The Magnificent Seven/The Sentinel (PG-13)

[wneleh.livejournal.com]

Title: The Compassion Trap by Gil Hale
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: not here
Author Website: Gil Hale's Literary Leaflets
Why this must be read:

This was the story that introduced me to M7 - to Mog's popular ATF AU, to be specific. I first read it as it was posted to the SentinelAngst mailing list, and since I came in in the middle I had no clue what fandom Vin et al. were from, and so quizzed my husband extensively about this show about a bunch of ATF agents based out of Denver that he had to have watched.

The story is a fairly straight-forward kidnapped-Vin, kidnapped-Blair story; its strengths are Gil's use of language, character depictions (including some interesting original characters), and interactions.

A sample:

"Sorry Jim. Still nothing." Simon Banks leaned back in his chair a little, and tried reason. "You know, if the two of them had had an accident or got into any kind of trouble we'd have heard by now. They're probably just sleeping off a two day hangover. Haven't you ever got together with college friends?"

"I don't think it's that, sir."

Simon winced. It wasn't even Jim's sarcastic 'sir'.

"I just think you might be overreacting here, Jim. Sandburg works his butt off most of the time between Rainier and helping you out. You can't tell me the kid doesn't miss clubbing or letting his hair down with his friends occasionally." The expression on Ellison's face told him he was getting exactly nowhere with this tack. He tried another. "Maybe they went out of town. You know Sandburg's car. They could still be walking home."

"Blair would have called, and if he didn't Tanner would have done. He was supposed to be back in Denver this morning."

"You're sure of that?"

"I called his captain first thing." Ellison glanced at his watch. "He's coming up here. I'm going to pick him up in an hour."

This really did get Simon's attention. What the hell had Jim told the man? And since when did Jim call in the feds on anything, even informally? And what was this going to mean for the smooth running of Major Crimes? "You did tell him that we have no reason at all for assuming there's a serious problem?"

"He wanted to know why I waited so long before putting out an APB," Jim said, with what might have been just a trace of satisfaction. "Look, I want to go over to Rainier before I pick him up and..."

"Fine," Simon interrupted hastily. "And when you find Sandburg and Tanner on someone's floor—some girl's floor, knowing Sandburg—make sure you tell them it was your idea not mine to have the whole PD looking for them. Oh, and Jim, this ATF captain who's coming—what's his name?"

"Larabee," Jim said, already on his way out of the door. "Chris Larabee."

Simon's day, which hadn't started well—he hadn't appreciated being phoned at dawn by Ellison—took a nosedive towards total disaster.

The Compassion Trap