Title: In Harm's Way
Author: Sarah K. Roberts (S.K.Roberts)
Main Character(s): Harm
Date Completed: July 2000
Category: Drama
Summary: Just after winning a current case, Rabb is unwillingly put in mortal danger by an old acquaintance that is out for revenge and won't give up until Harm pays with his life.
Setting: Between "The Return" and "Contemptuous Words" (Season 5)
Spoilers: Through "The Return"
Disclaimer: This story is not meant to infringe on rights of CBS or any other channel or company affiliated with the show. This is not for profit and purely for enjoyment. All characters of JAG were borrowed and then returned, unharmed and unchanged at the end, with their dignity intact. (All original characters belong to Sarah K. Roberts.) Any similarity between this story and an already existing fan fiction, is purely coincidental. Enjoy!
In Harm's Way
1645 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
COURT IS IN SESSION...
"People of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" asked the judge.
The head juror stood. "Yes, Your Honor." Opening up a folded sheet of paper, the juror concluded: "We, the jury, find the defendant... not guilty."
The defendant quietly rejoiced to himself as he turned to his council, Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. "Thank you. Thank you so much," he said before hurrying over to his wife and small child. Harm and Mac both smiled at the site of a family being reunited.
"So," MacKenzie began as they both gathered their belongings in their briefcases, "have any plans for lunch?"
"No. Is that an offer?" Harm replied.
"Only if you're buying," she said with a smirk.
Harm's only reply was a big grin.
OUTSIDE...
A dark figure watched the front doors of the headquarters from a light blue colored van. "All right. When he comes out of the building, do you know what to do?" the dark one asked.
"Yes," answered a young woman, around the age of twenty-six. "I go to him, explain your situation, and then ask for his help, right? I still don't see why you can't do it yourself."
"Because. He knows you. He'll believe you," the man answered. He then continued to watch the courtroom doors. Finally, the designated target exited the building. "Okay... there he is. Now, go on," he said to the young woman. She opened the large sliding door and exited the van. Then she made her way to the tall, handsome, and unsuspecting lawyer who was the target in question.
Unknown to the young woman, the dark man back in the vehicle was unraveling a treacherous plan. He pulled out a black briefcase from under a seat in the back of the van. Then he opened it and smiled at the rifle it contained. He began assembling it as he watched the woman make her way to her destination.
MEANWHILE...
Harm, Mac, Bud, Harriet, and Admiral Chegwidden were discussing Harm and Mac's recent victory.
"You two did a wonderful job," the Admiral congratulated.
"Thank you, Sir," Mac said back. "I'm glad we got that man back to his family."
"It is a wonderful site, ma'am," Harriet said as she watched the family in the distance on their way home.
Bud looked at his watch. "Whoa, it's almost lunchtime. Does anyone already have plans?"
"Mac and I were going to go and celebrate a little; you're all welcome to join us," Rabb said.
"Harm?" said a soft, young voice coming from behind Rabb.
Harm turned around and looked at the one who was calling his name. He stared at the young woman in front of him, trying to remember who she was.
"Harmon Rabb?" she questioned again. Now everyone's attention was on the young lady.
"Bonnie...? Bonnie Kennedy, is that you?!" he asked a little unsure.
She smiled, knowing he remembered her.
There was someone else smiling as well: the dark man in the van aiming his rifle at one of the unsuspecting lawyers.
"Harm, we need to talk," Bonnie stated.
"About wha--" Harm began, but was abruptly cut off by two loud gun shots. Suddenly, he felt a terrible pain in his upper-right shoulder area. Dropping his briefcase, Harm started to fall to the ground in a daze. Harriet yelled in surprise as she saw she him go down. Also seeing the young man falling, Chegwidden caught him quickly and brought him down softly, trying not to hurt him further before he found out the damage.
"Everyone, get down!" the Admiral yelled to everyone who might hear him, and most did not hesitate.
"Oh, good heavens!" Bonnie said out loud to herself. As tears started to form in her eyes, she looked around nervously and remembered the van. She saw the man pull the gun back in the van, out of sight. "Oh, no! What have I done?!" In shock, she ran off, trying to get away before the dark man saw her. The van sped away from the scene as well.
After looking around for the shooter and finding nothing, Mac leaned down to the ground along with Chegwidden and the others to see about Harm. She quickly unbuttoned his naval jacket to see how bad the damage was. His formally white shirt now had two gaping wholes in it and an ever-spreading splotch of Harm's blood. "Someone, get an ambulance! Now!" she yelled out as she undid his tie and shirt collar to give him some air.
"Rabb, can you hear me?! Talk to me, Harm!" Chegwidden said, trying to see if he was still conscious.
"Harm? Harm?!" Mac urged as she put her hands on either side of his face so he would focus on her and what she was saying.
Harm tried to give them a sign he was still awake, but the dark unconsciousness enveloped him. "Find Bonnie..." he said painfully as he began to give in to the darkness, with Mac still calling his name. Then, nothingness consumed him.
1707 ZULU
The ambulance arrived, and Harm was soon loaded into it. As he was being loaded, Mac, Bud, and Harriet watched nervously. While the ambulance pulled away on its way to the hospital, Chegwidden walked over to the incident scene. Looking down at Harm's briefcase and hat on the ground, he just stared at them for a moment before Mac interrupted him.
"Admiral?" she said, unsure what was going through his mind, but could probably make a fair guess.
Chegwidden shook off the thought of the scene that was replaying in his head. "Yes, Colonel?" he finally said before he bent down and picked up Harm's hat and looked at it.
"Admiral, someone should go to the hospital to see about Harm's condition," Mac finally stated. Her face was slightly red from crying, shock, pain, and concern over what had happened to her friend.
"Okay, Colonel. When you find out anything, call me and let me know," he said back. "Before you go, please ask Lt. Roberts to come here for a moment. I need to talk to him."
"Yes, Sir," she said before walking away.
A few moments later, Bud Roberts walked over to the Admiral as he had asked, with Harriet close to his side. "Yes, Admiral?"
"Lieutenant, we need to find out why all this happened... especially who did it."
"How, Sir?" Bud asked back.
"Do you remember the young lady Commander Rabb was talking to right before the shooting?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir. I think the commander called her Bonnie... Kennedy, maybe. Why do you ask, Sir?" Bud asked.
"I heard Rabb say 'Find Bonnie' before he blacked out. If we cansomehowfind her, maybe she can help us get an explanation for everything. I want you to see if you can find anything about her that can help us locate her," he explained.
"Yes, Sir. I will do my best," Bud said back confidently. Then he and his wife walked off to do as the Admiral had asked.
Chegwidden remained where he was for a moment more, still staring at Rabb's hat before he picked up the fallen briefcase as well, and went back to his office to resume his duties and wait for word on Rabb.
2039 ZULU
MERCY HOSPITAL
IN THE WAITING ROOM...
"Ms. MacKenzie..." Dr. Limke said to the Colonel in the waiting room.
"How is he, Doctor?" she asked quickly, standing up from her chair.
"One of the two bullets passed through, and we were able to remove the other during surgery," Limke explained. "He's lucky. Any lower his lung might have been punctured, any higher and a bullet could have fractured his scapula. He lost a lot of blood, but he has a very good chance of pulling though. It all depends on how strong he is."
"Oh, he's strong, all right. And stubborn. If I know him at all, he'll be okay," she said optimistically. "May I see him?"
"Well, he's unconscious, but you may see him for a while. If there is any family that needs to be called, there's a phone down the hall," Limke said.
"Thank you, Doctor," she replied. The doctor then escorted her to Harm -- in room 215.
Mac opened the door quietly and walked in. She proceeded to walk over to Harm, who was silently lying in a bed with an I.V. line in his right arm and oxygen tubes leading to his nose. The constant beeping of the cardiac monitor made it known that he was still among the living... though not by much. Mac looked him over, taking note of how pale he looked. Loss of blood, I guess she thought to herself. The large white bandage on his right side shoulder had two big splotches of red seeping through. Oh, Harm. Why do you always seem to get yourself into trouble...?she thought to herself, knowing she would not get an answer. For a few minutes, she just stood there holding his hand and looking at him, thinking to herself before the thought of notifying the people back at JAG on his condition came to her. "Harm, you better pull through, or you're going to be in serious trouble," she said out loud to him.
She left the room as quietly as she had come in and then proceeded down the hall to phone Chegwidden. She unknowingly passed a dark figure standing at the nurses' station, dressed as a doctor, looking at a chart, trying to blend in. Once Mac was far enough down the hall, he walked over to room 215 -- Harm's room -- and entered. Unlike Mac who took no pleasure in seeing Harm in the condition he was in, the man walker over to the bed and smirked at the site of Rabb laying there, half dead. "So, Commander, we meet again. Well... sort of, at least," he said to the still form, still grinning evilly. "But, this time, Rabb..." he said as he pulled out a case from his lab coat pocket. Then he pulled out a syringe within it and filled it with the contents of a vial. "...this time, I'm afraid, will be the last." He proceeded to inject the contents of the syringe into Harm's I.V. tube. After that was done, he put the syringe back in the case and left the room nonchalantly.
MEANWHILE...
Mac was talking to the Admiral, on speaker phone, about Harm. "Well, Sir, he's still alive, for now," she said. Bud and Harriet were also in Chegwidden's office, eager to see if he would be okay. "The doctor said he lost a lot of blood, but he's stable for now. We won't know more 'til Harm wakes up, Sir," Mac said sadly. "He's in a coma."
"Oh, great," Chegwidden whispered to himself as he dropped his head into his hands. Bud and Harriet were both feeling the same way.
BACK IN ROOM 215...
While Mac was on the phone sharing the news, the beeping on the cardiac monitor started to slowly speed up. The unknown content of the vial was making its way through Harm's body. Soon, the beeping became very rapid, then... the beeping stabilized into one solid tone. Harm's heart was in a frenzy!
AT THE PHONE IN THE HALL...
"Colonel, keep us posted as much as you can," Chegwidden said.
"Yes, Sir," she said back. Then, she looked down the hall toward Harm's room. The personnel at the nurses' station, including Dr. Limke, were rushing into the room with a crash-cart. "Sir, something's wrong. The doctors are rushing into Harm's room!"
"What? What's going on?!" Chegwidden asked excitedly.
"I don't know, Sir. They just brought in a defibrillator... Admiral, I have to go!" she said hysterically. She dropped the phone and left it hanging, then ran toward his room quickly.
"Colonel? Colonel?!" Chegwidden's voice yelled from the phone, but no one was there to listen.
Mac reached his room and quickly entered. "Doctor, he's in v-fib!" one of the nurses said.
"Get the paddles ready!" Limke replied.
"Doctor, what's going on?!" Mac asked frantically as she saw the nurses putting a breathing apparatus over Harm's nose and mouth and prepping the defibrillator. The cardiac monitor droned in the background.
"Colonel, he has gone into v-fib -- in other words, his heart is beating way too fast! He's going to die if we don't slow it down! Now, please... just stand back so we can do our jobs!" Dr. Limke said urgently. Mac then tried to fall into the background as much she could, to stay out of their way.
"Doctor, we still don't have a good rhythm on him!" the nurse said.
"Okay! Starts at 200 joules!"
"Yes, doctor!" the nurse said. Mac hung in the shadows, so to speak, with an overwhelming sense of worry washing over her. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. Quietly outside room 215, a young woman peered through the window... It was Bonnie. She watched as the doctor delivered the first electrical current with the paddles into Harm's chest. Tears started streaming down Bonnie's face, as she saw no change on the cardiac monitor. Mac was feeling the same way. She did not even notice the lady outside because her attention was fixed on the happenings in the room.
"Turn it up to 250 joules!" the doctor ordered. After the nurse did so, the doctor shocked Harm again. Still no change. Bonnie covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from crying out, but she could not turn away from the scene.
"300 joules, now!" Limke said soon after seeing that the second shock had made no chance. "Come on! Don't give up on me, Commander!" he yelled, then proceeded to administer the paddles one last time. If he did not respond after three or four times, he was gone forever. The doctor looked up at the cardiac monitor, hoping for the line to change and show a life-sustaining heartbeat. Like a miracle, there was one! It was tentative, but most definitely there!
"We've got a heartbeat, doctor!"
"Oh, thank God!" Mac said out loud with a large sigh, as did Bonnie.
"We've got him back... for now," Limke said, sighing himself.
"What happened?! You said he was stable!" Mac confronted him.
"I-I don't know..." he answered back, then turned to one of the nurses. "I'd like a blood test on him, ASAP. See if there is anything in his blood that may indicate it was something we gave him that made him unstable."
"Yes, Dr. Limke," the nurse answered, then proceeded to draw a small sample of Harm's blood.
Mac was trying to compose herself when she spotted a familiar face peering through the window. When they made eye contact, Bonnie quickly started to back away and then hurried down the hall. Though Mac tried to go after her, by the time she got out to the hallway, Bonnie was gone.
2103 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Colonel, what happened to Commander Rabb?!" Chegwidden asked as soon as Mac was able to speak with him.
"Sir, for some reason, his heart went crazy! The doctors are trying to find out why."
"Uh, Colonel... is Commander Rabb... uh...?" Chegwidden began.
"Dead, Sir? No! Thank heavens, they were able to bring him back," she answered.
"Thank God!" Chegwidden said with relief.
"Admiral, can you do something for me? Get Bud in the room. I need to ask him something," Mac said.
"Sure, just a second..." Chegwidden said, then pushed a button on his phone. "Tiner, please tell Mr. Roberts to come to my office for a moment."
"Yes, Sir," Tiner answered.
Moments later, Bud entered, "Yes, Sir. You wanted to see me, Sir?"
"Actually, Colonel MacKenzie does," he began. "Go ahead, Colonel."
"Bud, do you remember the girl Harm was talking to before he got shot? I think her name was Bonnie... something, " she began.
"Yes, ma'am. Bonnie Kennedy. Why, ma'am?" Bud asked curiously.
"Well, earlier, when Harm's heart went crazy..."
"What? Something happened to Commander Rabb's heart? Is he okay?!" Bud interrupted.
"Yes, he's okay, for now. I'll tell you all about it later. Well, right after they got him stabilized, I noticed Bonnie through the window looking inside. I tried to talk to her, but she disappeared. I would like you to look around to find anything on her that may help us locate her."
"We're already on that, Colonel," Chegwidden said.
"Oh... Have you found anything yet?" Mac asked.
"No, ma'am. Not yet," Bud replied.
"Thanks anyway, Bud. After things have lightened up here, I'll come back to JAG to see if you have anything and if there's anything I can do," Mac said.
"Yes, ma'am," Bud said back.
"Keep us posted, Colonel," Chegwidden said.
"Yes, Sir, Admiral," Mac said before they both hung up.
2251 ZULU
MERCY, HOSPITAL
ROOM 215
Mac had dozed off in a chair next to Harm's bed, covered up by her jacket, while keeping watch on Harm to see if there was any change, but he was still not awake.
MEANWHILE...
Many images went through the subconscious mind of Harmon Rabb: flashbacks of the shooting, the pain, the sensation of slipping into darkness... and of Bonnie. What had she needed to talk to him about? Would he ever get the chance to find out?
The door quietly opened, and Dr. Limke came in the room to wake Mac gently. "Ms. MacKenzie?"
"Wha--? Oh... Yes?" Mac sort of mumbled as she tried to compose herself.
"Ma'am, I need to have a word with you. Can you please come outside for a moment?"
"Oh, sure," she said as she slowly got up from her chair. She glanced at Harm before exiting the room, noticing no apparent change.
Once in the hallway, Limke began, "I think we might have found the reason Mr. Rabb's heart reacted the way it did. We found an abnormally high level of potassium in his blood..."
"How did that happen?!" Mac asked excitedly.
"I'm not sure. Someone must have somehow injected it into his I.V. when no one else was in the room, or something like that. It couldn't have been any of my personnel. No potassium was ordered."
"I don't know," Mac said anxiously. A startling realization occurred to her. "Could the one who did it be the same one who shot him?"
"It's possible, if the one who shot him really, reallywants him out of the way for some reason. But why?"
"We haven't figured that part out yet," Mac said back. "That reminds me -- I need to get back to JAG and see if they've found anything that will shed some light on this. If he wakes up or there's any change at all, please call me on his cell phone at this number," she said as she put her uniform jacket back on, then handed him a piece of paper. "And can you put a guard on the room since this seems to be the second attempt on his life?" she asked as she was leaving the hallway back into Harm's room.
"Sure, I'll do that. And I'll let you know as soon as anything happens," Dr. Limke assured her. After checking on Harm once more, MacKenzie then went to call a cab to get back to JAG Headquarters.
2301 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
Bud was working diligently at his computer when Harriet walked up. "Bud. Do you think the commander is going to be all right?" she asked, with a little worry in her voice.
"Oh, I'm sure he's been through worse. He's too stubborn to die," he said, trying to sound hopeful, though only half-believing his own words.
"I hope you're right, Bud. JAG wouldn't be as... uh... interesting without him."
Soon the elevator doors opened. Mac exited and walked toward her office. As she walked, she saw Bud near his computer with Harriet.
"Hi, Bud and Harriet," Mac said when she came near. "Have you found anything on Bonnie Kennedy?"
"No, ma'am. Not yet. She doesn't have a police record or anything. Maybe she is or was employed somewhere that can give us some information. I'm still searching, ma'am," Bud said.
"Has there been any change in Commander Rabb's condition?" Harriet asked.
"No. Not much. The doctor said he'd call me on Harm's cell phone if there was anything. All we can do is wait," Mac answered. "And try to find Bonnie Kennedy."
2358 ZULU
BONNIE KENNEDY'S RESIDENCE
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Bonnie was in her kitchen, trying to make dinner for herself, but the process was slow going. The scene she had witnessed that morning played over and over again in her mind. Suddenly, she heard a slight noise. "Hello? Is someone there?!"
A dark figure walked out of the shadows in the room. "Hello, Bonnie, dear."
"You! What are you doing here?!" she asked quickly.
"I just thought I'd drop in and visit before I left the country," the man said.
Bonnie quickly looked around to find something that could be used as a weapon; she grabbed a knife from the drawer and held it up, pointing at him. "Stay away from me!" she yelled at him.
"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie... take it easy. How about you just put the knife down, huh?"
"No! You used me! You used me to get to Harm... just so you could shoot him!"
"Awe, come on! What makes you say such things?"
"I saw it! I saw you with a gun aiming at him right after the shots rang out! That's why you didn't want to speak with him in person -- he'd recognize you or something. The whole thing was a lie, wasn't it?! Everything you told me was all a lie! And because I was stupid enough to believe you, I led you right to him, and now he's lying in the hospital! So don't you dare come near me unless you want to be in the hospital yourself!" Bonnie said forcefully. "Who are you, anyway?!"
"Oh, just an acquaintance of Commander Rabb's. Oh, by the way, thank you for leading me to him. We've had a few confrontations before... But I think we've had our last for a very long time," he said, grinning evilly.
"Wha-what do you mean?" Bonnie asked, still holding the knife.
"Oh, yes. I forgot to mention. I saw Rabb today at the hospital. We had a little chat, though it was sort of one-sided. Then, well, I finished what I started," he explained, with a disgustingly evil looked on his face and a tone in his voice that sent shivers up Bonnie's spine the whole time.
"What? You don't me--. You killed him?!" she said excitedly, with tears beginning to form in her eyes. The dark man smirked. "You-you," she stuttered, trying to find something bad to call him without ruining her dislike for all profanity, "You evil, S.O.B.!"
Out of rage, she came at him with the knife, though she did not do much damage before he quickly grabbed her and held the knife to her neck. "Now, now, now. I seem to have hit a nerve."
"Oh, you really think so?!" she yelled at him sarcastically.
"Now, I didn't come here for this. I just came to give you a warning. I only did all this to kill Rabb. You stay out of this, or I'll take care of you as well," he said, still threatening her with a knife to her throat. "I don't want to, so don't make me!" He removed the knife from her neck and quickly spun her around where he could see her face-to-face, holding her by the neck of her blouse. "And you know -- you really shouldn't play with knives. Someone could get hurt." He then dropped her to the floor and threw the knife far behind her. She took notice that he had a small trickle of blood on his right hand. As soon as he had disappeared into the shadows once again, as mysteriously as he had come, she quickly checked her neck to make sure she was not bleeding. Once she was sure the blood was not hers, she suddenly remembered what he had said about Harm.
No... Harm can't be dead! I just saw him earlier. It can't be true, it just can't... she thought to herself. After sobbing a bit, she knew she had to do something to take down the man behind all this, but feared for her own life. She thought long and hard on what she should do next, though it was a very difficult decision.
0523 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
There was a knock on Colonel MacKenzie's office door; it was Chegwidden.
"Yes, Sir!" she said, quickly standing up. She had dozed off.
"You've been here ever since you got back from the hospital. Don't you think you should go home and get some sleep?"
"Well, Sir, that sounds really good right now. But I'd like to stay for just a while longer. Maybe something might come up that can help us find out why someone shot Harm."
"Okay, suit yourself. Oh, and if you do find something--" he began while putting on his hat and beginning to exit.
"--You'll be the first one I call, Sir," Mac said, completing his sentence.
As Chegwidden walked toward the elevator, a young woman appeared. "Excuse me. Can you help me?" she asked.
He knew the young woman. "Uh, Colonel. I think you need to come out here for a moment," he said, motioning Mac to come.
"Sir?" Mac walked around her desk and did as the Admiral had asked. She knew that face, too. It was Bonnie Kennedy.
"I think you might take an interest in what I need to say," she said, her eyes a little red, with a few tears still trickling down her cheeks. "I know who shot Harm."
"Uh, come into my office, please," Mac said, motioning her in that direction.
After being seated in front of MacKenzie's desk and composing herself as much as she could, she began to explain, "I remember seeing you two talking with Harm a-a few minutes before he was s-shot, right?"
"Yes. Harm and I had just won a case," Mac confirmed. "We were all just talking about it outside before you came up. Uh, Bonnie... May I ask how you know Harm?"
"Oh... We've known each other for most of my life. I was an only child in my family, and I usually got lonely. There weren't many kids in my neighborhood. Then one day, I met Harm when I was about 10 or 11 years old, and he became my friend. I personally sort of thought of him more as an older brother than just a friend. He made a big impact on my life. Then he joined the Navy and moved away, but he still wrote letters to me when he had the chance, telling me about all the things he did as a pilot. Then, the letters stopped. I got a little worried that something bad had happened to him. A couple of years later, he wrote to me again telling me about his crash. It nearly broke my heart because all he ever talked about was flying. Then he told me he was going to become a lawyer at JAG. I never figured him as a lawyer, but it made me so happy that he had found something that brought him joy again.
"Last year, my parents died in a car accident, and I moved to Alexandria, here in Virginia, to be near my grandparents. It wasn't until recently I found out that Harm was stationed here in Falls Church. I kept trying to come and visit, but something would come up. It was either something related to my work or something about Harm. My job keeps me busy sometimes," Bonnie explained.
"Where do you work?" Mac asked.
"I work for a production company that makes things like props and stuff for movies and theater. I help design the items they need, among other things. That's where I met him," Bonnie said, her voice deepened when she said the last sentence.
"Him? Who's him?" Chegwidden asked.
"He had just been hired by the production company a week or so ago. He told me his name was Jason Taggart, but I'm not sure if it's his real name or not. Somehow he learned that I knew someone in JAG and came to me with a problem that he wanted me to talk to Harm about. He told me that he had been in the Navy for a few months, but couldn't handle it and deserted. I agreed to talk it over with Harm and see if there was anything he could do, but Jason refused to go with me. He said he couldn't go to Harm himself because he was so ashamed about what he had done. So, yesterday, he and I came here. That's what I wanted to talk to him about when you saw me, but, as you know, I didn't get the chance. After I heard the shots and saw Harm fall, I looked behind me for some reason -- and saw Jason holding a rifle. Then all I could do was run away. A while later, I found out what hospital he had been taken to and went to see how he was. That's when you saw me in the hall, looking in the window," Bonnie said, motioning toward MacKenzie.
"Why did you run off when I tired to talk to you?" Mac asked.
"I was too upset and in shock by what had happed to think straight. I was not in any mood to talk about anything." She paused for a moment. "Last night, Jason came to my house. He told me that the only thing he wanted was to see Harm dead, but he didn't say why. He also told me something else. H-he said that he had gone to the hospital to finish what he started. He said Harm was dead," she said with tears starting to stream down her face again. "Was he telling the truth? Is Harm dead?!" Bonnie was sobbing at the thought.
"No," Mac said as she got up and went over to Bonnie to comfort her. "No, no, no. Harm's alive! He's in a coma right now, but he's still alive!"
"Oh, thank heavens!" Bonnie said and sighed with relief.
Chegwidden thought of something for a moment, then spoke, "Earlier today, Harm's heart nearly stopped, but the doctors were able to bring him back and stabilized him. They found a high level of potassium in his system, but they don't know how it got there. Could this Jason have injected it into his I.V. or something, and that's what he meant when he told you Harm was dead?" Chegwidden asked.
"That could have been what he meant. He doesn't know the doctors saved him, does he?!" Bonnie asked excitedly.
"I doubt it. He probably left the place before the doctors even got in there so no one would see him. Admiral, if this guy finds out Harm's alive, he's most likely going to try again," Mac said adamantly.
Suddenly, there was a ring at the phone. Mac reached for the phone on her desk, but realized it was not the one ringing. She looked around for the source and found that it was her uniform jacket. Mac quickly grabbed it and pulled out Harm's cell phone. "I gave Harm's doctor his cell phone number and told him to call if there was any change... Hello?" Mac explained, then pushed the button to talk.
"Is this Sarah MacKenzie? This is Dr. Roland Limke at Mercy Hospital. I have news on Mr. Rabb."
"Yes, doctor. It's me. Has there been any change?"
"Well, I am happy to say, yes. He's awake."
"That's wonderful, Doctor! I know it's late, but can I come over?"
"Well, he has been asking to see you, among others. If you can get here quickly, I will let you stay for a little while, but he needs his rest."
"Thank you, Dr. Limke! I'll be right over!" she said smiling, then hung up the phone.
"Colonel?" the Admiral inquired.
"Sir, he's awake!" Mac said excitedly.
0541 ZULU
MERCY HOSPITAL
ROOM 215
The door opened slowly, and the trio entered quietly, with Bonnie trying to stay in the background until she felt she should reveal her presence. A very weary Harmon Rabb took notice that someone was in the room and slowly turned his head to see who it was. He smiled when he saw it was Mac and Chegwidden.
"Well, well, Commander. It's about time you came back to us," Chegwidden joked.
"I didn't know I left, Sir," Harm said back, the tone in his voice part way between his regular voice and a whisper.
"You've been out for almost twelve hours, Harm," Mac said.
"Oh... really...?" Harm said back, a little weakly.
"Uh, Harm. I think there's someone who wants to talk to you," Mac said as she moved slightly to one side. Harm blinked his eyes, trying to see who was there.
"Hello, Harm," Bonnie said with tears beginning to form in her eyes again. Her voice was a little shaky when she saw him.
"Bonnie," he said back softly as she slowly moved over to him. "I knew they'd find you."
"Actually, she found us," Mac said.
"Oh, Harm," she said as she hugged him, trying very hard not to hurt him. "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault," she said, her words muffled by Harm's pillow.
"What are you talking about?" Harm asked softly.
Bonnie released her grasp on Harm and stood up. Chegwidden handed her a tissue so she could wipe the tears from her face. "Thanks. Harm, it's all my fault. I led the man who shot you right to you. He told me he was in trouble and needed help. Yesterday, I came to talk to you about helping, and he tried to kill you! H-he even threatened to kill me if I went to the authorities."
"What?! You didn't tell us about that!" Mac said.
"I'm sorry. After he told me you were dead, I had to do something to try to catch him, even if he did threaten me. I'm just glad he was wrong about you being dead!" Bonnie said to Harm, happily.
"Harm, you might still be in danger. A few hours after you got shot, we think someone came here and injected potassium into your I.V. It affected your heart, and we almost lost you for good," Chegwidden said. Harm had no response to this news. He just sort of stared off into space, as thought he was trying to grasp the seriousness of his situation. "We have a hunch it was the same person who put you here to begin with."
"Harm, do you know anyone by the name of Jason Taggart?" Mac asked.
After thinking a bit, Harm shook his head negatively, though he was not really sure.
"It might be an alias," Chegwidden said.
"If whoever he is finds out you're not dead, he might try again," Mac said.
The door opened, and in walked Dr. Limke. "I'm sorry, but you all should leave and let Mr. Rabb get some sleep."
"Okay, Doctor," Mac answered back. Then she turned to Rabb. "We'll talk about this later. Get some rest." Harm gave her a big smile in reply.
"Take care, Rabb," Chegwidden said.
"Yes, Sir," Harm said back.
"Don't give the doctors too much trouble, okay?" Bonnie said as she gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"Yes, mother," Harm joked. Then they all left quietly.
Once in the hallway, Mac's eyes widened. "I've got an idea."
"About what?" Bonnie inquired.
"On how to get Taggart."
Both Chegwidden and Bonnie looked at her curiously. Then they looked at each other. What was going on in that mind of Mac's?!
1558 ZULU
CHANNEL 2 NEWS STATION
DALE CITY, VIRGINIA
"Well, that's all for the 10:30 News. Be sure to catch the News-at-Noon, right here on Channel 2. I'm Stacey O'Neill. Have a nice afternoon!" a blonde-haired newswoman concluded.
"And... we're clear! Nice job everyone. See you all back here at 11:45," the director said.
"See ya, Stacey," the man sitting next to her said.
"Bye, Bob," she answered back. As she gathered her papers so she could catch an early lunch, a familiar woman in her casual clothes walked up. "Sarah? Sarah MacKenzie, is that you?! How have you been, Marine Girl?!" she asked excitedly as she got out of her seat to give Mac a hug.
"I've been okay. It seems you've been doing well in the news business," she said back smiling.
"Well, sometimes it's a little slow, but hey, it's a living!"
"Uh, Stacey. I need to talk to you about something."
"I just so happen to be on my way to lunch. Care to join me?"
"Sure," Mac answered back, still smiling.
"So, what do you need to talk to me about?"
"I need you to do something for me... Early yesterday morning, a very good friend of mine was shot right in front of JAG Headquarters. And I have it on good authority that the man who did it thinks he killed him, but he didn't. If he believes he's dead, however, he'll probably leave town, and we'll never catch him. But, if I can get you to do a story about my friend's condition every hour, maybe it will lure him out, and we can get him before he's gone for good."
"Sarah, darlin', I'm really sorry about your friend, but my boss doesn't just let his employees take up news time to do stuff like this."
"Oh, come on, Stacey. My friend's life is at stake! And I'm sure your boss would just love to beat all the other local stations to this story," Mac urged. Then she got an idea. She grabbed her purse and looked through her wallet for something. Moments later, she pulled out a nice photo of her and Harm taken in front of the House of Congress when they were last in Washington, D.C. "Stacey, take a look at this man," she said as she handed her the picture.
"Wow," she said when she looked. "Is this your boyfriend or something?" she said smiling.
"No... He's the friend who got shot."
"Oh," Stacey replied, a little ashamed of herself.
"Thanks to this unknown man, he is now lying in a hospital bed struggling to stay alive. If we don't catch this guy, Harm might not live to be anyone's boyfriend," Mac said strongly, trying to convince her.
"This friend of yours means a lot to you, doesn't he?"
"Yes. He does. I don't want him to die."
Stacey muddled the request around in her mind for a moment. "Oh, Sarah, why do you have to been so darn convincing?!"
"So, you'll do it?!" Mac asked excitedly.
"Only if I can keep this photo for the report and if I can get my boss to go along with it--"
"Stacey, you're a saint!" Mac said smiling.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she answered back smiling as well. "Oh, what's his name, anyway?" she asked holding up the photo.
"Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr."
1713 ZULU
HARLEY'S MOTEL
VIENNA, VIRGINIA
The dark man gathered his belongings and packed up his suitcase. He was indeed preparing to leave town, the country in fact, now that he had done, so he thought, what he came to do. As he was packing, the local news was on the television. Soon, Stacey O'Neill began speaking.
"--Early yesterday afternoon, Navy Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr., a Judge Advocate General lawyer, was gunned down in front of JAG Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, in the presence of his co-council Marine Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie just moments after winning one of his current cases. The identity of the shooter is still unknown, though local authorities are searching. Commander Rabb was seriously injured and is now in a coma in Mercy Hospital. He will be transported by ambulance later today to a secure location to prevent further attempts on his life. The reason for this shooting is still undetermined. Updates on Rabb's condition will be broadcasted when they become available. If you have any information on the shooter, please contact us at the phone number on your screen..."
He's alive...?! Taggart said to himself. "No!" he yelled out loud as he threw his suitcase across the room in a rage.
0038 ZULU
MERCYHOSPITAL
IN THE HALLWAY... OUTSIDE ROOM 215...
Harm was on a gurney that was being wheeled down to a waiting ambulance; Mac and Dr. Limke were walking along side him, with an Orderly pushing the gurney.
"Ms. MacKenzie, as Mr. Rabb's doctor, I advise that this is not very wise, and he should not be moved anywhere in his condition. Are you sure this plan is going to work?" Limke asked.
"Well, no," Mac replied. "But I'm sure everything will be all right. Hopefully."
"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Limke stated, more to himself, not really expecting an answer.
"I'm with you, Doc," Harm said jokingly.
"Oh, hush. Hey, you're still supposed to be in a coma, remember?" Mac teased.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot," Harm said back, then he cocked his head to one side, closed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue.
"Oh, stop it you joker," Mac said tapping him slightly on his left shoulder.
AMBULANCE LOADING/UNLOADING AREA...
The personnel carefully loaded Rabb into the ambulance and made sure everything was secure. Mac hopped in and sat on the seat next to the gurney, to Harm's left.
"Good luck, you two," Limke said. He gave a nod to the Orderly who then shut the doors to the ambulance. Then Limke signaled the driver, and they were on their way.
The doctor watched as the vehicle left sight, then tucked his clipboard under his arm and headed back into the hospital. As he was walking, he heard a noise and saw a young man stagger in his direction, holding his head.
"Are you okay?!" Limke asked quickly as he hurried over to him.
"I think so. Someone cold-cocked me," the young man said. "Uh... where's the ambulance?"
"It just drove off. Why?"
"Huh? But, I'm the driver!" the man said excitedly.
"What?" Limke yelled. "Then who's driving it now?!" Soon after, he saw a car speed away, seemingly after the ambulance, like somehow it knew something was wrong.
0100 ZULU
EN ROUTE TO SAFE HOUSE
The ride was fairly smooth, apart from the occasional stoplight or sign. As the ride progressed, Mac looked at Harm. He was staring at the roof of the vehicle, his eyes every now and then drooping closed with fatigue and the soothing rhythm of the ride.
"Harm, how're you doing?" she asked, her voice barely over a whisper, as she gently put her hand on his left shoulder.
"Wha--" he mumbled as he turned his head toward her. "Oh. I'm just a little tired."
"Well, you should probably get some sleep while you can. We won't be to the safe house for a while. And you don't want Limke to get on to you about not getting enough rest," she said, still using the soft tone.
"Yeah. I think you're right," he whispered back. A few moments later, he finally gave in to his need for rest and closed his eyes. Mac smiled as she patted his shoulder softly.
"Everything all right back there, ma'am?" the driver asked.
"Oh. Yes. He's just getting some sleep. To tell the truth, this ride is making me a little tired, too," she said back with a yawn.
"Well, ma'am, if you want to take a nap yourself until we get there, I'm sure there'd be no harm in it."
"Ah, thanks. I think I'll probably do that. Wake me when we arrive, please," Mac said, lying herself down on the seat.
"Yes, ma'am," the driver said. Soon after he saw her lie down, he lifted a hospital oxygen mask to his face and took a few deep breaths, grinning evilly while doing so. His right hand had a neat little bandage on it, with a tiny bit of blood seeping through. The man was Jason Taggart!
The following car was still a good distance behind.
A few minutes later, the ambulance turned on a street that went down an ally, away from traffic. There, Taggart pulled over to the side and stopped the vehicle. After turning it off, he put the oxygen mask over his face again and secured it there. He walked back to the area where Harm and Mac were, pulled out a tank of nitrous oxide from under a seat, closed the valve, and threw it in the front seat. He then walked to the side of the gurney, in between Rabb and MacKenzie. He looked over at Mac, whose sleepiness, unknown to her, had been brought on by the nitrous oxide. The lack of sleep she had endured for the past two days had left her very susceptible to the effect of the gas. Then Taggart looked over at Harm, who was also out because of the nitrous. He stared at him for a moment, then grabbed the pillow out from under Rabb's head. He took off the oxygen mask so he could speak.
"Rabb, you are surprisingly hard to kill," he said out loud. "This time, I'll make sure you're dead!" he said in a dark and evil tone as he lifted the pillow to Harm's head and put it over his face. He held it down, allowing no chance for oxygen to get to Harm's lungs. Since the victim was weak and unconscious, he did not put up a struggle at all. A few moments later, he lifted the pillow up and smiled at no movement in Harmon Rabb's body.
Suddenly, both doors of the ambulance swung open and Chegwidden stood there, gun in hand pointing at the man hovering over Harm. Two police officers were also aiming their weapons at the man. Bud and Bonnie were in the car -- the same car that had been following since leaving the hospital.
"Drop the pillow and get out of the vehicle!" Chegwidden yelled, threatening with his gun. Taggart dropped the pillow on Harm's chest and raised his arms in surrender. The two officers took him by the arms and pulled him out of the ambulance. As soon as he had been apprehended, Roberts and Kennedy quickly got out of the car while Chegwidden checked Mac for a pulse. There was one, and soon she started to stir.
"Roberts, get her out to the fresh air!" he yelled, then moved over to Harm. Bonnie helped Bud get Mac out while Chegwidden knocked the pillow on Harm's chest out of the way. He checked for a pulse.
"Oh, no. He's not breathing!" he yelled excitedly. "Come on, Rabb! Don't you dare die on me!" Frantically, he shook Harm's head, hoping he would give some indication that he was alive. "Breathe, Rabb, breathe!"
Mac finally came around. "What happened?" she asked, a little dazed.
"I don't know, ma'am, but Commander Rabb isn't breathing!" Bud answered back in a worried voice.
It took a few seconds for her to realize what Bud had just told her. "Harm?!" she yelled worriedly as Bud helped her up. They both went over to the ambulance where Bonnie was already standing, and getting very worried, watching as Chegwidden tried to get Harm to breathe. Taggart, now handcuffed, was also watching the scene.
"Rabb, you have to breathe!" Chegwidden still tried, as the others watched nervously. "Wake up!" He was about to resort to CPR when Harm took in a deep breath and began coughing. "Harm?!"
"Admiral...?" he answered back in a scruffy voice as he opened is eyes and looked at Chegwidden with a confused expression.
"He's all right!" he said to the group hovering near the doors as he smiled thankfully, still holding Harm's head in his hands securely. The nervous audience sighed with relief in unison and smiled. Harm smiled as well, seeing all the other happy faces looking at him, though he did not know why at the time.
Bonnie turned to Taggart as he was being escorted to the car. He snarled at the officers as they shoved him in the backseat. How could someone be evil enough to do something as horrible as what he tried to do to Harm? He would get what he was due... Bonnie said to herself.
1409 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
TWO WEEKS LATER...
"On the charges of attempted murder and desertion, we find the defendant, Jason Taggart, guilty."
"Thank you, members of the jury. Bailiff, please escort Mr. Taggart out of my courtroom," the judge said.
The bailiff did so, taking him by his arm and walking him down the center aisle. Harm, with his right arm in a sling, was sitting on one of the benches along with Bonnie, Harriet, and Chegwidden. Mac and Bud were the prosecutors in this case, and they made sure he got what he was due. He would go to jail for a very long time. Taggart snarled at Rabb as he passed him. Rabb just stared back at him. After he was no longer in sight and the judge had left the room, the group on the bench went over to congratulate MacKenzie and Roberts.
"Congratulations, you two. That was nice work," Bonnie said.
"It was nothing. I just hope he gets what he deserves," Mac commented.
"Don't we all?!" Chegwidden said.
"Commander Rabb, it's wonderful to see you out of the hospital, Sir," Bud said.
"Well, thanks, Bud. It's good to be back," Rabb said back smiling with his usual gorgeous smile.
"By the way, how are you doing, Harm?" Mac asked as she packed her briefcase.
"Not too bad," he said, adjusting the sling. "I'm still really sore. But I'll heal."
"That's great to hear, Sir," Harriet said to him. He smiled and gave her a half-hug with his left arm.
"Harm, did you ever find out why Jason was after you?" Bonnie asked curiously.
"Well, I have a pretty good idea," he began. "They're right when they tell you that you see your whole life pass before your eyes when you're near death. While he was trying to suffocate me, I remembered who he was. A year or so ago, I defended a Marine Colonel accused of recklessly endangering his men. A few days before he was charged, a young man got killed on a raid... The young man's name was Brain Taggart, Jason's brother. When my client was found innocent, Taggart got mad -- very mad. He threatened me in open court and even tried to attack me in front of everyone. He blamed me for letting the man he thought was responsible for his brother's death to get off. Soon after, he disappeared... and we all know what happened when he resurfaced. He must have been planning this whole thing for a very long time."
"Yeah. And I was just a pawn in it," Bonnie said looking down, a little ashamed of what her part in it was.
"Oh, come on. You're not at fault. You were only trying to help a man who needed help. He didn't lie completely. He did desert the Navy, and his name is Jason Taggart. It's not your fault for having the heart to help a stranger," Harm said trying to comfort her.
"I do know one thing, though," Bonnie said as she gave him a gentle hug. "I'm so, so glad that you're okay now."
"Well, that makes two of us," Harm said back, smiling.
"Oh, three of us," Mac added.
"Wait... five of us," Harriet said, adding Bud.
"How about you, Sir?" Bud asked the Admiral.
Chegwidden noticed that everyone was now looking at him, waiting for his answer. "Oh, all right... six! Heaven forbid, this place would be incredibly dull without you," Chegwidden joked. As he started to exit the room, he added something, "Of course, we'd also have less trouble. No more spontaneous trips to Russia, taking on impossible cases, shooting holes in the courtroom ceiling..."
THE END