Many thanks to Cee for the edits
Summary Page for warnings, summary etcetera.
Blair yawned as Jim's pickup rounded the corner and disappeared into the early morning. It was 5.45 A.M. and cold. Blair shivered even though he had one of Jim's sweatshirts on underneath his outdoor jacket.
"Come on in, Blair. I'm sure David has breakfast ready for us."
Blair nodded and followed Edwards back into the apartment block. Once they were in the elevator, Edwards moved Blair so that the sentinel was in front of the guide. Blair knew that Edwards took his responsibilities as Jim's deputy very seriously, and that this morning one of those responsibilities meant seeing that Blair got to GDP headquarters, and ensuring that Dan Slater knew exactly what would happen if the Senior Guide Prime and the other Clan guides weren't returned safely before the Sentinel Prime's plane landed back in Cascade this evening.
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Blair looked at the audience arrayed in front of him and swallowed. The room was smaller than the lecture room he was use to at Rainier, but this time the audience was a lot more challenging. The group was small, ten in all, but apart from the two clan guides, Blair knew he had a very skeptical audience. Just as he drew breath, his mobile phone rang. Blair cursed internally, 'should have switched it off.' Blair pulled the phone from his backpack. "Hi, Jim. Good flight?"
After a pause he said, "Yes, I did get some breakfast. Yeah, Edwards made sure I brushed my teeth and washed behind my ears too." There was another pause, "We all got here fine, no problems." Blair listened again, "Yeah, I am wearing it." Conscious of his waiting audience, Blair said, "Jim, I've gotta go. I'll switch my phone back on again at lunchtime; give me a call then." Blair rolled his eyes at his sentinel's answer, "Anyway, big guy, how are your senses? Remember how to adjust your dials?" There was a pause and Blair waved his hands, keeping the phone under his neck, "Well, you know you're without your guide, Jim." A big smile flew across Blair's face at Jim's reply. "Keep it up big guy, keep it up. I'll speak to you later, gotta go, got an audience waiting!" Blair switched the phone off and put it down. He shook his head and commented, "Sentinels. Don’t you just love them?"
There was a giggle from Tina and a laugh from Karl. A quick smile flew across Dan's face and Martin's mouth quirked upwards a little. The younger unbonded guides looked at Blair uncomprehendingly and the two older guides just glowered at him. Blair just coughed and looked down at his notes. "I have to say thank you to Commander Slater for arranging this seminar." Blair looked around at the very well laid out seminar room, "And the accommodation. I'll leave it up to him to introduce the topic of the seminar and then I'll go through the day's schedule with you." Blair moved to one side of the central lectern. "Commander?"
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Mancini peered through the window and watched as his men in the courtyard below prepared for their tasks. Satisfied that they were on time, he switched his gaze to the figure that stood on the roof opposite of him. He smiled and waved his hand as the figure, sensing his attention, turned around. She waved and turned back to her task of keeping watch.
"Don't you think it would be better to take her?" The voice came from behind Mancini.
Irritated, Mancini turned to look at the speaker, pointedly glancing at his watch. He emphasised, "Good morning, Mr. Crook."
Rubbing a hand through his hair, Sean yawned. "It's not until late this afternoon. Plenty of time."
Mancini fought down his irritation, the younger man was central to his plans, he was the go-between for the contractor. Mancini smiled internally as he added, 'for now.' Once this deal had gone through, he'd ask to meet the contractor to work out a future working relationship. It'd be more profitable for both of them to cut out the middleman, besides, he'd seen how the man, how both of them had looked at Meg last night. 'Couldn't keep your mouth shut, Crook?'
Forcing a smile to his face, Mancini shook his head and returned to the initial topic of conversation. "No. She's not necessary to the plan. We know where each of the guards will be placed, where the transport will be and when." He paused and then commented, "Besides, I don't want her near any of the guides until they've been dampened."
"Sure you can trust her? I mean Sandburg is supposed to be a dark guide or something."
Mancini sneered; he'd seen the photographs. "That hippie? Dark guides don't exist, Sandburg won't be a problem. She's staying here." Mancini turned again to the window and saw that Meg had disappeared. She'd either gone past the chimneys that dominated the old school's roof or had decided to leave the roof altogether. Mancini hoped it was the latter because he hadn't been this nervous before a job in a long while. There'd be time to bond before he took the dampeners. Taking a deep breath, Mancini asked, "Clear about what you are to do?"
Sean nodded. "We'll help with the identification and getting the guides into the truck." Sean paused and then asked, "What are you going to do with any extras?"
Mancini regarded the man with cold, flat eyes. "Put them in the trash." Mancini laughed internally as he saw the younger man pale slightly and made a mental note to tell Frank to keep a special eye on the man. He put an arm around Sean's shoulders and asked, "Had any breakfast yet?"
Sean swallowed and shook his head. "No."
Mancini smiled. "Come on, let's get you some. Can't have my associate falling down on the job because he didn't get a good breakfast."
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Jim looked around him for what seemed like the thousandth time since he'd arrived at the small coffee shop that was the designated meeting point. His hands kept straying to his mobile phone, wanting to call Sandburg to check on him, to make sure he was safe. He grimaced as his stomach jumped and twisted; he wanted to be back in Cascade, not here in Edmonton. Jim glanced at his watch and decided if she didn't show in the next fifteen minutes, he'd get a cab back to the airport and get the 2 o'clock flight back to Cascade instead of the 4 o'clock flight. That way he'd be back in time to -"Hi, Jim."
Jim started and looked up as the feminine voice broke through his thoughts. The pleasant sight of Michelle Lazar or whatever her name was now greeted him. That was one of the items of information that the Witness Protection Agency had not passed on. She was as good looking as ever, her hair was shorter and a bit darker, but she essentially hadn't changed in the intervening years. He smiled in greeting. "Sorry, you startled me."
"You had a far away look on your face."
Jim nodded and then remembered his manners. He stood up and pulled a chair out for her. "Do you want a coffee?"
"Latte." Michelle sat down as Jim signalled a waiter and placed the order. While they waited for the coffee to arrive, Michelle said, "Sorry I was a little late. My plane was delayed."
Jim nodded; he guessed that Edmonton had merely been a mutually convenient meeting place. Neutrally, he asked, "How's Edward?"
Michelle bit her lips a little, and then said, "He's fine, really well. He told me to say hi to you. He wanted to come, but I thought it better if he didn't."
Jim nodded and wondered at the reason for the jump in Michelle's heart rate. "How's he doing in school?"
Michelle paused to let the waiter put their coffees on the table. She answered cautiously, "He's nearly at the top of his class."
Jim sipped at his coffee. "Still playing football?"
Michelle nodded and smiled a little. "Yes, he is." Changing the subject, she asked, "What do you want to know about the Mancini's?"
Jim noted the change in conversation but went with it. It was the reason he'd left Blair behind after all. He shrugged. "That's part of the problem. We don't know what we need to know about the Mancini's. We're investigating one of the family, but can't get anywhere."
Michelle shook her head. "You won't. They are very private."
Jim put down his cup and leaned back in his chair, "So are most mob families, that's how they survive, but the Mancini's are 'very' private." He watched Michelle very carefully and again heard her heart rate jump. Jim took both her hands into his, "What is it? Your heart's pounding away." He scanned the cafe but couldn't see anything that was out of place. "Everything's fine. Do you think you've been compromised?"
Michelle sighed and shook her head. She loosened one of her hands and laid it on top of Jim's. "No, I'm perfectly satisfied with what they've done for us. Very satisfied." She took a deep breath, and then asked, "Which particular member of the Mancini's?"
"The eldest son."
"Why?"
"Kidnapping, extortion, bank robbery, murder, armed robbery... You know just the usual mobster activity."
Michelle withdrew her hands and leaned back. "I never met him."
Jim searched her guarded expression and listened to her heart rate. She wasn't lying but was still hiding something. "You know something though. Otherwise you wouldn't have volunteered to come."
Michelle stared at Jim for a long while and then said quietly, "You're Sentinel Prime of Cascade now, aren't you?"
Jim, puzzled, answered, "Yes."
Michelle dropped her voice and asked, "How connected are you to the GDP?"
Jim became even more puzzled. "Largely disconnected. We're working this case together, but we don't tend to see eye to eye with them."
Michelle arched an eyebrow. "We?"
Jim said, "We're head of a clan." Jim tapped the table. "I bonded about a year or so ago. He's an anthropology graduate student."
Michelle gazed at Jim for a few long and silent moments and then nodded, relaxing, she said, "Jerry Mancini was disinherited at the age of sixteen. His fourteen year old brother was formally recognised as next in line. It worked that way for as long as I knew the family."
Jim commented, "Well, we knew he wasn't the heir, but we didn't know when that happened. Do you know why?"
Michelle stared at her empty cup of coffee. Jim noticed that it was empty and signalled for another cup. She smiled her thanks. After the second round of drinks had been supplied, she continued, "The official reason is that Mancini had a breakdown and was unstable. Apparently he lived in a separate building on the estate. He had his own staff too. Vincent once said they were totally loyal to Mancini."
Jim frowned. "Why all the big secrecy?"
"You mean, why can't the police get an inside man into the family?"
Jim inclined his head to acknowledge the hit. "They haven't tried for about ten years. Do you know the reason why?"
"Tell me why you need to know."
Jim looked around them and then in a lower voice said, "There was a robbery. During that robbery, two GDP employees were killed. Some evidence linking Mancini to that robbery was found in Cascade. I've read his record. I don't want that man in my city. Two days later, Mancini turns up in Chicago having a watertight alibi for the time in question."
"I don't know anything about that."
Jim caught hold of Michelle's wrists and looked straight into her eyes. "I didn't expect you to. It's important Michelle. Two men are dead, more maybe in danger. The robbery involved a GDP shipment of certain drugs. We found a sample with Mancini's handprints all over it."
Michelle said, "You wanted to know why the Mancini's haven't been penetrated?" Jim just looked at her in reply. Rubbing a hand along the table, Michelle stated, "I overhead Dominic once say to Vincent that they should get someone like Mickey Rossetti on the staff, just in case the authorities tried to infiltrate the family. Vincent laughed and then said the only drawback to that was then they'd have to have someone like Jerry Mancini around the house." Michelle picked at a fingernail and then looked at Jim. "Dominic said that would be a worthwhile price to pay for getting the protection of a sentinel. Vincent then joked about whether he should call the GDP asking if they've any pairs for sale."
Jim's mind raced with the importance of the information. He asked, "Are you sure?"
Michelle licked her lips before answering. "I am sure about the conversation. Vincent and Dominic were always discussing their rivals, comparing their organisations and so on."
Jim emptied his coffee cup while he thought of any ancillary questions. "Is that all?"
"Does it help?"
"Yes, it does help, before we were dealing with an unknown quantity, now... "
Michelle stood up. "That's good." She leant over and kissed him lightly on his cheek. "I hope your guide knows that he's bonded to a good man."
Jim breathed in her scent and suddenly wished she wasn't out of the country. "He does, I hope."
Michelle placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'd better go." Just before she withdrew her hand, Michelle said, "One day, maybe, we might be back in Cascade. We'd both like that, we both miss the city."
Jim looked into her eyes and said, "Come back. I'd keep you safe."
Michelle shook her head. "No, you don't understand. Edward's safer where we are things are different there. When things are different in Cascade, once he can go back, then I'll come back, Senior Sentinel Prime." With that she was gone.
Jim blew out a big breath and fought the temptation to touch his cheek where she'd kissed it. He began to focus on what she'd said and also what she hadn't.
"Sir, would you like another cup?"
Jim blinked and came out of his thoughts and looked at the waitress uncomprehendingly and then down at his cup. "Umm no. Can I have the check, please?"
The waitress smiled and placed the check on the table. Jim glanced at his watch and saw that it wasn't 'quite' time to call Blair. Getting his phone out anyway, he called his deputy, "Edwards, its Ellison. Call Hunter for me and get him to come back to Cascade immediately. I'll be into Cascade about 8 tonight Bring Blair to the airport with you when you come to meet you, don't let him out of your sight." Without waiting for confirmation from Edwards, Jim jabbed the off button. Leaving more than enough money for the check, Jim began his journey home.
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Mancini looked up at the darkening sky. Even he could feel the freshening wind. Obviously the storm that Meg had predicted this morning was going to hit soon. He pulled the collar of his jacket up. Three days she said; that would be more than enough to cover their tracks. Get the merchandise off his hands, and the money into the Mancini family bank account. Checking his watch, Mancini made a small hand signal to his side and smiled as the small jeep with Frank driving moved out into the road. Mancini checked his weapon and sighted it down the road, speaking into his microphone, he warned, "Five minutes and then it’s show time."
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Blair pretended not to hear Slater's circular inquiries about Jim's health and the particular business that had taken him away from town on this day of all days. He berated himself, 'should never have mentioned the flight.' Sick of staring out of the window, Blair turned to check how everyone else on the bus was doing. Tweedledum and Tweedledee were sitting next to each other, quietly chatting. Blair grinned a little as his gaze moved to Tina and Martin. Tina was showing him some photographs of her baby and Martin was making the appropriate complimentary noises. Blair's expression fell as his gaze fell across the GDP guard and driver at the front. Blair sighed; his discomfort at the presence of the men was something he should have expected. He closed his eyes and looked forward to the bonding session he'd have tonight with Jim. Unconsciously he touched the phone in his pocket and sighed. Why hadn’t he checked the battery last night? 'Jim is going to be so pissed.' Shaking himself out of his mood, Blair looked at the young guide that sat across the aisle. The younger man had put on earphones and was listening to music.
"He's a bit unconventional, isn't he?"
Blair shook his head and blinked at Dan. "Ummm"
Dan smiled, "I saw you looking at Adam."
Blair nodded, "Yeah." Blair looked at the younger guide. He had a stud earring in one ear and shoulder length hair and didn't look as if he fit very well into the formal shirt and tie that he had on. Blair thought back on the brief background biography he'd read on Adam. "Weren't his parents GDP? I admit I was surprised when I saw him this morning."
Dan said, "He was fostered by a GDP family. Of course they already knew he was an empath. His background before that was very unconventional. What the..." Dan Slater got to his feet, and started to push past Blair. "There shouldn't be a -" Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the sound of an automatic weapon being fired.
Blair automatically ducked down, even before Dan shouted, "Everyone down!"
After forcing himself to breathe, Blair watched Dan make his way to the front of the bus. Turning away from Dan, Blair checked on Blair dived for the floor and then after he'd taken a breath, checked on the others; Dan was making his way to the front, keeping low. Tina wasn't visible, but Martin was looking down the aisle and when the two men locked gazes, Martin nodded. Blair blew out another breath. Tweedledee, Mark, was making his way to the back of the bus, ' checking an alternate exit' thought Blair. Tweedledum, Jonas, was following Slater. Blair looked across the aisle to check on the young guide who had been sitting on his own. Adam was on the floor, looking white and breathing fast. Taking another breath to quell his rising panic, Blair reached out to Adam and pushed through the unsteady barriers of the young guide. Blair was immediately greeted by an older memory of smoke and screams and gunfire and terror. Blair pushed past that and, despite his own anxieties, calmed the younger man. Sensing that the memory or whatever it had been was receding, Blair pulled himself out of Adam's mind. Blair smiled confidently at the young man who was now looking at him. "Everything will be all right. We're well guarded. Just keep your head down and do everything just as you are told."
Just as Blair finished speaking, a loud boom rang out and the bus seemed to lift off the ground a little before settling down. Blair kept his head covered with his hands as broken glass rained down on him. As soon as it was clear that all the glass had fallen, Blair, his heart racing wildly, lifted his head and looked forward to see nothing but a gaping hole where the driver had been.
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Mancini smiled as the dust settled from the grenade explosion. The bus and the outriders had stopped at the roadblock just as he knew they would. He knew that the uniforms he'd lifted from the truck raid would come in useful some time. The bodies of the motorcycle outriders and the guards in the lead car littered the ground. Mancini turned his eyes to the bus. Now for the business part of the transaction. The intel in the file had played out so far. He spoke into his microphone, "Report."
Frank reported back, "Everyone taken care of outside, Boss. We're in position at the back."
Stuey was next. "Ready to go, Boss."
Mancini took a moment to look at Sean and David who were crouched down in the roadside scrub with him. Both were silent and pale. Mancini curled up a lip in distaste and then said, "On my mark."
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Dan saw Blair turning from where he'd been with the younger guide. He whispered, "Don't look, it's not pretty." The guard and the driver had been moving to get off the bus when the explosion had hit. There wasn't much of them left. Racing through his head was the thought that one way or another, they'd been betrayed. Now his priority was protecting the Guide Prime and then the others. He turned to Jonas who'd been the one to pull him down. As he debated what to do, he pulled out his mobile and keyed in 911 while keeping both eyes on the front of the bus. Dan could hear Mark struggling with the emergency release hatch at the back.
"No signal Commander"
"Damn, must be in a dead area!" Dan looked at Jonas who wasn't looking at his face but rather at his shoulder. Dan opened his mouth to ask just why, but the words turned into a groan as his chest and shoulder exploded into pain. Looking down at his right shoulder, he distantly noted that there was a red stain appearing on his jacket. Through the descending mist, he saw Jonas reach out to him. His GDP training warred with his experience as a medic. He knew that someone needed to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but he also knew that after the long seminar, all of the empaths’ barriers would be close to zero. GDP conditioning won out, "No, no, fry your barriers. Protect the Prime."
As if not hearing him, Dan felt the guide press down hard on his wound. He cried out a little and saw his vision start to fray along the edges. Then he felt another pair of arms grab him from behind. He looked up to see Blair looking at him in concern. Before he could say anything, he felt himself being dragged to the rear of the bus.
"We're going to get out of the bus and get into the forest. Jim will be out looking for us in no time."
In the far distance, Dan could hear cursing about a stuck hatch and someone yelling, ''Get it open!" and then the pain became too much and all was black.