Deuteronomy 22

Part 1

Four months later
20.15
Washington
Harm and Mac's residence
She clearly remembered that day. The overwhelming sadness discovering his grave, the confusion during Yanka's story and finally the pure joy and delight when Harm was standing there, only 50 yards away.

Flashback
Between the large trees stood a tall, familiar figure with a full-blown flyboy smile on his face.
HARM!
Slowly Mac rose to her feet, not believing her own eyes.
"It's okay, girl," she heard Yanka say. Her voice seemed to come from a far distance. "It's okay, it's really him."
With stiff, wobbly legs she walked over to him, barely able to move. It seemed to take eternity to reach him. Standing in front of him she tentatively raised her hands, touched his cheeks, let her fingers graze over his jaws, his cheekbones, his eye sockets, his ears, raked his hair, too long for a real soldier after all those weeks. Only when her hands confirmed what her eyes already told her she slowly allowed herself to believe. To believe he had made it after all, to believe she had not lost him forever.
He had not intervened, had given her the time to let the situation sink in. Only when she sighed and laid her head against his chest, her arms snaking around his waist holding him like a vice, he had wrapped his arms around her too, so tight she could hardly breathe.
Her company stayed in the village for two more days and all the time she and Harm were inseparable. Then Harm was, together with a couple of other injured men, shipped back to the States and she had to go with her fellow combaters. Five weeks later the liberation of Bosnia was completed and she was released from duty.
On her return she found Harm almost recovered and cleared for restricted duty again. Since the JAG office was shorthanded he was back in, doing only desk work for a while. Two weeks later she was back at the office as well. The Admiral had pulled some strings and had managed to keep them both under his direct command, even after their wedding. "Consider it a wedding gift," he had laughed as he lead her down the aisle to the man she loved more than anything in the world. By then Harm had recovered completely, except for a slight limp when he was tired, and was back on full duty.
End of flashback

Mac sighed. Curled up on the couch, her head on Harm's shoulder and his arm around her was the best place in the world. Well, she mused, the second best. The best was lying curled up in bed, safely held by Harm's strong arms.
Harm looked aside, tenderly, and pressed a kiss on the crown of her head. She looked up at him and her eyes beamed love. He lovingly smiled back and continued scanning the day's mail.
One letter stood out, a letter with a Bosnian stamp. Opening it he found a small package, spreading a strong odour. It had a label with Mac's name on it.
"A letter from Yanka," Harm said "with something for you." During the four months after Harm's departure they had exchanged a few letters. Mac sat straight and took the package which was accompanied by a short note.
"It's an herbal tea," she explained after reading it. "I told her we wanted to have a baby and that my cycle was a bit irregular. She is sending me an herbal remedy to use, if I want to."
"That's nice of her," Harm agreed and turned his attention to the letter addressed to him. While reading his expression grew more serious by the second. Concerned Mac watched and when he finished and stayed silent, his eyes narrowed in concentration, she asked "What's wrong?"
To her surprise he rose, went to the kitchen and started to make another cup of tea for the two of them. Sensing he needed a bit of time, Mac waited patiently, well, as patiently as she could, for him to return.
Moments later he put the mugs on the table ad sat down again.
"When I was with Yanka she had an apprentice, a young girl named Danica. I told you about her. She could not have been more than 15 or 16 years of age. I liked to talk to her, she was very eager to practise her English and learn all about America. Yanka writes Danica hasn't been herself for the last couple of months, being silent and subdued, not wanting to talk. Two weeks ago the whole situation blew up." He took a deep breath. "Danica is pregnant. She was raped by American soldier, during the three days your company stayed in the village."
Mac gasped "Oh no!"

"Her family is Muslim and they repudiated her. She has been living with Yanka for the last couple of weeks but the situation is tense, to say the least. Yanka fears some of her brothers want to kill her, for the honour of the family. She asked whether we can do something. Maybe, if her assailant confesses and pays the prize, they will forgive her. But they will never accept the baby. Yanka asked her what the rapist looked like. She includes the description in the letter." He picked up a second piece of paper, on it a few words and a rough sketch.
Mac needed some moments to digest the story.
"We have to help her," she declared. "Let's think of a strategy."

The next day
JAG office
As soon as Mac and Harm were in, they looked for the best man in the office when it came to computers, Bud Roberts. Both having court sessions and witnesses to interview they made an appointment to meet him for lunch. So at one o'clock the three of them sat with their sandwiches and iced tea at a small table outside JAG and Bud was quickly briefed. He too agreed something had to be done. After discussing the case they came up with a plan. The first step would be Harm briefing the Admiral. After his permission Bud would contact NCIS to check databases for pictures of the soldiers fitting the description. In the meantime Mac would write Yanka to tell them what they were doing and to ask whether there was something else they could help her with. They sat their plan into motion right away.

A week later

With the Admiral on their side they had completed their tasks. While Mac had sent Yanka a letter and was waiting for an answer, it was Bud who had the most to tell. He had compared the information Danica provided with the record of the soldiers being in the area during those days.
Although Bud thought there were four or five possible suspects, one stood out. It was a twenty year-old boy, named Levi Yoder. Not only his appearance matched Danica's description almost point for point, he also had two prior accusations for attempted assault. The only problem was he had died in combat, three weeks after the rape. When she heard the name, Mac nodded thoughtfully. "It doesn't surprise me. There were rumours. But never any hard evidence. And now he is dead... it will be a hard case. Did you find out where he is buried, Bud?"
Bud nodded "Yes, he came from Kidron, that's a small village about 60 miles under Cleveland. Amish and Mennonite country. His parents and siblings are old order Mennonites but he wasn't. Bit of a drop out. The rest of the family lives in that area and he is buried there."
The three of them thought about their next steps. Finally Harm said "I think we have to contact Yanka and Danica. I wonder if there is a possibility to show Danica a line up of photo's including Levi Yoder's. If she recognizes him, we might go looking into finding DNA from him, even ask for an exhumation But we need to have more information before alarming his parents."
"And we need DNA to compare it with," Mac added. "That means wait till Danica's baby is born."
"Yes," Harm said "but I wonder whether that will be in time."
"No," Bud came at the same time.
Mac looked confused from the one to the other.
Bud started. "You can do anamniocentesis but that can cause a miscarriage. But there is also technique called FCMB, Foetal Cells in Maternal Blood. They take a blood sample from the mother and separate the baby's cells from the mother's blood to test and make a DNA profile. I read about it in a magazine. In that case we need only a blood sample from Danica."
"I think about what Yanka wrote that the situation is tense and Danica's family is not happy and her brothers are threatening to harm her," Harm explained.
Mac thought for a moment. "We don't have to tell the main suspect is dead. Why don't we discuss it with the Admiral? Maybe we can start with showing Danica the pictures and if, or when, she identifies her assailant, try to bring her over to the US, for further investigation.
"Mac," Harm protested. "We can't keep evidence from the Admiral."
"No, but we can ask for his help. At least it would be a solution for the short time. Maybe a student visa for a year to start with… you said she was eager to learn English."
Bud nodded agreeing. "Let me look into the possibility, sir."
Harm sighed. "Ok. I don't see another option right now."
"I'll talk to the Admiral," Mac offered.
"No, I will," Harm told her. He felt it was his job to do that.

17.15 PM
Same afternoon
A phone call came through and the Admiral listened with growing interest to the man at the other side of the line. Suddenly he interrupted, asked for a moment and picked up another phone "Tiner, hold Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie for me", then put the phone down again and turned his attention back to the first call.
In the mean time Tiner rushed after Harm and Mac, who just were leaving.
"Sir, Ma'am, the Admiral wants to see you, now."
With a shrug the two officers turned around and followed the yeoman back into the building, curious what was so important.
Inside Chegwidden had finished his call. When Harm and Mac entered he told them to sit and started to speak.
"After Harm brought me up to speed this afternoon I had a few interesting conversations.
First I ordered Bud to contact the local police, concerning the prior accusations of Levi Yoder. Maybe DNA was taken from him during the investigations. You know the military database is only for identifying remains, we can't use that but if there is another way to get our hands on his DNA, we won't have to go for an exhumation. Bud hopes to have an answer by tomorrow afternoon.
Secondly I called an old buddy of mine. He was a seal in my team till he got injured. It left him with a stiff left arm so he had to leave the Navy and took a job at immigration. He has two sons and a daughter. David, Robert and Tina. We stayed in touch and I'm the godfather of the girl. He has a soft spot for teenaged girls in trouble. Tina suffered from a sexual assault eight months ago and I was able to pull a few strings, her attacker was caught and is serving time now. So I called in a favour and he is willing to help. He will provide Danica with a year's student visa, providing we find a legal way to bring her into the States. However, that means she will need someone to be her sponsor her during that year."
"We will be her sponsors, Sir, she can stay with us" Mac and Harm said in almost perfect unison. The Admiral had to bite back a smile. He hadn't expected anything else.
"Which brings me to the third call. There are some problems on the USS Henry S. Truman, currently surveying the Mediterranean and the CAG requests extra legal personnel. I decided to send the two of you. It will give you an opportunity to get to Danica and Yanka. In the mean time Bud will work out a case against Yoder, a case which requires Danica's presence in the USA. Do you know whether she has a passport?"
Harm and Mac were stunned by the speed the events had taken. Harm was the first to regain his wits. "I doubt it, Sir, but I'm sure she has some form of birth certificate."
His CO nodded. "I will contact General Johnston, the commander of the Peace Force in Bosnia. Remember, all of this goes under the cover of an ongoing investigation and no one is to know the main suspect is already dead. I think it's best Mac is the contact person, leaving your personal connection with Yanka and Danica aside as much as possible. But don't lie about it, if asked," he warned them. He rose to his feet. "Your plane leaves at 11:00 pm from Dulles. I suggest you go home, pack and be on your way. And keep me informed!"
The two, still a bit in shock, nodded, stood, and came to attention. Then they hastened to go home, pack and make sure the house watcher would take care of the plants and mail. By 9.30 pm they were munching a late dinner at the airport, while waiting for their flight.