"I like to look at shadows sweating on the wall, I get excited when I hear footsteps in the hall"

She could hear him coming. She had waited so long for this moment. They had tried to stop her, but they couldn't. At this moment she didn't think anybody could. He was close. So close. And she was going to have him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Brian, I really don't like this idea."

Nick Carter looked nervously around his "new" temporary apartment that the FBI had relocated him to in New York City. A few months ago a stalker had traced his phone number and address through the license bureau. She had gained access to the house, while Nick was on tour thankfully, and left him suggestive notes and photographs in his bedroom. Neighbors had alerted to police to the presence of a strange person in the small, gated community and she had been arrested. When the police found the woman, she had a large pillowcase stuffed with items from the house, from clothes to silverware. Recently, she had escaped and, based on writing that she had done in prison, the FBI was called in and they made the decision to move Nick to New York until she was found and jailed again.

Brian Littrell patted his best friend on the back sympathetically. "I know it's not the greatest situation Nick, but it's for the best. She won't be able to find you here and the FBI is monitoring the apartment every minute of the day."

Nick turned and stared out the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. The complex was set up in such a way that they apartments faced each other, a sort of "U" shape, with a tenant only courtyard and playground in the middle. Offices that occupied the other half of the building faced out to the street.

He did a double take when he thought he saw a face staring at him from an apartment across the way. When he looked again, there was nothing. "Nerves." he told himself. "Just nerves." He sighed and turned back to Brian. "It's just not home."

"I know." Brian consoled. "But it won't be for too long, you'll see." He glanced at his watch. "I should get going. Take care of yourself and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Outside your balcony, I have a room with a view, and I'm watching you"

She set up post by the balcony, pulling the curtains back now and then and taking a peek into his apartment. She watched as he set up a video game system, stringing cords and plugs around the room in front of the TV. He sat on the floor and sipped from a pop can, now and then shoving a handful of something, probably chips, in his mouth. She smiled contentedly. Old habits die hard. She knew his schedule, his habits, his tastes so well she could almost predict what he would be doing each hour of the day. She turned and picked up the phone.

"I dial your telephone each and every afternoon"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick jumped when the phone rang. He hadn't even realized that it was connected. The FBI had told him to bring his cell phone for contact with his friends and to be sure to keep conversations brief so that they couldn't be traced. He reached for the phone and then pulled his hand back, unsure if he should answer it. Finally deciding it might be the police or someone else important, he picked up the handset.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello, is someone there?"

"Hello Nick."

"Who is this?" Nick's voice went up a notch, barely disguising his fear.

"I'm gonna get close to you."

"What? Who...?"

Nick heard the soft click of the phone as the person on the other end disconnected the call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She laughed to herself as she watched him pacing his apartment, phone in hand, making frantic hand gestures in the empty room.

"It will do you no good, my love. I'm so close." she whispered.

Pulling on a hooded sweatshirt, she opened her door and stepped out into the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I wait by your door 'til you're asleep at night, And when you're alone I'm there when you turn out the light."

Nick had turned on all the lights in the apartment and sat on the couch with his knees drawn up to his chin. The FBI had promised him someone would be over to guard the apartment, promised him that no one would be able to reach him. But it was her. She had called him. She had found him. Nick recalled all the notes and photos she had left for him at his old house. She had told him then what she wanted to do with him when she got to him. Her journals in prison had been more specific. And now she knew where he was. She was close. His cell phone buzzed and Nick clicked it on quickly.

"Hello?"

"Any more calls, Mr. Carter?"

"No. She knows where I am. I need to get out of here!"

"Take it easy, Mr. Carter. Your apartment is heavily guarded. No one can touch you. We will move you again tomorrow."

"What do I do tonight?" Nick almost wailed. He was petrified.

"Sit tight. Get some sleep. First thing in the morning you will be moved to another location."

"Promise?" Nick knew he sounded like a scared child, but he couldn't help it.

"Guaranteed. And you are safe tonight, I promise."

Nick clicked off the phone and slipped it back in his pocket. Sleep. Easy for him to say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat in the hallway outside his door, nodding her head in time to unheard music. The guards looked her over and then ignored her. She smiled as she heard the terror in Nick's voice ringing through her headphones. He was scared of her! How silly! She didn't want to hurt him. What would make him think that? She fingered the slim envelope in her pocket as she went to stand. Moving closer to Nick's door she dropped her pen out of her pocket.

"I'm sorry." She smiled sweetly as she bent to pick it up, quickly pushing her note under the door at the same time. As she stood the guards were talking to each other. Her movements had gone unnoticed.

"Are you waiting for someone, ma'am?"

"Yes, typical, he didn't show! How about you?"

"Just looking after a friend."

"Well they are a lucky person to have friends like you." She smiled again and began walking back towards her apartment. Stealing a furtive glance at Nick's door, she snapped her fingers as the bar of light showing under the door suddenly flicked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick stopped his pacing when he noticed the envelope on the floor just inside the door.

"What the hell?"

Nervously he picked it up and turned it over and over again in his fingers. The pale blue envelope bore no message on the outside. Nick held it up to the light and then close to his face. With trembling fingers he ripped the envelope open and pulled out the notecard within.

"I know where you are Nick. I know what you are thinking right now. You are about to turn out the light and panic. Go ahead It will do you no good. I'm gonna get close to you. Oh so close to you."

Nick flicked out all the lights in quick succession and huddled in the corner of the room.

He had to get away. Somehow. He didn't care where. Just away.

But how to do it?