* * *

  Jim held the door open for Blair, then let Mike and Jeff follow them inside. "Straight to bed." He ordered, giving his partner a slight push towards his room.

  "Jim, I'm..."

  "Straight to bed." He reached behind his back and produced the handcuffs from his belt, placing them on the table. Mike and Jeff were both in the loft now, so Jim also removed his gun, setting it beside the cuffs in an attempt to make the action look casual to those who didn't know what he had done before.

  Blair watched, glancing at the other two officers for a second, then nodded, making a face, and walked slowly down the short hallway into his room.

  "Hey." Jim had followed him, and now stood in the doorway while Blair eased himself down onto the bed. "I'll fill you in when Simon gets here, okay?"

  Blair sat down, then looked up and nodded. "Okay."

  "Mike and Jeff will be here all night. Listen, you hungry? I gotta feed these guys."

  Blair shook his head and kicked off both shoes. "No, thanks. I guess I'm tired."

  Jim nodded. "Okay, get some sleep." He pulled the door closed halfway, then left it that way, turning out the lights, and walked into the kitchen. "Hey guys, how about pizza?"

  "I'm up for it." Mike replied, sitting on the couch with a smile. "The wife doesn't let me indulge often enough."

  "Yeah, fine by me." Jeff agreed, checking the windows for the second time since they arrived.

  Jim laughed, glancing back down the hallway. "Sandburg has a fit when I eat too much take out, says I might as well just shoot the lard right up my veins."

  The two men laughed and nodded knowingly while Jim dialed the number of the pizza delivery. He placed the order, then went upstairs to change clothes, picking up his gun and cuffs from the table where he had set them. He hadn't left the hospital since he and Simon brought Blair in, and that was nearly 42 hours ago. He had taken a shower at the hospital, while the doctors were in with his partner, and Mike and Jeff were outside. Simon had insisted they both stay under guard until a plan to take care of Brackett could be put into motion, and Jim had bristled at the idea, at first. He wasn't one to hide, from anyone. And he knew if Brackett was to be caught, he'd have to be the one to do it. Lee Brackett was CIA trained, and a proven ruthless killer. And now, working for hire again here in Cascade. But, Simon was right about one thing, anytime Brackett came after them, he came after both of them. If Jim had to remain under guard, like any number of victims he had protected before, in order to keep Blair safe..Then he would. He didn't want to think about Jeff or Mike being in danger, but if he was to trust himself, and his partner, to anyone, they were the ones.

  He heard the footsteps approaching the door before the others heard the knock, and drew his gun, glancing over the balcony railing. Jeff was standing beside the door, gun drawn, while Mike peered through the view hole.

  "Pizza guy's here." Mike holstered his gun, but remained cautious as he opened the door, with Jeff and Jim both still aiming.

  Jim had focused tightly through the small view hole and could see a distorted view of a young woman in her teens, holding a pizza box, but he kept the gun drawn until she had left and the door was once again secured. He took a deep breath, and holstered his gun. Having all five senses on full alert for so long was getting exhausting. Every sound, even coming from down the block, had him jumping. Brackett was out there somewhere, and this time, he was ready even for the white noise generator he often used. Jim had learned, with Blair's help, how to 'feel' the blind spot the white noise created. And now that Brackett was back, he had been listening, probing, constantly feeling for the bubble that would give him away. But he hadn't found it. Even when they watched the tape that forensics had found rigged to his television from the boiler room downstairs, he hadn't been able to feel it. Brackett must have been on his way to the stakeout even as they were speeding back to the loft. He knew exactly when Delaney would arrive for his buy, which meant he knew more about the man then they did.

  "Hey Jim, you hungry or what?" Jeff called from downstairs. "Come on down."

  "Yeah, I'm coming." Jim was shaking his head, trying to get the echoing of Jeff's voice out of his ears. He was probing again for Brackett, but instead of filtering out the sounds he didn't want to hear, he was open for anything and everything he could hear. Jeff's voice hit like thunder. He recovered and walked downstairs, joining the other two officers at the table.

  "So this Brackett guy, you figure he only attacked Sandburg this time to get you clear of Delaney?"

  "Yeah, Mike, it's the only thing that makes sense. As much as any of it makes sense." Jim helped himself to the pizza that was quickly disappearing. "He's become a hired gun, most likely working for Kostov. He was always available for the highest bidder. That's what makes him so dangerous."

  Jeff opened his mouth to say something when Jim heard more footsteps coming up the stairs. He held up his hand, motioning towards the door, and put the pizza down. The others stood, not questioning Jim's direction, and drew their guns for the second time in less than an hour. Jeff moved farther down the hallway, between Blair's room and the living room, while Jim and Mike each took a side of the door. Jim waited for the knock, then smelled the cigar.

  "Come on in Simon." He opened the door, still keeping his gun drawn in case his Captain wasn't alone.

  "How'd you know it was me?" Simon stepped inside, glancing at the three men pointing guns at him.

  "Your cigar, Simon. Dead giveaway," Jim replied. "And, you can leave it outside." He raised his eyebrows and waited until Simon reluctantly extinguished the cigar and tossed in into the trash beside the kitchen counter.

  "Where's Sandburg?"

  "He's sleeping." Jim returned to the table and motioned for Simon to join them. "Hungry?"

  "No thanks. I just came from the DA. Our entire case against Kostov is gone. Without Delaney's testimony, we didn't have enough to hold him."

  "Damn." Mike shook his head. "So he's back in business?"

  "For now." Simon replied. "Any sign of Brackett?"

  "No, Simon. Not yet." Jim sighed, glancing down the hallway towards his partner's room. "But we haven't seen the last of him."

  "We can't have him attacking Blair every time he needs a diversion. We need to catch this guy and put him away for good."

  "Simon, I just might have a way we can do just that."

  Jeff and Mike both looked at Jim, as Simon raised his eyebrows and looked puzzled. "And just how do you figure we can do that?"

  Jim thought for a moment, considering his plan. "We know he was working for Kostov, right?"

  "That's our assumption." Simon replied.

  "And we know he's always made himself available to the highest bidder. So, we find a higher bidder, one who would want Brackett to take out Kostov."

  "Where are you going with this?"

  "We get both sides to convict themselves. If Kostov thinks someone has hired Brackett to kill him, he just might get nervous enough to need our help...."

  "And if Brackett thinks Kostov is going to work with us, to get him.."

  "Right Simon."

  "That might work, but how do we get Kostov to believe he's next on the hit list?" Jeff asked.

  "We tell him." Jim replied.

  "You know, this just might work." Simon stood and began to walk around the room, thinking. "These Russian crime lords have been pouring into the area lately, setting up shop. He just has to believe there's a bigger fish in town who wants his territory. That shouldn't be too hard to do."

  "Then what? He comes to us for help?" Mike sounded skeptical, glancing from Simon to Jim.

  "That's the idea. We flush out Brackett, and if we're lucky, get Kostov in the bargain."

  "What about the CIA? I thought they wanted Brackett?"

  "Not this time, Mike. The CIA has washed their hands of Lee Brackett. It's a police matter now, which means when we catch him, we can put him away." Jim nodded in agreement with Simon. "In the meantime, why don't you two go home, get some rest. I'll stay here tonight with our packages."

  Jim laughed a little as Jeff and Mike stood up and collected their coats. "You sure you can handle an entire night here with Sandburg, and no cigars?"

  Simon scowled, shaking his head. "No. He's asleep, right? I guess if he's asleep, I can go a few hours."

  Mike smiled and patted Simon on the back as he pulled on his jacket. "Hey Captain, give the kid a chance. He's managed to whip Ellison into shape. Can't be all that bad."

  Jim and Jeff tried not to laugh as Simon creased his eyebrows and looked like he wanted to say something, but he changed his mind and just shook his head again. "Go on, both of you. And report back here first thing in the morning."

  "Yes sir."

  "Yes sir. Hang in there, Jim."

  "Thanks Mike. Jeff, see you both tomorrow." Jim shut the door, then turned to see Simon looking into the trash at his smashed cigar. "It's only one night, Simon." He moved to the table and began to clear the pizza. "I really appreciate this."

  "Yeah, well. You didn't seem too appreciative the other night." Simon walked over to the couch and sat down, smiling at Jim to take the accusation from his statement. "I know, it's not easy to just sit and wait. But it's for your own good. Both of you."

  "You want a beer?"

  "I shouldn't. How about coffee?"

  "Sure. I'm not going to sleep much tonight anyway." Jim started to make the coffee and did another audio scan of the area, feeling for the blind spot. There was nothing. He listened to Blair's quiet breathing for a few minutes, satisfied that he was sound asleep. It had been nearly two days, what was he waiting for? Was his game over now, and he was just back to business as usual? And if so, could they catch him by using Kostov? Brackett was good, but Jim had taken him before, twice. He could take him again. But Blair...He had to keep Blair safe this time.

  "Here you go." He handed Simon the coffee, then sat down opposite him in the chair.

  "How's Sandburg doing?"

  "The Doctor says he'll be fine in time. Whatever that was Brackett used on him isn't out of his system yet. He'll feel the effects for a few more days, off and on."

  "That could be a problem. I want you two to stick together, no more separating until Brackett is caught."

  "It's not a problem Simon. He can stay here with Mike and Jeff. I need to be a part of this one."

  "No. Not a chance. I want you in on it too, but I'm not risking you two getting separated. That's when you're both vulnerable to this psycho. Besides, if you go, he sure as hell won't stay here."

  Jim shook his head. He was going to say that Blair would do as he was told, but he knew better. Handcuffing him to the bed had been a last resort, and he spent a lot of time apologizing for that. He still wasn't over the fact that Blair had been able to sucker punch him so well that night. But he promised that wasn't going to happen again, although he wasn't above using the memory to his advantage now and again. He conceded Simon's point, agreeing that he and Blair needed to stay together. God, if anything happened to him again, because Jim wasn't here, he couldn't deal with that. Blair had been abducted, then tortured, just to provide a distraction. Jim hadn't needed Sentinel touch to feel how severely Blair's abdominal muscles were cramping with each attack. Even unconscious, in the hospital, poison was at work. And that was the only reason for the drug, from what the doctors could tell. Madman, or sadist? Was there a difference?

  "What's got you, Jim? I haven't seen you this quiet in a long time."

  "He used Blair to get us away from there. I'm having a hard time with this one, Simon."

  Jim shook his head, trying to force back the lump that was working its way up his throat. "I just...It's my fault." There, he confessed. He should feel better now, shouldn't he? "I should never have left that mountain without finding him. Hell, I should have known he was in here, with Blair, when I came up the steps." He set his cup down and stood, pacing the room. "Sandburg is with me to study my Sentinel senses, not get himself attacked every time someone has a beef with me. If I can't even keep my own partner safe, what kind of Detective am I?"

  Simon stood then, walking up to Jim, and stopped his pacing. "Listen, that kind of thinking isn't going to get you anywhere. Now I know you know that. Just calm down." Simon motioned towards the couch. "Sit down." He scowled at Jim when he didn't move. "That's an order." Jim reluctantly walked to the couch and sat. "Now, Sandburg is here, with you, because he wants to be. Why, I don't know, but he does. And how you put up with him, I'll never know. But I do know one thing, and if you tell him I said this, I'll put you on suspension for a month." Simon crossed over to the couch and sat down facing Jim. "He's been good for you. I've seen you change, for the better, since he came along. And, as a matter of fact, I was thinking we might want to keep him. At least for a while."

  Jim laughed a little, surprised, and proud, that his Captain was beginning to see Blair in the same light that he always had. "You have to admit, he does have potential."

  "Well, he must. Otherwise I can't see you spending so much time working on him." Simon shrugged, shaking his head. "Hell, I'dve kicked him out of my apartment two days before he moved in."

  "I don't know, Simon. He grows on you after a while. There's still a matter of housebreaking, but he learns."

  "Well, you want the bed, I suppose?" Simon stretched and yawned. "I've got two uniforms watching the street. I think between the two of us, we could get some sleep."

  Jim nodded, glancing down the hallway. "Go ahead, Simon. I'll hang out down here."

  "No, you go ahead. You haven't had a decent night's sleep in a while. I'll stay up."

  "Spell me in four hours, and you've got a deal."

  Simon laughed. "Okay."

  Jim got up, taking his coffee cup to the kitchen. "Listen, you need some magazines or something?"

  "I'll be just fine." Simon produced a paperback from his back pocket. "I've been trying to finish this for weeks."

  Jim nodded, flipping the coffee pot off after filling the thermos for Simon. He quietly stepped over to Blair's door, peering inside. He could hear the steady breathing of sleep, but there was sweat on Blair's forehead as he lay there, both arms still wrapped around his stomach, even in sleep. Jim felt another wave of guilt, seeing his friend in pain. He bit down, flexing the muscles in his jaw as he walked back into the living room, then up to his bedroom. Blair was paying a heavy price for being his friend. Well, Brackett would pay an even heavier one.

  Part 4

  * * *

  Jim was up by 4 a.m., letting Simon catch a few hours before Jeff and Mike returned to take over. By 7, he was making eggs, listening for anything and everything over the sound of his Captain in the shower. He was convinced there was nothing amiss, no one around the complex that shouldn't be there that time of the morning. When he heard the shouts, and knew they were coming from Blair's room, his gun was drawn before he even set down the frying pan.

  "Sandburg!" Jim burst into the room, gun drawn, scanning every square inch as quickly as he could. Blair was on the edge of the bed, doubled over, gritting his teeth and trying to swear through them. "Sandburg, what the hell are you doing?" Jim holstered his gun quickly and hurried over to help his partner. He grabbed Blair by the arms, noting the tension in every muscle. He had stopped trying to curse, and just breathed heavily through his nose, pushing at Jim's hands.

  "I'm all right!" He finally said, looking up, but still doubled over. "I'm fine."

  Blair was pushing at his hands but Jim refused to let go. "You're not fine, Chief. What the hell happened?"

  Blair looked up then, and Jim could see anger in his eyes, and redness. "What the hell happened?" He pulled away and Jim released his grip. "I'll tell you what the hell happened." Blair tried to stand up, but he couldn't, and he cursed again, clenching his jaw. "I screwed up, that's what the hell happened."

  "Sandburg, you didn't..."

  "Yes, Jim, I did." Blair cut him off, then managed to stand up, and walk slowly to the other side of the room. "I screwed up, again, and you lost a man, and it's all my fault." He had paced to the far end of his room, and now turned to walk back. "I screwed up with Lash, I screwed up with Zeller, I screwed up with Brackett last time." He stopped and stood in the middle of the room. "It's one thing to get myself into these things, but God, Jim, a man died because of me! Two men!"

  The end of Blair's sentence was punctuated by a cry of pain that doubled him over. Jim rushed to catch him before he hit the ground, and managed to get him onto the bed. "Dammit Sandburg, this has to stop right now!" He pushed Blair down onto the bed and held him there until the spasm stopped.

  When it did, Blair looked up at Jim. He was shaking, and Jim could see the sweat breaking out on his face. Jim stayed there for a moment, holding him down, until the spasm had completely stopped. Then he stood, walked over to the door, and closed it so Simon wouldn't hear them over his shower. "Now, you listen to me. This has gone far enough, for both of us." He walked to the foot of the bed so that Blair would be looking at him. "I've had it with you blaming yourself for the actions of every psycho in Cascade. You think Lash was your fault? Dammit Blair, he was right there in the Precinct, Simon and I were working with him. We're cops, for Christ's sake! Zeller? God, Blair, that was my fault, I wasn't there in time. And Brackett? He picked you because of me. He needed me to get that plane, and I needed you. He held an entire city hostage to get what he wanted, and we gave it to him. What makes you think I wouldn't come after you if he took you? What makes you think your life isn't as important as someone else's?"

 

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