Get Bent!
By Brate
Disclaimer: So not mine.
Notes: Two writers came up with one plot apiece, traded, and had an hour to write an entire story using both. Okay, so it took a few minutes longer, sue me. Here it is---
Gemini's challenge: Jim is kidnapped or trapped and hurt during the process. Blair has to rescue him.
Brate's challenge: The two are bickering and Simon orders them to shut up or split up.
It was Friday afternoon and Simon Banks was at the end of his rope. Two of his men had been arguing all week long and he'd had enough. What was the most unusual thing was the fact that the two men arguing were none other than his best team. He wasn't even sure what the fight was about, but it was time to end it.
"Ellison, Sandburg! My office!"
Simon placed his head in his hands. They were still doing it, even on their way into his office!
"I'm telling you, man, you're a Neanderthal. There's no reason you can't show your feelings once in a while."
"And I'm telling you for the last time, I don't need to show my feelings."
"Gentlemen," Simon interrupted. "I hate to break it to you, but you are in my office... can it!"
"Sorry, Simon."
"Sorry, sir."
"Now, what the hell is going on with you two? Everyone's avoiding your side of the bullpen. They're afraid they'll get roped into your little spat."
"It's nothing, sir. Darwin here just refuses to see any viewpoint except his own."
"Yeah, right. And you are just such an open-minded fellow. Need I remind you that at our second meeting you threw me up against a wall?"
"I should've thrown you right through it."
At Blair's open-mouthed look of shock, Simon knew he had to stop this nonsense right now. "I don't care what has got your panties in a twist, but this stops now. This is a place to work, not to have a cat-fight!"
He silenced the two with a wave before they could defend themselves. "Now either you men kiss and make up or I'll send Blair out of here."
"Simon!" Blair couldn't believe it.
"Sir, what are you saying?" Even Jim couldn't believe his boss.
"I know you both are intelligent men. You understand exactly what I said. What's it going to be?"
Sentinel looked at guide and inclined his head. Blair nodded, and mumbled, "We'll be good."
"Fine, now get out of here and go solve some crimes."
Sandburg and Ellison left their captain's office subdued. Simon chuckled, thinking of their twin expressions of outrage. He hoped everything was settled, and returned to his paperwork. Two minutes later, his peace was cut short by shouting from the bullpen.
"I cannot believe you, man. You are the most insecure, insensitive, and inhumane person ever to walk on this planet!"
Simon jumped up from behind his desk and flew to the open door. "That is it!" he bellowed. "Sandburg, you're out of here!"
Blair looked up guiltily. "You weren't serious, were you?"
"Do I look like I'm serious?"
The anthropologist took in the narrow eyes and scowl that adorned the captain and nodded. "Yeah, you do." He picked up his backpack, quickly stuffing in a book from Jim's desk and muttered, "Now look what you did," to his partner.
"I didn't do anything!" Jim defended.
"That's exactly the problem."
"Out, now!"
Blair waved at the audience of Major Crime detectives on his way out. Simon looked down at his best detective. "Now are you ready to act like an adult and earn your generous paycheck?" Banks ignored the chuckles from behind.
"Yes, sir," the sentinel growled.
"Good." Simon marched back in his office and shut the door. Three more hours, then I can go home, he thought. His peace lasted about twenty minutes, until Ellison knocked on his door. "Come in."
"I need to go over to the East Side, near the old Stark & Company Dock, to talk with Gentry about this car smuggling operation," he told his captain.
"Isn't he involved in it? Why would he tell you anything?"
"He owes me."
"Fine go."
Simon glanced at the clock. Two and a half hours to go.
~~**~~**~~**O**~~**~~**~~
Simon Banks sat down in his most comfortable chair and stretched out. He snagged his beer from the coffee table and turned on the boob tube. After one hellacious week, he was looking forward to doing nothing but relaxing. His hope remained in vain. The phone rang and he debated whether or not to ignore it, but his sense of duty prevailed. Being captain had its responsibilities. Or it could be his son, Daryl.
"Simon, I need your help!"
"Good Lord, Sandburg, what do you want from me... blood?"
"I'm sorry to call, but Jim isn't home yet."
"Did you file a missing person's report?" Simon asked scathingly.
"I'm serious. He left a message on the machine that said he'd be home in an hour, after he talked to someone named Gentry." Blair paused as he waited for a response. None came so he continued, "That was over four hours ago, Simon."
"Maybe he had a date."
"He would've called."
"Maybe he's still working."
"He's not at the station and no answer on his cell."
Simon rose from his chair, threw the rest of the beer down the drain, and recycled the can. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
Blair's relief was obvious. "Thanks, man. I'll wait for you downstairs."
~~**~~**~~**O**~~**~~**~~
"So who is this Gentry?" Blair asked once he was in Simon's car.
"He's a small-time car thief, who we think has moved into the big time."
"And Jim is after him?"
"As far as I know, he was just going to talk to him. Says this guy owes him one."
"As in a favor, or as in payback?"
Simon shrugged. "I assumed a favor."
"Where are we headed?"
"East Side docks. The cars are being brought in somewhere down there, we just haven't figured out where yet."
"So how are we going to find Jim?" asked Sandburg.
Simon shrugged again. "We'll guess."
"That's very reassuring."
"What do you want me to do, Sandburg? Put a damn homing beacon on him?"
"Might come in handy, doncha think?" the anthropologist countered.
Simon had to chuckle. The number of times it would be handy were too many to count.
They arrived quickly at the docks, and Simon slowly patrolled the area with his lights off. "What I wouldn't give to have some sentinel sight right about now," he mused.
"Just don't hit anything, Simon. Jim would never let us live it down."
After fifteen minutes, the captain noticed something. "Sandburg, look at that warehouse over there, what do you see?"
"Dark, broken windows, nothing unusual."
"For a trained observer, you're disappointing me. What else do you see?"
Blair focused intently on the warehouse in question. "There's a sliver of light coming through the door."
"And yet, no light shining through the windows. Let's get out and look."
Simon parked the car down at the next warehouse and the two silently made their way back. "These broken panes are fake!" Sandburg exclaimed in an outraged whisper.
"And painted black to cover the light. Let's go."
Simon grabbed the back of the anthropologist's jacket. "Hold up there, kid. I need to call for backup."
"We don't have time," Blair argued.
"Is this why you two never call for backup?! I think we can hold on for twenty seconds," Simon responded as he dialed the phone. He reported their location and requested assistance. He hung up and motioned for Blair to follow.
Simon pulled his pistol from the holster, creeping around the edge of the building. They found a side entrance unlocked, and carefully entered the building. Crouching behind some crates, he and Blair watched two men unload a Jaguar out of a large crate. "So this is where the headquarters are," Simon commented softly. "No wonder they were never spotted."
"I don't see Jim. Is one of those guys Gentry?"
Simon nodded. "The blond. Look, I need to get over to them. You think you could give me a distraction?" Simon hated to ask the kid, but he had no choice.
"No problem. Give me five minutes." Blair backed out of the door and disappeared.
Simon looked at his watch. Four minutes had passed, and it appeared the men were getting ready to move. "If you're going to do something, do it quick," he muttered to the absent Blair.
The quiet of the warehouse was broken by the screech of brakes, and the crash of Simon's car through the large door. Even expecting the distraction, Simon was momentarily frozen by the anthropologist's action. He quickly recovered and moved behind the two men now heading to the car. "Freeze!" shouted the captain, as Blair flipped the car in reverse and skidded out of the warehouse. Simon handcuffed the two felons, read them their rights, and then demanded they tell him where Detective Ellison was. Both men laughed and ignored his demand, calling for their lawyers.
Blair reentered, and didn't bother with the men; he just started looking around the warehouse where Simon joined him.
"Why my car?" Banks demanded to know.
"It was all I could think of. Sorry. By the way... you shouldn't leave your keys in the ignition," Blair tossed the keys at Simon. "Especially in this neighborhood."
Simon pocketed the keys and went left while Blair went right. As he passed by one of the cars, a banging caught his attention. "Over here, Blair!" he shouted. He drew closer to the car and heard the noise was coming from the trunk. Popping it open from inside the car, he hurried back around and was greeted to the sight of his best detective tied up and gagged, with a gunshot wound in his thigh.
Blair ran to the car, and snatched the gag from his friend's face. "What kept you guys?" the sentinel asked in a raspy voice.
Simon helped Blair pull the trapped sentinel from his prison, and untied the bonds. "We were waiting for a call. Did you forget your phone again?" Simon asked the sentinel sternly.
"Nah, I had it right in my pocket the entire time. Unfortunately I was lying on top of it. I'm gonna have a bruise on my ass for sure."
"I'm sure the nurses will be more than happy to check it out for you, Jim," quipped Blair, happy to have his friend safe and reasonably sound.
"Thanks, Chief. You always know how to cheer me up."
Blair placed Jim's arm over his shoulder and helped him limp to the car. "So Gentry owed you one, huh?" Blair smiled.
"And he definitely paid me back."
Simon heard the call of siren's announcing the arrival of the help he requested. He sighed, silently thanking God that his men were okay, while lamenting the fact there would be yet another trip to Cascade General.
~~**~~**~~**O**~~**~~**~~
Simon sat next to Blair in the recovery room, watching the sleeping sentinel. The surgery went off without a hitch, and Jim only had to stay one night for observation.
"So what was it that you two were arguing about, anyway?" Simon asked.
"Oh, that?" Blair chuckled, looking over at his unconscious friend. "Jim refuses to admit he cried watching Old Yeller when he was a kid."
THE END
