Legend

by Kristine Williams

  "Have you tried them?" Blair asked, smiling at her from the other side of the sack.

  "Well, no. But I'm not sure I will be any time soon." She set the bag down and looked around, trying to see down the pier. "Hey, can we talk later?"

  Blair looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Anytime."

  She nodded, glancing over her shoulder again as they heard footsteps approaching. "Not now, but maybe after lunch?"

  Blair glanced past her and saw Kenny and Lucy coming up the pier. "Yeah, okay." He nodded then picked up the bag. "Hey, do me a favor. Keep an eye out for lobster."

  "You got it." Amy patted Blair on the back as he passed her and stepped off the barge. Kenny was there, waiting to board.

  "You surprise me, Blair. Coming all the way up here to help Emily out like this." Kenny stepped aside while Blair jumped off the barge and turned to look at him. "Although, considering her parent's position, I would have thought the University would send someone a little more...in keeping with her status."

  "Someone has to be responsible, Kenny. I only hope you grow up some day soon." Blair picked up the bag of urchins and left before he could say any more. Seeing Kenny, walking around without even the hint of sorrow or regret, made his blood run cold. He knew Kenny's type more than he knew Kenny personally, and he knew the strongest emotions people like him felt were towards themselves. How could Emily have fallen in love with a man like that? When Blair knew her, she was so vibrant and full of life and love for everything. They'd had fun together, but Blair wasn't ready for anything serious any time soon. And Emily was. But Kenny Pritchard? From what he'd heard, Kenny wasn't even a very good student. Professor Kinyon wasn't too fond of him. Neither was Jim.

  Blair glanced up to the top floor windows of the center before starting up the steps. He could see Jim standing there with Clive, both of them looking down at the pier. Hadn't Jim said something last night about Kenny? Blair started up the stairs and caught a glimpse of Ross and Larry standing on the landing, watching him. There was something strange going on with those two. Something that was beginning to give Blair a nervous feeling he couldn't quite identify. He smiled at the two as he passed them, entering the building. They both just stood there, watching him like two fleshed gargoyles.

  Blair set the bag of urchins down in the mud room and hung up his coat, then went looking for a bucket to carry the dripping creatures into the kitchen with. There was nothing on the main floor he could find, so he went downstairs where he knew he'd find one or two tucked away in the closet. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Blair kept his eyes from wandering to the freezer. There were boxes stacked everywhere, and several of them were pressed up against the closet he needed to get into. Most of the crates were nailed shut and lifted easily, so he began to reposition them in order to gain access to the bucket he could see against the far wall. He had just moved three crates and was lifting a fourth when his hand hit something sharp.

  "Ow!" Blair pulled his right hand back quickly, seeing blood dripping off his index finger. He pressed his thumb over the cut and bent down to examine the offending crate. Several nails were sticking out from the lid that had been hastily put together. More often than not, the hammer had missed it's mark, and more than half the nails were bent. Blair looked at his finger, then found a safe handhold on the crate and moved it aside. Before reaching for the final one, he examined it closely, finding the same hasty construction. He moved that one aside with his foot and reached the bucket he was looking for, taking it back up the stairs.

  "Hey, did you get dinner?"

  Blair was halfway back to the mud room to gather his urchins when Katie came down the stairs. "Yeah, sure did. Where do you want them?" Blair picked each one out of the bag and put them into the bucket.

  "In the sink. I'll need to rinse them out good. Clive likes them boiled, or he won't eat them at all." Katie walked over and took the now full bucket from Blair's hands. "Want some coffee?"

  "Sure. I just need to wash up. Where's Jim?"

  "Upstairs. Clive is showing him the historical record of that old wreck. Here, there's soap at the sink, wash your hands."

  Blair nodded and walked over to the smaller sink at the opposite end of the kitchen. He couldn't help the sudden intake of breath as the hot water hit his finger. "Ow, man...Do you still keep the band-aids in the same place?"

  "Of course. What happened?" Katie walked over and took Blair's hand in hers, looking at the cut on his finger. "What did this?"

  "I had to move some crates to find the bucket." Blair tried to pull his hand away when she took a closer look at the cut. "Some of them have nails sticking out and I found one the hard way."

  Katie shook her head and pulled Blair by the hand. "Come on, let me clean this out before it gets infected."

  As she still had his hand, Blair had no choice but to follow Katie across the room and into the small medical station she kept set up just across from her and Clive's private quarters. Once inside she had him sit on the one bed while she opened a cabinet and produced bandages and antiseptic soap.

  "I'd better have Lucy fix those boxes. It's not like her to do a shoddy job packing artifacts. In fact, packing and cataloguing is what she does best."

  Blair tried very hard not to complain as she began to scrub his finger. "Hey Katie, was Kenny the only one on the dock with Emily, when it happened?"

  She finished scrubbing the cut and patted it dry. "No, actually Larry and Ross were down there too. Kenny was diving with her though. By the time I got down there, they had been trying to resuscitate her for five minutes." She finished drying the cut and put a bandage around it. "I still can't get over it. I imagine I never will, not completely. Clive and I, we feel so responsible for all of them when they come up here."

  "She knew what she was doing. So did Kenny. I don't understand how this could have happened. Thanks." Blair glanced at his finger when she finished and nodded.

  "You know, that friend of yours has been asking about it too. And not just in a curios way. I suppose, being a Detective and all, he sees these things in a different way than the rest of us. But I have to tell you, he's starting to make me wonder myself."

  "Yeah, Jim does that." Blair stayed on the bed and Katie took a seat on the stool beside the small counter.

  "He told me about how your apartment got blown up and he took you in after that. At first, I had a hard time picturing the two of you together. But after getting to know him, I can see how you might compliment each other. He's a good friend."

  Blair nodded slowly, raising his eyebrows. "Yes, he is." He smiled, remembering the paint fight of just yesterday. It had taken him totally by surprise and his stunned reaction was all Jim needed to get the advantage. Blair still didn't know when it was okay to relax around Jim and when it wasn't, but he was learning all the time. Just the fact that Jim Ellison still wanted him around often surprised him. "I've never met anyone like him before. He's so...deep. I mean, I can't even explain it myself, but this guy's just not your average policeman. He's not your average anything, really. Scares me sometimes."

  Katie frowned, leaning against the counter. "What do you mean?"

  "I'm not sure." Blair shrugged, realizing he may have used the wrong words, but it seemed true. "I've just never known anyone who was always...There. I mean, I thought our working together was going to be pretty temporary, and I still keep expecting him to call it off. But, I don't want it to be over, not anymore. And he keeps me around, even with my occasional screw up. God, I just don't know how to deal with it sometimes. But I want to."

  Katie smiled, "He's had an effect on you. I can see it."

  Blair looked at her then, wondering what she meant, but afraid to ask. "Everybody has an affect on me."

  She shook her head, still smiling. "No, not everyone. Clive sees it too. You've changed since we saw you last. And it's not because of Emily."

  At the mention of Emily, Blair lowered his eyes for a moment, still struggling with his emotions, or lack of them, even
after Jim insisted it was okay. He wasn't sure if he had been more upset about his feelings, or what Jim would think of him if he were to find out. But Jim had found out. He'd found out and hadn't even thought twice about it.

  "I don't know exactly what you do for the Detective, but take my advice...Stick with him. He's been good for you." She stood then and Blair got up. "And, though I never met him before, I'd be willing to bet you've had an effect on him, too." She patted Blair on the shoulder and they both left the aid room. "Like you do on everyone you meet."

  Part 6

  * * *

  "Hey Chief, where's my lobster?" Jim came down the stairs from his visit with Clive and found Blair and Katie sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee.

  "Oh, right, lobster." Blair smiled, "I knew I forgot something."

  "Come on Sandburg, I'm not eating those." He waved a hand towards the sink full of sea urchins soaking at the opposite end of the kitchen. "No offense," he added to Katie, who smiled at him and nodded.

  "I'm not going back down there, it's just too cold."

  "Fine, you can follow me with that camera you're so fond of." He slapped Blair on the back and walked to the door. "Let's go." He could hear Blair's sigh from across the room.

  "Okay, okay. I'm coming."

  Jim was laughing as they walked outside, "You know, I just can't picture it. No matter how hard I try."

  "What?" Blair hurried to catch up and walked beside Jim down the steps. "Picture what, Jim?"

  "Professor Hathaway. He's exactly what I picture a college Professor should look like. I mean the grey hair, the sweater, the pipe. I just can't picture you like that."

  "Me? Like Professor Hathaway? Come on, Jim, you need to get out more."

  Jim laughed again and shook his head. He had tried to form a mental image of Blair Sandburg, with a pipe and cardigan, and it just didn't work. They were approaching the barge and Jim could hear the unmistakable sound of bubbles making their way to the surface. He focused for a moment and could discern the workings of three separate regulators a few yards off the pier. They boarded the vessel and Blair led the way to the bow and into the remote station where Amy was still working.

  "Hey, I was just getting ready to send Igor back out." She smiled as Jim and Blair entered, then patted the machine affectionately. "I found your lobster."

  "Great. I was just getting ready to go down and look for them myself." Jim was smiling, then looked out the window at the bubbles surfacing just off the bow. "Who's out there now?"

  Amy rolled her eyes slightly, "Kenny, Larry and Ross. I don't know how they can do it, after what happened just two days ago." She paused, glancing at Blair. "Lucy is around here somewhere I think."

  "I'm right here." Lucy stepped in then and stood in the hatchway. "The guys are coming up now. You'll need a partner, if you're going down."

  "No thanks. I'm an old hand at this." Jim glanced at Blair, then Amy. "Besides, Igor here is coming with me."

  "That's right. Blair, give me a hand, will you? I need to get his claw attached again, it keeps slipping off."

  "Sure."

  Jim waited until the two of them left, then he looked at Lucy, who stood farther back now, watching Blair and Amy take Igor to the stern. "I understand you catalogue and pack all the findings from the wreck?"

  She turned to Jim. "Yes, that's right. I record them, pack them, and get the customs paperwork straight."

  Jim nodded thoughtfully and walked past her, towards the lower hatch. "So, you have a record of everything brought up?"

  "Yes. So does Professor Hathaway." She was following Jim now and he entered the stairwell.

  "And you record all of your findings?"

  "Yes, of course. That ship represents a piece of history, and it involves three separate countries." Lucy continued to follow Jim down and now stood with him next to the tanks. "America, Mexico, and Canada, all have a vested interest in the artifacts. You wouldn't believe the scrutiny when it comes to what is recovered and where it goes from here."

  Jim nodded, glancing at the tanks. His and Blair's from their morning dive were still at the end of the row, with three more missing. Lucy reached for the next tank in line and handed it to Jim.

  "Need any help getting dressed?"

  "Thank you, no." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. He hadn't pegged Lucy as the forward type. "But your friends are back, maybe you can help them."

  Lucy shrugged, setting the tank down in front of Jim, and turned to leave.

  Jim waited until she was gone before stripping down and putting on a dry wetsuit from the lockers. He checked the tank she had set out for him, tested the regulator, then tapped on the pressure gauge. Everything checked out okay, so he picked up the tank and carried it to the deck. Kenny and his cronies were already onboard, with Lucy assisting them in the removal of their gear. Jim took note of Kenny watching him as he crossed the deck to where Blair was waiting, focusing on the small group of students.

  "No, nothing. Don't worry. It's all taken care of."

  "Yeah Luce, just relax. By tomorrow, she'll be on her way."

  Jim reached the side and Blair took the tank from him. "I'm going to lead you to where Amy spotted the lobster, then I'll use Igor as a grocery bag, okay?"

  Jim nodded, still trying to listen to the group at the opposite side of the deck, but they had stopped talking and were beginning to move down below with their gear. "What were they doing?"

  Amy glanced at the retreating students and shrugged. "Just having a look around I suppose. I was following them with Igor for a few minutes, but his camera started cutting out again and I had to bring him back up."

  "You film every time he goes down?" Jim asked, securing the tank's straps as Blair lifted it to his back.

  "Yes. He relays to a video tape machine here on deck. But lately his camera's been having problems. Cutting in and out, sometimes just transmitting snow for minutes at a time. We keep the tapes for review in case the divers miss anything while they're down."

  "Jim, here you go."

  Jim accepted the regulator Blair was directing over his shoulder. "You keep the tapes for how long?"

  "Oh, usually long enough to go over with Professor Hathaway. The divers have a limited amount of time, due to the cold, so we review the tapes and see if they've missed anything, or find an area they can concentrate on during the next dive. Typically, I'd say we recycle the tapes once a week."

  "Jim, what are you thinking?"

  "I'm not sure yet Chief. Just thinking." Jim pulled his mask on and gave Blair a thumbs up, stepping over the side.

  He hit the water and let himself float for a second, putting his flippers on. When he was ready, Igor was lowered into the water beside him and Jim took hold of the camera, bringing it under the surface. He started off in the general direction of the ship, waiting for Blair to get back to the control room and turn on the propellor. After a few minutes of idle swimming, the large blade began to spin gently and Jim let go, following Igor out past the dock, then down. It was so peaceful under the surface, if a little cold. Jim couldn't help but laugh at Blair's reaction to their first dive. He had learned during his time in the service how to control his body's response to the cold of that first submersion. He always did have a better tolerance for cold, but had also learned how to turn down his sense of touch in a way that gave him a definite advantage over his more sensitive partner.

  Igor was moving off to the left now and Jim followed, keeping an eye out for lobster, and anything else that could be cooked or stewed. He had just spotted some strange marks in the sand when he ran into the remote camera that had stopped just in front of him. Sandburg! He recovered and stared at the camera eye facing him. Igor tipped down for a moment, then back up. Jim looked around and saw the pair of lobsters sitting just below him. He reached out, and with one finger, pushed Igor back slightly, then waved his finger in front of the camera. Igor hovered where he was pushed, then held out one clawed arm, extending the bag he was carrying. Jim almost laughe
d, picturing Blair at the other end of the camera. He flipped down and snagged the two lobsters, then righted himself and stuffed them into the bag Igor held patiently for them. As soon as they were secure, the camera dipped and turned, leading him on. A few yards farther and Jim was able to once again pick up the marks in the sand. It looked as if something had been dragged, leaving a wide imprint in the silt, and scraping barnacles off of several rocks.

  Once again Igor stopped suddenly and Jim was able to avoid another collision by inches. He glared at the camera again and looked around, spotting the large lobster just below and to the right. He had just stuffed it into Igor's bag when he felt the subtle change in pressure through his regulator. Quickly he checked the pressure gauge. It read three quarters. He should have thirty minutes of air, and he had only been down for ten. He took another breath and felt the same sensation of pulling, more than the normal exchange through regulator valves. Igor moved forward and stared at him, then turned to move on. Jim took another breath and felt the unmistakable vacuum of an empty tank, pulling back against the air in his lungs.

  He didn't need to check the gauge to know he was out of air. Quickly he reached out and snagged Igor just before it was out of reach, spinning it around to face him. He pointed to his regulator and up, adding an urgent motion of slashing across his throat. Immediately Igor spun back around and faced up, kicking its propellor into high and pulling Jim as fast as it could to the surface.

  "Jim!"

  Just as he was ready to break the surface Jim heard Blair racing down to meet him on deck. His lungs were burning, and he spat out the regulator as he let go of Igor, reaching up for the ship as he came out of the water.

  "Jim! Give me your hand!" Blair was leaning over, grabbing Jim's outstretched arm as he broke through the water.

  Jim filled his lungs gratefully and steadied himself against the barge, letting Blair hold him there for a few minutes while he inhaled again.

  "What the hell happened!"