Midnight on Prospect

Part 5

The search was taking too long. Jim knew it as did the others. They had been there for nearly four hours now and still there had been no sign of Blair. A couple of times Jim had thought he heard the heartbeat he was looking for but it was there and gone so fast he couldn’t lock onto it. Those few quick beats had been all that had kept him searching. He knew that Blair was in the building somewhere, he just didn’t know where.

On the tape, Blair had looked really bad. He had been unconscious with blood streaming from numerous injuries. If he was half as bad as he looked then time was running out for the observer. They had to find him and they had to find him fast.

Looking ahead, Jim saw that Joel had turned the last corner. He stopped and drew in a deep breath, forcing his mind to seek that calm that Blair always brought to him. When he had found it, Jim stretched out, forcing his hearing out further than he ever had before. He knew he was risking a zone out but willing to under the circumstances. For several seconds there was nothing then…

Thump

Jim waited.

Thump

There is was, very slow, very weak but nevertheless there. Blair was alive, somewhere to the left and below them. They had searched the downstairs level but that was where the sound was coming from. Rafe had found an entrance to a secret tunnel, which they had searched painstakingly to no avail. There had been no sign of Blair. But maybe they needed to check it again, more thoroughly.

"Joel. He’s downstairs. In that tunnel somewhere. I can hear him." Jim had locked onto that beautiful thumping, allowing it to anchor him firmly. He followed the sound to the tunnel entrance but stopped, a stunned expression on his face. "He’s down further. Under us somewhere."

"Another tunnel, you think?" Joel asked.

"Michaels said the basement. I thought we'd already checked the basement." Brown added his input.

"Maybe there's another level all together." Jim threw back as he continued to explore the walls and floor with his sight.

" The blueprints don’t show anything." Rafe said, joining them in time to hear their conversation.

"The prints were newer. Maybe the lowest level had been sealed before the new prints were done and the new artist didn’t know about it so he couldn’t incorporate them into his plans. The entrance might be hidden like this tunnel had been." Jim insisted. He knew what he was hearing, it scared and elated him at the same time. Fear because the beat seemed to be slowing and elation because each beat meant his Guide was still alive.

"Rafe, would you call for back up now. An ambulance, the works." Jim asked. "We can search for the entrance but I think we are going to need more help. We can’t do this alone."

Rafe nodded and ran off to call for help. The other three began the exhaustive search for the elusive entrance to the basement. It was nearly an hour later when they hear Rafe returning with back up. They had found the entrance finally, in a wall in what may have once been the mess hall. There were rickety old wooden stairs leading into pitch blackness.

"Jim. On the tape there was light in the room with Blair. There wouldn’t be electricity down here, would there?"

"I don’t know, Joel." Jim replied, grabbing one of the flashlights Rafe had brought back with him. Four intense beams of light lit the stairs as the four men descended, two paramedics followed at a safe distance while four other policemen waited at the top of the stairs. Jim took the lead, heading deeper into the darkness, his eyes cutting through the light from the flashlights to see beyond.

He followed the precious heartbeat. Moving as quickly as he dared, he found the first doorway. It was locked but there were no sounds from inside. He continued on.

They found the unconscious, injured man in the fourth room along. It was pitch black inside, but the flashlights caught a glimpse of a small gas generator just outside the doorway. The light showed the wires were still hooked up to the single light bulb above and inside the door. Brown moved to start it. Fortunately there was gas left and it started easily. It made surprisingly little noise.

As the light flickered on, the four detectives and two paramedics were shocked by what they found. The tape had not given a very clear picture of what Blair had gone through. Now, faced with the reality of it, they all stood horrified. Only Jim was able to react. Three long strides reached the centre of the room where Blair still hung from the ceiling rafter, a thick rope wrapped around his wrists. His head hung limp between his arms, his face savagely marked by the beating he had sustained. His arms were striped with blood, both dried and fresh. His naked chest was mottled with bloody lash marks from the whip and his back had matching markings plus the three knife cuts. The blood from these wounds had dried already.

"Can I get a hand over here?" Jim called softly to the men who hung back at the door, still stunned by the brutality they faced.

"God, Jim. Is he still alive?" Brown asked as he and Rafe can over to help cut the poor man down. Jim caught the falling body in his arms, enclosing Blair in a gentle embrace, cautious of his injuries. A moan escaped from between swollen lips as the movement jostled pain back into Sandburg’s awareness. One didn’t need Sentinel hearing to pick up the rapid breathing that grew more and more laboured as the seconds and minutes dragged on. Ellison could barely contain the panic he felt as he heard Blair’s heart grow weaker.

He lay the limp body on the jacket the Joel draped on the floor. The two paramedics advanced and began checking the observer over and preparing him for transport. The sight of the young man, half naked and covered in blood was a sorrowful sight. It was hard to keep the tears at bay as the four friends waited to hear that they could move him. Since they had been unable to bring a gurney downstairs, Jim insisted on carrying Blair himself. With Brown’s help, he cradled the fragile body against his chest, Blair’s head resting softly on his shoulder. Once it slipped off but Joel moved forward and with quiet tenderness, replaced it, stroking his hand over the matted hair before letting go.

The journey back was made faster than the one down. Rafe and Brown took the lead, keeping the light tuned to the ground to prevent Jim from accidentally tripping and dropping his precious cargo. After what seemed an eternity to Jim, they reached the top of the stairs were the gurney waited. His patience fled when the paramedics insisted on checking Blair out once more before they rushed him to the ambulance.

"Jim, go with them. I’ll take the truck back and leave it for you at the hospital. He needs you with him right now. Go!" Joel insisted. Jim flashed him a grateful smile and climbed into the back of the ambulance. He reached over and took the small, limp hand in his own, tears welling in his eyes.

His attention was so focused on his guide that he completely blocked out the paramedics as they did their job, getting Blair ready for transport to Cascade General. He didn’t feel the ambulance start up nor did he hear the siren as they signalled to traffic that there was an emergency and for the cars and trucks to get out of their way. He was only vaguely aware of their arrival, just enough so that he exited the back of the ambulance, still holding tightly to Sandburg.

Their physical connection was severed when nurses insisted he remain outside of the ER Surgery. Though he needed desperately to remain close to the injured young man, common sense got through enough to remind him that right now, he could do nothing to help his guide. His best bet for help lay in the trauma team who, right that moment, were fighting to save his life.

He waited for nearly an hour but when still no one showed to let him know what was happening, he made his way into the waiting room where he found Simon, Rafe and Brown all waiting for news. They stood as Jim appeared.

"Any news, Jim?" Simon asked.

"No, nothing." Jim sank into the nearest seat while the others retook their seats, settling in for however long it would take for news to reach them.

~*~*~*~

"Detective Ellison?" A voice broke through his fear fogged ears, rousing him from a half doze.

"I’m Ellison." Jim rose to shake hands with the doctor, still in green, blood-stained scrubs.

"Doctor Janssen. You’re here for Mr. Sandburg, right?" At Jim’s nod, he continued. "He’s out of surgery. I've got to tell you it was touch and go for a while there but he is stable for now. I am leaving him in ICU for a couple of hours to monitor his progress but when he is moved you can see him there. Now, I suppose you would like to know what we found?"

"Please."

"He has three broken ribs, two cracked ribs, numerous cuts and bruises covering a good eighty percent of his upper body. Also he took a couple of bad blows to his lower back. His kidneys were badly bruised causing some internal bleeding. We managed to get the bleeding under control. Finally, he has a severe concussion caused by a hairline fracture to the skull.

"We did an MRI scan to check for any anomalies due to the fractured skull but they appear clean. We will of course know better when he wakes but for now we are keeping him carefully watched. We can not sedate him until we are sure there isn’t any possible brain damage."

The thought of possible brain damage had a disturbing effect on the man hearing the news. Only sheer force of will kept Ellison on his feet when his knees threatened to buckle and send him to the floor. Shock hit him like a bucket of ice water.

"Brain damage?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly with the notion of what that might mean.

"It is a little too early to tell just yet, Detective. As I said, the tests were clear so it is just a matter of time. I will be back when there is more news." He turned to go when Jim’s voice drew him back.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"You’re welcome. I will send the nurse for you when your friend has been moved into his room." With a final nod, the doctor returned to the surgery theatre. Jim watched him leave before grabbing his cell phone to call Simon with the news.

"Banks." Simon’s voice was sleep-filled but it was obvious that he was now wide awake.

"It’s Ellison. Just wanted you to know that Sandburg is out of surgery. The Doc says he is going to be in ICU for a couple more hours before I can see him."

"Is he going to be okay?" The question held all of the same fears that Jim had himself. Briefly he filled the Captain in on what the Doctor had told him. Promising to call if there were any further changes.

"I’m sure everything will be alright, Jim. I’ll let the guys know. I have a meeting first thing but I will join you as soon as I can."

"Thanks, Simon. I appreciate it. Did you hear anything?"

"Nothing yet. I sent Rafe and Brown home since they had been working on this since before six this or rather since yesterday morning."

They spoke for several minutes before Jim finally said goodbye, letting Simon get much needed sleep. He needed sleep also but until he saw Blair, there was little chance of getting any.

~*~*~*~

Part 6

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