Title: Hope
Author: Dusty Tyree
Rating: PG
Summary: An extra scene from the episode 'Flight'
Feedback: Welcome, on or off list.
Disclaimer: This is an amateur story written purely for the enjoyment of fans. The characters do not belong to me. No copyright infringement intended to Pet Fly, or any other individuals or companies concerned.

Hope
by Dusty Tyree

"Hey, Chief," Jim paused, settling the bow and sheaf of arrows more
comfortably over his shoulder, and glanced back to see Blair's enquiring
look. "I'm glad you came," he said simply.

A smile blossomed across Blair's expressive face, "Me, too," he replied, eyes shining with relief and hope.

Jim turned to make his way into the thick underbrush, his heart a little
lighter than it had been since they'd started on this trip.

He had been extremely hurt when he'd learned that Blair was thinking about leaving for a year, or more, to go with his mentor to Borneo. He'd been okay with the idea when he thought it was for a few weeks, but when he'd realised it meant longer, a lot longer, he'd been hurt, which had, as usual, turned to anger.

Then the news that Simon and his young son were missing had been another blow to his emotions, one that had focussed his anger and disappointment. He could do something about this, could go to Peru
and find out what had happened to his captain and Darryl.

* * * *
Blair stumbled along behind his captor, head aching from the savage blow that had felled him to the ground.

He was vaguely aware of Darryl and Kimberly nearby, like him, their wrists tied together in front of them and towed along like dogs on the end of a leash.

Everything had happened so quickly, he was still trying to come to
terms with his inability to save Kimberly and the children from the drug runners.

It had seemed as though mere minutes had passed since Jim had disappeared into the jungle, but must've been an hour or so later.
Blair had still been basking in the warmth of Jim's words: "Hey Chief,
I'm glad you came."

"Me too," Blair had replied, his own smile breaking through the seriousness of the situation.

It gave him hope that he hadn't totally screwed up his friendship with his
sentinel.

Sentinel! That was another cause for worry. Jim's enhanced senses seemed to have disappeared on him, and Blair could only hope that
they would return.

He wished he knew more about the black panther Jim said he'd seen. He would have to do more research.

Now, though, he'd let Jim down. He hadn't heard the mercenaries approaching the village, and had been caught unprepared when the armed men had come boiling out of the undergrowth, scattering the children; sending them screaming to Kimberly and himself for protection.

The gun Jim had left with him had been worse than useless, by the time he'd managed to level the weapon, the oncoming men had fired some shots over his head, a dire warning of what would happen if he'd actually shot at them.

He and Kimberly had been surrounded and simply overpowered by the weight of numbers and the sheer ferocity of the ruthless men storming the village.

The men had seized upon Darryl, slapping the teenager when he'd tried to speak and when Blair had intervened, had struck him down with the butt of a rifle, leaving the young anthropologist dazed and bleeding on the ground.

Despite his attempts to protect the children and Kimberly, all he'd done
was to get himself a beating and a severe headache. They were then tied up and forced to march through the jungle.

His thoughts were brutally dragged back to the present and his own
precarious position as he realised his captors had stopped. Lifting his
head, he saw they were in a large clearing where a truck and two jeeps were parked.

He was lifted by his bound arms and tossed carelessly onto the bed of the truck, helpless to cushion his body from the bone-jarring landing.

Then Kimberly, Darryl and the children were also forced in, almost on top of him, and Blair caught his breath as one of the little girls kicked
his head as she tried to right herself, making his vision blur and the nausea to rise.

Grimly Blair fought back the sickness, he didn't want to frighten the kids
any more than they were, and he felt as though it would show weakness
for him to throw up all over his companions. No doubt, the guards would just let him choke.

Jim, man, I hope you're okay, he thought suddenly, wondering how Jim was managing without his senses and worrying where he might be.

Although Blair knew that the ex Captain in the Rangers was more than capable of taking care of himself, he couldn't help worry. Jim was one lone man against more than twenty armed and dangerous drug runners, he wouldn't stand much of a chance if they surprised him.

The truck started, jolting them all and he tried to sit up, feeling Kimberly's
hands on his shoulder as she tried to help him. Managing to get his head up he looked round at his companions, trying to look calm for the sake of the frightened kids. He glanced at Kimberly's pale face as she spoke soothingly to the children, but could see his own inner fear reflected in her eyes.

Darryl huddled against his other side and Blair could feel the boy trembling and nudged him with his elbow, remembering how one of the gunmen had hit him. "You okay, Darryl? That guy has got quite a swing."

Darryl shivered, but nodded. "Sorry I got you hurt, Blair... I just wanted
to know about my Dad."

"Hey, you didn't hurt me... they were just looking for an excuse to lash out at someone."

Darryl huddled even closer and Blair patted his knee with his bound hands and turned to look at Kimberly.

"How's the head?" she asked softly, and he shrugged.

"Okay, I guess."

She leaned closer. "You think that Jim, your friend...?"

He raised fingers to his lips, even though there were no guards in the back of the truck, they were in the jeeps that were tailing the truck.

"He'll do his best," he said confidently.

Kimberly nodded as she added, "...but he's only one man, that's if
they haven't already got him too."

Blair couldn't bear to think of that. He hoped that Jim was still free,
wanted to say that Jim would come through for them, that he was sure he was okay.

He didn't, however, want to raise her hopes and maybe unwittingly let the
drug-runners know that there was someone else out there. At present, they didn't seem to realise that there was another adult in the vicinity.

He hoped, no, more than that, he had faith that Jim would find them, with,
or without, his sentinel abilities. He didn't know how, he just knew.

Dusty Tyree
(c) 28th April, 2008