Sandburg awoke slowly, confused by the darkness of his surroundings. He shivered with the dank chill that seemed to permeate his whole body with the exception of his right side. It was warm, but the weight resting against it was also quivering. Releasing his medallion that he had been clutching with his hand, Blair extended it until he felt damp hair and hot skin.

"Damn! Fever," Blair whispered aloud. Doug coming down sick and, compounded with what already might be wrong with him, made getting rescued more important than ever. Sliding his hand further over, he fumbled until he was able to feel the sleeping man's throat. The pulse was rapid.

Moving his hand further down until it rested on Turner's chest, Sandburg was surprised to hear a rough voice say, "Move that hand any further and you'll have to answer to a very jealous woman. She doesn't appreciate someone else feeling up her property." Straightening his body back up to a sitting position, Turner's groan turned into a coughing fit.

"Easy, man," Blair comforted, holding the other upright until the fit had passed. "You don't have the right equipment, so your virtue is safe with me. I was just checking your respiration. You're definitely running a fever and your pulse is pretty fast."

"Oh God, that hurt." Doug held his arms around his chest. "Can you break ribs from coughing?"

"Depends on how damaged they were before you started coughing," Blair answered, shifting his body around until he was facing his friend. He couldn't see a thing, but that wasn't going to stop him. "Let me check you out and see what you might have. I've had enough broken ones myself to know what they feel like." Moving carefully, he unzipped Doug's coat and placed his hands along the rib cage.

Turner jerked when he felt the icy fingers touch his ribs. "Damn, your hands are cold."

"Sorry, can't be helped. But you know the old saying; cold hands, warm heart. Does that hurt?"

~groan~ "A little, but it's not a sharp pain."

"The area feels hot, so it's probably safe to say that you definitely have a good bruise. But it didn't feel like anything was broken, maybe just cracked. You need to be careful until we can get you to a doctor. Anything else hurt?" Blair pulled his hands back and helped the other close his jacket. Doug's shivering had become more pronounced when it had been opened.

"Just my head. Don't," Doug protested and pulled away when he felt Blair's hands lightly touching his face. "I already found a pretty lump on the back side and you know about the cut. Without any light, there's nothing you can do."

"Yeah, light. Wish there was a way we could have a small fire."

"We could use it to signal the others." Silence hung between the two men for several long seconds before Turner continued, his voice soft, "Was I having a wishful dream or was what happened real?"

"Oh, it was real, man." Blair's voice was equally soft, but Doug could almost hear the smile in the tone. "The only times I've ever been able to get there, Roni has had to help me. But tonight, I made it myself."

"And took me along for the ride. How'd you do that?"

"I have no clue. All I remember is trying to relax, to think of some way we could get back to the road, and that I really wanted to talk to Jim. Then I guess I fell asleep and woke up in the clearing. It was so real."

"That's what Roni always tells me, only the place she goes to isn't a jungle. She doesn't like that much humidity."

Blair chuckled. "Well, it seems the jungle surrounds Jim's and my lives. Maybe it's our trademark now."

"A shared legacy. So, I guess what caused your fight isn't something that has been brewing for a while, despite the attitude I saw."

Blair was silent for a couple of minutes before he softly uttered, "Damn. You're as bad as Roni."

"Thanks. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that. So what happened between you guys that sent you off wandering the streets and into this situation with me?"

Blair sighed. "I cut my hair, went to the police academy, fought against all the sneering opinions others had against me to become Jim's partner and he won't let me do what I was trained to do. I changed the whole course of my life for him and he still takes charge of every situation we're in."

"Did you?" Doug asked, jumping in the middle of Blair's tirade when the younger man finally took a breath.

Blair froze at the question. He wasn't expecting Doug to say anything, much less ask a question he didn't understand. "Did I what?"

"Change the course of your life. Was that what happened when you made the choice to become Ellison's partner, or did you put you life onto the path it was supposed to follow all along?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did I ever tell you what I was doing before I met Roni?" Before Blair could answer, Doug continued, "I was a full-time pharmacist and a historian in Colorado. That's one of the reasons we vacation there so much. Anyway, the pharmacy work kept the bill collectors away and allowed me to immerse myself into the research I wanted to do on Native American religious practices. Then one day, on vacation down in Durango, I was researching the tomes of a college and ran into this fiery redhead who needed help in deciphering some practices being performed by some cultists. By the time it was all over, we had ended up saving each other's lives at least once and stopping some people from doing pretty ugly things to animals."

"And that's when the two of you decided to become a, uh, couple?"

"Actually, no. I went back to work in Grand Junction and returned to the life I'd had before meeting that trouble-prone woman. That lasted for 6 months."

When Turner stayed silent for what he thought was too long of a time, Sandburg finally asked, "So, what happened? You obviously got together."

"She showed back up again, needing my help on another case she was on."

"And did you help her?"

"Oh, yeah. Can you see anyone saying no to that woman? But finally, about two years after she kept showing up every now and then and asking for help on special cases, she sat me down and had a long conversation about what our futures would be."

"Didn't you have any say in that?"

Turner chuckled. "Oh, I could have told her no and continued to do pharmacy work during the day and research at night, but I found that there just wasn't any joy in doing the same old thing day in and day out. When she was gone, I missed her. Finally I realized that I liked the excitement and challenge that working on cases with her gave me."

It was Blair's turn to chuckle. "Got so used to the roller coaster that you couldn't see yourself going back to the merry-go-round. I know what you mean. Jim and I found out the hard way that we are supposed to be partners from the moment we met."

"Then why are you fighting what is so obviously meant to be by taking a role that is not yours?"

Turner's question hit something deep in Sandburg's psyche. He opened his mouth a few times to come back with an answer, but the words just wouldn't come out.

"You are a shaman, that I know from Roni. What Ellison is exactly, well, that's between you and him, since you've not made us privy to that inform--"

"He's a sentinel," Blair blurted out, though he was not sure why. Doug remained silent, waiting for him to continue. The younger man did after taking several deep breaths. "He'll probably kill me for telling you this, but you have a right to know who you're depending on. Jim is what the explorer, Richard Burton, called a sentinel."

"Ah, a Watchman. Now it all makes sense."

"You've heard of sentinels? How?"

"Not sentinels, per se. But I know of people like them. You're saying that Ellison is a Guardian, as the lore of the Native Americans call him. A person born with enhanced abilities that make him special and destine him to be the protector of the tribe. And you, as his Shaman, are there to watch his back and protect his soul; to teach and guide him as he performs his duty to his tribe and his people."

"Y-yes," came Blair's hesitant confirmation.

"So the argument you two had concerned?"

Blair cleared his throat and answered, "I know where you're going with this."

"Do you? Well, sometimes I just say things that come to my mind and don't really understand what I am saying. Could you explain it to me?" Turner sounded genuinely confused.

"With our partnership, Jim and I, we each have our roles to play and I guess I've been forgetting that. He's the Sentinel and I'm the Shaman. It's in his genetic makeup to be the protector, to do what is necessary to protect the tribe."

"And you, if I know how your bond works."

"Yeah, well, sometimes that's the problem."

"Why?"

"Because one of these days he's going to get himself killed trying to protect me."

"That could also happen during the course of his job. But wouldn't you risk your life to protect him?"

"In a heartbeat. As far as we know, he's the only good sentinel around. He's too important to lose."

"And you think you're expendable, that another can replace you."

"I replaced Incacha, Jim's previous Shaman."

"Replaced him, or took the place he was safeguarding for you."

Blair remained silent.

Turner had heard the defeatist tone in Blair's voice, so he decided another tactic. He laughed. "For one who'd made it as far as almost completing a Ph.D., you sure are dense, Sandburg. But if this is the way you feel, then why haven't you found your replacement by now? Surely you know of someone who could step in if something happened to you. Maybe train them so that they can have a smoother relationship with Ellison."

"Go to hell, Turner!" Sandburg growled.

"Ah, finally. I was wondering what would finally strike a nerve. Open your eyes, bright boy. What part of your bonding ceremony said you two would be together unless something happened to you and another could step up to fill you place? None if it, right? Guardians and their Shamans are destined to be together until death, usually which takes both of them at the same time or pretty close." Turner allowed Blair to stew over all that was said for a bit before he moved the topic to a different area. "Tell me something, Blair. When Jim is working with his senses, who helps him control and hone his abilities?"

"Me."

"Why?"

"Because I know how to help him."

"How do you know?"

"I've studied sentinels for about as long as I can remember. I understand what a sentinel can do with his enhanced senses and what the dangers are."

"But Jim's had his senses for a long time. Hasn't he?"

"Yeah, his whole life. Where are you going with this, Doug?"

"Just stay with me. What do you do when Jim decides that he knows better what to do when he's trying to use his senses or if he has a problem?"

"I try to talk him out of doing anything stupid, for one thing. But it's not easy. Jim can be pretty bullheaded. But he usually listens to me once he's had time to think."

Turner tried to keep from laughing, but a few chuckles slipped out. "I don't think only one side of your partnership can be considered bullheaded, Blair. Think again about why you two had an argument yesterday."

There were several long seconds before Sandburg finally replied, "I get it now. I may have some knowledge about police work, but Jim is the one with the experience and instincts that have been honed after years in the military and now as a detective. He also follows his instincts as a sentinel and as my partner. I have to learn to accept that."

"Not only follow his instincts, but don't guardians or sentinels have a primary objective?"

"To do what is necessary to protect the tribe. And I'm a very important part of his tribe." The last was spoken humbly.

Turner yawned. "It's about time, my young friend. I thought I was going to have to draw you a picture before you'd get past your feelings being hurt and start to see why Jim does what he does."

"God, I feel like a first year student who's finally learned the trick of how to study for a test." Sandburg's voice was filled with relief. "Thanks, Doug. Are you warm enough? You're still shaking."

"I'm fine. It's probably just the coldness of the ground. You know, I'm going to have to have a talk with my partner about her leaving me tasks like this. She probably should have had this conversation with you a long time ago. And now I'd like to get back to sleep, or do you intend to do some more walking on the spirit planes?"

Blair patted his shoulder, indicating where Doug should rest. "Nah, I'm done walking for the night. If anything, I'd only be walking alone. Jim's on the trail and my best course of action is to not interrupt his train of thought. I think I'd better catch a few more Z's if I want to be of any use to anyone tomorrow. 'Night, man."

Walking calmly up the side of the road, Ellison motioned for his three companions to approach his position. He had traveled ahead of the group when they neared the two vehicles and he had detected no evidence that there was anyone in the area. He couldn't hear anything coming from the car or the van.

Gesturing to Charbonneau to stay behind, Ellison pointed to Rafe to take the driver's side of the van. He then motioned at Brown to stay with him and started forward. The three men crept stealthily forward until they were in position around the still vehicle. With Rafe at the driver's door, Brown at the passenger door and Ellison at the side sliding door, each man quietly tested the handles and found that none were locked. Counting down with his fingers towards Brown, the two men yanked open their doors and braced their bodies to have a clear shot at anyone who might be waiting in the van. Rafe was not far behind in copying the actions once he heard the other two in action.

When the doors opened, the overhead light of the van illuminated, showing a lone body lying in the back covered with a tarp. Brown stretched a hand and pulled the cover from the body's head and upper torso. What met his sight was not pretty. The man had a very visible head wound with blood trails that snaked around lifeless eyes. But that wasn't what had killed him. It was the large hole in the middle of his chest obviously caused by a large caliber weapon. Though it wasn't necessary, Brown leaned forward to check for a pulse that wasn't there.

"Well, we know they are at least one short," H commented, looking over at Jim. "Doesn't look like they wanted this poor bastard around."

"Hired muscle is expendable. Not much we can do for him either except alert the highway patrol and make sure they know to come in silent," Jim replied.

Rafe pulled out his cell phone. "I'll do that, Jim," he offered and walked away from the van and into a more open area to make sure he could get good reception.

Roni came around the side of the van and peeked into the vehicle. She didn't flinch at the dead man's appearance. "Too bad," she murmured turning away. When she noticed Ellison staring at her, she shrugged and walked past him toward the nearby forest. "What? I was just thinking it was too bad this was just the hired help and not Rinaldi himself. I know this great curse that would have trapped his soul until the next millenium."

Jim almost shivered at the coldness of the woman's tone. Mentally he told himself to never do anything that might make Roni that mad at him. Taking one more look back into the van, a splash of red under the seat on the passenger side caught his eyes. Zeroing in on it, he recognized the object. Leaning back in, he pulled out Blair's pocketknife. His partner was never without his bar mitzvah gift. Clutching it briefly in his fist and raising it up to his face, he closed his eyes and inhaled. He easily smelled the scents he associated with Blair. It gave Jim a small feeling of comfort.

Pocketing the knife and turning his attention away from the van, Ellison focused his eyesight onto the ground and started to follow after Charbonneau. Despite the lack of stars or moon to provide him any ancillary light, he could easily see the animal trail Sandburg had mentioned. The thick clouds overhead were providing just enough reflection of light from the towns to the south and the light snow that was beginning to cover the ground helped even more. To the Sentinel, there was plenty of light for him to see.

Scanning the ground, Ellison found the footprints leading from the van and car toward the trees; there were two sets from the car and four from the van. That made him relax a little to think that there were only four people searching for Sandburg and Turner. Searching further, he was able to locate the prints that belonged to his two missing friends and found a couple of spots of blood. Turning back toward the road, Ellison gestured to the others.

"Okay," he started once the other three were closer. "Looks like there are only four men tracking our guys, two from the van and two from the car. The prints look like they aren't really dressed for tracking through the woods, which means we might have the advantage. I know it is going to be difficult, but I'd rather you not use your lights. We don't need to warn those guys that we're behind them."

"We don't have those special eyes that you do, Jim. How can we keep from tripping over anything and everything?" Brown asked.

"Should have been munching on carrots instead of those donuts, H," Rafe teased his partner and poked him lightly in the stomach. The black detective slapped at the offending hand.

"Stretch out a length of the rope you're carrying, H," Jim ordered and extended a hand. "I'll carry the end and the rest of you space yourselves out along it. If I see something that you need to duck or jump over, I'll stop and warn you."

"This will make for slow going," Roni commented, taking the spot behind Jim.

"Would you rather wait until it starts to get light? Better slow than not at all. Let's get going and hope the snow quits soon. I don't want to lose the trail." What Ellison didn't mention was that he was able to smell the special blend of coffee that Sandburg must of gotten on himself, as well as the unique odors that his friend had, and would be able to use that if the tracks did disappear. There was also the myriad of odors from the men ahead of them, the strongest being gun oil and powder mixed with an antiseptic odor.

As if realizing that the tall detective was concentrating too strongly, Charbonneau patted Ellison on the arm to get his attention and said, "Ready, Jim."

Breaking away from the odors, Ellison looked down and nodded. Swinging around, he led his party into the forest.

Doug Turner jerked awake, his eyes flashing open, when a cold hand pressed on his mouth and another pressed down on his shoulder to keep him where he was lying. There was enough light now filtering through the foliage overhead to barely see, but there wasn't anything in his view. His mind was racing, trying to think when had he been captured again, when a soft voice calmed his fears.

"Shhhh. We have company," Blair whispered low. When he felt the man under his hands relax, he released Doug and helped him sit back up. In his sleep, the older man had slid his body down until his head had been resting on Blair's lap and he slept deeply. The trust being shown to him made Blair silently vow he would get his friend out of this situation and safely back to Roni.

Pulling his legs up until he could kneel, Blair bit his lip and struggled to stifle the groan threatening to escape. The wound on his left leg was hot and sent fiery spikes of pain up to his hips and down to his toes. But he knew he had to get the blood circulating and loosen up the muscles; otherwise, he'd be useless to his friend. Then there was the problem of his hands. The plastic cuffs were still encircled around each of his wrists and, even though the circulation had not been cut off, his hands were slightly swollen and ached in the cold.

Shuffling forward until he was at the edge of their little hiding place, Blair forced his breathing to calm so he didn't sound like a horse blowing hard after running a long race. Apparently Doug understood what he was going through, because he felt a hand on his back and it was gently rubbing back and forth. Blair dropped his head for a couple of minutes and just allowed the calming ministrations to fortify his psyche. The sleep he'd just had had helped him physically, and the knowledge that Jim was not that far way was a great mental boost, but it was the fear he would not be able to keep Doug from harm that weighed on his spirit.

Taking a couple of steady, deep breaths, Blair straightened and started moving again. He stretched his body out to lie flat and carefully inched his way forward through the brush until he was at the edge. Still covered by the foliage, he could see well enough in the dim light to make out the movement of two men, their flashlights trained onto the ground beneath them.

"Damn it! I told you there was nothing showing they came this way. Look for yourself." The voice sounded young, angry and impatient.

"Tracks can't just stop and disappear. There are only two directions Turner and the other could have gone and this is one of them." The second voice was older, calmer and had a slight accent.

"Fine. But since there ain't anything here, they couldn't have come this way. Let's go back to the ravine and help the others. Just remember, the long-haired dude is mine when we find them." An evil laugh followed the statement. Blair figured the voice must belong to Larry and the man was angry about what he did before the crash.

"Only after we find Turner," the other reminded his companion. The two lights then swung around and the men headed back down the trail.

"Shit," Blair swore quietly and slowly shifted his body until he was completely back into the lair. "They've caught up to us," he whispered to Doug. Rolling onto his side, he reached down and gently rubbed along the thigh of his injured leg.

"So we stay here," Doug asked, his voice sounding rough. Abruptly, he coughed then quickly buried his mouth into his jacket to silence the noise. "Sorry," he finally said once he caught his breath.

"You're staying here for sure. Sounds like you're coming down with something and don't need to be running around out there."

"And what are you going to be doing?"

Blair ran his hand through his hair to brush it back away from his face, staring off at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. Then he looked back at his companion and said, "Jim's not that far away. If I can meet up with him before he runs into those guys, I can warn him."

"And if you can't?"

"Then I'll help him. But he'll hear them long before they hear or see him and try to prevent a shoot out."

"And keep Roni safe." Turner's voice trembled with emotion. "Let me go with you. I promise I won't slow you down."

Sandburg stretched his arm and laid a hand on Turner's leg, giving the limb a firm squeeze. "You're the one they want, Doug. They get you and you know Roni will give herself up to keep you safe. Then Jim and I will be expendable." He knew his words would hurt the older man, but he voiced them anyway.

Turner was silent for several long seconds before he finally voiced softly, "Now it's my turn to curse you."

Blair gave the leg under his hand a shake and another squeeze. "I'll be back before you know it with your lady in tow. Then you better be ready, 'cause I got a feeling you won't be out of Roni's sight for a real long time."

"Suits me just fine," Turner chuckled softly. "Go on and get out of here. Just be careful, Blair."

With a final squeeze on the leg, Blair rolled back onto his stomach and started to wiggle his way back through the brush.

Doug waited, listening to make sure Blair made it away. When he couldn't hear the younger man, he slowly counted to one hundred before crawling forward and through the brush. Once he was back out in the open, he pulled himself erect and started walking in the direction he'd known Blair had gone. Doug knew he was heading into danger, but he'd never let another risk their life for him before and wasn't about to start now.

Ellison stopped abruptly and dropped down to kneel along the trail. Stretching forward, he picked up something that caught his eye. It was a burnt match. He knew he'd smelled the acrid odor of cigarette smoke for a while and he now had the evidence, not that he needed it with the group following him.

Placing two fingers on either side of the expended match head, Jim felt a minute amount of residual heat. "We're getting close to the others," he whispered, then focused on the woman behind him. "How are you holding up?"

Roni peered around the area with an intense gaze. "I'm still here, aren't I? Just don't go Rambo on me and I'll stay right behind you."

"How far ahead are they?" Rafe asked, shifting closer. Brown also moved up so that voices wouldn't have to be raised.

Ellison tilted his head to the side and listened for several seconds. The other three waited until he turned his attention back to them. "One, two miles at the most. Sounds like they've lost the trail and are searching around for some type of sign."

Brown smiled, his teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Hairboy must have been paying attention all those time you've gone camping, Jim."

"Sandburg's got some skills of his own, H," Ellison reminded the other then changed the subject. "How well are you able to see in this light?"

"It's still pretty dim, but I think I can get around without running into a tree," Brown replied, coiling up the rope they'd been using.

"Good enough. See that break in the bushes over there? Heading up that hill?" Jim pointed off to the right. Seeing H nod after taking a look in the direction indicated, he continued, "Animals are pretty good judges of their areas. From what I can see, the deer have started a new trail that leads up the hill and probably goes across the ridge. I want you to head up that way and get an overhead view. I trust you to do what is needed when the time is right." Jim tapped the rifle slung over the black detective's shoulder.

Brown's smile became wider. "You got it, babe." Giving the senior detective a thumbs up sign, he shouldering the rifle more comfortably onto his back, gave Rafe a slap on the back then trotted off in the direction of the hill.

After their companion disappeared through the brush, the remaining three clustered closer together. Roni, thinking the others didn't know about the bond between Jim and Blair, shot a quick glance at Rafe before asking, "How far... uh, do you think we are from Blair and Doug?"

Jim nodded at the woman, confirming her thought, and answered, "Well, probably no more than one or two miles beyond where they lost Rinaldi's men. At least I hope." Moving over to some trees, Jim squatted down near one and leaned against the trunk. "Let's take a quick break and give H a couple of minutes to get up to the ridge before we move on." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar, dark shape lounging next to a tree. The animal looked calm, giving Jim a small measure of relief. If the animal had been agitated, they wouldn't be resting.

After the other two mimicked his position, Ellison leaned his head back against the trunk and closed his eyes. Though he'd been keeping a more conscious monitoring of his connection with Sandburg, Ellison sunk down into the bond for a better feel of what was happening with this partner. He wanted to ask for Charbonneau's assistance, but thought it would look more than a little strange to Rafe to have the woman sitting next to him, both with their eyes shut and her clutching his arm.

Like a welcoming beacon, the connection flared to life and Jim was in full awareness of his friend. To his chagrin, he could tell that Blair was on the move, heading in their direction. Damn it, Sandburg! Ellison fumed. One of these days I'm going to have to teach you how to just stay put and wait for help to arrive.

Forcing his mind back to business, Jim felt for the physical condition of his friend. The younger man was damp and also chilled, but what else was new. If the sun wasn't shining and the temperature above 65 degrees, Blair was wearing layers of clothes to keep warm. He was in some pain, in the left thigh, but not enough to incapacitate him. Jim could feel that Blair was favoring his leg, but his concentration wasn't on it. As with the other times, his friend was focused on another and Jim figured it was Doug Turner. Blair was like that, though. He'd ignore his own injures to take care of another in his charge. Jim knew this because he'd been a recipient of that attention before.

Ellison pushed along the bond to let Blair know he was there and felt an immediate surge back from his friend. It was like sticking his hand out and receiving an answering clasping hand. Hopefully, the younger man would know that this was their 'normal' way of connecting and not like they'd had when Charbonneau had been involved.

Jim felt relief and confidence flood along the connection and smiled. It always surprised him at the amount of trust his friend and partner had in him, no matter what the situation they were involved. Sending what he hoped was a stronger amount of calming confidence, Jim allowed the connection to fade back down so that it was once again on the edge of his awareness and wouldn't distract him from what he had to do. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath and swung his senses around to check out the area. The sun was coming up, but the cloud cover would still create a problem for the others. For Jim, the small amount of brightening caused by the pre-dawn acted like a light being turned on in a dark room.

"How is he?" Roni asked softly when she noticed that Jim's attention was back.

"He's okay and heading in this direction. I think he's hoping to meet up with us without running into the others."

"Could you tell if Doug was with him?"

"I don't think so. I could tell that he wasn't thinking about his own injuries and was concerned about another, but it... I don't know. It didn't feel like the one he was concerned about was with him." Ellison watched Charbonneau sag slightly in relief. He knew how she felt. Raising his voice so that Rafe could also hear, he said, "We better get moving. Knowing my partner, no matter what he does, he'll still walk right into trouble."

"At least he's predictable, Jim," Rafe chimed into the conversation. "Sorta like you in many ways." The young detective chuckled at his humorous jab.

"I'd be careful, Jed," Roni warned quietly, a sly smile appearing on her face. "One should always ensure they are properly armed in a battle of wits."

Rafe's face froze at the use of a form of his given name. He quickly glanced over at Ellison, but saw that the older man's attention was focused on the surrounding area. Hopefully, his special hearing ability didn't pick up the woman's words.

"One day you'll feel confident enough to let those you trust know who are, Rafe. The hardest part will be knowing when that time has arrived." With that cryptic remark said, Roni returned her attention to Jim.

"Let's move out," Ellison ordered, standing back up. "Our quarry is still in the same area searching around and I want to get there just in case they find something to point out Sandburg's direction." Without waiting to see if the others were ready to follow, he started back onto the path.

The sound of a branch snapping caused Blair to freeze in mid step. His nerves were stretched taut and it seemed like he was jumping at almost every sound he heard. Shifting away from the trail and behind some trees, he waited to see if there was another indication of someone in the area. He didn't have to wait long.

A dark-haired man walked into the area he'd just left, flashlight in one hand and a handgun in the other. It was the one from the van he'd called Moe. Blair watched as the man searched around with the flashlight on the ground, stopped and knelt down to get a better look at something he'd found. Then the man stood, moved the light further up the trail and continued forward.

Sandburg could have slapped himself in the head. He'd been careful about not leaving any tracks up to where he and Turner had hid for the night. Unfortunately, he hadn't been that careful coming back in this direction and it was obvious that Moe had found some type of track that he must have left. If Moe kept on the path, he would be able to find their hiding place and Turner.

Thinking quickly, Blair reached down, picked up a small branch and bent it until it snapped loudly in half. When he saw the man, who was now about 100 feet away, turn sharply at the noise, Blair took off running as best he could away from the trail in a limping gate. He had to lead the man as far as possible into the woods in hopes of either losing him or at least give himself any type advantage.

It wasn't easy trying to run with the wound in his leg; the appendage burned hotly and threatened to give out each time he had to veer around a bush or tree. But when he heard the sharp report of a rifle, and saw the splatter of bark from the tree he just zigged around, adrenaline surged through his body. Blair didn't know if Moe had been trying to wound or kill him with the shot, but he wasn't going to wait around to find out. A thick cluster of bushes was off to his right and, if he timed it right, he felt he could hide in them until the man passed him by. Taking the chance, he cut to the right and around a large pine, then dove into the brush. Collapsing flat, he buried his face into his arm to muffle his breathing and the groan that he couldn't hold back.

The sounds of the man crashing after him through the foliage came close to where he lay. Blair held his breath, praying that his clothes were dark enough and the bushes thick enough to not be detected. When Moe passed right by his cover, Blair raised his head enough to peer through a small opening in the branches. He remained very still and watched until Moe disappeared through the trees. When he thought the man was far enough away, Blair crawled out of the brush and, moving fast but stealthily, went into the opposite direction.

Sandburg knew that the man's rifle fire would probably draw his companions in his direction. Hoping to miss them, he headed straight back toward the trail, thinking the others might move diagonally toward where the shot had occurred. What he didn't expect was that Moe had someone in the area and, after rounding a clump of trees, stopped short at the pistol barrel pointed directly at his face.

"Have a nice run, buddy?" the man asked, smiling broadly. "Didn't think Chaz would be that stupid to fall for your trick."

Blair raised his hands in surrender and muttered, "Shit."

Grabbing his captive's arm to swing him around, the gunman gave him a quick pat down. Finding no weapon, he grabbed Blair's collar and dragged him around until he was walking back toward the trail. "What happen to Turner?" the man asked, prodding Sandburg in the back to force him to move faster.

He knew that pretending to not know who the guy was talking about would only get him hurt further. So, Blair did what he knew best. He obfuscated. "We separated at first light. I decided to head back for the road to get help. He went further into the forest."

"Why do I feel like you're lying to me?" The man prodded his prisoner again, causing him to stagger.

"Hey, man. I'm not lying. We separated a couple of hours ago. You don't see him anywhere around here, do you?" Blair twisted around to give the man a sincere look, but was shoved forward again and had to catch himself before he fell.

"We'll see if you sing the same tune after we get to the ravine. A couple of friends of mine are interested in who you are and what your relationship is with Ms. Charbonneau. I'm sure Chaz will want to have a private conversation with you, too." Not knowing what to say, Blair kept quiet and continued in the direction he was being guided.

About a half hour later, the two men stepped into an open area where the trail split in two and Blair had managed to disguise his and Doug's path. Two other men were in the area. One was the guy he'd know from the van as Larry and the other was an older man holding an odd looking weapon. It looked like a pistol, but its design was bulky and didn't look like anything Blair had seen in all the time he'd spent at the precinct. The look on 'Larry's' face as he glared at the two entering the clearing sent a shiver up Blair's spine.

"Where's Chaz, Trent?" asked the older man.

Trent caught hold of Blair's collar and pulled him to a halt, then clasped him at the neck with a firm hold. "Floundering somewhere out in the forest, R.J. This guy pulled a quick one and sent him chasing after shadows. Not too hard, considering Chaz is an idiot." The man shook Blair by the neck, causing him to wince.

'Larry' walked forward and leaned close to Blair's face. The man stood at least three inches taller. "What's your name, smart guy?"

Blair's glance flicked around to the men surrounding him. Wetting his lips he replied hesitantly, "Blair Sandburg."

"Well, Blair Sandburg. I really didn't appreciate being choked out back in the van." Moving quickly, the man yanked Blair out of Trent's hold and wrapped his hands around the smaller man's throat, pulling him up so that he was standing on his toes and struggling for air. Blair tried to claw at the hands holding him, but the other ignored his action.

"Tom, we need him alive until we find Turner. You and Chaz can play with him all you want if he won't cooperate. Let him go," the third man, R.J., ordered.

Tightening his fingers slightly, Larry/Tom smiled at Blair's struggling, then let go and allowed him to collapse to the ground. Blair rubbed his throat and coughed as he struggled to draw air down his bruised throat.

R.J. stepped forward and squatted down next to Sandburg. "This can go much easier for you if you tell us where Doug Turner is hiding. Between the two of them, Tom is much gentler than Chaz."

"I...I'm telling you the truth, man," Blair rasped. "We split up this morning and I was going for help. I don't know where he is." He looked up into the man's face and saw that he wasn't buying the line. "Look, I don't know what is going on and no one has really been hurt. Why don't you let me go and I won't tell anyone."

Shaking his head and smiling as he stood back up, R.J. looked at his companions. "Well, I tried to offer him a way out, but I guess he's just too stupid to take advantage of the opportunity. Oh, look. Here comes Chaz and I don't think he's in the mood to talk, Mr. Sandburg."

Looking around at the direction indicated, Blair saw a very angry Moe/Chaz stalk out of the woods. His face had some small scratches that bled lightly and his clothes looked like they'd also had a struggle with the dense foliage. Seeing the fury on the man's face, Blair prayed in a very low voice, "Jim, I hope you're close 'cause this is definitely your scene and I need you to take over here." To punctuate his words, he sent a mental plea to his friend along their bond.

When Chaz saw the smaller man on the ground, he stopped and raised his rifle to his shoulder. "Just let me have one shot, R.J. I promise I won't kill him, just convince him we're serious. He'll be begging us to listen to him."

Blair scrambled to his feet, stumbling as his injured leg protested all the violent movements it was being forced to make. Looking briefly over at the one called R.J., he saw the man lounging against a tree, an amused smile covered his face. Raising his hands in surrender, Blair stuttered, "R-really, man. I don't know where he is and hurting me will only bring you more trouble." Seeing the broad, evil smile spread across the gunman's face, Blair closed his eyes and tensed in anticipation of the pain he knew a gunshot wound would cause.

"Leave him alone!" a familiar voice shouted.

Opening his eyes and turning to the voice, Blair saw Doug Turner holding on to a tree about 20 feet up the trail. He didn't look too steady by the way he had his hands against the tree trunk, but the anger and determination was easily readable on his face.

"It's me you want, not him. Let him go and I promise I won't give you any trouble."

R.J. pushed off from the tree he had been leaning on and strolled casually forward. "I know you won't, Mr. Turner." Leveling his strange weapon until it was pointing at Doug, he pulled the trigger. The report from the gun was a strange whispering sound, like there was a silencer on it.

"NO!" Blair screamed, stumbling over to his friend. He caught the older man as he sagged forward clutching the upper left area of his chest. Blair helped eased his friend down, groaning with the additional weight on his bad leg. "Take it easy, man. I got you."

Pulling Doug's hands away from his chest, Blair saw that there wasn't the large amount of blood that one would expect from a chest wound. In fact, there wasn't any blood at all. Only a metallic tube with red fletchings on the end sticking in the coat. Pulling it out, Blair saw that it was a dart, similar to the ones Animal Control officers use to subdue large animals.

"I... don't fe-feel... so good," Turner mumbled, turning a dazed gaze toward the man holding him. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he was unconscious.

"Doug?" Blair felt the man's throat and was relieved to find a slow, but steady pulse. Gently, he eased Doug's body down until he had his friend comfortably on the ground. When he heard laughter coming from the other men, he looked at them confused.

"His expression was classic," Trent chortled. "He actually thought you'd killed him."

R.J. joined in the laughter as he casually reloaded his weapon. "You actually thought I would do that, Mr. Sandburg? Mr. Turner is way too valuable to eliminate at this time. You, on the other hand, are a different story. Chaz, I think you should show Mr. Sandburg the nice little ravine we found during all that time we were searching around here last night."

"My pleasure." Striding over to where Blair knelt, Chaz jerked him upright and pushed him toward a line of trees. "Let's go, dude. You're going to love the view."

Just as the two reached the tree line, they heard the shout of "Cascade PD! Hold it right there!" Easily recognizing the voice giving the order, Blair didn't hesitate to whirl around, grab at Chaz's rifle and begin struggling with the man for control of it.

The other three men didn't remain still when they heard the shout. Pulling the weapon he had tucked in his belt, Tom twisted around and aimed in the direction of the voice. He was able to get off only one shot, which missed since his target dove toward cover. Suddenly, he was spun around by the impact of a high-powered bullet slamming into his upper back, then dropped to the ground. Seconds later, the sharp report of a rifle could be heard.

The other two men watched with surprise as their comrade collapsed. Realizing they were just as easy targets from the hidden sniper, R.J. and Trent scattered in different directions into the trees.

When he picked up conversation between two men up ahead, Ellison halted his group and crouched down behind some trees for cover. He motioned for Rafe to move closer. "There are two men just ahead. Roni, you will stay here." Jim glared at the woman, daring her to object. When she only clamped her mouth shut and gave him a small nod, he turned to Rafe and pointed to the right. "Rafe. I want you to circle around in that direction. These guys will probably take off when we show up and I don't feel like chasing them all over the woods. It sounds like there is a pretty fast moving stream running along the left of us and they may not want to try to cross it. So they'll probably go toward you or take off up the trail."

"None of them will get past me, Jim," Rafe vowed, then unholstered his weapon and started off in the direction the senior detective had indicated.

"I mean what I said, Roni. I don't need to be watching out for you if the situation falls apart. As far as I can hear, Doug isn't up there. I don't hear..." Jim's voice faded off when his hearing picked up the frightened words of a very familiar person.

"I...I'm telling you the truth, man. We split up this morning and I was going for help. I don't know where he is. Look, I don't know what is going on and no one has really been hurt. Why don't you let me go and I won't tell anyone."

"Well, I tried to offer you a way out, but I guess you're just too stupid to take advantage of the opportunity. Oh, look. Here comes Chaz and I don't think he's in the mood to talk, Mr. Sandburg."

"Jim, I hope you're close, 'cause this is definitely your scene and I need you to take over here."

"Damn," Ellison cursed. "They found Sandburg." Jumping up and dumping the stuff he carried, he pulled his weapon and started running up the trail. He didn't notice that Charbonneau was following about 20 feet behind him.

Ellison kept his hearing turned up, listening to the situation happening ahead. He put on a burst of speed when he heard Turner's voice enter into the conversation. He knew that his partner would not be needed as a hostage anymore since they now had the object of their whole operation.

Stopping just at the edge of the tree line before the clearing, Ellison heard the order to take Sandburg to the ravine and, hoping that Brown and Rafe were in position, stepped out into the open. "Cascade PD! Hold it right there!" he ordered. As he expected, they didn't obey. One quickly swung around and leveled a gun at him. Anticipating the move, Ellison dove for cover in plenty of time. Then picking up Brown's voice saying "I don't think so, sucker," and the sound of a bullet being chambered into a rifle, he brought his hearing back to a normal level. The one thing he didn't need right now was the sound of the rifle firing to lay him out.

Peering around his cover, Jim saw the man who'd shot at him jerk around when the rifle bullet hit him, then fall. Searching around, he saw Blair struggling with another man and the two last kidnappers taking off into the trees. As he'd predicted, one took off in the direction he'd sent Rafe and the other fled up the trail.

His sentinel instincts screamed at him to go help his shaman. But the cop in him, remembering the argument the day before, told Jim to trust Blair to use his training and go after the last escaping man. He listened to the latter and took off after the escaping man.

Chaz jerked upward on his rifle and swung his body around. Tenaciously, Blair hung onto the weapon. He knew that if he let go, the other would have the advantage and he was dead. But he also knew that he couldn't play tug-o-war with Chaz too much longer. So he decided to go after the advantage. With a grunt in anger, Blair shifted his weight and pushed forward, shoving the rifle stock into his opponent's stomach. The movement surprised Chaz and he stumbled backwards, further into the trees, but the man didn't release his hold on the weapon.

Trying another move, one Blair had had pulled on himself a couple of times, he jerked up on the rifle. Since the other was already surprised, there wasn't any resistance and both clung to the weapon now above their heads. In a quick movement, Blair released the rifle stock held by his right hand, balled it into a fist and punched Chaz in his exposed stomach. Then he pulled on the rifle with his left.

An explosion of air was forced out of Chaz, causing him to release his hold on the gun and clutch at his midsection. When he looked up, he saw a surprised Blair back a couple of feet looking down at the rifle. With a growl, Chaz charged forward and tackled the man in front of him.

Blair was surprised his stunt worked and stared at the weapon that now belonged solely to him. He was just looking back up at Chaz when the man barreled into him, causing the rifle to fly out of his hands. Both men crashed to the ground and rolled several feet into a patch of heavy brush. Frantic, Blair struggled against the weight that ended up on top of him.

Chaz raised a fist and caught Blair with a glancing blow to the face. It wasn't hard enough to knock the other out, so he raised his body up and brought his arm back to deliver another punch. He didn't expect the knee that came up and jammed him in the groin. The pain from the action exploded from his crotch and radiated through his body, freezing him from making any sudden movements.

Seeing that he'd stunned his opponent, Blair shoved as hard as he could to dislodge the body off of him. The man went flying off to the side... and over the edge of the nearby ravine. Unfortunately Chaz still had a tight hold of Blair's jacket. As the man fell, he pulled Blair with him. Their screams resounded through the area.

Ellison easily followed his prey. The man wasn't making any attempt to be silent in his running and had left an easy trail to follow. Special hearing wasn't even needed to hear the man crashing through the brush. Listening carefully, he was able to hear that Brown had left his position up on the ridge and was working his way around to the front of the escaping man.

Suddenly there weren't any sounds coming from the man he was chasing. Slowing down, Jim rounded a tree and found himself facing the man he'd been chasing. He was standing solidly against a tree with his weapon leveled. Automatically, Jim pulled up his own gun and focused it on the other.

"I don't know who you are, mister, but I don't appreciate being hunted down like a rabbit."

"Detective Jim Ellison, and I don't appreciate having to chase your ass through the forest. You're under arrest. Drop your weapon and raise your hands."

"Why should I?" The man asked then tightened his finger on the trigger.

Focusing his sight onto the man's hand, Ellison saw the movement and fired his own weapon.

Both guns seemed to fire at the same time, but Jim saw that his aim was true and the other man's gun practically exploded. The man screamed in pain and fell to the forest floor clutching his bleeding hand.

Ellison felt a sharp pain radiating from his thigh and looked down to see a metal dart sticking out of it. He had been so intent on the chase and taking the other out he hadn't even felt the dart when it had hit. Pulling it out quickly, he felt the effects washing over him, making the surrounding world undulate around him as he fell to his knees. Remembering the last time someone had administered a sedative to him against his will, Jim began searching around his body to find something to help him counteract the effects. Finally, in a pocket, he found a pair of nail clippers. Tucking his gun into his belt, he opened the device with shaking hands, pulled out the file and jammed the sharp tip into the fleshy part of his left palm. The pain helped clear his head.

Jim sat the rest of the way down to the ground and leaned against the tree behind him. He began taking deep breaths to help calm his stomach and send more of the drug haze out of his mind until he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming in his direction. Pulling his weapon back out from his belt, he scooted back and around until the tree he'd been leaning was now serving as partial cover.

Suddenly, the sound stopped and silence filled the area. Wiping his eyes with the back of his arms, Ellison concentrated hard on the area he knew the new intruder was waiting.

"Ellison," a voice called out in a loud whisper.

Jim recognized the voice, it belonging to Brown. "H. Over here."

The foliage parted and the black detective stepped out, his rifle trained on the writhing body on the ground. He glanced over toward Ellison and apologized, "Sorry it took me so long to get here, man. You okay?"

Ellison lowered his gun and leaned against the tree, closing his eyes for a few seconds. But that was all that it was, seconds. His hearing picked up a familiar voice screaming in terror and a surge of utter panic blazing into his soul. Something had happened to Sandburg. His hearing picked up another, deeper scream scant seconds later.

Struggling to stand up, he threw out an arm and grunted, "Give me a hand, H. I've got to get back to the clearing."

"Take it easy, Jim. What happened? Were you hit?" Brown asked, hurrying over to the senior detective. He could see that the man wasn't in too good of shape, but there wasn't any sign of blood.

"It's nothing. Just help me up. Something's happened to Sandburg." Taking the hand offered, Ellison levered himself up and swayed slightly. "Can you handle this guy?"

"No sweat, man. Are you sure you're all right?"

Taking the nail file, Ellison pressed it hard into his hand again. The fresh wave of pain helped drive away the dark veil that had been slipping over his vision. Looking at Brown, Ellison saw the man looking at him strangely. "I'm fine, H. Just bring him back to the clearing as soon as you can."

Trotting quickly back in the direction he'd come, Jim opened his mind more to the bond he shared with Blair. He could feel that the younger man was terrified, almost to the point of catatonia. Jim tried to send a calming assurance back through the connection, but he could tell that his friend wasn't receiving.

Arriving back in the clearing, Ellison searched for his partner. He saw one man lying very still on his face, blood continuing to spread from the hole he could see in the left side. At the edge of the clearing, Roni sat with an unconscious Doug; his head cradled in her lap and her whole attention focused on him. Finally, he heard more than saw Rafe forcing his prisoner through the brush.

Not seeing Blair anywhere, Jim focused his senses and felt for the bond. The panic and terror were still there and he could hear the frantic murmuring of 'hang on and don't look down' repeated over and over. Looking in the direction he knew the voice was emanating, Jim saw the sleek body of his spirit guide disappearing through the brush. He took off in a run. As he traveled, he also heard the sound of running water.

"Sandburg!" Ellison yelled. There wasn't any reply. Sliding to an unsteady stop, he saw that there had been a fight in the area. The ground was torn up and branches on nearby bushes were broken and crushed. He moved through the area and stopped abruptly at the edge of what he knew to be the ravine. The frantic chant was coming from inside the crevasse. "Sandburg!"

Dropping down to lie flat on the ground, Ellison pulled his body forward until he was able to peer over the edge. He was barely able to see the top of his partner's head about 10 feet down. The smaller man had his body pressed as close as possible against the side of the wall, one hand clutching a small root and the other clinging to a rock that jutted out from the surface. The knuckles of both hands were white with the strain of holding on. Jim couldn't see Blair's mouth moving, but he could easily hear him mumbling rapidly.

"Hold on and don't look down. Hold on and don't look down. Hold on--"

"Chief?"

"Hold on and don't loo--"

"Sandburg. Can you hear me, buddy?"

Blair continued his litany as if Jim hadn't said a thing. Understanding that his friend had fallen into a mental state that prevented him from hearing anything, Jim rolled over and yelled out, "Rafe! Brown! I need your help over here."

Ellison turned his attention back to his frightened friend and tried to send a calming wave of assurance through their bond. He didn't want to break Sandburg's concentration, knowing how the younger man panicked with heights.

"Ellison!" Rafe shouted.

Jim could hear the sound of his two fellow detectives scrambling through the brush. "Over here. I found Sandburg."

"He's down there? Jesus Christ!" Brown swore when he approached Ellison and saw where the man was looking.

"I need you to lower me down, H. Sandburg's hanging onto the wall and he's not hearing me. I have to go after him."

Rafe leaned out until he could see over the edge. He saw Blair, right where Jim said he was, but he could also see down to the stream at the bottom of the ravine. There was a body, looking like a broken marionette, lying halfway on a large boulder and halfway in the water. Rafe could see that the man was dead. "There's another guy down there, Jim, but I don't think we need to worry about getting to him."

Ellison grunted in acknowledgement. He'd already seen the guy and had listened for any sign of life. There hadn't been any. "Anchor the end of your rope to a tree and toss me the other. I'll tie it around me and you can lower me down."

Rafe carried over one end of the rope, but held onto it. "I'm lighter, Jim. Let me go after him."

Jim shook his head and held out his hand as he sat up. "He's totally focused with just hanging on. I'm probably the only one he'll respond to. It has to be me." Tying the rope securely around his chest, Jim looked over at Brown to make sure that he was ready. When he saw both of the detectives were braced, he swung his body over the edge of the ravine.

A wave of dizziness swept over Ellison and he held onto the edge for several seconds until it passed. With a muffled curse, he shook his head to clear it. Once he felt able to continue, he nodded at the others and started to drop down. "Slow! Just a couple of feet, then stop. It's not too steady here." The earth crumbled under his hands, attesting to how fragile the whole place was.

"Chief?" Jim called gently to keep from startling his friend. He hung a couple of feet above his friend. Blair shook his head frantically, but kept his forehead pressed against the wall. He continued to mumble his words. "Come on, Sandburg. I'm coming down to get you. Look up here at me, Chief." The smaller man kept his face pressed against the wall. His fingers tightening on his hand holds as small tremors rattled his arms.

Worried, Ellison pushed through the bond toward his friend and found a mental wall blocking him. He knew it wasn't placed there deliberately, but the fact it was there brought out a twinge of anger and concern. Sandburg had shut himself down mentally and eventually his body would give out and shut down. Ellison had to change tactics.

"I need your help here, Chief. One of them shot me with some type of tranq dart and it's really starting to mess with my senses." Jim allowed his voice to tremble and again pushed through the bond with a mental plea. His voice stopped, but Blair continued to cling to the side of the ravine and keep his face pressed against the dirt, his breathing coming in gasps. Feeling that he was getting through, Jim continued, "I tried using pain again, but it's not working anymore, Chief. Pretty soon I'm going to pass out here and both of us are going to fall. Brown and Rafe can't hold me forever." The mental barrier collapsed and Ellison felt the terror that had his friend frozen in place.

Slowly, the curly head moved, swinging upward until wide blue eyes stared upward into a smiling face. "Jim," Blair breathed in relief, his voice shaking.

Ellison's smile broadened. He stretched his arm down. "Good to see you too, Chief. Reach up and take my hand and we'll blow this popsicle joint."

Blair closed his eyes and swallowed hard, the trembling of his body increased. "I-I can't, Jim. I'll f-fall... like h-he did." That last came out in a whisper.

"No, you won't, Blair. I'm here and you'll be okay. Now take my hand." Jim said soothingly and stretched his arm down farther, causing his body to shift against the side of the ravine.

Dirt cascaded down onto Blair, causing him to jerk his face back down against the wall. His left hand, which had been clinging to the rock outcropping, slipped and a sharp yelp slipped out of his mouth as he struggled to regain the handhold.

Ellison tried to project confidence and calm to his partner. He could hear the younger man's heart beating like a trip hammer and his breathing coming in strained gasps. "Sandburg, we can't stay here. I know what to do here and everything will be all right. Trust me and take my hand, Chief."

Jim stretched his arm down further until just the tips of his fingers brushed the top of Blair's left hand. The younger man looked up again and, seeing the confident and determined expression on his friend's face, let go of the rock outcropping and reached desperately upward. He was rewarded with a strong hand clamping firmly onto his own.

"That's it, Chief. I got you," Ellison crooned encouragingly. "Let go with your other hand and swing over here. Don't look down, buddy. There's nothing down there for you to see."

Following the first instruction, Blair released the root he'd been holding with his right hand and twisted his body until both of his hands were holding onto one of Jim's for dear life. However, he didn't obey the second one and glanced down. The scene that met his sight, a body sprawled amidst the rocks and lying partially in the flowing stream, drew a groan out of him.

"Oh, God," Blair moaned. Turning his face back up, he swallowed hard to keep from losing the meager contents of his stomach and closed his eyes briefly.

"Don't worry, Chief. I've got a good hold on you."

Ellison's reassuring voice flowed over the hanging man. The larger man pulled upward until he was able to grab his friend and hoist him up further. A strong arm snaked around Sandburg's chest and pulled him securely against his friend.

"I know, Jim. Just get me outta here." Blair closed his eyes and dropped his head back until it rested onto Jim's shoulder. For the first time since the whole ordeal began, and despite hanging by a rope in a ravine, he felt truly safe.

"You got it, buddy. Take us up, guys!" With that order, the two men started their slow, jerking ascent back to the top of the ravine.

When they reached the edge, and Ellison's head could barely be seen, Brown dug his heals into the ground and nodded to Rafe. The younger detective moved forward quickly, using hand over hand movements to help steady the rope, until he was able to reach forward and grab onto Ellison's coat. Then he hung on until his partner dropped the rope and clamored forward to assist.

Brown dropped down to the ground at the edge of the crevasse and snagged hold of Sandburg by his upper arms. The smaller man jerked his eyes open with the contact and flailed slightly until he recognized the owner of the hands. Blair released his hold on the arms encircling his chest and allowed the black detective to pull him up over the edge and onto his feet.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Blair assured his rescuer, then quickly turned to where Jim was being helped back onto solid ground. He remembered what his friend had said to break him free from the paralyzing fear that had frozen his brain. Jim had been shot by some type of tranquilizer dart and Blair remembered the last time his Sentinel had been drugged. The older man had used sharp pain to stave off the effects until he was able to take out his adversary and save the life of an informant. But afterwards, and only with help from Simon Banks, Blair had barely been able to get Jim back to the loft and into his bed before he succumbed to the effects. If the stuff he'd been shot with was similar, Blair knew that their best course of action was to get Jim comfortable and wait until help arrived. There was no way they'd be able to make it back to the vehicles.

"How are you feeling, man?" Blair asked, limping over to his friend. He made the pretense of helping his larger friend to his feet, but knew that it was mainly H and Jim himself doing all the work. He found the bloody puncture in the man's hand. "Can you make it back to where Doug is, Jim?"

"I'm fine, Chief." Ellison pulled his hands loose and quickly untied the rope from around his chest. When he was free, he turned his attention to the smaller man. "How's your leg? What's this?" Taking Sandburg's hands, he lifted them up to look at them better. He could see that both wrists were puffy with something wrapped tightly around them. Shifting the coat sleeves back along each arm, he also found blood-crusted scratches.

"Riot cuffs. There was a third one holding these two together, but we were able to cut it off with this rock I found. I lost my knife somewhere -- Hey! Is that my knife?" Blair cried out in surprise when Jim reached into his pocket and pulled out a Swiss Army knife. The older man fumbled with it for a few seconds until he was able to extract the scissors tool and swiftly cut off the bindings.

"Oh, man. You don't know how good that feels." Blair pulled his hands away and shook them to help restore full circulation. Taking a step back from his partner, Blair stumbled slightly as his injured leg gave way. Only Jim catching him by his arms kept him from falling to the ground.

"Easy, Chief. Let's take a look at that leg. Rafe, where's the first aid -- whoa!" A strong wave of dizziness flooded across his brain and caused the world to tip sideways. Releasing Blair, Jim held a hand up to his head and threw the other one out for balance, but a wiry body plastered itself against his side and held onto him until the ground quit moving.

"Give me a hand getting him back to that clearing, H," Blair ordered, pulling one of Jim's arms over his head until it rested around his shoulders. "He was hit by the same thing that knocked Doug out. Rafe, find a nice place where we can lay him down. He's going to crash quickly and I don't think you two want to lug him around." The other two detectives jumped at the authoritative tone and immediately obeyed.

"You're hurt, Chief. We need to take care of you first," Ellison protested. He tried to resist being moved forward, but his body wasn't obeying.

"After we get you taken care of, Jim. Promise," Blair assured his partner in a tired voice and continued to assist the sluggish man forward.

"Don't argue with the man, Jim," Brown chuckled. "He's doing ten times better than you are."

Ellison gave an exasperated sigh and gave up trying to break free from the hands holding him. Despite his brain feeling like it was stuffed with cotton candy, he was still able to monitor Sandburg and feel the warm concern flowing from the young man through their bond. He hung onto this as he was led through the forest.

When the three stepped through the brush and into the small clearing, they saw Rafe at the base of a large pine digging through one of the survival kits. The other kit was lying open next to the bundled forms of Doug and Roni. The woman had pulled out a space blanket and wrapped her partner tightly in it. She had him leaning against her chest, her head rested on top of his. Although Doug was unconscious, Roni murmured soft, reassuring words to him as she ran a hand across his forehead and through his hair.

When the trio finally reached the area Rafe had prepared, Ellison's legs gave out and he sagged to the ground. Sandburg followed him down, cushioning the descent. Brown struggled with the dead weight he held to make sure the other two didn't hurt themselves. Rafe pushed the pack he'd been rummaging through out of the way and caught Sandburg before he hit the ground too hard.

Blair clenched his teeth against the pain that flared along his leg, but couldn't keep the moan from escaping his mouth when he reached the ground. He rested his head against Jim's chest for several seconds, panting heavily, until he felt the arm around him shift and a hand clumsily pat his shoulder.

"Chief?" Ellison's voice was slurred. When his friend didn't answer right away, Ellison swung his head around and sought out assistance. "H. Get... m-med kit. Left leg."

"No, I'm okay, Jim. Just moved a little too fast and you're heavier than I expected. Once we get you situated, H can look at me. Okay?" Raising his head, Blair swung Jim's arm back over his head, then began scooting his body around until he was able to lean against the trunk with the larger man's body resting against his chest. He motioned for Rafe to open the blanket he held in his hands and spread it across the two of them. The detective hesitated, looking over at his partner to see if he should continue.

"This is just like the situation with Col. Oliver, guys," Blair explained tiredly, bringing the other twos attention back to him. "Jim's body reacts different to sedatives. He could be out for just a few minutes or he could be out for hours. Either way, with Doug and Jim out and my leg the way it is, our best bet is to just get us comfortable and one of you go after help. Either of you bring something to drink? I'm sorta thirsty." The plaintive tone of Blair's voice had the other two detectives each diving for a survival kit.

Rafe was successful first, pulling out the packet containing a liquid similar to what athletes used. It was high in vitamins and also contained electrolytes, just what an exhausted and dehydrated body needed. Tearing off the edge, Rafe helped the smaller man drink.

"Easy, Chief," Ellison mumbled, his voice sounding extremely tired. "Not... too much."

Sandburg paused in his drinking and leaned around until he could see Ellison's face. The man's eyes were not quite closed and he could see that the pupils were dilated. Others might think Jim was really out of it, but Blair knew better. His friend was doing what he always did; watching out for his partner. Reaching around to pat his friend on the chest, he calmly said, "Right, Jim. Not too much since I'm so empty. Don't want to get sick."

Jim smiled, his lips curing upward lazily. "Not with... me here."

That slurred comment drew laughter from the group, Brown being the loudest. "That's right, Hairboy. We worked too hard to get you safe only to have Ellison kill you for puking on him." Brown stood up and moved around until he was near his partner and bent over. "Think you can handle things here, Rafe? I'm going to check on our prisoners then head back for the vehicles to see if the State Police have shown up."

"No prob. I don't think Sandburg can fight me too much when I start working on his leg and it looks like those two will be fine." Rafe nodded toward Turner and Charbonneau.

Giving Rafe a pat on the back, Brown trotted over to where two of their captives sat. He checked the cuffs on the two men and also gave a tug on the ropes wrapped around the men's legs. A third man lay not too far away, but it was obvious he didn't need anything to bind him. Assured their prisoners were secure, Brown started back down the trail.

Rafe watched his partner until he disappeared from view, then grabbed the First Aid kit he'd discarded earlier. Since it was light, he didn't have any problem seeing the cloth wrapped around Sandburg's thigh or how blood-soaked the pants were. Pulling out a pair of scissors, he paused before reaching for the leg and said, "I have to cut away the bandage to see how bad it is, Blair. It might hurt a little." When there wasn't any reply, he reached forward, bent the leg to get access to the wound and started cutting.

Sandburg had heard the statement, but was focusing his full attention on Ellison. The older man reclined against him, his eyes almost closed, but Sandburg could tell his friend's body hadn't given up struggling against the drug. He had just started sending soothing, comforting feelings through their bond to hopefully help the older man relax and sleep, when his attention was jarred suddenly and very painfully back to his surroundings.

"Shit!" Blair cried out, grabbing at the hand nearest to his leg and trying not to jerk away from the hot agony that erupted in his thigh. The last thing he wanted to do was jar Jim. It didn't work. The older man spasmed upward and struggled to shift away, thinking he'd caused the pain, but an arm that circled his chest easily held him down.

"God, I'm sorry, Blair," Rafe apologized, his voice filled with anguish. "It was stuck and I had to get it off--"

Through clenched teeth, Blair choked out, "It's okay. Ah, man. ~groan~ You just... caught me off guard." He released the arm he held, placed it with his other around Jim and took several deep breaths before he could talk normally, though his speech was still breathy. "Please, no peroxide. I'd have to kill you if you used that... and H would be pissed off if he had to break in a new partner. Again."

Rafe sagged in relief when he heard Sandburg's joking, though pained tone. "Okay, so how about I use this spray antiseptic and cover it with a sterile bandage until a doctor can look at it? It's more for burns, but it helps with infections and shouldn't hurt when I use it."

"Oh, yeah, less pain works for me big time. Put a little on my hand, too. I think a few of the blisters got busted." Blair held his body tensed until he felt the coolness of the spray being used, first on his hand then on his leg. He then turned his attention back to the man in his arms. "Relax, Jim. It's okay. Come on, man. Relax." He tugged at his larger friend and pulled him closer to his chest.

"Wha? Sanbrg?" Ellison opened his eyes and looked around trying to focus. When they finally did, he saw Rafe sitting next to him, holding a bloody piece of cloth in one hand and an aerosol can in the other. Again, he struggled to move against the arms that held him, but they wouldn't let go.

"Shhh. Shhh. Stop it, Jim. Everything is all right. Trust me."

Feeling the calming sensation flowing through the bond into his mind, Ellison gave up the struggle and relaxed back into the arms holding him. He gave a snort when he realized what his friend just said. Hadn't he used those same words not that long ago?

Sandburg chuckled with his friend and gave the man a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, I know. Dangerous words coming out of my mouth. But I finally got it through my thick skull how our partnership is supposed to work. I'm supposed to listen and trust you with the cop business and the major amount of experience you have and you will listen and trust me with all of the stuff that have to do with your senses and you being a sentinel."

Ellison lay silent. His knew his mind wasn't clicking completely on all cylinders, but it sounded like Sandburg was making some type of deal and it sounded like he was relegating himself to a much lesser role. Forcing himself more alert, he argued, "It doesn't sound right, Sandburg. I know that what I did yesterday was heavy handed and should have let you handle the situation."

Blair laughed. "Now I know you're drugged. Jim Ellison admitting that he did something heavy handed. And I got a witness this time, too." He looked over at Roni and his laughter quieted at the expression she gave him. It was one that told him not to make a joke at this time.

"Uh, sorry, Jim. I'm not really laughing at you. I've just had a long time to really think about what happened yesterday and why you did what you did. Your need to take charge is a part of you and who you are as a cop and a sentinel. We each have our role in our partnership and I have to remember not to try to usurp yours just to prove myself as an equal partner. Don't have to prove anything. I have my own abilities that you don't have which balance it all out."

"Maybe... You wanna repeat that. I-I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, Chief."

Blair chuckled again and patted his friend lightly on the chest. "That's okay, Jim. I don't think I'm making too much sense, either. Of course, if we were just talking at the precinct, you'd ask me when I've ever made sense. Ah, man, I'm tired and would love to be lounging on the couch instead of against this tree."

"All done, Blair," Rafe interrupted, placing a piece of tape on the bandage wrapped around the smaller man's leg. "How does it feel?"

Sandburg glanced down at his thigh and slowly lowered his leg to the ground. He grimaced slightly. "Like I have a hole in my leg." At Rafe's frown, he shook his head. "Sorry. Guess I'm getting a little punch drunk here. It feels better, man. Thanks."

"Don't lie to the man, Chief," Ellison mumbled, a small smile ghosting on his lips. His eyes were shut and he was sitting on the edge of consciousness, but he could still 'read' his partner's condition.

"I'm not lying, Jim. It does feel better than it has since it happened. Why don't you just let go and sleep. We'll talk about it again when both of us are a little more coherent." Then he pulled the blanket up a little more securely around Jim. He felt the body on him relax and, with a quick check on their bond, knew that the man was finally asleep. About time.

"Well done, Blair," Roni voiced softly, capturing the other's attention. When she saw him giving her a confused look, she continued. "What you did here, what you tried to explain to Jim, was needed. I could almost see a, a stronger blending with you two. How did it make you feel?"

Blair smiled sheepishly. "Like I was releasing this heavy weight from my shoulders. I-I don't have to prove myself to Jim or anyone else."

"Who said you had to prove anything, Sandburg?" Rafe asked. "Has anyone at the precinct been giving you a hard time?"

"No, not really. But I don't want to give anyone reason to, anyway. Hell, Rafe, I went from grad student and police observer to full-fledged detective. I know that's not a usual occurrence. I would bet there are a lot of cops in uniform pretty envious of me and others who think I would be better off going back to the world of academia."

"Until they learn about the four years you spent following Ellison around and doing cop work just as much as any of us. Hell, Blair, you earned that gold shield several times over and anyone of us would gladly take you as a partner. Just because you chose to stay with Ellison during a moment of insanity caused by one too many knocks in the head, well..." Rafe held his hands out and shrugged his shoulders, a look of resigned acceptance on his face.

A burst of laughter escaped from Blair before he could stop it. Covering his mouth, he leaned forward to make sure he hadn't disturbed the slumbering Jim and relaxed when he saw that he hadn't. "Thanks, Rafe. I guess I was starting a pity party there."

"With friends like him... Right? And don't worry about having a hard time going over all of it again with Jim. I got a feeling he'll remember more than what you think he will." Charbonneau looked down at the man in her arms, then over at the prisoners. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead then carefully shifted his body over until she could ease it gently down on the ground. With infinite care, she tucked the blanket around his shoulders. "Speaking of remembering, I almost forgot why we are all here in the first place. Ah, Detective Rafe. Would you please come here and watch over Doug for a few minutes? It's time I learn the reason why this all happened."

Though confused, Rafe obeyed. He was grateful the woman hadn't slipped with his name again. But now what was she up to? When he had himself settled, he turned his gaze to Sandburg and raised an eyebrow to ask a silent question.

Blair ignored the other and watched Roni stand up, brush her hands off and walk determinedly over to where Trent and R.J. sat. "Roni, what are you up to? You aren't going to do anything I'll have to arrest you later for, are you?"

Charbonneau stopped and turned her head. She wore an expression that made a shiver course down Sandburg's back. "Blair, you know I don't do things that are illegal. Just... different."

"Oh, man," Blair whispered, then raised his voice just enough for the other detective to hear. "If I could learn how to do this, we'd never have to worry about suspects lying to us anymore."

"Do what, Sandburg? What in the hell are you talking about?"

The surprise and tone of Rafe's voice broke Sandburg's attention and made him look at the other. He saw confusion on the man's face and a small amount of fear in his eyes. "Uh, nothing, man. I'm just babbling here. Must be more tired than I think. Got anymore of that drink stuff?" he asked and turned to fuss with the blanket over Ellison.

Rafe knew that Sandburg was trying to change the subject, but he dug into the survival kit anyway and pulled out another packet. He tore open a corner and handed the drink to the younger man, noticing that he would not make eye contact. When Blair turned his attention back to the woman walking toward the prisoners, Rafe decided to sit back and pay close attention.

Stopping in front of the two prisoners, Charbonneau stared down at them. She held her gaze on the younger man, but he turned away in less than half a minute. When she stared at the older man, he met her gaze defiantly and held it. She gave him an almost feral grin, but no humor or compassion was in her eyes. Kneeling down until she could look at the man squarely in the face, she dropped one of her hands and let it rest casually on R.J.'s leg.

"Obviously the Alpha Male of your little group, aren't you... Roland Jacob Sterling? But you go by R.J., right?"

R.J. hadn't used his full name since graduating from high school and he knew this woman couldn't have known him before today. So how did she know his name? He tried to turn away from the blazing green gaze, but suddenly found he couldn't. He'd lost the ability to move. Fear began to grow in his stomach and spread through his body. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were stuck in his throat.

"I haven't said you could talk yet, Roland. You'd just try to lie and then I'd really get mad at you. That's one thing you really don't want." Roni's voice dropped down into a low timber.

R.J. closed his mouth and leaned away. He couldn't move very far, but any distance he could put between himself and the woman would be better than nothing.

"Though you already know who I am, let me introduce myself officially. Veronica Charbonneau and I'm the one you were going to contact today after you took my partner to the park cabin you broke into yesterday. Todd Rinaldi asked you to 'invite' me to stay with you at that cabin until we could be convinced to turn down the job offer I received yesterday. And you know something? I wasn't going to take that offer because it's not the type of job I would normally take. But I think I've changed my mind now and Mr. Rinaldi has no one to blame but himself. You can go ahead and talk now."

Like a switched being flipped, R.J. found he had his voice back. After clearing his throat, he said, "Lady, you don't know the trouble you're buying. Mr. Rinaldi is a prominent businessman in this state and there isn't any reason for you to even consider staying around. Try to slander his name and he'll make sure you have nothing left after his lawyers get done."

"Oh, really? Prominent businessmen aren't working on a new narcotics connection through Canada. Or making plans to kidnap the favorite nephew and heir of their largest competitor. And we don't want to forget who it was who personally eliminated the head of his own clan and made it look like a freak, but natural accident."

"H-how do you know those things?"

"You told me." R.J.'s mouth flopped open a couple of times, his eyes bulging in fear and his body trembling. Seeing the man falling apart, Roni again gave him a toothy grin. "Your mind is pathetically weak, Roland. I've been wandering around it ever since I came over here and it's made me a little ill. Why don't you just take a little nap until help arrives." Charbonneau raised her hand and placed her palm against Sterling's forehead. With that, R.J.'s eyes rolled up in his head and he flopped over unconscious. Trent moaned in fear and tried to scoot away. Laughing, Roni stood back up and walked back over to where Doug lay.

After getting herself comfortable with Turner resting once again on her lap, Charbonneau turned her attention to her friends. Both men were looking at her strangely; Rafe with an expression of fear and Sandburg with one of admiration. "What?"

"Is there anyway you could teach me any of that?"

Roni laughed at Blair's request. "To be honest, I didn't do anything. Oh, getting his name was easy. It's how a person identifies themselves and it's always hovering around the front of one's mind." Roni gave Rafe a meaningful look. "But the rest of it was just pure con."

"How did you know all that other stuff?" Rafe asked, looking back over at the prisoners and wanting to steer the conversation onto a different area. Sandburg knew what the woman had done, hadn't been surprised that she could do it and wanted to learn how to do it himself. He'd had a hard enough time accepting what Ellison did, but it now seemed there was more to Sandburg than he'd previously thought. Rafe rubbed at the headache forming behind his eyes.

"And how did you put that guy out? There are times when that would really come in handy," Blair countered.

Roni smoothed the hair on Doug's head for several seconds before answering, a 'cat that ate the canary' smile on her lips. "I had met with the FBI yesterday and that's the info they are wanting me to find out about Rinaldi. I was just bluffing about knowing anything. It would have taken some pretty deep meditation and a lot of energy for me to really get any detailed information. I don't do that unless I have Doug backing me. As for putting him to sleep, that idiot was so scared of me I could have told him to piss his pants and he would have in a heartbeat."

Blair laughed. "The power of suggestion. Fantastic!"

Charbonneau gave the two detectives a broad smile, then quickly turned her attention to the man in her arms when he moaned lightly. After a minute, Turner's eyes opened half way, showing the pupils so dilated that there was only a thin ring of hazel color at the edge. He looked up, saw the smiling face of his mate hovering over him then smiled and curled further into Roni's chest. He was back asleep instantly. Charbonneau rested her cheek on his head and closed her eyes.

Rafe and Sandburg both turned their attention away from the couple to allow them some privacy. "I, uh, think I'll go check the trail to see if H is on his way back," Rafe voiced quietly and left. He had seen a lot he needed to think about.

Blair focused his attention on his slumbering partner and felt along their bond to test his condition. He could tell Jim wasn't injured, but his friend was exhausted and his energy levels low. That, along with the drug coursing through his system, would probably have him out for another couple of hours. Blair closed his eyes and began relaxing down, thinking he could help at least with the exhaustion.

"Don't try it, Blair," Roni warned, not looking up. Blair's eyes flew back open and he looked guiltily over at the woman. "You're injured and just as tired as he is, maybe more. All you will do is cause more problems for yourself. I thought I taught you better than that, young man."

With a sigh, Blair shifted until he was more comfortable and rested his head back onto the tree behind him. "Everyone always wants to mother me," he grumbled, closing his eyes. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

Major Crime Bullpen -- Two Days Later

Ellison had just arrived at his desk and was going through the pile of telephone messages left there when the door to Simon Banks' office opened and the Captain strode out, a stern expression on his face.

"Where's your partner, Jim?"

"He, ah, wanted to stop in the breakroom first to get some hot water for one of his herbal tea concoctions for pain. Is there something wrong, Captain?"

A smile blossomed on Banks' face. "No. I just thought you two would like to be present when Todd Rinaldi is escorted in."

"R.J. gave enough evidence?" Ellison gave an answering smile.

"Spilled his guts. After Ms. Charbonneau talked to him for a few minutes, that is. I don't know what she said to him, but I've never seen a man turn that shade of green before."

The two men chuckled, each envisioning what had happened during the interrogation, then Banks sobered.

"How's the kid doing really, Jim? That was a pretty hairy situation he experienced, what with the leg wound and all."

"Actually, sir, I think Sandburg came out of this whole thing pretty good. He'll have to use a cane for a while until his leg heals, but mentally he's doing okay. He's allowed to take his natural remedies for any pain he's in, but has to take the prescribed antibiotics. Speak of the devil..." Ellison turned his attention to the doors of the room and waited. About ten seconds later, Sandburg rounded the corner and limped into the room. He walked carefully to prevent spilling the cup of liquid he held.

"Morning, Captain," Blair voiced cheerfully when he neared the two. He stumbled slightly, but Jim jumped forward and prevented his partner from falling. "Thanks, Jim. Must have found a slick spot on the floor."

"Sandburg, sit down before you fall down," Banks ordered. "Are you supposed to be back at work already?"

Blair set his cup down on a nearby desk and eased himself into a chair. He sighed momentarily in relief before answering. "The doctor cleared me for desk duty only for now and will reassess my condition again next week. So it looks like I'm a paperwork slave for a while and will need just a little help getting stuff to and from my desk.

"I'm sure your partner will be happy to help you as much as you need, since he's on desk duty with you. No argument, Ellison," Banks ordered when he saw the senior detective open his mouth to protest. "You know the rules. When one partner is down, the other is down with him."

"Yes, sir," Jim sighed in resignation, looking pointedly at his partner. Blair just looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Captain," a female voice called from the door. The three men looked over and saw Turner and Charbonneau standing in the doorway. "Are we late?"

"No," Banks replied, checking his watch. "In fact, you're right on time."

"Hey, Roni, Doug. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be on your way to warmer climes by now," Blair exclaimed cheerfully, twisting in his chair.

"We've a flight to Orlando, but not until next week," Roni replied, walking over to the trio hand in hand with Doug. "Captain Banks thought we would want to be present when they arrest Todd Rinaldi and bring him in for questioning. After all the trouble he's caused us, I wouldn't miss this for anything." When she turned her gaze to her companion, Doug raised the hand he held, gave it a squeeze and kissed it gently.

"You're bringing in Rinaldi?" Blair asked Simon. At the man's nod, he rubbed his hands together and crowed, "Sweet!"

Just then, Rafe leaned his head into the room. "Captain? He's in the interrogation room and he has his lawyer with him."

Banks nodded to his detective. "Thank you, Rafe. Gentlemen, lady, are we ready to meet Mr. Rinaldi?"

"I am," Roni replied, a gleam in her eyes. Doug must have signaled her in some way, since she turned sharply to look at him. He gazed solemnly into her eyes for several seconds until she nodded and turned back. The gleam was still there, but it had been dampened down considerably.

Todd Rinaldi was almost 40 years old, though his youthful looks made him appear to be several years younger. He lounged back in the uncomfortable chair he'd been placed in when brought to the interrogation room and barely listened to the quiet advice the older man next to him was trying to impart. He stared at the mirrored wall in front of him, knowing it was a two- way mirror. His concentration was broken when the only door to the room opened and several people entered. He immediately began assessing them.

Three of the males wore badges clipped either to their belt or jacket. Cops, though the longhaired one with the cane looked liked he'd recently been pulled from the Vice or Narcotics unit. Rinaldi watched the young man limp to a corner and one of the other men took up a position of protection slightly in front of him. Rinaldi looked at this one hard, but had to turn his eyes away from the intensity of the lazer-like gaze the blue eyes sent him. Ex-military from the looks of him and a bad-ass all around. Probably his partner. The black cop has an air of command about him. Obviously someone of authority. But what in the hell are those two doing here and why is the woman staring at me? Rinaldi shifted a little uncomfortably under the attention he was receiving from Charbonneau.

Banks stepped up to the table, hands resting on the back of the chair pushed under it, and introduced himself, Ellison and Sandburg. The lawyer immediately started arguing.

"Captain, I protest the treatment that has been given to Mr. Rinaldi. He's a well-respected businessman and he's been treated like a common criminal. Now I demand that he be allowed to post bail so that we can leave this, this place and get back to his business."

Simon opened his mouth to tell the lawyer exactly how he felt, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. Turning, he saw that Roni had moved up to just behind him with Doug standing slightly back and to her side.

"Captain, if I may," she said quietly, her eyes never straying from the one she'd locked onto since entering.

Banks stared down at the woman for several seconds before glancing back at his other detectives. Seeing Sandburg and Ellison both nod slightly, he stepped back and pulled out the chair for Charbonneau to sit. Once she was settled, he moved back and Turner moved to stand behind her with his hands resting casually on her shoulders.

"Mr. Rinaldi, my name is Veronica Charbonneau." Roni held out her hand. When Rinaldi reluctantly reached out and grasped it, Roni tightened her grip and held on, a slow smile spreading on her face. "But you already know that, don't you? You could say that I'm the main reason you are here today."

"Charmed, Ms. Charbonneau, but I can't say we've ever met." Rinaldi pulled slightly on his hand to draw it back, but the woman wouldn't release it. He looked down at the clasped hands, then back up at the woman. When he looked into her bright green eyes, he suddenly found that he couldn't look away.

Roni's smile broadened as she saw the brown eyes staring into hers widen slightly in fear. "Oh, we haven't really, Mr. Rinaldi. But I know one of your employees, R.J. Sterling. He's signed an affidavit implicating you in the attempted kidnapping of my associate."

"See here, Captain. I pro--" the lawyer leaned forward and started to say, but suddenly stopped when the blazing green orbs were turned momentarily toward him. He sat back quickly and closed his mouth. He'd never seen what some had called 'a look that could kill'... until now. If the woman had had a weapon, he knew he would be lying on the floor dead.

Charbonneau returned her gaze to Rinaldi. "I really wanted to personally let you know that I'm going to be staying here in Cascade for another week and take the offer that the FBI made a few days ago. I hope you'll be the smart man you let others think you are and do what is right. I really don't want to have to stay around here any longer than necessary." Giving the hand she held a slight squeeze, she added mentally ~I now know enough to put you away for several lifetimes, Toddy boy. You're definitely pretty enough to make some con a wonderful bitch.~

Releasing her grip, Roni smiled broadly and shifted her chair back to stand up. Allowing Doug to clasp her elbow, she exited the room confidently. With similar smiles on their faces, the Captain and his two detectives followed. Jim paused momentarily outside the closed door and extended his hearing. He could easily hear the conversation.

"Damn it, Carson, I know what I heard. She told me she knows enough to put me away. That I'd make some con a great bitch."

"I didn't hear her say anything like that, Todd. Are you thinking of using some type of insanity plea? That you're hearing voices?"

"No, damn it! I'm not insane and I did hear her say that. Now what are we going to do?"

Ellison smiled and brought his hearing back to normal. Turning to walk back to the bullpen, he saw Sandburg waiting at the end of the hall. "You doing okay, Chief?" he asked when he caught up to his partner.

"Fine, Jim. What did you hear?" When Jim's smile grew and he continued walking without saying anything, Blair limped after him. "Come on, man. I know you heard something good. Otherwise you wouldn't act like a smug cat. Now spill."

Ellison paused and let his friend catch up. "Let's just say Roni let Rinaldi know she picked his brain clean. His lawyer thinks he's going to try for an insanity plea and Rinaldi is about ready to shit his pants in there." Both men broke out in hearty laughs and continued walking, Ellison slowing his pace to keep Sandburg from having to go too fast. Suddenly, he stopped and pulled his partner over to the side. Checking around the area, he lowered his voice and asked, "Chief, do you think we could talk tonight? About what you were trying to tell me out in the forest. I-I remember some of the things, but a lot of it is fuzzy and sounded like it was pretty important... something we should discuss."

Blair looked up at his friend and saw that he was uncomfortable but sincere in his request. Placing his free hand onto Jim's arm, Blair smiled and replied, "Sure, man. That would be great. And I promise it won't hurt or force you to make concessions on your masculinity."

When Blair's words finally made sense to him, and he saw his friend starting to laugh, Jim gave a mock growl and said, "You smart ass." Reaching up, he whapped Blair lightly across the back of his head and continued walking toward the bullpen.

Blair followed. "Hey, man. Better to be a smart ass than a dumb ass." He laughed louder when he saw his friend wave him off and lengthen his stride. Shaking his head, Blair continued walking until he came to the elevators and saw Roni and Doug standing there. "I was hoping to see you two before you left."

"And we wanted to see you, too," Roni spoke up, pulling her companion forward to meet Blair. "For one thing, to make sure you and I get together a couple of more times before we leave. From what Doug's told me, you're developing a couple more abilities we should look into."

"Definitely. Though I don't know if was all me or partially Doug. And maybe I can do the same thing with Jim." Blair's eyes danced with excitement over the prospects.

"I've always known Douglas was special, but he would just claim he had no abilities every time the subject came up." Roni gave the man standing beside here a loving glance before returning her attention to Blair. "It was you who helped him find and open the pathway I couldn't."

Blair shuffled in embarrassment and fiddled with his cane. "It was probably more the head injury than me. I just happened to be there to assist."

"Well, whatever you did, I thank you," Doug chimed in, seeing the discomfiture of the younger man. "Roni now has a new student and believe me, she has her work cut out for her." The older man laughed at the expression he saw on his lady's face.

Giving her companion a quick scowl, Roni turned back to Blair. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on one cheek. Keeping her face close, she spoke in a low voice. "And I thank you for taking care of Doug out there; keeping him safe until we could find you. You went above and beyond the call of friendship and no reward I can think of would be enough to pay you back for what you did. I am truly indebted to you." Giving him another soft kiss on his other cheek, Roni pressed her forehead against Blair's, whispered several words in a language he couldn't understand, then released him.

The elevator doors opened, interrupting the scene and bringing Blair's attention back to the surroundings. He knew Roni had just given him a blessing of some type and it would be best if he didn't ask any questions. At least not at this time.

"Give us a call later, Blair, and we'll set up some times to meet before we leave. Shall we go, my love?" Doug asked his companion, stepping back toward the elevator.

"I'm right with you," Roni replied, allowing herself to be pulled into the elevator. "We will talk, Blair." Then the doors closed.

Sandburg stood staring at the elevator doors for several long seconds before Ellison's voice calling his name broke him from his trance. Shifting his cane, he limped into the bullpen and over to his desk.

"Plant yourself in that chair and get the weight off of that leg, Chief. I borrowed an extra chair so you can prop it up and you have enough here to keep you busy at least until lunch." The tone in Ellison's voice brooked no argument and Sandburg did as he was ordered. "Oh, and your phone messages were mixed into mine. I don't think your female friends want me to return their calls."

Taking the slips of paper his partner held out to him, Blair shuffled through them and stopped when a name caught his eye. Looking through a couple more, he found that another one indicated a second call from the same person. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

Ellison noticed how quiet his partner had become and asked, "Something wrong, Chief? Getting phone calls from someone special?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Guess who's called. Twice."

"I don't do 'twenty questions' well, Sandburg."

"Okay, okay. Remember the stakeout we did a couple of years ago with Megan? It was after your buddy from the U.S. Marshall's office had been killed because of a breach in the witness protection program. You and Megan had to pretend to be married and I was your nephew from another marriage."

"That's a case I really have been trying to forget, Chief. Especially after having to work with those gun-toting psychos with that neighborhood watch program. What's your point?"

Blair held out the two similar slips of paper. "Katie Johnson, I mean Stevens is back in town and she wants me to call her, man."

"The lady whose cover had been breached? The one with the little girl? I thought she moved away."

"So did I. But I guess she's back."

Ellison smiled at the joy he saw radiating from his partner's face. He knew Sandburg had allowed himself to develop feelings for Katie Johnson, despite the fact the woman was under protection for providing information that put her ex-husband in jail. When the man had been captured trying to kill Katie and kidnap his daughter, which obviously broke his parole, he was resentenced to life in prison without possible parole in the future. It was thought Katie wouldn't have to move again.

But move she did, if mainly to get her head together and allow her daughter to get past the trauma she'd been subjected to. Ellison had watched his friend go through another heartache of a lost love. Only this one had hurt the young man worse than when he'd fell in love and lost Maya Caruasco. Twice.

"You gonna call her, Chief?" Jim asked.

"I don't... well, I guess I should. She did call twice. What do you think?"

"I think you should probably think about it, then call her tonight. After work."

"And after we talk. Yeah, right, tonight." Blair sat staring at the two phone messages until he felt something tap him on the head. He saw Jim with a pencil in his hand.

"Work? You know, that thing that allows you to receive a paycheck twice a month? Why don't you get started on the pile sitting in your basket and I'll go see if there is any more."

Laughing, Blair folded the two messages, tucked them in a pocket then reached for a case file. "You're a slave driver, Ellison."

"No, I'm your partner, Sandburg. Just doing my job to keep you out of trouble."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, man."

END

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