A Little Lower Than The Angels

Chapter 9

Disclaimers: As previously stated.

Spoilers: A Tangled Webb II

Rating T for sexual situations

1730

Thursday

May 1, 2003

Somewhere on Route 9 on the Trans – Chaco Hwy.

Paraguay

Admiral Chegwidden drove the rented Land Rover toward Ciudad Del Este. His friend looked into the rear view mirror on the passenger side door.

"No one tailing us yet." Kern looked across the vehicle.

"I think we're going to cross paths with someone, soon. If my instincts are still in

tact, Sadiq is going to be looking for Rabb and Mackenzie. I wouldn't doubt if he already knows exactly where they are. If Webb was correct in his suspicions about Hardy, if they return to Ciudad Del Este, they're going to be sitting ducks."

"Think the Company has anyone shadowing them?" Kern rested his arm on the door, glancing out the open window.

"I doubt it. I think the Company has been kicked out of this op entirely." Good riddance as far as he was concerned.

Kern frowned, "Special Forces, maybe?"

"Could be, I just want to get to them before Sadiq does."

"Any ideas about where Rabb and Mackenzie might be in Ciudad Del Este?"

"I just hope they weren't stupid enough to go back to the hotel Mac and Webb were staying in, prior to their capture." The Admiral had a sneaking suspicion that had done just that.

Kern pondered his old friend as they drove toward Ciudad Del Este, he understood his loyalty to his people, and he intended to back him up all the way, but he doubted that AJ's loyalty would mean anything to the current SecNav. Kern was hoping that Special Forces got to Fahd before AJ did; he didn't want to see his friend lose his career, because unlike him, the Navy was all AJ had.

1945

Thursday

Ciudad Del Este, Paraguay

Sadiq Fahd, in one of his many incarnations, watched from the café across the street, his disguise enabling him to blend in completely with the local population. A woman he recognized as Jane Williams or Sarah entered the Nuevo Hotel Simpatico with another man. He recognized him as the man who had killed many of his men and had rescued Mr. Williams and his 'wife.' He assumed he had also been responsible for the destruction of the Stinger missiles near the Rio Verde. It was clear to him now, they were American agents. They both had much to answer for. He would let them believe they had escaped him, but they would not. He would wait, until the streets were clear of traffic and people and then he would 'visit' them in their hotel room and make them regret ever interfering with him, in any way.

2032

Thursday

May 1, 2003

Nuevo Hotel Simpatico

Ciudad Del Este, Paraguay

Harm had just finished a phone call; he stood with his back to Mac and placed the handset back down on the receiver. He had just tried to make their reservations for the next flight out of Paraguay to the States. She was getting ready for bed; walking the rest of the way into their small bedroom, she asked. "Any luck?"

He turned to look at her. "Nothing yet." She was dressed in a light cotton t shirt and shorts, but, as always, her body made the t shirt as alluring as anything out of Victoria's Secret. He averted his eyes and walked over to the window looking down on the street.

"We can try again later…or in the morning." There was silence, an awkward silence between them now. "So…I guess its back to JAG for us." Mac wondered where all this would lead, now that they would be able to concentrate on themselves again, suddenly, it seemed a century ago that she had been in Admiral Chegwidden's office being offered her assignment by Clayton Webb. She took a few more steps toward him and he turned back toward the window, appearing surprisingly uncomfortable with her.

"Harm?"

He did not answer her. He didn't know how to explain, he wasn't going back to JAG.

"You know, I haven't even asked. How did you get the Admiral to let you come to Paraguay?"

He waited a beat; there was no other way to begin so he just said it. "I resigned."

"What?" Mac was dumbfounded. The Navy was his life. She couldn't fathom Harm not being in the Navy.

Harm turned back to face her, his expression difficult to read.

"What have you done?" She looked at him in disbelief.

"I had to find you…I didn't have a choice. The Admiral refused to let me go on JAG business, or to grant me emergency leave."

The weight of what Harm had done began to press in on her. He had done exactly what Clay said he would do, but even Clay couldn't have figured that Harm would resign. "Clay…"

Harm cut her off, he didn't want to talk about Webb now, he may have already paid with his life for this mission but he still resented him for placing Mac in this much danger and if the truth were told, resented her for agreeing to it.

"Clay…" He said the name with disgust and turned away from her again, his anger difficult for him to hide. "What about him?"

"I was going to say…you were right, about Clay keeping me in the dark….by the time I had figured out what was really happening, I had to stay for Gunny…..he said you'd come for me…"

Harm finished, still angry…"And save his ass in the process…I still can't believe you trusted him."

"Harm, he wouldn't let them hurt me…he said he'd do everything he could to keep them from me."

Harm turned back toward her and looked at her sharply, he was incredulous. "Keep them from you? He's the reason you here, Mac. If he hadn't gotten you into this…mess, you'd never have been captured."

"He was…..sorry for the way things turned out." The sight of Webb's bloodied face and the sounds of his suffering during his torture were still vivid in her mind.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it this time." He walked away from the window, trying to put some space between them. "Jesus, Mac, they were seconds from torturing you. He didn't keep them from you. They just weren't finished with him yet." He sat down on the arm of the couch in their sitting room. He gave her an appraising look and asked,

"Why are you so concerned about Webb now?"

Mac blanched, 'what was he talking about?' "What?"

"Just how close are you to him now, anyway?" He folded his arms across his chest.

Mac shook her head, still trying to read what she was seeing in his face. "Harm, what are you doing?"

He looked hard at her, his eyes dark with anger.

She took a step toward him. "Don't do this." Her voice was firm but quiet. The part of Harm that was her friend was still inside him somewhere, the one that knew Webb was nothing more than a friend to her, as he was to him. She was going to find that part of him again, if it was the last thing she did.

Harm saw that she was going to walk in his direction. The enormity of what they had just lived through was beginning to hit him; his emotions becoming more difficult to manage by the minute. He loved her, he was angry with her, he wanted to tell her all he felt for her, but they had been so busy trying to survive this fiasco, that he hadn't had the chance. Above all, he had been battling a desire and hunger for her, stronger than he had ever felt before. He got up, passing by her as he walked into the bedroom and sat down unsteadily on one of the chairs, near the bed.

Mac would not allow him to evade her, they had both survived too much today. She walked up to him, and stood directly in front of him. "Harm, stop."

He had avoided looking at her until she spoke. She ran her finger down the side of his face, frowning as she looked at the cut, though it had been covered by a small bandage, a small amount of blood had soaked through. Harm closed his eyes as she touched him, breathing deeply; trying to calm down, her touch always did that for him….until tonight. It only served to inflame him, and his need for her became more urgent.

Her nearness was heightening his senses, while the reality of what she had risked still roiled in his gut. He had to try to explain, he didn't want to be this way, not with her, not now.

"I saw you…I saw you dead, Mac. Before I left Washington, I dreamed you were dead, you and Webb were killed, it was so real, I…" He looked up at her, his eyes reflecting pain, and palpable need. He swallowed hard and continued, "Then…when we crashed, I couldn't find you…I thought you were thrown from the plane…"

He could not keep from reaching for her, his hands grasping her at the curve of her waist.

Shaking his head slightly in frustration, "No matter what I do, every time I think we're finally going to get it right…time and circumstance separate us. You keep slipping through my fingers. "

Mac stepped closer, opening Harm's legs slightly. "I'm not going anywhere. Hold on to me Harm, I want you to hold on. I…need you."

She had barely stopped speaking when he pulled her down to him to take her mouth. His mouth sought hers with a determination to hold, even to dominate. His gentle and sweet kisses before she left for Paraguay were nothing compared to this.

Harm knew he was probably being too rough, but he couldn't seem to stop himself, his need for her was overpowering. About the time he thought he was in enough control to slow down, she stepped even closer to him and rested her knee on his thigh. He drew in a breath sharply, his mouth still exploring hers. The world was Mac, her hands on his shoulders, sliding down his back, the warm recesses of her mouth driving him insane with every taste and touch. Her open legs and the close proximity of her body to his, made every his nerve ending stand on end.

Mac felt him trying to control himself but she needed him now, just like this. She turned her head slightly, allowing him to deepen his kiss, sucking in slightly on his tongue, pulling him in further and letting him know, in no uncertain terms, she was inviting him in.

He answered her with a delicious sound of pleasure from the back of his throat. His hands immediately pressed more firmly, covering her from her neck, down her back, over the curve of her six, to pull in at the back of her legs, bringing her closer and then lifting her onto his lap. Their bodies were connecting in a much more intimate way and generating more heat than either of them thought possible.

Mac felt the tangible evidence of his desire for her when he pressed her to him. The intensity of what she had seen in his eyes before was made apparent in the way he held her. His touch was not tentative or careful now. It held a message of possession; he was claiming her on a level that only someone who loved him would understand. She had never wanted to feel owned by any man, and she still didn't. But here, now, she was his, body and soul.

He wanted to speak her name, to tell her that he loved her, but he couldn't seem to stop kissing her. She was perfect, his perfect opposite and they fit together as though they had been made for each other. It was as though only more of her would ease the gnawing fear of losing her, but it only made him hungry for more. Every sound she made seemed to reverberate inside him, arousing him to a nearly unbearable level.

Harm was finally able to break his kiss, but still held Mac's neck and the back of her head. "Mac…" He was breathless and the deep and husky timbre of his voice caused a pool of warmth to flood deep inside her. "Please…I don't want to wait anymore…" He had wanted to take his time, but now all he felt was this consuming need to taste her skin, to feel more of her skin under his hands.

Mac leaned back from him, deciding to answer him with her actions, as he loosened his grip on her. He didn't have to ask, she couldn't stand to wait another minute.

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes, as they glazed over with full blown desire. Suddenly his mouth was warm on her neck; he couldn't get enough of her. Mac arched her back and pressed into him. Her reactions making him slide his hands back down her body and grasp her at her hips, pushing himself hard against the heat he felt between her legs.

"Hmmm Mac, now, please…" He spoke the words against her neck as made his way down to her collarbone, nibbling as he went.

"Yes…."She drew in a breath sharply as she fisted both of her hands in his hair. His mouth felt so good, she didn't want him to stop. She felt as though she were melting, from the inside out. They did stop, but only for the time it took for them to stand, Harm's lips never far from hers as they made their way to the bed.

Clothing was dispensed of quickly, and Harm eased down beside Mac, suddenly aware of the moment. This was definitely meant to be his last, first time. Placing his hand on her stomach, he spread his fingers wide over the soft skin of her stomach.

Mac caught his gaze and placed her hands on both sides of his face. "Harm…I love you."

As Harm leaned further down, his lips just a breath away from hers, he whispered, "god….I love you too." Then he covered her mouth with his, plunging as deeply as he could, their new position giving him every advantage.

The urgency of the moment spiraled back up with those words of endearment, finally spoken aloud

He began to touch and explore her, his fantasies fulfilled and surpassed. His attraction to her had been almost immediate, from the day he met her. She was strong, smart and intoxicatingly mysterious, not to mention beautiful. Mac had always challenged him as no other woman had, on every level, personal and professional and in bed, she was no different.

His body reacted to her every touch and every sound she made, she knew instinctively the power she had over him and let him know without question that he had her in the palm of his hand.

Their coupling was mind blowing for them both. Harm's body invaded her warm wetness as she spoke his name as if it had been wrenched from her soul. He met her need with brutal desire and she returned it with all that she had.

Fear and death were pushed back from Mac's consciousness as she dove into everything he was giving her. There were moments when Harm feared that he demanded too much from her, and would begin to back way and she would beg him to love her more, to love her harder and he did with bone jarring force.

They proved their love for hours; Harm was hot and thick inside her and she clutched him tightly as warm slick tension coiled within her, her release rushing over him, again and again. When his release came, it left them awed, shaken and spent.

After a time, they came together again losing track of who was on top; they were so consumed by what they had both desired for so long, it ceased to matter.

TBC

A/N: Just sending along a little of the 'good stuff.' This is what I wanted to see in that hotel room in Paraguay. Sigh…..

A/N: Once again, I meant to make this longer, but I have a bear of a cold. So I'll post as soon as I get out from under this.