Sidetrack
"Blair, its me Danny. I'm in town doing a lecture. Could you call me
at..."
Blair replayed the message,noting the time had been less than an
hour ago. He dialed then waited...and waited. Finally 15 rings later
a rushed voice answered. "Hello...Blair?"
"Hey Danny, how'd you know it was me?"
"Blair, what are you doing right now?"
"Right this minute, nothing. What's up Danny? You sound upset."
"I need to see you. Can I meet you somewhere?"
"How about my office?"
"Twenty minutes?"
"Sure Danny. Whatever you need."
Twenty minutes later, Blair opened his door and was startled by the
frazzled appearance of his old friend.
"Jeeze Danny." Blair had observed the uncontrolled shivering, "Let
me get the heat on. You're soaked."
He rummaged around the office and found a blanket which he wrapped
around his friend, then he turned up the heater. He grew
increasingly concerned as Daniel's shivering became more pronounced.
"Come on big brother, you're scaring me here. What's wrong?"
He poured a cup of coffee and pushed it into Daniel's ice cold hands.
"S..scared Blair...didn't know where else to go."
"Scared? Scared of what? Talk to me Daniel."
"Finished a lecture...what a joke. Everyone walked out. When I was
leaving there was a car waiting, some woman, Cathrine Langford. Said
she had a job for me. They knew everything about me Blair."
Blair was relieved as the tremors started to die down some.
"Who knew what? What kind of job?"
"She said...translation," his panicked eyes caught his
friend's. "It's something military Blair. What the hell does the
military want with me?"
"Take it easy Danny. Maybe it's just what she said, a job. Did she
threaten you or anything?"
"N...no. She just told me she knew I'd been kicked out of my
apartment. That I have everything I own in my suitcases. Then she
gave me a stack of papers and told me it was travel plans."
"Whoa, back up. You were kicked out of your apartment? Why?"
Daniel managed a wry grin. "I think my ideas about pyramids were
just a little too radical. I'm a laughing stock Blair. A disgrace."
"Bullshit! I've read everything you've ever wrote and you have solid
proof behind your theories. People are just afraid to believe in
what they can't see." Blair noticed the minute shaking of Daniel's
hands as he warmed them on the coffee cup. As he drank deeply,
Daniel started to relax a bit.
"Now tell me about the suitcase thing."
"Not much to tell." He indicated the bags he had dropped when he
entered the room. "That's all I have left."
"Do you have a place to stay?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Well, you do now. Let's get you settled then we'll figure out where
we're going from here."
"Thanks Blair"
"No problem big brother."
"So you moved out of the dorms?"
"Yeah, awhile back" Blair waved towards the huge stacks of folders
and papers scattered throughout his warehouse. "there wasn't room
for all my research, and you've seen the broom closet I call and
office. I needed space man."
Daniel looked around and grinned, "Well, you have that."
"Yeah, that I do." He sighed deeply, "Why didn't you call me sooner?
I worry about you Danny."
"I thought I was the one who worried about you."
"'yeah, well, role reversals I guess. Man, I've never seen you this
freaked. Maybe the job is just something simple."
"We're talking military Blair. Nothing is ever simple with them."
"Well...now that is true."
"There are very few scenarios I can imagine where the military needs
a linguist and an archaeologist, and none of them are good."
"I see your point. So what are you gonna do?"
"I don't know Blair. I just don't know."
"Danny, I talked to Jack Kelso today. He says this Cathrine isn't
military herself. She's a scientist of some kind. Her parents were
involved in a dig in Giza back in the late 20's. Something they
found caught the interest of the government somehow. According to
Jack, it's all very top secret. The dig was back in the 20's, what's
it's revelance today? This is getting weirder by the minute."
"Christ Blair, what happened?"
"It's ok Danny." Blair grimaced as he limped over to the sofa. "Just
sprained my ankle."
"Ok, so what happened to your face?"
"Alright already. I fell when I was coming out of the Anthro
building."
"Fell?"
"Yeah, some kid accidently ran into me. I was near the bottom of the
stairs and I fell. I guess I hit my head too."
"You guess? You don't remember for sure?"
"I'm fine Danny, really. Just a few cuts and scrapes, on...and the
sprained ankle."
"How's your little friend?"
"Who is this?" Daniel hissed into the phone.
"Just someone who's concerned. It's amazing how many accidents your
friend seems to have. Yesterday he falls down the stairs, then today
hegets hit by a skateboarder. He was lucky, when he fell into the
street there was no cars coming."
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"Just checking on you to see if you're going to take our little job
offer."
"And if I don't?
"You're a smart man Dr. Jackson. I think you know what will happen
if you don't"
"Hey Danny, where are you?" Blair laid his backpack next to the
sofa, "Danny?"
He spied the envelope with his name and opened it.
Hey Blair,
I've decided to take the job after
all.How bad can it Will be in contact soon. Love you Little Brother.
Danny
"Aww Danny...no...."
The End?
