Chapter One: Dangerous

"Fallon, get in here."

Detective Mal Fallon groaned as the harsh sound of Captain Charles Anders' voice filled the room. It had been a long day, and he had paperwork to write. He was in no mood for this.

"Captain, can this wait? I've got to finish this report…"

"Fallon. In. My. Office. NOW!" Anders yelled sharply.

"Okay, okay…" Mal sighed and got up from his desk. He traipsed over to Anders' office and sank down in a chair. "What is it?"

"I'm told you tracked Max Ostrem, the lead suspect in the Haight-Ashbury homicide, to Golden Gate Park earlier today, and then you shot him in broad daylight in the middle of the park?"

Mal sighed wearily. Sometimes it seemed as though Captain Anders loved nothing more than to yell at him. "Well, first off, Chuck, he wasn't just a suspect. I know he killed that girl. He fits Natara's profile to the letter, and we have eyewitnesses who saw him at the scene…"

"I believe my instructions were incredibly clear, Detective. I told you I did NOT want any more unnecessary casualties."

"This one was necessary," Mal declared. "He was pointing a gun directly at me and my partner! I only shot back to save our lives!"

"Even so, what did I tell you about creating a disturbance in public? Just once, can't you bring me back a suspect alive and in handcuffs?"

Mal sat up straighter in his chair. "Say what you will about what I did, Anders, but that man will never be on the streets again. And I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Elliott will sleep well at night knowing that their daughter's killer has been brought to justice."

Anders stared him down. "Even if I conceded that what you just said was true, it doesn't change the fact that your blatant disrespect for proper protocol has resulted in more deaths and more property damage than this city can afford to handle…"

Mal rolled his eyes. Not this again.

"Listen, Charles, you've said this to me a million times already. Can I just go finish the report now? It's been a long day."

"I'm warning you, Fallon." Anders glared at him. "If your behavior does not improve, I will not hesitate to put you on desk duty for as long as is necessary."

Mal gritted his teeth. "If I ever stop getting the job done, then you're free to do that." He got up and briskly left the room.


Special Agent Natara Williams sat at her desk, looking over the lab reports that Kai had just given her. She heard a door slam, then angry footsteps headed across the room. She looked up to see her partner, Mal Fallon, coming her way.

"Mal, what's wrong? Did you get yelled at by Anders again?"

Mal nodded. "You'd think that by now I wouldn't be bothered by it, considering how often it happens."

Natara gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know."

Mal sighed. "I got the guy. I did what had to be done."

Natara handed him the lab reports. "Well, on the bright side, Kai just came by with the results of the Marcie Elliott autopsy. Max Ostrem's DNA was found under her fingernails. It was a perfect match."

Mal glanced over the papers. "We got the right guy. Anders was yelling at me as though I had just shot an innocent man."

Natara gave him a look of understanding. "I know. We've had a long day. All you have to do is finish filing the report, and then you can go get some rest."

"Thanks. I think I can handle that." Mal gave her a small smile, then turned and headed back to his desk.


Later that night, at another desk, Detective Blaise Corso tapped furiously with her pencil while poring over evidence for what seemed like the millionth time. Three dead women so far. Probably more to come. She needed to find this killer, fast.

"It has to be here. It has to," Blaise said to herself, flipping through the papers. "There has to be a connection here. I just have to find it."

Her partner, Detective Jeremy Redbird, looked over her shoulder. "Blaise, you're wound so tight you're going to snap a string! You need to relax."

Blaise turned around and glared at him. "Do you want this bastard to kill another girl? Because I sure don't."

Jeremy glanced at the wall clock. "Blaise, it's after ten. Everyone on the day shift has already gone home. You've got to call it a night. I want to catch this guy as much as you do, but I need you at one hundred percent if we're going to do it."

Blaise had to stifle a yawn. She knew Jeremy was right. But she never liked to rest until a case was solved. Even if that meant she had to stay at the station all night.

"Come on, Blaise. Get some rest. Kai is doing the autopsy of the third vic tomorrow morning. If he finds something, you'll be the first to know."

Blaise sighed deeply. "All right."


Meanwhile, Mal got a beer out of the refrigerator and went back to recline on the couch. He opened the can and took a long, slow sip, savoring the taste in his mouth. He was exhausted. The events of the day replayed themselves in his mind, over and over again. He could almost hear Anders yelling at him again, as he reached for his remote control.

A soft knock sounded from outside the door of his apartment. He sighed instinctively, then smiled to himself as he got up to open the door.

"I'm here." Natara Williams stood in his doorway, purse slung over her shoulder, wearing the same suit she had worn to work earlier that day.

"I knew you'd make it." Mal smiled, then gestured for her to come in. He closed the door after her.

Natara put her purse down on the floor and slowly walked over to Mal. He looked deeply into her eyes, and then ran a hand down the side of her cheek.

"This is dangerous…" Natara whispered, gazing into Mal's blue eyes.

"I know," breathed Mal. "But no one will find out."

With that he wrapped his arms around her and started to kiss her deeply. He lightly caressed the back of her neck with his fingertips, and she softly moaned into the kiss.

"Oh Mal…" Natara pulled away and gave him a seductive smile. "Let's take this upstairs."