Work Text:
Dead Drop--Missing Scene
Usual disclaimers: The gentlemen in question do not belong to me but to the folks at Pet Fly Productions, UPN, Viacom, etc., etc. No infringement intended, no money being made. Please don't sue.
The ending of Dead Drop cried out for the scenes left on the editing room floor. This is just an attempt to discover what was so sadly lacking in the celluloid version.
Dead Drop - Missing Scene
(PG 13, slight m/m)
by Toshua
Jim
The remote flashed red. Jim saw it, heard it, even felt it. The explosion that it triggered rumbled through his feet, echoed in his ears. It triggered an explosion in his heart. BLAIR! OH GOD, BLAIR! I'VE LOST YOU!
Suddenly the man that was in his hands was worthless, worst than any criminal he'd ever dealt with. KILLER, MURDERER, YOU KILLED MY BLAIR! He wasn't thinking, wasn't feeling. Everything shut down as his anger took over. Ellison's hands wrapped tighter in the blue shirt, pulled the man who called himself Galileo closer, speaking through clenched teeth, barely able to get the words out.
"Why don't we drop you off the building and see how fast you hit the ground?" Jim dragged the struggling bomber to the broken window. It was going to be easy, just drop the asshole out the window. It would look like the struggle caused the fall. Blair would be avenged.
Galileo struggled in Ellison's grip as he was pushed to the window. "Wait, you can't! You're a cop!" The leg with the bullet in it collapsed and he sagged against the broken glass, shards slicing through this shirt and into his back. The wind was cold and whistled through the hole in the glass wall.
"Yeah? So what? You just killed my best friend, not to mention your wife. Why shouldn't you die?" The words were still coming through his clenched teeth. Jim was surprised he could speak. The red haze in his vision hadn't lessened. The primal animal that lurked just on the outside of civilization demanded this life for the one he'd just lost.
Jim shifted his grip, grabbed a belt loop. His prey was leaning over the window ledge now. A shift in balance and it would be all over. Blair would be avenged. His brave partner, who died trying to help this asshole's wife and unborn child.
"Just arrest me! I'll confess to everything, man." Galileo was hanging on to Jim's flak vest, trying not to look down. His eyes were frantic on the big detective, his mouth opening and closing, but Jim wasn't hearing or seeing him.
"Jim, can you hear me? It's Simon. Sandburg's all right. Jim! Are you reading me?" Simon's voice came over the earpiece, frantically shouting. "Jim! Blair's all right!"
"What?" Jim's head came up as the voice penetrated the fog, and he froze. "Simon, say again?"
"He's all right. They dropped the bomb through a hole Blair cut in the bottom of the elevator car. We'll have everybody out in a few minutes."
The red fog dimmed and Jim eased his grip on his prey, let the bomber sag to the floor inside the window. Another second and Jim would have killed, in cold blood, and felt no remorse in doing so. He looked down at the sobbing man, his hatred turning to disgust, then pity. Jim closed his eyes, lifting his face to the heavens as he took a deep breath. *Thank you Lord. For not taking him. I owe you another one.*
"Thanks, Simon. Have Brown get up here to the 37th floor, take custody of our bomber." Jim pulled out his handcuffs, absently snapped them on Galileo's wrist, attached them to a handy table. Now that the danger was over, he was shaking. Duty forced him to go to the door, unlock it so that Brown could get in. His knees couldn't give out yet.
He had 22 floors to go down to get to his partner. But maybe he could sit down, just for a moment, until he stopped shaking. He found a chair, dropped into it, while he waited for Brown and the other officers. Several deep breaths settled his heartbeat to a level that he could hear over. But his hands kept shaking.
"Taggart." Jim positioned the mike close to his lips again, rubbed his aching eyes. Come to think of it, his ears ached too. He'd been listening so intently for so long, looking for a solution to the dilemma that his partner had found himself in.
"Yeah, Jim." The captain of the bomb squad answered immediately.
"Where are you?"
"Sixteenth floor. Getting the explosives off the roof hatch of the elevator car. You all right?"
"Yeah." Jim sighed, he could hear Brown charging up the stairs. "Do me a favor."
"Name it."
"Stick around until Sandburg's outta there. Make sure he's okay."
"You gotta ask? He's the only reason those people lived to tell the tale. I'm not leaving until I know he's safe."
"Thanks, Joel. Owe you one." Jim motioned for the entering cops, pointed at the bomber locked to the table, and the body on the floor.
"You've got a real prize there, Ellison. Better take care of him."
"I'm trying, Joel. Tell Blair I'll be down just as soon as I
can, faster if they get the power back on." Jim pulled the mic and
earpiece off. Lord, he was tired.
Blair
He kicked the floor of the elevator car, almost falling through as the cut metal fell away. Strong arms grabbed him, pulled him back. Frantically he grabbed the briefcase, closed it and dumped it through the hole. Everyone gathered together in one corner as Blair mentally counted down the seconds.
The bomb exploded, shooting flames back up into the car momentarily, shaking the elevator shaft and their prison. *It went off early. Oh, man, he must have blown it with a detonator. If we hadn't gotten it out of here when we did-* Blair's thoughts went round and round while he was being congratulated and hugged. *Five seconds, six at the most and we would have-- oh, man.*
"Now what?" Katlin asked when all the shouting had died down."
Sandburg shrugged. "We wait for the cavalry. Shouldn't be too long."
"What do you think will happen to me?" her voice whispered, full of tears.
Blair shrugged again. "You were a victim, just like the rest of us. Who knows. I'm sure your father has good attorneys on staff." The cell phone rang. "Yeah?"
"Simon. We're getting the bomb off the roof so it shouldn't be too long. You did good with that bomb, Sandburg. Kept your cool."
"Thanks. Where's Jim?"
"Taking care of our bomber. I told him you were all right." There was a long sigh over the phone. "He heard the bomb go off."
"I bet. But he's okay?"
"Yeah. He should be down by the time we get you guys out. As soon as the bomb went off, I had them turn the power back on."
"Okay. I'll pass the word." Blair closed the cell phone, looked around at his fellow hostages. "They're getting the explosives off the roof now. Won't be but a few minutes."
"There were more explosives?" Katlin gasped. "He really did mean to kill me, didn't he?"
"Kinda looks that way." Sandburg could only shrug and offer a
sympathetic smile. His heart ached for the young woman. The trap
door opened and a fireman appeared.
Jim/Blair
Jim heard his partner's voice before he stepped clear of the opening elevator door. Now that he was on the same floor, could hear his friend's heartbeat clearly, could find his scent through everybody's else's, his world righted itself. Taggart looked up, caught Jim's eyes and grinned. "Told you I'd look after him," he mouthed silently.
Jim smiled back. He came up behind his partner as Blair turned around -- right into his open arms. Jim closed his arms around the smaller man, ignoring Taggart's grin and everybody around him. Blair settled into the larger man's arms without hesitation. murmuring "Jim." against the armored chest as he wrapped his arms around the cop. They stood that way for a moment, silent, as Jim held him tightly. Jim could feel the smaller body shaking and tighten his grip.
"Chief, you're all right. Thought I'd lost you." he whispered into the thick hair, feeling his voice break, smelling the sweat and fear that soaked his friend. He needed to get his partner out of here, before he forgot himself completely and crushed the smaller body in a desperate life-confirming kiss. "Had enough of this circus?"
Blair nodded and forced himself to step away from the strength that was holding him up. If his knees would just get him to the truck, he'd be okay. Jim was saying something about the university? *What? Oh, the statute that brought him here in the first place.*
Blair walked beside Jim, seemingly caught up in the discussion about the figurine as they exited the building, as if being caught in exploding elevators was an everyday occurrence. Outside, he stopped, looked up at the sun and took several deep breaths. He felt Jim's hand on his shoulder, first just a slight pressure that soon tuned into a tight grip, the tall body right behind him, solid in his right to be there. He reached up and covered it with his own.
"Jim, I was scared." He whispered it, not afraid of admitting it to his partner, but not wanting the rest of the world to know.
"I know. Me too. ." The tight grip turned into a caress that slid down Blair's back. "Home?"
"Home. What a sweet word." Blair started for the truck, parked in the middle of the street with all the other police vehicles. Jim unlocked the door, held it open for the smaller man. Sandburg settled into the seat, head back against the headrest, and closed his eyes. He heard Jim climb into the truck.
"Chief, you all right?" Jim reached out, brushed the long hair away from the side of Blair's face.
Blair rolled his face into the touch. He was shaking hard as the adrenaline that he'd been using to control his fear, started seeping away. He wanted to cry. He wanted Jim to comfort him. He settled for biting his lip, trying to control his trembling. "Do you think we can go someplace and just sit for a moment? I think my nerves finally caught up to me." The voice was a gentle plea.
"Sure, Chief." Jim fired the big engine and maneuvered the blue Ford through all the obstructions and finally into the street. As soon as they were on an open road, he reached over and pulled his partner closer, wrapping an arm around the shoulders and pulling him tightly to his side.
Blair settled his head on Jim's chest. The cop hadn't even taken off the flak vest. He smelled of gunpowder, sweat, fear. A shiver ran the length of Blair's body.
Jim felt it. "You're shaking." He pulled Blair tighter, offering a safe haven.
"Yeah, well, it's been a rough day." Another shiver ran through him, and Blair wrapped his arms around his partner, trying to get closer.
Jim spotted the turnoff he wanted and in a few moments they were at the end of a long pier, high above the water, totally alone. He turned off the truck engine.
Now, finally, he could react to the day. Blair was nestled safe in his arms. He could hear the heartbeat of his Guide, the steady sound of air rushing in and out of his lungs. "Chief, you frightened me out of ten years growth. How'd you manage to choose that elevator anyway?' He stroked through the long hair, feeling the silk and warmth.
"Karma, man. Guess Katlin needed somebody there." Blair looked up at his partner. Jim's eyes were glistening. "Jim, I knew you'd get me out."
"I didn't though. You got yourself out." Jim felt another tremor run through his partner. "Proud of you." He pulled Blair all the way into his lap, then lowered his head to the soft lips. "Don't ever scare me like that again." he whispered before settling his mouth over his partner's. His kiss became demanding immediately. He locked his hands in Sandburg's hair even as Blair's hands came up and grabbed his head. Tongues touched, dueled, teeth bit lightly. Finally the demand for air separated them.
Jim felt Blair's tremors as the stress of the day raced through him. He held him close, rocked the smaller man against his chest. "I almost lost you. When I heard the bomb go off, I knew you were gone."
"It was close, man. Too close." Blair's eyes were closed, face against Jim's neck. The tremors were easing and the knot in his stomach was beginning to loosen. Now he was tired, spiraling down from the fear. Jim's hands were in his hair, caressing his face, sliding down his arm. "I love you, Jim. Let's go home."
"All right. And when we get there, I'm going to take you to my bed and never let you go, love." Jim kissed the closed eyes. "Make sure that you're all right."
"Sounds good." Blair didn't open his eyes or offer to move from his position across Jim's lap. He just snuggled closer.
Jim shook his head as he reached around his partner and started
the engine. Driving home would be a challenge.
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