January 8, 2004
Force Judge Advocate's Office – London, England
0802 Greenwich/ 1302 Eastern
Harm sat behind the desk reading through his e-mails, starting first with the official ones. By a lucky break, Alison was downstairs beginning her out-processing paperwork. This assured him that for the next couple of hours, he would not be interrupted by the woman. After the warning message by Manetti yesterday, Harm had done a lot of thinking last night after dinner. Beth and Mattie had both noticed the look and left him to his thoughts. The thing that kept coming back to him was motive and opportunity, who here would want to look at his records and why.
As he had thought about it, he was able to quickly eliminate most of the people at NAVFOREUR Headquarters. None of them had a motive for looking. Admiral Kieso had indicated having seen the files, but that had been before Harm had arrived in London, so that ruled him out as well as his aide. His first meeting with the rest of the staff wasn't scheduled until this afternoon, so unless one of them wanted to read up on him, Harm doubted they were the guilty party.
No, Harm was virtually certain the guilty party was Alison. It would explain her disappearance on Tuesday, when she hadn't returned after lunch. Where she had hid out all afternoon was beyond him, but just because he didn't know didn't mean it couldn't be done. He also realized that he had provided her with a free afternoon yesterday, while he'd been going over things with Lieutenant Haldane. So, the woman had had two days in which to go digging, bringing up the question of why she had gone digging and what had she found.
For the why, Harm had only a vague, uneasy feeling. He remembered her comment about him and Kate and couldn't help but wonder if Alison was jealous. Yes, he and Kate had had a relationship, a purely physical one. But it wasn't illegal for two consenting adults to have sex and it wasn't fraternization because neither of them reported to the other. If things had gone further or the relationship had continued after his promotion, they probably would have talked with Admiral Chegwidden. But it had ended almost as quickly as it had begun and then she was gone and Meg became his partner at JAG HQ.
"Simpkins," Harm called out, gathering his thoughts. When the Petty Office came in, Harm stopped him at the door. "I'm not to be disturbed until further notice, except by Admiral Kieso, his aide or General Creswell. Staff call is cancelled for today. If anyone has anything urgent, let me know after I get off the telephone. Close the door on your way out, please."
"Understood, Sir," Simpkins said.
Once the Petty Officer was out and the door was closed, Harm picked up the telephone and dialed. As he waited for the number to be answered, he crossed to the door and locked it. For this conversation, he definitely didn't want Alison to decide to just walk into the office.
"Commander Manetti, Sir," came a swift answer.
"Hi Tracy, it's Harm," he said with a smile.
"Good morning, Captain. How are things in London?"
"Interesting to say the least. I got your messages yesterday, thank you."
"Well, NSA was able to trace the login to a member of the FJA staff, your predecessor, Captain Krennick. She also was looking at a number of other personnel records, all related to your previous partners from your time at JAG HQ."
"I had reached a similar conclusion here, Tracy. Unfortunately, Captain Krennick and I have a previous history. When Admiral Chegwidden was first made the JAG, she was his aide. She saw me as her competition in the race for the Admiral's chair, calling me the rising star at JAG HQ. So she tried to…." Harm stopped, not really sure how to term it. It definitely wasn't seduction, which hinted at some romance. No, this was more a naked power play, using sex as a means of control.
"Are you blushing, Harm?" Tracy asked with a light laugh.
"No, just trying to come up with the proper phrase for the blatantness of her attempts to get me into her bed."
"Did you ever…."
"No, we never went there, not from lack of effort on her part. For me, I wasn't interested. Beyond the whole fraternization issue and regulations, I just don't like giving up that much control to someone else."
"Oh, and how does Mrs. Rabb feel about that," Tracy teased.
"Yellow light, Commander," Harm teased back. "But seriously, with Beth things are different. There's no thought of control, because there doesn't need to be. We love and trust one another, in everything."
Tracy could hear the change in the tone of his voice and almost sighed. She could freely admit that she'd had a little crush on Harmon Rabb and what wasn't there to crush on. A naval aviator, with the gold wings that went with it. Movie star good looks, with those eyes and that smile. That damned smile of his should be made illegal, just for the effect it had on unsuspecting women.
"You know, Harm. I hope someday I find a man who feels that way about me."
"I hope you do too, Tracy. I'm happier now than I've ever been, thanks to her."
"Well, I hate to throw cold water on this, but let's get back to Captain Krennick. What was her reaction to your rejection?" Tracy asked him.
"She just kept trying. Lieutenant Roberts joked that I threw her more red lights than the beltway at rush hour. She even tried a couple of times to set things up so we would end up out of town together, once for a weekend at Admiral Chegwidden's beach house as an officer's retreat. I got lucky to avoid that one."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Tracy had to laugh at the sheer relief in Harm's voice. Still, there was a growing angry coming to the petite Commander as she listened to the antics of Captain Krennick. Tracy had faced the same struggle that all women in the military have, of being taken seriously in a man's world. She'd put up with the comments and the off-color jokes and the attitudes. Yet, here was a female in a position of power doing exactly the thing that men tried when the situations were reversed: using her position of power as a lever to get sexual favors from those without the power. Tracy had to wonder if Krennick had continued this behavior after she'd left JAG HQ.
"Tracy, did I lose you there?" Harm asked, curious about the silence.
"Oh, sorry about that. I was just thinking," Tracy said, giving her head a shake. "How come you never reported any of this back then?"
"Macho pride, more than anything. I mean, I'm man enough to know the stories that would have made their way around if this had all come out. The rumors and suspicions that would have been enough to end my career anyway. Makes it a catch-22, doesn't it. Give in and get caught, it's fraternization and you're out of the Navy. Don't give it and report the sexual harassment, you're thought to be possibly gay and hounded out of the Navy because of it. So, I chose option C and just kept my head down, praying she'd give up and go away. Obviously, that failed too, because here we are 8 years later and she's still trying the same damned thing."
"I hate to ask this, Harm, but did you ever have a sexual relationship with any of your former partners at JAG?"
"Yes. Kate Pike and I had a fling. We were both Lieutenants at the time, we quickly realized it was a mistake and we moved on. We're still friends," Harm told her. "Meg Austin was more like a little sister to me, it hurt when she left JAG and just seemed to drop of the earth without ever saying goodbye. As for Mac, sometimes I thought we'd get there and other times the divide between us made the Grand Canyon seem small," Harm said.
"Well, my guess is that Captain Krennick is looking for dirt on you. Something she can use to get back at you for failing to respond to her advances in the manner she hoped for. Given the nature of the situation, I haven't informed SECNAV about it. I'll have to now, so be prepared. This could get ugly, Harm, depending on what she decides to do and what she thinks that she knows."
"Yeah," was all Harm said, but it was all he really needed to say. Why the hell couldn't Alison have taken a simple 'No' for an answer, both in the past as well as now? Then, all of this could have been avoided, as well as what was to come. If he knew anything about the woman, it was that she wouldn't be going quietly. An Article 32 and Court-martial was the likely end point for this.
"Harm," Tracy said, seeming to have caught his mood. "Don't do anything. In all honesty, I would try to avoid her if you can. If not, make sure there's another person around as much as you possibly can. As soon as I hang up, I'll get in to see the Secretary and let him know what's happening."
"You may want to suggest that he consider a replacement for me, Tracy."
"Not going to happen, Harm."
"Tracy, he needs to be fully prepared. If Alison gets charged, I can virtually guarantee she'll push for charges to be filed against me. Whether from my relationship with Kate or something else she'd pulled from the files, she'll throw as much crap at me as she can and hope that either it sticks or that I pull back. Trust me, whatever else the woman is, she's a very good lawyer. So, she knows that the best defense in a situation like this is to blame the victim," Harm told her.
"Well then, when I get done talking to SECNAV, how about I do some investigating of my own. Not just on your former partners, to see what Captain Krennick thinks she's found, but also on the good Captain herself. Everybody has something they want to hide, I doubt she's any different," was Tracy's measured response.
"Oh, and what do you have to hide, Commander?"
"Lots of things, including that I love stuffed animals. The other stuff, you don't need to know."
Harm laughed at that, which had been Tracy's intention. The pair talked for a couple of minutes more before Tracy hung up. Making a note, she decided to get Harm some backup over there as soon as she could arrange it. But first, she needed to brief the Secretary on the latest crisis involving Harm. Little did she, or Harm for that matter, know that some help was right around the corner.
United States Embassy – London, England
1727 Greenwich/ 2227 Eastern
Harm had left a few minutes early, so that he could meet up with Beth and they share a cab for the ride home. The weather had taken a little turn, with snow falling for much of the afternoon. Combined with the drop in temperatures, walking the two miles to home was definitely not advisable. Harm was starting to reconsider the whole not getting a car thing, but not enough to make him change his mind just yet. He'd think about it again and talk it over with Beth.
As he walked through the checkpoint, Harm held out his identification for the Marine guard. A quick check and he was waved through, only to be stopped a second later by the guard's voice.
"Captain Rabb, Sir?"
"Yes, Corporal," Harm said as he turned.
"My apologies, Sir. The First Sergeant left word that he wanted to see you, if it was convenient, Sir. If not, Sir, he asked that I present his compliments and ask when might be a more convenient time."
"Does the First Sergeant happen to have a name?"
"Sorry, Sir. The First Sergeant is First Sergeant Galindez, Sir," the Corporal reported.
"And where might I find him?" Harm asked, fighting the potential smile that was threatening. There was only one Marine NCO named Galindez that Harm could think of and he would be more than happy to see the man again. If it hadn't been for Victor, things might have turned out very differently in Paraguay. In his own mind, Harm owed the man.
"He's in his office, Sir. Down the stairs and third door on the left."
"Excellent, Corporal. I'll head there now, but you are not, repeat NOT, to call ahead and let him know I'm either in the building or on my way. Also, if Lieutenant Commander Rabb appears, tell her where to find me and that I would appreciate her joining me."
"Understood, Sir," the Corporal responded, even though it meant ignoring the First Sergeant's orders. Still, a Navy Captain outranked the First Sergeant, so the young man knew he was on solid ground. Or so he hoped.
Harm turned and made for the stairs, proceeding downstairs and immediately seeing the sign he was looking for. Walking to the door, he knocked and waited.
"Enter," came the shouted call.
Opening the door a crack, Harm spoke before he entered. "Excuse me, but I'm a little lost. Could you direct me to McMurphy's, by any chance?"
"Only if you're looking for watered down drinks served to drunken sailors," Victor said as he stood up and came around the desk as Harm fully entered the office. "It's good to see you, Sir."
"Thanks, Victor. Nice to see you back in that uniform, First Sergeant," Harm replied, pointing a finger at the new insignia. "When did that happen?"
"I was only on TAD with the Agency and when things went the hell down south, I'd had enough. So, I requested orders back to the Corps and went back to Afghanistan. Then, I got wounded three months ago, so I was transferred back stateside for treatment. My promotion came through while I was there, along with orders to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group and assignment here as the SNCO of the detachment."
"How'd you find out I was here?"
"I was doing a walk around today, just checking things, when I heard someone say 'Commander Rabb'. After my time at JAG, it just struck me even though I wasn't really listening for it or anything. So, I stopped and listened, but I didn't hear it again. Then, as I completed my walk to the end of the corridor, I happened to see a sign above the door to the Office of Defense Cooperation with the name Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Rabb. Now, the last I remembered, you weren't married and I never heard about a sister, but still. So, I stuck my head in and asked for Commander Rabb. When she said she was, I asked if she happened to be related to you."
"Yeah, that's my bride of two weeks. We got married Christmas Eve, just before I got transferred from JAG HQ to here as the FJA for NAVFOREUR. We got lucky with the spousal colocation, with the embassy here," Harm said.
"Well, Captain, if I may say so, you've got yourself a great wife. It wasn't until after she and I finished talking that I realized I kind of knew her. That's your former RIO, Skates, right?" Victor asked.
"Yes, I am," Beth said from the doorway. "Corporal Hall said you were down here, darling."
"Indeed I am, seeing a friend," Harm told Beth, looking Victor in the eye. Despite the whole officer/enlisted thing, Harm did view the Marine as a friend. A friend to Harm was someone who had your back when the chips were down and Victor had done that a few times.
"I'm honored, Captain," Victor said with a tight smile. The Marine knew the line as well as Harm did, yet appreciated the sincerity of the words. "Ma'am, if you ever need anything, just give me a shout."
"Thank you, First Sergeant."
"We'll take good care of her for you, Captain. I promise."
"Semper Fidelis, Marine," Harm said.
"Oorah, Sir," Victor answered, braced at attention as Harm and Beth turned and exited the office. He was glad the officer seemed to understand the full meaning of what he'd said.
Harm had indeed understood and appreciated the meaning behind the words. Just as Harm never made a promise he didn't intend to keep, neither would Victor. That was the true meaning of Semper Fidelis, to be always faithful.