THINKING FAST

The loft was suddenly quiet with that eerie quietness that follows a sudden argument or violent act.

Jim Ellison had heard most of the comments that he knew 1,001 ways to kill a man with a paperclip.  'It's not how many ways you know how to kill a man, but how many ways you know how to hide the body,' Jim ruefully thought as he stared down at the dead body at his feet.

"You surprise me.  I didn't think you'd kill Sandburg."

Jim raised his eyes from Blair's still body to the middle-aged man standing in front of him.  "What makes you say that, Collins?"

Ernest Collins, owner of three discount sporting goods store and aspiring arms dealer, shook his head.  "I just didn't think you'd kill your lover."

"What makes you think he's my lover?"

Collins smirked.  "Look at him.  Why else would he be living here for so long?"

Jim shrugged his shoulders.  "Apparently you think being my lover means more to me than it actually does."

Sam Austin, Collin's partner and brother-in-law, stepped closer.  "I figured a big time Special Ops guy like you would've been more imaginative than just to snap his neck."  He stood over Blair, preparing to kick the still body.

As fast as lightning, Jim reached out with both hands and yanked Austin off his feet.  Staring into the startled man's dark eyes, Jim coldly smiled.

"You use imaginative means when you want to find out something.  Did Sandburg know anything?  No.  So I wasn't inclined to waste my time and energy on him."  He roughly shoved Austin away.  "Keep that in mind in case I ever need to know anything from you, Chuckles."

"Enough!" Collins sharply ordered.  He glared at Austin who angrily turned away.  Then he looked at Jim.  "I admit I wasn't sure about you, Ellison.  But your contacts with ex-military men will be an asset to my organization."  He glanced down at Blair's body.  "And killing Sandburg proves you don't give a damn about the law."

"The kid wasn't supposed to be here."  Jim sighed in mock aggravation.  "He was supposed to be at the University."  He shook his head in amused resignation.  "Damn kid was never where he was supposed to be…like walking in on our little soiree."  He sternly glared at Collins.  "One thing I learned early in Covert Ops…you keep your home base clean.  Don't ever show up here again without an invitation.  I don't like surprise get-togethers."

"How do you plan on getting rid of the body?  You think nobody's gonna miss him?" Austin demanded.

Jim casually shrugged.  "He's an anthropologist.  He got a sudden invitation to study a tribe in deepest darkest Africa.  His mother's continually traveling, and he left to join her for a while.  I'm his best friend, remember?  If I'm not worried about him taking off, why would anyone else be concerned?  It's called thinking fast, Austin.  Check it out sometime." 

Austin shorted and walked out onto the balcony.

Jim reached down and pulled Blair's limp body into a sitting position.  Grunting, he pulled Blair over his shoulder.  "I'll just put Sleeping Beauty here to bed for now."

"That's cold, Ellison," Collins chuckled.

Austin stared down at Prospect Avenue then stiffened at the sight of a patrol car parked at the corner.  Turning, he rapidly walked into the living room.  "There are cops on the corner."

"So's a donut shop," Jim remarked him as he started towards the small downstairs bedroom.

"Like hell," Austin snarled, reaching for his gun.

There was an indignant squawk when Jim literally threw Blair's body into the bedroom.

The front door was forced open with Simon Banks yelling "Cascade PD!  Drop your weapons!"

Having thrown Blair's body to safety, Jim rolled once and came up with his gun pointed at Austin who was turning to aim at Simon.

Focusing his vision, Jim quickly fired.  The bullet from his gun struck Austin's gun hand.  The other man shrieked in pain as his gun fell to the floor.

Collins had been frozen in surprised shock, his right hand halfway to his jacket pocket.  His eyes darted from his brother-in-law, who was moaning in pain and holding his injured hand to the police officers crowding into the loft.  Then he slowly raised his hands and glowered at Jim.

"You're going down, too, Ellison."  Collins looked at Simon as his hands were pulled back behind his back.  "Ellison killed Sandburg.  Broke his neck with one snap."  He suspiciously eyed the two plainclothes detectives who snickered.

Simon glanced at Jim who was getting to his feet.  "Is that a fact?"  He walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a miniature microphone from behind a small statuette of a half-naked woman twisted into what seemed to be an impossible position.  He stared at the sculpture for a few seconds.  "Sandburg!  What the hell is this anyway?"

"It's a representation of..."

Collins stared wide-eyed at Blair who stood in the doorway.  Then he lunged at Jim before being caught by the two detectives.  "You bastard!"

"That's been there ever since we made contact.  As soon as they heard you and Austin arrive, my backup rolled," Jim smirked.  "It's called thinking fast, Collins.  Check it out."

"Get them both out of here!" Simon crisply ordered as he pocketed the microphone.

Both Collins and Austin were hustled out of the loft by uniformed officers.

"Jim."

The Sentinel of the Great City and former Special Ops Ranger froze.  Then he warily eyed his partner.

"You threw me."

Henri Brown made a show of examining the front door for any possible damage.

"Technically, it was a toss.  Not a throw," Jim pointed out.

"You.  Threw.  Me."

Brian Rafe scooted the small table that stood next to the front door back to its original position.  He was just thankful nothing had broken when they'd forced the door.

"You were supposed to be at the University," Jim pointed out.

Blair put his hands on his hips.  "Well, excuse me for coming home early!"

Jim glanced at Simon who was watching the argument with open amusement.  "How did he get past you, sir?"

Simon's amused smile faded.  "We weren't expecting him to show up.  First thing we knew, he was inside."

Blair glared at Simon.  "I parked down the street when I saw all the parking spaces were taken.  Now I know why."  He turned back to Jim.  "Which is beside the point.  You threw me!"

"And broke your neck," Henri helpfully pointed out.

Jim growled in his direction.

"And did some pretty decent trash talking about you," Rafe solemnly added.

"I think we need to let these two sort all this out," Simon quickly decided with a smile.  "They don't need our help for that.  Just get to the station in a half hour to complete the paperwork"

Jim glared at them as the filed out of the loft.

"Not inclined to waste your time and energy?" Blair accused.

"Oh, come on, Sandburg!"  Jim walked to the door, closed and locked it.

"Never where I'm supposed to be?"

"I think you showing up unexpectedly here today makes my point," Jim defended.

"Being your lover doesn't mean much to you?"

"Now, I never said that!" Jim argued.

"No, you said it meant more to Collins than it did to you!" Blair shot back.  "And you threw me!"

Jim walked over and stared down at the younger man.  "You didn't mind it when I threw you last week."

"Last week you threw me onto your bed and proceeded to love me out of my mind," Blair recalled.  "Today, you threw me on the floor.  A hard floor, by the way."

Jim slowly slid his arms around Blair's waist.  "Have I mentioned that I truly admire the way you think fast on your feet?  You picked up on what was going on without a second's hesitation."

Blair's blue eyes narrowed.  "You trying to get back into my good graces by sucking up to me, Ellison?"

"Me?"  Jim tried to look innocent.  "If I were going to suck up to you, Sandburg, we both wouldn't be standing on our feet."

Blair considered this for a moment then nodded.  "True.  Promise me you'll suck up to me tonight, and I'll let you off the hook."

"Deal.  I was getting tired of separate bedrooms and an audience listening in."  Jim pulled his lover closer and gently kissed his lips.


January 2004

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