From: Philippa Chapman (Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.) Date: Sun 16 Feb 1997 18:00 +0000 Subject: Close to You, Part 2/3 CLOSE TO YOU PART TWO 1988/1999 Al lost no time in going back to the Imaging Chamber once Sam had leaped. He knew it was crazy, that there was no way Cassie could still be there, but he had to see for himself. He got there even ahead of Doctor Beeks and flung open the door. The room was still full of her fragrance; peach blossom on top of her own special scent. He closed his eyes, then snapped them open again. He looked around the chamber several times. Nothing. Nobody. "Ziggy? What's going on? You said that Sam had leaped." "HE HAS. BUT HIS AURA HAS GONE TOO. WHEREVER MY FATHER IS, HE IS WHOLLY HIMSELF." Al stumbled over to the bed, where the Fermi suit lay in a crumpled heap. He clutched it to his chest. Cassie's perfume was almost unbearably intense, as was the double void in his heart. "Sam, where *are* you? Ohhhh, boy!" Sam came down to reality with a bump, onto a hard tiled floor. He felt a toilet seat behind him. The wood had scraped his back slightly as he sat down. Then he looked down at himself and blushed all over. He was naked. "Ohhh, boyy!" he gasped. He crouched down very carefully and peered under the locked door. No- one in sight and there, only feet away, on a gold towel rail were two fairly substantial blue towels. He unlocked the door and made a dash for it, grabbed the towels and retreated to his sanctuary. Just as he disappeared, two men walked in. . Sam risked another glance under the door. Sandals and...were those Kaftans? Sam peered upwards. No, togas. A Roman theme party! Sam looked at the towels in his hands and began to construct something that he hoped would pass close scrutiny. The two men made idle small-talk, concluded their business, complained about the missing towels. One of them spoke. "I wonder if Jenny will let me dry my hands on her toga?" "Yes, but which part, Brian? You'd have to pick between her pert bottom and that luscious pair of breasts at the front." Sam began to blush with a mixture of shame and anger. "How about one hand on a breast and the other, really slowly, over her rear? I want to get that woman so hot that she can't think straight." Sam began to wish he could either go temporarily deaf or take Brian apart, piece by piece. "Yes, I know. You and every other man in the company who isn't happily married or gay. Who knows, a little wine, some dancing and she could fall into your lap like a ripe peach." "And what a peach! Just the other week....." Thankfully they left, leaving Sam fighting his urge to get really mad. . Sam managed something that was surprisingly passable, all things considered. It certainly covered everything that needed to be covered with room to spare. Sam took a deep breath and left the cubicle. He went over to the mirror at last, then had to hold onto the counter to stop himself falling. "Ohmygod! I'm *me*! How the hell....? I look the same; a little older, I guess, tired - though that's no surprise - I must be heading to my mid-forties by the look of things. How long have I been gone? AL? Where *are* you?" Sam was quite a bit paler when he managed to emerge from the bathroom. he looked around the door gingerly, but the Roman party was definitely in full swing. He spotted several other guests in togas made from towels and began to relax slightly. He edged back into the room. There was a large circular pit in the floor, with fitted couches around it and a huge pile of cushions had been thrown in. Amongst those cushions, several couples were apparently getting to know one another rather well. Sam spotted several people dressed in burgundy livery around the room, gazing on as if nothing particularly out of the ordinary was happening. Sam grinned inwardly. Sam spotted a table half full of buffet food and went over to investigate. He spotted Brian at the far end, trying to ingratiate himself with a red-haired woman. "C'mon, darling. It's a New Years Eve party. Just *one* kiss under the mistletoe?" To Sam's surprise, she agreed. Sam watched cautiously, slowly swallowing his mouthful of food, ready to pounce. The mistletoe was produced. Brian plunged in, over-eager, then just as rapidly pulled back. "Why you little...." "Ha! Fifteen love, you dirty old man! She bit his tongue, Sam!" "Al, I've beed worried about you *and* Jenny." Al grinned. "I think Jenny can take care of herself, don't you? Mind you," he continued, you can see why all the men go ga-ga over her. She's something else." Jenny turned around and walked swiftly away from Brian with her head held high. Sam had to admit that she was pretty stunning, although he'd always been a little nervous of fiery red-heads. "It's not *fair*, Sam. I thought God had broken the mould when he made Cassie and now I see He issued the same design again...well, nearly as good. He just changed the coloring and made her somewhat taller, that's all." "*Cassie*?" Al sighed and decided on an almost-truth. "A brief encounter....and one of the best, Sam. The best in a long, long time. We only had one night together, but it was worth waiting for. Sometimes one night is all you get." Sam could see the wistful look in Al's eyes and decided to accept and acknowledge it. "I've had one or two of those, Al. Anyway, how did you find me? I *seem* to be here *myself*, but no-one's batted an eyelid." "Yeah, Ziggy went ape; Gushi nearly fainted and it's all been a little frantic. Ziggy reckons it's because I had to work closely with the last leapee," Al pulled out a cigar and his face went unusually closed as he began to smoke it,"Anyway, when she went, your aura got sucked back through time and you sort of met half-way. Don't ask me how or why, I don't understand. It's New Year's Eve 1988 and you're still in London, at this toga party. It's a mega bash for some huge corporation, they've got the whole hotel for the holidays; partners, wives, the whole bang shooting match. You can probably get away with your own name. All the guests are either tanked up or...er..doing the horizontal tango, like those seem to be doing down there." "Yes, but why am I *here*?" "We don't know. The fact that you're here at all is causing Ziggy to have conniption fits. Just keep your eyes and ears open and try not to get into any trouble." Al punched his Handlink and made his exit after one last look around at the female talent in the room. Sam sighed and went back to the buffet table. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent square meal. He instinctively picked out higher energy foods. He'd realised early on that his host or hostess often had the need of them later. Sam had moved on from the food to something with as little alcohol as possible when it happened. Loud bangs and crashes came from just outside. Sam put down his drink hurridly after one last mouthful. He caught a familiar smell in the air. The double doors of the room burst open and half a dozen or so men in black burst in and razed the room with silent but deadly gunfire. Sam had already thrown himself under the buffet table, where there was another, female guest in hiding too. When Sam peered out from under the tablecloth, the gunmen were silently and efficiently relieving the party-goers of their valables. Sam saw that most people were still alive, but being systematically tied up in pairs. The gunmen manhandled each duo into seperate rooms and locked the doors. It didn't take the gunmen long to spot Sam and his companion. They were hauled out, gagged and tied face together. Sam tried to apologise silently to the lady with his eyes before the blindfold went on. He was left with an impression of short, dark hair cut in a ragamuffin style, a strong yet somewhat elfin face and eyes of an indeterminate pale color. They were pushed and shoved at gun-point through two sets of doors, then sharply left into a small dark room. Sam heard the key turn in the lock and darkness descended. Sam felt his companion nudging him gently as the footfalls of the gunmen faded away. He followed her lead and they shuffled over to the door. He heard a click and was aware through his blindfold that she had managed to find a light-switch. Then he felt her head moving slowly yet determinedly, her jaw working as she did so. "I've got my gag out. I'm going to help you with your blindfold and gag, then we'll see if we can get out of these ropes. My name is Grace Steers; I'm a sort of troubleshooter and know this hotel inside out. You picked a good person to be tied up with tonight. Okay?" Sam nodded,"Good. Now hold still if you can and I'll do my best." Sam felt her teeth picking at his gag, wriggling and pulling. He tried to help as much as he could. Slowly, the material eased down. It hurt quite a bit as it dragged slowly over his mouth, but he was relieved to feel it going. Grace's lips brushed his several times out of necessity as she released him and it was all Sam could do not to respond. Her lips were so mobile and soft, her breath sweet against his mouth. "Thanks," he managed, as she started to attack the blindfold, "I'm Sam Beckett. You could say I'm used to getting in hot water, too." "I bet you never had to kill someone?" "Actually, I have, but it was a hard decision to make. If you plan to go after those *nozzles*, I would be willing to help." Grace gave a short laugh. "I've never heard *that* word before, but it's suitable. I would be grateful just to put a spanner or two in their works before the police arrive. It would be nice to put right some of what went wrong tonight." At last the blindfold was off and Sam blinked as the unnatural blue- white of a fluorescent tube hit his eyes. He looked at Grace. She was barefoot, but her face was still close to his. She was incredibly attractive and... "Your eyes are *turquoise*!" he exclaimed. She smiled wrily. "They change colour. In some lights they are green, in others, blue. I'm part of the hotel security, you might say. Tonight I was working under cover. We had a rumour that something was about to happen...the gunmen are after holding the Chairman to ransom. And if you cross me, believe me, I know how to kill with my bare hands." Sam boggled slightly, but then accepted her claim. "Then I won't cross you. I'm a sensei myself, amongst other things." Grace's eyes narrowed. "I don't remember seeing your name on the guest list. Who are *you*?" Sam raided his memory, trying to pick something that would fit. "Er....INTERPOL. We've heard about those gunmen in America. They're into ...er...drugs and money laundering, too," he guessed. Grace nodded. "Yes, that's what I'd heard. Alright, if we can get out of these ropes, you're on the team. Two against eight is high odds, but at least we have a good chance of escaping detection. I suppose you learnt relaxation tecniques when you did your martial arts?" "Uh-huh." Grace nodded again, then smiled briefly. "Right. We collapse onto the floor as carefully as possible, then, using relaxation and breathing tecniques, there's a good chance that we will be able to wriggle out of these bonds. The carpet will give us something to press against." Sam looked around the storage cupboard, seeing towels and linen on all sides. "If we pull down some of those, we'll have a softer landing." Grace complied, then they fell onto the pile of towels. Sam tried to blank his mind and concentrate on the job in hand, but it wasn't easy. Grace had moved only a few inches down Sam's body. He gritted his teeth quietly. "Relax, Sam. The more we relax, the further I can move." "Oooh, Sam! I've never seen 'Postman's Knock' played like *that* before." "Well, I know what *I'd* be trying to do in your situation. She's *stunning*. But I know you, you're trying to resist," Al disappeared down to carpet level,"If you move up a foot or so, someone dropped a glass in here once upon a time. It's right under the back of the bottom shelf. It's all covered in dust, but if you smash it...." Sam acted out noticing it and relaying the information to Grace. She smiled up at him. "Okay, it'll be quicker, all being well. I was aware of your....*discomfort*." "I'm sorry," Sam managed, as Grace reached her foot to hook out the glass,"I'm only human." A strange look passed over Grace's face, then she smiled. "If I'd had to fight you off, you would have been incapacitated by now." "Oh, but what a way to go.....!" Sam contented himself with glaring at Al. It wasn't long before Grace had freed them with the sharp edge of the broken glass and they were sitting on the floor. "I don't suppose you can pick locks?" Grace looked at the door. "No keyhole, Sam. You don't expect to have to break *out* of a storage room." Al punched his Handlink as he puffed at his cigar and examined the room. "Can you get out of that?" Al pointed upwards. Sam stood up and looked at the grate in the ceiling. "Air conditioning?" Grace looked at it too. "No, a service duct; but it will do if we can undo those screws....I haven't got any hairpins, but there is my belt." Grace pulled it off and Al groaned softly. "Ohh, boy. She's wearing a strapless bra under that toga. And matching lacy briefs," Sam's eyes threatened Al with murder,"Sorry Sam. It's just that now there's this one inch gap down my side and I can't *help* but see..." Grace climbed up the shelves and began to attack one of the screws with the metal buckle of her belt. When her efforts had released one screw, Sam climbed up the opposite shelves to help. At last, after several minutes, the screw shifted and Sam got it out. The grating swung away from the ceiling. Grace and Sam removed a third screw after a substantial effort and turned the grating around on it's one remaining screw. Sam picked up the loose screws and put the linen back on the shelves as tidily as possible. Grace smiled. "Yes, of course. Try to cover our tracks. If some of the others open this cupboard, they may just think it was always empty." At last the room was as pristine as they could make it. Sam helped Grace through the grill, then pulled himself through into the dusty service duct. Grace pulled the grating back over the hole and Sam put the screws down near it. "Right. The chairman is...um...shall we say, entertaining his latest mistress up in the penthouse suite. It's a bit of a climb, Sam." "Okay, Sam. I'll check on his *progress* and get back to you." Sam relaxed somewhat as Al disappeared. "Which way, Grace?" "This way; towards the main corridoor and the lifts. We might even be able to access the stair-wells. We have two options; go straight to the penthouse suite or do a little sabotage first. Putting the lights or power out may help us." "Wouldn't the gun-men figure out what was happening?" "That's a possibility. Of course, if we started a fire, then the sprinklers would be set off on that floor....and the stairwell has nice fire extinguishers to play with. We really can't tackle the gunmen without being armed ourselves...and preferably more suitably dressed." "Well, I wouldn't argue with that. Let's go." Sam followed Grace in crawling along the dusty service duct. He found himself fighting the urge to sneeze after only a few feet. "Hold your nose, it'll help psychologically." Sam thanked Grace and carried on behind her, trying to keep his eyes away from her shapely legs. It took several minutes to get to the junction, where the space was somewhat greater. Both Sam and Grace could crawl on hands and knees towards the lifts and the stairwell. Grace passed the main exit and carried straight on. "Where are we going, exactly?" Sam whispered. "There's an en-suite with direct access to this duct; no nasty screws to get past." "Would I be correct in guessing that it belongs to you or someone you know?" Grace grinned back at him in the semi-darkness. "Sam Beckett, you *are* a quick thinker. It's mine; in my job you never know when you might have to make a dash for safety. I've got all sorts of gadgets there that will help us." "I get the feeling you've done this sort of thing a lot." "Yes, and usually solo, so keep out of my hair." "You got it, Grace." Sam grinned to himself as he followed Grace. Sam watched as Grace disappeared down into the blackness of her room. Sam managed to get his feet around just like she had and carefully dropped a couple of feet onto a hard cold surface. He bumped against Grace, something hard and metallic then, suddenly, he was getting wet through. He spluttered, his mouth filling with warm water. "You could have told me that the exit was by the shower!" "Do you mean to tell me that you *don't* need a shower after all that dust?" Sam was trying to ignore how wonderful Grace felt in his arms. "I...I don't make a habit of getting in the shower in the pitch black with a woman and wearing towels!" He felt himself blushing in the darkness. "Sam, you're a *treasure*!" Their lips met by sheer instinct and luck as he tried to regain his poise. Sam indulged himself for a few seconds, tasting how sweet and eager her lips were under his, but the sensations of holding her wet body were getting far too stimulating. "Whoa...." he urged, pulling away,"We'll get distracted from dealing with those *nozzles* and the chairman of the board." Grace stepped out of the shower and touched his hand apologetically. "I'm sorry....it happened by accident; not that I'm complaining. I'll let you get on with things alone. I've got some clean towels...here, I'll put on the light," Sam blinked as he saw how the water had moulded Grace's toga to her body. Grace was looking at him and beginning to blush. "I...er, let me know when you're all wrapped up again and I'll go and...um...find you something suitable to wear." She left, looking somewhat flustered. Sam was privately pleased to find that she was, if possible, even more embarrassed than he was. At least the one towel he still had covered enough to matter. He discarded it once she was gone and got on with cleaning off the dust. Grace kindly provided him with a fairly anonymous gray tracksuit and a T-shirt. She called out to him from the other room as she left them by the bathroom door. "Sorry I can't help with the underwear, Sam." Sam's lips twitched as he wondered what her reaction would be if he told her he had worn women's underwear before...but not quite under these circumstances. "At least you had some pants. I don't think I'd fit into one of your skirts." He heard her chuckle as he pulled on the tracksuit top. "Well, I'm not wearing a skirt either. It's far too impractical tonight." Sam let Grace into the bathroom and inspected the things she had laid out on the low table in front of the couch. Sam's appreciation of her skills rose several notches. He saw two cans of soft drink near the bed and opened one. Al finally showed up again. "Sorry that I couldn't make it before. This anomaly you've caused is putting Ziggy on the fritz. The gunmen weren't meant to attack tonight, somehow your presence is affecting time directly." "What about Grace?" "Ziggy's one certainty is that you've got to stick to her like glue if you want to get out of here. Ziggy says that Grace knows what she's doing." "She certainly seems to. The only thing we're lacking is a couple of guns and some ammo." Al punched the Handlink again. "Well, she's a real mystery lady, Sam. She's been working here for a year...three years ago a woman answering to her description came out of China, having apparently been trained in martial arts." "She said she was a sensei." "Yes, well, I'd believe her. Before that, it gets really hazy. This woman is like a female James Bond. I wonder if she appreciates men the same way he appreciates the girls?" "*Al*." "Come on, Sam. You can't say the thought hasn't crossed your mind...." "I'm meant to be defeating terrorists, not seducing women." "Well, I would say, 'Why not a little bit of both?', but you'd give me one of those looks again.....yes, you're doing it right now. By the way, I checked on Jenny. She's all in one piece. It turns out the terrorists tied her up with the one man in the firm that she's been secretly in love with for *ages*. He's been feeling the same way about her and when I found her with him in the conference room stationery cupboard....well, let's say they were busy filling everything out in triplicate. They knew *exactly* what to give each other for Christmas." "Al, you *watched*?" "Only for a minute or two, just to check that she was willing. Believe me, she was more than willing." "That'll *do* Al." Al shrugged, then turned to Sam. "It's the eighties, Sam. People are enjoying full and active sex lives." "You know perfectly well that I have to care deeply about a woman before we make love. I'm not a rabbit, unlike some people I know." Al flinched. "Yes, well; for your information, I cared about each and every one...even the ones where it would have seemed to the casual observer that it was purely physical." Sam looked at the carpet. "I'm sorry, Al. I'm more than a little concerned that I may have to face death in the next few hours or so. I did hope that I might come home one day." "Apology accepted. Truce?" Sam smiled slowly. "Yes. Truce." Sam toasted Al with his drink. By the time he had finished the can, Grace was out and dressed. She was wearing a dark blue tracksuit similar to Sam's. "I'm sorry I haven't got my gun. It's in my holster down at reception. You can't really hide a gun under a toga." Sam smiled. "No, I guess you can't. You'd be alright with a knife, though. Remember Julius Caesar?" "Yes, but that would have looked suspicious at tonight's party. Everyone was *meant* to be there to enjoy themselves, not assassinate each other." "What do you suggest? Go for the terrorists or something else?" Al looked at Sam. "Well, when I left the chairman a couple of minutes ago, he was happily asleep in his bed next to his lady-love. The *nozzles* haven't got to him yet." Sam turned to Grace. "I say we risk doing a little damage on our way up to the penthouse." Grace nodded and stood up. She took a deep breath. "Okay, Sam. Let's go." Grace peered out of her door, then motioned Sam to follow. They made for the stairwell. Al checked it was safe, then Sam cautiously pushed open the door. Half a flight down was a sprinkler. Grace produced a lighter from her pocket and quietly crept down the stairs to set it off. The sprinkler near Sam weant off too, as did a couple of others. Sam deliberately set off the powder fire extinguisher and they started up the plush staircase, Al drifting ahead to see that the coast was clear. They carried on setting off the sprinklers as they went until the damp got to the lighter and they had to give up after a couple of flights. Al checked the doors to the landing. "Hey, there's a couple of the bad guys through here. They're coming this way." Sam flattened himself against the wall and Grace did the same. The gunmen came through the door and both Sam and Grace pounced. Sam was too busy to see how Grace was getting on, but the two men were certainly taken by surprise and were soon trussed up and unconscious. Grace's mouth twitched into a smile. "Good work, Sam. Two down and six to go." "At least we've got some weapons now." Grace used the but of her pistol to set off the fire alarm. Sam winced as the loud siren filled the air. "C'mon. It's a race against time now." Sam nodded as he followed her up the stairs at a run, taking them two at a time, but trying to make as little sound as possible. Sam appreciated the feline energy in Grace's legs as she ran ahead of him. She slowed down carefully as they reached the top and paused briefly to catch her breath. A faint glazing of perspiration caught the ends of her hair next to her face and her color had risen slightly. She smiled at Sam again. "Glad to see you could keep up. Now for the tricky part." Sam put his hand on hers, feeling her pulse as he did so. It was already slowing. "I'm impressed," he told her,"You really *are* fit," Grace's smile was almost radiant. Sam ignored Al and kissed her briefly on the lips,"Take care." "And you, Sam," she pulled him deliberately back towards her,"Just in case one of us doesn't make it..." Her lips were both soft and firm at the same time. Sam closed his eyes and surrendered, giving everything into the kiss. When he finally and reluctantly pulled away, his head was spinning and his mouth had been completely seduced by the sweetness of her response. Grace touched his chin gently. "And you are some kisser, Sam. You take care as well." She slipped through the door. "Wow!" Al commented,"I haven't seen you *that* abandoned in ages." Sam gave Al one of his admonishing glances. "Yes, but we have to concentrate now. Go and scout out the land for us. I want us *both* to get through this in one piece." Al duly disappeared, but there was a significant gleam in his eyes. Sam crept into the room and flattened himself on the floor in the small entrance room. Ahead lay three doors and beyond the middle one, sounds of an intense struggle. Grace gestured to her right and Sam followed into the en-suite bathroom. It was a lavish affair, decked out in champagne porcelain and gold and complete with both shower and a huge sunken bath. The carpet was thick, fluffy and pale gold. Al's eyes gleamed. "I remember spending a lot of time in a bathroom like this with Maxine. We used to get in the bath every night and...." Sam glared at Al. "Stop it, Al," he muttered. "Aw, Sam. Even you must have tried it once..." Sam decided to favour Al with his best poker face. He turned to Grace. "What do we do now?" Al's face told Sam that *he* could think of a few things, but Sam ignored him. "Well, in the door across the hall, there's the electrical controls for this suite. I need to you to stand guard while I examine it." "Okay." Grace opened the door again with extreme caution, but the hall was clear. Sam carefully positioned himself so that he could tackle someone from either direction. Al watched as Grace opened the junction box and started to undo the casing. She glanced inside, put in her hand and threw the main switch and several others. Thick darkness descended instantly. Sam let Grace out beside him as the door they hadn't tried burst open. Bullets rang out in the darkness from both Sam and Grace and the assailant. Sam heard the thud as the first gunman hit the floor, then his hands were full taking care of the next person. Sam wrestled the body to the ground, with Al trying to see what was happening and shouting words of encouragement. The assailant kicked, punched and fought well, then tried to strangle Sam. Sam used his legs and arms to go into a backward roll, sending the other person flying into something hard with a thud. "You got him, Sam! He's out cold against the wall." More shots rang out and Sam kept low, crawling along the floor. The air was thick with tension. Sam strained his ears, listening for Grace and the other men. He heard more shots and fighting some way ahead. Sam continued along the floor and tripped someone up, who immediately fell on him and pinned him to the floor. He felt a gun at his temple and went limp deliberately. He tried to pray, then the gun was pulled violently away. Sam realised that Grace was coming to the rescue. He could recognise her breathing as she helped him.