Mistake

by Kristine Williams

  * * *

  Blair hung up the phone and rubbed his sweating ear. He was grateful for Professor Kinyon's help while he was away, and he knew if he thought about it rationally, spending nearly 40 minutes on the phone doing nothing but listening was a small price to pay. But he'd wanted to get Jim to try and remember what he saw before Agent Mills arrived. He'd known bringing up the subject this morning had been a bad idea, Jim wasn't ready yet. Blair should have waited, watched for a better time to approach Jim and get him to listen to reason and change his mind, but he'd jumped the gun, and nearly blown it altogether. And now, Jim was asleep on the couch.

  "Hey, Jim." Blair set the phone down. "Jim." Nothing. He started to ease himself out of the chair for the third time since first sitting down that morning. It was slow going, and he had to stop when he got to his feet and a stab of pain shot through his right side. He'd avoided the pills all day; being alone and sitting quietly made that easier. But now the throbbing all through his chest was reminding him of how foolish that had been. When the pain subsided, he walked to the couch, reaching Jim just as he startled awake.

  "You okay, man?"

  Jim looked up suddenly, then glanced around the living room. "Yeah. Just dreaming."

  Blair was about to ask what dream had him so shaken up when they heard a knock on the door.

  "Must be Mills." Jim got up and crossed the room to opened the door.

  Blair nodded as Agent Mills came inside. He'd wanted to get Jim to remember what his eyes had seen before Mills came by, just in case he couldn't get his partner to relax enough with an audience.

  "Blair, how are you doing?" Mills came in, draping his coat over the back of the chair.

  "Better, thank you." Blair leaned against the arm of the couch. He knew if he sat down, it would be too hard to get back up again.

  "Captain Banks tells me you have an idea on how to help Ellison remember?" Agent Mills glanced from Blair to Jim, then back again.

  Blair nodded, looking up at Jim. "Yeah, we've done this before. He saw something, he just didn't take a conscious note of it, with everything else he was seeing at the time."

  "Like hypnosis?"

  "Something like that." Jim crossed the room and sat down on the couch, looking up at Blair. "Well, let's see if this is going to work."

  Blair turned to face him. "Okay, Jim. You know the drill. Just close your eyes, relax, push out everything else." He moved closer but couldn't sit on the coffee table or the couch. His ribs were aching with every breath, and it was a struggle to keep his voice even. Jim's eyes were closed, his head leaning back against the cushions. Agent Mills was behind Blair, sitting in the chair, being very quiet. "How do you feel?"

  Jim nodded. "Fine."

  "Okay, I want you to go back to the Twisted Pearl. Back to just before you came into the bathroom. Are you there?"

  Jim nodded again but said nothing.

  "Now, you came through the doors. What do you see?"

  Jim's eyebrows knitted together. "The door just flew open. I see two men, standing with their backs to me."

  "Okay, Jim, I want you to freeze that image. Just freeze it and step back, look at it as if it were a picture. Take yourself out of the frame, and look at it." He paused, praying this was working. Jim was quiet, his eyebrows showing the effort. "What do you see?"

  "I see the bathroom. Two men are standing over you. Raymond is there on the floor too."

  "Okay, Jim, now look around the room. What else do you see?"

  "The bathroom. There's no one else...wait, I can see the mirror. It's right in front of me."

  Yes! Blair kept his excitement to himself, remembering not to use his arms too much. "Okay, look in the mirror. Tell me what you see there." Blair watched Jim's face as he sat there, eyes closed. He could see the eyes moving under closed lids, as if searching for something.

  "I do see someone."

  Blair opened his mouth to ask Jim to describe the man he saw, but a sudden, cold pressure against the back of his neck stopped him. He heard the gun cocking just as Jim opened his eyes.

  "Very good. You should have considered a job with the FBI, Blair." Agent Mills stepped around beside Blair, then moved his gun from the side of Blair's neck and aimed it at Jim.

  "Why'd you do it?" Jim asked, tensing on the couch.

  "Oldest reason in the book, Ellison. Money."

  Blair stood there, looking from Mills to Jim. His partner was still on the couch, with a gun trained on his head. Agent Mills had one hand on Blair's right arm.

  "You set it all up, and paid Edwards and Patterson to carry out the dirty work?"

  "That's right. I needed two men dumb enough to just do what they were told. I had to be in charge of the cases, so they didn't get caught. Took some doing, and picking Mr. Keller was a mistake. I should have done more research." He turned slightly and looked at Blair for one instant, then returned his gaze to Jim. "Blair, I'm truly sorry you were beaten in Raymond's place. That was never my intent. I was sure I could count on that Whatcom idiot to try and give you the slip, and when he went into the Twisted Pearl, I saw my chance. You two weren't supposed to be there, but you were. Getting the three of you out of that club was priority when we ended up with more than I bargained for. I made the mistake of assuming my partner's could figure out who was who, and hurried back to the Station, leaving the three of you with them."

  "Why'd you take us?" Jim asked.

  "I was afraid you'd seen me. And I was right." He raised the gun higher. "So, as you can see, once I finish off the two of you, and catch that plane, I'll be home free before anyone knows what happened."

  Blair looked at Jim, desperate for him to do something, to stop this. He couldn't believe this man he'd come to feel sorry for, and respect, could have been responsible for it all. "You had them kill that girl." He had to try and stall, so Jim could find a chance to stop him.

  "Yes, I did." Mills glanced at Blair, but quickly returned his gaze to Jim. "I never actually participated, mind you, but it was my idea, yes. And I would have had them kill the three of you, as well. But beating you beforehand, was never my intent."

  "Why? How could you let them beat a 16 year old girl to death?"

  "It was easy, Blair, when kept in perspective. I had to make the crimes very violent, and dangerous, in order to insure the proper amount of fear and respect. That way, I could almost guarantee payment each time. You see, it was me the family members listened to, when I advised them on the best course of action."

  "The best course of action always being to pay the ransom, and try to tail the delivery," Jim finished for him.

  "That's right. And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a plane to catch."

  Blair reached out, desperate to knock the gun away before---It went off! He heard Jim's cry of pain almost the instant the gun exploded. God, he was too late! A hand shoved Blair hard and he fell, twisting as he did so. He hit the coffee table and it tumbled over, spilling its contents. A blinding pain shot through his side as he hit the floor, and his hand struck something cold and hard.

  Part 12

  * * *

  Oh God, Jim! Blair tried to roll over--tried to see where Mills was--where Jim was. One hand went out to push himself off the floor and connected with something cold and hard. Jim's gun! Without thinking, Blair pulled the weapon out of its holster. Mills was standing there, facing the couch.

  "Sorry about that, Ellison. Should have anticipated him. He's next."

  His gun aimed, as did Blair's. "Freeze!" It was all he could think to do--all he could think to say--but it wasn't enough! Mills didn't freeze. He looked at Blair, then turned back to the couch, disregarding the gun in Blair's shaking hands. Blair couldn't see Jim, but he heard Mills cock the gun again. Oh God! He had to--Both guns seemed to explode in the same instant, and the recoil of Jim's larger automatic sent shockwaves through Blair's arms and into his chest. He heard glass shatter, and prayed it was Mills bullet and not his. If he'd missed...

  Agent Mills hit th
e ground with a massive thud, landing right in front of Blair. Oh God--Oh God!

  "Sandburg!"

  "Jim!" He was alive?!

  A third explosion startled him and he gripped Jim's gun tighter, his eyes darting back to the body of Agent Mills even as he realized Captain Banks had just kicked in the front door.

  "Jim! What the hell?!" Simon rushed to the couch. "What happened?"

  Blair still couldn't get up, couldn't see Jim from where he lay. His heart was racing, as was his mind.

  "It was Mills. Blair?"

  Jim's voice didn't sound right. "I'm all right." Simon appeared beside him then, and took Jim's gun from his hands. The Captain nearly had to pry Blair's fingers away, he was still clutching it in fear. He couldn't move, couldn't let go of the gun on his own. "Jim?" He didn't want the Captain to help him, he needed Jim. Simon set the gun on the table, then took Blair by the arms and lifted him up, all but putting him onto the opposite couch. From there, Blair could see Jim, bleeding badly from a bullet wound in his left shoulder. "Jim!" Oh God!

  "I'm all right." Jim was holding his shoulder as he sat, sagging against the cushions. Simon was on the phone, calling for an ambulance as he rummaged around the kitchen, rushing back to the couch with two clean towels.

  "Hang on, Jim. The ambulance will be here in a minute." Simon pressed the towels into the wound and Jim grimaced, nodding.

  Jim was bleeding, Agent Mills was dead. Blair's hands started to shake as his mind tried to grasp what had just happened. He'd killed him. He'd shot Mills and killed him. No, no no no, this is happening too fast! And Jim wasn't stopping it. He was bleeding to death! Blair tried to get up, but the pain in his side was overwhelming. He held his ribcage with his left arm, gritted his teeth, and forcibly pushed off the couch, propelling himself towards Jim and Simon.

  "Sandburg, sit down!" Simon growled.

  "Jim!" Blair ignored Simon as he all but fell onto the couch beside his partner. The bleeding wasn't stopping, he could see fresh blood seeping out around the towels Simon was pressing into the wound. "Jim, come on." Jim's eyes were closing, and Blair could see he was losing consciousness but fighting not to.

  "Hold this." Simon reached out and took Blair's hand, pressing it into the towels against Jim's shoulder. "I can hear the ambulance downstairs." He stood then and rushed to the door, then out and down the hall.

  "Jim, come on, man." Blair was pressing into the towel, but the blood was flowing out and over his hand. It wouldn't stop! Why wouldn't it stop? Blair's heart was racing now. Jim's eyes were closed. "Jim!" He was unconscious, and Blair could feel the panic welling up from his gut. Agent Mills was all but forgotten. "Jim, please!" He couldn't die! What would he do if...NO! He couldn't die. "Jim, dammit, hang on!" His ears were beginning to ring. It hurt to breathe, and the bleeding wouldn't stop! "Come on, come on, Jim! Open your eyes, Jim." God, open your eyes! This was too much...just too much! How could this have happened so quickly? When did they lose control? "Jim, please! Don't do this...please, man, don't do this!"

  "Sandburg!" Simon took Blair by the arms and had to pry him away. "Blair, come on, let the paramedics do their job."

  Blair tried to fight Simon's pull, but he had no strength, and pain in his side was stabbing him regularly. There was blood on his hands, Jim's blood. He tried to shake off Simon's hands, to get back to the couch. Jim needed him. He was bleeding! The paramedics were there now, lifting Jim from the couch and putting him on the stretcher. He was still unconscious, still bleeding. Simon's hands were on Blair's arms and he pulled him farther back.

  "Sandburg, what the hell happened?"

  Blair couldn't take his eyes off Jim as the medics worked on him. "I shot him."

  "You shot Mills?" Simon forced Blair around to face him, making him tear his gaze off Jim. "Sandburg, tell me what happened."

  Blair shook his head. How could this be more important? Jim might be dying! That was when his eyes found Mills. His body sprawled out on the rug, blood still flowing from the gaping hole in his left side, eyes wide open, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Oh God! He felt dizzy.

  "Sandburg. Tell me what happened. I drove over here to see what you and Jim had found out." Simon's voice had lowered and Blair looked at him instinctively.

  "It...it was Mills. Jim saw him in the bathroom mirror. He was the third man." Blair felt like the world was blurring, falling away somehow. The paramedics were moving towards the door now and Blair tried to pull out of Simon's grasp. "I need to go with him." He had to stay with Jim.

  "I'll drive you." Simon refused to let go and Blair couldn't pull away.

  "No, I have to stay with him." He turned to face the Captain. "You don't understand. His senses...He doesn't react to pain medication like we do. There's no telling what surgery could do." He tried again to pull away, but the motion sent a stab of pain through his injured side that caused him to gasp. It didn't fade, but continued, doubling him over. He felt Simon's hands change position, felt himself pressed against the larger man's side as he half ushered, half carried Blair out of the loft and down the stairs, following the medics. He could feel himself beginning to black out, and fought the sensation.

  By the time Blair regained control, he was being lowered into the passenger seat of Simon's car. "Captain I have to be with him. The doctors have to know."

  "And what can you tell them? Why doesn't he react to medicines, anyway? What's that got to do with his senses? He's had surgery before, Sandburg. He'll be fine."

  Simon's questions didn't interrupt his starting the car and following the ambulance. "I don't know exactly. We never got to explore that. I just know that he might not react normally. We've got to tell them." God, couldn't Simon drive any faster? The pain in his side was making his head swim. He had to be there when the doctors worked on Jim. What if he couldn't be anaesthetized? If they needed to operate, and they couldn't keep him under, what would happen? "He can't die, Simon, he can't." Blair didn't even notice the natural use of Captain Banks' first name, a name he wasn't supposed to use.

  "He won't die. Jim's been hurt worse before." Simon glanced at Blair to reassure him. "They'll know what to do if something doesn't seem right with him. Just take it easy. He'll be with doctors."

  Blair shook his head. How could they know? How could he explain it to them? Blair didn't even know himself. Jim had never let him explore that potential problem. Maybe it wasn't a problem, and it would all be okay? "Dammit, Simon, can't you go any faster?!"

  "Would you just take it easy?" Simon's voice rose, but he pressed down harder on the gas even as he chastised Blair for his loss of temper.

  It seemed like hours had passed when they finally pulled into the hospital's emergency entrance. Blair tried to hurry out of Simon's car, but getting out of the seat sent a stab of pain through his side and he had to clutch the door for support. Simon came around from the driver's side and supported him with one arm so he could shut the door.

  "Come on. I'll get you settled in there, then find out how he is."

  "I'm fine." Blair insisted, but he was unable to shrug off the firm, supporting grip on his left arm. Simon said nothing as they hurried into the waiting room. Blair had lost sight of the paramedics and Jim, and now searched the area for any sign of his friend.

  "Sit down, I'll find out what's going on." Simon all but pushed Blair into a seat at the far side of the waiting area, away from everyone else who was there. "Stay here!"

  It was an order, plain and simple, delivered with such force that Blair's first impulse was to disobey. But the fact that he had no idea which room or hallway Jim had been taken through, and the pain in his chest that refused to abate, kept him sitting there. His heart was racing, his head was spinning. This isn't happening. Blair's mind urged him to deny it all, but his memory was filled with the sight of Agent Mills falling to the floor, the sound of that gun going off as he tried so desperately to push the arm away that was holding it. And the blood. Jim's blood that was still staining his hands and shirt. God,
Jim, please! He couldn't die. What would Blair do if...NO, he couldn't die! They hadn't finished their argument yet. It all happened too fast. This was never supposed to happen. He was supposed to recall a face, some stranger's face. The third man. How could it be Mills? He was with them all this time. He was FBI, for Christ's sake! All that time, and Blair had fallen for it. He'd not only believed Agent Mills was one of the good guys, but he had felt sorry for him! God, Jim was right, he had no business in the police field.

  There was a slight commotion at the entrance and Blair looked up, seeing several dark-suited men coming through the doors, following a stretcher with a large body bag on top. Several uniformed officers came in after them, followed by Mike Jenkins and Jeff Clark. Numbly, Blair realized it was Mills' body they were bringing in, and the men in suits were FBI. He was feeling light-headed again, and couldn't take a deep breath against the pain and bandages. The facts of the last half hour were slowly catching up. He'd killed a man. An FBI agent. But he'd had to. Mills was going to finish off Jim, then kill Blair. He'd had no choice. Surely they...Jim would tell them...Blair looked around for Simon, finally seeing him coming from the opposite end of the waiting area. His heart was racing with a sudden panicked feeling that the FBI agents would take him away before he could talk to Jim. The men coming towards him with Mike Jenkins close behind were stuck in a crowd of crying women, so Blair pushed himself off the chair and walked as quickly as he could towards Simon.