A/N: Happy Holiday...figured a story with an explosion or two...plus a Shaw death would be good for the fourth...plus, busy plunking away at four differant chapters and this thing had been kicking around and demanded I set it free. Sorry...just another prime example of my 'bad-wiring.
Reviews would be nice but, as always, not necessary. JT
Daniel Shaw Vs. The Wounded Cougar
"General Diane Beckman sat at the table, her face held a look that simply said 'I'm not guilty and I'm bored but I'll tolerate this…for now'. Seated at her right hand was her lawyer, Nicole Walter. The striking young woman was only two years out of law school but she had run an impressive defense…so impressive that she'd already had close to a dozen offers from very prestigious law firms that wanted her to join their stable of extremely confidant and able young guns.
Looking to her right, Diane Beckman was reminded how grateful she was to Agent Sarah Walker who had recommended the young attorney, only telling her later that Nicole was her cousin and that she was unaware of her real line of work and hoped that the General would protect that secret as long as she was able. The length of that confidence turned out to be rather short as Sarah's testimony ended up out her to her cousin.
Glancing around the courtroom, General Diane Beckman caught sight of her most trusted agent, Colonel Jonathon Casey. He was seated with Agent Walker and the young man who's presence had surprised her more than anything had …in years, Chuck Bartowski. She was certain that the young man hated her for all of the grief she brought into his life but he had been one of the first to spring to her defense, sure that she couldn't have done what she'd been accused of doing. Even after she'd admitted to her team that she was indeed guilty and after hearing her reasons, he'd been the first to suggest Sarah's cousin and afterwards, he'd also offered several ideas that contributed greatly to her defense.
Continuing her visual circuit of the courtroom, she stopped briefly at the empty jury box which served to remind her of how close she'd come to letting an three member tribunal judge her. It had been Chuck who'd convinced her, and her attorney, that her best hope for impartial justice would be with a jury of her peers…and her attorney had fought to make sure the jury was really a jury of her peers.
Setting a precedent, Nicole Walter had pushed for and finally built a jury of 12 people who were either divorced or single, between fifty and sixty years of age and , last but not least, each one had suffered emotionally at the hands of someone they'd deeply cared for. Diane Beckman still didn't know how her attorney had pulled it off…and was grateful that she had. The jurors had all signed confidentiality agreements and had been warned that breaking the agreements would most definitely result in serious jail time along with fantastically steep financial penalties.
Returning her eyes to the front of the courtroom, she noticed that the judge was making her way to the bench which meant that the jury would be returning with it's verdict…soon. Within the next few minutes, General Diane Beckman would find out if the crime she been charged with would end her career or, by some miracle, it would be seen as something else…something that would change legal precedents.
Three months prior to this, General Diane Beckman had assigned one of her agents to surveillance duty on an illegal fireworks factory located in Juarez, Mexico. Something had gone wrong and the agents cover had been blown…literally. The agent had been on the roof of the old factory when something had triggered a massive explosion. The shock wave had caused the section of the corrugated steel roof that the agent happened to be using for support to curl upwards, wrapping itself around the agent, creating a now super-heated cocoon that was propelled over two-thousand feet into the air. The explosion also ignited several tons of illegal fireworks that provided the locals with an incredible display that lasted for several days and nights. Video of the continued explosions were all over You-tube. There was even one video that claimed to show the 'lawn-dart' in flight but it was later proven to be a fake…much to the disappointment of over a million viewers.
] Experts had testified that the agent had probably died before the rolled up roofing had finally tumbled back to earth, impaling itself in the middle of a field used for the treatment of raw sewage…almost like a giant 'lawn-dart'. The experts also reported that it had taken several days to gather all of the remains after the impact had forced excrement through the 'tube', forcing the 'cooked' remains out the opposite end.
The judge had to bang her gavel several times to restore order after the expert's testimony had brought several people to tears…from laughter. Of course, everyone struggled to hide their amusement behind coughing fits…with little actual success. After getting the courtroom to calm down, the judge had excused herself and once in her chambers, had howled and cried…a 'giant, lawn-dart' landing in a field of shit could have that effect on anyone.
General Diane Beckman had been confused when the charges had first been brought. It seemed that one of her underlings had an axe to grind and hoped to get the 'General' with the trumped up charges and circumstantial evidence…and now a jury would decide if it had worked.
The General had first met the Agent in question six months prior to all of this. He had approached her in the NSA cafeteria, asking to join her to discuss some ideas he had for attacking FULCRUM. Of course she had refused to discuss anything in such an open place and the agent had immediately suggested her office and that's when it all started. More meetings followed which led to dinners with drinks which led to …more. Things that Diane Beckman hadn't done, or had done to her, in years.
Even though the Agent was several years her junior, Diane Beckman enjoyed the attention. She knew she was being played but it had been so many years…and he was good…very, very good. Sure that they were being discrete, they spent weekends at her home on the shore where the young man would take her dancing, always showing her such a wonderful time. They'd play bridge and canasta with other couples down at the club, winning tournaments a couple of times but that wasn't what Diane loved…she loved the looks of envy from the other women.
After almost ten weeks, the Agent started hinting that he would love to be posted where he could really help destroy the Fulcrum threat and against her own desires, the General assigned him to her best team who were based in California. After getting the news, the Agent spent the last weekend before his new posting showing his gratitude, over and over again, leaving Diane Beckman one seriously sated General.
Less than a week later she found out that 'her' Agent was sniffing around one of the agents in her west coast team and he'd quit calling her unless it was to file reports. That was when she started to plan. She was a realist and realized that the Agent had just been using her to further his own agenda. She just wasn't ok with that, not after all of the sweet lies he'd whispered into her ears.
The plan had been easy to implement and the Agent hadn't suspected a thing. She'd routed the request for observation through the ATF and fed a false trail through her team, even getting the intersect involved by supplying intel that caused him to flash, helping secure the Agent's co-operation. The team had been kept out of harms way, the Agent being the only 'friendly' damage…and what spectacular damage it was. She still wished she had video of the explosion and the 'lawn-dart' incident. She'd had to settle for reports and photos which led to the conclusion that the Agent had suffered…just not as much as she'd hoped.
The plan had been flawless and the only reason her underling had been able to get anything to use against her was because she'd gotten careless…and drunk. While three sheets to the wind, the General had been heard bragging about her revenge and, unfortunately, the wrong person had overheard. Days later a committee had formed to look into the death and not long afterwards, General Diane Beckman was charged with first degree murder in the death of Agent Daniel Shaw. Not knowing what to say she'd remained silent until her team from Burbank had flown east and started working on her defense. They'd hired the lawyer, they'd come up with the jury selection idea designed to allow her lawyer to use the 'wronged cougar' defense and they'd given her something she'd never expected…their unwavering support with the simple statement they'd made when they first came to see her. She'd been sitting in her office…she was a General, after all…when the three members of her team had been shown in. Chuck Bartowski spoke first:
"General…we're here to help because Daniel Shaw is…was a douche bag! And, we're gonna do anything we can to help."
"He's right, ma'am" both Agents Casey and Walker had added. And they did.
Between the three of them and her lawyer, Diane Beckman came to believe that her overheard confession might not be enough to convict her and now she was waiting to see if the jury agreed.
The judge signaled the bailiff who commanded the court to rise. As everyone got to their feet, the twelve members of the jury filed back into the jury box. The jury's foreman approached the bailiff, handing over a folded piece of paper that he then handed to the judge. After taking a quick glance, the judge rapped her gavel before addressing the General, telling her to rise.
General Diane Beckman…the jury has found you… innocent of all charges!"
***That was the first successful use of the 'wounded-cougar' defense…and it probably won't be the last.***