Discovered
by Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)
JAG
No sex, therefore no pairing. I know, what's wrong with me?
Rating: adult
Kate and Clark have some unexpected visitors.
An evil sequel to Which alters when it alterations finds.
Disclaimer: Kate Fontaine belongs to me. Clark Palmer, Clayton Webb, and Harmon Rabb do not. This is a flight of fancy, with no offense meant to the owners of said characters, and no profit made from it.
Please do not archive this story without asking me first. It's more than likely that I'll agree, but I want to know where my stories are.
Warning: character deaths.
Thanks to Tinnean for her interest in this story.
*****
Kate had just finished the vacuuming and was washing off her face, wondering if her husband was ever going to be finished with what he was doing in the basement. She knew he would be angry if she went down to check. It was his workshop, his private place, and she was not welcome there. She didn't want to be, either. When he opened the door before heading down the stairs, he either had on an intent look, which was fine, or his most intense smile, the one that gave her chills. That man was hard to know. She was glad he didn't come around her.
The doorbell rang as she was drying off. She tossed the towel over the bar and went to answer it. Clark wasn't going to hear. It was probably some kids selling candy for something or other. They lived near the high school, and every day for the last week there had been at least one at the door. She always bought at least one box. Clark liked candy, and she liked knowing she was helping them get what they wanted.
She put on a friendly smile before opening the door, but when she saw who was there, her smile turned into a look of shock. Clayton Webb was standing in the doorway, and there was another man with him, a man she'd met once before, Harmon Rabb. "No," she gasped and tried to shut the door on them.
It was too late. They were inside. Clayton had her arm in an iron grasp. "Kate, it is you. You're not dead." He turned to the other man, who had a gun out. "For god's sake, Rabb, don't point that at Kate. Keep it for Palmer. Is he here?"
The other man's eyes were scanning the room, but he did take the gun away. "Can't tell." They both kept their voices down. "Miss Fontaine, where is Palmer?"
"I can't believe he's been holding you all this time. Poor darling. He made us think you were dead."
"Where is he?" Rabb's eyes were flat as he looked at her. "Clayton thinks you're a captive. I don't. Do you know Clark Palmer is a fugitive? If you don't help us, you'll be charged too."
"Kate, I know he's got you brainwashed, but please. He's a dangerous man, a criminal. Help us."
Kate opened her mouth to answer, but another voice cut through the air. "Get your hands off my wife." Clayton let go of her at that, then both men turned to face Clark Palmer and the gun he was training on them. "Drop your weapons. You know I'll shoot."
"There's two of us, Palmer." Rabb's face was gloating, and Kate saw with a sick feeling that Clayton had managed to draw his gun, too. "You drop yours. You're going back to jail."
Kate didn't think. There wasn't time for that. She grabbed the vacuum cleaner hose, which was around the floor where Rabb was standing, and yanked him down. At the same time, she smashed Clayton in the ribs with the long metal attachment. Clayton cried out and sank on the floor. Clark sprang, somehow coming up with a capsule, which he broke under Clayton's nose. He used another one on Rabb, who was lying motionless on the floor, then picked up both their weapons.
"Nice work, baby." He put the guns in a drawer, then slid his arm around her. "I've got to get them tied up. They won't be out that long." He squeezed her, then let her go.
"What are you going to do with them?" Kate was trembling.
"I'll take care of them. You sit down. You've done enough for one day. Bastards," he muttered, dragging Rabb over the floor.
Kate didn't argue. She sank down on the couch and stared at Clayton's face. It was strange seeing him again. When Clark had come back to her and convinced her to come away with him, she'd known the only safe way for them to be together was for her to seem to die, and she'd accepted that it was going to hurt people who knew her. It was the price she paid for loving a man who was, as Clayton said, a criminal, and a fugitive, Rabb's term. She couldn't change who he was, or how she loved. But there was so much more to Clark than that, so very much more. He loved her, she knew that. But Clayton would never understand.
"I want you to stay up here." She looked up to see Clark standing beside her. "I'll handle them."
"What are you going to do?"
"You know what I have to do." His voice was calm, but the smile on his face belied that. He was glad they were in his power. "Get rid of them. Kill them. Or were you thinking I was going to let them go back and tell everyone where to find us?"
She shook her head. "I just wish they hadn't come."
"Believe me," he leaned over to give her a kiss, "me too. But I learned something. I can trust my Kate every time. You were wonderful."
"I hurt them." It was sinking in.
"You protected us," he said firmly. "I'm proud of you." That made her smile, but only for a moment. "It'll all be over in a little while. Why don't you go take a bath? That'll make you feel better."
"Take a bath? Like nothing's happening?"
"I'm just trying to help." His voice was mild. "And stop thinking about it. I'll handle it. It's nothing to do with you now, Kate. Now stay up here, out of the way. I'll be up as soon as I can."
He was acting like it was just another trip downstairs. She couldn't argue with him, but it wasn't.
*****
Clark Palmer smiled as he took the stairs to his personal workspace. It had projects he was developing, and notes for future references, but right now it had two of his least favorite people in the world, in his power. They were nodding in their bonds, and he knew they'd wake up soon. That was fine. He'd left nothing to chance. The ropes that held them were thick and tight. He hadn't worried about tying them too tight, since it didn't matter if they were bruised. No one was going to be finding their bodies. Kate didn't know, didn't need to know, but he'd known they were coming and had his plans all made, except he hadn't thought Kate would have to help him. Damn them for putting her in the middle.
Rabb had his eyes open, and Webb was blinking. Time to start.
"Hey, Harm, Clay. Why didn't you call?" He was going to play this last game to the hilt. "Kate makes a hell of a chicken these days, or I could have turned on the grill, done some burgers. Would have even made something vegetarian for you, Harm."
"Funny, Palmer." Webb was glaring at him. "Damn you."
"Rabb was going to save me a seat in hell, but I'm sure he'll let you have it. Or you can save him one. Your call. I'd rather be wherever Kate is. I'm sure you understand." Palmer came over closer to them. "But we're going to have a little talk first."
"We're not telling you a damned thing, Palmer." Rabb was pulling against the ropes.
"Why fight, Harm? Don't waste your last moments." Palmer shoved the syringe into Webb's arm first. Webb breathed in sharply. "Just a truth drug, guys. A nice change for you both." He got Rabb next, and the other man moaned. "Come on, Rabb, stop being a crybaby and think of your daddy. He died saving a woman. You're going to die because you decided to hurt one." He tsked. "You're not the boy scout you used to be. Daddy's going to be pissed."
"My father would understand."
"You'd better hope so. But maybe he's in heaven. You, I'm sure you'll be in hell. Hey, Clay, who'd you tell you were coming here?"
"King, Mahoney, and my mother. I left messages..." Webb's voice trailed off as he realized he'd just given his plan away.
"Thanks, buddy. I wouldn't have guessed all of them." Palmer turned to his laptop and typed. "O.K., I'll take care of those later. And Rabb? I suppose it's possible you actually had a brain this time. Who knows you're on a mission with Webb?"
"Nobody." Palmer saw with pleasure that Rabb was in pain. His head was bleeding, thanks to Kate. "Damn." He moaned again.
"Nice to see some things don't change. How did you find me?" He knew already, but making them tell him was only what they deserved. Let them think if they'd just been a little more careful, they would have gotten away with it.
"Your guy Bonner told us where you were hiding out when we got him."
And then Bonner died from the shot he took to the heart, but of course they weren't going to tell him that.
"I figured he'd talk if the offer was good enough. You glad you made it here?" Palmer's smile widened at Rabb's wince. Of course he wasn't. "Say, it's a good thing that pretty Colonel MacKenzie has a guy. He'll dry her tears when you don't come back. At least she's smart enough to know who she loves. You?" Palmer laughed. "You've been carrying a torch for her ever since you met her. Hell, before that, when you were in love with that Diane. And then she comes back, and you're too dumb to do anything. Honor makes a cold bed, Rabb. But you know that."
"And you're any better. Holding a woman against her will." Webb's voice was cold.
"Wondered when you were going to join the conversation. Do you even know how you ended up down here? It was Kate." The look of shock on Webb's face showed Palmer he hadn't gotten that. "Kate took you both down."
"Kate." Webb was silent for a moment. "You called her your wife."
"That's right. She helped fake her death so that we could be together. It was a nice wedding, Clay, very small, but everything Kate said she wanted. She had the most beautiful white dress, and I made sure the flowers were perfect. Perfect flowers for a perfect woman. But you never even saw who she was, Clayton. Never."
"You're saying you love her? I can't believe that."
"Believe it. She's my wife. Mine. And no one, especially not either of you, is going to keep us apart."
He knew his smile was cruel. He didn't care. He wanted these two dead, wanted the safety of them dead. No one else was going to be looking for him, not like these idiots. He could deal with prison again, if he had to, and escape again, too. But Kate had to be kept safe.
Clayton's eyes suddenly moved, and Clark whirled around. It was Kate, coming down the stairs. He hadn't known she could be that quiet.
"Get upstairs. Now." He knew his voice wasn't as calm for her as he wanted it. She kept coming. "Kate. I don't want you here."
"Going to kill her too?" Clayton mocked. "I thought you loved her. Certainly she has a right," he winced, "to be here."
"Clark, I can't let you do this alone."
"I'm telling you to. Upstairs. Now."
She got to the bottom of the stairs. "I'm not here to stop you." Her voice was sad, but calm, and Clark saw with pleasure how Clayton's face fell. So he thought his Kate would save him. Fat chance. "I have to see, though. I have to be here."
He didn't want her here, but he didn't want to fight with her, either. "For a little while. She just nodded. "Fine." He turned his attention back to Webb and Rabb. "Any last words? Rabb, you got a girl who'll be mourning you? Oh, right, you've got that director." He raised his eyebrow. "Waste of time if I ever saw one. She'll go right to the next guy. And Webb," he smiled, enjoying this one, "think of this. You're getting to see your love before you die."
"Kate, please. Don't let him do this." Webb's voice was a whisper. Oh, this was better than he'd hoped. He'd reduced the man to begging. "You don't have to let this happen. You can stop it."
"No one's stopping me. Kate, this has gone far enough."
She sighed and gave him a look that made him wish she'd never came down. She was hurting, just what he'd tried to avoid. "Clark, you can't kill them."
"I will kill them." Palmer's voice was even, and cold. "You know better than to get in my way. Did you have some idea of dying with them? I won't kill you, but there's a lot I can do that isn't that. Don't make me decide which way to use."
"Clark." Her voice was more urgent now, and he saw with absolute amazement that she had a gun pointed in the direction of the two men, one of the ones he'd taken from them. "Please get out of my way. I don't want to shoot you."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
He moved toward her, and she moved to put the gun on him. He froze. As far as he knew, she didn't know how to use a gun, but that didn't make one in her hand any less deadly, maybe even more so.
"I chose this life, and I will protect it. And protect you." She aimed the gun at Rabb, who was staring at her with disbelief. "You hurt my husband, and you're going to die because you did."
Clark saw that her attention was completely on Rabb and firing, and aimed himself at her. She cried out as he knocked her off her feet. He cushioned her fall, in the process ending up with her gun. Poor baby. The safety was still on. But he wasn't going to tell her that.
"Kate, this is my job. You're not a killer. I am." She was sobbing. "It would break your heart to kill even Rabb. I won't have you going through that kind of hell if I can't help it, and I can. Are you all right?"
She raised her head. "Clark, please. Please let me."
"Kate," there was only one way to convince her now, "do you know what's going to happen when I shoot this gun?" She shook her head. "I'm going to fire into either Rabb or Webb's brain. It won't be a nice little hole with a little blood coming out. There'll be a lot of blood," she was pale now, " and other stuff, splattered all over the place. Do you want to hear more? I guarantee you don't want to see it." She had her hand over her mouth. "No, I guess you've heard enough."
He put the gun on the floor, kicking it away from her and away from Rabb and Webb, just in case, and cradled her in his arms.
"A touching scene," Rabb mocked. "Clark Palmer, in love. I wish your friends at the DSD could see you now. You've lost your edge, Palmer."
Clark ignored him. He didn't know what the hell he was talking about, and he was going to be dead in a few minutes anyway. "Kate, you have to believe me. This is not the place for you. I love that you wanted to spare me, but baby, killing is not something that keeps me up at nights. And killing these two, you're right. It is protecting our life. But it's my job. Not yours. You wouldn't be the same if you pulled the trigger, and I don't want to see you change. Go upstairs."
"Do you have to shoot them?" Her voice was a whisper. "Clark, I don't want Clayton to die in pain. He doesn't deserve that. Please, Clark, for me."
He lowered his voice to match. "They deserve all they get."
She was shaking, and he held her closer as he thought. He couldn't leave her alone, not like this. So the plan had to change. "All right. But you have to sit quietly. Do you understand? I can't have you interfering again, Kate. Promise me you won't."
"What are you going to do?"
"It won't hurt them. That's what you asked." He stared into her eyes, and she finally nodded. "Say 'I promise.' Say it."
"I promise, Clark." Her eyes showed she meant it.
"Thank you. Now let me do this. It's time." He set her gently away from him and stood. "All right, gentlemen, my wife doesn't want me to shoot you, and I won't let her. So we've reached an agreement. You're getting a nice, peaceful death." He shot a cold glance at Rabb. "Which you don't deserve."
"Fuck you, Palmer."
Clark laughed. "Is that what you've always wanted? Too bad, Rabb. I never knew that's why you wanted to catch me so much. Not that I'd be interested."
Rabb swore, then was quiet.
"Kate." Clayton was twisting against the bonds. "Kate, I love you."
Kate answered before Palmer could. "You love a woman you've named 'Kate' and created in your own mind. That isn't me. Clayton, I wish you hadn't come. Why couldn't you just let me go?"
"Because I love you. I don't care what you say." Webb glared at Palmer. "You'd better not hurt her, or I'll come back to get you."
"You worry too much. I won't hurt her." Palmer was over at his workbench, measuring a liquid into syringes. "Kate's happiness is what I want more than anything." He picked up one of the needles and went over to Rabb. "Any last words?"
"Your husband is a cold-blooded killer, lady, and some day you'll know that, when he decides you're in his way." Rabb's voice was cold and hard. "If you had a brain, you'd start running now. Go to hell, Palmer. Goodbye, Webb."
"I'd die before I'd see Kate hurt." Rabb didn't deserve a reply, but Kate did. "And I'd kill myself before I'd kill her. But you're too dumb to get it. Your loss. Think about it, Rabb. I've found my happiness. You never even got close, even though it was right there." He stabbed the needle into Rabb's arm, and Rabb gasped. "It'll take a minute or two. Enjoy that thought." He went over to Webb. "Anything more?"
"Thank you, Rabb." He twisted his head to see Rabb's eyes closing. "You were a good friend."
Rabb mumbled something, then slumped in the chair.
"That hit him fast." Palmer's voice was clinical. He looked over to Kate, who was sitting on the stairs with her knees up and her arms wrapped around them. "Say goodbye, Kate."
"Goodbye, Clayton." Her eyes moved to Palmer. "Him, too? Do you really have to?"
"Of course me, too." Webb's voice was tired. "I'd do the same. Go ahead, Palmer. She doesn't want me, or to be rescued. She's yours."
"I did love you, Clayton."
"Yeah. I fucked up. Come on, Palmer. I don't want to live any more. There's no one like Kate."
Palmer hesitated. This was a man he could like. But it was too late. And this attitude of Webb's wouldn't last. He lowered the needle and pushed in the plunger.
Webb sighed. "Be happy, Kate. Just don't trust him all the way. Love you."
Palmer waited for Kate to say something more, but she just sobbed. Palmer leaned over to speak in Webb's ear. "You were a hell of a spy, Webb." He knew the other man could still hear. "Remember that time on the ship? You got the goddamn superconductor. Did yourself proud."
A smile came on Webb's face. "Beat you good," he murmured, then his head fell forward.
Palmer shook his head, then checked Webb's pulse. There was none. He checked Rabb's and found the same. He went over to Kate, who was white.
"It's over, love." He held out his arms, and she clung to him. "It's over. We're safe."
She started sobbing again, and he held her, letting her cry. He loved her for caring, but as far as he was concerned, this was something to be happy about. He wasn't going to say that to her, not now, not ever. She would come to accept it.
"Come on, Kate. Let me take you upstairs."
He'd get a sedative into her and tuck her into their bed, and she'd sleep while he got rid of the bodies. And then he'd start working on more ways to make her happy. Making Kate happy. He smiled into her hair. It was more fun even than killing.
The End
Posted 12/12/01
