BAND OF BROTHERS

by

Dreamweaver and Talefeathers

Chapter 2

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

“Whew, glad that’s over with – but it was interesting!”  Blair Sandburg rotated his shoulders as he, Jim and Con walked out of the convention center several hours later.  “How were yours?” he asked his companions.  

Con shrugged, made a wry face, and didn’t bother to answer, but Jim Ellison actually was looking intrigued.  “Not bad,” he admitted.  “Although I think maybe Serena ought to have been here for it, and not me.  But there were some good points.”  He winked at Blair, and the younger man caught the inference: Some things that will go well with Sentinel abilities.  “I’ll tell you about it later, Chief.”  

“We’re never going to find those three kids in this crowd,” Con griped, looking helplessly at the hundreds of people streaming out of the Sports Complex.  He jumped slightly as a flash of lightning lit up the sky.  “And it’s going to cut loose any time now!”  

“Too bad we couldn’t equip ‘em with homing devices,” quipped Sandburg, going up on tiptoe to look as well.  Privately, he figured that Jim could probably find Daryl, Joe and Frank quite easily, but that little detail wasn’t something they cared to let Con know.  

“They aren’t out yet,” Jim commented absently, and Blair poked him lightly, reminding him to be discreet.  Ordinarily, Jim was very cautious about revealing his abilities, but everyone slipped up occasionally, even him!  A second later, Blair’s jabs turned into a gentle massaging grip on Ellison’s arm, as a growl of thunder made the Sentinel tense up.   

“Dial it back,” Sandburg whispered, almost inaudibly, and felt Jim relax in response.  Large drops of rain began to splatter around them, and they moved back into the shelter of the overhang nearest the doors.  

A few minutes later the three teens strolled up, Daryl proudly wearing a replica basketball jersey from one of the first game’s teams under his jacket.  Joe had on a new hat bearing a different team’s logo; Frank alone seemed to have resisted the shopping impulse.  All three of them were excitedly discussing the game they’d just seen.  

“We ready to go, then?  Ideas for dinner?” Ellison asked.   

“Could we wait just a little bit?” Daryl wheedled.  “Frank said he’d show me around down in the basement.”  

“What’s in the basement?” Blair raised his eyebrows inquiringly.  

“They’re creating a sports museum down there,” Joe explained.  “It’s not finished yet, but there’s a lot of autographed photos and sports memorabilia and stuff.”  

“Is it open to the public?” Ellison wanted to know.  

“Well...”  Frank grinned disarmingly.  “Not really.  But I don’t think anyone would mind if we took a quick peek.  And now would be the time to do it!”  

“Frank, Frank, Frank...”  Con shook his head, his eyes twinkling.   

“Hey, I’m being a good host, here; Daryl wants to see it!” Frank defended himself.  “You coming, Joe?”  

Joe shrugged.  “I’ve seen it before,” he said.  “You can do the honors this time.  I think I’ll stay out here.”  He flinched a little as thunder rumbled and lightning crackled across the sky.  “The only reason I could see going to the basement would be because of the storm.”  

“Can you get back in?” Blair asked.  “Won’t they keep you out?”  

“I think we can slide in through the crowd,” Frank said.  “It just takes some talent to mingle and move the wrong way!”  

Jim looked him over consideringly.  “You are a security guard’s worst nightmare,” he said with amused irritation.  

“Yes, I know....Anyone else want to come?” Frank inquired.  Jim and Con shook their heads, but Blair grinned and stepped forward.  

“Sure, I’m game!” he offered.  “When else am I likely to see the innermost secrets of the Bayport Sports Complex, after all?”  

“Sandburg, are you nuts?”  Too late, Jim realized that this comment might not be the most tactful thing he could have said, since Daryl was eager to go exploring with Frank Hardy.   

“Not that I was aware, no,” Blair said coolly.  He stared into his partner’s eyes meaningfully, and Jim suddenly caught on that Blair was doing this to keep an eye on their young charge and his new friend.  It wasn’t that Sandburg necessarily wanted to go along, but he was doing it because Daryl was their responsibility.   

Jim sighed eloquently,  “Well, if you get caught by the security people and tossed out on your asses, I’m pretending I never saw you before in my life.  All right, Chief, it's your funeral if you want to traipse down there...but don't come crying to me if you three get lost or something, and miss dinner!"   

“We won’t miss dinner,” Frank laughed.  “It’ll be a quick in-and-out, I promise.  Ten minutes, max!”  

*****  

They’d had next to no warning.  One moment they’d been walking down the corridor on the lowest level of the Sports Complex with no thoughts other than Frank showing Blair and Daryl the innermost recesses of the big building while he had the chance.  Although both the visitors were all too familiar with the lesser-known areas of the Sports Arena in Cascade, having had to hide out from terrorists and murderers on more than one occasion, they were perfectly willing to explore the Bayport facility as well.  

The next moment, there had been a rumbling, rushing noise, seemingly within the walls surrounding them, a distinct shuddering feeling...and to their great shock, water began streaming down through the ceiling, around the lighting fixtures.  

“COME ON!  We’ve gotta get out of here!”  Sandburg grabbed Daryl’s arm in one hand and Frank’s shoulder in the other.  He whirled about, heading back in the direction they’d come, towards the stairs.   

They almost made it.  

With a thunderous crack! the inner wall split open, and more water gushed through the newly-made fissure and flowed down the hallway.  Blair, shoving the two boys ahead of him, went down as the streams of water flooding the corridor caused him to lose his footing.  He slipped and fell hard, and Frank immediately turned around to aid him.  

“Grab my hand, Detective!”  

“GO!  Go on, get outta here; I’m fine, I’ll be right behind you!”  Sandburg shouted, and waved them on as he struggled to his feet.  A flare of agonizing pain shot through his right leg, and he went down again, realizing that something bad had happened in that fall.  Once again he shoved himself up onto his good leg, holding onto the wall for support and balance.  

“Blair!  What’s wrong?  Hurry up!”  Daryl gestured wildly from the bottom of the stairs, then both he and Frank started back towards the injured detective. “Frank, we need to help him—”  

“NO, Daryl!  Go, go on, get up the stairs—”  

Sandburg’s command was never completed, as, with unearthly screeches and groans, with the cacophony of shattering wood and splintering steel, the ceiling caved in above them.  The air was filled with dust, pieces of wallboard, lengths of broken rebar...and the sounds of panicked screams from far above them, as the whole corner of the Bayport Sports Complex, structurally weakened by undiscovered broken water pipes, collapsed and sank into the earth.  

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