Chapter One.

    Blair Sandburg looked at the stack of exams he still had to grade and sighed. He could swear the pile was growing instead of shrinking and it was beginning to piss him off. Still he could still finish by five P.M and be ready for the weekend. Which of course he had no plans for since Anne Jennings came down with a sudden and wholly inconvenient case of the flu. “So much for a nice romantic weekend.” He thought glumly. He’d been after her for weeks and she had repeatedly shot him down, which he just took as a challenge, finally she relented and they’d gone out and had a great time. Blair had to admit they had little in common, actually they had nothing in common, but they had an intense physical connection and who needed talk anyway? So they’d continued seeing each other and Blair continued to endure the ‘Table leg’ comments from Jim, who for some reason remained on his Emma kick.

    Blair rubbed his temples, just thinking about that whole situation gave him a headache. Jim was a pretty smart guy, but he just wasn’t getting the concept of platonic. Blair had finally argued that it would be like dating his SISTER! Jim didn’t buy it for a second and Blair had to agree, sister was taking it a little to far. Truthfully Blair found Emma very attractive, it was the first thing he’d noticed about her of course. Warm green eyes accented her expressive finely boned face. She had a smile that had taken his breath away when he’d first seen it. Her beauty got his attention but her nature made Emma his friend. During their first few years of friendship she remained a constant in his rapidly changing world. Jim might never understand why Blair and Emma had a platonic relationship, but Blair knew the reason. Certain things were just too important to risk.

    As if summoned by his musings the lady in question appeared at his open door knocking quietly.  “Speak of the devil.” he smiled standing up to clear a place for her to sit.

    Emma chuckled shaking her head as she watched her friend try to relocate a stack of files on her behalf. “And the devil appears with a proposition.” She said handing him a large cappuccino.

    “Carmel?” he asked.

    “Crème Broulet.”

    “Oh, this must be some proposition.” Blair sat at his desk. “So go ahead, I’m listening.”

   “Okay here’s the deal.” She leaned forward. “I’ve been asked to do both a charcoal and acrylic of the Merrick house.”

    “On Belle Island? That’s terrific!”

    “Thanks. Anyway I’m going this weekend to start work, but they’ve also asked David Colby to come with and Photograph the place. Here’s my problem Blair. This guy gives me the heebees big time, and I know it’s short notice but I was hoping you might come with? The invitation goes to Jim as well. If you already have plans I understand. It’s just that I don’t want to be alone on an island with David, so please tell me you don’t have plans.” Emma finished giving her pitch and Blair realized she had done it in one breath.

    Blair looked at her and chuckled inwardly pretending to give her request deep consideration as she squirmed ever so slightly in her chair. He was going to say yes, he knew it and she probably did too, but she was so preoccupied with the thought of being alone with David Colby that she didn’t realize it. Blair didn’t blame her, the guy was creepy on his best days. “Okay.”

    Emma’s head shot up. “Really?” she was on her feet and wrapping her arms around him before he had the chance to blink. “I love you, you know this right? Anything you need anytime I’m there. Oh thank you, thank you! You don’t know how relieved I am. Blair thank you. I really mean it!”

    He laughed at her excitement and relief, “You really should work on your inability to express yourself.” He teased.

    The petite woman swatted him on the shoulder. “Would it be completely inappropriate to call the man who is saving my life a smart ass?”

    “Probably.”

    “Remind me to do it later then.” She arched her eyebrow at him. “Can you be ready by seven?”

    “Yeah, will you be at home or in your office?” he asked eyeing the stack of tests he still had to grade.

    “Office. I’m already packed and I have to put project grades up yet.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Just buzz me when you’re ready to go and I’ll swing by to pick you up.”

    “Okay, I’ll see you later then.”

    She smiled at him. “Thanks again Blair.”
 

   Blair surveyed the disaster his room had become. It was almost seven and he still hadn’t finished packing for the weekend. He could hear Jim upstairs opening and closing the drawers of his bureau and he chuckled. His friend had literally jumped at the opportunity to accompany them for the weekend and it left Blair wondering if there were more to Jim’s fascination with Emma then he let on. He supposed he would find out eventually. He heard the detective descend the stairs.

    “You about ready there Chief?” Jim inquired from the hall.

    Blair stood in the center of his personal chaos and swore silently. “Yep, just about.”

    “Well shake a leg, it’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.” Jim teased.

    Blair rolled his eyes. “I’ll be right out, go ahead and call her, the numbers is on the table.” He sighed and gave up trying to pack efficiently, settling on throwing various items of clothing into his duffel. Jim was just hanging up the phone as Blair exited his room.

    “She’ll be here in ten minutes.” Jim grinned.

    Blair studied his roommate, the older man looked excited, he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet and to Blair at that moment, Jim looked more like a kid waiting to go to Disneyland than a hardened ex-ranger and current Cascade detective. Blair’s curiosity was getting the better of him and he decided to pry for information. “Okay Jim, what’s going on here?”

    “What?” The sentinel asked innocently.

    “What?” Blair mimicked. “You man, you’re acting like you’re really thrilled to be going.”

    “And there is a reason I shouldn’t be?” Jim gave a look of bewilderment to his partner.

    “Well no, that’s not what I meant…. It’s just well Jim I haven’t seen you this excited since you found out Santana was playing the arena in July.” Blair folded his arms and waited for the other man to respond.

    The sentinel eyed his partner critically, wondering what he was driving at. “Chief right now getting out of dodge for a few days is a very thrilling prospect.”

    Blair didn’t buy it. “You like her don’t you?” he finally gave up all finesse and asked.

    Jim’s jaw dropped. “What the hell are you talking about?”

    “Emma!” The younger man exclaimed. “You have a thing for Emma don’t you?”

    The older man shook his head in disbelief. “I think all those herbs you use have finally gone to your head Chief. You’re hallucinating.”

    “Jim man you are so not fooling me.” He chuckled. “It all makes sense now, all the questions about her. All the leading statements, sheesh Jim why didn’t you just come out with it? We’re friends if you want to ask her out ask her out.”

    Jim looked to the ceiling and said a silent prayer for strength, his guide believed he was attracted to his friend Emma. That wasn’t the case. He simply enjoyed seeing the two young people together. Blair had told him time and time again that he and Emma were only friends and Jim had grudgingly accepted that, but this was another chance to observe the two of them in action and he considered it an opportunity to engage in a little anthropological study of his own. Could a man and woman really have a platonic relationship, solely platonic, never anything more? Actually the question was could his partner do it? He’d wanted to ask Emma about their friendship, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it without seeming too obvious, hopefully this weekend would give him the opportunity. Still, he believed there were deeper feelings there and if either of them hinted at that he would have to see about getting the two of them together which is where he felt they belonged in the first place. It was after all part of his job. He chuckled inwardly, his partner would be horrified if he knew what he was thinking, the sentinel matchmaker, now that was funny. “Blair I think you’ve misunderstood me. So I’m going to repeat my self slowly to get through that herb addled brain of yours. I. Am. Not. Interested. In. Emma.”

    The younger man simply grinned at him and said “okay Jim whatever you say.” With as much sincerity as he could muster.

    Jim rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag deciding to wait outside for Emma to arrive. He was almost down the stairs still listening to Blair laughing when he nearly plowed into Emma. The startled young woman yelped in surprise and stepped back missing the last step she sat down hard on the landing.

    “Ow.” She said quietly surveying the legs of the man infront of her.

    “Emma! I didn’t see you, I’m so sorry are you okay?” Jim rattled, how could he have not heard her?

    She looked up as he crouched to help her to her feet. “I’m fine.” She smiled, chuckling as she accepted the helping hand. “Happens all the time.”

    Before he had the chance to respond, Jim heard his partner’s voice on the stairs behind him. “What happened?” Blair asked adding in a sentinel only whisper. “Geez Jim, you didn’t have to go all cave man on her.”

    The detective resisted the urge to smack the younger man as he was suddenly witness to another “Physical but strictly platonic” moment between the two. For friends they certainly hugged each other a lot. “Ready to go Chief?” he asked.

    “Yep. The loft’s locked up tight and I am ready.” He snaked his arm around Emma’s waist and leaned into her ear. “I don’t suppose you’d let me drive?”

    Jim heard Emma’s long suffering sigh that echoed his silent one as she handed over the keys to her Outback. “If anything happens to her I will hold you responsible and make you suffer for the rest of your life. Got it?” she warned.

   “I’m a good driver.” He defended himself as they loaded the SUV.

   “Anyone can go a month without wrecking a car Blair.” Emma shot back to him.

    “That was extremely unkind.” He did his best to look hurt.

    Emma simply arched her brow and said. “Your point?”

    “Be nice or I’ll make you ride in back with David.” He threatened.

    Emma looked at him aghast, “You wouldn’t!” the look she received in return clearly told her he would. “I didn’t pack for sweetness and light.” She grumbled as she climbed into the passenger side of her car.

    Jim got into the back seat muttering “so I guess I’m riding in back with David…who is David?”
 

    David Colby paced the living room/kitchen of his small apartment. She was late, of course she was late. “Emma Callahan couldn’t be on time if her life depended on it.” He thought bitterly as he stomped on a cockroach trying to make its escape to one of the kitchen cabinets. He was not a happy man, he’d hit the roof when Emma had told him that Blair Sandburg and his cop roommate were joining them for the weekend. He wondered why Emma had asked them along. “What was wrong with it just being the two of us?” he asked aloud. The bugs he shared his dingy apartment with had no answer for him. “Of all the people she could have invited why did it have to be Sandburg?” She picked the one person who irritated him the most and he suspected she did it on purpose. He was beginning to hate them both. And the Cop? David was just sure that guy was a barrel of fun. He just couldn’t catch a break with her, but the fact that she pointedly avoided him whenever possible made it that much more difficult to get close. He wondered what he’d done or said to her to deserve her constantly looking down her nose at him. If she would just sit down and talk with him, he was sure she’d like him as much as he liked her when she wasn’t being a total bitch or hanging around Sandburg. David bristled at the thought of the other man, he was as bad as Emma was in snubbing him. He was sure the teaching fellow couldn’t be thrilled about being dragged along on this weekend and that might just work to his advantage.

Chapter Two.

Jim could understand Emma’s reluctance to be alone with David Colby the moment he saw the young photographer storm down the steps infront of his apartment building. Everything about the man screamed hostility, from the set of his shoulders to the anger in his dark eyes, “This guy is walking unpleasantness.” He thought to himself.

“Don’t worry Jim,” Emma said glancing at him through the rear view mirror “David is a solitary creature.”

Jim noted the muscles in her neck and shoulders as they tensed with the appearance of the photographer at her window. Her heart rate sped up and she huffed out a breath before opening the window. The man on the outside looked at her blankly holding up is bags.

“In the back.” She said politely forcing some assemblance of a smile.

“Is it open?” he asked impatiently.

Emma’s nature got the better of her. “No David, I thought for this evenings entertainment we’d watch you try to pick the lock!” she snapped at him pithily.

“Fine!” He ground out and stalked to the back of the truck.

The young woman sighed. “Terrific Em’ antagonize Norman Bates’ less stable younger brother! Brilliant!”

Blair patted her leg and gave her a reassuring smile while chuckling softly. “Pretty accurate description though.” He whispered to her.

David shoved his bags into the back of the truck. He was furious. How dare she talk to him like that! She thought she was so superior. “Well,” he thought, “she has a few things to learn about life. They both do!” David smiled a cold smile. He was going to be the one to teach them. He climbed into the back seat and set his camera case carefully on his lap. The smile remained on his face as he planned out lesson one.

They had traveled in relative silence for about forty minutes when Blair asked, “where’s the turn?” he received no response and glanced over at Emma who was sound asleep. He smiled and tapped her on the shoulder. The young woman came awake with a gasp and looked around wildly for a moment. “Em?” Blair frowned. “You okay?”

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, just startled me. Uh sorry about that.” She managed a sorry looking grin.

“It’s a bad thing when the navigator falls asleep on the job.” Blair teased her.

“Yeah yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “So what did you want?”

“To know where the turn off is.”

“Oh.” Emma looked at the mile marker as they passed and glanced at the map. “You’ve still got about four miles yet. You can’t miss the turn, it’s the only road that goes that way.” She pointed to her left.

“West, Emma that way,” he copied her point, “would be West.”

The young woman arched her brow and looked up into the rear view mirror. “See Jim he can be taught!”

“I’m so proud.” Jim said dryly.

“You guys are hysterical you know that?” Blair retorted as his two friends chuckled at themselves. He noticed the other occupant of the truck was frowning so deep his expression had almost become a snarl. Blair decided to make an attempt to bring David into the conversation. “So David, Emma was telling me you were researching the history of the Merrick house. What did you find?”

The younger man’s expression brightened slightly. “Well it has a very unique history. It was built by Josiah Merrick in eighteen seventy-two. He was old money from the east and had built several logging mills in the area. He designed the home himself and at the time it was considered a technological oddity. Some rooms have moving floors and walls, others have unusual dimensions and there are several secret rooms. A whole network of interior passageways was built into the house presumably so Merrick could travel to other rooms in the home without being seen by the staff. Few people other than his wife and Mistress ever saw him. He was a very eccentric man and had some superstition about the eyes of the world being on him and stealing his secrets. It was very strange and consequently generated many rumors among his staff and the public at large.” He paused to see if anyone was still listening to him and was surprised to see Emma turned to face him with a smile on her face. So he continued with his story. “At any rate, he commissioned a landscaper and a sculptor to design the estates gardens, after they were completed his wife threw a huge gala to show them off. It was a disaster. Once they were seen few people stayed. The sculptures were depictions of death, extremely dark and violent. Many of those attending that night left the island in fear others in disgust and it was widely rumored that the family had gone into the black arts and in some of the more wild tales were demons them selves. Their deaths six months later only seemed to fuel those rumors and eventually became an early form of Urban Legend.”
 

“How did they die?” Emma’s curiosity was piqued.

“Josiah and his wife were murdered by his mistress. She then killed the staff and herself.” He grimaced. “It still stands as one of the bloodiest murders in Washington’s history.”

“Wow.” Emma shuddered. “That’s pretty creepy.”

“No kidding.” Blair agreed. “So this is where we’re going to spend the weekend?”

“Don’t sweat it. Most of what has gone on in the house since has been sensationalized by the media and other hysterical story tellers.” David assured.

“There’s been more?” Jim asked, getting into the story a little himself.

“Lot’s more, or so I’ve been told.” The photographer smiled. “No one has lived in the house for long since the deaths of the original owners. There have been the usual reports of cold spots, strange noises; furniture moving on it’s own. You know typical ghost story stuff. Some of the stories are a lot more sinister especially from the last people to actually live in the house. Three of them died.”

“What?” Emma’s eyes widened.

“It’s true, the authorities called it some sort of freak accident. There are surprisingly few details about what actually happened available. Unless of course you read some of the more sensational news magazines.”

“Okay, so what do THEY say happened?” Blair asked.

“Blair your turn!” Emma reminded him.

“Thank you!” he made the turn a little sharply.

“Ghosts.” David replied to Blair’s question.

“Ghosts.” Jim echoed skeptically.

“Hey man I’m not saying I believe in that, but you have to admit that three people hanging themselves accidentally is well… highly unlikely.”

“They HUNG themselves?” Emma’s eyes were huge as she stared at him in disbelief.

“That’s what I read, it seems that the wife and her brothers were in a sitting room and when the husband came into check on them he found them hung in the tassel cords from the drapery.” He paused. “Of course the only thing in the reports was that the official cause of death was asphyxiation. They could have died from carbon monoxide poisoning for all we know. This happened back in the fifties and it wasn’t such a big issue then.”

“So no one has lived in the house since the fifties?” Jim asked.

“There is a caretaker and his wife who live in the guest house and the house and gardens are open during the spring and summer months for tours. They open up again at Halloween for a couple of weeks and do a huge business.” He chuckled.

Emma smiled. “Gee I wonder why? I’m impressed David, you really did your home work.”

David was surprised at the unexpected praise and grinned back at her. “Yeah well I had a lot of time.”

“There’s the Ferry.” Blair said. “Ready to go meet some Ghosts?” he followed the question with a decidedly evil laugh.

“Bring them on!” David exclaimed with a smile. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be such a bad weekend. Perhaps he didn’t need to teach them anything. Perhaps they could be spared his lessons.
 

Chapter Three.

Emma looked out over the water as the ferry charged toward their destination, the waters were choppy according to the Captain, which to Emma seemed to be a dreadful understatement. It hadn’t really bothered her but David had turned several interesting shades of green as they entered the open waters of the sound. She felt badly for him, as grating as she found him, she still held a certain sympathy for the man. She smiled as she spied the island on the horizon, another half-hour or so and they would be there. The idea of a quiet weekend appealed to her greatly. She needed a break, thinking about her companions she realized that was true for all of them.

“You’re the only person I know that can meditate with all this pitching and rolling going on.”

Emma looked up at her friend and grinned. “Naomi is a great teacher.” She uncrossed her legs and scooted over on the bench to give Blair room to sit. “Besides I wasn’t meditating I was thinking.”

“Ah” Blair sat beside the young woman and handed over her jacket. “So come up with any revelations?”

“Thanks and no.” she looked back over the water. “Just happy to have a break.” She sighed.

“I agree.” The anthropologist put his arm around Emma. “Isolated sounds very good right now…thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, my motives were purely selfish.”

“Selfish for not wanting to be alone with David or selfish for wanting to get Jim and I both out of Cascade for a while?” He raised his eyebrow and a knowing grin crossed his face.

“I hate it when you do that…stop tying to make me Mother Theresa.” Her eyes narrowed, “Both okay.”

“Well then the thank you still stands.”

“Yeah well…I thought you needed it.” She said quietly. “I just didn’t want to come across as the mother hen from hell.”

Blair laughed out loud. “Jim has the market cornered on that one. He takes over protective to new levels. It’s like an art with him, that and guilt.”

“He does get a little intense.” She glanced back toward the outback. “I would hate to be his dentist.”

“It’s been a difficult few months…” Blair trailed off, not really wanting to go into their recent past.

“I know…I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make light of it.”

“Emma stop.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “It’s been tough for all of us. I don’t think I ever apologized for getting you involved-.”

Emma held her hand up to silence him and shook her head. “Are we talking about the same thing? Because as I remember it I got my self involved while you were in the hospital.”

“Em I-.” Blair stopped himself. “Are we really going to argue about this?”

“It does seem silly doesn’t it?” she smiled. “Let me just say this. I understand how you feel about my involvement but I made the choice, I acted on it. I was responsible for what happened to me and Blair I would do it again.”

“You almost died.”

“So did you.” The artist countered. “But it’s over and it’s time to let it go.”

“You’re still having nightmares.”

Emma nodded. “That part’s not so easy, but I’m not the only one am I?”

“No.” Blair confirmed. “They’re not as bad, well they’re not as frequent.”

“You don’t talk about them.” Emma rested her head against his shoulder. “I don’t either. They don’t go away, sometimes in the middle of the day out of no where it just smacks me in the head. I want to run and hide, sometimes I actually do.”

“I know, though it’s a little hard to get away when you’re surrounded by people who continually ask if you’re okay. It’s like they’re just waiting for me to flip.” He sighed, “or they’re touching me to make sure I’m still there.”

“That’s cos they know life would really suck without you in it.”

Blair pulled back slightly stunned by the sincerity behind her words. “Em I don’t-.”

Emma held up her hand and tilted her head to the side, smiling at him. “Whether or not you realize it, you’re important to a lot of people including me. It’s our prerogative to worry and dare I say dote if we see fit.”

“Dote?” Blair’s eyebrows shot up. “In thirteen years I have never seen you dote.”

“Oh I don’t dote, Captain Banks dotes.”

“Simon!” Blair laughed. “Emma what exactly have you been smoking?”

“Oh Blair come on…”

Jim smiled as he turned back toward the back of the ferry, chuckling to himself as he continued to listen to his partner and Emma go back and forth about the doting capacity of Simon Banks. It was good to hear them laughing, there hadn’t been a lot to laugh about recently and Jim took it as a good sign they were getting back on their feet. He turned the corner and ran directly into one of the crew. The man reached out and grabbed his arm.

“You shouldn’t be going. None of you should go there.”

Jim fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah yeah I know it’s haunted.” He said without patience.

“It’s true, all of it is true. There is evil there, people have died. You shouldn’t go!” the man was becoming clearly agitated.

Jim wondered when exactly he had stepped into a grade B horror movie as he took in the crewman’s wild eyes and grubby appearance. “Thank you for the warning, we’ll be careful.” He stepped past the man and continued on his way.

“God have mercy on you!” the man shouted after him. “Not all of you will come back!”
 

Chapter Four.

The ferry was very near the island when the winds picked up to a harsh gale rocking the craft back and forth violently on the newly formed swells. Blair and Emma hurried back to the relative shelter of the Outback.

“That was something.” Blair huffed as he shut his door.

“Why me?” Came the muffled whine from the back seat.

“It’ll be okay, Colby.” Blair chuckled.

“It’s not funny.” David complained petulantly.

“I’m not laughing at you, man. You should see me in a helicopter, so I totally understand here. You just sounded like I do that’s all.” Blair assured. “Just sit tight, man, we’ll be there soon.”

“Thank God” David whispered as he sank lower into the leather seat.

“Wow.” Emma said softly. “That came up really fast.”

Blair nodded as he watched the swells over the bow, they were getting more intense with each passing minute and the violent pitching and rolling of the ferry was threatening to make his own stomach rebel. A sense of dread settled over him as a wave washed over the bow, obscuring the deck completely. “Um maybe being in the car is a bad idea.” Just as the words left his mouth the ferry pitched violently to port, Emma slid across the front seat of the SUV and slammed into Blair. The force of her body sent him crashing into the door, glass shattered as Blair’s head connected with the window.

Emma grabbed onto the steering wheel to keep from being tossed back as the ferry righted itself, she caught sight of Blair’s blood covered face as he fell limply back against her. “Oh God!” she swore. She glanced to the back of the vehicle to find David cowering half on the floor half on the seat. “Are you alright David?” she asked maneuvering Blair upright in his seat and easing herself back toward her door. “David!” she called sharply when she didn’t get a response.

“I’m okay.” He answered shakily.

“David get out of the car!” She ordered pushing open her door and quickly rounding the truck to the driver’s side. She let out a yelp as she suddenly found Jim beside her.

“Make sure David gets out, I’ve got Blair.” Jim prompted the young woman toward the front of the SUV. Emma gave a sharp nod and went back to get David. Jim opened the driver’s side door and quickly examined the wound to his partner’s head. There was a gash running just below Blair’s hairline and several smaller cuts to his face but none of it looked serious if one didn’t count the blood. He ran sensitive fingers along the side of his guide’s skull, finding a decent sized lump where his head struck something. The younger man moaned as Jim completed his exam and began to shift him out of the SUV. “You with me, Chief?”

Blair’s existence was dizzying and painful as consciousness returned to him. He tried to brace himself against the motion but his arms would not obey the scrambled commands he thought his brain was sending. An inarticulate groan passed his lips as his stomach threatened to heave under the onslaught of pain that had awakened in his head and face.  Through the haze in his mind he heard the voice of his Sentinel asking him something, what it was Blair had no idea. He was hearing the words but his muddled brain wasn’t quite up to translating and he was not really caring. All he wanted was to get off the ride he was on, all he wanted was the world to stop moving. “Jim…stop.”

Jim abruptly froze not wanting to cause his guide further pain. “Am I hurting you Buddy?”

Blair heard, understood and almost smiled. His mind was clearing and he remembered where he was and what happened. “No…Want rolling to stop.” He managed as another wave of nausea washed over him. “Emma and David okay?”

Jim eased his partner out of the truck and looked over to see Emma still trying to coax the frightened photographer out of the backseat. “Their fine, Chief.” He helped the younger man to his feet. “How are you holding up?”

Blair evaluated for a moment, other than a spectacular headache, being sick to his stomach and judging from the sticky pull to the skin on his face, bleeding all over the place he felt reasonably sound. His legs seemed inclined to support his weight and his arms were now working with his brain all of this he took as a good sign. “I’ll live.” He flashed a small grin.

Jim nodded and glanced back over to where Emma was rapidly loosing her patience with David “If I let you go, do you think you can stay upright?” Blair nodded the affirmative. “Good, I’m going to help convince our photographer to get out of the truck before Emma pulls him out by his head.”

Emma was staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the whimpering man in the back of her Outback. She understood he was scared, hell she was scared, but he was beyond panicked. “David listen to me, you need to get out of the car it’s not safe.” She tried again.

“It’s not safe out there either.” The young man whined.

Emma took a deep breath and counted to ten. “Listen, we’re going inside. It’s much safer in the…” She trailed off as the word she was searching for escaped her. “The place where they steer this thing.”

“Bridge.” David supplied. “I think it’s called the bridge.”

“Yeah okay David. The bridge, now please come with me.” She held out her hand, hoping he would take it. If not she was going to drag him bodily from the truck.

The photographer finally decided to take Emma’s hand and he allowed her to guide him from the vehicle. “Okay, I’ll go.” He mumbled feeling more than a little humiliated at his frightened child routine.

Jim had stopped when he say David’s head pop out of the truck and he turned back to his partner who was standing where he had left him, listing terribly. He took the younger man’s arm to steady him. “Okay Chief, lets get inside.” Blair nodded and let Jim steer him to the bridge. They slowly climbed the steps leading to the control room, balancing them selves against the rails as the ferry continued to rock violently. Once inside they were greeted by a grim faced captain.

“We’re turning back, there is no way we’ll make it through.” The older man gestured out the window. “This…what ever this is.”

“Good plan.” David agreed nervously.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Jim asked, settling Blair into a chair. Emma had spied it mounted on the wall and was already moving for it before the Captain had a chance to answer.

“Here.” She handed it to Jim and stood behind Blair resting a hand on his shoulder. “How ya doing there?”

Blair leaned back in his chair to look at her. “Been better.” He smiled gamely hoping to ease the concerned, moderately stressed look she wore on her face. “Been worse too. OW!” he flinched as Jim cleaned the cuts on his head and face.

Emma grimaced in sympathy as Jim apologized; unconsciously she gave her friends shoulder a squeeze. “Remember you’ve been worse.” She said dryly.

Blair resisted the urge to nod while Jim was finishing up and settled for reaching up and grasping the young woman’s hand. “Thanks for reminding me.” He ground out through clenched teeth, wondering idly if Jim were using lemon juice on his face, it was stinging so badly.

“Sorry Chief.” Jim apologized again. “I know it hurts buddy. I’ll be done in a second.”

“Times up.” Blair countered.

Jim chuckled and applied butterfly bandages to the worst cut below Blair’s hairline. “All done.” He moved directly infront of Blair. “How’s your vision, any blurriness?”

“Nope.” Blair shook his head and immediately regretted it. “Man remind me not to move though.”

Jim studied his friend’s eyes, they were clear and the pupils were equal and reacting normally. “You’ll be fine, Chief.”

The captain and his crew were working furiously to turn against the winds and currents that were insistent they stay on their present course, finally they completed the maneuver. The old Captain gave a startled curse when he looked out the window and found himself staring at a huge wall of water. Brace yourselves!” he shouted as the ferry was enveloped by the force of the huge wave.
 

Chapter Five

Chaos.

A cacophony of sound assaulted the sentinel as the ferry was pitched to a near vertical position. Screams, Emma’s terror filled scream abruptly cut off as her body was slammed into the back wall, he heard the air forced from her lungs and then nothing for a horrible instant before a painful screeching as her breath returned. Blair had shouted his name, his voice desperate and full of fear as he fell backward into the young woman, he saw his friend grab onto a table, protecting Emma with his own body and trying vainly to keep from being thrown about the cabin. Other screams filled the air as the windows gave way under the onslaught of the wave and water washed over them.

He saw the Captain die, a large shard of glass slicing through the old man’s throat, a spurt of red diluted in a moment to pink and then nothing as the body, limp was tossed like a rag doll.

The ferry pitched again, righting itself just before going end over end as the wave passed. Bodies that had been thrown back were now thrown forward and a crewman sailed through the broken windows, Jim heard the man impact the deck, he heard the sound of bones breaking, of the unfortunate man’s neck snapping, no other sound would come from him.

Jim clung for all he was worth to a shelf as the craft continued to ride the back of the wave, the bow dipping dangerously into the rough seas. He fought against gravity’s pull, his arms burning with the effort to keep himself from being thrown forward and out the window. He saw the photographer loose his grip and tumble forward, thankfully grasping the steering column before he too fell to his death.

The bow of the vessel broke the surface with a mighty heave sending the remaining five on the bridge flying upward. Jim lost his grip and as he fell back to the floor his head connected with the shelf he had been using for an anchor, pain exploded behind his eyes, he registered other shouts briefly before the agony flared white within him and then faded into the pitch black of oblivion.

Blair didn’t move. He was in too much pain to consider it, so he just stayed still and waited. Waited to be tossed into the air again, to be thrown about, rolled, enveloped by water. He waited for it all to begin again. The stillness remained, and his body tense with anticipation began to relax. He listened. He could hear soft moans coming from his right and he turned his head, surprised and relieved to find it still attached, toward the sound and opened his eyes. The sight that greeted him was incomprehensible, he found himself staring into the lifeless eyes of a crewman, blood pooled beneath where his head rested held in place by a metal rod that had impaled him just above the ear. Blair had the disconnected realization that the metal was actually bolted to the floor, the remains of a chair. He was frozen in place by the gruesome sight, his breath hitched in his chest as it dawned on him that others could have died as well. He was afraid to look around, afraid to find himself face to face with Jim’s corpse, bile rose in his throat at the thought, and he tore his eyes away from the dead man resting his head on the floor until the nausea passed. “Oh God.” He whispered.

“Sandburg?” David Colby had heard the whispered oath, silently thanking his Gods that someone else still lived. “Blair?”

The anthropologist almost cried out with relief. “Yeah David.” He shifted his position to see the other man. “I’m here. Are you okay?” He could see the other man’s eyes were unnaturally wide and his face was devoid of color he looked frightened but not injured.

David nodded. “Got banged around a bit.” He said shakily. “I think your friend is hurt.”

Blair levered himself to a sitting position biting back a groan as his bruised body protested, it was then that he felt another body beside him. His hand brushed against a cold arm and he turned to see Emma laying face down next to him. “David.” He couldn’t manage to keep the tremor out of his voice. “I uh need you to check Jim for me.”

“I’m fine, Chief.” Jim gingerly pulled himself into a sitting position. His thoughts were a bit muddled and his head ached terribly. It occurred to him that fine was a bit of an exaggeration on his part, but he was alive and that counted for something.

Blair sent a thank you to every deity he could think of at the sound of his Sentinel’s voice.  “Okay.” He whispered. “Emma?” Blair felt her shift beside him as soft groan escaping her. “Emma don’t move yet.” He gently commanded as she tried to sit.

“No I’m okay.” She insisted. Her yelp of pain betrayed her as she managed to sit up. “Shit. Ow ow ow ow ow!” she cradled her elbow, deciding it hurt worse than her head. She didn’t want to think about her back as she felt the muscles pull, sending pain radiating into her legs.

“Easy.” Blair slid an arm around her for support. “Where does it hurt?”

Emma kept her eyes closed, trying to get a hold of her breathing. “Head, elbow, back, legs.”

“You hit the wall there pretty hard.” Jim had made his way to their side. “Can you open your eyes for me?”

“Yeah.” Emma squinted at him.

“Does the light bother you?”

“No.” Emma said shakily. “I just don’t want to see the body again.”

Blair hadn’t realized she had seen the dead crewman and he moved around infront of her. “Just look at Jim alright Em?”

The young woman nodded and fixed her stare at Jim. “Okay.”

Jim looked into her wide fearful green eyes, noting no signs of a concussion he reached out for her hand. “It’s going to be okay Emma, we weren’t far from the island when we turned so we’ll be fine. We can radio the Coast Guard and they’ll send help.”

She nodded and realized someone was missing. “David! Is David okay?”

“I’m okay.” He peeked between the shoulders of the two men infront of her, again he was surprised at the relief he say in her face, the genuine emotion that flashed within her eyes at the sight of him. The smile she favored him with as she said “Good, that’s good.”

“What about the crew?”

Jim shook his head. “None of them made it.” He squeezed her knee. “Sit tight, I am going to see if I can raise the coast guard.”

“Jim” Blair stopped the detective with a hand to his arm. “Are you sure you’re alright.” He gestured to the bruise covering most of the older man’s forehead.

“I’ve been worse.” He grinned using Blair’s earlier words, he could see his guide was not smiling. “Really Chief, I am fine.” Jim stood and turned toward the broken windows, his smile fading when he saw the line of jagged rocks directly ahead of them. “Oh shit!” Before he could warn his companions to brace themselves again the air was flooded with the shrieking sound of metal on rock as the ferry came to a sudden and abrupt stop. The impact was jarring but nothing compared with their encounter with the wave earlier.

“What just happened?” Blair asked, really wanting to get the hell off of the ferry.

“We ran aground on some rocks.” Jim said grimly as he extended his hearing and picked up the sound of water rushing into the hold. “We’re taking on water.”

“We’re fucked!” David swore.

Jim couldn’t argue.

To Be Continued....

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