A Blessed Protector's Promise
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Disclaimers: The Sentinel and all its characters belongs to Pet Fly Productions,
not me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun with no monetary gain. This
story could be considered an AU. It is full of mystcism. Warnings: This is a
DEATH story, sort of. I can't say anything more without giving it away. Rated R
for violence and language. Mild spoilers for the episode, "Cypher".
Note: This takes place before the events in TSbyBS.
Blair Sandburg sat in the cushioned chair, forearms resting on the hospital
bed, his head pressed against them. Lying in the bed attached to a respirator,
heart monitor, and several other machines designed to keep him alive, was
Detective Jim Ellison, sentinel and friend to Blair.
Tears fell freely from Blair's baby blue eyes as he spoke to the comatose
sentinel in what was dubbed as his "guide voice".
The sentinel had taken two bullets in the chest one of which had nicked the
lung. The serial cop killer had already taken out six cops all within a month's
time. The killer had started out killing a brand new rookie patrol officer,
then had killed the veteran who had had the best arrest record. The killer then
worked his way through the departments killing the newest detective and the
best detective in each one. Jim, of course, had been given the case, even
though he fit the serial cop killer's profile.
The killer had come for them both, two birds with one stone, at an old crime
scene that Jim had wanted to check out with his senses.
The serial killer, wearing a dark ski mask, had managed to knock Blair out
and fired four shots at Ellison. Jim had fired back two shots of his own, but
had caught two of the four bullets in his chest. The killer then fired one shot
at a quickly retreating Blair hitting the anthropologist in the leg. The last
shot from the .38 caliber revolver had been meant for Blair, but Jim, weak and
staggering had wrestled with the killer. During the shooting, after he had
regained consciousness, Blair had managed to call for back-up. Sirens could be
heard in the distance.
Blair had flinched when the gun went off for the last time. The killer had
stood over Jim's still form, the ski mask gone, his face hidden in shadows. The
sirens were getting closer, and the killer had turned and ran. Blair had
crawled over to Jim to see blood coming from Jim's neck. At that moment back up
and an ambulance had arrived. They found Blair with his hand pressed against
the neck wound trying desperatly to stop the flow of that precious fluid.
The doctor's and surgeon's had done their best to repair the sentinel's
injuries, but delivered Blair the bad news. The bullet had creased Jim's spine,
so that even if Jim awoke from the coma, he would be paralysed permantly.
However, the doctor's were not expecting Jim to wake up.
There were two officers outside the door to Jim's room. Blair had made it
through surgery, the bullet having gone cleanly through his thigh. Now he
waited beside the bed, standing vigil for his friend, roomate and sentinel.
In the Temple of Light, Jim Ellison, Sentinel of the Great City of Cascade sat
on the edge of the stone grotto staring at the vision in the water. As a
sentinel, Jim Ellison was gifted or cursed with heightened senses. With those
senses came a connection to a spirit plane where his spirit guide, a black
jaguar, dwelled. Now in that spirit world, he watched his mortal guide, Blair,
stand watch over his dying body and tears fell from his eyes.
"Don't cry, my son." A woman's voice said. Jim turned to see his
mother, dead for over fifteen years, walking toward him.
Grace Ellison smiled at her son who looked upon her with shock in his icy
blue eyes.
"Mother?" Jim whispered, "does this mean I'm already
dead?"
"Not yet, Jaime." Grace answered. Jim started. He hadn't been
called Jaime since his mother had died. "Because of who you are, what you
are and a promise made, you are being given a choice."
"A promise?"
Grace touched the surface of the water with one finger and the scene
changed. Ellison looked at the images in the water. He saw himself and Blair.
Jim held Blair tightly as the anthropologist shook. Lash was dead, but
Blair was still in shock. Jim could hear the sirens as he rocked his guide.
"Its alright, Blair. He's gone, you're safe. I promise I'll keep you
safe. I promise Blair." Jim whispered to the frightened Observer.
"I remember." Jim said as the scene changed from the past back to
the present as the hospital room returned. He turned to look at his mother.
"What choice?"
"We both know that the killer will come for Blair, to finish the job he
started. Only you can protect your guide because you know who the killer
is."
Jim nodded. Yes, he had seen the killer's face. "But how. My body is
broken and useless?"
"There is another choice. Watch" Once again Grace touched the
water and again the scene changed.
The black jaguar with the scarred face rubbed his dark head against the
flank of the spotted female that lay on her side. The female panted as labor
pains burned through her body. The male licked the female's flank in a vain
attempt to soothe her agitation. The lone black cub was born in a wash of blood
and birthing fluids. The cub did not take a breath. The male was tranqued, so
that the vets could help the female. Even in the drugged state, the male felt
his mate die, and his heart died with her. Inside the jaguar roared in anguish
as the vets removed the bodies of his mate and cub. The vets checked over the
black male, and found nothing wrong. They left the male to sleep off the drugs.
"Why did you show me that?" Jim asked.
"Because of your spirit guide and your abilities, you are more in tuned
with the natural world, as well as this plane of existence. The jaguar wishes
to follow his mate into death. He has offered you the use of his coporeal body
so that you may fulfill your promise." Jim let the information sink in as
he looked down at the sleeping jaguar.
"You can go back to your body, or you can borrow the jaguar's. The
third choice is to move on where your guide will join us soon." Grace said
as she watched her son.
"I can't let Blair die without trying to save him." Jim said
having known his decision already.
"If you take the jaguar's body you will have to live out the jaguar's
natural lifespan."
"I understand." Jim said. Grace touched the water again, and the
scarred jaguar leaped up out of its mirrored surface and onto the grotto. The
jaguar looked at Jim as if to say, "Good luck."
"Goodbye, Jaime." Grace Ellison hugged her son, then led the
jaguar through the temple and dissapeared into a flash of white light.
Jim watched them leave, then dived into the pool of water.
The doctor's tried, but Jim's body was too weak. The heart that had been
beating on its own suddenly stopped, and would not start again. Jim Ellison was
dead.
Blair cried as he had never cried before. It took all of Simon's strength to
pry Blair away from Jim's lifeless body. The captain, his own eyes red, took
Blair to the loft that Jim had left to the anthropologist.
Simon stayed at the loft that night listening to the silent sobs of the dead
sentinel's guide.
Morning found the anthropologist in the kitchen making coffee, his eyes red
from crying.
"I-I guess we need to get his suit cleaned. The navy blue one. He
always liked that one." Blair said in a haunted voice.
"Don't worry, Blair. I'll take care of everything." Simon said as
he helped Blair in the kitchen. The young Observer limped around the kitchen as
he made eggs and toast.
"Joel called." Simon continued, "They are working double time
to try and find this guy."
"Do you think he'll come after me?" Blair asked.
"Yes. We didn't realize it at first, but you did fit the victim
profile. You are the newest addition to Major Crimes."
Blair nodded.
"There's a black and white parked down on the street across from the
building. And if you don't mind, I'll be staying here with you for
awhile."
"You don't have to, Simon..." Blair began.
Banks interrupted, "No, I don't, but...I want to."
Blair smiled a bit at that.
Jim opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on the dirt covered
ground inside the jaguar habitat at the Cascade Zoo. The stench of blood and
birthing fluids hit his sensitive nostrils. Jim pushed himself to his four paws
and shook his new body.
It felt strange to be in the jaguar's body, but also vaguely familiar. Hi
heightened senses had followed him, and he discovered that enhanced jaguar
senses were incredible.
Filtering out the scents and sounds of the zoo, Jim scanned the grounds of
the habitat. He knew his first priority was to escape. He had to get to Blair
before the killer did. Jim padded through the habitat, exploring every nook and
cranny hoping there was a way to escape. He found the door that the attendants
and vets used to get inside the habitat hidden against the back wall of the
habitat. Jim thought it strange that the back wall had been built to look like
the ruins of an ancient South American Temple. However, the door was useless to
him in his new body. The rest of the habitat was surrounded by a large cement
ditch, too wide to leap, and to deep to climb out of. Frustrated Jim began to
search the "jungle" hoping against hope that there was a limb or log
that could help him get across the ditch.
Luck, or something else was apparently with Jim, for he found a fallen log
in the habitat's jungle long enough for his purpose. Testing his strength, he
found that he could roll the log. There was only one problem.
Dammit, this is definitly a night maneuver, and its midday.
He decided to move the log so that it was in a better position and still
would not alert the zoo workers.
Once he had wrestled the log into the position he wanted, Jim checked the
sky again. He still had several more of hours of daylight left. Sighing, Jim
trotted over to the waterhole near the temple. Lapping up his fill, Jim then
lounged on the stones of the temple steps, and quickly fell asleep.
He was awakened by the sound of the door opening. A woman walked in through
the temple. She was tall, with short cut blonde hair, and light green eyes.
"Hello, Jaime. are you hungry?" the woman asked as she tossed
chunks of raw meat onto the stone from a bucket she carried. At the name, Jim
looked at her suspiciously, but realised that "Jaime" was the
jaguar's name.
Now, isn't that a weird coincidence. Or is it? Jim decided he didn't
want to ponder that. Instead he padded over and began to eat the raw meat
chunks. The salty, mettalic taste of blood stirred his hunger, and Jim
swallowed the chunks whole. The woman gave him several pounds of the raw meat
and when Jim was done, he licked the blood from his whiskers and paws. The woman
smiled at him, "Good boy, Jaime." She praised. Jim snorted inwardly.
Another attendant, a man, came through the door. "He's eating?"
The man said surprised, but relieved at the same time. "That's good. I
thought for sure he would fall into a depression.'
You don't know the half of it. Jim thought wrily.
"He ate all of it Dr. Meriwether." The woman said.
The vet smiled, "That's wonderful, Jeanette. How are you doing?"
"I'm still upset that we lost Dana, but to lose the cub as well."
She seemed about ready to cry.
The doctor put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know. I thought
ofr sure that her pregnacy was coming along nicely. Jaime's presence seemed to
keep her calm. I'm not sure what went wrong, we're still doing the
autopsy."
"We had such hopes." Jeanette replied forlornly.
"I recieved a call from Dr. Kellerman, an old friend of mine. He works
at the zoo in Seattle. They just recieved a female jaguar from the zoo in Lima,
Peru. We'll be shipping Jaime over there as soon as I believe he is fit for
travel."
Oh shit!Jim thought, I definitly need to get out of here tonight!
The doctor reached into the near empty bucket and pulled out a chunk of raw
meat. Kneeling down, Dr. Meriwether held out his hand offering the meat.
Inwardly sighing, Jim came forward to take the meat. While he ate, the vet ran
his hands over Jim's jaguar body checking for any injuries or signs of illness.
The feel of the hand through his fur was pleasurable, but Jim ignored it. When
the vet was done, the two of them stepped back through the door, and left Jim
to his own devices. Lashing his tail, Jim began to pace in agitation. It was
still a few hours till dark, and Jim was becoming impatient. The killer could
strike at Blair any moment. He hoped Simon had put some guards on the Observor.
In his state of grief, Blair might not realise he was in danger. Laying back
down on the temple steps, Jim layed his scarred head on his forepaws, and
closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep.
Night finally fell, and the only sounds coming from the jaguar habitat was a
scraping noise, and grunting.
Jim had pushed the log until it was in position near the ditch. He then
pushed the log across the ditch until it angled down into the ditch itself.
satisfied, Jim crawled halfway down the log, then leaped onto the other side.
He had to pull himself up, but Jim had managed to make it. Shaking himself, Jim
quickly trotted toward the fence surrounding the whole zoo. He easily avoided the
night watchmen using his senses to locate them. He leaped up and climbed the
fence, and dropped down on the other side.
He knew where the loft was in relation to the zoo. It was several miles
through the city, but Jim refused to let that deter him. The only problem that
Jim allowed to go through his mind was how he was going to convince Blair that
he wasn't just a regular jaguar.
Having dodged police cars, homeless people, the criminal element, and other
residents of Cascade for several hours, had taken its toll on Jim. Jim learned
quickly that jaguars had very little stamina. Oh, they were powerful predators,
but running long distances wasn't in there make-up. Jim had been forced to keep
his pace to a steady walk, with plenty of stops along the way. Now as he made
the final leg of his journey down Prospect, Jim was tired, footsore, thirsty
and the sun was begginning to rise. He made it to the back alley of the
building that had been his home, and managed with the use of a trash can and a
lot of luck to get onto the fire escape. He quickly climbed the fire escape to
Blair's bedroom window. He looked inside and saw that the bed had not been
slept in, and strained with his hearing. He found no heartbeats inside the
loft, and wondered where Blair was. Without hesitation Jim leaped through the
window shattering the glass. Landing lightly on his sore paws, Jim shook the
glass from his fur coat. He took stock of his injuries. There were a few cuts
from the glass on his head and neck, but no glass embedded in them. His paws
hurt, and some of the pads were bleeding. He was also very thirsty having not
even bothered to drink from the various ponds and puddles that dotted Cascade.
Padding through the house, Jim head toward the kitchen. Leaping up onto the
counter, Jim pawed at the sink's faucet and managed to turn on the cold water
tap. Lapping up the water from the steady stream that flowed from the faucet,
Jim drank his fill. When he was done, Jim pawed at it and turned off the water.
He leaped down off the counter, and scowled at the sight of the bloody
pawprints on his clean counter. Realising how pointless it was to be looking
for a rag, Jim padded over to the fireplace and layed down in front of it.
Using his raspy tongue, Jim licked at his torn and abraded pads until the
bleeding stopped. He then did his best to clean his black fur of the
accumalated muck it had gathered on his tour through Cascade. When he was done,
Jim padded aorund the loft, pleased to see the signs that Blair had been here
recently. He even smelled the odor of familiar cigars and knew that Simon had
been guarding the young Observor. Padding up the stairs into his room, Jim saw
that his bed was unmade. Blair had obviously slept there, Jim could smell his
Guide's scent everywhere. He leaped onto his bed and snuggled up in the covers,
closing his eyes. He was going to wait for his guide to get home, and then he
would have to deal with how to get his guide to understand that he was Jim.
Jim was awoken by the sound of footsteps, and the big jaguar jerked awake as
he heard Blair and Simon coming closer to the front door. At first he felt
paniced. He still didn't have a plan, and he was afraid Simon whould shoot him,
or at the very least call Animal Control. Using Blair's breathing techniques,
the jaguar calmed down. He listened as the key turned in the lock and Blair and
Simon walked in. Blair had a bag of groceries in his hands, along with the keys
that he tossed into the basket. Simon had two bags of groceries, and he used
his foot to close the door. Jim watched over the railing as his friends moved
through the loft silently putting away the groceries. Their body language and
lack of vocalazation told Jim that his friends were in mourning for him.
Obviously his body had died when Jim had jumped into the pool. It was Simon who
noticed the bloody paw prints. They had set the bags on the counter without
even looking, and were not really paying attention until Simon picked up an
emtpy bag to fold it, and saw the sticky blood on the bottom.
"What the hell?" Simon exclaimed as he stared at the smeared
bloody pawprints on the counter. Looking around the captain noticed more on the
floor. Blair was looking at the blood in shock, then raced into his bedroom.
"SIMON!" He yelled. Simon raced in and saw what Blair was looking at.
The window had been smashed, and the glass littered the floor. There were
bloody pawprints on the floor there as well.
"I got a report this morning of an escaped jaguar from the Cascade
Zoo." Simon mumbled.
"A jaguar?" Blair said shocked. "Why would a jaguar break
through my window, leave bloody prints all over the loft, and who knows what
else?"
"Its probably still here." Simon said stopping Blair's steps as he
tried to walk out of the room. Simon drew his gun and motioned for Blair to stay
behind him. They began a systematic search of the loft. Jim watched them as
they did. It looked almost comical. Searching around his room, Jim looked for
someway to tell his guide that the jaguar was him. Simon was starting up the
stairs with Blair behind him. Groaning inwardly, Jim layed his scarred head on
his pillow, the blankets up around his shoulders.
Simon stopped at the top of the stairs and stared in shock at the black
jaguar that was laying in Jim's bed. The beast was staring at them with its
green gold eyes, and Simon swore he saw amusement in them. Thinking his grief
was making him nuts, Simon just pointed his gun at the animal, and quietly told
Sandburg to call Animal Control.
Blair nodded.
(Don't, ) Jim thought desperatly, and watched as Blair dropped the phone in
shock.
"Jim? " Blair whispered.
"Blair, what's wrong?"
"I just heard Jim's voice. In my mind."
"That's impossible. Blair, Jim is dead." Simon said as softly as
he could.
Meanwhile Jim is getting excited. He heard meJim thought. Then
directed at Simon he said, (Can you hear me Simon?) The captain didn't move,
nor did he seem in any shock. Instead he turned to Blair and whispered, "I
heard him, too."
YES!! Thankyou!!Jim thought to whoever or whatever had given him this
ability.
(Blair, Simon, calm down. You are NOT going crazy. This is going to sound
strange, but that jaguar on my bed is ME.)
"No, Jim, that doesn't sound crazy, that's fucking unbelievable."
Blair said looking directly at the big cat.
"How?" Was Simon's only response.
(Don't ask. Its a long story. Put down the gun Simon. I don't really want to
be shot...again.) Simon replaced his gun in the shoulder holster.
Blair broke, and ran to the bed and hugged the big cat, tears falling down
his face. (Easy, Blair. Its alright, everything is going to be just fine. I'm
alright.) Jim tried to soothe the anthropologist.
"God, Jim. How, why, I don't understand?"
(Let's just say I had a promise to keep, Chief, and leave it at that. I'm
not sure how it happened. This cat's mate died, and he wanted to join her. He
LET me use this body.)
"How long?" Blair asked in a frightened tone.
(I don't know Chief, how long does a jaguar live, anyway?)
"About 12 to 16 years." Blair answered.
Simon rolled his eyes, "Why am I surprised that you know that?"
Blair just shrugged. He was sitting on the bed with an arm over Jim's
shoulders.
"So, you are going to live out the jaguar's natural lifespan?"
Blair asked.
(Yes. That was part of the deal. But I am not worried about that right now.
After I take care of our killer and see to it you are safe, I will happily go
back to the zoo. As long as you are safe, Chief. Nothing else matters.)
Blair hugged him again, tears falling down his face.
"Jim, how in the hell am I going to explain this. How can you protect
Blair if you can't walk out on the streets without someone screaming for Animal
Control. Oh, and they are already looking for you. Dr. Meriwether called the
station and said that they were really worried about Jaime. They were afraid he
was depressed, and hurting. It took the dispatcher a few minutes to realise the
Dr. was talking about a jaguar, not a person. She directed him to Animal
Control. Unfortunatly, the Mayor is good friends with the Zoo Director, so you
know what that means. The Mayor calls and says he wants the police helping
Animal Control on this one. They are adamant that the jaguar not be harmed. Bad
publicity. It seems the jaguar was in the news recently. Something about the birth
of the first jaguar cub in Cascade."
"Simon, you're rambling. And that's good news. It means Animal Control
won't destroy him, or try to hurt him."
Simon just stuck his cigar back into his mouth.
(Simon, there is an easy way for me to protect Blair. I just tell you who
the killer is.)
That got there attention.
"You saw the killer?" Simon asked.
Jim nodded his jaguar head.
"Impossible! No, it can't be!"
(I'm sorry Simon, but it is.)
Blair sat stunned. "Why?" was all he said.
(I don't know, Chief. Maybe he's jealous, maybe he's crazy, but it doesn't
matter. He killed fellow cops, including yours truly. He has to be taken down.)
"But Henry Brown." Blair whispered. "My god."
They had moved to the livingroom. Simon was seated in the chair, Blair on
the sofa, with Jim stretched out beside him.
"Unfortunatly Jim, we really can't use your testimony." Simon
said.
(Yeah, your right. But I am sure you can think of something. Who did you
reassign the case to?"
"Rafe and Brown." Simon answered.
(If they get to close, Brown may take out Rafe just to save his own ass.
Chief, you need to stay here. I can't go with you to the University, or to the
station. I think Henri will try again, and if Simon isn't staying here, it will
give him the opportunity. I hope he takes it, because I will be waiting for
him.) The gleam in the jaguar's green eyes was predatory, and Blair shivered
looking into them.
The stage was set. Simon went into the office. He made the gesture of
increasing security, and told the Major Crimes gang that he was no longer
staying at the loft. He also suggested that the others drop by every so often
and give Blair some support, but not to do so at night because Blair was
finally starting to sleep, and he would need the rest. He also told them to be
on the lookout for a black jaguar that had escaped from the zoo. "If you
spot it, just call Animal Control. Unless the animal is an immediate threat to
someone, we don't want to hurt the animal. The mayor will down on our heads for
that."
The others nodded, and everyone went back to work. The bullpen was subdued,
and the others worked in quiet. They were still mourning the loss of one of
their own. Jim's desk was just as he left it, with only the case files he had
been working on gone from the desk. The desk was now avoided, looked upon like
a shrine. Newboots and uniforms were warned not to set coffee mugs or butts on
the desk.
Simon sat in his office drinking some of his flavored coffee. He was going
over reports and signing off on them. He was trying very hard to bury himself
in his work, trying to avoid thinking about his best detective and friend stuck
in an animal's body thanks to a man they had all thought was a friend. It was
almost too much for his mind to grasp.
Blair fixing him some dinner in the kitchen. Simon had gone back to the
store after their conversation and had brought back several roasts and steaks
for Jim. Blair had found a couple of large bowls. Filling one of them with
water, Blair had cut up a roast into pieces and placed them in the other bowl.
Jim had eaten the meat greedily. Blair ate his chicken and rice, then finished
cleaning up. Refilling the water bowl, Blair then took his shower. While Blair
was showering, Jim drank some more water, then lounged on the couch, cat napping.
Other than to ask if the bowls were alright, Blair had not said much. Jim knew
his friend was still in shock. Jim planned to tell Blair the whole story,
knowing his friend would understand everything better. Simon would not have
wanted to hear the story, having enough trouble believing that his friend and
detective was residing in a jaguar's body, without bringing Jim's dead mother
and the Temple of Light into it. Jim opened his eyes when Blair walked out of
the shower, still drying his hair with one towel, another wrapped around his
waist. The anthropologist walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.
He emerged a few minutes later wearing sweats, and Jim's Cascade PD sweatshirt.
"Jim, the funeral's tomorrow." Blair said as he seated himself on
the other sofa.
(Oh. I guess have Simon escort you there. It will be safe enough. Too many
cop's around at a cop's funeral. Brown won't try anything there.) Jim then
looked at Blair, (Are you alright?)
"Yeah, I guess so. Its kinda strange. I am going to your funeral
tomorrow, but your right here. I just can't believe you made the decision to
come back in that body."
(It was an easy decision to make.) Jim said then told Blair about what happened
at the Temple.
"You could have come back to your body." Blair said.
(And be paralysed for the rest of my life. I can't live like that, Chief.
You know that. At least this body is strong, I can't protect you if I am a
cripple.)
Tears were forming in Blair's eyes and he wiped them away. "What about
your senses?"
(They're still with me. Let me tell you something, heightened jaguar senses
are something else. They are also easier to control. I think some of Jaime's
instincts stuck with me. Otherwise I don't think I could have functioned in
this body.)
Blair looked at Jim for a bit, then said, "Yeah, that makes
sense." Then he mumbled to himself with tears in his eyes, "Twelve to
sixteen years."
Two days after the funeral, Blair was moving through the loft with Jim
following at his heels, checking the locks like Jim used to do. When Jim and
Blair were both satisfied, Blair went into his room, turned out his lights, and
crawled underneathe the covers. Jim jumped up onto Blair's bed and layed down
across the foot of the bed. Sleep came quickly.
Jim lifted his head, eyes snapping open. Something had woken him but
what...there. The sound of footsteps in the livingroom. Using his senses, Jim
could hear a heartbeat, and smell the familiar scent of the killer. Silently
Jim stood on the bed, and leaped onto the floor, never making a sound. The
killer was coming closer to the room where Blair slept peacefully. Jim could
see him siloutted through the window. Henri Brown moved to the french doors,
and opened it slowly. Stepping inside, the killer cop raised his gun. The
killer never saw the black shadow in the darkness until the beast suddenly
roared to life and leaped at him. The combination of a cat's snarl, and the
sound of a gunshot mixed with human screams woke Blair who looked in horror as
Jim rcalmly ripped out the throat of a man they had once called 'friend'.
Trying to calm his heartrate and breathing, Blair slipped out of the bed and
walked carefully to the body intent on calling 911 until he saw Jim moved back
from the body and limp over to Blair. It was then that Blair saw the blood
seeping from the wound in the jaguar's chest.
"Oh god, no. Jim!" Blair cried and knelt besid ethe jaguar. Jim
wavered on his paws, but finally gave in and layed down, head resting in
Blair's lap. His eyelids felt heavy, and Jim wanted to sleep. He was tired.
The sirens of police and ambulance vehicles reached the jaguar's ears, and
Jim looked up into Blair's tear filled blue eyes. Blair was safe, Blair would
be fine. Jim closed his eyes.
Epilogue
Dr. Blair Sandburg rode quietly in the passenger side of the jeep, his long
chestnut curls blowing in the hot jungle wind. Dr. Sandburg, Proffessor of
Anthropology at rainier University turned to the driver with a smile.
Captain Simon Banks drove the jeep expertly through the narrow dirt road
that curved through the jungle. The road had once been used by Cyclops Oil
during their illegal drilling of oil on protected land. Though the jungle had
taken back much of the road, it was still accessible by jeep.
"How much farther?" Simon asked.
Blair took out the map and studied it.
(Simon if you let him navigate we will end up in South Africa, and I'll be
fending off lions the rest of my life.) Jim said. The big jungle cat who had
been laying in the back of the jeep mostly asleep, now stood up and placed his
head between the seats. Blair reached out and rubbed Jim's neck just above the
collar with its radio tranmitter that Jim wore. The radio transmitter was one
of the many concessions that the Zoo officials had wrangled out of the deal
that Sandburg had worked diligently for a year to get granted. Blair had
recieved his Doctorate after turning in his dissertation on sentinels, and had
used his new credentials to get funding for an expedition to Peru to study the
Temple of Light. He had also worked diligently with several Animal rights
groups in an attempt to get Jim or Jamie released back into the wild. It had
taken a year, and alot of patience, and some money, but Blair had managed to get
both things done. His students, and his assistant were already at the Temple
taking pictures and cataloguing artifacts, while Blair had gone to Lima to meet
the plane that had brought Jim and Simon.
The cage had been offloaded from the cargo plane with Jim inside pacing
restlessly. Simon had come off the plane, and greeted Blair whom he hadn't seen
in two months. Together they had directed the loading off Jim's cage onto the
back of the jeep blair had brought. However, once outside of Lima and deeper
into the jungle, they had opened the cage and released Jim from its confines.
Now they were on there way to Chopec lands, where according to Jim, he would
be welcomed, and protected. Incacha had come to him, and told Jim that the
Chopec would understand that 'Jamie' was special when they saw him.
"Yeah, I don't think you'd do so good in Africa, Jim. Lions are like
way bigger than jaguars."
(Exactly. So if you don't mind, Chief, let me navigate. We're not far
anyway. A couple more miles and we'll be inside Chopec territory.)
Blair and Simon laughed.
The next few miles were made without difficulty, and Simon stopped the jeep
when Jim told him to. Once the jeep was stopped, Jim leaped out of the back
while Sandburg stepped out.
On the rough dirt road, Dr. Blair Sandburg knelt down in the dust and
wrapped his arms around the big black jaguar and allowed the unshed tears to
fall.
"You take care of yourself, Jim." Blair said.
(As long as you do as well, Chief.)
"God, I am going to miss you Jim." Blair cried.
(I'll be fine, Chief. The Chopec won't hunt me, and this is protected land.
Any poachers will be dealt with by the tribe.)
"I know. Its just so..so unfair. It took a whole damn year for them to
even let you go. Even wtih all that media attention from the shooting."
(I know, Chief. You did your best. So what if it took a year. You didn't
have to do this. If I hadstayed at the Cascade Zoo, or even in the Seattle Zoo,
at least you would have known I was alright.)
"Yeah, alright. Locked in a cage, manhandled by those vets. I couldn't
leave you to that kind of hell, Jim. I just couldn't."
(I know, Chief, and I'm really gratefull for what you've done.)
"Hey, sometimes even a Blessed Protector needs someone to protect
him."
(And that's definitly your job, Chief.)
Blair smiled, "You bet it is."
Jim turned and looked at Simon who was still seated in the jeep. Simon's
eyes were filled with tears. Jim was a buit shocked. He had never seen his
Captain crying.
"Take care of yourself, Jim. Watch out for poachers, huh." Simon
said with a smile.
(I will Simon. Thanks, sir. For all that you've done for us. For letting
Blair be my partner, for supporting us both. Thanks.)
"No thanks needed, Jim, but your welcome."
Blair gave Jim one last hug, and stepped back. Jim bounded away a few
yeards, then stopped and turned to look back at his friends for one last
moment.
(I'll see you guys around sometime. Don't be strangers.) And with that Jim
dissapeared into the thick undergrowth.
Blair Sandburg stood in the road for the longest time watching the place
were the black jaguar had dissapeared. Finally, he turned around and walked
over to the jeep. Once Blair was seated in the passenger seat. Simon started
the vehicle and they drove back the way they had come. Blair continued to look
at the surrounding jungle as a single tear rolled down his face. A jaguar's cry
tore through the jungle, and startled white birds took off in flight above the
treetops of the jungle.
THE END