Jim and Blair stood silently together watching the cleanup activities taking place at the site. It was almost 10:00 AM. Crews were removing the remaining barrels from the truck, placing the entire barrel into slightly larger drums until they could be decontaminated. The fume cloud had already been controlled and dissipated by the fire department's water curtain. The vacuum truck was removing the runoff from behind the absorbent boom. The water would be taken to the water treatment plant to be purified.

The contamination in the park hadn't reached as far as the pond. But, the water would have to be tested repeatedly over the next few days due to the possibility of contaminated groundwater seepage. The soil in the vicinity of the accident site had been completely poisoned. The city was going to have to bring in heavy equipment to excavate the area that had been contaminated by the chemicals. All the soil would have to be hauled to a hazardous waste landfill. A two hundred square foot area of the park would have to be back filled, and replanted due to the damage from the chemicals. For now the hazmat team had simply taped off the area until the street spill area was cleared.

Blair finally broke the silence. "There isn't enough money in the world to get me to do that job. Think about it, Jim. These people intentionally walk into a situation from which any sane and rational person would be running away as fast as he could." Blair looked up at Jim and continued with a broad smile, "When you think about it, I guess this city has more than one 'Blessed Protector.' You know, warriors protecting the tribe from threat of invasion, even the chemical type. I feel, I don't know, kind of in awe of them and what they are willing to do."

"I know what you mean, Chief. This isn't a situation I'd want to be a part of on a regular basis either. It takes a very special type of person to take charge of this type of incident. Two of the three basic requirements for the job are knowledge and skill."

"What's the third requirement? "

"Will, Chief, the will to make a stand and protect those who don't have the ability to protect themselves. Knowledge and skill are easy to impart to anyone who is interested in learning. But 'will' can't be taught. It is inherent in the individual. And Blair, whether you believe it or not, you have the same will, or you wouldn't be standing here." Jim paused as he heard a phone ringing behind him. He turned to look, as Simon answered his cell phone.

"Banks... When... How long have they been out of contact... O.K. We're on it." Simon closed his cell phone and reported the bad news to the Commander. "The Cascade Power Company notified headquarters that they have lost contact with one of their maintenance crews. They were working over on Sixth Street. That's beyond the two-mile perimeter we established, so they didn't think there would be a problem sending the crew out there."

"I thought we had this situation contained. We are going to have to expand the isolation perimeter out past that point. The fumes will be more concentrated in a confined space like the sewer system and they would have traveled quicker."

"I'll have my people expand the isolation zone. Jim and Blair can check on the missing crew." Simon looked around the area for his two detectives. "SANDBURG! ELLISON! Front and center! Reeves has a little job for the two of you." Simon radioed to the officers manning the roadblocks to expand the safety zone out to a five-mile radius and requested more personnel from headquarters.

Reeves grabbed two bags of equipment from the command vehicle and handed them to the two detectives. "The missing crew may just be experiencing radio difficulties, or they simply didn't hear the call. Though truthfully I'm concerned. Crews are always supposed to leave one person at street level during any type of confined space entry as a safety measure. If you can't find that missing utility crew at their initial entry site, you can work your way down the street pulling manhole covers. We'd have to do that anyway to allow fresh air into the system. However, do not under any circumstances enter the sewer system to locate them. I know, this probably goes against every instinct you have as a cop to protect the public, but in the case of a potential chemical exposure, you have to be properly equipped and trained for entry. You would not believe how many 'rescuers' my team has had to retrieve. Unfortunately, in most cases, the victims that the rescuers were trying to save, were already dead."

Jim interrupted, "I know, Commander, during my time in the military, I received training equivalent to your Hazardous Materials Technicians. I'm more than capable of assessing the situation." Blair turned and stared at his partner with a surprised expression.

Reeves nodded her head and continued, "In each bag is a radio that is tuned to the hazmat team's frequency. Use these to report in. Also, in the bag are you personal protective equipment. This is a Tyvex suit, it will provide some basic protection to your clothes and skin, wear it. This is a chemical cartridge respirator. Before you go pulling any manhole covers, put these on. If the fumes have traveled that far, these will protect you. Jim, since you have had some previous training, I'll assume you know how to fit test these and can help Blair."

Jim nodded.

"OK, these are pocket masks for use with artificial respiration. You can't perform mouth to mouth resuscitation on a victim of chemical exposure. You will only put yourselves at risk. These masks have a one-way valve. Use them if anyone on that crew is in respiratory distress. That's everything, gentlemen. Please check in with Communications Officer Walters as soon as you arrive at the scene, and keep him informed of your activities."

Jim and Blair grabbed the bags, and headed for the truck.

As the truck pulled away from the command post, both men noticed the arrival of the circus, the typical media feeding frenzy that accompanied accidents such as this. Television news vans were blocking most of the street. Jim slowly attempted to steer the truck through the obstacle course of parked vehicles. Reporters and camera crews swarmed the truck, like piranha on fresh meat.

Blair glanced over at Jim's face, spotted his clenched jaw and warned, "Jim be a good cop and listen to your partner right now. I know what you're thinking, but remember, it's a felony. Don't do it. I don't want to have to arrest you. In your case, with your reputation and history with the press, they'll probably consider it premeditated."

Jim eyed his partner with a wry grin. "Don't worry, these guys have heads like bricks. I'd do more damage to my truck than to any of them. My insurance rates are high enough as it is."

Jim finally managed to get around all the parked vehicles and the tempting moving targets, and headed for Sixth Street. He glanced over at his partner and noticed a familiar gleam in his eyes. Blair got this same look, every time he was about to pry into Jim's personal life.

Resigned to the situation, Jim rolled his eyes and invited the inquisition to begin. "OK, Chief, go ahead, ask me whatever it is that you want to know. The suspense is killing me."

"Nah, it's not like that, Jim, you just surprised me. That's all. I thought I had already pried all your military history out of you. Everything you hadn't already repressed anyway. I didn't realize that you had received hazmat training during your tour of duty."

"Chief, in both the Army Rangers and Covert Ops, we had to deal with some pretty deadly biological and chemical agents. I don't like to remember that time. We saw first hand the deadly after-effects of their release into an unprotected population. They're not pretty memories. Those level-A suits were horrible to wear. They were extremely hot, very heavy and even I couldn't see much out of the plastic faceplates because they fog over so completely. It is not an experience I care to repeat and before you ask, no, I can't give you any details of specific incidents. So don't even bother. Besides, it really wasn't relevant. My certification expired a long time ago. Those guys have to have complete physicals, pass endurance tests and attend an eight hour refresher course every year in order to wear those suits."

"Wow, Jim, I think that's the longest explanation I've ever heard you give."

"What can I say, you're rubbing off on me. They also need to be able to stay very calm in these type situations. The medical history established a baseline blood pressure and pulse rate. If either of those indicators gets too high, the person is immediately pulled from the incident, no exceptions."

Blair eyed his partner carefully. He could tell that his friend was getting caught up in the memories of one of those past incidents. Jim's jaw was starting to clench and his knuckles were white because he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly. He couldn't let those old memories overwhelm his friend. Blair knew from his undergrad days, specifically his psychology classes, that one of the best ways to relieve stress was with humor.

"Just what did you mean before? I mean that comment about what I was doing at the Mayor's reception. I wasn't anywhere near the mayor. I couldn't possibly have ticked him off. I spent most of the evening dancing and chatting with a very nice young lady."

"Yeah, Chief, so I saw. Do you have any idea who that nice young lady was?"

"She said her name was Jennifer Watson. She's an art major at Rainier. She's going to graduate this spring. She was over 21. I'm over 21. So what's the big deal?"

"She also happens to be the Chief of Police's niece. He wasn't really pleased with your flirting with his favorite niece."

"Oops, she didn't mention that little detail."

"Good answer, Chief. You sure do know how to pick them."

"It's a gift."

"More likely a curse."

"Is not!" Blair denied.

"Is too!" Jim insisted. "OK, Blair, let's examine your dating history. Maya was such a wonderful choice. Wasn't she part of the plot to have you kidnapped with that boyfriend of hers? How about Sam from forensics who almost burned your hair off when she gave you that flask, and who could forget Iris? Just how many times did she have a gun pointed at you?"

"Hey, Jim. First of all, you were the one who set me up with Maya. Secondly, you remember that saying about people in glass houses not throwing stones. Don't talk to me about curses and women. Let's look at your track record with women. Let's start with Laura, remember her, the thief, or Lila, nice woman, great assassin, and let's not forget Veronica, first she sets you up to kill her husband, then she arranges for Aldo to kill you, not exactly marriage material."

"Laura was the result of pheromones. It wasn't exactly a voluntary choice. Anyway, I didn't have this problem with women before you moved in with me, Darwin. My money says that you brought the curse into the loft. Isn't there a ritual we could perform to get rid of it? Some rite, from some obscure tribe somewhere."

"I don't know. Maybe we should both just quit trying to date. You know, get a room together at St. Sebastian's. Contemplate the error of our ways. We'd save a lot of money that way. No rent to pay, no utilities and a really cheap wardrobe, robes and sandals provided for free."

After a moment of silence, both men stared at each other and in perfect unison answered "NAH!"

"No TV, no radio, and more importantly, no paycheck."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, those robes are really drafty."

Jim slowed the truck down as he approached the perimeter roadblock a few blocks before Sixth Street. "Hey Chief, look who got stuck on traffic duty."

Blair looked out the windshield with a wide grin on his face. Standing in front of the roadblock were Rafe and Brown. Jim rolled down his window as he pulled up beside his friends. "Hey guys, did you complete the paperwork on the Harrison case yet?"

Henri leaned on the driver's side door and answered, "Yeah, it's sitting on Simon's desk. We had just finished up when Simon called in asking for all available officers. How about you guys? How did you get stuck out here?"

Blair leaned across the seat and answered, "We found the truck."

Henri yelled back to his partner, "That's twenty bucks you owe me. I told you only Ellison and Hairboy could cause this much trouble this early in the day."

"Hey Blair and I found the mess, we didn't cause it, and by the way, return my partner's hat." Jim answered indignantly as he rolled up his window.

Jim drove the truck around the roadblock and headed for the turn onto Sixth Street. It was easy to spot where the utility crew had been set up; the manhole was surrounded with orange cones. The vehicle was parked in a manner as to protect the people working the site.

Jim parked the truck in front of the work zone. As he headed for the open manhole surrounded by the orange barricade, his partner checked out the utility truck. "No one's here. What have you got?"

Jim scanned the area with his senses, attempting to focus his efforts on the tunnels located under the asphalt. "Nothing, I can't hear anyone. OK, Chief, suit up, and let's get moving."

Each man grabbed one of the bags provided by Commander Reeves. They quickly dressed in the Tyvex suits, and Jim gave Blair a run-down on how to properly wear the respirator, and tested to see if the seal was tight. Blair spotted the next manhole cover up the street, and headed in that direction. Jim grabbed a crowbar out of his truck to use to remove the cover.

"Jim, dial down your hearing." Blair instructed, entering guide mode. "Metal grating on metal can make a pretty nasty noise to normal hearing."

Jim focused on controlling his hearing as Blair removed the first manhole cover with the crowbar. Neither man could see anything under the first cover they removed. At the second manhole they found the missing crew. One man was slumped against the bottom of the ladder. It appeared he had attempted to climb up with his coworker in tow and had fallen back down into the sewer. Blair spotted the hand of the third member of the crew off to the right of the two men directly below them. He grabbed hold of the first ladder rung and started to climb down. Jim, somewhat forcefully, hauled him back to street level.

"What! Let go of me. They are right below us. We have to get to them."

Mournfully, Jim shook his head and refused to let go of his guide. "I can't hear them, Chief, no sound of any of their heartbeats. Sorry Chief, we're too late. We can't help them now."

"No!" Blair cried out, looking down at the men only fifteen feet below him. "No, we can't leave them like this. Maybe it hasn't been that long. We can try to get them out. Deborah said that the respirators would protect us from the acid fumes. We have to try."

"Chief, there were other chemicals involved besides the acid. We don't know for sure that the acid is what affected those men down there. Remember what Deborah said, about rescuing corpses. Chief, call Walters, tell them what we found and ask for instructions. They are the experts. It's not worth the risk going down there. There's probably nothing we can do to help them now. They have been missing for over an hour. It won't hurt to leave them there a little longer."

Blair nodded, with a resigned sigh, pulled the radio out of his pocket and called in to the command post. Jim replaced the manhole cover over the resting-place of the three utility workers.

Walters had agreed with Jim. It was too dangerous to enter the underground tunnels without a proper recon. The hazmat team was sending over people to investigate the site and remove the bodies. All Jim and Blair could do now was contain the scene and wait for them to arrive.

Jim looked over at his partner, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off the manhole where the three utility workers lay. Jim sighed. Blair's compassion for others was his strongest gift as Shaman of the Great City and was his greatest weakness on the job as an active detective.

Jim thought back on the running argument that had started early that morning and had continued through out this entire disaster. "Hey, Chief, did you ever consider that Simon assigns us the midnight shift on stake-outs, because he knows that my abilities as a Sentinel give me the edge on other detectives." Jim paused, took a deep breath and continued, "Because he knows that I can focus and use those abilities because I have you at my side to guide me and keep me out of trouble."

Blair looked thoughtful for a minute before replying with a grin. "Nah, that couldn't be the reason. Simon's not smart enough to figure that out."

"I'll tell him you said so."