Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this storyline, but I'm sure many of you know and understand how RL can mess up the best intentions of anyone. This story is a follow-on to "My Brother, My Friend And More" and I suggest that you read it first in order to understand why this one had to be written.

This is a minor crossover to the Stargate: SG-1 series, with the main characters not really being a part of the story. The timeline, though, is around the end of Season 7 into the beginning of Season 8 of that show.

First, I give a big thanks to DebbieLD who is SO kind to continue to be my beta even when I have a lengthy break between stories. She works very hard on my poor grammar and shaky punctuation, making me look good. Second, my thanks goes to Cindy Combs who keeps encouraging me to write and keeps me working on following along the path of The Sentinel that we believe the series would have traveled, especially following the virtual seasons created by Black Panther Productions. Finally, I am so grateful to wolfpup who is gracious to post my stories onto her website, Wolfpup's Den, and always boosts my ego with her encouraging and positive comments about my stories.

Disclaimers: We know what they are and don't need to repeat them here.

GHOSTLY NIGHTMARE

Shallan

Black Forest, CO

The front door of the Black Bear Bar and Grill opened, allowing a frosty breeze to push into the building and rustle nearby tablecloths before being quickly closed behind a tall figure bundled heavily in winter clothing. The man pulled his hat off and scanned around the room until he saw another sitting in a booth in the farthest corner. The occupant of the booth raised his glass in a small salute toward the man then took a small sip before placing the glass back down. The newcomer strode quickly over to the booth and, after checking around the room again, sat down with his back to the door. Despite the warmth in the room, he kept his coat tightly buttoned.

"It is good you were able to find this place, Mr. Kinsey. I was hoping my directions were not that difficult to follow," the booth's first occupant said quietly, his voice colored with a cultured accent.

At the mention of his name, Kinsey stiffened and looked around quickly but saw that no one was paying attention to their conversation. "Mr. Smith... ah... Schmidt. I understand the need for secrecy, but why here? This place is too close to Colorado Springs and I had a hell of a time finding a reason to have to come back to this area."

"You are being watched too closely by many different people in Virginia. Here, you are just a customer. I am very surprised at the number of federal agencies who are having you watched."

"Yes, well, the vultures always seem to gather quickly when they think their prey is ready to fall for the last time." Kinsey glanced around the room again before leaning forward and asking, "You will be able to do as I asked?"

"I do not see a problem with your request, as long as you have followed my other directions."

The newcomer pulled out an envelope from an inner pocket of his coat and placed onto the middle of the table. "I wasn't sure if you were the right person for this situation, especially after what I learned about your previous job."

"Ah, yes. That was a one-time situation which shall be rectified with you. My new associate will be able to clear my reputation, I assure you." Picking up the envelope, Schmidt flipped it over to read the numbers written on the back.

"I was thinking your fee was a bit high, considering the circumstances."

The foreign man smiled slightly. "You are actually getting a 'cut rate,' I think you Americans call it. My normal fee for someone who is highly placed in a country's military would cost more than twice what I quoted to you." He watched as the other digested the information and grimaced before opening his jacket to place the envelope into an inner pocket.

Their waitress walked up and placed a plate loaded with a variety of food onto the table and two plates beside it. "Thank you, my dear. Would you also have my check ready? I'll need to be able to leave as soon as I've finished my meal."

The waitress smiled at the man and pulled a small folder from the pocket of her apron. "If you don't want any change, just leave your payment on the table. Otherwise, you can take it up to the bar and Jose will take care of you." Then she quickly hurried away to pick up the order for another table. She wasn't too sure if the man was going to tip well or not, but she'd found patrons did appreciate it when their requests were followed quickly and efficiently.

"Please, join me, Mr. Kinsey. I've found that the food in this place is quite good and always too much for me to finish in one sitting." The man picked up his fork and dished a portion with a green-colored sauce onto a plate and pulled it in front of him. "While I have never favored the Mexican cuisine, the establishments in this part of the country make the dishes different and quite delicious."

"No, thank you. I've an appointment I need to be at shortly to keep the cover I used for coming here. How long will it be before I hear about any results?"

"A month or two at the latest, earlier if my associate is cooperative. He's supposed to be here within the next week. I'll know how well he works out within a week after that. Are you sure you don't want some of this?" The man lifted his fork, the melted cheese sauce stringing from it to the plate.

Kinsey wrinkled his nose and adjusted his coat more tightly around him. "Thank you, no. Good day, sir. I'll be watching the news for word." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and quickly exited the restaurant.

The man in the booth once again took up his glass and gave the departing man a small salute. "Your loss, my friend. It really is good."

16th Street Mall, Denver, Colorado, One Week Later

"I can't believe how warm it is today, and it's January!" Detective J.E. Rafe exclaimed, taking off his heavy coat and draping it over a spare chair at the table before sitting down. "Where's all the cold and snow that should be in Denver this time of the year? The mountains aren't that far away."

Detective Blair Sandburg flashed his companion a bright smile as he also took off his coat. "Simple, man. Denver sits about a mile above sea level and is out on the high plains of the state. Closer to the sun means warmth, especially when it's a cloudless day like today and very little wind. Yeah, they get their share of snow and cold, but mostly in the mountains and definitely around the ski resorts. Unlike Cascade, this place gets about 300 days of sunshine a year, and you can get a serious sunburn if you're not careful. You've seen the pictures of skiers with the raccoon-like markings on their faces."

"How do you know all this stuff, Sandburg?" Rafe asked with a chuckle. "I heard you talking about some ghost town in the mountains to that very nice looking female officer earlier today, and she was agreeing with everything you said. You almost sounded like you were giving a lecture."

"Knowledge is power, Rafe."

"And it comes in handy when you're trying to impress the ladies. Ellison was right when he said we should watch you carefully to learn different ways to find female companionship. You definitely don't use the standard lines."

Picking up the small display card with the menu on the table, Sandburg paused and gave Rafe a surprised look. "Jim actually said that? Wow, that's different. He's usually harping on me being a 'Horn Dog'."

Rafe laughed. "Never expect your partner to give you high praise about very many things, young detective. They work very hard to keep you humble and in awe of their knowledge and abilities."

Blair snorted and passed the menu to Rafe, then turned to the waiter who appeared at their table. "Uh, I'll have a Cafe Mocha, sugar free and with skim milk, and a lemon biscotti. Rafe?"

"I'll have a cappuccino and a chocolate chip muffin." After the waiter left, Rafe saw the other's raised eyebrow "What?"

"I'm not going to say a thing, man, except that it's your body and your problem with keeping it trim as you get older."

"Won't be a problem since the men in my family have never had weight problems. Besides, I'm not your full-time partner so save it for Ellison." Adjusting his sunglasses, Rafe leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and raised his face to the sun. He ignored the chuckling from his companion and enjoyed the warmth bathing his face.

After the waiter brought their orders, Blair reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and his glasses. After donning the glasses, he unfolded the sheet and said, "We can wander around here for about another hour before we should head for the airport."

"Our flight's not until after 5:00 pm, right?"

"Yeah, but you know what we'll have to do to get through security. Best if we get there about two hours before the flight. Hey, how about we pick up something for the flight down at that deli."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," an accented voice said. When the two detectives looked up to see a white-haired man standing at their table, he continued, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you Blair Sandburg?"

Looking surprised, Blair nodded, "Yes, I am. Do I know you?"

The older man smiled warmly. "I thought it was you. Surely you remember your old friend, Herr Johan Geist. It has been many years."

Blair shook his head as a wave of dizziness swept over him, then he remembered. "Yes, Herr Geist. It has been a very long time. I knew him as a child," he said turning briefly to Rafe. "Please sit down. How are you doing?"

"It is so good to see you again, my boy." Pulling out a chair, Geist leaned over the table and extended his hand toward Sandburg. Neither of the detectives saw the small white lump drop from his hand into the coffee cup.

Major Crime Bullpen, Cascade P.D., Two Days Later

Detective James Ellison wanted to slam the telephone receiver onto its cradle, but he knew the action would draw the attention and possible ire of the Cascade Police Department Major Crime Division administrative queen, Rhonda. Abuse of the equipment might cause damage, which would then require a phone call to the maintenance department and they tended to be very vocal towards the caller with their displeasure. He rubbed his hands over his face and silently cursed the conversation he'd just completed.

There was no information, no clues, nothing. The Denver Police and Sheriff's Departments had no witnesses and no idea as to how his partner, friend and Shaman, Blair Sandburg, just vanished from an outdoor cafe in broad daylight. Also missing was his companion, and fellow detective in the unit, J.E. Rafe. All that was known was that both men had stopped for coffee in the early afternoon, paid for their selections with cash, and then they disappeared.

There had been one witness who thought he'd seen an older man in the vicinity who might have joined the two detectives, but no description could be given. Unfortunately, that young man had been the only waiter taking care of the outdoor sitting area, and the warm weather which had descended onto the city had brought out others wanting to enjoy their drinks and small snacks on the outdoor tables. He remembered the two men, one who looked like a college student with long, curly hair tied back and the other who was dressed in a very stylish suit. He also remembered the nice tip left on the table when he'd noticed the men had left, but if there had been another companion, the man hadn't stayed long.

"What did they say?" a voice asked at Jim's elbow.

Ellison looked up and saw that the voice belonged to Henri "H" Brown, Rafe's partner and friend. "Nothing much. The waiter might have seen someone join them, but he'd been busy and only saw that they'd paid their bill and left a large tip. Damn it!" He tossed down his ink pen with more force than he'd meant to use, causing it to bounce across and off his desk.

Henri shook his head. "Man, I can see how Hairboy might disappear into a crowd, but not my GQ partner. The man almost always looks like he has a spotlight trained on him at all times and people tend to notice him."

"Sandburg tends to attract attention more than you think, H. If there's a pretty girl within a block of where he is, somehow they gravitate in his direction and are attracted closer when he smiles. After that, all he has to do is say 'Hi' and make a comment about something personal and they're with him for the rest of the day."

"And you never used this secret weapon to attract women?" Brown asked with a chuckle.

Ellison scowled. "I don't like dating girls who are barely legal enough to drink, much less date." His telephone ringing interrupted any further comments.

"Ellison!" he barked after quickly picking up the receiver. Glancing at the door to the office to his right, he said in a quieter voice, "Yes, sir, I'll be right in."

"The Captain?" Brown asked, raising an eyebrow and sneaking a quick look at the office.

"Yeah. Maybe he's heard something."

"Keep me informed, man. I'm going to check around the precinct and see if anyone here might know someone on the force out there."

Standing, Ellison nodded and started toward the office. Giving the glass two knocks, he opened the door and stepped in after hearing his boss' reply. "Sir?"

"Sit down, Jim," Captain Simon Banks, commander of the Major Crime unit, ordered gently. "By the look on your face, I take it you haven't gotten any good news?"

"No, sir," Jim replied with a sigh as he dropped into a nearby chair. "It's like they've just disappeared off the face of the earth. They delivered their prisoner late in the morning, got all the paperwork signed, Sandburg flirted with one of the clerks until Rafe pulled him away, then they decided to check out the downtown area before heading back to the airport. They even asked for a nice place to wait out their time before heading for their flight."

"No one remembers seeing them?" Banks asked, turning to pour two cups of coffee. Automatically, he held one out to his detective.

Ellison took the offered drink and shifted back in his seat. "That's the strange part, Simon. Yes, a waiter remembered them being there and that they might have been met by an older man, but he didn't see them leave. The payment for their drinks was left on the table, and the only reason the guy remembers them at all was because of the size of the tip they'd left him. Other than that, nothing more."

"Can't you... feel him, or whatever it is you do with your... you know, that thing you two have? Your connection?"

Jim almost smiled at the uncomfortable way his boss asked the question. Simon had been with him and Blair when they formalized their partnership and accepted the bond between them, but the man's feet tried to stay firmly on the ground and he had a hard time dealing with the mystical part of the partnership.

"Normally I could, but it's like the power of our connection was turned down. I can tell he's alive, and I get the vague feeling he's somewhere east of here, but nothing more. I didn't even notice it fading."

A buzz on Banks' phone interrupted the conversation. "Yes, Rhonda," he said after pressing the intercom button.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain, but the new commander of the academy is on line two and he insists on talking to Det Ellison."

The two men looked at each other and Banks scowled. "Franchs hasn't been in charge of the academy for more than a couple of months. In fact, he hasn't even been confirmed as a Captain yet. What have you done this time, Jim?"

"I have no idea, Captain. I haven't had any contact with that man in a long time. Do you mind?" Jim gestured at the phone with his mug.

"Patch him through, Rhonda."

There were a couple of clicks over the telephone before Rhonda's voice said, "Go ahead, Commander."

"Ellison? You there?"

"How can I help you, Franchs? You need a quality speaker for the new class or something? I don't know if I'll be available for a while." Ellison's voice held a slight taunting tone.

"Ha, ha, Ellison. If I needed any type of speaker, I'd be asking your partner. However, with what I've heard, you're going to be paying up on our bet pretty soon. And I'll be picking the restaurant, thank you. A nice expensive one."

Jim frowned. "Paying up on our bet? Which one was that?"

A sharp barking laugh came through the speaker on the phone. "Don't tell me you forgot. If I remember right, you were pretty damn belligerent that you'd never have to pay up. He was going to be the last partner you'd ever need. Has Sandburg put in his transfer request yet?"

Jim stood up and quickly moved toward the phone. Simon leaned forward and asked, "What have you heard, Franchs? We have a couple of missing detectives from a simple prisoner transfer; Sandburg is one of them."

"What?"

"Sandburg and Rafe went to Colorado to deliver a prisoner two days ago. After completing the job, they went downtown to waste some time before their flight and that was the last time they were seen. Now, what are you talking about?"

"You know I took over this position recently. However, I'd already made plans to be at my daughters wedding right about the time I was to start and was gone for a couple of weeks. There was a lot to catch up on when I got back and finally was able to go over the information request logs. We'd also hired a couple of new Admin Assistant and I thought I'd make sure procedures were being followed."

"Is that normal procedure?" Banks asked.

"Usually, no, but after what happened with Capt Schofield and the militia recruiting from our academy, the next guy had the logs sent up to this office at the end of each week. I thought it a good idea keep up the weekly spot review, but there were a few weeks between Capt O'Malley's retirement and me taking over. I've finally had time to look over the stack."

"Are you finally going to get to the point, Franchs," Ellison interrupted, his voice terse, "or do I need to get myself some more coffee while you give us a day-by-day briefing?"

"You really are an ass, Ellison. You're partner must be one step away from sainthood if he's stayed with you this long."

"Gentlemen!" Simon barked, giving Jim a glare that told him to shut up. "It's going on 48 hours that our people have been missing, Franchs. If you really have information we can use--"

"All right, long story short. According to the one who took the request, someone from the El Paso County sheriff's office in Colorado called and asked for a copy of Sandburg's records, specifically his qualification scores from the firing range. They said he had expressed interest in a position on their force. It was checked and the name of the requestor did match the current Sheriff. So, the records were sent."

"Did anyone call the office to verify the information request?"

"We're not complete idiots, Captain. Before the records were shipped out, my people called over there. The sheriff wasn't in, but my people said the request was confirmed. What's going on? Sandburg isn't going to transfer away from you, Ellison? When is his next psyche eval?"

Ellison clenched his jaw in anger before declaring, "He's the best partner anyone would want, Franchs. Just because--"

"Thanks for calling, Lt. Franchs. Detective Sandburg has given no indication of leaving, but the call the academy received may be a clue to what has happened now." Banks jumped in quickly before harsh words were said and then pressed a button to end the call before hitting the intercom key. When Rhonda answered, he asked, "Rhonda, would you find out where El Paso County is in Colorado? We need to know what major cities fall within its boundaries."

"Right away, sir."

"Simon, Blair is not transferring to Colorado and I know that for a fact. One of the apartments in our building is going to be up for sale and he's already given the seller a surety bond until the contract can be drawn."

"Then what's going on, Jim? What is it about Blair's shooting scores that someone from Colorado -- what?" Banks asked when Ellison suddenly stiffened and his eyes widened.

"Blair's scores were so good that the commander of the S.W.A.T. was thinking of recruiting him after he graduated from the academy."

"Which was damn surprising, especially with how he feels about guns. Are they still that good?"

Ellison nodded. "Yeah, almost even with me. He's a natural even though he only does the minimum number of times on the practice range. But think for a minute, Simon. Remember that situation with the assassin and who he was using to go after you?"

"The I.A. captain from D.C.; the one who could have been your twin brother. The guy was damn good. Last I heard, they finally were able to get his system clean from all the drugs used, but he's still going through rehab to cancel out the conditioning. Oh, God," Simon paused, an expression of horror appeared on his face.

The two men stared at each other for several long seconds. Both remembered the incident clearly, how Simon's son had been the target of the assassin to be used as bait to draw the father to a warehouse and his death until Blair changed the situation. He'd gotten Daryl away but was taken instead.

"The doctors were not able to identify all the ingredients of what was used, but he was given three shots of the stuff and he still can't remember what the guy looked like even through hypnosis."

"I don't know, Jim. Using Sandburg as a shooter? Do you think the assassin has any idea about his whole attitude with using a gun?"

"With the right combination of drugs, you could be made to kill your own son. Believe me, Simon. I know the process and seen the results."

Banks looked sharply at his detective, remembering the man was former Army Ranger as well as Special Ops trained. The dark shadow that passed briefly across Ellison's eyes told him that there were a lot of things he still didn't know and probably never would. "So what do we do? And what about Rafe? Why was he taken with Sandburg?"

"Rafe was with him at the restaurant and the guy probably wasn't able to separate them, so he took them both. The request for the records was made before they left, so I think whatever the job is, the assassin will have both of them where ever El Paso county is located." Ellison brought a hand up to his forehead and closed his eyes. "Colorado. We know someone there... wait!"

Striding to the office door, Ellison threw it open and hurried over to Sandburg's desk with Banks on his heels. He looked up when he heard the captain's name called.

"El Paso county is in central Colorado. The major city located there is Colorado Springs," Rhonda said after she reached the desk. "It's just south of Denver."

Nodding, Jim started searching through the desk drawers until he pulled out a small book. "A couple of friends of ours told us they like to vacation in Boulder, Colorado. In fact the last time Sandburg talked to them, they had just bought a place in the mountains not too far from there. If anyone can help find our guys, Roni Charbonneau can."

"Charbonneau? Isn't she that psychic lady the feds use every now and then?" Simon asked.

Jim nodded as he found the page he was looking for and leaned over to pick up the phone. "More than that, she's the one who helped teach Blair control when he was having a problem with his sham... ah, special abilities."

Jim dialed the number and waited; there were three rings before someone picked up on the other end and said 'hello'. He didn't recognize the voice, as it sounded like the other had a bad head cold, so he said, "Hello. This is Jim Ellison from Cascade, Washington. Is Veronica Charbonneau there?"

"Jim? Hi, it's Doug Turner. How are you doing?"

"Doug? What's wrong with your voice? You sound terrible."

"Oh, this? ~achoo!~ Excuse me. It's nothing, really. Either I've caught a little cold or I'm allergic to something out here. Even though it's winter, there's always something trying to bloom. It'll probably be gone by tomorrow. You know, I was just thinking about calling Blair and asking him about one of those great herbal remedies he's always talking about. Is he around?"

"That's why I'm calling to talk to Roni. Something happened to Blair when he was out there day before yesterday. He was with another detective from the office, J. E. Rafe, doing a prisoner transfer. Both were last seen having coffee downtown, then they were gone."

"~sniff~ He was out here? Well, I know he didn't try to call us. I've been hanging out here at the house all week and I know he doesn't have Roni's new cell phone number yet."

Ellison rubbed his nose and lowered his voice. "What I'm hoping is that Roni might be able to get some kind of 'feel' for Blair. She's been his teacher and..."

"You think they might have developed a connection she could use to find him, don't you? I don't know, Jim. She tries very hard not to do that, especially with you two. She told me she didn't want to interfere with what you two were developing. Unfortunately, she's been in D.C. for the last few days, and I don't expect her home until sometime tomorrow morning."

"Damn." Jim shut his eyes for a second before turning to Simon. "Listen, I'm going to try to catch a flight out there either this afternoon or tomorrow morning." Banks nodded and turned toward Rhonda to tell her to make the reservations. "There's possibly a lot more to the whole thing and I'd rather tell it only one time to both of you."

"I understand. Try to make your flight tomorrow morning and I'll be there to pick up you the same time that I collect my lady. Despite the circumstances, I know she'll love to see you and be glad to help you anyway she can."

Banks returned and murmured, "I'm going to be sending Brown with you."

Ellison nodded to his boss before returning his attention to the phone. "That's great, Doug. The Captain is sending Rafe's partner with me. You remember them from the last time you were here?"

"Yeah, I do. Detective Brown is a jolly guy, likes wearing loud, Hawaiian shirt and his partner couldn't be more the opposite. I don't think I really thanked either of them for all they did. I really owe them."

"That's them. We'll work on getting the first flight we can out of here tomorrow morning so you can thank Brown then and maybe have the chance to pay them back."

"Great! And don't worry about finding a hotel room; you two will stay with us. You won't be able to find any vacancies since there is a major tourist event going on right now. There isn't a room to be found for miles."

"Well, if I'm right, we won't be there too long. I think whatever is going on is happening in or near Colorado Springs."

"There's a lot of military units and operations happening down there. Any chance it might be connected with them and what you two are?"

"God, I hope not. We've worked really hard to stay under the radar of anything and everything, but something happened not all that long ago that involved our boss. I've a hunch it might be connected with Blair's disappearance. As I said before, I'd rather talk to the two of you together."

"I understand. I'll see you and Det. Brown tomorrow."

"Thank you, Doug."

"Brown!" Banks called out. When the man neared, he continued, "Head home and pack a bag. You're going with Ellison to Colorado."

Brown smiled. "You have a lead on our boys?"

"Maybe. Ellison can explain more on the flight. Go, you two, and keep me apprised on any leads. I'll have Rhonda call you to let you know your flight plans." Banks made a shooing motion with his hands.

"What about the Denver P.D.?" Ellison asked as he pulled his jacket from the nearby coat rack and slid it over his arms.

"I'll give them a courtesy call to let them know you're coming. I don't need to remind you to play nice, do I, Ellison?" The tall captain's glare spoke volumes.

Brown grinned and slapped Ellison on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Captain. I'll be the go between with the locals. We know Jim's never been good at sharing. It's probably one of the main reasons Sandburg does most the talking for them."

Jim glared at H. as the two walked out of the bullpen, growling a barely audible 'thanks'.

Watching the men leave, Banks sighed and murmured, "Lord help Colorado if anything has happened to the kid."

Next Day, Denver International Airport

Ellison glanced at his watch as he stepped out of the underground passenger tram car which had just pulled up to the main airport terminal. The clock on the wall showed the time to be an hour ahead, just after noon mountain standard time. He and Brown hadn't been able to get a flight out of Cascade as early as they wanted, but at least it had been a non-stop one.

Not checking for his companion, but knowing he was right on his heels, Jim moved with the rest of the crowd toward the escalators that would take them up to the baggage level. Since 9/11, the security at all airports had increased significantly and no one who didn't have a boarding pass was allowed past the security screeners or anywhere near the gates. He hoped Roni and Doug hadn't been waiting for them long.

Stepping off the escalator in the alcove which housed it, the first thing he saw was a line of people being held back by a simple fence about twenty feet away. Scanning the faces, Jim finally saw the tall redhead he knew as Veronica "Roni" Charbonneau and her older companion and life mate, Doug Turner. They were on the far right of the crowd and Doug gave a quick wave when he saw Jim looking in their direction.

"Welcome to Colorado, fellas," said Turner, when they were all within speaking distance. He reached out to first shake Ellison's hand, then Brown's. "Need to get anything from baggage claim?"

The two detectives each raised up a bag. "Nah," added Henri. "I knew traveling with Ellison meant moving quickly, and I was right to make sure I fit everything into this when I saw he only had a carry-on."

Roni extended her hand to Henri and shook his warmly. When she turned to Jim, she was stopped from clasping his by Doug. Giving her mate a quick look, she saw the warning in his eyes.

"Ah, I don't think this would be the best place in case what happened the last time repeats itself," Turner explained as he pulled the hand back.

Green eyes met a startled set of blue ones and both Roni and Jim took a small step back from each other. In that brief moment, each remembered the incident to which Doug was referring. A few years ago, while visiting Cascade, Doug had been kidnapped in an attempt to prevent Roni from assisting federal authorities in getting evidence to put a crime family away. Unfortunately Blair had been kidnapped with him and during the course of finding the two men there was a change in how Jim was able to 'feel' Blair through their bond.

Normally, Jim could only feel Blair in the sense of where he was and what was his condition. However, when Roni was in physical contact, and especially when Jim's attention was focused on the bond, the two of them were able to actually see through Blair's eyes. It was then that Roni learned what Jim Ellison was and why he and Blair were connected.

"Good idea, Love. I'd rather be in my workroom if we're going to have anything happen." Shifting to the side, Roni pointed toward an alcove. "Doug is parked in the garage and my bags are already loaded. We're about 10 miles east of the city and it will take some time to get over to the house. Are you two hungry?"

Brown looked quickly at his companion and almost sighed out loud when he saw the taller man shake his head in the negative. Granted, it was an hour earlier Cascade time, but he'd had to hurry this morning and didn't get any breakfast when Ellison came by to pick him up almost four hours before their flight.

Apparently Turner had seen the hope in the black detective's eyes flare and then fade when Ellison indicated no and quickly spoke up. "I think I'll give a call to that Chinese place that's on the way to the house, Roni. They can have our order ready for pickup by the time we get there. I could use a bite, and I know you didn't get anything on your flight." He gave the woman's hand in his a small squeeze when he thought she might disagree, but she apparently understood what he was doing.

"Great idea. That way we won't have to interrupt anything we might have going later on. Oh, you might want to keep your coats handy. By the time we get to the house, it could be snowing. Weather forecast is for moisture this afternoon, but they're not too sure at what altitude it may change to snow." Reaching the doors leading out of the terminal and into the parking garage, she continued, "You'll be able to see the front forming over the mountains once we're on the road. It can move pretty fast at this time of the year.

Chuckling low, Henri stepped up to Doug's open side. "Didn't you tell Sandburg that you two headed for the warmer climates during the winter? What happened, man?"

"Well, I am originally from the western slopes and we had thought about looking around the Grand Junction area. But I remembered this part of the state and brought Roni over here on a hunch. She fell in love with the area first, then we found the perfect house just far enough away from the city. Besides, we can get almost 300 days of sunshine a year out here."

"I think it's the opposite in Cascade. You're lucky if you see the sun one day in two or three weeks in the winter. But isn't this area pretty snowy in the winter?"

"Depends. We can get five to ten inches of snow on a Monday and it'll all be gone by Thursday with the temps in the 50's in January. I've seen people running around without any coats with the temp only being 45 degrees, as long as the sun was shining. I'll take the occasional snowfall and cold temps every now and then to the abundant sun and lack of humidity."

Brown chuckled. "Man, I knew I was living in the wrong city. Sometimes I feel like a mushroom with all the gloomy skies and wet weather. Why did I think this place was snowed in during the winter?"

Turner made a shushing sound. "We're trying to keep it a secret to keep out the riff raff. Unfortunately, the word has been spreading and the Californians keep migrating." Both men laughed. "Besides, you might think different about how 'perfect' it is here after the altitude starts affecting you. Just take your time climbing stairs, take a couple of aspirins before bed, and start drinking lots of water..."

Charbonneau gave the two talking men an appraising glance then turned her attention to Ellison. She could tell the man hadn't heard any of the conversation; his eyesight was fixed forward and the muscle movement in his jaw indicated he was clenching his teeth. Then, as if he could feel her gaze, he turned to look into her eyes.

Lowering his voice, he asked, "What did Doug mean when he said you tried to not maintain any type of connection with Blair because of our connection even though you were his teacher?"

Roni pursed her lips for a minute before replying, "You two are special and what you have, that bond, is something I've never seen before. It works very well for you two, right? My keeping a connection while Blair isn't being taught by me might create an interference that could be detrimental at the wrong moment. Besides, I only make any connection while I am actively teaching someone, but shut it down the minute we're done working and the other heads home. I've taught a lot of people over the years, Jim, and some have died while using their abilities. Can you think what could happen to me if I maintained a connection with every one that I've taught?"

"Right. That makes sense. I guess I was just hoping for some type of advantage." Ellison replied after thinking over her words for several seconds. He knew how he had reacted in the past when something happened to Sandburg while he was monitoring their bond.

"You can still feel him, can't you?"

Ellison searched within his mind and was rewarded with a stronger sense of their connection, but it still wasn't as clear as what they normally had. "It's there; I can tell he's at least alive, but that's it. I don't know how he is or where he might be. Just a general idea that it's south of here."

"Then trust what you feel and know. We will find him." The conviction in Roni's voice gave him hope.

An Isolated Cabin Outside Divide, Colorado

The plunger on the syringe was gently depressed, releasing the combination of drugs slowly into the jugular vein, then the needle was carefully withdrawn. A cotton ball was pressed onto the area to catch any blood and to help the small hole seal over.

Johan Schmidt smiled at the lack of response from his captive, who was sitting relaxed in the padded chair. Blair Sandburg was finally at a state in his conditioning where he no longer felt the needle or reacted to the drugs as they flooded his system and no longer needed any restraints to keep him in the chair. What was surprising was the ease with which he was able to be conditioned for the assignment. In conjunction with the special combination of drugs, which Schmidt had created to certain specifications, he also used more standard techniques for brainwashing: a darkened room with the only source of light being a strobe blinking at a certain speed and recorded instructions played constantly.

"As an officer of the law, I wouldn't expect you to have succumbed so easily, Det. Sandburg," Schmidt commented quietly as he checked the wound. Giving the neck area one more swipe, he moved toward the table holding all his medical equipment. "It took weeks for your predecessor to get to this level, but he did have a strong and special military background. What I noticed of your appearance and demeanor, as well as the length of time you spent in the academic world and your course of study, told me you might not be like most officers. I was very pleased at your weaponry skills, though."

With a pleased look on his face, Schmidt walked back to where Sandburg rested, lifted the unconscious man's head and checked his eyes. His smile broadening, he allowed the head to droop back down and reached toward the wall and flipped a couple of switches. The first one darkened the room and the second turned on a projector pointed at the far wall. A large picture of a man appeared on the wall, positioned directly in front of the unconscious man.

Schmidt stepped behind the chair and said in a louder tone, "It's time to get to work again, Det Sandburg. I know you can hear me, so lift your head and open your eyes."

The voice was back. While he knew his body was no longer under his control, Blair's mind gave a mental shudder at the tone of the voice addressing him. The voice scared him because it was making his body do things he couldn't stop, things he would never allow it to do if he had been in control. But he wasn't. His mind was a passenger and his body was acting like a puppet, moving at the commands of its master's voice. He'd been able to fight the voice in the beginning, at least a little, but the small amount of defiance had brought more injections, blinding lights and constant talking in his ears until he could no longer disobey.

"Open your eyes, Det Sandburg, and look at the man in front of you," the voice commanded.

His head lifted and, as the eyes fluttered open, Blair was able to see a blurred figure. It wasn't clear to his mind; it was like he was looking from the back of his head and not out of his eyes. His eyes blinked a few times to disperse the moisture that had gathered, and he was able to get a better look at the figure. It was an older man, tall with a wiry build and short gray hair. The hair style looked familiar to Blair; he'd seen another wearing a similar style, but it wasn't gray. Brown? He was wearing a uniform; it was blue and looked like the guy was in the military, but it wasn't like...

"Memorize this man's face, Detective. He is an evil man who has caused many deaths. He is dangerous and a serious threat to your country." The voice repeated the words several times; the tone not changing each time it started the speech again.

"We have been ordered to stop this man before he hurts or kills anyone else. There is only one way to stop him. You want to help me stop him. Stand up and take this."

His arm was lifted and a cold metal object was placed into his right hand. Blair knew the feel of the object and tried to make his hand let go, but it wouldn't. It was a gun, an automatic. His fingers curled around the handle with the forefinger resting on the trigger.

The voice continued, ordering him to raise the gun, focus through the sights and pull the trigger. Blair tried to stop his hand, but he was helpless as he watched the appendage obey the instructions. The gun wasn't loaded, the trigger didn't move, but his finger still applied pressure as if it would actually fire the gun.

Over and over, the instructions continued. He kept trying to fight the words, but it was useless now. The drugs had done their job. Finally, unable to cope with what his body was being made to do, Blair's mind fled to a place where he could no longer 'see' what his body was being made to do. A place that was safe.

The movements of the man he was ordering became smoother with each passing hour. From sitting in the chair, to standing, to lying prone, Schmidt kept working on making Sandburg obey without hesitation. After working with a handgun, he then changed the weapon to a rifle and went through the actions again.

When he felt satisfied, Schmidt took the rifle and had Sandburg seated in his chair once again. Preparing another dose of the drug cocktail, he stepped up to his captive and had him relax. Then he gently grasped the head and shifted it to the side, until he had easy access to Sandburg's neck, and carefully gave him another injection.

"Rest now, Detective. Remember what you have been told and what you must do. I will be back, and you will not move until I return. Sleep."

Schmidt saw the muscles in Sandburg's body relax and let loose of his head so that it once again dropped down to his chest. Then, placing the syringe back onto the table, Schmidt turned off the lights and left the room. He knew the other was too well drugged to try to escape, but he still closed the door after him and twisted the deadbolt until it locked.

"Now for my other problem," he murmured and moved toward the back side of the cabin and another locked room. Sliding the bolt back, he opened the door to the small storage room and gazed at the occupant lying on the floor with his hands cuffed to the eyebolt embedded in the wood.

Detective J.E. Rafe lay on his side wearing only his shirt and slacks. His jacket, tie, shoes and socks had been removed after he had been knocked unconscious by a man who he thought had been helping him get an ill Sandburg some medical help. His face was flushed with a fever he'd developed after receiving his first injection of the chemical cocktail Schmidt used to condition his captives.

"What am I to do with you, Det Rafe? You are the first who has had a negative reaction to my potion and therefore have become useless to me. For the first time, I will not have an associate waiting to assist me in any future business deals. It is probably for the best that I consider going into retirement after this job." Schmidt knelt down and touched the unconscious detective first on the forehead, then on his cheek and finally to rest on his throat. There wasn't any reaction to the touching, which found his temperature elevated and his pulse rapid.

With a sigh, Schmidt stood back up, stepped out of the room and over to the kitchen counter. Picking up a new syringe, he filled it with only a small amount of liquid. "I have never personally caused the death of anyone and I will not have you be my first. A half dose should not do you much more damage, but you will not wake until after this mission is done."

Stepping back into the room, Schmidt knelt and grabbed the arm he'd used the first time he'd administered the drug and tightened the strip of rubber still wrapped around the upper arm. The sleeve was already pushed up, allowing easy access to the veins. Patting the elbow area to make a vein pop up, Schmidt administered the drug. He'd just pulled out the needle when the body started jerking.

"Damn!" Schmidt cursed and grabbed Rafe's head to prevent it from smacking on the ground. The seizure didn't last very long, though Schmidt had looked around to see if he could find anything to force between the man's jaws to prevent him from swallowing his tongue if it came to that. Finally, Rafe once again lay still. He was breathing heavily with a small moan escaping every once in a while.

"I cannot keep you here," Schmidt muttered, knowing that he risked the young man dying on him if he kept him at the cabin any longer. "Your companion will sleep for several hours, so we leave now."

Pulling out a set of keys, Schmidt unlocked the handcuffs and tucked them into a pocket. He then pulled Rafe up into a seated position and, after a little struggle, managed to lever the man's limp body over his shoulder and carried him out to the van.

The city of Colorado Springs wasn't all that far away and Schmidt knew the perfect place to leave the ill young man. A homeless mission in an industrial part of the city always closed its doors at sundown and, since it was late winter, that was still early enough for his plan -- wait until the doors were closed, leave the young man at the back door which opened into an alley, then make an anonymous call for the caretakers to find him. With luck, those who found him might think Rafe was just drunk or not seriously ill and just bring him in for the evening. But even if they did take him to a hospital, the drugs in his system would keep his memory muddled for several days. The contract would be finished long before that.

Early Evening, Boulder, Colorado

The air had a definite bite to it and Ellison could smell the approaching moisture. It didn't feel like a big weather front coming through, just enough to remind everyone that weather in the Rockies wasn't predictable. Turner, being a native Coloradoan, had discussed during the drive the misconception many had about the state and the type of weather it received. He said the favorite saying of those living there was if you didn't like the current weather, just wait a couple of hours. It would change. More people had gotten in trouble taking off for what they thought would be a short hike in the mountains only to be trapped by a surprise snow storm.

After leaving the airport, the drive across the city hadn't taken as long as expected since it was before the afternoon rush hour and the traffic was light. Before too long, they were passing the tall buildings of the University of Colorado and heading into Boulder. A quick stop to pick up the promised afternoon meal, then back out of the city and up a twisting road to a lone Victorian style house surrounded by pine trees.

During the meal, Ellison explained about the previous assassination attempt against Captain Banks, the assassin known as the Ghost Writer and how Sandburg had gotten involved. Everything now pointed to the fact that the assassin had a contract against someone in Colorado, what with the fake request for Blair's academy records and subsequent disappearance.

In checking with the El Paso County Sheriff's office after he'd spoken with Ellison on the telephone, Turner learned that an "official" request supposedly signed by the sheriff had appeared on the desk of an administrative assistant. Not thinking anything was amiss, even though his boss was on vacation and would be gone for a couple of weeks after that to a conference, the young man had processed the request and left the acquired documents on the sheriff's desk. The paperwork was now no where to be found and the office was conducting a full inquiry into the situation.

After eating, Ellison made himself absent when Brown decided that it was time to give the Denver Police a call and update them on what they'd learned. As he'd told Captain Banks, he'd 'make nice' with the local law enforcement agency and inform them that their investigation had them heading down to Colorado Springs. They had agreed to not bring up the fact that an international assassin was probably involved with the disappearance of two police detectives, knowing the federal authorities would be called. After he finished placating the Denver officials, he was then going to call back to Cascade and update Banks and brief him on their plans for the next day.

Jim sipped from the water bottle he held and stared off into the wooded area behind the house. He had been trying to get a firmer contact with Blair through their bond and had thought he'd felt something earlier, but that feeling left, the connection was dormant and he didn't try to push it. He knew that if he kept it up, he'd get a migraine and be of no use for a while. The quiet click of a door opening behind him brought his attention back to his surroundings.

"Nothing still?" Roni asked when she stepped up beside the tall detective.

Jim shook his head. "He's south. That's the only thing I'm getting. It has to be whatever he's drugged with that's blocking us."

"Have you tried to go to him when you're sleeping? Like we did the last time."

"I, ah... there really hasn't been any time, Roni. I mean, he's only just gone missing and what with the... our connection being..." Jim's voice drifted off and he turned to stare out at the woods for several long seconds before looking back at the other.

Roni raised an eyebrow and waited.

"It's not really something I've ever been able to control," he finally admitted, his voice low. "It used to be, when there was a problem, I'd wake up in that other place and get cryptic messages. I'd then discuss it with Blair to figure out what it meant. After that time with you and Doug, Blair's been helping me try to get there deliberately. That time in the truck must have been a fluke because I haven't been able to do it without him coaching." The final words were barely audible.

Roni smiled warmly. "Well, I seem to be able to help people with problems that fall into 'special' areas. I've got a special room set up just for this sort of thing. Want to give it a try?"

At Ellison's nod, Charbonneau led the way back into the house and down a set of stairs. They continued around a corner and down a hall led to a room that was in the middle of the house. Ellison felt like he'd entered a room protected with a white noise generator. There was also a spicy scent in the air, but he knew it was at a level that only he could smell. The only light currently in the room came from the hallway.

"This is my workroom, for lack of any other title. If I'd had this place when Blair and I met, this is where I'd have taken him to work with his gift," Roni explained as she walked over to a small table and picked up a box of matches. Striking one, she started around the room lighting candles. "Where would you like to sit? What's most comfortable?"

Jim saw the overstuffed couch against the wall, tall straight chairs near a table across the room, a recliner opposite the door, and thick throw rugs on the floor. "Ah, normally I'm on my couch or loveseat and Blair props himself on one of the arms or on the table in front of me."

"You let him sit on a table or the arms of your furniture?" Roni asked with a small laugh. "I thought he told me you had all these rules about your place."

Jim smiled ruefully and rubbed his nose. "Yeah, well, after he starts getting me to go under, I'm not really paying attention to where he is sitting and at least he isn't wearing his shoes. Besides, I got him after he was past the puppy training stage."

"Okay, I can understand that. So, just pick a spot that is comfortable to you and I'll set up nearby." Roni finished lighting the candles, enjoying the gentle scent they emitted, and walked back to the door to close it. She knew they wouldn't be disturbed once the door was shut. It was her signal to Doug that she was working.

Ellison chose the recliner, probably an unconscious act since it sat back against a wall and faced the door. His cop training, and probably his military training, had ingrained in him that you never have your back to any door if possible. The chair wasn't leather, but neither was it normal cloth. It was a soft material and felt good to the touch and Ellison didn't think it would be a problem.

Charbonneau pulled over one of the straight-back chairs and sat to Ellison's side. "Does Blair use a candle to help you focus?"

"No, nothing to focus on but his voice. He keeps it low, calm and relaxed."

"Okay, then let's get started. Relax and go through the process Blair has you use to prepare."

Forcing his muscles to release, Ellison took a deep breath and held it several seconds before slowly releasing it. After several breaths, he closed his eyes and waited for guidance. He heard the low, husky feminine tones in Roni's voice and jolted back to full consciousness. Shifting around in the chair, he settled a bit more, closed his eyes and tried it again. When Roni started talking, he was once again wide awake.

"What's wrong, Jim? Did something happen?"

Ellison rubbed a hand across his eyes and shook his head. "No, it's... when I hear your voice..."

"Is it the tone I'm using? Should I try something different?"

Jim shook his head. "No, I don't think that's it. It's a memory, I think. Someone I remember in the past."

Roni sat up straight. "A female voice you remember from a bad time, right? Blair told me about a woman, another sentinel."

"She wasn't a sentinel," Jim said harshly. "She was a thief and a murderer who happened to have enhanced senses. She killed Blair."

"And you were able to bring him back, I remember him telling me that. He was able to come back because of you and you were able to defeat her."

Ellison nodded. "He helped me, showed me that I was stronger. Unfortunately, you sound too much like her. I don't think I can... I can't listen to you and not think of her."

"Okay, I understand, and that's not a problem. Wait here." With that, Roni stood up and left the room. Jim listened as she trotted down the hall, but lost her after she turned the corner. Then less than a minute later, he heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall. Roni stepped through the door with Doug behind her.

"I'm not always able to get relaxed enough to work. Doug helps me when I can't and maybe he can help you," Roni explained, pulling up another chair.

Turner shrugged his shoulders and gave a quirky grin as he sat down. "She's told me it's one of the great things about me. I don't know whether I should be honored or disappointed."

"Funny, dear," Roni commented, pulling her chair around until it was behind Doug's but still close enough to touch Jim's arm. "Okay, Jim. Let's try this again, only I'm going to let Doug do all the talking. When you get where you need to go, I'll be touching your arm and trying to follow you. Hopefully we can do the same thing we did last time."

"Okay," Jim said reluctantly and shifted in the chair until he was comfortable again. As he had with Blair so many times, he started his breathing exercises until he became relaxed. Then he heard Doug's voice. It wasn't the same as Blair's but the quality was something he could listen to and work with.

"That's it, Jim. Slow breaths to relax. In and hold, then out."

Ellison let the calm tones carry him until -- he was jolted into opening his eyes. It was "his" jungle; the area full of overgrown plants, hot and humid temps and in soothing blue tones. He heard a male voice ask him a question.

"Where are you, Jim?"

"The jungle area I normally find myself in when I need to be told something." Looking down, Ellison saw that he was wearing the normal outfit for the area: olive green Army fatigue pants with jump boots, tank top and a bandana on his head.

"Is Blair anywhere nearby?"

"I'm not in the right place. He won't be here because it's my place."

There was soft whispering then the male voice asked, "Can you find your bond to Blair?"

Ellison closed his eyes and "felt." There was a tantalizing sensation of the bond nearby and he turned until he was able to locate the source. "Found it, but it isn't near."

"Go toward it, Jim. Hone in and go to it."

He didn't have to be told a second time. Jim could feel anger and sorrow coming from the direction of the bond and he started running. The sound of padded feet nearby had him glancing to his left, and he saw his spirit guide, the black jaguar, running easily with him. The sight of the animal gave him additional strength and he was able to run faster, easily jumping any fallen trees or dodging hanging vines.

The blue of the jungle faded down and slowly changed to a muted green tone as the lush foliage fell away until it became an area Jim remembered. It was the place where he and Blair had pledged their bond so many years ago, but it was silent and the air had a heavy, oppressive feel to it. Jim slowed down to a trot and followed a well-worn trail that appeared in front. Eventually it led to a clearing and he stopped at the edge.

"Sandburg?" he called out.

"Where are you now, Jim?" the male voice asked in his head.

"I think I'm at the clearing where we confirmed our bond, but it looks different. There was a post in the center of the clearing, but it's not here. I don't know." Ellison took slow steps into the open area, but stopped abruptly when a large wolf charged from underneath some brush, snarling and snapping his jaws. The animal ran straight for him, but halted when the black jaguar stepped in front. The two animals stared at each other for a minute before the wolf whined and collapsed to the ground.

"Is that Blair's spirit guide?" Roni asked as she stepped into the clearing from behind Jim. She was wearing a shining white robe that almost seemed to glow. "It sounded like you were getting close to where Blair might be, so I thought it was time to see if I could join you."

Jim noticed that his clothes had changed. He was now wearing the warrior's outfit he'd worn the last time he'd been to this place. Looking back to the prone wolf staring at him with fear in his eyes, he nodded. "That's him, I'm pretty sure of it. If he's here, then Sandburg can't be too far away."

"Doesn't he know you?"

"He should, but he's acting like I'm going to hurt him or something. Sandburg? Blair!" Ellison called out.

"Jim?" came the faint reply.

Turning in the direction of the voice, Ellison started forward, only to be stopped again by a growl from the wolf. "Easy there, fella. I'm here to help. You know me, boy." He spoke quietly to the animal who stared at him, then relaxed and dropped his head down to his paws and gave him a short whine. The black jaguar paced over until it was beside the wolf and sat down. The large cat took a sniff at the wolf then sneezed and flattened its ears back. It growled and looked up at Ellison.

Understanding that something was wrong, Jim started forward again into the brush. He fought the heavy overgrowth until he came to a jumble of boulders. Curled up into a ball in a small alcove was Blair, his eyes staring vacantly at nothing as he slow rocked forward and back.

Jim tried to approach his friend but was halted by an invisible barrier about ten feet away. He felt around the 'wall' and couldn't find a way over, under or around it. "Sandburg?"

"Can't be Jim," Blair muttered as he tucked his head into his arms and clenched his eyes shut. "Doesn't know where I am. Can't find me, can't help me. I need help." The last was said as a whisper full of sadness.

Ellison knelt down, laid his hand on the barrier and leaned into it. "I'm here, Blair. Open your eyes and you'll see I came to get you, buddy."

Sandburg curled down tighter and started muttering, "Not real. Not real. Stuck in a nightmare."

Roni laid a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Don't let him shut you out, Jim. Use your heart and your bond to let him know you are here."

Concentrating on the bond, Ellison tried again. "I am real, Chief. Open your eyes and look at me. Blair!" The last was said with all the emotion he could dredge up from his soul... and it worked.

Slowly uncurling, Sandburg lifted his head away from his arms and squinted at the figure kneeling across the way. "Jim? Is it really you, man?"

"Yeah, buddy. It's really me, though you might think you're having a nightmare or something."

Blair slowly sat up and stared at this friend, an incredulous expression on his face. "You're real. Oh, God. I had hoped, but I... I... it's him, Jim! That assassin who tried to kill Simon."

"Easy, buddy. We thought he might be back one day."

"It... it's just... it's been so long."

"I know. Sorry it took me so long to find you. You didn't leave a trail and I had to get some help." Ellison looked up toward Charbonneau standing behind him then back to his friend. "Can you come out from there?"

Sandburg shook his head in the negative. "The drugs. I don't have control of my body anymore, with all the drugs he's given me, and I can't believe what he's making me do. I just fled when I figured it all out." Anguish flooded Blair's face. "You have to stop me, Jim. Please!"

"Hey, hey, easy there, Chief. That's why we're here, to help you out of this. Do you know where you're being held?"

"No. The last thing I remember is the cafe in Denver. Now I'm in some room. It doesn't have any windows and the walls look funny... lumpy."

"That's okay, it was only a wild thought. How about this guy's target? Do you know who he's after?"

Blair stared off into space and concentrated for several seconds before answering, "Some older guy, short hair with lots of gray... he's wearing a uniform with a lot of those fancy ribbons on his chest. Sort of like yours, but it's blue and the buttons and stuff are silver. Yours are gold, aren't they?"

Ellison smiled. He could see that making his friend focus was calming him down. "That's right. The Army's uniform is green and the badges and buttons are all gold tone. The guy may be in the Air Force. Did you see his rank? Did he have stripes on his sleeves or was his rank on his shoulders? If he's older, they might have been oak leafs or eagles."

Sandburg looked down and thought further. "No stripes on the sleeves, but the silver things on his shoulders looked like they had wings. It looks like something he posed for, you know? Flags at his back and to his sides."

"That's great, buddy. We're pretty sure you're somewhere down around Colorado Springs and there can't be that many bases around. The guy must be a colonel and there aren't too many of them on any Air Force base. We'll be able to find out who it is. Any chance you might have seen a name tag on the jacket?"

"I... I don't remember. There might have been something, but it didn't stand out. Jim, I keep hearing a voice tell me that he's evil and has to be killed. Over and over it keeps telling me that he's caused the death of a lot of people and is a danger to the country. And he has been making me practice with a gun, Jim. I'm supposed to kill him. Kill him!" Blair closed his eyes and dropped his head down to his chest, a shudder racked his body.

"Blair! Easy buddy. I know you hate the idea of using a gun, much less firing at anyone, but you have to remember that you aren't the one doing it. This guy has used drugs to take away control of your body and it isn't you pulling the trigger."

Roni stepped up beside Jim. "Blair, it's Roni. Are you able to see and hear me?" When there wasn't any reply, she spoke louder and forced her personal power toward the other. "Blair, look at me."

Obeying the command, Sandburg raised his head. With a gulp, he finally said, "I hear you."

The tall redhead gave him a pleased smile. "Good. I know you don't like not being in control of your body, but you've been there before. Remember?"

Sandburg nodded. "Yeah, it's just so scary watching my hands doing things even though I've tried stopping them."

"What you're going to have to do is gather your strength and wait for the right moment to take back control, okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Ellison asked.

"Blair has a lot of power that I don't think he even realizes he has. If he tries to use it now to break the control, he'll fail. The guy has him locked away somewhere and will just pump him full of more drugs, which could do a lot more damage or even kill him. When he's been placed into position for the hit, that might be the time when Blair can try to break free."

Ellison turned back to look at his friend. "She's right, Chief. I know you don't want to do this, but you've got to go back to your body and keep aware of everything he's making you do. You also need to call to me through the bond. Can you feel it here?"

Sandburg started to shake his head no when he felt the "tug" at his soul. Looking up, he saw Ellison smiling at him and gave a small one in return as he "tugged" back. "I... I'll try to learn the name of the guy I'm supposed to... shoot, but how can I let you know? I'm not sure where we are or what day it is." Suddenly a thought came to him and he sat up straighter. "Rafe! He was with me. He isn't--"

"No, Rafe isn't dead as far as we know. This guy usually preps another for future assignments while using you for the current one. Remember? It hasn't been all that long since you were taken, Chief. I would bet that Rafe is not all that far away, but he's probably been drugged, too. After we get you back, we'll find him. Okay?" Ellison sagged as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

"Jim? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Blair asked, struggling to get up, but he couldn't get control of his body.

"He's starting to get tired, Blair. We're going to have to go back and recharge," Roni explained, placing a hand on Jim's shoulder to steady him. "You need to go back to your body, too. Remember, try to use your bond with Jim to let us know where you are and also start pooling your power. When the time is right, you'll know when to use it."

Ellison felt Charbonneau grab his shoulders and it felt like she dragged him backwards into darkness. When he struggled to get free, his eyes popped open and he was back in the room in the basement. Raising his hands to his face, he saw they were shaking and he felt very weak.

"Sit still, love," a male voice said. "Just rest and recharge. I'll make sure he's all right. Are you okay, Jim? Back with us?"

Looking over, Ellison saw Turner holding his mate's hand but looking at him. "Uh... yeah. I think so. How long?" His throat felt very dry and the words rasped out.

Doug smiled, leaned over toward a table, picked up two water bottles and handed one to Roni and the other to Jim before checking his watch. "Not as long as I thought you were going to take -- about a half an hour. However, you were turning a lovely shade of white and I could feel Roni starting to wear down, too. I'm guessing you met with some success."

Ellison smiled tiredly. "Yeah, we found him. He was able to give us some info about his target, but I'm not sure how much help it will be." He shifted to stand up, but his body was so weak that he just collapsed back into the chair. "Whoa! I've never been this way after one of my little trips."

"Sweetheart, we're going to need some of those special granola bars I made up last week," Roni murmured to Doug before locking her eyes onto Jim's.

"I'll also check on Det. Brown. I told him we were going to be busy down here and not to disturb us, but since we didn't take all that long..." The older man quickly stood up and strode out of the room.

"This wasn't one of your normal trips, Jim," Roni explained. "I could tell you weren't where you thought you were going to be and had to use your own power to get to the other plane of existence instead of being pulled there by whoever normally calls you. Just stay put until Doug gets back and tell me more about this bonding place while we're resting."

"Sandburg didn't tell you about that?"

Roni chucked at the surprise in Jim's voice. "No, he didn't, at least nothing in detail. Is it a place that needs to be guarded against any others?"

"No, it actually has the ability to guard itself. Only a sentinel, his shaman and their chief are allowed to enter the area, and the chief isn't allowed at the final bonding place. Sandburg did a lot of research about the place before we went down to Peru. That's where we had to go." Ellison paused, unsure if he really should be talking about a place that was sacred to the Chopec to someone who wasn't a part of the tribe.

Charbonneau saw the hesitation. "A sacred place for your people, right? You don't have to tell me anymore about the place; I understand completely. What about the ceremony? Can you talk about that?"

"~ahem~ There really wasn't any ceremony, except what Sandburg had to go through with the other shaman to confirm his position and prepare. Once we got there, after getting our captain settled where he was supposed to be, he just... took control."

There was a small length of silence before Roni quietly asked, "It's not easy for you to give control to another, is it? Even if it is Blair."

Jim gave her a small smile. "That's the strange thing. In the beginning, before his... what we both went through with Barnes, I had to be in charge. It is how I was trained in the Army and what I had such a hard time with in the PD until I got to a position of seniority. But I didn't hesitate when Blair took charge with the bonding. Since then, I think he lets me keep the appearance of being in charge until we're alone and he needs to take over." The smile grew bigger. "I think it surprises him more than me when he takes control when we're in public."

"Ah," was all Roni replied, then turned to look at the door to see Doug returning, a bulging plastic baggie and three bottles of energy drink in his hands. "Well, nourishment has arrived. You'll need to eat a couple of these bars, even if you're not hungry, and drink all of the water. It'll start the recharging process your body needs right now and a good sleep tonight will finish it. Then tomorrow we can start looking into where Blair might be and who he's being used against. Agreed?"

"Agreed. I think I know who we can talk to in order to locate all the high profile Air Force colonels here in Colorado, too. We'll call him first thing in the morning."

"We'll have to watch the time, won't we? Colorado is an hour ahead of Cascade," Doug commented, handing out the bottles then opening the baggie.

Jim smiled and accepted a sticky granola bar. He could easily pick out the oats, spices, nuts and other things pressed into the rectangular shape. "Jack Kelso has always been an early riser since he's an instructor at Rainier University, but mostly he likes to keep in touch with former, um, 'colleagues' out on the east coast."

Early Next Morning

It was the electronic tones of a cell phone playing jazz music as its ring tone that brought Ellison up from the deep sleep he'd fallen into after collapsing onto the bed the night before. He knew he was tired after what he'd done earlier, but he didn't expect to sleep without at least one dream taking him for a ride. His hearing must have been dialed up to have heard the phone, which he knew belonged to Brown, and the man was sleeping in a room down the hall. When he heard his fellow detective almost shout "What!" to whoever was calling, Ellison was completely awake, out of the bed and pulling on his clothes as he was heading out of his own room and down the hall.

"What's the name of the hospital? Uh huh." Brown waved Ellison into the room as he listened to the person on the other end of the call. "And the address? Okay, I can be down there this morning... No, we're already here in Colorado. How were you able to I.D. him?... uh huh... yeah, that's pretty strange. He wasn't, by any chance, found with another man? Short guy with long curly brown hair and blue eyes looking more like he worked for Vice or Narcotics?... No. Okay, thanks for calling. I'll see you in a few hours, Deputy Espinoza. Bye." Closing his cell, Brown dropped his head, took a deep breath in and murmured a short prayer as he breathed back out.

"They found Rafe," Jim said, making it a statement rather than a question as he stepped into the room. Roni and Doug appeared in the door behind him. Jim knew his own partner wouldn't be located that easy, especially after what he'd gone through the night before, but one could always hope.

"One of the homeless shelters down in Colorado Springs had found a guy sick and unconscious in the alley behind their place. He didn't have any I.D. or jewelry, was only wearing a shirt and slacks, and it was pure luck that someone was taking the trash out so soon after closing up that he was found before it got too cold."

"He was just dumped behind the mission and left to die?" Turner asked incredulously.

Brown shook his head. "An anonymous call did come in about an hour later, but Rafe could have been in pretty bad shape by then. Man, my boy must have an angel--"

"So how did they find out who he is? Wouldn't the shelters or the police just think he was another homeless guy?" Jim interrupted.

Brown gave him a wide grin. "More dumb luck. One of the workers has a daughter who is a criminologist with the Sheriff's office. She learned a lot from the kid about looking things over closely when they seemed strange AND she also watches a lot of those police shows on TV. Called her daughter when she noticed that Rafe looked too clean and clean-cut to be a homeless guy and he had fresh needle marks in his arm. The police were called, fingerprints were taken and a call was placed to the Cascade PD. Since Rafe's single, he has me as his point-of-contact in an emergency. Man! I can't believe we found my boy so quickly."

Brown saw Ellison's face go still and almost slapped himself over his loose tongue. He stood up and started forward, his arms raised out to his side. "Hey, Jim. I'm sure Blair's okay. He's probably ju--"

"He's not dead, H." Jim interrupted, holding a hand up to stop any further apology. "I would know if he was. Believe me, I would know."

H. studied the older man's face carefully, saw the conviction in his eyes and gave him a careful smile back. "Yeah, I'm down with that. Batman always seems to know if the Boy Wonder is okay or in trouble and you two have been the same. We'll get Hairboy back and soon. Won't we?" H. extended his hand out.

"Damn straight we will," Jim replied and took the offered hand.

"Since we're all up, I'll start breakfast while you're taking showers," Turner said as he turned and headed back to his and Roni's bedroom.

"What's the name of the hospital?" Roni asked. "I'll pull up Mapquest on the computer and get the directions."

Ellison left the room and hurried back to his own to get his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number, then checked his watch. It was pretty early, but if he knew the person he was calling...

"Hello?"

"Jack? It's Jim Ellison. I'm sorry to be calling you so early. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Ellison! Hey, no problem. I've been up for a bit and just finished talking to a friend in Virginia. What's the matter?"

"It has to do with Sandburg and something that I think you can help us fix. Do you remember hearing about the case we were involved in a couple of years ago that had to do with a hit being placed on our captain? I know there wasn't much in the papers about it."

"Banks? An assassination attempt? Wait... yeah, I remember it. The papers didn't get too much info, so I did some digging on my own. If you and Blair were involved, I knew it had to be more than just a shootout at a warehouse. You guys had a pretty heavy duty international assassin set up shop here in town. Used some cop from D.C. as the trigger man."

"That's right. The guy goes by the handle of Ghost Writer and he uses cops, former military or others experienced with weapons as his shooters after he brainwashes them."

"No one really knows what the guy looks like, only that he's an older man, has a high price tag and is selective about what jobs he will accept. His shooters don't have the best survivability rate once he's done with them, either."

"That's the bad news about the guy. He'd been pretty successful until that time. We kept Simon from getting killed and was able to save the shooter in the process. Unfortunately, he started prepping Sandburg for his next job after he kidnapped him for bait. We thought we had a handle on the drugs he used, and it has been a couple of years, but we were wrong. That's why I'm calling."

"What do you need?" The sound of a computer powering up could be heard in the background.

Ellison heard the determination in Kelso's voice and smiled grimly. His partner was a good friend of the former CIA agent turned college professor even before saving his life during another case that also involved an assassination attempt. Kelso stood by Sandburg during the dissertation fiasco, offered to help go after the university over its involvement, and continued to offer help any time it was asked.

"I'm in Colorado and we're pretty sure he's being conditioned for a job down in Colorado Springs. The target is possibly an Air Force colonel who is high profile enough to have an enemy who can afford the assassin. I know that's not much information--"

"That's a lot of info right there, Jim. Hold on..." The sounds of keys being pressed as well as a mouse button being clicked filled the air over the phone line for a couple of minutes before Kelso was back. "There's only one Air Force base in the area and I can't see anyone there being important enough for this guy. However, NORAD is also there and I seem to remember some, uh, offline information I picked up about a deep space telemetry operation that tended to have very little information out but had a pretty sweet budget to work with on a daily basis. How fast will you need the information?"

Ellison sighed. "Today, and as soon as possible. I don't think anything will happen today, but I'd rather not leave my partner in that guy's hands any longer than normal. You had to hear about how messed up the last shooter was with the drugs that were used, and this assassin hasn't changed his M.O. since he's been available for contracts."

"I've heard what his cocktail contains and how it works, Jim. Some of my buddies pale at the damage long-term use of it can cause. How long has he had Blair?"

"Only a few days. That's why we need to find him as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll use this number to call you back in a couple of hours and I'll try to get as much information together as possible. Also, get me a fax number and I'll have a breakdown of the cocktail to you as well as possible treatments for whatever hospital you get him to after you find him."

"Jack, thanks," Jim said with heavy relief in his voice. "I knew you'd be the person who could help the best. I'll really owe you for this. Anything you want."

"Jim, Blair saved my life after I was shot in the Chavez case, then the whole Major Crime department kept me from permanently disappearing with Col Oliver's people. It will take a lot more than just searching up information for me to consider us even."

Ellison could hear the emotion in the former agent's voice before he quickly disconnected the phone call after mumbling "I'll call you." Closing his own phone and shoving it into his pant's pocket, he closed his eyes and took a couple of breaths to calm his mind and gain a better control of his senses.

The start of a headache wanted to form above his eyes as well as a feeling that his hold on his senses wasn't all that great. It wasn't that Blair had been gone all that long; they had gotten to a level in their partnership where Jim was able to use his senses without Blair having to be at his side for a length of time. He used their bond to keep grounded and in control, and Jim hadn't had a problem in a long while. Being separated wasn't the problem; it was that they were separated because someone had Blair.

The breathing exercises, which he'd learned a long time ago, helped get him steady and Jim gave his forehead a final rub before heading back to where the rest were preparing to leave. Rafe had been found, he knew Kelso would be able to come through with the information and hopefully that was the start of their good fortune. Now if Jim could only get a stronger signal on the bond with Blair.

The Cabin in the Mountains, Colorado

"Wake up, Det. Sandburg. Once again it is time to prove your skills to me."

Blair's body obeyed the command; he opened his eyes, sat up and swung his legs around until he was perched on the edge of the cot. Hovering behind his eyes, Blair's consciousness tried to exert a little control but failed. With a heavy sigh that wasn't expressed by his body, he resigned himself to sit back and observe as much as possible.

Schmidt smiled at his companion's actions then, as he turned and left the room, he ordered, "Follow me." When they neared the front door, Schmidt grabbed Sandburg's coat, held it out to the young man with an order to put it on, picked up a padded rifle case and headed out the door.

Blair was glad the man had given him his coat. Even though he wasn't in control of his body, he was still conscious of the chill in the air and could see the light fog his breath made as he exhaled. They were walking along a trail in a heavily wooded area, but patches of snow piled where it had been able to fall through the dense foliage.

He didn't know how long had they traveled when the trail led to a small meadow. A clean mat lay on the ground to the right of the trail, which meant the assassin had to have set the area up before coming to get him. Along the line of sight from where he stood, Blair could see what looked like two cut-out figures on the other side of the meadow. The distance had to be several hundred feet.

Schmidt unzipped the case and pulled out a rifle with a scope. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a loaded magazine and slapped it into place in the rifle before holding it out to Sandburg. "Take this, sit down and aim at the left target. First shot will be placed in the heart, second shot will be placed in the throat and the third shot will be placed between his eyes."

Blair followed the orders without hesitation, but he made sure to notice everything on the uniformed figure before taking the first shot. Each shot struck the target exactly where he was ordered to place them, and again when he received orders to lie prone and do it again. He was given a new magazine to replace the empty one in his rifle and the exercise was repeated, only this time it was toward the cut-out figure on the right. It was the same man only this time he was wearing regular clothing -- a sweatshirt and jeans.

"Very good, detective," Schmidt almost purred in pleasure. "I don't think you really need to practice anymore. We might as well take care of the contract tomorrow and be done. Stand up and give me the rifle."

As he obeyed, Blair's consciousness moved as far forward into his mind as he could to get a good look at the man who was controlling him. He wanted to be able to give Jim a good description in case the man pulled a disappearing act like he normally did with each job. If he was forced to go through the action of committing a murder, he wanted to make sure no one else would be put through the same torture.

After Schmidt returned the rifle back to its case, he ordered Sandburg to follow him again and led the way back to the cabin. The one thing left to do now was condition the younger man to kill himself after the job was done. With the loss of having an associate waiting in the wings for the next job, Schmidt accepted that the time might be right for The Ghost Writer to disappear into history, especially since his reputation would soon be restored. The fee for this job, along with what he had accumulated from previous jobs, would allow him to disappear for the next several years to someplace warm and luxurious. Maybe some quiet island in the Mediterranean.

Late Morning, Mercy Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO

Doug Turner turned his car onto the lane that led to the emergency entrance of the hospital. Before he was able to completely stop, the rear door on the driver's side opened and Henri Brown was climbing out and heading for the doors.

"H.! Wait up," Ellison called toward the departing man's back. When the other didn't stop, he sighed and turned his attention to the two in the front seat. "I'd better catch up with him before he tries to challenge my record of pissing off medical people." Opening his door, he quickly exited the car.

"You go too, Roni," Turner said with a small smile. "I'll go find some place to park and meet back up with you in there."

Roni watched the tall Cascade detective disappear through the double doors before turning back to her mate. "Doug, don't take too long. I... we..."

Doug carefully looked into Roni's green eyes and knew why she asked him to hurry. "You're not completely recharged after last night. Don't you think..."

"No, there isn't time. That is one thing which I'm sure of, but I promise I won't do anything until you get there. Okay?" Grabbing Doug's hand, Roni gave it a quick squeeze and didn't release it until she got a hesitant nod. Then she quickly exited the car and headed into the hospital.

Surprisingly, the emergency room didn't seem to be too busy. There were only a couple of people sitting in chairs, either companions or family members of someone being treated as they didn't look like they were injured, and four medical people behind a counter stretched along the back wall. One was writing information on the back display board with a grease pencil, two were hovering over a computer with their backs toward the counter, and the fourth was on the telephone and apparently having difficulty with whomever was on the other end of the call.

Charbonneau easily found her two companions. Brown was anxiously leaning on the counter in front of the two at the computer, his attention completely on them. Ellison stood a few steps behind him, his eyes carefully searching around the area and his head tilted slightly as if he was trying to listen for something.

"Excuse me," Brown said, raising his voice to get the attention of the two at the computer. "A call was made to my precinct early this morning from someone here at the hospital. They were told that my partner was brought in here last night. Isn't that person still here? Come on, man." The last was said in a tone of exasperation and anger.

Ellison leaned forward and tapped Brown on the shoulder. "H. Here comes someone who probably knows what's going on." He pointed toward a door at the end of the hall where a woman in a law enforcement officer's uniform was entering and headed in her direction.

"Excuse me," Ellison said, stopping in front of the woman. "I'm Detective Jim Ellison, Cascade PD, and this is my associate Detective Henri Brown. By chance would you be from the El Paso County Sheriff's office?"

"Sheriff Theresa Atencio," the woman answered as she shook their hands. "I'm the Undersheriff for El Paso County. Are you here about the man who was found?"

"Yeah, yeah," H. quickly jumped into the conversation and stepped in front of the woman. "Your office called me this morning and said you'd found my partner, Rafe. Those idiots at the desk were screwing around with that computer and I haven't been able to get any information."

"H.," Jim said, placing a hand on the other's arm and pulling him back slightly. He raised his other hand up, preventing H. from protesting, then took over the conversation. "His name is Detective J.E. Rafe and he went missing along with my partner a couple of days ago after delivering a prisoner to the Denver PD."

When Atencio leaned to the side and looked at the person standing slightly back from the group, Ellison continued, "This is Veronica Charbonneau. She's been helping us looking for our missing men since this area is her home territory."

Knowing she was going to be questioned about being involved with the case, Roni already had her I.D. case out, open and was holding it toward the sheriff. Inside the case was a gold badge with the words "Special Investigator" around the federal seal in the center. The I.D. card also indicated that the bearer was a Special Investigator, but didn't indicate any agency. "I don't work for any one group," she said when the other raised an eyebrow at what she saw.

Atencio nodded and handed back the case. She glanced behind her and noticed through the glass that the office behind her was empty. "Let's take this out of the hall." Once everyone was inside, she closed the door and asked, "Is this a federal case? I'm not going to be happy if a bunch of alphabet soup type characters with dark suits and attitudes start showing up and stomping around my county, and I'm positive my Sheriff will be pitching a bitch when he gets back, too."

Jim and Roni looked at each other for several long seconds before Roni shrugged her shoulders and said, "It's up to you."

Taking a deep breath, Ellison started, "You know about the situation involving someone using your office to acquire information from the Cascade Police Academy."

Atencio's face hardened and she nodded. "My ears are still ringing from my boss's tirade. We've got a full investigation going on looking into how someone could just waltz into his office and use it to get someone's records. A guy from your precinct, if I remember right."

"My partner. From what I know about the individual who got the records, your investigation won't find anything. This guy is just too good. He's an international assassin and... we really don't want any federal involvement, at least not until we can find my partner." Then Jim quickly explained the past history of the situation.

As Ellison finished up with explaining, Atencio closed her eyes and rubbed a hand across her forehead. "Ah, crap. And you're sure the target is a high ranking officer in the Air Force. If this guy is such an enigma, how were you able to find that out?"

"Uh, well... that is a little hard to explain. You're probably going to think we're a bit whacked."

"That's where I'm involved," Roni spoke up, taking the other's attention away from Jim. "Let me get my partner and I'll explain. He's the most sane of our group and you might believe what we have to tell you if he explains it." Stepping back to the door, Roni opened it enough to lean out and wave. When Doug appeared at the entrance, she allowed him in before closing and turning the lock on the door.

"This is my partner, Doug Turner. Doug, this is the El Paso Undersheriff Theresa Atencio. We just got to the Twilight Zone part of the story and you make it sound more believable when you tell it." Roni smiled at her mate as she took his hand and pulled him slightly forward.

Turner gave the uniformed woman what he hoped was his most confident and friendly smile before saying, "I know you were shown her badge and I.D. and I have a set that matches. My partner is used by various federal agencies due to her having gifts which fall into the paranormal range. I have the phone numbers of a few of the agencies if you want to verify who she is and what she's been able to do."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Turner." Atencio's expression gave no indication as to whether she was accepting what she was hearing or not. "Please, continue."

"Well, we haven't worked together in a professional capacity with the Cascade P.D., though a few years ago Det. Sandburg was involved with saving my life. He along with Ellison, Det. Brown and his partner also helped us stop a mob operation we were working."

"So, in gratitude for saving your life and the help they gave, you gladly decided to assist Det. Ellison find his partner and stop an international assassin."

"No, actually Sandburg was, uh, found to have some unique abilities of his own and has taken some special training from my partner. It is probably one of the main reasons Ellison called us in." Doug again smiled at the woman then glanced over at Jim, only to see the taller man staring out the window and clenching his jaw.

Atencio leaned back until she was resting on the desk behind her and carefully looked that the four people standing in front of her. She knew Turner was trying to charm her while Brown was barely keeping himself from charging out of the room by shifting back and forth while constantly glancing toward the door. Ellison seemed to be lost in thought looking out the back window, though his stance showed he had once been in the military with his body ramrod straight, his feet planted shoulder width apart and his hands clasped behind his back. The woman, Charbonneau, was almost challenging with her stare and seemed to be waiting for an acceptable response.

"Uh huh. So, the reason Sandburg was taken was due to these... abilities?"

Ellison brought his attention back to the group and answered, "No, his shooting ability is why this guy chose him. This assassin doesn't like to get his hands dirty with his assignment, so he has mainly used law enforcement, many with former military training." He glanced over at Brown to see him looking at Ellison with a surprised but confused expression on his face. A pointed look and a small shake of his head stopped the questions, but Ellison knew it was time to bring another of the Major Crime group into the know -- probably two when everyone got back to Cascade.

"Blair's past training with me is what we're trying to use in order to find him before he's forced to complete the job. I'm hoping we might be able to get information from Det. Rafe, too," Charbonneau added.

Atencio dropped her head down and brought a hand up to rub her forehead again. "Oh, boy," she almost moaned.

"Listen, I know this sounds really out there, but I assure--" Turner started, but stopped when Atencio held up her hand.

"No, actually it doesn't, but it finally answers some things for me. By any chance, and I'm taking the risk of also sounding cracked, but are there... uh... animals involved in this at all? Like a wolf, or a fox or a large black cat?"

Jim's head quickly whipped around to stare down at the sheriff, then over at Roni and Doug before returning to the uniformed woman. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Doug beat him to it.

"In a way, yes. Why are you asking?"

Atencio smiled. "I've a nephew who was selected for training by our tribe's Wiseman last year. He's been having some dreams lately that he said involved me and several different animals who are not normal totems for the tribe. Been a pain in my fanny checking daily on what cases I've been working. I'll be glad to get him off my back." The smile the woman gave made the tension that had been filling the room decrease.

"Damn, Ellison. You and Hairboy sure get involved in some weird shit," Brown said softly, mostly to himself before saying louder, "Can we go see Rafe? Please? I'd really like to see for myself that the boy's okay."

"Follow me. We've put him in isolation and under guard at the request of your captain." Leading the way, Atencio took the four out of the office and back through the doors where they'd first seen her. After traversing through a couple of halls, they finally ended up at a door with a deputy sheriff standing nearby.

Entering the room, Brown immediately went over to the bed to gaze down at the still figure, who had oxygen and several machines hooked up to his body. "What did you get yourself into, GQ?" he said quietly.

"According to the doctor, he's dehydrated and drugged up with something they can't completely identify. He had a small seizure after he'd been brought in, which probably wasn't his first judging by the bruises found on his body, and he's been in a coma since," Atencio explained.

Ellison pulled out a notebook, quickly jotted down some information, then ripped out the piece of paper. "This is the name and number of a friend back in Cascade who probably can help them identify what is in the drug cocktail. He's ready to fax the info as soon as someone contacts him."

After taking the paper, Atencio started out the door but turned back. "I'm not too sure what you're going to do, but you probably won't want an audience for whatever it is, so I'll have the deputy out here make sure you're not disturbed unless it is something of a medical priority."

After the woman left, Roni gave a small chuckle and said, "Well, that was something I wasn't expecting, and before you ask, I did try to read her. Either she's a complete null or she's got one hell of a set of shields to protect her mind."

"Probably the latter with the type of job she has, but more likely if she has a blood relative who is gifted. You know how it is, love." Doug gave the woman a quick hug before walking with her over to the bed.

"Jim, please watch the door. I know you'll hear anyone approaching long before they get here and can warn us." Without waiting for a reply, Roni gazed down at the still figure in the bed, took a deep breath to calm her mind, then carefully placed her hands. She laid one on Rafe's forehead and gently wrapped the other around one wrist, careful not to disturb the various tubes and wires. Closing her eyes, she concentrated for almost a minute before looking up. "Henri, I need you to take his other hand. He considers you the closest thing he has to family and your strength will help him."

Brown looked startled at the request, then gave a pleased smile and picked up Rafe's free hand. He took great care to avoid messing with the oxygen monitor attached to one of his fingers or disturbing the butterfly IV. "I'm here, my brother," he said so softly that only Ellison heard the words, but Charbonneau felt the sentiment.

Closing her eyes again, Roni started taking deep breaths and again concentrated on the man under her hands. She didn't feel him touch her, but she knew when Doug made contact and gratefully drew upon the strength he freely gave her. The previous night had taken a lot of energy and Doug knew that one night of rest hadn't completely restored what she'd lost.

"His mind hasn't been damaged by the drugs, but they are confusing him. What I am going to do is bring his consciousness up high enough to at least talk to us, but it won't break his mind away from the where the drugs have taken him." Looking up at Henri, Roni cautioned, "I'm going to call to him in the one way I know to get him to answer. It won't hurt him, and I won't be able to keep him for long, but he won't be happy and may act a little agitated. You are not to take anything out of this room. Understand?"

Brown's eyes widened and he quickly glanced at Ellison before returning his attention to the glaring green eyes directed at him. "Got it."

"Thank you." The eyes softened and a small smile appeared, then Roni returned her attention to Rafe, adjusted her hands and called, "Jedediah Ezekial Rafe, hear my voice. I call you by your true name and you must answer. Are you there, Jedediah Ezekial Rafe?"

The pale figure on the bed jerked each time his full name was used and he moaned slightly. He shifted slightly against the hands holding onto his before becoming still.

Roni closed her eyes, dropped her head down and concentrated harder. "It is okay, Jedediah Ezekial Rafe. You are safe in this room and your brother is at your side. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," came the reluctant whispered reply. The voice strengthened and asked, "H.?"

"Yeah, man. I'm here." An almost blinding smile appeared on Brown's face as he looked up at the others. He saw Turner grin back at him, then nodded when the man mouthed 'Let Roni do the talking'.

"I need you to remember, Jedediah. You were in Denver delivering a prisoner with your friend, Blair Sandburg. Do you remember?"

"Yes, we... finished and... were waiting."

"You were having coffee and were approached by a strange man."

Rafe frowned. "No... Blair... knew him."

"Blair recognized the man?"

"Old guy... friend from long ago. Blair remembered... after... heard name."

"What name did he give?"

Rafe shifted uncomfortably on the bed and tried to turn his head away from the hand on his head.

"Jedediah, you have to answer me. What name did he give?"

"...Geist... Johan Geist. He offered us a ride... to the airport."

"What happened when you went with him?"

"Blair got dizzy... felt sick. We helped him into van... something hit me."

"Very good. I know you were unconscious while you were with him, but you were able to hear him talk. Do you remember hearing this Geist say anything?"

He paused for what seemed like a long time, his expression of one trying to remember. "Might retire... no one to help him in future." Rafe's voice began to fade down to a whisper.

"I know you're tired, Jedediah. Please, tell me if you know where you were being held. Do you remember anything else Geist said?"

Roni could see Rafe's lips moving and leaned forward to hear, but she was unable to pick up the words. With a sigh, she straightened back up and said gently, "Thank you, Jedediah Ezekial Rafe. Sleep and know you are safe." After that, Roni held onto the man for almost a minute before she first released his wrist then lifted her hand from his head. Doug caught her as she started to sag and eased her into a nearby chair.

"We considered the possibility that this guy had prepped Sandburg back when he had him during the hit on the captain. I'm guessing his name was the trigger and he probably slipped something into the drinks, maybe the same drug he'd used previously. It's a standard brainwashing technique," Ellison said quietly, remembering from his days in the Army.

Turner sighed. "His name, how simple. Didn't you say this guy is called 'The Ghost Writer'?" At Brown's confused expression, he explained, "Geist is German for ghost. It could be his real name or one he just uses in his profession, but it is also who he is."

"If only he'd also given the drug to Rafe at the same time he dosed Sandburg. Having a reaction to it on the streets of Denver would have brought too much attention and possibly prevented the two of them from being taken."

"Would of, could of, should of, Jim. Don't hash over things that might of happened." Roni suddenly straightened up in the chair and looked at the door. She saw that Ellison had his head tilted as if listening. "The Undersheriff coming back?"

Ellison nodded and, after pausing for several seconds, pulled the door open. Atencio was in the process of raising her fisted hand to knock, but she didn't seem too surprised at being anticipated and stepped through the opening. "The doctor was very pleased with your contact back in Cascade. Right now they are working on an antidote to use on your detective and hope to have a counteractive cocktail in a couple of hours. With luck, he'll respond to the treatment within 24 hours."

A collective sigh of relief filled the room and Brown whispered a quiet 'Thank you, Lord' toward the ceiling. He then patted his partner gently on the shoulder and said, "Just hang in there, babe."

Seeing Charbonneau sitting in a chair looking pale and tired, Atencio asked, "Were you able to... uh... learn anything?"

"He was able to confirm that it is our assassin. However, if we don't get him this time, he intends to disappear, probably permanently." Ellison answered. At her raised eyebrow, he continued, "His M.O. is to always have someone in the wings, ready for the next job. Rafe here was supposed to be that person, but his reaction to the drugs eliminated that."

Atencio whistled low. "Guess that's good for your guy, but not good for all those unsolved cases. Was there anything else, possibly where they were being held?"

"We got a name, Johan Geist, but it's unknown if that's his real name. I'd hoped he might have known their location, but..." Roni's voice trailed off and she looked at Jim, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I saw his lips moving, but what did he say?" H. asked, looking first at Roni then over at Jim. "At the end, I couldn't hear it."

Jim cleared his throat before saying, "I'm not sure how well he heard anything. Something about the guy was going to sell the cabin in Cascade, but I don't see why he would still be holding onto any property back in Washington after all this time and only now thinking of selling."

"We do have a Cascade, Colorado," Atencio said, getting everyone's attention. "It's not a very large town off Highway 24, just past Manitoba Springs. I mean, if you sneeze while driving through it you might miss seeing the one motel and some signs, but land up in the hills around it does have some remote cabins. Definitely 4-wheel country, but not that far away if the target lives around the Springs."

"Think you could get your people to check around with the various realty companies? Another name he used with his last job was 'Johan Schmidt', but--"

"Yeah, but again that's just the German version of John Smith. The guy's just not that creative when it comes to making up names," Turner interjected.

"I'll see what my people can do. I don't think my boss will have a problem with me putting some of the new rookies on the phones. I'll have them check the realty offices around Cascade first, then move closer to here. If we're lucky, the guy might have used a company away from the city for safety. What's next on your agenda?" Atencio asked as she settled her hat onto her head.

The four visitors looked at each other before Roni spoke up and answered, "I don't think we'll be able to pry Det. Brown from his partner's side for the rest of the day and it is probably best if we find local place to stay until we find Sandburg. Driving back and forth between here and Boulder wouldn't be a smart thing to do at this point."

Brown was already pulling up a nearby chair and parking himself near the bed. "I'll stick around and wait until they start the treatment. When Rafe starts showing some improvement, I'll give you a call and maybe you'll have more on where Blair is being held."

Atencio handed Ellison a business card. "You learn of anything, I want to hear from you. I'm grateful that the Feds aren't being pulled in, but it is my jurisdiction."

Jim took the card and handed one of his own back. "Same thing if your people learn of the property, Sheriff. My partner has been teaching me a different way to work and I welcome your help to get him back"

The two stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Atencio nodded, opened the door and left the room. Ellison heard her give a couple of orders to the deputy still standing outside the room and then head down the hall. He smiled at the surprised look on Brown's face. "What?"

"I don't believe you're actually admitting Hairboy has influenced your behavior. I mean, we've all seen it, but, damn!"

Turner looked at his watch then helped Charbonneau stand. "Let's go grab something to eat. We can bring something back for Henri then find a motel. I know of a couple in Manitoba Springs that are a decent price, and Roni needs to lie down for a bit."

"Sounds good to me." Jim stepped forward and slapped H. on the shoulder. "I know what you like to eat, H., but I think it would be best if I get you something that isn't messy or smelly. Don't worry, it won't be bad."

"As long as it isn't a Sandburg special. Seaweed and that ugly green guacamole crap just ain't healthy no matter how much he tries to explain."

Jim joined the other man laughing and turned toward the door. Opening it, he waited for Doug and Roni, who had paused beside H.'s chair. Without shame, Jim turned up to hear what was being said.

Roni leaned down close to H.'s ear and softly said, "Remember what I said, Henri Ulysses Brown. Rafe isn't comfortable with his name, having gone through a tough childhood full of ridicule and torment from others he thought were friends. When he is ready, and it won't be too much longer, he'll open up and let you know about it. Okay?"

Brown nodded and smiled at the woman. His eyes glistened lightly. "No problem and... thank you."

Several Hours Later at a Local Hotel

With a sigh, Jim Ellison closed the hotel room door, dropped his overnight bag and tossed his key card onto the nearby table holding plastic-covered cups and a coffee service tray. It was a standard hotel room, with two double beds, a television console and a small desk setup. What made it special was outside the set of windows that lined the far wall. As far as the human eye could see were rusty-red colored rock formations sprinkled with green shrubbery under the brilliant blue sky, a view of the beauty which made up Manitoba Springs, Colorado.

Jim walked over to the windows and gazed at the view, but his eyes really weren't seeing the awe-inspiring rock formations and scattered patches of pine trees. After leaving the hospital with Roni and Doug, the three decided it might be best to get their hotel rooms first in case finding a place to stay in Manitoba Springs was going to be as difficult as it would have been up in Denver. The Western Stock Show currently being held up in Denver was a large event and people were known to have searched great distances to find affordable places to stay. Jim knew the real reason was that Doug wanted to get Roni a place to lie down as soon as possible. She wouldn't admit it, but the second usage of her abilities in 24 hours had really worn her down and she was looking pale and very tired.

After getting the rooms and sending Roni up to rest, the two men headed back out to search for food -- something quick and edible to take to Henri at the hospital, something filling for them, and finally something that could hold for a few hours until Roni woke from her rest. It hadn't taken all that long, but to Jim it seemed like hours of driving between the hospital, the hotel and different eating establishments. He was tired, but his mind was working furiously over the information learned from Rafe.

Blair was close; he could almost feel him despite the blockage to their bond. Jim felt that he only needed to reach out and he would be able to touch his friend, mentally if not physically. With that realization, Jim jerked around and almost headed back out the door to find his companions to get their help until he remembered how he'd left them.

When he'd helped Doug carry their food and luggage to the room the couple were using, Jim saw Roni sprawled on the king-sized bed. She'd only taken time to remove her coat and shoes before lying down. Jim had started to ask if she was okay, but Doug had just shook his head and lead the younger man back to the door saying in a quiet voice that nothing was wrong.

Maybe he could try to reach Sandburg through their bond by himself, especially since he could almost feel a mental tugging. He remembered the session the night before, and how difficult it had been even with Turner helping, but for some reason waiting didn't seem the best thing to do. Kicking off his shoes and tossing his coat onto a chair in front of the desk, Ellison pulled the curtains shut to darken the room before moving toward the bed closest to the windows.

He pulled back the bedspread and was about to lay down when he picked up the sound of the elevator stopping on his floor. Recognizing the familiar foot steps coming down the room toward his room, Ellison stepped over to his door and opened it.

"Damn it, Ellison! For once do you think you might pretend you didn't hear me?"

Jim smiled at his captain standing at the door with his coat and bag in one hand and the other raised to knock. "Sorry sir, but you might get worried that something could be wrong with me if I did. I.... I'm surprised... and a little concerned about what brought you all the way out here to Colorado."

"One of my missing men has been found and I know his partner will be glued to his side, which means that another of my men will be trying to locate his partner and take out an international assassin without backup. Where do you think I should be?" Banks growled then gave his subordinate a small grin. "Are you going to invite me in or not?"

The door was opened wider, and Ellison stepped back. Banks walked across the room and set his bag and coat onto the bed closest to the door. "How did you know where to find us, sir?"

"I used to be a pretty good detective, in my younger days," Banks said with a smug smile, then continued, "Actually, I talked to the El Paso County sheriff's office and they told me where you were staying. Were you going to take a nap or something else?" he asked, eyeing the condition of the other bed before giving the other a knowing look.

Jim dropped his head and rubbed his nose. "Uh, well... I had this feeling... and Roni was really wiped out from helping before..."

"So you thought you'd try a little solo trip to the other side." Simon gave Jim a sharp look and raised a finger in admonishment. "If Sandburg knew what you wanted to do without any support--"

"I know, Simon," Jim interrupted, holding his hands up. "He'd kick my ass all the way back to Cascade and take away my Wonderburger privileges for a month, but -- I've got to do something now. I think... he's calling to me and I don't think I can wait until Roni rests up."

"Then I guess I showed up at the right time. What do I need to do to help?"

Relieved, Ellison grabbed his coat from the chair and tossed it onto the desk before dragging the chair over to rest near the top of the bed. "Sit here and monitor me while I try to relax. Last night I needed Doug's voice to help me find my way over."

"Turner helped you? Why him? I thought it was... oh." Banks raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, a female voice that sounded way too much like someone from some very bad memories."

"Right. No further explanation needed. So, you want me to just sit here and watch you?"

Jim gave the other man a small smile. "You're our Chief, sir. Your presence might make it easier for me to travel, but if you wouldn't mind making a connection. Sandburg told me you were his ground."

"Whatever the hell that means."

"You kept him from getting lost when he used his abilities. I remember Roni saying it was one of the things to worry about the most, since an inexperienced 'walker' can get confused and not know how to find their way back."

"Okay, okay, I'm a ground. You know I'm not all that comfortable with this stuff. Let's get started before I really start thinking about what you're going to try to do." Slipping out of his shoes, Simon sat down in the chair and shifted until he was comfortable. "Any idea how long it might take?"

"If it's even going to work, not a clue. My normal trips usually happen when I'm already asleep." Jim sat on the bed and shifted around until he was half reclined, lying propped up on several pillows.

"Normal trips?"

"Remember, sir? You're not comfortable with all this stuff."

"I think it's time I start getting more comfortable, especially with as many times as I've been involved." Shifting the chair a little closer to the bed, Banks reached over and rested a hand onto his detective's shoulder. "Is this okay?"

Ellison didn't answer. He closed his eyes and started to regulate his breathing, remembering how Sandburg would help him through this part. Just relax, Jim, and keep your breathing slow and steady. In... then out. That's right. You know where you want to be, so relax and think about being in that place. His voice was always so confident that he almost made it seem easy.

The sounds in the room -- the clicking of the heater, water traveling through the pipes in the bathroom, Simon's breathing -- all faded away. Jim turned his attention inward and located the bond with Blair. It wasn't at the strength they normally had, but neither was it at the diminished level he'd found when Blair had disappeared. Taking a mental hold of the line, he felt the small tug and allowed himself to be...

...pulled into the world Jim now knew belonged to his partner. The overall feeling of the area didn't have the same, depressed feeling he remembered from the last time. The wolf was waiting for him, too. It stared at him for several seconds then turned and trotted into the foliage.

"Sandburg?" Stepping past a drooping bush, Ellison found himself in the clearing and once again facing the small alcove formed by some boulders. His friend was there, only this time he was sitting with his legs in the lotus position and his eyes were closed. They popped open as soon as he heard his name. He surged up against the barrier separating him from his partner

"Jim! Oh, man, I am SO glad you got the message. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take and I know that we're being blocked by the drugs and all, but I just had to try to get to you and see if you were paying attention--"

"Whoa, Chief. Hold on there. It wasn't much, but I was able to feel you tugging. How are you doing, buddy?"

Blair relaxed back down to the ground. "I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stay here, Jim, so this has to be quick. I'm pretty sure it's going to be tomorrow. He had me out today shooting at a couple of cardboard cutouts. One was of the guy in his uniform and another with him in normal clothes. I'm sorry, man, but I just couldn't see any nametag. He's got like about eight rows of ribbons and then a pair of wings sitting at the top. It looks like the wings have a star in the center with a halo around it."

"That's good, buddy. It means he was a senior pilot and, according to Jack Kelso, there are only a few colonels in the area. This guy has to be someone who has really picked up some powerful enemies to rate an assassin of Ghost Writer's caliber."

"I think the guy is pretty tall, Jim. And it looks like he's thin, lanky. No way this guy could be a desk jockey. And the other cutout? It looks different, like it was made from a photo the guy didn't know was being taken. He's holding what looks like a grilling fork and his sweatshirt looked like it had some sports team logo. Chicago... something. I couldn't see the team name." As Blair paused, he wavered and closed his eyes. His image began to fade.

"Sandburg? Blair! What's going on?" Jim tried to move closer, but the barrier easily held him back.

"Oh, God. I think he's giving me another shot. I'm not going to be able to stay here much longer, and it will take some time before I can get back some control. Do you think you can find me in time?"

"I will find you. Trust me. I'll find you and we'll get this guy before the job gets completed. I promise."

Sandburg's image flickered a bit before it settled down again. "Last thing, man. You have to promise me that no matter what, you will make sure that I don't make that shot."

"Sandburg..."

"No, Jim. I don't want to be the cause of anyone's death. Promise me you'll do what you have to do." Blair watched as his friend dropped his head and took a deep breath before looking up again. The anguish and fear in Jim's eyes radiated out and had Blair begging, "Please, man. I trust you to do what is right."

Ellison finally nodded. "I promise," he whispered, but the words could be heard in the silence of the clearing. "Just you promise me that you'll fight when the time is right. Don't give up."

Sandburg gave him a sad smile before he began to fade. "Never. You know me better than that. Be safe, Jim." With those last words, he disappeared completely. The wolf was still there in the clearing, but he was now lying down by the rocky alcove as if asleep.

After a last lingering look to where his friend had disappeared, Ellison turned and started back down the path. As he walked, he realized that it looked different and stopped to check his bearings. When he'd arrived, the path had looked familiar, but now it didn't.

"Shit," he murmured and trotted forward for a few minutes before stopping again to look around the area in a slow turn. "What do I do now?"

When he traveled to his blue jungle area, all he normally had to do was wake up. Somehow, he didn't think that would work here. "Simon!" he yelled up toward the sky then waited. Several minutes went by and he started getting nervous before he felt a shaking pressure on his chest and...

...he woke up back in the hotel room, sucking in a lungful of air as he sat up.

"Christ, Jim. Don't you ever do that to me again! I thought I was going to have to hit you to make you wake up." Simon took his hands away from Jim's chest and sat back down in his chair. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a handkerchief, pulled off his glasses and wiped the cloth over his face.

With a groan, Ellison raised up and turned sideways to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands covering his face. "I would have been very happy if you had to hit me, sir. After Blair disappeared, I think I was lost and didn't know what I had to do to get back."

"So you were able to get to him? How is he? Does he know where he is being held?" Banks asked, putting his glasses back on.

"We didn't have much time, but he still doesn't know where he is or who the hit is against. However, I've got some info to give to Jack Kelso and to the Undersheriff we met at the hospital. A better description of the target, and Blair thinks the hit might be tomorrow. He also made me promise to stop him no matter what." Ellison raised his head and stared into his boss' eyes. "You know what that means."

"Damn," Banks muttered then sat up straighter. "Wait a minute. What about that connection you two have? He was able to get you today, so what about using it to help you find him?"

Ellison shook his head. "I don't know. Our connection has been interrupted because of the drugs the guy is giving him and apparently he just got another shot, which shut us down again. It's going to depend on how much control he gets back tomorrow and how much he can spare to send me a signal."

"Spare? What are you talking about?"

"Roni thinks Blair has a pool of power that he hasn't really tapped into yet. She's told him to gather as much as possible to try and break the control the drugs have over him at the best possible moment. If he tries to use it too soon, the assassin might give him more of the drug and he won't be able to do anything."

Standing up, Ellison staggered slightly as he walked into the bathroom. Banks heard the water go on and some splashing before it went off again.

"I don't think Brown will be back tonight, Simon. You need a place to stay?" Jim asked, coming back into the room wiping his face with a towel.

"Actually, I was able to get my own room," Banks replied, also standing up and walking over to pick up his overnight bag and coat. "I know Turner and Charbonneau are on one side of your room and I was able to get the one on the other. We'll worry about getting more rooms when we get all our wayward children out of the hospital and back with us."

Ellison smiled at the 'children' reference. "Thank you for coming out here, Simon. I appreciate you backing me up." He opened up the hotel room door and stepped back to allow the other to leave.

Giving his detective a comfortable smile, Banks stepped out the door and turned back. "I sure hope you all were able to scope out a good restaurant for tomorrow. A 'continental breakfast' isn't my idea of a good meal before we get going on this operation. See you in the morning." He turned left and walked down the hall.

Closing the door, Ellison chuckled. "In the morning, sir."

Early Morning Next Day, The Cabin

Like a robot, Blair finished dressing by pulling on his shoes then sat and waited in the chair in his room. His captor had entered his room earlier, turned on the light and told him to dress then wait, issuing the same commands he had given each morning they had been staying in the cabin. An order was given and the body obeyed, but this time the soul inside the body wasn't fighting the commands.

He knew the next commands would involve stepping into the kitchen area in order to eat whatever was on the plate at the table, then taking his coat and whatever the man handed to him and walking out the front door. There was a change in the routine this time, though. Instead of being ordered to walk down a pathway to practice with the rifle, Blair was told to climb into the van and wait. The dome light on the van was on to guide him through the pre-dawn darkness.

The side door of the van was opened and a case was laid on the floor, then the door shut and Geist walked around to the driver's side to climb in. "Place this in your pocket. Secure yourself."

Without hesitation, the hand reached out and took the small revolver, tucking it into his right coat pocket before reaching for the seat belt. Blair's consciousness hovered behind his eyes and watched carefully as the van was started and moved slowly down the rough trail.

He was right when he told Jim that today would be the day. He had spent most of the morning overcoming the drugs he'd been given the night before and was finally back to the current awareness which could see what his body was being made to do, and one thing more.

Blair had been able to find the pale cord he knew to be his bond with Jim and was splitting some of his concentration between it and seeing where they were driving. There wouldn't be any time to take a walk into the other wor