The drive back to the station was quiet except for the occasional snickers from Blair, which earned him a scowl from Jim. He couldn't help it though! It was just too funny watching Jim futilely trying to act casual in the lingerie store full of women scooping up armfuls of after- Christmas sale panties. He'd come back in time to see Jim trying to usher Megan out of the store and not get stopped every step by women asking his opinion of a certain color or style.

Finally Blair couldn't resist the temptation any longer, and asked, "Jim, how come you were so uncomfortable in there? Didn't you and Carolyn ever go shopping together?"

Jim thought for a moment then got a small smile on his face, "Yeah... But shopping with Connor is a lot different that shopping with one's wife." Jim paused, giving his partner a warning glare, "Now if you have satisfied your curiosity, can we get back to the issue at hand. Did you find out anything about the robberies?"

Blair took pity on his partner and on the rest of the drive back to the station they discussed what they had discovered about the employees who were working on the nights the robberies had occurred.

Jim and Blair were no sooner through the door of the bullpen than Simon was calling them into his office. "Ellison, Sandburg! My office! Now!" His voice boomed throughout the room.

Blair caught the grimace on Rafe's face as they walked past. No one liked being called into the Captain's office; it rang too much of being called into the principal's office in grammar school.

Simon skipped the pleasantries as Jim and Blair walked in and took their usual seats. "Tell me you got something? The Chief is breathing down my neck about this case. Apparently the owners of the Mall, the De Bartlo's, know some people in high places and the pressure is coming down from the higher ups."

The partners filled Simon in on what little information they obtained doing the interviews. For everyone they had spoken to, it was the same story: no on had seen anything or the closing night person wasn't available. The lack of damage to shop doors and/or windows made it seem as if the robbers had keys or some other access to the stores. Simon's dislike of the lack of any remotely solid information was evident in the way he chewed on the end of his unlit cigar.

"I'm going to arrange for us to get some men in as extra security, but that is going to take a few days to get in place. Right now, I want you two to spend the night at the mall, after hours and see if you can turn up anything. There hasn't been any pattern to the robberies, but at this point I'm willing to try anything." Simon explained.

They spent the next several minutes talking over the details of the stake out and including how they were going to get in and when. They didn't want Mall security to know what they were doing in case there was a leak in the security company.

Simon sat back, satisfied with the plan they had outlined. "That's good for now. Why don't the two of you get out of here for a while and get some sleep before you show up tonight. I'll work on getting backup scheduled to be there if you need them."

Both detectives nodded gratefully as they made their way out through the bullpen and towards the elevator.

Monday night
Westlake Mall

Jim could feel his Guide's hand resting lightly on his back as he extended his senses across the upper level of the mall. The silence was nearly overpowering as they walked silently past a department store before stopping in a small access hallway.

Blair watched the Sentinel and waited for him to finish. His partner stood listening intently until he finally glanced at his partner, a small grin on his face. "Come on, I think they're down this way, on the ground level headed for the food court.

"There's a jewelry store at the entrance of that hallway." Blair whispered. "Any bets that's where they are?"

His partner didn't argue with him. "Let's go back this way and down the stairs. That'll put us behind the jewelry store and hopefully they won't see us." With long-practiced ease of working together, Jim and Blair headed for the circular stairway. Blair's hand resting lightly on Jim's providing a focus for the Sentinel to keep him from zoning because the only way Jim could see in the dark was by using his heightened sight. It also kept Blair from falling down stairs that he couldn't see.

As they cleared the center of the mall and approached the jewelry store, four black-clad shapes slipped out under the partially raised gate. The last person out handed a black bag to one of the others and turned to lower the gate and lock it. That confirmed Jim's suspicions that the thieves had access to a master security key. Before the group had a chance to move, Jim stepped out into the middle of the hallway.

"FREEZE! CASCADE PD!"

The four figures froze and it didn't take Sentinel hearing to hear the soft "Oh shit" that came from the person who had locked the gate. Three pairs of eyes looked over the detectives in front of them.

"Drop the bags now. Hands in the air."

The tallest of the thieves nodded slowly, the bag dropping towards the floor as though complying with the order. The masked face looked at the other three, turning sharply. A male voice rang out.

"RUN!"

The taller of the two remaining figures grabbed the bag as the other pulled an object from inside the bag. Suddenly a bright spotlight was turned on Jim and Blair as they rushed the thieves. Blair blinked and brought a hand up to shield his eyes.

The severe effect on Jim was immediate. His sight was dialed up when the light hit his dilated eyes. With a cry he fell to his knees, his arms going up in front of his face. Hearing Jim's distress, Blair turned to his Sentinel. Retreating footsteps made him think the thieves had run.

"Jim?"

Blair never saw the large figure swing the black bag, which connected with the back of his head. The young man fell to the floor beside his partner, not moving.

Ellison struggled with the imaginary dial that controlled his sight, sighing in relief as he could finally make out dark shapes. He had heard the running footsteps and couldn't hear anyone close to him except for Blair. Something was wrong though.

As he got his sight under control, his sigh turned into a gasp as he focused on the still form of his partner on the floor. He reached out to feel for a pulse even as his hearing latched onto a steady heartbeat. Between that heartbeat and the lack of blood, he knew the young man was okay, just stunned. Jim pulled himself to his feet and took off after the retreating thieves.

Running down in the direction of the footsteps, he spotted one of the thieves carrying a black bag run out the service entrance beside the security office. He kicked the door open just in time to see a dark green van speed off through the parking lot.

"Damn." He muttered, as he tried to focus on the van only to find that the license plate was missing. With another softly muttered curse he went back inside to help Blair.

Monday late night
Warehouse, unknown location

"What the hell happened out there tonight?" Evans yelled, angrily staring at the four young people that stood silently in front of him. He had picked them because they had a lot in common and fit the profile set by his employer. All four were good looking, as if they belonged on a movie set instead of working in the local mall. Also, they were all friends and had been since high school, attending a local community college together. They all shared a love for the thrill of danger. Evans knew he had to be careful though, the boys had never done anything to land them in jail-- until now-- and that could make the players very nervous.

"Well?"

"We weren't expecting the cops to show," Marcus answered. "The rent-a-cops hired by the mall have always been easily avoided and not a problem. So why are they bothering us now?"

Sean spoke up, concern in his dark eyes. "Because I don't think they were the rent-a-cops. The guy that yelled said they were from Cascade Police. Those were real cops, man.

"So I whacked a real cop. Just great." Marcus grumbled, running a hand through his short brown hair.

"And robbery is any better?" Kevin smirked, hiding a grin as Evans turned a glare towards him.

"What else were you supposed to do?" Andy asked. "Besides, we got away and they can't ID us or connect us to the robberies. Right? If you hadn't have whacked him they might have caught us."

"I don't like it." Sean said. "This is getting out of control. This is supposed to be fun. Knock off some stores and make some extra cash. For the challenge, because we can. But now cops are getting involved and people are getting hurt."

"For crying out loud, Sean. I didn't hit him that hard. He was probably up and about before we got out of the building good. All I did was slow him down." Marcus moved to lean up against a nearby table.

"Young Andy is correct, the situation is changing. But I disagree that it is out of control. The rules are simply changing. Life is like that. Things do not always happen as they should and one must learn to adapt or be left behind."

Everyone turned to look at the new arrival standing the doorway. Evans straightened immediately. It was rare that his employer made an appearance after a job. But then they had never had a botched job before. For a fleeting moment Evans wondered how the man had known about the police interference.

"Mr. Anders, please come in. We were just going over tonight's results."

A tall man, dressed in a black suit that made him look extremely pale, eyed the group with an air of amusement before taking a seat at the table that Evans used as a desk. "Results? Such as the arrival of detectives from the Cascade Police?" The smile was still there, but it was cold and mocking. Evans swallowed nervously.

"Yes, Sir. We knew that several detectives were at the mall earlier today, but we had no idea they would be there tonight. We don't know if they knew to be there, or just got lucky. And how did they know where to find the team?" Evans gestured towards the four young men standing silently to the side. "They know how to do their jobs."

Much to his surprise, Marcus spoke up. "The cop showing up wasn't our fault. We did everything according to plan, just as we always do. They just showed up, like out of nowhere."

"Not exactly out of nowhere." Kevin muttered.

"What do you mean?" Marcus turned to stare at his friend.

"They were at the computer store on Monday." Kevin answered. "The tall guy was and I think the guy with him tonight came in after him. The tall guy said his name was Ellison."

"You didn't tell Ellison anything did you?" Anders asked, his voice low.

"No. All he wanted to know was about who worked night shift and closing. But I didn't tell him anything and he left when a customer came in." Kevin stopped, a look of horror on his face. "Damn. The other guy, Sandburg. He was the guy with Ellison tonight. He said he had called a few days ago and talked to someone about Apple games. I figured he had talked to Marcus and told him what night Marcus would be working."

Silence fell over the group, with the four younger members shifting uncomfortably. Finally Marcus said, "But that still doesn't connect me to the robberies." No one answered him.

Evans sighed, looking at his boss. "They still don't have anything to connect any of us to the robberies-- especially you or I. We are doing rather well, so we could ease off for a bit until the heat is off."

"I want out." Sean announced suddenly, cringing when all eyes turned on him. "I'm sorry, but the cops? This is so not what I signed up for! It's not fun anymore and it's just not worth the risk for me. I can't afford to get caught!"

"Damn it, Sean!" Marcus practically yelled at his friend. "We can't panic now. We're all in this."

Sean headed for the door, settling a ball cap on his head. "I'm not. I'm out as of now. Don't worry; I'm not going to the cops. I just can't do this anymore." Without waiting for an answer from the stunned group, he walked out the door.

The remaining group in the warehouse stared at each other. Marcus cleared his throat. "I'll go after him and get him to calm down. The cops tonight spooked us, but we'll be back at work tomorrow."

"Good night, gentlemen." Anders nodded, clearly dismissing the young men. They looked relieved to be able to go, leaving Evans and Anders behind.

The two men watched the group leave. Evans stood watching his employer. "The boy could be a problem."

"Then make sure he doesn't become a problem."

"What about the police involvement? Do we continue with the program?"

Anders stared at the closed door a few moments before answering. "Let's skip Tuesday night, but go ahead with Wednesday. The appearance of the authorities simply adds to the challenge."

"Yes, Sir." Evans breathed a silent sigh of relief as he left the warehouse and his employer behind. Anders must be in a good mood. The last time they had to change plans on the spur of the moment, more than one person had ended up dead.

Tuesday Morning
The Loft

"Jim, come on. I'm fine. Not even a concussion." Blair complained as he caught his roommate watching him intently. "No dizziness. No blurred vision. No bruises. My head doesn't even hurt today."

"So you feel like going in today?"

"Yes, Jim. Of course I do. Trust me, I've been worse off than this. But if it'll make you feel better, you can let me at the shower first." Blair laughed as he dodged past his roommate to occupy the bathroom.

Jim was saved from a reply as the phone rang.

"Ellison."

Blair lost the rest of the conversation as he closed the bathroom door behind him, grateful for a short reprieve from questioning. Telling Jim he actually did have a headache was not part of the plan and nothing a couple aspirin and a cup of coffee couldn't fix. He emerged twenty minutes later, scrubbing at his hair to dry it. Another twenty minutes saw him leaving his bedroom to join a showered and dressed Jim in the kitchen.

"Who was on the phone?" Blair asked as he filled the juice glasses and followed Jim to the table.

"Simon. We need to eat and get on our way. A body's been found in a business park pond. He wants us to meet him and Megan there to take a look around."

"Far be it from me to question, but why? Megan can handle it."

Jim sat down to eat the scrambled eggs and toast. "Because the pond is less than two miles from Westlake Mall and the ID found on the body is for Sean Milner. He used to work at Cascade Used Books at the mall."

The two men finished their hurried breakfast in silence and left the loft.

Tuesday -- Late Morning
Lakeside Park

The 1969 blue and white Ford pulled to a stop beside the various police cars and emergency vehicles. The two detectives got out and Blair smiled as he heard Simon bellow an order at one of the uniformed officers.

"What's funny, Chief?" Jim asked, seeing his partner smile.

"Simon. There are times that a person doesn't need to be a Sentinel to find him in a crowd."

Jim was spared from commenting as they walked up to their Captain, who turned to greet them.

"Good morning, gentlemen. How are you doing, Sandburg?"

"I'm fine, Simon. One hundred percent. What have you got?" Blair smiled to let Simon know he appreciated the concern.

"Sean Milner. Twenty-one years old. Killed by a gunshot wound to the heart, then dumped in the lake. At least that's what the preliminary reports say. He was carrying ID and his employee badge from the bookstore at Westlake Mall."

"Wasn't that the first store hit by the robberies? On the same night as the electronics store?"

"Yes it was. And he had this in his pocket." Simon handed Jim a plastic evidence bag. Jim held the bag up for his partner to see.

"These look a little expensive for a bookstore clerk to be carrying around." Inside the bag were two sapphire rings and a matching necklace.

Simon nodded his agreement. "They still need to be checked for prints and compared to the list from the jewelry store that was hit two nights after the book store. I'd bet that these items are on the list."

Megan joined the group. "Good morning, Jim. Sandy. So does this look like it's related to your robbery cases?"

Jim nodded as he moved off to look around the site where the body was found. Blair and Megan followed so the Guide could keep an eye on his Sentinel.

Simon watched as Blair and Megan walked away, talking about the case, before moving forward to join Ellison. "Jim, do you think you could check out the scene and tell me if you find anything else?" Simon asked. This was too clean of a scene and he was hoping Jim would be able to find something, anything that would give him a direction to go in.

Jim walked around, lightly opening up his senses. Looking around the ground first he didn't spot much that was out of the ordinary: footprints leading up to and away from the pond in several places. His sense of smell didn't give him much to go on either. Just the normal wet, earthy smell of the ground from the overnight rain, plus a touch of pheromones from a couple using the bench to get a little late night action.

"Anything, Jim?" Simon asked but was waved off as Jim continued to walk around the scene.

Jim finally stopped beside Simon, noticing Blair had joined them again, "Anything?" Blair asked this time.

"Nothing out of the ordinary for a park and a pond. There wasn't any smell of gunpowder so that means he was dumped here after he'd been shot. There are several sets of footprints leading to the pond and away again but I doubt we could pin point which one carried Sean. There was another smell. Something I couldn't place, but I don't know what it is."

Jim looked at Blair, he could tell his partner was already gearing up to have him do some tests. "No Sandburg, I am not going to walk around town smelling things. It was probably something the couple who used the bench last night wore."

Simon shook his head, "Alright. I want you to go with Megan to Sean Milner's home. Let her handle the lead on it. I want you two as back up. And Jim," Simon waited until he was sure he had Jim's attention, "Use those senses of yours and see if you can detect anything out of the ordinary at his home."

Tuesday Afternoon
Milner House

The blue and white Ford pulled into the driveway smoothly behind the department car that Megan drove. Jim and Blair got out and waited for Megan to get her notes in order and take a deep breath before approaching the house. This was one part of police work that no one ever became accustomed to. They all knew this would be even harder because not only did they have to tell the family that a man was dead, but that he may have been involved in criminal activities.

Megan knocked on the door and introduced herself and the two detectives to the middle aged woman that answered the door. Mrs. Milner was dressed as though getting ready to go out for the afternoon. She quietly led them into the living room. The two men sat quietly as Megan explained what had happened and comforted the weeping mother.

After several minutes, Blair cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to ask this, Mrs. Milner, but may we look around Sean's room? Your son was found with items in his possession that came from a recent robbery at the mall. We think whoever did this may be connected to the robberies."

"You think my Sean was involved?"

"We don't know that. It's possible that someone he knew is involved."

The room was quiet as Mrs. Milner gathered herself and thought about the request. "If it'll help find the person who killed my son, then yes, you may see Sean's room." She looked up at her daughter who had slipped in the room to site beside her and was staring in shock at the news. "My daughter, Shelly, will show you."

Megan looked up at Jim and Blair. "The two of you go take a look. I'll sit here with Mrs. Milner for a bit."

They nodded and turned to follow the slim fair-haired girl up the stairs. She paused outside of a room at the end of the hallway. "This is... was Sean's room." Her voice shook. "Is there anything else you need?"

Blair put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Do you feel up to a couple of questions? If not, we can do it later."

"I don't know. I guess so."

"How about friends? Anyone that Sean hung out with a lot?" Jim asked quietly.

Shelly shrugged. "One that I know of, Marcus Wilson. Maybe some other guys that work at the mall." Her voice caught. "I'm sorry." She turned and fled down the stairs to the living room to rejoin her mother.

Jim sighed, "There are definitely days I don't like this job."