Many thanks to Cee for the edits.
Please check the summary page for warnings, notes and summary.
Simon sighed as yet another gust of wind rattled the windows of his office, then winced as the storm blew another wave of raindrops at the glass.
"It's not going to stop for a day or two."
Simon focused on Jim, who stood at his office door. He opened his mouth to ask how Jim had opened the door without him hearing, but then shut his mouth and just waved Jim in. After Jim had shut the door, Simon asked, "How are you doing?"
Jim moved over to stand at the window. He didn't answer for a moment or two and then he just said simply, "I'm okay. My senses are fine." There was a pause and then Jim walked over to the conference table and sat down in one of the chairs. " Any news from D.C.?"
Simon picked up his cigar and then set it down again. He looked at his friend with concern. A casual observer would have said that the detective was completely unruffled by the disappearance of his guide, but Simon knew better. Simon also knew that the news he had to give wasn't going to be welcomed either. "There's no way that the CDC will move on the matter. The entire convention hotel is quarantined until further notice." Simon shook his head, "Because of their close contact with the perpetrators who attempted to release the agent into the air-conditioning system, Hunter and Sarah have to remain under the closest observation. Sorry, Jim."
Jim's shoulders slumped a little. He joked lamely, "Trust Hunter to foil an attempt to poison a police convention." Jim stretched his neck and then his arms until the joints popped. "Curtis just called to assure me that they are doing a sweep of the GLA."
Simon put his head to one side, "Yeah, she made a point of telling me that fact too. You think the GLA had a hand in this?"
Jim shook his head. "I don’t think so, unless they've decided the only way to free a guide is to kill him." Jim's expression turned stony. "I want the people who did this, Simon. I want someone to pay for this, but I want it to be the right someone."
Simon watched Jim trace patterns on his conference table for a few moments, guessing the sentinel would be following the minute patterns in the wood. Then he commented, "Curtis seemed quite surprised that you hadn't gotten the Clan out into the field yet. She thought you would be out searching by now."
Jim commented in a biting, sarcastic tone, "A search during the biggest storm this year? With no tracks and no idea which direction they went?"
Simon held his hands up. "Just repeating what she said, Jim."
Jim pushed back his chair and rested his hands on his head. "The truth is, Simon, I don’t think it would do any good. It's like he… all of them have disappeared into thin air. The whole set up is so strange. I just …" Jim looked at his hands for a moment and then asked, "Were you surprised?"
Simon took a sip of his coffee and then commented, "Depends on who I'm looking at. I'm pleased that my top detective is taking time to step back and examine the situation and not rushing in like…."
"A sentinel in blessed protector mode?"
Simon nodded. "You're handling this really well. Curtis told me that on arrival at the morgue, they had to sedate Smith so they could take the body. They've taken him to Cascade General for observation."
Jim flinched a little and then said in a tight, angry voice, "His guide was killed, Simon, what does everyone expect him to do? Like everyone expects me to act like the old Neanderthal sentinel and charge out into the forest and beat my chest."
Simon was alert to the subtext and asked, "You think you're being manipulated?"
Jim leaned over Simon's desk and said, "Not just me. Everyone; the Clan, the GDP, the police. Like we're all supposed to do the things we're expected to do – Curtis is hauling in everyone who is anyone. I'm supposed to head out with the Clan behind me …" Jim shook his head and said, "Well, I'm not, much as I want to, I'm not. I'm going to work the case."
"So what are you going to say to the, your clan out there?" Simon gestured to the bullpen and the extra people roaming around it. "Just in case you haven't been out there recently, or you walked through from the corridor with all your senses turned off, there's a large gathering of restless sentinels and their guides out there." Simon paused and then said, "And if my limited expertise is anything to go on, most of those sentinels are in BP mode right now. You're going to have to tell them you're not going to do what they expect you to do"
"I know." Jim squared his shoulders. "I'll use one of the conference rooms."
Simon nodded and then looked sternly at Jim as he ordered, "Then, Detective, I want you to go home and get some sleep. I'll get a squad working to see if we can put together Mancini's movements over the last few days."
"Courcy's too."
Simon just rolled his eyes and said, "Conference room one should be free. I'll see you here tomorrow morning at eight. Sleep, Jim. You'll need to be fresh. If there are any developments, I'll make sure you’re called." Simon paused and then said, "One more thing, Jim. The Commissioner spoke to Claydove earlier. Apparently he offered the GDP our full co-operation. He's issued an order that Curtis is to be given some space in the building to use as an operational base. The commissioner doesn’t want to hear of any problems between the GDP and any of our officers. Understood?"
Jim clenched his jaws together for a second and then nodded. "I understand."
Simon relaxed and inclined his head in the direction of the door. "Calm them down and then go home, Jim."
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Jim looked around the crowded conference room. Simon was right,; the sentinels were in BP mode, with each guide either tucked in close or standing behind their sentinel. Jim saw Edwards and Lisa trade glances. Deciding to take the initiative, Jim asked acidly, "Pais? Got something to say?"
"I just want to know when we're going out."
"Going out?" asked Jim.
"To track whoever did this. Rescue Blair and the other guides." Lisa paused and then added, "and Commander Slater."
"We can't go out tonight,” Jim said, “the storm's too strong. Besides they won't be going anywhere until it's blown itself out."
Edwards questioned, "How do you know that?"
"Because it's not in their plan to move anywhere fast. They'll still be there when we get there," Jim answered.
Lisa opened her mouth to question him again, but Edwards interrupted, "So what are we going to do in the meantime?"
"We're going to try and get some sleep, and then we're going to work the case. Edwards, meet me at nine-thirty in the bullpen; I'll brief you on what I know then."
"But, Prime..."
Jim saw that the speaker was one of the newer Clan members. His tone was icy when he asked, "Are you arguing with the Senior Sentinel Prime?"
The male sentinel swallowed, and Jim was pleased to note his voice trembled when he replied, "No, it's just that I don't understand. There's a guide dead, you’re not going after..."
Jim looked around the room, he saw a few sentinels nodding. He fixed the questioner with an icy glare. "It's not a question that's up for democratic debate. This is my decision; it's my guide that's out there. You want to challenge for the position of Senior Prime?"
The sentinel shook his head vigorously. "No."
Jim let his mouth open in the parody of a smile. "Good. Tomorrow we work the case." Jim picked up his jacket and walked out of the room.
Once out in the corridor, Jim's shoulders slumped a little; he wasn't entirely sure he was making the right decision. The panther pawed at the ground in frustration. Banishing the panther from his mind, Jim walked to the elevator and punched the call button. He felt like hitting the wall; there was surely something more he could be doing. As the elevator's door opened, the exiting passenger brushed by him. Jim let loose the frustrations of the night and growled at the man.
"Sorry, Detective... Sentinel Ellison."
Jim recognised Hayes, one of the department's technicians. He'd replaced a phone jack behind Blair's desk a few months ago. Jim remembered how the pair had been laughing and joking the whole time. Hayes hadn't kept his distance, unlike a lot of department employees. Jim replied, "Hayes."
Hayes paused and then said, "Its all over the station about Blair. If there's anything we can do to help, you only need to ask."
Jim paused for a moment and then his mind replayed the end of the conversation that he'd had with Simon. He smiled. "Well, actually there is something you can do for me. Let's discuss it while we walk down the stairs."
"I was coming to this floor…." After a moment's pause, Hayes nodded and the pair moved down the corridor to the stairwell.
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Blair woke to the sound of Mark grumbling. "I mean, I don't expect a five star menu, but what's this?"
An unfamiliar voice replied, "It's tofu. Vegetarian." There was a small pause and then the voice continued, "Cooked perfectly as well."
Blair opened an eye and saw, Mark and Adam sitting cross-legged with a plate resting on their knees. He pushed himself so that he was sitting upright and queried, "Tofu?"
Mark looked up, "Pr - Blair, good morning. Well, at least it must be since the guard said it was when he brought breakfast. How's the head?"
Blair touched the back of his head and replied, "It feels better. Have they brought Dan back yet?" Blair had been worried when Dan hadn't been brought back and had stayed awake long after the others had gone to sleep. He had been waiting for Dan to be brought back, but eventually his exhaustion had caught up with him.
Mark shook his head. "He might be on the way though. They took Martin out a few minutes ago. They didn't say why."
Blair nodded to say he understood and then glanced at Tina who looked as if she was just waking up herself. "All right, Tina?"
"Yes, thanks. I've slept in better places though."
Blair did an internal check on his barriers and still couldn't find them. "How are everyone's barriers?" The three remaining indicated that they were all still dampened. Blair got up and moved over to where their food had been placed. There were several bottles of mineral water and three hot plates left. Blair picked up a bottle of the mineral water and a plate and sat down next to Adam. Blair smiled at the younger guide and introduced himself, "I'm Blair."
Adam swallowed and then whispered, "Adam. I'm sorry about yesterday. I tend to get nervous around guns." Adam continued, his voice cracking a little, "I just hope I don't get bonded to someone who needs to use them in his job."
"Not all sentinels are police or army officers you know."
Adam opened his mouth to reply when the bolts of the door were drawn back and the door opened. Blair was on his feet straightaway, and he and Mark moved forwards to help Martin bring Dan back into the room. Martin counselled, "Easy, easy now. Let's sit him down slowly."
The next few minutes were occupied with the guides making Dan comfortable. Once they were all satisfied that the sleeping man was as warm and comfortable as they could make him, they stood back. Martin rubbed his hand over his face and then, with a grateful nod, accepted the bottled water that Tina had given him. After taking a long drink, Martin said, "They've got a pretty good set up. He's obviously been on an IV overnight; there was a young woman taking it out when I got there. He's got a dressing on his shoulder."
Tina asked, "Woman?"
Mark asked, "How young?"
"About mid twenties. I guess she's their medic; she looked as though she knew what she was doing." Martin glanced at Blair. Blair raised his eyebrows in return but didn’t say anything. "She didn’t say anything to me."
Mark asked, "Any others in the room? Any idea of the numbers of guards?"
Martin shook his head. "Just that Frank and the younger one Stuey. No one in the corridors." He looked around and spied the plates of food. "Breakfast?"
Mark wrinkled his nose and commented, "Well, if you can call it that. Vegetarian something or other. Give me meat any day of the week."
Blair watched as Adam opened his mouth to say something and then decided against it. Blair let Martin take a few bites and then said, "We have to work out a strategy here."
Tina looked up from her food and asked hopefully, "Escape?"
Blair shook his head. "We're in the middle of nowhere, there's bad weather, and Dan's wounded. We wouldn't get too far. We have to sit tight and wait for the Clan." Blair licked his lips and realised his omission, "And the GDP to get here. I am sure they are on their way now."
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Jim stood at the door of the conference room that had been appropriated by Curtis and observed the activities that were going on around the room. His jaw clenched as he saw a map of the area pinned up on one wall, the photos of the guides, his guide, that were pinned on another wall. Someone pushed at Jim from behind; he turned and saw that it was a GDP patrolman balancing a boxful of papers. Jim stepped aside and let the man into the room. Jim felt the muscles in his jaw tightening; the police department was 'his' territory. Simon had been right to call him and roust him out of his sleep. He stepped into the room and waited until someone noticed him.
The first one to notice was a young uniformed officer; her name badge said simply, 'Officer Watts.' She put down the papers she was sorting through and went up to Jim, "Senior Prime, can I help you?"
Jim didn't even glance at the officer, preferring to look around the room. He stated simply, "Curtis."
Watts nodded, obviously taking it for the command it was. "This way, sir." She gestured and headed across the room.
Jim followed her. The dark sentinel within him was pleased at the way that the GDP officers stood out of his way and refused to meet his gaze.
The pair came to a stop just in front of the pictures of the guides. Watts nervously turned to Jim and indicated that he should wait while she retrieved Curtis from the crowd that surrounded her. Jim nodded his assent. His lip curled a little in disdain as he saw that Curtis was talking to a small group of journalists. As the group broke up, Jim recognised Donna James. He waited until the journalist was passing by him and then spoke quietly, "Ms. James?" When he had the journalist's attention, Jim said, "I've read your file. It was very interesting. Can we meet for coffee?"
Donna took a moment to reply "Sure you can spare the time? I mean with your guide missing?"
Jim smiled warmly. "You may be of great help. Ten-thirty, the diner opposite the Times Building?"
After a check of her watch the journalist nodded. "Of course, anything I can do to help the police department."
Jim noticed Curtis hovering a few feet away so he wrapped the conversation up. He watched the journalist leave the room and then turned to Curtis. He commented casually, "I see you're getting set up here."
"I didn't know you knew Donna James," commented Curtis.
Jim was struck by the oddness of the question, given the circumstances. Shrugging he said, "Old flame. Haven't seen her in a while. She's got fantastic legs, much too good to be hidden in a trouser suit."
"Ah. Do you like it?"
"What, Donna's legs?"
"How we're organizing things here?"
"I thought Major Crimes was going to run the investigation." Frowning, Jim gestured around the room. "This looks to me like a command center"
Curtis shrugged carelessly. "I thought, as it is a joint jurisdiction matter, that we'd need the extra room. We have a lot of resources that we can bring to bear on the matter."
Jim clenched his jaw for a moment and then said, "The pictures of the guides can go."
Curtis frowned. "Why?"
Jim fought to keep the fragile hold on his temper and said, "Because they aren't going anywhere, not in this weather. Anyway, it's not the guides we're hunting is it?" Jim looked at Curtis icily and said, "Unless you're implying that the guides attacked the bus from the inside?"
Curtis took a step back from the Prime and swallowed, "I, umm no, not at all, Prime. I'll get them taken down immediately."
Jim nodded and then said, "Good, good. I'll be back this afternoon; we can go over whatever information you have from your sweep of the GLA then." Jim stepped away from Curtis and then stopped, emphasising, "If you find anything of major importance to tell me before then, you can reach me through Major Crimes."
Before Curtis could react, Jim strode out of the conference room and proceeded down the stair well. Three flights down, Jim stopped and leaned his head against the bare concrete wall. Jim could feel his senses fluctuating; he would need David's services soon. How he wished Blair was with him. After a moment or two, Jim forced himself downwards, towards Major Crimes; maybe he'd have a few moments of peace before Edwards arrived.
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