Boot

Many thanks to Cee for the edits and suggestions.

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Boot - Chapter 16

Jim turned as Lisa entered the room. He remarked, "Took your time."

"It was more complicated than a simple plates check."

Jim followed Lisa's questioning glance at Walton. "He's okay. Mark …."

"Forrest," Walton supplied his guide’s last name.

"Mark Forrest is one of the guides that was taken with Blair." Jim reached across for the paper that Lisa held. "So it was GDP then?"

Lisa handed the paper over. She shook her head. "No, not GDP. I ran the plates and before I got the report back, there was a call from the FBI in D.C. Seems that the grey Saturn was carrying an FBI plate."

"FBI?" asked Walton.

Before the GDP man could ask any more questions of his own, Jim interrupted, "Current FBI or ex?"

"It’s a plate that the FBI lost track of when one of their agents left a few years back."

"Who and why?" Jim demanded.

"The why is that the agent in question was in charge of an investigation of a particular crime family." Lisa didn't mention the name; she didn't have to.

"How did he foul it up?" Simon asked.

Lisa folded her arms. She looked pensive. "Apparently the surveillance operation lasted several weeks, very expensive. Finally the agent said the target was going to Reno, the ideal chance to move in on the suspect. That's where things get interesting. The FBI authorise the bugging of the suite that the target's going to use. That includes video by the way. Anyway, the team is in Reno for a week, then the agent in charge calls DC to say that it’s all been a huge case of mistaken identity. "

Simon shrugged. "It occasionally happens."

Jim prompted Lisa, "Then what happened?" He kept his hand on the paper.

"Not a lot. The agent resigned a few months later, took early retirement. " She looked at the paper underneath Jim's hand. "After I'd spoken to the feds, Karl and I did a little digging. They didn't even bother to use false names."

Jim played with a corner of the paper, folding it over and over again. He didn't bother to look at the paper; he'd already guessed what it was. "So he took a bribe from Mancini to keep quiet about his trip?"

Lisa bit her lip. "That's where things get confusing. The agent, Cross, went to work for Roger Courcy as his security chief."

Jim flashed a glance at Simon and then at Walton. He commented, "That's interesting. Why would Cross be taking a payoff from Mancini and then go to work for Courcy?"

Walton sighed. He said curtly, "This is all very interesting, but it's getting us no nearer finding where Mancini's group is holed up."

Jim looked at Simon and said, "Maybe if we pool what everyone knows, then it might form a pattern. Might point us in the direction we should be looking in.” "

Simon nodded. He moved to his desk and picked up the phone. "Rhonda, find us three white boards and pens."

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Courcy sighed a little as he came out of his meditation. It had relaxed him as always. Naomi Sandburg was a flake in a lot of ways but practising meditation was one of her better ideas. He reflected she was also good for his image. Everyone would believe that the sentinel hater in him had been turned away for good. Naomi wouldn't hold it against him that Meggie was Mancini's sentinel. She knew about sentinels and their primitive ways; it would make her see the light at last. Courcy smiled a little; maybe he'd offer to take her to a retreat or two to help her over her grief. Courcy smiled to himself as he thought further ahead; if he had Naomi Sandburg by his side on the campaign trail, even better. Before that though, there were things to be done.

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Blair settled himself next to Adam. Blair had let the young man alone for a while after the younger man's outburst but more for want of something else to do than look at the bolted door, Blair had decided to draw the young man out. "I guess I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to-"

"Yes, you did." Adam wiped a hand over his hair and continued, "No one understands how the commune was run. I don’t remember much of it myself, but I do know they were trying to find a new way."

"You must have been very frightened when you went to live with your foster parents," commented Blair.

Adam rested his head against his knees. After a while he said, "Yeah, I was. I thought I was going to be kept in the basement, that I'd have to wear a…" Adam swallowed. "They were great though. I had a great room and everything I needed. They didn't have any other kids and a massive house. I used to imagine for a while…."

This time the pause grew into a silence. Blair prompted, "What? Imagine what?"

Adam sighed heavily. "Meggie. I used to spend hours imagining what we'd be doing if she'd been with us. I don't have a memory of the commune that doesn't include her. They wouldn't tell me at the hospital where I woke up what had happened to her; neither would the GDP. I tried to let the memories go. They said that the memories of her were blocking my empathic abilities, that I'd never be able to bond, that another sentinel wouldn't want me if they could find her in my mind. It took ages but slowly the memories became just that."

Despite the desperate situation they were in, Blair was interested in Adam's story. "You said your foster father tried to locate some records."

Adam hugged himself tighter. "Yeah. I, I, don’t know, I had some sort of reaction." He tapped himself on the head. "Up here. My barriers would be up and down without warning, kept having nightmares. My foster father eventually tried to bend the rules, but he couldn't find out anything that could help. Eventually the nightmares stopped." Adam sighed briefly. "That was the worst part. I felt totally bereft when the nightmares stopped, like her ghost within me had finally been exorcised."

Blair swallowed and asked, "When was this?"

"Seven years more or less. My abilities went away for a bit and then I came back online. That's why I'm a few years behind my age group."

Blair licked his lips and then asked quietly, "Can you remember when you were young ever playing at sentinel / guide?"

Adam smiled. "Yeah. Meggie discovered a tree with a huge hollow trunk down by the river. We used to be there together a lot of the time. Then she listened in on her parents, and she remembered the words and taught them to me. We played it loads after that, whenever one of us felt ill or unbalanced, we'd go down there. The adults didn't seem to mind."

Blair laid his head against the cement wall. He'd never heard of another example of a bonding that young. Just as he was about to ask another question, the bolts on the door outside slid back. He was across the room in seconds. The door opened a fraction and then Tina was pushed in. She went sprawling across the floor.

Martin was the first to reach her. He pulled her up into a sitting position, supporting her back with his chest. Blair was at her side. He grimaced when he saw the bloodstain across her business suit and the blank expression that she had on her face. He touched her gently and said, "Tina?"

Tina jumped as if she'd been struck and then struggled against Martin's hold. Blair moved back out of the way of the flailing arms. He looked at Martin who was holding her gently but securely and was also whispering into her left ear. Blair took hold of Tina's arms and repeated gently, "Tina?"

After a few moments, Tina stilled, her breath coming in great sobs. Eventually she whispered, "Water please." Adam poured some water and gave it to her. Tina took the mug in her shaky hands and managed to get the cup to her mouth. After taking a few sips, more of which went down her chin than in her mouth, she handed the cup back to Adam and whispered, "Thanks."

"Are you okay? I mean hurt or… anything?" Blair asked her.

Tina screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. "No. I, I'm okay." She folded her arms around herself, "They only leashed me. I'm not hurt. I…I…." She looked up at Blair and couldn’t continue.

Before Blair could question her further, Mark reached out to her. He commented, "Let me look at your wrists and ankles. They might need some cream to stop them being sore."

Tina swallowed but held her wrists out into the light. Blair winced when he saw the chafe marks; the leash had been put on tight. He wanted to know what had happened but kept his peace while Mark fussed over the marks, applying some antiseptic cream and debating with Tina whether she needed a dressing to the worst of the marks. Blair was glad to hear Tina's voice become stronger and steadier the longer the conversation with Mark went on. Eventually Mark looked up. He remarked, "All done here, Chief."

Blair swallowed at the title that the guide had inadvertently given him; he'd managed to keep his feelings at bay, just concentrated on whatever needed doing. ‘Damn it, I'm not going to lose it now!' Blair pushed all thoughts of Jim to the back of his mind and knelt in front of Tina. Martin had moved to the side of her, and Mark had moved to the opposite side. Blair glanced at Dan who was propped against the wall behind Tina; Blair guessed he was awake from the upright stance of his head. Adam was sitting next to Dan. Taking Tina's hands in his, he said firmly, "We need to know what happened, all of it."

Tina swallowed and then related what had happened in as level a tone as she could manage. Her voice wavered though when she came to the latter part of describing what had happened. There was silence when she'd finished.

Martin was the first to speak. "He did that? Got one of his men to cut him with a knife so she'd smell his blood and…."

"Did it work?" Blair asked quietly.

Tina shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't see or hear anything after he went back down the corridor. The guy with the scar told one of the others to bring me back down here." Tina paused and then said in a quiet voice, "I made it worse didn't I?"

Blair smiled at Tina. "You did fine. Niven would be proud of you." He kept hold of her hands while he thought for a few minutes and then asked, "Do you think she'll listen to you if you talked to her?"

Tina looked into Blair's eyes and was shaken by the cold resolve to use this opening any way he could. But he was the Guide Prime, her Clan's Prime. Her voice shook a little as she hedged, "Maybe, I don't know. She was very scared, Blair. She wouldn't even listen to me at first when I was trying to help her."

Martin interrupted. "But she protected you from those two men."

Tina bit her lip. "Any sentinel would have done that." She looked into Blair's eyes again and saw the determination that was there. After a few moments, she nodded. "I'll try. What if she tells Mancini that I'm ...."

Blair flashed a glance over to Dan and then looked back at Tina. Mancini would have reacted by now if Meggie had told him that there was an extra empath in the group. "We'll deal with that when… if it happens. I just want you to keep contact with her."

Tina nodded, still unsure, "But what about …do you want something from her?"

Blair paused, for a second he thought of getting Tina to ask for the keys to the room and then dismissed the idea. Build up to it slowly. "Just talk to her. Didn't you say that she was interested in your baby?" Tina nodded slowly. Blair smiled reassuringly. "It will be alright."

Tina nodded again, not quite meeting Blair's gaze. She got up and took herself off into one of the corners, away from the knot of men. She started to whisper.

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Mancini watched as Meggie started to suture the knife wound. Satisfied that she was doing her usual competent job and he wouldn't be left with too big a scar, he turned his attention to Frank. "The sooner this job is finished the better. Get…" Mancini stopped, even though Meggie had shored up and supplemented his barriers; she hadn't opened herself up to the link. She hadn't even looked him in the eye. Mancini watched her for a few moments. She was still totally focused on the knife wound and the tiny sutures she was putting in place. He knew from old when she was concentrating she'd not listen to anything else around her. He turned back to Frank. "Get our guest upstairs to tell you how he was going to contact the buyer. Anyway you can."

Frank smirked. "And after he's shown me?"

"He can join his friend."

Frank glanced at the sentinel. Bruises were beginning to appear on her face. Her bottom lip was torn and there was a purple ring of bruises round her throat where first Deke had held her and then where the leash had been. She'd fought like a banshee this time, just like…

Frank shook his head to clear it. It had taken several more sessions just like that one before it was possible to leave the boss and her alone while they were bonding. He asked, "Want me to leave Stuey with you?"

Mancini used his free hand to touch Meg's shoulder, satisfied when she didn't flinch or move away from him. He shook his head. "No, she should be okay now. Deke's in the corridor anyway. I'll shout if I need help with her."

Frank paused, watching as Meg finished the suturing and carefully applied a dressing. Recognising the intent expression that was starting to creep over Mancini's face, he licked his lips and asked, "You going to bond? I mean ...."

Mancini had moved his hand down to the small of her back and had started to push past the barriers that she'd erected to the link. He heard Frank's question and was tempted to ignore it; his sentinel needed him. It was then he felt Meg flinch and attempt to pull away from him. He gently rubbed a hand along her back, "Hey, girl, it's okay. It's okay." He pulled her close again, wrapping his injured arm around her shoulders. Once she was securely in his embrace, he spoke to Frank. "No, there's too much going on. We'll be in Mexico later tonight, time enough then." Mancini winced as Meg moaned and pushed against his arms. Tuning out Frank, he turned his attention back to her. Pulling her close and stroking her head, Mancini sought to calm her. "Hey, it's okay, ssshhh, we're not going back there. We're going to a different place, a different place."

"Not the clinic? Not the clinic please... I'm not, I can't...."

Mancini again tried to open the link between them, but again she kept him out. He eased them both down to the floor and placed Meg on her side. "No, I know you're not. I bought a house for us in the mountains. There are lots of flowers there."

Meg sat up and then scooted away from him. When she was sitting with her back against the wall, she said, "They're guides."

Mancini stayed where he was. After a few moments, he said, "Yes, they are. I'm a businessman. I have a contract to fulfil."

Meg hung her head and asked, "When that man said...."

Mancini moved next to her and held her hand. "You're my sentinel. We're bonded." Taking his opportunity when she didn't reply, Mancini said, "I need to check on your senses, let me in."

Meg pulled away. "No, they're fine, I promise they're fine."

Mancini fumed a little inside but let it lie. They'd be in Mexico by tomorrow morning. He smiled internally. By that time she'd be so desperate for a bonding that she'd do anything for him. Just like that time in Reno, when they'd had to keep her under wraps until the feds had lifted their observation of him; she'd pleased him so much that he'd been rash. Good job his father hadn’t found out about the ceremony that in a weak moment he'd promised her or else he'd have been looking for another sentinel. Mancini stroked her hand, "You'll tell me if there's any problem? We'll be out of here soon. Frank's gone upstairs to contact the buyer."

Meg nodded. She asked tentatively, "Can I have some ice for my lip?"

Mancini frowned and pulled her face towards him as though he was seeing the damage the beating had caused for the first time. "Wait here, I'll get the ice pack. You need some painkillers?" Meg lowered her gaze and nodded. Mancini stood up and quickly went over the small tabletop freezer and found an ice pack. He returned with that and the painkillers. He knelt down and offered the pack and the painkillers. He carefully applied the pack to her chin and lips. He said soothingly, "There you go; swelling will be down to nothing in no time. Just rest." When there was no response he glanced at his girl. Her face was relaxed and her eyes were staring. She'd obviously zoned on the pain. Mancini wondered if he should bring her out but decided to let her be for a few minutes. She'd be over the worst of her pain then and her lip would hopefully have stopped bleeding.

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Meggie was vaguely aware of what the guide was doing for her, but she paid it no heed. She was focusing on her guide. Her hearing had caught the sound of the woman guide when she was suturing up the guide who was helping her now. She'd almost filtered out the woman's voice; she was talking about her baby and her husband and then about her baby again. Meggie couldn't listen to that, no, too many memories of that clinic in Mexico…Then she'd heard the heartbeats, all of them muffled bar one. She filtered that one out, focusing on the one that was familiar to her ….

Before she slipped back into the memories that calmed and soothed her worst nightmares Meg roused herself. Her guide was here in this room, waiting for her, she couldn't afford to dream any more of freedom or happiness, those days were long gone , she'd been Meg for a long time now, Meggie was just a reminder of days gone that would never come again. Meg let the pain overwhelm her and push her back into the darkness.

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George Smith glanced at the map that lay open on the empty passenger seat next to him and then at the readout on the GPSS receiver. The co-ordinates were still steady, hadn’t moved since he'd left Cascade almost an hour ago. He smiled grimly. Just as Curtis had predicted Mancini was hiding out almost in plain view of the Cascade PD. Smith's expression became grim as he remembered that Curtis had also told him about the web of corruption in the Cascade PD and that central to the web was the Panther Clan. That it was the Clan that had staged the kidnap because the GDP were getting too close to unravelling their connection with Mancini. She told him that Jonas had been killed because the Clan had feared that Jonas would be used by the GDP to get close to Sandburg; he and Ellison being the brains of the operation. Curtis's face had been sorrowful as she told him this, saying that she was speaking in the face of direct opposition from her superiors, but she felt that the sentinel should know why his guide had died. Smith knew what to do then. He'd asked her if she knew where the Panthers had their headquarters. She'd shook her head but said she'd overheard one of the Clan talking about a rendezvous with Mancini later in the day and the frequency of a GPSS locator. Then she'd told him all about a lock-up where he'd find the right equipment to carry out what the situation called for - Blood Vendetta.

As he felt the car lose traction on the slippery road surface, Smith focused again on the road. He flicked a glance at the map and saw that he was at a point almost parallel to the co-ordinates. Smith pulled the car over to the side of the remote forest road.

Once he'd switched the engine off, the sentinel folded the map up and slipped it into a pocket on his jacket. He whispered to the air, "Don't worry, Jonas, I'll be okay. Just making sure that they get the justice they deserve." Smith closed his eyes to banish the images of Jonas laughing with him over breakfast that last morning, Jonas at his back as he directed operations at a riot, Jonas at his back on their very first operational deployment after training school when it was only the fact that his guide kept him focused that allowed him to focus on the sniper that had already taken three of his colleagues’ lives…when the images went on an on, Smith cried out in pain and threw his arm backwards, smashing the window on his side of the car.

The sharp pain of his cut hand brought him clarity. Automatically he dialled down the pain and grabbed the first aid kit that was on the floor of the passenger compartment. After making sure there wasn't any glass in the wound, Smith taped a dressing in place and then wrapped a bandage in place. Once that was done, he flexed the hand a few times. Smiling grimly, Smith got out of the car and opened up the trunk. He collected a flak jacket and in a few deft moves adjusted it to fit and put it on. He reached down for the sniper's rifle and equipment that lay on the floor of the trunk. He checked his map once more and then disappeared silently into the forest towards the killing field.

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