Disclaimer: They're not mine. I'm not sure who they belong to anymore, so I'm playing with them. No money made. Don't sue.
Warnings: Not many. The biggest one is that if you don't like an armed and dangerous Blair, stop reading now.
Also, I do use a few bad words here and there. Covert op types aren't known for their Miss Manners language skills. Finally, you probably should read the previous story in the series, else you may be a bit lost.
Thanks: Many thanks to Rona, Sue and Anna for all their suggestions and editing of this story. Any remaining errors are mine alone.
Trishbsc
Jim looked around the plush office and sighed as he shifted slightly in the uncomfortable chair. He wondered if Dr. Watson made his patients sit in hard chairs to keep them off balance during his sessions. He and Blair had gone over his sessions many times trying to determine why Watson was holding up Jim's return to duty.
A few days ago, Jim and Blair had discussed in depth the possible reasons why Dr. Watson hadn't cleared Jim to return to work. Blair's minor in psychology had come in handy, but it hadn't really helped. Jim thought he had done everything right, just how he and Blair had discussed it, yet here he was again, sitting in this office for another appointment.
"What was it you said, Chief? Life is boring without change. I could do with a little boring right now," Jim muttered under his breath. He hated talking to shrinks, and the PD's shrink was the worst.
"Did you say something, Detective Ellison?" A smooth voice behind him asked.
Jim winced. He had been so caught up in second guessing what he was going to say that he hadn't noticed the doctor entering the office. "Just wondering if you're finally going to let me get back to work," he answered quickly, fidgeting slightly as he attempted to relax.
It had been a little over three weeks since his kidnapping by the military's black ops section and his subsequent rescue by the Royal Order. Blair had already been back to work for almost a week now, but Doctor Watson continued to refuse to sign Jim's work release.
"Do you honestly believe you are ready to go back to work? Because I think that you haven't completely processed what happened to you during your incarceration," Doctor Watson stated as he sat down at his desk. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the desk, pressing his fingers together as he awaited the detective's response.
He was convinced Ellison was hiding something about the incident, though admittedly even with all his experience it was difficult to tell for sure. Watson had only been working for the PD for a short time, but one thing had become clear as he reviewed the files of his predecessor. This particular detective was absolutely the worst detective in the precinct to deal with as a patient, patently uncommunicative and he tended to keep his answers terse. Ellison was the exact opposite of his partner. So different, yet when working together, they were one of the best teams in the police department.
He knew he was pressing his luck, keeping Ellison off duty. Yet, this was his best shot at gathering the information he needed. He had a job to do and his superiors were unhappy with his lack of progress. Ellison and Sandburg's recruitment were causing a lot of ripples in some circles and people wanted a better idea of just how much of a threat they were going to be. Unfortunately, Ellison wasn't cooperating. He wasn't providing any useful information other than what would get him released back to duty.
Jim desperately tried not to roll his eyes at the absurdity of the question. What could he say? He couldn't exactly answer the question honestly, though for one brief moment he considered doing just that. It might have been worth it just to see the look on Watson's face as he explained about Sentinels and Guides, Royal Orders and Round Tables. If he didn't know that Watson would have him put away at the funny farm if he told the truth, it might have been fun.
"I'm ready to get back to work. Trust me, I've had a lot more training and experience with this type of incident than you know."
Now I've got him, Doctor Watson thought as he leaned back into his soft leather chair. "Perhaps you should discuss some of your history. Help me to understand why I should release you for work."
"If I did, I'd have to kill you," Jim replied with a smirk, shaking his head. Then, in a more serious tone of voice he added, " As you well know, I can't. Most of my military record is still classified and I don't believe you have the proper security clearance."
Jim leaned backwards into the chair, forcing himself to relax. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now. Watson was clearly fishing for something. And Jim was sure it didn't have anything to do with his work release.
Doctor Watson sighed. His superiors would have to move ahead without any further input from him. "All right, detective. I'll release you, conditionally, but understand that I'm going to keep my eye on you. If I see any sign this incident is affecting you on the job, I'll pull you from active duty so fast your head will spin. Do you understand me?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Jim replied as he climbed to his feet. He reached across the desk for the paperwork the doctor was just completing. He couldn't return to work without it.
Shaking his head, Doctor Watson watched the detective slip out of the office. He had meant his threat about keeping an eye on the man, though for more reasons than evaluating Ellison's fitness for duty.
"How long do you think he's going to last before he heads to the shrink's office himself?" Rafe whispered to Henri as he watched Blair stare at the door to the bullpen for the fourth time in the past five minutes.
"I've got twenty that says Hairboy won't last another ten minutes without checking up on Ellison," Henri whispered back.
"I'll take a piece of that action," Joel interjected as he sat down on the edge of Rafe's desk, startling the other two men.
"Man, Joel. Since you lost all that weight, you're as sneaky as a cat," Henri said with a chuckle.
Joel just smiled and replied, "Blair's nervous, but he knows Jim can handle this."
The three detectives watched Blair as his attention shifted from the untouched report on his computer screen, to the clock across the room, to the open doorway. He remained unaware of the attention focused on his every move by his co-workers behind him.
"Seven minutes and counting," Rafe said to Henri with a broad grin. "Be prepared to pay up."
"Aha! Not so fast," Henri muttered as Blair reached for the phone. "Come on, Hairboy. Dial that number for me."
"Yes," Rafe exclaimed as Blair put the receiver back down in the cradle without dialing.
Megan was observing the situation with a slightly disgusted look. "You guys are shameless. You'll bet on anything."
Blair focused his attention back on his computer screen, trying to finalize the report, but met with little success as his attention again wandered to the hallway.
"Only one minute left," Rafe said gleefully, looking at his watch.
"Man, I thought for sure Blair wouldn't have lasted this long," Henri replied dejectedly, reaching for his wallet. He hated losing.
"Ten... Nine... Eight... what! Not now," Rafe's countdown was cut off as Blair jumped up from his chair and headed around his desk. Looking over at the door, the three detectives watched as Jim Ellison strode into the bullpen.
"So?" Blair asked, blocking Jim's path to his desk.
"Watson signed off on my return to duty. We're back in business, partner." Jim nudged Blair on the arm and pointed to Henri who was handing out twenties to Rafe and Joel.
"What was that all about?" Jim asked curiously.
Blair watched for a moment and then shrugged. "Haven't got a clue. I was too busy worrying about you to pay much attention to those guys."
"Well, quit worrying, everything is back on track," Jim reassured as he sat down at his desk and grabbed the papers from his in-box.
Blair rolled his eyes before muttering, "See if that doesn't jinx us. Did you really have to say that?"
Jim only laughed as he sat down. Blair resumed his work on finalizing the report that had been sitting on his computer screen all morning. He smiled happily as he realized that he would be back out in the field with Jim's return. He was so tired of doing nothing but paperwork. Eight hours sitting at a desk was getting very old.
About fifteen minutes later, the telephone ringing on Rhonda's desk interrupted the quiet bullpen. Rhonda's question to the caller of "What happened?" got everyone's attention.
"Can you tell me anything?" Rhonda asked nervously as she fiddled with the phone cord. "Thanks for the warning."
Rhonda hung up the phone and noticed she had an audience. "Storm warning, everyone! Looks like Hurricane Simon is about to hit."
Rhonda held back her laughter as she watched these decorated veteran officers pale in fear at her words. Simon knew better than to take his anger out on his secretary, but the officers under his command were fair game.
Not two minutes later, Simon Banks stomped into the bullpen. He didn't say a single word, but the glare he leveled at Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg spoke volumes. Just before slamming the door to his office, he called out, "Ellison! Sandburg! My office in five minutes! Exactly five minutes!"
Complete silence fell over the room as everyone stared mournfully at the two unfortunate souls who were about to bear the wrath of their Captain's rage.
Blair stared in mock-fear at the closed door. He drummed his fingers on the desktop, then turned to face his partner and saw that Jim's attention was also focused on Simon's office. "Should we run?" Blair mumbled softly to Jim.
Jim shook his head. "Wouldn't do any good. Simon knows all of our best hiding places."
"Guess we'll have to see what's got him so fired up." With another quick glance back at the door, Blair added, "This is going to be the longest five minutes of my life."
The silence in the room continued for the next few minutes. No one spoke, not even the clicking noise of fingers on keyboards interrupted the quietness. Finally, the prescribed five minutes had passed. As one, Jim and Blair rose from their desks and slowly moved to their boss's office. Jim could hear Henri softly humming the song 'Taps' under his breath. He couldn't quite stop the smile from crossing his face.
Shaking his head at Blair's questioning glance, Jim ignored the unasked question and knocked on his Captain's door.
"You wanted to see us, Sir?" Blair called, after not hearing an immediate response.
"Get in here," Simon growled out loud enough that everyone in the bullpen easily overheard him. With one last forlorn gaze back at their co-workers, Jim and Blair entered the lion's den, closing the door behind them.
"Anyone want to bet on if they will come out of there in one piece?" Henri asked.
"Shameless, completely and utterly shameless," Megan replied, opening up the file folder sitting on her desk.
"Sit down, both of you," Simon ordered, watching his two best officers entering his office. He knew they would not like what he had to tell them. He had spent all morning trying to convince the Mayor against this course of action, but hadn't been successful.
"I've just come from a meeting with both the Mayor and the Governor. This order comes from the top, so don't argue with it. The decision was completely out of my control."
Jim and Blair's eyes met for a brief moment. They were pretty sure of what Simon would say next. Neither of them had expected this to happen so quickly. Thankfully, Simon was too irate to notice the silent conversation between his men and continued speaking.
"The Governor has ordered that an interdepartmental task force be created. The purpose for this special task force will be to handle all high profile cases that fall under the jurisdiction of several different law enforcement departments," Simon explained in a cynical tone. This type of team had been tried before and had failed. He didn't see the point in trying again, particularly with Jim Ellison as a member. Jim had long ago established that he did not play well with other agents, particularly the Feds. "Due to your high solve rate, the two of you are Cascade PD's representatives to the team. God help us all." Simon sat back and waited for the explosion.
"Wow, I didn't think they would act this quickly," Blair said calmly.
"I did. They've probably had this contingency planned out for a while. They were just waiting for the right time to approach us. However, I would've thought they would've let us know first, so we'd have had time to explain. Sorry about that, Simon," Jim replied.
Simon was speechless. This wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. Surprise was quickly overcome by anger. Ellison and Sandburg had known this was coming. Why hadn't they told him about it earlier?
Blair noticed the initial dumbfounded expression on his Captain's face and tried to explain. "Sorry, Simon. We honestly didn't think things would more forward so fast. We were going to tell you about this, but with Jim being on sick leave and..."
"You knew?" Simon interrupted Blair's rambling of an apology. "You knew about this and didn't think it was important enough to mention to your Captain!" Simon shouted.
"This happened at the request of the Royal Order. To put it bluntly, Blair and I were recruited by the Order and we said yes," Jim stated, deciding the best response was to confess quickly.
"Yes! You said yes to that group of murdering racist thugs! Even after you saw what they did here at the station, what they did to Joel, you both said YES!" Simon knew he was losing control of his temper, but he didn't care. He thought he knew these men. But, the Jim and Blair he knew would not have joined an organization such as the Royal Order.
Blair frantically waved his hands in a negative fashion, as he answered Simon's obvious rage. "No! Not to the thugs, to the group that's trying to reform the thugs. We're trying to stop the thugs and the only way to do that was to join," Blair corrected.
"What group that's trying to reform the thugs? Are you saying there's a fifth column operating within the Order working against it? That's crazy," Simon said.
"There is a fifth column. They're not crazy but they're still getting organized and could use our help. Besides, you know us better than that, Sir. We weren't making any progress investigating the Order from the outside. This was the best way," Jim added.
Simon thumped his head down on the desk, muttering softly, "Oh God, what have the two of you gotten yourselves into now?" Raising his head, he glared at the two men sitting in front of him. He studied their expressions, looking for some hint that he had misunderstood what was occurring. He had trusted these men for years now, and nothing could change that, but this was a bitter pill to swallow.
"I should have known that story the two of you told that night in the loft was a lot of bull. Start at the beginning and tell me the whole story," Simon ordered as he reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. When Blair started to explain, he held up one finger and pointed at him. "Not you, Sandburg. Jim, you explain. I want to hear the short, unvarnished truth in words I can understand," Simon demanded. His anger was slowly dissipating, but he still wanted to understand what had led his men to this decision.
Jim nodded, biting back a chuckle. Blair did have a gift for confusing, somewhat overly academic explanations. "No problem, Simon. This all started when the Royal Order rescued me from the military compound. It seems that since my return from Peru the first time, the Royal Order made it clear I was off-limits to the military. The general who was part of the team that debriefed me after the mission was not only a high ranking military officer, but also an active member of the Black Knights."
"They've been watching you since you were rescued from Peru?" Simon asked.
"Even longer," Blair clarified.
Jim shot a dirty look at his partner. He hadn't been sure he wanted to mention his father or brother to Simon just yet. It might have been the final straw as far as what Simon was willing to accept. But since the cat was already out of the bag, he went with his gut. "We've recently discovered my family has a long history with the Royal Order."
Simon winced. Raising one eyebrow, he asked tentatively, "Your father?"
Jim nodded, "And brother. Anyway, the general is part of the reform movement within the Order. According to our sources, they have made some firm inroads into three of the four groups. Everywhere except the Black Knights."
"So the two of you are now Black Knights?" Simon asked wearily, rubbing one hand across his face.
"Officially, we are Blue Knights," Blair responded.
"Only a select few know that we will be working under Mac Fox and the Black Knights," Jim added.
Simon recognized the name. He struggled to remember where he had heard it before. "Fox? Gen. Fox?" Simon slammed his hand down on the desktop. "He turned up at that compound shortly after we did. He claimed not to know anything."
"At the time, he probably didn't. The Leader of the West Coast Round Table had taken matters into his own hands. He used his personal staff to effect the rescue without telling most of the others." Jim purposefully left out the identity of the leader. He didn't want to completely overload Simon. He had enough to deal with already.
Simon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So the Leader freed you from the compound to recruit you into the Order."
"Not exactly, it was more to punish the military for not obeying the 'hands off' order on me. The invitation to join came later," Jim explained.
Simon resisted the urge to thump his head on the desk again. He could tell he was going to have to take notes on who was who within the Royal Order and what was their individual agenda. "So, what's your plan, Jim?" Simon asked resigned to the fact that this situation was completely out of his control.
"For now, simple reconnaissance. We'll see what the situation is. This reform movement may be our best shot at taking these guys down or at least making them contributing members of society."
Simon raised one eyebrow at what he believed was an overly optimistic statement. "And if it's not? Do you really think they are going to let you walk away?"
Blair shifted in his seat and nervously glanced over at his partner before answering, "Jim trusts General Fox. He's given his word that we can do exactly that if we don't compromise the organization. We'll just have to see what happens."
"At worst, we'll be able to find out who's involved in this group and who we'll have to watch out for in the future," Jim added.
"You will keep me informed," Simon ordered.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Jim waffled. "This is a very dangerous game we are playing and you have Daryl to think about."
"That was not a request, gentlemen. Consider it an order." Simon handed a folder to Blair before continuing. "It appears your new assignment starts immediately. Since all your cases were reassigned after you were kidnapped, Jim, you don't have any cases hanging. You're both to report to Red Eagle Preserve. It seems your new playmates want to have you all complete a series of team building exercises before the task force is assigned to an active case. Officially, for the next three weeks, you are under the authority of the task force. Dismissed."
Jim and Blair climbed to their feet. Blair exited the office quietly, but Jim held back for a moment. He knew they owed Simon an apology. "Sir, I'm sorry we didn't discuss this with you sooner. I thought we had more time."
Simon sighed deeply. "I'm not angry about that, Jim. I'll admit, I was at first. Now, I just don't like the idea of the two of you out there without any backup. You'll have no one you can trust and we can't really help you."
"I know it's a risk, Simon. But Blair and I believe it's worth it. I'll keep you updated as much as possible."
"Just watch your backs. I consider this a temporary loan of you and Sandburg." Simon gestured for his friend to leave before adding, "Emphasis on the word 'temporary', Ellison."
Jim and Blair immediately collected their belongings, ignoring the looks of curiosity they were getting from their co-workers, and quietly left the office. Without a word to any of their colleagues, they headed for the elevator. Blair pushed the down button, but when the elevator hadn't appeared within several minutes, Jim nodded his head to the stairs.
It wasn't until they reached the truck that either of them spoke. Jim sat behind the steering wheel, his keys still in his hand. He sighed. All things considered it could have been much worse, but it would have been better if they could have warned Simon what was coming.
"Jim, do you think Simon will ever forgive us for not bringing him onboard sooner?" Blair asked, fidgeting with the folder in his hand.
"He's not really mad about that, Chief. He understands that I haven't even been allowed in the office until today. He's upset about not being able to get involved. In case you haven't noticed, he's pretty protective of the people who work for him and he can't help us with this situation."
Jim pointed at the folder Simon had handed to Blair. "So what's it say?"
Blair started to open the folder, then shut it tightly. "Why don't we wait until we're at the loft? I wouldn't want to be the cause of a traffic accident if this isn't what we expect."
Nodding, Jim started the truck; the sooner they were home, the sooner they would know just how much their lives would change.
"This is your fault you know, Jim. Quit worrying, Everything is back on track, you said. This is not back on tracked. Like I said before, jinxed," Blair said as Jim pulled the truck out of the garage.
Stepping off the elevator, Jim was the first to notice a small box propped up against their door. There didn't appear to be any name or return address on the box. It just had their address written in large block letters.
"The plot thickens. Can you hear any ticking?" Blair asked as he cautiously approached the apartment door right behind his partner.
"No, and I can't smell any signs of explosives, either."
Hearing the lack of concern in his friend's voice, Blair reached down and picked up the box. He waited for Jim to open the door and enter the loft ahead of him. To his amazement, Jim headed straight to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of beer before taking a seat at the dining room table.
"A little early for that, don't you think?" Blair asked, gesturing at the bottle.
"I think we're gonna need it. Not to mention, if we've got an assignment already, it's gonna be the last time we have to relax for a while." After taking a long drink, Jim added, "Open the folder first."
Blair joined Jim at the table. He set box in the middle before reaching for the other bottle. As he sat down, he popped the top of the bottle, taking a small swig, he opened the folder and began flipping through the pages inside.
"There isn't much here other than some nicely done propaganda to fool those not in the know. It's a good cover story explaining the creation of this supposed interagency team. If I didn't already know that it's a lot of bull, I'd be convinced," Blair said finally, dropping the folder onto the table.
Jim reached for the box and ripped off the tape holding the lid closed. Blair watched as he pulled out around a dozen items. Noticing immediately that there was two of each item, Blair laughed. "Just like Noah's ark."
"There's only one of these," Jim replied as he pulled out a small stack of papers. On top of the pile was a map with a red circle on it. Attached to the map was a set of directions. The papers underneath were two inventory lists for the items that had been inside the box. Jim looked at the list with his name on it while handing Blair his list.
A pager, a security card with a code, but no name on it, an electronic card key, an electronic door opener, a satellite phone, a bank card and a set of five keys, each one with a different color code, were soon sitting in a little pile in front of each man.
"I've been reduced to a code. As far as these people are concerned, I don't even have a name anymore," Blair said, as he looked at the card, disdain evident in his tone. "And just what am I supposed to use the rest of this stuff for?"
Jim had been reading the directions while Blair had been talking. "According to this, we are supposed to be at Red Eagle Preserve before noon tomorrow. We're to head to the area marked on the map."
Blair moved around the table to look over Jim's shoulders at the papers. Before Jim could continue to read any further, Blair interrupted. "That area's off limits to anyone but military personnel. My senior year, there was an Indian burial dig site not that far from there. I was headed back to camp when I got turned around."
"Not forty miles I hope," Jim asked
"Man, you are never gonna let me live that down. No, it wasn't that far. It was just that the woods get really thick in places and with those high ridges and cliffs, the visibility sucks. I remember all the 'trespassers will be shot' signs on the really sharp looking barbed-wire fences out there. The place really creeped me out."
"Which is probably why we need the electronic card key," Jim continued. "It also warns that pagers and cell phones won't work while we are in that area other than the ones they provided. However, it also says that we are not allowed to provide these numbers to anyone outside of our assigned team."
"No one else? How are we supposed to keep in touch with Simon?" Blair asked as he sat back down again.
"We'll have to figure something out, or just confirm to him how long we'll be out of touch so he doesn't worry too much."
Blair laughed. "Yeah, right. Does it say anything else useful?"
Jim shook his head. "Just that we don't have to pack. Everything we'll need will be provided for us."
"I repeat, yeah, right. I'll think we'd better pack a few sentinel-friendly items anyway."
Jim shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There are a couple of other things we should do today, Chief."
Blair didn't like the expression on his partner's face. He finished drinking his beer before answering, "Like what?"
"I don't know how to put this easily, so I'll just say it. Have you got all your affairs in order?"
Blair paled, rubbing one hand through his hair. He now understood exactly where Jim was heading. "Yeah, I put a will together when I officially became a member of Major Crime."
"Good, good, but that's not exactly what I meant." Jim started to say something else, then stopped.
"Spit it out, Jim. If you've got other suggestions, lay them on me."
Jim finished his own beer before explaining. "When I was in the Rangers, before we went out on a mission, we would write a letter, or letters, depending on the individual."
"In case you didn't come back," Blair added, solemnly.
"Yeah. The base CO would hold them for us, and pass them on if we didn't make it back." Jim rolled the empty bottle back and forth between his hands as the faces of those who hadn't returned from their missions flashed before his eyes.
"Somehow, I don't see the Black Knights being quite so humanitarian. I suspect we're gonna fall into the 'disavow all knowledge of your actions' category," Blair said, imitating the taped voice from the old Mission Impossible TV show.
Jim chuckled slightly. "Right, which means if there's anything you want to tell Naomi or someone else, then you should write it now."
Blair jumped to his feet and started pacing. "Jim, we don't even know for sure what's going to happen tomorrow. Aren't we jumping the gun here, assuming the worst?"
"Possibly, but I'd rather prepare for the worst. Simon keeps a box for me, with copies of all my important papers. If you want to write a letter, do it now. Seal the envelope and put the address on the front, I'll drop it off at Simon's tonight with my stuff." Jim's head was twisting back and forth as Blair's pacing increased in speed and distance. Then suddenly Blair froze.
"You've done this before, haven't you? Even after you left the military."
Nodding slowly, Jim answered hesitantly, "Yeah, every time I went undercover, I'd be sure to update the files."
"Starksville?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Damn!" Another thought occurred to Blair. "There's a letter there for me. Isn't there?"
"Since the day you moved in here, Sandburg," Jim replied, getting up from the table. He started up the stairs to his bedroom. He paused halfway looking back at his roommate, who was still standing in the middle of the living room.
"I'll plan on leaving around six. I'll drop off the papers at Simon's and get us some dinner. Is that enough time for you?"
Blair shook himself out of the daze he was in. "Yeah, I'll be ready, and while you're out, I'll start closing up the loft. Three weeks is a long time."
"Sounds like a plan," Jim said.
For the rest of the afternoon, the two men worked on their respective letters. At six, Blair handed Jim a stack of four letters as he walked out the door.
Jim was the first to awaken the next morning, minutes before his alarm clock would have gone off at seven. While they didn't have to be at Red Eagle until noon, there were plenty of last- minute things to do. He made a quick trip to the post office to stop their mail, planning on arriving just as it opened. Blair spent the morning on the Internet prepaying their bills and stopping the newspaper delivery.
They had plenty of time to stop for a mid-morning breakfast before hitting the road out of Cascade. The two-hour drive to Red Eagle Preserve was quiet. There wasn't much to discuss until they had a better understanding of what kind of trouble was waiting for them.
The directions provided had been easy to follow. They arrived at the area marked in red on the map twenty minutes before noon.
Jim pulled up to the gate. It was a standard metal chain-linked fence, around twelve feet high. Every few feet there was an electrical fence warning sign posted and along the top was razor sharp barbed wire. There was a post with a sensor device positioned in the middle of the road. He rolled down his window and used the electronic pass card to open the gate. Blair looked out the front window, studying the security system.
"These guys don't mess around. They've got cameras, motion detectors, and that's only the stuff I can see. I hate to think what else they've got."
"I'm sure there's a lot more you can't see," Jim agreed as he pulled through the opening in the fence. He pushed down gently on the accelerator, slowly moving forward as he watched the gate close behind them. "Abandon all hope ye who enter here," he muttered softly as the gate made a loud clanging noise when it closed.
"Gates of hell? I'm really hoping that's not the right quote for this occasion."
"Seemed fitting to me. We're almost there and we still don't know what we're really getting into."
Jim followed the road that wove in and out of the trees until they were completely out of sight of the entry gate. The road ended in front of a large gray metal building, directly in front of a garage door. The building had been constructed against and probably into Red Eagle Mountain.
"I guess we know what this is for now," Blair said as he pushed the button on the electronic door opener that had been provided in the package left at the loft. The door opened slowly, revealing that several others had arrived before them. Around half of the available parking spaces inside the garage were already occupied.
Jim pulled into the space nearest the office, which was visible on the opposite wall. Moving around the office were several men in army uniforms. Jim and Blair made sure their security cards were visible as they approached the office. Before they could enter, two of the soldiers approached them.
"Identification please," the younger soldier requested politely, holding out his hand.
We're..." Blair started to introduce himself, but the older of the two soldiers shook his head.
"No names, please. We are outside a secured area, Sir."
The soldier handed the cards to the other, who entered the office and sat down at a computer. Blair watched through the window as first his, then Jim's pictures appeared on the monitor. The soldier at the computer waved them into the office.
"You're expected in the main conference room. Take the first hallway on the right and proceed to the end of the hall. The conference room is the last door on the left-hand side. You'll need the red key provided to you to enter that room."
As they walked down the hallway, almost everyone they saw was wearing either a military uniform or a white lab coat.
"Maybe that gates of hell quote was right. Winding up in a place like this has been a nightmare of mine ever since I learned what you could do," Blair muttered.
"Ditto, Chief. Though in mine, I never walked through the doors voluntarily." Jim swallowed hard, turning his senses up on high, half expecting to be accosted. This situation was a little too close to recent history for him to be relaxed.
Blair mentally kicked himself for bringing up the topic. How could he have forgotten the incident that brought them into the Order in the first place?
"Sorry, man, I wasn't thinking. Are you okay with this, Jim?"
"Guess I have to be. We're here," Jim said, stopping in front of the door leading them to their future.
"After you, Alice," Blair quipped nervously, rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans.
"You're more suited to be Alice than me, Chief. I don't think Alice ever sported a crew cut in any of the Wonderland books I've read."
"Just open the door, would you? Before I change my mind, here, and run screaming for the truck."
"Can't have that. It would ruin my rep if my partner ran away screaming," Jim replied as he used his red key to open the door.
Jim and Blair entered the conference room. Eight others were already present. Blair assessed each individual that was seated at the large rectangular oak conference table that was taking up most of the room's floor space. Thankfully, each had a place card with their name in front of them, identifying who they were.
Gen. Mac Fox was at the head of the table, although he hadn't arrived yet. To be seated to his right was Maj. Everett Donnor.
Jim had been assigned to the foot of the table with Blair seated at his right. In front of each chair was a pile of papers. On top was a list of all participants and their specialization, underneath was a map of the compound with the different areas marked in colors, the same colors as on the key ring. The rest of the envelopes were sealed and Blair didn't feel comfortable opening them.
Taking his seat, Blair read down the list, matching the name with the face. Maj. Donnor was the team's pilot in addition to being the second in command. Since he was the only other member of the team besides Fox who wasn't present, Blair could only imagine what he looked like. Seated across from him was Walter Higgins, explosive specialist and demolitions expert. He was an older man, probably around Joel Taggert's age, with blond hair.
On Blair's left was a young woman, Renee Robeson. She sported long red hair and she couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. Her specialty could be summed up in one word: assassin.
He and Jim had been identified as entry team experts. Blair's college and police experience was listed along with Jim's army record, although there was no mention of most of the time he spent with the Rangers. His history with Vice and Major Crime was included.
Sarah Sanchez was the team's medic. Blair was surprised to read that she also spoke over a dozen different languages fluently and understood another eight. She was a tall woman, just over six-feet with black hair. Her features had a timeless quality to them and it was difficult to tell just how old she was.
Positioned across the table from each other were a set of identical twins, Darin and Eric Connor. Both men spoke with a strong Australian accent. Darin was listed as a computer expert and technical support. Eric was an expert marksman. Blair watched them for a moment and soon concluded he would have a difficult time telling the two of them apart. The twins noticed they were being studied. As one, matched perfectly movement by movement, they turned, waved, and returned to their conversation.
"They must practice that," Blair said softly as he continued reading down the list.
Peter Bush was seated to Mac's left. He was probably around the same age as Jim, with gray hair with a few touches of black remaining. He wasn't a large man, but if one looked carefully, this man kept his body in very good shape. It listed him as a citizen of Great Britain, but interestingly enough, there was very little other background history that had been provided on him. It simply listed his skills as an expert tracker and hunter.
"They can't say anything about his background any more than they can mention my time with the Rangers," Jim volunteered leaning over to whisper softly as he noticed the focus of Blair's attention.
"Black ops?" Blair guessed, his voice as barely loud enough for even Jim to hear.
"Close, MI6."
"Do you know each other?" Blair asked curiously, trying to remember if Bush had a reaction to Jim when they had entered.
"Only by reputation. I remember hearing that he was retiring from the game. Guess we know where he went." Jim straightened up, not wanting to draw any attention to the conversation he and Blair were having.
Next on the list was Cole Donovan, a former Marine who had reached the rank of Captain the previous year. His specialties were tactics and sharpshooter.
Jim whistled in appreciation. Noticing Blair's puzzled look, he explained. "Donovan must have done something pretty spectacular to make Captain so young."
The last member of the team was Harry Finch, a name that Blair recognized from reading the cold files at the PD. Quite a few of the unclosed burglary files had been attributed to Harry Finch. He was an expert cat burglar and safecracker. Rumor had it he had retired in favor of his son taking over the business and it was unlikely anyone would ever be able to prove that he was guilty of any crime. Harry was a small man, shorter than Blair and was probably the oldest member of the team.
"Interesting group of personalities to try and turn into a team," Blair whispered to Jim.
Before Jim could comment, Mac Fox and Everett Donnor entered the room. The major immediately sat down, but Fox remained standing.
"Now that we're all here, I'd like to explain why you have all been invited here. First, Eric, Darin switch name tags. You can't fool me with this little game of yours," Mac said, not saying anything else until the Connors did as he asked.
"How do you do it, Mate? You figure it out every time," Darin asked as he handed the 'Eric' nametag to his brother.
"That's why I'm a general," Mac responded, then continued his speech. "This is your team within the Black Knights. Outside of our operations, you are not to acknowledge that you know one another. All of you are officially assigned to other branches of the Order."
Raising his hand, Eric asked, "Does that go for me and my brother, Sir?" Laughter broke out all around the table at the boyish grins sported by the two brothers. They were the youngest of the team if not by actual age, than by attitude.
Hiding a smile, Mac ignored the interruption and continued. "In here, we're a team and I expect you to act like a team at all times. Sitting in front of you is a dossier on each of your fellow team members. I expect you to read it. Get to know who you'll be working with out in the field. Your lives will depend on each other. I know some of you have worked together before on other projects. I'll leave it up to you to decide what of the rest of your personnel history you'd like to share."
Gen. Fox turned off the lights and flipped open the laptop that was already hooked up to an overhead projection system. Stepping on of the way of the blank wall behind him, the picture of a cruel looking man appeared. "Not to keep you in suspense any longer, I'll explain the mission to you. The Order has found itself in need of funds again. We've decided to take advantage of an upcoming situation. This is Hector Mendoza, the drug lord in charge of the largest cocaine operation in Peru at the moment. In addition to his own considerable assets, he is about to walk away with almost 50 million dollars worth of drug money from another one of the cartel families."
On the next slide was a much younger man, dressed in a white linen suit. Mac continued, "He's about to eliminate an up and coming new cartel family by the name of Escoban. The man you see before you is Rico Escoban, new head of the family. His father died under very mysterious circumstances and his older brother has disappeared from public view. A more detailed summary of the history between these two families is provided in your operations packet. For now, all you need to understand is that Mendoza has been systematically attacking Escoban's operations."
A series of slides showing various fires, explosions and gun battles flashed by. The battle between these two families had clearly escalated beyond the normal feuding that commonly occurred among South America's drug cartels.
"Mendoza's goal has been to prevent Escoban from completing a major deal with the Cuban drug distribution network operating in Florida. The final blow to Escoban's operation should be delivered in the next few days when Mendoza intends to destroy the processing plant where the drugs are being cut and packaged."
Mac turned off the projector and closed the laptop before sitting back down at the table. "We know that in three weeks, Escoban must deliver the drugs to fulfill his contract with the Cubans. Mendoza is the only other producer capable of supplying that much cocaine. So sometime before then, Escoban will be forced to negotiate with Mendoza to buy the quantity of drugs he's promised. This is our best opportunity to hit both families at the same time. Mendoza is going to have most of his people at the meeting with Escoban. In stage one of the plan, we're going to take out his compound and grab the cash from his safe while the meeting is taking place, so timing is very important here. In stage two of the plan, we're going to hit Mendoza and his men as they come back from the meet, grabbing the cash that Escoban used to buy the drugs. They won't be expecting trouble at that point. "
"Just how do we know all this?" Blair asked.
"We have a man on the inside of Mendoza's operation. We won't know if he will be left behind to guard the compound or will be attending the meeting until we see him in person," Mac explained.
"So we can't count on him providing any assistance other than the timetable for the meeting arrangements," Major Donnor added.
"All of the security in the compound is controlled from a central system and this system is state of the art, which will make communication difficult. Even our radios will be detected by their system"
"I thought these phones were secure, wasn't that why they were issued?" Cole asked.
"Calls can't be overheard, or intercepted, but the fact that a signal exists will be detected by their equipment. That will be enough to put them on alert, which is why we will be operating under complete radio silence. In the past, Mendoza has always left a skeleton crew of ten to fifteen armed guards on his compound when he leaves his home. We don't expect him to deviate from this practice. We'll have a briefing in the morning before we make our first mock run. Study the information provided. We'll discuss the best method of carrying this plan out at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Take this evening and get settled in. Be ready to get to work in the morning. I'll leave Major Donner here with you to answer any further questions you may have."
Just after the door closed behind Gen. Fox, Maj. Donner moved over to sit at the head of the table and waited for the questions to begin. The barrage began as soon as the door clicked closed.
"So why have we gathered here this early? The deal isn't supposed to happen for at least a week," Walter Higgins asked.
"Several reasons. First, we didn't want to have to track anyone down. We'll probably be leaving on short notice. More than likely you'll have less than 15 minutes to collect your gear, so the first thing you'll do tomorrow night is pack for the mission. We have a helicopter standing by onsite to take the team straight to Peru when the call comes in."
A series of groans rose from around the table at the short timing, but nothing more was said aloud.
"Secondly, we've set up a training ground here to simulate the layout of Mendoza's compound. We're going to be running the assault force under multiple scenarios. This way, you'll all get the chance to get familiar with each others' abilities and reduce the likelihood of foul-ups on the mission."
Peter raised his hand. "I thought we were hitting both the compound and the meeting? Shouldn't we split into two different teams?"
"Yes, we will be splitting up into individual teams but since this is the first operation for the team, we are not sure who will be filling each of the roles. Part of the reason we are going to run multiple scenarios is because we're also running different partnership scenarios."
Blair frowned at that. He didn't like the idea of possibly being separated from Jim. He started to say something, but Jim kicked him under the table, shaking his head slightly.
"This facility is completely self-contained and security is very tight. You were all given a set of keys. Note the color codes; green is for use within the residential area of the compound. Infirmary, sleeping quarters, workout area, swimming pool and the cafeteria are located in this area. The Den is also located in the green zone. A television, pool table and a stereo system are located in this room. You've each been assigned a suite. You've been paired off. Each pair of suites shares a common bathroom."
"I bet I got stuck with you as usual, little brother," Eric said.
"Correct. Jim and Blair, Sarah and Renee, Harry and Walter, Cole and Peter are the other pairings. Now remember, the red key will let you into any secure area of the facility."
"I thought this whole compound was secure," Blair muttered softly under his breath.
"There are a several security levels of personnel stationed here that don't have the security rating required to know about the mission. You will not discuss any of the mission parameters when you are outside a red area of the facility. Keep in mind that you will need the red key to enter the sleeping quarter area of the green zone. This will allow you to talk freely when in your quarters. The black key will let you into any of the weapons lockers. We have assembled a diverse collection of firearms and other weapons, but keep in mind that you will be required to test out on any weapon that you take."
"And the explosives?" Walter asked.
"Same place, use the black key. The blue key will let you into any of the practice areas. This includes the simulation of the Mendoza compound and the firing range. Finally, the yellow key will let you into the library and computer rooms. Any research should be done in these rooms. Maps of the area, information on our targets and other useful intel has already been prepared for you in this area."
"I hope you've upgraded the systems since the last time I was here," Darin commented.
"I think you'll find the new system more than satisfactory, Darin. As usual, you will be compensated for your time here at the facility. The money will be entered into your accounts after you return from the mission. Further information concerning the use of these accounts, along with the access pin number has been left in your room for you."
"We get paid?" Blair said, only loud enough for Jim to hear. That information hadn't been included in any of the information they had received so far.
Jim shrugged. This was a dangerous undertaking and some extra compensation was usually part of the package.
"Finally, tonight in the Den we are having a dinner brought in for the team at seven. Just a little informal gathering where you can get to know each other before the work starts in the morning." Noticing a lack of enthusiasm from the team he added, "The general is providing an open bar up until nine. That will give you all time to get sober before tomorrow."
Cheers came from several people around the table, most notably from the Connors.
"That is all, people. I suggest you head to your rooms and study the information already provided." Following his own suggestion, the Major picked up the stack of papers in front of him and headed out of the room. Jim and Blair waited until the others were exiting the room and followed the signs directing them to the green zone.
Just as Donnor had explained, the sleeping quarters were located in the main hallway of the green area. It was easy enough for Jim and Blair to find the suite that belonged to them; the suites were numbered the same as their identification cards.
The door opened into a living area; a couch and an overstuffed recliner were provided as furnishings. One wall was occupied with the television and several bookshelves. Two desks were also located in the main room, one on each side against the wall leading into the respective bedrooms. The few belongings they had brought with them had been left for them in the middle of the living area.
Jim picked up his bag and entered the bedroom closest to the main door. "I'll take this one, Chief."
Blair laughed quietly under his breath. Ever the protector, Ellison. He picked up his own bag and headed for the other bedroom. The room was very small. There was just enough room for a double bed and a small dresser. Dropping his bag on the bed, Blair continued to examine their new living quarters. He entered the bathroom through the door from the bedroom. On the opposite wall, there was the door leading from Jim's bedroom.
A large portion of the room was occupied by a whirlpool. He checked out the supply of toiletries that had been provided. He didn't know whether he was frightened or pleased by what he found. Someone had done his homework either on sentinels in general or on Jim Ellison in particular. All of the products in the bath were the same brands that they used at the loft.
He headed back to his own bedroom, and quickly unpacked the few belongings he had brought with him. The clothes already hanging in the closet were his size, but limited in color, mostly black or camouflage. Hearing Jim moving around in his bedroom, Blair shifted his focus to the contents of the living area.
The books on the shelves were an eclectic collection covering both his and Jim's taste in reading. Also provided were some technical operations manuals, most likely for his benefit due to having no military training. Blair picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels. The television was the latest in digital technology and there were more stations than he could ever possibly watch, including all the pay channels.
"Watch TV later, Chief. Read the ops file, first. Tomorrow morning will be here soon enough and we need to be ready to discuss options with the rest of the group."
Blair turned off the television. "What, it's not already decided? You can't tell me that Fox doesn't already have this all planned out."
Before answering, Jim sat down at his desk and opened up the file. "Not finalized, that's not his style. That's why anyone who has been in his chain of command doesn't want to leave. He listens to everyone else's input before making a final decision."
Blair crossed the room and entering his bedroom searching for where he had dropped his copy. Finding the file, he called back to Jim, "Wow! That's not what I expected from a career military high ranking officer."
"Don't get me wrong. Once he does make a decision, it will be final and he'll expect you to obey without question, but until he gives the order, he'll listen to anything you have to say."
Blair pulled out the chair from his desk and sat down. As he opened the folder, he saw that Jim's bio was on the top of the file. He almost didn't bother to read it, figuring he knew Jim inside and out after all the years they had spent together, but the word Sentinel drew his attention to the middle of the page.
Shaking his head, he muttered, "No! No way! How stupid are these guys?"
"Blair?" Jim asked, turning his head to face his partner. He heard the anger in Blair's words, which were growing louder with each passing second.
"I can't believe they did this. Don't they know how much danger this could put you in?"
"Slow down, Chief. What's the problem?"
"They've listed your Sentinel abilities in here. Explaining what you do, though they've underestimated your range here. They don't know half of what you are capable of," Blair said with disgust as he threw down the piece of paper he'd been reading.
"Should I be insulted?" Jim asked calmly.
Blair spun around in his chair, shocked at hearing no sign of anger from Jim. "Why am I the only one bothered by this?"
"Maybe because I expected it. If you recall, the Black Knights have wanted me as part of the team for a while now. I'm sure just about everyone here is aware of my abilities."
"So why did they put it in writing? I mean, just because the Black Knights know, doesn't mean everyone else does."
"True, but I don't think we have to worry about the rest of the team talking about it outside the group. These people were handpicked because they've already proven themselves to have both a necessary ability and to be discreet about it."
"Still, it shouldn't have been put in the files! I'm going to take that up with Mac the first chance I get," Blair said firmly, turning back so he was facing the wall again.
"Blair, two thoughts for you."
"I'm listening." Blair said, folding his arms across his chest.
"First, remember, Mac is in charge here. Ask, but be careful about your tone. This is a whole different chain of command than you're use to dealing with. Secondly, check out how small those ranges are again. Do you really believe that the Knights aren't fully aware of what I can do?"
Blair thought about it for a minute and started laughing. Maybe these guys weren't so stupid after all.
About ten before seven, Jim and Blair entered the Den. They were the first to arrive besides Mac, who was already seated, at the bar.
Blair marched across the room, heading directly for the general. Jim followed, not sure if he wanted to stop Blair from confronting Mac or if he was pleased at having someone protect him. He just hoped that Blair remembered his words of caution from the afternoon.
Mac moved to a table in the far corner of the room, which would allow them what little bit of privacy was available. "What's up, Blair, Jim?" Mac greeted them as they joined him at the table.
Blair carefully modulated his tone. He wanted to be firm, but he didn't want to challenge Mac's authority. Jim had been right about that. "Why did you mention Jim's Sentinel abilities in that file? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for other people to know about him?"
Mac nodded. "I know, but Jim's abilities are almost common knowledge among the Black Knights. Also remember, I handpicked this team. Each person in that room is not only a member of the Black Knights, but also a member of the Reform movement. Each can be trusted."
Blair sighed, surprised to hear Jim's explanation of the situation coming out of Mac's mouth. Maybe it was the result of their shared military background. "According to you," Blair said, not quite ready to change his mind.
Mac continued, "Besides, in case anything goes wrong out in the field, it's good that the others will have some ideas of what to do to help Jim. What's the phrase you use, guide? And think about it, you won't have to make any excuses for how you and Jim operate. I know you've had some problems at the PD and with Cascade's DA's office about that."
"And that's another thing. In case you haven't noticed, Jim needs me close if he's going to push his senses. This idea you've got about switching partnerships, that's not..."
Mac held up his hand, cutting Blair off. "Sorry, Blair. I should have made it clear that you and Jim would not be assigned to different teams during the actual missions. Bracket's little mission for the two of you proved pretty conclusively that you operate best as a team. Still, in case something happens to you, we are going to run several scenarios that do separate you from Jim during the mock trials. It's always best to be prepared for the worst."
"All right, already. Man, is this what they teach you in the military, be prepared for the worst? Jim used the same phrase on me yesterday."
"Actually, we stole it from the Boy Scouts and made it our own," Mac quipped.
Blair was unable to maintain his anger in the face of Mac's reasoning. "You've made your points and I can't say I disagree with your arguments," Blair said, holding up his hands in surrender.
"Seriously, I know you've become accustomed to protecting Jim ever since the moment you met him, Blair. This team is the one place you don't have to do that, or at least you don't have to do it alone."
Seeing the look of doubt on Blair's face, Mac started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Blair asked.
"When the others found out that you and Jim were joining the team, there were quite a few comments. While they were pleased that he was coming to the work for the Order, there was also a little bit of fear. From what I've seen in your files and from our few conversations, I think people were afraid of the wrong person. It's not Ellison they should be afraid of, it's you."
"Damn straight," Jim said proudly, entering the conversation for the first time.
"You're full of it, Ellison. Why would anyone be afraid of me?"
Not giving Jim a chance to reply, Mac asked, "Blair, why do you think you were asked to join this team?"
"Because I'm Jim's Guide."
"Do you really think that is the only reason we asked you to join? If you do, you'd be wrong. We reviewed your file pretty carefully. You were one of the best students that Rainier has ever had. Until you met Ellison over there, they had high hopes for you. It's a shame you couldn't reveal exactly why you became 'distracted' from your teaching after finding Jim, though it worked out great as far as we're concerned."
"Us, too," Blair added.
"It was because of your dedication to helping others that we became sold on you. The effort you put into your teaching, the time you spent at the station with Jim before you became a cop. We were amazed that you didn't let Ellison scare you off and we do know exactly what a pain in the ass he can be."
"Hey!" Jim said.
Blair laughed as Mac continued. "As far as we could tell, even before you started at Rainier, your ambition in life was to study Sentinels. You let nothing stand in your way and you've put everything into reaching your goal. Not to mention, that you have a knack for fitting in with just about anyone. Your manner puts people at ease. The amount of knowledge on a variety of different subjects that you have crammed into that head of yours is impressive. You already possess useful skills that we couldn't teach, and this will give the team a great advantage in the future. Yes, you are Jim's guide, but that is a very small part of the reason why you are here."
At that moment, Eric and Darin entered the room and headed straight for the bar. Mac didn't want to continue the conversation in front of them. "Think about what I've said, Blair. We'll finish this conversation later."
Mac joined the Connor brothers at the bar, leaving Jim and Blair at the table. Blair was almost in shock concerning what he had just heard. Looking over at his partner, Blair asked, "Do you agree with all that?"
"Mac just scratched the surface, Chief. For someone who is so good at helping others realize who they are, you don't have a clue how others see you. Do you want something to drink?"
Speechless, Blair shook his head. Alcohol was the last thing he wanted right now. He had a lot to consider.
"Okay, Chief. I'll be at the bar with the others. "
Blair nodded again, still unable to find his tongue.
By eight, the party at the Den was in full swing. Blair, Jim, Darin and Eric were sitting together in front of the bar. Walter and Renee were seated on the couch in front of the television, talking with Sarah and Harry. The others were gathered around the pool table.
To Blair's surprise, during the course of the evening, Jim had always been able to tell Darin and Eric apart. Several times, the twins had attempted to confuse their teammates by changing clothes, but they couldn't fool either Jim or Mac.
"Okay, just how are you telling them apart?" Blair whispered as Eric and Darin challenged Peter and Cole to a round of pool.
"You're just not looking closely enough, Chief. There are definitely differences if you'd pay attention," Jim replied.
Blair stared at the Connors, who were standing next to each other awaiting their turn. "You're pulling my leg. They're completely alike."
"Look again," Jim said with a smirk.
Again, Blair stared at the twins. Completely frustrated he exclaimed, "Would you just tell me! This is driving me nuts."
"Okay, I'll tell you one way. When they are standing next to each other, Eric is about a quarter inch taller than Darin."
"You've got to be kidding. A quarter inch isn't even a visible difference!"
"It is to me," Jim replied smugly, waggling his eyebrows.
"No fair. Wait a minute, how do you tell them apart when they are sitting down and just how does Mac tell them apart? He doesn't have enhanced eyesight."
Jim tilted his head a little and sighed dramatically. He leaned over and pulled Blair a little closer, almost pulling him off his barstool. "I'll give you a hint. There's something that Darin has that Eric doesn't when they are sitting across from each other. But, that's all I'm gonna tell you. I wouldn't want to give Mac's secret weapon away."
Blair stood up and headed over to where they were shooting pool. He wanted a closer look at the situation.
Mac sat down next to Jim, having overheard the last part of the conversation. "Do you think he'll see that mole behind Darin's left ear?"
"Don't worry. Even if he does, he won't mention it," Jim answered. "Would you like a drink?"
"Sure, since I'm buying anyway."
Darin and Eric were completely outclassed by their opponents and turned their cue sticks over to Sarah and Harry. Eric joined Jim and Mac at the bar while Blair and Darin sat down at the table after grabbing a plate of food from the buffet that had just been wheeled into the room.
In between bites, Darin asked, "So just how does Ellison tell me from my brother so easily?"
"Well, according to him, you're a quarter inch shorter than your brother."
"Guess he'll have to start slouching," Darin replied.
Blair shook his head. "He'd notice that, too. Besides, he said there were several differences between you and your brother. He just won't tell me what the rest of them are."
"We'll just have to get it out of him later," Darin said with a wink.
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Blair was distracted as Walter passed their table, one hand holding a plate of food, the other holding Renee's hand.
Looking over at Darin, Blair asked, "Are the two of them together?"
"Pretty much. Walter wants to marry her, but she won't say yes yet. They need a few more jobs before they can retire from the business. Renee wants to have a family, but not until they are out of the game."
"Isn't he a little old for her?"
"Not really, he's not as old as he looks and she's a lot older than she looks. They've been on teams together for most of the last ten years. It's an interesting pairing. She is very sneaky, but methodical about her assignments. He just blows up anything that moves. They are going to make interesting parents someday."
"True. I can see why they're waiting, though. I guess it would be hard to have kids when you're going off on assignments at the drop of a hat."
"He really loves her. He's got an offer with the Seattle PD to teach at the academy there. It would be a lot safer job, but the other hold up to retiring is that they don't want to leave Mac hanging with the other role this team plays in the Order."
"You mean...." Blair started to say.
"Not here. We're in the green zone, remember? Not everyone within hearing distance is one of us," Darin interrupted, pointing at the man who was setting up the food.
"Sorry, I keep forgetting. I'm not used to all this cloak and dagger stuff."
"Me neither. I'd much rather be hacking around with my computer. It was Eric's idea to join the military and he brought me along for the ride."
"How was basic training? I hear that can be tough."
"It was. Before we joined, it was easy to tell the two of us apart. I was a bit on the scrawny side, too much time in front of the computer. But, I bulked up pretty quickly with all the endurance training they put us through. The hardest part was the training with firearms. I was terrible at it as far as the military was concerned. I just couldn't get the hang of moving targets on the run. You know what I mean. Cops have to go through the same training. Telling the difference between civilians and soldiers in a war zone. I tended to shoot everything."
"You mean the tin can alley training. I know what you mean. I almost fired on a little kid during my final exam. He darted across the street in front of me. I passed, but it was a close thing with that test. Though I had the opposite problem, during the training runs, I kept dying because I waited to fire and they killed me first."
"The Army had no problem with my abilities, but Eric really wanted to join the Rangers. They wanted him, but they didn't want me and we didn't want to be split up. That was about the same time that Mac invited us to sign up with him, both his army unit and as Black Knights. Smartest thing we ever did."
"Jim and I had a different opinion after our first encounter with the Order," Blair replied, a little angrily.
"I know. We all know about that screw-up. That isn't the way recruitment is supposed to work. It's one of the big issues that we're trying to change."
Blair shrugged. "I'll have to trust you on that one."
Darin looked around, before leaning a little closer to Blair. "Be careful who you trust within the Order, Mac recruiting your friend is causing a lot of ripples in the organization."
Blair stiffened, looking nervously around the room with a different perspective.
Noticing Blair's panic, Darin added quickly, "I didn't mean the team. We're behind ya both. It's just not everyone can be trusted. Mac's aware of the problems and we're working on keeping y'all safe. Meet me in the computer room tomorrow night after we're done with the mock trials. I'll show you what I mean."
"Hey, little brother! Get over here and bring your friend," Eric called from the bar, waving his arm.
Polishing off the last bite of food on his plate, Darin stood up. He waited patiently while Blair did the same and they joined the others at the bar.
Promptly at eight the following morning, the team gathered at the simulation of Mendoza's compound. They were instructed by Mac to investigate the area and be prepared to discuss options for attacking the compound in thirty minutes. He suggested that Blair, Jim and Harry concentrate on the house and the safe, while Walter, Eric and Peter focus on the compound's only motor vehicle entrance.
Harry immediately headed for the study, where the safe holding Mendoza's valuables was supposedly located. He knew he had only one job in this mission: to get that safe open. Jim and Blair entered the house only after examining the side entrance nearest the security control.
As they entered, Blair whistled in appreciation at the effort that had been put forth to recreate Mendoza's house in such exquisite detail, down to imitations of the artwork on the walls. There were four main hallways in the shape of a square. Within the square there were two hallways forming a cross. Each northwest and southeast corner of the square had another hallway jutting off. The control room was located on the southeast hallway.
"I'm impressed," he muttered.
Jim had bypassed the artwork in favor of examining the control room for all security matters on the estate. Several ideas were beginning to form as he examined the set-up. Blair entered the room, and stopped in front of the wall of monitors showing the estate's perimeter and other areas of the house. "They thought of everything."
"It has to be as realistic as possible. We're only going to get one shot at this. How much time do we have left?"
"About twenty minutes. What else do you want to look at?"
"You stay here and watch the monitors. I'm going to go wander the hallways. Keep an eye on the clock and time how long it takes to move from place to place. I want to make sure we've got our timing coordinated. Oh, and keep talking, let me know how I'm doing."
"Why? I can't believe you can't tell that without me giving you a summary?"
"I want to make sure I'll be able to hear you and focus on what I'm doing at the same time. Don't worry about it now, Chief. It's just an idea I've got to propose to Mac."
"Okay, Jim. No problem." Blair pulled a small notepad out of the back pocket of his jeans, proceeding to note the amount of time it was taking for Jim to move from place to place. It wasn't as easy as he thought, keeping a running monologue going as he was watching. As the thirty minute allotted period came to an end, Jim rejoined Blair in the control room.
"I think this will work."
"What will work?" Blair asked, following Jim as he led the way toward the conference room.
"Patience is a virtue, Sandburg," Jim said all too smugly for Blair's taste.
"Mac thinks I'm the one to be afraid of in this partnership, Ellison. You'd do well to remember that applies to you, too," Blair called sweetly as he jogged a little faster to keep up with his partner's longer stride.