Chapter 8 - Stalker
September 2004
Uncle Matt's Cabin
Townsend, TN
"How you holding up, Sarah?" A steaming cup of coffee appeared in front of Mac along with a slice of cherry pie that she eyed longingly. If there was one thing that Dr. Leanne O'hara excelled at, it was baking.
The petite brunette hurried across the cabin, her energy infectious as was an overall positive attitude that Mac couldn't wrap her head around.
Uncle Matt's wife of twenty years had met her husband at an US military infirmary in Beirut. He'd been injured in combat and she was tasked with making sure he wouldn't lose his leg. They were married a month later and Leanne quickly learned the ups and downs of loving a Marine.
"Shouldn't I ask you that?"
Leanne dropped into the large chair in front of the fireplace, sighing happily after eating a forkful of pie. "It's been nine years, Mac. Your situation is much more recent."
"Does it get easier?"
"Nope. You just get used to living alone."
Mac took a sip of her coffee and eyed the older woman over the brim. "That's depressing."
"Sure as hell is. But, I didn't get a vote when Matthew decided to steal the Declaration of Independence. I love him, I married that stubborn lug of a man and, for now, I'm sticking it out." Life wasn't terrible. She was the family doctor at a clinic in Pigeon Forge and the rest of the time was spent baking pies for a local eatery. At times she was lonely but the monthly visits to Leavenworth helped ease some of it. "Besides, with his deployments, I got used to being alone."
"Do you miss him?"
"Do you miss Harm?"
She felt the butterflies in her stomach, the ones that always buzzed when she thought of Harm. The love she felt hadn't wavered even as her friends had championed for her to let him go. "Yes, I miss him. We had something good, real good."
"So did we. You can have that again, Sarah. Time heals a lot of wounds.'
"I'm not too sure about that." Mac took a bite of her slice of pie, momentarily feeling a little normal, a little contentment. "Wow, this is so good."
Leanne went to the kitchen and hurried back with a small bowl of fresh whipped cream, dropping a heaping spoonful over Mac's pie. "Try it with this, it'll rock your World."
The fireplace crackled before her, slowly dying as the night wound down. Leanne had gone to bed and Mac sat in a large leather armchair, another cup of coffee in hand. She hadn't returned to the cabin since the past July when she dragged Harm along. They spent Fourth of July weekend with Leanne, enjoying the mountains, hiking and swimming in the cool waters in Smoky Mountain National Park.
There were so many memories of him in this home and yet, they only spent a quick four days. Leanne had fallen in love with the former Commander, 'smitten' was the word she privately told Mac. The man was charming, good looking and absolutely in love with her niece. He was the good fit she had hoped for after the mess Mic Brumby's engagement and departure created.
Mac remembered stopping short on her way out the backdoor and eavesdropping on a conversation that made her body tingle.
"Matthew said you were a good guy. Why hadn't we met until now?" Leanne had asked and from behind a half-opened curtain Mac hid to watch their interaction.
Harm shrugged and took a pull from a bottle of beer. He wore an apron and was busy flipping burgers on the small grill. "Never the time, I guess. Plus Mac and I were complicated for a while."
"Complicated is a bullshit term for stubborn and afraid."
He laughed and nearly choked on his beer because of it. Leanne was right, they were both stubborn and scared, a family trait she had learned to live with. "Mac warned that you shoot from the hip."
"You're a lawyer, I figure you'd appreciate the direct approach."
"There's that."
"Then let me ask you something and don't lie to me: Do you love her?"
That question made Mac's knees wobble and her legs became so heavy she dropped into the nearest chair to stop from falling. She knew the answer, at least her heart did because her mind had yet to hear him say the words. Harm was biding his time, showing her more than saying what he felt and it was enough; more than enough. She finally had him and they were no longer ships passing in the night. It wasn't perfect but it was them and they were together.
His answer came slow, as if he were mulling over the right words to say but when he finally spoke it was an affirmation Mac never realized she needed. "Yeah. Yes...Yes, I do love her."
"That's good. Sarah has been head over heels over you forever."
Mac could still hear them speaking and her eyes rolled over Leanne's comment. While it was true, she'd have a talk with her aunt about giving too much information.
"I have too. It just wasn't the right time until we uncomplicated things." Uncomplicated although not quite, his job was in the way, eradicating precious hours they should have spent together. "Is this where you give me the 'don't hurt her' speech? I suspect Colonel O'Hara taught you a few moves to defend yourself. You gonna threaten to break me into little pieces, Doc?"
Leanne laughed. She was a pacifist and Matthew, a military man - opposites never attracted so hard before. And although her husband had taught her a defense move or two, she had her own way. "Oh no, I'm a doctor. I have access to some pretty fun stuff. An embolism, cardiac arrest, hell even an overdose is much more civilized than pounding someone within an inch of their life. Less messy too."
She was joking of course but her sweet smile and the causal way she leaned against the railing had Harm's eyes going wide. Mac chose that moment to help the man out and stepped outside. Her arm immediately wrapped around his waist as his lips met hers.
Mac sat on the back steps double knotting the laces of her running shoes. The sun had barely crept past the horizon and morning came slowly when you spent the night awake. Insomnia had always been a malady which Mac couldn't fully overcome. It lasted days and often weeks, somehow she coped.
Funny how sleeping next to him seemed to fix the sleepless nights. Deep and dreamless, next to Harm, Mac had a pleasant kind of slumber that recharged her very being. For a year that had been missing and the sleeping medication her shrink had given her still sat on the nightstand, unused. Mac was terrified to compound one problem with addiction even though the doctor and Leanne assured that a few days on the substance wouldn't make her crave it.
Mac wasn't taking chances so she turned to the next best thing: running.
The trails around the cabin were beautiful as they weaved through the woods, following a small river as she crossed a covered bridge and continued the scenic path. She used the water to guide up and down gently rolling hills that made her muscles hurt and her lungs burn as Mac pushed the pace.
Exercise was her only escape. Exhausting her body until there was nothing left to think about but the sweet ache of muscle pain. The harder she ran, the more Mac concentrated on footfall over unfamiliar ground. Trails in Tennessee were definitely a technical challenge and she took care not to roll her foot the wrong way and cause a spill.
The path cut through the trees and eventually opened up to a sidewalk which ran along the main road. It weaved past churches, hotels, the town cemetery and a few historical sites with plaques to commemorate their heritage.
It was when she stopped at a gas station to buy a sports drink that Mac noticed the white truck, a newer Chevy with dark tints which pulled up to the pump farthest away. She knew the vehicle well because it had followed her from Knoxville two days prior and wound up parked at a cabin just down the road from Leanne's.
Mac didn't believe in coincidences. Even when the women went to a local diner for lunch a day earlier, the truck was there. As they strolled a local farmer's market, it was parked in the distance. A normal person wouldn't have noticed, the driver took great care in remaining inconspicuous but her Marine scenes were tingling. Years of honing her female intuition had issued a warning.
After hydrating she took the path back to the cabin, using the woods to hide her escape until she reached the inclined road that led to Leanne's home. The truck had arrived first. It sat idle in front of a rental property which belonged to Leanne's partner in the clinic and the driver remaIned inside.
Mac walked casually up the driveway and disappeared to the back where Leanne's cabin faced a small river. It was picturesque and peaceful but Mac couldn't find the enjoyment from one of her favorite spots in the World. Her heart was racing and the feeling of trepidation choked the breath right out of her.
Even as Leanne stepped out of the cabin offering a cup of coffee and a fresh blueberry muffin, the woman's cheerful demeanor did nothing to ease Mac's frazzled nerves. "Morning darlin' how was your run?"
"It's out there again...Followed me into town." Mac dropped onto the steps, her breathing so erratic it was hard to control. This was a panic attack, she knew from one of four sessions with a shrink that she attended as required by Chegwidden after Harm's outburst at headquarters.
She'd been given a few tools to stop the skid but her mind wouldn't stop thinking about the vehicle or the notion that she was never alone anymore.
Leanee placed the breakfast on a table in the back porch and came to Mac's side. "The white Silverado from yesterday?"
"Yes, the same one that followed me from Knoxville." Mac scrubbed a hand over her face and then took a breath but her nerves were more on edge than ever. The past year had been especially difficult with so many things to juggle. Did she actually believe this vacation of hers would be different? Peace came with a cost and clearly, she was never meant to enjoy the time off.
"I'm gonna shower." She stood with purpose and grabbed the handle to the screen door when a thought made Mac stop.
"Did you check for...for them?" Mac whispered and let her hand drop to her side as she took three steps backwards. Her eyes focused on the door as if it were some enemy she needed to destroy.
"Yes."
"All of it, Leanne? Everywhere? Because if you don't and if you think…"
Leanne stepped in front of Mac, her hands coming to grasp the younger woman's shoulders. Her grip was a little rough but it stopped the pacing, the manic way she began to mumble descriptions of 'bugs', the listening devices that had been planted in her apartment in Georgetown.
Mac shipped a kit to her aunt, a small box with various electronics to sniff out any device Leanne could find. She gave the woman strict directions on their disposal and even showed her how to check landlines, cellphone and clothing. Paranoia had turned her into a madwoman but she was determined to live a normal life. "You need to check the closet, my clothes, my jacket. One time they-"
"Sarah, stop. Stop it, now!"
"My book, what if someone opened my book and saw-"
"Snap to, Marine!" The command was bellowed in perfect drill instructor fashion, making the Marine come to attention as if taking orders from a commanding officer. "You are a Marine Lt. Colonel. You don't break easily and you will fight this. You will fight."
"A year, aunt Leanne. He's been watching, stalking me for a year and it's getting to me. I'm scared watching won't be enough. I'm scared one day he'll do something stupid. He scares me and I can't do a thing about it. I don't want to do this anymore. I want peace...I want to be left alone."
Mac couldn't breathe. Her chest was constricted and aching. For a moment she wondered if that was how one died of a heart attack because with each second that passed she was hit with a feeling of dread. She found herself being led to a chair and sat down to have a cold cloth pressed against the back of her neck.
"You're having a panic attack. I just need you to breathe deep and let it out...Let it out, that's my girl."
She calmed half an hour later when the spinning in her head stopped completely and Mac was able to think clearly again. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, panic attacks come with the territory I'm afraid. Try to control them before they control you. And as for your stalker friend, Ride It Out."
"Ride it out? Part of me wants to march over there with a bat and break every window. Time is ticking away much too fast to just 'ride it out.'" But, she had no choice. If Mac wanted to feel even slightly normal again, she would have to wait.
One Week Later
Lake Ozark
Missouri
The lake appeared out of nowhere as her car rolled over the gravel which led to the small marina. It had taken longer than expected to arrive at her final destination, lots of twists, turns and stopping at two motels in effort to avoid a tail.
Her vacation in Tennessee had been a ruse to get the stalker off her scent. She made sure to take different exits, stopped a time or two to avoid being followed and used cash to stay the night in unassuming motel's where she slept with her side arm at the ready.
After a hearty breakfast, she headed off again, finally feeling comfortable enough to not worry. If someone had been following, they'd given up because for miles hers was the only vehicle on the road.
She asked for directions upon entering the small town of Gravois Mills in the Ozarks of Missouri, following the main road only to pull off through an unfinished path which led to a small marina full of houseboats.
Mac parked the car and stepped out, a gentle pelting of rain falling down as she looked out to find no structures other than an office and a doublewide that was converted into a quaint diner. There was no housing other than the homes across the lake, opulently sitting near the water each with a small boat moored to their decks.
She expected a house, a cabin and wondered if she misunderstood the directions until Mac stared down at the keys in her hand. The keychain had various attachments: a small boat, a sun and a tiny blue anchor which matched the symbol painted to the side of a light gray houseboat in slip 4.
Carefully, Mac walked onto the slippery dock, keeping her steps short as she made her was to the vessel. Her breath caught as the key slid effortlessly into the tumbler and unlocked a small side door that opened into the kitchen.
To the right was a living room with windows that looked out onto the lake, the boat's helm in a corner with the captain's chair. There was a chimney built into the main wall, the hearth made of a gray stone facade although it was clearly propane fueled. Sliding glass doors opened to an outdoor patio that was currently covered by a custom canvas with clear panels to keep out the weather.
The place was clearly modernized by the look of the granite countertops, the lighter wood tones of the walls and laminate flooring. A pleasant scent wafted through the space, like someone had recently burned orange peels and cinnamon to make a delightful bouquet.
Past the kitchen she spotted a hallway, one that was followed to find a bathroom with a shower and at the end, a bedroom. A king sized bed took up most of the space and yet another sliding glass door led to a tiny patio with a table and two adirondack chairs atop of faux grass.
It took Mac a few minutes to get her bearings when a stiff wind coming off the lake made the home move. The dizziness caught her off guard and she didn't notice the dark figure that was following close behind. The man wore a long sleeve shirt with a hoodie that was pulled over his head and dark glasses to hide his identity. In his hand was a gun.
"Goddamned tourists. Isn't it too late in the year for them damn city folk?" Louise Parker, the owner of The Cove Marina stared out the window of the doublewide that made up the tiny diner. She could see a woman walking down the decks, clearly lost as she passed each houseboat that was docked.
Upon hearing her voice Jacob Kaine's head snapped up, the coffee he was raising towards his lips stopped in mid-air. He lowred the heavy mug onto the table while his eyes scanned the docks, searching for the traveler Louise spoke of.
The woman was tall, thin with short auburn hair that was tastefully cut. She wore a leather jacket, jeans and kept looking at an item held in her hand. What he found most interesting was the lack of luggage, only a small backpack was draped over one shoulder.
Most 'city folk' arrived with enough luggage to sink the vessels, wanting to rent and experience the lake that few knew how to pilot. Summers at the Ozark could quickly turn into a zoo and Jake was content that calmer days lay ahead.
The woman seemed to have located the correct vessel and even from a distance, the bulge at the back of her jeans was unnoticeable. To a man like Jake Kaine, he spotted the imprint of a pistol a mile away. The woman was packing and she was the one he was waiting for.
The half-eaten plate of food was pushed away, he'd only been picking at some choosing to ingest more liquid caffeine than necessary so that he was alert. He pulled out cash from his wallet, dropped it on the table and used the entrance at the rear to exit without the risk of prying eyes.
Although the day was gloomy, he slipped on a pair of sunglasses and used the hoodie from his long sleeve shirt to cover his head. There were at least four points of egress onto the docks and he hurried to the one farthest away from the diner.
The pistol at the small of his back was practically burning as the woman came into view stopping at a boat with the blue anchor painted onto the white siding. As she entered through the side door, his steps slowed in an effort to limit the creaking of the deck or the sound of his footsteps as he drew closer.
She was late. From all of the information that was passed to him, the Marine should have arrived almost 48 hours earlier. The waiting game was not his strong suit which made what he was about to do all the more sweeter.
The docks were devoid of other patrons save for a father and son busily fishing off their own boat to notice that Jake had used the same side door to enter the houseboat.
Quietly, Jacob followed her scent leading him past the kitchen, the bathroom only stopping when he reached the doorway of the bedroom. There she stood, the woman he was waiting for that held her arm outstretched pointing the pistol directly at him.
"It's you." She spoke and in a rush, he pulled out his own pistol from the small of his back.