Owned by Pet Fly

In this story, Jim is not a Sentinel. Avoid if you have a problem with this.

"Ellison, get in here!" The familiar bellow was ignored by all but its owner's intended target.

Jim lifted his head, an impatient glint in his eye, and rose. He took his time crossing the busy room and waited politely, and completely unnecessarily, for his boss Roger Wilder, to invite him into the office. "You called?"

"Siddown." Wilder jerked his head towards the only unoccupied chair in the room. "These gentlemen have a proposition to put to you."

"Yeah?" Jim's voice was carefully uninflected, but the hairs prickled on the back of his neck. He had a pretty good idea what was coming. "Who are these 'gentlemen'?"

"Agents Cooper and Lyall, meet Detective Jim Ellison." Wilder ignored the edge of insubordination in Jim's voice. He'd had plenty of practice at that. "Ellison, the FBI need someone local to gather information for them. I've told them you're just the man for the job."

"Thanks, boss." Jim dropped into the chair and eyed the two agents. He could have picked them out as Feds from a mile away. "What is the job?"

His distinct lack of enthusiasm wasn't lost on the older of the two men. "Captain Wilder, are you sure..."

"Agent Cooper, he's the best this squad has to offer." Wilder grinned unconvincingly. "Don't let his poker face fool you."

Cooper nodded decisively. "We need a man to infiltrate the gay community here in Cascade, Detective Ellison. Captain Wilder tells us you've already established a presence in the community."

"Did he?" Jim felt himself tensing. By the looks on Cooper and Lyall's faces, Wilder had told them a damn sight more than that. "Did he also tell you that my last assignment was supposed to be the end? I've had enough of that kind of work."

"He said you'd be... reluctant." Cooper smiled tightly. "This is important, Detective. We don't have time to get one of our own men inside and we need someone good. Captain Wilder tells us you're very good at blending in."

"Blending?" Jim looked straight at Wilder, his chin lifted in challenge. "That's very... diplomatic of you, Sir."

"Ellison!" Wilder's face darkened furiously. "If you want to keep your place in Vice, you'll listen to what Agent Cooper has to say."

Jim shrugged, but he knew he hadn't quite reached the stage where he was willing to throw away eight years of his life in a fruitless gesture. "I'm listening."

"Do you know this man?" Agent Lyall held out an eight by ten black and white glossy photo. It was one of several from a folder he held open on his knees.

The face was vaguely familiar. Not handsome, but attractive in a way Jim couldn't easily define, probably in his late twenties, with long dark curly hair and light coloured eyes. His fresh-faced hippy look was spoiled somewhat by the dark haze of stubble on the young man's cheeks. "I can't put a name to the face. I might have come across him somewhere."

"Blair Sandburg. He manages a nightclub. It's called Karma."

"I've heard of it." Another photo showed the subject standing outside the club, talking to a much older man with black hair that was greying at the temples. Jim had no trouble identifying this one. "If he's involved with Robert Madison, he'd better have a good lawyer."

Cooper looked pleased. "Ah. You know Madison."

"Sure. If there's anything illegal going on in the gay community - drugs, prostitution, extortion - Madison will have a finger or two in the pie." Jim frowned, remembering several occasions when he thought he'd got the goods on Madison, only to have him slip through the trap unscathed. "Trouble is, he's always somewhere else when things go down, leaving the small fry to take the heat. What's happening now?"

"We're not sure." The admission obviously pained Cooper. "We've had some information passed from a reliable source, but he couldn't give us anything solid. Whatever it is, it's big, and it's happening soon."

"And this guy Sandburg's involved." Jim studied the other photos. Sandburg was quite a piece of work - not tall, he was shorter than Madison, who was not overly tall himself; and he obviously fancied himself as the GQ type. His clothes were well tailored and casually expensive. In one photo he was getting into a late model convertible, wearing the latest designer sunglasses, with his hair tied back in a ponytail. "What have you got on him?"

Cooper shook his head. "Not a lot. He was a grad student at Ranier University, but he got kicked out a few years back. His mother's a known activist, but there's nothing much on her either - just minor misdemeanours. The son is the same. A few arrests at political rallies, charges dropped afterwards. The usual."

"After he left the university, Sandburg dropped out of sight for a while." Lyall broke in eagerly. "One year later he was running the nightclub for Madison."

"And you think Madison recruited him?" Jim could feel his resolve crumbling. Dammit, he'd meant it when he'd said he wasn't going undercover again. But he knew, too, that he couldn't pass this up, and it wasn't just the cop instinct that was pulling him in. He glanced up and saw the expression on Wilder's face, a mixture of satisfaction and contempt. It was almost enough to make him refuse. Almost, but not quite.

Six hours later Jim was at home, and getting ready to go out for the evening. He took his time in the shower, standing with his eyes closed, his head tilted back, letting the water flow over him. It was a practice he'd developed on earlier missions, mentally washing away Jim Ellison the Cop as he washed away all traces of sweat and grime from his job. When he stepped out of the shower it felt like he was being reborn, naked and new.

He stared into the mirror for a long moment before lifting his eyes to meet the cold clear gaze of his alter ego. This was always the hardest part, to face himself and what he was about to become. To let himself remember why he'd sworn he would never do this again, and to admit to himself why he'd failed, yet again, to keep that promise.

Once, he would never have believed it could be like this. The first time, he'd had no idea of what he was about to get involved in. It had just been a straightforward undercover mission - hang around the fringes of the gay community, find the dealer who was cutting drugs with something far more dangerous than the cocaine itself, and get out. It should have been simple.

He'd been newly divorced, still angry and hurt at the loss of a relationship he'd hardly known how to be a part of. That was the excuse he'd given himself the first time he'd allowed a man to touch him. But there was no excuse that could explain away how easily he slid into the persona of Jim Ellison, the Faggot. His lip curled slightly. He'd been convincing all right. Too convincing for his own comfort, or that of his colleagues.

Coming out of the gay community and back into the so-called real world had been like tearing off his own skin, strip by bloody strip. But the next time he'd been offered the chance, it had taken a massive effort not to grasp it like a drowning man reaching for straws. Then he'd seen the look on Captain Wilder's face and his world had crumbled around him. Wilder knew. They all knew. The knowing looks, the subtle withdrawal of the others, only half recognised, suddenly made sense. Worst of all, Jim hadn't cared, as long as he could go back.

So here he was, caught between two worlds and belonging to neither. Ellison, the Cop and Jim, the Queer - neither man whole; unable to live in one world for very long without wanting to run to the safety of the other. Jim smiled sourly at his reflection and reached for the can of shaving cream.

There was a ritual to his transformation these days. The cologne Jim applied was one that Ellison the Cop had never used. Everything - the soap, the shampoo, the deodorant - was different, bought on the way home. When he'd finished, Jim went into the downstairs room where he kept a set of drawers that contained the clothing that Jim the Faggot would wear.

He dropped the towel and looked critically at his body in the full-length mirror beside the drawers. He still worked out, was still as lean and as muscular as he'd been that first time. Without the slightest sense of conceit, he knew he'd be able to have just about any man he wanted. With a small nod of satisfaction he turned to the drawers.

The clothes weren't in any way flamboyant. Ellison the Cop could have worn them to work without raising a single eyebrow, but Ellison the Cop had never worn these and never would. Jim considered the neatly folded gear and decided on something simple and effective - soft grey boxer briefs that were guaranteed to cling to his body's contours, a pair of black jeans and a grey V-necked T-shirt that was a size smaller than he'd normally wear. With these he'd look like the poster boy for Gay America, or at least would have, if he'd been ten years younger.

By the time he'd finished dressing, there was nothing left of Ellison the Cop. His body settled into a stance that was subtly different, indefinably gay; as natural to him now as breathing. He examined himself once again and felt a nagging sense of dissatisfaction. The look was fine, but the feel...

He unzipped the jeans and let them drop. Brushed a hand lightly over the comfortably swollen genitals beneath the clinging fabric of his underwear before pulling them down also. His cock hung heavily against his left thigh, already anticipating the evening to come, but Jim stared at the dark wiry hair at his groin, and teased at a few strands with his fingertips.

With an impatient gesture he peeled the T-shirt off over his head and strode back into the bathroom. If he was going to do this one last time, he was going to do it properly. No more conflict between inner reality and outer appearance. No more holding back. He would give himself over completely to deeply buried impulses he'd never admitted, even to himself.

It was surprising how soft his skin was, shaved. How sensual it felt against his stroking fingers. He could feel the blood thrumming excitedly through his body, pooling in his groin, but there was no time to waste. He wanted to be where he belonged, with others like him. He went back to the room and pulled on his jeans, leaving the underwear where it lay. The T-shirt fitted him like a second skin. A pair of Doc Marten's completed the look, almost.

Just one last thing... he selected a discreet diamond stud and put it in his left earlobe. Examined the effect in the mirror. Perfect. Grabbing his keys, Jim hurried towards the door.

Even at ten o'clock Karma was crowded. It would be much worse later. Obviously this was, for the moment, the hottest nightclub in Cascade. Jim made his way through the scattered groups of onlookers to watch the dancers for a while. He needed to get the feel of the place, to look for escape routes. His glass held nothing more alcoholic than soda and cranberry juice, and wouldn't until he felt more secure.

"Well! Just look who's here!" A familiar voice behind him made Jim turn, already smiling.

"Ryan. It's great to see you again." He hugged the younger man and released him reluctantly. They'd been lovers briefly, and Jim still had a lingering fondness for him. "How are you doing?"

Ryan rolled his eyes dramatically. "Never mind me, honey. Where have you been and when did you get back?"

"Yesterday." His cover had always been that he was a freelance photographer, which accounted for his frequent absences. He'd even brushed up his photography skills in case he'd ever needed to use them. "I was in Scandinavia for six months."

"Land of tall blond men. How divine!" Ryan grinned and mock punched Jim's shoulder. "Trust you to find the hottest club in town in just a day. You haven't changed at all, Jimmy."

Jim took a long pull from his glass and set it down on one of the many small tables. "God, I hope not. Want to dance?"

"Don't I always?"

Over the next few hours Jim caught up with several old friends and all of the gossip since he'd been out of circulation. He'd cautiously led the conversations round to the club and its manager several times but found nothing of real value. If Sandburg was involved in anything shady, none of his customers knew about it. Which meant he was either completely innocent, or up to his shell-like ears in something very secret and very nasty.

Sometime around midnight the younger men started arriving, and Jim could almost hear the collective intake of breath as a couple of hundred guts were sucked in just that tiny bit more. The music got even louder and the dance floor rapidly became the scene of preliminary mating skirmishes. And there was no sign of Sandburg.

He was sure to turn up sometime, if not tonight, then tomorrow night or the night after. Meanwhile, Jim relaxed into his alternate lifestyle with his small group of friends, dancing and drinking and cruising the younger men who pranced and postured in unambiguously sexual display. If Sandburg didn't show up soon, he'd find someone to celebrate his return to life with.

A little later he glanced up from a laboured conversation with Ryan to see his quarry standing on the balcony that ran around three sides of the room. He was with another man who was undoubtedly a bouncer or a bodyguard. Jim watched for a moment as the two exchanged a few words and then Sandburg moved towards the stairs.

He was wearing tight dark pants and a top that appeared to be made of some kind of net, with long tears in it that showed tanned skin beneath. Jim nudged Ryan and leaned close enough to scream a question.

"Who?" Ryan followed his gaze. "Oh, that's Blair Sandburg. He runs this place."

Jim didn't take his eyes off the young man. "You know him?"

"Sure." Ryan didn't pretend to misunderstand. "He's probably fucked half the guys here."

"Think you can get him to dance with you?"

"Jim-mie! Of course I can." Ryan rolled his eyes. "What are you up to now? I swear..." but he was already making a beeline for the bottom of the stairs.

Jim watched as he accosted Sandburg and the pair moved to the dance floor. Then he turned to Curt and inclined his head towards the mass of writhing bodies with an inquiring lift of his eyebrows. Curt grinned.

It was easy to keep an eye on Ryan and Sandburg. The floor was so crowded that it was difficult to do more than gyrate in place. All he'd needed to do was find a position where he could watch them and not allow the crush of bodies to edge him away. After Ryan squelched Sandburg's first attempt to leave the dance floor, Jim made his move. He'd already stripped off his sweat soaked T-shirt and stuffed it into the back of his jeans; now he eased his way around a small cluster of youths who barely looked old enough to be in here, and came up behind Sandburg.

For a moment he and Ryan danced together with Sandburg sandwiched between them. After a quick glance over his shoulder, Sandburg relaxed, alternately bumping his groin against Ryan's and his butt into Jim's eagerly receptive crotch. Pleased with his welcome, Jim began to brush his hands lightly up and down Sandburg's net covered arms. The music changed and still they danced, caught up in the heat and the sensuality of the beat. When Sandburg turned to face Jim, Ryan slipped unobtrusively away.

Sandburg really was quite short. His head barely came higher than Jim's chin and beneath the loose net top he was trimly built. Jim could make out the dark shadow of chest hair and a glint of silver that had to be a nipple ring. A smile quirked Jim's lips as the smaller man's blue eyes returned his appraisal with equal frankness. Then Sandburg's hands came to rest on his shoulders and their bodies drifted together with the rhythm of the dance. Within moments Jim was rock hard and aching for release.

It could have been just his reaction to being back in circulation, but Jim doubted it. He'd danced with half a dozen men tonight and none of them had caused such an intense reaction. Sandburg grinned up at him, well aware of what was happening and not at all disconcerted by it that Jim could see. It was time for his next move.

He lowered his head so that his lips almost touched Sandburg's ear, noting with amusement that it was indeed shell-like, and graced with two silver rings. "Jim."

Sandburg nodded at his bellowed offering. "Blair."

The amenities concluded, they moved to the edge of the dance floor. A quick backward glance from Blair was invitation and assessment combined. Jim followed him past a grinning bouncer, not the one that Jim had seen earlier, and down a long hallway with several doors opening off it. They paused at one and Blair turned, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

Jim swallowed. He knew very well what he'd find inside the door and his body screamed for him to enter. He waited, saying nothing.

"You okay with this, man?" Blair touched his chest lightly, fingers sliding easily over sweaty skin, and tweaked his nipples.

Jim answered him with a long kiss, then pushed the door open. "Sure I am."

Inside it was dark. Music was playing, a low bass beat that was more felt than heard, and bodies moved, barely visible in the low reddish glow of wall wash lighting. The smell of sweat and semen made Jim's gut ache - it had been far too long since he'd had a man.

Blair pushed him gently against a wall and set about a careful, tactile examination of his bare chest. At first Jim could only endure it as sensations attacked him and laid waste his self-control. He groaned softly, his hips bucking forward instinctively.

"Tell me what you want, Jim." Blair's breath washed over his chest. "Anything you want, I'll give it to you."

"God! Just... this is fine..." Jim arched his back, silently begging for things his lips wouldn't allow him to ask for.

"Oh, I can do much better than that." Blair's lips found his nipple and Jim gasped, keening helplessly for a moment before he managed to press his lips together. "You want more?"

"Yes..." Belatedly, Jim reached beneath the net top and slid his hands up over warm, hairy flesh. "I want more." More by accident than design, his fingers found the nipple ring and tugged it gently.

"Good. Oh man, that's good." Blair crooned the words softly into his mouth. "Yeah, do that again."

Gentle hands rubbed over his skin, and it took some concentration to realise that there were too many for them all to belong to Blair. Jim forced his eyes open to see an unfamiliar blond head bent over his chest. He met Blair's shining eyes and thought twice about objecting. They kissed again, their tongues massaging, teasing, making slow, sensuous love.

Hands tugged at his jeans, easing the button free and drawing down his zipper. He hoped it was Blair's hands and was relieved when that bewitching mouth was removed from his. "Oh wow, man... this is so cool."

He'd almost forgotten shaving himself earlier. Jim made a sound somewhere between a groan and a laugh as Blair explored his groin. With just a few deft touches Blair brought him to the edge of orgasm, then denied it to him with skilled, ruthless fingers. "Oh God... please..."

"Soon, baby. Just relax." Blair eased the jeans down a little and pushed him back against the wall. It felt deliciously cool against his buttocks. "Kim's gonna help you out, okay?"

There were four of them, now. The blond had been joined by a young Asian, who knelt at Jim's feet and took his cock into his mouth with no sign of hesitation. In the deeper shadows beyond their little group, others were watching, but Jim was only truly aware of Blair, and the mouth that was sending pleasure singing through his veins.

"Blair..." He reached for the smaller man, twisting his fingers in the mass of dark curls and dragging his head close. Blair's mouth on his sent electric tingles through his body. Dimly he heard the rasp of another zipper and felt Blair's soft moan against his lips. The blond head was gone from Jim's chest, and it came as no surprise to see the naked man kneeling in front of Blair, expertly fellating him.

Kim's hands on his hips kept Jim's lower body plastered against the wall, but it was easy enough to twist his upper body towards Blair. He slid his hands under the thin cloth of Blair's top, ruffling the short damp hairs. His mouth met Blair's again and Jim's world narrowed to the supple muscle that explored his mouth so thoroughly, then withdrew, leaving behind an intolerable emptiness. He fastened his mouth even more securely against the pouting softness of Blair's lips and set forth on his own journey of discovery.

Everything about Blair seemed unimaginably intense, the taste of his mouth richer and more potent than any mouth had a right to be; the lush jungle of his hair more sensuous than the softest silk. Jim was so deeply immersed in this voluptuous abundance that the smooth, strong sucking of his cock evaporated into a barely discernible tickle of sensation.

Suddenly, Blair gasped, his breath gusting into Jim's mouth, and Jim felt the strong, sturdy body quake under his hands. Only then was he able to find his own release - a quick, controlled pulse of energy through his body, the burning gush of cum into a warm, willing mouth. He moaned, more in disappointment at his loss of contact with Blair than in pleasure. But when he opened his eyes, Blair was still beside him, his head turned to Jim, smiling lazily.

The other two men faded into the darkness and Jim pulled Blair around and against him. Blair's depleted cock nestled snugly against Jim's thigh sending a soft sweet ache into his groin. They kissed easily, without passion, but with the knowledge of the unfinished business that lay between them. There was no doubt in Jim's mind, that this was only the beginning. When Blair drew back, he stroked the full lower lip with the tips of his fingers.

"Not bad, man." Blair's eyes were glinting wickedly. "You want to dance some more?"

Incredibly, Blair's question to him had been completely serious. They returned to the dance floor for the best part of two hours before retreating upstairs, and in keeping with their first encounter, Blair had danced with at least half a dozen other men in that time. He was obviously making a point, and Jim had been in no position to object.

Eventually Blair had led him behind the bar to an inconspicuous but well secured door. Once the door was shut the noise level dropped dramatically, to a point where it was possible to talk without shouting. Jim suppressed a sigh of relief, reflecting that he must be getting old. Usually the noise didn't bother him, but tonight he was so aware of Blair's presence that everything else had become an annoying distraction.

He followed Blair up a flight of stairs with his anticipation building to an uncomfortably intense level. Up here, the functional spareness of the building gave way to trendy modernity, and Jim looked around the wide room full of designer furniture and contemporary art, in surprise. A door opened to his right and a young man came though, flashing a teasing smile at him before greeting Blair.

"Hey, Mikail. This is Jim. Excuse us a minute would you, Jim?" Blair drew the other man to one side and began a low voiced conversation.

Not wanting to intrude, Jim wandered over to stare at a painting in pretended admiration. He didn't have long to wait. Blair's voice came from just behind his shoulder. "You like it, Jim?"

He turned, smiling politely. "It's... interesting."

"It's trendy crap." Blair grinned. "Let's go."

Jim didn't need a second invitation. He followed Blair across the room to the same door that Mikail had appeared from, only to find that the young Russian was waiting for them in the hallway beyond. It began to seem like they'd never make it to Blair's room.

Mikail's grey eyes lingered over Jim' face before moving to Blair's. "Perhaps you would like some company?"

Blair cast a quick look at Jim, his expression speculative, and Jim tried to radiate polite disinterest. Apparently it worked. "Another time, tovarisch."

"I hope so."

Mikail smiled at Jim again, and he found himself genuinely returning it. He was no stranger to menages, having cast off all his inhibitions a long time ago; but tonight he wanted Blair all to himself - he needed to establish a rapport with his quarry if he was going to find out what Blair was involved in. It was a convenient excuse for doing exactly what he wanted to do anyway.

Finally Blair paused outside a door, and swiped his keycard through the lock. "These are my private rooms. Nobody will disturb us here."

"Good." Jim was already reaching for Blair's waist as they walked through the doorway.

It was a lot like a hotel suite inside, but Jim had never seen any hotel with such an eclectic collection of paintings, tribal art and furnishings. Obviously, Blair had chosen the contents of the rooms they stumbled through. Jim only caught a passing glimpse of objects he thought he'd like to examine more thoroughly some time later, but right now he was too busy examining their owner.

First to go was Blair's top. The teasing glimpses of flesh beneath it had become an increasing irritation to Jim over the last few hours. He peeled it off Blair and tossed it aside. Beneath, Blair was all that any reasonable man could hope for - his tanned, trimly muscled chest was covered with dark whorls of hair and a silver ring glinted against one dusky, erect nipple.

Blair grinned happily, sure of himself and his attractiveness to other men. "Easy, big guy, we've got all night."

Jim could have countered, with perfect truth, that the night only had a few hours left to run, but why waste his breath? He growled softly and dragged the smaller man into a hard embrace, smothering any protest with a long kiss. "Bedroom. Where?"

"This way." Blair was already pulling him towards a door in the far wall.

Along the way Jim lost his T-shirt as Blair launched a serious attack on his clothing. By the time they reached the enormous bed, his jeans were undone and halfway down his thighs. He allowed Blair to topple him backwards onto the bed and lay gazing up at the younger man through a lust induced haze.

Blair slowly eased his belt buckle free and slid the leather belt out of the restraining loops. He dropped it on the bed beside Jim with a sultry look and Jim swallowed hard. If Blair wanted to play those kinds of games... his erection throbbed and Jim reached down to brush it lightly with his fingertips, knowing he wouldn't, couldn't, refuse.

"Don't start without me, man." Blair grinned at him, but his eyes were as hot and urgent as the blood rushing through Jim's veins.

"Then hurry up." Deliberately, Jim touched his cock lightly again. It looked and felt strange without any pubic hair to soften the line between belly and cock. Strange, and sexy as hell. His fingers trailed down over the smooth skin and massaged beneath his balls. Blair blinked and his now trembling hands set about hurriedly unfastening his pants and peeling off the dark thong he wore beneath.

Now it was Jim's turn to stare. He didn't have any particular kink towards hairy men, but Blair was just plain beautiful. The generous spread of dark wiry curls framed his cock and provided a downy nest for his tight, rounded balls. The cock itself was a thing of beauty, darker even than the all over tan of Blair's skin, and flushed deeply from the moist tip to halfway down its length. He could almost taste it in his mouth right now.

But Blair had other items on his agenda. He took a quick step forward and bent over Jim's body so that his long hair fell like a silky curtain across Jim's shivering skin. Warm unseen lips traced a path from Jim's navel to his groin and Blair sighed, sending hot gusts of breath over his cock. Jim groaned and arched up into the touch, but Blair was on the move, busily nuzzling his groin, tracing the curve of his balls with a delicate tongue tip.

"I just love shaved guys." Blair's voice was muffled, low and sexy and Jim could feel the vibration of his voice in his balls.

"Yeah? Then you're in luck. I only did it for the first time tonight." Jim grinned weakly as Blair's eyes met his across the length of his body. He managed to shrug halfway casually. "It was an impulse."

"It was a good impulse, man. You look so damn hot." Blair dropped to his knees so that his eyes were barely above the level of Jim's body and took Jim's cock in a gentle hold. His tongue grazed the surface of his sensual lips then brushed lightly along the length of the shaft. "Man, with your body, you were made for it." He kissed the soft fold of skin at the base of the cock, swiped a broad stroke across Jim's belly with the flat of his tongue and nipped just hard enough to leave a pink mark on the newly shaven skin. "What do you want, Jim?"

"Oh God..." six months since he'd touched a man, and the brief encounter they'd had earlier hadn't come close to taking the edge off his hunger. He couldn't even begin to choose among the lustful thoughts that jostled for supremacy in his mind. "Whatever you want, Chief, just... God, just do something, okay?"

Blue eyes, suddenly thoughtful, assessed his state and reached a decision. "You really need it, huh? Well, let's not waste any time."

Blair disappeared from view and Jim struggled to push himself up on his elbows, only to see the dark mop of hair bent over his feet, and nimble hands struggling with the laces on his Docs. Wishing he'd worn loafers, Jim let himself drop back onto the bed. "Can you manage?"

"Sure, it's just been a while." Blair's voice, breathless and with a hint of laughter, floated up from near the floor. "Got it!" Jim's boots and socks were dumped unceremoniously and then his jeans were tugged all the way off. "Yes!" Blair reappeared, punching the air with a grin of satisfaction. He scrambled over Jim's body and flopped down beside him. "Now, where were we?"

"Here, I think." Jim grabbed him and rolled them both over.

His hands got busy among the soft, wiry hairs on Blair's chest while he bit and sucked at Blair's nipples. Groans of pleasure rent the air above his head and vibrated through his chest as his cock ploughed eagerly against the delicious hairiness of Blair's thigh. He tried to hold back a little, but his hips rocked insistently, refusing to obey his higher brain functions.

Already he could feel the slippery pre-cum coating Blair's thigh and gluing the fine hairs to his skin. A shudder ran through him and he rested his face over Blair's pounding heart, driving against Blair's thigh with all the weight of his body, while beneath him Blair squirmed uneasily, his cock prodding at Jim's belly.

"God, Jim..." Blair groaned and laughed breathlessly. "You're killing me, man."

He had no breath left to respond, nor was there any coherent thought that he have could put into words. His body was all that existed, and utterly ruthless in its demands as sensation piled upon sensation until there was simply... nothing.

The sky was lightening towards dawn when Jim woke. At most he could only have had a couple of hours sleep but that was enough, for now. He yawned and stretched cautiously, feeling exhausted muscles extend and joints pop. He felt like he'd been beaten. He felt better than he could ever remember feeling in his life.

Blair lay sprawled face down beside him, deeply asleep. After a moment Jim hoisted himself onto his elbow and looked down at him. The short, sturdy body was all lean muscle, not overly defined, just enough to show that Blair worked out regularly. That he cared about how his body looked without being fanatical about it.

Jim brushed his fingers over the smooth, tanned ass cheeks and smiled as the soft skin twitched. God, what a night... they'd hardly slept at all, just short naps between bouts of intense lovemaking that had left them both bruised, and him aching for more.

They hadn't spoken much, and not about anything important, but one thing had been crystal clear. Blair Sandburg was not the kind to fall in love with a chance-met stranger, or to trust him readily. It was going to take Jim a while to gain his confidence, and he needed to make enough of an impression that Blair would welcome him back. He thought he'd probably managed it, but it wouldn't hurt to gild the lily a little.

He considered his options for a moment, then grinned. Moving carefully, Jim drew the long strands of hair back from Blair's throat and bent over him. The exposed skin was soft and tender, and easily marked. He sucked hard for a moment, drew back to check his handiwork, and then did it again, only stopping when Blair stirred restlessly. It was a small mark, but high up on his throat, and it ought to be enough to ensure that Blair would be reminded of him every time he looked in a mirror for the next few days.

Satisfied, Jim slid off the bed, stifling a groan, and dressed hurriedly. There was nobody around as he moved from Blair's rooms out into the more public area, and Jim was thankful for that. He easily found his way out of the building and onto the street behind the nightclub. Even at this hour there were partygoers around, and cabs ready to take them wherever they wished to go. He flagged one down and gave the driver an address just a block away from his loft.

By the time Jim had walked to the loft it was almost fully light. He hadn't slept much in the last twenty-four hours and he was beginning to feel it. Wilder would expect him to report in, but Jim was damned if he was going to stay awake a moment longer than he needed to.

He took a quick shower, then phoned Wilder's private line at the precinct. "This is Ellison. I've made contact. Nothing else to report."

That ought to annoy Wilder just enough, without prompting him to retaliate with more of the shit he was so fond of handing out. Jim grinned as he trudged up the stairs to his bed.

Jim slept until mid-afternoon, then kick-started what remained of the day with a strong jolt of black coffee. He knew where he could find Ryan and his friends at this time of day, and it was time to find out more about Sandburg. He showered again, rubbed his lightly stubbled jaw reflectively and decided not to shave yet. To offset that, he dressed a little less aggressively in dark grey pants and a light blue shirt. A plain earring replaced the diamond stud, and a pair of sunglasses completed the look perfectly. He hadn't lost his touch, Jim reflected with more than a hint of irony.

The others were exactly where he'd expected to find them, in a small, ferociously trendy bistro, busily comparing notes on the previous night. They greeted him with cries of pleasure and rampant curiosity, except for Ryan who merely arched an inquisitive eyebrow at him. Jim pulled up a seat and ordered a coffee and a four-egg omelette, ignoring the joking comments from his friends about a strenuous night.

It was wonderfully relaxing to be able to hang out with friends he'd known, off and on, for years. There were only about half of the group there, but that was nothing unusual - the composition of the group was fluid, depending on who was in Cascade, and not involved in a serious relationship, at any given time. Last time Jim had been undercover, Ryan had been seriously involved with someone called Martin and Jim had barely seen him. There were a couple of new faces too, since his last meeting with the group.

He spent a couple of hours listening and contributing occasionally to the meandering conversation. There were plenty of comments about Blair Sandburg, but nothing of any real help. Only Ryan had known him at all well, and he was remarkably quiet. As the evening crowd began to drift in, Jim decided he'd better leave. He had yet to make his report to Wilder, and he couldn't put it off indefinitely.

"Jimmy, wait up." Ryan caught up with him on the pavement outside. "Have you got a minute?"

"For you? Sure." Jim grinned at the man who was the thing to a friend he had undercover, or anywhere, for that matter. "How's things?"

Ryan shrugged and grimaced. "Come home with me?"

"All right." Jim fell into step beside Ryan. It was only a couple of blocks to Ryan's apartment and they walked it in silence.

"Want a glass of wine?" Ryan tossed his keys into a bowl on his coffee table and headed for the kitchen.

"Have you got beer?"

"Of course." Ryan's voice was disapproving. "I bought some this morning. Still, I live in hope of civilising you, some day."

"Never going to happen." Jim took the chilled glass - Ryan would never give it to him in the bottle - and lifted it in a casual toast. "I missed you last time I was home. What happened to Martin?"

"Juan happened to Martin." Ryan pouted artistically, but Jim thought he saw real distress in his friend's eyes. He heaved a sigh. "I started talking about him moving in with me and he panicked."

"He was a jerk, then." Jim smiled uneasily. It wasn't like Ryan to be so serious about his lovers. "He didn't deserve you."

"Plus, he didn't have the decency to let me dump him." Ryan shrugged. "I must be getting old."

Jim sighed. "You and me both."

"So... about Blair Sandburg..." Ryan threw an inquiring look in Jim's direction. "What's going on there?"

"He's cute. I'm looking for entertainment." Jim drank deeply from his glass. "Why haven't I come across him before?"

"He's been around Cascade for a few years." Ryan lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. "Of course he's much more visible since Karma got so popular. Jimmy, is he in trouble?"

Jim froze, just for a second, then lifted his eyes to meet Ryan's. "I don't know. Why are you asking me?"

"Oh, I don't know." Ryan walked up close to him, until their bodies were almost touching. "Maybe it's because I saw you going into the Police Department when you were supposed to be in the wilds of Sweden. Do you think that could be it, Jimmy?"

They were so close, he could smell the wine on Ryan's breath and feel the heat of his body. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment then Jim turned away. "So, I'm a cop. I can't tell you anything, Ryan. Are you going to tell him?"

"Are you going to give him a fair deal?"

Jim swung around. "What kind of question is that? What do you think I'm gonna do - manufacture evidence?"

"It wouldn't be the first time. Oh, not you..." Ryan lifted his chin defiantly, anger in his eyes, "but there's been others who cared more about getting a bust than whether they got the right person. After all, one faggot's as good as another, right?"

"Well I don't. And I'm not out to get Sandburg, okay? I just want to..." He stopped, aware that anything he told Ryan might give away more than he intended. "If he's not into anything dirty, then he's not in any danger. If he is, then he deserves all he gets." He put down his glass and headed for the door. "I'd better go."

"Jimmy."

Jim stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

A wry smile lifted the corner of Ryan's mouth. "You secret's safe with me."

"I know." Jim smiled briefly. "If you hear anything... it might help him, you know."

"I don't know if I could do that." Ryan's smile faded to be replaced with a frown. "But I won't get in the way, either."

"Made contact?" Wilder's eyes glittered angrily. "Is that what you call making a report, Ellison?"

Jim shrugged. It always felt uncomfortable being in the station once he'd settled into his undercover role; Ryan's unexpected revelation only made it worse. "He's gun shy. I'm not going to get anything out of him straight away."

Agent Cooper cleared his throat. "Detective, it seems to me you did more than make contact last night."

"You had me watched." Jim kept his voice calm, even resigned, but it was an effort and it showed. "Now why am I not surprised about that?"

"It was for your own protection. For back up." Cooper frowned. "We have complete faith in you."

Jim laughed sourly. "Sure you do. Just do me a favour and pull him out. If you want me to get close to Madison, you don't have a choice. He's the most cautious bastard I've ever come across."

"And will you get close to Madison?" Wilder leaned forward. His voice and face betrayed his scepticism.

"I don't know." Jim rubbed a hand wearily over his face. Neither the few hours sleep he'd had, nor the coffees he'd consumed had done any more than take the edge off his tiredness. "I told you, Sandburg isn't going to tell me all his secrets just because I fucked him."

It silenced them, as he'd intended but, irrationally, their expressions of disgust angered him. They weren't too squeamish to send him undercover, but they were too damned dainty to want to know the details. Of course, it didn't last. Within moments the anger had turned inwards and Jim squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, you're going to have to trust my judgement on this. If I push too hard, he's either going to get suspicious or lose interest. He can have anyone he wants, and the indications are he's not into commitment. I have to play hard to get."

"Playing hard to get?" Wilder raised his eyebrows, his voice was ripe with irony. "Is that what you were doing?"

Heat flamed through Jim's cheeks. "You don't know the kind of world he lives in. Trust me on this."

Wilder didn't reply, but he didn't need to. He hadn't trusted Jim from the moment he'd taken over the Vice Squad and they both knew it. What Jim had never figured out was why he'd blocked every attempt Jim made to transfer to another department.

Cooper broke the uneasy silence that followed. "So you'll be seeing him again tonight."

He'd been debating with himself whether or not to go to Karma tonight, but the flat statement suddenly made his decision easier. "No. I don't want to seem too eager. I'll go tomorrow night."

When Jim arrived at Karma the following night, there was no sign of Blair Sandburg. It was late enough that he was unlikely to have already made an appearance and left - one thing Jim had discovered from his casual questions was that Blair rarely arrived before midnight. But Jim had been prepared for the possibility that Blair might not turn up at all; he didn't come to the nightclub every night. It was still possible that Blair might turn up, however, and Jim decided to stay for a few hours.

He knew almost the instant that Blair arrived. Jim was dancing with a tall, bronzed blond whose name he didn't even know and he waited until the music stopped before excusing himself and changing to another partner - a dark haired boy with the face of an angel and the body language of a hustler. He didn't look up or acknowledge his awareness of Blair's presence in any way. After a couple more dances, Jim finally allowed his eyes to lift to the catwalk where he'd first seen Blair.

The younger man was watching him, smiling. When Jim's eyes met his he rolled them heavenward with a complicitous grin. Jim laughed. So his little act hadn't fooled Sandburg after all. He had to give the guy points for being savvy. It also underscored the stupidity of the FBI setting someone to watch him. He'd kept a watchful eye on the crowd but hadn't picked out anyone taking an undue interest in him.

With a muttered excuse, completely inaudible under the music, Jim slipped away from his dance partner and made his way to the staircase. Blair met him half way.

"Hey, Jim. Wanna dance?" If Blair felt any reluctance at meeting Jim again it wasn't showing.

Jim blocked the stairway, preventing him from passing. "Not particularly. Got anything else in mind?"

Blair grinned. "Mikail's been sulking since the other night. He was afraid I'd scared you off."

"Yeah? Is he your lover?" He kept his voice neutral. Mikail was cute, and if things had been different he wouldn't have minded a three-way; but things were different - he was here to gain Blair's confidence, not amuse himself. However, Blair seemed determined to keep him at a distance and Jim didn't have a lot of choices.

"Just a friend." Blair's eyes gleamed with humour. "But I love it when my friends get along together."

Accepting defeat, Jim shrugged. "Why not?"

Mikail was gone when Jim woke. It was later than he'd woken the last time he was in Blair's room, and the morning light was streaming into the room. Blair was curled against his side, fast asleep. He lay still, allowing his old army training to surface. First check for anyone in the vicinity, then move. There was nobody in the room, of course, and after a minute or two, Jim eased himself away from Blair and rose from the bed.

He padded quietly to the bathroom, considering whether it was better to leave before Blair woke, or risk one of those embarrassing morning after situations which could potentially damage any chance he had to continue meeting Blair. He relieved himself gratefully and took a quick shower, still undecided; but as he towelled himself off, Jim decided to stay. Mikail's presence had been an eye-opening experience - the two of them had played Jim expertly, like some kind of sexual tag team - but he'd also been a hindrance to Jim's plan of getting Blair's confidence. He needed to move things along, and a nice romantic awakening might just achieve what he wanted.

Then he walked into the bedroom and knew that he would have stayed no matter what. Blair had rolled onto his back and lay in an easy sprawl, his right leg bent outwards, foot tucked under his left calf. Between the spread thighs his cock drooped lazily, just beginning to stir with arousal. One hand rested negligently on his belly, the other was lost somewhere in the tangled covers, and his eyes were closed.

He might have been faking, but Jim suspected that Blair was still asleep. It wasn't as easy to pretend sleep as most people believed, especially when you knew what to look and listen for. He stood at the foot of the bed and stared his fill. Why Blair had this effect on him he didn't know, but it was undeniable. His cock was filling, just at the sight of Blair's naked body. More accurately, at the sight of Blair's softly swollen and rosy cock. He eased himself down onto the edge of the bed, still staring.

A faint stirring told Jim that Blair had woken. He raised his eyes to Blair's face as the other man clawed a handful of hair away from his mouth. Blair's eyes were barely open, but under the heavy-lidded gaze something sensual gleamed. The full lips curved into a lascivious smile. "Suck me, Jim."

It was as though he'd been waiting all his life for such an invitation. Jim lowered himself until he was lying across the big bed with his head resting on Blair's thigh. His tongue brushed lightly over Blair's balls, just below where the sensitive crown rested. Blair's sudden intake of breath brought a smile to his face.

Keeping it light and teasing, Jim bathed the loose, textured sac with his tongue, picking up tastes of sweat and semen from the night before, along with the less pleasant tang of latex and lube. The rapidly swelling cock he ignored completely, even when Blair moaned in protest. Now that Blair didn't have his accomplice to back him up, it was time for a little revenge. He sucked one testicle into his mouth and hummed while he teased the other with his fingertips.

Blair groaned loudly. "Oh, come on, man..."

Jim didn't answer. He stroked Blair's anus lightly, refusing to penetrate it with even so much as a fingertip, and turned his head to kiss the inner surface of Blair's thigh. The more Blair protested, the more thorough his examination of Blair's body became, but always falling well short of satisfying the desires he aroused. He pushed Blair's hands away whenever they came too close to his groin and growled warningly.

When, finally, Blair was reduced to a whimpering, twitching bundle of aroused nerve endings, Jim relented. The sturdy cock flinched wildly as his lips brushed across its surface and they both sobbed with relief. He needed this almost as much as Blair did, but Jim was determined to draw out the pleasure as long as he possibly could. He traced each swollen and throbbing vein with the tip of his tongue, then dragged the flat of it over the velvet skin, feeling it move loosely, even now, against the hard muscle beneath.

It seemed to take a lifetime to traverse the length of it to the gleaming wetness of the cockhead, and when Jim took it into his mouth the taste of Blair's cum exploded in his mouth. With a low, desperate sound, Blair surged up into Jim's mouth, rocking his hips urgently as Jim struggled to relax the muscles in his throat. At last he managed it and the thick cock slid full length into him. It only took a few quick thrusts and Blair was climaxing, pulsing a miniature gush of cum into his throat; even that much was a surprise, they'd all but drained each other dry last night.

Jim lay still, his cock throbbing with unsatisfied need, but happy for the moment to enjoy Blair's release vicariously. When Blair sighed deeply Jim smiled and lifted his head. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, then Blair smiled lazily. Unfolding himself from an almost foetal position, Jim sat up slowly. His cock ached with every movement and he reached down to cradle it for a moment with a grimace of discomfort.

"Jim." Blair's voice was low and husky, the single word an invitation that Jim had no desire to refuse.

He moved up towards the top of the bed and straddled Blair's chest. His cock lifted eagerly, reacting to the proximity of Blair's luscious mouth and Blair's smile grew from sensual to wickedly expectant. A tiny drop of pre-cum landed beside the corner of Blair's mouth and his tongue slid out to lick it away. It sent a rush of hunger straight to Jim's groin and he leaned forward, angling his hips to position his cock against Blair's lips.

They parted obligingly and Jim slid his cock in as deeply as he could. It wasn't possible for Blair to deep throat him in this position, but that didn't matter as Blair's lips closed tightly around his cock and Blair's fingers gently stroked and tugged at the loose skin covering his balls. Jim shuddered and his hands clenched on the frame behind Blair's head. Then hunger overtook him and he thrust urgently into Blair's mouth. It only took a couple of thrusts before he came with a heartfelt groan.

Jim's position was too precarious for him to be able to enjoy the aftermath. With an effort he managed to pull back and tumble to the bed beside Blair. They lay still, except for the laboured rise and fall of their chests until Jim managed to gather together what energy he had and rolled onto his side facing Blair.

He pulled the smaller man over to face him, framing his face with both his hands. Blair just smiled as Jim brushed that first kiss across his lips. Gradually the kisses deepened, slow and easy like falling into a soft pile of mattresses. Kissing Blair was unlike anything Jim had ever experienced. Even with Carolyn, his ex-wife, it had never felt this intimate, and yet he hardly knew Blair, and what he did know was not at all promising. Still, he couldn't stop himself falling.

Eventually, Blair drew back with a puzzled frown. "Are you all right, Jim?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." Jim smiled weakly. He pulled himself together long enough to give Blair another brief kiss. "I'd better go."

"Okay." Blair at least looked disappointed. "See you again tonight?"

His response was instinctive. He still had a job to do. "I can't tonight. How about tomorrow?"

"No. That's no good." Blair groaned. "I've got to go out of town for the weekend."

That wasn't good news, but Jim didn't let his face reflect that. He shrugged casually. "How about Monday?"

"Oh, man..." Blair rolled onto his back and beat one fist against the mattress with a soft thud. "This really bites."

No argument there. Jim rolled off the bed and reached for his jeans. "Can't be helped, Chief."

"You could come with me, if you liked." Jim turned to see Blair leaning on one elbow watching him. "I've got some meetings, but I'll be free in the evenings. There'll be plenty for you to do."

There was something about Blair's voice that caught Jim's attention. Amusement, maybe. Whatever it was, Jim guessed that the meetings were probably with Madison. He'd be crazy to miss this opportunity and it was difficult not to let his excitement show. "Where are you going?"

"It's a resort, about an hour's drive down the coast." Blair grinned mischievously. "Very exclusive. You'll love it."

"Not The Resort?" Jim looked, and felt, impressed. "I've heard of it. You're going there?"

"Yeah. I go there a lot." Blair laughed. "That's not as pretentious as it sounds. I go there for meetings. I sure couldn't afford to pay their prices."

The Resort was owned by Robert Madison, and catered exclusively to gay men. It was one of the most elite private clubs in the state of Washington, if not the whole country. If Blair was going there, it was certainly to meet Madison, and now Blair was handing him an open invitation to the show. He grinned. "I don't have anything else to do."

"Great." Blair dropped back to the mattress, closing his eyes. "Meet me at noon tomorrow. I've gotta get some sleep."

"Do I need to bring anything?"

"No, man. Clothing's strictly optional once you're past the front door." Blair waved one hand negligently. "Except for the restaurant, but we can get room service."

It sounded like all the rumours he'd heard about The Resort were true. Jim laughed, relieved that he'd got such a break so quickly.

Blair was waiting outside the nightclub in a black convertible when Jim arrived at noon. He really looked the part, in his designer jeans and chest-hugging silk V-necked shirt. His hair was loose and he had a pair of Bill Bass sunglasses perched on his nose. When Jim tossed his small overnight bag in the space behind his seat, Blair grinned.

"Glad you made it, big guy. Ready for some fun?"

"I thought it was a business trip." Jim settled into the passenger seat and buckled up, something he only did when he wasn't driving.

"You know what they say about mixing business and pleasure." Blair put the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. "That is just so not true. You should mix them as much as possible, man."

Jim could hardly believe his ears. Surely it wasn't going to be this easy? "So tell me what it's all about. This meeting."

"Uh, no. I can't do that." Blair smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but it's... there are other people involved."

"No sweat." Jim shrugged peaceably. "How did you get into the nightclub business, anyway?"

Blair laughed. "Want the full story, or the abridged version?"

"Whichever you prefer. We've got an hour." Jim relaxed back in his seat. Blair seemed to be a pretty respectable driver, and he might learn something useful.

By the time they arrived at The Resort, Jim had learned a lot about Blair, but nothing he could use. His companion had the ability to talk a lot but give relatively little away. Jim heard about Blair's experiences as the only child of a single mother who seemed to flit from one lover to another, and one city to another, apparently without a thought for how such a lifestyle might affect her young son. Small wonder, then, that Blair had arrived in Cascade at the tender age of sixteen to attend Ranier University and had never seriously considered moving on.

He heard about Blair's love of anthropology and how, after he'd left Ranier University, he'd travelled through Europe and Asia before coming back to Cascade to settle. About how a chance encounter with an old flame of his mother's had led to him taking over the management of Karma. It would have impressed the hell out of him, if Jim hadn't known about all the things that Blair left out - like just who that old flame was, and the reason he'd left Ranier in the first place.

In return Jim provided an account of his travels, conveniently omitting the fact that they had been made under the auspices of the Army rather than as a freelance photographer. It was the first chance they'd had to talk much, and Jim was pleased with the results. Blair was an entertaining storyteller and an attentive listener; now if Jim could just get him to drop his guard a little, he might get some real information over the course of the weekend.

When they turned into the gateway leading to The Resort, Jim began to get an inkling of why it was known by that Spartan title. Not because it was Spartan, but because anything that exclusive didn't need to be given a name to distinguish it from other resorts. They drove through large, park-like grounds with sloping expanses of meadow and scattered groves of trees, some clearly decades old. In the distance he saw some horses and riders.

Blair grinned at him. "Beautiful, isn't it? The grounds cover close to a hundred acres. Over that way," he waved to his left, "there's a private beach and wharf. Visitors can swim, in the summer, or sunbathe or go sailing, or fishing. There's the horses you saw, and a golf course. The kitchen staff will make up these great picnics. Inside, there's a swimming pool and solarium, a gym, library. You name it."

"It's impressive." Jim kept his voice carefully casual, and Blair laughed. Then they rounded a tree-lined curve in the road and Jim saw the hotel building for the first time. "Okay, now you got me. It's beautiful."

The building was remarkable by any standard, sheer size, for one. Built out of a creamy coloured stone in a style that was both modern and classical, yet not slavishly following either fashion, it was surrounded by beautifully tended gardens, including what was either a small lake or a large pond off to the side. Everything about it spoke of wealth and elegance.

"Great, isn't it?" Blair slowed to allow a small group of men to cross in front of him. "I love coming here."

They pulled up in front of the main entrance and left the car to an attendant, who Blair greeted by name. Inside was the same air of quiet opulence. There wasn't anything so gauche as a reception desk, instead they sat in modern, comfortable armchairs until a soberly suited older man came with their keycards and room assignment.

"Graham, how are you?" Blair smiled up at him. "I didn't see you last time I was here."

"I'm well, thank you, Mr Sandburg." Graham glanced at Jim then made an unobtrusive signal to Blair, who excused himself to Jim and rose immediately.

He was back in just a few moments. "Jim, I'm sorry. The meeting's been moved forward. I was hoping to show you around first."

"Don't worry about it." Jim stood, surreptitiously stretching his back muscles a little. "I'll find my way around."

Blair grinned. "That's what I'm afraid of. Hold on a minute, will you?" He went to a phone and spoke into it briefly before coming back to Jim. "I'll take you through to the private area first, okay?"

"Sure." Jim followed the smaller man through an archway at the eastern end of the room.

Beyond it there was a discreet door which opened to Blair's keycard. Inside, they turned to the right and went through another locked door with a sign indicating it was a private, members only area. A couple of staff members in tailored black pants and white shirts smiled at Blair as they passed.

"Do they all know you here?" Jim looked down at Blair in amusement.

"Most of them." Blair flashed him a smile. "You can change through here. Your clothes will be taken up to our room."

"Change?" Jim remembered, suddenly, Blair's comment about 'clothing optional', and some of the stories he'd heard. "What goes on in this place?"

"Just about anything you can imagine." They'd entered what looked like the world's most expensive locker room, and Blair led him to a set of shelves holding neatly folded white terry bathrobes. He handed one to Jim before taking another for himself. "Here. There are also speedos available, if you're shy."

Jim took the bathrobe without comment and sat on a bench to remove his shoes. "Do you think I'm shy?"

Blair just grinned and began to undress. "I don't have a lot of time. I'll take you through and then get someone to show you around."

When they left the changing room it was by a completely different door, opening into a marble floored hallway. It certainly wasn't like any gym he'd ever been to and, as he soon found out, it wasn't a gym at all.

"It's pretty quiet right now. Since it's such a nice day most of the guests are outside." Blair smiled at another man in a matching white robe and nodded politely as they passed. At the end of the short hallway was an atrium, where men wandered around either completely naked or with their bathrobes hanging open. A few were wearing what seemed to be staff uniforms, tight black lycra shorts and matching brief crop tops.

Suddenly, Blair grinned and beckoned one of them over, a tall African with skin so dark it was hard to tell where the uniform ended. "Bayo, how are you, man?"

"I'm just fine, thank you, Blair." Bayo's voice was soft and musically accented, though with what accent, Jim had no idea. "And how are you?"

"Great. I'd like you to meet Jim. He's a friend of mine." Blair's smile encompassed them both. "Jim, this is Adebayo. Bayo for short."

"Pleased to meet you." Jim shook hands briefly.

"Bayo, can you show Jim around? I have to be in a meeting in five minutes." Blair glanced at his watch. "Damn! Make that two minutes. Look after him, will you? I'll catch up with you later."

Blair was gone before either of them had a chance to respond. Jim smiled at his newly appointed guide. "Look, you don't have to bother. I'm sure I'll manage."

"It will be my pleasure, Jim." Bayo's English was excellent, though oddly formal. "Is there anything you particularly want to see?"

"Well..." Jim rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't have any idea what there is to see, so I guess I'm in your hands."

"Ah." Bayo smiled. "Well, we could start with the gym and swimming pool, if you wish."

Jim fell into step beside the other man as they walked across the atrium. He was almost as tall as Jim and slender, with long elegant limbs and a handsome, almost sculptured face; he moved with a smooth grace that made him appear to float across the floor.

"Whereabouts do you come from, Bayo?" Jim met the dark eyes with a friendly smile. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all." The quiet voice was amused. "I come from Nigeria, originally. Now, of course, I'm American. The swimming pool is through here."

The guided tour took nearly an hour and covered a wide variety of activities. For the fitness freaks there was a swimming pool, solarium and the best-equipped gym that he'd ever seen, complete with sauna, whirlpool, masseurs and all the accessories. For the philosophically inclined there was a library and games room where scantily clad men played chess or cards; and for those who wanted to kick back and have fun there was what amounted to an X-rated entertainment centre.

Jim looked at his guide in amusement. "Porn videos?"

"Only the best, Jim. Mostly from Eastern Europe." Bayo grinned broadly. They'd formed a rapport almost immediately, and Jim found he liked the other man's dry, intelligent humour. "There are also in-house shows, if the guests are so inclined."

"Oh?" Jim perked up a little. He'd seen nothing that seemed even remotely illegal so far. Maybe there was some kind of prostitution ring running here. It wasn't what he was looking for, but if it gave the FBI an excuse to obtain a search warrant then it might lead to other discoveries. "What does that involve, exactly?"

"There are private rooms which have closed circuit television cameras." Bayo smiled wryly. "For the exhibitionists among our guests. It's surprising, really, how many of them like to do such things. They are not videotaped, however, unless they wish to have a memento for themselves."

"So the staff, like yourself, don't, uh... fraternise with the guests?"

"Oh no." Bay looked surprised. "That is strictly forbidden. Any staff member who breaks the rules would be fired immediately. We have to be very careful not to give the wrong impression."

So, no prostitution; there'd been no obvious sign of drug use either. "I see your point. I suppose you get lots of come-ons, though. You've never been tempted?" Jim waved at the large screen on which a trio of pretty young men writhed in artistic throes of passion. "I mean, working around all this..."

"I don't. I already have a boyfriend." Bayo smiled. "But some of the others come here when they're off duty. And, of course our guests aren't allowed to approach the on-duty staff in that way, or they will be asked to leave. The staff and guests are also expected to behave appropriately in public."

Jim had noticed a few of the watchers who had hidden their hands discreetly under a fold of the ubiquitous white robes, but didn't bother to comment. "And if they can't?"

"There are places where they can go to relieve any inappropriate urges they might have." Bayo lifted one elegant eyebrow in amusement. "Would you like to see?"

Jim shrugged and followed the tall slender figure down yet another hallway and into a large room. The smell of male arousal hit him as soon as Bayo opened the door. Inside a number of men were lounging in armchairs, casually jerking off and watching other, bolder souls who were lying entangled on a couple of low platforms strewn with rugs and pillows.

It set up an ache in Jim's groin just being there, and the tight lycra that Bayo wore didn't hide his companion's reaction. For a moment Jim was tempted to stay, then he thought better of it. He didn't know how long this meeting of Blair's was supposed to last, but although he doubted Blair would object to finding him here, it didn't seem like the best move he could make.

He backed out of the doorway. "I think I'll check out the gym. It's been a while since I had a decent work out."

Bayo grinned. "I'll tell Blair he can find you there when I see him. Do you want to see an instructor?"

"I think I'll manage." As they walked back towards the gym, he glanced over at the calm face of his guide. "You don't strike me as the type to work in a place like this."

"What type is that, Jim?" Bayo didn't wait for an answer. "There are many 'types' here. I am saving to attend college. Before I left Nigeria I had planned on becoming a lawyer. It is still my goal, but it is hard. I arrived here with very little."

Something about his tone piqued Jim's curiosity. "Why did you leave Nigeria?"

"I grew up in one of the northern provinces, which are predominantly Muslim." Bayo's lips thinned briefly. "I am not Muslim, you understand. We always lived in relative harmony, however when Sokoto introduced shariya - courts ruled by Islamic law - I knew I would have to leave. Under Islamic law homosexuality is punishable by death. As is adultery, for women."

"I see." Jim stared down at the floor for a moment, wondering what he could possibly say. "Is the whole country..."

"The south is not Muslim, and it is a little better there, but not a lot. I decided to leave if I could." Bayo smiled briefly. "I was lucky that Blair was able to help me find this job. It is not what I would choose, but we are well paid and the working conditions are... well... you can see for yourself. We can use any of the facilities after our shifts finish and we do not need to pay for food or rent. I have been able to save a lot of money is a remarkably short space of time."

Jim smiled. It was impossible not to like this young man. "So you'll be leaving for college next semester?"

"Yes. I hope so." Bayo indicated the entrance to the gym. "Here you are. I hope you enjoy your stay, Jim."

He laughed at the time-honoured phrase, but it seemed genuine when Bayo said it. "Thanks. Maybe I'll see you later."

Bayo merely smiled before turning away.

After a vigorous work out, and a long soak in the whirlpool, Jim was more than just a little hungry. True, he'd had a late start to the day, but it was now well past mid-afternoon, and he hadn't eaten since ten-thirty. He was about to head for the showers, and was wondering whether he was likely to encounter a free-for-all orgy there, when a small, slender blond in staff uniform approached him with an appraising smile.

"Hi. Are you Jim?" He spoke with a flat Mid-Western accent that reminded Jim how few of the staff he'd met were American-born.

"That's right." He eyed the young man appreciatively. Where the black lycra had complemented Bayo's bitter chocolate skin tone, on this golden youth, it contrasted beautifully with his well-kept tan.

"I'm Mark." A wide smile acknowledged Jim's interest. "Blair asked me to tell you that he'll be finished soon. I can show you to your room if you like."

The shower could wait, he decided. He could always shower in the room, if Blair wasn't due to arrive for a while. Shrugging on the robe and tying it firmly around his middle, he followed Mark back into the regular part of the hotel.

Their room was on the fourth floor and was decidedly spacious. Obviously, Blair was a valued employee - or perhaps all the rooms were at least this pleasant. He picked at the basket of assorted fruit that stood on the end table in the entrance to the room and munched idly on some grapes as he wandered into the bathroom. It contained a Jacuzzi as well as a shower, but he opted for the shower. Maybe later he could share the Jacuzzi with Blair.

Jim took his time in the shower. If Blair came back and found him in there, it could only be a good thing... but he'd finished and was just pulling on a shirt over his still unzipped jeans when Blair walked in. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit, with a white shirt that might be silk, and a garnet red tie. It certainly wasn't the kind of clothing Jim had ever expected to see him wear, but he looked incredible in this outfit with his hair loose around his face.

Blair grinned at his obvious surprise. "I keep a suit here, and some shirts. Sometimes, you've just gotta impress the boss."

"Well, you've impressed me." Jim gathered his wits enough to walk over and wrap his arms around Blair. The soft tickle of cloth against his bare chest was unexpectedly sensuous. "Got any plans for the evening?"

"Getting out of these clothes for a start." Blair laughed throatily. "Care to give me a hand?"

After working off some of his accumulated arousal with Blair's willing assistance Jim relaxed in the Jacuzzi with his lover, eating a light meal from the room service menu and drinking champagne. Then they retired to the bed again to watch the Jags lose to the Sharks by eight points. The game had just finished when there was a knock on the door.

Blair called out for the visitor to enter and grinned at Jim. "I hope you like a good massage."

"Who doesn't?" Jim nodded politely to the two men who entered. They were wearing the tight lycra 'uniforms' and carrying a small basket of massage oils and hand towels.

"Javier and Mike - this is Jim." Blair seemed to know everyone here by name. "Man, I am so looking forward to this."

Indeed, he was already moving, stretching out full length on the bed, face down and lying with his head at the foot of the bed. Jim copied him and after a few moments of preparation, the massage began.

Javier was good - very good. From Blair's quiet groans of enjoyment, so was Mike, but that was hardly surprising. Everything about The Resort was absolutely top class. Jim relaxed under Javier's skilled attentions once he realised that the young masseur wasn't going to put unnecessary stress on his back, which sometimes played up these days. He'd taken a few too many knocks in the past and his body was beginning to reflect that fact.

By the time Javier had worked his way from Jim's shoulders, down over his back and buttocks to his feet, Jim was completely limp and his cock was aching pleasantly. A light tap on his arm and a murmur from the masseur told Jim it was time to roll over. He did so, and glanced over towards Blair, who was lying with his eyes closed in bliss, his cock also half-hard.

Jim sighed and closed his eyes likewise, letting himself drift in a sensual fog as Javier got to work on his chest and arms. Maybe he dozed a little, because it seemed too soon when the sensations stopped. He opened his eyes with his head still turned towards Blair. Mike, too, had finished, and was bent over Blair, kissing his parted lips while one long finger circled Blair's nipple.

As he watched, Blair groaned softly, his cock lifting from his belly, and reached up to cradle Mike's head between his hands. Jim looked up to see Javier waiting, watching for a sign, he supposed, that Jim wanted the same attentions.

For the space of a couple of heartbeats, Jim was tempted to give that sign, but an ache in his belly that had nothing to do with arousal prevented him. He smiled up at the young Latino. "Thanks. I don't need anything more."

Javier smiled lopsidedly and looked disappointed, but gathered up the debris of crumpled, oily towels and bottles of lotions and oils and headed for the door.

If Blair had noticed, he wasn't showing any sign of it. Mike was bent half over him, his tongue swirling industriously around Blair's navel and Blair had pushed down the lycra shorts to reveal a swollen, empurpled cockhead gleaming with pre-cum. As Jim watched, he licked away a trembling drop of moisture and closed his lips around the crown.

Without thinking, Jim reached out and caught hold of Mike's arm, grasping it gently, but firmly enough to wrest the young man's attention away from Blair. "You can go too."

There was a stunned pause. Then Mike straightened, looking down at Blair for confirmation.

Whatever Blair was thinking didn't show on his face. He smiled slightly and nodded. "Some other time, Mike."

Not a word was spoken as Mike adjusted his shorts and left the room. Then Blair almost bounced off the bed, his face flushed and now unmistakably angry. "Who the hell do you think you are, Jim? You do not decide who I have sex with. Not ever. Do you understand?"

Jim sat up and swung his legs off the edge of the bed but didn't try to approach him. "Blair, I..."

"You think because I brought you here that gives you some kind of right over me? Is that what you think?" Blair whirled to face him. "Man, I can't believe this!"

"No, of course not. I didn't..." Jim's anger rose in response to the fury in Blair's voice. "Anyway, what happened to the non-fraternisation rule Bayo told me about? As far as I'm concerned this is just one short step away from prostitution."

The effect of his words was rather like throwing gasoline on a fire. Blair's eyes blazed. "No it is not! I'm a co-worker, not a guest, and Javier and Mike had just finished their shifts. They came here as a favour to me, okay? Oh man, this is so not what I need right now." Blair flung the bathroom door open and went inside, slamming it behind him. A moment later he emerged again, still muttering furiously. He stopped and glared at Jim. "Did I ever say anything about being exclusive? Did I?"

"Blair, I'm sorry." Jim realised that trying to talk Blair down was pointless. He stood up, grabbed Blair's shoulders and kissed him into silence. "Now, can I say something?"

Smouldering blue eyes focused on his face. "What?"

He ignored the sulky tone and tried to sound reasonable. "I know we're not exclusive. God, you've made that clear enough. I'm not asking you to be exclusive, either." He released the tense shoulders and stepped back a pace, running his hand over his hair. "It's just... I don't have a lot of time. In a week, or two, or a month I'll have another commission and I'll be gone. I certainly don't expect you to be waiting when I come back, okay?"

Blair nodded jerkily, still angry but starting to calm down. "Good."

"It's just... when we're together, I'd like us to be together. Just us, nobody else." Jim shrugged as casually as possible. He was never going to get any information out of Blair if there was always someone else present. That he wanted to be alone with Blair was just a fortunate coincidence. "I want to make the most of being with you. When I'm not around you can fuck everybody in the nightclub if you want to. I'm just asking you, when you're with me, just be with me. Okay?"

"Jim... goddammit..." Blair's face softened and he took a step forward. "Yes. Okay? I'll do it." He didn't get a chance to say anything more as Jim grabbed him into a fierce hug and kissed him into breathlessness.

After a leisurely breakfast, Blair once again left Jim to his own devices for most of the day, and since he'd had no success at finding any sign of illegal activities in the private areas of The Resort, then he'd just have to try something else. He started with a thorough survey of the grounds and the outbuildings. By midday he was no closer to finding anything that would put Madison behind bars or get Wilder and the Feds off his back.

When they met for lunch, Blair seemed a little flustered, but Jim refrained from asking any awkward questions. The memory of the fight they'd had the previous night was making him cautious, and Blair had never been particularly forthcoming at the best of times.

The meal was delicious enough to deserve all Jim's attention and he ate in near silence, aware that his companion was watching him surreptitiously. But of all the reasons he could have imagined for Blair's behaviour, he could never have expected the real one.

"You want what?" Jim didn't know whether to be delighted or terrified.

"To introduce you to my boss." Blair wiped his lips with the napkin. "Well, actually, he wants to meet you." A tiny grin tugged at the corners of his sensuous mouth. "He says he wants to meet the person who's got me so distracted."

"Distracted?" Jim smiled. "Are you?"

"Every time I sit down, man." Blair laughed, obviously relieved the invitation was out in the open. "So, is that okay with you?"

"I don't know." Jim stalled, trying to decide what the hell was going on. It had to be Madison who was asking, and any chance to get close to his target was an opportunity he ought to jump at. But it was all too neat, and Jim wondered whether his cover had been blown. "Does he usually check out your lovers? He's not jealous is he?"

"Oh, Jim! No man, please... he's old enough to be my father." Blair grinned unselfconsciously. "Besides, he used to date my mom when I was a kid. It would practically be incest."

"Well, as long as he's not going to ask me whether my intentions are honourable..."

"I promise." Blair tossed aside his napkin and stood. "It won't take long."

Robert Madison turned out to be extremely charming. It was clear that he and Blair were relaxed in each other's company, if not exactly out-and-out friends. He questioned Jim politely about his supposed line of work, asking where examples of his work could be found.

It wasn't the first time Jim had needed to deflect such questions and he had his answer ready. "I'm afraid I'm not in the same league as Ansell Adams. My photos usually appear in travel brochures and magazines." He shrugged deprecatingly. "It's a living."

"I see." Madison's eyes showed his amusement. "Well, I've never yet met a photographer who didn't have a portfolio ready for an unexpected opportunity. Why don't you give it to Blair to pass on to me? If I like what I see, there's some people I know who are always on the lookout for new talent."

"Thanks." Jim injected just the right note of enthusiasm into his voice. "I'll do that."

"My pleasure." A staff member, dressed in the traditional white shirt and black pants, came over and Madison excused himself.

"Jim, this is great!" Blair clapped Jim on the arm. "If Robert shows your portfolio to his friends you're made. He's pretty choosy though. You want to give him the best you've got."

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I'm good enough." Jim glanced over at Madison and the messenger, wishing he could hear them. "It pays to know your limitations."

Blair nodded understandingly. "Well, it can't hurt to give him your portfolio."

"No." Jim brought his attention back to Blair. "Did you know he was going to do that?"

"Well..." Blair grinned. "I kinda hoped he might. He likes to help people."

Madison was on his way back, and Jim refrained from making any of the smart-ass comments that rose automatically to his lips.

"Blair. We still have a lot to get through." Madison smiled apologetically at Jim. "We'll start again in five, okay?"

"Sure. Jim?" Blair took Jim's arm and led him to the door of the suite he and Madison were using. Madison was heading into another room, where Jim could see a large table and several chairs. The presence of a jug of water and several glasses indicated that more people than just Madison and Blair were meeting there. Now if only he could find out who the others were...

Outside in the hallway Blair slid his arms around Jim's neck and kissed him slowly. "Do you need to be back in Cascade tonight?"

"No. Why?" Jim returned the kiss, ignoring a waiter who was wheeling a small gurney with coffee, cups and more water into the suite.

"I thought we could stay another night." Blair smiled enticingly. "We probably won't finish here till six or seven, and it's usually quiet on Sunday nights. If you want to, we could use the sauna and the spa. Have another massage. Relax." His voice dropped to a sexy murmur. "Make out."

Another night might give him the chance to find out something useful. Or not. With Blair pressed up against him, it was hard to care about anything else. Jim grinned. "How can I resist?"

Sleeping with Blair was like having a human radiator wrapped up in a delightfully hairy package lying beside him. Jim smiled, even before he was fully awake. Blair's head was lying on his shoulder and Blair's thigh was lying possessively across his own. An arm was flung carelessly across Jim's chest, the fingers lying relaxed against his ribs.

Jim was feeling better than he remembered feeling in a long time and the reason wasn't the relaxing weekend, or the comfortable bed, or even the sex. It was Blair. That ought to worry him far more than it actually did; he was too comfortable right now to think about it much.

A few moments later Blair stirred reluctantly, muttering under his breath. Jim took hold of a thick hank of hair and tugged it teasingly. "Morning, sunshine."

"Mmm..." Blair lifted his head, his eyes still half closed, lips parted for a kiss. "Morning."

Even morning breath didn't seem so bad when it was Blair's morning breath. Jim sucked gently on the tongue that infiltrated his mouth and buried his fingers deep in Blair's tangled mane to hold him close. They were both drowsy, content to kiss and pet each other lazily, and it was still early enough that they didn't need to think about getting ready to leave.

He rolled on his side to face Blair, his fingers straying over the sleek skin of Blair's back and down to rest briefly on his hip. They'd all but worn each other out last night, and it came as no surprise when he found Blair's cock still soft. Regardless, it felt good in his fingers as he stroked the swollen shaft carefully.

"Oh, yeah..." Blair drew back long enough to grin at Jim, then took Jim's stirring cock into a gentle grip. "Yeah, that's good."

Jim smiled his agreement and leaned in to kiss Blair again, closing his eyes, content with this simple, intimate exchange. Blair's lips felt soft and pliant against his own, the kisses as delicate as any he'd ever shared with a woman. For long moments he was adrift in sensation, drinking pure pleasure from Blair's mouth. He couldn't remember ever having felt such closeness with a man. Sex with men was about hunger and desire; at least in his experience it always had been.

When he eventually opened his eyes, Jim wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him. Blair's eyes were closed, his lashes lying lightly against flushed cheeks, and a tiny smile curved the corners of his mouth upwards. He seemed to be completely under the spell of their kisses, happily oblivious to the world around him. Yet some awareness must have remained; as Jim sucked gently on Blair's lower lip, the blue eyes opened and stared gravely into his. They drew apart, only a fraction of an inch, then Blair blinked and smiled sweetly.

"Oh God... Blair..." It felt as though something had torn loose inside him. Jim closed the tiny gap between them and took tender possession of Blair's mouth.

"Yeah... oh, yeah..." Blair moaned softly against Jim's lips. "You're so good..."

With a breathless laugh, Jim abandoned Blair's mouth and kissed his way down over the stubbled jaw to Blair's throat. He smiled at the vibrations Blair's moans made against his lips and sucked gently on his Adam's Apple. The skin was tangy with sweat and rough with unshaven whiskers; it felt wonderful.

"Jim? Jim, please..." Blair's body shifted impatiently, his sturdy thighs shifting, and belly muscles flexing restlessly. When Jim moved his hand from Blair's cock and began to cautiously massage his balls, a long shudder ran through the compact body. "That's it... oh, God..."

"You're so beautiful, Chief." Jim looked down at his rapt lover for a few moments then lowered his head to suck delicately at one nut brown nipple. He teased the tender flesh to a hard point and flicked his tongue across it a few times, just for the pleasure of hearing Blair's rich groan.

Blair's breath was coming in short gasps, his chest rising and falling sharply. Jim sucked again, parting his lips widely to take in the soft skin surrounding the dark circle of Blair's nipple. It felt different against his lips, partly due to the texture of the wiry hairs around the nipple, partly, Jim realised after a moment, because of the hammering of Blair's heart against his mouth.

The unexpected flash of recognition literally took his breath away. This was truly the elemental core of Blair, this taste and this texture combined with the quick, hard beat of his heart. This was Blair. Jim moaned and pressed his face into the lush, sweaty chest hair, plastering himself full length against Blair's body as though his life somehow depended on the contact.

"Hey, man, take it easy." Blair ruffled Jim's hair a little. "We've got plenty of time. Relax."

But relaxing was the last thing on Jim's mind. He rolled onto his back, pulling Blair on top of him and stared up into Blair's sultry blue eyes. "I want you. I want you now."

"I'm not gonna argue, big guy." Blair grinned lecherously. "How do you want me?"

A soft, frustrated growl was all the vocalisation Jim could manage. He lunged upwards to capture that smiling mouth with his own and took possession of it, kissing Blair so hard they were both left breathless. His hands moved over Blair's body, coming to rest on sturdy hips and guiding them into a smooth rocking motion.

Blair raised his head, smiling down at Jim with lazy satisfaction before easing down again to suck at one of Jim's most sensitive spots, just below his jaw line. It felt so good that soon Jim was twisting restlessly beneath his lover, silently demanding more, and that wasn't the kind of invitation that Blair could ignore for long. His lips trailed down Jim's throat and chest, detouring to tease at almost painfully sensitive nipples, but never distracted from their route for very long. Jim's impatient need was infecting Blair too.

It seemed to take forever, but the moment Blair's lips touched his cock, Jim forgot everything else. He groaned in heartfelt approval as Blair's tongue stroked lasciviously along the thick vein on the underside of his cock. Hot breath scored his skin as Blair laughed breathlessly, then Jim's cock was enveloped in that same searing heat.

He wanted desperately to grab Blair's head and fuck his mouth with complete abandon, but there was something magical about the way that Blair had brought him to this peak of pleasure that demanded his self-restraint. Before he could lose control, Blair's lips tightened around his cock in one last, deliriously long, suck that seemed to draw the orgasm out of Jim. He groaned and lay shuddering for long moments after.

When Jim was able to focus his eyes again, Blair was still crouched between his thighs, watching him with an expression that Jim couldn't interpret. He smiled down at Jim and leaned forward, stretching out atop him with sensual grace. His cock lay hot and insistent against Jim's belly, a reminder that there was plenty more to come.

The soft fall of Blair's curls tickled Jim's cheeks, as delicate a touch as the kiss that Blair brushed against his lips. Jim opened his mouth willingly to Blair's sweet invasion, losing himself in the give and take of their kiss. Blair's hand moved over his spent cock, shifting lower, teasing behind his balls and then shifting to caress Jim's asshole. Jim groaned helplessly, wanting this more that he could ever hope to say aloud.

"Yeah?" Blair's voice was a soft, breathy whisper. "You want me, Jim?"

A moan was all Jim was capable of as Blair's fingertip breached him with practised ease. His body closed up tight with need and he sobbed with frustration. But Blair was already reaching for the small bowl on the nightstand, which held a supply of condoms and lube.

"Hold on, man. It's gonna be just fine." Blair dealt with the necessities in what must have been record time, and was back on top of Jim. "I want you so much."

The feeling was entirely mutual, and Jim was pretty certain that, even if he wasn't able to articulate it, Blair was aware of how much Jim needed him right now. He bracketed Blair's hips with his hands, stroking and guiding his lover into position, and was rewarded with the blunt pressure of Blair's cock against his opening.

Every muscle in his body went into shock. God knew, he'd done this often enough in the past; he'd even done it with Blair a few times, but this was different. He wanted Blair inside him with a fierce need that frightened him, and his body simply wouldn't cooperate. Blair growled softly in bafflement as his cock was denied entry.

"Jim?" Blair was shaking almost as much as he was. "Something wrong?"

"No." Jim closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Yes. I want... I just can't..." he beat his fist against the yielding mattress. "God dammit, I just can't relax enough." It ought to be automatic, instinctive, but somehow his instincts had deserted him and he couldn't control his reactions at all. "I'm sorry."

"No sweat." Blair drew back a little, his hand moved to Jim's cock, caressing easily. "Take a breather, okay?"

He lowered his head to Jim's shoulder and breathed softly on his skin. It sent shivers through Jim's body and a renewed stirring of arousal. Jim sighed and allowed his hands to wander randomly over Blair's body, not deliberately trying to arouse him, but simply giving him pleasure. Soft murmurs indicated that Blair was enjoying these attentions and Jim gradually relaxed.

"So good..." Blair rubbed his face against Jim's chest and bit delicately at one nipple. "God, you're so..."

Pleasure that was more than simply physical flowed through Jim's veins like warm, thick honey. He stirred restlessly, his hips rising to nudge Blair's erection, and his hands returned once more to Blair's hips. But when Blair groaned and attempted to enter him again, the result was no better than before.

Blair drew back, frustration and concern mingled on his face. Jim tightened his grasp. "Do it anyway."

"Are you...?" At Jim's growl, he blinked and smiled nervously. "Okay."

Jim closed his eyes, tipping his head back on the pillow and willed his body to respond while trying to dissipate the irritation he felt at its lack of cooperation. The pressure against his asshole increased to the point of discomfort. He breathed slowly, deeply, trying to establish a rhythm that would soothe his unaccustomed nervousness.

The humid touch of lips against his throat distracted Jim for a moment. Long enough for Blair's cockhead to slide past the sphincter muscle, then he tightened up even more. Blair shuddered, his moan sending delicious vibrations through Jim's neck and chest. It took a moment to realise that the vibrations were actual words. He concentrated, thrusting the physical sensations to the back of his awareness.

"...want you... so good..." Blair shifted his head slightly and licked up along the taut line of tendon to just below Jim's right ear. "Open for me, baby..." he sucked Jim's earlobe for a moment and when he spoke again his words were much clearer, intended to be heard. "It's okay for you to want this, Jim. Open for me."

The soft-voiced command worked where all his own attempts had failed. Jim felt his body respond, felt Blair's cock slide easily into him.

"Oh yeah... this is beautiful..." Blair lifted his head long enough to smile seraphically. "Can you feel it?"

Jim's failure to reply didn't seem to bother Blair; he lowered his head again to nibble delicately at Jim's collarbone, his body relaxing against Jim's. The slow, steady thrusts continued to build the pleasure inside him until his body ached with need. His skin, slippery with sweat and pre-cum, moved easily against Blair's. Every sensation built to the point that Jim felt like he was floating, free of any physical constraints. It was better than any drug he'd ever used.

"Blair..." heat bloomed deep inside him, flowed through his veins and crept over his skin until it consumed them both. He felt the moment that it engulfed Blair, sealing them together in a union more real than anything he'd ever experienced with any other person, man or woman. When the epiphany ended, he could still hear the echoes of his lover's cry.

Blair lay atop him, limp and heavy. Jim could hear the harsh rasp of his breathing, along with the trickle of sweat running down his sides. It was both reassuring and frightening to realise that their lovemaking had been no less intense for Blair than it had for him.

"Oh, man..." Blair lifted his head and scowled blearily. "Damn these condoms." He reached down between their bodies and slipped free of Jim's ass, tending to the prosaic aftermath of sex. He dropped the tied-off rubber into a nest of used tissues and turned back to lie beside Jim with a groan. "That was..."

Jim silenced him with a kiss and Blair readily acquiesced, returning kiss for kiss until Jim's lips were aching. He drew Blair's head down into his chest and toyed with the tangle of curls that fanned out across his lover's shoulders. Blair murmured pleasurably and snuggled closer, his fingers stroking whatever bit of Jim they could find. Little sighs of contentment escaped them both from time to time.

Eventually, Blair lifted his head to stare at Jim. He touched Jim's cheek lightly with his fingertips and smiled wonderingly. "You are so..." his eyes widened suddenly and his face went stiff with shock. "No. Oh, no."

The abrupt change in his lover's expression startled the drowsy pleasure out of Jim's veins. "What is it?"

But Blair was already moving, flinging himself off the bed. He threw a nervous look back towards Jim and began to pace, muttering to himself. Jim had to make an effort to catch the words and when he did they made no sense.

"...not supposed to happen... oh God..." Blair stopped with a shudder as Jim reached him. "Man, I can't believe this. This is so not..."

"What is it, Blair?" Jim caught hold of the younger man's arms and drew him closer. "What's not supposed to happen?"

Blair stared up at him with shocked, frightened eyes and didn't answer. He didn't need to. Jim knew what that look meant; knew because somewhere deep inside him, he felt the same thing. That terrifying realisation that another person had somehow become as necessary to him as the air he breathed. Jim pulled Blair against his chest and wrapped his arms around him. "It's all right. Shh. It's all right."

Jim backed towards the bed, still holding Blair and murmuring reassurances. He dropped them both onto the mattress in a tumbled heap and did his best to wrap himself around his lover. "Blair..."

"You don't understand." Blair mumbled into Jim's chest. "I can't..."

"Blair, it's all right. We both know this can't last." Jim's voice trembled suddenly. "I'll be leaving before too long. You'll stay in Cascade. It'll all blow over."

"What if I don't want..."

"We don't exactly have a choice here." Jim fought down the misery that threatened to overwhelm him. "Let's just enjoy whatever time we have, okay?"

There was a long silence during which neither of them seemed to breathe. Then Blair's head moved against his chest in reluctant assent. "Okay."

If there was a definition of heartbreak, it surely must be what he was feeling right now. Jim tilted Blair's head up until their eyes met and kissed the soft, trembling lips until nothing else seemed real.

The journey back to Cascade passed in a sombre silence. Jim leaned back in his seat, his eyes closed, while Blair concentrated on the road. Not even the clear skies or unseasonably warm weather could lift his spirits as he wondered how he could have allowed himself to become emotionally involved with a man who was almost certainly involved in something criminal. His ex-wife had accused him of self-destructive behaviour, and she'd been right, though he hadn't appreciated her pointing it out to him at the time. It looked like nothing much had changed in the intervening years.

When Blair finally drew up by the sidewalk in front of Karma, Jim lost no time in pulling his bag out from behind his seat. He hesitated then, unsure of how to play this. He needed to keep his contact with Sandburg alive, even though all his instincts were telling him to run like hell.

"I guess this is where you say thank you and then we never see each other again, huh?" Blair looked at him unsmilingly. "At least it was fun while it lasted."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not for a week or two, anyway." Jim rubbed his free hand over his head, his mind racing. "I meant what I said, Blair. But I think maybe we should take a breather - I'll see you tomorrow night. Okay?"

"Tomorrow?" Blair looked unconvinced. "If you say so."

"Yeah. I do say so." Jim leaned across the width of the convertible and kissed Blair lingeringly on the mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

Blair nodded indifferently, but he smiled a little. "Okay. Tuesday night." He drove off without a backward look.

Shit. Jim walked back to his apartment in a state of grim distraction. He'd have to report in today, and he had almost nothing. Between his boss and Blair, this assignment was turning out to be a disaster in the making.

"What do you mean you've got no evidence?" Wilder was almost purple with anger. "Dammit, Ellison, you had the whole weekend..."

"I thought you said he was the best man for this job." Cooper interrupted what promised to be a long tirade, his tone one of quiet irritation. Jim had never heard him raise his voice yet, but it cut across Wilder's bluster like an icy knife. He didn't even look in Jim's direction.

"He used to be." Wilder spoke more moderately, but no less angrily. "Looks like he's really gone native this time. Did you spend the whole two days in bed, Ellison?"

The tone was even more insulting than the words. Jim was on his feet, facing off against the older man, before he was aware of having moved. It took every ounce of self-restraint to stop himself planting a punch dead centre in the flushed face before him.

Wilder didn't flinch. Hell, he was probably hoping to provoke Jim into an action that would give him all the excuse he needed to destroy Jim's career once and for all. Jim dragged a quick breath between clenched teeth and stepped back, his fists opening reluctantly.

"I said I had no evidence. Madison's too careful." Jim turned to the two FBI agents, ignoring his boss. "But I'm convinced there's something going on. And it looks like Sandburg's involved all right."

Cooper studied him for a long moment. "I don't need you to tell me that. We're no further ahead now than we were last week."

"There's something I noticed - both at the nightclub and Madison's resort. Well over half the staff members are immigrants. Mostly East European and Asian, but some Africans and Arabs as well." Jim forced back the memories of Bayo's friendly smile, the night he and Blair had shared with Mikail, Javier's massaging hands. He didn't want any of them to be hurt, but this information was the only lead he had. "Sandburg seems to know them all, he's helped at least some of them; maybe he helped them into the country as well."

Agents Cooper and Lyall exchanged glances. Cooper nodded. "It could tie in. We'll check out their immigration records."

It was a dismissal, and Jim had no desire to stay any longer. He headed for the door, ignoring Wilder completely, as the other two men had. "I'll be seeing Sandburg again tomorrow night. Anything you want me to ask him?"

It was a smart-ass comment, intended to irritate, and he didn't expect an answer, but Cooper frowned. "I think you'd better stay away from him. It doesn't seem likely that you'll get any useful information now. Thanks for your co-operation."

So he was being thrown off the investigation without even the courtesy of being in on the endgame. Jim ignored Wilder's smirk, and the two agents' indifference, and shrugged. "Sure. I'll be around if you need me."

An afternoon spent typing up his report and cleaning out some of his overdue paperwork left Jim feeling restless and even more fed up with his life than usual. True, he hadn't exactly cracked the case, but to be left out of any further investigation made it all too clear that he'd been wanted for only one thing - to screw Blair Sandburg. In every sense of the word.

Jim knew he was a good detective, but time and again Wilder had done this to him - used him to get information on a situation in the gay community, then dropped him from any further involvement in whatever case was brewing. Jim didn't know if it was him, personally, that Wilder hated, or if it was just plain old-fashioned homophobia, but he'd had just about all he could stand of it.

By mid-afternoon he'd got to the point where it was impossible to concentrate on his work. Jim knew he was likely to be stuck at his desk for at least a few more days, until the investigation against Sandburg was over. The Feds wouldn't want to risk any chance encounter with Sandburg or his friends ruining their case. Just the thought of being stuck in this room was making him mildly claustrophobic.

The only good thing to come out of his presence here today was the news that another opening had come up in Major Crime. Maybe this time Wilder would be glad of the chance to get rid of him. But whatever Wilder's reaction might be, this time Jim was determined to get out of Vice before his career went completely down the toilet. He spent the last half-hour typing up his resume; and printing it out to forward on to Captain Banks along with his application.

Suddenly the luck seemed to be running his way, for a change. He'd no sooner sent off his application via the internal mail service than he saw Banks walking down the corridor towards him, chewing on one of those notorious cigars that he wasn't allowed to smoke anywhere inside the building. Maybe, just maybe, if he could actually talk to Banks before Wilder found out about his application, he might stand a chance.

The decision made, Jim gathered up all his nerve and stepped in front of the tall black man, bringing him to an abrupt halt. "Sir, if I might have a word with you?"

Before he could introduce himself, Banks frowned and removed the cigar from his mouth. "Ellison, isn't it? Vice?"

"That's right, Sir. I heard there was an opening in Major Crime, and..."

"Well, put in your application. It'll be considered along with all the others." Bank's nasal voice was dismissive and he looked ready to step around Jim and continue on his way.

"Sir, if I could just speak with you privately." Jim spoke quietly, all too aware of the other people in the corridor and the interest that some of them were obviously taking in him and Banks. Banks' face remained impassive, but he didn't move on. Jim realised that this was the only chance he might have. "The last time I applied, I wasn't even interviewed. I'm a good detective. My record shows..."

A derisive sound escaped Banks. "Your record shows you've been damned lucky, Ellison. I'm not going to beat around the bush here - I don't want you on my team."

"But..." Jim swallowed and caught at the bigger man's arm as he made to pass him. "Sir, I... if it's because of... of the rumours... Sir, I'm not gay. I don't even want those undercover assignments, but Captain Wilder..."

"I don't care if you're gay." Banks deep voice was, if anything, even more scornful than before. "I've had gay detectives working under me in the past. It's you I don't want." He poked Jim in the chest with a forefinger only slightly less solid than the thick cigar he held. "You're a loose cannon, Ellison. Do you think I haven't heard all the stories? You need to work out what you want to be and then get on with it. Or if you can't, then learn to leave it at home. You can't do your job carrying around all this crap. One day you're going to lose it badly, and it's not going to happen in my division, you hear me?"

Somehow Jim had his back up against the wall, with Banks looming over him. The older man was both taller and heavier than Jim - not something he was particularly used to - and for a moment Jim was almost panicked enough to lash out. He controlled the impulse with difficulty and saw that Banks was aware of it. Without another word, Banks turned away and Jim was left facing the stares of the half dozen officers and clerical staff who'd witnessed the exchange. Heat flared into his cheeks and he walked hurriedly in the opposite direction to Banks without even knowing where it would take him.

A restless night's sleep did little to improve Jim's mood the next day, and he lay in bed long after the alarm had gone off wondering whether there was any point at all in going in to work today. Eventually, the prospect of spending a day in bed contemplating the ruins of his life became even less attractive than facing the knowledge that everybody in the Cascade PD would know about his confrontation with Banks by now and that all sorts of rumours would be flying about it.

It was mid-morning by the time he got to his desk and Jim sat for a while sorting through various files without actually achieving anything other than appearing to be working. Every once in a while he'd catch a knowing look, or a smirk from one of his fellow officers, but he ignored them completely, realising that to react to them would only make things worse than they already were.

By one o'clock he was thinking about lunch and wondering how much time he could get away with. Maybe try to get hold of Ryan - though what good it would do to hash out all his problems with someone who neither liked nor trusted cops, Jim didn't know. He'd already pushed back his chair and was reaching for his jacket when he heard Blair Sandburg's voice in the corridor outside Vice.

It wasn't likely that the Feds had enough evidence already to be able to hold Blair for very long. Jim moved hurriedly to a corner of the room where Blair wouldn't see him through the partially frosted glass walls looking onto the corridor. From there he watched as the two FBI agents and a couple of uniformed police escorted Blair in the direction of the interview rooms.

Jim shrugged on his jacket. It had been made perfectly clear to him that he was no longer involved in the case, and Blair probably deserved everything that was coming to him. He thrust aside memories of Blair's face wild with passion, or lighting up with pleasure and laughter as they talked. Whatever he felt for Blair, Jim knew there was nothing he could do to help him.

And yet, when he saw one of the uniformed officers heading towards him, Jim put out a hand to stop him. "Is Sandburg under arrest?"

"Nope." The cop - Andersen, he thought - grinned. "He's 'helping with inquiries'. I thought you were off this case?"

So even the uniforms knew about it. Jim swallowed the bitterness and shrugged. "Just curious. Is he talking?"

"Not that I could tell." Andersen gestured back towards the interview room. "I don't think he likes those guys too much."

"Who does?" Jim smiled grimly. "I might watch the show for a while."

Andersen just grinned and went on his way as Jim slipped into the observation room. Wilder was in there, but Jim ignored him. If Wilder wanted him out, he'd have an argument on his hands - a loud argument that Blair Sandburg wouldn't be able to help overhearing - and there was still a chance that Jim might be needed again.

The Feds were getting nowhere. It quickly became apparent that Blair had come to the station only because the Feds had threatened to investigate his staff; even so, Blair was stonewalling rather than co-operating with them. By the time Jim had heard the same non-committal answers to the same deliberately vague, probing questions, he'd lost what little patience remained to him.

"This is crap." He glared at Wilder. "They're not going to get anything out of him."

"And you could, I suppose?" The heavy sarcasm of Wilder's voice was strangely calming. He'd expected nothing else.

"Yes. Give me five minutes with him, okay?" He didn't wait for the refusal he knew was coming, but left the room. A moment later he'd thrown open the door to Interview Room One and stalked in.

"Jim?" Blair was on his feet suddenly, his face showing concern and surprise. "What are you... oh."

He recovered fast, Jim had to give him that. There was only the most fleeting glimpse of shocked hurt before Blair's face settled into an expression of quietly contained anger. The two Federal agents were less controlled as they turned to him.

"Detective Ellison, you're no longer a part of this inquiry." Agent Cooper spoke dismissively, no longer trying to hide his dislike of Jim.

"I know Sandburg. You won't get anything out of him this way." Jim stared the other man down. "Let me talk to him."

"Sir." Lyall leaned in to speak quietly to Cooper and the older man nodded in agreement.

"All right." Cooper led the way to the door, brushing past Jim. "You've got ten minutes."

Blair was still standing, staring at Jim with his arms crossed over his chest. "You think you know me? You are so wrong, man."

"I know some things." Jim shrugged. "Sit down."

"Thanks. I'll stand." Blair leaned back against the wall. "In fact I think I'd like to lea..." he didn't get any further as Jim clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't force them to charge you. Give me those ten minutes. They don't like me any more than you do, so I guess it's the least you can do." He released Blair and stepped away.

"You're wrong, man. I can give you a lot less than that." Still, Blair didn't repeat his interrupted request.

"What did they tell you? Something about illegal aliens?" He saw by Blair's reaction that he was right on the money. "Did you help them get into the country?"

"Detective Ellison, are you asking me to incriminate myself." Blair smiled angrily. "Shouldn't you be reading me my rights?"

"You're not under arrest. You know that." Jim put a hand on his shoulder as Blair stirred. If he tried to walk out, Sandburg would be arrested. "It can easily change, though. You're not stupid, Blair. You must know that's not what this is all about."

"Only my friends get to call me Blair." The glare Blair turned on Jim was equal to anything Wilder had ever managed. He blinked and took a deep breath. "All right, why don't you tell me what it is about?"

"Madison." Jim growled the name. "He's bad news, Blair. You're in more trouble than you can possibly imagine, and Madison won't lift a finger to help you."

"Robert? Come on, man, he's an old friend of my mother's and he's my boss." Blair seemed genuinely puzzled. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"Drugs, prostitution, gambling. You name it, and Madison's involved." Jim grabbed Blair's shoulders, wanting to shake some sense into him as Blair simply shook his head smiling.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Blair's smiled turned to a scowl. "Can you even give me one good reason why I should believe anything you say? What have you ever done but lie to me?"

Jim's hands tightened and he leaned forward, grinding his lips against Blair's for a moment before softening the kiss into something infinitely more tender. He could feel Blair's resistance, then it was gone. The lips beneath his softened, parted, and he slipped his tongue into Blair's mouth with a sub-vocal groan. When he drew back, Blair's pupils were dilated, his breathing rapid.

"Was that a lie?" His whisper would be inaudible to the tapes that were certainly recording their conversation. The Feds, and Wilder, would be watching them both, but he didn't care. "Let me help you."

"I can't..." Blair gulped for breath. "Jim, I can't just... there are other people who'll get hurt."

It was the first crack in his armour, but Jim felt only misery and fear. He'd known all along it would end like this, but to be a part of it was more painful than he'd ever imagined it would be. He moved away from Blair and the other man fumbled for his chair and sank into it, dropping his head into his hands. Jim sat opposite him and waited; he had a pretty good idea what it was the Feds were after. If he could only get Blair to tell him everything, maybe they could both survive this.

"We only want Madison. If you tell us everything, maybe you can cut a deal. But it has to be soon. They won't wait long." Jim waited until Blair lifted his head to stare at him. "We know something is happening soon. Something big. We know you're tied into it. It won't take a lot of digging to prove that you're bringing people into the States. The question is, what else are you and Madison smuggling in?"

"Nothing!" Blair's eyes widened. "I'm not a smuggler, Jim. God!"

His denial had that indefinable ring of truthfulness, but Jim knew there was more that Blair wasn't admitting to. Somehow, he was almost certain it wouldn't be drugs. Blair might use drugs occasionally, but he was too smart not to understand the damage they could do, and too caring to ignore it for his own ends. None of Madison's other known illicit activities were likely to have drawn the FBI to Cascade.

"That leaves us with 'who', then. Doesn't it?" Jim smiled bitterly at Blair's reaction. "I'm not talking about the men who work for you. Our friends out there could care less about a few illegal immigrants. It's not their jurisdiction. You're bringing in people who pose a threat to this country. Who are they Blair? Who are you bringing in next?"

To Jim's surprise the tension drained out of Blair's face and he laughed. "You're crazy. What do you think I am? Some kind of terrorist?"

"Or you're just in it for the money."

But that wasn't right either. There was no doubt Blair enjoyed having expensive clothes and a fast car, but Jim had never seen any sign that Blair really cared about being wealthy. Not like Madison, who wore his power and wealth like an aura. Jim felt the pieces of this particular puzzle come together with an almost audible 'click'.

Everything Jim knew about Blair told him that he had too much of a conscience to work with a man like Madison, but what if Blair had no idea what Madison was really like? The man was an old friend of his mother's, someone he'd known since childhood. It was possible. Given Blair's reactions today, it was even likely. And Blair would never betray a friend. If Jim couldn't convince him of what kind of man Madison really was, Blair would be destroyed and Madison would walk free.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a minute." Jim pushed himself to his feet and walked out.

All three of them were in the observation room, as he'd expected. Jim got well inside Cooper's personal space and eyeballed him fiercely. "That's what you want, isn't it? Madison's bringing someone into the country. Someone dangerous."

"We think so." Cooper spoke quietly, his earlier dislike of Jim no longer in evidence. "We think he's brought others in before, but we can't prove it. We need to know the time and date, the meeting place."

Jim sighed. "We need to catch him red-handed, otherwise his fancy lawyers will get him out of trouble again and Blair will go down for a very long time."

"That's the idea. You see why we need Sandburg to co-operate."

"He won't talk unless we can convince him what Madison's really like." Jim rubbed the back of his neck, frustrated by the impasse. "Wait. If he's brought in others... do you have any information on them? Who they are, what they've done?"

Cooper nodded. "We can access the database we need from your computers. Captain Wilder, can we use the machine in your office?"

"Look, Blair, all I'm asking is that you look through these files and tell me if you recognise any of these men." Jim fought to keep the irritation out of his voice. Blair was still stubbornly refusing to believe anything bad about Madison. "I won't even look over your shoulder, okay?"

"All right, but I'm telling you, man, you are way off base." Blair scowled, but he reached for the mouse and started clicking through the online database.

Jim settled into a chair on the other side of Wilder's desk. Since Blair had refused to have anything to do with Agents Lyall and Cooper, Jim was the only other person in the office. He rubbed his forehead absently, trying to ease the headache that threatened and listened to the quiet click of the mouse. After a while he realised that the sound had stopped.

"Found something?" He looked up hopefully, but Blair avoided his eyes.

"Uh... no." The clicking continued, then stopped again. This time Jim kept his peace. More clicking followed by another long pause, then a choked sound.

Jim was on his feet and around the desk in an instant. Blair was staring at the screen, his face blank with shock. The image was of a fair-haired, grey-eyed man in his mid-thirties. His name indicated Eastern European origins, though Jim wasn't sure what country. "You know him?"

"I..." Blair looked up at him and swallowed heavily. He pointed at the notes that indicated the man was suspected of carrying out a particularly brutal killing involving not only a top-level union official, but his entire family. "Jim, this happened just a week after he came into the country. I can't believe..."

He sounded on the verge of tears. Jim rubbed a comforting hand up and down Blair's back. "You're sure it's him? Did you recognise anyone else?"

"There's a couple I'm not sure about, the pictures were too blurred. But I'm sure about Pranas. There was something about him I didn't like much." Blair looked up beseechingly. "Jim, I swear I would never have... not if I'd had any idea what he was like."

"I know." And he did. Now all he had to do was find a way out of this mess for Blair. He bent over and kissed Blair's parted lips briefly. He perched on the edge of the desk and pulled out a small tape deck from the drawer. There was a tape already inside, and he set it to record. "You'd better tell me all of it."

Blair nodded reluctantly. "How much do you know about me? Do you know about why I left Ranier?"

"Just what you told me - there was some kind of trouble." Jim shrugged, deliberately making light of it. "I don't know the details."

"Well, afterwards I needed to get away for a while. I got a job on a freighter heading for Alaska. God knows why. I hate the cold, man." Blair smiled faintly. "Maybe I was punishing myself. Anyway, I found another ship that was going to Vladivostok, so I talked my way on board."

Jim nodded encouragingly. Blair had already told him this much on their drive down to The Resort. It came as no surprise that there was more to the story than he'd previously revealed, especially in light of what Jim now knew. "Go on."

Blair heaved a sigh. "When I got there, I got another job driving a rig through to Khabarovsk. I had a friend there, a guy I met when he was studying at Ranier. I stayed a few weeks then moved on, working and hitching my way down through Mongolia, China, Tibet, then across northern India, Pakistan. Most of the time I stayed with people I knew, or friends of friends. It was unreal, Jim. I got to see places no tourist would even know existed." Excitement coloured his voice, banishing the distress, briefly.

Then the smile faded. "It ended in Iran. I was in a small village; you wouldn't find it on a map if I told you what it was called. My friend and I had gone to visit his family. While we were eating the midday meal, there was a noise, a mob. We went out to see what it was about."

Blair's eyes lifted miserably to meet Jim's. "There were these two boys - just kids, Jim - and someone had caught them together, making love, a couple of days before. The village was too isolated for any formal legal court, so they were just condemned and stoned to death just outside the village. I wanted to try to talk the situation down, but Azem said it was too dangerous, that they'd kill us both if we spoke up for the boys."

Tears brightened Blair's eyes and he blinked them away impatiently. "I set out for Tehran the next day, made my way back to Cascade, but I couldn't stop thinking about those kids, or about all the other gays I'd met who'd been persecuted. I realised I had contacts in so many places that maybe I could do something, but I needed help at this end - getting them into the country, arranging IDs, Green Cards. I didn't know where to start with that side of things. Then I ran into Robert and he offered me a job. I hadn't seen him in years, but once I got to know him again, I told him all about it."

"And he said he'd help you." Jim spoke softly, moved by Blair's story, but also irritated by his naivete. "I bet he jumped at the chance. It must have been like a dream come true, he could have used your network for just about anything."

"We only ever brought in people, Jim. Never drugs or weapons, or anything else." Blair blinked up at him. "He never asked for anything like that."

"Just the occasional 'friend' who needed to escape persecution." Jim couldn't keep the cynicism out of his voice.

"Yes." Blair frowned at him. "I've known him since I was a kid, Jim. He's a friend of my mother's, for God's sake. If she had any idea of what he's done... I had no reason not to trust him."

"Didn't it ever occur to you to wonder... oh, never mind." Blair was right. Most people would have trusted an old friend, especially one who was as charming and plausible as Robert Madison. "When is the next one due in? I take it he's one of Madison's special friends?"

Blair nodded. "Thursday afternoon. That's what the meeting was about at the weekend. To arrange for the next few arrivals."

"All right." Jim stopped the tape. "I'd better bring the FBI in. With any luck you'll be able to bargain for immunity in exchange for bringing Madison down."

"Jim!" Blair caught at his arm. "The others - the guys who work at Karma and The Resort - what about them?"

"I don't think the FBI are really interested in them. They should be okay." Jim shrugged. "I'd be more worried about keeping your own neck out of the noose if I were you, Chief."

"Yeah... Jim, about that..." Blair looked up at him. "I need a lawyer I can trust. The guy I usually use is a friend of Robert's, so I'm guessing you'd prefer I didn't call him."

"I can call someone I know." Jim smiled weakly, surprised that Blair was prepared to trust him that much. "He'll negotiate a good deal for you, if you agree to co-operate fully."

Blair shrugged. "It's not like I have much choice, is it?"

As Jim had expected, the negotiations and debriefing dragged on for hours. His lawyer friend had secured a promise of immunity for Blair and his friends in exchange for detailed information about the people Madison had asked him to smuggle into the country. He'd steadfastly refused to name any of the others, and the Feds had finally backed down. From the outset, Blair had insisted, much to everyone's surprise, that Jim remain throughout the proceedings. The Feds had overruled Wilder's instinctive rejection, and Jim had stayed.

In spite of protesting that he couldn't remember every detail without reference to his records - something the Feds, not surprisingly, refused to allow at first - Jim was amazed at the wealth of information Blair was able to provide from memory alone. He finally dried up mid-evening, looking exhausted and depressed.

"I told you, I can't remember any more." Blair threw up his hands in surrender. "Look, let Jim come back to Karma with me. I can download the information into my laptop and bring it back here."

Cooper considered the request and nodded reluctantly. "Ellison, make sure he doesn't tell anyone what's happening."

"Sure." Jim stood and stretched muscles cramped from sitting too long. "Sandburg."

They took a cab from a couple of blocks away from the station directly to the nightclub. It was still early enough that it hadn't opened for the night, and they slipped in the side entrance without seeing anybody. Their luck held inside, too. Jim hadn't been looking forward to facing any of Blair's employees, but the hallways were deserted and they reached Blair's office without meeting a single person.

They were waiting for the files to download to Blair's laptop when Blair caught at Jim's arm and pulled him down level with the younger man's lips. "This deal. Can I trust them to stick to it?"

Jim hesitated before answering, "I don't know. If they get Madison, then there'll be no reason not to. But if anything goes wrong and they think they can use your friends as leverage... well, I wouldn't count on it. You should be safe, but unless you're willing to name each and every one of the people you brought in, then they've got a loophole in your agreement."

"And if I can't trust them, how can I justify naming anyone?" Blair groaned. "Man, this sucks. It shouldn't even have been necessary. The US accepts persecution of gays as grounds for refugee status, but just try to convince some immigration official that being beaten up or sent to prison for being gay constitutes persecution."

"There's nothing we can do about that right now." Jim patted his shoulder sympathetically. "We have to stop Madison bringing in any more hit men and drug lords."

Blair deflated immediately. He'd been so openly distraught by the revelations of the afternoon that even Agents Cooper and Lyall had begun to regard him with only mild disfavour. "Yeah. I know, but they're my friends, Jim."

"You can't help them if you're in prison. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

"I am. It still sucks." Blair's head bent over the keyboard again. A few more keystrokes and he looked up at Jim. "Okay, I'm done."

It was well after midnight before they returned to Karma. The evening had been spent going over every detail of the meeting on Thursday afternoon when Blair and Robert Madison would pick up the latest illegal arrival. Finally they'd been dismissed with orders that Jim was to remain with Blair at all times. It had taken all of Jim's self-control not to plant a fist in Wilder's smirking face as he'd given the order.

Once again, they entered through the side door - Jim wasn't going to risk losing sight of Blair in the nightclub - and made their way directly to Blair's rooms. Once inside, Jim dropped his hastily packed overnight bag and thought longingly of a hot shower and bed. Somehow he doubted he'd get the latter but at least the couch looked comfortable and there was a soft cotton throw rug that would make an adequate blanket.

Jim followed Blair into the bedroom. "Mind if I wash up?"

"Sure." Blair was busy unbuttoning his shirt and didn't look up. "Go right ahead."

He made it a quick shower and shave. He'd forgotten his toothbrush, but Blair had spares in the wall cabinet and he used one of those, hurriedly, before wrapping a towel around his waist and exiting. Blair was sprawled on the bed, naked and semi-aroused.

Jim ignored the tempting sight and nodded towards the mound of pillows. "Can I borrow one of those?"

Blair raised an eyebrow. "Jim! You're not planning to sleep on the couch?"

"I thought you'd prefer it that way." Jim carefully made the words a statement rather than a question.

"It's up to you." Blair shrugged dismissively. "You want to fuck first?"

Halfway through the doorway, his borrowed pillow clutched under one arm, Jim stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to face the younger man, not trying to hide his surprise. "I can't say I expected to. I got the impression you were pretty pissed with me."

"So?" A faint glitter of anger in Blair's eyes belied the casual tone.

Jim leaned against the doorframe and studied Blair for a moment. The tension was radiating off his body in waves. "I don't know about you, but I prefer to sleep with people I actually like. And I don't get the impression that you like me very much right now."

"Yeah, well, your choice, man. It's just sex." Blair closed his eyes, his hand straying over his swelling cock as Jim closed the door.

The couch was as comfortable as it looked, but Jim slept restlessly, waking only when Blair started moving around. They breakfasted on toasted bagels, juice and coffee. Blair's behaviour alternated between polite disinterest and poorly suppressed resentment, both of which Jim scrupulously ignored. Since he was under orders not to leave Blair alone, it promised to be a long day, followed by another long night.

In self-defence, Jim selected a book from Blair's extensive collection and tried to concentrate on it. Blair buried himself in his laptop and neither man spoke for some time. The silence was eventually broken by the tones from Blair's cell phone.

Jim rose hurriedly from his armchair and went over to Blair's side. "Who is it?"

Blair had already checked the display. "Robert."

"Leave it." Jim caught hold of Blair's hand and phone, preventing him from answering. The phone rang once more and stopped.

"I'll have to call him back, Jim. If I don't do it in the next ten minutes he'll cancel the meet tomorrow."

"Shit." There wasn't really a choice but Jim didn't like it. "Okay. Do it."

Blair dialled out, ignoring the fact that Jim was hovering behind his shoulder. "Hey, Robert. Sorry I missed your call. How's things?"

Jim could hear the tinny tones of Madison's voice, but not distinguish the words. He leaned closer, but to no avail. Blair grinned at him, obviously enjoying his discomfort.

"No, everything's fine." He shot an ironic look at Jim. "I'm glad you called, though. Robert, I want to bring Jim in on our deal... no, I'm not joking, man. Think about it - he spends half his life travelling, has contacts everywhere. He could be a big help."

There was nothing Jim could do to stop Blair that wouldn't alert Madison that there was something wrong. He put a warning hand on Blair's shoulder and gripped it firmly. "Be careful." He mouthed the words almost inaudibly.

Blair nodded and shook off Jim's hand. "Robert, I'm sure he'll be interested. I've already told him about my experiences... you know... and he was really sympathetic. I'll talk to him, and if he's interested, how about I bring him along tomorrow?" There was a long pause while Madison spoke, then Blair laughed softly. "Trust me, Robert, he'll want to be in on this, and even if he doesn't, Jim wouldn't do anything that would jeopardise the network. I won't even tell him you're involved until I see which way he goes, okay?"

It seemed like Madison was going to agree, and Jim breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as Blair ended the call, he snatched the cell phone out of the other man's hand. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have scared him off."

Blair shook his head. "I know him, Jim. He doesn't scare easily."

"It was still a risk you shouldn't have taken."

"Yeah? Well maybe there's a reason I wanted you in on this. Have you ever thought of that?" Blair glared at him. "I don't trust those guys. Hell, y*ou* don't trust them, and tomorrow I'm gonna be in the firing line between them and five of Robert's well-armed bodyguards. I want someone to watch my back, okay?"

Jim sighed. "Look, I understand. But I can tell you now that Wilder and the Feds aren't going to go for this." In fact, he was already anticipating with something akin to dread the moment when he had to tell them about this stunt.

"So we'll tell them that Robert's already expecting you to be there." Blair shrugged, his voice flat and determined. He shot Jim a hard look. "Are you with me on this?"

Jim closed his eyes, his hand lifting to pinch the bridge of his nose. "All right."

They drove to the meeting place in Jim's car, arriving almost an hour early so Jim could scout out the lie of the land. It was an isolated stretch of coast - the man they were expecting would be arriving by boat - and there was just one narrow dirt road leading down to the water's edge, courtesy of a nearby house, which was empty ninety percent of the time. The terrain sloped steeply down to sea level and was covered in vegetation, low shrubby bushes as well as taller, more established trees, so there were plenty of places to hide.

Curiously, Wilder had been more accepting of Blair's fait accompli than Agents Cooper and Lyall. If Jim hadn't backed up Blair's assertion that Madison would be expecting both of them at the meeting there was no doubt that the senior of the two agents would have firmly vetoed the idea. Instead, they'd had no choice but to bring him up to speed on the plans they'd already put in place.

Jim had brought both his main handgun and the small backup revolver he sometimes used, and the first order of business was to find hiding places for them. He'd have preferred to keep them on his body, but he simply couldn't take the risk that Madison's bodyguards would search him or Blair. The backup gun was more easily concealed, and he hid it beneath some loose ground cover next to the right front tyre of his car. The second, larger, weapon went under a low bush a few feet further away.

All of that was accomplished in just a few minutes. With a muttered command to Blair to stay by the car, Jim walked back up the track towards the small cottage. Nobody was home; the doors were firmly locked and the shutters were closed over the windows. A couple of outbuildings were likewise closed up, with no sign that anybody had been near them in weeks, if not months. Satisfied, Jim returned to the seaside clearing, aware that his every move had been watched by his fellow cops and the two FBI agents.

Ten minutes before the boat was due to arrive a car nosed its way slowly down the rutted track and pulled up close to Blair's. Three dark-suited men emerged, none of them Robert Madison. Jim raised an eyebrow at Blair. The biggest of the three came over and ran his eyes over Jim's body, visually checking for weapons, but not requesting a search, much to Jim's surprise.

"Hey, Carl. Where's Robert?" Blair smiled up at the much taller man. He peered around the other's large frame, but it was already obvious that Madison wasn't in the car.

"Mr Madison's been delayed." Carl spoke impassively, but Jim got the impression he didn't like Blair very much. "He sent us ahead. He'll be here shortly."

"Okay." Blair retreated to Jim's side. "What d'you think?" He spoke quietly, his face turned away from the others.

Jim shrugged. "I don't like it, but there's not much we can do. Maybe he'll turn up in time."

He didn't. A few minutes later the throaty roar of an outboard motor demolished the tranquil atmosphere and all five of them turned expectantly towards the water's edge. The boat was only a few yards from shore when all hell broke loose - a gunshot rang out from the trees on the left side of the clearing and was followed by several more. Jim was already dragging Blair down behind his car, bending over him in an instinctive need to protect.

"FBI! Throw down your weapons and stand up with your hands above your heads." Cooper's voice came from a position at least twenty degrees west of where the first shot had been fired. Jim guessed it must have been some over eager cop who'd fired, and the others had returned fire instinctively.

Madison's men had already scattered for cover and the sound of the boat's engine rapidly retreated away from the shore. There was a brief silence as each side waited for some further move from the other. Jim scrabbled under the car for his backup gun, afraid that somehow Madison's men would know he was a plant and attack them both.

"Jim..."

"Quiet. Keep down." Jim hissed the words and kept one hand on Blair's back as his eyes searched the trees and bushes for signs of his colleagues. He didn't need his instincts to tell him that something was very wrong. He shoved the small gun into the waistband of his jeans and inched his way towards the place where he'd hidden his main gun. If it came to defending himself, he'd prefer the heavier weapon.

He couldn't find it. Swearing under his breath he eased back again just as nerves, or impatience, prompted someone in the bushes further up the hill to start firing again. This time Madison's men returned fire. Jim pushed Blair to the ground, lying atop him as the smaller man cursed shakily.

"Jim, what the fuck is going on here?" Blair dragged in a shaken breath, almost inaudible under the sound of gunfire. The demand from the FBI agents hadn't been repeated and it didn't seem like anyone was in a hurry to take prisoners. All they could do was wait it out.

"I don't know. I don't like this one little bit." They both flinched as a couple of bullets struck the ground close to Blair's hand. "Shit!"

Jim glanced over to where Madison's men were crouching, two behind their car and the third behind a tree that was too small to provide effective cover for very long. As Jim watched he spun round, firing off a shot into the woods behind him, then lurched to one side, clutching at his arm. More bullets whizzed by the two of them, striking the car. Someone was firing at them from behind, and whoever it was didn't seem to be overly concerned with Jim and Blair's safety. He couldn't risk returning fire in case it was a cop. That meant they had to get out of the way.

He tugged at Blair's sleeve. "Get ready to run on my say so. Keep low and head for that clump of bushes over there, okay?"

"Are you crazy?" But another close miss silenced Blair and when Jim gave the signal, he went.

A flurry of bullets followed their progress and Jim kept himself, as much as possible, between Blair and the shooter. They both dived into the shelter of the bushes and Jim hit the ground hard, winding himself in the process.

"God damn it, what's going on?" Blair voice was a mixture of fear and indignation. "Jim, I thought..."

He silenced Blair with a hand across his mouth. "Quiet. I need to know if anybody's close by."

They listened in hard breathing silence for a moment. There were several more shots fired, but nothing close. Jim nodded to the right and motioned Blair to precede him. They squirmed their way between low bushes for what seemed like hours, but which was, in reality, only a few minutes. The gunfire was becoming increasingly sporadic, but that brought no reassurance for Jim. He knew there was something seriously wrong with the way the operation had been carried out.

When no more shots had been fired for several minutes, Blair squirmed around to face Jim. "I guess we can go down now."

"No!" Jim grabbed Blair's arm as he started to rise and pulled him back down again. "Wait here. Don't move or make a sound."

He made his way about ten yards to the right and peered cautiously round a tree trunk to view the proceedings down in the clearing. One of Madison's men was face down on the ground, and the other two were being cuffed by some of Jim's colleagues. Wilder stood to one side, his eyes scanning the trees, his face set in lines of anger. There was no sign of the Feds.

A flicker of movement caught Jim's eye and he turned his attention to the dirt track, where the tall figure of Captain Simon Banks strode towards the knot of police officers. Wilder turned to meet him and they exchanged words; Banks was obviously just as angry as Wilder. He turned and stamped away, gesturing to one of the cops to follow him.

Wilder spoke to one of the vice squad cops and the man nodded before collecting two other men and heading into the bushes near where Jim and Blair had entered. Their guns were drawn. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Jim made his way back to Blair.

"We have to get out of here. It's not safe."

"Not... what do you mean 'not safe'?" Blair kept his voice down to a hiss. "What the hell is going on here, Jim?"

"I don't know, and I don't like it. We'll get out of here and then we'll find out what's up, okay?" He led the way, keeping low until they'd covered another several hundred yards, then straightened. Immediately, he was hit with a wave of dizziness and pain.

"Are you okay, Jim?" Blair grabbed hold of his arm, steadying him. "What's up?"

Jim leaned against a sturdy sapling and caught his breath. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, Sandburg."

"Hey, you're all the insurance I've got, right?" Blair studied him with concerned eyes. They dropped to his chest and Blair pushed his jacket aside. "Oh, man!"

"Relax. It's just a flesh wound." But Jim looked down for the first time at the dark bloodstain on his shirt just above his waist. There was more blood than he'd expected, which explained the dizziness, he supposed.

Blair glanced up at him dubiously. "So what do we do now? You need to see a doctor."

"No doctor. I can fix it myself, once I get some first aid gear." There was no sign of any cops, but Jim held up his hand for silence and listened. Sound usually carried a long way in these woods, but he couldn't hear anything that sounded like pursuit. Maybe they'd got lucky. "We'll have to go back to my place. There's a first aid kit there and clean clothes. We'll need them."

"Won't they expect that? I mean, if they're after us?"

"Yeah, but we don't really have a choice." Jim straightened. "They'll be watching your place too, and it'll be easier for me to get into my loft. I know the area better."

"If you say so." Blair shrugged. "I guess you're the expert."

"You'd better believe it, Chief." Jim put a hand on Blair's shoulder and pushed him gently forward.

By the time they reached Jim's neighbourhood it was starting to grow dark, which was all to the good, as far as Jim was concerned - it would make it easier for him to avoid anybody watching the loft. He found two of them, and neither of the men were from Vice. Given Bank's involvement, they were most likely from Major Crime. He slipped past them easily and entered the building by a doorway all but obscured by a dumpster overflowing with building debris.

It took only moments to make his way upstairs. There was no sign of anyone untoward inside the building, but Jim hesitated, listening for signs of movement inside the apartment before unlocking the door and easing his way into the loft. He didn't need lights to move around, but made his way to the bathroom, where the first aid kit was stored.

He extracted what he needed by feel, then made his way upstairs to his bedroom. There was a small duffel in his wardrobe and he began stuffing clothes into it - shirt and jeans for himself, and a sweater and sweatpants for Blair, since Jim's jeans would be too big for him. He dropped the kit on top and pulled the drawstring tight.

"Taking a holiday?" The voice, deep, hard and cynical, made him freeze for a moment, then Jim turned, straightening slowly. It was almost impossible to see Bank's features in the darkness, but his voice gave his identity away. "Don't try anything. I'll have no hesitation in shooting you where you stand."

"I'm sure you won't." Bile rose in his throat as he wondered just how many people were involved in this.

The tall figure moved away from the head of the stairs and gestured with the gun in his outstretched hand. "Drop the bag, and your gun. Slow and easy. Now, go downstairs."

He had no choice but to obey. As Jim passed him, Banks stepped back, giving him no opportunity to try anything and they went down the stairs in silence. Another gesture with the gun indicated Jim should move over to the sofa. Banks stayed by the bottom of the stairs.

"You know, Wilder... now, he came as no surprise, but I always thought you were pretty straight up, Banks." Jim turned to face the taller man. If he was going to be shot, he wasn't going to get it in the back.

"Shut up." The lights flickered on, revealing Banks' scowling face. "I only want one thing from you. Where's Sandburg?"

"I lost him." Jim shrugged. "He was kinda spooked. One minute he's there, next thing I turn around and he's gone. He's probably halfway to California by now."

"I don't believe you." Without looking down, Banks picked a walkie-talkie off the table and spoke into it. "He's here. Take a look around for Sandburg. I'm guessing he won't be far away."

Jim cursed under his breath and hoped like hell that Blair had obeyed his orders. If so he still had a chance. Otherwise...

After only a few minutes the walkie-talkie crackled to life. "Got him."

"Bring him up."

"How much are they paying you, Banks? How much is the life of a cop worth these days?" Jim smiled sarcastically. "Civilians, now, they're a dime a dozen, but what's the going rate for a cop, huh? How many cops died today? You should get quite a payout."

Banks' face darkened alarmingly. "One more word, Ellison and I'll..."

"What? Shoot me?" Jim laughed and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm already dead. What do I have to worry about?"

"Shut up." Banks' eyes narrowed as he stared at Jim.

A soft knock on the door was followed by a soft 'it's us, boss' and Banks called out for them to come in. Blair entered first, then a solidly built black man and a slim, good-looking cop Jim remembered seeing around the PD, always dressed like he was a model from a men's wear catalogue.

"Jim? You okay?" Blair moved to Jim's side, one hand reaching out to touch his arm.

He knew what Blair was asking and sighed. The last few hours had all but drained him of his strength and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the pain of his wound. He might have been able to take on Banks alone, but not all three of them. "I'm fine."

"He needs a doctor, dammit." Blair advanced on Banks, seemingly unaware of the gun pointing at both of them. "It's not our fault things went wrong. We didn't do anything, man. You haven't even read us our rights."

Jim started to laugh helplessly. "We're not being arrested here, Chief. This is an execution."

"The hell it is!" Banks was staring at them open-mouthed. Then his jaw snapped shut. "I'm taking you in so you can stand trial for murder and attempted murder. And that's just for starters."

"We didn't kill anybody!"

The outrage in Blair's voice struck Jim as supremely comical, given the situation. He laughed again. "Don't waste your breath. They don't care."

Banks' attention turned from Blair back to Jim. "I suppose you expect me to believe you didn't kill those FBI agents?"

For a moment everything seemed to just stop, even his own heartbeat. Then Jim heard Blair's gasped 'they're dead?' and his heart began to pound against the inside of his ribs. "That's not possible. I was nowhere near their position. It could have been anybody. You were there. It was a fucking shooting gallery."

"They were shot at close range. The gun was found just a few feet away. Three of your own squad identified it as your weapon. But I'm sure we can wait until the registration is confirmed." The nasal voice held the merest hint of uncertainty.

"I lost my main gun at the site. You can check my hands for blowback. I haven't fired a gun in over a week." Jim watched the big man carefully. Could it be possible that Banks was on the level? If so, there was still hope for them both. "Look, regardless of what you think of me, you know there was something badly wrong with that set up. If you take us in we don't stand a chance."

At first it seemed like Banks was going to ignore his plea, then he gave an exasperated sigh. "All right. Brown, I want you to get a Forensics kit - we'll do that test. Meet us back at my house. We can't stay here. Rafe, keep an eye on Sandburg. I'll take Ellison." Banks lowered his gun but didn't holster it. "Come on. Move it."

Jim had been leaning against the couch; now, as he straightened and turned, a wave of dizziness almost sent him to his knees. He managed to stay upright by grabbing at the couch and then Blair was at his side, supporting him. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute."

Rough hands pulled at his jacket, and pain robbed him of breath to protest with. He heard a muttered curse, then he was being half dragged, half carried towards the door. "Change of plan. Rafe, you take Sandburg to my house. I'll take Ellison to the ER."

"No. I'm all right." Jim tried to push the other man away. He might as well have tried to push the whole building. He still wasn't completely convinced that Banks was genuine and there was no way he was going to let Blair out of his sight.

"Nobody's listening, Ellison." Banks grunted and hitched Jim's arm a little further across his shoulders.

He would have struggled further, but Blair caught hold of his other arm. "I'll be all right, Jim. We have to trust somebody."

"If you say so." He knew Blair was right. They were both in way over their heads and would need all the help they could get. Every cop in Cascade would have orders to shoot on sight by now. He could only hope they were trusting the right person.

The visit to the ER was just as unpleasant as Jim had expected it to be. Banks' presence and his captain's badge got Jim medical attention much quicker than he had any right to expect and he came away an hour later bandaged and loaded with antibiotics.

They hadn't spoken about the events of the afternoon while they were at the hospital, and Jim was in no hurry to start now. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, too tired and sore to marshal any convincing arguments in his own favour. He didn't sleep, at least he didn't think so, but it came as a shock when the engine was switched off. Jim opened his eyes on a neatly organised garage interior and followed numbly as Banks led the way into the house.

All three of them were in the lounge, clustered around a coffee table loaded with pizza boxes. Banks grunted. "I hope you left some for us."

"Jim." Blair, clean and wearing the clothes Jim had packed, stood and walked towards him and suddenly the tension he'd been feeling disappeared. They were both safe, at least for the moment, and now he could really believe that Banks intended to help them.

As Blair came closer Jim reached out and pulled the younger man into his arms. Blair grinned up at him, obviously just as relieved. Without thought Jim plunged one hand into the mass of damp curls and bent his head to kiss his lover deeply. It went on far longer than he'd intended, since neither of them seemed to have the ability to stop. Around them the silence became deafening.

At last Jim ran out of breath and he was forced to draw back. He gasped in a lungful of air and brushed another quick kiss across Blair's lips, aware now of the silent stares of the three cops. It looked like he had well and truly outed himself, but for once he didn't give a damn what any of them thought.

"Not gay, huh?" Banks muttered the words sarcastically as he passed them, on his way to the pizza.

Blair flashed an inquiring look at Jim, but he set the younger man aside and followed Banks. He couldn't remember when he had last eaten.

Later, showered, fed, and close to falling asleep, Jim was roused by a hand shaking his shoulder and Blair's voice asking about computers. He forced himself to sit a little straighter and shook his head to clear it. A steaming mug of coffee was placed in his hand and for a moment all other thoughts fled.

"Time to get to work." Banks' voice was all business now, unlike a few minutes before when he and the others had been discussing the Jag's latest loss to the Utah Jazz. "Ellison, you'd better tell me everything you know."

It took a while. Luckily his army training kicked in and he was able to recall, in detail that surprised even him, the events not only of that afternoon, but also all the briefings and planning sessions he'd been involved in. Blair listened carefully and added snippets of information, mostly observations on the behaviour of the two federal agents and Wilder. There was pitifully little evidence to support their claim to innocence.

Perhaps it was that which convinced Banks and the two detectives. When they'd finished, Jim asked the question that had been gnawing at his curiosity ever since Banks had decided to suspend judgement on them, however temporarily. "Captain, why were you at the rendezvous? The plans didn't initially include your team."

"I'd been hearing things." Banks shrugged. "Wilder was dropping hints about some big operation, talking it up."

Rafe leaned forward to contribute. "Talking a damn sight too much, if you ask me. No wonder it went bad."

"Well..." Banks slipped a cigar out of his pocket but put it in his mouth unlit. It seemed like he changed what he'd been about to say. "He was doing some pretty heavy duty badmouthing too. It didn't sit right with me. A captain ought to stand by his men, or if they're bad, get them out, but not go telling the whole department..." he glanced over at Jim and stopped.

"I get the picture." Jim's mouth suddenly tasted sour. "You know, he's hated my guts for years, but he won't let me transfer out."

"What exactly was he saying, Captain Banks?"

Banks looked at Blair, startled. "I don't think..."

"It could be important." Suddenly, Blair was all business. "If he was planning this whole thing, then maybe he intended Jim to take the fall for it all along."

Jim's eyes met Banks', and he could see the two detectives nodding. "It makes sense, I guess."

"And didn't you tell me that Robert keeps eluding you? That he almost seems to know when something's going down?" Blair scanned their faces. "What if he did know?"

"Wilder?" Dear God, it was so obvious, now that Blair had said it. Wilder could have been preparing for this for years, using him, slowly undermining his reputation at the PD until people would have believed anything of him. And he hadn't seen it; worse, he'd played into Wilder's hands because he was too absorbed in his own screwed up life, his fears about his sexuality, to see the way the man was manipulating him.

Banks had been right about him all along. Jim allowed a bitter sense of defeat wash over him. It was too late now. Too late to salvage his wrecked career. He could have given up then, but a hand on his arm, Blair's hand, startled him back into the reality of the situation. If he couldn't prove his innocence - and Wilder's guilt - then he wouldn't suffer alone. Blair would go down with him. He couldn't allow that to happen. He rubbed his forehead distractedly. "We'll need proof. I've never heard so much as a whisper."

The other cops nodded their agreement. Wilder was no saint, but there'd never been any hint of corruption hanging about his name. Whatever he was doing, he must have covered his tracks well.

When he said as much, Blair simply shrugged impatiently. "Well, now we know, we have a better chance of finding it, right? There's got to be a trail. Money, drugs. Something."

Banks cleared his throat. "If it's money, then he's playing it smart. He's never shown any sign of having more that you'd expect on a captain's pay."

"So it would have to be overseas. A Swiss bank account, maybe, or a trust fund." Blair nibbled his lower lip. "What else?"

"Drugs." Perhaps too obvious for a Vice Squad captain, but Jim threw it in anyway. They had to consider every possibility. "Diamonds. Gold."

"They'd be difficult to trace." Blair nodded approvingly. "He could easily keep diamonds in a safety deposit box. They'd only appreciate in value the longer he had them. It would be simpler than gold."

"Good. It could take a while, but we'll get the evidence to take down both him and Madison." Banks' lips parted in a feral grin. "We'll need more than just a money trail, though. We have to prove that the two of them, or Wilder at least, planned the deaths of those two agents."

"Uh..." Jim exchanged a worried glance with Blair, "we don't exactly have a lot of time here, Captain. I don't know how long you're willing to have us as house guests, but I'm guessing it won't take long for Wilder to find out you took me to the hospital."

"That's right." Blair chimed in a little too eagerly. They all looked at him. "And... uh... by tomorrow morning, Robert's going to know something's gone wrong, whether Wilder's involved or not."

"Oh? And why's that?" Banks fixed an intimidating glare on the younger man,

"Well, um... I sent out a warning to some of the guys we brought in. The ones working for him, I mean. Just in case the Feds went back on their word." Blair appealed to Jim. "I had to, man, I couldn't let the INS get hold of them."

Jim shrugged, not willing to be drawn on the issue, however well he understood Blair's actions. "What did you do?"

"I set up the computer to send out a warning if I wasn't back in time to stop it." Blair stared back, not giving an inch. "It would have gone out about two hours ago. Most of them will know by now. I've had the system set up ever since I started bringing people in. As a precaution."

"Shit." Banks' voice went gravelly with annoyance. "Okay. Rafe and Brown, I want you both to start asking questions. Carefully. I want you to find out who was where during that raid. I doubt Wilder pulled the trigger himself, but I want to know who did. And I want to know who had the opportunity to get hold of Ellison's gun."

"If you've got a map of the area, I can show you exactly where everyone was supposed to be, and where we were; what route we took getting out of there, along with time frames." Jim closed his eyes briefly. It was going to be a long night. And, most likely, an early morning. "Whatever we decide to do, we'll have to do it before Madison finds out about half his staff going AWOL."

It was almost midnight by the time they'd finished their plans. Bank's two detectives had been down to the station and returned, but without enough information to implicate Wilder. Now they were gathered around the kitchen table staring down at the floor plan of Madison's house that Blair was drawing for them.

"So I guess it's Plan B?" Banks' gaze swept around the four men. Three of them nodded.

Jim hesitated, looking at Blair. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it's going to be? There's no way we can wear Kevlar undetected, and we'll be unarmed. You can bet Madison's goons won't be."

"Do we have a choice?" Blair was doing a good job of hiding his nervousness, but he couldn't fool Jim. "It's now or never, man."

"You'll be wired, and I guarantee Madison won't be able to detect it. It's state of the art, non electronic. Our department is one of the first in the country to have it." Banks spoke soothingly. "As soon as we get something incriminating, we'll be in there."

"Jim, we have to do it." Blair's face set in a determined mask. "I am so not built for prison romance, man."

He grinned as the others stirred uncomfortably at the joke. "You've got a point. Count me in."

"Okay. So, Robert always takes me into his study when I go there on business." Blair pointed out the room again on the ground level floor plan. "You can pretty much count on that. There are floor length windows all along this wall. You shouldn't have any trouble getting in."

Banks leaned over Blair's left shoulder and Jim over Bank's. Rafe and Brown were on Blair's other side, watching intently. "If we go in early enough, they'll be disoriented, half asleep with any luck."

"Yeah." Blair grinned up at him and pulled a street map over. "Now, the closest you can park the surveillance van would be here, I'd guess. Maybe further away if anyone's out and about."

"All the more reason to go in as early as possible." Rafe groaned. "I hate getting up early."

"Hey, look on the bright side. It's late enough you don't need to go to bed at all." Brown elbowed his partner in the ribs.

Banks silenced them with a glance, but both men were grinning good-naturedly. Jim felt a wave of regret that he'd never had that kind of working relationship with his captain. But then Wilder had been an asshole almost from day one. He straightened up with a groan. "Well, we've had a rough day. I wouldn't mind getting some sleep."

"We'd all better get some sleep." Banks yawned suddenly. "Rafe and Brown, you take Daryl's room. Ellison, you and Sandburg can sleep in the guest room. It's on the right at the top of the stairs. I'll wake you all at four-thirty."

"Do you think Robert'll fall for it, Jim?" Blair's voice sounded loud in the darkness. The lights might be out, but neither of them was sleeping. "If he's in league with Wilder, he knows you're a cop and that I've betrayed him. Even if he isn't, he must suspect something."

"Of course he'll suspect something. But he'll want to know what, if anything, we suspect." Jim stretched his arms out and folded them behind his head. "And he'll want to have us under his control. Don't forget, you're the only one who can send him away for a lot of years."

"I guess so." Blair yawned loudly. "You know, I never really pictured my life like this. How about you?"

"Hardly." Jim sighed. "I'm a cop, remember."

Blair seemed to be in the mood to talk. "Have you always been a cop? I mean, have you ever done anything else?"

"I was in the army for nearly fifteen years. Then I joined the police." Jim rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow to look at Blair. There was enough light to see the pale blur of his face, and the whiter flash of his teeth when he grinned. As he did just then.

"I dunno, man. That seems like pretty weird career choices for a gay man. What were you thinking?"

"I'm not... I wasn't gay at the time. I was even married for a while." It seemed like another lifetime now. "I didn't... I mean, I'd never had sex with a guy until after the divorce. Even then, I never really thought of myself as gay. It was just an undercover thing."

Blair laughed softly. "Well, newsflash, Jim. You look pretty damn gay from where I'm standing."

"I guess so." It didn't seem worth arguing over any more. In spite of the possibility they might not see out another day, Jim realised he felt more at peace now than he had in years. "I was pretty screwed up over it. I've totally fucked up my career. Even if this plan works out, I can't see any future for me as a cop."

"Yeah, well, I know something about that, my friend." Blair turned too, and they lay facing each other across the narrow distance separating their single beds. "I've blown two careers now. They say third time's the charm, man. What do you think?"

"How would I know?" In spite of everything, Jim smiled. "What went wrong at the university?"

"And here I thought my life was an open book." Blair's voice was heavily ironic. "It was all over the news, Jim. You don't remember it? I was kicked out for faking the research for my dissertation."

"That doesn't really sound like the kind of thing you'd do." He couldn't remember hearing anything about a university scandal at all. "What happened?"

"Oh, man..." Blair let out his breath in a long sigh. "You really want to know?"

"Do you think either of us is going to sleep? You might as well tell me."

"Yeah. I guess." Blair hesitated, looking down at his hands for a moment. "I was researching a phenomenon I'd read about in some old manuscripts. Does the word Sentinel mean anything to you?"

"Nope. What is it?"

"They're people - a kind of warrior, or guardian - found in tribal societies. They have enhanced senses that give them a genetic advantage. Just imagine what it'd be like to hear enemies coming from a great distance, or smell prey when you're hunting." Enthusiasm swelled Blair's voice. "I wanted to find one to study."

Jim grinned. It'd sure be useful for a cop to have these enhanced senses. "Did you? Find someone?"

"I thought I did." Blair's voice went suddenly flat. "It was like finding the Holy Grail, man. I was so stoked I lost all my objectivity. I didn't even notice that the only times he could use his senses were when I couldn't verify the results."

"So he was taking you for a ride?" Anger flared briefly at the thought.

"Yeah. Of course, I had to make it worse by falling in love with him." Jim saw the awkward shrug of Blair's shoulders. "Oh, I wasn't completely stupid. I hadn't presented my thesis, because I knew the evidence wasn't strong enough. I was still hoping that Greg could get better control of his senses."

"Then, what happened?"

"My Mom. Naomi." Blair laughed softly. "She thought I was just being modest, didn't believe enough in myself. She sent it off to a publisher friend of hers. Next thing I knew my Sentinel thesis was being touted as the new bestseller on CNN. Everybody was going crazy, man. Greg freaked out, like, big time. That's when he told me he'd only pretended to be a Sentinel to get into my pants. Like he couldn't have done that without pretending, the jerk."

"So you told them the truth?" Jim knew that was a safe guess. "Did you ever consider not telling the university? Letting them decide for themselves whether it was valid?"

Blair shook his head. "I couldn't do that. No way. I called a press conference, said that the whole thing was a lie. It was the only way to stop all the craziness, and I was still hoping I could salvage something - the historical research at least. Next thing I know, Greg's swearing it was deliberate, that we'd both planned it. Nobody wanted to hear what I had to say... besides, the Dean had been looking for a way to get rid of me for a while. She jumped at the chance."

The suppressed pain in Blair's voice made Jim want to find the Dean and this Greg person, tie them together, and dump them into the harbour. "Why didn't you try to find a real Sentinel?"

Blair's head came up. "Because there aren't any, Jim. It was a pipe dream, a myth. If Sentinels ever existed they don't any more. Maybe there's just no need for them in civilised societies."

"Is that what you really believe?" Jim strained his eyes trying to make out Blair's expression in the darkness.

"It doesn't matter what I believe. Nobody will ever believe me if I say I've found a Sentinel now." Blair dropped onto his back and pushed his hair back with both hands. "Forget it, okay? I guess I just don't have much luck with falling in love."

Jim sighed. It was the closest Blair had come to admitting his feelings for him, and he didn't like the similarities between him and Greg that the comment implied. However justified it might be. "Sorry."

A vague wave of Blair's hand indicated some kind of acceptance of Jim's apology. They lay in silence for a while, then Jim slipped out of his bed and sat on the edge of Blair's. He stroked one fingertip along the arm that lay nearest him.

"Jim?" Blair voice was muffled, thickened with emotion.

"It's just... I'm sorry. For hurting you." Jim brushed a strand of hair away from Blair's cheek and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips.

They parted under his almost reluctantly and his tongue slipped between them, instinctively seeking the warmth and comfort of Blair's mouth. For long moments their tongues wove a sinuous dance, then Blair reached up and wrapped his arms around Jim's neck, pulling him closer. His body arched up towards Jim in a display of silent passion, but then Jim remembered the last time Blair had wanted him, and the cold anger in his eyes as he'd taunted Jim with his own body.

He pulled himself free abruptly. "This is no good."

"God, Jim..." Blair laughed breathlessly. "We're probably going to be dead by this time tomorrow. What does it matter?"

"You've got a point." Still, he sat, uncertain.

Blair pushed himself into a sitting position. Like Jim he'd worn his boxers to bed. Unlike Jim, he'd added a t-shirt. Jim reached under it, sliding it up over his head and tossing it aside. Grinning, Blair leaned into him, the warmth of his body somehow comforting. Jim wrapped his arms around Blair's compact body and held him close, content for the moment just to feel warm skin and soft, tickling chest hair against him.

He buried his face in Blair's hair, nuzzling aside enough of it so he could brush light kisses across Blair's temple, down his cheek to nibble on a luscious earlobe. Blair angled his head to make it easier for Jim, and to run his tongue down the side of Jim's throat. Then, as if reading his mind, Blair's head turned, blindly seeking Jim's lips again. Jim's hands moved, stroking lightly over bare skin, memorising the texture, the shape of it lying over muscle and sinew and bone.

An ache, heavy and sweet, spread through Jim's body as they touched. His hands flattened against Blair's back, holding him close, and their kisses deepened until Jim thought he might just lose himself in Blair's mouth. He became aware, through a haze of arousal, that Blair had dropped one hand to stroke gently up and down the inside of his thigh. It felt indescribably wonderful, making him shiver with the pleasure of it. Slowly, Blair's hand moved up again, and kept moving, sliding under the thin cloth of Jim's boxers, dancing teasingly over his balls and his stirring cock.

Jim moaned weakly into Blair's mouth as his cock was carefully drawn down and free of his boxers. He released Blair's mouth, resting his forehead against Blair's, breathing heavily. "Oh God... Blair..."

"Shh..." Strong fingers wrapped around his cock and Blair's swollen lips made clumsy little hit and run attacks on his mouth.

Jim captured them again, wanting to lose himself in the sensations that sent helpless shivers through him. His hands slid between their bodies, teasing at Blair's nipples, turning the nipple ring round and round until Blair groaned into his mouth.

He wanted desperately to thrust into Blair's hand, but the way his cock was caught by the fabric of his boxers made it difficult. Jim glanced down, mesmerised by the sight of Blair's strong, square hand moving on his cock, the way his fingers gently massaged the tip. Heat flooded through his body and his hips bucked awkwardly.

Blair kissed him one more time then turned his attention to Jim's boxers. It only took a moment for him to flick open the button and peel the cloth down. Jim lifted his hips and shivered again at the sense of freedom as the shorts were tugged down to his knees. He kicked them away hurriedly as Blair bent over him, lips already parting.

Nobody had ever made him feel as good as this. Blair's lips tugged at his cock, tightening around the shaft to hold him snugly as he sucked and Jim leant back so his hips could lift, thrusting into Blair's mouth as though it was his last hope of salvation.

For the first few moments, his mind was dazed, and then a small voice reminded him that this was all going one way. Still, it was difficult to draw his attention away from the sight of Blair's head in his lap, the dark hair flowing across Jim's belly and thighs. He grasped a handful of curls and drew them lightly across his skin, sending yet more shudders through him.

Blair's body was lying curved around him, still half covered with bedding. Jim ran his hand down his lover's side, pushing back the sheet and blankets, easing Blair's body out of its curl until he could lie on his side, facing him. He pushed the boxers down, reaching for the thick cock with eager fingers.

It felt so good to touch him again, even better to close his lips over the sensitive cockhead and taste Blair's arousal. A groan and a quickly repressed jerk of Blair's hips told Jim that the pleasure was entirely mutual. He let his lips slide down the burning shaft to the base and stayed there a moment, while wiry, musk-scented curls tickled his nose.

Gradually they fell into a rhythm, thrusting easily into each other's mouths. Nothing too intense, now, they could keep this going for a long time and the quiet sounds of pleasure they made were like a balm to nerves battered by a long and stressful day.

Jim slid his hands up and down Blair's back in long, soothing strokes. Everything felt good, from the wet clutch of Blair's mouth on his cock to the slick glide of sweaty skin against his own and the solid feel of Blair's cock in his mouth. He could feel his body gathering itself for that final effort, feel the tightening of his balls in Blair's careful grasp.

He let Blair's cock slip from his mouth, not sure he could control himself enough to avoid hurting Blair, and pressed his face into the damp, musky belly as his body jerked in the first throes of orgasm. It felt like his cock was close to bursting as he thrust deeper into Blair's mouth. His lover took it all, his lips locked tightly around Jim's shaft, and at the last moment, slid a finger deep into Jim's ass, reaching unerringly for his prostate. Jim muffled a hoarse cry against Blair's belly as his cock pulsed, then he collapsed into limp exhaustion.

Blair was still sucking him, sweet and gentle, when Jim stirred. He sighed and smiled, reaching down to ruffle the soft curls cascading across his thighs. "That was wonderful."

One last suck and Blair pulled back, dropping a parting kiss on Jim's depleted cock. "The best, man."

"Not yet." Jim turned his attention back to the solid erection pressed against his cheek. He licked up and down the length of it, sucked first one ball and then the other into his mouth while he gently stroked the shaft. "Ready for round two?"

"Oh man, you have no idea..." A quick movement of Blair's hips nudged the thick cock through Jim's encircling fingers.

Jim laughed softly and swung his lethargic body into a kneeling position, straddling Blair's thighs. "Just remember to keep the noise down, okay?"

He dimly saw Blair make a zipping motion across his lips and then fold his hands behind his head with a smug smile. Perversely, the gesture made him want to make Blair scream with pleasure. He chuckled quietly as his lips slid down, enclosing the thick shaft and allowing his teeth to graze lightly across the surface. Blair groaned helplessly, his hips bucking at the stimulation.

After a couple of long sucks, Jim released Blair's cock, pumping it firmly with his hand before taking it into his mouth again. For several minutes he alternated between using his hand and mouth until Blair was writhing beneath him and pressing the back of his fist into his mouth to stop himself crying aloud. Sharp, panting breaths lifted his ribcage and made a taut concavity of his belly.

Jim drew back a little, watching greedily as Blair's hips thrust into his fingers and his balls drew up so high they all but disappeared. A choking sound gave Jim his only warning as the iron hard cock pulsed in his hand, sending a spurting stream of cum across Blair's belly and chest. Then the sturdy body relaxed, and Jim admired the effect for a moment before leaning over his lover to lick him clean.

Jim woke, well before dawn, still in Blair's bed. His lover was curled up against his side, radiating heat and reeking of sex. All in all, a pleasant start to what was likely to be an unpleasant, and dangerous, day. He slipped out of the bed and showered quickly without soap or shampoo. Their story of being on the run all night was hardly going to hold up if they arrived at Madison's house smelling freshly washed.

He pulled his clothes out of a black plastic trash bag still damp, very crumpled and smelling unpleasantly ripe, and pulled them on with a grimace of distaste. Blair was still asleep when he went back into the bedroom and he sat on the bed and looked down at his partner in crime. He'd fallen in love with Blair, and that was probably the stupidest thing he'd done in a lifetime of blunders. He was pretty sure that Blair was in love with him, too, but that was more likely to make the younger man run in the opposite direction than to fall happily into his arms. After last night's talk, Jim understood why, but understanding didn't help very much.

In fact, right now Jim would have settled for being able to protect Blair, and he couldn't even do that. Blair had refused point blank to stay behind, and Banks had agreed with him. It was obvious that Blair was the key that would get them into Madison's house, but Jim was more concerned with getting him out again, alive. They were risking everything by trusting Banks and his men to come to their rescue. If anything went wrong, they could both die.

"Blair." Reluctantly, he shook the bare shoulder. "Wake up. Banks will be here any moment now. You need to get ready."

"Oh God..." Blair swiped at Jim's hand and blinked groggily, even though the only light was in the bathroom. "What time it is?"

"Almost four thirty. Go wash up. No soap, no shampoo, and don't brush your teeth." Jim moved away as Blair grimaced in disgust.

He sat on the edge of his bed, shirt still unbuttoned, and pulled the tidy hospital dressing off his wound with a wince. It was far too neat to have been applied by himself or Blair and though it was unlikely Madison's bodyguards would check that far, Jim wasn't prepared to take that chance. He found the supplies he'd packed last night and set about making a clumsy-looking bandage. The wound was still oozing a little blood and he pressed hard, groaning softly as pain shot through his side. With any luck Banks would have a steak or two in the fridge he could use to make the bleeding appear worse.

"Jim, are you...?" Blair came out of the bathroom, naked, as Banks stuck his head around the bedroom door.

"Time to get moving, you two." Banks scowled, his gaze firmly fixed on Jim until Blair retreated. "We've got half an hour, tops, before the rest of the backup arrives.

"Do they know yet what they're doing?"

Banks shook his head. "I'll tell them the target when they get here. There's no way I'm risking this getting back to Wilder until I face him with it."

Jim grinned faintly. For the first time in eight years he was starting to feel sorry for his captain. "Sandburg, you ready yet?"

Blair wandered out of the bathroom, fully dressed now, but just as unconcerned as the first time. "I'm good to go."

As they followed Banks downstairs Jim couldn't resist the temptation to press his hand lightly against Blair's lower back. Touching the younger man always seemed to settle his nerves. Blair glanced up at him with a little smile and leaned into his hand a little.

In the kitchen Detectives Rafe and Brown were drinking coffee, and the smell was enough to make Jim's mouth water, but he didn't pour himself a cup and neither, after a moment's hesitation, did Blair. The doorbell rang and Banks excused himself, returning with a tall slender dark haired woman and heavily built older black man.

"Megan Conner, Joel Taggert - this is Jim Ellison, from Vice, and Blair Sandburg. Sandburg's helping us with the case." Banks nodded towards the coffee machine and Taggert poured himself a cup while Conner eyed the pair of them curiously.

"These are the people who are going inside?" Her voice, Australian accented, was politely sceptical.

"Yes. The target is Robert Madison." Banks ignored the swift intake of breath from Taggert, turning his attention to Conner. "We've been after him for years, and this is the first time we've even got close. That's why I chose you two. Conner, no offence, but you're too new to this city to have come to Madison's attention, and I'd trust Joel with my life. It's almost certain that Madison has an informant in the department, possibly even in Major Crime."

The newcomers nodded their understanding and Taggert produced a small plastic box fron his pocket. "I got the piezo transmitters from Lt Plummer."

The transmitters appeared to be about the size of Tic-Tacs and settled easily inside Jim's mouth between his gum and cheek. Blair popped his transmitter into his mouth grinned. "I'd better not forget and swallow."

"No. You better not." Banks seemed entirely unimpressed at Blair's attempt at humour. "Everybody ready?"

The sky was just beginning to lighten as Jim and Blair were dropped off, two blocks away from Madison's house. Blair shivered in the chill drizzling rain and grumbled under his breath, but Jim was almost relieved by the unpleasant weather conditions. By the time they reached the house, they'd both look even more disreputable than they did now. If Madison was in any doubt about their motives in going to him, it might just give them a small advantage. They would certainly look like desperate fugitives.

"Dammit, Jim." Blair shoved his hands into his pants pockets. His clothes were totally unsuited for any kind of bad weather, and he already looked cold and miserable. Fine droplets misted his hair and damp tendrils clung to his unshaven cheeks. "Tell me again why we're doing this?"

"To save your sorry butt." Jim shrugged. His career, he'd begun to realise, was probably beyond saving. "Besides, I've wanted to bring Madison down for years. And then, there's the little matter of those terrorists and contract killers the two of you have been bringing into the country."

That earned him a resentful stare and a silence that stretched out uncomfortably between them. "Sorry, Chief. That was out of line."

"No. I guess I deserved it." Blair eyed him warily.

"No. You didn't." Jim repressed a sigh. This whole set up could go very wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to go into it with bad feelings between them. "Listen, Blair, just be careful. I'll try to cover you, but when things start going down I want you right out of the way. Just hit the floor and stay there, okay?"

Blair stopped and turned to face him. "And what are you going to do?"

"My job." Jim smiled grimly. "But I don't want you to get hurt. When Banks and the others come in, it's going to get dangerous."

There was so much more Jim wanted to say, but every word was being recorded in the surveillance van. He met Blair's eyes, trying to convey his emotions without words. After a moment the younger man's face softened a fraction and he nodded. They continued walking, in silence, but occasionally Blair's shoulder brushed against his arm.

Even walking slowly to allow the surveillance van time to get in place, it only took five minutes to reach Madison's house, and just a little longer to gain access. The ease of it all brought a frown to Jim's face. Nobody seemed concerned by either their arrival or their scruffy, malodorous state, and the household was far too peaceful, considering that one of its members was currently in hospital and two others in police custody. They hadn't even been checked for weapons or wires.

Madison didn't appear at first. Instead, Blair and Jim were ushered into the study, as Blair had predicted, and offered coffee and hot rolls. It gave Jim the opportunity to examine the room, for which he was grateful. They were on enemy ground now, and his Army Ranger training had come flooding back from the recess of his mind.

The layout of the room Blair had described was almost perfectly in tune with what he saw now. The large desk and a solid looking leather couch were the main pieces of furniture, and either would make good cover, if needed. The rest of the furniture was useless either as weapons or cover, being too big to throw easily, but not big enough to hide a human body for very long.

Satisfied he'd learned everything he could, Jim leaned over Blair's shoulder and lowered his voice to a whisper. "If there's any trouble, get down behind that couch, okay?"

"Jim, I'm not helpless, okay?" Blair kept his voice equally low. "I may not have your training, but..."

The slight pressure of Jim's lips against Blair's silenced the younger man. "I want you out of the way, Chief. Madison's guys will be armed, and if I can get a gun off one of them, I'll need a clear field of fire. Okay?"

He could see Blair didn't like it, but the other man nodded reluctantly and said nothing.

"Good." He reached past Blair and snagged a third hot roll.

Jim was emptying his second cup when Madison entered the room, fully dressed and looking as though he'd had a leisurely shower and breakfast. He'd certainly had enough time. The curtains were still drawn in the study, but light infiltrated through the tiny gaps in the fabric. It was almost full day now.

"Robert! Oh, man, am I glad to see you." Blair almost pounced on the older man. "You won't believe what Jim and I have been through. Jim got shot, and we spent half the night hiding out in the woods."

"You're wounded?" Madison turned to Jim, his face a composed mask. "Do you need a doctor, Jim?"

"It's just a flesh wound." Jim shrugged. "I'm fine. But I'd sure like to know what's going on. Blair told me there'd be no trouble, and instead we got the cops and FBI all over us. We're in serious trouble here."

"I'm as much in the dark as you are, Jim." Madison spread his hands in a pacific manner. "Poor Carl is in hospital, and Gary and Stuart are both under arrest. I can only hope my lawyers will be able to help them out, but I'm very much afraid they'll be facing a prison sentence."

"They're not the only ones. Mr Madison, I don't know if the cops identified us, but I'm sure they'll have descriptions of us circulating by now." Jim met his eyes squarely. "We're going to need help getting out of Cascade."

"Of course I'm always ready to help a friend in trouble." Madison smiled blandly and Jim noticed how carefully he was avoiding saying anything likely to incriminate himself. "I've called my lawyers, and I really think we should wait for their advice before making any decisions."

"Come on, Robert. You know what the pigs are going to think. We won't stand a chance if they find us." Blair's voice was rough with desperation and even though Jim knew it was an act, he inched a little closer to him. "Man, you're just so lucky you were late for that meeting. Otherwise we'd all be in trouble."

"Blair, please..." Madison gestured to them both to sit as he took his own seat behind his desk. Another of his bodyguards came in and spoke quietly to the older man. "My people will be here shortly. Let's just relax. Would you like more coffee? Something else to eat?"

"No. Thanks all the same." Jim watched warily as the bodyguard moved back a pace and took up position just behind and to the right of his boss.

"Yeah, thanks, Robert, but I'm fine." Blair glanced over at Jim, his face showing his concern. Madison was giving nothing away, and though Jim had expected that, the calm, unruffled facade Madison presented was beginning to seem impenetrable.

It was time to stir things up a bit. "Obviously, somebody tipped the cops and FBI off about this guy you were smuggling in. It wasn't me and it wasn't Blair, so who else besides you knew about it?"

Madison's lips thinned. "Jim, I don't know what Blair told you, but..." he broke off at the sound of voices outside the study and smiled coldly. "Ah. It's about time."

Jim thought he'd been prepared for just about any eventuality, but he realised that he'd been mistaken. He'd never expected to see his own boss, or to have his suspicions so comprehensively confirmed. He stood abruptly, and the expression on his face must have been just as stunned as any of the onlookers could have hoped for. For a moment he even forgot Blair, scrambling out of the chair beside him.

"You know, it's almost worth all the trouble you've put me through to see that look on your face, Ellison." Wilder practically exuded satisfaction. He was considerably more crumpled than Madison, and Jim could see a tiny patch of stubble Wilder had missed in a clearly hasty shave. "But I'm gonna enjoy getting you and your little fuck buddy out of the way even more."

It was severely tempting to throw himself at the older man and wipe the smug smile off his face, but Jim held his ground with an effort. It helped that two other men had followed the cop into Madison's study and stood slightly behind him. It was a large room, but with seven men, four of them rather bulky, inside, it was becoming a little crowded. With luck, Jim would be able to use that to his advantage.

"So you're bent." Jim got the words out evenly from between clenched jaws. "Funny how little that surprises me."

"Yeah?" Wilder's grin widened. "It sure surprised me you never figured it out." He glanced across at Madison. "I told you they'd come here. Ellison never was much of a thinker."

"Apparently so." Madison's voice was cold with disdain. There was obviously no love lost between the two. "But enough of one to do the job you set him. Really, Blair, I'm disappointed in you."

"Robert... I... I only told them what I did because I had no choice." Blair smiled nervously at Madison, still calmly seated behind his desk, the only person in the room not on his feet. "You're not gonna hold that against me are you? I brought Ellison here. That's gotta be a good thing, right?"

"It's useful." Madison inclined his head slightly, "but I don't take kindly to being betrayed. Fortunately, without you to give evidence, I really won't need to worry overmuch. I'm sorry it has to end this way, though."

"I'm not." Wilder's voice was oily with satisfaction. He drew a gun out from under his jacket and aimed it unerringly at Jim. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time."

This, surely, was Banks' cue, yet Jim couldn't detect the slightest sound from outside the windows. He'd have to stall until the cavalry arrived. "You know, I've always wondered if you hated me because of who I was, or because I was gay."

"You never learn, do you?" Wilder gestured contemptuously with his gun hand. "It was never about you. You were just a convenience. I always knew I'd need a scapegoat one day, and you were just the best candidate. You played into my hands perfectly."

It was a sickening feeling to realise that Wilder was absolutely right. He'd been so wrapped up in his own self-flagellation that he'd reacted to Wilder's every manipulation with pathetic predictability. Hot shame flooded through Jim as he remembered some of their exchanges and his behaviour afterwards. In that frame of mind it was easy to believe that Banks was just another betrayer; that there was no cavalry coming to the rescue.

"That bastard Banks... is he in on this too?" His voice came out low and savage, and Jim saw Wilder blink. "Well? Is he?"

"Jim..." Blair tugged at his sleeve, distracting him, and Jim pulled himself together. The time for stalling was running out; whether Banks was coming or not, he had to make a move.

"Blair, stay out of this." He pushed his lover, hard, into one of Madison's goons and jumped at Wilder - the only man in the room with a gun actually in his hands. "Get down."

For a few moments, it was almost an even fight. Madison and his bodyguard were behind the large desk, one of the other two minions was tangled up with Blair. That left Wilder and Madison's third man. Jim managed to tackle his boss and send him reeling into Number Three. A couple of quick punches to the older man's gut was enough to loosen his grip on the gun and Jim wrenched it out of his hands.

"Give it up. You're all under arrest." The words had about as much effect as Jim had expected. The other men, except for Blair, struggling with the man Jim had pushed him into, and Madison, were already drawing their weapons. "Blair, get down!"

With Blair on the floor, hopefully behind the couch, Jim would have free reign. He might be outnumbered, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about hitting anybody on his side. The only trouble was, Blair was still struggling with the man Jim had pushed him into. The odds were ridiculously stacked against him, but that fact didn't seem to have entered his lover's mind.

Madison's goon was lifting his gun, aiming directly at Blair when Jim fired at him across the large desk. The man fell back, clutching his arm, but not before he fired off a round. Then, at last, the windows crashed open. The room was suddenly full with struggling bodies and the air blue with curses. Above them all rose Banks' already familiar bellow. "Police! Put your weapons down!"

It had no effect that Jim could see. He was busy wrestling the gun out of the wounded bodyguard's hand, and it certainly didn't look as though any of the others were considering surrender. With a vicious twist of his arm, Jim forced the larger man to bend almost double or risk having his arm broken. The gun dropped from a nerveless hand and Jim caught it easily. A quick blow to the head with the butt, and his opponent was out of the game.

Already, the brawl was winding down. Madison was standing by the study door, his hands in the air, with Conner holding him at gunpoint. Wilder was struggling between Rafe and Brown, but making no headway, and Taggert was watching over Madison's two henchmen, lying prone with the hands clasped behind their heads. Banks was busily speaking into a cell phone, his expression one of considerable satisfaction. He tossed Jim a pair of handcuffs and Jim lost no time in securing his own erstwhile opponent.

"Blair?" Jim caught a glimpse of Blair's shoes, sticking out from behind the couch and grinned. "You can come out now."

It only took a moment for him to realise there was something seriously wrong. He should have known that Blair wouldn't stay in hiding once the other cops had arrived. Jim threw himself across the small space and dropped to his knees beside Blair's slowly stirring figure.

"Where are you hurt?" There was no sign of any injury on Blair's back, and Jim gently eased him over. "Oh, shit... Banks, we need an ambulance!"

Blue eyes opened warily, dark against Blair's suddenly pale face. The morning stubble and tangled hair only added to the impression of frailty. Blair groaned. "Oh, God, it hurts, Jim..."

"I know." Jim's hands were shaking as he pulled aside the bloodstained jacket and shirt. "It's not too bad... high enough not to hit anything important. Just lie still, okay?"

"Sure. I'm not going anywhere." Blair smiled weakly and closed his eyes, then groaned again as Jim put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

He felt, rather than heard Banks at his back, then a couple of soft, monogrammed towels appeared over his shoulder, Jim grabbed one and pressed it against Blair's bloody shoulder. "Hang in there, Chief. Paramedics'll be here any minute now."

"Jim..." Blair opened his eyes, staring up at him almost pleadingly. It looked like he was starting to go into shock.

"You're gonna be okay." It would be better to leave him lying flat on the carpet, but Jim slid an arm under Blair's shoulders and eased him up into a sitting position, supporting Blair with his own body. "Somebody get a blanket."

He arranged Blair's arm, carefully supporting it, and Blair sighed, drooping gratefully with his head on Jim's shoulder. Conner appeared with a dark rug and arranged it over Blair. "They're on the way. We couldn't risk bringing them in too soon and giving away our intentions."

The soft twang of her voice seemed to soothe Blair and he shifted his head to look up at her. "Thanks. Ouch!"

"Well, keep still." Jim tightened his arm around Blair and raised his hand to cradle his lover's head gently. "And don't talk. Save your strength, okay?"

"You got it." Blair's voice slurred and he moaned under his breath. His body slumped against Jim's, but Jim could feel his heartbeat, a little too weak and a little too fast, but reassuring in its steadiness. He was still counting the beats under his breath when the medics arrived.

"What, no flowers?" Blair grinned weakly up at him as Jim pushed the door closed behind him.

Jim dropped the magazines on the nightstand and perched on the edge of the bed. "I'm allergic."

"Huh."

"Besides, the doc says you can go home day after tomorrow. It's hardly worth buying flowers." Jim studied his lover's pale face. One of the nurses must have shaved him; he was looking almost presentable this morning, after a night's sleep. "The wound had a nice clean entry and they got the bullet out easily. You're damn lucky."

"I don't feel lucky." Blair shifted against the pillows and winced. "And I don't really think I have a home to go to any more."

"Yeah, well..." Jim swallowed, suddenly nervous. He'd anticipated that little problem. "It could be awkward. Karma's still closed up, though I managed to get some of your clothes out. Banks is going to help me get the rest of your stuff released in a couple of days. Anyway... you could, uh... you could stay at my place for a while."

He felt unaccountably vulnerable, making that offer, and it took a while for Blair to respond. The younger man's eyes were downcast and his face unreadable for what seemed like an eternity, then Blair looked up at him. "Stay at your place?"

"Yeah. For a while." Jim shrugged casually, then realised his fingers had somehow twined themselves with Blair's. "For as long as you like, actually."

"Oh." Blair smiled tentatively. "So, are you, like, saying you want me to stay with you?"

"Sure." Suddenly, it seemed easier. Jim leant forward and kissed Blair gently on the lips. When he drew back, Blair's free hand caught hold of his shirtfront and dragged him back for another, much longer and more intense kiss. "Blair, I..." oh God, this was hard... "I love you, and I know that isn't what you..."

"Shut up." Blair kissed him hungrily and then pushed him away. "Are you crazy? You're a cop, for crying out loud. And I'm..."

"It doesn't matter." Jim smiled, relaxing a little for the first time. "None of it matters, okay? Just tell me what you want from me, and we'll work things out."

"Oh, sure. Like it's ever gonna be that easy." Blair sank back, closing his eyes as the energy visibly drained out of him. "I don't even know what I want, okay, Jim?"

"Okay." Jim kissed Blair's temple and brushed back his hair. "Look, don't sweat it. You need a place to stay for a few days? You've got it. Everything else can wait."

Banks looked up as Jim knocked on the open door of his office. "Ellison. Come on in. Take a seat."

He sounded almost approving, and, as Jim sat in one of the two chairs available, Banks stood up and moved to close the door. "You want a coffee?"

"No thanks, Sir." Jim met Banks' level stare with one of his own. "I really appreciate your help with Sandburg's things."

"Least I could do." Banks dismissed the whole issue with a wave of his hand. "How is he?"

"Recuperating. And bitching about being shot." Jim chuckled softly.

He'd brought Blair home from the hospital two days before and his loft had already been turned upside down. Blair was used to a cleaning service picking up after him and was having trouble with the concept of doing such things for himself. What was strangest of all was that Jim didn't seem to mind either the mess or the constant stream of visitors that Blair's presence engendered.

"Huh. Probably a sign he's feeling better." Banks opened a folder and held out a sheet of paper. "Sandburg's deal with the DA still stands, in exchange for his testifying against Madison and Wilder. With your testimony as well, the case against them is pretty well sewn up. Wilder's already telling everything he knows in the hope of copping a plea bargain."

"Good." Jim scanned the letter quickly, then stared at Banks in shock. "Sir, this..."

"I'm not too proud to admit when I make a mistake." Banks took a cigar out of his vest pocket and clamped it between his teeth. "I'd be more than happy to offer you a place in Major Crime. You've earned it."

Jim managed to get his mouth shut long enough to swallow. "Thank you, Sir, but..."

"Just tell me you'll take it."

"I can't." Surprisingly, Banks' offer simply confirmed what Jim had suspected for a while. "I really appreciate the offer, but... it's... I don't think it'll work. Wilder's been undermining me for years. You know what some of the rumours are about me. This offer... it's great, but there's always going to be trouble for me in the PD. I've already written out my resignation. I was going to hand it in today."

Banks sighed, but he didn't look too surprised. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"I'm sorry too, but I think you know I'm right."

A low grumble was as close to an affirmation as he was likely to get. "Do you have any plans, Jim?"

"Yeah, I do." A rare smile widened Jim's mouth. "Blair's kinda out of work too, now. He's agreed to go into partnership with me."

It was a first step. Blair was still wary, still unwilling to commit himself emotionally, but already Jim could see him weakening. Things were going to be okay between them. It would just take a little time.

"Doing what, exactly?" Banks eyes narrowed suspiciously as Jim's grin grew.

"Private investigations. Security work." Jim shrugged. "With my background and Blair's computer and people skills... I think we'll make a good team."

"God help us." Banks shuddered, but he didn't seem too upset. He leaned forward, extending a hand. "Well, good luck. If it works out, then no doubt I'll be seeing you both again."

"I guess so." Jim stood and shook his hand. "I ... thank you. For everything."

Blair was waiting for him outside. His arm was still in a sling and he was just a little paler than usual, but Jim hadn't been able to talk him out of coming at least this far. He'd wanted to go inside to see Banks, but Jim had vetoed that firmly. It had been difficult enough on his own. He hadn't needed an audience, not even a partisan one.

"So, it's all settled?" Blair smiled.

"Yep." Jim nodded curtly. It had been his own choice to resign and he didn't regret it; but this wasn't what he'd hoped for when he'd entered the Academy and a part of him regretted that he'd got to this point. "My resignation's effective immediately. I think they're just glad to get rid of me. I'm an embarrassment to the PD."

"That's so unfair." Blair heaved a sigh and when he spoke again, his voice was resigned rather than angry. "Guess we both know how that feels, huh?"

His mood suddenly lightening, Jim put his arm carefully around Blair's shoulders and brushed a kiss against his temple. "It's done now. Let's forget about it. Let's go home and fuck."

A choking sound came from Blair's throat. "Man, just when you think you know somebody..."

"Don't you want to?" Jim smiled down at him. "Getting tired of me already?"

"You, Jim? Never." Blair poked him in the ribs. "At least, not as long as you keep shaving. I love that."

"I dunno, Chief. It's kind of a hassle, you know?" Jim heaved a longsuffering sigh. "I don't know if I want to keep doing it. It's only been a couple of weeks and I've already gotten pretty sick of it."

"You know, I noticed this morning there's a bit of stubble growing in again." Blair's eyes were calm, thoughtful, as he lifted them to meet Jim's. "Is it uncomfortable?"

In fact, Jim hadn't noticed any stubble, far less discomfort, but he smiled. "You want to do something about it?"

Blair's eyes lit up, much to Jim's amusement. "Sure. You use a safety razor, right?"

He was already beginning to regret his offer. "You do know I wouldn't trust just anyone with this?"

An easy laugh was all the reassurance Blair offered. "Don't worry, I've shaved other guys before. Well, their faces, anyway... this can't be any more difficult."

"You have no idea how much better that makes me feel, Chief." Jim hurried his lover along the street. The day stretched ahead, with nothing else that needed to be done. "Now, about the name for the agency... I'm thinking Ellison Sandburg Investigations. It's discreet, professional..."

Blair interrupted hastily "Yeah, but Sandburg Ellison Investigations has a better flow to it, don't ya think, Jim?"

"No." Jim repressed a grin. He'd been expecting this. "Besides, I'm the senior partner here."

"You're kidding me, right?" Blair grinned up at him cheekily. "Just 'cause you're older..." He pulled away hurriedly as Jim's fingers pinched a dangerously ticklish spot on his ribs. "Hey! Injured hero here, Jim."

End Bad Karma by elaine: hobbes@quicksilver.net.nz

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