Title: Drifting Away

Author: Lisa

Email: lisacheerio_85@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I don't own or work with Stingers etc.

Notes: It's short. Very short.

Thanks: Marissa, for the idea. Hope I live up to your expectations.



HOTEL IN MELBOURNE

Mac leant up against Pete's chest.

"So, we're...uh, together again?" she asked carefully. Pete kissed her forehead.

"Yeah." She looked up at him and they kissed passionately, disappearing under the covers once again.

THE FACTORY

Mac drove in ten minutes before Pete.

"Sorry guys," she said as she grabbed files from her desk and brought them back to the briefing room. "I got caught up in a meeting. Pete walked in then, looking slightly apprehensive, but hiding it well.

"And where have you been?" Danni asked mischievously, already going through several possibilities. Pete shrugged.

"Family thing," he said simply, sitting down. Oscar looked at the others sarcastically.

"Sure. Family thing." He mocked, laughing.

"Okay, listen up. A killer by the name of Robert Davis is suspected of the recent horrific murders of several prostitutes." She threw photographs onto the table, which the others studied carefully.

"We believe he watches local hotels, knowing when and where each prostitute takes her clients. He shoots them in the leg or foot, nowhere fatal, and then he nails them to the wall or the floor in a crucifix formation."

"Jesus Christ! I've read about those," Angie exclaimed. Mac continued.

"Yes, I know. Three women have been killed so far, and another one is expected soon, if he is still following the approximate time intervals. Now, none of the victims worked together, so this is just pick and choose. Any volunteers?" she asked. Danni grimaced.

"What would we do, exactly, Mac?"

"You would theoretically go to a hotel regularly with one of these guys and- "

"-oh Mac, no!" Danni interrupted, laughing. Mac smiled.

"Danni, you wouldn't do that. You would sit and talk or do whatever for the time span, then leave, so that from outside the room, it looks like you're taking a client."

"But how will we know if he's following us?" Oscar asked.

"We won't. We probably won't have any idea. He's crafty and knows his stuff. Unfortunately, we can only do one hotel at a time. Whoever goes under will go to two hotels in the day. One with Pete, the other with Oscar..."

"Mac, I don't much like the idea of being nailed to the floor." Angie stood as she spoke, picking up the files again. "Isn't this a bit of a safety risk, anyway? I mean, you don't even know if he's still around."

"He's around. We've just got to know where. We have a tail on him right at this moment, so that we'll know which hotel to front up to, okay? There's not a great risk, I promise."

Angie shook her head and Danni agreed. "Well," Mac said. "Looks like it's mine."

"What are you going to dress in?" Pete asked. Mac smiled sarcastically.

"What do you think, Pete?" She turned, walking back into her office to make some phone calls.

"Is she pissed off with us?" Angie asked. Pete shook his head. "Narr, far from it. I'd say she's a little nervous." They laughed quietly, not wanting Mac to hear, and proceeded to read through the files.

STAY-A-WHILE HOTEL/MOTEL

Mac sat opposite Oscar. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Mac was looking very un-prostitute-like. Sure, she had on an extremely short skirt and revealing top, but she lacked the...tartiness, he thought.

They sat, making small talk, for half an hour. Plenty of time, Mac decided, standing.

"That was great Mac," Oscar joked. "Can't wait 'till next time!" He laughed as he opened the front door and walked to his car. Mac pulled down her skirt as far as it would go (which wasn't very far) and followed.

JOLLY HOLLIES HOTEL

"Pete, stop it! No," Mac laughed as Pete sat beside her on the bed.

"We're not wired," he complained. She giggled.

"Wait until tonight or something, will you? You look so silly with that wig on," she started laughing once again, putting a hand to Pete's newly acquired blonde hair.

Pete and Oscar had decided to disguise themselves slightly, so that any one watching Mac every day wouldn't realise it was the same two men, all the time.

After half an hour of fooling around without getting anywhere, Pete stood and left, just as Oscar had, leaving Mac for a few moments before she left as well.

THE FACTORY

"So how is this going?" Angie asked. "I mean is it going?" Mac raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, the trailer on Davis said he was at the hotel. Trust me, it's going." She walked into her office as Pete followed, closing the door behind him.

"Same time and place tomorrow morning?" He asked. Mac smiled, a real smile, as she nodded. "Sure. Can't wait."

"What about dinner tonight?" Pete asked. "You know you want to." Mac laughed slightly.

"Oh, alright. Dinner. You pick and tell me before you leave. I'll be ten minutes behind you." Pete nodded, returning outside.

After Mac had left that night, Danni turned to Oscar and Angie. "Guys, did you realise that Mac just left ten minutes after Pete?" They nodded. "So?" they asked.

"Well Mac arrived ten minutes before Pete this morning! Don't you see?" Angie and Oscar looked up at her dimly.

"Yeah, it's about time the two of them got some," Oscar mumbled as Angie nodded, returning to her papers. Danni was shocked. "What?...You knew about this?...Are they really sleeping together?" Angie looked at Oscar, not really caring.

"Maybe. They have before until our old boss caught on. Now Mac's the boss. Nothing new. Really, it's been building up for a while." Danni looked around in amazement. "And the two of you don't care?" she asked. Oscar shrugged. "It won't last," he muttered before he started packing things away for the night.

THE NEXT MORNING – HOTEL IN MELBOURNE

Pete stretched beside Mac. They had decided to go to the hotel anyway that morning, for a change of scenery. It really was a nice hotel, not like the ones they had been in before. And the people there didn't seem to mind one bit. Good, thought Pete drowsily, we'll be back.

THE FACTORY

Angie hung up the phone quickly.

"The trailer said the he followed Davis to a motel this morning. He was calling from the road. Had to leave for some emergency at home and they're getting another out there as quickly as possible, but I don't know. It's out of town a little way. Davis was following some couple, he didn't get a look." Oscar nodded. "Mac?"

"I've tried. Her home phone's not answering and her mobile's off."

"Pete?"

"Same. Do you think it's them?" Angie asked, a little worried. Oscar shook his head as he grabbed his jacket.

"No, but we should check it out."

HOTEL IN MELBOURNE

The door flung open as Pete and Mac were cuddling. They scrambled out of bed, hearing the silenced gunshots but not feeling them until they had both fallen onto the floor.

Mac groaned as she looked down at her foot, not taking in the mess that she saw. She couldn't see Pete; he was on the other side of the bed.

A bag was dumped on the floor by her head. Davis knelt down near her, his smelly breath overpowering Mac.

"Now how come you've been in here an hour and a half when yesterday you only gave half hours?" Mac gathered all her strength and lunged at him, but Davis was on top of her in a second, pushing her down again.

Davis turned as Pete managed to climb over the bed, his leg bleeding from the wound. He moved out of the way, letting Pete fall beside Mac. He groaned deeply as his leg rubbed the wooden edge of the bed. Mac was crying as a gun was held to her head. Neither of them had any chance to cover themselves, and Davis looked at Mac with pleasure.

"Either of you do anything and the prostitute gets it."

Pete turned his head, looking at the tears running down Mac's face. He reached out his hand, taking hold of hers. Mac looked over at Pete, mouthing his name as she turned and watched Davis. He was rummaging in his bag with his spare hand, the other still pointing the weapon in Mac's direction. He kept a close eye on his two victims. First time he had done the man as well. Marvellous, he thought, laughing to himself. And these two actually look like they care about each other!

ON THE ROAD

"How much faster can this go?" Danni asked from the backseat as they pulled up at yet another red light. "And what if the two of them turn up while we're gone?"

"I left a note," Angie replied tensely. She had left a note, but her intuition was telling her that it wasn't necessary. Oscar glanced at her, thinking the same thing, and put his foot down on the accelerator.

HOTEL

Mac moved closer to Pete as Davis drew out his favourite tool. The hammer. She buried her head into his shoulder, not looking. Davis smiled.

"I'll do the man first, my love, not to worry." Pete moved to stay out of Davis' grasp, but no sooner had he done that then the gun was held to Mac's forehead.

Mac's eyes begged him to run, to leave anyway, but he couldn't. Not after everything that had happened lately. Tears came to his eyes as he realised that no one knew they were here. And if the trailer were still on Davis, backup would have arrived ages ago.

Davis let the gun relax and Mac crawled across the floor to where Pete was crouched on one leg. She held onto him for dear life, shaking. Pete put an arm around her.

"Why don't you let her go, mate?" he asked. "Take me, not her." Davis smiled congenially.

"I'm taking both of you, so shut up about it." He moved to Pete and Mac. "You two really care about each other? That's so sweet." He laughed as he pulled Mac off Pete. She tried to hang on, but was so scared, that Davis pulled her off as if her fingers were made of butter. He threw her against the wall, where she fell, unconscious. Davis turned his attention back to Pete, who looked ready to fight, but whose eyes told Davis that he knew it was over. I love that look, he thought to himself.

Mac woke to gruelling pain in her feet. She choked on her scream as she realised what was happening. She squeezed her eyes shut, blotting out everything. Pete, she suddenly thought, turning her head to see.

Tears feel down her cheeks in droves as she looked into Pete's eyes. He tried to smile at her, reassure her, but she saw the nails in his feet and in his far hand, the blood gushing out of the wounds. There was nothing, she saw, in the hand nearest her. He reached out painfully, touching the side of her face, trying to wipe the tears. "Just look into my eyes," he mumbled.

Mac held his gaze, writhing in pain as a nail was driven through her hand. She bit her bottom lip, tasting blood. Just as he had with Pete, Davis left her other hand free. Mac wiped her face, the continuous stream of tears obstructing her view of Pete.

Davis left, chuckling to himself. That was all for today, he thought. I wonder about tomorrow, or the day after that? He remembered he needed some more petrol for his car, and wondered where the cheapest service station was.

Mac couldn't move her neck and head any closer to Pete. The pain up her arm was excruciating. She reached out to Pete with her free arm.

Mac could feel herself drifting. The pain wasn't as bad anymore, she was getting used to it. Not a good sign, she realised. She started shaking beyond control as Pete shifted his gaze. He's weak as well, she thought.

This can't be happening. No, not now. No! Mac started crying, trying beyond everything to get closer to Pete. He reached as far as he could go, holding a hand to her cheek. Mac gripped his arm, crying into his hand.

She couldn't hold on any longer.

"I'm so scared," she whispered to Pete, not letting him go. He nodded. "Me too, but everything is going to be alright, okay?" Mac tried to smile, but couldn't; she didn't have the energy.

"Look into my eyes, Ellen," Pete said, struggling. Mac shifted her gaze back to him at the sound of her first name, almost never spoken by Pete before. "We're together, that's what matters." She nodded, her heart aching.

"I love you Mac," Pete whispered.

"I love you too," she choked back as she started sobbing quietly. She felt herself becoming weaker. Still, she didn't shift her gaze from Peter.

They held each other. Pete's hand cradling Mac's face, which was turned to his, and Mac's hand holding onto Pete's arm. "I don't want to die, I'm so scared," she mumbled to Pete over and over amongst tears as Pete soothed her, trying his best to sound brave. "It's okay, Mac, just look at me. Don't think about it. It'll be all right. I love you Mac. I love you and I always will..."

Neither of them heard the car speed up to the hotel and break to a halt. Pete and Mac took one final look into each other's eyes, before closing them one last time, and drifting away, together.