Predator: SVU

Title: Predator: SVU

Author: Prairiefire

Chapter: Fourteen: Identities Revealed

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: 4143

Special Agent Joeseph RunningWolf walked down the overdone hallway. Under his arm he carried a manila envelope of very sensitive information. It was not sensitive in the sense that it was classified. In truth, it was available on-line to anyone who knew how to look for it. This packet of information was sensitive because of how its recipient would likely react to it.

RunningWolf’s thoughts were devoted to that reaction as he approached the two officers who guarded the door. They looked exhausted after having spent the night guarding one of their own.

“Morning,” RunningWolf said to them as he handed over two steaming cups of coffee. The two young officers gratefully took the proffered wake-up-in-a-cup after eyeing the FBI credentials hanging from RunningWolf’s blazer pocket. “Is she up for visitors?”

The two men looked at each other before turning back to the agent. The red-haired cop elected to speak first.

“We don’t know, sir.”

The other added, “We heard her crying through most of the night. It tapered off around dawn.”

RunningWolf nodded sagely, “Good. She needed that. Listen, I just want to check on her.”

“That’s alright, sir. Captain Adams said you would be by,” said red-head.

“Thanks,” RunningWolf said as he knocked on the door loudly. “Detective Hadley,” he started. “Cass, its Joe RunningWolf. Can we talk?”

XXXXX

Cass shifted slightly as she slept. Vek’rin’ka could see how tormented she looked even as she lay on his chest. The crying and tears had stopped around the time sun rose, but she still whimpered occasionally and shivered. Vek’rin’ka knew there were two oomans guarding the door. They had remained there all night but had never entered the room. Even so, Vek’rin’ka remained cautious, making sure that the window stayed open in case he needed a quick escape.

While Cass slept Vek’rin’ka watched her. She was so slight that he wondered how she could possibly fight the Bad Bloods she hunted. Up close she looked too small and delicate which was something that he hadn’t really noticed before. When he had been observing her for the past few days she had seemed so strong, so alive. Now that life was gone and she just felt so broken. There was so little left in her he could barely feel her weight on him.

Down the main corridor, Vek’rin’ka heard a door open and a new ooman start down towards the doorway. The three oomans now occupying the hallway stood at the door to Cass’s set of room talking briefly. After the conversation the new ooman, recognized by his new voice, began knocking on the door calling for Cass.

Cass didn’t make any motion to acknowledge the summons and Vek’rin’ka could understand why. She had not slept restfully at all that night and she was undoubtedly exhausted. He loathed disturbing her now, but the other ooman may come in unbidden regardless. Being found, probably by another ooman Arbitrator would be a disaster. He didn’t need to be exposed to anymore oomans than he already was. The only thing worse than one wily ooman on your heels was a pack of them, and that would surely interfere with the hunt that must be attended to.

Nudging Cass carefully until her eyes opened Vek’rin’ka pulled his arm out from around her. He eased her down to the pillow as she watched him. Cass’s mind was muddled with sleep. She felt completely worn out as she woke up. The events of the previous night seemed like a horrible dream. She expected that at any moment Sonya would come running through her bedroom door and she would be able to forget all about the nightmare. Sonya had not been killed by Burns and she had never seen an alien in the bathroom of a hotel room.

Her eyes focused on a large body in front of her and she felt a hand supporting her as she was lowered to the bed. But this wasn’t her bed. Seeing him, feeling him brought reality crashing back on her. Fresh tears welled within her eyes and as they rolled down her red cheeks the creature wiped them away. He stepped away then and Cass heard the knocking on the door for the first time. Vek’rin’ka activated his shift suit and Cass saw him disappear in a flickering of blue sparks. She could see his watery form head towards the balcony.

Turning her attention back to the door she exited the bedroom and crossed the sitting room. Someone was calling her from the other side of the door. They must have been from the department otherwise the two guards would have shooed them away. Reaching the door she looked through the eye hole. Standing there waiting patiently was Joeseph RunningWolf. Breathing a sigh of relief that it was not Adams or even one of the departmental psychologists, she turned back to check the room, half believing that the creature might have changed his mind and followed her. Finding herself alone she turned back to the door and twisting the knob opened it to the emotionally neutral face of her co-worker.

“Hi Joe,” Cass calmly said. She suspected what he was here for but she asked anyway. “Is this visit business or pleasure?”

RunningWolf shifted uneasily as he took his gaze from Cass to the envelope under his arm. Stalling for time, he offered her one of the remaining cups of coffee. Cass readily took the coffee from the holder and nodded thanks to RunningWolf as he took the last.

“It’s a bit of both,” RunningWolf confessed finally. “I wanted to check on you.” The sincerity in his voice enticed Cass to lower her guard and the hot, black coffee help to clear the last of the sleep from her mind. After the first mouthful she was able to better focus on her guest.

“I’m…” Cass started. She couldn’t say she was fine. She wasn’t after all. She had to think for a few moments before continuing, “Dealing.”

The short answer didn’t seem to appease the agent who undoubtedly read more into the pause than he was letting on. “Just dealing?”

“I’m working through it. What is it that they say: Focus on the good. I just need to be alone for a while, to think.” Cass turned away from him as she moved across the room to stand by the wide picture window.

RunningWolf nodded sagely. Cass was reputed to be an incredible interviewer with children, easily establishing an emotional rapport with them, but she wasn’t the type of person who talked about her own feelings easily. Her personality would demand that she process a lot of her tragedy alone. Fighting it would only cause problems.

“That’s good, that you are thinking that way,” RunningWolf said. “You have my condolences. The pictures of Sonya I’ve seen, she looked like such a happy child.” RunningWolf stopped when he saw Cass freeze. It then dawned on him that he had referred to Sonya in the past tense and Cass was not ready for that. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

Cass looked down through the window in front of her. The same scene played before her as the night before. Children were running around without a care in the world. Their parents content to finally be relaxing. “It’s okay. She’s gone.” She lifted her hand up to wipe away the tears from her eyes and she hung her head. Taking a large breathe to regain her composure she looked over her shoulder at RunningWolf. “So, what’s in the folder?”

RunningWolf was thrown a little by the sudden change of topic but he pulled the folder out from under his arm anyway. He sighed deeply to himself. This was not the best time to give Cass this, but she had to know to protect herself, more now than ever.

“Gerold asked me to get this together for him,” RunningWolf paused as he looked from the folder to Cass. She was still standing by the window over looking the hotel’s beautiful garden, but she no longer looking out it. Her back was to window that shed bright morning light into the room as she stared intently at him. RunningWolf continued from where he stood in the middle of the room, “He didn’t trust this guy you are seeing. He asked me about an Agent Cach. I’m sorry Cass, but I didn’t find anything in the bureau personnel files.”

RunningWolf paused there waiting to see how Cass would react. Her expression started at confused then it darkened. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke quietly, “He lied to me.”

RunningWolf only nodded, “He’s not an agent. At least for the FBI. We have a couple of files on him.” Cass walked slowly over to RunningWolf, raising her hand to point at the folder.

“That’s it? That’s about him?”

“Yes,” RunningWolf said as he handed it to her. Cass took it and stared at it. Sensing her hesitation RunningWolf offered, “Would you like me to stay and look at it with you.”

“No,” Cass finally said shaking her head. “No. I want to be alone to read this.” RunningWolf felt her hand behind her arm as she subtly pushed him towards the door. “Thanks for coming Joe, but…”

“You want to be alone,” RunningWolf finished for her. Cass nodded as she pulled the door back open. “OK. I don’t think you should be alone, but I guess there is no way to change your mind.” Cass continued to steadily force him out the door, knowing that she really would not be alone. Joe turned around after he was back in the hallway and handed Cass a small card. “Here’s my private cell number. If you want to talk just call.”

“Thanks,” Cass said to him at a loss for anything else to say to him. She wanted him gone so that she could look at that file. Once he was out of the room she quickly closed the door and turned to lean back against it. She pulled the folder up to eye level feeling slight trepidation.

Finally she walked over to the couch that sat behind a low coffee table. Sitting there she spread the contents of the folder out on the table. There were many pages from science industry journals, some newspaper clippings about some big corporation, and a page with that corporation’s letterhead. All these things were in addition to various files and photographs stamped with the official FBI seal.

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka waited on the balcony for the male ooman to leave. The conversation the two were having was very quiet and Vek’rin’ka had to adjust his audio amplifier to its maximum setting. He still did not manage to pick up anything useful.

When the male left Vek’rin’ka went back into the room expecting to see Cass return to the bedroom. When she did not, he walked into the front room to find her sitting on a cushioned bench. Set on a low table in front of her were parchments with ooman writing on them.

Vek’rin’ka shut down his cloak but Cass made no move to acknowledge him. He was slightly annoyed with the lack of respect so he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a shake in the traditional greeting.

Cass looked at him briefly before she turned back to the documents in front of her. Vek’rin’ka saw the look in her eyes that spoke of anger and betrayal. He could then smell the aggression she was giving off. Whatever he had missed in the conversation or what was contained in those documents had profoundly agitated her. Vek’rin’ka was about to inquire if this had anything to do with the pup’s, Sonya’s, death when both he and Cass hear the commotion in the hallway.

XXXXX

After RunningWolf had visited Cass he rode the elevator down to the lobby. As the doors opened RunningWolf attempted to disembark but was pushed to the side as the mysterious Scott Cach ignored proper elevator etiquette and boarded the elevator. RunningWolf quickly stepped off the lift as the doors closed before turning to look back. Cach was impatiently standing in the car looking at his watch. The fake agent did not make eye contact with RunningWolf as the door shuddered to a close.

RunningWolf contemplated pursuing Cach but decided against it. The two uniforms would turn him away, but if he got through and saw Cass… Well, RunningWolf thought to himself, I would not want to be him.

XXXXX

The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor to reveal two uniformed cops each finishing off a coffee. Cach put on his best worried boyfriend look and hurried towards them.

“Morning officers,” Cach said in a coyly nervous voice. “This is the right room for Cass Hadley right?” Cach performed his best acting job worried and disoriented for the cops.

The two cops set their empty cups on the floor and eyed Cach suspiciously.

“Can we see some ID, sir,” the first cop asked.

“ID? What? Listen, I’m Scott Cach. I’m her boyfriend. I need to see her,” Cach declared as he tried to push his way past the two officers. Both cops tried to push him back as he tried to grab the door knob.

“Cass, honey, it’s me. Please tell them to let me in,” Cach shouted through the door. He managed to spin around one of the cops and grabbed the door knob. Before either of the cops could pull him away he flung the door open and stepped into the room.

Cass was standing in the middle of the front room holding a folder in front of her. She stared straight at Cach with an expression that was unreadable. Confident that Cass would accept him readily and come “home” with him he walked straight up to Cass.

“Cassie, sweetie. I just heard and came right over,” Cach said with feinted sympathy. He held his arms out to her as he drew near. Instead of enveloping his “girlfriend” in a supportive hug he felt a sharp pain across his face. The crack reverberated loudly through the room as everyone stopped moving. Cach looked at Cass in shock and the two cops that had just entered froze.

Cass, for her part, had squared herself with her free hand clenched in a tight, shaking fist, ready to strike again.

“Who the hell are you,” Cass hissed through grit teeth. Cach rubbed the reddening hand print on his cheek as he stared back at her. He did not know what to tell her or how much she already knew.

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU,” Cass screamed when Cach didn’t answer. This time though, she threw the folder at him. Pages and photos flew out of it as it hit Cach in the chest, after which the contents fluttered to the floor. One page caught Cach’s eye immediately. The bold “W” on the Weyland letterhead told him that Cass indeed knew too much.

Cach looked back up at Cass masking his true intentions behind a façade of guilt and contriteness.

“Cass,” Cach started slowly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just the company I work for likes to keep its dealings hush hush.”

“Is Scott even your real name,” Cass yelled at him, not believing for a second anything he said. She could never trust him after reading those files. “Why impersonate a federal agent anyway?” Cass was on a roll and she was not about to let up anytime soon.

Cach opened his mouth to reply but Cass cut him off, “You know what? I don’t even care. Just get out and stay the hell away from me and my…” Cass caught herself. “Just stay the hell away from me!”

Cass turned away from Cach and walked over to the table. Both of her hands were clenched into fists and shook with pent up rage. How could she have been so stupid? Gerold knew there was something off with the guy, why had she not picked up on it?

Cach walked up behind Cass and put his hand on her shoulder intending to spin her around. He was livid that Cass thought she could turn her back on him. It was becoming apparent that Burns would be even more important in springing the trap that had been set. Cass would definitely not trust him now. He would have to rely exclusively on his plan with Burns.

“Cass, it was to…” Cach started, continuing his charade. He had intended to tell her it was for her own protection.

Cass could not believe he had the nerve to pursue her after she had ordered him out of her room. She reached out and grabbed the only thing in reach. As Cach spun her around, Cass unleashed the half-full coffee cup. It splattered his face and suit. Cach hollered in pain as the hot coffee made its way into his eyes.

“You bitch. You’ll pay for that.”

“You really think that is wise,” Cass said calm and collected once more. Her icy blue eyes steeled over as she threatened Cach. “I have enough dirt on you to make your life a legal nightmare.” She turned to the two stunned cops and growled, “Get him out of my sight.”

The two cops had been watching the situation unfold went into action. Each grabbed Cach by his collar and an arm. Cach was so stunned by the burning coffee that the cops had him out of the suite before he realized what was happening. He started to fight the cops to get back in the room.

Cass had followed the trio to the door and as Cach fought his way up to the threshold she flung the door closed, slamming it solidly in his face. Cach was outraged at the audacity that Cass had. The click of the dead bolt ended the struggle. The cops relaxed their grip on him and he wrenched himself free. They took up their position at the door again and watched him closely. Both had smug looks on their faces when one finally pointed down the hall at the elevator.

“Get lost, and don’t come back,” the pointer’s partner said.

Cach looked down at the hall, noting the residents of neighboring units that had come out of their doors to see the cause of the commotion. He turned back towards the two cops, considering forcing his way in again. The stern faces dissuaded him from considering that further. With a forced sigh he turned toward the elevator. He walked past the staring guests with his head down, more to hide the smirk on his face than out of embarrassment. His little visit, while not going as he had planned, had provided new information to build his plans around. When he got back to the office he would have even more hopefully.

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka waited for the new ooman to leave again. This time he stayed in the bedroom. He knew the scent of that ooman and he would not go too far. The ooman male forced his way in and started to talk with Cass, or at least he tried. Vek’rin’ka watched around the doorway making sure not to move as he saw Cass strike the male.

Vek’rin’ka knew Cass had been angry before while reading the delivered documents and now he had apparently found the cause. Cass had taken an aggressive stance and was now yelling at the male, throwing her packet of pages at him. The male continued to try to appease Cass, but Vek’rin’ka could see it would be no use. Once a female started in on a male he just had to take his beating or retreat.

The male continued to try to soothe the irate Cass, advancing on her as she retreated after dismissing him. The action escalated when the male grabbed Cass. Vek’rin’ka steeled himself from interfering. As much as he wanted to rip the ooman apart before, now that urge had doubled seeing the ooman act so disrespectfully towards Cass. The male never had the chance to do what he intended when Cass thrust a container of hot liquid in his face. That is when the guards decided to do something and grabbed the male and finally dragged him out.

Cass violently closed the door in the male’s face before Vek’rin’ka came out of the sleeping chamber. He saw her leaning against the door with her eyes closed and her hands fisted. Her breathing was erratic as she tried to calm herself. Vek’rin’ka now knew that a warrior’s spirit still resided within her. She would now be able to continue her hunt for the Bad Blood and he would be at her side.

Cass stayed by the door as she tried to control her breathing. How could she have been so blind? It was so obvious now. Cach had acted the part so well that Cass had never suspected that he was anything other than what he claimed to be. But what federal agent wore Armani suits and drove a BMW? If she had bothered to pay attention to the details she would have seen that he sure didn’t look the part, she chastised herself mentally. In truth, she had been so blinded by his unconditional acceptance of Sonya that she hadn’t even questioned what she should have. Was that acceptance all an act too? Did he use Sonya to get to her?

Vek’rin’ka trilled at Cass to get her attention as he turned his cloak off. She opened her eyes to look at him and he could see the anger had been replaced by the emptiness that had consumed them before. He trilled again at her, a higher pitch than before and tilted his head to the side. Cass broke the eye contact with him and walked back over to the window, stepping on the papers strewn over the floor. She looked down at the families again, all those people with their loved ones enjoying their time together.

Sighing loudly Cass looked over her shoulder at the strange shadow she had picked up. “I’m alone now,” she said quietly. Immediately she looked away from him and stared at the carpet.

“Family,” Vek’rin’ka’s voice rattled out.

Cass shook her head, “I don’t have any. Sonya was the last. Never had many friends, now I find out my boyfriend isn’t who he said he was.” Her voice was on the edge of breaking as she felt for the first time that there was no one there for her.

Vek’rin’ka began to understand the depth of her misery, thought it was hard to comprehend. It was unheard of for a yautja to be without family somewhere. How much death had she seen to have no family left? Even with their small family units, oomans still at least had a mother and father. Many mating pairs had multiple offspring; did she not have any siblings? Vek’rin’ka remembered the doubt in Cass’s maternal connection to the pup, Sonya. The results of the DNA test would be ready back on the ship. He wasn’t going to leave her now to find out, but he wondered if maybe the youngling was the offspring of one of Cass’s siblings.

“I always thought I wanted to be alone,” Cass continued quietly. “Then Sonya moved in and all I could think of was her and how to make her happy. She came out of her grief so fast and was so happy, because she wasn’t alone. She had me and I had her and we healed each other.” Cass stopped to collect herself. “When she was happy she was my life, she made me want a child of my own. Now she’s gone, and the only guy who showed any interest in me and who didn’t seem like a freak betrayed me. I have nothing left.”

Vek’rin’ka quietly waited as Cass talked. He couldn’t tell if she was addressing him or if she was talking to herself. It didn’t matter, since he could easily hear her anyway. When she said she had nothing left Vek’rin’ka snorted. That caused Cass to turn around to look at him. She saw him shaking his head, sending his dreads dancing around his shoulders. Vek’rin’ka walked up to Cass and placed his hand on her chest.

“Not alone,” he said. “Never alone. Friend.”

“Thank you,” Cass said as she placed her hand over his. “I think I need a friend.”

Vek’rin’ka bowed slightly as Cass accepted him. Today he would let her rest, and then he would make sure that she got back to her hunt. The revenge she would get would help her immensely. She could fully heal after that. Then she could find the mate and have the children that she wanted. He would see to it that she was no longer alone anymore.