A/N - i own nothing you recognize

slow update XD sorry!!

Five: Attack

The black clock on the wall ticked softly in the silent apartment. The window glass was thick enough to drown out most of what little sound there was coming from the midnight streets below.

The second hand moved along excitedly, the minute hand following more sedately and the hour hand barely bothering to move at all. But suddenly all three hands moved over the exact same number at the top of the clock, and a grating beeping noise sounded from inside Sam's pillowcase.

She grunted quietly, but reached into the fabric to silence the alarm clock. She rolled out of bed, shaking her head quickly and plodding over to a chair in the corner of the room, where an all-black outfit was laid out.

She tugged the clothing on quickly, and was pulling her hair into a tight braid as she walked into the living room. She grabbed the UV torch from the table, slotting it into the gadget belt she had salvaged from her SEAL days, along with the taser gun and scanner she had been given.

She slipped out of her house silently and ran down the stairs on her toes. Stealth was one of her better qualities, from all the missions she had been on when a snapping twig or a shifting shadow would have resulted in death.

She walked to Mirage Tower, and arrived about half an hour later. She took the elevator all the way to the top. She came out on the roof, and immediately ducked down into a deep shadow next to the elevator, just in case someone was up there and was alerted to her presence, waiting for her.

After a few minutes, when nothing had happened, she moved over to the generator, still low to the ground, and started searching around it for a clue; a fingerprint, a hair, anything. She pressed a button that Tony had showed her on the scanner, and a blue light belt appeared out of the top which scanned for natural fiber.

She always worked better in the dark, she always had.

But after scanning the whole of the generator's surface she turned up nothing, and had to restrain a growl of annoyance. She scanned the floor similarly, but again, found nothing.

The thief was good. Or a ghost.

She chuckled to herself. According to the papers, ghosts were common in this town. She'd believe that when she saw one.

She stood, letting her guard down, as she knew nobody would find her up there, especially that late. Suddenly a loud alarm went off somewhere below her. She squinted over the edge, but it was too dark for her to see anything, especially since it was lighter down further and it caused a glare in her vision.

She moved her head up again, but stopped, looking out into the skyline. Her eyes trapped on to something on the roof of the building opposite her, a considerably shorter edifice. It looked like a man, dressed all in black. And by the light shining on him from the street below, she could see the telltale white of his hair. He was crouched on the ground, his back to her, leaning up against the small wall around the flat roof. He head was bent down low over his body, his arms resting on his drawn up knees.

Her eyes narrowed. What's he up to?

She fought with herself for a moment. She wanted to go talk to him, to see what he was doing there, but another part of her knew that she had to get home, to bed, before someone found her.

She had never liked trying to convince people that a woman dressed all in black and out at night with sophisticated gadgetry was not necessarily a thief.

She decided to just go home in the end. She really did not want to risk being found. She dragged her gaze away from the broad back they had been fixed on and walked back towards the elevator.

Suddenly an arm looped around her waist, and one slipped around her still slightly bruised neck. A man's voice sounded in her ear, so close to her face that she could feel his breath stroking her cheek.

"A little late to be out alone, isn't it, detective?"

Her mouth was open, terrified of being choked again. The arm around her throat just seemed to be there to keep her still for the moment, but she wanted to make very sure it stayed that way.

"Who are you?" she demanded, fighting to inject bravado into her words.

"Guess."

"The thief." It was not a question.

"Yes. Well done. You're a smart one, you are. Now, after I've gone through all the trouble to steal the jewel, I'm hardly going to let you find me, am I? Where'd be the fun in that?"

"So you're going to kill me instead."

"Oh, no, of course not. You came back in the middle of the night to do some investigating, and you had an unfortunate tumble off the building."

"No one's going to buy that."

"Of course they are. After all, they found your scanning device on the edge, where you had been looking for clues, and just got a little too excited. What else could have happened? Plus, who else would be stupid enough to come up onto the roof so late at night?"

Her stomach clenched as she saw the logic in his words.

"Speaking of stupid," she said calmly. "Why on Earth have you returned to the scene of the crime?"

"Following you, of course, my dear."

She could not help it. Her thoughts darted to the dark figure she had seen moments ago. Could it be him?

No, her mind said. No, you know it isn't him. You know it.

"Resorted to stalking, have we?"

"No. Just protecting myself. Survival instincts, you see, Sam."

"Don't call me that."

"But you told me to." He said, like a whining child trying to annoy its parent.

Her brow furrowed. "Wha–"

She was cut off by a sudden tightening of the arm around her neck. She froze, furious with herself for being so afraid. But the memory of Dalton Fisk's hand crushing her throat shifted into her mind and blocked out the other, more rational thoughts.

Kick him! Her sense screamed at her. Stomp on his foot! Elbow him! Get your taser! Do something

But what if he chokes me? The other part of her mind said, terror radiating from it. She closed her eyes as the pressure against her throat gradually increased. She was paralyzed with fear.

She was suddenly aware of being dragged. She knew he was taking her to the edge. She felt the hand around her waist move down, reaching into her belt, taking the scanner from its pocket. She heard it being set on the ledge, like he had said.

"Now, I had expected more of a fight from you, to be honest."

She remained silent. He tightened his grip on her neck, whispering once more into her ear, his face coming too close to hers again.

"But I think I've found your weakness."

He moved his hand off her waist, cackling when she did nothing, acutely aware of the pressure on her neck. She suddenly felt his fingertips tapping the delicate skin of her neck, above where his arm was. She shuddered with fear and revulsion.

Suddenly he moved her onto the ledge, so she was sitting on it. The realization jerked her into action. She kicked her leg up towards his face as her hand moved up to dig her nails into his arm. But before anything reached its target he moved his arms so he was holding her legs together with one hand and her arms together with another. She fought against his grip, but to no avail. She glared into his face. He wore a black mask with translucent eye holes.

"Goodbye, Sam."

uh oh, sammy's in trouble. cliffie!!! review please!!!

FunkyFish1991