My Valentine
~~~~
"SARAH! NOOO!" I scream, opening my eyes. I feel like I'm going to be sick. Sarah is sitting up in her hospital bed, looking at me concerned.
"Harm?" She asks, concern flooding her voice. I get up quickly and run to the bathroom, getting sick in the toilet. Tears run down my face and I grip the toilet tightly, my knuckles beginning to ache.
Her hands are on me in less than a minute, wiping the sweat from my forehead and helping me up. She hands me a paper towel and I wipe my mouth off, looking down at her tiredly.
"Harm, are you okay?" She says, tears in her eyes. I shake my head.
"No, I'm not okay. I need to find Palmer." I say, looking into her eyes. She shakes her head now.
"Harm, you said you were going to stay here. You can't go after him. He's psychotic. You don't know what he might do..." She says, her hands on either side of my face, calming me.
"Sarah, I have to find him. He's going to kill you or someone else. I've got to get him." I say, suddenly remembering the injuries that she sustained. What is she doing out of bed?
"Jesus, Sarah, get back to bed." I say, turning her around and keeping my hands on her hips as she walks back to bed. I help her in, then cover her up, not sitting down.
"Harm, I don't want you to get yourself hurt." She says quietly, looking at me with an intense gaze. I nod.
"I know. I won't get hurt. I promise." I tell her, grabbing her hand. I move to let her go, but she grips me tighter, pulling me closer to the bed.
"Harm. Don't leave. Please." She says. I look into her eyes and see her fear, her need to have me here. I have to go find Palmer...But I'll do it later. After she falls asleep. I nod, sitting down and not letting go of her hand.
There's a knock at the door before I can say anything else. I let go of her and jump from my chair, taking the steps between myself and the door before whoever is outside can come in. Yanking the door open, I startle the delivery man that stands on the other side, and he jumps.
"I'm sorry, sir. Are you Harmon Rabb?" The young man asks. I nod, narrowing my eyes.
"Yes." I say, looking at the large manila envelope in his hands. He hands it to me.
"This is for you." He says, walking away with one last fearful glance at me. I watch him for a second, then go back into the room where Sarah waits for me. I look at the envelope, then open it to reveal a videotape.
A sick feeling settles in my stomach as I read the label on the tape.
'The Taming of Sarah MacKenzie'
My hands unconsciously tighten around the tape until it almost snaps. Then I remember that I have to watch it. My jaw tight and my stomach upset, I look at Sarah.
"What does it say?" She asks. I show her the label, and she frowns, suddenly looking more pale than she was before. She looks up at me.
"Put it in." She whispers. I take a deep breath and then put the tape in the VCR that is lying on the table with the TV. Pressing play, I sit back in the chair next to the bed.
Clark Palmer's face comes on the screen, sneering.
"Rabb, I thought I'd do you the courtesy of giving you this tape, just so you know exactly what happened to your woman. By the way, Colonel MacKenzie, I was really expecting more of a fight from you. Well, we'll see next time, won't we?"
I suppress the urge to throw the TV out the window, and my hand tightens on the armrest of the chair I sit in.
The next part of the tape is sickening. It shows Mac, tied to the chair, unconscious. The blood and bruises that I saw when I found her are not there, the lights are on. Then Palmer steps into the picture, and smiles at the camera.
"What's about to happen may not be suitable for viewers that are in love with Sarah MacKenzie." He says. My jaw tightens so that it hurts my teeth, and I let out a frustrated breath.
The next thing that Palmer does makes me suck in that breath that I just let out. He walks over to Sarah and backhands her, right in the face. Hence the split lip.
I glance at the real woman, sitting in the bed next to me. She's staring wide-eyed at the TV, and closes her eyes every time the video shows Palmer hitting her unconscious body. I look back at the screen.
This is the part where her clothes got messed up. Palmer unties her and lies her on the bed, then rips her blouse open, hikes her skirt up, rips her pantyhose. I can't bear to watch as he gropes her, can't stand the sight of his hands on her, making the bruises that are on her body now...
"DAMN IT!" I shout, flying out of my chair. I'm at the TV before I know what's happening, and I punch it so hard that the screen shatters, sparks fly. The adrenaline running through me now is almost unbearable, fueled by unending anger. I pick up the chair next to the TV table and throw it across the room, sending it crashing into other furniture.
My anger starts subsiding now, my chest heaving with furious breathing. I am going to kill that bastard with my bare hands. I swear to god.
When I realize what I've done, that I've broken the television and a bunch of furniture, that's when I notice the pain in my hand and remember that Sarah is in the room.
Turning my head slowly, I look at her. The expression on her face is one that I'll never forget, as long as I live. Her lower lip is tucked between her teeth, her eyes are wide, her brow furrowed deeply. She just saw me lose it. I'm just like her father. How do I expect her to love me, to marry me, if I'm just like the man that ruined her life when she was young?
"I'm sorry." I say quietly, looking at her and trying so hard to keep my emotions in check. I look down at my hand, which is gushing blood all over my arm and the floor. Suddenly flustered, I look around for a towel or something, to wipe up the mess.
I didn't even notice her getting out of the bed. She grabs a towel from the table beside her bed, then walks slowly over to me. I'm transfixed on her, watching as she moves carefully in the hospital gown. I can see just how many bruises are on her collarbone and face when she's up...
"Harm, hold still." She says softly, taking my hand and wrapping the towel around it. She looks up at me after a moment. "You really lost it, huh?" She asks, her voice low. I nod slowly, watching her face. She nods too.
"It killed me to see him touching you like that--to know that he hurt you." I whisper. I see the understanding in her eyes.
"I still don't want you to go after him, but you're going to now, aren't you?" She asks. I nod, looking at my hand.
"As soon as I get this bandaged up. You understand why, right?" I ask her. Hesitating for a moment, she nods.
"You love me." She says, and although surprise floods through me, I nod.
"Yeah. I love you." I say, finally getting the words out. Her small smile makes me feel worlds better.
My cell phone ringing breaks us from our trance. I flip it open, expecting it to be Webb. It's not.
"Rabb."
'Rabb, it's so good to hear your voice again. How are you buddy?' Palmer.
"Damn it, Palmer. I'm going to kill you." I growl, turning away from Sarah and gripping my phone tightly.
'Oh, come on, Harm. It's not like I raped her.' He sneers. I almost lose it.
"Palmer, come out and face me like a man. I'm going to fucking kill you!" I shout into the phone. He laughs.
'Rabb, we've got to work on your sense of humor. What, are you afraid that I'm going to screw your little girlfriend before you can?' He goads.
"Damn it, Palmer." I say again. Sarah grips my arm, trying to calm me.
'Look, I've got to go. I'll get ahold of you once your hand is healed.' He hangs up.
My hand? He knows about that?
He's here.
I look at Sarah for a moment before dropping my phone and bursting out the door of her hospital room, looking both ways down the deserted hallway. A man is walking about twenty feet away, putting a cell phone away. It's him.
Running after him, I see him look back and break into a run also. I've got speed up on him and tackle him as soon as I'm close enough. He struggles, but I turn him over to reveal his face.
"Harm, whoa, whoa...Let's talk about this." He says, his annoying Palmer voice scratching at my brain.
"Palmer, I meant what I said. I'm going to kill you." I growl, ignoring the multiple footsteps pounding down the corridoor. I start punching Palmer in the face with all my strength, savagely letting my fury through.
For a second, I realize that I'm about to beat a man to death.
That second of hesitation disappears when I remember the video. When I see his hands on my Sarah, the bruises on her beautiful skin...
I grab his shirtfront now, slamming his head repeatedly into the hard floor as blood starts accumulating beneath him. He stops struggling, but I can't seem to stop beating his head against the floor.
Two pairs of hands grab my arms and pull me off of him, kicking and screaming, literally.
"I HATE YOU, PALMER! I HATE YOU! GODDAMN IT! YOU'll NEVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!"
Palmer lies on the floor, the pool of blood under his head growing and his body unmoving. Looking down at my hands, I see the stains of his blood mixed with my own, feel the hot drops of blood on my face. I'm covered in it.
The two security guards that are holding me watch as a couple of nurses check Palmer for a pulse, then shake their heads. He's dead. It's over.
Sarah is standing not ten feet away, down the hallway, as the guards turn around to haul me out. She watches helplessly as they pull me away, and I watch her, too.
"I love you, Sarah." I call out, as the men take me down the hallway. Tears fall from her eyes, and she nods.
"I love you too." She calls to me. I nod and continue on my way to prison or wherever it is they're taking me.
We're just outside the hospital, headed to the nearby police car, when Clayton Webb walks up, holding a piece of paper.
"Hold on, officers. This man is involved in a high-level CIA operation. The man that he just killed was a terrorist from Serbia. I suggest, for your own good, that you let him go." He says smoothly, handing them the document. One reads it, then they let me go.
"Sorry about that, sir." One of them says as they walk back into the hospital. I look at Webb.
"Serbia?" I ask him. He shrugs.
"It was all very last-minute, Rabb. I believe you owe me one?" He asks. I glare at him.
"No. Now we're even." I say coldly, remembering Paraguay all too well. He looks surprised, then nods.
"Right. Okay. Get back in there. I'm sure Sarah is panicking about you going to jail for her." He says. I start to walk back to the hospital, then look at him.
"Thanks, Webb. I'll tell her you helped us." I say. He shakes his head, looking up at the upper floors of the hospital, where he knows she is.
"No, no, don't tell her." He says quietly. I nod, turning and walking back toward the building.
"Rabb?" He calls to me. Turning around, I look at him. He hesitates for a moment, then looks at me. "I knew you'd take care of her, Rabb. Just keep it up, okay? You're not the only one that cares about her." He says. I nod.
"Will do, Webb." I say, turning finally and walking back in the doors and leaving Clayton Webb standing there, looking up at the third floor where Sarah rests.
-------
~~~~
"SARAH! NOOO!" I scream, opening my eyes. I feel like I'm going to be sick. Sarah is sitting up in her hospital bed, looking at me concerned.
"Harm?" She asks, concern flooding her voice. I get up quickly and run to the bathroom, getting sick in the toilet. Tears run down my face and I grip the toilet tightly, my knuckles beginning to ache.
Her hands are on me in less than a minute, wiping the sweat from my forehead and helping me up. She hands me a paper towel and I wipe my mouth off, looking down at her tiredly.
"Harm, are you okay?" She says, tears in her eyes. I shake my head.
"No, I'm not okay. I need to find Palmer." I say, looking into her eyes. She shakes her head now.
"Harm, you said you were going to stay here. You can't go after him. He's psychotic. You don't know what he might do..." She says, her hands on either side of my face, calming me.
"Sarah, I have to find him. He's going to kill you or someone else. I've got to get him." I say, suddenly remembering the injuries that she sustained. What is she doing out of bed?
"Jesus, Sarah, get back to bed." I say, turning her around and keeping my hands on her hips as she walks back to bed. I help her in, then cover her up, not sitting down.
"Harm, I don't want you to get yourself hurt." She says quietly, looking at me with an intense gaze. I nod.
"I know. I won't get hurt. I promise." I tell her, grabbing her hand. I move to let her go, but she grips me tighter, pulling me closer to the bed.
"Harm. Don't leave. Please." She says. I look into her eyes and see her fear, her need to have me here. I have to go find Palmer...But I'll do it later. After she falls asleep. I nod, sitting down and not letting go of her hand.
There's a knock at the door before I can say anything else. I let go of her and jump from my chair, taking the steps between myself and the door before whoever is outside can come in. Yanking the door open, I startle the delivery man that stands on the other side, and he jumps.
"I'm sorry, sir. Are you Harmon Rabb?" The young man asks. I nod, narrowing my eyes.
"Yes." I say, looking at the large manila envelope in his hands. He hands it to me.
"This is for you." He says, walking away with one last fearful glance at me. I watch him for a second, then go back into the room where Sarah waits for me. I look at the envelope, then open it to reveal a videotape.
A sick feeling settles in my stomach as I read the label on the tape.
'The Taming of Sarah MacKenzie'
My hands unconsciously tighten around the tape until it almost snaps. Then I remember that I have to watch it. My jaw tight and my stomach upset, I look at Sarah.
"What does it say?" She asks. I show her the label, and she frowns, suddenly looking more pale than she was before. She looks up at me.
"Put it in." She whispers. I take a deep breath and then put the tape in the VCR that is lying on the table with the TV. Pressing play, I sit back in the chair next to the bed.
Clark Palmer's face comes on the screen, sneering.
"Rabb, I thought I'd do you the courtesy of giving you this tape, just so you know exactly what happened to your woman. By the way, Colonel MacKenzie, I was really expecting more of a fight from you. Well, we'll see next time, won't we?"
I suppress the urge to throw the TV out the window, and my hand tightens on the armrest of the chair I sit in.
The next part of the tape is sickening. It shows Mac, tied to the chair, unconscious. The blood and bruises that I saw when I found her are not there, the lights are on. Then Palmer steps into the picture, and smiles at the camera.
"What's about to happen may not be suitable for viewers that are in love with Sarah MacKenzie." He says. My jaw tightens so that it hurts my teeth, and I let out a frustrated breath.
The next thing that Palmer does makes me suck in that breath that I just let out. He walks over to Sarah and backhands her, right in the face. Hence the split lip.
I glance at the real woman, sitting in the bed next to me. She's staring wide-eyed at the TV, and closes her eyes every time the video shows Palmer hitting her unconscious body. I look back at the screen.
This is the part where her clothes got messed up. Palmer unties her and lies her on the bed, then rips her blouse open, hikes her skirt up, rips her pantyhose. I can't bear to watch as he gropes her, can't stand the sight of his hands on her, making the bruises that are on her body now...
"DAMN IT!" I shout, flying out of my chair. I'm at the TV before I know what's happening, and I punch it so hard that the screen shatters, sparks fly. The adrenaline running through me now is almost unbearable, fueled by unending anger. I pick up the chair next to the TV table and throw it across the room, sending it crashing into other furniture.
My anger starts subsiding now, my chest heaving with furious breathing. I am going to kill that bastard with my bare hands. I swear to god.
When I realize what I've done, that I've broken the television and a bunch of furniture, that's when I notice the pain in my hand and remember that Sarah is in the room.
Turning my head slowly, I look at her. The expression on her face is one that I'll never forget, as long as I live. Her lower lip is tucked between her teeth, her eyes are wide, her brow furrowed deeply. She just saw me lose it. I'm just like her father. How do I expect her to love me, to marry me, if I'm just like the man that ruined her life when she was young?
"I'm sorry." I say quietly, looking at her and trying so hard to keep my emotions in check. I look down at my hand, which is gushing blood all over my arm and the floor. Suddenly flustered, I look around for a towel or something, to wipe up the mess.
I didn't even notice her getting out of the bed. She grabs a towel from the table beside her bed, then walks slowly over to me. I'm transfixed on her, watching as she moves carefully in the hospital gown. I can see just how many bruises are on her collarbone and face when she's up...
"Harm, hold still." She says softly, taking my hand and wrapping the towel around it. She looks up at me after a moment. "You really lost it, huh?" She asks, her voice low. I nod slowly, watching her face. She nods too.
"It killed me to see him touching you like that--to know that he hurt you." I whisper. I see the understanding in her eyes.
"I still don't want you to go after him, but you're going to now, aren't you?" She asks. I nod, looking at my hand.
"As soon as I get this bandaged up. You understand why, right?" I ask her. Hesitating for a moment, she nods.
"You love me." She says, and although surprise floods through me, I nod.
"Yeah. I love you." I say, finally getting the words out. Her small smile makes me feel worlds better.
My cell phone ringing breaks us from our trance. I flip it open, expecting it to be Webb. It's not.
"Rabb."
'Rabb, it's so good to hear your voice again. How are you buddy?' Palmer.
"Damn it, Palmer. I'm going to kill you." I growl, turning away from Sarah and gripping my phone tightly.
'Oh, come on, Harm. It's not like I raped her.' He sneers. I almost lose it.
"Palmer, come out and face me like a man. I'm going to fucking kill you!" I shout into the phone. He laughs.
'Rabb, we've got to work on your sense of humor. What, are you afraid that I'm going to screw your little girlfriend before you can?' He goads.
"Damn it, Palmer." I say again. Sarah grips my arm, trying to calm me.
'Look, I've got to go. I'll get ahold of you once your hand is healed.' He hangs up.
My hand? He knows about that?
He's here.
I look at Sarah for a moment before dropping my phone and bursting out the door of her hospital room, looking both ways down the deserted hallway. A man is walking about twenty feet away, putting a cell phone away. It's him.
Running after him, I see him look back and break into a run also. I've got speed up on him and tackle him as soon as I'm close enough. He struggles, but I turn him over to reveal his face.
"Harm, whoa, whoa...Let's talk about this." He says, his annoying Palmer voice scratching at my brain.
"Palmer, I meant what I said. I'm going to kill you." I growl, ignoring the multiple footsteps pounding down the corridoor. I start punching Palmer in the face with all my strength, savagely letting my fury through.
For a second, I realize that I'm about to beat a man to death.
That second of hesitation disappears when I remember the video. When I see his hands on my Sarah, the bruises on her beautiful skin...
I grab his shirtfront now, slamming his head repeatedly into the hard floor as blood starts accumulating beneath him. He stops struggling, but I can't seem to stop beating his head against the floor.
Two pairs of hands grab my arms and pull me off of him, kicking and screaming, literally.
"I HATE YOU, PALMER! I HATE YOU! GODDAMN IT! YOU'll NEVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!"
Palmer lies on the floor, the pool of blood under his head growing and his body unmoving. Looking down at my hands, I see the stains of his blood mixed with my own, feel the hot drops of blood on my face. I'm covered in it.
The two security guards that are holding me watch as a couple of nurses check Palmer for a pulse, then shake their heads. He's dead. It's over.
Sarah is standing not ten feet away, down the hallway, as the guards turn around to haul me out. She watches helplessly as they pull me away, and I watch her, too.
"I love you, Sarah." I call out, as the men take me down the hallway. Tears fall from her eyes, and she nods.
"I love you too." She calls to me. I nod and continue on my way to prison or wherever it is they're taking me.
We're just outside the hospital, headed to the nearby police car, when Clayton Webb walks up, holding a piece of paper.
"Hold on, officers. This man is involved in a high-level CIA operation. The man that he just killed was a terrorist from Serbia. I suggest, for your own good, that you let him go." He says smoothly, handing them the document. One reads it, then they let me go.
"Sorry about that, sir." One of them says as they walk back into the hospital. I look at Webb.
"Serbia?" I ask him. He shrugs.
"It was all very last-minute, Rabb. I believe you owe me one?" He asks. I glare at him.
"No. Now we're even." I say coldly, remembering Paraguay all too well. He looks surprised, then nods.
"Right. Okay. Get back in there. I'm sure Sarah is panicking about you going to jail for her." He says. I start to walk back to the hospital, then look at him.
"Thanks, Webb. I'll tell her you helped us." I say. He shakes his head, looking up at the upper floors of the hospital, where he knows she is.
"No, no, don't tell her." He says quietly. I nod, turning and walking back toward the building.
"Rabb?" He calls to me. Turning around, I look at him. He hesitates for a moment, then looks at me. "I knew you'd take care of her, Rabb. Just keep it up, okay? You're not the only one that cares about her." He says. I nod.
"Will do, Webb." I say, turning finally and walking back in the doors and leaving Clayton Webb standing there, looking up at the third floor where Sarah rests.
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