Ties That Bind

Chapter Two: He's a what?!

Shaking his head, ignoring the feeling of loss that cropped up when the young man had left with Helen and Natasha, John turned to the dead body and blinked. The medical examiner was already starting to pack up the body to take with her, an amused look in her eyes when she saw John just staring at her.

"I came in while you and Helen were consoling the boy," said Ava Washington. "Where's your Guide?" She added, a dark look cropping into her eyes.

"Police Guide Snow left," spoke a CSI before scuttering away at John's glare. Ava rolled her eyes as her assistant rolled the body and strecher out of the apartment. She despised Melissa Snow and knew of no one who actually liked her.

"You'll let me know the findings?" John asked, ignoring the techs and Ava as he turned to the desk. Perhaps there would be something to tell him the identities of the body and the young man. There was something familiar about the young man, something...elusive that called to him, made him want to grab the man, hold him close, and kill anyone who dared to harm him.

"I'll have Kevin send them to you," said Ava. "And McClane, find yourself a proper Guide, perferably before I get drafted? I like my job, I don't want to be a Police Guide."

"Then you shouldn't have gotten yourself tested," snarked John. Ava just laughed as she shook her head bemused before leaving the apartment, letting John and the techs categorize the place. She knew herself well enough to know that if John really needed a guide, she'd immediately apply. John was one of the few cop Sentinels that actually gave a damn about guides and didn't treat them like shit.

Of course, mused Ava as she exited the apartment building and climbed into her van. I doubt John even knows of his reputation amongst the city guides. She snickered. He probably believes himself feared.

In the apartment, John dug through the desk drawers before smirking in triumph as he pulled out a thick wad of paper. At the top read the name Matthew Farrell.

Hmm...somewhere to start at least, mused John before he grabbed a bag from one of the crime scene techs and put the wad of paper into it. He'd look up the name after he checked on the young man...and got started on canvassing the neighborhood and talking to people.

This was going to be a long-ass day.

--

(A/N: The following pairing you are about to stumble upon came from somewhere in the warpness that is my mind and officially turns this into a Sentinel crossover. Now...I return you to your regularly scheduled fanfic)

He cackled as he watched John McClane, apparent super-cop even amongst the Sentinel freaks that littered this world. He had had fun as he tortured that Sentinel, had fun as he had watched the fool's Guide just cower against the wall, afraid of the gun that his partner had aimed at him.

He had delighted in tasting the Sentinel's blood, in mutilating the body and barely leaving it recognizable for the cops he knew were going to show. He had laughed as his partner taunted the near comatose Guide, despite the fact both of them had seen the Guide's Sentinel verbally and physically abuse him. Hell, half of that Guide's bruises and wounds came from his so-called Sentinel.

Made him damn glad he never connected with one...at least, before it had. Now...now he had found a Sentinel that he connected with, that he enjoyed being with...and that shared his love of killing and torturing...especially of other Sentinels.

"Lee, what are you doing?" asked Thomas Gabriel as he looked down at his cackling Guide. He had met Lee Brackett about three months ago, after his lover Mai had gotten herself killed by attacking a Cop Sentinel's bonded Guide. Unsurprisingly, the law ruled in the Sentinel's favor and wouldn't hear Gabriel's protestations. Mai wasn't his bonded Guide and thus she wasn't entitled to Sentinel/Guide law. Now...now he'd take his revenge on all Sentinels and Guides, starting with the ones in New York before moving onto Cascade.

Apparently Lee wanted revenge against the premiere Sentinel and Guide, Detective Jim Ellison and Dr. Blair Sandburg.

"Musing," Lee said with an insane giggle. Gabriel rolled his eyes and pulled Lee back from the window. There was no reason to give the cops outside the apartment building any reason to suspect them yet and if he allowed Lee to have his way, they'd be in jail by this time tomorrow.

"Lee, try not to get those fools outside any reason to suspect us," Gabriel drawled. "There are Sentinels in that mix and I for one have no wish to see the inside of Riker's."

"Awww..." protested Lee. Gabriel looked at him and Lee nodded before turning his attention to the television, which was broadcasting the events outside. Sometimes Gabriel wondered what exactly happened that turned Lee from a hard-core ex-CIA agent into this giggling, insane man. All his research into Lee told him that the Guide was calm, cool, collected, intelligent, and deadly. What he learned, and what he lived with didn't mesh up quite right.

Sighing, cursing himself for even thinking of agreeing to Brackett's plan, Gabriel retreated into the bedroom and stripped, ignoring the fact that Lee had followed him and was watching him with lust in the brown eyes.

"Wanna play?" Lee purred, some of the sanity returning to his eyes and Gabriel just looked at him, eyes narrowing in disbelief. This was the first sign of sanity he's seen in the three months he's known Lee.

"Something you want to tell me?" drawled Gabriel, eyes flashing with his anger.

"I'm not insane?" suggested Lee as he walked over, crowding Gabriel against the closet door.

"That's slowly becoming obvious," snapped Gabriel. "Don't play games with me Brackett. You won't like it."

"Gabriel," said Lee, amusement chasing the anger in his voice. "You don't know the games I play. I've threatened Ellison with ease, I've nearly killed his Guide by threatening to release the Ebola virus...and that's just the tip of the iceberg." His eyes narrowed as he slammed his hands against the wall, pinning Gabriel in place. "Trust me, there isn't much I won't do to succeed in my plans...even if it means playing the insane Guide."

"Whoever made you a Guide was on drugs," muttered Gabriel as he grabbed Lee's wrists and shoved him back with ease. He knew full well it was because Lee let him too.

"Yes, but whoever made you a Sentinel had no clue what he was doing," replied Lee coldly before he stalked out of the room. Gabriel waited until he heard the television turned up before he slid down the wall. He had seen death in Lee's eyes and knew without a doubt that if he, in any way, became a threat to Lee or Lee's mission, he'd be eliminated.

--

"His name is Matt Farrell and he's a renegade Guide."

Helen Colt blinked, stared at Sentinel Doctor Leroy Banks, and blinked again. At her side, her guide Natasha turned to look at the medically induced comatose man that they had brought in from McClane's crime scene. Him? A renegade Guide?

"And how would you know that?" asked Helen, her voice calm and Natasha winced. When Helen was calm, things were about to explode.

"We have his records on file," said Banks with an apologetic look at Helen. "He was chosen as Guide to Sentinel Jacob Robbins, unemployed. Sentinel Robbins has,"

"Had," interrupted Helen. "Sentinel Robbins, if he is who I think he is, is dead Dr. Banks. Murdered in fact."

"I'm not surprised," said Banks with a sigh. "How and when?"

"That'll be answered with Sentinel Detective McClane arrives," said Natasha, placing a hand on Helen's arm to keep her truly calm and her senses from overloading. Something about Guide Farrell had Helen's mother-hen instincts rising to the fore and she had the feeling it was because Farrell reminded Helen alot of her teenaged son, whom was also a Guide.

"McClane's investigating?" asked Banks startled. No one, Sentinel, Guide, or normal, got between McClane and his witnesses and/or suspects.

"Yep," said Natasha. "And unless Sentinel Detective McClane says otherwise, only normals are allowed near Farrell."

"Why?" asked Banks confused. Normally Sentinels were assigned the cases of Sentinels and/or Guides. It made it safer and kept the spectre of favoritism from looming.

"He's afraid of Sentinels," said Helen. "And we don't quite know his reaction to Guides. Until we know for sure, we'd rather only trusted normals be allowed in his room."

"Can do," said Banks making a note in the case file in his hand.

"Why is he renegade?" asked Natasha. "Especially as he had a Sentinel? I thought renegades were guides that went against the Code?"

"I'm not quite sure," said Banks as he glanced at the file. "It doesn't say. The Sentinel and Guide Council has already been called, as is procedure in these cases. Perhaps they know."

"Perhaps they'll be smart enough to send a Sentinel and Guide combo that McClane can't terrorize," muttered Helen. Natasha snickered and Banks smiled. Glancing at her watch, Helen sighed. "Come on 'Sha, we're near end of shift."

"Finally," said Natasha. "We'll be back Dr. Banks."

"I'll leave a note with the nurses to allow you and Helen access," said Banks. Natasha grinned her thanks before taking off after her Sentinel.

"Those two," said nurse Linda Roberts with a smile. "How are we to handle Guide Farrell?"

"Normals only," said Banks turning to look at Linda. "Sentinels and Guides scare him for some reason. The only ones allowed access to Farrell are you, Martha, Sentinel and Guide pair Colt-Jackson, and Sentinel McClane."

"As in John McClane?" asked Linda paling.

"Yes," said Banks. "Farrell's one of McClane's."

"God help him," muttered Linda with a sigh. "Or is it god help us?"

TBC