NOTES: Since I forgot on part one, I will humbly say to the elves that they may archive at will. sorrysorry sorry sorry - much sacrificing of flannel boxers....
Disclaimer: See part one.
part 2
Blair looked at his watch as he walked back up the steps to the museum. He'd
spent the better part of the day reading his texts and taking his notes. Thanks to Melody, one of the young interns, he'd been able to scan some of the pictures into the laptop with the museum equipment. He smiled and patted his pocket where he kept her business card tucked inside. Around dinner time, the young man had been surprised to find Gary standing on the opposite side of the table,
sorting through the books. True to his offer, dinner was on the house which meant on Gary. They'd talked about Blair's research and his job with the Cascade PD, as well as Gary's story on how he'd gotten the bar and his life before as a stockbroker. Through the dinner conversation, Blair had gotten the idea that he wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last that Gary had helped out. From experience, Blair knew not to question other people's gifts. After all, he and Jim had their own gifts and secrets to keep. When the meal had ended, Chuck had driven him back to the museum. Blair laughed as he remembered the conversation which centered on Blair's techiniques with women...
His laughter echoed back at him as he crossed the large hall, his gaze
automatically searching for and finding the curtain hiding the mammoth rubble. He wasn't positive, but he thought he even heard the sounds of workers behind the curtain. He laughed again. Several stares followed him as the anthropologist shrugged in apology and started up the steps towards the second floor and
the resource room.
As he sat back down at the table, opening the old and musty books, Blair knew he'd never be able to repay the kindness. It wasn't just saving his life - fact was, if Gary hadn't knocked him out of the way, Blair would have been speared by that falling Mammoth tusk. Not only had Gary saved his life, but his dignity too.
Chuck actually bounced as he came through the door. Spotting Gary sitting at the end of the bar, he hung up his jacket and took a seat. "Buddy boy, you better just watch out..."
Gary smiled at his friend. Chuck was the kind of guy to get excited once a
day about any number of things. "So what's got you in such a good mood?"
He removed the card from his pocket kissed it and replaced it in the shirt
pocket. "Good mood? I'm in a GREAT mood. Thanks to Lacey...Officer Lacey
Hamilton. Ahhhh. I got pulled over."
"You got a ticket and you're HAPPY?" A couple close patrons laughed, as did
Gary during his question.
"I DIDN'T get a ticket. That's why I'm happy. Thank you Blair Sandburg...The kid is a genius..."
At that, Gary laughed and cuffed his friend on the shoulder. Chuck just went on.
"Really. He's a genius. He's got a 183 IQ, well on his way to completing his PhD, and his advice" he patted his pocket. "his advice works miracles."
"You talked your way out of a ticket? In Chicago?" There was amazement in
the patron's voice.
"Out of the ticket, and into a date... thank you."
Gary shook his head and returned to his beer, watching as the waitress brought Chuck an open beer and a note.
"Chuck, " she started. "Marissa called and said you didn't need to pick her up from school tonight."
"She get out early?" he questioned, seeing the look on Gary's face.
"No, she said someone named Blair was meeting her after class and they were
going for coffee." She handed Chuck the note, even though she'd just
delivered the message to him.
Before Chuck could re-read the note for himself, Gary had picked up the paper, turning it immediately to his friend.
"Two Slain in Museum Robbery." The headline was accompanied by two pictures - Blair's and Marissa's.
*Why does this stuff always happen to me?* Blair asked himself as he looked
down the barrell of the gun. "C'mon, man. Take the wallet and the laptop.
It's the only thing I have worth anything."
"I don't want that junk." came the gravelly voice. "Where's the stuff for the university, professor? The artifacts?"
His heartrate increasing, Blair took a deep breath and edged himself in front
of Melissa who stood on the other side of the large, wooden table. They'd
gotten their coffee and walked back to the museum, the anthropologist hoping
to spend some more time with the lovely young woman. At the very least, he could engage her in conversation about psychology. At best, he'd get some feedback on her senses and maybe a foot in the door towards a new relationship. As the two had been laughing over one of his innumerable stories, Marissa's four-footed guide had mysteriously taken off, whining and barking. Blair had made ready to run after the animal when the gunman had appeared in the doorway.
"Where's the stuff?" the voice pushed, bringing Blair back to the present.
"D-dd-dd-downstairs in shipping. I had them pack it up so I could take it to
the airport with me tomorrow." His mind was racing, struggling between
getting Marissa out of the situation and getting himself out alive. "I'll
take you down, just let her stay here. You've obviously taken care of her
dog. She's immobile without him.."
Marissa didn't like the timbre to Blair's voice. It scared her that he seemed to have been through this type of situation before. She felt the air move against her face, letting her know that someone was close. A small sniff and her nose confirmed it was Blair, his cologne ever so subtle against the smell of his shampoo.
"She goes with us." The gun motioned the two out of the room, the gunman
following them out. "And just to make sure you cooperate, I'll be more than
happy to assist her..." He quickly stepped up next to the woman, grabbing her and pulling her ribs into the nose of the gun for emphasis. "No heroics,
Galahad. Now move."
"DAMMIT!" Chuck cursed as he snapped the phone shut. "It's past closing
hours - I got the automessage." He pushed the phone back into his pocket,
casting a quick glance over to Gary.
"No...you don't understand. There's someone in the museum with a gun! And
he's after some priceless artifacts..." Once again, Gary fumed at the 9-1-1 service. Wasn't anyone ever going to just blindly believe someone? "Hello?? No! I've tried the museum number...Hello? HELLO? They hung up."
Gary ran a hand over his face, pushing his phone into his own pocket and
watching out the window as Chuck drove wildly towards the museum. He pulled
the paper out, checking to see if anything had changed. "Nothing..."
Chuck tried to look at the paper in his friend's hand while trying to
negotiate Saturday night traffic in Chicago. *Gees, is this what O'Hare is
like?* Giving up on the paper, he focused his attention on the traffic. A few minutes later, he parked them safely behind the building, in the area of the loading dock.
"Where are we headed?"
"It says the man got in through a rear maintenance entrance." Pulling out a
flashlight, Gary spotted the door, propped open by a large bone underneath the door handle. "You gotta be kidding me..."
"Which one is it?"
Blair just shook his head. There were several large crates labeled for
shipping out. Unfortunately, they were labelled by a code number and not
their destination. Each was stencilled with the museum and university name, but none had actual addresses. "I'll have to find the shipping records and see if the addresses correspond to one of these numbers. It's gonna take a few minutes."
"S'okay. I'll just keep the little lady company."
Marissa felt the gun press forward, the slight pain causing her to take a deep breath. She took another, then stumbled sideways, her hands grasping the arm and shoulder of their captor. She was only slightly surprised at the rather high-pitched yelp as her fingers dug into the gunman's arm a little too hard.
Blair turned around quickly, thinking it had been Marissa needing help. It
was all he could do to hide his smile, even going so far as to bite his lower
lip, as he realized just how resourceful his date was. Grabbing the shipping dockets, Blair quickly matched the numbers on the crates with their respective invoices. It was the last invoice and the crate behind all the rest. Evidently, they'd lined them up by time of pick-up, burrying the Rainier shipment for mid-afternoon. "I've got it..." His voice echoed.
"Didja hear that?" Chuck whispered. "It's the kid..."
The echo caught his ear as he headed towards the office.
"Bernie!" Charlie yelled down the hall. "Did you leave the back door open again?"
His sheepish grin gave away the truth. "I know how the lacquer fumes bother
you, so I propped it open..."
So there they stood, Chuck and Gary opposite Blair, Marissa, and their captor.
"Okay." Chuck said raising his arms in the air as the gun threatened him from a few yards away. "What's the paper say about this, Gar?"
He would've answered his friend, but the paper was in his hand which was over his head at the moment.
"Over here, you two." came the voice, accompanied by a wave of the gun.
"Looks like we've got a party."
The two men walked carefully toward Sandburg, observing the grip the masked man had on Marissa's arm. They were so intent on their friends, and the gunman on them, that no one seemed to notice the crates moving behind them.
The sounds of a palette jack squeeking around distracted everyone, but Blair
and Marissa. It took only a second to register with Gary, but once he saw the movement, he tried to rush forward. The gunman pushed Marissa forward as a diversion then turned to run, popping off a couple rounds over their shoulder as they headed out a side door.
"MARISSA!!!" Three voices called at once, but only one body reached her in
time.
"Yeah?" came the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Uhm - Jim?"
"Oh, man! I do NOT believe this!" Blair mumbled as he signed the hospital release papers. Three smiling faces met him as he turned around. "Jim is NEVER going to let me out of his sight again."
"How're the ribs?" Marissa asked, her arms coming up gently around her new
champion. "You didn't do any more damage, did you?"
"Nah." He replied, not really feeling the pain of her hands on his ribs.
"You're lying, I can tell." She whispered.
"I'm just sure you can." His smile, as usual, was reflected in his voice.
"Well, can't blame a guy for trying."
"Is that what you were thinking when you charged the guy with the gun?"
"Woman." Marissa stated. "Woman with a gun."
Chuck caught the serious look on her face. "You're positive?"
"Very!" she replied with a slight smile.
"And I'll back her up on that..." Blair said quietly. "But that'll wait
until tomorrow. Could I trouble someone for a ride back to my hotel?"
"For you?" Chuck started with a wide smile. "Anything.. I'll go get the
car."
He walked out just as Gary walked back to them. "I've got your prescription,
here. Are you all signed out?" He smiled seeing Blair's cautious nod.
"Well," he continued, staring at the white sling that held Blair's left arm. "Could've been worse."
"Oh, it will be by morning." the young man replied a bit downheartedly.
"Why's that?" Gary asked.
"Cause Jim'll be here by then..."
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~