by Cindy Combs
Mathews shook his head. "We didn't say much since we suspect there's a mole somewhere. However, it sounds like they're even more confused than we are."
"Which means you probably have the vital information to crack this case, Tanner," Simon suggested.
Vin looked up, visibly pulling himself together. "Rattall."
Blair opened a folder onto the large table in Simon's office. "We've tracked him down to Idaho. He supposedly owns a small bait and tackle shop near Coeur D'Alene."
"'Supposedly', Chief?" Jim questioned, catching Blair's suspicion.
"Let's just say he'd have to sell truckloads of worms and hooks to account for all the money in his savings account," Blair replied.
"So he must be doing something else to earn his cash." Jim noticed Vin was still coughing, in spite of hanging on every word. "Why don't you do some more digging, Chief, and I'll take Tanner to the safehouse."
"I want to help," Vin protested firmly. "And I do need to contact Chris."
"Travis is taking care of that. It would be better to keep you under wraps for now," Mathews explained gently. "Your testimony will be needed to tie this Rattall to the crime scene."
"There have already been numerous attempts to grab or kill you, Slick," Jim pointed out. "You won't do your team any good abducted or dead."
"And I'll come over later with what I can dig up on Rattall," Blair assured Vin. "Since you worked on the ATF case, you can see if any of it fits in."
Head still spinning with relief, Vin quietly nodded.
Hour later, rental car, Cascade, WA
"Thank you, Josiah. That makes things clearer," Ezra replied into his cell phone, his fingers tapping out a beat on his Armani-clad thigh. "Yes, once we've contacted our missing colleague, we'll set Nathan's plan in motion... Good afternoon, Josiah."
JD was sitting next to him in the back seat of the Ford Taurus, typing away at his laptop. Neither wanted to watch Buck's wild driving through the strange city. Chris sat up front, staring out the window. Ezra suspected his leader wasn't interested in the scenery; he was still worrying about Vin. He could almost feel the tension radiating off the grim man.
Without moving his eyes, Chris softly asked, "What did Josiah say?"
"They are closing in on the informant, but may need more information. Nathan has recommended that once we have ascertained that Vin is indeed well-protected, we have him place another phone call to Judge Travis and see if we can entangle the serpent in our garden."
"Huh?" Buck asked, pulling his attention away from the pretty blonde in the car next to them.
"Use Vin's call to bait the trap for our rat," JD absently translated.
"Or at least the mole in the Judge's office," Chris amended. He caught Ezra's eye in the rearview mirror. "What else did Josiah say?"
"He's done more research into Detective Ellison. He was indeed an Army officer during concurrent times as our Mr. Tanner. They were also in the same division of Rangers. However, Detective Ellison received an honorable discharge from the Army after spending 18 months MIA in the Peruvian jungle."
Buck's brow wrinkled as he turned the corner a bit fast. "I think I remember that. Wasn't he the sole survivor of a helicopter crash and was taken in by the natives?"
"The Chopec, according to Mr. Sanchez," Ezra clarified. He met Chris' eyes again. "Vin would have left the Army while Detective Ellison was missing."
Before Chris could ponder the meaning of that statement, Buck slipped the rental into a parking space. "Here we are, fellas, the Cascade Police Headquarters."
"Finally," Chris muttered as he bolted from the Taurus.
Buck and Ezra exchanged glances. "This could get hairy," Buck commented softly, reading the tremendous stress his long time friend was under. JD looked up from unfastening his seatbelt, catching the undercurrents.
"Indeed it could," Ezra agreed. "We'll need to stay alert."
"Come on, ladies," Chris yelled from outside the car. "We don't have all day."
Buck sighed as he stepped out of the car. Vin was one of the few people Chris had let get close to him since his wife and son had been killed several years ago. That also meant Chris tended to get more on edge when the young sharpshooter was in danger. Ah man, let's just get Vin, have Chris bawl him out, get into a better mood, and get out of here.
Unfortunately, they were to discover that things were never that simple in Cascade.
The first clue was at the front desk. "What is the purpose of your visit?" The dark haired officer asked. There was an air of toughness and danger lingering about the four men that put her on edge. Lucy Snow had been one of the hostages when Kincaid's militia had taken over the building four years ago, which had been a lesson in how vulnerable even the police could be. She had been extra careful ever since.
Buck gave her his most flirtatious smile. "We're here to speak with a Detective James Ellison."
Lucy instantly remembered that there had been a report of shots fired at Jim Ellison's home that morning. Worried about the respected detective and his charming partner, she inquired icily, "And why do you wish to speak with him?"
As Chris frowned, Ezra smoothly put in, "My colleagues and I are federal agents with ATF. We wish to confer on a case with Detective Ellison."
Instead of lessening her suspicions, Lucy almost glared at them. Federal officers in their building were almost never a good sign. "May I see your badges, please?"
Struggling to keep his temper, Chris yanked out his badge and slid it across the desk, his men following suit. After carefully checking them and logging in the numbers, Lucy then requested, "May I see another piece of photo ID from each of you?"
JD's jaw nearly dropped. "Damn, and I thought it was tough getting into our federal building." He pulled out his driver's license, as did his older friends. After Lucy checked each carefully and compared them to the badges and corresponding agent, she returned them.
Then they had to go through the metal detectors, removing all their weapons, then had to show not only their permits but also their badges and driver's licenses again. By the time they had received visitors passes and stepped into the main lobby over a half an hour later, Chris was fuming, Buck was praying they found Vin soon, Ezra was preparing for the explosion, and JD simply tried to look smaller than normal.
There was another man waiting in the elevator as the four ATF agents stepped inside. JD read 'Detective Franchs' on his pass. Chris simply stared straight ahead while Buck gave him a friendly smile. The detective arrogantly ignored Buck as he overtly examined the three team members in jeans and cowboy boots. Chris' black bowler tie with the silver and turquoise clip in particular caught his attention. "What ranch did you cowboys ride in from?" the detective sneered derogatorily.
Buck and Ezra both winced, knowing full well what was coming. JD jumped out of the way as Chris slammed a fist into the detective's eye. "Do NOT call me 'cowboy'," the blond ordered grimly.
Detective Franchs looked up at Larabee from his position on the floor, a hand over his eye. He could see the wrath boiling in the cold green gaze above him. Fear for his life rose into his throat. He had never seen anyone look so dangerous, except maybe Ellison staring at a perp.
A sharp ding broke the silence in the cramped elevator. "Oh look, I believe this is our floor," Ezra declared, trying to sound cheerful. He pushed JD out of the elevator, leaving Chris to Buck.
Buck grabbed his friend's arm warily. "Come on, Chris." He almost had to drag him out of the elevator.
Chris continued to stare daggers at the man until the elevator door closed. Then he turned, read the signs, and stalked towards the Major Crimes department.
"That didn't go well," JD muttered as the three hurried to keep up. For a man with a sore leg, their leader sure could walk fast.
Still fuming, Chris searched the Major Crimes bullpen. Spotting the nameplate that said 'Detective J. Ellison', he marched to the desk.
Seeing the tall blond man approach his partner's desk, Blair saved the sc
reen he was working on and stood up. "May I help you?" he asked politely. He was faintly aware of three other men walking up from behind the first.
Chris turned. "Where's Ellison?" he demanded.
Mindful of the two attempts already that morning to reach Vin, Blair carefully replied, "He's not here right now. Maybe..."
Chris snarled, the continual runaround igniting his way-too-short fuse. He grabbed the long- haired young man and shoved him up against the wall. "WHERE'S ELLISION?" Behind him, his team winced.
Damn, this guy's as much an Alpha male as Jim. Knowing that the first sign of fear would be his death warrant, Blair forced himself to relax. "I won't tell you unless you put me down."
The jaws of Chris' men dropped. Usually Larabee could scare the hell out of anyone, including his team, with just a stare. Yet this lightweight was staring back with the calmest blue eyes they had ever seen. Tentatively, Buck offered, "Chris, this isn't helping."
Blair had barely registered 'Chris', when another voice boomed across the room. "PUT DOWN MY DETECTIVE!" Simon Banks stormed up to the group, his face dark with anger. Taggart, Connor, Brown and Rafe quietly made a semi-circle around their captain, ready to help protect one of their own. Chris quietly let go of Sandburg, but turned to meet the new challenger stare for stare.
Knowing something needed to be done and quickly, Ezra stepped up. "Please excuse us, sir. My fellow ATF agents and I are simply on a mission to recover a missing colleague. However, it has been a trying few days, and I'm afraid we're running a bit short on patience and temper."
"...all sorts of infectious diseases thriving in that abode." The agent's southern accent and precise words closely matched the ones Vin had imitated that morning. Swiftly, Blair sized up the four men. If I'm right, we got four out of the seven. Vin's with Jim, Chris must be the Alpha leader, while the southerner is probably Ezra. Yet chances are good that at least one of the other two could be JD or Buck. Casually, Blair asked, "I don't suppose any of you live at the CDC?"
"What?" Simon exclaimed. Sandburg often came up with weird questions, but this one had to be in the top three. Yet the cold stare of the man in front of him shifted into surprise.
JD and Buck looked at each other. "I guess that would be us," JD slowly answered.
"Buck and JD?" Blair asked. When their heads slowly nodded, Blair decided to try one last test. "Could you describe your place?"
After shooting a nervous glance at his leader, JD softly began. "Well, it's a loft. The stairs to Buck's room in the loft part are on the left, while the kitchen's perpendicular on the right. The island with the stove and such is set in the center of the kitchen area."
"You face the living room as you step in the door," Buck picked up. "On the other side is the glass doors to the balcony, and JD's room is set under the stairs."
Now everyone wore puzzled looks. "Hell, Blair," Joel remarked. "That sounds like yours and Jim's place."
"That's what Vin said," Blair declared with a smirk. "Only ours is cleaner."
"Vin?" Chris turned to the young man he had pushed into the wall. "You know where Vin is?"
"Yeah," Blair answered vaguely, still concerned about Vin's safety. He held out a hand to show he had no hard feelings. "I'm Blair Sandburg, Ellison's partner."
"And I'm their captain, Simon Banks," Simon announced behind them. He was still glaring at the man who had been accosting one of his own. "And you are?"
"Chris Larabee, Vin's boss." Chris shook Blair's hand, then offered his to the man who had to be as tall as Josiah, though not as husky. "I'm sorry, but Standish was right when he said it's been a hard three days."
"Well, considering all the problems this morning, I suspect I can understand," Simon admitted as he took Larabee's hand.
Chris frowned. "What problems? And where's Vin?"
"Ellison currently has Tanner at a safehouse." Simon waved a hand towards his door. "Why don't we all go into my office? You can sample my coffee while Sandburg and I catch you up."
Chris, with Ezra and JD behind him, began to follow. Then the leader stopped and turned.
Buck was chatting with the attractive redhead who had stood with Bank's crew defending Sandburg. "Australia? How did a beautiful woman like you end up fighting crime in America?"
"Buck," Chris ordered, rolling his eyes.
"Oops, got to go." Buck quickly followed his colleagues into the office.
Safehouse, outskirts of Cascade
Eyes closed, Vin soaked up the warmth radiating from the fireplace. Washington's high humidity made the damp cold seem to penetrate even deeper into his aching body. He really missed Denver's dry air and warm sunshine.
Jim sat a steaming mug by the younger man's elbow and sat in the comfortable chair opposite the matching couch Vin was on. Blue eyes examined his friend as he asked, "How you feeling?"
"Tired," Vin admitted.
"Feel like you've just been given the biggest reprieve in the universe, but your body can't keep up?" Jim asked casually.
Vin's eyes blinked open in surprise. "How'd you know?"
A grim expression briefly touched the older man's face. "A couple of years ago, a perp I was after nearly killed me, then went after Sandburg. He was floating face down in a university fountain when we found him." Jim's gaze dropped to his hands, still seeing the gray, lifeless face of his young partner. "Simon and I performed CPR until the paramedics got there. I thought my soul had been torn apart when they pronounced him dead."
"What happened then?" Vin asked softly. He could sense the fear he had recently been fighting still echoing in off Ellison's tense body.
"The Miracle happened." A slight, self-conscious smile cracked the grim face. "Somehow, Blair must have heard me call him, because all of a sudden he was moving and coughing up water." Jim raised his eyes to meet Vin's again. "I have no idea why he was restored to us, but I do know I never want to go through that again."
Vin nodded, understanding the feeling perfectly. It wasn't all that long ago that they had thought they had lost Chris, only to find out it had been a ruse to find a mole. Yet he really wasn't sure he wanted to face what would have happened if all his teammate had truly been dead. Carefully, he changed the subject. "I've been wanting to say something to you since yesterday, but it just never seemed to be the right time." Jim waited while Vin paused, gathering his thoughts. "I wanted to thank you."
"You can always come to me, Slick. I hope you know that." Jim assured him.
"No, not about now, though I really appreciate you and Blair helping me out." Vin took another deep breath, then coughed. Once under control, he looked up, staring deep into his mentor's eyes. "I wanted to thank you for being there for me before. Back in the Army." Jim looked at him, puzzled. "I didn't have any good men to look up to growing up. You were the first to show me what all those fancy words like courage, pride, duty and honor really meant. You also took the time to show a scared kid like me the ropes. For the first time in my entire life, I actually felt like I was worth something. I've always tried to follow your example ever since, and I've always wanted to thank you for that. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd have turned out."
"You would have turned out fine, Slick," Jim assured him sincerely. "You've always been a fighter with a good heart. And from what I've seen, you still are. Though I'd admit I was surprised when they told me you didn't re-enlist."
Vin shrugged. "I knew there was something screwy about what happened to you and the others in Peru, but I hit a brick wall when I went digging. Then there were a few other missions that didn't feel right to me, either. I decided it was time to get out before I ended up MIA."
Remembering Colonel North, the crooked officer who had arranged for his and his team's deaths, Jim could only nodded. "Just as well. Looks like you're in a good outfit now."
Vin smiled. "Yeah, Chris and the guys have been great. I always wanted to go into law enforcement, but thought I couldn't since I didn't go to college. Then one day when I was bounty hunting..."
"Bounty hunting?" Jim interrupted with concern. He knew how dangerous that life was.
"Yeah, bounty hunting. And I was good at it, too." Vin gave Jim the self-assured smile that used to worry the older man after a mission. "But one day I ran into Chris and his team. I ended up saving Nathan's butt, and a few days later, Chris offered me a job."
Jim shook his head and chuckled. "Apparently, Larabee knew a good deal when he saw one."
"Never regretted saying yes," Vin agreed. The younger man shifted on the couch as another cough rose from his chest. "You look like you have a good deal, too. How did you and Sandburg hook up?"
Jim smiled, trying to decide how much he could tell Vin without revealing his sentinel secret. "Sandburg was an anthropology student when I met him. He helped me deal with some stuff I was struggling with after Peru, and I arranged for him to ride with me as an observer so he could do research for his doctorate. He's a great help, since he's got to be one of the smartest men I know and can sweet talk witnesses like you wouldn't believe. Just don't tell him I said that or I'll never get his big head through doors." Vin chuckled, having noticed himself that Blair had a way with words. "So when the University screwed him over last year, Simon gave him an offer to join the PD."
Vin nodded, sensing that the university issue was a sensitive one. So he ventured cautiously in another direction. "I was wondering about something. Both at the hospital and for a while at your place, Blair didn't draw his weapon. How come?"
Jim shrugged as he leaned back into the chair. "Sandburg's gun is always his very last resort. He'll do everything else first before pulling it, and even then he'll use the least amount of force to reach his objective."
Vin frowned, wondering if that was good enough to back up his former captain. "Perhaps he just needs to get used to it?"
"Not really," Jim chuckled. "He made marksmen last summer at the academy. In fact, SWAT tried to recruit him. But Sandburg's mother is a former flower child and peace activist, so all that early training of 'make love not war' is deeply engrained. Besides, with all his talents, he rarely needs the gun."