The standard disclaimers apply here, don't own them, just borrowing them, I don't make any money. 'Sides, I'm broke anyway.
This is a 'What If' as in what if Kincaid hadn't been stupid enough to open the helicopter's door to shoot at Jim in Siege?
Oh, yea. If Blair gets a little preachy at the end, I was typing this up on election night 2000 and some of my feelings slipped out. But I could see Blair saying that.
Debra Baschal
"There's something dragging on us," the pilot told Kincaid.
Looking out the window, Kincaid spotted Ellison hanging from the skid. "Aw hell, loose him. Shake him off," he ordered the pilot.
Blair looked around, nervously, as the pilot tried to shake Jim off, but could find no way to help.
"Hey," one of the men yelled. "He cuffed himself to the skid."
Kincaid nodded. "Fine, he can come, if he can hold on that long."
"This is never gonna work, man," Blair told Kincaid.
Kincaid pulled his gun and pointed it at Blair's face as he shoved him into the corner of the seat and the door. "Oh, yes it will. You and your partner are going to be in MY camp and you will do as you are told." He moved closer to Blair's face, "Even if that includes dying."
Releasing Blair's coat, Kincaid sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.
Jim groaned, wondering what he had gotten himself into. His arms were aching, but every time he tried to climb on to the skid, the pilot tried to shake him off.
"This was a dumb idea," he thought to himself. There was no way he could let Kincaid take the kid and do nothing.
If only there was some way to make them turn this thing around. Remembering his gun, Jim pulled it and aimed for the cockpit. However the pilot kept trying to shake him off the skid again causing him to drop it.
"Damn it," Jim thought as he held on tightly. He realized he'd have to try for his backup revolver when they landed.
Blair felt the beginning of a panic attack starting and did his best to try to control it. By his feet he felt a box. Seeing Kincaid occupied, watching Jim out the window, Blair pulled the tarp off of it. Seeing the words FLARE GUN, he quickly came up with an idea. Making sure what he was doing was unobserved, he grabbed the gun out of the box. Slamming into the orange-clad con in the front seat and holding him against the window with his body, he pointed the flare gun at the pilot and yelled, "Turn this thing around!"
"You won't shoot me. You do and we're all dead!" the pilot yelled back. "You kill me and we crash."
"I don't think so, punk. I flew Apaches in Desert Storm," Blair obfuscated.
"Now, why don't I believe that?" Kincaid asked as his gun dug into Blair's neck. "Drop it."
Blair sighed in defeat as he dropped the flare gun. Kincaid grabbed a handful of hair at the back of his neck and threw him back onto the seat.
"Now, stay there," Kincaid growled as he fastened the seat belt over Blair's arms, trapping him there. "I ought to just pitch you out there with Ellison..." Disgusted he turned to the pilot, "How long till we reach Camp Freedom?"
"Ten minutes, Colonel," the pilot replied.
"Make contact and inform them about our company," Kincaid ordered.
The pilot nodded as he complied.
Ten minutes later, as they landed, Jim quickly uncuffed himself from the skid. As he dropped away from the landing helicopter, he was grabbed by Kincaid's waiting men. His own cuffs were used to secure his hands behind his back.
After the helicopter was safely on the ground, Kincaid got out dragging the still bound Blair after him. Throwing him towards his men, he growled, "Lock these two up until the status of the rest of our men is known."
Both Jim and Blair landed hard on the floor as they were thrown into a dimly lit empty room.
Jim sighed tiredly as he sat up.
"I'm sorry, man," Blair apologized. "I really screwed up."
"No you didn't," Jim assured him. "I'm the one who screwed up. I don't know what I was thinking, jumping onto the helicopter like that. I was an easy target. They could've picked me off so easily."
"We're not going to make it out of this, are we?" Blair asked, his eyes wide.
Jim shook his head, "As long as we're alive there's a chance, Sandburg. Help me find something to open these cuffs with."
"Hey," Blair's eyes lit up. "My pocket knife."
"Well hand it over, Chief," Jim smiled.
"Um... It's in my back pocket," Blair said, offering his duct-taped hands.
"Damn," Jim thought a second. "Ok, Chief, turn around and let me try to get it."
Turning, Jim quickly pulled Blair's knife out of his pocket, but dropped it as he tried to open it.
"Damn it," He growled.
"Hang on a second, Jim." Blair stopped him. He picked up the knife with his taped hands, and quickly opened the locks on the cuffs. "There."
"Great," Jim said as he rubbed his wrists. "How'd you learn to do that?" He asked as he cut the tape holding Blair's hands together.
"Ow... My mom dated a magician when I was a kid. He taught me a few tricks of the trade. Now what?" Blair asked as Jim started checking out the room where they were being held.
"Now, we try to escape," Jim informed him as he found a loose board in the flooring and started trying to pry it loose.
"Does Captain Banks know where this place is?" Blair asked nervously.
Jim shook his head, "No, we've never been able to find it."
"So there's no chance of rescue," Blair stated.
"Yes, there is Chief. I saw another helicopter following us in the distance," Jim told him as he pulled the board loose. "We've just got to stay alive until back up gets here."
Blair nodded silently as he helped enlarge the hole in the floor to the passage beneath the building. Leading the way, Jim climbed into the crawlspace, with Blair close behind.
Keeping low, they were able to slip out of the compound and were almost to the woods before anyone spotted them.
"Keep running, Chief," Jim encouraged. "We'll try to loose them in the trees. Then we'll try doubling back and getting some transportation."
"What about Kincaid and his men?" Blair asked.
"We'll get them," Jim assured him as they heard their pursuers getting closer.
"WHOA!" Blair yelled as they came out of the tree line and nearly went over a cliff into a deep ravine. Only Jim's quickly grabbing both a tree and Blair kept them from falling.
"Let's try circling around," Jim suggested.
"Or not," Blair said as he raised his arms in surrender to the armed men, who had cut off their escape route.
After tying Jim and Blair's hand behind their backs, the men marched them back through the woods to Camp Freedom, where Kincaid was waiting.
"What you two have done is treason," he ranted, "and that draws a death sentence."
"It's not treason," Jim stated quietly.
"What are you talking about, soldier?" Kincaid demanded.
"I said, what we did was not treason. We are not members of the Sunrise Patriots, therefore we cannot commit treason against you. We're prisoners of war. It's out duty to try to escape," Jim told him, trying to keep the emotions off his face.
Kincaid looked at him angrily for a minute. "Put him in a cage," he motioned his head toward Jim. "Bring Mr. Natural to my office." He turned and left as his men separated Jim and Blair.
Two men followed Kincaid with Blair as three others forced Jim over to a near by clearing where there was a hanging 4x4 tiger cage and secured him inside, leaving his hand still bound behind his back.
Blair was shoved into Kincaid's office and forced to his knees. A couple of massive hands held him in place as Kincaid paced behind the desk.
"I told you before, I could use a man like you. Now, Sandburg is German in your case, not Jewish, right? Join me as one of my men," Kincaid turned back towards Blair as he made the offer.
"No way. First off, in my case, yes, Sandburg is German... well, Prussian, but yes, I am Jewish, and proud of it. Second, even if I wasn't, your politics suck. Everybody has a right to live where and how he or she wants, as long as it's within the parameters of the law. If they don't agree with those laws, they should lobby, and campaign and vote to change those laws. What you're doing is treason and otherwise illegal and just down right morally wrong. I had hoped that type of thinking had gone out of style with Hitler and the NAZI party. So forget it, man, no way. You believe the opposite of everything I do and hold dear," Blair told him proudly.
"Shame. I could've turned you into a true Patriot. Instead, you've turned out to be one of the scum we're fighting against." He turned his back on Blair, "Put this piece of trash with the other one. We'll execute them as soon as the firing squad is ready."
Blair was pulled out of the room before he could protest. The men quickly dragged him out to the cages and locked him into the one next to Jim, then left.
"You OK Sandburg?" Jim asked concerned.
"Yea, but he didn't like my religion or my politics for some reason," Blair sounded innocent even though he was trying hard not to laugh out of nervousness.
Jim grinned back, "Imagine that?" His smile faded, as did Blair's, "What's wrong, Chief?"
Blair swallowed hard, "Kincaid decided to execute us as soon as they can get a firing squad together."
"We will get out of this, kid. If it's at all possible, we will," Jim promised.
"I know, man. As long as we're alive, there's hope." Blair quoted, then whispered, "I hope."
Hearing him, Jim worked even harder at trying to get loose.
"Maybe you'd like a hand with those ropes, Ellison?" Simon asked as he and several other cops in assault gear came into the clearing.
"Thanks, Captain. What's the situation?" Jim asked as Simon and the others released him and Blair from the cages and cut them loose.
"We got Kincaid and every other Patriot that was in camp AND back at the station," Simon informed them. He grinned as he stuck a cigar between his teeth. "We caught them napping, gentlemen."
"Good," Jim sighed in relief.
Simon gestured with his head. "I want to talk with you." Moving several feet away from the others Simon continued, "What is going on with you today? You were fantastic."
"The short story is," Jim explained, knowing he needed to be honest with his captain and friend. "I have, what can only be described as hyperactive senses. Sandburg's an anthropologist who's made a study of people like me. He's going to be helping me try to get them under control,"
"Hold it," Simon held up his hand. "Too much information. Tell you what, In a couple of days, when this mess has been sorted out, I want the both of you in my office to explain it to me. I want to make sure I've got plenty of aspirin available. I get the feeling I'm gonna need it."
Jim smiled as Simon walked off and Blair came up.
"You told him, didn't you?" He asked, not sure if he should be terrified or indignant.
"I had to, Chief. He asked and I can't lie to him. Besides, I had already decided to tell him earlier," Jim replied.
"So, did he like, freak?" Blair asked, fearing the worst.
Jim shook his head 'no'
"Good," Blair replied, relieved. "One question."
"What's that, Chief?" Jim prompted.
"This isn't, like, a normal day for you?"
Jim laughed as he walked off.
"Well, is it?" Blair demanded as he ran after him.
Fini