Predator: SVU

Title: Predator: SVU

Author: Prairiefire

Chapter: Eleven: First Contact

Fandom: Predator AU

Rating: M/R

Warnings: Adult Situations, Controversial Subject Material, Graphic Violence/Gore, Rape, Sexual Situations

Orientation: Het

Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator, Female Predator/Male Predator

Summary: Two hunters separated by species and lightyears are about to team up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Predator, nor do I make earn any monetary compensation for the stories I write that feature such characters. However, all my original characters are just that, original. That makes them mine, and they cannot be used without my express written permission.

Feedback: Please. I will respond to all signed reviews on ffn, aff

Word Count: 3328

Cass stared straight ahead as she followed Adams and another officer through the plush halls. The hotel that had been chosen was upper class and a suite had been reserved as Cass would be here indefinitely. Her home would be a crime scene for a while, and even after it was released it would be some time before she would be able to go back, if she ever did.

They reached the fifth floor room and Adams ushered Cass inside. The officer put down a duffle bag full of clothes and quickly retreated out of the suite. There were only sweats from the department in the bag but they would have to do for a while. With Cass’s entire home as a crime scene they would not have been able to remove any of her clothes. Dress uniforms were uncomfortable to begin with, in the triple degree heat outside it was a miracle that Cass had not fallen victim to heat stroke by now.

Adams guided Cass to the bedroom past the sitting room. He sat her on the bed while he went over to the balcony sliding door and closed the blinds. While they were at the precinct getting clothes he had tried to talk to Cass. His queries were only met with a stony silence. Cass was almost catatonic since leaving the house. Adams tried again to get her to talk in the car on the way to the hotel. The only response was a weak plea to leave her alone.

After that Cass merely stared forward, not watching the streets pass, but merely looking out the windshield. Adams knew she was retreating into herself. It wasn’t a good situation. She needed someone to talk to. Adams also knew that it would never be him. She would never trust him enough to talk to him.

Now Cass sat on the edge of the bed, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her breathing was hard, coming out in a suppressed hiss. Cass had prided herself on her strength, both physical and emotional. Adams knew she would never cry in front of him or anyone else he knew of. He could see also that she was working extremely hard to keep it all in.

“Cass, just take it easy. You need to rest. The last few days have been the worst anyone could imagine. Don’t worry about the funeral. I can take care of the arrangements.”

“Thank you.” Cass’s voice was tiny and frail, completely different from the confident, determined and stubborn-as-hell Cass that Adams was used to hearing.

“Is there anything else I can do?”

“No. Just,” Cass paused to choke back another sob as she stared at the floor, “just leave me alone.” It wasn’t a demand, more like a plea. Adams loathed leaving her in her current state.

When Adams hesitated to leave Cass swallowed hard before looking at him and saying, “Go away!” She averted her eyes again as her voice cracked. “Please.”

Adams understood. She needed this time to herself. She needed to organize her thoughts and start to deal with her grief. Having someone hovering over her would only stress her even more and stall her.

Adams nodded, “OK. I’m leaving two uniforms at the door. If you need anything else, just let them know. They’ll tell me and I’ll make sure you get it.” Cass bobbed her head once to let him know she heard him.

Briefly, Adams paused to see if Cass would say anything else. When she didn’t speak up he quietly left. He couldn’t help her, but he would send RunningWolf over in the morning. Someone she had a purely professional relationship with would be more likely to help now.

The officer that had carried the duffle bag into the room was waiting outside the door. Two other officers had joined him, ready to take the first watch. Adams left instructions not to let anyone into the room without calling him first and to make sure the next shift knew that too. He waved the other cop to follow him and they walked to the elevator.

Inside the privacy that the transport provided Adams sighed, “She’s not taking this very well.”

The other cop, a desk sergeant at the precinct, was always the optimistic type. “She needs time. She is probably the most stubborn person I have ever met. She’ll pull through even if it simply for the fact that she would never give Burns the satisfaction of knowing that he hurt her.”

“You’re probably right. She’s used to taking care of herself. I guess part of that is my fault.”

The sergeant looked at him critically, “You can’t possibly think that.”

“There’s history Ed. I’ve known her since she was born. Walked the beat with her father. There’s a lot of history there.” Ed nodded understanding and said nothing more as the elevator came to a stop in the lobby.

Back in the bedroom Cass sat listening as Adams left. Once she was sure he was gone she got up. It was oppressively hot in the room and she needed air. The sliding door led to a small balcony and she opened it not intending to go outside. The breeze proved to be too inviting. Although it was obscenely hot outside as well, the breeze provided a measure of air movement that the room did not.

Cass stepped outside and walked the few steps to the rail. Over looking the cityscape Cass knew Burns was out there. He was free. He was alive, while Sonya and seven other innocent girls had died because of him.

A wave of rage rolled over her despondency. Burns shouldn’t be allowed to be out there. He shouldn’t be allowed to breathe. The district attorney would undoubtedly seek the death penalty in this capital case. Even with that, though, there was the chance that he would only be sentenced to life in prison. If he got death, the sentence would be appealed for years. In those years he would sit in prison, in protective custody no less, and be fed and given medical care. While the case was fought, while Burns still lived, Sonya would still be dead.

Cass’s grip on the railing tightened as she looked down. Below her the hotel grounds teemed with life. Tourists were walking around enjoying their vacations, oblivious to the tortured woman looking down on them. Children ran between the throngs of people feeling perfectly safe. Their parents didn’t realize the dangers present to their children.

A dull, aching pain began to form behind Cass’s eyes. The pain grew sharper and more defined as she closed her eyes to the pain. Gradually the sharpness eased and in a few moments Cass tentatively opened her eyes again. That action proved to be a mistake.

Cass saw the ground rush up at her face as soon as her eyes opened. The edges of her vision were blurred and she could no longer make out the individuals. Just as she felt she would impact the concrete under her it suddenly pulled back and twisted as it fell away at a speed greater than it had risen with. Her knuckles were white with exertion as she held onto the rail. The ground dropped far below the five stories it actually was while continuing to spin.

As the ground began to rise again, faster than the first time, it appeared to tilt on its side. The imagined motion was too much for Cass’s stomach as she suddenly felt nauseated. Trying to stay upright through the vertigo episode, she pushed herself away from the railing towards the sliding door. Turning with the motion she braced herself with her hand on the sliding door to prevent herself from walking right into it.

After Cass turned away from the ground the vertigo had lessened considerably, but the overpowering nausea remained. Quickly, she stumbled past the bed to the bathroom. With barely any time to spare Cass made it, finally collapsing over the toilet. Only seconds passed before she retched violently. Half digested food spewed from her mouth while she violently shuddered. What seemed like hours passed before she was able to stop throwing up and catch her breathe. Just as she thought she was finished, when she had purged everything she could, she doubled back over the toilet and threw up a mouthful of foamy, acidic bile.

The rancid taste in her mouth caused her to grimace, but she could not summon the energy to move. She knelt next to the toilet as she leaned heavily against it. Her breathe came in ragged breaths as her lungs worked harder to make up for the exertion. Gradually the nausea passed and her breathing slowed, although she still could not get her legs to move.

Cass stayed in the bathroom for several minutes. With effort she flushed the toilet to send the physical manifestation of her grief away. When the noise had died down Cass heard something else. It was a clicking, almost like castanets. Cass stiffened when she realized that the sound was coming from the doorway. As soon as she froze the clicking stopped only to be replaced by a bird-like trill.

Spinning on her heels, Cass instinctively reached for her hip holster. Her hand grappled in thin air for the weapon that was usually there. Before she finished her spin she realized with a shock that Adams had taken her gun. It was still in his trunk and she had not worn her backup piece.

Facing the door nothing could be seen, although the sudden movement on her part caused a resurgence of the vertigo and nausea. A shift in the light from the window curtain outlined a strange shape. As Cass focused on the doorway she could pick out more of it. It seemed like a heat distortion, but those wouldn’t happen inside the room, no matter how poorly air conditioned it was. The transparent object shifted independently of the light. Another click followed and Cass’s eyes widened with wonder and trepidation.

The invisible man that Kristen had talked about was real.

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka found the female where the tracker said she would be. She and the male who was apparently her Leader had left the residence. When Vek’rin’ka had caught up to them they were at the ooman Arbitrators’ head quarters. They stayed there for a few minutes before coming out.

As Vek’rin’ka observed Cass and the male leave he was able to see how oddly Cass was behaving. From the scream that he had heard earlier he had thought she would be hysterical, panicky. The other response he thought of was similar to what one of his own race’s females would be like. They would be looking for revenge, their maternal instincts being pushed to their limits. It would be an unwise yautja who got in such a female’s way. Cass showed neither of these reactions. She looked utterly defeated, her gaze was blank. Vek’rin’ka noted how sluggishly she followed her Leader, in stark contrast to her confident, challenging attitude that he had observed previously.

The familiar pair was accompanied by one of the uniformed law keepers. All three oomans got into the land transport before driving away. Vek’rin’ka was gradually left behind and soon had to rely solely on the remote tracker to follow Cass. The car headed away from both the female’s home and the other residential areas. Vek’rin’ka finally arrived in an area of tall buildings with exterior platforms outside all the above ground doors. In one of these buildings, Vek’rin’ka’s computer confirmed the trace. The signal was several levels above ground.

With the buildings so spaced out it was impossible for Vek’rin’ka to travel by rooftop. Skillfully, he used the plentiful vegetation around the huge buildings to navigate without exposing himself to open space too often. There was little vehicle traffic, but the oomans on foot were plentiful. Avoiding them was tricky at times, but thrillingly challenging.

The building Cass was in was not the largest but it appeared well kept as far as ooman buildings went. A quick infrared scan showed many of the rooms to be occupied but none of the balconies. Vek’rin’ka began his ascent climbing from projection to projection. Vertically the climb was no challenge, however, horizontally proved to have some problems. Stealth had necessitated that he begin his trek two columns of balconies away from the one leading to Cass’s room. Jumping the span between the two balconies would not be the problem. Landing without striking the balcony above would be with Vek’rin’ka’s height.

Taking critical stock of how to manage the jump Vek’rin’ka judged the distance between the top rail across from him and the bottom of the balcony above. There was no way he would be able to jump onto it without hitting his head. He took another look at the railing. It was tubular metal anchored into the poured rock that oomans used in much of their construction. It would hold his weight.

Balancing on the rail, Vek’rin’ka prepared to jump. He tested the traction on the rail he perched on; assuring himself that the identical one would have the same grip. His muscular legs flexed and he thrust himself over the divide. His hands gripped the railing perfectly as his body slammed into the side of the balcony. The force of the hit caused him to snort as the air was forced from his lungs. He shook his head as he pulled himself over the rail.

The room on the other side of the door was empty though Vek’rin’ka could still detect the ooman scent. A scan showed Cass to be alone in her room. He paused in his disbelief. Why in Paya’s Hunting Grounds would anyone leave a female alone while she was grieving? Where were her mother and sisters? He watched her through the infrared image as she sat on the sleeping platform for several minutes. He was preparing for another leap when Cass emerged from the room.

Instantly freezing as Cass stood by the edge, Vek’rin’ka waited. Her hands held the railing in a death grip. Directing himself to look down at the scene that the female so intently stared he could see nothing of great interest. There were oomans walking around and children playing. That was probably it. The pups she was watching were triggering her memories.

Vek’rin’ka didn’t need her scent on the breeze to tell him how she was feeling. Her body was more than enough. Every muscle was tense, almost vibrating as they were held back from action. Her jaw was clenched but she didn’t bare her teeth. Moisture collected at the corners of her eyes. It was not hard to see that she was torn between absolute sorrow and utter rage. Everything about her screamed for the release that she refused to allow.

When Cass started to sway, at one point tipping dangerously over the rail, Vek’rin’ka made ready to jump again. He was just about to spring the distance when Cass forcefully pushed herself away from the edge and spun around. She had to stop herself from hitting the glass door with her hand before continuing inside.

With the passageway left open, Vek’rin’ka spotted his chance to get close to her. He easily jumped the gap using the same technique as the first and scrambled up onto the terrace. He dropped over the railing and waited. His computer had impacted the vertical supports and had caused his shift suit to crackle as parts of it shorted out. Once the cloak had reinitialized and quit sparking Vek’rin’ka entered the room.

The room was a sleeping chamber containing a large sleeping platform but not much else. Vek’rin’ka had no interest in this room since Cass was not here, but he could hear noise coming from one of the adjacent rooms. He treaded his way silently to the doorway. The female’s body was bent over the lavatory facility as she forcefully expelled her food. Her body spasmed uncontrollably with the effort. It almost seemed that the suppressed emotions had found at least one way to express themselves.

Vek’rin’ka saw Cass calming, her heart rate was slowing and he thought that he should allow her to see him. If he was going to help her, he would have to let her know he was there. He would also have to formally ask her permission to join her Hunt. He made a step toward her when suddenly her body convulsed again and her own stomach acid was coughed into the bowl. Vek’rin’ka again stilled, waiting for her to calm down again.

The female was exhausted. The way she leaned on the fixture, breathing hard was a testament to that. She stayed that way for several minutes while Vek’rin’ka studied her. He saw her reach for a lever on the fixture and with a loud slurp the foul smelling excreta was sucked away. The sudden noise had Vek’rin’ka clicking in surprise and he couldn’t stop himself before the noise died away.

Vek’rin’ka noticed Cass tense when she heard him and knew he had passed the point of no return. He had to reveal himself now. He trilled at her to give her an approximate location to watch him. He was impressed with her speed as she swung around. He was doubly impressed when she attempted to reach for the place she usually wore her weapon. He made no attempt to evade her. She was unarmed, confirmed by the numerous scans that he had taken off her while she was sick.

Vek’rin’ka could see Cass searching for the source of the noise she had heard. She swayed slightly, but not as badly as she had while standing outside watching the younglings. Her courage while in such an emotionally confused state diminished any previous doubts that he had that she would not finish her hunt. She was still looking for the source of the noise, him, so he moved. Movement had given way the position of many a cloaked yautja to oomans before.

Vek’rin’ka knew that she would see a light warp when he moved. He saw her eyes widen and knew that she had seen him. Now was the time for him to declare his presence.

XXXXX

Cach walked into the precinct with an air of belonging. He knew that Cass was being sequestered somewhere and the only one that would be able to tell him would be her boss, Captain Adams. He had his credentials pinned to his blazer which allowed him to walk right past all the security in the building and right into the squad room.

He walked past all the cops as they briefly glanced at him and went back to work. The tone of the room was subdued. Papers shuffled, the occasional phone rang but the normal chatter of the detectives was none existent.

Cach strode confidently past all of this, wearing an appropriately depressed face. Acting was one of his specialties and he would have to do a lot of it today. His destination was Adams office. It was obvious which room it was. The shades around the glassed in room were drawn, but the sign laminated to the door was still there. He knocked gently before a voice beckoned him in.

Knowing what information was important, Cach played around for a while. He portrayed the perfect worried boyfriend. He professed only to want to check on Cass, to help comfort her. In the end, he had the hotel and room number. Adams was even so accommodating as to call the guards at her door to let them know he would be by.

Now he only had to play his cards right with Cass. He was being rushed by his superiors. One of the XTs had disappeared completely and with the only one showing up on the scanners now following Cass she had become even more invaluable to their mission.