Behind Blue Eyes
By Silk
Part 7
Jim Ellison would give
Section One its due. They knew how to bait a trap successfully. Jim knew that he
was walking into what was more than likely a no-win situation, but he had to
come. This was Sandburg. No...it was Blair. Strange how it took yet another
abduction to make Jim realize just how much Blair meant to him.
But this was different.
This wasn't Lash or Brackett or anyone else they had dealt with in the past.
These people were serious players who didn't believe in negotiation. The only
agenda was their agenda.
Section might indeed be
a totally worthy adversary, but they should never have tried to fuck with Jim
Ellison. He had only one agenda: to protect what was his. And goddammit, he was
sorry it had taken Blair's complete subjugation, not to mention his death, for
him to see what had been staring him in the face all along. Blair was his.
He could not sit this
one out. He would save him...or die trying.
Jim approached Van
Access as quietly as possible, though he was certain Section already had him on
whatever passed for high-tech radar these days. Making his way through the
doors, which automatically opened, he was struck by the silence and the lack of
resistance that greeted him.
He could almost hear the
voices in his head wailing, Sucker.... His gun hand stretched out straight in
front of him, Jim took one step at a time, checking each and every intersection
he came to before proceeding. He was concentrating so hard, he nearly zoned.
Only the thought that he must stay alive or Blair would die kept him going.
He turned a corner
sharply, abruptly registering that in his zeal to find Blair, he wasn't using
every advantage he had. His hyperactive Sentinel senses had helped him elude
capture up till now, but he had no idea where he was or where he was going.
Well, that was okay. Jim didn't need a map. He had something better. Blair's
heartbeat.
Of course, Jim had
listened for Blair's heartbeat before, if only to reassure himself that Blair
was still alive. But now, he let it lead him...straight to him.
***
Operations stood on the
Deck, overlooking all of Section One's common areas. Definitely feeling master
of all he surveyed, the man formerly known as Paul Wolfe flicked open a Comm
channel, his thumb holding it in the active position. "Davenport...let
Ellison proceed without challenge. I'll give the command when everything's
green to pursue."
So Michael thought he
could best Operations at his own game.... Too bad. He once believed that
Michael was his heir apparent, though Section's dark knight rarely demonstrated
that kind of ambition, despite countless opportunities literally dangled before
him.
If Michael had what it
takes to be the new Operations, Operations would willingly accept the gauntlet
thrown down. There could be only one.
***
The constant tug of war
between his senses and his need to find Blair was beginning to wear on Jim. All
that adrenaline surging through his veins, readying his body for fight or
flight, was doing what Section couldn't. Taking him down. Exhausting him. Soon
he would have no reserves left. Nothing with which to continue the hunt. But he
was almost there. Blair's heartbeat was growing louder. And faster.
That couldn't be good.
Jim assumed the worst.
That Blair was in imminent danger. But he was wrong. Blair actually managed to
make his way fairly close to Jim's position. Some might have called it blind
luck; some might have called it instinct. Whatever it was, Blair sensed that
Jim was here somewhere, and that alone was enough to escalate his heartrate.
Finally it seemed as
though they would literally collide with each other. Jim came into the next
corridor, his gun drawn, and suddenly he was face to face with his Guide.
Dropping his gun hand, he immediately exclaimed, "Blair!"
"Jim!"
For once, Jim obeyed an
impulse that was probably buried so deep inside him, he wasn't even consciously
aware of it. Wrapping his arms around Blair, all at once he found himself with
an armful of excited, wriggling Guide. "I thought I'd lost you," he
whispered into the dark silky curls that framed Blair's face.
"You never had
me," came the charged reply.
Jim closed his eyes on
an intense wave of pain. He deserved that. And he said so. "I'm sorry,
Chief. I know I let you go-"
"*Let* me go?"
Blair broke the embrace with an agility that Jim was ill-prepared to counter.
"You fucking pushed me away, man!"
Jim froze. He heard a
noise. It could be nothing. But they couldn't take that chance. They were
completely vulnerable, standing in plain sight. Jim searched automatically for
a place to hide. Someplace to buy them time.
He found it on his
second sweep of the area. A fucking porter's closet. He literally dragged Blair
after him, forcing him into the closet, and shutting the door behind them.
"What? You heard something? Someone coming?"
Jim put his fingers to
Blair's lips in an effort to silence him. Big mistake. Suddenly every nerve
ending in his body went into overload. "Blair!" he whispered huskily,
before he gave in to one more impulse, this one undoubtedly buried deeper than
the first. He kissed Blair, a tentative caress of that full sensual mouth that
left him aching.
"Kiss me
back...please." Jim was unfamiliar with the concept of begging, and now
was a helluva time to start, but he couldn't help himself.
"Give me one good
reason," Blair said in that low voice that captivated Jim's overwhelmed
senses.
"You want it as
much as I do."
Okay, it wasn't the
declaration of love he was seeking, but it was a confession of sorts. Jim might
never feel ready to take that trip with him, but Blair had a notion to drag
him, kicking and screaming, into the Sandburg Zone.
Hey, he'd worked with
less.