Commandant's Office
U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
1405 Local
Mac hurried up the steps of the building that housed the Commandant's office, returning salutes as she went. At the ER, they had numbed her hand to pick out the glass and debris. Then they told her to expect fever and swelling for at least a day before the antibiotics kicked in. Of course, if it stayed swollen and feverish, she was to hustle herself right to the nearest hospital. Right now it felt like it was the size of a Virginia ham and each time she swung it up to salute she half-expected to knock herself silly. She entered the building and after checking at the desk, headed for the office. Vainly, she wished that there might have been some way to clean herself up a bit. Rolling around a filthy alley hadn't done much for her uniform and she'd also managed to bleed on herself.
She reached the outer office and a grizzled master sergeant popped to attention. "As you were, Sergeant," Mac ordered softly, "Is the Bacovian royalty in with the Commandant?"
"Yes, ma'am. Go right in, they're expecting you." The sergeant watched as she knocked on the door and then entered the room. So that was the Marine who put two assailants in the hospital - a female JAG no less. He smiled to himself, this could be worth a couple of bucks out of Chief Warwick. Old Billy had been in the Navy since John Paul Jones and thought women in the military would be the ruination of them all.
Mac walked briskly into the office and came to a halt at the prescribed distance from the Commandant's desk. Coming to attention, she barked, "Colonel MacKenzie reporting, sir," while staring at a spot six inches above his head.
The Commandant gave a slight smile, "As you were, Colonel, and please have a seat. You've had quite an afternoon."
"Thank you sir, yes sir," Mac glanced around and saw an empty chair next to Marius. As she settled down, she took a surreptitious look around the room. Both the King and Queen were looking at her in concern, Cat was huddled miserably in between them. Marius met her gaze and gave a small smile.
Gheorghe spoke first, "Colonel, are you going to be all right?"
"Yes, your Majesty," Mac lifted her hand slightly, "It's not serious."
"Good," Gheorghe exchanged looks with his wife and then fixed his glare on his daughter, "We've been reconsidering the advisability of a military career." Cat looked stricken.
Mac glanced at Marius and then looking at the royal couple, said cautiously, "If I may, your Majesties. What happened today was not your daughter's fault. Please don't base your decision on this one incident. All Cat and Mo did today was switch places. I don't know many twins but I can't imagine that this is the first time."
Gheorghe grunted while Carol sighed, "No, they've done this before but they're not children anymore. They should have known better."
"Yes ma'am," Mac said smiling, "They're not children, but they are teenagers. Not all their decisions will be good ones." She paused for a second, "Have you asked Cat why they did this?"
The couple exchanged looks again and then Gheorghe shook his head, "Not yet." He looked at Cat, "Why?"
Cat gulped and looked nervously around the room before focusing on her father, "I wanted to see what it would be like, to see where Mo was going to be. She's going to be gone for nine years!"
Mac regarded her sympathetically, "You've never been apart?"
"No." The response was a little ragged, but to her credit, Cat hung on to her composure. She gestured helplessly, "We thought it would be easier, somehow, if I could visualize where she was and what she was going through. That's why I only wanted Colonel MacKenzie, I wanted to be Mo for just a little while. I'm sorry. Please don't punish Mo for this, I talked her into it." She sat looking at her hands.
Gheorghe shared a look with his wife before sighing and wrapping an arm around his daughter, "Promise me you won't ever do this again. I don't think my heart could take the strain."
Cat wrapped herself into her father's embrace, burying her face in his chest. "I promise, Daddy," came the muffled reply.
Mac sat back in relief and caught the same quick look of relief on the Commandant's face. She realized he too, was looking forward to having royalty attend the Academy. Marius leaned towards her and said softly, "Nice work, counselor." She flashed him a quick smile while watching the royal family, she was going to have to upset them again. She rose with everyone else as Gheorghe stood up, extending a hand to his wife and daughter.
Gheorghe nodded to the Commandant, "We've taken up enough of your time, sir. I apologize for the inconvenience." He glanced at his wife and got a confirming nod, "I'm sure my daughter will profit from her time here."
Mac stepped forward, "Your Majesties, may I have a word with you privately?" She looked over at the Commandant, "You too, sir." At this point, including the Commandant seemed like the logical thing to do. If there was a threat to his institution because of the Bacovian princess, he would need to plan for it.
Gheorghe looked a little perplexed but nodded, gesturing for Marius and Cat to leave the room. Mac saw Cat give her a worried glance, no doubt wondering if she was going to throw a last-minute wrench into Mo's plans. In a way, she was but it would encompass the entire family. She waited for everyone to re-seat themselves and taking a deep breath, began to speak.
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
1510 Local
Harm flew down the steps of the JAG headquarters, hurriedly snapping off salutes. The panel had come back fifteen minutes ago, returning a verdict in his client's favor. He barely had time to acknowledge Singer's grudging congratulations before he was headed to his office to grab his briefcase and cover. Reaching his SUV, he tossed the briefcase inside and climbed in. A few minutes later, he was on his way to the Bacovian Embassy.
After a thirty minute drive, Harm pulled up at the gates of the Embassy and gave his name over the intercom. A minute later, a voice came back to tell him he was not on the list and to call for an appointment. Irritated, Harm punched the intercom again, "I'm here to meet with Colonel MacKenzie of the Judge Advocate General's office."
There was a minute or so of silence, then, "Colonel MacKenzie is in Annapolis today. Come back tomorrow."
Harm took a deep breath, "She and the royal family should be on their way back. If you don't let me in, I will stay right here in the entrance and your King and Queen won't be able to get in either."
There was silence and then the gate rolled open. Harm parked his SUV and watched a young soldier approach him, "Sir, if you'll come with me?" Dubiously, Harm climbed out of his vehicle, wondering if they had let him in the gate so they could politely escort him to a cell. He had almost reached the Embassy side door when he heard the gates open again. Turning around, he saw one limo and several smaller cars enter the grounds. Last in line was Mac's corvette. Ignoring his escort, Harm started back to the parking area. As he got closer, he watched with surprise, as a man got out from behind the wheel. 'Who the hell was this?' The stranger hurried around the back of the vehicle to the other side and opened the passenger door. He reached in and helped out a familiar figure. "Mac!" Harm called as he closed the last few yards, aware that his soldier was still with him.
Mac heard her name and turned in Marius' grip. Her look of surprise changed to a smile as she saw the tall Commander approaching. "Harm, what are you doing here?" Mindful of where they were, she glanced back at Marius, "Marius, this is Commander Harmon Rabb, a colleague of mine from JAG. Harm, this is Marius Zali, Head of Security for the Bacovian Embassy." The two men shook hands, silently sizing each other up. Mac waited for a moment and then pursued her original question, "Harm?"
He looked over at her, assessing her condition. His normally squared-away Marine was looking a little worse for wear. From the way she was carrying her hand, he could tell it was bothering her. He grinned at her, "After your call, the Admiral decided the Marines were in need of Naval reinforcements."
"Arriving after the action, I see," Mac raised an eyebrow. Hearing car doors, she glanced over his shoulder and watched the royal family disappear into the Embassy. What she had told them had indeed been upsetting. Mac got the distinct impression they'd seen enough of her for one day. She understood, it was human nature to blame the messenger. Hopefully, after they'd thought about it for a while, they'd accept her and Webb's help. Still, it was a crappy ending to a day that had been going steadily downhill since lunchtime.
Marius watched the American colonel carefully. He didn't know what she had said to the King and Queen in the Commandant's office, but they came out looking particularly grim. After that, they had pretty much ignored her - something he found puzzling and disturbing. She had, after all, been a large part of rescuing their daughter. It had been help he wasn't expecting. By and large, he didn't know who had been more shocked - the men the Colonel flattened or himself. Even though he knew she was a Marine, she was also in a non-combatant branch of the military and a woman besides. He knew he shouldn't take that attitude, especially since he'd began dating Liza Parker, the Queen's executive secretary, but old habits died hard. Liza was doing her level best to educate him about American women. The Colonel had just given that education a major boost.
The Dzuricks hadn't said a word, just gathered up Cat and disappeared into their limo. Colonel MacKenzie... Mac, he corrected himself... had been equally reticent. When he realized she wouldn't be able to drive her car, he'd volunteered to drive for her. He didn't like not knowing what was going on, he took his job seriously. He'd hoped to convince Mac to talk to him but hadn't had any luck and the appearance of the Naval Commander had killed any additional attempts.
"Mac?" Harm asked carefully, "Do you want me to take you home? You look like hell."
She gave him an exasperated look, "Thanks." Mac gazed down at the ground for a moment, she was beginning to feel like hell. They had warned her at the hospital to expect this although she didn't understand why injuring her hand would make the rest of her feel lousy. She looked back up at Harm, "Yeah, I think you'd better." She glanced over at her car.
Marius spoke up, "Your vehicle will be safe here on the Embassy grounds until you can drive it home. Or, if you wish, I can have one of my men follow and I can drive it for you."
"No, I'm sure it'll be fine here. I can give the Colonel a ride back in the morning. I've been assigned to assist her." Harm interjected. For some reason, he preferred not letting anyone at the Embassy know where she lived. It was probably stupid, he was sure if they wanted to find out, they could. He froze for a minute as he realized what he had said. He'd wanted to broach the assistance a little more cautiously. Mac could get testy about encroachment of her cases.
Mac stared at Harm for a long moment. Ordinarily, she might have been thoroughly ticked, but all things considered, all she could really feel was grateful. It wasn't like Harm was unfamiliar with the case and she had the uncomfortable feeling she'd need all the help she could get. Turning back to the Security Chief, Mac smiled, "Thanks, Marius." She knew he was wondering what the hell was going on, but until they had more of a handle on this, she couldn't trust anyone from the Bacovian Embassy. She looked at Harm, "Can we go?"
"Sure," Harm put a light hand to her back and nodded to Marius, hiding his relief that Mac had accepted his help without fighting tooth and nail. He headed to his SUV and helped her into the passenger side, buckling her seatbelt for her. Hurrying around to the driver's side, he jumped in. Several minutes later, they were off the Embassy grounds. Harm glanced over to see her leaning back with her eyes closed. She really did look like hell. "Should I be taking you to Bethesda?"
That opened her eyes, "No thank you. When I was at the hospital, they told me to expect this. I should be fine by tomorrow."
He had his doubts about that, but there was no point in arguing when waiting would prove it one way or the other. They lapsed into silence until Harm arrived at her building and escorted her inside. Mac walked into her apartment with a sigh, Harm following close behind. Hearing the door shut, she turned around and found herself enveloped in his embrace. Relaxing against him, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Harm rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes as well, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Finally, he spoke, "Okay, it's just us. Are you all right?"
Mac pulled back a little so she could look up at him, "No. I'm tired, dirty, depressed, my hand hurts like hell, I ache all over and I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."
Harm chuckled, "Don't sugarcoat things for my sake, Colonel." He released his hold on her, "Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll see what I can throw together to feed you. Then, if you want, we can talk."
She gave him a smile, "Thank you."
She started to shrug out of her jacket and he reached over to give her a hand. "Are you going to need help getting cleaned up?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned, "Your timing could be better, Rabb. Right now I don't think I would be able to properly enjoy it."
He quirked an eyebrow back, "My thoughts are as pure as the driven snow, MacKenzie. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh," Mac turned and sauntered into her bedroom. Harm watched her leave and giving himself a shake, turned towards the kitchen. Even when she felt like crap, she had an amazing effect on him. He decided he was a lucky man.
Bacovian Embassy
Washington, D.C.
1735 Local
He finally reached the privacy of his quarters. Pulling out the cellphone, he thought for a moment and then went and turned on his stereo. Dialing the number, he waited for the other end to pick up. Several rings later, he heard a quiet 'Yes?'
His reply was equally quiet but considerably more intense, "What were you thinking?"
"I saw an opportunity," the voice was defensive. "That American officer knows, we had to do something."
"Do what? Tip our hand? Lend credence to whatever the American has been telling them? Or were you just hoping to make it that much harder for our plan to succeed? Zali is going to launch an investigation, he's not stupid." His tone was biting.
"It almost worked," the voice protested, "We were just unlucky. Who knew she would turn around right then?"
"And now four of those incompetent oafs are in custody. How much do they know?" He held his breath, this was critical.
"Nothing. I talked to them over the phone. They can't connect us with anything." the voice was reassuring.
"They had better not. And if you ever take matters into your own hands again, I will make you regret the day your mother smiled at your father. Do you understand?" His voice held deadly menace. There was a pause and then a faint, 'Yes.' He hung up and stood lost in thought. That idiot could have seriously compromised everything. He would have to contact his superiors and see what they wanted done.
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
1810 Local
Harm looked up from puttering around the kitchen to see Mac leaning against the doorframe. "Hey, feeling a little better?" Her hair was still damp and she was wearing old, comfortable-looking sweats.
She grimaced slightly, "I feel cleaner. I need some ibuprofen." She gestured to the cabinet above the sink. Her hand felt hot, tender to the touch and throbbed incessantly.
Harm motioned her towards the living room, "Go sit down and I'll bring it out with some tea. The water's about to boil." Obediently, Mac turned and headed for the couch. Lowering herself carefully, she curled up in a corner and closed her eyes. Harm followed a few minutes later. Setting the tea and the bottle of pain reliever down, he put a hand to her forehead, "You're warm."
"And achy," she agreed, "It's not supposed to last." She took the pills Harm offered her and washed it down with the tea. Looking at Harm, she smiled, "Thanks... something smells good. What are you concocting?"
"Vegetable soup," he answered, smiling back, "And you're welcome." He stood up to go back to the kitchen, "It should be ready in another twenty minutes. Why don't you rest and I'll wake you when it's time to eat." He waited until her eyes had closed again and headed back to the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, they were both enjoying his cooking. Mac waved her spoon, "I can't believe you threw together something this good from what you found in my kitchen."
Harm grinned, "Believe me, it wasn't easy." A knock on the door stopped whatever else he was going to say. Glancing at Mac, he went to the door. After putting an eye to the peephole, he turned back towards her looking faintly annoyed, "It's Clay."
Mac stared at him, "Harm, let him in."
"You bet I will," he muttered under his breath, he had a few words for the CIA operative. Unlocking the door, he pulled it open, "Get in here, Clay."
"Good to see you too, Harm," Clay answered, it was a safe bet the Commander was about to vent about the incident this afternoon. He walked over to Mac and looked down at her, "How are you feeling?"
"She feels lousy," Harm said with a scowl, "I thought you were going to keep an eye on her. Where the hell were you while those low-lifes were trying to kill her?"
Clay gave him a mild look, "I was trying to pin down who's involved in this." He glanced back at Mac and grinned, "The operatives I did have assigned to you were suitably impressed. One of them wanted me to ask if you'd consider going out to dinner with him one evening. After the case is wrapped up, of course."
Mac rolled her eyes and leaned back in the couch. Leave it to Clay to say the one thing that would piss Harm off even more. Hoping to head off this particular fight, she gave Webb an inquiring look, "Have you had any luck finding these guys? This would be a lot easier if I could trust at least one person besides the royal family - who, by the way, aren't speaking to me."
Clay arched an eyebrow as he sat down in one of her chairs, "Decided to kill the messenger, did they? Give them a day to get over it. They're going to get our help regardless but it would be nice if they were cooperating."
Harm dropped down on the couch next to Mac and looked at her, "They're mad at you? You kept their daughter from being kidnapped."
"They're scared silly, Harm. They'd already had one shock and then I told them someone close to them was plotting to depose the King and possibly murder the family." She glanced over at Clay, "And it wasn't Mo who almost kidnapped, it was Catalin."
Webb sat upright, "The heir?" Harm stared at her in equal surprise. She watched them reach the next question simultaneously. Harm beat Clay to the asking.
"Did the kidnappers know it was Catalin?" Harm glanced over at Clay, this could put a whole different spin on things.
Clay ran a hand through his hair, his people had missed this! He looked at Mac, "You didn't know it was the heir?"
Mac raised her eyebrows, "They're identical twins and I met them 33 hours and 17 minutes ago. How was I supposed to know they had switched places?"
"I would have thought their own Head of Security would've known. What is he? Blind?" Clay's opinion of the Bacovian security network was rapidly dropping.
"It wasn't his fault, he was face to face with her for all of 2 minutes. She had on a hat and sunglasses and she was acting like her sister. After that, he wasn't looking at her, he was watching the crowds." Mac defended Marius, her gut instinct was that he was trustworthy.
Webb nodded dubiously, he would give the Security Chief another, closer look. The more allies he could gather for Mac, the better he'd feel. The attempted kidnapping had rattled him more than he liked to admit. That thought brought him back to the original, disturbing question: Did the kidnappers know they were trying for the heir or was it just an attempt to grab one of Gheorghe's children? The ramifications were alarming either way. He had a bad feeling about it. Clay looked at Harm and Mac, "Are you two going to the Embassy tomorrow morning?"
Mac glanced at Harm and gave a one-shouldered shrug, "I don't really know. It depends on the Dzuricks." It was bothering her more than she liked to admit.
Clay snorted, "Unless they've completely lost their senses, they'll want you back." He reached forward, patted her leg reassuringly and climbed to his feet. He needed to get on this. "If you don't go to the Embassy, you'll be at JAG?" Harm nodded and Clay gave a thoughtful grunt, "Okay, I'll be in touch." He walked over to the door as Harm got up and followed. Webb turned in the doorway, "Keep your eyes open, Rabb." With that, he headed out into the night.
Harm closed and locked the door and turned back to Mac. She was looking at her soup. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's cold."
Harm chuckled, "Easily fixed, Marine. You do have a microwave." He gathered both dishes and walked to the kitchen. Two and half minutes later, he came back out. Mac was resting her chin on her arm, leaning on the back of the couch and staring off into space. He sat down next to her, putting the bowls on the coffee table. Harm rested a light hand on her hip and smiled when she looked over at him. "Worrying isn't going to change anything, Mac." He paused, "Except make your soup cold... again."
Mac gave a small grin that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Noted, Commander." She heaved a sigh and looked at him, "How are we supposed to stop this when the royal family won't talk to me and we don't know who the enemies are?" She thumped the arm of the couch in frustration and scrubbed at her eyes, "Dammit, what if they're targeting the kids first?"
Harm waited until she looked at him and then opened his arms, "C'mere." He folded her carefully into his embrace and leaned back so that she was resting against his chest with her head tucked under his chin. He shifted a little so he could plant a soft kiss on her forehead, "It'll be okay." She was still warm to the touch. He chuckled and she raised her head to look at him quizzically. "Where's your faith, MacKenzie? Batman and Robin are in the house. The bad guys don't stand a chance."
Bacovian Embassy
Washington, D.C.
1930 Local
Carol walked up behind Gheorghe and draped her arms around his neck, kissing the top of his head. He grabbed a hand and leaned back into her, continuing to gaze out the window. "What are we going to do, Geordie? If Colonel MacKenzie is right, we can't trust anyone until we find the traitor." The entire Embassy was abuzz about the attack. Marius had been careful to portray it as an attempted mugging. Speculation was reaching a dizzying height. Half thought it was just a random attack by the violence-prone Americans, others were hinting at deeper, darker plots. No one had any idea that it had been Cat and not Mo in Annapolis or she was sure the conspiracy theorists would have been having a field day.
"I can't believe it," Gheorghe growled, "Our people are like family to us. The Americans are wrong."
"What if they're not? My god, these people almost got Catalin today. What if someone here realized the twins had switched places and passed it along?" Carol shuddered in spite of herself and Gheorghe squeezed her hand.
He turned to look at her, "What if this was staged for our benefit? What if the CIA did this to assure our cooperation when they pursue al-Qaeda within our borders?"
"You don't believe that," Carol stated firmly.
"I'm not entirely sure," Gheorghe turned back to the window, his shoulders tense. It was difficult to accept that someone they were close to would harm the children. The Americans had to be wrong! "Perhaps it would be better if Mo didn't enter the Academy."
Carol pulled her arms back and folded them, "Geordie! Mo has been working incredibly hard for this. You can't just change your mind and say no. And I, for one, refuse to believe the CIA or any other U.S. government agency would resort to such an elaborate ploy when they have only to ask." Her husband, whom she loved dearly, could occasionally make her wish to strangle him. Especially when he succumbed to the 'Let's-Blame-The-Americans' rhetoric of which the rest of the world seemed so fond.
Gheorghe turned back again and glared at her, "It's not so far-fetched. I've heard of other plots they've been responsible for."
"And you think Colonel MacKenzie was a willing participant? Marius said that they'd have had Cat if the Colonel hadn't stepped in. She put two of them in the hospital." Carol stared at him. She'd actually heard that from Liza. It was helpful at times to have your best friend dating the Head of Security. Zali's report to them had been dryly factual except where he'd taken the blame for the whole incident. He'd offered to resign, they had turned him down.
"Maybe they set her up as well," Gheorghe knew there were flaws in his argument, just as he knew that people were betrayed by those closest to them all too frequently. Power brought out the worst and the best in a person.
"After telling her of a suspected plot and asking her to inform us? Geordie, that doesn't make any sense." Carol was feeling somewhat guilty. After hearing what MacKenzie had had to say, they had both virtually ignored her - as if by denying her presence, they could deny the threat as well. Marius had been embarrassed and bewildered by their actions and although he would never dream of criticizing them, he had mentioned it to Liza. Carol smiled ruefully to herself, Liza was becoming quite the intermediary. Marius could pass along concerns without appearing disrespectful of royal sensibilities.
"Maybe not, but does any of this make sense? We're supposed to suspect everyone here at the Embassy? According to Colonel MacKenzie, we can't even trust Marius." Gheorghe warmed up to his subject, "Most of our retainers have been with us for years. Who's the traitor? Daniel? Liza? Lucian?"
Carol looked at him solemnly, "Victor and Katrina." Although he was painfully cordial to her, Carol knew that Victor hated the United States and its people. He'd never forgiven the Americans for allowing the Soviet Union to swallow their little country. It didn't matter that the U.S. had given the royal family sanctuary. When Prince Gheorghe had married an American, Victor had become frighteningly drunk. He gotten her alone during the reception and said some things that angered and terrified her at the same time. Gheorghe's father and Otto Karakasis, the old Head of Security, had rescued her - hustling Victor out of the reception. At her request, Gheorghe had never known. Victor had stiffly apologized several weeks later; Carol had coldly forgiven. Both knew that neither meant a word they'd said but each now knew where the other stood.
Gheorghe looked at her in shock. His uncle was abrasive and difficult, but to countenance harming the children? "You can't be serious."
Carol sighed, if her husband had a fault, it was a fierce loyalty to family. "Yes I am. Victor hates the West and everything it stands for. You... " she paused and gave him a light push, "... have been corrupted by American influences. Your children have dual Bacovian/American citizenships. Mo wishing to become an officer in the U.S. military was probably the last straw."
"Hates the West?" Gheorghe repeated skeptically, "He's always been critical of what he considers American arrogance, but hate? The U.S. gave our family sanctuary when there were very few places we could go."
"Which, no doubt, rankles as well." Carol interjected.
He continued to stare at her, "Victor's not a stupid man. If he were plotting to usurp the throne, wouldn't he be more circumspect?"
"He has been," Carol said, "I see it because I know where to look, but there's no proof beyond my instincts. That's why we need outside help. We need to bring Colonel MacKenzie back into this." She was silent for a moment, "Providing she'll come. We were terribly ungracious, Geordie."
Gheorghe was silent as well, knowing what his wife had said was true. Still reeling from hearing of the attack, it had been impossible to separate the messenger from the message. He sighed, "All we can do is apologize and ask."
Carol gave him a hug, this was one of the reasons she loved him. They both knew all he really had to do was inform the State Dept. that they wanted the Colonel and she would have been ordered to appear, regardless of their treatment of her. "In the morning?"
"In the morning." he repeated firmly, pulling her down into his lap.
U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
1405 Local
Mac hurried up the steps of the building that housed the Commandant's office, returning salutes as she went. At the ER, they had numbed her hand to pick out the glass and debris. Then they told her to expect fever and swelling for at least a day before the antibiotics kicked in. Of course, if it stayed swollen and feverish, she was to hustle herself right to the nearest hospital. Right now it felt like it was the size of a Virginia ham and each time she swung it up to salute she half-expected to knock herself silly. She entered the building and after checking at the desk, headed for the office. Vainly, she wished that there might have been some way to clean herself up a bit. Rolling around a filthy alley hadn't done much for her uniform and she'd also managed to bleed on herself.
She reached the outer office and a grizzled master sergeant popped to attention. "As you were, Sergeant," Mac ordered softly, "Is the Bacovian royalty in with the Commandant?"
"Yes, ma'am. Go right in, they're expecting you." The sergeant watched as she knocked on the door and then entered the room. So that was the Marine who put two assailants in the hospital - a female JAG no less. He smiled to himself, this could be worth a couple of bucks out of Chief Warwick. Old Billy had been in the Navy since John Paul Jones and thought women in the military would be the ruination of them all.
Mac walked briskly into the office and came to a halt at the prescribed distance from the Commandant's desk. Coming to attention, she barked, "Colonel MacKenzie reporting, sir," while staring at a spot six inches above his head.
The Commandant gave a slight smile, "As you were, Colonel, and please have a seat. You've had quite an afternoon."
"Thank you sir, yes sir," Mac glanced around and saw an empty chair next to Marius. As she settled down, she took a surreptitious look around the room. Both the King and Queen were looking at her in concern, Cat was huddled miserably in between them. Marius met her gaze and gave a small smile.
Gheorghe spoke first, "Colonel, are you going to be all right?"
"Yes, your Majesty," Mac lifted her hand slightly, "It's not serious."
"Good," Gheorghe exchanged looks with his wife and then fixed his glare on his daughter, "We've been reconsidering the advisability of a military career." Cat looked stricken.
Mac glanced at Marius and then looking at the royal couple, said cautiously, "If I may, your Majesties. What happened today was not your daughter's fault. Please don't base your decision on this one incident. All Cat and Mo did today was switch places. I don't know many twins but I can't imagine that this is the first time."
Gheorghe grunted while Carol sighed, "No, they've done this before but they're not children anymore. They should have known better."
"Yes ma'am," Mac said smiling, "They're not children, but they are teenagers. Not all their decisions will be good ones." She paused for a second, "Have you asked Cat why they did this?"
The couple exchanged looks again and then Gheorghe shook his head, "Not yet." He looked at Cat, "Why?"
Cat gulped and looked nervously around the room before focusing on her father, "I wanted to see what it would be like, to see where Mo was going to be. She's going to be gone for nine years!"
Mac regarded her sympathetically, "You've never been apart?"
"No." The response was a little ragged, but to her credit, Cat hung on to her composure. She gestured helplessly, "We thought it would be easier, somehow, if I could visualize where she was and what she was going through. That's why I only wanted Colonel MacKenzie, I wanted to be Mo for just a little while. I'm sorry. Please don't punish Mo for this, I talked her into it." She sat looking at her hands.
Gheorghe shared a look with his wife before sighing and wrapping an arm around his daughter, "Promise me you won't ever do this again. I don't think my heart could take the strain."
Cat wrapped herself into her father's embrace, burying her face in his chest. "I promise, Daddy," came the muffled reply.
Mac sat back in relief and caught the same quick look of relief on the Commandant's face. She realized he too, was looking forward to having royalty attend the Academy. Marius leaned towards her and said softly, "Nice work, counselor." She flashed him a quick smile while watching the royal family, she was going to have to upset them again. She rose with everyone else as Gheorghe stood up, extending a hand to his wife and daughter.
Gheorghe nodded to the Commandant, "We've taken up enough of your time, sir. I apologize for the inconvenience." He glanced at his wife and got a confirming nod, "I'm sure my daughter will profit from her time here."
Mac stepped forward, "Your Majesties, may I have a word with you privately?" She looked over at the Commandant, "You too, sir." At this point, including the Commandant seemed like the logical thing to do. If there was a threat to his institution because of the Bacovian princess, he would need to plan for it.
Gheorghe looked a little perplexed but nodded, gesturing for Marius and Cat to leave the room. Mac saw Cat give her a worried glance, no doubt wondering if she was going to throw a last-minute wrench into Mo's plans. In a way, she was but it would encompass the entire family. She waited for everyone to re-seat themselves and taking a deep breath, began to speak.
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
1510 Local
Harm flew down the steps of the JAG headquarters, hurriedly snapping off salutes. The panel had come back fifteen minutes ago, returning a verdict in his client's favor. He barely had time to acknowledge Singer's grudging congratulations before he was headed to his office to grab his briefcase and cover. Reaching his SUV, he tossed the briefcase inside and climbed in. A few minutes later, he was on his way to the Bacovian Embassy.
After a thirty minute drive, Harm pulled up at the gates of the Embassy and gave his name over the intercom. A minute later, a voice came back to tell him he was not on the list and to call for an appointment. Irritated, Harm punched the intercom again, "I'm here to meet with Colonel MacKenzie of the Judge Advocate General's office."
There was a minute or so of silence, then, "Colonel MacKenzie is in Annapolis today. Come back tomorrow."
Harm took a deep breath, "She and the royal family should be on their way back. If you don't let me in, I will stay right here in the entrance and your King and Queen won't be able to get in either."
There was silence and then the gate rolled open. Harm parked his SUV and watched a young soldier approach him, "Sir, if you'll come with me?" Dubiously, Harm climbed out of his vehicle, wondering if they had let him in the gate so they could politely escort him to a cell. He had almost reached the Embassy side door when he heard the gates open again. Turning around, he saw one limo and several smaller cars enter the grounds. Last in line was Mac's corvette. Ignoring his escort, Harm started back to the parking area. As he got closer, he watched with surprise, as a man got out from behind the wheel. 'Who the hell was this?' The stranger hurried around the back of the vehicle to the other side and opened the passenger door. He reached in and helped out a familiar figure. "Mac!" Harm called as he closed the last few yards, aware that his soldier was still with him.
Mac heard her name and turned in Marius' grip. Her look of surprise changed to a smile as she saw the tall Commander approaching. "Harm, what are you doing here?" Mindful of where they were, she glanced back at Marius, "Marius, this is Commander Harmon Rabb, a colleague of mine from JAG. Harm, this is Marius Zali, Head of Security for the Bacovian Embassy." The two men shook hands, silently sizing each other up. Mac waited for a moment and then pursued her original question, "Harm?"
He looked over at her, assessing her condition. His normally squared-away Marine was looking a little worse for wear. From the way she was carrying her hand, he could tell it was bothering her. He grinned at her, "After your call, the Admiral decided the Marines were in need of Naval reinforcements."
"Arriving after the action, I see," Mac raised an eyebrow. Hearing car doors, she glanced over his shoulder and watched the royal family disappear into the Embassy. What she had told them had indeed been upsetting. Mac got the distinct impression they'd seen enough of her for one day. She understood, it was human nature to blame the messenger. Hopefully, after they'd thought about it for a while, they'd accept her and Webb's help. Still, it was a crappy ending to a day that had been going steadily downhill since lunchtime.
Marius watched the American colonel carefully. He didn't know what she had said to the King and Queen in the Commandant's office, but they came out looking particularly grim. After that, they had pretty much ignored her - something he found puzzling and disturbing. She had, after all, been a large part of rescuing their daughter. It had been help he wasn't expecting. By and large, he didn't know who had been more shocked - the men the Colonel flattened or himself. Even though he knew she was a Marine, she was also in a non-combatant branch of the military and a woman besides. He knew he shouldn't take that attitude, especially since he'd began dating Liza Parker, the Queen's executive secretary, but old habits died hard. Liza was doing her level best to educate him about American women. The Colonel had just given that education a major boost.
The Dzuricks hadn't said a word, just gathered up Cat and disappeared into their limo. Colonel MacKenzie... Mac, he corrected himself... had been equally reticent. When he realized she wouldn't be able to drive her car, he'd volunteered to drive for her. He didn't like not knowing what was going on, he took his job seriously. He'd hoped to convince Mac to talk to him but hadn't had any luck and the appearance of the Naval Commander had killed any additional attempts.
"Mac?" Harm asked carefully, "Do you want me to take you home? You look like hell."
She gave him an exasperated look, "Thanks." Mac gazed down at the ground for a moment, she was beginning to feel like hell. They had warned her at the hospital to expect this although she didn't understand why injuring her hand would make the rest of her feel lousy. She looked back up at Harm, "Yeah, I think you'd better." She glanced over at her car.
Marius spoke up, "Your vehicle will be safe here on the Embassy grounds until you can drive it home. Or, if you wish, I can have one of my men follow and I can drive it for you."
"No, I'm sure it'll be fine here. I can give the Colonel a ride back in the morning. I've been assigned to assist her." Harm interjected. For some reason, he preferred not letting anyone at the Embassy know where she lived. It was probably stupid, he was sure if they wanted to find out, they could. He froze for a minute as he realized what he had said. He'd wanted to broach the assistance a little more cautiously. Mac could get testy about encroachment of her cases.
Mac stared at Harm for a long moment. Ordinarily, she might have been thoroughly ticked, but all things considered, all she could really feel was grateful. It wasn't like Harm was unfamiliar with the case and she had the uncomfortable feeling she'd need all the help she could get. Turning back to the Security Chief, Mac smiled, "Thanks, Marius." She knew he was wondering what the hell was going on, but until they had more of a handle on this, she couldn't trust anyone from the Bacovian Embassy. She looked at Harm, "Can we go?"
"Sure," Harm put a light hand to her back and nodded to Marius, hiding his relief that Mac had accepted his help without fighting tooth and nail. He headed to his SUV and helped her into the passenger side, buckling her seatbelt for her. Hurrying around to the driver's side, he jumped in. Several minutes later, they were off the Embassy grounds. Harm glanced over to see her leaning back with her eyes closed. She really did look like hell. "Should I be taking you to Bethesda?"
That opened her eyes, "No thank you. When I was at the hospital, they told me to expect this. I should be fine by tomorrow."
He had his doubts about that, but there was no point in arguing when waiting would prove it one way or the other. They lapsed into silence until Harm arrived at her building and escorted her inside. Mac walked into her apartment with a sigh, Harm following close behind. Hearing the door shut, she turned around and found herself enveloped in his embrace. Relaxing against him, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Harm rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes as well, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Finally, he spoke, "Okay, it's just us. Are you all right?"
Mac pulled back a little so she could look up at him, "No. I'm tired, dirty, depressed, my hand hurts like hell, I ache all over and I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."
Harm chuckled, "Don't sugarcoat things for my sake, Colonel." He released his hold on her, "Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll see what I can throw together to feed you. Then, if you want, we can talk."
She gave him a smile, "Thank you."
She started to shrug out of her jacket and he reached over to give her a hand. "Are you going to need help getting cleaned up?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned, "Your timing could be better, Rabb. Right now I don't think I would be able to properly enjoy it."
He quirked an eyebrow back, "My thoughts are as pure as the driven snow, MacKenzie. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh," Mac turned and sauntered into her bedroom. Harm watched her leave and giving himself a shake, turned towards the kitchen. Even when she felt like crap, she had an amazing effect on him. He decided he was a lucky man.
Bacovian Embassy
Washington, D.C.
1735 Local
He finally reached the privacy of his quarters. Pulling out the cellphone, he thought for a moment and then went and turned on his stereo. Dialing the number, he waited for the other end to pick up. Several rings later, he heard a quiet 'Yes?'
His reply was equally quiet but considerably more intense, "What were you thinking?"
"I saw an opportunity," the voice was defensive. "That American officer knows, we had to do something."
"Do what? Tip our hand? Lend credence to whatever the American has been telling them? Or were you just hoping to make it that much harder for our plan to succeed? Zali is going to launch an investigation, he's not stupid." His tone was biting.
"It almost worked," the voice protested, "We were just unlucky. Who knew she would turn around right then?"
"And now four of those incompetent oafs are in custody. How much do they know?" He held his breath, this was critical.
"Nothing. I talked to them over the phone. They can't connect us with anything." the voice was reassuring.
"They had better not. And if you ever take matters into your own hands again, I will make you regret the day your mother smiled at your father. Do you understand?" His voice held deadly menace. There was a pause and then a faint, 'Yes.' He hung up and stood lost in thought. That idiot could have seriously compromised everything. He would have to contact his superiors and see what they wanted done.
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
1810 Local
Harm looked up from puttering around the kitchen to see Mac leaning against the doorframe. "Hey, feeling a little better?" Her hair was still damp and she was wearing old, comfortable-looking sweats.
She grimaced slightly, "I feel cleaner. I need some ibuprofen." She gestured to the cabinet above the sink. Her hand felt hot, tender to the touch and throbbed incessantly.
Harm motioned her towards the living room, "Go sit down and I'll bring it out with some tea. The water's about to boil." Obediently, Mac turned and headed for the couch. Lowering herself carefully, she curled up in a corner and closed her eyes. Harm followed a few minutes later. Setting the tea and the bottle of pain reliever down, he put a hand to her forehead, "You're warm."
"And achy," she agreed, "It's not supposed to last." She took the pills Harm offered her and washed it down with the tea. Looking at Harm, she smiled, "Thanks... something smells good. What are you concocting?"
"Vegetable soup," he answered, smiling back, "And you're welcome." He stood up to go back to the kitchen, "It should be ready in another twenty minutes. Why don't you rest and I'll wake you when it's time to eat." He waited until her eyes had closed again and headed back to the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, they were both enjoying his cooking. Mac waved her spoon, "I can't believe you threw together something this good from what you found in my kitchen."
Harm grinned, "Believe me, it wasn't easy." A knock on the door stopped whatever else he was going to say. Glancing at Mac, he went to the door. After putting an eye to the peephole, he turned back towards her looking faintly annoyed, "It's Clay."
Mac stared at him, "Harm, let him in."
"You bet I will," he muttered under his breath, he had a few words for the CIA operative. Unlocking the door, he pulled it open, "Get in here, Clay."
"Good to see you too, Harm," Clay answered, it was a safe bet the Commander was about to vent about the incident this afternoon. He walked over to Mac and looked down at her, "How are you feeling?"
"She feels lousy," Harm said with a scowl, "I thought you were going to keep an eye on her. Where the hell were you while those low-lifes were trying to kill her?"
Clay gave him a mild look, "I was trying to pin down who's involved in this." He glanced back at Mac and grinned, "The operatives I did have assigned to you were suitably impressed. One of them wanted me to ask if you'd consider going out to dinner with him one evening. After the case is wrapped up, of course."
Mac rolled her eyes and leaned back in the couch. Leave it to Clay to say the one thing that would piss Harm off even more. Hoping to head off this particular fight, she gave Webb an inquiring look, "Have you had any luck finding these guys? This would be a lot easier if I could trust at least one person besides the royal family - who, by the way, aren't speaking to me."
Clay arched an eyebrow as he sat down in one of her chairs, "Decided to kill the messenger, did they? Give them a day to get over it. They're going to get our help regardless but it would be nice if they were cooperating."
Harm dropped down on the couch next to Mac and looked at her, "They're mad at you? You kept their daughter from being kidnapped."
"They're scared silly, Harm. They'd already had one shock and then I told them someone close to them was plotting to depose the King and possibly murder the family." She glanced over at Clay, "And it wasn't Mo who almost kidnapped, it was Catalin."
Webb sat upright, "The heir?" Harm stared at her in equal surprise. She watched them reach the next question simultaneously. Harm beat Clay to the asking.
"Did the kidnappers know it was Catalin?" Harm glanced over at Clay, this could put a whole different spin on things.
Clay ran a hand through his hair, his people had missed this! He looked at Mac, "You didn't know it was the heir?"
Mac raised her eyebrows, "They're identical twins and I met them 33 hours and 17 minutes ago. How was I supposed to know they had switched places?"
"I would have thought their own Head of Security would've known. What is he? Blind?" Clay's opinion of the Bacovian security network was rapidly dropping.
"It wasn't his fault, he was face to face with her for all of 2 minutes. She had on a hat and sunglasses and she was acting like her sister. After that, he wasn't looking at her, he was watching the crowds." Mac defended Marius, her gut instinct was that he was trustworthy.
Webb nodded dubiously, he would give the Security Chief another, closer look. The more allies he could gather for Mac, the better he'd feel. The attempted kidnapping had rattled him more than he liked to admit. That thought brought him back to the original, disturbing question: Did the kidnappers know they were trying for the heir or was it just an attempt to grab one of Gheorghe's children? The ramifications were alarming either way. He had a bad feeling about it. Clay looked at Harm and Mac, "Are you two going to the Embassy tomorrow morning?"
Mac glanced at Harm and gave a one-shouldered shrug, "I don't really know. It depends on the Dzuricks." It was bothering her more than she liked to admit.
Clay snorted, "Unless they've completely lost their senses, they'll want you back." He reached forward, patted her leg reassuringly and climbed to his feet. He needed to get on this. "If you don't go to the Embassy, you'll be at JAG?" Harm nodded and Clay gave a thoughtful grunt, "Okay, I'll be in touch." He walked over to the door as Harm got up and followed. Webb turned in the doorway, "Keep your eyes open, Rabb." With that, he headed out into the night.
Harm closed and locked the door and turned back to Mac. She was looking at her soup. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's cold."
Harm chuckled, "Easily fixed, Marine. You do have a microwave." He gathered both dishes and walked to the kitchen. Two and half minutes later, he came back out. Mac was resting her chin on her arm, leaning on the back of the couch and staring off into space. He sat down next to her, putting the bowls on the coffee table. Harm rested a light hand on her hip and smiled when she looked over at him. "Worrying isn't going to change anything, Mac." He paused, "Except make your soup cold... again."
Mac gave a small grin that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Noted, Commander." She heaved a sigh and looked at him, "How are we supposed to stop this when the royal family won't talk to me and we don't know who the enemies are?" She thumped the arm of the couch in frustration and scrubbed at her eyes, "Dammit, what if they're targeting the kids first?"
Harm waited until she looked at him and then opened his arms, "C'mere." He folded her carefully into his embrace and leaned back so that she was resting against his chest with her head tucked under his chin. He shifted a little so he could plant a soft kiss on her forehead, "It'll be okay." She was still warm to the touch. He chuckled and she raised her head to look at him quizzically. "Where's your faith, MacKenzie? Batman and Robin are in the house. The bad guys don't stand a chance."
Bacovian Embassy
Washington, D.C.
1930 Local
Carol walked up behind Gheorghe and draped her arms around his neck, kissing the top of his head. He grabbed a hand and leaned back into her, continuing to gaze out the window. "What are we going to do, Geordie? If Colonel MacKenzie is right, we can't trust anyone until we find the traitor." The entire Embassy was abuzz about the attack. Marius had been careful to portray it as an attempted mugging. Speculation was reaching a dizzying height. Half thought it was just a random attack by the violence-prone Americans, others were hinting at deeper, darker plots. No one had any idea that it had been Cat and not Mo in Annapolis or she was sure the conspiracy theorists would have been having a field day.
"I can't believe it," Gheorghe growled, "Our people are like family to us. The Americans are wrong."
"What if they're not? My god, these people almost got Catalin today. What if someone here realized the twins had switched places and passed it along?" Carol shuddered in spite of herself and Gheorghe squeezed her hand.
He turned to look at her, "What if this was staged for our benefit? What if the CIA did this to assure our cooperation when they pursue al-Qaeda within our borders?"
"You don't believe that," Carol stated firmly.
"I'm not entirely sure," Gheorghe turned back to the window, his shoulders tense. It was difficult to accept that someone they were close to would harm the children. The Americans had to be wrong! "Perhaps it would be better if Mo didn't enter the Academy."
Carol pulled her arms back and folded them, "Geordie! Mo has been working incredibly hard for this. You can't just change your mind and say no. And I, for one, refuse to believe the CIA or any other U.S. government agency would resort to such an elaborate ploy when they have only to ask." Her husband, whom she loved dearly, could occasionally make her wish to strangle him. Especially when he succumbed to the 'Let's-Blame-The-Americans' rhetoric of which the rest of the world seemed so fond.
Gheorghe turned back again and glared at her, "It's not so far-fetched. I've heard of other plots they've been responsible for."
"And you think Colonel MacKenzie was a willing participant? Marius said that they'd have had Cat if the Colonel hadn't stepped in. She put two of them in the hospital." Carol stared at him. She'd actually heard that from Liza. It was helpful at times to have your best friend dating the Head of Security. Zali's report to them had been dryly factual except where he'd taken the blame for the whole incident. He'd offered to resign, they had turned him down.
"Maybe they set her up as well," Gheorghe knew there were flaws in his argument, just as he knew that people were betrayed by those closest to them all too frequently. Power brought out the worst and the best in a person.
"After telling her of a suspected plot and asking her to inform us? Geordie, that doesn't make any sense." Carol was feeling somewhat guilty. After hearing what MacKenzie had had to say, they had both virtually ignored her - as if by denying her presence, they could deny the threat as well. Marius had been embarrassed and bewildered by their actions and although he would never dream of criticizing them, he had mentioned it to Liza. Carol smiled ruefully to herself, Liza was becoming quite the intermediary. Marius could pass along concerns without appearing disrespectful of royal sensibilities.
"Maybe not, but does any of this make sense? We're supposed to suspect everyone here at the Embassy? According to Colonel MacKenzie, we can't even trust Marius." Gheorghe warmed up to his subject, "Most of our retainers have been with us for years. Who's the traitor? Daniel? Liza? Lucian?"
Carol looked at him solemnly, "Victor and Katrina." Although he was painfully cordial to her, Carol knew that Victor hated the United States and its people. He'd never forgiven the Americans for allowing the Soviet Union to swallow their little country. It didn't matter that the U.S. had given the royal family sanctuary. When Prince Gheorghe had married an American, Victor had become frighteningly drunk. He gotten her alone during the reception and said some things that angered and terrified her at the same time. Gheorghe's father and Otto Karakasis, the old Head of Security, had rescued her - hustling Victor out of the reception. At her request, Gheorghe had never known. Victor had stiffly apologized several weeks later; Carol had coldly forgiven. Both knew that neither meant a word they'd said but each now knew where the other stood.
Gheorghe looked at her in shock. His uncle was abrasive and difficult, but to countenance harming the children? "You can't be serious."
Carol sighed, if her husband had a fault, it was a fierce loyalty to family. "Yes I am. Victor hates the West and everything it stands for. You... " she paused and gave him a light push, "... have been corrupted by American influences. Your children have dual Bacovian/American citizenships. Mo wishing to become an officer in the U.S. military was probably the last straw."
"Hates the West?" Gheorghe repeated skeptically, "He's always been critical of what he considers American arrogance, but hate? The U.S. gave our family sanctuary when there were very few places we could go."
"Which, no doubt, rankles as well." Carol interjected.
He continued to stare at her, "Victor's not a stupid man. If he were plotting to usurp the throne, wouldn't he be more circumspect?"
"He has been," Carol said, "I see it because I know where to look, but there's no proof beyond my instincts. That's why we need outside help. We need to bring Colonel MacKenzie back into this." She was silent for a moment, "Providing she'll come. We were terribly ungracious, Geordie."
Gheorghe was silent as well, knowing what his wife had said was true. Still reeling from hearing of the attack, it had been impossible to separate the messenger from the message. He sighed, "All we can do is apologize and ask."
Carol gave him a hug, this was one of the reasons she loved him. They both knew all he really had to do was inform the State Dept. that they wanted the Colonel and she would have been ordered to appear, regardless of their treatment of her. "In the morning?"
"In the morning." he repeated firmly, pulling her down into his lap.