"Hey," Joel greeted as he entered the room

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Rolling backwards, Jack allowed the two men to enter the cabin. Walking inside, Simon took a quick glance around large room. Starting to feel the strain of carrying Jim, he shifted the other man slightly.

Noticing the movement, Jack gestured towards two large couches. "Why don't you lay them down over there?" After watching the two men enter the room, he pushed the door shut behind them. Rolling over to join them, he looked at Joel. Gesturing towards Simon, he asked, "How much does he know?"

"Which doesn't seem to be a whole hell of a lot," Simon complained as he lay Jim on the other sofa. "So maybe you can fill me in some more."

Arriving beside the couches, Jack stared down at Blair. Whistling softly, he commented, "You weren't kidding when you called me earlier, Joel. They really did a number on him."

"Yes, they did," Simon bellowed. "And so far all I know is they're a they. I want specifics. Who the fuck are these people and how can I bring them down?"

Cocking his head to the side, Jack peered up at the angry man. "They're the kind of people that don't have names," he replied. "And it'd take a lot more than just you to bring them down."

"In just a minute, Captain Banks," Jack impatiently responded. Turning to look at Joel, he asked, "How long ago did Jim get the shot?"

"If the information that Joel acquired is accurate," Jack began, looking towards Joel and seeing the other man's nod he continued, "They should both be waking up pretty soon. Although with the abuse that Blair suffered, he might be out for a little bit longer. If so, we should let him sleep. Right now, he needs rest more than anything."

"What information?" Simon demanded. "I'm totally lost here. Would somebody mind telling me what the fuck is going on?"

Hearing a groan emitting from Jim's location, Jack replied, "Maybe we should wait for Jim to return to the land of the living. Then I won't have to go through all of this twice in one night." Watching as Jim began to move around slightly, Jack asked, "I know you said he had almost total amnesia, but did he ever remember anything else?"

The three men jerked when they heard a low growl coming from the couch. "I remember everything." Jim's icy blue gaze pierced Joel. "Hello, Joel," he purred. "Since you were a friend for so long, I'll let you choose."

Holding up his hands, Joel backed away when Jim slowly stood and took a few staggering steps in his direction. "You don't want to do this, Jim."

Hesitating, he looked at the man he had considered a friend for several years. Then, after briefly glancing in Blair's direction, he continued to advance. "Yes I do," he stated.

Stepping in front of Jim, Simon gripped the other man's arms tightly and hissed, "At first, I felt exactly like you feel right now, Jim." Pushing against Jim slightly as he tried to press forward, Simon added, "Just hear him out, Jim. Okay?" Feeling some of the tension leave Jim's body, Simon loosened his grip.

"Let me go," Jim demanded. "I've about fucking had it with people restraining me."

Still glaring at Joel, Jim answered, "At the hospital when I woke up and saw those two sons of bitches with... with him, it came flooding back." Peering around Simon, Jim directed a look of pure hatred at Joel. "I remember him being there while they... While they were hurting Blair. I know that he betrayed us!"

"He had his reasons," Simon informed. "And like it or not, I can understand and sympathize with them."

Reaching up his hands Jim shoved Simon away from him, ignoring the resulting flair of pain from his wrists. "Understand? Sympathize? I don't believe this! What's wrong with you, Simon?"

"You've got ten minutes," Jim advised. "You can either spend the time trying to explain yourself or spend it getting a head start. It's up to you."

Seeing Jim swaying slightly, Joel said, "First, why don't you sit down before you fall down. You're not looking too steady there."

"You can save the concerned friend act, Joel," Jim stated. "It's a little fucking late for it and it isn't exactly all that believable anymore."

Attempting to diffuse the volatile situation, Simon suggested, "Why don't you tell us what you remember, Jim?"

"If I can interrupt this little drama for a minute," Blair spoke up from the couch, "I'd appreciate it if somebody could tell me what is going on here."

Spinning around, Jim almost fell before Simon reached out to steady him. "Blair!"

"Thanks for filling me in there, Jim, 'cause I never would've figured that one out on my own," Blair sarcastically replied.

Maneuvering his chair over to Blair, Jack said, "It's nice to know that charming personality of yours is still intact."

Groaning as he struggled to sit up, Blair replied, "Yeah? Well that's good 'cause I think it's just about the only thing that is." Finally managing to sit up, Blair looked around the room. Returning his attention to Jim, he said, "Well, Toto, looks like we're not in Kansas anymore."

"It ain't the Emerald City either," Jim responded. "Though you do bear an uncanny resemblance to one of those flying monkeys."

Chuckling, Blair winced when his ribs protested the movement then asked, "Memory back, huh?"

Walking over to Blair, Jim slowly sat down beside him. "All back," he confirmed. "Or at least nothing's repressed that wasn't repressed before."

"Confused," Blair answered. "Not to mention irritable, curious, hungry and a little bit sore. How about yourself?"

"Pissed, angry, confused and curious too, not that hungry, my wrists hurt." Jim stopped and looked over at Joel a moment before adding, "Homicidal."

"So I take it there's been a lot happening while I've been in a drug induced slumber?" Blair inquired.

"Actually, it seems there's been a lot happening for quite a while now," Jim answered. "Unfortunately, no one bothered to let us in on it."

"Well, you interrupted before I could find out much of anything," Jim explained.

"You can start with the past couple of days," Blair stated. "Seeing as how you now remember them while I still don't, you can let me know why I feel like shit. And while you're at it, you can tell me why you look like you want to rip Joel's throat out with your bare hands."

"Something tells me that this is going to be extremely complicated," Blair complained. "I'm in no mood for complicated. I want short, simple sentences. Actually, I want a bathroom then I want an explanation. And some food wouldn't hurt either." Turing to Jim, he added, "Don't make me have to go through this again."

"You are going to make me go through this again." Rolling his eyes, Blair demanded, "Help me up."

"'Cause I got to... Oh no. I am not doing this again, Jim." Looking up at Joel, Blair asked, "Hey, Joel, how about giving me a hand up here."

Before Joel could take one step, Jim grated out, "Don't you even think about putting your hands on him."

"Simon'll help you, Chief." Addressing his captain, Jim asked, "Isn't that right, Simon?"

"Sure," Simon replied as he went over to help Blair stand. With a great deal of gently pulling, he finally managed to get Blair upright. Glancing at Jack, Simon asked, "Where's the bathroom."

Leaning heavily against Simon as they made their way across the room, Blair called out, "You guys better be ready," he advised. "Because when I get back out here, you've all got a whole lot of explaining to do."

Stopping when Blair hesitated at the door to the bathroom, Simon asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Um... Now don't take this the wrong way, Simon," Blair responded, "because I really do like you. I even think of you as a friend. But there are some experiences that just aren't meant to be shared." Seeing Simon's puzzled expression, Blair added, "Trust me, it's been a long time since I've needed help to go potty."

"Just get in there," Simon growled. After Blair had hobbled into the bathroom and shut the door behind, he muttered, "Smart-mouthed, long-haired, annoying, know-it-all..."

Smiling softly, Jim's expression hardened when Joel came towards him. "What is it, Taggert?"

Turing to face Jack, Jim gestured towards the kitchen area and asked, "So, do you have any food in this place?"

"Actually," Jim replied, "he likes chicken noodle the best. Do you have any of that?"

"Thanks," Jim called out as Jack started towards the kitchen. "Do you need any help?"

"Don't worry about it," Jack reassured as the other man started to rise from the couch.

Nodding, Jim settled back down then turned to watch as Blair exited the bathroom. Seeing Blair's pallor, Jim immediately started to get back up again but stopped when Simon suddenly scooped Blair up.

"Just shut up and enjoy the ride, Sandburg," Simon replied. Softening his voice, he asked, "How bad are they?"

"I don't know what..." Sighing, Blair admitted, "Actually they're hurting pretty bad right now. So, anybody want to tell me what those guys did to my feet?" When nobody spoke up, he continued, "Okay, my head hurts so I know I must have taken a few knocks. My ribs feel like they did after my little encounter with Zeller, so I know some of them are broken or bruised. Judging by the soreness in my midsection, not to mention the spectacular array of colors, I imagine they got in a few good blows there. I can see the splints on my finger, which added to the fact that I can't move said fingers, tells me that they're broken. The only thing that I can't contort myself into seeing right now is the bottom of my feet. So somebody please tell me. What the did they do to my feet?" Gasping, Blair expectantly stared at the other men.

Shocked by the sudden outburst, the four men silently stared at Blair for several long seconds. Stepping forward, Jim responded, "I remember cigarettes, Chief. Then the smell of burning flesh and the sound of your screams. They... They..."

Tightening his grip slightly, Simon started towards the couch again. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as he settle Blair on the couch.

Rolling over to Blair, Jack held out a bowl of soup. "Here, eat this," he ordered. "You could use something warm right now."

"Thanks, Jack," Blair replied as he took the bowl. Looking towards Jim, he added, "You should eat something too."

"Later, Chief," Jim promised. "I don't think I could choke anything down right now."

"Fine," Blair agreed. "But you guys owe me an explanation and I want it now. I don't care which one of you goes first, but one of you had better start talking."

"Why don't you go first, Joel," Jim suggested. "Fill Blair and me in on what you've been up to lately. I'm sure we'll both find it very interesting."

Looking down at the floor, Joel began speaking in a low voice. "It all started when I got a visit from an old *acquantiance* one day..."

After Joel finished repeating a slightly modified version of the story that he had told Simon earlier, a hush fell over the room. Jim and Simon both stared at Joel in shock, amazed at the information he had omitted. Jim was shaken from his scrutiny of his former friend by Blair's softly spoken words.

"God, Joel, I'm sorry that you were put into such a tough situation like that," Blair apologized. "To have your family threatened like that. You must have been going crazy with worry. It must have been awful for you."

"Awful for him?" Came Jim disbelieving response to Blair's words. "Yeah, right. I can't believe this. Sandburg, he was there when..." Pausing as he caught sight of the pleading look in Joel's eyes, Jim tried again. "That he was there when..."

Turning to look at Blair, Jim was hit by memories of his partner and Joel Taggert together. Seeing Blair attempting to help Joel regain his nerve. Hearing Joel tell him about Blair's ostrich chilli while Blair stood nearby laughing, hearing Joel's determined vow to be there for Blair during the Wilksenson incident. Remembering Joel's easy acceptance of Blair and the friendship that had quickly sprung up between the two of them. Thought about how much the older man meant to his partner.

Jack and Simon exchanged an uneasy glance when Jim failed to respond. "Blair," Simon said, "Joel... Um... You see, Joel..."

Keeping his eyes locked with Joel's, Jim interrupted, "Like Joel told you, he was there tonight when they tried to grab us again. He helped get us here tonight, Chief. Helped to get us someplace safe." Glancing in Blair's direction, Jim added, "Whatever wrongs he may have committed, what he did tonight helped to make up for it."

Leaning his head down, Joel murmured in a sentinel soft voice, "Thank you." When he looked back up, Jim briefly nodded at him.

"I'd really like to meet your family sometime, Joel," Blair said after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"I know that they'd like to meet you too," Joel replied. "But I don't think that's possible now."

"Yes, they are," Joel confirmed. "Jack arranged for them to be taken someplace where they'll be safe. It's just that..." Trailing off, Joel looked towards Jack.

"In order for them to be completely safe," Jack explained, "we need to keep their location secret, from everybody. Only myself and Joel know where they are."

Hurt, Blair shrugged and said, "Yeah. I mean after all, they're your family not us."

"Your turn to tell me what happened," Blair informed. "You and me... Wait a minute, I can't believe I didn't ask this before. Exactly what day is it?"

"Friday," Blair repeated in disbelief. "You mean it's only been two day since whatever it is that happened, happened? Seems more like two weeks or two months. I mean... Oh shit!"

Looking at Simon, Blair said, "Please tell me you contacted the university. I was supposed to give exams yesterday. The Dean is going to be so pissed at me."

"I can't believe this," Jim declared when Blair finished. "I can't fucking believe this."

"Yeah, I know," Blair replied. "It totally sucks, doesn't it? I'm going to be in so much trouble."

"I'll tell you what's wrong," Jim responded. "We were just held captive for the last two days, during which you were beaten and burned I might add. Not to mention that the men responsible for that abduction are some... some MIB's that coerced Joel into spying on us. And those same MIB guys are now probably scouring the city looking for us. Yet your main concern is some exam you missed and how the Dean is gong to react!"

When Jim stood up and began to pace around the room, Simon leaned forward and reassured, "Don't worry, Blair. After you and Jim disappeared, I called and spoke with the Dean personally. She was very understanding and said that she hoped both you and Jim were alright."

"Really?" Blair asked. Seeing Simon nod, he added, "Thanks, Simon. That was nice of you. At least now I don't also have to worry about being out of a job."

Coming to a halt, Jim slowly turned to stare at Blair, "Out of a job? You're... That's all... I can't believe..."

"What?" Blair asked. "I need my job, Jim. And as for all of this other stuff, you and Jack will be able to get us out of it." Receiving no answer, Blair asked, "You will be able to get us out of this, won't you? Jim? Jack? C'mon guys. You've got all of these connections. Just pull a few strings; call in a few debts. Fix this!"

"He's right, Blair," Jack interrupted. "These people, I know their kind. I've encountered people like them many times during my involvement with the government. They're very powerful and when they want something ... or someone ... they don't let anything stand in their way."

"So what are you saying here?" Blair asked. "That there's nothing we can do? That these guys will win and there's no way we can stop them?"

"There's a way to stop them," Jim replied. "A way I can ensure everyone's safety."

Not liking the look on Jim's face, Blair inquired, "What are you going to do, Jim?"

"Me," Jim finished when Blair hesitated. "And that's exactly what they're going to get."

"You've got to be absolutely crazy if you think that I'm going to let you turn yourself over to those guys," Blair declared. "So just forget that idea right now 'cause there is absolutely no fucking way it's going to happen."

"It's not your decision, Sandburg," Jim protested. "It's mine. Don't you understand, Chief? I can't just stand by and do nothing while other people are hurt because of me. Taggert's family was threatened and..."

"And what?" Blair asked. "Are you talking about what they did to me?" When Jim did nothing but bow his head, Blair continued, "Just forget it, Jim. You are not responsible for what happened to me. Those bastards are the ones that hurt me, not you. And if you think that I'm going to just sit here and watch you pull one of those guilt-induced, I'm-responsible-for-saving-the-whole-freaking-world, self-sacrificing stunts of yours then you're nuts. There has got to be another way to end this."

"What way would that be, Sandburg?" Jim replied. "Think about it for a minute. This time they used Taggert's family. What if next time they threaten someone at the PD? Simon and Daryl? My brother? Naomi? Anybody close to us is a target. If I go to them, then there's a good chance no one else will get hurt."

"I'm the one they want, Sandburg," Jim reasoned. "If they have me, they'll leave you alone."

"I wouldn't be able to let you do that alone, Jim," Blair admitted. "If it comes down to it and we have no other options left, then I'll go with you."

Sighing, Jim asked, "After what they did to you the last time, do you really think that I would let them get their hands on you again. You were hurt because I let my guard down, because I didn't want to believe that something like this would really happen. I won't allow you to be hurt again."

"How do you know?" Jim asked. "You don't even remember. I do. I wasn't paying attention. I let them get the drop on me."

Continuing on as if he hadn't heard Blair, Jim said, "I actually had a good time talking with those kids that morning, probably because they reminded me so much of you. Asking question after question; so enthusiastic about police work and eager to learn about it. They viewed it with such an... an... innocence. Viewed it in such simple terms of right and wrong. Just like you did when you first started riding with me. But I guess you were cured of that now, huh?"

Chuckling slightly, Jim added, "I talked you into going to Wonderburger for lunch and then we headed for the high school. Man was I dreading that. Dealing with all those teenagers and their attitudes. No way was it going to be as easy as it was with the younger kids. When we pulled into the parking lot, I was trying to think of some way to get out of it without winding up on meter maid duty. I was preoccupied; I wasn't paying attention like I should have been. I got out of the truck and was halfway to the school entrance before I noticed that you weren't with me. I turned around and I saw those two bastards from the hospital tonight. They each had a hold of one of your arms. You were just hanging there between them, unconscious. I started towards you when one of them put a gun up against your head. I thought they were going to kill you. There was no way I could have reached you in time to stop it. So... I just... I went along with them, hoping to buy some time until I had an advantage and could jump them. But that never happened, did it?"

Jim turned away from the sympathy he saw in Blair's eyes as he continued, "One of them tossed me a pair of handcuffs and told me to cuff my hands behind my back. While I was doing that, the other one put you in the back of a car. After I was cuffed, the guy gestured towards the car so I walked over to it. I heard the guy come up behind me and when I started to turn around he shoved a needle into my neck. When I woke up, I was chained to a wall."

Taking a deep breath, Jim faced Blair again and stated, "I looked up and saw you strapped down to a table. They started asking you questions about me, about my senses." Smiling slightly, Jim said, "Your exact words, I believe, were 'Go fuck yourself. I'm not telling you anything'." Frowning again, sorrow filled Jim next words. "That's when they started beating you. But still you wouldn't give them anything. You just kept you eyes on me the whole time. I think they thought that if you couldn't see me, you'd break. So that's when they turned you over onto your stomach. Arranged it so that you couldn't see me anymore. That's when you started screaming my name. Do you have any idea what that was like? Hearing you scream my name while they tortured you? That sound... Blair, that sound will haunt me for as long as I live."

When Jim stopped talking, Blair painfully pushed himself up and off of the couch. Hobbling, he silently walked over and stood in front of Jim for several long seconds. Not saying anything, he simply leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the other man.

Hesitantly, Jim reached up and placed his hands on Blair's shoulders. Not wanting to cause his friend any more pain, Jim gently squeezed Blair's shoulders. "I can't... I won't let them get their hands on you again," he whispered. "Because if they did, neither of us would survive it." Reluctantly, Jim released Blair and said, "Back over to the couch. You need to get off of your feet."

Voice choked with emotion, Blair uttered a strangled chuckle and replied, "Alright, but no more of that carrying stuff."

Jim softly agreed, "Whatever you say, Chief." Then he smiled slightly at he shocked look on Blair's face when Simon walked over and picked Blair up again.

Surprised, Blair squeaked out an indignant, "Hey." Looking up as he was once again gently settled on the couch, he added, "You don't have to keep doing that, ya know. But thanks."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the gratitude evident in Blair's voice, Simon shrugged and said, "No problem."

Looking towards Jim, Blair insisted, "I'm still not going to just stand by and watch you turn yourself over to these guys. There has to be another way." Turing towards Joel, he added, "You said that you left those guys at the hospital for Brown to pick up right?" Seeing Joel nod, he asked, "Well why don't we use them somehow? Maybe make a trade? We'll let them go if their bosses agree to leave us alone."

"It's won't work, Blair," Jack stated. "These guys are most likely considered expendable, an acceptable loss."

"Then how about getting those guys to talk?" Blair suggested. "Maybe go to the press? Make up some story about this being tied to Jim's covert ops days so that we don't have to go into specific details? Tell the reporters that it's some type of retaliation by a government agency? I mean they wouldn't risk any media attention by grabbing us again, would they?" Seeing the skeptical looks directed his way, Blair pleaded, "We should at least give it a try, shouldn't we?" Turing to look at Kelso, Blair asked, "Surely you've been able to come up with something, Jack. Haven't you?"

"I'm sorry, Blair," Jack apologized. "Joel only came to me after you and Jim were taken. He assured me that he could get you out, so I focused my efforts on getting his family to safety. Establishing new identities, getting the necessary transportation arranged." Glancing at Joel, Jack continued, "Even though I knew better, I let myself be convinced that things would settle down after Joel secured your release."

Glaring at Joel, Jim reassured, "It's not your fault, Jack. If you hadn't gotten Joel's family to safety, we'd probably still be in the hands of those bastards. You're the reason we're here right now. And that's a debt I can never repay."

"I'll come up with something," Jack promised. "Some way for us to deal with this."

"We'll come up with a plan," Blair countered. "One that doesn't involve Jim handing himself over to those guys again."

"I don't want to hear it, Jim," Blair replied. "It's not going to happen. There's another way. I know there is. There has to be."

Holding up a hand, Simon said, "Look I told Brown that I would check in with him, and by now he's probably going crazy. Let me call the station and see what's happening there." Looking towards Jack, he asked, "Is there a phone here that I can use?"

"There's one over on that table," Jack informed while pointing towards the phone. "It's safe to use."

As Simon nodded his thanks and went over and picked up the phone, Jim asked, "See if you can find out anything about Davis, okay, Simon?"

"Fine," Simon agreed. Picking up the phone he dialed and then turned to face the others. "Rhonda, it's me again. I need to speak with Brown. What? When did that happen? It's okay, Rhonda. Just slow down and take your time." After listening intently for awhile, Simon said, "Who's leading the investigation? What? What does she want? What about Rafe?"

After listening for several seconds, he said, "If anyone asks, say that I've contacted you but didn't tell you anything. It's going to be okay, Rhonda. I'll check in later to get an update. Okay? Yeah, you too. Rhonda? Yeah, could you tell me how Simmons and Davis are doing? That's good. I will. Goodbye."

Hanging up the phone, Simon turned and slammed it back down on the table. Worried, Jim questioned, "What did Rhonda say, Simon? What's going on?"

"First off, Simmons and Davis will be fine," Simon stated. Seeing Jim's look of relief, he added, "Unfortunately, the same can't be said about other people."

"When I spoke with Brown earlier, I told him not to trust anyone outside of Major Crimes," Simon stated. "Seems like I should have told him not to trust anyone at all." Turning, Simon picked up the phone and slammed it back down again. "Shit!" he yelled. "I can't believe this."

Slowly, he started to tell the others what Rhonda had said. "Brown didn't want to trust anyone else to go to the hospital, so just he and Rafe went. They got to the hospital fine, checked in with the staff and got an update on Davis and Simmons, then left with those 'packages' that we left for them." Rubbing a hand over his face, he continued, "About ten minutes later, dispatch received an officer needs assistance call. When backup arrived, they found Brown lying beside his car with a gunshot wound to the upper chest, but they couldn't find any sign of Rafe or the other two."

Stunned, Jim blankly stared at Simon for a moment. Shaking his head, he asked, "How's Brown?"

"Alive," Simon answered. "The bullet didn't hit anything vital. He's going to be laid up for awhile, but he's expected to make a complete recovery."

"No one knows," Simon answered. Seems Sheila Irwin has gotten involved. She thinks it was an inside job and she's becoming quite curious as to our whereabouts. She knows that something's up and she digging for answers."

"I can't believe this!" Jim yelled. "Did Rhonda know what Sheila was leaning towards in her investigation? Is she looking at Rafe for this?"

"Wait a minute," Blair interjected. "You can't seriously think that Rafe is mixed up in all of this too? C'mon, Jim, I mean they already had Joel on the inside so why would they need somebody else."

"Insurance," Jack answered for Jim. "Joel was being coerced into helping them. So it would make sense for them to plant someone else. Someone that they had complete control over."

"We're totally screwed here, aren't we?" Blair asked. "There's no way out of this."

Looking Blair straight in the eye, Jim stated, "Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg have to die."

"Or at least I do," Jim continued. "If they think that I'm dead, then they won't have any further interest in you. You could stay here, finish your thesis and get your doctorate."

"No," Blair protested. "It's like I told you before, Jim. Wherever you go, I go."

"Not this time, Chief," Jim declared. "Besides, it's different for me than it is for you. The only ties I have here are my job, a few friends and... and you. But you have your work at the university, your doctorate. You've worked so hard and for so long. You can't let all of that be for nothing."

"Even if I don't get my doctorate, it won't have all been for nothing," Blair insisted. "After all, it led to my meeting you."

"So exactly how are Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison going to meet their untimely demise?" Blair asked with a slight grin.

"Would you just think about this for a minute, Sandburg!" Jim yelled. "If we do this, we would have to leave everything ... and everyone ... behind. Including your mother. You might never be able to speak to Naomi again. Could you really handle that?"

Blair paled slightly as he replied, "If I had to in order to protect her and us, then yes I could."

"Why?" Jim shouted. "Why would you throw all of that away? How can you just leave all of that behind? If you stay, you'd still have a life; family, friends, a career."

"I can't believe this," Blair exclaimed. "You really want to know?" Seeing Jim nod, Blair answered, "You! You anal-retentive, grouchy, stubborn, over-protective jerk!" Calming slightly, Blair continued, "Jim, you're more than just my friend. I think of you as... You're my... my brother, man. Whatever happens, we're in this together."

While Simon, Jack and Joel sat glancing back and forth between the two men, Jim and Blair silently glared at each other. Finally, after several long seconds, Jim lowered his eyes in defeat. Then he turned to Joel and said, "We're going to need your help with this, Taggert. I've got a plan, but I can't pull it off without you."

"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it," Joel promised. "Just tell me what you need."

With a wicked gleam in his eyes, Jim replied, "I don't need anything much, Taggert; just an explosion, a very big explosion."

"Now when you said that we needed to die, you did mean that figuratively didn't you?" Blair asked.

"Get that look out of your eyes and then I might actually find that a little bit reassuring," Blair stated.

Jim looked at Blair and replied, "I really do mean it, Blair. I know what I'm doing."

After giving Blair a quick smile, Jim turned to Joel. "We're going to need an explosion. Something that will burn quick but hot enough to not leave any skeletal remains."

"I don't want to hear it, Taggert," Jim interrupted. "I... Look, Taggert, I would just feel more comfortable if Simon went with you. And besides, there's some stuff that I need him to pick up for me."

"Good," Jim replied before turning to Simon. "I have a package that I need you to go pick up, Simon. It has some items that Blair and I will be needing."

"Wait a minute," Blair demanded. "Exactly what items are you talking about here and how come you didn't tell me anything about them?"

"I knew how you would react if I did," Jim explained. "You were nervous enough over Brackett and it would've been worse if you knew how serious I took it."

"You son of a..." Blair said. "I can't believe you. After Brackett, you kept telling me that there was nothing to worry about. And the whole time you were..."

"What was I supposed to say?" Jim interrupted. "Over dinner one night just announce, 'Hey, Sandburg, remember that psychotic ex-CIA agent named Brackett? Well if he found out about us then so can others, so I hid away some items we'll need in case we ever have to make a run for it'?"

"Maybe," Jim stated, "but I didn't want to put you through that. Especially since I wasn't even completely convinced it would happen." Sighing, he continued, "But it has and now we have to just deal with it, okay?"

"Fine with me," Jim said. Turning to Joel he asked, "Where did the van come from? Is it traceable to you?"

"No," Joel informed him. "The other guys and I came to the hospital in another vehicle. Earlier, I 'borrowed' a van from a used car lot and switched the plates with another van there. Then dropped it off at the hospital. They don't know anything about it."

"Better get used to stuff like that, Junior," Jim advised. "We may be doing things like that ourselves."

"But nothing, Sandburg," Jim said as he cut Blair off. "This is about survival now. And we will do whatever is necessary, understand?" When Blair nodded, Jim continued. "We should have some time before anybody notices the switch," he stated. "But we still have to move fast. We've wasted too much time already. After you two get what Taggert needs, I want you to go that storage facility on Vine Ave. Go to storage unit 395 and get the stuff that's inside. I'll give you the access codes for the door and the box. The place is unsupervised, so if you're careful no one should spot you."

Jack went to get the requested items and then brought them over to Simon who proceeded to write down the numbers that Jim dictated to him. Finished, Simon handed the pen back to Jack. As he and Joel were walking out the door, Simon promised, "We'll be back as soon as possible."

After watching Simon and Joel leave, Jim turned to Jack and demanded, "I want to know everything that Taggert told you."

"Just what he said earlier," Jack replied. "Some previous associates of his were forcing to keep the two of you under surveillance by threatening his family. He had been trying to find a way to let you know without compromising his family's safety. But before he could act, you two were abducted. He came to me asking for help." Glancing towards Blair, he added, "Help that I was more than willing to provide."

"But..." Trailing off as he saw the glare directed his way, he stayed quiet and let Jack talk.

Waiting until Jim had turned his way again, Jack answered, "Yes. I checked into the details very thoroughly. It's on the level."

"But, Jim, Jack said..." Seeing the smirk on Jack's face, he asked, "You found something else out? But you said you spent all your time getting Taggert's family to safety."

"Never completely trust someone who's betrayed you," Jack advised. "Not even someone you considered a friend." Noticing Jim nod, he continued, "I did do some more digging. Taggert was coerced into doing what he did; I truly believe that. As for this Rafe fellow..."

"After Taggert came to me with his story, I figured they might have planted someone so I did background checks on the people who work closely with you," Jack informed them. "The information came in shortly before you got here tonight. It was expertly concealed, so it took quite a bit of digging to get to the truth."

"Brian Rafe was a Navy Seal who received an injury during a 'training mission'," Jack explained. "Supposedly, after a long and lengthy recover, he resigned from the military and joined the Cascade Police Department where he steadily made his way up the ranks, was promoted to Detective and assigned to the Major Crime Division."

"My contact informed me that this 'training mission' was in reality a one man suicide mission; the assassination of a rather problematic foreign dignitary. The real Brian Rafe went on it knowing that he wouldn't be coming back," Jack told the two stunned men. "It was a top secret mission and only a very few, select, high-ranking officials knew the truth."

Pausing to take a breath, Jack continued, "This man was chosen for the mission because he had no family and no close connections to anyone except his team; who, coincidentally enough, were all killed during another of these failed 'training mission'. The military seems to have a lot of problems with those, it would appear," Jack sarcastically stated. "Anyway, shortly after that a certain recently-discharged Navy Seal turned up in Cascade."

"But if he is working for these guys, why blow his cover and pull him out now?" Blair asked.

"I imagine that Detective Brian Rafe will return beaten, but not in a life-threatening manner, and after his recovery will return to work at the Cascade PD," Jack observed.

"As far as they know, their man's cover is still intact," Jack stated. "By having Rafe return beaten, probably severely, you eliminate the suspicion surrounding him. Thereby allowing him to maintain his inside position."

"Good," Jack replied with a smile. "Now let's talk about all the possible scenarios. They knew that you were both suffering some memory loss, so they had planned to grab you again. That failed when Taggert double-crossed them; a possibility that they knew could happen. They also had to have realized that the men with him might be captured. So they must have had contingency plans in place to deal with either a rescue or a termination to be carried out by Rafe."

Shifting slightly in his chair, he continued, "Most importantly, these plans had to be achieved without casting any suspicion on him. And Detective Brown and Rafe going to the hospital alone to retrieve the 'packages' left by Captains Taggert and Banks provided the perfect opportunity. When Detective Rafe returns he will tell of an escape attempt during which Detective Brown was shot and he was taken hostage. Eventually he will have managed to escape or, having no further use to his captors, been released. After which, he will have painfully made his way to help. I say painfully because, of course, his captors will have been extremely abusive during this ordeal."

Pausing for a moment to allow the information to sink in, Jack then continued, "Now, no matter what happened next, either Taggert would fill you in on what happened or you would regain your memory. They knew the two of you could either return or run." Seeing Blair nod, Jack added, "They probably figured that if you ran, you would almost assuredly maintain some contact with Captain Banks and your other close friends. Either way, if you stayed or ran, Rafe would still be there to provide them with information."

"Okay, that's nice to know," Blair stated when Jack finished. "But I'm feeling just a little bit dazed and confused right now. So if you guys don't mind, I think I'll just rest for a little while." He then proceeded to painfully lie down onto the couch. "Hopefully, when I wake up this will have all been a really bad dream."

Jim and Jack exchanged a concerned look as Blair lay back and closed his eyes. In only a few seconds the sound of soft snores reached their ears.

"How the fuck do you think, Kelso?" Jim growled. "Shit," he cursed. "I'm sorry, Jack. You didn't deserve that. It's just..."

"But it's harder on him," Jim stated. "I mean, I'm familiar with this world; familiar with friends and comrades turning into enemies. But Blair... It'll take him a long time to get over this kind of betrayal. Not to mention his whole life is going to change. I've been trained to deal with this, he hasn't." Walking over, Jim knelt down beside Blair. In a soft voice, he added, "I shouldn't be dragging him along into this."

"But be honest with yourself, Jim," Jack said. "Could you really take off and leave him behind?" When Jim didn't respond, he suggested, "Why don't you stretch out on the other couch? You could use some rest too."

Relenting, Jim stood up and crossed over to the other couch. "Wake me if anything happens," he ordered. Seeing Jack nod, he lay down and closed his eyes.

Rousing from his light doze, Jim glanced towards the door as he heard the sound of car doors slamming. Alarmed, he sat up and looked around the room. Spotting Jack, he asked, "What's going on?"

Turning to the door, Jim watched as Joel and Simon entered the cabin, each of them weighed down with several packages. "Did you get everything?" he asked.

"Everything," Simon answered. "And we didn't run into any problems at all." Walking over to the kitchen table, Simon set several items down. "So how are we going to do this?"

"I figure we could rig up the van," Jim informed him. "You could say that I grabbed Blair and took off in it. With the way I acted earlier at the hospital, it would be very believable for me to have snapped again, especially since no one else knows that my memory came back." Pausing to look down at his hands, Jim added, "My wrists are messed up so presumably I lost control of the van and wrecked, killing both myself and Blair."

"That's sounds like it could work," Joel stated. "Except that Blair and you aren't the only ones who will be dying tonight."

"I want to be in the van with you," Joel explained. "Look, these guys know that I double-crossed them. No way are they going to let me live."

"To live with Laura and our son," Joel replied. "We spoke when Jack arranged for her and Walter to be moved. She said that she's never remarried and she still loves me. I want to try to work things out with her. She's the only woman that I've ever loved. And I... I just want my family back." Turning to face Jim, he pleaded, "I know what you think of me now, but I'm truly sorry. I never wanted to see either of you hurt."

Torn by his conflicting emotions, Jim studied Joel for a moment. "Alright," he agreed. "We just need to come up with a way to work this out now. Any ideas?"

All four men turned around when a voice piped up from the couch. "Actually I might have an idea or two," Blair stated.

"And deprive you of my great obfuscation skills?" Blair replied with a grin. "I don't think so, my brother."

"My idea?" Jim asked. "Exactly how long have you been awake? And how come I didn't know?"

"I woke up with Joel and Simon got back," Blair stated. "And you didn't know because I didn't want you to know. I wanted to hear what little ideas you had been cooking up and I knew you'd be a lot more talkative about them if you thought I was still asleep."

"It's the truth and you know it," Blair interrupted. "I can deal with this, so don't try to hold anything back."

"Well I think that we should go with your plan but with a few little variations," Blair answered. "Okay, the you taking me and getting in the van part sounds believable, especially since anyone who has ever met wouldn't doubt that you could end up going mental like that..."

"Fine," Blair replied with a smile. "Anyway, let's just say that I tried to stop you... convince you not to leave, and that delay allowed Joel time to enter the van. You and Joel struggled causing you to lose control of the van."

"I'll help him," Jack offered. "I've some prior experience in this area, myself."

After Jack and Joel had gone outside, Jim turned to Simon, "Did you get the stuff?"

Watching as Jim began to look through the bag, Blair asked, "What do you have in there?"

"Everything we'll need," Jim replied. "New identifications, money, weapons, and a few other things." Closing the bag, he looked up at Simon and said, "While they're outside, there's a few things I need to tell you about."

"Sit down," Jim stated. "I need to tell you a little story about our friend Rafe."

A half an hour later, Jim was finishing filling Simon in on everything when Joel and Jack came back in.

"It's all set up," Joel informed them. "There's a cliff nearby that will serve our needs perfectly. The damage from the impact along with the explosion from the bomb we've rigged will eliminate any evidence."

"Let's do it," Jim declared. "Sandburg, you stay here while we take care of this."

"Yes, Chief," Jim argued. "I mean it, you need to stay off your feet now 'cause later you won't be able to."

The two men then settled into an uneasy silence as they waited for the others to return. Several minutes later, that silence was interrupted by a loud, booming noise. "I'd say that Taggert's bomb was a success," Jack observed.

Blair leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. He was still sitting like that when Jim and the others returned.

"Aside from being dead," Blair answered, "everything's just fine. Why wouldn't it be?"

Pulling a set of keys out of his pocket, Jack tossed them over to Jim. "There's a jeep out in the garage," he informed them. "I had it before I got this new set of wheels," he explained as he gestured towards his wheelchair. "I never got rid of the thing. Take it. After you leave, I'll arrange for the person who moved Joel's family to come and take him to them. Once everyone has cleared out, Captain Banks and I will call the police and report your little accident."

"Yeah," Jack reassured him. "There's no other cabins around for miles so nobody should have heard anything."

Nodding, Jim walked over to Simon and stuck out his hand. "You've been a good friend, Simon."

Simon looked closely at Jim as he took the offered hand. "Same goes for you." Turning to Sandburg, he added, "You too, Blair."

Touched, Blair smiled and replied, "Thanks, Simon. And I just want you to know that... I... What I mean..."

Releasing Jim's hand, Simon assured, "It's okay, Sandburg. I understand. Now go on you two and get out of here."

After saying the rest of their goodbyes, Jim and Blair left and went into the garage. "Last chance," Jim advised after they got in the jeep.

"Someplace warm," Blair requested. "I want to be somewhere where the sun is shining."

Jim thought about it for a moment. Deciding on a destination, he said, "Someplace warm and sunny coming up."

Exiting the cabin, Simon, Jack and Joel watched as Jim pulled out of the garage and their friends drove away into the night. Standing there until the darkness has swallowed all traces of the jeep, Simon murmured, "Goodbye, my friends. I'll miss you." Then he turned and went inside with the others.

Simon stood silent, comforting the grieving woman next to him as the two coffins were being lowered into the ground. "It's alright, Naomi," he quietly reassured. "I'm sure they're someplace better right now. And more importantly, I know they're together." Looking at the man standing across from him, Simon nodded slightly as Brian Rafe turned a bruised face his way. Softly, he added, "They're safe now; someplace where they won't ever be hurt again."