Endangered Life

by BJC525

Written with Welshwitch. Tigers: an endangered animal and killer. Someone wants to put Hunter & McCall on another endangered list.

Endangered Life

Tiger: one of the big cats that live on part of the planet. Endangered, hunted down for numerous reasons. One of them is killing people.

On a bright and sunny morning, a new case brings Hunter and McCall to the LA Zoo. A body, or what was left of it, was found in the tiger enclosure. The manager, Mr. Armstrong, and the head keeper, Phil Morgan, were waiting for them.

"We managed to get the tigers into their night cages so you can examine the body." Phil Morgan told them.

"Okay, can you show us the way?" Hunter said.

"Sure."

The body was badly mutilated; there wasn't much left of the face to identify it. The only clue was the name tag on the jacket. It read: John Matthews.

"Well, this one has to be identified by a dental specialist," Hunter said turning to McCall.

"Yeah, I guess. Does the name John Matthews ring a bell?" she asked Phil.

"He's one of the keepers; he works with the reptiles." he answered visibly shocked.

Mr. Armstrong was watching from a distance, so they walked towards him.

"The animal responsible will be punished, I promise." he said.

"I can't tell for sure if it was the tiger that killed him," Hunter explained. "We'll have to wait for the autopsy."

"As a Zoo, we can't take any chances with these animals. You have 48 hours to prove the tiger's innocence or we will have to put it down."

McCall bridled at the manager's words and felt her face flush in anger. "Mr. Armstrong, you can't just murder a tiger because you think he killed this poor man."

Hunter shot a glance at his partner, surprised by her tone. Mr. Armstrong, too, seemed taken aback.

"Sgt. McCall," he started, but McCall quickly cut him off.

"Sgt. Hunter and I will conduct a thorough examination while the tiger is placed in quarantine. The LAPD does not operate under your timetable, do you understand?"

The zoo manager looked at Hunter, towering over him, with his arms crossed over his chest. Armstrong realized he'd get no help there. He turned back to McCall who stared at him with her dark eyes flashing. He meekly nodded.

"Of course, I meant no disrespect. Mr. Matthew's family has already called and they're understandably upset. I just want this taken care of as quickly and as quietly as possible."

"I'm sure," McCall replied, her voice cool. "So, why don't you gather the workers and we can get this investigation under way?"

She turned her back on the man, effectively dismissing him without a word as she pulled out her pen and notebook and began writing.

Armstrong glanced helplessly at Hunter, who watched him impassively. With a shrug of his shoulders, the hapless zoo manager hurried out, followed by Phil Morgan, who had wisely kept silent while his boss was getting skewered.

Hunter waited until they were alone before speaking. "Boy, McCall, you really let him have it," he remarked with a laugh. "I was starting to wonder if I was gonna have to separate you two."

McCall rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on Hunter. The guy's a pompous ass, trying to tell us we've got a deadline." She mimicked Armstrong's earlier words, her voice filled with contempt, "You have 48 hours to prove the tiger's innocence."

Hunter stared at his partner. She was usually the consummate professional, not catty. "What's with you, McCall? And you better not tell me PMS, 'cause you've –"

"PMS!?" she railed at him. "The zoo manager is threatening to kill a tiger with or without definitive proof in 2 days and you accuse me of PMS!?"

"Whoa – whoa," Hunter backpedaled both literally and figuratively. "I'm sorry. I'm not the bad guy here."

McCall blinked, as if realizing how she'd been acting. "I'm sorry, Hunter." She stared out at the now deserted tiger habitat. "It's just so frustrating." She sighed. "These poor animals, taken out of their home environment –"

"Where they've been slaughtered to the point of extinction," Hunter interjected, sadly.

"And put in these glorified cages," she continued without missing a beat. She shook her head, trying to clear it. "Look, let's get going. I want to know why there's someone from the reptile habitat in the tiger cage."

"Right," Hunter agreed, "alligators and crocodiles are dangerous enough – why go looking for trouble with the big cats."

"I get the feeling something's not right around here. Not to mention there are those animal rights activists groups out there, PETA and some others. They can get pretty extreme." McCall nibbled on her pen thoughtfully. "But I'm telling you Hunter, I'm not letting anyone harm a hair on that tiger's head without a pretty damn good reason."

(That's my partner,) Hunter thought fondly, (protector of children and helpless animals.) He looked down at the ravaged body before them. (Well,) he amended, (maybe not that helpless.)

They headed for the staff restaurant where everyone had gathered to be questioned. Phil Morgan had explained the situation and the place was humming when Hunter and McCall entered. It went quiet when they noticed the two detectives; the atmosphere becoming tense.

"Let's start with the reptile keepers," Hunter suggested to McCall. She nodded.

"The reptile keepers can stay, the rest of you can go for now but we might question you later," Hunter announced.

The majority of the people left, five of them remained.

"What can you tell us about Mr. Matthews?" McCall started.

"He was an okay guy, I guess," Rob Sands answered. "A bit of a loner, maybe. He took care of the snakes and they were like children to him."

"He had some at home, he once told me," Kay McAllister pitched in.

"Did he have a problem with anyone here?"

"Not that we know of," Rob said. "Like I said, he kept to himself most of the time."

"Okay, you can go. We might have some more questions later, but we know where to find you."

When the keepers had left, Hunter turned to Phil Morgan, "Did Mr. Matthews have a locker?"

"Yeah, everyone does."

"Can we take a look?"

"Sure." He led the way to the locker room.

John Matthews's locker didn't provide any clues either so they decided to go to his apartment not far from the Zoo. Outside, a small group of activists had gathered; one of them stepped in front of Hunter and McCall, blocking the way to their car.

"Is it true a keeper was killed by a tiger?" she asked.

"Sorry, we can't give you any information," Hunter said to her as he tried to pass.

"Is the tiger gonna be put down?"

"Not if we can help it," McCall answered, looking the girl straight in the eye.

The girl stepped aside and let them through.

The apartment was clean and tidy. Four snakes were living in special enclosures on one side of the small living room. In the kitchen the dishes were still in the sink, waiting to be cleaned. The bed in the bed room was made and even the bath room looked clean.

"You can take an example from this Hunter," McCall said to her partner, who was coming towards her from the living room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked teasingly.

"Compared to this, your place looks like a pigsty."

"So, a clean house is a health hazard."

McCall rolled her eyes and started to go through some mail she had found on a desk.

"Hmm, this might be interesting. Looks like had some good contacts with a small animal rights group and here's a letter from someone offering him some kind of snake."

"I've seen something about this snake on TV. It's an endangered one," Hunter said.

"You watching snakes on TV? I thought you were interested in other nature programs." McCall tried to sound surprised.

"Yeah, I do watch the real nature shows sometimes, when it's half time. Let's check this out."

At the office of the Save Our Endangered Animals Group a helpful receptionist told them John was a member but nothing more. He never participated in any activities.

"That's odd," McCall said to Hunter as they were driving back to the precinct, "From the papers I found, you could say he had a lot of contacts there."

As soon as they came in, Charlie called them into his office and introduced them to Lt. Abbott, "He's from a special task force that investigates the trade in endangered animals. John Matthews or should I say Sgt. Matthews was one of his men."

Hunter and McCall looked at each other, stunned.

"He was a cop?"

Lt. Abbott, stood at the window, staring out at the setting sun. "John was undercover. Deeply imbedded for almost 4 months now."

Hunter stared at him. "Undercover? For what? For who?"

"For whom," McCall corrected, absently.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Look, Lt Abbott, why don't you spell it out for us. Start at the beginning." Without waiting to be asked, he sat down in the nearest chair.

McCall followed suit and they both watched the Lt expectantly. He glanced briefly at Charlie.

"Very well." Abbott turned to face the two detectives, leaning back on the window sill, arms crossed. "I'm sure that you're aware of PETA."

Hunter and McCall nodded.

"That is one of numerous organizations that deal solely with animals. You name it – there's a group for or against it when it comes to animals being used for lab testing, sport, hunting, food, as a rite of passage for boys to men, circus and other performing animals. It's huge. Some organizations are passive, while others violent and extreme."

"Is that what we're dealing with?" Hunter asked, angrily, "some kind of animal rights organization?"

"Not exactly," Lt Abbott answered, with a shake of his head. "John was investigating a group of big game hunter wannabes. Mostly weekend warrior types. Rich guys with no better way to spend their money than to go out and shoot animals for sport."

The disgust McCall felt was clearly evident, as she clamped down on the venomous words she wanted to say.

Lt. Abbott continued, apparently unaware of the effect his words were having. "John had to set 'em straight when they'd killed a couple of circus lions that they'd stolen then set free to hunt and kill. In shutting them down, John learned about a small but powerful group led by Cameron Thompson. This is the man we believe had John killed. Thompson's group is very private: they don't advertise, they don't demonstrate. They simply take care of business on their agenda."

"And what might that agenda be?" McCall queried.

Abbott faced her squarely. "To obtain animals for the sole use of turning them into trained killers for various mobs, underworld organizations, assassins, and terrorists. You name it – they'll provide the animal, which in turn, becomes the instrument of torture then death. Imagine capturing your victim and then putting them in the same room with a hungry alligator. Or sitting tied to a chair while the python slithers over to make a week long meal of you. Or watching a man-eating tiger let loose while you're in a locked cage with him. Quite effective, wouldn't you think?"

His heart in his throat, Hunter looked over to see that his partner was indeed imagining such a scenario. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and rapid and her face was pale. He resisted the strong but unprofessional urge to reach out and reassure her.

As though sensing his support, McCall quickly clamped down on the images of terror that Abbott's words had summoned. She shuddered as a ripple of shock went through her as his words tore at her. She did not want to contemplate what kind of man could be so brutal. At last she found her voice. "So, that's what happened to John?"

Abbott winced. "Yes." He paused to reign in his own thoughts, regretting the bluntness, yet knowing the LAPD officers had to know what they were dealing with.

Charlie watched his detectives closely.

Abbott went on. "We didn't have a lot yet, but obviously someone didn't like an outsider snooping in on their activities."

"What have you got on them?" Hunter asked, gruffly. He was furious that such men thought they could operate outside the law. The knowledge that the man who was behind this was still out there burned inside him.

"Precious little, I'm afraid. They're private men, with the financial means to cover their tracks well. If you insist on continuing your investigation, I would strongly advise you to use extreme caution. I cannot let you underestimate the danger involved."

Hunter's gaze turned steely. "I want these guys put out of business. Tell us what you got."

"We know this group operates under the name Save Our Endangered Animals Group. They have an office here in town where you can join them in their 'so-called activities'. The leader is this Cameron Thompson, I told you about earlier. He provides the animals and several members train them. As far as we know, they don't use humans in these training sessions, just dolls. Whenever an animal is ready they spread the word and people can hire them."

"Well, they know by now we are investigating Sgt. Matthews' death. We visited the office about an hour ago asking about him. The receptionist was pretty helpful though."

"Yeah, they are nice on the outside but once you get in..."

"One of us going undercover is out of the question now they've seen our faces," McCall remarked.

"Why was Sgt. Matthews working at the Zoo and not with the Animal Group?" Hunter wanted to know.

"All the evidence he had so far pointed at a member of the Group that works at the Zoo, this person is a middleman in the purchase of the animals. Only I don't know who it is; John was supposed to inform me about that later today." Lt. Abbott sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Did Mr. Armstrong know Sgt. Matthews was undercover?"

"No, he could be that person we were looking for."

"Hmm," Hunter looked at McCall. "I bet he needs a new reptile keeper, don't you?"

By the way he looked at her, McCall knew what he was thinking about.

"I bet he does," she answered.

Both Charlie and Lt. Abbott looked from one to the other, not knowing what they were talking about.

"Like I said before we can't go undercover 'cause they know who we are but there is someone who can: Sgt. O'Hearn."

"Give me one good reason why I should send her undercover on a dangerous case like this," Charlie raised his voice, sounding pretty angry.

"More than one reason. First, 'cause she's a damn good cop who knows what she's getting into. Second, she has an interest in these exotic animals and knows a lot about them. She's perfect for the job." Hunter explained.

"Sounds like the right person to me Charlie," Lt. Abbott agreed with Hunter.

Charlie thought about it for a minute, "You could be right, get her in here."

Sgt. Kitty O'Hearn was briefed about the case and the next day she called the Zoo to ask if they needed a new keeper. She could come for an interview later that afternoon. Provided with a fake ID, diplomas and resume Kitty stepped into Mr. Armstrong's office.

"How did you know we need a new keeper?" was his first question.

"I didn't. I recently moved here after working abroad and you were one of the first on my list of possible employers," she answered with a smile.

"I see you have worked in a comparable job in England."

"Yeah, I worked at a wildlife park as a big cat keeper."

"We are looking for a reptile keeper. What do you know about reptiles?"

"I have two snakes for pets, so I know how to take care of them. As a child I had a turtle."

"Well, I'd like to give you a chance; welcome aboard." Mr. Armstrong reached out to shake hands and Kitty took it. "You can start tomorrow. Be at the back entrance at seven."

"I'll be there. Thank you."

With a huge smile on her face she left the office.

'Step one.' she thought to herself as she got into her car and headed back to the precinct.

Hunter and McCall had kept busy themselves, while Kitty was establishing herself undercover. An entire day was spent thoroughly investigating all zoo workers and additional personnel helped with background checks.

By six o'clock that evening, Kitty was deeply immersed in manuals for the care of reptiles and eager to get to work in the morning.

McCall, on the other hand, was slumped over her desk, wishing she was up to her neck in bubbles, drinking a glass of chilled wine and listening to quiet music. "So only Morgan and Armstrong don't have alibis, right?" she mumbled, nearly incoherent.

Hunter rubbed his own bleary eyes. "Yeah." He was about to stretch out and prop his feet on his desk when his phone rang. With a groan, he reached out to answer it. "Hunter."

McCall half listened to her partner and when she heard him greet his Uncle Tom, she closed her eyes again and this time drifted off. Smiling, she remembered the first time that she'd met Tom and his driver Jackie Valentine, when she'd mistakenly thought that they were following her and Hunter. She'd pulled a gun on the man who was trying, in a most unorthodox manner, to invite his nephew to Sunday dinner. Despite the mob connections in Hunter's family, members she'd met had been warm and gracious and she eagerly looked forward to the occasional Sunday get-togethers that she'd been invited to.

In a matter of minutes, she was sound asleep, dreaming of lasagna, cannelloni and manicotti, smothered in rich tomato sauces and thick mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

"Thanks, Uncle Tom," Hunter said, suddenly energized. "I'll wait for your call and thank Jackie for me, will ya?"

He hung up the phone. "Hey – McCall –"he looked over at his partner expectantly.

She didn't move.

With a wry grin, he considered tossing a few paper clips her way, but knowing that she was exhausted, he relented. Instead, his expression softened and he stood and stepped quietly behind her. Placing his large hands gently on her shoulders, he squeezed lightly, easing her awake and smoothing out the knotted muscles at his fingertips.

She came to with a groan.

"Come on, partner – no sleeping on the job," he teased, as she slowly pushed herself up.

"Isn't it quitting time yet?" she murmured hopefully.

"Yep. And I suggest that you get a good night's sleep, 'cause tomorrow we're gonna be busy." He stopped his massage, to her chagrin and picked up his coat.

McCall cocked an inquiring eyebrow. "Why – what's going on?"

"Uncle Tom and Jackie know someone who's used Cameron Thompson's trained animals. They're going to try and arrange a meeting for us."

McCall sat up straighter with a surge of adrenalin. "So while Kitty's working the zoo angle – "

"We'll be going straight to the heart of the matter." Hunter supplied. "Have this guy lead us to Thompson. We might be able to go undercover ourselves – as potential clients. I told you, DeeDee – I want this Thompson."

McCall's expression hardened. "You and me both, partner. Tell Uncle Tom to name the time – name the place."

Hunter grinned. "You got it."

"He'll try and make this meeting happen tomorrow," Hunter told her after he had hung up.

"Great, now I can go home and get some sleep."

"You look pretty tired, wanna ride?"

"No thanks, I'll manage. See you in the morning."

On the way home McCall was thinking about that bubble bath, but going straight to her warm bed was also very tempting. By the time she put the key in the lock of her front door she hadn't decided. After closing the door behind her, McCall switched on the first light she came across in the living room. Her eye settled on the fish tank: two fish were floating on the water; both dead and after a quick count, she noticed one was missing. With her gun drawn she started on a search through the house for any intruders.

'Did they find out where I live and kill my fish as some kind of warning.' she thought.

As she returned to the living room, something red flashed by her into the kitchen. It stopped in front of the back door.

"Sam, you rascal! Have you been fishing in my tank? Don't they feed you next door!"

Seeing the frightened neighbor's cat made it all very clear:

"I must have left a window open. Come here you, I'll take you home."

Sam was feeling pretty ashamed of himself when McCall shouted at him like that but as soon as she picked him up he started to purr.

"I am so sorry about this, how can I make it up to you?" her neighbor asked, as she returned Sam and explained what he had done.

"It was my own fault too; I should have closed that window before leaving for work. He just did what comes naturally to him. Don't worry about it."

"I'll keep a closer eye on him. Thanks for bringing him home."

"That's okay, bye."

McCall returned to her house and decided to take a rain check on that bubble bath and take a quick shower instead.

Meanwhile Kitty had enough of her studying, she almost fell asleep on her books. Wanting to be fit in the morning she turned in. Just before seven she arrived at the Zoo's back entrance, a couple of keepers were already there waiting to be let in.

"Hey a new face, welcome aboard. I'm Tim and I take care of the giraffes and zebra's."

"Hi, I'm Kitty Jones. I'm the new reptile keeper."

"Oh, so you're replacing the guy that got eaten by a tiger."

"You're joking right?" she replied trying to sound surprised.

"No, he's not," a girl answered. "Hi, I'm Kay McAllister. I'll be working with you until you're settled in." "Nice to meet you. When did this happen?"

"Earlier this week."

"Wow, your boss is fast in hiring new people."

The door opened and Kitty followed Kay to the locker room, "This is your locker, you can put your personal stuff in here."

She did and put the key on the key ring she found in the locker.

"Ready?" Kay wanted to know.

"Sure am."

"Okay, follow me."

At around eight, Hunter was the first to walk into the squad room; his Uncle Tom had promised to call him at nine with news about the meeting. One by one, the other officers came in. Charlie was surprised to see Hunter so early, "Don't get too obsessed with this case will you." he warned.

"Too late, Charlie: I already am." he smiled.

Not long after, his partner walked in, still looking tired.

"Bad night?"

"You don't want to know. My neighbor's cat kept me awake half the night with his howling. I caught him fishing in my fish tank earlier and this was his way to thank me for returning him home."

"Didn't you throw something at him?"

"My neighbor grabbed him before I could and grounded him for the rest of the week. Did Kitty start her new job yet?" she said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she should report in at around lunch time and Uncle Tom will call around nine with hopefully some good news about the meeting."

"We could do with some good news right now."

"We also have to think about a story to tell these people when we meet them."

"I know; that shouldn't be too difficult."

Their conversation was cut short by Hunter's phone ringing.

Hunter picked up the phone before it could ring twice. "Hunter."

"Hey, Hunter, it's Jackie. Your uncle got called away and I told him I'd take care of this since I know Martin and he trusts me."

"Thanks, Jackie," Hunter replied. "So, will he talk to us?"

"He isn't too happy about it," Jackie admitted, ruefully. "I had to call in a couple of favors and make a couple of promises."

(Here it comes,) Hunter thought. "What's the deal?"

"Look, he's not proud of the fact that he dealt with Thompson, okay? And he knows he broke probably twenty different laws –"

Hunter saw immediately where Jackie was headed and he quickly cut him off. "Jackie – tell him we're not going after him. It's Thompson we want: only Thompson. We won't involve him at all if he'll just lead us to this guy."

"Yeah, well, that should work."

"And you tell him," Hunter went on, "that I have no intention of letting Thompson know where we got our information. Good enough?"

Jackie thought a moment. "Should be. He wants to meet at St. Catherine's."

Hunter did a double take. "A church?"

McCall looked up from the reports she was reading, eyebrows raised in surprise. Hunter caught her eye then shook his head. 'Later,' he mouthed.

She nodded and went back to her coffee, keeping a part of her attention on the conversation.

"Why a church?" Hunter asked, curious.

Jackie sighed. "I'm telling you, this Thompson is bad news. Martin goes to church every day now, trying to make up for what he did.

"What did he do?" Hunter felt compelled to ask.

"I'll let him tell you," Jackie answered. "Meet me in two hours."

"Right." Hunter hung up the phone, staring across the room, wondering about Martin and what had driven him to utilize the services of someone like Cameron Thompson.

"Earth to Hunter! Anyone home?"

The sound of his partner's voice snapped him back and he looked over at her. "Sorry," he said, a sheepish grin.

"So," she prompted. "Don't keep me in suspense."

"We're gonna meet a guy named Martin at St. Catherine's. Apparently, the guy goes there every day, trying to ease his conscience."

"Really. I heard we're promising him immunity."

Hunter nodded. "Got my eye on the big prize, partner."

McCall grinned. "Oh, before I forget: Kitty had a free moment and checked in early. She's okay and her cover's good. I told her about the lack of alibis on Morgan and Armstrong and she'll do some digging."

Just after 11:00, McCall pulled into the parking lot of St. Catherine's Catholic Church. She followed Hunter inside and when she spotted Jackie to their left, she reached out to tap her partner on the shoulder. "Hunter, over there," she whispered, unconsciously using her 'church' voice. She felt irreverent using her normal speaking voice in any church.

Jackie nodded a greeting and took them through an unmarked door and up a long flight of stairs to the choir loft. A huge organ was the centerpiece and the risers fanned out in a large semicircle behind. A man in a dark suit sat on the organ bench watching them warily.

"Martin, this is Sgt Hunter, my boss' nephew," Jackie said, his voice low, but not quite a whisper. "And his partner, Sgt McCall."

"This is just between us," Martin stated firmly.

"I promise," Hunter affirmed. "We're only after Thompson."

Martin eyed the two detectives suspiciously. They met his gaze without flinching.

His eyes left theirs to stare at the altar below. "Maybe if I help you get this guy; I can make things square."

Hunter and McCall exchanged glances.

"Why don't you tell us about it, Martin?" Hunter asked, as he and McCall took a seat on the middle riser. Jackie remained standing, guarding the door.

Martin licked his lips. "Yeah, okay." He paused to gather his thoughts.

McCall pulled out her notebook and pen to take down notes. Martin didn't seem to notice, his gaze fixed on the altar below.

"About two years ago, my son was diagnosed with leukemia. Out of the blue: healthy kid one day, on death's door the next. He went through it all: chemo, radiation, all the drugs. Just kept getting sicker. They said he needed a bone marrow transplant. I thought it would be simple, you know. Me or my wife could donate. Turns out we didn't match, 'cause he's got a really rare type. We looked everywhere, asked everyone, put him on every list out there. Nothing, 'til one day we hear about this guy. Perfect match. Thought we had it made."

Martin stopped, his expression pained as he relived it all.

"What happened, Martin?" McCall asked, quietly.

"The guy refused," Martin answered, his tone bitter. "Flat out refused. Said it was against his religion. I went nuts. Offered him more money than I could probably get, anything, if he would just save my son's life."

The two detectives grew sympathetic. It was becoming clear why Martin had become so desperate.

He went on. "Thompson told me he would use one of his animals to persuade the guy to change his mind. Change his religion, is what he said." He looked at Hunter and McCall. "You want to know how?"

"Yes," they said, simultaneously and reluctantly.

Martin shook his head and returned his gaze to the altar. "He took the guy's wife and put her in a tank with a bunch of piranhas."

McCall gasped in horror as Hunter's face displayed his own revulsion.

Martin wasn't done. "Know what Thompson told me?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "Told me he wouldn't charge me for the service, since the piranhas didn't have to be trained to do what comes naturally."

(Oh my God,) McCall thought, realizing just what kind of monster they were going after.

"Martin," Hunter said, softly, "what about your son?"

Martin buried his face in his hands. "It was too late and so Thompson killed the guy."

Hunter rubbed a hand across his forehead, closing his eyes in an attempt to comprehend. "We're going to get Thompson, Martin. We need your help. Tell us how to find him."

"Well, the first time we met was in his office."

"Is this the office of the Save Our Endangered Animals Group?" McCall interrupted.

"Yeah. I thought it was strange at first; this man and an animal rights group, but then I realized it's a perfect cover."

"And after the meeting?"

"He contacted me every time."

"You never got a phone number or anything else from him?" Hunter asked to get a clear picture.

"No, never; it was just that one meeting in the office."

"How did you come to know about him?"

"I took my son to the Zoo one day to take his mind off things and one of the reptile keepers showed us around. I told her the whole story and she said she knew someone who might be able to help out. We left our phone number and a few days later, Thompson contacted us."

"Do you remember the keeper's name?"

"Sure. It was Kay."

"Thanks Martin. If there's anything else you think of that might help us or if you need anything from us, don't hesitate to call," Hunter handed him his card.

"Thank you."

The three of them left the church and walked towards their cars.

"This Thompson is a lot smarter then I expected," Hunter sighed.

"Is there a problem?" Jackie asked him.

"We were at this office yesterday as police officers. We can't show up there as potential clients," Hunter explained.

"We have to get a hold of Kitty; she's working with Kay McAllister," McCall reminded him. "She could be that Zoo connection we're looking for."

"What about her alibi for the time Matthews was murdered?"

"She said she was at a party; a lot of people saw her but not everyone. At parties with a lot of people you can be seen and disappear without anyone noticing you have gone."

Hunter looked at his partner and then to Jackie, "Why didn't I think of that? You're so right. A busy party is the perfect alibi."

"Now, we have to contact Kitty somehow, without blowing her cover."

"Let's go to the Zoo; seeing us there will make her contact us if she's able."

After thanking Jackie for his help, they drove to the Zoo.

"Officers, how nice to see you again. Any progress in the investigation?" Mr. Armstrong wanted to know.

"Getting there. I see you've hired a new one already?" Hunter said.

"The work doesn't stop Sgt: you can't shut down an animal."

"No you can't. We should get the autopsy report on Mr. Matthews later today, and then we'll know the cause of death."

"You will let me know as soon as you get the report I assume? So I can take the necessary actions?"

"You mean kill the tiger," McCall pitched in with anger in her voice.

"I told you it depends on the result of the autopsy."

"We'll let you know," Hunter said, throwing McCall a look that made her head for the door, ready to leave.

Outside they ran into Kitty, but with Kay close by she couldn't talk. She knew something was up, like McCall had predicted, and had to contact them as soon as possible.

Back at the precinct, a message was waiting on Hunter's desk.

"It's from Barney; he wants to see us right away. He must have found something important."

"Let's go then," McCall grabbed her purse and headed for the elevator.

In the car she took the radio, "L56 to control."

"Go ahead L56."

"When Sgt O'Hearn calls in, could you patch her through?"

"Roger L56."

"L56 out."

Hunter glanced at his partner, "Kitty will manage."

"I know, but this Kay could be capable of anything."

At the morgue, Barney was waiting for them,

"What did you find, Barney?" McCall asked.

"I thought you needed to know that your guy was already dead when he was put into the tiger enclosure. Cause of death was a single shot through the head but it was so badly damaged by the tiger that you couldn't have spotted the bullet wound."

"Anything else?"

"The bullet was still in the brain. It's a .22."

"Thanks for letting us know Barney," Hunter said, before they left the morgue.

"L56 come in, L56 come in please," the radio was calling out.

McCall reached through the window to pick up the receiver, "This is 56."

"I have Sgt. O'Hearn on tack two."

"Okay put her through. Hey, Kitty."

"Hey, what's up? You two looked serious."

"Kay McAllister is in on it. The guy we met today, named her as the person who set up the meeting between him and Thompson."

"I thought there was something about her; she did have an alibi though."

"Not a real solid one, she was at a busy party that night and could have slipped out and returned unseen."

"Hmm, I'll dig a little further then. Oh, Armstrong's alibi checks out, I'm still working on Phil Morgan's."

"Good work. By the way, Matthews was already dead when the tiger got a bite out of him. He was shot with a .22."

"Interesting. I'll check out if someone here got a hold of a .22."

"I had the same idea."

"Gotta go now: end of my break. Talk to you later."

"Okay, be careful," she put down the receiver and turned to Hunter, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Kay McAllister waited quietly until she heard Kitty leave and the outer office door close before hanging up the receiver. She closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath in an attempt to quiet her rage that she felt building inside as she listened in on Kitty's conversation. It was pure luck that she had been in the office when Kitty called from the deserted secretary's desk, thinking she was alone. She lifted the receiver back up and began to dial.

Cameron Thompson answered on the first ring. "Why are you calling me?" he asked, by way of greeting.

"Look, Cameron, don't you start with me. We're not married anymore," she hissed.

"Fine," he growled. "What do you want?"

"I thought that you'd want to know how badly your protégé screwed this up."

"What are you talking about, Kay? Phil eliminated the Matthews threat before he could link me to anyone at the Zoo. Including you, I might add."

Kay blew out an exasperated sigh. "He did a damn sloppy job, Cameron, and questions are being asked. And someone that I referred to you gave my name to the police. There are two detectives hot on the trail and they've got another here posing as a reptile keeper."

"What?!"

"That idiot, Phil, served Matthews to the tigers after they'd been fed. There was plenty left for an autopsy. Oh, and they found the .22 slug, which means they are now looking for the gun."

She took satisfaction in listening to Cameron's fury erupt.

"I told you that you should have let me handle it," she goaded him.

"Shut up!" he barked. "Let me think."

Kay pursed her lips, gripping the receiver tightly. She had to fight not to comment further.

"Where's the gun?" Cameron finally asked.

It sounded to Kay like he was speaking with his teeth clenched. "Phil's got it. And before you ask; I already told him to get rid of it. Whether or not he took my advice is unknown at this time.'

"Enough. We have to get this under control."

"Then I suggest you get Phil back on a leash and I'll take care of the bigger problem of the detectives. I'll –"

"No," Cameron cut her off. "Just come out here. I'll call Phil to handle the problem at the Zoo. And don't argue with me," he added, snidely.

Kay bit her tongue. She knew Cameron was right. Things were unraveling, but she had no intention of going down for this. Divorcing him had been the first step in the right direction. Now she needed to get through this and get out.

"Fine. I'm on my way. But after this: I'm done. Finished. And don't you dare argue with me!" Kay slammed down the receiver, her heart pounding in her chest.

After grabbing a late lunch, Hunter and McCall returned to the station to update Charlie on theirs and Kitty's progress.

McCall dropped her purse into her desk drawer, while Hunter quickly glanced around for any new messages.

"Oh!"

Hunter looked up at his partner's startled exclamation. "What's wrong?"

McCall shook her head. "I must be more tired than I thought. I completely forgot about the poor tiger in quarantine." She hastily pulled out Armstrong's business card. "I can't wait to let this guy know he almost killed an innocent animal."

Hunter sat down with a grin. (This is gonna be good,) he thought, anticipating the satisfaction he knew his partner felt and would convey. (In a most professional way, of course) he added mentally, with a smirk.

He listened to her inform Armstrong that there was undeniable evidence that John Matthews had been killed by a bullet to the head and placed in the tiger cage after he had died. She expected to have the tiger released immediately from quarantine, and did he have any questions.

Hunter smothered a laugh when it became apparent that Mr. Armstrong had no questions.

"We'll be in touch, Mr. Armstrong. Obviously this investigation is far from over," McCall stated aloofly, then hung up the phone.

She looked up at her partner, her eyes purposefully wide. "Not too bitchy, right, Hunter?" she asked, innocently.

"Just right, McCall," he chuckled. "Come on, Charlie's waiting."

McCall grinned. Score one for the tiger.

"So Phil and Kay are at the top of the suspect list," Charlie mused, reaching for his bottle of Maalox. "I'm going to send back up for O'Hearn; just to be on the safe side."

McCall breathed a quiet sigh of relief, while Charlie made the call.

"But we still have to figure out how to get in with this Thompson creep," Hunter said, when their boss finished assigning an officer to back up Kitty. "I think Kitty is too close - it's too soon. I was really hoping our contact had another way in without using the Zoo."

Further conversation was halted by the ringing of the telephone. Charlie snatched it up. "Devane."

Hunter took the opportunity to glance over at his partner, staring absently out the window, her eyes at half-mast. He reached out and placed a hand on hers. "You okay?" he whispered.

She turned to him and smiled at his concern. "I'm fine –"

"Hunter. McCall."

They looked up at Charlie. "There's an urgent call from a woman who says that she's Matthews' girlfriend and she has some important information. The operator says she sounds pretty upset."

McCall turned to her partner, silently asking. He nodded once, feeling she would have better luck with a woman who'd just lost someone she cared about.

McCall took the phone. "This is Sgt McCall. Who is this, please?"

"My – my name is Linda Mitchell. Are – are you working on Johnny's case?"

It was hard for McCall to understand the distraught woman between the sniffling and tears. "Do you mean John Matthews?"

"Yes."

"Yes, my partner and I are in charge of the investigation. Do you know something that can help us find out what happened?" She resisted the urge to cross her fingers.

Hunter leaned over to try and hear and McCall obligingly tilted the receiver towards him.

"Johnny, he – he told me if anything ever happened to him – I – I was supposed to – to give this en – envelope to the police. I – I think it's got a video in it."

(Thank God.) McCall thought. This could be the break they needed. "Can you bring it to the station?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from betraying the elation she felt.

"No!!" Linda cried out.

McCall winced and jerked the phone away. "Linda – take it easy," she soothed. "What's wrong? Why can't you come here?"

"Please – please," she sobbed, "I'm afraid – I – I can't be seen there – please. He – he told me what – what –"

"Okay, okay, Linda." McCall kept her voice low and composed. "Do you want us to meet you someplace? Somewhere you'll feel safe." McCall felt like she'd promise anything to get her hands on any evidence to nail Thompson.

She could feel Hunter hovering over her and knew that he felt the same way.

"Come on, Linda. Name the place. It'll just be us."

"I – I don't know," the woman sobbed. "I'm so scared. What – what about after?"

"We'll protect you, Linda. I promise. Whatever it takes."

McCall thought she was about to start begging. Hunter put his arm around her; encouraging her, steadying her. She took a quiet breath and dug in her heels.

"Linda. Help us stop this guy. Don't let him get away with this. We can't bring John back, but we won't let his death go unpunished. Tell us where we can meet you." She glanced up at Hunter.

(Was it enough?) Her eyes asked.

Hunter nodded, willing it to be so.

McCall held her breath, listening to Linda's crying. Finally, reluctantly, she agreed to meet them. McCall nearly went limp with relief and was glad she was already sitting down. Hunter pulled out a pen and Charlie immediately handed over a pad of paper. She wrote down the directions Linda gave her.

Charlie urged caution.

"Don't worry, Charlie. This guy is going down. Great job, McCall. You ready?"

Adrenalin banished all signs of fatigue and McCall leapt to her feet with a satisfied grin on her face. "Let's go." She tore off the top sheet of the pad with the instructions on it and stuffed it in her pocket.

Two hours later, they were deep in the Santa Monica Mountains, just outside Topanga State Park. After driving on unpaved, unmarked roads to a clearing, they spotted the jeep Linda had told them to look out for. An electric fence spread out before them as far as the eye could see.

Hunter stopped the car. The two detectives looked around, seeing just how isolated they were.

"There she is," Hunter said, unable to see clearly through the jeep's tinted glass. He stopped the car and got out, followed by McCall.

The silence was broken by the deafening blast of a shotgun from behind the jeep and the rear tire next to Hunter exploded. With startled cries, they threw themselves away from the car, but really had no place to go except towards the jeep. The occupant stayed put. Hunter had his gun out, but no target presented itself.

Before they could react further, another shot rang out and the other rear tire was destroyed. McCall's gun was also drawn and she looked about frantically for the shooter.

For a moment, neither moved. When it became obvious that the shooting was over, a disembodied voice rang out.

"Drop your weapons. Immediately."

The door to the jeep opened. "I suggest you do as he says."

Hunter and McCall turned to find themselves face to face with Kay McAllister. She had a gun pointed at them. They dropped their guns. She smiled. "Come on out, Cameron," she called out to the trees behind her, "We have guests."

"I guess that means Linda couldn't make it," Hunter remarked.

"Shut up, wise guy!" Cameron hissed, threatening to hit him with his rifle, but the ringing of the car phone saved him.

Kay answered, "Hello. Oh, it's you. Have you taken care of our problem yet? I don't know; you'll have to ask him yourself." she put the receiver down and got out of the car. "It's for you," was all she said to Cameron, who got into the car and picked up the phone.

"Thompson. Solved our problem yet? That's good. Take her to our headquarters, we'll be there soon with the other two," he looked at Hunter and McCall as he said that and hung up.

"You better tie them up and blindfold them for the trip," he said to Kay. "Get their guns and handcuffs."

"My pleasure."

When she was done Kay put them in the back of the jeep, closed the door with a loud bang and got into the passenger seat.

They didn't know how long they had spent in the back of the jeep before they were let out, but both Hunter and McCall hadn't enjoyed the bumpy ride.

They were lead into a building and then, as far as they could tell, into a room where they were untied. A door closed and someone told them they could take their blindfolds off.

Hunter was the first to take it off and found himself in a room with no windows. A small light bulb lit the space with not much light but he could see a third person sitting on the floor in the far corner. McCall had taken off her blindfold as well, and when her eyes had adjusted to the light, she too saw the third person, whom she recognized immediately,

"Kitty," she said softly and walked towards her. "Kitty, are you okay?" she asked, as she kneeled down before her.

Slowly Kitty lifted her head to look at McCall. It was black and blue; she had been beaten up badly.

"Rick, get over here," she said, firmly.

Hunter knew this was serious: she never called him by his first name unless it was. He kneeled next to her and saw Kitty's battered face, "Who did this to you?"

"Phil Morgan," Kitty answered in a soft raspy voice. "He was too strong.."

"Shhh, don't talk too much, okay? Save your strength," McCall interrupted.

"So Morgan is in on it too," Hunter thought out loud. "I bet it was either him or Kay that killed Sgt. Matthews and fed him to the tigers."

Meanwhile in another part of the building, Kay, Phil and Cameron were discussing what to do next and what to do about the prisoners.

"We should make sure they never interfere with our business again," Phil said.

"I agree," Kay pitched in. "We should use the as target practice for our animals."

"No!" Cameron slammed his fist on the table to give his words a little extra. "Not yet, not so fast. By the end of the day the whole of the LAPD will be looking for them. They were investigating us remember? It won't take very long for them to find out we've got them. We have to get out of the country while we still can."

Phil and Kay looked at each other in disbelief, was this Cameron Thompson talking? The guy who always knew how to handle the enemy? Was this a tactical move or was he just afraid?

"Out of the country? Are you serious?" Kay asked.

"Yes, I'm serious. It's getting a little too hot under my feet."

"Where do you want to go and what about the prisoners?"

"Mexico for a start; and after that, as far away as possible. We'll have to get rid of the prisoners on the way."

Looking at his two partners in crime Cameron knew his plan was working, pretty soon he would be free of them.

McCall had sat herself down next to Kitty allowing her to lie down and use her legs to place her head on. Hunter understood the worried look on her face and started to work on a plan to get them out of there in one piece.

Hunter's frustration at their captivity grew, watching his partner attempt to comfort their battered coworker and he also began to feel more than just a little afraid for both of them. McCall was obviously exhausted; her eyes had heavy dark smudges below them. He hoped they'd be left alone long enough for her to regain some of her strength – God knew she would need it soon. These people were beyond sadistic and now they were at their mercy.

It was not a promising place to be, right now.

Pacing in their locked room like a caged animal himself, he looked for any possible escape, his hands in constant motion as he tried to think of how they could get out of here.

Wherever here was.

McCall cast surreptious glances at Hunter as he restlessly moved about. Yawning in spite of herself, she could almost see the wheels turning in his brain and she knew what was probably going through his mind.

Kitty was either asleep or unconscious. She couldn't tell which, but she hoped she wasn't in any discomfort.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the roar of a large cat, sounding very close. Hunter froze in his tracks, as McCall jumped, jerking her gaze up to her partner. He met her wide, frightened eyes.

"Hunter," she whispered, with an involuntary shiver, "What in the hell are we going to do?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Yet," he replied grimly. Then, without a word, he stepped over to her and eased himself down to the floor. Careful not to jar O'Hearn, he put one arm around McCall and pulled her to him. She tensed for a split second then settled into his comforting embrace.

He was suddenly overcome by the feeling that they weren't going to make it out of here because he couldn't protect her. Unconsciously he tightened his hold on her, wondering what their captors were up to.

The big cat roared again, sounding closer and more vicious than before.

"No," DeeDee said, her voice soft, not quite a whimper as she fought to keep her tears at bay. She hated feeling this afraid, when they'd fought against so many violent criminals. But wild animals couldn't be talked down or reasoned with. The three of them didn't even have their guns.

"I know, DeeDee," Hunter murmured, his mouth at her ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin. His hand circled her back, in a soothing motion. "I know."

She let her shoulders slump and felt herself trying to relax. "I wonder if Charlie is worried that we haven't checked in." Her words were beginning to slur as sleep tightened its hold on her and pulled her down.

Hunter let his hand continue its gentle rhythm. "Let's hope so." He listened as her breathing deepened and became steady.

(For all our sakes,) he thought.

Cameron surveyed the two large environmentally controlled habitats that he'd had specially built three months ago. The first was in a swampy setting, the second in a desert. From the inside, you almost couldn't tell that you weren't outside. He had originally planned to use them for Phil and Kay, when he realized that they were both too much of a hindrance to keep with him. Now, he decided to make a small change. These two habitats would be used for Hunter and McCall. Kay and Phil would be visiting the Lion Den very shortly now.

He was getting out of the business and he was systematically severing all ties with the Save Our Endangered Animals Group. He wasn't lying when he said it was getting too hot. What he didn't admit was that he was too tired as well. The thrill was long gone. He had a ridiculous amount of money and he wanted to be free to enjoy it. The fact that their group had been infiltrated by John Mathews and the female cop, Kay had told him about was the final straw and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone made a bigger mistake and led the authorities right to his front door, if they weren't headed here already. He had had way too many people exterminated and now it was time to get out.

It had been childishly easy to lure Phil and Kay into the trap he had set up. Standing outside the Lion Den, he watched, with clinical detachment, the hungry cats devour the last two members of his formerly elite organization. There was no remorse as he witnessed the death of his ex- wife. With Phil gone, he felt only relief. Hiring Phil was a perfect example of poor judgment and why Cameron knew it was time to get out of the business.

(Good help is so hard to find these days,) he sneered as he turned away. (Now for the final act.)

Charlie Devane looked at his watch and did a double take. (Was it really after six o'clock already?) He stood up and stepped out into the squad room.

"Hey! Has anyone heard from Hunter and McCall?"

No one had.

Charlie sighed heavily and went back in for his coffee cup. On his way to the pot, he heard the name, Linda Mitchell and stopped in his tracks.

"What about Linda Mitchell?" he asked.

Detective Nate Anderson looked up at his boss. "Oh, me and Sarah got a call on a DB. Her name was Linda Mitchell. Looks like a single gunshot wound to the head, possibly a .22. Why?"

Charlie's thoughts raced. (Could it be?) "How long had she been down? And how old was she?"

Detective Sarah Danvers picked up the report. "Neighbors phoned in a disturbance at 1:10 this afternoon. She was a 36 year old, Caucasian, single, lived alone as far as we could tell and it doesn't appear anything large was stolen."

"But the neighbors also said she had a boyfriend," Nate added.

They listened as Charlie plotted it out. "Hunter and McCall were at the Zoo with O'Hearn at noon, and then returned to the station and to the Medical Examiner. They said that they spoke with O'Hearn just after they left for lunch and I met them at 4:00, which is when a Linda Mitchell called, claiming to be Mathews girlfriend. She gave directions for a meeting with Hunter and McCall."

Anderson and Danvers exchanged glances. "Do you think it's a set up?" Nate asked.

"Hell, yes, I think it's a set up! Either that or McCall spoke to a dead woman!" Charlie growled. He started to say more when he heard his name called. He looked up to see a beat officer heading his way. Quickly he read the name on the badge. "What is it, Vance?"

"No one can locate Det. O'Hearn."

"What!!??"

The officer hastened to explain how he'd gone to the Zoo, but couldn't find O'Hearn. Her car was still there, but she was nowhere to be found and there was no answer at her house. He'd even sent someone to check, just in case. "I looked all over that Zoo, Captain," he said earnestly.

"Anderson, try and get Hunter and McCall on the radio," Charlie ordered. "Danvers, come with me."

She followed him into his office and watched him pick up a lead pencil and a blank pad of paper. To her amazement he proceeded to use one of the oldest detective tricks in the book. He carefully shaded the top page and she watched as words appeared in white. "What is it, Captain?"

"These are the directions someone named Linda Mitchell gave to McCall and Hunter." He looked at the map and saw where they'd been sent. "I want you and Anderson to get over there pronto. I'm going to call park rangers to assist in the search and get a chopper to look as well. Get going – we've got three of our own out there."

"Yes, sir!" She hurried out.

Charlie watched them go as he called Lt Abbott to help in the search. He prayed they'd find them in time.

Hunter peeked down at his watch. McCall had been asleep over an hour and for that he was grateful. It was a testament to just how tired she was that she didn't wake up when the screaming had started earlier.

Fortunately, it was far enough away that the sounds were muted somewhat. That and he had cupped his hands over her ears for good measure. She had stirred briefly, and then settled back in his arms.

When the lions roared again, it sounded to Hunter like they were being fed and his stomach was in knots knowing that the screams meant someone had been put in with those ferocious big cats.

Now, all was quiet again and he tried not to think about why the lions were no longer roaring.

He sighed, resting his chin lightly atop McCall's head and closing his eyes for just a moment. He was abruptly yanked out of his brief solace when the door to their cell opened. His body tensed and he threw up one hand to shield his eyes from the glare. Due to backlighting, he was unable to clearly see who was standing in the doorway, but he had a pretty good idea.

"Who's there?" he called out, waking McCall in an instant. Suddenly wide- awake, she pulled herself up and also tried to see who had come in. "Is that you, Thompson?" Hunter said sharply, not in the mood for any games.

He kept one arm protectively on McCall's shoulder as the man he assumed was their captor stepped forward allowing them a better view. To their dismay, he had a gun pointed directly at them in one hand and their handcuffs in the other.

"In the flesh," Thompson quipped, with a smirk. "Having fun in here?"

"Hardly," Hunter snapped. "And she," he indicated the still unconscious O'Hearn, "needs a doctor."

"Oh, she won't be the only one who'll need medical care by the time we're finished here," Thompson retorted.

McCall paled. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you did come all this way to see my set-up. I couldn't possibly let you down, now could I?" Thompson rubbed his hands together in anticipation, causing the metal cuffs to jangle noisily against the gun. Hunter and McCall were able to see the man's coal black eyes glazed with madness.

"Sure you could," Hunter said smartly.

Thompson just laughed. "Sgt McCall, please take these handcuffs and place them on your partner."

When she didn't move, he pointed the gun at Kitty. "Now, Sgt."

McCall swallowed hard and took the cuffs, turning to her partner and securing them.

Hunter noticed the tremble in her hands as she reluctantly did as she was instructed. "Hang in there, partner," he whispered, trying to bolster her, as well as himself.

She managed a wan smile, her heart in her throat.

"Now come here, Sgt McCall," Thompson called out.

Again, she hesitated, unwilling to leave Hunter's side. Thompson stepped forward quickly, careful to avoid being tripped up on Hunter's long legs, and grabbed McCall's left wrist.

With a vicious twisting motion that nearly snapped the bones, he jerked her to her feet. Kitty was spilled onto the floor, moaning once but remaining unconscious.

"You bastard," McCall spat, as she started to go to her friend.

But Thompson, wearing leather work gloves had a firm grip and snatched her back, nearly dislocating her shoulder. "Oh, no you don't" he muttered.

McCall managed to stifle her cry of pain as she was determined not to show him any further weakness.

Hunter made as if to go to her, but Cameron kicked out at him, catching him on his shoulder, pushing back and off balance.

"Tsk, tsk, Sgt Hunter. Let's have none of that," he said mockingly.

Hunter glared up at him.

"As for you, Sgt McCall," he took her handcuffs and bound her wrists behind her back then grasped her right arm securely. Her left wrist and shoulder were aching but she kept silent, unwilling to antagonize him further when she was at such a disadvantage.

"Let's go," Thompson said, his voice cackling with excitement. "Don't worry Sgt Hunter. I'll be back for you next." He stepped towards the door, pulling McCall with him.

McCall and Hunter both reacted violently.

"Wait!" Hunter yelled as McCall struggled in Thompson's hold. "Where are you taking her?"

Thompson pushed McCall out into the hall. Unable to steady herself, she stumbled and fell to the floor, landing on her already injured shoulder. Barely feeling it, she began to awkwardly scrabble backwards when she heard Hunter call her again.

Thompson, confident McCall couldn't escape, took the time to step over to Hunter, who was trying to get to the door. His efforts landed him two more powerful kicks that pushed him back again.

McCall heard his grunts of pain. "Hunter!" she cried out; fear for her partner overriding her fear for her own predicament.

"McCall, run!" Hunter yelled hoarsely, as Thompson turned from him and went after DeeDee.

He caught her easily and forced her to lie on her stomach, one foot securely in the small of her back. "Don't move, Sgt or I'll kill your partner while you watch."

"No!" she gasped, her left shoulder now ablaze with a fiery pain. "No, don't!"

Hunter had almost made it to the door when Thompson slammed it in his face. He heard the deadbolt slide in place with a thud.

"I'll be back, Sgt Hunter," Thompson called out loudly, "but first I have to introduce the lovely lady here to some of my pets."

"No!" Hunter shouted, echoing McCall's earlier cries. His eyes were blazing with desperation and blood began to trickle from his wrists as he fought uselessly against the metal of his own handcuffs.

Hunter pulled himself to the door, pressing one ear against it, trying to hear anything that let him know McCall was alive or where she was being taken. The sheer terror he felt for his partner nearly overwhelmed him. He considered lying on his back and attempting to kick at the door but knew it would be just as useless as trying to break free from his handcuffs. The frustration kept building and he tried shouting DeeDee's name, hoping against hope she could answer.

No response.

Time became meaningless as he waited.

McCall struggled helplessly as Thompson all but dragged her from the cell. Her left shoulder was throbbing unmercilessly. The maze he took her through meant she would have an extremely difficult time finding her way back to Hunter if she could possibly manage an escape. An unlikely scenario at this point, she was forced to admit.

Finally, he opened a thick metal door. For a moment, she thought she had been taken to the desert, until she realized that she really was indoors. Boulders and rock formations were everywhere, as were a few large cacti and bare scraggy bushes.

He brought her to a metal rod that had been securely cemented in place. Forcing her to the ground, he looped the chain of her handcuffs through a metal clasp.

She looked up at him, puzzled. "What is this? What are you doing?"

Thompson stepped back with a maniacal grin. "Staking you out, of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get your partner set up in my little swamp. I've got some alligators that I know are way overdue to be fed."

McCall stared up at him in horror. "No! You can't! You can't do this!"

"Oh, but I can, my dear Sgt. And don't you worry about your partner. I suspect you'll have plenty to occupy your thoughts in just a minute or two. For starters, look around you and see if you can think what kind of beings like the desert setting." He stepped outside and reached for the door. "I've got my cameras rolling to catch all the action, later. I want to watch Sgt Hunter first though. Good-bye, Sgt McCall."

For several moments, McCall lay in the oppressive heat; the sand covering the floor was even hot. The air was stifling and there was no breeze at all. She shifted as much as possible, trying to find a comfortable position and thought about what Thompson had said.

What kind of animals lived in the desert?

And then she heard it. A sound that could never be mistaken for anything but what it truly was.

Rattlesnakes.

The sound struck mortal fear in her heart. She looked frantically about, trying to see where the sound was coming from and spotted two large snakes, at least four feet in length, slithering slowly towards her.

She choked back the cry of alarm that almost escaped her lips, realizing she didn't want to do or say anything to attract their attention. Sitting nearly frozen with terror, she watched helplessly as the snakes continued their slow, relentless journey closer and closer.

Three feet away they stopped. First one and then the other coiled their long bodies in a loose coil. They raised their heads and she watched in dread fascination as their tongues began darting in and out, sniffing the air.

Transfixed, McCall couldn't take her eyes off of them, poised and ready to strike; each one's head undulating side to side in a nearly hypnotic rhythm. The rattles shook again, sending chills down her spine although the rest of her was bathed in sweat.

All she could think was that she was going to die. She'd seen pictures of snakebite victims and the gruesome damage caused by the poisonous venom. Her breaths came in harsh gasps she was unable to muffle and she finally closed her eyes. She had no weapon and no where to run or even to hide.

She began to pray.

Hunter had already checked on O'Hearn. She had mumbled briefly and unintelligibly, then went back to sleep, when he heard the deadbolt turn. Without pausing to think, he moved to the side of the door and waited.

Thompson realized he had made a mistake as soon as he opened the door. In his eagerness to put Hunter out with the alligators, he had underestimated the strength and determination of his prisoner. He should have paused to check on Hunter's location in the room before stepping inside.

Hunter rolled forward, taking Thompson's feet out from under him and sending him to the ground. Before Thompson could get his bearings, Hunter managed to loop his arms around him and pin him. The two men turned over and over on the floor, each trying to gain the advantage and using their legs to kick at the other. When they hit a wall, Hunter was able to deliver a vicious head butt that left both of them seeing stars.

Suddenly, Detectives Nate Anderson and Sarah Danvers burst in, guns drawn, followed by three park rangers. They pulled up short at the sight of Hunter and Thompson wrestling on the floor. Without hesitation, they stepped in and pulled the two men apart. More officers arrived to secure Thompson when Hunter explained that he was the man that he and McCall had been searching for. Sarah saw Kitty in the corner and hurried to her while Nate got the handcuffs off of Hunter. One of the rangers radioed in for an ambulance.

"Did you find McCall?" Hunter asked frantically. Everyone shook their heads.

Hunter turned on Thompson, now the one in cuffs. He grabbed the man by his shirt and threw him up against the wall.

"Where is she, Thompson? Where's McCall?"

"I'm – not - telling - you," Thompson said, each word clipped and deliberate.

Hunter went ballistic and the other officers were hard pressed to pull him off. Thompson wouldn't budge. Nate searched Thompson's pockets and pulled out a large key ring.

Nate took Hunter's arm. "Come on, man. Let's just go looking for her. He's not going to tell us and even if he did, he might be lying and cost us more time."

Hunter grabbed Thompson by the throat. "You better hope we find her and she's okay or you'll –"

Nate pulled him away before Hunter could finish his threat. They tore through the complex, checking every door and room they could find.

They found what was left of Phil and Kay. Hunter identified them by the scraps of clothing he remembered seeing earlier.

He didn't want to think what McCall was going through but he knew she must be in with some kind of wild animal. They found the piranhas, wild boars, rats, scorpions, but no McCall. Hunter was losing hope.

Hunter pushed the door open. A blast of hot air hit him, making him blink. Then he looked cautiously around.

For as long as he lived, he knew he would never, ever forget the sight before him.

Time stopped. He and Nate stood frozen. His partner was lying on the ground, her wrists bound and secured to a metal shaft. Six inches from her face was a snake that he instantly recognized as a rattlesnake. Another lay across her legs. The snakes were both watching her.

Nate sized up the situation in a heartbeat. Slowly and deliberately, never taking his eyes off the snakes, he backed up and when he was out of sight of the snakes, he turned and ran for help.

McCall was nearly catatonic. She was completely drenched with sweat, her mouth parchment dry and her hair hanging limply, dripping sweat that stung her eyes. She made no move to try and push back the hair in her face.

The only thing she knew was that she could not make a sound. She could not move.

Not when the snakes slithered closer.

Not when one of them crawled over her legs and she felt the cool slick scales on her feverish skin.

Not even when she heard the door open and she heard her partner's gasp.

His arrival did not register. She had completely disassociated herself from everything but the snakes' presence.

Mustn't move. Mustn't make a sound. Mustn't move. Mustn't make a sound.

Over and over, she chanted silently. That was all that mattered.

Mustn't move. Mustn't make a sound. Mustn't move. Mustn't make a sound.

Two of the rangers had arrived, each with a device used to capture snakes – a flexible loop attached to a long pole. It was eerily quiet as they moved slowly forward.

Hunter was forced to stand back, powerless. It was killing him not to be able to go to her or even talk to her.

They were almost there. Communicating with eyes only, each positioned himself behind a snake. With utmost care, they extended the pole and positioned the loop near the snake's head.

Barely able to breathe, Hunter watched in helpless fascination and dread, waiting for the second that he could free her and take her in his arms.

They almost had them trapped.

Each ranger was lowering his loop and they were just at the level of the head, when suddenly, all hell broke loose.

In the blink of an eye, the snake across her legs jabbed his head out and imbedded his fangs in her left ankle, even as the other snake was ensnared.

There were shouts and cries as the other ranger gave up trying to get the loop over the snake's head and simply flung him away. He knew he ran the risk of getting bit himself, or having the snake bite Sgt. McCall again, but the damage had already been done and he just wanted the get the snake away from her. The park rangers converged on the snakes and scouted for any others.

Hunter was at McCall's side in an instant, even as paramedics that had been hovering outside made their way to her. They quickly set out their equipment and positioned the stretcher alongside her.

"McCall – McCall – can you hear me?" Hunter fumbled with the key to the handcuffs and finally managed to free her. He had heard how painful snakebites were and was amazed she had made no sound. In fact, he realized that she hadn't moved at all. Not even when the snake had bitten her.

McCall was glassy eyed and eerily silent.

They quickly scooped her onto the stretcher and removed her from the heated room.

One of the paramedics, Alex, took off her shoe and examined the wound. It wasn't too swollen. Yet. Then he too, realized that Sgt McCall hadn't complained of pain. Granted, it looked like she was in shock, but. . .

He glanced over at the rangers who were disposing of the snakes. "Hey, guys!"

They turned.

"Are those Western Diamondbacks?"

The rangers looked carefully at the snakes. The older, Kenny, finally shook his head. "Nope. These are Mojave rattlers." (Good catch), he thought, (not everyone knew there were different poisons among the rattlesnakes.)

"What's the difference?" Hunter asked, watching the paramedics start two IV's and put McCall on the cardiac monitor and oxygen.

"The difference," Alex said, as he worked, "is that the venom of the Mojave is more neurotoxic. Let's get her up in the chopper. We've got to get her to the hospital so they can administer antivenom as soon as possible."

Hunter looked down at McCall. She didn't seem to hear them at all, even though her eyes were still open. She was unfocused, her breathing was becoming labored and she was starting to shiver. He wished that she'd say something – anything. If only she would acknowledge his presence somehow.

.

"Can I come with her on the chopper?" he asked, as they wheeled McCall out of the building.

"Sorry, there's not enough room for one extra, but she'll be going to the same hospital so you can ride with them," the paramedic pointed towards the ambulance where Kitty was loaded into.

McCall was loaded into the chopper, the door closed and they took off.

"Hang in there, DeeDee," Hunter said softly, as he watched them fly away.

Charlie walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, "She's a fighter, she's not gonna give up that easy."

"I know but still...."

"I'll be at the hospital as soon as I'm done here. Go; the ambulance is waiting for you."

"Thanks, Charlie," Hunter said and rushed to the ambulance to get on.

During the flight, McCall was fighting but the battle for her life was a tough one. Breathing was getting harder and harder, so they gave her some extra oxygen by mask. Her heart rate and blood pressure were changing from time to time. All this was caused by the spreading venom.

When they arrived at the hospital a team of doctors was waiting for her, so they could start her treatment immediately.

By the time Hunter arrived in the ambulance with Kitty, McCall had been put on an IV with anti venom and taken up to the ICU.

When he asked about her the nurse noticed the wounds on his wrists, "I think it's a good idea that a doctor takes a look at you first."

He looked at his injured wrists, "Maybe later, I'd like to see my partner first."

The nurse made him promise to have himself checked out later before telling him where he could find McCall.

Looking trough the glass screen, watching her, all kind of thoughts ran through his head. Was she going to be alright? What made a human being do such a thing to another human being? Why did he need to go after this guy so badly, so this wouldn't have happened? Why her....?

The sound of squeaking shoes snapped him out of his thoughts. A doctor approached him.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Miller. Are you her husband?" he asked.

"No. I'm her partner. We're police officers. How is she?"

"Well she was in pretty bad shape when they brought her in. I haven't seen anyone react so strongly to this kind of snake bite before but the anti venom seems to be doing its work. She's stable right now, getting some oxygen by mask to help her breathe. We should know more in 24 hours."

"Can I sit with her?"

"Sure, there's a chair in the corner of the room."

The promise Hunter made to the nurse earlier shot through his mind as he grabbed the chair. Lifting it hurt so much, he nearly dropped it.

Knowing McCall was okay for now, he decided to go get checked out first.

His injuries weren't bad: bruises and scratches all over his body from fighting with Thompson. The wrists didn't need stitches but were badly bruised and bandaged for extra support. When he returned, Doc Miller was standing next to McCall's bed, reading the chart, and a nurse was working on her IV.

"Something wrong?" Hunter asked, as he walked in.

"Her heartbeat got a bit irregular again, so the heart monitor gave an alarm signal. It's one of the symptoms of this snakebite." he explained. "The nurse is checking the IV line to see if it's not blocked anywhere, standard procedure. I see you had someone take a look at you," Doc Miller changed the subject.

"Yeah, they said I'll live," Hunter replied, as he sat down.

Just as the Doc wanted to leave, Charlie walked in and introduced himself.

"How is she doing?"

"She's lucky; her reaction to the venom was strong but she's stable now. The next 24 hours are crucial."

Doc Miller left to do the rest of his rounds and Charlie turned to Hunter.

"I've just seen Kitty, she's gonna be fine."

"That's good news,"

"Thompson is behind bars. I'm gonna interview him myself, as soon as I get back. How are you?"

"A bit black and blue and these are badly bruised," he answered showing his wrists. "But I'll live. Did you find anything useful at Thompson's hideout?"

"Enough to put him away for a long time. He was in the process of destroying his files but a lot of it was still there. We found records of clients, what animals were used and who the victims were. This guy was training and offering regular killing machines."

"What about the animals there?"

"Well some of them are so aggressive, I don't know if they can be re-homed. But a lot of them can. I have people calling Zoo's and wildlife parks all over the country."

Hunter was trying to keep his mind on what Charlie was telling him, but he was feeling tired.

Charlie noticed, "Would you like me to give you a ride home, you look beat."

"No, thanks. I want to stick around in case she wakes up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay, I'll leave you to it. I've got an animal to interview."

"Turn him inside out will you, for McCall."

"No problem."

After Charlie had left Hunter laid his head on the bed and closed his eyes, too tired to stay awake.

It had been 12 hours since the Mojave Rattlesnake had imbedded its fangs in DeeDee McCall's right ankle. A battle was currently being waged in her body between the neurotoxic venom and medical drugs, including numerous vials of antivenom. Vial after vial was infused to combat the irregular heart beat, muscle spasms, chills, fever and vomiting. There were times when it was difficult to tell which side was winning. They rehydrated her, cooled her down and monitored her closely. Through it all, DeeDee remained unresponsive and eerily quiet.

Charlie and Brad took turns at meal times, watching Hunter closely to make sure he at least ate something. Hunter choked down the tasteless food placed before him, wanting nothing more than to get back to his partner. He dozed fitfully either at her bedside, or in the waiting room when the nurses shooed him out to care for McCall.

The next evening, Hunter was sitting in the chair he'd placed close to McCall's bed. He kept his hand atop her right arm, mindful of the IV infusing into her wrist.

He stared over at the sling that was immobilizing her left arm. Nothing broken; but the shoulder was severely bruised with strained tendons and ligaments from Thompson's manhandling. When the doctor had discovered the swelling and discoloration, he'd gone straight to Hunter to get a detailed mechanism of injury. Rubbing his aching head, Hunter had recounted the event. Later, he'd breathed a quiet sigh of relief to learn no serious damage had been done.

Now, here he sat, watching the IV fluids infusing into Dee Dee's veins, carefully controlled by pumps. Listening to the various machines and monitors soon lulled him to sleep, still with his hand on his partner.

A light tap on his shoulder woke him instantly. With a quiet groan, he painfully pulled himself upright, his muscles still tight and sore.

"Rick."

He looked over to see Uncle Tom and Jackie Valentine.

"How is she?" his uncle asked, softly as they both stepped closer to the bed.

Grateful for their presence, Hunter glanced over at Dee Dee's face. "She's holding her own. They've given her, I think, 18 vials of antivenom. They're hoping they don't have to give her anymore. She – she just won't wake up."

Tom shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Me, too." Jackie said. "I wish I could have gotten you more help, so you two wouldn't have had to be at his place."

"It's not your fault, Jackie," Hunter reassured him, "We were set up." He went on to explain about the phone call and concluded with finding McCall chained to the floor in a heated room with two venomous snakes.

"Do they have enough evidence to lock him up?" Jackie asked.

Hunter nodded. "Plenty. The guy is going down."

"Maybe permanently," Tom said, in a neutral voice.

Hunter chose to ignore the implications. Whatever happened to Cameron Thompson would never repay all the death and terror the man had orchestrated. He could only thank God that he and McCall had escaped the death, but they would probably never forget the terror.

He did a double-take.

Hunter peered closely at his partner's face, noticing that even asleep, her brow was slightly furrowed, her lips seemed thinned a bit. Was she in pain? Or was it something else?

He thought back to when they had found her. Had her mind taken her someplace safe, away from the horrific situation she had been placed? Did she think she was still there? Was she trying to escape?

Jackie and Tom exchanged glances.

"Maybe we should leave," Tom said. "Take care of her, Ricky."

Hunter nodded briefly, and then stood over his partner. Staring down at her intently, he ran his hand over her cheek and smoothed back her hair.

"DeeDee, can you hear me? It's me, Rick." He bent closer. "DeeDee, it's all over now. I need you to open your eyes. You're safe now, DeeDee. Please, please come back to me. Please open your eyes. Nothing is going to hurt you, so please, please DeeDee, please open your eyes."

He had no idea how long he talked to her, trying to convince her but it vaguely registered that the antivenom infusions had stopped and that effects of the poison had been nullified. Her heartbeat remained regular, she hadn't had any further vomiting or muscle spasms and the puncture wound had not shown any signs of infection. The medical personnel were extremely pleased.

Now if she would only wake up. They too, were convinced that it was probably a defense mechanism that kept her unresponsive and they encouraged Hunter to continue to talk to her, hoping that on some level she was able to hear him.

When the nurse came in to change out the IV tubing, Hunter excused himself to go to the bathroom. She was just finishing up as he stepped back into the room. He watched as she secured the connection, reapplied fresh tape and then slipped silently out.

With a sigh, he went to the window, staring absently out at the dark thunder clouds on the horizon.

Snakes

Snakes, everywhere.

Oh my God! No! No more snakes!

There was no escape. They pinned her, held her down and enveloped her body.

She could feel one.

There - on her arm.

Get off – get it off – get it off!!!!

When Hunter heard the blood-curdling scream emanating from his partner, he thought for certain his heart would stop. He turned away from the window to see she had pulled herself up in bed and gotten her left arm out of the sling. Completely hysterical, she was pulling at the IV tubing on her arm, the monitor leads on her chest and the NG tube that had been in her nose.

He was at her side in an instant, attempting to hold her down, but he was no match for the pure panic that gave her nearly superhuman strength.

Her piercing screams brought the nurses on the run, as well as Dr. Miller, who had been about to check in on her. There were shouts and orders and Hunter tried desperately to get through to her but to no avail; having to settle for trying not to let her hurt herself.

He heard the doctor call for medication and he hoped like hell it was a sedative. It took two nurses to get the drug injected into the IV as DeeDee flailed her arm.

It was like flipping a switch. Within seconds, her body went completely limp; her cries mercifully silenced. It took several minutes for everyone to detangle themselves and get DeeDee settled back in the bed.

Dr. Miller pulled out the chart and began writing. "In light of what's happened; I'm going to order the NG tube removed and I think we can go ahead and get her off the telemetry monitoring."

The nurses nodded as they carefully put Dee Dee's left arm back in the sling. "What about the IV?" one of them asked, as she reapplied the tape.

Dr. Miller thought for a moment. "I'd like to leave it in for now, but you can take it out when she wakes up again, provided she's not in the same agitated state."

Hunter was still trying to catch his breath. "What the hell just happened here?"

"I think she had a nightmare or some kind of hallucination, and perceived the various tubes to be snakes. Hopefully, though, it means she's coming around and starting to deal with the event. Keep talking to her, and reassuring her. The medication I gave her will wear off in a little while and hopefully she'll be less distressed."

(God), Hunter thought, (I hope so). He didn't think he could handle seeing her that traumatized again.

Several hours later, to Hunter's immense relief, McCall opened her eyes. Moving slowly and careful not to make any sudden movements, he sat down next to her on the bed. He was inordinately pleased to see her beautiful brown eyes focus on him.

"Hunter," she whispered, hoarsely.

"Yeah," he said, unable to keep the smile off his face, as he took her hand in his. "Glad to see you awake. I've really missed you."

Clutching his hand like a lifeline, McCall let her gaze move about the room, taking in her surroundings. "It's over?"

"You're safe. Thompson's locked up."

She took a slow deep breath. "Kitty?"

"She went home this morning. She's okay, just banged up like me. She said she'd be back to check on you in the morning."

McCall looked out the window and saw that it was dark outside. "How long have I been here?"

"A couple of days." Hunter kept his tone light. "But you're all right now. We've just been waiting for you to wake up."

McCall stared at Hunter, her eyes wide and bright with unshed tears. "I was so frightened," she whispered. "I thought I was going to die."

"I know," Hunter whispered back. "But you're safe now." Very carefully, he pulled her to a sitting position and held her close.

McCall wrapped her good arm around him and hugged him fiercely. She thought she could stay like this, enveloped in his embrace forever. She closed her eyes and felt the tears slip out.

Hunter felt the wetness through the thin material of his t-shirt. His heart broke as he continued to hold her to him. He would do anything to make this whole terrifying episode vanish like smoke.

DeeDee sat on the back porch swing, staring out across her backyard. Home at last. It felt so good to be outside; the afternoon sun warm on her face. She was startled by a rustling in a bush next to her and when she looked down, she saw a small black kitten.

Smiling broadly, she stood and was about to reach out to the tiny animal when the kitten meowed loudly and arched it's back, looking into the bush it had just exited from. McCall froze. The kitten's fur was standing completely on end all over its body, its tail as thick as a bottle brush. It meowed again and then McCall saw what had gotten it so stressed.

A snake.

McCall whimpered and immediately drew back, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

It wasn't a large snake; small, brown, bigger than the kitten, although not by much, but she felt completely paralyzed with fear.

The kitten however, was not intimidated. It hissed, spit and one tiny paw shot out to swipe at the offending creature before him. The snake dodged easily.

McCall tried to get her breathing under control, transfixed by the scene before her. The fearless little kitten kept up his attack, swiping again at the snake with a loud meow. The snake had enough and quickly slithered off. McCall watched it until she was sure the snake was gone through the fence. Bonelessly she sank back down onto the swing.

It was several minutes before her heart rate returned to normal. The kitten watched her, then came closer and jumped onto her lap. McCall smiled. "Well, hello, precious." She stroked the soft fur. The kitten purred contentedly and curled up in a ball.

McCall continued to rhythmic stroking. "Aren't you the brave one?" She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Big detective, saved by tiny kitten." The kitten looked up at her with its yellow-green eyes and meowed softly. "Would you like to stick around and keep me company?"

The kitten was asleep. McCall smiled.

Hunter pulled into McCall's driveway with a carload full of groceries. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone after bringing her home from the hospital, but she'd insisted, saying she wanted to get cleaned up.

He found her in the living room, asleep on the couch with a tiny black kitten curled up on her chest, nestled in her sling. His eyes grew wide. Now, where had that come from?

McCall heard him and slowly opened her eyes. "Hi."

"Hi. Who's your friend?"

McCall petted the kitten, which proceeded to purr again. She told Hunter how the little kitten had chased away the snake. "I think I could learn something from it."

Hunter went to her and kissed her forehead. "I think you already have."