Sentinel - Progressions Series 04 Echoes From Borneo Read online

  Disclaimer: The characters depicted within this story do not belong to us, but are the property of Pet Fly, UPN, Paramount and The SciFi Channel. No money has been made from the writing of this story.

  Note from the Authors: In our Sentinel universe, the events depicted in The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg did not occur. Therefore, any "canonical" references that may be found in this story are related to episodes up to and including Most Wanted.

  Dedication: This series is dedicated to friendship, for only through caring for others can we truly find a sense of peace and belonging.

  Echoes from Borneo

  Part Four of the "Progressions" Series

  by Beth Manz and Shiloh

  Part One

  "Dr. Sandburg?"

  Blair glanced up from his desk, took one look at the visitor who had spoken his name, and was out of his chair in an instant. "Professor Stoddard!" He moved quickly around his desk, his hand extended. "I'd heard you were coming back to town, but I didn't know you were already here!"

  Stoddard reached out and caught Blair's hand in a firm, warm grasp. "Actually, I just got in late last week. I'd planned to take a few days to get the house in order, but I just couldn't wait to get back to my office. I need to be getting things in tiptop shape if I'm going to be ready for my students next semester." He gave Blair a wink as he released his hand and whispered conspiratorially, "Plus, I wanted to stop in and see you."

  Blair laughed. "I'm glad you did." He indicated a chair in front of his desk. "Please, sit down."

  As Dr. Stoddard seated himself in the offered chair, Blair stepped backward and perched on the corner of his desk. Pulling off his glasses, he tossed them on the desk behind him and smiled at his mentor. "It really is so good to see you! We need to go out to dinner sometime soon so you can tell me all about Borneo."

  "Ah, Borneo," Stoddard replied slowly, his eyes twinkling. He held up a finger and waggled it at Blair. "Let me tell you about Borneo, my boy. Long nights spent sleeping on rocky riverbeds and swatting at mosquitoes."

  Again, Blair laughed. "Oh, come on! Surely it was worth the inconvenience."

  Stoddard smiled fondly, and the faraway look in his eyes told Blair that he was reliving some pleasant memory of his recent research project. "It was most definitely worth the inconvenience," the professor said at last. "Most definitely." He nodded toward the nameplate on Blair's desk. "That's nice."

  Blair smiled and reached over to run his finger across the top of the oak nameplate. "Yeah. It was a graduation gift from the guys at Major Crimes."

  Dr. Stoddard nodded slowly. "Yes, your friends at the police department. I've heard, by the way, that you plan to keep working with the Cascade Police. Is that true?"

  Blair nodded vigorously. "Yes, with Detective Ellison. You remember me talking about him, don't you? Jim Ellison?"

  "Of course I remember. As I recall, he was the young man who dragged you off to Peru right about the time I was trying to get you to come to Borneo with me. Am I right?"

  "Yes, he's the one," Blair answered, smiling, "Though 'dragged' might not be the term he'd use. If you asked him, he'd tell you that I pretty much insisted on going."

  "Ah, that infamous Sandburg tenacity!"

  Blair grimaced. "Well... again, I'm sure Jim would use another term besides 'tenacity.'"

  Stoddard laughed heartily. Then, becoming serious, he said, "Your Detective Ellison--he must need you in the field with him?"

  "Yes, he does. Actually, we've turned out to be quite a team. He considers me his partner, and I didn't want to give that up."

  Dr. Stoddard narrowed his eyes and studied Blair for a brief moment. "I see..."

  "What?" Blair prodded, smiling widely. "I can practically see the wheels turning, Dr. Stoddard."

  Stoddard tilted his head thoughtfully, then said slowly, "I was just thinking that perhaps you couldn't give it up? This partnership, I mean."

  Blair's eyes widened. "Pardon me?"

  Dr. Stoddard dropped his gaze to his hands for a moment, then looked back up at Blair, a kind smile on his face. "Well, it would be rather dangerous for a detective who also happens to be a sentinel to be out in the field without a guide to watch his back, now wouldn't it?"

  Sandburg blinked his eyes slowly as Dr. Stoddard's words settled over him. How could he know? How could he possibly know?

  Blair felt as if all the blood had suddenly rushed from his head. Panic pumped though him as he wracked his mind, trying to remember a time when he may have slipped up and said something... anything that would have compromised Jim's secret. Nothing. I've always been so careful!

  He opened his mouth to speak, hoping to change the subject--until he caught the look on Stoddard's face, saw the fatherly countenance and the knowing smile. As he gazed at Dr. Stoddard, the older man nodded slightly, and in that moment Blair realized that no matter how the professor had come to his conclusion, what they were discussing would never go beyond this room.

  Blair felt himself relax again. He'd always trusted Eli Stoddard, and as he sat there, studying the gray-haired gentleman in the worn tweed jacket, he knew he still could. He could trust him with Jim's secret. With their secret.

  Stoddard's amused chuckle surprised him. "Blair, you're staring, my boy!"

  "Oh! I...I'm sorry. It's just that--"

  "It's just that you had no idea I suspected your detective friend was a sentinel?"

  "No..."

  Again, Eli Stoddard waggled his finger at Blair. "You must remember that we spent many hours discussing your interest in Burton's sentinel theories." He dropped his hand to his lap and leaned back more comfortably in his chair. "When you began working with this detective, I had my suspicions. But when you decided to remain behind so you could continue to work with him rather than come to Borneo with me? Well, let's just say that it was then that my suspicions were confirmed."

  Blair started to speak, but Stoddard stopped him with an upheld hand. "I will, of course, keep your secret in the strictest of confidence. You can trust me, Blair."

  "I always have," Blair said softly. "Thank you, sir."

  "Your thesis material," Stoddard said, seemingly changing the subject. "It was excellent work, Blair. Excellent." He leaned forward and rested his arms against his legs, staring intently up at Sandburg. "But it wasn't about your first love, your sentinel research. You haven't given up on that research, have you?"

  Blair shook his head. "No, it's ongoing. But... well, it's taken a different turn."

  Stoddard nodded knowingly. "You've become friends with your subject."

  "Friends, yes," he said thoughtfully, having no way of explaining that he and Jim were really more like family. "I couldn't publish my findings," Blair continued after a few seconds, "Because they were no longer totally objective. But more importantly, I couldn't risk exposing Jim's secret. It would have ruined him, Professor Stoddard. I just couldn't do that to him."

  "I understand. And I think you made the right decision," Stoddard said matter-of-factly, leaning back in the chair again. "However, you should still publish your theories and findings one day. It's your love, Blair. And surely your Detective Ellison isn't the only living sentinel. Think of the good your research could do!"

  Blair pushed to his feet and began to pace slowly in the small area next to his desk. "I do plan to publish," he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "Books, though, rather than purely scientific research articles. In fact, I have the first book outlined already. It's all about our first two years of research." He stopped and gazed down at Stoddard. "I just
have to solve the puzzle of how to keep Jim's secret intact."

  "Well then," Stoddard said slowly, a spark of merriment in his eyes, "Perhaps the three of us, putting our very intelligent heads together, can come up with a solution to that problem."

  "Three? Three of us?"

  "Yes," Stoddard confirmed. "I'd like to meet your sentinel, Blair. That is, if you don't mind. And if he wouldn't mind."

  "Seriously? You want to meet him?" Blair bounced up on his toes, then laughed. "Oh, man, that would be so cool! Not only would you probably be able to help us, but you can't imagine how difficult it is for Jim and me sometimes--we have no one we can discuss the sentinel stuff with. I mean, our captain knows and he's very supportive, but he has more of a 'don't tell me, Sandburg, just get the work done' attitude, you know?"

  "I understand. Police work is a pragmatic field, filled with pragmatic men and women. I, on the other hand, would love to know everything you've discovered. So, do you think your Detective Ellison would mind if I met with him?"

  "I'm not sure, but I can ask him." Blair thought for a moment. "How's this? I'll talk to Jim and if he says he's okay with this, the three of us can have dinner at the loft. Are you free tomorrow night?"

  "Yes, I am."

  "Great. I'll ask Jim right away and let you know tomorrow. I'd have you over tonight but Jim and I have a stakeout."

  Stoddard chuckled and waved him off. "Not to worry. Tomorrow evening will be perfectly fine."

  "Um, Dr. Stoddard..." Blair bit at his lip as he positioned himself on his desk again, directly in front of his mentor. He paused for a moment, then spoke softly, earnestly: "I always wanted to tell you. About Jim, I mean."

  Stoddard reached out and patted Blair affectionately on the knee. "You were protecting your subject, who had also become your friend." Smiling up at him, the professor said, "You have always been a young man of utmost integrity, Blair. I've always understood why you didn't tell me, and I've always respected you for it."

  Blair swallowed; he felt his face flush at the heartfelt praise. "Thank you," he said simply.

  Dr. Stoddard stood. "I must go. I know classes are in full swing so you must be very busy, and if I stay much longer I'll be regaling you with wild tales of my adventures in Borneo. Stop by and see me tomorrow?"

  Blair laughed--he'd missed Dr. Stoddard more than he'd realized. He stood as well and moved to the door with his longtime friend. "Yes, I'll see you tomorrow."

  "And Blair?" Dr. Stoddard stopped at the door and turned. "Congratulations on your doctorate. I always knew you'd make it."

  "Thank you, sir. And thanks for having faith in me. I have to admit that there were times when I didn't think I'd ever get to this point."

  Stoddard shook his head, his kind smile warming Blair's heart. "I never doubted it for a minute, my dear boy. Not for one single minute."

  /

  /

  /

  Stoddard closed Blair's door behind him and turned toward his own office, located at the other end of the building. Absently, he rubbed at his lower back as he walked down the tiled hallway. Too many nights sleeping on that cot in Borneo, Eli, he thought to himself. You should have come back a year ago when the University offered to relieve you.

  But how could he have come back to Cascade when there had still been so much to do in the field? The work with Borneo's indigenous people had been exciting, intriguing, and seemingly never-ending. Three years. Three of the most fulfilling and productive years of his career.

  Again, as he had done so many times during his field work in Borneo, he thought back to the offer he had made to Blair to accompany him on the research project. The young man would have been such an asset to the team. He would have been my right-hand man...

  Dr. Stoddard smiled fondly as he thought of Blair. It had been good to see him again--good to know that the spark of enthusiasm still blazed in those eyes, that the intelligent quest for knowledge hadn't dimmed.

  He looks good. Happy. Content.

  The elderly professor's smile broadened as distant memories came to him--memories of the days when Blair had first arrived at Rainier. Only sixteen, the slender, lonely teenager had been like a fish out of water at first. Not all the students had appreciated having a "kid" in their classes, and it had been difficult for Blair for a while. But in time the bright, kind-hearted young man had won over even his most vocal opponents, and it wasn't long before he'd become a favorite among both his peers and his professors.

  It had been Blair's wide-eyed eagerness and stubborn tenacity that had made an almost instantaneous impression on Dr. Stoddard. After three decades of teaching, he'd been able to predict almost without fallacy which students would succeed in the field of anthropology. Such students were few and far between, but he had known from the beginning that Blair Sandburg would be one of those who excelled. The boy's love of learning, enthusiasm over the subject, and his dogged determination would make him an important name in the field of anthropology someday.

  And it appeared that Blair was now on his way. With his doctorate behind him and a future assured on staff at Rainier, Blair was in a position to succeed as an excellent teacher and a premiere researcher and writer in his field.

  And when that day comes that his sentinel research can be published? Well, Blair Sandburg will set the entire anthropological world on its ear. Stoddard chuckled out loud.

  He had to admit that he'd been worried about Blair. Terribly worried. It was no secret to the staff and students at Rainier just how much the young man had been through in the past several months. His near-drowning on campus the spring before, his abduction by a prison escapee and then by some man from his detective partner's past. And then there had been that tragic shooting right outside of Hargrove Hall.

  Stoddard shook his head. He still remembered the day when he'd received the newspaper article regarding the shooting. He'd been sitting in his tent, sipping coffee and going through his mail when he'd come across the clipping that had been tucked into a letter from his assistant. When he'd read that Blair had actually killed someone, his own heart had nearly stopped. He couldn't imagine what such a horrifying thing would do to the gentle young man.

  While he had always regretted the fact that Blair had decided not to come to Borneo with him, he had never regretted it more than when he read the news of the shooting. To think that Blair could have been with him, could have been spared such heartache...

  But now, after seeing the young man in his office, rested and obviously at peace with the world, in his heart he knew that Blair had made the right decision three years ago. Not only had he found his sentinel, but evidently he'd found a sense of belonging and a devoted friend as well. The young professor appeared centered, balanced. In fact, Stoddard couldn't remember a time when Blair had appeared more content.

  Pushing the door to his office open, he stepped inside. He inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar, musty smell of his old textbooks mingled with the pleasant aroma of furniture polish and the remnants of the pipe he had enjoyed before lunch. A feeling of warm happiness settled over him. It was good to be home. He'd enjoyed every moment of his three years in Borneo; wouldn't have missed them for anything, but it was good to be home.

  Stepping over to his desk, he noticed the neat stack of envelopes positioned in the middle of his blotter--today's mail. His attention was drawn immediately to a large Federal Express box at the bottom of the small mound of mail. Pulling his glasses from his pocket, he pushed the envelopes aside and bent over to study the package. Quickly, he scanned the weigh bill until his gaze found the name of the sender.

  "Well, well," he chuckled to himself, straightening, "Alfred Nahim." Seating himself in his worn leather desk chair, Dr. Stoddard pulled the box into his lap. "Just what have you sent me, my old friend?"

  /

  /

  /

  Jim extended his eyesight, sweeping the large industrial building and the surrounding parking and dock areas again. Nothing. Still no indication of
suspicious activity, still no sign of the suspected ringleader of the "chop shop" activities that the police were positive were taking place inside the huge shop below him.

  The detective lay on his stomach against the flat tar roof of the building across the street from the auto repair shop that was currently under surveillance. Stretched out beside him, Blair wriggled restlessly and surveyed the scene below through police-issue binoculars.

  Jim bit back a smile of amusement. They'd been on the stakeout for nearly two hours and as he watched his partner fidget again, he couldn't help but wonder when Blair was going to work up the courage to tell him what was on his mind. Since picking Sandburg up at the university, he'd known that something was up. The kid was wound tighter than a spring and there was a glint of barely suppressed excitement in his eyes. But he had yet to say anything to give Jim any clue about what was going on.

  Turning back to the building, Jim conducted another auditory scan, zeroing in on a conversation between the foreman and a dissatisfied customer before moving on to some coworkers lounging in the back room. He listened to their idle talk for several minutes, but there was no discussion of when or if the operation's boss would make an appearance that at the shop that day.

  Jim's auditory scan was interrupted abruptly by the sound of his partner exhaling a deep sigh of disgust. "I can't see anything," Blair complained as he squinted into the field glasses. His fingers moved slowly across the dials that controlled the instrument's focus. "These things are useless."

  "Really?" Jim replied dryly, forcing back another amused smile. He turned his attention back to the scene below. "I can see plenty."

  Blair dropped the binoculars to the rooftop and stared over at his friend. "You can? Like what?"

  "Well, about five minutes ago it looked like they were taking in the hood and fenders from a green 1968 Volvo."

  Blair blinked several times as Jim's joke settled over him, then he laughed quietly. "Hey, I wouldn't be surprised," he countered after a few seconds, "Those guys would probably kill to get their hands on a classic like mine." He looked down at the shop below and continued sarcastically, "Now, if you'd said they were bringing in parts from your truck..."