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Birthright 2
by Grey

Despite it being mid-August, the rain was pounding down again and made everything steamy. Blair was a week into his break between semesters and it had rained nearly every day. He put the anthropology magazine containing Eli Stoddard’s latest article on his lap and just closed his eyes. He listened to the steady pounding on the roof. Blair had to admit that as much as he disliked being out in the rain, he didn’t mind listening to the rhythm of it when he was safe and dry inside. He found it relaxing, sort of like leaves rustling in the fall or bird song in the morning. It was like connecting back to the earth. He missed that sometimes, traveling to remote places, living in a tent or hut, hearing the varied sounds of the natural world around him.

That said, Blair didn’t miss it enough to leave Jim behind or to force his partner to choose to stay put or come with him. That wasn’t going to happen. If a sacrifice had to be made, Blair would adjust his backpack days to staying put for a while, a long while if need be. He never imagined he could ever love someone as much as he loved the man who’d committed his heart to their relationship and to Blair himself.

Blair closed the magazine and put it on the coffee table just as Jim came in the front door. Soaked, Jim just stood there dripping. Blair ran to the kitchen and grabbed a clean towel. ″Use this. I’ll get one from the bathroom.″

Jim took it and shook his head. ″This will do. I need a shower anyway.″

″Looks like you already had one.″

″Funny man.″ Jim wiped off the best he could and handed the soppy mess back to Blair. ″Wouldn’t mind some coffee while I go change into something that doesn’t make me look so bedraggled.″

″Bedraggled? You been reading Megan’s word-a-day calendar again, man?″

Jim rolled his eyes and headed up to the bedroom, taking the steps two at a time. Blair wrung out the towel in the sink. He ran and hung it over the hamper’s side before he started the brew. By the time the loft smelled like coffee, Jim was back down the stairs in his boxers and holding his dry clothes. He leaned over and kissed Blair quickly. ″Give me ten minutes top.″

″No worries. Take your time. I’m going to fix some tea for myself, too.″

Jim headed to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, the phone rang. ″Sandburg.″

Simon didn’t bother with hello. ″Have you seen the morning paper yet?″

″Not yet. Why?″

″You should probably get on that. Turn on the TV, too. It’s all over the news.″

″What is?″

″Gold died last night.″

Fuck. Well, that sucked. ″It’s not like we didn’t expect it.″

″That’s not the problem.″

Blair frowned. ″Then what is?″

″Your face is all over the front page and on the news.″

Double fuck. ″Why would my face be in the news?″

″Some camera jockey got your picture coming out of the estate when you went to see him last week. Apparently a reporter dug up some older pictures of Gold and made the leap that you might be related. The thing is, they have the photo but not the name. It won’t take long to figure it out though. They’re offering a reward for tips from the public. I just thought you should know.″ Simon paused. ″I’m sorry about your father.″

″He’s not my father, not really.″

″Well, according to the press, you’re a long-lost heir worth millions. You might want to figure out how to handle that once they get your true ID. I’ve got the name of a good lawyer if you’re interested.″

Blair groaned to himself, like he could afford a good lawyer. Maybe he could ask for a student discount. ″Thanks. I’ll get back to you on that.″

″Tell Jim to stay put today. You might need a bodyguard once they find out who you are and where you live. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to high tail it out of town for a while until all this settles down.″

″It’s a thought. I’ll talk to Jim and let you know.″

As soon as he hung up the phone, Jim walked in and asked, ″Tell me what?″

″Gold died.″

″Sorry, Chief.″

Blair didn’t have time for condolences. They were in a crisis. No way in hell did he want to be dragged into the limelight especially one connected to Wyatt Fucking Gold. ″Some asshole reporter got my picture when we went to see him. It’s in the news that I’m an heir.″

″Fuck.″

″Exactly. Simon said to skip work today and stay close. They don’t know my identity yet, but when they do...″

″They’ll be like locust. Fuckers.″

All the happy and contented feeling from earlier was all gone, replaced by nothing but anxiety. ″Simon thinks we should leave town for a while until this blows over.″

″Sounds like a good idea. I’ve got the days and you’ve got another week off. I’ve got a friend who’s got a cabin up in the mountains. We could pack a bag, maybe do some fishing. It could be fun.″

″Works for me.″

″Then start packing. I’ll call and make the arrangements.″ Jim stepped closer. ″First, you should call Sarah.″

Blair had forgotten about his half sister and what she must be going through. She’d been raised by Gold and loved him despite all the shit he’d done over the years. The least Blair could do would be to call. ″Sure, use your cell and I’ll use the house phone.″

Jim went upstairs dialing a number while Blair called Sarah. She picked up right away. ″Blair? I meant to call this morning as soon as I found out what was going on. I didn’t want you to see it on the news. I swear I had nothing to do with it.″

″It’s okay. How are you doing?″

″I’m doing as well as I can be. It’s crazy around here.″

″I’ll bet.″

″Look, Blair, I’m sorry. I had no idea about the journalist. I’ve called our lawyers. They’re trying to block any more coverage, but you know how it is. They’re like bloodhounds with a scent. It’s hard to shake them off it once they poke their noses into a person’s private business.″

″I appreciate anything you or your lawyers can do. Jim and I are going out of town for a while. I’m hoping they’ll get something else to write about by the time we get back.″

″You’re not coming to the funeral tomorrow?″

Blair bit his lower lip before he answered. ″I didn’t know him, Sarah. I’m sorry for your loss, but I won’t be coming. Besides, I want to keep a low profile until this blows over. I’m sorry.″

″No, I understand. I’m just disappointed. I’ll tell the lawyers to do whatever they have to do to keep you out of it as much as possible. I can’t promise how much good it will do though. You know reporters. The more we try to block access, the more they pry. I’ve learned that much working with Dad over the years.″

″Sadly, I know that, too. Never got a story right if they could help it. The more sensationalized, the better. Freedom of the press is a great thing for democracy. Twisting the truth or flat out lying to get a headline another.″

″Isn’t that the truth?″ There was a slight hesitation, but then she added, ″I should tell you that Dad didn’t change his will like you asked him to do. You’re still in line to inherit a little more than half his estate, which, as you know, is quite substantial.″

Blair pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t need any more complications. Fuck. ″You know how I feel about that. Have your lawyers work it out. I’ll sign whatever I need to sign to reject it and turn it back over to you or whoever gets the estate.″

″I’ve already told them, but it’s complicated. It’s not just a matter of signing a few papers, Blair. It’s a huge estate and so it could take some time to get it straightened out. Most of it’s a trust, but some of it will require probate. The public company holdings are even more difficult to sort through. The stockholders are nervous enough as it is without drawing it out with a long court case.″

″I understand that, I do. However, whatever you can do to streamline the process, I’d appreciate it.″

″Understood. I’ll talk to the lawyers again. Anyway, I have to go. Despite knowing this was coming, there are still a million details to take care of.″

″I’m sorry I can’t help more.″

″You could help by just taking the money.″

″Don’t start, Sarah.″

″I’m not starting, Brother. I’m just telling you how it is. Right now that’s not the main concern. We can talk about all that later. Just take care of yourself and tell Jim hello for me. I’ll do what I can on this end to keep the news hounds at bay. Bastards.″

″Thanks.″

As soon as he hung up, Blair felt a surge of guilt. He hated leaving it all on Sarah’s shoulders, but he just couldn’t pretend to care about Gold or his death. There was one thing he strove never to be and that was a hypocrite. Showing up at his father’s funeral would be the epitome of hypocrisy. No way, no how did he want to be anywhere close to where that man was being buried or honored.

Jim came down the stairs, stopping on the last step. ″Chief? You okay?″

″Yeah, I’m fine.″ He glanced up and saw the doubt in his partner’s eyes. ″Well, I will be once we get out of here and away from the madness.″

″Then pack your bags. I’m going down to storage unit to get the fishing gear. Kent will have the place ready for us by the time we get there.″

″Ready how?″

″I told him it was rush job. He’s going to take over some food supplies and essentials. We need to take our own linen’s though. It’s pretty rustic. There’s no power or running water, just a one room fishing cabin with a bed and an outhouse. It’s shelter from the storm and a place to sleep. What more do we need, right?″

Funny how Blair had just been thinking about needing to get back to the basics a little earlier. Put it out into the universe and the cosmos would deliver. ″Lived in a lot worse. I’m fine with rustic.″

″Cool.″

As Jim headed to the door, Blair grabbed his arm and stopped him. ″Thanks, Jim.″

″For what?″

Instead of listing out all the ways Jim was there for him and supported him, Blair just said, ″For all of it, all of you. I love you, man.″

Jim grinned and knuckled the top of Blair’s head, messing up his hair. ″Mushy much, Chief?″

Giggling, Blair took up the challenge. ″You just wait until we get in the cabin. I’ll show you mushy.″

Jim’s expression softened. ″I’m counting on it.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Before they left, Blair had one more call to make. It took several tries to find the right number, but he finally connected to the home where his mother was staying right outside Lima, Peru. Naomi sounded a bit out of breath by the time she finally took the phone from the woman who’d originally answered. ″Blair, is that you? What’s the matter, darling?″

″You okay, Mom? You sound winded.″

Naomi laughed. ″That’s because I just ran in from our sewing circle next door. I’m fine.″

Blair knew his mother made a lot of her own dresses when he was younger, but he thought she’d given that up because of all her traveling. ″You still sew?″

″Of course I sew, Sweetie. Self-sufficiency is essential in any day and age. So, what’s going on, Blair? Why the urgency?″

″No real urgency, but I thought you should know that Wyatt Gold passed away last night.″ There was a long silence and Blair thought maybe he’d lost the connection. ″Mom? You there?″

″I’m here, Honey. I’m just processing the news.″

Blair wasn’t quite sure what else to say about Gold. He knew his mother said she’d forgiven him for raping her years ago, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still have strong feelings about the man and what he did to her. ″Are you going to be okay?″

″I’m sure I’ll be fine, Sweetie. I’m living my best life here. I had planned to move on to Paris next month, but I’m thinking I might stay a little longer.″

Blair knew his mom all too well. She never stayed anywhere unless there was a special person involved. He teased. ″Yeah? So, who is he?″

Naomi’s light laughter tickled his ear. ″Actually it’s a lovely woman named Isabella Diaz.″

The name didn’t sound familiar. ″You didn’t mention her while you were here.″

″She just came back to town this week to visit her Aunt Anita, a dear friend of mine. Isabella spent the last month at a retreat in Argentina. She’s been traveling for two years all across South America lecturing about how to protect the native cultures. Oh, and Blair, she’s a published poet, a good one. We’ve hit it off and she’s wonderful company. We’re talking about living together while she’s here. If all goes well, we might continue her tour together.″

It all sounded right up Naomi’s alley. She loved traveling with interesting companions. Hopefully, Isabella would last a little longer than the last few. ″That’s great, Mom.″

″What about you and Jim, darling?″

Blair hesitated telling his mother about the mess with the will. However, he’d learned the hard way that keeping unpleasant things from his mom only landed him in hot water. ″Gold left me a huge chunk of his estate.″

″He said he was going to do that.″

″He told you that?″

″He did.″

″Why didn’t you talk him out of it? I’m not interested in being pulled into his dirty business.″

″Blair, Sweetie, I told him how you’d feel, but he didn’t listen to me. He couldn’t believe anyone would turn down a fortune. I’m sorry. I did try to convince him.″

″Not your fault. Anyway, somehow reporters found out about me being at the estate, so Jim and I are taking off to do some fishing. We want to lay low and hope it blows over before we get back.″

″You can’t run from reality, Sweetie.″

″Reality is overrated. Besides, I’m not going to be forced into that box you were talking about. I don’t want the money or the association with Gold. Period.″

Naomi’s voice softened. ″I’m proud of you, Blair. Stand up for yourself and your beliefs. You do you, darling.″

Blair grinned. ″Yeah, Mom, you do the same.″

″Absolutamente. Chau, Carino.″

″Chau, Mami.″

Naomi disconnected and Blair smiled, thinking his mother seemed calmer and more settled than she’d been since her time with other partners. Maybe life would work out after all and he’d end up with two moms. Blair could definitely work with that.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Relentless rain made the roads slick and treacherous. Even Jim was doing the white knuckle routine. ″At this rate it’s going to take hours to get there, Chief.″

″There’s no hurry.″

Jim kept glancing at the rear and side view mirrors. Then he frowned. ″Fuck.″

″What?″

″We’ve got a tail.″

Blair turned around in the seat and saw a black Chevy Lumina not far behind. It just looked like a regular car, nothing special. But if Jim said it was a tail, Blair could count on it. ″How long has it been there?″

″Whoever’s behind the wheel is good. It’s been off and on for at least half an hour.″

″What do we do? All this rain makes it hard to shake it.″

″Oh, ye of little faith.″

Blair braced himself for what he knew was coming. Jim was nothing if not predictable when it came to driving like a maniac. ″Just don’t wreck the truck before we even get out of the city proper, man.″

″Trust me. I’ve got this.″ That’s when Jim decided to do his Indy500 impression, taking off, passing cars, dodging in and out. If there was a traffic cop anywhere nearby, they’d have been arrested. It went on for about fifteen minutes before Jim finally slowed and stopped doing the test drive for his racing career.

″Jesus, Jim. Give me a heart attack.″

″But the tail is gone.″

″Great. I’m just glad I packed a few extra pairs of underwear. I think these are done for.″

″It wasn’t that bad. I’m a great driver.″

″By who’s definition? Stunt guys are us?″

Jim grinned and turned his full attention to the highway once again. ″You know you love it.″

″I love you, but your driving sucks.″

Still wearing his smug smile, Jim shrugged and then asked, ″So, you think the tail was related to the whole Gold mess?″

″Probably unless you’ve pissed off some psycho lately and didn’t tell me.″

″No, I would’ve told you if I had. Besides psychos for the most part don’t drive brand new cars. That was most likely a press car.″

″Good to know.″

Blair turned his head and tried to look out the side window, but the rain was coming down too hard for that. ″Sarah said Gold kept me in the will.″

″Fuck.″

″You knew that was a possibility.″

″Yeah, I know, but it’s a headache.″

″Do you think I’m going to need my own lawyer about this?″

Jim pursed his lips as he considered the question and then nodded. ″Likely.″

″Simon said he knew somebody.″

″He’s probably thinking about Ron.″

Blair knew a lot of lawyers from working with the police, so it took a second to remember a lawyer named Ron. ″Ron Snow? I thought he was a prosecutor.″

″He was, but now he does estate law.″

″Since when?″

″Since he quit his job with the city. Said he got tired of the grind. Last I heard he’s working with a firm that specializes in wills and trusts.″

″Bet he’s expensive.″

″Doesn’t matter, Chief. We’ll pay what we have to. It’ll be worth it to protect you from harassment or any kind of hassle that asshole left at your door.″

Blair finally looked at his partner’s profile, saw the firm set of the jaw, the determination. God, Jim was a handsome son of a bitch. Blair sometimes wondered how he got so lucky. ″Thanks, man. I appreciate it.″

Jim glanced over quickly before returning his attention to the road. ″We’re in this together, Blair. What affects you, affects me. If you don’t want the money, you don’t have to be bothered.″

Just from Jim’s tone of voice, Blair got suddenly worried. ″Do you think I should take the money?″

″That’s up to you.″

″But do you?″

″It’s a lot of money, Chief. You could do a lot of good with it.″

Blair swallowed hard and found it suddenly harder to breathe. It never occurred to him that Jim might want him to take money from a man like Gold, a man who was about as corrupt as they came. Sarah said the same thing. Money was money. But he didn’t see it that way. How it was earned and accumulated made a difference. How could it not? Did Jim not get that?

″It would link me to Gold for the rest of my life.″

″And you don’t want that.″ It wasn’t a question.

″No, Jim, I don’t. Is it tempting to take millions and give it to charity? Maybe. But if I did that, who’s to say what could happen with tainted money? I might end up being like him, being so in love with money that I forget about what’s really important. People.″

″Then don’t take it. I’ll make sure that you’re free of it.″

″But you really think I should take it?″

″I think you should think about it and not be too hasty. But like I said, it’s up to you.″

Even as Jim said it, Blair knew that he’d fucked up. He’d never once thought about Jim’s feelings or thoughts about the money, not once. He just assumed they were on the same page and assuming without asking usually led to trouble between them. ″Let me think about it.″

Jim nodded, but didn’t answer, just kept his focus on the road because of the rain flooding the windshield. Blair watched his partner, but stayed quiet. He had a lot to figure out. There was no rush, but even so, he knew that whatever he decided would have long term repercussions either way. That kind of money was life changing. Take it or leave it, he had to know the impact could either enhance his life or blow it all to smithereens.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″I’m glad I wore my boots, man.″

Jim put the fishing gear in the corner of the room while Blair put the plastic bag with all the linen on the end of the bed. It was a full-sized mattress on a platform that took up most of the space in front of the wood stove on the opposite wall. ″I should’ve expected all the mud after all the rain we’ve had, Chief.″

″It’s pretty torrential still. This might not have been the best idea ever to come up here in the middle of all this.″

″It’ll be fine. It’s August. It never rains this much this time of year.″

″Global warming, Jim. Heard of it?″

″Come on, Chief. Don’t start with that again.″ All smiles, Jim stepped to the open front door and stared out at the rain still pouring down. He took a long, deep breath as he sucked in the fresh air. ″It’ll stop soon. I’m sure of it.″

Blair moved in beside him just as there was another flash of lightning followed quickly by a crack of thunder. ″Wishful thinking.″

Jim reached out and wrapped an arm around Blair’s shoulders to draw him closer. ″Doesn’t matter. Rain or no rain, we’ll find something to do.″

Blair chuckled and leaned into Jim’s side. ″I think we can manage to think of something.″

Still staring out across the landscape, Jim suddenly tensed and frowned. Blair asked, ″What is it?″

″The river’s rising and running too fast.″

″That’s to be expected with all this rain. How far away is it?″

″We’re higher than it is, but we need to keep an eye on it, Chief, especially if we decide to try to fish. Flash floods are no joke.″

Blair nodded in agreement. ″I remember a time when there was a flash flood in Bolivia. Nearly took out the whole village, lost a lot of the housing and several of the cattle. Took us a month to completely rebuild.″

″When were you in Bolivia?″

It took a second for Blair to calculate. Time was so hard to keep track of sometimes. ″I was 21, so It was my third expedition with Eli.″

″Eli Stoddard, the same guy who wanted to take you to Borneo?″

Blair pulled away and walked back into the cabin. ″Yeah.″

Jim came in right behind him. ″You never told me you went on so many trips before with the same guy.″

″Does it matter?″

″Not unless it does.″

Blair stopped and turned, confused. ″What’s that mean?″

″I mean, why didn’t you mention it when he asked you this last time?″

″I didn’t think it mattered, Jim. It’d been almost five years since we’d worked together before he asked me about Borneo.″

″Is that why you were so excited to go when he called?″

God, how he hated how Jim sometimes got jealous over nothing. He needed to shut it down in a hurry. ″I got excited because I hadn’t been on an expedition in a long time. Plus, Eli is one the most respected anthropologists in the world. It’s an honor to work with him or to be asked. Plus, I’d never been to Borneo.″ Then Blair stepped closer, lowering his voice. ″But you know why I didn’t go, Jim. I told you then it was about friendship, but it was about more than that. Even then I knew I had feelings.″

″But you never said.″

″Neither did you.″

″Fair point.″ Jim shook his head as if to clear it. ″I’m sorry. I just wondered why working with the guy so many times before was some big secret.″

″It wasn’t. It just wasn’t important, at least not to me.″ Blair wanted to change the subject so he did. ″So, let’s see what your friend decided to bring us in the food department. I’m starved.″

Jim beat him to the supply box and opened it. ″God, I hope these aren’t leftover from our army days.″ He pulled out several small square packets.

Blair took one and complained. ″Rations, Jim? I told you we should’ve brought our own food.″

Jim snatched the packet and stuffed it back in the box. ″Don’t worry about the expiration dates, Chief. They don’t mean a thing. These will be fine. We’ll catch some fish and doctor them up. Or we can set some traps, get a rabbit or two.″ Jim opened a cabinet over the worktable that should’ve been a sink, but wasn’t. ″Look, we’ve got salt and pepper, too. We’re all set. We can make a feast with this shit.″

″Well, I did say I wanted to get back in touch with nature.″

″See. That’s the spirit.″ Jim slapped his back with enthusiasm. ″We’ll live off the land. It’ll be great.″

Another flash of lightning and then a rumble of thunder hit as Blair closed his eyes. He was super out of practice at living the simple life, a life that was anything but simple. He just hoped he didn’t regret making his wish to get back in touch with nature, especially when nature could be such a bitch.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″See, I told you it would stop raining and clear up enough so we could fish.″

Blair squatted on the broad rock across from Jim as his partner gutted and cleaned the last of their catch. No doubt about it, Jim was an expert with a knife. He made quick and even sharp cuts, super efficient. He also cleaned and filleted them before tossing the guts and other bits back into the rushing stream. No need to tempt any bears that might be lurking nearby.

″Where did you learn to do that?″

Jim reached in and washed his bloody hands in the running water. ″Do what?″

″Clean a fish like that. I’ve never seen anybody do it that fast before.″

Jim stood up and picked up the bucket with their bounty. ″Bud taught me the basics when I was a kid. Incacha helped me hone the skill. When you’re cleaning fish for about fifty people, you learn to be quick. You ready to head back to home base?″

Blair stood up, his legs achy from being in a crouched position for so long. As they walked toward the cabin with Blair carrying the gear and Jim the fish, Blair asked, ″Fifty people? What? You were catching fish for the whole village?″

″When I didn’t join the hunting parties, yeah. I was good at it.″

″What? Fishing or cleaning?″

″Both. It was really kind of like cheating.″

″Why?″

″When I fished, I could literally see them in the water no matter how muddy it was. That gave me a huge advantage. I could use a net or a spear but sometimes I would just reach down with my bare hands and get them two at a time. Way too easy. I much prefer using the rod and reel like we did today. That takes skill. Otherwise there’s no challenge.″

As they walked along, Blair took care not to slip and fall on his ass and make a fool of himself. The trail was slippery from all the mud. Meanwhile, sure-footed as ever, Jim had no problem. Blair long ago gave up worrying about getting a complex from comparing himself to his partner. Jim had his strengths and Blair had his own. Still, it did put a dent in his self-confidence every time he nearly took a header trying to keep up with his friend. He finally caved on his pride and called out. ″Slow down, Jim.″

His partner halted and turned to stare at Blair. ″You okay?″

″I’m fine, but between the shorter legs and the mud, I’m having a hard time keeping up.″

″Gotcha.″

Blair made it to Jim’s side, slightly embarrassed. His boots were squishing something awful and his feet ached. ″It’s okay.″

″No, it’s not. You need new boots. First thing when we get home, we get you a new pair.″

Wriggling his toes in his wet socks, he shrugged. ″They just need to be resoled. I meant to get it done sometime last spring, but I forgot.″

″An army travels on it’s feet, Chief. Wet is the enemy. Trench foot is no joke.″

Blair knew that all too well. ″I learned that the hard way one year. When I was traveling through Canada in late winter, I had a touch of it. My boots wore out then, too. God, that was painful.″

Jim resumed walking. ″When were you in Canada?″

″It was when I was on a field trip with my grant seminar on the indigenous people of North America with Professor Garnier. I was in an exchange program with the University of Alberta in Edmonton. It was a great course and I met a lot of terrific First Nation’s people, but, man, it was fucking cold even in March. I haven’t traveled north since. Give me the tropics any day.″

″You and me both. Imagine if I’d gone down in the Yukon instead of Peru. I doubt I would’ve made it out alive.″

Blair cringed at the thought of Jim losing his men and nearly dying himself. He’d never get used to knowing how close he came to never having Jim in his life. To joke about it wasn’t the least bit funny. ″Don’t say that.″

″Say what?″

″About not making it.″

″I was only kidding, though to be fair, I’m probably right. I don’t do cold worth shit.″

Blair shook his head and complained. ″I don’t like to think about stuff like that.″

″Stuff like what?″

″You dying.″

Jim used his free hand to capture and squeeze Blair’s shoulder. ″Aw, Chief. I’m right here. No dying allowed for either of us for a while yet.″

Before he could answer, Jim suddenly stopped walking. ″Blair, did you leave the front door open at the cabin?″

Lifting his head, Blair focused on the building in the distance and saw their door wide open. ″You know I didn’t.″

″Well, fuck.″

″Think it’s a bear?″

″I don’t think bear’s do locks, Chief.″

″Well, I can’t say for sure that I locked it.″

″Even if you didn’t, bears don’t usually open doors. They tend to smash in.″

Jim put the bucket of fish on the ground. ″Stay here. I’ll check it out.″

Blair grabbed his arm. ″You will not. You don’t have your gun.″

″Fuck.″

Swallowing hard, Blair flashed on earlier in the day when he’d insisted that Jim leave his weapon at home. So much for being on vacation. ″Sorry about that.″

″Not your fault. I could’ve said no. Look, I still think you should stay here. I’ve at least got the knife.″

Blair reached into his jeans and pulled out his small pocketknife. ″I’ve got this.″

Instead of insulting the size of his weapon, Jim simply said, ″Get behind me then and stay out of the line of sight the best you can.″

Before they started moving, Blair complained. ″We can’t leave the fish.″

″Fuck the fish.″

″We spent the whole day catching those fish and I’m hungry. I’m not leaving them for the bears or the coyotes so they can eat better than we do.″

Jim rolled his eyes and then gave in. ″Then leave the fishing gear and grab the fish. We’ll come back later. Now stay behind me like I said.″

″Sure thing. Sentinel becomes my human shield. I can go with that.″

As they inched forward, Blair whispered. ″Do you hear anything inside the cabin?″

″No.″

″Maybe who or whatever it was came and went already.″

″Could be. Now be quiet.″

″Sure, okay. I’m just worried about what’s going on or who it could be. Maybe they got your gun. We should check that first. Maybe…

″Sandburg.″

″Sorry. You know I talk when I get nervous.″

Jim practically growled and Blair shut up after he grumbled under his breath. ″Excuse me for breathing. Jeez.″

By the time they got within twelve feet of the cabin, Jim stopped sneaking and stood up straight. He was no longer on alert. ″There’s nobody here now, Chief.″

Blair let out the breath he’d been holding. ″Great.″

″But there was somebody here while we were gone.″ Jim moved quickly inside and scanned the small interior before coming back to meet Blair at the door. ″My gun is still here, but someone took all the rations.″

Blair tried not to giggle, but lost the battle. ″Their loss.″

Jim wasn’t amused. ″That was our basic food supply for the week.″

″It’s not like we’re in Timbuktu, Jim. We can go into town if we get too hungry.″

″The nearest convenient store is an hour away.″

Blair held up the bucket like it was a prize, which it was. ″At least we’ve got dinner. Build a fire and we’re going to eat like kings.″

Jim slipped his knife back into its sheath on his belt. ″I kind of wanted some of those mashed potatoes.″

″Gross. Those are disgusting. How could you eat those and ruin a perfectly good piece of fish?″

Jim shrugged. ″Nostalgia I guess.″

″Nostalgia?″

″Yeah, I ate a lot of rations in the military over the years. Mashed potatoes were about the only thing worth eating, well, unless you count the roast beef.″

″Which I don’t.″

″No accounting for taste. Plus, if you were hungry enough, the roast beef would be a hell of a lot better than grubs and slugs. Trust me.″ Jim went to the covered wood pile and grabbed a few dry logs. ″I’ll get a fire started and you go get the fishing gear down the trail.″

Blair handed over the bucket of fish. ″Sure thing. I hope you cook fish as well as you clean it.″

″You’ll just have to wait and see, Chief.″

Rubbing his belly in anticipation, Blair teased. ″Yum, Chef.″

As Blair turned to walk back along the muddy path to retrieve the rods and reels, he thought about who might have invaded their space. He was glad it wasn’t a bear, but at the same time, having a stranger break in to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere didn’t seem all that much better.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″God, this is delicious, Jim. Bravo, man.″

Jim soaked up the praise and ate another big piece of his trout. When he finished chewing the last bit, he wiped his mouth with a damp cloth. ″It turned out better than usual. It’s been a while since I cooked anything over an open fire. We need to do this kind of thing more often, Chief.″

″Couldn’t agree more, man.″

Blair put his still half-full plate on the ground and stood up. ″As good as it is, I think it could use some salt, maybe a little pepper.″

″You know where it is. Personally, I think it’s fine the way it is.″

Without answering, Blair went inside and got the salt and pepper shakers off the table. Blair sat back down in one of the chairs they’d brought outside and picked up his plate. As he started to salt his fish, Jim suddenly smacked it out of his hand. ″What the fuck, man?″

″Something’s not right.″

Blair saw Jim’s nose twitching and the intense expression as his partner tried to identify a smell. ″What’s not right? The salt?″

Blair retrieved the salt shaker and took the top off. He inhaled and frowned. ″Fuck. It smells like almonds.″

Jim took it out of Blair’s hands, took another careful sniff before he confirmed their suspicions. ″Cyanide, Chief.″

Confused, Blair couldn’t believe it. ″Why the hell would your friend Kent leave salt with cyanide lying around?″

″He wouldn’t. He didn’t.″

″I don’t understand.″

Jim put the top back on the salt shaker and reached for the pepper. He sniffed it, too, sneezed a couple of times and grimaced. Blair asked, ″Is it poisoned, too?″

″No, just pepper. The thing is, the salt was fine when we got here.″

Suddenly chilled, Blair lost his appetite completely. ″Shit. You know what that means.″

″It means the guy who broke in didn’t just take the rations.″

″But why the hell would somebody poison salt for godsakes? It doesn’t make any sense.″

Instead of answering, Jim stood up and picked up his chair to take back inside. Blair decided to follow his lead and do the same thing. After they put the furniture back in order, Blair asked, ″What are you thinking, Jim?″

″I’m thinking how the hell did someone know you were here?″

Horrified at what Jim was suggesting, Blair shook his head. ″You can’t think that someone aimed this at me. That’s crazy. It was probably just some random maniac who wanted to poison whoever was here.″

″I don’t think so, Blair.″ Jim hesitated, but finally confessed. ″I didn’t want to tell you, but whoever was here earlier also took the bullets out of my gun.″

″What? Why take the bullets and not the gun?″

″The gun’s not a lot of use without bullets, Chief.″

Blair didn’t want to imagine an unarmed Sentinel. They’d be defenseless. ″But you’ve got more bullets, right?″

″Of course I do, but the person who took the bullets didn’t know that.″

″Shit.″ Nervously, Blair ran his hand through his hair. ″This changes everything. If you’re right, it’s not just some reporter wanting a story.″

Jim stepped closer. ″It’s someone who wants you out of the picture.″

Blair said what they were both thinking. ″Because of the money.″

″When it comes to taking someone out, what did I always say, Chief?″

″Murder is nearly always about love, money or revenge.″

Jim added, ″And revenge is nearly always about love or money or both.″

″Fuck. I don’t even want the fucking money.″

″Somebody doesn’t know that. My question is who. Who benefits if you’re taken out of the running for the inheritance?″

Blair talked while he paced. ″It can’t be Sarah. She’s already got millions in her own right because of all the money her mom left her and she’s getting the other half of the estate from her dad.″

″Maybe she wants it all.″

Blair shook his head. ″No way, Jim. I trust her.″

″You hardly know her.″

Abruptly stopping, annoyed by what Jim was suggesting. Blair asked, ″She’s been nothing but nice, man. You really think it’s Sarah?″

″I didn’t say that. I haven’t gotten any indication so far that she’s lying about anything she’s said, but we really haven’t talked about you taking half of all she’s got, either. Greed and cunning can come wrapped in a gorgeous package sometimes. Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to somebody who’s money hungry.″

God, just the thought of his half-sister wanting him dead made him sick to his stomach. It couldn’t be her, it just couldn’t. ″I don’t think it’s her. It’s got to be somebody else, maybe somebody who thought they’d get an inheritance but got cut out when I showed up.″

″Maybe. We need more information. We’re working in the dark here, Chief.″

″We need to go back to town.″

″I agree, but in the morning. It’s near sundown and with the roads like they are after all the rain, it’ll be safer to wait.″

Anxious, Blair didn’t want to wait. He needed answers. ″With your sentinel sight it shouldn’t make any difference.″

″Maybe not, but I’d rather wait just to be safe. If we went off the road, we’d be in trouble. Getting help in the dark might be a problem this far out of town.″

Reluctantly, Blair accepted that. ″Okay. Why don’t you call Simon and let him know what’s going on. I’ll clean up the campsite, bury the food so the bears won’t try to have a picnic at our expense.″

Jim nodded and went through his bag to pull out his phone. He dialed, but then cursed. ″No reception.″

″Fuck.″

″We knew it was a possibility, Chief.″

″I know, but that means we’re cut off completely.″

″Which is what we wanted when we came out here, to get away from it all.″

Blair fought down the rising panic. ″I know, but we didn’t expect for someone to try and poison us, either.″

″It’ll be fine, Chief. We’ll pack up and head back to town first thing in the morning. We’ll figure this out. I promise.″

″I hope so. Better light the lanterns while I put out the fire.″

″Sure. The temperature is dropping pretty fast, too. Think I’ll start the wood stove for the night.″

Blair shook his head. ″Don’t do it for me.″

″Why not? You’re the one who gets cold.″

″If you think I’m not sleeping glued to your raging hot body until morning, you’re crazy.″

Jim finally cracked a smile. ″Gotcha, Chief. I’ll keep you good and toasty.″

Blair knew without a doubt he could bet on that.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

They threw their bags in the back of the truck and then climbed in the front seat. Jim went to start the engine, but stalled with his hand resting steady on the key. ″What’s that sound?″

All Blair heard were regular noises, birds, insects, the usual. ″What sound?″

Instead of answering, Jim got out and moved all around the vehicle slowly, obviously trying to hear something Blair couldn’t. He stopped at the rear, listened carefully. He quickly took out a pair of vinyl gloves from his pack and put them on before he reached under the bumper. He pulled out a small box and took a few seconds to examine it. ″Fuck.″

Blair got out and joined him, saw a flashing red light on the top of the box and heard a very faint beeping sound. ″What the hell is that?″

″It’s a transmitter.″

″Transmitter? You mean like for tracking our location?″

″Exactly.″

The reality of what Jim was holding hit like a punch. ″Somebody’s known where we are this whole time.″

″And used it to show up and poison the salt and steal the food and bullets.″

Their gazes met and Blair knew that Jim was as worried as he was. Even so, Blair had a question. ″How come you didn’t hear the beeping before?″

Still holding the device very still, he pursed his lips and they both watched as the light stopped flashing. Then he moved it slightly and the light started up again. ″I didn’t hear it on the way here because of the rain. Since then, it’s only been transmitting intermittently.″

″Yeah? How come?″

″This isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill transmitter, Chief. This little gizmo is top of the line. It’s motion sensitive. It only transmits when it moves. That means it only gets activated when the vehicle it’s attached to is in motion. It saves on the battery life. They use it on long term surveillance cases.″

″I didn’t even know they could do that.″

″Like I said, it’s top of the line and pretty expensive. It’s normally only used by either military or government agencies like the FBI or CIA.″

″Fuck. Which means that whoever planted it has connections. But, Jim, you hadn’t even started the truck yet. What set it off?″

″I guess when we put the bags in the back, there was enough movement to activate the signal. That’s pretty damn sensitive for a tracker.″

Blair thought about it for a minute. What if the tracking wasn’t about him after all. ″Do you think it’s possible that someone in government is tracking you, Jim? Maybe there’s been a leak about your senses.″

″I doubt it. They’d more likely try to capture me, not kill me. Besides, if they wanted me dead, they’d just send a sniper, not poison the salt.″

Blair relaxed slightly, knowing that Jim wasn’t likely a target after all. ″That makes sense.″

″The thing is, we don’t know enough to figure out what’s really going on yet.″ Jim took out his knife and used the tip to fiddle with the bottom. He popped off the cover and detached the wires. The light went out. ″I’ll give it to Serena when we get home. Maybe she can figure out where the signals were sent to.″

″This is getting a little crazy, Jim.″

″More like a lot crazy.″

″For real. Let’s hurry and get out of here, man. It’s starting to creep me out.″

″I hear you.″

They both got back in the truck and Jim reached around to his duffle to get a plastic bag for the transmitter. Once it was secured, he handed the evidence bag to Blair before he took off his gloves. ″Put that in with the salt shaker, Chief.″

As Blair followed orders, Jim turned the key and the motor started right away. Then he handed Blair his phone. ″Once we get off the mountain, start watching for a signal. We need to contact Simon as soon as possible. We’re going to need his help on this.″

″Sure.″

″And Chief.″

Blair glanced over, ″What?″

″I’m sorry our getaway turned out this way. I was kind of hoping for something less dramatic and bit more romantic.″

Blair’s cheeks heated and smiled. ″Same here, Jim. Once we find out what’s going on, I swear we can get back to the romance department. Hell, I don’t need a cabin in the woods to get in the mood.″ Blair covered Jim’s hand with his own. ″In fact, even with all this other stuff as a distraction, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time at home.″

″I’m with you there, Chief.″

″Always.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″I’m glad you made it back in one piece, Jim. The place has been a madhouse.″

″I can imagine.″ Jim walked into his boss’s office and had a seat. He and his partner had sneaked in the back way of the station to avoid most of the press. There were a couple of photographers at the rear entrance who snapped some pictures, but Jim did his best to shield Blair’s face. Once inside, Blair took the evidence bags and headed to the lab while Jim went straight to Major Crimes and his boss’s office.

Simon held out a mug of coffee. ″Here. Take the edge off. You look like crap.″

″I feel like crap.″ Jim took the mug and had a sip. The hot liquid was strong and bitter, but he didn’t complain. He needed something strong to keep going. Jim had a feeling it was going to be a hell of a long day. ″Didn’t sleep much last night. I didn’t want to take the chance of being ambushed in our sleep.″

Simon sat down on the edge of his desk to face his detective. ″How’s Sandburg holding up?″

″He’s hanging in there, but he’s a little freaked out.″

″Anybody would be.″

Simon leaned back and picked up one from the stack of newspapers on his desk. He held it out to Jim. ″This is just one of many.″

Jim took the newspaper and opened it to reveal the full front page. His partner’s face was plastered all over it along with a the headline, ″Mystery Love Child of Deceased Millionaire Wyatt Gold″. The article went on to talk about Blair Sandburg being the long-lost son who’d shown up to Gold’s deathbed and how he’d inherited the lion’s share of his fortune. That included not just money, but dozens of businesses, some local but many global industries that employed thousands of people. It also mentioned the university and Blair’s teaching anthropology while working on his doctorate. Jim just skimmed it. He didn’t need the details. He already knew most of it. ″These all came out this morning?″

″Most of them. The Cascade Times got the jump and did a special edition last night. Some reporter named Dana Reeves did the story.″

″This is bad, Simon. Blair’s going to hate this. He’s got a lot of issues about Gold being his father anyway. He against everything the man stood for. This isn’t going to help.″

″He’ll figure it out. I think you should call Ron Snow and get him started on the whole business about the inheritance. He’s good and will protect his interests.″

″He doesn’t want the money.″

″I know. You told me that. But Blair’s still going to need a damn good lawyer to navigate all the pressures that come with wills and all that shit. This is way out of his wheelhouse. The kid’s never had two nickles to rub together. What’s he know about business and handling money? Not much.″

″The inheritance and publicity are the least of our worries.″ Jim put his empty coffee mug down on the table. ″Somebody followed us up to that cabin. They waited until we were away to poison the salt. They stole the food and the bullets as a distraction.″

Simon knew immediately what Jim was suggesting. ″They stole the food and bullets so you wouldn’t notice the salt had been tampered with.″

″That’s my theory. It’s like they wanted the poison to look like an accident. My friend keeps the place locked, but it’s not really secure. Anybody could get in at any time. If Blair was poisoned, the local police would just think it was a prank gone wrong instead of a targeted attack.″

″Did you tell Blair that?″

″No. He’s freaked out enough. Whoever doing this wants him dead, but doesn’t want it to be written up as murder.″

″That makes sense if you want to take out the competition.″

″Did you get the information I asked for?″

Simon reached over and picked up a folder from his desk tray. ″These are the names of the key players that run the local Gold businesses. I highlighted one name for you.″

Jim opened the folder and read the top name. ″Levi Stein?″

″He’s Gold’s sister Hannah’s son. His father died when he was ten and so Gold stepped in and taught him the ropes in business. From everything I’ve read, he was in line to take over and inherit, as least that was the story until about six months ago. There was some kind of rift. He was still working for Gold, but he wasn’t as favored like he had been.″

″And now what?″

″The big buzz is that with Sandburg’s rise in fortune led to his going into the toilet. Stein’s completely cut out and doesn’t inherit a dime.″

″Really?″

″Nothing, nada, not a penny. He keeps his job, but that’s it. He doesn’t even get a raise or stock in the company. That’s the scuttlebutt anyway. Don’t know if there’s a contingency for it to revert to someone else if something happens to Blair or the kid turns down the money. The will’s not been made public yet other than naming Blair and Sarah Gold as the two primary heirs.″

Jim closed the file and stood up. ″Then I guess after we see Sarah, Stein will be our next stop.″

″You know, I’d ask if you really thought a rich executive like was capable of hiring a hit man, but we both know the answer.″

″We’re talking millions, Simon. That along with the power and the prestige being snatched away, it’s not a big surprise he’d try to do anything to keep it.″

″We don’t know for sure it is Stein who set up the surveillance and poisoning. He’s just the most likely candidate. There are a lot of others who are losing out if Blair’s the new heir. Not to mention, Gold was a bastard hated by a hell of a lot of people for his policies and racist attitudes. Blair could be a target just by being related to the asshole.″

″I’ll find whoever it is, Simon. Nobody comes after Blair and gets away with it.″

″Tell me about it.″ Simon paused. ″I mean that literally, Jim. Keep me in the loop. I want to help however I can, but I need to know what’s going on to do that.″

″I will, sir. Thanks.″

″I like Sandburg, too, you know.″

Jim nodded, knowing how attached his friend was to his partner. Simon treated Blair almost like a son sometimes. Plus, his boss had gone out of his way so many times to make sure they were allowed to stay together on the job despite all the rules against it. Simon kept their secrets about the senses as well as their relationship. He actively went out of his way to keep them both safe even when it could cost him his own career if the truth ever came out.

Jim and Blair both owed Simon a lot, more than they could ever repay. ″I know you do, Simon. Like I said, thanks. I mean that.″

His boss waved him off. ″Go find your partner. I’ve got work to do.″

Jim nodded, noting how Simon never liked to show off his sentimental side. Hell, Jim could so relate to that. Before Sandburg, Jim was pretty much in the same boat. Things were different now. Blair tended to do that, change people for the better. It was one of the many reasons to love the man. It was all the more reason to double his efforts to keep his guide safe.

″Very good, sir.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Glad you changed your boots, Chief.″

″Glad I had a spare pair of sneakers in my locker.″

Jim dodged a Ford sedan in the right lane as they drove toward the Gold estate. He was also keeping an eye out for tails without being too obvious. ″Snazzy socks though. New fashion statement?″

Blair pulled up his right jean’s leg just enough to flash the neon purple and yellow stripes. ″I didn’t have any dry socks, so Rafe loaned me a pair.″

Jim chuckled in amusement. ″Rafe always did have a flair with accessories.″

″His niece Tina gave them to him for his birthday. Never been worn.″

″Can’t imagine why.″

″Did I mention Tina’s is thirteen?″

″Teens have weird taste. All those hormones I guess.″

Blair sat back trying to figure out how to broach the subject of the press again. He figured he’d just jump in with both feet. ″How are we going to navigate when we go home, Jim? If the reporters are that bad at the station, you know they’re going to be camped out at the loft. I mean, we were lucky Joel and Megan were able to go out and distract them for us so we could leave this time, but what about next time? What are we supposed to do?″

″I don’t know, Chief. I guess we could book a room somewhere for a while. Or I could ask Simon to stay at his place a few days. His guest room is free until Daryl’s stays next weekend.″

″I don’t want to bother Simon, but I guess we could get a room. Surely another story will come around soon enough. The news cycles get shorter all the time.″

″Maybe.″

″But you don’t think so.″

Jim didn’t speak right away as he reached the exit ramp. Once he’d merged in the right direction, Jim finally answered carefully. ″I don’t know what you want me to say here, Blair.″

″The truth works.″

″Then the truth is, I think it’s too juicy a story to give up too quickly. I mean it’s got all the elements of high drama. The whole long-lost son who inherits millions is the plot for dozens of novels and movies. People eat that shit up. It’s like a fantasy.″

″I wish it were a fantasy instead of the nightmare that it is, man. I could just close the book or turn off the TV.″ Blair watched as the area got more and more tree-lined with fewer houses. They were moving to the fancier part of town. Hell, Jim’s dad lived just a few blocks away from Gold’s place. Despite trying to distract himself with the scenery, it all came back to the same old thing. ″I know this is terrible, but I wish my mom hadn’t told me about it.″

″What’s terrible about it if that’s how you feel?″

″I’m always the one talking about how it’s important to know the truth and face your demons. Lord knows, I’ve said that to you enough times about your own father. Now it’s my turn. I have to tell you, man, I’m not thrilled with how it feels.″

″I know it’s not easy to face the truth when it’s ugly or complicates your life. Been there, done that.″

″The irony of the situation isn’t lost on me, Jim.″

″What irony? The irony of how much you wanted me to make up to my dad despite all the shit he pulled when I was a kid and you telling me I needed to resolve my issues?″

″Yeah, that irony.″

″Your situation is different, Chief. You didn’t have a dad and you were fine for years without knowing what the jerk’s name was or what he did. Now you know. But are you better for it? I don’t think so. Sometimes not knowing isn’t the worst thing that could happen.″

″True.″

Jim turned on the road that took them up the lane to drive into Gold’s mansion. Apparently Sarah decided to upgrade her security since the last time they were there. A guard waved him down in front of the electric entrance. ″This is a private home, guys. No trespassing and no reporters.″

Flashing his badge, Jim gave him his info. ″Detective Ellison. This is my partner Blair Sandburg.″

The guard quickly looked up from the badge and stared into the truck to see Blair waving hello. He handed the ID back to Jim. ″I’m sorry, Mr. Sandburg. I had no idea you were coming.″

Blair answered for the both of them. ″Not a problem. We just need to park and see Ms. Gold. She’s home, right?″

″She is, sir.″ The guard motioned toward the parking area about a hundred yards beyond the fence. ″However, she has other guests at the moment.″

″That’s fine. Thanks.″

Jim rolled up the window and proceeded to the lot. The last time it’d been empty except for the truck. Now there were about a dozen fancy vehicles. He parked next to a yellow corvette. ″He wasn’t kidding about having guests.″

″Most likely they’re here for shiva.″

″Is that the mourning period you guys have after someone dies?″

″Yeah. It starts right after the funeral, which was yesterday.″

Jim frowned. ″That was quick. Even when there’s no autopsy, it usually takes longer than that to get a service done.″

″Jewish custom means no embalming and burial within 24 hours.″

Jim snapped his fingers. ″Oh, yeah, that’s right. Klein in vice was Jewish. I should’ve remembered about the no embalming thing. He was in the ground before everyone in the unit even knew he was dead.″

Blair hesitated, not sure they were doing the right thing by showing up without warning. ″Maybe we should come back another time. If she’s sitting shiva, she won’t want to talk.″

″Doesn’t it last like seven days?″

″Normally seven, but sometimes three for reformed Jews. I’m not sure what the deal is with Sarah. We didn’t talk about it.″

Jim put his hand on Blair’s shoulder. ″We can’t afford to wait, Chief. We need information that only she can give us. We need to know who would benefit the most if you died or didn’t inherit.″

Blair knew Jim was right, but that didn’t make it easier for him to go against tradition. He wasn’t a practicing Jew, but he respected those who were. Still, lives could be on the line, his own and Jim’s. Blair had no doubt if someone came after him, that person would have to go through Jim to get the job done. Talking to Sarah might be their only option to find out how to stop that from happening. ″Man, this sucks.″

″I agree.″

″Okay, but let’s try to tread softly, man. She just lost her father.″

Offended, Jim complained, ″What? You don’t think I know how to behave in sensitive situations?″

Blair rolled his eyes as he thought about all the times Jim had done anything but act right in public. His partner had a tendency to make a scene first and apologize later, that is if he bothered to say sorry at all. Sensitive was not his middle name, not when he was working or focused on a job. Still, there was nobody he’d rather have by his side when trouble started. He couldn’t, of course, tell Jim that, not and give him the big head or permission to act like an ass if he got frustrated. ″Just follow my lead and you should be okay.″

Jim smirked. ″Follow your lead right into the Sandburg Zone? That should be interesting.″

″Jim...″

″It’s okay, Chief. I like your sister and I’ll try to act right. Just remember though, the aim is to find out who’s trying to kill you. That trumps playing nice anytime. Got it?″

Blair nodded, knowing Jim meant every word. He wasn’t just Blair’s best friend and life partner, but his Blessed Protector. They were connected down to the most cosmic level. Jim would do whatever it took to keep him safe. Polite or respectful went right out the window when he was all about preventing his murder. ″Got it.″

″Good. Now, let’s get this party started.″

″This isn’t a wake, Jim.″

″More’s the pity.″

Blair shook his head in frustration. ″Jim, come on, man, behave.″

Jim lost his smile and sighed. ″Whatever you say, Chief. Lead the way. This is your territory now, not mine.″

″Thanks, Jim. Appreciate it.″

They got out of the truck and walked toward the front door side-by-side. Blair thought about what he could say to Sarah. Her answers could hold the key to finding out who hated him enough to end his life. He just hoped that the threat would be over soon. For the first time in his life, Blair would be more than happy to just be normal again, or as normal as man could be who loved a Sentinel.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

They were let inside the house by a tall man who handed them both kippahs, but then left them on their own. Blair put his cap on right away as he whispered to Jim. ″You can wear it or not since you’re not Jewish. It’s optional.″

Jim nodded and slipped the skullcap into his pocket. He glanced over at the wall of the foyer and frowned. He kept his voice low. ″Why is the mirror covered, Chief?″

″Tradition. It’s to remind us to turn our attention inward to think about the departed and to avoid worldly or self-centered distractions.″

″More tradition. Got it. I should probably start making a list.″

Blair ignored Jim’s sarcastic comment and led the way to the living room where they’d been before. The elegant furniture had been removed and replaced with several lines of plain black wooden chairs. Sarah sat in one and there were about twenty men and women joining her in silence. They all wore black clothes and had their heads bowed. The men had on yarmakes. None of the women, including Sarah, wore make up, jewelry or shoes, but four wore scarves to indicate their married status. Sarah raised her head as they entered, but didn’t smile.

Uncomfortable, Blair wanted nothing more than to turn and leave his sister in her grief. He hated intruding on such a serious and somber moment. Jim put his hand in the small of his back and nudged him forward slightly. But Blair just stood there quietly and waited. After a few seconds, Sarah got up and came over to them. Her voice was low and raspy. It was obvious she’d been crying. ″This isn’t a good time, Blair, Jim.″

Blair knew he didn’t have a choice. ″We have to talk in private. It shouldn’t take long.″

″It can’t wait?″

Jim spoke quietly, but his message was clear. ″Someone’s trying to kill Blair.″

Her eyes widened in shock. She swallowed hard, working hard to control her emotions. Then she nodded, accepting that she needed to talk to her brother despite the bad timing. ″Follow me.″

Avoiding the questioning stares from the other mourners, they all walked down the hallway to her office. Once inside, she shut the door and took a deep breath. She sat down on the chair while Jim and Blair sat on the sofa. Her voice was at normal level again. ″Okay, tell me what happened.″

Jim decided to talk first. He explained about the poisoned salt and ended with the transmitter. ″The big questions are, who would benefit most from Blair’s death and who would have access to that kind of technology?″

Sarah didn’t speak right away, but simply stood and walked over to the window overlooking the gardens. ″I thought he was kidding.″

Blair asked, ″Who?″

″Levi.″

Jim added the missing last name. ″.″

Sarah turned and met his gaze. ″Levi is my cousin. He was Dad’s favorite for a long time. We all believed that it would be Levi who would take over for Dad. That’s what he was trained for. He went to Yale, got all the degrees. Right now he’s CEO at Gold Security and Electronics. He was incredibly angry when he found out about the change in the will. He totally lost it and stormed off. He came to the funeral but didn’t say a word to me.″

Blair shook his head in disbelief. ″If he did all that for the job, why would your Dad cut him out of the will?″

″I don’t know, Blair. Something happened about six months ago. Dad wouldn’t tell me what it was and neither would Levi. I just know that after that, Dad changed the will for the first time and stopped inviting him over. He’d been a regular here at least once a week for years. Levi was part of our family, the inner circle, and then he wasn’t. Whatever it was, it must have been serious for my father to do that to Levi. He really trusted my cousin with a lot of responsibility.″

Jim hazarded a guess. ″When did your dad find out about Blair?″

Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose and came over to sit back down. She looked exhausted. ″I don’t know for sure. I think it was just a month ago. That’s when he changed the will again. So, no, whatever happened between my father and Levi happened before Blair came into the picture. Dad had been looking at a couple of other options for people he thought might be able to step into his shoes once he was gone. He wouldn’t tell me why, but he said he no longer trusted Levi to act in the best interest of the company or the family.″

Blair pursed his lips as he thought about all the different scenarios that could’ve happened. It was quite a long list. ″So you’re saying you’ve got no idea what Levi could’ve done?″

″No. But, the transmitter you’re talking about is the prime product that Levi’s company sells to the government. The contract was nearly fifty million last year alone.″

Blair couldn’t believe it. ″For just the transmitter?″

Jim shrugged. ″I told you it was expensive, Chief.″

Blair still thought that was a hell of a lot of money for something so small. ″But fifty million for some transmitters?″

Sarah explained. ″I don’t keep up with all our products and the companies. To be honest, all that bores me to tears. Besides, for the most part Dad kept me out of the business news. But I know about this one because my dad was so proud of it. He’d bought the prototype and patent for what he considered a steal of a deal. He said it wasn’t just the transmitter but the technology involved that would make us the money. Something about using intermittent transmitting and satellite connections. Apparently this thing can transmit signals for incredibly long distances with surprising accuracy. I personally didn’t even know that was a thing.″

Jim explained why that could be worth the money. ″With that kind of accuracy in surveillance, they could target the person without being nearby for the fallout.″

Blair shuddered as he thought about the dark truth behind the words. ″When you say target, you’re talking about killing a person?″

″That or having him kidnapped, Chief.″

″Fuck. That’s way too much like Big Brother not to scare me shitless, man.″

Then Sarah added a twist. ″I heard Levi talking about some research where they were doing. They were trying to find a way to put these transmitters inside people.″

Jim straightened. ″You mean they were trying to develop personal trackers using the new transmitter technology?″

″I think he called it something like that, yes.″

″Shit.″

Blair touched Jim’s leg, frightened by his partner’s strong reaction to the news. Jim didn’t get bent out of shape without a reason, not about stuff like that. ″What is it?″

″The army was experimenting with that kind of thing years ago, Chief. They were using soldiers as guinea pigs, but weren’t successful. They just didn’t have the technology to do it. But now, if they’ve cracked the code, they could embed a transmitter and keep tabs on anybody in the world, friend or foe.″

″And that’s not illegal?″

″It’s the government, Chief, and not necessarily our own government. It’s one thing to pinpoint the location of a vehicle, but a person? That could lead to long range assassinations across international borders with no accountability.″

All the implications hit him at once. Blair shook his head in disbelief. ″How could anyone support that kind of thing. It’s totally unethical.″

Sarah added, ″But incredibly profitable.″

Blair met her gaze. ″And you’re okay with that?″

″It’s not my business, Blair.″

″But you’re taking the money.″

″I’m not sure that’s true. I mean, Dad took care of all that. Most of my money comes from Mom’s trust fund based on what she got from her parents when they came here before World War II. The rest of it, well, I leave that to the lawyers and the trust fund accountants. They put my share in my trust and accounts. I’m not sure where most of it comes from.″

And from what he was hearing, Sarah didn’t want to know where it came from or how it was made. Shit. ″But...″

Sarah held up her hand in a stop motion. ″I can’t talk about all this now, Blair. I haven’t slept and I’m too tired to think straight. I’ve still got shiva to finish before I can try to figure out the mess Dad’s left behind. Please, let’s not argue about Dad’s businesses until later and my brain is back up to speed.″

Blair knew she was right. It wasn’t the time or place to discuss the ethics of developing technology that went against human and personal rights. No, he’d let his sister grieve in peace. ″I’m sorry. I get wound up sometimes.″

″I understand. You’re not the only one who gets passionate when it comes to some of the things Dad and his companies did or promoted.″

Jim asked, ″Anyone in particular come to mind?″

″Do you mean do I know the name of someone who might kill Blair because he had a grievance against my father and his policies or beliefs?″

″Something like that.″

Sarah bit her lower lip and then went to her desk. She pulled out a folder and walked it over to Jim. ″Here’s a list of the top letter writers and protesters. I’d say the first two could be candidates. They’re rabid haters. The first, Dan Bailey, hated my dad just because he was a wealthy Jew. How dare he, right? But the second name, Carlton Riker, he had a son who died from cancer. He insists that my dad knew that a herbicide we produce was toxic to humans when it got in the water from run off. Riker said his son’s cancer was caused by our product. He sued and lost because he didn’t have enough scientific causal evidence to show the connection between exposure and his son’s particular cancer. After that loss, he consistently showed up at different presentations. He even came to our home and office at different times. Dad had him arrested a few times. Lately, I haven’t seen or heard from him. You could start there.″

Jim asked another important question. ″Has Bailey or Riker ever threatened you?″

″Me?″ She shook her head as if the thought surprised her. ″No. Never. He’s always aimed his hatred toward my dad. None of the protesters on the list have ever threatened me. It’s always been aimed at Dad or some of the CEOs of the individual companies.″

Jim kept the folder. ″After Levi , we might check out some of these names, thanks. I’ll make copies and get this back to you.″

″I appreciate that, Jim. I hope it’s helpful.″

As Jim stood to leave, Blair moved to stand next to his sister. ″I’m sorry about this intrusion. I know this is a hard time for you.″

Sarah patted his hand resting on her forearm. ″Just don’t let yourself get killed, okay? I always wanted a brother. I’d like you to stick around once this is all over. Even if you don’t take the inheritance, I want us to be family.″

Blair studied his sister’s tired but determined face. There was also a longing there, some hope for a connection to family or friends. He realized that he saw a lot of himself in her expression. It was the same one he saw nearly every day in the mirror. ″I’d like that.″

″Now, I need to go back to sit with the others.″

Blair asked, ″How long to you have to sit?″

″I don’t have to sit at all, but I’ll do three days. After Mom died, Dad and I became reformed Jews. You?″

″I don’t practice.″

″It’s never too late to start.″

Blair ignored her obvious invitation to join her in mourning. Instead, he explained, ″Sorry. I’m free range when it comes to religion.″

Smiling slightly, she reached for the door knob. ″I met your mother, so I hear that.″ Then she walked out and left them alone.

″Come on, Chief. We need to go see this person.″

″I dread it, Jim. He’s my cousin.″

″Not in any way that counts.″

″Blood doesn’t count?″

″Not when it’s not backed up by actions.″

Blair flashed on Jim and his relationship with his dad. He understood where his partner was coming from. He got it, but he wasn’t sure if he agreed. He hadn’t made his mind up yet. After all, before a week or so ago, he only had his mom and now he had a boatload of other family members, some he’d never met or even heard of before. Even if they were still relative strangers, family was family. Or so he’d always thought. It was a quandary he’d have to worry about another time.

″I think I’m still processing the idea of family. It’s pretty complicated.″

″Process away, Chief. Meanwhile, let’s go see what Mr. Stein has to say for himself.″

Jim motioned for Blair to go first and then brought up the rear. All Blair could think about was that he hoped it wasn’t his cousin who wanted him dead. He’d much prefer some maniac than someone who was related but had no scruples against murdering blood kin for profit.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Thanks for seeing us, Mr. Stein. We appreciate it.″

Blair extended his right hand to Levi Stein who reluctantly shook it. Stein was short, only about five six and had a full head of curly dark hair. He had blue eyes and a long thin nose with full lips. He wore a gray designer suit and despite the stress of the job or the loss of his uncle, Stein seemed alert but wary. ″Well, I couldn’t turn away my newly found cousin, now could I? Just call me Levi.″

Jim stepped up next to Blair and held out his hand, too. ″I’m Detective Jim Ellison of the Cascade P.D. I’m Blair’s partner.″

Stein met his gaze with defiance, but ignored the extended hand. ″I know who you are, Ellison.″

″Yeah?″

″Cop of the Year, right? You arrested one of my men, Gary Dawson, during a gambling sting about six months ago. It was a totally a wrong place, wrong time situation and a bogus charge. You arrested him anyway.″

Blair remembered that bust. Dawson hadn’t been just some innocent gambler, but the ringleader of the whole thing. They’d investigated the underground gambling ring for nearly a month before they went in. Problem was, Jim lost the case because one of the technical staff had dropped the ball on collecting the evidence and Dawson’s lawyer jumped on it.

Jim’s jaw was tight and Blair saw the tension rising. ″We’re not here to talk about old cases, Levi.″

Stein ignored Blair and did a stare down with Jim. He didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Jim’s larger size or formidable expression. ″Let me ask you this, Detective. What’s a college student like my cousin doing riding around with a cop like you and getting shot at and kidnapped? I’ve read about your exploits in the papers. Seems a little suspect to me. What’s the deal with that? Maybe I should ask the police commissioner why a civilian is involved in all that. His wife is a friend of mine.″

Stein had obviously done his research and was using a not so subtle way of threatening their ride along status. Blair saw the heat rising in Jim’s face and put his open palm on his chest. Touching him like that nearly always calmed his partner when he got too wound up. He hoped and prayed it worked this time. ″Jim. Why don’t I talk to Levi alone, man?″

Jim never took his eyes off Stein. It was the look his partner got sometimes right before he exploded into action. They really didn’t need Levi Stein thrown out a window. Still, Jim resisted. ″I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sandburg.″

Fuck, he called him Sandburg. Blair knew he only had a small window to defuse the situation. ″Listen, Jim. I really want to talk to him alone. Why don’t you go wait in the lobby? This won’t take long. I promise.″ The he added the words that nearly always did the trick. It was like their private code phrase when most else failed. ″Trust me.″

Jim finally turned and focused on Blair instead of Stein. It took a second for his shoulders to relax slightly and for him to finally speak in a normal tone. ″Sure, Chief.″ Then he added his caveat. ″You’ve got ten minutes or I’m back.″

″Got it.″

Throwing one more glare in Stein’s direction, Jim walked out the door. Blair had no doubt that his Sentinel would be listening to every word and noting his cousin’s heartbeat as the two men talked. ″Sorry about that, Levi. He gets a little protective sometimes.″

″What’s the deal with you two? What’s he got to be so protective about?″

″That’s the thing, this whole inheritance thing is out of hand. We’re being hounded by reporters.″

Levi visibly relaxed. ″Yeah, I’ve had a few encounters with those assholes myself. But, look, I’m serious. Why are you involved with the cops?″

″I’m working on my dissertation. My riding along with Jim gives me an insight into closed societies and how they work. Believe me, there aren’t many tighter fraternities in the world than the cops unless it’s the military.″

″You’re right about that. Still, I’ve got to tell you, Blair, you don’t look like you fit in with the cops anymore than I would.″

″You’d be surprised. Anyway, that’s our deal with riding together. But I’m not here about that.″

Levi motioned to the chair in front of his desk. ″Have a seat. So how can I help you?″

Blair sat down as Levi did the same behind the desk. ″Apparently someone is trying to kill me.″

The young man gulped and paled. ″Kill you? Are you serious?″

″Someone tried to poison me when we in the mountains camping.″

Levi shrugged it off and tried to explain it. ″That couldn’t have just been a random thing, some kind of accident?″

Blair gave him a shortened version of the theory of how the poison got in the salt shaker. Then he said, ″Jim has this theory that it’s connected to the inheritance.″

Suddenly nervous, Levi leaned forward. ″What do you think?″

″I think it’d be easy to lose perspective about what’s right or wrong when there’s so much money involved. Somebody might do something drastic.″

″So you think someone’s trying to kill you to get the money?″

″Any idea who’d inherit if I turn it down?″

Levi frowned in confusion and sat up straighter. ″What do you mean turn it down?″

″I’m not taking the money. I told Gold that before he died, but he didn’t change the will like I asked him.″

″Are you crazy? We’re talking millions and that’s not counting the money coming in from the companies, my own included.″ Blair heard Levi’s voice get a little higher and tighter as he continued to rant. ″Our profits skyrocketed this last year. Only a fool would turn down that kind of fortune. You’re supposed to be some whiz kid graduate student. Why would you say you’re going to turn it all down and walk away? That doesn’t make any sense.″

Blair remained calm, hoping to make his position as clear and as believable as possible. ″Because I don’t want anything to do with Gold. Nothing I’ve ever read about him would change my mind about that. There’s also the fact that I didn’t even know the man was my father until a little over a week ago.″

Levi ran a hand back through his hair, sounding and looking even more stressed. ″Look, I know it was a shock that he was your dad, but that’s down to your mom, not Uncle Wyatt. He was trying to do the right thing by leaving you the money.″

Blair had to take a calming breath before he explained the main reason why he hated Gold. ″Gold raped my mother at a party. That’s how she got pregnant in the first place.″

″What?″

Blair refused to say the words again. ″You heard what I said. Because of that, I want nothing to do with him or his money.″

Levi stood up and paced. ″I don’t understand. You’re saying my uncle did that? Hurt your mom?″

″Yeah.″

″I don’t believe it. He wouldn’t do that.″

Blair thought about all the personal lawsuits against Gold, all the women who’d accused him of sexual assault. A lot of the cases were settled out of court, but some played out in public. It was never pretty especially for the women who were vilified by the press. ″And he wouldn’t harass a dozen other women over the years, either, right?″

Levi turned and studied him. ″He had a bad history with women, that’s true.″ Then he shook his head and sat back down. ″God, what an idiot.″

Blair leaned forward not sure he heard right. He wasn’t sure what Eli was actually saying. ″What?″

″I believed him when he said he never did it, but I just didn’t want to believe it. Then when he came after me, I thought I deserved it.″

″Deserved what?″

″Being cut out of the will. He said I was a disgrace.″

″Because?″

″Because I wanted to marry Jennifer.″

Blair had a sneaking suspicion about what was coming. ″Jennifer isn’t Jewish, right?″

″No, and Uncle Wyatt went ballistic. He was fine with me just fucking her, but marrying was different. God, he was a prick about certain things.″

Blair had a more pressing issue than listing all the negatives about his father. ″The thing is, Levi, I need to know if you’ve got any idea who might be pushed so hard that they’d put a contract out on me for being an heir. I mean, who would the money go to if I don’t take it?″

″I was cut out six months ago when I got engaged.″ Levi bit his lower lip, before he finally spoke, his voice still tight. ″I don’t know if he’d actually do anything stupid like that, but you should talk to Isaac.″

″Isaac?″

″Isaac David. He’s another cousin, my Aunt Rachel’s kid. He runs Gold Communications. Last I heard, he was getting tight with Wyatt after my uncle kicked me to the curb. You’d have to talk to Uncle Wyatt’s lawyer to see if he’d be the one to inherit if you weren’t in the picture. But if I had to bet money on the one who’d be most likely to want you gone, it’d be Isaac. The guy’s got a killer attitude, all out or nothing. I know that’s true about him when it comes to business, but I’ve seen him do some seriously cold-hearted shit in his personal life, too.″

Blair stood up, knowing that Jim was likely on tender hooks downstairs. ″I’ll do that. Meanwhile, I’m sorry about Gold’s reaction to your engagement.″

″Yeah? Stick around long enough and you might get an invitation to the wedding.″

″We’ll see.″

Blair went to leave and then stopped. He turned and said one more thing. ″Jim would kill me if I didn’t at least ask this outright. Did you or did you not hire someone to kill me?″

Levi just cocked his head to the side and grinned like it was the funniest question ever. ″Of course not.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″He’s lying through his teeth, Chief.″

Blair bit his right thumbnail and then agreed. ″When he said, ‘of course not’, it hit me wrong, too, man. And do you think there’s really a Jennifer?″

Jim thought about all Stein’s erratic heartbeats as he listened in on their conversation. He’d interviewed scumbags who hadn’t lied so much. ″I doubt it. He was lying the whole time he was talking.″

″So whatever he and Gold fought about, it wasn’t about him marrying out of his faith?″

″I’m figuring it was more likely something to do with the business, but I could be wrong about that. But I’m not wrong about Stein’s heart winning a speed trial when he answered your question about a hired a killer. Good job on that, Chief. You put him on the spot and he didn’t expect that.″

″I learn from the best.″ As they drove along the highway, Blair turned in his seat. ″It’s getting late and I’m tired, Jim. Maybe we should pick this up tomorrow. Plus, I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.″

Jim felt a pang of guilt. He’d had coffee earlier with Simon and had grabbed a Danish from Rhonda before going down after Blair. He should’ve grabbed one for his partner at the same time or at least shared the one he snagged. ″Why didn’t you pick something up at the station while we were there?″

″Because I was in the lab with Serena. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. Since then we’ve been run off our feet, trying to dodge reporters and then seeing Sarah and Levi. We haven’t had a chance to stop anywhere.″

Jim sighed as he kept his eyes on the road. A heavy rain had started again. Welcome to Cascade. Apparently summer had turned into the rainy season along with all the other fucking seasons. It was getting about as bad as living in the jungle. ″We’ll get something once we decide where we should stay for the night.″

″Good, man, because I’m starving.″

″I understand, Chief. But with the press hounding us, we should probably get something from a drive through and then check into a motel somewhere.″

Blair grumbled. ″Sounds romantic as hell, man.″

Jim saw the disappointment and understood completely. He’d had quite a few sexy plans himself before all the shit with Gold happened. He’d wanted to use Blair’s school break as a chance to have a little more alone time away from the demands of their jobs. But, none of that really happened and from the way things were turning out, it might not happen for a whole lot longer. Jim’s priority had to be to keep Blair safe. He could worry about romance and a vacation some other time.

″I know it’s rotten timing, Chief, but we have to be smart. Now that I think about it, we should probably call Simon and see if he’ll mind us staying at his place. Some of the reporters might have look outs or contacts at the local motels around town. Use my phone and ask him. And ask him if Serena came up with anything about the poison or the transmitter while you’re at it.″

Blair picked up Jim’s cell and dialed their friend’s direct number. Their boss answered after only a couple of rings. ″Banks, Major Crimes.″

″Hey, Simon.″

″Sandburg. What’s going on?″

″Jim and I were wondering if you’d like guests for the night.″

Without hesitation, Simon answered. ″Jim’s got a key. Linens are clean and there’s some leftover spaghetti in the fridge.″

″God bless you, man. You’re a lifesaver. Thanks.″

″I should be home around nine.″

″Why so late?″

″Got some fires to put out here.″

″Any to do with us?″

″A few bush fires, but nothing I can’t handle. Now, just leave me some hot water, okay?″

″Sure thing. Oh, and Jim wants me to ask if Serena came up with anything?″

″Not a thing. No prints, nothing to help us track where the poison came from. There’s also no way to know where the transmitter sent its signal. We’re still trying to track down where the thing might have been purchased. We might have something on that by tomorrow if we’re lucky.″

″Thanks. Guess we’ll see you later then.″

Before Simon could respond, Jim heard a gunshot followed almost immediately by the loud popping sound of his front tire exploding. The truck lurched sideways. Jim’s arm went across Blair’s chest to keep him in place, but it didn’t do any good. The truck ran off the highway at top speed and rolled down an embankment. It flipped, not once but twice. Crashing metal crunched, glass shattered and the world went suddenly cold, dark and silent.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Swimming up to awareness, Jim kept his eyes screwed shut. He wanted to delay consciousness for as long as possible. Sounds were wonky, going in and out, soft and loud and then back again, warbling. His head hurt, too, like it was too tight inside his skull. His muscles ached like crazy, especially his neck and lower back. They kept throbbing to the same rhythm of the pounding in his head. The stink stung his nose and turned his stomach. He knew that stench and groaned as he barely opened his eyes to mere slits. The light stabbed him, but he turned his dial down enough that he could see more than the glares and flashes of the world of his room.

Mouth dry and his thoughts muddled, Jim wondered how the hell he got there. ″Hospital?″

Simon leaned in closer. ″Thank god you’re awake.″

″Simon?″

″Yeah, I’m here, buddy. Do you remember what happened?″

Jim closed his eyes again, took a few deep breaths and went back in time. Everything seemed blank until suddenly he relived the moment when he heard the shot and frantically tried to keep Blair safe. He struggled to sit up, but a strong hand kept him lying flat. ″Stay put, man. You can’t get up yet.″

Jim stared at his friend and asked the most important question. ″Blair?″ Simon’s strained features scared him. ″Where is he, Simon? I have to know.″

″He’s in surgery.″

″Surgery?″

″Internal bleeding, but they think he’ll be okay. EMS got him here in time.″ Simon leaned in closer. ″What the hell happened, Jim? Did you lose control of the car? Was there a slick spot in the rain or something?″

″Someone shot the front driver’s side tire out.″

″Shot the tire? Are you sure? None of the witnesses mentioned that in their statements. Couldn’t it just be a blow out?″

Jim used the handrail and the button to raise the head of his bed slowly. He fought off the dizziness as he explained. ″I heard the shot, Simon. It was muffled, but it was there. Came from the tree line nearby where we went off the road. I tried to reach out to Blair but then we went off the road and down the embankment.″

″You flipped a couple of times. Witnesses at the scene said you were out of the vehicle first. Then you went back in and got Blair out before the thing exploded.″ Simon visibly shuddered. ″It was fucking close, Jim.″

Jim flashed back and relived the quick panic, the rush to save his partner before the truck went up in flames. ″Too close. I smelled gas and knew we didn’t have a lot of time.″

″You saved both your lives.″

The world was clearing around him, the aches being pushed back to manageable levels. He needed to tell Blair about his new pain dial. But first Blair had to survive surgery. ″How bad is he, Simon? I don’t remember anything after I pulled him out.″

″You lost consciousness. Blair hasn’t come around yet. Other than the internal bleeding, you both got off fairly easy. No broken bones, a lot of cuts and bruising. Blair had some facial cuts from the broken glass, but the doctors think his eyes are okay.″ Simon put his hand on Jim’s arm. ″And you, you’ve got a concussion.″

That explained the brain pounding and the nausea. Jim had plenty of experience with head injuries. Luckily according to Blair, he had a hard head. Sometimes that worked in his favor. ″I want to talk to his doctors.″

″Not now, Jim. I’ll let you know as soon as they bring him out to recovery.″

″I want us to share a room together.″

Simon shook his head and leaned in closer, his voice more hushed. ″He’ll be on the surgical wing. Remember, Jim, they know you’re partners on the job, but they don’t know the rest.″

Jim’s heart sank at the reality of the situation. ″Fuck.″

″I know. It’s rotten. But I swear I’ll tell you everything as soon as I know it.″

As much as he hated it, Jim realized his boss was right. With all the other shit going on in Blair’s life, he didn’t need them to be outed, too. ″Okay, I get that. I don’t like it, but I get it.″

″Good.″ Simon sat back suddenly more serious. ″Now, tell me who you think shot your tire out.″

″I don’t know who actually did the shooting, but I know who ordered it.″

″Who?″

″Blair’s cousin, Levi Stein. He was in line for inheriting until about six months ago. He’s out of the will, but I’m thinking that he’s hoping he’ll be back in if something happens to Blair.″

″Something like dying in a car crash?″

Jim winced at the idea. ″Exactly.″

″What evidence do you have?″

He knew Simon would believe him, but that wouldn’t help the situation when it came to finding real evidence. ″I heard his heartbeat speed up when Blair asked him if he hired someone to kill him.″

″Well, shit, we should be able to get a warrant with that in no time.″

Jim shifted and grimaced at the pain. He mentally turned the dial down a little lower. ″I don’t need sarcasm, Simon. I know how lame it is. But you need to do some research on him to find something. I know he’s involved.″

″Settle down. I believe you.″ Simon stood up, his face drawn and serious. ″I’ll do what I can, Jim, but this isn’t a lot to go on. Right now you need to rest while I go make some calls and check on Blair’s condition.″

″I’m fine, Simon. I just need to get checked out and start digging. There’s bound to be something that he fucked up.″

Simon used his boss voice. ″You’re not going anywhere, Ellison, not until the doctor says so. Meanwhile, I’ll put a guard on your door and once he’s in his room, I’ll do the same for Sandburg.″

″But, sir...″

″That’s an order, Jim. Stay put.″ Simon stepped a little closer. ″Trust your friends here, Jim. I’ll bring the others in on what’s going on and we’ll handle it. I’ve got top detectives working for me for a reason. We protect our own. We’ll find something and stop this.″

Bolstered by his friends words, Jim nodded before he simply said, ″Thanks, Simon.″

″Thank me by following orders for once. Don’t try to do an end run and break out of here or I’ll have to chew your ass and you don’t want that.″

″No, I don’t.″

Jim sank back into his pillow and accepted that he’d have to give in and trust his friend. It wasn’t easy to do. Jim had always had trouble with the trust thing, that whole letting someone else help when he was so used to being super independent. Blair had taught him it was okay to give in sometimes, to trust certain people. He was still working on it, but he was getting better. One step at a time.

As Simon reached the door, Jim called out. ″Thanks.″

″No need to thank me again, Jim. It’s what friends do.″

″I’m starting to get that.″

″About time.″

Then he was gone and Jim lay there wishing he had one more extended sense, a sixth sense that would let him find the would be killer and take him out of the picture to keep his partner safe. Barring that, he’d try praying. He wasn’t sure if he believed in god or not, but he believed in some higher power, some greater force in the universe. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the strange miracles that had saved his life in Peru and Blair’s life at the fountain. Closing his eyes, Jim prayed to the universal watchman that kept an eye out for sentinels and their guides and hoped like hell he was paying attention.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Blair hurt all over. His body screamed to stay still, to stick around in the dark a while longer just to be safe. His throat hurt like a son of a bitch, too. Despite the inner desire to avoid the pain of waking, Blair had only one priority. ″Jim?″

″Jim?″

Finally opening his eyes, Blair saw a woman in white standing by his bedside. His voice came out weak and raspy. ″What’s going on? Where’s Jim?″

The woman was in her mid-thirties and was around five seven. She had light brown hair, dark eyes and she wore wire-rimmed glasses. She checked his IV and glanced over at the screen monitoring his vitals. She didn’t look all that happy about what she was seeing. ″I’m Doctor Brannon. Do you know where you are, Mr. Sandburg?″

″Hospital. Where’s Jim?″

″Jim who?″

″Jim Ellison. He’s my partner.″

″I know you work with the police, but I’ve been talking to a Captain Banks.″

″Simon?″

″I believe so, yes. I don’t know about a Jim.″

If his partner was okay, he’d be there. Fuck. ″I need to see Simon then. I need to find out what happened to Jim. He was in the truck with me.″

″So you remember the accident?″

″Part of it. Not all of it.″ Blair closed his eyes briefly and shuddered at his flash of fear as they went off the road before everything went black. He had no memory of anything after that. Double fuck. ″What happened?″

″You were brought here unconscious. We had to stop the bleeding, but the surgery went very well. Your throat is probably sore from the intubation. That should be better soon. How are you feeling in general? Any head pain or nausea? Any difficulty breathing?″

″No, nothing like that. Just general aches and pains all over like I got hit by a truck, which I sort of did, I guess.″ Blair raised his hand to his face and found two bandages, one over his right eye and another on his right cheek. ″What happened to my face?″

″We had to remove some glass. Dr. Spenser, our best plastic surgeon, did the work, so the wounds should heal nicely with very little scarring. Overall, you’re a very lucky man, Mr. Sandburg. It could’ve been much, much worse. You’ll likely feel muscle strains for a while and a tightness in your abdomen as the wounds heal. But we saved your spleen.″

Still not all together clear on what actually happened, Blair asked, ″My spleen?″

″The trauma from the accident caused internal bleeding in that area. We thought we might have to remove it, but we didn’t. You can live without a spleen, but it makes you more susceptible to infections. We don’t like to remove organs unless we have to.″

″I appreciate that, thanks.″

″Now, you should rest. I’ve added some pain medication and sedation to your IV to help you sleep a little easier. You’ll be here for a few days until your vitals are more stable and we’re sure there’s no infection.″

As the Brannon walked to the door, Blair called out. ″I really need to see Simon or Jim. It’s important.″

″I’m sure Captain Banks will be here shortly. He’s been checking on you about every half hour. Maybe he can answer your questions about this Jim person. Now, just rest. I’ll be back later to check on you. Any concerns you might have can be answered by your nurse.″

As soon as he was alone, Blair struggled to reach the room phone. He punched in the number for Simon’s personal cell number. His friend’s voice was a godsend. ″Simon?″

″Blair? You’re awake.″

″Where’s Jim?″

″I’ll be right there.″ The line clicked off before Blair could insist on an answer.

He hung up the phone and raised the head of the bed. His mind was fogging over and his eyelids heavy, but Blair forced himself to stay awake. He needed answers or he’d crawl out of the fucking bed to track down the man who kept him breathing on his own. There’d be no force in the universe strong enough to stop him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Blair jerked awake as Simon touched his shoulder gently. He had to blink several times to clear his vision. It was still blurry, but at least he wasn’t seeing double. ″Sorry, man.″

″No problem. How are you feeling?″

″Like crap, but I’m still breathing. Where’s Jim and how is he?″

″He’s a few floors down. He’s got a concussion, but he’ll be fine. I had to practically handcuff him to keep him from getting out of bed to do a search and rescue when they separated the two of you.″

″A concussion? Those can be serious, man.″

″Which is why he’s staying put downstairs for the time being. Luckily, the doctor said this was a mild one. They’re just keeping him under observation a little longer as a precaution.″

″Why can’t we share a room?″

″Maybe you will later, but for now you’re both where you need to be.″

″You’re sure he’s not having bad effects, Simon? He’s gets all kinds of weird reactions to head injuries. You have to make sure they don’t give him any narcotics, either. They put him out of commission in a big way.″

″I know that, but he seems fine in general considering the state of his truck, or you for that matter.″

″I’m fine, man.″

″In what universe? You just had major abdominal surgery. That’s no cakewalk.″

Blair didn’t argue. He was too busy fighting to keep his eyes open. On top of that, he could barely swallow because his mouth and throat were so dry. ″I need some water.″

Simon poured him ice water into a cup. He held the a straw as Blair took several sips. The cool liquid did the trick. ″Thanks, man. My throat feels raw.″

″I remember that from when I was shot.″

″Surgery sucks.″

″It does, but when it saves your life, you can handle the little annoying things that go with it.″

″True.″ Nearly at the end of his fight against the drugs, Blair pushed to get the rest out. ″This wasn’t an accident, Simon.″

″I know. Jim said there was a gunshot to pop the tire.″

″I didn’t hear the shot, but we’d just come from Levi’s. It’s bound to be connected.″

″Jim said there was a shot.″

″If Jim says there was a shot, then there was. Have you examined the truck for the bullet yet?″

Simon cocked his head to the side as he explained why that wasn’t possible. ″There’s not much left to examine, Sandburg. What’s the last thing you remember?″

Biting his lower lip, Blair tried to recall what happened, but there wasn’t much there after going off the road. ″We started flipping.″

Simon filled in the gaps. ″Once you stopped moving, Jim got out first. He pulled you out of the truck right before it exploded. A few seconds more and you would’ve been gone.″

″Exploded? Fuck, Simon, that means...″

″That Jim saved your life.″

″Jesus.″ Blair closed his eyes, fighting off the rush of terror. His worst fear was drowning. His second worst was dying in a fire. He felt the sting of a tear hit one of his face wounds, but he didn’t care. He was alive because Jim had been his hero and savior one more time.

Before Blair could say anything else, Simon’s hand rested on his shoulder. ″Rest, Kid. Jim should be here as soon as they release him. Shouldn’t be much longer. It’s a miracle, but he’s pretty much still in one piece. He must have one hell of a guardian angel.″

Just the promise of seeing his partner let Blair slip into the dark, allowed him to slide into the peace that came from a heavy dose of pain pills and knowing he wasn’t alone. Jim would be by his side soon, just like it should be.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″I know, Simon, but there has to be something to connect Stein to Walsh.″

″So far we’ve not found a thing and Walsh ain’t talking.″

″Who’s Walsh?″

Blair opened his eyes and saw both his friends go still and then smile in unison. Jim reacted first. He stepped to the bed and petted his curly hair back out of his eyes. ″You’re awake, Chief. God, what a relief.″

″It’s great to see you, too, Jim. So, what’d I miss? Who’s Walsh?″

Simon came to stand beside Jim. ″You shouldn’t worry about all this. The doctor said you needed to rest.″

Blair was still drugged up. He could feel it, how sluggish his body was beyond the general aches and pains from being slammed around inside a truck. Not to mention, his brain was slow and his thoughts foggy. He was so used to quick recall and thinking, he’d forgotten what drugs did to his system. Still, he was clear enough to know that he needed to help Jim catch their would-be killer. ″Bullshit, Simon. I’m still hanging in here and I need to be involved. Don’t shut me out, man.″

Jim interrupted. ″We’re not shutting you out.″

″Then answer me. Walsh? What’s the deal?″

Simon caved first. ″He’s the one who purchased the transmitter from an underground source. It was made by Stein’s company, but we already knew that. With the help of his CI, Joel was able to trace the tracking number right to Walsh. It’s a restricted sale, so it’s not supposed to be available to a private citizen.″

Blair knew there had to be more. ″That’s a start, but what else do you have?″

Jim answered. ″Curtis Walsh, former Captain with special ops training. He’s was a sniper and surveillance specialist. He was dishonorably discharged from the army six years ago, but his file’s been redacted as to the reason. My guess is he was booted for being mentally unstable.″

Blair asked, ″Why wouldn’t they just say that?″

″Likely because he was involved in something classified. That’s the usual reason.″

″Shit.″

Jim continued with the background on their suspect. ″Since then he’s been arrested three times for assault and been under suspicion for murder at least twice. Only one of the murder charges stuck. He spent two years in prison for that and one of the assaults before he was paroled early on a twelve-year sentence last July.″

Blair couldn’t believe it. ″He only served two years for murder and assault?″

″I know. Sounds hinky ot me, too, Chief, but that’s the way the system is now. While he was inside, he kept his nose clean and came up for early release after he saved a guard’s life during a riot.″

″You’re saying the guy who tried to kill us got out for good behavior?″

″That’s what the report says, yeah.″

″Fuck.″

″There’s more. The other two assaults are still open cases and the charges pending. The prosecutors are having trouble getting the victims and witnesses to testify, so they’re thinking of dropping the charges.″

Blair swallowed hard as he took in the news, realizing that such a man would likely have no qualms about murder for hire. ″How are we going to prove he’s the one, Jim?″

″We’re still working on that. He’s being held downtown right now because of the transmitter purchase along with having a weapon while on parole. Megan and Brown are interviewing him. The other thing we need to do is find the connection between him and Stein.″

Blair closed his eyes and thought about it. ″You should ask Sarah. She might not know anything directly, but she might know who to ask.″

Simon nodded and agreed. ″I’ll have Rafe run out there and see if she’ll come in for an interview.″

Blair shook his head. ″She won’t. She’s sitting Shiva.″

″Shiva?″

Jim gave him a quick explanation of what that was. Then he added, ″Just have Rafe talk to her at the house.″ Jim paused as if he had a quick brainstorm. ″Have him look at an Isaac David, too. Stein mentioned him as possible competition for the contents of the will. He might have some information that might be helpful. I definitely got the idea that there was a rivalry there. Might be worth exploring.″

″I’ll get on that.″ Simon turned to Blair. ″And you, take a nap.″

Blair protested, ″I just woke up.″

″Too bad. Your eyes won’t even open all the way, Kid.″

Jim touched his shoulder. ″He’s right, Chief. You look wasted.″

Blair took quick offense. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t kill for a shower so he could feel clean again or at least wash off the chemical smells from the surgery. Not to mention, his hair needed shampooing. It was wild and all over the place. He knew Jim loved his hair, but sometimes Blair just felt like taking a razor to it. Shaving it all off would make his life a hell of a lot easier sometimes. He was suddenly glad he didn’t have a mirror handy. ″It’s hard to look your best in a hospital, man.″

Jim ignored the protest, his voice softer and full of affection. ″I love the way you look anytime, Babe.″

Simon took that as his signal to leave. He waved goodbye and headed to the door. ″I’ll be back or call as soon as I get some news. Let’s hope Megan and Brown can break Walsh. He’s our best chance of taking down Stein, too.″

As soon as their boss was gone, Jim leaned over and kissed Blair’s forehead. He gently touched the bandage above his eye. ″God, it was close, Chief.″

Blair used his free left hand to capture Jim’s and drew it to his chest. ″I hear you saved me again.″

″I love you, Blair. I was so scared I couldn’t get to you in time.″

″But you did, man. Thanks. I love you, too.″

Jim squeezed Blair’s hand. ″I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t made it.″

″Same deal here. How’s your head?″

″Still there.″ Jim sighed and then relaxed, but still held Blair’s hand. ″Going to need a new truck though.″

″I guess that’s a nice bonus.″

Jim frowned. ″Why is having to buy a new truck a bonus?″

Blair kissed their clasped hands and teased. ″You know truck shopping always makes you happy.″

Picking up on that idea, Jim ran with it. Blair lay there just listening as his partner started listing everything that he wanted in a new truck, the make and model along with all the extras. Blair drifted to Jim’s voice, the cadence reassuring and the connection vital to both recovery and survival.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Blair groaned in pain as Jim carefully helped him back into the bed. The nurse had taken out the catheter earlier. Then she’d had Jim help him to the restroom and to take him for a walk down the hall.

″Man, I feel like I ran a fucking marathon and got waylaid at the finish line.″

Jim covered up his bare legs and adjusted the pillows. ″You’re doing great, Chief. The doctor and nurses all say so. You might go home as early as tomorrow or the next day as long as you don’t get a fever and your heart rate stabilizes.″

Blair rested back against the pillow and then put a hand over his belly. It still ached from the surgery and bending pulled on the stitches. It wasn’t a sharp pain, but a deep ache. It didn’t hurt hurt, but it was definitely very uncomfortable.″But I feel worse today than yesterday.″

″That’s not unusual. It’s like your body’s in shock at first, but then every little ache and pain has to check in and voice a complaint.″

That actually made sense. ″Like when you get rear ended and seem fine before the whiplash sets in the next day.″

″Exactly.″

″Speaking of whiplash, how’s your head doing?″

Jim sat down in the chair next to the bed. ″Not as bad as you might think. I forgot to mention I’m working with a new dial.″

″New dial?″

″Yeah, like for the senses. It’s a pain dial.″

Blair’s eyes widened in surprise. ″That’s great, Jim. Did you just figure that out or have you been using it before?″

″I’ve tried it a few times with headaches, but mild ones, nothing like this.″

″But is that safe? Pain is supposed to tell us something’s wrong. What if turning down the pain could be dangerous because you cut off that warning system?″

″Well, I know I have a concussion. I mean, I know the pain is there but I’ve can lower the pain level to where it’s more manageable. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.″

″Nothing, as long as you know if the pain gets worse so you can tell a doctor.″

″I recognize when the pain dial needs adjusting, so I’m good so far.″ Jim frowned like he was disappointed by Blair’s reaction. ″I thought you’d be excited about being able to control my pain levels.″

″I am. I mean, it’s a pretty amazing advancement in your abilities to control your senses. I just want to make sure it’s safe, that’s all.″ Blair took a deep breath and then winced as the pain in his gut reminded him that he needed to take it easy even when he was just lying around. ″Maybe I should try out the pain dial myself.″

″I’m sorry you’re hurting, Blair.″

″It’ll get better. I mean, you cut a gut open and then stitch it back up, it’s bound to hurt some. But I’m not kidding about the dial. I wonder if I could access that when I meditated. How did you do it?″

Jim shrugged, obviously not really able to easily verbalized what he did. ″The same way I do the other dials.″

″Which is?″

″I close my eyes and just see it in my head.″

″You actually visualize the dials and then see them moving up or down? Or are they like knobs that you turn clockwise or counterclockwise?″

″They’re like dials on a stereo sound board, not knobs″ Then Jim added. ″I see a hand, my hand, push the dial up or down. Up for stronger, down for weaker. I’ve got a different dial for each sense and now an extra dial for pain.″

″Wow, that’s impressive.″

″Funny thing about the pain dial. The others are silver on a black background, but the pain dial is red.″

″I guess that’s to make it stand out more.″

″Maybe. I just know it showed up about a month ago. Remember when I had that bad headache during the Martinez case?″

Blair remembered how Jim had nearly been crippled one morning after an arrest. At first Blair thought it might be a migraine. He’d been listing all the herbal medicines he could find to help with that. Then suddenly Jim had gotten better after lunch. ″I do remember that. Why didn’t you tell me that’s what you were doing?″

Jim smirked. ″Truthfully?″

Slightly irked, Blair tried to stay calm and keep the annoyance out of his voice. ″No, Jim, I want you to lie to me.″

″Don’t get mad.″

″I’m not mad. I just want to know why you wouldn’t tell me something like that. It’s important.″

Jim sheepishly stared down at his hands. ″I’m sorry. I know I should have, but I honestly didn’t want to do the tests.″

Blair had to admit that Jim had a point. Just in the last five minutes, he’d thought of at least three things he could do to test the pain dial to see how much control his partner really had over his own body. While he had a good reason for doing the tests, he knew they made his partner uncomfortable. He needed to do better about taking Jim’s feelings into consideration. ″No, I’m sorry. I know you hate the tests.″

″I don’t hate hate them.″

″Yeah, you do. I don’t blame you. It’s just that the tests help me better understand how your senses work. The more I know, the more I can help you when they don’t.″

″I know that.″ Jim leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. ″Look after you get home and are feeling better, we can come up with tests.″

″Now you’re just trying to humor me.″

″Is it working?″

Blair practically giggled and held his stomach. ″Don’t make me laugh, man.″

″I love when you laugh, Chief.″

″Me, too, but my belly has different ideas at the moment.″

Jim stood up and stepped over to the bed. He leaned against the raised rail as he fussed with Blair’s hair. Blair loved that intimate and loving feeling between them. Jim wasn’t the only one who could do touchy-feely.

″I can’t wait for you to come home, Blair.″

Blair captured Jim’s hand and kissed it. ″I can get down with that.″ Then still holding Jim’s hand, he asked, ″Were you able to get hold of Naomi yet?″

Jim’s expression sobered and he shook his head. ″Not yet. I did leave a message for her and told her she needed to call. I can try again if you want. She might not have gotten the message.″

″No, that’s okay. She’ll call when she gets a chance.″

″You know the phone reception can be spotty as hell in Peru especially outside the city itself.″

Blair loved that Jim tried to make excuses for his mom’s lack of responses sometimes. The same thing had happened the last time he’d been in the hospital after the near drowning. His mother didn’t return any calls until nearly two weeks after the whole Mexico disaster was already over. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to it, but Blair had to admit that had hurt his feelings more than usual. He’d really wanted to talk to his mom about what happened at the fountain. He just had to accept that’s how she was and move on.

″It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. She’ll call eventually. She always does.″

″I’m sorry, Chief.″

″Detach with love, man. It’s all good.″

Jim cocked his head to the side slightly. ″Is it? Are you really okay with her not calling for months like she does sometimes?″

Blair wasn’t up to hashing out his feelings about his mother’s tendency to not stay in contact. He wasn’t like he could do anything about it. It’d been his way of life since he was a child. ″I’m not worried. She’ll call. Besides, I’m fine now.″

″You’re not fine yet, but you will be.″ Jim leaned over and kissed his forehead.

″That’s lousy aim, man.″

Jim grinned and then kissed Blair again, making sure to hit the target. Blair kissed him back, his tongue sliding in, wrestling and get reacquainted. As he pulled back, Blair cupped Jim’s cheek. ″Love you, Jim.″

″Right back at you.″ Jim decided to prove it again and Blair wasn’t complaining.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″What the hell is that?″

An orderly answered. ″Blair Sandburg?″

Staring at the massive bright red flower arrangement that barely fit through the doorway, Blair couldn’t imagine who sent it. Not only was it huge, but it was incredibly ugly, like something he’d see at a funeral home in some horror movie or nightmare. ″Might be. Who’s it from?″

The orderly came inside and looked around the room, trying to find a spot where the monster would fit. When he didn’t see a place, he just went to the window and put it on the floor. He was young, white, maybe twenty-five with brown hair in a buzz cut. He had a high pitched voice that didn’t match his boxer’s body. ″I don’t know who sent it, but it came from DuPre’s. We don’t get many arrangements from those guys. Too ritzy.″ The young man took the card from the center and handed it to Blair. ″Maybe your friend can move some stuff out of the way to put it on a table, but I’ve got to get back downstairs. Lunch service starts in thirty minutes. I don’t usually do the flower deliveries, but it was too heavy for any of the ladies to carry.″ Then the guy waved and hit the highway.

Curiosity got the best of him and Blair opened the envelope. Inside was a card signed by several of the people from school including Dean Edwards. What the fuck? He couldn’t imagine them even sending a card much less an arrangement, not after all the antagonism caused by the Ventriss fiasco. Deep down he had a sinking feeling about the real reason behind the good wishes. It had nothing to do with his health or recovery and all about his inheritance.

Jim walked in with a cup of coffee. He stopped stock still and just studied the blast of red taking up most of one side of the room. ″What the hell is that thing, Chief?″

″My words exactly.″ Blair handed Jim the card. ″Looks like Edwards and a few others saw the news and are lining up to hit me for a donation.″

Jim closed the card and didn’t look happy. ″You work with a bunch of vultures, Sandburg. First they try to run you out of school for doing the right thing and now that they think you’re rich, they want to send you a whole garden.″

″It’s definitely overkill.″

Jim sneezed and shook his head before he quickly sneezed again. ″Sorry, but that thing has to go.″

″I agree. See if you can get somebody to take it to the chapel or the lobby. It’s too big and your allergies will be off the charts if it stays.″

″Just give me a minute.″

Jim put his coffee on Blair’s tray table. He picked up the arrangement and took it out in the hall. Blair could hear him talking to one of the nurses, but couldn’t make out the words. What he could do was smell Jim’s coffee. He hadn’t had any caffeine since he’d been brought in. Usually he went with tea, but the coffee smelled delicious, much better than what they served at the station. He lifted the cup to his nose and gave it a good sniff. It smelled like heaven.

″No you don’t, Chief.″ Jim snatched the cup from his hand before Blair could take the top off and taste it. ″The doctor said no caffeine, not until you’re a little more stable.″

″I am stable.″

″Yeah, well, the doctor went to school for years to learn his job, so I think I’ll take his word for it over yours in this case. Besides, if you want coffee, I can go back to the cafeteria and get some decaf.″

Dejected, Blair sank back into his pillow slightly miffed. ″I still don’t see what the big deal is.″

″The big deal is that he said your blood pressure is high and your heartbeat is slightly irregular. They want to keep an eye on that.″

″But I’m sure it’s just stress.″

″Which he agrees with, but he also wants to be sure it’s back to normal before you go home. It only makes sense. You’ve been though a lot this week.″

Reluctantly, Blair had to agree. ″Yeah, that’s true. Maybe I can get some herbal tea instead of decaf a little later.″

″We can do herbal. I’ll call Simon or Megan and put in an order.″

″Sounds good. So, what are they doing with the flowers?″

″Giving it to the chapel. They seemed happy to get them.″

Because of Jim’s super allergies to most commercially grown flowers, they’d given all of the other flower arrangements to other patients and only kept the balloons and fruit baskets. Jim had sent those home with Simon to take to the loft the night before. ″Cool.″

Jim moved to sit in the chair by the bed and sipped the hot drink. Blair asked, ″Have you heard anything from Simon yet?″

″I would’ve said if there was anything new to report, Chief. We just have to be patient.″

″Not easy to do when you’re stuck in a hospital.″

″I know that’s right.″

″But at least you’re not stuck in a bed.″

″No, that’s true.″ Jim drained his cup and tossed it into the trash. ″I know it’s frustrating. You want me to call and check what’s going on?″

″I know it’s a pain, but I really want to get an update.″

″Done. Now, you stay put and I’ll go outside to make the call.″

″Where am I going to go, man? They won’t even let me out of bed on my own yet.″

Jim ignored Blair’s pissy attitude and headed out to make his call. Meanwhile, Blair lay there wishing he could do more than just lie there and be a sitting duck if Levi or anyone else wanted to take another run at him. Sure, there was still a guard outside even with Jim sticking around, but that didn’t mean Blair felt completely safe yet. He’d never feel safe as long as he was still included in that fucking will.

Blair picked up the bedside phone and made a call of his own. After a few rings, a man picked up on the other end. ″Ron Snow of Taylor, Taylor and Young Legal Services speaking. How might I help you?″

″Mr. Snow, this is Blair Sandburg. We met when you were working on the Beatty trial last year.″

″I remember. How are you doing? I heard that you and Ellison were recently in some kind of auto accident.″

″I’m still in the hospital, but I’m doing better, thanks. I’m calling because you also might have heard about my recent inheritance.″

″I have heard, yes. I’m sorry for your loss. I didn’t know Wyatt Gold personally, but I’ve heard a great deal about him and his interests.″

Blair wasn’t in the mood to talk about his father, so he cut off any more condolences he didn’t need or care about. ″Listen, I need your help.″

″With?″

″Turning down the inheritance.″

″What? You’re kidding.″

″I’m not. I really need to talk to you about what I need to do to make that happen.″

″Well, in that case, give me your room number and I can be there within the hour.″

″Really?″

″Really.″

Blair gave him the information before he bit the bullet and told Snow a hard truth. ″Look, I’m pretty broke. I don’t get paid by the PD and I only have my fellowship at the university. I’m hoping we might work out a deal or payment plan. I need to know what you charge for your retainer fee.″

″In this case, I’ll waive the retainer. I’ve never handled a case this big before. We’ll talk later about my fee depending on how complicated the situation becomes. I’ll see you soon, Mr. Sandburg.″

As soon as the man hung up, Jim came back into the room. ″Simon’s on his way over. We’ve had some progress on the case. Turns out Walsh doesn’t like the fact that Stein hasn’t lived up to his side of the bargain. Apparently the guy stiffed him and Walsh isn’t happy. It also helps that we found a shitload of illegal weapons at his home. That gives us even more leverage. He’s willing to make a deal.″

″That’s great, Jim, but what kind of deal are we talking about?″

″A deal we can live with. We revoke his parole without chance of renewal and don’t charge him for the murder attempts or weapons unless he renigs. That keeps it state level and doesn’t go federal because of the guns.″

″But he tried to kill us and nearly did.″

″True, but his parole was for another 10 years. He’d likely only get that if we charged him with a new offense and that’s only if the jury convicted him. That could take months if not years. Meanwhile, the deal sends him back to finish his time and he testifies against Stein immediately.″

Blair finally smiled and nodded. He could live with that. ″Works for me, man.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Simon showed up looking proud of himself. ″We’ve got him, Jim.″

″By him you mean Stein?″

″I do.″ Simon turned to Blair. ″I’ve got the warrant. I was hoping I could borrow Jim to serve it. I want to move fast before Stein gets wind of what we’re doing.″

Blair could see Jim chafing at the bit to get going, to be the one to arrest the son of a bitch who hired a man to kill them. Hell, if he were able, he’d go himself. ″It’s okay, Jim. Arrest the bastard.″

″I hate leaving you alone, Chief.″

″I’ve still got the guard at the door and Ron Snow is on his way over. We’re going to talk about what I have to do to decline the inheritance.″

Still hesitant, Jim asked again. ″Are you’re sure about me going?″

″I’m sure. Just don’t get carried away. Don’t give him any excuses to get the case dismissed because you punched him out or threw him out the window.″

″It’s a really nice window, Blair. Six stories high, too. He’d make a nice splat.″

″He would and, if this were an action movie, I’d say go for it. But I want to see the guy locked up, not dead. He is, after all, my cousin.″

″Not that it kept him from trying to have you murdered.″

″Family’s, huh?″

Jim reached over and squeezed Blair’s shoulder gently and then nodded. ″I’ll be back as soon as I can, Chief.″

″Take your time, make sure he’s locked up tight. And when you do get back, I want all the details. Give him the best Ellison treatment you can without losing your badge.″

Jim grinned. ″Ellison treatment?″

″Like you don’t know what that is.″

Jim didn’t pretend he had no clue about what Blair was talking about. He just shrugged and commented. ″Hey, if it works, right?″

Blair turned his remarks to Simon. ″And don’t let him go in alone. Make sure he’s got back up so the doesn’t lose his head if Levi decides to be stupid and say shit.″

″Consider it done, Kid.″ Simon looked over at Jim. ″Come on. The warrant is burning a hole in my pocket. Can’t wait to serve it.″

″You and me both, sir.″

As soon as they were gone and the door closed, Blair closed his eyes, visualizing what would happen next. He knew his partner. He’d slam in and make a big show of it, shove Levi around and be right in his face. He hoped like hell whatever smug expression his cousin might be wearing got wiped away very quickly once he realized what kind of trouble he was in.

What a waste. All the problems went back to Wyatt Gold, the bastard shit stirrer. Gold wasn’t an idiot. The man had to know what kind of bad feelings would be caused by his action to put Blair, an unknown son, into a will worth millions.

A knock came at the door before it opened. Ron Snow stuck his head in. ″You up for visitors?″

″Come on in.″ Blair shifted and winced as he sat up a little higher in the bed. He saw the shocked expression on Snow’s face. Blair explained. ″It looks worse than it is.″

″That’s good because it looks pretty rotten. The cuts on your face? Are they going to need surgery?″

″Shouldn’t. The nurses said the doctor who did the stitching is the best. We’ll see when they heal up and they take the stitches out.″

Snow stood about six foot tall with dark wavy hair and brown eyes. He had a solid tan from working outside, which while living in Cascade could be a challenge. The young lawyer stepped closer and put his briefcase on the rolling tray. ″I thought Ellison would be here.″

″Jim just left with Simon. They’re serving a warrant to arrest Levi Stein.″

Snow’s eyes widened slightly. ″Stein who runs one of his uncle’s companies?″

″The very one.″

″And he’s being arrested for what exactly?″

″Putting out a hit on our lives.″

″Good lord. I had no idea.″ Snow paused and processed the information. ″I take it this alleged hit that you’re talking about was the result of you being one of the heirs to Gold’s fortune.″

″Which is another reason I want to turn it down. I told Gold I didn’t want it when I met with him before he died. He didn’t listen. I wanted it all to go to my half sister Sarah.″

″That could be a problem.″

″Why’s that?″

″Well, if you disclaim the inheritance, you no longer have any control of where it goes. I would imagine Gold had his lawyers write in contingencies for your refusal to take the money.″

″Probably. I don’t know. I haven’t seen the will yet. I only know that Sarah and I are the primary heirs. We’re his only two children.″

″And Sarah’s legitimate and you’re not. Not that it matters legally. He apparently declared you as his son before he died.″

Blair pushed down the desire to tell the whole story about his mother’s connection with Gold. It wasn’t necessary for Snow to know that, at least not yet. ″I just want to know what I need to do to turn it down and how long that’s going to take.″

″Well, first thing, I need to get you to sign a contract that I have the authority to talk to Gold’s lawyers about the will and the disclaimer. In order for the disclaimer to be valid, I’ll need a complete list of what it is you’re actually supposed to inherit so you can agree that you know exactly what you’re turning down. The court doesn’t like it when litigants change their minds.″

″I won’t be changing my mind. I want nothing to do with Gold or his money.″

Snow bit his lower lip and lowered his voice slightly. ″As your lawyer, I have to ask what’s behind your desire to give up so much money, Mr. Sandburg. We’re talking millions. I’ve never heard of anyone in your position doing that.″

″Call me Blair and does it really matter?″

″It might. I have to convince certain people that your refusal has a legitimate reason.″

″I don’t want it made public.″

″It doesn’t have to go public. As your lawyer, what you say to me is privileged.″

Blair hated repeating the story, but he figured it’d likely come out anyway at least to the other people involved. ″Gold raped my mother at a party. That’s how she got pregnant with me. She left town before he knew I existed. I didn’t even know about him until a few weeks ago. He’d tracked down and contacted my mother. Once he found out who I was, he wanted me to see him. He had some idea that I’d magically forgive him and take over his companies. Not going to happen, man.″

″Good lord.″

″So, you can see why I want nothing from him.″

Snow studied him a few seconds longer before he opened his brief case. He took out a legal document and a pen. ″Sign this. It’s a waiver for my retainer. The amount for my services will be arranged later. This will give me permission to talk to the Gold estate lawyers on your behalf.″

Blair indicated the case on the table. ″Hand me my glasses.″

Snow did that and Blair scanned the documents quickly before he signed. He removed his glasses and asked, ″How soon can you get started?″

″I’ll start the process tomorrow. I’ll call you periodically to update or you can call me.″

″How long do you think it’ll be before you can get me out of this mess?″

Snow put the document back into this briefcase, closed it and shook his head. ″I’m sorry, Blair, but it might be months.″

Blair wasn’t sure he heard right. ″Months? Why so long?″

″Gold’s estate is extensive. When it comes to probate, even disclaiming it, it takes time. A full accounting of his money and his properties has to be done. Plus, I have to warn you, that while I understand why you don’t want the money, as your lawyer I’m going to have to advise you to reconsider.″

″Then maybe I need a different lawyer.″

″A different lawyer is going to cost you a lot more than me and that means thousands of dollars which you don’t have.″

Blair gulped. ″Thousands?″

″Turning down millions isn’t cheap. I’ll keep the number as low as I can, but it’s going to be several thousand at the minimum before I’m finished.″

″Why the discount?″

″Honestly, because estate planning and law can be rather dull. Dealing with this, that’s not going to be the least bit boring. Plus, I like the challenge. Now, I should leave so you can get some rest. I’ll call in the next day or so after I’ve met with Gold’s attorneys. I’ll have a much better idea of what we’re dealing with after I’ve seen the actual will and other documents.″

″Thanks.″

As soon as Snow was gone, Blair turned off the light over his bed and leaned back. He closed his eyes and fought back tears. Why the fuck couldn’t his asshole father just have left him out of it? He was going to end up going broke trying stay away from dirty money. How ironic that turning down a fortune was going to cost him a fortune that he didn’t have.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Jim rolled in around eleven, but didn’t come directly into the room. Blair woke up all blurry-eyed when he heard his partner’s voice talking to the nurse and the guard. When the door finally pushed open, Blair had already turned on the light. Jim stepped in and closed the door behind him. ″I thought you’d be asleep.″

″I was. Now, spill. You don’t look damaged, so things went okay?″

Not answering right away, Jim came over and settled in the chair by the bed. His subdued behavior set off alarm bells. ″What the hell happened, Jim?″

Finally looking up, Jim’s eyes were intense. Both angry and sad, they had that mirrored blue color they sometimes got. ″It’s a mess, Chief.″

″What’s a mess. Did Levi resist?″

″No, the actual arrest was weirdly anti-climatic. He didn’t even act like he was surprised. He didn’t even call for a lawyer until after he was booked and in a holding cell.″

″Did his lawyer cause the problem?″

″No. We interviewed him. He confessed to hiring Walsh. His reason was that he didn’t trust his uncle to be fair in the will. He said a bunch of other stuff that, frankly, didn’t make a lot of sense.″

″What kind of stuff.″

″Doesn’t matter.″

Blair wanted to pull his hair out. Sometimes his partner policed far too much and kept him out of the loop. ″Jim, what’s going on? What’s the mess you’re talking about? If he confessed, that makes your job easier, right?″

Jim took a long breath before he slowly stood up and stepped closer. ″Stein hanged himself in his cell, Blair. He’s dead.″

Shocked, Blair sat back and had to replay the words over in his head. They didn’t make sense. Working with Jim, he’d been around jails enough to know the procedure. They took precautions against hanging or other forms of suicide. ″I don’t understand. How could something like that happen?″

″There’ll be an investigation, but right now it just looks like a screw up with one of the officers who didn’t take his belt.″

″Fuck.″

″I know. I wasn’t expecting that. If I’d had any indication, I would’ve put him on suicide watch.″

″What a mess.″

″Simon’s still fielding calls from all over, the Chief, the Mayor, even the Governor have called for somebody’s head.″

″Surely it won’t be yours or Simon’s.″

″No, but some people will be axed. We’ve got protocol’s in place for a reason. Several steps had to fail for this to happen.″

Blair closed his eyes and imagined his cousin’s mind set, how low he had to be to take that kind of step. He just couldn’t picture it. He didn’t know Levi beyond the one meeting, but he didn’t strike him as the suicidal type. After all he hired a killer. That didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d give up so easily or so completely.

Jim touched his shoulder. ″Are you okay, Chief?″

Blair opened his eyes again and asked, ″Are they sure he wasn’t murdered?″

″Murdered?″

″Yeah. You met him Jim. Am I wrong to think Levi killing himself doesn’t fit the pattern of a man like that?″

Jim studied Blair carefully before he finally answered. ″The thought had crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. I checked the scene, I talked to the guards. There’s nothing to suggest that he was killed by anyone but himself.″

That eased Blair’s mind slightly, but not by much. ″I just don’t get how he’d do that. People like Levi, people who are used to getting their own way and buying themselves out of situations, they don’t give up that easily. Plus, even if he were charged, with his money and resources, he could’ve been out on bail until the trial which god knows how long that might take to happen.″

″I don’t know what to say, Chief. Somebody will be looking into it.″

″Not you?″

″No, not me. I’m too close. I can’t be on the case. Neither can Simon, though as a Captain, he’ll have access to the investigation and the findings.″

″This really sucks, Jim.″

″I know. I’m sorry. I mean, I’m not sorry that the threat from Stein is over, but I am sorry about how it’s turned out.″

Blair reached over and took Jim’s hand. ″You look done in. You should go home and get some sleep.″

″Not happening. I did send the guard home, but I’m sticking around.″ Jim motioned to the side chair. ″I’ll camp out here until we can get you home and settled.″

Blair saw the stubborn set of Jim’s jaw and knew protest was useless. Deep down, he didn’t really mind that. ″Okay, but you should get them to bring a cot in or at least a recliner. That can’t be comfortable.″

″Believe me, I’ve slept in a lot worse.″

Jim sat down and then dragged the chair closer to the bed. ″So, did you talk to Snow?″

″I did.″

″And you’re sure about giving up the money?″

They’d talked before and Blair thought he’d made his position clear. ″I told you why. I don’t want anything from him.″

″I know, Blair, but it’s a lot of money that could do a lot of good. You could set up all kinds of charities or scholarships.″

″With dirty money. I know you and Sarah say that it doesn’t matter, but I think it does. Plus, the sooner I disclaim it, the sooner we can get back to normal.″

″Or what passes for normal with us.″

″Exactly.″

Jim nodded and his tight expression softened. ″It’s your play, Chief. I just thought you should look at all the angles. That said, knowing you, you’ve examined every angle known to man, so I should just shut my trap and let you decide. Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you one hundred percent. I don’t want this to be any harder for you than it already has been.″

It meant the world to Blair that Jim was on his side, understood how important it was for him to distance himself from a man like Gold. ″Thanks, Jim.″

″So, what did Snow say about how long this is going to take and how much are we going to have to pay to get it done?″

Blair hesitated, but knew Jim deserved the truth. ″He said it could be months because the estate is so large.″

″And money-wise?″

″He waived the retainer. He said he needed to see the will first.″ Blair swallowed hard before he revealed the rest. ″He said it could be thousands to file the disclaimer.″

Jim’s face stayed neutral, but Blair could see Jim’s pupils get a bit smaller. They did that when he got stressed. ″Thousands?″

″Yeah. I figure if I have to, I can take out a loan.″

″With what collateral, Chief?″

″What do you want me to say, Jim?″

″You don’t have to say anything right now. We’ll figure it out.″

″It’s not your problem. You shouldn’t have to pay for my decision to turn down a fortune.″

Jim leaned in closer, reaching through the rail and taking Blair’s hand. His face was slightly more relaxed, but his voice was tight. ″We’re in this together, right?″

″Right.″

″Then we’ll figure this out together. If I have to, I’ve got some assets to sell or I could take out some of the equity in the loft. That should be enough.″

″Jim, no.″

″Yes.″ Jim brought their clasped hands to his lips. Then he kissed the knuckles. ″I love you. What’s mine is yours. Besides, when my old man dies, we’re going to be in the same position.″

″How’s that?″

″I’m not taking a dime from my father’s estate. So, I get where you’re coming from.″

Blair studied his partner carefully, saw the understanding, the strength. ″I know you do, Jim. And I love you, too.″

Jim stood up just enough to turn off the overhead light. Then he settled back in the chair still holding Blair’s hand like a lifeline. ″Now, sleep. I’ll be here in the morning. We’ll work it out together.″

Blair heard the promise in that word together. For the first time in a long time, he realized the true impact of that word. Together. Forever. Sentinel and Guide. He could live with that.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&The End