Title: Prey
Author: Radiorox
Rating: R for now
Summary: Detective Frank Coster is playing a dangerous game, eliminating any rivals which stand between him and Mac, the woman he's obsessed with. When Harm senses the threat, he whisks Mac away on a cross-country road trip to keep her hidden and safe. But on the run what started as protection turns into passion. Now, as Coster closes in, Harm and Mac must fight not just for their lives, but for the fire they ignited.
AN: i've had this story on a hard drive forever. Notr sure I ever posted it anywhere.
Chapter 1 – Pictures on the Wall
Hindsight is 20/20.
Mac groaned as her eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim light. The air was thick with mildew, the damp scent clinging to the concrete walls around her. Wherever she was, it was underground. A basement, maybe. Her head throbbed from the stun gun she hadn't seen coming, and her wrists were chafed raw where they'd been tied to the arms of a wooden chair.
She should've known better. Following directions from a stranger on the phone was never the smartest of choices. The muffled voice had insisted she come alone and any deviations to his directions would meet with the swift death of someone she loved.
That's how logic flew out the window.
The location had been just blocks from Harm's apartment. She'd taken her 9mm, approached the building cautiously, but never saw the ambush. Just the sudden sting, and darkness.
Now, she was alone. No captor in sight. No sign of who brought her here. Just the low hum of machinery above, and a collection of photographs lining the far wall.
Mac opened and closed her eyes, willing them to focus, to cooperate. Once they did, she was better off remaining unconscious.
Photos of her.
Dozens and dozens.
Some in uniform, others in civilian clothes. Some candid, others clearly taken without her knowing. There was even one of her holding Dalton's lifeless body, tears streaking her face. But what stopped her breath were the photos grouped in the center - images of her and Harm.
Morning runs in Rock Creek Park. Grabbing lunch outside JAG. Side-by-side in court, looking every bit the lovers everyone incorrectly assumed they were.
Her stomach turned.
She remembered the detective's warning when the stalking first began: "He'll go after anyone he considers a rival. Are there any other men in your life? Even ones you only fantasize about? Because they could be in danger too."
She'd laughed it off at the time. Lied to herself. Lied to him.
But now she saw the truth staring back at her in 8x10 glossy prints. Harm wasn't just a friend. He never had been. He was special, the kind of man she could easily fall for.
The centerpiece of the display was a picture of a night she'd nearly forgotten. Dressed in Harriet's Navy whites, drenched from the rain, she stood close to him pleading with Harm to not shoot Holbarty. To not throw his life and career away. She hadn't realized until now how much that moment had meant. Harm had looked at her like he was seeing a ghost. He'd kissed her. She'd kissed him back.
And the pictures caught all of it. A solemn moment that was intruded upon.
Mac's breath hitched.
"I know. You were kissing her," she had said afterward. And Harm, in that maddening way of his, hadn't denied it.
Now the moment lived on in a photograph. Private. Vulnerable. Violated.
Her heart pounded as she realized the theme. Was Harm the person the voice had been referring to? The next to be attacked and killed because of her? Was this whole thing a trap to get her out of the way so the stalker could go after him?
She wouldn't let that happen.
"Help!" she screamed, her voice cracking from the strain. "Somebody help me!"
But there was no answer, just the muffled sounds of machinery above.
She twisted against the ropes, pain biting into her skin. She could feel the blood starting to drip from her restraints. "Dammit…I'm sorry, Harm."
He was in danger. And she was stuck, helpless, in her prison. And if she didn't get out soon, she might lose the one person who meant everything. The one person she was in love with.