Plum Sentinel
By TT
Disclaimer: The characters from the Stephanie Plum series belong to Janet Evanovich; the characters from "The Sentinel" belong to Pet Fly, etc; all characters are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Universe: Plum-Sentinel
Characters: From the Stephanie Plum series - Stephanie Plum, Ranger (Ricardo Carlos Manoso), Tank From "The Sentinel" - Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg, Simon Banks.
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Feedback: Email Feedback
Plum Sentinel
By TT
Part 1
Trenton, New Jersey
Stephanie groaned as the pounding that had awoken her continued. It took her a few minutes to determine that the pounding was coming from her door and another few to realize she should get up and answer it. Squinting at the clock beside her bed, another groan escaped. Seven AM was an uncivilized hour.
Still, as the pounding grew louder, she forced herself out of the warm cocoon of her bed and toward the door. “Alright, already! I’m coming!” she shouted, not caring how cranky she sounded. Reaching the door, she undid the deadbolts and chain before throwing the door opening and demanding, “What?”
She found her self face to chest with Tank. Looking up, she felt her insides grow cold at the expression he wore. The Merry Men were usually as bad as Ranger at hiding their feelings, but this morning she could clearly read worry and grief on his face. Her mind zapped quickly through all the possibilities before landing on one she didn’t want to acknowledge. “No,” she whispered.
“Steph,” Tank said, his voice betraying his emotions.
“He’s not…” she began, unable to finish the thought.
Tank shook his head. “Not yet. But the docs…” he blew out a breath and looked away. “You need to come with me.”
“I’ll get my keys,” she said, her voice far more steady than she expected. All she could think of was that Ranger needed her, that she needed to be there for him.
“You might want to dress and get clothes for a few days,” he recommended. “He’s not in Trenton.”
Stephanie stopped and looked down at her current outfit of boyshorts and a lacy tank. Her cheeks colored immediately at the thought of Tank seeing her like this. As she entered her bedroom to get dressed and pack a small bag, she figured that he probably didn’t really notice.
It only took her 20 minutes to get dressed, packed and ready to go. She had dialed Mary Lou who agreed to take Rex for her and called in to the office to leave a message that she was going out of town for a few days. She waited until they were in the Bronco on their way to Mary Lou’s before calling her mother. Fortunately her father answered and simply grunted his acknowledgment when she told him she was going out of town for a few days. One last call was made to Joe. She knew he wasn’t there and didn’t know if she would be back before he returned, but she knew she had to tell him. Right now her love life, or at least her heart, was more a mess than ever, but she had promised to be completely honest with Joe and had received a similar promise from him. That was why she knew he was on an undercover assignment of uncertain duration.
Calls made, Steph settled back in the seat, closed her eyes and tried to blank her mind. She had finally succeeded and didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep. She found herself in an odd looking place – not quite jungle, but definitely not Jersey. It wasn’t the first time her dreams had taken her here, in fact, in the past few years, it had become a familiar place to her. There was a small cat with tufted ears and tail standing in front of her, her Lynx. Looking where the lynx was staring, she saw a sleek black panther laying on it’s side, perfectly still with its eyes closed. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen the cat, but it was the first time she’d been this close.
Oddly she didn’t feel like screaming or running, instead she felt intense worry and fear for the large cat. Before she could move toward the still animal the small cat in front of her walked forward, rubbing its head gently against the larger animal and making small sounds, almost as if she was talking. As she watched the smaller cat continue its ministrations, the panther’s eyes opened. Stephanie gasped. She knew those eyes quite well; they belonged to Ranger. As that thought entered her mind, the cat seemed to shift and transform. “Ranger,” she whispered as she recognized the person.
She woke up with a gasp.
“We’re almost to the airport,” Tank informed
Stephanie reached up and rested her hand against her chest to calm her hastily beating heart. That was the oddest dream she’d ever had. Taking a deep breath, she slowly blew it out, trying to ignore how shaky it sounded. “Good,” she replied softly. “That’s good.” After a moment, she faced her companion. “Where are we going?” she asked, curious.
Tank just continued to concentrate on traffic as they approached the airport, not answering her question.
Out of habit, she pouted just a little at being ignored before turning her attention to the window and staring out of it. She wasn’t really upset about not knowing, she just wanted a distraction until she could see Ranger.
Only a few minutes later they pulled into the long-term lot, parked and were out of the bronco, Tank making sure to take the small bag she had packed. As they strode toward the terminals, Stephanie had to concentrate on lengthening and quickening her strides in order to keep up with Tank. It was almost worse than jogging.
Two hours later they were once more in a car, this time headed toward the hospital and Ranger. Stephanie could feel her anxiety as a living thing inside of her. She had twice fallen asleep again on the plane, something very rare for her, and each time had the same strange dream with the cats. Tank hadn’t said a word the entire time.
She was thinking about the dreams when the question popped out of her mouth before she could stop it, “Why is Ranger the panther?”
“What?” Tank asked, giving her an odd look before turning his eyes to the road.
“Nothing,” Steph replied, embarrassed by the question.
Several minutes of silence filled the vehicle before Tank offered, “There’s a theory that each of us has a spirit animal which tries to guide us in our path in life. Ranger’s is the black panther. Did he tell you that?”
Interested by the thought of Ranger believing in spirit animals, Steph shifted in her seat before quietly admitting, “No, I dreamed it.”
Tank shot her another look and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. “Two minutes,” he said aloud, obviously ignoring the conversation.
The two minutes had seemed an eternity to Stephanie as she waited, but that was nothing compared to the time wasted in checkpoints, searches and screenings.
Never the most patient of people, Stephanie felt like a whirlwind was tearing her up inside, all she could think of was getting to Ranger.
Finally, after who knew how long, they reached the ICU where Ranger was resting, hooked up to all sorts of monitors. She could see a bulky white bandage on his shoulder and knew from what the doctor had said, there was one on his side too. She hadn’t paid too much attention to what was being said, being too anxious to get to Ranger. She vaguely recalled something about non-responsive and was almost sure the word coma had come up. But she didn’t care. Even through the turmoil within, one thing remained clear in her mind – Ranger needed her.
Stepping into the room, she didn’t waste a moment, but went straight over to the bed and took Ranger’s hand in her own. With her other hand, she reached up and brushed a stray hair off his forehead. Tears glistened in her eyes to see him so still. “Hey,” she said softly. She wasn’t sure where to go from there, and was surprised when a chair bumped the back of her legs. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Tank had moved the visitor’s chair behind her. With a nod of thanks, she accepted the seat and continued to stroke Ranger’s face.
After sitting a while in silence, she heard more than saw Tank step out of the room and wait beside the door.
“Hey, Ranger,” she repeated again. “I’m not quite sure what you’re involved with this time, but you’ve got me scared,” she said, her voice trembling on the last word. “The doctors…” she swallowed back a sob and stared out the window until she got control of herself again. She wasn’t going to cry now, not when there was still life, still hope. Pushing away the emotional pain, Steph took a deep breath, reached into her emotional toolbox and picked up one of her favorite tools, denial.
“Connie’s been keeping me pretty busy while you’ve been gone,” she informed, deciding on a different track. “I’m taking slightly higher level skips, but don’t worry, Lula and sometimes one of the Merry Men are there to back me up if I think it’s too risky. Of course, with me, Mooner’s probably too risky,” she offered wryly. “I could really use your help on a few of them. Please come back to me so we can work together on them.”
She continued to talk softly to him, stroking his face and keeping his hand held firmly in hers. Time didn’t seem to matter as she talked. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed before Ranger seemed to take a deep breath. The action startled her so much, she stopped talking for a moment.
“Ranger?” she asked, unconsciously squeezing his hand. “Ranger, can you hear me?” She was rewarded with a gentle squeeze from the previously unconscious man. “Tank!” Steph cried out, resting her free hand against Ranger’s face. “Come on, Ranger, show me those sexy eyes,” she encouraged.
The hand coming to rest on her shoulder was the only announcement she had of Tank’s presence at her side. Jumping slightly, she met his eyes. “He’s waking up,” she informed, turning her attention once more to the man in the hospital bed. “You’re waking up, aren’t you?” she said softly, disbelief, hope and joy mingling in her voice. She was rewarded with two brown slits, which she rewarded with a brilliant smile. “Hey, Ranger,” she greeted softly.
Though no sound came out, the word he formed was easily read on his lips – Babe.
<><><><><><><>
Cascade, Washington
Blair startled and looked up from his book when the phone rang. Normally it didn’t startle him, but the phone lines had been down for the past three days so hearing the landline ring was unexpected.
Walking quickly to the instrument, he picked it up on the third ring. “Hello?” he asked.
“Yes, is Jim Ellison there,” a strong masculine voice asked.
“Not at the moment, but he should be back soon. May I take a message?”
“Let him know that Rob Peters called. He’ll know the number.”
“OK. Is there a message or something I can pass along?”
Silence stretched for several seconds. “No,” came the hesitant answer. “Just tell him it’s important and to call me.”
“Will do,” Blair agreed, finishing his note and hanging up the receiver. Placing the note in the key basket, where he was sure Jim would find it, he returned to his reading.
About 20 minutes later, Jim returned from his morning run. As he dropped his keys in the basket by the door, he noticed the paper resting there. It had become one of Sandburg’s favorite places to leave him notes.
Absorbing the information, he called out, “Chief!” Having already ascertained the younger man was in his room, Jim wasn’t surprised when a curly head popped out the door.
“Jim,” he greeted.
Holding up the note, Ellison asked, “He say anything more?”
“Nope. What you see there is all he said. He told me you would have his number.”
Jim grunted in response, picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory. He noticed Blair hovering in the background and motioned him forward. It wasn’t long before the phone was answered.
“Peters.”
“Rob, it’s Jim.”
“Jim! I’m glad you called back.”
“What can I help you with?” he asked.
A long sigh sounded across the line before Rob’s lowered voice continued. “You remember that problem you had when you first came back?”
Jim stiffened and simply replied, “Yes.”
“I’ve got another case exactly like yours.”
Jim was silent, but met Blair’s eyes.
Blair perked up, quickly moving next to Jim so he could listen to the conversation, understanding that this was about Sentinels.
“You know I wouldn’t say anything and I’ve kept quiet about it, but... I heard the press hype about your enhanced senses and remembering what you used to do, how you used to react… What’s happening with this guy sounds just like what was described and written. I don’t want to get into too much over the phone, but could you come out here? I really think you can help on this one.”
Blair nodded and headed toward his room, grabbing his cell on the way and starting to dial.
“We’ll be out there as soon as we can,” Jim informed before hanging up. He knew Rob would never say anything about his senses, but it still disturbed him that the doctor would even bring them up.
“I’m ready, Jim,” Blair said, dropping his bag on the floor by the door. “Do you really think it might be another sentinel?” he asked, apprehension warring with excitement at the thought of meeting another sentinel. The last one they had met, Alex Barnes, had killed him and caused all sorts of problems between he and Jim. Now, though, they would be prepared and the bond they shared was much deeper.
“Just take me a minute, Chief,” Jim offered, heading up to his room. “You call Simon?”
“Yep we’re all set for a few days at least, though we may need a bit more time than that depending on what we find,” Blair informed, lifting his bag to his shoulder as Jim trotted down the steps.
“Let’s go,” he instructed, picking up the house keys and following Blair out the door.
<><><><><><><>
The hospital
Ranger was tired of the nurses coming in and out. His head was killing him. The only good thing was that Steph was there, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Though he always teased her about being aware of her surroundings, she always seemed to know what he needed and this time seemed no exception. When things got to be too much, she would rub her hand up and down his arm and speak softly to him, calming him.
After the doctors checked him over when he first woke up, she had turned off the lights, allowing only the soft glow from the window illuminate the room. That small action immediately eased some of his headache and allowed him to open his eyes and take in her appearance. She looked tired, but good. Now that they were finally alone again, and the headache that plagued him had been reduced to a distant thumping sound in time with his heartbeat, he met her eyes.
“You had everyone scared,” she said softly, still shaken by the events of the past day. She was also disconcerted by the amount of touching she was doing. Growing up her family hadn't been touchy-feely, but she knew that Ranger needed the contact right now, so she was setting aside her own discomfort to help her friend.
The sound of her voice washed over him, soothing some of his raw nerves. “I don’t remember,” he admitted.
Reaching up, she caressed his face. “Don’t do that again,” she commanded.
A smile spread across Ranger’s face. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. A small chuckle escaped him as Steph stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t tease me, Babe,” he replied, laughter in his voice. His smile broadened when he received the eye roll he had been seeking.
Stephanie sighed and watched as Ranger shifted again in his bed, his eyes darting around the room and then to the window. He had been doing this more and more as time progressed. “Are you in pain?” she asked again, knowing that the answer would be no. She wished she could figure out what was making him so restless.
“No,” Ranger replied shortly, frustrated by not knowing what was bothering him. He felt a pressure building inside him, tapping into that primal part he tried to keep well under control. It was irritating him and sending conflicting feelings. Part of him wanted to send Stephanie away while another part wanted to draw her closer, hide her and defend her. Driving both desires was the need to protect her at all costs.
When his disquiet continued, Steph stood and walked up to him. The bed was currently in a semi-reclining position. Not knowing what else to do, she pushed at Ranger until he moved over slightly and then slid onto the bed with him. Wrapping her arms around him, he settled a bit.
Ranger calmed somewhat when Steph climbed into bed with him, but the building pressure wouldn’t let it be enough. Forcing himself up a bit, he gritted out, “Get behind me.”
Stephanie blinked at the command, but seeing him force himself up, she quickly complied. Settling behind Ranger, she slowly pulled him back until he was resting on her. She began stroking his shoulders and arms in a soothing motion. “I’m here,” she whispered, not knowing why.
With Steph settled behind him, Ranger tried to relax. Everything seemed to come into sharper focus, he was seeing more clearly and hearing things he hadn’t before. The thumping he had assumed was his headache in retreat, he identified as Stephanie’s heartbeat, but shunted that thought aside to be looked at later.
It was the voices down the hall that seemed to claim his attention. He could hear every word clearly.
“Stay behind me when we get there, Chief,” the first, vaguely familiar voice commanded.
“Jim, his isn’t like Alex…” A younger voice replied.
“I…” A sigh. “I know that. It’s just…”
“I’ll stay behind you, but we need to find a way to get past this or we won’t be able to help him at all. Of course, from what Dr. Peters says, he may already have his guide, so I’m hoping that will help things along.”
“That’s the room,” Jim said.
A moment later, two men entered the room. Ranger was immediately up, out of bed, standing between Stephanie and the threat. He watched as the larger man quickly shoved the shorter one behind him.
Stephanie looked between the two men, rolling her eyes at the macho positioning. Slipping out of bed, she stepped up next to Ranger. “Get back in bed,” she commanded, ignoring the new arrivals.
Ranger continued to glare at the larger man, trying to remember where he’d seen him before and wondering why he was a threat and yet not a threat. When the other man’s eyes shifted from him to Stephanie, Ranger snagged Steph’s arm, dragged her behind him and growled, “Mine.”
“We’re totally cool with that,” the shorter man began. Holding out his hand he explained, “I’m Blair Sandburg…”
His voice was cut off when the taller man grabbed his proffered hand and shoved the shorter man behind him. “Mine,” he replied in the same possessive voice.
Tension and silence reigned in the room until Steph had enough. “Nice to meet you Mr. Sandburg,” she said, once more stepping up next to Ranger. “I’m Stephanie Plum, this idiot who should be lying down is Ricardo Carlos Manoso and he’s going to be getting back in his bed right now before I get Tank in here to pick him up like a little kid and put him there!” she finished, the volume of her voice having increased until the last words were almost screamed.
Jim and Ranger both winced at the volume, but it seemed to break the stand-off.
Staying where he was, Jim introduced himself, “Manoso. Jim Ellison, former Captain in the Rangers.”
The name, face and voice all clicked into place for Ranger. This was the man he and his squad had been sent in to rescue. He’d been in the Rangers for just a few months when they were sent to Peru. Relaxing slightly when he realized the man was an ally, he finally gave in to Stephanie’s prodding and pushing and climbed up into the bed. “You look better than when we found you, Sir,” he offered, still on guard and keeping a sharp eye on the other man. Seeing the puzzled look on the older man’s face, he explained, “It was my squad that found you in Peru.”
Jim just nodded. He took a step forward to shake the other man’s hand in thanks, when he noticed Manoso was trying to get out of bed again. Stepping back, he looked at Blair.
“Uh, Miss Plum. Why don’t we step over to that side of the room,” he suggested. Moving to a point equidistant from both Jim and the patient.
“Sure,” Steph agreed, not understanding what was going on, but knowing she really didn’t want to stand between the two former Rangers. “But you need to call me Stephanie or Steph.”
“Blair,” he offered with a nod of agreement.
Taking the hand he offered, she shook it firmly, at ease with the young man. Glancing back at Ranger, she could see that the other two were still staring warily at each other. “You know what’s going on over there?” she asked, tilting her head toward the two men.
A smile crossed Sandburg’s face. “At a guess, they’re trying to establish dominance,” Blair threw out.
Rolling her eyes, Stephanie shook her head and muttered, “Men.”
Blair just chuckled. “No,” he corrected, “Sentinels.”
At that word, three sets of eyes shifted to look at the younger man. Blair could easily read the confusion in Stephanie’s and Manoso’s eyes, and the warning in Jim’s.
“We have a lot to discuss, but this isn’t the best place to do it,” Sandburg explained. “Doctor Peters says you’ll be able to get out of here in a few days. He’s made arrangements for us to have a cabin where we’ll take you. It’ll be neutral territory and isolated which is what we need.” Getting frustrated at the glaring match taking place across the room, he sighed and commanded, “Shake hands and make friends already.”
Both former Rangers bristled at the command, but followed the instruction. As they shook hands, a silent agreement seemed to pass between them and the tension seemed to ease. The final remnants disappeared when Jim pointed at Stephanie and said, “Yours.” Ranger nodded, but didn’t relax entirely until Ellison pledged, “I got your back until you’re healed.”
The only response he received was a nod. Ranger then held his hand out to Steph who crossed the room to take the offered hand as Jim stepped away from the bed and Stephanie.
Taking the seat that seemed to be molded to her body at this point, Stephanie held onto Ranger’s hand and scanned his face. Satisfied that he was at ease now, she looked at the visitors and asked. “So what’s the deal?”
Blair glanced at Jim, a single eyebrow raised in question.
Frowning that yet another man could do the single eyebrow raise and she couldn’t, Stephanie watched Jim tilt his head slightly. It was an oddly familiar pose. She had seen Ranger stand like that before.
“All clear for now. Just Tank outside,” he advised.
Looking back at Ranger, Blair asked, “How much do you trust Tank?”
Ranger easily met the young man’s gaze. “With Steph’s life,” he replied, his voice serious and grave.
The two visitors stood very still for a moment. That statement was more than enough for them. Even though Manoso wasn’t aware of what he was, of what they suspected Stephanie was to him, that statement said a lot about the men’s relationship. Nodding their understanding, Blair said, “Then it would probably be good if he came along.” Turning to face Jim he added, “I’ll see if Simon can come out as well.”
Jim nodded.
Blair leaned against the wall of the room opposite Ranger’s bed. “What I’m going to tell you will be a little hard to believe, but it’s all true,” he began, slipping into lecture mode. “Throughout history many native tribes have been blessed with special protectors or watchmen. I call them sentinels. They are gifted with above normal senses. There are a lot of people out there with one or two heightened senses, but it’s very rare to have all five. If a person is a sentinel, they can run into problems if they focus too much on one sense or are exposed to certain environmental toxins or something suddenly catches them off guard, or “
“Chief!” Jim interrupted.
“Sorry,” Blair apologized, offering a quick smile. “Anyway, each sentinel had a guide who helped them control or balance these senses. The guide watches out for the Sentinel and helps him focus when the sentinel can’t. I’m a guide. Jim is my Sentinel,” he explained. Then looking at each person, he looked at Ranger and stated, “We think you are a sentinel.” Then shifting his eyes to Stephanie continued, “And you are his guide.”
Stephanie started shaking her head. “Oh, no. I can’t be his guide. I can barely take care of me and Rex, there’s no way I can take care of Ranger. I’m not even aware of my surroundings most of the time,” she babbled.
Jim laughed and looked at Blair who returned the look with an eyeroll. “Darwin here isn’t aware of his surroundings either. And there are times when, if I didn’t remind him, he wouldn’t remember to eat or sleep. Not to mention the fact he’s a psycho magnet.”
Ranger chuckled softly as he glanced at a slightly blushing Stephanie. “So, is it the blue eyes or the curly hair do you think?”
Steph softly backhanded Ranger’s arm. “I am not a psycho magnet,” she denied.
“Babe,” Ranger asked, his voice amused. “How many stalkers have you had since I’ve met you.”
“I… Well… You…” she said, stumbling for an answer. Releasing his hand and crossing her arms before her, she pouted and said, “It’s not my fault.”
Jim laughed as well. Blair smiled in sympathy.
Running his fingers along her arm, Ranger softly assured, “All part of your charm, Babe.”
With a sigh, Stephanie eased her stance and re-took Ranger’s hand.
“He have bad car luck, too?” Ranger asked Jim, nodding his head toward Blair.
Jim gave him a questioning look.
“Not my fault!” Steph shouted, though she was struggling against laughing at this point. It wasn’t often Ranger teased her like this.
“No,” Blair denied, glaring at Jim as the other man opened his mouth. “That would be Jim.”
Unable to deny the accusation, Jim just shrugged.
“All kidding aside,” Ranger continued, his voice serious again. “What makes you think I’m a sentinel.”
“Other than your reaction when we arrived and the exceedingly possessive behavior both you and Jim expressed when we first got here?” Blair asked, dryly. “Doctor Peters explained about your condition, why you were here and how an hour with Stephanie brought you out of a coma. I’m sure if we were to talk about your past, what you’ve done, et cetera, we would be able to find more proof there. But that’s not something I want to get into here. We’ll talk when we get to the cabin. In the meantime, I would suggest Stephanie stays with you. I’ve noticed when Jim is injured, his control slips a bit and it’s easier for him if I’m nearby.” Seeing Ranger shift slightly on the bed, he smiled knowingly. “It’s easier when she’s here, isn’t it?” he asked, taking this as one more proof of the sentinel/guide relationship between the two. His only response was a curt nod.
“Doctor’s coming,” Jim informed. “We’ll be back tomorrow,” he assured, turning to the door, knowing Blair would follow.
“Bye,” Blair said, following Jim out.
Silence reigned in the room for several minutes before Steph broke it. “So…” she began, not sure what to say.
“He’s right,” Ranger said, simply.
Steph jerked in surprise. “He’s right?” she asked.
Ranger sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “This really isn’t the place,” he said. Looking up he saw the question in Steph’s eyes. “I’ll explain a bit after the doctor leaves,” he assured.
A moment later Doctor Peters and Tank stepped into the room.
Once they left, Stephanie turned to Ranger. “So, spill,” she commanded, anxious and uncomfortable, not only with the situation, but also with the bits she'd heard about this newest turn her life had taken.
With a sigh, Ranger tried to get comfortable, despite the startling revelations. He had suspected something like this for the past year or so, but to actually be confronted with it as a reality... Closing his eyes to figure out what he could say and what would appease Steph until they could get away and find out for sure if what they suspected was really true.
“Well?” she prompted.
Opening his eyes, he took Stephanie’s hand in his own and looked at her. “Babe. Since I met you...” his voice trailed off. “Last year, when you had the Slayers after you, I was away on a job, but I couldn't get away from the nagging feeling that you needed me. I finished the job as quickly as I could and headed toward Trenton. The whole time I was driving through the rain, I couldn't get away from the thought that you needed me. When I finally got back and found you asleep in my bed, I was so relieved that you were safe I didn't know what to do.”
“That doesn't explain what this whole Sentinel thing is and why you think you are one,” Stephanie accused.
Ranger met her eyes. The truth was, he didn't fully understand it all either, but he knew they would learn together. At least, he hoped they would; he wasn't sure he could survive if they weren't together. Blowing out a long breath, he tried to explain again. “That was the first time I realized that there was something... more. When I got back and found you in my bed... I can't explain it, but I could see you clearly even though the light was dim. I could hear your breath loud and clear, I could smell you the moment the elevator opened on the seventh floor... It wasn't normal and I wasn't sure what it meant... But it wasn't the first time I'd noticed my senses being sharper in the years since we met. It had just become a more frequent occurrence.”
“So you went looking for an answer,” Steph interjected, not wanting to think too much on it. The only response she received was a nod. “So... what does that mean. Am I the only one you can... um... sense?”
“No,” Ranger admitted. He thought for a few minutes. “I'm aware of you, but when you're nearby I focus better, am more aware of my surroundings than normal.”
Stephanie just looked at him, stunned by the thought that Ranger could possibly be more aware of his surroundings than he already was.
Pursing his lips at the blank look he was getting from Steph, Ranger tried to come up with an example. He finally did, although it was from before he started researching what was happening to him. “Do you remember the Keeting stakeout?”
“Yeah,” Stephanie admitted. “It was almost pitch black with the only street light half a block away and then the rain started, but you just kept staring at the house like you could see it clear as day.”
“I could.”
“Could what?”
“See the house clear as day.” When she snorted her disbelief, Ranger continued his explanation, “I've always had good eyesight,” he admitted. “I've always been above average with all my senses. One of the reasons I eat the way I do is because the taste of food can become overwhelming, just like even small sounds can grate on my nerves, things other people don't hear. Since I met you, I've noticed that, when you're beside me on a stakeout, I can see further and more clearly, hear things far away, sometimes even from the houses we're watching.”
Stephanie couldn't help but shift uncomfortably. “So, this is a good thing?”
“Yes and no,” he answered honestly. “It can be and has been a huge help in what I do, but if the wrong people found out...”
“Bad things could happen.”
Ranger nodded.
“It's a lot to take in,” Steph observed, focusing her attention on their linked hands.
“Yeah,” Ranger agreed. Lifting their joined hands up to his mouth, he kissed the back of Stephanie's hand and then lowered it. “But anything more can wait until we're out of here.” Seeing the worry in her blue eyes, he assured, “It'll be alright, Babe.” He was rewarded with a look of doubt, but received a nod of acceptance as well.
<><><><><><><>
The Hospital that night
Ranger looked at Stephanie and continued to stroke her hair. She had fallen asleep shortly after they had finished dinner.
“You want to explain to me what’s going on?” Tank asked quietly from his chair in the corner.
Ranger’s eyes shifted to the other man. “Yeah, but this isn’t the best place for it,” he said.
“Tell me what you can,” Tank instructed.
A sigh escaped the injured man. “You remember the stories we used to hear about Ellison? About how he could see things no normal person - other than an elementary school teacher - could see?”
“Yeah,” Tank replied with a smile. “Of course, a lot of people say the same about you.”
The corner of Ranger's mouth lifted in an attempt to smile. “They're right,” he said simply.
“Huh?”
“Ellison has heightened senses. He's pretty sure I do to. I think he's right. We're something called Sentinels. I don't understand all of it, but I did run across some information last year when... Anyway, we're, the three of us, going with him, Sandburg and a friend of theirs to a cabin for a few days. Make sure you have clothes and that the men know we're going to be gone for a while longer. Let Connie know too,” Ranger commanded.
“What about Stephanie?” Tank inquired.
A smile did appear on Ranger's face at that question. “She's my guide,” he explained.
Knowing it was time for Ranger to be sleeping, Tank just grunted and rose to make the necessary calls. He would get his answers soon enough and could wait until then.
<><><><><><><>
That night at a local hotel
“This is so cool,” Blair said for, perhaps, the hundredth time as he jotted a few more notes i a journal.
Jim just grunted. He had some oddly mixed feelings. After the initial acknowledgment of who each guide belonged to, Jim and Manoso had managed to come to some sort of understanding. There was still a certain amount of... not quite animosity, but disquiet which he was sure Blair would attribute to territorial instincts or some such thing. On the other hand, the common link they had from the military, both being Rangers and him being injured, triggered the protective instincts in Ellison. It was almost as if he had accepted the man and woman into his tribe, but not quite.
“So, what's your opinion?” Blair asked. “Is it easier or harder with the other guide there?”
Turning his gaze on his friend, Jim just raised his eyebrows in question.
“Compared to Alex,” he clarified.
Jim shrugged. “Helps that he isn't a psycho,” he admitted. “I still don't like the idea of you being anywhere near him.”
“And he really didn't want you anywhere near Stephanie. Why do you think he reacted more violently than you did? Was it his injuries? The fact that he's still or just emerging? That they haven't worked together?”
“Hold on there, Darwin,” Jim cautioned, a smile appearing on his face at the rapid questions. This was a version of Sandburg he hadn't seen in a while. “I think we'll probably never know for certain.”
Nodding absently at Jim's suggestion, Blair's mind was already taking off in other directions.
tbc in part 2