Summary: A missing scene from Switchman. A new partnership is formed.
Notes: This takes place right after Jim tosses the bomb out the rear window of the tour bus. Special thanks to Kathleen for the beta and Becky's transcripts for portions of the dialogue below. Spoilers for Switchman. Rated G
Disclaimer: Not mine. Written for fun only.
Green Street Bridge
"Everybody, get down!" yelled Jim Ellison as he dove for cover.
On the heels of his warning, a powerful explosion rocked the bus and shook the bridge for several heart-stopping seconds.
Then all was quiet.
Blair lifted his head and blinked. The grooved floor mats around him were peppered with bits of plastic, glass and other debris. People moaned and stirred as he slowly hauled himself up for a look out of one of the broken windows.
As the smoke from the explosion wafted away, the wail of approaching sirens grew louder. Fire engines, vans and a dozen squad cars pulled up onto the undamaged portion of the bridge. By the time his brain had fully absorbed the fact they'd all survived the bomb blast, the battered tour bus was surrounded by a swarm of emergency personnel. Between the yellow-clad firefighters hauling hoses and the SWAT team members in black, it was a colorful whirl of activity outside. It felt surreal, being the focus of so much attention.
The voices of the frightened tourists drew him back. A young couple sat across from him, holding hands, their faces pale and drawn. A little girl clutching her stuffed toy cried as her father whispered and stroked her hair reassuringly. An older woman tried to comfort another sobbing child. Fear, shock and disbelief showed on everyone's faces.
Their reactions were understandable. It had been one hell of a close call. His own heart was still racing and his adrenaline levels had probably hit a new all-time high.
The only one who appeared relatively unfazed was Ellison, crouched at the front of the bus. Head cocked, expression watchful, he looked like a sentry, waiting for his relief to arrive.
Blair winced again as he massaged his aching right hand. Veronica Sarris still lay unconscious on the floor. He was not in the habit of hitting a person, let alone a woman. But upon reflection, he realized he would do it again. After a few moments, she twitched slightly then her eyes opened. A flicker of bewilderment showed in her face as she looked around. It quickly changed to anger as she gazed up at the man she meant to destroy. Expressionless, Ellison waited for her to sit up before cuffing her.
A tall, well-dressed black man wearing glasses cautiously poked his head into the doorway of the bus. "Jim?"
Ellison glanced up. "Captain."
As the captain leaned in further, he glanced quickly at Veronica, then scowled at the detective. They exchanged looks. Their body language spoke volumes to Blair about their working relationship. Ellison shook his head, apparently meaning he was uninjured. The worried expression on the taller man's face softened and he relaxed his posture slightly.
"I take it this is the Switchman. Has she been read her rights?"
Jim nodded as he helped Veronica to her feet. "Yes, sir."
"How are the passengers?"
Jim jerked his chin over his shoulder. "Pretty shaken, but they seem to be okay for the most part."
The captain stepped back as Ellison escorted Veronica down the steps and out of the bus toward a group of waiting cops. Clearing his throat he turned and looked at the anxious faces. "It's all over folks. You're safe now. Everything is under control."
Blair heard a helicopter hovering overhead and wondered briefly it was a police or news chopper.
"We're going to have you all out of here in the next few minutes." He moved aside as another man entered. "This is Captain Taggert. He'll direct you to a safe area." With that he turned and exited the bus, leaving Taggert in charge.
Picking up his backpack, Blair waited patiently at the rear of the line as the shaky passengers filed out, one by one. As he shuffled toward the man waiting at the doorway, he paused to look over his shoulder at the small shards of glass scattered over the smoke-blackened seats in the back.
He recalled seeing the glass shatter as Jim hurtled himself bodily through that rear window. It was an utterly amazing image, one he was sure would be burned in his memory for a long time to come. Hell, it was a stunt worthy of an action flick.
"Hey, son." A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.
Blair turned his head and gazed into Taggert's face. The dark brown eyes were sharp and assessing, but kind. "Heck of a way to see the sights, huh?
He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, it was something else. Think there'll be a refund?"
Taggert smiled. "Why don't you wait over there with the rest of the group." He glanced at the red, swollen knuckles gripping the straps of the backpack. "Looks like you hurt your hand."
"Yeah, a little."
"Let's get you checked out then." He put his hand on Blair's shoulder and guided him toward the rest of the tourists now surrounded by other cops. Two ambulances had arrived and paramedics were busy opening the rear doors and setting up their equipment.
"We'll need to get statements from everyone, so this could take awhile," the captain warned as he steered Blair toward one of the ambulances.
"I'll be okay. Thanks." Glad to be out in the open, he took a deep breath and released it slowly. The number of people milling around had increased. Three bomb disposal unit officers rushed past him toward Taggert and the firefighters surrounding the bus.
Blair joined the tour group. Away from the bus, they seemed a bit more relaxed as they waited for their bags to be unloaded. Sliding his backpack to the ground, he pivoted slowly, scanning the crowd for Ellison. He spotted him talking to a small group of uniformed cops, Veronica next to him. As she was led away to a waiting squad car, she seemed dazed and vulnerable, a far cry from the chillingly confident young woman who announced her intent to kill everyone onboard, including herself.
He remembered the look of madness in her eyes and sighed. Some backup he'd been. He'd almost blown it, allowing his concern for Ellison to override his attention. The lapse was just enough for Veronica to kick the gun out of his hand. His knuckles throbbed in painful reminder and his back still ached from being elbowed. Lord knows how many bruises would show up in the morning.
At least he'd be around to see tomorrow, as would all the men, women and children from the bus. Setting aside his fears over his newly awakened senses, Jim had pressed on, never wavering in his pursuit of the Switchman. Blair wondered if all sentinels were as single-minded. Rubbing his chin, he thought about doing more research later. Then again, he was probably getting ahead of himself. He still didn't know where he stood with the detective. Besides, he could well imagine what Ellison would say when he found out how ineptly he'd handled Veronica.
"Hi there. I'm Cynthia Beckett, Channel Nine News. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"
Blair whirled around. A slender brunette accompanied by a cameraman eagerly approached the group. He ignored them and gazed past the damaged bus over to the large gash in the bridge just behind it. Another yard or two closer and the bus would've slipped right over the edge into the deep waters below. He took another deep breath to steady himself.
"Okay kid, you're up next." A cop tapped him on the shoulder.
Thankful for the diversion, Blair walked to the back of the ambulance and perched himself on the ledge above the bumper. As the paramedic removed his latex gloves and reached for a new pair, Blair heard the click of camera shutters. More reporters had arrived and were prowling around asking questions while photographers snapped pictures of the damaged bus and bridge. The paramedic crouched down next to him and examined his face closely. "Are you experiencing any dizziness or ringing in the ears?"
Blair shook his head.
"Any nausea?"
"No."
"Do you hurt anywhere in particular?"
"Um, mainly my hand." Blair stuck out his right hand.
"Hmm. This may hurt a bit." Blair hissed as the paramedic pressed down gently.
"Ow."
"Sorry." He probed a bit more then had Blair flex his wrist. "I don't think anything's broken, but you should get it x-rayed just to be on the safe side," he pronounced. "I'll wrap it up in the meantime."
The EMT's assessment was good enough for him. His medical insurance covered only the basic minimum as it was. A trip to the hospital would end up costing him money he couldn't afford right now. A shadow fell over him as the paramedic finished swabbing his knuckles.
"Just thought I'd check and see how you were doing."
Although he knew Taggert was there mainly to get a statement, he was still touched by the show of concern.
"What's your name, by the way?"
"Blair Sandburg."
The captain nodded then pointed at the bandages. "How's your hand?"
Blair flexed it carefully. "It'll be okay. Nothing's broken. How's everyone else doing?" A few people were still lined up at the other ambulance, waiting their turn to be examined.
"Pretty good, considering. Mostly a lot of cuts, bumps and bruises and a few sprains." Taggert paused, then added, "It could've been a whole lot worse."
"I hear you."
Pulling out a notepad, he jotted down Blair's name. "According to the other tourists, you were right there in the thick of things. I hear you punched out the Switchman."
Blair shrugged, a little embarrassed.
"I also understand you have a video camera."
"Um, yeah."
Taggert's eyes gleamed with interest. "You didn't happen to tape any of this while it was going down, did you?"
Caught off-guard, Blair stuttered. "Well, ah, just a little. I mean when Ellison went after her inside the bus." He stopped. "What a minute. This tape is for my research. You're not gonna to take it away from me are you?" He looked at Taggert pleadingly.
"Sorry, but the DA's office is going to want to take a look at it."
"Oh man." Blair sighed. He could tell he was on the losing end of this argument. He reluctantly opened his backpack and rummaged inside for the video camera. "You know, I really need this is for my dissertation," he muttered gloomily.
"Come on, Sandburg, give me the tape. It'll make my job a lot easier. Come on, we can subpoena it for evidence anyway."
"All right, but you gotta promise me you're gonna give me it back." It's more valuable than you think, he said silently to himself as he handed the cassette over.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
"He'll promise, he'll promise. You'll get your tape back, Sandburg." Ellison suddenly appeared next to Blair.
Taggert stared incredulously at the detective for a second. "Wait a minute. You know this guy?"
"Yeah. My new partner," returned Jim matter-of-factly as he began to walk away from the ambulance.
Surprised, Blair picked up his backpack and quickly scrambled after the detective. "Partner? Are you serious?"
Taggert shook his head as he pocketed the tape. New partner? That couldn't be right. His eyes narrowed as he turned to watch Blair trot off after Ellison. Or could it? "Huh, well I'll be..."
*~ The End ~*
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