talent took on him physically. After Peruvia only Simon had visited them at the loft, the other rangers giving them time to settle in and adjust to their new status as sentinel and guide before coming around. They had not witnessed the consequences of his fight to save Jim’s life. “OK, to answer Joel’s question, an empathetic healer fuses his nervous system to that of the injured and uses his mind to order the injured body to repair itself. This takes both energy and concentration thus you can imagine that after a difficult healing the healer would be exhausted but what you don’t realize is that the empathetic link a healer establishes to heal is a two way street. When I link to heal, the first thing that happens is I feel how the injury occurred. This empathetic sharing leaves a memory or echo of the injury in the healer’s body. So the reason I’m limping is my body is experiencing a phantom pain of the injury I healed in Rafe. This is a perfectly normal part of healing. I’m not really hurt it just feels that way. The pains will pass in a day or so. It’s no big deal.”

“The hell it’s not.” Megan stared at Blair in astonishment. “We skip by free as a bird and you carry the pain for all three of us? That’s…”

“Normal, Megan.” Blair’s soft voice calmed the angry woman. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I’m a healer. There is no way I can see any of you in pain and not try to help. Asking me to let you suffer just so I can save myself a few aches and pains, and that’s all it is a few aches and pains, just some pulled muscles and bruises, is against every instinct I have. The three of you could have died and at least two of you would have been handicapped for life.” He glanced at Rafe and Ellison. “Megan was facing weeks of painful recovery. How can a few minor pains that will fade away in a few days compare to that.” He glanced around at the familiar faces. “All of you have become like family. To see you hurt and be forbidden to help would be torture. Please don’t ask me to ignore what I am.”

There was silence at his words. Finally Rafe broke the silence. “I don’t know what to say Blair. Thank you seems inadequate somehow.”

Blair smiled at the acceptance he saw in the ranger’s eyes. “You’re welcome.”

“Oh bugger,” Megan reached out and carefully gave him a hug. “Thanks mate.” She stared into the expressive blue eyes. “But don’t think this means we give up the right to worry about you. That’s our instinct and our right. Got it.”

“Yeah Megan my overprotective sentinel has already made that perfectly clear.”

“And don’t you forget it Junior.” Jim gave the curly head a playful swat.

“Well now that that’s settled.” Simon looked around at the now grinning rangers. “Is there anything else or can I have my office back?” He favored them with his best glare. “Don’t you people have some work to do?”

With much groaning the group filed from the office, Simon motioned to the exhausted young man on the couch. “Why don’t you take a nap Blair? It’ll take Ellison at least a few hours to peck out his report.”

Smothering a yawn Blair saw his sentinel nod then gave Banks a tired smile. “Thanks Simon. I’m suddenly tired.”

Lying down on Simon’s comfortable sofa Blair was almost asleep when he felt a warm blanket drape over him. With a contented smile he drifted into sleep.

A warm hand on his shoulder woke him a few hours later. Even without opening his eyes he could feel that it was Jim. A tingle ran through his body as the sentinel scanned him for any sign of illness or discomfort. Opening his eyes he gave his partner a reassuring smile. “Lighten up man, I’m fine.” Pushing himself up he stretched relishing the freedom from pain. His nap had replenished his energy and thanks to the pain pills most of the phantom pains had faded.

Ellison studied his guide a moment then nodded finally accepting that his guide was telling the truth. “Well then if you’re done making like a lump on Simon’s sofa we can get out of here. Our kind and generous boss has given us the weekend off and I for one have no intention of spending it here.”

“I hear that, color me gone.” The young man rose gracefully to his feet then turned to face Simon who had been watching the two with undisguised amusement on his face. “Thanks for the use of the couch Simon.”

“Anytime Sandburg just try and keep yourself and your partner out of trouble for the next two days. I have plans for this weekend and they don’t include trips to the ER.”

“Yes sir, no trips to the ER, got it sir.”

“Another smart alec, Ellison take your partner home before I arrest him for harassing a police officer.”

“Yes captain, come on chief let’s go I hear a pizza calling my name.”

“Gee Jim we’ll have to test your hearing I’ve never heard of auditory hallucinations from a food group affecting a sentinel before. I know just the tests…”

Simon smiled as the closing office door cut off the rest of the kids comment. Leaning back in his chair he picked up the stack of reports on his desk and thought of how differently this week could have ended. Hendrix had been sentinel phobic. His fear of being spied on by a sentinel had been so extreme he had wired the entire warehouse with explosives contained in sentinel proof, airtight containers that could not be detected until activated. There had been no way Jim or anyone else could have spied the danger until it was too late. Hendrix had been prepared to destroy everything including himself rather than be bested by a sentinel. He had almost succeeded. Placing the reports into his out box for Rhonda to file Simon gathered his coat and headed for home. Hendrix had failed and his team was alive and well. All things considered, this week had turned out not to be so bad after all. With a light heart he headed home to what he hoped would be a quiet weekend.