SOUNDS OF RAGE
By PEJA

The soft Ahhhhooooo of a curious canine filled Simon Banks' office. He jerked his head up, forgetting the paperwork under his trembling hands.

"Blair....?"

The wolf's blue eyes reflected quiet sadness as they turned to where the coffee machine rested. Sprawled out before the cabinet lie a huge black panther preening itself.

"Hello, Jim," Simon whispered.

The panther's blue eyes rolled up to meet Simon's. The big cat purred softly.

"I guess you're both back to remind us, huh?"

BlairWolf rose and padded to where JimPanther waited. The spirits rubbed heads, licking each other.

"I'm so sorry, Jim. Blair. I wish...."

The animal's suddenly morphed into their human shape, cuddling together. "No guilt, Simon," Jim murmured.

Blair grinned his affirmation.

And all hell broke out.

Gunshots filled the detective captain's office, making him cringe. the sounds bled out into the bullpen. Joined with frightened screams of the unprepared.

Simon stepped out of his office with the two spirits following behind, locked in a lover's holding walk.

Around the squadroom, silence fell quickly. The detectives who had been there all along turned welcoming eyes on the two. Those who had come after rose jerkily, stepping back from the apparitions. The visitors cowering under desks from unbodied bullets cowered lower, staring at beings that were there, but not quite solid.

"Blair, it's going down bad," Jim's disembodied voice filled the room. Call for back-up."

"Right on time, boys and girls," Simon said, shoving a cigar between clenching jaws. "Time to take our bitter pill."

"Officer needs assistance," Blair's voice was high with nervous tension. "We're taking fire. Two officer's down."

A barrage of bullets sounded. A grunt. "Rafe..." A body softly thudding on the asphalt. "Jim, Rafe is down."

"Jesus," Rafe whispered, rising to his feet. A slow tear slid down his pale cheek as he met the smiling compassionate faces of his friends and co-workers. "Jesus, God, I miss you both."

"I went down next," H murmured, rubbing the shoulder that still ached when the weather turned sour.

"Jim, Look out," Blair cried. "They've gotten behind us. H..."

Another burst of high caliber fire. H winced as he heard his unearthly protest of agony. the thud of his body hitting the ground.

"Blair get your head down, dammit." Jim snapped.

"We're being massacred here, Jim," Blair cried "What's wrong? Why isn't anyone responding? Why would they let the entire MC department..."

"Because they didn't turn on us when the word got out, Blair. Because they stuck by us, gay or not. Oh, Jesus. Get down...." The sounds of a desperate dash was drowned out by another burst of fire.

"Jim? God....No, Jim, no,"

Blair's tears slid down the face of every man living in the bullpen.

"Time to say bye-bye, pretty boy," a sneering voice sounded.

And other burst of fire.

Simon turned to the ghostly apparitions. "We got the men behind the hit, Jim. We finally got them."

Jim smiled, hugging his lover close.

Blair looked into Jim's eyes. "I love you too, big guy."

Jim leaned down and sealed the words with a tender kiss, the two men fading as a lone siren sounded in
the room.

THE END

short bittersweet and done. this one is for the haunting Cascade PD Urban Legend Challenge